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 Well its my favorite and least favorite time of the year the 5 days b4 school that are packed with fun and then school the worst part of the yar. So here is my fun filled schedual b4 school (school starts oon the 18th of august) 13th not much bu...http://blog.chess.com/drakesdman/5-days-b4-school-schedualeSat, 15 Aug 2009 09:01:40 -0700http://blog.chess.com/drakesdman/5-days-b4-school-schedualehttp://www.csm.astate.edu/~wpaulsen/chess/chess.htm This Site Is for openings it gives you great feedback on almost all openings. http://chesstempo.com/ This site Practices tactics in blitz normal and practice,, endgames in theory and normal na...http://blog.chess.com/drakesdman/great-learningTue, 11 Aug 2009 06:46:56 -0700http://blog.chess.com/drakesdman/great-learningHi. Here is my next school years big prank im becoming an 8th grader so  i made sure it would be good. I am going to pretend im a foreign exchange student from britian (i have a perfect british accent when i try)  all of 8th grade i no will be w...http://blog.chess.com/drakesdman/funny-school-prankThu, 06 Aug 2009 06:15:26 -0700http://blog.chess.com/drakesdman/funny-school-prank Here Is a great funny story that came from a game between me and kobe-bryant. Its was in a team match my group squad of 1 vs. his group the farm. The match name was the farmer vs. the farm.   kobe-bryant: i came off my high horse to atac...http://blog.chess.com/drakesdman/funny-story-from-gameMon, 03 Aug 2009 11:53:36 -0700http://blog.chess.com/drakesdman/funny-story-from-gameSince I'm part of 200+ groups it was hard for me to choose but here are my current top 5 favorite groups, They Are currently 1 Black Knight Assasssins (my Group) its growing fast has team matches and vote chess please join! 2 Chess Unlimited Tea...http://blog.chess.com/drakesdman/my-five-favorite-groupsSun, 02 Aug 2009 14:02:36 -0700http://blog.chess.com/drakesdman/my-five-favorite-groupsI was recently in this postition and saw 2 basic options a rook trade off or get a bishop and knight while losing a rook. whats best here. http://blog.chess.com/drakesdman/question-13-materialTue, 07 Jul 2009 10:43:34 -0700http://blog.chess.com/drakesdman/question-13-materialWho is winning here. I would say me white because each of his rooks are locked in pretty good even though i am down to pawns. Whos winning? http://blog.chess.com/drakesdman/question-12Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:48:47 -0700http://blog.chess.com/drakesdman/question-12Hi this question is about an opening ive been using recently and was wondering what is it called? Also is it solid? Does it lead to quicker endgames? Does it lead to generally longer or shorter games? Here it is. With a few variations. There are m...http://blog.chess.com/drakesdman/question-11-openingSun, 28 Jun 2009 15:57:47 -0700http://blog.chess.com/drakesdman/question-11-openingThis position has come up to me very often and so far i have only come up with 1 good move to stop it and it doesn't help any other part of my board much. I was wondering what the best way was to defend against this. It threatens either check wuth...http://blog.chess.com/drakesdman/question-10-common-defenceFri, 26 Jun 2009 17:46:52 -0700http://blog.chess.com/drakesdman/question-10-common-defence I have a few questions. This is the same game as question 7 but now i am not so sure. tripled pawns is limiting and hard to pretect as far as i no. I'm up developementally and a pawn materially so i am up. But after my opponent played bg4 plus i...http://blog.chess.com/drakesdman/question-9-tripled-pawnsFri, 26 Jun 2009 15:55:03 -0700http://blog.chess.com/drakesdman/question-9-tripled-pawns This is a common position i've reached many times as black and am wondering. Is it better to defend with the queens pawn (i use 40% of time), the knight ( i use 45% of time), the bishops pawn (very rare of me 5% of time), or the queen itself (ive...http://blog.chess.com/drakesdman/question-8-common-openingsFri, 26 Jun 2009 14:16:01 -0700http://blog.chess.com/drakesdman/question-8-common-openingsWho is in a better position me white or my opponnt black? I cant castle and have a doubled pawn with a weakish center but am also more developed whose position is better? ps Its blacks turn to move http://blog.chess.com/drakesdman/question-7Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:11:53 -0700http://blog.chess.com/drakesdman/question-7Is this a good idea or a stupid blunder? I did it thinking it would lead to checkmate was it a good idea? http://blog.chess.com/drakesdman/question-6Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:47:36 -0700http://blog.chess.com/drakesdman/question-6Who is doing better in this position? It is from 1 of my games i played white. I am very far ahead devopoing but he is a pawn up. Is it even does my developemaen make up for the pawn or does the queen near my king give him the advantage? (its also...http://blog.chess.com/drakesdman/question-5Wed, 24 Jun 2009 09:24:33 -0700http://blog.chess.com/drakesdman/question-5Avoiding fools mate without losing much.  Im in a bad spot trading pawns actually brings out the bishop is there a way to avoid mate? If so whats the best way to do it without losing to much material? http://blog.chess.com/drakesdman/question-4Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:00:41 -0700http://blog.chess.com/drakesdman/question-4What do you trade off first are there any in betweeners to do?    Knight takes knight on the left is followed by bishop on right takes your bishop and threatens rook.  Theres so many trade off what should you do? http://blog.chess.com/drakesdman/question-3Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:32:59 -0700http://blog.chess.com/drakesdman/question-3Would it matter in this position what you take first and with what?  Is taking the bishop with the knight first bst or do you tade your bishop for a knight first. Or does it all not matter.  The only reason i could think of t mattering was the...http://blog.chess.com/drakesdman/question-2Thu, 18 Jun 2009 08:32:54 -0700http://blog.chess.com/drakesdman/question-2What would you in this position. Ruin your castle or lose tempo? I lost tempo by taking the peice with the knight. Should i haave taken it with the king or the knight? http://blog.chess.com/drakesdman/a-question3Sun, 14 Jun 2009 08:33:27 -0700http://blog.chess.com/drakesdman/a-question3I'm not sure but i think the tactics increase also helped my rating to. I'm alsost at the peak i set a week ago (in the prime of the tactics peak) I have also been in the 1400's for nearly a month! my peak is now nearing 1500 it being 1485! So i g...http://blog.chess.com/drakesdman/double-yayMon, 11 May 2009 14:16:43 -0700http://blog.chess.com/drakesdman/double-yayI just got my tactics rating to 1688! 300 points above my games rating. I think i ow all of it to 2 groups. 1 Chess unlimited becaus of jallers many puzzles and mentor programs. 2 The Beginners team giving me a chance to make puzzles that help. Â...http://blog.chess.com/drakesdman/yay4Fri, 17 Apr 2009 15:46:39 -0700http://blog.chess.com/drakesdman/yay4