Beginner To Master - Part 2
Link to Part I
My rather hilarious student wanted this blog to be called "The Rise of Todd", so we can pretend it is :).
Here's another annotated game played by the same student (I will use other students, I promise) at a recent tournament. I've added my own notes in the second game. There are a few valuable lessons in this game including the value of:
- Playing proper openings.
- Knowing those openings well and constantly learning more.
- Not being afraid to play 'odd' moves, but calculating very critically before trying anything that looks 'funny'.
- Being alert to which side of the board you are playing on.
- Avoiding doing anything that may help your opponent to gain counterplay.
- Being aware of both weak pawns and weak squares (d6 in this case).
- Knowing which pawn breaks are available to you and utilizing them at the right moment.
- And one thing done very well... utilizing a space advantage to penetrate the enemy camp!
Most importantly - tactical awareness is often if not always the most important aspect of chess. Be alert!
Student Annotations:
My Notes
See you next time!
