Category Archives: Class C

Towards conscious competence

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  • UNCONSCIOUS INCOMPETENCE
    • You don’t do a blunder check (or some other part of the process)
  • CONSCIOUS INCOMPETENCE
    • You do a blunder check but it’s slow and you still miss stuff
  • CONSCIOUS COMPETENCE
    • You do a blunder check and do it well
  • UNCONSCIOUS COMPETENCE
    • You do a blunder check out of habit and it (usually) works

The pieces at their best

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How pawns make life easy (and hard) for pieces.

The best B Q K N R P ever!

Also, the best pieces and the worst pawns…

Lessons in Philidor’s Defence

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Coaching Zone at East Devon Congress 2026

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Thanks to all those who attended, shared games, contributed comments and heckled; I hope you got something out of taking part.

LINK to Lichess study for Saturday game analysis: https://lichess.org/study/6WyVNXpv/

LINK to Lichess study for Sunday game analysis: https://lichess.org/study/QIirDybT

Short talks

Not all the talks actually happened but here are the intended slides; the slides were designed to support a talk and not to stand alone.

AnalyseYourGamesDownload
BoardsightVisualisationDownload
Blunder-proofingDownload
CandidateMovesDownload
ElementsEvaluationDownload
EndgamesTipsResourcesDownload
MistakesMinorDownload
MistakesMajorDownload
PlanningDownload
OpeningsQ&ADownload
UsingComputersDownload

Opening choices (U18 training day)

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Thank you for filling in the opening questionnaires online, and I’m sorry we didn’t get time to look at your responses on Saturday.  But here is what I might have said:

Systems for White

Scotch Game (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4)
My main recommendation for a first opening system, leading to an open game with chances to attack.  Good stuff, just the style you should use when you start playing chess.

Colle System (1.d4 with Nf3/e3 and without c4)
A good first opening system — develop and attack!

London System (1.d4 with Bf4 and without c4)
Not a bad first opening system.  The good thing about it is, you can play the same moves against everything, but that’s also the bad thing about it — you can plod through the opening moves without thinking and without adjusting to what’s happening on the board.  For example, in the London System White usually plays, in some order, d4 Nf3 Bf4 e3 c3 Nbd2 and Bd3.  Nothing wrong with that, but c3 is useful only as a reply to …c5 or …Nc6.  If your opponent doesn’t play …c5, you can save a move.  So, play it with thought, and notice what might be different about the position in front of you today.

Queen’s Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4)
A fine opening — maybe not for your first opening system, but surely for your second, once you know how to attack.

Facing Black dodges: quite a few ‘play the same moves as I usually do‘ replies there — and you really need to play a different way to get your pieces out.  For example, 1.e4 2.Nf3 and 3.Bc4 is fine against 1…e5, but against the Sicilian 1…c5 it can walk into 2….e6 and 3…d5, upsetting your plans.  ‘I play the main lines’ — perfect.

Most of you are playing 1.d4, it seems — which was a bit of a surprise.  It’s more solid than 1.e4 but less exciting and not so good for practising the things most people need to practise — development, open lines, tactics and attacking play.

Systems for Black

Facing 1.e4

Not too many named systems in there!

Four Knights’ Game (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6)
that’s White’s choice not yours!  I recommend after 4.Bb5 you play 4…Nd4.

Two Knights’/Giuoco Piano (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 with 3…Nf6 or 3…Bc5)
both fine and just the sort of style you should be playing.  (Usually you choose one or the other.)

French Defence (1.e4 e6)
very good, solid and with chances to attack, not easy to play against.

Sicilian Defence (1.e4 c5)
an excellent though difficult defence, which will last you for life.

Caro-Kann (1.e4 c6)
a fine and even fashionable defence, but you don’t usually get chances to attack, so wouldn’t be my recommendation.

Facing 1.d4

The only things with a name I see are:

Dutch Defence (1.d4 f5)
An excellent unbalancing and dynamic defence.  It’s likely to work well against a player that has started playing 1.d4 too early in their development.

Queen’s Gambit Declined, Orthodox Defence (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6)
A good first defence to 1.d4, solid and logical, and might last you all your life.

I suspect the rest of you are making it up as you go, which is likely to lead to trouble against the Queen’s Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4).  Pick a system — the most common are the Slav Defence (2…c6) and the Orthodox Defence (2…e6, of which the Swiss Defence (7…a6) and All-Purpose Defence (…b6) are variations), and stick to it.  You can usually play the moves of a defence to the Queen’s Gambit against everything apart from 1.e4.

I’m happier for you to pick a solid style as Black — it’s a dangerous world out there when you are Black, and a solid approach can give you confidence.

Here are your replies (rows) with my individual comments:

Main White Opening e.g. Scotch Game DR comments What do you do when Black dodges*? DR comments Defence as Black against 1.e4 e.g. French Defence DR comments Defence as Black against 1.d4/2.c4 e.g. Swiss Defence DR comments
Scotch Game Great I play the same moves as I normally do That’s not going to work against everything, maybe not against anything! French Defence Great Make it up Do learn a proper system with a name
London system Fine to start with you might need something chewier later I play the same moves as I normally do Probably OK Caro-kann defence Great The Dutch defence Great
London system Fine to start with you might need something chewier later I play the main lines Probably OK e5 OK c3 Not sure what you mean?
london system Fine to start with you might need something chewier later I play the main lines Probably OK have not decided on one opening as I tend to try different ones Hmm – pick a system and stick to it is my advice! have not decided on one opening as I tend to try different ones Hmm – pick a system and stick to it is my advice!
The Queen’s Gambit Great ? c5 Great c5 Fits
1.e2e4,2.f1d3 and g1f3 Bf1d3 won’t do you any favours unless you play d2d4 first I play the same moves as I normally do That’s not going to work against everything, maybe not against anything! unknown Needs a look! unkown Needs a look!
Queens gambit Great I play the same moves as I normally do Not bad, but might need some care against eg. Nimzo-Indian Four nights OK Slav defence Fine
London Fine to start with you might need something chewier later I do something else (please tick then describe below) ? 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 OK Queens Gambit Declined or Slav Defence Fine
Queen’s Gambit Great I play the main lines Grear Two knights defence or Guiccio Piano game Giuoco! But all good Slav defence or Caro-kann Also good
Queens Gambit Great I play the main lines Great Im trying to learn karo-kann Good If c4 i play e5 and d4 i play d5 Fine
Attempting the Colle Great I play the same moves as I normally do Probably OK depends Hmm – pick a system and stick to it is my advice! depends Hmm – pick a system and stick to it is my advice!

Best puzzle books (training day)

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While we were talking to the U14/U18 squads, the ChessDojo folks were discussing the best puzzle books for improvement.  Their recommendations are:

The Dojo List!
1. Perfect Your Chess, Grabinsky/Volokitin https://amzn.to/43gqYI6
2. 5334 Problems, L Polgar https://amzn.to/43HyJH4
3. Think like a Super-GM, Adams/Hertado https://amzn.to/3qkFzDP
4. Mastering Chess Strategy Hellsten https://amzn.to/43jk9ph
5. Combinative Motifs, Blokh https://amzn.to/3WPbLLB
6. Winning Exercises for Kids, Coakley https://amzn.to/3OPFwu1
7. Encyclopedia of Chess Endings, Kalinichenko https://amzn.to/45GOHTn
8. Practical Chess Exercises, Cheng https://amzn.to/3MRydiP
9. Domination, Kasparyan https://amzn.to/3CdlT7D
10. Positional Play, Aagaard https://amzn.to/3WK9XUl

Ben’s List
1. Winning Exercises for Kids, Coakley https://amzn.to/3OPFwu1
2. Practical Chess Exercises, Cheng https://amzn.to/3MRydiP
3. 5334 Problems, L Polgar https://amzn.to/43HyJH4
4. Think like a Super-GM, Adams/Hertado https://amzn.to/3qkFzDP
5. Chess Tactics from Scratch, Weteschnik https://amzn.to/43mHMNN
6. Perfect Your Chess, Grabinsky/Volokitin https://amzn.to/43gqYI6
7. Forcing Chess Moves, Hertan https://amzn.to/3MGvjNK
8. Mastering Chess Strategy Hellsten https://amzn.to/43jk9ph
9. Chess Steps, Brunia https://amzn.to/43HZkU3
10. 300 Chess Positions, Alburt https://amzn.to/3WMZmrC

Kraai’s List
1. Encyclopedia of Chess Endings, Kalinichenko https://amzn.to/45GOHTn
2. 5334 Problems, L Polgar https://amzn.to/43HyJH4
3. Perfect Your Chess, Grabinsky/Volokitin https://amzn.to/43gqYI6
4. The Best Move, Jansa/Hort https://amzn.to/3ITUQSo
5. Think like a Super-GM, Adams/Hertado https://amzn.to/3qkFzDP
6. Endgame Tactics, Van Perlo https://amzn.to/3WQ3XJu
7. Domination, Kasparyan https://amzn.to/3CdlT7D
8. Encyclopedia of Chess Combinations https://amzn.to/42gvh4Y
9. Positional Play, Aagaard https://amzn.to/3WK9XUl
10. Calculation, Aagaard https://amzn.to/3oCCtuB

Kostya’s List
1. Combinative Motifs, Blokh https://amzn.to/3WPbLLB
2. Perfect Your Chess, Grabinsky/Volokitin https://amzn.to/43gqYI6
3. Mastering Chess Strategy, Hellsten https://amzn.to/43jk9ph
4. Woodpecker Method, Smith/Tikkanen https://amzn.to/45IzelS
5. Recognizing Your Opponent’s Resources, Dvoretsky https://amzn.to/3Ccbjxw
6. Manual of Chess Combinations, Ivaschenko https://amzn.to/3NaEcR2
7. Imagination in Chess, Gaprindashvili https://amzn.to/3C7z0ai
8. Positional Play, Aagaard https://amzn.to/3WK9XUl
9. Domination, Kasparyan https://amzn.to/3CdlT7D
10. 5334 Problems, L Polgar https://amzn.to/43HyJH4

Watch or listen to the discussion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sTixjqhmB0

Safe and solid?

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From a recent email

“The most important single feature of a chess position is the activity of the pieces… (opening, middle, and especially endgame)… The primary constraint on pieces’ activity is the pawn structure.”

— Michael STEAN

Opening Workshop 2018

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Opening recommendations for beginners

    • Your choice of opening will rest (or should rest) on several considerations: your style and temperament as a chessplayer, your time and aptitude for study, and your ambitions as a player.  The standard recommendation for a junior with little experience is to play open, attacking lines with 1.e4 with both colours — this will let them some fun, will get their eye on for important basic tactics, and instil a sense of the importance of activity and development that should last them the rest of their lives, and they will likely enjoy learning a few lines and traps.  But for an older player, perhaps more interested in getting a playable game while doing as little study as possible, then the Colle System or London System might suit better as White, and the French or Caro-Kann and Slav as Black.  For someone with more affection for attacking chess, the Vienna and Closed Sicilian could suit.
  • Do you need a second-string opening?
    • All else being equal, yes!
    • This does not mean, mugging up on a new system the night before (many risks to this)
    • It means, keeping a second opening system simmering in the background (friendlies, occasional serious games) all the time
    • It helps if your second-string system is:
      • Low on theory – nothing sharp
      • Easy to learn – using a similar set-up in each game
      • Related to systems you already play
    • Because of this last point, it isn’t easy to recommend one for everyone, but:
      • Low on theory/easy to learn: Colle, London, King’s Indian Attack, Closed Sicilian; Fort Knox, Stonewall, Scandinavian, Old Indian
      • Related to systems you already play: e.g. Worrall Attack for a Ruy Lopez player, Keres Defence for a Nimzo/Bogo player, King’s Indian for a Modern Defence player, Accelerated Dragon for a Dragon player,
  • Playing White against the Budapest Gambit

  • A non-standard line for Black against Bird’s Opening
    • From’s Gambit (1.f4 e5) may not be satisfactory — and you have to be prepared for a transposition to the King’s Gambit with 2.e4 — while White can be relied upon to know the main lines with 1…d5.  What else is there?
    • Richard Palliser recommends in Beating Unorthodox Openings to play either 1…d5 2.Nf3 Bg4 or 1…d6 with the idea of an early …Bg4 and …e5.  This system is missing from Taylor’s popular book.
    • Just generally, I think that’s the right sort of line to try and find: the main lines will be familiar to your opponent and there is more to learn, even if they are the best lines. Something sound but offbeat shouldn’t be too hard to find. For similar reasons, I have recommended 1.b4 c6
  • How do you not get mated against the King’s Indian?
    • First, let’s see the problem. In the main lines, we get a fixed pawn centre where Black is more or less obliged to hack down the King’s-side while the Queen’s-side burns.
    • 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 e5 7.O-O 7… Nc6 8. d5 Ne7 9.Ne1 Ne8 10. Be3 f5 11. f3 f4 12.Bf2 g5
    • You can just try and get better at defending, as that Queen’s-side attack is very appealing. But if not?
    • The Benko line tries to tie up the King’s-side before pursuing Queen’s side play
    • 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 e5 7.O-O Nc6 8. d5 Ne7 9.Ne1 Ne8 10. f3 f5 11. g4 *
    • A line with a similar idea is the old Petrosian main line:
    • 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 e5 7. d5 Nbd7 8. Bg5 h6 9. Bh4 g5 10. Bg3 Nh5 11. h4 *
    • The Averbakh line is directed against Black’s …e5 idea
    • 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Be2 O-O 6. Bg5 e5 7. dxe5 dxe5 8. Qxd8 Rxd8 9. Nd5
    • The Samisch rather fancies some King’s-side aggression for White:
    • 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f3
    • Paul likes the Smyslov Variation: if Black insists on lashing out on the King’s-side, then all they may achieve is a position full of targets:
    • 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. Nf3 O-O 5. Bg5 d6 6. e3 Nbd7 7. Be2 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. Bg3
    • More steady play by Black can result in a position where they have no easy plan:
    • 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. Nf3 O-O 5. Bg5 d6 6. e3 Nbd7 7.Qc2 c6 8. Be2 h6 9. Bh4 g5 10. Bg3 e5 (10…Nh5 11. Nxg5) 11. O-O Re8 12. dxe5 dxe5 13.Rfd1 Qc7 14. Rac1)

White tries against the Budapest Gambit

An appetiser: the Englund Gambit

Brian complained that he lost quickly facing this line. You might guess he fell into a trap which may be the main hope of Black when playing this line:

Perhaps White can survive and even thrive after 6.Nc3, but why invite trouble? Once you know …Qb4+ might be a problem, improvements are not hard to find. 4.Nc3 is simple and good.

Anyhow, back to the Budapest Gambit. A brief statement for the defence: the first famous game played using it, and a more recent example.


And the prosecution:

The repertoire books I have available all assure us that you can get a safe plus against the Budapest without much effort.

They all recommend different lines, however! I don’t know if that is so reassuring…

Creating and exchanging strong pieces

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The pieces at their best


[Click on … to see list of games]

Successful exchanges


[Click on … to see list of games]

Pros and cons of exchanges


[Click on … to see list of games]

Making the position better for your pieces and worse for your opponent: basics

Opening lines for pieces

Making the position better for your pieces and worse for your opponent: the struggle of BB vs BN/NN


[Click on … to see list of games]