 What do you consider to be the strongest chess tournament to have ever graced the city of Leeds? For sure there have been various and successful British rapidplay events won by such luminaries as Nigel Short, Mickey Adams. It was only last year that Leeds Metropolitan University held the tournament won convincingly by Gawain Jones. But what about standard play events? There appears to be a serious dirth of top class international chess tournaments held in Leeds. In fact, one has to trawl back through the history books to find the strongest standard play event, and even then it is somewhat shrouded in mystery, reported in only a couple of documents. Still, after a great deal of digging around we can establish that the prestigious 1861 tournament held in Leeds was the strongest international chess event to be staged in our city. |
 In recent years Rose Forgrove Chess Club has been happily bathing in a great deal of success in the different events held under the auspices of the Leeds Chess Association. Indeed, most seasons in the last decade have ended up with the club gaining more than one piece of silverware. Last season we manage to pick up six trophies including two league titles, both the arjay trophy and plate as well as the rapidplay trophy. However, such success has not always been easy to come by. Rose Forgrove Chess Club has experienced, especially in the formative years, many seasons spent in the wilderness without a even a sniff of silverware. Gradually, the club developed attracting more and more players and gaining in strength. All of which acts as a reminder that a successful club should never stop the building process.
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 Many chess venues at club level are held at various clubs and pubs where alcohol is freely available. Quite often members will be seen enjoying a pint while ruminating over their chess position. However, the game of chess can sometimes be a tense, even stressful affair where the pressure of the clock and the position on the board can induce a player to resort to different methods to cope. One of those methods can be alcohol. However, sometimes it can help relax a chess player and enable him to overcome his nerves, but when does it become a disruptive, negative influence. By looking into the history of a variety of famous chess players we can begin to obtain a greater understanding of the influence of alcohol on chess. All of which can help us answer the burning question of whether alcohol and chess do actually mix.... |
 We often strive to improve our game by studying, sometimes in depth; by practicing what we know and what we have learnt; by taking part in many competitive games to boost our practical play
and by discussing our moves and ideas with others. All of which constitutes many hours of effort. We then find our reward when we play that 'great' game or beat a higher-rated opponent or indeed see our rating increase rapidly. But, wait....what's that stalking your very chess footsteps? the thing that hovers around the chessboard desperate to introduce and re-introduce itself? Yes, dear reader, it is the blunder!
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LCA Constitution
Details of the rules governing Leeds chess and the main officers involved
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Match Reports
Keep abreast of those raucous match reports arrowed in by our very own Archer |
Club Calendar
A look at the upcoming summer club events for 2012 |
The digital age is upon us so come out of hiding from underneath that chess table and start to learn what these modern devices do. A multitude of functions and game possibilities make the digital chess clock an indispensible tool in the modern game. Also, a look at how to deal with the problems that can arise down at your local chess club when some accidental pressing or mis-pressing occurs
Chess Terms
It is one thing being confronted by a devilish opening trap or crazy position on the chess board, it is another to be truly confounded by the chess-speak of your opponent. Know your zugzwangs from your zwischenzugs with this glossary of chess terms
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Just Short of Perfect
A look at the fighting qualities of Bolton's brightest chess star |
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Web-weaver Adams
The master of positional chess shows us how to construct a Cornish delight |
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A McShane Explosion
The force has always been with Luke and more often than not his opponents feel its full power |
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Howell in the Wind
A storm is coming your way! Don't ever tempt a whirlwind to come and devastate your position |
Old Magic
The real markers for modern day chess were established by players who didn't just rely on finding the best move
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The Psychology of Lasker
One of the first great exponents of psychological chess, Lasker was aware of just what made his opponents' position uncomfortable |
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The Scheming Cuban
Capablanca showed the chess world a whole new way of looking at the endgame where thinking in schemes took precedence |
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Alekhine Attacks!
Some inspired attacks stemmed from the mind of the Russian genius as he could see possibilities that others could not |
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Defend Yourself, Sir!
A key to successful match play is knowing how to defend a position |
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The King Hunt
You can smell blood and it's time to go in for the kill! |
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Sly Moves
Those unobtrusive little gems that leave your opponent helpless |
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Trap-Setting
Time to bait your opponent with what looks like a tasty meal |
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