I often see in the forums and get asked from players of varying
strength how does one improves at chess.
Beginners could do a lot worse than pay a visit to this site:
Chess For Kids Site
Forget the ‘Kids’ bit, the stuff on here is good.
An excellent selection of hints and tips that the student
will find of benefit.
The layout is simple enough to operate giving you quizzes,
tests and examples for all the basics.
…complete with easier to understand diagrams.
Why so glum?
Look at that Black Queen on e7. What is it doing there?
Here is a game from RHP where Black played 2…Qe7 and things
turned out very badly
jockymckilt - dangeez36 RHP.2007
Why so glum?
White’s Bishop on d3 is really out of place there.
It’s clear it is going to have move it again and soon (see below)
if White is going to get any freedom or have a say in the centre.
Control of and the important role the centre plays in Chess
is discussed again with clarity and instruction.
And of course elementary and fundamental Tactics have their
own section again with easy to understand text and examples.
Here is an example of a pin winning a Queen.
Too basic?
The opening moves for the above position came a game like this.
Frankvdg - Cyr1c RHP 2004
In fact No fewer than 31 players on RHP have fallen into the above pitfall.
So if you keep getting mated or losing your Queen before the game has begun
or have no idea at all what is going on when you play a game of Chess then this
site is a first-rate place to start.
Remember that diagram with the Bishop on d3 and me saying it
is going to have to move again.
Look at this perfect example of what one tempo can do.
hansutin - Climacus RHP 2008
And now this…The Instructive Bit.
A nice way to bring the curtain down sent in by Marinkatomb.
Marinkatomb -v- rickgarel RHP 2009
White to play. Quite a few moves are good.
But this position contains a nice idea which Marinkatomb spotted.
(answer below - look for the neat wrap up.)
Marinkatomb lives in a one room basement flat in Rotherham.
He is hoping that by having this combination published he will
meet a girlfriend. Good Luck.
And now this….
Relative Value of the Pieces No.179
Is a Rook better than a Bishop?
Is a Rook better than a Knight?
White to play.
Every Russian Grandmother knows that the lumbering Rook
cannot stop united pawns on the 6th rank. One of the pawns will promote.
(Students of the game are advised to try this and see how
useless the is Rook v this pawn formation on the 6th.)
White to play.
No problem for the Bishop. 1.Bxb3 and there is now way
the c-pawn can reach c1.
White to play.
The Knight too can stop the pawns.
1.Nd4!
If 1…b2 2.Ne2+ and 3.Nxc3 covering b1.
If 1…c2 2.Nxb3 covering c1.
Conclusion: Bishops and Knights are better than Rooks.
(Next week proof that the square e3 is good for you.)
And now this…
A position often seen on RHP.
The -1400 DB has 1994 games with 868 White wins, 1028 Black wins, 98 drawn.
This Queen sortie is often called the Scholars Attack but is in
danger of being renamed The Nak Attack because top GM Nakamura
has been known to play it.
The obvious move 2…g6 drops the h8 Rook.
3.Qxe5+ and Qxh8.
27 times this has happened on RHP.
The other trap here is playing 2…Nf6.
3.Qxe5+ winning a centre pawn.
However I recommend you fall into this trap.
The tempo’s gained developing on the Queen is worth the centre pawn.
It’s a question or attitude.
You have not lost a pawn, but gained an half open file with a pawn
on e4 to attack and a Queen to develop on.
Apparently, after a conversation yesterday with IM Andrew Greet.
(Those new to the blog will realise pretty soon that I drop names
every chance I get.)
Apparently, after a conversation yesterday with IM Andrew Greet.
(sometimes I do twice.).
There is some serious analyse on this 2…Nf6 gambit.
The DB has 228 games going this way:
White wins = 102
Drawn = 5 (!)
Black wins = 121
For those of you playing hookey when your class was discussing percentages.
White has won 45% of the games and Black has won 55%.
I give 3 very instructive examples all played by the lads on RHP.
First is the extreme example.
the game lasted 11 moves and 9 or those were made by the White Queen.
crazycol - jebry. RHP 2007
Next we see the Black minor pieces hound the Queen all the
over the board and then actually set up and spring the very trap
White was trying to play on move 2.
(Note here Black also nicked the Rook instead of mating as in
jockymckilt - dangeez36 given above.)
Howarang - khi RHP 2008
Saved the best till last. A perfect example.
marvinni - Joan Barrina RHP 2009
And finally… Marinkatomb’s instructive move.
White to play.
It’s pawn promotion trick. There are dozens of these worth knowing.
No doubt a feature for a future Blog
I cannot get my head around the Rook v 2 pawns diagram.
The black pawns are trying to go up the board, yes..?
the best way is to link the game Game 4150754
Turns out I can't even remember playing that game, but yes, pretty embarrassing!!
Sometimes I get it right though 🙂 :
[Event "Kiwi Clan 2007 Challenge Tournament 1300-1650"]
[Site "http://www.redhotchess.com"]
[Date "2007.10.16"]
[EndDate "2007.11.09"]
[Round "2"]
[White "crazycol"]
[Black "TalonBoss"]
[WhiteRating "1326"]
[BlackRating "1494"]
[WhiteELO "1326"]
[BlackELO "1494"]
[Result "1-0"]
[GameId "4150754"]
[pgn]1. c4 e6 2. a3 Ng8f6 3. Nb1c3 d5 4. e3 c5 5. b4 Nb8c6 6. d4 cxd4 7. exd4 b6 8. Bf1e2 g6 9. c5 bxc5 10. bxc5 Bf8g7 11. Ng1f3 O-O 12. Nf3g5 Ra8b8 13. h4 Rf8e8 14. h5 h6 15. Ng5xf7 Kg8xf7 16. hxg6 Kf7xg6 17. Bc1xh6 Bg7xh6 18. Be2h5 Nf6xh5 19. Qd1xh5 Kg6g7 20. Qh5xh6 Kg7f7 21. Qh6h7 Kf7f6 22. Rh1h6 Kf6g5 23. Qh7g6 Kg5f4 24. Nc3e2 1-0[/pgn]
And I enjoy playing over your games in the morning
with a nice strong drink to calm my nerves. 😉
Sound cosy. 😉
Had a PM from ChessPraxis apparently his club
don't call it the Nak Attack but 'The Jailhouse Attack.'
Which is a far better name.