Leaving for Brazil!

Update, it's Sunday morning, and I'm getting ready to leave for the World Youth in Brazil. Throughout the following 2 weeks, I'll be giving updates, posting pictures, and every day, I'll post my tournament game from that day along with my annotations. First game is on Friday, Nov. 17. If you're interested in following the tournament online, you can visit the tournament website at www.wycc2011.com. If you click on "tournament information", you will be able to see standings and results.

The History of Chess, part 2

After LaBourdonnais and McDonnell died, the best were now Howard Staunton and Pierre Charles de Saint-Amant. A match in 1843 formed between them in 1843, which Saint-Amant won with 3 wins, 2 losses, and 1 draw. Staunton was winning by 1 going into the final 2 games, but then miracles occurred.



Disheartened, Staunton was blown off the board as white in the next game and thus lost this very tough match.

Of course, Staunton challenged Saint-Amant to a rematch, which was accepted. 6 months later, it took place. The conditions were:the first to win 11 games. After 8 games he had 7 wins and only 1 draw! He had won many pretty games on the way.



The 2 players alternated wins in the next 6 games, and Staunton was a win away with the score 10-3. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Saint-Amant won 3 of the next 5 games (the other 2 were draws)! Here is an example, the 20th game.



Staunton's fans were getting nervous, as the score was now 10-6. Luckily, Staunton saved the best game of his career for a good time, the 21st game.



Thus Staunton won the match and left no doubt that he was #1.

That's it for part 2! Part 3 coming soon!

The History of Chess, part 1

I'm going to be writing a few articles about the history of chess, here is part 1.

Back in the 1600s, people played like you probably played when you were a novice. You brought out the queen immediately, always liked to give checks, etc. This was known as the "Italian School". It was all inspired by Gioacchino Greco (1600-1634), who was the leading attacking of those days. Here is a sample of his play.



At this time, no one was able to defend and the attacker always won, leading people to believe that this was the correct way to play. This changed only in the mid - 1700s, when Francois - Andre Danican Philidor (1726-1795) took up the game. He beat the leading player Stamma in a match in 1747, and was known as the world #1.

He went on to publish a manual, which contained certain, general principles to play by. He was the first to do this. He was the first to make a positional plan based on pawns. He said to put pawns in front, and pieces in back, giving this position as an example.



He countered the Italian School by saying that you should never start an attack until the pawns are supported. This was a significant step in chess understanding, but no one else could understand Philidor, as he was simply too far ahead of his time. Because of this, people kept playing in the Italian style.

Philidor died in 1795, and there was no world #1 for a while. In the 1820s, the candidates were Alexander Louis Deschapelles and William Lewis. Their students, Louis Charles de la Bourdonnais and Alexander McDonnell, were then the leaders after the other 2 passed their prime. They played a series of 6 matches, which was won by a combined score by La Bourdonnais with 45 wins, 27 draws, and 13 draws. The 16th game was the most famous of the match.



An amazing finish! La Bourdonnais showed that he was clearly the strongest player in the world. Unfortunately, both players died within 6 years after the match, so yet again there was no strongest player in the world.

That's it for part 1! Part 2 coming out soon!

The Dangers of Going to Sleep

Here is an instructional video for you. And stay awake for it!

8th Best Move

Hello-

Change of plans. As the moves get better, I will do only one move per video. Here is the 8th best move. Hope you like it!

10th and 9th best moves

Hello-

I am now doing the top 10 best moves of all time, but in video form, spread out over 5 videos. This one is the 10th and 9th best moves of all time. Enjoy!

Top 10 Blunders

Hello -

I will be starting a series of top 10 lists. This one is the top 10 blunders in the history of chess. I am interested to hear your comments - maybe you might disagree with the blunders and the order. Enjoy!
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BLUNDER #10: Reshevsky-Savon 1973

Here, white is down a piece, but he has managed to use his major pieces to hunt out the black king. In fact, he has a mate in 3 with 40. g5+ Kxg5 41. h4+ Kxh4 42. Qf4#. White has 4 other moves that mate soon, and 2 other moves that maintain at least a rook's worth advantage. Reshevsky, however, announced mate with 40. Qxg6+. He missed the bishop on b1, and resigned after 40... Bxg6. Reshevsky was in time pressure.

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BLUNDER #9: Taimanov-Fischer 1971

Taimanov had already lost the first four games of this match. This endgame is drawn, but Taimanov was already discouraged by losing four games in a row. He managed to lose again with 46. Rxf6??. After 46... Qd4+ Taimanov resigned, as the rook is lost. After 47. Rf2 comes 47... Ral+.

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BLUNDER #8: GRINFELD-PANKINS 1974

This is one of the most bizzare blunders ever. White moved his queen to g3, announcing checkmate. He forgot that his pawn wasn't guarding the queen because it moved the other way! White resigned after black took the queen.
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BLUNDER #7: KARPOV-BAREEV 1994

Here is another easily drawn position. Bareev pictured the variation 35... Rxd5 36. Nxd5 Ba7. He played it - but mixed the move order up! After the terrible 35... Ba7?? white mated with 36. Rxd8#. Note that 35... Ba7?? is the only move on the board to allow a mate in one!
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BLUNDER #6: CHIGORIN-STEINITZ 1892
This is a crucial game in the world championship match. Steinitz sacrificed a piece to get 2 rooks on the seventh, but Chigorin is winning. Instead of playing the obvious (and good) 32. Rxb7, Chigorin had a major oversight and played 32. Bb4??. After 32... Rxh2+ white resigned. After 33. Kg1 would come 33... Rdg2#.
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BLUNDER #5: POPIEL-MARCO 1902

This blunder is not like the others. In this position, black's bishop is pinned. Black, however, had the opportunity to win the queen with 36... Bg1!. The queen would be attacked, and mate would be threatened on h2. Instead, what did Marco do? He resigned! This is the earliest example of premature resignation.
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BLUNDER #4: SHORT-BELIAVSKY 1992

Have you ever heard of the saying "Nigel Short?" This means a bizzare mate in the endgame with limited pieces. This is the game that saying came from. Here, white could win with 58. Nxf6. Instead, Short came up with 58. Ke6??. A crazy mate occurs after 58... Bc8#!
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BLUNDER #3: CHERNIAEV-CONQUEST 2004

In this position, white should win, but the win is not easy at all. The players have been playing for a long time, and are exhausted. Maybe that explains 87... Ke6??. Another "Nigel Short" mate occurs after 88. Bf5#! ==========================================================
BLUNDER #2:PETROSIAN-BRONSTEIN 1956

Here, white has great positional strength. 36. Qc7 secures a 2 and a half pawn advantage. Instead, Petrosian played the worst blunder of material in chess history. 36. Ng5?? just hung the queen, and Petrosian resigned after 36... Nxd6.
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BLUNDER #1: DEEP FRITZ (COMPUTER) - KRAMNIK 2006


In this position, a draw would result after 34... Kg8. Kramnik, however, made the worst blunder in the history of chess. 34... Qe3?? Kramnik made this move and went to take a walk. After he came back, he was shocked that he had been mated by 35. Qh7#! The spectators were equally surprised.

That's my list. Please comment, and what is your opinion? Do you think there are better ones? Do you think the order is wrong?