Sunday, March 16, 2014

See if you instead can move forward


When a piece is threatened you must sometimes move it backwards to stop a disaster. But "sometimes" is not "always". 

Many players wants automatically to move a threatened piece backwards, easily missing the much better solution to move it forward. Moving forward could be the best defence. Think more like someone who wants to score a goal in football (soccer). Then you or a teammate must kick the ball forward. 

Even a Grandmaster 
can fail to kick (move) forward. 

Let's take a look at the game Levon Aronian - Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Candidates Tournament 2014, Khanty-Mansiysk.
  

White played 13.f5. 




Black played 13...Ne7? 



and was lost after... 
 


















14.Nde4!!


The black Queen is trapped.


14...dxe4 15.Nxe4 Qh4 16.g3 Qh3 17.Nf2 Qxf1+ 18.Kxf1 Nxf5
19.Qf3...1-0. 



Black needs to play a more active defence after 13.f5. 



There is one. Move forward. 



13...Qg5! 

Black threats to play Qxe3+ followed by Qxd3.
(13...Nh4 14.Qh5!)

14.Qe2 Nh4! 



Black is OK. 


The game 
Levon Aronian - Shakhriyar Mamedyarov at Chessgames.com and ChessVibes   
       

Svidler - Andreikin, Candidates Tournament 2014, Khanty-Mansiysk




The game annotated at ChessBomb and ChessBase News 

More similar games 
    

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Saturday, March 8, 2014

Self-Training Sessions



   
   
 
     

    
   

Sanna Nielsen - Undo



     

Alcazar - Blame It On The Disco



    

Harika Dronavalli - David Bekker-Jensen, Reykjavik Open 2014




Game collections 
7...a5 8.g4 Na6 9.Be3 Nc5 10.Nd2 c6 11.Be2 Bd7 12.h4
7...Na6 8.Bg5
7...Na6 8.Be3
7...Na6 8.Bd3
7...Na6 8.Be2
7...Na6 8.g4
   

Nils Grandelius - Erwin L'Ami, Reykjavik Open 2014




Game collection 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 O-O 5.Nf3 d5 6.cxd5 exd5 
   

Doru Apreotesei - Contemplation



     

Aleksandr Shimanov - Baadur Jobava, European Individual Chess Championship 2014, Yerevan




More similar games 
    

Mladen Palac - Ernesto Inarkiev, European Individual Chess Championship 2014, Yerevan




Game collections 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3

4...Bc5 5.O-O O-O 6.Re1 
4...Bc5 5.O-O O-O 6.c3

4...Be7 5.O-O O-O 6.Re1
4...Be7 5.O-O O-O 6.Bb3 

    

Fanny - Hey Bulldog



   
      

Alexander Riazantsev - Stelios Halkias, European Individual Chess Championship 2014, Yerevan




Game collections 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Be2
4...d6
4...Bb4
4...d5 

   

Daniel Fridman - Suren Poghosyan, European Individual Chess Championship 2014, Yerevan




More similar games 
   

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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!