Category Archives: General Chess

Role of chess in improving your character

7
Posted by ChessTeacher on December 10, 2009 – 1:47 pm
Filed under General Chess
Tagged as chess, chess benefits, chess lifestyle, game of chess

Chess is a board game played between two people. The requirements for the game is none other than a square board containing 64 squares of alternate colors, and 32 pieces split into two equal sets and distributed equally to the players. The objective of the game is to capture the opponent’s chief piece – the King – and say “checkmate”, following some simple rules of setting up the pieces on the board and using the specified movement of the pieces. Now, the need for a partner is also done away with and anyone who likes to learn the game or play the game can do so by using the computer and the Internet and play online chess with a virtual partner in any online chess site.

This is all about the game of chess, in its simplest terms, for any layman to know about the game.

What is there in this game that helps a player improve his or her lifestyle?

Before answering this question, please consider the following aspects about this ancient game.

The game, according to history, is claimed to have been played since the 6th century AD, that is for more than 1400 years upto now.

Since the second half of the 15th century, the game spread to almost all the parts of the world and there has been no change in the way the game should be played since then – that is for more than 500 years, there is no change in the rules of the game and people follow the same since then.

From the beginning of the 20th century, the game has been recognized as a Professional Sport and World Championships and a host of other tournaments of prestige are conducted across the world.

If chess is a mere game played for relaxation or to kill boredom, why is the game still surviving in this world and attracting people all over the world, especially in this age of technological advancements where innumerable games are available in the market place and the Internet for providing relaxation, fantasy and excitement.

Chess is basically a game that requires serious thinking and deep concentration. You are called upon to take decisions at every move aimed at achieving the goal of saying “checkmate” to the opponent. The victory in the game is not in your own hands but in the hands of the opponent. You can win only and only when your opponent makes a mistake and you capitalize on that mistake. Similarly you can lose the game only and only when you make a mistake and get punished by the opponent who ceases the opportunity.

Simulate the situation in the game to that of your life and you will find the similarities between the two things – the chess and the life.

In life, the opponent is the world at large. You are called upon to take decisions at every point of your life – be it studying a course, taking up a job, buying a car, loving a girl, marrying a lady, so on and so forth. A wrong decision will make you ruin later while a wise decision will make your life a better one.

Learning the game of chess and gaining experience in this fascinating game will help a person cultivate many of the following capabilities: make informed and balanced decisions; develop analytical skills; logical and concise thought process; deep concentration; responsibility; and planning ahead. These invaluable skills will naturally help a person improve his character and approach to the life.

Chess Games featuring David vs. Goliath

2
Posted by ChessMaster on November 29, 2009 – 9:17 am
Filed under Attacking tactics, Chess tactics, General Chess
Tagged as attacking chess tactics, chess combination, Chess tactics

Continuing with our theme in Beginners may take heart from these games, we bring three more games where a player rated much lower than his opponent shows that how you play over the board is more important than what elo rating you hold.

At the time the first game (Fouts-Firman, Philadelphia, 2003) was played, White’s elo rating was about 800 points less than Black’s. But that did not daunt him and he kept on seizing the initiative at every step. White had to capitualate ultimately under the relentless pressure.

The figure below shows the position after 20 moves.

 

david_vs_goliath_case1

21. Ne4 Nd5
22. Nf4 Nxf4
23. Nxf6 Bh5
24. Nxg8 Rxg8
25. Rxg8+ Kxg8
26. Rg1+ Ng6
27. Kb1 Resigns A quiet move after some hectic activities! But it raises the threat 28. Qxh5 besides the inevitable capture of the Knight.

 

The following position was reached after 14 moves in the game (Spielmann-Van den Bosch, 1935). Johannes Van den Bosch is relatively unknown whereas you must have heard of Rudolf Spielmann as one of the best chess tacticians ever. But here the master tactician gets outsmarted pretty thoroughly!

 

david_vs_goliath_case2

15. Nf3 Qf7 Black threatens 16. … Qxa2 with mate to follow.
16. Ng5 Bf5
17. Qxb7 Rxc2+
18. Kb1 Rc1+ After White’s 18th move, Black seemed to be heading for trouble as both his Queen and Rook are under attack. But his reply shows the power of double check which dooms White now as the subsequent moves are almost forcing on White.
19. Kxc1 Qc4+
20. Kd2 Qd3+
21. Ke1 Qe3+
22. Kf1 Rf8

 

White resigned as he has no adequate defense to the threat of 23. … Bh3#. Both 23. Qb3+ Be6+ and 23. Kg2 Qe2+ 24. Kg1 Be6 lead to mate.

The next game (Tarrasch-Yates, Hamburg, 1910) had a piquant background. It seems that Dr. Tarrasch, a stalwart of his time, objected to the entry of Yates in that tournament considering him to be below par in comparison to other participants. Yates had only one win in that tournament but he possibly kept it in reserve as a fitting reply to his redoubtable opponent!

The position after 18 moves stands as below.

 

david_vs_goliath_case3

19. Rc1 Nxe3 This sacrifice turns the game in favor of Black.
 
20. fxe3 Qg5 Black threatens 21. … Qxg2# or 21. … Qxe3+ with a strong attack in coordination with his Bishop pair.
21. Kf2 Qxg2+
22. Ke1 Bxh2 Black has got three pawns for his Knight, an adequate compensation, besides ruining White’s castle and opening lines for his Bishops. White cannot play 23. Nxe6 because of 23. … Bg3+ 24. Kd1 Bf3+ leading to mate.
23. Be2 e5
24. Ne6 Bg3+
25. Kd1 Bf3
26. Bxf3 Qxf3+
27. Kc2 Qe4+
28. Kd2 Qd5+
29. Nd4 exd4
30. Bxd4 f4
31. e4 Qxe4
32. Rc4 Rd8 Black’s move puts paid to all hopes of White for saving the Bishop due to coming 33. … Bf2
33. a4 Bf2

White resigned as he cannot avoid losing his Bishop and the game.

The final position:

 

david_vs_goliath_case3_final

Do you still have doubt in yourself?

 

Beginners may take heart from these games

3
Posted by ChessMaster on November 28, 2009 – 12:12 pm
Filed under Attacking tactics, Chess tactics, General Chess
Tagged as attacking chess tactics, chess combination, Chess tactics

Many beginners have a natural talent in chess, but it comes to light (to others and also to themselves) only when they start on the game. There is no limitation on the age at which you can take it up, though the process becomes easier if you start at a younger age.

Unfortunately, many people tend to stay away thinking wrongly that they are not up to what it takes to become a good player. No one likes to be a loser and this fear of failure often works at the back of their mind, preventing them from taking the initial steps.

At this site we have been trying to encourage beginners by showing them how they can improve upon their game, taking a look at chess from different angles. In 10 steps to raise your game, we pointed out the importance of having confidence in yourself. Is this how world champions adopt winning strategy? in Morning shows the day? showed how a player of Karpov’s standing could make mistakes a novice might avoid. Take your defeats in your stride, treating those as opportunities to learn from your mistakes.

To bring home further the message to beginners, we showed you Chess Games: Amateurs can also produce gems. If a beginner follows the basic strategies and tactics discussed in many articles here, there is no reason why he cannot take the measure of a more established opponent. You have seen such example in Chess Tactics: how a mouse challenged a lion and to prove that this was not a rarity, we put before you two more games where the weaker player successfully challenged a stronger one.

In the first game (Korchnoi-Djurasevic, Belgrade, 1956), Black was not yet an IM (he earned the title in 1957) whereas White became an IM in 1954 and a GM in 1956. Besides, Korchnoi had the slight advantage of playing with the white pieces. We show you the position after White’s 13th move (13. a3).

 

Black_outmaneuvers_White

Follow the subsequent moves to see how Black outmaneuvers his famous opponent.

13. … Ba5
14. b4 g5
15. Bg3 Rc8
16. bxa5 Rxc3
17. Qd2 Nxe4
18. Qxd4 Qxa5
19. Qb4 Qxb4
20. axb4 Re8
21. f3 Re3+
22. Kd1 Bb3+
23. Kc1 Rc8+
24. Kb2 Rc2+
25. Ka3 Nd2

 

White resigned in view of the threat 26. … Nb1+ 27. Rxb1 Ra2#.

Here is another one (Dementiev-Karpov, Riga, 1970) with the position after 27 moves. See how White disposes of Karpov who was to become World Champion in another five years.

 

trapping_a_world_champion

28. Nxa6 Bxa6
29. Rc7 Qa8
30. Qxb6 Rb8
31. Qc5 Rxb3
32. Rxe7 Bd3
33. Qxd5 Resigns 33. … Qxd5 34. Rxe8#. Because of the threat of 34. Qxf7+ leading to mate, Black cannot avoid losing a piece.