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Author Topic: Chess thread  (Read 340780 times)
Tal
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« Reply #225 on: September 10, 2012, 10:03:51 PM »

One of the few genuine "angles" in amateur chess is offering a draw when you think you are losing (but you hope your opponent hasn't realised he's winning!)
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« Reply #226 on: September 10, 2012, 10:16:06 PM »

I had Q and 2 pawns and he had Q and 1 pawn - but he had the initiative, I think he could have forced the draw by continually putting me in check without ever making a move to try and win it.
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Tal
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« Reply #227 on: September 10, 2012, 10:20:46 PM »

When you have fewer pawns, it is almost always a good idea to keep the major pieces (queen and rooks) on the board, as it gives you much better drawing chances: not only can you pick up the material deficit, you can get perpetual checks (even checkmate chances).

The trick is always to be aggressive, even when you only want a draw. The opponent then has to defend and your positional advantage often makes up for the material deficit.
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Tal
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« Reply #228 on: September 11, 2012, 09:38:10 PM »

This evening, our old friend, Mr Blackburne, teaches us why you should never play silly openings. The opponent was a nobody and the chess records are sufficiently brutal (or kind, depending on your point of view) to refer to him only by NN, which (along with N and AN Other) is a standard nom de plume for an unknown opponent.

Don't attack with just the queen or you'll find yourself in trouble!

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1029000

Note the comments on the game are from the great man himself. Did you see the finish?

Every time Blackburne makes a move, he develops another piece. Soon, white has only a queen out and has castled, while Black has everything pointing at His Majesty.

You can just see Blackburne stroking his beard, nursing a single malt...
« Last Edit: September 11, 2012, 09:41:59 PM by Tal » Logged

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« Reply #229 on: September 12, 2012, 11:40:57 PM »

I don't know if you have seen ChessFanatic's videos on YouTube. He mostly plays blitz and lightning chess, whilst shouting loudly over the top. Very good. He #lovethegame, no doubt.

Here he is playing about 15 games in 30 minutes. He nearly always wins, of course.

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Tal
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« Reply #230 on: September 13, 2012, 08:37:08 AM »

Was not aware of this chap. Enthusiasm ftw, it seems.

I played my first league match of the season last night. As we have two teams in the division, we must face each other first game.

I knew who my opponent would be (all six players are ranked and your best plays their best etc) and that he likes to prepare openings if he knows what his opponent plays as white.

So, I spent 15 mins looking at an opening I have never played in competitive chess: the English opening. It starts 1.c4 (pawn to queen bishop 4). I had a few lines prepared by looking at some master games. I knew that there were no immediate dangers if I played solid, developing chess, and so it proved. I got into a normal game without getting into any prepared traps of his.

I went on to win the game.

I'm a believer of adjusting to your opponent. Not everyone is in chess tho.
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Tal
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« Reply #231 on: September 13, 2012, 09:57:31 PM »

A nice, synoptic article on the Olympiad:

http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=8473

It includes five of the most interesting games of the week and they are helpfully annotated by a grandmaster.

Some details of the victorious Armenian team and the surprisingly high performing US team, the latter of which features the Wayne-Mardlesque Geta Kamsky:

« Last Edit: September 13, 2012, 10:02:06 PM by Tal » Logged

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Tal
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« Reply #232 on: September 13, 2012, 10:01:43 PM »

Just me, right?

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Tal
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« Reply #233 on: September 15, 2012, 04:56:56 PM »

A preview of the latest major competition for you this afternoon: the Chess Masters Series Final. Chessbase.com reports: Five of the world's best players will be there: World Champion Vishy Anand, world number one Magnus Carlsen, number two Levon Aronian, number seven Sergey Karjakin and eight Fabiano Caruana. Joining them will be the ever creative Paco Vallejo. The double round robin is split between São Paulo, Brazil, and Bilbao, Spain. It starts on September 23 and is played in a glass cube.

It is the chess equivalent of the ATP Finals in Tennis, where those who have performed best in a series of tournaments are invited to compete in the final stage. This year’s features the world numbers 1, 2, 6, 7 and 8, along with the Spanish host’s pick: Francisco Vallejo-Pons (known as “Paco”).

Half the tournament is played in Brazil, with everyone then moving to Spain to finish the job.

Aside from the talent on display, one of the interesting features of this tournament is that the games are played in an almost ITV-esque glass cube. It is essentially soundproof, so the players are largely unaware of any crisp-munching, boiled sweet-twizzling, jumper knitting kibitzers.







The rest of us can only dream of such serenity!
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« Reply #234 on: September 15, 2012, 09:06:36 PM »

Was not aware of this chap. Enthusiasm ftw, it seems.

I played my first league match of the season last night. As we have two teams in the division, we must face each other first game.

I knew who my opponent would be (all six players are ranked and your best plays their best etc) and that he likes to prepare openings if he knows what his opponent plays as white.

So, I spent 15 mins looking at an opening I have never played in competitive chess: the English opening. It starts 1.c4 (pawn to queen bishop 4). I had a few lines prepared by looking at some master games. I knew that there were no immediate dangers if I played solid, developing chess, and so it proved. I got into a normal game without getting into any prepared traps of his.

I went on to win the game.

I'm a believer of adjusting to your opponent. Not everyone is in chess tho.

Love the English. Added it to my arsenal, when my coach said I needed alternatives to d4 as white. Not sure it was exactly what he had in mind though Cheesy
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Tal
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« Reply #235 on: September 17, 2012, 08:33:59 AM »

Was not aware of this chap. Enthusiasm ftw, it seems.

I played my first league match of the season last night. As we have two teams in the division, we must face each other first game.

I knew who my opponent would be (all six players are ranked and your best plays their best etc) and that he likes to prepare openings if he knows what his opponent plays as white.

So, I spent 15 mins looking at an opening I have never played in competitive chess: the English opening. It starts 1.c4 (pawn to queen bishop 4). I had a few lines prepared by looking at some master games. I knew that there were no immediate dangers if I played solid, developing chess, and so it proved. I got into a normal game without getting into any prepared traps of his.

I went on to win the game.

I'm a believer of adjusting to your opponent. Not everyone is in chess tho.

Love the English. Added it to my arsenal, when my coach said I needed alternatives to d4 as white. Not sure it was exactly what he had in mind though Cheesy

The thing about 1.c4 is that there are a few variations where you end up in positions that are very familiar to 1.d4 players. This can be advantageous, if you know your opponent won'tknow the black end very well (because he normally plats something else; perhaps something sharper). But it alternatively ruins the surprise if he is happy in that position.

1.e4 is typically much sharper but there's a fair bit of learning involved to feel comfortable playing it as white.

I'm someone who used to play 1.f4 as white.

I changed to 1.d4 and played that for about 8 years, pretty much exclusively.

Then I has a coach-induced change like you, but to 1.e4.

I now play 1.e4 or 1.d4 depending on the weather, how I'm feeling, the sort of game I want, my opponent, boxers or briefs...
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tikay
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« Reply #236 on: September 17, 2012, 08:48:34 AM »


Half the tournament is played in Brazil, with everyone then moving to Spain to finish the job.

That's a bit inconvenient, is it not?

Presumably it is due to commercial/monetary matters?
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Tal
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« Reply #237 on: September 17, 2012, 10:01:47 AM »


Half the tournament is played in Brazil, with everyone then moving to Spain to finish the job.

That's a bit inconvenient, is it not?

Presumably it is due to commercial/monetary matters?

In short, yes.

It's the only tournament that does that. I think another part of it is ensuring that there is a tournament in South America. Just as FIFA likes to spread the love in football, so FIDE likes to spread the love in chess.
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« Reply #238 on: September 17, 2012, 10:29:18 AM »

Is there much prize money or sponsorship in chess, seems excessive to have to play in Brazil then Spain.
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« Reply #239 on: September 17, 2012, 10:43:03 AM »

Is there much prize money or sponsorship in chess, seems excessive to have to play in Brazil then Spain.

You are forgetting something Jase. It's like poker - ALL Brazilian & Spanish players are totally crap. Apparently.
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