Monday September 6th, 2021. We will be meeting on Monday afternoon at the Dunkin' in Oakland (848 Kennedy Memorial Drive) at 1 pm;
Tuesday September 7th, 2021. We will be meeting on Tuesday night at the Dunkin' in Waterville (339 Main St.) at 6 pm;
(details are in the weekly email).
Note: I send an email to our regular mailing list shortly before the day of the meetings with information about where and how we will meet. Governor Mills ended the State of Civil Emergency on June 30th; accordingly, we began to play in person again (cautiously and with masks in the presence of unvaccinated players and younger players). For now we are limiting the length of the meetings to just under 3 hours. We are keeping an eye on the latest news about the Delta variant and 'breakthrough' cases in Maine. Let us know about your comfort level to help us decide what is best for the club.
We had been meeting every Monday night (since November 11th, 2019) at 31 Temple Street, Waterville (the REM Center, across the street from the Lebanese Cuisine restaurant) from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Until the COVID-19 crisis. Be advised that the club is still officially hunkering down. We had been playing online from 6 pm to 8 pm (with an optional Zoom session to facilitate communication among the players). Conditions improved significantly at the beginning of summer (partly due to the good vaccination rate in Maine). As a result, we started meeting in person again in Pittsfield or Oakland or Waterville (but when and where to hold the meetings varies from week to week, so be sure to consult the latest email for specifics); we have no plans to start meeting again at the Waterville REM space at this time.
Check! White must get out of check in this recent correspondence game. Is this a desperado move by Black? Or does he have a trick up his sleeve? How do you think the game will continue?
Coming Shortly! A new St. Louis Chess Club video by NM Jim McLaughlin, more videos by NM Nelson Lopez [Chess Vibes] and a few newcomers on the Info tab. If you are looking for advice on the basics, want to improve your game, or just want to enjoy watching some exciting and instructive chess games, take a look. Each presenter has a unique style; find the one you like best. I particularly enjoy the videos with advice about blundering less! Warning: it takes a while (and lots of practice) before the advice works. If you have a favorite video personality, let us know.
News Item: Evgeny Sveshnikov has passed away recently. Check out this Wikipedia article about his life and career.
Featured Game - White to move in a recent casual game between Ray and Don. For the full game, go to the "Featured" tab.
Reminder! Included here under the "Featured", "Recent", and "Archive", tabs are just a few of our own games from the club; more to come in the future (games with Anna, Arnold, Glenn, Isaac, Kevin, Ray, Ben, Steve, Evan, John, Johnny and John 2, Mark, Bob and Pete - victories and losses). Eventually I hope to index the games by Chess Opening and by Opponent [which will make it easier to find what we are looking for when we want to research past games].
Online Chess
We have been meeting online since March 30th of 2020. Evan Annis (Camden Chess Club) has set up his club online at lichess.org; I set up a team on chess.com for those who cannot play on Lichess. For the time being, we encourage you to join either the Camden Online Chess Club [if you are more comfortable with the lichess.org user interface] or the Waterville Online Chess Club [if you are more comfortable with the chess.com user interface] (or both). Feel free to join us on lichess.org at the "Camden Chess Club" Community Chess Team [Evan has graciously invited us to share his online space]. We send out an email invitation to meet online (optionally using Zoom, which allows us to talk to each other while we play). If you are on our mailing list, a link to join the online club meetings will be sent in the club email. Note: We plan to continue sending out a weekly email announcing our plans to play either online or in person, depending on availability of a location to play in person. If you need help joining either online club (or if you have questions about our plans), just drop us an email. We are actively exploring the possibility of having a tournament with the Camden Chess Club on lichess.org at some point; for now, just contact Evan to join our Friday Rapid Arena mini non-rated tournaments.
In Person Chess
Several members of the Waterville Chess Club expressed a desire to get back to playing over the board in-person chess games. New reported cases of COVID-19 have diminished recently to the point that we feel it is safe to play in person in small groups (and especially if you are vaccinated). We will try to have weekly club meetings in person in Waterville, but schedule online meetings whenever in-person meetings are not possible. Click on the map below for a Bangor Daily News article updated daily with the latest statistics.
We also occasionally play informally at these locations by appointment during the day or in the early evening (check websites for details): MOST ARE NOW OPEN (SOME WITH RESTRICTIONS: FACE MASKS, SOCIAL DISTANCING)
I have a list of club members who wish to arrange to play in-person games outside of our regular meetings. If you want to be on that list, provide me with your phone number and optionally, a list of days you are available to play; I will provide your contact information to those who wish to play live games. Reminder: Our rule at the club is to keep email addresses and phone numbers confidential unless you give me permission to share that with other members.
Once you are added to the list, I will send the updated list to all participants. It will then be up to you to make arrangements with the other players directly. You are welcome to do any combination of the options suggested above (or you can suggest new opportunities for us to consider).
We don't record all our games, but we encourage recording games and playing with a chess clock [which is not required for casual games]. We welcome players of all strengths. Currently we have several chessboards, but feel free to bring your own chessboard, pieces and chess clock if you have them [we are very short on chess clocks at the moment].
Where to find resources about chess?
Maybe a better question would be "Is there any place that I cannot find resources about chess?" The short answer is: Google is your friend. Our site has links to various chess sites: (if you want to play chess on the internet, click on the Chess Sites menu above), the Maine Chess Association (MECA), the U.S. Chess Federation (USCF), and International Chess Federation (FIDE), all accessible from the menus at the top of this web site.
More recently, many people are taking advantage of YouTube for videos about famous games, and tutorials about various aspects of the game. The Info tab on this web site has a selection of links to various informational videos and tutorials about chess. Finally, we have our own library of books donated by members (some of which are even for sale) on the Library tab.
Becoming a Waterville Chess Club member is easy: just ask! Contact:
Don Smallidge.
Featured Games
This section of the website features games played in the past few weeks. Access the Recent tab for games played generally in the past few months. Older games can be found at the Archive tab.
All games can be replayed using the PGN viewer by lichess.org (unless otherwise noted).
White to Move - Full Game Analysis by Lichess Below.
July 5, 2021: White to Move. White opened with the London System [D02|A46|A48] in a recent casual in-person game. Black responded with the Czech Pirc Defense (see NM Robert Ramirez's video on the Info page for his explanation of this opening). Both players made a number of blunders according to Lichess, which means both players have room to improve. The good news is that we both enjoyed the game. Check out the new NM Nelson Lopez videos on the Info page for tips to avoid the blunders we made in this game! Arnold have beaten me with the Czech Pirc enough to make me reconsider that as my default opening for Black; I definitely need to find a better response to the London System.
Note: Click on the "hamburger" icon, then the "Open Study" icon for access to the Lichess Study of the game.
July 25, 2020: 2nd Maine State Correspondence Chess Championship! I played the B00 - Nimzowitsch Defense [2. Nc3-Nf6] against Peter Konieczko on chess.com last year. We have played many games over the board in the past and Peter always gave me a run for my money (winning most of the time). Not this time; he was winning until he made a mistake. Then Peter made a number of questionable moves (according to chess.com's helpful analysis); Black capitalized on each mistake and blunder, mating in only 13 moves! See the diagram for the final position. I did not win the tournament, but this game was considered the "Biggest Upset" raising my rating from 1138 to 1290. This was my favorite victory. After the regular drubbings I get nowadays I am probably back down around 1138 (and Peter still wins most of our games)!
Just click on the diagram above to see the entire game with the PGN viewer by Chess.com. Click on the arrows below the chessboard to replay the game (or download the PGN for the game to replay locally on your computer). To replay the game from Black's perspective, just click on the 'Analysis' button and choose the 'Flip Board' icon below the buttons. Note: You don't have to sign in to chess.com to replay the game.More information about PGN viewers available on a separate page.
The 2nd Maine State Correspondence Chess Championship tournament ran from July 25, 2020 through June 13, 2021. The three winners should sound familiar (and you may see some of their games here on this site)!
Black to Move - Very painful moment for the Black Queen Full Game Below.
June 1, 2021: Black to Move. White opened with his favorite Ware Opening [A00] in a recent online game. Black was holding up his end until he failed to notice that his Queen was living on borrowed time. Looking back over the game, the threat is so obvious! White has just played Nb6+. How did Black miss the threat! Checkmate ensues in short order on move 27.
White to Move - How should White respond to the Black King Knight Pawn Advance? Full Game Below.
May 24, 2021: White to Move. White has played reasonably well against the Caro-Kann Defense: De Bruycker Defense [B12] at a recent online club Monday evening meeting. White has just advanced his Queen to g4, attacking the pawn on g7. Black responds by advancing the threatened pawn to g5; see how White lost the initiative (and the game) with his next move.
Black to Move - White defended his Knight Pawn and Prepares an Attack on Black's Queen!. Full Game Below.
May 10, 2021: Black to Move. White opens with the Saragossa Opening [A00] at a recent online club Monday evening meeting. White is "out of book" on his second move with the signature Rook Pawn move! Black develops in the center and gets into White's territory early, fending off an early Queen-side attack; see how this intense struggle continued. Did that early Rook Pawn cost White the game? Exciting chess. We'd like to see more games between these two opponents.
White to Move - White puts the Squeeze on Black's King!. Full Game Below.
April 20, 2021: White to Move. Black responded strongly to the Ware Opening [A00] at a recent online club Tuesday evening meeting. White locked up the center and developed quickly while Black focused on a solid pawn chain; see how Black continued to put up a good fight in spite of being tied in knots (from the position in the diagram). And let us expect better luck from White's opponent next time.
Black blunders with Knight move. Full Game Below.
April 4, 2021: White to Move. I started playing the Pirc Defense in an online game with a random opponent chosen by Lichess, but we both made a lot of inaccuracies and blunders; I even made more mistakes than my opponent, but I was able to capitalize on his final mistake to win the game. Check out the Pirc Defense [B00] on Chess.com (a.k.a. the King's Pawn Opening according to 365Chess.com). White avoided playing moves that would have suited my preparation, but both players blundered too often! I intend to keep trying this opening for Black.
Recent Games
January through March 2021
All games can be replayed using the PGN viewer by lichess.org (unless otherwise noted).
Black Bishop Snatches a Pawn Early. Full Game Below.
March 11, 2021: White to Move. I started playing the London System in an online game, but my opponent responded with very unorthodox moves, characterized as Queen's pawn game [A45] by 365Chess (a.k.a. the Indian Defense according to lichess). White missed a series of strong early mating attacks and eventually lost the initiative [mostly by not recognizing attacking opportunities]. Both players blundered often, but Black prevailed in the end. Heart breaking for me, playing White! Can you spot the early victory I missed?
Black Bishop ready to pounce. Full Game Below.
March 8, 2021: White to Move. Arnold played the Ware Defense [B00] (a.k.a. the Corn stalk defence) at the online club meeting Monday evening. White gave up a Bishop for a Knight right away, but allowed Black's Bishop to tear into the castled King's pawn shelter very early. Exchanging Queens shortly afterwards led to an exciting middle game. In the diagram, White is about to get invaded by the Bishop and Queen. Hope springs eternal for White (even down two pawns), but in spite of some tantalizing possibilities, he once again goes down in flames.
Jan 14 - Feb 24, 2021: Correspondence Game! Glenn Snyder and I playing another instructive game on chess.com this year. Another attempt by me to use the London System: D00 - Queens Pawn Opening Accelerated London System. We both made a number of questionable moves (according to chess.com's helpful analysis in the diagram above); as you can see, White has a clear advantage by moving first. Looking back over the game, I found a number of moves that seemed to be at odds with the opening's philosophy. At the time, cramping the Queen's Knight and opening the Queen file seemed like a good idea. In the event, these choices probably ceded the initiative to Black. And a few of the moves were clearly just mistakes. Against a solid player like Glenn Snyder, you really can't afford to relax your concentration for a moment!
Just click on the diagram above to see the entire game with the PGN viewer by Chess.com. Click on the arrows below the chessboard to replay the game (or download the PGN for the game to replay locally on your computer). To replay the game from Black's perspective, just click on the 'Analysis' button and choose the 'Flip Board' icon below the buttons. Note: You don't have to sign in to chess.com to replay the game.More information about PGN viewers available on a separate page.
White Positioned To Triumph. Full Game Below.
January 18, 2021: White to Move. Don and Arnold played the English Defense [A40] (signaled by b6, preparing to fianchetto the Bishop) at the online club meeting Monday evening. White started playing the London System, but got knocked off course in his move order responding to Black's Nf6. Exchanging his light-square Bishop led to early material advantage for White. In the diagram, White is in a commanding position (but failed to capitalize on his situation). This early mistake turned out to be very costly (not to mention later mistakes).
Black to Move - This is what premature Queen development looks like!. Full Game Below.
January 4, 2021: Black to Move. Black responded to the Nimzo-Larsen Attack (Modern Variation) [A01] at a recent online club Friday evening meeting. Black sacrificed a Knight for an early attack, but did not follow through, leaving his Queen in a box; see how Black continued from the position in the diagram (and send condolences to me for losing my Queen so early in the game).
According to an article on Chess.com, there are an enormous number of books and articles about chess:
From Oxford Companion:
"In 1949, B.H. Wood suggested in the ILLUSTRATED LONDON NEWS that the total number was about 20,000. Since then there has been a steady anual increase in the number of chess publications."
I suspect now the number is closer to 100,000.
[edit: in 1913 the number was estimated at 5,000]
If you change "Chess Books" to "Chess Literature" the number probably goes into the millions, with daily newspaper columns etc.
Links to training videos and informational videos about chess games and chess masters.
Click on a tab below to reveal the links for that topic.
Chess Fundamentals series. John Bartholomew has a real gift for helping you understand what he is thinking as he identifies important points while playing games that illustrate his topic on Chess.com.
Tactics Training series. John Bartholomew has a real gift for helping you understand what he is thinking as he identifies important points while playing games that illustrate his topic on lichess.org: lichess.org has training modes of "Easy", "Normal", and "Hard", and John tackles five problems at each level. Follow along as he solves, or pause the video at the beginning of each problem and solve on your own!
Climbing the Rating Ladder series. John Bartholomew [2294] believes there is a lot to learn by showing how lower-rated players play against a higher rated player (with the benefit of explaining his thought process as the game unfolds). Follow along as he points out general concepts and weak moves by the lower-rated opponent. Each video lasts about an hour; start with the first and work your way up the rating ladder. See if the lessons learned here boost your own rating!
Climbing the Tactics Training Ladder series. John Bartholomew started another series, emphasizing the importance of tactics training (resetting his rating to 1200). The advantage for us as we follow along is that he thinks out loud as he solves the challenges. Each video lasts between ten minutes and half an hour; start with the first and work your way up the rating ladder. See if the tactics training boosts your own rating!
Bobby Fischer creates a chess masterpiece in only 21 moves against Robert Eugene Byrne, an International Master, at the 1963/1964 United States Chess Championship, held in New York. At 20 years young, Grandmaster Robert James Fischer was already among the world's very best chess players. In this brilliancy, Fischer demonstrates how to inject multiple imbalances into a highly symmetrical position, how to properly highlight these differences to benefit oneself, and how to accurately assess the true value of the pieces as they rest on the board.
AlphaZero vs. Stockfish 8: English Opening. "Google's DeepMind has just released a new academic paper on AlphaZero -- the general purpose artificial intelligence system that mastered chess through self-play and went on to defeat the world champion of chess engines, Stockfish. In this video chess International Master Anna Rudolf takes a look at a never-before-seen game from a match played in January 2018, and discusses how the playing style and attacking chess of AlphaZero compare to computers and humans."
ChessEdge video chess lessons started February 2017. "Few chess players learned chess in a way which would allow continuous improvement and stay stuck for years. There are thousands of chess books and it is difficult for the average player to organize all these chess ideas which often confuses more than helps. On this channel Bill teaches you how to prioritize chess strategic principles and tactics and share his Six Power Move Chess Thinking System which ties all the elements of chess together and has enabled him to beat chess experts and recently a Fide master in tournament play."
Beginner Chess Lessons series. If you are just starting your education about chess, this is a good place to start. Bill explains the game from scratch. No previous knowledge required.
You are free to solve as many positions as you like. To solve stronger positions and get your own tactics ELO, visit tactics.chessbase.com.
Puzzles
If you enjoy puzzles, you might want to try your hand at solving the Eight Queens Puzzle: "The eight queens puzzle is the problem of placing eight chess queens on an 8×8 chessboard so that no two queens threaten each other; thus, a solution requires that no two queens share the same row, column, or diagonal." - Try it for a while, then check out the Wikipedia article (which has the solutions).
Don Ostrowski has been playing in online tournaments associated with the Wachusset Chess Club.
This position arose in his game with Brian Biglow recently. Black has just played 35... Bxg3. What is White's best continuation? To make the puzzle even more difficult, set your timer on 2 minutes [both were beginning to get low on time at that point].
Hint: At the end of the combination, White is up a queen.
And here are a few more sites for those who enjoy chess puzzles:
Information about various PGN Viewers is on a separate page.
Movies About Chess
Searching For Bobby Fischer [1993]. Rotten Tomatoes gives it a score of 100%/86%. "After he beats his dad (Joe Mantegna) in a chess match, Josh Waitzkin (Max Pomeranc), a 7-year-old, gets noticed for his talent. He becomes interested in speed chess at the park and learns the game from a hustler named Vinnie (Laurence Fishburne). However, Josh's parents invest in the services of Bruce (Ben Kingsley), a famous coach who has very different practices. Between Bruce's methods and the stress of the competitions, Josh learns that even a chess prodigy cannot make all the right moves." Check out the trailer!
A movie on Netflix about a fictional chess prodigy during the Sixties: The Queen's Gambit. Rotten Tomatoes gave it an audience score of 97% (and you can tell from the trailer that there is plenty of drama to keep non-chess players watching). The New York Times has a particularly interesting review of the series: I'm a Chess Expert. Here's What 'The Queen's Gambit' Gets Right.
A movie on Netflix about a chess match held during the Cuban Missile Crisis: The Coldest Game [PG-30]. Rotten Tomatoes gave it an audience score of 47% (and I admit there were a couple of violent scenes). But if you like international thrillers with a hint of chess [they didn't really show any real games], you just might enjoy it. Those of us who were alive at the time probably were totally unaware of this chess game in Poland at the time (probably because this story is fiction)!
Openings
Links to information about selected openings (for games shared on this site).
Ware [A00] - see also Wing Gambit, Ware Gambit and Crab Variation
Note: Check out our library holdings for information about some of these openings (and other aspects of the game). This list is a work in progress; trying to provide a link to get more information (and add ECO codes) for each opening.
I have recorded some games played against fellow [current and former] club members; check out the Waterville Chess Club Games page for a small selection (which will gradually grow over time). The games are organized by opening and by player, with some interesting positions from games which were not recorded in their entirety. Most of the games are presented using the Caissa's Web tool, which allows you to replay the game (from either the White or Black perspective) and look at/download the PGN file.
Alex
Anna
Arnold
Barry
Ben M.
Ben W.
Bob
Don [Organizer]
Don E.
Ed
Glenn
Isaac
Jarod
John E. [Vice President]
John G.
Johnson
Josh
Kate
Kevin
Mark [President Emeritus]
Michael
Miles
Pete
Ray
Reif
Roger
Steve
Travis
Tyler
Will
Wyatt
Note: After many years of running the club, Mark McPheters has stepped down. We miss him a lot and wish him the best in his retirement.
Archived Games
Older Games - October through December 2020
All games can be replayed using the PGN viewer by lichess.org (unless otherwise noted).
Black to Move - Black is up a Pawn, White has exchanged the dark Bishops; how should Black continue?. Full Game Below.
December 28, 2020: Black to Move. Black responds to e4 with the Pirc Defense [B00] at a recent online club Friday evening meeting. Black loses momentum by not being sufficiently aggressive; how should Black have continued from the position in the diagram?
White to Move - The Bishop just captured a Knight; how should White respond?. Full Game Below.
December 15, 2020: White to Move. Black responds to e4 with the French Defense: Knight Variation [C00] at a recent online club Friday evening meeting. White develops his Knight before the Queen Pawn and shuts off the fianchettoed Bishop with e5. Black makes some unorthodox moves (beginning with a6), putting his Queen in a strange place while White lines up his attack. The momentum of the game shifts to Black soon; how should White have continued from the position in the diagram?
December, 2020: Black to Move. Black fumbles repeatedly against the Ponziani Opening [C44] at a recent online tournament. White takes charge early and moves relentlessly (without making any errors) until Black folds on his 20th move. What a game! I pulled the PGN into a Lichess Study and requested a Computer Analysis; it is instructive to see how Black's inaccuracies and mistakes led to such an early demise. I have not played the Ponziani Opening much, but I think I might give it a try now.
Black to Move - Can the Bishop Pawn Be Saved?. Full Game Below.
November 30, 2020: Black to Move. Arnold played White with the Crab Variation of the Ware Opening [A00] at a recent online club Friday evening meeting. I chopped the Knight early; in this position, the isolated Pawn is a sitting duck. I failed to respond to the e4 Pawn attack on the f5 Pawn (which allowed him to trade Rooks and let his King evade my defenses to win the game)! I think I might have fared better if I had pinned the Bishop instead.
White has a Queen vs. Two Rooks to Start the MiddleGame. Full Game Below.
November 13, 2020 [Friday the 13th]: Black to Move. Arnold played White with the Ware Opening [A00] at a recent online club Friday evening meeting. Things start to get interesting for Black in this position; White has traded off his Rooks for the Queen and a Black King stuck in the middle with no castling prospects. I now regret snatching a Pawn with my Knight, which allowed him to make a quick end to my chances of survival! I think it is fair to start wondering at this point if I am ever going to discover a reliable response to Arnold's favorite opening.
Kiss the Queen Goodbye. Full Game Below.
October 26, 2020: Black to Move. Don and Arnold played the Van't Kruijs Opening [A00] at a recent online club Monday evening meeting. At roughly the halfway mark in the game, playing Black, I felt that I had scored a significant blow against Arnold's Queen; I thought exchanging two minor pieces for a Queen would lead to a fairly easy endgame. I was wrong about that!
Exchanging Light Square Bishops. Full Game Below.
October 5, 2020: Black to Move. Don and Arnold played the Queen's Pawn Opening: the London System at the online club meeting Monday evening. Every once in a while (when the stars are in perfect alignment) I play a solid game and Arnold misses the critical move somehow; my extra pawns were too much for him. That said, he has an 8:1 advantage in our games so far! I still have much to learn. He defeated me in our next two games.
Older Games - July through September 2020
All games can be replayed using the PGN viewer by lichess.org (unless otherwise noted).
Brilliant Queen Sacrifice or Great Recovery? Full Game Below.
August 31, 2020: Black to Move. Steve and Don played the A17 - English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Hedgehog System at the online club meeting Monday evening. Black lost the Queen about halfway into the game. What followed was a cat and mouse game (rearranging attacking and defending pieces) until White's Queen got greedy, letting Black roar back to victory!
White Has Commanding Lead - what could go wrong? Full Game Below.
August 24, 2020: White to Move. Arnold played the A00 - Ware Opening - against Don this time. Don responded with an unorthodox pawn structure (losing material in the process), but finding a silver lining ultimately in an exciting finish.
Full Court Press!. Full Game Below.
August 17, 2020: Black to Move. Johnny pressed Arnold relentlessly in this B00 - Owen's Defense (Black moves pawns on the wings to fight for the center with his Bishops). In the diagram, Black's Bishop is now under attack, but there is good tension and White brings a resolution worth watching for the next fifty moves! Only to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, by stalemate.
White to Move [12]: How will he press his attack? Full Game Below.
August 10, 2020: Arnold played his A00 - Ware Opening - against Johnny this time. This game was played on chess.com at our online chess club meeting after lichess.org mysteriously kicked Arnold and Don off right in the middle of their games and did not permit them to logon again; we all switched to chess.com and only lost about 20 minutes of play [but lichess.org did not seem to notice that they were locked out and penalized them with game losses - on time]! Unfortunately there is no recourse when this sort of thing happens; they view the problem as 'your computer or internet connection was defective' (so the ratings were docked, 85 points in Don's case).
PGN viewer by chess.com Click on the arrows below the diagram above to replay the entire game. To replay the game from Black's perspective, just click on the chasing arrows icon in the toolbar. You can also click on the share icon or the analysis icon at the far left of the toolbar if you want to download the PGN or have chess.com analyze the game.
Black Faces Tough Decision Halfway Through Game. Full Game Below.
July 27, 2020: Black to Move. Don Ellis gave Arnold a run for his money in this A00 - Ware Opening (possibly Arnold's favorite opening); unlike most openings, the minor pieces sit on their initial squares for the first four moves. Unorthodox is a good way to describe this opening. Many of us have had trouble deciding how to respond to it. In the diagram, Don is even in material and needs to choose wisely to keep White from capitalizing on his passed pawn.
White Traps the Black Queen. Full Game Below.
July 22, 2020: White to Move. It looks like White has died and gone to heaven (Bishop has trapped Black's Queen) but does Black find compensation for losing the exchange? B20 - Sicilian Defense: Staunton-Cochrane Variation.
Older Games - April 17th through June 2020
All games can be replayed using the PGN viewer by lichess.org (unless otherwise noted).
June 28, 2020: White to move [23]. Wyatt Hendrix, Maine Chess Association Secretary, has annotated this game between Bill Hartt and Tommy Owen from the MSSICC HS internet tournament. "In this position, White is about to capture the Bishop pawn ("[t]hrowing away a nice opportunity"). Check out Wyatt's analysis showing that the game might have ended very differently by clicking on the diagram. The first ten moves are an example of [B19] the Caro-Kann classical Spassky variation opening; 365chess.org shows White having a definite advantage at this stage.
GameKnot iChess viewer. Click on the diagram above to see the full game. For the most aesthetic experience, click on the "Interactive" link near the top of the page, then scroll down (on the viewer page that opens in a new window) for controls (or use the arrow keys) to walk through the game. Note: You don't have to sign in to GameKnot to replay the game.More information about PGN viewers available on a separate page.
White Delivers Tough Choice with Bishop. Full Game Below.
June 22, 2020: White to Move. Gaining a slight advantage with a nasty skewer, White wins the exchange (bishop for rook) and eventually wears down Black with superior fire power. B40 - Sicilian Defense: French Variation.
Black Pressures White Knight. Full Game Below.
June 15, 2020: White to Move. I started off by locking up the center and castling early, but Arnold fought back on the Queen side, maneuvering me into the position shown in the diagram. I was on the defensive pretty much from then on, making a series of exchanges that really didn't help (and cost me a Bishop and eventually the game). A41 - Old Indian Defense.
How Should White Continue? Full Game Below.
June 8, 2020: White to Move. I started off with the London System, as usual, Steve was able to capitalize on my structural weakness. I waited too long to castle and didn't challenge his Bishop when I could have. Before long I was down material and tortured into submission. A40 - the Modern Defense; follow the link for a game from 2007 that started the same but ended in a draw (because White didn't allow that white-square Bishop to exchange on e2)!
Is Black's Queen taking a poisoned pawn?
June 1, 2020: White to Move. Don Ellis took me to the woodshed in last week's Waterville Chess Club meeting on lichess.org; I can't blame a mouse slip for this game. I decided to respond by playing B30 - the Sicilian Defense. We exchanged dark square Bishops early, then moved into very sharp play. Unfortunately (for me), I got the sharpest end of the stick and made a few self-inflicted wounds, too. Time to slow down my game and look over the board more carefully before moving.
May 30, 2020: White to move [24]. Wyatt Hendrix, Maine Chess Association Secretary, has annotated this game between Eli Slaughter and Tristan Cousineau from the first round of the Claude E Webber Memorial Cup internet tournament. "In this position, White is a bit better and has a large advantage after b3 here for example, but at this point he starts to slip and Black plays very strongly." (Look here for examples of other London System games in the chessgames.com database).
GameKnot iChess viewer. Click on the diagram above to see the full game. For the most aesthetic experience, click on the "Interactive" link near the top of the page, then scroll down (on the viewer page that opens in a new window) for controls (or use the arrow keys) to walk through the game. Note: You don't have to sign in to GameKnot to replay the game.More information about PGN viewers available on a separate page.
May 21, 2020: White wins the endgame with seconds to spare! Isaac and Don played two games during the week on chess.com; Isaac won both games in spite of struggling with the clock. This game showcased a strong gambit for Black: B01 - the Scandinavian Defense: Blackburne Kloosterboer Gambit. I have been reading Eric Schiller's Gambit Opening Repertoire for Black and exploring the Scandinavian Defense for a while now (not always with success). I thought I was holding my own until my 23rd move (failing to prepare for the attack on my Rook Pawn). Losing that pawn was the beginning of the end for Black.
PGN viewer by chess.com Click on the diagram above to replay the entire game. Click on the arrows beside the chessboard to go to a board with more options on chess.com (including the option to download the PGN for the game). To replay the game from Black's perspective, just click on the analysis button and choose the 'Flip Board' icon below the buttons. Note: You don't have to sign in to chess.com to replay the game.
May 18 - June 28, 2020: Correspondence Game! Glenn Snyder and I have been playing three games simultaneously on chess.com since mid-May; not sure how that happened. This is the first one to end [with a thud for Black]. This is another game that showcases a strong gambit for Black: B01 - the Scandinavian Defense: Blackburne Kloosterboer Gambit. The Scandinavian Defense is supposed to be strong for Black, but this game shows that I have a ways to go before I can play it well. I made a number of questionable moves (3 inaccuracies, 1 mistake and 2 blunders, according to chess.com's helpful analysis); in the diagram above, I lose the exchange when my Queen captures the Rook, giving check. Against a solid player like Glenn Snyder, you really can't afford to make such rookie errors!
PGN viewer by chess.com Click on the diagram above to replay the entire game. Click on the arrows beside the chessboard to go to a board with more options on chess.com (including the option to download the PGN for the game). To replay the game from Black's perspective, just click on the analysis button and choose the 'Flip Board' icon below the buttons. Note: You don't have to sign in to chess.com to replay the game.More information about PGN viewers available on a separate page.
May 11, 2020: Draw by repetition! Arnold and Don played six games in the Waterville Chess Club meeting on lichess.org; Arnold won most of the games [4] but lost one and drew this one. I don't usually find myself in C00 - the French Defense: Normal Variation. I was down in material, but discovered a very neat way to avoid losing.
May 4, 2020: Ware Opening defeated! Every once in a while, the fickle finger of fate has its way. This is Don's first game in the Waterville Chess Club; he made a strong showing against Arnold's favorite opening: A00 - the Ware Opening. I never seem to be able to win against this opening; maybe the extra Queens is the secret.
April 25, 2020: Online Camden Chess Club Tournament. I won 2 games, but lost all 4 games against Evan in this online tournament. We played 15|10 games for about two hours. This is my first game: B00 - King's Pawn Game: Nimzowitsch Defense. I think I really goofed on my 18th move. What do you think?
April 17, 2020: Online Camden Chess Club Tournament. I lost my first blitz game to Evan in this online tournament (which consisted of two games between the two of us on lichess.org)! I played my standard response to e4 and held my own for a time, but failed to take advantage of his doubled pawns. B01 - Scandinavian Defense: Blackburne Gambit. I think I missed an opportunity on my 18th move. What do you think?
Most Games Before April 17, 2020 are shown using the GameKnot iChess viewer
Click on the diagrams below to see the full game using the GameKnot iChess viewer. For the most aesthetic experience, click on the "Interactive" link near the top of the page, then scroll down (on the viewer page that opens in a new window) for controls (or use the arrow keys) to walk through the game. More information about PGN viewers available on a separate page.
April 11, 2020: Black to move. In a rare moment for him, Arnold left his Bishop exposed in this online A00 - Ware Opening game on lichess.org. You won't be surprised to learn that I lost all the other games we played that day. But it was fun to win for a change.
April 6, 2020: Black to move (spitefully). John 2 and I have continued our texting tournament with this game (a B01 - Centre Counter Defence). We were trying to use chess.com to play, but a technical problem on John's end started a game for me with another opponent. So I wound up playing a simultaneous exhibition (losing both games, in case you are curious)! I updated a ScidvsMac window on my computer with John's text moves and swapped to the chess.com window to play Arnold75 (who was in serious trouble before I made a series of blunders trying to pay attention to both games simultaneously). A large part of the problem for me was logging in and out of my cell phone because the screen locked me out after 1 minute [I have subsequently figured out how to increase the time to 5 minutes]. Even though I lost the game, I'll have to admit the mate was nice. The fork felt pretty good at the time, too.
March 30, 2020: White to move. John 2 had trouble joining our Zoom meeting on 03/30/2020, so we played a game by texting until about 10:30 pm; we adjourned and resumed the game by email over the next couple of days. It turned out to be quite an exciting game! We started off with a [A45] Queen's Pawn Game (Various Indian Systems) opening. White took two pawns early, then settled into a long protracted guerilla war. Black has just blocked a double attack by the Queen. White to move in the diagram above; what would you do?
March 11, 2020: Black to move. Taking a little time out from playing table tennis the last Wednesday before the restaurants were closed, John 2 did not let me get away with my bad move in the middle game. We started off with a Scandinavian Centre Counter Defense, which eventually morphed into a B12 - Caro-Kann, advance variation! At the time, of course, I had no idea that's what I was doing. But John played his Queen Bishop to f4 and we were in uncharted territory [all the games I looked at had Black winning handily, but I made a mistake after a few more decent moves and ultimately had to resign].
March 5, 2020: Black to move. This game is from Thursday, March 5th. I decided to take Bob up on his offer to play during the day. He has quite a setup at Jorgensen's (including food, coffee and his extensive record collection). Unfortunately, all the restaurants are closed because of the Coronavirus pandemic for the time being! Bob and I talked (and talked smack) while we played our second game; we even had an audience (though he claimed to know nothing about chess). Bob offered a draw fairly early (which I declined) and we wound up playing for over an hour before he resigned. I'm not sure he really needed to resign (maybe he was just tired or had to leave for an appointment), but I'll let you be the judge. We started off with what Shredder13 calls "D06 - Queen's Gambit" [but 365Chess.com sees this as D15 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, 4.Nc3]. In the diagram above, Black must decide how to save his Knight. Click on the diagram [taken with the ScidVsMac program] to see how the game finished. Do you notice anything funny about the diagram?
February 26, 2020: White wins the exchange early. Wednesday night, John 2 and I played one of our longest games (78 moves to mate, with lots of twists and turns along the way). John spurned my offer of the Queen Pawn and we would up playing the Scandinavian "B01 - Centre Counter Defence". At various points in the game, it looked like one side or the other had the upper hand, but with deft play on both sides the tension persisted until nearly the end. In the diagram, White wins the exchange by a double-attack on Queen and Rook. Black fought back and forced White to work hard for his victory. Click on the diagram to see how the game finished.
February 24, 2020: Black to move. In a casual game with Arnold last week, I responded to his Queen Pawn advance with c5 and we wound up playing what Shredder13 calls "A00 - Irregular Opening". I couldn't agree more. It was a very strange game; Arnold started off with his new Traveling Bishop Opening. In the diagram above, Black must decide whether or not to capture White's Knight. Click on the diagram to see how the game finished.
February 17, 2020: White to move. In a casual game with Barry last week, he responded to my Queen Pawn with c5 and we wound up playing "A43 - Old Benoni Defence"; we rapidly left theory and broke new ground with White's third move. It was a very verbal game; we started off with a 30-minute game, but when his clock ran out with about 12 minutes left on my side, we agreed to continue the game without the clock. In the diagram above, White must decide how to respond to Black's Bishop attack. Click on the diagram to see how the game finished (this was not my best performance over the board).
February 12, 2020: White to move. In a casual game with John 2 mid-week, I opened with the London System (which somehow morphed into what Shredder classified as "A45 - Various Indian Systems", but what 365Chess.com just calls "Queen's pawn game"). This game shows the importance of concentration. In the diagram above, White is about to "improve" his Knight, forgetting that his Knight was guarding a vital square against an attack by Black's Bishop [an unforced error]. Click on the diagram to see how the game finished.
January 22, 2020: Black to move. Glenn challenged me to a correspondence game on chess.com. The game started in late January and lasted until March. I thought I was doing pretty well, but blundered [more than once, as it turned out] and Glenn gave me a good thrashing. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that we played the Sicilian Defense Bowdler Attack [B20] (which I had never heard of). White got off to a quick start in development, castling before Black had developed a single piece. By move 26, Black was doing fairly well. How would you have continued as Black in the diagram above?
2.Bc4 (the Bowlder Attack), though once played at the highest level, is popular today only among club players or beginners who are unfamiliar with the Sicilian and are looking either to attack the weak f7 pawn or to prepare for a quick kingside castle. However, after a move such as 2...e6, Black will soon play ...d5 and open up the center while gaining time by attacking the bishop. Anderssen-Wyvill, London 1851 continued 2..e6 3.Nc3 a6 4.a4 Nc6 5.d3 g6 6.Nge2 Bg7 7.0-0 Nge7 8.f4 0-0 9.Bd2 d5 10.Bb3 Nd4 11.Nxd4, and now Soltis recommends 11...cxd4! 12.Ne2 Bd7! - Caissa's Web
January 20, 2020: Black to move. I faced the Nimzowitsch-Larsen attack, Indian variation against Steve on the 20th of January. My motor was cold in my first game of the evening, but Steve was ready to take advantage of my foolish response to his pawn capture. In the diagram above, Black should stay focused on defending material! Click on the diagram to see what actually happened in this game.
January 6, 2020: Black to move. I played the Scandinavian Defense against Isaac on the 6th of January. On White's third move, he could have opted to not defend the d5 Pawn (which is unavoidably due to be returned), instead focusing on development with moves like Nf3, d4, or possibly interposing some interference with Black's development by using Bb5 before retreating [Be2] and then developing Nf3, d4, etc. In the diagram above, Black takes the Queen Pawn immediately instead of attacking it again with the Rook; White punishes the premature capture and wins material!
January 6, 2020: White to move. Arnold and I played an unusual London System game on the 6th of January; Shredder calls this game an "Irregular Opening" and 365Chess has no record of any games arriving at the position in the diagram above! According to John Bartholomew, with the London System you can pretty much ignore what Black is doing and just develop your pieces. Arnold chose to erect a wall of pawns and hold off on his own development until I tipped my hand. I didn't handle the pawn break very well (missing a really powerful Knight fork at move 19. Ng5); Arnold completed his development and went on to win the game. Click on the diagram above to see the full game (using the GameKnot iChess viewer; click on the "Interactive" link near the top of the page, then scroll down on the viewer page [that opens in a new window] for controls (or use the arrow keys) to walk through the game).
December 30, 2019: Black to move. Pete and I played one final game in 2019. It turned out to be one of our best (and longest) games of the year! Click on the diagram above to see the full game (using the GameKnot iChess viewer; click on the "Interactive" link near the top of the page, then scroll down on the viewer page [that opens in a new window] for controls (or use the arrow keys) to walk through the game).
December 16, 2019: If you have ever sat across the board from Arnold, you will recognize his signature response to White's opening move in the center. Click the diagram above to see the full game (using the GameKnot iChess viewer; scroll down on the viewer page for controls or use the arrow keys to walk through the game). The diagram below is the Caissa's Web PGN viewer version of the same game.
December 9, 2019: After White gave up a Bishop for a Pawn early in the opening, the juicy looking Rook seems like a great way to win back some material. But White should think carefully before taking that Rook. What would you do in this position? Full game below.
Queen's Pawn [Irregular] Opening. Arnold taught me some more valuable lessons at the club on Monday night (as most of his games do). I am still trying to master the London System [and tried to stick with it] but Arnold's responses to my planned moves are always a challenge. I slipped up a few times in this game; sacrificing material in the beginning was clearly unwarranted. Replaying the game with Shredder, the analysis engine suggested moves much different than the ones I played!
Diagram 11/18/2019 - Black to move
November 18, 2019: Black has played aggressively to this point in the game. Material is even. What would you do in this position? Full game below.
The Queen's Gambit Declined, Marshall Defense. Anna and I played an instructive game at the club on Monday night. I am still working on developing a repertoire for Black, so I was pleased with my performance; we got off to a vigorous start, but I think I tried to be a little bit too clever by not trading Rooks right away. This game is a good example of proper King and Pawn play by White.
To get the most out of the Caissa's Web tool to replay a chess game, use the Next button to walk the game forward (with the White pieces at the bottom of the diagram); after replaying the game from White's perspective, click the Start button, then the Flip button to see the game from Black's perspective. Notice the "VIEW PGN" button: you can copy the PGN and replay the game in your own PGN Player if you prefer.
October 11, 2019: The Englund Gambit. Ben and I played several games on Veterans Day; I worked on playing Black openings all night. This is the only one we recorded. I am slightly embarrassed to admit that I was trying to play the Scandinavian Defense (but did not really notice that he played d4 instead of e4)! In spite of this egregious blunder, I got lucky when Ben missed the fork that netted Black an extra piece early in the middle game. This game is a perfect example of why taking the time to look over the entire position before making your move is so important.
October 10, 2019: The London System. My first game with Kevin was a comedy of errors! We both missed some extremely important and obvious captures. Sometimes we can get carried away with excitement or following a preconceived plan, not noticing how a change in circumstances opens up opportunities we should not miss. This game is a perfect example of not taking the time to look over the entire position before making your move.
July 22, 2019: John won this Caro-Kann advanced variation game handily. See if you can spot where I get into trouble and how John capitalized on my mistakes to win the game.
Click on the diagram below to see the full game using the GameKnot iChess viewer. For the most aesthetic experience, click on the "Interactive" link near the top of the page, then scroll down (on the viewer page that opens in a new window) for controls (or use the arrow keys) to walk through the game.
July 14, 2019: Black to move. We didn't record any of the three games Kevin and I played last Monday the 14th, so I found an interesting game from last July to share today: my opponent chose to play the Petrovs Defense Urusov Gambit against me. In the diagram, Black is down two pawns but manages to eke out a victory. This was an online game on chess.com (where my handle is moviebuffc48f).
June 24, 2019: Ed won this Queen's Gambit Declined, Marshall defence game; after savoring Ed's victory, click the Start button, then the Flip button to see the game from my perspective [I lost the game]. See if you can spot where I get into trouble and how Ed capitalized on my mistakes to win the game.
Interesting Positions
Black to move. It was Friday the 13th. I played White against Don O. at the Camden Chess Club and took a picture of this position with my camera. I was feeling pretty good about my situation and wound up winning the game. Unfortunately we did not record the game. But how would you have played as Black in this position?
White to move. At the last club meeting before we stopped meeting on Monday nights, I had a lot of pressure on Arnold in this position. I decided to snap a picture (because I thought I would shortly be celebrating a crushing victory) and we weren't recording the game. Unfortunately I blundered shortly afterwards (losing my Queen for nothing)! It is just one more reminder of how important it is to look around the board very carefully before making your move.
Unfortunately we didn't record this game, but Black fought off tremendous pressure on the King Knight's file with a Queen sacrifice to win the game. We don't remember whose move it was in this position (but White moved his Rook to g2 to load up his battery before the sacrifice). Reminder: record your games if you ever want to review them!
Diagram 11/25/2019 - White to move
November 25, 2019: White recently lost his Bishop and is now being squeezed by Black's Rook and Knight. White resigned. Do you see a Hail Mary for White?
Lending Library
Long-time member John Engle was kind enough to donate his chess books to the club so that we could all improve various aspects of our play. Waterville Chess Club members may borrow the books as long as they need to (bearing in mind that titles need to be shared by all members): just speak up at a regular weekly meeting or send an email to reserve a specific title. Here is a partial list to give you an idea what is available. We will expand the list as time permits.
Out To
Title
Author(s)
Notation
Available
How to Play the Nimzo-Indian Defence
Raymond Keene and Shaun Taulbut
Algebraic
Available
White Opening System - Combining Stonewall Attack, Colle System, Torre Attack
Andrew Soltis
Algebraic
Available
Beating the French Defense with the Advance Variation
GM Andrew Soltis
Algebraic
Available
The French Advance
Tony Kosten
Algebraic
Available
Josh Waitzkin's Attacking Chess
Josh Waitzkin
Algebraic
Available
The Complete c3 Sicilian
Murray Chandler
Algebraic
Available
Winning with the Dragon
Chris Ward
Algebraic
Available
The Trompowsky Attack
GM Andrew Soltis
Algebraic
Available
The Game of Chess
Edward Lasker
Descriptive
Available
Art of Attack in Chess
Vladimir Vuković
Algebraic
Available
The Scotch
George Botterill and Tim Harding
Descriptive
Available
The ABCs of Chess
Bruce Pandolfini
Algebraic
Available
My Best Chess Games 1929-1976
Arnold S. Denker
Descriptive
Available
Modern Chess Openings, Eleventh Edition
Walter Korn
Descriptive
Available
Chess Openings: Theory and Practice
I.A. Horowitz
Descriptive
Available
The 1000 Best Short Games of Chess
Irving Chernev
Descriptive
Available
The Chess Toolbox
Thomas Willemze
Algebraic
There are many more titles available (which will be added over time); feel free to contribute to the library yourself. We recently had a generous donation from an anonymous donor (and I have added a couple more of my own books); while I do enjoy dusting them off every once in a while, they could be put to better use while we are all cooped up at home. A chess book makes a wonderful companion in the colder weather.
Anna
The Art of the Middle Game
Paul Keres and Alexander Kotov
Descriptive
Anna
The Sicilian! An Overview
Senior Postal Master Jon Edwards
Algebraic
Don
Gambit Opening Repertoire for Black
Eric Schiller
Algebraic
Don
From My Games: 1920-1937
Dr. M. Euwe, translated by F. Reinfeld
Descriptive
Here are some of the titles available; I will be adding them to the library as time permits. If you are looking for a particular title, just let me know.
You are free to solve as many positions as you like. To solve stronger positions and get your own tactics ELO, visit 
