Make Luft NOT War

 The following position was reached against one FranticGopher in a blitz game at the internet chess club. Canadian Frantic Gopher is aptly named as his play is indeed and frenetic bordering on actually being sound. The chess player with the hummingbird metabolism has been spotted in Minnesota USA I think as well. 

You can not help but like the guy who wins via quality or pre-moving in the opening not caring whether he drops pieces just to rattle his opponents!  He is losing in all his bullet games, but still wins the majority of them. Admirably he is a staunch opponent of the knuckleheads who expect takebacks in Blitz chess. Some of those malcontents actually will let their time expire, rather than resign, if you do not grant the takeback!!  Pathetic existences they live.

In the diagrammed position Frantic Gopher is also losing AND WENT ON TO LOSE as White played the appropriate make Luft (German for air) move h3.  The weaker g3 allows the desperate varmint a possible perpetual check on the light squares! 

You must admit burrowing rodents of the family Geomyidae are quite cute. 

Overdependence on Sodium Bicarbonate as it relates to Attacking Chess

I paused and reflected whether the former resident of North Pembrokeshire, Wales, United Kingdom would spit on the playing style of his online chess namesake Captain Evans.

United States player CaptEvans fianchettoed both his Prelates, placed both his Horses on the second rank, and made various overtures of unnecessary defensive maneuvering in the diagrammed position. The real Captain Evans was of Weaver Adams ilk. Adams, a San Francisco old era Master, published a book titled White to play and win with 1. e4. The openly homosexual Adams played aggressively making every effort to seize the initiative. The baking soda addict had no use for making Luft or waiting moves. This implies he was probably a top in the famous bathhouses near the Bay. It is consistent with the penetrating style of his play!

His much weaker successor makes only waiting moves hoping to pounce on an overstep in a style espoused by the famous Andy Soltis tome regarding the rewards of playing defense. Andy made a fantastic suggestion in his seminal work. He said the last line of defense is to MAKE YOUR OPPONENT WIN after you have exhausted all other remedies to save your losing/difficult position. I have saved many draw and actually won games with this tip alone!!!! 

The big difference here is ICC CaptEvans plays defense from move one with white or black which would make the real Captain Evans turn in his grave.

Gurgenidze Defense Freak

 Stigern,playing out of Norway at the internet chess club, is adamantly and irreversibly attached to the Gurgenidze Defense variation of the modern defense in chess. With couples, a nice piece of advice is to not stand between a man and his wife. The same is true with a chess player and his opening. Stigern plays the Gurgenidze Defense against everything and may not know any other opening based on ICC data.

The Gurgenidze Defense is characterized by Black setting up a rigid pawn structure comprised of pawns at e6, f7, g6, and h5. In the following position White patiently organized file opening pawn pawn levers or breaks after Black brazenly did not castle leaving his King in the center.

Many chess players know that an exposed King constitutes a long term positional feature which means one does not have to be in a big hurry to mate the King and slow build ups are often the most effective. Matt Grinberg, a strong New Mexico master, is very well acquainted with this subtle strategical theme.

Note that Black is "threatening" Qe1 check in the diagrammed position with White to move. White ignored this threat and played Queen captures pawn at g6 apparently oblivious to the move order Qe1 check followed by Nc1 blocking and Bf4 pinning!

Can you see that this is a trap set by White due to the safe luft a2 square?