Wednesday, January 6, 2021

Jithu Sajeevan attains Chess Expert designation

 

It's so hard to find people that are good at something and able/willing to teach it. Jithu is one of those people. Check out this email that Jithu and I just got last night from the mom of one of his private lesson students:

 
Hi Jithu. 
 
Thank you so much for this beautiful note. Even though I just burst into tears reading it, they were very necessary, good tears. What a difficult year this has been for everyone and I honestly don’t know where we’d be without DIG. It was/is the most perfect find for West and I’m beyond grateful for the community, the friendships he’s made, and how much he’s learned from you and Dan and Matt. West loves working with you.  He always looks forward to your lessons and has specifically mentioned how much he enjoys learning new tactics and the cool puzzles you give him. I couldn’t ask for better role models and mentors for West than you and Dan. He has grown in independence while simultaneously learning teamwork and good sportsmanship. And, most importantly, he is genuinely enjoying learning in a way I’ve never seen before. 
 
I could feel a seismic shift in him during Sunday’s tournament and am so looking forward to watching his continued growth. Thank you so much for sharing this with me. 
 
Warmly,
 
Allison
Respectfully,
 
Coach Dan
 
502-468-6930
 
 
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Monday, January 4, 2021

"Chess" by Rick Bauer

"Chess" by Rick Bauer
 
A small but devoted group has been meeting Saturdays.  Suhas and Mike Smith have focussed on middlegame themes, utilizing a modern workbook and "find the plan" challenges.  I have been trying to apply those themes to the analysis of club games.  The format has been open to suggestions from participants and is evolving.
 
Last Saturday, Mike introduced us to an interesting and useful website ChessTree.net which allows you to see online opening repertoires of specified players.  This led to a good-natured debate over how to best construct your opening repertoire.  Mike Smith suggested finding a repertoire that best suits your chess strengths.  This was once my view, so of course, I took the opposing view of selecting a repertoire to challenge your weaknesses.  There is a lot still to be said for both positions, but the value of Mike's web find is unquestioned.
 
We also discussed the best third move for White in the French Defense (after 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5).  Mike likes the "underappreciated" Advance Variation, while I like it for Black.  Our reasoning is eerily similar.  Mike wants to limit Black's avenues of play and establish the cramping e5 pawn.  I would rather not tip my hand with White, defending e4 with the knight (3 Nc3, 3 Nd2).   After this, Black most often plays 3...Nf6, when 4 e5 gives White the same advanced pawn, with tempo, sending Black's knight to the ugly d7 square.
 
I hope that we continue with these and other such "debates" that can flesh out our various approaches to chess.
 
Getting together with good-natured and like-minded folks has been a joy and benefit to me.  I am hopeful that those who have been participating continue to do so and that others from the club join us.  "The more the merrier."
 
Link:  (WebEx link)
Time: 4 pm Saturday
 
Thanks,
 
Rick
 
Saturday, Jan 2, 2021
 
The first study group of 2021 explored two Roger Bessette games.  The first one, with Alan Mo, featured the Tarrasch Attack against the French and resulted in a PIQP (Passed Isolated Queen Pawn) middlegame.  It seemed to toggle back and forth between += and = until Roger found a winning double attack to win a rook (vs mate).
 
The second game was a Scandinavian in which Black quickly equalized.  Eventually Black sacrificed an exchange for an excruciating bind in an RN vs RR endgame.  This dynamically equal position seemed to offer Black the superior chances until white finally found some counterplay and quickly broke through for the win.
 
Both games illustrated the importance of knowing which pieces were best to trade and which were best to retain for either side.  The anti-IQP strategy is to trade minor pieces and retain major pieces (the opposite for the IQP side).  Offers to trade rooks in the RN vs RR would have hugely benefited the remaining R in the resulting R vs N endgame.
 
We also discussed the reverse chronological method of learning chess; starting with the endgame, proceeding to the middle game, and saving deep opening study for last.  
 
Roger mentioned that he had a good Q ending with another regular, Abhijit, following Joe Bihlmayer's lecture on Tuesday night and agreed to provide it for next week's Saturday session. 
 
Doug Fiske and Dr Yablonsky added their strong input to the session.
 
Looking forward to future meetings,
 
Rick
 
 
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Sunday, January 3, 2021

College Essay by DIG Chess Player, Cal

College Essay by DIG Chess Player, Cal

 
 
Hey Everyone,
 
Cal, a Senior at Wilton High School, joined the DIG Chess program when he was in 5th grade. It's been a fun journey helping him become the great person that he is today. He wrote his college essay about chess and Coach Jithu. Here it is:
 

"I enter the tournament hall and it’s filled with back-to-back tables with chess boards and clocks on them. The hall echoes with the voices of contestants and onlookers conversing about the impending games. All of a sudden, the speaker system activates with a deafening crackle. The voice of the event host settled the clamorous crowd in an instant.  

Before tournaments, I get both nervous and clear-headed. It’s a feeling of butterflies and the thought of something going wrong flashes through my mind, but then the thoughts clear away and I turn my attention to the game ahead of me. Today, I am facing John, a person I have played with before. He defeated me the last time I played against him because I rushed my analysis and blundered majorly. However, today is a new day and I won’t think blindly. I will be patient with my moves and make sure they are the absolute best they can be. As we both sit down at the table, we shake hands and start the clocks that are now counting down the allotted time of one hour. I have the white pieces this morning and I begin with the move e4, and immediately, all distractions fade away and my focus is directed toward the game. As I lose myself in the match, I am reminded of why I love chess. In addition to chess theory, I am learning to read body language, control emotions, and have patience while thinking strategically under pressure; all tools that I will take with me throughout my life.

We go back and forth for several minutes, simply building structures, but shortly after, John makes an attempt to attack. I swiftly defend his attack while continuing to build the structure of my own pieces. This occurs for most of the game, where neither of us gives any ground for the other to encroach on. He decides to make an exchange of pieces, and after a couple of even trades, we are still in a 50-50 position as before. The clocks show ten minutes remaining, despite it only feeling as if a few minutes have passed. In the current position, neither of us has enough of an advantage to make a stunning move. Not seeing a way out, we agree on a draw. 

While the ending was not a victory, it is better than a defeat. I take the game to my coach, Jithu, who will review the game with me to see where I made mistakes and could have positioned myself better. We will go over famous games played, watch live chess matches, and discuss what we believe to be the best moves to ensure my chess abilities continue to grow. Because Jithu is only one year older than me, we view each other as good friends and equals, rather than master and student and he is a great resource with whom I am comfortable sharing thoughts and ideas. He is someone I hope to remain in contact with for the rest of my life."