DHLC Newsletter - MARCH 2014 edition
Dan Heisman Learning Center
Newsletter for March 2014
Contents
Welcome!
News
Dan's Corner
Blog highlights
Puzzles of the Month
Easy Links
Want to get in touch with the newsletter crew? Write to them at DHLCNewsletter@gmail.com
WELCOME!
Newsletter March edition, volume 15
Welcome to the Dan Heisman Learning Center!
All members of the DHLC share a common interest and we all have the strong desire to improve our chess playing. We are truly a group BY the members FOR the members. No matter if you are a master or completely new to the game, we welcome you. Please do take a look around the forums to see where other members can help you improve or you can help others as well.
We at the DHLC encourage active participation, good sportsmanship and above all, fun in learning this wonderful game. Whether your preference is for live chess, longer correspondence (“online”) games, some vote chess or working your way through the instructional articles written by some of stronger members, there is something for everyone at DHLC.
DHLC Slow Chess League Games Archive
SirIvanHoe
Available now for download! Our latest Games Archive corrected and updated with all of the latest games! Want to know what your next opponent's favorite opening is? This is where to find out! Games played in the Dan Heisman Learning Center's Slow Chess League till 2-10-2014. Included are 3,116 games from more than 775 players in over 150 events. Both chessbase archive and pgn formats are included in the zip file.
Need a program to view the games? You can download the free Chessbase Reader 2013 which can read both Chessbase and pgn formats and show you all of the tournament and other info as well as the games.
https://en.chessbase.com/pages/download
Wondering what all the buzz is about? Want to play slow chess too? Join the Dan Heisman Learning Center and the Slow Chess League and sign up for the next 3 round League Qualifier tournament.
Click the Link below to Download!
http://www.chess.com/download/view/dhlc-slow-chess-league-games-archive
New to our events?
League Qualifer Tournament
This is the event that all new league players MUST compete in successfully to qualify to enter regular tournaments in the DHLC Slow Chess League. This is a 3 round event with games played at a time control of G/45+45. In order to qualify you must participate in all 3 rounds, observe all league rules, and complete at least 1 game. Before signing up below, read our rules here. Use this time zone converter to help with scheduling your games. (Enter New York in the converter to get ET.)
League qualifers happen every three to four weeks. Watch for signups in the DHLC proper. Want to see how it works?
DHLC Slow Chess Weekly
Signups Are Now Open!
This brand new tournament format is designed to let regular league players get an extra game on any single week that they'll have the time to play.
New Feature! - We now offer both G/45+45 and G/90+30 sections. Let us know when you sign up which time control you want - or sign up for both! Being a single round event means that due colors are not observed week to week. Each week's pairings will not in any way be based on pairings or results of previous weeks. You must be a qualified league player to participate in this event.
DHLC Slow Chess QUADS
Signups Are Now Open!
2 time controls G/45+45 & G/90+30 - double round robin quads by rating
Note that rounds for all time controls are 1 week for new sections formed.
Rule Change - Games may not be played earlier or later than the scheduled round. A withdrawl from a quad will count as forfeits for all remaining games in the quad and means it will likely result in Immediate and indefinite league suspension.
G/45+45 (1 week per round - 6 round event runs 6 weeks)
1800+
U1800, U1600, U1500, U1200.
G/90+30 (1 week per round - 6 round event runs 6 weeks)
1800+
U1800, U1600, U1400, U1200.
Sign up here: http://www.chess.com/groups/forumview/dhlc-slow-chess-quads
Mention the section for which you'd like to sign up. You MUST be a qualified league player to sign up for this event. Your Live Standard rating at the time a quad starts will determine what rating class you may enter. Players may not play outside of their actual rating class. Players may sign up once in each time control, and then may add their name again after a new quad including them has started. Quads will begin when 4 players sign up for a single time control / rating class or as soon as TDs are available with rounds to start on a Monday. Slow Chess League rules will apply.
Please be sure to check Tracking Comments so you'll know when your quad has been formed.
As with all of our tournaments, players will be invited to a specified playing group. The quad forum is unlocked when the assigned TD has arrived.
Would you like to be a Chess Mentor
Eternal_Patzer
Over the last few months a number of people have suggested that we organize a mentoring program where stronger players help weaker ones improve. For example, here is the original suggestion by DHLC Member Namssob:
My first suggestion: A mentoring program within the group. One example:
When a new person joins, a much higher rated player agrees to play an unrated game against that person, and provide brief tips/hints along the way to help improve their game. I'm not talking about full-fledged coaching sessions, or tons of time. Just simple thoughts and ideas.
This has several benefits:
It helps new members feel welcomed into the group,
It helps their game by being mentored
It helps the MENTOR - we all agree that having to TEACH something requires additional thought and contemplation, hence, I would wager that a 1600 rated player helping a 1200 rated player would actually learn something from the process. I don't beloieve it's a one-way street.
I'm also not talking about a 1550 rated player mentoring a 1450 rated player. I mean a significant amount, say a 400pt difference.
Would you be interesting in helping someone as a Chess Mentor? Would you like to be "Mentee"? Either way, post below to let us know. If there is enough interest we'll see what we can do to facilitate something. Thanks!
Share the Creativity
Dr_Cris_Angel
We have many talented members in the DHLC and I have been fortunate to have a few poems shared with me. I thought they were excellent and certainly deserved recognition for the creativity.
First, a gentleman who is probably one of the kindest people I've met. As I've said many times, I'm so thankful he asked me to join the DHLC!! It's our very own, Eternal_Patzer. Enjoy.
A Pawn's a Queen in waiting
What a lovely thought!
and when we feel like lowly pawns,
from time to time, we ought
to keep hope close at hand,
... a tactic unexpected
... a piece that's unprotected
... a noble Knight who gives his life
to speed us on our way
and what had seemed like murky strife
becomes as clear as day
A Pawn's a Queen in waiting,
but if we all are pawns
forget about your Rating
and head straight for the dawn!
And we have two by DHLC member Renate-Irene. A rather quiet individual, when she speaks, she always has something lovely to say and is also quite clever as we can see.
chess seems to have a very strange effect on me
I start writing poetry
it breaks open the silence that was there
the wooden pieces
lure me out of my lair
opening theory lets me see
concepts in a new light for me
I suddenly am able to define
emotions hidden or sublime
words just come to me
Inequality
In chess there is inequality – a bishop a queen can never be,
He assigned to his slot –
The Light Square or dark
He changes not
Yet as a pair his strength can greater be
For he covers all the diagonals you see
And while a queen he never can attack
He can take her with help of double check
Overcoming inequality
Greater than the queen he can be
The queen though strong has a difficult lot
She must fight alone and must run a lot
Her companions can defend her only to a degree
Because everyone likes to take a powerful piece
You see
To whom can she turn for comfort and understanding?
The king whose life is her concern?
His danger signals her lot
She sacrifices on the spot
The king in majesty rules in his lair
The concern for his safety is beyond compare
Each piece is concerned to keep him safe
Often smothering his life into the grave
Only allowed to a circle to go
His life is lonely in way that only a ruler can know
The knight or how unpredictable is he
He jumps from place so careless
So free
Creating forks here and there
Threatening everyone everywhere
Closed or open position
He does not care
No limitations he can see
Yet unstable is he
With each move he must let go the territory he possessed
He can be driven to and fro
And a rock or bishop can jail him
With no place to go
The rock the opposite is he
Sturdy and as predictable as predictable can be
In straight lines he moves across the plain
Straight forward always the same
From side to side he may sway
But always in straight lines he must stay
He destroys everything in his bullying way
Yet when blocked he weeps in dismay
The pawn, oh how difficult it’s lot
He only gets to move one spot
He may start out with two
But careful he must be
en passant
Ends hope for the future he can see.
Dreary is his life
Step by step fighting to survive
But if to the end his way
He can see
A promotion beyond compare
If only he can get there
He is the only piece that can transform
A tedious living
For a glorious morn
When he is reborn
Each piece has a unique position in the game
Their jobs are not the same
They differ in their personality
Same may call this inequality
Yet the differences make chess
The beautiful that in can be
Sameness would deny
The richness
That life can be
Dan's Corner
NM DanHeisman
On my road "back" to master my first stop was the 1980 Hatboro Open. I won the event 4-0, beating master Ross Nickel with a great last round game (maybe next time!) but along the way beat then-A player Mark Schwarcz in a wild game:
Want more tips? Turn to Dan's Tip of the day!
http://www.chess.com/groups/forumview/dans-tip-of-the-day
Blog Highlights!
Dr_Cris_Angel
CM Stepanosinovsky once again shares many blogs with us. We are fortunate to have a master player kindly contributing in this way!
http://www.chess.com/blog/stepanosinovsky/my-favorite-examples-from-tactics-trainer
http://www.chess.com/blog/stepanosinovsky/my-favorite-examples-from-tactics-trainer-2
http://www.chess.com/blog/stepanosinovsky/najdorf-battle--4-domination
http://www.chess.com/blog/stepanosinovsky/najdorf-battle--32
http://www.chess.com/blog/stepanosinovsky/najdorf-battle--1
http://www.chess.com/blog/stepanosinovsky/najdorf-battle--2
Puzzles of the month
Farnel
Skewers but not of the Barbeque Kind
Some months ago, I presented a set of puzzles that gave you some practice with the tactical theme of the pin. This month we will move on to another tactical theme, the skewer.
On the surface, the two themes are similar. In a pin, it is usual that a lower value piece masks an attack on a more valuable piece behind it. Move the pinned piece, lose the piece behind it. Of course if it is an absolute pin, where the piece behind is the king, moving the pinned piece is likely to be impossible.
With a skewer, there is a similar attack along a line that hits a vulnerable piece, masking an attack on a piece behind it. This time, the pieces are usually the opposite way around; the more valuable piece is attacked directly and the less valuable piece is behind it. Move the more valuable piece, and the piece behind is lost. Of course, the pieces can be the same in a skewer, for example skewering the two rooks along a diagonal.
Here is a simple example to illustrate the point, and get you warmed up. It is white to play and win material. The game is still really in the opening, white hasn't completed his development. However a sharp eye will notice that black is vulnerable here. See what you can find.
Now here is a position where the skewer might not be immediately obvious. It isn't too difficult to find the winning moves, but there is still a need to be careful here.
In our next position, black's piece activity and white's lack of development mean big trouble for white.
This time, black is cramped, dangerously so. How can you take advantage of that?
Now a little magic from a Botvinnik game. He skillfully uses the threat of a fork and skewers to fashion a surprising and elegant mate.
Finally, a more challenging position for you, one of my favourite compositions of H. Rinck. This one takes the use of skewers to the extreme. Be persistent, there is a queen to be won! And see if you can find the skewers "in the notes".
That's it for this month, I hope you enjoyed the puzzles. See you next time.
EASY LINKS
Past newsletters
http://www.chess.com/groups/forumview/dhlc-newsletters
All the DHLC newsletters, linked in one convenient place.
Game Analysis Department
http://www.chess.com/groups/forumview/game-analysis-department3
A forum where any DHLC member can post a game for others to help out with ideas, analysis and advice. It is not meant as a showcase of brilliancies or only winning games. You learn much more from your losses so those are probably the best options for anyone who is serious about improving.
Find a Study Buddy
http://www.chess.com/groups/forumview/find-a-study-buddy
Use this forum to find someone to work with to improve your skills.
I Want to be a Slow Chess Friend
http://www.chess.com/groups/forumview/i-want-to-be-a-slow-chess-friend
Post to get other DHLC members who have a similar interests and a "study buddy".
My Last Lesson With Dan
http://www.chess.com/groups/forumview/my-last-lesson-with-dan
We can all benefit from members' lessons.
The DHLC Store
Not just a place to get cool DHLC gear, 100% of the profit goes directly to Dan's charity, the Dan Heisman Chess Support Fund. Find out more about it here:https://www.facebook.com/ChessSupportFund
DHLC Suggestion Box
http://www.chess.com/groups/forumview/-suggestion-box
Use this for any suggesitons for improving our DHLC.
Slow Chess League
http://www.chess.com/groups/forumview/slow-chess-league2
The place to meet for the players of the DHLC.
Online Chess League
http://www.chess.com/groups/forumview/online-chess-league
Welcome to the DHLC
http://www.chess.com/groups/forumview/welcome-to-the-dhlc
DHLC Guidelines for Conduct
http://www.chess.com/groups/forumview/dhlc-guidelines-for-conduct
Dan's Tip of the Day
