Santa’s coming – with chess goodies

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(Newcastle Chronicle, 15 November 2024)

All the tell-tale signs of the Christmas season are already upon us. The parties are beginning, Slade’s on the jukebox and Fenwick’s ‘12 Days of Christmas’ window display is in full swing.

Your thoughts may turn to what presents to get for family and friends. If you’re passing on the idea of a festive reindeer jumper, why not consider something different – a chess set, instructional book or online membership?

Chess sets come in all shapes and sizes. For the serious player and connoisseur, classic Staunton pattern wooden sets make an excellent gift, while fancy themed sets range from Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings to Napoleonic armies, Batman and Star Wars are perfect for gaming enthusiasts.

The best value set for children and newcomers is actually just a standard plastic set and rollup board. These can be purchased for as little as £15-20 online or from retailer Chess & Bridge (www.chess.co.uk). Digital chess clocks are a must-have for budding champions, and these can be found online from £20-£30 upwards.

There are plenty of good chess books to choose from to fill Christmas stockings.

Handy primers include ‘How to Beat Your Dad at Chess’ by Murray Chandler, ‘Beginner Chess Puzzles’ and ‘Intermediate Chess Puzzles’ by Martin Bennedik, and ‘Learn Chess Tactics’ by John Nunn.

‘The Chess Revolution’ by Peter Doggers brings the history of the game bang up to date, including the impact of the ‘Queen’s Gambit’ Netflix series and online chess, while the original novel, ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ by Walter Tevis, is an inspirational read.

Some out-of-print classics are well worth a read if you can find them online or from second-hand booksellers: ‘Chess for Tigers’ by Simon Webb is full of practical tips for outwitting your opponents, and the timely ‘How to Cheat at Chess’ by William Hartston is a hilarious romp through all kinds of over-the-board skulduggery (it may surprise you to know that cheating scandals didn’t start with Hans Niemann and Vladimir Kramnik).

Many young players are learning as much via online videos and chess websites as from conventional chess books. A chess.com membership will set you back about £30 a year, but comes with masses of instructional videos, puzzles and lessons. There is also plenty of great free stuff out there: check out lichess.org and the ‘Power Play Chess’ channel on YouTube.

There’s a whole chess world out there, so feel free to jump in.

PUZZLES

Puzzle A: Paul Dargan (White) to play. Mate in 2.

Puzzle B: James Ross (White) to play and win.

Puzzle C: Mick Riding (White) to play and win.

Puzzle D: John Boyd (Black) to play and win.

ANSWERS:

A: 1 Qc6+ Rc7 2 Qa8 checkmate; or 1…Kb8 2 Rd8 checkmate.
B: 1 Qh6! wins a piece, as if 1…Bf6 2 Qh7 checkmate.
C: 1 Rxd5! Qxd5 2 Bc4! wins. If 2…Bd4+ 3 Ne3 Bxe3+ 4 Qxe3 Qc6 5 d7+ Ka8 6 Nc7+ Ka7 7 Bb5! wins Black’s queen.
D: 1…Bxb3! 2 Rxd7 (if 2 cxb3 Rxb3+ 3 Kc2 Qxa4 wins) Bxc2+! 3 Kxc2 Qxa4+! 4 Ke4 f5+ 5 Kxe5 Re8+ 6 Re7 Bg7+ 7 Ke6 Nf4 checkmate.