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I failed to make this into a problem. It is not rocket science (the title gave it away, didn't it?) but easy to miss OTB. I wanted to include black's unfortunate move but that got interpreted as "the solution". Click on solution and think about how to respond to blacks first move.

I hereby promise to: · Spend 100 minutes a week solving tactics problems · Play, annotate and publish in the group forum at least one slow game per month · Do at least one Stoyko Exercise per week and suggest suitable positions to my fellow group members Should I fail in my commitment, I will face dire consequences (yet to be defined) Are you with me?

I could set up an "invitation only" tournament if there are enought group members interested. Any ideas for group activities?

I been gone from chess.com for two months? Or more maybe, I cant seem to remember really. I decided to come back to the chess world. Now nothing has changed, I still know how to play like I used to do, perhaphs better then before I do not know. What I want to do now in chess is well frankly play chess. Its so simple.

A great player once said "Chess is 99% tactics!" While modern masters argue chess is only 90% tactics these days, it's still the most profitable area for amateurs to study. Tactical Warfare: The Pin Target Audience: <1500 on chess.com The pin is one of the basic tactical motifs. When you attack a piece, it's pinned if it can't move without exposing a more valuable piece. In the diagram above, the rook pins the bishop to the king. White will capture it for free on his next move. When the target of a pin is the king, we call it an absolute pin, because it's illegal for the pinned piece to leave the line of fire. In the second example the bishop pins the rook to the queen. It's legal for the rook to move... but that would be a big blunder! When the target of a pin is not the king we call it a relative pin. Calculating the outcome of a relative pin tends to be harder than calculating the outcome of an absolute pin. Notice that only the bishop, the rook, and the queen can pin! How to Spot More Pins Study tactical puzzles and games involving pins. Note which squares a pinned piece isn't defending due to the pin. Note that pinned pieces are immbolized and thus vulnerable to attack. Look for tactics whenever pieces are on the same rank, file, or diagonal. Look for missed pins in your games to identify your blindspots. Challenge Yourself These practical tactical positions are lifted directly from my games. Try to find the best move. When you're done, review the answer key below. Answer Key #1: Bb5! pins and wins the Black queen. #2: Black had attempted to shake-off the pin with ...h6, but this runs into trouble. Nxf6+! gxf6 Bxh6 wins a pawn and shatters Black's kingside. #3: Nxf6+! and Black can't recapture because the g7-pawn is pinned. #4: Qxb3! and Black can't recapture because the c4-pawn is pinned. #5: ...e4! wins the pinned knight. #6: ...Rg8! pins and wins the bishop. #7: Bxg7? Rg8! loses the bishop. Just about anything else, even Kg2, is better. Conclusion If you got most of these, give yourself a pat on the back. But remember... in real games nobody tells you when there's a tactic. So if you want to defeat your opponents with a tactical flourish (and avoid the same fate yourself!) you should study pins from a tactics book until they become second nature to you. :)

Name the books you have and say something nice about it(or mean if you want to go that way) then say something that it help you with.   My list Alexander Kotov think like a master Emmanuel  Lasker Common sense in chess Capablanca JR chess fundamentals Bruce Pandolfinin Pandolfinis Endgame course Euqe Judgement and PLanning in chess Troitzky 360 brilliant and instructive endgames ten tips to winning chess author unkown oo Paul Keres, Alexander Kotov the Art of the middle game Seirawan, Yasser Winning chess opening Reuben fine, THe ideas behind chess openings Walter korn THe brilliant touch in chess (year 1966) Reti Modern ideas in chess I havent read none of them yet But starting so. With end game course though.

Please forgive a grumpy geezer for a bad dose of self worshipping. Countless hours of tactics drills helped me to find my best move ever (26th as black):  

    Do not miss this one!!!   http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/my-system---join-the-adventure    

Okay gang here is my second entry in my training journal. As the title says I am at a crossroads in  my chess life. I am getting conflicting advice from some people I respect, some say forget openings, learn endgame strategy. The other half just the opposite, that openings will help support my tactics. I am studying my fanny off, having a blast doing it. But I would like some more input, or a different road on my training. I am still way too impatient in my games, and I get seem to get my head out of that tunnel I am in. But overall I feel I have improved since my first game on chess.com. Even though my rating doesn't reflect it, I feel I have learned some things I didn't know when I started, which to me is an improvement. Any feedback orother comments are much needed and appreciated.

puzzle 13                                puzzle 14                                puzzle 15      puzzle 15

We already did this once time to do it a second time. If you don't know what I'm talking about read the other forum called "let's start". Now post yes if your in then I'll make another forum called GROUPS NUMBER 2. oK i will give you a week to sign up. Have fun

I was asked to provide a training journal(ey). So here it goes, I don't really know what it entails but I will post anyway. I have begun to study  a few moves in the Giuoco Piano, continue to work on my tactics, strategy etc. I just purchased Bobby Fisher Teaches Chess, and am reading Logical Chess by Chernev. I work on the Tactics Trainer a few hours a week and a few unrated but annotated games to improve my view of the game. I am also working on my main weakness, which is impatience and tunnel vision. I need to improve those two areas first, and I think I will see a vast improvement in my game. Also utilizingthe tools found here on Chess.com, both by staff and other wonderful players. I hope this is a good start to my journal.

checkmate in 2

Is their anyone thier? Oo

My training is just playing chess. And no not a chess game, playing chess. Ill update more later, a bit busy right now.

Ok the last puzzle before I hand them back to the-dude

I'm an endgame aficionado with a rating around USCF 1800. I love chess, I spend countless hours on it, and I dream of becoming a master... but my study patterns are inefficient. I become obsessed with one facet of the game and delve very deeply into it for a few weeks, then another, then another, and then I must take a break from chess. Instead, I want to take this opportunity to embark on a balanced study program.  Goal: Develop a habit of studying chess in a balanced and consistent manner. I control my actions and not the outcome, but I believe this is my best shot at becoming a master.   1. Spend 2+ hours / week on tactics     I plan to use the chess.com Tactics Trainer and Troyis.  2. Spend 8+ hours / month on openings.     I plan to study annotated games from chesspublishing.com & various books.   3. Spend 8+ hours / month on strategy.     I plan to study "My System". I'm up to chapter four (and GM-RAM).   4. Spend 8+ hours / month on endgames.    I plan to read "Secrets of Pawn endings" again. I'm up to chapter four.   5. Spend 8+ hours / month on playing and analyzing my games.     I'm engaged in several correspondence games. When those wrap up I will probably replace them with real-time open-level tournaments.  6. Decline chess-related job offers and don't write a regular column.   7. Take one day a week completely off from chess.   8. Spend 4 hrs / day or less on chess (including blogging & chatting).  9. Exercise and eat well to maintain a healthy body.  10. Review progress weekly. Adjust goals, schedules, and materials only then.

Another mate in 1

Ok here's another checmate in 1 see if you can see it