The Halloween Gambit, also referred to as the Müller-Schulze Gambit or Leipzig Gambit, is an assertive strategy employed in chess at the beginning of a game. In this gambit, White willingly sacrifices a knight in exchange for a solitary pawn.
Month: October 2023
Clearance Sacrifice: We have clearance, Clarence!
A clearance sacrifice is a tactical maneuver in chess where a player willingly sacrifices a piece or pawn in order to clear a particular square or line for another piece’s activity. The sacrificed piece is typically blocking the path of a more valuable piece or preventing a tactical sequence from unfolding.
Behemoth Chess: How to deal with the indestructible force?
Behemoth Chess, an innovative chess variant devised by Donald Seagraves, introduces an exciting twist to the traditional chess rules. This variant incorporates a powerful game element called the Behemoth, which possesses the ability to annihilate any piece it encounters.
Lacny Cycle: What kind of chess problem is it?
The Lacny cycle, also known as the Lacny cycle problem theme, was introduced by Ľudovít Lačný, a Slovak chess problem composer and judge, in 1949. This concept exemplifies a cyclical relationship between lines of play in chess.
Learn to play Kraków Variation of Giuoco Piano Game
The Kraków Variation of the Giuoco Piano Game is an interesting opportunity to divert from the most common lines in the opening that very often ends up as a draw by repetition. It is definitely worth checking out.
Intermediate: King and pawns vs. king and pawns – distant opposition
František Dedrle, one of the renowned Dedrle Brothers who lived between the 19th and 20th century, authored the following study in 1921. It prominently highlights the significant role of distant opposition and its notable variant, the diagonal opposition.
Deep Blue vs. Garry Kasparov: How the supercomputer got outplayed
Game 5 of the 1996 match turned out to be a pivotal moment, as it marked a turning point. The opening of this game followed the pattern of the Scotch Four Knights Game, which combines elements from both the Scotch Game and the Four Knights Game.
Janzen-Korchnoi Gambit: Trap in the Dutch Defense
This variation is named after Viktor Korchnoi (one of the strongest players never to have become World Chess Champion) and presents a favorable chance to exploit an opponent’s negligence in reinforcing their weakened kingside. By capitalizing on their failure to provide ample defenses, players can seize a promising opportunity to punish their opponent.
Zwischenzug: The powerful intermezzo
The zwischenzug, also known as an intermezzo or in-between move, is a strategic maneuver in chess where a player deviates from the expected move, typically a recapture, by first making a different move that immediately threatens the opponent.
Amazon Chess: The queen is not enough
In this game, the standard rules of chess apply, but there is an additional rule allowing queens to move as knights as well. These specialized queens are referred to as “amazons,” hence the game’s name.