J

A cracking start to the season, with Newton Abbot blooding some new talent. I hope this result doesn't discourage them! In fact, the opposition board 1 scored ahead of the entire Exeter team at the Devon Championships, so as is often the case, the result is more lop-sided than the games.

Reece Whittington 1-0 Jim Knott Taylor Finch 1-0 Ben Sanders-Wyatt Edmund Kelly 1-0 Toby Donaghue Leif Hafstad 1-0 Calum Germain

December: Prize list for Devon Junior Chess Championships:
http://www.chessdevon.co.uk/HTML/News/jchess/base.htm

January: New Devon Junior grades are out!
http://onionschess.co.uk/content/devon-junior-grading-list

Proposed U14 Training Day: Sat 1st February, Exeter.
Details tba.

[Event "English County U18"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2013.06.24"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Sudhakar, Ragul"]
[Black "Keat, Sam"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C55"]
[PlyCount "65"]
{Some natural moves by White led to the win of a piece, almost by accident.} 1.
e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. c3 d5 (4... Nxe4 {
This central pawn is OK to take.}) 5. exd5 Nxd5 6. d3 Be6 (6... Bg4 $5) (6...
Be7 $1) 7. Ng5 Qd6 (7... Bf5) 8. Qf3 $14 8... Be7 9. Nd2 h6 (9... Bxg5 10. Ne4

I'm going to have to wind into this one from a distance...

Mostly I play chess, but I know how to play some other games, and I'm sort of generally interested in games in general.

http://exeterchessclub.org.uk/slideshow2

Game theory was much discussed from a mathematical angle when I was in college, but what interests me more is the thoughts and feelings of game players, which are usually far from mathematical.

A match of mostly short games, where the outgraded Newton Abbot team must have been pleased to hold us off. There are some lessons about how to win a game here:

1. Recognise when you are playing in a risky way - and do so only if you have to.
2. Don't be afraid of ghosts!
3. If you like open games, then don't close the position.

You can download the games&notes in the PGN file.

(1)

{A shame to miss a win at the end, but you had the more promising position throughout, so don't regret the missed win, take some pride in the good game! }

Downloadable PGN games and PDF booklet are attached; the booklet has more and better comments

than the PGN file and this page.  Copies will soon be in the post for players.

{A well-organised king's-side attack in the Stonewall rather missed its mark when Black refused to castle. In the end the open lines were used by Black to attack you instead, but there was a little undermining tactic which would have helped you, and a pin that would have helped your opponent.}

Another close match which could have gone either way.

Some homework study may be required!