Garry Kasparov simul Antwerp October 13th 2009

Check out the following videos from a recent simultaneous chess exhibition by Garry Kasparov. You'll be improving your endgame technique if you do.

Book news

If you're a true Fischer fan (like i am) this is probably old news, and you may have allready gotten yourself a copy or have it on your "most wanted" list (like i have). If, however, you haven't got the slightest idea of what i am talking about then i suggest you check out the following video. Courtesy of ChessVibes.

Why should you analyze your games? That´s why!

One cannot deny Kasparov's greatness when it comes to the game of chess, fan or no fan. In the following video he is giving some valuable free advice you should take to heart.

Trailing Bobby Fischer

As some of you might know i am a huge fan of Bobby Fischer, and it just so happens i am planning on visiting the place where Fischer wrote chess history. Reykjavik Iceland.

Now naturally, while i'm there, i would really like to do some Bobby Fischer sight-seeing. And i was wondering if any of my readers have ever been there and could give me some pointers on where to go. For instance, i would really like to know where the 1972 world championship match table

is located, and the antique bookstore

he frequently visited after he became an Icelandic citizen in 2005. I doubt i get the chance to visit his grave as well as i only have like half a day, and his gravesite isn't really near the capital.

I just wish he was still alive so that maybe i could have met the man himself.

A thought process involving the Queen

We always start off our club's new season with a night where you can play off-hand games. To get that chess blood flowing again, so to speak. And even though i am allready about to play round 3, i would still like to bring up this off-hand game night. I played 2 games that night against one of our latest club members who's playing in C-class but with B-class qualities. Which he'll probably be in in the second period of this season. To my regret i lost both games and it is something that happened in the second game that made me wonna write up this post. It was a Sicilian game and i was playing with the Black pieces. My opponent made a mistake in the opening (which he later admitted he was prone to but with middlegame qualities to make up for) that put the question to his b2 pawn and more importantly the Rook on a1.


The image you see is only partly the actual position. I have excluded most of the pawns and pieces that weren't necessary to illustrate the position in question. Anyway, it was my move and there was nothing wrong with taking the pawn so i took it. And the Rook was to go as well. But after taking the pawn my opponent started fucking with my head. Mumbling something like he had a plan. And i started seeing all kinds of phantom threats involving my Queen. Was there somekind of poisened pawn shit going on here? Was i dumb enough to have my Queen entrapped? You have to imaging that most of the pieces and pawns were still on the board so there was very litle room for maneuvering really.

I guess it's typical for an amateur my level to think this way when it involves the Queen. After all it is the strongest piece on the board right? But what i should have been thinking was what it would have costed my opponent to entrap my Queen (if the threat ever exsisted) and capture it. If i had, i would have come to the realization that it would atleast have been a fair exchange as i would have landed me one pawn, one Rook and one minor piece, which he needed to close the deal on my Queen. Probably even better for me with all of my pieces remaining. Instead i chose to leave the Rook alone and moved my Queen , snatching up another pawn along the way, to safer havens. But from now on, if i see similar complications that might put my Queen at risk, i will be thinking about what i will get in return first.

Unfocused

Eversince my club season ended i have been very unfocused when it comes to studying chess. And i had big plans! Right before the season ended i had my mind set on diggin' into Euwe's Practical chess lessons series (which btw is just a translation of the Dutch title as i don't believe it is sold internationally) and do some serious structured studying. But then, my attention was drawn to some stupid (yet addictive) online game called Battlefield Heroes and i guess i missed playing stuff like that somehow. And i also discovered this new TV-show (new to me anyway) called Entourage.

And i'm loving it so much i'm watching episode after episode and season after season (i had some catching up to do since there are allready like six).

But i need to get my focus back like Johnny 'Drama' needed to get his back in "The Release" episode.

Drama: I'm a LASER...

Oh and btw, The Streatham & Brixton Chess Blog pointed out this really cool chess add by Audi and BMW to me. But i discovered some extra images. Thought i share them with you (click to enlarge).





You have to know that eversince i discovered chess i really gave up (more or less) on gaming and watching movies and good TV-shows. Something i was really into before chess.

Nakamura's blitz tactics

So you want to become a top blitz player like Nakamura? Here's a tip: you might wonna try making some illegal King moves and knock off your opponents annoying pawns while you're at it.

Check out the video at around 0:59 and keep an eye on Nakamura's King.


You might wonna rewind a couple of times to make sure your eyes do not deceive you.