The Unofficial Chess Thread A place to discuss chess, theory and share resources...

[PeteyBOI]

I have created a template for building forum topics specifically related to different chess openings and how you can find out more about them and where to buy books or courses... Maybe someone else enjoys chess and get some use out of it... Share your own work, suggest some resources,  and discuss chess... for now i will update a few of these opening threads when i have time...

The Sicilian Resource Thread:

Spoiler

Welcome to the Sicilian Thread, a place where we can discuss the art of strategy, uncovering the tricks, tips, and tactical brilliance that define this opening. if you have any Resources that would you think deserve recognition i will pin it to this message..

Resources:

Chess.com opening explorer Sicilian Defense - Chess Openings - Chess.com

Lichess.org Opening explorer Opening • Sicilian Defense • lichess.org

• Simplify Chess provides a comprehensive guide on how to play, attack and counter the Sicilian Defense. It also explains the Najdorf Variation, Dragon Variation, Classical Variation and Scheveningen Variation¹.
• Chessable offers a course on the Sicilian Defense by GM Anish Giri and GM Alex Colovic’s Najdorf course².
• Chess Klub provides a complete learner’s guide to the Sicilian Defense, including White’s response³.
• Chessable also has an article that explains how to choose the right variation for you⁴.

There are many books available on the Sicilian Defense. Here are some of the most popular modern books on the Sicilian Defense:

• Mastering the Sicilian Defense by Danny Kopec¹.
• Experts vs. the Sicilian by Jacob Aagaard².
• The Sicilian Defense: A Complete Guide by Eric Schiller³.

The Ruy Lopez Resource Thread.

Spoiler

Welcome to the Ruy López Opening Thread, a place where we can discuss the art of strategy, uncovering the tricks, tips, and tactical brilliance that define this opening. if you have any Resources that would you think deserve recognition i will pin it to this message..

1. e4 e52. Nf3 Nc63. Bb5

Resources:

Chess.com Opening explorer Ruy López Opening - Chess Openings - Chess.com

Lichess.org Opening explorer Opening • Ruy Lopez • lichess.org

There are many resources available online to learn the Ruy Lopez. Here are some of the best resources I found:

• Chess Stack Exchange has a thread on good books to learn the Ruy Lopez with¹.
• Chess.com has a forum thread on learning the Ruy Lopez².
• Chess Article provides a list of the best books and courses about the Ruy Lopez opening³.

 

Here are some of the most popular modern books on the Ruy Lopez:

• The Ruy Lopez: Move by Move by Neil McDonald.
• The Ruy Lopez Revisited: Offbeat Weapons & Unexplored Resources by Ivan Sokolov.
• The Ruy Lopez: A Guide for Black by Mihail Marin.

From 1858, when Morphy played 3 ... a6 against Adolf Anderssen, until a hundred years later when Bobby Fischer was playing it, black players were asking, "Why are you attacking this knight?"

Indeed, there is no threat to win a pawn, since 1. Bxc6 dxc6 2. Nxe5 Qg5 {wins back the g pawn on an open board where black has
two Bs and will quickly castle Queen side.}

 

Lasker answered, "Your c pawns are doubled, and that gives me an extra pawn for the endgame. 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Bxc6 dxc6 5. d4 Then Lasker sat back and lit
his cigar as if to say, "We're going to be here a while." Later, in 1970, Bobby Fischer was to "refine" white's play with 5 0-0} 

 

Edited September 18, 2023 by Dankmemes187

[MeanSeanBean]

I have no idea about chess strategy, haven't been in a chess club since I was about 10. I've probably played about 30 games since I was a kid, and have won every game. Including a game against a couple co-workers that play chess regularly.

My ADHD seems to come with a little bit of synesthesia, which can be kinda fun. I have no idea why, but my synesthesia goes into overdrive when playing chess. Each piece has a different color associated with it, which seems to differ each time I play. But I can see every move the Rook could make, on either side, in say the color blue. Then the lines of blue seem to become faded move further down the line. But without even knowing any chess strategy, I can just read the colors on the grid and tell if something is going to be a good move or not, even a move or 2 down road.

 

Doesn't work with computer chess though. I think it's something about the tactile nature of a chess board or the pieces themselves. I only play a couple games a year, more then anything to demonstrate how I'm seeing the game or prove that I'm weirdly good at chess.

The worst part is I have zero desire to play chess, at all, even though I'm weirdly good at it. It feels like I'm cheating and people who enjoy chess tend to seem annoyed when they play me that I make moves so quick or don't pay enough attention to the moves I make. 

 

 

[PeteyBOI]

2 hours ago, MeanSeanBean said:

I have no idea about chess strategy, haven't been in a chess club since I was about 10. I've probably played about 30 games since I was a kid, and have won every game. Including a game against a couple co-workers that play chess regularly.

My ADHD seems to come with a little bit of synesthesia, which can be kinda fun. I have no idea why, but my synesthesia goes into overdrive when playing chess. Each piece has a different color associated with it, which seems to differ each time I play. But I can see every move the Rook could make, on either side, in say the color blue. Then the lines of blue seem to become faded move further down the line. But without even knowing any chess strategy, I can just read the colors on the grid and tell if something is going to be a good move or not, even a move or 2 down road.

 

Doesn't work with computer chess though. I think it's something about the tactile nature of a chess board or the pieces themselves. I only play a couple games a year, more then anything to demonstrate how I'm seeing the game or prove that I'm weirdly good at chess.

The worst part is I have zero desire to play chess, at all, even though I'm weirdly good at it. It feels like I'm cheating and people who enjoy chess tend to seem annoyed when they play me that I make moves so quick or don't pay enough attention to the moves I make. 

 

 

That is very interesting, seems you got gifted with a natural cheat code, but i dont really thinks its cheating.. if you ever do get the urge to learn more about the game we are always looking for new club members on C.C im sure the people would love to hear the story about your gift... we are about to start a big project testing out a mentor mentee program where our more experienced club members help guide them on their chess journey... and a teamwork program where we teach all our young members how to communicate effectively in the fashion of how companies segregate their employees into groups and let them thrive in their expertise... 

[Salacious Crumb]

I was going to start another “Tell a story one word at a time” thread but this place is still shiny and new…

 

So…chess. I haven’t really played in around 30 years and have been wanting to play again. Anyone game?

[6of1_halfdozenofother]

I hear @Gurn is a bit of a chess nut.  

 

I have to admit, I haven't played chess in as long or longer.  I'm not even sure if I can figure out strategy any more...

[-AJ-]

I try playing from time to time, but then I realize I'm like 400 elo, get depressed, and quit...then I get the itch again...etc etc

[MeanSeanBean]

It's hard to explain, but I'm incredibly good at chess due to a natural ability. Catch is, I don't like it and have no desire to play. Just for giggles, someone try to sell me on pursuing the gift I have and playing more frequently then just when someone tells me to prove I'm weirdly good at chess.

[Salacious Crumb]

1 hour ago, -AJ- said:

I try playing from time to time, but then I realize I'm like 400 elo, get depressed, and quit...then I get the itch again...etc etc

Do you play online or in person? 

[Gurn]

Hi 

@Ribs, @-dlc-, 

Might be an idea to merge this thread and the following

 

[Gurn]

On 9/18/2023 at 12:31 PM, MeanSeanBean said:

Doesn't work with computer chess though. I think it's something about the tactile nature of a chess board

It takes me a bit of time to get adjusted from the computer display to the actual, physical chess board.

A thing I keep in mind if I ever get off my arse and enter a tourney.

Powell River used to have a club, with once a week meetings.

Unfortunately the guy running it left town, suddenly, and took a bit of club material.

Now that the plague has ended, and I'm basically retired, I've contemplated getting a group together to play.

I've got more than a few of my games written down, including one from with International Master Jonathan Berry, peak rating 2271-a former colonist for the Globe and Mail, on chess happenings.

He came up to P.R. and put on a simultaneous display against members of our club.

He won all the games except for 1 draw.  13-0-1. ---- I was one of the losses. The draw was to a guy named Litto Castillo,  the best we had at the time

When he got to my spot on the table I'd rise up in my chair and look at his shoes, then make my move. Did this a couple of times and he asked "What's up with my shoes?"

I reply "I just wanted to see if you are one of those savants that can't do anything but play chess" He laughs and tells me he drove himself, in his very own car to the match.

[-AJ-]

30 minutes ago, Salacious Crumb said:

Do you play online or in person? 

I learned in person, but these days only online. I don't really play very often though and when I do, it's mostly bots. It would be accurate to say I'm a casual player.

[PeteyBOI]

so funny story, when i first started chess i noticed the FCDC had a chess club, i went to join and it said 1200 rated or higher... so thats was my determination to improve, I had no teachers or experience as a kid (maybe played 5 games before) I opened the opening explorer and found that the queens gambit and the sicilian were the most winning opening for whiute and black.. so i played those as a beginner rated 300 i memorized the first 5 moves and just played them against everything, worked ok with the white pieces but i got in a lot of trouble playing The Najdorv Dragon... I thought i was smart putting all my pawns on the same color, so basically what im saying is i lost alot and quickly... took me a couple years but i got to 1200 and i requested to join the club only to find out it was defunct

[PeteyBOI]

On 9/19/2023 at 12:21 PM, 6of1_halfdozenofother said:

I hear @Gurn is a bit of a chess nut.  

 

I have to admit, I haven't played chess in as long or longer.  I'm not even sure if I can figure out strategy any more...

its a youngs person game for sure... useless fact of the day there is a estimated 10^120 different chess games which is 1.5X more than the estimated atoms in the universe... 10^78 to 10^82 atoms¹². 

Learn more:

[Gurn]

The thing that held back my chess game, was me.

I hated the idea of 'following a book'. I did not want to memorize the first 6-10 moves of the Fischer versus Spassky match, nor any other.

I wanted to play, not recreate a previously completed game by other people.

So I lost, a lot.

Only in the last couple of years, have I begun to do a bit of studying on the 'proper' opening moves.

I like that educational material has progressed to telling us 'why' to make the moves, rather than- just do these moves.

online- people I follow are

Gotham Chess aka Levy Rozman- entertaining and a bit educational.

Eric " Oh no my Queen" Rosen has to be the nicest chess guy on you tube- I find him to be a bit more educational than Levy, and not quite so much into the 'entertaining' angle of getting clicks.

Danya( Daniel) Naroditsky- the guy is the sanest/closest to normal of any of those high level, grandmaster players.

The Botez sisters seem to spend too much time just screaming at each other, and Anna Cramling is just WAY TOO LOUD.

I will say that Danya and one of the sisters have a few good video collaborations, on how different level people do chess puzzles, which I like.

[-AJ-]

20 hours ago, Dankmemes187 said:

its a youngs person game for sure... useless fact of the day there is a estimated 10^120 different chess games which is 1.5X more than the estimated atoms in the universe... 10^78 to 10^82 atoms¹². 

Learn more:

 

10^120 is a lot more than 1.5x 10^80. Regardless, point is made. Always amazes me when on like move 14, they're like "and this is a novelty".

[Canuckle]

Can chess, with hexagons?

 

 

[-AJ-]

23 hours ago, Gurn said:

The thing that held back my chess game, was me.

I hated the idea of 'following a book'. I did not want to memorize the first 6-10 moves of the Fischer versus Spassky match, nor any other.

I wanted to play, not recreate a previously completed game by other people.

So I lost, a lot.

Only in the last couple of years, have I begun to do a bit of studying on the 'proper' opening moves.

I like that educational material has progressed to telling us 'why' to make the moves, rather than- just do these moves.

online- people I follow are

Gotham Chess aka Levy Rozman- entertaining and a bit educational.

Eric " Oh no my Queen" Rosen has to be the nicest chess guy on you tube- I find him to be a bit more educational than Levy, and not quite so much into the 'entertaining' angle of getting clicks.

Danya( Daniel) Naroditsky- the guy is the sanest/closest to normal of any of those high level, grandmaster players.

The Botez sisters seem to spend too much time just screaming at each other, and Anna Cramling is just WAY TOO LOUD.

I will say that Danya and one of the sisters have a few good video collaborations, on how different level people do chess puzzles, which I like.

 

Funny enough, I got onto a Ben Finegold binge back in like 2018 before chess blew up but it didn't last. I got back into watching him when chess became popular. Now I watch some of Levy Rozman as well, but not too much else. Levy is a bit more of a showman than I need, but he keeps it educational, which I appreciate.

[Gurn]

2 minutes ago, -AJ- said:

 

Funny enough, I got onto a Ben Finegold binge back in like 2018 before chess blew up but it didn't last. I got back into watching him when chess became popular. Now I watch some of Levi Rozman as well, but not too much else. Levi is a bit more of a showman than I need, but he keeps it educational, which I appreciate.

I watch a bit of Ben.

I do really like that he will play anyone, any rating, and does weekly at a minimum.

I watched him destroy an opponent, who didn't resign when it was completely obvious he had lost. I mean OBVIOUS.

Ben kind of tilts his head, and chases the opposing king to Ben's side of the board, using various pieces to do so. While doing that he is also bringing his own piece back to their home squares.

He ends up winning, by checkmate, with all his 'capital' pieces on their home squares, and the opposing king is in mate.

 

Complete antihalation, and mastery.

Seems he's done it more than once- as this is a different vid than I originally saw.

 

[-AJ-]

2 minutes ago, Gurn said:

I watch a bit of Ben.

I do really like that he will play anyone, any rating, and does weekly at a minimum.

I watched him destroy an opponent, who didn't resign when it was completely obvious he had lost. I mean OBVIOUS.

Ben kind of tilts his head, and chases the opposing king to Ben's side of the board, using various pieces to do so. While doing that he is also bringing his own piece back to their home squares.

He ends up winning, by checkmate, with all his 'capital' pieces on their home squares, and the opposing king is in mate.

 

Complete antihalation, and mastery.

Seems he's done it more than once- as this is a different vid than I originally saw.

 

 

It's funny, Ben is such a goof sometimes that it's easy to forget that he was once a pretty decent GM. Every now and then, he reminds you of his mastery. I recall that when chess.com released the Mittens bot and a lot of players were struggling to beat it, Ben beat it with black and didn't even react.

[PeteyBOI]

2 hours ago, -AJ- said:

 

It's funny, Ben is such a goof sometimes that it's easy to forget that he was once a pretty decent GM. Every now and then, he reminds you of his mastery. I recall that when chess.com released the Mittens bot and a lot of players were struggling to beat it, Ben beat it with black and didn't even react.

fun chess fact of the day... Ben holds the record for being the oldest person to ever achieve grandmaster, Bens great! C4 is explosive!

[-AJ-]

Just now, Dankmemes187 said:

fun chess fact of the day... Ben holds the record for being the oldest person to ever achieve grandmaster, Bens great! C4 is explosive!

 

Not sure on the exact elo, but I think he was like 2560 when he acheived it or something. I wonder what the highest elo a player has ever achieved while not being a GM is (after FIDE started giving out titles, of course).

[PeteyBOI]

i dont know but levy might be up there... whenever i watch him live he's always telling everyone how trash he is and anyone could be a 2700... which is the most mega troll thing to say it trolls everyone that isn't a gm, some people believe him and the ones that know better he is calling us worse than trash... dud'es got issues which is likely why he's so hilarious...

[Spur1]

Glad to see this thread. I played in tournaments in the 70’s and had a rating of 1800. Played at club tournaments all around the East Kootenay for 3 years. 
Then computer games took over. 
I just play against the computer these days. 

[Jester13]

11 minutes ago, Spur1 said:

Glad to see this thread. I played in tournaments in the 70’s and had a rating of 1800. Played at club tournaments all around the East Kootenay for 3 years. 
Then computer games took over. 
I just play against the computer these days. 

Damn, son, 1800 is solid. The highest I ever got was 1200, but then I started seeing moves while trying to sleep and had to stop

[Spur1]

48 minutes ago, Jester13 said:

Damn, son, 1800 is solid. The highest I ever got was 1200, but then I started seeing moves while trying to sleep and had to stop

Lol…I used to see it like a football play in motion in my sleep. I suppose it didn’t help reading chess books to go to sleep. 

Edited September 22, 2023 by Spur1