Chess Training

BLACK TO MOVE AND WIN Highlight below to see solution:[ Levitt (2455) - Martin,A (2420), Great Britain (ch) 1...Be2!! 0-1 ]

The Association of Chess Professionals is conducting a survey about draw offers it started on the 10th of January 2007. They would like to thank everybody who has already taken part in it. As the issue is very important, the deadline for sending back the completed survey has been extended to the 5th of March 2007. Questions: 1. A draw offer should be: a) allowed at any stage of the game (current FIDE rules) b) allowed after 30 moves of the game are completed c) allowed after 40 moves of the game are completed d) allowed after 50 moves of the game are completed e) not allowed at all (Corsican rule) f) abstain 2. A draw offer, at the stage where it is allowed, should imply a time penalty in the case it is rejected: a) yes b) no c) abstain Just add your name at the bottom. ACP Members as well as all chess players having the FIDE title of International Master (IM or WIM) or International Grandmaster (GM or WGM) can send back the completed survey to the ACP Secretary Bartlomiej Macieja...

White to move and win! Highlight to see solution: [ 1.f6! gxf6 2.Kxg2! Kg5 3.a4 bxa3 4.bxa3 Kf5 5.a4 Ke5 6.d6! cxd6 7.c6! dxc6 8.a5+- ] White has the seemingly impossible task in this position of queening a pawn. Show how he can do it!

Reverting back to our original Training Article: "familiarize with about 15-25 common plans from the chess classic examples" Perusing any chess book on Chess Strategy will give you a good list of Strategic Elements (elements of a plan) one needs to be concerned with so you can develop a reasonable, effective plan. Planless play lacks consistency from move to move and tends to be like solving a series of one-move chess problems - it lacks coherency. Below is the listing of Common Strategic and Dynamic Elements from Pachman's Modern Chess Strategy: Common Strategic Elements Minority Attack Bishops and open diagonals Good vs. Bad Bishop Knights and bases of Operation Superior Bishop vs Knight Superior Knight vs Bishop Creation of Open Files Open Files in an Attack against the King Open Files in the Center and on the Queen's Wing Active Rooks in front of the Pawn Chain The Passed Pawn The Blockade The Isolated Pawn The Backward Pawn The Isolated Pawn-pair Doubled Pawns Th...