3C L20 145-175 74%

c3 l20 111-145 72%

They don't annotate like this anymore

One of my goals this summer is to read through My System by Nimzowitsch and play through the games. (I have the Lou Hays edition that is reformatted to algebragic notation.)I find the ideas interesting and the poetic discription enjoyable. Here is
an example from the second game.

10 h3 exd4

Giving up the center must not here be regarded as illogical . Was happiness no happiness because it endured for just a short time? One can not always be happy.


Also if you like to see a truely beautiful game check out this link. First game in the game collection of My System

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1102375

2nd Round L20 completed 371-396 49% ovrl 61%

l20 321-371 59%

l 20 307-327 72%

l20 274-307 60%

l20 248 -274 60%

l20 198-248 60%

Game at chess club (see earlier post)

I am somewhat challenged in posting my board positions from Fritz or Chesspad to my blog. I can't seem to export them in an image format. Here is my somewhat hazy recollection of the game. Black Queens and Rook were on the queenside but exact location uncertain I think the Blacks moves that I don't remember might be rook/queen moves and may of positioned them into the squares listed below.

White
Pawns on A2, f2, g2,h3,f5
bishop on d2
knight on e4
rooks on b1 and e1
KIng on g7


Black
Pawns on b6,c7,f7,g7,h6
bishop on e7
Knight of f6
rooks on b5 and ?
King on g8


White NXN on F6
Black bXn on F6
White Q -g3
Black (don't remember)
White bXh6
Black(don't remember)
White bXg7
black Bx g7
White p-f6
Black resigned since qXg7 was mate

As for tempos question, black,who is a nice fellow ,may of been surprised but ended the game the same way we always end it with a handshake and a good game. He did comment that I have been improving. I was very pleased with the game and somewhat stunned.

I am in shock

Last Night at Chess Club. I beat one of the stronger players there. One who I thought I would never beat. Saw the board very clearly and made no major tactical errors (that I could see) I grabbed a pawn then grabbed a bishop. Pulled through with a 6 move combination that ended in checkmate. I am stunned......

l20 171-198 71%

147 through 171 l20 69%

A Couple of Fun things

I am taking a few days off from problems. I had trouble concentrating on them. I ahve been looking at my chess books and playing through some of the games.

I really like the tactics in the Euwe vs Reti Game.
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1041899

I did my first Legal's mate in a game last week. I finally got in a position where I could do it. This has been one of my goals is to play it in a game. Another goal of mine is to play a classic smothered mate where I sac my queen and then have a smothered mate. I have to believe that I have been in the position to do this in games but didn't see it.

Link below to legal's mate:

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1251892

Another fun thing is I played as white a classic King Hunt. Marching blacks king across the board sacrificing a few pawns, a rook, and two bishops in the process.
I couldn't finish him off but came extremely close. all in all alot of fun.

Here is a collection of King hunts

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chesscollection?cid=1003412

I return to Ct-art 3 renewed

Jim

l20 137 -147 60%

2nd circle l20 111-137 73%

Contents of CT-ART 3 by Tactical Methods

For those who are curious: This is the contents of CT-ART by Tactical Methods(note this is different from the combinational Motifs listed in previous blog)


CT-ART 3.0.
Tactical methods
1. ANNIHILATION OF DEFENCE

1.1. Annihilation of the pieces defending other pieces
1.2. Annihilation of the pieces defending the back rank
1.3. Annihilation of the pieces defending the king, the most important squares and files
1.4. Annihilation of the pawns defending the most important squares and files
1.5. Annihilation of the pinning pieces

2. DISTRACTION

2.1. Distraction of the pieces defending other pieces
2.2. Distraction of the pieces defending the back rank
2.3. Distraction of the pieces defending the most important files
2.4. Distraction of the pieces defending the most important squares
2.5. Distraction of the pawns
2.6. Unblocking the pawns with the help of distraction
2.7. Distraction of the pinning pieces
2.8. Distraction of the pieces carrying out the dangerous threats

3. DECOY

3.1. Decoy of a king to a mating net
3.2. Decoy to a knight fork
3.3. Decoy to a queen double attack
3.4. Decoy to a file blow
3.5. Exploiting an open attack
3.6. Decoy for a pin
3.7. Other cases of decoy

4. OPEN ATTACK

4.1. Execution of an open attack
4.2. Removal of obstacles
4.3. Decoy to an attacked file
4.4. Decoy to a blow dealt by the piece moved away
4.5. Placement of the attacking piece to the file for attack
4.6. "Mill"
4.7. Exploiting an open attack in the attack on a king

5. OPENING OF A FILE

5.1. The h- (a-) file
5.2. The g- (b-) file
5.3. The f- (c-) file
5.4. The d- and e-files
5.5. Ranks
5.6. The a1-h8 (h1-a8) diagonal
5.7. The a2-g8 (h7-b1) diagonal
5.8. Other diagonals
5.9. Conjunction of files, ranks and diagonals

6. SPACE CLEARANCE

6.1. File clearance
6.2. Rank clearance
6.3. Diagonal clearance
6.4. Clearance of several files
6.5. Square clearance

7. X-RAY ATTACK

8. INTERCEPTION

8.1. Execution of interception
8.2. Interception of potentially important files
8.3. Double interception
8.4. Interception with distraction
8.5. Interception with decoy
8.6. Interception with open attack
8.7. Interception with space clearance

9. BLOCKING, ENCIRCLEMENT

9.1. Smothered mate
9.2. Other methods of blocking a king
9.3. Blocking of the pieces and pawns protecting a king
9.4. Encirclement

10. DESTRUCTION OF THE PAWN SHELTER

10.1. The king is defended by fianchetto

10.1.1. The bishop is absent
10.1.2. The fianchettoed bishop defends a king
10.1.3. "Sieve" structure. A bishop is outside the "fianchetto"

10.2. One pawn protects the king
10.3. Two pawns protect the king
10.4. Three pawns protect the king

10.4.1. The pawns are on f7, g7 and h6
10.4.2. The pawns are on f6, g7 and h7
10.4.3. The pawns are on f6, g7 and h6
10.4.4. The pawns are on f7, g7 and h7
10.4.5. Other pawn configurations

10.5. A king is protected by the pawns placed on the sixth and fifth ranks
10.6. Peculiarities of the attack in a Q-side castling position
10.7. Attack on an uncastled king

11. PAWN PROMOTION

11.1. Pawn breakthrough
11.2. Distraction from a passed pawn
11.3. Interception or blocking
11.4. A pawn is promoted to a knight
11.5. Forcing necessary exchanges
11.6. Both opponents have dangerous passed pawns
11.7. Passed pawn supports the piece invasion of the back rank
11.8. Passed pawn takes part in the attack on a king
11.9. Conjunction of methods

12. INTERMEDIATE MOVE. WINNING OF A TEMPO

12.1. Intermediate move
12.2. Winning of a tempo
12.3. "Ignoring" the threat

13. PLAY FOR A STALEMATE

14. RESTRICTING OF A MATERIAL

15. PURSUIT

15.1. Pursuit of a king
15.2. Pursuit of a queen

16. CONJUNCTION OF TACTICAL METHODS

16.1. Exploiting a passed pawn
16.2. Exploiting a double attack

16.2.1. Knight double attack
16.2.3. Rook double attack
16.2.4. Queen double attack
16.2.5. Conjunction of double attacks

16.3. Exploiting an open attack
16.4. Exploiting a pin
16.5. Counterblow by a "pinned" piece
16.6. Attack on a king

16.6.1. Threats along the back rank
16.6.2. Threats along the h-file
16.6.3. Attack on a king unprotected by the pawns
16.6.4. Attack on an uncastled king
16.6.5. "Dragging the king out"
16.6.6. A king is protected by fianchetto
16.6.7. One pawn protects the king
16.6.8. Two pawns protect the king
16.6.9. Three pawns protect the king

16.7. Combinations to win material
16.8. Conjunction of threats to attack the king and to win material

16.8.1. Conjunction of threats to attack the king and the queen
16.8.2. Conjunction of threats to attack the king and to attack the other pieces

L20 378-397 40% overall for level 2 59% overall

l20 365 -378 55%

Intense

So Knights you think your tactical program is a little too intense check this out

http://www.chesscentral.com/articles_chess/chess-training-ct-art.htm

Contents of CT-Art by Combinational Motif

For those who don't use CT-Art and are curious here is the listing of combinational motifs. When one enters the practice mode by Level. Problems occur in the order listed below. (the first 10 problems involve Knight forks)

Combinational motifs
1. GEOMETRICAL MOTIF

1.1. Knight forks

1.1.1. Removal of defence
1.1.2. Decoy
1.1.3. Square clearance
1.1.4. Conjunction of methods

1.2. Files (ranks)
1.3. Diagonals

1.3.1. Removal of obstacles
1.3.2. Opening of a diagonal
1.3.3. Decoy
1.3.4. Two diagonals

1.4. Pawn forks
1.5. Conjunction of geometrical motifs

2. WEAKNESS OF A FILE

2.1. The back rank

2.1.1. Annihilation of defence
2.1.2. Distraction
2.1.3. X-ray attack
2.1.4. Interception
2.1.5. Conjunction of methods

2.2. The seventh rank
2.3. The h-file

2.3.1. Mate to a "cramped" king
2.3.2. The g6-pawn
2.3.3. Attack on a fianchetto
2.3.4. Opening of a file
2.3.5. Decoy

2.4. The g-file
2.5. Central files
2.6. Diagonals
2.7. Conjunction of files, ranks and diagonals

3. OPPOSING

3.1. Open attack

3.1.1. Execution of an open attack
3.1.2. Opening of a file
3.1.3. Unblocking a pawn
3.1.4. Removal of defence
3.1.5. Decoy to the opposing file
3.1.6. Decoy to the blow dealt by the piece moved away
3.1.7. Placement of the attacking piece to the opposing file
3.1.8. "Mill"

3.2. Exploiting a pin

3.2.1. Attack on a pinned piece
3.2.2. Distraction of a pinned pawn
3.2.3. Other ways of exploiting a pin

3.3. Decoy for a pin

3.3.1. Attack on a pinned piece
3.3.2. Attack on a piece wich lost its defence

3.4. Counterblow by a "pinned" piece
3.5. Conjunction of methods

4. WEAKNESS OF A SQUARE(S)

4.1. "The hole" of the fianchettoed bishop

4.1.1. The h-file
4.1.2. The back rank
4.1.3. The pawns on f6,h6,a6 and c6
4.1.4. The others

4.2. Invasion of a file
4.3. Other cases

5. A PIECE IS OVERLOADED

5.1. A bishop is overloaded
5.2. A knight is overloaded
5.3. A rook is overloaded
5.4.A queen is overloaded

6. LACK OF DEFENCE OF THE PIECES

6.1. Annihilation of defence
6.2. Distraction
6.3. Decoy
6.4. Distraction with decoy
6.5. The others

7. BAD POSITION OF THE PIECES

8. PASSED PAWN

8.1. Pawn breakthrough
8.2. Distraction
8.3. Interception or blocking
8.4. A pawn is promoted to a knight
8.5. Forcing necessary exchanges
8.6. Both opponents have dangerous passed pawns
8.7. Passed pawn

L20 339-365 59%

l20 321-339 60%

Journal

I have decided to keep a journal as I solve chess tactical problems.

As I solve the problems, I am writing in my journal my observations about the structure of the position. I think this will enforce my recognition of simalar structures in games that I play. I am also looking for simalarity in motifs that might identify a tactic can be played.

yesterday, I started to go back on level 1 and write some notes.

I have also decided to record which problems I have trouble solving so that
I can refer to them quickly .

I will publish things I see helpful.

l20 298- 321 56%

level20 279 - 298 59%

L20 250-279 51%

L20 230-252 50%

L20 215-230 65% a few more for the road

l20 176-215 62%

A Longer Update

Ah the weekend, time to catch my breath and post a longer blog.

First a word as to what I am doing in the MDLM program . I am working mini circles initially starting at Level 10 and did all the Level 10 problems until successfully solved them at a 90% level. I then moved onto the Level 20 problems where I am now.

I am applying the brute force approach as I move through the CT-ART Program. I take a quick look at the problem without analyzing it very deeply. I then take a stab at solving the problem. I study the answer and will replay the answer. My belief is that I will benefit by repetitively seeing the answer even without solving it correctly the first few times I see it. I am prepared to continually go through the problems as many time as necessary till I get them right. My emphasis initially is on building pattern recognition.

I am finding spare blocks of time where I can solve some problems. Immediately after solving this block I post my results to my blog. Although this is not exciting reading I feel like I have accomplished something everytime I post.

Back to CT-ART.

Level 20 140 -176 65%

Level20 111-140 75%

level 20 332-396 51% (57% overall level 20)

Finish the first pass at level 20 . starting it again

l20 304-332 65% for this group

L20 271-305 35% Quickly doing my first pass

Level 20 229-271 60% overall Driving that Train

Level 2 181-229 65%

Level 20 : 111- 180 68% chugging along