Pied Robins

Coming up on June 1st is the 11th Chess.com tournament. It's played correspondence style at 3 days per move and you are automatically assigned a rating class for pairing according to your rating on the day it starts. The format is 6 player round robin groups with 2 games simultaneously with each opponent for a total of up to 10 games at one time. It's great fun, so don't miss out.

Pure ICC Updated

The ICC (Internet Chess Club) has just released the newest version of the Dasher interface program (1.4.0). Among the new features are new buttons for playing pure chess. ICC's pure chess is separately rated and is a way to be paired randomly within a pool of players, negating the skewing influence from the rating system of picking opponents. Now you have the new pure chess options of 3 minute, game 45 45, or 3 1 Chess960! You will be offered the chance to upgrade the next time you logon at ICC using the Dasher interface. See all the latest features in this update here.

Learning the Tabiyas

OK, you've reached that point. You know how to play, you've been studying your tactics and made great improvements in your performance, and you've settled in on an opening repertoire that you feel comfortable with. You're ready to start with some opening studies beyond just the general principles. So what do you do now?

Searching for Capablanca

This is a position I found at W.T. Harvey's great tactics puzzle website from the game R. Raubitschek vs. Capablanca, New York 1906. Capa has the black pieces and presses for the win. Do you see the best move?

Many chess coaches and authors have recommended the aspiring player to choose a chess hero to make a study of. Perhaps you'll choose one with a style like you see as your own, or maybe a style that you wish you could engender in yourself. I'm starting my search for my chess hero with J.R. Capablanca, the third official world chess champion.

See the solution to the puzzle and more about Capablanca after the fold:

White to Move

This position is from a recent club skittles game. Black has just blundered with 18... Qd7 thinking that he is offering a trade to reduce the pressure. In the actual game White quickly played 19. Qxc7. Can you spot a better move for White? See the solution after the fold:

White to Move

Finlayson

1901

from The Great ABC of Tactics by Renko

See the solution after the fold:

White to Move

Hillarp Person - Grosse Frintrop

Recklinghausen 2001

from Gary Lane's Find the Winning Move

See the solution after the fold:

Boden's Mate

White to Play and Mate in 2.

From The Art of the Checkmate
by Renaud and Kahn.

See the solution after the fold:

White to Move

Cardoso - Torre
Manila 1973

from John Nunn's Chess Puzzle Book


see the solution below the fold:

Chessbase Light 2009

Check it out! Chessbase has released a new version of Chessbase Light. It is now based on Chessbase 10 instead of Chessbase 9. You'll find a handy 'get TWIC' on the help menu and other little useful changes. And if you decide to upgrade to premium, other Chessbase 10 features will become yours.

To get your copy go to the Chessbase Light download page.