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Main
I was leading after 24...Nxc3 but couldn't convert the win. I'm curious
what I should have done differently. Any comments appreciated.
25...Nxd1 removed White's bishop pair, but at the cost of a bishops of
opposite colors ending. I'm not sure whether that was a good exchange.
26...a3 put my pawn on a (weak) dark-colored square but opened lines
for my rook and gained a tempo... which didn't help too much.
28...Qe7 was weaker than 28...Bb7, and 37...Ra8 was probably worse than
37...Rc1+, but I doubt either of these moves decided the game.
1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. Bc4 c6 {Nc6 would have
been better} 6. h3 g6 7. d3 b5 8. Bb3 Bg7 9. Ng5 e6 10. Bd2 Qc7 11. Qf3
h6 12. Nge4 Nxe4 13. Nxe4 Bxb2 14. Rb1 Bg7 15. Nf6+ Bxf6 16. Qxf6 Rg8
17. O-O Nd7 18. Qh4 h5 19. d4 Nb6 20. Bf4 Qd7 21. c3 a5 22. Rfe1 a4 23.
Bd1 Nd5 24. Be5 Nxc3 25. Rb2 Nxd1 26. Rxd1 a3 27. Rc2 Ra4 28. Qf6 Qe7
29. Rxc6 Qxf6 30. Bxf6 Kd7 31. Rdc1 Rc4 32. R1xc4 bxc4 33. Rxc4 Bb7 34.
Be5 Rc8 35. Ra4 Ra8 36. Rc4 Rc8 37. Ra4 Ra8 38. Rc4 Rc8 39. Ra4 {Game
drawn by repetition} 1/2-1/2
---
Become a Chess Expert
http://likesforests.blogspot.com/
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Date: 12 Sep 2006 12:52:45
From: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Was this game winnable?
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Ron wrote:
> I think reading Silman is also good.
I finished my first read of "The Amateur's Mind". I should have read it
sooner. Apparently every position suggests a plan, and I've been
missing them in my games: knights vs bishops, space, development,
initiative, pawn structures, which side to play on, static vs dynamic
advantages, ec. Now I just need to practice choosing the right plan.
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Date: 08 Sep 2006 18:08:15
From: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Was this game winnable?
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[email protected] wrote:
> [email protected] wrote:
> > Ron is right on the money. I looked at the game, but found it hard to
> > give advice as you started to play fairly planlessly, as he noted. You
> > then made notes that made it appear you had a plan (not an insult, we
> > all do it).
> >
> > I think though that this game shows you need to put the tactics books
> > away and start learning strategy and positional play - and in a way,
> > that is a compliment!
>
> In my last three games I made one blunder, so I will keep reviewing
> those tactics... but you're right, it's time to focus on strategy.
I picked up "The Amateur's Mind" by Silman.
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Date: 08 Sep 2006 14:52:24
From: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Was this game winnable?
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[email protected] wrote:
> Ron is right on the money. I looked at the game, but found it hard to
> give advice as you started to play fairly planlessly, as he noted. You
> then made notes that made it appear you had a plan (not an insult, we
> all do it).
>
> I think though that this game shows you need to put the tactics books
> away and start learning strategy and positional play - and in a way,
> that is a compliment!
In my last three games I made one blunder, so I will keep reviewing
those tactics... but you're right, it's time to focus on strategy.
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Date: 08 Sep 2006 14:47:00
From: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Was this game winnable?
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Ron wrote:
> Naw. The position after ...c6 is well-known.
OK. My opening book also suggests 5...c6 here.
> I don't particularly like ... g6. I think your bishop wants to develop
> to d6 in this position. ...e6 is therefore better.
> I also don't like ...b5; So you push his bishop back. You also weaken
> c6. This seems like a dumb pawn move to make while your development is
> lacking.
> Temporarily trapping your bishop is actually quite common in games where
> black adopts the "Fort Knox" structure. You will then (after you've
> completed your development) make pawn breaks which will free it, often
> to good effect.
How do you know d6 is a better perch than g7 for the bishop, and that
it's common to trap your bishop (temporarily) in these sorts of
positions?
I suppose you learned from studying games. I've read through many
Scandinavian games lately. Often the light-squared bishop ends up on
f5, but it can go to g4 if White castles early, or e6 if White plays
Ne5. I haven't studied any with an early h6.
> Your play in moves 18-22 is very planless. What are you trying to
> accomplish. You have two clear strategic goals:
>
> 1) Free your queen bishop
> 2) Get your king somewhere safe.
> Pushing your queenside pawns makes the queenside less safe for you.
> Do you have anything approaching a plan here?
I started with the idea Develop My Knight (Nb6-Nd5), then forgot about
it and switched to Expand On The Queenside (a6-a6). I guess that How to
Reassess Your Chess book might help me with strategy and planning.
> 19.Bb7 followed by 0-0-0 is probably your best plan. Alternatively Nb6,
> Bd7, and 0-0-0 -
Actually, erm, O-O-O is impossible. Note his Queen on h4.
> You should be playing these positions out
Polgar recommends the same thing.
> If you're afraid of that position, or look at it and say "dead draw"
> (rooks and opposite colors bishops are very different things than either
> rooks or opposite colored bishops alone) then run, do not walk to a
> bookstore and get Soltis's "Grandmaster Secrets: Endgames."
It looked like if not 35...Ra8 then 36.Rxa3 and I'm down a pawn and
fighting for a draw. I didn't see 35.Rc1+ 36.Kh2 Rc2 led to me actually
winning a pawn.
Thanks for the comments. The bottom line: I should begin studying
strategy since my tactics are fairly sharp and I know the main lines.
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Date: 09 Sep 2006 01:09:48
From: Ron
Subject: Re: Was this game winnable?
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In article <[email protected] >,
"[email protected]" <[email protected] > wrote:
> How do you know d6 is a better perch than g7 for the bishop, and that
> it's common to trap your bishop (temporarily) in these sorts of
> positions?
>
> I suppose you learned from studying games. I've read through many
> Scandinavian games lately. Often the light-squared bishop ends up on
> f5, but it can go to g4 if White castles early, or e6 if White plays
> Ne5. I haven't studied any with an early h6.
That's exactly it. I've seen a lot of scandinavian games. In most of
them, the KB goes to d6 or e7. Occasionally b4. I haven't seen a
fianchetto.
This doesn't mean it's wrong, but it is slow, here, and you're seriously
lagging in development.
Also note how your kingside dark squares end up weak. This is something
to be avoided.
> > Your play in moves 18-22 is very planless. What are you trying to
> > accomplish. You have two clear strategic goals:
> >
> > 1) Free your queen bishop
> > 2) Get your king somewhere safe.
>
> > Pushing your queenside pawns makes the queenside less safe for you.
>
> > Do you have anything approaching a plan here?
>
> I started with the idea Develop My Knight (Nb6-Nd5), then forgot about
> it and switched to Expand On The Queenside (a6-a6). I guess that How to
> Reassess Your Chess book might help me with strategy and planning.
Expand on the queenside - to what end? I think reading Silman is also
good.
> > 19.Bb7 followed by 0-0-0 is probably your best plan. Alternatively Nb6,
> > Bd7, and 0-0-0 -
>
> Actually, erm, O-O-O is impossible. Note his Queen on h4.
True. But you could work towards it. Leaving your king in the center is
a bad idea in this position. Going kingside is suicidal.
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Date: 08 Sep 2006 06:30:55
From: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Was this game winnable?
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Ron is right on the money. I looked at the game, but found it hard to
give advice as you started to play fairly planlessly, as he noted. You
then made notes that made it appear you had a plan (not an insult, we
all do it).
I think though that this game shows you need to put the tactics books
away and start learning strategy and positional play - and in a way,
that is a compliment!
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Date: 07 Sep 2006 15:29:24
From: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Was this game winnable?
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I've been thinking about this game without a board:
5...c6 is too passive. White already commited to Bc4, so after the
developing move 5...Nc6 we don't even have to worry about the pin Bb5
unless White wastes a tempo moving his bishop twice.
9...e6 is too passive. While it's true White was attacking my f7 pawn
and that needed to be addressed, the developing move 9.O-O would also
do the trick. There's an even bigger problem with 9...e6, in that it
trapped my bishop for most of the game.
If I fixed the above two moves, I'm betting I would have had more
attacking chances.
13...Bxb2. Risky, but justified. White didn't have any snappy reply.
I'm still curious how I could have played after 24...Ncx3 to secure the
win. I was two pawns up, had a solid position, and controlled the
light-colored squares.
[email protected] wrote:
> I was leading after 24...Nxc3 but couldn't convert the win. I'm curious
> what I should have done differently. Any comments appreciated.
> 25...Nxd1 removed White's bishop pair, but at the cost of a bishops of
> opposite colors ending. I'm not sure whether that was a good exchange.
> 26...a3 put my pawn on a (weak) dark-colored square but opened lines
> for my rook and gained a tempo... which didn't help too much.
>
> 28...Qe7 was weaker than 28...Bb7, and 37...Ra8 was probably worse than
> 37...Rc1+, but I doubt either of these moves decided the game.
>
> 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. Bc4 c6 {Nc6 would have
> been better} 6. h3 g6 7. d3 b5 8. Bb3 Bg7 9. Ng5 e6 10. Bd2 Qc7 11. Qf3
> h6 12. Nge4 Nxe4 13. Nxe4 Bxb2 14. Rb1 Bg7 15. Nf6+ Bxf6 16. Qxf6 Rg8
> 17. O-O Nd7 18. Qh4 h5 19. d4 Nb6 20. Bf4 Qd7 21. c3 a5 22. Rfe1 a4 23.
> Bd1 Nd5 24. Be5 Nxc3 25. Rb2 Nxd1 26. Rxd1 a3 27. Rc2 Ra4 28. Qf6 Qe7
> 29. Rxc6 Qxf6 30. Bxf6 Kd7 31. Rdc1 Rc4 32. R1xc4 bxc4 33. Rxc4 Bb7 34.
> Be5 Rc8 35. Ra4 Ra8 36. Rc4 Rc8 37. Ra4 Ra8 38. Rc4 Rc8 39. Ra4 {Game
> drawn by repetition} 1/2-1/2
>
> ---
> Become a Chess Expert
> http://likesforests.blogspot.com/
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Date: 08 Sep 2006 01:29:10
From: Ron
Subject: Re: Was this game winnable?
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In article <[email protected] >,
"[email protected]" <[email protected] > wrote:
> I've been thinking about this game without a board:
>
> 5...c6 is too passive. White already commited to Bc4, so after the
> developing move 5...Nc6 we don't even have to worry about the pin Bb5
> unless White wastes a tempo moving his bishop twice.
Naw. The position after ...c6 is well-known.
The point is twofold:
first, you're providing an escape hatch for your queen, which can now
return to d8.
Second, you're restraining white's center. Eventually, he'll play d4,
when d5 is a threat, breaking open the position. c6 helps restrain this
(now playind exd5 or allowing dxe6 aren't forced.)
I don't particularly like ... g6. I think your bishop wants to develop
to d6 in this position. ...e6 is therefore better.
I also don't like ...b5; So you push his bishop back. You also weaken
c6. This seems like a dumb pawn move to make while your development is
lacking.
> 9...e6 is too passive. While it's true White was attacking my f7 pawn
> and that needed to be addressed, the developing move 9.O-O would also
> do the trick. There's an even bigger problem with 9...e6, in that it
> trapped my bishop for most of the game.
Temporarily trapping your bishop is actually quite common in games where
black adopts the "Fort Knox" structure. You will then (after you've
completed your development) make pawn breaks which will free it, often
to good effect.
That being said, you need to be caslting. e6 is a target.
> If I fixed the above two moves, I'm betting I would have had more
> attacking chances.
Well, your opponent is playing pretty unambitious chess. Those two pawn
moves, however, are not major probelms.
> 13...Bxb2. Risky, but justified. White didn't have any snappy reply.
I disagree ... strongly.
After Qxf6 white is down a pawn, but your king position is compromised.
He has the bishop pair, and should now be thinking about taking
advantage of the fact that your king won't have a safe haven. The center
is not safe. Without his b-pawn, the queenside is not safe for you. And
your dark squares on the kingside are very exploitable.
White has - at least - full compensation for the pawn here.
Your play in moves 18-22 is very planless. What are you trying to
accomplish. You have two clear strategic goals:
1) Free your queen bishop
2) Get your king somewhere safe.
19.Bb7 followed by 0-0-0 is probably your best plan. Alternatively Nb6,
Bd7, and 0-0-0 - the idea being to exploit his ...h3 with a pawn storm.
(I think I prefer the latter, but would have to do more calculation to
be sure.)
Pushing your queenside pawns makes the queenside less safe for you.
> I was leading after 24...Nxc3 but couldn't convert the win. I'm curious
> what I should have done differently. Any comments appreciated.
Well, 24.Be5 is a ?? blunder. Bd2 and white is still better.
You're slightly better after 24....Nc3, but your position still has real
problems. You need to identify and address the problems. White has
plenty of compensation, specifically with regard to your exposed king.
>
> 25...Nxd1 removed White's bishop pair, but at the cost of a bishops of
> opposite colors ending. I'm not sure whether that was a good exchange.
What ending? Bishops of opposite colors favor the player with the
initiative in the middlegame - and you've got to survive the middlegame
first.
> 26...a3 put my pawn on a (weak) dark-colored square but opened lines
> for my rook and gained a tempo... which didn't help too much.
It didn't gain a tempo. You spend a tempo to force him to move his rook.
he's going to move his rook anyway. Why force it? Do something useful
instead.
> 28...Qe7 was weaker than 28...Bb7, and 37...Ra8 was probably worse than
> 37...Rc1+, but I doubt either of these moves decided the game.
Do you have anything approaching a plan here? 29. Qf3 and white is
better. He bails you out by letting you trade queens - failing to
recognize that he is, in fact, playing for a win the middlegame here.
36.Bd5 plays for a win.
The position is very complicated, and both players kind of wuss out by
taking the draw. You should be playing these positions out unless you
think you're in a large danger of losing ... you'll learn a lot even if
you lose a few games in the short run.
If you're afraid of that position, or look at it and say "dead draw"
(rooks and opposite colors bishops are very different things than either
rooks or opposite colored bishops alone) then run, do not walk to a
bookstore and get Soltis's "Grandmaster Secrets: Endgames."
-Ron
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