Chess.com - Play. Learn. Share. Online chess community where you can play chess, learn strategies and tactics, read chess news, see book reviews, find rules & tips, get free downloads, and more! http://www.chess.com/ 2007 Chess.com Ratings and HistoryThe dark science of ratings is beyond my mathematical ken, so why we end up with ratings like 1430 or 1683 or 2700 I have no idea. However, there does seem an excellent correlation between rating and historical strength.  Thus, a player with a...http://blog.chess.com/davidetal/ratings-and-historySun, 21 Jun 2009 19:00:51 -0700http://blog.chess.com/davidetal/ratings-and-historyDaily Puzzle suggestionThis position arose in the "Cheers! Vote Chess Cafe" versus "The Learning Group". The solution has one variation from the game, to correct a best-play option I think Black missed (though it only delays the inevitable).   http://blog.chess.com/davidetal/daily-puzzle-suggestionWed, 21 Jan 2009 17:33:43 -0800http://blog.chess.com/davidetal/daily-puzzle-suggestionFun when counter-attack works...By fighting back in this Blitz game, I managed to turn a loss into a win. Not always polite to post wins but, for me at my level, it was nice counter-attack. The diagram starts around when I get into trouble, my BDG opening having been dealt with ...http://blog.chess.com/davidetal/fun-when-it-worksThu, 20 Nov 2008 17:16:32 -0800http://blog.chess.com/davidetal/fun-when-it-worksYou can feel it, but can't see itSometimes your intuition just yells at you about a situation: there is a combination here, so find it!!! So you turn on the brain and look and look... In this Blitz game -5/5 - I spent 3 minutes looking for the right response to his 8 h3. My intu...http://blog.chess.com/davidetal/you-can-feel-it-but-cant-see-itTue, 23 Sep 2008 17:51:56 -0700http://blog.chess.com/davidetal/you-can-feel-it-but-cant-see-itBlitz swindleSwindles - which I understand to mean, extracting a win from a lost position - are fun, if you are the swindler. Though in this case my opponent enjoyed it too - there were several 'lols' in the comment box:) This was a 10m game, played in Livec...http://blog.chess.com/davidetal/blitz-swindleSun, 24 Aug 2008 17:01:29 -0700http://blog.chess.com/davidetal/blitz-swindleA Ruy Lopez traphttp://blog.chess.com/davidetal/a-ruy-lopez-trapMon, 18 Feb 2008 15:22:08 -0800http://blog.chess.com/davidetal/a-ruy-lopez-trap