The Abysmal Depths of Chess

#25, Adamson, H. 1915 This week’s position is another 'check your understanding' study. This solution involves some essential endgame knowledge.

#24, Birnov 1930 OBSERVATION ONE: Chess improvement as an adult is hard and few people achieve significant sustained progress. CONCLUSION ONE: To improve as an adult you’re going to have to do things most people don't do.

#23, Unknown "On the chessboard lies and hypocrisy do not survive long. The creative combination lays bare the presumption of lies; the merciless fact, culmination in checkmate, contradicts the hypocrites."

#22, Cunnington E., 1908 This week’s study makes for an excellent milestone position. A very good guide for where you are in terms of endgame knowledge and skill.

#21, Stoyanov - Silva, 2020   I was going to write something on elite-level chess players and the disproportionate likely likelihood of them being right pillocks. In end I decided that writing about the problem with chess would be more interesting.

#20, Amelung 1900 In the last week or so I’ve practiced dying.