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Author Topic: Chess thread  (Read 340695 times)
Tal
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« Reply #150 on: August 23, 2012, 07:27:12 PM »

Re: the Fegatello Attack, little did you know you were playing a similar line to one played in 1610!

I'd never heard of Fegatello either. Unsurprisingly, as a junior player, you hear "fried liver opening" and that's the name that sticks!

The Jännisch Variation of the Ruy Lopez is also called the Schliemann ("silly man's opening")

There's also an Elephant, a Frankenstein-Dracula, a Cabbage, a Fred (Tikay, are you listening? A Fred)...

This list is just the animal-named variations: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_chess_openings_named_after_animals

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Stevie B
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« Reply #151 on: August 23, 2012, 08:21:06 PM »

Does chess have anything similair to the WSOP, WPT or EPT? What would be considered the best single tournament to win for the top players or is it all about accumulating ranking points throughout the season?
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Tal
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« Reply #152 on: August 23, 2012, 08:40:11 PM »

Does chess have anything similair to the WSOP, WPT or EPT? What would be considered the best single tournament to win for the top players or is it all about accumulating ranking points throughout the season?

Players are rated based on their performance against other players, so it's a bit like a continuous ranking system.

There's a World Championship every couple of years and a series of tournaments to get to play the current champion.

That aside, there are some big tournaments such as in Wijk aan Zee in the spring. There's a big one in London in December, although it's a relatively new one.
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Jon MW
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« Reply #153 on: August 23, 2012, 09:09:34 PM »

Does chess have anything similair to the WSOP, WPT or EPT? What would be considered the best single tournament to win for the top players or is it all about accumulating ranking points throughout the season?

Players are rated based on their performance against other players, so it's a bit like a continuous ranking system.

...

FWIW - as I've already mentioned ITT that I used to work for the British Chess Federation, that's what I was mainly overseeing when I was there.

There are voluntary directors to work out the 'bigger picture' but for the BCF rankings and membership I was the one who was paid to do all the administrative donkey work.

Haven't really got anything to add to that though - it wasn't very interesting - being ignored by Nigel Short (because he didn't like the BCF) about sums up the excitement level.
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Jon "the British cowboy" Woodfield

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Tal
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« Reply #154 on: August 23, 2012, 09:24:23 PM »

Does chess have anything similair to the WSOP, WPT or EPT? What would be considered the best single tournament to win for the top players or is it all about accumulating ranking points throughout the season?

Players are rated based on their performance against other players, so it's a bit like a continuous ranking system.

...

FWIW - as I've already mentioned ITT that I used to work for the British Chess Federation, that's what I was mainly overseeing when I was there.

There are voluntary directors to work out the 'bigger picture' but for the BCF rankings and membership I was the one who was paid to do all the administrative donkey work.

Haven't really got anything to add to that though - it wasn't very interesting - being ignored by Nigel Short (because he didn't like the BCF) about sums up the excitement level.

And a mighty fine job you did, too, Jon Smiley
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Stevie B
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« Reply #155 on: August 23, 2012, 09:29:05 PM »

...

What's the quickest way to improve your rating?



win more games Smiley

When I first joined I played a few single games to guesstimate my realistic ranking. I then joined a min/max ranking tourney where I was one of the lower ranked players, so if I lost, I would lose minimum points but fortunately I managed to beat a couple of the higher ranked players.
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Tal
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« Reply #156 on: August 24, 2012, 07:19:37 PM »

If you want to know what's on near where you are, here's the English Chess Federation's tournament calendar:

http://www.englishchess.org.uk/?page_id=27

99% of tournaments are free for spectators, who are most welcome to pop in and watch the events. There are etiquette rules like not talking to the spectators while they're playing, not shouting "you sunk my battleship" and not laughing at old people who lose to small children.

 Live and learn, eh?
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Tal
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« Reply #157 on: August 24, 2012, 11:30:21 PM »

Latest Danny King video is up, chaps and chapesses:






We had one of these earlier in this thread.

This is number 10, in case you've missed any.
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Tal
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« Reply #158 on: August 24, 2012, 11:32:53 PM »

And here's #11...


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« Reply #159 on: August 25, 2012, 01:04:03 AM »

And for those who prefer the stories, I have had a look at the places where chess was regularly played in Victorian London and found this website:

http://www.victorianlondon.org/entertainment/dickens-chessclubs.htm

Here's an extract from a report by Charles Dickens Jr (Boz's first son):

Chess Clubs.— What may be termed the coffee-house epoch in the history of chess in England ended in the year 1810 with the establishment of the London Chess club, where members met for play in a private room in Cornhill. For some sixteen years afterwards it was the only association of the kind in London, and being supported chiefly by City merchants and members of the Stock Exchange, who played chess in the middle of the day, it was practically closed to amateurs whose occupations or pursuits were not "of the City" or whose only leisure was to be found in the evenings.

It had other disadvantages from the amateur's point of view, not the least of which was that the members comprised a host of experts in the science of chess, giants in whose company the tyro of the period was much more likely to be awed than edified. There was no chess club at the west end of the town at this period, but accommodation for players was provided in numerous coffee-houses, where "Monsieur" and "Herr," who since the first French Revolution have been always with us, dispensed instruction at such charges as their modest requirements suggested.

In 1823 a West-end chess club was established, with special rooms, &c., at the Perry Coffee-house in Rathbone-place. The members met for play at seven in the evening, sat down to a hot supper at ten—it was fifty years ago—and broke up at half- past eleven. Murphy, a miniature painter of note at that time, became a member of this club soon after its foundation, and introduced to the members the greatest player of the period— William Lewis. Lewis was then a merchants clerk, and, after the death of Sarratt, the strongest chess-player in England. He won the admiration of the Percy Chess Club by beating their best players at the odds of a rook.

In 1825 the Percy Chess Club was closed, and Lewis opened subscription rooms in St. Martin's-lane, where he was patronised by nearly all the best players in London: Alexander Macdonnell, subsequently the famous rival of La Bourdonnais; John Cochrane, the most brilliant player that ever appeared in the chess arena; Richard Penn, the author of the quaintest book in the language, "Maxims and Hints for Chess Players and Anglers" (illustrated by Stanfield); Bohn, the bookseller; and Pratt, of Lincoln's-inn, the author of a book on chess, that was described by Professor Allen, of Philadelphia, as a marvellous mixture of 'Schoolmaster's English and Johnsonese.' These rooms were closed in 1827, through the failure of Lewis. The London Chess Club still prospered; and it was not until the year 1832 that a rival association appeared upon the scene. Early in that year the famous Westminster Chess Club was opened in a room upon the first floor of a coffee-house in Bedford-street, Covent-garden, kept by one Huttman. The new club was immediately successful, and under its auspices was played the celebrated match between Westminster and Paris in 1834.

The club was temporarily dissolved in 1835, and was reorganised in the same year, the members meeting in Mr. Ries's drawing-room adjoining the Divan in the Strand, of which establishment that gentleman was the proprietor. Here Howard Staunton, for many years the champion chess-player of England, made his first appearance, and here were played the games in his match with Poyert. In 1840 the West- minster Chess Club was again dissolved—the City Club still prospering—but it was once more revived by Staunton, and the meetings were held in Charles-street, off the Haymarket. Its career was brief, however, and it was finally closed in 1843.

In the same year a new chess club at the West-end was formed, at Beatties Hotel, George-street, Cavendish-square, and was called after the name of the street in which its first meetings were held, the St. George's Chess Club. Beattie's Hotel was closed in the following year, and the St. George's removed to new quarters at the Polytechnic. Here was played the first International Chess Tournament in 1851, and here the club remained until the end of 1854, when it became associated with the Cavendish, a newly-formed club in Regent- street, and soon afterwards moved to the house formerly Crockford's, in St. James's- street, then called the Wellington. In the year 1857 the St. George's removed to its present quarters, Palace-chambers, King-street, St. James's.

Meanwhile, in 1852, a -club was formed in the city, under the title of the City of London Chess Club, by a few amateurs of little note at the time. This association has since been strengthened by the accession of all the foremost English players, and is now, in point of numbers, and the chess force and public repute of its members, the strongest chess club in the world. In 1866 a chess club, reviving the name of the "Westminster," whose history we have recounted, was formed by a number of influential amateurs, but it ceased to exist as a chess club in 1875, when it was dissolved, and reconstituted under the name of the Junior Portland as a whist -club.

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« Reply #160 on: August 25, 2012, 10:22:14 AM »

Thanks for the thread. Have been watching.
Used to play in chess tournaments when I was a kid.
One time I pressed my side of the clock but didn't do it properly and my timer kept running.
Other kid didn't tell me for ages, but I caught him glancing and then realised.
I lost on time.
If I ever see him again, I will clock him.
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Jon MW
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« Reply #161 on: August 26, 2012, 12:44:04 AM »

OK finally got around to making a chess.com account. After confirming that I'm still rubbish at any kind of speed chess I've fired up half a dozen slow games.

This was the first game I finished. Being so long out of the game is my excuse for doing 3 stupid things in the first 6 moves (playing as black) - but luckily I had an opponent who let me get away with those blunders and recover

http://www.chess.com/echess/game?id=57591890

Apart from - "pay attention" - any thoughts on strengths and weaknesses would be particularly welcome.

Obviously I had to look up what the hell was going on right at the beginning and it turns out it was this - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayward_Queen_Attack

Including my response it was the King Pawn Game: Wayward Queen Attack, Kiddie Countergambit  Cheesy which is a cool name but there's a subtle clue that I'd include the countergambit as a blunder with the notation wikipedia uses to describe it ( Nf6?! )

The opening is:
1. e4       e5
2. Qh5    Nf6
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Jon "the British cowboy" Woodfield

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Tal
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« Reply #162 on: August 26, 2012, 03:43:57 AM »

I think following the masses mightn't be a bad idea on this occasion, Jon: defend the pawn with 2...Nc6.

As for more general tips, you should never make a move without knowing why the other guy played his last move. That's a sure fire way to cut out 80% of those silly errors.

Your inclination to get the pieces centralised and working together was absolutely correct and you developed quickly, which is great.

You will improve from playing more, because you will get sharper and more in-tune with the game.

Just as yourself every time, "Why did he do that?"
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« Reply #163 on: August 26, 2012, 06:13:40 AM »

...
Just as yourself every time, "Why did he do that?"

Thanks, after the opening fiasco that was pretty much what I was doing. The next step being - 'is it something I have to react to?', or will my next attack force him to react to it so I don't need to worry about his plan straight away.*

I remember from when I played more regularly before that just playing more does seem to disproportionately improve your game - but this is basically the reason why I'm rubbish at speed games. However much practice I get I can't quite get the intuitive feel of making the right move at the right time. It has to be a thought out grand strategy for me to stand a chance.


*EDIT: the next step of my thought process being - can I adapt my plan of attack to take advantage of what he's planning to do? - the usual answer is no, but I found in that game for instance that the odd time where it is possible can be what changes the course of the game significantly.
« Last Edit: August 26, 2012, 06:19:13 AM by Jon MW » Logged

Jon "the British cowboy" Woodfield

2011 blonde MTT League August Champion
2011 UK Team Championships: Black Belt Poker Team Captain  - - runners up - -
5 Star HORSE Classic - 2007 Razz Champion
2007 WSOP Razz - 13/341
Tal
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« Reply #164 on: August 26, 2012, 09:52:53 PM »

...
Just as yourself every time, "Why did he do that?"

Thanks, after the opening fiasco that was pretty much what I was doing. The next step being - 'is it something I have to react to?', or will my next attack force him to react to it so I don't need to worry about his plan straight away.*

I remember from when I played more regularly before that just playing more does seem to disproportionately improve your game - but this is basically the reason why I'm rubbish at speed games. However much practice I get I can't quite get the intuitive feel of making the right move at the right time. It has to be a thought out grand strategy for me to stand a chance.


*EDIT: the next step of my thought process being - can I adapt my plan of attack to take advantage of what he's planning to do? - the usual answer is no, but I found in that game for instance that the odd time where it is possible can be what changes the course of the game significantly.

You can spend all summer studying theory but it isn't the same as playing games.

It is the same for us all
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