Much like the game of life, chess teaches kids that no matter how bad things seem, there’s hope right up to the end. A dire situation on the board is not always irreversible. A child quickly learns that he/she may lose a pawn or piece but he/she can still win when the opponent makes a bad mistake. It ain’t over til the fat lady sings! The game of kings encourages them to be positive and resilient. Playing in a structured tournament builds their character.
Every week, SCA Chess Academy from Shanghai hosts online tournaments on www.chesskid.com to give students an opportunity to put into test their learned skills.
The first leg of SCA’s Summer Season Grand Prix tournament was played last June 21. Time control was 6 minutes + 2 seconds increment.
The coveted top honors went to:
Awesome! Well done.
Julia Alicante of the Philippines, the winner of the last leg of the Spring Season tournament emerged victorious again. In the following game, her winning formula is simple: control the open c file and 2nd rank with her tower and apply PPPP (putting pressure on the pinned piece). Challenge the open file.
The board is on fire in the second game! After 9..e6 (better was 9.. Bg6), Black’s position is lost with the opening of the e-file. Instead of 15. Nxe4, a nice variation would be 15. Rxe4! fxe4 Qxf7+ mate. Take care of the pawn structure.
In the third game, again we find that the pin is mightier than the sword. The donkey on f6 didn’t stand a chance. Be careful of nasty pins.
Congratulations to all participants!
When you see a good move, look for a better one.
By AGM Giovanni Dy, IM Vitaly Samolin