Blogging during this last TL season has , for various reasons, not happened.
So, now that the Team is out ( sadly, we didn't reach the playoffs this time ) I will review my season in general here, and discuss a couple of interesting games in subsequent posts.
Overall, my record was 3-0-4. A great improvement over the previous season (1-1-4), when I came close to wins, but only delivered once ( and that as White against the Philidor ! )
Surprisingly, two of this season's wins were with Black, and both of them against the Spanish ( Ruy Lopez ), as this season I switched away from my normal Philidor Hanham, to more classical Open games.
In general, I can say that I paid more attention to three main areas:
1) Time Management. Not perfect, but no time scrambles, and a good feeling overall.
2) Piece placement/pawn structure
3) Reducing blunders.
The latter is most important.
There were at least two games where I blundered terribly.
24 June, 2011
25 May, 2011
Fun against the Sicilian
There is an enjoyment as an e4-player in beating the Sicilian.
It's probably in-built, a cult memory, like Northern Europeans drinking beer in preference to wine.
If ( maybe, when ? ) I play the Sicilian, this is the option I would choose : an early e5 and the Lasker/Pelikan/Labourdonnais variation, challenging in the centre immediately, just like a recent opponent.
Wonderful ! Lasker variation and no pesky Sheveshnikov !!
I can play Nd5, expecting Nxd5, but wait : Black plays the very bad Be7 and there follows a downward spiral of exchanges for Black, with Nxe7, Nxe7, Nxd6+ .
He drops a piece, and finally we end up here, with a Queen check.
13. c3 is too provocative...why not offer the b-pawn ? He won't fall for it....
Oops...next move, 14. Qd8 mate....sometimes you make your own luck !
12 April, 2011
Endgame Adventures In Team League 4545 : Where we ended in T47
Partly, I wrote this post to offset against this one on T47 openings ( I wouldn't want to be classified as an openings freak :) and to continue my exploration of T47, but also because I was interested in just what sort of endings are played in TL games ( especially compared to 'professionals') and maybe just a bit on trying to identify what endings I should concentrate on, to shortcut trying to work on them all.
Presentation was an issue, since, although endgames are classified, they aren't as straightforward as openings ( ie not recorded in the game notation ), but I used a 'standard' classifier in my database, so at least I present some sort of consistency.
Straight into things.
26 March, 2011
Swindling for Amateurs, again....
In this position, the correct move ( apart from resignation on Black's part :) is Kg6.
However, since the game is technically, well actually, completely lost for me, there is only one move for the swindler : Kh5.
Happily, a greedy White player falls into the trap !
 |
| Rxf6 ?? |
Stalemate : its a brilliant last weapon, and so irritating in positions that are completely lost !!!
T48 - Playoffs
Magnum Ignotum fell at the last hurdle...the last result deciding the playoffs was the expected one that left our chance of the wildcard spot at the mercy of the rules.
We were level on match point, games points and forfeits with the next team ( King, Pawn and Rook ) who had led their section prior to this game, so I guess it was the fourth board reduction rule that we lost out on. Good luck to them in the playoffs.
Shame, but at least some sort of chess break before the next T4545 !
24 March, 2011
Swindling for Amateurs
Black is lost. After a slip that lost his Rook advantage we have this position....
...where White is preparing to finish things.
I can see no hope, only a vague swindle, after White mistakenly moved off the a8-h1 diagonal, allowing a 'spite check', to which White is forced to play Kh2 ( since Re4 is met by Nf2+ ! )
So what is Black hoping for ? what should White NOT play after Black's next move of h6 ?
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