Posts

Article: Is it time to review 'illegal move' rule ?

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Recent conflict between two players played on rapid (OTB) tournament, together with certain other doubts gave me some motive to write an article on 'Illegal move rule' which has been normally applied in rapid and blitz games. Let us go from very basics...

45th Chess Olympiad; round 1 review

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1st day of Chess Olympiad has been completed without surprises, all the favourites won their matches. Following are selection from most exciting positions today.

ICC launched new play zone !

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On September 1st, the oldest chess server Internet Chess Club after many years decided to redesign it's site and introduced new play zone ( Click here! ).

Match Kramnik - Martinez ('Clash of Blames')

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Very attracting event (and controversial too) which I was particularly interested this August was match between Vladimir Kramnik and Jose Eduardo Martinez Alcantra , known as 'Clash of Blames', organized by World Chess .

Catalan opening for club players (U2000)

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I would rather call it as 'Catalan systems' since white is following standard setup with with Nf3,Bg2,0-0 and queen pawns on d4 an c4 while black has many different ways how to response.  It was local club tournament which we played recently and in which I have opted for a strategical concept with white pieces

Rapid Album: Endgames - white to play and win !?

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  This is endgame from one rapid game (20+0) played online after black had played 54...Kc7-d7. White took some time to calculate the following line: 55. Bd5 Bxd5 56. Kxd5 Kc7 57. Kxe5 h4! when it seems that black would win since white king wouldn't be able to stop black passed pawn on king side.

My Old Style Chess Set

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This post is dedicated to old style chess board which I regularly use for my chess activities.

Rapid Album: Handling the 1800 player. Idea was Bg4!?

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Most of concerns in many major openings for black is development of Bc8. Whole openings like Queen Gambit, Slav, Queen Indian, French, Caro-kann etc. are dedicated to this problem. So with the opening line from diagram...

White is winning (or, again that Knight!)

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 This position was recently played online, it seems that after a5-a4 black pawn couldn't be stopped.

Rapid Album: Opposite Exchange Slav and capture on c5

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  Considering c5xd4 is it acceptable for white to go for Nbd2 and how to continue if black decides to go for gambit line giving up the c5 pawn?

Rapid Album: Unexpected queen sacrifice

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The following position is from one of recently played online games (15 min). Both sides were developing attacks on different sides of board...

Rapid Album: Very specific example of badly placed piece

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  A strange looking position of black knight was the main cause of loss for black. It was Alekhine Defense played in one of my recent online rapid games (15 min). After white pawn advance to a5, black knight from b6 was forced to go to a8 and remained there till the game was finished.