Copycat!

[PreLynMax]

Just when I had a good defensive notation, my best friend's cousin (whom I never played before) copyed my notation almost exactly. So now what am I going to do?

1. e3 d5, 2. d3 Nc6, 3. Nc3 e5, 4. Nf3 Nf6, 5. Be2 Be6, 6. 0-0 Qd7, 7. Bd2 0-0-0.
(sorry if my Algebraic notation is off; I'm used to Descriptive).

As you can see, any offensive move I do is met by his defensive (which is identical to mine).

I'm playing him right now, and I need an answer QUICK before he gets back from the store!

 

[PreLynMax]

He's back. For now.
8. Ng5 Bd5, 9. e4 dxe4, 10. dxe4 Nb4, 11. Bb5 Qe7, 12. a3 h3, 13. Nxe6 fxe6, 14. gxb4 Bxb4, 15. Rxa7 g6, 16. Ra8#
I won.
Hehehehehe.
In 15 turns.
That was a real Mexican standoff.

 

[Panzar75]

I don't understand what you mean. White's and black's setups are not the slightest similar. You are even castled on opposite sides... how much more different can the position get?

 

[PiMan]

While the position after eight moves may have looked similar on each side, it looks like you were copying him a bit too.

 

[Panzar75]

What are you smoking? There is no similarity to be found. Are we looking at the same game? I'll give you an example of what would be similar: 1.e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. 0-0 0-0 6. d3 d6 7. Ne2 Ne7 8. Ng3 Ng6 <---- this I'll give you is similar. Developing your knights towards the center is not enough to call a position similar.

 

[PiMan]

The position had some parallels. But the alleged copycat moves were not one after the other.

-The knights were placed in mirror positions, although this often happens at this early point in the game.
-To someone just glancing and without knowledge of Chess, the centre pawns appear to be in similar positions.
-White square bishops have both been placed in front of the King's original position.

 

[peter grimes]

...this seems as good a thread as any to post in....

So I'm playing my second game against the same opponent in the <1500 team match against Progressive World. I beat him the first time - one of my best games so far. His rating was about 400 points higher than mine when the game started, and I didn't expect to win. But I did, and in our present game, I'm trying just as hard. But I'm worried about an ethical thingy.

I've read the rules, and it's my understanding that there's nothing wrong with using the game explorer in a game like this. However, we're now on move 11, and the game is following a database match, almost move for move. The match was Maduro Sherman vs. Guerra.

It feels strange to be playing 'someone else's game', even if it isn't breaking the rules. I'm not doing it blindly, and I'm trying to see why certain moves are made when they are, and what they will lead to further down the line. But it just feels really weird.

And, when it comes down to it, I'd hate to be accused of cheating - especially when I have almost no interest in what my rating is, as long as I play well and improve.

 

[Narz]

I know the feeling & I'm not crazy about it myself even if I'm following along an eventually winning game. It's usually a nice moment for me when my opponent breaks away from anything in the opening explorer completely because only then to I feel like I am actually really playing.

In this game my opponent & I followed this game (where former world champion Kramnik played white) all the way 'till move 28. I probably should have deviated from the game earlier but anyway, at move 28 I went off course in an unsound sacrificial way & lost not too far after*. Having gone that far I probably should have followed along with the game a few moves more instead of trying to get tricky when I did. While Kramnik did go on to win in my game I probably could have deviated at some point & gone on to draw. My a & b pawns were strong & could have been equal compensation for a piece.

*At one point I was patting myself on the back for a "stunning queen sacrifice" (36. Qc1+) only to then realize with a thud that he did not have to accept it.

If I ever have this position again I will deviate earlier from any known game. Just because a particular move has never been played before doesn't necessarily mean it's not good (for example in my game 25. Bxe4 instead of Bd5). Even with tens of millions of chess games recorded strong players create "novelties" all the time.

As long as you feel you understand the moves you are following along with & not just trusting in Maduro you should be alright.

 

[col]

I like it when I'm following a gamne where a weaker player beats a strong player. I dont like it when I'm following say Kramnik v someone weak. Kramnik will win regardless of the opening and will win even from a worse position. I cant play like Kramnik!

I've has plenty of games where my opponent improved on a master game. I've had games where my opponent improved on the 'book'.

I do like to play through games to see how good players win from the kind of positions I'm likely to get in my game though.