Make a date to come and teach others how to play (7 April 2012)

You may spot this in the Rugy Art Gallery and Museum SMART brochure - just out. The art room is on the ground floor of the museum, just next to the Library entrance. Tell your friends.

A puzzle

A puzzle from Jamie: Black to play and mate in 3 moves.

Wiltshire & West Of England Junior Congress

Jamie played in the Wiltshire & West of England Junior Congress on 18 and 19 February, scoring 4 points from 6 (won 3, drew 2, lost 1).
Here are a couple of the games from day 2:





and in case the embedded boards don't work here are the game notations:
Theo Slade (147) vs James Kearney (123)
[Event "Wiltshire & West of England Junior Congress"]
[Site "St Joseph's College, Swindon"]
[Date "2012.2.19"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Theo Slade"]
[Black "James Kearney"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteELO "147"]
[BlackELO "123"]

1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. c3 d5 4. exd5 Qxd5 5. cxd4 Nc6 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Nf3 Bg4 8. Be2 Bxf3 9. Bxf3 Qd7 10. Nc3 O-O-O 11. O-O Nxd4 12. Bxd4 Qxd4 13. Qb3 Qb6 14. Qxf7 Bd6 15. Qxg7 Rdg8 16. Qf7 {if 16.QxNf6?? then 16 ...Bxh2+ 17.KxBh2 QxQf6} 16... h5 17. Ne4 Nxe4 18. Bxe4 Bc5 19. b4 Bd4 20. Rad1 Rf8 21. Bxb7+ Kb8 {and the white Bishop is lost after ...} 22. Qd5 Bxf2+ 23. Kh1 Qxb7 24. Qd2 Bb6 25. Rxf8+ Rxf8 26. Qg5 Qa6 {attacking the f1 square twice, threatening mate unless something done to stop it} 27. Rd8+ Rxd8 28. Qxd8+ Qc8 29. Qxc8 {and the end game starts with black ahead by a Bishop for a pawn} 29... Kxc8 30. h4 c6 31. Kh2 Bc7+ 32. Kh3 Kb7 33. g4 hxg4+ 34. Kxg4 Kb6 35. Kf5 Bg3 36. h5 Be1 37. h6 Bxb4 38. h7 Bc3 39. Kg6 Kb5 40. Kf7 c5 41. Kg8 Ka4 42. h8=Q Bxh8 {and white loses all hope, but plays on reegardless!} 43. Kxh8 c4 44. Kg7 c3 45. Kf6 c2 46. Ke5 c1=Q 47. Kd4 Ka3 48. Kd3 Kxa2 49. Ke2 Qc3 50. Kf2 Kb3 51. Ke2 Kc4 52. Kf2 Qd3 53. Kg2 Qe3 54. Kh2 Qf3 55. Kg1 Qe2 56. Kh1 Kd4 57. Kg1 Ke4 58. Kh1 Kf3 59. Kg1 Qg2# 0-1

James Kearney (123) vs Ashwin Kalyana (134)
[Event "Wiltshire & West of England Junior Congress"]
[Site "St Joseph's College, Swindon"]
[Date "2012.2.19"]
[Round "6"]
[White "James Kearney"]
[Black "Ashwin Kalyana"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteELO "123"]
[BlackELO "134"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Be7 6. Be3 Nf6 7. f3 a6 8.Qd2 O-O 9. h4 d6 10. g4 e5 11. Nf5 Bxf5 12. gxf5 Nh5 13. Bg5 Nd4 14. Be2 Ng3 15. Rh3 Ngxe2 16. Nxe2 Nxe2 17. Bxe7 Qxe7 18. Qxe2 f6 19. O-O-O Rad8 20. h5 h6 21. Rg3 Kh8 22. Qg2 Rg8 23. Rd5 {White offers a draw but black wants to play on.} 23... Rc8 24. Qd2 Rcd8 25. Qb4 Rd7 26. Qb6 Rgd8 27. Rg2 Qf7 28. Rh2 Qf8 29. b3 Qe8 30. Rhd2 Kh7 31. c4 Kg8 32. Kb2 Kh7 33. Kc1 Kg8 34. Kb2 Kf8 35. Kc1 Kf7 36. Kd1 Kf8 37. Ke2 Kf7 38. Kf2 Kg8 39. Kg3 Kh7 40. Kg4 {White offers a draw for the second time, but black plays on} 40... Kg8 41. Rd1 Kf7 42. R1d2 Kf8 43. Rd1 {now its black's turn to offer the draw which white accepts} 1/2-1/2

Well Done Jamie

Jamie did well to win the mini tournament at Rugby Workers Club last night although to be fair the junior players did have a significant time advantage over the adults! This photo taken on my blackberry does not do justice to the impressive atmosphere in the room. We must do this again!

Don't forget about our event at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum on Thursday. We hope to see you there. Our next meeting will be on Monday 16th January. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Sue and Bob

Come and play chess at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum - bring friends too

Download full-size A4 poster version

Calling all Rugby Junior Chess players ...

You are invited to participate in a seasonal chess fest on 22 December. This will take place on the ground floor of Rugby Art Gallery and Museum (the glass-fronted room next to the entrance to the Library).

Note that there is a session in the morning for younger (primary school-aged) children and one in the afternoon for older players. If you can persuade people at your school, or at scouts or other clubs, to come alomg that would be great. At the summer event we attracted some new junior players and we would like even more!!!

Parents who play chess are also very welcome and the RAGM requires that any children under 8 should be accompanied by an adult.

Hope to see you there.

Warwickshire Junior Chess Congress 2011

The club was vey well represtented by six juniors at the Warwickshire Junior Tournament at end of November.  

We had four entrants in the under 12 section; Kai Cockrell had three wins and three draws (so was unbeaten) and scored 4.5 points, Julien Carrouche, Leo Johnson and Jamie Kearney,all got 3.5 points (Jamie despite a bad migraine).

In the under 16 section Rhys Davies won a respectable 3 games and in the under 10 section William Kendell scored 4 points.

All in all a  strong result for the club.  Well done to all who played.

Date for your diary: Thursday 22nd December

Keep this date free for an afternoon game of chess in Rugby Library. The event will be aimed at junior players and there will be adults from Rugby Chess Club available for coaching. More details to follow. Sue