Pawn Game

[stormbind]

I've been practicing against my computer, but by end game, it consistently has +1 pawn and will always manage to convert that into a Queen

Are there any openings specifically renowned for preserving pawn strength into end game?

 

[Richard Cribb]

With white, you can try the Ruy Lopez Exchange: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 in which you renounce the pair of bishops for a superior pawn structure.
If you then manage to swap all the pieces, you will win the pawn ending, because of your majority on the king side.
This variation was a strong weapon in the hands of Fischer and Lasker, they both won many fine games with it. Here is a link to two articles about Lasker and the RLE: http://www.chesscafe.com/text/skittles230.pdf
http://www.chesscafe.com/text/skittles232.pdf
I suppose you have a version of Adobe Acrobat?
By the way, a lot of the other articles on www.chesscafe.com are also warmly recommended.
A good article is also this one:http://info.ex.ac.uk/~dregis/DR/Openings/ruy_xchg.html
The main line in the Tarrasch variation in French also gives white a superior pawn structure; 1.e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5!? 4.exd5 exd5 5.Ngf3 Nc6 6.Bb5 Bd6 7.dxc5. Again, if you succeed in swapping all the pieces, you win the pawn ending due to black's isolated d-pawn.
With black, many Sicilian variations can give you a good ending - if white's attack does not succeed he can be left with a rather loose position. The same with Alekhine's defence which was recently discussed here on this forum, white can easily overstretch.
There is also the Winawer variation in French: 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 Ne7 5.a3 Bxc3+, white's doubled pawn is not very pretty in the endgame, but of course as Tarrasch so correctly pointed out, between the opening and the endgame, the gods put the middlegame...
And finally, there is the whole problem complex with white's isolated d-pawn, an excellent article about this can be found here:
http://info.ex.ac.uk/~dregis/DR/Openings/qga_iqp.html
I hope this can be to some help, managing your pawns is one of the most important things to learn for mastering positional play.

 

[stormbind]

I did look at the sites but I'm failing to understand, and feel like I'm wasting moves. Below is one attempt, but black didn't play as expected..

1. e4 c5
2. f4 e5
3. d3 Nc6
4. Nf3 Bd6
5. g3?

It unlocks Bg2, 0-0 .. Qf3 but white's initiative appears to be lost, because it has only minimal influence on centre board, and black has Qa5+ with some support. What do you think?

This game appears to be dedicated to pawns, Bird vs. Lasker (1890), but I cannot see any lessons in it.

 

[Richard Cribb]

I am sorry, I thought those things were pretty instructive, but I will have a closer look at it tomorrow. If not I will see if I can dig up something else.
In your game g3 is an excellent moves because:
With the chosen pawn formation white's bishop is ideally posted on g2, where it defends white's king after castling, restricts d5(it is simply not true that it has minimal influence on the center) and later after a pawn storm on the king-side gets the possibility to be activized.Imagine white playing later f4-f5 and g3-g4-g5 and so the bishop will follow, something like Bf3-g4 or Bf3-h5 depending on circumstances. The position you have is a bit resemblant to a reversed King's Indian. King's Indian defence is:1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 where in many variations a black pawn storm on the king side is a common theme.
And Qa5 is no serious threat here since it can't be followed up by anything; white just plays c3 or Nbd2 and black has vasted a tempo with Milady.
I must say however that I don't like 4...Bd6. This sort of moves can be interesting, for instance 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.c3 Nf6 4.Bd3!? or 1.b3 e5 2.Bb2 Nc6 3.e3 Nf6 4.Bb5 Bd6!?, but here I feel that the bishop is just exposed after Nbd2-c4. I like better 4...d6 or even 4...exf4 5.Bxf4 d5!? By the way the opening you are playing is quite funny, it is known under the name the mafia-variation and usually the move-order is 1.e4 e5 2.f4 c5!?. It is of course called so because black plays the sicilian against the king's gambit...
The Bird - Lasker game must wait until tomorrow. However I had a quick look at it and I also fail to detect the didactic value except that it must be one of Bird's best games and that with his own opening. But stay tuned, I will follow up as soon as possible...

 

[stormbind]

The links were instructive to the extent that I understand their moves in those games, but I wanted to transplant the ideas into a real game with different oponent.. and in that, I don't think I was succesful.

Thanks for your comments. I played it out but only managed a draw. Thanks to your nice comments, I shall try again. Last time, black used Qb6, c4+ ... c3, Bxc3, Bxa1. This was my fault though, so I'm hopeful I will beat it next time (where is the dreaming smiley?)

 

[Richard Cribb]

The links were instructive to the extent that I understand their moves in those games, but I wanted to transplant the ideas into a real game with different oponent.. and in that, I don't think I was succesful.

Did you check out the canon?: http://info.ex.ac.uk/~dregis/DR/canon.html
There might be something there. Apart from that the implementation of ideas in your own games is something you usually demands a bit of practice.

Thanks for your comments. I played it out but only managed a draw. Thanks to your nice comments, I shall try again. Last time, black used Qb6, c4+ ... c3, Bxc3, Bxa1. This was my fault though, so I'm hopeful I will beat it next time (where is the dreaming smiley?)

You're welcome! Perhaps you could provide the full scores of some of your games? Otherwise it is a bit difficult to comment on them.
By the way, next week I will post my notes to the two games we played.
And I still can't figure out what is so instructive with that Bird - Lasker game...

 

[stormbind]

Perhaps you could provide the full scores of some of your games? Otherwise it is a bit difficult to comment on them.

Post the full game and embarrass myself?

I think you put your thumb on it when you said, in previous games, that I appear to lack structure or a plan. I'm trying to change that flaw, but I will never be a strong player, so bare in mind that all my games will have goofs..

Practice vs. Computer
Result: 1/2 - 1/2

1. e4 c5
2. f4 e5
3. d3 Nc6
4. Nf3 Bd6
5. g3 Nf6
6. Bh3 0-0
7. 0-0 Qb6
8. Nxe5 Nxe5 *Rash?*
9. fxe5 Bxe5
10. Nc3 c4+
11. Kg2 d6
12. Nd5 Nxd5 *Rash?*
13. exd5 Bxh3+
14. Kxh3 c3
15. bxc3 Bxc3 *White's position is lost*
16. Bd2 Bxa1
17. Qxa1 Qc7
18. Rf6 gxf6 *Desperately seeking a draw*
19. Qxf6 Qd8
20. Qf4 Kh8
21. Bc3+ f6
22. g4 a5
23. Ba1 Kg8
24. Qd4 Qc8
25. Qb6 h5
26. Qd4 Qxc2
27. gxh5 Qxa2
28. Qg4+ Kh8
29. Qg6 Qxa1
30. Qh6+ Kg8
31. Qg6+ Kh8
32. Qh6+ Kg8
33. Qg6+ Kh8 *Draw by repetition*

 

[Richard Cribb]

Post the full game and embarrass myself?

Don't worry, you are among friends. And I have played some rather miserable games myself, in fact everybody has, chess is a very difficult game...

I think you put your thumb on it when you said, in previous games, that I appear to lack structure or a plan. I'm trying to change that flaw, but I will never be a strong player, so bare in mind that all my games will have goofs..

Don't be so pessimistic! One day you may wake up and find yourself a formidable force on the chessboard!

Practice vs. Computer
Result: 1/2 - 1/2

1. e4 c5
2. f4 e5
3. d3 Nc6
4. Nf3 Bd6
5. g3 Nf6
6. Bh3 0-0
7. 0-0 Qb6
8. Nxe5 Nxe5 *Rash?*
9. fxe5 Bxe5
10. Nc3 c4+
11. Kg2 d6
12. Nd5 Nxd5 *Rash?*
13. exd5 Bxh3+
14. Kxh3 c3
15. bxc3 Bxc3 *White's position is lost*
16. Bd2 Bxa1
17. Qxa1 Qc7
18. Rf6 gxf6 *Desperately seeking a draw*
19. Qxf6 Qd8
20. Qf4 Kh8
21. Bc3+ f6
22. g4 a5
23. Ba1 Kg8
24. Qd4 Qc8
25. Qb6 h5
26. Qd4 Qxc2
27. gxh5 Qxa2
28. Qg4+ Kh8
29. Qg6 Qxa1
30. Qh6+ Kg8
31. Qg6+ Kh8
32. Qh6+ Kg8
33. Qg6+ Kh8 *Draw by repetition*[/QUOTE]

Some express-notes to this game:
8.Kh1 seems to be stronger, with the ideas 9.Nd2-c4 or Na3-c4. There is no reason to release the tension in the centre.
11. Kh1 seems more solid.
15.bxc3 is of course a blunder, 15.b3 and the position is quite unclear.
Your 18th move is a rather desperate gamble, 18.c4 is objectively better.
20...f5 wins easily.
22...a5 is meaningless.
Why not 26...Qxg4+!
27...Qe2 is quite strong.
Great swindle, to sum it up:
You lost your opening advantage through a rash decision.
You blundered but then you found a good practical chance and consequently saved a totally lost game.
This further indicates what I already thought, you are a good tactician but your positional play leaves a bit to be desired. I think you should cultivate your strength and play open games, gambits and that sort of stuff. Next time you can try try an open Sicilian or even bamboozle the artificial beast with1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3.
Have fun!