P&B Chess League - Season 8 coming soon….

[DeeTillEhDeh]

Desperate scramble to put 50p in the meter and hangs on for a surprise away win! Quite a contest, proper tough as expected - the whole e-h side got clogged up so I took a punt on sacrificing the queens to make headway in the other corner, nipped in a piece in front and locked it out back in the pawn field. Nearly asked for a draw at one point just before the piece advantage. Perfect time to play a blinder (bit of reading up on the Sicilian and general play as black has helped I think) and not drop an obligatory clanger or lapse of patience, almost every move had me biting nails. GG, min.

That's 2 very good games you've been in between this and ours.

Well played as GordonEF is a decent player.

[Boostin' Kev]

What's the best defence against white starting a game with e4, Bc4 so they  can check on the 3rd turn or bring out the queen to support the bishop's attack on the king?  I've seen this twice in 2 games tonight.

[DiegoDiego]

What's the best defence against white starting a game with e4, Bc4 so they  can check on the 3rd turn or bring out the queen to support the bishop's attack on the king?  I've seen this twice in 2 games tonight.

You could play e6, the French Defence which actually gives black a slight advantage if white replies Bc4 by following up with d5, forcing the bishop back.

You could also play e5 then Nf6, preventing the queen from moving to g4 or h5.

[Wee-Bey]

10 minutes ago, Boostin' Kev said:

What's the best defence against white starting a game with e4, Bc4 so they  can check on the 3rd turn or bring out the queen to support the bishop's attack on the king?  I've seen this twice in 2 games tonight.

e6 g6 and fianchetto your bishop, bring the knight out and castle.

[Wee-Bey]

Or like Diego said, learn a couple of lines in the French Defence.

[Boostin' Kev]

Cheers, e6 was the move I was trying to think of, Chess.com covered it in a lesson but can't remember which one. 

Edited February 24, 2021 by Boostin' Kev

[DeeTillEhDeh]

What's the best defence against white starting a game with e4, Bc4 so they  can check on the 3rd turn or bring out the queen to support the bishop's attack on the king?  I've seen this twice in 2 games tonight.

Develop a knight. Either knight is fine, allowing various transpositions.

Personally I'd go Nf6.

[Boostin' Kev]

Developing the knight on the lhs after bc4 was the recommended move in one of the analysis'. 

Edited February 24, 2021 by Boostin' Kev

[DeeTillEhDeh]

Developing the knight on the lhs after bc4 was the recommended move in one of the analysis'. 

It's the recommended move on most chess engines.

chess.com has a good list of chess principles - and development of pieces, especially knights, is high up the list.

Principles of Chess

01.  Develop your pieces quickly.
02.  Control the center.
03.  Try to put your pieces on squares that give them maximum space.
04.  Try to develop your knights towards the center.
05.  A knight on the rim is dim.
06.  Don't take unnecessary chances.
07.  Play aggressive.
08.  Calculate forced moves first.
09.  Always ask yourself, "Can he put me in check or win a piece?"
10.  Have a plan.  Every move should have a purpose.
11.  Assume your opponent's move is his best move.
12.  Ask yourself, "why did he move there?" after each opponent move.
13.  Play for the initiative and contolling the board.
14.  If you must lose a piece, get something for it if you can.
15.  When behind, exchange pawns.  When ahead, exchange pieces.
16.  If you are losing, don't give up fighting.  Look for counterplay.
17.  Don't play unsound moves unless you are losing badly.
18.  Don't sacrifice a piece without good reason.
19.  If you are in doubt of an opponent's sacrifice, accept it.
20.  Attack with more that just one or two pieces.
21.  Do not make careless pawn moves.  They cannot move back.
22.  Do not block in your bishops.
23.  Bishops of opposite colors have the greatest chance of drawing.
24.  Try not to move the same piece twice or more times in a row.
25.  Exchange pieces if it helps your development.
26.  Don't bring your queen out early.
27.  Castle soon to protect your king and develop your rook.
28.  Develop rooks to open files.
29.  Put rooks behind passed pawns.
30.  Study rook endgames.  They are the most common and most complicated.
31.  Don't let your king get caught in the center.
32.  Don't castle if it brings your king into greater danger from attack.
33.  After castling, keep a good pawn formation around your king.
34.  If you only have one bishop, put your pawns on its opposite color.
35.  Trade pawns pieces when ahead in material or when under attack.
36.  If cramped, free your game by exchanging material.
37.  If your opponent is cramped, don't let him get any freeing exchanges.
38.  Study openings you are comfortable with.
39.  Play over entire games, not just the opening.
40.  Blitz chess is helpful in recognizing chess patterns.  Play often.
41.  Study annotated games and try to guess each move.
42.  Stick with just a few openings with White, and a few openings with Black.
43.  Record your games and go over them, especially the games you lost.
44.  Show your games to higher rated opponents and get feedback from them.
45.  Use chess computers and databases to help you study and play more.
46.  Everyone blunders.  The champions just blunder less often.
47.  When it is not your move, look for tactics and combinations.
48.  Try to double rooks or double rook and queen on open files.
49.  Always ask yourself, "Does my next move overlook something simple?"
50.  Don't make your own plans without the exclusion of the opponent's threats.
51.  Watch out for captures by retreat of an opponent's piece.
52.  Do not focus on one sector of the board.  View thw whole board.
53.  Write down your move first before making that move if it helps.
54.  Try to solve chess puzzles with diagrams from books and magazines.
55.  It is less likely that an opponent is prepared for off-beat openings.
56.  Recognize transposition of moves from main-line play.
57.  Watch your time and avoid time trouble. 
58.  Bishops are worth more than knights except when they are pinned in.
59.  A knight works better with a bishop than another knight.
60.  It is usually a good idea to trade down into a pawn up endgame.
61.  Have confidence in your game.
62.  Play in as many rated events as you can.
63.  Try not to look at your opponent's rating until after the game.
64.  Always play for a win.

[Boostin' Kev]

I take it I shouldn't be playing e5 if white begins e4 because I can't play e6 if they play bc4 second move? 

[DiegoDiego]

I take it I shouldn't be playing e5 if white begins e4 because I can't play e6 if they play bc4 second move? 

e5 is the most common response to e4. If white continues with Bc4 then you've still got plenty of plausible responses: Nf6, Nc6, Bc5, d6, c6...

[DeeTillEhDeh]

I take it I shouldn't be playing e5 if white begins e4 because I can't play e6 if they play bc4 second move? 

One line

1 e4 e5
2 Bc4 Nf6
3 Nc3 Nc6
4 Nf3 Nxe4 is the surprise move
5 Nxe4 d5
6 Bd3 dxe4
7 Nxe4 Qf6
8 O-O Bc5
9 Bxc6 bxc6

Although you have doubled pawns on the c-file, you have 2 very well placed bishops vs knight and bishop on an more open board plus a simple sideways rook move to control the semi-open b-file

Lots of possibilities with that double knight response.

[Leicesterlichtie]

PurpleKangaroo89 beats AH13STU in a hard fought match with tough tackling in the midfield and both sides counter attacking towards the end of the game with the home side coming away with the 3 points.

Well played sir.

[Ziggy]

19 minutes ago, Leicesterlichtie said:

PurpleKangaroo89 beats AH13STU in a hard fought match with tough tackling in the midfield and both sides counter attacking towards the end of the game with the home side coming away with the 3 points.

Well played sir.

It was a good game,

[Gordon EF]

League B round 8

GordonEF beats flamingalah01

An entertaining, open game. @Eednud took the initiative with early bishop attacks. The computer says I didn't defend them optimally but I managed to get the pressure off long enough to launch a counter attack, busting open his centre. That gave my d pawn a clear path to march up the board to promotion. With two Queens on the board, it was only a matter of time before the exposed king was mated.

[Eednud]

League B round 7 flamingalah01 lost Not The Pars won

[NotThePars]

League B round 7 flamingalah01 lost Not The Pars won

Couldn’t tell you how my pawn ended up here or how neither of us didn’t spot it before. Felt like the wee man was Frodo and that bishop was Aragorn charging the gates of Mordor

[Gordon EF]

56 minutes ago, NotThePars said:

 

Couldn’t tell you how my pawn ended up here or how neither of us didn’t spot it before. Felt like the wee man was Frodo and that bishop was Aragorn charging the gates of Mordor

 

That Queen capture was brilliant. I know what you mean, I knew the scenario was coming, watched through the moves and even then still ended up thinking "lol, how the f**k did this happen".

Edited February 25, 2021 by Gordon EF

[Frank Grimes]

I’m not sure if everyone has been posting their results but just having a scan on folk’s accounts I think that’s all Div B & C results complete for the week 

Still a fair few in Division A to go though...

Just one cup game to go as well I think 

[johnnydun]

Division C

Round 8

Eindhovendee beats Johnnydun418

Well played @eindhovendee.

Nearly had you with one move and then you took my bishop! You pressed well and defended brilliantly.