Wednesday 1 December 2010

Chess Tactics Server & Lessons

Here is the link for a free chess tactics server:

ChessTempo

I believe this gives a very realistic assessment of tactical ability.

This will be useful for Junior Players ...


Also, for the Seniors I recommend signing up to:

International Chess School: (A little pricey – approx £25 per month) but, you get openings / strategy and tactics problems.
(Supposedly prepared by a Grandmaster)

Chess Masters School

Sunday 25 April 2010

Rook Sac on chess.com

Enjoy!

a.n.other vs GJB

1.d4 Nf6
2.e3 d5
3.Bd3 Nc6
4.a3 e5
5.dxe5 Nxe5
6.Ne2 Bg4
7.f3 Bh5
8.O-O Bc5
9.Ng3 Bg6
10.Kh1 Qd7
11.Bxg6 hxg6
12.e4 d4
13.b4 Bb6
14.Bb2 O-O-O
15.Nd2 Rxh2+
16.Kxh2 d3
17.Nh1 Rh8+
18.Kg3 Nh5+
19.Kh2 Nf4+
20.Kg3 Nxg2
21.Kxg2 Qh3#

Opening a file on the Kingside?

Here is a recent game I played - but I'm not sure if my opponent gave me enough of a fight??

CW vs GJB
========
1. Nf3 d5
2. e3 Nf6
3. d4 Nc6
4. Be2 Bf5
5. 0-0 e6
6. c4 cxd
7. Bxc4 Nd5 (Not sure why I played this ... )
8. Nc3 Bg4
9. Nxd5 exd
10. Be2 Bd6
11. a3 ... (This seemed a little passive and unnecessary to me ... )
11. ... 0-0
12. Nd2 Bf5
13. Bf3 Re8
14. Bxd5 Bxh2+!
15. Kxh2 Qxd5
16. Qf3 Qd7
17. Rh1 ... (Now white will try and reposition the King and take advantage of the open file ... )
17. ... Bg4
18. Qg3 Re7
19. Nf3 Bxf3
20. Qxf3 Re8 (White cannot reposition his King to g1 because of (Nxd4 winning a pawn)
21. Bd2 Re6
22. g3 Rf6
23. Qg2 Qg4
24. Re1 Re6
25. d5 ... (The fork is a mirage ... !)
25. ... Rh6+
26. Kg1 Rxh1+
27. Qxh1 Rh6
28. Qg2 Ne5
29. Kf1 Nf3
30. Re2 Rh2 (Black's queen is a gonner !)
31. Qxh2 Nxh2+
32. Kg2? Qxe2

0 - 1

Monday 19 April 2010

Michael De La Maza 7 circles

According to M De La Maza, you can improve your tactics by attempting the same set of problems repeatedly. The same set of problems are completed in circles. Each progressive circle is half the duration as the one before, presenting more of a challenge for each circle - but increasing familiarity of the patterns and nuturing speed of thought .. !

To Improve my tactics, I have so far completed 200 tactics problems from "303 Tricky Chess Tactics ... " in 2 weeks on the train. (A lot for me !!).

Therefore my circles will be as follow:

Duration Problems
Circle 1 14 Days 200
Circle 2 7 Days 200
Circle 3 3.5 Days 200
Circle 4 2 Days 200
Circle 5 1 Day 200
Circle 6 12 Hours 200
Circle 7 6 Hours 200

From the above you'll note that Circle 7 is going to be near impossible but I'll have a go !!!
I am due to start circle 2 tomorrow - this will last for 7 days ...

If you are interested to find out more visit the following ... http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rapid-Chess-Improvement-Study-Players/dp/1857442695/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1271694489&sr=8-1

Thursday 15 April 2010

Great reference point for Openings ... !

Hi Steve (& Fellow Chess Tacticians!)

I thoroughly recomend Eco chess to use as a reference site for openings. Eco chess have very helpfully provided an alphabetical list of the most popular openings on their site. The good news is that I recognise most of them, but have to admit that I am very weak on opening theory!

There is a java applet on the site where you can play through the games on the site ...

http://www.ecochess.com/

I'll be using this site on a more regular basis (if I find the time .... !)


G

Wednesday 14 April 2010

Black holds on with the Budapest ...

This was my first attempt at a Budapest in a club match. I am reading Tim Taylor's Everyman book at the moment to get some sharper lines for Black ...

SB vs GJB
========
1. d4 Nf6
2. c4 e5
3. dxe5 Ng4
4. Nf3 Nc6
5. Bf4 Bb4+
6. Nc3 Qe7
7. Qd5 d6
8. exd cxd
9. e3 Be6
10. Qd2 h6
11. a3 Bxc3
12. Qxc3 0-0
13. Be2 Nf6
14. Rd1 Rd8
15. 0-0 d5
16. Qc2 Rc8
17. Nd4 Nxd4
18. Rxd4 b4
19. b3 Qxa3
20. Rd1 Qc5
21. Qb1 Ne4
22. Qb2 g5
23. Bg3 Nxg3
24. hxg3 bxc
25. bxc Rb8
26. Qd2 Rb4
27. cxd Rxd4
28. Qxd4 Qxd4
29. Rxd4 Rxd5
30. Ra4

0.5 - 0.5

Wednesday 7 April 2010

303 Tricky Chess Tactics

I found the following tactics puzzles exercise book very useful:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/303-Tricky-Chess-Tactics-Training/dp/1580420761/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1270649230&sr=8-1

I think it is aimed primarily at intermediate players ...

It could possibly be used as part of Michael De La Maza'a 7 circles training etc.

Piece activity can be rewarding ...

Queens Gambit Accepted

GJB vs CW
========
1. d4 d5
2. c4 Nf6
3. Nf3 cxd
4. Nc3 c6
5. a4 Qa5 (a premature queen move ... no other black pieces are in play)
6. Bd2 e6 (black will unleash his dark squared bishop)
7. Qc2 Bd6
8. e4 Bb4
9. Bxc4 Bxc3
10. Bxc3 Qh5
11. Bb4 (White aims to prevent Black from castling)
11. ... Qg4 (catching a pawn)
12. 0-0 Qxe4
13. Bd3 Qd5
14. Re1 Qd7
15. Ne5 Qxd4 (White blunders a pawn - but his pieces are all very active)
16. Ba3 (White maintains pressure on the a3-f8 diagonal to prevent Black from castling)
16. ... Nd7 (Black develops)
17. Nc4 Nc5
18. Rd1 b6 (White has set up a potential trap and Black is not at liberty to castle due to Bxh7+ winning the Black Queen)
19. Be2 Qf4 (Instead of Be2 - White should have looked at 19.Bxh7 with some sharp variations especially after 19. ... Qh4)
20. Bf3 Nd5 (Blocking the a3 bishop's path)
21. Bxd5 cxd5
22. Rxd5 (White is now only one pawn down taking advantage of the Black king's central position ... )
22. ... Bb7
23. Nd6+ Kf8
24. Rd1 Bd5 (Black attempts to ensnare the Knight on d6)
25. Bxc5 bxc5
26. Qxc5 g6
27. Rd4 (Looking at potential tactical tricks after Black queen has moved ... White has a discovered check ... )
27. ... Qg5 (threatens mate)
28. Nf5+ Kg8
29. Ne7+ Kg7
30. Nxd5 Rc8
31. Qe7 Qxe7
32. Nxe7 Rc7
33. Nxg6 (White piece is trapped an becomes a desperado piece ... White is now a pawn up! )
33. ... hxg6
34. b4 (and White had a won ending ... albeit difficult to convert)

1 - 0

Two Knights vs Two Rooks !

Anti Sicillian

CW - vs - GJB
==========
1. e4 - c5
2. Bc4 - d6
3. d3 - Nc6
4. Nf3 - Nf6
5. a3 - g6 (a3 is perhaps too premature
Black's knight will not be moving to b4 yet)
6. Nc3 - Bg7
7. 0-0 - 0-0
8. h3 - a6
9. Ne2 - e6
10. Bg5 - Qc7
11. Bxf6 - Bxf6 (Surely White is relinquishing the Bishop's useful pin without much of a fight? The Knights are onlookers - chatting away to each other seemingly unaware of hostilities... !)
12. c3 - b5
13. Ba2 - Rb8
14. Rb1 - b4
15. d4 - Qa5
16. d5 - exd5
17. Qxd5 - Be6
18. Qxc6 - Rb6
19. cxb - Bxa2
20. Qxe6 - Bxb1 (White should have taken the Queen with the pawn instead ... now he is one exchange down)
21. Qxf6 - Qb5 (Luckily Black can aim at one of the Knights to avoid loss of a piece Admittedly I found this move OTB rather than seeing 'x' no. of moves ahead)
22. Nc3? - (Forking Queen and Rook)
22. ... - Qxf1+ (A simple tactic winning another exchange!)
23. Kxf1 - Rxf6
24. Nxb1 - cxb
25. Ne5 - Rd8 (Black must always be aware of Knight forks ... but tees up a simple Rook check threat)
26. Ke2 - bxa
27. bxa - Rb6
28. Nc3 - Rb3 (Rook fork)
29. Nd5 - Rxa3
30. Nd3 - Kg7 (Black finds a better square for the King)
31. g4 - Ra2+
32. Ke3 - Ra3 (Pin)
33. h4 - a5
34. f4 - f5!
35. g5? - fxe4
36. Kxe4 - Rxd3 (Wins ! - on account of KxR Rxd5+)

White resigns ...

0 - 1

Tuesday 6 April 2010

It is good to play kings gambit because...


It is good to play the kings gambit in most games,because if your opponent might go for taking the pawn.If he does,you can develop.It is important in games to develop,other wise,if you move the same piece all the time,all the other peices will just not get involved in the game.So remember to DEVELOP.
The picture bellow is me.










Friday 2 April 2010

Two Knights vs Two Rooks !

Anti Sicillian

CW - vs - GJB
===============
1. e4 - c5
2. Bc4 - d6
3. d3 - Nc6
4. Nf3 - Nf6
5. a3 - g6 (a3 is perhaps too premature
black's knight will not be moving to b4 yet)
6. Nc3 - Bg7
7. 0-0 - 0-0
8. h3 - a6
9. Ne2 - e6
10.Bg5 - Qc7
11.Bxf6 - Bxf6 (Surely White is relinquishing the Bishop's useful pin
without much of a fight? The Knights are onlookers -
chatting away to each other seemingly unaware of hostilities... !)
12.c3 - b5
13.Ba2 - Rb8
14.Rb1 - b4
15.d4 - Qa5
16.d5 - exd5
17.Qxd5 - Be6
18.Qxc6 - Rb6
19.cxb - Bxa2
20.Qxe6 - Bxb1 (White should have taken the Queen with the pawn instead ...
now he is one exchange down)
21.Qxf6 - Qb5 (Luckily Black can aim at one of the Knights to avoid loss of a piece
Admittedly I found this move OTB rather than seeing 'x' no. of moves ahead)
22.Nc3? - (Forking Queen and Rook)

22. ... - Qxf1+ (A simple tactic winning another exchange!)
23.Kxf1 - Rxf6
24.Nxb1 - cxb
25.Ne5 - Rd8 (Black must always be aware of Knight forks ... but tees up a simple Rook check threat)
26.Ke2 - bxa
27.bxa - Rb6
28.Nc3 - Rb3 (Rook fork)
29.Nd5 - Rxa3
30.Nd3 - Kg7 (Black finds a better square for the King)
31.g4 - Ra2+
32.Ke3 - Ra3 (Pin)
33.h4 - a5
34.f4 - f5!
35.g5? - fxe4
36.Kxe4 - Rxd3 (Wins ! - on account of KxR Rxd5+)

White resigns ...

0 - 1

Another Scotch with 0-0-0 for Black

GJB vs CW
=========

1.e4 e5
2.Nf3 Nc6
3.d4 ed
4.Nxd4 Nxd4
5.Qxd4 b6
6.Bc4 (hoping that my opponent will play c5 and then I follow with Qd5 threatening mate or Qxa8)
6. ... Bb7
7.0-0 Qe7
8.Nc3 0-0-0
9.Bf4 Qc5
10.Qd3 (it is certainly not to White's advantage to trade queens in this position)
10. ... f6
11.Nb5 (the win of a pawn 'threat' is simple...)
11. ... Bd6
12. Bxd6 cxd6
13.Nxd6+ Kb8
14.Nxb7 (I have the option of winning the exchange in this position but opt to remove a defender of the Black King)
15.Bd5+ Kb8
16.Qa6 Qc7
17.Rad1 Ne7
18.Bb3 (again I don't want to encourage a potentially powerful knight from joining the game by swapping off!)
18. ... d6 (moving the Knight would surely have been better?)
19.Rd3 Qb7
20.Qa3 Qxe4 (a pawn grab ... )
21.Rxd6 Qb7
22.Rd1 Rc8
23.Rd7 Rc7?? (unfortunately a blunder due to ... Qxe7)
24.Qxe7 (Black Resigns)

Saturday 20 March 2010

Scotch (Trap #1) good for Black

This little trap is fairly obvious - effectively it shows that Knight forays early on in the game can lead to disaster! Here is the short sequence of moves:

1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. d4 exd4
4. Nxd4 Nf6
5. Bg5 (pinning Knight)
5. ... h6
6. BxN QxN
7. Nb5!? (White is not too bothered about b2 falling ... )















7. ... (Bc5 - threatens mate)

8. f3 (Now Black Queen can take on b2)
8. ... Qxb2

9. Nxc7+ (should have looked before they leapt!)
9. ... Kd8

10. Nxa8 Qxa1
11. Nd2 Bxf2+!
12. Ke2 Nd4+!
13. Kxf2 (forced)
13. ... QxQ and wins ...

Wednesday 17 March 2010

Scotch Game - trebled pawns

Hi Steve

In response to your comment, instead of 9. .. Nf6 - I thought he could play Be6 with the intention of pushing the pawn onto c4. This could give Black some good counter-play and become a real hindrance for White! Black has successfully reduced the scope of White's bishop along the f1-a6 diagonal by doing this - however White could develop the Bishop on g2, after g3 eyeing the pawn on c6 which is vulnerable to attack and also preparing f4 ... !?

Actually, in the game I was afraid of the c5 pawn reaching c4 hence I think in hindsight that it would have been better to play an immediate 9. c4 ... (Your idea looks good though)

Tuesday 16 March 2010

Another won game, another draw ...

I played my club game tonight and as usual, played the Scotch ....

The game went like this ...

1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. d4 exd4
4. Nxd4 Bc5 (correct so far)
5. Be3 d6? (not so sure about this for Black - leads to trebled pawns!)













6. Nxc6 bxc6
7. Bxc5 dxc5
8. Qxd8 Kxd8













Now - surely White's in the driving seat? - A won game no doubt. Black can no longer castle and has trebled pawns. On the contrary, White can castle after developing the Bishop ...

I thought it was really a case of getting castled in this position, therefore I planned to develop the Bishop to c4 and if he developed his to e6 then I wanted to exchange them off, hopefully creating an isolated pawn in the process. The game went

9. Bc4 Ke7 (I thought this was too ambitious - king in the middle of the board etc.)
10. Nc3 Nf6
11. O-O Be6
12. Bxe6 Kxe6
13. Na4













13. .. Nd7
14. f4 Rb8
15. b3 c4 (a good move allowing exchange of pawn - On capture Rook is destined for b4)
16. Rd1 cb
17. cb Rd8
18. e5 Ke7
19. Re1 Nb6













Black offered a draw in this position and I begrudgingly accepted knowing that I'd missed an ideal opportunity to play an earlier pawn to c4 - immediately stopping the trebled pawns in their tracks ...

Here's the position I should have reached on 9.c4 (will continue analysis on this position tomorrow!)













Look forward to comments .... ! (over to you Steve ... )

More tomorrow ...

Thursday 25 February 2010

Sicilian Defence (Trap #2)

I found out about this trap in the Sicilian the other day, and so I thought I'd share it with you! (That's you Steve ... ) It's more of a novelty than a well trodden line, but will probably trip the average club player up from time to time ...

1. e4 c5
2. Nf3 d6
3. d4 cxd4
4. Qxd4 Nc6
5. Bb5 Bd7
6. Bxc6 Bxc6
7. Nc3 Nf6
8. Bg5 e6
9. 0-0-0 Be7
10. Qd3 (this allows the Nf3 to Nd4 on the next move ... )
10. ... 0-0
11.Nd4 a6 (starting Q-side operations)
12. f4 Qc7
13. h4! (normally in this position White plays Rhe1 or Kb1 or Rhg1 perhaps h4 though leads to interesting possibilities)
13. .. b5
14. e5! dxe5
15. Nxc6 Qxc6
16. fxe5 Nd5
17. Nxd5! Bxg5
18. hxg5 and there lies the trap ... Qxd5 or exd5 leads to Mate!

White wins easily with the extra piece.

Saturday 30 January 2010

Looking for a dark corner to crawl into.......

Sooner or later, every chess player will sit down and analyse their recent games. Every so often, as we lazily play through the moves we deem unimportant or boring, alarm bells will ring. "Why didn't I just play that?", you'll ask yourself, "that's winning by the look of it...", "Hang on....I'll just see what Fritz says...". And then the full force of your ineptitude hits you - you've missed a win so easy your pet hamster could spot it!!

But what if you went through that exact thought process (without the Fritz part of course) during a match, moments after you've automatically played what looks like a reasonable if rather dull move!!? Which brings me onto my recent game, in which I did just that. Having missed a winning continuation, I then spent the next hour looking for somewhere to hide from my own embarrassment and, in doing so, worked myself into a lost position only to lash out widly in frustration, somehow get a winning position but be forced into a three-fold repition due to time trouble!

Anyway, enough of my troubled rantings - to the moves:

White - N.N
Black - S Milford

1. d4 Nf6
2. Nc3 d5
3. Bg5 Nbd7
4. e3 e6
5. Bd3 c5
6. b3??

And here I should have played 6...c4!, afterwhich the pin of the c3 Knight by Bb4 and Qa5 (which also attacks the g5 bishop) wins. However, I dismissed c4 in a flash only to realise my the extent of my laziness at move 8.

6...Be7??
7. Nf3

Another chance for the same thing! But I miss it yet again

7...a6??
8. 0-0 Qc7

(The chance is gone and I compound the problem with this weak move. 0-0 was better by far)

9. Bf4 Bd6
10. Bxd6 Qxd6
11. Re1 cxd4
12. exd4 0-0
13. Ne5 b5
14. a3 Bb7
15. f4 b4?!
16. axb4 Qxb4
17. Ne2 Nxe5
18. fxe5 Ne4
19. Ra4 Qe7
20. Rf1 f5

I'd got myself into a bit of time trouble by now (which somewhat explains the disjointed nature of my play) and, still thinking about my earlier oversight , I decided to go for it - death or glory!!

21. Ra1 Qg5
22. Nf4 Qe7
23. Rf3 g5
24. Nh5 g4
25. Rf1 Qf7?
26. Nf4 h5
27. c4 Qe7
28. Nxh5 Qg5
29. Nf4 g3?!

(A desperate attempt to complicate things with less that a minute to make 5 more moves)

30. hxg3 dxc4
31. Nxe6??

Before this move, white was clearly better & probably totally winning. However, this swings it completely in my favour. But with seconds on the clock I had no chance to find the winning combination(s!) and had to settle for the perpetual.

31... Qe3+
32. Kh2 Qh6+
33. Kg1 Qe3+
34. Kh2 Qh6+
35. Kg1 Qe3+

1/2 - 1/2

I would have got another 15 minutes at this point had it not been a draw by repition. I like to think I would have found a route to the win (Rf7 with a timely cxd3 seems to do the trick) but I think I was more likely to have had a heart attack at the speed I'd been forced to play the last few moves!

The real lesson here though I suppose is "don't play automatically". If you actually spend the time to calcualte before lazily pushing out another piece you may be surprised by what you see.

Cheers, and happy king-hunting!