Chess thread

[The Baron]

1.Rf5 f6
2.Rh5 Kf7
3 ?

This was the one I was visualising today. Black can get through this without losing a ton of material imo. Positionally they are screwed though.

[Tal]

1.Rf5 f6
2.Rh5 Kf7
3 ?

This was the one I was visualising today. Black can get through this without losing a ton of material imo. Positionally they are screwed though.

It's a won game. Once the other took comes to f1, the king is still exposed and there's no counterplay. We can count that as a win.

[The Baron]

1.Rf5 f6
2.Rh5 Kf7
3 ?

This was the one I was visualising today. Black can get through this without losing a ton of material imo. Positionally they are screwed though.

It's a won game. Once the other took comes to f1, the king is still exposed and there's no counterplay. We can count that as a win.

Agree.

[Tal]

Something completely different this morning - I'll definitely put more puzzles up in the future.

These cartoons were created for the 1923 London tournament, which saw the great and the good (including the tremendously named Eugene Znosno-Borovsky) by the then Daily Mail cartoonist Tom Webster:

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

[Tal]

It appears the blonde Chess Thread is now ahead of Chess base, as the website has published a piece on Paul Keres today, pointing out that he beat we more world champions than any other player.

http://chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=8595

#winning

[tikay]

LOVE those cartoons!

[Acidmouse]

I have took the bait m'lord and joined my local club.

http://www.alwoodleychessclub.org.uk/

"1942 A group of Alwoodley veterans, mostly active in Civil Defence during WW2, founded the club. They played informally at each others' homes. "

It's in the same social club that has beer at 2 quid a pint John Smiths yum and two mins from my house.

My first game on a social/open night was against the all conquering David aged 11. Now not knowing the club was rather good at chess and has a nice history competing I was not quite expecting the 30 move defeat...*hangs head in shame*

[Tal]

I really wouldn't worry about being beaten by an 11 year old. Sergey Karjakin was a Grandmaster at 12 and Magnus Carlsen was a Grandmaster at 13.

It's brilliant that you've joined a club. It's a good social game and you will meet some completely different people to those who frequent casinos!

[Tal]

I have took the bait m'lord and joined my local club.

http://www.alwoodleychessclub.org.uk/

"1942 A group of Alwoodley veterans, mostly active in Civil Defence during WW2, founded the club. They played informally at each others' homes. "

It's in the same social club that has beer at 2 quid a pint John Smiths yum and two mins from my house.

My first game on a social/open night was against the all conquering David aged 11. Now not knowing the club was rather good at chess and has a nice history competing I was not quite expecting the 30 move defeat...*hangs head in shame*

Just had a look at the link. I see Richard Palliser plays at your new club, AcidMouse. He's an International Master, which is one below a Grandmaster. He's written a few books on opening theory and it a well-respected authority on a couple of lines, AFAIK.

He's also a nice chap. Went to school in Hull and then to Oxford Uni if I recall correctly.

Joining a big and successful club is a sign that you'll be able to find a game without any trouble, but any club that plays in a league will have players of a range of levels.

[Acidmouse]

cool. it was clear pretty quickly there were a few players ere, mostly of a decent standard.

[Tal]

The new international ratings are out. Magnus Carlsen has a frankly enormous 33 point lead over Levon Aronian and the rest of the world.

Here are some tables:

http://chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=8599

Here is a largely pointless bar chart:



Here is Magnus Carlsen:



One of the interesting results is that, because of a poor couple of months for Michael Adams, Luke McShane, without playing a game in the last couple of months, has become the British number 1.

This will add an interesting angle to the London Classic in December, with both players confirmed.

Click to see full-size image.

[Tal]

http://chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=6933

Some master moves for you. Some of these are particularly difficult and some lead only to a winning endgame (perhaps less interesting to some of those who follow this thread).

I would strongly recommend number 4 to everyone, though. It is a rip-snorter, to use a Richie Benaultism.

[titaniumbean]

So on position 4 I should be able to play a white move and win?


i'm struggling.............. rofl


edit so is win 'winning endgame', and they'll say mate if it's mate in one?

[Tal]

When these positions come from real games, it is unusual for it to be a perfect mate against any ddefence.

Position 4 has a mate against pretty much any defence. If Black can save it, he will lose so much material in doing so that it won't be worth carrying on, so don't worry about that.

[Tal]

Will do some answers when more people have had a look/when I'm satisfied no one else is going to look.

In the meantime, here's an interesting (and hopefully a little easier) one:



White is of top county player standard. Black is of Grandmaster standard. This game was played last week in Holland. Black played 41...Ne5 in this position and, after white played 42.f6, a draw followed.

However, white missed a win. Can you spot it?

http://chessbase.com/cbm/reeh2012e/4412.html gives you the answer if you are stuck.