All posts by NigelD

CLINIC, FRENCH DEFENCE, TOURNAMENTS, TRAINING

NOVEMBER 2021 CLINIC

The November clinic features more games from the Tiger Chess Themed Training events on Lichess. This time the chosen them was the position arising after the moves 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 in the French Defence.

I have issued frequent warnings about the caution required by Black in ever castling kingside when there is a White pawn on e5. Of course it's always good for people to discover this for themselves, and this is what happened in the following position (see diagram):

HerbertChapman - NN. White to play.

Black's last move was to castle kingside (15...0-0) which White then answered with 16.Nxh5!. Black actually resigned at this point (1-0) which might have been either great vision or a reluctance to continue with his king in such a desperate situation. At first it did not seem that clear to me but then Stockfish indicates that White is winning, for example after 16…gxh5 17.Ng5 Rfc8 18.Qxh5 Qxd4 19.a3 Ba5 20.Bf4 Bd8 21.Rhd1 Qc4 22.b3 Qxb3 23.Qh7+ Kf8 24.Rdb1 Qa4 25.Rxb7 etc..

At the moment these training events are featuring the Petrosian Variation of the King's Indian Defence and take place on Wednesdays (8pm UK time) and Sundays (6pm UK time). Participation is free and you can find them here.

Nigel Davies

CLINIC, TRAINING

OCTOBER 2021 CLINIC

From last month I decided to change the clinic content so that it covers the Tiger Chess Themed Training events on Lichess. This is the second clinic devoted to games from a key position in the Queen's Gambit Declined Exchange Variation, arising after the moves 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bg5 Nbd7 6.e3 Be7 7.Bd3 O-O 8.Qc2 c6 9.Nf3 Re8 10.O-O Nf8.

One nice moment from these events came from the following position in which it was Dandanmian (White) to play:

Dandanmian - Aleksandr Ivanovich; White to play

White uncorked the powerful 20.Nxf7!, intending 20...Kxf7 21.f5. Black instead tried to counterattack with 21...Qh4 but after 21.Kg2 Kxf7 22.Bg5! found that his queen had been trapped. The game lasted just a few more moves with 22...Qxe1 13.Rxe1 Kg8 14.f5 1-0.

Anyone wanting to take part in these events should join the Tiger Chess Themed Training Team on Lichess. It's free to join in and the events can give you training in specific openings and position types.

Nigel Davies

OPENINGS, PATTERN RECOGNITION, PAWN LEVERS, QUEEN'S GAMBIT DECLINED

The Queen’s Gambit Declined Course

The Tiger Chess Queen's Gambit Declined Course is an advanced, stand-alone opening course based around the Tartakower Variaton (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bg5 Be7 5.Nf3 h6 6.Bh4 0-0 7.e3 b6) and the Semi-Tarrasch Defenc (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 c5 or 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 c5). It features amost 14 hours of video which explain key games and has a pgn (portable game notation) file of recommended variations that can be built upon, extended and important into software such as Chess Position Trainer. The 94 games presented are also included in pgn format, but without annotations.

The Queen's Gambit Declined has many advantages, not only is it rock solid but it offers prospects of outplaying the opponent in complex middle game positions. Unlike many defenses to 1.d4 it can also be used against the English Opening, 1.Nf3 and 1.c4. The recommended lines differ considerably from the Queen's Gambit Declined presentation in the Building an Opening Repertoire course, here are the different section headings:

1. Introduction
2. Divergences & Move Orders
3. 6.Bxf6 & 6.Bf4
4. Tartakower: 8.cxd5
5. Tartakower: 8.Be2
6. Tartakower: 8.Rc1
7. Tartakower: 7/8.Qc2 Lines
8. Tartakower: 8.Others
9. Tartakower: Early Rc1 Lines
10. Semi-Tarrasch: Auxiliary Lines
11. Semi-Tarrasch: e2-e4 Sidelines
12. Semi-Tarrasch:  11.Bc4 Main Line
13. Queen's Pawn Games
14. Catalan, English & Reti
15. Other Openings

The Tartakower variation has been played by some of the greatest players in history, including World Champions Boris Spassky, Anatoly Karpov, Garry Kasparov, Vladimir Kramnik and Magnus Carlsen. Here is the starting point for this famous line:

The QGD Tartakower

The Semi-Tarrasch complements the Tartakower perfectly as it can be used to recapture on d5 with a knight if White tries to use the Exchange Variation. It can also sidestep White's 5.Bf4 line that arises after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Be7 5.Bf4 because Black will play 4...c5 before this happens. This is a key position from the Semi-Tarrasch that arises after the moves 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.e4 Nxc3 7.bxc3 cxd4 8.cxd4 Bb4+ 9.Bd2 Bxd2+ 10.Qxd2 O-O:

Main Line Semi-Tarrasch

This course is suitable for players over 1700 Elo who want a high quality defence against 1.d4 that is strategy based. You need to be a Tiger Chess member to get it and continue to view it, which is why it priced at just $19.95. You can get it at the add-on videos page but need to be a logged on Standard or Premium member to see the option to purchase it.

Nigel Davies

CLINIC, NEWS, OPENINGS, PATTERN RECOGNITION, QUEEN'S GAMBIT DECLINED, TIGER CHESS WEBINARS, TOURNAMENTS, TRAINING

SEPTEMBER 2021 CLINIC

I recently took the decision to change the clinic content so that it covers the Tiger Chess Themed Training events on Lichess. I set these events up so that students could practice important position types rather than waste time on the random mayhem that usually occurs in online games. The results have been very promising in that several people have reported increased engagement and interest in the problems after having wrestled with them in a series of games.

The first position to have been played is a key position in the Queen's Gambit Declined Exchange Variation, arising after the moves 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bg5 Nbd7 6.e3 Be7 7.Bd3 O-O 8.Qc2 c6 9.Nf3 Re8 10.O-O Nf8. This is a very useful position from which to learn strategy because of the clarity of the pawn structure and the ease with which the different plans and ideas can be explained. Nonetheless it can prove very challenging to master as these plans come into conflict, and I am devoting the current series of webinars to its mastery.

Queen's Gambit Declined: Key Position

I will not show any highlights this time but instead list the forthcoming practice events, which are held at 8pm London (UK) time on Wednesdays and 6pm London (UK) time on Sundays:

October 10th (6pm): QGD Exchange Training

October 13th (8pm): QGD Exchange Training

October 17th (6pm): QGD Exchange Training

October 20th (8pm): QGD Exchange Training

October 24th (6pm): QGD Exchange Training

After this series the webinars will cover a new topic and new positions will be used for the training events. It will take more practice than this to get in tune with these position types, but this is at least a start.

Nigel Davies

CLINIC, ENDGAMES, NEWS

AUGUST 2021 CLINIC

Continuing the trend of a return to 'normality', almost all of the August clinic games were played over-the-board. As always there was a lot of variety but it was good to see some excellent results for the strategic themes and openings I recommend.

Here's an example,  the following position arising after White's 28th move in a game of M. B.. Black to play continued with a plan that I use to show the value of pawn levers, the minority attack (see diagram).

NN - MB: Black to play

Black continued with 28... b4!, which leaves White with serious weaknesses regardless of what he does. The game continued 29.axb4 axb4 30.Rac1 Ra2 31.cxb4 Rxc1 32.Rxc1 Rxb2 33.Rd1 Rxb4 34.g3 Kf6! 35.Kg2 Kf5 36.f3 Rb2+ 37.Kg1 g5 38.hxg5 hxg5 39.Rd3 f6 40.Kf1 e5 41.dxe5 Kxe5 42.Kg1 d4 43.Ra3 Kd5 44.Ra5+ Kc4 45.Ra6 d3 0-1.

Although this is a standard plan, being able to implement it with confidence is important, much more so than the rote memorization of opening moves.

Nigel Davies

CLINIC, ENDGAMES, NEWS

JULY 2021 CLINIC

The July clinic featured over the board games, which was a pleasant change after the the previous 16 months. Online chess is a poor substitute for the real thing, and not least because engine use is far more widespread that anyone wants to admit. Those who are caught are just the visible part of the iceberg and those who are named suffer humiliation and potential career damage.

The first four games were endgames, something that is encouraged here because it good endgame play is such a fundamental skill. The fifth game was a nice win by M. B. who successfully exploited the weaknesses in his opponent's kingside (see diagram).

M. B. - A. N. Other; White to play

White to play commenced his attack with 21.Ng4!, threatening a fork on f6. The game proceeded with the moves 21...Rf8 22.Qe5! Qb7 23.Nf6+ Kh8 24.Nd7+ ( 24.Rd7 Qb6 25.Nd5+ was crushing, but the move played is quite enough) 24...Kg8 25.Nxf8 Rxf8 26.Qxc5 1-0

Nigel Davies

ARTICLES, OPENINGS, TIGER CHESS WEBINARS, TRAINING

CRAFTING YOUR OWN OPENING REPERTOIRE

With so much off-the-peg opening material available why should someone want to craft their own repertoire? There are many reasons for doing so, not least of which is the suitability of most of the repertoires that are being published. They are often developed by strong Grandmasters who seem to have very little understanding of the requirements of players weaker than themselves. Commonly they contain hundreds of computer generated variations which can be over 20 moves in length.

Here at Tiger Chess I adopted a different approach, presenting openings that were ideas based, relatively easy to remember and that illustrated typical strategic themes in the middle game. Yet in producing this material my idea was that students should extend their own personal approach above and beyond what I presented. I wanted to provide a starting point for engaged study and development, not a rigid lump of merged games and engine analysis, to be memorized and repeated for a lifetime.

To show people how to do this I am presenting a series of webinars for Premium Members only, running live over the next few weeks and recordings available thereafter. Here are the titles:

How to Choose a Chess Opening
August 5th 2021: 9-10pm London time
Guidance about what to look for in a chess opening, explaining why you can and should avoid the hype about the latest off-the-peg 2700 repertoire and build something that is suitable for your level.

Sources for Opening Study
August 12th 2021: 9-10pm London time
In this session you will see how to pick and choose between different sources to help with your independent creative work. Here too I offer vital guidance on choosing materials that are suitable for a particular player's chess development rather than attempting to memorize super-GM offerings.

Assembling an Opening Repertoire
August 19th 2021: 9-10pm London time
Having chosen an opening to learn and assembled a source or sources there is a choice about whether to record and formalize your research. In this episode I present the options, some of which are free, and explains how to choose between them.

Worked Example of Opening Preparation
August 26th 2021: 9-10pm London time
In this final session I will bring together the previous three sessions and provides a worked example of how to put together a opening so that it can be studied and updated.

Please do note that these are only available to Premium Members, but they are included in the modest subscription price of $19.95 per month along with other video content. To sign up please go here, and hopefully I will see you at the sessions.

Nigel Davies

CLINIC

JUNE 2021 CLINIC

For the first time since early last year the members clinic featured over-the-board games, making me increasingly hopeful that we really are returning to some kind of new normal. My son and I were involved in two of them having played in the 4NCL Congress in Leamington near Coventry. It was good to get out and play chess again after living under various degrees of restrictions since March last year.

The following position arose in Sam's second round game. His opponent has just played 32.Be7 intending 33.Bf6, a threat which needs to be countered (see diagram). 

Turner - Sam Davies, Black to play

Black countered White's threat with 32…Bh1 threatening mate with 33...Qg2. There followed 33.Rf2 Ra1+ 34.Nf1 Qe4! 35.Qxg4 Nd5 0-1, White resigning because 36.Bf6 is met by 36...Rxf1+! with either mate on g2 or a knight fork on e3.

Nigel Davies

CLINIC

MAY 2021 CLINIC

The May 2021 Clinic actually featured two over-the-board games, which is a further sign that things are returning to some kind of normality. Over the coming weeks and months this process will probably continue.

The following position arose from one of my old favorites, the Modern Defence with 1...g6. White had not played particularly well but it still needs good play to take advantage of this. What did Black play here (see diagram)?

A. N. Other - S. M., Black to play.

In fact he found the brilliant 16 ... Ng4!! which White should capture, leaving him with a poor position after 17 ... Bxe5. Instead he played 17. Bxg7 allowing 17 ... Qc5+ and then after 18.Kf1? (18.Kh1 is best, though it loses the queen to 18 ... Nf2+) he was mated with 18 ... Qf2 # (0-1).

Members can access the clinic here and also submit games.

Nigel Davies

CLINIC, NEWS

APRIL 2021 CLINIC

The April clinic featured internet games (again!) with the first three being in the Queen's Gambit Declined. I've found this to be a particularly useful opening for teaching strategy because of the clear plans both sides can have, and in particular in the Exchange Variation (1.d4 d4 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 exd5). Other lines are also interesting with the following position arising from a Semi-Slav (see diagram). What should Black play here?

Black to play

Black played the natural 16...Be6! which proved to be much stronger than appears at first sight. White's problem is that when he moves his queen Black can trap the rook on b1 with ...Ba2, the continuation of the game being 17.Nxf6+ Bxf6 18.Qc2 Ba2 with a winning position for Black. The only small fly in the ointment is that 18...Ra2 might have been even stronger. In any case Black went on to win after a few ups and downs!

Nigel Davies