Today we reviewed the checkmate/stalemate worksheet.

We also spent a lot of time on the knight and forks and other types of forks. We did a fork worksheet.

Practice Problems

Here are some problems from the Junior High League in which we participated in 2020.

PROBLEM 1 Black just moved Kb5 attacking our pawn. White's turn. What's the best move?

PROBLEM 2 Black has just played Nd4, Now it's White's turn. What's a good move? 

ANSWERS. 

Problem 1. Nd4+ winning the rook

Problem 2.  Notice that your queen is attacked. Also note that Nxd4 results in Bxe2. So you must move your queen. In the actual game,  White played Qe3 and lost his queen - do you see how? (Qe3 lost the Queen when Black played Nxc2+ forking the King and Queen.) Qd2 isn't any better - after 1. Qd2 Bxf3 2. gxf3 Nxf3+ once again forking the K and Q. This is a beautiful illustration of the problem of putting the Queen on the same color square that the King is on when a knight lurking nearby. The correct move is to move the queen to a light square - Qd1! (Qc1 loses a Rook after Nxe2+)

TOURNAMENT OPPORTUNITY

There will be a chess tournament held on Saturday Sept 15 at Zachary Lane Elementary in Plymouth.  All players will play all 5 (4?) rounds. Divisions are K-2, 3-5, 6-8. ssFor details and registration see Schoolchess.org Questions - call me.

If this is you first tournament, make it a goal to try to win 1 game

RATINGS

Name	5-Oct
Warren	349
Elliot P	273
Owen	269
Cavan	221
Thomas	188
Zion	139
Logan	136
Lucia	134
Simon	133
Alex	130
Jack	110
Sean	106
Zahra	100