8 juniors today, a good mix of ages and abilities, always enjoyable for all.
Theme of the day was all about being careful where to place your pieces.
Why do we loose games?
We don’t pay enough attention to those dangerous squares that we move pieces on to!
For this posting, I’m calling them Landmines and Ticking Bombs.
What are landmines?
Squares which are protected and explosive to tread on, other words losing a piece for free!
The Queen is eyeing up to take the pawn on e3 with check, but doesn’t notice it’s sat on a Landmine (it’s protected by the Rook) and blindly takes the pawn – Q x p check!
BOOM! – Rook x e3 and the Queen is gone.
Unprotected Squares
These can be equally dangerous, putting a piece on an unprotected square can result in an attack which may lose you a piece, so think twice before doing this.
A Ticking Bomb indicates a dangerous square to sit on, either it’s unprotected or has too many attackers v defenders.
Look at this example:-
White’s Knight sits happily on c4 but is not protected – it’s sitting on a time bomb – if Black attacks it with Bishop to a6 for example, White must take action by either protecting the Knight or moving it.
><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><
The Art of Exchanges
It’s very important that before you exchange pieces you count how many pieces attack and how many defend, if in your favour, work out which sequence is best, usually start with the lower value pieces first and work up to the highest last.
Three examples of the same position, showing different ways to exchange pieces and the what the outcomes are.
Example 1 – Taking with the lowest value pieces first – Bishop v Knight
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Example 2 - Using the Rooks before the Bishop - Rook v Knight
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Example 3 - Black making the mistake of using the highest value piece first - Queen v Bishop
Latest Ladder positions after todays games and midweek quiz results
Winners today each get 3 points were :- Advik, Gagan, Thomas, Philip and Eden. Lewis managed to snatch a draw, Maria looking on with sketchbook at the ready. Anyone who took notation of their games get an extra point, that being Gagan, Advick and Michal.
Game of the day - Gagan v Michal
Midweek Quiz :-
RED Zone - Constance (very good with 5 out of 6, so 2 Points) Gagan, Advik, Lewis with 4 out of 6, also 2 points.
Beginners Quiz - only one entrant - Michal gets 3 points
After all those points are added up and the cards updated, the ladder now looks like this:-
Top 3 places all on 38 points each, Advik close behind with 37 points.
These 4 are in the RED ZONE and are asked to tackle the Midweek Quiz for intermediates, while those in Green can have a go at the beginners Quiz, both will be on line from Tuesday 17th June.
Have a good week, plenty of hot sun in the forecast, so be careful out there!
Graham Morris