One of my key recommendations for aspiring chessplayers is to get to know yourself really well and then build an opening repertoire and a playing style that fits you.
Lars Bo Hansen, How Chess Games Are Won And Lost
Wednesday, 13 May 2026
Tuesday, 12 May 2026
Bregenz Seniors Round Three
FACED a Swiss.
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Spanton (1911) - Urs Scheidegger (1809)
Blackmar-Diemer Gambit
1.e4 d5 2.d4!? dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 Bf5!? 5.g4 Bg6 6.g5 Nd5 7.Nxe4 e6
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| So far, all as in round one |
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8.Ne2!?
This is second in popularity in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database to 8.c4, but is not liked by Stockfish18 or Dragon1.
8...f5?!
Apparently a novelty, and probably not a good one. The engines suggest 8...Nc6 or 8...h6!?
9.N4g3
White is slightly better after 9.gxf6, according to the engines, eg 9...Nxf6 10.Ng5!?, or 9...gxf6 10.c4!?, and if 10...Bb4+?!, then 11.Kf2!
9...Be7 10.f4 Bb4+?
There is no logic to this move.
11.c3 Bd6?!
The engines recommend eating humble pie with 11...Be7!?
12.Bg2 c6
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| How should White proceed? |
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13.c4!?
Strong (and would have been even stronger at move 12), but needs to be followed up correctly. Also good is 13.h4.
13...Bb4+?!
The d5 knight should probably retreat to c7 or e7.
14.Bd2??
White is winning after moving the king, eg 14.Kf2!? Ne7 15.Qb3 a5 16.a3 Bd6 17.Qxb7, or 15...Qb6 16.c5 Qb5 17.Qxe6.
14...Ne3 15.Qb3
Objectively best, or rather least worst, may be 15.Bxb4!? Bxd1 16.Rxd1.
15...Nxg2+ 16.Kd1 Bxd2 17.Qxb7 Nd7 18.Kxd2 Rb8 19.Qxc6 Nh4
Even stronger is the engines' 19...Rxb2+!, eg 20.Kc1 Qb8!, and if 21.Qxg2, then 21...Qb4! 22.Rd1 Qa3!
20.Qxe6+
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| What should Black play? |
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20...Kf8!
Despite the white queen looking so menacing, it is White's king that is in greater danger, which is why 20...Qe7 21.Qxe7+ Kxe7 21.b3 would be a great relief.
21.Kc2 Rb6?!
Probably better are two suggestions of the engines, 21...Qc7 and 21...h6.
22.Qe3 Qb8 23.Qa3+ Kf7 24.Nc3?
The engines give 24.Rac1!?, preparing to bring the king to (relative) safety on b1, while at the same time developing a piece.
24...Nf3?
Stronger are 24...Qxf4 and 24...Ng2.
25.Nd5?
25.Rad1 equalises (Dragon1) or comes close to it (Stockfish18).
25...Nxd4+! 26.Kd3 Rd6 27.Kxd4 Rxd5+!
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| This exchange sacrifice leaves the white king helpless |
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28.cxd5 Qxf4+ 29.Kd3 Ne5+ 30.Kc2
Or 30.Ke2 Re8.
30...Qc4+
Much stronger is 30...Rc8+, but the text is plenty good enough, and Black's winning route is arguably a matter of taste.
31.Kd1?
31.Kd1?
There was more hope in 31.Qc3 f4+ 32.Kc1, eg 32...Qxc3+ 33.bxc3 fxg3 34.hxg3, when White has rook and two pawns for bishop and knight, but White's pawns are chronically weak, and the engines reckon Black's advantage is about equivalent to being up a piece.
31...Qxd5+ 32.Ke2 Qg2+ 33.Kd1
Or 33.Ke1 Nf3+.
33...Rd8+ 34.Kc1 Qd2+ 35.Kb1 f4+ 0-1
Monday, 11 May 2026
Bregenz Seniors Round Two
FACED a German.
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Olaf Hilbig (2026) - Spanton (1911)
1.b3
1.b3 b6 2.Bb2 Bb7 3.e3 Nf6 4.f4 e6 5.Nf3 Be7 6.Be2 d5 7.0-0 0-0
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| With both sides having castled, how would you assess the position? |
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The main difference is White has more space on the kingside, Black in the centre, which leads Stockfish18 and Dragon1 to award Black a slight edge.
8.d3 Bc5!?
Apparently a novelty. Known moves are 8...Nc6!?, 8...c5 and especially 8...Nbd7.
9.d4 Be7
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| This position occurs three times in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, but with Black to move |
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10.Ne5 Ne4 11.Nd2 f6 12.Ng4 f5!? 13.Ne5 Nd7
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| Symmetry |
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14.Nxe4!? dxe4 15.Bc4
The engines claim White has an edge after 15.Nxd7!? Qxd7 16.g4!?
15...Bd5 16.Qe2
Here they like 16.Bxd5!? exd5 17.Qe2, again claiming a slight edge for White.
16...c6?!
After 16...Nxe5 17.dxe5 Bxc4 18.Qxc4 Qd5! Black is at least equal, according to the engines, one point being 19.Qxc7? runs into 19...Bc5!, when Black threatens to capture on e3 with check and to win the white queen.
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| How should White proceed? |
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17.a4
The engines give 17.Ba6!, threatening to trap Black's light-square bishop. After 17...Nxe5 18.dxe5 c5 19.g4!? they give White a slight edge.
17...Nxe5 18.dxe5 Bc5??
The game is completely equal after 18...Bxc4 19.Qxc4 Qd5, according to the engines.
19.Ba6!? b5
The engines reckon this is best, but Black is losing a piece.
20.c4 Qb6 21.axb5 Bxe3+ 22.Kh1 Rfd8 23.cxd5 Rxd5?
Better, but still losing, is 23...cxd5.
24.bxc6! Rd2
Otherwise Black is simply a bishop down.
25.Qc4 Rxb2 26.c7 Rxb3 27.c8=Q+ Rxc8 28.Bxc8 Bd4 29.Bxe6+ 1-0
Sunday, 10 May 2026
Bregenz Seniors Round One
FACED a German.
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Spanton (1911) - Kurt Vogel (1643)
Blackmar-Diemer Gambit
1.e4 d5 2.d4!?
This is strongly disliked by Stockfish18 and Dragon1, but they do not like 1...d5 either.
2...dxe4 3.Nc3 Bf5!?
This is third in popularity in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, behind 3...e5!? and especially 3...Nf6.
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| How should White respond? |
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4.f3
This was Alexander Alekhine's choice in a 1923 simul, but the engines suggest 4.g4 Bg6 and, probably, 5.Nge2 (Emil Diemer played 5,Bg2 in a 1972 game), claiming White has equalised.
4...Nf6
Alekhine - Lynn* Blount, Simul (Providence, Rhode Island) 1923, went 4...exf3 5.Qxf3!? e6 6.Qxb7 Nd7 7.Bb5 Nf6 8.Bg5 Be7?! (the engines suggest 8...Rb8 or 8...Qc8!?) 9.Bxf6?! (White is better after 9.Bxd7+, eg 9...Nxd7 10.Bxe7 Kxe7 11.0-0-0) Bxf6 10.Bxd7+ Kxd7, with equal chances, according to the engines (but 1-0, 46 moves).
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| After 4...Nf6 the game has reached, via transpositions, a tabiya of the BDG that occurs 846 times in Mega26 |
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5.g4
More common is 5.fxe4!? Nxe4 6.Qf3 Nd6 7.Bf4 e6 8.0-0-0, when White has interesting compensation for a pawn, although Dragon1 (but not Stockfish18) reckons Black is still slightly better.
5...Bg6 6.g5 Nd5 7.Nxe4
Kurt Richter - Simon Rotenstein, Berlin Championship 1932, continued 7.fxe4?! Nxc3 8.bxc3 Bxe4 9.Nf3, with the upper hand for Black, according to the engines (but 1-0, 42 moves).
7...e6 8.Nh3!?
The engines prefer 8.h4, 8.c4 or 8.c3.
8...c6
This may be a novelty. Spanton (2018) - Peter Vorstermans (1934), Guernsey 2005, went 8...Be7 9.Bg2 h6 10.gxh6 Bh4+ 11.Ng3 gxh6 12.Bd2?! (White should probably castle, or play 12.Nf4) Nc6, with the upper hand for Black, according to the engines (0-1, 30 moves).
9.Bg2 Nd7 10.Qe2 N7b6 11.Bd2 Qd7 12.a4 a5 13.0-0 Be7 14.b3 0-0
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| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position? |
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White's kingside looks a mess, but White's pawns give White more space, and White is capable of attacking on the queenside, in the centre and/or on the kingside. The engines reckon White has the upper hand (Stockfish18) or is at least slightly better (Dragon1).
15.Rad1 Qc8?!
Not a great square for the queen, and meanwhile Black is falling behind in development.
16.c4 Nc7?!
This drops a pawn, but 16...Nb4 17.Ne4 is also very good for White, according to the engines.
17.Qe1!? Bxe4?!
This probably makes matter worse.
18.fxe4 Nd7 19.Bxa5 b6 20.Bc3 Ne8 21.Qg3 Rb8 22.e5 g6!?
This is the top choice of the engines, but if 22...g6!? is really the best move in the position, it only goes to show how badly Black stands.
23.Qf3 c5
The engines give 23...b5 24.axb5 axb5 25.c5!?, with what they regard as a positionally won game for White.
24.d5 exd5?!
Natural looking, but it loses a piece, so Black had to try something like 24...Ng7 25.d6 Bd8, but with a horrible position.
25.Qxd5! 1-0
*Given as T Blount in Mega26, but it was probably Lynn Blount, champion of Providence Chess Club.
*Given as T Blount in Mega26, but it was probably Lynn Blount, champion of Providence Chess Club.
Chess Tip Of The Day 399
A desire to create complications at an early stage in the game sometimes urges a player into unwarranted experiments.
Alexey Sokolsky, The Modern Openings In Theory And Practice
Impressions
ALTHOUGH I caught two trains to cover the 20 miles from Bregenz to Friedrichshafen, on the way back I used only one train, walking the remaining six or so miles.
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It was hot in the sun, but there were a few moments worth stopping for to take photos, including one of a 16th-century church.
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Saturday, 9 May 2026
Better Late Than Never
I DISCOVERED today, more than three months after the event, there is a new version of the free engine Stockfish.
The creators reckon Stockfish18 is 46 elo better than Stockfish17, although, as far as I can see, they do not claim how much stronger it is than the improved Stockfish17.1.
Nevertheless, it would be churlish to look this gift horse in the mouth, and it can be downloaded free here.
However, be warned, I found I could only get it to work in ChessBase by deleting all previous versions of Stockfish from my computer. Until I had done that, no versions of the engine would work!
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| Stockfish icon - designed by web developer Klein Maetschke |
Hard To Believe ...
... but I may have solved the problem with Blogger's faulty feeder gadget, and without having to be spoonfed the solution by geeks (in a nice way) who are so much more knowledgeable about computer software than I can ever hope to be.
At the moment Chess Tip Of The Day seems to be automatically updating in the top-right corner of the web version of Beau Chess.
The test will be whether it continues working tomorrow.
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