a tactic white to move

Taimanov game in 1950 from one of Chernev's books. Do you see the continuation?

L20 update

Spending some time this weekend reacquainting myself with L20. About 9 months ago, was above 90% on the whole thing. They seem somewhat familar but I will need to repeat them a number of times before moving on to Level 30.

Also part of my training is volume 2 of Alburts Comprehensive Chess Course. I am currently on Chapter 5 (out of 12). These classes are the taken from the once secret Soviet Chess Curriculum. Alot of basic stuff but it's surprising how much basic stuff one needs to learn 8). I am able to study this as I train on the treadmill. The chapters are becoming increasing more advanced as I work through the book. Each chapter has a few minature games with some fun traps.


Weekend Level 20 update

110-130 91%
131-150 66% kind of ugly
151-170 83%
170-190 67%
190-210 76%
210-230 76%
230-250 50%

Spanish Torture

As black, I like to play e5 against e4 the open game. Since I am not interested in playing the petroff at this point, I am running into a significant numbers of Guico
Piano openings which I will play the two knights against as well as the Ruy Lopez.In the two knights I can hold my own. The Ruy Lopez is a struggle for me to play against.

I started out playing the classic game but ended up losing to everyone who was higher rated than me. It was not much of a battle for them. I have been researching in my Read and Play book on the Ruy Lopez other lines to try.

If white does not exchange the Bishop for the Knight, I like to play the Marshall Attack. Here is the original Marshall Attack This gives me an fair chance at counterattack.

I
Tactical Training Update

L10 First 25 done without hardly any calculation pure recognition 100%
21 review
L10 25-50 98% 40 CR, 45WR
L10 50-75 96% 53cr 66wr,70WR
L10 75-110 94% 86,101 review
onward to Level 20

Why I love anderssen

Take a look at this tactic.

Black ( Anderssen) to move.

anderssen

grumble update: did 28 of level 10 96%
update update: another 26 86%
update update update another 25 88 %
quad up another 34 86% repeat the l10 again
a fast 1-25 96%

Level 10 Ct-art

did the balance of the Level 10 problems I am a little rusty. Shall repeat. grumble, grumble, grumble....

I found the website

I found the website for the tactics I was looking for.


http://loiodice.com/chess/mychessviewer22/cc-tactics.sht

It also linked to this website

http://www.mychess.com/


ooo endgames studies. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....8)
Actually it's not that bad. Some interesting insights,As well as opening traps.

I have learned that the improved Fried liver with d4 is known as the Loli attack. See Heismans recent Novice Nook on opening mistakes.

The Italian Gambit ,Random Statistics,Fried Liver

Picked up the Italian Gambit book by Acers which speaks alot to the Italian Game and 2 Knights games . I became curious statistically as to how well I fare as White and Black playing the 2 Knights defense.

In my database of Saved Games, I did the statistics on games since 1/20/2006.

I played 9 2 Knights games as white of these I won 4 and lost 5. I played 30 2 knights games as black of which I won 13 and lost 17.

As to skill level of my opponents I could determine 21 of their ratings. Of these I was rated lower at the time of playing 18 of 21 times.

The book I find interesting there is alot of discusion of the Italian game
1. e4 e5
2. Nc3 Nf6
3. Bc4 Bc5
4. d4

Trouble is statistically I find most people myself included like to play the Two Knights Defense. 3....Bf6.There is only 30 pages devoted to the 2 Knights. They are however 30 very good pages. One of the things I picked up was some ideas around delaying the Fried Liver Attack by a tempo or two to make it far stronger. Opening the e-file,Castling first for a much stronger attack.

For comparison sake I have the traditional Fried Liver which is a longer battle and if Black is a good defender has a fair chance of winning.If he is able to swap off enough pieces, his king is well activated for a strong endgame.

Classic Fried liver attack
Traditionally Ng5 is played on the 3rd move. White hasn't castled. White rooks don't enter into the attack till much later.

Morphy game

Check out whites move 4 d4 7 00 and 10 Nc3!!.

Fischer shows his knowledge of Morphy games

Check out Whites 6 d4 7 0-0 12. Nc3

I also find it interesting that Nxf7 is delayed until blacks Be7. Very good things to know.

kings gambit

I'm liking this King's gambit. It seems material is less important than initiative during most of the game. Here is one I just played. I am playing white.




Paste into this viewer


1. e4 {1} e5 {5} 2. f4 {3} exf4 {6} 3. Nf3 {3} Nc6 {5} 4. Bc4 {5} Bc5 {23} 5.
d4 {24} Bb6 {13} 6. Bxf4 {20} d6 {2} 7. O-O {13} Bg4 {15} 8. Bxf7+ {10} Kf8 {9}
9. Bg5 {46} Nf6 {29} 10. Bb3 {39} Nxd4 {24} 11. Kh1 {36} Nxf3 {76} 12. gxf3 {57
} Bh3 {3} 13. Rg1 {7} Bxg1 {3} 14. Kxg1 {6} Qe8 {10} 15. e5 {22} dxe5 {10} 16.
Bd2 {54} Qg6+ {8} 17. Kf2 {5} c5 {26} 18. Bg5 {53} Ne8 {71} 19. Qd2 {86} Qf5 {
51} 20. Qe3 {93} b6 {14} 21. Nc3 {35} h6 {34} 22. Rg1 {64} a5 {92} 23. a4 {27}
Nc7 {53} 24. Be7+ {15} Kxe7 {39} 25. Rxg7+ {5} Kd6 {3} 26. Qd2+ {46} Kc6 {48}
27. Bd5+ {42} Nxd5 {7} 28. Qxd5# {(Lag: Av=0.51s, max=0.8s) 5} 1-0

Can anyone point me to this website ?????

About a year ago I found this website that had tactical problems taken from master level games. It was set up with a chessboard where one would solve the problem in that window and select the next problem with a drop down box. The site had either flickering torches or daggers on it. I forgot to bookmark it and now can't find my way back. I think the site may of been based in India or the middleeast.

Can anyone point me to it?

tactic update. Did another 30 level 10 ct-art problems .

And yet another traxler

1. e4 {1} e5 {5} 2. Nf3 {1} Nc6 {4} 3. Bc4 {4} Nf6 {3} 4. Ng5 {4} Bc5 {3} 5. c3
{2} d6 {15} 6. Nxf7 {13} Bxf2+ {19} 7. Kxf2 {7} Nxe4+ {76} 8. Ke3 {5} Qe7 {133}
9. Kxe4 {35} Qh4+ {25} 10. Kd3 {22} Bf5+ {14} 11. Ke3 {23} Qe4+ {25} 12. Kf2 {
14} Nd4 {87} 13. cxd4 {75} Qxd4+ {6} 14. Kg3 {32} Qf4#

paste game into this viewer

unsure if 12....nd4 is correct but it seem to prevent queen trading in later moves I will need to check my Heismann traxler Cd

Ct art and the Muzio

Did the first 35 problems ct-art Level 10 again. I have proved to myself that I can't improve on just game analysis and constant playing ...... I am incorperating
light ct-art training again. grumble,grumble,grumble

I am playing King gambit as much as I can and am accepting it to help me learn my play as white. I did accept a Muzio Gambit yesterday and lived to tell about it.
Fortunately my opponent ran out of time before he could finish me off.

1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 5.0–0 gxf3 6.Qxf3 Qe7 7.Qxf4 Nh6 8.d4 Nc6 9.c3 d6 10.Qf3 Bg4 11.Bxf7+ Qxf7 12.Qg3 Qd7 13.Qh4 Rg8 14.Bxh6 Bxh6 15.Qxh6 0–0–0 16.Nd2 Qg7 17.Qh4 Bd1 18.Qh3+ Bg4 19.Qh4 Qg5 20.Qxg5 Rxg5 21.Rf7 Bh3 22.g3 h5 23.Nf3 Rg4 24.Re1 h4 25.Nxh4 b6 26.Nf3 Rgg8 27.Nh4 Be6 28.Rf6 Bxa2 29.d5 Na5 30.b4 Nc4 31.Rf2 Bb3 32.Rb1 Ba4 33.Ra1 Bb5 34.Rxa7 Kd7 35.Rf7+ Ke8 36.Raxc7 Bd7 37.Rfxd7 Rxd7 38.Rxc4 Rf8 39.Nf5 Rdf7

I was interesting in Tempo's comment about the Muzio being drawish above 2000. I looked at the www.chessbase.com database and searched positions for Muzio positions.
It pulled up 1000 games and in my unscientific cursory view feel that it is not drawish. (this statistic sampling may not be valid since chessbase.com shows only 1000 games and the program may sellect wins first and then draws. )
These games showed the Muzio being accepted in the vast majority of the cases.There were plenty of wins on both the black and white side of the board. I do think it is a very sharp opening for both sides and requires accurate play for the win. I'd be interested Tempo if ever you get a chance to play it against a 2000 player what your experience would be like.

I did buy Jude Acers book on the Italian Gambit and Estrin's Gambit book and await their arrival. I also recieved a Koltanowki pamphlet on the Max Lange Attack which I like.

learning an new (old) opening

Analyzing the older games of Morphy and Anderssen, I have become interested in the King's Gambit. I have started playing it a little. This is probably the closest mainstream opening to the Traxler Counterattack in that the games favor can shift from Black to White from move to move. One must weigh King Safety vs Material Gain often. The opening theme is for white to attack the f7 square, clear out the f file even at the cost of losing a piece and eventually to play d4 controlling the center.

What interests me in this opening is the number of passive sacrifices /silent sacrifices (unsure if I am making up this terminology or have heard it before) where
white makes a move to create a strong attack or set a trap allowing black to capture a piece. This is different from a typical sacrifice where a queen takes a lesser valued piece and is recaptured as part of a mating net or larger combination.

The Muzio Gambit is an example of this passive sacrifice. White gives up a Knight to clear out the square and double his major pieces.

A Shirov's Muzio Gambit Minature

Here is a passive sacrifice trap that Morphy sets for Anderssen to capture his queen This trap amazes me.

Here Capablanca gives up a queen early


of course the Kings Gambit can be declined which as white I am comfortable playing against. Unsure as black which I like to play better to decline it using the Falkbeer or accepting it normally it turns into a Kieseritsky Gambit.

There is tons of theory here and I am having some fun playing through some games.
I am looking through my books to find annotated KG games and came across Koenigs book which tracks historically significant games in the development of both the king gambit accepted as well as declined.


I ran across the game linked below in Keres Power Chess. Here is a case of a passive sacrifice (sacrificing the exchange) by playing 15 g3 a move which Tal analyzed for over an hour before taking the rook. The last part of the game Tal played in time trouble so the ending is not played very accurately.

Bronstein vs Tal Falkbeer Countergambit

I have miles to go on learning this but it should prove interesting !

traxler incorrect play and the correct play

Link the game below into this viewer

Here is a Traxler and incorrect play on my part as black. I was too materialistic and wanted to capture his queen and lost the initiative . The turning point is in the screenshot and the moves listed below

(also if you get a chance to comment on the previous post about analyzing games please do)

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 Bc5 5. Nxf7
Bxf2+ 6. Kf1 Qe7 7. Nxh8 d5 8. Bxd5 Bg4 9. Bxc6+ bxc6 10. Kxf2 *


How the game continued (game stopped due to internet connection but I believe black had worst position)

Link the game below into this viewer

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 Bc5 5. Nxf7
Bxf2+ 6. Kf1 Qe7 7. Nxh8 d5 8. Bxd5 Bg4 9. Bxc6+ bxc6 10. Kxf2 Bxd1 {0} 11.
Rxd1 {6} Nxe4+ {31} 12. Kg1 {17} Qc5+ {3} 13. d4 {4} exd4 {0} 14. Re1 {61} d3+
{40} 15. Be3 Qf5 16. cxd3 O-O-O 17. Rf1 Qe5 18. dxe4 Qxe4 19. Bxa7 Rxh8 20. Nc3
Qe5 21. Rae1 Qa5 22. Bd4 c5 23. Bxg7 Rg8 24. Rf8+ Rxf8 25. Bxf8 c4 26. Re8+ Kb7
27. Rd8 Qb6+ 28. Kh1 Qxb2 29. Bg7 Qc1+ 30. Rd1 Qg5 31. Bd4 h5 32. Ne4 Qf4 33.
Nc5+ Kc8 34. Ne6 Qg4 35. Re1 h4 36. h3 Qg3 37. Rf1 *

What should of been played

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 Bc5 5. Nxf7
Bxf2+ 6. Kf1 Qe7 7. Nxh8 d5 8. Bxd5 Bg4 9. Bxc6+ bxc6 10. Kxf2 Nxe4+ {2} 11.
Ke1 {0} Bxd1 {0} 12. Kxd1 {0} Nf2+ {0} 13. Ke2 {1} Nxh1 {0} 14. c3 {0} Qg5 {0}
1-0

another possible continuation



1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 Bc5 5. Nxf7
Bxf2+ 6. Kf1 Qe7 7. Nxh8 d5 8. Bxd5 Bg4 9. Bxc6+ bxc6 10. Kxf2 Nxe4+ {0} 11.
Kg1 {0} Bxd1 {1} 12. d4 {0} Qh4 {0} 13. g3 {0} Qf6 {0} 14. Be3 {0} Qf3 {0} 15.
Nf7 {0} Qxe3+ {0} 16. Kg2 {0} Qf3+ {0} 17. Kh3 {0} Nf2+ {0} 18. Kh4 {0} Qg4#

White king must stay at home because of this

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 Bc5 5. Nxf7
Bxf2+ 6. Kf1 Qe7 7. Nxh8 d5 8. Bxd5 Bg4 9. Bxc6+ bxc6 10. Kxf2 Nxe4+ {0} 11.
Ke3 {0} Qg5+ {0} 12. Kd3 {0} Qd8+ {0} 13. Kxe4 {0} Qd4# {0} 0-1


and this

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 Bc5 5. Nxf7
Bxf2+ 6. Kf1 Qe7 7. Nxh8 d5 8. Bxd5 Bg4 9. Bxc6+ bxc6 10. Kxf2 Nxe4+ {0} 11.
Ke3 {0} Qg5+ {0} 12. Kxe4 {0} Qf4+ {0} 13. Kd3 {0} Qd4# {0} 0-1


at move 13, I could of castled due to this continuation

} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 Bc5 5. Nxf7
Bxf2+ 6. Kf1 Qe7 7. Nxh8 d5 8. Bxd5 Bg4 9. Bxc6+ bxc6 10. Kxf2 Bxd1 {0} 11.
Rxd1 {6} Nxe4+ {31} 12. Kg1 {17} Qc5+ {3} 13. d4 {4} O-O-O 14. dxc5 {0} Rxd1# {
0} 0-1

The Fritz Database of my games

I have around 600 of my games in my fritz database. Many which have been fritz-annotated. Normally after I run the fritz program, I look at the analysis once and I move on. I would like to come up with a more effective way to study them. Perhaps I can study them in groups by openings and identify positions in the game which are turning points. From there I can save the position for further indepth study and perhaps play against Fritz using that position.

I hope at one point to gather some statistic around openings. Do I fare better as black in the two knights games vs white against the french > I bet I do.

I am interested in what others have found helpful in the study of their games.