It was the 4th Annual Foxwoods Open back in 2002 and I had finished that event with a score of 3.5/7 in the U1400 section. It was an electrifying and satisfying event; one that I had promised myself to revisit in the near future.
However, I soon lost the chess bug and went into hiatus for about five years shortly after this event. When I returned to the board mid-last year, the one thing I wanted to plan for was the 2009 Foxwoods Open.
This last year, I have invested myself 100% to chess as far as extracurricular activities/hobbies are concerned. I continue to study opening and endgame theory as well as take weekly lessons from a extremely talented chess instructor. My games have improved dramatically and am quite happy with my recent progress and chess prowess.
I wanted to be ready to play the Foxwoods Open at a competitive level and generally speaking I think I have what it takes to play in the U1700 section of this event. Lodging and travel reservations had been made over a month ago and all I needed to do was pay the advanced entry fee to make this event a reality. I was ready for this and excited to be a part of it...but something was gnawing on my subconscious.
Well, today I decided to cancel my reservations and NOT enter into the 2009 Foxwoods Open. Overall savings: $600.00+ dollars! I went to CCA's website to enter today and just couldn't get past the entry fee ($227.00) to play in 7 rated games of chess. For me, its not about the money or cash payouts, but rather the experience of playing competitive chess in an energized environment. But more importantly, I wasn't ready to spend four days away from my family, especially when I have a 6 month old son and a fantastic wife who are not quite ready for me to be away from them for such an extended period of time. My wife is fully supportive of my chess addiction and my desire to play in these sort of events; this was solely my own decision.
It's just how I feel about it at this time, but I do know that I will be going to this event in the near future. Probably when things settle down a little bit more on the home front and when money is a little more plentiful.
So, in lieu of participating in this event, I have decided to invest in some chess software -- Chessbase 10! Yea baby....psyched!
Monday, March 23, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
What's With That Double Vision?
Lately, I feel like a foreigner at the chess board; I am having Double Vision. My last three rated games have gone into the loss column and I must admit, in each of those games even a player rated a few hundred rating points lower than myself could spot the missed opportunities that were available in each of these losses.
My last three losses shared the following common themes:
*Exhaustion or “not well rested”
*Caffeine
*Dismissing positional analysis in lieu of exercising supposed common chess strategies or an “easy out”.
In the end, I’m just plain seeing double vision; the result of a dull mind set.
Each of the following positions occurred in my last three losses, and each of these positions, if played correctly would have dramatically changed the game’s outcome.
Example 1:
In this game, I’m playing for the money in the final round of the Eastern Class Championships. In addition to those common themes listed above, I entered into this game with 2 hours downtime of complete boredom and a lack of respect for my opponent’s playing ability.
I’m Black and playing against the Smith-Mora Gambit. I always play the following against this gambit with 4…Nc6 5.Bc4 a6 6.Nf3 d6, but my head is locked into “forcing” a Sicilian Najdorf for some reason and I out right neglect White's early developement, thus suffering the positional consequences of not playing accurately to White’s gambit. Here is the critical position that led to Black’s demise, but if played correctly would have maintained an equal position and require White to seek out other moves or accept a draw.
The winning move here is so blatant that I’m ashamed to even post this particular example, but I want to emphasize my mind and body’s state to the reader. Under normal circumstances, I would have hopped on this move and frankly, subliminally, this is what I was playing for. However, I decide to play for an “easy-out” and lazily play 14.gxf3. I’m not even going to tell you what the right move is, because you saw it before you even started reading my follow up for the diagram.
So, what do I do from here? Hmmm…hey, here is an idea! No more afternoon lattes! And, get this, how about getting some sleep the night before and…and…uhm...get back to my afternoon work-outs at the local gym where I’m a member! It’s the only way to void my eyes with this double vision.
My last three losses shared the following common themes:
*Exhaustion or “not well rested”
*Caffeine
*Dismissing positional analysis in lieu of exercising supposed common chess strategies or an “easy out”.
In the end, I’m just plain seeing double vision; the result of a dull mind set.
Each of the following positions occurred in my last three losses, and each of these positions, if played correctly would have dramatically changed the game’s outcome.
Example 1:
In this game, I’m playing for the money in the final round of the Eastern Class Championships. In addition to those common themes listed above, I entered into this game with 2 hours downtime of complete boredom and a lack of respect for my opponent’s playing ability.
I’m Black and playing against the Smith-Mora Gambit. I always play the following against this gambit with 4…Nc6 5.Bc4 a6 6.Nf3 d6, but my head is locked into “forcing” a Sicilian Najdorf for some reason and I out right neglect White's early developement, thus suffering the positional consequences of not playing accurately to White’s gambit. Here is the critical position that led to Black’s demise, but if played correctly would have maintained an equal position and require White to seek out other moves or accept a draw.
In this position White is dogging after Black’s Queen and has just played 14.Bd4. Can you see the correct move for Black that would keep the positions equal? Black could just play 14…Qc7 and if White wishes to continue chasing Black’s Queen, Black would just return to …Qb6. Thus, White would need to come up with another move sequence or accept a draw. Now, here is the move that Black played; 14…Bc5? At the time, Black was thinking about inducing a bishop exchange and follow up with developing his queen-side pieces without ever giving White’s Knight on c3 any thought. White plays 15.Na4! Doh!!
Example 2:
This game was played at my local club in Natick MA. It is round 2 of a 5 round Swiss tournament. To emphasize the common themes above, I enter into this game with about 5 hours of sleep the night before and had a large latte earlier in the afternoon around 3:30pm. By the time the game starts, I’m crashing hard! All the ingredients are in place to play the game with double vision.
In this position, I’m Black and playing the Sicilian Najdorf against White’s Sozin Attack with 7.Bg5. White is up a minor piece for a pawn and is desperately trying to exchange pieces off the board whenever possible. Here, White has just played 29.Qg5, wanting to induce a Queen exchange.
This position if played correctly is a draw. Can you see the right move? Black’s Bishop holds a strong diagonal and has both Rooks beautifully lined up along the g-file to exert pressure, when the proper moment arises, along the 2nd rank. Black can at least draw with 29…Qxg5! Follow up line would be 30.Nxg5 Rf2!
If White wants to at least maintain a draw, his only move would be 31.Rg3 Rxc2 32.Nxe6 Rff2 33.Rxg7+ Kh8 34.Rxb7 Rxg2+ =
Unfortunately, Black wasn’t analyzing any of this because the first rule of thumb in chess; never exchange your big guns when you’re down material. That’s where my mind was, instead of analyzing this position properly, I was thinking, “What is the best move to avoid the Queen exchange?” So, exchanging Queens never entered into my thought process and therefore, the position analysis after such an exchange was never entertained. Black played 29…Qe8 and thus remained behind White in material and at a positional disadvantage until Black finally loses on TIME! My double vision got the best of me.
Example 3:
Here is another game played at the local club. It is round 3 of a 5 round Swiss tournament. All the common themes are in place and I just had a nice refreshing large afternoon latte! Its game time and you know what? My mind is racing but my body’s in lead; I fill my eyes with that double vision.
In this position, I’m White and playing the Yugoslav Attack against Black’s nasty Sicilian Dragon. Black has just played 13…Nxf3? Our positions prior to this move were equal, but now White is just better and with one move can gain a winning position and come out a full piece up in material. Can you see the move? Easy right; not when you have double vision. White is thinking simple exchange and wants to open up his g-file to exert pressure along Black’s king file. Besides, my Queen is under attack, so why not simply remove the attacking piece?
The winning move here is so blatant that I’m ashamed to even post this particular example, but I want to emphasize my mind and body’s state to the reader. Under normal circumstances, I would have hopped on this move and frankly, subliminally, this is what I was playing for. However, I decide to play for an “easy-out” and lazily play 14.gxf3. I’m not even going to tell you what the right move is, because you saw it before you even started reading my follow up for the diagram.So, what do I do from here? Hmmm…hey, here is an idea! No more afternoon lattes! And, get this, how about getting some sleep the night before and…and…uhm...get back to my afternoon work-outs at the local gym where I’m a member! It’s the only way to void my eyes with this double vision.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
2009 Eastern Class Championships
This event was held at the Host Hotel in Sturbridge, MA and was my first major chess event of the year. If you recall from an earlier post last year, I did not have many good things to say about the Host Hotel's accommodations. Needless to say, I spent my nights at the Hampden Hotel down the street for less money and much cleaner rooms! But, I must admit, there is something to be said about having a room on the premises that hosts the event. The first thing that comes to mind; a place to immediately retire to and rest. Perhaps go over your game in private and if you own Chessbase, enter your game for immediate analysis. Having a room a few minutes down the road does not easily translate to such niceties, something for me to think about when the Continental Open comes to town.
The Eastern Class Championships, put on by the CCA, is a popular event here in the Northeast with a relatively strong turnout. What is attractive about this specific event is how the sections are categorized per class. Most of your opponents sitting across the board are of comparative chess skill and strength. I entered the "Class C" section with a current published rating of 1472, which had about 30 entrants.
Playing the 3 day cycle versus two days is my preferred choice. Playing in a tournament where you begin with shortened move/time controls only to be assimilated into longer time controls in later rounds is hard to adjust too and, quite frankly, puts you at a mental disadvantage.
This tournament drew in a lot of players from my club which always adds a little social flare to the event. Personally, I had a good tournament. I finished 3.0/5, but my play was better than my score. Here is how it went down:
Round 1: I am Black and draw Walter Chesnut(1583) as my opponent. Walter is a strong player and probably more of a chess fiend than me. Why do I say this? Well, I arrived at our board first and had pretty much everything set up when he finally arrives and says, "I have these," as he opens up a box to reveal a beautifully hand carved wooden set produced by the House of Staunton; total cost, $1500.00 plus. Hey, who am I to argue with that? I said sure and got the opportunity to play with a very nice set indeed. As for the game, the line was a classical King's Indian Defense and it was a good solid game played well by both sides that ended in a draw after White's 28th move. Walter offered the draw after realizing the position to be equal, but moreover, knowing that if he was to forfeit a tempo move my way, I could come crashing down his King side with a violent attack. Of course the same could be said of me, if I were to allow White to get in one additional move on the Queen side without proper defensive measures on my part, he could have torn up that side of the board. Walter goes on to finish in a tie for second place with a score of 4.0/5.
Round 2: I'm due White and draw William Phelps(1488) from Maine, an older gentleman with a friendly demeanor. William decides to play the French Defense...I strongly dislike this defense. I find it rather boring and stodgy and rarely play into any of the "French" variations. I decided to play against this lack luster defense with something rather conservative as well; the KIA. I've always had good results against French players with the KIA. I finish this game with a strong victory which is rather reminiscent of a game I played against a fellow club player a few months ago. William finishes with a respectable 3.0/5.
Round 3: I am paired up against Greg Gelsomino(1483) from New York. Greg opens with 1.e4 that leads to a Closed Sicilian opening. Of all my games at this event, this game was perhaps the most un-interesting. I felt that my opponent was playing for a draw, exchanging pieces whenever opportunity presented itself. Of course, perhaps he just didn't see any better moves, in any case, I couldn't find any thing interesting myself to complicate the position to prevent these sort of exchanges. In the end, this game ends up in a draw, nothing much else to say about this one. Greg goes on to finish 3.0/5.
Round 4: This game was my most exciting game of the tournament and wraps up a strong win. For your viewing pleasure, I offer annotations of this particular game. Enjoy!
Smith,Warner (1553) - Sifter,Thomas (1528)
[B87] Sicilian Najorf/Fischer Attack
Eastern Class Championships Sturbridge, MA
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bc4 e6 7.Bb3
The Fischer Attack is my choice of weapon when facing the Sicilian Najdorf. White focuses on attacking the center; specifically targeting Black's pawn on e6. If Black does not play accurately, White may sacrifice his light colored Bishop on e6 to open up a strong attack with his Knight on d4 leading the way.
7...b5
Black's usual reply, however, 7...Nbd7 has become quite popular where Black has been able to obtain some promising positions.
8.Qf3!
Usually, White castles here, but I like to mix it up once in a while and play the strong Qf3! as soon as I can. The plan is two-fold; first if Black fails to play either 8...Bb7 or 8...Qc7, then White has the strong 9.e5! The follow up for White's Queen is to eventually play Qg3 after Black decides to castle King side.
8...Qc7
I like this move for Black as he safeguards against White's play for an immediate 9. e5 push where Black would then just play 9...Be7. By playing Qc7, Black leaves his Bishop to protect the weak pawn on e6.
9.a3
To prevent Black from "kicking" my Knight off of c3 and to provide an escape route for the light colored Bishop.
9...Be7 10.Be3 0–0 11.0–0 Re8
After this move, I got the warm and fuzzies...an internal mechanism that soothes the chess soul with dreams of winning combinations. Not that this move by Black is bad, but it was just one of those moves where I felt the tide was about to change in my favor. The one draw back with this move is that it does take away an important escape route for Black's Knight on f6.
12.Qg3
Putting a heavy emphasis on Black's ability to play very accurate. Should Black make a move to remove the Bishop guard to e6, white comes in fast with a Bishop sacrifice. For example, 12...Nbd7? 13.Bxe6! If Black plays 13...fxe6?? 14.Nxe6 Nh5 15.Nxc7 Nxg3 16.fxg3 Bb7 17.Nxa8 Bxa8 +-
12...Nc6
Now that White's Queen has moved to g3, Black can now play Nc6.
13.f4 Nxd4
Black plays to remove some tension in the center.
14.Bxd4 Bd7?!
I found this move quite interesting and in White's favor. The problem with this move is Black has taken away the last viable retreat square for his Knight on f6. And as we will soon see, Black is left scrapping to maintain some sort of equalized position with White. Personally, I like the very Najdorf like move 14...Bb7 for Black.
15.e5!
There is no other move to consider here. Black will have to move his Knight off of the important f6 square and give way to White's play for this very important square. White's desire for f6 involves placing his own Knight on f6 for a very strong King attack.
15...dxe5 16.fxe5 Bc5
Black is reaching; hoping that White will play 17.exf6? Unfortunately, White has time and position, so he is not concerned with the up-coming lack-luster check on his King. If White did play 17.exf6? then 17...Bxd4+ 18.Kh1 Qxg3 19.hxg3 Bxf6 =+
17.Bxc5 Qxc5+
I couldn't have planned it any better; this move order by Black plays directly into Whites desire to bring his Knight into play and eventually to f6!
18.Kh1 Nd5 19.Ne4!
Maintaining tempo over Black and forcing his Queen to move, White will play to rid Black's guard to f6 and then follow up with Nf6!
19...Qf8?
This move just loses for Black and as we shall see, two moves later Black resigns.
20.Bxd5! exd5 21.Nf6+! 1–0
Thomas goes on to finish at 3.0/5.
As for Round 5: I'm due Black and I'm paired up against a young adolescent, Joshua Abady(1393). Now I lost this game and I'm giving Joshua his due, he played a well thought out game and pretty much won his game against me hands down. But one thing I've learned about myself in these tournaments: Always put in for a bye on the final round! Fact of the matter is, after playing in these weekend long tournaments, by the time the final round rolls around in the late part of a Sunday afternoon, my mental state is just less than sharp. And, of course, having more than an few hours of down time before the last round leads to boredom and dull senses.
Needless to say, I wasn't mentally in this game from the start. I rushed my analysis short of critical lines and didn't take my opponent seriously. Thus, I deserved what I got. Joshua, with this win, ties for second place in our section with a 4.0/5 score. This game did leave me with some exciting analysis to review and will be the subject of my next blog.
RATING WATCH: 1567
The Eastern Class Championships, put on by the CCA, is a popular event here in the Northeast with a relatively strong turnout. What is attractive about this specific event is how the sections are categorized per class. Most of your opponents sitting across the board are of comparative chess skill and strength. I entered the "Class C" section with a current published rating of 1472, which had about 30 entrants.
Playing the 3 day cycle versus two days is my preferred choice. Playing in a tournament where you begin with shortened move/time controls only to be assimilated into longer time controls in later rounds is hard to adjust too and, quite frankly, puts you at a mental disadvantage.
This tournament drew in a lot of players from my club which always adds a little social flare to the event. Personally, I had a good tournament. I finished 3.0/5, but my play was better than my score. Here is how it went down:
Round 1: I am Black and draw Walter Chesnut(1583) as my opponent. Walter is a strong player and probably more of a chess fiend than me. Why do I say this? Well, I arrived at our board first and had pretty much everything set up when he finally arrives and says, "I have these," as he opens up a box to reveal a beautifully hand carved wooden set produced by the House of Staunton; total cost, $1500.00 plus. Hey, who am I to argue with that? I said sure and got the opportunity to play with a very nice set indeed. As for the game, the line was a classical King's Indian Defense and it was a good solid game played well by both sides that ended in a draw after White's 28th move. Walter offered the draw after realizing the position to be equal, but moreover, knowing that if he was to forfeit a tempo move my way, I could come crashing down his King side with a violent attack. Of course the same could be said of me, if I were to allow White to get in one additional move on the Queen side without proper defensive measures on my part, he could have torn up that side of the board. Walter goes on to finish in a tie for second place with a score of 4.0/5.
Round 2: I'm due White and draw William Phelps(1488) from Maine, an older gentleman with a friendly demeanor. William decides to play the French Defense...I strongly dislike this defense. I find it rather boring and stodgy and rarely play into any of the "French" variations. I decided to play against this lack luster defense with something rather conservative as well; the KIA. I've always had good results against French players with the KIA. I finish this game with a strong victory which is rather reminiscent of a game I played against a fellow club player a few months ago. William finishes with a respectable 3.0/5.
Round 3: I am paired up against Greg Gelsomino(1483) from New York. Greg opens with 1.e4 that leads to a Closed Sicilian opening. Of all my games at this event, this game was perhaps the most un-interesting. I felt that my opponent was playing for a draw, exchanging pieces whenever opportunity presented itself. Of course, perhaps he just didn't see any better moves, in any case, I couldn't find any thing interesting myself to complicate the position to prevent these sort of exchanges. In the end, this game ends up in a draw, nothing much else to say about this one. Greg goes on to finish 3.0/5.
Round 4: This game was my most exciting game of the tournament and wraps up a strong win. For your viewing pleasure, I offer annotations of this particular game. Enjoy!
Smith,Warner (1553) - Sifter,Thomas (1528)
[B87] Sicilian Najorf/Fischer Attack
Eastern Class Championships Sturbridge, MA
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bc4 e6 7.Bb3
The Fischer Attack is my choice of weapon when facing the Sicilian Najdorf. White focuses on attacking the center; specifically targeting Black's pawn on e6. If Black does not play accurately, White may sacrifice his light colored Bishop on e6 to open up a strong attack with his Knight on d4 leading the way.
7...b5
Black's usual reply, however, 7...Nbd7 has become quite popular where Black has been able to obtain some promising positions.
8.Qf3!
Usually, White castles here, but I like to mix it up once in a while and play the strong Qf3! as soon as I can. The plan is two-fold; first if Black fails to play either 8...Bb7 or 8...Qc7, then White has the strong 9.e5! The follow up for White's Queen is to eventually play Qg3 after Black decides to castle King side.
8...Qc7
I like this move for Black as he safeguards against White's play for an immediate 9. e5 push where Black would then just play 9...Be7. By playing Qc7, Black leaves his Bishop to protect the weak pawn on e6.
9.a3
To prevent Black from "kicking" my Knight off of c3 and to provide an escape route for the light colored Bishop.
9...Be7 10.Be3 0–0 11.0–0 Re8
After this move, I got the warm and fuzzies...an internal mechanism that soothes the chess soul with dreams of winning combinations. Not that this move by Black is bad, but it was just one of those moves where I felt the tide was about to change in my favor. The one draw back with this move is that it does take away an important escape route for Black's Knight on f6.
12.Qg3
Putting a heavy emphasis on Black's ability to play very accurate. Should Black make a move to remove the Bishop guard to e6, white comes in fast with a Bishop sacrifice. For example, 12...Nbd7? 13.Bxe6! If Black plays 13...fxe6?? 14.Nxe6 Nh5 15.Nxc7 Nxg3 16.fxg3 Bb7 17.Nxa8 Bxa8 +-
12...Nc6
Now that White's Queen has moved to g3, Black can now play Nc6.
13.f4 Nxd4
Black plays to remove some tension in the center.
14.Bxd4 Bd7?!
I found this move quite interesting and in White's favor. The problem with this move is Black has taken away the last viable retreat square for his Knight on f6. And as we will soon see, Black is left scrapping to maintain some sort of equalized position with White. Personally, I like the very Najdorf like move 14...Bb7 for Black.
15.e5!
There is no other move to consider here. Black will have to move his Knight off of the important f6 square and give way to White's play for this very important square. White's desire for f6 involves placing his own Knight on f6 for a very strong King attack.
15...dxe5 16.fxe5 Bc5
Black is reaching; hoping that White will play 17.exf6? Unfortunately, White has time and position, so he is not concerned with the up-coming lack-luster check on his King. If White did play 17.exf6? then 17...Bxd4+ 18.Kh1 Qxg3 19.hxg3 Bxf6 =+
17.Bxc5 Qxc5+
I couldn't have planned it any better; this move order by Black plays directly into Whites desire to bring his Knight into play and eventually to f6!
18.Kh1 Nd5 19.Ne4!
Maintaining tempo over Black and forcing his Queen to move, White will play to rid Black's guard to f6 and then follow up with Nf6!
19...Qf8?
This move just loses for Black and as we shall see, two moves later Black resigns.
20.Bxd5! exd5 21.Nf6+! 1–0
Thomas goes on to finish at 3.0/5.
As for Round 5: I'm due Black and I'm paired up against a young adolescent, Joshua Abady(1393). Now I lost this game and I'm giving Joshua his due, he played a well thought out game and pretty much won his game against me hands down. But one thing I've learned about myself in these tournaments: Always put in for a bye on the final round! Fact of the matter is, after playing in these weekend long tournaments, by the time the final round rolls around in the late part of a Sunday afternoon, my mental state is just less than sharp. And, of course, having more than an few hours of down time before the last round leads to boredom and dull senses.
Needless to say, I wasn't mentally in this game from the start. I rushed my analysis short of critical lines and didn't take my opponent seriously. Thus, I deserved what I got. Joshua, with this win, ties for second place in our section with a 4.0/5 score. This game did leave me with some exciting analysis to review and will be the subject of my next blog.
RATING WATCH: 1567
Friday, February 27, 2009
Groundhog Round-Up!
As my quest for chess perfection continues forward; OK, as my quest for improved play moves forward, this month's Groundhog Day Swiss tournament had its share of ups and downs.
To start with some basic facts; the section I signed into was the U1600 with a field of 13 players ranging from low 1200 ratings to upper 1500's. On the wall chart, I was the 5th highest ranked player in our section with a rating of 1471. Overall, the turnout for this tournament was on the low end and I'd say that the field competition was moderate in our section.
Round 1: Smith(1471) vs. Cermak(1297)
This game was a rather convincing win for me. I played a gambit opening that my opponent had never seen before. Needless to say, he spent the entire game on the defensive and quickly fell short on material. We went over the game afterwards and I'm sure he'll feel a little more comfortable in the future against the sort of gambit I played.
I didn't annotate this game publicly. However, I was quite pleased with Fritz's analysis of my play -- I played quite accurate.
Round 2: Thompson(1477) vs. Smith(1471)
It would appear that Doug Thompson and myself have been joined at the hip in recent tournaments. In this game I played the Sicilian Defense in response to Doug's 1.e4 - 3.c3 opening. Because I had already just blog-annotated a game played between us in an earlier match, I decided not to blog another game between us.
Our game was interesting for a while, but things turned pretty bad for Doug later in the game. He was feeling a whole lot of heat coming down on his Monarch and his pieces were just not properly aligned to meet the onslaught. This was another solid win in my column.
So, after two rounds I scored two solid victories in comfortable fashion and according to Fritz, my play was pretty accurate in both those games. From an improvement perspective, I've been very happy with recent tournament play. My positional awareness and understanding has dramatically improved; strategic and tactical comprehension greatly increased as well. But, most importantly, I had ridden myself of some very nasty habits. Especially the one habit where I use to "exchange for the sake of exchanging".
I was looking forward to round three to test my skill against a stronger player.
Round 3: Smith(1471) vs. Harrington(1539)
In this game I played the same gambit opening I played in round 1 with succinct success. Again, my opponent was unfamiliar with the opening I sprung on him and by move 9 he was down a piece and on a fast track to being mated.
After the game, I was left with a funny thought. Since my return to tournament chess after a 3 month hiatus, my last 5 wins were downright convincing...not a lot of sweat and no end games to knuckle out. Had my play improved that much as a result of professional instruction, time and study? I would like to think so, and rested my thoughts on the idea that I had a chance to sweep the section with 4 wins by the end of the final round.
But alas, as life's funny ironies come into play, I am stricken with the flu and was bacterially forced to call in for a bye on the final round! As it turns out, I still placed 1st, just had to share it with two other people.
Rating Watch: 1553
To start with some basic facts; the section I signed into was the U1600 with a field of 13 players ranging from low 1200 ratings to upper 1500's. On the wall chart, I was the 5th highest ranked player in our section with a rating of 1471. Overall, the turnout for this tournament was on the low end and I'd say that the field competition was moderate in our section.
Round 1: Smith(1471) vs. Cermak(1297)
This game was a rather convincing win for me. I played a gambit opening that my opponent had never seen before. Needless to say, he spent the entire game on the defensive and quickly fell short on material. We went over the game afterwards and I'm sure he'll feel a little more comfortable in the future against the sort of gambit I played.
I didn't annotate this game publicly. However, I was quite pleased with Fritz's analysis of my play -- I played quite accurate.
Round 2: Thompson(1477) vs. Smith(1471)
It would appear that Doug Thompson and myself have been joined at the hip in recent tournaments. In this game I played the Sicilian Defense in response to Doug's 1.e4 - 3.c3 opening. Because I had already just blog-annotated a game played between us in an earlier match, I decided not to blog another game between us.
Our game was interesting for a while, but things turned pretty bad for Doug later in the game. He was feeling a whole lot of heat coming down on his Monarch and his pieces were just not properly aligned to meet the onslaught. This was another solid win in my column.
So, after two rounds I scored two solid victories in comfortable fashion and according to Fritz, my play was pretty accurate in both those games. From an improvement perspective, I've been very happy with recent tournament play. My positional awareness and understanding has dramatically improved; strategic and tactical comprehension greatly increased as well. But, most importantly, I had ridden myself of some very nasty habits. Especially the one habit where I use to "exchange for the sake of exchanging".
I was looking forward to round three to test my skill against a stronger player.
Round 3: Smith(1471) vs. Harrington(1539)
In this game I played the same gambit opening I played in round 1 with succinct success. Again, my opponent was unfamiliar with the opening I sprung on him and by move 9 he was down a piece and on a fast track to being mated.
After the game, I was left with a funny thought. Since my return to tournament chess after a 3 month hiatus, my last 5 wins were downright convincing...not a lot of sweat and no end games to knuckle out. Had my play improved that much as a result of professional instruction, time and study? I would like to think so, and rested my thoughts on the idea that I had a chance to sweep the section with 4 wins by the end of the final round.
But alas, as life's funny ironies come into play, I am stricken with the flu and was bacterially forced to call in for a bye on the final round! As it turns out, I still placed 1st, just had to share it with two other people.
Rating Watch: 1553
Thursday, February 5, 2009
MCC Groundhog Day Swiss: In Honor
A new month brings a new tournament at the club. February is a treacherous month in New England and to most folks, the least favorite month of the year. But February, the shortest month of the year, is a month in which we celebrate a rich collection of mythology, legends, science and history. Just to name a quick few: St. Valentine’s Day, Presidents Day, Leap Year, Groundhog Day, and Black History etc...
Over the years, the Metrowest Chess Club has named its February tournaments in honor of such celebrated traditions and folklore. The most recent tournaments have been the MCC Valentine Swiss and the MCC Leap Year Swiss. This year, it is named after rodent folklore – MCC Groundhog Day Swiss.
Personally, I’m off to a good start in this particular tournament with a decisive first round win. However, rather than blog about the game this week, I’ve decided to do a little research into the history of Groundhog Day and provide a little light reading for the local chess reader who may be playing in a tournament named after this hokey folklore. Enjoy!
Groundhog Day
In North America, this tradition is annually celebrated both in the United States and in Canada. The most famous of groundhogs is good ole Punxsutawney Phil; where the good folks of Punxsutawney Pennsylvania gather around, anxiously waiting for Punxsutawney Phil to emerge from its heated little burrow in hopes of forecasting a short winter. Unless, of course, you’re an avid skier!
So what drives this funky folklore? There are many theories, but the one that makes the most chronological sense to me is one where we need to go back to ancient times where mythology thrived and was a major influence on the cultural make-up that catered societal practices. And what great ancient empire had the greatest influence on western culture? Well, that’s an easy one; the Roman Empire!
The Roman legions, during the conquest of the northern country, supposedly brought this tradition to the Germanic tribes, who picked it up and concluded that if the sun made an appearance on Candlemas Day, an animal, the hedgehog, would cast a shadow, thus predicting six more weeks of bad weather, which they interpolated as the length of the "Second Winter." [2]
Germans would recite:
For as the sun shines on Canlemas Day,
So far will the snow swirl until the May.
Candlemas Day is a Christian practice known as the “Feast of the Presentation at the Temple” celebrating an early episode in the life of Jesus and falls around the 2nd of February. At the time of Roman conquest over the Germanic tribes, Christianity was the official religion of Rome.
In the days of early European Christians celebrating Candlemas Day, the custom was to have the clergy bless candles and distribute them to the people. The event marked a milestone in the winter and the weather on that particular day was important. According to old English Song: [2]
If Candlemas be fair and bright,
Fast forward to the European migration of North America, and it should be noted that Pennsylvania's earliest settlers were Germans and they found groundhogs to in profusion in many parts of the state. They determined that the groundhog, resembling the European hedgehog, was a most intelligent and sensible animal and therefore decided that if the sun did appear on February 2nd, so wise an animal as the groundhog would see its shadow and hurry back into its underground home for another six weeks of winter. [2]
An early American reference to Groundhog Day can be found in the diary entry, dated February 5th, 1841 of Berks County, Pennsylvania of storekeeper James Morris: [1]
"Last Tuesday, the 2nd, was Candlemas day, the day on which, according to the Germans, the Groundhog peeps out of his winter quarters and if he sees his shadow he pops back for another six weeks nap, but if the day be cloudy he remains out, as the weather is to be moderate."
As of today, in our modern tradition, the largest Groundhog Day celebration is held in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania where crowds as high as 40,000 people have gathered to celebrate this time honored tradition mixed in lore and religion.
And now you know, from the point of this writer, how Groundhog Day came to be in the United States where organizations like our very own chess club decorate their events in honor of this legendary holiday.
Over the years, the Metrowest Chess Club has named its February tournaments in honor of such celebrated traditions and folklore. The most recent tournaments have been the MCC Valentine Swiss and the MCC Leap Year Swiss. This year, it is named after rodent folklore – MCC Groundhog Day Swiss.
Personally, I’m off to a good start in this particular tournament with a decisive first round win. However, rather than blog about the game this week, I’ve decided to do a little research into the history of Groundhog Day and provide a little light reading for the local chess reader who may be playing in a tournament named after this hokey folklore. Enjoy!
Groundhog Day
We all know how the story goes; every February 2nd people gather around the burrow of a groundhog, awaiting for the creature to emerge and witness whether or not the groundhog fails to see its shadow. According to legend, if he does see his shadow, the fury little thing retreats to the warm comforts of its burrow signifying another 6 dreadful weeks of winter. Otherwise, the groundhog ventures out of its burrow, thus indicating that winter will soon come to an end. 
In North America, this tradition is annually celebrated both in the United States and in Canada. The most famous of groundhogs is good ole Punxsutawney Phil; where the good folks of Punxsutawney Pennsylvania gather around, anxiously waiting for Punxsutawney Phil to emerge from its heated little burrow in hopes of forecasting a short winter. Unless, of course, you’re an avid skier!
So what drives this funky folklore? There are many theories, but the one that makes the most chronological sense to me is one where we need to go back to ancient times where mythology thrived and was a major influence on the cultural make-up that catered societal practices. And what great ancient empire had the greatest influence on western culture? Well, that’s an easy one; the Roman Empire!
The Roman legions, during the conquest of the northern country, supposedly brought this tradition to the Germanic tribes, who picked it up and concluded that if the sun made an appearance on Candlemas Day, an animal, the hedgehog, would cast a shadow, thus predicting six more weeks of bad weather, which they interpolated as the length of the "Second Winter." [2]
Germans would recite:
For as the sun shines on Canlemas Day,
So far will the snow swirl until the May.
Candlemas Day is a Christian practice known as the “Feast of the Presentation at the Temple” celebrating an early episode in the life of Jesus and falls around the 2nd of February. At the time of Roman conquest over the Germanic tribes, Christianity was the official religion of Rome.
In the days of early European Christians celebrating Candlemas Day, the custom was to have the clergy bless candles and distribute them to the people. The event marked a milestone in the winter and the weather on that particular day was important. According to old English Song: [2]
If Candlemas be fair and bright,
Come, Winter, have another flight;
If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
Go Winter, and come not again.
An early American reference to Groundhog Day can be found in the diary entry, dated February 5th, 1841 of Berks County, Pennsylvania of storekeeper James Morris: [1]
And now you know, from the point of this writer, how Groundhog Day came to be in the United States where organizations like our very own chess club decorate their events in honor of this legendary holiday.
Notes:
1. History Society of Berks County, Reading, Pennsylvania
2. http://www.groundhog.org/about/history.php
1. History Society of Berks County, Reading, Pennsylvania
2. http://www.groundhog.org/about/history.php
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Steady Play
With each passing game, a growing confidence evolves within me. An insatiable growth in playing strength; afforded to me as result of sound judgement, positional understanding and tactics, make for steady play. Finally, study, time, effort and coaching are beginning to pay off dividends.
Granted I lost the first two rounds, but it wasn't due to any opening or middle game failures and may I remind the reader that I just returned from a 3 month hiatus. In both matches, I was quite solid into the late stages of the game with winning positions. It was only some old habits, cockiness and lack of concentration during the end game that led to my undoings in those games.
In the final round of this month's tournament, I was, once again, paired up against Doug Thompson. But before I get to the game, I need to say that Mr. Thompson is one classy guy and a credit to our club. A while back I wrote about "Chess Mannerisms"; Doug has all the class and sincerity that all club players should espouse too.
OK, so on to the game...
Smith,Warner (1471)
Thompson,Douglas (1477)
[C00] French: Kings Indian Attack
MCC New Years Swiss Natick MA (4)
1.e4 e6
Doug likes the French Defense. Last time I played him I was rather aggressive and played into the "Advance" version of the French Defense with 3.e5. However, I wanted to give Doug a different look this time around. So I decided to play a line I don't play much anymore...something a little less "edgy" and more conservative -- Kings Indian Attack.
2.d3 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.Ngf3 Bd6
I considered a pawn push with 5.e5, but I was in prophylactic think mode with this particular player and wanted to continue with my opening development before putting together a solid attack plan. Moreover, I find that players of the French Defense sometimes forget about the simple pawn fork that can arise in this position with ...Nf6?
5.g3 d4!?
I found this early pawn push interesting and rather happy to see it, as I thought this move helped to justify White's development with the King's Indian Attack; blocking the important a7-g1 diagonal.
6.Bg2 Nd7 7.0–0 e5 8.Nc4 +=
Black has pushed for center space early on, but his pieces aren't well coordinated to make use of this current advantage. Meanwhile, White has finished with his preliminary development and now begins to form a solid strategy -- putting pressure on Black's pawn at e5 and await Black's intentions.
8...Bc7 9.a4
I don't want to make it easy for Black to push my Knight off of c4
9...Ngf6 10.Bh3
I begin to put into motion the "Removing of the Guard" at d7. Black's development is slow and his pieces appear "stuffy". I was waiting for Black's intent, but I can't sit around all day. I have development, sound strategy and tempo galore!
10...0–0 11.Bg5 Re8
A good move by Black and just in time. With this move, Black finishes his opening development and secures the life span of his pawn on e5.
12.Nh4
White begins to put into place a new strategy; one that focuses on Black's King directly! With the center now locked up, White entices Black to play 12...h6. The idea, is once Black plays this move, the white squares around his Monarch become weakened and White would follow up with a Bishop retreat to 13.Bd2 to later play Nf5! adding heavy pressure to h6.
12...h6 13.Bd2
Everything is going according to plan...
13...Nb6
Black's first counter play; but I like the options available to me. I want to exchange my light colored bishop with Black's. Remember what I said about the weak light colored squares around Black's King? Removing his biggest protector of such squares is beneficial for White.
14.Nxb6 Bxb6 15.Bxc8 Rxc8 16.a5
I want to keep Black's remaining Bishop in a bad state and inactive. With the center locked up, Black's Bishop becomes insignificant, whereas, White's lone Bishop enjoys his activity along the c1–h6 diagonal with strong pressure on h6!
16...Bc7 17.Nf5=
A fantastic outpost for White's Knight that helps to put pressure on h6. Black can't kick White's Knight out without losing material.
17...Re6
Black's best move! He's behind the eight ball here and needs to get his pieces well coordinated to defend against White's oncoming assault.
18.Qc1
I'm only probing here to see what Black will do next.
18...Nh7 19.Qd1
Hmmm...let's see if Black decides to bring his Knight back to f6.
19...Rg6?!
Not a good move for Black. I understand the reasoning behind the move to guard against Qg4 and to assist in Black's defense of his King. But this move is an illusory stay, as White will soon evict the Rook from it's fragile post. His best move is 19...Nf6 which helps guard against a Queen's invasion along the g and f-files.
20.h4! Nf8?
Better is 20...Kh8. Now, the Knight can't get to its elite post on f6, moreoever, his King is locked into a tight corner, accentuating the monarch's vulnerability to a sacrificial attack by White.
21.h5 Ra6 22.Qg4!±
White is about to win some material regardless of Black's next move.
22...g5 23.Nxh6+! Rxh6 24.Bxg5! Qd7
Forced.
25.Qxd7 Nxd7 26.Bxh6 Kh7 27.Bg5 Rg8 28.Bh4+-
Better is 27. Bd2; come back to assist with a Queen-side assault and the move would also have prevented the loss of my h-pawn. However, White is clearly winning and my immediate focus at the time was maintaining a vigilant guard over my King, while looking for exchanges whenever possible. I know that the end game will play itself out.
28...Kh6 29.Kg2 Kxh5 30.Rh1 Kg6 31.Ra4
Now that my King is well secured and up material, I begin a Queen side push seeking exchanges wherever they may be.
31...Re8 32.c3 Re6 33.cxd4 cxd4
Ahh...another file for my Rook to play with; biding time.
34.Rc1 Bd6 35.b4 b5 36.axb6 axb6 37.Rc6 b5 38.Ra7 Nf8 39.Rb7+-
I missed the perfect opportunity here to end the game quickly. The following line is much better for White: [39.Be7 Bxe7 40.Rxe6+ Nxe6 41.Rxe7 Kf6 42.Rb7 Nf8 43.Rxb5 Nd7]
39...Bxb4 40.Rxe6+ Nxe6 41.Rxb5 Bf8 42.Rxe5
Black keeps missing his pawns; so White picks them up for him. At this point Black is desperately playing on hope alone that would, at most, grant him a draw.
42...Bd6 43.Rd5 Bb4 44.f4 Nc5 45.Rxd4
Chomp...chomp...chomp...
45...Bd2 46.f5+ Kg7 47.Kf3 Nb3 48.Rd6 Bc3 49.g4 Be5 50.Rd7
Better is 50.Rd5
50...Nd4+
Black begins a dream of checks in hopes of a potential fork; but will soon find out that he will only awaken to a nightmare.
51.Ke3 Nc2+ 52.Kd2 Nd4 53.Bf2 Nb3+ 54.Kc2 Na5 55.Bd4
Another exchange...another nail in Black's coffin.
55...Nc6 56.Bxe5+ Nxe5 57.Ra7 Nxg4 58.Ra6 f6 59.d4
A few moves later and Black resigns to the worthless effort ahead of him. 1–0
Rating Watch: 1472
Granted I lost the first two rounds, but it wasn't due to any opening or middle game failures and may I remind the reader that I just returned from a 3 month hiatus. In both matches, I was quite solid into the late stages of the game with winning positions. It was only some old habits, cockiness and lack of concentration during the end game that led to my undoings in those games.
In the final round of this month's tournament, I was, once again, paired up against Doug Thompson. But before I get to the game, I need to say that Mr. Thompson is one classy guy and a credit to our club. A while back I wrote about "Chess Mannerisms"; Doug has all the class and sincerity that all club players should espouse too.
OK, so on to the game...
Smith,Warner (1471)
Thompson,Douglas (1477)
[C00] French: Kings Indian Attack
MCC New Years Swiss Natick MA (4)
1.e4 e6
Doug likes the French Defense. Last time I played him I was rather aggressive and played into the "Advance" version of the French Defense with 3.e5. However, I wanted to give Doug a different look this time around. So I decided to play a line I don't play much anymore...something a little less "edgy" and more conservative -- Kings Indian Attack.
2.d3 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.Ngf3 Bd6
I considered a pawn push with 5.e5, but I was in prophylactic think mode with this particular player and wanted to continue with my opening development before putting together a solid attack plan. Moreover, I find that players of the French Defense sometimes forget about the simple pawn fork that can arise in this position with ...Nf6?
5.g3 d4!?
I found this early pawn push interesting and rather happy to see it, as I thought this move helped to justify White's development with the King's Indian Attack; blocking the important a7-g1 diagonal.
6.Bg2 Nd7 7.0–0 e5 8.Nc4 +=
Black has pushed for center space early on, but his pieces aren't well coordinated to make use of this current advantage. Meanwhile, White has finished with his preliminary development and now begins to form a solid strategy -- putting pressure on Black's pawn at e5 and await Black's intentions.
8...Bc7 9.a4
I don't want to make it easy for Black to push my Knight off of c4
9...Ngf6 10.Bh3
I begin to put into motion the "Removing of the Guard" at d7. Black's development is slow and his pieces appear "stuffy". I was waiting for Black's intent, but I can't sit around all day. I have development, sound strategy and tempo galore!
10...0–0 11.Bg5 Re8
A good move by Black and just in time. With this move, Black finishes his opening development and secures the life span of his pawn on e5.
12.Nh4
White begins to put into place a new strategy; one that focuses on Black's King directly! With the center now locked up, White entices Black to play 12...h6. The idea, is once Black plays this move, the white squares around his Monarch become weakened and White would follow up with a Bishop retreat to 13.Bd2 to later play Nf5! adding heavy pressure to h6.
12...h6 13.Bd2
Everything is going according to plan...
13...Nb6
Black's first counter play; but I like the options available to me. I want to exchange my light colored bishop with Black's. Remember what I said about the weak light colored squares around Black's King? Removing his biggest protector of such squares is beneficial for White.
14.Nxb6 Bxb6 15.Bxc8 Rxc8 16.a5
I want to keep Black's remaining Bishop in a bad state and inactive. With the center locked up, Black's Bishop becomes insignificant, whereas, White's lone Bishop enjoys his activity along the c1–h6 diagonal with strong pressure on h6!
16...Bc7 17.Nf5=
A fantastic outpost for White's Knight that helps to put pressure on h6. Black can't kick White's Knight out without losing material.
17...Re6
Black's best move! He's behind the eight ball here and needs to get his pieces well coordinated to defend against White's oncoming assault.
18.Qc1
I'm only probing here to see what Black will do next.
18...Nh7 19.Qd1
Hmmm...let's see if Black decides to bring his Knight back to f6.
19...Rg6?!
Not a good move for Black. I understand the reasoning behind the move to guard against Qg4 and to assist in Black's defense of his King. But this move is an illusory stay, as White will soon evict the Rook from it's fragile post. His best move is 19...Nf6 which helps guard against a Queen's invasion along the g and f-files.
20.h4! Nf8?
Better is 20...Kh8. Now, the Knight can't get to its elite post on f6, moreoever, his King is locked into a tight corner, accentuating the monarch's vulnerability to a sacrificial attack by White.
21.h5 Ra6 22.Qg4!±
White is about to win some material regardless of Black's next move.
22...g5 23.Nxh6+! Rxh6 24.Bxg5! Qd7
Forced.
25.Qxd7 Nxd7 26.Bxh6 Kh7 27.Bg5 Rg8 28.Bh4+-
Better is 27. Bd2; come back to assist with a Queen-side assault and the move would also have prevented the loss of my h-pawn. However, White is clearly winning and my immediate focus at the time was maintaining a vigilant guard over my King, while looking for exchanges whenever possible. I know that the end game will play itself out.
28...Kh6 29.Kg2 Kxh5 30.Rh1 Kg6 31.Ra4
Now that my King is well secured and up material, I begin a Queen side push seeking exchanges wherever they may be.
31...Re8 32.c3 Re6 33.cxd4 cxd4
Ahh...another file for my Rook to play with; biding time.
34.Rc1 Bd6 35.b4 b5 36.axb6 axb6 37.Rc6 b5 38.Ra7 Nf8 39.Rb7+-
I missed the perfect opportunity here to end the game quickly. The following line is much better for White: [39.Be7 Bxe7 40.Rxe6+ Nxe6 41.Rxe7 Kf6 42.Rb7 Nf8 43.Rxb5 Nd7]
39...Bxb4 40.Rxe6+ Nxe6 41.Rxb5 Bf8 42.Rxe5
Black keeps missing his pawns; so White picks them up for him. At this point Black is desperately playing on hope alone that would, at most, grant him a draw.
42...Bd6 43.Rd5 Bb4 44.f4 Nc5 45.Rxd4
Chomp...chomp...chomp...
45...Bd2 46.f5+ Kg7 47.Kf3 Nb3 48.Rd6 Bc3 49.g4 Be5 50.Rd7
Better is 50.Rd5
50...Nd4+
Black begins a dream of checks in hopes of a potential fork; but will soon find out that he will only awaken to a nightmare.
51.Ke3 Nc2+ 52.Kd2 Nd4 53.Bf2 Nb3+ 54.Kc2 Na5 55.Bd4
Another exchange...another nail in Black's coffin.
55...Nc6 56.Bxe5+ Nxe5 57.Ra7 Nxg4 58.Ra6 f6 59.d4
A few moves later and Black resigns to the worthless effort ahead of him. 1–0
Rating Watch: 1472
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
The Universe of Chess
The Universe has a sense of humor. As chaotic as one might think of our Universe, one thing remains constant; it’s innate ability to harmonize and maintain a delicate equilibrium among all things. We learn about some of these basic principles in high school physics; Newton’s Law: For every force there is an equal but opposite force.
Well in the games of chess, I guess the same principle can apply. For example; in round two of this Month’s tournament ( MCC New Years Swiss) at the local club, I played the best game I ever lost. In other words, it was a game in which my position was superior throughout and included a slight material advantage. In the endgame, I had achieved the perfect pawn storm only to get cocky and blunder like no one has blundered before. I lost a game that should not have been lost.
The following week, round 3, I played terrible, just plain terrible. I could not focus and I was dropping material left and right to my opponent. For most of the game, my opponent had a positional edge and a strong material advantage as he continued to add pressure towards an ongoing attack against my King. He had all the makings for a strong victory. But as we played on, my position grew stronger and my pieces had coordinated enough to thwart any quick mating attacks, although, white could still achieve his win as long as he remained focused. Apparently, that was not going to be the case, as I had bated him into a Rook exchange that led to his demise with a mating attack.
I had played the worse game I ever won; I had no rights winning round three, but in the “Universe of Chess”, all things must come to order and the state of equilibrium must be achieved. In round two I was the Sherriff of Nottingham; in round three, I was Robin Hood, and the Universe once more, had corrected the natural order of things.
Well in the games of chess, I guess the same principle can apply. For example; in round two of this Month’s tournament ( MCC New Years Swiss) at the local club, I played the best game I ever lost. In other words, it was a game in which my position was superior throughout and included a slight material advantage. In the endgame, I had achieved the perfect pawn storm only to get cocky and blunder like no one has blundered before. I lost a game that should not have been lost.
The following week, round 3, I played terrible, just plain terrible. I could not focus and I was dropping material left and right to my opponent. For most of the game, my opponent had a positional edge and a strong material advantage as he continued to add pressure towards an ongoing attack against my King. He had all the makings for a strong victory. But as we played on, my position grew stronger and my pieces had coordinated enough to thwart any quick mating attacks, although, white could still achieve his win as long as he remained focused. Apparently, that was not going to be the case, as I had bated him into a Rook exchange that led to his demise with a mating attack.
I had played the worse game I ever won; I had no rights winning round three, but in the “Universe of Chess”, all things must come to order and the state of equilibrium must be achieved. In round two I was the Sherriff of Nottingham; in round three, I was Robin Hood, and the Universe once more, had corrected the natural order of things.
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