T57- T59 Summary

As a matter of completion, here's a summary of Openings played in the last three TLs, since I seem not to have done this individually, plus a couple of short checkmates !

For me, T57 was the longest with 9 games played, as Magnum Ignotum reached the final. ( In fact we have reached the play-offs in 5 of the last 6 seasons : not bad !).

Although I had good results in T57, this was the tournament where I changed my repertoire for both Black and White., adopting e6 as my main defence and also moving to 1.d4 as White.

These proved to be consistent with main TL openings, as e4 is still the most played, and the Sicilian, French, and Caro-Kann the top replies. No change there.

For White, the main change, compared to T56. appear to be the increase in the the use of general Queen's Pawn openings, ie systems such as the London or Colle, as well as non-Queen Gambit openings, such as the Trompowsky.

Nice to see the short mate rearing it's head again...

Another quick mate in the Caro-Kann

Yes, its that damned Caro-kann !  Black really needs to be careful !

This short game started with 1.f4, but transposed to a King's Gambit, leading to mate in 9.

Short mate in a King's Gambit  

Longest games ?  Again, over 100 moves there were 9 games, only 4 of which were draws, including the longest at 124 moves.

Finally, as a minor exercise, work out the short mating sequence here, where Black resigned after 8 moves, after a failed Latvian Gambit !

T59 - Short game

                 T57, T58 and T59 Top 10 Played Openings

B20-B99	Sicilian	477 (15%)
C00-C19	French Defence	329  ( 10%)
B10-B19	Caro-Kann	227 ( 7% )
D00-D05	Queen's Pawn General (London\Colle\etc	234 (7 % )
D30-D69	Queen's Gambit Declined	175 ( 5,5 % )
A45-A50	Indian Defences\Torre Attack	156 ( 5 %)
E60-E99	King's Indian Defence	152  (5%)
A10-A39	English	151 ( 5 %)
C60-C99	Spanish Game ( Ruy Lopez )	148 (4,5%)
A04-A09	Reti	112 ( 3,5 % )

For those interested, all games were re-indexed in Chess Assistant 11,. The Opening classification ranges ( ie grouping ECO codes), I borrowed from Chessville (many thanks, although it seems to have disappeared again :(

See also T56 Summary,  T55 Summary, T51 Summary,  T50 Summary and T47 Summary.

1000 Games

This weekend, I reached 1000 games of chess played at ICC.

Not 1000 standard games, but all sorts if chess, so a large number of blitz and only 96 long games, mainly in Team League.

My 1000th game was a loss. An early mistake, but with some compensation where the back-and-forth of the game gave me another chance.

Sadly, I misplayed that and ended up on the losing side, but it was close !

That game, I will present in due course, but instead, here is a win that I needed, just to prove that I can still win !

A blitz game, but a nice mate.

It switched from a Queen's pawn game to a sort of Philidor, ( but without e4 !! )....

8... gxf6

...where I have no issue with playing a queenless middlegame : I've done it a few times now.

Normally, Bxa2 is quite safe for White, since b3 is a neat trapping move.

Unfortunately, this was an exception !

18. b3 ??

18....Ba3 mate !

If only I could do this in Team League !

Drawing the Won Game

I played in the Monthly Standard at ICC this week, and had a see-saw ride, ending up with drawing a game I should have won easily.

My opponent was rated 300+ points above me, which I guess is why he elected to exchange Queens early against a weaker player. However, I've been there in the Philidor a few times before, and it is no longer scary !

Here he has the advantage of me, but misses a simple winning tactic, focusing on the complex combination of R + B vs f7...

White to play: Rxe5! wins

...instead of Rxe5, guaranteeing a win !

Following Rxf7+ he exchanged Rooks on d8, but misses the deadly Black Knight fork riposte on d6, as well as the recovering White moves of Bd3 or Rf3 ! Not matching his rating in his tactics.

However, even though I play accurately and solidly to take material and move further ahead, I miss a few tactics myself, and return the blunder deep in the endgame....

Ouch ! Ke5 is bad

I should have played Kg5 losing the Bishop, but defending the pawn for another chance.

Although I had further opportunities, with time running out I managed a draw against his much more effective technique.

Disappointing overall, but good to see higher-rated players making the same mistakes as me.

Improve my tactics, formulate and follow a plan ( in this case creating a second weakness ), practise the endgame, and there is hope !!

Do you have an Opening for me ?

Currently running in the chess blogosphere, is a variation of the eternal and probably unresolvable "Use of Opening Theory" discussion : Super-GMs vs the rest.

Dennis Monokroussos and Dana Mackenzie, are debating the process/benefits/methods of opening theory ( or "Opening Theory" as they have now re-defined it) and particularly how non-Super-GMs, including Amateurs, should, or should not, use it in our chess games: self-discovery vs re-use of previous experience (in a nutshell) plus a few more complications.

Happily, it seems much more of a discussion than a serious spat. Here's the original 2008 post and the recent response, both to keep you entertained, and thinking.

I have to say I agree with parts of both arguments.

My games rarely follow established opening lines for long, so, yes, I would probably be better off with sensible developing rules (does that mean 'classical' ? ) rather than slavishly trying to remember a variation in my opponent's chosen line or sideline. This should enable me to spend more time on what matters, ie playing a decent middlegame and spotting tactics and combinations !

Definitely, I should also look in more detail at the opening moves. Not necessarily to find novelties, or to derive my own opening moves, but more that I understand reasons behind the 'theory' moves, so can eventually begin to appreciate why "Opening Theory" is there, and how to use the benefits it brings ( ie how to hack into and re-use all the exploration and thought that previous players have bequeathed to us ).

One area that I do think is useful ( and enjoyable ) is the re-discovery ( or re-use ) of old variations. Such lines, probably unplayable at GM level these days, are highly suitable to us Amateurs. Rolling out a 'forgotten' 1890s move in a supposedly modern opening is very satisfactory.

So, what do we Internet amateurs play ?

Since I  find it interesting knowing what openings to expect in my next TL4545 match, I spent a morning looking at the recently finished T47 season in the Team4545 League.  ( Note that I also carried this out a few months later for T50 )

What would you think to be the most popular ? Have a guess before reading more !

...Continue reading...

Joined T4545 League @ ICC

A happy combination of circumstances ( at least for me ) means I am now on a team in the ICC Team 4545 League.

Chessmasters is the team name and I will be playing from next week in the U1600, Erg section.