CHESSX

I JUST COULD NOT SAY NO

2011-03-29T09:17:00.000-07:00

I was in the chess centre in london a couple ( click her for online store ) of days ago and saw Bobby Fischers my 60 memorable games for only £9.00.
I have been toying with buying this book for a while now,it has been priced at £14.99 recently.
But when i saw it at £9.00 i just could not say no to buying it and keeping on my "to buy" list,i bought it there and then.
I know i am proberly one of the last chess players to buy this book,or to have played the 60 games from it.
Although i have other Fischer books,this is Fischers games in his own words.
I am looking forward to playing over them.
After Batsford changed things in the their first version of the book,and Fischer did not like it they changed it back.
The only change from the original in this version is the notation is algebraic.
I will post my favorite games from this book soon.

FISCHER BOOK REVIEW PLUS HAPPY NEW YEAR

2010-12-31T03:50:00.000-08:00

First a happy new year to all chess bloggers.

I have just finished reading a very good chess history book.
The unknown Bobby Fischer by IM's John Donaldsona and Eric Tangborn.
This book covers the early years of Fischer with snipits of information
from players/people who where Fischer friends at that time.
The book moves on to his 1964 Transcontinental tour giving reports and games from his displays.
The book is littered with photos of Bobby and other chess players.
Fischers displays in europe during the 1970's are covered included his last recorded game against
WIM Kathy Forbes who was covering the Fischer V Spassky 1992 return match for CHESS magazine.
The book finishes with some letters he wrote and a story about him in an Argentina chess book store.
Plus a list of books about Bobby and a list of works by Bobby himself.
Reading this book i felt it added to what i think i already know about Bobby Fischer,
it gives a side of a great player not normally seen.

The book is full of quicky games,but i give just 1 from a display in Columbus Ohio
may 18th.His results for this display were +48,=2.-0.

Fischer. v W.Kaufer + 2 consultants.

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PHOTOS OF ME AT THE LONDON CHESS CLASSIC

2010-12-24T12:11:00.000-08:00

First i would like to wish every one a Merry Christmas and a happy new year.
Recently i spent 2 days at the London chess classic tournament,watching the superstars and catching up with a few chess friends as well.
I was their for the first days play,and what a game Luke Mcshane had in beating Magnus Carlsen.
I was lucky to get a few words with Luke after the game,he was very down to earth, which is amazing as he just beat the highest rated player he had ever played.
I also got to talk to Micky Adams and Vladimir Kramnik(i have the photos to prove it).
Micky is a very nice person,and is willing to spend a bit of time talking chess to lower type players.

I also met Viktor Korchnoi who is a legend in chess but very grumpy when he is finished talking to you.

I had a great time watching the GM's and also some of the games in other tournaments.
Link to the London chess classic website click here

Cant wait for next year.

ONE MOVE CHANGED THE GAME

2010-12-06T01:18:00.000-08:00

In chess 1 quickly played move can change the whole game.
In this game i am white and the time contol is 20 minutes each.
During the game i did not play well at all,i could not get my thinking
head going.
Then 1 very quickly played move by my opponent Mike changed the game.
His quickly played move was 31....Nf5,when he played this move he still had about 12 minutes on his clock,so being short of time was not the reason.
After the game Mike said he was thinking i would play 31.Qe2 then double my rooks on the h file.
So when i played 31.Qb1+ it sort of took him by surprise a little,and he just moved without thinking. Then it was an up hill struggle as he only has a pawn for the knight.
His passed pawn is not a threat at all.

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DUMBEST MOVE YOU EVER PLAYED?

2010-11-08T13:38:00.000-08:00

I am asking my fellow bloggers to post their dumbest move.
This has been prompted by the dumbest move i have ever played.
It was only a 5 minute game,but when i played it we both just could not take our eyes off the board in amazement.

I am playing white in this game with just less than a minute on the clock.
I reached out and picked up the pawn and moved it to f8 and swopped it for a queen!!!
Then it hit me,what a dumb move.

Yes i know it's stalemate,it is awful i was so shocked i did not press my clock button and my flag feel.

If you have a "your dumbest move" please post it.

WOULD I HAVE WON ON THE BOARD part 2

2010-10-25T01:21:00.000-07:00

The game in the prevous post was won by me on time,but i was not sure if it could have been won on the board.
This is the position i saw in my minds eye as being the final drawn position.
White's bishop never leaving the a2-g8 diagonal.

Most of you agreed it would have been a draw,but Tommyg came up with some good moves that would have given me a win.
This is Tommyg's position where his moves leaves me with 2 pawns.

52... a3 53. Ba2 Na4 54. c4 Nc5 55. Ke3 Nxe4565. c5 Nxc5 57. Kd2 g5 58. Kc2 Kd4
59. Kd2 g4 60. Bf7 Ke5 61. Ke2 Ne6 62. Be8 a2 and now White can't stop both pawns...

I must be honest i would never have made these moves,but Tommyg has shown what potential is in almost any position,even drawish looking ones.

WOULD I HAVE WON ON THE BOARD

2010-10-24T12:43:00.000-07:00

I played this game a few days ago and won on time.
It was a quick game 30 minutes each to a finish.
I had black and i think i played ok to a point.
But when it got down to my knight against his (i thought more active) bishop i did not think i could queen my a pawn.
But his time ran out,after the game Ronnie was certain i had a win,but i am not sure.

Could i have won on the board if we had more time?

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My plan if the game went on was to get his c and e pawns and get a draw.
Yes i know it's scaredy cat play but i could not think of much else.

RUSSIANS V FISCHER BOOK REVIEW

2010-09-26T07:10:00.000-07:00

I have just finished the book Russians versus Fischer,it has taken me a while to finish due to non chess reasons.
The book is published by Everyman chess in hardback,it is 462 pages long and has many photos.
The authors are D. Plisetsky and S. Voronkov.
The book gives all Fischers games against Russian players, some in detail spanning several pages, others just the game with minimal notes.
Throughout the book interviews are added from leading Russian players and Russian chess federation people about how to stop Fischer.
In one of these writen in 1975 by I. Bondarevsky a former trainer to the ill Boris Spassky (get well soon Boris),It says "The American often wins material without fully evaluating the consequences. He is not properly aware of his kings safety."
What is all that about,Fischer not aware of his king safety,my eyes nearly poped out when i read that.
The one thing that stands out for me in the book,is the Russians lack of understanding that Fischer was a fantastic player.Who was totaly dedicated to chess,first and last.
No other interests just chess,chess and more chess.
Playing over the games ,which are set out by tournament and or match,is a pleasure.
It has once again connected me to the great Fischer play.
I like this book not only for the great games,but for the lack of understanding the Russians had about Fischer for years,until it was to late.
Also this book only cost £10 from the London chess and bridge centre.

BACK FROM VALENCIA

2010-09-22T06:17:00.000-07:00

Hi chess friends just got back from Valencia,what a beautiful city.
It has old sections that have Roman and Moors influences,almost side by side with bang up-to-date buildings.
I saw the site where Kasparov and Karpov played their 25th anniversary of their first World Championship,match last year.Thats the photo above.
I also stood in what is the pits for the Valencian F1 Grand Prix,it is an old dock building now only used for the race.
Chess colums are in every newspaper outtheir,chess is an accepted game/sport in Valencia,as it is in Spain generally.
Chess is wide spread for children in after school clubs.
I was on the metro reading a chess book,and the person sitting next to me leaned in and started to read the book pointed the the diagram and suggusted a move.
Here in England people would look at this and think nerd,but in Spain chess is held in a higher regard than most places i guess.

GOING ON HOLIDAY TO VALENCIA

2010-09-10T09:27:00.000-07:00

Hi chess friends i know i have only just come back to bloggland,but i am going on holiday to Valencia Spain for a week,to catch some sun.
We have not had much sun in England this summer,so i feel the need to bronze up a little.
Spain hosts many fine tournaments,perhaps the European home of chess at the moment?
Will post some photos when i come back.

HI BLOGGERS

2010-08-25T09:50:00.000-07:00

Hi bloggers just a post to let you all know i have not disappeared into non blog world.!!!!
My work life has been mega-hectic over the last 12 weeks or so,so i have not had much(or any really) time to post on this blog or my friends.
But it looks like i should be back to normal come early september.
I hope you are all keeping well and enjoying your chess, i am looking forward to catching up with all your news.
Post soon,very soon.

A DRAWN GAME

2010-07-05T11:54:00.000-07:00

I have just finished playing this game,and i am not sure if i am lucky to draw or un lucky to draw the game.
I am playing black and the time control is 20 minutes each.

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This game for me and my opponent changed with one bad move.
The knight fork for me against him,and the bad rook move by me against,well me.

It ended with a draw by repetition.
Was i lucky to have drawn after such a bad move, or unlucky to have drawn after going a queen for knight up.or

1 MOVE CHANGES THE GAME

2010-06-26T06:45:00.000-07:00

I am black in this game the time limit was 20 minutes each.
It took me 20 moves to get out of my half of the board.
One move changes the game,24...Qd4+ wins a piece.

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Once i was a piece up my plan all-be-it a simple plan,was to swop queens and rooks,then let my extra piece be a pain on either side of the board.
Then queen a pawn,i said it was simple!!!!!

Also i have been away on holiday to north Norfolk,and with the couple of weeks before being hectic at work i have not been active in blogland.

A DRAWN GAME

2010-05-31T11:32:00.000-07:00

This is a game only played yesterday,i am playing the black side of a queens gambit.
The time control was the normal 20 minutes each for the game.
I think a draw was a fair result,but you guys will tell me otherwise.

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The queens gambit and the frence defence both have black playing d5 and e6,as i now play both i should feel comfortable with this shared pawn formation.
But time will tell!!!!

ANOTHER GAME FROM MY CHESS DEN

2010-05-21T08:17:00.000-07:00

This is a game i played a few days ago in my chess den.
I am white and play a kind of king's indian attack formation.
The game was heading for a stand still when i broke through on the king's side.
I had a big advantage in space as my pawns where far up the board,not sure if that's a good thing or not to try in many games.
Even without his queen loss my passed pawns should have been enough to decide the game.

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Black had a cramped position and his pieces had trouble finding good squares, during the game i kept thinking thats how i normally play.

My dark squared bishop moves to e3 then back to c1 and stays their,just watching!!!

RECENT GAME FROM THE CHESS DEN

2010-05-05T08:40:00.000-07:00

This is one of my recent games i played in my chess den.
I am white in this game,my opponenet played very quickly,he only used about 3 or 4 of the 20 minutes we each had.

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Bxh7+ was just calling out to me,for a couple of minutes i played like Tal!!!!

MY CHESS DEN

2010-04-05T11:40:00.000-07:00

I have very nearly finished decorating a room that has become my chess den.
In this chess den i can store all my chess books,and have a table set up just to play chess on.
No need to keep putting things away and then getting it all out again.
My little bit of chess heaven.

VASILY SMYSLOV RIP

2010-03-28T12:03:00.000-07:00

Vasily Smyslov the 7th World Chess Champion died on Saturday of heart failure at the age of 89.
I was very lucky to met Smyslov at the Fox Trot tournament in London during 1996.
The tournament was held at the Hilton hotel.
In the tournament Smyslov,Spassky,Hort,Portisch and Taimanov,played against top women players.
Cramling,Ioseliani,Arakhamia,Xie and Sofia Polgar.
On the day i attended the tournament Portisch was to play Polgar,their was a lighting fault and play was suspended for an hour or 2.
Young miss polgar went shopping,moments later the lighting fault was fixed so play started.
Sofia Polgar was traced and play went on as normal.
I got Smyslov to autograph my Dover book of his games, he was very patient with the spectators who wanted photos and autographs.
With his passing chess has lost a true chess great and a gentleman on and off the board.

I give one of his in my opinion best games.
It is often use to show the importance of a knight outpost,but i find this delightfull little game great.

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BEST CHESS TRAINING SOFTWARE

2010-03-24T09:44:00.000-07:00

In my School chess club i use CT-art 3.0 and Chess tactics for beginners,both from Convekta now chess ok.
The students work through the puzzles in the programs and are graded/rated at the end.
I find these old programs very good for children to use.
CT-art has now gone to version 4,using the Peshka interface.
As an added bonus to these i also use Fritz 11 to go over some of the childrens games,to get some top level notes.
I am thinking of adding more software from the Convekta/chess ok family,i think they are good value software.
Some may say basic and with faults,but good value.
These programs are installed on computers in the School,and the children can use them when they want to.
The familiarity across the range of these older softwae titles is good for the children.
They are not having to learn new systems for each program.

CAN YOU GUESS THE PLAYER WITH THE WHITE PIECES ?

2010-03-01T12:32:00.000-08:00

I came across this game and could not believe the player who has the white pieces.

It is an opening totally out of his norm.

White for a while only moves pieces within the first 3 ranks no attack,once again unlike this player.

Play over the game and see if you can name this famous player.

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MY MOST ATTACKING GAME

2010-02-27T06:44:00.000-08:00

I have just finished playing my most attacking game for a long while.
I am playing the black side of a french defence.
During this game i felt very aggressive and i played moves i would normally look at but not play.

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SOME FRANK MARSHALL SITES

2010-02-19T09:34:00.001-08:00

Some of you may know that i like Frank Marshall.
His games are interesting to play over,if not bang up to date opening wise.
His go for the throat method of play did not always bring him the results he wanted,but he played good chess.
While looking through the internet i came across these Marshall sites.

The first site
http://www.angelfire.com/games4/lifemasteraj/_Marshall/marshall-list.html
Gives a bio of Marshall with his best games.

The second site
http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~goeller/marshall/bibliography/index.html
Gives his tournament record and every known Marshall game in a pgn file.

The third site

http://www.chessforums.org/chess-software-recommended-websites/5004-frank-j-marshall.html
Gives more information on Marshall,with some games.

Marshall would be a player that many people would say was a strong player,even for his day.
But according to Sonas(First site), his peak rating was 2706 at the end of 1917, making him # 4 in the world!! Not too bad.
Sonas says Marshall's FIVE-YEAR PEAK was 2685.

A GAME BY PETROSIAN THE MASTER OF MANOEUVRING

2010-02-06T12:11:00.000-08:00

I am going through the games in the Batsford book Petrosian Vs the Elite.
I came across this delightful game played in 1970.
Petrosian is black in a French defence Winawer.

In this game Petrosian seemed to be in control all the time,he made 13 knight moves out of the games 48 moves.
The knights controled the game until his pawns become to strong.

I really enjoy playing over Petrosian's games,they are not boring as many players think.But full of control and precise play.

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THIS IS MORE LIKE ME

2010-01-30T11:33:00.001-08:00

This game is more like the way i play,safe, boring,dull.
I was white in this KIA game,and never really took the battle to my opponent.
It almost seemed i played this game like Petrosian,waiting for my opponent to make a mistake.
I played around and within my pawn wall,never breaking the chain till i had to.
My passed pawns would have been impossible to stop,as he was going to be a rook down.

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ANOTHER SCANDINAVIAN ICELANDIC GAMBIT

2010-01-23T08:32:00.000-08:00

I played another game with the Scandinavian icelandic gambit,but on the white side in a 20 minutes a side game.

This opening was discussed by me and my opponent after the last game.

Although the result was good for me i still dont feel happy about being this adventurous.I will go back to my French defence as black and kia as white.
Safe in dullness.

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Perhaps this is a new me!!!!

IF I HAD MORE TIME

2010-01-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

I played this game a few days ago, i played as black with an opening i would not normally play.
It was 20 minutes each, when we got down to the final position i had just over a minute on my clock,my opponent had over 6 minutes.

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I was thinking of playing 25...Bxa2 26 Ra1 Bc4+ 27 K move a5 and start the pawn rush.
But with so little time i played 25...Kf8 and offered a draw which he took it.
I think i should have won with more time.

The opening was a Scandiavian Icelandic gambit i saw in another game.
I thought that is so not me,my opponent would never think i would play this.
But it back fired on me i spent to much time working out what to do, i did not have the time to try to win!!!!!

GAME WON BY TIME FORFEIT

2009-12-30T11:44:00.000-08:00

I have just won this game through time forfeit,the play was 3 days per move.
The position was even ,but i had a good knight.
Perhaps he just lost interest?

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I would like to wish all chess fans a happy new year.

SEASONS GREETINGS

2009-12-24T11:52:00.000-08:00

We may come from different cultures follow different religions, or not follow one at all.
But we are all humans and all have more or less the same needs.
Fortunately for me chess is one of my needs.
So i would like to wish everyone a merry chessmas, or seasons greetings.

LONDON CHESS CLASSIC

2009-12-07T12:26:00.000-08:00

On tuesday the 8th i am going to spend the day at the London chess classic in Olympia.
Their are a number of tournaments, but the top one is the GM tournament "the classic".
Playing is Magnus Carlsen, Vladimir Kramnik, Hikaru Nakamura, Ni Hua, Nigel Short, Michael Adams, David Howell and Luke Mcshane.

If i manage to get any photos of the top players i will post them.
Link to the offical website click here

HOW TO SPOIL A POSITION

2009-11-30T11:47:00.000-08:00

I have just spoiled a good solid position by playing well i don't know what to call it.
Chess blindness or just not paying attention.
You decide.
I am white in this position.

Black plays 1..........Bc3 attacking my b4 knight. So instead of moving the knight to c2,i play 2.Ke2!!!!!!!! goodbye knight.

Was this position drawish before my bad move?

WHAT MOVE NOT TO PLAY

2009-11-12T05:36:00.000-08:00

I have played some bad moves in my time,but i think this is the worst.

I am black in this game,doing nicely,a piece up for 2 pawns.
King in the open,but i have to protect my queen side pawns.

I am not sure what happened but i played Re8!!!
White can take the rook as my knight is pinned.

Is this chess blindness or very careless play,or both?

ANOTHER GAME USING KIA

2009-10-28T07:44:00.000-07:00

I played another game as white trying the kings indian attack.
The time control was 20 minutes each for the whole game.
I think i was lucky in this game.

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I still am not sure about this opening.

A KIA GAME PLAYED YESTERDAY

2009-10-23T09:11:00.000-07:00

I played this game as white yesterday, the time control was 20 minutes each for the whole game.
In this game i tried out the kings indian attack as white.
It seems this opening can be played as white almost against anything black plays,well with in reason.

In the end it came down to a game of chicken with the clock.
When the draw was agreed, we both had only seconds left on the clock.

Not sure if i like this opening, i might slip back to my old safe ways with this,but well see.

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AN ONLINE GAME

2009-10-15T05:09:00.000-07:00

This is an online game i played at gameknot.com.
I am white in this game and swopped a rook for 2 bishops.
This is me not playing safe moves all the time,also not playing very well,but not playing safe.

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Once 24.Ne7+ was played it was goodbye rooks for black.

BOOK REVIEW 4

2009-10-13T11:17:00.000-07:00

I have just finished struggling through Grandmaster Kotov's book "Think like a grandmaster" published by Batsford in the early 1970's.
Kotov covers all the standard things the centre open and closed,planning,positional judgement,pawn structures and many other topics.
This is the book that wants you to think your next set of moves using the tree analysis method.
With branches for sub variations branching out from the main trunk of moves.
The book has some typos but i found the book wanting,it did not infuse me as Stean's book did(see book review 2).

This book for me does not go into enough depth in some chapters and to much in others.
On the chapter about endings, we pick up a game from move 22 it shows how one side gets an advantage, then on move 54 it stops with "and white forced a win on move 86".
But does not show you how this happened.
The chapter on opening study is very general only 6 pages long.

On the other hand in the chapter "The tree of analysis" to many variations are given making it at times difficult to follow.Muddying what could be clearer waters.

The examples used are taken mainly from either Soviet championships or the Candidates 1953 tournament in Zurich.
In fact so great is the number of positions and part games used by Kotov from the 1953 Candidates, i bought the Dover book written by Bronstein on the 1953 Zurich tournament.

Perhaps this book is above me,i dont know, but i could follow the instructions in the book.
The test is if i can remember to use what is in this book when i play.

This book is classed as a classic by many people but it did not do it for me.

PLAYED AT THE WEEKEND

2009-10-05T11:09:00.000-07:00

This game was a friendly game not a tournament or match game.
I played the French as Black against a player called Dave.
The time control was 10 minutes each for the whole game.

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I ran the game through fritz and got pages of anaylsis,no way would i have found, let alone thought of most of the the fritz stuff.

But hey, comments please.

BOOK REVIEW 3

2009-10-02T02:40:00.000-07:00

I have just read Chess Bitch by Jennifer Shahade published by Siles press.

This is a story of women in chess from Vera Menchik pre ww2 to the mid 2000's.

This book shows how the barriers are slowly coming down in this male dominanted sport.
Women are trying to gain equal terms,while being side stepped into seperate womens tournaments and championships.

Shahade argues the pros and cons of seperate World championships for men and women by using interviews with top women players.
She investigates the women’s chess dynasties in Georgia and China and interviews the famous Polgar sisters, who refused to play in separate women’s tournaments.(execpt susan who did become women world champion)
Thier is also an interview with transgendered Texan Angela Alston.

While touring around the world playing in tournaments Shahade gives an insight into chess not seen before.
Shahade paints a colorful world that most chess fans never knew existed,showing that girls certainly chess girls do like to have fun.

The book gives both sides of the arguement of how women are seen in chess.
The feminist side who are chess players that happen to be women,and not so feminist the glamorous grandmaster Alexandra Kosteniuk the current womens world champion.Who openly uses her sexuality to promote her self.
Just look at some pictures on her website.

This book gives the reader much material and many questions to work on,like why are women under represented in big numbers in chess?
Questions like why are womens international and grandmaster titles lower rated and easier to gain than a mans title?

Judit Polgar is the first women to play and beat the top male players at chess on a regular basis. Where are the rest?
Why should men be dominant in chess,where no physical strength or speed are needed,yet men rule in the world of chess.

I enjoyed this book very much,it can also be a good read to non chess playing readers.

For my own 50cents worth i see children feed into chess at a young age,through my school chess club and junior tournaments.For every 3 boys their is 1 girl entering chess,then as they go up through the age tournaments their are less and less girls.

I think it comes down first to a numbers game,like in the old days the more Russian grandmasters in the top 20 the more likly a Russian world champion.
First Susan Polgar then Judit Polgar drew more women into chess through there fame(as Paula Radcliff did in marathon running),and some of them become very strong players,as the next generation of women chess players will also need to draw more women into the sport.So the numbers grow.But this takes time.

Secondly i think girls dont see spending hour upon hour on chess as important.
But good roll models would help to change that.

BOOK REVIEW 2

2009-09-24T09:15:00.001-07:00

I have just finished a really good book no make that an excellent book.
Simple chess by GM Michael Stean.
The copy i have is published by Faber & Faber about 1982is,using descriptive notation so back to the days of P-QB4.

The only fault i have with the book is the title "Simple chess" it can be misleading,the book is in fact about chess strategy.
A subject that GM Stean makes very readable and easy to follow.

The book's 6 chapters cover the main points of strategy outposts,weak pawns,open files,half open files the minority attack,black squares and white squares and finally space.

Each of the chapters uses good examples and is clearly written.
In the chapter on half open files their is a discussion on the pawn structure of the sicilian defence.

The Ruy lopez main line is discussed in the chapter on space.

What makes this a great book to me is not only the clear writing combined with excellent games and positions,but Steans own touches throughout the book.

On page 47
"black is left with hanging pieces,an undesirable alternative to hanging pawns"

on page 71 my favourite
"all the white pieces are amusingly trapped,like a bicycle wheel in a tramline,only able to go backwards and forwards"

on page 77
many people reason "if i put my pawns on the same coloured squares as my bishop i can defend them there". If you commit hara-kiri instead,you won't have to defend them at all. The two solutions are roughly equivalent,give or take the problem of cleaning the blood off the board.

This is an excellent book for players who want a no-nonsense clear introduction to chess strategy i recommend this enjoyable book.

I end this review with a line from the book that perhaps sums up chess "simple chess always requires flexibility of thought".

KILLER MOVES PART 3

2009-09-21T02:56:00.000-07:00

Killer move part 3 is from Judit Polgar the princess of chess.
The game was played during the 1988 womens Olympiad in Thessaloniki aginst
P.Angelova in some books it is Chilingirova.
Judit was 12 at the time and during the same tournament she beat Xie Jun
who 3 years later went on to win the world Championship.

The killer move is 17.Qxf8+

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17......Kxf8 18.Bh6+ Kg8 19.Re8# wonderfull and only 12.

BOOK REVIEW 1

2009-09-14T03:00:00.000-07:00

While i am recovering from my ankle operation i have read a book that i have had for a number of years but never got around to reading.

P.C. Clarke's Mikhail Tal's best games of chess.
This book is an old book published by Bell back in the 1960's.
Bell produced great chess books,game collections of Alekhine,Capablanca and Larsen
being my favourite ones.

The Tal book covers his chess from 1951 to and including his 1960 World Championship win against Botvinnik.
The book has a photo of Tal,followed by 9 pages of biography called "The road to the championship",rounded off with 7 pages of "The genius of Tal" using positions in a what Tal did next format.
Thier is also a page and half from Tal talking about chess as an art form.

The rest of the book has 50 of his games.
In most of them he seems to sacrifice pieces and pawns almost at will,but Clarke's note are very good if brief.

Game 39 stands out for me as a great game, played against V. Smyslov.
Who only 2 years before was himself World Champion.
The game is played during the 1959 Candidates tournament at Bled,Tal has the white pieces.On move 17 Smyslov plays 17...Qxa2 threatening mate next move.
Tal defends against this then on move 19 plays a wow move 19.Qxf7. offers his queen
to Smyslov.
Enjoy game 39.

(show chess board)(hide chess board)

If 19....Rxf7 20.Rxd8+ Rf8 21.Rxf8+ Ng8 23.Rxg8++
If 19....Re8 20.Qg8+ either knight or rook xg8 21.Nf7++ smothered mate.
Don't even think about 19...Rg8.
If 19...gxh6 20.Bxf6++

I found this an enjoyable book of a snap shot from history.

BEST KILLER MOVES PART 2

2009-09-07T02:22:00.000-07:00

Another game with a killer move is T.Petrosian v B. Spassky World championship 1966 game 10.

What a move 30.Qh8+ a temporary queen sacrifice that leads to a won position.
This would be a great move to play in a normal tournament game,but in a World Championship game,wow.

(show chess board)(hide chess board)

Petrosian is known for grinding an opponent down positionally,his games to some seem boring.
But on occasion he could when the position deemed it produce the Tal/Morphy type firework moves.(but alas not very often)

BACK FROM HOSPITAL

2009-09-03T12:07:00.000-07:00

I am back from hospital after having my anckle operation.

I have my left leg in a cast from my knee to my toes.

The cast comes off in a few weeks then more decisions will be made.

The pain is much worst than i thought it would be,i was giving morphine to help with the pain.

I should be able to start walking in a month or so,can't even think about running.

I'm not sure if i will get to use my place in the 2010 London Marathon or not.

But the kind words from you guys has been great, THANK YOU.

I AM GOING INTO HOSPITAL TOMORROW

2009-09-01T06:56:00.000-07:00

Yes the rescheduled date for my anckle operation is tomorrow the 2nd of September.

After being cancelled twice before i think it is third time lucky!!!!!

All that can go wrong now is when i am in hospital they cancell me because of an emergency.

But fingers crossed.

See you guys soon.

OPENING FOR MY SCHOOL CHESS CLUB

2009-08-31T12:38:00.000-07:00

I have been looking for an new opening for the children to play against very strong players as black.

Using some hints from you guys about my responce to 1.d4,i have found the Hippopotamus opening.

It is a pirc/modern type opening.
You seem to play in your own half of the board and draw your opponent on to you.
Spassky has played this opening a few times even twice in the 1966 world championship against Petrosian.
First in game 12

(show chess board)(hide chess board)

Next game 16

(show chess board)(hide chess board)

Most childrens games open 1.e4 and reply 1..e5.
But against some very strong children this is no good as these strong kids are pumped and primed with opening traps.
So i am thinking agaisnt the very strong children my ones should play the Hippo.
It's a non aggressive opening (so linuxguy will never play this!!!)
and should take strong 1.e4 e5 players out of any book lines.

GAME AGAINST 1.d4

2009-08-27T10:41:00.000-07:00

This is a game i played yesterday on playchess.com.
A year subscription to playchess came with fritz 11.

The game was a draw.
I thought i would meet 1.d4 with 1...d5 just one last time.
As recent posts have given me lots to think about when meeting 1.d4.
The kings indian or grunfeld look best so far.
I replied 1...d5 because i am not confidenet with either of these yet.
I am still seeing which one is best for me.

Here is the game i am black.
(show chess board)(hide chess board)

WHAT SHOULD I PLAY AGAINST 1.d4

2009-08-19T08:31:00.000-07:00

I know i have had big gaps of non playing in my chess playing life,and for the last 11 years i have run a school chess club so no time to play adults.
I have not kept up to date with opening trends,not that i did much of that when i did play.

But in the last 3 weeks i have played 4 games as black against 1.d4.
I only met 1.d4 2 times before in perhaps 150 games,and both games where decided on time (not the opening)1 win 1 loss.

I have replied 1..d5 each time and the games have gone off into different openings,not stayed as queens gambits.
I just feel uncomfortable playing this,i know this sounds silly.

But i would appreciate some suggestions/help of what is good for you against 1.d4 and why.

I think some players know i am weak/weaker aginst 1.d4 so they play it.

BEST KILLER MOVES

2009-08-13T10:57:00.000-07:00

Have you ever played a killer move in a game,a move that has been so devastating it wins straight away.

I give 2 of the most famous examples of killer moves.

Game 1 Levitsky against Frank Marshall in 1912.
In this game so history has it,when Marshall played 23.....Qg3 people in the crowd threw gold coins as they thought it such a great move.

(show chess board)(hide chess board)

Game 2 Bernstein against Jose Capablanca 1914.
Some older books refer to Capablanca's move 29....Qb2 as a million dollar move.

(show chess board)(hide chess board)

If i ever did play a killer move i think it might be valued some what less!!!

ANOTHER GAME FROM MY CHESS CLUB

2009-07-31T08:50:00.001-07:00

This game was played between the board 1 and board 2 of the school chess club i run.
It was an end of therm game played with a clock.Game 15.
Board 1 has been with me for 3 years and board 2 about 2 years.

(show chess board)(hide chess board)

PLAY THE TAIMANOV SICILIAN

2009-07-26T04:32:00.000-07:00

I am thinking of using the Taimanov as black in a Sicilian.
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6

Have any of you used this variation before?

A GAME BETWEEN 2 OF THE CHILDREN FROM MY CHESS CLUB

2009-07-17T09:28:00.000-07:00

This is a game played recently between 2 children from my School chess club.
The child playing White has been with me for 2 years, while the child playing black has only been with me 6 or so months.

The time limit was 30 minutes each on the clock for the game.
At the end white had 20 minutes left on the clock and black had 28 minutes.
So it was not a slow game, mistakes were made by both sides,but white shows some promise.

(show chess board)(hide chess board)

NO FIGHT FOR THE CENTER OR KING SAFTEY

2009-07-15T09:08:00.000-07:00

I played over this game today a La Bourdonnais game as black against Jouy in 1836.
Their is little to no attempt at controlling the center or King saftey.
Just out an out attack.
I know the Kings gambit when accepted is all about attack,and boy do they,this is a very good entertaining little game.

(show chess board)(hide chess board)

ONE OF THE STRANGEST POSITIONS IN A CHESS GAME

2009-07-12T09:10:00.000-07:00

This is a game played in 1834 between Mcdonnell and La bourdonnais.
The final position is one of the strangest i have seen in chess.
Would this happen in todays play i don't think so.

(show chess board)(hide chess board)

AN UNDERATTED BOBBY FISCHER GAME

2009-07-09T13:56:00.000-07:00

I think this game from the Sousse 1967 interzonal is perhaps one of Bobby Fischers best underatted games.
Fischer has white against L. Myagmarsuren in round 3.
It is not played against a very strong player, but i think it is still a great game.

(show chess board)(hide chess board)

Black cannot take the white queen as this leads to checkmate.

FIRST TRY WITH CHESSFLASH VIEWER

2009-07-06T01:23:00.000-07:00

This is my first game using chessflash game viewer.
It is one of my favourite games of all time.
It's not a classic by any means,but it has a history to go with it.
It was played in Breslau 1912 between Levitzky and Frank Marshall(whos games i like playing over).

When as remour has it Marshall played 23.....Qg3 the crowd throw gold coins at the players.
Did people in 1912 have gold coins to throw away,i am not sure.
But it's a great story and an entertaining game.

Work out why Marshall's Queen can't be taken.

(show chess board)(hide chess board)

BLITZ GAME

2009-07-04T07:43:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since i have posted,but for the time being i don't have to worry about having my operation untill september(fingers crossed i dont get cancelled then).

Here is a blitz game i played.
I am white in this game it is a long time since i have played this fast.
It is not a good game by any means,but it is a game i have played.
Comments please.

Play online chess

OPERATION CANCELLED

2009-06-23T10:56:00.000-07:00

The hospital called me today and cancelled my operation for tomorrow.
I will hear in due course with another dtae.
I was all geared up for the operation only now to at some stage gear myself up again.
A friend of myn had his operation cancelled 3 times,so at the moment it's not that bad.

OPERATION AND CHESS

2009-05-28T08:25:00.000-07:00

I am to go into hospital 0n June 24th to have my long awaited ankle operation.
I am on 8 painkillers a day just to get through the day,so this operation cant come soon enough.

I am still playing chess but i dont know if i am better on the painkillers or not.
This is a game i played recently and my head is full of fuzz so i dont know if i am missing more or less good moves.

I am black in this game.
It was a draw right result?

Play chess online!

COMMENTS PLEASE

2009-05-20T12:56:00.000-07:00

Just finished this game i was black.
Comments most welcome.

Play chess online!

I WON BY AN OPPONENT MISTAKE

2009-04-23T08:56:00.000-07:00

This game has just finished my opponent lost a piece then resigned.
I played so badly in the opening i struggled into the middlegame in a cramped position.

My bishops were cramped and did not get into the game properly untill move 24.
I think 25.d5 was the move that changed the game.

Play chess online!

JUST FINISHED THIS GAME

2009-04-21T11:37:00.000-07:00

This is a game i have just finished on chess.com.

I am white in this game.

I had a knight well placed on f6 went on the attack,but at move 27 Rg3 i ran out of steam.
I ended up swopping queens and it drifted towards a draw.
I like to think i had the draw in hand.

Help please.

Play chess online!

TODAYS CHESS.COM GAME

2009-04-10T12:10:00.000-07:00

Today i played an online game at chess.com against a 1710 player,my rating after 1 game on chess.com was 1450.Chess.com start you off on a 1200 rating.
After this game it is now 1701.
In 2 games my rating has gone from 1200 to 1450 to 1701,if only i could make my bank balance jump that quickly!!!
When i lose a couple of games i expect my rating will drop as quick as it rose.
I am black in this game.
chessx is not my chess.com name.

Play chess online!

25.Nxd6 was the mistake by White it allows the pin on knight/queen.

ANOTHER QUICK PLAY OTB GAME

2009-04-06T08:06:00.000-07:00

This game was my first with a digital chess clock,and i got into allsorts of trouble with the clock.

The time was 15 minutes plus 10 seconds each time you move.
At one point i thought i only had 5 seconds left when it was 5 minutes.
I won the game because my opponent made a mistake,otherwise i think i should of lost.

I am black in this game.
Once i got the g pawn off it was a race to h8.

Play online chess!

OTB GAME

2009-03-28T05:43:00.000-07:00

I played this game 2 days ago against a real person sitting oppersite me using a real board.
It was not a tournament game.

I have not played real chess in years.
It felt some how strange not to be playing on a computer.
I found i was doubting my move choice nearly all the time.
It was 15 minutes each on the clock.
I made many mistakes like not playing 28.Rxg6.

Still it is the first of many OTB games i hope.

I am White in this game.

Play online chess!

LINUXGUY: THE BAD GAME

2009-03-14T13:55:00.000-07:00

I use www.chess.com for chess news.
When you join you play an unrated welcome game. You start rating is 1200.
Even though I won that game as it was unrated I am still 1200.
I have managed not to play any other games on this site since August,that is untill yesterday.

I was challenged by a 1351 player.
I thought ok i will give it a go 151 rating points higher it may be a good game.

His play was awful.
But i had to stop myself playing as bad.
Thats been my problem.
I did not so much win the game he lost it.

Play online chess!

RECENT TOURNAMENT GAME

2009-03-12T09:01:00.000-07:00

This is another tournament game i played recently.

I am Black in this game.
The game is not very good, but i gave me the point i needed.
After playing 26...h6 i saw Ng4 followed by Rd1+ then mate.
I thought i wont get a chance to play that.

My opponet was locked into what his rooks were going to do he did not see the danger.

TOURNAMENT GAME FINISHED TODAY

2009-03-09T14:51:00.000-07:00

This game just finished today in the Gameknot 54 tournament.

I am black in this game.

I think white gave up the rook to easily in the end.

My pawn advantage would have been to much for the rook and king to deal with.

A RECENT TOURNAMENT GAME

2009-03-06T08:19:00.000-08:00

I am white in this game.
It is another example of not very good chess.
I am not sure what i was thinking when i played 9.Nd5

ANOTHER OF MY GAMES

2009-03-01T09:10:00.001-08:00

This is another game i played recently.
White 1367 i am white in this game.
Black 1523
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 d5 4. Bxc6+ bxc6 5. exd5 Qxd5
6. Nc3 Qd6 7. Ne4 Qd5 8. Nc3 Qe6 9. O-O Bb4 10. Re1 f6
11. d3 Ne7 12. Bd2 O-O 13. Ne4 a5 14. a3 Bxd2 15. Qxd2 Nf5
16. Nc5 Qd5 17. Ne4 a4 18. Qb4 Rd8 19. Qc4 Qxc4 20. dxc4 Nd4
21. Nxd4 Rxd4 22. Rad1 Bf5 23. Rxd4 exd4 24. f3 Re8 25. Nxf6+
This is i think the move that wins the game.

25...gxf6
26. Rxe8+ Kf7 27. Re2 c5 28. Kf2 d3 29. cxd3 Bxd3 30. Rd2 Bxc4
31. Rd7+ Ke6 32. Rxc7 h5 33. Rxc5 Bd5 34. Ke3 f5 35. Kd4 Ba2
36. g4 hxg4 37. fxg4 f4 38. Rf5 Bb1 39. Rxf4 Bc2 40. Kc3 Bd1
41. Kb4 Ke5 42. Rc4 Kf6 43. Ka5 Kg5 44. Rxa4 Bxa4 45. Kxa4 Kxg4
46. Kb5 Kh3 47. a4 Kxh2 48. a5 Kg3 49. a6 Kf3 50. a7 Ke3
51. a8=Q Kd3 52. Qd5+ Kc2 53. Qf3 Kb1 54. Kb4 Ka2 55. Kc3 Kb1
56. Qd3+ Ka2 57. Kc2 Ka1 58. Qa3# 1-0

ONE OF MY GAMES using babaschess

2009-02-28T12:25:00.000-08:00

After asking Rolling pawns how to do this i thought i better show one of my games.

I joined the Gameknot site just before Christmas and this was one of my first games.

I am black in this game.

1.e4 c5 2.Bc4 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Qxd4 Nc6 5.Qc3

This is a very bad move it allows a game winning pin.

5…….Bb4 6.Bd2 Bxc3+ 7.Bxc3 Nf6 8.f3 O-O 9.Nh3 d5
10.Bd3 d4 11.Bd2 e5 12.f4 Bxh3 13.gxh3 Nh5
14.f5 Qh4+ 15.Kd1 Nf4 16.Na3 Nxd3 17.cxd3 Qxh3
18.Kc2 Qh4 19.Rag1 Qf6 20.Bg5 Qd6 21.h4 Rac8
22.Kb1 Nb4 23.Bf6 Qxf6 wasting another piece.
24.h5Nxd3 25.Rh3 Nf4 26.Rh2 Rc6 27.h6 g6
28.Rh4 Qxh4 another piece gone.
29.fxg6 fxg6 30.Nb5 Qf2 31.Rd1 Qc2+
32.Ka1 Qxd1++

I know it's not great chess but comments please.

THE RESULT OF "SHOULD CHESS BE TAUGHT IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS"

2009-02-21T11:56:00.000-08:00

The poll asking the question should chess be taught in primary Schools has now finished.
The result is 93.33% yes with 6.67% no.

Clear support for chess being taught in our Primary Schools along with other subjects.
Their are many benefits children gain from learning chess, such as problem solving skills are enhanched, being responsible for your moves(actions).

To find out more about the benefits of chess CLICK HERE

Thanks to all who voted.

CHESS BOOKS I OWN PART 4

2009-02-07T08:05:00.000-08:00

I have been moving chess books around from one room to another for a while now, so I thought I find out how many I have.
I was amazed I have over 160 chess books and booklets.
The books are game collections, tournament books, match books, books about checkmate,tactics and chess novels.
The booklets are openings and slim tournament round pamphlets.
I have bought these from the internet, shops and from libraries.

The question is WHAT BOOKS DO YOU HAVE ?

CHESS BOOKS I OWN PART 3

2009-02-07T07:59:00.000-08:00

CHESS BOOKS I OWN PART 2

2009-02-07T07:57:00.001-08:00

CHESS BOOKS I OWN PART 1

2009-02-07T07:51:00.001-08:00

FAMOUS GAMES BY FAMOUS PLAYERS PART 14

2009-01-14T11:42:00.000-08:00

Vasily Vasiliyevich Smyslov born March 24 1921 in Moscow.
In 1938 when Smyslov was 17 he won the USSR Junior Championship. That year he also tied for 1st-2nd places in the Moscow City Championship, with 12.5/17.
He was twice equal first in Soviet Championships 1949 and 1955. His results showed a consistent pattern of high finishes against strong company, but with virtually no tournament championships.

Smyslov had never actually won an adult tournament other than the Moscow City Championship, before he played in the 1948 World Championship Tournament.
He was a Candidate for the World Chess Championship on eight occasions (1948, 1950, 1953, 1956, 1959, 1965, 1983, and 1985).
With his second-place finish from the 1948 World Championship, Smyslov was exempt into the 1950 Budapest Candidates' tournament. Smyslov scored 10/18 for 3rd place, behind Bronstein and Boleslavsky, who tied for first place. Smyslov's 3rd place exempted him into the next Candidates' tournament.
He was awarded the International Grandmaster title in 1950 by FIDE on its inaugural list.
After winning the Candidates Tournament in Zurich 1953, with 18/28, two points ahead of Keres, Bronstein, and Samuel Reshevsky, Smyslov played a match with Botvinnik for the title the following year.
Played in Moscow, the match ended in a draw, after 24 games (seven wins each and ten draws), meaning that Botvinnik the current champion retained the title.

Smyslov had again won the Candidates' Tournament at Amsterdam in 1956, which led to another world championship match against Botvinnik in 1957. Assisted by trainers Vladimir Makogonov and Vladimir Simagin, Smyslov won by the score 12.5-9.5. In 1958 Botvinnik exercised his right to a rematch, and won the title back with a final score of 12.5-10.5.
Smyslov later said his health suffered during the return match, as he came down with pneumonia, but he also acknowledged that Botvinnik had prepared very thoroughly.
Over the course of the three World Championship matches, Smyslov had won 18 games to Botvinnik's 17 (with 34 draws), and yet he was only champion for a year.

Smyslov represented the Soviet Union a total of nine times at chess Olympiads, from 1952 to 1972 ( except 1962 and 1966). He contributed greatly to the Soviets team gold medal wins on each occasion he played, winning a total of eight individual medals. His total of 17 Olympiad medals won, including team and individual medals, is an all-time Olympiad record.
At Helsinki 1952, he played second board, and won the individual gold medal with 10.5/13. At Amsterdam 1954, he was again on second board, scored 9/12, and took the individual bronze medal. At Moscow 1956, he scored 8.5/13 on second board, but failed to win a medal. At Munich 1958, he scored 9.5/13 on second board, good for the silver individual medal. At Leipzig 1960, he was dropped to first reserve, and made a great score of 11.5/13, which won the gold medal.
After missing out on selection in 1962, he returned for Tel Aviv 1964, on third board, and won the gold medal with 11/13. He missed selection in 1966, but returned with a vengeance for Lugano 1968, and made a phenomenal 11/12 for another gold medal as second reserve. At Siegen 1970, he was first reserve, and scored 8/11 for the bronze medal. His final Olympiad was Skopje 1972, where at age 51 he played third board and scored 11/14, good for the silver medal.
His overall Olympiad score is an imposing 90 points in 113 games (+69 =42 −2), for 79.6 per cent. This performance is the fifth all-time best for players participating to at least four olympiads.
Smyslov also represented the USSR in five European Team Championships, and emerged with a perfect medals' record: he won five team gold medals and five board gold medals. His total score in these events was (+19 =15 -1), for 75.7 per cent.Here is his European teams' record.
• Vienna 1957: board 1, 3.5/6 (+2 =3 -1), board and team gold medals;
• Oberhausen 1961: board 5, 9/9 (+7 =2 -0), board and team gold medals;
• Hamburg 1965: board 4, 6/9 (+3 =6 -0), board and team gold medals;
• Kapfenberg 1970: board 5, 5/6 (+4 =2 -0), board and team gold medals;
• Bath, Somerset 1973: board 6, 4/5 (+3 =2 -0), board and team gold medals.

Smyslov played in and won many tournaments over a long career, but this could have all been different he is a fine baritone singer. He only decided upon a chess career after a failed audition with the Bolshoi Theatre in 1950. He once said, "I have always lived between chess and music."
On the occasion of a game against Botvinnik, he sang to an audience of thousands. He occasionally gave recitals during chess tournaments, often accompanied by fellow Grandmaster and concert pianist Mark Taimanov.
Smyslov wrote some fine chess books his most noted being Rook Endings which he co-wrote with Grigory Levenfish in 1971.
I was very lucky to meet Smyslov in 1996 at the Fox trot tournament in London. He seemed embarrassed by all the attention he was getting,even though in the same tournament was boris spassky.
I give 4 of his games.
This game Smyslov sacrifices his queen to win a brilliant game.

Here he gives the great Karpov a lesson in attacking chess.

In this game Smyslov get a excellent knight posted on d5 thatgives a lot of trouble.

In this game polgar makes a mistake and once smyslov plays qxd8 the e7 bishop is up for grabs or smyslov wins the exchange.

FAMOUS GAMES BY FAMOUS PLAYERS PART 13

2009-01-05T01:50:00.001-08:00

Carl Schlechter (March 2, 1874 - December 27, 1918) was one of the leading Austrian chess masters at the turn of the 20th century. He is best known for drawing a World Chess Championship match with Emanuel Lasker.
From 1893 onwards he played in over 50 international chess tournaments, including four wins: Munich in 1900 (shared), Ostend in 1906, Vienna in 1908 (shared) and Hamburg in 1910.

Schlechter was a typical example of a gentleman chess player of old, offering courteous draws to opponents who felt unwell. If his opponent arrived late for a game, Schlechter would inconspicuously subtract an equal amount of time from his own clock.

From a nearly 800 games he only lost just over a 100 games but he drew almost 400 of them, perhaps he was the Tigran Petrosian of his day.
Schlechter was a difficult player to beat but he again like Petrosian only rarely let his killer instinct out.

In match play he played Georg Marco at the age of nineteen drawing all ten games.
He defeated France's David Janowski in 1902 with the score of six wins, three draws and one loss. He also played matches with Siegbert Tarrasch in 1911 (drawn) and Akiba Rubinstein in 1918 (lost).

Lasker played 4 world championship matches between 1907 and december 1910. The first in 1907 against Frank Marshall and Lasker won 8-0 without losing a game. Then in 1908 a match against Tarrasch the current thinking at the time was that Tarrasch if he did not win will run Lasker very close. Lasker won 8-5 losing 3 games.
The 4th match was another walk over by Lasker against Janowski 8-0 to Lasker. But the 3rd match against Carl Schlechter in early 1910 was perhaps the best of the 4.

After Lasker beat these 2 players not much public interest was given to a match against Carl Schlechter. Everything was against him 1/Lasker had a plus score against Schlechter , 2/ Schlechter has only won a few tournaments.3/ Plus the match was only 10 games long.The feeling of the day was "Lasker would have this done and dusted by game 6 or 7".
But the chess public should have supported this match, it was a cliff hanger. If you believe the rules, Lasker will lose the championship if Schlechter wins(by 1 point).

BUT Lasker had secret rules where by Schlechter had to win the match by 2 points to become champion.
Schlechter went ahead by winning game 5 then in the last game, game 10 still leading by 1 point he had to win by 2 points a draw was no good, even though the game was easier to draw he played on for the win and lost. Making the match score 5-5(+1 -1 =8) a tie leaving Lasker still champion.

The outbreak of the First World War effectively ended his chess career. He did contest one match and three further tournaments in 1918, the last one (in Budapest) took place just a few weeks before he died of malnutrition.

I give 4 of his games.
This one is just a fun game.

In this game Schlechter beats the ex World champion in 24 moves.

If 24.....Qxd6 25Qxd6+ Kb5 26Nxg8 Rxg8 leaving a winning endgame queen v rook.

But when he did go for a win it was beautiful this game shows the old favourite the greek bishop.

This is the 10th and last game of the Lasker v Schlechter World championship, the game Schlechter should of only needed to draw, but in fact had to win.
It may be a bit strange to give a Schlechter loss but it is perhaps his famous game!!!
Play the game and see if you could have drawn the game.

FAMOUS GAMES BY FAMOUS PLAYERS PART 12

2008-12-13T06:48:00.000-08:00

Paul Charles Morphy was born on June 22, 1837 in New Orleans. He was the son of a successful lawyer and judge Alonzo Morphy. His uncle, Ernest Morphy, claims that no one formally taught Morphy how to play chess, but rather that he learned the rules by observing games between himself and Alonzo.His father and uncle had not realized that Paul even knew the moves, let alone any chess strategy. They were even more surprised when Paul proved his claim by resetting the pieces and demonstrating the win his uncle had missed.
Capablanca 60 years later also learnt chess from watching his father play.
When Morphy was only 12 years old, Johann Jacob Loewenthal visited New Orleans and at the request of Morphys father, agreed to play a casual match with young paul. Young Paul won 2½ to ½.
He was also one of the first chess prodigies in the modern chess era.
By the age of nine, he was considered one of the best players in New Orleans.

He received an invitation to participate in the First American Chess Congress, to be held in New York in the fall of 1857. At first he declined, but at the urging of his uncle he eventually decided to play.
He defeated each of his rivals, including the strong German master Louis Paulsen in the final round. Morphy was hailed as the chess champion of the United States, but he appeared unaffected by his sudden fame. According to the December 1857 issue of Chess Monthly, "his genial disposition, his unaffected modesty and gentlemanly courtesy have endeared him to all his acquaintances."

Morphy then went to Europe to play the best players. At the Café de la Régence in Paris, the center of chess in France, he played a match against Daniel Harrwitz, the resident chess professional, soundly defeating him.
In Paris, Morphy suffered from a bout of intestinal influenza. In accordance with the medical wisdom of the time, he was treated with leeches, resulting in his losing a significant amount of blood. Although too weak to stand up unaided, Morphy insisted on going ahead with a match against the visiting German master Adolf Anderssen, considered by many to be Europe's leading player. Despite his illness Morphy triumphed easily, winning seven while losing two, with two draws.
One player that seemed to avoid Morphy was England's Howard Staunton (the name of the current standard chess set).
While Morphy waited to play Staunton he easily won a series of chess matches against all the leading English masters. Staunton, who was past his best but still a good player, and who initially promised a match but eventually declined and gave work duties as why he could not play.

Both in England and France, Morphy gave numerous simultaneous exhibitions, including displays of blindfold chess in which he regularly played and defeated eight opponents at a time.
So dominant was Morphy that even masters could not seriously challenge him in play without some kind of handicap. At a simultaneous match against five masters (Jules Arnous de Rivière, Samuel Boden, Thomas Barnes, Johann Löwenthal, and Henry Bird), Morphy won two games, drew two games, and lost one.
Morphy issued a challenge that he would play no more matches without giving odds of pawn and move.
When no challenges came he retired from chess.
On July 10, 1884, Morphy was found dead in his bath at the age of forty-seven. According to the autopsy, he had suffered a stroke brought on by entering cold water after a long walk in the midday heat.
Morphy played only 59 "serious" games of those played in matches and the 1857 New York tournament — he won 42, drew 9, and lost 8.

I give only one Morphy game but it is one of the best and well known games he ever played.
It is known as "The opera game" or " a night at the opera"
Whichever name it is know by,it is use by chess teachers to show the power of the PIN, and it is a fine example of minor piece attack.

BEST CHESS PLAYER EVER POLL RESULT

2008-12-05T10:08:00.000-08:00

The result of the Best chess player ever poll was won by Bobby Fischer by a large margin.

FISCHER (82) 56.55%
KASPAROV (29) 20.00%
CAPABLANCA (24) 16.55%
ALEKHINE (10) 6.90%
I think some of the Fischer votes may have been cast because he died recently.
A new poll has been started "should chess be taught in primary schools"
Their are many advantages for chess to be taught in Primary schools.
what better safer way to teach a child to take responsibility for your actions,all beit on a chess board.
Mental planning,concentration and working the problem are all pluses.
Their are many other pluses and not many minuses.
Please let me know your view.
Please vote in this poll.

FAMOUS GAMES BY FAMOUS PLAYERS PART 11

2008-11-30T03:57:00.000-08:00

Svetozar Gligoric was born on February 2, 1923 in Belgrade(in the old Yugoslav what is now Serbia). In 1938 he won the championship of the Belgrade Chess Club, one of the strongest clubs in Yugoslavia.
World War II put a stop to his rise in the chess world. In 1947 he won his first major international event at Warsaw, ahead of future World Champion Vasily Smyslov.
Gligoric became a Grandmaster in 1951.
He was Yugoslav champion 12 times 1947 (joint), 1948 (joint), 1949, 1950, 1956, 1957, 1958 (joint), 1959, 1960, 1962, 1965 and 1971.

He represented his country (Yugoslavia) with great success in 15 Chess Olympiads from 1950 to 1982 (13 times on first board), playing 223 games (+88 =109 -26).
In the first post-war Olympiad, on home soil at Dubrovnik 1950, Gligoric played on first board and led Yugoslavia to a historic result, the team gold medal. The Yugoslav team was usually second or third in the world during the 1950s.

His list of first-place finishes in international chess competitions is one of the longest and includes such events as Mar del Plata 1950, Stockholm 1954, Belgrade 1964, Manila 1968, Lone Pine 1972 and 1979, etc. He was a regular competitor in the series of great tournaments held at Hastings at the end of the year, with wins (or ties for first) in 1951–2, 1956–7, 1959–60, 1960–61, and 1962–3.
During the 1950s and 1960s he was one of the top ten players in the world,but his world championship record does not reflect this.
His Zonal wins in 1951, 1960 (joint), 1963, 1966, and 1969 (joint) and finishes at the Interzonals of 1952, 1958, and 1967 high enough to qualify him for the Candidates events the following year.
But he was not as successful in any of the Candidates events, with mixed results in the 1953 and 1959 Candidates Tournaments and a match loss to Mikhail Tal in the 1968 Candidates match series.
Gligorić had good scores against some of the world champions,Mikhail Botvinnik +2-2=5, Vasily Smyslov +5-7=21, Tigran Petrosian +7-10=10, Bobby Fischer +4-4=6.

He made enormous contributions to the theory of the King's Indian Defense, Ruy Lopez and Nimzo-Indian Defense, among others, and particularly with the King's Indian.
As a chess commentator, Gligorić was able to take advantage of his fluency in a number of languages and his training as a journalist, to produce lucid, interesting game annotations. He was a regular columnist for Chess Review and Chess Life magazines for many years, his "Game of the Month" column often amounting to a complete tutorial in the opening used in the feature game as well as a set of comprehensive game annotations. He wrote a number of chess books in several languages and has contributed regularly to the Chess Informant semi-annually (more recently, thrice-yearly) compilation of the world's most important chess games. Add to these accomplishments a successful career as organizer and arbiter of chess tournaments, and the picture that emerges is of one of the greatest chess figures of all time.
I give 4 games from this great player.

Would you have resigned in this position?
Although it was a mistake how many players made smyslov lay down their king in under 20 moves? Smyslov was world champion in 1958

How many club players would have agreed a draw in this position?

If 33………….Qxe8 34Rxe8+ Kf7 35 Rb8 Blacks Bishop and Knight are both attacked.

This game was by many considered to be Gligoric best game. It is from the 1970 "Tournament of Peace" held in Zagreb. Gligoric came second with Petrosian behind Fischer.

FAMOUS GAMES BY FAMOUS PLAYERS PART 10

2008-11-21T08:25:00.000-08:00

Eduard Gufeld was born in Kiev in 1936, where he became the junior champion of Ukraine at the age of 18. Called up for military service, he avoided the worst of army life by establishing himself as chess trainer to the armed forces, a role he was to enjoy for two decades. He became a Grandmaster in 1967, but never established himself in the first level of Soviet players.
By the late 1950s he was a very strong player. He defeated Tal, Spassky, Smyslov, Korchnoi, Bronstein, and just about every other strong Soviet player.In 1977 his Elo rating was 2570, and ranked 16th in the world.How times and elo ratings have changed!!!
2570 is how far down the rating list now.

As well as being an army trainer he moved to Tbilisi, the Republic of Georgia, and lived there for more than a decade, and coached Maia Chiburdanidze, who became the youngest women's world chess champion in 1978.
He one of the most prolific grandmasters from the old Soviet Union, and one of the greatest ambassadors for the game of chess. A player, trainer, chess propagandist, writer of over 80 books and, some said, a part-time KGB officer.

More often than not when a Soviet team traveled, Gufeld was part of the delegation as trainer or official journalist. Why him when there were so many stronger players longing for international travel? Since no Soviet delegation in that era was permitted to travel without someone monitoring their behaviour and reporting back, a persistent rumour grew that Gufeld was in the pay of the KGB.
Gufeld loved the Kings indian defence as black against 1.d4 or 1.c4,so much so that the Bg7 bishop became known as the Gufeld bishop.
He all so played Bg7 as black in the Sicilian defence Dragon variation.

"Eddie" (as he was called) Gufeld spread his infectious joy for the game wherever he went.After the collapse of the USSR, Gufeld travelled even wider afield, writing and playing more than ever.
He settled in California, where he opened a Chess Academy near Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles.
In September 2002, Gufeld a stroke and heart attack virtually simultaneously. Following a period of unconsciouness, he regained consciouness but was unable to speak or walk. He died two weeks later at the age of 66 in the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

I give 4 of his games.
This game he considered his finest and called it his immortal game or mona lisa,from his book "The search for the mona lisa".

This game against smyslov along with mona lisa were his best chess games, they made it into John Nunn's collection of the hundred greatest games of all time.

This game is a win against Tal a year before he was World champion.

A game using the famous gufeld bishop

FAMOUS GAMES BY FAMOUS PLAYERS PART 9

2008-11-16T11:08:00.000-08:00

David Ionovich Bronstein,(born Feb-19-1924, died Dec-05-2006) in the Ukraine was one of the strongest and most imaginative players to emerge from the talent-rich post war Soviet Union.
Bronstein, who has died aged 82, was a creative innovator in opening strategy. Though he frequently represented the Soviet Union in international tournaments, in 1976 he clashed with the Moscow chess authorities after refusing to sign an official letter denouncing Viktor Korchnoi, who had defected to Holland, as a traitor. After that, Bronstein did not compete in the west for another 10 years.

He wrote many fine books but he was most highly regarded for his authorship of Zurich International Chess Tournament 1953 (English translation 1979). This book was an enormous seller in the USSR, going through many reprints.

Bronstein was also a six times winner of the Moscow Championships, and represented the USSR in 4 Olympiads 1952, 1954, 1956 and 1958, winning board prizes at each of them, and unbelievablly only losing one of his 49 games in those olympiads.
In those 4 olympiads he won four team gold medals.

He made many contributions to theory in openings such as the Ruy Lopez, King's Indian, and Caro-Kann.
In the Caro-Kann Defence, the Bronstein-Larsen Variation goes 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Nxf6+ gxf6. In the Scandinavian Defence, the Bronstein Variation goes 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd6.

He shared first place in 2 Soviet Chess Championships 1948 ( with Alexander Kotov) and 1949 ( with Smyslov).
He also tied for second place at the Soviet Championships of 1957 and 1964-65.
His major tournament victories outside the USSR were Hastings 1953-4, Belgrade 1954, Gotha 1957, Moscow 1959, Szombathely 1966, East Berlin 1968, Dnepropetrovsk 1970, Sarajevo 1971, Sandomierz 1976, Iwonicz Zdrój 1976, Budapest 1977, and Jūrmala 1978.

While chess computers were still developing, Bronstein was the lead grandmaster in an annual Man v Machine series in The Hague.
I give a Bronstein game against a early computer program.

Although Bronstein sometimes got into time trouble he was an early advocate of speeding up competitive chess, and wanted to introduce a digital chess clock which adds a small time increment for each move made, a variant of which has become very popular in recent years.

In this game Bronstein sacrifice three pawns to open queenside lines into Aloni's King position.

This next game is one of his wins from the drawn 1950 world championship against botvinnik.After this one shot at the tittle he remained one of the worlds best players, but he never again got another chance. Was that chess fate?

In this game he destroys Efim Geller a very strong Grandmaster in 21 moves.
Geller was for years the only grandmaster to regularly beat bobby Fischer.

Finally a game played when many had thought Bronstein had pasted his best.

FAMOUS GAMES BY FAMOUS PLAYERS PART 8

2008-11-03T05:45:00.000-08:00

Paul Keres (January 7, 1916 – June 5, 1975), was an Estonian chess grandmaster.
Known as the "The Crown Prince of chess". The five kroons Estonian banknote bears his image.
Keres won the USSR Chess Championship three times, but more importantly finished runner-up in the the first 4 Candidates tournaments.

He won the 1938 AVRO tournament, which led to negotiations for a World Championship match against Alexander Alekhine, but the match never took place due to World War.
Many people believe him to be the strongest modern player to never have made it to a World Championship match.

One school of thought as to why this was, is pressuse may have been applied against him in the old soviet days, because during world war 2 he took part in German run tournaments. Perhaps the Russians could tolerate him as a very strong grandmaster, helping to keep western players from the world championship.
But never allow him that chance.

He was a three-time Estonian schoolboy champion, in 1930, 1932, and 1933. Also he won the adult title many times.His playing matured after playing correspondence chess extensively while in high school.
He represent Estonia with success in pre-war Olympiads.
Warsaw 1935, Estonia board 1, 12.5/19 (+11 =3 -5);
Munich 1936, Estonia board 1, 15.5/20 (+12 =7 -1), board gold medal;
Stockholm 1937, Estonia board 1, 11/15 (+9 =4 -2), board silver medal;
Buenos Aires 1939, Estonia board 1, 14.5/19 (+12 =5 -2), team bronze medal.
He also represented the ussr after the war in olympiads
Helsinki 1952, USSR board 1, 6.5/12, team gold;
Amsterdam 1954, USSR board 4, 13.5/14 (+13 =1 -0), team gold, board gold, best overall score;
Moscow 1956, USSR board 3, 9.5/12 (+7 =5 -0), team gold, board gold;
Munich 1958, USSR board 3, 9.5/12 (+7 =5 -0), team gold, board gold;
Leipzig 1960, USSR board 3, 10.5/13 (+8 =5 -0), team gold, board gold;
Varna 1962, USSR board 4, 9.5/13 (+6 =7 -0), team gold, board bronze;
Tel Aviv 1964, USSR board 4, 10/12 (+9 =2 -1), team gold, board gold.

I give 3 of his games in one of them he has the great Alekhine laying down his king in 23 moves!

Keres was an endgame expert and wrote the famous book Practical Chess Endings.

2008 WORLD CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP

2008-10-13T01:39:00.000-07:00

The 2008 World chess championship starts Tuesday 14th of October, i think this will be a great chess match.
Viswanathan Anand and Vladimir Kramnik are in good form and both are still young men, so age wont play a part in this match.
The "who will win" poll on this blog makes Anand a clear winner, i think he will win but it will be close.
I hope the match has more drama than this video, also i hope that both players are better behaved!!!

You can follow all the action on the offical web site CLICK HERE

FAMOUS GAMES BY FAMOUS PLAYERS PART 7

2008-10-05T12:21:00.000-07:00

Miguel Najdorf (born Mendel (Mieczysław) Najdorf in Grodzisk Mazowiecki near Warsaw, Poland, April 15, 1910 – died in Málaga, Spain, July 4, 1997) was a Polish-born Argentine chess grandmaster.
He played for Poland in the Chess Olympiads of 1935, 1937, and 1939. He was playing at the Buenos Aires Olympiad in 1939 when World War II broke out, and decided not to attempt to return home, taking Argentine citizenship (1944) and changing his first name to Miguel. His family, left behind, died in German concentration camps. In 1943 he set the record for simultaneous games played. He played 202 players (+182-8=12). In 1947, he conducted a simultaneous exhibition in which he played a record 45 games blindfolded (+39 -2 =4).
He played 11 times for team Argentina in Chess Olympiads from 1950 to 1976. He played first board at Dubrovnik 1950 (+8 –0 =6), and first board at Helsinki 1952 (+11 –2 =3). He took eleven Olympic medals (seven for teams Poland and Argentina –four silver, three bronze, and four individuals – three gold in 1939, 1950, and 1952, one silver in 1962). Argentina's best team finish was silver at Helsinki 1952.
He tied 1st with Paul Keres at Buenos Aires in 1939 after the Olympiad,with 8.5/11. In 1941 he was 2nd, behind Gideon Ståhlberg at Mar del Plata, with 12.5/17. Also in 1941, he tied for 1st with Stahlberg at Buenos Aires, the two scored 11/14. In 1942, he won at Mar del Plata, with 13.5/17, ahead of Ståhlberg. In 1943, he was second at Mar del Plata, behind Stålhberg, scoring 10/13. In 1943, he won at Rosario. In 1944, he won at La Plata, with 13/16, ahead of Ståhlberg. In 1944, he tied for 1st with Herman Pilnik at Mar del Plata; the two each scored 12/15. In 1945, he won at Buenos Aires (Grau Memorial), with 10/12, ahead of Ståhlberg and Carlos Guimard. He took second place at Vina del Mar 1945, with 10.5/13, behind Guimard. Then he won Mar del Plata 1945 with 11/15 ahead of Ståhlberg, and repeated at Mar del Plata 1946 with 16/18, ahead of Guimard and Ståhlberg. He also won at Rio de Janeiro 1946.
Najdorf's successes between 1939 to 1947 had lifted him into the ranks of the world's top players. According to Chessmetrics, he was ranked second in the world from mid 1947 to mid 1949. But Najdorf was not invited to the 1948 World Championship tournament.
Although not a full-time chess professional (for many years he worked in the insurance business), he was one of the world's leading chess players in the 1950s and 1960s and he excelled in playing blindfold chess. In 1950 FIDE made him an International Grandmasters.
In the Budapest Candidates Tournament 1950 he came fifth. At the Zurich Candidates Tournament in 1953, he finished sixth. He did not qualify for the Candidates again. The closest was in the following cycle, when he narrowly failed to qualify from the 1955 Interzonal.
Just before his 60th birthday, he participated in the 1970 USSR vs. Rest of the World match, achieving an even score against the former World Champion Mikhail Tal.
At age 69, he tied for second place in a very strong field at Buenos Aires 1979, with 8/13, behind winner Bent Larsen (11/13), but ahead of former World Champions Tigran Petrosian and Boris Spassky.
His name will be forever associated with one of the most popular chess openings of all time, the Sicillian Najdorf (1. e4 c5 2. f3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. xd4 f6 5. c3 a6).
I give not one of his best games But a game now called "The Polish Immortal"

FAMOUS GAMES BY FAMOUS PLAYERS PART 6

2008-09-19T10:55:00.000-07:00

Frank James Marshall was born on August 10 1877 In New York. His family moved to Montreal Canada when he was 8 for 11 years. When he was 10 he began playing chess and by 1890, he was one of the leading players in Montreal.
He won the U.S. chess championship in 1904, but did not accept the title because the current U.S. champion, Harry Nelson Pillsbury, did not compete.
Pillsbury died in 1906 and Marshall again refused to be reconginized as champion,he won the title in 1909 and kept it untill 1936.
Marshall played in tournaments and matches from 1897 to 1940,he played some great games but did not win many tournaments.
His best tournament results and 18 months period was 1904/1905 he won 5 tournaments.Cambridge springs 1904(undeafted),New York masters 1904,3rd American congress 1904,4th Netherlands Congress 1905 and Barmen International 1905.
He played Lasker for the World championship in 1907 the result was lost 8, won 0, drew 7.
Marshall has a bad "public" match record he was beat by Tarrasch 8-1 Capablanca 8-1, but he won matches against Janowsky,Napier,Mieses and Leonhardt true not great players but he did win matches.
Marshall captained the U.S. teamp at the Chess Olympiads in the 1930s. He inspired them to 4 gold medals from 4 Olympiads.In those teams Marshall had Samuel Reshevsky and Rubin Fine.This was befor the Russians entered the Olympiad.
He was one of the first 5 Grandmasters of chess a title given by the Tsar of Russia in 1914.
The Marshall Attack in the ruy Lopez is a well known openning and is still used today.
On November 9, 1944, he was walking to a friend's house when he collapsed from a heart attack and died in the street.
I give 4 games of Marshall the American beauty,the pipe game and Marshalls notes to this game, a crazy game against Dus chotimirsky and what many think is his best game played in Ostend 1905 against Chigorin.
The American Beauty

The Pipe game

The pipe game notes
1.d4 {Notes by Marshall. Britisher Amos Burn was a very
conservative player who liked to settle down for a long
session of closed, defensive chess. He loved to smoke his pipe
while he studied the board.} d5 2.c4 e6 {Burn began hunting
through his pockets for his pipe and tobacco. } 3.Nc3 Nf6
4.Bg5 Be7 {Not much thought needed on these moves, but Burn
had his pipe out and was looking for a pipe cleaner.} 5.e3 O-O
6.Nf3 b6 7.Bd3 Bb7 8.cxd5 exd5 { He began filling up his
pipe. I speeded up my moves.} 9.Bxf6 Bxf6 10.h4 { Made him
think on that one. And he still didn't have the pipe
going. The threat is Bxh7+, Kxh7; Ng5+, known as the Pillsbury
Attack.} g6 11.h5 Re8 12.hxg6 hxg6 { Now he was looking for
matches. } 13.Qc2 Bg7 14.Bxg6 fxg6 { He struck a match and
appeared nervous. The match burned his fingers and went
out. }15.Qxg6 Nd7 {Another match was on its way. } 16.Ng5 Qf6
{ He was puffing away and lighting up at last, but too late. }
17.Rh8+ Kxh8 18. Qh7# { Poor Burn. I think I swindled him out
of that one. If he could only have got that pipe going, it
might have been a different story. He took it good naturedly
and we shook hands. Then his pipe went out. } 1-0

The crazy game

When Dus Chotimirsky played his 12th move Qg3 so the story goes he went into the players waiting room and said in his broken English “poor Marshall dead”.
When the players gathered around the board they saw blacks next move was either Qh2# or Qxg2#.
But Marshall just played 13Qxg4 When Dus chotimirsky saw this he swept the pieces from the board and said “oh Marshall not dead I dead”

His best game

Marshall was a fine attacking player that always went for the win,but by trying to win every game Marshall lost games that other players would have agreed a draw.This finally got to him in 1904 when he wrote a letter to a friend saying “when will I learn that a draw counts more than a loss”

FAMOUS GAMES BY FAMOUS PLAYERS PART 5

2008-09-17T09:10:00.000-07:00

Richard Réti was born in may 28th 1889 in Pezinok (now Slovakia). He was one of the best players in the world during the early 20th century. He was a classical chess player during his early career being a keen Kings gambit player.
After the First World War, Reti's play underwent a radical change, and he became one of the leading proponents of hypermodernism, along with Aron Nimzowitsch,Gyula Breyer, Savielly Tartakower and others.
When Frank Marshall the USA champion entered european competion again after world war 1, he was worried how he would fare against this "new craze hypermodernism". But it turned out just to be chess.
Reti has an openning named after him the Réti Opening (1. Nf3 d5 2. c4), with which he famously defeated the world champion Jose Raul Capablanca in New York in 1924 (his most famous game).
This defeat was the first time Jose Raul Capablanca had lost since he had became world champion,in fact it was the first defeat for Capablanca for 8 years.
Reti's openning can be transformed into the Catalan and English opennings with ease.It is still a commonly used opening by Grandmasters today.
Reti passed away a week after turning forty from scarlet fever, had he lived longer and not been an hypermodern who knows what chess heights he could of reached.
Although Reti was a great player and won many tornaments,i feel he never attained his true worth chesswise,even in his short life.
In 1942 Alekhine was taken ill with scarlet fever and was shocked to find he was the same Prague hospital where Reti had died from the disease in 1929.
Réti also composed numerous endgame studies this being one of his best known.

White to play and draw
• 1. Kg7! h4
• 2. Kf6 Kb6 (or 2. ... h3 3. Ke7 and the white king can support its own pawn)
• 3. Ke5!! (and now the white king comes just in time to the white pawn, or catches the black one)
• 3. ... h3
• 4. Kd6 and draws

I have to give the Capablanca defeat New york 1924 Reti's win made front page news.

FAMOUS GAMES BY FAMOUS PLAYERS PART 4

2008-09-13T11:54:00.000-07:00

Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian (June 17, 1929 – August 13, 1984) born to Armenian parents in Tbilisi Georgia.He was nicknamed "Tigran" or "Iron Tigran" due to his playing style because of his almost impenetrable defence, which emphasised safety above all else.
So much was safety his first thought that in the 1955 U.S.S.R Championship he won 4 games lost none but drew 15 games.In his defence this championship was also a world championship zonal, the most important thing was to qualify to the interzonal rather than win the tournament.
He won the U.S.S.R championship 4 times.He played in 8 world champion candidate tournaments/matches 1953,1956,1959,1962,1971,1974,1977 and 1980.
He was world champion 1963-1969,beating Botvinnk in 1963, defending the title against Spassky in 1966 but losing to Spassky in 1969.For 27 years he was either a candidate or champion,a feat that may not be beaten in mordern times.
He was placed high in many tournament tables rather than winning many tournaments.He was very hard to beat and often went a year or so without losing a game.
In team events he was fantastic his Olympiad results are just great.
Munich 1958, 2nd reserve, 10.5/13 (+8 =5 −0), board and team gold medals;
Leipzig 1960, 2nd reserve, 12/13 (+11 =2 −0), board and team gold medals;
Varna 1962, board 2, 10/12 (+8 =4 −0), board and team gold medals;
Tel Aviv 1964, board 1, 9.5/13 (+6 =7 −0), team gold medal;
Havana 1966, board 1, 11.5/13 (+10 =3 −0), board and team gold medals;
Lugano 1968, board 1, 10.5/12 (+9 =3 −0), board and team gold medals;
Siegen 1970, board 2, 10/14 (+6 =8 −0), team gold medal;
Skopje 1972, board 1, 10.5/16 (+6 =9 −1), team gold medal;
Nice 1974, board 4, 12.5/14 (+11 =3 −0), board and team gold medals;
Buenos Aires 1978, board 2, 6/9 (+3 =6 −0), team silver medal.
His overall performance in Olympiad play is impressive: +78 =50 −1 (only one game lost out of 139 played), for 79.8 per cent
His play was considered dull by many but if he played 5 minute chess the tactian in him came out and he played open attacking chess,very unlike his normal play.
I give the 10th game from the 1966 world championship match with Spassky.
Petrosia's last move is a killer.

Petrosian has two major opening systems named after him: the Petrosian variation of the King's Indian Defence (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 e5 7. d5) and the Petrosian system in the Queen's Indian Defense (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. a3). A variation of the Caro-Kann defense also bears his name, along with former world champion Vassily Smyslov; the Petrosian–Smyslov variation (1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nd7).

FAMOUS GAMES BY FAMOUS PLAYERS PART 3

2008-09-11T11:28:00.000-07:00

Akiba Rubinstein (born Oct-12-1882, died Mar-15-1961)was Polish but become a citizen of Belgium. He was one of the strongest players never to become World Champion.
In 1912 he won five consecutive strong tournaments in one year (Vilna, San Sebastian, Breslau, Pistyan, and Warsaw). Rubinstein was to play Lasker for the World Championship in October 1914 but the first world war put a stop to that.During World War I Rubinstein as did Lasker invested all his money in German War bonds.
From 1907 to 1921 Rubinstein was one of the top 5 players in the world. He won many tournaments during his career.

TOURNAMENTS

Position Place Year
-------------------------------------------------------------
1 Barmen 1905
1 Lodz 1906
2 St.Petersburg 1906
3 Ostende 1906
1-2 Ostende 1907
1 Karlsbad 1907
1 Russisches Nationalturnier Lodz 1907
1 Dreimeisterturnier (2.Marshall, 3. Salwe) Lodz 1908
1-2 St.Petersburg 1909
1 Warschau 1910
2 San Sebastian 1911
2-3 Karlsbad 1911
1 San Sebastian 1912
1 Pistyan 1912
1-2 Breslau 1912
1 Warschau 1912
1 Wilna 1912
2 Viermeisterturnier Berlin 1918
2 Viermeisterturnier Stockholm 1920
1 Viermeisterturnier Rotterdam 1920
2 G”teborg 1920
1 G”teborg 1920
3 Haag 1921
1 Triberg 1922
1 Wien 1922
2 Hastings 1922
3 Meran 1924
2 Baden-Baden 1925
1 Marienbad 1925
3 Breslau 1925
3 Dresden 1926
2 Hannover 1926
3 Budapest 1926
2 Berlin 1926
1 Lodz 1927
3 Bad Kissingen 1928
2 Budapest 1929
1 Rohitsch - Sauerbrunn 1929
3 San Remo 1930
3 Scarborough
Also he never lost a match.

MATCHES

Year Place Opponents Results
----------------------------------------------------------
1903 Lodz Salwe 5 - 5 (+ 5 - 5 = 0)
1903 Lodz Salwe 6 - 4 (+ 5 - 3 = 2)
1908 Lodz Salwe 5 - 3 (+ 3 - 1 = 4)
1908 Lodz Marshall 4,5 - 3,5 (+ 3 - 2 = 3)
1908 Warschau Marshall 4 - 3 (+ 4 - 3 = 0)
1908 Wien Teichmann 3,5 - 2,5 (+ 3 - 2 = 1)
1909 Berlin Mieses 6 - 4 (+ 5 - 3 = 2)
1910 Warschau Flamberg 4,5 - 0,5 (+ 4 - 0 = 1)
1918 Berlin Schlechter 3,5 - 2,5 (+ 2 - 1 = 3)
1920 Stockholm Bogoljubov 6,5 - 5,5 (+ 5 - 4 = 3)
1930 Amsterdam Landau 2,5 - 0,5 (+ 2 - 0 = 1)
I have given his playing record because he is one of the over looked players of chess. When you see this it shows how good he was.
It is claimed he studied chess for six hours a day, 300 days a year.With 60days of playing in chess tournaments. The remaining five days he rested. He never ate in public and would not shake hands for fear of germs. He was so paranoid that if a stranger came to his door, he would jump out the window
I give a game that has become known as Rubinsteins Immortal game played in 1907 against Rotlewi,sometimes spelt Rotlevi.

FAMOUS GAMES BY FAMOUS PLAYERS PART 2

2008-09-07T11:47:00.000-07:00

Louis-Charles Mahé de La Bourdonnais(1795 - 1840) possibly the strongest player in the early 19th century.
De La Bourdonnais can lay claim to be the unofficial world champion (there was no official title at the time) from 1821, when he was able to beat his chess teacher the equally if not greater Alexandre Deschapelles.
In 1834 he played a match against Alexander McDonnell this match was considered by some to be a World championship match.This match was 85 games played over 6 matches in London.Final score La Bourdonnais won 45 Mcdonnell won 27 with 13 games drawn.
The final match was abandoned.La Bourdonnais had to return to France to deal with his creditors.
Mcdonnell died a year later and La Bourdonnais died penniless in 1840.
The following game is from these matches and has a strange final position.

FAMOUS GAMES BY FAMOUS PLAYERS PART 1

2008-09-06T07:12:00.000-07:00

Today i start a series of famous games by famous players.
Adolf Anderssen full name Karl Ernst Adolf Anderssen(July 6, 1818 - March 13, 1879) was the first great German chess master, Tarrasch and Lasker were to shortly follow. One of the classic masters of 19th century chess. He was one of the leading chess player in the world from 1851-1858 and 1861-1866.
I give 2 games from Anderssen his IMMORTAL game against Lionel Kieseritsky 1851 and his EVERGREEN game against Jean Dufrense 1852.
Both games have many sacrifices and a win is all that is in each players mind.
I don't think in these games the players were thinking get a small advantage, then grind out a win in 60 moves.Perhaps this chess is a little out of date with some of todays Grandmasters,but it is exciting to play over.

WAS THIS THE BEST GAME OF THE 20th CENTURY?

2008-08-31T13:27:00.000-07:00

Was the Bobby Fischer game against Donald Byrne, played in october 1956 during the rosenwald tournament the game of the 20th century?
I think it is a fantastic game to play over, and to be played by some one who was only 13 years of age.But does it deserve the title it has?
Play over the game and tell me.

VASSILY IVANCHUK WINS TAL MEMORIAL

2008-08-28T11:39:00.000-07:00

Vassily Ivanchuk wins the Tal Memorial tournament in style a point clear of second place shared between Alexander Morozevich, Boris Gelfand,Ruslan Ponomariov and World champion contender Vladimir Kramnik. But more importantly Ivanchuk went through the tournament undefeated.
Kramnik perhaps has one eye on the World championship match with Anand later this year and was not at his best.

1. Ivanchuk, Vassily 6
2. Morozevich, Alexander 5
3. Gelfand, Boris 5
4. Ponomariov, Ruslan 5
5. Kramnik, Vladimir 5
6. Leko, Peter 4.5
7. Kamsky, Gata 4
8. Alekseev, Evgeny 4
9. Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar 3.5
10. Shirov, Alexei 3

I give a game from the first round Kamsky is about to be checkmated if play carries on

THE FIRST GRANDMASTERS OF CHESS PART 5

2008-08-25T07:25:00.000-07:00

Emanuel Lasker won the St Petersburg 1914 tournament and the Russian Tsar made him one of the first grandmasters of chess.
By beating Wilhelm Steiniz in 1894 Emanuel Lasker become the second World chess champion. He held the title for 27 years finally losing to Capablanca in 1921.
During his playing career Lasker won many tournaments and was a master match player.He played 7 world title matches, including Tarrasch,Marshall and Capablanca 3 of the first grandmasters of chess. Only Alekhine of this select group did not play him for the World championship.
Unlike a lot of champions that lose the title Laskers play stayed very srong,he was able to win the 1924 New york tournament ahead of Capablanca and Alekhine,3 years after losing the title.
He was also a master player at Bridge and a writer of books on philosophical subjects.He spent his playing years trying to increase prize funds for tournaments and matches,and raise the standard of living for chess players.
At that time many great players died in poverty.

Throught his career Lasker played some fantastic games. Here is the game in which Lasker is given credit for inventing the double bishop sacrifice.
Kasparov later said he wished he could have copyrighted them.

TAL MEMORIAL TOURANMENT MOSCOW

2008-08-18T13:11:00.000-07:00

I will take a break for a short while from THE FIRST GRANDMASTERS OF CHESS to bring 2 very exciting gmaes from the first round of the Tal memorial tournament.
This is taking place in Moscow between 17th-31st of August.
The players are Vladimir Kramnik, Alexander Morozevich, Evgeny Alekseev, Vassily Ivanchuk, Alexei Shirov, Gata Kamsky, Ruslan Ponomariov, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Peter Leko and Boris Gelfand.
After this tournament their will be a World blilz tornament on August 29th-30th.

Round 1 results are

Ivanchuk, Vassily - Kamsky, Gata 1-0
Kramnik, Vladimir - Shirov, Alexei 1-0
Morozevich, Alexander - Alekseev, Evgeny 1-0
Leko, Peter - Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar ½-½
Ponomariov, Ruslan - Gelfand, Boris ½-½

I give 2 very exciting attacking games.

For tournament website CLICK HERE

THE FIRST GRANDMASTERS OF CHESS PART 4

2008-08-14T10:05:00.000-07:00

By finishing 2nd in the St Petersburg 1914 tournament Capablanca become one of the first 5 grandmasters of chess.The grandmasters title is now awarded through tournament results and rating points.
But then it was created by the Tsar of Russia for the first 5 finishers in the great tournament.
Capablanca finished runner up to Lasker the then World Champion in this tournament.He was some 7 years later to beat Lasker for the World Championship in 1921.
Capablanca's early career promised great things, but for many reasons he did not fullfill this promise.
He held the World Championship for 6 years only Max Euwe held the title for a shorter time amonst the pre-2nd world war champions.
Capablanca won tournments and matches and was clearly head and shoulders above the other players,i think he thought this will last for a very long time.
This i think was his undoing he was a great player (i think the greatest) but in the 20's opennings were not studied deeply.So as long as you played sound openning moves you should be o.k.He later struggled against lesser players that were better prepared in the opennings.
Capablanca excelled in the middle and endgame in fact a book has been written about his best endings.
When he became champion his play did not inprove but seem to stand still,his clear play was not always their.Tournament results were o.k but not great New York 1924 2nd to Lasker, Moscow 1925 3rd.
He showed the pre-1921 Capablanca in New York 1927 a great win,Alekhine came second, and i think Capablanca thought in the World Championship match with Alekhine later that year he would win comfortably.
But he did not nor did he get a chance to win back the title.
during his career he found chess easy very easy and even thought of adding to the pieces and expand the board to make chess more interesting.
If he had not found chess easy or had tougher opposition during his early years he might of studied the game and stayed champion longer.
Having said all that he produced many wonderfull games.
I give a game against Marshall in 1918,Marshall had prepared a special line for Capablanca who met the prepared line and went on to win a fine game.

THE FIRST GRANDMASTERS OF CHESS PART 3

2008-08-11T07:46:00.000-07:00

Alexander Alekhine was one of the first grandmasters,he came 3rd at the St Petersburg tournament 1914 were the title was first bestowed.
Alekhine became the 4th world chess champion by beating Capablanca in a 1927 match.
He defended the title twice against E. Bogoljubow in 1929 and 1934, before losing to dutch master Max Euwe in 1935.
This was partly due to drink and bad health,but he regained the world title in a 1937 rematch. No more title matches were played by Alekhine and he died in 1946,one of his wishes was to die as World Champion was fullfilled.
Alekhine won many tournaments but 2 stand out as power house wins San Remo 1930 and Bled 1931.
He played many great games and wrote some fine tournament books, but his private life was a bit shady.
To many including former World Champion Gary Kasparov Alekhine was a chess hero who played great attacking chess.

I give an Alekhine game that has a great finish.

THE FIRST GRANDMASTERS OF CHESS PART 2

2008-08-08T01:58:00.000-07:00

The second of the first Grandmasters of chess is German siegbert Tarrasch.
During a 5 year period won some great tournaments Breslau 1889, Manchester 1890, dresden 1892 and Leipzig 1894.Also during this time he declined a chance to play Wilhem Steiniz the then world Champion in 1892, as the demands of his medical practice were to great.I am sure if he had played Tarrasch would of won.
He finally got his chance for a world championship match in 1908 against Lasker, but by then he on the decline and was out classed.
Here i give a Tarrach game that has sacrifices,forks,checks and discovered checks.
A great game of the time.

THE FIRST GRANDMASTERS OF CHESS

2008-08-04T13:48:00.000-07:00

The title of Grandmaster of chess was given to the 5 leading players in the St Petersburg tournament by the Tsar of Russia in 1914.
The 5 players are Lasker,Alekhin, Capablanca, Marshall and Tarrasch.
Here i give a famous game from one of these players Frank Marshall the American Champion.
In this game Marshall plays his famous Qg3 move.
Can white take the queen?
Does white have a good move?

BEST OR WORST CHESS BOOKS YOU HAVE READ

2008-08-01T12:05:00.000-07:00

The best chess books i have read have been mainly game collections books.
In no order my best chess books are:
1. Immortal games of Capablanca.
This book contains some great games although from a different time still great.
2. Alekhine best games 1908-1937.
Some games in this book are gems, a must for the attacking player.
3. Bobby Fischer:Profile of a prodigy.
This book gives an insight not much just enough of the real Bobby Fischer.
4. My fifty years of chess.
The games of Frank Marshall one of the first 5 Grandmasters.I don't think
many of you would have seen this book, some may not have heard of Marshall.
But when i get a bit tried of chess this book cheers me up chesswise.
It's not a classic but if you have read it then you will know what i mean.
5. Curse of Kirsan.
A book by Sarah Hurst about the current FIDE President. A very good read.

The worst chess book i read was Persona non grata, by victor Kortchnoi.
It was written after the 1978 world championship aganst Karpov.
I know Kortchnoi had defected to the west and his family was still held in the ussr.
But the book in my mind is not a proper chess book.
I have other books by kortchnoi and i think they are very good,but this one for me was the worst.

CHESSX

I JUST COULD NOT SAY NO

FISCHER BOOK REVIEW PLUS HAPPY NEW YEAR

PHOTOS OF ME AT THE LONDON CHESS CLASSIC

ONE MOVE CHANGED THE GAME

DUMBEST MOVE YOU EVER PLAYED?

WOULD I HAVE WON ON THE BOARD part 2

WOULD I HAVE WON ON THE BOARD

RUSSIANS V FISCHER BOOK REVIEW

BACK FROM VALENCIA

GOING ON HOLIDAY TO VALENCIA

HI BLOGGERS

A DRAWN GAME

1 MOVE CHANGES THE GAME

A DRAWN GAME

ANOTHER GAME FROM MY CHESS DEN

RECENT GAME FROM THE CHESS DEN

MY CHESS DEN

VASILY SMYSLOV RIP

BEST CHESS TRAINING SOFTWARE

CAN YOU GUESS THE PLAYER WITH THE WHITE PIECES ?

MY MOST ATTACKING GAME

SOME FRANK MARSHALL SITES

A GAME BY PETROSIAN THE MASTER OF MANOEUVRING

THIS IS MORE LIKE ME

ANOTHER SCANDINAVIAN ICELANDIC GAMBIT

IF I HAD MORE TIME

GAME WON BY TIME FORFEIT

SEASONS GREETINGS

LONDON CHESS CLASSIC

HOW TO SPOIL A POSITION

WHAT MOVE NOT TO PLAY

ANOTHER GAME USING KIA

A KIA GAME PLAYED YESTERDAY

AN ONLINE GAME

BOOK REVIEW 4

PLAYED AT THE WEEKEND

BOOK REVIEW 3

BOOK REVIEW 2

KILLER MOVES PART 3

BOOK REVIEW 1

SIMILAR FINISH TO PREVOUS GAME POST

BEST KILLER MOVES PART 2

BACK FROM HOSPITAL

I AM GOING INTO HOSPITAL TOMORROW

OPENING FOR MY SCHOOL CHESS CLUB

GAME AGAINST 1.d4

WHAT SHOULD I PLAY AGAINST 1.d4

BEST KILLER MOVES

ANOTHER GAME FROM MY CHESS CLUB

PLAY THE TAIMANOV SICILIAN

A GAME BETWEEN 2 OF THE CHILDREN FROM MY CHESS CLUB

NO FIGHT FOR THE CENTER OR KING SAFTEY

ONE OF THE STRANGEST POSITIONS IN A CHESS GAME

AN UNDERATTED BOBBY FISCHER GAME

FIRST TRY WITH CHESSFLASH VIEWER

BLITZ GAME

OPERATION CANCELLED

OPERATION AND CHESS

COMMENTS PLEASE

I WON BY AN OPPONENT MISTAKE

JUST FINISHED THIS GAME

TODAYS CHESS.COM GAME

ANOTHER QUICK PLAY OTB GAME

OTB GAME

LINUXGUY: THE BAD GAME

RECENT TOURNAMENT GAME

TOURNAMENT GAME FINISHED TODAY

A RECENT TOURNAMENT GAME

ANOTHER OF MY GAMES

ONE OF MY GAMES using babaschess

THE RESULT OF "SHOULD CHESS BE TAUGHT IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS"

CHESS BOOKS I OWN PART 4

CHESS BOOKS I OWN PART 3

CHESS BOOKS I OWN PART 2

CHESS BOOKS I OWN PART 1

FAMOUS GAMES BY FAMOUS PLAYERS PART 14

FAMOUS GAMES BY FAMOUS PLAYERS PART 13

FAMOUS GAMES BY FAMOUS PLAYERS PART 12

BEST CHESS PLAYER EVER POLL RESULT