You are on page 1of 52

C

H
E
Battlewise)
S
S pp Edition)
A
D
V
O
C
A
T
E

V
O
L
U
M
E

F
O
U
R

N
U
M
B
E
R

O
N
E

Y
10¢
E
A
R
Inside This Edition:
Article & Annotated Game by Jonathan Beatty,
2
Annotated Games by Clay Polk, Greg Turner
0
& Tyrin Price, Comic by Diego Delgado,
1
Chess Problems Submitted by
9
James Hargrove & Alex King
Isle of Lewis Chess Pieces

$149.95

Suggested online retailer:

The chess pieces

testify to the strong


ChessCentral.com
cultural and political

connections between the kingdoms


Web Address:
of the British Isles and Scandinavia in

the Middle Ages, and to the growing popularity http://www.chesscentral.com/


within Europe of the game of chess.

Stone Resin Antique White and Rust Brown


Direct web link to chess pieces:
King Height: 3.5”, King Base: 1 7/8"

King Weight: 4.1oz, Set Weight: 53.6oz


https://www.chesscentral.com/isle-of-lewis-chess-pieces-stone-resin-antique-white-and-rust-brown/

(3lbs 5.6oz) 32 Pieces (Price subject to change.)

Chess Advocate, Volume 4, Number 1, July/August Edition, Year 2019

Chess Advocate is not affiliated with Memphis Chess Club Inc., Mississippi Chess
Association, the United States Chess Federation, CXR (Chess eXpress Ratings) or any
organization mentioned or linked to in this newsletter/magazine. The front cover was
modified from the comic book publication Startling Comics #49, (Better Publications,
1948), in the Public Domain.

The entire comic can be seen at The Digital Comic Museum at this link:

https://digitalcomicmuseum.com/preview/index.php?did=18781

Chess Advocate is the publication of Dwight Weaver, DKW@Juno.com.

Recommended is the Wise Chess Club in Olive Branch, MS on Tuesday nights, which,
2
at the time of this publication, starts at 7pm at Panera Bread, 7501 Goodman Rd.

Wise Chess Club uses Chess eXpress Ratings for their events:

https://www.cxrchess.com/
"e Annota#r’s Chair

3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 8. h3


{One of many"Anti-Marshall"
ideas.}

Wi! Tyrin Price

Memphis Chess Club’s


Pawn Power Open #14
April 04, 2019, Round 3
White: Graham Horobetz - 2286

Black: Tyrin R. Price - 1791

5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5


When you play the Game of Thrones,

you win or you die. ~ Cersei Lannister. 8…d6 9. c3


{Now it's a regular Closed Ruy
This was my first encounter with Lopez}
NM Graham Horobetz. Though I
lost, I greatly enjoyed the game.

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6

7. Bb3 O-O
{"Threatening" a Marshall
Counterattack}

9…Nb8

d
M 3
{Breyer variation, redeploying White played Ng5 here because 13. Nf1 Bf8 14. Ng3 g6
the knight to d7 to hold e5 after the knight that moved to attack
an expected d4 by White and f7 is no longer putting pressure
allowing the bishop to strike at on e5. This is not a standard
e4 via b7.} Breyer, though, because, in the
standard variation
10. a4 Bb7 11. d3
{The "restrained center" idea.
This solidifies e4 but puts no
pressure on Black's center.}

15. axb5 axb5 16. Rxa8 Qxa8

the a-pawn does not go to a4 so


early, the d-pawn goes to d4 to
pressurize e5 and the bishop
goes to c2 to support e4.

The bishop can stay on b3 in the


11…Nbd7 12. Nbd2 Re8 restrained center variation,
{Going with the standard Breyer
formation idea of Re8/Bf8/g6/ 17. Ng5 d5 18. Qe2 h6
Bg7.

but White exerts less pressure on


e5.}

Just need to be watchful over the


f7 square. I intended to play d5 if x 4
19. Nf3 c5 20. exd5 Bxd5 {23…Re6 may seem like a 28. Ned2 Nf4 29. Qf1 Qd6
strange move. I did not see any
obvious tactics so I wanted to
improve my piece coordination.
The idea here is that knights may
be exchanged and I wanted the
rook to be protected in case the
e-file opens.}

24. c4 Qc6 25. b3 b4


{Trying to keep advanced
21. Bxd5 Qxd5 squares available to White's 30. Re3 Kf7
{Cool! I have a nice centralized knights to a minimum.}
queen!}

{Missed opportunity here. I


26. Bb2 Nh5 27. Nf3 f5 looked at 30...e4 but not deep
22. Nd2 Bg7 23. Nge4 Re6 enough.

k e 5
I did not like 31. Bxg7 exf3 [{and}
32.Rxe6 Qxe6 33.Bxh6, 34. g3 Ne2+ 35. Kh2 Qxh6] 31…Nh5 32. Qd1 Nb8
{The idea behind ...Nb8 is good
(going to the outpost d4
after ...Nc6), but the
position is not calling for
maneuvers, it is calling for
tactical blows.}

because I did not see the follow [34. Bxg5] 34…fxg2


up move 33…g5.} 35. Qd1 Nxh3+
{picks up the bishop})

({Another tactical shot I missed


that was discovered by
({The idea is that... Stockfish.}
34. Bxg5 31. g3 32... Nxg3! 33. fxg3 e4 34. Qe1

I {I also thought that I could play


31...Nxh3+ and then 32...Ng5
here but I overlooked that
White’s Qf1 move protected h3.} f 6
[34. Bxg7 Qxg3+ 35. Kf1 exf3 34…Nf6 34. Ng2 Nc6 (36... cxd4 37. Re1 Nd7
{and I am better.})

36. Rxf3 Qh2 {wins}]


37. Rxe6 Qxe6 38. Nf4 Qe7
35. Qa1 Nd4 36. Bxd4

34...Bxb2 35. dxe4 Qe7)

39. Kf1 g5 40. Ng2 Nd7


{I did not like the idea of making
c4 a protected passed pawn, but
the position called for taking
with the c-pawn. The passed c-
pawn can be nicely blockaded by
33. Nh4 {Threatening Nxf4 my knight on c5.}
winning a pawn with an attack.} 36…exd4

y 7
41. Qa8 Ne5 42. Ne1 g4? 47. Ngh4+ Kh5 48. Qxf5 Qf6 [50. Kxe2 {stalemate}]
{This is a bad move. In fact it is
real the beginning of the loss.
The idea is to stop f4, but the
cure is worse than the
disease.}

50... Qf1+ 51. Kf3 Qh1+

(48... Nh2+

43. hxg4 Nxg4 44. Ndf3 Bf6

52. Ke2 Qd1+ 53. Kxd1


{stalemate})
{If I could only give my knight
away... unfortunately, White is
not forced to take it!}
49. Nxh2?? Qe2+ 50. Kg2

45. Ng2 Bg5 46. Qd5+ Kg6


49. Qxc5 {Black Resigned} 1-0

W 8
Scan Left QR Code
for Answer
White to Move
[Event "Library Games"] Scan QR Code
[Site “Baton Rouge”] Below for
Complete Game
[Date “01.05.2019”]

[White "Robert Van Den Bold"]


[Black "Benjamin Mayeux"]
[Result “1-0”]

(Missed in the actual game…) 9

Complete game and answer: http://mid-southchessadvocate.blogspot.com/2019/07/chess-problem-white-to-move-event.html


he s s Pie ces
e nera ls C
l Wa r G
Civi
ONLY

They're all here, from the presidential face-off of Abraham Lincoln
versus Jefferson Davis, to the opposing generals Grant and Lee.

King Height: 3.25" with the base width: 1". These chess pieces are
naturally heavy and made from polyresin (feels like carved stone). The $99.95
chess pieces are meticulously hand painted with felt padded bases to
protect your chess board.

Recommended board sq. size: 2" to 2.25" (NOT included)

Suggested online retailer:

Relive the greatest battles ever


fought on American soil with the ChessCentral
Civil War Chess Set.
Web Address:

10
(Price subject to change.) http://www.chesscentral.com/

ChessCentral’s direct web link to chess pieces: https://www.chesscentral.com/civil-war-generals-chess-pieces/


The Annotator’s Chair

3. Nc3 d6 4. Nf3 4…Nf6 (becomes Pirc classical
opening)

With Greg Turner

2019 Mississippi Amateur Team


Championship
Grand Hotel, Natchez, MS
-
June 22-23, 2019, Round 1
Under 2000 Section (4.Be3 is most common,
Teams: 5. Bf4
Anand And His Seconds
vs
Team Rhino
White: Nicholas Matta - 2331

Black: Jerold Sit - 1449

1. d4 g6 2. e4 Bg7 (Robatsch
opening) 4.f4

(5.Be2 is most common

and 4.Nf3 tie for second most


common.)

M
If you are reading this newsletter in PDF,
11
be aware the underlined words have
web links attached. Click one to see.
though 5.Bf4 has a higher 6…Nbd7 (A defensive posture (Transposes to Sicilian defense,
success rate for white.) which hits the e5 square but however it is considered bad for
delays the Queen’s bishop’s white to reach d5 with his d
development.) pawn.)
8. d5 a6 9. h4 (White attacks
and options to not trade off dark
squared bishops on h6.)

5…O-O 6. Qd2

7. O-O-O (White signals he


intends to attack the kingside.
Opposite castle games often
become a race to attack each 9…h5 (Defends against an
other’s king.) eventual h5 from white but
loosens the black kingside.)

(Prepares Bh6 to trade dark


bishops and weaken the black
kingside, black often plays
6…Re8 7.Bh6 Bh8 to avoid the
bishop trade.)

7…c5

B
12
10. e5 (White attacks through 13. Bd3 Bxd3 15. Rhe1 (White develops his
the center. Black does his best to King’s rook to a better square
trade down pieces to try to while black really cannot do so.)
neutralize white’s attack, but
white has a space advantage on
the kingside of the board.)

(13…Nxd5 of course loses a piece


after 14. Bxg7 Kxg7 15. Bxf5)
15…Re8 (probably a wasted
move..)

10…dxe5 11. Nxe5 Nxe5


12. Bxe5 Bf5 (Black develops
his last minor piece and has it
traded away.)

14. Qxd3 b5 (The better idea for


black rather than playing on the
kingside of the board.)
16. f3 (Prepares g4 and defends
from black playing his knight
there.)

y
13
16…Qa5 (Threatens b4 and But the white d pawn is weaker [Black is behind on tempo.
Qxa2) than the black c pawn if black Going back to move 18. Ne4,
can play 18…c4 19.Nxf6+ Bxf6
20.Qe4 Bxe5 21.Qxe5 or such,
but then g4 is still coming from
white.)

if 18…c4 19.Nxf6+ Bxf6 20.Qe4


Bxe5 21.Qxe5
17. Kb1 Rad8 18. Ne4 Nxe4

19. Qxe4 Bxe5 (Black is too


focused on trading down pieces
into a worse position.)

with a pawn on c4, 21…b4

(Would appear black could have


chosen to take 18…Nxd5 in
exchange for 19. Bxg7 Kxg7
20. Nxc5….

20. Qxe5 Rd6


might have been an effective
distraction from white’s attack
on the king side.

14
(Even though, 18. Ne4 c4, and leads to the subsequent 24. Rg1 Red8
moves. Playing 21…hxg4

white could play say 19.Qd4,


only delays a worsening position 25. Rxg4 f5 26. Qg8#
though.)
22. Qe4 hxg4 (Moving the king
to the seventh rank would still be
an inadequate defense.)

the black pawn at c4 still delays


white's attack.)]
21. g4 f6 1-0
(The take away from this game is
that, white has probably played this
game before with some success and
23. Qxg6+ Kf8 knew what he was going for at least
since he castled. The opposite side
castle normally dictates opposing
attacks on the king side for each
player and what is important is that
a player must play as the position on
the board dictates, even when it may
(21…f6 weakens g6 not be their style of play.)

I
24. Rg1 Red8

15
Go to this Blog link to view another game from this event and see more info on this tournament:
http://mid-southchessadvocate.blogspot.com/2019/07/chess-advocate-volume-4-number-1-2019.html
Scan Left QR
Black to Move Code for Answer
Scan QR Code
[Event “NOLA ChessFest"]

Below for
[Date “10.15.2017”]

Complete Game
[Simultaneous]

[White “Matta, Nick"]

[Black "Hargrove, Eryk"]

[Result “0-1"]

Link to Answer and Complete Game:


16
http://mid-southchessadvocate.blogspot.com/2019/07/chess-problem-from-chess-advocateblack.html
Jumbled Chesser Collection
Chess & Chess-Like Products That You May Not Care Exist

Strato Chess, 3-D chess


Chess Keychain

https://
www.chesscentral.com/
chess-keychain/

https://www.chesscentral.com/strato-chess-3-d-chess/

Chess King Flash Drive Loaded with Chess


Engines and E-Books

ChessCentral Art Drink Coasters - Set of 6


http://www.chesscentral.com

https://www.chesscentral.com/chess-king-flash-drive-loaded-with-chess-
engines-and-e-books/

17
The Annotator’s Table

5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 8. Bxb4 Nxb4

With Clay Polk

2019 National Elementary


Championship
9. Bxf7+ Kxf7 10. Qb3+
Nashville, Tennessee
7. Bd2 Bxd2+
May 10, 2019, Round 1

White: Diego Delgado - 1395


Black: Qiyaqin Zhang - 1598

Opening: Italian Game,


Classical Variation, Greco
Gambit, Traditional Line

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6

{ A beautiful line that leaves


black's king vulnerable. })

8. Nbxd2 d5 9. exd5 Nxd5


(7... Nxe4

3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6

{ Black has to be careful


grabbing pawns here. Hanging

x
onto it is not so simple. }
l

18
10. O-O O-O 12... Bg4 13. Rc1 Rb8 14. 18. Bxf7+ Kxf7 19. Ng5+ Kg8
Rc3

20. Qxg4

{ The isolated d pawn is


completely fine for white. { Creative idea- doubling rooks
White has plenty of activity and supporting f3 with
and could possibly launch an another piece. }
attack on the kingside. }
14... Re8 15. Rce3 Qd6
11. Re1 Nf6 12. Nb3 16. Qe2

{ Would have been a killer


blow. })

16... Red8 17. a3 Bxf3


18. Qxf3 Nxd4

{ Nb3 is a very good move


here. Normally, this knight (16. Rxe8+ Rxe8 17. Rxe8+
doesn't belong on b3. It blocks Nxe8
the scope of the queen on b3
and if left on d2, supports the
f3 knight in the case of Bg4. It
also has a lot of potential on d2
and has a lot of potential good
squares such as d4, c5, and
even f1-g3. However, in this
situation, it supports the d4
pawn and looks at c5 and

d
possibly d4 if the pawn is
pushed. }

19
19. Nxd4 Qxd4 29. Re8+ Kh7 30. Qg6#
{ White has proven that there
is just too much pressure on f7
for black to withstand. Black
should have accepted that the
pawn is dead and moved on,
but fortunately for white, he
gets even more material out of
it. }

24. Bxf7+ Kh8 25. Bxe8


Ng4

{ Even though white has lost a { Amazing game played by


pawn, his piece activity more Diego, where white's piece
than compensates for it. The activity proved dominant. }
rooks are beautifully placed on 1-0
the e file and there is a
significant about of pressure
on the f7 square. }

20. Qe2 Qc5 21. Re7 Rf8

26. g3 Rxf2 27. Bf7 h5

22. b4 Qd6 23. Qa2 Rbe8

28. Qe6 Qd4


y
"I never play the Benoni unless I touch a piece before
saying I adjust.”________Diego Delgado

20
The above was located in Marvels of Science–Comic
Book–Volume 1, Number 2, April 1946, Page 13–
(Public Domain)
https://digitalcomicmuseum.com/preview/index.php?did=10542&page=13

The above was located in Adventures in


Electronics, 1955,

a Public Domain comic.

https://digitalcomicmuseum.com/preview/index.php?did=27625&page=15
The above was located in Marvels of Science–Comic Book–
Volume 1, Number1, March 1946, Page 33–(Public Domain) 21
https://digitalcomicmuseum.com/preview/index.php?did=10541&page=33
Scan Left QR
Code for Answer
White to Move
Scan QR Code
[Event "La State Champ 2016"]
Below for
[Date “04.09.16”]
Complete Game
[Round "3"]

[White "Hargrove, Eryk"]

[Black "Ballard, Patrick"]

[Result "1-0"]

Link to Answer and Complete Game:

22
http://mid-southchessadvocate.blogspot.com/2019/07/white-to-move-event-la-state-champ-2016.html
Why Play Chess?
Many parents spend a large amount of money and time on turning their children into strong
chess players. Some small fraction of those parents intend for their children to pursue chess
professionally. A smaller fraction of those children are capable of playing chess at the very
highest level where playing chess professionally is an option, a similar situation to many
families who dream of their sons playing in the NBA. Of the children who have the raw
talent and discipline to turn chess into a career, most of them end up applying those talents
to more stable and prosperous goals.
I was one of the few who chose to turn chess into a career, but not as a player – as
an Expert, I am reasonably competent at chess, but I am not strong enough to survive
on my occasional tournament winnings. In my years coaching Grahamwood Elementary

23
and working with private students, I have had the privilege of working with many children
who possessed enormous talent for the game. Like my father did many years ago, some
parents spend thousands of dollars and dozens of weekends on chess. Some attempt should
be made to account for this decision: it is not obvious that chess is directly related to their
future career path, nor is it obvious that chess is the most enjoyable activity compared to
alternatives like playing video games. On some level, parents understand that the time
and money spent on chess are valuable investments for themselves and for their children.
Drawing from my own experience as a chess player (beginning in kindergarten) and coach,
and from conversations with chess parents and other coaches, I believe that chess, like other
sports, functions as a valuable proxy for various other skills and relationships.

Competition, Sportsmanship, and Behavior


The goal of a chess game is to checkmate your opponent: in other words, to win. For one
player to win, another player must lose. (While the last option, a draw, is very common
in high-level chess, it is reasonably rare in scholastic chess.) For a competitive child, the
thrill of winning can spark misbehavior like boasting, and the disappointment of losing an
important game can be emotionally traumatic. The purpose of sportsmanship, defined by
Merriam-Webster as "conduct (such as fairness, respect for one’s opponent, and graciousness
in winning or losing) becoming to one participating in a sport", is the training of emotional
discipline that will become important not only during chess tournaments but for the rest of
that player’s life.
Every chess player will lose games. Thousands of them. With the potential exception
of a regionally dominant player (who will take losses even harder to compensate for their
infrequency), they will lose chess games regularly, sometimes after many hours of hard work
at the board. An essential part of training is to help the child build a healthy perspective on
competition. A lost game is an opportunity to learn from a stronger opponent, or to correct
bad habits in one’s own play, or to recognize patterns outside the game like poor nutrition
or sleep which would affect performance. This recognition can lead to a very rapid increase
in playing strength, as there is always a bigger fish. A player who intentionally seeks out
superior opposition, rather than only playing weaker players, will climb the ladder.
One particularly competitive player ("Sam", not his real name) at Grahamwood would
insist on playing me as many times as I would allow, even though at first the games would
be completely one-sided. (During lessons, I may make instructional mistakes to prompt
recognition of errors, but otherwise I make a point of not "going easy" on young players.) If
I denied his challenge, he would make a beeline for the strongest available player. Eventually,
he would be the strongest player Grahamwood has had in two decades, much stronger than
I was at his age.
In the beginning, Sam had the wrong mindset. He would get very upset after losing a
game. After a particularly strong meltdown, I took him aside and asked him if he wanted
to win games or if he wanted to be a stronger player. His first answer was that he wanted to
win. There is an easy way to win, I said. He could be moved back down to the lower group
where he was winning before. (I have never actually done this. No child wants to give up
the progress they have earned.) Sam was not a fan of that idea, so he changed his answer.
He pointed at the table where the top group was playing and said he wanted to be there

24
instead. I told him he could only get there by losing, and we had a long conversation.
The next week, Sam came up to the table to record the result of his game with his
opponent. I asked how he did.
"I lost." No tears. There was a strange edge of happiness in his voice.
"What happened?"
"I lost my queen."
"Be careful next time."
Wordlessly, he finished signing his name and turned around and headed back to his
group. It felt like weeks before he finally won a game. Two years later, he would go an
entire year at chess club without losing one.

Levels of Complexity
Education must go through phases of increasing accuracy. High school physics teaches
Newtonian physics, which can be understood with simple calculus, even though Newtonian
physics only gives approximately-correct answers (good enough for most, but not all, prob-
lems). It would be uncharitable to accuse my high school physics teacher of having lied to
me; the simpler answer is that Newtonian physics is more appropriate for high schoolers.
Chess players go through a similar process, over and over again. They learn principles
that assist them in finding good moves, but eventually progress demands that they learn the
exceptions to those principles. When the principles conflict, they must make a judgment
call based on experience as to which principle is most appropriate for the position. Some
examples:
Material

• Beginner: Count attackers and defenders. Capture anything that leads to a material
advantage.

• Intermediate: Grabbing material in the opening is dangerous. Focus on development


and king safety.

• Advanced: "Can I grab these two pawns without overly compromising my position?"

Castling

• Beginner: Castle as quickly as you can in every game.

• Intermediate: It is fine to delay castling to focus on development, but err on the side
of caution.

• Advanced: "After so many trades in the opening, and with a closed center, it is fine
to leave my king in the center and connect my rooks with Ke7."

Development

• Beginner: Never move the same piece twice.

• Intermediate: Slower development can be acceptable in closed positions or in order to


reach obviously superior squares, if time permits.

25
• Advanced: "The world’s best players play this move, so I must understand it and then
play it myself."

It is a necessary part of chess development, then, for players to learn a layered set of
priorities which change as their understanding of the game does. Fundamental principles
eventually are revealed as being just more factors to balance when making a judgment about
future plans. This same principle applies to practical and moral decision-making, where a
mixture of absolute and relative comparisons eventually has to converge on a single chosen
action. Every decision has a cost, but refusing to decide generally has the greatest cost of
all.

Social Dynamics
Chess is a combination of an individual competitive endeavor and, for scholastic players, a
team sport. Players must learn to balance the social dynamics of competition, which can
include intense personal rivalries, pressure to perform for the good of the team, jealousy
towards the stronger players on one’s own team, and personal reputations forged over time
playing in local tournaments.
Many of the friendships I created in my time playing scholastic chess were with people
with whom I would have no other reason to interact. Our cultural spheres did not overlap,
our personal interests outside of the game had very little in common, and I wasn’t exactly
the friendliest kid. I had to learn to get along with them, though, because I saw them so
often. Many of these relationships continue to exist into adulthood. I’m at the age where I
get to watch many of my old teammates finish their graduate degrees or enter their medical
residency.
As a team sport, chess is quite unlike basketball or football. Players are responsible to
their teammates for their scores, but they still must play the game on their own. When
I was in elementary school, I had a teammate who came down with food poisoning at the
team state championship. We had an alternate who could take his place, but it would have
reduced our chances of winning the tournament. He insisted on playing. Watching him
struggle to focus at the board was difficult, but he managed to uphold his responsibility to
the team. We went on to win the event. I would never expect a player to continue under
these conditions – this is the entire point of having alternates, after all – but he was the
real MVP that day, and we probably would not have won without him. That sense of being
responsible to the team is an important character trait.
A properly managed team with good social dynamics can perform above its level in
competition. From 2008-2013, White Station High School won the state championship for
six years in a row not because they had the strongest players but because each player
was responsible for the team’s results. Every game was fought to the end. Many hopeless
positions were rescued into draws or even wins by players who couldn’t bear to let down their
teammates. The hardest part of defending a difficult position is resisting demoralization;
the quality of play can rapidly decline as a player loses control of the game. A player with
the correct mindset can have the opposite trend. A teammate of mine (who would later go
on to be a city champion) was famous for playing better in worse positions, to the degree
that we were happier to see him down a pawn than up one. Many dead lost positions were

26
turned into miraculous wins by force of will alone. Resilience under pressure and dedication
to comrades are useful traits at all points in life.
Much of the result of a chess tournament is determined by what happens off the board. A
player who eats a nice breakfast, goofs off with his friends between rounds, and is emotionally
stabilized by his coach/parents/friends will outperform a player who is only concerned with
the game.

Math and Literacy Skills


Much ink has already been spilled on this topic. The idea that chess improves academic
performance is an old one, backed by a large amount of data. While there is some circular
reasoning to consider (chess may make kids smarter, but smarter kids may have more talent
for chess), there are clear reasons to believe that chess benefits both gifted and struggling
students.
For gifted students, chess can be a way to encounter certain concepts early. The constant
arithmetic to keep track of point values is good practice for a kindergartner. Chess notation,
which can be taught to children as soon as they can write, is basically just coordinate geom-
etry. Chess intuition comes from well-exercised pattern recognition skills, and calculation
relies on and improves working memory. A rapidly-progressing player will run out of kids’
chess books to read and may find himself reading chess books for adults in order to continue
improving. Precision in basic endgames (KPvK, etc) requires conceptual understanding in
order to avoid even the slightest mistake, but those positions suddenly become mindlessly
easy once that understanding is held (a question I like to ask young players in lessons: "if
I give you a math test with 100 easy problems, but you fail if you get even one of them
wrong, is it a hard test?").
For struggling students, many of these same things become reinforcements for academic
subjects that may give them difficulty. The motivation of wanting to win the game can force
even a child afraid of math to practice arithmetic, and children’s chess books can be good
practice for students who have difficulty with reading or have a different first language.

Personal Experience
I did not struggle with academics as a child, but discipline was always difficult for me;
staying motivated and focused is very hard for a child with Attention Deficient Disorder.
Sitting still for extended periods of time was a fight that I did not always win (I was famous
for wandering the playing floor between moves, which I am still guilty of), but chess helped.
Emotional regulation was very difficult: hubris after a victory or sadness after a loss both
were counterproductive in future rounds. Many of the coping strategies I have used for the
rest of my life were rooted in my experience as a chess player.
Playing chess helped me form friendships with diverse people. I learned to handle my
own emotions under pressure. I had an outlet for a highly competitive spirit that could
otherwise be turned to mischief and access to adults who could teach me to temper that
spirit. My family had a good reason to travel for events, which sometimes doubled as family
vacations. Some of my best memories involve sitting in a hotel conference room with my
nerd friends, playing bughouse very late into the night with our state trophy and plaques

27
sitting at the end of the table, burning out the last of our competitive energy before crashing
and giving our parents a quiet ride home in the morning.
Over twenty years later, I still work at the same school whose chess club I joined in
kindergarten. I hope the kids I work with now will be able to look back on that time as
positively as I look back on my time there, and I hope that time benefits them in their
future endeavors.

Benjamin Franklin playing chess.

28
Scan Left QR
White to Move & Win a Pawn Code for Text
Answer
[Event "Memphis City Championship"]

[Date “03.16.2019"]

[White "King, Alexander B"]

[Black "Turner, Kenneth"]


Scan Right QR
[Round "1"]
Code for
[Result "1-0"]
Answer &
Complete Game 29
Link to Answer and Complete Game Below

http://view.chessbase.com/cbreader/2019/7/19/Game636308921.html?fbclid=IwAR3oEaSPc4b25Sx-Far5LPvcP6r2dIJT26sTjjcLm7bn0L6vDGi0iDAp2wA
Avoid Checkmate in One
Move the White King to a Square Escaping Checkmate With Black’s Next Move
#1 #2 #3

#4 #5 #6

Scan QR Code Below


for Answer
#1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6

30

MemphisChess.Com
Game of the Day,
Nostalgia, History, Cross-tables, Calendar of Events
Annotation Time

(3... d4
4. Bb2 c5 5. cxd5 exd5


{ The engine suggests that this
position is better for Black. I
tend to agree, but I'm quite 6. d4

Jonathan Beatty comfortable in the reversed


with position as Black (in a Benoni/
KID type of structure) so I'm not
too worried about it. Regardless,
Memphis City Chess Championship
3. d4

March 20, 2017, Round 3

White: Jonathan Beatty - 2071

Black: Oscar She - 1965

1.Nf3 d5 2. c4 e6

{ The engine takes a second to


like this move, since it

immediately notices that this
or 3. g3
move opens up Black's pieces.
That's OK. I'm willing to deal
with Black's aggressive options
here in order to stick him with
weak pawns in the center that I
can target. }

6... cxd4 7. Nxd4 Nc6

3. b3 Nf6

are strictly better. })

p 31
8. Nxc6 bxc6 10. Bc3 a5 11. a3 Bxc3+
{ Targeting the d5 pawn first.
This breaks the common rule of
attacking the base of the pawn,
but my plan is to attack the base
of the pawn chain afterwards
and try to force him to push c5,
giving us the typical "hanging
pawns" scenario. }

13... Bf5 14. Rc1 Rac8 15. Qe2

12. Nxc3 O-O)

{ This is the idea. Black's c and


d pawns occupy a lot of central
space, but they are also targets.
Picking on them gives me an
obvious game plan. }

9. e3 Bd6

(15. Ne2

10. Be2 O-O 11. O-O Qe7

(9... Bb4+

This is better, eyeing d4 and f4. )

15... Ne4 16. g3

12. Nc3 Rd8 13. Bf3

{ Better for Black to take the


opportunity to play aggressively
and try to exploit my slow
development. }

32
{ This weakens my king slightly, 18. Bb2 h6 19. Rfd1 Bxb2 { Allowing for c5 on Black's next
but I didn't see any specific move is much stronger, avoiding
ideas for Black, and I wanted to the continuation in the game. })

prevent any attacks on my King

before starting on my queenside 21. Rd4 Rb8 22. Qc3 Rbb7


plan. }

(16. Nxe4 Bxe4 17. Bxe4 Qxe4

{ I think this is a strategic


mistake, since Black's weak
dark squares are going to come
back to haunt him. Notice that
Black cannot play c5 without 23. Ra4 Be6 24. Ra5 Qd6

losing the pawn, so I have time


18. Rfd1 c5
to put a clamp down on c5. }

20. Qxb2 Rc7

{ The engine prefers this for


White, but it's not a big 25. Rc5
difference. })

16... Nxc3 17. Bxc3 Ba3 (20... Be6

{ Passive defense is not going to


give Black anything to do!

X Maybe he can hold onto this


with perfect play,

33
but it is a serious mistake to (26... Qxd5 27. Rxd5 cxd5
{ My opponent resigned here
accept a position where you because of the continuation: }
must play perfectly while your 30... Rxd7 31. Re8+ Kh7

opponent only needs to play


good moves, unless it is
necessary to try and salvage a
bad game. }

25... Bd7?? 26. Bxd5

28. Qxc7 Rxc7 29. Rxc7)

32. Be4+ Qg6

26... Rb6

27. Bf3 a6 28. Rd1 Qe6


(32... g6 33. Qxf6)

(26... cxd5 27. Rxc7)

29. Re5 Qf6 30. Rxd7


33. Bxg6+ *

34
l
The American Revolution Themed Chess Set Pieces ONLY

If you're a fan of the American Revolution you are sure to be a fan of this set.
ORDER FROM: ChessCentral
$99.95
https://www.chesscentral.com/american- Americans 

revolution-themed-chess-set-pieces/
King: Washington 

Queen: Horatio Gates 

In PDF, click the HTML above: Bishop: Ben Arnold 

Knight: Calvary 

Rook: Stars & Stripes 

Pawn: Infantry 

British

King: King George

Queen: Charles Cornwallis

Bishop: Banastre Tarleton

Knight: British Calvary

Rook: Union Jack

Pawn: British Infantry

King: 3.25"

Base: 1.125"

Recommended Chess
Board Square Size: 1.5”

(Price subject to change.)

http://www.chesscentral.com/

ChessCentral


Pearl Harbor Chess Pieces
These chess pieces pit President Roosevelt against
$99.95
Emperor Hirohito and their navies in this epic clash.
In PDF, click ChessCentral’s HTML below: 
https://www.chesscentral.com/pearl-harbor-chess-pieces/

ChessCentral.com

Chess Pieces: Resin


King height: 3.25"
King diameter (at base): 1"
Weighted and felted
Queens: 2 (Price subject
to change.) http://www.chesscentral.com/
35

Jose Raul Capablanca played simultaneous exhibitions in Memphis, Tennessee in


1909, 1910 and 1915. Read about his visits and play through five recorded

games at the link or QR Code below:

http://memphischessclub.blogspot.com/2011/02/jose-raul-capablancacuban-champion-in.html
36
37

“Capablanca” comic was produced for the 17th Chess Olympiad which took place in Havana, Cuba
in 1966. Originally in Spanish, the English version was translated by Brenda Weaver.
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
http://memphischessclub.blogspot.com/2011/02/jose-raul-capablancacuban-champion-in.html
BLACK PIECE SIDE OF BOARD

English QR1 QN1 QB1 Q1 K1 KB1 KN1 KR1 English


Descriptive Descriptive
Notation KB8 KR8 Notation:

vs
QR8 QN8 QB8 Q8 K8 KN8
Algebraic QR2 QN2 QB2 Q2 K2 KB2 KNt2 KR2
Notation
QR7 QN7 QB7 Q7 K7 KB7 KN7 KR7 Yellow Text will
Many old chess Identify the Black
books are still QR3 QN3 QB3 Q3 K3 KB3 KN3 KR3 Piece Square

interesting. Use
this page as a QR6 QN6 QB6 Q6 K6 KB6 KN6 KR6 K=King

guideline to play Q=Queen

through moves or QR4 QN4 QB4 Q4 K4 KB4 KN4 KR4 B=Bishop

solve chess N=Knight

problems.
QR5 QN5 QB5 Q5 K5 KB5 KN5 KR5 R=Rook

To the right are QR5 QN5 QB5 Q5 K5 KB5 KN5 KR5


examples of the
QR1=Queen’s
exact squares and Rook 1

who owns them.

QR4 QN4 QB4 Q4 K4 KB4 KN4 KR4


QR6 QN6 QN6 Q6 K6 KB6 KN6 KR6 KN1=King’s
In algebraic, the Knight 1

first move in the


English Opening is
QR3 QN3 QB3 Q3 K3 KB3 KN3 KR3
1. c4, or pawn to QR7 QN7 QB7 Q7 K7 KB7 KN7 KR7
c4; the equivalent
in English
Descriptive is
QR2 QN2 QB2 Q2 K2 KB2 KN2 KR2 White Text will
Identify the White
1. P-QB4, or QR8 QN8 QB8 Q8 K8 KB8 KN8 KR8 Piece Square
Pawn to Queen’s
Bishop 4. If the
Black piece QR1 QN1 QB1 Q1 K1 KB1 KN1 KR1
opponent plays a
symmetrical
English, then the Algebraic
reply would be
Notation:

1. … c5, or Pawn
to c5; the English
Descriptive reply Numbers
would be
Identify the
1. … P-QB4, or Rank Square

Pawn to Queen’s

Bishop 4.

Letters

The White piece Identify the

opponent’s
File Square

second move
might be, in
algebraic, 2. Nc3.
Compare:

In English
Descriptive the
move would be
The algebraic
written 2. N-QB3, a1 square in
or 2. Kt-QB3, or English
Knight to Queen’s Descriptive is

Bishop 3.

QR1, or
Queen’s Rook
Notice the dash 1 for White
between the
and QR8, or
piece name and
the square Queen’s Rook
moved to in the 8 for Black.

English
Descriptive
version.
51
Mississippi Chess Events 52

USCF–State of MS:
Events are often hard to find
for some areas of the Mid-
http://
South, but with a good list of
www.uschess.org/tlas/
links you may find something
upcoming.php?
of interest. MS organizers
STATE=MS
often delay announcement
of events. For example, the
SCAN
State Championship usually
takes place on a weekend in
October, but the USCF may
not have an ad until shortly
before the event.
Chari Chess
https://charichess.org/
On this page are my-calendar/
selected links with
information often not
widely shared. SCAN

MS Scholastic Chess Capital City Chess Club


Association https://
http:// www.facebook.com/
www.msscholasticchess groups/
.org/ 234234833705334/

SCAN SCAN

Mississippi Chess WISE CHESS CLUB


Association
https://
www.facebook.com/
http:// groups/
www.mcachess.org/ 531354170689733/
SCAN SCAN

The SW MS Chess Mississippi Chess - Facebook


Foundation https://
http:// www.facebook.com/
www.franklinchess.com/ groups/115931459677/
about.html

SCAN SCAN

You might also like