THE CONFIDENCE LIE WE ALL BELIEVE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O49fPiqRNkQ

I saw another video that said that the way to build confidence is to practice.  

For example, I have no confidence to be a public speaker, but if I did it every day then I would build confidence.  I don't think that I would ever be a great public speaker, but I would get better over time.

When you do chess tactics problems tens of thousands of times, you become confident at tactics.

When you study king and pawn endgames for 30 years, you literally become a master at king and pawn endgames.  Even against much higher rated opponents, I feel confident.

Magnus Mimics Kramnik

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q2vfbXZvsc

Magnus - I am a Lazy Calculator

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJDEk0rUkno

This Is The Best FREE Chess Analysis Software

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hUB2J4MYBA

Great result in Chess.com USCF Online rated blitz tournament

Because of so many high rated players I am used to getting beat up in this weekly 3+2 speed chess tournament.  My online rating had suffered and I was down to 1758.

Tonight I lost to a 2352 and a 2595.

However, I scored 4.5 out of 5 against five opponents rated from 1989 to 2211.  I think that I was winning a game against a 2050, but took a draw by repetition because I was very low on time.

Two things worked in my favor:

1.  I was very focussed.

2.  I was trying very hard to get active pieces.  Normally, I am more cautious and strategic, but given the fast pace of the games I was throwing caution to the wind. 

The games are not going to be perfect.  They never are at speed chess.  I am sure that there are many errors on both sides.  But the games were exciting...

[Event "*** US Chess 3|2 Blitz"]

[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2026.01.14"]
[Round "1"]
[White "clevelandguards"]
[Black "john2001plus"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2211"]
[BlackElo "1758"]
[TimeControl "180+2"]
[EndTime "1:07:06 GMT+0000"]
[Termination "john2001plus won by checkmate"]

1. b3 e5 2. Bb2 Nc6 3. e3 d5 4. Bb5 Bd6 5. f4 Qe7 6. Nf3 f6 7. fxe5 fxe5 8.
Bxc6+ bxc6 9. Nxe5 Nf6 10. Nxc6 Qf7 11. Qf3 Bg4 12. Qf2 O-O 13. Bxf6 Qxf6 14.
Qxf6 Rxf6 15. Nd4 c5 16. Nb5 Be5 17. N5c3 d4 18. exd4 cxd4 19. Ne4 d3 20. Nxf6+
Bxf6 21. c3 Re8+ 22. Kf2 Re2+ 23. Kg3 Bf5 24. Na3 Be5+ 25. Kh4 Rxg2 26. Rag1 g5+
27. Kh5 Bg6+ 28. Kh6 Bg7# 0-1


[Event "*** US Chess 3|2 Blitz"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2026.01.14"]
[Round "2"]
[White "SpikyOil2"]
[Black "john2001plus"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2082"]
[BlackElo "1788"]
[TimeControl "180+2"]
[EndTime "1:20:36 GMT+0000"]
[Termination "john2001plus won by resignation"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 Ng4 7. Bg5 h6 8. Bh4
g5 9. Bg3 Bg7 10. Qd2 Qb6 11. Nd5 Qxd4 12. Nc7+ Kd8 13. Nxa8 Qxb2 14. Qa5+ b6
15. Qxb6+ Qxb6 16. Nxb6 Bxa1 17. Bc4 Be6 18. O-O Nd7 19. Bxe6 fxe6 20. Nxd7 Kxd7
21. Rxa1 Rb8 22. h3 Nf6 23. e5 Nd5 24. Rd1 Nc3 25. Rd3 Ne2+ 26. Kf1 Nxg3+ 27.
fxg3 Rb2 28. exd6 Rxa2 29. dxe7+ Kxe7 30. c4 Rc2 31. Ra3 Rxc4 32. Rxa6 Re4 33.
Kf2 Re5 34. Kf3 Kf6 35. g4 Rb5 36. g3 Rb3+ 37. Kf2 Ke5 38. Ra8 Ke4 39. Ra4+ Ke5
40. Ra6 Rb2+ 41. Kf3 Rb3+ 42. Kf2 Rb2+ 43. Kf1 Kf6 44. h4 Ke5 45. Ra5+ Kf6 46.
Kg1 Rb1+ 47. Kf2 Rb2+ 48. Ke3 Rb3+ 49. Ke4 Rxg3 50. hxg5+ hxg5 51. Ra8 Rxg4+ 52.
Kf3 Rf4+ 53. Ke3 e5 54. Rf8+ Kg6 55. Ra8 g4 56. Re8 Kf5 57. Rf8+ Kg5 58. Re8
Rf3+ 59. Ke4 Rf1 60. Rxe5+ Kh4 61. Ra5 Kg3 62. Ke3 Re1+ 63. Kd2 Re7 64. Ra3+ Kg2
65. Kd1 g3 66. Ra2+ Kg1 67. Ra8 g2 68. Rg8 Re5 69. Kd2 Kf2 70. Rf8+ Kg3 71. Rg8+
Kf3 72. Rf8+ Kg4 73. Kd3 g1=Q 74. Rg8+ Rg5 75. Rxg5+ Kxg5 0-1


[Event "*** US Chess 3|2 Blitz"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2026.01.14"]
[Round "3"]
[White "john2001plus"]
[Black "RrabbitHole"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "1815"]
[BlackElo "2595"]
[TimeControl "180+2"]
[EndTime "1:27:50 GMT+0000"]
[Termination "RrabbitHole won by resignation"]

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. d4 b6 3. g3 Bb7 4. Bg2 e6 5. O-O Be7 6. c4 O-O 7. Nc3 Ne4 8. Qc2
Nxc3 9. bxc3 f5 10. Nd2 Bxg2 11. Kxg2 d5 12. Nf3 dxc4 13. Bf4 Bd6 14. Ne5 Bxe5
15. Bxe5 Nc6 16. Rfd1 Qd5+ 17. Kg1 Nxe5 18. dxe5 Qxe5 19. Rd4 b5 20. f4 Qc5 21.
Kg2 Rad8 22. Rad1 Rd6 23. e4 Rfd8 24. exf5 exf5 25. Qe2 Qc6+ 26. Qf3 Qxf3+ 27.
Kxf3 Rxd4 28. cxd4 c5 29. Ke3 cxd4+ 30. Rxd4 Rxd4 31. Kxd4 Kf7 32. a4 a6 33.
axb5 axb5 0-1


[Event "*** US Chess 3|2 Blitz"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2026.01.14"]
[Round "4"]
[White "TanMiniGoat"]
[Black "john2001plus"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "1989"]
[BlackElo "1815"]
[TimeControl "180+2"]
[EndTime "1:39:27 GMT+0000"]
[Termination "john2001plus won by checkmate"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. e3 d5 4. Bd3 c5 5. b3 Nc6 6. Bb2 Bd6 7. a3 O-O 8. O-O Qc7
9. Nbd2 e5 10. dxe5 Nxe5 11. Nxe5 Bxe5 12. Bxe5 Qxe5 13. Nf3 Qh5 14. c4 dxc4 15.
Bxc4 Bg4 16. Be2 Rfd8 17. Qc2 Qf5 18. Qxf5 Bxf5 19. Rac1 Ne4 20. Bc4 Nd2 21.
Nxd2 Rxd2 22. Rfd1 Rad8 23. Be2 b6 24. Rxd2 Rxd2 25. Rd1 Rxd1+ 26. Bxd1 Kf8 27.
Kf1 Ke7 28. Ke1 Kd6 29. Kd2 b5 30. Bc2 Bxc2 31. Kxc2 Ke5 32. Kc3 g5 33. a4 a6
34. axb5 axb5 35. b4 c4 36. f3 h5 37. g3 g4 38. fxg4 hxg4 39. h4 gxh3 40. g4 h2
41. g5 h1=Q 42. e4 Qxe4 43. g6 fxg6 44. Kb2 Qd3 45. Ka2 c3 46. Ka1 Qd2 47. Kb1
Qb2# 0-1


[Event "*** US Chess 3|2 Blitz"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2026.01.14"]
[Round "5"]
[White "john2001plus"]
[Black "laurengoodkindchess"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "1837"]
[BlackElo "2050"]
[TimeControl "180+2"]
[EndTime "1:50:20 GMT+0000"]
[Termination "Game drawn by repetition"]

1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 c6 3. c4 e6 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. Bg5 Be7 6. e3 Nbd7 7. Bd3 b6 8. O-O
Bb7 9. Qc2 h6 10. Bh4 O-O 11. e4 dxe4 12. Nxe4 Nxe4 13. Bxe7 Qxe7 14. Bxe4 Nf6
15. Bd3 c5 16. d5 exd5 17. Rfe1 Qd6 18. cxd5 Bxd5 19. Rad1 Qc6 20. Ne5 Qb7 21.
f3 Rfe8 22. Bb5 Red8 23. a4 a6 24. Bc4 Bxc4 25. Qxc4 Rac8 26. b3 Qc7 27. Rxd8+
Rxd8 28. Qxa6 Re8 29. Nd3 Rxe1+ 30. Nxe1 Qe5 31. Kf1 Qxh2 32. Qxb6 Nh5 33. Qxc5
Ng3+ 34. Kf2 Nh1+ 35. Ke2 Ng3+ 36. Kf2 Nh1+ 37. Ke2 Ng3+ 38. Kf2 1/2-1/2


[Event "*** US Chess 3|2 Blitz"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2026.01.14"]
[Round "6"]
[White "LilyFlowerBuds"]
[Black "john2001plus"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2352"]
[BlackElo "1845"]
[TimeControl "180+2"]
[EndTime "2:02:32 GMT+0000"]
[Termination "LilyFlowerBuds won on time"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. h4 Nc6 7. f3 e6 8. Be3 d5
9. Nxc6 bxc6 10. e5 Nd7 11. Na4 Nxe5 12. Nb6 Rb8 13. Nxc8 Qxc8 14. f4 Nd7 15. b3
Bc5 16. Bxc5 Nxc5 17. Qd4 Ne4 18. Bd3 Qc7 19. Qxg7 Qxf4 20. Qxh8+ Kd7 21. Qd4 e5
22. Qa7+ Ke6 23. Bxe4 Qxe4+ 24. Kd1 Qg4+ 25. Kc1 Qxg2 26. Rd1 Rg8 27. Qc7 d4 28.
Kb2 Rg3 29. Re1 f6 30. Rg1 Qf3 31. Raf1 Qc3+ 32. Kb1 d3 33. Qc8+ Kd5 34. Qd7+
Kc5 35. Qe7+ Kb6 36. Qd8+ Kc5 37. Qf8+ Kb6 38. Qb8+ Kc5 39. Qf8+ Kb6 40. Qd8+
Kc5 41. cxd3 Rxd3 42. Qf8+ Kb6 43. Rc1 Qd4 44. Qb8+ Ka5 45. Qc7+ Kb5 46. Qxc6+
Ka5 47. Qc5+ 1-0


[Event "*** US Chess 3|2 Blitz"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2026.01.14"]
[Round "7"]
[White "VroomVroom5"]
[Black "john2001plus"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2081"]
[BlackElo "1843"]
[TimeControl "180+2"]
[EndTime "2:13:35 GMT+0000"]
[Termination "john2001plus won by resignation"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 d5 5. e3 O-O 6. Nf3 c5 7. Bd2 cxd4 8. Nxd4
Nc6 9. Nxc6 bxc6 10. Be2 e5 11. O-O d4 12. exd4 exd4 13. Na4 Qa5 14. Bxb4 Qxb4
15. a3 Qd6 16. b4 Re8 17. Bf3 Ng4 18. g3 Ne5 19. Bg2 d3 20. Qc3 Bg4 21. f3 Bf5
22. f4 Ng4 23. Nc5 Ne3 24. Rfd1 Nxd1 25. Rxd1 a5 26. Nxd3 axb4 27. axb4 Re3 28.
c5 Rxd3 29. cxd6 Rxc3 30. d7 Rd8 31. Ra1 Bxd7 32. Bf1 Kf8 33. b5 cxb5 34. Ra7
Ke8 35. g4 b4 36. f5 b3 37. Ra5 b2 38. Re5+ Kf8 39. Bd3 Rxd3 0-1

Final rating: 1866

My Chess Tactics problems.

https://www.entertainmentjourney.com/1w.htm

https://www.entertainmentjourney.com/1b.htm

I have mentioned before that I use my performance on the chess problems I created roughly 29 years ago as a proxy for measuring my current tactical strength.  This is usually a good indicator.

I have been accused of simply memorizing the answers and not really challenging my brain.  This is partly true.  The challenge is to see how quickly I can get through them.  My goal is to memorize the patterns rather than the problems themselves, although in reality I am doing some of both.

These problems form the foundation of my pattern recognition.  My goal was always to be able to see simple tactics quickly—if not instantly.  Most one-move problems are instantaneous for me.  This is usually not true for the two- and three-move problems, but I would like it to be.

I have these goals because I play a great deal of speed chess and need to recognize tactical patterns very quickly.

After Christmas, I suddenly started doing worse on these problems.  This led me to believe I was in a slump.  There could be a variety of reasons for this, but my concern is that my skill might deteriorate as I get older.

At least for the moment, I seem to have worked my way out of the slump.  In chess, hard work has always paid off for me, and I love the game so much that I enjoy the effort.

Black Hangs On

I've gone deep down a rabbit hole on this one.  

It gets way deep, but it illustrates fighting back in a potentially losing position.  I think that this is instructive.

I got started down this path because the computer said that I made the wrong move.  However, I didn't realize just how deep the analysis would get.

https://positionalanalysis.blogspot.com/2025/12/black-hangs-on.html

Magnus Backing Hikaru

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFE76-6j1xc

Re: Improve Your Chess Tactics

I have uploaded to the website at least a couple of dozen changes to the tactics problems.   Many of these are cosmetic, but I have also fixed a few errors.  

I added one or two new problems.

https://www.entertainmentjourney.com/1w.htm

https://www.entertainmentjourney.com/1b.htm

White to Play

This would seem to be too deep for mere mortals, but not for a world champion.  This was played in 1895, one year after Steinitz lost the world championship to Lasker.

https://positionalanalysis.blogspot.com/2025/10/white-to-play_30.html

I could see Hikaru Nakamura playing something like this.  The weird thing is that he would see it all the way through.

BTW, decades ago I watched Hikaru Nakamura as a child playing in a blitz tournament in Las Vegas.  He beat a grandmaster.

Bobby Fischer humble as always

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94_ZsMoWfes

A nice little puzzle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1d9n0dH9Ek

I saw the first move immediately, but I missed the second move.

Chess Level 02: White to Play and Win (Instructive)

https://chesslevel2.blogspot.com/2025/11/white-to-play-and-win-instructive.html?sc=1763992600709

GM Daniel Naroditsky

I have been waiting to hear the cause of death of 29 year old Grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky.  He was a popular chess Youtuber having made hundreds of videos.

The police said that they were investing his death as a possible suicide or drug overdose.  His family was requesting privacy, so I am not sure if we will hear the official cause of death.

The night before Naroditsky died, he was playing a marathon session almost till morning. He may have been streaming his games at the time.  Reportedly, some of his friends tried to intervene, saying that he was playing himself to exhaustion.  He said that he was fine.

I looked at his history on chess.com.  He lost his last 6 games, which is when he probably decided to stop playing.  In his last game he hung a rook before resigning, which is rare for a Grandmaster.  It probably shows that he was exhausted.  Hanging a rook is an unfortunate way to end one's chess career.

Former world champion Vladimir Kramnik has shown paranoid levels of suspicion about online cheating.  Although online cheating is a problem, Kramnik has accused way more people than what would be reasonable.  He has accused some of the world's best players of cheating.  In particular, he slandered Daniel Naroditsky for over a year in a way that was harmful and Naroditsky said caused him distress.  Many people believed the former world champion.

Although we still don't know the cause of death for Daniel Naroditsky, the world chess federation (FIDE) is considering sanctions against Kramnik for what they perceive as improper behavior.  They even tried to warn Kramnik that he was getting out of line.

--
Best wishes,

John Coffey

http://www.entertainmentjourney.com

The Type of Chess Problem I Don't Like

White to play and mate in 2

Solution...

I don't particularly like problems with castling as the solution. They feel like trick problems. I was thinking that it was impossible until I realized that White could castle.

There is no reasonable way that you would reach this position in a real game.

Chess for Babies?

I doubt that babies are capable of abstract thinking.  (BTW, the games on this video are really interesting.)

I remember that at a young age, maybe 9 or 10, I was fascinated with any kind of grid, like a tiled surface.  I would imagine a ball traveling along a diagonal and bouncing off an edge at a right angle and continuing on bouncing off other edges.  This was long before ball and paddle video games were invented that did essentially the same thing.  

My point is that humans have a natural fascination with geometric patterns and chess is a geometric game.

Jumble Puzzle

The answer to the puzzle is ...

"Make a move"

A World Champion designed this, white to move and win!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Jc0hDxV_Gs

I would call this a master level endgame.  These corresponding-square problems arise when the king is trying to advance on one of two sides, and the enemy king is trying to guard both sides.  So the two kings do a dance to out maneuver the other.

@john2001plus
0 seconds ago
It was obvious to me that this was a classic corresponding-squares problem. Starting from the left, the Black king must be on b6 when the White king is on c4. If the Black king is on a6 then he is too far left to prevent the White king from marching to h5. From this we obtain five more corresponding squares: the White squares d3, e3, f3, g3, and h4 correspond, respectively, to the Black squares c7, d7 e7, f6, and g6. If it is Black's turn when both kings occupy corresponding squares, Black is forced out of position. 

From that I knew White would need to triangulate at some point, but the actual triangulation move was not obvious to me. Maybe in a real game I would stumble on the correct move. 

The key idea is that after 1. Kb2 Kb8 Black wants to move to a corresponding square after White does. White also wants to move to a corresponding square after Black does. 

Note that 1... Kb7 loses to 2. Kc3 because both players attack two corresponding squares and it is Black who has to move first. This is tricky to see. 

(I'm still trying to wrap my brain around 1. Kb3 Ka7 draws.  After 2.Kc3 Kb7 we have the situation described above where both players attack the same two corresponding squares, but it is White's turn.  Can't White still try to triangulate?  Apparently not.   I need to look at this further.)

So where's the triangulation? 

2. Kc2 Kc8 

(2... Kb7 3. Kc3 is still winning.) 

3. Kd2 Kd8 

Black stays in range of b6. 

4. Kc3 Kc7 

Still keeping in range of b6. 

5. Kd3 

This is the triangulation because Black must still guard b6. Both kings are on their corresponding squares and it is Black's turn 

5... Kd7 

(5... Kb6 6. Ke3 wins on the kingside.) 

6. Kc4.

Rook and Pawn Ending

I did a detailed analysis of this ending from one of my games.  This is how I have learned most of my endings.  🙂

Some of the lines are complicated.  

With propper play, White can barely hold the draw.

https://chesslevel7.blogspot.com/2025/10/black-to-play_28.html

What ACTUALLY happened to Daniel Naroditsky

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BLH_3xhRDM

The move that started the cheating accusation by Kramnik

New questions surround the death of chess grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky

American chess grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky dies at age 29

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/oct/20/daniel-naroditsky-dies-chess-grandmaster

Did Magnus give the Queen an upgrade?

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ajl5Ods_cpY

I have heard of a computer evaluating the queen at 9.8.

White to Play. Who is going to win?

https://onethousandpositionstochessmastery.blogspot.com/2025/09/white-to-play-who-is-going-to-win.html

​This game has to be shared...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x69V-MoO8I4&t=318s

White to play and mate in 2 Moves

I like chess problems, even simple ones.

Little Big Shots: Chess champion Emma Cheng

https://abc13.com/post/8-year-old-girl-terminates-arnold-schwarzenegger-in-chess-game/549781/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hhw15KrX2dA

40% of chess players on chess.com are rated below 480???

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/FQH-GGQPyy8

The ratings used to be different.  I remember having a conversation with a Class A friend 35 yeas ago, who said that anything below 1200 was meaningless, because he reasoned how can you be worse than bad?

However, there were a great many more children who participated in tournaments after that.  This brought the average down by a huge amount.  Kids who had no real concept of how to play chess properly were competing for rating points.

I've talked to adults who have very low ratings on chess.com, like in the 400  to 500 range.  If they are able to find people on their level to play chess with, then more power to them.

It seems like Magnus was being generous.  I see a rating of 800 as a base level competency.   It is really not hard to get 1200 or 1300.  You just have to not make simple mistakes.  Any form of regular tactics study would get a person to that level.

Magnus Carlsen's Favorite Openings

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/_Xr5qOTBURc

Magnus on why Chess960

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/8xzcV_e49jA

Testing old chess computers through emulation

In the days before everyone had computers, if you wanted to play chess, your only option was to play with another person. In the late 1970's Fidelity introduced a series of electronic computer chess games. These early models played poorly, but I knew people who bought them just to be able to play and practice whenever they wanted. I managed to borrow a few of these so that I could get a feel for how well they played.

Although the early machines did not play well, things started to improve in the 1980s. There was a golden age of dedicated chess computers that went from 1983 to about 1993.  In 1984, I purchased the Novag Super Constellation electronic chess game for what I think was $200, which was quite a bit of money in 1984. The U.S. Chess Federation had given it a rating of 2018, which is better than at least 90% of all adult tournament players. Any rating between 2000 and 2199 is considered to be the skill level of "Expert" and a higher rating of 2200 is considered to be "Master."

Although I am currently rated 2016, at the time I bought the Novag Super Constellation I was rated just a little over 1700. In a few months, I would reach a rating of 1800 which is considered to be "Class A." Nevertheless, what I remember about the Novag Super Constellation is that it played better than me, which is surprising since it only contains an 8-bit processor running at just 4 MHZ. That is not very fast compared to modern 64-bit processors with multiple cores running at gigahertz speeds.

Over time, I bought a couple of better chess-playing computers and I have fond memories of practicing with all of them. I sold all these machines when I got a desktop computer in the mid-'90s, but I kind of regret it because they all were fun to play with it.

This became an issue when I was researching these old chess-playing computers where I saw many online claims that these computers were not as good as the ratings that had been assigned to them. For example, I saw the claim that the Novag Super Constellation was only about 1750 strength, and two other computers that I owned rated 2100 and 2265 were also claimed to be weaker than their advertised ratings. None of these claims match my experience, since all of the computers played better than I did.

I was so curious about this that I wanted to get my hands on one of the old chess computers, assuming that one can be found, however unlikely, and see how it compares to my current chess ability. Fortunately, I found software that allows me to emulate dozens of old chess computers on my Windows PC.

In my first game against the emulated Novag Super Constellation on level 1, the lowest level, I was able to win by only the slimmest of margins. I tried the same thing on the Fidelity Designer 2100, a slightly better machine, and I lost. I have no doubt that the other computer I owned, the stronger Fidelity Designer 2265, would stomp me like it used to when I played it 30 years ago. I will confirm this eventually.

So I tested a variety of chess computers with a somewhat difficult chess problem..

Most serious chess players have seen this problem already and know the answer. However, if they were not familiar with it, the solution might be difficult for them to find in a real game. There is the more direct solution of 6. Nxe5 Bxd1 7. Bxf7+ Ke7 8. Nd5# (checkmate). However, for a computer to see the solution it also has to see 6... Nxe5 7. Qxh5 Nxc4 8. Qb5+ c6 9. Qxc4. There is also 7... Nf6 8. Qe2 Nxc4 9. Qxc4. Either way, that is 7 half-moves deep, which is pretty deep for ancient chess computers to look.

Based upon my testing, this is how long various chess computers take to solve this chess problem...

#	Model	Year	Processor	Speed	ROM	Time	Depth	Nodes/S
1.	Fidelity Chess Challenger 10	1978	Z80	4 MHZ	4K	Fails
2.	Fidelity Chess Challenger 7	1979	Z80	4 MHZ	4K	12 hours
3.	Novag Savant	1981	Z80	6 MHZ	24K	12:40m
4.	Novag Savant II	1982	Z80	6 MHZ	32K	12:33m
5.	Novag Constellation	1983	6502	2 MHZ	16K	6:46m
6.	Constellation 3.6 ROM set 1	1984	6502	3.6 MHZ	16K	3:30m*
7.	Constellation 3.6 ROM set 2	1986	6502	3.6 MHZ	16K	3:33m*	5 ply
8.	Novag Super Constellation	1984	6502	4 MHZ	56K	2:10m	5 ply	500?
9.	Constellation Expert	1985	65C02	5 MHZ	64K	1:54m	5 ply
10.	Novag Forte A	1986	65C02	5 MHZ	64K	2:15m	5 ply	~1000
11.	Novag Forte B	1986	65C02	5 MHZ	64K	1:58m	5 ply	~1000
12.	Novag Super Forte	1987	65C02	5 MHZ	64K	1:13m	5 ply	~1350
13.	Novag Super Expert A	1987	65C02	5 MHZ	64K	1:00m	5 ply	~1100
14.	Novag Super Forte B	1989	65C02	5 MHZ	64K	30s	5 ply	~1400
15.	Novag Super Expert B	1989	65C02	5 MHZ	64K	19s	5 ply	~1375
16.	Novag Super Forte C	1990	65C02	5 MHZ	64K	11s	5 ply	~1500
17.	Novag Super Nova	1990	HD6301Y	4 MHZ	32K	10s	4 ply
18.	Novag Super Expert C	1990	65C02	5 MHZ	64K	6s	5 ply	~1050
19.	Novag Scorpio 68000	1990	68000	16 MHZ	98K	9s
20.	Novag Diablo 68000	1990	68000	16 MHZ	98K	9s
21.	Fidelity Excellence	1985	65C02	3 MHZ	16K	2:16m	5 ply
22.	Fidelity Excellence	1985	65C02	4 MHZ	16K	2:00m	5 ply
23.	Fidelity Designer Display 2000	1989	65C02	3 MHZ	32K	1:45m	5 ply	~81
24.	Fidelity Par Excellence	1986	65C02	5 MHZ	32K	1:22m	5 ply
25.	Fidelity Designer Display 2100	1988	65C02	6 MHZ	64K	54s	5 ply	~180
26.	Fidelity Designer Display 2265	1989	68000	16 MHZ	64K	5s	3 ply
27.	Fidelity Designer Display 2325	1991	68020	20 MHZ	64K	3s	4 ply
28.	Chessmaster NES	1990	6502	1.79 MHZ	48K	7:00m	5 ply
29.	Chessmaster Super Nintendo	1991	65816	3.58 MHZ	110K	4:43m	5 ply
30.	Chessmaster 2000 (DOS)	1986	?	?	NA	1:33m
31.	Chessmaster 3000 (DOS)	1991	?	?	NA	4s	4 ply
32.	Stockfish 14.1 2017-iMac	2022	i5	3.4 GHZ One Core	NA	<1s	<12 ply	~880,000

It is noteworthy that the Super Constellation solved the problem in roughly 2 minutes, which is within tournament time controls. I am disappointed in Chessmaster on the Super Nintendo because it failed to achieve this. It is running on a similar processor, and it is a port of Chessmaster 2000 written by Dave Kittinger, who also wrote the Super Constellation program!

* The second version of the Constellation 3.6 solves this problem on its top two tournament levels, but the first version moves too quickly to see the answer.  It can only solve the problem on its infinite level, even though it takes about the same amount of time to see the solution. The second ROM set is based upon the Novag Expert program.

Super Constellation game #1.

My USCF rating history graph

This is an interesting graph of my chess rating. The records only go back to 1991.

https://www.uschess.org/datapage/ratings_graph.php?memid=11080847

I first crossed the 1800 rating mark in 1985. However, I was frustrated by my lack of progress until 1988, when I moved near Purdue University. There, I started playing regularly with the Purdue players and running many tournaments, which helped me to improve.

Around 1990, I reached my peak rating of 2079.

After moving to Utah in 1993, my rating dropped back to 1800.  Part of that decline was due to the stress of starting a new job.  Additionally, in the 1990s, there was a perception that Utah players were underrated. This was largely due to the state's relative isolation—traveling to out-of-state tournaments required significant effort, which meant there was less mixing of rating points between regions. I used to drive 420 miles each year to play in the National Open in Las Vegas, which I attended for 12 or 13 consecutive years.

The 1990s also saw deliberate rating deflation by the USCF, following concerns about rating inflation during the 1980s. The USCF aimed to bring its ratings more in line with international ratings, which were generally lower. However, the deflation was so unpopular that the USCF eventually revised its rating system.

Around the year 2000, I set a goal to raise my rating—possibly to master level—by memorizing 200 opening lines. I originally planned to accomplish this in 200 days, but it ended up taking about 400. Then I played in a five-round state championship, and all of my games went out of book by move 5. As a result, I shifted my focus to tactics training. I put a great deal of effort into improving my tactical skills, and my rating began to rise.

I crossed back over 2000 shortly before moving back to Indiana in 2015. In the years leading up to that move, I had several notable tournament results, including winning or tying the Senior Championship four times, winning the state G/60 Championship, and claiming the Expert trophy in the Class Championship.

Magnus Carlsen Ranks Bobby Fischer: Genius, Entertaining, Influence, Sanity

Magnus on Gukesh

https://youtube.com/shorts/mEc5N4m6CWE?si=xGAR26x9cntDYIhD

Magnus recently lost twice to Gukesh.

Carlsen Vs Carlsen

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/msbslqCaIEY

Taliban Ban on Chess

 "They shouted at us, they grabbed our chess sets and pieces and they beat up two of my friends," he recalled. One of his friends tried to challenge the men, who work for the ministry for the prevention of vice and promotion of virtue, which upholds the Taliban's hardline interpretation of Islam, as fleshed out in its recent morality laws. He says one of them told him: "Playing chess is forbidden. Buying a chess set is forbidden. Even watching it — is forbidden."

"In short," Hassanzadeh said in a telephone interview, "this healthy and harmless entertainment was snatched away from us."

https://www.npr.org/sections/goats-and-soda/2025/06/17/g-s1-72309/chess-ban-afghanistan-taliban

Magnus - My Kids will be...

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/6ch5OA4L0Do

Update to my online chess lessons

For those who might be interested, I have updated my online chess lessons.  

I have improved the order of the posts and grouped some items by openings.

https://onethousandpositionstochessmastery.blogspot.com/

Magnus on why Chess960? 😮

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/8xzcV_e49jA

Magnus - Talent Vs Hardwork

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Zn_BvfruFmM

KRvKQ – Syzygy endgame tablebases

This is the critical maneuver in this endgame.  If you know this, you have a better chance of winning this endgame.

https://syzygy-tables.info/?fen=6K1/6R1/5k2/8/7q/8/8/8_b_-_-_0_1

The Future of Road to GM

FYI.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhxC1RrYKuQ

@john2001plus
0 seconds ago
Levy,

At 64, soon to be 65, I find that I have a different perspective on things.

I play chess for fun and to learn. I am always learning. If it ever felt like a job, I wouldn't find it worth playing. After all, jobs aren't supposed to be fun.

At my age, I deal with enough minor physical issues that attending tournaments feels like unnecessary work and a time-consuming burden. Unless I were to make significant progress, I have nothing to prove by going to a tournament. I could spend an entire day or weekend at a tournament, possibly gaining 8 rating points, or losing more than that. What would I really accomplish?

Tournaments used to be fun, but they're better suited for younger people with more energy to spare. I haven't given up on tournaments completely, but I'm waiting for the right time.

When I returned to my home state after 22 years, I noticed that many of the players I used to compete against were still playing in tournaments, and their ratings were exactly the same as when I left. My rating had fluctuated quite a bit, but ultimately ended up around the same level. It seemed like we were all chasing a higher rating for 22 years—and making no real progress. That's a lot of effort for no return.

People often go to tournaments thinking they're the key to increasing their rating. But what really matters is whether a person has the skill to reach their goal. Either they have the skill, or they don't. If someone is GM-level, the title will eventually come.

Chess is a game, and like any skill, it can be improved through practice. Some people become exceptional at video games after practicing for hundreds or even thousands of hours. So, I have a theory that I can improve by practicing against the computer and analyzing my games.

I'll let you know if it works.

Best wishes,

John Coffey

Rod Serling's Greatest Obsession (William Windom)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aewL16VdsU

The episode starred Wiliam Windom, a character actor who played supporting characters on many old shows.

He is maybe most famous for a Star Trek role...
https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/William_Windom

"Windom was a tournament chess player... and a life member of the United States Chess Federation"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Windom_(actor)

https://www.uschess.org/msa/MbrDtlMain.php?12546262

Sicilian Defense: Black to Play

Steve,

You might find this interesting.   I wanted to know which line the computer regards as absolutely the best...

https://sicilianopening.blogspot.com/2025/01/black-to-play_27.html

The computer chose either 6. Be3 or 6. e3 following up with 6... e5, which seems counterintuitive. I assume that the Najdorf variation with 6. Bg5 e6 is more common.

These 70-py searches take days to complete.  Often there isn't much difference between 70-ply and 40-ply, but sometimes they are different.  

In the middle game and endgame, there isn't much difference between 30-ply and 40-ply searches, but the opening choices are often different.

Give this video 20 seconds. :-)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1f4hLF5g0g0&t=78s

Instructive Chess Game

https://onethousandpositionstochessmastery.blogspot.com/2025/01/white-to-play.html

Chess Puzzle

You might find this interesting.

https://chesslevel2.blogspot.com/2025/01/white-to-play.html

World Blitz Chess Championship Stunning Result

I woke up today feeling like I have a cold or bad allergies, so I spent half the day watching the World Blitz Chess Championship on YouTube, which I probably would have watched anyway.

In a stunning turn of events, Magnus Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi agreed to share the title of World Blitz Chess Champion after three draws in a tie-break playoff. However, the rules state that they had to keep playing until someone won. Magnus suggested that they split the title, Nepomniachtchi agreed, and they asked the arbiter if they could do this. After some behind-the-scenes discussion, it was permitted.

I learned today that these two men have been close friends as well as competitors for decades. Both were born in 1990. This is Nepomniachtchi's first World Championship title.

There is a complicated history behind all this. Magnus Carlsen is widely regarded as the best player to have ever lived, but there are a few players who are close to his level. Magnus has won the classical World Chess Championship five times, defeating Nepomniachtchi twice. However, he decided to stop defending his title. Classical games can be very long, lasting up to six hours each, and the World Championship can be a grueling tournament lasting at least a couple of weeks. Magnus stated that the classical World Championship no longer interests him.

After Magnus, the World Championship title was won by Ding Liren of China and then Gukesh Dommaraju of India.

However, Magnus has continued to participate in rapid and blitz championships. Both tournaments just concluded. Magnus withdrew from the Rapid Championship over a dispute with the organizers due to his violation of the dress code by wearing jeans, which made international news. He initially wasn't going to play in the Blitz Championship, but the parties resolved their differences and even relaxed the dress code for the two-day Blitz championship. I saw many players wearing jeans during the Blitz Championship.

--
Best wishes,

John Coffey

http://www.entertainmentjourney.com

Instructive Chess Game

https://onethousandpositionstochessmastery.blogspot.com/2024/12/reverse-gruenfeld.html

The Death of Chess

I have a database of Carlsen games, and I could not find any Semi-Tarrasch games.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiA3GaOgQCM&t=138s

One Thousand Positions to Chess Mastery: Queen's Gambit Accepted

https://onethousandpositionstochessmastery.blogspot.com/2024/12/queens-gambit-accepted.html

How to Cheat at Chess

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GRn1V5q7HI&t=491s

Ding Liren - Wikipedia

Personal life

He is accompanied by his mother on his travels. In an interview with Die Zeit in February 2024 he said he was dysphoric and had problems sleeping. In November 2024 he was quoted as saying he simply no longer enjoyed his work and suffered psychological problems.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ding_Liren#Personal_life

He Had The Most Incredible (chess) Mind In History, Until This Happened

This is old news but an interesting video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Od3gG13tyf8

"I've lost to a treadmill"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxaBG8_a_64&t=410s

xkcd: Arizona Chess

 https://xkcd.com/3014/

https://xkcd.com/

White to Play and Win

White to Play and Mate in 2

 

White to Win

 

Magnus - I am not a Perfectionist

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/gChcUAJ62HI

I am guilty of spending too much time on positions looking for the perfect move

White to Play and Mate in 2

 

AMAZING Endgame PUZZLE!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFa8Ev1jnq0

Magnus on Shaky Anand

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/TGETtfN9yww

Want to Checkmate Like a Pro? Watch This Now

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQHBTXUbWKg

Magnus Genius Sense of Humour

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/aydChIo1Ku8

Cartoon

Thoughts on Getting Better at Chess

Players need to work on tactical pattern recognition and calculation. These are two sides of the same coin. We can't calculate very well unless we can also recognize the patterns on the chessboard.

My personal goal is to be able to either recognize or calculate 3 move tactics while playing speed chess.  I think that there is a difference from 1500 to 2000 where the players go from calculating tactics to recognizing more of them instantly.  Starting in the mid-1990s, I spent a great deal of time studying tactics and this took me from 1800 to 2000.

Many people claim that speed chess is bad, but I don't agree.  It builds pattern recognition and teaches quick calculation, although it depends upon the person.  Speed chess can create bad habits and some people just need more time to calculate.

There is this idea called "The Woodpecker Method" and a book by the same name.  The method is to study the same set of a thousand tactical problems repeatedly.  Each time you do them you will get faster at doing the entire set.  Another author, Michael de La Maza, had the same idea in a book called "Rapid Chess Improvement".  Before he wrote his book, he first published it as an article, but first, he sent the article to me to ask what I thought of it because I had already created a website advocating a similar idea.

I inadvertently discovered this method when I created my chess lesson website around 1996.  The Internet was still very young and there wasn't much chess content so Chess Life magazine gave me an "award" for my site.  After I spent months creating the 1, 2, and 3 move problems on my site, I challenged myself to see how long it would take me to go through each set of the white-to-move and black-to-move problems.  It took a long time.  However, the second and every subsequent pass was faster.  I think that a 2000-level player should be able to get through each set of 1, 2, and 3 move problems in 30 minutes, but only after much practice.  I have achieved this many times, but now I fall short so I intend to study the problems more.

I've been accused of just memorizing the answers to all my problems and not doing any actual tactical calculation.  This is half right.  For some problems, I remember the answers, but for others, I just remember the pattern involved and a few I don't remember at all.  Even if the accusation were 100% correct, this would not be a bad thing.  Chess skill relies on remembering what we have seen before and recognizing those patterns over the board.

Some people improve just by playing a ton of games, and this can work, but I think that it is less effective than studying tactics.  Although most people play a great deal, I don't play many games and prefer to spend my time studying chess.

I also have thoughts on what it takes to become a chess master...

In the late 1970s, I studied basic King and Pawn endgames and became proficient at them.   In the mid-1990s I studied more complex king and pawn endgames, all of which were from my games, and became skilled at those.   I didn't have to memorize these endgames because I understood why the moves were correct.  It is easier to retain information if you understand it, but this is harder to apply to other areas of the game like openings.  I think that endgames are easy to learn, except the more difficult ones like the bishop and knight mate or the queen versus rook ending.

I have a full course covering King and Pawn Endings on my website.

My point is that I think that it is possible to take one small area of the game and master it.  I have done this with King and Pawn Endgames.   Chess is not just one skill, but many, so I think that a person could master chess by just focusing on one aspect of the game until they master it, and then move on to studying a different aspect of the game.  For example, I think that it is possible to learn a particular opening as well as a master, although this would require much effort.

Online ratings mean very little to me.  I can't control how well the anonymous person on the Internet plays or if they are cheating, which many of them do.   What matters to me is how well I play.  Likewise, losing games at the chess club doesn't phase me.  I see losses as an opportunity to learn something.  My goal is to always keep learning.  Losing a game doesn't mean that I am a bad player, and I have confidence in my chess skill.  I have no problem playing and losing to stronger players because my goal is to play the best that I am able regardless of the result.

Chess Level 02: Black to Play

I think that this is interesting.

https://chesslevel2.blogspot.com/2023/11/black-to-play-and-win_23.html

Magnus explained why Chess is popular

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/aGc5lYv3cvI

Chess is too complicated for humans to completely master, but Magnus Carlsen has come closer than anyone.

KQ vs. KR Endgame

Recently, I have put much effort into learning the endgame KQ vs. KR. This is probably the most difficult chess endgame to study. Many moves are counterintuitive compared to other endgames where you crowd the enemy king until you get forced checkmate.

It tempting in many positions to check horizontally or vertically.  This is often wrong, and the correct procedure is to check once or twice along a diagonal before checking horizontally or vertically.  In some positions, the best move is to not check but attack the squares around the opponent's king.  To win, you have to be able to calculate well.

Against a good defense, there is a desired position that you must reach to separate the King and Rook.  I note this position on the web page below.

This is also the kind of ending that you might only see twice in a lifetime.  Because of the difficulty, studying it might not be time well spent.  You cannot learn it overnight or just through general principles.

However, I want to be prepared for it.

I have created 33 study positions on the webpage below.  These start with the easiest and progress gradually to the more difficult.  Most problems build upon the ones that came before them.  

If you are interested, scroll down until you see "KQ vs. KR" on the right side.

https://onethousandpositionstochessmastery.blogspot.com/

This is not yet complete.  I plan to add more positions regarding the "3rd rank defense" and how to push the enemy king to the corner.

Trying out the NEW Internet Chess Club

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73oJD5nf3Ok

The different speeds of playing chess from the fastest to the slowest are called:  Bullet, Blitz or Speed Chess, Rapid or Quick Chess, Action Chess (Antiquated.  Between 30 and 59 minutes per player.), Standard, and finally Correspondence or Postal Chess, also known online as Daily.


@john2001plus
9 minutes ago (edited)
As far as I know, ICC was the first place on the Internet to play chess.

I joined ICC back around 1995.  I didn't even have the World Wide Web at that point.  I had used a text-only version of the Internet called "Usenet" for about five years.   Within a few months, I downloaded Netscape and accessed the World Wide Web for the first time.  It was slow and I had no idea what to do with it.  There was hardly any content.

So back then to play chess on ICC you had to download a program that would act as a graphical user interface.  It communicated with the server using text but displayed the board on the screen.  The most popular program was called "Ziics", but it would be later replaced by a program called Blitzn which was the standard until recently.

BTW,  back in the mid-90s, I was having an online chat with the owner of ICC, who told me that he was inventing a new time control, which was less than 3 minutes for the whole game.  He wanted to know if I had any ideas for a name for the new time control.  I tried to come up with something, but he suddenly had an inspiration and called it "bullet".  I told him that this was a terrible name because what do guns have to do with chess?  However, he stuck to his guns, sort of speak.

Famous Mate in 2 Moves Puzzle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIuA1UIb838

Hitler vs Lenin | Chess Game in 1909

https://youtu.be/GYUQYsLWlMI?si=uvwAv7afS2WIOh6E

There is an old story about Hitler and Lenin playing a chess game and there is even a drawing depicting this, but many historians think that it is a myth.

Many famous people played chess. Albert Einstein played Robert Oppenheimer. Mike Tyson played Muhammad Ali. Humphrey Bogart and John Lennon were both officially Experts. Many movie stars would play chess on movie sets while waiting for their scenes, such as John Wayne, Lauren Bacall, and Tony Randall.

Benjamin Franklin was an avid player and met the French master Philidor.

Endgame practice, white to get a draw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pf_ZYZZr4yg

This simple chess problem stumped and impressed me.

https://www.chess.com/puzzles/problem/220411/practice

Magnus - Best Advice for Every Player

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/whrtYwcquA4

RIDICULOUS Hans Niemann Update

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueqoFGDy_f8

White to Play and Mate in 2

 

Magnus on Generational Shifts

This is interesting.  Magnus Carlsen relies a great deal on intuition.  In an interview from about a dozen years ago, he said that he usually sees the best move right away, but still has to calculate to ensure that intuition is correct.   His pattern recognition is the best in the world.  He seems to know more about chess than anyone else.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/7z3UK3jK77w

Kasparov and Fischer were better at chess calculation than anyone in their generation.  As a result, they tended to play aggressively.  Karpov had a completely different style, where he was a strategic player who relied on being able to outmaneuver his opponents.  Magnus Carlsen can do both, making him a nearly perfect chess player.  

However, in recent years, we have seen the rise of many young players, especially from India and Asia, who could someday become World Champion.

"Take Down Magnus"

https://youtube.com/shorts/mqlmVoOnj7o?si=HV0-EO-3SGHNvdf4

Magnus is simply GENIUS

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/k4LVnJb3ris

From a quick tournament

Play online chess

Symmetrical English Opening

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: John Coffey <john2001plus@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, Jul 27, 2024 at 6:57 PM
Subject: Symmetrical English Opening
To: Jay, John, Craig


This is the last game I want to share from our group coaching session.

It is most likely the best ten-minute game I have ever played.

https://onethousandpositionstochessmastery.blogspot.com/2024/07/symmetrical-english-opening.html

I am in the process of updating both of my chess lesson websites, which mirror each other.  I plan to drop my web-hosted site next year and stop paying for it because the free blog page is good enough.

On the blog page, I have ordered the games chronologically, which is meant to show the advancement of my playing style over the last 50 years.

I have a detailed endgame lesson I could give some time.  It would take maybe 1.5 to 2.5 hours.

P.S.  Although I have added a bunch of games, both sites contain a bunch of unnecessary posts that I am going to remove.

--
Best wishes,

John Coffey

http://www.entertainmentjourney.com

Slav Defense

I hadn't looked at this game for a very long time, but it is interesting enough that I want to share it.

It is maybe more complicated than most games I share.

https://onethousandpositionstochessmastery.blogspot.com/2024/06/slav-defense.html

--

Best wishes,

John Coffey

http://www.entertainmentjourney.com

Utah Senior Championship, June 2010

I spent some time analyzing an old game which I think is instructive...

https://onethousandpositionstochessmastery.blogspot.com/2024/07/english-opening.html

Magnus - You Can't Play Mainlines Anymore 🤠

https://youtube.com/shorts/Umz7NMYkbXQ?si=sXNA6DOE5IRplWSR

Fwd: French Advance Variation

FYI.

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: John Coffey <john2001plus@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Jul 15, 2024 at 12:21 PM
Subject: French Advance Variation
To:

I would have shown this game if we had more time, but our session was long as it was.

https://onethousandpositionstochessmastery.blogspot.com/2024/07/french-advance-variation.html

--

Best wishes,

John Coffey

http://www.entertainmentjourney.com

You Can Win 90% Games With This Opening Against 1.d4 - YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UWc8haE4kM

Which top chess player is the worst loser?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1fi80fHiYI&t=24s

Chess Game as best as I can remember

[Event "Columbus Chess Club"]
[Site "Lewellen Chapel"]
[Date "Jun 27, 2024"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Omar"]
[Black "John Coffey"]
[Result "0-1"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. g3 e5 3. dxe5 Ng4 4. e4 d6 5. exd6 Bxd6 6. Nc3 O-O 7. f3 Nxh2 8.
Bf4 Bxf4 9. gxf4 Qh4+ 10. Ke2 Qxf4 11. Qd2 Qxd2+ 12. Kxd2 Nxf1+ 13. Rxf1 Nc6
14. Nd5 Be6 15. Ne2 Rad8 16. c4 Ne5 17. Kc3 g6 (17… Nxc4?? 18. Ne7+ Kh8 19. Rxh7+!) 18. Nef4 Bxd5 19. cxd5 Kg7
0-1 eventually

Rare, a Funny Comedian 🤔

https://youtube.com/shorts/O0a2OK6tRTg?si=MqIBhcsGzxywcJdp


Best wishes,

John Coffey

London System

https://youtube.com/shorts/U5PfHoFRZqc?si=Q-Tmd7KR--JVwMlX

Magnus IQ

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/8VqhMVLpmMQ

Familiar Endgame

I have reached this king and pawn endgame a couple of times, once online and once in a tournament, so I studied it.  I show this endgame in my chess lessons.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7hhB7Oko2A&t=1941s

The rise of American Hikaru Nakamura

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7hhB7Oko2A&t=1126s

We are also seeing the rise of Indian players.

I watched Nakamura play in a speed chess tournament at the National Open in Vegas when he was 10 to 12 years old.  He beat a Grandmaster.

ANONYMOUS BANNED GM REVEALED!!!!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bA19Rmapj7M&t=1286s

Single Best Chess Advice for Improving

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XP6AJumPCQ&t=609s

Is Magnus Carlsen The GOAT?

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/UfTn2z6ca4k

What People Think Chess Is About/What Chess is Actually About

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/P96qerM6arw

Magnus Carlsen Is The GOAT Of Chess: Joe Rogan

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5hFNLhV-wNU

Black to Play

https://onethousandpositionstochessmastery.blogspot.com/2024/04/black-to-play_21.html

White to Play

https://chesslevel8.blogspot.com/2024/04/white-to-play_21.html

Re: KPPPP vs. KPPPP

The first time I did this problem, I was impulsive and got it wrong.  It is not that difficult.

https://www.chess.com/puzzles/problem/588620/practice

HIKARU, YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This first game is wild.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oesHE7elng8

Why Bobby Fischer is Better than Modern Players!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ot4hX9D3PYw

The World's Most Arrogant Chess Player