Nihal's Sokolsky Opening Strategy

Nihal played a very clever game by taking an an unusual opening on the queenside flank.

Whilst cleverly observing his dad was experimenting with a bottle of Belle-Vue Krieg on the palate, he dummyed the apparently unaffective opening, leading to a bad bishop.

However even though I responded with a strong f5, the cherry had already made a mark on the fizzy refreshment distraction, and the game ended in a very strategically successful draw.

Well done Nihal!

Nihal Wins 2006 Mini Chess Tournament

18th March 2006 will be a day for Nihal to remember for the rest of his life, as he embarked upon his first chess tornament.

Nihal invited some of the best chess players in the community including his school chess team for a knockout chess tournament.

Eight players were selected based on their playing ability.

Players were drawn against each other at random for the first round, the winners of which decided the semi finalists.

The competition continued through the knockout stages to produce two exceptional finalists Nihal and Tom who had reached the final via their consecutive checkmate wins.

The final was eventually one by Nihal, however Tom gave Nihal no easy time winning it, as it was a tough challenge of two exceptional minds.

Great day Nihal, well done!

Gary Kasparov Has Quit

One Year ago on March 10th 2005, Gary Kasparov shook the chess world with the announcement that he was to quit from professional chess tournaments.

Nihal, would have liked to have played him one day, who know's when two worldlines will meet one day.

I suppose, once Gary Kasparov played the whole world via internet in 1999, he must have thought what next?

Any way here is a link to the analysis of that monumental match.

Nihal's First Win Against Dad!

Nihal has been trying very well recently with his Reti chess opening variations with Fianchetto. His working on inventing his own variation. He'll have to have exhausted far too many variations before he'll chance any unprecedented discovery.

Finally he managed to beat me(his dad that is!), my fault for losing concentration whilst enjoying a glass of chilled Leffe Blonde.

His final attack strategy was a combined effort of a rook/knight paired manouvere resulting in checking my king into Rank 8. The game could easily have dragged onto repetetive defensive moves down and back up ranks allowing me to chance him for a mistake. Why spoil the fun I thought, let him relish his succesful combined attack!

Not bad for a 7 year old!