Recap of Chess Class 10/20/2012

In yesterday's class, conducted by Columbia Academy, students handed in their homework assignment which was to solve a mate in two for White. All worksheets were correct, except that two students forgot to write + for check and # for checkmate in their algebraic notation.

Continuing with my teaching of middlegame strategy, at the demonstration board I showed a game between grandmasters Nigel Short and Garry Kasparov from their world championship match in 1993. White's strategy was to create what chess players refer to as "a square" - a center of operations for his pieces. First the white bishop, then the white knights, and finally the white rook all occupied the d5 square.

Students should think of such a square like Room 107 in Aquinas Hall at Caldwell College where we have our chess class on Saturday mornings. All of us go to Room 107 in the same way that Nigel Short's pieces went to d5.

Then I analyzed a couple of games that were played last week by the students. The class concluded with a practical session during which new games were played and adjourned at 10 o'clock, to be resumed next week after I present another example of middlegame strategy.