Puzzles

1 Black to move.

selected by FST Kevin OConnell (www.kochess.com)

3 White played 1. d1-c1. Would you?

The Rating Ladder

Jurij STRAZE Liam BRECEVIC, Slovenia Youth Championship 2012, u10 Boys.

Mia MIKOLIC Pika Polonca KLANCICAR, Slovenia Youth Championship 2012, Girls u10. 4 White to move.

2 White to play.

Dont forget to get your +5 Education Bonus on the Rating page. You can also see now where you stand on the ladder. It is shown immediately below the Education Bonus box on the Rating page. At least, we hope that it is there! (Our web site developers have had a few difficulties with it, but it should be there by now). We will be linking this ladder in with the main FIDE ladder, but this is even more complicated and will take some time. In the meantime, you can see the top of the main FIDE ladder here: http://ratings.fide.com/top.phtml?list=men. It shows the top 100 players and it changes every two months. To whet your appetite, this is the top ten: age rating 1 Magnus CARLSEN 21 2835 2 Levon ARONIAN 29 2820 3 Vladimir KRAMNIK 36 2801 4 Viswanathan ANAND 42 2799 5 Teimour RADJABOV 25 2784 6 Hikaru NAKAMURA 24 2771 7 Fabiano CARUANA 19 2767 8 Sergey KARJAKIN 22 2766 9 Alexander MOROZEVICH 34 2765 10 Vassily IVANCHUK 42 2764
There are also top 20 lists for juniors (both boys and girls) (http://ratings.fide.com/top.phtml?list=juniors) and for girls only (http://ratings.fide.com/top.phtml?list=girls).

Nejc AMON Gregor GLOBEVNIK, Slovenia Youth Championship 2012, Boys u10. SOLUTIONS TO PUZZLES

Nejc KORCE Jurij STRAZE, Slovenia Youth Championship 2012, Boys u10.

Ladder copyright 2012 James Flear

For the girls who are reading, please work hard to overtake some of the boys. At the moment there is only one girl in the top 20 juniors list (Womens World Champion Hou Yifan at 8) and only one woman in the top 100 (Judit Polgar is number 29). There is no good reason for this. Judit and Yifan have shown the way. They have set a fantastic example for you to follow or perhaps even surpass ...

FIDE-CiS PSM Newsletter 004

FIDE-CiS PSM Newsletter 004

Positions from the Slovenia Youth Championships 2012

A Simple Idea 4 Can, Mustnt, Cant

Do you ALWAYS do as you are told? I don't want to get you into trouble with your teachers or your parents, but the chess board is one place where you should definitely challenge the ideas of "can't" and "mustn't". Chess board "must nots" usually start early with the queen, which you "must not" give away or exchange for a lesser quantity of material. That's often good advice, but chess is not played on an abacus or with a calculator. The problem is that the "mustn't" idea becomes fixed as a "can't" and we end up not even looking at such moves, let alone inspecting them. Mustnt play it, cant even look at it!

by FST Kevin OConnell

A.

Kaja GROSELJ Nusa HERCOG, u10 Girls.

C.

Nejc HANC Peter KRZAN, u10 Boys.

Black to play. Can she ignore the attack on her rook?

Black mustnt capture on f2. White would just take it (gaining 3-1=2). Is that right?

White would love to play c7xh7# or c7g7#. Of course those moves are not legal, but what about getting closer with c7xf7? Oh, you can't, Black just takes it ... Now, let me see; that would be 9 minus 1 (for the pawn captured), so White is losing 8. Tut, tut, that will never do. On the other hand, why not look at the position? Normally you would have to do it in your head, but thats not so difficult just one move ahead. What do you see?

B.

Liza KISILAK Lana RADEJ, u10 Girls.

D.

Liza KISILAK Kaja GROSELJ, u10 Girls.

= 2. Maybe, but not necessarily!

Please dont play chess on that abacus. Learn to play with the pieces on the chessboard! If you can get past the block, and just look, you may see something worthwhile. Black has just moved the pawn from f6 to f5. Now Whites queen is attacked. Which square should she move it to? Answers to these questions are on page 3. Can Black play the rook to g2 here, or is that just a minus 3 move, losing the knight on f4? Would you play that or something else? Why? Are any of them trick questions? Maybe. The next two diagrams are from the game Aravind Ram - Patel Shaan Parashar, World Youth Championship, Boys u8, Halkidiki 2010. Checks are always interesting and there is only one to look at, so 1. e1-e8+ f7f8 2. e8xf8+ h7g8 3. f8xg8#.

FIDE-CiS PSM Newsletter 004

FIDE-CiS PSM Newsletter 004

A Very Neat Idea

The scoresheet pictured here won the Neatest Scoresheet Prize for the best kept scoresheet by a boy in round 2 of the Slovenia Youth Championships. There was one prize for boys and one for girls each round. Players in all sections, u8, u10, u12, u14, u16 and u18 were all in contention for the single prize. Scoresheets what ? If you already know something about scoresheets, then skip to scoresheets why ? A scoresheet is used to keep a complete record of a game. Every move played is written down.

Chess in Schools
The CiS100 Project continues apace in Slovenia. There was a lot of interest shown by parents during the national youth championships as you can see.

Slovenia Project
Maybe the children think it is witchcraft There are now more than 100 schools involved in the project. They are spread all round the country. The project has strong support from the Ministry of Education and the national chess federation. Schools are queuing up to join the scheme.

Scoresheets why ? Recording your game on a scoresheet is obligatory in competitions. In case of a problem, dispute or accident (knocking the board and pieces to the floor for example), the position can be reconstructed. After the game is over, the scoresheet really comes into its own : You and your coach or teacher can play over the game, find the mistakes and learn from them. You can store all your games, either in a book or in a chess database. Games can be published. Scoresheets neat ! Your scoresheet might win you a prize. Here is our member, Nejc Korce receiving his prize for the scoresheet on the left.

Answers to the questions on page 2. A. Yes, she can and did. She moved her knight to f3 and White resigned - it's mate next move (there's even a choice between putting the queen on f1 or g1).

The more you try, the better you get. D. Dont worry if you find this one far too difficult and complicated chess is like that sometimes. Do at least look at each of the three featured moves. Black certainly can play 1... a2g2+ 2. g3xf4 Losing the knight does not matter because of 2... g6f6+ 3. f4e4 g2f2 4. b7xg7+ (if 4. c4c3 f2f4+ 5.#e4e3 f4f3+ is winning easily) 4... h7xg7 5. c4c7+ g7g6 6. c7g3 and Black is winning, but White is putting up some resistance. In the game Black chose 1...!f4e2+ and that was winning rather more easily than the rook check: 2. g3f2 g6f6+ 3. f2e1 f6h4+ 4. e1-d1 h4xh3 5.!b3d2 h3e3 Playing 5... h3h1+ 6.#d1xe2 h1-g2+ 7.#e2e3 g2xd2+ 8.#e3e4 d2e1+ was clearly better still. 6. c4xe2 a2a1+ 7. d1-c2 e3xe2 8. c2b2 e2d1 9. b7c7 d1-a4 10.b4b5 a4a3+ 11. b2c2 a1-a2+ 12. c2d1 a3d3 13. d1-e1 d3xd2+ 14. e1-f1 d2d1#. Best of the lot would have been 1...!f4 h5+ 2. g3f3 g6f6+ 3. f3e4 or to e3; it amounts to the same thing) 3... f6 f4+ 4. e4d3 f4f3#.

B. Nowhere! The game ended: 1. f1xf5 f7xf5? Yippee! Thats +4! 2. g4xg7#. Oops, but Black is lost after Whites first move, even with a better defence: 22... f7e7 23. f5g5 g7g6 If 23... f8f7 24. g4xc8+; while 23... c8c7 24. g5xg7+ e7xg7 25. e5xg7 c7xg7 26. g4e6+ g7f7 27. e6xd5 wins easily. 24. g5xg6+ g8f7 Or 24...h7xg6 25. g4xg6+ e7g7 26. g6xg7#. 25. a1-f1+ f7e8 26. g4xc8+ e7d8 27. g6e6#.

The only criticism we can make of this scoresheet (no, not the coloured ink!) is that it uses short notation rather than the long form which we recommend to help you cut down on your errors. How do I write a scoresheet? It is very easy. Get used to the names of the squares (from a1 to h8), then to write a move, put the initial of the piece (nothing for a pawn), the square it is moving from, a dash (this indicates movement) or an x (for a capture), then the square it moves to. Finally there are symbols for things like check (+) and mate (#).

C. Black did capture on f2 and White did gain 2 18... c5xf2+ 19. g1xf2 but that wasnt the end of the story; there followed 19... f5g4+ 20. f2g1 g4xd1 21. e1xd1 d8f6 and White resigned. 0-1.

Watch out for the Chess Quotes that will appear soon on the web site (they may even be there by now). They are little ideas which may help your chess or simply amuse.

FIDE-CiS PSM Newsletter 004

FIDE-CiS PSM Newsletter 004

Attack - Team Work By GM & FST Efstratios Grivas (www.GrivasChess.com)

Concept The idea of a successful attack seems easy to identify, but many chess players seem to forget it during the heat of battle. A useful concept is the Centre of Gravity (CoG) developed by Carl Philipp Gottfried von Clausewitz (1780-1831 - Prussian soldier and German military theorist). It is a powerful tool that can be applied to chess as well as war. Its a practical method for determining a target, the most critical one in the enemy position. CoG gives your attacking efforts more focus and increases your chances of success. If the team works together, the pieces can mount a meaningful attack, not just threaten to take something that is left unprotected. Barry MANTHE Georgios ALEXOPOULOS Philadelphia 1993 Black has material parity, but at the cost of leaving his king in the centre. White now sets his sights on the black king. 20. f1-d1 b2 e5 21. e3f4! e5c5 22.e4e5 Opening lines. The black king already feels the draught! 22... f8e7 22...d6d5 23. a1-c1! c5a5 24.(g5xe6 #d7xe6 25.c4xd5+ c6xd5 26. c1-c6+ wins. 23.!g5e4 c5xc4 24. a1-c1

due to 27...#d7xe7 28. f3f6+ #e7d7 29. f6xc6+ winning material. 1-0. Did you notice the coordinated effort of the pieces? They must establish a certain degree of unity and cohesion through mutual contacts. Its all about teamwork, or division of labour, or as ex-World Champion Mikhail Tals trainer Koblencs put it, its a wonder formula in chess. You, as a commander-in-chief need to know how your and the opponents army operate and determine strengths and weaknesses on both sides. Georg ROTLEWI Akiba RUBINSTEIN Lodz 1907

23. b2xc3 b7xe4+ 24. e2xe4 h4xh2# or; 23. e4xb7 c3xg3 24. f1-f3 (24. b7f3 (g4xh2-+) 24... g3xf3 25. b7xf3 (g4f2+ 26.#h1-g1 (26.#h1-g2 h4h3+ 27.#g2 g1 (f2e4+ 28.#g1-h1 (e4g3#) 26...(f2e4+ 27.#g1-f1 (e4d2+ 28.#f1g2 (d2xf3 29. e2xf3 (29.#g2xf3 h4h3+ 30.#f3e4 d8d3!! 31. e2xd3 h3g2+ 32. d3f3 g2c2+ 33. f3d3 c2c6+) 29... d8d2+-+ are wonderful variations, proving the validity of Black's attack.

This seems to be a complicated position, but soon it becomes clear who is in the driver's seat... 25...!f3d2+! 26. b1-c1 !d2b3+! Teamwork by the black queen and knight. 27. c1-b1 If 27.#c1-d1 f4d2#. 27... f4 c1+!! A spectacular queen sacrifice, leading to a smothered mate! 28. f1xc1 !b3d2 mate. Efstratios GRIVAS Franz SZKUDLAREK Dortmund 1991

All white forces are aimed at the black king and such concentrated fire power is hard to meet. 24... c4xa2 25.e5xd6 c7xd6 26. f4xd6 e6d5 27. d6xe7 Black resigned

20...!f6g4! A bolt from the blue! 21. d3e4 The black knight is untouchable: 21. e2xg4? d8xd3 and ... xc3 or 21.(c3e4 d8xd3! 22. e2xd3 b7xe4 23. d3xe4 e7h4 24.h2h3 h4g3! 25.h3xg4 g3h4# or, finally,; 21. d3xh7+ #g8xh7 22. e2xg4 d8d2 winning. 21... e7h4 22.g2g3 The alternative was 22.h2h3 c8xc3 23. b2xc3 (23. e4xb7 c3xh3+ 24.g2xh3 h4xh3+ 25. e2h2 h3xh2# or; 23. e2xg4 c3xh3+ 24. g4xh3 h4xh3+ 25.g2xh3 b7xe4+ 26.#h1-h2 d8d2+ 27.#h2g3 d2g2+ 28.#g3h4 b6d8+ 29.#h4h5 e4 g6#) 23... b7xe4 24. e2xg4 (24. e2xe4 h4g3-+) 24... h4xg4 25.h3xg4 d8d3 26.#h1-h2 (26. a1-c1 d3h3#) 26... d3xc3-+ . 22... c8xc3! 23.g3xh4 (D)

23... d8d2!! The hidden point of Black's queen sacrifice. 24. e2xd2 There was no salvation any more: 24. e2xg4 b7xe4+ 25. f1-f3 c3xf3-+ or; 24. b2xc3 d2xe2 25. f1-f2 b7xe4+ 26.#h1-g1 b6xf2+ 27.#g1-f1 e4f3 28. a1-d1 (g4xh2# or, finally,; 24. e4xb7 d2xe2 25. b7g2 c3 h3! winning. 24... b7xe4+ 25. d2g2 c3 h3!! White had to resign. If: 26. f1-f3 (26. f1-f2 b6xf2 27. g2xe4 h3xh2#) 26... e4xf3 27. g2xf3 h3xh2#. This was Rubinstein's 'Immortal Game'. 01. Conclusion Identify a vulnerability, something you can attack or disrupt. Focus your effort against that. Think about activity, coordination, harmony, interdependence and mobility. To wrap up, let us look at the strategic relationship between the power of pieces to act (attack, defence) and the centre of the board. In order to achieve strategic objectives you must act from a position of strength. For that, you need to construct a solid position in the middle of the board.

FIDE-CiS PSM Newsletter 004

FIDE-CiS PSM Newsletter 004