alfreds double

Alfred’s Double

I’ve recently been researching the Leicester player Alfred Lenton, who shared 3rd place and 2nd place in the 1935 and 1936 British Championships. At the time he was an avid…

a foundation for beginners one hundred and four

A Foundation for Beginners One Hundred and Four

This week, we’re going to do something a little different, talk about beginners’ treatment of the pawn and why it’s so poor. This topic came up in my chess classes…

classic confusion

Classic Confusion

You’ll recognise this position, I’m sure. If not, then you should certainly read on. At least one book describes this much anthologised position as the most important pawn ending ever….

busch gass gambit

Busch-Gass Gambit

The other day one of my clubmates asked me about the Busch-Gass Gambit, which, I must admit, was a new one on me. There are a few videos around so…

a foundation for beginners one hundred three

A Foundation for Beginners One Hundred Three

The last time we met, we looked at a simple King and Pawn against lone King endgame position. While this combination of material is common, it’s more likely that both…

maidenhead trebuchet

Maidenhead Trebuchet

Here’s a question for you. Yes, it’s another pawn ending. White to move: what would you play here? Make your choice before you read on. This position arose in a…

modified rapture

Modified Rapture

It was with a feeling of modified rapture that I greeted the recent news of government funding for chess in England. Increased money for our national teams? Great, as long…

opening selection

Opening Selection

If you had a friend – or a pupil – who was just starting to play competitive chess, what openings would you advise them to play? To the best of…

a foundation for beginners one hundred and two

A Foundation for Beginners One Hundred and Two

For the next few weeks, we’re going to start looking at some basic endgame positions involving pawns. Our starting point will be the classic King and pawn against lone King….

a foundation for beginners one hundred one

A Foundation for Beginners One Hundred One

I mentioned that we would look at some examples of pawn structure, both their strengths and weaknesses, within game positions. This week, we’re going to start doing just that. However,…