Wednesday 3 December 2008

Golders Green Rapidplay

If anyone is within commuting distance of Golders Green, London this Saturday 6th December then this tournament is highly recommended by me.

Here are the details as provided by Adam Raoof (organiser):
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The world-famous Golders Green Rapidplay takes place this Saturday, 6th December, at Golders Green Church Hall, West Heath Drive, London NW11 7QG from 10.30am.
Website: www.goldersgreenchess.blogspot.com/
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It will provide you with an ideal platform on which to exercise your chess tactics!

Tuesday 25 November 2008

Tactics books worth investing in ...

These are some of my favourite chess tactics books ...

Practical Chess Lessons: 600 Lessons from Tactics to Strategy - Ray Cheng
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Practical-Chess-Exercises-Lessons-Strategy/dp/1587368013/ref=cm_cr-mr-title (reviewed on Amazon)

Sharpen Your Tactics - Arkhangelsky & Lein
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sharpen-Your-Tactics-Anatoly-Lein/dp/1880673134/ref=cm_cr-mr-title (reviewed on Amazon)

Find the Checkmate - Gary Lane
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Find-Checkmate-Batsford-Chess-Book/dp/0713488611/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1227616840&sr=8-1 (reviewed on Amazon)

Definitely OK for chess amateurs like me!

Monday 21 July 2008

Traps in the Opening

I have been playing the Scotch game (not to be confused with Scotch Gambit) a lot recently and trying to exploit the tactics of this opening.

Example of a game
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Opening: Scotch Game
White: greg_b
Black: A.N Other

1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. d4 exd4
4. Nxd4 Nxd4
5. Qxd4 Nf6?
6. e5 Nh5? (This move causes loss of a tempo because the knight is misplaced on h5. This can be met with 7.Be2 and black has to defend with g6 ... 6 .. Qe7 would have been better, exploiting the pin)


Playing the opening correctly as black ...

1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. d4 exd4
4. Nxd4 Bc5
5. Nxc6 Qf6 (threatening mate)
6. Be3 / Qf3 / Qd2 are all playable) Qxc6

Game is equal ...

If you're playing the White Pieces

If white plays 6. Qf3 then
(6 ..Qxc6. It is wrong for create a mate threat of his own with 7.Bc4? Because
7 .. Bxf2+ 8.Kxh2 Qxc4) wins black a pawn and favourable endgame.

A common trap I have found for White while playing this opening is when after (6 .. Qxc6 7.Nc3 Black plays 7..d6?? or 7..d5??, this is always met with Bb5, winning the Black Queen).

These tactics are definitely cheapos - but nevertheless worth knowing :)

I am very interested to learn more about this opening, so if anyone has any more theory or traps to add then please let me know ....!

greg_b

Thursday 17 July 2008

Welcome to The Chess Tactician Blog!

Hi Everyone
I am an intermdiate chess enthusiast (BCF 92) who enjoys discussions about chess openings, middle game tactics and endings ...

I realise that learning chess tactics is the only real way to improve at chess so I am doing a number of puzzles during the day.

I started off with Gary Lane's book - "Find the Checkmate" and also "Learn Chess" by Alexander and Beach - both are really good books! I have now moved on to Sharpen Your
Tactics by Lein and Archangelsky. Up until no. 500 the problems in this book are reasonably easy. My problem however, is that I'm quite a slow player and sometimes take a long time to find appropriate candidate moves for some of the problems in this book!

I think the weakest part of my game is lack of credible plan in the middle game.
Any advice would be welcome ...