I finally had a student ask me why pawns and pieces are assigned a relative value. Surprisingly, most of my students simply accept the statements I make when teaching as fact, putting little thought into them other than to commit them to memory. When I tell my students the relative value of the pawns and … Continue reading "The Reality of Relative Value" The post The Reality of Relative...

Magnus Carlsen likes to throw his opponents on their own resources rather than have them depend on preparation. With this in mind he takes some liberties in the opening by playing some very offbeat stuff at times. In the following game he opens with 1.b4!?, known variously as the Orang Utan (after an ape in … Continue reading "Monkeying Around" The post Monkeying Around appeared first on...

“If you don’t know what it is you’re looking for you’re never going to find it. You have to be clear on what it is you’re seeking.” Germany Kent When we learn new things, we need to do it with a purpose. This is apparent when we are adults, but not so much during our … Continue reading "Opportunities" The post Opportunities appeared first on The Chess Improver.

Κάθε σκακιστής για να βελτιώσει το παιχνίδι του οφείλει να αναλύει προσεκτικά όλα του τα παιχνίδια, ανεξαιρέτως αποτελέσματος. Η ανάλυση στο σκάκι υπάρχει – από πάντα και δεν είναι τυχαίο που ο 6ος, κατά σειρά...

8ο ΔΕΛΤΙΟ ΤΥΠΟΥ Σ.Ο. ΣΑΧ (2019-2020)Φίλες και φίλοι καλημέρα,Μία όμορφη εβδομάδα ξεκινάει σήμερα, μετά από ένα υπέροχο Σαββατοκύριακο.Συνοπτικά:Ιστορική πρόκριση και 3η θέση για την ομάδα Παίδων-ΚορασίδωνΤο ομαδικό...

Παιδικό rapid τουρνουά με ελβετικό σύστημα 7 γύρων με διεθνή αξιολόγηση ELO FIDE Rapid (Οι διοργανωτές μπορούν να αλλάξουν σύστημα αγώνων ανάλογα με τον αριθμό συμμετοχών)   Την Κυριακή,17 Νοεμβρίου 2019, στην αίθουσά μας...

This game came to my attention recently: it interested me so I thought I’d share it with you. You will no doubt have been following the big FIDE tournament on the Isle of Man recently. There were also two amateur sections: this game came from the lower of the two, so the players weren’t amazingly … Continue reading "Defending the Greek Gift" The post Defending the Greek Gift...

An opening that I have played and like is the Torre attack (1.d4 followed by 2.Nf3 and 3.Bg5). It was first played with any consistency by the Mexican Carlos Torre, who used this opening to defeat Emanuel Lasker in one game. These days it tends to be used by technical players who want to keep … Continue reading "The Technical Torre" The post The Technical Torre appeared first on The Chess...

“A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer” Bruce Lee A quick reminder how to do it: Have a look at the position for 1 minute (watch the clock) Think about the choices in front of you and pick the one you feel it … Continue reading "“What Say You?” The 1 Minute Challenge (32)" The post “What Say You?” The 1...

Παιδικό rapid τουρνουά με ελβετικό σύστημα 7 γύρων με διεθνή αξιολόγηση ELO FIDE Rapid (Οι διοργανωτές μπορούν να αλλάξουν σύστημα αγώνων ανάλογα με τον αριθμό συμμετοχών)   Την Κυριακή,17 Νοεμβρίου 2019, στην αίθουσά μας...

Προβλήματα λύσεις και αποτελέσματα του διαγωνισμού.ΑττιικήςΠρώτος ο Παναγιώτης Κονιδάρης. Πρωταθλητής συλλόγων Αττικής ο Nίκος Μενδρινός (του «Ζήνωνα»)!Πρώτος έφηβος Αττικής ο 12χρονος Ισίδωρος Παπαουλάκης...

First of all, apologies for not having posted for several weeks. I had to take a break for health reasons but I’m now on the road to recovery and posting here (and elsewhere) again. We’ve now reached the 9th game of my 2018-19 season, from a league match against Surbiton. I had the white pieces … Continue reading "2018-19 Season (9)" The post 2018-19 Season (9) appeared first on...

Πρόσκληση για Γ.Σ. 10.11.2019 Μετά τη Γ.Σ. θα ακολουθήσει σύγκληση του Δ.Σ

I’m constantly asked about the benefits of playing chess. At least twice a year, I see an angry argument on social media sites regarding just what chess can do fo you, should you decide to take up the game. Many after youth oriented chess programs sell chess to schools, stating that chess will help students … Continue reading "Any Benefits to Chess?" The post Any Benefits to Chess...

The King’s Gambit is a rare bird these days in top Grandmaster chess. Boris Spassky and David Bronstein used to play it with some regularity, and more recently Nigel Short and Hikaru Nakamura have used it on occasion. But most GMs see it as being too risky. This is not to say that it can … Continue reading "The King’s Gambit" The post The King’s Gambit appeared first on...