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Estate News he column this month begins with bunch of eight- and nine-year olds. He

Chess by Tchess final. The principal was keen did not want to curb the enthusiasm

the story of a primary school’s
of the players and offered to play all
twenty simultaneously. The challenge
that the Grade 1 and 2 learners should
was accepted with raucous incredulity.
learn more about chess. He invited a
After half an hour, the score was 20-nil
good friend of his, Richard Morris, to
in Richard’s favour. The noisy behaviour
watch the games. Upon his arrival at the
had now subsided and Richard was
school on Friday afternoon the chess
teams from the primary school were
it was possible that their best players
about to play a match against another
were beaten so easily. The headmaster
primary school team. He was informed asked by the learners and teachers how
that the match would soon be over. At and teachers watched the exhibition
the stroke of one o’clock (lightning) the with amazement and inwardly asked
match started. What followed were ten themselves the question, “How it
games of chess if you could call it chess. possible that Richard could win all the
There was non-stop nervous chattering games so easily since a number of the
among the learners, with pieces banged players represented their province at
with gleeful enthusiasm and fiendish chess?” When asked about the quality
shouts of glee when opposing players and standard of the chess, Richard
lost pieces by leaving pieces en prise. It sardonically replied that, “Some showed
was more like a game of skittles rather promise but there is room for a little
than chess. The result between the improvement!”
schools was five all, each school winning This story is typical of schools chess in
five games and losing five games. South Africa where the emphasis is on
Richard marvelled at this enthusiastic quantity in the vain hope that a naturally
The opening phase of the game
Avoid trying to memorise the opening variations and lines, rather learn to play certain openings well and adhere to the following
opening principles:
• Control the centre: This is usually achieved by playing the central pawns forward two spaces. If you control the centre, your
pieces can attack on both sides of the board.
• Develop your pieces: This is usually done by developing the knights first to put pressure on the central squares.
• Activate the rooks: Once the squares between the rook and king are vacant, a player can castle, thereby activating the rooks.
• Space: The more space beyond the demarcation line you control the better attacking chances you have.
• Coordination and cooperation of the pieces. Development should take place so that there is coordination and cooperation
between your pieces.

The middle game
• The middle game can be characterised by two types of thinking – tactical elements and strategic considerations.
• You must remember that the tactical elements are to a large extent determined by the strategic components of the game.
The tactical elements of the game Strategic considerations
One should consider the following when playing and one must It is possible to subdivide strategic considerations into three
ask oneself the following questions in each case: main groups:
1. The Pin – are there any pins possible for me or against me? 1. Analysis of the possible future variations (thinking ahead in
How can I exploit a pin in my favour and how can I protect chess.) This involves the branching tree of variations, looking
against pins? at the best possible moves for both sides and choosing the line
2. The knight fork – do I have any possible knight forks? Are that is best for your pieces.
there any possible knight forks against me? 2. Evaluating the position – to diagnose the strengths and
3. The discovered attack (check) – Make use of placing bishops weaknesses in the position: the material balance of the game,
and knights in front of bishops, castles, and the queen to looking at the pawn structure, types of pawns (weak pawns and
unmask an attack upon an enemy piece. Am I threatened by strong pawns), the mobility of the pieces in terms of open files
a discovered attack? and diagonals. The critical question is: Who stands better and
4. Double attack – attacking two enemy pieces at once. why?
5. Removing the guard – to leave an enemy piece vulnerable 3. Planning: There are two types of plans:
to be taken. • Short term plans: Solving immediate problems and threats.
6. The overworked piece – no man can serve two masters. • Long term plans: Involve manoeuvring one’s pieces into a
7. Are there combinations involving all the above elements? better position.
General middle game considerations
• Look at the position through the eyes of an amateur before making your move, asking yourself the following questions: Can I lose
a piece for nothing and is the move I am about to make an outright blunder?

10 • Issue 10 2020 • The Villager