Cennydd
@cennyddchess.bsky.social
Walthamstow Chess Club guy · Catalan enjoyer, philosopher, occasional arbiter · 1600ish · #chesspunks · Main: @cennydd.com
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Cennydd
@cennyddchess.bsky.social
· Jan 17
only 64 squares, no fog of war, no tech tree
Natural order somewhat restored today with two losses to strong players. Finished the tournament joint eighth on 3/5. Still beyond my wildest dreams, and should see me heading towards 1600 ECF / 1700 FIDE.
November 9, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Natural order somewhat restored today with two losses to strong players. Finished the tournament joint eighth on 3/5. Still beyond my wildest dreams, and should see me heading towards 1600 ECF / 1700 FIDE.
Round 1 of the Central London Congress at Imperial: dropped a pawn in an exchange QGD but counterpunched well and caught my overpursuing opponent (1704) in a minor piece mating net.
Playing up in the 2000s so might not get much else from the tournament. But a great start.
Playing up in the 2000s so might not get much else from the tournament. But a great start.
November 8, 2025 at 9:40 AM
Round 1 of the Central London Congress at Imperial: dropped a pawn in an exchange QGD but counterpunched well and caught my overpursuing opponent (1704) in a minor piece mating net.
Playing up in the 2000s so might not get much else from the tournament. But a great start.
Playing up in the 2000s so might not get much else from the tournament. But a great start.
First victory over a titled player last night! Albeit at 5+0 blitz. 2073-rated CM. I had pressure in a Catalan middlegame before my opponent dropped a queen, because blitz does horrible things to good people.
Finished the event with 7 wins and just 2 losses. Shame it wasn’t rated.
Finished the event with 7 wins and just 2 losses. Shame it wasn’t rated.
October 30, 2025 at 11:23 AM
First victory over a titled player last night! Albeit at 5+0 blitz. 2073-rated CM. I had pressure in a Catalan middlegame before my opponent dropped a queen, because blitz does horrible things to good people.
Finished the event with 7 wins and just 2 losses. Shame it wasn’t rated.
Finished the event with 7 wins and just 2 losses. Shame it wasn’t rated.
First rated game of the season, last Sat: strong middlegame edge from Sielecki‘s anti-KID (6. b3) line, but I stumble and let my opponent force me into desperate defence. I hold on by my fingertips and lo, he misses the critical line. Draw accepted. Not quite robbery, but undeserved.
October 6, 2025 at 11:02 PM
First rated game of the season, last Sat: strong middlegame edge from Sielecki‘s anti-KID (6. b3) line, but I stumble and let my opponent force me into desperate defence. I hold on by my fingertips and lo, he misses the critical line. Draw accepted. Not quite robbery, but undeserved.
If you ever want a task to put you off both chess and life itself, volunteer to arrange a club’s league fixtures. Four teams, three divisions, a thousand regrets.
September 22, 2025 at 8:28 AM
If you ever want a task to put you off both chess and life itself, volunteer to arrange a club’s league fixtures. Four teams, three divisions, a thousand regrets.
In Amsterdam. Didn’t take many photos at the Max Euwe museum. But this little paperback set is cute.
September 18, 2025 at 12:33 PM
In Amsterdam. Didn’t take many photos at the Max Euwe museum. But this little paperback set is cute.
Second in the Essex U1600 Rapid (4.5/6) and a rating prize in the Essex Blitz (3.5/7) brings my lifetime chess winnings to around £150. A lucrative pro career beckons.
September 17, 2025 at 5:12 AM
Second in the Essex U1600 Rapid (4.5/6) and a rating prize in the Essex Blitz (3.5/7) brings my lifetime chess winnings to around £150. A lucrative pro career beckons.
Reposted by Cennydd
Spend time learning openings if 1) poor opening play is costing you games, which can happen at any rating level, or 2) you feel like it. Chess is optional. Do what makes you happy.
"Don't learn openings at 400, you should wait until you're 800"
"Don't learn openings at 800, you should wait until you're 1200"
"Don't learn openings at 1200, you should wait until you're 1500"
"Don't learn openings at 1500, you should wait until you're 2000"
I think you don't like openings!!
"Don't learn openings at 800, you should wait until you're 1200"
"Don't learn openings at 1200, you should wait until you're 1500"
"Don't learn openings at 1500, you should wait until you're 2000"
I think you don't like openings!!
August 26, 2025 at 2:35 PM
Spend time learning openings if 1) poor opening play is costing you games, which can happen at any rating level, or 2) you feel like it. Chess is optional. Do what makes you happy.
Reposted by Cennydd
If Apple AI can actually answer this question then it must be better at chess than Stockfish, which requires the whole board.
man how are you not embarrassed that this is your ad campaign
August 23, 2025 at 3:08 PM
If Apple AI can actually answer this question then it must be better at chess than Stockfish, which requires the whole board.
Reposted by Cennydd
Black has 20 legal moves after 1. e4. Eighteen of them have names. The only two that don’t are the best move and the worst move.
Congratulations! The big prize is 1. e4 e5, still somehow unclaimed
July 17, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Black has 20 legal moves after 1. e4. Eighteen of them have names. The only two that don’t are the best move and the worst move.
I’m helping start a chess club here in Walthamstow. Anyone in North or East London, you’d be most welcome at our monthly meetup next Sunday 2–5pm (Lord Palmerston, E17 5JN). I’d be grateful for any shares too – we’re eager to ensnare new people in the clutches of this maddening game, etc
June 22, 2025 at 3:29 PM
I’m helping start a chess club here in Walthamstow. Anyone in North or East London, you’d be most welcome at our monthly meetup next Sunday 2–5pm (Lord Palmerston, E17 5JN). I’d be grateful for any shares too – we’re eager to ensnare new people in the clutches of this maddening game, etc
So… does this belong on my chess shelf or my philosophy shelves?
June 21, 2025 at 8:24 PM
So… does this belong on my chess shelf or my philosophy shelves?
After my final classical game of the season, I’ve ended up 25 ECF points higher than in September. Not huge progress, but given my dreadful start (three losses) I’ll take it. Hopefully I can push on next season. Bit of rapid and blitz until then.
June 10, 2025 at 8:40 AM
After my final classical game of the season, I’ve ended up 25 ECF points higher than in September. Not huge progress, but given my dreadful start (three losses) I’ll take it. Hopefully I can push on next season. Bit of rapid and blitz until then.
fuck yes lichess
June 1, 2025 at 8:23 PM
fuck yes lichess
LCL Weekender rd2 and 3: two wins with Black. The first, a prolonged (metaphorical) strangulation of a small child. The second, a pleasing technical win, winning a pawn with a nice zwischenzug and picking my way through an awkward knight and pawn ending. Joint leader overnight.
May 31, 2025 at 7:17 PM
LCL Weekender rd2 and 3: two wins with Black. The first, a prolonged (metaphorical) strangulation of a small child. The second, a pleasing technical win, winning a pawn with a nice zwischenzug and picking my way through an awkward knight and pawn ending. Joint leader overnight.
![Ye olde weightlifting skeleton meme. ‘My body is a machine that turns [picture of the Sicilian Rossolimo from Black’s PoV] into [½-½ Drawn by agreement · Draw]’](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:jgn5z3md3nw7avszlc6g7hew/bafkreibza47fxeq3cmap3brajomaumc5x2soq72wcmimmusvq3awhrazv4@jpeg)
Gave the Duolingo chess course a go. Awful font, awful AI voices, awful prompts giving the puzzles away. Awful.
May 16, 2025 at 10:35 AM
Gave the Duolingo chess course a go. Awful font, awful AI voices, awful prompts giving the puzzles away. Awful.
Another loss last night.
Rating deficit versus my last ten opponents: 127, 130, 256, 170, 296, 549, 319, 6, 123, 134. Being constantly outranked is good for learning, I guess, but it’s demotivating… really want to smash up some 1200s right now.
Rating deficit versus my last ten opponents: 127, 130, 256, 170, 296, 549, 319, 6, 123, 134. Being constantly outranked is good for learning, I guess, but it’s demotivating… really want to smash up some 1200s right now.
April 23, 2025 at 9:31 AM
Another loss last night.
Rating deficit versus my last ten opponents: 127, 130, 256, 170, 296, 549, 319, 6, 123, 134. Being constantly outranked is good for learning, I guess, but it’s demotivating… really want to smash up some 1200s right now.
Rating deficit versus my last ten opponents: 127, 130, 256, 170, 296, 549, 319, 6, 123, 134. Being constantly outranked is good for learning, I guess, but it’s demotivating… really want to smash up some 1200s right now.
Had to decline a free ticket to see Xiu Xiu tomorrow because I’m playing top board against Enfield 3, chess is pain :( :( :( youtu.be/kKF3DF-TvrQ?...
Xiu Xiu & Deerhoof playing Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures live in 2010
YouTube video by unARTigNYC
youtu.be
April 21, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Had to decline a free ticket to see Xiu Xiu tomorrow because I’m playing top board against Enfield 3, chess is pain :( :( :( youtu.be/kKF3DF-TvrQ?...
Reposted by Cennydd
fighting is like a game of chess. each blow yiou land on your opponents head is like a chess piece (Knight, bishop, etc) and then he dies .
October 19, 2024 at 7:38 AM
fighting is like a game of chess. each blow yiou land on your opponents head is like a chess piece (Knight, bishop, etc) and then he dies .
Promoted to the club’s second team only to find after a long journey that our opponents hadn’t arranged a team for the match. On the plus side, a night off meant I could whale on some club regulars instead.
April 7, 2025 at 11:54 PM
Promoted to the club’s second team only to find after a long journey that our opponents hadn’t arranged a team for the match. On the plus side, a night off meant I could whale on some club regulars instead.
This is spot on, and took me way too long to figure out for myself. Could have really used this video eighteen months ago. (In short, …Qc7 then …Nbd7. But watch the vid. 10 minutes to neutralise the generic London setup is a great investment.)
ONE Move Order TRICK to BEAT the London System! 😍
Some of you have asked, I delivered!
Make one tiny adjustment as Black and you'll find great success against the London System! 📈
Link --> youtu.be/9ZvzTiiXfTI
Enjoy! ☺️
#chess #chesspunks 🦁🔥
Some of you have asked, I delivered!
Make one tiny adjustment as Black and you'll find great success against the London System! 📈
Link --> youtu.be/9ZvzTiiXfTI
Enjoy! ☺️
#chess #chesspunks 🦁🔥
April 4, 2025 at 10:40 PM
This is spot on, and took me way too long to figure out for myself. Could have really used this video eighteen months ago. (In short, …Qc7 then …Nbd7. But watch the vid. 10 minutes to neutralise the generic London setup is a great investment.)
Been working hard on tactics: 1001 Chess Exercises for Club Players (*superb* book for my level), Common Chess Patterns, tons of Polgar mates. Just been rewarded with a new Puzzle Rush Survival PB of 50. And definitely feel my calculation has improved.
March 26, 2025 at 12:39 AM
Been working hard on tactics: 1001 Chess Exercises for Club Players (*superb* book for my level), Common Chess Patterns, tons of Polgar mates. Just been rewarded with a new Puzzle Rush Survival PB of 50. And definitely feel my calculation has improved.
Reposted by Cennydd
The Chess content mills continue to be both embarrassingly dumb and concretely harmful.
"Lie detectors" are a scam. They've been used to both convict innocent people and exonerate criminals, and now Hikaru et al have used their gigantic platforms to contribute to the problem.
"Lie detectors" are a scam. They've been used to both convict innocent people and exonerate criminals, and now Hikaru et al have used their gigantic platforms to contribute to the problem.
March 18, 2025 at 4:22 PM
The Chess content mills continue to be both embarrassingly dumb and concretely harmful.
"Lie detectors" are a scam. They've been used to both convict innocent people and exonerate criminals, and now Hikaru et al have used their gigantic platforms to contribute to the problem.
"Lie detectors" are a scam. They've been used to both convict innocent people and exonerate criminals, and now Hikaru et al have used their gigantic platforms to contribute to the problem.