Sunday, December 12, 2004

KING SITUATIONS

KING SITUATIONS

CHESS LECTURE WRITTEN BY: NM ERWIN L. CARAG (IA)
DECEMBER 11, 2004


In a chess game, it is very important for a player to plan where to put his king (stay in the initial position / center, castle in the kingside or queenside, or "walk" in the kingside or queenside). Reviewing our chessboard terminologies, the d and e files are the center files; f, g and h files are referred to as the kingside; and a, b and c files are referred to as the queenside. In the same manner, while defending your own king for life, the player should also know the location of the opponent’s king – how to attack it and make threats, destroy its shelter or protection and ultimately to mate the opponent’s king.

Basically, there are 9 possible KING SITUATIONS for both the white and black kings together. Of course, we encounter varying KING SITUATIONS in every game, especially when the king wanders and when the game undergoes transition in 3 phases. Here are the 9 KING SITUATIONS (where the white king and black king are situated together in one instance):

IA – WHITE KING IN THE CENTER AND BLACK KING IN THE CENTER
IB – WHITE KING IN THE CENTER AND BLACK KING IN THE KINGSIDE
IC – WHITE KING IN THE CENTER AND BLACK KING IN THE QUEENSIDE
II A – WHITE KING IN THE KINGSIDE AND BLACK KING IN THE CENTER
II B – WHITE KING IN THE KINGSIDE AND BLACK KING IN THE KINGSIDE
II C – WHITE KING IN THE KINGSIDE AND BLACK KING IN THE QUEENSIDE
III A-WHITE KING IN THE QUEENSIDE AND BLACK KING IN THE CENTER
III B–WHITE KING IN THE QUEENSIDE AND BLACK KING IN THE KINGSIDE
III C–WHITE KING IN THE QUEENSIDE AND BLACK KING IN THE QUEENSIDE

The concepts of king safety, coordination of the king with the chesspieces, king tempo, space and mobility (active king, inactive king) should be studied by any serious chessplayer in relation to the 3 phases of a chessgame (opening, middlegame and endgame).

The following game between 2 former FIDE world chess champions Viswanathan Anand of India and Alexander Khalifman of Russia is a fine example of KING SITUATION III B (white king in the queenside and black king in the kingside) during the middle game phase.

Marvel at how Anand demolished Khalifman starting from the developing moves in the opening; relentless attack on the castled king in the kingside during the middlegame; and finally activating his king in the endgame for the win.

KERES MEMORIAL RAPID CHESS TOURNAMENT
TALLINN ESTONIA
NOVEMBER 27,2004
ROUND 5
WHITE – VISWANATHAN ANAND BLACK – ALEXANDER KHALIFMAN
2781 2669
FRENCH DEFENSE
ECO C10
1. e4 e6
2. d4 d5
3. Nc3 dxe4
4. Nxe4 Nd7
5. g3 Ngf6
6. Nxf6 + Qxf6
7. Nf3 ! Bd6
8. Bg5 Qf5
9. Bd3 ! Qa5 +
10. Bd2 Qb6
11. Qe2 c5
(11… Qxb2
12. 0-0)


12. Bc3 cxd4
13. Bxd4 Qa5 +
14. c3 e5
15. 0-0-0 0-0
16. Be3 Nf6
(16…Be7, 16…Bc5)

17. Bb1 Be7
(17. Bxh7 + !? Kxh7
18. Rxd6 Qxa2
(or 18. Qd3 +) )

18. Bg5 h6
19. h4 !! Be6
20. Qxe5 Qxe5
21. Nxe5 hxg5
22. hxg5 Rfd8

(22…Nd5
23. Bh7 + Kh8
24. Be4 + Kg8
25. Bxd5

-------------------
22…Ng4
23. Bh7 + Kh8
24. Bf5 + Kg8
25. Bxg4 )

23. gxf6 Bxf6
24. Rde1 Bd5
THE ENDGAME PHASE.
WHITE IS A PAWN UP.


25. Bh7 + Kf8
26. Be4 !! g6
27. Bxd5 Rxd5
28. Ng4 Bg7
29. Rd1 Rad8
30. Ne3 R5d6
31. Nc4 Rd5
32. Na5 ! Rxd1
33. Rxd1 Rxd1 +
34. Kxd1 b6
35. Nc6 a5
36. Kc2 Ke8
ACTIVATE THE KING !

37. Kd3 Kd7
38. Nd4 Kd6
39. Kc4 Bf6
40. Kb5 Bd8
41. Nc6 Bc7
42. c4 f5
43. f4 Ke6
44. b3 g5
45. Nd4 + Kf6
46. fxg5 + Kg6
(46…Kxg5 ??
47. Ne6 + WINS)


47. Nf3 1 - 0

Thursday, December 09, 2004

NEW FILIPINO INTERNATIONAL ARBITER (IA)

NEW FILIPINO INTERNATIONAL ARBITER (IA)

Diliman Preparatory School (DPS) chess coach National Master (NM) Erwin L. Carag became the Philippines 14TH international arbiter (IA) after his IA application has been approved by the Federacion Internationale Des Echecs (FIDE) during the 36TH Chess Olympiad (75TH FIDE Chess Congress) in Calvia, Majorca, Spain. He is the 4TH Filipino IA who gained the distinction since the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) became the sole governing chess body in year 2000.

"I am extremely happy with this achievement and consider it a blessing from God.
I could have chosen to pursue my personal chess playing career but I decided to become a full-time chess coach and chess arbiter. I guess my sacrifice (to set aside for a while my personal ambition as a chessplayer and concentrated on chess coaching and arbitration which started when I am still at the peak in playing chess) paid off because right now I feel fulfillment as a chess arbiter and chess coach," said Carag.

Carag was a former Philippine national kiddies chess champion in the '80s together with his younger brother FM Elmer L. Carag. He garnered the national master (NM) title in the 1991 Far East Bank-RP International Open Chess Championship. As a chess coach, he has trained GM Mark C. Paragua (in his formative years), NMs Robert Suelo, Michael Gotel, Marlon Bernardino, Jr., Robert Arellano (National University chess coach), Deniel Causo (2003 Shell National Youth Active Chess-grand champion), WNMs Kathryn Ann Cruz, Rachelle Pascua and Cristina Santos (1994 National Women co-champion). He is affectionately called "chess coach ng bayan". He was elected as a founding board of director of NCFP (2002-2001). Currently, he is training students of Ramon Magsaysay (Cubao) High School (RMCHS).

With the recent string of successes of Filipino chessplayers internationally, this feat is a welcome news. "My motto is : Win in CHESS ! Win in LIFE ! Filipino chessplayers are really talented, world-class and definitely are winners." added Carag.

INTERNATIONAL ARBITER (IA) - PHILIPPINES

INTERNATIONAL ARBITER (IA) - PHILIPPINES

1. CASTO P. ABUNDO (TOTI)
2. ROBERTO N. BAUTISTA (BOBBY)
3. NM CARLOS BENITEZ
4. NM FLORENCIO B. CAMPOMANES(CAMPO)
5. IM RODOLFO TAN CARDOSO (RUDY)
6. NM EDGAR DE CASTRO
7. RAFAEL HOLAZO
8. JOEY LIVELO
9. ERLITO LLUCH - deceased (+)
10. GENE POLIARCO
11. NM ROUMMEL REYES
12. ROLANDO F. YUTUC (ROLLY)
13. NM JUAN SORIA (CHING) - deceased (+)

NEWEST INTERNATIONAL ARBITER (IA)
APPROVED AT THE 36TH CHESS OLYMPIAD (75TH FIDE CHESS CONGRESS)
CALVIA, MAJORCA, SPAIN

14. NM ERWIN L. CARAG

Wednesday, December 08, 2004

NEW FILIPINO INTERNATIONAL ARBITER (IA)

NEW FILIPINO INTERNATIONAL ARBITER (IA)

Diliman Preparatory School (DPS) chess coach National Master (NM) Erwin L. Carag became the Philippines 14TH international arbiter (IA) after his IA application has been approved by the Federacion Internationale Des Echecs (FIDE) during the 36TH Chess Olympiad (75TH FIDE Chess Congress) in Calvia, Majorca, Spain. He is the 4TH Filipino IA who gained the distinction since the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) became the sole governing chess body in year 2000.

"I am extremely happy with this achievement and consider it a blessing from God.
I could have chosen to pursue my personal chess playing career but I decided to become a full-time chess coach and chess arbiter. I guess my sacrifice (to set aside for a while my personal ambition as a chessplayer and concentrated on chess coaching and arbitration which started when I am still at the peak in playing chess) paid off because right now I feel fulfillment as a chess arbiter and chess coach," said Carag.

Carag was a former Philippine national kiddies chess champion in the '80s together with his younger brother FM Elmer L. Carag. He garnered the national master (NM) title in the 1991 Far East Bank-RP International Open Chess Championship. As a chess coach, he has trained GM Mark C. Paragua (in his formative years), NMs Robert Suelo, Michael Gotel, Marlon Bernardino, Jr., Robert Arellano (National University chess coach), Deniel Causo (2003 Shell National Youth Active Chess-grand champion), WNMs Kathryn Ann Cruz, Rachelle Pascua and Cristina Santos (1994 National Women co-champion). He is affectionately called "chess coach ng bayan". He was elected as a founding board of director of NCFP (2002-2001). Currently, he is training students of Ramon Magsaysay (Cubao) High School (RMCHS).

With the recent string of successes of Filipino chessplayers internationally, this feat is a welcome news. "My motto is : Win in CHESS ! Win in LIFE ! Filipino chessplayers are really talented, world-class and definitely are winners." added Carag.