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Adult Disciple

I started playing chess in the beginning of 2009 just shy of 37.  I'll use this blog space to go over ideas in my OTB games that I missed.  Whether it's tactics, an opening line, or engames I want to explore my mistakes with the maximum ampunt of detail in order to avoid them.  Sometimes, I'll use my opponents mistakes when I have a view frlom both sides.  Hopefully everyone who has similar experiences will learn something as well.


    • Reti makes Alekhine see Ghosts

      In this game from NY 1924, Alekhine and Reti reach an even position.  Alekhine thinks his 19...e4 is bad though the game is far from lost.  But as soon as he gets into a negative frame of mind he makes more bad moves spiraling from equality, to ... | Read More

      • jlueke
      • | Jan 20, 2011
      • | 363 views
      • | 0 comments
    • Ed Lasker defeats Tartakower's Meran New York 1924

      This is the first game of old master games I am playing through.  NM greenlaser recently posted an interesting old game that finally pushed me to do these studies.  I'm going to get Alekhine's 1924 tournament book and use that as a base.  For t... | Read More

      • jlueke
      • | Jan 12, 2011
      • | 270 views
      • | 0 comments
    • The Critical Position and Planning

      This isn't about the swinging bishop but rather about the critical positions reached in every game.  This is the point of the game where there's wither some sharp tactics or a key turning point that can determine the flow of the remainder of the ... | Read More

      • jlueke
      • | Jan 8, 2011
      • | 412 views
      • | 0 comments
    • The Power of the Outpost

      I've started reading the 4th edition of IM Silman's How to Reasses your Chess.  The first imbalance he covers is the superior minor piece.  Two of my recent games featured just this with a superior knight wreaking havoc out of the opening.  In ... | Read More

      • jlueke
      • | Jan 1, 2011
      • | 189 views
      • | 2 comments
    • Premature Pawn Advance versus the Pirc

      One of the key considerations in the Pirc (e4 d6 d4 Nf6 Nc3 g6) defense is what will happen when white plays e5.  Often the knight on f6 needs a good home and even when the knight moves e6 can be an issue.  On the other hand, if white plays e5 t... | Read More

      • jlueke
      • | Dec 30, 2010
      • | 268 views
      • | 3 comments
    • Playing too passively

      This game is a good example of playing too passively at key junctures.  The passivity on both sides never really lost the game but gave up an advantage going back to equality.  On my end move 16 is really bad, I can forgive myself not playing Nx... | Read More

      • jlueke
      • | Nov 30, 2010
      • | 195 views
      • | 0 comments
    • Aaaaargh!!!

      Take a look at the positional domination white achieves.  With counterplay far away and the center closed white gets read to attack and just messes up one move.  Of course the game wasn't lost but time trouble would doom me at the end.  It was ... | Read More

      • jlueke
      • | Nov 26, 2010
      • | 179 views
      • | 0 comments
    • OTB Lessons: Opening Weaknesses

      This game illustrates what can happen when one misplays an opening.  The early c5 leads to a variety of structural weaknesses that white can exploit and black is forced to pick his poison.  Black does manage to almost find equality but falters j... | Read More

      • jlueke
      • | Oct 27, 2010
      • | 200 views
      • | 0 comments
    • OTB Lessons: Correct Development

      This was the second game from the Chess Nut Challenge at Concordia College.  I this game my opponent's moves were not cohesive and he lost two pawns quickly in the opening.  While I didn't always play the best moves I stuck to my winning plan un... | Read More

      • jlueke
      • | Oct 26, 2010
      • | 217 views
      • | 0 comments
    • OTB Lessons Time

      The following game was plaid at the recent Chess Nut Challenge at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota.  For those if you not from the Midwest, Moorhead is also known as the Fargo of Minnesota.  The tournament was excellent, it's my favorite... | Read More

      • jlueke
      • | Oct 26, 2010
      • | 212 views
      • | 0 comments