TL4545 T46 Playoff Update

We didn't make it :(.

Although we managed to draw 2-2, overall we went out on forfeits incurred during the season....just 1 too many was enough.

Not quite going out on penalties, more like fouls made !

Regardless, a good season for the team although my stats were an unimpressive played 7, lost 5, won 2.

No real excuses although I will say that most of my opponents were my rating+200/300 so I don't feel that bad about it.

I will also add that at least 2 games I lost on very stupid blunders which didn't help.

Here's to next season and better chess  !

T46 Playoffs 1

Only my second win in TL45 this season, but an important one, as it levels the score at 1-1 !

In both remaining games Chessmasters have White, so, the advantage should be with us.

I will post the game in full later, but this was the decisive position after White's 23.Nd4....

23. Nd4

Endgame 7 ( Study 3 )

Berlin, 1922....

Herr Schmidt arrives home in Elisabeth Strasse,  from another long day at the office, kisses his wife, ruffles the kid's hair as they run around him, happy to see Papa before bed-time.

He sniffs appreciatively at the fine smells wafting from the kitchen where Gertrude, the cook, is preparing the evening meal ( Sauerbraten Klopse and Kartofelsalat : you have to economise in these dark Weimar-days of hyper-inflation ).

The newspaper contains reportage of the latest "art": moving pictures, kinema, called Nosferatu: Eine Symphonie des Grauens  and he wonders at the decadence of the modern age...

Luckily, there is still the eternal truth of chess, and in dismay he sets down the Berliner Zeitung and reaches for the just-delivered  Nueste Schachnachrichten  from Bernhard Kagan, and is happy to see another endgame study from the victor of the Teplitz-Schönau tournament, Richard Réti ( although only a Third prize winner in this magazine...surprising ! )

"Ach", he thinks, as he ponders the smudged diagram..."It's quite an open position on the board, but Réti has a note referring to that idea of zugzwang that has been written about...this isn't so straightforward..."  maybe after dinner, and the children are in bed, when Mathilde is sewing, and with a refreshing Weisse beer, inspiration will come..

Réti, Berlin, 1922 : White to move and win

Chess on the BBC

This has been mentioned on a few blogs, but since its rare enough to have any media coverage, I give it here as well.

Yes, its radio !

As an extra there is also this ( news report ) about Armenian chess in general and, related to it,  this ( Radio ) on how Armenian chess conquered the Chess Olympiads recently ( with Aronian and pals ) and of course where would we be without the fabulous Lewis Chessmen.

Radio isn't everyone's 'cup of tea', but it takes all sorts...

TL45 46 - Round 6

Finally, and given the rating of my opponent, the fact that he plays 1.d4, and that I have Black, perhaps surprisingly, I gain my first win in T46.

I have admit that this week I have not played blitz to any extent (I checked : 3 games on Sunday) and spent the time instead on tactics training, reviewing some Master games, the analysis of my previous loss and some investigation into what to expect today.

The latter was a distinct 1.d4, which I have played against only once in my previous 15 TL games. As well as that, I don't really have a 'repertoire' against it, so it was a interesting opportunity.

On to the game...

...Continue reading...

Finally : a win !

Finally, after 7 straight losses, a win !

For a change my opponent made a couple of small mistakes  ( yet again a Knight move to g3 was involved ), and later an outright error to let me take the point.

I'll post the full game later, after I've looked through it.

It also might put the team through to the play offs, if I read the table correctly.

Here's the final position...

White resigns : 31...Qh3+