If I have to play a Sicilian

I have been thinking about options for the New Years Day tourney.

I plan on playing the King Gambit as white if allowed.

I would be happy to face a scandiavian or an Alekine as white.

If I play against a Sicilian, I plan to play the Smith Mora Gambit. I have been torn between the SM and the Grand Prix. The reality is it would be very hard for me to beat a very good Sicilian Player regardless. I played this practice game today using the SM and after playing a very shaky middlegame ended up with this interesting queen trap.

paste game into this viewer.
[Event "Rated game, 60m + 15s"]
[White "Takchess"]

1. e4 {4} c5 {3} 2. d4 {15} cxd4 {18} 3. c3 {45} dxc3 {36} 4. Nxc3 {14} e6 {5}
5. Bc4 {4} a6 {13} 6. Nf3 {22} Qc7 {34} 7. Qe2 {13} d6 {6} 8. O-O {8} Nd7 {9}
9. Rd1 {62} Ngf6 {17} 10. Bg5 {34} Be7 {10} 11. Rac1 {7} O-O {54} 12. e5 {130}
dxe5 {191} 13. Ne4 {79} Qd8 {53} 14. Nd6 {81} Nd5 {36} 15. Nxe5 {61} Nxe5 {308}
16. Bxe7 {128} Qxe7 {424} 17. Qxe5 {8} f6 {64} 18. Qg3 {186} Kh8 {77} 19. Rxd5
{20} exd5 {51} 20. Bxd5 {10} Bd7 {185} 21. h3 {55} Bc6 {27} 22. Nf5 {11} Qd7 {
37} 23. Be6

Open Games

I have am playing in the Herb Healy Tournament in Boston on New Years Day a total of 4 games. I hope to play well enough to raise my ratings to a point consistant with my self-image. 8)

I am curious how many open games I will see. I am playing 1 e4 and plan to play 1...e5. My guess is I will be lucky to see two of the four.

I am reading 200 Open Games by Bronstein

In his first Section that speaks to the Characteristic aims for all positions of an open type list 13 points from Whites perspective and from Black perspective .Most of them are straight forward.However points 12 and 13, quoted below, I found very interesting

12: White: By means of any subterfuge or material concessions to try and gain time to bring the dormant Q-side pieces into the attack on the obvious targets (kB7 & K3)

12:Black: not to yield to the fatal temptation to take one white pawn or piece too many. To stop at one piece is an extremely good rule. Don't get greedier and best would be to give up your spoild at the right moment and get the initiative back


13:White: not to be distracted by material gains, where these allow either Black's queen, QR, QB or QN to noticeably increase its radius of activity and be included in the attack on the vunderable points in your camp.

13: Black: to observe carefully the number of active Q-side pieces white has in comparison to black. Take every measure to ensure that the numerical difference in Whites Favour never exceeds one. Return your gains in time , and if this is not adequate, make sacrifices yourself without self-pity or tears

see here for my 200 open games collection link

Tactics or Positional ? Semantics?

I was quite pleased with this game against an 1800 ish player

Happy with the gain and time and space early on due to a few appropriate pawn pushes. Although there is no early gain in material I always think of these manuvers as tactical. I've been ready the recent blogs on space and have been thinking of the concept of late. I really like my play in this game however Fritz often brings me back to earth. I was very pleased with the ending although untill the silly knight move he made I think he had a winning position. I clearly saw the mating net 8)

paste game here

[Event "Rated game, 20m + 6s"]
[White "Khagga"]
[Black "Takchess"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D00"]
[WhiteElo "1864"]
[BlackElo "1620"]


1. d4 {2} d5 {4} 2. Nc3 {2} e6 {4} 3. a3 {2} c5 {4} 4. h3 {8} Nf6 {3} 5. Bf4 {
18} cxd4 {19} 6. Qxd4 {4} Nc6 {3} 7. Qd1 {5} d4 {10} 8. Na2 {21} e5 {4} 9. Bh2
{8} Bc5 {74} 10. c3 {10} O-O {12} 11. Nf3 {13} Qe7 {27} 12. cxd4 {42} Nxd4 {10}
13. Nxd4 {15} Rd8 {10} 14. Qc2 {45} Bxd4 {27} 15. e3 {11} Bb6 {34} 16. Be2 {26}
Be6 {42} 17. Nc3 {12} Rac8 {19} 18. O-O {10} Nd5 {20} 19. Bxe5 {32} Bxe3 {39}
20. fxe3 {55} Nxe3 {4} 21. Qe4 {17} Nxf1 {43} 22. Rxf1 {26} f6 {19} 23. Bg3 {16
} Re8 {118} 24. Bd3 {27} f5 {24} 25. Qe3 {35} Bd7 {31} 26. Qxe7 {29} Rxe7 {5}
27. Bxf5 {12} Bxf5 {7} 28. Rxf5 {3} Rf7 {15} 29. Re5 {33} Rcf8 {6} 30. Ne4 {22}
Rf1+ {13} 31. Kh2 {3} Rb1 {5} 32. Rb5 {10} b6 {6} 33. Nd6 {25} h6 {16} 34. Be5
{37} Rd1 {16} 35. Nc4 {25} Rff1 {27} 36. Kg3 {18} Rd3+ {18} 37. Kh2 {12} Rdd1 {
8} 38. Nxb6 {31} h5 {10} 39. Nc4 {9} h4 {5} 40. g4 {23} Rf2# {
(Lag: Av=1.06s, max=2.1s) 25} 0-1

I am also interested in this potential sacrifice made by Bronstein in the 2 knights.Giving up a knight for a time and space advantage not to reclaim the advantage for many moves.
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1033954

Of Cabbages and Kings

"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings."



It Christmas time in Boston, a crazy end of the year time for me being in IT Sales,
I have Dice-K Fever, in a week I turn 50.


I am just in the mood to jabber a little bit about everything and nothing. This is the book on tape I just finished this which is very good. I am enjoying this Cd and really enjoyed this movie

Enjoying reading my fellow knights bloggs and am amazed at the proliferation of American pop culture: Nezha with wrestling and basketball , Fiberas with Sin City,
Samurai Pawn with The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (or is that Italian Pop Culture? ).
As for me I consume far less of this culture than I used to as the Home and Garden network is on 24-7 in our house...Lord, please help me before I am completely emasculated............ Fortunately, when it is on I just go into another room and read chess books, do problems or play at playchess.com.

I plan to update this post during the next few days as the spirit hits me and time allows.

My defense play as black appears to be getting somewhat better. (I am hesitant to talk too loudly or proudly). There is a commonality in my defense where I find myself playing Nf6,Be7,0-0 against a lot of lines . Nothing flashy but it tends to work. This is part of the rue defenses I play as well as where I go in the two knights where I cannot get a traxler going.

It seems to be that one of the best defensive moves I see in the open games is black playing d5 at the appropriate time. Like in the Marshall counterattack, in the two knights. Sometimes it is giving back a pawn,opening lines, creating an opportunity where one can can blockade, In Fines book the idea behind the chess openings, he says that black reaches equality when he can play d5 without negative repercussions. That I have to admit happens in the French and the Caro.

I am working on my defense against the King Gambit. A factor for my great respect for the KG power is my poor play against it as black. I find myself playing moves that are parts of one defense such as bg7 than an incorrect move nf6 which is correct in the Berlin defense but not not played with Bg7. Researching in my kg books is helping. I always accept the gambit and play 3. g5. For me it is an interesting game.

Here are two games I played earlier today.The game as white not too bad except for the blunder,the game as black I might of had something more than a draw but found both to be very sharp games.(fritz confirmed I had a clear win)


paste games here
[White "Takchess"]
[Black "Balduin Bienlein"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "1568"]
[BlackElo "1644"]

1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3.
Nf3 d6 4. d4 g5 5. h4 g4 6. Ng1 f3 7. gxf3 gxf3 8. Nxf3 Bg4 9. Nc3 Be7 10. Bg5
Nc6 11. a3 Bxf3 12. Qxf3 Nxd4 13. Qd3 Ne6 14. O-O-O Bxg5+ 15. hxg5 Qxg5+ 16.
Kb1 O-O-O 17. Nb5 a6 18. Nd4 Nxd4 19. Qxd4 Ne7 20. Qa7 Nc6 21. Bh3+ f5 22. Qf2
Kb8 23. Bxf5 h5 24. Rhg1 Qh6 25. Rg6 Qf8 26. e5 Nxe5 27. Be4 Qxf2 0-1

[White "Balduin Bienlein"]
[Black "Takchess"]

1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5
4. Bc4 Bg7 5. O-O h6 6. d4 d6 7. c3 Be6 8. d5 Bg4 9. Be2 Nd7 10. h3 h5 11. Nh2
Bxe2 12. Qxe2 Be5 13. Nd2 Qe7 14. Nhf3 O-O-O 15. Nc4 g4 16. Nfxe5 dxe5 17. hxg4
hxg4 18. d6 Qh4 19. Bxf4 g3 20. Bxg3 Qxg3 21. dxc7 Rf8 22. Nd6+ Kxc7 23. Nf5
Qh2+ 24. Kf2 Ngf6 25. Qc4+ Kb8 26. Rh1 Qxh1 27. Rxh1 Rxh1 28. Ne7 Rc1 29. b4
Nb6 30. Qd3 Nc8 31. Nxc8 Rxc8 32. Qd6+ Ka8 33. Qxf6 Rc2+ 34. Kf3 R8xc3+ 35. Kg4
Rxg2+ 36. Kh4 Rh2+ 37. Kg4 Rg2+ 38. Kh4 Rh2+ 39. Kg4 Rg2+ 1/2-1/2


I did get Fritz 10. I get the new version every year since it comes with a one year subscription to playchess.com. The biggest difference is that it analyzes the games much faster than 9. I can fully analyze 7-8 games over night where I would only get 2 or 3 earlier. Cosmetically nothing is jumping out at me in terms of other improvements yet.

I also fired up chess tactics for beginners. I like the interface for these type of quick problems and I love doing them quickly. I did not like using fritz as much on the polgar mate in one problems in the database that j'adoube pointed us to.

I am playing the smith-mora a little again as well as the grand prix. A strong sicilian player is tough to beat.

First Rule of Chess

First Rule of Chess> One should not make speculative sacrifices against 1900 players nicknamed the Cobra . I was thinking K takes knight then queen check takes bishop which still isn't that strong since my queen can be chased around the board with developing move. This bad move was quickly punished.


[White "Brmbi5"]
[Black "Takchess"]
[WhiteElo "1912"]
[BlackElo "1569"]

1. e4 {2} e5 {2} 2. Bc4 {10} Nf6 {3} 3. d4 {5} Nxe4 {29} 4. dxe5 {21} Nxf2 {7}
5. Qd5 {12} Qe7 {95} 6. Kxf2 {12} c6 {7} 7. Qd4 {19} c5 {31} 8. Qd5 {14} Nc6 {
11} 9. Nf3 {11} h6 {46} 10. Bd2 {19} b6 {51} 11. Nc3 {12} Bb7 {20} 12. Nb5 {43}
O-O-O {10} 13. Nd6+ {13} Kb8 {16} 14. Qxf7 {56} g5 {87} 15. Qxe7 {17} Bxe7 {4}
16. Nf7 {12} Rdf8 {18} 17. Nxh8 {8} Nxe5 {3} 18. Rhe1 {46} Ng4+ {22} 19. Kg3 {
30} Bd6+ {43} 20. Kxg4 {8} Rxh8 {22} 21. Bc3 {16} Rf8 {29} 22. Be5 {7} Bxe5 {7}
23. Nxe5 {9} Rf4+ {28} 24. Kg3 {7} h5 {33} 25. Nxd7+ {26} Kc7 {20} 26. Ne5 {16}
h4+ {38} 27. Kh3 {7} Bc8+ {36} 28. g4 {7} Rf2 {95} 29. Re2 {10} Rf4 {26} 30.
Bd5 {34} b5 {10} 31. Re4 {29} Rf2 {29} 32. Rc1 {18} Kb6 {5} 33. Re3 {20} c4 {39
} 34. b3 {14} Kc5 {17} 35. bxc4 {11} bxc4 {5} 36. Bxc4 {10} Bb7 {4} 37. Nd3+ {
11} Kb6 {27} 38. Re6+ {11} Kc7 {10} 39. Nxf2 {
Takchess resigns (Lag: Av=0.68s, max=4.1s) 7} 1-0


Cut and Paste game into this viewer

20 Days to get into fighting shape

I have around 20 days to play in the Herb Healy New Years Day tournament at the Boylston Chess Club. At this moment I am playing poorly so back to basic training for the next 20 days. I will post some of my games after the Holidays.

David Bronstein, 1924–2006

One of the best and a man of principle

http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=3525

QBD Is there anything interesting for me to do ?

I have been playing the Tarrasch or some version of the Tarrasch. I am finding myself after about 8 in positions like this. Although it feels like I am playing solid defense after whites 9 Ne5 it feels as though I am waiting for my inevitable death (stop snickering J'adoube.)Any ideas of counterplay or strengthening my defense?


[White "Triste"]
[Black "Takchess"]
[Result "1-0"]

{D40: Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch with 5 e3} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3.
Nc3 c5 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. Bg5 Be7 6. e3 Nbd7 7. Bd3 b6 8. O-O O-O 9. Ne5 Nxe5 10.
dxe5 Nd7 11. Bxe7 Qxe7 12. f4 Bb7 13. Nb5 a6 14. Nd6 Rab8 15. Rf3 dxc4 16.
Bxh7+ Kh8 17. Rh3 g6 18. Bxg6+ Kg7 19. Bc2 Rg8 20. Rh7+ Kf8 21. Rxf7+ Qxf7 22.
Nxf7 Bxg2 23. Qd6+ Kxf7 24. Qxd7+ Kf8 25. Qd6+ Kf7 26. Qc7+ Kf8 27. Qxb8+ Kf7
28. Qxg8+ Kxg8 29. Kxg2 1-0

Paste game into this viewer