I warn you: this post will be long.

Mark Dvoretsky (1947-2016)

Mark Dvoretsky. Photo: ChessBase

Muscovite Mark Dvoretsky was a very strong player, becoming an International Master in 1975. In this period he reached his peak as a player but soon became a trainer.

And what a trainer he was! He worked extensively with such players as Women’s World Championship Challenger Nana Alexandria, Valery Chekhov, Sergei Dolmatov, and Viktor Bologan, among many others.

His most prominent student was Artur Yusupov, who rose to World #3 in 1986. Dvoretsky and Yusupov would collaborate on many books for very strong (or at least very ambitious) players. These were borne out of training sessions with future stars, including Vladimir Kramnik and Peter Svidler.

NOT for Beginners!

Honestly, no other author scares me the way Mark Dvoretsky does. That’s a compliment, by the way: his books will make you work like no others that I’ve seen. A trademark of his books is very deep analysis of his own games or his students’ games. He will often discuss how well or poorly his students did in solving these training positions.

I’ve read reviews that complain about the inclusion of chapters from other trainers’, but I appreciate the different viewpoints. Dvoretsky frequently gets lost in a forest of analysis so dense you question how helpful it is to your chess development. The contributors tend to stick to one topic and cover it in very instructive fashion.

I consider my study session a success if I can get through one chapter of one of these books.

Batsford Series

These are the books that introduced the West to Mark Dvoretsky. They feature lectures at the his chess school, sometimes with chapters from other contributors like Igor Khenkin, Aleksei Kosikov, and Boris Zlotnik.

Secrets of Chess Training (1991), Secrets of Chess Tactics (1992)

I have not read these two books, unfortunately. Well, maybe I have…we’ll come back to that.

Training for the Tournament Player (1993)

Steve Colding of Chess for Children lent me this book in 1998. I remember taking notes and studying it very seriously. The problem, of course, was that I was only a 1400 player…

Opening Preparation (1994, with Artur Yusupov)

I absolutely love this book. It isn’t about opening theory, but typical maneuvers and operations in a variety of opening systems. This book forms the basis of how I play the Sicilian against the Grand Prix Attack, and helps orient me when I face King’s Indian Attack-style setups.

Technique for the Tournament Player (1995, with Artur Yusupov)

I think I got my hands on this one, but I’m not totally sure. I’ll discuss it below.

Positional Play (1996, with Artur Yusupov)

Devour this gem one bite (chapter) at a time. It discusses positional play in ways you wouldn’t expect having read other classics. The contributors each have something valuable to add — including chapters by top players Vladimir Kramnik and Evgeny Bareev!

Assiduous study of this book will vault you far ahead of other class players when it comes to positional understanding.

Attack and Defence (1998, with Artur Yusupov)

This one is quite good, but literally makes my head hurt! Dvoretsky keeps making you think he has revealed the answer to one of his analysis positions…only to go back and reveal a further nuance to consider. The lasting impact it has left on my play is don’t assume. The attack you think is irresistible…the defense you think is impenetrable…may not be so!

Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual (2003, 5th edition 2020)

This is perhaps the most popular of Dvoretsky’s books, as it is not aimed towards master-level players only. It contains a lot of explanatory material and diagrams, but personally I am not a big fan. Probably I would have a different opinion if I was taking my first steps in chess.

Dvoretsky’s Analytical Manual (2008)

I have never read this book, and don’t intend to. It’s famous for its dense analysis, and is geared towards budding International Masters and Grandmasters.

Edition Olms Books

Before talking about the books, let me just say that I have never regretted purchasing an Edition Olms book, or paying their high prices. They produce gorgeous paperbacks that you never want to ruin: high-quality paper, print, and binding.

Some of these books are reprints of the Batsford books that have long been out of print.

School of Chess Excellence 1: Endgame Analysis (2003)

I have not read this one.

School of Chess Excellence 2: Tactical Play (2003)

A good mental workout! It’s not a puzzle book, but a collection of positions are discussed which feature unexpected tactical solutions. I didn’t find this book as challenging as Dvoretsky’s other works, because of I’m used to solving paradoxical “Russian” tactics.

School of Chess Excellence 3: Strategic Play (2002)

This book is original, and not a reprint of the earlier Batsford series. It’s challenging, and stresses the importance of small nuances. It’s really helpful if you play King’s English (1.c4 e5) or Reversed Closed Sicilian (1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 Bg7 etc.) positions from either side.

School of Chess Excellence 4: Opening Developments (2003)

I have not read this one.

School of Future Chess Champions 1: Secrets of Chess Training (2006)

This one really helped me in my coaching endeavors. It stressed to me how individual chess improvement really is, and how much of a disservice coaches can do to their students if they take a cookie-cutter approach.

I very much enjoyed the anecdotes Dvoretsky provides about his experiences as a trainer, and the frame of mind a coach should approach helping a student from. I recommend it to coaches and to anyone directing their own self-improvement.

School of Future Chess Champions 2: Secrets of Opening Preparation (2007)

I have not read this one, but I think it’s a reprint of the 1994 Batsford book.

School of Future Chess Champions 3: Secrets of Endgame Technique (2007)

I believe this one is very similar to, if not a reprint of, Technique for the Tournament Player. Since I couldn’t get that one, I got this version.

The book doesn’t really teach endgame play per se. It discusses the player’s frame of mind when dealing with endgames, and gives some advice for improving your endgame play.

School of Future Chess Champions 4: Secrets of Positional Play (2009)

This is the same book as Positional Play.

School of Future Chess Champions 5: Secrets of Creative Thinking (2009)

This is the same book as Attack and Defense.

Others

I stopped buying Dvoretsky’s books because they require a commitment to study that I was no longer willing to give, but I might read his two autobiographical works at some point. His other titles include:

Maneuvering was the great coach’s last book, as he died in September 2016 at the age of 68. The wealth of training material he created will long outlive him.

What are your thoughts on Mark Dvoretsky’s legacy? Please share!

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Chess is a board game that people have liked for a long time. But it might be hard for people who are new to the game or haven’t played in a while. There are good chess tips and clear answers to nine questions that people ask a lot about the game. Let’s read below about “Free Download 9 Burning Chess Questions And Answers”.

1. Where can I find free chess resources to learn the basics?

You can learn to play chess for free on a lot of great sites. These are some ideas:

• Websites: Chess.com, Lichess.org, and other sites offer easy-to-understand lessons in the form of papers, videos, and fun games. These show you how to play chess and move your pieces.
• Mobile Apps: You can get the chess apps Play Magnus and ChessKid for your phone. They add games and tasks to make learning more fun, and you can even play against AI.
• Videos on YouTube with lessons: A lot of free YouTube channels teach people how to play chess. These are some words you can look for: “chess for beginners,” “chess piece movement,” or “basic chess strategy.”

2. What are the most important chess tactics to learn first?

It’s easy to get good at sticks, forks, and pins. Hit two pieces with a fork at the same time. Catch an enemy piece behind another piece with a pin. Hit two pieces in a row with a stick. These simple rules can be used for many games. They can help you if you know how to use them.

3. How can I improve my chess calculation skills?

Before you play chess, you should picture and think about what could happen. Here are some ideas:

• Practice Tactics Puzzles: This puzzle work will teach you how to quickly find battle lines and chances.
• Play Slow Chess Games: When you play chess, you should move slowly. When the timer is longer, you have more time to plan your moves and figure out what to do in each state.
• Take a look at your games: Think about a game when you’re done with it. Look for chances you didn’t take and think about what else you could have done.

4. What are some good opening principles for beginners?

Quickly get your pieces ready, take over the middle of the board, and then cast your king to protect it. These should be the first things you do. To begin, the Italian Game, the London System, or the Queen’s Gambit are the best choices. This will help you understand these rules.

5. How can I learn from stronger chess players?

To get better at chess, you can do a lot of things, like

• Play against better players: You’ll get better if you play against people with higher scores. These games will help you get better, even if you lose the first time.
• Take a look at these chess games and lessons: An awful lot of chess grandmasters talk and write about games on the internet. These will help you learn how to plan and get better at chess.
• Join a Chess Club: Get together with other chess players. You can learn how to play chess and play against other people in a club. Some people have played for a long time and can teach you.

6. What are some good chess books for beginners?

A lot of chess books are made for people who have never played before. Here are some ideas:

• Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess: Everyone knows that Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess is a book that teaches you how to play chess. Bobby Fischer also wrote it. It was written by the famous American chess player.
• You can read Irving Chernev’s book Logical Chess: Move by Move. It breaks down the rules and strategies of chess with the help of clear examples and marked-up games.
• The Amateur’s Mind: That’s what the book he wrote is called. It breaks down moves so that people who are new to the game can learn how to pick the right ones.

7. How much time does it take to become good at chess?

Chess can be learned in a number of different ways, each of which will take a different amount of time. It’s still very important to stay steady. Do not try to learn something right away. Do not worry about speedy growth; instead, make goals that you can reach.

8. Is chess good for the brain?

Several studies show that chess may help your brain work better, remember things, and figure out how to fix things. You have to guess what will happen, plan ahead, and act in the right way. In general, this might be good for their brain health.

9. Is it too late to learn chess as an adult?

No matter what age, anyone can learn to play chess and have fun with it. Most people are better at planning and thinking, which are very helpful in chess. You might remember moves better from when you were younger.

Read Also :Chess Tactics Boleslavsky Book 1948

Conclusion: Free Download 9 Burning Chess Questions And Answers

You can always get better at chess. Here is where you can begin to learn how to play chess. It’ll give you the tools you need and answer your first questions. Remember that having fun is the most important thing as you learn chess. Do your best and enjoy the win, no matter how big or small it is. I hope you like “Free Download 9 Burning Chess Questions And Answers”.

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Chess players often forget about the endgame, which is where they turn their hard-won advantages into wins. A lot of thought goes into the main game. However, in the endgame, you need to pay close attention to exact numbers, make smart moves, and know the basic rules inside and out. It talks about “Chess Endgame Technique 1,” which will teach you the key finishing moves you need to win in the last few moves.

Chess Endgame Technique 1: Mastering the Basics for Winning Finishes

What is Chess Endgame Technique?

Find out what you need to know and how to do it to win the last part of a chess game. In chess, this is called the endgame method. When you play a game with more pieces, you have to think about your moves more. There are more estimates to be made when there are fewer pieces. Things you need to know are

• How to Use the King: The king is usually right there at the start. But it’s a very important piece for fighting in the end game. You need to know how to engage your king in order for it to move.
• Opposition: When you want to stop your opponent from moving, you just move your king across from them. Thus, you remain in charge of key places.
• At the end of a game: the pawn is often the most important piece. If you want to make a threat, you should know about passed pawns, pawns that don’t have any enemy pawns in front of them, and pawn breaks.
• Rook endgames: In the final, rooks are the best piece. It is very important to know how to play weak squares and positioning with rooks to stop the enemy king from moving.
• Queen Endings: You can do more when you have a queen than when you have a rook. You should know what “fortress positions” mean and how to mate with the queen. In these spots, a king can hold a draw by himself.

Chess Endgame Technique 1: Learning Through Examples

The well-chosen endgames in “Chess Endgame Technique 1” are used in a planned way to show important ideas. Real-world learning is more important than just knowing different forms. Here’s a list of what to expect:

• Simple Checkmates: The king and queen are used to teach simple checkmates in the first part of the game. Users can now get the endgame tools they need to win even the easiest ones.
• What are the King and Pawn Endgames? This part goes into great depth about how to move pawns up the board, which is a very important skill. You can move your pawns forward with moves like pushback and the king’s march. The king moves slowly toward the enemy pawn with these moves.
• Pawns and Rook Endgames: This book talks about pawn and rook endgames, which happen a lot at the endgame level. To keep your opponent’s king from moving, you will learn how to pass pieces, draw three lines, and make good use of weak squares.
• How to Win with the Queen: This part explains what “fortress positions” are and how to win with the queen.

Benefits of Chess Endgame Technique 1:

• Strong Base: The book teaches you important rules for endings.
• Practical Approach: It stresses doing things to learn them, and at the end, it gives many case studies to show how the ideas can be used.
• Graded Difficulty: Endgames can get harder over time, but there are also endgames that are easy.
• With Pictures and Easy-to-Understand Text: The book’s final ideas are easy to understand thanks to its pictures and good text.

Beyond Chess Endgame Technique 1: Continuing Your Endgame Journey

While “Chess Endgame Technique 1” is a good start, you’ll need to learn more and put in more work to really get endgames. After reading this book, you can use these endgame tips:

• Practice Endgames Regularly: Ending should be something you do every day. Every day, do endgame problems along with your tactics problems. You can push yourself with ending lessons or online tools.
• Check out your games: Pay close attention to how your games end. Go over your final plan one last time to see if you missed any chances or found any weak spots.
• Take your time: If the timer is longer, you have more time to think about how the story ends and make very clear decisions.
• Get help or join a group that plays chess: Some people have more experience than you do, and they can help you understand the finish and answer any questions you may have.
• Read more about these Endgame topics: As you get better, learn stuff like rook endgames with a strong passed pawn, queen and pawn endgames, and theory endgames with certain piece mismatches.

Read More: Chess Tactics: Svidler — Vallejo-Pons, 2004

Conclusion:

This is a great book for the whole family to read if they want to get better at the finish. The book uses clear explanations, good examples, and useful uses to give players the confidence they need to handle the tricky finish with ease. Don’t forget that getting better at the finish is a process, not a goal. To get better at those tough numbers, you will need to study, do them, and do them again and again. I hope you like “Chess Endgame Technique 1”.

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Answer the Big Question First

I discussed the Smith-Morra Gambit and other Anti-Sicilians in passing in previous posts. When deciding to play the Siclian, however, the most important question is: which main system will I employ?

I’m talking about how to answer the Open Sicilian (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3):

As you probably know, there is a huge array of options. Traditionally, they are grouped by black’s reply from the diagram: does s/he play 2…Nc6, 2…d6, or 2…e6?

Instead I’ll consider popular variations based on my opinions about they rank on two scales:

Aggressive — Neutral — Solid

and

Tactical — Neutral — Positional.

Of course, white has a hand in which line is played also, so these won’t be 100% accurate, but I’ll characterize some popular lines.

If you want an excellent overview of the Sicilian mainlines and Anti-Sicilian setups, get Mastering the Sicilian Defense by the late Danny Kopec (1954-2016). Kopec always shined as an author when discussing structural play in the opening and middlegame.

Okay, here we go:

Aggressive and Tactical

High risk, high reward! Probably the most aggressive line in the entire Sicilian universe is the Dragon Variation (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6):

The “Dragon bishop” plans to breathe fire on the long a1-h8 diagonal. White’s most critical try, the Yugoslav Attack (6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 Nc6 8.Qd2 0-0): 

When the first player will castle into an attack on the queenside, while starting one of their own on the kingside.

Despite this, I have never considered the Dragon super-tactical, because many of the sacrifices are standard and repeat themselves over and over again. Still, compared to other options, I will place it in this bucket.

Aggressive and Neutral

Najdorf Variation (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6):

This may surprise some people, but I consider the Najdorf a blend of Tactical and Positional. Black doesn’t necessarily aim to attack the king, and often uses a “whole board” strategy. It is not as aggressive as the Dragon in a “kill the king” sense, but a positionally aggressive opening where black willingly takes on some risk. I learned how to play this opening from the first edition of The Sharpest Sicilian, one of the finest opening books I have ever read.

There are lines like the English Attack (6.Be3), but here white more or less forces black into a ferocious counterattack. Personally, 6.Bg5 annoys me the most: the late Ed Kopiecki shredded me with this a few years ago at the Marshall, in our only tournament encounter. RIP, Eddie.

Aggressive and Positional

Sveshnikov Variation (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Ndb5 d6):

Black seeks aggressive counterplay in this line, but the risks are more structural than anything else, with the potential outpost on d5. A knight ensconced here can be paralyzing. Still, neither side is too likely to get mated during a Sveshnikov battle, and the tactical play is relatively tame.

Neutral and Tactical

Taimanov Variation (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6):

This is a dynamic, combative system with a large array of possible setups for both sides. Not only do both players need to be well-prepared and alert, some of the tactical motifs are strange. There are more solid lines a player can choose than the Taimanov, but more aggressive ones as well.

When I play 1.e4, it is my least favorite Sicilian to face because of its chameleon-like qualities. I should probably take a look at Emms’ book!

Neutral and Neutral

Scheveningen Variation (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6):

I’ve given a traditional move order, but this exact position is now infrequent because of the strong Keres Attack (6.g4). Nowadays the Scheveningen is more often reached through the Najdorf: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 e6.

These positions are among the most balanced in the Sicilian, with something for everyone.

For more than a crash course on the Scheveningen, get Dynamics of Chess Strategy by Czech Grandmaster Vlastimil Jansa (trainer of David Navara). His comments on the Scheveningen, Ruy Lopez, and other lines is as good as you’ll find anywhere. Garry Kasparov, devoted Scheveningen player during his career, might also agree with Jansa’s recommendation against the Pirc as a “turkey shoot!”

Neutral and Positional

Kan Variation (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6):

This branch of the Sicilian is much tamer than, for example, the Sveshnikov or Taimanov. There are more solid or positional alternatives, however. Black’s play is restrained, but not plodding. White has very different ways of answering this opening, from the space-eating Maroczy Bind (5.c4) to the solid 5.Nc3 to the more aggressive 5.Bd3 followed by Qg4.

Honestly, this is a Sicilian I don’t like for either side! Of course, your mileage may vary.

Solid and Tactical

Paulsen Variation (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 d6 5.Nc3 e6):

We saw just how crazy this line could get in Shirov — Polgar! ‘Nuff said!

There is some overlap between the Kan, Paulsen, and Taimanov systems. I think of a Sicilian as a Paulsen when black develops the king knight from g8 to e7.

Solid and Neutral

Accelerated Dragon (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6):

I’ll say it plainly: I don’t think the Accelerated Dragon is very good if white plays the Maroczy Bind (5.c4!) and doesn’t allow black to make a bunch of exchanges. I’ve never understood why this line is so popular in books/DVDs and with chess coaches. Can someone please explain it to me? Everytime I face it I feel like I’m shooting fish in a barrel.

Black has some tricks in non-Maroczy lines, but if white is prepared this defense will be a most welcome sight.

Solid and Positional

Classical Sicilian (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6):

The polar opposite of the Dragon? I think so. Black hangs back and develops solidly, reacting to white’s ideas. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, if you’re the kind of player who likes to bait the opponent into overextending themselves.

The Classical has some distinct advantages. Like the Dragon, there is only one really challenging line against it, the Richter-Rauzer (6.Bg5). Unlike the Najdorf or Taimanov, in the Classical you pretty much know what’s coming if your opponent doesn’t play an Anti-Sicilian.

An aggressive player might opt for the Sozin Attack (6.Bc4) and a very aggressive opponent will head for the Velimirovic Attack (6.Bc4 e6 7.Be3 Be7 8.Qe2), but the prepared Classical player has nothing to fear in these lines.

Another benefit of the Classical is its flexible move order: black can play 2…d6 and 5…Nc6, or 2…Nc6 and 5…d6. That’s helpful when trying to get your preferred setup against Anti-Sicilians.

I hope this overview helps players considering playing the Sicilian for the first time or, maybe, a player considering a system change! Which Sicilian is best for you?

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In a round-robin event everyone plays each other, so a 10-player event would require 9 rounds. The most basic type of round-robin tournament is the quad.

A Swiss-system tournament could have 200 (or more) players in the same 9 rounds! The more complicated part is figuring out who plays who in each round.

Sections

There can be one section, or many sections to accomodate players of different ages or rating levels. Scholastic tournaments with three, four…even eight or more sections is common.

Every tournament has different criteria for a section. Rating-based sections might be as follows:

Open; Under 2000; Under 1600; Under 1200; Unrated

“Open” means open to all. A grandmaster could enter this section, and so could a new player without a rating. Typically, the players in this section will include everyone rated too high for the lower sections, plus lower-rated competitors who “play up.”

[Note: a section name like “Master,” “Premier,” or “International” typically means that only players rated 2000+ or 2200+ can play in it.]

The “Under” sections are open to anyone with a rating below the number given.

The “Unrated” section is open to players without an established rating (26 or more rated games).

Scholastic events often have names like “Novice,” “Primary,” “Reserve,” and “Championship.” The grade/rating requirements for these sections are varies from tournament to tournament, so read the descriptions carefully and talk to your child’s teacher or coach!

Pairings

I’m going to briefly explain “how the sausage is made.” Feel free to skip this part!

Homepage for Swiss-Sys tournament software, which I have used since 2003.

First, each section is independent from any other sections.

Within each section, the director sorts all the entries from highest-rated to lowest-rated.

The top half plays against the bottom half. So if a section has 20 players, the top half (by rating) is players 1-10 and the bottom half players 11-20. #1 plays #11, #2 plays #12 … #10 plays #20.

We randomly choose a color for player #1. All the odd numbered players get that color, while all the even numbered players get the opposite color.

Pretend Player 1 got white in Round 1. After the first round, suppose our results are like this (each player listed first had white):

Here are our standings after Round 1:

In Round 2, and all future rounds, we sort the 20 players first by score, then by rating. Within the 1-point group we again pair top half vs. bottom half as in Round 1, and do the same for the other score groups (½ and 0 point players). The result of this is that by the later rounds, similar scoring players will face each other, including the top contenders.

Swiss-system pairings try to answer the question “Who is the best player in this tournament?” without having everyone play each other.

Making correct pairings is usually messy. We need to avoid rematches, balance out colors, and alternate colors. So a player with white in one round would normally get black in the next round.

All of this makes pairing complicated, which is why it’s typically done by computer pairing programs nowadays. Still, a good tournament director will be able to explain a particular pairing to a player.

Pros and Cons of the Swiss-System Chess Tournament

Looking at our Round 1 pairings, you can already see the biggest problem with Swiss tournaments: lots of mismatches!

Early rounds of Swiss events tend to be non-competitive. I’ve directed plenty of tournaments where the higher-rated player wins every single game in the first round. Round 2 can be similar, and only by Round 3 do we see more balanced matchups.

Another problem for those seeking prizes (money, trophies, or otherwise) is that in a lot of Swiss tournaments, most players will not get a prize even if they have a good tournament. 3½ points out of 5 is probably not enough. Even 3 points out of 4 may not be enough.

On the plus side, a lower-rated player can gain lots of rating points with a couple of upsets. Young players who study hard can make a lot of hay playing in these events.

Of course, the biggest benefit is the large number of players who can fit into a Swiss-system chess tournament. With Swisses, the only limitation an organizer has for entries is the space of their venue.

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The first few tournaments I competed in were a whirlwind of emotions, full of thrilling wins and devastating losses, but also a wealth of knowledge. Let’s read below “My First Chess Tournaments”:-

The Preparation: My First Chess Tournaments

The practice field was the talk of the town in the weeks leading up to the tournament. even more so, after each of our several games, Dad would analyze them, pointing out my mistakes and showing me strategic opportunities I had overlooked, which would greatly increase the intensity of our games.

As we explored the fundamentals of opening, I realized how critical it is to have solid center control and to work on developing my components. Looking beyond the squares to the wider picture, memorizing checkmating patterns, and solving online puzzles became my guiding principles.

The online chess arena Chess.com allowed me to pit my skills against those of chess grandmasters from all over the world. Conversely, it would be extremely difficult to replicate a real competition. As I prepared to confront an unfamiliar stranger, the incessant ticking of the clock served as a continual reminder that time was passing quickly, and fear consumed me.

The Venue: A World of Rooks and Pawns

People were moving throughout the arena. Chessboards were arranged in a precise fashion at each table, and the players seemed utterly engrossed in their game. The atmosphere was electric with expectation as anxious parents paced the sidelines. I saw a young man, probably a few years my senior, who seemed quite serious as I walked to my designated seat. We cautiously greeted each other as the only sound was the clack of the pieces being set up.

Game One: A Baptism by Blunder

The first game was characterized by nervousness and pawn misunderstanding, leading to a baptism by mistake. Because I was so set on sticking with the first ideas I had formulated, my anxiousness ultimately failed me. The game ended with a terrible thud because of a poor move that left my queen hanging. A quick checkmate sealed the deal. The weight of grief brought on by the loss weakened my newly-found confidence.

Between Rounds: Lessons Learned

A Lesson I Learned From Intervals I limp over to the “skittles” area, where players could review each other’s games and offer constructive criticism, feeling sad. A senior guy who appeared to be a chess expert saw my dip. He volunteered to review my game and discovered the mistake that lost me the match. The value of viewing setbacks as opportunities for growth is another value dad inculcated in me.

The Remaining Rounds: A Rollercoaster of Emotions

The subsequent games evoked a wide range of feelings. My experiences ranged from the thrill of a well-executed checkmate to the heartbreak of a narrow but avoidable loss and the contentment of an even draw. Despite my initial anxiety, I steadily improved with each subsequent round. I started to perceive the board as more than just a square grid; it was a potential terrain, a peaceful battlefield where tactics and plans fought.

Read More:- Chess Tactics Radjabov Naiditsch 2003

The Remaining Rounds: A Rollercoaster of Emotions

More important than any gold I could have won were the lessons I learned from competing in those initial competitions. I got addicted to chess for all the right reasons: the excitement of competing, the friendship I made with other players, and the never-ending quest to become better.

The Enduring Lessons

Going to chess tournaments was a fantastic way to learn the ropes, but it was only the beginning. I will always be grateful to them for the lessons they taught me:

• The Importance of Focus: In a time crunch when your opponent is hell-bent on winning, your ability to concentrate on the board and devise strategies becomes paramount. Possessing this skill is advantageous in numerous domains, including work, education, and even routine decision-making.
  
  
• Learning from Mistakes: With each obstacle came a chance to improve. By competing in tournaments, I realized the value of viewing setbacks as classroom opportunities.
  
  
• The Value of Sportsmanship: In spite of our disagreements, I never missed an opportunity to show my opponent how much I respected their game and their talent by shaking hands after each match.
  
  
• The Power of Perseverance: I learned to concentrate and persevere in the face of intense rivalry at chess events. It was inevitable that I would suffer defeat; but, I was determined to use those setbacks as fuel to improve for the following match.

The Journey Continues

Even after these many years since my tentative forays into competitive chess, the arrangement of black and white squares continues to captivate me. I still get a rush from competing, but I’m more captivated by the game because of its traditional beauty and strategic depth. Chess tournaments have transformed into communities for me, where I can meet other players, learn from their strategies, and generally improve my game.

The post My First Chess Tournaments appeared first on Chess Essentials.

Congratulations! You’re going to be Chief Arbiter of your very first FIDE-rated event. It may even be a tournament offering IM or GM norms!

What information do you need to submit? How? And by when?

Remember: National Arbiters (NA) may be Chief Arbiter of FIDE-rated events that do not offer title norms. A FIDE Arbiter (FA) or International Arbiter (IA) must be the Chief of norm events.

Here in Part 1, I’ll talk about pre-event “gotchas.” Part 2 will cover what to do during the tournament. Finally, Part 3 will discuss what to do after the event has ended.

While some info here can be helpful to any arbiter, these posts are aimed at USA arbiters submitting events to the US Chess Federation (USCF, or US Chess).

USCF Responsibilities

You need to email your event’s information to the US Chess FIDE Events Manager (currently, IA Brian Yang) so that he can register your tournament with FIDE. You cannot do this yourself, and must go through US Chess. You can email fide@uschess.0rg.

For a title norm event (you’re an FA or IA, right?), you need to send the info to US Chess at least 33 days before the start date of your event.

For a non-norm event, you can send the info a mere 3 days 6 days before the start. [FIDE needs the info 3 days prior, from US Chess. Thanks to IA Judit Sztaray for this correction!]

Which information to include? Below is the info I sent Brian to register the 2023 New York Winter Invitational – GM A. Feel free to steal this template:

Tournament Name: 2023 New York Winter Invitational – GM A City and State: New York, NY Time Control: 90 minutes with 30 second increment from move 1 Chief Arbiter: Andre Harding (2008335) Chief Organizer: Keith Espinosa (30911044) Note as well that you need to have a Chief Arbiter and Chief Organizer (a person, not an organization) when registering your event. Include their FIDE IDs, as I have done here. The CA and CO can be the same person. When your event is registered, it will be assigned an Event Code and look like this on the FIDE website: If this page doesn’t exist, your tournament doesn’t exist to FIDE!

A Very Important Detail

Two FIDE-rated sections, one USCF rating report.

TDs usually include all event sections in one USCF rating report. You can do that when submitting FIDE events for USCF rating, too.

(I’ll talk more about the rating reports in Part 3.)

When it comes to FIDE-rated events, however, each FIDE-rated section must be registered as a separate tournament! Behold:

Two USCF-rated sections in one USCF rating report become two separate FIDE events!

The email snippet above registering the January 2023 event was actually four times as long, because I had to send essentially the same info four times to register each section: GM A, GM B, IM C, and IM D. Cut and paste is your friend here…

SwissSys

If for some reason you don’t already have a copy of SwissSys, you now need it! That’s because you need to submit your event for FIDE rating using SwissSys files.

This means, even if you use Swiss-Manager as I do, prepare your SwissSys files before the tournament!

Create as many sections in SwissSys as you need for your event as you would for a normal USCF tournament. Enter all of your players (if your event is far in the future, update regularly).

Now, as you register players, the “I.D. number” field should contain their USCF ID. In the “I.D. #2” field, enter their FIDE ID number! Search the players on ratings.fide.com. 

Which rating to use? I enter the players’ current FIDE ratings, but this doesn’t matter UNLESS you’re going to pair a FIDE-rated Swiss tournament with SwissSys. Then it is a must (more on that in Part 2).

[Edit: IA Tom Langland mentioned a combined USCF/FIDE rating database I was unaware of, which should make this process much easier! I found it here: https://www.kingregistration.com/combineddb]

Check that the players have current USCF memberships, as you would for any non-FIDE-rated event. However: any GM/IM/WGM/WIM whose FIDE country is not USA is exempt from having a current membership. They just need a USCF ID number. So get your foreign players a USCF ID if they don’t have one!

[Edit: IA Sztaray reminds us to make sure all players in FIDE-rated sections have FIDE IDs! Get info from the players (federation, gender, birth year) and email fide@uschess.org to get new IDs. When you have them, enter this info manually.]

PGN files

This applies to norm tournaments: GM, IM, WGM, and WIM.

• • For a norm to be valid in a round robin event, a PGN file of all games in the tournament must be submitted to FIDE [in our case, we send them to the US Chess FIDE Events Manager].
  • For a norm to be valid in a Swiss event, PGN files of all games from norm-earners must be included. It’s not required to include all games.

Keep this in mind! If you’re not using DGT boards, you will be entering lots of games into ChessBase! Even if your event doesn’t require the submission of PGN files, strive to collect all game scores.

Order carbonless scoresheets — NOW. Collect the top (white) copy, while the player keeps the bottom (yellow) copy. While you’re at it, order lots of pens.

Final Thoughts

This is more work than you anticipated, am I right? Yes — and you must be very detail-oriented.

Doing all this pre-work, however, will make your life much easier when it comes time to submit your event for FIDE rating.

I would appreciate any questions or comments from other arbiters or prospective arbiters!

Stay tuned for Part 2!

The post FIDE-Rated Event Reporting, Part 1 appeared first on Chess Essentials.

The first event was held at the Hilton Garden Inn Midtown Park Avenue, organized by Keith Espinosa and IM Aleksandr Ostrovskiy.

The GM A section in action, with organizer Keith Espinosa looking on. Photo: Andre Harding

The Chief Arbiter and Tournament Director was … me!

Title norm tournaments are infrequent in New York City, as decent event space can be prohibitively expensive.

But what are norms?

First, all titles are awarded by FIDE, the International Chess Federation, and not the USCF or any other national federation. With that out of the way…

All you ever wanted to know about norms …

Norms are performance results needed for a title, specifically: Grandmaster (GM), International Master (IM), Woman Grandmaster (WGM), and Woman International Master (WIM).

[FIDE Master (FM), Candidate Master (CM), Woman FIDE Master (WFM), and Woman Candidate Master (WCM) do not require norms; only reaching a specified FIDE rating. Respectively: 2300, 2200, 2100, 2000.]

As I mentioned in my previous post on the FIDE Grand Swiss, players seeking GM/IM/WGM/WIM titles usually need three norms plus reaching a required rating threshold.

Rating and Performance Requirements for Norms GM: 2500 rating and three norms with a 2600+ performance.

IM: 2400 rating and three norms with a 2450+ performance.

WGM: 2300 rating and three norms with a 2400+ performance.

WIM: 2200 rating and three Norms with a 2250+ performance.

Yes, the requirements for “W” titles are all 200 points lower than their “non-W” counterparts, but women can and do earn the “Open” GM and IM titles.

So a player can score, say, a 2600-level performance in any event and earn a GM norm? Not so fast.

Other Requirements for Norms Number of games needed across events: At least 27.

Number of rounds per event: At least 9 (with few exceptions), but no more than 13 games will count (even if an event is longer than 13 rounds).

Titles of opponents: At least 1/3 must have the title you seek, or higher. In a 9 round event, a player seeking a GM norm must face at least 3 GMs. Also, at least 50% of opponents must hold (w)GM/(w)IM/(w)FM titles.

Minimum average rating of opponents: 2380 for GM, 2230 for IM, 2180 for WGM, 2030 for WIM. One player’s rating can be raised to 400 points below the required performance level. If an IM-norm seeker faces a 1900 player, they can consider it as if they played a 2050.

Federations of opponents: A maximum of 3/5 of the opponents may come from the applicant’s federation and a maximum of 2/3 of the opponents from one federation.

For a player from USA to earn a GM norm in a 9 round tournament held in the United States, they must face 5 or more titled players, including 3 GMs, and 4 of their 9 opponents must be from federations other than USA.

In a Swiss-System tournament, there’s no guarantee you will earn a norm even if you play well enough; your field may not meet all these conditions. In my years of directing, I’ve seen plenty of players miss out on norms simply because they faced three foreign players, instead of four.

Yeah. I hope you’re starting to see why norm events are often specially organized to ensure compliance with all these requirements!

Round Robin norm events

Round robins are the most reliable tournaments for title norms, because the tournament organizer can create a field that meets all FIDE requirements.

Such events normally have 10 players, meaning that each player plays one game against each of the other 9 players (9 rounds). For a GM norm event, at least three players will be GMs, given “conditions” (financial and/or other compensation) to participate. Four of the players need to play under a foreign federation.

The other players pay an entry fee to play and have a chance at a norm.

Round robins have an additional feature: since everyone knows in advance who they will play (and their rating), the Arbiter calculates how many points each norm-seeker requires to earn their norm. This is the amount of points that equate to a performance rating of, say, 2600 (for GM). There’s no guesswork during the event, or hoping for the necessary pairings.

If the average rating of a player’s opponents is 2600, they only need to score 4.5 points out of 9 for a 2600 performance (rare, but it can happen in super strong events like the Aeroflot Open).

If, at the other end, the average of a player’s opponents is the minimum 2380 … the GM-norm seeker needs to score 7 points out of 9, or “plus-five” (five more wins than losses)!

Back to the tournament!

We had three sections: GM A, GM B, and IM C.

GM A and GM B offered GM norms, as well as IM norms for players who did not already have the IM title. The IM C section offered IM norms only.

For all the details, see Chess Results. You can download all the games from the three tournaments, too!

The GM A section was very balanced, with just 129 rating points separating the top and bottom players, and this was reflected in the results. GM Titas Stremavicius (Lithuania) won the event with 6 points out of 9. To earn a GM norm, a seeker had to score 6.5 points.

Alex is once again on the cover of Chess Life!

The GM B section was quite different, headed by current U.S. Open Champion GM Aleksandr Lenderman (USA). He led the event from wire-to-wire and won with a dominant 7.5 points out of 9. Here, too, no norm-seeker achieved the required 6.5 points for a GM norm (or 4.5 points for an IM norm).

The IM C section was also won by the favorite, IM Zurab Javakhadze (Georgia), with a monstrous 8 points out of 9 (7 wins and 2 draws)! Zurab already has three GM norms, and just needs to cross 2500 FIDE to earn the GM title. After this event he’s 2484.

A norm was secured in this section, as FM Robert Shlyakhtenko (USA) earned his third and final IM norm. After this event, he’s very close to the needed 2400 FIDE rating as well.

What’s next?

Look for another norm event in January 2022 …

Stay tuned!

The post The 2021 New York Invitationals: Recap appeared first on Chess Essentials.

There isn’t much use for Descriptive Notation (1. P—K4, 2. N—KB3) these days. Chess books long ago moved to Algebraic Notation (1.e4, 2.Nf3), not to mention chess websites, magazines, and apps.

If you want to read classic chess literature, however, learn to read DN. A lot of instructive books from the past have not been “translated” into AN. Some classics that have been reissued in AN were mangled badly in the process! The new edition of Basic Chess Endings is more exception than rule.

If you want to read great authors of the past like Euwe or Znosko-Borovsky, you need to learn this old “language.”

Naming the Pieces and Pawns in DN

They’re the same as in algebraic, except we name the pawns as you will soon see.

K=King, Q=Queen, R=Rook, B=Bishop, N=Knight, P=Pawn.

In some books, Kt is used for Knight, instead of N.

Special Moves

As with algebraic notation, “x” is used for a capture, castling is written 0-0 or 0-0-0, and “+” is check. Some old books will use “ch” for check; no big deal.

Files in Descriptive Notation

Take the starting position:

The file where the kings start is called the King (K) file.

The file where the queens start is called the Queen (Q) file.

Not too bad, right? Let’s continue.

Both sides have two each of bishops, knights, and rooks. How do we not mix them up? The files closest to where the queen starts get the prefix “Queen,” and the files closest to where the king starts get the prefix “King.”

Firstly, the file in green is the Queen Rook (QR) file.

Secondly, the file in yellow is the Queen Knight (QN) file.

Finally, the file in red is the Queen Bishop (QB) file.

Similarly:

Firstly, the file in green is the King Rook (KR) file.

Secondly, the file in yellow is the King Knight (KN) file.

Finally, the file in red is the King Bishop (KB) file.

The trickiest part

I think the main reason people get confused with DN is the orientation of the chessboard.

With algebraic notation, the 1st rank is white’s back rank, and the 8th rank is black’s back rank.

In descriptive notation, both sides have a 1st rank and 8th rank! This means every square has TWO addresses, not one!

In the starting position:

White’s king starts on his own K1 square, and black’s king also starts on his K1 square.

White’s king is on black’s K8 square, and black’s king is on white’s K8 square.

Another example:

The square in red has two names:

From white’s perspective it is the Queen Bishop 5 square (QB5).

From black’s perspective it is the Queen Bishop 4 square (QB4).

Let’s Practice with DN

We’ll reach a typical opening position, one move pair at a time.

1.P—K4 P—QB4

White’s pawn has moved to it’s K4 square, and black’s pawn has moved to its QB4 square.

2.N—KB3 N—QB3

White has moved a knight to KB3. writing “B3” is not enough, because he also has a QB3 square. For black it’s the same, in reverse. You have to specify which B3 square the knight moves to if there is a choice.

3. P—Q4 PxP

White moves a pawn to Q4, the only one that can go there. Black captures with a pawn. We can just say PxP because black has only one pawn that can capture, and white has only one pawn that can be captured. We don’t need to say, for example, “BPxP,” “QBPxP,” or “PxQP.” Sometimes, with more than one possible capture, we need to be more, well, descriptive!

4.NxP N—B3

White has only one knight that can capture one possible pawn, so writing NxP is enough.

Black has only one knight that can go to a B3 square as the other B3 square is already occupied, so we can write N—B3 instead of N—KB3.

5.N—QB3 P—Q3 

Here we have to be specific and write N—QB3 because N—B3 is ambiguous: the N on Q4 could move back to KB3 as well!

Black has only one pawn that can go to Q3.

6.B—KN5 P—K3

White has two bishops that can go to a N5 square. We name the square, rather than the piece if possible. So we write B—KN5 and NOT QB—N5, because we are choosing one of two destination squares, as the two bishops cannot reach the same squares.

With rooks or knights, however, it’s common to name the flank the piece comes from when there’s a choice of pieces that can go to one destination square. For example, QN—Q2 vs. KN—Q2, or QR—K1 vs. KR—K1.

7.Q—Q2 B—K2

Nothing ambiguous about these two moves.

8.0—0—0 0—0

Castling is notated the same as in algebraic. Some really old books will write “Castles” or, if there is a choice of which side to castle on, “Castles K” or “Castles Q.” These are pretty self-explanatory, though.

Conclusions about Descriptive Notation

Look, I understand why DN isn’t used anymore…it’s clunky and a relic from the past! Still, some people have an irrational fear or hatred of DN, and I hope this guide helps more people read classic chess literature. Play through a handful of games and you will pick up DN!

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