The ultimate chess blog on tumbler dot com

Descriptchession

[achesspiece]

in chess the queens can kill each other which is toxic yuri and the kings can never get within a square of each other which is doomed yaoi

[monsieurenjlolras]

This is your regularly scheduled reminder that "Life finds a way" is about the dinosaurs becoming transgender

[time-traveling-fetus]

The steam library really is the gamers refrigerator. I keep checking to see if there's anything I want to play. I have games. I have plenty of games. There's nothing i want to play

[minecraft-llama]

1000 posts!

[my-dailydreams]

[smallpwbbles]

“Where’s Kinger?” We ALL felt our hearts drop into our ASS

[boycritter]

"unbecoming" is such a great word. bro that shit was so rude you no longer Are

[kaijuno]

[antisquare]

System crash

close-upss

[redrobin-detective]

After careful consideration and going over multiple options I think the best choice is stay warm and cozy in bed forever.

[dumyhead]

“you really were the lesser of the two”

[minecraft-llama]

Daily Chess Posts

I'm struggling to find the motivation to write them right now, especially since some of the longer ones can take over an hour. I'll try making them just little snippets but I just always find myself wanting to do something else. Sorry to anyone who was actually following for them.

[shoezuki]

obsessed with the canadian ghoulmaxxing acecel

[minecraft-llama]

Chess Blog Day #40 - The Grob

The Grob is 1.g4, named after International Master Henri Grob.

It's the worst first move.

There's a book about it that goes for £100 on Amazon.

If black plays 1...g5, it's called the Borg Defence. Because borg is Grob backwards.

minecraft-llama Daily Posts

A chess study by ThatChapThere

[minecraft-llama]

Chess Blog Day #38 - The French Defence

The French Defence is the moves 1.e4 e6.

We saw the move 1...e6 earlier in the Agincourt Defence, against the English. Here we see the French proper, as a response to 1.e4.

The French Defence is played often by players who want a closed, manoeuvring game as opposed to fireworks in the centre.

The game almost always continues 2.d4 d5.

White now has a few options.

The Advance French

3.e5

This continues 3...c5 4.c3 and the fight becomes all about that d4 pawn, with a variety of pieces potentially coming in later to joint this battle.

The Exchange French

3.exd5 exd5. Don't do this unless your plan is to bore your opponent to death.

The Paulsen Variation

3.Nc3 and then (usually) 3...Nf6. Now white should either attack the knight or pin it.

The Tarrasch

3.Nd2. The point here is to make ...Bb4 (Not sure I've mentioned this before but as you might have been able to guess, ... without a number simply indicates a black move.) pointless.

In the Paulsen, black can play the Winawer variation (3...Bb4), pinning the knight to the king.

In the Tarrasch this is pointless since white can just play 4.c3. So if you want to avoid the Winawer, play the Tarrasch.

minecraft-llama Daily Posts

A chess study by ThatChapThere

[minecraft-llama]

Chess Blog Day #39 - The Englund Gambit

The Englund Gambit is 1.d4 e5.

This completely gives up a pawn and is, objectively, what chess grandmasters tend to call "complete bullshit".

However, there's a trap or two. Making it a great way to pull a fast one over an unsuspecting victim.

First, 2...Nc6 3.Nf3 to fight over the floating pawn, and then 3...Qe7 4.Bf4 for the same reason.

Now, 4...Qb4!? begins to set a trap.

If 5.Qd2? happens, you've already won. 5...Qxb2.

And if the Queen tries to X-ray defend the falling rook, pin it to win it. 6.Qxc3?? Bb4.

If white plays the better fifth move, 5.Bd2, you still take the pawn. 5...Qxb2.

Now white is liable to try X-ray defending with the bishop, and then they've fallen into your net. Your response doesn't change from what we saw before.

6.Bc3? Bb4.

7.Qd2 attempts to defend the bishop, but take it anyway. 7...Bxc3.

Now if the knight takes, you can just goggle the rook. 8.Nxc3 Qxa1+.

On the other hand, and this often happens, if the queen takes you can checkmate immediately. 8.Qxc3?? Qc1#

Game Over.

If you are playing white, instead play 6.Nxc3. I've included white's POV for readers who are the sort of people who have to turn maps upside-down when navigating.

minecraft-llama Daily Posts

A chess study by ThatChapThere

With credit to:

The Englund Gambit, beginning with the unexpected moves 1.d4 e5, is a fascinating chess opening that promises a daring and adventurous game.

[minecraft-llama]

Chess Blog Day #37 - The Scandinavian Defence

The Scandinavian Defence is 1.e4 d5.

The best move for white is to take the pawn, and then black should take it back.

2.exd5 Qxd5.

Then white can develop a knight for free.

What do we mean by "for free"?

There's an important concept in chess - that of the tempo.

In this case white play 3.Nc3 and attack the queen. Black doesn't get to continue with their plans, since they have to move the queen to safety. Then white can play another move to advance their agenda, and then black gets to make whatever move they like. So white gets two moves for the price of one.

Black will now move the queen to either a5, d6, or d8.

3...Qd8 is a perfectly good move, but players often don't like feeling like they've done nothing, and keeping the queen out is just as good anyway. 3...Qa5 is the most popular.

And now black has got a good, yet simple, position out of the opening where white can't leverage their e-pawn to take over the centre. What more could you ask for.

minecraft-llama Daily Posts

A chess study by ThatChapThere