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 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

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

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:

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

The latest clinic looks at knight manoeuvres and can be access by full members here. The knight tends to be a tricky piece to manage because of its short step and need for outposts, and this is why I devote 5 lessons to the knight in the Tiger Chess strategy course.

Here's a position from one of the clinic games in which L. J. had successfully weakened White's kingside with ...Ng4, provoking g2-g3, and now commenced a powerful attack. Here's the position after White's 22nd move, Be2-g4:

Black uncorked 22... f5!, the point of which is to meet 23.Bxf5 with 23...Rxf5!. Instead the game went 23.Nc7 Qd6 24.Nxa8 fxg4 25.Nb6 Nb4 26.Qd2 Bxe4+ 27.Kh2 Bg1+ 0-1, a nice finish.

Nigel Davies

The December 2019 clinic is now online and features members' best games. With 'best' games beauty tends to be in the eye of the beholder, with some liking games which feature ferocious attacks and others preferring strategic performances. Both these types are featured as well as games which combine tactics and strategy.

One of the games featured K. A. as White, and after 19 moves the following position was reached with White to play:

Here White uncorked the brilliant and crushing 20.Nd5!, and this led to a rapid victory after 20...exd5 21.Rxe8 Ne4 (21...Nxe8 22.Bxd5+ Kf6 23.Qh5! is even more crushing than 23.Qxe8) 22.Rxf8+ Kxf8 23.cxd5. Although White has only won a pawn, his position is so strong that further gains are inevitable.

Nigel Davies

The July clinic is looks at open files and members can access it here. All the games involve open files in some way, either direct use of them or levering them open.

Having started playing again I used one of my own games from the South Wales International against Tim Spanton. In the position we reached after 21 moves I had managed to gain a strong position but did not see how to win:

Eventually I came up with 22.b6!?, which led to my gaining a half open b-file after 22...axb6 23.Nxb6. The point is that unlike the open d-file, this one has a nice target on b7. The game proceeded with the moves 23...Na6 24.Nd5 Qd6 25.Rab1 c4 26.Qxc4 Qxa3 27.Rxb7 Rc8 28.Nf6+ and Black resigned (1-0).

Playing for open files can be subtle, which is why the Tiger Chess Strategy Course has so many lessons devoted to it.

Nigel Davies