Chess is 99% Tactics

It's an old chess adage, but it's probably a slight exaggeration. Certainly tactics can be much more important than position, and many "won" games have been lost due to tactics. Nowhere is the adage more true than at the junior level. Grandmasters may preside over drawn-out positional wins, but the rest of us are far more likely to find (or fall victim to) tactical shortcuts.

In the position below from my 5th round game at the Wisconsin Closed Championships this past Labor Day, my opponent (playing white) stumbled into a tactic that shortened the game considerably. Can you spot the win for black?

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2011/12 Chess Season begins at NHS

Neenah High School kicks off the new chess season with our first team practice immediately after school on Thursday, September 1st in room 139.  As usual, we will meet every Tuesday and Thursday from 3:20-4:30.

As both a chess club and a chess team, we welcome beginners and experienced players alike.  All players are eligible to join our chess team as members of Junior Varsity when the season begins in early December.  Advanced players will have an opportunity to try out for a board on our varsity team.  We are again expecting to field two varsity teams, meaning there will be 10 boards available.