All posts by NigelD

BUILDING AN OPENING REPERTOIRE, CLINIC, QUEEN'S GAMBIT DECLINED, TACTICS

OCTOBER 2020 CLINIC: STILL INTERNET GAMES

The October clinic is now online with another selection of internet games. The signs are that we will have a Covid vaccine before long after which terrestrial tournaments will return.

The following position arose in a game in which R. A. played Black in a Queen's Gambit Declined Exchange Variation and managed to build up a strong attack (see diagram). What should he play here?

NN vs RA: Black to play

Black uncorked the brilliant 21…Bxh3!! after which 22.gxh3 Rg6 23.Ne2 Ne4 was a killer. The game ended 24.f4 Qd8 0-1, though Black could win with 24…Qh4 25.f5 Rg5 26.Qc2 Qf2 etc..

Nigel Davies

CLINIC, OPENINGS, UPDATES, WHITE 1.d2-d4 REPERTOIRE

SEPTEMBER 2020 CLINIC: EVEN MORE INTERNET GAMES

The latest clinic is now online, featuring even more internet games. There are some signs that face to face competitive chess is returning, at least in countries with a low transmission rate. Hopefully this will soon extend to the rest of us.

The highlights this time were the two games sent in by J. P. using the new White d2-d4 Repertoire. He won both games in fine style, one of them featuring a nice tactic at the end. In the position below it is White to play (see diagram):

JP vs. NN

White played 24.Nxd5! which has devastating consequences; if Black captures the knight with 24...exd5 then 25.Bxd5+ followed by capturing on c4 will leave White two pawns up. The knight on c4 is threatened anyway, and so is the rook on c7, so Black chose instead to resign (1-0).

It's good to see this repertoire working for people; founded upon logical plans it aims to minimise the number of variations people have to learn rather than present them with reams of unfathomable computer analysis.

Nigel Davies

CLINIC, OPENINGS, UPDATES, WHITE 1.d2-d4 REPERTOIRE

AUGUST 2020 CLINIC: EVEN MORE INTERNET GAMES

Many of us are still shielding and over-the-board tournaments are only just starting up again. So once again the clinic is devoted largely to internet games, with all their 'variability'. I think that one of the main issues with such games is their low value, if you lose you can easily find another opponent and may have better luck. Inevitably this means that playing standards will be highly variable.

This month's clinic featured a cross section of such games together with some interesting points. It was also gratifying to see a win for White using the White 1.d2-d4 Repertoire Course, a game by M. L. reaching the following position after the moves 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. c4 Bg7 4. Nc3 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. e4 Nxc3 7. bxc3 O-O 8. Be2 c5 9. O-O Nc6 10. Be3 Bg4:

ML vs. NN; White to Play

Despite the fact that all his moves look 'natural', Black had in fact played inaccurately with the nonchalent 7...0-0 instead of 7...c5 8.Be3 Qa5!. This now gave White the opportunity to play 11. d5 and after 11...Bxf3 12. Bxf3 Ne5 13. Rc1 b6?! 14. Be2 e6 15. c4 exd5 16. cxd5 Re8?! 17. f4 Nd7 18. e5, White had obtained a crushing position and soon went on to win.

This is one of the issues with the Gruenfeld, it needs Black to play very accurately. And this in turn is why I tend to recommend the Queen's Gambit Declined for Black, it's much more forgiving if you play it inaccurately.

Nigel Davies

MIDDLEGAMES, OPENINGS, PAWN LEVERS, QUEEN'S GAMBIT DECLINED, TIGER CHESS STRATEGY COURSE, WHITE 1.d2-d4 REPERTOIRE

THE WHITE 1.d2-d4 REPERTOIRE

The White 1.d2-d4 Repertoire Course is a stand-alone opening course which considerably extends the White lines presented in the Building an Opening Repertoire course. It has over 16 hours of video which explain key games and ideas plus 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 98 games from the videos are also included in pgn format.

As in the Building an Opening Repertoire course, White is still playing 1.d4 followed by 2.Nf3 but will then follow up with 3.c4 against most of Black's defences. The Colle is still to be used after 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.e3 but the ...d7-d5 lines are met with the Rubinstein-Zukertort line and those with 3...b6 are answered with 4.Bd3 Bb7 5.0-0 c5 6.c4, transposing into the 4.e3 line of the Queen's Indian but without allowing annoying lines such as the Bogo-Indian (1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 Bb4+), Modern Benoni (3...c5 4.d5 exd5 5.cxd5 d6) or Blumenfeld Gambit (3...c5 4.d5 b5).

A particularly important aspect of this course for the developing player is the inclusion of openings which act as touchstones for the understanding of positional play, including the Queen's Gambit Declined Exchange Variation (1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 e6 4.cxd5 exd5) and King's Indian Petrosian System (1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.c4 Bg7 4.Nc3 0-0 5.e4 d6 6.Be2 e5 7.d5). These openings are particularly rich in plans and pawn levers, which helps students develop a deeper understanding of the material presented in the Tiger Chess Strategy Course.

Wherever possible the lines have been selected so that important position types can be practiced but without the need to learn a lot of intricate variations. This is in keeping with the Tiger Chess approach of developing core skills, and therefore playing strength, in the most efficient way. The full running order is as follows:

1. Introduction
2. Queen's Gambit Declined, Exchange I
3. Queen's Gambit Declined, Exchange II
4. Slav Exchange
5. Queen's Gambit Accepted
6. Other 1...d5 Lines
7. King's Indian
8. Modern, Old Indian and 1...d6
9. Gruenfeld Defence
10. Queen's Indian via 2...e6 3.e3 b6
11. Rubinstein-Zukertort Colle via 2...e6 3.e3 d5
12. Anti-Benoni
13. Dutch Defence
14. Miscellaneous Defences

This course is suitable for players over 1700 Elo who want a high quality opening repertoire for White that is based on plans and strategy rather than intricate theoretical variations. You need to be a Tiger Chess member to get it and continue to view it, which is why it priced at just $24.95. You can get it at the add-on videos page but need to be a logged on member to see the option to purchase it.

Nigel Davies

CLINIC, TACTICS

JULY 2020 CLINIC: MAINLY INTERNET GAMES

With lock down continuing for many of us, internet chess remains the only game in town. The July Clinic featured another three internet games but also two from those distant days when we would sit opposite people to play, chess and breathe on each other for up to 7 hours.

The following position arose in a game by L. J. in which he allowed Black to give him a potentially weak b5 pawn but one which gave White space and an outpost on c6. Black has just played 17...Nb8 in an attempt to exchange White's well placed knight, but in doing so he has missed something (see diagram):

L.J. vs A. N. Other; White to play

With the rook on a8 having been unprotected White played 18.Ne7+ Bxe7 19.Qxa8 and went on to win in an endgame. Members can see the complete game here.

Nigel Davies

CLINIC, NEWS

JUNE 2020 CLINIC: LOCKDOWN CONTINUES

The June clinic can be found here and features another collection of lockdown internet games. A few important opening and strategic points were covered in a very mixed sample.

Here's a finish from one of the games in which White (K. A.) has penetrated down the e-file with his rooks and Black has just played 28...b4, trying to break through with his rook on the c-file. What should White do (see diagram)?

White found the lethal 29.Rxf7!, which leads to mate after 29...Kxf7 30.Re7+ followed by 31.Qxg7. Black resigned after 30.Re7+ and should have played 28...Qf8 instead of 28...b4, though this too would not have saved him because White has 29.Rd7 intending to double on the seventh rank.

Nigel Davies

BUILDING AN OPENING REPERTOIRE, CLINIC

MAY 2020 CLINIC: EVEN MORE LOCKDOWN GAMES

The May clinic is now online here and features another collection of internet games played by Tiger Chess members. As usual there was a mixed group of submissions but one game in particular showing one of my recommendations in action.

The following position came from my Building an Opening Repertoire formula against the King's Indian in which White advances his queenside pawns in order to create a breach which his rooks can exploit. White is the exchange up but the position still looks messy. What should he do (see diagram)?

White to Play

White played the powerful 33.Nc6! regaining the initiative, the point being that 33...Qxc6 allows 34.Qxf7+ followed by mate on h7 and that 33...Rxc6 loses to 34.Rb8!, once again decoying Black's queen from the defence of f7. In the game Black played 33...Bf6 when White consolidated with 34.g3 Kg7 35.Nd4 and won after 35...Be5 36.Nb5 d2 37.Qxd2 Qe6 38.Kg2 h5 39.Rc7 1-0.

Nigel Davies

CLINIC

APRIL 2020 CLINIC: MORE LOCKDOWN GAMES

With most of us still in lockdown, this month's clinic featured more internet games. It's far from certain when terrestrial chess will return, so clinics based on this theme could continue for some time. One of the good things about chess is that it can be played online.

Here's a moment from one of the games covered, in which R. A. was playing White and on the move (see diagram):

White to play

White played the powerful 21.f4!, not worrying about 21...Bg4 because of 22.Qxa6 Bxd1 23.fxe5 Bxe5 24.Bxe5 Qxe5 25.Rxd1, winning material and going on to win the game (1-0). Not bad for a blitz game.

Nigel Davies

CLINIC

MARCH 2020 CLINIC: LOCKDOWN GAMES

With terrestrial chess events on hold most of the chess community has switched to internet chess. It's harder to take internet games seriously because there's always another one waiting if you lose, so why suffer and try to defend a difficult position? But it's a reasonable way to stay in practice.

Until things get back to normal the clinics will be devoted to internet games. Here's a sharp moment from one of them in which K. A. was playing Black and White had just played 29.Nd2 (see diagram below).

Black to play.

This gave Black a chance to decide the game immediately, which he did with 29...Rxc3!. The point is that however White captures on c3, 30...Bxd4 will win the queen. After a few further moves Black won.

Nigel Davies

CLINIC, NEWS

FEBRUARY 2020 CLINIC: BISHOP DIAGONALS

There was a delay to the February clinic due to Covid related issues but better late than never! The next two clinics will be devoted to online games as most of us turn to online games while over-the-board tournaments are suspended.

Bishops can become the dominant minor piece if they have diagonals on which to operate, and especially if the opponent's knights struggle to find an outpost. The position below, with 'A. M.' playing White, is a good illustration. It is White to play:

White to Play

With 25.e6! White opened the long diagonal for his bishop on b2 and threatened mate with 26.Qg7. Black captured with 25...fxe6 but after 26.Rxd8 Rxd8 27.Rxd8 he found that the queen on e7 is being decoyed away from the defence of g7 and therefore resigned (1-0).

Members can access the clinic here.

Nigel Davies