Remembering FM Bernd Feustel

A few years ago, I came across a very interesting book in german language "Eroeffnungen abseits aller theorie" (english translation of the title: "Openings - beyond all theory") written by FM Bernd Feustel. 
The book contains many Modern Defence & Hippo annotated games mostly. Feustel was a strong player who had a peak elo rating of 2375 in the year 1981. In the above mentioned link, we learnt that Bernd Feustel passed away in 2012. His games will continue to inspire chess players around the world.
In this perspective we offer two games from his book:

Chessbase article in german language

Chess Boxing

Chess Boxing - Wikipedia link

Mike Surtees is the 2014 British Senior Chess Champion!!

We are happy to report that Mike Surtees is the 2014 British Senior Chess Champion!!
http://www.britishchesschampionships.co.uk/2014/Senior/SMWSite/

7 Surprising Health Benefits of Playing Chess

7 Surprising Health Benefits of Playing Chess

The Luzhin Defence

 The Luzhin defence  Wikipedia

The movie trailer

Yesterday I wanted to see a movie related to the chess world. So I proposed to my wife to see the movie in subject. She agreed (BTW she has no interest at all in chess) and she liked it a lot. So did I.

Winning in chess....and not only!

A tool to help us win more in chess...and...why not...in our life too:
http://www.brainsync.com/winning.html

The right time to resign a game

At the Bratto International Chess Tournament I saw this position arising from a game played between two strong Class B players (Fide rating between 1700 - 1800). Black has just played 26...Qf1+ ...... and you know what happened..........

White  resigned (???) 
After 27.Kc2 Be4+ (if 28.Kb3 Qb5 draws by repetition) 28.Qxe4 Rxe4 29.Rxf1 Kh8 the game is still open.

Mike Surtees: contact request

I had Mike Surtees' e-mail address but I can't find it now.

If you know him please can you tell Mike if he can contact me privately at ricettario@fastwebnet.it ?

 Thank you.
DR

Loris Cereda discharged of the alleged accusations of cheating at chess

As it often happens....the bad news spread easily in the net.... in January 2013, the italian master Loris Cereda was banned due to cheating...
Cheating in chess – it's all in the news
but the good news, that later he was fully discharged has not been published with the same readiness :-((
http://www.federscacchi.it/doc/notcom/d20130418084708_dispositivo.pdf
http://www.federscacchi.it/doc/notcom/d20130503031251_commissione_giustizia_disciplina_appello_cereda.pdf

Update on my working through "The Steps Method" - Step 4

http://theamazingchessworld.blogspot.it/2012/10/the-steps-method_10.html                                                                  I have completed 50% of the "manual for Chess Trainers" and "Step 4 Workbook".

going through 247 exercizes while making 14 mistakes. That means a 94,3% hit ratio. I liked the quizzes and I find some of them quite challenging.
Just to give you an idea, here you will find a position that I liked under the topic "The magnet". Black to move:

As White threats Qxg7 mate, Black needs to hurry up.....

Solution:  1...Qh1+ 2.Kxh1 Bf3+ 3. Kg1 Rd1 mate

While here's a position where I went astray :-(    White to move.



I chose 1.Bg5 but 1...g6 keeps Black position. 
The right move is 1.Ng5 if fxg5 2.Qh5+ and double attack on the rook as well. While 1...g6 2.Qh4+ and mate in 3 to follow.

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 h6!? by Ashot Nadanian

IM Ashot Nadanian is quite an interesting guy:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashot_Nadanian
Nadanian's Fide Chess Profile 
An Oct 2012 interview to Ashot Nadanian 
http://nadanian.blogspot.com/ 

 

Here, as we have an UCO perspective, we want to mention his opening contribution 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 h6!?

 

And for your pleasure, here you can see him in action in a blitz game againts GM Pinter  :
Jozsef Pinter (parduc) - Ashot Nadanian (April24-1915)
Internet Chess Club 3m + 0s, 2006
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 h6 3.c4 g5 4.Nc3 g4 5.Nd2 Bg7 6.e4 d6 7.Be2 h5 8.Nb3 a5 9.Bg5 a4 10.Nd2 a3 11.b3 Nc6 12.Be3 e5 13.d5 Nd4 14.Nb5 Nd7 15.Rc1 f5 16.exf5 Nc5 17.0-0 Bxf5 18.Bxd4 exd4 19.Re1 0-0 20.b4 Na4 21.Nb3 d3 22.Bf1 Bh6 23.N5d4 Nb2 24.Nxf5 Rxf5 25.Bxd3 Nxd1 26.Bxf5 Bxc1 27.Rxd1 0-1
If you are interested in this strange opening system (it remimds me an improved macho Grob), you may be interested to know that there is an article on it in SOS Secrets of Opening Surprises n° 5   By the way that book contains another article of interest for the UCO player based on 1.d4 c6 2.c4 b5!?!
 At last, we wish to mention that the series SOS Secrets of Opening Surprises contains so many gambit and UCO chess ideas and there is a Clearance Sale  at the NEW in Chess site.... Hurry up!
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March 17th 2013 update:
In their book "Genius in the background" (2009), Tibor
Karolyi  and Nick Aplin spent a whole chapter on Ashot
Nadanian.