First of all, I apologize for not putting up a post in a long time. A month. I’ve been really busy, and I’ll post more often now.

We go to a few of the stranger positions I have recently had. (sorry if this seems a tad egotistical)

golddog2-HikaruShindo RHP 2015
2k5/p4p2/2p2p2/2p3p1/5p2/1K5P/3r2P1/8 w - - 0 34

Here golddog2 sportingly resigned. However, I was hoping for a chance to round up the h- and g-pawns. Black would then have seven (!) passed pawns, along with a strikingly bad pawn structure...

Today, American Civil War generals do battle. Lee versus Grant! Curiously enough, there are three players in the United States Chess Federation Database named…Grant Lee! (http://www.uschess.org/datapage/player-search.php?name=Lee%2C+Grant&state=ANY&ratingmin=&ratingmax=&order=N&rating=R&mode=Find)



http://blogs.loc.gov/civil-war-voices/about/robert-e-lee/
Lee
versus ...

The final part of the series! C. H. O’D. Alexander played Alekhine four times. Alekhine was better, of world champion status, but Alexander managed to draw twice! In my opinion the more instructive of these draws is as follows:

Alexander Alekhine–Conel Hugh O'Donel Alexander Hastings 1933/34
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 {The somewhat drawish Petroff.} 3. d4 {An interesting and slightly livelier way to play this than 3. Nxe5} Nxe4 4. Bd3 d5 5. Nxe5 Bd6 {However, we return to the mirror.} 6. O-O O-O 7. c4 Nc6 {This make some sense. Black will comfortably regain the pawn after 8…Nxd4.} 8. cxd5 Nxd4 9. Bxe4 Bxe5 10. f4 Bf6 11. Nc3 Bf5 {More pieces come off. Black induces a slightly favorable trade of the bishops while developing.}
12. Qd3 Bxe4 13. Nxe4 Qxd5 14. Nxf6+ gxf6 {Alexander accepts the...

This section thanks to moonbus, who pm’ed me with the moves and pictures of a chess set he owns that was used by A. L. Moir in a simul against C. H. O’D Alexander. Thanks, moonbus!





C. H. O’D Alexander–Rev. A. L. Moir 1953 Simultaneous ...

Alan Turing wrote the algorithm for Turochamp, but wasn’t a particularly prolific player in his own right. One of his colleagues–C.H.O’D. Alexander–was. He is a particularly undervalued player today–although some claim he had Grandmaster potential, his peak years overlapped with World War Two, when he was needed for codebreaking and the opportunities for international play were limited. His best tournament was Hastings 1953/54, where he tied David Bronstein for first, beating Bronstein and Tulosh (a Soviet grandmaster). Also in 1954(Albeit not in the same tournament), he produced this entertaining miniature against Milev (the 1952 champion of Bulgaria.)

Conel Hugh O’Donel Alexander–Zdravko Milev 1954
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 {All standard so far.} 6.Bd3 e5 7.Nd...

Ads for The Imitation Game were everywhere, inspiring this post, during the weeks preceding its release. However, this Alan Turing-centric movie leaves out, for the masses, one important thing: the chess. Alan Turing, according to chessgames.com, wrote a chess program:

“…working with his former undergraduate colleague, D.G. Champernowne, Turing began writing a chess playing algorithm. In 1952, lacking a computer powerful enough to execute the program, Turing played a game against Alick Glennie, in which he simulated the computer, taking about 30 minutes per move. The program lost that game, although it is reported that it scored a victory against Champernowne's wife.”

Although the computer would not function due to the lack of processing power, Turing used a paper and pencil to c...

Hello!

Three puzzles: The hidden part shows what the side to play looks for, then the solution.

HikaruShindo-eagleswing RHP 2015
White to play
1r2Rb1r/ppkb2pp/2pp4/6BQ/8/3B4/PPP2PPP/6K1 w - - 0 1 ...

Hi Guys.

Once a week or two I will put up something which I deem (and I hope you do too) interesting, instructive, and/or inspiring.

Send me things you’d like to hear about, games, or feedback.

(Hopefully) Enjoy!