There was an early exclamation of dismay when poor Hazel overlooked an attack on her Queen on Board 8, and shortly after Pengxiao emerged smiling after a 20-move crush of a King's Indian Defence, leaving Exeter 2-0 up. It was soon 3-0 when Reece put away his opponent in a game where both sides were reluctant to castle. Opposing captain Jon Underwood claimed one back on board 2 in an extra-closed Sicilian, but Will Marjoram gradually climbed out of the swamp into which he had sunk to leave Seaton needing to win all the remaining games.
I've been doodling with a piece over at DJCA about calculation and as part of that task I watched a few YouTube videos about how to calculate. Almost none of these actually tell you how to calculate, although several do show you.
Here's one for you to think about from Black's point of view:
Graham Bolt 196 (B) ½-½ Paul Brooks 170 (W)
Dave Regis 166 (W) ½-½ Alan Brusey 158 (B)
Sean Pope 140 ½-½ Vignesh Ramesh
Tony Hart 135 0-1 Andrew Kinder
John Guard 130 ½-½ John Allen
Will Marjoram 128 ½-½ Jacquie Barber-Lafon
John Maloney 108 0-1 Mike Hussey
Brian Aldwin 88 0-1 Z Grophulous
There are many candidates for the title of 'the best chessplayer never to win the world championship'. I think I first heard Keres given that title, and he was the second-highest-rated player at some point (according to Jeff Sonas' ChessMetrics website
http://www.chessmetrics.com
"This little man," said Adolf Schwarz, "taught us all to play chess".
Steinitz started as a dashing attacking player, in the style common at the time, and claimed the World Championship after defeating Anderssen in a match (although the official beginning of the lineal championship began with his match with Zukertort many years later). By the time he played Zukertort, he was playing in a completely different style, and in the development of Steinitz' style we can see the beginnings of modern chess.
I don't entirely like the parade of endless men in the 'Lessons from...' series, so here's one from the other half of humanity, and a fine Appendix to the list of guys that ever joined the 'Vera Menchik Club'.
Judit Polgar was strongest woman chess player ever. She never became World Champion, and was never interested in becoming World Women’s World Chess Champion ( a title held by her two sisters, Susan and Sofia). She was in the world top ten and improving when she retired.
"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
Anand's easy manner sits on top of a breathtaking attacking verve and capacity for creative counterplay.
Opening
The imaginative attacking finish seems to belong to an earlier era,
while the opening play is all modern. The Scandinavian leads to an early
release of central tension, and, if Black can develop smoothly, will
have no problems. This line is an attempt to prevent Black from
developing smoothly, and no end of rule-breaking goes on to that end.
XLVIX."'Tis all a Chequer-board of Nights and DaysWhere Destiny with Men for Pieces plays:Hither and thither moves, and mates, and slays,And one by one back in the Closet lays. "Rubaiyat of Omar KhayyamRendered into English Verse by Edward Fitzgerald, First Editionhttp://www.teachersoft.com/Library/poetry/fitzgrld/chapt01.htm"Impotent Pieces of the Game He playsUpon this Chequer-board of Nights and Days;
