Traps, Tricks & Mistakes: Bad Memory
Books about chess openings usually provide many variations and sometimes few comments.
Good chess books are those which give variations together with explanations of why those moves are played.
When the reader sees long variations with many moves, he/she tends to memorize the moves without knowing their reason. What most probably happens is that after 2 o 3 weeks he/she forgets some or all the moves, or even worse he/she doesn’t remember the right order in which the moves are played. The risk of the latter is that his/her position can collapse a few moves later.
In today’s example, the player with Black seems to mix moves from two different lines in the Ruy Lopez.
When you study openings, don’t memorize moves. Instead, try to understand why those moves are played. Remembering the ‘why’ is the best and human way of learning.
Nairobi Chess Club opened again and chess players meet Saturdays from 2 pm to 6 pm. The venue remains the same at Goan Gymkhana Club, Ngara Road, Nairobi. Please note that masks must be worn all the time. Hand sanitiser will be available. Only members are eligible to play. Visitors are welcome to try out the club on a complimentary basis on the first visit.
Our virtual Chess.com club keep organizing regularly online tournaments and matches. More than 330 members enjoy this chance. New tournaments will start soon, team matches wait for more players and there is Blitz every Saturday. Join now! Limited slots!
Besides that, the English Chess Club of Crewe challenged Nairobi Chess Club for an overseas match. 11 members of our club will have the honour to play in that match Sunday, Feb.21st at 18:00 -Kenyan time- on chess.com.
Check regularly the website World Health Organization for updates about COVID-19. Stay safe!
