tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87910503080307894342024-02-07T05:30:27.306-08:00The Chess TacticianBlog for those aspiring to be chess tacticiansUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger240125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8791050308030789434.post-90011829702839700152024-02-01T13:04:00.000-08:002024-02-01T13:37:23.485-08:00Scotch Blumenfeld Attack 'Bamboozles' My OpponentThis game started out as a routine, Classical Scotch Game, but then on move 6, I decided to unleash the unpredictable (and no doubt unsound) 'Blumenfeld Attack'. This variation got very interesting when my opponent took a gamble and decided to give his Rook away early on a8. I used the word 'bamboozle' in this post's title, because on move 8. Kd2?! my opponent took over 30 mins to cook up his next sequence of moves !!! Unfortunately I was unable to write all the moves down om my score sheet, as the rules state that in the final 5 minutes of the game the player is not obliged to do so, but luckily I remembered the final few moves in the time scramble ... !!! The outcome was that my opponent got his queen pinned to their King, by my Rook. Finally, he tried to move this piece (illegally) to check me in a bit of a rush, but I had to remind him that his piece was actually pinned and then he realised that he'd incurred a two minute penalty ... He resigned with this in mind. <br /><div><div><p>
As usual, any comments welcome ...
<br />
</p><h3>
<b>Scotch Game</b></h3>
<b>
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<p></p></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8791050308030789434.post-75272749490431513582024-01-21T07:51:00.000-08:002024-01-21T07:51:42.104-08:00Missed OpportunitiesI had a few opportunities to really give my opponent a hard time in this example of an Alekhine's Defense (Chase Variation), but annoyingly I didn't play Rd1 on Move 22 which would have obviously posed a few problems for my opponent! <br /><div><div><p>
As usual, any comments welcome ...
<br />
</p><h3>
<b>Alekhine's Defense</b></h3>
<b>
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<p></p></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8791050308030789434.post-50733418683658891492023-11-26T10:21:00.000-08:002023-11-26T15:10:58.050-08:00Reaching a grade of 2000 on lichess.org <p>I am not a very talented chess player, and I want to prove to myself (and everyone else) that hard work and dedication, might actually beat talent! </p><p>I've spent hours and hours over the years playing blitz chess, but alas, my online grade only slightly improved. So, I thought I'd slow it down a bit and play 10 minute games rather than 5 minute games and this has really helped. Given that I am not a fast thinker, I am also generally a few minutes slower than my opponents even during these 10 minute games, so if I have a 'won game' I have learnt to speed up in the last 2 minutes of the game. <br /><br />Back in the summer of 2023 I set myself a challenge to reach 2000 on <a href="http://lichess.org">lichess.org</a>. (It should be noted that this server is not as strong as <a href="http://chess.com">chess.com</a> where my 10 minute grade still sits at 1801). I found that it was simple enough to reach about 1800 without too much effort, but breaking the 1900 barrier was more of a challenge. Then one day I got past 1950 and realised that it might actually be possible! </p><p>So, in the last few weeks I have been playing between five and ten, 10 minute games. I've been doing some very <u>basic analysis</u> of the games I lose, and use <a href="http://chessgames.com">chessgames.com</a> to play through the games of the masters where the same type of opening is used. I find that this is very helpful, because you can get a very good sense of how to deal with the positions that arise from the particular openings.<br /><br />I've played three, 10 minute games today and my grade started off at '1995'. I won my first game and my grade went up to '1999'. Bearing in mind that this had happened twice before, I realised I'd have to play another game to get over the 2000 mark, so I played another - but sadly lost !!! :( So, my grade now sat at '1994'. I then played a person rated '2019' and to my astonishment, got into a 'won endgame' with less than 1 minute to spare ... I managed to promote a pawn to a Queen - and given that my opponent had no chance whatsoever of doing the same I had a completely 'won game' and they resigned!!! So I gained 6 grading points and reached 2000!! :) Job done at last. I've now set myself the same target for <a href="http://chess.com">chess.com</a> . 'Never giving up' applies here. <br /><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8791050308030789434.post-25528174868058772522023-11-25T12:51:00.000-08:002023-11-25T13:17:44.887-08:00The enemy Knight became a beast! I made a major strategic blunder in my last club game against Reading A Team. In this game I really should not have allowed my opponent to place his remaining Knight on e5. During the middle/endgame phase having a Knight on such is a square is a blessing. The Knight surveys eight squares of the board and in this case, the Knight controlled the entire game from e5.<div><br /></div><div><div> My Knight on the other hand was placed poorly on a2 ("Knight on the rim is dim") and ended up getting trapped ... ! Rubbish ... !! Never mind - learnt from this and won't let it happen again... </div><div><br /><b> Note:</b> when I showed some colleagues the position after 16. ..e5, I gave them three choices ... They can either play <b>17.dxe6(ep)</b>, <b>17.fxe5</b> (which I wrongly elected to do) or <b>17.f5</b> which looked to be the strongest move. Unsurprisingly, out of those colleagues asked, the ones with the best chess ratings elected to play <b><u>f5</u></b>! This looks to be the correct move as the enemy Knight is certainly deprived of the e5 square, and White gets an attack against the enemy King, with effectively a Kingside pawn-storm.<p>
As usual, any comments welcome ...
<br />
</p><h3>
<b>Kings Indian</b></h3>
<b>
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<p></p></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8791050308030789434.post-37090090642448621292023-11-25T04:29:00.000-08:002023-11-25T04:56:08.176-08:00Why didn't I play 21.Bb6??? Chess is often about calculating properly - and not just playing what 'feels like' the right move to play. In this game I should definitely have played my Bishop to b6 on move 21, however the temptation to get my d pawn to the 7th rank was just too great ... ! Of course I learned of the consequences of making such a move after my opponents simple response .. Nxd7. <br /><br />The game was a useful learning experience and needless to say I threw it away. I definitely seem to panic when I have the game on a plate! This is a habit I need to shed if I am seriously going to win more competitive chess games. <div><br /></div><div><div>You can see that after all the exchanges I am too pawns down - I struggled on until Move 53, but the lost pawns meant I could not hold a draw ... </div><div><br />
As usual, any comments welcome ...
<br />
<h3>
<b>d4 Opening</b></h3>
<b>
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</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8791050308030789434.post-68746003580560339322023-11-02T10:50:00.018-07:002023-11-02T11:19:47.554-07:00Chess: It's a Race! <p>My last club game was against Bracknell. My opponent elected to play a kind of delayed London System, with me defending with a Benoni type configuration - I knew I had to get Kingside dominance with f5 at some stage, and I felt that this task was made easier, given my opponent's reluctance to push his Queenside pawns and make them really count. Although the plan was very transparent, the finish was very conclusive! </p><p> </p><p><br /></p>
<br><br>
As usual, any comments welcome ...
<br />
<h3>
<b>London System</b></h3>
<b>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8791050308030789434.post-49481378910285096652023-11-02T09:20:00.013-07:002023-11-02T10:40:46.992-07:00Watch the Checks Sir !! - (4NCL Online Game ....) <p>Having lost all previous games in this league, I thought this game would probably go the same way. I castled Queenside and my position was precarious to say the least, but my opponent missed a simple check that he couldn't block without losing his queen for my rook - so that was the game, sewn up nicely ... ! A note about the opening: The 3. .. Na5 idea came from an old chess publication I had lying around and is apparently a bit of a novelty. It was once played by Graham Miles back in the day, and I believe he had favourable results with this opening idea ...?! </p><p> </p><p><br /></p>
<br><br>
As usual, any comments welcome ...
<br />
<h3>
<b>Sicillian - Rossolimo</b></h3>
<b>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8791050308030789434.post-76875656743603557062023-11-01T15:55:00.006-07:002023-11-01T16:09:45.568-07:00I played badly !! <p>I had a bit of a shocker against Guildford in early October ... I think I will try 2. ..e5 against c4 in future instead of 2. ..d5 which is probablly wrong ... !! I got punished with his simple passed pawn in the closing stages ... I am publishing this game as a penance ... to remind myself to do better next time :) </p><p> </p><p><br /></p>
<br><br>
As usual, any comments welcome ...
<br />
<h3>
<b>English</b></h3>
<b>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8791050308030789434.post-69703003593111188632023-01-04T10:56:00.000-08:002023-01-04T10:56:10.041-08:00Keininger Trap in Budapest Gambit worth learning! <p>I have recently been playing on Chess24 ... The Keininger Trap in the Budapest Gambit seems to catch people out all the time ... In this example I was playing someone online graded over <b>1830</b>. You will notice in this game that my opponent thinks I've forgotten to retreat my Bishop after being threatened by a pawn ... but - unbeknown to them, the next move is mate!!</p><p> </p><p><br /></p>
<br><br>
As usual, any comments welcome ...
<br />
<h3>
<b>Budapest</b></h3>
<b>
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pgnString: '[Event "Playzone game"][Site "https://play.chess24.com/play/fbfa7805275c"][Date "2023.01.04"][Round ""][White "badchessplayer123456789"][WhiteTitle "-"][WhiteElo "1847"][Black "greg_b"][BlackTitle "-"][BlackElo "1772"][Result "0-1"][FEN "rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w HAha - 0 1"][TimeControl "600"][Time "17:54:44"][EndDate "2023.01.04"][EndTime "17:57:06"]1.d4 {[%clk 00:10:00]} Nf6 {[%clk 00:10:00]} 2.c4 {[%clk 00:09:58]} e5 {[%clk 00:09:56]} 3.dxe5 {[%clk 00:09:36]} Ng4 {[%clk 00:09:55]} 4.Nf3 {[%clk 00:09:25]} Nc6 {[%clk 00:09:53]} 5.Bf4 {[%clk 00:08:43]} Bb4+ {[%clk 00:09:49]} 6.Nbd2 {[%clk 00:08:23]} Qe7 {[%clk 00:09:48]} 7.a3 {[%clk 00:08:11]} Ngxe5 {[%clk 00:09:43]} 8.axb4 {[%clk 00:08:04]} Nd3# {[%clk 00:09:42]} 0-1',
pieceSet: 'leipzig',
pieceSize: 46
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);
</script>
<br />
<div id="KeiningerWin-container">
</div>
<div id="KeiningerWin-moves">
</div>
<script src="https://chesstempo.com/js/pgnpage-all.js" type="text/javascript">
</script>
<link href="https://chesstempo.com/css/board-min.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"></link>
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<br />
PGN Viewer courtesy of <a href="http://chesstempo.com/">http://chesstempo.com/</a>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8791050308030789434.post-25736916678521695942022-12-20T09:50:00.002-08:002022-12-20T09:50:28.245-08:00Biggest online win against 2034 graded player ...!Staggeringly I managed to see off a player graded 2034 today with a Budapest Gambit !! After doing all of the hard work, I just had to remember not to leave by queen and King connected on the dark squares - otherwise there may have been some tricks ... !
<br /></div>
<br><br>
As usual, any comments welcome ...
<br />
<h3>
<b>Budapest</b></h3>
<b>
</b><script src="https://chesstempo.com/js/pgnyui.js" type="text/javascript">
</script>
<script src="https://chesstempo.com/js/pgnviewer.js" type="text/javascript">
</script>
<link href="https://chesstempo.com/css/board-min.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"></link>
<script>
new PgnViewer(
{ boardName: "BudapestWin",
pgnString: '[Event "Playzone game"][Site "https://play.chess24.com/play/7d8b5f49b0a1"][Date "2022.12.20"][Round ""][White "_sorry_"][WhiteTitle "-"][WhiteElo "1994"][Black "greg_b"][BlackTitle "-"][BlackElo "1728"][Result "0-1"][FEN "rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w HAha - 0 1"][TimeControl "600"][Time "17:08:20"][EndDate "2022.12.20"][EndTime "17:29:12"]1.d4 {[%clk 00:10:00]} Nf6 {[%clk 00:10:00]} 2.c4 {[%clk 00:09:55]} e5 {[%clk 00:09:57]} 3.dxe5 {[%clk 00:09:50]} Ng4 {[%clk 00:09:54]} 4.e3 {[%clk 00:09:44]} h5 {[%clk 00:09:32]} 5.Nf3 {[%clk 00:09:39]} Nc6 {[%clk 00:09:25]} 6.Nbd2 {[%clk 00:09:32]} Bb4 {[%clk 00:09:18]} 7.a3 {[%clk 00:09:22]} Bxd2+ {[%clk 00:08:59]} 8.Bxd2 {[%clk 00:09:15]} Qe7 {[%clk 00:08:54]} 9.Bc3 {[%clk 00:09:10]} Ngxe5 {[%clk 00:08:42]} 10.Be2 {[%clk 00:08:57]} d6 {[%clk 00:08:36]} 11.O-O {[%clk 00:08:51]} h4 {[%clk 00:08:32]} 12.Nxe5 {[%clk 00:08:45]} Nxe5 {[%clk 00:08:27]} 13.f4 {[%clk 00:08:40]} Ng6 {[%clk 00:08:05]} 14.Bxg7 {[%clk 00:08:30]} Rg8 {[%clk 00:08:01]} 15.Bd4 {[%clk 00:08:23]} h3 {[%clk 00:07:51]} 16.Bf3 {[%clk 00:08:16]} hxg2 {[%clk 00:07:37]} 17.Bxg2 {[%clk 00:08:10]} Nh4 {[%clk 00:07:22]} 18.Rf2 {[%clk 00:07:44]} Bd7 {[%clk 00:07:01]} 19.Kh1 {[%clk 00:07:05]} O-O-O {[%clk 00:06:52]} 20.Qd3 {[%clk 00:06:58]} Nxg2 {[%clk 00:06:01]} 21.Rxg2 {[%clk 00:06:53]} Qh4 {[%clk 00:05:47]} 22.Rag1 {[%clk 00:06:30]} Rxg2 {[%clk 00:05:43]} 23.Rxg2 {[%clk 00:06:23]} Bc6 {[%clk 00:05:13]} 24.Qe2 {[%clk 00:06:17]} Be4 {[%clk 00:04:51]} 25.b4 {[%clk 00:05:59]} Rg8 {[%clk 00:04:46]} 26.Kg1 {[%clk 00:05:49]} Rxg2+ {[%clk 00:04:39]} 27.Qxg2 {[%clk 00:05:43]} Bxg2 {[%clk 00:04:36]} 28.Kxg2 {[%clk 00:05:37]} b6 {[%clk 00:04:33]} 29.c5 {[%clk 00:05:29]} bxc5 {[%clk 00:04:29]} 30.bxc5 {[%clk 00:03:48]} dxc5 {[%clk 00:04:23]} 31.Be5 {[%clk 00:03:44]} Kd7 {[%clk 00:04:13]} 32.h3 {[%clk 00:03:39]} c6 {[%clk 00:04:00]} 33.a4 {[%clk 00:03:35]} c4 {[%clk 00:03:47]} 34.a5 {[%clk 00:03:31]} a6 {[%clk 00:03:44]} 35.Bc3 {[%clk 00:03:26]} Ke6 {[%clk 00:03:37]} 36.Bb2 {[%clk 00:03:22]} f5 {[%clk 00:03:31]} 37.e4 {[%clk 00:03:18]} fxe4 {[%clk 00:03:29]} 38.Be5 {[%clk 00:03:13]} Qh5 {[%clk 00:03:20]} 39.Kg1 {[%clk 00:03:09]} Qxh3 {[%clk 00:03:09]} 40.Kf2 {[%clk 00:03:05]} c3 {[%clk 00:03:06]} 41.Bd4 {[%clk 00:03:01]} c2 {[%clk 00:03:01]} 42.Bb2 {[%clk 00:02:56]} Qf3+ {[%clk 00:02:55]} 43.Kg1 {[%clk 00:02:51]} Qd1+ {[%clk 00:02:51]} 44.Kg2 {[%clk 00:02:47]} c1=Q {[%clk 00:02:45]} 45.Bxc1 {[%clk 00:02:41]} Qxc1 {[%clk 00:02:42]} 46.f5+ {[%clk 00:02:37]} Kxf5 {[%clk 00:02:36]} 47.Kf2 {[%clk 00:02:34]} e3+ {[%clk 00:02:28]} 48.Kf3 {[%clk 00:02:30]} Qd2 {[%clk 00:02:18]} 49.Kg3 {[%clk 00:02:26]} e2 {[%clk 00:02:13]} 50.Kf3 {[%clk 00:02:24]} Qe1 {[%clk 00:01:48]} 51.Ke3 {[%clk 00:02:20]} Qf1 {[%clk 00:01:42]} 52.Kd2 {[%clk 00:02:17]} e1=Q+ {[%clk 00:01:38]} 53.Kc2 {[%clk 00:02:13]} Qe3 {[%clk 00:01:26]} 54.Kb2 {[%clk 00:02:09]} Qff2+ {[%clk 00:01:23]} 55.Kb1 {[%clk 00:02:06]} Qee1# {[%clk 00:01:19]} 0-1',
pieceSet: 'leipzig',
pieceSize: 46
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);
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<br />
<div id="BudapestWin-container">
</div>
<div id="BudapestWin-moves">
</div>
<script src="https://chesstempo.com/js/pgnpage-all.js" type="text/javascript">
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PGN Viewer courtesy of <a href="http://chesstempo.com/">http://chesstempo.com/</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8791050308030789434.post-57349776162959689342022-12-17T04:13:00.003-08:002022-12-18T01:58:53.478-08:00Two Grand Prix Attacks, one as White, one as Black <p> Today I wanted to practice my chess. I like 'attacking chess', so the Grand Prix Attack for me is perfect! The time control was 10 mins each. Here is the first game with me playing as White on <a href="http://new.chess24.com">http://new.chess24.com</a></p><p> </p>
<br /></div>
<br><br>
As usual, any comments welcome ...
<br />
<h4>
<b>Grand Prix Attack Win for White on Chess24</b></h4>
<b>
</b><script src="https://chesstempo.com/js/pgnyui.js" type="text/javascript">
</script>
<script src="https://chesstempo.com/js/pgnviewer.js" type="text/javascript">
</script>
<link href="https://chesstempo.com/css/board-min.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"></link>
<script>
new PgnViewer(
{ boardName: "WhiteGPWin",
pgnString: '[Event "Playzone game"][Site "https://play.chess24.com/play/31251fcbad20"][Date "2022.12.17"][Round ""][White "greg_b"][WhiteTitle "-"][WhiteElo "1677"][Black "Guest"][BlackTitle ""][BlackElo "1485"][Result "1-0"] 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 e6 3.f4 d5 4.Bb5+ Nc6 5.Nf3 Bd7 6.O-O Nf6 7.d3 d4 8.Ne2 Be7 9.a3 O-O 10.Ng3 h6 11.Bxc6 Bxc6 12.f5 Qd6 13.e5 Bxf3 14.exd6 Bxd1 15.dxe7 Rfe8 16.Rxd1 Rxe7 17.fxe6 Rxe6 18.Bd2 Rae8 19.Re1 b6 20.Rxe6 Rxe6 21.Re1 Rxe1+ 22.Bxe1 Ng4 23.Bd2 f5 24.h3 Ne3 25.Bxe3 dxe3 26.Kf1 f4 27.Ne4 g5 28.Ke2 Kf7 29.g3 Ke6 30.gxf4 gxf4 31.c4 Kf5 32.Nc3 a6 33.a4 Kg5 34.Kf3 h5 35.Ne2 h4 36.Nxf4 Kf5 37.Kxe3 Ke5 38.Ng6+ Kf5 39.Nxh4+ Ke5 40.Nf3+ Kd6 41.h4 Ke6 42.h5 Kf6 43.h6 Kg6 44.Ne5+ Kxh6 45.Nd7 Kg6 46.Nxb6 Kf6 47.Ke4 Ke6 48.Na8 Kd6 49.Nb6 Kc6 50.a5 Kb7 51.Kd5 Kc7 52.Kxc5 Kb7 53.d4 Kc7 54.d5 Kb7 55.d6 Kb8 56.d7 Kc7 57.Kd5 Kd8 58.Ke6 Kc7 59.Ke7 Kb8 60.d8=Q+ Kb7 61.Kd7 Ka7 62.Qc7#',
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<br />
<div id="WhiteGPWin-container">
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<div id="WhiteGPWin-moves">
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<br />
<h4>
<b>Grand Prix Attack Win for Black on Chess24</b></h4>
<b>
</b><script src="https://chesstempo.com/js/pgnyui.js" type="text/javascript">
</script>
<script src="https://chesstempo.com/js/pgnviewer.js" type="text/javascript">
</script>
<link href="https://chesstempo.com/css/board-min.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"></link>
<script>
new PgnViewer(
{ boardName: "BlackGPWin",
pgnString: '[Event "Playzone game"][Site "https://play.chess24.com/play/a574638b8b43"][Date "2022.12.17"][Round ""][White "zambroza"][WhiteTitle ""][WhiteElo "1679"][Black "greg_b"][BlackTitle "-"][BlackElo "1690"][Result "0-1"] 1.e4 c5 2.Bc4 e6 3.f4 Nc6 4.Nf3 g6 5.O-O Bg7 6.c3 Nge7 7.d4 cxd4 8.cxd4 d5 9.exd5 exd5 10.Be2 O-O 11.Ne5 Qb6 12.Nxc6 Nxc6 13.Bf3 Be6 14.Nc3 Rad8 15.Na4 Qxd4+ 16.Qxd4 Nxd4 17.Be3 Nc2 18.Bc5 Nxa1 19.Rxa1 Rfe8 20.Rd1 b6 21.Bd4 Rc8 22.Nc3 Red8 23.Kf2 Bxd4+ 24.Rxd4 Rc5 25.a4 Rdc8 26.Be2 Kg7 27.Ke3 Kf6 28.g4 h6 29.h3 Ke7 30.Bd3 f5 31.gxf5 Bxf5 32.Nxd5+ Ke6 33.Nc3 Bxd3 34.Kxd3 a6 35.Ke4 Rh5 36.Rd3 Rc4+ 37.Rd4 Rxd4+ 38.Kxd4 Rxh3 39.b4 Rf3 40.Nd5 b5 41.a5 h5 42.Nc7+ Kd7 43.Nxa6 h4 44.Nc5+ Kc7 45.Ke4 Ra3 46.Ne6+ Kb7 47.Nd4 h3 48.Nf3 Ra2 49.Kd5 h2 50.Nxh2 Rxh2 51.Kc5 Ka6 52.Kd5 Rb2 53.Ke5 Rxb4 54.f5 gxf5 55.Kxf5 Kxa5 56.Ke5 Rc4 57.Kd5 Kb4 58.Kd6 Rd4+ 59.Ke5 Kc3 60.Ke6 b4 61.Ke5 b3 62.Ke6 b2 63.Ke7 b1=Q 64.Ke6 Qe1+',
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<div id="BlackGPWin-container">
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<div id="BlackGPWin-moves">
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<script src="https://chesstempo.com/js/pgnpage-all.js" type="text/javascript">
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PGN Viewer courtesy of <a href="http://chesstempo.com/">http://chesstempo.com/</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8791050308030789434.post-44381465307470692912022-04-15T06:28:00.002-07:002022-04-15T06:34:51.074-07:00My First Sniper Leads to Draw ... !My latest ckub game against Newbury saw me squeeze a draw. To start with, we struggled to find the Chursh Hall - which was in the middle of nowhere in a tiny village situated at least 10miles from Newbury! I elected to play the Sniper where effectively it doesn't matter what White plays - as Black you just play Nf6, c5, g6, and Bg7 and you have the setup complete. Charlie Storey has written a book about it. To be honest, the game was a stodgy one, but Sandhurst won on the evening, so I am not complaining ...
<br /></div>
<br><br>
As usual, any comments welcome ...
<br />
<h3>
<b>Sniper</b></h3>
<b>
</b><script src="https://chesstempo.com/js/pgnyui.js" type="text/javascript">
</script>
<script src="https://chesstempo.com/js/pgnviewer.js" type="text/javascript">
</script>
<link href="https://chesstempo.com/css/board-min.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"></link>
<script>
new PgnViewer(
{ boardName: "NewburyDraw",
pgnString: '[Event "Live Chess"][Site "Unknown"][Date "14/04/2022"][White "JDelderfield"][Black "Greg_B"][Result "0.5 0.5"][WhiteElo "1757"][BlackElo "1740"][Termination "Draw"] 1.d4 Nf6 2.e3 c5 3.Bd3 g6 4.Nd2 Bg7 5.N1f3 O-O 6.O-O cxd4 7.exd4 d6 8.Re1 b6 9.c3 Bb7 10.Ne4 N8d7 11.Nxf6 Nxf6 12.Bg5 Re8 13.Bxf6 Bxf6 14.Be4 d5 15.Bd3 a6 16.Qd2 Rac8 17.Re2 e6 18.Rae1 Rc7 19.Ne5 b5 20.a3 Bg7 21.f4 R7e7 22.Nf3 Qc7 23.g4 f6 24.h4 Bc8 25.Kg2 e5 26.fxe5 Bxg4 27.exf6 Bxf6 28.Rxe7 Rxe7 29.Rxe7 Bxf3+ 30.Kxf3 Qxe7 31.h5 Kg7 32.hxg6 hxg6 33.Qg2 Qf7',
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PGN Viewer courtesy of <a href="http://chesstempo.com/">http://chesstempo.com/</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8791050308030789434.post-19389791510814716382022-04-14T17:24:00.018-07:002022-04-14T18:35:09.301-07:00Unable to use especially prepared Budapest!!I was secretly hoping for a Budapest in my game against Woking a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately I had to reply to Nf3 as White's first move and I was somewhat flummoxed!
I had an 'OK' game I guess, but could not draw the game a pawn down, and a win was certainly out of the question ... !
I got ground down in the middle game and never recovered from the loss of the pawn. My Bishop performed an admirable job of blocking any pawn advances for quite some time, but I could not hold the position once White's King came marching into an advanced and superior position. Unfortunately I was not able to write down all the moves due to time constraints (I had 5 mins left on my clock, thereforen it was unnecessary to record the moves). As you can see from the last move I recorded, the enemy King has started his journey around the board ... (Also it looks like I could have won White's f-pawn on move 40 .. but I may well have written the moves down incorrectly !!!
<br /></div>
<br><br>
As usual, any comments welcome ...
<br />
<h3>
<b>1.Nf3</b></h3>
<b>
</b><script src="https://chesstempo.com/js/pgnyui.js" type="text/javascript">
</script>
<script src="https://chesstempo.com/js/pgnviewer.js" type="text/javascript">
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<script>
new PgnViewer(
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pgnString: '[Event "Live Chess"][Site "Unknown"][Date "30/03/2022"][White "TimFoster"][Black "Greg_B"][Result "1 0"][WhiteElo "1900"][BlackElo "1740"][Termination "White wins"] 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 d5 3.c4 c5 4.Bg2 g6 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Nc3 Nxc3 7.bxc3 Bg7 8.O-O O-O 9.Rb1 Nc6 10.Qa4 Qc7 11.Ba3 b6 12.d4 Bd7 13.dxc5 bxc5 14.Qc4 Be6 15.Qxc5 Rac8 16.Nd4 Nxd4 17.cxd4 Qxc5 18.Bxc5 Bxa2 19.Rb7 Rfe8 20.Rxa7 Bc4 21.Rc1 Bxe2 22.Re1 Bc4 23.Re1xe7 Rxe7 24.Rxe7 Rb8 25.Be4 Bf6 26.Ra7 Rd8 27.Ra8 Kg7 28.Rxd8 Bxd8 29.f4 f5 30.Bb7 Kf6 31.Kf2 Ke6 32.Ba7 Ba5 33.Bc8+ Kf6 34.Bd7 Bd5 35.Bc8 Ke7 36.h3 Bc3 37.g4 fxg4 38.hxg4 Bb2 39.Kg3 Bc1 40.Kh4 h6 41.Kg3 Kf7 42.Ba6 Bd2 43.Kf2 Bc1 44.Bd3 Bd2 45.Ke2 Bc1',
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PGN Viewer courtesy of <a href="http://chesstempo.com/">http://chesstempo.com/</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8791050308030789434.post-3586249299760760802022-03-23T15:55:00.007-07:002022-03-23T17:01:14.720-07:00Deadly Pins Lead to Wins!In my latest club game against Basingstoke this evening, my opponent made an oversight with 5.Bg4? I had this position before in a game, or very similar and failed to capitalise! In this game though, Black ekected not to capture the Bishop on f7, with a potential plan to 'self-castle' and instead decided to position the King on d7? This led to the 'Royals - his and her majesty' getting pinned thoughout the entire game. There was really no escape for the King in the final resignable position ...
<br /></div>
<br><br>
As usual, any comments welcome ...
<br />
<h3>
<b>Grand Prix Attack</b></h3>
<b>
</b><script src="https://chesstempo.com/js/pgnyui.js" type="text/javascript">
</script>
<script src="https://chesstempo.com/js/pgnviewer.js" type="text/javascript">
</script>
<link href="https://chesstempo.com/css/board-min.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"></link>
<script>
new PgnViewer(
{ boardName: "PinsBasingstoke",
pgnString: '[Event "Live Chess"][Site "Unknown"][Date "23/03/2022"][White "Greg_B"][Black "Another"][Result "1 0"][WhiteElo "1700"][BlackElo "1700"][Termination "White wins"] 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 d6 3.f4 Nc6 4.Nf3 g6 5.Bc4 Bg4 6.Bxf7+ Kd7 7.Bc4 e5 8.fxe5 Nxe5 9.Be2 Bg7 10.O-O h5 11.d3 Nxf3+ 12.Bxf3 Be6 13.Be3 b6 14.d4 Rc8 15.dxc5 bxc5 16.Bf4 Ke7 17.Nd5+ Ke8 18.c3 g5 19.Be3 g4 20.Be2 Ne7 21.Bg5 Bxd5 22.exd5 Be5 23.Bb5+ Qd7 24.Bxd7+ Kxd7 25.Qa4+ Kd8 26.Rf7 Rc7 27.Raf1',
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<br />
PGN Viewer courtesy of <a href="http://chesstempo.com/">http://chesstempo.com/</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8791050308030789434.post-81685210696742170552022-02-27T09:39:00.007-08:002022-02-27T09:49:34.120-08:00Pirc Player Underestimates Simple AttackHere in my latest club game against Bourne End, my opponent chose to play the Pirc again 1.e4. I seem to remember seeing some games against the Kings Indian recently where White can have their pawns placed aggresively on d4, e4 and f4. I think that this setup is known as the 'Austrian Attack'? I elected to play this setup, given that I think that the f pawn should not in any way be obsrtucted by the Knight on f3. I have used the 'Saemisch' variation in the past (for White) with limited success, learning it because my old chess mentor, Adam Sobey used to thrash me with the Kings Indian as Black every week! I guess I learned from my mistakes, but I was expecting much more of a Queenside attack from Black in this game! After the King moves on move 20, fxg6 is coming, with the possibility of Knight jumping to h5 for backup ...
<br /></div>
<br><br>
As usual, any comments welcome ...
<br />
<h3>
<b>Pirc Game</b></h3>
<b>
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PGN Viewer courtesy of <a href="http://chesstempo.com/">http://chesstempo.com/</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8791050308030789434.post-79733565737550525962022-02-27T09:15:00.000-08:002022-02-27T09:15:13.055-08:00My Grand Prix Attack!Unlike the previous post featuring the Carlsen game, my Grand Prix Attack as White was not contested by a Grand Master thankfully :) However, I remebered the basic pattern that Carlsen used -> I.e. the triangle of Queen, Bishop and Knight ... ! In fact, I even sacrificed my Knight without realising it, but given that this was a bullet game I think that I can be forgiven ... In this game Black probably made the mistake of closing the position after 10. ..d4.
<br /></div>
<br><br>
As usual, any comments welcome ...
<br />
<h3>
<b>Greg_B Grand Prix Attack - Bullet Game</b></h3>
<b>
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PGN Viewer courtesy of <a href="http://chesstempo.com/">http://chesstempo.com/</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8791050308030789434.post-35499817016951782542022-02-16T12:17:00.011-08:002022-02-16T12:40:30.076-08:00Carlsen and the perfect Grand Prix AttackRecently, I was hunting for some advice on how to play the Grand Prix Attack as White. Thankfully I found a scintillating Carlsen Bullet Game to feast on!!<br /></div>
Here the game would simply have concluded - 17. ..g5 18.Qxg5# or 17. ..Ke5 18.Qf4# .... What a corker!!<br><br>
As usual, any comments welcome ...
<br />
<h3>
<b>Carlsen Grand Prix Attack - Bullet Game</b></h3>
<b>
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PGN Viewer courtesy of <a href="http://chesstempo.com/">http://chesstempo.com/</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8791050308030789434.post-31217255415555657012022-01-28T10:08:00.004-08:002022-01-28T10:19:18.500-08:002022 and Back in Business!This year Sandhurst Chess Club's B Team got off to a flying start with a 4 - 0 win over Camberley ... I've been away from Club chess for at least a couple of years now, primarily due to the pandemic, so I was very much looking forward to getting back to a game over the board at last - and to face my opponent in the flesh ... Albeit with a mask ... :) <div> </div><div>This game proves that although it seems like there ought to be loads of tactical chances, on closer inspection after move 14. ..Qc6 it is difficult for White to actually gain any advantage! In fact, I think after move 18. ..dxe5, White potentially had this game lost! The idea in chess (for the unacquainted) is to think '<u>Checks</u>' '<u>Captures</u>', '<u>Threats</u>' in any given position. You must of course put yourself in your opponent's shoes and look for their opportunities as if you were playing for them ... i.e. What would you do if you had the opposing colour? This technique became a habit for me over the years, having played many club games and thrown them away by missing my opponent's threats! Fortunately, in this particular club game, my opponent was not thinking of what I could do tactically and succumbed to playing '* <b>routine moves</b>', hoping to play the game out with a one pawn advantage. The tactic employed after 20. ..Bbd7 is glaringly obvious to those that study tactics ... White gives up the exchange temporarily to gain a piece, namely the Black Bishop.</div><div><br /><b>* routine moves are normally played without really thinking! (but we are all occasionally guilty of this 'chess sin')</b></div><div><br /></div>
As usual, any comments welcome ...
<br />
<h3>
<b>Scotch Game</b></h3>
<b>
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PGN Viewer courtesy of <a href="http://chesstempo.com/">http://chesstempo.com/</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8791050308030789434.post-79416213089630689572020-03-22T06:24:00.002-07:002020-03-22T07:27:14.789-07:00How to deal with the openings Part 3 of 3 In this final part we will examine some of the 'unorthodox' openings in more detail. I intend to cover:<br />
<h4>
For White</h4>
<ul>
<li>Grand Prix Attack</li>
<li>The Scotch Game </li>
</ul>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
<h4>
For Black:</h4>
<ul>
<li>Kings Indian Defence</li>
<li>Budapest Defence</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
Grand Prix Attack</h3>
<i>Typical starting position </i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDlqKcLxDkFI1vZi-vMwjX2wHK9toNa7xAyRE92oySoLmnMofcHasw090luhIYQuz7NfYzpWzotorCnFzeP7uesMxxtCrYnbreos4kXN3w2mL00gMaVe2bjCx8iHXhuGM1wpK2BNZSq3M/s1600/GP_start.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="487" data-original-width="486" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDlqKcLxDkFI1vZi-vMwjX2wHK9toNa7xAyRE92oySoLmnMofcHasw090luhIYQuz7NfYzpWzotorCnFzeP7uesMxxtCrYnbreos4kXN3w2mL00gMaVe2bjCx8iHXhuGM1wpK2BNZSq3M/s320/GP_start.JPG" width="318" /></a></div>
<br />
<div>
<i>This position arose after: 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 e6 3. f4 Nc6 4. Nf3 g6 5. Bb5 Bg7 6. O-O Nge7 7. d3 O-O 8. Qe1 *</i></div>
<h3>
<br />Scotch Game </h3>
<div>
<i>Typical starting position</i></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQaQyUfbpk710HU6txqwmp_RcH9Z3IPYyn0m7o9fmCSrdud_Xk3iYQklpd6l1JqHFrQFYBlamBv49RxM9mtyNsV-eIrDPVt3OLejvV7kOsRj8Ya8NngQa15mdewpbp3jaiKCSalVy3B_k/s1600/scotch_start.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="483" data-original-width="481" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQaQyUfbpk710HU6txqwmp_RcH9Z3IPYyn0m7o9fmCSrdud_Xk3iYQklpd6l1JqHFrQFYBlamBv49RxM9mtyNsV-eIrDPVt3OLejvV7kOsRj8Ya8NngQa15mdewpbp3jaiKCSalVy3B_k/s320/scotch_start.JPG" width="318" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>This position arose after: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nxd4 5. Qxd4 *</i></div>
<h3>
<br />Kings Indian Defence</h3>
<div>
<i>Typical starting position</i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAcqzw3uJ-wEip9pPJMVsyXnTJkLiQwP7ROs54fg2KmaTUKOE6Szt6nigfx3UGOwHf27QDAZHs8FIHCf4sDKb8C4wG05wiQBaeTtdTbJJcPGb05gkMfzKbudZCH2aVmpkmB2pCRf5BjIE/s1600/KID_start.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="483" data-original-width="481" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAcqzw3uJ-wEip9pPJMVsyXnTJkLiQwP7ROs54fg2KmaTUKOE6Szt6nigfx3UGOwHf27QDAZHs8FIHCf4sDKb8C4wG05wiQBaeTtdTbJJcPGb05gkMfzKbudZCH2aVmpkmB2pCRf5BjIE/s320/KID_start.JPG" width="318" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
This position arose after: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 e5 *</div>
<h3>
<br /><br />Budapest Defence</h3>
<div>
<i>Typical starting position</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmNP-74YWHGU-WvWpA-5l6usFMhv5Yd2_m0eFUDm-V7jIyFBKQqPoxwxgI4mEmzK_OqDmdXSYaUnEXFZrLwlEWMAP4ZRkcRB8HIZzQJobJ-nNydVnSuQkWJGNUP-EK71oUtfJTHSdPxh8/s1600/budapest_start.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="483" data-original-width="482" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmNP-74YWHGU-WvWpA-5l6usFMhv5Yd2_m0eFUDm-V7jIyFBKQqPoxwxgI4mEmzK_OqDmdXSYaUnEXFZrLwlEWMAP4ZRkcRB8HIZzQJobJ-nNydVnSuQkWJGNUP-EK71oUtfJTHSdPxh8/s320/budapest_start.JPG" width="319" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>The above position arose after: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 Ng4 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Bf4 Bb4+ 6. Nc3 Qe7 *</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>In the next post I will be looking at the Grand Prix Arrack in some detail ... </i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8791050308030789434.post-85155189272723668942018-08-16T07:48:00.000-07:002018-08-21T05:24:15.080-07:00How to deal with the openings - Part 2 of 3<h4>
As Black ...what do you like to play?</h4>
If White plays e4 - then we can choose our favourite response ... It depends
as to what type of player you are as to which response you choose.
Here are some examples of some very specific responses to 1.e4 that are
typically played ... but they may not be everyone's bag?<br />
<br />
<br />
- 1. ..c5 Sicillian Defence (E.g. use the Najdorf to travel down sharp and theoretical lines) <br />
<br />
And what about d4?
<br />
- Kings Indian (very theoretical) <br />
- Budapest Defence (surprise value!)<br />
<br />
<br />
These are my personal favourites ... but whichever opening you choose to
respond with, I recommend drilling down into sub-variations either with a
computer or with a book to gain an understanding of the possible positions that
you will typically reach in the middle-game.
<br />
<br />
<h4>
As White - what do you like to play?</h4>
As White you will have to decide upon whether or not you are an e4 or a d4
player (or neither of these). I was once advised that playing 1.e4 leads to
more tactical games - whereas playing 1.d4 takes you into a more strategic
opening with a slow thematic build-up.
For instance - you can drive down tactical lines with 1.e4 ..
<br />
<br />
Here are some typical openings that arise after 1.e4 at club level ...
- Scotch Game/Gambit<br />
- Sicillian Defence - Grand Prix Attack (worth learning for surprise
value if your opponent plays 1. ..c5! - play 2. Nc3)<br />
- Scandinavian - an interesting line to play is the Leonhardt Gambit <br />
- French Defence (Note: if your opponent plays the French then you can
steer the game into the Exchange Variation because in doing so you get out of
book pretty quickly)<br />
- Caro-Kann (Note: if your opponent plays the caro kann then play the
Advanced Variation, which is especially effective in a blitz game I find!)<br />
<br />
<br />
The above openings are some of my personal favourites and which I have spent
some time learning and practicing.
The bottom line is that you need to make a choice of opening - then do the
homework and drill down into the lines for this chosen opening!
<strong><br /><br />Note:</strong> The ones I have given here are just examples and
by no means the best :) Interestingly, The Budapest and the Sicillian - Grand
Prix Attack are both classified as unorthodox openings in one particular
Batsford reference book I once read through !!!
The key is to 'be ready and prepared' in chess for what is coming next ...
the less time you need to spend analysing a position over the board (because
you've already encountered it before) then the more likely it is that you will
win, given that you can spend more time analysing the game in those critical
positions that demand your concentration ... <br /><br />
<br />
So in summary you can see how it is possible to build a little repertoire of
openings with 1.e4 and after 1. d4 is played. In the final part of this little
series of Blog posts I will drill down into a few of the variations that can be
played using these openings and the typical middle-game positions that can be reached. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8791050308030789434.post-36238176637999180032018-02-07T08:16:00.000-08:002018-08-21T12:16:31.090-07:00How to deal with the openings - Part 1 of 3<pre style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I think that many beginner to intermediate players make the same common mistake of
trying to learn too many openings ... It is true that after 1.e4 then Black actually gets to choose the opening :) I think that many beginners are actually unaware of this fact!
For instance you have to know what your going to do against
1 .. d5, The Scandinavian,
2 .. e6, The French
2 .. Nf6, Alekhines Defence
2 .. g6 or d6 Pirc Modern
2 .. e5, Kings Pawn
2 .. b6, Queens Indian
2 .. c5, Sicilian
If you play 1.d4 then expect: </span></pre>
<pre style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">
</span></pre>
<pre style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><pre style="white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">2 .. Nf6 3. c4 g6 Kings Indian Defence
2 .. Nf6 3. c4 e5 Budapest Defence
2 .. d5 3. c4 e6 Queens Gambit
2 .. d5 3. c4 c6 Slav/Semi-Slav Defence</span></pre>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">
These are only a subsection of the most popular openings ...
As White ...
My old chess coach used to remind me that as White, you should decide whether you are a d4 or an e4 player. Generally speaking e4 leads to potentially more tactically rich openings and d4 leads to more strategic lines. Obviously both styles of opening can lead to tactical positions of course ...!
As Black ...
If White plays e4 then you need to decide which one of the above openings to follow up with ... If White plays d4 then you have to decide whether you are going to play:
</span><pre style="white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">2 .. Nf6 leading to Kings Indian, Budapest, Gruenfeld, depending on each players second move.
2 .. d5 can lead to Queens Gambit or Slav / Semi-Slav Defence, Catalan</span></pre>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">
etc. etc. etc.
Whatever you choose it is important to stick to learning one or two openings for each colour, before going into the depths of every opening ... Once you have learnt one or two key openings then you will see similar ideas / patterns in other related openings ...
Part 2 of 3 to follow.
</span></pre>
<pre style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"></pre>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8791050308030789434.post-23755352023237647252018-01-31T07:22:00.000-08:002018-08-21T12:13:59.094-07:00When 1690 plays 1390what are the differences between the styles of play in this game? The difference is that of technique - development and the conception of a <u>plan</u>. The lower graded player is not properly developed whereas the higher graded player considered development very carefully and capitalised on the 1390s lack of development. <br />
<br />
The 1690 has managed to plan an attack against their opponents king, no matter how simplistic...
<br />
Finally they used tactics to issue the knockout blows and checkmate the king!<br />
<br />
The lessons for the 1390 player should be:<br />
1) Bring all your pieces into play as expediently as possible.<br />
2) Look out for enemy attacks and tactics against your king.<br />
3) Plan your own attacks and make threats - the tactics will follow!<br />
<br />
As usual, any comments welcome ...
<br />
<h3>
<b>Kings pawn</b></h3>
<b>
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PGN Viewer courtesy of <a href="http://chesstempo.com/">http://chesstempo.com/</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8791050308030789434.post-43087241453817169842018-01-30T09:55:00.000-08:002018-08-21T12:17:48.929-07:00Accepting Chess LossesBecome "robot-like" and objective. How would a computer accept a loss? The answer is quite simple: It would not care. Nor should you. Computer's don't have emotions. Nor should you. Ignore the number of losses and the magnitude of the decrease in rating. Analyse how the losses were made. If, from a human perspective you're blundering, then stop playing for a while. You are either tired, chasing your grade, trying too hard, or bored of chess at the moment and lost for inspiration. Computers possess some of the strongest skills in the world of chess and the strongest ones learn from previous games of which there are millions - why shouldn't you imitate their behaviour if you want the same results? Start your new chess career from now: Become a chess-terminator! Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8791050308030789434.post-68289213704523220062018-01-24T04:53:00.005-08:002018-08-21T12:12:10.758-07:00Grand Prix Attack game leads to drawI tried to use the Grand Prix Attack in my first club game of 2018. I had a huge time lead during the 'middle game', but my opponent found what looked like a simple way to equalise by doubling rooks on the f file .... I was a pawn down, so accepted the draw that was offered!<br />
<br />
As usual, any comments welcome ...
<br />
<h3>
<b>Grand Prix Attack</b></h3>
<b>
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PGN Viewer courtesy of <a href="http://chesstempo.com/">http://chesstempo.com/</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8791050308030789434.post-11707582243202282302018-01-22T14:09:00.000-08:002018-01-24T04:43:39.231-08:00How to defeat Scotch Terrorist Attack I had an interesting game online this evening. It reminded me of a game I played in the Portsmouth Chess Congress some years back. I enjoy playing the Scotch game and my opponent played 4.Qh4 - "The Terrorist Attack". This can get quite sharp and White has to play it accurately to not let Black get an advantage! The trick is to sacrifice the e4 pawn early on ... The result being that black has a lone Queen in play with the hope of being assisted ONLY by a bumbling pair of Knights ... White should win if they manage to get all their pieces in play, whilst Black struggles to develop their Bishop and Rook, partly due to forfeiting their right to castle.<br />
<br />
You'll note from this game that I could have won my opponent's knight earlier on with a simple f4 pawn push, but failed to spot this ... It was only after replaying the match that I realised!!<br />
<br />
Enjoy the game .... !<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
As usual, any comments welcome ... <br />
<br />
<h3>
<b>Scotch Game</b></h3>
<b>
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PGN Viewer courtesy of <a href="http://chesstempo.com/">http://chesstempo.com/</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0