CHESS PUZZLES for my chess students - FROM A RECENT GAME!

Taken from a USCF QUICK CHESS rated Game played last night! - Chess Coach Sean.

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Here is a nice two move checkmate puzzle for the less experienced players out there... or a two mover for all lovers of chess! Black to play and win.

PUZZLE I

COACH SEAN

COACH KEN

So this was move 35 and my previous play had been 34. ...Nh4 setting up a threat. Ken played 35. d3 - d4 and now you have the diagrammed position up above. Black to play and win in two moves.

PUZZLE II

Sometimes we have to use tactics to not only change a position to our advantage but to defuse the explosive potential of our opponent's forces. So we now have the position from this game from back on move twenty three when Ken had played 23. Qf3. My move was cute! (I might be biased though...)

COACH SEAN

COACH KEN

Okay... our hint is puzzle one! Black to play and to gain an advantage... win a pawn and radically change the structure of this game! Enjoy - Chess Coach Sean Tobin.

CHESS DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH: Tuesday the 22nd of February, 2011 WATCH OUT FOR KEN!

Ken usually gives me a real tough time at the chess board - but this game was a bit more straight forward than our previous encounters. Although I do have to admit - after his first move as black during this game I had to sink into about a five minute think!

Enjoy the game - Chess Coach Sean Tobin.

One key to "RAPID FIRE CHESS IMPROVEMENT"... that is real chess improvement and not some gimmick!

One key to "RAPID FIRE CHESS IMPROVEMENT" ... is to play a lot. As a "weak" expert in the low 2000's I am trying to first become a rock solid expert and then a master. Okay - we'll see if it happens or not! But my main point is that if I do not play regularly then I will never achieve those goals.

I have to go to tournaments and risk it all in order to learn the lessons that I need to learn to be able to get the experience that I need to progress. Will my rating go up? You bet... but will it also go down as well? You bet! It is all part of the process though - ratings go up and ratings go down. But do I love the game irrespective? You bet I do! Right now I am playing in two to three chess tournaments a week. To gain the glory I have to go and play and what's more I love to play chess. Irrespective of ratings and results.

Here is a recent game of mine - not a steady rock solid performance but definitely an interesting battle. Both players could improve upon the plays they made during this game. I am glad to have been able to create such a game with my good friend Dustin.

I hope you enjoy this game - or chess art as I like to call it! So feel free to leave any comments that you might have about it up here on the blog. Dustin is a good chess friend and as you can tell he has his own and unique ideas about how to approach the opening. He also likes chess fireworks or as we call them - TACTICS!

- Chess Coach Sean Tobin.