Life Master Walker Griggs is giving lessons!

October 29, 2024

It is a pleasure to see Walker active in CCL again. Walker is a CCL graduate whose rating is perennially in the upper 2300’s. Presently, Walker does not have enough hours in the day. Taxed to the limit, he will still give some lessons, but you must travel to Mt. Vernon (about an hour from Columbus). Walker will be coming to the Ohio Grade Levels, where he will be reviewing the kid’s games after they complete them.

Chess Math is here!

October 27, 2024

Chess Math is presented by esteemed mathematician Dr. Harvey Friedman for CCL only!

- earned his PhD from MIT when he was only 18 years old
- Guinness Book of World Records for being an assistant professor at 18 years.
- Winner of the Alan T Waterman Award
- Wikipedia article

Date: Sunday, December 1, 2024
Time: 1:00 - 5:00
Location: second floor of Harrison on Fifth, 579 W. 5th Avenue

The whole CCL community is invited, as is everyone else who lives in the same home. We will have a moderate amount of space but may have to limit participation. We will take the participants in order of signup.

We will meet at 1 PM on the second floor of Harrison on Fifth, 579 W. 5th Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43201. This is near Grandview and opposite Batelle. Parking is available here and nearby. Snacks and drinks will be available. Additional food items will be determined. The meeting will last through 5 PM, with flexibility for late departures for chess-related activities. The lectures will be given with a TV screen(s) within everyone's sight.

More info or signup

Click Here

CCL Chess Camp 11/9-10/2024

October 17, 2024

A weekend chess camp by International Master Atanas Kizov

- Date: Saturday/Sunday November 9-10, 2024
- Time: 9:00 – 5:00
- Where:
  CCL Training Center
  at the home of:
  Dr. Carrie Casden
  736 Waterton Drive
  Westerville, Ohio
  
  Open only to CCL members.
  Lectures, game reviews, camp review books, tournaments, and prizes.
  Draw or beat Atanas in a 5-1 game or Alan in a 5-3 game and win a $1, tournament trophies, free future chess lessons, books, etc.
  All chess equipment and snacks will be provided but bring your lunch.
  For more details or questions, call Alan (614) 561-2718 or email cclalanc@gmail.com.
- 40% discounts are available to the second or third person from the same family, participants coming from over a 45-minute drive to Columbus, and retired individuals.
  If you cannot make it to the camp, you will be 100% refunded, no questions asked. This camp is only open to the first 24 signups! IM Atanas Kizov will teach these six topics, the first three on Saturday and the second three on Sunday. Saturday will be focused on the initiative, while Sunday will be on pawn structure.

Initiative - material

- Initiative - material:

One of the most challenging things in a game could be being under enormous attack right from the opening. We will have to spend so much time and energy defending accurately. By the time we reach a safe and comfortable position, if at all that happens, we do not have enough energy left for the rest of the game, increasing chances for other mistakes. This is a common problem, particularly against well-prepared opponents. Today, we will look at how to sacrifice material to develop initiative.

Initiative - attack on the king

Initiative-weak pawns

Initiative-weak pawns:

A pawn defended by a pawn is stronger than a pawn defended by a
piece. In fact, the lower the value of the defender of a square/pawn is, the strongest this
square/pawn is. So, a pawn that is not and cannot be defended by a pawn is weak.
If this pawn needs to be defended by the pieces, the qualitative value of the pieces is
decreased to a defensive role.
The typical weak pawns:
1. The isolated pawn = a pawn separated by the
other pawns; there are no pawns on the adjacent files.

The backward pawn = a pawn remained behind
the pawns from the adjacent files.
3. Another pawn weakness is sometimes considered the structure of doubled pawns. Yet

true in some situations, these pawns are not always a real weakness, and sometimes they
can be even very strong.

A weak pawn should first be blocked, fixed in place by using the pawns to control its

advance, and blockaded with the pieces. The player should organize the attack only when the weakness is securely fixed.

Hanging pawns

Hanging pawns:

The possessor of hanging pawns has a significant influence over the center due to his control over e5, d5, and c5 (e4, d4, c4) squares, so more space. There are two significant plans at his
disposal. The first one consists in advancing his “d” pawn. This advance is connected with a direct attack over the king sustained by the creation of a powerful passed pawn.
Advancing this pawn can disturb the opponent’s piece coordination in their attempt to stop it, so the chances of succeeding in a kingside attack are greater. The second one consists of advancing the “c” pawn. This is connected either with the creation of a strong passed pawn or with the purpose of fixing the opponent's “b” pawn in order to attack it.
The side fighting against hanging pawns has his plans, too. He must attack the pawns, not allowing opponent pieces to take active places (they must protect the pawns). To change
some pieces is in his best interest. He also has two major undermining moves, either with the “e” pawn (more often) or the “b” pawn. Another possibility, but rare, is a global
undermining with both pawns. These undermining moves will create weak squares or pawns for the one who possesses the hanging pawns. He will lose his control over the center at the same time. The endgames are worse for the side that has hanging pawns. Due to the possibility of advancing either the “c” or “d” pawn and changing the position's character, we can say that endgames can be held quite easily.

Weak squares-How to convert a positional advantage

Double pawns Weakness or Strength?

- Double pawns Weakness or Strength?

Double pawns
The Disadvantages of formations with doubled pawns:
- weaknesses of the pawns and squares around them;
- reduced mobility;
- difficulty or even incapacity to create a free pawn;
- small defensive value in case they protect the king.
The formations with double pawns also confer some Advantages:
- the open file adjacent to the doubled pawns;
- control of 2 squares on the adjacent files;
- slow down the opponent pawn majority to create a free pawn.

Cost of the camp
- two days - $199
- one day - $109
  - free to the parents of a student in 2nd grade or below
  - 40% discount to the 2nd student from the same family, students greater than 45 minutes from Columbus, and retired parents/students.

Payment to reserve a spot for this chess camp.

Click Here

Maxwell again! Good Gosh

September 16, 2024

What is the deal with Maxwell? When he reached 1600, I told him he might plateau. I didn't want him to be shocked when it happened. Ignoring my sage prediction, Maxwell won his section in a major tournament. After that happened, my new prediction was that he would hang out around 1700. I guess he wasn't listening again, as his clear 1st place finish in the U-1900 section of the Ohio Chess Congress brought his rating up to 1800. Maxwell will now hang out around 1800 for a while. It is obvious..... right????????

Maxwell with his mother Li-Chun. Wait, that is the trophy that goes to the State champion. Does Maxwell have some plans for the future?

Louis Zhang becomes the 36th CCL Graduate

July 30, 2024

Congratulations to Louis Zhang, our latest and 36th CCL graduate. He participated in many tournaments and graduated when his rating went over 2000.

When Louis was 7 years old, he went to a nearby library where there was a chess club. He joined and learned how to play. This was where his affection for chess began. Even to this day, he still remembers getting up at 6 am to play chess when he was in elementary school. He discovered the joy of victory and the regret of losing, which fueled his passion for chess and led him to where he is now. Louis appreciates Atanas's teaching, and he learned a lot from CCL.

The skills developed in becoming a CCL graduate transfer to a successful future. I am amazed at all of the accomplishments of CCL graduates in their future endeavors, which I am sure I will see in Louis' future as well.

Louis is the current Ohio 7th-grade champion, and he won the most recent chess camp tournament, It is a hard-earned honor to become a CCL graduate, which includes a lifetime membership to CCL based on good behavior, without the need to take lessons from CCL. Anything that CCL has to offer (newsletter, library, team participation, etc. will always be available to you). To become a CCL graduate, you need to meet any of the following requirements:

- 1 year in CCL and earning a rating of 2000
- 4 years in CCL and earning a rating of 1900
- 5 years in CCL and earning a rating of 1800

I will probably not know if you meet one of these requirements unless you notify me.

CCL Graduates
from first to most recent