Tweets

We now have a Twitter account for events news and discussion and coach travel updates.

News and discussion: http://twitter.com/devonjunchess

You can follow us there but, if you don't like Twitter, all our Tweets will be echoed here.

Opening booklets pretty well complete

I've added to the collection of opening guides a PDF booklet and a PGN file for the Old Indian and Philidor's Defence (one booklet), same again for the Benko Gambit and Cambridge Springs Defence, and PGN+PDF for each the three Black hypermodern defences: Alekhin's, Grunfeld's and the Pirc/Modern complex.

I think we're pretty well done now; I don't want to tempt anyone with a booklet on any of the hypermodern openings for White or anything less orthodox than I've done already.

Updated London System

PDF booklet and play-through PGN file; see the index page First Adventures

More openings updates

Two Knights' Defence and Swiss Defence/All-purpose System

Petroff Defence

Petroff Defence: PDF booklet and PGN file added to secret openings booklet list -- comments invited, may get updated soon.

New openings booklets and PGN files

Playing against unorthodox openings as Black (English, Reti, Bird's, Grob)

PGN chapter included in file on Swiss Defence
PDF as a separate booklet

All linked from the secret file emailed to the U14s

Reduced and second-hand books from OnionsChess

Our colleague and former chair Tim Onions is selling off some books for advanced players at reduced and second-hand prices: see his website for details.

Good bad and OK pawn moves

We've been going through the multiple-choice questions in Chess Choice Challenge, and some we have done quite quickly. But this one took us most of a session to talk about!

Grotesque!

Otto Blathy composed chess problems. But the ones he liked were a bit funny! The positions could never happen in a game, but they usually had a nice idea in them.

These gnarly positions are called grotesques.

Mr.B showed me this one many years ago: White to play and win! Black is moving down the board -- well, that's if they could move...

Puzzle 1

Queen executes King

Phiona Mutesi, the 'Queen of Katwe' featured on BBC2 yesterday, played this game in the 2012 Olympiad:

Devon Junior Chess Association (DJCA)

Supporting junior chess in the county

Devon Junior Chess

DrDave's blog