by scribe | Jan 7, 2013 | current news, endings, games, positions
So let me show you how my last game in the New Year Open ended. I was Black against National Master Kenan Zildzic. After White’s move 45. Qc4 we got to the following position. I should mention, because it’s important, that the time situation was...
by scribe | Dec 22, 2012 | chess clubs, current news, endings, games, positions, tournaments
This weekend I’m playing in the Winter Open at the Bay Area Chess Center. This is the first time I have been to their new headquarters (the bigger tournaments are usually at hotels). It’s a pretty nice place, except for the fact that there is only one...
by scribe | Dec 12, 2012 | chess clubs, Chess Life, openings, positions, ruminations
Today’s post is a grab bag of topics… 1) The Aptos Library Chess Club has been a hopping place lately. Two weeks ago we had 23 kids, which forced us for the first time to use every single board and set in our collection. This week we had 16, I think. I...
by scribe | Nov 20, 2012 | chess clubs, games, people, positions
We had a great turnout at Mike Splane’s latest chess party (on Sunday, November 18) — thirteen people by my count. We were quite an international mix, too, with players originally from Brazil (Paulo), Poland (Milos), India (Praveen), Holland (JL), and...
by scribe | Nov 10, 2012 | games, openings, positions
As many readers know, I have been a long-time advocate of the Bird Variation of the Ruy Lopez for Black (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nd4). Recently I’ve started experimenting with Henry Bird’s other major opening legacy, the Bird Opening (1. f4). I’m...
by scribe | Nov 8, 2012 | endings, games, positions, tournaments
I’d like to talk today about a complex position from one of Linnea’s games last week in the U.S. Game/60 Championship. As Linnea was showing me the game, she played 27. … Rxb3+ almost instantaneously, as if there was no question about it. I got the...