My current rating are:
Slow chess: 2457 ( I guess I am a correspondance chess master)
Gameknot: 1674 (Climbing a tough laddeer, 29/1/0)
I decided to be a more cavalier with slow chess games. I planned to be carefull with gameknot because I like their computer interface and unless I move up in the ranking, the opponent might not be challenging. So far, I have only 3 difficult games.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Starting again
Gosh!
Rook endings are so boring!
How many games I played that reached a lucena or philidor position. NONE!
Most of the time, I kill or I am killed in the middle game. My opening is not an issue because I only played email chess and the database are allowed. The middle game, that is where the action happens.
So,
I am taking an executive decision. I am stopping reading Mednis and move on into
an old love, "Modern Chess Strategy" by Pachman. I read this book several years ago
and it is time to read it again.
Rook endings are so boring!
How many games I played that reached a lucena or philidor position. NONE!
Most of the time, I kill or I am killed in the middle game. My opening is not an issue because I only played email chess and the database are allowed. The middle game, that is where the action happens.
So,
I am taking an executive decision. I am stopping reading Mednis and move on into
an old love, "Modern Chess Strategy" by Pachman. I read this book several years ago
and it is time to read it again.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Never lose hope
Even when losing, the enemy might let you go. It is hard to substain the winning pressure. So I must be patient when I am in the wrong side of the table.
| (black to move)
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Play 
Friday, May 20, 2011
Keep track of our own chess understanding
I came to the conclusion that one of my problem in the past with chess was not having a fast way to review what I study. Several years ago, when I was active in OTB, I used paper flash card to keep my memorized opening moves. Later I found supermemo but I never use for chess but to study German. With supermemo I memorized up to 4000 german words. I suspect that supermemo could help me to break my chess understanding ceiling.
I began passing my chessbase notes into supermemo in the form of questions and answers. First supermemo presents the chess board and a question set,then after I answer it, it shows the right response. If I fail it will present it again on the next day and so on. It uses an incremental learning strategy. It shows only the flash card that have not been learned. It could be a lot of work, but after finishing my strategy and endgame studies, I will have a set to review while I focus my energy into regular tactical exercises and annotated master games.
I began passing my chessbase notes into supermemo in the form of questions and answers. First supermemo presents the chess board and a question set,then after I answer it, it shows the right response. If I fail it will present it again on the next day and so on. It uses an incremental learning strategy. It shows only the flash card that have not been learned. It could be a lot of work, but after finishing my strategy and endgame studies, I will have a set to review while I focus my energy into regular tactical exercises and annotated master games.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Tony Kosten's Book complete
I just finished '101 Tips to improve your chess" by Tony Kosten. It is a great book to reflesh some chess wisdom after being away from the game for a several years. After the 85 tips, Tony ran out of steam and it was time to move on. It took me a while to work through the book. I relied on Chessbase 11 to help me along. Tomorrow I will take my notes and drop them into supermemo to review them.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
A memory from Fischer days.
I remember that in the first Fischer v. Spasky match there was one poison pawn game. I have the opportunity of taken the white side of the position and played a pretty combination. This is my first unrated game at chess.com. I am not really sure that I could played in that server because slowchess.com and gameknot.com are probably enough.
| (white to move)
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Sunday, May 8, 2011
A Knight to the rim is a dog.
Finally I made to tip No. 50 of "101 Tips to Improve Your Chess" by Tony Kosten. I am using this book to systematically review what I know about chess. A refresher book that I love. Here is what I found in Tip No. 50.
| (black to move)
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Friday, May 6, 2011
Trapping chess pieces
A very niece strategical game.
| (black to move)
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Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Study plan
- Alternate study between strategy and endgame
- Practice Tactics everyday: first 3 levels of CT-ART and Practical Chess Exercises
- Play about 30 turn based games simultaneously
Bishop pair for a drawing game.
I know that bishop pairs are good for winning a game. However, they are also good for drawing a game.(Tip #38 of Kosten's book)
| (white to move)
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Thursday, April 28, 2011
Knights prefer closed positions
A beautiful games of using the knights in a closed positions and a double rook exchange offer. That was twice rejected. A pleasure to study this game.
| (white to move)
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Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Inflexible doubled pawns at endgame
Difficult to believe but black cannot use its queenside majority because they are doubled. This is good to remember because in the Spanish Exchange Variation black get also its double pawns.
What to do if fighting them? The closer we are to the endgame, the near we are to winning.
Timman used this strategy in this game.
What to do if fighting them? The closer we are to the endgame, the near we are to winning.
| (black to move)
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Timman used this strategy in this game.
| (white to move)
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Tuesday, April 26, 2011
A confusing day
Finally I got my first rating from gameknot (internet chess). I have not lost a game so far. I ended up in 1636; playing against people rate in the 1100 and 1300 range. What does it really means but that I won 7 games so far without losing a single one. All these games are pure tactical games with some complexity at times, but overall pretty weak. I have a couple games that are more complex and that might worthwhile to present here after their conclusion. Not strategical analysis tonight: too much wine!
The idea of collecting all my blunders and becoming really aware of them might be a good exercise. I will look into it.
The idea of collecting all my blunders and becoming really aware of them might be a good exercise. I will look into it.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Isolated pawns couple
Strategy.
Given that one of them move,
(1) Fixed them in place by controlling the empty square in front of the pawn left behind.
(2) Exchange that square bishop
(3) Use that square for tactical actions.
Here is an example from Kasparov himself.
Given that one of them move,
(1) Fixed them in place by controlling the empty square in front of the pawn left behind.
(2) Exchange that square bishop
(3) Use that square for tactical actions.
Here is an example from Kasparov himself.
| (white to move)
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Sunday, April 24, 2011
hanging pawns
I feel that there is more to hanging pawns that what we see here. We need to look further into this topic.Oh well. I am not happpy on this about it....just readiness for a kingside attack? that is not enough for me.
| (white to move)
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Thursday, April 21, 2011
Defending against the IQP
A simple strategy.
1. Eye on the square in front of that pawn
2. Ocupy that square if possible
3. Exchange pieces to reach the endgame
Then the pawn is really weak and ready for destruction.
Here an example from my current reading book.
1. Eye on the square in front of that pawn
2. Ocupy that square if possible
3. Exchange pieces to reach the endgame
Then the pawn is really weak and ready for destruction.
Here an example from my current reading book.
| (black to move)
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Wednesday, April 20, 2011
The dynamic IQP
This is how to handle the isolated pawn.
(1) Control d5
(2) Advance when all pieces are ready for the attack.
Here is an example from Tip No. 15.
(1) Control d5
(2) Advance when all pieces are ready for the attack.
Here is an example from Tip No. 15.
| (white to move)
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Three lessons for one
1. Never play a gambit unless you know what you are doing. If found in one, 2. be extra careful to get your pawn back.
3. Do not forget king' safety. If you do, you will be punished. A draw sometimes is not such a bad thing.
3. Do not forget king' safety. If you do, you will be punished. A draw sometimes is not such a bad thing.
| (white to move)
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Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Center versus kingside attack
When castling in opposite side of the board, I remember, time is everything. Material then does not count but tempo, tempo, temp. That is something that computer, I think, cannot see.
This was an interesting and difficult game.
This was an interesting and difficult game.
| (black to move)
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Monday, April 18, 2011
How not to play against an IQP
Always confront the IQP during the middle game. If this pawn is dynamic, then we might have serious problem. In this example, tip No 15, black was destroyed because he did not take the threat seriously.
| (black to move)
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Sunday, April 17, 2011
Too many islands and then we are lost.
Tip 14 of the current reading list. Having too many islands? We might be in endgame troubles. The game below is an example. This is a beautiful ending from the beginning of the 20 century. Old but full of insights.
| (black to move)
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Friday, April 15, 2011
101 tips to improve your chess
It is a great book for people like me that are returning as aging babyboomer, 56, to chess after a long hiatus without reading a chess book. I think that this book is for people rate C and above. (Maybe...I am not sure...I remember that I read all the Silman, Patchan and My system...so It is just a reminder...or relearning...I do not know anymore.)
Today I began using the book. The book contains 101 wisdoms to keep in mind while playing chess. The first tip reminds us to develop the pieces in the opening...Yes...silly!...but the second game shows a GM that forgot doing it against Fischer! crazy!...Of course, Bobby ate him alive. I know we do it all the time...I went through 6 of the tips today. I am happy.
This is a great book to remember old lessons before jumping into master game studies.
Chess self improvement again.
After years of being absent from chess, I take the knights, the queen, and the king again. Why? Maybe seeking for a place where I have some control on my own fate. After all, chess is totally transparent. There are not tricks nor traps. We either see clearly what the board shows or not!
I begin this blog to track this new adventure into chess.
My OBR was/is 1675. I rediscovered it after checking the listing and renewing my membership to the USCF. Well...I have not idea anymore about it...My rating at Net-Chess.com is 2335. What a difference!
To be honest, I did not stop playing chess but I took internet slow chess for the last 7 years. I played almost 600 games at the rate of 1 moves per days. Today I feel that I need more so here I am back, hitting the books with Chessbase 11 and Fritz as training tool.
What I want?
It is not clear.
I find tactical problems interesting.
I still enjoy going over master games.
I know...there is nothing to accomplish...I will never make it to GM...
but the pleasure of understanding a GM master game...
that is great...
You figure.
My training routine.
I begin this blog to track this new adventure into chess.
My OBR was/is 1675. I rediscovered it after checking the listing and renewing my membership to the USCF. Well...I have not idea anymore about it...My rating at Net-Chess.com is 2335. What a difference!
To be honest, I did not stop playing chess but I took internet slow chess for the last 7 years. I played almost 600 games at the rate of 1 moves per days. Today I feel that I need more so here I am back, hitting the books with Chessbase 11 and Fritz as training tool.
What I want?
It is not clear.
I find tactical problems interesting.
I still enjoy going over master games.
I know...there is nothing to accomplish...I will never make it to GM...
but the pleasure of understanding a GM master game...
that is great...
You figure.
My training routine.
- A morning session of tactics...about 1 hr of CT ART 3.0....(the best package for tactics training I have been able to find.)
- An evening session with a current book...how long? whatever...until the wife says enough.and, of course,
- 2 (20 min) games a week...in some internet site....FICS..GameKnot...Maybe
- 2 tournments a year...I will start probably 6 months from now. I need to rebuild my confidence after so many years without facing anyone across the board! ...Or maybe not...who cares! I enjoy the internet thing a lot...even when I am losing. The position gives a lot to think about...I find physical tournaments to inconvenient. Of course, in the internet people could use a computer against you. So what? I could play the computer too...and that it so boring... The beauty of chess internet is that there is very little ego involved: Just the board and you...and surprises arise all the time...That is another topic of discussion as the blog evolves.
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