Those who forget the past are destined to repeat it

ONE problem with playing ‘book’ moves is it reveals one's depth of preparation or the lack of it.

A quote from George Santayana (or was it Edward Burke?) goes like this: “Those who do not learn from history are bound to repeat it.” There are many variations to this quotation and like this one which similarly applies to chess: “Those who forget the past are destined to repeat it.”

This brings to mind a player’s failure to study openings and games of the masters of old that resulted to a painful loss due to ignorance.

During the 1970s and 1980s when the acknowledged chess bible was the semi-annually published Informator and when chess databases consisted of stacks of index cards or notebooks containing opening lines, it usually takes a month or two before any new opening move (novelty) is published in chess magazines or chess columns after it was played. While new moves or ideas become known to most and while some unsuspecting competitors—chess professionals included—fall prey to them when confronted, it was considered a grievous chess sin if one displays ignorance of old lines.

With the advent of computers a number of changes—mostly drastic and sweeping—chess databases are now in electronic form where the retrieval system is not only fast and efficient but much useful in preparing for a particular chess opening or specific opponent. Coupled with the advancement in communication technology, the Internet included, what was played in one part of the globe could be known by the rest of the world while the move or game is being played (‘live’ games) or just a few hours or minutes after the game. Top professionals monitor top level competitions as they happen to keep abreast with current trends.

The preparation of elite players are mimicked by budding players, particularly the monetary-endowed ones who can afford to purchase computers, chess books, chess software and other training stuffs. While there is nothing wrong in finding one’s self in this fortunate situation, the horrible thing is to see some players in this level boast about their relative ‘superiority’ over their less fortunate victims, or curse under their breath when beaten (‘upset’ is the kindest word commonly used) by apparently ‘inferior’ opponents. In the first instance, the well equipped player already has an undue advantage in that the playing field is not level. In the latter instance, the second player is either the more talented or ‘more prepared’ in coming up with an old (or even antique) move which the first player has not studied at all because his attention is always on what is current or fashionable.

Having modern chess tools at one’s disposal is not enough to propel one at the top. Talent alone, however, to the neglect of available training materials and stuffs could carry one up to a certain level only. To become really successful at the higher level it would be ideal to combine both talent and tools. (Those who do not fall into this category of players play chess for fun, for social reasons or simply for the love of it.)

It is not enough to learn modern chess opening theories one has to know the theories of old as well. It pays to know ‘old’ or ‘antique’ moves or variations (past) in order to avoid surprises over the board; surprises that could lead to a painful defeat specially losing a game like a patzer.

We will feature illustrative examples in our next post to illustrate the points raised here.
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Twin chess problems

WHEN two problems are nearly identical in their setting, but have some slight difference that changes the solution, they are termed twins. The difference may be in the location of a single man...Twin problems sometimes may be formed by a change in the entire location of the men, without any change in the men themselves or in their relation to each other. (Classic Chess Problems by Pioneer Composers by Kenneth S. Howard, 1970, 114 pages)

Twin - two or more problems which are slight variations on each other, composed by the same person. The variation is usually brought about by adding, removing or moving a piece in the initial setup. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_problem_terminology#T)

Twin problems — two (or more) separate but closely related positions — offer tantalizing challenges to composer and solver alike. Sometimes the two positions are identical except that one is shifted up, down, left, or right; often a single piece is relocated. The solutions, of course, though often thematically related, are always different. (Outrageous Chess Problems by Burt Hochberg, 2005, 128 pages)

The following twins were composed by Joselito Marcos from the Philippines. Marcos, a resident of Papua New Guinea since early 1996, is a member of PNG chess federation and has represented PNG in the 2009 Oceania zonal chess championship held in Gold Coast, Australia. He is a member of the PNG team to the 35th chess Olympiad held in Bled, Slovenia in 2002. He has won undefeated the last PNG chess championship in 2003.



White mates in 4
(A) Diagram
(B) Move the black pawn at d7 to b7

Drag your mouse to view the solutions from here Solution (A): 1.Ba7! h4 2.Rb1 h3 3.Rb6! (forming a battery) Kd4 4.Rb4#; Solution (B): 1.Bb6! h4 2.Re1 h3 3.Re6! (a battery is formed only after Black's next move)Nxb6 4.Re4# to here.