Hi everybody,
Just because you hear us saying what we are thinking doesn’t mean we are
thinking right thoughts. So observe at your own risk. Stay tuned.
Jim H
On Mar 26, 2021, at 11:43 PM, Jessica Miller <misswings@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Same here, assuming Jim H and Che don't mind observers. I think listening
through others talk through strategy/reasoning on their thinking process would
help me become a better player, and it would be interesting to listen in.
At 03:59 PM 3/25/2021, you wrote:
Hi Everybody,
I actually spent a couple minutes trying to come up with a positive
expletive. Failing to find one sufficiently enthusiastic, I'll move on!
Back when I was teaching chess for Hadley, I used the Think Out Loud game as
the graduation "Final Exam," whenever my student would agree. The only
exception I can think of was one grad who requested a correspondence game as
her graduation ceremony. I annotated that one when we finished. I've also
used Think Out Loud a couple times in Chess Gather. I love it as a teaching
and learning tool. And I also love every one of Tyson's observations about
it. Incidentally, it's not uncommon, in my limited experience, for a Think
Out Loud to result in a draw. The idea is to make the best move on the board,
if you can find it. Making moves and plans which rely on the hope or prayer
that your opponent won't see what you have in mind is a good recipe for
disaster. Your own! I tell my students, and myself, to keep it firmly in mind
that the opponent is an accomplished mind reader. Let the opposition's
surprise result from the realization that I am at least as familiar with a
line or variation as he or she is. Would that that happened more frequently!!!
By the way, Che and Jim H, if the timeframe is conducive, I'd enjoy being
present for your game. If you all are ok with that, let me know when it is to
be.
All the best,
Jim T
-----Original Message-----
From: usbca_chess-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:usbca_chess-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of mordue andrew ;
(Redacted sender "tyson.mordue" for DMARC)
Sent: Thursday, March 25, 2021 7:32 AM
To: usbca_chess@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [usbca_chess] Re: A self annotation with stockfish level 4
Hello Che and Jim,
Thanks for this.
First comment on Jim's suggestion. It's quite a good one. Forget the result
and just explore the game and definitely take your time. Just one thing.
Sometimes one move can be just as good as another so a difference in choice
doesn't necessarily mean a difference in the judgement of the position.
The most interesting bit of Che's post is the bit that goes "Being able to
visualize the board without manually finger checking pieces would bring me a
bit closer to the way the sighted can look at a board and see certain lines,
dismiss others immediately and make far fewer blunders , as well as make
overall evaluation much more efficient." This probably hits a nail firmly on
the head for many people on this group.
Chris (Ross) rarely does his thinking with his board. It's there mainly as a
physical reference point. There are times, and they have been more frequent
as I've got older, when I've closed my eyes and worked it out in my head as
the position on the board was changing so rapidly that the real board and
pieces were a distraction! Anyway, thinking is done with the head, not with
the fingers.
That reminds me of an anecdote about Graeme Lilley. In one particular game,
against a fully-sighted but slightly irritating opponent, as Black he made a
point of running his finger up and down the a2-g8 diagonal. His opponent
remarked on this after the game and said "You must have been concerned about
that diagonal." to which the reply was "That's what I wanted you to think!"
It's also much easier if the general disposition of the pieces is following
recognised patterns. I say a TV programme many years ago where both a strong
player (then an aspiring IM) and a local club player where asked to look at a
board for about thirty seconds where everything was randomnly placed, then
required to recreate the position on separate boards. The randomness was
sufficient to confuse both players to the extent that the IM only did
slightly better than the club player. This is why opening play is so
important. Following recognised lines and knowing where pieces are supposed
to be helps so much when moving on into the middle-game.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Tyson
On 25 March 2021 at 02:33 Jim Homme <jhomme1028@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:]
Hi Chi,
Now that I’m starting to think a little straighter, let’s do our online
game, and I propose that instead of simply making moves, we say what we are
thinking as we are going through the game, and it’ll be like playing
cards where everybody is seeing what the other person has in their hand.
That way maybe we can discover good points and bad points in our thinking.
Jim H
On Mar 24, 2021, at 6:29 PM, blindadrenaline@xxxxxxxxx wrote:
 Hey ya Tyson and all,
Tyson, once again, thank you very much for your detailed analysis.
Having gone through it for the first time, I've come to a few conclutions.
I need to be able to better visualize the board, as I am missing a good bit
by checking the situation on the physical board. Being able to visualize
the board without manually finger checking pieces would bring me a bit
closer to the way the sighted can look at a board and see certain lines,
dismiss others immediately and make far fewer blunders , as well as make
overall evaluation much more eficient.
If anyone has any advice for the best way to train oneself on how to hold
the board in the mind's eye, I'd love any tips.
Secondly, I am too concerned with losing minor pieces and end up reacting
to potential attacks when I should keep my eye on the mate prize.
Also, Chris had a point about games with lots of blunders in them being
able to teach only so much. The next game I post will have no major
blunders, such as losing a queenor rook with no renumeration. May be a
while before I post another of my games, but I have plenty to chew on at
this point, and I simply must get more disciplined when it comes to making
unforced errors.
Lastly, going forward I'll have to insist on paying in some form for the
fantastic analysis Tyson. If we can't arrange something directly, maybe a
huge box of chocolates from Amazon, or another addition to your Teddy bear
collection, whatever works.
I've looked at the cost of chess coaches, and coaches with far less
experience and ability to teach than yourself are going for a good chuck of
change an hour, as I am sure you are aware.
I just don't like the thought of taking advantage of your kind generosity.
I don't offer my own professional service for free, I certainly don't
expect you to.
I'll be going over this one in more details soon, so know that your time
and energy is being put to good use.
Stay well,
Che
-----Original Message-----
From: usbca_chess-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<usbca_chess-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of mordue andrew
(Redacted sender "tyson.mordue" for DMARC)
Sent: Wednesday, March 24, 2021 11:34 AM
To: usbca_chess@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [usbca_chess] Re: A self annotation with stockfish level 4
Hello Che et al,
Below are my notes to Che's game against the engine at level 4. I have kept
Che's notes so the reader can compare the two.
There are some blunders here, but there are good moves too. I get the
impression Che underestimates how strong his attack is, but one of the
instructive points is that White's Pawn a2-a3 actually helps Black's attack
significantly. The engine plays poorly and misses several chances to stake
a clear advantage and, frankly, gets what it deserves.
Have fun!
Tyson
Text begins:
Lichess,4 - Che [A00]
19.03.2021
[Mordue,Tyson]
1.Nc3
[Che: White starts with a move I'm not used to, so right off the bat, black
is in improv [improvisation] mode.
TM: 1 Nc3 is an awkward first move to meet. My favourite reply is
1...c5 but only because I know the Sicilian Defence after 2 e4, and
then again this is the Closed Variation normally reached by 1 e4 c5 2
Nc3. ]
1...e5
2.Nf3 d5??
[Blundering the e5 Pawn which White fails to take until the move after
next! Sensible moves are 2...Nc6 and 2...d6, but the latter means that
after 3 e4 Black is playing the Philidor Defence (1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 d6) which
is a bit cramped.
This is the whole point of 1 Nc3. It's an attempt to get by
transposition into opening lines that he Black doesn't know.]
3.d4?? Nc6??
[Repeating the mistake of the previous move. Simply good is 3...e4
gaining a space advantage and a tempo on the f3 Knight. ]
4.Nxe5 Nxe5
5.dxe5
[Che: So this is off to a massacre already, I was at this point just going
ahead to see how level 4 Stockfish reacted to my bumbling attacking opening
moves and try to take some lessons from the reaction.
TM: Hardly a massacre, but it could have been in a few moves time. The
opening moves weren't attacking but simply a standard occupation of the
centre. However, the e5 Pawn was left en prise twice and a good opportunity
to advance it ignored.
As for looking to take some lessons from Stockfish at this level, well
it doesn't seem to be a good teacher. Right now the d5 Pawn is en
prise so Black should defend that, either directly by 5...Be6 or
5...c6 or indirectly with 5...Bb4 pinning the c3 Knight. There is a
point to attacking the White central Pawn as 6 exf6 Nxf6 develops and
defends the d5 Pawn. However, the position is already dangerously open
and Black could well go two Pawns down for nothing if he's not
careful. ]
5...f6?
6.e3
[This is a modest, second rate move that has a big touch of poison.
White can simply take on d5 with either Queen or Knight and go two Pawns
up. I'd choose the Queen. After 6 Qxd5 fxe5 7 Qxe5+ White is two Pawns up
with the better position. Instead 6 Qxd5 Qxd5 7 Nxd5 and now 7...fxe5 loses
a whole Rook after 8 Nxc7+. Now after White has taken on d5 with anything
White has the option to go e2-e4 in one go. This takes more space and
doesn't obstruct the Queen's Bishop as the text does. That's why I call it
second-rate.
Now once again Black should defend the d5 Pawn with any of the moves
given in the previous note. Unfortunately he falls into the trap.]
6...fxe5?
7.Qf3?
[This is two opportunities missed at once. Obviously either capture on d5
means that White stays a Pawn up.
First I draw your attention to the following game: Rigaud vs Cooper, Nice
Olympiad 1974, Round 1. It went 1. e4 e5 2. f4 d5 3. fxe5?? Qh4+ 4. g3
Qxe4+ 5. Kf2 Bc5+! Very embarrassing for White. Black declines the whole
Rook in the corner and instead forces White to lose even more material
after 6 d4 Bxd4+. He probably has to give up his Queen to avoid mate. Hence
01.
In this position 7 Qh5+ is crushing for the same reasons. Loss of
material, loss of castling rights, general disorganisation but,
fortunately, not world-wide notoriety for the quickest and first loss
of an entire Olympiad! Best is 7...Kd7 8 Qxe5 c6 limiting the losses
to one Pawn, but after 9 e4 opening the centre Black is in a lot of
trouble. For example 9...dxe4? 10 Bg5 and 11 000+.]
0
7...Nf6
[So incredibly Black has got away with it and Deep Rybka says this
position is equal.]
8.Qg3
[This is a tricky little move because it threatens to take on e5 again
and it seems that the natural defence of 8...Bd6 leaves the g7 Pawn en
prise.]
8...g6??
[This is a bad move for several reasons. First it leaves the e5 pawn en
prise and this time White takes it, albeit a move later than he should do!
Secondly it weakens the Kingside for no particular reason. Later on f6
becomes a sensitive spot. Thirdly there is an adequate defence to the e5
pawn with 8...Qd6.
However, Deep Rybka comes up with a nice line here. We had an early
scenario in Paez vs Lichess 1 where the engine forked Pawns on g2 and e4. I
said it should have captured on e4 as the central Pawn was more important.
It actually took on g2 and Deep Rybka said that after 9 Rg1 White had
control of the open g-file and good compensation for the Pawn generally due
to his superior position in the centre. Right here Deep Rybka suggests
8...Bd6 and if 9.Qxg7 Rg8 10.Qh6 Bf5 which is fair, but also the intriguing
10...Bf8!? 11.Qh4 Rg4 12.Qh3 d4! This is well worth looking at. The White
Queen has spent a lot of time pinching one Pawn while Black's position has
improved. What's more White can't play 13 exd4?? here because 13...Re4+
wins said Queen because it's en prise to the c8 Bishop.
There's an old adage that goes "One should never take the Queen's
Knight Pawn (the b Pawn) with the Queen." Sometimes the same thing
applies to the King's Knight Pawn (the g-Pawn) and that seems to work
here, so the sharpest reply is 8...Bd6. If White fails to take on g7
Black should be able to castle next move with a fine position.]
9.e4!?
[Simplest is to just take on e5 immediately. The text invites Black to play
9...Nxe4?? 10 Nxe4 dxe4 when after 11 Qxe5+ he loses the h8 Rook courtesy
of the poor 8...g6.
Black's best reply is 9...Bb4 developing and pinning the c3 Knight. In
turn this invites White to make a blunder with 10 Qxe5+ Kf7 11 exd5??
Re8 dropping his Queen.]
9...c6?!
[Che: Perhaps the better move would have been NFD7 to avoid queen coming in
to take pawn on E4.
TM: 9...Nd7 is an awful move. It blocks the Queen and Queen's Bishop and
leaves the d5 Pawn hanging to 10 Nxd5. The move 10 Bg5 first is also
strong: 10...Be7 11 Bxe7 Qxe7 12 Nxd5 Qd6 (to guard c7 and also an echo
from Paez-Lichess 1.) 13 000 and 14 Bc4 is very good od for White.
The text has some merit as if defends the loose d5 Pawn, but Black has
had two chances to develop his King's Bishop to an active square and
he making Pawn moves instead.]
10.Qxe5+ Be7
[So it's this modest square instead of d6 or b4.]
11.Bg5
[Not bad because it threatens 12 Bxf6 due to the pin - remember that
....g7-g6 weakened f6 - but 11 Bh6 preventing 11...00 is so much
better - ...g7-g6 weakened h6 as well!]
11...00
[Che: Seemed like it was past time to get back to some fundamentals of the
opening and try to stave off mate for a while.
TM: Very true. Castling by both sides is okay and the pressure on d5 is
increased by White. The downside is that Black's King is much draughtier
that White's.
An interesting and ironic feature comes up in the next few moves. Both
sides have a Rook and Bishop which have yet to be developed. White never
develops his lazy pair. Che devises a plan of all-out advance on the
Queenside in which the Rook soon plays a dominant role, and the Bishop
joins in the fun later.
It may be that Black had better things to do than advance Pawns
instead of getting these pieces out, but he had a plan and he stuck to
it. Attacking the enemy King can be quite a dangerous thing for the
opponent especially when they don't seem to have a plan themselves.
Hence the adage "a bad plan is better than no plan."]
12.000
[Che: Looks like White agrees with my previous sentiment.]
12...Re8!
[This is a good defensive move. The pin on the h4-d8 diagonal is
awkward and Black's d5 Pawn is in danger of going for nothing. There's
a natural line that goes 13.exd5 Nxd5 14.Bxe7 Qxe7 15.Qxe7 Nxe7
16.Bc4+ which leaves White a Pawn up in an endgame with a lead in
development. Deep Rybka says White is +1.45 which is good for him. Yet
it's also good for Black because he hasn't lost a second Pawn, he's
resolved the situation in the centre and he's actual got a solid
position despite the Pawn minus. After all the things that could have
happened this is a fair outcome! ]
13.f3
[This is okay as well. It supports the e4 Pawn and apparently rules
out the awkward ...Nf6-g4. Discoveries with the e7 Bishop don't work
while f6 is loose so Che starts a Queenside advance. As I said, it's a
plan.]
13...a5!?
14.Qd4!?
[Deep Rybka suggests 14 h2-h4 attacking on the Kingside with an evaluation
of +1.84. That's good as the g6 Pawn is sticking out so White makes faster
progress on the Kingside than Black does on the Queenside, and the h1 Rook
is in the game.
So what is the Queen move about? It gets out of the reach of the Black
Rook on e8 but as explained in the previous note that's not a problem.
However, it does threaten to take on d5 with 14 exd5 Nxd5 (if
14...cxd5 then 15 Bxf6 and 16 Qxd5+ Qxd5 17 Nxd5 wins a second Pawn
for nothing) 15 Bxe7 and now 15...Nxe7?? loses a whole Rook to 16 Qxd8
because the Black Rooks aren't connected, while 15...Qxe7 16 Nxd5 is
just winning another Pawn again. Now if Black plays the simple
14...dxe4 because his Queen is no longer en prise directly to the d1
Rook, White plays 15 Bxf6 winning a piece. This is because because
15...Qxd4 is answered by the backward recapture 16 Bxd4, while the
simple recapture 15...Bxf6 loses to the sidestep 16 Qc4+ - also
hitting Black's Queen - 16...Be6 - hitting White's Queen - 17 Rxd8
Bxc4 and now 18 Bxc4 is check. This is called a zwischenzug or
inbetween move during an otherwise forced sequence that makes a
significant difference. So it looks like after the text Black must
play 14...Be6 to reinforce d5. ]
14...b5?
[Che: Black is looking to run some suicide squad pawns across enemy lines
since white castled queen side.
TM: Note that Black now has only one Pawn remaining in his second rank so
his position is wide open to a sensible attack. As for Black's Queenside
attack White has no weaknesses on that wing, unlike Black who has g6
sticking out on the Kingside and is vulnerable to h2-h4-h5.
At this point White can take on d5 - 15 e4xd5 - with comfort and this wins
a second Pawn as shown in the previous note. There is only one additional
line. After 15 exd5 there is 15...b5-b4 hitting the White Knight on c3 and
hoping it moves so Black could play 16...Nxd5 with ease. Unfortunately
White just ignores it with 16 d6! dxc3 and then Deep Rybka finds the fine
17 Bc4+! Kg7 18 Rhe1! with the entire White army developed and centralised.
19 Rxe7+ followed by taking on f6 with Queen or Bishop is a huge threat. It
says this is +6 for White. Once again the lack of connection between the
Black Rooks is a factor. This is proof that Black really should have played
14...Be6. Ignore development at your peril!
In the above line Black has the move 18...cxb2+ and White should just
ignore it and play 19 Kb1. This is a reasonably common scenario where
the enemy Pawn actually shelters the White King. See later on. Just
because something can be taken doesn't mean that it should be.]
15.Qe3??
[This is a bad move for two reasons. One is that it eschews the chance to
play the natural and strong 15 exd5 as explained in the last note. Secondly
it allows a strong tactical shot based on the fact that the White King and
Queen are on the same diagonal. 15...Ng4! attacks the Queen and 16 fxg4??
loses the Queen after 16...Bxg5. Note that an earlier h2-h4 would have
defended the Bishop. Another good chess adage is that "loose pieces drop
off".
So after 15...Ng4 White must play 16 Bxe7 and then we have 16...Nxe3 17
Bxd8 Nxd1. At this point the material imbalance is that White has lost a
Rook for a Bishop and Pawn, not a serious deficit by any means and both
sides have a minor piece en prise. There's a quaint line that goes 18 Bxa5
- selling itself as deeply as possible and it's called a desperado. Black
can desperado himself with 18...Nxb2 or he can play 18...Nxc3 19 Bxc3 Rxa2,
but best is 18...Nf2 attacking the other Rook ans winning more material.
Best according to Deep Rybka is the simple 18 Kxd1 Rxd8 19 e5 when White
has drawing chances. Not good is 18 Bf6 Nxc3 19 Bxc3 dxe4 and Black gets
his Pawn back to emerge a full Exchange up.
After 15 Qe3 Deep Rybka's evaluation swings from +2.35 if 15 exd5 had
been played to - 0.92 after 15...Ng4. That's a swing of 3.27 and
that's more that the worth of a minor piece. Now you can see why I've
given it a double question mark. However, Che misses his tactical
chance but still comes up with good strategical move. ]
15...a4!?
[Okay, so it's a missed opportunity but it's the right move on the
Queenside. If 15...b4 then the reply is 16 Na4 and it's difficult to made
progress. By playing this move first White is denied that chance.
However, he can now play 16 exd5 when the simplest line is 16...Nxd5
(not 16...cxd5 17 Bxb5) 17 Bxe7 Qxe7 18 Nxd5 Qxe3+ 19 Nxe3 Rxe3 20
Rd8+ with an extra Pawn in the ending for White. Alternatively there
is 17...Rxe7 but Black's position is awkward after 18 Qc5.]
16.a3?
[This is a repeat of the same tactical error and a missed opportunity and a
strategical error. We've already established that 16 exd5 is a good move.
So is 16 h4 defending the g5 Bishop and starting a Kingside attack. Also
Kb1 at some point, including right now, is useful because it defends a2 and
gets the King off the same diagonal as the Queen.
However, with Black pushing on the Queenside the last thing White
wants to do is move Pawns there too. a2-a3 may delay ...b5-b4 but when
it does arrive it's makes contact with a3 and lines will be opened.
The simplest way to play the Queenside Pawns is to do nothing except
maybe a precautionary Kb1, let Black play ...b5-b4-b3, take c2xb3 and
after ...a4xb3 play a2-a3 sealing the Queenside unless Black wants to
start saccing pieces on a3. Black does have an alternative after c2xb3
which is to play ...a4-a3 and have two half-open files for his heavy
pieces. Whatever scenario plays out White should be okay given his
better control of the centre
Please note that this is another poor Pawn to Rook Three, and this
time there are several reasons for it being bad.]
16...Rb8
[Che: I don't recall what I was thinking here, perhaps a later attack on
the B file, but I should have checked that G5 bishop first.
TM: The g5 Bishop isn't a problem in relation to the Queen's Rook, and
again 16...Ng4 is good. Most of the same variations apply as the moves
a2-a3 and ...Ra8-b8 don't really change the tactical situation.
However, they do add grist to Black's mill on the Queenside.]
17.Bf4?!
[This removes the tactic with ...Ng4 but it reduces the pressure on d5
because White no longer has the option of Bg5xf6.
The attack on the Rook is slightly irritating but it's easily dealt
with. Black has options of 17...Rb7, 17...Rb6 and 17...Bd6. I don't
like 17...Rb6 because it ties the Black Queen to it's defence because
it's attacked by the White Queen. I'd want to keep pieces on the board
because Black is a Pawn down, so avoid exchanges hence I wouldn't
choose 17...Bd6. Also that Bishop is pointed at White's King and the
f4 Bishop doesn't seem to help in the defence. So I'd play 17...Rb7.
It may also help lateral defence of the Kingside because the second
rank is clear of Pawns.]
17...Bd6
[Nevertheless Deep Rybka says this is the best move so I can't
criticise Che's choice. It also means that the Rook on e8 is pinning
the e4 Pawn to White's Queen so that momentarily reduces the pressure
on d5.]
18.Kb1?
[Deep Rybka doesn't like this and neither do I, and it's all to do with
that Pawn on a3. The break (some players call these levers) ...b5-b4 is
coming and as lines are certain to be opened I'd rather not have the King
on the b-file.
Deep Rybka suggests first the odd 18 g3 which at least defends the
Bishop if the White Queen moves away, but it's simpler just to swap
Bishops which is what I'd play. The engine's second suggestion is far
more sensible, namely 18 Be2 connecting the Rooks. e2 isn't a great
square for the Bishop but having the Rooks connected is more
important.]
18...Qc7
[Che: Perhaps better to move queen to B8, and possibly trade queens here? A
thought, would at least get the B rook closer to the fray.
TM: This is a bit confusing. The Black Queen can't go to b8 because the c8
Bishop is in the way. Maybe Che meant b6 because of the Queen trade but
there are several things against that. First Black is attacking so he
doesn't want to trade Queens. Secondly White's Queen is on an awkward
square while Black's has potential on the Queenside. a5 is the square that
I'd be putting it on. However, the main point is that after 18...Qb6?? 19
Qxb6 Rxb6 20 Bxd6 Black has lost a piece.
The Rook on b8 doesn't need to get 'closer to the fray' if ...b5-b4 opens
that file. Rooks want open files to work on, although for birthday presents
they like to be doubled on the seventh rank. So the best move here is to
get on with the attack by 18...b5-b4. There's a little bit of intriguing
geometry here because after 19 Nxa4 bxa3 obviously White can't play 20
b2xa3 because of the b-file pin, nor would he want to, but he can't play 20
Qxa3 because of the d6 Bishop, and should he play 20 Bxd6 Qxd6 then he
still can't play 21 Qxa3 because 21...Qxa3 again exploits the pin on the
b-file.
The best line is 18...b4 19 Nxa4 bxa3 20 b3 Bxf4 21 Qxf4 Be6 and Deep
Rybka evaluates this position as equal. White still has his extra Pawn
but it's effectively the one on f3 so it's not doing anything. I like
Black's attacking chances so I prefer the second player, but I'd like
so much to have that g6 Pawn back on g7.The text attacks the Bishop on
f4 so White should simply gain a tempo by swapping on d6.]
19.Bg5!?
[An interesting move that is also recommended by Deep Rybka. It
suggests the reply 19...Qf7 which is okay. Should the sequence
...b5-b4, Nc3xa4 b4xa3, b2-b3 Bc8-e6 ever happen then Black is going
to play ...d5xe4 and then probably ...Be6xb3 destroying the White
King's cover. In the current circumstances c2xb3 is answered by
...Rb8xb3+ forking the White King and Queen. Yes, this is several
moves away but it proves that the White Royalty are not on safe
squares. I played an analogous position in a 4NCL game where I had
doubled Rooks on the b-file and 'sacrificed' on b3 when it was
defended by a Pawn on a2 and the Queen on c3. My unfortunate opponent
had missed that the Rooks were supported by the Black Queen on f7 and
got massacred. Beware of defensive moves that are actually attacking
moves, particularly if they are by the Queen which radiates in several
directions.]
19...Nh5?
Che: The thinking here is to defend the f6 square, but probably not
tactically sound to have knight limited by the edge of the battle field.
TM: "A Knight on the rim is always dim" is another common adage. This move
gives White the chance to play g2-g4 forcing the Knight to g7 and follow up
with h2-h4.Deep Rybka also finds a tactic. It goes 20 Bxb5! cxb5 21 Nxd5
Qc6 22 g2-g4 Ng7 23 Nf6+ Kh8 24 Rxd6! Qxd6 25 Nxe8 Nxe8 26 Bf4 Qb6 27 Qc3+
Kg8 or Ng7 28 Bxb8 Qxb8 29 Rd1. White ends up with Rook and three good
Pawns for two miserable pieces and great control of the position.
This line is not completely forced. Black can try 20...Rxb5 and immediately
give up the Rook for two pieces, and he can try other squares for the Queen
at move 21 but he must keep an eye on the d6 Bishop. It's worth a closer
look because it takes advantage of the slightly unco-ordinated state of the
Black pieces. What's more after 21 Nxd5 White has three Pawns for the piece
and Black's extra piece is that awful Knight, so it must be good value for
White.
Another point here. Che says that it's " probably not tactically sound to
have knight ... (on)... the edge." Generally it's not strategically sound
either unless the Knight is on a journey somewhere. See the game Nimzowitch
vs Rubinstein, Dresden 1926 where the former starts a Knight tour with the
move 18 Nh1. Given a chance in the present game the steed might get to f4,
but in the above combination 21 Nxd5 puts extra control on f4 so the Knight
must go to g7 after g2-g4.
All the chess 'rules' and tenets have exceptions and I have in my praxis
(Nimzowitch again!) a game where I play, as Black, both ...Na5 and ...Nh5.
But the particular circumstances enabled me to do them both safely and they
were headed to good squares. Thinking about this led me to looking at the
line 20 g4 Nf4, but that's an error because of 21 e5! Bxe5 (if 21...Rxe5 22
Qxf4) 22 Bxf4. Now 22...Bxf4 doesn't work because there's no pin - the
White King is on b1, not c1 - and White has 23 Qxe8+ due to the lack of
connection between the Black Rooks.]
20.Qg1?
[At first I thought this was incomprehensible, then I understood that it
defends the h2 Pawn against the twofold attack on the h2-b8 diagonal.
Regardless, it's an awful move that buries the Queen in a corner on the
wrong side of the board. And White had several other good moves!
Not surprisingly Che now takes the initiative on the other side of the
board.]
20...b4!
[Che: This is what the kids today call a blunder.
TM: Hopefully the kids today know better. The kids I coach do. This is
the thematic breakthrough and Deep Rybka says Black is better by
+0.46. I wonder why Che thinks it’s a blunder.]
21.Nxa4 bxa3
22.g4?
[It has to be 22 b3 to shore up the Queenside. White is fiddling on
the Kingside while his King position burns. And that was Nero, not
Nimzowitch!]
22...Qa5
[Che: This move to avoid an attack from white queen to A7, and to get the
black queen in the thick of things.
TM: I once had to bring a Black Queen into an attack via a8 because the
White Queen was controlling a5. It was at a BCA event so I had to announce
the move and it caught the attention of several people who wondered what I
was doing. Her Majesty soon arrived on a4 though and Black won shortly
afterwards.
Here Black simply threatens 23...Qxa4 even if White replies 23 b3.
White's reply is a crashing oversight that should end the game as a
contest. ]
23.Qd4??
[Che: And now the white queen is also in the thick of things.
TM: Actually it's right in the firing line. However, if 23 b3 Qxa4 24
gxh5?? Rxb3+ 25 Kc1 (if 25 Ka1 Be5+ or 25 Ka2 Rb2+ win.) 25...Qb4! -
threat 26...Rb1 mate - 26 cxb3 Qc3+ 27 Kb1 Qb2 mate. There are no
White defenders. ]
23...Rb4
[A simple and winning fork. Deep Rybka has Black at +4.85.]
24.Qc3 Qxa4
[This is okay but even better is 24...Rxb2+! because the Knight is
overloaded defending b2 and c3. After the text White has no time to
take on h5 because of 25...Be5.]
25.Bh4??
[Ah, the sweet sound of violins. This move does precisely nothing.]
25...a2+?!
[Che: Black is trying to keep constant pressure on white and hopefully gain
some material in the process.
TM: Black should be trying to finish White off! He already has an extra
piece.
Taking on b2 is also good. After 25...axb2 Black threatens 26...Qa1 mate so
White will have to play 26 Qxb2 giving up his Queen. After 26...Rxb2+ 27
Kxb2 Be5+ 28 Kc1 (if 28 c2 Qb4+ ates shortly) 28...Bc3 forces mate on a1.
The text forces 26 Ka1 and the enemy Pawn is now sheltering the White King.
However, b2 is too weak so Black is winning anyway. There are lots of long
range attackers the c8 Bishop will come to e6 allowing the e8 Rook to
move over to the Queenside - and a dearth of any sort of defenders. The f1
Bishop and h1 Rook never move.
26.Ka1 dxe4??
[Che: I considered D4-D5 to put pressure on the queen, but the thinking was
I might get a promoted pawn down the line possibly.
TM: I assume Che means 26...d5-d4 but in fact 26...Be5 is
unanswerable. The text unfortunately leaves the Bishop on d6 en
prise.]
27.gxh5??
[Che: I'd like to say I sacrificed that knight on purpose instead of simply
forgetting about the attack which I had looked at earlier. I'd also like a
pony.
TM: Elephants are much more fun than ponies. (The Russian word for
Bishop translates as elephant!)
After 27 Rxd6 White is better in this messy position. Instead he takes
the one Black piece that wasn’t doing anything, Che now finds the
right move and the roof caves in.]
27...Be5
[Che: A little more pressure on the royal family.
TM: Have you seen the news recently?]
28.f4
[Che: Take note, Stockfish level 4 makes incredible blunders as well. I
checked this move for 2 solid minutes before taking the queen, thought for
sure I was missing something.
TM: Going down with a whimper. Deep Rybka offers 28.Bc4+ Rxc4 29.Qb3
Qxb3 30.cxb3 Rc2 with an extra piece and a winning attack for Black.]
28...Bxc3
[Che: Down goes Frazier!
TM: Daily Blog Headline. Her Majesty fatally attacked by Rogue Bishop.
Film at ten!]
29.bxc3 Qxc2
30.cxb4
[Che: Speaking of blunders…
TM: Not sure about this comment. Black certainly hasn't blundered. The
Rook on d1 is en prise and Black can mate without even having to take
it! ]
30...Be6!
[Che: Covering the A2 square.
TM: With the threats 31...Qc3 mate and 31...Qxd1+ 32 Kb2 a1=Q mate. Black
can play both of these in the next few moves!
Also good enough is 30...Qxd1+ 31 Kxa2 Be6+ and the White King gets
caught in the crossfire of Queen, Bishop and Rook, but the text is
accurate.]
31.h3
[Che: I'm not sure why white isn't developing the rooks. I kept expecting a
counter attack that never came. A human opponent would not have lost this
game without bringing those rooks into the fray.
TM: Oh yes, they would! Ask me to post Gibson-Mordue 4NCL 2008 one day!
Those violins are now playing the funeral march.]
31...Qxd1+
[Black misses several mates in one but there's only one result coming.
Look at White's undeveloped pieces.]
32.Kb2 Qb1+
33.Ka3
[33 Kc3 delays things for a few moves but 33...a1=Q+ gives Black two
Queens against an undefended King.]
33...a1=Q mate.
[Personally I would have promoted to a Rook, but that’s just me!]
01
Text ends
On 19 March 2021 at 13:57 blindadrenaline@xxxxxxxxx wrote:
Hi all,
I'm trying to analyze my own games to see where I am going wrong and
right, and where I can make improvements.
Below is a game I played yesterday on liChess against old man Stockfish.
Apparently at level 4, it still makes bad blunders, though not as many as
level 3.
I've looked up relative ratings, and Stockfish level 4 is supposed to be
around 1600, but there is no way a human player with ELO anywhere around
1600 would have done some of the things you'll see in this game.
One thing I learned is with my memory, I need to review my own games
probably the same day, if not right after I play them.
Anyhow, as a beginner chess player, if I could get some analysis on my
analysis, constructive criticism and the like, that would be great as I'm
not sure the best way to think about and annotate one's own games.
Thanks much,
Che
[Event "Casual Correspondence game"] [Site
"https://lichess.org/uxcvVkIr"] [Date "2021.03.18"] [Round "-";]
[White "lichess AI level 4"] [Black "blindAdrenaline"] [Result
"0-1"] [WhiteElo "0"] [BlackElo "1500"] [TimeControl "-"] [UTCDate
"2021.03.18"] [UTCTime "11:25:27"] [ECO "A00"] [Opening "Van Geet
Opening: Reversed Nimzowitsch"] [Termination "Normal"]
1. Nc3
{
White starts with a move I'm not used to, so right off the bat,
black is in improv mode .
}
1... e5
{ A00 Van Geet Opening: Reversed Nimzowitsch } 2. Nf3 d5 3. d4 Nc6 4.
Nxe5 Nxe5 5. dxe5 { So this is off to a massacre already, I was at
this point just going ahead to see how level 4 Stockfish reacted to my
bumbling attacking opening moves and try to take some lessons from the
reaction.
}
5... f6 6. e3 fxe5 7. Qf3 Nf6 8. Qg3 g6 9. e4 c6 { Perhaps the
better move would have been NFD7 to avoid queen coming in to take pawn on
E4.
}
10. Qxe5+ Be7 11. Bg5 O-O
{
Seemed like it was past time to get back to some fundamentals of the
opening and try to stave off mate for a while.
}
12. O-O-O
{
Looks like white agrees with my previous sentiment } 12... Re8 13.
f3
a5 14. Qd4 b5 { Black is looking to run some suicide squad pawns
across enemy lines since white castled queen side } 15. Qe3 { Is
white looking to break the queen through the pawn chain on queen side?
}
15... a4 16. a3 Rb8
{I don't recall what I was thinking here, perhaps a later attack on
the B file, but I should have checked that G5 bishop first } 17. Bf4
Bd6 18. Kb1 Qc7 { Perhaps better to move queen to B8, and possibly
trade queens here? A thought, would at least get the B rook closer
to the fray } 19. Bg5 Nh5 { The thinking here is to defend the f6
square, but probably not tactially sound to have knight limited by
the edge of the battle field } 20. Qg1 b4 { This is what the kids
today call a blunder } 21. Nxa4 bxa3 22. g4 Qa5 { This move to avoid
an attack from white queen to A7, and to get the black queen in the
thick of things } 23. Qd4 { And now the white queen is also in the
thick of things } 23... Rb4 24. Qc3 Qxa4 25. Bh4 a2+ { Black is
trying to keep constant pressure on white and hopefully gain some
material in the process } 26. Ka1 dxe4 { I considered D4-D5 to put
pressure on the queen, but the thinking was I might get a promoted pawn
down the line possibly.
}
27. gxh5
{
I'd like to say I sacrificed that knight on purpose instead of simply
forgetting about the attack which I had looked at earlier. I'd also like
a pony.
}
27... Be5
{
A little more pressure on the royal family } 28. f4 { Take note,
Stockfish level 4 makes incredible blunders as well. I checked this
move for 2 solid minutes before taking the queen, thought for sure I
was missing something } 28... Bxc3 { Down goes Frazier!
}
29. bxc3 Qxc2 30. cxb4
{
Speaking of blunders...
}
30... Be6
{
Covering the A2 square
}
31. h3
{
I'm not sure why white isn't developing the rooks. I kept expecting
a counter attack that never came. A human opponent would not have
lost this game without bringing those rooks into the fray } 31... Qxd1+
32.
Kb2 Qb1+ 33. Ka3 a1=Q# { Black wins by checkmate. } 0-1
-----Original Message-----
From: usbca_chess-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<usbca_chess-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Jorge Paez (Redacted
sender "iamjorgepaez" for DMARC)
Sent: Friday, March 19, 2021 7:00 AM
To: usbca_chess@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [usbca_chess] Me vs. Stockfish Level II
Hello everyone.
So I decided to take it up a level today and play Stockfish level 2.
There were a few ridiculous moves on Stockfish’s part that I’m sure
Tyson will find but other than that it was a good game.
Notes and PGN attached below.
Just as an FYI since I forgot to add it yesterday, my classical games are
60/8, 60 minutes per side with an 8 second increment per move from move 1.
Jorge
[Event "Casual Classical game"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/LwhNAV1I"] [Date "2021.03.19"] [White
"paezchess"] [Black "lichess AI level 2"] [Result "1/2-1/2"]
[UTCDate "2021.03.19"] [UTCTime "10:56:26"] [WhiteElo "1125"]
[BlackElo "?"] [Variant "Standard"] [TimeControl "3600+8"] [ECO
"A40"] [Opening "Horwitz Defense"] [Termination "Normal"]
1. d4 e6 2. e3 Qg5 3. e4 Qf6 4. Nd2 Ne7 5. Nc4 Nec6 6. Nf3 b6 7. Be2
Qg6 8. Bd2 Qxg2 9. Bf1 Qxf3 10. Qxf3 Nxd4 11. Qd1 Bb7 12. Ne5 Be7 13.
Bb5 Nbc6 14. Bxc6 Nxc2+ 15. Qxc2 Rb8 16. Bb5 Bc6 17. Bxc6 Bc5 18.
Ba4
c6 19. Rb1 Rc8 20. O-O Rd8 21. Qd1 Kf8 22. Re1 Bd6 23. Rc1 Bc5 24.
Bb3
Bd6 25. a4 Kg8 26. Bc4 Be7 27. a5 Bf6 28. Nd3 Be7 29. a6 Bd6 30. b4
Rf8 31. b5 Rc8 32. Bxe6 dxe6 33. Rxc6 Rd8 34. Rxd6 Re8 35. Rd7 g6 36.
Rxa7 Rf8 37. Rb7 Rd8 38. a7 Ra8 39. Rxb6 h6 40. Ra6 Kh7 41. b6 Kg8 42.
b7 Rd8 43. b8=Q Rf8 44. Qxf8+ Kh7 45. a8=Q g5 46. Qa7 e5 47. Qxh8+
Kxh8 48. Qa8+ Kh7 49. Qa7 g4 50. Qxf7+ Kh8 51. Qf8+ Kh7 52. Qf7+ Kh8
53. Qf8+ Kh7 54. Qf7+ Kh8 55. Qf8+ Kh7 56. Qf7+ Kh8 57. Qf8+ Kh7
1/2-1/2
