• 10 Nov

    ByDrDave

    Welcome to Max

    I teased a couple of you with a Very Hard Mate In One last week, and found another one.

    I have collected some more!  21 more in fact.

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    3 Nov

    ByDrDave

    Could I gently remind you to pay for the season if you haven’t already?

    Puzzle of the week: mate in one move — reckoned to be one of the hardest!

    Hints (click-drag-select to view):

    1. Black’s last move was with a pawn
    2. The e-pawn
    3. From e7
    4. eep…

     

  • 20 October — No club night next week!

    ByDrDave

    Welcome to James!

    No club night next week (27th October) for Half-term.

    I am copying old posts from old websites and reminded myself of Mr.B’s interest in Otto Blathy’s ‘grotesque’ chess problems, and tried one out this evening: the first one on this page – Grotesque!

    After tonight’s results, this half-term’s Rapid Rating Risers are Zayd, Jonah, Orestes, Ernest and especially Advaith — well done all!

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    13th October

    ByDrDave

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

    A puzzle from Baker:

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    Oct 6

    ByDrDave

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

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    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.

  • Tues 22 Sept 2026

    ByDrDave

    Welcome to Elliott

    We had an unusual game where the Black King charged up the board to e1! This is called a ‘King march’ if the player chooses to do it, or a ‘King hunt’ if the King is chased there.

    One of the most famous King hunts was this one:

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    A second step

    ByDrDave

    Welcome back to some old friends we missed last week, and a warm welcome to Reuben, Dylan and Teddy.

    Sorry I didn’t get around to printing a rating list this week — Tuesday proved to be a longer day at work than I expected! — but they’re all there on the website and updated this evening.

  • A good start

    ByDrDave

    Great to see faces old and new this evening — welcome to Ernie, Leo N, Orestes and Sophie.

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    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.