Category Archives: Chess Tutorials

5 Cool iPhone Apps for Chess Lovers

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Posted by ChessTeacher on November 1, 2011 – 7:18 am
Filed under Chess Tutorials
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If you love to play chess, or you have a special chess lover in your life, then you could stand to benefit from a refresher when it comes to the traditional game of chess. There is no better way to sharpen chess skills than by switching things up a little, and there is perhaps no more convenient way to switch things up than to use the modern technology that you already have at your fingertips. Improve your chess game and have fun at the same time by checking out these five cool iPhone apps for chess lovers:

Chess at ICC by Internet Chess Club, Inc. This app, created by the world’s longest running Internet chess organization, offers a multitude of features and functions that are sure to please any chess player, of any experience level. For example, you can play chess with another app user, watch Grandmaster players in action, or chat with those on the app network to learn more about chess in general.
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Application of Chess Tactics: Deflection

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Posted by ChessMaster on October 28, 2010 – 3:20 pm
Filed under Attacking tactics, Chess Basics, Chess lessons, Chess tactics, Chess Tutorials
Tagged as attacking chess, attacking chess tactics, Attacking tactics, Chess tactics, Chess Tutorials

In part 9 of different chess tactics, we showed how deflection is used to force a key defender away so that the opponent became vulnerable to attack and had to face significant loss of material or even checkmate.

One reader requested for some more examples beyond those used as illustration in that article. You know it needs quite some effort to collect examples from different sources, but that is why we are here, aren’t we? So, we are giving below ten positions with deflection as the motif from games spread over nearly a century of chess. All these games can be seen and played out at Chessgames site and we have provided the links below each position to facilitate your search.

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The above examples should give you enough ideas to enable you to use such tactics in your games when the opportunity arises.

We hope to bring to you such collected examples also on other chess tactics that we discussed.

Chess Tactics in application

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Posted by ChessMaster on September 13, 2010 – 3:23 am
Filed under Attacking tactics, Chess Basics, Chess lessons, Chess tactics, Chess Tutorials, Defensive strategy
Tagged as attacking chess, attacking chess tactics, Attacking tactics, Chess tactics, Chess Tutorials

In our ten-part article series on chess tactics (starting with 12 chess tactics … – Part 1), we have discussed the different tactics that go into different combinations. You have seen excerpts from chess games that illustrated the use of such chess tactics.

Now I would like to show you some full games that abound in such tactics and are quite exciting to play out. The purists may argue that the loser played poorly, allowing the brilliant attacking tactics and sacrifices of the winner to come through. But as we mentioned somewhere, all brilliancies result from some inaccurate play by the loser. Would you agree that if both players play perfect chess, the only outcome is a draw? Moreover, a post-game analysis taking your own time with a Rybka or Fritz or something like those by your side to find the mistakes of the loser is completely different from thinking up combinations to exploit the weak moves of the loser under tournament conditions. Just ask yourself – how many of such critics would be able to create those brilliancies on their own within the time limits of the game? Very few, I’m sure. So, instead of getting into those arguments, just try to enjoy the winner’s moves.

Here follows a game that I have thoroughly enjoyed in playing through. The winner sacrificed all his minor pieces to steam-roll his attack and all the material advantages of the loser ultimately came to nothing.

Glucksberg-Najdorf, Warsaw, 1929
Dutch Defense (ECO: A85)

1. d4 f5
2. c4 Nf6
3. Nc3 e6
4. Nf3 d5
5. e3 c6
6. Bd3 Bd6
7. O-O O-O
8. Ne2 Nbd7
9. Ng5 Was he thinking of a knight fork with 10. Ne6? He should have expected Black’s next move.

 
9. … Bxh2+
10. Kh1 Ng4 10. Kxh2 brings 11. … Ng4+ 12. Kg1 Qxg5
11. f4 Qe8
12. g3 Qh5
13. Kg2 Bg1
14. Nxg1 Qh2+
15. Kf3 e5
16. dxe5 Ndxe5+
17. fxe5 Nxe5+
18. Kf4 Ng6+
19. Kf3 f4
20. exf4 20. Bxg6 Bg4+ 21. Kxg4 Qxg3+ 22. Kh5 hXg6+ 23. Kxg6 Rf6+ 24. Kh5 Rh6#

 
20. … Bg4+
21. Kxg4 Ne5+
22. fxe5 h5#

 

Some of you may raise the doubt that Najdorf could produce such an attack because of the weak opponent. To dispel this doubt, here is another game played by him against a stronger opponent. This game is also an excellent example of attacking tactics. However, Black could possibly salvage a draw at some stage, but with two pieces up, who would think that negatively when unble to guess White’s plans?

Najdorf-Szapiro, Lodz, 1929
French Defense (ECO: C10)

1. e4 e6
2. d4 d5
3. Nc3 dxe4
4. Nxe4 Nd7
5. Nf3 Ngf6
6. Bd3 Be7
7. O-O b6
8. Ne5 Bb7
9. Nxf6+ gxf6

 
10. Nxf7 Kxf7
11. Qh5+ Kg8
12. Re1 Nf8
13. Rxe6 Nxe6
14. Bc4 Qd6
15. Bh6 Bf8
16. Re1 Bc8 16. … Bxh6 17. Bxe6+ Kg7 18. Qf7#
17. Qe8 Bd7

 
18. Rxe6 Rxe8
19. Rxe8+ Be6
20. Bxe6+ Qxe6
21. Rxf8#