Online Chess Blog

Chess.FM India Weekly Saturday show - Interview with WGM Dronavalli Harika

2007-07-14T15:45:00.000+05:30

Chess.FM India's weekly Saturday Show at 7.00 PM IST, 14th July 2007, presents an Interview with World Under-18 Champion WGM Dronavalli Harika. Sixteen year old Harika who hails from Andhra Pradesh has also moved to the 15th spot in the World Women rankings.The weekly Saturday show is hosted by the Indian Chess critic Arvind Aaron features also includes "India this Week", "Hot Events" and Up

Vishwanathan Anand's Online Chess Academy?

2007-06-01T10:56:00.000+05:30

The newKerala.com reports that there may soon be an online chess academy, and they will be able to get lessons from world champion Vishwanathan Anand. Great news for Chess enthusiasts in India.Technorati Tags: Online Chess Academy

Chess Middle Game - Pawn Play

2007-05-30T16:36:00.000+05:30

I have started reading again, Paul Keres and Alexander Kotov's chess book - The Art of the Middle Game. As you all know, 'Pawn Play' ie. your handling of the Pawns, is one of the keys to success in the middle game. To supplement my study, I studied this excellent game between Peter Potemkin (white) and Alexander Alekhine (black) played in St. Petersburg 1912.[Event "St Petersburg"][Site "St

The Immortal Game

2007-05-27T06:01:00.000+05:30

David Shenk, whose great-great-grandfather was a celebrated player in 19th-century Paris, has spent the past few years penning The Immortal Game, an investigation of chess's enduring influence. He talks with Nextbook's Sara Ivry about its evolution and its often overlooked role in Jewish life.PODCAST: http://www.nextbook.org/cultural/feature.html?id=431Technorati Tags: The Immortal GameBlogs

MONSTER VS. HUNTER Chess Set

2006-12-06T06:35:00.000+05:30

The MONSTER VS. HUNTER Chess Set is a limited numbered edition of 750 sets. The 32 pieces are constructed from cold cast marble, ranging in height from approximately 4 1/2 inches down to 2 5/8 inches. The marble coloring of each set is unique, as each is sculpted, cast, and sanded by hand. Do have a look.Technorati Tags: MONSTER VS. HUNTER Chess SetBlogs linking to this article

Chess Search Engine

2006-10-27T16:27:00.000+05:30

The Online Chess Blog now hosts a Chess Search Engine, powered by Google. It is on the right-hand side panel for you to search anything related to Chess. You can use it as a quick, reliable way to pin down the Chess information you need. For example type chessboards in this Chess Search Engine and see the results for your self.So far there are 10+ sites in the search engine, including the main

How to start an Elementary School Chess Club

2006-08-03T10:07:00.000+05:30

Start a School Chess ClubA Squidoo lens devoted to information and resources for anyone interested in starting an elementary school chess club. Joanne Marcinek had no clue what she was doing, but muddled her way through, to start a chess club at her son's (3rd grade) elementary school. You will be pleased and surprised at what she came up with.Technorati Tags: How to start an Elementary School

3rd CCA CHESS FESTIVAL 2007

2006-07-03T06:33:00.000+05:30

The Challenger Chess Academy (Recognised by the Bombay Chess Association) has been organising Chess festivals in Bombay for the past couple of years. They have already started planning and working for the 3rd CCA CHESS FESTIVAL 2007 to be held in Bombay between 1st and 31st May 2007. Those interested and for more details contact Sharad Vaze.Technorati Tags: 3rd CCA CHESS FESTIVAL 2007Blogs

Dropping out

2006-06-21T09:27:00.000+05:30

Family and Business commitments make it impossible for me to continue with the De La Maza's Program. As such, I have decided to drop out of it but would continue blogging on chess, as and when time permits. During the period that I was actively involved in the program, I benefited from the suggestions, remarks and comments of other fellow members of the program. A big thank you, to you

The knight's tour

2006-06-21T03:24:00.000+05:30

The game of chess provides many interesting diversions that are independent of the game itself. Many of these diversions are based on the strange L-shaped move of the knight. A classical example is the knight's tour.The knight's tour, which has captured the attention of both mathematicians and puzzle aficionados since the beginning of the eighteenth century, places a knight on any one of a

Beat the Sicilian Defence

2006-03-11T06:21:00.000+05:30

Chad Kimball sent me a link to a free 22 page ebook that gives a detailed yet easy way for e4 players to beat the Sicilian Defence.Here it is, instant download, no cost.Technorati Tags: Beat the Sicilian Defence, Smith MorraBlogs linking to this article

Obsession with Chess - Online Comic

2006-01-07T09:28:00.000+05:30

Bryce Glass sent me a link to an online comic My Obsession with Chess. It's an account of a childhood obsession with "the most violent game (Chess)" and how that obsession returned in Scott's late twenties.Technorati Tags: Obsession with Chess

Sacrifice Explorer and Endgame Explorer

2005-12-12T09:20:00.000+05:30

Are you aware, that as a holiday gesture Chessgames has opened the access to two of its popular premium features to all users. Until the end of the month, the Sacrifice Explorer and the Endgame Explorer will be free to all users to try out.The Sacrifice Explorer is a tool that allows you to search the database for combinations and sacrifices. You can quickly find sacrifices in your favorite

Chess Blogs Lens

2005-12-11T10:22:00.000+05:30

Famed marketer Seth Godin and others have setup a new online platform called Squidoo that is finally in public beta mode. Eric Giguere says that Squidoo is all about building portals, not blogs. A portal is an aggregation of content into a single page. It's meant to provide a snapshot view of things. But unlike standard portals, Squidoo's portals -- which they call lenses -- are meant to be

Famous Chess Players: Dr. Max Lange

2005-12-08T07:00:00.000+05:30

Mark Weeks talks about Famous Chess Players, that has a list of 112 names and also explains as to why such-and-such a name does or doesn't appear. Dr. Max Lange is one such player whose name does not appear in that list. Dr. Max Lange was from Germany and was born on 8th July, 1832. He was not only a player but also a theoretician and problemist. As a player he was 1st at Dusseldorf in 1862, 1863

Fruit 2.2.1 Chess Engine

2005-12-07T19:23:00.000+05:30

This bit of news is for all the chess engine fans - There is a 14 day trial version of Fruit 2.2.1 chess engine for windows which is fully functional and not restricted in any way. Use the Fruit site for downloading this chess engine.Technorati Tags: Chess Engine, Fruit 2.2.1 Chess EngineBlogs linking to this article

World man versus machine Chess Championship

2005-11-21T09:38:00.000+05:30

WebIndia123 reports that the second World man versus machine Chess Championship started in Bilbao, Spain on 20th Nov. 2005.Three FIDE World Champions Kasimdzhanov, Ponomariov and Khalifman will face three chess software programmes - Fritz 9, Junior 9 and Hydra - in the four-day event. The tournament will have four rounds played in a Scheveningen system. Each man will play two games against the

Famous Chess Players: Richard Reti

2005-11-19T07:34:00.000+05:30

Richard Reti was born on May, 28th 1889 in Prague, Czechoslovakia. He was one of the top players in the world during the early 20th century. The Reti Opening (1. Nf3 d5 2. c4), with which he famously defeated the world champion Jose Raul Capablanca in New York in 1924, is now a commonly used opening on the grandmaster circuit. This defeat marked the first time Jose Raul Capablanca had lost since

Famous Chess Players: Bernhard Horwitz

2005-11-18T14:28:00.000+05:30

Bernhard Horwitz was from Germany and was born on 10th May, 1807. He went to a school in Berlin where he studied art. From 1837 to 1843 he was part of a group of German chess players known as 'The Pleiades'. After settling in England in 1845 he played in the 1851 tournament, beating Henry Edward Bird but then being knocked out by Howard Staunton. His true love was problems and together with Josef

Brainpower Drugs

2005-11-14T10:54:00.000+05:30

I just read an article in the Nov. 2005 Indian edition of the Reader's Digest, titled 'China Cleans Up Its Game." This made me think of the possibility of using drugs to boost one's chess performance - Brainpower Drugs. I did a quick Google search on this subject, but it posed more questions than answers. Here's a small list of URLs talking about Brainpower Drugs.The Daily Dirt Chess

Winning Chess Opening Moves

2005-11-10T13:15:00.000+05:30

How does one remember the plethora of chess openings? I for one, can never remember names, leave alone names of chess openings! Is there a way out; a solution to this? I follow some basic principles (KISS Principle - Keep it simple, silly) while playing and that with time has helped me to become a better player.This time around I decided to look at a few winning chess opening moves with the help

Awakening of the Dragon

2005-11-09T19:38:00.000+05:30

The Chinese Chess team is leading in the current World Chess Team Championship 2005, being held in Israel. Is it the Awakening of the Dragon? There are over 10 million Chinese who have learned Chess and very soon China shall be a major player in world chess.I wanted to analyse a game using my newly acquired software - Fritz 9 and decided to analyse a game between Ye Jiangchuan from China and

Chess Openings - Unusual First Moves

2005-10-29T10:28:00.000+05:30

I am so used to playing 1.d4 or 1.e4 that, when an opponent plays say 1.b4 my first reaction is - hey what's this? I decided to search around a bit for Chess Openings - Unusual First Moves when I ran into Mark Week's article by the same name.1.b4 is also known as the Orangutang, one of the most colorful opening names, and as the Polish. Chess Lab has over two million interactive chess games

Drinking Chess Tournament

2005-10-26T08:39:00.000+05:30

The Monash University Chess Association has decided to host a social chess event, a little Drinking Chess Tournament from 3:30pm onwards, Thursday, October 27th at The Bar, Monash(Clayton). Although technically you need to be a member of the club to join, membership is free and will be available on the day. Entry to the tournament is $5, and the tournament format is king-of-the-hill.Play will

Bobby Fischer Vs Paul Morphy Tournament

2005-10-23T12:36:00.000+05:30

Bobby Fischer and Paul Morphy are battling it out, in a series of chess matches organised by... If only this would have been reality! Is this possible?I love to replay the games played by these two great and talented chess players. Fritz has the capability to play out matches and tournaments between different chess engines. Now, what if we could feed all the games played by Morphy to one engine

HIARCS 10

2005-10-22T19:33:00.001+05:30

The new PC HIARCS 10 experimental prototype is now in testing. It has been two long years since the release of HIARCS 9 for PC. HIARCS chess software has always tried to provide value for money and it's expected that the new version would be at least 40 Elo stronger than its predecessor. Will it be stronger than Fritz 9?Technorati Tags: HIARCS 10, Chess EnginesBlogs linking to this article

Chase for chess thrives at three

2005-10-17T13:28:00.000+05:30

Jamshedpur, Oct. 16: She was nervous while moving the black pieces across the board. The kid was also a bit dazzled by the hustle-bustle accompanying the sixth The Telegrapg Schools' Chess-2005.At three years, ten months and two days, it took Sonia Varma some time to regain her composure. The youngest participant of the chess meet that is underway at the eastern wing of the JRD Tata Sports

Checkmate in 3 moves

2005-10-16T18:04:00.000+05:30

This game played out between champions has the hallmark of simplicity, clarity and energy. Can you find out what White played, and won in three moves? For those interested, I can send you this full classic chess game with annotations.Technorati Tags: Checkmate in 3 movesBlogs linking to this article

Thinking Machine 4

2005-10-16T09:39:00.000+05:30

The Knights might have seen this before, but I dug this out from Digg. Want to see a computer think, before moving in a Chess game?Thinking Machine 4 explores the invisible, elusive nature of thought. Play chess against a transparent intelligence, its evolving thought process visible on the board before you.The artwork is an artificial intelligence program, ready to play chess with the viewer. If

Fruit Chess Engine

2005-10-12T10:04:00.000+05:30

The Fruit 2.2 chess engine has a unique playing style making it a good addition to any chess engine collection. The older version 2.1 of Fruit is already second in several rating lists. Fruit 2.2 is about 70-100 Elo-points stronger than version 2.1 and is right now probably the strongest chess engine in the world on a standard single-processor PC.After the success of Fruit in the World Chess

Major Defensive Blunder

2005-10-09T14:12:00.000+05:30

ChessGames is a fascinating resource. When time permits, I try and find here, short games of the great masters and run through their moves. I then try to find the one major defensive blunder. Here are two very similar games - Caro-Kann Defense: Two Knights Attack.Paul Keres Vs Edward Arlamowski, 1950Fabio La Rota Vs J Sarwer, 1988These one's are very easy. Can you spot that one move - a major

Chess Trivia

2005-10-09T13:10:00.000+05:30

Here are a couple of tidbits to ponder. Did you know that:Ashtapada is a 64-square uncheckered gaming board used in India as early as the 2nd century B.C. and borrowed for chess.In India, chessplayers in the 10th century wagered their fingers in a game of chess. The loser had to cut off his finger with a dagger and plunge his hand in a boiling ointment that cauterized the wound. The 1982 Ladies

Chess Problem

2005-10-08T17:57:00.000+05:30

I have been going through the eBook - 700 Chess Problems - Selected from the Compositions of Mrs. W. J. Baird [1902]. She says "The Chess Problems contained in this volume are the product of the labour and recreation of some fourteen years. I say "labour," because I am not such a Chess enthusiast as to believe that a collection such as this can be produced without persistent application partaking

Franklin Crowe, Street Vendor / Chess Player

2005-10-08T10:51:00.000+05:30

The Gothamist, a website about New York talks about Franklin Crowe. a sidewalk comic-book salesman, who will play you a round of chess. An interesting read.Technorati Tags: Franklin Crowe, Street Vendor / Chess Player, GothamistBlogs linking to this article

World Chess Beauty Contest

2005-10-07T16:18:00.000+05:30

The MDLM programme can be quite strenous at times. One form of relaxation for me is to browse the net. That's when I ran into the World Chess Beauty Contest. This seems to be the title of a new Chess "tournament". They have set up a research site to find the most beautiful female chess players on the planet! After Chess Boxing now comes Chess Beauties.Technorati Tags: Chess Beauties, World Chess

Bookup

2005-10-05T18:03:00.000+05:30

Grandmaster Peter Svidler - Russian Champion 1994, 1995, 1997, 2003 says that "Bookup is simply the best way to study chess and it is incredibly useful in chess openings preparation. Bookup is one of the most user-friendly programs I've seen, written by the most user-friendly programmers I've ever met. It's great stuff!"Bookup claims that it can make you a stronger player in as little as two

Aladdin Brings Chess to Life

2005-10-04T13:11:00.000+05:30

Aladdin Brings Chess to Life. In Disney's Aladdin Chess Adventures, releasing on the 4th of November 2005 on PC CDROM, the chessboard becomes a magic portal to an enchanting, interactive world where kids can journey through Aladdin's magical world while learning the classic game of chess.This fascinating chess program teaches kids the ancient game of strategy, making it immensely fun and

Chess Boxing

2005-10-02T14:55:00.000+05:30

Juergen H. talks about a new sport Chess Boxing. Yes you read it right - Chess Boxing. The basic idea in chessboxing is to combine the no.1 thinking sport and the no.1 fighting sport into a hybrid that demands the most of its competitors - both mentally and physically. In a chessboxing fight two opponents play alternating rounds of chess and boxing. The contest starts with a round of chess,

Chess Chronicle

2005-09-29T06:30:00.000+05:30

I came across a new semi-monthly e-zine Chess Chronicle that is delivered in Adobe Acrobat pdf file format and at around 40 pages, each issue is full of theoretical analysis, opening survey, chess novelties and well annotated games, instructive theories by Grandmasters and International Masters.Do download and check out the sample issue on their site.Technorati Tags: Chess ChronicleBlogs linking

Chess Games

2005-09-17T09:00:00.000+05:30

I am enjoying playing Chess with some Chess bloggers. My ID is IndianGuru.On RedHotPawn with:(a) GuruChess from Barbados. She's an Aspiring Grandmaster and only in her teens (20 ?). She registered at RedHotPawn, just to play a game of Chess with me. Thanks GuruChess. Update (22nd Sept): I just won my game with her.(b) Pawn Sensei from Hawaii, seems to be a seasoned Chess player at RedHotPawn.(c)

Annotated Chess Games

2005-09-15T07:30:00.000+05:30

Hey, let's post the URLs of some free annotated chess games, here!Here are some of mine -Internet Chess RadioChess-Live-RadioCFC Annotated Chess GamesChessgamesTechnorati Tags: Annotated Chess GamesBlogs linking to this article

Chess Aptitude

2005-09-10T09:40:00.000+05:30

I came across this interesting article that talks about Jonathan Levitt's talent test for chess aptitude. Place a white knight at b1 and a black queen at d4. The knight has to tour the board without ever being put en prise to the black queen or capturing it. It should visit squares in the order c1, e1, f1, h1, a2, c2, e2, g2, h2, a3 and so on to g8 (h8 is controlled by the queen).The task may

Wang Hao

2005-09-09T09:28:00.000+05:30

I have being going thro' some interesting chess games of Wang Hao. He is good, an incredibly fast chess player and just 16. Wang who??Technorati Tags: Wang HaoBlogs linking to this article

Ranking of the top 30 Chess Blogs

2005-09-07T08:27:00.000+05:30

I was pleasantly surprised to see my Chess blog being ranked No. 3 by Susan Polgar in her blog post. Susan Polgar, as you all know, is the Winner of 4 Women's World Chess Championships and 10 Olympic Medals (5 Gold, 4 Silver and 1 Bronze). Currently ranked No. 1 in the United States and No. 2 in the world.Update (9th Sept): DG has pointed out in a comment to Susan's post that, this list is

ItsYourTurn site has crashed

2005-08-20T07:03:00.000+05:30

Today morning I woke up and found that the site ItsYourTurn, where I normally play Chess had crashed. According to them, "We have experienced a major disk crash, and our backup is also unusable. While we are trying to retrieve what's left on the disk, the prognosis does not look good. We will be down for a few days at least, and this may be as long as 2 weeks." That's sad, I had recently paid for

Need Some Practice

2005-08-16T16:16:00.000+05:30

Well, I am back and would be re-starting my MDLM programme. In the meantime, I need just one good Chess opponent to play with me online at ItsYourTurn. Membership is free and my User Id is SatishTalim. Any takers?Technorati Tags: ItsYourTurn, Need Some PracticeBlogs linking to this article

Slow Progress

2005-06-26T06:24:00.000+05:30

My progress with the MDLM programme has been slow. I have taken on a major software project for a US company here and time has been a real constraint. On the positive side, I just won my second game on Chessworld.netUpdate: I have not been able to devote time to Chess this month and July looks similar. Hopefully, I shall start again from August 16th.Technorati Tags: Slow Progress, ChessWorldBlogs

Enjoy Chess

2005-06-21T05:13:00.000+05:30

Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand while launching the Mind Champion National Schools Tournament in Chennai, India stressed the importance of chess in helping one to improve concentration. He advised children to focus and enjoy the game without worrying too much about the outcome. Read more about this news item here.Technorati Tags: Viswanathan Anand, Enjoy ChessBlogs linking to this article

Pre-Knight

2005-06-16T05:50:00.000+05:30

Here's an early catch (anyone been here earlier?) -- let's see if Thomas G. Larsen becomes a candidate for the Errant clan.Technorati Tags: Pre-KnightBlogs linking to this article

A game of chess is all that kids want

2005-06-14T12:16:00.000+05:30

The kids in Lucknow, India have found an alternative to avoid the sweltering heat outside, and yet keep themselves from getting bored. Call it the Anand-effect or the need for newer challenges, children of all age-groups are finding themselves attracted to the game of chess. Read the full story.Technorati Tags: A game of chess is all that kids wantBlogs linking to this article

A Beauty with Brains

2005-06-13T07:01:00.000+05:30

Luis Blasco de la Cruz the Press Manager of the Festival Internacional de Ajedrez Isla de la Palma 2005, being held from the 3rd to 19th June 2005 in the Canary Islands, has been sending me daily updates of this Chess Tournament. I cannot follow the Spanish language in which he writes to me. Today, he sent me this photograph of Antoaneta Stefanova a Bulgarian Chess grandaster. She won the ladies

Fridge-mounted magnetic board games

2005-06-09T08:37:00.000+05:30

A post in Boing Boing about Fridge-mounted magnetic board games. Interesting read.Technorati Tags: Fridge-mounted magnetic board gamesBlogs linking to this article

Warren Elliott: Planning his next move up the chess ladder

2005-05-28T09:50:00.000+05:30

It is widely believed that chess is a game for intellectuals, scholars and even geniuses. But Jamaica's national champion, Warren Elliott, dismisses this, claiming that it is a game for everyone. Read this post in the Jamaica Observer.Technorati Tags: Jamaica Observer, Warren Elliott

Knight Sight begins

2005-05-23T15:16:00.000+05:30

Just completed the Concentric Squares exercise for two weeks. I begin the Knight Sight exercise today.In the meantime, I am playing two games with ChessSmith and one with Mr. Charles Thayer.I am trying to register my TASC Chess Tutor software online. However, both their site and email id are non-functional. Can the other Knight Errants please tell me how they registered their software?Update:

My First Win

2005-05-20T09:40:00.000+05:30

Today I won my first game after the start of the MDLM programme. Here's the game:[Event "Casual Game"][Site "ChessWorld.net"][Date "2005.05.04"][White "prana70"][Black "Satish, Talim"][Result "0-1"][ECO "D00"][Annotator "Talim,Satish"]1. d4 d5 2. g3 e5 3. Bg2 exd4 4. Qxd4 {My pawn at d5 isattacked by his Queen and Bishop - it needs protection. I would have loved to attack his Queen but I feel the

Rest of the World vs. Mr CharlesThayer

2005-05-19T08:25:00.000+05:30

You can play against Charles Thayer, a USCF Master player. ChessSmith talks at length about this in his blog - "I know from my own experience that this will be a great game and opportunity for improving your game. I've played 18 games against Mr Thayer over the past couple of years..."Update: The game against the USCF Master started today (21st May). The concept is interesting.6th June 2005 Mr

10 days over

2005-05-18T19:45:00.000+05:30

Just received TASC Chess Tutor (or TCT) in my mail. Completed 10th day of my Concentric Squares today.Technorati Tags: TASC Chess Tutor

KISS Principle

2005-05-17T17:06:00.000+05:30

Last night some of my friends asked me as to how I remember all the various openings/moves while playing Chess.Frankly, I do not remember any openings or their names too. I follow some basic principles (KISS - Keep it simple, silly) while playing and that with time has helped me to become a better player.My rules for the Opening adopted from various masters are: 1. Open with either the e-pawn

Loosely coupled Chess group blog via Technorati tags?

2005-05-15T14:03:00.000+05:30

Calling Chess bloggers - how about setting up a loosely coupled distributed blogging network type thing, using Technorati's new tagging feature? How about using a virgin tag like ChessBlogs?Then apply the same tag to our Flickr photos, Del.icio.us bookmarks and so on, and hey presto - a new Chess group blog.Update: Bloggers have been asking me, 'How to put Technorati tags on their posts'. Well,

Chess Maxims

2005-05-14T10:47:00.000+05:30

Have you heard of Chess Maxims? Here are some, that made sense to me!Bishops are better than Knights in open positionsDo not place your Pawns on the color of your BishopA Knight on the rim is dim / grimDevelop Knights before BishopsEvery Pawn is a potential QueenA passed Pawn increases in strength as the number of pieces on the board diminishesThis one's funny - "Pawns are like buttons, Lose too

Your Blogshares are being traded!

2005-05-12T10:41:00.000+05:30

Did you know that virtual shares of your blog site are being actively traded here? No? Well, go to the link provided and search for your blog in the URL box provided.BlogShares is a fantasy stock market where weblogs are the companies. Players get to invest a fictional B$500 on shares in blogs. Blogs are valued by their incoming links and add value to other blogs by linking to them. Prices can go

FreeStyle Chess

2005-05-11T08:48:00.000+05:30

Last evening I got an email from Ashik in USA, talking about FreeStyle Chess. Here's the gist -The point of the PAL/CSS Freestyle tournament is that the participants are permitted to use external help. They are allowed to use computers, books, club mates, grandmasters. Get help from Vishy Anand or Fritz, from Karpov or Deep Shredder. Play alone or in a team. The use of computers is not just

Two days gone

2005-05-10T16:53:00.000+05:30

Finished the second day of Concentric Squares using the black rook, black bishop and black queen. I realised that I had overlooked many fork positions yesterday. Today it took me a total of 90 minutes to complete the exercise. I want to confirm this with the other Knights Errant - For the black rook there are 105 fork and 63 skewer positions; for the black bishop 198 fork and 63 skewer positions;

One Day Down

2005-05-09T11:33:00.000+05:30

Finished the first day of Concentric Squares using the black rook, black bishop and black queen. I will integrate the knight concentric exercise into my knight sight drills. It took me 15 minutes with the black rook to figure out 20 fork positions and 63 skewer positions; 5 minutes with the black bishop for 26 fork positions and 63 skewer positions and 3 minutes with the black queen for 0 fork

MDLM Programme Kick Off

2005-05-08T20:24:00.000+05:30

Just got back from a brief vacation. As mentioned in one of my earlier posts, I am starting off on the MDLM programme from 9th May 2005.I have been trying to get hold of Maza's 'Rapid Chess Improvement' book in Pune, India but without any success. It's available on Amazon but the price is a stiff US $16. Also, it would take them about three weeks to deliver the book to me. I can't wait to get

A Quick Game

2005-05-05T12:13:00.000+05:30

I remember a game I played recently where the opponent did not follow the KISS principle, I try and follow this principle for opening play (more on this, after I come back from my 3 days vacation). Here's the game:[Event "April 2005 Member Main #1 Tournament"][Site "http://www.itsyourturn.com"][Date "2005.04.01"][Round "1"][White "Satish, Talim"][Black "Opponent"][Result "1-0"]1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 {

Chess Bloggers Index

2005-05-04T18:04:00.000+05:30

ChessBloggers is an index of bloggers from all over the world that have a blog dedicated to Chess. I had been toying with this idea for long and finally I got down to creating the same. This will only be successful if you can help me out.Please go to the link provided above and give me some details of your blog. Looking forward to hearing from you all.Technorati Tags:

Links for free PGN files

2005-05-04T04:09:00.000+05:30

There are lots of chess web sites where you can get pgn files for free. Here are some links for chess resources on the web: http://www.chesscenter.com/ http://www.chessbase.com/ http://www.chessopolis.com/chessfiles/pgn_files.htm http://www.clevelandchess.com/downloads/pgndload.htm http://www.schackcentralen.com/b.asp http://www.mark-weeks.com/chess/t4lm$mix.htm Technorati Tags: Chess,

Chess Forums

2005-05-03T19:54:00.000+05:30

Two of the best Chess Forums I have found and use is The Chess Exchange Forum and About Chess Forum. Which one do you use? Technorati Tags: Chess, Blogs, IndianGuru, Satish Talim's Chess Blog, Chess Blog, Chess Forum

The Greatest Chess Master?

2005-05-03T13:17:00.000+05:30

Who do you think is the Greatest Chess Master - Paul Morphy, Bobby Fischer, B. Larsen... ? Bobby Fischer's List of ... "The Ten Greatest." (1964)1. Paul Morphy - "In a set match, Morphy would beat anyone alive today."2. Howard Staunton - "One of the most profound players and analysts of all time."3. Wilhelm Steinitz - "A genius, and the Father of the Positional School of chess."4. Siegbert

My Current Chess Status

2005-05-02T17:08:00.000+05:30

Before I start on Maza's (MDLM) programme, I thought I should start afresh. I decided to start playing slow Chess games on LetsPlayChess. They have a good interface, and many, many people to play Chess with.Player information for IndianGuru:Rating: 1400Games Completed: 0Abandoned Games: 0Wins: 0Losses: 0Draws: 0I will start on MDLM's plan from 10th May, when I come back from a vacation with my

Boylston Chess Club Weblog - Thanks

2005-05-02T12:43:00.000+05:30

Feels good to see that the Boylston Chess Club Weblog has my Chess site listed on their Chess Weblogs. Thanks.Technorati Tags: Chess, Blogs, IndianGuru

Rapid Chess Improvement - My Summary

2005-05-02T11:44:00.000+05:30

Ed Gaillard mentioned to me that even if I go thro' Maza's articles, I need not buy his book - Rapid Chess Improvement, by Michael de la Maza (Everyman Chess, 2002), 126 pp. Okay, last night I did go thro' the two articles and here is the jist of the same.Maza mentions that Chess Players who spend their time on openings, middle-game strategy, and endgames are doing an excellent job of increasing

Towards Knighthood?

2005-05-01T18:47:00.000+05:30

Today being a Sunday, I have started reading Michael de la Maza's article on '400 Points in 400 Days'. I am still unable to locate the book 'Rapid Chess Improvement' by Michael de la Maza, in my city. Finding time to devote to Maza's suggested techniques is going to be tough, but hopefully I will find time in the future to post here my improvements, as I move forward. Technorati Tags: Chess,

Fritz 8

2005-05-01T17:30:00.000+05:30

I use Fritz 8 for practicing, analyzing and storing my games ONCE THEY'RE DONE. Using a chess playing program while playing (for example, to tell you what move to make) is, in my opinion, cheating. For those interested, this link explains the various ways one can use this software to improve one's own game.I have not used other software programs much. Have you? What is your opinion?Technorati

Best Chess Books

2005-05-01T06:29:00.000+05:30

Here's a list of some of the best chess books ever written, in no particular order. I know that some of you would disagree with this list and I would like you to suggest your own lists.1. How To Re-Assess Your Chess by IM J. Silman2. The Ideas Behind the Chess Openings by GM Ruben Fine3. Pawn Structure Chess by GM Andy Soltis4. The Complete Chess Player by Reinfeld5. Logical Chess,

Correspondence chess

2005-04-30T23:14:00.000+05:30

Correspondence chess is chess played by some sort of long-distance correspondence, usually through a Correspondence Chess Server or e-mail or the postal system. Less usual methods which have been employed include fax and homing pigeon. It is opposed to so-called over-the-board (OTB) chess, where the players sit at a chessboard, at the same time.I play chess regularly at ItsYourTurn. My UserId is

Chess Nonsense Blog

2005-04-29T22:30:00.000+05:30

While browsing the net I came across the Chess Nonsense blog that I found very interesting. I have been trying to improve my game of chess and when Paul Salcido mentioned about 'Errant Knights' and their plans to increase their chess ratings by '400 points in 400 days', I immediately got interested. I found a link which talks about Rapid Chess Improvement by Michael de la Maza. His plan is

One more Chess Blog

2005-04-29T06:11:00.000+05:30

I got hooked on to Chess at school but then stopped playing about 30 years back. I have been trying to get back into form by playing Correspondence Chess. My performance indicates that my skills are average (probably Class F). At 50, it's a very, very slow climb!As I age, I would like to keep mentally fit by playing Chess and devote this blog to everything Chess, my games and learning