EJCC 2-2 Seaton

ByDrDave

Another close match which could have gone either way.

Some homework study may be required!

{Some simple tactics decided this game. In fact, they are the tactics most
often missed in junior games: discovered check, outnumbered, undermining.}

{WARNING: This next game contains uncut scenes of graphic chess violence. The part of Ming
the Merciless was played by Taylor Finch.}

{A great fightback after losing your way in an unfamiliar opening.}

{In a line you hadn’t faced before, you struggled to find a way to complete
development and be able to keep going forward. In the end, the squares you
lost on the board were less important than the minutes you lost on the clock.}

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  • Exeter Juniors 1-3 Exeter School 22nd May 2015

    ByDrDave

    Exeter Juniors 1-3 Exeter School 22nd May 2015

    default 0-1 Leif HAFSTAD
    Ethan HWANG 1-0 Henry COLEMAN
    Felix WATTS 0-1 Redmond COLEMAN
    Ned RICHARDS 0-1 Nick ARMSTRONG

    In a close match, where many of the players relied for support on a
    mysterious brown elixir, the visiting team had an early boost when the
    home team top board didn’t arrive.

    It looked as though the home team was going to score a rapid equaliser
    when a mate-in-one appeared on board 3, but the opportunity passed by.
    The material balance wobbled several times before Redmond found a
    back-rank mate later in the game.

    Some excellent aggressive play from both sides on board 4 was also
    brought to a close when Nick spotted a snap mate.

    In the best game of the match, Henry tripled down the e-file, pinning
    down all of Black’s pieces. Ethan then sent his Queen off in search of
    counterplay, but it became cut off from the e-file, whence White could
    have delivered the fatal blow. But the Queen proved distracting
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    Games to follow.

  • |

    New season 2026/27

    ByDrDave

    8 Sept 2026

    I hope you all had a wonderful Summer.

    The first club night of the new chess season will be on Tuesday 8th Sept 2026, at our usual venue of the “DJ Room”, Heavitree Social Club, EX1 3BS.

    Membership fees of £15 will be due for this 2026-27 year from today; perhaps the easiest way for us both is to use this link:
    https://devonjuniorchess.co.uk/content/exeter-junior-chess-club-membership-fee
    Whatever PayPal try to persuade you, you don’t need a PayPal account to pay through PayPal.
    Instructions for BACS payments are also on that page.

    Looking forward to seeing you all again, and I hope you will not object if I notice you have grown.

    bw

    D

    P.S. I am busy trying to retire from work, which I hope to do some time in the New Year, after which I won’t be coming into the SHEU office in Exeter each week.  If there are any roles you could see yourself doing at the club, please let me know.

  • Exeter Juniors 1½-2½ Exeter Gambits

    ByDrDave

    Well, a loss for the juniors, but by the narrowest of margins, and
    against a team who were a bit stronger than they looked on paper. A
    couple of the Gambits players have had much higher grades in the past,
    and in the end I think experience told.




  • |

    Oct 6

    ByDrDave

    A different sort of puzzle today from Mr Lees: you are given the first move, but why is it clever?

  • Exeter Juniors 1-2 Sidmouth B

    ByDrDave

    A tale of three discoveries: a discovered attack proved the winning move in all three games.

    Unmasked threats – discovered attacks and discovered checks – are the
    most difficult threats to spot. You pay attention to the piece that
    moves, but the threat comes from the piece behind.

    I’ve attached a discovered attack training page – get your eye in! In 2010, the Devon U14 team lost an awful lot of points (or a lot of awful points) to discovered attacks, and the puzzles are all things that they missed.

    {Some over-cautious play by Black gave White some chances early on, but it
    fizzled out. White decided to save a pawn … but lost a Knight instead!
    White then attacked very well and won the Exchange, leaving the balance Rook
    against two minor pieces – about equal. But then Black sprang a deadly
    discovery to win.}

    {White’s home-made system against the Dragon got into a bit of a muddle, and
    once it started going wrong, White jumped from the frying pan to the fire to
    the furnace…}

    {In a line Black was unsure about, White got an advantage in space and
    development, which was used to put pressure on the Queen’s-side. After a big
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  • Exeter Juniors ½-3½ Tiverton Testosterones

    ByDrDave

    {A terrific scrap where both sides took and missed their chances. In the end
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    {White played an unknown system and got a bit lost. Trying to save a pawn,
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    with Black dominant, and White never really had a chance.}

    See also: http://exeterchessclub.org.uk/content/making-it-you-go-along

    {Black wins a pawn but misses a discovery to lose a piece. Black keeps going
    and eventually finds a perpetual check.}

    {White started very well but the position became blocked and difficult.
    Trying to get something going, you played a poor move, and things then went
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