House has been sold now for awhile

In the process of starting up a business. More chess postings soon!

I heard you missed me, I'm baaackk!!

Been going crazy trying to get the house ready to sell. Going on the market this weekend!!

Anyway, back to chess.

I've discovered that sometimes simple and solid moves are the best. Case in point, it's white's move in this diagram. White's position looks pretty good to me, everything for the most part is bearing down the white queen. White to move....




According to Fritz 10, the simple e4! OR rxe5 is the best move here. It stops the knight from taking the pawn on d5 and it also doesn't change any of the possible white sacrifices on e5.

Of course, I saw all kinds of crazy stuff like Rxe5 and Nxe5. Rxe5 is just fine as well but Nxe5 just loses to pxn and black can't take back with the queen because of the pawn fork at f6.

Guess what I played? of course, I played nxe5?? I actually saw the problem in earlier analysis but when I looked at it again I saw something that isn't there. I would suggest carrying scrap paper and actually writing down moves that you reject! I wonder if you can do that in tournaments?...mmm...

Chess blindness and "closing the deal"

Some of you may be wondering if I ever lose games. I only post games on here that I win. Well, to answer your question, I lose plenty of games! I just don't feel like posting them.

Here is a game that I lost but SHOULD have won. How many of you can say that about many of your games? If you're like me probably several.

I was playing a queens gambit declined as black in this game. Up to move 29 I was definitely playing like a master and the win is imminent. Black just has to many threats. Unfortunately I suffered a "head up ass" moment and instead of just protecting my rook and ALSO attacking the queen on move 30 with Nc6, I play the retard move of Rd7. Yeah this does move it out of capture but it gives white the chance to regroup with Rf1. If I play Nc6, the queen has to move and then I win outright with Nf2 check.

Anyway, the blunders don't stop there. See move 31 for black Nf4??????. This just LOSES. I completely missed the rook check on the back rank (didn't help that I move the rook to d7 earlier!) and then white just takes next move on e5. Finished.

Wow, I'm still beating myself up over this one. I think I was really proud of myself for finding the move 27 Rxa2!! (I am giving it two exclams!) But, unless you can "close the deal" it doesn't matter how many pretty moves you made earlier if you end up losing the game. No mercy and complete concentration to the VERY END!!! ARGGHHH!!

Here is the move list and the picture of the analysis by Fritz 10

BLACK SHOULD JUST PLAY Nc6 next move and it's over. Instead black plays Rd7.




1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e3 b6 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. Bxe7 Nxe7
8. Nf3 Bb7 9. Bd3 O-O 10. O-O Nd7 11. Qc2 g6 12. e4 c5 13. dxc5 Nxc5 14.
Bc4 Qc7 15. Rfd1 Rfd8 16. Rac1 Qf4 17. Nd2 Nc6 18. Ne2 Qf6 19. f3 Ne5 20.
Rb1 Rac8 21. Kh1 Ncd3 22. Kg1 b5 23. Qb3 bxc4 24. Qxb7 Rb8 25. Qxa7 Rxb2
26. Kf1 Qh4 27. Kg1 Rxa2 28. Qxa2 Qf2+ 29. Kh1 Qxe2 30. Qa5 Rd7 31. Rf1 Nf4
32. Rb8+ Kg7 33. Qxe5+ *

Sometimes you get into a zone

I was playing around with a line in the Ruy Lopez that I found on YouTube. I highly recommend you try this line of play with black. Check it out.



Here is a game that I played against the Citrine at a one hour time control. This is the second game in a row that I've won against the Citrine at a one hour time control. I'm not sure what the heck is going on....maybe I'm getting better?? nawww.... Here is the game and then a screen shot of where the Citrine actually did resign. Enjoy!

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Ng4 6. d3 Bc5 7. Bxc6 dxc6
8. h3 h5 9. Bd2 Be6 10. hxg4 hxg4 11. Bg5 f6 12. Nxe5 fxg5 13. Nxg4 Qd6 14.
Re1 Qf4 15. Ne3 O-O-O 16. g3 Qf6 17. Nd2 Rdf8 18. Nf3 g4 19. d4 gxf3 20.
Nf5 Bxf5 21. dxc5 *

Latest game against Citrine

As far as I can tell, no major blunders on my part, but of course I could have made some better moves. I'd definitely like to get any feedback on this game.

Here are the moves and I've put the position where it's really over for all practical purposes (The Citrine of course still plays on)

1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 e6 3. c4 dxc4 4. e4 Bb4+ 5. Nc3 b5 6. Bd2 a6 7. a4 Bxc3 8.
Bxc3 Bb7 9. axb5 axb5 10. d5 f6 11. Rxa8 Bxa8 12. Bxc4 bxc4 13. Qa4+ Nd7
14. dxe6 Bxe4 15. Nd4 Bd3 16. Kd2 Ne7 17. Re1 O-O 18. exd7 c5 19. Ne6 Qb8
20. g3 Bf5 21. Nxf8 Kxf8 22. Kc1 Qd8 23. Rd1 Bxd7 24. Qxd7 Qxd7 25. Rxd7
Ke8 26. Rxe7+ Kxe7 27. Kd2 Kd6 28. Ke3 Ke6 29. Ba5 h5 30. f4 g6 31. h3 g5
32. fxg5 fxg5 33. Ke4 g4 34. h4 Kd6 35. Kf5 c3 36. Bxc3 Kd5 37. Kg5 Ke4 38.
Kxh5 Kf5 39. Kh6 Ke4 *

To try and win a piece, or trying to cut the piece off from the battle. That is the question.

Pulled from one of the PDF files in the month 3 information. A very fine quote from Capablanca:


“Very often in a game a master only plays to cut off, so to speak, one of the pieces from the scene
of actual conflict. Often a Bishop or a Knight is completely out of action. In such cases we might
say that from that moment the game is won, because for all practical purposes there will be one
more piece on one side than on the other.” - Jose Raul Capablanca

I think a lot of beginners and intermediate players really try to go out of their way to trap a piece if they think there is an opportunity. I know that I have really struggled and tried to calculate ways that I could possibly capture a bishop/knight that has gotten into deep into my position. I think an easier plan is to try and neutralizing its effectiveness and or just trying to keep it away from the action (where you have most of your pieces)

Thoughts?

Month 3 just around the corner

Hi,

I've been busy looking for a job so that's why it's been a while since the last post. I'll be sure to post something once month 3 starts. I'll also post some things that I picked up last month.

Lastly, I wanted to thank my one reader. Without you all of this would be a waste of time. THANK YOU MOM!! love you!

Mike