01/01/08
Welcome to the American Chess Coaching pages
for 2008. Its incredible how fast 2007 went by, like it was yesterday. Anyways,
its a new year, one in which I look forward to traveling through with I hope as
much success if not more as I had in the past and I wish the same for you.
Meanwhile, take a stroll through these pages as I try and bring you interesting
articles, lessons and facts about chess. While you're here, sign my guest book
and drop me a line when you can.
Leopold Lacrimosa
Tuesday 082608: Had a very interesting first class at my Esparanza
school today. I had taught there for 4 yrs before turning it over to another
coach for the last 3 yrs as I went to another school. Well I'm back and I had 29
kids there in the club (a nice manageable number), but the most interesting
thing was there were about 4 or 5 younger siblings of kids I had taught when I
was was the coach prior to today.
I came across an interesting copy of a pamphlet entitled 100 Shortcuts to
Chess Victory compiled by George Koltanowski for Church's Fried
Chicken National Chess Program. There's no date on it, but I'm sure its from the
early 70's. If anyone has some information, I'd be grateful.
082508 Here's a humorous chess video I came across on you tube:
Most of my classes are starting up this week with the remaining three to start
next week. I taught at Pinnacle Peak this morning. They were my winningest team
last semester and are already chomping at the bit to get to play in tournaments
this semester.
082108 I came across this nice game when looking over material to teach one of
my private lesson students:
Carlos L. Cruz - A. Delgado
Cuba 1992
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 The Nimzoindian Defense. I really hate the
Nimzoindian as White. I always found it to be difficult to play against and have
amassed a horrible record against this opening. That's why I recommend it to my
students to play as Black. You don't have to do a lot of memorization, just
learn a few key points and ideas to this opening and voila'...you have an
opening that terrorizes White players below expert level. 4.Qc2 0-0 5.a3
Putting the question to the bishop. I think White could do better by developing
his other pieces instead of the pawn move. 5...Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 b6 7.Nf3 Ne4
Black has a nice centrally placed knight outpost.
072808 Bad Chess Joke: A group of chess
enthusiasts checked into a hotel and were standing in the lobby discussing their
recent tournament victories. After about an hour, the manager came out of the
office and asked them to disperse.
'But why?' they asked as they moved off.
'Because,' he said, 'I can't stand chess-nuts boasting in an open foyer.'
072108 I've gotten a lot of nice positive responses to the
study I put up on my website. Thank you.
Started my SuperGroup training on Saturday from 9-11am. The kids had a lot of
fun and are looking forward to next weeks games. There are still several seats
open if you want to jump in with a half point bye for the first round.
Here's a cool picture one of my chess dads took:
You can see more pictures of kids at the tournaments on his website here:
Added to my chess book collection "Ideas Behind Modern Chess Openings: Black"
by Gary Lane. What I like about this book is that half of the book is
devoted to the Chigorin Defense: 1.d4 d5 2.c4 Nc6 which I employ as a defense
when playing Black.
071608 Here's a really cool study I came across yesterday:
Summer SuperGroup starts this Saturday 9-11am July 19-Aug 23. There's still room
for students who want to get a jump start on there Fall chess schedule.
Added How to Get More Out of Chess by
Fred Reindfeld to my growing collection of his books. If you happen to have
any of the titles on my list that I do not have, please contact me if you are
interested in giving them up.
071308 How old is your brain?
This is a great little test for chess players.
Give it a try by:
Procedure of
Flash Fabrica Game:
1. Touch 'start'
2. Wait for 3, 2,
1.
3. Memorize
the number's position on the screen, then click the circle from the smallest
number to the biggest number.
4. At the end of
game, the computer will tell you the age of your brain.
071008 Fixed the links to the other cool chess blogs on the right so that you go to their updated page when you click on them.
070708 time Dortmund winner, Vladimir Kramnik
has stumbled. Losing his last round to Vassily Ivanchuk he allowed Peter Leko to
finish in first place while he finished 7th. games and report can be found on
the Chessbase website
here.
Meanwhile the amateur player GM Alexander Morozevich (he says, he's no longer a
professional chess player) has become the second strongest chess player in the
world on the FIDE list with a rating of 2788, ten points behind World Champion
Vishy Anand.
"Chess is not my calling, but only a temporary occupation, one of the methods
to develop my intellect," -A.Morozevich
070408 Happy Independence Day America! Here's a nice
little problem for you to solve from my data base of
300 Positions:
063008 I've been fooling around with blogging on
another site and have enjoyed it, but in doing so I haven't maintained this site
at all. I used to have a blog on this site, but didn't enjoy it as much as the
newer one. After some thought I have decided to return the chess blog to this
site and instead of having it on a separate page, I have decided to post my blog
right here in the center. It it one of the many changes I have coming to help
improve this website. I hope you and enjoy it and I'd love to hear back from you
as I continue to make improvements. Meanwhile, here are two nice wins I've
recently have had in the Nimzowitsch Defense. I'm Black in both games.
Coach Leopold
danbunting (1658) - KingLeopold (1763)
Online Chess Chess.com (1), 29.06.2008
1.e4 Nc6 {The Nimzowitsch Defense}
2.Nf3 f5 {The Colorado variation}
3.exf5 d5 4.d4 Bxf5 {At the end of 4 moves I have two
pieces developed to White's one. In this position, White has lost a tempo}
5.Bf4 e6 6.c3! Nf6 7.Bb5 Bd6 8.Ne5?! {What about
development?}
8...0–0 9.Bxc6 bxc6 10.Nxc6?! {White rather go
snipping rather then develop pieces. For the cost of a pawn, my pieces will
develop an attack against the uncastled White king. See Capablanca vs Marshall,
New York 1918, Ruy Lopez Marshall Attack for the importance of development over
attack.}
10...Qe8 11.Bxd6 cxd6 12.Nb4 Qg6 13.g3 Bh3 {Black
halts any castling ideas by White}
14.Nd2 Ne4 15.Nxe4? {15.f3 had to be played here}
15...Qxe4+ 16.Kd2 Rxf2+ 0–1
baibars (1906) - KingLeopold (1763)
Online Chess Chess.com (1), 04.06.2008
1. e4 Nc6
{The Nimzowitsch Defense}
2. d4 d5 3. e5
{Black has succeeded in luring White's pawn forward over extending his
established line}
3... f6
{Black attacks the weaken e-pawn}
4. Bd3
{Played to prevent 4...Bf5 and to set a trap}
4.g6
(4... Nxd4? 5. Qh5+ g6 6.Bxg6+ hxg6 7. Qxh8)
5. f4 ?!
{Allows Black to snatch a pawn} 5.Nxd4 6. Bxg6+
?! {White gets his pawn back at the expense of trading his bishop for the
knight}
6.hxg6 7. Qxd4 Bf5!= {Black has achieved
equality}
041708 I've been writing a series on the BDG for
chess.com and have added parts 3 & 4 last night and today. You can read all four
parts starting with the first one
here.
041508 A First, Second, Third and Fourth place
finishes by my teams at the Typhoon Chess tournament last Saturday by my
students as they all get ready to head for the Governor's Cup State
Championship. See their results
here.
032308 Today I have duel cause to celebrate. Not only
is it my 7th wedding anniversary, but I have honor of releasing my coach, GM
Rashid Ziatdinov's new e-book; Concentration in Chess.
It is the companion volume to his 1999 book GM-Ram. If you have any ambitions of
becoming a chess master, then this e-book is for you.
Order it today!
032308 "Concentration in Chess", the NEW
e-book by GM Rashid Ziatdinov goes on sale tomorrow, Monday 24 March 08 at
12 noon GMT
030808 Finally, I gotten some time to work on my
web site. I've annotated a nice game between Janowski-Alapin in the QGD. You can find this on my
Annotated games page. Also on the same
page you can find a new addition to How to Annotate your games by
Vladimir Zak, a top Soviet Union chess trainer.
For those of you that haven't noticed, I've also changed my blog page. Check it
out here.
I've also added Paul Motwani's annotations to How to play the Chigorin Defense
to the QGD on Chess Lessons page.
012008 The American Chess Coaching Company wants to create an award for the best
game played by an American player for the year 2008, to be given out at the end
of next January. I will present a plaque and some kind of cash prize I hope if I
can find a sponsor or two. If anyone is interested in sponsoring or donating to
the award, please contact me. Also, I'm interested in a name for the award, so
please send in your ideas!
011908 He may not have been the greatest person in history of
the world, but he was certainly the greatest chess player of his time. I'm
talking about Robert James "Bobby" Fischer (1943-2008). He did what no chess
player has ever done before or since...become World Champion and then walk away
from chess while he was king. Here is my small tribute to him including a
downloadable zip file of over 800 of his games.
Bobby
011608 Set up a new tactical page which I will try and up date often. Let me
know what you think by either e-mail or by signing my guest book.
010708 Do you have trouble learning chess openings? Do you
find the work tedious and boring? What if I told you I can teach you to learn a
chess opening as easy as a fifth grader? Well its true and I can. I have written
Coach Leopold's
Easy Guide to Learning a Chess Opening for you to use in becoming
a grandmaster of the openings. Yes, that's right friends, for a whopping $3. You
too can learn to master the openings. And wait, there's more! Included in the
guide is my 5 step method to annotating your games. So
order now and begin your journey to
becoming the master of your openings.
Position
after 7...Ne4
Position
after 14.Rad1
KingLeopold