Coaching

Checks and captures

Submitted by DrDave on

We are always admonished that to blunder-proof our chess, we must search for checks, captures and threats on every move, for ourselves and our opponents.

This is not so easy to practice — how do you know when you’ve missed something, except when a gleeful opponent swoops in to take an overlooked loose piece?

The answer is now at hand:

Here are two sets of positions selected at random moments from a selection of master games.

Random positions: https://lichess.org/study/gC1AGen6

Lessons from the lost No.1s

Submitted by DrDave on

The FIDE Elo rating system began in 1971. Elo did a bit of study trying to work the ratings backwards, but the chief scholar in this regard is Jeff Sonas http://chessmetrics.com/cm/. Jeff devised his own rating system, however -- using an 'absentee' penalty for periods of non-playing. This leads to odd-looking results like Lasker's repeated plummets and recoveries here:

ChronoGraph-1840-2005.gif

Reflections on chess resources

Submitted by DrDave on

I started coaching adults at the Exeter club in 1993, about the same time as Alan Maynard started up the current incarnation of Exeter Junior Chess Club. I went looking for some useful resources for teaching, and there were some, but mostly I became a magpie, picking shiny bits out of various good books. I did find it irksome that so many books repeated familiar examples, and I thought I could at least pull those out for my colleagues, and that became the core of the Canon. I found particularly useful:
* Tony Gillam - Simple Chess Tactics and Simple Checkmates

Canon 2020 (new edition)

Submitted by DrDave on

Some more time at home recently has meant I have been able to do something I've been meaning to do for ages, which is tidy up my database of teaching games, which I call the Canon.

Sorry if you have an earlier version and have had to tidy it yourself.

Reports to AGM (Coaching, Juniors)

Submitted by DrDave on

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.

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