English Chess Forum

Have you any games which Bateman won? [Event "30th Oxford - Cambridge Varsity m"] [Site "London ENG"] [Date "1902.03.21"] [EventDate "1902.03.21"] [Round "4"] [Result "0-1"] [White "James Robinson"] [Black "Harry Bateman"] [ECO "D53"] [WhiteElo "?"] [BlackElo "?"] [Source "The Field, 1902.03.29, p....

The ones with notable chess are a bit easier! [Result "1-0"] 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.d4 exd4 6.Qxd4 Qxd4 7.Nxd4 Bd6 8.Nc3 Ne7 9.O-O O-O 10.f4 Re8 11.Nb3 f6 12.f5 b6 13.Bf4 Bb7 14.Bxd6 cxd6 15.Nd4 Rad8 16.Ne6 Rd7 17.Rad1 Nc8 18.Rf2 b5 19.Rfd2 Rde7 20.b4 Kf7 21.a3 Ba8 22.Kf2 Ra7 23.g4...

I've seen that advice attributed to Botvinnik. On the topic, I have played a lot of different games. I like learning a new game and the phase when you are improving quickly. But once it becomes difficult to improve, I generally revert to chess. I can't see any way they have benefited my chess. For m...

[Event "Oxford - Cambridge Varsity"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [Source "The Field, 1904.04.02, p.550"] 1. c4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. e3 d6 6. Nge2 Nf6 7. d4 cxd4 8. exd4 Bf5 9. O-O O-O 10. a3 Qd7 11. b4 Rfc8 12. f3 h5 13. Be3 d5 14. c5 Re8 15. b5 Na5 16. Bf4 Nc4 17. a4 Rad8 18. Nc1 Nh7 19. Re...

I'm a bit embarrassed to admit I didn't see this here or the ECF website until the recent board minutes published. I think I'm ok with the solution the board came up with, as we always note good candidates always have overlapping responsibilities, I'm a bit surprised it was ok for Sarah given what s...

A very good result for Fabi and nice to see him climb above 2800 again at a time when most people are talking about rating deflation. I will probably be supporting him in the Candidates. Stylistically, he isn't exactly my cup of tea. But strong enough to be a legitimate champion and there doesn't se...

So just has white against Nepo today and a last round bye left. Therefore So seems unlikely to take the circuit place, but likely to be top of the ratings unless another contender plays in December. There is some discussion of it being in Giri's interest to lose a game to ensure So does not pass him...

After wins for So & Dominguez and losses for Firouzja & Giri the picture changes again. 6 ↑1 So, Wesley 2761.5 +9.5 7 ↑6 Dominguez Perez, Leinier 2751.7 +6.7 8 ↓3 Firouzja, Alireza 2751.0 −26.0 10 ↓2 Giri, Anish 2748.7 −3.3 Emil Sutovsky pointed out on Twitter that if So wins the Sinquefield Cup he...

Maybe this is one of those cases when a rule created for professional chess doesn't work for amateur chess.

The 30 second increment seems enough to stop anyone messing around to induce a blunder against a GM. But against an 1800, seems not.

Line-up announced: Ding (I really hope he plays) Firouzja Nepomniachtchi Giri Gukesh Praggnanandhaa Maghsoodloo Wei Yi Abdussattorov Vidit van Foreest Donchenko Warmerdam Ju Wenjun Which looks great, albeit missing Magnus. Per Tournament Director “Unfortunately, Magnus’ schedule does not allow him t...

Luke's position concerns me a bit at move 15. Seems a bit loose.

I enjoy Magnus vs "ordinary" GMs. He clearly thinks mixing things up is the best strategy.

It seems (and this is very impressionistic) that increasingly the most successful teams do not rotate significantly. They have identified their top four, all of whom pretty much by definition are on good to excellent form, and they stick with them. In football there is a generally held belief that ...

I have to admit I am a bit disappointed no spectators. But glad the event is going ahead.

Thanks Thomas, I was baffled.

I think the lead is now only 8 points over Giri and 10 over So in the live ratings on 2700chess.com, which seems to me a plausible swing in a single event. 18 points to Maghsoodloo seems a bit implausible, but I suppose stranger things have happened.

Ali Reza thinks he can qualify by rating in this interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOdDPcnSNxA but I have to admit I cannot see the exception to the rule Pete quotes.