It's official

My Cup of Coffee in the big leagues is officially over. So much for talking loud and proud.8) I have been doing a few level 30 problems everyday but it appears I need a massive dose to stay playing at a higher level.

but perhaps there is hope. This am, my play as black against the Caro-kahn rated at 1840 . Had a won endgame but let it slip away. Still have some endgame study to do. I blundered the last pawn but still think at that point it may of been a draw.


1. e4 {2} c6 {3} 2. d4 {9} d5 {2} 3. f3 {2} e5 {11} 4. Ne2 {16} dxe4 {24} 5.
fxe4 {3} exd4 {76} 6. Qxd4 {5} Qxd4 {17} 7. Nxd4 {4} Nf6 {5} 8. Bc4 {9} Nxe4 {
41} 9. O-O {17} f6 {21} 10. Re1 {12} f5 {42} 11. Nc3 {6} Bc5 {8} 12. Be3 {26}
b5 {88} 13. Ncxb5 {14} cxb5 {8} 14. Bxb5+ {5} Bd7 {33} 15. Bxd7+ {11} Nxd7 {42}
16. Nxf5 {4} Bxe3+ {6} 17. Rxe3 {4} Ndf6 {55} 18. Nd6+ {8} Kd7 {14} 19. Nxe4 {8
} Nxe4 {48} 20. Rxe4 {5} Rhe8 {8} 21. Rd1+ {5} Kc6 {11} 22. Rc4+ {7} Kb6 {39}
23. Rb4+ {15} Kc5 {14} 24. a3 {13} Re2 {20} 25. Rb7 {34} Rae8 {33} 26. b4+ {12}
Kc6 {43} 27. Rxa7 {35} Rxc2 {14} 28. Rxg7 {12} Ree2 {8} 29. Rf1 {18} Ra2 {16}
30. Rf6+ {7} Kb5 {27} 31. Rf5+ {32} Ka4 {44} 32. b5 {43} Reb2 {67} 33. Rgg5 {14
} Rxa3 {Nudechess réclame le gain suite à déconnexion 44} 34. Rg4+ {296} Ka5 {
18} 35. Rgg5 {24} Kb6 {26} 36. h3 {8} Rab3 {66} 37. Kh2 {19} Rd3 {95} 38. Rh5 {
15} Rdd2 {33} 39. Rfg5 {6} Rd7 {17} 40. Rh6+ {18} Kc7 {68} 41. b6+ {6} Rxb6 {11
} 42. Rxb6 {6} Kxb6 {2} 43. h4 {13} Kc6 {7} 44. Rg3 {9} Kc7 {23} 45. Re3 {18}
Kd8 {7} 46. Kh3 {5} Rg7 {13} 47. h5 {7} h6 {9} 48. Kh4 {5} Rxg2 {14} 49. Rd3+ {
6} Ke7 {Takchess offers a draw (Lag: Av=0.32s, max=1.0s) 9} 1/2-1/2

A chess poem

I'm thinking it would be fun to write a chess poem and I invite my fellow knights and fellow chess bloggers to do the same. Please put your a link to your poem in the comment section.

Here was one from Don De la Maza blog that goes back a ways.Done in the Haiku format.

I must comment on the beauty and simplicity
of the French after

1. e4 e6
2. d4 d5
3. e5 c5
4. c3 Nc6

An ideal opening for a Buddhist, perhaps.

Avance
One man controls space
His opponent, the tension.
A knight, intrigued, leaps.

Best Lessons of a chess coach

I took Best Lessons of a Chess Coach off the shelf and did a deep study of the first chapter. For those unfamilar with this book, the author Sunil Weeramantry takes a chess game and walks through it with a chess student. You sit in looking over their shoulders as the student is asked a series of questions about the game.

I took my book and the board over to the Riverwalk Cakery a coffeeshop here in Nashua and played through it and the variations. I had read this chapter before but did put enough energy in it to get the true benefit of it. This time I took my time and when asked what move should be played and why I thought about it instead of peaking at the answer.

The first lesson is this game and has a strong combination to end it.


http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1125461

Enjoyable to spend an hour and a half drinking coffee and working with the book. I imagine this is the closest thing that self study can be to working with a chess coach.

Two for BDK

I am playing exclusively the Danish Gambit/Goring Gambit now as white if my opponent lets me play an open game. It is a nice change of pace from the KGambit which has alot of theory and sometimes the king gambit became a little too quiet for me I will play the Danish in tournament play if allowed.


Played a beautiful one last night at chess club unfortunately I did not record it. It was a minature where I could either had checkmate or took a queen and there was no lines that would of prevented it.

Here are two I played this morning on playchess.

1. e4 {5} e5 {2} 2. d4 {9} exd4 {5} 3. c3 {2} dxc3 {15} 4. Bc4 {6} Qe7 {12} 5.
Nxc3 {4} Nf6 {7} 6. Nf3 {34} Nxe4 {20} 7. O-O {5} Qc5 {24} 8. Qe2 {42} f5 {11}
9. Nxe4 {80} fxe4 {6} 10. Qxe4+ {5} Be7 {11} 11. Bg5 {7} c6 {5} 12. Rfe1 {19}
d5 {18} 13. Qe5 {23} O-O {78} 14. Bxe7 {29} Qxc4 {30} 15. Bxf8



1. e4 {4} e5 {5} 2. d4 {2} exd4 {7} 3. c3 {4} dxc3 {5} 4. Bc4 {4} cxb2 {6} 5.
Bxb2 {4} Bb4+ {19} 6. Nc3 {5} Nf6 {16} 7. Qb3 {23} Nc6 {22} 8. Bxf7+ {14} Kf8 {
14} 9. O-O-O {33} Qe7 {36} 10. Bd5 {19} Bc5 {29} 11. Nf3 {32} d6 {26} 12. Ng5 {
39} Nxd5 {21} 13. Qxd5 {16} Nb4 {30} 14. Qd2 {43} Bg4 {39} 15. Qf4+ {23} Kg8 {
31} 16. Qxg4 {7} h6 {33} 17. Ne6 {54} Re8 {51} 18. Nd5 {12} Nxd5 {39} 19. exd5
{14} Rh7 {32} 20. Qg6 {96} Bxf2 {71} 21. Rhf1 {27} Bh4 {20} 22. Kb1 {20} c6 {43
} 23. Nc7 {32} Qxc7 {20} 24. Qxe8# {(Lag: Av=0.68s, max=1.5s) 4} 1-0

Binging

Like a proverbial drunken sailor, I have been spending my rating points in games against 1700-1900 rated players. Back to 1662 where I played this interesting Marshall or pseudo Marshall against a 1782 rated player. The endgame came through for me again.


Cut and Paste into viewer on sidebar

{C89: Closed Ruy Lopez: Marshall Attack} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4
Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. c3 d5 9. exd5 Nxd5 10. h3 Nf4 11. Nxe5
Nxe5 12. Rxe5 Qd6 13. d4 Nxh3+ 14. gxh3 Bxh3 15. Qh5 Be6 16. Bxe6 fxe6 17. Bg5
Bf6 18. Bxf6 Rxf6 19. Nd2 Raf8 20. Ne4 Rg6+ 21. Kf1 Qe7 22. Ng5 Rh6 23. Rxe6
Rxh5 24. Rxe7 Rh1+ 25. Kg2 Rxa1 26. Ne6 Rf6 27. Rxg7+ Kh8 28. Re7 h5 29. Re8+
Kh7 30. Re7+ Kg6 31. Rg7+ Kf5 32. Nxc7 Rg6+ 33. Rxg6 Kxg6 34. d5 Rxa2 35. d6
Rxb2 36. Nxa6 Rd2 37. Nc7 Rxd6 38. Nxb5 Rc6 39. Kg3 Rc5 40. Nd4 Rxc3+ 41. f3
Rd3 42. Ne2 Kg5 43. Nf4 h4+ 0-1

Okay back to Ct-art Minicircle 5 L30 completed at 55 % on to mc 6
update mc6- 460 wed morn update on 490 thur 529

Another Cup of Coffee in the Big League -1677

Once again I reached a high rating on Playchess.com. As always it coincides with heavy tactical training. My Playchess rating does fluctuate and I tend to be a very streaky player as evidenced by this chart. When I do hit a new high water mark I believe it to be significant. A number of these wins come from bringing an extra pawn into the endgame. I would be very happy if I could bring this winning streak and continue it in my tournament in October.

I need to continue to do more problems and not get caught up in the wave of playing alot of games.

monday update 40 l30 problems 569. Tuesday update problem 583

Welcome Taktrosian -TAKchess evil twin

Taktrosian is TAKchess doupelganger who actually knows how to play defense and the endgame. To view game cut and paste game into pgn viewer on the sidebar. I am playing black.

1. c4 {1} e5 {6} 2. g3 {2} d6 {17} 3. Bg2 {6} Be7 {5} 4. Nc3 {26} Nf6 {11} 5.
e3 {13} O-O {6} 6. Nge2 {2} Qd7 {107} 7. O-O {17} Nc6 {43} 8. a3 {29} b6 {9} 9.
b4 {14} Rb8 {4} 10. Bb2 {21} Bb7 {7} 11. d4 {6} exd4 {28} 12. exd4 {18} Nd8 {34
} 13. d5 {6} c6 {13} 14. dxc6 {44} Bxc6 {7} 15. Nd5 {13} Bxd5 {32} 16. cxd5 {36
} Qb5 {67} 17. Nd4 {21} Qd7 {45} 18. Rc1 {10} Re8 {16} 19. Nc6 {13} Nxc6 {36}
20. dxc6 {3} Qc7 {3} 21. Re1 {13} Rbd8 {20} 22. Qd4 {164} d5 {136} 23. b5 {65}
Rd6 {37} 24. a4 {11} Re6 {51} 25. Rxe6 {12} fxe6 {4} 26. Qe5 {11} Rc8 {34} 27.
Qxc7 {6} Rxc7 {4} 28. Be5 {1} Rc8 {13} 29. c7 {6} Bc5 {16} 30. a5 {32} Ng4 {13}
31. Bf4 {59} Nxf2 {14} 32. Kf1 {11} Nd3 {5} 33. Rc3 {27} Nxf4 {18} 34. gxf4 {5}
Rxc7 {5} 35. axb6 {3} Bxb6 {13} 36. Rxc7 {12} Bxc7 {3} 37. f5 {6} Kf7 {11} 38.
fxe6+ {10} Kxe6 {3} 39. h3 {3} Ke5 {5} 40. Ke2 {11} Kd4 {5} 41. Kd2 {10} Kc4 {7
} 42. Bf3 {6} d4 {6} 43. Bc6 {4} Bb6 {3} 44. Bd7 {10} g5 {14} 45. Kd1 {24} Kd3
{9} 46. Bf5+ {12} Kc3 {6} 47. Bxh7 {22} Kc4 {4} 48. Kd2 {4} Kxb5 {4} 49. Kd3 {2
} Kc5 {2} 50. Bg8 {2} a5 {5} 51. Ba2 {56} Kb4 {12} 52. Bg8 {2} a4 {12} 53. Ba2
{3} a3 {2} 54. Be6 {4} Kc5 {58} 55. Ba2 {23} Kd6 {3} 56. Bc4 {6} Ke5 {2} 57.
Ba2 {16} Kf4 {8} 58. Be6 {2} Kg3 {8} 59. Ke2 {27} Kg2 {19} 60. Kd3 {22} Kf3 {31
} 61. Bg4+ {10} Kg3 {7} 62. Be6 {2} a2 {16} 63. Bxa2 {2} Kxh3 {2} 64. Be6+ {20}
Kg3 {3} 65. Ke2 {25} Kf4 {19} 66. Kf2 {32} g4 {6} 67. Kg2 {13} d3 {11} 68. Bb3
{24} d2 {4} 69. Bd1 {2} Ba5 {10} 70. Be2 {11} Bc3 {63} 71. Bd1 {5} Bd4 {5} 72.
Be2 {8} Be3 {4} 73. Bd1 {3} g3 {6} 74. Be2 {78} Bf2 {6} 75. Bf3 {12} Ke3 {6}
76. Kf1 {7} Kd3 {9} 77. Bd1 {17} Kc3 {5} 78. Bf3 {7} Kb2 {3} 79. Ke2 {11} Kc1 {
12} 80. Kf1 {19} d1=Q+ {40} 81. Bxd1 {9} Kxd1 {2} 82. Kg2 {2} Ke2 {3} 83. Kh1 {
4} Be1 {5} 84. Kg2 {2} Ke3 {5} 85. Kf1 {8} Kf3 {17} 86. Kg1 {18} g2 {11} 87.
Kh2 {2} Kf2 {7} 88. Kh3 {6} Kf1 {16} 89. Kh2 {8} g1=Q+ {
Kachapov resigns (Lag: Av=0.55s, max=7.0s) 5} 0-1


circle update L30 currently on 497 about 115 to go. sunday morn update onto 526

Once again Poor Play Saved by a Tactical Shot

Diagram WTM. I gave up far too much material to take his queen.



1. e4 {3} e5 {2} 2. d4 {3} exd4 {2} 3. c3 {7} dxc3 {5} 4. Bc4 {5} d6 {8} 5.
Nxc3 {5} Nf6 {2} 6. Qb3 {7} Qe7 {23} 7. Bg5 {16} h6 {11} 8. Bxf6 {11} Qxf6 {3}
9. O-O-O {5} Be6 {4} 10. Nd5 {8} Bxd5 {4} 11. Bxd5 {8} Nd7 {23} 12. f4 {29}
Qxf4+ {19} 13. Kb1 {17} Nc5 {19} 14. Qh3 {37} Be7 {41} 15. Ne2 {12} Qg5 {14}
16. Rhf1 {17} O-O {18} 17. Nd4 {13} Bf6 {30} 18. Nf5 {19} Be5 {50} 19. Qf3 {144
} c6 {61} 20. h4 {5} Qf6 {19} 21. Nxh6+ {20} Qxh6 {40} 22. Bxf7+ {4} Kh8 {15}
23. Qg4 {31} Bf6 {45} 24. Rf5 {11} Rxf7 {174} 25. Rh5 {3} Qxh5 {39} 26. Qxh5+ {
4} Kg8 {2} 27. Rxd6 {16} Nxe4 {5} 28. Re6 {26} Rd8 {81} 29. Kc1 {25} Rfd7 {78}
30. Re8+

One of the more interesting endgames I have played

I am playing Black

1. e4 {9} e5 {5} 2. Nf3 {13} Nc6 {5} 3. Bc4 {8} Nf6 {4} 4. d3 {27} Bc5 {6} 5.
Nc3 {18} d6 {8} 6. h3 {34} Be6 {8} 7. Bb3 {30} Nd4 {22} 8. Nxd4 {54} Bxd4 {8}
9. Ne2 {40} c5 {39} 10. c3 {33} Qa5 {15} 11. Bd2 {23} Bxf2+ {17} 12. Kxf2 {29}
c4 {2} 13. dxc4 {208} h5 {BSSBSS reconnected. BSSBSS reconnected. 62} 14. Be3 {
11} Nxe4+ {5} 15. Ke1 {114} f5 {14} 16. Ba4+ {193} Ke7 {320} 17. Bb3 {
BSSBSS claims win on disconnect 207} h4 {515} 18. c5 {163} dxc5 {61} 19. Bxe6 {
7} Kxe6 {8} 20. Qb3+ {5} Kf6 {12} 21. Qxb7 {24} Qb6 {24} 22. Qxb6+ {60} axb6 {4
} 23. a3 {196} Rad8 {35} 24. Rd1 {19} g5 {55} 25. Rf1 {76} Ke6 {15} 26. Bf2 {51
} Rhf8 {32} 27. g3 {138} Rxd1+ {12} 28. Kxd1 {20} Rd8+ {8} 29. Kc1 {48} b5 {36}
30. gxh4 {74} Nxf2 {28} 31. Rxf2 {51} gxh4 {6} 32. Kc2 {154} c4 {
Takchess claims win on disconnect 33} 33. b3 {310} Rd3 {40} 34. Rh2 {179} e4 {9
} 35. Nf4+ {12} Ke5 {6} 36. Nxd3+ {4} cxd3+ {3} 37. Kb2 {4} e3 {2} 38. Kc1 {27}
f4 {8} 39. Kd1 {17} f3 {9} 40. Ke1 {27} Ke4 {8} 41. a4 {4} bxa4 {7} 42. bxa4 {2
} e2 {8} 43. a5 {10} Ke3 {4} 44. Rxe2+ {30} dxe2 {6} 45. a6 {8} f2# {
(Lag: Av=1.25s, max=24.8s) 4} 0-1


The power of forward pawns and an active king

No Right

This is representative of winning a game that I had no right winning.

1. e4 {7} e5 {5} 2. Bc4 {10} Nf6 {3} 3. Nc3 {7} Bc5 {6} 4. Nf3 {16} d6 {4} 5.
h3 {11} Nxe4 {15} 6. Bxf7+ {15} Kxf7 {5} 7. Nxe4 {9} Bf5 {29} 8. d3 {21} Bxe4 {
6} 9. dxe4 {6} Nc6 {14} 10. Qd5+ {9} Ke8 {33} 11. Bg5 {20} Qd7 {12} 12. O-O-O {
24} h6 {4} 13. Be3 {17} Ke7 {13} 14. Bxc5 {17} Rad8 {14} 15. Be3 {15} Nb4 {10}
16. Qc4 {20} a5 {11} 17. Nxe5 {13} Qe6 {17} 18. Qxc7+ {15} Kf6 {14} 19. Ng4+ {
22} Kg6 {13} 20. f4 {42} Kh7 {22} 21. e5 {12} Rc8 {16} 22. Qxd6 {20} Rxc2+ {14}
23. Kb1 {51} Qxa2# {(Lag: Av=0.39s, max=0.8s) 5} 0-1

Cut and paste into pgn viewer on sidebar

circle update on problem finish L30 on to minicircle L30 number 5.

On Blunderprone, the Scotch Gambit and Ct-art

Sunday, I took a ride to Manchester NH to watch some games of the New England Open which a number of my chess playing friends were taking part in. I had a pleasant lunch with Blunderprone and protegy of BP who were both playing in the tourney. Had some yucks and now the chain is somewhat extended: Transformer DK met BP who met Takchess. He played the Scotch Gambit as white and played a hard fought 4 hour plus game which ended in a drawn endgame. George, I would enjoy seeing that game posted and what computer analysis shows.

Coincidently at the same time I was playing against the Scotch Gambit in the skittles room against a fellow against in past tournaments. We were discussing the various lines in this sharp opening. I have some ideas as to how to address it a little better now that I have thought about it for a while. I find it interesting how the lines of the Goring Gambit, Danish Gambit, Four Knights, G.Piano at points transpose to each other. I think to face it I will need to play the Max Lange Lines.

I am getting into CT-ART L30 and this minicircle is starting to gell. When I do problems I often reflect on the pseudoscience that is chess improvement. One of the ongoing discussion is the appropriate level of problem difficulty. Some believe it is important to do a string of easier problem as not to lose the pattern recognition of them. I suspect that doing the difficult problems you still are using the pattern recognition of easier tactics encapsulated within. Looking at a problem you may see the elements of a Anastasia mate then its a matter of explores ways to deflect guards, open lines, interfere with protection.

My next tournament is October and I am looking forward to having good board vision and tactical play.

Update: to 573 ,175 L30 problems today Labor day Tacticthon.