Submitted by
FM FM_Eric_Schiller on Mon Jan 5, 2009 3:32pm.
Most beginners know that f7 is their target as White until Black castles. You need to know that f7 doesn't get ignored after castling. It is often still the target. The games in this article show you how important it is to keep f7 on the target li... Read more »
540 reads | 2 comments | 0 votes:
Submitted by
jk00750 on Mon Jan 5, 2009 3:09pm.
I'm just going to throw this puzzle out in the open. Personally, I found this quite intriguing although the position is physically impossible. There are multiple move orders that win, but only one move order is accepted by the puzzle, so I apo... Read more »
39 reads | 0 comments | 1 vote:
Submitted by
FM FM_Eric_Schiller on Mon Jan 5, 2009 2:07pm.
Although the Exchange Variation isn't aything to worry about, some players just don't like to suffer under the pawn structure. There is an easy way to avoid this, and it doesn't require knowing much theory. I'm tralking aout Cozio's 3...Nge7. The ... Read more »
356 reads | 10 comments | 2 votes:
Submitted by
IM AndrewMartin on Mon Jan 5, 2009 12:55pm.
International Master Andrew Martin from England presents a regular series of articles to answer any questions that Chess.com readers have about the game of chess.
If you want to ask Andrew a question, then send an email to askandrew@chess.com and... Read more »
429 reads | 0 comments | 3 votes:
Submitted by
jubilousfire on Mon Jan 5, 2009 4:41am.
The Cochrane Defense is a method for drawing in the chess endgame with a rook versus a rook and bishop, shown here. It was discovered by John Cochrane. This combination of material is one of the most common pawnless chess endgames. Accurate play i... Read more »
116 reads | 2 comments | 0 votes:
Submitted by
hippochess on Mon Jan 5, 2009 1:22am.
Below is listed the annotated game GM Baburin (2590) – GM Miles (2584), 4NCL Birmingham, 2000. It was a powerful dark-squared Benoni ended with a great ‘light-squared’ rook sacrifice (which is difficult to be ‘seen’ even from some very... Read more »
153 reads | 4 comments | 0 votes:
Submitted by
FM FM_Eric_Schiller on Sun Jan 4, 2009 8:06pm.
For some reason some players get scared when faced with1.g4. There is no reason to fear this. True, if you waslk into the jaws of the beast, your head can get chopped off. But if you play sensibly there is no danger. Here are two examples of solid... Read more »
1005 reads | 12 comments | 1 vote:
Submitted by
jk00750 on Sun Jan 4, 2009 12:20pm.
There are multiple variations of Legall's Mate, and sometimes forcing defeat cannot be so simple. Here is an example of Legall's Mate appearing in the King's Gambit. However, black has a response that is challenging to meet....
... Read more »
227 reads | 3 comments | 1 vote:
Submitted by
benws on Sun Jan 4, 2009 11:54am.
Keres is out for blood here. With Byrne rolling a dangerous pawn front down his queenside, he goes after Byrne's seemingly safe king. However, a crushing rook sac brings an end to the game, despite the extra queens.
Read more »
623 reads | 5 comments | 0 votes:
Submitted by
Third_Degree on Sun Jan 4, 2009 12:30am.
We all know games that come down to long range tactics involved with such pieces as rooks, queens, and kings can be just as frustrating as cluttered boards. As I was playing live chess, I found myself in a situation involving more than two queen... Read more »
91 reads | 0 comments | 0 votes:
Submitted by
FM FM_Eric_Schiller on Sat Jan 3, 2009 10:40pm.
Fans of Scandinavian Openings might want to look at the Icelandic Gambit (1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.c4 e6!?) for a bit of fun. Here is a brief introduction.
Read more »
1160 reads | 25 comments | 0 votes:
Submitted by
NM GreenLaser on Sat Jan 3, 2009 9:27pm.
Helmut Pfleger was born June 8, 1943 in Czechoslovakia. He was a world class junior player by 1960. He tied for first in the West German Championship in 1963 and 1965. He became a grandmaster in 1975. He practices internal medicine and psychothera... Read more »
432 reads | 5 comments | 1 vote:
Submitted by
cjus on Sat Jan 3, 2009 8:47pm.
It turns out that it's actually difficult to tell. The answer depends on how you define the word "strong". For example, does "strong" imply any of the following?
strong because she plays quickly rather than taking days to consider her next mov... Read more »
133 reads | 3 comments | 0 votes:
Submitted by
Johnny_Chess on Sat Jan 3, 2009 8:43pm.
On Chess Endings and Piece Values…
J.R.Capablanca’s ‘Chess Fundumentals’, Part I, Chapter I, section 5. Relative Value of the Pieces must the best description of this matter possible in one page of writing. In so many words it sum... Read more »
76 reads | 1 comment | 0 votes:
Submitted by
benws on Sat Jan 3, 2009 2:25pm.
After Tal beat Botvinnik in the 1960 WC Match, many thought that the old master would retire in the face of such an opponent. Howeber, Botvinnik proved them all wrong by winning the return match a year later. Here is one of his favorite games.
(n... Read more »
462 reads | 5 comments | 1 vote:
Submitted by
melzerh on Sat Jan 3, 2009 11:25am.
Here is a trap in the ruy lopez
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205 reads | 7 comments | 3 votes:
Submitted by
cjus on Fri Jan 2, 2009 10:59pm.
For many players the desire to improve their play pits them in a life and death struggle to win each game. Many players agonize over lost games and fluctuations in their ratings. Rather than carefully reviewing their games (and reliving pain... Read more »
156 reads | 3 comments | 1 vote:
Submitted by
Johnny_Chess on Fri Jan 2, 2009 12:42pm.
On Chess Clocks…
Howard Staunton proclaimed himself the Chess Champion of the world. He ran British chess and also a regular newspaper column. He used this to ward off defeat by Paul Morphy after two consultation games, isolating th... Read more »
154 reads | 0 comments | 0 votes:
Submitted by
SonofPearl on Fri Jan 2, 2009 12:33pm.
Here is what you've all been waiting for - the answers and winners of the Chess.com Holiday Puzzler competition!
The standard of entries was incredibly high, so a BIG thank you to all members who submitted answers.
Where necessary, equal scores... Read more »
1565 reads | 26 comments | 3 votes:
Submitted by
Chak on Fri Jan 2, 2009 12:09am.
The game of chess is over 1300 years old and is one of the most popular games in the world. It has received more total thought time than many great works of art and literature. Like a great work of art, chess is a paradox on many levels. It's easy... Read more »
214 reads | 1 comment | 3 votes:
Submitted by
Chak on Fri Jan 2, 2009 12:02am.
Source: http://www.bobby-fischer.net/Bobby_Fischer_Biography.html
Robert James Fischer was born in Chicago, Illinois at the Michael Reese Hospital by the banks of Lake Michigan on March 9th, 1943. His father Gerhardth Fischer was born in Be... Read more »
154 reads | 7 comments | 3 votes:
Submitted by
ogerboy on Thu Jan 1, 2009 11:38pm.
There are many things I don't understand in this world. One of them is why some people makes such a big fuss out of Paris Hilton (sorry Paris fans, but that is my truth). Another is why most people disregard 1.f4 so quickly, without even a glance.... Read more »
244 reads | 3 comments | 1 vote:
Submitted by
Webgogs on Thu Jan 1, 2009 10:30pm.
(12) RcRaCiNfOoL (1958) - Webgogs (2338) [E68]
http://www.chess.com/echess/game.html?id=10858329
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.d4 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 c6 5.c4 0–0 6.0–0 d6 7.Nc3 a5 8.e4 Nbd7 9.Re1 e5 10.dxe5 dxe5 11.b3 Qc7 12.Ba3 Re8 13.Bd6 Qd8
[13...Qb6 14... Read more »
102 reads | 0 comments | 1 vote: