A total of 23 juniors walked through the doors of the library today, bringing a lively and energetic atmosphere. It was especially wonderful to see familiar faces like Gagan, Tishi, and Felicity return after taking a short break.
In the main room, where both intermediate and beginner players were gathered, I took the opportunity to demonstrate several examples on the display board illustrating the tactic known as ‘discovered attacks and checks.’ This allowed everyone to clearly see how these tactical motifs work in practice and understand their importance in gameplay.
My sincere thanks extend warmly to Camilla, who kindly took both Jack and Henry under her wing, providing invaluable support and guidance. Her assistance was a tremendous help for me.
In the second room, Jon Cacthpole took the lead for the team of experts, which included Samuel, John Heath, and Kiran, along with advanced players Constance, Gagan, Kieran and Jonah, who all engaged in detailed endgame discussions. Following these in-depth conversations, they participated in 20-minute games that were accompanied by personalized coaching sessions to help improve their skills.
Discovered Checks and Attacks
This is another powerful and essential ‘Tactic’ in chess that consistently helps you win material and secure victories in your games. It is absolutely crucial to have this technique firmly established in your attacking repertoire if you want to improve your overall chess performance and outmaneuver your opponents effectively.
In this example, White only needs to move the knight to check the Black King. But where should the knight be placed? Always seek the strongest square for your piece. Here, the knight’s optimal square is g6, where it attacks the rook and forces Black to respond to the queen’s check.
This discovered attack occurs when the pawn on e4 advances to threaten the Knight, simultaneously unveiling an attack by the Queen on Black’s Rook at a8.
Black’s bishop on c5 is undefended. White initiates a discovered attack by playing NxN, targeting the Black queen. Forced to move, the Black queen leaves the bishop vulnerable, allowing White to capture it with BxB and win a piece.
Advanced Group
Jon decided to start fresh after last week’s inaugural week with the advanced players, making slight tweaks to the format to improve the experience for everyone.
Jon’s puzzle Corner
Black to move, can he draw from this position?
Ladder results
Today brought exciting wins in the beginners group for Zayd, Jack, Iris, Fin, and Michael. Each of these players showcased impressive skills and determination, contributing to their well-deserved victories.
Zayd and Michael quickly establish an early lead in the table, each managing to score an impressive total of 9 points right from the start. Their strong performance sets a competitive tone for the rest of the season.
In the intermediates section, there were notable wins achieved by several competitors, including Eden, Miles, Lewis, and Michal.
Miles storms ahead with an impressive record of 4 wins out of 4 games played so far, showcasing his dominance in the competition. Lewis having played one game less than Miles, stands strong in second place with a total of 7 points accumulated from their matches to date.
Last weeks Puzzle answers
- ………Kb2 (only move)
- Kxa4 ( if f4 then pawn moves to a3 and will queen) ….Kc3 and will catch the pawn for a draw.
1……….Qc3+
2. kd8…Qc7+
NB- if Black can force the White King to take the queen it will be a draw as the Black King has nowhere to move.
My Thanks
A sincere thank you goes out to Jon Catchpole, John Heath, Samuel Gorsuch, and Camilla Martin for their incredibly valuable and much appreciated assistance provided today. Their support was truly indispensable.
