In this position my opponent obliviously played a blunder and after the exchange of Rooks I am in a winning position but there was still a moment of crisis when I could have still lost so you've go t to be careful ..I am playing the black pieces...
A average players attempt to achieve a better level of chess play...After rediscovering the game in adulthood.
Saturday, 8 October 2011
Friday, 7 October 2011
IF THERES ONE ENDGAME YOU LEARN MAKE IT THIS ONE!!
THE LUCENA POSITION
The whole point about this position is that you get to learn how to win a position which is king and rook v king and rook plus one pawn ,the deal is to be able to convert your extra into a queen or force your opponent to trade his rook for your passed pawn thus winning.
As you can see from the diagram the black pawn is one move away from queening so how to finish this position of important to remember this technique can be used even if the pawn is further away from the queening square.
1..FIRST FORCE THE WHITE KING AWAY FROM THE PAWN..
2..NOW BRING THE BLACK ROOK TO THE FOUTH RANK
Very important to remember to bring the rook to the fourth rank as we plan to swap rooks off and
this is a essential component of the plan
3..After the white rook plays g8 to place itself behind the black pawn you simply play kf2 ,white will check on f8 then the king goes to g4 if g8 check then the black rook comes across the block the check.
Ideally you should end up in a position like this ....were the if the rooks are exchanged the white king will not be able to stop the black pawn from becoming a queen.
Its important to remember that your opponent can not easily deviate from the standard moves and if you practice this endgame against a engine you will be surprised at how good you become at it
and how much easier it becomes to understand some of the easier principles of chess,also you will be surprised at how many people do not know how to play a endgame like this properly
The whole point about this position is that you get to learn how to win a position which is king and rook v king and rook plus one pawn ,the deal is to be able to convert your extra into a queen or force your opponent to trade his rook for your passed pawn thus winning.
As you can see from the diagram the black pawn is one move away from queening so how to finish this position of important to remember this technique can be used even if the pawn is further away from the queening square.
1..FIRST FORCE THE WHITE KING AWAY FROM THE PAWN..
2..NOW BRING THE BLACK ROOK TO THE FOUTH RANK
Very important to remember to bring the rook to the fourth rank as we plan to swap rooks off and
this is a essential component of the plan
3..After the white rook plays g8 to place itself behind the black pawn you simply play kf2 ,white will check on f8 then the king goes to g4 if g8 check then the black rook comes across the block the check.
Ideally you should end up in a position like this ....were the if the rooks are exchanged the white king will not be able to stop the black pawn from becoming a queen.
Its important to remember that your opponent can not easily deviate from the standard moves and if you practice this endgame against a engine you will be surprised at how good you become at it
and how much easier it becomes to understand some of the easier principles of chess,also you will be surprised at how many people do not know how to play a endgame like this properly
Monday, 3 October 2011
Grinding out a king and pawns endgame
I was playing white in this games and I was happy with the way I played I have included annotations with this game.
IMPORTANT POINTS
Lately like a lot of us who try to improve our chess I have started to try and understand one of silmans ideas where he said when you 're looking for tactics look for double attacks
I think all tactics are essentially double attacks of one kind or another and I think I did this when I move my queen down his side of the board on move 26 and with the following move by bringing my rook down also ...perhaps I should correct myself move a double threat then a double attack but the principle still applies I think...if you make two threats at once often times only one will be able to be defended adequately
IMPORTANT POINTS
Lately like a lot of us who try to improve our chess I have started to try and understand one of silmans ideas where he said when you 're looking for tactics look for double attacks
I think all tactics are essentially double attacks of one kind or another and I think I did this when I move my queen down his side of the board on move 26 and with the following move by bringing my rook down also ...perhaps I should correct myself move a double threat then a double attack but the principle still applies I think...if you make two threats at once often times only one will be able to be defended adequately
Saturday, 1 October 2011
Understanding Basics Ideas
These are a list of terms with examples given to better help beginners understand simple strategic
concepts that beginners are always told that they should be aware of.
I try to keep it simple you will understand hopefully after seeing them how to naturally strengthen your position in games..
1...THE ESCAPE SQUARE...
IN THE POSITION IN THE PICTURE THE WHITE BISHOP IS ON A GOOD SQUARE POINTING IN THE DIRECTION OF THE OPPOSING KING.
HOWEVER THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY THAT IT COULD COME UNDER ATTACK FROM THE ADVANCING PAWNS ON THE A AND B FILES SO TO CREATE A ESCAPE SQUARE YOU WOULD NEED TO PLAY C3 A SIMPLE PAWN MORE THAT ALLOWS THE BISHOP TO TUCK IN TO THE C2 SQUARE IF NEED BE .
2...THE KNIGHT OUTPOST...
IN THIS PICTURE THE BLACK KNIGHT IS ON A SQUARE WHICH IS A PERFECT OUTPOST FOR IT BECAUSE IS SIMPLY CAN NOT BE MOVED FROM WHERE IT IS.
NOTICE THAT THE SQUARE IT IS ON IS A SQUARE THAT NO WHITE PAWN CAN ATTACK AND IS DEFENDED BY ONE OF BLACKS OWN PAWNS AND NEITHER CAN THE OPPOSING BISHOP IN THIS CASE ATTACK THE KNIGHT ALTHOUGH ITS THE SITUATION WITH THE PAWNS THAT DECIDES IF ITS A OUTPOST OR NOT.
THIS KIND OF SQUARE IS CALLED A OUTPOST .
NOTICE ALSO THAT IT DEEP INSIDE WHITES HALF IN A CENTRAL POSIION WHICH IS JUST PERFECT POSITIONING.
GOOD OUTPOSTS ARE IN CENTRAL POSITIONS AND IN THE OPPOSING HALF OF THE BOARD IN THIS PICTURE THE KNIGHT IS ON THE 5TH RANK FROM BLACKS VIEW POINT WHICH IS THE BEST RANK FOR IT TO BE ON.
ALTHOUGH 4TH AND 6TH RANK POSITIONING IS ALSO GOOD.
3...THE ISOLATED PAWN...
THE ISOLATED PAWN IS SOMETHING THAT IS BEST AVOIDED AS WELL AS ITS HARD TO DEFEND BECAUSE AS CAN BE SEEN FROM THE DIAGRAM IT HAS NO PAWNS EITHER SIDE OF IT ALSO IT CAN SOMETIMES TAKE A WHOLE PIECE TO DEFEND IT.
A PIECE THAT COULD BE BETTER OF DOING SOMETHING ELSE LIKE ATTACKING
4...HANGING PIECES
concepts that beginners are always told that they should be aware of.
I try to keep it simple you will understand hopefully after seeing them how to naturally strengthen your position in games..
1...THE ESCAPE SQUARE...
IN THE POSITION IN THE PICTURE THE WHITE BISHOP IS ON A GOOD SQUARE POINTING IN THE DIRECTION OF THE OPPOSING KING.
HOWEVER THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY THAT IT COULD COME UNDER ATTACK FROM THE ADVANCING PAWNS ON THE A AND B FILES SO TO CREATE A ESCAPE SQUARE YOU WOULD NEED TO PLAY C3 A SIMPLE PAWN MORE THAT ALLOWS THE BISHOP TO TUCK IN TO THE C2 SQUARE IF NEED BE .
2...THE KNIGHT OUTPOST...
IN THIS PICTURE THE BLACK KNIGHT IS ON A SQUARE WHICH IS A PERFECT OUTPOST FOR IT BECAUSE IS SIMPLY CAN NOT BE MOVED FROM WHERE IT IS.
NOTICE THAT THE SQUARE IT IS ON IS A SQUARE THAT NO WHITE PAWN CAN ATTACK AND IS DEFENDED BY ONE OF BLACKS OWN PAWNS AND NEITHER CAN THE OPPOSING BISHOP IN THIS CASE ATTACK THE KNIGHT ALTHOUGH ITS THE SITUATION WITH THE PAWNS THAT DECIDES IF ITS A OUTPOST OR NOT.
THIS KIND OF SQUARE IS CALLED A OUTPOST .
NOTICE ALSO THAT IT DEEP INSIDE WHITES HALF IN A CENTRAL POSIION WHICH IS JUST PERFECT POSITIONING.
GOOD OUTPOSTS ARE IN CENTRAL POSITIONS AND IN THE OPPOSING HALF OF THE BOARD IN THIS PICTURE THE KNIGHT IS ON THE 5TH RANK FROM BLACKS VIEW POINT WHICH IS THE BEST RANK FOR IT TO BE ON.
ALTHOUGH 4TH AND 6TH RANK POSITIONING IS ALSO GOOD.
3...THE ISOLATED PAWN...
THE ISOLATED PAWN IS SOMETHING THAT IS BEST AVOIDED AS WELL AS ITS HARD TO DEFEND BECAUSE AS CAN BE SEEN FROM THE DIAGRAM IT HAS NO PAWNS EITHER SIDE OF IT ALSO IT CAN SOMETIMES TAKE A WHOLE PIECE TO DEFEND IT.
A PIECE THAT COULD BE BETTER OF DOING SOMETHING ELSE LIKE ATTACKING
4...HANGING PIECES
My game against a beginner!
This is one of my games against a beginner on chess.com we started the game from the standard Ruy Lopez just after the white pieces have castled after the you view the game I will give some tips to beginners on how to improve beware that it can be a long process.
For example it took me about 3 years to go from the level he is now to my level of play today,so the tips I will give are intended to speed this process up somewhat,thats what am hoping anyway.
WHAT CAN BE LEARNT FROM THIS GAME?
1...TRY TO PLAY SENSIBLE OPENINGS NOT A WEIRD BEGIINERS OPENING WHERE YOU MOVE THE KNIGHT 3 TIMES AND DON'T GET TO CASTLE AND STUFF. CHOOSE A OPENING TO PLAY AS WHITE AND STICK TO IT.
LEARN ABOUT IT AND OFCOURSE THE MOVE YOU PLAY IT THE MORE ACCOMPLISHED AT IT YOU WILL BECOME.
2...TRY TO CHOOSE A OPENING THAT IS EASY TO UNDERSTAND AND WHICH OCCURS REASONABLY FREQUENTLY
3...WHEN YOU PLAY A ATTACK LOOK TO SEE IF YOUR OPPONENT CAN PREVENT IT BY SIMPLE COUNTING OF HOW MANY MOVES IT TAKES TO ENFORCE THE PLAN AND HOW MANY MOVES YOUR OPPONENT NEEDS TO PREVENT IT.
4...WHEN YOU ARE A PIECE DOWN DO NOT SWAP OFF FURTHER PIECES BECAUSE NEEDLESS TO SAY YOU WILL BE THE ONE TO RUN OUT OF PIECES FIRST AND BE LEFT WITH ONLY PAWNS,WHILE YOUR OPPONENT WILL STILL HAVE ONE PIECE...ALTERNITIVLEY IF YOU ARE A PIECE UP SWAP OFF UNTIL YOUR OPPONENT HAS ONLY PAWNS LEFT.THIS IS THE EASIEST WAY TO WIN A GAME THAT YOU ARE ALREADY WINNING.
5...MAKE SURE THAT IF ONE OF YOUR PIECES IS ATTACKED IT CAN RETREAT TO A SAFE SQUARE THESE ARE CALLED "ESCAPE SQUARES".
For example it took me about 3 years to go from the level he is now to my level of play today,so the tips I will give are intended to speed this process up somewhat,thats what am hoping anyway.
WHAT CAN BE LEARNT FROM THIS GAME?
1...TRY TO PLAY SENSIBLE OPENINGS NOT A WEIRD BEGIINERS OPENING WHERE YOU MOVE THE KNIGHT 3 TIMES AND DON'T GET TO CASTLE AND STUFF. CHOOSE A OPENING TO PLAY AS WHITE AND STICK TO IT.
LEARN ABOUT IT AND OFCOURSE THE MOVE YOU PLAY IT THE MORE ACCOMPLISHED AT IT YOU WILL BECOME.
2...TRY TO CHOOSE A OPENING THAT IS EASY TO UNDERSTAND AND WHICH OCCURS REASONABLY FREQUENTLY
3...WHEN YOU PLAY A ATTACK LOOK TO SEE IF YOUR OPPONENT CAN PREVENT IT BY SIMPLE COUNTING OF HOW MANY MOVES IT TAKES TO ENFORCE THE PLAN AND HOW MANY MOVES YOUR OPPONENT NEEDS TO PREVENT IT.
4...WHEN YOU ARE A PIECE DOWN DO NOT SWAP OFF FURTHER PIECES BECAUSE NEEDLESS TO SAY YOU WILL BE THE ONE TO RUN OUT OF PIECES FIRST AND BE LEFT WITH ONLY PAWNS,WHILE YOUR OPPONENT WILL STILL HAVE ONE PIECE...ALTERNITIVLEY IF YOU ARE A PIECE UP SWAP OFF UNTIL YOUR OPPONENT HAS ONLY PAWNS LEFT.THIS IS THE EASIEST WAY TO WIN A GAME THAT YOU ARE ALREADY WINNING.
5...MAKE SURE THAT IF ONE OF YOUR PIECES IS ATTACKED IT CAN RETREAT TO A SAFE SQUARE THESE ARE CALLED "ESCAPE SQUARES".
Wednesday, 28 September 2011
Opening tricks and tips!
A few tricks and traps in the opening are always something that can make the game a lot more exciting and interesting .
Its not always possible to play them against everybody because your opponents will most likely to prepared in many cases.
The point is however that if you know them then other players can't play them against you!!
1.The Fork Trick...A opening that gives you wining chances based on quick castling queen and bishops attacking like mad!Theres a very good videos online by someone called Brian Wall about this opening .One of the good things about it is that not too may people know it.
2.The classic Fishing Pole knight sacrifice leads to winning attack down the h file again great video by Brian Wall somewhere online.
Its not always possible to play them against everybody because your opponents will most likely to prepared in many cases.
The point is however that if you know them then other players can't play them against you!!
1.The Fork Trick...A opening that gives you wining chances based on quick castling queen and bishops attacking like mad!Theres a very good videos online by someone called Brian Wall about this opening .One of the good things about it is that not too may people know it.
2.The classic Fishing Pole knight sacrifice leads to winning attack down the h file again great video by Brian Wall somewhere online.
Monday, 26 September 2011
TACTICS STUDY
This is the section of my blog where I talk about tactics and there is a chess viewer underneath
with various tactics puzzles just look at the little rectangle at the bottom right of the viewer to see if its white or black move and try to see if you can guess the next move.
As we all should know tactics are the single most important way of improving chess play and that
means solving puzzles.
Recognizing these patterns is the key to improving and I play to include 2-3 hundred puzzles on this blog eventually .
The chess tactics tab at the top of the web page contains a viewer which has the all the puzzles I have added so far.
THE IMPORTANCE OF REPETITIVE TACTIC CYCLES
One of the best ways to ingrain tactics and tactical themes into your mind is to continuously go
over the same tactics over and over again until you have them firmly established in your mind.
Lets just say you have a set of 300 tactical puzzles you would go through over and over again until you have these patterns ingrained I plan to include 300 puzzles in the viewer for people to go through eventually.
Click on the tactics tab at the top to see all the puzzles I have collected so far
with various tactics puzzles just look at the little rectangle at the bottom right of the viewer to see if its white or black move and try to see if you can guess the next move.
As we all should know tactics are the single most important way of improving chess play and that
means solving puzzles.
Recognizing these patterns is the key to improving and I play to include 2-3 hundred puzzles on this blog eventually .
The chess tactics tab at the top of the web page contains a viewer which has the all the puzzles I have added so far.
THE IMPORTANCE OF REPETITIVE TACTIC CYCLES
One of the best ways to ingrain tactics and tactical themes into your mind is to continuously go
over the same tactics over and over again until you have them firmly established in your mind.
Lets just say you have a set of 300 tactical puzzles you would go through over and over again until you have these patterns ingrained I plan to include 300 puzzles in the viewer for people to go through eventually.
Click on the tactics tab at the top to see all the puzzles I have collected so far
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