The Streatham & Brixton Chess Blog

Streatham & Brixton Chess Club's blog was started in November 2006.

Posts back-dated to the October archive are house-keeping posts only.

For instance, there is an index of the puzzles. Also, I will save stuff here for future use on the blog, so as not to forget them. And experiment with things to see how they look, before dating them correctly. There might the odd draft too.

Anyhow - you should basically ignore the October posts, unless you have come here for a particular reason.

You can see the 7 most recent posts on the blog by clicking here.

Or click on one of the archive links to your left, to see a whole month's worth of posts.

Uploaded for future use, as other wise I would forget about it. It's very nice.

Via http://e4c5.net/index.php/2006/09/27/concentration/.

Same goes for:



from http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=5511842

At the other end of the spectrum, via realultimatepower.net:



And via Imperial Chess Club:



Aw:

this is a sample google doc table	the rows embiggen
dsad			when you
		type
			in them!

If you're just here to try some puzzles, this is the post for you. Each time I add a puzzle, this post will be edited with the new link, and for all our Sunday puzzles on one page click here. Here are the current links to all puzzles on the blog:

Al-Adli's Ninth Century Firework (easy)
All Too Accurate... (hard)
Anderssen-Anonymous (hard)
An Old Pair (one easy, one moderate)
As simple as can be? (simple, but moderate)
Attacking the Marshall Attack back (moderate)
Beauty & the Bulldozer (moderate)
Beauty, sans Truth? (moderate)
Better than a Pole Dance? (hard)
Bishops and Pawns Endgame (easy)
Bronstein Memorial (fairly easy)
Christmas Tree (moderate/fun)
Comedy or Competition? (moderate)
Cutely Round The Rink (easy/moderate)
David Howell's Win in One (easy)
Double Escape for Double FF (one easy, one moderate)
Easy for Jonathan (moderate)
Fifteen Minutes . . . Twice! (moderate)
Four Thought (hard/fun)
Find a future chess - or not? (hard)
From Blue Skies, Thunderbolts (moderate)
From the Bargain Basement (moderate)
Here Comes The Sun! (hard)
Intrigue & Improvement (hard)
Lasker's Ideal (very, very hard)
Ljubo's Missed Win (very hard)
Nissl's Little Dance (hard)
Ooops... (easy)
Puzzle Extraordinairé (very hard)
Rooks and Pawns Endgame (hard)
Sam Loyd, 1858 (moderate)
Scenic Railway (easy/fun)
Théodore Herlin 1860 Ice Skating (moderate/fun)
Unscenic Railyway (moderate/fun)
What the Audience knew... (hard)
You Can't Fail (trivial/fun)

If that doesn't satisfy you, the followings posts also contain positions to chew over, but they are not really purely about the puzzle.

Capablanca Blindfold Brilliancy (very hard)
Game fragment - blitz tactic (easy)
Game fragment - blunder, but why? (easy)
Game fragment - break-through versus blockade (moderate)
Game fragment - missed win (hard)

Still not had enough? Really?? In that case, try out chess blogger Steve Goldberg's Puzzles as well!

Or - if studies are more your thing, Chessvibes give you a week to solve theirs.

This is a test to see how a playable game interface looks.

The link for the generator site is here:

http://chess.maribelajar.com/chesspublisher/index.php

Sorry feed readers, just playing around with something :)

Those interested in writing for the blog should email us.

PS. This used to be the text for those wishing to write on the blog, before March 17th 2009, and it still contains some useful information.

A post to keep track of all the blog entries in this series.

In Ultimate Blunder Rating order...

19/20 CHIGORIN - Steinitz 1892
12/20 ALEKHINE - EUWE 1937
11.5/20 Spassky - FISCHER 1972
9/20 KASPAROV - SHORT 1993
8/20 Kramnik - TOPALOV 2006



PS:
if you want to go through the series in order they were written start here. This might be a good idea if you've no clue what an Ultimate Blunder Rating is.

Fans of the successful Superman spin-off TV series Smallville will wonder why their favourite show is being blogged about on a chess site. Chess fans, meanwhile, think of Smallville as the on-line user-name, nickname and playing handle of Hikaru Nakamura: a 19 year old American chess prodigy, Grand Master, and already one of the world's top 100 players.

Whilst it's not uncommon for chess players to like science fiction - there is typically a Star Trek t-shirt or ten seen at any old chess tournament - liking science fiction with good looking heroes (as opposed to emotionally stunted nerds) is somewhat rarer. But perhaps Smallville's attraction to Smallville is not to hard to explain - in terms of the way he plays chess. Uh?!? I hear chess players and TV fans alike respond. Well, Smallville's style is famous for three reasons - and each seems to correspond to a certain character from Smallville . . .

Firstly, Smallville thrives on complexity, difficulty, a refusal to make life simple. He rarely resigns until it's completely over, and is always on the look out for resources to trap his opponent with. In other words, the obsessive, secretive, hording strategist who never gives up: his play throws a dark, Lex Luthor-shaped shadow over the board at all times.

Secondly, and in complete contrast to his Lex-esque murky, messy chess, Smallville definitely has a Lois Lane side. He displays that in the opening stages of the game - where typically he rushes headlong up the board with the most stupid and obvious attempts to win, that even beginner-level players could repel. Naive, bolshy, fun, confident, blind and oblivious to danger - like Lois sticking her foot in it. Of course, Lois then needs to be rescued . . .

. . . and this is where Smallville's third distinctive ability comes in. Because, at times, make no mistake about it. Smallville is Clark Kent. He penetrates the problems on the board with x-ray vision, then executes apparently-impossible winning manouvers at lightening speed, that seem to come right out of nowhere. This is what clarifies the dark complexities of the Lex-like strategy; the sun after the storm. This, too, is what resuces him from the difficulties caused by his Lois-like idiot adventures.
Well, hopefully now fans of Smallville know a bit more Smallville, and vice versa.

But why I am telling you this?

Well, earlier this year I got to play Smallville in an Internet Chess Club Simultaneous Game. I hear that Uh?!? againt from TV-viewers. Well, the Internet Chess Club (ICC) club is a way to play games on-line through a computer programme. Many of the world's top players do this, as well as hundreds of thousands of amateurs like myself. Now, one way for the pro's to make money on the ICC is to play Simultaneous Games. A Simultaneous Game is where one strong player takes on a number of weaker players at the same time. Each weaker player only has their board to worry about - whilst the stronger player must make a move in turn on each of them, during a set time-limit. And I got to play Smallville in one of these Simultaneous Games - where he had 59 other opponents beside me.

Would I manage to Kryptonite his Clark side? Or would his Lois side make an idiot out of me on move 1? And what traps would his Lex-side cunningly lay for me? Well, here's what happened . . .





1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 c6 4. O-O g6 5. d3 Bg7 6. Nbd2 O-O

I have the black pieces. Nothing scary so far, or so I thought. Lois-mode is evidently switched to off, I told myself; this is all rather dull and worthy of him, in fact - just like Clark's parents.

7. e4 Bg4 8. Qe1 dxe4 9. dxe4

But, uh oh. What's this. Out of nowhere he suddenly has a nasty threat; e4-e5-e6, like journalist Lois asking a question you can't think how to answer.

9. ... Qa5 10. e5 Nfd7 11. h3 Bxf3 12. Nxf3 Qxe1 13. Rxe1 Nc5

But answer I did. e5-e6 is now impossible, and white's space advantage less important because the queens have come off. If I knew more about the show, I'd make a metaphorical references to it here.

14. b3 Ne6 15. Bb2 Rd8 16. Ba3 Kf8 17. Rad1 Nd7 18. Rd3 Nb6 19. Rxd8+ Rxd8 20. Bf1 a5 21. Bc1 a4 22. Be3 Nd5 23. Bd2 axb3 24. axb3 Ra8 25. Bd3 h6 26. Bc4 Ra2 27. Rc1 b5 28. Bxd5 cxd5 29. Kf1 Ke8 30. Ke2 Kd7 31. Bc3 h5 32. b4 Bh6 33. Bd2 Bxd2 34. Kxd2 Ra3 35. c3 Ra2+ 36. Rc2 Ra1 37. Rc1 Ra2+ 38. Rc2 Ra1 39. Ne1

39. Ne1 is a definite Lex move - a draw by repetition and thus peace was available by 39. Rc1 instead, but he pushes his position to breaking point for the win.

39. ... Kc6 40. h4 d4 41. cxd4+ Kd5 42. Nf3.

Now at this point, it's clear the Lex-like uncompromising aggression has lead him into difficulties, since 42. ... Ra4 would probably win for black. But with a Lois-like innocent sweetness, Smallville proposed a draw. And since it was 3am and I was blind-drunk (probably the best way to watch the TV series too) I agreed. Game Drawn. Superman just didn't show up, and so the point was split between Smallville and me, his opponent, Jurchessic Park.

It might be nice to do a 'quote for the week' slot - quotes that are about or relevant to chess, or otherwise of definite interest to our club.

So, I will accrue quotes in this post, with that in mind for the future. Please feel free to suggest your own.

"In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is." - Yogi Berra

The format I would have in mind would be two lines of brief pre-amble; quote; paragraph (plus position if required) of chat.

(1) The following position is a typical pawn structure arising from the Queen's Gambit Declined. Assume there are several pieces left on the board - enough to do something with - but that none of them are in particularly aggressive positions. What would your plan be as white, focusing on pawn moves?



Clue for the above: the plan is called a 'minority attack' and involves creating a weakness in the black queenside.

(2) The following position features a typical pawn structure that might arise from the King's Indian Attack. Assume both sides have all or nearly all their pieces left on the board, but again in relatively normal positions. (Eg, no knight on d4 for black& nothing on e6 for white, etc.) What plan with the pawns do you think white should pursue? What plan do you think black should pursue?



(3) White's pawn structure in the following position is typical of the Stonewall Attack - so called because his position is very hard to breach. Assume that both players have ALL their pieces left on the board. Assume that black has ALL his pawns on the board too - not just the two pictured.



(3a) Now, where would you like to place the white pieces to attack the black king? In answering this question, you are not allowed to place any white pieces beyond the fifth rank - ie no white pieces on horizontal lines 6-8. Also please note that Be5 is impossible (how could it have got there?)

(3b) Where would you like to place the black pawns and pieces to best defend his king against the attack in 3a?

This post includes all photos I have of the London-Moscow Ice Chess Match, which took place on 11th January 2007. If you click them, you will get the full-size version. The photos were sent to me by R J Christie. Full report here.












This post includes all photos I have of the London-Moscow Ice Chess Match, which took place on 11th January 2007. If you click them, you will get the full-size version. The photos were sent to me by R J Christie. Full report here.

NB, they are predated in the October 2006 archive because this archive is especially for house-keeping posts, and those that aren't to be bumped to the top of the front-page.

Worst Move I
Worst Move II
Worst Move III
Worst Move IV
Worst Move V
Worst Move VI
Worst Move VII

Chess in Art I (Gallegos y Arnosa)
Chess in Art II (Creifelds)
Chess in Art III (Tischbein)
Chess in Art IV (Oppenheimer)
Chess in Art V (McKee)
Chess in Art VI (Bargue)
Chess in Art VII (Foster)
Chess in Art VIII (Anon, Iran c.1500)
Chess in Art IX (Man)
Chess in Art X (Muelich/Anguissola)
Chess in Art XI (Boileau)
Chess in Art XII (de Carrion/de Tyr [attr.])
Chess in Art XIII (Ernst)
Chess in Art XIV (Klee)
Chess in Art XV (Delacroix/Deutsch)
Chess in Art XVI (Van Mander [attr.])
Chess in Art XVII (Shvarts)
Chess in Art XVIII (Tenniel)
Chess in Art XIX (Lucas)
Chess in Art XX (Eakins/Sorbi/Clark/Lavery/Evans/Schwartz/Daumier)

Chess in Art resources

Chess in Art Postscript : Evans' Gambit
Chess in Art Postscript : Naughty Boys
Chess in Art Postscript : Game On
Chess in Art Postscript : Games Go On
Chess in Art Postscript : My Fair Ladies
Chess in Art Postscript : Slow Triangulation
Chess in Art Postscript : Here Come Du Champ
Chess in Art Postscript : Gone Luco
Chess in Art Postscript : Exhibitionism
Chess in Art Postscript : Just An Expressionism
Chess in Art Postscript : Staring Into The Abyss
Chess in Art Postscript : No Play Today
Chess in Art Postscript : The Significance Of Seeing Ernst
Chess in Art Postscript : Raglafart In Retrospect
Chess in Art Postscript : That's Still Life

Also:

We are not amused
We are not amused II
We are not amused III
We are not amused IV

In the 2007-8 chess season I managed to substantially improve my chess, as detailed here. Then over summer 2008 I wrote a series of posts detailing what I'd done, and what ideas I had about chess improvement in general. This post indexes all that:

I: Why Coach Others?
II: Vice and Advice
III: Simulation, not Computerisation
IV: Read Rowson
V: Annotations versus Statistics?
VI: Join a Club!
VII: The Habits of Talent
VIII: Improve Your Chess!?
IX: Earplugs

Miss Easy Tactics! I
Miss Easy Tactics! II
Miss Easy Tactics! III
Miss Easy Tactics! IV
Miss Easy Tactics! V
Miss Easy Tactics! VI
Miss Easy Tactics! VII
Miss Easy Tactics! VIII
Miss Easy Tactics! IX
Miss Easy Tactics! X
Miss Easy Tactics! XI
Miss Easy Tactics! XII
Miss Easy Tactics! XIII
Miss Easy Tactics! XIV
Miss Easy Tactics! XV

Bad book covers I
Bad book covers II
Bad book covers III
Bad book covers IV
Bad book covers V
Bad book covers VI
Bad book covers VII
Bad book covers VIII
Bad book covers IX

The things Ray says
What happened next
Ray of hope
Post paste
Grandnesia
What Ray did next
Pick up a Private Eye
How good is your copying?
Looks Familiar
Giddins Gracious Me
The Library with Two Brains
PsychoSchiller

What Happened Next? XII - Ray in Tblisi
(What Happened Next XII)

RDK Annotates
A Trip and a Game, Down Memory Lane
Ray Keene: You Read It Here First


Ray Could Play
I: A win v Botvinnik and a draw with Karpov
II: RDK v Jakobsen, Esbjerg 1981

I want my IQP - dashing sacrifices from Raymondo

Scorebook Notes I
Scorebook Notes II
Scorebook Notes III
Scorebook Notes IV
Scorebook Notes V
Scorebook Notes VI
Scorebook Notes VII
Scorebook Notes VIII

A directory of all the video clips mentioned on our blog.


PLAYERS
Kasparov
Advert for Alta Vista (1:00)
Gazza runs into trouble during a simul.

Advert for Pepsi (0:59)
Gazza does over a computer - technology takes revenge. Curiously, for reasons best known to themselves the advertising folk decided Mr. Kasparov's own voice was not good enough for them. Strange.

Advert for Schweppes (0:15)
An early demonstration of capitalist spirit, this advert for fizzy water was recorded when Gazza was technically still a communist.

Announcement (0:44)
Kasparov quits.

Poker Face
Kasparov blunders in a rapid-play game against Anand - not that you'd ever know it from his reaction.

Strange Interruption
A political rally featuring a Kasparov speech interrupted by what can only be described as a flying cock. Really.


Korchnoi
Advert for milk (0:32)
Victor takes on an unusual opponent.

Fischer
Interview on a bench (1:42)
Evidently recorded prior to the 1972 world championship match, Bobby discusses his chess development, lack of High School Diploma and his record against Spassky.

Receiving the title of World Chess Champion (0:46)
Black & White, commentary in Spanish

Fischer and Spassky
Montage from Reykjavik 1972 (4:00)
Quite a few bits and bobs some black & white but mostly in colour. Includes the moment when Bobby played ... Bxh2?? in the opening game. At the end of the video Bobby is shown getting on an aeroplane with an assistant who appears to be carrying the garland Bobby was given on being awarded the title (see clip above). Most of the leaves have fallen off - which seems somewhat prophetic given what followed for Bobby.

Reykjavik Documentary
A half hour long programme about the '72 match in four easily digestible chunks. We couldn't embed the videos but we've provided links to each part - coz we're kind like that.

Kramnik and Leko
the guys filmed in a press conference and post-mortem during the Mexico City 2007 World Championship tournament.
mentioned in my post of 21/9/07.

Topalov
Another chess guy does TV advert ... this one's for a bank. I must admit I quite like this one even though Toppy comes across more Postman Pat than uber-Flirt. Perhaps that's why I'm fond of it. Anyway, strange that the lyrics for the song playing in the background should be in English don't you think?

Anand
Another chess player, another commercial. This one for computer chips.


CHESS ON TV
Dr. Who
I'm putting this Dr Who episode - Sunmakers - at the top of the list because I'm the one who keeps the S&BCC video index up to date and I can do things like that. BBC don't allow their videos to be embedded but there's a link to click on that will take you to youTube.

Now here's the thing ... when I published this blog article the Sunmakers clip was way down the order of chess clips on youTube. Now it's quite high up. Is that because so many people have clicked through from our little blog? Do we have the power to change the world? Do we?


Blake's 7
Speed Chess (1:26)
Excerpt from the episode "Gambit" of series 2.

Games (9:59)
An inventor, a computer called 'Gambit' (not very imaginative these Blake's 7 scriptwriters) and a game that looks a lot like chess.

Derren Brown
Mind Games (9:38)
Everybody's favourite mind reader takes on 9 masters at once.

Bottom
Eddie v Richie(5:32)
What happens when you try to teach an idiot how to play chess but don't have a full set of pieces.
Very funny [well to me it is. Other people found the series rather low-brow and childish]

Seinfeld
Constanza the chess genius?! (0:40 and 2:28)
Two clips here. George, my favourite comedy character of all time, taking on his girlfriend at chess - then conducting a post mortem with Jerry.

Frasier
Panov-Botvinnik Attack??? (1:20, 1:02 and 0:38)
Three clips here. Everybody's favourite curmudgeonly radio shrink gets an antique chess set.

Mission Impossible
Computer assistance at the highest level? MI was there decades before Kramnik and Topalov. Two clips, unfortunately the main one has been withdrawn from Youtube for the moment. You can still see the opening credits (0:50) though.

The Wire
Yo. I've never seen this one but I like this clip. The programme itself is somewhat less interesting than scratching the cheese out of your toenails according to T. Chivers or "the best TV show since the invention of the radio" according to C. Brooker. The choice is yours.

Still, I think we can all agree that the Queen "ain't no bitch. She got all the moves" and it's essential to co-ordinate your muthafuckers to defend your King.

Lost
No idea what's going on here other than that computer is rubbish at chess and the little fellow who turns up on the television screen was a character in Wing Commander IV. Some kind gent has explained the plot a bit in the comments if you're really interested.

Paul Merton
You'd think it would be funny wouldn't you? Unfortunately it isn't.

Alfred J. Kwak
"File under !?" Tom says and who am I to disagree. I'm not entirely convinced there ever was a children's cartoon called Alfred J. Kwak but the evidence here would seem to be against me. There's a suspiciously accurate reconstruction of a chess game in the middle of it all too.


FILMS
Chess Fever (19:09)
The film that famously features a cameo from Capablanca.
mentioned in Justin's post of 21/12/06

The Thomas Crown Affair (5:46)
This clip includes the least subtle, "this bishop represents your penis" sequence ever to appear on film. This chess geek also notes truly dire continuity as far as the position on the chess board is concerned. Still it's well worth a look if only for the "do you play?" - "try me" opening.

2001 (0:49)
Humanity, in the shape of Frank, takes on the smuggest computer in the history of time. Humanity doesn't do very well. Classic stuff.

The Seventh Seal (4:01)
Possibly the most famous chess clip of all. I wonder if Bergman, just prior to finally popping his clogs, had the presence of mind to start reciting, "Who are you? ... You have come for me?" then ask somebody at his death bed to rustle up a chess board. That would be a pretty cool way to check out.

Betty Boop in Chess-Nuts (6:09)
Does your ultimate fantasy mix chess with getting an eyeful of Betty Boop's underwear? If so:-

(I) watch this clip
(II) seek professional help

Blazing Saddles
Not the bit where they sit around farting but the bit when chess gets a mention.



CHESS INSTRUCTION
Endgame lesson (3:15)
Young girl does a Minnie Mouse impression while analysing a King and Pawn endgame.
Mentioned in Tom's post of 25/3/07

Chess Lesson (14:30 approx)
Analysis of Addison-Fischer, 1964 demonstrating the importance of translating an advantage from one type to another throughout the game.
Mentioned in Tom's post of 25/3/07

Amateur Game (19:26)
Some bloke (a kid I suspect) sniffs and coughs his way through demonstrating a game he played that started 1. e4 c5, 2. Nf3 d6, 3. Be2 Nf6, 4. c3 Nc6, 5. d4. For some reason he has music playing softly in the background. Not the best use of 20 minutes of your life.
Mentioned in Tom's post of 25/3/07


RANDOM BITS AND BOBS
Madonna Ray of Light (5:10)
Music video which contains a couple of seconds of 'chess' -although not only is the board set up the wrong way around (not uncommon) the Knights and Bishops are on the wrong starting squares too.

I Like Trains A Rook House for Bobby (4:44)
Another music video - from one of Angus' obscure bands. Proper chess in this one at least - and in the song too ("... if they find me let them indict me. I just don't care anymore.")


Bughouse (2:52 and 0:34)
Andrew Stone takes on Lev Aronian at Bughouse Chess

Bughouse II (0:32)
A demonstration of Bughouse Chess. Quite possibly the least spectator friendly game ever invented.

GM Mihail Marin @ chess vibes
Mentioned in Tom's post of 31/5/07

GM Jonathan Rowson @ chess vibes
Mentioned in Tom's post of 31/5/07

Morelia/Linares @ Chess Vibes
12 minutes of Anand and Carlsen's post mortem from round 3. You can't really see what's going on though - at least I can't. Also, 3.5 minutes of chess being played (not thrilling).
Mentioned in Tom's post of 25/3/07

Chess Now Episode 1 (26:14)
Watching this clip without first taking large quantities of drugs is not recommended. In fact, watching this clip is not recommended under any circumstances. Imagine the worst possible chess programme you can think of - this is about ten times worse than that. A. Big. Sack. Of. Cack.
Mentioned in Tom's post of 28/3/07

Chess Now Episode 2
Phoning up a (very) minor cable tv station and asking the host to insert a chess piece up her foofoo is not big and not clever. Is that worse than phoning a (very) minor cable tv station chess show for a chat about the weather? It's hard to tell.

Chess Now Episode 3
More of the same. The presenter from episode one is back though frankly I prefered her from episode two.

2005 European Individual Chess Championship (19:57)
Includes interviews with Karjakin, Radjabov and Magnus Carlsen's dad (no - really), amongst others. Fairly high chaff to wheat ratio as far real chess content goes.
Mentioned in Tom's post of 25/3/07

Bullet Chess (1:08)
A rather ordinary blitz game that somehow got a mention on The Guardian's Sports on YouTube round-up.

Rapid Chess (5:22)
A rapid end to some game or other that ends in complete chaos.

Domino Effect
The guys who filmed this sequence must have spent an eternity on it ... yet still managed to miss a mate in one during the chess bit.

Jay-Z (0:59)
... turns corporate whore for Hewlett Packard while simultaneously trying to retain his credibility as a "rock star". He fails.

e2-e4
A cartoon. Not sure what the underlying message is. Chess is war? Big business is out to screw us all? All I know is the guy in the picture before the video starts looks like he's trying to dump a football. That and the fact that I can't be bothered to put the length of the clip in brackets after the title anymore - far too much hassle.

This video is well worth a watch though - and when you do please be kind enough to let me know how long it lasts.

EJH's Favourite Moves:

My Favourite Moves I
My Favourite Moves II
My Favourite Moves III
My Favourite Moves IV
My Favourite Moves V
My Favourite Moves VI
My Favourite Moves VII
My Favourite Moves VIII
My Favourite Moves IX


JB's Favourite Moves:

I. 9. ... Qa5 in the 4. a3 Winawer
II. 16. ... Qb6 in the French Exchange
III. 6... Qh4 in the French Exchange

What happened next?
What happened next

What happened next? II
What happened next II

What happened next? III
What happened next III

What happened next? IV
What happened next IV

What happened next? V
What happened next V

What happened next? VI
What happened next VI

What happened next? VII
What happened next VII

What happened next? VIII
What happened next VIII

What happened next? IX
What happened next IX

What happened next? X
What happened next X

What happened next? XI
What happened next XI

What happened next? XII
What happened next XII