Kids Night 040918 Was a Great Night of Chess!

The ladies can play some great chess also.

The Kid’s Night this April of 2018 was a big success! We had 13 players!

We also welcome five new players to NPP! So a big welcome to

Kyle and Matt L,  along with

Matt, Nick and Ken S.

Many of our ‘kids’ are planning to show up most Monday nights and not just the 2^nd Monday of the month – Kid’s Night. So there is no reason not to show up any Monday night – and no matter what your age might be.

On any Monday, casual games and lessons are always available. But as an added bonus – starting on Monday April 23, we will start our LCC Club Championship!

This is a free tournament! This will allow players of all strengths to practice their tournament skills. The time limit will be 1 hour per player - with a 5 second delay – if you use a clock with a delay. Otherwise it will be 1 hour per player.

This gives players new to tournament style play plenty of time to think and even practice writing down the moves of their game.

Recording all your games is a great way to get better. You can then show your game to a better player who can probably give you insights to better moves you missed – regardless of whether or not you won that game. But doing that certainly helps you improve!

To register for this tournament simply let us know at the club this coming week, send an email to the club email – show up at 6pm the night of the tournament and register prior to the 6:30 pm start.

Now here is a game played by a member of the club on line on Chess .com. If you do not have an account there, get one.

The game opening is called the French Defense. It has stood the test of time and is a reasonable answer to White playing e4. However, Black must understand his positional weaknesses and counter attack White’s strong center soon, lest he become buried under the weight of his own army. Notes by the computer Igor3000

1.      e4                          e6

2.      d4                          d5

3.      e5                          c5

White takes center control with what is called the Advance Variation of the French Defense.

4.      Nf3                        Nc6

5.      c3                          Qb6

6.      Bd3                       Bd7

7.      Bc2                        cxd4

8.      cxd4                      Be7

9.      Nc3                       Qc7?

Black is not being aggressive enough. Igor suggests 9. ….h5.

10.  O-O                       f6

11.  Re1                        a6?

While White slowly build his position by protecting his King and placing his rook in the center, Black wastes time by not starting to break down White’s center with 11. ….fxe5, 12 Nxe5, Nf6. Instead White takes an almost 2 pawn positional edge (+1.9).

12.  a3                          Rc8

13.  Nxd5!                    exd5

A beautiful and forceful move by White. 13. …exd5, 14. E6 and a passed pawn. Other moves by Black wins White material.

14.  e6                          Bxe6

15.  Rxe6                      Nd8?

Black needed the ugly 15. ….Kf7. White is (+3).

16.  Re2                        g6

17.  Bd3                       Qd7

18.  Bd2?!                    Kf7?

White had a shorter path to victory with 18. Qd3. Black needed 18. ….Kf8 instead. (+4)

White to make move #19

   19.  Re5!!                     Kg7

The perfect shot. White has so many ways to win now.

   20.  Rxd5                     Bd6

   21.  Bb4                       Nf7

   22.  Ne5!                      fxe5

   23.  dxe5                      Qc6?

There is nothing much anyway.

   24.  exd6                      Nf6

   25.  Bc3                        Nh6??

   26.  Qd4                       Rhf8

   27.  d7                          Nf5

   28.  Rxf5                      gxf5

   29.  dxc8 (Q)+             Qxc8

   30.  Re1                        Kg6

   31.  Re6                        Qd8

   32.  Qxd8                     Rxd8

   33.  Rxd8                     Kg5

   34.  g3                          Resigns