Mixed post:-Rapidplay and SCID software!!

Posted on November 25th, 2010 by Richard

I have played 2 rapidplay club matches over the last week.
Format is G30 as White & Black against the same opponent.
I quite enjoy that format overall in contrast to other players who seem to prefer longer play games.

Results? In the first match I lost both games & in the second match I won both games! All very topsy turvy!!!
Here below I show 1 loss and 1 win. The games were definitely not good with many poor moves and missed opportunities for both sides but especially from my side! I have room for considerable improvement and I will try and learn from my mistakes & so try to improve!

Game 1-Colle vs English defence opening!
I am black and should have played 16…. Nxg3 but I didn’t and then the White bishops were strong and I made a blunder with my knight at the end & I resigned!
[pgn height=500 automove=none]
[Event “Bury A vs B-Rapidplay”]
[Site “BSE CC MH”]
[Date “2010.11.18”]
[Round “Board 4”]
[White “AN”]
[Black “ME”]
[Result “1-0”]

1. d4 e6 2. Nf3 b6 3. e3 Bb7 4. Nbd2 Nf6 5. Bd3 c5 6. b3 cxd4 7. exd4 Bb4
8. O-O O-O 9. Bb2 Bxd2 10. Nxd2 Nc6 11. a3 Ne7 12. Re1 Ng6 13. Nf3 Nd5 14.
Be4 f5 15. Bd3 Ndf4 16. Bc4 Bxf3 17. Qxf3 Qg5 18. Qg3 Qxg3 19. hxg3 Nh5 20.
d5 Rae8 21. dxe6 dxe6 22. Bxe6+ Kh8 23. Bc4 f4 24. gxf4 Nhxf4 25. Rxe8 Rxe8
26. Rd1 Ne5 27. Bxe5{Black resigns}
1-0
[/pgn]

Next game: French Defence (I am black and make a big mistake at the start but White does not finish me off and later I get a chance and white makes a blunder giving mate!)
[pgn height=500 automove=none]
[Event “Bury vs Ipswich_Rapidplay”]
[Site “IpswichCC”]
[Date “2010.11.23”]
[Round “Board 4”]
[White “AN”]
[Black “ME”]
[Result “0-1”]

1. e4 e6 2. Nf3 d5 3. Nc3 c5 4. exd5 exd5 5. d3 d4 6. Ne4 Nd7 7. Bf4 Ngf6
8. Nd6+ Bxd6 9. Bxd6 b6 10. Qe2+ Ne5 11. Qxe5+ Be6 12. Ng5 Qd7 13. Nxe6
fxe6 14. O-O-O Kf7 15. Re1 Rhe8 16. Be2 a5 17. g4 a4 18. g5 Nd5 19. Rhg1 g6
20. Rg3 b5 21. Rh3 Kg8 22. Bf3 c4 23. dxc4 bxc4 24. Re4 a3 25. Reh4 axb2+
26. Kxb2 Qb7+ 27. Kc1 Rxa2 28. Qxd4 Rea8 29. Kd2 Qb4+ 30. Ke2 Rxc2+ 31. Kf1
Rc1+ 32. Kg2 Qe1 33. Rg3 Qf1#
0-1
[/pgn]

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

SCID chess database & game play software

I have mainly done my computing on PC’s running MSWindows (XP or Vista) and a long while ago I installed SCID chess database. I didn’t really use it much as I also had Fritz9 and ChessBase Light and found these easier to use.

However I recently added Ubuntu10.04 to my son’s old Vista computer which now dual boots. I am enjoying the Linux type computing with Ubuntu and I added SCID to Ubuntu to try it again but I cannot get it to play a game with any installed engine (Stockfish Toga or Crafty).

Does anyone know how I can play against an engine using SCID? I will continue to try to do this but I am most grateful for any helpful instruction (of course I have followed a few links from Google search but no post has solved this for me yet). Does anyone reading this post use SCID? If so please let me know how to play against an engine with SCID-thanks!!

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< I am now aiming to get my FICS 5 min blitz rating to over 1400 by Christmas! (Currently my FICS 5 min rating is around 1200 and I feel if I can play more I can get it to over 1400-here goes....)

Tags: Chess game, Chess Openings, my chess games
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Written by: Richard

BSE Chess Congress 2010

Posted on November 1st, 2010 by Richard

Last weekend (30/31 Oct 2010) was the Bury St Edmunds Chess Congress in the

new  Apex function hall. There was a large entry of over 170 chess players.

BSE Chess Congress 2010 in the new Apex building

Anyway I played badly in my 4 matches in the Minor section only acheiving a draw with 3 losses so finishing with 1/5!

This was very disappointing to me. I played several openings:- French Exchange (as black)/Alekhines’s defence (as white)/Bird’s Opening (as black)/Nimzowitch defence (as white) and my favourite Scotch (as white).

There was a joint winner in the Open section-a tie between GM M Turner and GM N Pert

 Open Section

 Here is my only half reasonable reult-the draw I made in round2:

Alekhine’s defence-Draw agreed

[pgn height=500 automove=none]

[Event “Bury Chess Congress”]
[Site “BSE Apex”]
[Date “2010.10.30”]
[Round “2”]
[White “Me”]
[Black “NN”]
[Result “1/2-1/2”]

1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4 Nb6 4. Nf3 e6 5. b3 d6 6. Bb2 Nc6 7. Be2 Bd7 8.
d4 Be7 9. Nc3 h6 10. O-O Rf8 11. Qd3 g6 12. Ne4 Nb4 13. Qd2 Bc6 14. Nf6+
Bxf6 15. exf6 Bxf3 16. Bxf3 Nc6 17. Bxc6+ bxc6 18. Qxh6 Qxf6 19. Qd2 Kd7
20. d5 Qf5 21. dxc6+ Ke7 22. Rac1 Qc5 23. Rfd1 Qxc6 24. Rc3 Rfd8 25. Rf3 e5
26. Qg5+ Kf8 27. Rh3 Ke8 28. Rh8+ Kd7 29. Rxd8+ Rxd8 30. f4 Kc8 31. fxe5
Qe8 32. exd6 Rxd6{Draw offered by black & agreed}
1/2-1/2

[/pgn] 

I was very disappointed with my play and results-in all games except round2 draw I blundered away good positions I had achieved. The only thing I can do with this is put it down to experience and try & learn some lessons from it and play better in my next matches! I do need to do 2 specific things:

1. Do not spend too much time on moves and then try to play too quickly to get to the time control.

2. Do not move too quickly and make blunders!

These are almost mutually dependant actions and overall I need to think more carefully about how I play each move and the whole game.

So I still have a lot to learn and a lot to improve to achieve my aim to play good chess and improve my rating!

Tags: Chess game, Chess Openings, Chess Tournaments, my chess games
Posted in chess games, Chess Openings, My Chess • Comment on this post »

Written by: Richard