Improve Your Chess (or Die Trying)

Rook Endings

2008-03-05T18:27:00.000-06:00

Rook endings really highlight a major weakness in my game that I intend to remedy with continued focus and study. I find that my natural inclination to attack, attack, attack doesn't work so well in these types of endgames. I will need to learn the proper balance between attack and defense to become artful at this sort of game finish. Also, there are 746 rook problems that comprise rook or rook + pawns endgames in the Convekta database, so these mini-circles will take more time to complete than other mini-circles. However, once I master this section, I will have conquered nearly half of the entire database of problems.

1st mini-circle: 67%, Convekta ELO: 2219
2nd mini-circle: 72%, Convekta ELO: 2220

Pawn Endings Resumed

2007-11-21T23:10:00.000-06:00

Beginning last weekend, I have completed 2 mini-circles of pawn endings. I'm quite pleased with my performance compared to what I was able to do last year (see prior posts from that time period).

1st mini-circle: 73%, Convekta ELO*: 2303
2nd mini-circle: 75% Convekta ELO*: 2307
3rd mini-circle: 78% Convekta ELO*: 2323
4th mini-circle: 79% Convekta ELO*: 2330
5th mini-circle: 82% Convekta ELO*: 2353
6th mini-circle: 84% Convekta ELO*: 2392
7th mini-circle: 86% Convekta ELO*: 2381
8th mini-circle: 89% Convekta ELO*: 2419**

*To those unfamiliar with Convekta software, as you work through problems, you establish an ELO. In my opinion, there is little bearing between this rating and a person's true chess skill. However, it's a good way to monitor progress.

** Final Mini-circle

A Man Has An Idea

2007-11-11T19:03:00.000-06:00

The idea attracts others, like-minded. The idea expands. The idea becomes an institution. - Top Dollar

Pawn Endings: Mini-Circle #7

2006-10-30T12:21:00.000-06:00

Completed 380 out of 380.

Slow, but sure progress. I'm still looking for that "quantum leap" where it all starts to click. Ah well, Mini-circle #8, here I come. Into the breach!

Mini-circle #7: 76%
Mini-circle #6: 74%
Mini-circle #5: 73%
Mini-circle #4: 72%
Mini-circle #3: 72%
Mini-circle #2: 69%
Mini-circle #1: 68%

Caissa's Interruptus

2006-09-13T09:09:00.000-05:00

I've had some life events recently (nothing tragic, fortunately - more like a butt-load of different opportunities, each with its own potential reward and peril - kinda like a Tal game!) that have placed chess on a back burner. I'm still working endgame puzzles (mini-circle 7 will be done here shortly), but I've pretty much quit going to chess club. I am participating in Chessville's Fall 2006 Online Chess League tournament. Anyway, I'm not completely MIA, but like many of the old bloggers, I'll be only sporadically updating this site.

Pawn Endings: Mini-Circle #6

2006-08-04T23:56:00.000-05:00

Completed 380 out of 380.

I'm beginning to get the hang of these. The patterns are starting to pop into my head. However, I find myself often second guessing the pattern and scoring lower. A few more circles, and hopefully I can then move on to Rook endings.

Mini-circle #6: 74%
Mini-circle #5: 73%
Mini-circle #4: 72%
Mini-circle #3: 72%
Mini-circle #2: 69%
Mini-circle #1: 68%

Pawn Endings: Mini-Circle #5

2006-07-22T23:19:00.000-05:00

Completed 380 out of 380.

Looks like 7 mini-circles won't cut the mustard. I'll have to plan for more mini-circles. I won't move on to rook endgames until I've hit 90%.

Mini-circle #5: 73%
Mini-circle #4: 72%
Mini-circle #3: 72%
Mini-circle #2: 69%
Mini-circle #1: 68%

Pawn Endings: Mini-circle #4

2006-06-24T23:26:00.000-05:00

Completed 380 out of 380.

Not a lot of progress here. I did get my Convekta "elo" over 2300 at one point, and it did finish higher than with Mini-circle #3.

Mini-circle #4: 72%
Mini-circle #3: 72%
Mini-circle #2: 69%
Mini-circle #1: 68%

Welcome to the Blogosphere Classplayer!

2006-06-11T21:22:00.000-05:00

I wanted to announce a brand new blog in the chess world. It is called Chronicle of My Chess Improvement by Classplayer. I won't reveal his FICS handle, as I see he hasn't identified himself on his blog in that regard. So, I'll let him do that. Also, I'm not sure if he wants to become a Knight Errant or not, but if he does I have told him to contact Tempo Schlucker. Anyhoo, let's all welcome him to the world of chess blogging!

Ain't She a Beaut'?

2006-05-16T20:50:00.000-05:00

Finally got it.

Pawn Endings: Mini-circle #3

2006-05-16T12:46:00.000-05:00

Completed 380 out of 380

Mini-circle #3: 72%
Mini-circle #2: 69%
Mini-circle #1: 68%

I'm starting to see a little more progress on the pawn endings. Also, I'm picking up on some of the strategic ideas (e.g., blockade, sacrifice, etc.) in my own (mainly blitz) games.

The Chess Mentor Has Returned!

2006-05-16T08:35:00.000-05:00

I don't know what was up with the restructuring of Aficianado, but, more importantly, Chess Mentor is back. This is, perhaps, my most favorite chess software, and I'm so glad to see it back on the market. Truly a good product (and I'm not paid to endorse it)! I notice that it no longer lists the company as Aficianado, Inc., but merely Chess Mentor. I'm wondering if that means Art Wang (who I believe originated the software) sold it to a 3rd party.

It's Starting....

2006-04-29T18:28:00.000-05:00

My endgame play is improving. I'm doing better at pawn endgames as I go through my mini-circles. However, as predicted, the other areas of my game are suffering. My tactical play is weak. My positional play leaves a lot to be desired. My thought process is jumbled. I just have to get through this learning and all will be good...even better. But, it's a painful process.

Pawn Endings: Mini-circle #2

2006-04-18T12:35:00.000-05:00

Completed 380 out of 380

Mini-circle #2: 69%
Mini-circle #1: 68%

(not much progress between circles 1 and 2, but I predict that I'll experience a big ramp up between mini-circles 4 and 5).

Not Sure If This is News or Not

2006-04-02T14:16:00.000-05:00

...but the Knights Errant have a link now on Everyman Books' website. Everyman Books puts out some of the best chess books on the market.

Pawn Endings: Mini-circle #1

2006-04-01T18:33:00.000-06:00

Completed 380 out of 380. Score 67%.

Call Me Chocolate Chip, 'Cause I'm Goin' Semi-Dark

2006-03-29T16:01:00.000-06:00

I've decided to curb my chess activities somewhat until I complete my endgame circles. I still plan to play in online tourneys like the OCL and Teamchess 45 45, and I still plan to go to chess club (although it may not be as regularly as before). I will not play in any of the local non-club tourneys, though, until I've had a chance to complete the circles AND gone through the normal digestion process of the information (i.e., following the normal slump in playing performance after crossing a significant learning curve like completing the circles).

Openings: Expanding the Repertoire

2006-03-29T14:36:00.000-06:00

Lately, I've been taking an increased interest in openings. I'm beginning to expand my repertoire. Part of this is also due to the fact that by having many systems at my disposal, it will be more difficult for my opps to prepare against me. So, I am evolving my repertoire to include more Benoni's and Queen's Gambit games against 1. d4. For now, I'll stick with my Scandy, but I've started to take an interest in the Caro Kann and the Sicilian against 1. e4. The problem there is that I haven't settled on a system for those two openings that I really want to pursue. For white, I'll stick with 1. e4 for now (and maybe indefinitely), although I really want to look into the Evans Gambit, Kings Gambit, Sicilian Yugoslav Attack, and Sicilian Sozin. I'll wait a bit on those, though, as I digest more responses to 1. d4.

New (Old) Plan

2006-03-26T21:17:00.000-06:00

Time to begin learning again. Now, I have been working on improving my strategic play with Chess Mentor. I plan to continue that. However, my endgame play is very weak, so I need to address that shortcoming in my game. I've lost too many "won" games recently due to botching the endgame that I really need to do some serious work. So, it's time to pick up where I left off last year when my son was born. Time to resume the 7 Circles of Death. I plan to go back to the method I used with my tactics circles. So, for each theme (e.g., pawn endings, rook endings, etc.) I will do 7 mini-circles using Chess Endgame Trainer by Convekta. Once I make it through the problem set in that manner, I will then do 7 macro-circles over the whole 2500 or so problems.

It's Official!

2006-03-26T10:37:00.000-06:00

I am now Class B with a rating of 1648.

2006 Twin City Championship, Round 6 - The Streak Ends

2006-03-21T21:28:00.000-06:00

Man, do I suck against the Stonewall. I blew it today and the streak has ended. I share the championship with the person that beat me today. My rating will now be 1646 by my calculations. I simply MUST find the right way to meet this system.

NN (1492) - CelticDeath (1568) [A45]
2006 Twin City Championship Normal, IL (6), 21.03.2006
1.d4 Nf6 2.e3 d5 3.f4 c5 4.c3 cxd4 5.cxd4 Bf5 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.a3 a5 8.Qa4 Qc7 9.Bb5 Rc8 10.Bd2 Bd7 11.Nc3 e6 12.0–0 Ne4 13.Rac1 Bd6 14.Nxe4 dxe4 15.Ne5 Bxe5 16.fxe5 b6 17.Rc3 Qb7 18.Rfc1 0–0 19.Bxc6 Bxc6 20.Rxc6 b5 21.Qc2 Rxc6 22.Qxc6 Qxc6 23.Rxc6 a4 24.Rb6 f5 25.Rxe6 Rc8 26.Bc3 b4 27.Bxb4 Rc1+ 28.Kf2 Rc2+ 29.Kg3 Re2 30.Re8+ Kf7 31.Re7+ Kg6 32.d5 Rxe3+ 33.Kf2 Rb3 34.Bc3 1–0

2006 Twin City Championship, Round 5

2006-03-14T22:59:00.000-06:00

An embarrassment of a game. I played some of the worst chess I've played in a long time. I simply could not calculate during the middlegame. I was down a rook in the endgame, but I had 4 pawns to the good. Then...my opponent...stepped on a booby-trapped pawn and...I went on to win.

CelticDeath(1568) - NN(1644)

2006 Twin City Championship Normal, IL (5), 14.03.2006
1.e4 Nc6 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bg4 5.h3 Bh5 6.g4 Bg6 7.d3 e6 8.Be3 d5 9.exd5 exd5 10.Bb5 a6 11.Bxc6+ bxc6 12.Nh4 d4 13.Qf3 dxc3 14.Qxc6+ Nd7 15.Nxg6 fxg6 16.Qxc3 Rb8 17.0–0–0 Nf6 18.Rhe1 Be7 19.Bc5 Nd5 20.Qxg7 Rf8 21.Qxh7 Kd7 22.Bxe7 Nxe7 23.Rxe7+ Qxe7 24.Qxg6 Rxf2 25.Qe4 Qxe4 26.dxe4+ Ke6 27.b3 Re2 28.Rd4 Rf8 29.g5 Rff2 30.Rc4 Kd6 31.b4 Rh2 32.h4 Rxh4 33.e5+ Rxe5 34.Rxh4 Rxg5 35.Rh6+ Ke5 36.Rxa6 Rg4 37.a3 Rc4 38.Kb2 Kd4 39.Rh6 Kd5 40.Kb3 Rf4 41.a4 Rf3+ 42.c3 Rf5 43.c4+ Ke5 44.b5 Kd4 45.Rc6 Rf7 46.a5 Ke5 47.Kb4 Kd4 48.b6 cxb6 49.axb6 Rf8 50.Kb5 Kc3 51.Ka6 Ra8+ 52.Kb7 Ra3 53.Kc7 Kb3 54.b7 Ra7 55.Kb8 Ra4 56.Kc8 Kc3 57.b8Q Rb4 58.Qg3+ Kc2 59.Qf2+ Kc3 60.Qe3+ Kc2 61.Kd7 Rb3 62.Qxb3+ Kxb3 63.c5 Kc4 64.Kd6 Kb3 65.Rb6+ Kc4 66.c6 Kc3 67.c7 Kd4 68.Rb4+ Ke3 69.c8Q Kf3 70.Qc3+ Ke2 71.Rb2+ Kd1 72.Qd2# 1–0

So, this means that I am assured of 1st place and the title of 2006 champion. Next week, I will play somebody who has been itching to play against me. This is an opponent who's known to play odd, closed games like the Stonewall System, among others. I must prepare well against him, because he did manage to beat me last year. So, he is very dangerous. Also, he has only lost once in this tournament, so if he does beat me, then he will share the title with me. If I draw, or if I win, I will be the sole champion.

My unofficial rating is now 1690. If I win next week, I will finish the tournament with a rating of 1703 or an increase of 135 points.

And Now, My Round 4 Game

2006-03-07T23:24:00.000-06:00

NN (1553) - CelticDeath(1568) [B01]
2006 Twin City Championship Normal, IL (4), 28.02.2006
B01: Scandinavian Defence

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.Bb5+

My opp has successfully played this variation against me before in a tournament game. However, I have since learned how to properly play against it!

3...Bd7 4.Bc4 Bg4 5.f3 Bf5 6.Nc3 Nbd7 7.Nge2 Nb6 8.Bb5+ Bd7 9.Bxd7+ Qxd7 10.d4 Nbxd5 11.Nxd5 Qxd5 12.0–0 0–0–0 13.Bf4 e6 14.b3 Bd6 15.c4 Qf5 16.Be3

There is a general principle that I have recently discovered that addresses a move like this. It states that you should never avoid an exchange of minor pieces if moving the minor pieces makes it inferior. My opp has certainly reduced the power of his bishop here. 16...Rhe8 17.c5 A small blunder.

17...Bxc5 18.Ng3 Qg6 19.Rc1 Bd6 20.Bf2 h5 Although this pawn advance works out for me, I'm still not convinced that it was the correct strategy. Perhaps it was, but perhaps it wasn't.

21.Re1 h4 22.Ne4 Bf4 I move the bishop, because I feel I need to keep it on the board. 23.Rc4 h3 24.g3 A pseudo attack against the bishop. The bishop stays where it is for the rest of the game.

24...Nd5 25.Kh1 f5 26.Nc3 Nxc3 27.Rxc3 e5 28.d5 e4 29.fxe4 fxe4 30.Bxa7 e3 I really wanted this clearance move to work, and it does. However, Fritz has shown me that White has a save in 31. Qf3 31.Bxe3 Qe4+ 0–1

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. Bb5+ Bd7 4. Bc4 Bg4 5. f3
Bf5 6. Nc3 Nbd7 7. Nge2 Nb6 8. Bb5+ Bd7 9. Bxd7+ Qxd7 10. d4 Nbxd5 11. Nxd5
Qxd5 12. O-O O-O-O 13. Bf4 e6 14. b3 Bd6 15. c4 Qf5 16. Be3 Rhe8 17. c5 Bxc5
18. Ng3 Qg6 19. Rc1 Bd6 20. Bf2 h5 21. Re1 h4 22. Ne4 Bf4 23. Rc4 h3 24. g3 Nd5
25. Kh1 f5 26. Nc3 Nxc3 27. Rxc3 e5 28. d5 e4 29. fxe4 fxe4 30. Bxa7 e3 31.
Bxe3 Qe4+ 0-1

My Round 3 Game - At Last!

2006-03-06T23:31:00.000-06:00

Here is my 2006 Twin City Championship game with some brief annotations.

CelticDeath(1568) - NN (1631)
2006 Twin City Championship Normal, IL (3), 21.02.2006
C02: French: Advance Variation

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Qb6 6.Bd3 cxd4 7.cxd4 Nh6

My opponent has played this variation against me before in blitz. Fritz shows it as an innovation. It's a trappy move, but perhaps nothing more. 8.Nc3 [8.Bxh6 Qxb2 9.Bd2 Qxa1 10.Qb3=] 8...Bb4 [=8...Nf5 9.Bxf5 exf5 10.Nxd5; ¹8...Bd7] 9.0–0 Bxc3 10.bxc3 Ne7

Now I have a unique opportunity that I will lose if I don't act immediately. I can trade off a bad bishop for a slightly better knight and inflict doubled h pawns which may prove to be useful targets in an endgame. 11.Bxh6 gxh6 12.Qd2 A tempo move. 12...Bd7 13.Rab1 Another tempo move. 13...Qc7 14.Rfc1 Now c4 is a strong threat. 14...0–0–0 Castling right into it. 15.c4 dxc4 I thought for awhile here. I wasn't sure which would be stronger, taking with the bishop or the rook. Fritz has them nearly equal. 16.Bxc4 Bc6 17.Qd3 Kb8 18.Ba6 b6 19.a4 Rd5 20.Qc3 Qd7 21.a5 Kc7 22.axb6+ axb6 23.Bb5 Rc8 24.Qd2 Kd8 25.Bxc6 Rxc6 26.Qxh6 Rxc1+ 27.Rxc1 Nf5

Now a tactical shot clinches the win. 28.Qf8+ Qe8 29.Rc8+ 1–0

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Qb6 6. Bd3 cxd4 7. cxd4 Nh6 8. Nc3 Bb4 9. O-O Bxc3 10. bxc3 Ne7 11. Bxh6 gxh6 12. Qd2 Bd7 13. Rab1 Qc7 14. Rfc1 O-O-O 15. c4 dxc4 16. Bxc4 Bc6 17. Qd3 Kb8 18. Ba6 b6 19. a4 Rd5 20. Qc3 Qd7 21. a5 Kc7 22. axb6+ axb6 23. Bb5 Rc8 24. Qd2 Kd8 25. Bxc6 Rxc6 26. Qxh6 Rxc1+ 27. Rxc1 Nf5 28. Qf8+ Qe8 29. Rc8+ 1-0

2006 Twin City Championship, Round 4

2006-02-28T21:33:00.000-06:00

Yes, yes, I know, I know. I still haven't posted the game and analysis from Round 3, but now I also have to add my Round 4 game. The tournament skips next week for the monthly blitz night, and I don't go to blitz night, so I should have time to play catch up.

Anyhoo, it was down between me and one other person for the lead. Both of us had a 3.0 score. The game was decisive and now there's only one person with 4.0 points--and that person is me. I've calculated my rating as it stands now at 1659 with a performance rating of 2164 for this tournament.

Although this winning streak is thrilling, it's also scarin' the crap out of me. I'm always fearing before each of these games that each one is going to be the one that I lose and blow my chances to win the trophy. Complicate that with the fact that I really don't think my chess has been that good - just better than my competitors. Ah well, I'm sure I'll hit another plateau eventually. I just don't know where and when.

2006 Twin City Championship, Round 3 - Which Rhymes With B

2006-02-21T22:46:00.000-06:00

As in "well into Class B." Yes, I played my Round 3 game for the championship and won yet again. This time it was against a 1631 rated player who beat me the last time he played me. My preliminary calculations have my current rating at 1634, so I'm still cruising along in Class B (hey - Class A is only 166 points away, but I'd better not get ahead of myself). I am pumped up!! Game and analysis will follow in the next few days.

2006 Twin Cities Championship, Round 3

2006-02-02T09:46:00.000-06:00

Well, I already know the result of this round - two weeks in advance. Not only does this round fall on St. Valentine's Day, but it's also the date my oldest daughter had chosen for me and her to attend a basketball game. She earned straight A's in school, so she was rewarded with 2 free college basketball tickets. So, I can't disappoint her, and I must sit out of one round of the championship. This also means that even if I win all of my remaining games, chances are likely that I still won't be able to win this year's trophy and the title of champion. Ah well, maybe next year....

***UPDATE***

I was finally able to reach the tournament director, and he said that he has polled several people in the club, many of whom have stated also having problems with the Valentine's Day-scheduled Round 3. Therefore, he's considering cancelling chess club for Feb. 14th, but he hasn't completely made up his mind. He said he needs to talk to some more people and will decide by Feb. 7th.

2006 Twin City Championship, Round 2

2006-01-31T22:57:00.000-06:00

Well, my Internet play may suck right now, but I'm having continued success over the board. Tonight, I faced the winner of last year's tournament. This is the same person who I beat back in November while he was Class A. He's dropped down to Class B with a rating of 1765. Nonetheless, I managed to extend my winning streak against him to two games....

NN (1765) - CelticDeath(1568)
2006 Twin City Championship Normal, IL (2), 1/31/06 (g/45)
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nxd5 4.Bc4 Nc6 5.d3 Bg4 6.h3 Bh5 7.g4 Bg6 8.a3 a6 9.Nc3 e6 10.Nxd5 exd5 11.Ba2 Qd7 12.Qe2+ Be7 13.Bf4 0–0–0 14.0–0–0 Rhe8 15.Qd2 h5 16.g5 Bc5 17.b4 Bf8 18.Qc3 Qf5 19.Qd2 Qd7 20.Nh4 Bf5 21.Qc3 d4 22.Qb3 Be6 23.Qb2 Bxa2 24.Qxa2 g6 25.Qb3 Re2 26.Bg3 Bg7 27.Rd2 Rde8 28.Rxe2 Rxe2 29.a4 Qe6 30.Qxe6+ Rxe6 31.b5 axb5 32.axb5 Na7 33.Kd2 Nxb5 34.Ra1 Nc3 35.Ra8+ Kd7 36.Rg8 Be5 37.f4 Bd6 38.Nf3 Re2+ 39.Kc1 Ba3# 0–1

So, with this win I'm inches and goal for achieving Class B (and by my own calculations have already achieved it with a rating of 1604 - but this could change if I don't maintain the streak). The tournament skips a week (1st Tues of every month is blitz chess), and resumes the following week.

2006 Peoria Winter Tornado

2006-01-28T20:13:00.000-06:00

Well, some good news. My 1st round was a win against an unrated player - no big deal. My 2nd round was a loss against a Class A player. My 3rd game was a draw against an Expert. Now, what was great about that 3rd game is that I believe I had a chance to win it. Unfortunately, I didn't play the best at the end, and he was able to get a three-fold repetition against me (which, with seconds on the clock, I was happy to agree to!)

Here are the moves from the game:
NN (2011) - CelticDeath (1556)
2006 Peoria Winter Tornado 1/28/06

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.Bb5+ Bd7 4.Bxd7+ Nbxd7 5.c4 Nb6 6.b3 Qd7 7.Nf3 Qf5 8.0–0 0–0–0 9.Qe2 e6 10.dxe6 fxe6 11.Re1 Bc5 12.Nc3 Rhe8 13.Qe5 Bxf2+ 14.Kf1 Bxe1 15.Qxe1 g5 16.Kg1 e5 17.Qe2 e4 18.Ne1 Ng4 19.Ba3 Qf4 20.g3 Qf5 21.Rd1 e3 22.dxe3 Rxe3 23.Rxd8+ Kxd8 24.Qd2+ Kc8 25.Nd1 Re8 26.Nc3 Ne5 27.Kg2 g4 28.Qe3 a6 29.Ne4 Re6 30.Qd4 Qh5 31.Nf2 Nf3 32.Nxf3 gxf3+ 33.Kf1 Qxh2 34.Qh8+ Kd7 35.Qd4+ Kc6 36.Qc5+ Kd7 37.Qd4+ Kc6 38.Qc5+ Kd7 39.Qd4+ ½–½

I think I treasure this game even more than my other recent first - my win against a Class A player.

So, with one round to play, and wanting to leave on an up-note, I withdrew from the tournament. True, if I would have stayed and won my last round game, most likely I would have won some money. However, I wanted to enjoy the moment and the feeling of success.

Scylla and Charybdis

2006-01-25T15:07:00.000-06:00

Well, unfortunately Lliamah must have missed my comment on his blog to the effect that I could not play in Round 6 of the current Teamchess tournament, so I'm forced to play this round. Also, I'll be playing in an OTB tournament on Saturday as well as Round 1 of the Winter 2006 OCL tournament at Chessville most probably as 1st board on my team. Add to this my oldest daughter's request that I take her around the neighborhood to sell girlscout cookies this Sunday, and I'm set for a very stressful few days here.

Wish me luck....

2006 Twin City Championship, Round 1

2006-01-24T22:24:00.000-06:00

Today, I played a 548 rated opponent and, although she played a solid opening, she unnecessarily hung several pieces, giving me an easy win. I don't expect to have such and easy time next Tuesday. On a side note, I'll be playing in a local tournament this Saturday, and I'll post the games afterward. I don't imagine any of those will be very easy, either.

Strategy in Action, Even in an Imperfect Game

2006-01-24T21:58:00.000-06:00

CelticDeath(1536) - NN(1591) [C02]
TCCC Normal, IL, 1/17/06

C02: French: Advance Variation 1.e4 c5 2.c3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.cxd4 d5 5.e5 e6 And so the 2. c3 Sicilian has evolved into an Advance French Defense. I'm comfortable with either. 6.Nf3 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 Nge7 8.Bd3 Nf5 9.Bxf5N exf5 10.0–0 Be6 Fritz: Blocks the pawn on e5 11.a3 Ba5 12.b4 Bb6 13.Be3 Shoring up the d4 pawn, which tends to be weak in this variation. 13...0–0 14.Na4 Continuing the battle of the minor pieces. So far, I'd say both white and black are equal as far as minor pieces go. 14...f6

Here, I play sort of a general principles move. I remembered playing through a Nimzowitsch Advance French game where when the opportunity to exchange the e-pawn for the f6 pawn arose, he took it with the idea of opening up the center. 15.exf6 Qxf6 16.Nxb6 Getting rid of black's strongest minor piece by exchanging it for my minor piece. The difference is that I've now created another pawn weakness, which should come in handy in the endgame. 16...axb6 17.Bf4 Now, my bad, passive Bishop heads for a more active post. 17...h6 18.Be5 Qe7 19.Qd2 Rf7 20.b5 Keeping up the pressure, but this move has to be premature. Now, white can grab the strong c4 post. 20...Na5 21.Qb4 Qd7 [Fritz: ¹21...Nc4!?= is noteworthy] By retreating my bishop, I, of course, threaten the fork on the queen and rook. But, better than that, I remove the sting from Nc4 and ensure that I will be left with the better, remaining minor piece. Strategic objective achieved - minor piece battle is over. 22.Bf4±

Nc4 23.Ne5 Nxe5 24.Bxe5 Fritz: White can be proud of that piece 24...Rff8 Fritz: Manoeuvre Rf7-f8-c8-c4 25.f4 Not sure if my last move was accurate, but I wanted to lock in my opp's bishop and make it difficult or impossible to get outside of the pawn chain. 25...Ra5 26.Rab1 Rc8 27.Qd6 [Fritz: ¹27.Rf3!? Rc4 28.Qe1 Rxb5 29.Rd1±] 27...Rc4 Fritz: An ideal square for the black rook. 28.Qxb6 Rxa3 29.Bd6 Raa4 30.Bc5 Bf7 31.Rfe1 Qc8 [Fritz: 31...Ra2 32.Rb3 Rcc2 33.Rg3=] 32.Re7 Qa8? [¹32...Rc2 33.Kh1 Qb8=] 33.Rxb7?? A mistake, but my opp didn't see how to capitalize on it. Fritz:ruins a very nice position [33.Qxb7 Qxb7 34.Rxb7 Ra2+-] 33...Kh7 [33...Ra1 34.Rb8+ Kh7 35.Rh8+ Kxh8 36.h3 Rxb1+ 37.Kh2 Qa1 38.Qd8+ Kh7 39.Qe7 Rc3 40.Qe3 Rh1+ 41.Kg3 Qe1+ 42.Kf3 Rxe3#] 34.Ra7+- Passing on the proferred bishop for now.... [Fritz: 34.Rxf7? may look interesting but has some grave disadvantages 34...Ra1 35.h4 Rxb1+ 36.Kh2 Rcc1–+] 34...Rxa7 35.Qxa7 Qe8 36.Qe7 Qa8?? Fritz: the pressure is too much, Black crumbles [36...Qxe7 37.Bxe7 Rc7+-] 37.Qxf7 Qa2 38.Qxf5+ Kg8 39.Re1 Qa8 40.b6 Qd8 41.Qg6 1–0

1. e4 c5 2. c3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. cxd4 d5 5. e5 e6 6. Nf3 Bb4+ 7. Nc3 Nge7 8. Bd3 Nf5 9. Bxf5 exf5 10. O-O Be6 11. a3 Ba5 12. b4 Bb6 13. Be3 O-O 14. Na4 f6 15. exf6 Qxf6 16. Nxb6 axb6 17. Bf4 h6 18. Be5 Qe7 19. Qd2 Rf7 20. b5 Na5 21. Qb4 Qd7 22. Bf4 Nc4 23. Ne5 Nxe5 24. Bxe5 Rff8 25. f4 Ra5 26. Rab1 Rc8 27. Qd6 Rc4 28. Qxb6 Rxa3 29. Bd6 Raa4 30. Bc5 Bf7 31. Rfe1 Qc8 32. Re7 Qa8 33. Rxb7 Kh7 34. Ra7 Rxa7 35. Qxa7 Qe8 36. Qe7 Qa8 37. Qxf7 Qa2 38. Qxf5+ Kg8 39. Re1 Qa8 40. b6 Qd8 41. Qg6 1-0

Strategy in Action, Even in an Imperfect Game: Preview

2006-01-18T08:23:00.000-06:00

I'll post the game later, but I won a game against a 1591 USCF-rated player last night, which, according to my calculations, now puts me at about 1556 USCF. So, I'm only 44 pts away from Class B.

What's interesting about the game was that I actually used strategy to win it. True, in Fritz 8's analysis afterward, there were some flaws in my game (and even one opportunity if my opp had seized it would have won him the game). Nevertheless, I was proud of myself for actually coming up with a strategic plan and then successfully implementing it.

The theme of the game, which I will post later with some analysis by both Fritz and me, was active, bad bishop vs. inactive, bad bishop. I won the minor piece battle and then found a way to leverage that into a win.

*Incidentally, if you have been following my blog, you might remember me talking about a fellow at chess club who used to win every game against me and who told me that I would never improve. Well, with this win, I have a 2-game winning streak against him.

Books I Am Reading

2006-01-06T08:12:00.000-06:00

I've got 3 chess books going at once now. I'm learning a lot from each of them. Here, I've listed them in order of focus, where the book I spend the most time reading is listed first.

Pawn Structure Chess by GM Andy Soltis - This book has shown me a LOT of things about strategic play based on pawn structure. Unfortunately, although I'm nearly finished with reading it, only a little has really stuck with me. Therefore, I plan to re-read it upon completion before beginning the next book in line in my strategic studies. That book will either be Kmoch's Pawn Power in Chess, which I read years ago, but need to refresh the memory on, or Watson's Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy, which I had begun earlier, but it was over my head at that point.

Imagination in Chess by Paata Gaprindashvili - This book is for all you MDLM graduates out there. Give this book a go. Over 750 tactical puzzles of Expert difficulty and higher. I've only completed about 25 of these and each one has taken me from 15 minutes to about half an hour to fully solve.

Play the King's Indian by Joe Gallagher - This one is specific to a personal weakness of mine; playing against 1. d4. This opening seems to provide versatility (can be used against 1. c4 and 1. Nf3 as well), as well as lots of tactics (which I love). However, I need to learn a lot of the ideas behind it to use it effectively.

Merry Christimas to All

2005-12-25T23:20:00.000-06:00

And the very best to you in the New Year.

New FICS Ratings Barrier Broken

2005-12-23T13:16:00.000-06:00

I wish it were an achievement in my OTB rating, but I have just breached the 1800 barrier in my standard rating on FICS for the first time. Using the surveybot feature*, I was able to obtain an estimate of what that translates to in terms of a USCF rating. According to FICS, my rating is equivalent to about 1680 USCF (obviously take that with a grain of salt).

*To use this feature at FICS simply type "tell surveybot ratings USCF analyse", and it will return a list of FICS ratings with corresponding USCF ratings determined by regression analysis from USCF ratings submitted by the users of FICS. You can also do this with other ratings like FIDE, for example. Type "finger surveybot" for more details.

Mystery Game: Lost, but I'm Noticing a Positive Trend

2005-12-21T08:16:00.000-06:00

My opponent turned out to be the wizened, solid Class B player (USCF 1747) with LOTS of experience. He won fairly and squarely, but I can say that it wasn't the tactics that lost the game for me. It was, again, a poorly played opening.

My opp is a 1. d4 player, and I've only recently taken up the King's Indian to play against that type of opening. So, I made some strategic errors like moving my king's rook from f8 and developing my queen's knight to the wrong square.

So, I'm beginning to actually see the need to begin studying the opening. I've avoided it for so long, because there were so many other areas of my game that needed my attention (especially tactics). I've spent much of my time on strategy and endgames, but no real opening study.

Therefore, I have to conclude that although I still lose some games, it's beginning to appear that (judging from my last 2 OTB losses, at least) that I'm losing them for strategic reasons that go back to lack of opening knowledge. If I can work on that area a little bit, then my results should improve.

Mystery Game

2005-12-20T09:04:00.000-06:00

At tonight's chess club, I will be playing someone strong. I have no idea who that person will be, but I have a feeling I'll be playing the 1800 rated kid again. Once again, I'll have the black pieces. However, this time I'm sure he'll be better prepared to meet my Scandinavian defense.

Or, it could be the fellow that beat me last month and rose once again to Class B status.

Or, it could be the real estate guy who's only lost to me twice in long time control tournament games.

Or, it could be the wizened guy who ran the club for many, many years and is a solid Class B player.

Or, it could be the Class B player that I've never beaten before, but who seems to be struggling of late.

Or, it could be the near-psychotic and near-Class A player who I managed to draw in our only encounter.

Perhaps it will be someone new. Perhaps it will be the Expert who used to play in our club, but who I haven't seen in a while.

Why did I stay up so late playing Doom 3 and drinking beer? Well, let's see how it goes....

Tell Me It Ain't So!!

2005-12-15T09:09:00.000-06:00

Looks like I'll get the match up I've been wanting to see tomorrow. Kamsky vs. Carlsen. Now, that will be some awesome chess.

What a Lucky Dude!!

2005-12-14T11:15:00.000-06:00

Here's yet another reason to envy top Norwegian player Simen Agdestein, participating in his country's version of the USA's Ballroom Bootcamp. Yum, yum!!

November Increase

2005-12-14T08:24:00.000-06:00

Well, I effectively recovered (and then some) all the points I lost at the Midwest Class tournament. My rating went up 43 points and now stands at USCF 1536. Last night's win over an 1147 rated play won't affect that number much (puts me at about 1540), but now I'll be playing the tough opps in my club for the rest of the month. On the other front, my FICS rating stands at its highest ever (non-provisional) at 1774. I'm beginning to like this trend. It always appears to amaze Tempo Schlucker that my rating can be so low when I do so well with tactics. Again, my weaknesses have been my thought process and risk-taking attitude. This past month, with a couple exceptions, my thought process has been on target. So, what I'm experiencing is the result of that.

The Gamble

2005-12-13T21:54:00.000-06:00

There seem to be two schools of thought in chess: those who believe that you should never sacrifice unless you are absolutely sure you have compensation and those who believe that just because you cannot calculate all the possiblities in a position doesn't mean that you shouldn't play a move that's risky but appears to be called for in that situation. Here's a position from tonight's club game. My opponent is rated only 1147, but he gained over 200 rating points in his last tournament, so his true strength is hard to determine.

White to move

I spent nearly 10 minutes analyzing this position in this g/45 Round 1 game of my club's December tournament. Unable to fully calculate the consequences of the move, I felt nonetheless that I had adequate compensation from the sacrifice 1. Nxe5. Was the sacrifice sound?

The Make or Break Game: Analysis

2005-12-10T16:05:00.000-06:00

It's a little late, but I've been a little busy! Anyway, here's my analysis (with Fritz' input as well). My failings in this game can be attributed mainly to a combination of misplaying the opening and not looking hard enough for my own resources in the position.

NN(1598) - CelticDeath(1493) [B01]
TCCC Normal, IL, 11/29/2005

B01: Scandinavian Defence 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.d4 Bg4 4.Be2 Bxe2 5.Qxe2 Qxd5 6.Nf3 e6 7.0–0 Nc6 8.Rd1 0–0–0 9.Be3

I struggled with the correct place to put my bishop. I didn't want to cut off the communication between my queen and rook, but apparently (and counterintuitively, d6 is the best spot for the bishop to go.

9. ... Be7 [Fritz: 9...Bd6 10.c4 (10.Nc3 Qh5 11.Qb5 Qg6 12.Qb3 a6; 10.Bg5 Qf5 11.c4 Be7 12.Be3) 10...Qf5 (10...Qh5 11.Nc3 Kb8 12.h3) 11.Nc3] 10.c4 Qh5 11.Nc3 Kb8 12.Ne5 Nxe5 13.Qxh5 Nxh5 14.dxe5

Here, I make another 2nd best move that gets me into trouble. I never even considered Fritz's recommended move.

14. ... g6 [Fritz: 14...f5!? is worthy of consideration] 15.g4+- Ng7 16.Bh6 Rhg8 17.Rxd8+ Bxd8 18.Rd1 Kc8 19.Nb5

Now, my position is difficult, but tenable with accurate play. Unfortunately, I blunder.

19. ... c6?? Fritz: the position is going down the drain [19...a6 20.Na7+ Kb8 21.Bxg7 Kxa7] 20.Nd6++- Kc7 21.Bxg7 Be7 22.Bh6 g5 23.Bg7 Bxd6 24.exd6+ Kd7 25.Bf6 Rg6 26.Be7 e5 27.Kg2 h6 28.Kf3 Re6 29.Ke4 b6 30.b4 f6 31.Rd3 Rxe7 32.dxe7+ Kxe7 1–0

Ju-jitsu Musings #2

2005-12-01T09:07:00.000-06:00

One thing I've noticed about myself is that I'm simply lacking in the personal drive category. My ju-jitsu classes are 1 hour and 45 minutes long. The last 15 minutes are grueling and consist of sparring rounds of varying length (usually 3 or 4 minute rounds). I was a big wuss last night, and I have been on some other nights as well. Now, I'm not the most conditioned person in the world, but there are others in my dojo who aren't much more fit than I am. However, when it came down to the last couple minutes of my round last night (we only did one round last night, because we had done some other conditioning drills earlier), I just about didn't complete the round. On other nights, when we have had multiple rounds, I have actually sat out when I felt too exhausted to continue. What I should have done was push myself in those instances to continue through the exhaustion.

The same is true in chess. If I get into an inferior position, there are times when I give up or quit much too soon. When I finish my analysis of my recent OTB loss, you'll see where I make a tactical blunder (in an already inferior position) and then continue to play in an inferior manner culminating in an exchange sac that effectively gives up the game for me.

Ok, I have stated the problem, so now I have to attempt a solution. For ju-jitsu, I simply have to get in better condition. Also, now that I have advertised this weakness, perhaps I will now strive to push myself harder in practice to build this mental toughness. For chess, I need to play just a little more carefully in inferior positions. In general, I need to avoid exchanges, but also seek as much counterplay as I can generate. Finally, I should force myself to play until I'm mated (for at least a while) to help cure my resign early attitude.

In Other News

2005-12-01T08:56:00.000-06:00

Some other chess-related things happening with me:

-Fege has asked me to join his U2000 team for Teamchess 45 45's T29 tournament. I have accepted. So, now I'll be playing for two teams in T29, Fege's team and the U1800 Checkmate! You Are Dead.

-I've ordered 3 supplementary courses of the now-defunct Aficinado's Chess Mentor series. These are composed of 2 modules of strategy and one module dealing with mastering chess technique. I won't be able to use these until Christmas, though.

-There is an upcoming OTB tournament on December 10th in nearby Springfield, IL, but I haven't made up my mind whether or not to attend. There are other tournaments coming in January and March of next year which I may play in instead. Achieving 1600 may or may not happen this year, but (as is my usual failing) I will probably achieve it after my set goal date of December 31.

The Make or Break Game: Broken

2005-11-29T22:17:00.000-06:00

Well, I was leading the Nov - Dec tournament (one round per week) going into this round, but lost. I didn't play the person I expected to play, but instead played someone I'd never played before (non-blitz) who plays in a quite similar style as I do. He's very tactically strong, as well, but he also has a stronger command than I of the endgame and overall conduct of the middlegame. I am doing some heavy analysis of the game, and I will publish it as soon as it's completed. He is rated 1594, so that makes my current rating around 1530 or so. Looks like 1600 is only a remote possiblity this year. On the plus side, with my analysis, I will become intimately familiar with the opening variation played (Scandinavian - Portuguese Variation).

New Chess Blog: Qxh7#

2005-11-28T14:26:00.000-06:00

Thanks to some reaching out by its creator, I'd like to welcome Qxh7# to the blogosphere. He's got some interesting posts and a neat-looking blog, so I'd recommend my fellow Knights Errant and other caissaphiles to check it out.

The Make Or Break Game: Prelude

2005-11-28T13:42:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow, I will be playing in what I think will be a make or break game for achieving Class B status this year. The person I will most likely play is rated 1747.

On the plus side, I have beaten him before, although it was only once.

On the minus side, he is higher rated (with LOTS of OTB experience), and he plays queen pawn games (and I will most likely have the black pieces against him).

So, tonight, I am skipping ju-jitsu practice for chess study. I will drill with CTS as my main focus, with some opening study against queen pawn games.

The way I have it calculated my rating will finish out this month in one of 3 ways:

Win 1608 (and Class B - 2005 goal achieved)
Draw 1575 (with the possibility of achieving 1600 in December)
Lose 1542 (with a slim possibility of achieving 1600 in December)

I will analyze and post the game after tomorrow's battle.

Tonight...I prepare for war....

Won Again Last Night

2005-11-23T10:44:00.000-06:00

I won't post the game unless there's interest in seeing it. I was paired up with a 945 rated player, so I caught a break compared to the last two weeks. It was an interesting game, but it was pretty one-sided for most of its 29 moves. My performance for the tournament is 1990 so far, and my rating should now be around 1560 (highest ever). I was concerned about not meeting my goal of making 1600 this year, but perhaps I shall at least get close to it (and there's still a chance I could achieve it).

Ju-jitsu Musings #1

2005-11-22T09:37:00.001-06:00

I've begun to see a lot of similarities in my martial arts training and in my chess learning. So, I plan to start a series of articles based on some similarities that I note and some learning that transfers readily to my chess training.

Today, I want to discuss something I learned from someone at my dojo who is much more skilled than I in ju-jitsu. I have been having trouble grappling from the bottom. What that means is that when I am on my back, I have trouble knowing what to do. To remedy this, I explained to my friend that I had been researching submission techniques from the bottom (from the closed guard position). He flat out told me that submissions were NOT my first priority. My first priority should always be to get into a position of control. Only then, should I look for submissions.

What this tells me when applied to chess is to have building my position into one strength as my primary goal. Of course, there may be opportunities for tactics along the way, but that shouldn't be my main focus at that point in the game. Once I have a strong position, then I should begin the look for "submission moves" or tactics.

On Evil, Wicked Scandy Players - The Game

2005-11-17T20:07:00.000-06:00

Ok, here's the game. I've provided some of my own analysis, but have also included Fritz's take on it. Please note that ?'s and !'s are per Fritz and not my own take on them! I say this because one of my moves was awarded !! by Fritz from which I have only gotten on only a couple other games of the many of mine that I have submitted to Fritz for analysis.

NN (1818) - CelticDeath(1493) [B01]
TCCC Normal, IL, 11/15/05
B01: Scandinavian Defence

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.c4

My opp usually plays Nc3, but has here dared me to play the Icelandic Gambit. I gladly oblige him. 3...e6 4.dxe6 Bxe6 5.Nc3 I like 5. d4 better here, and Fritz agrees. 5...Nc6 I always develop the Nc6 first, but Fritz prefers Bc5. 6.Nf3 Bc5 7.Be2

I thought for a while here. I didn't want to allow 8. d4, but this doesn't bother Fritz. 7...Nd4 [Fritz: 7...0–0 8.d4 Nxd4 9.Nxd4 Bxd4 10.Nb5 Bb6 11.Qxd8 Raxd8] 8.d3 0–0 9.Nxd4 Bxd4 10.0–0

The best move here seemed to be 10 ... c6. The purpose of the move was multi-functional. First, if White develops the bishop to f3, it will bite on granite. Also, the bishop on d4 is safe from an attack by White's Nb5, forcing it to move from it's primo post. Finally, it allows my queen to have access to the queenside. 10...c6 11.Kh1 I think Kh1 was too passive a move. 11...Qd7 12.f3 Rad8 13.Bg5 Qc7

14.Qe1 [My opp didn't like the following line, which is still about equal. 14.Ne4 Nxe4 15.Bxd8 Nf2+ 16.Rxf2 Rxd8 17.Rf1=] 14...Rd7 15.Rb1 a5 16.Ne4 Nxe4 17.dxe4 Qe5 18.Qc1 f5 19.Bf4 Qf6 20.Qc2 fxe4 21.fxe4 Qg6 22.Bg3 Rdf7 23.Rxf7 Rxf7[Fritz: Weaker is 23...Kxf7 24.Bd6 Rd8 25.c5±] 24.Rd1 c5 25.b3 Rf6 Short on time, my opp makes a critical error. 26.Bd3?? [Fritz: 26.Rf1= was possible]

And now, the critical position (from my last article)

26...Qxg3!!–+ 27.e5 [Fritz: 27.hxg3 Rh6# A classical mating theme] 27...Rh6 28.Bxh7+ [Fritz: 28.h3 doesn't do any good 28...Bxh3! Demolishes the pawn shield 29.Bxh7+ Kh8 30.Rxd4 Bxg2+ 31.Kg1 Rh1#] 28...Kh8 [Fritz: 28...Rxh7?! is easily refuted 29.Qxh7+ Kxh7 30.hxg3–+] 29.h3 Bxh3! 30.Rd3 [Fritz: 30.gxh3 Rxh3+ A beautiful mate combination] 30...Bxg2# 0–1

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. c4 e6 4. dxe6 Bxe6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Nf3 Bc5 7. Be2 Nd4 8. d3 O-O 9. Nxd4 Bxd4 10. O-O c6 11. Kh1 Qd7 12.f3 Rad8 13. Bg5 Qc7 14. Qe1 Rd7 15. Rb1 a5 16. Ne4 Nxe4 17. dxe4 Qe5 18. Qc1 f5 19. Bf4 Qf6 20. Qc2 fxe4 21. fxe4 Qg6 22. Bg3 Rdf7 23. Rxf7 Rxf7 24. Rd1 c5 25. b3 Rf6 26. Bd3 Qxg3 27. e5 Rh6 28. Bxh7+ Kh8 29. h3 Bxh3 30. Rd3 Bxg2# 0-1

On Evil, Wicked Scandy Players - Critical Position

2005-11-16T15:11:00.000-06:00

Here is a position from the end of my game against an 1818 rated opponent. He has just played 26. Bd3. What happened next?

On Evil, Wicked Scandy Players (or how I bagged my first Class A Player)

2005-11-15T21:23:00.000-06:00

J'adoube has discussed his travails against evil, demonic Scandy players. There is maybe another person to join him tonight in this assessment. I just won a game against the highest rated player in our club (and one who has given me plenty of grief over the board in the past) with the black pieces using the Icelandic Gambit. He is rated a full 325 pts higher than I. This was my first master level performance at 2218, per the USCF rating calculator. My rating now (after last week's draw against a 1776 rated player) will be about 1536. If I can cross the 1550 barrier (if memory serves), I will have a floor established at 1400. I am still in shock and exaltation after this win. It is late here, but you can definitely expect to see some analysis of this game in the near future.

Back Over 1500, pt. II

2005-11-10T19:14:00.000-06:00

Here is the game I referred to my previous post:

CelticDeath (1493) - NN (1776) [B07]
TCCC Normal, IL, 11/8/05

B07: Pirc Defence: Miscellaneous Systems 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 c6 I wasn't quite sure what type of opening this was, but it sure seemed like a Pirc to me. No king's fianchetto, though. After the game, I asked my opp what it was and if it was a Pirc. I forget what he called it, but Fritz sure calls it a Pirc (miscellaneous line)!4.f4 Normally, I play a Byrne variation, bringing my darksquare bishop to g5 before moving my pawn to f4. However, with my opp's last move, I knew he intended on bringing his queen to a5 to pin my Nc3.

4...Qa5 5.Bd2 e5 I didn't really calculate at this point, because I liked the opportunity to remove a my opp's Nf6, which I felt maintained my initiative while strengthening my control of the center.

6.Nd5 Qd8 7.Nxf6+ Qxf6 8.Nf3 Bg4 [Fritz: 8...exf4 9.Bc1=] 9.dxe5 dxe5 10.fxe5 ...

10. ... Bxf3?! Fritz prefers Qe7 11.exf6 [Fritz: 11.gxf3?! Qh4+ 12.Ke2 Nd7] 11...Bxd1 12.fxg7 Fritz judges Rxd1 and my move as equal (+1.03). 12...Bxg7 13.Rxd1 Nd7 [CD: ‹13...Bxb2 14.Rb1] 14.Bd3 Ne5 15.0–0?! Fritz prefers to keep the bishop with Be2. 15...0–0–0 16.Bc3 f6 17.Bxe5 fxe5 18.Rf7 Rd7 19.Rxd7 Kxd7 20.Ba6+?!

Trying to get cute with tactics. Fritz prefers beginning king centralization with Kf1. 20...Kc7 21.Bxb7 Rb8 22.Ba6 Rxb2 23.Bc4 [Fritz: 23.Rf1 Rxc2 24.Rf7+ Kb6 25.Rxg7 Kxa6 26.Rxh7 Rxa2 27.g4 Ra1+ 28.Kf2 Ra2+ 29.Kg3±] 23...Rxc2 24.Be6 Bh6 25.Kf1 Rc1 [Fritz: 25...Be3!? is an interesting alternative] 26.Rxc1= Bxc1 27.Bg8 h6 28.h4 Kd6 29.Ke2 Kc5 30.Kd3 Kb4 Fritz: Active king in the endgame 31.g4 c5 32.h5 Bf4 Draw agreed. ½–½

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 c6 4. f4 Qa5 5. Bd2 e5 6. Nd5 Qd8 7. Nxf6+ Qxf6 8. Nf3 Bg4 9. dxe5 dxe5 10. fxe5 Bxf3 11. exf6 Bxd1 12. fxg7 Bxg7 13. Rxd1 Nd7 14. Bd3 Ne5 15. O-O O-O-O 16. Bc3 f6 17. Bxe5 fxe5 18. Rf7 Rd7 19. Rxd7 Kxd7 20. Ba6+ Kc7 21. Bxb7 Rb8 22. Ba6 Rxb2 23. Bc4 Rxc2 24. Be6 Bh6 25. Kf1 Rc1 26. Rxc1 Bxc1 27. Bg8 h6 28. h4 Kd6 29.Ke2 Kc5 30. Kd3 Kb4 31. g4 c5 32. h5 Bf4 1/2-1/2

Back Over 1500

2005-11-09T11:21:00.000-06:00

Last night at chess club I drew a game against a 1776 rated player, so my USCF rating is back above 1500. Using the USCF calculator, I estimate my rating to be at 1506. Fritz showed me that I could have maintained an early advantage that I had in the game if I would have allowed counterplay. Very interesting to note that. Usually you want to stifle opponent counterplay, but there are situations when you can actually stifle your own chances by doing so.

More Thoughts on Thought Process

2005-10-28T09:59:00.000-05:00

I continue to review my thought process, because I think it continues to need refinement. I wish to pen here my thoughts on how I should spend my time each move:

1. Determine what type of move is needed:
a) Book move - make next book move
b) Other move - proceed to step two

2. Assess the position on the board
a) Tactics present, proceed to step 3
b) No tactics present, make strategic move

3. Determine if I need to attack or defend
a) If attack, look at lines with least complications first
b) If defend, look at lines creating most complications first

Ok, so that's nice and all, but I need to be more detailed (one of my major failings). Here we go:

On tactical moves:

a) Attempt to recall any relevant useful patterns
a1) If I can recall some, then generate a list of candidate moves that appear to "solve the puzzle." Calculate to determine the correct move.
a2) If none are recalled, then I must try to understand the position better. Generate a list of any candidates that appear to solve the puzzle. Calculate to see if any of my candidates DO actually solve the puzzle. If not, then find a move that maintains the current evaluation of the position.

On strategic moves:

a) Identify the strategic landmarks of the position
b) Develop a plan based on those landmarks
c) Identify candidate moves that appear to validate the plan
d) Calculate variations to see if the plan can be successfully implemented
d1) If not, then go back to b) and come up with a new plan and continue until a workable plan is identified
d2) If so, then make the correct move

Revenge II

2005-10-24T23:35:00.000-05:00

Here is one of the critical positions from my earlier post.

Evaluate 16. ... Ng4

Tactical Rating - How Accurate?

2005-10-21T16:35:00.000-05:00

I just took this test from a link at Dutch Defence's blog, and my rating came out 2165! Is that test very accurate? What do you think?

AAARRRH!!!

2005-10-20T13:05:00.000-05:00

Looks like DreadPirateJosh has gone 404.

Revenge

2005-10-19T11:25:00.000-05:00

Some of you may remember me discussing comments made by someone at my club to the effect that I will never improve.

Well, I was able to exact some revenge yesterday by beating this person in a rated OTB game. It's only the 2nd non-blitz victory I've had over him. I will post the game later (although it's an embarrassing, blunder-filled game for both people). I won ugly, but I still won.

Well, At Least I Got to See My First GM's Play

2005-10-17T08:11:00.000-05:00

My tournament was a bust. On day 1, in the first round I got up a queen only to blunder mine back to my opponent (who also had a rook and some pawns). I won the 2nd round in a very good game. In round 3, I played the person with the worst personal hygiene in the tournament and ended up blowing a chance to grab the advantage. So, I withdrew for Day 2 (no sense driving 2 hours for no chance at the prizes).

However, there were 6 GM's there: Shabalov, Gurevich, Finegold, and three others. I happened to catch a couple GM's (not sure which ones they were) going through a game afterwards, and it was interesting to note that the apparent winner of the game was showing the apparent loser of the game a line that the loser hadn't even looked at. I've always held the apparent misconception that at that level, they see everything, but discard variations that they evaluate as less than best. However, this proved to me that they don't always see everything.

I also got the chance to meet in person the first board player on my OCL team. He plays under the name Routermeister. He's a pretty cool guy, but (at least for the 1st day) had about as much luck playing as I did.

I Am Somebody!

2005-10-13T09:59:00.000-05:00

Google CelticDeath and see what pops up as the first listing!

The White Sheets in a Snow Storm Blog?!

2005-10-12T13:49:00.000-05:00

RomaLavrn where didja go?

Cleaning the Camera Lens

2005-10-12T09:02:00.000-05:00

A lot of us Knights Errant appear to be obsessing over CTS. I think the cause is justified. I don't know what the Alekhines or Morphies or Capablancas or Fischers of the past did to stay sharp, but I'm starting to see CTS as an invaluable aid to my tactical ability in chess.

I've noticed my ability functions in cycles. It reaches a peak and then drops. I took a week off to build a new computer to replace mine that had ceased functioning. In that time, my tactical ability dropped dramatically, and I lost a Round 3 game in the OCL at Chessville do to some very poor play.

Now, I've begun to devote at least a small time each day to CTS, and the camera lens of my mind's eye is beginning to see more clearly. My CTS rating is up modestly, and I'm beginning to solve the Andy Soltis Chess to Enjoy problems from the latest Chess Life more readily. Last week, I would look at the positions, and no ideas would come to mind. Yesterday, after some CTS work, the combinations began to appear in my head, albeit slowly.

I have a tournament Saturday. I know if I don't get the camera lens completely clean by then, I don't stand a chance. If I do get it cleaned, and the tacts flow as naturally as they seemed to just a few weeks back, then my performance will be at 100%.

What Hath God Wraught?!

2005-10-10T10:07:00.000-05:00

I love playing first person shooter games. However, until recently, I had an old 800 MHz system that only held 512 MB of RAM. I spent last week building a new system after the old one finally gave out. So, now I've re-installed my shooter games with the same (but underutilized graphics card) as before. My gosh what a difference it makes! I have Soldier of Fortune II on full gore, and some of the scenes about make you sick with all the brain matter and such that gets splashed on the walls. I played another similar-type game (Shellshock: Nam '67), and my wife even commented how cool the graphics looked. And, then there's the AI engines that are MUCH harder with the extra RAM and processor speed. Phenomenal!!!

OCL Fall 2005, U1900, Round 1

2005-10-01T17:56:00.000-05:00

White to move.

This is from my round 1 game against the higher rated MStav. I had three pawns for a bishop, and had just invaded my opps position along the a-file. My opponent has just made the move Qc5. Can you see what happened next?
----------------------------------------------------------------
Ok, here's the game in its entirety. Of course, the solution is a mate in 3 beginning with 43. Rh8+.

1. e4 c5 2. c3 Nf6 3. e5 Nd5 4. Bc4 e6 5. Bxd5 exd5 6. d4 d6 7. exd6 Bxd6 8. Nf3 Bg4 9. O-O O-O 10. Be3 Qc7 11. h3 Bh5 12. Nbd2 Nd7 13. Qc1 c4 14. b4 f5 15. Bg5 Rae8 16. Re1 h6 17. Bh4 g5 18. Bxg5 hxg5 19. Nxg5 Rf6 20. Rxe8+ Bxe8 21. Qe1 Bf7 22. Qe2 Bf4 23. Ndf3 Nf8 24. g3 Bd6 25. Ne5 Bxe5 26. dxe5 Rh6 27. f4 Ne6 28. Nxe6 Bxe6 29. h4 Qg7 30. Kh2 Rg6 31. Rg1 Rg4 32. a4 Qc7 33. Qe3 b6 34. Rb1 Qc6 35. b5 Qc7 36. Ra1 Qe7 37. a5 Rg7 38. axb6 axb6 39. Ra8+ Kh7 40. Qxb6 Qd7 41. Rd8 Qe7 42. Qb8 Qc5 43. Rh8+ Kg6 44. h5+ Kf7 45. Qe8# 1-0

Physical Chess

2005-09-27T09:12:00.000-05:00

"Another important skill that Keane said is necessary for success in jujitsu is strategy. He said it is imperative for the competitor to always plan his next move.

'This is very much like chess,' Keane said. 'Good people think two to three moves ahead.'"

Hat tip: The Technician Online

And, so it goes. I have joined fellow knight J'adoube in the pursuit of martial arts (although I'm no where near the proficiency level of J'adoube who is a Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do, if I understand that correctly).

I'm a big fan of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and have chosen the art which appears to be the most effective for self-defense all things considered. That is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ), because most fights end up on the ground. I plan to complement this training starting perhaps in a year with Tae Kwon Do training, so I can learn some kicking and striking techniques as well.

One other thing that attracted me to BJJ is its similiarites to chess. In the beginning of a match or fight, the two opponents square off and are basically free to make whatever moves they desire (just like a chess opening). Next, comes the clinch phase. This is like jockeying for position in the middlegame. Finally, there is ground game, where both opponents struggle for dominance (kind of like tactics in the middlegame as well as the endgame).

I had my first lesson last night, and I (thanks again to chess) am pretty aware of my shortcomings and strengths. Now, I will have a lot of hard work ahead of me to earn my blue belt.

Midwest Class Championship

2005-09-23T10:23:00.000-05:00

On Oct 15-16, I will be participating in the largest (non-scholastic) chess tournament I will have ever attempted. I will be playing other Class C opps, for the whole tournament, and there is a chance for a decent payday ($2,000 for the Class C winner, plus prizes for the next 4 placers). Not only that, but if by some stroke of luck, I would win either the top prize or second place ($1,000), the USCF would set my ratings floor at 1600. So, I would never be able to fall below 1600 in the ratings system, and would be at least a Class B player forever.

Twin Cities Chess Club, 9/20/05, per Fritz

2005-09-22T18:01:00.000-05:00

This is the position in question from my previous post. Against the best defense there is no forced checkmate, but there is a win after the correct move (guessed correctly by both The Java Man and Bahus) 9. Bxh7+!

Now, we have to examine black's possible responses.

9. ... Kh8 10. Ng5 and now Black must give away material to avoid mate (10. ... g6 {Nxe5!? prolongs the inevitable} 11. Qf3 Nf5 12. Bxg6 and the hammer will fall.

9. ... Kxh7 10. Ng5+ and now

10. ... Kh6?? 11. Nxf7 wins the queen, as both JavaManIssa and Bahus remarked

or 10. ... Kg8 11.Qh5 Re8 12. Qh7+ Kf8 13. Qh8+ Ng8 14. Nh7+ Ke7 15. Bg5+ Nf6 16. Qxg7 (which shows how hard the follow through was to calculate in g/45)

or 10. ... Kg6 and now White has two possibilities:

11. Qg4 (which I played in a similar position but my opp found a way to capitalize on the weak d4 pawn) f5 12. exf6 Kf6 13. Nh7+ Kf7 and Black has a slight advantage after getting two minor pieces for the rook and pawn

11. Qd3+! (the correct way to proceed, which I never even considered OTB) f5 12. h4! (even though I didn't consider Qd3+, I did see the possibilities of h4 after Kg6) Qe8 13. h5+ Kh6 14. Nxe6+

Twin Cities Chess Club, 9/20/05

2005-09-21T00:16:00.000-05:00

I played the #22 ranked (in the US) 11 year old at Chess Club again. He is rated 1713, which is nearly 200 pts higher than I am. I managed to hold the advantage through most of the game, but made one tiny error that ended up getting me into a drawn game. Unfortunately, in time trouble, I blew the draw and lost.

Anyhow, here is the position after my opp's 8th move. He had the Black pieces.

I immediately picked up on the correct move, but discarded it after some minutes of calculation, because I simply could not find the correct follow through. Fritz helped me out there in the post-game analysis. Can you find the correct 9th move for White? Okay, that's the easy part. Now, can you find the correct way for White to follow through?

Online Chess League (OCL) Fall 2005

2005-09-20T08:36:00.000-05:00

I've been whining all year for Chessville to bring back the OCL - and they finally did. So, I feel obligated to play in that tournament. Although I'd normally play in both Teamchess and OCL at the same time, with the baby my time is limited.

Anyhow, I'll be board 2 for the About Tal team. Last year, I managed to climb to board 1 and fared decently well against some tough competition. The team to look out for is the Italian Garibaldi team. They dominated last time.

At any rate, I have my work cut out for me. I think I can be successful if I quit playing crazy chess. I'm not Tal (despite the team name), nor should I aspire to be. I should focus on playing Real Chess and avoid going for complications just for the sake of complications. That worked for me some last time, but it also bit me against the strongest of my opponents. I'll keep you posted on my results, and if I have the time, maybe I'll even (gasp!) figure out a way to post my games for replay.

Chess Mentor Maker Afficianado Undergoing Restructuring

2005-09-12T14:21:00.000-05:00

I just came across this, and I'm surprised I didn't find any mention of it anywhere else already:

ATTENTION: Aficionado Inc., maker of Chess Mentor software, is currently undergoing corporate restructuring. During that time there will be no further sales or support of Chess Mentor.

After the company reorganization has been completed, this site will be updated.

Chess Mentor website

This is a bummer, because I really like the Chess Mentor software, although I don't think Chess Mentor 3 offered any really advantages or improvements over version 2 (which is the one I own). I do hope they come out of restructuring, and I also hope they improve their catalog of supplemental programs. Some of them, I've been tempted to buy in the past, but many of them haven't interested me enough to even consider them.

I Am a Statistic!!

2005-09-09T12:43:00.000-05:00

Well, sort of. I decided about a month or so ago to sign up as a tester for IM Igor Khmelnitsky to help him to prepare future instructional materials/books. I think pretty much anybody can sign up.

What happens is he e-mails his testers on Thursday evenings with sets of problems to solve (when they sign up, they self-report their current chess rating so he has an idea of how strong a player they are). Then, they have until the next Thursday to submit their answers to the problems via a link he provides in his e-mail. When he sends them the next set of problems, he also provides an answer key to the set just submitted.

Occasionally, I imagine out of some gratitude for the free work done by his testers, he sends them an assessment for some of the sets they have submitted. In my case, I have received feedback on his first tactical set and his first endgame set. I scored in the range of 1400-1800 with the tactical set, and he actually gave me an endgame rating of 1311 (quite a bit lower than I would have thought). Now, if I recall correctly, that particular endgame set did not involve rook endings (where I believe my endgame knowledge is strongest), so I'm not too surprised that I scored that low.

At any rate, the experience is great. My chess thinking is stimulated by these very difficult problems, and I would encourage anyone interested in helping IM Khmelnitsky to complete this form and prepare to be challenged!

Bullcrap!

2005-09-07T15:48:00.000-05:00

Comment made to me by older gentleman in my chess club concerning the fact that I had finally beaten the #22 ranked 11 year old (who is a full 200 points higher rated than I) in USCF last week:

[Paraphrasing]"Well, there's only one problem. He'll continue to get better, and you won't."

I didn't mention that I'm over 200 points higher rated than the same time last year.

Bullcrap.

Comments like that just spur me to drive harder. Last night, I boosted my CTS rating from 1477 to 1524 in one evening.

I'm going to enjoy laughing at this fellow when I do climb into Class B...and then Class A...on to Expert.

And, then, I'll look him square in the eye and say "what was that you were saying?"

Informal Speed Ladder Night

2005-08-31T08:23:00.000-05:00

I made it to chess club for the first time in about a month last night. I played 8 games, and overall, I was pretty pleased with my performance, even though I won only half of my games.

I had a watershed game against the #22 ranked 11 year old in the US. I won my game against him and now have a 1-2-2 record against him. He is rated 1712. Unfortunately, the games weren't rated, so I won't get any points from that encounter.

Of my 4 losses, 2 were from winning positions against a higher rated opp that I managed to blow due to either overconfidence and/or time pressure. One of my other losses was due to trying to force a drawn position, and the other one I just flat out lost.

I plan to start my circles back up here soon, and I will then resume blogging my results.

Just a Little While Longer

2005-08-26T08:37:00.000-05:00

Everyone's doing fine at home, but until I can get back into some sort of routine, I'm still keeping my chess study on hold. The little guy keeps me up to 2:00a regularly (kind of like my chess circles did towards the end!).

Celtic Son

2005-08-16T12:27:00.000-05:00

Born 8/11/05 18.5 in 6lbs 1oz

Mom and son are doing well....

and he's even got his own webpage!

Celtic Slowdown

2005-08-04T23:39:00.000-05:00

Life calls, so my blogging (and most likely my chess study) will slow down some. My wife is due with our son any day now, so I need to address my priorities. I will blog my progress as I have time, and I don't plan to stop blogging, but my blogs may not be as frequent. I'll let you know how it all works out!

CET: Circle 1, Day 52

2005-08-03T23:32:00.000-05:00

Current Theme: Queen Endings
Total Solved in Theme:51/131
Total Solved in Problem Set: 2192/2443
Percent Correct in Theme: 47%
Percent Correct in Problem Set: 61%

CET: Circle 1, Day 51

2005-08-02T17:40:00.000-05:00

Completed Theme: Rook Against Knight Endings
Total Solved in Theme: 84/84
Total Solved in Problem Set: 2131/2443
Percent Correct in Theme: 63%
Percent Correct in Problem Set: 62%

Completed Theme: Queen Against Pawns Endings
Total Solved in Theme: 10/10
Total Solved in Problem Set: 2141/2443
Percent Correct in Theme: 58%
Percent Correct in Problem Set: 62%

Current Theme: Queen Endings
Total Solved in Theme: 7/131
Total Solved in Problem Set: 2148/2443
Percent Correct in Theme: 66%
Percent Correct in Problem Set: 62%

CET: Circle 1, Day 50

2005-08-01T23:36:00.000-05:00

Current Theme: Rook Against Knight Endings
Total Solved in Theme: 57/84
Total Solved in Problem Set: 2104/2443
Percent Correct in Theme: 65%
Percent Correct in Problem Set: 62%

CTS Rankings 8/1/05

2005-08-01T08:07:00.000-05:00

1. Der Alter Goniff 1671
2. Pawn In The Game 1588
3. JavaManIssa 1546
4. CelticDeath 1534
5. Tempo Schlucker I 1495
6. DreadPirateJosh 1456
7. Bahus 1428
.. Nezha 1428
9. General Kaia 1417
10. Tempo Schlucker II 1414
11. Mousetrapper I 1409
12. J'adoube 1322
13. Pawn Sensei 1283 (steady progress upward!)
14. Mousetrapper II 1258

Note: Sancho Pawnza and Knightwizzy have gone inactive in the CTS rankings.

Let me know of any errors &/or omissions!

CET: Circle 1, Day 49

2005-07-31T23:39:00.000-05:00

Completed Theme: Bishop Against Knight Endings
Total Solved in Theme: 280/280
Total Solved in Problem Set: 2047/2443
Percent Correct in Theme: 57%
Percent Correct in Problem Set: 62%

Current Theme: Rook Against Knight Endings
Total Solved in Theme: 13/84
Total Solved in Problem Set: 2060/2443
Percent Correct in Theme: 52%
Percent Correct in Problem Set: 62%

CET: Circle 1, Day 47

2005-07-30T22:47:00.000-05:00

Current Theme: Bishop Against Knight Endings
Total Solved in Theme: 205/280
Total Solved in Problem Set: 1972/2443
Percent Correct in Theme: 56%
Percent Correct in Problem Set: 62%

I skipped a day yesterday, because I was just too exhausted after a week of running. I hope to make it up tomorrow after church.

CET: Circle 1, Day 45

2005-07-28T22:54:00.000-05:00

Current Theme: Bishop Against Knight Endings
Total Solved in Theme: 161/280
Total Solved in Problem Set: 1928/2443
Percent Correct in Theme: 54%
Percent Correct in Problem Set: 62%

CET: Circle 1, Day 44

2005-07-27T22:42:00.000-05:00

Current Theme: Bishop Against Knight Endings
Total Solved in Theme: 117/280
Total Solved in Problem Set: 1884/2443
Percent Correct in Theme: 57%
Percent Correct in Problem Set: 62%

CET: Circle 1, Day 43

2005-07-26T22:40:00.000-05:00

Current Theme: Bishop Against Knight Endings
Total Solved in Theme: 73/280
Total Solved in Problem Set: 1840/2443
Percent Correct in Theme: 58%
Percent Correct in Problem Set: 63%

CET: Circle 1, Day 42

2005-07-25T23:01:00.000-05:00

Completed Theme: Rook Against Bishop Endings
Total Solved in Theme: 138/138
Total Solved in Problem Set: 1767/2443
Percent Correct in Theme: 60%
Percent Correct in Problem Set: 63%

Current Theme: Bishop Against Knight Endings
Total Solved in Theme: 29/280
Total Solved in Problem Set: 1796/2443
Percent Correct in Theme: 62%
Percent Correct in Problem Set: 63%

CTS Rankings 7/25/05

2005-07-25T08:07:00.000-05:00

1. Der Alter Goniff 1702
2. Pawn In The Game 1590
3. CelticDeath 1521 (Can we say
.. JavaManIssa 1521 "power struggle?") :)
5. Tempo Schlucker 1498
6. DreadPirateJosh 1487
7. Sancho Pawnza 1480
8. Nezha 1466
9. General Kaia 1408
10. Bahus 1404
11. Mousetrapper I 1403
12. J'adoube 1352
13. Mousetrapper II 1281 (+91 pt improvement from last week @ 95% accuracy!)
14. Knightwizzy 1275
15. Pawn Sensei 1264

Let me know of any errors &/or omissions!

CET: Circle 1, Day 41

2005-07-24T19:51:00.000-05:00

Current Theme: Rook Against Bishop Endings
Total Solved in Theme: 123/138
Total Solved in Problem Set: 1752/2443
Percent Correct in Theme: 60%
Percent Correct in Problem Set: 63%

CET: Circle 1, Day 40

2005-07-23T23:33:00.000-05:00

Current Theme: Rook Against Bishop Endings
Total Solved in Theme: 79/138
Total Solved in Problem Set: 1708/2443
Percent Correct in Theme: 58%
Percent Correct in Problem Set: 63%

CET: Circle 1, Day 39

2005-07-23T00:34:00.000-05:00

Completed Theme: Knight Endings
Total Solved in Theme: 295/295
Total Solved in Problem Set: 1629/2443
Percent Correct in Theme: 61%
Percent Correct in Problem Set: 63%

Current Theme: Rook Against Bishop Endings
Total Solved in Theme: 35/138
Total Solved in Problem Set: 1664/2443
Percent Correct in Theme: 67%
Percent Correct in Problem Set: 63%

CET: Circle 1, Day 38

2005-07-21T23:02:00.000-05:00

Current Theme: Knight Endings
Total Solved in Theme: 286/295
Total Solved in Problem Set: 1620/2443
Percent Correct in Theme: 60%
Percent Correct in Problem Set: 63%

CET: Circle 1, Day 37

2005-07-20T22:29:00.000-05:00

Current Theme: Knight Endings
Total Solved in Theme: 242/295
Total Solved in Problem Set: 1576/2443
Percent Correct in Theme: 61%
Percent Correct in Problem Set: 63%

CET: Circle 1, Day 36

2005-07-20T00:01:00.000-05:00

Current Theme: Knight Endings
Total Solved in Theme: 198/295
Total Solved in Problem Set: 1532/2443
Percent Correct in Theme: 63%
Percent Correct in Problem Set: 64%

Rest In Peace, General Westmoreland

2005-07-19T00:17:00.000-05:00

And may you take with you the knowledge that you were correct.

General William Westmoreland
1914 - 2005

CET: Circle 1, Day 35

2005-07-18T22:27:00.000-05:00

Current Theme: Knight Endings
Total Solved in Theme: 156/295
Total Solved in Problem Set: 1490/2443
Percent Correct in Theme: 63%
Percent Correct in Problem Set: 64%

Retooling

2005-07-18T09:27:00.000-05:00

My game, I think is in the process of retooling. My FICS rating has dropped to what I think is its lowest yet at around 1670 or so. My last 3 games were losses to lower rated opponents. In two of the 3 games, I had distinct advantages only to mess up the win conversion. I think part of the reason is the incorporation of endgame training into my study. Now, I not only consider the strategic and tactical implications of my move choices, but also try to fit in endgame considerations. Add to this the fact that my endgame skill is nowhere where it needs to be and you have catastrophe.

I only feel a little upset about this, because I know that when it all comes together - and it will, I will be a much, much stronger player. Right now, I feel the rating system is telling me "you have added new knowledge which you are trying to use. Therefore, your rating must drop as a way of telling you to apply this knowledge in games against easier opponents at first. Once you have successfully incorporated this knowledge into your thought process, your rating will once again improve."

CTS Rankings 7/18/05

2005-07-18T08:37:00.000-05:00

1. Der Alter Goniff 1709 (Will he soon challenge the FM's in the top spots?!)
2. JavaManIssa 1532
3. CelticDeath 1509
4. Tempo Schlucker 1504 (+99pts. in one week. Look at him go! )
5. Sancho Pawnza 1480
6. Nezha 1472
7. DreadPirateJosh 1452
8. General Kaia 1449
9. Mousetrapper I 1406
10. Bahus 1388
11. J'adoube 1351
12. KnightWizzy 1275
13. PawnSensei 1270
14. Mousetrapper II 1190

Again, let me know of any errors &/or omissions!

CET: Circle 1, Day 34

2005-07-17T22:46:00.000-05:00

Current Theme: Knight Endings
Total Solved in Theme: 111/295
Total Solved in Problem Set: 1444/2443
Percent Correct in Theme: 68%
Percent Correct in Problem Set: 64%