Central Pawn Play

Everyone knows to control the centre. A pawn majority can be useful for this task. Here are a couple of nice examples of central play

Selected games

Example 1

Naiditsch-Nemeth,M

Bogo/Queen’s-Indian

34th ECC Open 2018 Rd6

After 21..Ra6(Diagram)

White has a central majority, the Nc4 is on a fine outpost and keeps Ra6 passive while the Na8 is looking silly. But now what? All Black’s weaknesses are covered(a6,d6) so there is just more space and more active pieces

What do you recommend for White?

Example 2

Granda Zuniga-Pichot

Bogo-Indian

Liga Nacional Superior Rd6

After 26..Ba6(Diagram)

White has a central majority in a materially equal ending

What do you recommend for White?

Juhasz,Agoston has 4.5/7 in the Open U14

Selected games

Caro-Kann players can expect a big dose of the Advance Variation. Fernandez analyzes both 3..Bf5 and 3..c5 in The Modernized Caro-Kann

Colin-Rausis,I

Caro-Kann Advance 3..c5 (5.a3+6.b4)

18th Sautron Open 2018 Rd4

After 24.Nxe6(Diagram)

Black has the bishops and a passed d-pawn. The question is how to make progress?

What do you recommend for Black now?

Xiong,J-Karavade

Caro-Kann Advance 3..c5 (with 6.a3 but not b2-b4)

chess.com IoM Masters

After 16..Nxf5(Diagram)

Black’s kingside has been shattered and his queenside pieces are sleeping

What do you recommend for White?

Selected games

Here is a nice game in the quiet Exchange Variation

Lenderman-Dreev

Exchange Variation

St Louis Fall A 2018 Rd7

After 18.Bf2(Diagram)

You need to be very observant to see what the problem in White’s position is

What do you recommend for Black?

Exercise 857 from Chapter 2 Intermediate Level of The Woodpecker Method

White to Play

(a)What do you recommend for White?(This is the exercise)

(b)Evaluate 35.f6 (my question to the readers) This was my proposed solution today on my second cycle through the book.

This is my second time through the book. The reader is supposed to get faster each of the seven recommenced times through but I am getting slower.

The slow tedious process of checking solutions takes almost as long as the solving session. Today I found what I thought was an interesting attacking idea but failed to see what was wrong until I checked with an engine.

This weeks issue of TWIC is now available

Selected games features Adam Kozak

Gabizon-Kozak

Semi-Slav

World Youth Open U16 2018 rd3

After 32.Qxf3(Diagram)

White has a pair of ineffective bishops and suffers from a severe lack of space.

What do you recommend for Black?

Kozak got 5.5/9

This year’s venue was the National Art Gallery.

There was a usual number of speeches, some dancing and some singing

Zsofi and Judit game simuls and one of the interviewers in a nice blue dress was IM Anna Rudolf

There was a well dressed guy playing a classical piano piece and the was the odd long distance video shown on the big screen.

Kids had lots to do.

I mostly just watched and bought an expensive bottle of water

Me and some art

The main chess room

New shirt and me

The top boards in the 10 min tournament

I contributed a draw with Black defending a Caro-Kann

Three MTK teams were in action at the Lauder School, with two of the three winning

I. osztály, Lilienthal csoport

HÜSI SC II – Sirály SE I 4,5:7,5
MTK Budapest III – Vasas SC II 7:5
Aquaréna KSC III – SENSE I 8:4
BEAC II – Barcza GSC I 7:5
Lombik-Fabulon – Mattolda SSC I 6,5:5,5
Pénzügyőr SE III – Tabáni Spartacus II 5:7

II. osztály, Bilek csoport

Csepeli TK I – Sirály SE II 7,5:4,5
MTK Budapest IV – Törekvés SE 7:5
Pestszentlőrinc II – SENSE II 8,5:3,5
Újpesti KSE I – Barcza GSC II 4:8
Palota Sakk I – A. Láng MKKE 6:6
Pénzügyőr SE IV – Sárkány DSE II 4:8

III. osztály, Szén csoport

BEAC III – ART 3F SE 4:8
MTK Budapest V – Csepeli TK II 5,5:6,5
Aquaréna KSC IV – ATTE-ARISZ 3,5:8,5
Pestszentimre – Rákosliget 7,5:4,5
HÜSI SC III – TF SE 4,5:7,5
HASE III – Barcza GSC III 11:1
Újpesti KSE II – Mattolda SSC II 6:6
Sirály SE III – Sárkány DSE III 3,5:8,5

Pdouchy-Yip

Exchange Caro-Kann

After 22.Nb3(Diagram)

White offered a draw which was accepted.

Final Position after 22.Nb3

.

FM Letay,G(left) and Bartuszek,A(right)

Fruzsina(right) one of my teammates. I said hello for the first chat in a few years.

Selected games features the Olympiad

Here is a nice positional game by Almasi

Almasi-Gonzalez

Reti vs Slav

Hungary-Costa Rica Rd11

After 24..Na4(Diagram)

The Qb2 is under attack

What do you recommend for White?

After 24..Na4

Sipila-Berkes

King’s Indian Defence

Finland-Hungary Rd8

White walked his king into the middle of the board early in the game.

After 21.Kd3(Diagram)

The Kd3 is looking very majestic in the middle of the board

What do you recommend for Black?

After 21.Kd3

Leko-Nyback

Spanish Anti-Marshall 8.a4

Hungary-Finland Rd8

Queen endings are very complicated due to the many checking possibilities.

After 26.Qxa6+(Diagram)

White just took a pawn with check. Here is a case of two passers vs one in a queen ending

What do you recommend for Black?

After 56.Qxa6+

Final Ranking after 11 Rounds – Open

Hungary had a slightly disappointing result.