Thursday, March 31, 2011

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Studying chess made easy

    
The reason studying chess is so hard for so many is simple: We make it hard.
Andrew Soltis, Studying Chess Made Easy
      
       

Chess eBooks is the future - and update them often

     
Chess eBooks is the future, for many reasons.
  
It's economically easier to update them.
It's easier to update them when errors has been found in a previous edition. 
It's easier to update a opening eBook than a opening paper book.
It's easier to travel with hundreds eBooks than hundreds paper books.
You don't need to have so many bookshelves.
  
And a opening eBook should be updated once a year (at least in popular opening variations), and not every 5-10 years as normal with paper books. Tournament players don't like to wait 5-10 years on a updated opening book about the Sicilian Najdorf, Sicilian Dragon, French, Ruy Lopez, Slav, Grünfeld, Queen's Indian, English etc.
    
  

Since eBooks are cheaper to produce, do not require paper and ink, and have no shipping charges, eBooks should be cheaper for readers to buy. Right now, some publishers make eBooks just as expensive as paper books, but this will change in time.

Jeremy Myers



        
       

Cartoon José Diaz

          
        




















José Diaz
   
  

Monday, March 28, 2011

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Yes, you can

                
You could be a much better chess player than you are.
Simon Webb, Chess for Tigers
  
        

Sutovsky - Hammer, Aix-les-Bains 2011

     
More similar games 
        
        

Cheparinov - Mastrovasilis, Aix-les-Bains 2011

      
More similar games 
       
        

Psakhis - Šahović, Lviv 1984

    
More similar games 
       
        

Koneru - Hoang Thanh Trang, Nalchik 2008

      
More similar games 
      
       

Minasian - Bikhovsky, Ubeda 1999

   
More similar games 
          
       

Azmaiparashvili - Rotstein, Wijk aan Zee 1993

    
More similar games 
       
        

Benjamin - Kraai, Saint Louis 2011

Winning Tips

        
Articles with winning tips: 
 
Winning Tips (ChessCorner.com.) 
Ten Tips To Winning Chess (uschess.org) 
   
        

Key question

         
Keep in mind the key question:
What squares are no longer defended?
 
Once you have that you have the secret of chess. 

Maurice Ashley, The Secret to Chess
        
        

Strengthen your position

          
…every move you make should strengthen your position in some way.
Jeremy Silman, How to Reassess Your Chess
          
        

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Resign - or play on?

              
Link to article Resign (Or Play On?). 
        
                       
































Puzzles: Mates in 2-4 moves

  
Links
to puzzles with:

 
Mates in 2
Mates in 3
Mates in 4   
    
         

Chess Video

         
             

         
            
         

Lessons on Life

           
              

       
            
           
    

            
             
            

Wojtaszek - Stević, Aix-les-Bains 2011

           
More similar games 
    
       

Manuel and the Music of the Mountains

          
            

         
              
             
    

        
         
         

The Most Beautiful Waltzes

            
                 

         
         
          

Eugen Doga - Katia

          
             
      
       
        
          

Mastering Typical Positions

       
One of the best ways to improve your chess is learn how to play certain typical positions.
Article (pdf format) by Nigel Davies at ChessCafe.com.

More articles by Nigel Davies at ChessCafe.com:
Collection articles 2003-2011   
         
         

Endgame: The rear lights of passed pawns

        
"Simple" pawn endings can be surprisingly tricky.
Article (pdf format) by Karsten Müller at ChessCafe.com.
      
Karsten Müller's Endgame Corner at ChessCafe.com.
        
      

Friday, March 25, 2011

Polgar - Edouard, Aix-les-Bains 2011

       
More similar games 
       
        

g2-g4 in the opening

      
Is g2-g4 a important move for white to play in the opening? If so, is there a best moment to play g2-g4? 
Should white play g2-g4 before castle? Or is it best to play g2-g4 after castle?
   
1.g2-g4
A little too early, even if it was interesting to look at games played by IM Michael Basman and read his book The Killer Grob.   


2.g2-g4
Too early. Gambits like 1.d4 f5 2.g4 and 1.d4 Nf6 2.g4 has been played. Nothing that scares a Grandmaster.


3.g2-g4
Probably still too early. 


4.g2-g4
It starts to get interesting, but probably still too early.


5.g2-g4
Interesting, but probably still a little too early. 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Be2 Bg7 5.g4 has for example been played. One game is Kovacevic - Seirawan, 1980 


6.g2-g4
Now it becomes really interesting. Not sure it's the best moment...
But white has won many games with a 6.g2-g4: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 6.g4 (Game collection) 


7.g2-g4
A little better moment than 6.g2-g4? Maybe not. 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 6.Be3 a6
7.g4 e5 8.Nf5 h5
 (
Game collection)
Another opening with a 7.g4: 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 e6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Qc2 Bd6 7.g4 Black should be ok. (Game collection)


8.g2-g4 
Black looks ok after 8.g4 in the following lines: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 6.Be3 a6 7.f3 b5 8.g4 b4 9.Nce2 (9.Na4 Bd7 Game collection) 9...h6 (Game collection) 


9.g2-g4  
Black can play 8...b4 and stop white from playing 9.g2-g4:
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 6.Be3 a6 7.f3 b5 8.Qd2 b4 9.Nce2 (9.Na4 Nbd7 Game collection) 9...e5 (Game collection)
 
If you want to castle before playing g2-g4:
 
14.g2-g4 or 15.g2-g4
Not unusual for white in the Sicilian Dragon to wait with g2-g4 this long:
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 O-O 8.Qd2 Nc6 9.Bc4 Bd7 10.O-O-O Rc8 11.Bb3 Ne5 12.h4 h5 13.Bg5 Rc5 14.g4 (Game collection) 

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 O-O 8.Qd2 Nc6 9.Bc4 Bd7 10.O-O-O Rc8 11.Bb3 Ne5 12.h4 h5 13.Bg5 Rc5 14.Kb1 b5 15.g4 (Game collection)
 
A 15.g2-g4 in the Sicilian Scheveningen:
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 6.Be2 a6 7.a4 Nc6 8.Be3 Be7 9.O-O O-O 10.f4 Qc7 11.Kh1 Re8 12.Bf3 Rb8 13.Qd2 Bd7 14.Nb3 b6 15.g4 Black looks ok. (Game collection)
 
 

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Ivanchuk - Kramnik, 20th Amber (Rapid) 2011



   
          
The game at Chessgames.com 
More similar games 
    
     

Carlsen - Anand, 20th Amber (Blindfold) 2011


Sometimes you miss the easy move.
Viswanathan Anand     
                    
          

      
             
The game at Chessgames.com 
       
Game Collections:

1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 d6 3.f4 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Bb5+ Bd7
6.Bc4 
6.Bxd7+
6.a4 
6.0-0 
          
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 d6 3.f4 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Bc4
5...Nc6 
5...e6 
5...Nf6 
    
      

Monday, March 21, 2011

Aronian - Anand, 20th Amber (Rapid) 2011

              
I believe in safety first.
Levon Aronian
     
            

          
               
The game at Chessgames.com
Article about the opening Queen's Gambit 
          
             

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Topalov and the Anti-Moscow Gambit

                   
Position in the Anti-Moscow Gambit after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3
4...e6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 dxc4 7.e4 g5 8.Bg3 b5 9.Be2 Bb7 (Game collection)
 























Veselin Topalov about the Anti-Moscow Gambit:
  

What is important in this variation is that, simply with any new move,
if you don't know the exact response - then you are not worse, you
are simply lost.

         
        
Topalov - Gelfand, 20th Amber (Rapid) 2011:               


      
            
The game at Chessgames.com 
Videos Amber Chess at blip.tv
         
          

Correspondence Chess Tournament CCCA-60

                
Some games from the correspondence chess tournament CCCA-60 (The 60th Anniversary tournament of the Canadian Correspondence Chess Association).
The games began on April 1, 1981. The tournament was finished on May 31, 1985. Erik Bang from Denmark was the clear winner.

Games CCCA-60:
Jean Hébert - Terje Wibe
Lars Hyldkrog - Jean Hébert 
Horst Rittner - Dick Smit
Horst Rittner - Juan Morgado
Dick Smit - Bob Kiviaho
Hendrik B. Sarink - Keith Richardson
        

The book Diamond Dust at Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk with all the 105 games from the correspondence chess tournament CCCA-60. 

             

Braingames World Championship 2000

             
Games from the match Kasparov - Kramnik, London 2000 (Braingames World Championship), annotated by Karsten Müller (pdf format).
  
More about the match Kasparov - Kramnik, 2000: 
  
Article written by Jonathan Berry about game 2.
The games at Chessgames.com 
Article Wikipedia  
     
      
          

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Chess Problem Database

          
Problem Database (PDB), with over 88,000 chess problems online
         
           

Classic Chess Puzzles

         
Thinks.com's collection of "the best chess problems by the greatest composers".
       
        

A puzzle from GameKnot.com

                  
                    


















        





Solution      
        
           

Samples free chess lessons

           
Samples (pdf format) of free chess lessons from ChessMasterSchool.com 
       
Think like a strong player, Part 1
Making decisions in chess
Chess Tactics - the first lesson
         
          

Chessdom.com videos

           
Chessdom.com videos at blip.tv
        
       

When the grass looks greener on the other side...

                     

            
            
  
When the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence, it may be that they take better care of it there.     
Cecil Selig
              

What Answers.com has to say about it:
Link    
        
        

Friday, March 18, 2011

Daily chess challenges

           
Daily chess challenges from the London Evening Standard online edition.
Link
 
  

Music by James E. Wall

           
Rays of Gratitude          


          
                
Light of Day          


           
         
Clouds of Joy
        

                
          
          

How to build a chess opening repertoire

              
Articles by Waldemar Moes about how to build a chess opening repertoire. 

Part 1  
Part 2  
Part 3
       
         

Gashimov - Giri, 20th Amber (Blindfold) 2011

                                            

        
          
The game at Chessgames.com 
More similar games 
       
         

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Chess Records

           
Links to pages about chess records:
  
Tim Krabbé
Edward Winter 
Wikipedia 
          
       

Outposts

          
                 

        
           
            

Trading

      
Link to article Why Trade?
              
            

   
      
      
        

          
           
            

The Master Game: Lothar Schmid - Bent Larsen

             
Video from the 1980 game Lothar Schmid - Bent Larsen, played in the BBC Master Game Trophy chess tournament.
     
Link to video at YouTube.
The game at Chessgames.com
        
         

Game Collections: Openings E90 - E99

              
Links: 
  
   
E90   1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3
 
E91   1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2
 
E92   1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5
 
E93   1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.d5 Nbd7
 
E94   1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0
 
E95   1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0 Nbd7 8.Re1
 
E96   1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0 Nbd7 8.Re1 c6 9.Bf1 a5
 
E97   1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0 Nc6
  
E98   1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0 Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 9.Ne1
 
E99   1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0 Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 9.Ne1 Nd7 10.f3 f5
     
         
          

Petrosian - Spassky, 1960 - annotated by Boris Spassky

          
Link to an article with the game Petrosian - Spassky, 1960, annotated by Boris Spassky.
The game at Chessgames.com       
     
       

Pawn sacrifice in the opening: Capablanca's guideline

           
"I remembered Capablanca's guideline that a pawn sacrifice in the opening is usually sound if the opponent's development is delayed by at least three moves".
  
Link to an article by Dan Scoones.
          
           

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Maia Hirasawa - Fragile

          
             
           
            
            
          

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Earth Day

        
            

    
      

Website Earth Day
Wikipedia about Earth Day
   
   

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Gashimov - Carlsen, 20th Amber (Rapid) 2011

         
More similar games
        
Games Amber Rapid 2011
Games Amber Blindfold 2011
      
                   

Calculation Training

          
               

         
          
             
   

             
                
                
   

      
           
          

Tactics Training

          
              

         
           
             

Don't neglect development

           
              

             
             
                 
   

        
              
          

Exploiting a Space Advantage

             
              

            
                 
           
    

         
            
            

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Puzzle: Cudinovskih - Muravev, 1990

             
                  

        
        
        

A puzzle from ChessElo.com

                  
                          
White to move and draw
           
White: Ka1, Bd1.
Black: Ka3, Ne1, Pawns a2, c4.
              
          
























Solution
     
         

A puzzle from DailyChessPuzzles.com

         
        
Black to move  
  
            
Give me a Place to Stand
 
    
Solution 
     
      

McShane - Gupta, Reykjavik Open 2011

                       
            

              
More similar games
Games from Reykjavik Open 2011 at Chessgames.com.
        
          

Blog Archive

About me

I played my first chess game in December 1977 and was lucky to hold draw. I continued to play chess and joined a chess club in September 1978. I'm still enjoying playing chess. I like to do many other things than playing chess. Long walks, some jogging, cycling, reading books, listen to music, watch movies, writing and much more. Life is fun!