tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-577268942660497392024-03-13T06:59:55.879-07:00Chess SkillsGame analysis, and lessons of an above average player: chess tactics, chess strategy, chess theory, chess openings, chess history, chess endings, chess endgames, chess planning, personal progress, rapid chess improvement, French Defense, Sicilian Defense, Queen's Gambit, Spanish Opening, Ruy Lopez, Scholastic chess, youth chess, Spokane chess, US Chess Federation, chess books, chess software, iPad, iPhone, chess apps, chessay, chessdom, chessiana, chessiteJames Stripeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437334325501974461noreply@blogger.comBlogger1476125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57726894266049739.post-12196282962707230042024-03-13T06:58:00.000-07:002024-03-13T06:58:58.509-07:00Vulnerable KingAn entertaining game from P. H. Clarke, <i>100 Soviet Chess Miniatures</i> (1963) offers a lesson in vulnerability. White’s king appears more exposed, but Black’s king is in mortal danger on its starting square.<div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Black to move</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlBRnqymq0cWUR_pUZX8gAGJ_EU1I0XZ6o-cOU4_t9DhfKlKEA5JZQU4APX9KTfN5sbMSL8TbKdQdoohCn4BUPMOUyVURYQJ9aUTyB7qGq7EodGyeFFwpq2d0-8StHF7Y5ylJ-cNPOreNc78ScKrEV_MD8u_rOk6uOqxcVSPX3BAPTcHyzPUZJOrBeWA/s1652/IMG_2781.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1652" data-original-width="1640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlBRnqymq0cWUR_pUZX8gAGJ_EU1I0XZ6o-cOU4_t9DhfKlKEA5JZQU4APX9KTfN5sbMSL8TbKdQdoohCn4BUPMOUyVURYQJ9aUTyB7qGq7EodGyeFFwpq2d0-8StHF7Y5ylJ-cNPOreNc78ScKrEV_MD8u_rOk6uOqxcVSPX3BAPTcHyzPUZJOrBeWA/w398-h400/IMG_2781.jpeg" width="398" /></a></div>The game is <a href="https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1557905">Barshauskas — Chesnauskas, Championship of Lithuania 1955</a>. Black’s problems stem from the greater mobility and coordination of White’s forces. As Clarke notes, “It is worth remarking that while the position of the Black king in the centre is of the utmost import, the comparatively exposed state (i.e. to the normal castled position) of the White monarch is of lesser significance. The reason lies, of course, in White’s lead in development” (31).<div><br /><div>The game continued <b>17…Bc5</b></div><div>Clarke notes that 17…Be7 would at least “admit the danger”.</div><div><b>18.Nxe6?</b></div><div>18.Bxe6 Bxe6 19.Nxe6 maintains the advantage.</div><div><b>18…Bxe6 19.Bxe6</b></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Black to move</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLYbUCfcP8V4W8Vz0xDIqaeSL_vtNT3RRkvyki2SriEo4s8W7uMY3AXgeQfsdOWRmIMQn3ZgeowzWaiYw_oIQ4T4u7GFQaKlCl3paglEb8H4nfi3IFH5KGr3PzeDlKn9AYF30tb3A1EyoYGoMMqS3UpJOUKzLfoLD4dHF8Xtd3dDXHheiDT70rwm3ADw/s1640/IMG_2782.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1640" data-original-width="1640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLYbUCfcP8V4W8Vz0xDIqaeSL_vtNT3RRkvyki2SriEo4s8W7uMY3AXgeQfsdOWRmIMQn3ZgeowzWaiYw_oIQ4T4u7GFQaKlCl3paglEb8H4nfi3IFH5KGr3PzeDlKn9AYF30tb3A1EyoYGoMMqS3UpJOUKzLfoLD4dHF8Xtd3dDXHheiDT70rwm3ADw/w400-h400/IMG_2782.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>What would you play as Black? After making the wrong choice, Black resigned four moves later.<br /><div><br /></div><div><br /><div><br /></div></div></div>James Stripeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437334325501974461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57726894266049739.post-42759711234112069712024-03-05T14:21:00.000-08:002024-03-05T14:21:34.822-08:00Tactics BingeThis morning I became obsessed with solving puzzles on chess.com. For some of them, I spent a few minutes calculating. For others, I moved almost instantly, believing the puzzle was simple pattern recognition. Errors were frequent. When I failed a puzzle, I tried again, working it until I found the answer. One puzzle was ridiculously easy. As it came after failing four of the previous five, I had the sense that the site’s programming is designed to poke fun at me.<div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">White to move</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWEZXuTbZXkUcc0U2nJIPGotaom2Ug-fuHkmFqka9Nw8LhCcxX_o3CU0hlcOzVrB2iSvGysnFV6iL2UFSrOcnaeSwoG2gzwUJ4R_nmP00dXoPW-5MsU59D8de8zi2s2CjR8ly7NluCN1f12wRUAtoA-CntkMgaOMSGm-ewo8KL6mAsqRMKlVkXCkd9Cg/s2174/IMG_2769.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2174" data-original-width="1640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWEZXuTbZXkUcc0U2nJIPGotaom2Ug-fuHkmFqka9Nw8LhCcxX_o3CU0hlcOzVrB2iSvGysnFV6iL2UFSrOcnaeSwoG2gzwUJ4R_nmP00dXoPW-5MsU59D8de8zi2s2CjR8ly7NluCN1f12wRUAtoA-CntkMgaOMSGm-ewo8KL6mAsqRMKlVkXCkd9Cg/w301-h400/IMG_2769.jpeg" width="301" /></a></div>At this point, I had solved six correctly and failed eight. My tactics rating had dropped 35 points.<div><br /></div><div>As the session continued, my rating kept going down, then up a bit, then down again.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhOtp6lXQJtTzQ39cggg95SsUsFLiEe4aGLihb2IUa44j1mSpqXuATRXu66UJg60BTWOal8QQBR7Dq89-1vEzIeWr7hc2qFaA6TJF9xDK0k2xHzQ1gmWY4xJSt8pWt0dU27h959A9cA8UiruaSP95T3KSAho-IeIkO6R2GptXmiqPFazpqsVvH6W2EQA/s1640/IMG_2771.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="335" data-original-width="1640" height="81" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhOtp6lXQJtTzQ39cggg95SsUsFLiEe4aGLihb2IUa44j1mSpqXuATRXu66UJg60BTWOal8QQBR7Dq89-1vEzIeWr7hc2qFaA6TJF9xDK0k2xHzQ1gmWY4xJSt8pWt0dU27h959A9cA8UiruaSP95T3KSAho-IeIkO6R2GptXmiqPFazpqsVvH6W2EQA/w400-h81/IMG_2771.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>When I finally quit, I had attempted 169 puzzles. My rating rose three points from 3036 to 3039. At one point, I had dropped as low as 3069.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVTAr_R_9b0yv3UpWEg3I1-bvhv1NJ_QNKMw5q09_U-qoeMAqXTAdkcQrnE2JvAccfe0ybO6xbkGHmrCWvOvW5uFd9el0taRUP1yOOYc0lLiujcsRdr-E3PidqOxIrJaZmI4Kz2jiKLDS4rjfbPMZba4yHRglJZ67mJopL-Nznr38cgNHUXk4T9Oue5Q/s1640/IMG_2772.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1010" data-original-width="1640" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVTAr_R_9b0yv3UpWEg3I1-bvhv1NJ_QNKMw5q09_U-qoeMAqXTAdkcQrnE2JvAccfe0ybO6xbkGHmrCWvOvW5uFd9el0taRUP1yOOYc0lLiujcsRdr-E3PidqOxIrJaZmI4Kz2jiKLDS4rjfbPMZba4yHRglJZ67mJopL-Nznr38cgNHUXk4T9Oue5Q/w400-h246/IMG_2772.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /></div></div></div>James Stripeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437334325501974461noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57726894266049739.post-22111717118849128712024-03-03T19:04:00.000-08:002024-03-03T19:04:29.761-08:00Fortress?During a blitz game this afternoon, I constructed what I hoped was a fortress. The time control was 5 minutes plus a three second delay. I was playing on the increment with 17 seconds left for a long time. My opponent was burning time trying to find a winning idea. When he was down to 3 seconds and I still had 7, I suggested a draw. He wasn’t convinced it was a fortress, but accepted the draw.<div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">White to move</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAX_nfG8NnaShGpQ2P8NCsNEL53_D4lcwsPwtvgoqc7sJzhVLL795Y2Tvmzse0QYQfgA_FiGm3DLIH4uMqDF-vlpUyk-NKRTHmcXE-yznLR-Z0VkmtESXCDdm79ZmCPcntUWfE-k9dLvkBGWWfavg54xx_-Ad0eqfzJC-EnLN7ASCEDTV8vBYZXvJPuA/s1641/IMG_2766.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1641" data-original-width="1640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAX_nfG8NnaShGpQ2P8NCsNEL53_D4lcwsPwtvgoqc7sJzhVLL795Y2Tvmzse0QYQfgA_FiGm3DLIH4uMqDF-vlpUyk-NKRTHmcXE-yznLR-Z0VkmtESXCDdm79ZmCPcntUWfE-k9dLvkBGWWfavg54xx_-Ad0eqfzJC-EnLN7ASCEDTV8vBYZXvJPuA/w400-h400/IMG_2766.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>How can White break down Black’s defense?<br /><div><br /></div></div>James Stripeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437334325501974461noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57726894266049739.post-79088824272068710082024-03-02T14:27:00.000-08:002024-03-03T06:42:02.057-08:00BingesChess is a drug. Joseph Blackburne called it, "<a href="http://chessskill.blogspot.com/2009/01/blitz-addiction.html">mental alcohol</a>". In moderation, the game can enrich a balanced life. A well-played game offers pleasure not only during and immediately after play, but often for many years.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwudOv10XgFMnHV6Z2JicysKsmCBp7tvhjvW08HYSRMfi0DX6kpl0HoG2yDnCydiHzSOD0OfGqqXBfHwprrJQApxe8PN_jCwsfFHeJBqbWh3YlKQs9_crBonUY_qBM2gR_CsN_korYsO8dvqK0NskFUA44dKSmkKXwmT1S7aSMB0zMxWoHDcObFhqzEA/s4030/IMG_8745.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2866" data-original-width="4030" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwudOv10XgFMnHV6Z2JicysKsmCBp7tvhjvW08HYSRMfi0DX6kpl0HoG2yDnCydiHzSOD0OfGqqXBfHwprrJQApxe8PN_jCwsfFHeJBqbWh3YlKQs9_crBonUY_qBM2gR_CsN_korYsO8dvqK0NskFUA44dKSmkKXwmT1S7aSMB0zMxWoHDcObFhqzEA/w400-h285/IMG_8745.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br />For long-term pleasure, for example, there is my fifth round game that led to second place in the 2012 Collyer Memorial. I was playing not to lose. My opponent took the game down a path where a draw was extremely unlikely. We both thought I was worse, but I soldiered on, playing strong moves to keep myself in the fight. Then, after spending substantial time calculating some endgame possibilities, I discovered that I had the better game (see “<a href="http://chessskill.blogspot.com/2012/02/pawn-wars.html">Pawn Wars</a>”). This ending has become a staple in my teaching and still challenges me while examining a testing alternative that my opponent could have played. Had he played that move, my necessary response to maintain the advantage tests my calculation skills. A single error shifts the advantage to my opponent. Such is the pleasure of the game.<br /><br />On the other hand, chess can become an obsession where winning is all that matters. To be pulled from the game may cause anxiety, attention impairment, headache, high blood pressure, insomnia, and other symptoms. Losing also provokes some of these symptoms. For instance, while writing this post, I had a morning where I managed to outplay an opponent 200 points higher rated, only to drop my rook unprovoked in a rook vs. bishop endgame. The likely win became a sudden loss. The very next game, I was a pawn down, but my rooks and queen were more active. Then I gave away my queen for nothing. My fury with myself suggested an elevation in blood pressure.<br /><br />A chess playing binge followed and after more substandard play, I began to focus better and won a sequence of games. There was not much pleasure in the wins, but it was easier to stop playing.<br /><br />Binges usually leave me tired, but so does tournament chess. Binges in search of redemption after poor play leaves me in a sour mood. My wife notices because I’m less fun to be near. Tournament chess leaves me with memories to cherish and games worthy of study.<br /><br />Losing sometimes motivates me to play better, as it should. But losing can fuel obsession, and then substituting quantity for quality becomes a danger. When the play becomes a long session of just playing for wins, rather than enjoying the struggle, chess lacks the pleasure that is gained from solving problems against a difficult and talented opponent. One Friday, I was tired due to responsibilities in the first week with a new puppy. In such a state, I was playing chess online with little pleasure and much frustration. I was not well focused. It was the Friday before the Spokane Chess Club’s premier event. IM John Donaldson gave a lecture and simul that evening. I had pulled myself away from an online binge in a sour mood, but my disposition improved once I was among chess playing friends for Donaldson’s event.<br /><br />During the weekend, I played in the tournament. Losing my first-round game to a much lower rated talented junior was not disheartening, even though it meant weaker opponents for the duration of the weekend and certain rating loss. The play, analysis, and camaraderie of a chess tournament lifts the spirits. My longest game was in the last round against an opponent from Tacoma. It was a battle. My play was far from perfect, but I enjoyed the struggle. Such contests are at the heart of chess’s appeal. Winning was quite satisfying, especially because of challenges my opponent threw in my way. The game lasted more than three hours and I spent another five or six analyzing the game in subsequent days.<br /><br />Sometimes a string of losses is nothing but pain and obsession, especially when the first loss made clear that I am not prepared to play. For instance, I lost five of six games one night recently because I was playing late at night when I was too tired to continue my reading of Theodore Roosevelt, <i>The Rough Riders</i> (1899). Moreover, I had consumed two or three glasses of Scotch. One glass never has a detrimental effect on my play. A second glass can go either way. The third should not be consumed prior to or during a chess playing session. If I recall correctly, that third glass came after some losses and after my wife retired for the evening. As the clock moved toward midnight, I was drinking Scotch without tasting it and playing chess without enjoyment.<br /><br />It is better to practice moderation in chess, in drinking, and in combining the two.<br /><br />Most often, my chess playing binges are in the middle of the day. I am awake, alert, and sober. Perhaps sobriety is open to question, however, because the behavior of playing one game after another without reflection is reminiscent of the way I drank beer in college, one after another until I could take no more. Then, quantity was the means to a goal: inebriation. I don’t live that way now.<br /><br />The worst part of chess binges are my attitude. I regret the waste of time. I could have gone for a walk, done some chores, or read a book. I have unfinished writing projects that interest me. Frustration with my lack of self-control can lead to depression. Rating loss can provoke repetition of the behavior.<br /><br />After a quarter century of online chess play, I’m coming to terms with binges as an element of my life. I am okay. Binges happen. Going forward, I will accept these moments of obsession as a by-product of my love for chess. <br /><br />When my chess obsession interferes with other aspects of life, it becomes a problem. Jenna Ostria has some <a href="https://chessarea.com/chess-addiction-how-to-curb-your-chess-obsession/">useful tips</a> for curbing this obsession. My health is my top priority. While accepting myself even when I binge, I also work to keep chess in balance with other areas of life. Each day I make time for chess, household responsibilities, and reading. My new puppy also demands attention! She also brings joy.James Stripeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437334325501974461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57726894266049739.post-47718719535830860572024-02-29T05:00:00.000-08:002024-02-29T05:29:08.753-08:00Break the Rules!Neil McDonald writes in <i>Break the Rules! A Modern Look at Chess Strategy</i> (2012), "experienced players ... tread a fine line between the moves they want to play and the moves they are compelled to play." He continues, "Rules and precepts are useful starting points, but we have to use our judgement, creativity and knowledge to find the best move and plan in the specific position in front of us." A game he employs to illustrate has White beginning the game with eight consecutive pawn moves. The game is <a href="https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1637791">Navara -- Shimanov, Vilnius 2010</a>.<br /><br />When I read this book last year, I was already familiar with both the concept and a different Caro-Kann game from having seen them yoked in John Watson, <i>Secrets of Modern Chess: Advances since Nimzowitsch</i> (1998). Watson cites as an example of rule independence a game that Andy Soltis presents in <i>The Art of Defence</i> where Black's first ten moves included seven pawn moves. Yet, somehow I remember it as the same line presented by McDonald (maybe it, too, is in Watson's book).<br /><br />After McDonald's explication, however, I began playing this line against the Caro-Kann in my online games. I've trapped several bishops when my opponent strayed from the best course. In other games, I've also sacrificed a pawn on e6 to lock in Black's dark-square bishop. These games turned out to be good preparation for a tournament game when my opponent attempted to play the Nimzo-Larsen Attack. But there was more: inspiration from a game I looked at nine years ago.<br /><br />A game in <i>Chess Informant</i> 124 (2015) inspired me such that I have been meeting 1.b3 with 1...a5 ever since with good results. That game is <a href="https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1790565">Rapport -- Adly, Tsaghkadzor 2015</a>. Sometimes I enjoy creating chaos at the board, but I always find it useful to remove my opponents from their comfort zone.<br /><br />Both these games inspired and guided me during my round four game against David Griffin in the Inland Classic last weekend.<br /><br /><div><b>Griffin,David (1522) -- Stripes,James (1873) [A04]<br /></b>Inland Classic Rathdrum (4), 25.02.2024<br /><br /><b>1.Nf3 Nc6 2.b3 a5N<br /><br /></b>A novelty inspired by Rapport -- Adly. Rapport is a devotee of 1...b3. I call this move a novelty because the position does not appear in my usual databases. However, further research shows that the move in the present position has been played 902 times on Lichess.<br /><br />I did have an OTB game against Griffin Herr in 2019 that began 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.b3 a5. Before the game, Griffin had asked me how I responded to 1.b3. I told him the truth, not knowing that we would be paired.<br /><br /><b>3.Bb2 e6 4.e3 a4</b></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">White to move</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Uok_gtiwsyv3SGIPVrsWiZ2n2VwkqXTUtC_2-wgBGd9DrPLze9bq6oSLK8Mkh0xPp-eT2cRngiDxrfyjJuZBhnI9ii6QiDIr_REqJXXv7dvE8rNjKlojMLFbgb7qPQdMgfCsKL-6UXSlmh9AvuYAzv9T7I-PlOMUspcAeK0CDYW4DhiT6gBuQbydgQ/s668/Break01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Uok_gtiwsyv3SGIPVrsWiZ2n2VwkqXTUtC_2-wgBGd9DrPLze9bq6oSLK8Mkh0xPp-eT2cRngiDxrfyjJuZBhnI9ii6QiDIr_REqJXXv7dvE8rNjKlojMLFbgb7qPQdMgfCsKL-6UXSlmh9AvuYAzv9T7I-PlOMUspcAeK0CDYW4DhiT6gBuQbydgQ/w400-h400/Break01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><b>5.Be2 </b><br /><br />5.a3 seems important, as I suggested to David after the game.<br /><br /><b>5...a3</b><br /><br />5...Nf6 6.0-0 Be7 7.d4 0-0 8.c4 d5 9.bxa4 b6 10.Nc3 Na5 0-1 (34) Shytaj,L (2459)--Ponkratov,P (2613) Riadh 2017.<br /><br /><b>6.Bc3 Nf6 7.0-0 d5=</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">White to move</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ3MFO0Z-nPxO-OWD7mU75ecis4ZBdh6Fiy_RD0v47RwdZC8vIZjzvFkxrsxfdGqLnFRVXtFVw2M1XSLv0i3i8pFneDC4wb8D3BVkSq02NSZ0Ct21GwvMnsTAhwnI4_QBECJdmyKkpGfuABcC6cQiDfOKlsbvT29RkKw0rKgHMKYsz7lw8SK8rR_XJTQ/s668/Break02.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ3MFO0Z-nPxO-OWD7mU75ecis4ZBdh6Fiy_RD0v47RwdZC8vIZjzvFkxrsxfdGqLnFRVXtFVw2M1XSLv0i3i8pFneDC4wb8D3BVkSq02NSZ0Ct21GwvMnsTAhwnI4_QBECJdmyKkpGfuABcC6cQiDfOKlsbvT29RkKw0rKgHMKYsz7lw8SK8rR_XJTQ/w400-h400/Break02.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><b>8.Nd4<br /><br /></b>8.d4 has been popular on Lichess, where this position has occurred in 114 games. David wanted to avoid this move because his bishop's scope on the long diagonal was his intended manner of play.</div><div><br /><b>8...Nxd4 9.Bxd4 </b><br /><br />9.exd4 Bd6 and I would have continued with somewhat more normal development, perhaps seeking to take advantage of the absence of White's king's knight.<br /><br /><b>9...c5 10.Be5 </b><br /><br />10.Bb5+ Bd7 11.Bxf6 gxf6=<br />10.Bxf6 gxf6= (10...Qxf6 would be a mistake).</div><div><br /><b>10...h5 </b><br /><br />I am aiming to trap the bishop. After my a-pawn push, I suspect Griffin did not assess the concrete analysis behind this move.<br /><br /><b>11.Nc3</b><br /><br />11.h3 was David's suggestion after the game.<br />11.d4 is also good.</div><div><br /><b>11...Nd7</b><br /><br />We have reached the game's critical position. Both sides still have chances. After White's next move, Black gets the upper hand and carries it to the end.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">White to move</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLfR6-Ai5ydZQR-byFWYjrK88ALVfip_iHVmRfE2BBe8fgsp7VVqVDx25bvECdmDUG8nNMgqXExiOPOwRS_8VhWIminq0RuLU1HY1FaTo8yONHVibO4SRUGB6oiuWbQmK00lVrnXMvAuqGJuap0VLAmx2C5l0yt4shOBFsMyVpgKML7V8VEdgF-EjjsA/s668/Break03.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLfR6-Ai5ydZQR-byFWYjrK88ALVfip_iHVmRfE2BBe8fgsp7VVqVDx25bvECdmDUG8nNMgqXExiOPOwRS_8VhWIminq0RuLU1HY1FaTo8yONHVibO4SRUGB6oiuWbQmK00lVrnXMvAuqGJuap0VLAmx2C5l0yt4shOBFsMyVpgKML7V8VEdgF-EjjsA/w400-h400/Break03.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /><b>12.Bg3?? </b><br /><br />12.f4! Qb6 (12...f6? 13.Bxh5+ Ke7 14.Qg4 Qa5 15.Qg6 fxe5 16.Qe8+ Kd6 and White is better) 13.Na4 Qc6 and White is slightly better.<br />I anticipated 12.Bb5 f6 13.Bg3 h4 with a slight edge for Black.</div><div><br /><b>12...h4-+ </b><br /><br />I'm winning the bishop. <br /><br /><b>13.Bf4 g5 </b><br /><br />Here, I wrote 9/13 in the margins of my scoresheet and then went and asked the tournament director whether I had broken the rules by doing so. <br /><br /><b>14.Re1! </b><br /><br />Perhaps David's strongest move of the game. The bishop cannot be saved, but Black might yet be punished for an inordinate number of pawn moves and a king that likely will remain in the center.<br /><br /><b>14...gxf4 15.exf4 d4 16.Nb5 Nf6 </b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">White to move</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFaf6j2KbA-BIEJf8xoROmsaR-TbaUvdP3hQA2wSdh8N49T85xWilfYuqDPQlKDuYFg634JoRgItJP9hzDjKPPoFnQ4UzE40zPLi5AYzo1oxL3jmZpxtQkzIxli6RzMCBpkK9hqlKT83MZwUEUQ1Y3-asRqDJx7EQO282CVuNxgc6lC7D4mQipV6bPmA/s668/Break04.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFaf6j2KbA-BIEJf8xoROmsaR-TbaUvdP3hQA2wSdh8N49T85xWilfYuqDPQlKDuYFg634JoRgItJP9hzDjKPPoFnQ4UzE40zPLi5AYzo1oxL3jmZpxtQkzIxli6RzMCBpkK9hqlKT83MZwUEUQ1Y3-asRqDJx7EQO282CVuNxgc6lC7D4mQipV6bPmA/w400-h400/Break04.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /><b>17.Bc4</b><br /><br />17.f5 seems best and principled. Black's material advantage remains, but White has good chances to create some play in the center.<br /><br /><b>17...Qb6</b><br /><br />Finally! After eleven pawn moves and five knight moves, I develop another piece. Already, I am looking towards some checkmate ideas. <br /><br /><b>18.Qc1</b><br /><br />David's focus on removing my a-pawn did not help his game. <br /><br /><b>18...h3 19.g3 Qc6 20.Bf1</b><br /><br />Forced. There cannot be very many positions in the database where Black has pawns on h3 and a3 on move 20.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Black to move</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdyrovipuOFDyBoRDmYCmA4OmYN83zu3SrGQnG15oVnebK3j9MLNF3YA3VjVmAMj1sGTHgT3nL_X1wt1yQ7c3I1nIj1Zh_QjVd-ACQ5tyROiTdxyl1ANgxZvBNL4s-vmRYS5MCnlXuPlF8szCp2ZMpgzHM3EHw30wZjl7bZulqC2wkbejVQEbEIsLxvA/s668/Break05.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdyrovipuOFDyBoRDmYCmA4OmYN83zu3SrGQnG15oVnebK3j9MLNF3YA3VjVmAMj1sGTHgT3nL_X1wt1yQ7c3I1nIj1Zh_QjVd-ACQ5tyROiTdxyl1ANgxZvBNL4s-vmRYS5MCnlXuPlF8szCp2ZMpgzHM3EHw30wZjl7bZulqC2wkbejVQEbEIsLxvA/w400-h400/Break05.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /><b>20...Bd7 </b><br /><br />I wanted to avoid White's bishop pinning my queen against my king with the knight on a3. Also, I might get an opportunity to create a bishop and queen battery along the long diagonal. <br /><br /><b>21.Nxa3 Bd6 </b><br /><br />Targeting the unprotected pawn on f4 <br /><br />Stronger was 21...Qf3 22.Qd1 Qxd1 23.Raxd1 Rxa3-+<br /><br /><b>22.Nc4 </b><br /><br />22.f5 Qf3<br /><br /><b>22...Bxf4 23.Ne5 </b><br /><br />23.gxf4 Rg8+ and checkmate follows.<br /><br /><b>23...Bxe5 24.Rxe5 Ng4 </b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">White to move</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYkX8lq_5Dp6yatiujLe0NYFsWwBe1QCXW9YCnj-LB1Ln5XysszgE3OYfXxCXDl7MxEntyCV73GBv9Lq3pmhwtJjY5M05MHgj3qkrdPMNXm1izJU4i3hGsCx-nYn_dJ2flMh_VJ_FXUjyhWy9x7YHb-VG9QurI6RIsmXUoa3Ocbydum0xZNYF9d0pn_Q/s668/Break06.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYkX8lq_5Dp6yatiujLe0NYFsWwBe1QCXW9YCnj-LB1Ln5XysszgE3OYfXxCXDl7MxEntyCV73GBv9Lq3pmhwtJjY5M05MHgj3qkrdPMNXm1izJU4i3hGsCx-nYn_dJ2flMh_VJ_FXUjyhWy9x7YHb-VG9QurI6RIsmXUoa3Ocbydum0xZNYF9d0pn_Q/w400-h400/Break06.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><b>25.Re1 </b><br /><br />25.Qe1 is best, then 25...Qf3 26.Rxc5 Rh5! a deflection that I might have missed 27.Qe2 (27.Rxh5 Bc6 and White can only delay checkmate) 27...Qxe2 28.Bxe2 Rxc5.<br /><br /><b>25...Qf3</b><br /><br />Bc6 will be decisive <br /><br /><b>26.Qd1? Qxf2+ 0-1</b><br /><br />Although my play was unorthodox, it worked because David did not adapt his plans to the needs of the position. The early a5 thrust by Black is not dangerous, but it is disruptive if White does not meet it appropriately.</div><div><br /></div>James Stripeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437334325501974461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57726894266049739.post-59928716101106655122024-02-28T04:51:00.000-08:002024-03-05T20:03:23.393-08:00MissesIn the Inland Classic tournament last weekend, I played reasonably well, despite giving up a 520 point upset to an underrated high school senior who has been one of the top youth players in my city since he was in elementary school. There were points where my play could be improved. The positions below highlight points when errors were made. How would you play?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">1. Black to move</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQLpiYedHwAjQfhTJxCGqytSSWqc1sY1IWgbrcjb-XN_A_n2wEBOD8yyqbxSG6x237_aMiy4-M6S9QZ52h91cD3oNh9wn1W1eUcyU_enkM1CfxA9iSq74uJ4hdd2CJG-WvBNruoPHVuCyLDty_Ir6XJ2G4XpW7e2-AgJEQIxmRfPw9ja4E3TJu9D1PKw/s828/misses01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="828" data-original-width="828" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQLpiYedHwAjQfhTJxCGqytSSWqc1sY1IWgbrcjb-XN_A_n2wEBOD8yyqbxSG6x237_aMiy4-M6S9QZ52h91cD3oNh9wn1W1eUcyU_enkM1CfxA9iSq74uJ4hdd2CJG-WvBNruoPHVuCyLDty_Ir6XJ2G4XpW7e2-AgJEQIxmRfPw9ja4E3TJu9D1PKw/w400-h400/misses01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>How should Black meet the fork threat?<br /><br />Later in this same game, my round one loss, I had a clear advantage after errors on both sides. Choosing the wrong course from this position turned the game in favor of my opponent.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">2. Black to move</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_DfEwRfzUwO6jpFz2qsEoqZ0ezsSXCMFfKC9tQReLMjaM9mwUXqUXW4vUE0xjFtUgrSccFdwKYtOTmp8d93lETW1-QbwIJTwfytSkpNjVV_ca0VYXK20nVofjsExkbEBIO6tYh3k4NeNjJ-vnMjaOZNqKCiVqQNy6tP-81WJHYt3tSkqKzo_wXeMhsQ/s828/misses02.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="828" data-original-width="828" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_DfEwRfzUwO6jpFz2qsEoqZ0ezsSXCMFfKC9tQReLMjaM9mwUXqUXW4vUE0xjFtUgrSccFdwKYtOTmp8d93lETW1-QbwIJTwfytSkpNjVV_ca0VYXK20nVofjsExkbEBIO6tYh3k4NeNjJ-vnMjaOZNqKCiVqQNy6tP-81WJHYt3tSkqKzo_wXeMhsQ/w400-h400/misses02.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In round two, I had a decisive advantage by move six. Nonetheless, I missed a quicker finish from the following position.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">3. White to move</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvvOh9p7463rY8q81t6e4NeL4bZWaGU3knLKmDQQnzCHYGOmEcsfSBEJYNTJuXmVgkNEpxfxjZuflrShUJIpccaLKy4K9XKMNys1koV0wpPVNNeUMxmCS3a3jjZ53kttdLGofP8IiB5gO-1Vl8Eysh2tVIyF_67BHgjvYBhd4OqIaJojDPFuuB7huUXw/s828/misses03.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="828" data-original-width="828" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvvOh9p7463rY8q81t6e4NeL4bZWaGU3knLKmDQQnzCHYGOmEcsfSBEJYNTJuXmVgkNEpxfxjZuflrShUJIpccaLKy4K9XKMNys1koV0wpPVNNeUMxmCS3a3jjZ53kttdLGofP8IiB5gO-1Vl8Eysh2tVIyF_67BHgjvYBhd4OqIaJojDPFuuB7huUXw/w400-h400/misses03.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>My round five game was a long battle and was among the last games to finish. Early in the middle game, I made a sensible move using a minute of thinking time. The position demanded more thought because another idea, which I considered briefly, was sufficiently complex that it could have offered my opponent the opportunity to go wrong.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">4. White to move</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfKmhKUYL8TaDchW0zBMhaxrXI2aS562ebHM5oh5QLETdBHaexi88b8vfpvrkdnU-BK2sEtDcnvcTcFQnZqh8gzX5vP3s9OX47ze13mHWljnACFTfvk9RwbUZEUvQx6vRNoFOPVZpVVSK4Mprq5IDe2EKfz1DBpytezSsC-9ZJn7x9yhzN6iODIjIgRQ/s828/misses04.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="828" data-original-width="828" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfKmhKUYL8TaDchW0zBMhaxrXI2aS562ebHM5oh5QLETdBHaexi88b8vfpvrkdnU-BK2sEtDcnvcTcFQnZqh8gzX5vP3s9OX47ze13mHWljnACFTfvk9RwbUZEUvQx6vRNoFOPVZpVVSK4Mprq5IDe2EKfz1DBpytezSsC-9ZJn7x9yhzN6iODIjIgRQ/w400-h400/misses04.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Two moves later, I threw away a small advantage.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">5. White to move</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSl4ZnEiXGtLmfKKyLPp6GirQs_pkgPP9v9JCpX20j-J2beJPimMA1jC-wY2XWHRD11OQ68TrZiL2FTPEHf-CT2W2Tv3amDCqYcARQIhIhMGnXSHGJoZsNxkXZKw7ppf0pJfPYlqWNO4zPOSGPwpXwQNwD7RZDJL-0qfcRGtHzX5A1dfgEAWdwyZBWUQ/s828/misses05.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="828" data-original-width="828" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSl4ZnEiXGtLmfKKyLPp6GirQs_pkgPP9v9JCpX20j-J2beJPimMA1jC-wY2XWHRD11OQ68TrZiL2FTPEHf-CT2W2Tv3amDCqYcARQIhIhMGnXSHGJoZsNxkXZKw7ppf0pJfPYlqWNO4zPOSGPwpXwQNwD7RZDJL-0qfcRGtHzX5A1dfgEAWdwyZBWUQ/w400-h400/misses05.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>My error in this last diagram maintained a clear advantage, but there was a much better move.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">6. White to move</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzVC-FBARNcMgBFNAzsWTB9j1HnO8pC5PSfv-3TlVdqUYrvwYLRTrYPuimo1Dc2xnzdNKZNgB_X7PEVF8FPWcazIC_mMZiy9w-V9Yt0nQVvuzsAbJi-dMixI6VfWSEvro-PEKeOJsn3ueY54lyO1TBJG8FuanFhy8TzhIPTLC130zLYoahyphenhyphenWMLVd3Nkw/s828/misses06.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="828" data-original-width="828" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzVC-FBARNcMgBFNAzsWTB9j1HnO8pC5PSfv-3TlVdqUYrvwYLRTrYPuimo1Dc2xnzdNKZNgB_X7PEVF8FPWcazIC_mMZiy9w-V9Yt0nQVvuzsAbJi-dMixI6VfWSEvro-PEKeOJsn3ueY54lyO1TBJG8FuanFhy8TzhIPTLC130zLYoahyphenhyphenWMLVd3Nkw/w400-h400/misses06.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div>James Stripeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437334325501974461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57726894266049739.post-59282894232240290792024-02-27T05:00:00.000-08:002024-02-27T05:00:00.144-08:00Ways of ReadingAfter finishing the process of going through every game in Irving Chernev, <i>The 1000 Best Short Games of Chess</i> (1955), I was motivated to tackle another classic. Now, I am following the same process with P. H. Clarke, <i>100 Soviet Chess Miniatures</i> (1963). I downloaded the PGN file from <a href="http://billwall.phpwebhosting.com/">Bill Wall’s Chess Page</a> and opened it in tChess Pro on my iPad. During my morning coffee a day or two per week, I go through a game on the iPad, sometimes several times, then I go through the game while reading Clark’s annotations. Sometimes, I then find the game on <a href="http://chessgames.com">chessgames.com</a> and drop a note there.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqz9xBn_Y7R-fZh7rBMzvD5pjz0-mb1rbKaKiFYAE6ap7-AQBptTQ6Pj62SOYbK7lNmshXQt2gB7W5vSGhWimYeZdvx8yUKYOaPzsM1xix0UOHM_dZJhEvzKQxyf4L_fQ5F6DM5ltteu1BwBBNf26MFJ8d5ua_LcAXvO1SBt0lYVVYeJ0Iv5ouUntErw/s1898/IMG_2752.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1898" data-original-width="1640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqz9xBn_Y7R-fZh7rBMzvD5pjz0-mb1rbKaKiFYAE6ap7-AQBptTQ6Pj62SOYbK7lNmshXQt2gB7W5vSGhWimYeZdvx8yUKYOaPzsM1xix0UOHM_dZJhEvzKQxyf4L_fQ5F6DM5ltteu1BwBBNf26MFJ8d5ua_LcAXvO1SBt0lYVVYeJ0Iv5ouUntErw/w346-h400/IMG_2752.jpeg" width="346" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Clarke’s book had some competition for my attention. Bobby Fischer, <i>My 60 Memorable Games</i> (1969) also beckoned. Wall has a PGN for that book as well. It, too, resides on my iPad. But as I was going through Fischer — Sherwin 1957, I had a strong impulse to set a chess board on the table for the purpose of studying Fischer’s annotations in a manner that is more difficult with tChess Pro.</div><div><br /></div><div>Working through <i>My 60 Memorable Games</i> will be more work, but I also think it is worth doing. Perhaps I will do a quick orientation to each game in tChess Pro, then switch to a chessboard on the table and the book for further study.</div>James Stripeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437334325501974461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57726894266049739.post-39987774571443495422024-02-26T10:27:00.000-08:002024-02-26T10:27:18.337-08:00Study MaterialWhat might I gain from some focused study of the works of Aron Nimzowitsch? I’ve had <i>My System</i> and <i>Chess Praxis</i> in the old English descriptive versions since the 1990s and have dipped into them often enough to have a grasp of his central concepts. Of course, prophylaxis, blockade, pawn chains, the isolated queen pawn, and other ideas that he articulated before anyone else are found in many books today. One cannot read chess books and fail to encounter the work of Nimzowitsch.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR41-VJHYlQ_CnwZ3M24nCSOElRZWt6I4mV5FZuSYLyQ2xIRYzoi6WLjIQ2ZoxmdZe4IL0Cxc8CB5n9eqGTkcesQPHqpM8Lx9WAJNIO71jWo66rxgyCwML19LJNzKapsRCJl_v9_sHsYSohTxbUS8X8HblvlUO4YZEhvcJYxbZ5v0AmlkyRT29m6q9tQ/s4032/IMG_8729.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR41-VJHYlQ_CnwZ3M24nCSOElRZWt6I4mV5FZuSYLyQ2xIRYzoi6WLjIQ2ZoxmdZe4IL0Cxc8CB5n9eqGTkcesQPHqpM8Lx9WAJNIO71jWo66rxgyCwML19LJNzKapsRCJl_v9_sHsYSohTxbUS8X8HblvlUO4YZEhvcJYxbZ5v0AmlkyRT29m6q9tQ/w400-h300/IMG_8729.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div>John Watson, <i>Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy</i> has been in my possession close to twenty years and I’ve read chunks. In fact, it was much on my mind during yesterday’s round four game, as was Neil McDonald, <i>Break the Rules!</i> Both Watson and McDonald present a Caro-Kann line in which White begins the game with eight pawn moves. Concrete calculation trumps general principles, Watson notes. In my game yesterday, prior to 17…Qb6, I had made 11 pawn moves and 5 knight moves. Also, I had trapped my opponent’s bishop.</div><div>Last summer, I purchased both the original edition of Raymond Keene, <i>Aron Nimzowitsch: A Reappraisal</i> and the somewhat newer algebraic edition. I’ve read only the first chapter. Yesterday, at the chess tournament, the new translation of Nimzowitsch’s classics was added to my book collection thanks to the generosity of IM John Donaldson attending and playing in our local tournament. He has been doing so for a quarter century and has made a habit of bringing books that he sells at bargain prices.</div><div>Perhaps the new book will end up on the shelf gathering dust. Perhaps I will make some time to study it. </div></div>James Stripeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437334325501974461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57726894266049739.post-49776678552123432672024-02-12T10:53:00.000-08:002024-02-12T10:53:23.031-08:00Failed TwiceOn Friday morning, I spent about ten minutes struggling with this chess problem, then gave up and looked at the answer in the back of the book. Friday's failure was a repeat of the same process with the same problem several months ago.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">White to move and win</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUQD4YCBunDFabwjryGFG_BwyVPscbV4tMz-zR-osU6qnljkXyKysaHtNqpfbpGXmbUrClswQr7t5k2MyFkzk_-2FFZ0x4PGbHnu-j9cEXhP-24NgMARnIdCNBkP5yGjX1wpVkt3-0tL57rBoJm1HmQhMOgQlvGX6EoDFOLmbVbHq5lIKRGdf6FRVOkw/s668/Duras.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUQD4YCBunDFabwjryGFG_BwyVPscbV4tMz-zR-osU6qnljkXyKysaHtNqpfbpGXmbUrClswQr7t5k2MyFkzk_-2FFZ0x4PGbHnu-j9cEXhP-24NgMARnIdCNBkP5yGjX1wpVkt3-0tL57rBoJm1HmQhMOgQlvGX6EoDFOLmbVbHq5lIKRGdf6FRVOkw/w400-h400/Duras.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>It was composed by Oldrich Duras and published in <i>Deutsche Schachzeitung</i> (October 1908), 310. The solution was published in January.<br /><br />I encountered the position in Sergey Ivashchenko, <i>The Manual of Chess Combinations</i>, vol. 2 (2002). Reuben Fine presents it without a diagram in <i>Basic Chess Endings</i> (1941), 121.<br /><br />While attempting to solve the puzzle, I had a faint recollection of some of the key ideas from a study by Alexey Troitzky that I had spent some time with last summer after getting a copy of Yuri Averbakh, <i>Bishop Endings</i> (1977). Troitzky's study also appears sans diagram in Fine, <i>Basic Chess Endings</i>.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">White to move</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVvzUmvHQ0G__2zRl_aZKWnq1fONrqeOkmc1MjUlA_Rpbs1SHtQPphgqcRlK7BfD1-cbjTN3dSqtw-T4kfQFjFIfiwEs_b5RjtwG7PPDlX2ETqEuQ9ffkg89qLUXXirCRS7JPvn1Fp9lUj3O0HBm7g57VyafuGQdXyZBmLvWG7kehMbjLOyo3txLfFhQ/s668/Troitzky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVvzUmvHQ0G__2zRl_aZKWnq1fONrqeOkmc1MjUlA_Rpbs1SHtQPphgqcRlK7BfD1-cbjTN3dSqtw-T4kfQFjFIfiwEs_b5RjtwG7PPDlX2ETqEuQ9ffkg89qLUXXirCRS7JPvn1Fp9lUj3O0HBm7g57VyafuGQdXyZBmLvWG7kehMbjLOyo3txLfFhQ/w400-h400/Troitzky.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I could recall the bishop maneuvers in the Troitzky study, but forgot the importance of the king's position.<br /><br />In the Troitzky study, White wins with 1.Be6 Ke7 2.h6 Kf6 3.Bf5! <br /><br />I remembered this idea.<br /><br />3...Kf7 4.Bh7<br /><br />And this paradoxical move.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Black to move</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCblYtipf5FNXycBKPn50lDwnz_R2mlT-wzbpcB1ZULWngrrV2xPmZ2rNQmUt5PEWFkSAXdypw04WBRIIjWEQr4Tszosdg5fX1wM5_wVYl7rLWvykBM_w0tOSVTDmszIfrzbc0XdG4zxNBiI1sbmdOQJiFtn4yJOwPeaHBQkATOL1fHb4uWWp3wZWBlA/s668/Troitzky1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCblYtipf5FNXycBKPn50lDwnz_R2mlT-wzbpcB1ZULWngrrV2xPmZ2rNQmUt5PEWFkSAXdypw04WBRIIjWEQr4Tszosdg5fX1wM5_wVYl7rLWvykBM_w0tOSVTDmszIfrzbc0XdG4zxNBiI1sbmdOQJiFtn4yJOwPeaHBQkATOL1fHb4uWWp3wZWBlA/w400-h400/Troitzky1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>4...Kf6 5.Kf4<br /><br />This necessary move is not possible in the Duras study. The solution in <i>Deutsche Schachzeitung</i> (January 1909) reaches a similar position after one of the moves that fails, 1.Bc5, and the line was part of what I examined before I gave up.<br /><br />Most of my effort, however, was spent trying to make 1.Bd6 work. That move was also the first one that FM Jim Maki tried when I showed him Duras's study during a youth chess tournament on Saturday. Black's drawing idea of the king taking refuge on and adjacent to the promotion square is one I learned the hard way in a tournament game a quarter century ago (see "<a href="http://chessskill.blogspot.com/2022/02/a-memorable-lesson.html">A Memorable Lesson</a>").<br /><br />If Bd6 and Bc5 both fail, how can White win? I know now. Maybe I will remember the next time that I see this study by Duras.<br /><div><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><div><br /></div></div></div>James Stripeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437334325501974461noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57726894266049739.post-68317823904512278492024-02-01T06:36:00.000-08:002024-02-01T06:42:32.774-08:00Maczuski -- Kolisch 1863On Tuesday, I showed a short game to my young students that is the source for exercise 19 in <i>Checkmates and Tactics</i> (2019), <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Checkmates-Tactics-James-Stripes/dp/107649269X/">a book</a> that presents 150 exercises that I developed in 2006 for scholastic chess players. While doing so, my ignorance grated. I knew nothing about the players, although the name of the losing player was familiar enough that I thought I should know more.<br /><br />While printing the game score before club, it surprised me that only two games played by Ladislav Maczuski appeared in ChessBase Mega (online was no different). This paltry selection was surprising particularly because the game data indicated it was part of a four game match between the players. ChessBase has 151 games played by Ignatz Kolisch, plus two consultation games. Maczuski's performance in the game against a strong master suggests that he should be better known. Kolisch was "one of the world's leading players from 1859 to 1867", according to David Hooper and Kenneth Whyld, <i>The Oxford Companion to Chess </i>(205).<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGYiQozSy_E9cwsrzNzHJkDUwWGITvJV3Ygn0_s1TfFq-iXhN8Em00pYgBo4TyBIJnTmq7gMzysME9q0aiHIQe8Q58PNxUTJWa1JY7N_Vrqg-z0dJNFb83vZcYCBqifRpnVqK6ZTNg9THHCIXIl53eQeKJhXnKY-rs1B3azHE3nvXAYIuj1Wm1bsaorQ/s578/La%20Regence.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="578" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGYiQozSy_E9cwsrzNzHJkDUwWGITvJV3Ygn0_s1TfFq-iXhN8Em00pYgBo4TyBIJnTmq7gMzysME9q0aiHIQe8Q58PNxUTJWa1JY7N_Vrqg-z0dJNFb83vZcYCBqifRpnVqK6ZTNg9THHCIXIl53eQeKJhXnKY-rs1B3azHE3nvXAYIuj1Wm1bsaorQ/w400-h350/La%20Regence.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>It is not surprising that <a href="https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1080476&kpage=5#reply106"><i>chessgames.com</i></a> has more information than almost any where else that I searched. Edward Winter's <i>Chess Notes</i> is also useful. <a href="https://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/announcedmates.html">Note 2335</a> has an 1876 game played by Maczuski as part of a blindfold simul that does not appear in databases. <a href="https://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/retitartakower.html">Note 11728</a> recommends Fabrizio Zavatarelli, <i>Ignaz Kolisch The Life and Chess Career</i> (2015) for "a detailed discussion". <i>Chessgames.com</i> led me to the first publication of the game and a second the next month. ChessBase referenced David Levy and Kevin O'Connell, <i>The Oxford Encyclopedia of Chess Games, Vol. 1 1485-1866</i> (1981), which also references <i>Schachzeitung</i> (1864). Levy and O'Connell get the date wrong, an error carried forward in ChessBase.<br /><br />I know more than I did on Tuesday and know how to learn a bit more should I manage to acquire a copy of Zavatarelli's book.<div><br />Here is the game.<br /><br /><b>Maczuski,Ladislav -- Kolisch,Ignaz [C45]</b><br />Match Kolisch--Maczuski +2-2=0 Paris (1), 03.1863<br /><br /><b>1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Qh4 </b><br /><br />The fifth most popular reply wins a pawn, but often a great cost <br /><br /><b>5.Nc3 </b><br /><br />5.Nb5 is an alternative 5...Bb4+ 6.N1c3 Ba5 7.Be2 a6 (7...Qxe4? 8.Nxc7+ Kd8 9.Nxa8 Qxg2 10.Bf3+-) <br /><br /><b>5...Bb4 6.Qd3!? </b><br /><br />6.Be2 and 6.Ndb5 are more frequently played<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Black to move</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0A-F3B8W9G8c71KGN64ie7wLsyezqonuZ79RFrw-4VDBEN2pDWeInQGXGfI6QtCA604RNkXZwQowbMLVfeMPdN-RveGVFiGZCJpCHnlipIlZUrwpTPfm8Erg87D7l_K9t-aEUh5JdakrmNAW2tMZj8dsQvbFG_uEMwNVEecH29i08ZfXFFeqgnXNMLg/s668/Maczuski01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0A-F3B8W9G8c71KGN64ie7wLsyezqonuZ79RFrw-4VDBEN2pDWeInQGXGfI6QtCA604RNkXZwQowbMLVfeMPdN-RveGVFiGZCJpCHnlipIlZUrwpTPfm8Erg87D7l_K9t-aEUh5JdakrmNAW2tMZj8dsQvbFG_uEMwNVEecH29i08ZfXFFeqgnXNMLg/w400-h400/Maczuski01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><b>6...Nf6 7.Nxc6 </b><br /><br />Also possible: 7.Nf5 Qxe4+ 8.Qxe4+ Nxe4 9.Nxg7+ Kf8 (9...Kd8) 10.Nh5 (10.Bh6 Nxc3 11.Nf5+ Ke8 12.a3 Ba5 13.b4 Bb6) 10...Nxc3 11.Bh6+ Ke7 12.Bg7 Ne4+ 13.c3 with equal chances.<br /><br /><b>7...dxc6 8.Bd2 Bxc3 9.Bxc3 Nxe4 </b><br /><br />9...0-0 seems prudent, but White does not yet have full compensation for the pawn with the line played.<br /><br /><b>10.Qd4</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Black to move</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX3-3AUcNtvxy_SGCGs1zG6D25wg_VirMnbUWJm-CDIx8Bfr1gZNNpvqB7k9-EjCmalrMJpzO1OK2zZ-Keg8weePVFBEHdO3RZ62Fqiu7VMv36QKQKpiZMnTuwGYerbWZ7hWgLzdJlnq_VXqmH7AoNJZTfDTJIrh0bqFj-IAv1nlxu6_QComZZtEZCYQ/s668/Maczuski02.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX3-3AUcNtvxy_SGCGs1zG6D25wg_VirMnbUWJm-CDIx8Bfr1gZNNpvqB7k9-EjCmalrMJpzO1OK2zZ-Keg8weePVFBEHdO3RZ62Fqiu7VMv36QKQKpiZMnTuwGYerbWZ7hWgLzdJlnq_VXqmH7AoNJZTfDTJIrh0bqFj-IAv1nlxu6_QComZZtEZCYQ/w400-h400/Maczuski02.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><b>10...Qe7 </b><br /><br />10...Bf5 has also been played here 11.Qe5+ Qe7 12.Qxe7+ Kxe7 13.Bxg7 Rhg8 14.Bd4 (14.Bh6 may be better) 14...Rad8 15.c3 c5 16.Be3 b6 and Black won in 60 moves Trabert,B (2285)--Tomescu,V (2436) Montecatini Terme 1999.<br /><br /><b>11.0-0-0 Qg5+?? </b><br /><br />A terrible blunder.<br /><br />11...Nxc3 12.Qxg7 Nxa2+ 13.Kb1 Rf8 with a slight edge for Black, who went on to win in 65 moves Rizovic,S--Minic,M Vrnjacka Banja 2006.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">White to move</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSYZGS_550BWIFU4hl1OmTi9ylUW_9jpjlinCB4nKjZZ01qJX6GUnu4453fctWaI5JXzdpDJ8N8uqJJCJwdc00cYiwOAnJ8HkIvtRdmoEmPlKXPEexmyovZNbCnNp7bNNn4Fp0WrMXr9yInf3030JqjfAg6XnT_nxtt3YnTE3t3NhxRqDOs9oLOQokVw/s668/Maczuski03.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSYZGS_550BWIFU4hl1OmTi9ylUW_9jpjlinCB4nKjZZ01qJX6GUnu4453fctWaI5JXzdpDJ8N8uqJJCJwdc00cYiwOAnJ8HkIvtRdmoEmPlKXPEexmyovZNbCnNp7bNNn4Fp0WrMXr9yInf3030JqjfAg6XnT_nxtt3YnTE3t3NhxRqDOs9oLOQokVw/w400-h400/Maczuski03.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>This position could make a good exercise.<br /><div><br /><b>12.f4! Qxf4+ </b><br /><br />Black could also play 12...Qe7, but the game is lost in any case.<br /><br /><b>13.Bd2 Qg4 </b><br /><br />13...Qh4 14.Re1 0-0 15.Rxe4+-<br />13...Qf6 also prevents checkmate.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">White to move</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipitX0qmOauV4uLb9q9uOPakX64C3xEUQYq8y8r6hUhGQqylNGl4bOvGXuE6KGrmktB7cdHSH4bzLz75PomPZ6EKclbYxrfp5rARhpsRGY-d1CQKiW__EeaY7jcBJcZhgZw8K5vElMzVG2fQom1pqn-DmHBxPGUeP7y053HFEEKzP7Y1bor2tTF7Ae1A/s668/Maczuski04.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipitX0qmOauV4uLb9q9uOPakX64C3xEUQYq8y8r6hUhGQqylNGl4bOvGXuE6KGrmktB7cdHSH4bzLz75PomPZ6EKclbYxrfp5rARhpsRGY-d1CQKiW__EeaY7jcBJcZhgZw8K5vElMzVG2fQom1pqn-DmHBxPGUeP7y053HFEEKzP7Y1bor2tTF7Ae1A/w400-h400/Maczuski04.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>This position appears in my <i>Checkmates and Tactics</i> book. My students have been solving it, or failing to solve it nearly twenty years.<br /><div><br /><b>14.Qd8+ Kxd8 15.Bg5+ </b><br /><br />The game as it appears in <i>La Nouvelle Régence</i> (image above) would seem to indicate that the last move was not played.<br /><br /><b>15...Ke8 16.Rd8# 1-0</b><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>James Stripeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437334325501974461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57726894266049739.post-21039079391988579842024-01-17T09:08:00.000-08:002024-01-17T09:08:06.565-08:00Not so EasyYesterday, I posted a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=800829945392003">position on Facebook</a> from a game played online. In that position, my opponent blundered and lost. But, had my opponent played differently, I would have lost. The position generated a fair amount of discussion. I am particularly grateful to three commentators--Lukas Bratcher, Chris Kalina, and Misha de Rue. All three regularly comment.<br /><br />We begin eighteen moves prior to the posted diagram in order to show several missed opportunities by both contestants as they played too fast with too little analysis. I was White.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">White to move</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnsaNghPHArO4ga0rYINDuKqBnv5ca4Auov_w_iP_b-yVuYF8dHhO8v1zW5JkCwzm7A7hLtoak55qZxnieCcHRFW31StLXX5HF7Ka3R88xajeFHd9FeFGWpqEYTlCW11w8xcTRzHDdarMMzhT82krpXB9AMKPxN4_lnNZ3DYlqz5RwZ2rnaHqVKZCCPA/s668/noteasy01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnsaNghPHArO4ga0rYINDuKqBnv5ca4Auov_w_iP_b-yVuYF8dHhO8v1zW5JkCwzm7A7hLtoak55qZxnieCcHRFW31StLXX5HF7Ka3R88xajeFHd9FeFGWpqEYTlCW11w8xcTRzHDdarMMzhT82krpXB9AMKPxN4_lnNZ3DYlqz5RwZ2rnaHqVKZCCPA/w400-h400/noteasy01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Black has captured my rook on c5. I correctly assessed that my passed c-pawn could win, but missed some of the details.<br /><div><br /><b>33.dxc5?? </b><br /><br />It was necessary to first divert Black's king away from my e-pawn.<br /><br />33.g4+ Kg5 34.dxc5+-</div><div>33.Bd3+ Kg5 34.dxc5+-<br /><br /><b>33...Kxe5-/+</b><br /><br />Now, Black has an edge.<br /><br /><b>34.b4 g5 35.Bf3 f6 36.Bh5 h6 37.Be8 f5? </b><br /><br />37...d4+ 38.Kd2-/+<br /><br /><b>38.Bc6</b><br /><br />38.c6 d4+ 39.Kd2 Kd5 40.Ke2-/= Black is slightly better, but it is unclear how to make progress due to the c-pawn threatening to advance.<br /><br /><b>38...Bc8 39.Be8 f4+ </b><br /><br />39...d4+-/+<br /><br /><b>40.gxf4+ gxf4+ 41.Kf3= d4 </b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">White to move</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr9zMqMimv8Y2vqvd40T847UBUuz2wk_E4zWTNZPPM4JnDqeAHEWENOVGBti1hY0bG8jBW_jPyHHA4yZGTQsdVrtij0lbdERHNKfv8VkshSvHGieEjb-DtkbmzbnK_9eg_DJrLanNMxmm1jJgZInq5ZJ5mLFSX1xAssSqGcXQ1jZ005WJxWij5xQaqcw/s668/noteasy02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr9zMqMimv8Y2vqvd40T847UBUuz2wk_E4zWTNZPPM4JnDqeAHEWENOVGBti1hY0bG8jBW_jPyHHA4yZGTQsdVrtij0lbdERHNKfv8VkshSvHGieEjb-DtkbmzbnK_9eg_DJrLanNMxmm1jJgZInq5ZJ5mLFSX1xAssSqGcXQ1jZ005WJxWij5xQaqcw/w400-h400/noteasy02.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /><b>42.Bg6?? </b><br /><br />I may have been overconfident, thinking I was better. Or, I may have believed that my bishop was needed for defense.<br /><br />42.c6=<br /><br /><b>42...Bb7+ </b>Black has the edge, but there was a stronger move.<br /><br />42...Bd7-+<br /><br /><b>43.Kf2 f3 44.Bh5 </b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Black to move</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOkmxhG5rv9pPHc-rg8nUZRKVU7Kup72JHXjr8iWVIgp4MfCKVTOKLelOffZUDf9gZAXB2Ke86zFgln8lDOmC3OS2i6amVffZrWrVYgHa3n2tVpREKlSpEDjX13XYIyW8EbgXP2mSyOgE1qJcPLzNb1E23q_x-ohnxCYVOD2zwMKS37jOdgXBJ53SBoA/s668/noteasy03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOkmxhG5rv9pPHc-rg8nUZRKVU7Kup72JHXjr8iWVIgp4MfCKVTOKLelOffZUDf9gZAXB2Ke86zFgln8lDOmC3OS2i6amVffZrWrVYgHa3n2tVpREKlSpEDjX13XYIyW8EbgXP2mSyOgE1qJcPLzNb1E23q_x-ohnxCYVOD2zwMKS37jOdgXBJ53SBoA/w400-h400/noteasy03.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /><b>44...Kf4</b><br /><br />44...d3 is the only move that clearly maintains Black's advantage 45.Ke3 f2 46.Kxf2 Kd4-+<br /><br /><b>45.Be8 Ke4?? </b><br /><br />45...d3=<br /><br /><b>46.Bg6+?? </b><br /><br />46.c6+-<br /><br /><b>46...Kf4= 47.Bd3?? </b><br /><br />47.Be8=<br /><br /><b>47...h5</b><br /><br />Black missed another opportunity to put White away.<br /><br />47...Be4 48.Bxe4 Kxe4 49.c6 d3 50.c7 d2 51.c8Q d1Q oh boy! White hopes to draw with perpetual checks, but Black's king can hide among the forest of pawns on the queenside.<br /><br /><b>48.Bg6 h4 49.h3 </b><br /><br />49.Be8 (only move) holds out some hope of equality, but Black remains better.<br /><br /><b>49...Ke5-+ </b><br /><br />49...Bc8-+<br /><br /><b>50.Be8 d3 51.c6 </b><br /><br />The position I posted on Facebook <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Black to move</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje-gtcWb22YfjIEMMs2t8L8uhi6uejtk08b7LQ35IlM51TK-JGuLF2C0cnXt5GVGdIYViJ6bEoz7g-c11-3R0YIbCjylTxpNAJ1PGqSdGG5ThwVaErBpdg3ZbQE0AmMYf8kwE-qhgm1yi4EeDNO0pcDC0QcoBeWAaCs9jV8Mok6u-3UxQksKYYIjNECQ/s668/noteasy04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje-gtcWb22YfjIEMMs2t8L8uhi6uejtk08b7LQ35IlM51TK-JGuLF2C0cnXt5GVGdIYViJ6bEoz7g-c11-3R0YIbCjylTxpNAJ1PGqSdGG5ThwVaErBpdg3ZbQE0AmMYf8kwE-qhgm1yi4EeDNO0pcDC0QcoBeWAaCs9jV8Mok6u-3UxQksKYYIjNECQ/w400-h400/noteasy04.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><b>51...Bxc6??</b><br /><br />The losing move, also suggested by a Facebook member. If Black considered the consequences of this move, he may have thought to saddle me with an unpromotable h-pawn (wrong bishop does not control h8). <br /><br />51...Ba8-/+ Black retains an edge.<br />51...Bc8! and Black will win. 52.Kxf3 (52.Bd7 d2 "Black wins the race." Chris Kalina) <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Black to move</div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkDe8TbZrfLVUf3D3nMjyyZSee6bONuSt4ldUqF_KtrdtYvqKR6xXlqwZdjWFeclmktHASdwpGaASL1rB3HpkbLwrNJlxWGNbkRQ5i257l9igIMfYpYj6MEWzTHDqmyRo7QvP9_p0sMOAwUiCOy4r5G-CJxSy3Vbwl_MXWnblVnPgctWE9aheWmKcUFA/s668/noteasy05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkDe8TbZrfLVUf3D3nMjyyZSee6bONuSt4ldUqF_KtrdtYvqKR6xXlqwZdjWFeclmktHASdwpGaASL1rB3HpkbLwrNJlxWGNbkRQ5i257l9igIMfYpYj6MEWzTHDqmyRo7QvP9_p0sMOAwUiCOy4r5G-CJxSy3Vbwl_MXWnblVnPgctWE9aheWmKcUFA/s320/noteasy05.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Analysis diagram after 51...Bc8 52.Kxf3</td></tr></tbody></table><div>52...Bxh3 <br /><br />(Misha de Rue pointed out other ways for Black to win from this position: 52...Kd4 53.Kf2 Kc3 54.Bh5 Kc2 [or 54...d2; or 54...Bxh3] ) <br /><br />53.Bd7 was suggested with the belief that Black blundered in taking the h-pawn. 53...d2 54.Ke2 Be6!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">White to move</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGg5e5gKJPh4e8ZTX56laJYMJTClLPOi18q9Z3_iCy2jvCAYNqehHLyzb0HHHepTnK_ctMxyUck41mWNcts8_CstsOoyIfNUc-usFBVTCzQzyI0J4l3b0uyckI7BUNhGmV_gAA3040gb-DYkITXKmAvuSfhcAGQn0DuLtfvIWBnhxlpTfWq6Vyt5e8Eg/s668/noteasy06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGg5e5gKJPh4e8ZTX56laJYMJTClLPOi18q9Z3_iCy2jvCAYNqehHLyzb0HHHepTnK_ctMxyUck41mWNcts8_CstsOoyIfNUc-usFBVTCzQzyI0J4l3b0uyckI7BUNhGmV_gAA3040gb-DYkITXKmAvuSfhcAGQn0DuLtfvIWBnhxlpTfWq6Vyt5e8Eg/s320/noteasy06.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Analysis diagram after 54...Be6!</td></tr></tbody></table><br />I think this move solves the problems perceived in the analysis that saw 52...Bxh3 as an error.<br /><br />51...d2 was also suggested, but 52.cxb7 d1Q 53.b8Q+ with an extra bishop and an exposed Black king, White should win easily. 53...Ke6 54.Qb6+ Ke7 (54...Qd6 55.Qxd6+ Kxd6 56.Kxf3+-) 55.Qe3+ Kf8 56.Bg6+-.<br /><br /><b>52.Bxc6+- </b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Black to move</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTxoAXmItb-IbWsLZB9RaRA6aDs9cX8-kf9uavMsJe0KkQds6Rt1_z8KLfaD0QRoAwzqCONnCQg4Ep2Kd9mQjMZL0dvLb8rxhO88MnLP2JtkpT_NHrJVnqx-ClUrbIGxY3Ko6sJyoxWWRjfKV1thmp2mqsmKpnHaVGYjjcx1_yJT862BWEsNGb_uHKbA/s668/noteasy07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTxoAXmItb-IbWsLZB9RaRA6aDs9cX8-kf9uavMsJe0KkQds6Rt1_z8KLfaD0QRoAwzqCONnCQg4Ep2Kd9mQjMZL0dvLb8rxhO88MnLP2JtkpT_NHrJVnqx-ClUrbIGxY3Ko6sJyoxWWRjfKV1thmp2mqsmKpnHaVGYjjcx1_yJT862BWEsNGb_uHKbA/w400-h400/noteasy07.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><b>52...Kd4 53.Bxf3 Kc3 54.Ke3 Kb2 55.Kxd3 Kxa3 56.Kc3 </b><br /><br />Here my opponent thought for a full minute. I suspect it is now dawning upon him that the game is lost. <br /><br /><b>56...a5 57.bxa5 b4+ 58.Kd2 b3 59.a6 </b><br /><br />White won by resignation <b>1-0</b><br /><br />Both my opponent and I have some things that we can learn from how we played this ending.</div>James Stripeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437334325501974461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57726894266049739.post-80511621490666681502023-12-12T06:02:00.000-08:002023-12-12T06:02:10.786-08:00Learning from BooksFrequently, I repeat stories of how chess skill first became something possessed in small measure and hoped to develop further. At the heart of the story are several books for which the authors and titles have been forgotten and one that I can identify. That one is Irving Chernev, <i>The 1000 Best Short Games of Chess</i> (1955). Playing through some of the games in this book in 1975 transformed my play. The book came back into my possession in 2012, now usually serving as a source of lessons for young students.<div><br /></div><div>Over the past year (since September 2022), I have been working through this book deliberately and systematically, going through every game. Some games hold my interest a few minutes. Others sustain it an hour or more. Most days, I go through two or three games, often posting a position from one of the games on this blog’s Facebook page. I expect to go through the last ten games this week.<div><br /></div><div>Last Tuesday, I posted a position from a blitz game that I won in seven moves. The winning idea was identical to that in Gibaud — Lazard, Paris 1924, the first game in Chernev’s classic. It was the second time I had employed this idea in online play.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Black to move</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAhvh7q2tFy4f4KSWoogRmspqHQoeadKrIUdQDs-vgiOMqDHSNl6jce3NdkJ3IOmqjVx93YV64wzB9t4A1zhCn9_6EeKAhj21Okq2vsn9kHy-Oo8wFyYAN_3yfLmtY9V-4LtQGo6hh1Y_RAIPhPSBY9xXXwusH0TXv4ISku-OLOYi2KG7vHM7I1Diykg/s1545/IMG_2637.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1535" data-original-width="1545" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAhvh7q2tFy4f4KSWoogRmspqHQoeadKrIUdQDs-vgiOMqDHSNl6jce3NdkJ3IOmqjVx93YV64wzB9t4A1zhCn9_6EeKAhj21Okq2vsn9kHy-Oo8wFyYAN_3yfLmtY9V-4LtQGo6hh1Y_RAIPhPSBY9xXXwusH0TXv4ISku-OLOYi2KG7vHM7I1Diykg/w400-h398/IMG_2637.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>Two weeks ago, Mattison — Nimzowitsch, Carlsbad 1929 (game 933 in Chernev) made such an impression on me that I pulled from my bookcase a book purchased last summer and started to read it. I bought Raymond Keene, <i>Aron Nimzowitsch: A Reappraisal</i> (1974) because it had been often recommended by IM John Donaldson, among others, and had not yet appeared on my shelf. In fact, I bought two copies: the original and Batsford’s algebraic edition (1999). </div><div><br /></div><div>Saturday morning, I played one game online before heading to a youth chess tournament for which I served as the tournament director. While the children played, I showed my game to FM Jim Maki, who runs the analysis table at our youth events. Keene’s book guided some of the decisions I made during the game.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">White to move</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg838xHdc-pUKMSBCNZOkRwbJDQvg7dkboSoUWRmRyb51O2jEoYcIAAp9nhZMsHOj0Se5SpQFEZ7z3tuhYDZt82V6CNnVKc1svIP-1A6R6jyF22Qwhnyshy9b2GXp4GDHe-VsIBcPepZrnRR2sozv-ZfG-22M2inF-dRvc24tBIBom3QqX_ra6jLZtD6A/s1547/IMG_2650.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1539" data-original-width="1547" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg838xHdc-pUKMSBCNZOkRwbJDQvg7dkboSoUWRmRyb51O2jEoYcIAAp9nhZMsHOj0Se5SpQFEZ7z3tuhYDZt82V6CNnVKc1svIP-1A6R6jyF22Qwhnyshy9b2GXp4GDHe-VsIBcPepZrnRR2sozv-ZfG-22M2inF-dRvc24tBIBom3QqX_ra6jLZtD6A/w400-h398/IMG_2650.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>In the endless battle between bishops and knights, this position struck me as one that favored knights. Also, I was cognizant of Keene’s words.<div><blockquote>…superlative demonstration of good knight against bad bishop, … The bishops, locked behind the pawns, are never given a chance. (7)</blockquote></div><div>And thirty pages later, these foci in Nimzowitsch’s play are made more explicit, Keene making the point that he had a clear preference for the knight over the bishop.</div><div><blockquote>Ideally the rounded chess master should not harbour an idiosyncratic affection for one or other of the two minor pieces. However, Nimzowitsch did, and it is quite obvious from his games that he had a penchant for closed positions where he could exploit to the utmost the blockading potential of the knight.</blockquote></div><div>Keene then presents a fantasy position that Nimzowitsch presents in <i>Die Blockade</i>, which “gives away his preference for the knight” (37).</div><div><br /></div><div>Of course, there are other reasons learned from other books that might have led me to exchange bishop for knight. Many chess writers have emphasized the concept of time, for instance. I particularly recall studying this idea in <i>Lasker’s Manual of Chess</i> and Dan Heisman, <i>Elements of Positional Evaluation</i>. But, Keene’s work on Nimzowitsch was actively in my thoughts while playing.</div><div><br /></div><div>Later in this same game, as I retreated a knight to maintain control of the central square it occupied, I recalled words of R. N. Cole, <i>Dynamic Chess</i> in reference to the play of William Steinitz. But these words were on my mind because Keene quotes them in discussion of the influences on Nimzowitsch. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">White to move</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKWDoy42lo3mt3V8ASpfEYYVvcVOTXsy_TDGvOLDfNnRpmgtcwUc-opHZK7lm36ii23hlq7nzTj-YjuXvFHgNiqc5iVDaxRGOF5QjSL-lhRUWCCmd-GK0mUP22Sl7fWRNZrlPqU1xmzs-j3hNZmpNdo0T3p7T4AEZZJU6mnIx7P_UniQRDUcRbkSSsoQ/s1537/IMG_2651.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1535" data-original-width="1537" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKWDoy42lo3mt3V8ASpfEYYVvcVOTXsy_TDGvOLDfNnRpmgtcwUc-opHZK7lm36ii23hlq7nzTj-YjuXvFHgNiqc5iVDaxRGOF5QjSL-lhRUWCCmd-GK0mUP22Sl7fWRNZrlPqU1xmzs-j3hNZmpNdo0T3p7T4AEZZJU6mnIx7P_UniQRDUcRbkSSsoQ/w400-h400/IMG_2651.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>31.Nef3, which I played, is consistent with these ideas Keene credits to Steinitz and Nimzowitsch. Nonetheless, the engine on chessdotcom prefers that I would have transferred my rook to the b-file, and now sees an opportunity for Black to bring the nearly worthless light-squared bishop back into a position where it has some value.</div><div><br /></div><div>I was concerned that allowing Bxe5 would place a potentially vulnerable pawn on a strong point best utilized and controlled by my knights.<br /><div><br /><div><br /></div></div></div>James Stripeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437334325501974461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57726894266049739.post-65154152767106787432023-11-10T09:30:00.002-08:002023-11-10T09:30:34.772-08:00The Week's LessonsMy own failures often become lessons for my students. Tuesday morning I had a winning position in what should have been a drawn ending, misplayed it, and managed to win on the clock after my opponent recovered from his error. I had briefly studied rook and bishop vs. rook ten years ago after watching Levon Aronian and Fabiano Caruana play out a drawn ending for 37 moves in the Tata Steel tournament in Wijk aan Zee (see "<a href="http://chessskill.blogspot.com/2013/01/tata-steel-chess-final-round.html">Tata Steel Chess, Final Round</a>" and "<a href="http://chessskill.blogspot.com/2013/02/rook-and-bishop-versus-rook.html">Rook and Bishop versus Rook</a>").<br /><br />I had this position from which I created a problem for my opponent.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">White to move</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg34F5UaPWvHHgcn2ZWLr7AJ4267l5VbN7zYc68TxI-sMe18R9AYgl5o2m5Lxy0VuLLQeFjt78UkiVV0ZOdEPrfuEYz2mLbk4_THA-KQgAZHUKbpPGmi3u0G_xUvxcDoXjh42R7Q3tV6iJOQPzwMVkRDjDZwzVVSHRyUWwzCThDwGBnQJvZwPxP2eEvmA/s668/week01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg34F5UaPWvHHgcn2ZWLr7AJ4267l5VbN7zYc68TxI-sMe18R9AYgl5o2m5Lxy0VuLLQeFjt78UkiVV0ZOdEPrfuEYz2mLbk4_THA-KQgAZHUKbpPGmi3u0G_xUvxcDoXjh42R7Q3tV6iJOQPzwMVkRDjDZwzVVSHRyUWwzCThDwGBnQJvZwPxP2eEvmA/w400-h400/week01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b>70.Ke5 Rd2 71.Ra7+</b><br /><br />Driving the king to the back rank is White's only chance to create a winning advantage.<br /><br /><b>71...Kf8</b><br /><br />Black finds the only square for the king.<br /><br /><b>72.Bf5</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Black to move</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgov5mdpaUAhFjLeQuMwSAIZgC0KWbp-tInZHH2EpcqG6iMKh3-nZ_A3s3rCFBGRQTfdMcD0GcdlO8N3oNepfLMUT7LQWDoFf25yChOQ_6QI456twZQMcpcgltJIJHyZ9N5fr-hMztNClZoi1W5_xnPQtYwpDGeAaEmrZcw1M8OqNw7TkRLo0fMn7cjvA/s668/week02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgov5mdpaUAhFjLeQuMwSAIZgC0KWbp-tInZHH2EpcqG6iMKh3-nZ_A3s3rCFBGRQTfdMcD0GcdlO8N3oNepfLMUT7LQWDoFf25yChOQ_6QI456twZQMcpcgltJIJHyZ9N5fr-hMztNClZoi1W5_xnPQtYwpDGeAaEmrZcw1M8OqNw7TkRLo0fMn7cjvA/w400-h400/week02.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b>72...Re2+??</b><br /><br />Black must play 72...Ke8<br /><br /><b>73.Kf6 Re3</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">White to move</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkOKXZ5MwrOB72ce4BdlQnHiTAKPhbu2KoNvVJC4WJ2-jdDeDUNllNlaHQQYEtidGGsgaR0fd2R_a9OTckCf_YXTWbqHW8Bhg_lmBoskXmyW-GfgHbR42xS-rciEK_BLdtqTauRIrnxph_xLMeC5_v9H7FweajNQEZH82IltKnHp9UWpajnIxuJg4GWw/s668/week03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkOKXZ5MwrOB72ce4BdlQnHiTAKPhbu2KoNvVJC4WJ2-jdDeDUNllNlaHQQYEtidGGsgaR0fd2R_a9OTckCf_YXTWbqHW8Bhg_lmBoskXmyW-GfgHbR42xS-rciEK_BLdtqTauRIrnxph_xLMeC5_v9H7FweajNQEZH82IltKnHp9UWpajnIxuJg4GWw/w400-h400/week03.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Several of my students saw this position and were given a chance to win from the White side. I failed to find the winning plan and my students mostly played it the way I did with the same result. Then, I showed them how I and they could have played.<br /><br /><b>74.Rf7+</b><br /><br />This move does not spoil the win, but nor is it the correct idea.<br /><br />White wins quickly with 74.Rh7 Kg8 75.Rh1<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Black to move</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1iTE-66zNNgQ3KKtLAxN4z256aWVDrZ5VuLLydMUgUlF7U79TCCaP1zZ9ASPFKaipqm16u5zUseZt3HVYaIfwjbXSE_dEsGyQtHmdRcHN6ubagbjBcZSusEMDOB6WehozGf7mTVKFEdm5jCzdLldcNek8Gl6pvhv_0fXLkWvpQAVm42bd2X5qA5b2WQ/s668/week04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1iTE-66zNNgQ3KKtLAxN4z256aWVDrZ5VuLLydMUgUlF7U79TCCaP1zZ9ASPFKaipqm16u5zUseZt3HVYaIfwjbXSE_dEsGyQtHmdRcHN6ubagbjBcZSusEMDOB6WehozGf7mTVKFEdm5jCzdLldcNek8Gl6pvhv_0fXLkWvpQAVm42bd2X5qA5b2WQ/s320/week04.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Analysis diagram</td></tr></tbody></table>Black is in zugzwang.<br /><br />a) 75...Rf3 76.Rd1 renews the mate threat and Black can delay longest by exchanging rook for bishop.<br />b) 75...Re2 allows Be6+ and exchanging rook for bishop is the only move to prevent immediate checkmate.<br /><br /><b>74...Ke8</b><br /><br />74...Kg8 is no better.<br /><br />Now, White forces a return to a position with a second opportunity to play it correctly.<br /><br /><b>75.Rh7</b><br /><br />75.Ra7 is slower. 75.Rc7 is best, as it threatens checkmate.<br /><br /><b>75...Kd8</b><br /><br />Black plays the most stubborn defense.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">White to move</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK8rUG2beJo1vjeb7jc7tQHy3SBe0QSIeuV5cBXqp_hSuTJXF0MCBp7-lWt81HLzT1wdWr0GWJzTs4I3sbA7PXNVXsOeCAMfwmRIvh3an2I6GEoQTu8LjjOFM3z8U-jYSApVMgD7FeYaSNmzez7PQxuu830nUn62ZIqRNVh11hJdGMrb_NVX9KxHoPZQ/s668/week05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK8rUG2beJo1vjeb7jc7tQHy3SBe0QSIeuV5cBXqp_hSuTJXF0MCBp7-lWt81HLzT1wdWr0GWJzTs4I3sbA7PXNVXsOeCAMfwmRIvh3an2I6GEoQTu8LjjOFM3z8U-jYSApVMgD7FeYaSNmzez7PQxuu830nUn62ZIqRNVh11hJdGMrb_NVX9KxHoPZQ/w400-h400/week05.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b>76.Rh8+??</b><br /><br />Of course I knew, or should have known that driving the king off the back rank returns the game to a technical draw. I spent 13 seconds on this error.<br /><br />76.Rd7+ was best, driving the king back towards mine. 76...Ke8 (76...Kc8 allows a discovery that picks up a rook) 77.Rc7 Kf8 and White can win with 78.Rh7 as above.<br /><div><br />Lessons are tailored to the student's skill level.<br /><br />Other advanced students were presented with a sequence of tactical positions to solve from classic games that every chess player should know. Working from a series of books that present 300 critical positions (Rashid Ziyatdinov, <i>GM-RAM: Essential Grandmaster Knowledge</i> [2000], and a trilogy by Thomas Engqvist, <i>300 Most Important Chess Positions </i>[2018], <i>300 Most Important Tactical Chess Positions</i> [2020], and <i>300 Most Important Chess Exercises</i> [2022]), I am assembling <a href="https://lichess.org/study/BtFQIL0Z">study positions</a> for my students. The link to a Lichess study is public.<br /><br />Beginning students worked on checkmates in one and saw two short games: my worst OTB tournament loss and a recent online win with the same idea.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">White to move</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWbXgVpnFkgqfh0ZTUG2Gs3oI0vHAmiawjlGLCus5ZdOGMtDh1iJt8LlDfotanTqltYyM127m7UewkZnSKHXhGaAaBw10yYlQG69bSvAJMv-OZCyAW_mdk-B-LwF1fwM7-4G3UALyN3-BlaDFiE6wOEddvEsH6PLSbLm6b3EqZ_YldDCkDcD5BExyUHA/s668/week06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWbXgVpnFkgqfh0ZTUG2Gs3oI0vHAmiawjlGLCus5ZdOGMtDh1iJt8LlDfotanTqltYyM127m7UewkZnSKHXhGaAaBw10yYlQG69bSvAJMv-OZCyAW_mdk-B-LwF1fwM7-4G3UALyN3-BlaDFiE6wOEddvEsH6PLSbLm6b3EqZ_YldDCkDcD5BExyUHA/w400-h400/week06.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>8.Bxf7+ deflects the king from defense of the queen (also see "<a href="http://chessskill.blogspot.com/2023/10/attraction.html">Attraction</a>").<br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div>James Stripeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437334325501974461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57726894266049739.post-3638085666492016232023-11-03T08:45:00.001-07:002023-11-03T08:53:59.162-07:00Attack the KingThe importance of Irving Chernev, <i>The 1000 Best Short Games of Chess</i> (1955) to me personal development as a chess player was articulated in “<a href="http://chessskill.blogspot.com/2012/03/my-first-chess-book.html">My First Chess Book</a>”. But, I read very little of the book when I had that library copy nearly fifty years ago. In the past few years, the book has served as a source for student lessons on many occasions. Finally, however, in September 2022, I resolved to play through every game in the book. Progress is slow, deliberate, attentive.<div><br /><div>There are many fine games with creative attacking ideas, and there are many games where an unfortunate blunder led to immediate collapse. As I work through this book, many positions make it to <i>Chess Skills’</i> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Chessskill/">Facebook page</a>, and from there to other chess pages on Facebook.</div><div>This morning’s games included number 853, Taubenhaus — NN, Paris 1909, which concluded with an instructive forced checkmate in five moves.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">White to move</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggLmx3u4i4qxasW4J2AXqhVx8ScWLr_BUGTMFBV2f-AN__nscSNNV9SN0R2gAWsaS3XD0133oLONgVV6fccChNl5OsEmn84ZdT3r5U2W9tFAV0UHD-MBF97QU9l0RrwW234IKk0cY3jFTCbYJnMWvQkSNbLvkhfbY0KbOKWwdOIBiuiQnn-ajescuvcw/s1640/IMG_2589.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1637" data-original-width="1640" height="399" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggLmx3u4i4qxasW4J2AXqhVx8ScWLr_BUGTMFBV2f-AN__nscSNNV9SN0R2gAWsaS3XD0133oLONgVV6fccChNl5OsEmn84ZdT3r5U2W9tFAV0UHD-MBF97QU9l0RrwW234IKk0cY3jFTCbYJnMWvQkSNbLvkhfbY0KbOKWwdOIBiuiQnn-ajescuvcw/w400-h399/IMG_2589.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>Yesterday, I posted a mate in eight from Jambert — Tibi, Aleppo 1946. Game 848 in the book.<div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">White to move</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXHqdkQ4WGhqWoV8_KNTGxne-2eRuIWCN_0-hEqqHhhNU_iZ73vAE17tpUMg1J0aOkN0zXHyE7xCjNEqAIEyfCgMsWvzv2SY1lRJsCPEzCczS9ZHuFbWnEK1l1jwvC4L3JFq9sdrqP-4ncmxhLfB8rkyoZIJGDK44Kg28BrdLy7fkdizwCaDfczg7tgQ/s1640/IMG_2588.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1640" data-original-width="1640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXHqdkQ4WGhqWoV8_KNTGxne-2eRuIWCN_0-hEqqHhhNU_iZ73vAE17tpUMg1J0aOkN0zXHyE7xCjNEqAIEyfCgMsWvzv2SY1lRJsCPEzCczS9ZHuFbWnEK1l1jwvC4L3JFq9sdrqP-4ncmxhLfB8rkyoZIJGDK44Kg28BrdLy7fkdizwCaDfczg7tgQ/w400-h400/IMG_2588.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>In both cases, Black’s defense was inadequate prior to the mating sequence. Tibi, in fact, had the advantage when White’s knight came to e7 with check. Moving the king was the fatal error.</div><div>Chernev’s book is worthy of study by chess players looking to improve their game, and it is good fun for those with no ambitions. It is a rich source of tactics and checkmate exercises for players at many levels.</div><div><div><div><br /><div><br /></div></div></div></div>James Stripeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437334325501974461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57726894266049739.post-91577487636453063512023-10-25T05:00:00.071-07:002023-10-25T06:54:49.031-07:00A Game of SkillChess is a game of skill. In contrast to games with cards or dice, chess players win because they demonstrated greater skill than their opponent. Random chance does not affect the game. Skill can be developed through practice. One of the first skills a young player needs is recognizing checkmate. Learn how to create it and how to avoid it.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">White to move</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaelQmeYXNtDrNix4AnSNlugr0mlcTiYo5926lpRuP42SHY6yfKHimjU-KEmFC3fwmrf3vJtwIrYDF1XRnYPPWEtZ3O0mEkrMTgt9_49w-FYtltGY1KzowfwiUteaClsQoTHHvShrp-gxHUte4VUtMiOTkystfJ_jSRg2KMfPyfoA1vT50K5p04lk6Gg/s668/skill01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaelQmeYXNtDrNix4AnSNlugr0mlcTiYo5926lpRuP42SHY6yfKHimjU-KEmFC3fwmrf3vJtwIrYDF1XRnYPPWEtZ3O0mEkrMTgt9_49w-FYtltGY1KzowfwiUteaClsQoTHHvShrp-gxHUte4VUtMiOTkystfJ_jSRg2KMfPyfoA1vT50K5p04lk6Gg/w400-h400/skill01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>White's king is attacked by the knight--it is in check. The rules require that White move out of check. As nothing can capture the knight, the king must move. There are three squares where the king may move.<br /><br />In a game that I played this morning, my opponent chose the wrong move. It let me force checkmate in two moves. Where did White move? What was Black's response?<br /><br />This position was presented to my Tuesday afternoon chess club for students in grades K-2. After discussing the position, they were paired and played what may be the first round of a club tournament. As games ended, they were given worksheets with some checkmate in one exercises.<div><br /></div><div>Some of the students found the first worksheet difficult and needed help, as some only just started learning chess at the beginning of this month. They worked in groups. Some students finished three worksheets with six problems each. These worksheets are part of 48 checkmates in one that I assembled from real games several years ago. They are available as a PDF. Use the contact form on the right if interested.</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Additional Resources</h3><div>Solving many checkmate exercises in one, two, and more moves is highly recommended. A beginner who solves hundreds of mates in one will improve quickly.</div><div>Chess King’s iOS app, “<a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mate-in-1-move-chess-puzzles/id1120115215">Mate in One</a>”, is probably the single best resource for those using iPhones and iPads. I believe there are also Android versions. It contains 2434 exercises that are well-selected. The app tracks progress and offers chances to retry missed problems. I raced through all 2434 problems in January while testing resources for my students. </div><div>Chess King also has a Mate in Two app, and several other apps with checkmate exercises. All of these offer a small selection with the free download. If you want the full set, it requires an in-app purchase. The most I’ve paid for the full version of one of their apps is $8.</div><div>Searching Lichess studies for “<a href="https://lichess.org/study/search?q=mate+in+one">mate in one</a>” turns up more than I will count. Because any member can create a study, these will vary in quantity. I created this one from some games played in youth tournaments: “<a href="https://lichess.org/study/h3xOEWEO">Mate in One</a>”. It has 50 exercises. These are completely free.</div><div><div><br /></div></div>James Stripeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437334325501974461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57726894266049739.post-38971541905430826742023-10-24T07:54:00.000-07:002023-10-24T07:54:10.471-07:00“Incredible precision”Although “coach” on chessdotcom states that we played with “incredible precision” in the endgame, I threw away a drawn position with only three seconds of thought when seven minutes were left on the clock. Using one second, my opponent returned the favor. After 48…g2, we reached a position substantially the same as that which I analyzed in “<a href="http://chessskill.blogspot.com/2021/12/knowledge.html">Knowledge</a>” (December 2021).<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh85ZxQJyVInV8eM3wHJBUDvQCdkhDkKs66AZe9qW6Z-7xMd-BqPximf_WigJShz9Njaeag6_2aoyQmtx58EroW0XBqDxTK__6QR0S_jRd7nul0LHCi13vkc-hKM6efCSiwAmYjdpH_d1bXHXJOZIc1lQCplkrkbFGNOn-7SaVrCyT1cdgcFrO99K24lA/s1198/IMG_2582.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1192" data-original-width="1198" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh85ZxQJyVInV8eM3wHJBUDvQCdkhDkKs66AZe9qW6Z-7xMd-BqPximf_WigJShz9Njaeag6_2aoyQmtx58EroW0XBqDxTK__6QR0S_jRd7nul0LHCi13vkc-hKM6efCSiwAmYjdpH_d1bXHXJOZIc1lQCplkrkbFGNOn-7SaVrCyT1cdgcFrO99K24lA/w400-h398/IMG_2582.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div>My own 48.c4 gave my opponent an opportunity, also analyzed in that post two years ago. In this case, however, the presence of additional pawns on the board could render Black’s winning chances less clear. Nonetheless, my attention to the nuances of the position should have been rooted in knowledge. Until Black pushes the g-pawn one square further, I was better off shuffling my king between a2 and b3.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">White to move</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLM2NWcrGGNilSYVZowpaBA6P2SDR6P61mZJGq05PDZZ-sVnHkNiXKvLv3MLFhoBmUf1s6y18ME978k8Agn3KiXQmmqmhZBVTXzlPfczbT3iNU3qWD_liiSc19xoBSkxIKzgS6Klb7e9fsowO7rfdJWa0kTuGKCLSfMYpzXi5PY9Pl_1jAHAWzlhgxSQ/s1193/IMG_2583.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1193" data-original-width="1186" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLM2NWcrGGNilSYVZowpaBA6P2SDR6P61mZJGq05PDZZ-sVnHkNiXKvLv3MLFhoBmUf1s6y18ME978k8Agn3KiXQmmqmhZBVTXzlPfczbT3iNU3qWD_liiSc19xoBSkxIKzgS6Klb7e9fsowO7rfdJWa0kTuGKCLSfMYpzXi5PY9Pl_1jAHAWzlhgxSQ/w398-h400/IMG_2583.jpeg" width="398" /></a></div>The reader is referred to the earlier post linked above for analysis of this ending. <br /><div><br /></div>James Stripeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437334325501974461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57726894266049739.post-13589114882444031052023-10-18T06:53:00.002-07:002023-10-18T12:08:26.096-07:00AttractionDecoys and deflections differ but share the idea of drawing an opponent’s piece where it would rather not go. Sometimes neither term fully articulates the manner in which the enemy king is drawn into a fatal trap. Two games I looked at this morning from Irving Chernev, <i>The 1000 Best Short Games of Chess</i> (1955) are worth remembering. Black’s king is drawn towards White’s forces until surrounded with no possibility of escape.<br /><br />Since September 2022, I have been slowly working my way through this book. Some days, two or three games add flavor to my morning coffee. Other days, I read <i>The Wall Street Journal</i>.<br /><br />About Mackenzie — Mason, Paris 1878, Chernev writes, “this queen sacrifice and the subsequent play of the minor pieces is now standard equipment for the master” (444).<div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">White to move</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq8STMjmucO3Tkeq9O2W4lRmCSSTMiRyMqzkvosNmq0DTVpQ8q9bWuGGHWIqiiN1-gYg0-FFyXRCsXJe-ujoTsjAiZ9gf_oDMTXgjHfJiDEk1Eoxh6dAA-ubRX4o_9_KiRiJd1zKbXi1CVBNz6ME5mVXR8Xi6IE_XfRqgQhwQH0dKa-_mQ0-ARH7epEA/s1640/IMG_2577.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1640" data-original-width="1640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq8STMjmucO3Tkeq9O2W4lRmCSSTMiRyMqzkvosNmq0DTVpQ8q9bWuGGHWIqiiN1-gYg0-FFyXRCsXJe-ujoTsjAiZ9gf_oDMTXgjHfJiDEk1Eoxh6dAA-ubRX4o_9_KiRiJd1zKbXi1CVBNz6ME5mVXR8Xi6IE_XfRqgQhwQH0dKa-_mQ0-ARH7epEA/w400-h400/IMG_2577.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>Three moves prior to this position, White played 14.Raf1. I had thought until that moment that controlling the e-file with a rook was part of the planned mating net.<br /><br />Prior to this game was Imbaud — Strumilo, a 1922 correspondence game. How much of White’s idea can you work out from this position?</div></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">White to move</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxZ_SpXBqu8Y70ytOHFEu5no72URo9gEM5bPck81haFHSzyviQeaX6LNsqD2FVSUM6WBdQ6PtRSuHH_-N-_A17qqaVn29Yg7OnCorgvr2GkKm2G00bCFniEgIuhG7CAZ4Su0GLz6FwIrR7NoIQ-bH-jqgbXlxUsCroBfcLA0rktxbUIsbDQdbGzWbBjA/s1648/IMG_2578.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1648" data-original-width="1640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxZ_SpXBqu8Y70ytOHFEu5no72URo9gEM5bPck81haFHSzyviQeaX6LNsqD2FVSUM6WBdQ6PtRSuHH_-N-_A17qqaVn29Yg7OnCorgvr2GkKm2G00bCFniEgIuhG7CAZ4Su0GLz6FwIrR7NoIQ-bH-jqgbXlxUsCroBfcLA0rktxbUIsbDQdbGzWbBjA/w398-h400/IMG_2578.jpeg" width="398" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>James Stripeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437334325501974461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57726894266049739.post-49412476245293784412023-10-02T15:29:00.002-07:002023-10-02T15:29:51.812-07:00Slipping AwayThe round four battle with Nikolay Bulakh was my most interesting game in the 2023 Eastern Washington Open. He surprised me with 1.c4! and we both made unusual moves that had us out of book by move five. After Nikolay chose to keep his king in the middle, my confidence in the strength of my position soared. After a sequence of parried threats that had us repeating a couple of positions, Nikolay offered a draw.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Black to move</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ31A6c2kDGlAkTVYPEJpcKaIXKbFtPi70878cZ4kxz3KC5Dqqyp1MOvVryMoU_WPelb2v-vqazYSkbZxm9oJGQXSNroEuJNQh5AjGzpty_kJLWIQF4X7cWX_j0Ph0UCFIXSwBovfZOKpeiZS-8Q9OdLcn8nZBdXJw6vumg2XgrlgA_KdZLUVUxyoVZg/s668/Slipping01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ31A6c2kDGlAkTVYPEJpcKaIXKbFtPi70878cZ4kxz3KC5Dqqyp1MOvVryMoU_WPelb2v-vqazYSkbZxm9oJGQXSNroEuJNQh5AjGzpty_kJLWIQF4X7cWX_j0Ph0UCFIXSwBovfZOKpeiZS-8Q9OdLcn8nZBdXJw6vumg2XgrlgA_KdZLUVUxyoVZg/w400-h400/Slipping01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>My response to the draw offer was to push a pawn.<br /><br /><b>27...a5</b><br /><br />My silicon friend suggests that 27...Ne7, threatening f6-f5, offered prospects of an advantage. I doubt either of us would have found the engine's line: 28.h3 Bxh3 29.Bxh7+ Kf8 30.Rf2 with a slight advantage for Black.<br /><br /><b>28.Ng2</b><br /><br />28.Bxd5 was possible 28...Bxd5 and several lines that White can choose keep the balance.<br /><br /><b>28...Nb4+</b><br /><br />I continue with the idea I was pursuing before the draw offer, now with the a-pawn on a5 instead of a7.<br /><br />I recall glancing at 28...a4, which deserved deeper calculation.<br /><br /><b>29.Kd2 Rd8 30.Nf4 f5</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">White to move</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFj42tsbMmzooMlnQMaz66iN_I1NQG1s13LjWm2D150OPO9xMfTCd4SX0PuM7PZSRT8cc0ANyVY1tA_U0paGv2HpSROPhtW-HlFRSe4xUI2DEAcpdbJUUDpjie73AG6riudtr7zQ0BDCAuSxx2Ft2Eb_rMgK8xJujeDH7QOp2LNGJS7CnfeluWZbtKFQ/s668/Slipping02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFj42tsbMmzooMlnQMaz66iN_I1NQG1s13LjWm2D150OPO9xMfTCd4SX0PuM7PZSRT8cc0ANyVY1tA_U0paGv2HpSROPhtW-HlFRSe4xUI2DEAcpdbJUUDpjie73AG6riudtr7zQ0BDCAuSxx2Ft2Eb_rMgK8xJujeDH7QOp2LNGJS7CnfeluWZbtKFQ/w400-h400/Slipping02.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b>31.Bf3 Bh6</b><br /><br />By attacking both knights, I threaten to win the d-pawn, but White's defensive resources are sufficient.<br /><br /><b>32.Be2 Rdb8 </b><br /><br />I keep shifting targets, but cannot generate any tactics that Nikolay does not parry.<br /><br /><b>33.Rfc1</b><br /><br />"A strong move", Nikolay said during our postgame analysis during lunch. I concurred.<br /><br /><b>33...Nc6 34.Nd6</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Black to move</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivz2S_a3kKA01mxzIjfr377SVqxp5bXkmjewVFurB0eaZcBnmu03S3J45GYHPLu89Ioc-QaVexs7lGSn4_jUf_Z0k7tNg04nzAdz8cLnQRmKhRsAqmmBcSYQ0KUMO6AsD9S-ZTmm3OnxvH6EeXciXhkRuem5IL0p7U_EC2SGyiI43dJ4mvazccM8_Z8g/s668/Slipping03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivz2S_a3kKA01mxzIjfr377SVqxp5bXkmjewVFurB0eaZcBnmu03S3J45GYHPLu89Ioc-QaVexs7lGSn4_jUf_Z0k7tNg04nzAdz8cLnQRmKhRsAqmmBcSYQ0KUMO6AsD9S-ZTmm3OnxvH6EeXciXhkRuem5IL0p7U_EC2SGyiI43dJ4mvazccM8_Z8g/w400-h400/Slipping03.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b>34...Rxb3</b><br /><br />I had been trying to win this pawn since I opted to defer taking it with my bishop on move 15. After the game, I decided that this move was the critical mistake, suggesting to Nikolay that I should have played 34...Rfb6. Stockfish agrees my suggestion is better, but not decisively so. "Am I in trouble here," Nikolay asked. Our lunch break was coming to an end as round five would be starting in about ten minutes. We analyzed a couple of lines quickly.<br /><br />35.Rxc5 Bf8 is better for Black. However, 35.Nxe6 fxe6 36.Nc4 maintains equality. I don't recall whether we looked at this line.<br /><br /><b>35.Rxb3 Rxb3 36.Rxc5</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Black to move</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbKvyyBNKq3OU5PjaYg0zEDtgJarPVFOcJnbzcARRBXBSaBNXyZ5ngUsHS0niqWEMNahV0JoSk5MoWm8rqfBc7SIOPQ3vvada3x4o67PZ7fjByX1peZaFgvdKzlIqJ9eDHukvTuUU0gT_w-toC-BcWohYvtYI9VP7VaoO3RJ0s5q8OkwI23No-oRhYSA/s668/Slipping04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbKvyyBNKq3OU5PjaYg0zEDtgJarPVFOcJnbzcARRBXBSaBNXyZ5ngUsHS0niqWEMNahV0JoSk5MoWm8rqfBc7SIOPQ3vvada3x4o67PZ7fjByX1peZaFgvdKzlIqJ9eDHukvTuUU0gT_w-toC-BcWohYvtYI9VP7VaoO3RJ0s5q8OkwI23No-oRhYSA/w400-h400/Slipping04.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b>36.Ne7?</b><br /><div><br /><div>It would have been wise to play 36...Rb2+ 37.Kc3 Rb3+ when White has nothing better than letting Black repeat the position. Blocking the check on the second rank with the rook keeps Black's outside passed pawn and a knight vs. bishop ending that should be drawn. We would have played it out, of course.<br /><br /><b>37.Rxa5</b><br /><br />Now, White has an advantage. Any chances that I thought I had slipped away. I played another 14 moves as my position grew worse and worse. Then, I resigned and we went to lunch with 50 minutes before round five would begin.<br /><br />In the last round, Nikolay drew the tournament's top seed on board two, finishing in a tie for second place. I won my round five game quickly (see "<a href="http://chessskill.blogspot.com/2023/10/checkmate-exercises.html">Checkmate Exercises</a>"), then enjoyed watching the battles on boards two and three.<br /><br /><br /><div><br /><div><br /></div></div></div></div>James Stripeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437334325501974461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57726894266049739.post-76326054031916097902023-10-01T19:31:00.000-07:002023-10-01T19:31:12.028-07:00Checkmate ExercisesAfter losing a tense and interesting struggle in round four, my fifth round opponent in the Eastern Washington Open perceived an attack where none existed and lost a piece. Soon, my pieces were aiming at his king.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">White to move</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe9rbfc-fNN80zCEU7aS1TQo54q99hjQW5-zzm3CZtamOatqOMjhTV-40M7U6L3qnpWJLunL1Ts31oj5iJsmafbZjjHXzQ1jRq3Vz2MqcZRCoo-HRssVf4xvlkkpsyQ2CF_x2x1JjzOmRRHIcvy83OAv0ZLKOjtoTY_i6plOVizm19-VSawaoWQsWtug/s828/chm801.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="828" data-original-width="828" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe9rbfc-fNN80zCEU7aS1TQo54q99hjQW5-zzm3CZtamOatqOMjhTV-40M7U6L3qnpWJLunL1Ts31oj5iJsmafbZjjHXzQ1jRq3Vz2MqcZRCoo-HRssVf4xvlkkpsyQ2CF_x2x1JjzOmRRHIcvy83OAv0ZLKOjtoTY_i6plOVizm19-VSawaoWQsWtug/w400-h400/chm801.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b>18.f6</b><br /><br />I knew this move led to checkmate in a few moves.<br /><br /><b>18...g6</b><br /><br />From here I calculated the moves all the way to checkmate, but my calculation was incorrect.<br /><br />18...Qxf6 offers the most stubborn defense. 19.exf6 e5<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">White to move</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEWH3bxBmV87VwPSCn8K6v3J2ZmviXI57kqMF98yTIu2o1X54XooyS0N_mIEKYq3yAlpUrt1e-E20_6S9kkidHiBbz5KRDP-236S_IrMCSC97tB3lrsrYfn6_wQ2Y0T48NJWWszw7k_5Su7Ct9AeOqy0K_UeUrCpw-T8k16cPnOylesokbFrX_q9Y_iQ/s828/chm805.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="828" data-original-width="828" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEWH3bxBmV87VwPSCn8K6v3J2ZmviXI57kqMF98yTIu2o1X54XooyS0N_mIEKYq3yAlpUrt1e-E20_6S9kkidHiBbz5KRDP-236S_IrMCSC97tB3lrsrYfn6_wQ2Y0T48NJWWszw7k_5Su7Ct9AeOqy0K_UeUrCpw-T8k16cPnOylesokbFrX_q9Y_iQ/s320/chm805.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Analysis diagram</td></tr></tbody></table>What sequence forces checkmate in six?<div><br /><b>19.Qf4 Kh8 20.Qh6 Rg8</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">White to move</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPlQXDCTiMb6PqVdTiCxNGKFQUCbpxGE-tMb8yIKRo8xrKuEIY-UpuaGv9rrtuBj_Ax2GMWfuQ42qVtoCe0MB800nK8VjLILAp_M5P1z7lU-k2og1XLYfTri5YLcaY_Igm1Dho5x3yZrygl0-fNBu24vFEKUe6LeFFmuqZJWRq03sV-_jnCTjUX6ehjw/s828/chm803.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="828" data-original-width="828" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPlQXDCTiMb6PqVdTiCxNGKFQUCbpxGE-tMb8yIKRo8xrKuEIY-UpuaGv9rrtuBj_Ax2GMWfuQ42qVtoCe0MB800nK8VjLILAp_M5P1z7lU-k2og1XLYfTri5YLcaY_Igm1Dho5x3yZrygl0-fNBu24vFEKUe6LeFFmuqZJWRq03sV-_jnCTjUX6ehjw/w400-h400/chm803.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><b>21.Rf3?!</b><br /><br />This inaccuracy allows Black to hold out a couple of moves longer. What was the correct move?<br /><br /><b>21...Qf8</b><br /><br />Now I have a mate in three.</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">White to move</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWunS4Lvr5QB_IA19iHAXlfMbu5aqrBGOBJ07zl2uq42njeIziamVfjfv5SpIDWN3bmBATwcpST3XyeOupThnLpuPXfeog9q1RB8A3cfXlTMDWtCMoMMdT2pYMRb892-ckdvFiHaPXZlBcixjKdtxyi1h2ViAo7Yl-CnwvidnG71PbnZWO5RyvnHDMDQ/s828/chm804.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="828" data-original-width="828" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWunS4Lvr5QB_IA19iHAXlfMbu5aqrBGOBJ07zl2uq42njeIziamVfjfv5SpIDWN3bmBATwcpST3XyeOupThnLpuPXfeog9q1RB8A3cfXlTMDWtCMoMMdT2pYMRb892-ckdvFiHaPXZlBcixjKdtxyi1h2ViAo7Yl-CnwvidnG71PbnZWO5RyvnHDMDQ/w400-h400/chm804.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>What was my next move? It provoked resignation.<br /><div><br /><div>Had Black played 21...Qxf6, the move that exploits my inaccuracy, what would be my quickest mating sequence?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">White to move</div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWmlOVwYNheQ2pwyC1137Ew9Mki1OEsnH_k5s6c3tveXty_vNW9N4ysOzR_C9XP9oJkJx5iHKi0-YNuhV1cUZod0DYdZe6ImrLKAxsOeuK1OqyKrDFDnGm5Bpp5JDwD3LFMYAAzjTQF_uIh6t3E7Z-B1b4MMgfWVJJdw3FA-OAYbvy1dqsN-X9vjxwnA/s828/chm802.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="828" data-original-width="828" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWmlOVwYNheQ2pwyC1137Ew9Mki1OEsnH_k5s6c3tveXty_vNW9N4ysOzR_C9XP9oJkJx5iHKi0-YNuhV1cUZod0DYdZe6ImrLKAxsOeuK1OqyKrDFDnGm5Bpp5JDwD3LFMYAAzjTQF_uIh6t3E7Z-B1b4MMgfWVJJdw3FA-OAYbvy1dqsN-X9vjxwnA/s320/chm802.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Analysis diagram</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /><div><br /></div></div></div></div>James Stripeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437334325501974461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57726894266049739.post-77410136242623184242023-09-29T12:13:00.003-07:002023-09-29T12:13:35.177-07:00Stafford ComplicationsI blame Eric Rosen for my interest in playing the Stafford Gambit. His <a href="https://lichess.org/study/whCVdUeM">Lichess study</a> and accompanying <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nH_fiqlLp2U">YouTube video</a> gave me a ready-made tactics and opening lesson for my students in an online group class in winter 2022. It has been an occasional weapon ever since. most notably giving me three quick wins in a nine-round OTB blitz tournament in May 2022. This morning my opponent played a move that I last faced almost a year ago. That game was a learning experience.<br /><br /><b>Internet Opponent -- Stripes,J.</b><br />Chessdotcom 29.9.2023<br /><br /><b>1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 Nc6 4.Nxc6 dxc6 5.d3 Bc5</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">White to move</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieEaxWwO6tmXWqMU-I8Pgeq41fWu5dzaSZZJYaKiz2V1x6P9n-Bk2W-nzPOL-EgyShnigHItOgv6FScG_bepwLSpm7t_2Nu35A-nkTxgKL6Js3OIxKZW4qqXQyw6KtI-qOByvn73xyspOuc6cIIEyVag3irtv3byG0t4XOrqSVw2DH_v_MdbnL_qORMg/s668/Stafford01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieEaxWwO6tmXWqMU-I8Pgeq41fWu5dzaSZZJYaKiz2V1x6P9n-Bk2W-nzPOL-EgyShnigHItOgv6FScG_bepwLSpm7t_2Nu35A-nkTxgKL6Js3OIxKZW4qqXQyw6KtI-qOByvn73xyspOuc6cIIEyVag3irtv3byG0t4XOrqSVw2DH_v_MdbnL_qORMg/w400-h400/Stafford01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>From this position 6.Be2 is most common and best. I have no less than 6 identical wins after 6.Bg5?? This error is met with 6...Nxe5 when the bishop must retreat to e3. Taking the queen gives Black a mate in two.<br /><br /><b>6.c3</b><br /><br />Three prior games in my personal database have this move, all in 2022. <br /><br /><b>6...Nxe4!</b><br /><br />Previously, I played 6...b5?, managing two wins and a loss. White is objectively better after this foolishness.<br /><br /><b>7.d4</b><br /><br />7.Qe2 is better.<br />7.dxe4?? loses the queen. That's what I learned after my game in October 2022.<br /><br /><b>7...Bd6 8.Bd3 Qe7 9.O-O O-O 10.Re1?</b><br /><br />10.Nd2 is best.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Black to move</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHxMz5ZOMlwC37yOfkUNkOemxPcfm8oWFQc8fECGYSgtMvm2YJOaL9vNrLgpEy3Gu3oKUglpfVJPOrV7J0bPNwktqPydjdF_tlkI1UetwqHC54RM4uyOzitkF5uqq6ibY1ouwsgneWl7Xf10jAKaQBGRI_Gy4daMoWT8Obi1Do2AvyuQYwV0WvX5cgmg/s668/Stafford02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHxMz5ZOMlwC37yOfkUNkOemxPcfm8oWFQc8fECGYSgtMvm2YJOaL9vNrLgpEy3Gu3oKUglpfVJPOrV7J0bPNwktqPydjdF_tlkI1UetwqHC54RM4uyOzitkF5uqq6ibY1ouwsgneWl7Xf10jAKaQBGRI_Gy4daMoWT8Obi1Do2AvyuQYwV0WvX5cgmg/w400-h400/Stafford02.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The fun begins now.<br /><br /><b>10...Bxh2+!</b><br /><br />Played without hesitation. Next time, I'll try 10...Qh4 with some of the same ideas as in the game plus a wrinkle if White goes for 11.g3.<br /><br /><b>11.Kxh2??</b><br /><br />11.Kf1 is approximately equal.<br /><br /><b>11...Qh4+-+ 12.Kg1 Qxf2+ 13.Kh1</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Black to move</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH2XYQptZOMUukKEhyphenhyphenZZfRpKRhYxisoxoJ5wWkwBq4kLpRHmGE8PG7gl6Mr4D4w7mkfAEmd2ftghT5yghR6Az68Fxjt_3vlexDw0hxT5l6CmpOkBVHBRIo3rxGrgEkHi9AMQXQLV7bk_V2o1EbBDHqKckTnLmMZhvtqkASoxX81nwIWwcfIRqDqsYaEw/s668/Stafford03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH2XYQptZOMUukKEhyphenhyphenZZfRpKRhYxisoxoJ5wWkwBq4kLpRHmGE8PG7gl6Mr4D4w7mkfAEmd2ftghT5yghR6Az68Fxjt_3vlexDw0hxT5l6CmpOkBVHBRIo3rxGrgEkHi9AMQXQLV7bk_V2o1EbBDHqKckTnLmMZhvtqkASoxX81nwIWwcfIRqDqsYaEw/w400-h400/Stafford03.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b>13...Qh4+?</b><br /><br />Sometimes a combination that one has seen many times brings out routine play, oblivious to an additional resource.<br /><br />13...Bg4! was the move I should have played.<br /><br /><b>14.Kg1 Nf2?=</b><br /><br />There was still a chance to play 14...Qf2+ 15.Kh2 Qg3+ 19.Kg1 Bg4-+<br /><br /><b>15.Bxh7+! Kh8</b><br /><br />15...Kxh7 16.Qc2++-<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">White to move</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3eSAqg1qJPz_gtBeRsuMtGJ7vo3q1WNV3u9zeZjnsbDc2-3qCUUqiiMTDgMUGaohP9aYMT4FuKze8jk0Wfv41UWyWlEAUPuLRVomcHP8zaGYOkEUC1b1xcuCpFJhAiUU31VLrNnV7BLtCGnOdwftqD4v4G2n3iRtkvWjSciXwa3h25BLOmf98QMOpWg/s668/Stafford04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3eSAqg1qJPz_gtBeRsuMtGJ7vo3q1WNV3u9zeZjnsbDc2-3qCUUqiiMTDgMUGaohP9aYMT4FuKze8jk0Wfv41UWyWlEAUPuLRVomcHP8zaGYOkEUC1b1xcuCpFJhAiUU31VLrNnV7BLtCGnOdwftqD4v4G2n3iRtkvWjSciXwa3h25BLOmf98QMOpWg/w400-h400/Stafford04.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b>16.Qc2??</b><br /><br />16.Qe2 is the only move to maintain equality.<br /><br /><b>16...Ng4-+ 17.Be4</b><br /><br />I expected 17.Rd1, planning 17...Qh2+ 18.Kf1 Re8 with mate threats and a dominating position.<br /><br /><b>17...Qxe1#</b><br /><br />I missed some things. My opponent missed more.<br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><div><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div>James Stripeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437334325501974461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57726894266049739.post-41847267013611061662023-09-21T09:19:00.000-07:002023-09-21T09:19:08.103-07:00My Chess JourneyWhen I was eight years old, my sister, a year younger, returned from the neighbor's house and taught me what she had learned there. This became my first lesson in a game neither of us would understand for several years to come. Chess joined Parcheesi, Monopoly, Go Fish, Connect Four, Life, Scrabble, and many other games that we played with our siblings, neighbor children our age, and sometimes with adults.<br /><br />Seven years later, I was visiting a friend and saw a book on chess, <i>Chess in 30 Minutes</i>. The idea that someone would write a book on a game that children played was revolutionary to my thinking. Our family regularly visited the library. On the next visit, I found the chess books and borrowed a few. First step was learning to read: 1.P-K4, P-K4 2.N-KB3, P-Q3 3.B-B4, P-KN3 4.N-B3, B-N5 5.NxP BxQ?? Once these codes were deciphered with help from one of the books, reading began. There were several books, but the one that I remember most clearly was Irving Chernev, <i>The 1000 Best Short Games of Chess</i> (1955).<div><br />I played a game or two with the friend who had the chess book. We decided that we would play a match of twenty games or so. The year was 1975 and we had some sort of vague understanding of the battles then raging between Bobby Fischer and FIDE regarding his World Championship Defense against Anatoly Karpov. By the end of our match, I was much better than my friend. I’ve mentioned this story before (see “<a href="http://chessskill.blogspot.com/2012/03/my-first-chess-book.html">My First Chess Book</a>”).<br /><br />Over the next few years, I played a lot of games with a couple of friends. We played war games like Panzer Blitz, Luftwaffe, Highway to the Reich, Russian Campaign. The majority were World War II simulations. We also played Risk, of course, and we played chess. Matt Jessick liked 3D chess and always destroyed me. I preferred the classic game and increasingly favored it over other games. My sophomore year of high school, a group of students formed a chess club. I was near the top in strength. Jim Van Epps was clearly the best. He loaned me his copy of I.A. Horowitz, <i>Chess Openings: Theory and Practice</i> (1965). I studied the four pawns attack and finally beat his Pirc Defense. He introduced me to the Spokane Chess Club.<br /><br />Our school’s chess club sent letters to all the other schools in the district, resulting in matches against the other schools that have clubs. My opponent in the match against Gonzaga Prep, Patrick Kirlin, remembers our game much better than I do. We played that team match in 1977 and he told me in 1995 that I had played the Sicilian Defense. None of these events were rated. I played in one tournament at the Spokane Chess Club, also not rated. Not everyone wrote their moves. I remember feeling almost embarrassed when I beat an older man with a bank rank checkmate. He was crushing me until leaving himself vulnerable to a mate in one.<br /><br />As I was finishing high school and starting college, I played a USCF correspondence tournament. The game scores I have from this event are the oldest games in my personal database. There is a position in one of them that I use in teaching.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">White to move</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSewSRzD4yyrsicXNZYew6NuHPmHFiquUrHCDk0-Gye4s32fa-jVGR9-DDX1y5Qbnry2ZXBJpdSTHehK0Wc8Sfzuq-LtZa2saafLD1ztDBPRYp6jyOOgiJVHh5bBMjxo6v7iVphNHqpJPQZ9oW86E4FPaL061A9ubK6ufxonka0HbccmTHKsLIQMO9CQ/s668/journey01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSewSRzD4yyrsicXNZYew6NuHPmHFiquUrHCDk0-Gye4s32fa-jVGR9-DDX1y5Qbnry2ZXBJpdSTHehK0Wc8Sfzuq-LtZa2saafLD1ztDBPRYp6jyOOgiJVHh5bBMjxo6v7iVphNHqpJPQZ9oW86E4FPaL061A9ubK6ufxonka0HbccmTHKsLIQMO9CQ/w400-h400/journey01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br />In college, there was a guy on my floor who liked to play chess with me. Sometimes we would start a game in the late morning and I would end up skipping my Philosophy of Religion class at 11:00. I won most of these games. Gradually, other priorities displaced chess. Occasionally I would play through some games in a book, but none of my friends were at my level and I did not seek out a chess club.<br /><br />Interest in chess was revived almost ten years later when I bought my first computer and with it Chessmaster 2100. I was in graduate school.<br /><br />I rejoined the Spokane Chess Club in late 1995 and played in my first rated OTB event in March 1996. In October, I played my sixth event and no longer had a provisional rating. By the end of the year, my rating had risen to 1495, but it would be several years before rising over 1500 in 2002. In early 1998, my worst event ever (I lost all five games) dropped me from 1472 to 1378 and it took me three events to bring my rating back into C Class.<br /><br />In November 1996, I played in the Washington Class in Federal Way. I nearly won my section. I was on board one in round four tied with one other player, my opponent, 1/2 point ahead of the others. A win would secure at least a tie for first place. I had a winning position. I faltered, losing that game and the next, finishing the event with 3.0 and tied for 8th place.</div><div><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Black to move</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO2xc2n7fR1WsXWHx9JBc5UNflK0Pc5n4UqsOsZ4u6CE1hLqmR4B3C8liJ7wCII-LXXyrnoav_2V_WUwMnPmNqVnffMIfJZfyknrcyatwoDIbQazU6NTLrAEGQSwlHlZUO9q5QVHAEOS9VPriy18y2XU7KnnG6sVIWLwaInVw8-d1sDPr8_y1gNCl4ZQ/s668/journey02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO2xc2n7fR1WsXWHx9JBc5UNflK0Pc5n4UqsOsZ4u6CE1hLqmR4B3C8liJ7wCII-LXXyrnoav_2V_WUwMnPmNqVnffMIfJZfyknrcyatwoDIbQazU6NTLrAEGQSwlHlZUO9q5QVHAEOS9VPriy18y2XU7KnnG6sVIWLwaInVw8-d1sDPr8_y1gNCl4ZQ/w400-h400/journey02.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br />From my return to active play in the mid-1990s, active study of chess books has been a constant in my life. I also played correspondence chess (postcard, then email, and then websites like ChessWorld.net and Chess.com) continuously from 1996 through 2018, but only a few games since. Beginning in 1998, live play online also became a norm. I estimate that I have played more than 160,000 games.<br /><br />My rating remained in C Class for nearly a decade, but in the 1500s for the second half. I was getting better, gaining both knowledge and skills, but progress was slow. <a href="https://chessskill.blogspot.com/2009/01/blitz-addiction.html">Too much online blitz</a> may have held me back.<br /><br />In the summer of 2006, Curt Collyer gave me some lessons. He was my third round opponent in that terrible 0-5 event in 1998. Now in college and with a rating near 2200, he was the top player from my city and offering chess lessons during his summer break. In fall 2006 after this work with Curt, I crossed into B Class for the first time.<br /><br />In 2008, I won the Spokane Contenders and played a four game match against FM David Sprenkle for the City Championship, losing 2 1/2 - 1/2. He beat me fairly quickly in the first game played on Thursday night. In the second game, I lost in 72 moves, learning while entering the game in my database that we had a three-fold repetition as I had suspected during the game. In the third game, he offered a draw when a repetition appeared best.</div><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">White to move</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw6ZsuONu7SdP5FaKdXg8DVZp96xOuvCLNVYgXGV-vqP74yVm1dxubmkfapAsC1DL8zJ6ULEksM_qYYC4rJpMs49T3Ld2Mb3nbKIORns666rElVL18kuyIrfvqWAidPLUzLZup373ok3D0cP1EtIEDLSqT4Yknjv-cOf5QbTRxabtQDieAVBCqlF3LOQ/s668/journey03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw6ZsuONu7SdP5FaKdXg8DVZp96xOuvCLNVYgXGV-vqP74yVm1dxubmkfapAsC1DL8zJ6ULEksM_qYYC4rJpMs49T3Ld2Mb3nbKIORns666rElVL18kuyIrfvqWAidPLUzLZup373ok3D0cP1EtIEDLSqT4Yknjv-cOf5QbTRxabtQDieAVBCqlF3LOQ/w400-h400/journey03.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br />I was rated in the mid-1700s during the match with Sprenkle having risen rapidly through B Class. The Washington Open in May 2009 lifted me into A Class. I tied for fourth in the Premier section 1/2 point behind the top three.<br /><br />My rating continued to rise, peaking after an astounding run of <a href="http://chessskill.blogspot.com/2012/07/eleven-consecutive-wins.html">eleven consecutive wins</a>.<br /><br />My journey from wholly ignorant beginner in the late-1960s, to competitive high school player in the late-1970s, to active C Class club member in the mid-1990s involved a lot of book study. The journey from C Class in my 30s to high A Class in my early 50s (I peaked at 1982) included books, active play, private lessons, chess videos.<br /><br />After peaking in 2012, I have struggled to stay in A Class. Through four events in 2016, my rating fell from 1886 to 1750. My last 2016 event lifted me back to 1791 and then I won the Winter Club Championship, my first event of 2017, lifting me back up to 1845. See "<a href="http://chessskill.blogspot.com/2017/02/home-preparation.html">Home Preparation</a>" for my win against the top rated player in the event, Michael Cambareri.<br /><br />Since then, my rating has fallen and risen again within the range 1809 to 1875. Now in my 60s, the effects of aging impacts my ability to maintain focus during tournament games. Ambitions to reach expert no longer motivate me. However, I study chess regularly and continue to gain knowledge and experience. In the past year, I have solved more than 12,000 puzzles and exercises, including 7,262 on Chess.com alone.<br /><br />During the Inland Empire Open in May and two events since then, I am enjoying the game whether I win or lose. After misplaying the opening in one game, I was enjoying watching how my opponent capitalized on his advantage while I struggled to put up resistance (see "<a href="http://chessskill.blogspot.com/2023/08/the-saving-fork.html">The Saving Fork?</a>"). Of course, I enjoyed even more pressing my advantage when my opponent missed the forced checkmate and then blundered two moves later.</div><div><br />Appended is a list of my best tournaments.<div><br /></div><div><i>Weekend Swiss Events</i></div><div>2006<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Washington Challenger’s Cup<br /><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Reserve<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>4.0/5<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>first—tie</div><div>2009<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Washington Open<br /><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Premier<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>4.0/6<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>fourth—tie (1/2 point behind winners)</div><div>2012<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Collyer Memorial<br /><span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span></span>4.5/5<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>second</div><div>2015<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Spokane Falls Open<br /><span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span>4.5/5<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>first</div><div>2018<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Eastern Washington Open<br /><span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span>4.5/5<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>first—tie</div><div>2023<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Inland Empire Open<br /><span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span>4.5/5<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>first</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Club Events</i></div><div>1996<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Taxing Quads<br /><span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span>Quad 2<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>3.0/3<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>first</div><div>2006<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Koz’s Quick Chaos<br /><span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span></span>3.0/3<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>first</div><div>2007<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>June Quick<br /><span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span></span>3.5/4<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>first</div><div>2008<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Spokane Falls Action<br /><span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span>3.0/3<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>first</div><div>2008<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Christmas Chaos<br /><span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span></span>3.5/4<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>first</div><div>2009<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>March Madness<br /><span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span>3.5/4<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>first</div><div>2009<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Ajeeb Quads<br /><span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span>Quad A<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>2.3/3<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>first—tie</div><div>2009<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Chaos<br /><span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span></span>4.0/4<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>first</div><div>2010<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>July Robin<br /><span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span></span>5.0/7<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>first—tie</div><div>2011<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Turkey Quads<br /><span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span>Quad B<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>3.0/3<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>first</div><div>2011<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>December Quick<br /><span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span></span>3.0/3<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>first</div><div>2014<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Blazing Heat Blitz<br /><span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span></span>8.0/9<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>first—tie</div><div>2016<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Quick Night<br /><span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span></span>3.5/4<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>first</div><div>2016<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Turkey Quads<br /><span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span>Quad B<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>3.0/3<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>first</div><div>2017<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Winter Championship<br /><span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span>4.5/5<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>first</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Closed Events</i></div><div><br /></div><div>2008<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>City Championship Contenders<br /><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>2.5/3<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>first</div><div>2010<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>City Championship Contenders<br /><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>4.0/5<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>first—tie</div><div>2012<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>City Championship Contenders<br /><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>4.5/5<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>first</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Online Events</i></div><div><br /></div><div>2016<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>US Chess Blitz on Chess.com (5-23)<br /><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>4.0/5<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>first—tie</div><div>2016<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>US Chess Blitz on Chess.com (5-30)<br /><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>4.5/5<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>first—tie</div><div>2016<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>US Chess Blitz on Chess.com (10-24)<br /><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>4.5/5<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>first</div><div>2020<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Morning Membership (8-14)<br /><span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span>4.0/4<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>first—tie</div><div>2020<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Morning Membership (11-6)<br /><span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span>4.0/4<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>first</div><div>2020<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Morning Membership (12-4)<br /><span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span>3.5/4<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>first</div><div>2020<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Morning Membership (12-18)</div><div><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>4.0/4<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>first</div><div><br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div></div>James Stripeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437334325501974461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57726894266049739.post-80122957058556586662023-09-20T11:40:00.000-07:002023-09-20T11:40:01.886-07:00Speed KillsWhile playing this ending, I first thought that we had reached a simple drawn position. Then, my opponent erred. I sensed (correctly) that I was now winning, but managed to throw it away. Later analysis showed that it should have been drawn until my error gave my opponent a winning opportunity, but perhaps not an easy one to find.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Black to move</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixxjSe-LZjhyAREDjQlGUyBLql7M__KE1JYOftHxtoOzpu8E6bk9q7CsKyFHjW1jTai8ZUGBEsAMibf5MVCsmQKhcP2-fe7bqJQVqKGSE2yvHoX0lLNcHVJyzPFcRSfcOqTrqGydpblEuA2bIg4YdPvyVCqlDLj6rkQuf18GXKFc3qKf5Y7VdDRb5Cvg/s668/kills01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixxjSe-LZjhyAREDjQlGUyBLql7M__KE1JYOftHxtoOzpu8E6bk9q7CsKyFHjW1jTai8ZUGBEsAMibf5MVCsmQKhcP2-fe7bqJQVqKGSE2yvHoX0lLNcHVJyzPFcRSfcOqTrqGydpblEuA2bIg4YdPvyVCqlDLj6rkQuf18GXKFc3qKf5Y7VdDRb5Cvg/w400-h400/kills01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b>41...f6??</b><br /><br />I rejected hastily 41...f4+, although it should have been clear to me that 42.gxf4+ Kf5 43.Kd4 Kxf4 leads to a pawn race where both players promote on the same move--a draw.<br /><br />Stepping back with 41...Ke6 also allows Black to regain the opposition if White tries to advance his king.<br /><br /><b>42.Kd3</b><br /><br />My first clue that I had missed something instructive in this ending was the website's game analysis calling this move a miss. Using the retry function, I found the idea, but further analysis showed that it was more intricate than I then thought.<br /><br />White's winning idea is to transfer the king to h3, then create a passed pawn.<br /><br />42.Kf2! Kd5 43.Kg2<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Black to move</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeH9QaRLcFK1sn08kbRjI_HN9h1os6rXct72YlEzvsUqXEMnK4c-4HVnJ2Ezh4ExMF1wQfN1R4SpzYsP4xmv6RdQ1m0QRxVg62FnEWM0g8OAAMW-DiWHaWPRU80fHLZ5P5DaGXU9Tyf4ijZ8qXlF54eP37oji0QGJdHmz5G4ccCF3gHNnMMFvrsftsLg/s668/kills02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeH9QaRLcFK1sn08kbRjI_HN9h1os6rXct72YlEzvsUqXEMnK4c-4HVnJ2Ezh4ExMF1wQfN1R4SpzYsP4xmv6RdQ1m0QRxVg62FnEWM0g8OAAMW-DiWHaWPRU80fHLZ5P5DaGXU9Tyf4ijZ8qXlF54eP37oji0QGJdHmz5G4ccCF3gHNnMMFvrsftsLg/s320/kills02.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Analysis diagram</td></tr></tbody></table>43...Ke5<br /><br />If Black tries 43...Kc4, White's breakthrough takes place instantly for Black's king cannot get back into the square of the pawn. The pawn on f6 blocks the diagonal route after 44.g4 fxg4 45.fxg4 Kd4 46.gxh5.<br /><br />44.Kh3<br /><br />Without some calculation, I assumed that Black's b-pawn would promote before White's kingside pawns could break through, but the variation just above shows that is not true. Instead. Black's king must stay on the kingside. This also fails.<br /><div><br />a) 44...Ke6 45.g4! f4 46.gxh5 Kf5 47.h6 <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Black to move</div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaA-k1gBdfWm7sFVsTF1fIYCfavz_DDKbESO5qUgq0BeFkUqjp5PInThU5w8-u8Q1t7EyUcTkUT6gWG4v543TJsPRRlT-4fAbI9qv__dJBFcYK-aki7wtpL7K_xW1pz-JER-XIe5YTX52uO_LUnhxoUc2S_fs5ABvs_MDDR0vtn0PgbclIKVpLkfvuGQ/s668/kills03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaA-k1gBdfWm7sFVsTF1fIYCfavz_DDKbESO5qUgq0BeFkUqjp5PInThU5w8-u8Q1t7EyUcTkUT6gWG4v543TJsPRRlT-4fAbI9qv__dJBFcYK-aki7wtpL7K_xW1pz-JER-XIe5YTX52uO_LUnhxoUc2S_fs5ABvs_MDDR0vtn0PgbclIKVpLkfvuGQ/s320/kills03.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Analysis diagram</td></tr></tbody></table><div>47...Kg6 48.Kg4 Kxh6 49.h5 f5+ 50.Kxf4 Kxh5 51.Kxf5+-<br /><br />b) 44...f4 45.g4 f5 46.g5 and now Black's king is tied down to stopping the passed g-pawn allowing White's king to run to the b-file.<br /><br /><b>42...Kd5</b><br /><br />I was thinking that we would shuffle our kings back and forth and agree to a draw.<br /><br /><b>43.g4??</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Black to move</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUU2jUHrhH7uvbLLqq4Hpeq-RIKINl2AXsRqtkCREAoxhYxmNhBSlCwQbQm3N2V1jjNZ7rRWeocVntw8F8A8e-ybjg4XSp7_UJk6NW1SR6jNVVOdXHIRPd4znljLDjFghJlN8_Rrdnu2v3MwKyP5ubtIvcW97IOQnqJLjQvA3sheDOIgQi6Jgi6RyYLQ/s668/kills04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUU2jUHrhH7uvbLLqq4Hpeq-RIKINl2AXsRqtkCREAoxhYxmNhBSlCwQbQm3N2V1jjNZ7rRWeocVntw8F8A8e-ybjg4XSp7_UJk6NW1SR6jNVVOdXHIRPd4znljLDjFghJlN8_Rrdnu2v3MwKyP5ubtIvcW97IOQnqJLjQvA3sheDOIgQi6Jgi6RyYLQ/w400-h400/kills04.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b>43...fxg4 44.fxg4 hxg4 45.h5 f5??</b><br /><br />I hallucinated that my king could stay in the square.<br /><br />45...Ke6 leads to an easy win.<br />45...g3 also leaves Black with a decisive advantage<br /><br /><b>46.h6+-</b><br /><br />I blitzed out a few more moves because my opponent was low on time, but resigned when it became clear that my opponent would finish easily with the 20 seconds or so remaining.<br /><br /><br /><div><br /><div><br /></div></div>James Stripeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437334325501974461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57726894266049739.post-67375951252436328972023-08-23T15:03:00.000-07:002023-08-23T15:03:28.981-07:00The Saving Fork?In a game today, I played 24...Nd5 in a position that had been difficult for an hour.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">White to move</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxY0iwMsJ2DRtSR0Vqz9kyaBx8TidEIQZ7GAFSsU0kJrPBWoko0yetlpghsE7ZvWl9yfHwdiB5jA3_c0nbCTyzHcoMpFeWU9mwQqT_9H6ZJ9nKrDJPmmUxCVEyA06mkdMrzWYL4lotqqbRc-_2tHIr6IMqFJhlYCWlXMX6UfSh6Od0mGHRi5lLVy_-ZA/s668/saving.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxY0iwMsJ2DRtSR0Vqz9kyaBx8TidEIQZ7GAFSsU0kJrPBWoko0yetlpghsE7ZvWl9yfHwdiB5jA3_c0nbCTyzHcoMpFeWU9mwQqT_9H6ZJ9nKrDJPmmUxCVEyA06mkdMrzWYL4lotqqbRc-_2tHIr6IMqFJhlYCWlXMX6UfSh6Od0mGHRi5lLVy_-ZA/w400-h400/saving.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>How should White proceed?<br /><div><br /></div>James Stripeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437334325501974461noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57726894266049739.post-6799365151933340672023-08-20T08:11:00.000-07:002023-08-20T08:11:18.914-07:00The Appeal of InformantA question was raised in social media: does anyone still use <i>Informant</i>? As the question was in response to me, having claimed that <i>Informant</i> is the chess periodical that I read more than any other, I took the question as a personal challenge. I like the books, but now am more likely to read them on my computer screen while jotting notes in the print edition.<br /><br />In the early days of <i>Chess Informant</i>, it was a vital source of games for readers. It no longer serves that purpose. We can watch them as they are played and have several ways to access them after they finish. What, then, is the appeal of <i>Informant</i> today?<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4gFZCcjExXf31DSPRPB1WdtiK_y-1sBVTEvWEhK7ZWGNb785km_fm_91yvawSRE7GekooBtwPA5isW4fCdmWfm5Ce8KWRfm0cq1g-QdfkYuh2Mc8AYiU9E9vtba_o157u8u5KoOgZG5HMLP6gtkwCjYDT-xRsoIJ4TMbRHKazx7EhUDGF9TR7n_w/s4032/fouryears.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4gFZCcjExXf31DSPRPB1WdtiK_y-1sBVTEvWEhK7ZWGNb785km_fm_91yvawSRE7GekooBtwPA5isW4fCdmWfm5Ce8KWRfm0cq1g-QdfkYuh2Mc8AYiU9E9vtba_o157u8u5KoOgZG5HMLP6gtkwCjYDT-xRsoIJ4TMbRHKazx7EhUDGF9TR7n_w/w400-h300/fouryears.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />My first <i>Informant</i> was number 64. I acquired it as I was getting into correspondence chess after a brief effort two decades earlier. One of the games in that issue gave substance to the concept of <i>flexibility.* </i>That game helped my planning and positional judgement in a correspondence game that I won (see the game at "<a href="http://chessskill.blogspot.com/2011/03/playing-by-book.html">Playing by the Book</a>"). Of course, there are many ways to get access to games that will help one play correspondence chess. That <i>Informant</i> did this for me may have been no more than coincidence. It was what I was using for study. Is there anything inherent in the publication that makes it more useful than other resources for such a purpose?<br /><br />More recently in another correspondence game I had Black in the French Defense and was facing a frightening appearing pawn storm. We were still in book, so I did a search of my database containing all games published in <i>Informant</i> for the position before me. There were more than one hundred games. Over the course of the weekend, I played through all of these games on my computer screen. Our game diverged from the databases a couple of moves later, and yet ten moves later I was developing plans based on a game I had seen that weekend. My memory of the game had errors—I incorrectly remembered had been played by Viktor Kortschnoj. Even so, I went on to win. Of course, a search of ChessBase Mega that controlled by rating would have given me most of these games and more, along with the same benefits.<br /><i><br /></i><h3 style="text-align: left;"><i>Less is More</i></h3><i><br />Chess Informant's</i> system of signs and language-less annotations contribute both to its appeal and limit its usefulness to many players. Chess players looking to improve often crave annotations expressed in words more than variations. These are vital for explaining concepts that must be absorbed in order to play well. However, words can distract as well.<br /><br />When I was trying to improve as a C-Class player in the late-1990s and early 2000s, I became aware that my interior dialogue while playing tournament chess reflected a great deal of confusion. I did not lack ideas. Rather, I spent much of my thinking time on ideas that were unproductive. I examined lines that a master would immediately reject, but that seemed good to me. Learning the <i>Informant</i> system of signs and investing time reading through annotated games in that periodical helped me to quiet this internal dialogue. Chess analysis in <i>Informant</i> offers less, not more. Only critical lines at important moments are offered. The ideas that can be expressed through the system of signs are few, but they are important. If an idea cannot be expressed through these symbols, perhaps it should be discarded. Through the first decade of this century, my rating rose over 400 points. I was in my 40s. <i>Informant</i> was not the only tool that facilitated my rise, of course, but it was important. Several memorable successes are tied to <i>Informant</i>.</div><div><br /><i>Informant</i> today offers less in another way that maintains its appeal to me. It contains only quality games and analysis. Each Monday, Mark Crowther releases another issue of The Week in Chess with recent games from important tournaments. The last issue of 2022, number 1468, contained 7201 games. Number 1469, the first of 2023, set a record for quantity with 10,627 games. TWIC is a terrific resource and I keep my database of all TWIC more or less up-to-date. I don't know who, if anyone, succeeds in going through all of these games. Some selection is necessary. <br /><br /><i>Informant</i> culls a small sample from this mass of data, but every game merits attention. Usually the annotations are light, but some of the lines go deep. For a substantial number of games in each issue, several other recent games or game fragments are embedded in the annotations.<br /><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;"><i>Aesthetics</i></h3><br /><i>Chess Informants</i> are attractive books. Through something more than the first 100 issues, little changed on the cover except the colors. The design was spare, economical, and highlighted the global nature of chess culture. The "<a href="http://chessskill.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-new-informants.html">new Informants</a>", however, each have a unique cover design. Sometimes these are colorful and whimsical. Sometimes the connection to chess is not explicit, such as the Spaghetti Western influenced cover of Informant 128 (see "<a href="http://chessskill.blogspot.com/2016/07/determination.html">Determination</a>"). Sometimes, there is a puzzle quality to the cover. I won a copy of Chess Informant Paramount (a software package with Informants 1-123 and indices) by correctly identifying the image and context of the cover of <i>Informant</i> 125--the issue title was "Enigma" and the image was of part of the hardware used by the Bletchley Park codebreakers who cracked Nazi Germany's Enigma code. The most recent, CI 156 Mesmerized, has an image of the sky and clouds with shades of blue, orange, and white. It provokes the imagination.</div><div><br /><br />*The notion of flexibility as an important strategic principle entered my thinking more soundly when I read Dan Heisman, <i>Elements of Positional Evaluation</i>, rev. ed. (1999) several years later, but the foundation was built by productive study of <i>Informant</i> 64.</div><div><br /><br /><div><br /></div></div>James Stripeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437334325501974461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57726894266049739.post-68019880886230553032023-08-09T12:57:00.000-07:002023-08-09T12:57:07.091-07:00One from Cozio<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ6i6rbVnEM1uOfkFaxNZzCq0pV-genmrwdBv5CiYn8Qe_HMBalUIfRFVSoftQwkfMPFnL6PrI0ns0fIhN5opsRbYOnE8j8sVZk1fjiykrgJipJ7OC5lYI35jsRtbECw13dzrqs3VkOtwTgzOtylcrAq4Om3LQEvO1Q-feBazL7u6N7U_ZNT1j3m2Mow/s574/Cozio%20132.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="486" data-original-width="574" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ6i6rbVnEM1uOfkFaxNZzCq0pV-genmrwdBv5CiYn8Qe_HMBalUIfRFVSoftQwkfMPFnL6PrI0ns0fIhN5opsRbYOnE8j8sVZk1fjiykrgJipJ7OC5lYI35jsRtbECw13dzrqs3VkOtwTgzOtylcrAq4Om3LQEvO1Q-feBazL7u6N7U_ZNT1j3m2Mow/w200-h169/Cozio%20132.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Position 132</td></tr></tbody></table>Carlo Cozio (c. 1715 -- c. 1780) is best known for a book published in two volumes, <i>Il Giuoco degli Scacchi o sia Nuova idea di attacchi, difese e partiti del Giuoco degli Scacchi</i> (1766), and for an offbeat variation for Black against the Spanish opening. An original of his book is dated 1740, and was in the collection of Lothar Schmid, according to A. J. Roycroft in his article, "Cozio!, Part I", in the magazine <i>EG</i> (July 1973). Roycroft asserts, "occasionally the play is either atrocious or incomprehensible." Nonetheless, some of his work has been deemed to be of value. Roycroft published 9 of Cozio's studies in <i>Test Tube Chess: A Comprehensive Introduction to the Chess Endgame Study</i> (1972) and 18 more in his article in <i>EG</i>.<br /><br />After a game that I played yesterday, I went looking in Yuri Averbakh, <i>Rook v. Minor Piece Endings</i> (1978) for some guidance regarding my errors. The position Averbakh gives is credited to Cozio.<br /><br />After reaching an endgame of bishop vs. rook and pawn that I thought I could draw, I managed to throw the draw away no less than ten times in 31 moves. I drew because my opponent did not know how to exploit my errors. More likely, neither of us recognized the errors for the blunders that they are.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">White to move</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXQDAFcEDsF58Q8hRqHf4nsRfaFRuUex5ix2dIOFKDyrkB3Pan5f8NH3zwQUPT4B8ZRf01oGxYhbU1drqjN1qDilbybicXJuyIxnTwGouzEmJ8w_xjML6sJC5wMX4QqHr074dASPODcbXFmNBKYC0fgYNBeQqMLVa7OC0mbkEQFC_1knHhbmWsb5fzSg/s668/Cozio01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXQDAFcEDsF58Q8hRqHf4nsRfaFRuUex5ix2dIOFKDyrkB3Pan5f8NH3zwQUPT4B8ZRf01oGxYhbU1drqjN1qDilbybicXJuyIxnTwGouzEmJ8w_xjML6sJC5wMX4QqHr074dASPODcbXFmNBKYC0fgYNBeQqMLVa7OC0mbkEQFC_1knHhbmWsb5fzSg/w400-h400/Cozio01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>This position, which occurred in my game yesterday, is identical to Cozio's number 132 as it appears in Harold van der Heijden, Endgame Study Database VI (2020). If you read the Italian in the screenshot above, you will see that it mirrors diagonally the one in Cozio's text, but changes nothing vital. Colors are reversed and the defending king is in in the opposite corner. In Averbakh's book, Cozio's colors are maintained with Black defending, but the position is flipped vertically.<br /><br />White's defense is relatively simple. Keep the bishop on the b8-h2 diagonal. Averbakh makes this technique clear. I had been reading this book last week, preparing lessons for my students on rook vs. bishop endgames, but had not yet gotten to the point where Cozio's study is presented (28). Otherwise, I would have known what I was doing. However, my confidence that I could draw stemmed from this study and practice with my students of similar endings--rook vs bishop without a pawn. I reasoned correctly that a rook pawn did not change much. After some unfavorable developments, I raced my king to the "safe corner". My opponent should have prevented this journey.<br /><br /><b>77.Bc7 Kf3 78.Bb6??</b><br /><br />78.Bb8 or 78.Kg1 hold the draw.<br /><br /><b>78...Rf1+ 79.Kh2</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Black to move</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVWVbUYD_Z8PTsH5nVZyzWVI3qD60t01lTb3HKb22-NREAswyR1kKfH7vmyKkefLEXNfHQJzzIJZqXRzZOSwW2vR2Zg606gBG0XPc65kt4o0dTyFyhvf-TEDq7djOjvfPZ6h-KQIS1wxKH05USlMEd4S5l6vhGKp1CWTX2jZqXvOShJvE-kyFEUnAAhg/s668/Cozio02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVWVbUYD_Z8PTsH5nVZyzWVI3qD60t01lTb3HKb22-NREAswyR1kKfH7vmyKkefLEXNfHQJzzIJZqXRzZOSwW2vR2Zg606gBG0XPc65kt4o0dTyFyhvf-TEDq7djOjvfPZ6h-KQIS1wxKH05USlMEd4S5l6vhGKp1CWTX2jZqXvOShJvE-kyFEUnAAhg/w400-h400/Cozio02.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b>79...Rb1??</b><br /><br />79...Rc1 is the only move that wins here. Black must understand White's defensive idea and prevent the bishop's return to the critical diagonal. The direct attack on the bishop forces the bishop back where it belongs.<br /><br /><b>80.Bc7 Kg4 81.Bd6 Rf1 82.Bc7 Rf2+ 83.Kh1</b><br /><br />We have returned to the position after my 77th move.<br /><br /><b>83...Rg2 84.Bd6 Kf3 85.Bc5??</b><br /><br />This was the ninth time that my bishop wandered away from its duties.<br /><br /><b>85...Ke2 86.Bb6??</b><br /><br />The tenth and last.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Black to move</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxqJc_MYxbXumzgFF1qDeB4WUIwf2TrUwZdGglA-4iTGyyGhIQ-1RRsVSM3L-FQ21BLcdrh0GVPtAXh_i5gh87-ukSYq1bO8SnsqsquZSJiiexcdKhKCz3HeQSMH4YgDP3CyQqg5k1yBYn9aWx4JPObXRq59ie-3HZNwhqi35ojWZOCuUTJ4FwSnmWew/s668/Cozio03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxqJc_MYxbXumzgFF1qDeB4WUIwf2TrUwZdGglA-4iTGyyGhIQ-1RRsVSM3L-FQ21BLcdrh0GVPtAXh_i5gh87-ukSYq1bO8SnsqsquZSJiiexcdKhKCz3HeQSMH4YgDP3CyQqg5k1yBYn9aWx4JPObXRq59ie-3HZNwhqi35ojWZOCuUTJ4FwSnmWew/w400-h400/Cozio03.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /><b>86...Kf1<br /></b><br />Again, Black should have prevented the bishop's immediate return to the correct diagonal with 86...Rg7.<br /><br /><b>87.Bc5</b><br /><br />Knowing what I do now, I would play 87.Bc7. But in this position, it is not critical. Black's king should be seeking to go to h3 after the pawn advances. That becomes possible if I keep leaving the key diagonal.<br /><br /><b>87...Rc2 88.Bb6 Rg2</b> and the game was drawn by repetition.<br /><br />The moves Cozio gives in his book are less instructive, but he keeps the bishop on the correct diagonal.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBUflelrP_lRaQzowW8C3O5vABAYrNjshE5hugNEsWReE1xN-CE0Ia3jrQNn25ApojpY4Evnjw9ibavoexRKJQKqFOVTdVjryGvMWyHt-5Oho46uBs5LNDWTG_k-UIZ3nuHaJRV8Xt14JvIZzYoVy5EFWAEUkKY6zpcn9dTecV6yEN9c0NHLSO9Ialtg/s572/Cozio%20132a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="485" data-original-width="572" height="339" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBUflelrP_lRaQzowW8C3O5vABAYrNjshE5hugNEsWReE1xN-CE0Ia3jrQNn25ApojpY4Evnjw9ibavoexRKJQKqFOVTdVjryGvMWyHt-5Oho46uBs5LNDWTG_k-UIZ3nuHaJRV8Xt14JvIZzYoVy5EFWAEUkKY6zpcn9dTecV6yEN9c0NHLSO9Ialtg/w400-h339/Cozio%20132a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;">White to move</div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCXGurbv4055eUlvT8zAdPCEOZ4ViIsaHAMhAFXIl4aXyzRu271n7YrKxqC8RhG-fs9afy6Fg2bL7ncH3ergTHUX1FgC2f7CjZPNdwh3G-1GYbIpyPfk2Rw1YhcM-djT0e_vuHUM73cWRFVqVU0DmUa_GUF1gngJS1IS1x9wCFi6daHApIhrMgicfkBw/s668/Cozio04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCXGurbv4055eUlvT8zAdPCEOZ4ViIsaHAMhAFXIl4aXyzRu271n7YrKxqC8RhG-fs9afy6Fg2bL7ncH3ergTHUX1FgC2f7CjZPNdwh3G-1GYbIpyPfk2Rw1YhcM-djT0e_vuHUM73cWRFVqVU0DmUa_GUF1gngJS1IS1x9wCFi6daHApIhrMgicfkBw/w400-h400/Cozio04.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br />1.Rc8+ Ka7 2.Rc7+ Ka8 3.Kb5 Bd4 4.Kc6 Be3 5.a7 Bxa7 6.Rc8 Bb8<br /><br />We reach a position that I have been teaching to my students the past two weeks.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">White to move</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSLRVbiNqxwnXTpFzVxwMdhOF3o7Msj2bIf0YZzUWwXo7HXBXfwe3iOT2NwMxOndnY2P_xbBZosjyuQSrDRz8Ag2llwbUHzPlqFK9RjiZeLzzrf9Ybxeu6lbAEXR2JZZh59zT-kNXJPw71hOUFjmYbhMom_lKH55HkzJDlcNtw3P_k3F4qfTsVX1nfMg/s668/Cozio05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSLRVbiNqxwnXTpFzVxwMdhOF3o7Msj2bIf0YZzUWwXo7HXBXfwe3iOT2NwMxOndnY2P_xbBZosjyuQSrDRz8Ag2llwbUHzPlqFK9RjiZeLzzrf9Ybxeu6lbAEXR2JZZh59zT-kNXJPw71hOUFjmYbhMom_lKH55HkzJDlcNtw3P_k3F4qfTsVX1nfMg/w400-h400/Cozio05.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>7.Rh8 Ka7 8.Kb5 Ka8<br /><br />White cannot make progress.<br /><br />9.Kb6 Stalemate.<br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><div><br /></div></div></div>James Stripeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437334325501974461noreply@blogger.com0