Comeback Kid
It’s an interesting question for all sportspeople. When should you retire? Should you quit when you’re at the top, or keep going as long as you’re able to do so….
Culture Wars (11-07-21)
Nigel posted an interesting thought on social media the other day. “I sense that a chess ‘kulturkampf’ is brewing with digital Bongcloudistas vs cantankerous traditionalists. Battle lines are currently being…
Double Trouble
Here’s another of my pawn ending questions for you. It’s Black’s move. What would you play here? In one of my club’s recent lockdown arena sessions I miscalculated two pawn…
Knowledge and Skill
Success at any skill-based activity requires three things: generic attributes and skills (the difference is that you can train skills but not attributes), domain-specific knowledge and domain-specific skills. For example,…
Battle of Endgames: 1
My good friend and former colleague at Richmond Junior Chess Club, Ray Cannon, has just published a book which I think you might find interesting. It’s called Battle of Endgames:…
Wrong Books (4): Chess for Kids
There are several books with this title, but the one I had in mind in this episode of my occasional series concerning books which are often bought by the wrong…
Two Instructive Endings
I’ve played two rather similar endings online recently. Both started off with bishop against knight before the minor pieces were traded off into a pawn ending. I was very lucky…
Ruining the Rook Ending
Last week I showed you the first part of one of my online games, where we reached this rook ending after Black’s (my) 25th move. All I have to do…
Pulverising the Ponziani
Here’s a rapidplay game played the other day in one of my club’s online arena events. I was black, facing the Ponziani. 1. e4 e52. Nf3 Nc63. c3 The Ponziani…
Wrong Books (3): My System
It’s getting on for a century old now, but Nimzowitsch’s My System is still often recommended as a good book on positional chess for intermediate players. I’m not at all…
