Nihal's Danvers Opening then Back To Basics at Wolverhampton Chess Club

Well, it was inevitable, one day, that Nihal would be told to slow down and think before he moves.

Nihal has a tendency to take his opponents into check at quite an early stage in the game. Whilst this form of attack can perplex the youngsters and those who are a bit rusty, it is in general deemed as overambitious.

Having played Ron and learnt a few hints, it was time to learn from the Chairman, Frank.

Frank's advice was simple. Develop your pieces first. Formulate your check at a later stage. This was expecially pertinent on his observation of his Danvers Opening

Other pieces of advice :

Control the Center(This one we knew already, but fair to state anyway)
Pair the castles(We acknowlkedged this after several defeats)
A Knight on the Rim, outlook is Grim(Less manouverement on the Rim)
Follow Queen with Rook(Interesting one this, will need to try)
Protect the Heavies(Ofcourse the backup plan as always)

Many more lessons can be learnt by playing the regulars at this club, and we appreciate all advice. Nihal, your learning journey, has just been raised a level!
Good Luck.

Nihal's Inauguaral Show at The Wolverhampton Chess Club

Bronze position. Not good enough says Dad, we want the best out of Nihal. Having said that we are very proud of Nihal, that we want to deivelop his game further.

So the natural progression for Nihal, is to challenge players outside of his normal surroundings.

Yeup no more playing with kids. We are going to take on the men of this world.
On a serious note, this is the right direction for Nihal to follow, if he wants to take his game seriously. Attend a professional Chess Club, where players play Chess for their dignity.

So we went out for our first ever Wolverhampton Chess Club event. It just so happened that they were having a mini chess challenge with their rival club from Bushbury.

There were very serious players here, some getting on a bit into their late seventies and eighties. They have seen it all, chess in prison ie nothing but chess during the years of war. They were like hawkeyes, preying on your every foolish, naive but well thought out move. For example, you think of plan of a sequence of moves, this thought process takes several minutes to strategise. The response, subsecond! Now you understand what we mean about hawkeye's. They see your moves coming a mile away!

Having said that, Nihal put on a great show that day, and was challenged for a game by several regulars who were experts.

Nihal may have lost a few games that day, but he managed to win 2.

In one of the challenges, Nihal played a Doctor named Dev, and he beat him in the 4th game after learning the Doctor's style of play. Nihal is a quick learner and he will catch up with you quick when your not looking.

Watchout, Nihal's about. Nihal is here to stay. Long way to go Son, but if we go by your presentation on the Inauguaral Showing, you will do well to learn from this wealth of experience that is here on offer. Well Done Nihal!

Nihal Wins 3 Games in City Under 9 Chess Championship

The City Championship started off by the opponent making some strange moves(not gambits, not attacks, but reflexive pins would you believe it) making Nihal off balance and distracted from normal 100% Concentration, as he thought that this wizardry had some sort of cunning plan. Eventually Nihal gave into an easy win for the opponent and just wanted to put this distraction into the past as he did not enjoy this match that lacked any kind of basic plan.

Nihal 0 Tettenhall College 1

Nihal was now on a mission to refocus. Nihal started off with his standard fool's mate opening. Yeup you never know, if you can bring it off, try it and see. However the fool's mate didnt fruit into 4 moves, but it did allow Nihal to draw out the opponents Knights and Bishops into subliminal forks. The rest was downhill as Nihal was on a steamroller mission to break into the kingdom's defence. Pawn gambits followed by a CheckMate, easy peasy does it!

Nihal 1 Warstones 0

Having opened with a fool's mate in the last game, Nihal easily read into the next opponent's fool's mate opening. Nihal forked the opponent's Bishop and Queen, to make the fool's mate opener the ultimate fool. With the Queen lost, the opponent's Knights followed into tragedy. Nihal then deployed his Queen into a check, forcing the the King out into a futile position, to allow Nihal to sneak his Rook from behind.Checkmate.

Nihal 1 Tettenhall College 0

This was a disastrous start for Nihal as the opponent was too strong with his strategic moves. So Strategic that the opponent was thinking ahead several moves at a time. The opponent took Nihal's defence down pawn by pawn, Knight by Knight and Bishop by Bishop and 1 Rook until. What? He lost his Queen due to a silly move allowing Nihal to take it with his rook. Now Nihal, took the opponent's Bishop by Bishop, Knightby Knight and 1 Rook, Nihal doing a reflective symmetry on the opponents opening game in his own Middle Game.

Time began to run out and then it did run out. Nihal drew with this phenomenal player. And boy did Nihal learn quick to respond with the mirror image of the game desrvedly.

Nihal D Tettenhall College D

Nihal won this game automatically. No more needs to be said.

Nihal 1 Lanesfield 0

And finally the friendly game

Nihal Under 9 vs Oppenent Under 11

Nihal won, by simple pawn gambits followed with a simple Queen/Rook checkmate.

All in all a great day for Nihal, as he got the highest position from his School, and won Bronze in the City Under 9 Championships, followed by a win over someone 2 years more experienced than him. Well done Nihal, in your first ever Under 9 City Chess Championship,

Nihal in Chess Final Parts 2, 3, 4... The Marathon

So Part 2 was expected to be the decider. How wrong were we to expect a winner appointed the next day.

They drew again in another 2 stalemates, and by now the school audience were getting anxious of a result either way. Please please can someone separate these 2 masterful players, as there is not a whisker of a difference in their gaze at the mesmerised chessboard.

So it was to be, on that judjement day, that the final went into Part 4. Nihal was giving Rocky and Rambo some serious competition here in the making of great sequels.

Nihal started with taking a knight, which resulted in an aggresive fork on his king and bishop, bad move into check. Nihal responded by sacrificing his bishop.

Next came the deceptive but innocent move of a pawn forward into a gambit position, resulting in Nihal gaining a Rook, It was all but loss for the opponent, as Nihal thought that he had trapped the Queen, only to find out that he lost his own Rook in the process of this ill fated tactical move. However the Rook loss resulted in aiding Nihal to take the opponents Queen, which was in effect traded with his own Queen by the opponent's Bishop.

So we now have a game without Queens, without Rooks and without Bishops, and Nihal without both his Knights. This left the opponent with the advantage of a Knight.

Nihal's predicament was futile, as the opponent was now moving Pawns forward faster than he could himself. Eventually the opponent gained a Queen on the Pawn advance, and this Queen was the mate for the match's final blow.

Nihal lost the final, but he gained many friends and respect, and most importantly of all a well deserved finalist trophy.

Nihal in Chess Final Part 1 Alekhine's Defence

Youve seen Rocky1 to Rocky6, now its Nihal vs Sam in the final of the Chess Masters.

Two great friends outside the chessroom, but now they are rivals in the chessroom.

Sam opened with E4 to which Nihal replied with Nf6. Alekhine's Defence.

Nihal had an answer ro each of Sam's tricks. The tactical opening game then suddenl turned into a multi coloured swap shop, as knights were exchanged with bishops, and pawns were gambited on their respective initial rows barely reaching opposite ends into the opponents defence.

The chess referee was not impressed as Queens were swapped in tit for tat fashion. This was no time for jokes, as the kids meant business!

Time's up, back to lessons as this game will have to have a sequel. Coming to a WWW near you, watch this space as the game resumes tomorrow.

The suspense has now raised the bar!

Nihal's School Team Wins Chess Final

Now it was teatime yet it wasn't as Nihal had to maximise on his missed investment on his tea and biscuits that he had to sacrifice in order to play in the School Final against one of the best School Teams in the City, namely Tettenhall College.

Nihal's School Team were the current reigning champions, and this was Nihal's first School Team Championship Final. No pressure hey Nihal!

Ok, so there were 9 gamesto play ...

Nihal 1 - 0 TC

Nihal Wins Game 1 by taking his oppponents Queen, thus breaking down the defence, and then took 2 rooks followed 2 knights followed by 2 bishops. Leaving the King to be trapped.

Then came the Tettenhall College rebound as they won the next 3 games on the trot!

Luke 1 - 1 TC
Harjagdish 1 - 2 TC
Laura 1 - 3 TC

Now it was up to Nihal's contemporaries to win back some dignity and pride for the school.

Sam 2 - 3 TC
Jarrid 3 - 3 TC

Yes were back and its even stevens!

Felix 3 - 4 TC

Ooops Tettenhall College are back.

Jack 4 - 4 TC

Yippee Jack even's the Score, now its down to the wire and its up to Kyle

Kyle 5 - 4 TC

You couldn't have writen a better script, fantastic, brilliant, superb. The lads win the trophy(big square and bronze) whic dated back to the 1970's.

Well done school, the Reigning Champions retain the title as they win once again.

Tuesday 26th June 2007, will always be remembered as the Meal Deal for Nihal's Chess!

Nihal Wins Semi Final of Chess ChampionShip

Following the breakfast match Nihal was on a roll, and steamrolled over his semifinalist opponent during Lunchtime.

First Breakfast and then Lunch, Nihal has today coincidentally synchronised his ches matches during his mealtimes, very interesting ploy Nihal!

The ploy seemed to work well as Nihal won the semi final match after an arduous battle. His female opponent gave him a good going for his mashed potatoes and chicken and sweetcorn munch during lunch.

"She was initially protecting her King with her Knight and Bishop, and then for some reason broke her defence by trying to checkmate me with her Bishop. Thus I took her Knight as that resulted in allowing me to Checkmate the King" said Nihal.

Phew, as Nihal was shaken but not stirred, as he managed to keep his cool as he foiled an attempted checkmate.

Well done Nihal. Sam here we come into the final, Nihal is looking for you!

Nihal Beats A Level Student During Breakfast Match

On Tuesday morning 26th June between eating breakfast and preparing his school bag ready for school, Nihal managed to fit in a game of chess with his cousin Anil, who was taking a break from the north of the country as he had just finished his A Level Exams.

Little did Anil know that he was going to be put through another A Level Exam, this one being Nihal's A Level Chess game, yes there is no escaping Nihal. He takes every opportunity with a potential chess candidate whenever possible.

Anil assumed that this would have been a chess walkover as Nihal had barely just woke up one hour before. Yet he was mistaken. Looks like he forgot to take that extra portion of his weetabix as Nihal checkmated him within 2 dozen moves. Nihal had no time to waste as he had to go to school.

Anil although did not make any mistakes out of folly, Nihal kept his Bishop pinned with his rook whilst simultaneously providing a pawn as a gambit in the pseudo pinned Bishops path. Anil had no choice but to give in to the gambit by taking the pawn, and then the rook to his bishop as Nihal had tactically planned.

Anil was left with just his King backed up into a corner and was soon cornered in by Nihal's rook, queen and King. Checkmate!

By the way Nihal had more ChocoHoops than Anil, which gave him the extra energy that was required. Well done Nihal!

Nihal Wins 2 Games and Draws 1 At Chess Jamboree

Nihal was up at 5:30am this morning waiting in anticipation for the excitement that awaited him at todays Chess Jamboree.

Participant teams came from Tettenhall Colllege, Lanesfield, Warestones, and his own school.

3 Different year groups attended from each school ranging from the chess prodigies from Year 4 that included Nihal, up to the established players from Year 6.

From Nihal's year 3 participants joined into play.

Nihal won 2 against Warstones A and Lanesfield B respectively and drew against Warestones B
The other two participants scored 1 Win 1 Draw and 1 Loss, and 2 Wins and 1 Loss respectively.

Nihal's first game was a draw, whereby each player concentrated on protecting the king and resulting in a stalemate, where at best of times the takes were to defend as opposed to gambits.

Nihal's second game was a constant game of bishops and knights, and at one stage setting up a triple fork using a bishop against 2 rooks and a queen. The opponent was left with no choice but to defend the queen by sacrificing a rook, and this ended up sadly with backing off into a checkmate, brilliant strategy Nihal!

Nihal's final game was pure acceleration resulting in a checkmate in 13 moves!

Fantastic stuff Nihal, well done!

Nihal wins Quarter Final of Chess Championship

21-06-2007
Nihal today won the Quarter Finals and moved into the Semi-Finals of the Individual Chess Championship for Year 4 of his School.

The game was won in 5 minutes. Nihal's opponent was on a full pawn attack strategy with no thought about defence. The rook was left open, then the knight was left open, and then the 2 bishops was left open. An easily accomplished checkmate finish with a queen and rook, guaranteed Nihal a place in the semi finals of the Chess Championship.

Well done Nihal, the tornament now heats up and the pressure is on!

Nihal wins Last 16 Round of Individual Chess Championship

19-06-2007
Last 16 tournament was started. This was a 20 minute game against a chess novice who gave Nihal a bad and easy game, allowing Nihal to take pieces with consecutively. The opponent's defence lacked any gambits so there was no chance,of tricking Nihal into any sacrifices. Nihal progressed in confidence moving on to take senior pieces including the opponents queen, and then checkmated with a queen and bishop. Well Done Nihal!

Nihal's Chess Team Goes into Championship Final

A little time ago when Nihal was not in the school chess team, but was competing for a position, his school team meanwhile were playing for a quarter final position in the city's schools championships.

Nihal has moved up a long way since then and now that he has won a place in the school team, his team has now moved onto the final of the championship, by outscoring its semi final opponents Rakegate's who conceded the position.

Now the other semifinal is still to be decided between the other two teams that make up the best 3 in the city.

So Nihal's school team will face the semifinalist winners of the match between Lanesfield and Tettenhall College. Well done Nihal and Team!

Nihal gets selected for City Under 9 Chess Championship

This is quite an honour and credit placed on Nihal and his school team mates to be selected to play amongst the best chess players in the city.

Nihal will be required to play 6 games.

This will be a defining moment in Nihal's Chess Career to date. Fingers xd.

Nihal gets reselected for another Chess Jamboree

A revisit is penned once again into Nihal's Diary for the next local schools Jamboree, for which he has once again been selected.

This Chess Jamboree will be visited by some of the finest local school chess teams.

Nihal is naturally very excited with the prospectof playing against some of the best local chess talent on offer.

Once again well done Nihal!

Nihal's Team Annihilate Warstones 10 games to 2

Nihal's School team took on new fellow opponents Warstones School last week. This was a gruelling session of 12 games. Nihal's School team came back from 2-0 down to win a phenomenal 10 games to 2, can you believe it. What a comeback, WOW!

This gets even better as Nihal won ALL 3 of his games, setting the precedent of the status quo of chess playing.

Nihal's first game was admittedly a fluke, checkmate just naturally fell into place.
Nihal's second game was more mentally more taxing, requiring Nihal to outwit his opponent with a few tricks.
Nihal's third and final game involved a really hard opponent to beat and Nihal was up with the second best chess player in Warstones School.

Finally after a cruel and thoughtful game, Nihal's opponent slipped up allowing Nihal to trap his queen into a corner, thus giving Nihal scope to work on the following checkmate to the king that was not protected. NIcely done Nihal with style, hats off as we all say.

Nihal's Chess Team Win 5 out of 12 Games Home

Tettenhall College returned for the home leg to Nihal's school. Once again Nihal's School Team managed to muster another 5 wins against this formiddable chess team.

This seemed to be a mirror result of the away form, as Nihal once again won his second game after losing his first. Having said this it took Nihal's opponent ages to defeat him in the first game, however Nihal came back with a vengeance to win in the second game using both pairs of his knights and bishops for a clear and calculated checkmate.

Well done Nihal, we can count on you for results!

Nihal's Chess Team Win 5 out of 12 Games Away

Nihal's School Chess Team played away at their school rivals Tettenhall College a week before half term. Their counterparts proved the stronger team, but the challenging experience proved invaluable as tough opposition is better than no opposition.

Nihal managed to win one of the tougher games after losing a difficult first game. Kudos to Nihal for winning respect for his teammates, classmates and schoolmates.

Next match is at home ....

Nihal's Queen's Knight Defence Success

When Nihal challenged his Dad's Queen's Pawn opening with a Queen's Knight Defence, it was difficult to see how he could avoid defeat unless his Dad did some serious moves.

The middle game turned out to be a classic. The game was not in favour of Nihal, as he was checked up to a dozen times, and the heat was on him as he finally lost all his pawns.

However, eventually some ingenious thinking paved the way for him to play a rook gambit, allowing his dad to take the rook by his own rook and thus providing a reverse gambit.

Nihal although by now was reduced to a king only, knew he had survived the loss as it was unlikely he would allow any silly moves against a king plus knight.

Dad said it was getting late ie 11pm as he was being distracted by jazz electric blues music.

Hoever, credit due to where, credits due. The excellent rook gambit payed dividends and earned him much added respect after a 2.5 hour classic battle. Match was drawed!