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13th October

ByDrDave

Welcome to Yas and our special returning guest Mr.B!

A puzzle from Baker:

Similar Posts

  • The 65th square

    ByDrDave

    The secret of Grandmaster play is to make use of the hidden 65th square on the chess board. I’m sure you’ve all had the experience of having a piece come at you, apparently out of nowhere, to take one of your army. That piece came from the 65th square.

    I can’t show you the square, because it’s not on the usual 8×8 grid system, but I can show you that it is there. Watch…

    Take a 8×8 chessboard (64 squares, right?), and divide it up in a special way:

    These can be rearranged to make a rectangle. 

    But of course, the 5×13 rectangle has 65 squares. I’m not sure which one is the extra square… but now you know it’s there, you can maybe use it in your games!

    (Post inspired by Ivor Annetts, but puzzle devised by Sam Loyd, I believe.)

  • Exeter Juniors ½-3½ Tiverton Testosterones

    ByDrDave

    {A terrific scrap where both sides took and missed their chances. In the end
    the struggle with the 32 pieces on the board was decided as much by the clock
    as by the moves.}

    {White played an unknown system and got a bit lost. Trying to save a pawn,
    White lost one piece and should have lost another. The position settled down
    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
    from bad to worse.}

  • EJCC 2-2 Newton Abbot Juniors 16th Dec 2011

    ByDrDave

    One of the best and best-contested matches I’ve had the pleasure to watch. Well done to all players!

    W Royle ½-½ Fraser
    B Trott ½-½ Whitehead
    S Keat 1-0 Ramesh
    B Terrill 0-1 Chornenkyy

    A tough game fought in the jungles of a hypermodern opening, in the end Black’s
    exchange was enough to balance an advanced passed pawn – or maybe the
    other way around!

    A wild game where both sides did enough to win…

    Some devilishly complicated opening play resulted in an early win of a
    piece for White.

  • |

    Puzzle corner

    ByDrDave

    Mr.B was always very good at producing a puzzle for us each week. Today’s puzzle comes from Mr.Lees — many thanks!

    You’re Black, and you can checkmate White in two moves (you move, White moves, then you play checkmate).

    HINTS: select the text below the numbers

    1.

    [White doesn’t have many moves]

    2.

    [If you can play …Na6xBc7 it’s checkmate]

    3.

    [Can you force White to put their Bishop on c7? (yes!)]

    SOLUTION: reveal by clicking the [ > ] button.

  • Exeter Juniors 2½-1½ Seaton

    ByDrDave

    Our first win! Even without the point from ‘super-sub’ Ray Shepherd, we had a draw in the bank, and that would have been a good result too.

    So, well done all round. In both other games there was a big chance for our side early on – so make sure you think right from the start, don’t ‘warm up’ during the game!

    {A bit of a tired performance by White: Black picked up pawns every few moves
    and went into an endgame four pawns ahead. There were a couple of chances to
    hit back, and the one on move 8 might have given a very different result.
    Look at every check and every capture, every move!}

    3. d4 is the move most likely to cause problems. Have a look at this page:
    http://exeterchessclub.org.uk/content/lessons-philidors-defence

    {Black never really got going and eventually forgot about a threatened piece;
    White actually had a chance to win a piece on move 6!}

  • EJCC vs Torquay Boys’ Grammar 21 Jan 2011

    ByDrDave

    I was unsure whether to put in a team this year, but the squad put up an excellent fight last week to lose a close match to the visitors. The return fixture is in February.

    I have the scores of two games: