Chess for Beginners

Category: Chess

  • 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.

  • Chessbase Light 2007

    Download your free copy of Chessbase Light 2007!
    UPDATE: Please see the update and expanded chess database post including a download link to the latest version of chessbase light.

  • Fischer versus Spassky Documentary

    Fischer versus Spassky Documentary

  • 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.

  • Chess Training for Amateurs

    The Program

    The following system is geared towards adult beginners with an ELO rating of 1200-1800. It is a modified version of Irina Mikhailova’s schedule which she used at the Petrosian Chess School. [1]

    I have left the schedule flexible so that it can be modified based on the time you have to dedicate to chess study. For my own use, I plan on devoting 1 hour to chess at least 6 times per week for a total of 6 hours of chess study per week. If you want to add more time, simply multiply the hours per block. For example, I am using 30 minute blocks, so 1 block of study endings is equivalent to 30 minutes. If you want to devote more time simply multiply 1 hour X block for each theme.

    Below are some of the differences between the original Mikahilova schedule and this version:

    • Less emphasis on opening study.

    • Spread across more days, but fewer hours of study per day. This is a 6 day program and the original was a 4 day program.

    • Is geared towards a lower rated working adult.

    • Strong emphasis on endgame studies, and contains a study endings theme which the original version did not.

    • Strong focus on tactics training as the original.

    • Incorporates the shortcut version of Michael de la Maza’s Seven Circles training.

    • Time has been allocated for analyzing your games.

    • Solving strategy session revolves around going over annotated master games.

    In a nutshell, this program contains 4 of the things most chess coaches say are critical to improvement:

    1. Going over annotated master games.

    2. Repetition of tactical puzzles to burn in pattern recognition.

    3. Playing slow games of G/30 or greater.

    4. Analyzing your games, to find out your mistakes and preventing their reoccurrence.

    Another benefit of the program is that it also grants structure and maximizes your chess study time.

    Study Schedule

    Study Schedule

    When performing the modified 7 circles training, I recommend that you use the difficulty level method, and begin with the level 10 puzzles. The first cycle will take you through the first 200 puzzles, which will range in difficulty from 10-20. You then begin the next cycle with puzzle 201, etc. I tried to keep the time per puzzle to 20-50 minutes since my block time is 30 minutes.

    Seven Circles Shortcut

    Seven Circles Shortcut

    If you follow the schedule it should take you approximately 4 weeks to finish 1 cycle of 200 puzzles and 1000 puzzles in approximately 20 weeks.

    Resources

    Tactics: CT-ART 3.0, Chess Tactics Server

    Study Endings: Silman’s Complete Endgame Course, Just the Facts by Lev Alburt

    Solve Endings: Silman’s Complete Endgame Course, Personal Chess Trainer.

    Solve Strategy: Zurich International Chess Tournament 1953

    Study Strategy: Reassess your Chess by Jeremy Silman, My System by Nimzowich

    Reference
    [1] http://www.convekta.com/softscho/l1/lesson_3.html
    [2] http://www.chesscafe.com/text/skittles148.pdf and http://www.chesscafe.com/text/skittles150.pdf

  • Playing Over Annotated Master Chess Games

    Purdy maintained that the best way to get better at chess was to play over annotated master chess games. Below is Purdy’s method for going over chess games:

    1. Take the side of the winner (or either side if the game was a draw).

    2. Cover the moves with an index card, and when it’s your turn to move select a move based on the position on the chess board.

    3. Uncover the move, and compare it to your move. Review the annotations and understand why the text move is better than the move you selected.

  • Chess Notebook

    What do you all use as a chess notebook? Is it solely chessbase, or is it a handwritten notebook or a combination of the two? Would love to hear your feedback. As for me, I’m thinking of using Chessbase but also printing out the diagrams and notes and adding them to a binder for easy offline reference.

  • 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.

  • Triangulation

    Triangulation refers to a King maneuver which aims to lose a tempo, and leave the opponent with the move. (Dvoretsky) The d5 and d7 square are in correspondence. White in this position can easily “lose” a tempo and place his opponent in zugzwang.

    Triangulation Position 1

    1.Ke5! Kc6 2.Kd4 Kd7 3.Kd5 White has acheived his aim, by creating a triange with his King. We are now back to the starting position, except that White now has the opposition and it is Black’s turn to move, and the rest is a matter of technique. 3…Kc8 4.Ke6! Attaining the diagonal opposition. 4…Kd8 5.Kd6 Attaining the vertical opposition. 5…Kc8 6.Ke7 Kb8 7.Kd7 Ka8 8.c6+-

    Triangulation Posiiton 2
    Position after White’s 8th move.

    The game would continue as follows: bxc6 9.Kc7 c5 10.b7+ Ka7 11.b8Q+.

  • Key Squares

    Key squares are squares whose occupation by the King assures victory, regardless of whose turn it is to move. (Dvoretsky)

    Key Squares with Pawn on Fourth Rank

    White to move is a draw.

    It is important to note that a pawn on the 4th rank or below has 3 key squares, whereas a pawn on the 5th rank or higher has six key squares.
    Key Squares with Pawn on 5th Rank

    A Pawn on the 5th rank or higher has 6 key squares.

    In the example below the key squares are a6, b6 and c6. The key to winning in this position is for the White king to head to the square furthest away from the enemy King (a6), since that square will be the hardest to defend.

    Key Squares Example I

    1.Kc2! Ke7 2.Kb3 Kd6 3.Ka4 (3.Kc4? Kc6=) 3…Kc6 4.Ka5 Kb7 5.Kb5 +- and Black is in zugzwang.