EJCC blog

Reports to AGM (Coaching, Juniors)

Coaching

With just one room available these days, I have offered group coaching
sessions only during the Summer when no matches or individual
competitions will be going on.

This year, as usual, we discussed a series of topics suggested by
members, including an Opening Workshop, Creating and Exchanging strong
pieces, Making and Meeting Threats, and Endgame Elements. New material
on the London System, Caro-Kann and Budapest Gambit was posted on the
website.

How to beat your Dad at chess

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2018.01.21"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Sequiera, Alfie"]
[Black "Sequiera, Alistair"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C53"]
[PlyCount "85"]
[EventDate "2018.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2018.01.21"]
{No problems for White here: there are a couple of points in the opening you
could have another look at.} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 d6 5. d4 exd4
{So far, so good!} 6. Nxd4 ({The idea of c3 is to take over the centre, and

Some basic openings

You have to be able to make a decent start in a game of chess, or you risk being blown away by your opponent's better development. Knowing a few openings in a bit of detail is some insurance against traps and ideas that you haven't seen before.

So, here are some variations in common openings that you can -- and should -- learn. At each turn, try and learn not just what is the right move(s) but why that move is preferred.

The Trebuchet

In an all-parent encounter last week, the players stumbled upon this position, known as the Trebuchet. A trebuchet is a big wooden catapult, and its connection with this position is not known, except that it may catapult a player from joy to despair...

The Windmill

[Event "Moscow"]
[Site "Moscow URS"]
[Date "1925.11.25"]
[EventDate "1925.11.10"]
[Round "12"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Carlos Torre Repetto"]
[Black "Emanuel Lasker"]
[ECO "A46"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "85"]
1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. Bg5 c5 4. e3 cxd4 5. exd4 Be7 6. Nbd2
d6 7. c3 Nbd7 8. Bd3 b6 9. Nc4 Bb7 10. Qe2 Qc7 11. O-O O-O
12. Rfe1 Rfe8 13. Rad1 Nf8 14. Bc1 Nd5 15. Ng5 b5 16. Na3 b4

U14 games 2016

[Event "U14 Jamboree"]
[Site "Churchill School Somerset"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Leif Hafstad"]
[Black "Ben Choo Yin"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B22"]
[Annotator "Regis,Dave"]
[PlyCount "68"]
{You made a couple of second-best moves in the opening and then missed a
skewer. You later worked up a nice initiative the exchange down, but you
didn't have quite enough attack or enough time.} 1. e4 c5 2. c3 Nf6 3. e5 Nd5

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