Blog entries

Bad Ideas

Submitted by eugen on Sun, 07/28/2024 - 12:06
PUBLICATION NOTE:
This article was published originally on The Chess Improver blog on 2016-11-08
I have reposted it here for reference.

"Errare humanum est..."
Seneca

Everyone has their fair share of bad ideas over a chess career. It is as they say part of the human nature. Key is to learn from them instead of persisting down that road because:
"... sed in errare (errore) perseverare diabolicum"

Quiet Moves Sample

Submitted by eugen on Sun, 07/28/2024 - 11:58
PUBLICATION NOTE:
This article was published originally on The Chess Improver blog on 2016-11-01
I have reposted it here for reference.

"... By definition, quiet moves are moves that are not a capture, check or immediate threat to the opposition. This includes subtle developmental moves or moves that improve a piece's position (placing it on a more active square)..."
Hugh Patterson (The Chess Improver)

Choose Your Weapon

Submitted by eugen on Sun, 07/28/2024 - 11:43
PUBLICATION NOTE:
This article was published originally on The Chess Improver blog on 2016-10-18
I have reposted it here for reference.

Online voting chess is a nice challenge. Rules are very simple: two teams face each other in one game, each team can have as many members as possible, reflection time is 2 days per move and moves are selected by a majority of votes (each member has 1 vote). During the 2 days of reflection time each team discusses the position and merits of possible moves.

Dvoretsky To Lucena Connection (1)

Submitted by eugen on Sun, 07/28/2024 - 10:35
PUBLICATION NOTE:
This article was published originally on The Chess Improver blog on 2016-10-04
I have reposted it here for reference.

"Most commentaries in chess magazines and books are superficial and sometimes just awful. Once a certain experienced master explained to me how he worked. You put two fingers to the page with text on it and see that there are only moves under them - in other words, it is time to make a comment."
Mark Dvoretsky

Mate Or No Mate?

Submitted by eugen on Sun, 07/28/2024 - 10:28
PUBLICATION NOTE:
This article was published originally on The Chess Improver blog on 2016-09-27
I have reposted it here for reference.

"This is the end, beautiful friend
This is the end, my only friend, the end
Of our elaborate plans, the end
Of everything that stands, the end
No safety or surprise, the end ..."
The End, The Doors

The Riddles of the Genius!

Submitted by eugen on Sat, 01/27/2024 - 13:56

Citation:

Zukertort was, as might be expected, full of new good things in chess, and the following remarkable mate in one move, which he showed to an admiring gallery of spectators at the Manhattan Chess Club the other day, proves that he has more 'points' than are dreamed of in Steinitz' philosophy...