Notes from the Far Edge of the Continuum of Opening Insanity -Traxler and Goring Gambit

As Bdk has so aply discribed my opening choices.


And yet another Traxler this time a defeat. I will need to see what Heisman Cd says on this line. Stayed within a pawn of him for a long time which is normally sufficient for a wild tactic to make itself available. It went on to a winning endgame for white. Cut and Paste game into the sidebar.


1. e4 {1} e5 {3} 2. Nf3 {2} Nc6 {3} 3. Bc4 {2} Nf6 {3} 4. Ng5 {2} Bc5 {3} 5.
Nxf7 {4} Bxf2+ {2} 6. Kf1 {1} Qe7 {10} 7. Nxh8 {20} d5 {10} 8. exd5 {14} Nd4 {
46} 9. h3 {31} Bg3 {21} 10. c3 {22} Nf5 {24} 11. d4 {98} exd4 {18} 12. Qe2 {16}
Bd7 {22} 13. Qxe7+ {14} Kxe7 {38} 14. Bg5 {16} Rxh8 {27} 15. Nd2 {15} h6 {13}
16. Bxf6+ {5} Kxf6 {22} 17. Rg1 {28} Rf8 {20} 18. Ne4+ {14} Ke5 {17} 19. Nxg3 {
23} Ne3+ {14} 20. Ke2 {10} Nxc4 {4} 21. Rge1 {23} Ne3 {12} 22. cxd4+ {8} Kxd4 {
15} 23. Rac1 {18} Bb5+ {12} 24. Kd2 {19} Rf2+ {16} 25. Ne2+ {2} Bxe2 {28} 26.
Rxe2 {2} Nf1+ {25} 27. Ke1 {3} Rxe2+ {33} 28. Kxe2 {8} Ng3+ {6} 29. Kf3 {3} Nf5
{6} 30. Rd1+ {14} Kc5 {6} 31. g4 {18} Nd6 {33} 32. Kf4 {13} g5+ {6} 33. Ke5 {8}
Nc4+ {18} 34. Kf6 {8} Ne3 {5} 35. Rc1+ {10} Kxd5

Similar continuations

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1224894
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1158380


an interesting alternative on blacks move nine

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1224768

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1224851
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1224861


All these and more can be found in this collection of mine

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chesscollection?cid=1008357

My play seems to be getting sharper. Alot of good that extra pawn did for black. 8)

1. e4 {2} e5 {8} 2. d4 {2} exd4 {5} 3. c3 {1} dxc3 {2} 4. Bc4 {1} Qe7 {112} 5.
Nxc3 {13} Nf6 {10} 6. Nf3 {24} Nxe4 {42} 7. O-O {4} Nc5 {51} 8. Bg5 {48} f6 {8}
9. Re1 {34} Ne6 {5} 10. Nd5 {20} Qd8 {22} 11. Ne5 {72} fxg5 {38} 12. Qf3 {7}
Nf4 {72} 13. Nc6+

l30 update up t0 543 second circle,update now 565, update 605 upd finish on to circle3 l30,add'l update hope to finish l30 this long weekend currently on 453,Sun on520.update finished monday with 54% on to L30 circle 4

5X5update on number 420 now.XXX on 500 now


another one for BDK added today. Felt rather Ct-art-ish the ending combination.

1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Bc4 Nf6 5. Nxc3 Bb4 6.
Nf3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 Nxe4 8. Qd5 O-O 9. O-O Nxc3 10. Qh5 d5 11. Ng5 h6 12. Bb2
Nxa2 13. Nxf7 Rxf7 14. Bxd5 Qf8 15. Rfe1 Nb4 16. Bxf7+ Qxf7 17. Re8+ Qxe8 18.
Qxe8+ Kh7 19. Qf7

Upon reflection I am uncertain as if the continuation is the Danish or Goring I understand these lines often merge. Most likely they are Danishes

5 X 5 Board -CT Art

I have also felt that it would be helpful if CT-ART had a Level that would be complete their simplified 5x5 boards which they give as a hint. I just realized that you can go immediately to the 5X5 board by a right mouse click.

Although it is somewhat of a roundabout way to get there. I think it would be interesting/helpful to do a circle of the 1200 5X5 problems. My belief is if I internalized these 5X5 I would greatly improve tactically.


Currently on my L30 2 circle at number 500. 100 problems to go.

Also I am becoming a believer in the idea of narating why the tactic works for understanding in addition to visualizing the solution to improve tactical recognition.

My ratings increases/decreases have been sporatic due to my inconsistant study program. They normally increase after I go through a period of tactical binging. I feel I am on the cusp again of increasing,

The signs I see are.

Winning Games I have no right to win (through a tactical shot)
Drawing more games which I use to never do
Better endgame play

updated note: started to do a circle of 5x5 did the first 330 fairly quickly although somewhat cumbersome.

Danish Gambit

I am developing an appreciation for the Danish Gambit.

Cut and paste the game into the pgn viewer link on sidebar.



1. e4 {5} e5 {2} 2. d4 {6} exd4 {13} 3. c3 {6} dxc3 {2} 4. Bc4 {2} cxb2 {5} 5.
Bxb2 {2} Bb4+ {21} 6. Nc3 {3} Nf6 {8} 7. a3 {21} Bxc3+ {5} 8. Bxc3 {4} Qe7 {32}
9. Ne2 {48} Qxe4 {11} 10. Qb3 {17} d5 {19} 11. Qa4+ {23} Bd7 {13} 12. Qb4 {22}
dxc4 {7} 13. Bxf6 {14} gxf6 {8} 14. O-O {3} Rg8 {30} 15. Ng3 {6} Rxg3 {35} 16.
Rfe1 {6} Rxg2+ {30} 17. Kf1 {12} Qxe1+ {23} 18. Rxe1+ {5} Be6 {22} 19. Kxg2 {4}
Nc6 {3} 20. Qxc4 {16} Ne5 {6} 21. Qxc7 {8} Kf8 {18} 22. Qxb7 {51} Rd8 {11} 23.
Qb4+ {51} Kg8 {9} 24. Rxe5 {16} fxe5 {3} 25. f3 {4} Kh8 {4} 26. Qe7 {28} Rg8+ {
5} 27. Kf2 {10} Bh3 {29} 28. Qf6+ {5} Rg7 {8} 29. Qxe5 {10} h6 {15} 30. Qe8+ {
31} Kh7 {6} 31. Qe4+ {20} f5 {6} 32. Qf4 {22} Rg2+ {8} 33. Ke3 {2} Ra2 {16} 34.
Qc7+ {11} Kg6 {10} 35. Qxa7 {5} Rxh2 {9} 36. Qb6+ {35} Kg5 {16} 37. f4+ {13}
Kg4 {5} 38. Qg6+ {10} Kh4 {8} 39. Qxh6+ {12} Kg3 {11} 40. Qg7+ {39} Bg4 {10}
41. Kd4 {26} Rd2+ {25} 42. Kc5 {142} Kxf4 {33} 43. Qh6+

monday update:currently on 475 of L30 125 ish to go to finish the Level

My Dream

Most Chess Bloggers, Knights and others look to develop systems that when used prevent blunders. Most of these are very structured and are somewhat mechanical. I have not been very successful using such a blunderproofing system but then again I have not put any substained effort finding one that I like and making it a part of my game.

I have banked my efforts on the idea that solving repetative problems over time will develop a type of Super Chess Vision where I just see things on the board naturally. My Tactical Spider Sense to start tingling when something was happening. That is the dream, isn't it? Anyway, it is my dream.

I am stubborn. I am holding on to a chess belief system that may not be all that valid. Especially when I look at the experience of those who have done tons of these drills Blunderprone,J'adoube, Tempo,MDLM come to mind. All I know is when I do a ton of problems in a short period for some reason I get better. I am in one of the periods of substained effort now.

Finished another L20 of CT-ART. I also finished all the problem of CT for beginners. So now I have seen all the problems once. I must say there are a handful of endgame problems that are very deep.

Update.

On Saturday did a complete l20 circle in am and another complete circle in the pm.

Sunday. Hopefully I will get a circle of L30 completed by tomorrow. I only have 60 to go but it is mentally taxing scoring only 30-40% on them. It is simalar to when I first started doing the L20 how strange some of the mating nets seemed to me at the time.
Sunday Update-Finished L30 at 45% total.

Jacques Mieses

I have become interested in the Jacques Mieses who was a flamboyant character who was a leading player in the New Romantic school of chess who played from 1885 to 1945. Vienna gambit, Center Games.good stuff. He is amongst this cast of characters at the 1909 St Petersburg tournament where the players were first awarded the title of Grandmaster.

I figure I will just click through some of his games on Playchess.com

I like the building a bridge type moves to drag his pawn up the board and the underpromotion in this game.

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1228310

This has a killer ending (hangs 2 pieces whose capture by opponent would lead to a loss

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1228324

Tuesday:finished another circle of L20 and am up to the 75th L30

I thought this was an interesting simplification to a drawn endgame against Lasker.
(I am starting to appreciate these subtleties)

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1096453

Wednesday Morning update : did 75 l20 problems

a rook and pawn ending for my future study.

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1228373

Wednesday evening update did another 50 L20

Some tactics

Sunday did about 100 of L20 and 20 of L30
Monday did 50 L20 and 20 L30

I saw an video of the following game on chesslecture.com . So is this Queen Sac Sound. Alekhine felt it was made without risk. http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1011857


http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=1283

http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=1320

It takes faith in your chess convictions to sac your queen without immediate compensation in sight. Please check in if you were in this game if you would of sacked your queen in this position.

Tuesday update: 50 L20 before breakfast
9 L30
25 l20 in evening

Wednesday update 7 L30
50 l20
I am liking the approach where I do a few harder tactics l30 mixed in with ones I have seen before L20. I find this to be less frustrating

Whats going on

My doctor felt I should stay home from work for the next two weeks keeping my foot elevated. Fortunately, I can do alot of my work remotely as I am extremely busy.

I gave myself a one month subscription to www.chesslecture.com which gives me an unlimited viewing of their 500 plus videos which I am enjoying. Watching them on endgame fundamentals, the danish gambit, the scotch as black (I need to learn this to fend off Cratercat) and a bunch of other topics. At 12.95 for the month, it is about a cost of a book and given my situation I will get my moneys worth.

I have also bought a book Danish Dynamite on the Danish Gambit and the tactical training Cd Theory and Practice of chess endings. I selected this since there are learning modules mixed in with problems. I impatiently await for this to arrive.

I am doing alot of Level 20 Ct-art problems trying to stay sharp. I will move on to L30 at some point soon.

Certainly, I hear alot of critism of spending too much time on opening study. I wonder about this. There is a high school Senior I play against in Chess Club who has done a very deep study in the openings. He is very tough and knows the reasons why one should play a move vs another move. He plays a very tough Sicilian. I arranged some wellfought games between him and Cratercat. I believe that a deep study around one opening helps one better understand the ideas of chess. I believe this info is transferable to improved playing strength even when playing different openings.

The Return of the Return of the Traxler CounterAttack

I have enjoyed playing some Traxler Counterattacks games during the past few days. The opening is very strange and reminds me of the saying about the Shark. That the shark breathes through moving around but when it stops it is in danger of suffocating. * Urban legend?/Factoid.


It also like a fire and needs material to keep it going . It could be yours or your opponents pieces. Just throw your Rook on the fire. Black can't afford to let it get too quiet.

How is this for some bizarre metaphors ? The game often has one correct move for each side to make and the Fritz position evaluation can fluctuate widely.



Now for the games: cut and paste them into the pgn viewer.

Game One:

In this game it appears I could of played Bg4 on move 12

1. e4 {3} e5 {3} 2. Nf3 {8} Nc6 {3} 3. Bc4 {5} Nf6 {3} 4. Ng5 {3} Bc5 {4} 5.
Nxf7 {10} Bxf2+ {3} 6. Kf1 {32} Qe7 {6} 7. Nxh8 {3} d5 {13} 8. exd5 {9} Nd4 {15
} 9. d6 {40} Qxd6 {14} 10. Bf7+ {2} Ke7 {30} 11. c3 {32} Qa6+ {12} 12. c4 {11}
Bg4 {17} 13. Qe2 {Roter Teufel 2 gibt auf 29} Bxe2+ {7} 0-1


Game 2: a draw 7....qe7 is also a book line in this.

1. e4 {6} e5 {3} 2. Nf3 {3} Nc6 {16} 3. Bc4 {10} Nf6 {4} 4. Ng5 {2} Bc5 {13} 5.
Nxf7 {16} Bxf2+ {17} 6. Kxf2 {2} Nxe4+ {3} 7. Kg1 {30} Qh4 {9} 8. g3 {27} Nxg3
{7} 9. hxg3 {20} Qxg3+ {5} 10. Kf1 {4} d6 {12} 11. Qh5 {18} Qf4+ {17} 12. Ke1 {
52} Qg3+ {10} 13. Kf1 {8} Qf4+ {10} 14. Ke1 {12} Qg3+ {19} 15. Kf1 {
(Lag: Av=0.68s, max=1.8s) 8} 1/2-1/2

Game 3

1. e4 {2} e5 {2} 2. Nf3 {21} Nc6 {3} 3. Bc4 {14} Nf6 {4} 4. Ng5 {3} Bc5 {4} 5.
Nxf7 {10} Bxf2+ {9} 6. Kxf2 {5} Nxe4+ {4} 7. Ke1 {8} Qh4+ {7} 8. g3 {17} Nxg3 {
4} 9. hxg3 {19} Qxh1+ {4} 10. Ke2 {1} Nd4+ {4} 11. Kd3 {13} Qxd1


From Friday Night Chess Club what I should of played on move nine according to Fritz
I lost this one.

Game 4

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 Bc5 5.
Nxf7 Bxf2+ 6. Kxf2 Nxe4+ 7. Ke3 Qh4 8. Qf3 Nf6 9. Bb3 Ng4+ 10. Kd3 Nf2+ 11. Ke3
Nxh1 12. Nxh8 Qe1+ 13. Kd3 Nf2+ 14. Kc3 Nd1+ 15. Kc4 b5+

also, Finished level 20 of ctart

Man vs Nature, Nature 1 Man 0

While at the Cape a wave threw me and I now have a fractured fibula.It is my left foot so I still drive and go to work.

The plan is to do Ct-art on the coach for Evenings for a while. In an air cast for the next 6-8 weeks. This is God's way of telling me he wants me to be a better chess tactician.

Thursday : Ct-art Circle Whatever 1-270

A rare draw using my new endgame book knowledge

This is one of the few games I have played where I actually was able to take advantage of my opponents endgame mistakes to draw. I simplified to a known drawn position. I am playing white.

[Event "Rated game, 25m + 0s"]

[WhiteElo "1518"]
[BlackElo "1710"]


1. e4 {3} d5 {5} 2. exd5 {2} Qxd5 {2} 3. Nc3 {1} Qd6 {0} 4. Bc4 {13} Nf6 {3} 5.
d4 {3} a6 {2} 6. Nf3 {9} b5 {2} 7. Bd3 {7} Bb7 {5} 8. Ne2 {21} Nbd7 {6} 9. Bf4
{3} Qb6 {2} 10. Qd2 {39} e6 {35} 11. Be3 {4} Ng4 {27} 12. Bf4 {37} Bd6 {18} 13.
Bxd6 {31} Qxd6 {8} 14. Nc3 {21} Rd8 {139} 15. Be4 {4} c6 {33} 16. h3 {25} Ngf6
{4} 17. Bd3 {10} c5 {14} 18. dxc5 {21} Nxc5 {3} 19. O-O-O {4} Nxd3+ {7} 20.
Qxd3 {7} Qxd3 {3} 21. Rxd3 {2} Rxd3 {2} 22. cxd3 {2} Bxf3 {2} 23. gxf3 {3} Ke7
{6} 24. Kd2 {2} Rd8 {3} 25. Ne4 {9} Nd5 {24} 26. Rc1 {36} g6 {98} 27. Rc6 {99}
Nb4 {37} 28. Rc7+ {12} Rd7 {10} 29. Rxd7+ {2} Kxd7 {6} 30. a3 {1} Nd5 {30} 31.
Nc5+ {3} Kc6 {2} 32. Nxa6 {3} Nf4 {23} 33. Nb4+ {13} Kd6 {16} 34. Ke3 {3} Nxh3
{3} 35. f4 {10} e5 {43} 36. fxe5+ {10} Kxe5 {4} 37. Nc6+ {3} Kd6 {26} 38. Nd4 {
13} Kc5 {9} 39. Nb3+ {6} Kd5 {8} 40. Nd4 {23} Nxf2 {6} 41. Nxb5 {20} Nd1+ {3}
42. Kd2 {18} Nxb2 {3} 43. Kc3 {4} Na4+ {13} 44. Kb4 {9} Nb6 {21} 45. d4 {17} h5
{7} 46. Kc3 {5} h4 {3} 47. Kd3 {10} h3 {3} 48. Nc3+ {4} Ke6 {11} 49. Ne4 {10}
h2 {20} 50. Nf2 {3} Kd5 {20} 51. Nh1 {4} f5 {13} 52. Ke3 {7} Nc4+ {4} 53. Kf4 {
4} Nxa3 {11} 54. Kg5 {8} Kxd4 {2} 55. Kxg6 {2} f4 {5} 56. Kg5 {1} f3 {8} 57.
Kg4 {1} Ke3 {3} 58. Kg3 {3} Nc2 {21} 59. Kxh2 {2} Kf4 {7} 60. Kg1 {7} Ne1 {14}
61. Kf2 {12} Nd3+ {5} 62. Kf1 {4} Kg4 {10} 63. Nf2+ {7} Nxf2 {15} 64. Kxf2 {4}
Kf4 {0} 65. Kf1 {4} Kf5 {4} 66. Kf2 {3} Kg4 {2} 67. Kf1 {17} Kg5 {4} 68. Kf2 {3
} Kf4 {1} 69. Kf1 {3} Ke4 {5} 70. Kf2 {21} Kf4 {(Lag: Av=0.48s, max=4.0s) 2}
1/2-1/2

Solidarity

A
R at
I n
T om's
H ouse
M ay
E at
T om's
I ce
C ream

Nothing to do with chess but as an act of solidarity with BDK and Tempo I have posted an Mnemonic acronym and a picture of an eye.
Some more meaningful content to follow later.

Tak-trosian

This Kings Indian Defense is causing me to once again to play a somewhat Petrosianesque game: shuffling pieces looking for an advantage.

I was fairly happy with this game except for the ending.


{E90: King's Indian: Classical: Early deviations and 6 h3} 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. d4 g6
3. c4 d6 4. Nc3 Bg7 5. e4 O-O 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bh4 e5 8. d5 Nbd7 9. b4 c5 10. b5 b6
11. h3 a6 12. a4 Bb7 13. Bd3 a5 14. O-O Re8 15. Nh2 Kh7 16. Ng4 Bc8 17. Nxf6+
Nxf6 18. f4 Rg8 19. fxe5 dxe5 20. Rf2 g5 21. Bg3 Re8 22. Qf1 Qe7 23. Nb1 Qd6
24. Nd2 Ra7 25. Nf3 Nh5 26. Bh2 f6 27. Qe2 Nf4 28. Bxf4 exf4 29. e5+ f5 30.
Nxg5+ Kg6 31. Ne6 Bxe5 32. Nxf4+ Kf6 33. Qh5 Bxf4

Cut and paste game into the pgn viewer on the side. I am playing black against a 1850 playchess fellow.

Building Bridges on Cape Cod

July of 06 I spent my vacation time working on the King's Gambit with some of the results found here here .
This year on my vacation, I spent some time working on endgames especially rook endings. I hope sometime soon to be able to use my knowledge of the Lucena and Philidor positions in a game. I am putting off learning the minor pieces endgames until I have a firm grasp of pawns and kings & rook endings.