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Rittenhouse Square Chess

"U1600 90+30" * I recommend not playing UXXXX tournaments. The stronger your opponents, the more you learn.

"I took a bye in round 1" * I recommend not taking any byes: play the whole tournament.

"Just capture the Bishop and saddle white with the doubled-pawns" * The point is not the doubled pawns: pawn a2 is even better at b3. The point is losing the good bishop Bb3.

"I needed to preserve my bishop" * Not sure. It is your bad bishop, on the color of your pawns. A knight is about as good.

"Attack a Bishop seems like a consistent opening principle." * A bishop is worth a knight + 1 tempo. It is bad to trade a knight + 2 tempi for a bishop.

"Finish development before you attack" is one of those lies they tell beginners.

  • It is no lie and it is generally true. However a specific position may offer an opportunity to attack immediately. An unsafe enemy king is a tell tale to attack him if feasible.

"practicing rook endgame" * That is the most useful you can do.

"the nonsense I have to finish development, I have no right to start an attack yet. This is one of the lies they teach beginners about opening principles. * It is neither nonsense, nor a lie. However, Bd2 is no developing move, the bishop is hardly better on d2 than on c1. "Qh4 is the top move here." * Yes, it is thematic and the point of Qe1. Developing the queen is also developing.
"The correct move here was Kh1." * That is often necessary after the diagonal a7-g1 is weakened by f4.
"ENGINE: or Be3." * That highlights Bd2 was no developing move.

"nobody ever one a game by resigning" * If you have any hope, then play on.

"Rook endgames" * Yes!
"Calculating longer at slightly harder puzzles" * Yes. Puzzle streak is good.
"using more of my time in critical positions" * Yes!
"when calculating always finish the line with my opponent's move, not my own." * Yes

"U1600 90+30" * I recommend not playing UXXXX tournaments. The stronger your opponents, the more you learn. "I took a bye in round 1" * I recommend not taking any byes: play the whole tournament. "Just capture the Bishop and saddle white with the doubled-pawns" * The point is not the doubled pawns: pawn a2 is even better at b3. The point is losing the good bishop Bb3. "I needed to preserve my bishop" * Not sure. It is your bad bishop, on the color of your pawns. A knight is about as good. "Attack a Bishop seems like a consistent opening principle." * A bishop is worth a knight + 1 tempo. It is bad to trade a knight + 2 tempi for a bishop. "Finish development before you attack" is one of those lies they tell beginners. * It is no lie and it is generally true. However a specific position may offer an opportunity to attack immediately. An unsafe enemy king is a tell tale to attack him if feasible. "practicing rook endgame" * That is the most useful you can do. "the nonsense I have to finish development, I have no right to start an attack yet. This is one of the lies they teach beginners about opening principles. * It is neither nonsense, nor a lie. However, Bd2 is no developing move, the bishop is hardly better on d2 than on c1. "Qh4 is the top move here." * Yes, it is thematic and the point of Qe1. Developing the queen is also developing. "The correct move here was Kh1." * That is often necessary after the diagonal a7-g1 is weakened by f4. "ENGINE: or Be3." * That highlights Bd2 was no developing move. "nobody ever one a game by resigning" * If you have any hope, then play on. "Rook endgames" * Yes! "Calculating longer at slightly harder puzzles" * Yes. Puzzle streak is good. "using more of my time in critical positions" * Yes! "when calculating *always* finish the line with my opponent's move, not my own." * Yes

When calculating always finish on your move

When calculating always finish on your move

@tpr said in #2:

"U1600 90+30" * I recommend not playing UXXXX tournaments. The stronger your opponents, the more you learn.

They have rating floors, sorry.

"I took a bye in round 1" * I recommend not taking any byes: play the whole tournament.

That's a fine sentiment, but I have a life outside of chess and had to miss some of the weekly rounds due to scheduling and illness.

@tpr said in #2: > "U1600 90+30" * I recommend not playing UXXXX tournaments. The stronger your opponents, the more you learn. They have rating floors, sorry. > "I took a bye in round 1" * I recommend not taking any byes: play the whole tournament. That's a fine sentiment, but I have a life outside of chess and had to miss some of the weekly rounds due to scheduling and illness.

Nice article. I was wondering about the Philly chess scene. I was just there for the World Open - that was a lot of fun.

Nice article. I was wondering about the Philly chess scene. I was just there for the World Open - that was a lot of fun.