chess.

I used to think chess was super boring. I always saw chess as suffering from "analysis paralysis," which to me is the biggest board game sin there is. The last thing I want to do is stare at a board state for 5 or 10 or 20+ minutes at a time until I am able to make a decision, then wait as my opponent does the same.

Then I got ambushed with a chess clock. I was at a small gathering in March 2022 when my friend whipped out a chess set and set the clock at 5 minutes apiece. That's when I realized that chess can be an amazingly fun and exciting game again when you put a time limit on it, and by playing games that only last 10 or 20 minutes total, you can play more and learn from experience more rapidly. Now I play chess virtually every day and it has become one of my most favorite recent hobbies.

openings notes.

the london system.

A stable opening for white that sets up a deadly attack if black chooses to castle kingside. The first opening for white that I learned how to play.

1. Pawn to d4 and bishop to f4.
2. Push pawns to defend d4 and bf4.
3. Develop knights and remaining bishop.
4. Advance knight to attack f7.
5. Push h pawn to set up kingside attack.

the caro-kann defence.

A solid, simple opening for black and the first opening for black that I learned.

• e4 - c6

the king's indian.

A basic opening that can be played similarly as either white or black.

• As White: kf3 - g3 - bg2 - O-O - d3

• As Black (in defense of d4): d6 - kf6 - g6 - bg7 - O-O

barry attack.

An opening to play against the King's Indian Defence that I learned because one of my friends who is a bit better at chess than me always plays it(it worked and I won).

1. d4 Nf6
2. Nf3 g6
3. Nc3 d5
4. Bf4.

Black usually plays 4...Bg7 after which the most popular continuation is

1. e3 0-0
2. Be2

however,

1. Qd2

the "Tarzan Attack", is also playable. (Use bishop protected by queen to force a trade of the fianchetto black bishop)

four pawns attack.

The Four Pawns Attack in the King's Indian Defence is a chess opening that begins with the moves:

1. d4 Nf6
2. c4 g6
3. Nc3 Bg7
4. e4 d6
5. f4

"White immediately builds up a large pawn centre in order to gain a spatial advantage. Black first develops his pieces, then tries to attack White's centre by means of the pawn advances ...e7–e5, ...c7–c5 or ...f7–f5, depending on circumstances."

pirc defence.

An opening for black that is generally considered to not be very good but sometimes played due to its irregularity.

• Black - defends against e4
• d6 - kf6 - g6 - bg7