1. How to start well in a game of chess 2. Things to avoid: wasting time and 4-move checkmate U9s/U11: Open with a duck! [U14s] DCK = Develop, Centre, King (c) Develop Centre King Develop Send out your pieces one at a time, and move each piece once Don’t waste time (make only 2-3 pawn…
There are good traps and bad traps. A good trap is a trap you set with a good move A bad trap is a trap you set with a bad move If your opponent plays a good move against your bad move, you will have a worse position! So don’t play a bad trap, but…
Thank you for filling in the opening questionnaires online, and I’m sorry we didn’t get time to look at your responses on Saturday. But here is what I might have said: Systems for White Scotch Game (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4)My main recommendation for a first opening system, leading to an open game with chances…
I’ve created some opening videos under the DJCA banner which go with some of the booklets, and found some online videos for those opening systems that I haven’t covered. Chapeau to Stjepan Tomic (Hanging Pawns), who I thought at one point had covered every single one of them! Let me know if you find some…
The first game I ever played in a chess club went like this (I was Black) Oh dear! OK, I haven’t been caught like that since. What should Black do about this? Well, we’re OK up to move 3. The “??” means it’s a blunder — I just didn’t see White’s threat, and was keen…
OPENING RULES 1. Open with a centre pawn.2. Develop with threats.3. Play knights before bishops.4. Castle as soon as possible.5. Avoid developing the queen too early.6. Do not move the same piece twice without a good reason.7. Use your minor pieces to fight for the centre.8. Maintain at least one pawn in the centre.9. Make…
DuCK or grouse… Opening tasks (first level) 1. Develop your pieces towards the centre 2. Get at least a pawn stake in the centre 3. Castle King’s-side DCK = Develop, Centre, King If you don’t duck, you will get punched! 1. Fell behind in development Also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opera_Game https://lichess.org/study/T5MuJ9Eo 2. Lost the centre 3. Got King…
There are good traps and bad traps. A good trap is a trap you set with a good move A bad trap is a trap you set with a bad move If your opponent plays a good move against your bad move, you will have a worse position! So don’t play a bad trap, but…
…and other Queen’s-side openings As White, you often have a choice of going for a big advantage in a risky position, or going for a safe small advantage. Here are the sorts of advantage you can seek in the Queen’s Gambit. Better development White has got their pieces to better squares and can attack wherever…
