by scribe | Aug 30, 2010 | Chess Lecture, positions
It’s been a couple weeks since I posted here, so I feel as if I owe you something extra-special to make up for my absence. I’d like to tell you about a practice session that I had a week ago with the “usual suspects” — National Master...
by scribe | Aug 7, 2010 | Chess Lecture, current news, positions, tournaments
Yesterday was a good news/bad news day for me at the US Open, but the bad left a deeper impression. I won my morning game, a nice King’s Gambit (I was White) with Westerinen’s line 1. e4 e5 2. f4 ef 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Nc3 c6 5. d4 Bb4. I lectured on that once...
by scribe | Jul 11, 2010 | Chess Lecture, openings
As anybody who has seen my ChessLectures or read enough of this blog knows, one of my favorite opening experiments of all time was the following queen sacrifice against the Sicilian Defense: 1. e4 c5 2. f4 d5 3. Nf3!? de 4. Ng5 (a Budapest Defense reversed) .Nf6 5....
by scribe | Jul 7, 2010 | Chess Lecture, Crestbook, off-topic, people
I’ve kind of hit a momentary lull in things to write about here. My latest translation for Crestbook, part two of the Alexander Khalifman interview, will probably go up early next week. The reason for the delay is that Khalifman has asked to read over the...
by scribe | May 31, 2010 | Chess Lecture, current news, tournaments
At most big Swiss system tournaments the last couple rounds are filled with draws on the top boards. But not the 2010 Chicago Open! In the penultimate round, Loek van Wely and Sam Shankland scored impressive victories and went into the last game tied at 6½ points out...
by scribe | May 20, 2010 | Chess Lecture, current news, tournaments
The first seven rounds of the U.S. Chess Championship are now in the books, and it’s time to see whether the new format will live up to its promise. This year, instead of a regular 9-round Swiss System, the tournament has an extra twist. After 7 rounds, the top...