I'd like to play someone

[stormerne]

Something I've been meaning to ask you for a while - please excuse the importunity - but why did you choose the wonderfully whimsical name of "Algernon Pondlife"?

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"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage" - Anais Nin

 

[Algernon Pondlife]

The explanation is truly boring but it is probably the only creative moment I have ever had; so I like it. It must have been when starting a moo game or perhaps stars! (somehow that game seems to demand something different) I got fed up putting in boring variants of my name and had a sudden flash of inspiration.

The background is that I read a lot about the origins of life (Gould, Dawkins, Morgan, Dennett etc.). I told you it was boring

Just to get back on topic for a moment. I found a link to chessbase.com on "twic" and downloaded Chessbase light which is free and seems functional. Naturally I started to build a database with some of my more memorable games. So after I had put in about half a dozen I noticed they were all from 1987-9 and the system kindly estimated my performance at about 2280 (my grade at that time actually move from about 1740 to 1790)
I even included a loss in the list but it was Paul Motwani so it didn't hurt much!

Pity about the other few hundred games I will be adding.

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It is very dangerous to leap a chasm in two bounds

 

[anand]

1. c4 b6
2. Nc3 e6
3. d4 Bb7
4. e4 Bb4
5. f3 Qh4+
6. g3 Bc3+
7. bc3 Qh5
8. Nh3 f5
9. Nf4 Qf7
10. Bd3

Sorry about the delay... I was out of town and did not have easy net access.

Glad to hear about your results this season Algernon... very encouraging. The (near) destruction of an old nemesis surely bodes well! Is this the beginning of a comeback?

As for creating a database of selected games... I tried to do that once, but lost interest, or rather patience, after five games or so. Some day I'll try again.

Any memorable games that you'd like to post, by the way?

 

[Algernon Pondlife]

1. c4 b6
2. Nc3 e6
3. d4 Bb7
4. e4 Bb4
5. f3 Qh4+
6. g3 Bc3+
7. bc3 Qh5
8. Nh3 f5
9. Nf4 Qf7
10. Bd3 Ne7

One very important reason I want to compile a database is that I'm relying on bits of paper dating as far back as the mid-sixties as my sole record of hundreds of games. I've got twentyfour in now and I'm trying to get a few more every day.

By the way I won again last night. The opening was a little unusual (1.Nf3 f5 2.b4 I was white). I drew a winning game with this late in January against another player at the same club. (I used to always do well against the dutch when I opened 1.d4.) We won the match 3-2 and are now clear of relegation (phew!).

I think I will post a game or two. The first one might surprise you. I'll pop it in Stellar's thread (so he does not feel neglected

).

Am I doing something wrong? whenever I ctrl-c and ctrl-v the moves all but the first line is spaced to the middle of the panel and I have to del lots of spaces.

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It is very dangerous to leap a chasm in two bounds

 

[anand]

1. c4 b6
2. Nc3 e6
3. d4 Bb7
4. e4 Bb4
5. f3 Qh4+
6. g3 Bc3+
7. bc3 Qh5
8. Nh3 f5
9. Nf4 Qf7
10. Bd3 Ne7
11. 0-0

I admire your perseverance Algernon! In creating the database that is. Of course it would be a shame if any of the games were lost... those "bits of paper" must be fairly yellow by now, yes?

No rib intended.

Congratulations on yet another win; I am impressed by your form. That is indeed an unusual opening... although strangely enough I can relate to your reaction. There's something intensely grating about the Dutch that makes me adopt unconventional setups against it, too.

Very nice game you posted -- very sporting of you to post a loss! Good play by your opponent, although I suspect any piece-less endgame would be lost for black as white can play h4 and gain a number of crucial tempi with king-side pawn advances.

You ought to post a win as well.

I'll post one of my games too sometime soon.

 

[Algernon Pondlife]

1. c4 b6
2. Nc3 e6
3. d4 Bb7
4. e4 Bb4
5. f3 Qh4+
6. g3 Bc3+
7. bc3 Qh5
8. Nh3 f5
9. Nf4 Qf7
10. Bd3 Ne7
11. 0-0 g5

worn, torn, coffee-stained, folded, illegible, you name it. My scoresheets have been there and back again.

I'll pop another game on later. Probably one that one me a prize because then I know it's not just my imagination that it has some good points to it

I look forward to seeing your game; might get some clues from it

------------------
It is very dangerous to leap a chasm in two bounds

 

[anand]

1. c4 b6
2. Nc3 e6
3. d4 Bb7
4. e4 Bb4
5. f3 Qh4+
6. g3 Bc3+
7. bc3 Qh5
8. Nh3 f5
9. Nf4 Qf7
10. Bd3 Ne7
11. 0-0 g5
12. Ne2

I looked at the win you posted; very nice. Although it is probably hard to appreciate the psychology that must have accompanied the moves, even from an outsider's viewpoint I can definitely smell something there... overconfidence, and the shock of an unexpected counter-attack?

I enjoy the psychological aspect of chess; I think that it has saved me many a game. Although I'm sure I've botched just as many games due to psychology as well...

 

[Algernon Pondlife]

1. c4 b6
2. Nc3 e6
3. d4 Bb7
4. e4 Bb4
5. f3 Qh4+
6. g3 Bc3+
7. bc3 Qh5
8. Nh3 f5
9. Nf4 Qf7
10. Bd3 Ne7
11. 0-0 g5
12. Ne2 h6

It's funny how little objective judgement has to do with the outcome of a game. Sometimes it seems to be all about confidence and motivation and of course the clash of styles can account for quite a large discrepancy in notional strength.

------------------
It is very dangerous to leap a chasm in two bounds

 

[anand]

1. c4 b6
2. Nc3 e6
3. d4 Bb7
4. e4 Bb4
5. f3 Qh4+
6. g3 Bc3+
7. bc3 Qh5
8. Nh3 f5
9. Nf4 Qf7
10. Bd3 Ne7
11. 0-0 g5
12. Ne2 h6
13. Rb1

I couldn't agree more.

Another psychological quality of whose importance I have become increasingly aware is tenacity.

I have played quite a few FM's, and they varied greatly in their level of positional understanding. Some were quite impressive in this area, others less so. But the one attribute they appeared to have in common was tenacity -- they would not become demoralised by inferior positions, or at least would not allow it to affect their play; and they would milk a superior position for all it was worth.

With untitled players, you can sometimes sit back and expect a superior position to "win itself" (by virtue of their panic-induced mistakes). Not so with titled players.

There are many other psychological factors that often contribute to (or detract from) practical playing strength without being related to chess per se...

 

[Algernon Pondlife]

1. c4 b6
2. Nc3 e6
3. d4 Bb7
4. e4 Bb4
5. f3 Qh4+
6. g3 Bc3+
7. bc3 Qh5
8. Nh3 f5
9. Nf4 Qf7
10. Bd3 Ne7
11. 0-0 g5
12. Ne2 h6
13. Rb1 Nc6

I once "won" a game with my first move. I was playing someone who knew me very well and for the first (and so far only) time in my life I opened 1.e4. It threw him completely. Afterwards I felt a bit guilty but I think I did it because I was afraid he would beat me.

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That's not the electric light my friend, it is your vision growing dim

 

[Johan511]

I wouldn't give to much away about yourself Algernon, I watching you close, LOL

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Goverment tends to strenghten what it would choose to prohibit

 

[anand]

1. c4 b6
2. Nc3 e6
3. d4 Bb7
4. e4 Bb4
5. f3 Qh4+
6. g3 Bc3+
7. bc3 Qh5
8. Nh3 f5
9. Nf4 Qf7
10. Bd3 Ne7
11. 0-0 g5
12. Ne2 h6
13. Rb1 Nc6
14. f4

OK, this is probably rash, but unfortunately I don't have the time to give this position the deep analysis it deserves. I'll just have to hop into the water and hope for the best!

 

[Algernon Pondlife]

Between Johan threatening to destroy me

and you causing waves

I've decided to adopt the old adage "never play at your opponents pace"

.

I have a three hour exam this morning and this will leave me exhausted so I doubt if I'll get a reply in before Saturday.

One thing I found about correspondence chess was that all the extra thinking time (compared with OTB) was (sometimes more than) compensated by a propensity to be influenced by your mood and for your mood to be different every time your opponent sent a move.

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That's not the electric light my friend, it is your vision growing dim

 

[Algernon Pondlife]

Anand,

I notice 13.... Nc6 was ambiguous. I intended ...Nbc6. Apologies<IMG SRC="http://forums.civfanatics.com/ubb/blushing.gif" border=0>

Reason I spotted it is I discovered I can cut and paste this text into Chessbase Light to get the diagram up instantly but it ignores invalid notation.

P.S. don't let Stellar talk you out of the e4 check. It's much more "elegant"

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That's not the electric light my friend, it is your vision growing dim

[This message has been edited by Algernon Pondlife (edited February 23, 2001).]

 

[stellar converter]

oh gosh! i thought that there was a pawn in the way! ok, you go on ahead and move there! sorry. ill go switch my move!

 

[anand]

Good luck on your exam -- although I guess by now you've probably finished it...

Out of curiosity, what was the exam in?

Don't worry about the ambiguity; I caught it. I figured you had intended Nbc6 rather than the more exotic Nec6?!

And I think you are dead-on in your observation re: correspondence chess. I would also add that having all this extra time to analyse a position can sometimes be daunting; it can result in your putting off what promises to be a long and potentially difficult session of "deep" analysis.

[This message has been edited by anand (edited February 25, 2001).]

 

[Algernon Pondlife]

1. c4 b6
2. Nc3 e6
3. d4 Bb7
4. e4 Bb4
5. f3 Qh4+
6. g3 Bc3+
7. bc3 Qh5
8. Nh3 f5
9. Nf4 Qf7
10. Bd3 Ne7
11. 0-0 g5
12. Ne2 h6
13. Rb1 Nbc6
14. f4 Na5

Talking of deep analysis, I'm hoping your main reason for f4 was to get your pawn moves back to fifty per cent

If nothing else, the English Defence lends itself to that.

I need a big lump of luck cryogenically frozen for about eight weeks and then magically popping out the day they decide to tell me the result.

There is nothing exciting obout the exam. It has the high falutin title of Practitioner Exam in the PRINCE 2 Method, whivh is to say it is in project management. It's not the end of the world if I don't get it but since I run the odd project now and then.....

Stellar, have you been watching this game for entertainment or was it to keep tabs on Anand's thinking processes?

I enjoy looking at the other games. It is always good to be reminded just how many ways there are to play chess. And of course when I lose I take note that lots of other people do also

and don't feel so bad.

------------------
That's not the electric light my friend, it is your vision growing dim

 

[anand]

1. c4 b6
2. Nc3 e6
3. d4 Bb7
4. e4 Bb4
5. f3 Qh4+
6. g3 Bc3+
7. bc3 Qh5
8. Nh3 f5
9. Nf4 Qf7
10. Bd3 Ne7
11. 0-0 g5
12. Ne2 h6
13. Rb1 Nbc6
14. f4 Na5
15. exf5

Just enough time to get a move in this morning...

You're right about the idea behind my f4 move -- one can never make too many pawn moves. In fact, all that piece development was starting to make me nervous...

P.S. Congratulations on your phalanxhood.

It's strange that the phalanx is a weak offensive unit in Civ, considering it was the backbone of Alexander's army (which wasn't a particularly defensive arrangement).



[This message has been edited by anand (edited February 26, 2001).]

 

[Algernon Pondlife]

1. c4 b6
2. Nc3 e6
3. d4 Bb7
4. e4 Bb4
5. f3 Qh4+
6. g3 Bc3+
7. bc3 Qh5
8. Nh3 f5
9. Nf4 Qf7
10. Bd3 Ne7
11. 0-0 g5
12. Ne2 h6
13. Rb1 Nbc6
14. f4 Na5
15. exf5 exf5

You are right about the phalanx.

Nevertheless, just like in civ we are at the stage of the game where I could do with some extra defensive strength.

I remember when I was young getting a book out the library. It was called "Pawn Power in Chess" by H Kmoch (I think). I seem to remember he invented some strange technical terms to categorize his ideas, but I know I gained immense respect for the mighty pawn.

That such a simple and "lightweight" piece should engender almost unfathomable complexity and conceal such potency is part of the greatness of chess as a game.

Still, just for the moment, you have three islands to my two

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That's not the electric light my friend, it is your vision growing dim

 

[stormerne]

Hans Kmoch's book "Pawn Power in Chess" is still available! And at £6.16 I reckon it's a bargain.

I like this game. It's the sort I would see while wandering around the boards at a match, waiting for my own opponent to play.