Exeter Chess Club

General Chess Handouts


Basic advice

A course of study using some of these handouts
for players of different levels (guide to levels/ratings)
Posters for a Junior Club {D}
A selection of posters we have had up at Exeter.
Essential checkmates {D} (60k)
The basic mating patterns for beginners, and a few special ones from Vukovic.
An ABC of chess {D}
The basic mental toolkit of chessplayers.
General advice on the three phases of the game:
General Opening advice {D} {all?}
General Middlegame advice {D} {all?}
General Endgame advice {D} {all?}
Perhaps, if you don't play much, these three will be difficult to make full use of, but you might want to refer back to them from time to time.
[says] A Chess Glossary {all}
For reference rather than study: comments and examples are particularly invited. There is another glossary from SmartChess, and even an encyclopedia at MECCA.
[cool_blue_cat] Top 10 tips for Juniors {D} {C}
A long press release, including notes on the Giuoco Pianissimo
[EXERCISE] Mini Chess Games {D}
for beginning chess players to use as training exercises
[cool_blue_cat] Cool Tips {all}
A trawl of advice from masters and others.
* General rules for the attack {D}
From Steinitz and Vukovic
Attacking the castled King {D}
Examples of basic attacking themes and tactics
* The Very Slow King's-side attack {C}
Examples of "clockwork" attacks with a closed centre.
The Queen's-side attack {C}
Attacking without a King as a target
Assess Your Chess {all}
Some things to look for in your own games.

Chess Praxis: annotated games by club players

Books with annotated amateur games
from the "Difference" handout
Lessons from a Simul. (1995) {all}
We had a centenary Simul. recently by IM Gary Lane: challengers had grades of BCF 70-160+ (1000-1900 ELO). Differences at a Simul, 1996.
What makes a difference? {all} How 120-grade players beat 100s. (84k)
The master games found in the books (and in the Canon) are often clear but always deep. What actually makes a difference among club players? Differences at a Simul. See also Alex's E-zine below.
Club games {all}
An annotated selection from Exeter players
Assess Your Chess {all}
Some things to look for in your own games.

Chess and chess players

Lessons from Capablanca...
...through the medium of Peter Lane, who also has thoughts about studying chess through master games.
[says] Chess Quotes {all}
I had to create a separate section for Stories, for Excuses for Losing and another one for David Bronstein. Does chess involve luck?
Trawled from the 'net {all}
I regularly read the rec.games.chess newsgroups, and saved for my later enjoyment a number of documents.
The Development of Chess Style
A potted history of the champions of chess, and the history of chess ideas.
"We perceive after a careful consideration of the evolution of the chess mind that such evolution has gone on, in general, in a way quite similar to that in which it goes on with the individual chess player, only with the latter more rapidly."
-- Richard RETI
How do chessplayers think? and Chess and psychology {all}
Two related documents: I'm still writing the latter, but offer it half-baked because I would like comments on it as early as I can have them.
Problems and Studies
A brief introduction for the curious.

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