Month: June 2023

On Monday 10th of July starting at 7:30pm, to celebrate the release of their new Chessable Course, we have a special evening planned for members – read more below.

The zwischenzug, also known as an intermezzo, or an intermediate move, regularly catches out club players but gets little attention in books and courses.

Finding it can be the difference between good and great chess play.

It’s a tactic that was played successfully more than 30 times in the 2023 World Championship – helping Ding Liren to victory, and once you study it, it will pay you back over and over, allowing you to turn the tables on your opponents.

On Monday 10th July, WIM Natasha Regan and NI Matt Ball will visit Hammersmith chess club for an evening of zwischenzug puzzles and discussion followed by bughouse chess.

Natasha and Matt recently published the Chessable course “Zwischenzug! A comprehensive guide to intermediate moves”  in which they explore the patterns in chess positions that mean an intermezzo may be lurking. Join them live and get ready to outplay your opponents with deadly effect.

The evening will involve a talk, puzzles, and finish with a bughouse tournament where you can put some of the lessons from the evening into practice. See you at the MindSports Centre on the 10th!

Chris Skulte

The summer period in the chess calendar is a strange time of year – the British Championship takes centre whilst club league chess goes into sleep mode. In other words, chess kind of takes a holiday.

So, in holiday mode the Hammers will be taking on the challenge of the Chess River Valley walk – from Rickmansworth to Chesham. The Hammer Summer Chess Challenge Walk.

The walk will take approximately 4 hours and is a low to medium challenge with some amazing countryside on offer.

The chance to encounter some raw nature with likely appearances from red kites, grazing horses, and livestock and slightly bizarrely…… alpacas.

The river is chalk-based so at times the water is crystal clear- indeed if it a warm day at about halfway there is a chance to dip your bare feet in the river whilst sitting on a low-bridge.

The reward, if you commit to the walk, is not only great camaraderie but the lure of the Mad Squirrel Brewery.  All great physical exertion deserves the reward of a decent pint of beer. The Mad Squirrel delivers.

There is an option as well to have a curry afterwards or journey back into London for something to eat but let’s take it as it comes – by the way there is a Waitrose close to Rickmansworth station if you want to pick up a sandwich. Finally, some more detail can be found at this link:

https://www.chilternsaonb.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Chess-Valley-Walk-Leaflet-For-Web.pdf

So, come and join us -we will meet at midday at Rickmansworth tube station and take on the challenge of the Chess River Valley.

If you are interested drop me an email or whatsapp so I have an idea of the numbers.

Lord Clueless