Junior Tay's Blog

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The Week in Chess - Singapore version

The Week in Chess - Singapore version

CM juniortay
| Aug 30, 2024

By now, the chess world is already aware that the Singapore Chess Federation is hosting the World Chess Championships Final match between GMs Ding Liren and  Dommaraju Gukesh. The Singapore Chess Festival will be held alongside this to a...

Chess is becoming more popular in Singapore

Chess is becoming more popular in Singapore

CM juniortay
| Mar 26, 2024

Without a doubt, the 'Queen's Gambit' Netflix movie has increased the popularity of chess in Singapore but to sustain it, the chess scene must be vibrant and attractive enough to retain the new players' interest subsequently.  On any given we...

Heralding in the year of the Dragon

Heralding in the year of the Dragon

CM juniortay
| Dec 30, 2023

The year 2024 is deemed the Year of the Dragon (according to people of Chinese origins) and so I thought it's timely to show more Hungarian Dragon activities to herald in the new Dragon year.   Moreover, I got in a very thematic HD tacti...

Girls...they wanna have fun....NOT

Girls...they wanna have fun....NOT

CM juniortay
| Dec 20, 2023

WCM Fang Kun was taken aback when I told her to scurry over to play a rapid chess event against Elo 2100-2200 type masters. She is rated about 500-600+ points below them for that matter.  "OMG, why am I in this event, I am gonna get thrashed!...

Checking out two chess clubs in Perth

Checking out two chess clubs in Perth

CM juniortay
| Nov 4, 2023

The last vacation I took was 4 years ago and this time round, we decided to visit Perth, especially to check out how the Swan River waterfront area has been revamped. We were very impressed...and from our hotel windows...we really can't complain a...

The Hungarian Dragon

The Hungarian Dragon

CM juniortay
| Oct 20, 2022

This blogpost is copied from my article in the September 2022 issue of CHESS (UK) magazine with the permission of its editor IM Richard Palliser (thanks so much!).  It's mainly a plug for my new book, The Hungarian Dragon (Carstenchess, 2022)...

Rule of the thumb: Closed Sicilian recaptures

Rule of the thumb: Closed Sicilian recaptures

CM juniortay
| Mar 8, 2022

During a training blitz game with a student, I realised that after this standard Anti-Closed Sicilian pawn block... ....f5, which stops the White pawn storm for some time, the subsequent play is not as 'automatic' as I would imagine. Although...

Young kNYghts Chess Challenge 2021

Young kNYghts Chess Challenge 2021

CM juniortay
| Aug 3, 2021

With the cancellation of the immensely popular over-the-board annual Nanyang Chess Challenge 2021 due to Covid restrictions, and thanks to the influx of sponsorship funds from an NY parent (who insisted on remaining anonymous), the online Young kN...

Russkie's Farewell Blitz

Russkie's Farewell Blitz

CM juniortay
| Aug 1, 2021

Our regular sparring partner for the Singapore Olympiad and Asian nations events, FM Andrey Terekhov was poised to leave the shores of Singapore...the Microsoft executive having been assigned to Paris, France and come August, his family would be s...

Tahan Chess Indonesian style- A reminiscence

Tahan Chess Indonesian style- A reminiscence

CM juniortay
| Dec 19, 2020

It's funny how one remembers decades-old chess stuff so clearly like it happened yesterday especially one can forget the simplest things (like what food to buy when you just got told minutes ago).  Yesterday, my Indonesian friend NM Heri Da...

Block it like Bobby Fischer! (updated 30/12/2020)

Block it like Bobby Fischer! (updated 30/12/2020)

CM juniortay
| Dec 17, 2020

A blocking combination (sacrifice) is one where you combine (or sacrifice a piece/pawn) to jam up the opponent's ability to defend, block a diagonal, line or square or  prevent pieces from scurrying back to aid the king's defence. A simple ex...

What does it take to become a Grandmaster...

What does it take to become a Grandmaster...

CM juniortay
| Mar 8, 2020

By now, everyone and his dog already knows that IM Kevin Goh Wei Ming has crossed the elo 2500 rating required to complete his Grandmaster title by edging out IM Wynn Zaw Htun 4-2 in their standard match (though Wynn claimed the Chess on Board tro...

Brisbane Break

Brisbane Break

CM juniortay
| Oct 5, 2019

The last time I took a vacation from chess coaching was 2 years back and this one was definitely long overdue. As with my Adelaide trip, my wife arranged a chess tourney at the end of the vacation and this time we headed for Brisbane with a 6 roun...

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