We intend running a coach accreditation course in Auckland on the weekend of 14/15 November.
The idea is to have coaches trained up and ready to go for the 2010 academic year. If you are interested at all in attending this course or finding out more about it email info@chesskids.co.nz or telephone 0800 4 CHESS (0800 424 377).
Terrey Shaw was an Australian International Master who represented Australia on many occasions from the late 1960s to the 1980s. He was not a flashy player but was renown for his determination and ability to grind down lesser opponents from even positions.
In today’s puzzle from the 1968 Chess Olympiad Terrey is playing an opponent from Hong Kong and has a position which is even on material but Terrey (White) has a bit more pressure. Black of course is happy to draw with his higher rated opponent and is trying to swap off pieces and make sure that everything is defended.
It is Black to move. He must decide between 1…Ne6 to try to swap knights; 1…Nb5+ to drive the white King away or 1…Rb7 just to mark time and see if White tries anything.
One of these moves is a horrible blunder and that is the move that Black chose! The puzzle is which move did he choose and why is it a blunder?
[fen caption="Shaw v Robes 1968 - Black to play and blunder."]5r2/5r1p/3p1pp1/p1p1k3/3nPNPP/1PKP4/2P2R2/5R2 b [/fen]
After Building Mental Muscles in Australia for 10 years we are finally providing the opportunity for every school-child in New Zealand to build their Mental Muscles by learning and playing chess!
Here is a position from the 1976 Olympiad in Haifa between GM Jan Timman (Holland) white, and IM Werner Hug (Switzerland) black. I remember Hug from 1971 when he was the surprise winner of the World Junior Championship held in Athens, and he became Switzerland’s best player until Korchnoi took out Swiss citizenship.
Anyway, in this position Timman clearly has the more solid position and Hug’s pawns are a bit of a mess. Hug now had to decide between 1…Rfe8 to put pressure on white’s “e” pawn; 1…g4 to move the pawn away from a potential discovered attack from white’s queen; and 1…Qc5 with the idea of Qe5+ which would be a nice outpost for the queen. Unfortunately he chose the wrong move and lost.
Today’s puzzle is which move did Hug choose and what was white’s winning reply?
Timman v Hug 1976 - Black to play and lose!
Here is a position from the game E.Parr v P.Johanssen 1995 and, as you can see, Black is in a bit of trouble. White is threatening 1.Qh8 mate and 1.Qh7 mate. Black could play 1…Qxh4 giving up his Queen for a Rook but that would just leave him hopelessly down on material. Does he have a sneaky defence that will blunt White’s attack and force him to take a perpetual check …. or does he not? That is today’s puzzle.
Does Black to play have a defence?
Canada is the latest in a string of countries to adopt chess as a curriculum subject. This time for year 12 students!
After 20 years of research, proposals, paperwork and jumping through hoops Arnie Nermo (B.Ed.) Robert Bateman Sec. School, Abbotsford, BC and Luke Campbell (Language and Technology Department Head at Mount Boucherie Senior Secondary) have finally had their chess course approved by the School Board and the Ministry of Education.
Now any school can use their template and experience to introduce chess as part of their high-school curriculum.
Toddler chess classes run every Wednesday at 4pm in Ormond. If the time or location doesn’t suit, never mind.
We’ve got the Top 5 Tips for teaching your 4 year old to play chess.
Parr is a famous name in Australian Chess. Peter Parr has run a chess business in Sydney for over 40 years and captained Australia’s Chess Olympiad team on six occasions, but Peter is not the only famous chess player in his family. His father, Frank Parr, was a good player also and competed in the British Championships for 55 years from 1936 to 1991.
Today I want to talk about Peter’s older brother David. David Parr was not a titled player but played internationally for England for some years and had a few notable scalps on his belt. He spent some time in Australia and in 1974 entered the Australian Championship for which he was one of the favourites. Unfortunately his ability was not reflected in his score and he withdrew from the event after a few rounds with a poor score complaining that “his opponents were so weak that he couldn’t concentrate.”
I thought it may be interesting to see David Parr in action so have a look at the position below from a Challengers Tournament in Yugoslavia in 1999. White has just played 12.Rd1+ and Parr (Black) must now chose between 12…Ke8, 12…Bd7 and 12…Kc7. Unfortunately he made the wrong choice and after White’s reply he resigned! The puzzle is what move did Black choose and what was White’s crushing reply?
Keely v D.Parr 1999
Press “more” for the solution.
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