Thursday: more interesting chess!

by kevinspraggettonchess · Published April 6, 2017 · Updated April 7, 2017

Chess potpourri

How do you engage effectively with the internet while avoiding the trap of letting the internet become a part of who you are as a person? How do we keep our humanity while we increasingly interact with machines?

The internet – as an information tool – can provide for an amazing learning opportunity. In online chess today you can find out virtually anything you want to know with a click or two. Free, almost all of it. Real time tournament updates. Videos of your favourite games. PDF versions of opening chess books that came out last week. Chess history. Chess politics. Everything.

It all depends on what you are looking for and what you want it for. Becoming a better chess player. Better informed. Wiser. Harder to be anyone’s fool…it is just a click away if you are serious.

If. A big ‘if’ for some of us. How to become part of the internet without letting the internet become part of you…don’t become that person in the image above. Keep your humanity…while you still have some choice in the matter.

Chess tactics for today!

There is an interesting tournament taking place right now in . GMs Speelman, Hebden and Hillarp amongst other participants. A nine round Swiss, the tournament concludes this weekend.

Some 5-second tactics

Spanton,T – Forbes,G Jersey Capital 4-4-2017White to play and win!

Heppell,IA- Morriss,P Jersey Capital 3-4-2017White to play and win!

Sikkel,D – Rudd,J Jersey Capital 1-4-2017Black to play and win!

Some nice games from the tournament

gm Hillarp,T – Waddington Jersey Capital 3-4-2017

gm Speelman,J – Rudd,J Jersey Capital 4-4-2017

im Merry,A – gm Hebden,M Jersey Capital 4-4-2017

A really nice game by ! The game starts with the ‘obligatory’ pawn sacrifice, but then Tiger makes a speculative piece sacrifice to keep Black’s King in the centre. A brilliant game.

Jonathon has not lost his magic! The game becomes very complex and Speelman is up to the challenge. His 28th move is really strong.

It is not often that Hebden gets outplayed in these sharp King-Pawn openings, but White’s play is convincing and worth studying. I might also take up idea 5.Bc4

Belzo,K – gm Speelman,J Jersey Capital 3-4-2017

Rudd,J – gm Hillarp,T Jersey Capital 2-4-2017

Abbas,D – gm Hebden,M Jersey Capital 3-4-2017

A really nice positional game by Speelman! Worthy of study. Jon takes advantage of all of his positional plusses.

A very interesting struggle. Not sure how the game ended (time?!) as the final position is not clear.

Wow! It is not easy to outplay and experienced GM like , but makes it look simple. Stellar move 20.a4! Definitely worth study.