Sunday, October 09, 2011

Chess Magic – Rent is Not Free!

Women always love to watch Faldo play chess!

Solitaire Chess is a great way to study. What you do is take some published games in a book or magazine and peek to see who wins. Then you cover up some moves near the end of the game (3 to 6 of them) and then see if you can guess the winning moves that were played.

I arbitrarily also cover five moves near the center of the game and the last six moves of the game.

Let’s say it was a 40 move game with Black resigning without making a 40th move. I would cover up moves around 20 thru 24 – or close to that where the book or magazine make it easy to do, and try to see if I can follow along with the winner’s logic or plan.

But when I get to the last six that is where I try to really get them right. After all, the win happened and I need to see if I can see it too. I would start with the first 3 moves and then as you start getting 2 or 3 right most of the time, expand to more moves from the end.

Here is what is called a miniature game because it was over in less than 20 moves. It was eighteen in this game to be exact. For miniatures, I just cover up the last three moves or so. Again what ever I can easily cover in the magazine or book without page flipping.

In this one try and guess the last three winning moves for White!

1. e4 d5

This is called the Center Counter Game. Black challenges White’s control of the center immediately.

2. exd5 Nf6
3. d4 …..

Pushing the pawn to c4 to protect that extra advanced pawn is exactly what Black wants. But White knows his pieces are not developed enough to protect an opened up Queen side (twss).

3. ..… Nxd5
4. Nf3 Bg4
5. Be2 Nc6
6. c4 ..….

Now White can risk the pawn push because Black has to waste a move in order to remove his Knight from the attack.

6. ..… Nb6
7. 0-0 e6
8. Nc3 Be7
9. d5 exd5
10. cxd5 ...…

Isolated pawns are usually not a good idea, but White has a plan.

10. ….. Nb4
11. Qd4 Bxf3
12. Bxf3 Nc2
13. Qxg7 Bf6
14. Qg4 Nxa1

Did White just blunder away a rook (the rental property)?
Uh…..no.
Find White’s win in three moves after …

15. Re1+ Be7

How does White win in 3 moves?

The answer is found in Chess Magic Revealed. Just scroll down and look on the right side of the blog.

2 comments:

Woody Stiffens said...

What on earth does the content of this chess article have to do with the picture of a woman so poor she can only afford to wear skimpy underwear?

If Faldo cared about his fellow human beings he would offer to buy that woman a shirt, sweater, mittens, boots and a hat for the upcoming Winter.

Faldo is heartless.

Nik Faldo said...

You don't understand Woody. Faldo had to buy what she is wearing. Faldo is kind-hearted!