Monday, October 31, 2005
The Status Quo
For the past 5 months my rating has hovered around 1850. I played a small 3/SS G/45 tournament on Sunday. Two wins and a loss....
Against a 1640 player, I played against my own opening, which I find rare. I've played white 37 times so far this year and this was the first time against the Caro-Kann. It's a solid opening?!...and considered I played against French at least 6 or 7 times. Since everyone hates playing against their own opening, i guess it's a good thing. I like playing the exchange variation though.
GAME 1
1 e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Bd3 Nc6 5. c3 e6 6. Bf4 Nf6 7. Nd2 Bd6 8. Bg3 O-O 9. Ngf3 Bxg3 10. hxg3 I really think the game is won here. We can analyse two major position errors by black to this point. 5...e6 blocks in his light squared bishop. After a move like 7...Bd6 many people might trade bishops which I think is a mistake in this position. Eventually Black has to take, opening up the h-file. Even if I am castled at that point I can play g4, g3, Kg2 and slide my rook to h1.
10....e5 11. Nxe5 Re8 12. f4 Nxe5 13. fxe5 Bg4 14. Bxh7+ Kf8 15. Qb3 (Qc2 may have been better) Nxh7 16. Rxh7 Kg8 17. Rh4 Qg5 18. c4 dxc4 19. Nxc4 Be6 He almost gets some counterplay here. 20. Qe3 Qe7 In postgame review, the computer suggested f6! 21. Nd6 Red8 22. Kf2 Rac8 23. Nxc8 Rxc8 24. Qd3 Qb4 25. Rah1 Kf8 26. Rh8+ Ke7 27. Rxc8 Bxc8 28. Qa3 Qxa3 29. bxa3 Be6 30. Rc1 Kd7 31. Rc2 Bf5 32. Rb2 Be4 33. Ke3 Bc6 34. g4 Bd5 35. g5 g6 36. a4 Ke6 37. g4 Kd7 38. a5 a6 39. Rb6 Bc6 40. a3 Ke6 41. Rb1 Kd5 42. Rf1 Ke6 43. Rf6+ Ke7 44. Rd6 Bd7 45. d5 Bxg4 46. Rb6 Bc8 47. Kd4 Kd7 48. e6+ fxe6 49. Rxe6 Kc7 50. Rxg6 1-0
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Bd3 Nc6 5. c3 e6 6. Bf4 Nf6 7. Nd2 Bd6 8. Bg3 O-O 9. Ngf3 Bxg3 10. hxg3 e5 11. Nxe5 Re8 12. f4 Nxe5 13. fxe5 Bg4 14. Bxh7+ Kf8 15. Qb3 Nxh7 16. Rxh7 Kg8 17. Rh4 Qg5 18. c4 dxc4 19. Nxc4 Be6 20. Qe3 Qe7 21. Nd6 Red8 22. Kf2 Rac8 23. Nxc8 Rxc8 24. Qd3 Qb4 25. Rah1 Kf8 26. Rh8+ Ke7 27. Rxc8 Bxc8 28. Qa3 Qxa3 29. bxa3 Be6 30. Rc1 Kd7 31. Rc2 Bf5 32. Rb2 Be4 33. Ke3 Bc6 34. g4 Bd5 35. g5 g6 36. a4 Ke6 37. g4 Kd7 38. a5 a6 39. Rb6 Bc6 40. a3 Ke6 41. Rb1 Kd5 42. Rf1 Ke6 43. Rf6+ Ke7 44. Rd6 Bd7 45. d5 Bxg4 46. Rb6 Bc8 47. Kd4 Kd7 48. e6+ fxe6 49. Rxe6 Kc7 50. Rxg6 1-0
GAME 2
Here I stumbled against a 1883 player, whom I had been 4-0 against. I got the better position, but let it falter a bit and then made an ill-advised sacrifice. Here is an English opening which I played in my study-minimizing fashion....c6. I was asked "do you played c6 against everything? Well, basically yes, but I have been looking at the Benko Gambit.
1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 c6 3. b3 d5 4. Bb2 Bf5 5. d3 e6 6. Nc3 d4 7. Nb1 c5 8. b4 b6 9. g3 Nbd7 10. Bg2 Rb8 11. b5 Bd6 12. h3 Qc7 13. Nh4 Bg6 14. O-O O-O 15. Nxg6 hxg6 16. Nd2 g5 17. Nf3 g4 18. Ng5 gxh3 19. Nxh3 Ng4 20. e3 Ndf6 21. Bf3 Nxf2 22. Rxf2 Bxg3 23. Rg2 Qe5 24. Qe2 Rbd8 25. exd4 cxd4 26. Qxe5 Bxe5 27. Nf2 Bf4 28. Bc1 Be3 29. Kf1 Nd7 30. Ke2 Bxc1 31. Rxc1 Nc5 32. Rcg1 g6 33. Ne4 Nxe4 34. Bxe4 Kg7 35. Rh2 Rh8 36. Rgh1 Rxh2+ 37. Rxh2 f5 38. Bc6 e5 39. Kf3 g5 40. a3 Kg6 41. Bd5 Rf8 42. Kg3 Re8 43. Re2 Kf6 44. a4 Rh8 45. Rh2 Rxh2 46. Kxh2 g4 47. Kg3 Kg5 48. a5 f4+ 49. Kg2 bxa5 50. c5 Kf6 51. b6 1-0
GAME 3
My venerable King's Gambit wins with ease against a 1580 rated player. My playing of the King's Gambit has gotten him to start playing it himself. Win or lose it's a fun game.
1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 d5 This is what I call the patzer variation. 4. exd5 Bg4 5. Bb5+ Nd7 6. d4 a6 7. Bxd7+ Qxd7 8. O-O O-O-O 9. c4 Bxf3 10. Qxf3 g5 11. Nc3 h5 12. Ne4 f6 Development is the biggest key to the King's Gambit.
13. h4 Qg4 14. hxg5 f5 15. Nc5 Bxc5 16. dxc5 Qxg5 17. Bxf4 Qe7 18. d6 cxd6 19. cxd6 Qd7 20. Be5 Rh6 21. Qxf5 Qxf5 22. Rxf5 Re6 23. Rxh5 Nh6 24. c5 Ng4 25. Bc3 Rg8 26. Rh8 1-0
Against a 1640 player, I played against my own opening, which I find rare. I've played white 37 times so far this year and this was the first time against the Caro-Kann. It's a solid opening?!...and considered I played against French at least 6 or 7 times. Since everyone hates playing against their own opening, i guess it's a good thing. I like playing the exchange variation though.
GAME 1
1 e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Bd3 Nc6 5. c3 e6 6. Bf4 Nf6 7. Nd2 Bd6 8. Bg3 O-O 9. Ngf3 Bxg3 10. hxg3 I really think the game is won here. We can analyse two major position errors by black to this point. 5...e6 blocks in his light squared bishop. After a move like 7...Bd6 many people might trade bishops which I think is a mistake in this position. Eventually Black has to take, opening up the h-file. Even if I am castled at that point I can play g4, g3, Kg2 and slide my rook to h1.
10....e5 11. Nxe5 Re8 12. f4 Nxe5 13. fxe5 Bg4 14. Bxh7+ Kf8 15. Qb3 (Qc2 may have been better) Nxh7 16. Rxh7 Kg8 17. Rh4 Qg5 18. c4 dxc4 19. Nxc4 Be6 He almost gets some counterplay here. 20. Qe3 Qe7 In postgame review, the computer suggested f6! 21. Nd6 Red8 22. Kf2 Rac8 23. Nxc8 Rxc8 24. Qd3 Qb4 25. Rah1 Kf8 26. Rh8+ Ke7 27. Rxc8 Bxc8 28. Qa3 Qxa3 29. bxa3 Be6 30. Rc1 Kd7 31. Rc2 Bf5 32. Rb2 Be4 33. Ke3 Bc6 34. g4 Bd5 35. g5 g6 36. a4 Ke6 37. g4 Kd7 38. a5 a6 39. Rb6 Bc6 40. a3 Ke6 41. Rb1 Kd5 42. Rf1 Ke6 43. Rf6+ Ke7 44. Rd6 Bd7 45. d5 Bxg4 46. Rb6 Bc8 47. Kd4 Kd7 48. e6+ fxe6 49. Rxe6 Kc7 50. Rxg6 1-0
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Bd3 Nc6 5. c3 e6 6. Bf4 Nf6 7. Nd2 Bd6 8. Bg3 O-O 9. Ngf3 Bxg3 10. hxg3 e5 11. Nxe5 Re8 12. f4 Nxe5 13. fxe5 Bg4 14. Bxh7+ Kf8 15. Qb3 Nxh7 16. Rxh7 Kg8 17. Rh4 Qg5 18. c4 dxc4 19. Nxc4 Be6 20. Qe3 Qe7 21. Nd6 Red8 22. Kf2 Rac8 23. Nxc8 Rxc8 24. Qd3 Qb4 25. Rah1 Kf8 26. Rh8+ Ke7 27. Rxc8 Bxc8 28. Qa3 Qxa3 29. bxa3 Be6 30. Rc1 Kd7 31. Rc2 Bf5 32. Rb2 Be4 33. Ke3 Bc6 34. g4 Bd5 35. g5 g6 36. a4 Ke6 37. g4 Kd7 38. a5 a6 39. Rb6 Bc6 40. a3 Ke6 41. Rb1 Kd5 42. Rf1 Ke6 43. Rf6+ Ke7 44. Rd6 Bd7 45. d5 Bxg4 46. Rb6 Bc8 47. Kd4 Kd7 48. e6+ fxe6 49. Rxe6 Kc7 50. Rxg6 1-0
GAME 2
Here I stumbled against a 1883 player, whom I had been 4-0 against. I got the better position, but let it falter a bit and then made an ill-advised sacrifice. Here is an English opening which I played in my study-minimizing fashion....c6. I was asked "do you played c6 against everything? Well, basically yes, but I have been looking at the Benko Gambit.
1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 c6 3. b3 d5 4. Bb2 Bf5 5. d3 e6 6. Nc3 d4 7. Nb1 c5 8. b4 b6 9. g3 Nbd7 10. Bg2 Rb8 11. b5 Bd6 12. h3 Qc7 13. Nh4 Bg6 14. O-O O-O 15. Nxg6 hxg6 16. Nd2 g5 17. Nf3 g4 18. Ng5 gxh3 19. Nxh3 Ng4 20. e3 Ndf6 21. Bf3 Nxf2 22. Rxf2 Bxg3 23. Rg2 Qe5 24. Qe2 Rbd8 25. exd4 cxd4 26. Qxe5 Bxe5 27. Nf2 Bf4 28. Bc1 Be3 29. Kf1 Nd7 30. Ke2 Bxc1 31. Rxc1 Nc5 32. Rcg1 g6 33. Ne4 Nxe4 34. Bxe4 Kg7 35. Rh2 Rh8 36. Rgh1 Rxh2+ 37. Rxh2 f5 38. Bc6 e5 39. Kf3 g5 40. a3 Kg6 41. Bd5 Rf8 42. Kg3 Re8 43. Re2 Kf6 44. a4 Rh8 45. Rh2 Rxh2 46. Kxh2 g4 47. Kg3 Kg5 48. a5 f4+ 49. Kg2 bxa5 50. c5 Kf6 51. b6 1-0
GAME 3
My venerable King's Gambit wins with ease against a 1580 rated player. My playing of the King's Gambit has gotten him to start playing it himself. Win or lose it's a fun game.
1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 d5 This is what I call the patzer variation. 4. exd5 Bg4 5. Bb5+ Nd7 6. d4 a6 7. Bxd7+ Qxd7 8. O-O O-O-O 9. c4 Bxf3 10. Qxf3 g5 11. Nc3 h5 12. Ne4 f6 Development is the biggest key to the King's Gambit.
13. h4 Qg4 14. hxg5 f5 15. Nc5 Bxc5 16. dxc5 Qxg5 17. Bxf4 Qe7 18. d6 cxd6 19. cxd6 Qd7 20. Be5 Rh6 21. Qxf5 Qxf5 22. Rxf5 Re6 23. Rxh5 Nh6 24. c5 Ng4 25. Bc3 Rg8 26. Rh8 1-0
# posted by Zek @ 6:16 AM 
