Chessvine.com - My Adventures

The State of My Personal Chess

nospam@example.com (ColonelCrockett) — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 15:33:26 -0400

The following correspondence game was played by me against an unidentified opponent and I thought that for my own benefit I'd go through it and give some commentary:

E33: Nimzo-Indian: Classical: 4...Nc6
White: Online Opponent
Black: Me

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 Nc6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. e3 d5 7. a3 Bxc3+ 8. bxc3

After this move the game enters a very dynamic but normally drawn character. I choose the most active move (albeit perhaps a little too ambitious).

8. ...Re8 9. cxd5

some people may criticize white here for releasing the central tension. However, they are overlooking the dominant position of White's two Bishops. White is trading one advantage for another -the central tension for an open field for his Bishop pair. Owever, Black is happy with this change because he gains a half open file for his rook.

9. … exd5 10. Be2 Bg4

Black appreciates a lead in development but can't really exploit it so the position her is roughly equal. White's plan will be to activate his drak-square bishop and black's will be to activate his rooks and try to trade off one of the enemy Bishop's to break up the pair.

11. O-O a6

in hindsight this may have been a mistake. The threat of Bb5 only trades off my least active minor piece for one of the demon bishops.

12. h3 Bh5 13. Bd1

This was a good chance for White to put in c4. He neglects to do so and Black has a chance to improve himself ...

13. … b6?

… but fails to do so. I mistakenly want to edge for a c5 break. I need to keep the game closed … not play for breaks.

14. Nd2 Bg6?

Simply trading bishops gives Black a powerful attack. I'm not certain what was thinking. Gain a tempo? Captures do that anyway (as the tempo gets passed back to you after a recapture).

15. Qb2 Bd3 16. Re1 Na5 17. Be2 Bxe2 18. Rxe2

I'm going to ignore the justification for the last few moves. Neither player has done very well but at least Black has a plan involving the c4 square. What is white's plan? At any rate Black is back on track. He is set up now so that white has an undefended rook, a trade on c4 will now result in white becoming passive and my remaining knight would dominate the terribly bad bishop.

18. … c5

well, I got the break I wanted !?

19. a4 Qc7 20. Rb1 Rab8 21. Qa2 b5 22. Nf3 Rb7 23. Ne5 Reb8 24. Reb2 Ne4 25. Bd2 f6??

after some inventive play I missed the best move. The worst part is that I looked at the move but considered the knight kick-out better.

26. Qxd5+ Kh8 27. Qxe4 fxe5 28. Qxe5

This turns out to be the decisive mistake. Fritz (yes, I said Fritz) gives the continuation 28. axb5 Nc4 29. b6 Qd6 30. dxe5 Nxe5 with White just better.

28. … Qxe5 29. dxe5 Nc4 30. Ra2 bxa4 31. Rxb7 Rxb7 32. Be1 a3

I think some players may be tempted to play 32. … Nxe5? When 33.
Rxa4 Kg8 34. Kf1 and again white is just better and on his way to fixing his biggest problems with an extra pawn.

33. Kf1 Rb2 34. Ra1 a2 35. Rd1 Kg8 0-1

White resigned with no way of stopping the coming queen without big sacrifice. I would describe this game as a muddle with the occasional spark of inspiration. I had poor plans in many positions but the thing I can honestly say is that I DID have a plan. A poor plan is always better than no plan. Sadly, this was a correspondence game so it just goes to show my skills have waxed old over the past couple of years. I need to get back into tournament play where the opposition is better prepared and I can start my analyzing engine (my brain) back up once more.

Review: "Endgame" by Frank Brady

nospam@example.com (ColonelCrockett) — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 12:10:17 -0500

When I was first asked to review Frank Brady's new book my first thought was that it would be yet another biography of Bobby Fischer and interchangeable with any of the others. It's difficult to write a review for a book that's a poor carbon copy of a hundred others. This book brought me into its realistic world of novelized history very quickly. And it doesn't let up its interest grabbing until Bobby's final act.

In general the chess community collectively knows quite a bit about Fischer - his madness, his genius - but men like Frank Brady were given unique opportunities to socialize with the man behind the sensationalized media hype and for him to share the experience and research with a variety of readers is a gift that I have come to appreciate more than I expected I could.

It's a common thing for biographers to jump from the novelized history to a poorer form of chronological history: “this happened, then this, then this, ...” However, moving from one scene in Brady's new book to the next is the most seamless effort I've ever read in biographies in general.

Mr. Brady writes the Championship Match between Fischer and Borris Spassky in a somewhat different manner than the rest of the book showing a greater depth of focus by the author. The change is understandable in the context and the greater focus acknowledges the event as Bobby Fischer's magnum opus. However, unlike the kid glove handling(s) of the championship I've read in the past there is a more honest approach. A view of both sides as being in high tension. Not just Bobby giving unrelenting demands but the soviet chess machine's reactions to the interference by Dr. Max Euwe (then FIDE President) and other such unique circumstances. It is also noteworthy that Borris Spassky shines as a sportsman by not objecting to the match continuing after Bobby's strange behavior.

A reader becomes intimately familiar with a number of the "players" as well as with Fischer himself through this work. If you like Bobby as a chess genius this book is a must read. If you think him completely insane this book is a must read. Likewise, if you enjoy biographies or usually pass them up this is still a book you must read. If you know nothing about chess and have never played before in your life this book will still hold your interest (with my personal proviso that some of Bobby's seemingly strange behavior is excusable in the chess community in general). Get your hands on a copy of this book. I highly recommend it. I was pleasantly surprised and impressed.

New York Times Review
Salon.com Review
Wired Review

Chess Mood Music

nospam@example.com (ColonelCrockett) — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 11:35:03 -0400

Here is my disclaimer: This is NOT a paid advertisement and is merely an expression of my personal opinions. end.

Those of you that know me personally know that I have a deep love of music. I'm especially interested in what effect music has on a persons chess playing abilities. I've seen several people at tournaments listening to different types of music as they play so I'm not alone in this regard.

I've never really made a habit of listening to music while I play in a tournament but at home during study I occassionally find better results when listening to something reflecting my current mood.

It is in this regard that I'm writing this post. A friend of mine referred me to Pandora and I'm therefore passing on the referral and after much use I've come to really enjoy the site ... check it out and experiment!

http://pandora.com

GM Nigel Short Does NOT Have A New DVD

nospam@example.com (ColonelCrockett) — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 13:49:56 -0400

But GM Nigel Davies does.

Just so you know I am in no way reimbursed for this and it isn't an advertisement but a personal recommendation:

"Tricks & Traps Vol. 1 - 1.e4 Openings
Tricks and traps, especially in the opening, are a dangerous reality of competitive chess. All sorts of surprises await the unwary player, from devastating sacrifices to cunning move order ploys. A knowledge of such ideas is essential if a player wants to be the hunter rather than the victim.

On this DVD Davies presents a variety of tricks and traps that can arise after 1.e4 by White, breaking them down into a number of different categories. The examples are designed to appeal to players of every level and feature all of Black’s main defences. Besides coverage of some of the classics, Davies reveals some little known ploys and explains how likely these traps are to succeed. Accordingly the viewer should gain some psychological insights into the art of trapping and this should help his game as a whole. Video runnig time: 3 hours 49 min.

Nigel Davies has been an International Grandmaster since 1993 and is a former British Open Quickplay and U21 Champion. Besides his playing accomplishments he is an experienced chess coach with a unique understanding of club level chess. Accordingly he knows just what is likely to succeed."

Check it out!

The Best Chess Opponent: A Toaster

nospam@example.com (ColonelCrockett) — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 14:45:35 -0400

Source: Alexandra Kosteniuk

A Belt System For Chess?

nospam@example.com (ColonelCrockett) — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 13:27:14 -0400

I remember some time ago when I was reading a book called "Samurai Chess" by Michael J. Gelb and Raymond Keene that there was a listing provided for an impromptu belt system within chess ... based on the rating system (ELO).

I LOVE this idea. However, there are many problems I can see with this kind of system ... for example ... does a person lose their belt if their rating falls? The idea put forward in the book is more or less fan-service (a term you should become familiar with if you hope to improve in chess).

However, I believe there is the basis for such a belt system to be used by chess schools to encourage participation and involvement. I'm now going to retire to my laboratory and come up with some clever marketting and see what comes of the idea.

I'm Back!

nospam@example.com (ColonelCrockett) — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 15:34:36 -0400

After a short hiatus from blogging due to my birthday I have now returned!

FIDE National Instructor Titles Approved In Tromso, Norway

nospam@example.com (ColonelCrockett) — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 09:29:34 -0400

NI
UKR Kepeschuk, Mikhail
COL Buitrago, Shirley
USA Foisor, Sabina-Francesca
USA Taylor, Anton This Is ME! WOOT!
GRE Kouritis, Hariton
GRE Mihtis, Theodoros
BUL Nikolieva, Alexandrina
GRE Papaefstratiou, Andreas
GRE Psychogios, Antonios

My Letter To Bill Hall

nospam@example.com (ColonelCrockett) — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 14:35:41 -0400

Mr. Hall,

One of my favorite online 'haunts' is Chess.com. Recently a forum topic ther caught my eye "What Happened To The USCF" (http://www.chess.com/forum/view/general/what-happened-to-the-uscf)

There I see many former members giving criticisms and comparing the USCF of today with that of 30 years ago. The USCF seems to have no defenders there and I find it difficult to argue even though I'm a life member and love the organization.

I'm writing this letter as a concerned member in the hopes that these specific issues brought up on this discussion thread at chess.com can be addressed in some manner directly by the USCF and Chess Life staff.

It is my thought that dealing with these issues head-on and engaging in open discussion WITH NON-MEMBERS may be just the right recipe for bringing some of these people back.

Regards,
Anton Taylor
Senior Admin, Chessvine.com

Chessville: Tactics, Tactics, Tactics ...

nospam@example.com (ColonelCrockett) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:58:19 -0400

"Chess is 99% tactics" - Richard Teichman

I'd like to give you access to a wonderful resource from the guys over at Chessville.

What do they have there? Basically everything you ever wanted to know about chess tactics. Articles, downloads, and problems are the bread and butter of this compilation.

Head on over and check it out!

ChessTempo - Free Tactical Training

nospam@example.com (ColonelCrockett) — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 09:33:00 -0400

For those looking for cheap ways to train their tactical brain ... check this out!

CHESSTEMPO.COM

Where's Waldo ... err ... ColonelCrockett?

nospam@example.com (ColonelCrockett) — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 08:33:00 -0400

I was catching up after about a week of not looking at Chessbase and I found an article on the FIDE Trainers Commission. Those of you that have followed my blog know that I went to a trainer seminar this year to complete my FIDE certification. My picture is actually in the article. Can you find it?

Chess Puzzle:What's the idea?

nospam@example.com (ColonelCrockett) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 13:23:25 -0400

Here is a position that arose in a recent correspondence game of mine (black to move). I'm not going to give you any hints as to what theme of puzzle this is or where you should be looking but can you get to a good position easily from the diagram without asking Rybka's opinion?

Olimpbase

nospam@example.com (ColonelCrockett) — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 11:28:36 -0400

I wanted to leave you a little note to check out this website called Olimpbase. There is all kinds of news and resources and it's all chess! Navigate around the site. Check out the links on the left AND right sidebar. I personally found the most interesting stuff in the right sidebar (I'm sure there are visitors to that site that miss it).

Also, it might be useful to read the "about us" section there.

Pogonina iPod Contest

nospam@example.com (ColonelCrockett) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 14:04:15 -0400

Source: Natalia Pogonina
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Great news for all chess fans: grandmaster Natalia Pogonina announces a June chess auction the winner of which will get:
a chance to play 2 games against Natalia (with White and Black)
*Natalia’s 8GB iPod Nano with her favorite music and exclusive pictures
One of grandmaster Natalia Pogonina’s favorite chess books, personally signed
Time control and location (online or live) to be discussed individually. Game analysis and signed score sheet by grandmaster Natalia Pogonina included. Report at Pogonina.com – optional.

Auction Rules:

Starting bid: $300, the current highest bid will be displayed at the website (anonymously)

Winning criteria: the person with the highest bid wins. If he fails to confirm his bid after the end of the auction, the right goes to the 2nd highest bidder, etc.

Auction close date: 10 p.m. Moscow time, July, 11th, 2010

All the proceeds will go to Grandmaster Natalia Pogonina’s Chess Fund and be spent on promoting chess internationally.