Chess for Beginners

Category: Annotated Games

  • Analyzing Your Games

    According to Mark Dvoretsky the analysis of one’s own games is the main means of self-improvement.  In Secrets of Chess Training Dvoretsky offers the following guidelines:

    1. Find the turning points – Decide where mistakes were made, where the evaluation of the position changed or an opportunity was missed.
    2. Seek the reasons for your own mistakes – The objective realization of your own weaknesses is a necessary first step in the work of correcting them.
    3. Seek new possibilities, which you did not notice during the game.
    4. Ponder over the opening stage – Approach the problems you faced during the opening to increase your knowledge and outline new plans.

  • Annotated Game: Szabo v.Geller Zurich 1953

    [Annotator: Bronstein, David]

    A weakness of the dark squares is also a weakness of the pieces and pawns on the light squares. Light-square weaknesses are also possible, resulting in a weakening of the enemy pieces on the dark squares. The point of an attack on the dark squares is that by placing my pawns and pieces on the dark, I attack my opponent’s pieces and pawns on the light. This game provides a clear example of the method of exploiting dark square weakness; and the combination which was possible after Black’s 24th move begs to be included in a textbook, taking place as it does entirely on light squares.

    1.c4 Nf6 2.g3 e6 3.Bg2 d5 4.d4 dxc4 5.Qa4+ Nbd7 6.Nf3 a6 7.Qxc4 b5 8.Qc6 Diagram

    zurich_1g1_16
    Having hatched a plan to weaken the enemy dark squares, Szabo undertakes a delicate maneuver aimed at bringing about the exchange of the dark square bishops, which will further strengthen his grip on the dark squares.

    8…Rb8 9.Bf4 Nd5 10.Bg5 Be7 11.Bxe7 Qxe7 12.0-0 Bb7 13.Qc2 c5 14.dxc5 Nxc5 15.Rc1 Rc8 16.Nc3 Nf6 Diagram

    zurich_1g1_17
    A small but serious inaccuracy; Black removes this piece from the main theater of operations.[16…Nb6 much better for Black. Increases control of c4 and makes it more difficult for White to play b4.]

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  • Annotated Game: Winter vs. Capablanca 1918

    Here’s an annotated game by Capablanca from his game Winter vs. Capablanca that took place in Hastings in 1918.

    Winter vs. Capablanca 1918

    NOTE: I am testing a Silverlight chess board, please leave me your feedback.

  • Annotated Game: Chessbuzz vs Lordofthedance

    Round 1 game of the September Standard Tourney on ICC.

  • Annotated Game: Lordofthedance versus Chessbuzz

    Round 2 game of the July Monthly Standard Tournaments on ICC.

  • Educational Chess Games Part II

    I haven’t given up on compiling the list of educational games, but it was more difficult than I first thought. I have come up with a list of approximately 150 games from different sources, and I have narrowed it down to the 50 you see here. I tried to keep at least one version of each theme, but I wanted to keep the number of games manageable.

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  • Annotated Game: Indiana-Jones – Chessbuzz

    Indiana-Jones versus Chessbuzz is another game where I take a beating from a GM on ICC. I think I’m getting a lot out these games, as I learn how GM’s take advantage of the smallest advantage and eventually dismantle the weaker player. I think the most educational part is annotating the game afterwards.

  • Educational Chess Games

    It is common knowledge, that in order to improve your chess game you should go over annotated master games. To get the most out of this exercise, the master games that we go over should should contain memorable patterns and/or combinations that we can later recall and apply in our own real game situations.

    I am beginning to compile a list of educational games, and I would love to hear your recommendations. Leave a comment with the participants, year, venue and the lesson it is teaching, and in a future post I will make a PGN available for download which includes all these games.

  • Annotated Game: Martica Fierro Vs. Chessbuzz

    Here’s a game I played tonight on ICC against Martica Fierro . I have attempted as part of my improvement program to annotate it, but please feel free to provide feedback.

  • Annotated Game: Mattison Vs. Nimzovich

    Matisons,Hermanis – Nimzowitsch,Aaron [E21]
    Karlsbad Karlsbad, 1929
    [Irving Chernev]

    The following game so beautifully annotated by Chernev in ‘The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played’ shows the power of centralized knights and rooks on open files. 

    Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Nf3 The Nimzo-Indian defense. 4…Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 d6 6.Qc2 Qe7 7.Ba3 c5 This fixes White’s pawn at c4, making it a stationary target at which Nimzowich can aim an attack. 8.g3 White prepares to fianchetto the bishop and control the long diagonal. Ordinarily, this is a comendable development, but here this has the drawback of depriving the weak pawn at c4 with a defender. [8.e4 A better course followed by 9.Bd3.] 8…b6

    Black intends to dispute control of the long diagonal. 9.Bg2 Bb7 10.0-0 0-0 11.Nh4 White is anxious to exchange bishops, since Nimzowich has more scope, and bears down (together with the knight) so strongly on the e5 square. A better way to bring about the exchange would have been 11.Nd2. The knight would then not only exert more influence on the center, but would be a useful protector of the pawn on c4. 11…Bxg2 12.Kxg2Better would have been 12. Nxg2 retaking with the knight. 12…Qb7+

    mattison_nimzovichg1_3.jpg

    13.Kg1 Better would have been 13. Nf3, which gets the knight back from the sidelines, and gives White a fighting chance. 13…Qa6 Attacks both the bishop and the c4 pawn, forcing White’s reply. 14.Qb3 Nc6 15.Rfd1 Na5 16.Qb5 Qxb5 17.cxb5
    mattison_nimzovichg1_4.jpg

     17…Nc4! The doubled pawn has been dissolved, but the weakness of the square on which it stood remains. Nimzowich anchors his knight on this vital square, and with that move he secures new advantages: (1)The knight is posted aggressively. It attacks the bishop and drives it back to its original square. (2) The knight is posted defensively. It protects the d6 pawn and the b6 pawn against possible attack. (3) the knight has a great deal of influence on the important central squares. (4) The knight cannot be disloged by pawns, nor by the bishop (which operates on the dark squares only).18.Bc1 a6 This forces open the a file, since White must capture or lose a pawn.

    19.bxa6 Rxa6 Now the rook has a fine target in the isolated a2 pawn.20.dxc5 bxc5 21.Ng2 The knight returns, but it is too late.

    A comparison of the positions shows the superiority of Black’s in that his knights are strongly centralized, and his rooks can operate on the two open files. White’s minor pieces are widely scattered, and his rooks out of touch with each other.