In my World League game with the Black pieces against Holland, I sacrificed a pawn to build up a kingside attack. When it came time to sacrifice again to break open White’s kingside position, it became clear that White could parry my a...
Every good chess player’s wife knows the symptoms. When they disappear to rifle through the medicine cabinet for the bottle marked rook endings. When the rose has been picked free of thorns but there is still sting in the positio...
In this game Analysis revealed that we both had the same Miss: h4 is much better a5 come on now! It so happens that Black paid the price!
The Heavy Atom Within the space of a few moves the master had spun a dark vortex that encapsulated all my pulsating chess knowledge in the space of four squares. c4 Nf6 Nc3 e5 g3 d5 cxd5 Nxd5 Bg2 Be6 Nf3 Bd6 d4 No matter how long...
Whether it's Rome or Reno, Tehran or dammit some other place, I wish you all well preparing for your next weekend chess congress!
Games and analysis from the 2024 Upper Peninsula Open. BY ALEX LAMBRUSCHINI Blast off! Back to tournament life and I finish off on Board 2 in this doozy of a game. BOGO-INDIAN DEFENSE, NIMZOWITSCH VARIATION (E11) V. Peso...
Dear chess friends, I always enjoyed making predictions before a tournament. Dear Chess Friends, STOP!!! If you’ve never read a Team Canada Chess Club announcement before, scroll down to the sign-up link, and go from there. Otherwise….I am abo...
Despite it being very late (early?!) I started the New Year with a rare rapid game (10+5s) and found myself on the winning side after a nice sequence. What would you do, as Black, in this position? Mate is in the air
On a personal note, tonight I'm very proud to be getting our town's chess club up and running. It's been over 3 years since I ran a children's club at a Senior's centre. Now the Legion is hosting. We meet on Thursdays 3:30-4:45pm. Anyway, I kn...
Here's an example of Fischer's Golden Rule in one of my games: It's not so easy, eh? White wants to take the initiative on the queenside. But first we have to neutralize threats, by attacking or taking the piece in your half of the board! Lo...
Is anyone out there still trying to get to 2000? Maybe 2023 is a better goal. Or 1984, going back in time a bit. If you're like me, maybe the road got pretty pot-holed and bumpy over the last 20 years. So, as construction season winds down, le...
"Yeah, hello Doctor, this is the Dark Knight and you're about to be busted!" #About to spread the cream cheese So, I played in a blitz tournament tonight by "Team Canada Live." No, you didn't just fall off your horse, you're reading that cor...
From my game with white against Northern Ireland. It's my 24th move and I'm weighing my options for a kingside attack. F4!! In this position I can pour some salt in my opponent's wound on d6, but how do I add some pepper? Before rubbing my h...
Hard as I run the treadmill just rolls faster and heaves toppling me back. I've been deposited back in the 1700s (no, not the century, the chess rating) and as the years go by I just can't seem to climb the pile of sand to 2000. ~ The...
Take your towel off and wade with me into the inky waters of chess free verse. Have you seen it? A flash and then silence. Ajitsuke tamago for breakfast. Mirin sauce drizzled on deck. This game ends with a kamikaze rook lift. Like a py...
We all know the importance of pushing passed pawns, it's actually something I've been trying hard to focus on in my games. Then lo and behold this position crops up, where my central passed pawn gracefully makes up for the absence of two of hi...
"Going postal" means to become crazed and violent, especially as the result of chess. Did I say chess? I meant stress. There's no better substitute for stress than classical chess. The real kind of stress, not the fake kind you get with blitz....
Black offers fruit at the end of the pawn branch on d5. Should White take it? 🤔 What's the alternative?
Mate in 12. White's Queen goes on a rampage. Can you find all the right moves?
It's White to move. What's the plan Stan? Hint: if pawns could talk, could they also walk the walk?
No, this is just me playing chess. I might be teaching French for the first time second semester, but I sure as guacamole won't be playing the French in my upcoming tournament. Unlike when I was a debutante at the Primrose Hotel 23 years ago, I'...
Maybe I'm scared of handling the 5 second delay in time trouble (versus the 30 second bonus I'm used to) so I don't visit the men's room on Saturday. Sunday is a different story. I know what you're thinking: he flushes another game down the ...
Ladies, it's only a 4 round event, so time to lick my wounds and get ready for tomorrow. Have you ever played chess in a bar......it turns out it's one way to meet otherrr c h e s s players!? My evening soirée includes a walk in the park and som...
One of the great things to come out of the pandemic was that I grew my hair out. To get an idea just how much check out this picture from my 2019 match with Loren Schwiebert. That was before the madness. Well, I won that game 3 years ago. Ca...
Are you like me? Debating about whether to play in the next weekend Swiss. I decided to play this weekend. Surprisingly, several players over 1800 showed up and I was paired on Board 1 in Round 1. I have the Black pieces and I'm about to pla...
