tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25972211761106513162024-03-13T23:16:57.002-07:00Secrets of Grandpatzer ChessDo as I say, not as I do...Grandpatzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08858795059694934352noreply@blogger.comBlogger118125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597221176110651316.post-66935655744533387062010-03-14T10:08:00.001-07:002010-03-26T06:15:37.078-07:00Customizing the Openings/Endgames Training Databases in ChessBase’s Rybka Interface: Preliminary Results and TipsI have just started tweaking the opening and endgame training databases that shipped with my ChessBase version of Rybka 3. Here’s what I’ve determined so far:<br />
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<a name='more'></a>1. Work with a BACKUP of the database. I have never had a ChessBase error so serious that it corrupted a database beyond repair…until just now. I’ll have to load my Openings database off the CD-ROM again.<br />
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2. Modifying the openings database seems easy enough. The computer recognizes an opening variation by the “White Player” field, and a sub-variation by the “Black” player field. For example, here’s the Sicilian section of the database:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikMrERVvsGgTVHQ__sWVQAdX884ip8mmGBvulEG4saKKeaIU0yJ1E4cBmiCPDXQXkdfKt6wiBfH1R7-lq0dHdP3rZfzMmHn9BmyrtLUHJk2EhG_af3Ae6QnabC9nKTiGykSE4tHi9nmTc/s1600-h/201003141%5B5%5D.jpg"><img alt="201003141" border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbcH3wEbp2PZU14ThNVpmH7lUzKDGhFtQx47f0og3VP7AuMLm_1Q1yKWQtWd0mxyUQwFEJG69US8suUAj8_U127D2OBfvD4hyljD71H_s0ufAwHDcjGz7uG1MhSREpgnctu3aKaAH-b2g/?imgmax=800" style="border-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="201003141" width="801" /></a> <br />
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The column headings were cut off in this screenshot, but “Sicilian Defence” is the “White Player” field, and the column to the right with the variation names is the “Black Player” field.<br />
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When practicing the opening, you are given the option of a general or a detailed list of openings. The default general openings list is generated from just the “White Player” field, so we have a generic Sicilian with just 1.e4 c5 and no “Black Player” entry. Under that, we have sub-variations of the Sicilian with the “Black Player” field giving the variation’s name.<br />
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If you add new openings to the list, they will automatically be alphabetized within the engine interface. For example, I added a “Colle-Zukertort” as a test case to the end of the database, and in Rybka it was automatically put in the openings list under the Cs.<br />
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You can include sub-variations, and influence how often the computer randomly chooses that line. For my Colle test-case, I entered three lines:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSIaiVy8Rmg8OB6eMEORfs3vv19lxIaXWNmJ6UntvleDn2oLAilIGtoDEOTANKrZto3H3TYT18pVEw7zmFjI6Plbxn2ZBGk4pusXNI86JuPGBtoBDJ6LHi-lkRzrpWTc7XDE091ll2RGg/s1600-h/201003142%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="201003142" border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Q0d76ikOpFTIiU93DbrTvF4bWvLs7ktqlPs_TJCywsgRGm2HbSBUoZuoqwJy_bYBf0GTrf4av8pAW3YQWyMqeXCZBV23FfuZrkwJ4yMaRNEYjj1iVA0zH4piNRjrJOL8V1NuyM6rj_4/?imgmax=800" style="border-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="201003142" width="383" /></a> <br />
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Using a “!” annotation doubles the likelihood that the computer will select that line. A “!!” triples it. Other annotations such as “?” or “?"!” mean the computer will NOT pick that line (so not that useful, unless you want to temporarily turn a line off).<br />
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In the above case, the computer would pick the “Colle” (1…d5) order twice as often as the “Zukertort” (1…Nf6) move order. Of the two “Colle” lines, the computer would pick either 2…Nf6 or 2…e6 3.e3 c5 randomly. Whichever line the computer chooses, it will play forwards to the end of the line, at which point you get to play against the computer.<br />
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The endings database was much harder to figure out. It was not as simple as substituting my “100 Endgames You Must Know” database. It took me a long time to figure out why Rybka was saying that my database wasn’t valid: I tried stripping annotations, stripping variations, truncating the games, and finally discovered:<br />
<div align="center"><br />
<b>The position cannot have an evaluation. No “1-0”, “+-” etc. Just “Line”.</b></div><br />
Since I routinely include these evaluations (just as endgame books routinely indicate whether white to play wins, loses or draws), this means that the database will require each game to be re-saved without the evaluation.<br />
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As with opening training, the computer zips to the end of a line before play begins. In a lot of endgames there is one “best” move (only drawing move, or move offering greatest resistance), and I routinely record all the lines and their evaluations. I was hoping the computer would follow a line, or select a variation, and play it against me stepwise. Unfortunately, it seems the best you can do is save the bare positions and play them against the computer.<br />
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I’m going to just continue entering the contents of 100 Endgames You Must Know into my database as usual, and at some future point I’ll consider converting it to a Rybka-friendly database.Grandpatzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08858795059694934352noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597221176110651316.post-34080340330014576332010-03-07T09:06:00.001-08:002010-03-07T09:06:39.077-08:00Customizing Opening and Endgame Training Databases For the ChessBase Interface?<p>I have Rybka 3 with the ChessBase interface (Fritz11 generation), but its main use for my has been analyzing games.  I haven’t used the training features much, and I do most of my work in ChessBase itself with the Rybka 3 engine running.  However, while digging through the help files I realized that the databases the Openings Trainer and Endgame Trainer use are customizable.</p> <p>That means, for example, that if I cleaned up <a href="http://grandpatzerchess.blogspot.com/2007/10/using-chessbases-repertoire-database_18.html">my personal openings book in ChessBase</a> I should be able to play against my own repertoire.  Or, I can take the endgames from a book such as <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/100-Endgames-You-Must-Know/dp/9056912445">100 Endgames You Must Know</a></em> and play the positions against the computer (something I’ve done in the past, but manually, endgame by endgame).  </p> <p>I’m considering playing around with this feature and sharing my results.  If any of my readers have tried this, share your experiences.</p> Grandpatzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08858795059694934352noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597221176110651316.post-68268235912809958992010-03-05T14:04:00.001-08:002010-03-26T06:23:24.702-07:00Chess Position Trainer 4.0 On The Horizon?<i>{Edit: funny thing about horizons--as you approach them, they recede. Keep watching for CPT4, but <a href="http://community.chesspositiontrainer.com/blogs/english_blog/archive/2010/03/06/things-i-don-t-like-about-cpt.aspx">don't hold your breath</a>.}</i><br />
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I’ve never fully utilized Chess Position Trainer 3.3, but I’m excited to hear that <a href="http://community.chesspositiontrainer.com/blogs/english_blog/archive/2009/09/20/cpt-4-roadmap.aspx">the Chess Position Trainer 4.0 beta may be released in the next few days</a>. <br />
Apparently they had already released a buggy preview version in early January.<br />
I’ve been making do with ChessBase for openings, but CB is designed around being a game/position database, not an opening variations database. Yes, you can manage a repertoire in it, but it’s clunky, especially when it comes to transpositions. The main reason I never used CPT much was that I found it easier to focus on one database program than two. <br />
I’ve been a very good boy the last 3 months or so, barely looking at opening theory. I’m feeling the itch, though, so if/when CPT 4 is released I may give it a test run while working on my Sicilian as White repertoire.Grandpatzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08858795059694934352noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597221176110651316.post-57433388015819004182010-02-27T20:40:00.001-08:002010-02-27T20:46:50.861-08:00GP Tactics: Unusual Mating MotifI was surprised to find two examples of the same unusual mating pattern in the tactics subset I created before Christmas. In the first position, I was losing anyways, but allowed an immediate resolution:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPuZAH2JFvznerOnI6PB1m6LaCVN8l2lD-4-IGKEo-2ng0CmRdYJgBPTWheup4HQ2-xhcUk7mc_TUw29J5NBi_9xs2ihBfvsjyJIUrnT-FM8Qzt7C40A2SVxAryGjVt4gVZ3t_vTXGeiI/s1600-h/201002271.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPuZAH2JFvznerOnI6PB1m6LaCVN8l2lD-4-IGKEo-2ng0CmRdYJgBPTWheup4HQ2-xhcUk7mc_TUw29J5NBi_9xs2ihBfvsjyJIUrnT-FM8Qzt7C40A2SVxAryGjVt4gVZ3t_vTXGeiI/s320/201002271.jpg" /></a></div> <br />
<b>1.Kg3?? Rg1#</b> , a type of epaulette mate.<br />
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The second example required a finesse move:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh88-dZi3Ne5oUpIqkrMNMCXV3ixOzIS5zp875-Emz6K16vP3I59YGQUzbF8GTvBXse88ZfE9bfKoF3fP3_kLtn4N76hlTkSKK8N6LAit0z2cUUFUltAPHpLYe1N80pJRA47EMjP8ySBWA/s1600-h/201002272.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh88-dZi3Ne5oUpIqkrMNMCXV3ixOzIS5zp875-Emz6K16vP3I59YGQUzbF8GTvBXse88ZfE9bfKoF3fP3_kLtn4N76hlTkSKK8N6LAit0z2cUUFUltAPHpLYe1N80pJRA47EMjP8ySBWA/s320/201002272.jpg" /></a></div> <br />
The immediate 1.Rb6?, as played by me, allows the king to escape with 1…Kc5. However, <b>1.Rd5!</b> threatens 2.Rb5#. Black can only avoid mate by giving up a lot of material, e.g. <b>1…Rxc4.</b><br />
A king in front of two isolated enemy pawns has its liberties seriously curtailed.Grandpatzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08858795059694934352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597221176110651316.post-35682979180079718882010-02-23T08:28:00.001-08:002010-02-23T15:09:37.411-08:00GP Tactics: Counting/Removal of the Guard Tactic{<i> Edit: Whoops, a last-minute picture swap introduced the wrong position. Fixed now--GP</i>}<br />
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<blockquote>Continuing (at long last) with the theme of simple tactics data-mined from my own games, here’s a position that seems straight out of Heisman. If I can find where the heck I left my copy of his <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Back-Basics-Tactics-ChessCafe-Chess/dp/1888690348">Back to Basics: Tactics</a>, I have a nagging suspicion that he’s covered the same tactic. Analyze <b>1.Bg5:</b></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5gZtCHBbF3L0TTtld1C0EmVI06F22AiT919cur-vBirXXH8u1-H3b-NAjY41DqFCYkokrWKOYxiknmdHEsByW2lcFjTsBLLjGLWWRHxWuO1lzwnyPoqAvn6hKOsELRqcc8twrY4pXoCA/s1600-h/201002231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5gZtCHBbF3L0TTtld1C0EmVI06F22AiT919cur-vBirXXH8u1-H3b-NAjY41DqFCYkokrWKOYxiknmdHEsByW2lcFjTsBLLjGLWWRHxWuO1lzwnyPoqAvn6hKOsELRqcc8twrY4pXoCA/s320/201002231.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Solution after the fold</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<a name='more'></a><b>1.Bg5?</b> and my opponent missed <b>1…Bxf3</b>, a removal of the guard motif. Pretty simple stuff, even if it’s an ICC blitz game. I had probably just calculated 1…Qxg5 2.Nxg5 Bxd1 3.Kxg1 and stopped there without counting through other move orders--sloppy. Not that it would have given much of an advantage even then.Grandpatzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08858795059694934352noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597221176110651316.post-14350076460019776302009-12-25T13:01:00.000-08:002009-12-25T13:03:29.405-08:00GP Tactics: Endgame Oversight<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEily8m4hmRQEaMd-shZQpoiTHOSsumaenhSfYrjY4Y5Tn-VZdum1aP1Kal8ios6PZwwCMXGgG4Ew_xLYcxMz_6Q5-eT64YSemjPAgM6zI7V40oe1QBNcSnQbSLPwEaBk3GRCDqDmZlGTM8/s1600-h/200912251.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
</div>I will be publishing some of the tactical problems, labeled with the “GP Tactics” tag, that were data-mined from my own games, as described in <a href="http://grandpatzerchess.blogspot.com/2009/12/creating-tactics-problem-sets-from-your.html">this previous post</a>. <br />
A tactics set generated from your own games not only provides variety in difficulty level, but variety in motifs. For example, many of the problems involved endgame positions.<br />
For the position below. Black seems to be making progress on the queenside. Analyze and evaluate <b>1…Nb4:</b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEily8m4hmRQEaMd-shZQpoiTHOSsumaenhSfYrjY4Y5Tn-VZdum1aP1Kal8ios6PZwwCMXGgG4Ew_xLYcxMz_6Q5-eT64YSemjPAgM6zI7V40oe1QBNcSnQbSLPwEaBk3GRCDqDmZlGTM8/s1600-h/200912251.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEily8m4hmRQEaMd-shZQpoiTHOSsumaenhSfYrjY4Y5Tn-VZdum1aP1Kal8ios6PZwwCMXGgG4Ew_xLYcxMz_6Q5-eT64YSemjPAgM6zI7V40oe1QBNcSnQbSLPwEaBk3GRCDqDmZlGTM8/s640/200912251.jpg" /></a><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Solution after the fold</b><br />
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</div><b>1…Nb4?</b> is a clear example of the principle: don’t exchange into a pawn endgame if you aren’t sure of the outcome. <b>2.Nxb4! Kxb4 </b>and what I missed was <b>3.f5!</b>, a classic pawn breakthrough. If 3…exf5, the black king is outside the square of the e5 pawn:4.e6!<br />
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A tougher defense is to get the defending king back in the square of the potentially passed e- and f-pawns, but White should still win: e.g. <b>40…c3+ 41.bxc3+ Kc5 42. f6 gxf6 43. exf6 Kd6 44. c4! a3 45. c5+ +-</b>Grandpatzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08858795059694934352noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597221176110651316.post-57680968889415954132009-12-08T09:00:00.000-08:002009-12-08T09:00:00.948-08:00Creating Tactics Problem Sets From Your Games Using ChessBase ProductsI’ve played a lot of blitz online. A LOT of blitz. It seemed to me that if these games could be mined for tactical errors, they would make an ideal set of simple tactics problems for drills. Manually mining them for gold, however, would take forever. I routinely store and analyze my blitz games, but have been negligent in saving positions into databases for tactics or blunders (a project I started but didn’t keep up with).<br />
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One day I thought: what if I take Rybka and tell it to analyze the games to a depth of 5 ply? That should roughly correspond to a Chernev and Reinfeld-ish “Seeing Three Moves Ahead” or simpler level of tactics, and should be fairly quick. I was familiar with the ChessBase interfaces for Rybka and Fritz and new that it could automatically generate “Training Annotations”: when you load the game or position, it jumps to a position and opens a window prompting you for the correct move. I decided to test this idea with my 800 most recent Blitz games (about 10% of my total games on record).<br />
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I set Rybka with the ChessBase interface (Fritz and others Chessbase engines should be similar) to do a “Blunder Check” oh a .cbh file of my games with “Training Annotations” checked. I decided I would limit the set to obvious tactics, so I set the threshold at 300 (3 pawns, so approximately the value of a piece). 200 may be a better number (roughly equivalent to gaining a piece for a pawn), but I found with a threshold of 300 I was still getting results involving smaller advantages. I set the program to replace the games in the database after analysis and let it run. At 5 ply, it plowed through the games at quite a good clip.<br />
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After the database has been analyzed, and if you have ChessBase, you can right-click on the database in the main console and select “Properties”. This will open a window that allows you to define what type of database it is. Choose “training”, and if you want to randomize the questions you can hit the “training” button in this window and check that option. I would suggest not randomizing it at this point, so that you can pass through the first time in order and weed the results.<br />
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Depending on how much effort you want to put in, there are two ways to use the results.<br />
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The more thorough approach is to copy all the games with a black “tactics” medal to a new database, and proceed to move through them in order. If there is a game with a training annotation, it will automatically prompt you for an answer (or should…sometimes in ChessBase 9 you have to manually turn the feature on by selecting “Enable Training” under the Game menu). If you want to prune the game to the moves of interest, you can use the “[“ and “]” keys to delete moves before or after the highlighted move, respectively. If the game has multiple training annotations, you can save multiple copies of the game and prune each to reveal only one tactic problem. Otherwise, you have to forward through the moves to get to the next problem, and if you have a long game score you may not see that there’s another “<u>***</u>” lurking below.<br />
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If you open a game from the database that lacks a training annotation, you’ll still see that the engine’s evaluation added as commentary after every move. If the game earned a black medal, there should be some significant jumps in the evaluations. You can manually check for tactics with the assistance of the chess engine, and add your own training annotations for certain moves.<br />
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However, if you’re lazy like me, and if you have the luxury of a large dataset of games, you can use the second method: just accept the automatically-generated training annotations and banish the other black-medal games to the dust heap. Sure, there could be gold hidden in those games, but it takes time to pan for it. You can easily select just the games with training annotations by going to the “Themes” tab in the database window (you may need to install a key) and selecting “Training Questions”…all the games with training annotations will be listed in the bottom of the window. Select all, copy, and paste to a new database; definite it as a training database, etc. You now have selectively pulled out only the games with training annotations.<br />
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Not all of the training annotations will be correct, but most will. Sometimes the computer has picked a position where one side has an overwhelming majority, and the computer’s right answer is the one that mates in 18 moves instead of 17 (or, for the losing side, postpones inevitable mate slightly). Sometimes the position is taken from an endgame, where the short ply length leads to large errors in evaluation. Occasionally another move will be about as good, or better, and you can edit the training annotation to include it as a correct answer. I would suggest playing through all the games serially (i.e. not turning on the randomizing feature) and deleting examples that you don’t find appropriate. For games with multiple training annotations you can save multiple copies and prune each with the “[ ]” keys, as described above, if you want.<br />
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I think the advantages of this sort of a tactics set are:<br />
<ul><li>they aren’t studies, but actual positions taken from your games.</li>
<li>they feature tactics that were either executed or missed by you or your opponent, so they are particularly memorable.</li>
<li>there will be a larger variety in difficulty, from pieces <i>en prise</i> up to (and occasionally beyond) the set ply length, which adds a touch of realism and requires you to be objective.</li>
<li>the Chessbase training annotations automatically create “Find the Best Move” quizzes.</li>
</ul>I already feel that going through this pruned dataset of 549 games that I’m seeing tactics a lot more quickly. What’s more, my spidey sense for certain motifs has gone up. For example, I’m picking up on pieces that can be trapped much more often (it’s surprising how often that tactic appears in my games).<br />
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I’ve flagged some of my favorite tactics I’ve discovered in this data set with medals, and will be sharing them on the blog. My next endeavour will be to take my complete database of 8000-odd games and do the same thing. Based on my test run, that should give a dataset of around 5000 problems, which should keep me busy for a while.Grandpatzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08858795059694934352noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597221176110651316.post-959420935733659352009-12-06T09:51:00.000-08:002009-12-07T23:01:18.493-08:00Pardon the Mess...{Edit: I'm pretty much done tinkering with the blog layout. I still can't get one-click editing to work, but split posts do. I've decided not to delete this post to maintain the comment thread.}<br />
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If you see this text after clicking "there's more" it means I got the jump break to work.Grandpatzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08858795059694934352noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597221176110651316.post-86152720480733077792009-12-05T18:16:00.001-08:002009-12-06T12:41:34.879-08:00Shifting Focus<i>{Coincidentally, in an interesting example of parallel evolution, there seem to be many other bloggers that have recently taken self-improvement much more seriously as well. Check out <a href="http://blunderprone.blogspot.com/">Blunderprone's blog</a> for more info on his ACIS (Adult Chess Improvement Seekers) movement.} </i> <br />
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<i> </i>For the last while I've been content to learn more about chess –endings, opening repertoire, reading some of the classic game collections such as Alekhine's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/New-York-1924-Alexander-Alekhine/dp/1888690488/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260060281&sr=8-1">NY 1924</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nottingham-1936-Century-Editions-Russell/dp/1888690631/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260060437&sr=1-1">Nottingham 1936</a> tournament books, and Botvinnik's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_0_10?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=botvinnik+100+selected+games&sprefix=botvinnik+">100 Selected Games</a>, etc. However, as I enter my 40<sup>th</sup> year of existence, I look at the sidebar of this blog ("hopes to become a B-class player before senility sets in") and the subtitle ("Do as I Say, Not As I Do") and have decided to do more of what I say. <br />
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For me, I identified the following areas as needing the most improvement: <br />
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<ul><li>Heisman's "Three Showstoppers" of time management, activity and safety (in order of increasing importance for me) <br />
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<li>spotting simple tactics quickly. Heisman has <a href="http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman106.pdf">pointed out</a> that you use tactics more for defense than for offence. There are a limited number of moves during a game where your opponent makes a tactical error, but you have the opportunity on almost every move to screw up badly. <br />
</li>
<li>Cleary visualizing and calculating variations. This is the area that is most vexing for me. Even in fairly shallow calculations, I am prone to visualization errors. For example, I may have the illusion that a piece is protected when it's not. Here's a howler from a recent club game: <br />
</li>
</ul><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS6HJTL9-162WAgGlPTt0unIlKUytAiMGHotmFm69-IEYRZviJbp8PhQmWru008v4hR5vXRc0MOQQdk5Kptok9SVgoiwOCWuWY5qh_7rliPh8C0xD4UK7lBFiWh3uhNLZYZSmYhZ48vWo/s1600-h/200912051.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS6HJTL9-162WAgGlPTt0unIlKUytAiMGHotmFm69-IEYRZviJbp8PhQmWru008v4hR5vXRc0MOQQdk5Kptok9SVgoiwOCWuWY5qh_7rliPh8C0xD4UK7lBFiWh3uhNLZYZSmYhZ48vWo/s400/200912051.jpg" /></a> <br />
<br />
</div><b>1.Rd5??</b> <br />
<br />
I actually spent 7 minutes on that move and did a safety check. The knight "felt" safe! <br />
<br />
And here's an example where I get needlessly "cute", thinking I have a windmill tactic that doesn't work: <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidZV3Rjpcara_3zZih6sACUDaLGebNWlM4z62Zm68jKVIFvj6nOYdfjuQkzd2jSNCIzd3wGAinejBht2Pg8-j1F0AkaFmhqqqBMO-7qcesce9xy2UGodBxLOuQCyKQNE6NXturZcmVERs/s1600-h/200912052.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidZV3Rjpcara_3zZih6sACUDaLGebNWlM4z62Zm68jKVIFvj6nOYdfjuQkzd2jSNCIzd3wGAinejBht2Pg8-j1F0AkaFmhqqqBMO-7qcesce9xy2UGodBxLOuQCyKQNE6NXturZcmVERs/s400/200912052.jpg" /></a> <br />
<br />
</div><b>1.Re7? Qxc4</b> missing that after 2.Rc7+ Kb8 3.Rxc6+ that the bishop can be captured. (In my defense, I really needed to visit the washroom badly. Drinking too much coffee can adversely affect your playing strength!) <br />
<br />
Especially for 7-ply and deeper calculations, I will have calculation errors based on whether a square or line is blocked or not. For example I will calculate that my queen can move from A to B but not see that I will have a piece in the way at the time of execution. So far I've been trusting that, by studying chess in general, my ability to visualize and calculate would go up as well. Now, it seems clear that heavier lifting is required. <br />
<br />
I'm now focusing on the weakest links: the areas that are holding me back from becoming a stronger player. Here's what I've already started doing: <br />
<br />
<b>Paying close attention to my time usage. </b>My use of the clock has been pretty good in the past, but I've been working at making it better. The most common error is for me to play a move too quickly. I don't do this often, but it only takes one such move to lose a game. I now write the clock times for both me and my opponent for every single move. I also figured out how to get my ICC games to auto save to my .pgn file with the times per move included. <br />
<br />
<b>Studying lots of simple tactics.</b> Previously I've focused on tactics with a level that tests my limits. This refocus on simpler tactics is mainly to help me find safe moves quickly. I have always felt that I spot tactical elements more slowly than my opponents. If I have two minutes on average for a move, I need to rapidly spot threats for both sides, then come up with a safe principle variation (PV). The better I get at spotting simple tactical elements quickly, the better I can choose candidate moves. A rule of thumb is that it's more important to look wide than deep. <br />
<br />
One <b><i>very</i></b> useful trick I've done is figure out how to turn my online blitz games into a file of simple (5 ply or fewer) tactics problems. That will be the subject of my next post. I can quickly flash through positions from my own games that contained a simple but devastating tactic that should be solvable in seconds. One added benefit is that these include a fair number of pieces <i>en prise</i>, so I'm honing how rapidly I can detect loose pieces. I don't know of any commercial set of tactics problems that has such simple "find the best move" problems interwoven with more complicated examples, which I find is more realistic. <br />
<br />
I'm also plowing through some of the books on Heisman's tactics list, even the super-simple Chess <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chess-Tactics-Students-John-Bain/dp/0963961403">Tactics for Students</a> by Bain. I'll be installing Chess Tactics For Beginners onto my laptop (previously completed the series on my desktop). If anyone has tried the upgrades for CTB and CT-ART, I would be interested in knowing if they're worth upgrading to. The CTB upgrade looks like it's for both I and II, so that could be a good deal. <br />
<br />
Even though I have been studying tactics for decades, I'm finding that by doing a <i>lot</i> of <i>simple</i> tactics my speed of pattern recognition has gone up. Sometimes as soon as I see the position, the answer comes in a flash…a good feeling, since I've always felt my brain took too much time to digest the features of a position. <br />
<br />
<b>Improving how deeply and clearly I can calculate.</b> The deeper a calculation, the more prone it is to error…hence the rule of thumb described above. However, as the variations become more forcing you have to be able to see through the fireworks. I have started working through Anderson's <a href="http://chessvisualization.com/">Chess Visualization Course</a>. So far it's fairly easy stuff, but I think the material will rapidly get more challenging. The next two areas also work on my ability to visualize my way through variations: <br />
<br />
<b>Going back to more "talky" annotated chess games.</b> I'm going to work my way through Heisman's list of recommended game anthologies <a href="http://danheisman.home.comcast.net/%7Edanheisman/Events_Books/General_Book_Guide.htm">at the bottom of this page</a>, even those I've read multiple times (although I've recently read the Euwe and Bronstein books). I've been plowing through maybe my 4<sup>th</sup> reading of Chernev's "Logical Chess Move By Move". Many of his comments are obvious, and having him explain each and every game why 1.d4 or 1.e4 is a good move gets tedious fast. Still, there are things to be gained. <br />
<br />
First, I've found when going over my games with a stronger player that there are natural, strong moves that I could have played but didn't. When I play through the annotated games I try to anticipate the next move, and I think that this is improving my feel for powerful moves that maintain the initiative. I especially pay attention to situations where the attacker attacks and the defender parries. Before I look at the next move, I consider what I would do and whether in an actual game I would play a move that loses the initiative, and then I see how the attacker dealt with it. <br />
<br />
Second, even though I'm familiar with the rules of good chess play, I still fall prey to the consequences of breaking them. For example, there have been a few times where I've lost just because I never got around to finding the tempo to complete my development ("I'll castle next move…no, next move, no…well, shoot.) Seeing victims breaking the rules and being punished for it is reinforcing (even if there is an "annotation by outcome" bias that favours the victor). <br />
<br />
Finally, I try to visualize my way through all the side variations. I've been playing these games over an tournament-sized board. If I can't visualize my way to the end of the variation, I make one move and then repeat. Whether this is the most efficient use of my chess time is debatable, but I think this is the best way to stretch the limits of how far I can see. I've also done this with with the works of other annotators (Alekhine, Botvinnik, Bronstein, …) but the variations in these beginner books are better suited for my visualization exercise. <br />
<br />
<b>Playing more slow, rated games.</b> This, plus simple tactics, are the areas that I feel will improve my game the most. Since moving to a new city 3 years ago, I've been content to just play long unrated games at the chess club and Blitz online. I am going to try to play at least two slow games a week. I think this is probably the most important change I need to make. I am going to try to play monthly quads as well as slow games online, and play far less blitz. I'm actually refusing to play blitz online until I work up the gumption to sit down and play a slow game. I need to look into some of the slow leagues on ICC. If I can play one slow game on ICC a week, one at the club, and a quad each month, I should be in good shape. It will be interesting to see how my rating changes after this hiatus. <br />
<br />
Any other aspect of chess besides these is getting put on the back burner. I'm only going to look at openings, endings, or positional material if they are related to a game that I've just played (particulary slow games). Let's see if focusing on the right things pays dividends.Grandpatzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08858795059694934352noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597221176110651316.post-73827163714033717902009-11-22T14:02:00.000-08:002009-11-22T14:16:20.846-08:00Suggestions for Digital Chess Clocks?I'm getting ready to start playing rated tournaments again, and I've decided to get with the 21st century and replace my analog clock with a digital one. The main features I'm looking for are durability (I'm worried about opponents bashing it around in time trouble) and readability (so I can record the time taken by me and my opponent after every move easily). I'm assuming that all digital clocks allow a time increment, which is another mandatory feature.<br /><br />I would welcome any suggestions for clocks that fit the bill. Price is a lesser consideration--I want to find a good deal, but I don't want to buy something that's going to break after a few rounds of blitz. Some of these plastic clocks I've been seeing my opponents with lately, such as <a href="http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3498863&CAWELAID=319014216">this</a> and <a href="http://www.thechessstore.com/c=YzqezEVlPaBVoRRMMdSZLqQcX/product/EASYRD/Easy_Digital_Chess_Clock__Red.html">this</a>, just feel like they're too delicate.Grandpatzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08858795059694934352noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597221176110651316.post-39509556709344264942009-10-24T14:11:00.000-07:002009-12-06T12:44:31.689-08:00Heisman's "Three Showstoppers"<div style="text-align: justify;">Last month, <a href="http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman104.pdf">Dan Heisman's column at ChessCafe.com ("The Three Show Stoppers")</a> set a lightbulb off for me. Which is odd, because he's discussing issues of time management, piece safety and piece activity that he's written about before. However, these concepts came together to form a "perfect storm" of chess instruction.<br />
<br />
A theme of Heisman's is that there are certain basic skills such as time management and playing what Heisman calls "<a href="http://www.chesscafe.com/text/real.txt">real chess</a>" consistently on every move of the game. The trick, of course, is consistently. If 49 moves out of 50 you play properly, and 1 move out of 50 you launch a stinkbomb of a move because you moved too fast or a piece was hanging, then your chess strength is severely diminished. I think that, for most people, working on improving this aspect of their game will likely produce greater dividends than just about any other chess-related activity.<br />
<br />
Easily said, but as the byline of this blog says: "Do as I say, not as I do." It takes gumption to work on this, and if most of your chess is online blitz then you're not going to be able to play "real chess" a la Heisman unless you're pretty gifted. However, in this column Heisman reduces the essentials to three principles:<br />
</div><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>Time Management: not moving too fast or too slow, but using the appropriate amount of time for each move</li>
<li>Safety</li>
<li>Piece Activity<a name='more'></a></li>
</ul><div style="text-align: justify;">Quoting Heisman:<br />
<blockquote style="font-style: italic;">As in math, some consistency in base issues is required before anyone can benefit from the multitude of advanced possibilities. From a graphical standpoint the chess bases look something like:<br />
<br />
Slow –> Safe –> Active –> Explosion of all other strategies<br />
<br />
Therefore, to get the full benefits of the wonderful world of chess strategy, a player should first be able to apply the base issues fairly well. In other words, since the base three issues are such critical “showstoppers” (i.e., chokepoints), we need to at least minimally pass them first before the main learning fun can fully bloom.<br />
</blockquote><br />
I've been pretty good at time management, but only, say, 95% of the time. In both slow and fast games, I'll occasionally toss out a disastrous fast move; in blitz games I'll often take far too long on one particular move rather than pull the trigger and move. Also, even when I ask "Is it safe?" before making a move, I still find that many of my mistakes are obvious shortly after releasing my moved piece.<br />
<br />
I've thought for sometime that Blitz just reinforces bad habits, and that it's main useful purpose was to generate chess games that can later be analyzed (check the opening lines, analyze the tactics and blunders, review the endgame, etc.). However, for someone whose problem is with the "three show stoppers", I'm now wondering if these three concepts can be successfully practiced through Blitz at my usual time controls online.<br />
<br />
First, a review of time management. If you assume a typical game length of 40 moves, you can calculate, with or without an increment, about how long the game should take and how much time should be spent per move.<br />
<br />
If you take the time control in minutes, and add 2/3 of the time increment in seconds, you get the time you have for a 40-move game. For example:<br />
<br />
2+12: 2 + 8 = 10 minutes<br />
5+5: 5 + (10/3) = 8 1/3 minutes<br />
22+12: 22 + 8 = 30 minutes<br />
<br />
So, if you want to commit to a g/22+12, you should be prepared to spend an hour or more on the game (30 min x 2 players).<br />
<br />
As for how much time to spend per move: For 40 moves, each minute on the clock gives you 1.5 seconds per move. So:<br />
g/5: 7.5 s/move<br />
g/5+5: 12.5 s/move<br />
g/2+12: 3 + 12 = 15 s/move<br />
g/22+12: 45 s/move<br />
<br />
For my favorite time control of g/2+12, that means I should be spending 15 seconds per move, ideally. It also means that even if the game goes longer and I'm running short on time, I still have 12 seconds to think. That means I can keep up a regular pace of moves without having to change my pace much for longer games.<br />
<br />
However, in tournament chess a time delay of 5s is more common. I've started playing g/5+5 instead, which not only replicates real tournament time pressure more closely, but also forces better time management. 15 vs. 12 seconds though doesn't exercise this skill as much...there's not much variation between the regular pace of moves and time trouble. 12.5 vs. 5 seconds is a significant difference, and a player that better paces their moves should have a significant advantage.<br />
<br />
At 12 seconds per move, I can't hope to play "real chess" (I can't really play "real chess" even with g/60, or 1.5 min/move), but I can at least force myself to think about Heisman's other two "show stoppers" during that time: safety and activity.<br />
<br />
I have noticed in my blitz play that I have a tendency to opt for a fancier, less clear and active continuation than a safer, clearer one. Heisman on the other hand stresses safety over activity. It may be possible to reprogram myself to value safety over activity on a consistent basis even as I play Blitz.<br />
<br />
Ideally, I would do all of this but play slower games. I may try to switch to playing 30-minute games instead of multiple blitz games, or play against the computer to practice my thought process. For now, as an experiment I'm trying to apply these "big 3" concepts to my blitz play (as well as my weekly club games), and see if it has a dramatic effect on my blitz rating. If I can consistently manage my time, and within 12 seconds ask "what does my opponent's last move do?" and "is my next move safe?", it should.<br />
<br />
Give Heisman's article a read, and ask yourself if the "three showstoppers" are still limiting your chess progress. I think for a lot of club players, the answer is "yes". Fixing this problem won't be easy, but I'm going to try and follow this protocol religiously and try to push myself to the next level.<br />
</div>Grandpatzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08858795059694934352noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597221176110651316.post-47819530902725296132009-10-04T10:15:00.001-07:002009-10-04T10:42:29.192-07:00Mate in TwoThe following Mate in Two problem is from Yusupov's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Build-your-Chess-Artur-Yusupov/dp/1906552010/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254678034&sr=1-1"><span style="font-style: italic;">Build Up Your Chess</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">I</span></a>, and I think it's the hardest mate in two problem I've come across so far.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2yP9s22doEVN3L1KHcHR3wFaNjS_s0kTwb2oaL8kxNQPrzkMrlxOIgXJ8pDFaoQLD1xYXI0VZmnCKxOAEEmFIcOFoJaCtULDlBTNY1vHcUaN-1HmT3wbkJ4prJrhIIKgGwmPDAuRK0bc/s1600-h/200910041.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2yP9s22doEVN3L1KHcHR3wFaNjS_s0kTwb2oaL8kxNQPrzkMrlxOIgXJ8pDFaoQLD1xYXI0VZmnCKxOAEEmFIcOFoJaCtULDlBTNY1vHcUaN-1HmT3wbkJ4prJrhIIKgGwmPDAuRK0bc/s400/200910041.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388795128700179410" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I'm not going to give away the answer, but it's a good test of your ability to analyze a dense thicket of short variations.<br /><br />Laszlo Polgar's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chess-5334-Problems-Combinations-Games/dp/1884822312"><span style="font-style: italic;">Chess: 5334 Problems, Combinations, and Games</span></a> has a ton of mate-in-two problems in it, and I occasionally turn to a random page and try to solve some. Some of them are really devilish, and are good practice for practicing Kotov-like analysis (trying to analyze each branch of a variation once and only once).<br /><br />I'm going to try and get a couple more chapters of Yusupov's book knocked out this afternoon.Grandpatzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08858795059694934352noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597221176110651316.post-68848596829322553732009-07-15T14:07:00.000-07:002009-07-15T14:14:14.630-07:00I'm In the Driver's SeatEncountered while surfing: the <a href="http://www.thesurrealist.co.uk/slogan.cgi">Advertising Slogan Generator</a>. Here's one that was generated for me:<br /><br /><div style="border: 8px solid rgb(204, 204, 170); margin: 0px 10%; padding: 8px 32px; background: rgb(255, 255, 255) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><p style="margin: 16px; font-size: 1.6em; font-family: impact,verdana,arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Everything We Do is Driven by Grandpatzer.</p><form action="http://thesurrealist.co.uk/slogan.cgi" method="get">Enter a word for your own slogan: <input name="word" size="10" type="text"> <input value="Generate" class="button" type="submit"></form><p style="padding: 0px; font-size: 0.6em;">Generated by the <a href="http://thesurrealist.co.uk/slogan"><b>Advertising Slogan Generator</b></a>. Get <a href="http://thesurrealist.co.uk/slogan?word=Grandpatzer">more Grandpatzer slogans</a>.</p></div><br />Play around with it and let me know if one tickles your fancy (for me, or you, or whoever).Grandpatzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08858795059694934352noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597221176110651316.post-43814889121672531432009-07-08T17:56:00.001-07:002009-12-06T12:47:04.308-08:00Mate Analysis from Yusupov's BUYC2Just to give a taste of the level of Yusupov's book, here are the first 6 positions from Chapter 1, with my own, often flawed, analysis. It seems that I am capable of both relatively deep analysis and gross oversights.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
I started off well, solving the first position with little difficulty (white to move):<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqnHY3STe01MRHanLC9fCyqkAUw35nWV-afK2mGnCJ9YuEsa-bprfdnZ4dQsq6LkOcqJvh2riyK-p4gv5-7xfqkGyG9WLdaxRGgqtAQsRWAovQ9VWpCb0CaTee6PE7LPWt1XTkGOY4Twg/s1600-h/200907081.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356261352828088690" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqnHY3STe01MRHanLC9fCyqkAUw35nWV-afK2mGnCJ9YuEsa-bprfdnZ4dQsq6LkOcqJvh2riyK-p4gv5-7xfqkGyG9WLdaxRGgqtAQsRWAovQ9VWpCb0CaTee6PE7LPWt1XTkGOY4Twg/s400/200907081.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">1. Nf6+ Qxf6 2. Bh7+ Kh8 3. Bg6+</span> (key point: blocks Q from coming back to the defence) <span style="font-weight: bold;">Kg8 4. Rh8+ Kxh8 5. Qh5+ Kg8 6. Qh7#</span><br />
<br />
So, after calculating a mate-in-6 I felt pretty good going into the next position (Black to move):<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgINi_5MBluXPV6zXvlg3jWbaiXYGUy9IDKGoNZta10b_PJHJSzD-EMc-lJOmjaHmZHLLBsInNLbu3OLMOJf4gijU2Q2QX1ZeGhgNEkqJ63dT8BbQzHtGTBAo8C4P22dGThXpI1p2bR-pE/s1600-h/200907082.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356261360871879986" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgINi_5MBluXPV6zXvlg3jWbaiXYGUy9IDKGoNZta10b_PJHJSzD-EMc-lJOmjaHmZHLLBsInNLbu3OLMOJf4gijU2Q2QX1ZeGhgNEkqJ63dT8BbQzHtGTBAo8C4P22dGThXpI1p2bR-pE/s400/200907082.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
This example revealed a couple weaknesses in how I analyze. First, the two most obvious candidate moves are 1...Qxd1+ and 1...Nf6+ (both the most forcing move possible: a check). I analyzed the latter move first, and when I arrived at a satisfactory answer I stopped there without analyzing 1...Qxd1+. I usually try to keep in mind the old advice "when you've found a good move, look for a better one". However, in tactical puzzles I've noticed a tendency to think, "oh I found the answer" and stop my analysis there when in a real game I would think a bit more.<br />
<br />
I analyzed 1... Nf3+ and found that Black wins after 2. Bxf3, 2. Kh1 and 2. Kf1. However, after analyzing 2.Bxf3 I very quickly thought "and 2. Qxf3 is no different". However, 2... Qxd1+ 3. Qxd1 Re1+ doesn't work because of 4. Qxe1 (whereas after 2.Bxf3 and 3.B (or N)xd1 the e1 square isn't covered and 3...Re1 will mate. It's rather shocking that I dismissed 2.Qxf3 as leading to an identical result as 2.Bxf3 with about 1 second of thinking.<br />
<br />
Correct is <span style="font-weight: bold;">1...Qxd1+</span>, which the reader can work out leads to mate, e.g. 2. Nxd1 Nf3+ 3. Qxf3 Re1+ 4. Bf1 Rxf1#.<br />
<br />
The next position I solved easily. White to move:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkY7FhL6WRybl57-VrEIKSxzmp3Bs8SwgOVkEpnkhcDx0dC8I-rcI4k4JH3L8f5dnzvYOaq9i-BQqBYO428nWEATNxkQjVuHSEx9D-Twn0fOQ8U-u6tXwqHMgFcpDFj7bp-TulqFuYS38/s1600-h/200907083.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356261367506989282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkY7FhL6WRybl57-VrEIKSxzmp3Bs8SwgOVkEpnkhcDx0dC8I-rcI4k4JH3L8f5dnzvYOaq9i-BQqBYO428nWEATNxkQjVuHSEx9D-Twn0fOQ8U-u6tXwqHMgFcpDFj7bp-TulqFuYS38/s400/200907083.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">1. Qxf4 Bxf4 2. Rxh5 gxh5 3. Rxh5 *</span><br />
<br />
I was then brought back down to earth in the next example. Curiously, I analyzed a double capture on h6 that failed, and missed a different capture on h6 that worked. White to move:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVkWSjqwOu4JMsnnFFVdC-1e9MK2lG45nheOKXTfkGb5frtWgTGJ6H7gq9Ccy22CijKc3FtM2BXXd853RsCkyR1ajjNOAm5F36yRuXpIgkEyutO_0kwlPnFDxI3MDw4ihwL4DTpAGMnCw/s1600-h/200907084.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356261374793980658" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVkWSjqwOu4JMsnnFFVdC-1e9MK2lG45nheOKXTfkGb5frtWgTGJ6H7gq9Ccy22CijKc3FtM2BXXd853RsCkyR1ajjNOAm5F36yRuXpIgkEyutO_0kwlPnFDxI3MDw4ihwL4DTpAGMnCw/s400/200907084.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
After <span style="font-weight: bold;">1.Rh8+ Kg6</span> I analyzed 2. Rxh6+ 2... Kxh6 (a secondary oversight: 2... gxh6 would also defend, but ...Kxh6 is stronger) 3. Rh8+ Kg6 4. f5+ exf5 5. Qh6+, which would mate except that there's still a g-pawn: 5... gxh6! -+<br />
<br />
Correct, however, is <span style="font-weight: bold;">2. f5+ exf5 3. Qxh6+!</span> because here after <span style="font-weight: bold;">3...gxh6 4. Rag8#</span><br />
<br />
At this point I'm batting .500. I get the next position "half-right" (White to move):<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS6XhM7ck975w1OtfTi50-3WAyPf541REF-w23KH78KF-u4diCMeANUkgdv1jMF8msvoVFUbfS18CoVxUWLoGmoO5Q4kd4Dnsh8UAR-3fWh3hc5A5c5sU_mifXxOcM71mlnGMTdxXkcT0/s1600-h/200907085.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356261377714467314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS6XhM7ck975w1OtfTi50-3WAyPf541REF-w23KH78KF-u4diCMeANUkgdv1jMF8msvoVFUbfS18CoVxUWLoGmoO5Q4kd4Dnsh8UAR-3fWh3hc5A5c5sU_mifXxOcM71mlnGMTdxXkcT0/s400/200907085.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
The principal variation was clear to me: <span style="font-weight: bold;">1. Bxf6 Bxf6 2. Qxh7+</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Kxh7 3. Rh5+ Kg8 4. Ng6</span> with mate to follow.<br />
<br />
However, I had trouble with <span style="font-weight: bold;">1... gxf6</span>. I calculated 2. Qg4+ Kh8 3. Rd3 Rg8 4. Nxf7#. Alas, 3...Nxe5!-+ defends, as well as 3...fxe5+/=.<br />
<br />
The book solutions include both <span style="font-weight: bold;">2. Qh6</span> (which seems more straightforward, e.g. 2...Nxe5 3. Rh5) and <span style="font-weight: bold;">2. Rh5</span>, e.g. 2...Nxe5 3. Rxh7 Ng6 4. Qh6. If instead 2... fxe5 (so the bishop defends after 3. Rxh7? Bf6), White has 3. Qf5!<br />
<br />
I may charitably still been batting .500 after that example, but not after this position. Black to move:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifumUwkZE8jsYaA8Hu3trTQ0nsvveZAQRKT-ST5Tnsd8Cn5VulGR7YI6xYeerRzyMKDsJmPzDXMcP9gYYimv-TLKAidzVM7SovkxNBJSgbqmkPLYd_lFFQgaiunBfUXgSg4N1yFagGDX4/s1600-h/200907086.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356261513738560706" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifumUwkZE8jsYaA8Hu3trTQ0nsvveZAQRKT-ST5Tnsd8Cn5VulGR7YI6xYeerRzyMKDsJmPzDXMcP9gYYimv-TLKAidzVM7SovkxNBJSgbqmkPLYd_lFFQgaiunBfUXgSg4N1yFagGDX4/s400/200907086.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
This is another example where I had two moves to consider, and stopped after analyzing just one. I thought I had found a clever tactic with 1... Rh3, and indeed after both 2. gxh3 and 2. g3 Black mates. There was just one little problem: 1...Bxh3. On occasion, I overlook that bishops can indeed move backwards.<br />
<br />
Yusupov mentions in the "Candidate Moves" chapter: "Accurately calculating over the distance of the first few moves is more important than the capacity to calculate long variations". This oversight certainly supports that remark.<br />
<br />
Correct is <span style="font-weight: bold;">1...Nf3!</span>, which leads to mate.<br />
<br />
This should give the reader both an idea of the level of Yusupov's book, and the uphill battle I face in improving my ability to calculate.<br />
</div>Grandpatzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08858795059694934352noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597221176110651316.post-39253865078813385912009-07-08T14:54:00.000-07:002009-07-08T16:34:56.805-07:00Build Up Your Chess 2 by Artur Yusupov<div style="text-align: justify;">Yusupov has turned a series of chess lessons from his chess academy into a series of books. The first book at the under-1500 Elo crowd; the second is for the 1500-1800 Elo players, and the third book will be for the 1800-2100 Elo level. I'm barely into BUYC2, but so far this book is promising to be just what the doctor ordered. <br /><br />For a long time I've recognized that one of the most important exercises I should be doing is just analyzing tactical positions at a board, without moving the pieces. The first chapter of mating combinations seems to be tuned to just the right level of difficulty for my needs. However, I would also like to to check out a copy of the first volume as well, because <a href="http://chessmind.powerblogs.com/posts/1226389259.shtml">from what I've read on the intertubes</a> it should still be plenty challenging enough).<br /><br />Unfortunately, I won't be taking this book with me on vacation because I don't want to be packing a chessboard with me. Yusupov is instructing the reader to analyze the positions over a board, write down your analysis, and play the positions out; I agree with that advice and want to use the book accordingly.<br /><br />For now, I want to give an overview of the contents of the book. I intend to follow up soon with another post featuring some mating problems from the first part of Chapter 1. This is in part to give readers a feel for the level of the book, and in part because some of my mistaken analysis reveals some of my chess weaknesses.<br /><br />The Table of Contents includes:<br /><br />1. Mating combinations<br />2. General endgame principles<br />3. Combinations involving the back rank<br />4. General opening principles<br />5. The double attack<br />6. Good and bad bishops<br />7. Candidate moves<br />8. The centre<br />9. The pin and the discovered attack<br />10. Zugzwang<br />11. Deflection<br />12. The Greek gift sacrifice<br />13. Evaluating the position<br />14. Planning in chess<br />15. An opening repertoire for White after 1.e4 e5<br />16. Destroying the castled position<br />17. an opening repertoire against 1.e4<br />18. Exchanging<br />19. Priorities when calculating variations<br />20. Pawn endings 1<br />21. Decoying<br />22. Time in the opening<br />23. Improving the position of your pieces<br />24. Pawn endings 2<br /><br />Plus a final test and recommended books. <br /><br />Two features immediately strike the eye. The first is the large number and variety of topics, which spans opening, middegame and endgame; tactics, calculation, strategy and endgame technique. The second is the apparent randomness of the order in which the topics are introduced. The first is readily explained: it's the author's intent that, through this series of books, that a student get a well-rounded education and that any gaps in the player's knowledge be filled. As for the second issue, I suspect that there's method in the author's madness. If nothing else, given the length of each lesson (1-2 hours) it would be good to mix it up a little. Plus, some order can be seen in the progression. General opening principles are covered, then the center, then specific opening repertoires, then a discussion on the value of time in the opening.<br /><br />I will be very interested in the opening material, since the author's approach to developing an opening repertoire seems to match my own. For example, "This is... only an example...You should prepare your repertoire according to your own chess tastes and style. It is very important that you should like and understand the typical positions which result from your chosen opening." I have only skimmed the future sections of the book, but I get the sense the approach taken to studying the opening is "teach a man to fish" rather than "give a man a fish".<br /><br />I leave for vacation tomorrow, but I'm looking forward to working through this book when I return. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div>Grandpatzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08858795059694934352noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597221176110651316.post-42625253466349141452009-07-02T10:24:00.000-07:002009-07-02T11:03:25.650-07:00Winning a R vs. Knight's-Pawn Endgame<div style="text-align: justify;">I recently had another of my obtain-crushing-advantage-then-screwing-up games. However, I managed to draw instead of lose because my opponent couldn't find the win in a R vs. P endgame. The analysis was interesting, because it showcases an interesting resource that is peculiar to knight pawns.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTPLj8ciXgizGRDyrSQxJJqgMdRHV6VqlrnU5PzKjEYDPJYUsLHFgIeU-30ZP7CDBGrVb3ZPtvCOCZV-MvCW_keVMDoDOc7BOdM1e8pqFPzlSz0gfCYdTK-f5iqWv4JowymAYYDW24dK8/s1600-h/200907021.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTPLj8ciXgizGRDyrSQxJJqgMdRHV6VqlrnU5PzKjEYDPJYUsLHFgIeU-30ZP7CDBGrVb3ZPtvCOCZV-MvCW_keVMDoDOc7BOdM1e8pqFPzlSz0gfCYdTK-f5iqWv4JowymAYYDW24dK8/s400/200907021.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353921392449358946" border="0" /></a><br /><span>61...Rb2?= 62. g7 Rb7 63. Kh8 Rxg7 64. Kxg7 1/2-1/2</span><br /><br />Instead, both <span style="font-weight: bold;">61...Kg5</span> and 61...Rh2 win for black. I find the former move the clearest, so I will use that move order.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">61... Kg5 62. g7</span> (else 62. Kg7 Rf6) <span style="font-weight: bold;">62... Rh2!</span> prevents promotion of the pawn <span style="font-weight: bold;">63. Kg8 Kg6 64. Kf8</span> threatens again to promote <span style="font-weight: bold;">Rf2+! 65. Kg8</span>:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcFZPs4qhMowFjF3PzfxZQoubzBb-4PwZ_Sa7yf2mxKK8qTiWNLnJCAjsUS-fD5RHUyEFITkjx3sRNJaN-Q_Tq7Tuxnw_WPocphtG11Mo-NLlNENTEZ75OYG9ZwpHnoLcyNRF2zOxgvF4/s1600-h/200907022.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcFZPs4qhMowFjF3PzfxZQoubzBb-4PwZ_Sa7yf2mxKK8qTiWNLnJCAjsUS-fD5RHUyEFITkjx3sRNJaN-Q_Tq7Tuxnw_WPocphtG11Mo-NLlNENTEZ75OYG9ZwpHnoLcyNRF2zOxgvF4/s400/200907022.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353921399380680882" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">65...Rf1</span><br /><br />This is the key finesse: Black must capture the pawn via ...Rh7, not ...Rf7, to avoid stalemate: 65...Rf7?? 66.Kh8 Rxg7 is stalemate.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">66. Kh8 Rh1+! 67. Kg8 Rh7</span> and the pawn falls.<br /><br />After analyzing this game I found this same type of endgame covered in Muller and Lamprecht's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fundamental-Chess-Endings-Karsten-Muller/dp/1901983536"><span style="font-style: italic;">Fundamental Chess Endings</span></a> (Vaulin-Gashimov, Swidnica 1999 on p. 162). In that game, the attacker also missed the best sequence of moves and ended up drawing.<br /></div>Grandpatzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08858795059694934352noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597221176110651316.post-85266765483549141782009-06-30T20:58:00.000-07:002009-06-30T21:09:47.346-07:00DKos Chess Tournament, Round 3Not too much to add to the commentary in the Flash player for this one. I really like Black's 12th move, not because it was hard to find so much as just an interesting, tight cluster of mutually supported pieces and pawns. <br /><br />The commentary to moves 15 and 17 show that this wasn't a stress-free game... I had faith in my ability to lose these types of advantages. I think my decision not to capture on h3 was practically best, no matter what Rybka thinks. White's remaining queen, bishop and rook make it look like nastiness could ensue against g7.<br /><br />Current standing: 1.5/3 <br /><br /><div><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://chessflash.com/releases/latest/ChessFlash.swf" width="100%" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://chessflash.com/releases/latest/ChessFlash.swf" /><param name="flashvars" value='orientation=H&tabmode=true&light=f4f4fF&dark=0072b9&bordertext=494949&headerforeground=ffffff&mtforeground=000000&mtvariations=FF0000&mtmainline=000000&mtbackground=ffffff&pgndata=[Event "Online Chess"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2009.06.30"] [Round "1"] [White "thyrsiod"] [Black "FreeRadical"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C25"] [WhiteElo "994"] [BlackElo "1228"] [PlyCount "44"] [EventDate "2009.??.??"] [EventType "schev"] [EventRounds "3"] [TimeControl "1"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bb5 {Over 7000 games on record, and this is a new position for me. It looks like it could transpose to a Four Knights game, but it never did.} Nf6 (3... Nd4 $5) 4. d3 Bb4 (4... Nd4 $5) 5. a3 $146 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 O-O 7. d4 $2 (7. Nf3) 7... Nxe4 $17 8. Nh3 $2 (8. Ne2) 8... Nxc3 $19 { In addition to gaining material, Black"s development goes into warp drive because of repeated attacks on the White queen.} 9. Qd3 Nxb5 10. Qxb5 Nxd4 11. Qc4 d5 12. Qd3 Bf5 $1 {An unusual arrangement of pieces in the center.} 13. Qc3 Nxc2+ 14. Kf1 Nxa1 15. Qxa1 Re8 (15... Bxh3 {at various points I considered the capture on h3. However, I already had an advantage and I had some concerns about freeing White"s pieces.} 16. gxh3 Qh4 17. Qc3 (17. Qxe5 $2 Qxh3+ 18. Kg1 Rae8) 17... Qc4+) 16. Bg5 Qd7 17. f3 d4 (17... Bxh3 18. gxh3 Qxh3+ 19. Kf2 e4 {Rybka likes this. During the game, however, I was worried that capturing on h3 allows the white rook out, with possible threats against g7. White"s queen, rook and bishop look like they could get some counterplay.}) 18. Nf2 Qb5+ {I considered pushing pawns but wanted to get my queen closer to help escort the pawns through.} (18... e4 19. fxe4 Bxe4 {Rybka}) 19. Kg1 Qe2 { with the idea of ...f6, either pushing the bishop off the c1-h6 diagonal and advancing the d-pawn, or on 20.Bc1 mating with 20...Qe1#} 20. h4 $2 { now the bishop can"t retreat to h4} (20. a4 f6 21. Bh4 (21. Bc1 $4 Qe1#)) 20... f6 21. Rh3 $2 fxg5 (21... Bxh3 {first is more accurate}) 22. hxg5 Bxh3 0-1 '/></object></div>Grandpatzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08858795059694934352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597221176110651316.post-71099006137698336982009-06-28T08:59:00.000-07:002009-06-28T10:24:27.120-07:00DKos Chess Tournament, Round 2<div style="text-align: justify;">It's very rare for me to attribute the primary cause of a loss to my not trying, especially in a serious game. It was clearly the main factor in the following game.<br /><br />It's interesting to see how the flash player handles variations. I have to make more use of this widget! For this game I'm going to let the widget do my work, and skip .jpg images of key positions.<br /><br /></div><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://chessflash.com/releases/latest/ChessFlash.swf" width="100%" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://chessflash.com/releases/latest/ChessFlash.swf"><param name="flashvars" value="orientation=H&tabmode=true&light=f4f4fF&dark=0072b9&bordertext=494949&headerforeground=ffffff&mtforeground=000000&mtvariations=FF0000&mtmainline=000000&mtbackground=ffffff&pgndata=[Event "Online Chess"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2009.06.27"] [Round "1"] [White "Gangster_Octopus"] [Black "FreeRadical"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "1453"] [BlackElo "1107"] [PlyCount "27"] [EventDate "2009.??.??"] [TimeControl "1"] 1. e4 e5 2. f4 Bc5 3. Nf3 d6 4. Bc4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. d3 a6 (6... Bg4 7. Na4 ( 7. h3 Bxf3 8. Qxf3 exf4 (8... Nd4 $6 9. Qg3 Qe7 (9... Nxc2+ 10. Kd1 Nxa1 11. Qxg7 $40) 10. fxe5 dxe5 11. Kd1 c6 12. a4 Rg8 13. Rf1 h6 14. Ne2 O-O-O 15. Nxd4 Bxd4 16. c3 Bb6 17. a5 Bc7 18. Be3 Kb8 19. Kc2 Ka8 20. Rf3 Nd5 21. Bg1 Nf4 22. Qf2 Bb8 23. g3 Nxh3 24. Rxf7 Qd6 25. Qb6 Rd7 26. Bc5 Rxf7 27. Bxd6 Rf2+ 28. Qxf2 Nxf2 29. Bc5 {1-0 Rubinstein,A-Hromadka,K/Maehrisch Ostrau 1923/HCL}) 9. Bxf4 (9. Bb5 O-O 10. Bxc6 bxc6 11. Bxf4 d5) 9... Nd4 10. Qd1 (10. Qg3 Nh5) 10... c6 11. Qd2 d5 12. exd5 O-O) 7... O-O 8. Nxc5 dxc5 9. O-O Qd6 10. h3 Bxf3 11. Qxf3 b5 12. Bb3 c4 13. dxc4 bxc4 14. Ba4 Nd4 15. Qd1) 7. fxe5 (7. Rf1 $5 Be6 (7... Bg4 8. h3 Bxf3 9. Qxf3 Qe7 10. Qg3 $1 $14 Nd4 11. fxe5 dxe5 12. Kd1 Ne6 13. Qxe5 Bd4 14. Qf5 Bxc3 15. bxc3 h6 16. Be3 O-O-O 17. Ke2 Rd7 18. Qa5 c6 19. Rab1 Nc7 20. Rxb7 Kxb7 21. Rb1+ Nb5 22. Qb6+ Kc8 23. Qxc6+ Rc7 24. Qxa6+ Kd8 25. Rxb5 Nd7 26. Rd5 {1-0 Bangiev,A-Weigend,J/ICCF corr 1984}) 8. Nd5 Bxd5 9. exd5 Nd4 10. fxe5 dxe5 11. Bg5 h6 12. Bxf6 Qxf6 $11) 7... dxe5 8. Bg5 h6 9. Bxf6 (9. Bh4 Qd6 10. Qd2 Bg4 11. O-O-O Bxf3 12. gxf3 Nh5 13. Nd5 g5 14. Bg3 O-O-O $11 15. Ne3 Bxe3 16. Qxe3 f6 17. Bf7 Ng7 18. c3 Kb8 19. d4 Qe7 20. Bb3 exd4 21. cxd4 Nf5 22. Qf2 Nfxd4 23. Bd5 Qb4 24. Rd3 Rxd5 25. exd5 Qc4+ 26. Rc3 Ne2+ 27. Qxe2 Qxe2 28. dxc6 Re8 29. cxb7 Re7 30. Rb3 Rd7 31. Re1 Qd2+ 32. Kb1 Qxe1+ 33. Bxe1 Rd1+ 34. Kc2 Rxe1 35. h4 Rh1 36. hxg5 fxg5 37. Kd3 h5 38. Ke4 h4 39. Kf5 Rg1 40. f4 g4 41. Re3 h3 42. Re8+ Kxb7 43. Rh8 Rg2 44. b3 h2 45. a4 g3 46. Kg4 Rg1 {0-1 Zvardon,P (2085)-Sosna,J (2370)/Vsetin 1997/EXT 98}) 9... Qxf6 10. Rf1 (10. Nd5 Qd6 11. Qd2 Be6 12. Rf1 (12. Bb3 O-O-O 13. Ne3 Nd4 $15 14. Nxd4 Qxd4 15. Ke2 Qxb2 16. Rab1 Qd4 17. Rhf1 Bxb3 18. Rxb3 Qxe3+ 19. Qxe3 Bxe3 20. Kxe3 f6 21. Rfb1 b6 22. c3 Rd6 23. d4 exd4+ 24. cxd4 Re8 25. Re1 Rxe4+ 26. Kxe4 Re6+ 27. Kf5 Rxe1 28. Kg6 Re2 29. Rg3 Rxa2 30. Kxg7 b5 31. Kxh6 b4 32. h4 Ra3 33. Rg8+ Kb7 34. Re8 Rg3 35. h5 a5 36. d5 b3 37. Kh7 b2 38. Re1 a4 39. d6 cxd6 40. h6 a3 41. Kh8 a2 42. h7 Rg6 43. g4 a1=Q 44. Re7+ Kc6 { 0-1 Kovar,V (2210)-Plachetka,J (2435)/Litomysl 2004}) 12... O-O-O $11) 10... Qd6 $11 (10... O-O {Rybka doesn"t seem to mind castling into a minority attack. I would be inclined towards queenside castling.}) (10... Bg4 11. h3 Bxf3 12. Qxf3 (12. Rxf3 Qh4+ $15) 12... Qxf3 13. Rxf3 Nd4 14. Bxf7+ Kd7 15. Rf2 Raf8 16. Rc1 Be7 $15) (10... Be6 11. Bxe6 (11. Nd4 Qh4+) 11... Qxe6 $11 (11... fxe6 $5)) 11. Bxf7+ $2 $17 Kxf7 12. Nxe5+ Ke8 $6 $14 { This move can"t really be explained.} (12... Kg8 $1 $17 {Rather than try to prove the piece sac incorrect, I just gave in and assumed I was worse at this point. Even if it wasn"t clear at the time whether Bxf7+ was "!" or "?", 12. Kg8 was the only way to play on.} 13. Nf7 $2 (13. Nxc6 { is probably the best chance for White.} {I would probably have played} Qxc6 { , deflecting the Q off of an important diagonal.} (13... bxc6 $1 $17 {Rybka})) 13... Qxh2 $1 $19 {I think this is an example of where opening study can be helpful, not because knowledge of an exact sequence of moves would have helped, but because knowledge of a typical motif would help find the right move here. Q and B ravaging the White kingside and creating mating threats appears as a common theme in the King"s Gambit.} ({Even after a move such as} 13... Qg6 { Black has a slight edge.} 14. Nxh8 Kxh8 {With the bishop pair offsetting a rook and two pawns, Rybka and I prefer Black. Black has an advantage in development; the white king is still stuck in the center; White appears weak on the dark squares.}) 14. Nxh8 Qg3+ 15. Kd2 (15. Rf2 Qxf2#) 15... Qe3#) (12... Ke7 13. Nf7 Qxh2 $1 14. Nd5+ Kf8 $1 (14... Ke8 15. Nxh8 Qg3+ 16. Kd2 Bg4) 15. Nxh8+ Kg8 16. Nf7 Be6) (12... Ke6 $4 13. Qg4+ $18) (12... Ke7 $2 13. Nd5+ $18) 13. Qh5+ g6 14. Nxg6 $14 { Black resigned without even trying to find a solution.} (14. Nxg6 Bg4 $1 { This deflection would have allowed Black to play on.} 15. Qxg4 Rg8 {looks like it will give Black a manageable game (B vs. three pawns). Rybka at this point only had a modest advantage for White, but as I explored some variations it found a good continuation to secure an advantage for White. All this is besides the main point: there was no need for Black to resign in this position. } 16. Qh5 $1 Rxg6 (16... Qxg6 $4 17. Qxc5) 17. d4 $1 {e.g.} Bxd4 18. O-O-O Qe6 19. Nd5 Kd7 20. c3 $1) 1-0 "></object><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. e4 e5 2. f4 Bc5 3. Nf3 d6 4. Bc4 Nf6</span><br /><br />This is as far as my <a href="http://grandpatzerchess.blogspot.com/2009/06/23-lines.html">"1% repertoire"</a> continues. I've finished a lean repertoire database that contains only positions I've encountered in at least 1% of my games. Up until this point I haven't studied King's Gambit lines much...they're not encountered frequently, and opponents don't typically play main lines. 4.Bc4 is the main move that I encounter here, and the only one in my 1% repertoire (another example of how, at lower levels, sidelines are actually main lines). It's not specifically addressed in Marin's <a href="http://www.qualitychess.co.uk/products/1/2/beating_the_open_games__2nd_edition_by_mihail_marin/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Beating the Open Games</span></a>, but is likely to transpose to the main line...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5. Nc3 Nc6 6. d3</span><br /><br />...as it does here. However, in my database of 7000+ personal games, I've only encountered this <a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tabiya">tabiya</a> twice! So, until now, I've been justified in not studying the main lines of this opening.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">6...a6</span><br /><br />...and here I don't recall my "repertoire" move 6...Bg4, which was played in the other two games. Now that I've finally encountered this game in a serious game for the first time, I'll spend some time reading over Marin's chapter on this opening and map out a main line. I intend to flesh out my "1%" repertoire by mapping out one main line for each variation.<br /><br />Marin actually has some analysis of 6...a6 in the footnotes. The idea is to preserve the bishop against Na4. This is a common moves in openings such as the Guioco Pianissimo, but here it's costing a tempo that could be used for developing. Some of the lines I'll be investigating are included in the widget's annotations.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">7. fxe5</span> (7. Rf1!? Marin) <span style="font-weight: bold;">... dxe5 8. Bg5 h6 9.Bxf6 Qxf6 10. Rf1</span><br /><br /><br />Essentially a novelty (one unrated game in my main database). Marin gives 10. Nd5.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">10...Qd6=</span><br /><br />Understandable, but not addressing the need to develop. 10... O-O is preferred by Rybka, who doesn't seem to mind castling into a minority attack. However, I would be inclined towards queenside castling. <br /><br />I like 10... Bg4, e.g. 11. h3 Bxf3 12.Qxf3 (12. Rxf3 Qh4+ =/+) 12... Qxf3 13. Rxf3 Nd4 14. Bxf7+ Kd7 15. Rf2 Raf8 16.Rc1 Be7 =/+. However, because this line is still somewhat crazy tactically, 10... Be6 may be a better practical choice, e.g. 11. Bxe6 (11. Nd4?? Qh4+ -+) 11... Qxe6= (Rybka also likes 11... fxe6!?, which I find interesting...the doubled pawns take away key squares from White's knights).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">11. Bxf7+?! -/+ </span><br /><br /><br />Looks more dangerous than it is. At this point, however, I felt I had missed something and from this point on stopped trying--which is not like me at all.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">11... Kxf7 12. Nxe5+ Ke8?! +/=</span><br /><br />This move can't be explained. 12... Kg8!? is the obvious choice, even if it wasn't clear at the time whether Bxf7+ was "!" or "?". 13. Nxc6 is then probably the best chance for White. I would probably have played 13...Qxc6, deflecting the Q off of an important diagonal. Rybka prefers 13... bxc6 =/+.<br /><br />However, 13. Nf7? would be a mistake: 13... Qxh2! -+ I think this is an example of where opening study can be helpful, not because knowledge of an exact sequence of moves would have helped, but because knowledge of a typical motif would help find the right move here. A Queen and Bishop ravaging the White kingside and creating mating threats appears as a common theme in the King's Gambit. <br /><br />Even if Black didn't find this killer move after 13.Nf7?, a move such as 13... Qg6 would leave Black with a slight edge, e.g. 14. Nxh8 Kxh8. With the bishop pair offsetting a rook and two pawns, Rybka and I prefer Black. Black has an advantage in development; the white king is still stuck in the center; and White appears weak on the dark squares.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">13. Qh5+ g6 14. Nxg6 +/- Black resigns??</span><br /><br />Black resigned without even trying to find a solution. It would not have been hard, however, to find the following resource: 14...Bg4!, which would have allowed Black to play on. 15. Qxg4 Rg8 looks like it leaves Black a manageable game (B vs. three pawns). Rybka at this point initially evaluated the position as a modest advantage for White, but as I explored some variations it found a good continuation that leaves White with a distinct advantage: 16. Qh5! Rxg6 (16... Qxg6? 17. Qxc5) 17. d4!, e.g.17...Bxd4 18. O-O-O Qe619. Nd5 Kd7 20. c3!<br /><br />Which is besides the main point: there was no need for Black to resign in this position.<br /><br /><br /></div>Grandpatzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08858795059694934352noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597221176110651316.post-32486603594529912862009-06-19T19:11:00.000-07:002009-06-19T20:11:41.033-07:0023 linesI was thinking about how little opening theory can be applied to my games, so I conducted a little exercise with Chessbase and a database of about 7000 of my games (most from ICC). I constructed an opening tree consisting only of positions that I would expect to face as White in 1% or more of my games.<br /><br />The result is shockingly small: 23 variations, with none longer than 6 moves.<br /><br />Because I'm in the middle of an online tournament, I don't want to reveal too much of my repertoire, but just breaking down the percentages after 1.e4:<br /><br />1...e5 44.6% (My mainest of main lines continues past move 5 just under 1% of the time!)<br />1...c5 16.0%<br />1...e6 9.0%<br />1...d5 5.9%<br />1...c6 4.6%<br />1...d6 3.3%<br />1...g6 1.7%<br />1...Nf6 1.6%<br />1...b6 1.4%<br />1...Nc6 1.1%<br /><br />The data is somewhat skewed. My database of 7000 or so games goes back 12 years or so, and I only counted positions that I would face in my current repertoire. I've been quite faithful to my repertoire over those years, but there are notable exceptions (I used to play the exchange Spanish, and I avoided the open Sicilian with c3 or Bg5 systems for much of that period). In my current repertoire, no Sicilian line has been seen past move 5 more than 1% of the time! I need to see if I can do some sophisticated filtering to separate out the games that agree with my current repertoire.<br /><br />The data also shows that at lower levels of play, "minor" variations actually become major. For example, in the Ruy Lopez the Steinitz, Cozio and Bird variations are now "major" lines to contend with.<br /><br />My <a href="http://grandpatzerchess.blogspot.com/2007/10/using-chessbases-repertoire-database.html">repertoire database</a> has been getting a bit weedy, so I may start a leaner, meaner repertoire database using just these 23 lines, and making sure that I map each main line out several moves further. I can repeat the exercise for my Black games, although there I expect an even stubbier tree of variations because White gets to vary with the first move. The goal is to declare a chunk of theoretical turf where I know anything outside its boundaries is encountered less than 1% of the time.Grandpatzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08858795059694934352noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597221176110651316.post-16736266699985052382009-06-18T08:21:00.000-07:002009-06-18T12:56:51.648-07:00DKos Chess Tournament, Round 1<span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;">I'm taking part in an informal online tournament organized by the Daily Kos community. Apparently Mig Greengard caught wind of this, so there are actually </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/6/7/739592/-DKos-Chess-Tournament-%28PRIZES-from-Garry-Kasparov%21%29">prizes to be had</a></span><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;">, including a book autographed by Kasparov. I doubt I'll win anything, but you never know.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;">Here is my first round game, where I had White. The time control was 30 minutes...no incremental, no "insufficient losing chances" appeals to an arbiter. Rybka found a lot of interesting variations throughout the game, but I'm going to try and focus on key moments. Also, I may get some traffic from players that are new to the game, so I'll try to elaborate more on certain concepts that are unfamiliar to newbies. I'll also have a summary list of take-home lessons at the end of the game.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br />For those unfamiliar with chess annotation symbols such as "?!" or "+/=", I direct you <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punctuation_%28chess%29">here</a>.<br /></span><div><span style="font-size:100%;"><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://chessflash.com/releases/latest/ChessFlash.swf" width="100%" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://chessflash.com/releases/latest/ChessFlash.swf"><param name="flashvars" value="orientation=H&tabmode=true&light=f4f4fF&dark=0072b9&bordertext=494949&headerforeground=ffffff&mtforeground=000000&mtvariations=FF0000&mtmainline=000000&mtbackground=ffffff&pgndata=[Event "DKos Tournament"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2009.06.16"] [Round "1"] [White "FreeRadical"] [Black "FightingRegistrar"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "B35"] [Annotator "Rybka 3 32-bit (120s)"] [PlyCount "141"] [EventDate "2009.??.??"] 1. e4 c5 2. 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mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><o:p> </o:p>FreeRadical - FightingRegistrar [B35]<o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">DKos Tournament (1), 16.06.2009<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i><span style="">[Rybka 3 32-bit (120s)]</span></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Rybka 3 is the name of the analysis software I used to help me analyze the game.<br /></span></p><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyY4DnRkEQKxBj6do9ncd_xGed4KtSGOuxq6qZ1MIK6rRqE_69VDENDVu8uug-51XzcwVXSc8WR9fhF5CVQ0gOnppItT7BNRY1uKzyNfk2VSSRo6NC2P_jpBSc-IEBrmzWFadXu0yfsJ0/s1600-h/200906184.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyY4DnRkEQKxBj6do9ncd_xGed4KtSGOuxq6qZ1MIK6rRqE_69VDENDVu8uug-51XzcwVXSc8WR9fhF5CVQ0gOnppItT7BNRY1uKzyNfk2VSSRo6NC2P_jpBSc-IEBrmzWFadXu0yfsJ0/s400/200906184.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348741500009191858" border="0" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I'll have some commentary on the opening because I'm a bit of an opening wonk. I want to re-emphasize for the Kossacks that, for most of us, studying openings in depth isn't the best use of our chess time....but I enjoy it.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The "Accelerated Dragon".<span style=""> </span>A standard Dragon inserts 4...Nf6 5.Nc3.<span style=""> </span>When Black omits 4...Nf6 in the Sicilian, it can allow White to play 5.c4, leading towards a "Maroczy Bind" position.<span style=""> The pawns on e4 and c4 tend to cramp Black's game. </span>In <span style="font-style: italic;">Beating the Sicilian 3</span> by Nunn and Gallagher, this is the approach they choose for White.<span style=""> </span>I find the weakness of a1 and b2 early in the opening uncomfortable, but I should look into these positions more.<span style=""><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">In <span style="font-style: italic;">Winning with the Fischer-Sozin Attack</span> by Gary Lane, the author advocates Bc4 and kingside castling against dragon systems.<span style=""> </span>This is the approach taken in this game.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>5.Bc4 </b>(5.c4 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Nc3 0–0 8.Be2 d6 9.0–0 Bd7 10.Qd2 is the Maroczy Bind main line) <b>5...Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Nc3</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUo2Ph9cHr1YfNNJbodneIYQSIpcKcUN68ci3Kxzm9nS9YnDUQsrCtHzHjcg5MtZ3BE_Xk7nPzLjZDszViKPIXIdt_uSEDPBtUhu_p6CJMRB1DdF_cPnXiZYSN_FFL2zuaDUnmTKB1KMw/s1600-h/200906187.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUo2Ph9cHr1YfNNJbodneIYQSIpcKcUN68ci3Kxzm9nS9YnDUQsrCtHzHjcg5MtZ3BE_Xk7nPzLjZDszViKPIXIdt_uSEDPBtUhu_p6CJMRB1DdF_cPnXiZYSN_FFL2zuaDUnmTKB1KMw/s400/200906187.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348741507172609970" border="0" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>7...0–0 </b>So far the main line of this variation.<span style=""> </span>I have 5572 games with this position in my reference database.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">7...Nxe4 8.Nxe4 d5 is the "<span style="font-weight: bold;">center fork trick</span>" that White has to keep in mind.<span style=""> </span>Here it fails for Black: 9.Bb5 dxe4 10.Nxc6 bxc6 11.Bxc6+ Bd7 12.Bxa8. <b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUo2Ph9cHr1YfNNJbodneIYQSIpcKcUN68ci3Kxzm9nS9YnDUQsrCtHzHjcg5MtZ3BE_Xk7nPzLjZDszViKPIXIdt_uSEDPBtUhu_p6CJMRB1DdF_cPnXiZYSN_FFL2zuaDUnmTKB1KMw/s1600-h/200906187.jpg"><br /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>8.Qd2 </b>A stereotyped move in these Dragon positions, but not the choice of Grandmasters. 8.Bb3 (avoiding the center fork trick) is the main line, e.g.: 8...d6 9.h3 transposing into a regular (i.e. not accelerated) Dragon.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>8...a6 </b>The center fork trick 8...Nxe4! works now, e.g. 9.Bxf7+ <span style="font-style: italic;">(</span><i>9.Nxe4 d5) </i>9...Rxf7 10.Nxe4. Black isn't "winning" but does have the bishop pair and a central (albeit hanging) pawn pair.<span style=""> </span>White has a developmental advantage and fewer pawn islands.<span style=""> </span> <b>9.0–0N </b>("<b>N</b>"<b> </b>stands for "novelty", meaning we finally have reached a position that's not in my database of about 3.6 million games)<b> 9...b5 10.Bd3 Bb7</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeQSTITNJus6NrE_8EZn1fENrOAwQWp1FrEW_xqqC3-1mDq-yPCrvrzmhzAo5GKrVs7Dk1JBsa9d3wa6C38cf318DndfkPOGYZ3k0jpesOFLiKkJB_G_v95A_iRBgwvLJcoXeX-0agXuM/s1600-h/2009061810.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeQSTITNJus6NrE_8EZn1fENrOAwQWp1FrEW_xqqC3-1mDq-yPCrvrzmhzAo5GKrVs7Dk1JBsa9d3wa6C38cf318DndfkPOGYZ3k0jpesOFLiKkJB_G_v95A_iRBgwvLJcoXeX-0agXuM/s400/2009061810.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348741507973422610" border="0" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>11.Rae1</b> 11.f3 was considered during the game.<span style=""> </span>Rybka likes it, but the weakening of the a7-h2 diagonal is unattractive.<span style=""> </span>Also, a long-term consequence of pushing the f-pawn in these positions is that, if Black succeeds in penetrating the queenside (typically down the c-file), he can then sweep towards the kingside down the second rank.<span style=""> </span>In such cases a pawn on f2 often provides important shelter.<span style=""> </span>As an aside (because it was referred to in the DKos open diary), Bc4 and f3 are most commonly associated with queenside castling, in the Yugoslav Attack main line of the Dragon.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> <b>11...Ng4 </b>Usually, if White has played this opening properly, ...Ng4 is either prevented with f3 or h3, or is allowed when Bf4/g5 is possible.<span style=""> </span>White does not want Black to capture the e3 bishop if it can be helped. <b>12.Nxc6 Bxc6 13.Bf4 Qa5<br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiADVUrw14Og0-VycH35kPfxVOKhaF0L9OLFKbf9VOpUuZYITAaQDOvDDzCOOW5ZYfNuhTonH5pmEtp0pGjuWojgskUIvjLkeMix2ticAwclGcZA4Ov7-frPO9NorS2swjGjFxX_T5T-0s/s1600-h/2009061813.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiADVUrw14Og0-VycH35kPfxVOKhaF0L9OLFKbf9VOpUuZYITAaQDOvDDzCOOW5ZYfNuhTonH5pmEtp0pGjuWojgskUIvjLkeMix2ticAwclGcZA4Ov7-frPO9NorS2swjGjFxX_T5T-0s/s400/2009061813.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348741509550912514" border="0" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">This was the "oh, crap" moment for me, because now it appears that I can't avoid a shattering of my queenside pawn structure.<span style=""> </span>Rybka, however, found a solution.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>14.a3?!<br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Rybka found 14.Nd5! Qxd2 <i>(14...Qxa2 15.Nxe7+ Kh8 16.b3 Qa3 17.Nd5+/=) </i>15.Nxe7+ Kh8 16.Bxd2 Bxb2= Both sides now have isolated pawns on half-open files. <b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>14...Bxc3 15.Qxc3 Qxc3 16.bxc3=/-<br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG9o0QBIyvA0bLTU4fIwIxwM980q8nlqw-wNSBkcyPFYLVNEK4JkwajrtgvUfokjt-Pef_ffqshUle4xuF6j6WrpcUnmlV7g1GvH_FP73eM83d7FGfE4ibeHYV1OEZH_phqjbwprbovbI/s1600-h/2009061816.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG9o0QBIyvA0bLTU4fIwIxwM980q8nlqw-wNSBkcyPFYLVNEK4JkwajrtgvUfokjt-Pef_ffqshUle4xuF6j6WrpcUnmlV7g1GvH_FP73eM83d7FGfE4ibeHYV1OEZH_phqjbwprbovbI/s400/2009061816.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348741513281223602" border="0" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The isolated doubled pawns on the c-file are ghastly.<span style=""> </span>However, White does have the bishop pair.<span style=""> </span>For a while, Black's N is offside and the bishop pair helps White stay alive. For those new to chess: a pair of bishops is usually considered an advantage, but a small one (about half a pawn). For more information on tallying the relative values of the pieces, see <a href="http://home.comcast.net/%7Edanheisman/Articles/evaluation_of_material_imbalance.htm">this article</a>.<b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>16...Nf6 </b>(16...f6 17.c4= Rybka) <b>17.f3 Rac8 </b><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I now wanted to repair my queenside pawns, but I chose the wrong way. <b>18.a4?! </b>Instead, 18.c4! looks best to me. It gets rid of one pawn off the c-file, and<span style=""> </span>the remaining pawn can be backed by a rook and advanced. Rybka shows that complications can be found by Black, however: 18...bxc4 19.Bxc4 Bxe4!? 20.Bxa6 Ra8 21.fxe4 Rxa6 22.e5 Nd5 23.Rd1 with an unclear position to me. <b>18...bxa4 19.Bxa6 </b><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNbbtIPNHyng7g5XZkuVept0nE3VlN9y45qMBdIQElX2FFSvCJwCySkuIO1gAISkqL1EddZzdpv88rVh34FtOLTYy-mORktK2oPUjzhQWrKt_jNxnKjKfgq_or2LOEYx7HjJ2TtKbKj5w/s1600-h/2009061819.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNbbtIPNHyng7g5XZkuVept0nE3VlN9y45qMBdIQElX2FFSvCJwCySkuIO1gAISkqL1EddZzdpv88rVh34FtOLTYy-mORktK2oPUjzhQWrKt_jNxnKjKfgq_or2LOEYx7HjJ2TtKbKj5w/s400/2009061819.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348741932982363906" border="0" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">My plan was to offset pressure down the c-file with my own pressure down the a-file.<span style=""> </span>However, Black isn't so much defending his a-pawn as attacking with it.<span style=""> </span>The passed pawn is very dangerous and much more easily advanced than White's doubled, but not passed, c-pawns.<span style=""> </span>The constellation of pawns on the queenside actually gives Black a space advantage.<span style=""> </span>White will be cramped trying to attack the a pawn and defend the c pawns at the same time.<span style=""> </span><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>19...Ra8 20.Bc4 </b>Actually at this point having three loose pieces on the c-file bothered me a lot.<span style=""> </span>I was worried about ...Rfc8, and Rybka agrees. Rybka prefers 20.Bd3 d6, but <span style=""> </span>I felt at the time I needed my bishop on the a2-g8 diagonal to help manage Black's passer. <b>20...Ra5 </b>(20...Rfc8!?-/+ Rybka] <b>21.Be3 </b>Thinking of using the two bishops to cause problems for Black's rook(s) on the a-file (21.Ba2 Rybka) <b>21...a3 </b>(21...Rc8! Rybka) <b>22.Ra1</b> Rybka has more faith in White's defence at this point than I do, and considers this position roughly equal.<span style=""> </span><b>22...Rfa8</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinsu4Z-z_1dGHxfAmiQ4XRS7n90tA2uHZkBSk1d503zFusSAS_tcRQY5-4HauRGh1IUHWW-amnu9OEDomiBzvn20KHIwuPR9ZYc6M3xFKLp1jr71DVk_HRyUHRNXZYFaVVt_8UxrfsI7c/s1600-h/2009061822.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinsu4Z-z_1dGHxfAmiQ4XRS7n90tA2uHZkBSk1d503zFusSAS_tcRQY5-4HauRGh1IUHWW-amnu9OEDomiBzvn20KHIwuPR9ZYc6M3xFKLp1jr71DVk_HRyUHRNXZYFaVVt_8UxrfsI7c/s400/2009061822.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348741934282288738" border="0" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b> 23.Rfb1 </b>Rather than doubling rooks on a1 and a2, which seems futile, I wanted to keep one rook active.<span style=""> </span>I felt that a rook on the b file could alternate between attacking the a pawn, defending a c pawn, and possibly creating other threats such as back-rank mates. <b>23...Ne8 </b>(23...d5!? is given by Rybka), but activating the knight makes sense) <b>24.Bb6 </b><b>Ra4 25.Rb4 </b>trying to tempt Black into undoubling my c-pawns (25.Bb3 R4a6 26.Bc4 might lead to a draw by repetition as well) <b>25...Nd6 </b>(25...Rc8!? Rybka: 26.Rxa4 Bxa4 27.Bd3 Rxc3 28.Ra2=) <b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBIsjlrJysfYZ_Y3CYHDos8LAEyEGp5L-yCah-UTG2J3BhL8UUHTE3V2Wd7XKs41rR-mLe5hna2u5xdWNji6YKmK1zmnSxLBDoPKjieRRV8P73vK1LQ5BR9jlowhiz7Tg6jK23ZKr4EjY/s1600-h/2009061825.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBIsjlrJysfYZ_Y3CYHDos8LAEyEGp5L-yCah-UTG2J3BhL8UUHTE3V2Wd7XKs41rR-mLe5hna2u5xdWNji6YKmK1zmnSxLBDoPKjieRRV8P73vK1LQ5BR9jlowhiz7Tg6jK23ZKr4EjY/s400/2009061825.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348741937455247666" border="0" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>26.Bb3<br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Over the board I couldn't see through the complications after 26.Rxa4, which Rybka prefers: 26...Bxa4 <i>(‹26...Rxa4 27.Bb3 Ra8 28.Bc5±) </i>27.Bd5 Rc8=</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> <b>26...R4a6 27.Bd4 </b>simultaneously protecting the c-pawn and indirectly preventing a2 <b>27...Nb5 </b>(27...a2? 28.Rxa2 Rxa2 29.Bxa2 Rxa2?? 30.Rb8+ Nc8 31.Rxc8#) <b>28.Kf2 </b>I was willing to give up the bishop pair to get rid of the active N and fix my pawns <b>28...d6 </b><b>29.Bc4 </b>Pressing the issue <b>29...Rb8<br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX-EhAJvQ4hCfCR5RQ37ynKJgm41b-5E-c__8bHzhP5ktmnnEl3nbR5amd_653ac49mY86LjT6BtHuXnNQ6JSTe_Z1vOSF3a5frlHHnxK9v0ipfoknbtp8WUM8OYFjNwjSGmuPJxDi2Es/s1600-h/2009061829.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX-EhAJvQ4hCfCR5RQ37ynKJgm41b-5E-c__8bHzhP5ktmnnEl3nbR5amd_653ac49mY86LjT6BtHuXnNQ6JSTe_Z1vOSF3a5frlHHnxK9v0ipfoknbtp8WUM8OYFjNwjSGmuPJxDi2Es/s400/2009061829.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348741936110952242" border="0" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">In several variations in the next few moves (omitted for brevity), I saw Rybka taking advantage of the fact that the knight is pinned to the b8 rook (e.g. Be3 is possible without dropping the c3 pawn). I was aware of some of the possibilities but did not appreciate at the time how valuable an asset this was.<span style=""> </span><b>30.Rb3 </b><b>e5 </b><b>31.Bxb5? </b>I was worried that at some point the knight would be unpinned and become dangerous, but this is a premature release of the tension. White has given up the bishop pair and simplified the position.<span style=""> </span>I think this should be a black win as long as an opposite-coloured bishop endgame is avoided.<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">For the novices: endgames with just pawns and opposite-coloured bishops (one on light squares, the other on dark) are the easiest for the defender to draw. In a nutshell, you can always defend with more force than the attacker, so for example your bishop and king can blockade passed pawns on, say, dark-coloured squares and be impervious to a light-squared enemy bishop.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>31...Rxb5!-/+ </b>31...Bxb5 seems OK for White after either 32.Be3 or 32.c4<span style="font-weight: bold;">. </span><b>32.Be3 Rba5? </b>Rybka is adamant over the next few moves that "passed pawns must be pushed":...a2! <b>33.c4?! </b>Rybka blockades the pawn with 33.Ra2! In the game I didn't like putting both rooks on the light diagonal, but Rybka is ok with it: 33...d5 and White just avoids …34.exd5?? Bxd5. <b>33...Ra4 </b>(33...a2!)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKt5c8zhyVfLfYx5gw80ARsa-RQczffO48CJl05TJxfYKt30l3_7dxzSQZByxaFmZh7laE0aG-OlCwFUghB4mTHCmEHq-iZ9O5DyOPLq-jLL_yAdDS67Rl72GOiYmgIYkjBByjXzVkHL4/s1600-h/2009061834.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKt5c8zhyVfLfYx5gw80ARsa-RQczffO48CJl05TJxfYKt30l3_7dxzSQZByxaFmZh7laE0aG-OlCwFUghB4mTHCmEHq-iZ9O5DyOPLq-jLL_yAdDS67Rl72GOiYmgIYkjBByjXzVkHL4/s400/2009061834.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348745128208093714" border="0" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8s1cpdF14Fmm8yW_c0lsgqus-DR2e8cwSbqnGchNxdaA0plBsRf_qWniTjmmpKu29H5_wAt8MMEYILVpTf_s0Ay_oigRBzFiFHo3OV1gE_POt5AuZZwF0gRa7pUYsodsbUGI9ZcdxgaA/s1600-h/2009061832.jpg"><br /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> <b>34.c5? </b>Finally getting rid of the doubled pawns, but Rybka considers this a clear error (34.Ra2!)<b> 34...dxc5! 35.Bxc5 a2! 36.Rb2 Rc4 </b>I think better choices include centralizing the King, advancing the f-pawn, and (my favorite) cycling the B to e6 via d7 to overprotect the pawn and commence working on another weakness. <b>37.Be3 Rca4</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn25E8OFEZcdcqq-OV7KRSLbL5h-7XZhFKBaEm6Mls6tj5PIoidOLEdsjtuhzn8lVC-a54mXKRYoZWbiGIR8fKGkXXTb3MLGKlzw4kXJAG8a83JtWWVNqjUQYWMeWm4vXa2N5k5YhwCV0/s1600-h/2009061837.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn25E8OFEZcdcqq-OV7KRSLbL5h-7XZhFKBaEm6Mls6tj5PIoidOLEdsjtuhzn8lVC-a54mXKRYoZWbiGIR8fKGkXXTb3MLGKlzw4kXJAG8a83JtWWVNqjUQYWMeWm4vXa2N5k5YhwCV0/s400/2009061837.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348742310212986770" border="0" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>38.Bh6 </b>At the time, I thought encouraging ...f5 and trading some kingside pawns would be advantageous.<span style=""> </span>Actually, I think that gives Black further play options, e.g. creating another passer.<span style=""> </span>At this point, however, all of White's options seem poor. Rybka initially liked 38.Bc5, but on further analysis seems no better: 38...Bd7 39.g4 Be6 40.Rb8+ Kg7 41.Bf8+ Kf6 42.h4 g5 43.hxg5+ <i>(43.h5? Ra8 44.Rxa8 Rxa8 45.Bb4 Rb8 46.c3 Bc4 47.Ke3 Rd8 48.Kf2? Rd2+ 49.Kg3 Rb2) </i>43...Kxg5 <b>38...f5 39.exf5 gxf5 40.Kg3?</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjac0HXVieryrFmo7QsfOU4I1wLaaubu7lcFE7aYeL9ygZR3m_xBgMCGvzg0eEbtaPsTpboVpY4zyGxexc9EgFcGIILenr0GbDftPT9OBAqL8whSkfmsOAN9N1Qz-y3Xft401H9I6dwvK4/s1600-h/2009061840.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjac0HXVieryrFmo7QsfOU4I1wLaaubu7lcFE7aYeL9ygZR3m_xBgMCGvzg0eEbtaPsTpboVpY4zyGxexc9EgFcGIILenr0GbDftPT9OBAqL8whSkfmsOAN9N1Qz-y3Xft401H9I6dwvK4/s400/2009061840.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348742311355641762" border="0" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I was thinking of penetrating with the K to grab loose pawns...if the 4th-rank barricade could be lowered. <b>40...Kf7?<br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Rybka, however, found a very interesting set of lines that gave Black a clear advantage, based on threatening to trap White's bishop with </span><span style="font-size:100%;">40...f4+! I started to analyze these lines, but it gets rather complicated. However, given that White was under time pressure this complication would have been very uncomfortable. <b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>41.c3? </b>41.c4! Without going into too much analysis, this provides a wrinkle in the line 41...f4+ 42.Kf2 The c4 pawn prevents ...Bd5, so Black's bishop gets in the way: 42...Bd7 <i>(42...Ba8 43.Bg5 Rc6 44.Rbxa2 Rxa2+ 45.Rxa2 Bb7 46.Ra7) </i>43.Bg5 and the B can escape. <b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>41...Kg6 (</b>41...f4+!) <b>42.Bf8 e4 </b><b>43.fxe4 fxe4<br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn9DPGRXHalPzaDEQ4kns58ykpx8sDeotLZSRnuJJwvkiiZOF8_hdIfoD7IWYZbdaQD6NuvXHVBG7l425LftIbNDj_z8RCGsgdPSQ8mrrJCXprbQp1W7OEyubSLRjYn7oXi0wMImbIb4o/s1600-h/2009061843.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn9DPGRXHalPzaDEQ4kns58ykpx8sDeotLZSRnuJJwvkiiZOF8_hdIfoD7IWYZbdaQD6NuvXHVBG7l425LftIbNDj_z8RCGsgdPSQ8mrrJCXprbQp1W7OEyubSLRjYn7oXi0wMImbIb4o/s400/2009061843.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348742311454874530" border="0" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>44.Rb4? </b>Rybka considers this an outright error leading to a losing position.<span style=""> </span>I think simplification helps Black, but at the time I wanted to get closer to an opposite-coloured bishop endgame. [<b>44...Rxb4–+ 45.cxb4 Ra4 </b>The move that bothered me was<b> </b>45...e3! , since the king can't get in front of the pawn]. <b>46.Bc5 </b>(covers both b4 and e3) <b>46...Kf5!–+ 47.Kf2 Ke5 </b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWB0vF2fXs7XSm-R_JP80N0IMMyIFTYFoaAn08YEkdwUKDK8Mrvn99naFrv8UizZnTW1UluT-sotdigZvJt9gV1FAP6R3rxCv7JZ5SyU86w8VrJvvW6zC_9et5LiMirkxWJ842fiCw1DM/s1600-h/2009061847.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWB0vF2fXs7XSm-R_JP80N0IMMyIFTYFoaAn08YEkdwUKDK8Mrvn99naFrv8UizZnTW1UluT-sotdigZvJt9gV1FAP6R3rxCv7JZ5SyU86w8VrJvvW6zC_9et5LiMirkxWJ842fiCw1DM/s400/2009061847.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348742316206156402" border="0" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>48.g4 </b>trying to get some counterplay as my clock is getting low on time.<span style=""> </span>After losing several endgames because my opponent's pawns on one wing were further ahead than mine, I've come to appreciate such advances.<span style=""> </span>In this game it turns out that my advanced kingside pawns save me. <b>48...Kd5 </b><b>49.h4 </b><b>Kc4 50.Ke3?! Kb3?! </b>(50...Ra3+! Rybka. The rook on the third rank is powerful) <b>51.Bd4? </b>The time crunch is taking a toll. It wasn't neccessary to give up the pawn. White could have continued with 51.g5, e.g. 51...Kb2 52.Bd4+ <b>51...Rxb4 </b><b>g5 </b><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAXE7ZcRU0qd9L17aQKmEhVnsAjC5ypRAe8Ewnjyl8RCwWzDhornMsQG-ixJ34muwcrjh1AlFQM5C3S0mpNFmBlu-bfyY9aPnSkJOXAUsBB1sMTQTHa113PvQ6E6neYYc4-OGjOKC2KnI/s1600-h/2009061852.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAXE7ZcRU0qd9L17aQKmEhVnsAjC5ypRAe8Ewnjyl8RCwWzDhornMsQG-ixJ34muwcrjh1AlFQM5C3S0mpNFmBlu-bfyY9aPnSkJOXAUsBB1sMTQTHa113PvQ6E6neYYc4-OGjOKC2KnI/s400/2009061852.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348742321714988978" border="0" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>52...Ka3?? </b><b>53.Bc5!= </b>White doesn't win the exchange because of his own weak rook. However, the resulting endgame should be a draw, even though White must give up the bishop to do so. <b>53...Kb2 </b><b>54.Bxb4 Kxa1 55.Bc3+ Kb1<br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>56.h5! </b>Rybka had a hard time seeing that this leads to a draw. When you've used computers enough you realize that there are positions where they have difficulty "looking over the horizon" and need to be coaxed along. I had to drag Rybka through the variations kicking and screaming before it would agree. <b> a1Q </b>56...Be8!? was Rybka's move, but the computer took a while to find that 57.g6! draws, e.g. 57...Bxg6 <i>(57...hxg6?? 58.h6+-) </i>58.hxg6 hxg6 59.Kxe4= <b>57.Bxa1 Kxa1</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0QeZgIPjdPoGfVb6l8va-mxgQZw-zbundZCUWI_QXmaMWrsF37QtETgutKS66ttHrfkw03Om7OsX_mL4QCAB9gXqwxnanWb95KeQd2gMavRKr2wbMi_5DASPW_ff3XgDA5W5bcPumji0/s1600-h/2009061855.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0QeZgIPjdPoGfVb6l8va-mxgQZw-zbundZCUWI_QXmaMWrsF37QtETgutKS66ttHrfkw03Om7OsX_mL4QCAB9gXqwxnanWb95KeQd2gMavRKr2wbMi_5DASPW_ff3XgDA5W5bcPumji0/s400/2009061855.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348742537633172130" border="0" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>58.g6! </b>I was desperately short on time here.<span style=""> </span>For a while I thought that maybe I should have pushed h6 first and then g6, but that doesn't work because of 58...Be8-+. <b>58...hxg6?? </b>My opponent felt that 58...h6 was the move he should have made.<span style=""> </span>Rybka agrees but still doesnt' see a win for Black. 59.Kd4! actually threatens to win for White by taking d5 away from the defending bishop: 59...Bd5! <i>(59...Kb2 60.g7+-) </i>60.Kxd5 e3! 61.g7 e2 62.g8Q e1Q and if anything White should have the advantage in this queen endgame, but it's complicated and White would probably lose on time. <b>59.h6+- </b>now White technically has a win, but only seconds on the clock. <b>59...g5 </b><b>60.h7 g4 61.h8Q+ Ka2 </b><b>62.Qc3 </b><b>Ba4 </b><b>63.Qd4 </b><b>63...Bc2 64.Qd5+ </b><b>64...Kb2 </b> <b>65.Qg5 g3 </b><b>66.Qxg3 Kb3 </b><b>67.Qb8+ </b><b>67...Ka2 </b><b>68.Qa7+ </b></span><span style="font-size:100%;">There are many forced mates in this endgame.<span style=""> </span>I'll just show one mate in 4, because that's at least possible to see with about 15 seconds on the clock remaining: </span><span style="font-size:100%;">68.Kd2 Bb3 69.Kc3 Ka1 70.Qxb3 e3 71.Qb2# <b>68...Kb1 </b><b>69.Qc5 </b><b>Kb2</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOnPPVZcN_hr1N2rD8lfdFofgOV3jT6LXMGrTx3PeeBSd4cveNSrManPqCsqHT48Jd-qszLsaBc6it1L53ig-kgGGYjV3gd59vRoB82ObGbIe1qk8DfrT9jsZNEnPLXHJecRnqR-lVGDo/s1600-h/2009061869.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOnPPVZcN_hr1N2rD8lfdFofgOV3jT6LXMGrTx3PeeBSd4cveNSrManPqCsqHT48Jd-qszLsaBc6it1L53ig-kgGGYjV3gd59vRoB82ObGbIe1qk8DfrT9jsZNEnPLXHJecRnqR-lVGDo/s400/2009061869.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348742540774848466" border="0" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>70.Qxc2+ </b>[70.Kd2 e3+ 71.Qxe3 Bb3 72.Qb6 Kb1 73.Qxb3+ Ka1 74.Qb4 Ka2 75.Kc1 Ka1 76.Qa3#] <b>70...Kxc2 71.Kxe4 </b><b> ½–½</b></span><span style="font-size:100%;"> Draw forced with 3.6 seconds left on the clock.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Themes this game:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><ul><li><span style="font-size:100%;">the center fork trick (moves 7-8)</span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;">using piece exchanges to weaken an opponent's pawns (moves 14-16)</span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;">the bishop pair (annotation to move 16)</span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;">"passed pawns must be pushed" (moves 21-35)</span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;">the pin (moves 29-31)</span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;">opposite-coloured bishops (annotation to move 31)</span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;">entrapment (moves 40-41)</span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;">advancing pawns as endgame insurance (move 48)</span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;">the skewer (move 53)</span></li></ul><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span>Grandpatzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08858795059694934352noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597221176110651316.post-32370485804908929312009-04-14T07:27:00.000-07:002009-04-14T08:05:15.094-07:00Pawn Breakthrough<div style="text-align: justify;">Here's the second recent endgame of mine that I thought was instructive. Don't panic, though...it's not nearly as complicated as that last rook endgame.<br /><br />I've noticed that I have trouble with breakthroughs in pawn endgames. I think it's part blindness, part the avoidance of calculations, and part unwillingness to muck up my tidy pawn chains.<br /><br />I entered into a pawn endgame where I, as black, had a pawn plus and the opposition.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgngDG5SSZROD8dodT9J6OQh95K-CgaEeHaYn5vr0rM23mpVEfCkRlsOxe-SXAVaFalyTkWdEnIrRwMkTpTgHgFZKGa9aB5n01buoA-8OSTLLb5Oqifbfn95si68B7NOiw9Ici1uBeo-6I/s1600-h/200904131.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgngDG5SSZROD8dodT9J6OQh95K-CgaEeHaYn5vr0rM23mpVEfCkRlsOxe-SXAVaFalyTkWdEnIrRwMkTpTgHgFZKGa9aB5n01buoA-8OSTLLb5Oqifbfn95si68B7NOiw9Ici1uBeo-6I/s400/200904131.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324557246412576818" border="0" /></a><br />However, after White played <span style="font-weight: bold;">49.Ke2-d2!?</span>, Black can't win through opposition alone. In some endgames the attacker keeps re-seizing the opposition, pushing the defending king back and finally grabbing material. However here, after 49... Kf3 50. Kd3 for example, White takes the opposition, and after my <span style="font-weight: bold;">49...Kf4</span> White could have kept up resistance with 50.Ke2!? and repeating the position. Instead, he let me take the opposition and win with the usual opposition technique: <span style="font-weight: bold;">50. Kd3 Kf3 51. Kd2</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Kf2 52. Kd3 Ke1 53. Kc2 Ke2 54. Kc1 Kd3 55. Kb2 Kd2 0-1.</span><br /><br />The fact that opposition alone here shouldn't win should have been more obvious to me at the time. The following is a classic position of this nature. Black to move:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCyH-Qo0feI6qh1Mpty6knVychLMo42GgOts8TTVJ_FQweEiC56vdA27X0sr8Sm9jGAoriRxfwKXn5cqasnU60iMa8rJIXo9M4C15qiv-lJeZFbaqVwtZ24EtOnERHuv7b-m_qglLZPQc/s1600-h/200904132.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCyH-Qo0feI6qh1Mpty6knVychLMo42GgOts8TTVJ_FQweEiC56vdA27X0sr8Sm9jGAoriRxfwKXn5cqasnU60iMa8rJIXo9M4C15qiv-lJeZFbaqVwtZ24EtOnERHuv7b-m_qglLZPQc/s400/200904132.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324557248822333570" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1...Ke7!=</span><br /><br />However, in my game Black still wins in several lines by the breakthrough ...b4! For example, after <span style="font-weight: bold;">49.Kd2:</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWSsJt297RMWQOlxCEH20jvJbgI_0v2AHQwV7dK65BM9aU5EBJcIayD6E56Cdjab5MunSYkqFsSUvJ_Frj2zU4-4zyBkzjq8s3xJiSv685t9knYj6xjuWXiJBTn5P0HyRtqUrUSs10gIc/s1600-h/200904133.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWSsJt297RMWQOlxCEH20jvJbgI_0v2AHQwV7dK65BM9aU5EBJcIayD6E56Cdjab5MunSYkqFsSUvJ_Frj2zU4-4zyBkzjq8s3xJiSv685t9knYj6xjuWXiJBTn5P0HyRtqUrUSs10gIc/s400/200904133.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324557254788178210" border="0" /></a><br />49... b4! 50. axb4 (50. cxb4 allows Kxd4) 50... a3 51. Kc2 a2 52. Kb2 Kd3 and after White captures the a-pawn Black gobbles all of White's remaining pawns and wins.<br /><br />I tried to find a similar pawn endgame in my reference books, and also by ChessBase posistion searches, but couldn't find anything. I think this highlights how complex pawn endgames can be...only 4 pawns versus three, and yet this structure may be unique. ChessBase's search functions can be quirky, however. For example, if I searched my blog database, I could find this game using the position, or using the material count, but not both. Weird.<br /><br /></div>Grandpatzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08858795059694934352noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597221176110651316.post-91382612189331415822009-04-07T19:11:00.000-07:002009-04-07T20:01:56.236-07:00Two Killer Apps for the iPodMonths ago I looked into chess applications for my iPod Touch and didn't find anything that grabbed me. I checked again this last weekend and found two I was quite pleased with. One is free, and one is ten bucks. Which is for you?<br /><br />Glaurung is the free chess app. You can vary its playing strength on a scale from 0 to 100. You can play against it or analyze with it (best line only shown), and can set up positions. There are several different preset time controls, and you can tweak other options such as permanent brain, play style, and book variety. One advantage that Glaurung has is that it can save games or load them from a .pgn file. I have no idea where this .pgn file is located, or if it syncs to your computer, but it at least means you can save games.<br /><br />Shredder has an app available for $10. What do you get for your money? First, you can vary the play strength from 850 to 2400 Elo (I can't independently verify the accuracy of its Elo scale, but I like it better than Glaurung's 0-100). It can also be set to automatically adjust its rating to your level as you play games. You can adjust its play style, and can turn on a coach feature. The one main drawback to Shredder is that, at least in the current version, you cannot save your game. However, you can email it.<br /><br />One final edge that Shredder has is that it has a database of 1000 test positions built into it that you can solve. The points you get for each puzzle depends both on accuracy and speed of solving. I like this feature a lot, although for some of the positions it says "you have solved this puzzle" after getting the first few moves correct, when I would still like to see a few moves further into the solution. this isn't a big deal, though, because you can stop the quiz and select "play this position".<br /><br />So far my conclusion is: Shredder has the advantage if you're looking for a program to play against. The Elo rating with a sliding scale and automatic adjustment to match your play level is a nice feature, and I really like the puzzle feature. However, if you want to be able to save your games (e.g. if you don't have email access and can't email the game to yourself), or if you're thrifty, Glaurung is really quite nice. Both look attractive, and both appear to be hideously strong (I'm worried about the consequences this technology will have on tournament play). If you're serious about chess, and can already afford an iPhone or iTouch, then I don't think you'll regret purchasing Shredder...but you can download Glaurung first and then decide if you really want or need more.Grandpatzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08858795059694934352noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597221176110651316.post-78087714219696106062009-04-06T12:44:00.000-07:002009-04-06T18:12:52.435-07:00Instructive Rook Ending<div style="text-align: justify;">First: a shout out to <a href="http://thechunkyrook.wordpress.com/">chunkyrook</a>. His endgame posts helped get my gumption level up to posting some endgame analysis of my own. I also rather liked <a href="http://thechunkyrook.wordpress.com/2009/03/25/conquering-open-lines-with-a-blockade/">this example of seizing a file</a>...a fairly simple idea, yet one that was new to me.<br /><br />Sometimes I get a basic ending that I thought I knew reasonably well , and then after analyzing it I realize how much of endgame play is still mysterious. I had two such instances recently where the analysis was instructive. Here is the first, which should have a dead-drawn R+P vs. R endgame. I was black:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvaWZ9hPwNpyfnW9eNR581EotXZ9OGiqEHu530Tsqa5GvO76NcMh8k0OnksWeVH0QUhmsWQf3_xvl5lCIBZVXxT60f_JQXl60l9BY7SK6SkwaE2VyNp_f8n4FDFrFYW2AJp6D3YFt8Gtw/s1600-h/200904061.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvaWZ9hPwNpyfnW9eNR581EotXZ9OGiqEHu530Tsqa5GvO76NcMh8k0OnksWeVH0QUhmsWQf3_xvl5lCIBZVXxT60f_JQXl60l9BY7SK6SkwaE2VyNp_f8n4FDFrFYW2AJp6D3YFt8Gtw/s400/200904061.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321742854574867538" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I had just captured on c5. The defending king is able to get in front of the pawn, which should be an easy draw. A rule of thumb in 1-pawn rook endgames is the <span style="font-weight: bold;">"Rule of 5"</span>: if the number of the rank of the pawn, plus then number of files the defender's king is cut off, is greater than 5 then the side with the pawn wins. There's exceptions but it beats assessing a position by coin toss. With a pawn on the third rank (counting from Black's side) the defending king would have to be cut off by 3 files to be winning according to the Rule of 5. Here, you don't even need to invoke the rule: the king isn't cut off at all and is free to get in front of the pawn, so this should be a cakewalk for White. However, after <span style="font-weight: bold;">76. Kd3 Rc1 77. Ra4 Kb5 78. Rh4 c5 79. Kd2 Rg1 80. Kc2 Rg3 81. Rf4 c4 82. Rh4 Kb4 83. Rh8 </span>(threatens a series of checks from the rear, a theme of the Philidor position we are arriving at) <span style="font-weight: bold;">Rg2+ 84. Kc1 Kc3 85.Rh3+ Kb4: </span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvixjm_UwNdouiEARWNMnOPLvWbzPljSFwVyoT8dhdNNcN00z6uIrNWgxWwK1Bx78vARcrD4jVlflhiMqURYZqZF72poDhdCiAuRW3Jl970huZGBadok3yn9Zmn_5DNBa-VjCWk_lTh7Y/s1600-h/200904062.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvixjm_UwNdouiEARWNMnOPLvWbzPljSFwVyoT8dhdNNcN00z6uIrNWgxWwK1Bx78vARcrD4jVlflhiMqURYZqZF72poDhdCiAuRW3Jl970huZGBadok3yn9Zmn_5DNBa-VjCWk_lTh7Y/s400/200904062.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321742858833813970" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This should be a dead drawn Philidor position. For those unfamiliar with this ending, the Philidor position is one of the standard defensive techniques. All White has to do now is keep his rook on the third rank (e.g. 86.Rf3), which prevents White from getting their king ahead of the pawn. If Black delivers checks from the side, the White king just bounces between c1 and c2. If Black tries to make progress by advancing the pawn, White can play the rook to the 8th rank and deliver endless checks from the rear. If this drawing method isn't familiar to you, it's one of the first rook endgames you'll want to study.<br /><br />However, my opponent played <span style="font-weight: bold;">86. Rh4?-+</span>, probably thinking this prevented advancement of the pawn because of the pin. However, <span style="font-weight: bold;">86... Kb3</span> is now a win for White--<span style="font-style: italic;">but only barely!</span> The king can use the pawn as shelter against a check on the 3rd rank. After <span style="font-weight: bold;">87. Rh8</span>, a critical position has been reached:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtQ77TtKgju0Js6atkfnJItCIEh4PhX-YBLqPVjUcRMeWKriR_PjgsWZmVBS3nrPeEpHQf8B6X10SaiTuGtTcT1bdkmMC0MmO2dO8T2PM3xDPAkTf-bt66Zh1X9OURK3QrqFD98aZ5uso/s1600-h/200904063.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtQ77TtKgju0Js6atkfnJItCIEh4PhX-YBLqPVjUcRMeWKriR_PjgsWZmVBS3nrPeEpHQf8B6X10SaiTuGtTcT1bdkmMC0MmO2dO8T2PM3xDPAkTf-bt66Zh1X9OURK3QrqFD98aZ5uso/s400/200904063.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321742858802278402" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">87... Ra2?=</span> If the pawn were on c3, and White was passively defending with a rook on the first rank, ...Ra2 would be involved in the winning line. This method of playing against passive defense is another basic rook endgame, but that's irrelevant to this position. Short on time, and with a 12-second increment on the clock, I was going with my gut at this point.<br /><br />There is only one winning move here: 87... Rg1+! and it turns out that after 88. Kd2 c3+ white wins:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbmhWEmsTJOyIPmLhZBBXIDHCpwlOLfxnrGUeBrhcxCs0ZIAIvx80cJVrGH0LXXUlj94QTpMGmATx_6GYL_o7FqRD1ovyDrW4fAV264yNwjqmcjMF83idYWb3aKRe9OOZnfaeCRjLGkjY/s1600-h/200904064.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbmhWEmsTJOyIPmLhZBBXIDHCpwlOLfxnrGUeBrhcxCs0ZIAIvx80cJVrGH0LXXUlj94QTpMGmATx_6GYL_o7FqRD1ovyDrW4fAV264yNwjqmcjMF83idYWb3aKRe9OOZnfaeCRjLGkjY/s400/200904064.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321742859028293618" border="0" /></a><br /><br />For example 89. Kd3 Rd1+ (89...Rg3+ also wins) 90. Ke3 c2 91. Rb8+ Ka4 92. Ra8+ Kb5 93. Rb8+ Ka6 94. Ra8+ Kb7.<br /><br />I have not seen this winning method in any of my endgame manuals, yet it seems important. If anyone has seen this covered before, can you let me know where?<br /><br />The game continued <span style="font-weight: bold;">88. Rb8+ Kc3</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxeSNt5qXaROa7FqpWYvYp4ojrRZ3-EtAGFrbCbG1hL-Dq5UqhyphenhyphenA7MCMHGqEkKhMYpO5t_GR9FZkJ8sEWSm1VNFWiW1lhfWM7rVt3eceH9xP0KBFkXTVleREV-rYVHiV6zR2SODi2sTTw/s1600-h/200904065.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxeSNt5qXaROa7FqpWYvYp4ojrRZ3-EtAGFrbCbG1hL-Dq5UqhyphenhyphenA7MCMHGqEkKhMYpO5t_GR9FZkJ8sEWSm1VNFWiW1lhfWM7rVt3eceH9xP0KBFkXTVleREV-rYVHiV6zR2SODi2sTTw/s400/200904065.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321743075848048514" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">89. Kb1!</span> Well played. This ending appears similar to one covered in <span style="font-style: italic;">Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual</span> as well as (if memory serves) Soltis' <span style="font-style: italic;">Grandmaster Secrets: Endings</span>. Dvoretsky mentions Philidor's "second defensive method": if the rook can't occupy the cutoff rank, it should place itself behind the pawn. The king goes to the "short side" of the pawn (i.e. the side with less space between the pawn and the edge of the board...in this case the left side). Because the defending king is on the "short side", the attacking king is on the "long side" and if it tries to squeak out the long side it can be subjected to checks from the side.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">89...Rh2 90. Rd8</span> This also draws, but 90. Rc8 is the thematic "attack the pawn from the rear" second defensive method. After 90.Rd8, White needs to be careful. <span style="font-weight: bold;">90... Rh1+ 91. Ka2</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Kc2</span> (if the defending rook were on c8, this move would just lose the pawn to Rxc4)....<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicOk64zmDwCWNI-c6u_xd4m5LKzGzUUt9CVfAfe8gvKwNL070VkiV7bUsXfV9gM4qO6X6XRINOAgQNuJzLMB5XZt4St-DXoufsm6KxxsJL7E7s3tJ2hIkMbyyEjdvzC0MJ15RXpHZWoIs/s1600-h/200904066.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicOk64zmDwCWNI-c6u_xd4m5LKzGzUUt9CVfAfe8gvKwNL070VkiV7bUsXfV9gM4qO6X6XRINOAgQNuJzLMB5XZt4St-DXoufsm6KxxsJL7E7s3tJ2hIkMbyyEjdvzC0MJ15RXpHZWoIs/s400/200904066.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321743077446745554" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">92. Rd7?-+</span><br /><br />Now we see why the "short side" defence is an important resource. Because White's rook didn't stay behind the pawn, it is able to advance. Now the only way to draw is from side checks, e.g. 92. Rg8! (or 92.Rf8!) 92...c3 93. Rg2+ (93.Rg3 also draws) and if 93...Kc1 94. Kb3.<br /><br />After 92.Rd7? there are still a few tricks involved in winning the endgame. <span style="font-weight: bold;">92... Rh5</span> wins, but the endgame tablebases reveal this shorter and sneakier winning line: 92... Rh8! 93. Ka3 c3 94. Rc7 Ra8+ 95. Kb4 Kb2!!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXGjVeVCVSqSxM7Tl9mv67ye_IbyUCT0UW62QiAeo1F8FTgGOP7_P-mIUCksnNdqQ2MW68QpW0hBqDvifA8qrpuzEyV3dQ3LQ5iD2bsNcIFZYf76KBrj9nyNnWa8Xt66ChLnYHKYwThT8/s1600-h/200904067.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXGjVeVCVSqSxM7Tl9mv67ye_IbyUCT0UW62QiAeo1F8FTgGOP7_P-mIUCksnNdqQ2MW68QpW0hBqDvifA8qrpuzEyV3dQ3LQ5iD2bsNcIFZYf76KBrj9nyNnWa8Xt66ChLnYHKYwThT8/s400/200904067.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321743079859556594" border="0" /></a><br /><br />with the point 96. Rxc3 Rb8+ 97. Kc4 Rc8+ wins the rook. This appears to be an important resource. Several of the lines I analyzed in this endgame resulted in this position.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">93. Ka3 Rc5?=</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9F83cLr8nzG4v-KKPXm-OxkAETJExnIZcUD_DDRX6PqNm0o0DIkgc4vDbuoaIxVs8IMPwas5rJ1S3ppNyul3_eF5ZnXm0Z2kO08NMw_oQvVvbLuMee5E3lha5bqYkFZpyksm3mLiCKIo/s1600-h/200904068.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9F83cLr8nzG4v-KKPXm-OxkAETJExnIZcUD_DDRX6PqNm0o0DIkgc4vDbuoaIxVs8IMPwas5rJ1S3ppNyul3_eF5ZnXm0Z2kO08NMw_oQvVvbLuMee5E3lha5bqYkFZpyksm3mLiCKIo/s400/200904068.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321743082525985314" border="0" /></a><br />This allows checking from the side. It turns out the only winning move is 93... Rh3+! 94. Ka2 (94. Kb4 c3 95. Rc7 Kb2 is the sneaky win mentioned above) 94... Rh8 and wins.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">94. Kb4?-+</span> (Many moves draw, but 94. Rh7 with the idea of checking from the side appears simplest, e.g. 94...c3 95. Rh2+)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">94... Rc8!</span> Now rook behind the pawn wins. Black can advance the pawn and use it as a shield from side checks. <span style="font-weight: bold;">95. Rd4 c3 96. Rh4 Kc1 (96... Kb2 is shorter) 97. Rh1+ Kb2 98. Rg1 c2</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">99. Rg2 Kb1 100. Kb3 c1=Q 0-1</span><br /><br />Even the simplest rook endgames are difficult to play perfectly. Familiarity with the basic positions (e.g. Lucena/Philidor) and concepts (checking distance; Rule of 5; playing the king to the short side; defending via repeated checks from rear/side/front) help guide you in the right direction (86.Rf6; 89.Kb1!; 94.Rh7 etc.). However, sometimes there's no substitute for calculation (87.Rg1!).<br /><br /></div>Grandpatzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08858795059694934352noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597221176110651316.post-89630911569713606732009-03-28T06:31:00.000-07:002009-03-28T07:24:48.615-07:00Fine's Description of Chess MastersI found A Passion for Chess by Reuben Fine at a used book store. I've only played through a few games in it so far (I'm currently working on a collection of Alekhine's games), but I've really enjoyed them so far. I've never paid much attention to Fine or his writings in the past, although I noted while playing through the games of Nottingham 1936 that he shared joint second with 9.5/14 (Capablanca and Botvinnik won with 10/14; Alekhine was at 9/14).<br /><br />He ultimately chose a professional career in psychology over chess. In one interesting passage, he categorizes the masters of the day into pure chess professionals and dabblers:<br /><br /><blockquote>In the period from 1935 to 1938 I had come to know all the leading masters of the day personally. There were two types of master: one whose primary interest was in some other field, and who played chess chiefly as an intellectual exercise; the other the pure professional. Among the leading players the former type was more common; the pure professionals, surprisingly, were often second-raters. Lasker thought of himself primarily as a philosopher and a mathematician, though he did make a living at chess for a while. Capablanca was in the Cuban Diplomatic Service. Euwe was a mathematics instructor and assistand principal of a high school in Amsterdam. Vidmar was an eminent authority on electrical engineering; Botvinnik, who was in the same field, used to say admiringly that he would give up half of his chess skill to do what Vidmar had done in electrical engineering. Edward Lasker in this country is a well-known engineer; he invented the breast pump.<br /></blockquote><br />I was always struck by Edward Lasker's tournament photos. The expression was of someone daydreaming about something pleasant, with a gentle-yet-odd smile. Perhaps like many professionals he had a hard time getting work off his mind.<br /><br />Fine continues:<br /><br /><blockquote>The pure professionals, even in Europe where they got along better, were most uneasy about their status, and sometimes acted in a most offensive manner. Alekhine is perhaps the best example; he was a very sadistic individual, who became a Nazi sympathizer during the war. Bogoljubow had some of his rivals put in concentration camps by the Nazis when they arrived on the scene in Germany. But there were also many pure professionals who were quite attractive as personalities. Tartakower was a learned, witty, and amiable gentleman. The Englishman Winter was a most unusual and colorful man. Both of these could have done well in any number of other fields.</blockquote><br />A famous quote of Bogoljubow's is: "When I am White, I win because I am White. When I am Black, I win because I am Bogoljubov." And then, there's the lesser known Option Three...Grandpatzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08858795059694934352noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2597221176110651316.post-13566545011977505502009-01-27T08:20:00.001-08:002009-04-06T19:18:47.843-07:00Rybka 3 Monte Carlo Analysis: Fixed!<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Commenter</span> Stalemate gave <a href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2597221176110651316&postID=1216891622957067391&pli=1">a fix to my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Rybka</span> 3 problem with Monte Carlo analysis</a>. I had to tweak his suggestion to fit the Vista folder hierarchy.<br /><br />Basically, copy of the contents of the c:\Program Files\Common Files\<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">ChessBase</span>\Engines.<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">uci</span>\ folder to a "local settings" folder. You may need to turn on the ability to see hidden files to do this.<br /><br />Stalemate's destination folder:c:\Documents and Settings\xxx\Local Settings\Temp\ (where xxx is your user name). This appears to be for Windows <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">XP</span>.<br /><br />For my Vista laptop, the path was c:\users\xxx\<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">AppData</span>\Local\Temp\<br /><br />Note: you're not copying the Engines.<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">uci</span> folder to the Temp directory, but its contents (i.e. the .<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">uci</span> engines). At first I just copied the folder, and it didn't work.<br /><br />I'll be letting ChessBase support know about this fix.Grandpatzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08858795059694934352noreply@blogger.com0