It is a lot easier to calculate tactical sacrifices than positional ones. With tactical ones you either have some sort of tangible advantage that can be converted into win while with the positional ones mainly you reply on positional evaluation. Here are some factors which I consider to be basis for positional sacrifices: 1.Piece activity … Continue reading "Positional Sacrifices" The post...

The "Analipseos" (Ascension) chapel at the beach of Gialiskari. Το εκκλησάκι της Αναλήψεως στην παραλία στο Γιαλισκάρι.The official announcement of the 42nd Ikaros International Chess Tournament 2019 has been released containing all the details about the tournament. It can be found here or can be downloaded in .doc or .pdf format.The tournament...

Άποψη του γραφικού μικρού λιμανιού των Θερμών. Τα Θέρμα φιλοξενούν κάθε χρόνο αρκετούς από τους συμμετέχοντες του τουρνουά - A view of the picturesque port of Therma. The village of Therma hosts several of the tournament participants every year.Δημοσιεύτηκε η προκήρυξη...

“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 (25)" The post “What Say You?” The 1...

ΔΕΛΤΙΟ ΤΥΠΟΥ14oΠανευρωπαϊκό Πρωτάθλημα Λύσης Σκακιστικών Προβλημάτων14thEuropean Chess Solving ChampionshipΛίγες μόνο μέρες μας χωρίζουν από την έναρξη του φετινού Πανευρωπαϊκού Πρωταθλήματος Λύσης Σκακιστικών Προβλημάτων, που θα...

When I started playing chess back in the mid 1960s you didn’t need to know very much about endings. League matches, unless you or your opponent were playing very fast, stopped at move 30 and went for adjudication. If you were playing in a weekend congress the time control would be at move 40, when … Continue reading "Bishop and Knight" The post Bishop and Knight appeared first on The...

The TCEC Cup is now an integral part of the seasons of the Top Chess Engine Championship. It brings a special twist to the regular pace of the season, gives a chance for lower rated engines to meet the best, and also provides opportunity for engines with new versions to show their best and climb [...]

The backbone of chess improvement is positional problem solving, namely solving positional puzzles. In an ideal world, we’d be able to dedicate three or four hours a day to improving our game. However, we have responsibilities such as going to work in order to keep a roof over our heads and food in our stomachs. … Continue reading "Problem Solving" The post Problem Solving appeared...

Ξεκινάει σε λίγες ημέρες στις εγκαταστάσεις της ΔΕΘ στο Περίπτερο 6, το 12ο Διεθνές Ανοιχτό Τουρνουά Τριανδρίας με 2 γκρουπ δυναμικότητας, από τις  29 Απριλίου έως τις 5 Μαΐου. Μια συλλογική προσπάθεια που κάθε χρόνο...

Με 5 χρυσά και 2 αργυρά στο Ατομικό Πρωτάθλημα, με 1 αργυρό και 2 χάλκινα στο Ομαδικό Πρωτάθλημα και πολλές καλές εμφανίσεις ολοκλήρωσαν την συμμετοχή τους οι μαθητές και μαθήτριες της περιοχής μας.

“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 (24)" The post “What Say You?” The 1...

How is it possible for a 2367 rated player to blunder a piece to a simple tactic on move 9 of a well-known opening? Have a look at this game, from round 3 of the European Women’s Championship. White is the legendary Pia Cramling, playing against Ana Matnadze. 1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 c5 3. … Continue reading "Contributing to the Statistics" The post Contributing to the Statistics appeared...

Actually, it’s the tale of a single student whose behavior changed so dramatically that he became another person altogether, thus a tale of two students! I’ve taught nearly a thousand students at this juncture in my teaching career, seeing many of them go through amazing life changes during their tenure with me. However, only one … Continue reading "A Tale of Two Students" The...

Η ΕΣΟ προκηρύσσει τους προκριματικούς αγώνες του ατομικού πρωταθλήματος παίδων-κορασίδων, εφήβων – νεανίδων ηλικίας 8 έως 16 ετών για το 2019 για τους αθλητές των σωματείων της Περιφέρειας Δυτικής Ελλάδας (πρώην ΕΣΣΠ)...

Usually when you sacrifice some concrete calculation is required. However there are some cases where a sacrifice is based on pure intuition and positional evaluation. If I talk about myself I have a habit to check exchange sacrifices, especially in the early middle game when minor pieces can be better than rooks if the opponent … Continue reading "The Exchange Sacrifice" The post The...