World Chess Champions

Using a chess notebook that I have set up in Gemini's NotebookLM, I got it to create a timeline of male world champions with photos, country flag and length of reign. See Figure 1.

Figure 1

I asked NotebookLM to create a similar timeline for the women but instead it came up with key milestones for women in chess. See Figure 2.

Figure 2

My notebook has access to 48 sources so there is plenty of scope for more research, summaries etc.

Englund Gambit

Today, on chess.com I played White against the Englund Gambit and swiftly lost. I thought I'd better acquaint myself with this opening in order to avoid future disasters. I asked trusty Gemini the following question:

What is the best response to the Englund Gambit in chess opening theory.

The best response to the Englund Gambit ($1. d4$ $e5$) is to accept the gambit and enter the Main Line Refutation ($4. Bf4$).

This line is objectively the strongest because it allows you to keep the extra pawn while Black's position collapses due to a lack of development and a misplaced Queen.

The Refutation Sequence

Memorize this exact sequence to punish the opening:

$1. d4$ $e5$ (The Englund Gambit)

$2. dxe5$ $Nc6$

$3. Nf3$ $Qe7$ (Black attacks the pawn for the second time)

$4. Bf4!$ (The critical test. You defend the pawn and develop.)
Note: Black will now try their main trick with $4... Qb4+$.
$4... Qb4+$ $5. Bd2$ $Qxb2$ (Black grabs the b2 pawn and attacks the Rook.)
$6. Nc3!$ (This is the winning move. Do not play $6. Bc3??$ which loses immediately to $Bb4$.)

Why This Wins

By playing $6. Nc3$, you defend the Rook on a1 indirectly (if Black takes the Rook, you trap their Queen). You are now threatening to play $Rb1$ to harass the Queen and $Nb5$ to fork Black's King and Rook.

Black is usually forced to retreat or play awkward defensive moves while you have a massive lead in development and an extra center pawn.

The One Trap to Avoid

The only way White loses this position is by playing $6. Bc3??$.

• If you play $6. Bc3$, Black plays $6... Bb4!$, pinning your Bishop. You will lose your piece and the game.

• Remember: Always play the Knight to c3 ($6. Nc3$) to protect your Rook.

Relevant Video

Ending the Englund Gambit | GM Naroditsky

This video is relevant because Grandmaster Naroditsky details the exact $4. Bf4$ refutation and explains the tactical nuances of the $Nc3$ vs $Bc3$ distinction to ensure you convert the advantage.

My addendum: here another video by Remote Chess Academy that deals with the gambit.

Always Check for Check

Here's an example of how quickly one's fortune can turn in a game of chess. Figure 1 shows a position in which I had the Black pieces and had a decisive advantage.

Figure 1

Had I played Qc5+ my advantage would have been - 4.73. Instead I panicked and played Rf1+ and my advantage was suddenly a disadvantage of + 5.63 had White captured with his King. As it was he captured with his Rook and I had some counterplay. See Figure 2.

Figure 2

The lesson to be learned here is to always look for a check, especially when faced with a Knight fork. A check cannot be ignored. It must be dealt with by the opponent, by moving the King, capturing the attacker or by blocking with my pawn or piece. Currently my rating on chess.com is 1329, down from a recent high of 1353. I seem to be stuck around the middle 1300's. It's rare that I'm on the back foot right from the start. In most of my games, I have a decisive advantage at some point but manage to squander due to poor choices or blunders.

It occurred to me how little chess I actually play. I'm hardly battle-hardened and I need to be if I'm going to improve my rating. I play terribly on a phone but I should make use of the chess app that is on my phone or even open a new account on one of the online platforms where I can just play, get extra practice and not worry about my rating.