Saturday – 11 April 2026
With some players still away on Easter holidays we still had a great turnout of 16 juniors coming along to learn and play chess. The sessions were lively and productive across all groups.
Announcement – Simultaneous Display Next Saturday!
A reminder that next week, Saturday 18 April, Peter and Nicolas are going to give a simultaneous display against as many players as possible. We hope you will all come along and give them both a good game — this will be a wonderful experience for everyone on their chess journey.
This starts promptly at 10am and we plan to finish no later than 11.30am. For those who do not wish to join in or are unavailable, we will provide support lessons as usual.
1st Session
Tony gave a lesson with the advanced group — see the lesson section below.
Graham gave a lesson with the intermediates — also covered in detail below.
With Steve having a well-earned week off, yours truly enjoyed spending time with the beginners. Eric played games with Arini and Erin, both of whom did very well.
2nd Session
Graham continued his lesson with the intermediates in the 2nd session as well.
We were delighted to welcome Cooper for the very first time! Cooper has a good basic knowledge of the game and with weekly guidance he will progress very well. It was really pleasing to see that he understood chess etiquette and showed excellent concentration throughout — a great start, Cooper!
Results – 11 April 2026
1st Session
Hektor 0 – Harvey 1 / Rafan 0 – Nicolas 1 / Peter ½ – Coach ½ / Arini ½ – Coach ½ / Omer 0 – Nirvan 1
2nd Session
Nilay 0 – Koko 1 / Mariusz ½ – Coach ½ / Manvik ½ – Coach ½
Ladder Board – Winter Term (Jan / Feb / Mar)
1 point = Win | 0.5 points = Draw | 0 points = Loss
1st Session – Advanced
Nicolas is striding ahead on 7 points, followed by Peter on 5.5.
| Name | Played | W | D | L | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicolas | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Peter | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 5.5 |
| Nathaniel | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 4.5 |
| Neil | 9 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 4.5 |
| Kautam | 6 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Harvey | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 |
| Hektor | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 3 |
| Rafan | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0.5 |
1st Session – Intermediate
Kit leads on 6 points, with Nirvan close behind on 5.
| Name | Played | W | D | L | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kit | 9 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| Nirvan | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| Markas | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 4.5 |
| Jack | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Milan | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Sarah | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Pavina | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1.5 |
1st Session – Beginners
Omer leads on 4.5 points, Atlas close behind on 4.
| Name | Played | W | D | L | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omer | 8 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 4.5 |
| Atlas | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Arini | 9 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 2.5 |
| Erin | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| Amaury | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
2nd Session – Intermediate / Beginners
William and Manvik share the lead on 4.5 points each.
| Name | Played | W | D | L | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nilay | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
| William | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 4.5 |
| Manvik | 11 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4.5 |
| Jake | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Teo | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Koko | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 3.5 |
| Mariusz | 7 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2.5 |
| Sonny | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.5 |
Tony’s Lesson – Advanced Group: Pawn Chains and Square Control
Tony’s session with the advanced group focused on an essential strategic skill: choosing a plan based on the position in front of you. Rather than making moves instinctively, strong players assess the position first and identify a clear direction.
Pawn Chains
A pawn chain is a diagonal line of pawns where each pawn protects the one in front of it. The key principle is that a pawn chain is only as strong as its base — the rearmost pawn, which has no pawn behind it to defend it. This means:
- Attack the base of the opponent’s pawn chain — that is where it is most vulnerable.
- Protect the base of your own pawn chain — keep it secure.
- The direction of the pawn chain points you towards where your pieces should be active. If your pawns point to the kingside, attack there. If they point to the queenside, that is your area of operations.
Control of Important Squares
Closely linked to pawn structure is the concept of square control. Pawns cannot go backwards, so every pawn move permanently changes which squares you control and which you weaken. The key ideas are:
- Outposts — a square that cannot be attacked by the opponent’s pawns is a permanent home for one of your pieces. A knight on an outpost deep in the opponent’s position can be devastating.
- Weak squares — when you advance a pawn, the squares it leaves behind can become weaknesses. Be aware of what you are giving up, not just what you are gaining.
- Central control — controlling the centre (especially d4, d5, e4, e5) gives your pieces maximum mobility. Always ask: who controls the centre?
The group worked through several positions, assessing the pawn structure and deciding on a plan for both sides — a vital skill that separates improving players from beginners.
Graham’s Lesson – The Fried Liver Attack
A lot of young students ask Graham as a tutor: “How can I checkmate my opponent very quickly — in just a few moves?”
Graham’s answer is honest: as both players get stronger, quick checkmates become less likely. However, there is one opening that allows White to play in a very aggressive and attacking style — and everything depends on whether the opponent knows how to defend against it. That opening is the Two Knights Defence, and specifically the variation known as the Fried Liver Attack.
The Opening Moves
| # | White | Black | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | e4 | e5 | Both sides occupy the centre. |
| 2 | Nf3 | Nc6 | White develops the knight and attacks e5. Black defends. |
| 3 | Bc4 | Nf6 | White aims the bishop at f7 — the weakest square in Black’s position. The Two Knights Defence begins. |
| 4 | Ng5 | … | The Fried Liver Attack! White leaps the knight towards f7, threatening a devastating sacrifice on that square. |
From move 4, the position becomes extremely sharp. White is aiming to sacrifice the knight on f7 with Nxf7, forking Black’s queen and rook and dragging the Black king into the open. The group spent around 15 minutes exploring the options from White’s perspective and how Black can best respond and defend against this very aggressive play.
Then each player took a turn playing the position from move 4 — once as White, once as Black. The games that followed were, to put it mildly, very interesting! It is a fantastic way to understand attacking chess and to learn how to defend under pressure.
For further study, players can explore the Fried Liver Attack in more detail at chessreps.com.
Many thanks to Lynsey, Tony and Graham for coming along to support the sessions — without the whole team none of this would be possible.
I look forward to seeing you all next Saturday for the Simultaneous Display — don’t miss it!
ERIC SACHS
Bournemouth Junior Chess Club – Where Young Minds Learn to Think Ahead.