Hobart International Junior Chess Club

                                                NEWSLETTER                                            

 

Issue 1                                                                                               22nd February 2010

 

Hi Everyone

 

Welcome to what I hope will be another great year for our Chess Club in 2010.  The Chess Club resumes on: Monday, the 15th of February, 2010.

 And runs on Monday nights from 5pm – 6:30 pm during school terms.

Migrant resource centre
49 Molle Street
West Hobart 700

Cost: $25.00 per school term, which includes coaching and discount entry to the Southern Tasmanian Chess Championship.
For insurance reasons, membership to the adult club is required ($20 per year).

Children of all ages and abilities are welcome to attend.
Formal coaching covering openings, middlegames, endgames, traps, tactics and problem solving activities will be provided as well as the opportunity to play social and tournament games. Special activities are occasionally run such as lightning chess nights, guest speakers, simultaneous demonstrations and chess camps.

Enquiries:

Mellissa Harvey 62 231 991

Coaches:

Nigel Frame (Previous State Champion & State Lightning Champion)
Tom Krasnicki   0406 504 544
Tony Sturges

Don Robertson

 

 

 

 

 

Other Resources

http://chesstempo.com/    An excellent site dedicated to helping chess players improve their game through practicing their tactical skills.

http://www.chesskids.com/lessons04.shtml  Chess lessons for the beginner through to the intermediate club level player.

http://www.exeterchessclub.org.uk/ Chess lessons, with many annotated games for beginners right through to advanced players.

http://www.chesstasmania.org.au/  The Tasmanian Chess Association Website with information about chess clubs and upcoming events.

 

 

Tasmanian Chess Championships 2010


VENUE: Princes Street Primary School,

Randall St, Sandy Bay

FORMAT: 7 round Swiss 90 mins + 15 secs/move

ROUNDS START: Saturday 6th March 10:30 am, 2:30 pm, 6:45 pm.
Sunday 7th March 9:30 am, 1:45 pm, 6:00 pm
Monday 8th March 9:00 am

ENTRY FEES: $55 waged, $50 conc, $30 U18, $25 U12, $5 discount if received by 24th Feb. Entries on day close 10:00 am (subject to room and equipment). If considering entering on day, please let us know.

PRIZES: 1st c. 40%, 2nd c. 20%, 3rd, U1700, U1400 c. 10% of prize pool, U18 prize $70, U12 prize $50 (subject to at least three entries per division). Prize pool is entry fees less running costs and levies.

ARBITERS: To be appointed.

ENQUIRIES: Kevin Bonham ph. 0421 428 775 email k_bonham@tassie.net.au

NOTES: FIDE Laws 2009 apply –mobile phones making any noise will incur automatic forfeit. Entrants agree to abide by all decisions of the organisers and arbiters. The organisers reserve the right to make any changes required.

TITLES: Titles of Tasmanian Champion, Tasmanian Senior Champion and Tasmanian Womens Champion will be awarded (last two subject to at least two entries). Only players meeting TCA residency rules can win titles.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ENTRY FORM

Name:
Address:
Phone: Email (optional):
DOB if under 18:
Tick here if you would like your entry acknowledged by email: ____

Please detach this form and post it with payment to Kevin Bonham, 410 Macquarie Street, South Hobart, Tas 7004. Cheques and money orders to be made payable to HOBART INTERNATIONAL CHESS CLUB.

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            -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

 

 

Hobart International Junior Chess Club Lightning Tournament

 

Last Monday (15/02/2010) we held the Hobart International Junior Chess Club Lightning Tournament with juniors and coaches taking part. It was an enjoyable if somewhat frantic affair. After the dust had settled the winner in the Under12 division was Harry Briant on 6.5/9 with older brother Jamie taking out the U18 division on 6.5 out of 7. Congratulations boys, your prizes will be available shortly.

 

 

Name

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

Total

1

Bradley Vince

 

 

 

 

0

 

 

 

 

0

 

 

0

0

0

2

Shuqi Yu

 

 

1

 

 

0

 

 

 

 

0

0

 

1

2

3

Anurag Gillkum

1

0

 

 

1

0

0

 

 

0

0

0

 

1

3

4

Bill Chen

 

 

 

 

 

 1/2

 

 

 

1

0

 

1

1

3.5

5

Seb Krasnicki

1

 

0

 

 

0

 

 

 

0

0

0

 

 

1

6

Harry Briant

 

1

1

 1/2

1

 

 

1

1

0

 

0

 

1

6.5

7

Thomas Hindle

 

 

1

 

 

 

 

0

1

0

0

 

0

 

2

8

Nick Hunn

 

 

 

 

 

0

1

 

 

0

0

0

 

 

1

9

Dale Short

 

 

 

 

 

0

0

 

 

 

0

0

 

 

0

10

Tom Krasnicki

1

 

1

0

1

1

1

1

 

 

0

 

 

 

6

11

Nigel Frame

 

1

1

1

1

 

1

1

1

1

 

 1/2

1

 

9.5

12

Jamie Briant

 

1

1

 

1

1

 

1

1

 

 1/2

 

 

 

6.5

13

Don Robertson

1

 

 

0

 

 

1

 

 

 

0

 

 

0

2

14

Yuvini Perera

1

0

0

0

 

0

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

 

2

 

Just a reminder that the Hobart International Chess Club Lightning Tournament will take place next Monday (22/02/2010) starting from 8:00pm. Juniors are welcome to play.

 

Right onto this week’s lesson which is…

 

 

 

King and two pawns vs. Lone King

 

The first situation we are going to have a look at is a King and two doubled pawns vs. a lone King. This is always a win for the stronger side unless the pawns cannot be properly defended or unless they are rook pawns. The defender’s only hope lies in winning one of the two pawns or tricking the opponent into some lucky stalemate. So when you have this two pawn advantage, be very careful to avoid stalemate by making sure the enemy King always has a legal move.

 

 

Black to move draws immediately by

1….                 Kg5

after which the g4 pawn is lost. The resulting King and pawn vs. lone king is a drawn position.

White to move is a different story….

1.      Kf4           Kf6

2.      g5+           Kg6

3.      Kg4
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

White does his best to play this endgame as if it were a King and one pawn vs. lone King situation. His extra pawn will come into effect later when a key tempo move is required.

3…..                Kg7

4. Kf5              Kf7

5. g6+              Kg7

6. Kg5              Kg8
 

7. Kf6              Kf8

Black, by following the drawing formula, has done the best he could’ if white didn’t have that extra g pawn then the game would be drawn after 8. g7+  Kg8   9. Kg6. However white does have that extra pawn and this makes all the difference.

           

 

Here's something else you can do with a PIN!

Here, the White Bishop is PINNING the Black Knight to the King. White can use a Pawn to THREATEN the PINNED Knight. Because of the PIN the Knight can't run away, so White will win it next move.
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8. g7+              Kg8

9. g4

This move, in effect says. “Excuse me but could you kindly move your King away from in front of my pawn?

9. …                Kh7

10. Kf7 and wins

 

OK that seemed simple enough, but why didn’t white push both of his g pawns down the board at the same time?
 

The answer is that doing so would increase black’s chances for a stalemate.

In our previous example, white only touched his extra g pawn at the end. However, he could have pushed both, which might have led to this position.

 

White still wins – but he has to be careful!!
 

1.     g7+                  Kg8

2.     g5                    Kh7 (diagram)

3.     Kf7?? Stalemate

 

Note how the advanced g5 pawn restricts the movement of the enemy King and thus turns into a traitor! Instead white could win by

3.     g8=Q+             Kxg8

4.     Kg6 (opposition)          Kh8

5.     Kf7                              Kh7

6.     g6+ and wins.

 

Sacrificing a pawn to get into a winning K and Pawn vs. lone King position is a pretty common theme – remember it!
 



OK, we’ve already seen that a King and two safe doubled (non rook) pawns win against a lone King. It’s logical to assume the two non-doubled pawns should be even more decisive.

 When you are two pawns up, the only way your opponent will survive is if you blunder into a stalemate, or if one of your pawns is lost. This “lost pawn scenario usually occurs when the stronger side’s King is far from the action leaving the poor pawns to fend for themselves. But as we will see sometimes the pawns can look after themselves.

In the diagram it’s black to move. The white King is far away from the action but he has nothing to worry about because two connected passed pawns always defend themselves against a lone King. The white King can approach at its leisure since 

1…Kxc6 leads to a quick promotion of the b pawn

 
 

So black plays

1.     …                    Kb8

2.     Ke6                  Kc7

3.     Ke7 (diagram)

 

Also good is 3. b8=Q  Kxb8 4. Kd7

 

3.     …                    Kb8

4.     Kd7, 1-0

 

 

 

 

 
 


The difficulty level goes way, way up if we make one of the pawns a rook pawn. Black to move plays

1.     …                    Kb7

2.     Kd5                  Ka8

3.     Kc5 and NOT Kc6?? (stalemate)

4.      

Many players also try 3. Kd6 a try but watch out for 3. …Kb7  4. Kd7  Ka8 5. Kc7?? (stalemate).
 
 

 

 

 


 

3.     …                                Kb7

4.     a8=Q+ (diagram)

 

This is the key move! By giving up the a pawn white does two things. He ends most stalemating tricks and he forces black to give white the opposition and a winning endgame.

4.     ….                               Kxa8

5.     Kc6 (opposition)          Kb8

6.     B7                                Ka7

7.     Kc7, 1-0

 

 

           

 

This time we have two disconnected pawns separated by one file. White’s king is nowhere in sight and it looks as if his pawns may be vulnerable. However it turns out that two disconnected pawns do a great job protecting themselves!

1.     …                    Kh5

2.     f5!                    Kh6

 

Suddenly it becomes clear that if 2. …Kxh4 white plays 3. f6 and the pawn promotes.

2.     …                    Kh6

3.     Kb2                  Kg7

 

Naturally 3. ..Kh5 4. Kc3 is easy for white since the h pawn is still immune from capture

 

 

 
 

4.     h5!

An important move. Bringing the King up to Kc3 loses the f pawn and allows a draw after 4. …Kf6 followed by 5. …Kxf5

4.     …                    Kf6 (diagram)

5.     h6!

More punishment for black. Now 5. …Kxf5 loses to 6. f7.

 

 

 
 

5.     …                    Kf7

6.     Kc3                  Kg8

7.     f6 (diagram)

Actually white could also win by 7. Kd4 Kh7     8. Ke5 Kxh6 9. Kf6. The advance of the f pawn, though is even stronger and forces a new Queen without the King’s help.

7.     …                    Kh7

8.     f7, 1-0

Rule. Two passed pawns on the 6th rank and separated by one file can force the creation of a new Queen even without help from their King
 

When pawns are two files apart, in certain situations they give the defender some drawing chances. In this position, with black to move, the result is a draw since one of the pawns will fall.

1.     …                    Kh5

2.     e5                    Kg6!

Giving up the h pawn doesn’t change the result: 2. Kg2 Kxh4  3. Kf3 Kg5  4. Ke3 Kf6  5. Kd4 Ke6 with a basic draw.

 
 

3.     Kg2

No better is 3. h5+ Kxh5 4. e6 Kg6  5. e7 Kf7,  ½ - ½

3.     …                    Kf5

4.     Kf3                  Kxe5 (diagram)

5.     Kg4                  Kf6

with a basic draw.
 

This is the same position as the previous one, except now the black King stands on f6 instead of g6. This is enough to turn the position into a win for white because now he will be left with a centre pawn instead of a rook pawn, and as a result, can create a winning King and pawn vs. King position.

1.     …                    Ke5

2.     h5                    Kf6

3.     Kg2                  Kg5

 
 

 

4.     Kf3                  Kxh5 (diagram)

5.     Kf4                  Kg6

 
 

Pawns that are three or more files apart (on any rank are too much for the defending King to handle.

In this example, black to move loses

1.     …                    Kd5

2.     h5                    Ke6

Of course,  2. … Kxd4  3. h6  loses

3.     d5+                  Kf6

Again, 3. … Kxd5  3. h6  loses
 

 

6.     Ke5                  Kf7

7.     Kd6 (diagram) 1-0

Rule. King and two pawns on the 5th rank two files apart vs. lone King is an easy win for the pawns  unless the defending King can immediately capture 1 of them.
 

 

4. d6                    Ke6

5. h6,       1-0

Too easy!

Rule. If the pawns are three or more files apart (and not yet on the 5th rank), the defender loses unless he can immediately capture one of the pawns.
 
 

Mate Problems

White to Move: Mate in Two

 

 

1. _____________      _____________

 

2. _____________

 

 
 


Black to Move: Mate in Two

 

 

1.         . . . .                _____________

 

 

2. _____________       _____________
 

White to Move: Mate in Two

 

 

1. _____________      _____________

 

2. _____________

 

 
 
 

 


Black to Move: Mate in Two

 

 

1.         . . . .                _____________

 

 

2. _____________       _____________
 


Black to Move: Mate in Two

 

 

1.         . . . .                _____________

 

 

2. _____________       _____________
 

White to Move: Mate in Two

 

 

1. _____________      _____________

 

2. _____________