Chess

[Gustaran]

While neither Nystul nor uberfish are completely wrong I feel their recommendation lacks accuracy.
First of all, building a pawn center even with c4 and f4 may be completely viable, such as in the 4 pawn attack of the King's Indian:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King%27s_In...wns_Attack

The most important thing is to identify the positional imbalances. You have a large center and it comes with a space advantage. What is your plan? To make your center indestructible. What should be your opponent's plan? To dismantle your center. If you succeed, you may be able to win with a kingside attack due to higher mobility or squeeze your opponent in an endgame.

If you don't know how to carry out such a plan, consider getting:
http://www.amazon.com/How-Reassess-Your-...1890085138
There is a large section on a) how to maintain a center and b) how to attack it.

Also, some seemingly "passive" defenses such as the hedgehog are not to be underestimated:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mq3AjxyvM-8

[Gustaran]

-double post-

[Sian]

anyone's playing in the Chess.com Tourney? ... i'm in group #213 in the 1201-1400 bracket and i've just won the first game in the subgroup ... well ... its a forced mate with me delivering mate with white's move 14(!) ... Petrov-Cochrane gambit with black blundering with 4...Nxe4

[Jkaen]

I am playing in it, my rating went to 1406 just before it started so got bumped up a grade

[Sian]

just finished my last game in my group ... solid win with a score of 9.5/10 (my opponent got a perpetual check opportunity)

[regoarrarr]

just finished my last game in my group ... solid win with a score of 9.5/10 (my opponent got a perpetual check opportunity)

I'm looking good in my bracket as well. 6-1-0 and should win 2 of the last 3. I'm thinking that will be enough to carry the group

[Jkaen]

Came second in my group. Am in another tourney were top 3 go through to next round and got second there too

[Azza]

just finished my last game in my group ... solid win with a score of 9.5/10 (my opponent got a perpetual check opportunity)

I got grouped with an unrated account who's just smashing it up. Just playing for 2nd place now.

[Gustaran]

Are you guys following the candidates tournament for the World Championship?

The official site http://www.worldchess.com/candidates/index.html has a nice livestream with commentary whenever games are running.

[Sian]

planing to follow it Gustaran ... but yesterday i was out playing the last game in the local team tourney