Joshua Colas
Kapil Chandran plays frisbee
Greg Shahade
Arthur ShenAmazing pictures right? They were taken by Chris Wu's father, Ted. More are below, covering the answers to quiz questions, but you can also see them all here.
Vicary,Elizabeth - Eng,Randall [B31]
Marshall Sat g/60 (round 3), 18.07.2009
1.e4 c5
Marshall Sat g/60 (round 3), 18.07.2009
1.e4 c5
2.Nf3 Nc6
3. Bb5 It's really so much fun to play the Rossilimo against 1900s. It might be the only part of chess I always, unreservedly enjoy. In this game I thought I was much better in the opening and early middlegame, although it turns out I was not. But that didn't stop me feeling proud, safe, and crafty the whole time.
3...g6
4.Bxc6 bxc6 played instantly. inside, I chortled with joy.
5.d3 it doesn't matter, but probably it makes sense to castle first, since it is the most certain move on the board.
5...Bg7
6. 0–0 Nf6
7.Nc3 0–0
8.Be3 d6
9.h3 white always wants to play h3 in these lines because g4 is the only place where black's light squared bishop is at all relevant. ok, sometimes if white is not paying attention black organizes ...Ba6 and ....c4, but otherwise.
9...Rb8
10.Rb1 I learned this move from putting my game against Kelleher into rybka. I guess sometimes just staring dumbly at the engine evaluation does help.
10...Qc7
11.Qd2
My intention is some kind of dark squarey kingside attack: Bh6, N somewhere (g5?), f4-f5, rook lift etc. I also know for almost certain that he will move the rook, so when I play Bh6, he can answer Bh8. This is my other favorite thing about playing 1900s: they all believe wholeheartedly in this maneuver. Why is that? Just look at it for one second-- doesn't it look terrible??? Maybe it's good in the Yugoslav or something, when you need the bishop for your own attack, but I think it's an enormous stretch to think you are doing this for the safety of your own king. ...Bh8 weakens f7 (since no rook can defend on f8 and a knight on g5 cannot be easily kicked away) and takes every escape square away from the king. A knight on e7 is checkmate!! It's like some weird group hysteria.
11...Rd8
12.Bh6 Bh8 sucker
13.b3 I'm playing this to free my rook to go to e1. Maybe I don't need to do this, but on the other hand maybe he'll play ....d5 and I'll win an exchange. oh, and one more thing I'm hoping for....
Find the Wrong Move (i.e. find a move that looks normal but loses immediately)
Justus Williams, Chris Wu, Josh ColasWrong Move: 13...Qa5?? loses spectacularly to 14.Nd5!
13...Qd7
14.Rbe1 Ne8
15.Ng5 Rybka points out that 15.e5! is good. This is interesting to me, because I had not even considered changing the pawn structure like this. 15... Nc7 (15...dxe5 16.Nxe5 Qc7 17.Bf4) 16.exd6 exd6 (16...Qxd6 17.Bf4 Qd7 18.Ne4) 17.Ne4 Ne6 18.Bg5 Nxg5 19.Qxg5 f5 20.Nf6+
15...Nc7
16.f4
16.f4
Here I was gloating internally, pitying this poor, poor planless child. Rybka thinks it's equal. Can anyone help me reconcile my ego with reality? 16...Nb5 I was thinking he would play 16...Ne6, when I was considering 17.Nxf7, but it doesn't work: 17... Kxf7 18.f5 gxf5 19.Rxf5+ Bf6 and I have nothing.
17.Nxb5 cxb5
18.f5 Bf6
19.Kh1
As time pressure set in, I began to realize I had no idea how to break through. Over the next few moves, I went from 30 minutes to 15 without thinking about much that wasn't circular. After spending 4-5 minutes each move, I would panic and play something random and nondestructive, in the hopes of something good occurring to me while he was thinking.19...b4
20.Qe3 Qe8
21.Qg3
I was excited because I finally have a threat here. What is it?
Chris WuI'm threatening to break through with 22.e5 Bxe5 23.Rxe5 dxe5 24.fxg6 hxg6 25.Qxe5. Of course he didn't allow that and played
21...Be5
22.Qg4 yeah, I know, very stupid
22...f6
23.Nf3 Bc3
24.Re2 Kh8
25.Nh4 Qf7
26.Qg3
26...g5 oh shit. my bishop is trapped. I bail out in what seems the best way
26...g5 oh shit. my bishop is trapped. I bail out in what seems the best way
27.Bxg5 I can try 27.Nf3 Qh5 28.Nxg5 hoping for 28...Qxe2? (28...fxg5! and bishop is still trapped) 29.Nf7#
27...fxg5
28.Qxg5 Rg8
The only potential trick I can see here is Ng6, but my Rf1 needs to be defended for that to work. Because of this, I considered Qc1, but I felt that would make my intentions very obvious and my queen very passive. 29.Qf4 Be5
30.Qf2 Bg3 oops
31.Ng6+ Rxg6
32.fxg6 Qxf2
33.Rexf2 Bxf2
34.Rxf2
What's black's best move??
Anna MatlinBlack's best is 34...Be6!, preventing the white rook from getting to the seventh. how instructive!
34...hxg6
35.Rf7 e6
35.Rf7 e6
36.Rf8+ Kg7
37.Rd8 I'm actually kinda proud of how I played this endgame. This combined with last year's Rossilimo endgame "hurray I slime a child" , makes me think that the best part of my chess might be winning losing endgames. I do feel very relaxed and happy playing them-- there's no pressure, since I'm lost anyway, and I just have to find ways to be annoying every move, which I find fun. And then when you don't lose, such unmitigated joy.
37...Kf6
38.Rxd6 Rb6
39.Rd8 what I don't want is for him to play Ra6xa2, after which I will lose all my pawns and the game very quickly, so tying his rook down is a big priority.
39...Rc6
40.Kh2 Rc7
41.Kg3 Kg5
42.h4+ I figured there was at least a small chance he'd go to h5. Maybe Rf8 is better.
42...Kf6
43.Kf4
Perhaps I shouldnt give him e5 with tempo. It frees his bishop, obv, but also maybe I can play Rd5 later and maybe it will win a pawn. 43...e5+
44.Kf3 Be6
45.Rd6 Ke7
46.Ra6 Kf7
47.g4 Bc8
48.Rd6 Bb7
49.h5
My kids were all watching here, so I sat up straight and felt heroic. 49...gxh5
50.gxh5 Kg7
51.Kg4 Rf7
52.Kg5 Rf2
poor kid, trying to do the right thing and activate his rook. How do I win a piece?
me53.h6+ Kh8
54.Rd8+ Kh7
55.Rd7+ Kh8
56.Rxb7 Rxc2
57.Rxa7 etc 1–0
12 comments:
what chess program is that you have or use that you always present these games on
I find your commentary on "the way 1900s play" as quite amusing. I've actually rambled on a bit at my club about the way people religiously waste several moves to desperately attempt to trade off black's dark squared bishop.
My opinion is that white should try to win and not simply trade pieces. Modern practice seems to indicate this plan is insufficient to win and I love to play ...Bxh6 whenever possible to punish those who regurgitate moves without bothering to comprehend the position.
I find your commentary on the way you "love to play ...Bxh6 whenever possible" as quite amusing. Since in this game, it loses.
But in all seriousness (!), I must agree that it can be pretty gosh-darn tedious to try to comprehend the position, and I often don't bother, preferring to make a sandwich or watch TV, or both.
Nice sequel to "I slime a child"
For the record, 11... e5 12 Bh6 Bxh6 13 Qh6 Nh5! looks pretty good to me and quite far from losing.
For the record, I am your defeated foe.
Liz, you are a nice girl.
Once again Elizabeth, your commentary is worthy of praise, even though the game is flawed. I find your general thought process to be very instructive. Maybe that's because I recently misplayed a similar position from the black side, or because it's refreshing to read real world stuff like "oh shit, my bishop is trapped", or both.
One of the silly silicon sisters likes 11...Nh5 12. Bh6 e5 13. b3 Be6 14. Ne2 Bxh6 15. Qxh6 f6 16. Qe3, etc. & shows black slightly better the whole way. Me too, I think black is fine if he keeps his bishop on g7 or trades on h6.
In the game, after 12. Bh6 black can just stay there & wait for white to take on g7 after which black looks like he can hold even if he has to play Rf8 or Rh8 at some point. Meanwhile black can give his pieces a little more breathing room with e7-e5 & f7-f5 (after moving the Nf6 maybe to e8) which either activates the light squared bishop or allows expansion with f5-f4. After e7-e5, black also has d6-d5 available because white can't then respond with e4-e5.
13...Ne8 is probably worthy of consideration.
19... Bb7
19...f6
19...e5
all seem better than 19...Nc7
30...Qh5 (threatening 31...Rg3) 31.Nf3 Bf6, then black's plan would involve Bb7, Rg8-g4 & Rb8-g8 after which it could get interesting.
Another (lame) idea is to put the dark squared bishop on c3 temporarily & trade off the f5 pawn to open things up for the light squared bishop, but that seems to allow white to get feisty on the king's side.
There's some more interesting stuff later on, but it's 3:33 AM & I'm tired.
The pictures are excellent & I also agree with Anon July 20, 2009 8:43 PM.
Excellent pictures!
what chess program are you using
chessbase!
to get the pictures, just go to "save position"
whats a chess base?
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