OPENINGS, TOURNAMENTS, TRAINING

A QUESTION OF CONFIDENCE

Players can often have a crisis of confidence with their chess, not feeling 'prepared' being a primary symptom. This is especially the case with those who are returning to the game after a long layoff, both opening theory and the ways it might be studied have changed considerably, largely due to the advent of computer databases and increasingly powerful engines.

How can this be handled? Really I believe there is only one way, to know what you are doing more thoroughly than your opponents. Yet this knowledge can take different forms, you either out-prepare people with your own computer analysis or you develop a deeper understanding of the plans and ideas.

My approach with students has been to help them develop a better understanding, I believe this will carry over into different parts of the game. For this reason I developed ideas based opening repertoires with minimal theory, then coupled this with a recommendation to play what you learn to develop fluency. The training tournaments I run on Lichess can be part of this process.

Training Tournaments

This week's training tournaments are in the Dutch Defence and use my repertoire recommendation of 1.d4 f5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3:

Sunday October 13th at 5pm UK Time: Dutch Defence with 1.d4 f5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 e6

Sunday October 13th at 6.15pm UK Time: Dutch Defence with 1.d4 f5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 g6

Upcoming Events

Here's my approximate schedule over the coming months, subject to change! I often don't know until fairly late in the day.

October 25-27, 2024: Scarborough Congress

This one of the UK's most prestigious congresses, the sections include a 'foundation' tournament and a junior event. Click here for details.

December 1, 2024: Bolton Rapid Play

A fairly local event for me, so I'll be playing to to get some practice. Details can be found here.

December 7, 2024: Huddersfield Chess Club Seminar

I've run a number of seminars at this great club, this is the first since before COVID. Their website is here.

February 18-23, 2025: Isle of Wight International

I've been invited to play in this one but will have to pull out if I get invited to the World Senior Teams. It's a new event but the organizers seem to be on the ball. You can find details here.

July/August 2025: British Championships

Will these be held in Liverpool next year? Last week I linked to the rumour on Tim Spanton's page that they would be. I would be using my Metro senior travel card (!) to get there and might go for the 50+ event.

I'm also still hoping to be invited to the World Senior Team Championships (Prague, February 16 to 27, 2025) and/or the European Senior Team Championships (Walbrzych, Poland, April 4-14). I should find out about these soon.

I offer discounts on some of my video series on Vimeo for which my catalogue is here. To get the discount codes please sign up for my weekly newsletter via the form on the right.

See you next week, I'm planning to post here on a regular basis.

Nigel Davies

Uncategorized

DECEMBER 2022 CLINIC

December's clinic features games in the Dutch Defence, starting after the moves 1.d4 f5. The set-up I recommend for White here is simply 2.Nf3 followed by 3.e3, but this plan was not played in all the games.

One particularly interesting and instructive moment arose in the position in the diagram below:

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is DanStaples_Dandanmian.jpg
DanStaples - Dandanmian, White to play

White played the quiet 13.Nd2 intending 14.Bf3, and this is not a bad idea. There was, however, a much stronger idea in 13.d5!, the idea being that after 13...e5 White has 14.Nxe5! and 13...exd5 14.Nd4 is also strong.

Tigerchess.com Themed Training events are a great opportunity to practice key positions from regular openings, and are open to everyone who joins the Tiger Chess Team. Participating in these events helps players develop an insight into the openings played, above and beyond looking at them in a book or on a video.

Nigel Davies

CLINIC, NEWS, QUEEN'S GAMBIT DECLINED, TIGER CHESS THEMED TRAINING TOURNAMENTS, WHITE 1.d2-d4 REPERTOIRE

NOVEMBER 2022 CLINIC

The November clinic featured some more games in the Exchange Variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined, this time starting after the moves 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.cxd5 exd5. It also featured an interesting duel between two of the regular participants in these events.

Most of the games were very hard fought, but in one of them White demonstrated some neat twists in the opening and found a devastating shot from the following position (see diagram):

OldSpeckledHen - DanStaples, White to play

White uncorked the brilliant 17.Bxg6! after which 17...hxg6 18.Qxg6 Bf8 19.exf6 Re6 20.Bxg7 forced resignation (1-0), not a difficult sacrifice but a very instructive one.

Tigerchess.com Themed Training events are a great opportunity to practice key positions from regular openings, and are open to everyone who joins the Tiger Chess Team. Participating in these events helps players develop an insight into the openings played, above and beyond looking at them in a book or on a video.

Nigel Davies

CLINIC, QUEEN'S GAMBIT DECLINED, TIGER CHESS THEMED TRAINING TOURNAMENTS

OCTOBER 2022 CLINIC

The October clinic featured games with two different openings, the Exchange Variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined (1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 e6 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nc3 c6 6.Qc2 Be7 7.Bg5 0-0 8.e3 Nbd7 9.Bd3 Re8 10.0-0 Nf8) and the King's Indian Defence (1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.c4 Bg7 4.Nc3 0-0 5.e4 d6 6.Be2). Both of these lines are in Tiger Chess opening repertoires, and both have great instructional value because they are rich in plans and pawn play.
This is not to say that tactical opportunities never arise as the following position illustrates, Black to play found a devastating sequence (see diagram):

JackHodges - Oldspeckledhen, Black to play

Black won with 31...Ra1+ 32.Rf1 Rxf1+ 33.Qxf1 Qxe4! (0-1) as if the queen is taken then White's queen on f1 also falls.

Tigerchess.com Themed Training events are a great opportunity to practice key positions from regular openings, and are open to everyone who joins the Tiger Chess Team. Participating in these events helps players develop real insight into the openings played, above and beyond looking at them in a book or on a video.

Nigel Davies

CLINIC, POSITIONAL PLAY

SEPTEMBER 2022 CLINIC

In the September clinic there are games from the Kasparov line of the Rubinstein French (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nd7 5.Nf3 Ngf6 6.Nxf6+ Nxf6 and now 7.c3) and the Semi-Tarrasch (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c5). As usual, the games were taken from the Tiger Chess Themed Training Tournaments on Lichess, which are unrated and offer a chance to practice some key opening positions from Tiger Chess opening repertoires.

Here's a position from one of the games, Black has just played 22...e6-e5, a positional mistake which White now exploited. What would you do (see diagram)?

White played 23.g4!, sealing Black's pawns on dark squares so he could later penetrate with his king on the light squares. The game continued 23... Rh8 24.Bd2 h5 25.Rh3 h4 26.Rf3 f6 27.c4 Rd8 28.Rd3 b5 29.cxb5+ axb5 30.Rxd8 Bxd8 31.Kd3 Kd5 32.f3 h3 33.a4 bxa4 34.bxa4 Bc7 35.Be3 Ba5 36.Bf2 Bc7 37.Be1 Bb6 38.a5 Ba7 39.a6 Bb6 40.Bd2 Kc6 41.Be3 e4+ 42.Kxe4 Bc7 43.f4 Bd6 44.Kf3 Bb8 45.a7 1-0, which was a nice and strategically consistent win.

The Tigerchess.com Themed Training events are a great opportunity to practice key positions from regular openings, and are open to everyone who joins the Tiger Chess Team. Participating in these events helps players develop real insight into the openings played, above and beyond looking at them in a book or on a video.

Nigel Davies

CLINIC, FRENCH DEFENCE

AUGUST 2022 CLINIC

The August clinic is out and features games from two lines of the French Defence, the King's Indian Attack (1.e4 e6 2.d3) and the Rubinstein Variation (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nd7). As usual the games were taken from the Tiger Chess Themed Training Tournaments on Lichess, which are run to provide the opportunity to practice key opening variations.
The most exciting game was the one played between Oldspeckledhen and Dandanmian in which the following position was reached. Black had just played 11...Nd5 (11...e5 was the right move) and it was White to play (see diagram).

Oldspeckledhen - Dandanmian, White to play.

White opened up Black's king position with 12.Bxh7+ Kxh7 13.Qh5+ Kg8 14.Bxg7 , to set in motion a dangerous attack. After 14...Kxg7 15.Qg5+ Kh7 16.Rd3 Black should have played 16...e5, in the game there followed 16...Be3+? 17.fxe3 Rg8 18.Qh5+ Kg7 19.Nf3 Rh8 20.Qg5+ Kf8 21.Ne5 Qa5 22.Nxf7 Qxa2 23.Qd8+ Kg7 24.Qxh8+ Kxf7 25.Rf1+ Ke7 26.Qf8+ Kd7 27.e4 Qa1+ 28.Kd2 Qa5+ 29.c3 Qb5 30.Rf7+ Kc6 31.exd5+ exd5 32.Qe8+ Kb6 33.Qxb5+ Kxb5 34.Rxd5+ Kc6 35.Rd8 Be6 36.Rxa8 1-0

The Tigerchess.com Themed Training events are a great opportunity to practice key positions from regular openings, and are open to everyone who joins the Tiger Chess Team. Participating in these events helps players develop real insight into the openings played, above and beyond looking at them in a book or on a video.

Nigel Davies

CLINIC, NEWS, QUEEN'S GAMBIT DECLINED

JULY 2022 CLINIC

There were more Queen's Gambits in the July clinic because games from the Tiger Chess Themed Training Tournaments on Lichess featured games from the Tartakower Variation (1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 d5 4.Nc3 Be7 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 0-0 7.e3 b6) and the 6.Bxf6 alternative. These lines feature in Tiger Chess opening repertoire and the training tournaments give students the opportunity to practice the positions and investigate the alternatives more deeply.

In the following position HerbertChapman has been exerting some pressure, but after 21...Rad8 has the opportunity to convert this into something real. What should he play here (see diagram)?

HerbertChapman - NN, White to play.

White played 22.Nxb7!, winning an important pawn because 22...Rxb7 is met by 23.Rxd8. White showed good technique and went on to win, despite the fast time limit (1-0).

The Tigerchess.com Themed Training events are a great opportunity to practice key positions from regular openings, and are open to everyone who joins the Tiger Chess Team. Participating in these events helps players develop real insight into the openings played, above and beyond looking at them in a book or on a video.

Nigel Davies

CLINIC, NEWS, QUEEN'S GAMBIT DECLINED

JUNE 2022 CLINIC

June's clinic featured more games from the Tiger Chess Themed Training Tournaments on Lichess, in two different Queen's Gambit Declined lines. The starting positions were from the Tartakower Variation (1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 d5 4.Nc3 Be7 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 0-0 7.e3 b6) and the Queen's Gambit Declined Exchange Variation with an early Nf3 by White (1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.c4 e6 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nc3 c6 6.Qc2 Be7). Both of these lines feature in Tiger Chess opening repertoires, the training tournaments give students the opportunity to practice the positions.

As with last month's featured position, Dandanmian as White was conducting a minority attack as White. When the following position arose he showed good understanding in first safeguarding his king (see diagram):

Dandanmian - NN, White to play.

White's move was 18.Bf5!, which forces the exchange of light square bishops and makes it very difficult for Black to drum up kingside counter-play. The game had further ups and downs after this, but White was always better and eventually went on to win (1-0).

The Tigerchess.com Themed Training events are a great opportunity to practice key positions from regular openings, and are open to everyone who joins the Tiger Chess Team. Participating in these events helps players develop real insight into the openings played, above and beyond looking at them in a book or on a video.

Nigel Davies

QUEEN'S GAMBIT DECLINED, TIGER CHESS THEMED TRAINING TOURNAMENTS, WHITE 1.d2-d4 REPERTOIRE

MAY 2022 CLINIC

The May clinic features games with the Queen's Gambit Declined Exchange Variation from the Tiger Chess Themed Training Tournaments on Lichess. The starting position was the one that arises after the moves 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 d5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nc3 Be7 6.Bg5 c6 7.Qc2 O-O 8.e3 Nbd7 9.Bd3 Re8 10.O-O Nf8, which is considered a key opening position. This features in two Tiger Chess courses, the White 1.d4 Repertoire course (in which 11.h3 is recommended for White) and the Building an Opening Repertoire course in which it is recommended for Black.

Both sides have chances in this line and it is rich in strategic and tactical ideas. One of the key plans for White is a minority attack with b2-b4-b5. Dandanmian brought this off in one of his games and here he had a winning idea (see diagram):

 

Dandanmian - NN: White to play

White to play found 21.Ba6!, winning the rook on c8 because 21...Ra8 is met by 22.Bb7. Black struggled on for some moves but the position is hopeless.

Nigel Davies

CLINIC, FRENCH DEFENCE, WHITE 1.d2-d4 REPERTOIRE

APRIL 2022 CLINIC

The April Clinic once again features games from the Tigerchess.com Themed Training team tournaments. There were three different starting positions for the tournaments selected, the Steinitz French (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7), the Tarrasch French (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5) and the Gruenfeld Defence (1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.c4 Bg7 4.Nc3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.e4 Nxc3 7.bxc3 c5). All these lines feature in Tiger Chess opening repertoires.

Black managed to bring off a nice finish in one of the Gruenfeld games. White had just played 23.Qb2-a1 in order to defend the back rank, but how did Black forced immediate resignation with his next move?

Weich - OldSpeckledHen, Black to play

Black played 23..Qxc2! after which 24.Rxc2 Rd1+ leads to mate. White resigned at this point (0-1).

Nigel Davies

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