In today’s feature position, Fred Dewhirst Yates (white) has just played 38. Ka1 leaving Jose Raul Capablanca (black) with a decisive advantage in king safety, material, space and force. Capablanca puts the final nail in the coffin with a brilliant 38th move after which Yates (white) immediately resigns. What is black’s winning move? What isContinue reading "Winning Chess Moves: Yates vs Capablanca, Moscow 1925"
Francisco Friday for 6/10/2022
When it comes to attacking in chess, the stronger, the faster and the more difficult to deal with, the better. In today’s game, attacking maestro Francisco Anchondo uses a well conducted early pawn storm to penetrate his opponent’s defenses with brute force. [Event "Casual Blitz game"] [Date "2022.03.12"] [White "Anonymous"] [Black "Francisco Anchondo"] [Result "0-1"]Continue reading "Francisco Friday for 6/10/2022"
Chess Position Worth Sharing 147!
Spent 27 minutes of my time this evening working out the solution to this beautiful endgame puzzle by Leonid Kubbel. It was time we’ll spent! White to move and win (Leonid Kubbel, 150 Endspielstudien, 1925). For those who are unfamiliar with Kubbel’s work, he composed many of the finest endgame studies of the early partContinue reading "Chess Position Worth Sharing 147!"
The Menlo Park Chess Club
A couple of my friends have spoken very highly about the Menlo Park Chess Club which has been steadily growing since its launch in the Fall of 2021. On Wednesday evening I visited the club for the first time to see what all the excitement was about. Upon arriving, you will notice the serenity surroundingContinue reading "The Menlo Park Chess Club"
Blitz Chess Mondays with Lauren Goodkind 6/6
Chess Shorts on YouTube
The fast paced nature of modern life make learning chess on your time in any convenient location the preferred choice for many. This is why I started offering so many chess lessons on YouTube in the first place. However, I have noticed that vertical videos have grown in popularity thanks to smartphones and social mediaContinue reading "Chess Shorts on YouTube"
Betcha Can’t Solve This #Chess Puzzle! 66
Some of my favorite endgame studies have the reader playing from a disadvantage with the goal being a draw. In tonight’s puzzle, White is down to a single bishop versus Black’s four pawns but still can draw with perfect play. Enjoy… White to play and draw (U. Venäläinen, 1st Prize in Suomen Shakki, 1969.)
Francisco Friday for 6/3/2022
Popular with beginners who strictly follow the time honored opening principles they have been taught, The Four Knights Opening has a reputation of leading to a rather dull positional game. However, Francisco Anchondo makes a habit of taking an opening with a dull reputation and running it through a metaphoric knife sharpener until it canContinue reading "Francisco Friday for 6/3/2022"
Chess Position Worth Sharing 146!
“Capablanca’s phenomenal move-searching algorithm in those early years, when he possessed a wonderful ability for calculating variations very rapidly, made him invincible.” - Mikhail Botvinnik White to move mate in 3 (Jose Raul Capablanca vs Abraham Friedman, Simultaneous Exhibition in Cuernavaca, Mexico 5/1/1933.)
Girls K-12 CalChess State Championship 2022
A friendly reminder that the 2022 Girls Calchess State Championship is this Saturday (June 4th). The Berkeley Chess School does a wonderful job organizing this prestigious event and I highly recommend that all the young ladies in the Northern California chess community consider attending. All participants will be broken into sections by school grade: Kindergarten-3rdContinue reading "Girls K-12 CalChess State Championship 2022"
Better Notate Your Chess Games
Because, once the game is over, the King and the pawn go back in the same box. The queen, and the bishops who serve her, will experience the same fate. Don’t worry about the horses, they’re going away too. Even the castles will disappear. Better notate your game. So when your own time at theContinue reading "Better Notate Your Chess Games"
Chess Position Worth Sharing 145!
Of all the chess puzzles I’ve ever enjoyed… Many of the finest were composed by Sam Loyd. White to move and mate in 3 (Samuel Loyd, 1887).
Blitz Chess Mondays with Lauren Goodkind 5/30
Blitz Chess Mondays with Lauren Goodkind 5/23
Betcha Can’t Solve This #Chess Puzzle! 65
Some mate-in-3 compositions are much trickier than others. This particular chess puzzle by Erich Ernest Zepler is diabolical! White to move and mate in 3 (by Erich Ernest Zepler from the January 1925 Chemnitzer Wochenschach).
Free Summer Chess Camp 2022 Registration
Last updated 5/21 Participant's First & Last NameParticipant's Chess.com User NameI will be participating in:Jagur Hendersonjag12345678Camp #1 from June 13-17, Camp #2 from July 11-15, Camp #3 from August 8-12Roshita kommarajuRedCharming RoadCamp #1 from June 13-17, Camp #2 from July 11-15Charvee SekarPawn1708Camp #3 from August 8-12Vinubalaji GopalgohanvinuCamp #2 from July 11-15, Camp #3 from AugustContinue reading "Free Summer Chess Camp 2022 Registration"
Francisco Friday for 5/20/2022
First debuted by Adolf Albin against Emanuel Lasker in 1893, the Albin Counter Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5) is a good surprise weapon for attacking chess players who seek to take a Queen’s Gambit player out of their prep. Decades ago, Francisco Anchondo taught a masterclass in the San Francisco Bay Area on this hyperContinue reading "Francisco Friday for 5/20/2022"
Winning Chess Moves: MVL vs. Aronian, Superbet Romania 2022
GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave round 6 game against GM Levon Aronian at the Superbet Romania chess tournament came to a sudden conclusion after MVL (white) errored with 25. Kd4. How does Grandmaster Aronian (black) punish his opponent’s careless king advance? Black to move and win (Vachier-Lagrave - Aronian, R6 of the 2022 Superbet Romania, Bucharest).
Winning Chess Moves: Palatnik vs. Geller, 1980
Ukraine has long been a source of great chess and great chess players. As such, many famous chess games have been an all Ukrainian affair. Tonight’s winning chess move comes from one such game. Ukrainian-American chess Grandmaster Sam Palatnik played a beautiful winning move over fellow Odessa native Grandmaster Efim Geller at the URS TeamContinue reading "Winning Chess Moves: Palatnik vs. Geller, 1980"