What’s in the name? “Excelsior,” a concise poem penned in 1841, originates from the creative mind of American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The poem portrays a youthful protagonist journeying through a mountainous village as evening approaches. The young man carries a banner bearing the word “Excelsior,” which translates from Latin as “higher,” but also carries a broader connotation of “onward and upward.”
Learn to play Staunton Gambit against Dutch Defense
The moves 1. d4 f5 2. e4 constitute the Staunton Gambit in the Dutch Defense. This opening is also known as the Staunton Gambit Accepted.
Cylinder Chess: Connect the edges
Cylinder Chess is a variant of standard Chess played on a regular 8×8 chessboard. It follows the same rules and uses the same pieces as standard Chess, with the only exception being the A and H columns.
Bent Larsen vs. Boris Spassky: When pawns attack
Bent Larsen was a Danish chess grandmaster known for his creative and unconventional approach to chess openings. One of Larsen’s most famous openings was the Larsen’s Opening, also known as the “Bent Larsen Opening” or the “Queen’s Fianchetto Opening.”
Quaade Gambit Trap: Black promotes in the 8th move and loses
The Quaade Gambit, named after a Danish amateur chess player. The harmless-looking development of the knight actually invites Black to perform the usual pawn advance that can lead to a trap.
Swindle: Extricate yourself from hopeless positions
Players can enhance their likelihood of executing a swindle by employing certain strategies, such as maintaining an active playing style and taking advantage of time pressure. While swindles can take various forms, common themes include employing stalemate tactics, utilizing perpetual checks, and executing unexpected mating attacks.
Selfmate: Why would you force the opponent to checkmate you?
Selfmates are chess puzzles where one side, usually White, is to play and force Black to deliver checkmate within a certain number of moves. In other words, White sets up a position where Black is compelled to checkmate White, even though it may seem counterintuitive. The objective is for White to cooperate with Black to enforce the checkmate.
Learn to play Van der Wiel attack against Caro-Kann Defense
White aims to exploit the weaknesses around Black’s king while gaining space and piece activity. Black, on the other hand, must navigate the complexities, maintain solid piece development, and seize any counterplay opportunities that arise.
Englund Gambit Trap: Will you take the risk?
The Englund Gambit, named after the Swedish player Fritz Carl Anton Englund, gained recognition in the early 20th century. Englund, a creative and unorthodox player, introduced this gambit as a response to the commonly played 1.d4 d5.
Recycle Chess: Win by capturing your own pieces
Recycle Chess is a chess variant of the loop category. It means that some pieces which have been removed from the board can be brought back to the game and reused. There is a similarity with Loop Chess, but the game strategy is entirely different.