by scribe | Apr 6, 2020 | endings, literature, positions
With nothing much going on the world of chess, I’ve been playing against my computer a lot. It’s a bad habit, really. But one somewhat unexpected benefit is that I’ve gotten to play a few interesting endgames recently. When I play against Fritz, I...
by scribe | Feb 7, 2019 | chess clubs, current news, people, positions, PRO Chess League
Crucial position in Xu-Naroditsky. Black to move. First, let’s get one thing straight. Avalanches never happen in Berkeley. Reason one: There’s no snow. But yesterday, for the first time since 2011, there was snow in the mountains to the east of San Francisco (the...
by scribe | Feb 3, 2018 | endings, games, openings, positions
Today we’ll see the conclusion of my three-part epic game against Jay Bonin from the 2005 HB Challenge. The first two parts show how we followed and finally deviated from a terrific GM battle, Polugaevsky-Tal from the 1969 Soviet Championship. I’ve really...
by scribe | Apr 8, 2017 | Chess Life, current news, endings, games, positions
In my last entry I wrote about how exciting it is to win a game that you were just hoping to draw. The outcome of this year’s U.S. Championship might end up being determined by just such a game. Round nine. Varuzhan Akobian versus Fabiano Caruana. Akobian...
by scribe | Mar 29, 2016 | chess clubs, Chess Lecture, games, people, positions
Last weekend I played a 7-minute game that combined three of the things that I am best known for: the Bird Variation of the Ruy Lopez, the Hook and Ladder Trick, and … losing on time. Although I have written about the Hook and Ladder Trick many times and...
