The Notable Chess Career of Richard Polaczek
Richard Polaczek won the inaugural Kenya Open in 1979 at the age of 13. He repeated the feat in 1982 before relocating to Belgium. Polaczek became an IM in 1989 and has represented Belgium...
Tagged: Queen’s Gambit Declined
Game Spotlight: Second NCC Online Tournament 4
In a final selection from the second Nairobi Chess Club tournament on Chess.com, we see some nice work on the part of kayfinesse, playing Black. First, in playing the endgame, but perhaps more notably,...
Game Spotlight: Second NCC Online Tournament 3
Looking again at the second Nairobi Chess Club tournament on Chess.com, this game shows a couple of important points. First, many club players trade reflexively. This can be a problem — you are never...
Game Spotlight: First Chess.com Team Tournament 2
One of the better ways to improve your Chess skill is to play slow games. Blitz is good for testing your ability to recall opening moves, or quickly recognize tactical patterns, but if you...
Game Spotlight: 2019 Rwabushenyi Memorial 2
After participating in the 2019 Rwabushenyi Memorial Open in Kampala, Peter Gilruth sent in two games. This second selection is the more instructive of the two. (The other selection is here.) Endgames tend to...
Game Spotlight: 2019 Kenya National Chess Championship
Long-standing Nairobi Chess Club member Mehul Gohil won the 2019 Kenya National Chess Championship in December with an unbeaten record of 7 wins and 2 draws. The most recent edition featured a large boost...
Game Spotlight: 61st NCC Open 5
As we continue to look deeper into the games from the 61st Nairobi Chess Club Open Championship, there’s usually at least one game that’s notable for what it shows about how to improve. The...
Game Spotlight: The Minority Attack
A significant part of opening a game deals with the pawns. Where the pawns end up determines what strategies are possible. So let’s look at a common strategy that can show up in the...
Game Spotlight: Extreme Tactics
Tactics exist in even the most unassuming positions. The issue is that there’s no sign that lights up saying a tactic is possible, so we tend not to look for anything, especially in quieter...
Game Spotlight: 2019 Le Pelley Cup 4
During round 1 of the 2019 Le Pelley Cup, our chairman played what he referred to for the rest of the weekend as, “The one that got away.” It’s clear that White gets a...
