1 Nf3 repertoire: The Anti-Gruenfeld System

Posted on April 13, 2011 by James Mansson

One of the merits of the 1 Nf3 move order is that it gives White a means of side-stepping some of Black’s most awkward defences to 1 d4. Among these defences is the Gruenfeld Defence, which normally arises after 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 d5. Contrast this with the line after 1 Nf3 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 d5 (if 3…Bg7, then 4 e4 prevents the Gruenfeld outright). White has avoided playing d4 for the moment, which has several advantages:

  • White may not want to play d4 at all
  • White does not give Black an immediate target
  • White saves time which can be used otherwise

We shall see all these advantages in action in what follows. Continue reading →

Visit the Bibliography for recommended reading relating to the 1 Nf3 Repertoire.
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4NCL Division 3 2010-11: e2e4.org.uk 2 – Hackney

Posted on April 6, 2011 by James Mansson

Following on from their narrow win against the Braille Chess Association in Round 7, e2e4.org.uk 2 was faced with Hackney in Round 8 of the 4NCL. The match was very tight, with Alan Byron and John Garnett winning for e2e4.org.uk 2, and Michael Tasker and Pepe Vives for Hackney. Richard Almond and Dashiell Shaw drew, leaving everything down to my game with Nicholas Walker. Continue reading →

Posted in 4NCL, Games, Opening Analysis, Reports, The Sicilian Defence | Leave a comment

4NCL Division 3 2010-11: e2e4.org.uk 2 – Braille Chess Assoc

Posted on April 5, 2011 by James Mansson

Round 7 of the 4NCL saw the e2e4.org.uk second team take on the Braille Chess Association. This was an unusual experience for me as it was the first time I had played a game against a blind or partially sighted player. The basic routine features the following steps repeated until the game has finished:

  1. Make move on own board
  2. Announce move
  3. Press clock
  4. Wait for opponent’s move
  5. Make opponent’s move on own board

Although strange at first, I soon got used to this. However, one thing that was unnerving was that all the Braille players seemed to end up well ahead on the clock, with a typical balance at one point in the match being over an hour to the Braille player and about 20 minutes to our player! I suppose that the Braille players make a habit of moving quickly to avoid time trouble, as it could be tricky for them to negotiate a time scramble. Continue reading →

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Update – Mid-Sussex League Division 1 2010-11: Horsham 1 – Crowborough 1

Posted on March 25, 2011 by James Mansson

The two unfinished games resulted in a win apiece. As predicted, Peter Kemp won against Phil Stimpson, and Mike Forster won against Trevor Norton. This means that Crowborough have won the match 3-2. It looks like Horsham’s chances of winning the title are gone now; we need to win the last match, and hope that the other results go out way.

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Mid-Sussex League Division 1 2010-11: Horsham 1 – Crowborough 1

Posted on March 23, 2011 by James Mansson

The crucial match between Horsham 1 and Crowborough 1 was played on Tuesday night, and the current situation does not look good for Horsham. Dix Roberts and I drew our games against Robert Elliston and Gareth Anthony fairly quickly, while Gavin Lock lost a dramatic top board encounter against David Grant. The other two games were unfinished. Mike Forster looks like he is winning against Trevor Norton, but Phil Stimpson’s position in his game against Peter Kemp looks desperate (and he was lucky to make the time control). Continue reading →

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1 Nf3 repertoire: The Old Indian Defence

Posted on March 22, 2011 by James Mansson

In our 1 Nf3 repertoire, we reach the basic position of the Old Indian Defence after the following moves: 1 Nf3 Nf6 2 c4 d6 3 d4 (to prevent …e5). Black still has the chance to take the game into the King’s Indian by 3…g6 4 Nc3 Bg7 5 e4, but we will look at that in another post. Instead, we will consider the lines where Black aims for a different formation, usually (but not exclusively) with his bishop on e7 rather than g7. Continue reading →

Visit the Bibliography for recommended reading relating to the 1 Nf3 Repertoire.
Posted in 1 Nf3 Repertoire, Opening Analysis, The Old Indian Defence | Leave a comment

Update – Mid-Sussex League Division 1 2010-11: Horsham 1 – Hastings 1

Posted on March 8, 2011 by James Mansson

In the two unfinished games from last Tuesday’s match, a draw was agreed on board four, while Horsham conceded defeat to Hastings on board five. This means that Hastings 1 win the match 3-2. As the Mid-Sussex League website puts it:

Looks like being an exciting finish to the season for Division 1.  While Horsham 1 look comfortable in top position and  1½ MP clear of any other team, when viewed at in terms of match points dropped Knoll Knights come out top having dropped just 1½ MP.  The first teams from Horsham, Brighton & Hove and Hastings & St Leonards are in joint second place just ½ a dropped MP behind.  Crowborough 1, despite their recent default, cannot be ruled out altogether either.

Horsham’s remaining matches are against Crowborough 1 and Brighton & Hove 2. We will have to win those, and hope that Knoll Knights (and the others, to a lesser extent) slip up.

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Mid-Sussex League Division 1 2010-11: Horsham 1 – Hastings 1

Posted on March 2, 2011 by James Mansson

Yesterday’s crucial Mid-Sussex League match between Horsham 1 and Hastings 1 remains in the balance. In the games decided so far, Gavin Lock beat Richard Almond on top board, I lost to Chris Howell on board two, and Phil Stimpson drew with Bernard Cafferty on board three. The two unfinished games are Dix Roberts’ game against Jerry Anstead, and Anthony Higgs’ against Paul Kelly. Continue reading →

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Update – Mid-Sussex League Division 1 2010-11: Horsham 1 – Brighton 1

Posted on February 28, 2011 by James Mansson

Phil Stimpson’s game against Geoff James has been agreed drawn, so the final score is 4-1 in Horsham’s favour.

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4NCL Division 3 2010-11: e2e4.org.uk 2 – Gloucestershire Gambits

Posted on February 24, 2011 by James Mansson

Following on from my previous post, I shall now turn my attention to e2e4.org.uk’s second win, against Gloucestershire Gambits. The score in the end was a reasonably comfortable 4-2, but the match still went down to the last game, my encounter against Peter Martin. Continue reading →

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