I am not sure there is a better value purchase in chess improvement than a Chess Tempo subscription #chesspunks

I sometimes wonder if I should be less anti the French defence. But then I realise how long people, and dogs too perhaps, have disliked it. Here is hatred from 1822. The pre-Victorian prose is hard (for a dog) to get your head around, but the sentiment is clear. Down with the French!

I have a new haircut. I think I can guess the inspiration.

My owner donated to @marktwic.bsky.social for his fab TWIC database and the first thing he does is this. Oh dear.

My owner lost an OTB club game tonight. He was up material but lost a rook, after which a Q & pawn endgame saw 4 promotions, 2 each side! A final mistake allowed his opponent to promote a 3rd time! My owner is shell shocked; he should have won. I tell him chess is a cruel game & offer sympathy.

Of course, the Old Testament of QGD books, to which all must look, is GM Matthew Sadler's. This is a fabulous book; according to my owner, I should stress. And Neil McDonald’s book is good too, especially for explaining some ideas (less good for pawn structures though).

Bertie reviews books, QGD, 1/5 #chesspunks

Burgess & Pedersen - great as 1 stop shop for d4 d5 c4 repertoire, covering every variation you can ask for, with lots of lines & theory (QGA, Slav and Semi Slav included). Limited explanation, but chatty & even funny at times, & nothing missing.

It's Queen's Gambit study today. I fear this will be heavy going. I made a start by eating Ntirlis, which didn't help, apparently. My owner is confused whether ...h6 should be played in the Orthodox QGD. Opinion seems divided. @gmalexcolovic.bsky.social says yes, to support ...c5 (Kramnik's line).

My owner is getting patriotic and learning the English Defence, and trying to be more assertive and aggressive in openings. V important in hyper modern openings like this. As I tell him, and then ably demonstrate.

My owner is learning the Nimzo Indian as white. He has settled on 4. e3, the Rubinstein variation. The tension in this position unsettles him. I tell him I manage tension like that all the time, see me vs Oreo. (I do usually run away eventually, though).

Tip of the day - pawn storms need momentum to inflict damage and cause weaknesses in your opponent’s position. Like I do here. #chesspunks ♟️🐶

My friend’s owner teaches chess in prisons. He uses prisoners to stand in the way of a knight, showing how it must move sideways at the end. I taught my friend Lula how the knight can jump over pieces by lying in his way.

Rook endings are supposed to be hard. Not for me. Find rook, take rook, chew rook, destroy rook. Not hard at all 🐶. #chesspunks.

This is me as a young pup. Channeling my inner beserker.

Hi #chesspunks, I am new here. I am Bertie, a one year old cocker spaniel in the North East of England. My owner plays 1.d4 and loves the 🇫🇷. How dull is he 🥱.