Saturday, April 30, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
GM Ian Rogers shows a nice endgame
Solomon - Steadman, Doeberl Cup 2011
More about this endgame and another one in Karsten Müller's CBM Blog
Sacrifices for best practical chances
When is the earliest best moment to play a Pawn sacrifice, Knight sacrifice, Bishop sacrifice, Rook sacrifice or a Queen sacrifice?
Pawn sacrifice
1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 is not the the earliest best moment. Black has no problems to equalize the position and Black maybe even stands a little better.
The earliest best moment goes neither to for instance:
1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 or 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.c3.
A stronger candidate for White looks to be the Evans Gambit: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4. But Black should with best play equalize the position after 4…Bxb4.
Black has an interesting candidate in 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5. Well, if you like a draw with Black it might be a winner…It should be good enough to a draw with best play.
It is not easy after 1.e4 c5 and 1.e4 c6 to say when the the earliest best moment appears to sacrifice. And for who appears the earliest best moment to sacrifice? For White or Black? Sicilian Najdorf games has seen many sacrifices for both White and Black. Sicilian Dragon too. Also Sicilian Scheveningen. And so on…
Black can in the French sacrifice the g7-pawn after for example the continuation: 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7 7.Qg4 Qc7. It might with best play from Black be good enough to hold a draw after 8.Qxg7 Rg8 9.Qxh7 cxd4 10.Ne2. But Black can instead play the safer 7…O-O.
Should we instead first sacrifice in the middlegame?
Comes the earliest best moment to sacrifice first in the middlegame?
If not in a later stage of the opening it should be somewhere in the middlegame.
Should the opponent first be totally strategically outplayed before we sacrifice?
Is it first when the opponent is totally strategically outplayed as the earliest best moment to sacrifice appears? The position could then already be so superior that there is no need for a sacrifice to win the game. But it is necessary many times to end a strategical played game with one or more sacrifices. At least some form of tactics has to be ready to be used.
Wikipedia about sacrificing:
Sacrificing some material is often necessary to throw the opponent's position out of balance. The sacrificed material is sometimes able to be regained with interest a couple of moves later. Pawn sacrifices in the opening are known as gambits; they are usually not intended for a short-term gain, but instead to achieve a more active position.
Direct attacks against the enemy King are often started by sacrifices. A common example is sacrificing a Bishop on h2 or h7, checking the King, who usually must take the Bishop. This allows the Queen and Knight to develop a fulminate attack.
Pawn sacrifice
1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 is not the the earliest best moment. Black has no problems to equalize the position and Black maybe even stands a little better.
The earliest best moment goes neither to for instance:
1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 or 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.c3.
A stronger candidate for White looks to be the Evans Gambit: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4. But Black should with best play equalize the position after 4…Bxb4.
Black has an interesting candidate in 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5. Well, if you like a draw with Black it might be a winner…It should be good enough to a draw with best play.
It is not easy after 1.e4 c5 and 1.e4 c6 to say when the the earliest best moment appears to sacrifice. And for who appears the earliest best moment to sacrifice? For White or Black? Sicilian Najdorf games has seen many sacrifices for both White and Black. Sicilian Dragon too. Also Sicilian Scheveningen. And so on…
Black can in the French sacrifice the g7-pawn after for example the continuation: 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7 7.Qg4 Qc7. It might with best play from Black be good enough to hold a draw after 8.Qxg7 Rg8 9.Qxh7 cxd4 10.Ne2. But Black can instead play the safer 7…O-O.
Should we instead first sacrifice in the middlegame?
Comes the earliest best moment to sacrifice first in the middlegame?
If not in a later stage of the opening it should be somewhere in the middlegame.
Should the opponent first be totally strategically outplayed before we sacrifice?
Is it first when the opponent is totally strategically outplayed as the earliest best moment to sacrifice appears? The position could then already be so superior that there is no need for a sacrifice to win the game. But it is necessary many times to end a strategical played game with one or more sacrifices. At least some form of tactics has to be ready to be used.
Wikipedia about sacrificing:
Sacrificing some material is often necessary to throw the opponent's position out of balance. The sacrificed material is sometimes able to be regained with interest a couple of moves later. Pawn sacrifices in the opening are known as gambits; they are usually not intended for a short-term gain, but instead to achieve a more active position.
Direct attacks against the enemy King are often started by sacrifices. A common example is sacrificing a Bishop on h2 or h7, checking the King, who usually must take the Bishop. This allows the Queen and Knight to develop a fulminate attack.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Activity of the pieces and Pawn structure
Activity of the pieces
The most important single feature of a chess position is the activity of the pieces.
– Michael Stean, Simple Chess
The primary constraint on piece's activity is the Pawn structure.
– Michael Stean, Simple Chess
The job of the chessplayer must therefore be to use his skill to create a Pawn set-up which will allow his own pieces the optimum freedom and stability, while denying his opponent's similar scope.
– Michael Stean, Simple Chess
Look after your Pawns
Look after your Pawns and your pieces will look after themselves.
– Michael Stean, Simple Chess
Naroditsky - Kamsky, 2011 US Championship, Saint Louis
Video from the 2011 US Championship, where Gata Kamsky speaks about
the game in round 6 against Daniel Naroditsky:
The game at Chessgames.com
More similar games in Caro-Kann
Monday, April 18, 2011
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
Master Moves #10
Chess puzzles at ChessBase News from the 2011 Individual Chinese Chess Championship and the 1st Mangini Memorial.
Master Moves #10
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Brilliant Chess in China
"One of the most beautiful chess games that I have seen on last 100 years !!!", is one comment
about the game between Zhao Jun and Xiu Deshun, played in the 2011 Individual Chinese Chess
Championship.
The game annotated at ChessBase News.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
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