Things don't always go according to plan!

[Algernon Pondlife]

I have had an interesting season, being my first full season of otb for some years. I think some of my games may entertain you. Mostly they are losses, but not ones in which my play was abysmal ( life is nothing without an ego trip).

I will start with the game in which I met the one single move that has most surprised (stunned, shocked and amazed) me in all my life at the chess board.

Hope you like it.

Algae

 

[Algernon Pondlife]

Crewe Congress, spring 2002, was my comeback event. I had resumed league play the season before and by now was getting some decent results. Round one and my opponent doesn't turn up. Fortunately a late joiner gets his place after the statutary wait and we play on a shortened time control. I have the black pieces.

1. c4, b6
This tournament is restricted to under BCF130 (or it may have been 135; I can't remember now) which is about 1640 ELO; I used to play at a strength of 150-170 but life is hard. Still at this level I don't come across many 1.c4 openings; early warning of things to come.
2. Nf3, Bb7
I don't like playing against Nf3 it becomes more of a QID than an English Defence.
3. g3, Nf6
Now I know I'm in trouble; I'm the one that fiancchettos, okay!
4. Bg2, d6
5. 0-0, g6
6. Nc3, Bg7
7. Rb1
What is this? (I'm not going to try to explain my opponents motives, rather just my interpretation.)
7. ..., 0-0
8. b4
Ah! right; he is going to attack on the Q-side.
8. ..., Nbd7
9. Bb2, c5
This move cost me 3 minutes thinking time, taking my total to 7; my opponent had 3 minutes on his clock now.
10.b5, Rc8
I don't know how near to a "book" position this is (or was before my last move), but these systems are rife with transpositions and I find it very difficult to know what the underlying themes are. In this case I wanted to prevent his knight reaching c6 after a couple of lines I was looking at. It also supports the c-pawn, and besides the c-file is "always" important. Oh.., and it cost me another 8 minutes - the wages of indecision!
11.d3, d5
That was where most of my thinking had been invested. Now it's my opponent's turn to do some thinking. After the game he explained that he felt he had no real choice over his reply and he considered my position to be better. From what I learned later, I think this must have surprised him.
12.Nd2, e6
13.Qa4, Qc7
"protects" the a-pawn. What always worries me in situations like this is not so much the tactical threats, but the fact that they won't go away - you have to keep checking them out in every plan you have.
14.cd, ed
15.e4, de
16.N2xe4, Nxe4
17.Nxe4, a5
I know it is a good position, but I'm not sure how to play it. There are lots of things to think about; should I swap ishops; should I look at pushing my c-pawn; should I shift my attention to the d-file; etc. etc. etc. I still don't know what is best. I chose a5 to resolve the threat of his Queen on the a-file. If he captures, I just slide the Rook to the a-file.

That's all I'm posting just now. The next two or three moves delivered a surprise, the like of which I have never before seen at the board.

I'll wait a few days and if nobody is interested I'll just leave it

By the way I welcome comments on the play so far, even though I am rather pleased with what I had played, because it is partly instinct rather than true understanding.

 

[Smash]

Its not anywhere near a book position.Not in normal books anyways

e5 at move 3 or 4 for black is one I would have made.Then again if I was white I would have played d4 at move 3

8...c5 looks good to me.After8... Nbd7 I prefer 9..a5

I know what I would play next.There is a problem with Ra8....

 

[Algernon Pondlife]

Thanks for replying Smash. I see themerit of 3. ..., e5 but it is so far removed from my style that I did not even consider it at the time. I really ought to think wider right from the start! Still, I doubt if I would have played it anyway, because It's really alien territory

If 8. ..., c5
and then 9. b5
is the knight not going to end up on d7 anyway?

Still I wish I had thought of 9. ..., a5
it gives my rook something to do.

I thought about posting these moves without any hints because I guessed that Smash and one or two others might find the problem if I warned them (so apologies if I made it too easy) but then a lot of players here are probably not so experienced and this is a bit of a challenge for them, I think.

I know people don't visit every day (especially at this time of year. so I'll leave the position until the weekend. By the way, if anyone can tell me an easy way to do decent diagrams I'll add one (I've struggled a few times without getting anywhere).

 

[Smash]

Yes the knight most likely ends up at d7 unless 9... a6 is bitten on(not likely).But then I think this queenside aggression is nuetralized with 9...e6.
White might also play 9.bxc5 but after dxc5 and 10.d3,then the knight can go to c6 but its hard to see any advantage.

Its not that easy to see OTB.Its a wild and wooly position.Too dangerous for my temperament ..especially when that clock is working against you

 

[Lucky]

I´m too much of a hobby player to be able to comment on this much, but I can tell you how you can quickly make diagrams.

I use Chenard, a freeware chess program. Simply replay the game there and push Print Screen, copy and cut it in a image viewer.
http://www.intersrv.com/~dcross/chenard.html

There are definitely other programs out there that can do a better job, but this one is fine for me.

 

[Smash]

add in a screenshot utility like ScreenPrint Gold(full freeware-no restrictions) and you are all set.

 

[AVN]

Originally posted by Smash
add in a screenshot utility like ScreenPrint Gold(full freeware-no restrictions) and you are all set.

Smash,
Can you please give a link to ScreenPrint Gold.

 

[Smash]

sure thing.Only 1.6 mb also.

http://download.com.com/3000-2192-7963789.html?tag=lst-0-1

 

[AVN]

Yesterday evening I have spent 1.5 hours in trying to find the solution. Unfortunately I didn't succeed.
I give it up. I'm sure the solution will also be a surprise for me.

 

[Algernon Pondlife]

Okay. I bite the bullet. I'm going away tomorrow morning until the 9th or 10th; so you all have time to get bored with this thread before I add any more.

I had stopped recording time taken for each move by this stage, but after 17...., a5 I think he took a few minutes. en passent situations often deserve a little thought because the decision can make a vast difference to the structural shape of the game for a long time.

18.ba e.p., Ra8
In hindsight perhaps ..., Bc6 is better, but sometimes you have to know there is a problem with the obvious move to even consider other ideas. Again from memory, he took a long time, possibly twenty minutes, over his next move; I think I went for a cup of coffee while he was thinking.

19.Qxd7
I nearly fell off my chair.

19. ..., Qxd7
not a lot of choice there.

20.axb7
naturally. My turn to consume lots of time (probably best part of half an hour!). Capturing with the Queen leves me a piece down 20(...., Qxb7 21.Nf6+, Bxf6 22.Bxb7). So I had to ecide what to do with the rook. On the one hand his a-pawn could charge up the board if I don't take it and on the other my rook will not be doing much back rank defending if it charges up the board. and that's before trying to calculate quite a few concrete variations to see just how strong his position is.

Obviously I've gone over this game a few times since then. But mostly it has been wood-pushing and my memory is not up to remembering all the best ideas and lines. No one I have shown it to yet has come up with any winning lines for black and only one tentative drawing idea has been suggested.

Of course how a game actually goes is different from theory, and what I did at the board was undoubtedly affected by my shock and the growing realization that there was much more calculation than speculation in his sacrifice.

I would love to discuss it further when I get back and I won't post the rest of the moves until then so that you have a free approach if you are interested.

 

[Smash]

lol..that is not the move I was thinking of 19.Bxg7 Kxg7
20.Nxc5 Bxg2
21.Qd4+ f6
22.Nxf8 Bh3
23.Nxh7 and white should win.
Too simple I guess

Gotta play 20....Ra6 I think.

21.Nf6+ Bxf6(forced)
22.Bxf6

Here we have a tough decison
3 choices I think

22....Qd6
22....b5
22....Rb8

A decision I just can't make right now

 

[Algernon Pondlife]

Sorry to be away so long.

the game finished like this:
20. ...., Rab8
21.Bxg7 Kxg7
22.Rxb6 Qc7
23.Rfb1 Rfd8
24.R6b5 Rxd3
25.Nxc5 Ra3
26.Bh3 Rxa2
27.Nd7, 1-0

Well, I never considered Ra6. I think I just assumed the b-pawn would fall anyway. And I must admit I kept trying to calculate ways of giving back the Queen (not for nothing, of course) or at least some material so long as I killed the advanced pawn.

your idea looks very playable, Smash (as does your alternative solution, which kind of says something more about the weakness of 17. ..., a5). I'm afraid that this kind of position has me out of my depth anyway, but perhaps white can reply to your three suggestions by getting the B to e5 (supported by a R at e1, if necessary) or f4 (if Qd6 is played).

I doubt if Ra6 would have fully rescued me at the time, but it would have made things a lot tougher for him. It seems to elevate the position to "unclear" as far as I can tell.

 

[Algernon Pondlife]

I hope some of you found the game interesting. Here is another, but more lightweight (at least at the end).
My opponent was quite a bit stronger than me, but I outplayed him pretty much from the opening. Pity about the end

1.b4 e5
2.Bb2 Bxb4
3.Bxe5 Nf6
4.c3 Ba5
5.Nf3 Nc6
6.e3 d6
7.Bg3 0-0
8.Be2 Re8
9.0-0 Bf5
10.Qb3 Bb6
11.Bh4
this was the moment I began to feel good. The look on his face told me he had not seen this. there's nothing too scientific about chess; when you think you have made a good move and your opponent believes you, then your half way home. I think he had been expecting weaker play from a lower grade player and was now convinced that my position was good.
11. ...., Ne5
12.d4 Ng6
13.Bxf6 Qxf6
14.Nbd2 d5?
15.Qxd5 Nf4
16.exf4 c6?
[I don't know why he didn't take the piece back]
17.Qc4 Be6
18.Qb4 Qxf4
19.Bc4 Rad8
20.Rae1 c5
21.dxc5 Bc7
22.Re4 Qh6
23.Rh4 Qf6
24.Ne4 Qe7
25.Bxe6 Qxe6
26.Neg5 Qe2

there are lots of easy moves here. e.g. Qb1 isn't too bad. But..........
27.Nxh7?? Qxf1+ 0-1 ouch!

 

[Algernon Pondlife]

Hey! I'm in the mood. And listening to Soul Sacrifice right now.

This is a tale of two games. The first might be a little dull, but the story needs it. I'm black here.

1.d4 e6
2.Nf3 c5
3.e3 b6
4.c3 Nf6
it's the third round at Stroud at the end of May. I have a win and a draw behind me and I'm sitting at table three. Just about this point someone at an adjacent table catches my eye. tables 2, 3 and 4 all have the same position. It's not that common an opening, surely.
5.Bd3 Bb7
6.Nbd2
Table two diverges at the next move but table 4 seems to keep in step. I had to force myself to stop watching because it was stopping me thinking.
6. ...., Na6
I'm pretty sure he played this as well, although it might have been by transposition.
Despite my cautious, defensive and (when successful) positional style, I like to play moves like this and sometimes rationalize them into existence. It must be slightly risky to take the knight outside, but my idea was to keep the diagonal free for the Bishop.
7.0-0 Be7

white has choices here .........

8.Ne5 Nc7
9.dxc5 Bxc5
10.Qa4 0-0
11.Qh4
The direct attack turns out to be premature.
11. ...., h6
12.Nb3 Be7
13.Qh3 Be4
14.Bxe4 Nxe4
15.Nf3 Nd5
16.Nbd2 Ndf6
17.Nxe4 Nxe4
18.Rd1 Qc7
19.Bd2 d5
20.g3 b5
½-½
I think I'm slightly plus but I have lost too many games trying to win when I don't understand enough about it, So in this kind of tournament, I trade the half for a couple of free hours before the next game, especially with black.

 

[Algernon Pondlife]

The second game was played two days later in the last round of a local tournament that had been played over three or four weeks. I had drawn with the favourite in the first round and still had a chance of a prize, but my opponent here was the other strong player and I have black.

1.d4 e6
2.Nf3 c5
3.e3 b6
4.Nbd2 Nf6
5.Bd3 Bb7
6.0-0 Na6
7.c3 Be7
Familiar. Oh the joy to be in an obscure line and at least have a clue about what is going on! I think my confidence oozed across the board. I certainly got ahead on the clock at this stage.
8.Qe2 Nc7
9.e4 0-0
10.e5
Of course this is another thing to worry about having taken the Knight to a6
10. ...., Nfd5
11.Ne4 cxd4
12.Nxd4 f5
I'm pleased with this move
13.Ng3 d6
and this one
14.f4 dxe5
15.fxe5 Bg5
and this. The psychology is all in my favour. If I play actively and stay ahead on time my opponent will not easily refute any inaccuracies.
16.Nb5 Nxb5
17.Bxb5 a6
18.Ba4 b5
he is practically forcing me to improve my position.
19.Bb3 Kh8
20.Kh1 Bxc1
21.Raxc1 Qg5
22.Bxd5 Bxd5
23.b3 Rfc8
The classic dillema: which rook first? in this case I didn't want to risk the f-rook pinning my pawn.
24.Qh5
this must be a serious error
24. ...., Qe3
25.Rfe1 Qf2
26.Rg1 Qxa2
27.b4 Rc4
It goes against the grain for me to take even one piece away from defensive duties; so even if it looks easy here, I was getting very nervous in case I missed something nasty.
28.Ne2 Re4
29.Nd4 Rxe5
30.Ra1 Qc4
31.Rxa6 Rg8
Told you I was cowardly
32.Nf3 Bxf3
33.Qxf3 Re4
34.Rga1 Qc7
35.Ra7 Qe5
again he drives my pieces to their best squares
36.h3 h6
37.Rb7 Rb8
38.Rba7
It's probably the lesser evil to exchange on b8
38. ..., Rc8
39.Qd3 Rxc3
40.Ra8+ Kh7
41.Qd1 Rce3
0-1 - And I got second prize for my troubles.

I know it's self-indulgent, but the final position is so dramatic for someone like me who likes to win with pawns and maybe a minor piece.

That's it for a while. I might fish out another "instructive" loss (I've had plenty) sometime if anyone is interested.
Feel free to demolish my play. I actually think that this line is very risky and I doubt if I would play it in correspondence chess, because it is too difficult to control the psychology by post or email.

 

[Smash]

That Nxh7 game is brutal.All that beautiful work..swept away in a single swipe.

was there time pressure?

 

[Algernon Pondlife]

Time pressure is relative. I have a reputation for getting short on the clock. I've checked the scoresheet and I had five whole minutes left after move 26 to reach 35. So yes and no
I think premature relaxation of the cerebral whatsits had something to do with it as well.

That was one of the first times I'd tried the Sokolsky against strong opposition (he was 148 to my 118 although now I'm 131 despite that loss). It stood up well.