Online chess community where you can play chess, learn strategies and tactics, read chess news, see book reviews, find rules & tips, get free downloads, and more! http://www.chess.com/ 2007 Chess.com With 5 wins, 2 draws, and 2 losses I was in the top 5 in my section at the World Open 2008.It was satisfying. I do not suck at chess. I played Russians, Chinese, Americans, and an Indian... older folks with experience on their side, younger f...http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/world-open-victoryMon, 07 Jul 2008 10:47:15 -0700http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/world-open-victoryI'm competing in the World Open in a week or so.     My practice games make me wonder whether it'll be Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde who actually shows up in Philadelphia. For example, here are a couple games I played this week: &...http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/will-i-be-dr-jekyl-or-mr-hyde-at-the-world-openSat, 21 Jun 2008 12:45:40 -0700http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/will-i-be-dr-jekyl-or-mr-hyde-at-the-world-openQuestions, comments, and especially criticism are welcome. Remember to click the Move List button to see all the interesting variations. http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/mayet-anderssen-berlin-1851Sat, 05 Apr 2008 09:10:22 -0700http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/mayet-anderssen-berlin-1851Q+P vs Q is more common than Q vs P, but it receives less coverage. That's probably because it is complex, and in fact humans knew little about this ending until the advent of tablebases revolutionized its study. Rook and Knight pawns usually ...http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-queen--pawn-vs-queenThu, 10 Jan 2008 11:56:34 -0800http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-queen--pawn-vs-queen Happy Holidays! I bought a Palm Z22 and loaded Palm Hiarcs (ELO 2506), Morphy's 472 known games, and 24 issues of Endgame Corner. It's a great chess combo that lets me study while on the go. Cost:  $145 Battery Life (playing):  ...http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/happy-holidays--palm-hiarcsWed, 12 Dec 2007 22:09:49 -0800http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/happy-holidays--palm-hiarcsThis is an exciting ending played by my friend dktransformation. I think it's practical and it contains interesting positions, mistakes, and nuggets of wisdom that we can learn from. I hope you enjoy. Please feel free to ask questions, offer a...http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-a-practical-rrn-endingFri, 26 Oct 2007 14:54:45 -0700http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-a-practical-rrn-endingThis is my final article on the Frontal Defense. We look at positions from real games. These are complicated positions, so don't feel bad if you miss a move. The above commentary is completely my own, but Danielian-Miles is discussed in mor...http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-frontal-defense-ivThu, 18 Oct 2007 00:22:01 -0700http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-frontal-defense-ivWe're going to look at Frontal Defense on the knight file today, and then examine some interesting games between strong players.   A. Knight Files  The Frontal Defense on a knight file works the same as on a central or bishop file, ...http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-frontal-defense-iiiWed, 17 Oct 2007 00:01:25 -0700http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-frontal-defense-iiiNow that you know how wage a Frontal Defense, we're going to learn how to quickly evaluate whether a position can be drawn via this method.   A. The defending rook needs at least 3 squares of checking distance to hold the draw. B. If t...http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-frontal-defense-iiTue, 16 Oct 2007 00:26:11 -0700http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-frontal-defense-iiThe Frontal Defense was invented by Tarrasch. It's a method that a defender can use to draw a R+P vs R ending when his king is cut-off from the pawn. This technique is only effective if the pawn hasn't crossed the middle of the board.&nbsp...http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-frontal-defenseMon, 15 Oct 2007 02:03:06 -0700http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-frontal-defenseThis is one of the few ways to draw when you're two pawns down. I found an interesting resource on the Internet for mastering this ending:   Rook endings with rook and bishop pawns    In this free lesson Peter Joseph covers 32 R...http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-rook-f---h-pawns-vs-rookFri, 12 Oct 2007 17:58:18 -0700http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-rook-f---h-pawns-vs-rookFor players under 2100, Rook vs Bishop is won 40% of the time. The drawing technique is counter-intuitive, so if your opponent doesn't know it, you have chances to win.    As usual, we begin by looking at the right moves.   To ...http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-rook-vs-bishopThu, 11 Oct 2007 00:04:39 -0700http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-rook-vs-bishopQueen vs Knight is a simple win, but when you reach it you may be tired and in time trouble. You also must watch out for forks! Below, a strong player blundered into a draw: Key Idea: Forks only work if your king, queen, and his knight are all on...http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-queen-vs-knightWed, 10 Oct 2007 09:10:35 -0700http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-queen-vs-knightThis article may be too simple for some readers, but in my Bishop and Pawn vs Bishop and Centurini Position articles I frequently said Q vs B is an easy win. Then I witnessed this tragicomedy, and thought maybe I should offer a couple tips!  ...http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/queen-vs-bishop---easyTue, 09 Oct 2007 17:39:24 -0700http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/queen-vs-bishop---easyA Centurini Position is one where one of the two diagonals in front of the pawn is less than four squares in length. These are almost always won.       In this lesson we'll consider three Centurini Positions of increasing diffic...http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-centurinis-ruleMon, 08 Oct 2007 21:50:01 -0700http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-centurinis-ruleIf Knight endgames are about flashy tactics, Bishop endgames are about subtle finesse.   First, the obvious cases. If the defender can put his king in front of the pawn, on a square that can't be attacked by the enemy bishop, it's a d...http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/bishop-and-pawn-vs-bishopMon, 08 Oct 2007 13:24:14 -0700http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/bishop-and-pawn-vs-bishopSimba writes, Thanks for posting [Karpov-Hort, Budapest 1973] and your commentary which is very informative. Got one question: What does 'spare tempi in zugzwang situations' mean when white moved g5 in move 35?   Zugzwang means...http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-steinitzs-ruleSat, 06 Oct 2007 11:04:21 -0700http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-steinitzs-ruleThis ending is a great example of how a bishop, knight, and king can work together. It's shamelessly stolen from Analysis on The ENDGAME by ugralitan, but his article didn't cover these lines. I hope you will find this annotated game enjoy...http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-a-minor-piece-endingFri, 05 Oct 2007 21:51:47 -0700http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-a-minor-piece-endingRook and Pawn vs Rook endings are the most common ending in practice, and they're more complex than most players realize. Rook Endings - [External] An introduction to Lucena and Philidor. Lucena, not so simple? - An average player believes he...http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-week-in-review-sep-28Fri, 28 Sep 2007 11:28:54 -0700http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-week-in-review-sep-28Not Quite Lucena positions feature the attacker's pawn on the sixth rank with his king in front of the pawn and are quite common in practice. This is the final article in my series on Lucena. You may want to read through the earlier ones here,...http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-not-quite-lucena-iiiWed, 26 Sep 2007 16:34:07 -0700http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-not-quite-lucena-iiiNot Quite Lucena positions feature the attacker's pawn on the sixth rank with his king in front of the pawn... they're quite common in practice. If you haven't already, I recommend reading my last two articles, Lucena I and Lucena II, ...http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-not-quite-lucena-iiTue, 25 Sep 2007 14:39:14 -0700http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-not-quite-lucena-iiAn interesting position, very similar to Lucena, is when the attacker's pawn is on the sixth rank with his king in front of it. If Black plays carefully and checks from the side he can draw, but in practice the defender mucks it up 80% of the ...http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-not-quite-lucenaMon, 24 Sep 2007 22:32:55 -0700http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-not-quite-lucenaLucena is the most important position in Rook & Pawn vs Rook endings, so why do most books use only one or two diagrams to explain it? Let's begin with a quiz. White to move. If you had the White pieces, which of the above positions could ...http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-lucena-not-so-simpleMon, 24 Sep 2007 16:19:26 -0700http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-lucena-not-so-simpleI've been studying Rook vs Pawn endings. Would you guess, in 54% of games the pawn suffices for a draw?! Read on to learn the secrets. 1. The Force FieldIn the simplest case, you prevent the enemy king from accompanying his pawn. If his pawn a...http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-rook-vs-pawnsSun, 16 Sep 2007 10:34:15 -0700http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-rook-vs-pawnsWhite to move. I'm a thief, and I'll admit it. Loomis posted this excellent position in his blog entry a year ago, and now I'm covering it here (with permission):First, the easy part. White can blockade the queenside pawns with his kni...http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-loomis-28aug2006Fri, 14 Sep 2007 17:51:18 -0700http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-loomis-28aug2006To master an endgame, you must learn the general rules and you must practice them. We did the first step in Knight vs Blocked Pawns. Now we tackle the second step.White to move. Dvoretsky, 2000. With our newfound knowledge, this position is too si...http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-knight-vs-blocked-pawns-iiThu, 13 Sep 2007 18:13:10 -0700http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-knight-vs-blocked-pawns-iiloomis recently noticed that my Seven Rules of Knight Endings was missing the important situation of blocked pawns. This post corrects that. Knights should defend passed pawns from behind, as that often makes them immune from capture by the enemy ...http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-knights-vs-blocked-pawnsThu, 13 Sep 2007 12:09:55 -0700http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-knights-vs-blocked-pawns1. Botvinnik's Rule: Knight Endings are Pawn Endings - The techniques that win in a pawn ending (breakthroughs, shouldering, zugzwang, outside pawns) also work in knight endings. Imagine the knights gone and ask what the winning plan is--80% o...http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-seven-rules-of-knight-endingsSun, 09 Sep 2007 15:32:56 -0700http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-seven-rules-of-knight-endingsA recent knight vs knight endgame between two super-GMs. According to Botvinnik's Rule, a draw is likely; but this position certainly has some play.    [Note: Add 23 to the diagram's move numbers--chess.com misnumbered them.] &n...http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/nikolic-vaganian-2006Sat, 08 Sep 2007 19:10:21 -0700http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/nikolic-vaganian-2006Positions we cannot grasp are exactly those we must strive to understand. I assembled the top 25 such endgames and will highlight the errors.1. Alekhine-Tartakower, Hamburg 1910 1-02. Czerniak-Villegas, Mar De Plata 1943 1-0In his better days Beni...http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-rook-pawns--bishop-pawn-endgameSat, 08 Sep 2007 00:37:39 -0700http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-rook-pawns--bishop-pawn-endgameWhile studying possible variations of the game Burmakin-Schmittdiel, Oberwart 2002 I happened across the following pawn endgame:Black to move. How could he have drawn this position?Attempts:Takchess took a stab at it. 1..Kf7 2.h5 h6 3.Ke5 Ke7 4.f5...http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-a-tricky-pawn-endgameFri, 07 Sep 2007 23:13:17 -0700http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-a-tricky-pawn-endgameVitaly Chekhover was a master on knight endings. He once wrote an entire book on the subject with the help of Yuri Averbakh.Black to move. In this composition, immediately pushing the f- or h-pawns obviously leads to failure. What's less obvio...http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-chekhover-1938Thu, 06 Sep 2007 11:46:24 -0700http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-chekhover-1938Wednesday, September 05, 2007 Knight vs Pawn If the knight is able to occupy or threaten any square in the pawn's path, except a corner squ...http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-knight-vs-pawnWed, 05 Sep 2007 14:36:03 -0700http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/the-endgame-tactician-knight-vs-pawnKing vs King & Pawn is a simple ending, so why am I covering it? Some fellow bloggers are just learning it. Also, some players rely completely on maxims such as:"In K vs. K+P endings move the defending King straight back and straight in f...http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/king--pawn-vs-kingTue, 04 Sep 2007 15:43:10 -0700http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/king--pawn-vs-king"The Curse of the Rook Pawn" Every Wednesday, visit my column to learn a new endgame. Some consider possessing a rook pawn a curse, because despite the extra material, the stronger side often must settle for a draw.   Cent...http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/final-moves-2Wed, 13 Jun 2007 02:51:15 -0700http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/final-moves-2"The Square of the Passed Pawn" Every Wednesday, visit my column to learn a new endgame. See what happens to players who don't know the secret I'm about to share with you? Suppose you have a passed pawn that you want to promote...http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/final-moves-1---the-square-ofTue, 05 Jun 2007 23:07:14 -0700http://blog.chess.com/likesforests/final-moves-1---the-square-of