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I played a recent tournament (shocker), and I was just so proud of the intensity of the playing that I wanted to show it off! Clearly not the best player there ever was on both sides of the board, it more goes to show just how fun it can be playing that final decision making game in the tournament is! And thus the stage is set. With one game left on the board to be played and the score .5-.5, I had to take my opportunity with the white pieces to win here! And so here's the game! The best finale I have had, and second best I have seen (Anand and Topalov was much more intense lol).

Recently I came back to the Central Command. After a talk with KnightLlite, I was allowed to give some information about some Great Tournaments: signing has started on July 16 Great Genius: da Vinci > 2000 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonardo_da_Vinci) and signing has started on August 1 Great Champion: Anand > 2000 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viswanathan_Anand) These next great tournaments will be: 3 days per move, vacation allowed. Great Genius Tournament will have 8 players. Great Champion will be played in 2 groups of 4 players, 2 advancing from both groups. Welcome!

Heres a idea I got from another group I would like to try here. I was wondering if everyone in the group could post at least on game (there own game) every 2 weeks to be reviewed. This keeps the group active and strong and will attract more and stronger people which means better analysis. For each game you summit you must give your own notations of the positions. So what do you guys think ?

Although this game shows a couple blunders in the analysis it is still a pretty instructional game between myself and another member of Central Command: Susi. I want to share this game with you because it shows how essential controlling the center is and the importance of the King's involvement in the endgame. Susi played a great game against me and I soon found myself in what I believe was an inferior position where Pawns, knight and Kings battle it out. Thank you Susi for your great play!! . Susi has two sets of pawns on both flanks and we each have knights.

Hello all. Supergamer here.So I know that killthequeen, knightlite and I have been kicking around the idea of doing a tournament for this group. Every time we decide to try, however, we end up not following through, mostly because a lot of people do not want to use their one tournament at a time rule on us (please excuse my grammar and such. I'm tired right now.) So, I've asked knightlite if we could try this. It's a tournament that is played through the forum. I am not the guy that came up with the idea for this, but I figured we could try it and see how it goes. Here are the rules: Everyone who joins will be in level 1 at the beginning. Everyone can challenge one game against an available player in the same level or in the level one above. The game name is "Central Command Pyramid Tournament." One player can only challenge one game (in random color). One player can only accept one challenge. So one player at most can have 2 Pyramid Tournament games. After the game has ended, post the result here in this thread. The winner will go up one level. The loser will go down one level, or keep in level 1. (See the exception in red.) The draw game will not change anything. If the winner is more than one level higher than the opponent, then there will be no change. Games can be whatever time you want, depending on the agreement between the players. (Let's be friendly. ) To join the tournament, post here in this thread. You should also post here when you challenge someone to a game or have accepted a pyramid challenge. Once a player gets to level 10 they are the winner of the pyramid tournament So, let me know who wants to give this a try. If you have any questions, please post in this forum. Have fun!

http://www.chess.com/votechess/game.html?id=17000 could use more people

Hey, I'm new to this group. Can i join as many vote chess and team matches as i want?

Hello all Central Commanders, I would like to have have a training game as white against the Winawer French, Advance variation. Below you can see the game progress to the advance variation move. We would be starting at this point. Oftentimes, the pin on the knight against the king or Queen is a tactic that ends up costing me greatly trying to refute it. If your interested in challenging me send me a note or you can send me a challange directly with the position in place. Since it is a training game lets keep it unrated, and I encourage the use of legal theory resources. Let's learn! Thank you,

1 or multiple people seem to be applying us for vote games. That is fine and all, but they are doing WAY WAY WAY to many. Please consider that other players probably have their own games going on and just dont have the willingness to add on another 15 or 20 for their group.

Hello, central command, supergamer here. Well, I dislocated my knee cap, and as a result I am not able to drag myself down to the computer without causing a bit of trouble, so I will not be very active for a while. Hope you guys all do well in team matches and vote chess, be back in a few weeks!

This is Killthequeen. I am showing an interesting drawn position from one of my games. Though material was greatly different, the position looked drawn.

I was happy to be practicing mate for supergamer in couple of King's Indian Defences and I thought I'll add here some of the basics. (Please note that following information is copy/pasted from internet sources and only my part are the game examples.) From the Indian Games Openings, the King's Indian Defence is one of the most popular Chess Openings. Being relatively easy to play, is based on solid principles of development and counter attack and at the same time the complexity of the positions which arise, create spectacular combinations and attacks d4 Nf6 c4 g6 Nc3 Bg7 e4 d6 The King's Indian is a hypermodern opening, where Black deliberately allows White control of the centre with his pawns, with the view to subsequently challenging it with the moves ...e5 or ...c5. Until the mid-1930s, it was generally regarded as highly suspect, but the analysis and play of three strong Ukrainian players helped to make the defence much more respected and popular. It is a dynamic opening, exceptionally complex, and a favourite of players such as former world champions Garry Kasparov, Bobby Fischer, and Mikhail Tal, with prominent grandmasters Viktor Korchnoi, Miguel Najdorf, Efim Geller, John Nunn, Svetozar Gligoric, Wolfgang Uhlmann, Ilya Smirin and Teimour Radjabov having also contributed much to the theory and practice of this opening. Classical Variation The Classical Variation is 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 The Main Line or Mar del Plata Variation continues 7.0-0 Nc6 8.d5 Ne7. Now White has a wide variety of moves, including 9.b4, 9.Ne1, and 9.Nd2, among others. Typically, White will try to attack on the queenside by preparing the pawn break c4-c5, while Black will attack on the kungside by transferring his knight from f6 to d7 (usually better placed than at e8, as it helps slow White's queenside play with c4-c5), and starting a kingside pawn storm with ...f7-f5-f4 and ...g6-g5. 9.b4, introduced by Korchnoi in the 1970s, used to put top players off playing this line, but it has recently been revived by Radjabov. 7....Nbd7 is the Old Main Line, and is playable, though less common nowadays than 7....Nc6. 7....exd4 8.Nxd4 is also possible, although White's extra space usually is of a greater value than Black's counterplay against White's centre. Made popular in the mid-1990s by the Russian Grandmaster Igor Glek, new ideas were found for White yet some of the best lines for White were later refuted. White still has an advantage in most lines. 7....Na6 has seen some popularity recently. The purpose of this awkward-looking move is to move the knight to c5 after an eventual d5, while guarding c7 if Black should play ....Qe8. Play commonly continues 8.Be3 Ng4 9.Bg5 Qe8! but White has also tried: 8.dxe5 dxe5 9.Qxd8 Rxd8 with even chances; 8.d5 Nc5 9.Qc2 a5 may transpose into the Petrosian System (see below); 8.Bg5 h6 9.Bh4 Qe8 10.Bxf6 Bxf6 11.c5! yet is not totally reliable for Black. 7.d5 is the Petrosian System, so named for the 1963-69 world champion, who often essayed the line in the 1960s, with vladimir Kramnik playing this variation extensively in the 1990s. The plans for both sides are roughly the same as in the main variation. After 7...a5 White plays 8.Bg5 to pin the knight, making it harder for Black to achieve the f7-f5 break. In the early days of the system, Black would drive the bishop back with ....h6 and ....g5, though players subsequently switched to ideas involving ....Na6, ....Qe8 and ....Bd7, making White's c4-c5 break more difficult, only then playing for kingside activity. Joe Gallagher has recommended the flexible 7...Na6 which has similar ideas to 7...a5. 7.Be3 This line is often known as the Gligoric System, after the world championship candidate who has contributed much to King's Indian theory and practice with both colours. Recently, other strong players such as Korchnoi, Karpov, and Kasparov have played this line. The main idea behind this move is to avoid the theoretical lines that arise after 7.0-0 Nc6. This move allows White to maintain, for the moment, the tension in the centre. If Black plays mechanically with 7....Nc6, 8.d5 Ne7 9.Nd2! is a favourable set-up, so Black most often responds by crossing his opponent's plans with 7...Ng4 8.Bg5 f6 9.Bh4 Nc6, but other moves are also seen, such as: 7...Na6 8.0-0 transposing into the modern. 7...h6!? is a favourite of Jojn Nunn. The main line runs 8.0-0 Ng4 9.Bc1 Nc6 10.d5 Ne7 11.Ne1 f5 12.Bxg4 fxg4. In this subvariation, Black's kingside play is of a different type than normal KID lines, as it lacks the standard kingside pawn roller, so he will now play ...g6-g5 and ....Ng6-f4, often investing material in a piece attack in the f-file against the white king, while White plays for the usual queenside breakthrough with c4-c5. 7...exd4 immediately surrenders the centre, with a view to playing a quick ...c7-c6 and ...d6-d5. For example, 8.Nxd4 Re8 9.f3 c6 10.Qd2 (10.Bf2!?) 10...d5 11.exd5 cxd5 12.0-0 Nc6 13.c5 and 13...e3!? In the Exchange Variation (7.dxe5 dxe5 8.Qxd8 Rxd8), White exchanges queens and plays for a small advantage in the relatively quiet positions which will ensue in this queenless middlegame. The line is often played by White players hoping for an early draw, but there is still a lot of play left in the position. White tries to exploit d6 with moves like b4, c5, Nf3-d2-c4-d6, etc., while Black will play to control the hole on d4. In practice, it is easier to exploit d4, and chances are balanced. The central pawn structure is identical to lines of the Ruy Lopez, Chigorin variation, when White also carries out the exchange with dxc5 or dxe5, with reversed colours; in similar fashion, if Black is able to play ....Nd4, he will often have at least an equal game. The Sämisch Variation is 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3. It is named after Friedrich Sämisch, who developed the system in the 1920s. This often leads to very sharp play with the players castling on opposite wings and attacking each other's kings, as in the Bagirov-Gufeld game given below, though it may also give rise to heavyweight positional struggles. Black has a variety of pawn breaks, such as ...e5, ...c5 and ...b5 (prepared by ...c6 and/or ...a6). This can transpose to the Modern Benoni after 5....0-0 6.Bg5 c5 7.d5 e6. World champions Mikhail Botvinnik, Mikhail Tal, Tigran Petrosian, Boris Spassky, Aanatoly Karpov and Garry Kasparov have all played this variation. This line defends the e4 pawn to create a secure centre and enables White to begin an attack kingside with Be3, Qd2, Bh6, g2-g4 and h2-h4. It allows placement of a bishop on e3 without allowing ....Ng4; however, its drawback is that it deprives the knight on g1 of its most natural square, thus impeding development of the kingside. Black can strike for the centre as previously mentioned or delay with 6...Nc6, 7...a6 and 8...Rb8 so that Black can play ....b7-b5 to open lines on the queenside. The classical defense to the Sämisch is 5...0-0 6.Be3 e5, when White has a choice between closing the center with 7.d5, or maintaining the tension with 7.Nge2. Kasparov was a major proponent of this defense. The Sämisch Gambit arises after 5...0-0 6.Be3 c5. This is a pawn sacrifice, and was once considered dubious. As Black's play has been worked out, this evaluation has changed, and the gambit now enjoys a good reputation. However, a practical drawback is that a well-prepared but unambitious White player can often enter lines leading to a forced draw. The line where White accepts the gambit runs 5...0-0 6.Be3 c5 7.dxc5 dxc5 8.Qxd8 (8.e5 Nfd7 9.f4 f6 10.exf6 is also possible here, though less often seen) Rxd8 9.Bxc5 Nc6. Black's compensation consists of the following factors: The King's Indian bishop has an open long diagonal. Black has a lead in development, with four pieces in play. White's development has been hindered with the pawn placement on f3. White has a hole on d4 as well as other good targets for Black's knights. White's most frequent play is to decline the gambit, and instead play 7.Nge2, and head for Benoni type positions after a d4-d5 advance. 5...0-0 6.Be3 Nc6 7.Nge2 a6 8.Qd2 Rb8 leads to the Panno Variation of the Sämisch. Black prepares to respond appropriately depending on White's choice of plan. If White plays 0-0-0 and goes for a kingside attack, then 7...a6 prepares ....b7-b5 with a counterattack against White's castled position. If instead White plays more cautiously, then Black challenges White's centre with ....e5. The Averbakh Variation is 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2 0-0 6.Bg5 (named for Yuri Averbakh), which prevents the immediate 6...e5. Black usually repels the bishop with ...h6 giving him the option of a later g5, though in practice this is a weakening move. White has various ways to develop, such as Qd2, Nf3, f4 or even h4. However, Black obtains good play against all of these development schemes. The old main line in this begins with 6....c5, though 6....Nbd7 and ....Na6 (Judit Polgar's move) are also seen. The Four Pawns Attack continues with 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f4 0-0 6.Nf3. This is the most aggressive method for White, and was often seen in the 1920s. With his fifth move, White erects a massive centre at the price of falling behind in development. If Black can open the position, White may well find himself overextended. From this 6...c5 is the main line. 6...c5 7.d5 e6 8.Be2 exd5 9.cxd5 9...Bg4 has been a solid line for Black. 9...Re8 can be justified with solid play. 9...b5 is known to lead to sharp, dangerous play. 6...Na6 is known as the Modern Variation. This is a move anticipating playing ...Nc5 with counterplay. Has worked with success of neutral moves made from White, such as 7.Bd3. On the other hand, 7.e5 is the most aggressive plan. The Fianchetto Variation 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.g3 0-0 5.Bg2 d6 6.0-0, is named for White's development of his light squared bishop to g2, and is one of the most popular lines at the grandmaster level, with Korchnoi once its most notable practitioner. This method of development is on completely different lines than other King's Indian variations. Here, Black's normal plan of attack can hardly succeed, as White's kingside is more solidly defended than in most KID variations. The most common variations are: 6...Nbd7 with 8...exd4. Black intends to claim the centre with ...e7-e5. 7.Nc3 e5 8.e4 exd4 9.Nxd4 Re8 10.h3 a6! With this move we now can see Black's plans. Preparation has been made for 11...Rb8, with ...c7-c5 and ...b7-b5, and sometimes with ...Ne4 first. This has been known as the Gallagher Variation of the Fianchetto Variation. 8...c6 and 8...a6 are alternatives. 6...Nc6 7.Nc3 a6 8.d5 Na5. Although players are taught that knights are not well placed on the rim, here extra pressure is brought to bear against the Achilles Heel of the fianchetto lines-the weakness at c4. Hundreds of master games have continued with 9.Nd2 c5 10.Qc2 Rb8 11.b3 b5 12.Bb2 bxc4 13.bxc4 Bh6 14.f4 (14.e3 Bf5 is a trap which has numbered Mark Taimanov among its victims - White must now lose material, as he has no good interposition) e5! Updated on July 24 (now incl. training game between KnightLite and me).

Hi guys, I haven't played for the past few months and need to get back in shape would people about my level challenge me please so i can rebuild my chess focus Thanks y'all

Reading enough of the topics/posts that go on here, many of the people in this group seem to be highly skilled and quite polite and helpful. With that, I am in need of someone willing to test a tactic which I feel confident enough in its capabilities. I have gone over it enough times to the point where I am offering/asking for assistance without feeling like I am wasting your time. Because my rating is rather on the low end (about 1200-1500), again, someone with a higher grasp of chess and the tactics it involves would be very beneficial. As this is "Central Command", my setup involves the standard play of the Sicilian Defense, Dragon variation (I believe, I'll have to be checked again by someone with more knowledge). If you are willing and interested, please leave me a message, and add me as a friend so that we could set something. (Please! I have much confidence in this tactic, and it ISN'T in any of Chess.com's Game Explorer archives.)

I'd like to start Articles Recommended topic by one of energia's article called What to do with a pawn center?, which was published on Chess.com yesterday (07/03/2009). This article has a lot to do with central command and shows some complex pawn structures from top class games with high informative value.

Please read about the game from the move list as I could not paste to this box for some reason.

Here is a forum where YOU post an opening you would like to learn, and any voluntary member will gladly teach you.

Here is one of the classic traps I encountered lately. It is called Lasker's trap.

This game is a neat example of center control in the QGA opening. Rueben Fine in his book The Ideas Behind the Chess Openings says: "It is to be expected, of coursethat the defender will insert ...c5 at an early stage. White will then be faced by the crucial problem of the QGA: whether to play dxc5 banking on speedier development, or to leave the status quo untouched, allowing the isolated pawn with ...cxd4 exd4. Additionally, Fine adds that "As a rule, the better development which comes after dxc5 is useless if the Queens are exchanged because it can only be exploited by an energetic attack. This tid-bit of opening information on the QGA is what drove my moves in this game. Sorry for the typos in the game's annotations, apparently its a little late in the night! PS. To play the alternative moves use the MOVE BUTTON on the bottom right corner of the board.

I was offered a nice welcome to Chess.com with this Queen's Gambit Declined: