On behalf of the Alliance Chess Club, Louis A. Reed Jr. organized and directed the Fourth Annual Queen City of the Prairie Open & Fort Worth Championship on July 17–18, 2021. Although I scored just 3 points out of 5 rounds, I split the first expert prize with my last-round opponent. My fourth-round opponent missed turning his losing position into a draw. In round 5, I turned my winning position into a draw. More 🡢
In 2021, Gambit Publications published Win with the Caro-Kann. The authors, Norwegians Sverre Johnsen and Grandmaster Torbjørn Ringdal Hansen, recommend specific lines for Black. The book’s specialization is a plus if a reader is looking for a repertoire. It also is a useful guide to selected lines of the Caro-Kann Defense, if you are teaching chess for International Chess Day, July 20, 2021. More 🡢
With the success of the Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit, many people are interested in chess for the first time. Although chess has a reputation of being a difficult game suited for smart people, anyone can learn the rules of chess. Becoming a grandmaster, however, takes a lot of work. More 🡢
Unlike checkers, where captures are compulsory, in chess one may delay a capture by playing an in-between move, also known as an intermezzo or a zwischenzug. When losing weight, there are likewise plateaus in between big changes. More 🡢
The Women’s FIDE Grand Prix Series concludes in Gibraltar. The last chess tournament in the series, a 12-player round robin, runs from May 22 to June 2, 2021. The two players who score the most cumulative points in the Grand Prix series qualify for the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament, which determines the next Challenger to the Women’s World Chess Champion. More 🡢
How do you not get better at chess, asked celebrity trainer Vinnie Tortorich. His podcast guest, US Chess Senior Director of Strategic Communication Dan Lucas, had said that he had reached his rating ceiling. Tortorich refused to believe that Lucas was not improving at chess, since Lucas’ job immerses him in the game. Also in this article are two positions from a Mechanics’ Institute Twitch broadcast. More 🡢
The filter “Is it true, is it necessary, is it kind?” has been attributed to Socrates and Buddhism, among other sources. Using the first two questions, Dr. Alexey Root examines one quote from Attacking the Strongpoint: The Philosophy of Chess by Grandmaster Igor Zaitsev. Then she considers diets. More 🡢
International Master and famed chess trainer Mark Dvoretsky called serious endgame errors by strong players “tragicomedies.” In Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual, he advised his readers to not laugh at the players, but to see the perils of ignoring endgame theory. More 🡢
Learning the rules of chess can be accomplished in one day. There are six different chessmen. Master how each moves and captures, and use them to checkmate your opponents, to succeed in your chess games.
The best way to learn is by playing! Right here on SparkChess you can play against different computer personas (start with Cody if you never played before). The game will highlight all valid moves for a piece, so it's easy to understand and learn the rules. Then you can move to learning strategies and openings with SparkChess Premium, which features an Opening Explorer with over 100 opening variations, 30 interactive lessons and even an AI coach.
While learning chess online is efficient, since software corrects illegal moves, playing chess with others in person can be satisfying. You and a friend or family member could tackle chess together, perhaps reading the rules in a book. Playing on a three-dimensional chess set can be a fun break from our online lives. When in-person chess is not available, SparkChess has online multiplayer for playing with friends (and making new ones).
While learning chess rules takes one day, becoming good at chess takes longer. One proverb states, “Chess is a sea in which a gnat may drink and an elephant may bathe.” With intense efforts, chess greatness can be achieved.
The game between Dawid Przepiorka, representing Poland and Erich Eliskases, an Austrian born chess player took place in Hamburg, Germany, 1930. Play, solve and comment