Know By Hand

Win or Draw?

Interestingly, these two endgame positions appeared several times during the “2015 World Chess Blitz and Rapid Championship”. Even more intriguing is the fact that winning games were drawn and some drawn games turned to decisive ones, as seen from the Grandmasters' practice. 

Do you know how to win or draw even in blitz?

The first diagram theoretically is an easy win while the second position should hold for a draw. But, in practical play (during the heat of the battle) this may or may not be the case. You'll definitely be a better player if you "know it by hand".

W-maneuver: This is a knight maneuver (in shape of letter ‘W’) needed to force mate with bishop and knight against a lone king. The main aim is to drive the enemy king from safe corner (h8 or a1) to the edge (a8 or h1: mating corner) where it can be mated. The knight must cover key dark-colored squares that the bishop can't reach, while confining the King in a cage to deliver mate.

  

White's turn

Task #1: Suggest the possible moves leading to White's win.

Check comments here: >> The W-Maneuver
1.Nf7+ Kg8 2.Bg6 Kf8 3.Bh7 (D1) Ke8 4.Ne5 Kf8 5.Nd7+ Ke8 6.Ke6 Kd8 7.Kd6

     

     

7...Ke8 8.Bg6+ Kd8 9.Bf7 Kc8 10.Nc5 Kd8 11.Nb7+ Kc8 12.Kc6 (D2) Kb8 13.Kb6 Kc8 14.Be6+ Kb8 15.Nc5 Ka8 16.Bf5 Kb8 17.Na6+ Ka8 18.Be4# 1–0

  ________________________________ 

Cochrane Defense: The simplest defensive setup to adopt for this type of R+B vs R endings. The defender's rook pins the bishop along one of the central lines (files or ranks) in a way that the distance between the kings is two or more rank (or file) long. The defending king waits on the edge of the same file and be ready to move in opposite direction when the superior king unpins.

Black's turn

Task #2: Suggest the possible sequence leading to Black's drawing procedure.

Learn the Cochrane defensive setup...

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10 Skills To Master

The Most Valuable Skills

“ I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times." - Bruce Lee 

Chess is one complex game and many specifics can't be grasped quickly. It requires a lot of work and persistence to reach the top and achieve mastery.

To describe aptly, chess is: a fight for the center (opening), a struggle to coordinate the pieces (middlegame), and a race to push pawns forward then promote (endgame). Similarly, you must have a plan and never disregard the importance of center control and king safety.

For an aspiring chess player to make progress, he must not only educate himself on the fundamental principles of the game but also develop the correct thinking system. "Knowing what is useful to keep and what to throw away, is truly the 'jewel' in the crown."

Ten chess skills to learn, practice and master!

1. Attack

2. Counter-attack

3. Limitation

4. Prophylaxis

5. Positional sacrifice

6. Planning 

7. Transformation of positional factors 

8. Transition from the middlegame into the endgame

9. Maneuvering 

10. Realizing an advantage