Posted on May 16th, 2010 by Richard
Here is a recent game of mine against the Scandinavian defence using the 2.Nc3 variation. This is not the mainline against the Scandinavian defence 1.e4 d5 but although it seems antipositional to me, it seems to give me fun games and I can win with it as seen here:
[pgn height=500 initialhalfMove=16 autoplaymode=none]
[Event “rated blitz match”]
[Site “Free Internet Chess Server”]
[Date “2010.05.16”]
[Round “?”]
[White “me”]
[Black “AN”]
[Result “1-0”]
[WhiteElo “1062”]
[BlackElo “1118”]
[ECO “B01”]
[TimeControl “300”]
1. e4 d5 2. Nc3 d4 3. Nce2 e5 4. Nf3 Bd6 5. d3 c5 6. Ng3 Nc6 7. Be2 Nge7 8.
O-O O-O 9. h3 Qc7 10. Nh4 h6 11. f4 Bd7 12. f5 b5 13. Bxh6 gxh6 14. Bh5 Kh7
15. Qg4 Rg8 16. Qf3 Rg5 17. Bg6+ fxg6 18. fxg6+ Kg7 19. Qf7+ Kh8 20. Qh7#
{Black checkmated} 1-0
[/pgn]
Update on World Chess Championships:
Congratulations to Vishy Anand! He is the winner (see my page covering the WCC)
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Written by: Richard
Posted on May 9th, 2010 by Richard
As I play 1.e4 I occasionally face the Petrov defence. I find this a real challenge most times. I am trying to play the Nimzowitsch variation and this game shows a good win here with a bishop sac:
[pgn height=500 initialhalfMove=16 autoplaymode=none]
[Event “rated blitz match”]
[Site “Free Internet Chess Server”]
[Date “2010.05.09”]
[Round “?”]
[White “me”]
[Black “AN”]
[Result “1-0”]
[WhiteElo “1026”]
[BlackElo “1220”]
[ECO “C42”]
[TimeControl “300”]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Nc3 Nxc3 6. dxc3 Bg4 7. Be2 Be7
8. Be3 O-O 9. O-O Nc6 10. h3 Bf5 11. Bd3 Be6 12. Qd2 Ne5 13. Bg5 f6 14. Nxe5
dxe5 15. Bh6 gxh6 16. Qxh6 Kh8 17. Qxh7# {Black checkmated} 1-0
[/pgn]
I do not usually do this well in this opening and in general I need to learn the opening better but at least here when I saw an opportunity develop I took it!
There is a Petrov variation called the Cochrane gambit (Nxf7) which can be quite exciting too but I need to learn this Nimzowitsch opening better, knowing I won’t often win with a sac & mate!
Coincidentally Vishy Anand early in his career had a bad experience losing quickly against the Petrov (if I find the pgn for that game I will post it here!).
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Written by: Richard
Posted on May 5th, 2010 by Richard
As I play 1.e4 as my favourite white opening I often play against the CaroKann (1.e4 c6) and I have 2 favourite lines either 4.g4 or 4.h4.
Either of these can lead to unbalanced positions and I find them fun to play! Here is an example of 4.g4 vs my favourite chess engine Numpty0.6:
[pgn height=500 initialhalfMove=16 autoplaymode=none]
[Event “Computer chess game”]
[Site “PC”]
[Date “2010.05.05”]
[Round “?”]
[White “me”]
[Black “Numpty_0.6pr”]
[Result “1-0”]
[BlackElo “2200”]
[ECO “B12”]
[Opening “Caro-Kann”]
[Time “10:06:55”]
[Variation “Advance, Bayonet Variation”]
[WhiteElo “2400”]
[TimeControl “300”]
[Termination “normal”]
[PlyCount “41”]
[WhiteType “human”]
[BlackType “program”]
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. g4 Be4 5. f3 Bg6 6. e6 fxe6 {(f7e6) +0.80/5
5} 7. h4 Nf6 {(b8d7) +0.70/6 9} 8. Bg5 Qb6 {(d8b6) +1.15/6 8} 9. c3 Qxb2
{(b6b2) +2.60/5 5} 10. Nd2 Bc2 {(g6c2) +2.55/5 5} 11. Qe2 Qxa1+ {(b2a1)
+6.95/6 8} 12. Kf2 Qxc3 {(a1c3) +7.80/5 5} 13. Qxe6 Qxd4+ {(c3d4) +7.68/5
6} 14. Be3 Qb2 {(d4b2) +7.75/5 7} 15. h5 Nfd7 {(b8d7) +8.10/5 6} 16. Nh3
Qxa2 {(b2a2) +7.95/5 7} 17. Ng5 Na6 {(b8a6) +7.95/5 7} 18. Bxa6 Qxa6
{(a2a6) +8.15/5 6} 19. Qf7+ Kd8 {(e8d8) +8.30/1 0} 20. Ne6+ Kc8 {(d8c8)
+8.30/1 0} 21. Qe8# 1-0
[/pgn]
There are many ways in general to play as White vs the CaroKann including the advance or exchange variation and in general as White I enjoy playing against the CaroKann as I seem to get to dictate the pattern of the game from the outset. However beware CaroKann players seem by their nature to be tenacious and good at defense and can be tough nuts to crack!
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Written by: Richard
Posted on May 3rd, 2010 by Richard
Over this bank holiday weekend I have played quite a bit of internet chess but my rating has fallen! I have not been very successful. I am trying to know and play good openings but am finding it hard when players play unconventional non candidate moves!
I have to figure out how I can play stronger moves than my opponent and so improve my play and rating!
Here is a ‘Crafty’ chess engine analysed game featuring non candidate opening moves and several ‘blunders’!
[pgn height=500 initialhalfMove=16 autoplaymode=none]
[Event “rated blitz match”]
[Site “Free Internet Chess Server”]
[Date “2010.05.03”]
[Round “?”]
[White “me”]
[Black “AN”]
[Result “1-0”]
[WhiteElo “1053”]
[BlackElo “1039”]
[ECO “C40”]
[TimeControl “300”]
[Engine analysis “Crafty”]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Qe7 3. d4 exd4 4. Bd3 h6 5. Nxd4 Nf6 6. Nc3 Qb4 7. f3 $4
{Crafty (score -3.17 at depth 9) thinks this is a blunder (Crafty
suggests: 7. Nb5 Bd6 8. a3 Qc5 9. Be3 Qe5 10. Bd4 Qe6 11. Bxa7 $18 ((score
1.90 at depth 9)} Qxd4 8. Nb5 Qb4+ 9. c3 Qc5 10. Bd2 a6 11. Nd4 Nc6 12. Nf5
d5 13. Qe2 Ne7 14. O-O-O b5 $2 {Crafty (score -1.34 at depth 8) thinks this
is not a good move ((Crafty suggests: 14. … dxe4 15. fxe4 Bxf5 16. exf5
O-O-O 17. Be3 Qc6 18. Kb1 Kb8 $19 ((score -3.39 at depth 8)) ) }15. Nd4 dxe4
$11 {(score 0.00 at depth 0)} 16. Bxe4 $2 {Crafty (score -2.73 at depth 8)
thinks a good move has been missed} Nxe4 17. Qxe4 Rb8 18. Rhe1 Rb6 19. Nf5 $4
{Crafty (score -5.22 at depth 9) thinks this is a blunder (Crafty
suggests: 19. Qa8 Re6 20. Nxe6 fxe6 21. Bf4 Qc4 22. Re4 Qxa2 23. Bxc7 $11
(score -0.24 at depth 9)} Bxf5 $4 {Crafty (score 5.11 at depth 9) thinks
this is a blunder (Crafty suggests: 19. … Qxf5 20. Qe2 Rd6 21. Be3 Rxd1+
22. Rxd1 Qe5 23. f4 Bg4 24. Qd3 $19 (score -5.22 at depth 9)} 20. Qa8+ Bc8
$4 {This offers a mate in 1 to the opponent (Crafty suggests: 20. … Kd7
21. Be3+ Qd6 22. Bxb6 Nc8 23. Bc5 Qxd1+ 24. Rxd1+ Nd6 25. g4 Bg6 26. Qxa6 $18
(score 5.51 at depth 9)} 21. Qxc8# {Black checkmated} 1-0[/pgn]
NB-Click the middle button below the board to view moves and comments while playing through the game.
Now I shall start to discuss my opening repertoire and continue to outline it.
MY OPENING REPERTOIRE:
As White I play 1.e4
and my most preferred opening is the Scotch game (Why? Because it is a direct and open opening! It has been played by many GM’s of yesteryear and in the current era Kasparov played it and usually won with it. I find a lot of players I play against do not know the Scotch opening and go ‘out of book’ early. Perhaps they usually face the Ruy Lopez or Guioco Piano more often?).
As Black
vs 1.e4 I normally prefer to play 1….e6-The French defence
vs 1.d4 I normally prefer to play 1….e6-Which can lead to several openings (QGD French etc etc) & today I started to look at the English Opening-1.d4 e6 2.c4 b6
vs 1.c4 I normally prefer to play 1….e6
Guess what I like to play against 1.b4 ?-YES 1…e6!
But against 1.f4 I prefer to play 1….g6
I will be expanding my opening repertoire more in the future.
To help with openings there are several good videos available at Youtube and elsewhere. A couple of years ago when I started playing I did a video on the Scotch opening and it is available at www.chessvideostv.com.
I will put some of these videos up on site as I continue my chess blog.
Over this weekend I have watched a couple of ChessNetwork’s videos and they are great! Thanks Jerry! See the link on the sidebar…
Well here at last is an example of how good the Scotch opening can be if the opponent does not play it well (featuring a classic bishop sac on h7):
[pgn height=500 initialhalfMove=16 autoplaymode=none]
[Event “rated blitz match”]
[Site “Free Internet Chess Server”]
[Date “2010.05.03”]
[Round “?”]
[White “me”]
[Black “AN”]
[Result “1-0”]
[WhiteElo “1065”]
[BlackElo “1212”]
[ECO “C45”]
[TimeControl “300”]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Ne5 5. Nc3 Bc5 6. Be3 Bb4 7. Qd2 d6 8.
O-O-O Nf6 9. Bg5 O-O 10. h3 Ned7 11. Bd3 h6 12. Bxh6 gxh6 13. Qxh6 Qe7 14.
Nf5 {AN resigns} 1-0
[/pgn]
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Written by: Richard
Posted on May 1st, 2010 by Richard
This game was a Sicilian Alapin 2.c3 d5 variation.
It ended with a classic rook and knight checkmate.
[pgn height=500 initialhalfMove=16 autoplaymode=none]
[Event “rated blitz match”]
[Site “Free Internet Chess Server”]
[Date “2010.05.01”]
[Round “?”]
[White “me”]
[Black “AN”]
[Result “1-0”]
[WhiteElo “1103”]
[BlackElo “1227”]
[ECO “B22”]
[TimeControl “300”]
1. e4 c5 2. c3 d5 3. exd5 Qxd5 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. d4 cxd4 6. Qxd4 Qxd4 7. Nxd4 Bd7
8. Bb5 a6 9. Bxd7+ Nbxd7 10. Be3 e5 11. Nf3 O-O-O 12. O-O Nd5 13. Bg5 f6 14.
Bh4 h6 15. Rd1 Nf4 16. Nbd2 Bc5 17. Bg3 Ne2+ 18. Kf1 Nxg3+ 19. fxg3 Nb6 20.
Ne4 Be7 21. Rxd8+ Rxd8 22. g4 Nc4 23. h4 Nxb2 24. g5 hxg5 25. hxg5 Nd3 26.
gxf6 gxf6 27. g4 Nc5 28. Nxc5 Bxc5 29. g5 fxg5 30. Nxg5 Rf8+ 31. Ke2 Rf5 32.
Ne6 Ba7 33. Rd1 e4 34. Rd8# {Black checkmated} 1-0
[/pgn]
Note my awesome rating 🙁 lol
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Written by: Richard
Posted on April 7th, 2010 by Richard
Hi
I always like winning against the Sicilian defence! It doesn’t happen very often but here is a recent game of mine where it did. However one day I really need to learn to play the full bore ‘Open’ Sicilian but that is a hard task (too many tricky variations to know!).
[pgn height=500 initialhalfMove=16 autoplaymode=none]
[[Event “rated blitz match”]
[Site “Free Internet Chess Server”]
[Date “2010.04.07”]
[Round “?”]
[White “me”]
[Black “?”]
[Result “1-0”]
[WhiteElo “1069”]
[BlackElo “1400”]
[ECO “B22”]
[TimeControl “300”]
1. e4 c5 2. c3 Nc6 3. Nf3 g6 4. Bb5 Bg7 5. Bxc6 bxc6 6. d4 cxd4 7. cxd4 d5 8.
e5 e6 9. Nc3 Ne7 10. Bg5 O-O 11. O-O Qc7 12. Qd2 Re8 13. Bh6 Bh8 14. Bg5 Nf5
15. Bf6 Bxf6 16. exf6 c5 17. g4 Nxd4 18. Nxd4 cxd4 19. Qh6 {? resigns} 1-0[/pgn]
Posted in chess games, Chess Openings, My Chess • Comment on this post »
Written by: Richard
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