Monday, June 21, 2010

Chiv Chat

  • First up, stern stuff. Got a dodgy opening tucked away in your repertoire? Think some off-beat line is as good a try as anything else? If so, click here for a good talking to from Dennis Monokroussos. And even not, it's a fine read all the same.

  • As for me, I could do with a good talking to about bullet chess. Surely there is something better to do in a spare two minutes? Surely all those two minutes add up? But bullet chess is addictive and exciting. And you get to play the kind of pretty moves opponents defend against at slower time limits. In the diagram, it's white to play and win, in the prettiest possible way.

  • Still, maybe I should be inspired to be more serious by the continuing brilliance of contemporary chess. Recent games have seen a surprise King's Gambit from Carlsen, an epic win from Gelfand featuring the truly fantastic 48.Nh8!!, and an extraordinary defensive king evacuation from Karjakin - all the way from g8 on move 17 to c3 at the end of the game, via f8, e7, d6, c6, c5, b4, b3, c2, d2, and c2. Do check these games out if you missed them, the last two in particular.

  • And finally, here's something for Londoners. Ever seen this frieze, that's somewhere or other in the City?

    And if so, did you spot it's about chess? Click here to learn more.



  • 6 comments:

    ejh said...

    That King's Gambit is an old Joe Gallagher line with which he won a number of nice games twenty or so years ago, including one against Bronstein.

    ejh said...

    1. Qg6 in the diagram, I should think.

    I recall, now, that I actually played the Gallagher line in the first round of an open tournament, thus obtaining a winning position against my opponent, none other than ECF International Director Lawrence Cooper. Regrettably I lost my way (or forgot the analysis) and lost. Not all that regrettably, though, since as a consequence I was drawn in the second round against another first-round loser - Tony Miles.

    Anonymous said...

    Perhaps I'm suffering from some sort of blindness, but I don't see anything pretty after 1.Qg6 Re8

    Anonymous said...

    I played Gallagher as a child in the 80s. Light it up. Straight in your face. Cough cough. I can't breathe, never mind see the board. What a lovely bloke.

    ejh said...

    2.Qh7+ Kf8 3.Qh8 isn't pretty as such, but it's mate.

    Chris Morgan said...

    I find it impossible to play a game of bullet chess without having to stop and think at some point and so lose on time, or play ridiculously bad moves.