tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393640898640561043.comments2024-02-24T12:16:34.475-05:00Path to Chess MasteryChessAdminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02231584333139931889noreply@blogger.comBlogger490125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393640898640561043.post-67541615385900821472024-02-24T12:16:34.475-05:002024-02-24T12:16:34.475-05:00That's a good point, and shows how shallow the...That's a good point, and shows how shallow the main line 6. c3 analysis is in the product, unfortunately.ChessAdminhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02231584333139931889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393640898640561043.post-69248291449863886252024-02-23T02:15:28.029-05:002024-02-23T02:15:28.029-05:00Tartakower variation is extremely popular here in ...Tartakower variation is extremely popular here in Holland, due to a certain Chessable course by Erwin l’Ami. I’ve always played Bronstein-Larsen. h5 is a good idea, but c3, Bc4 and Qb3 is a good line against that for white. So it’s recommended for black to first play …Nbd7, to be able to kick the Bc4 immediately with …Nb6. It’s covered in Dangerous Weapons: the CK.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393640898640561043.post-10264776313754787592024-02-22T02:15:11.404-05:002024-02-22T02:15:11.404-05:00The tactic 32…Bc6 is not so easy, because white co...The tactic 32…Bc6 is not so easy, because white could muddy the waters with 33.e7. And after all, 32…Qg5 poses a bigger threat :-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393640898640561043.post-8607368827151738402024-01-27T13:37:05.384-05:002024-01-27T13:37:05.384-05:00There are certainly other (and perhaps better) ans...There are certainly other (and perhaps better) answers to the Fantasy Variation than 3...g6, including 3...e6. It's a question of how much time, effort and mental space one can invest in different parts of a full opening repertoire.ChessAdminhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02231584333139931889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393640898640561043.post-27629636258869576932024-01-27T03:31:30.417-05:002024-01-27T03:31:30.417-05:00You could try turning the Fantasy in a French with...You could try turning the Fantasy in a French with 3…e6. Lines with a possible/mandatory …Qxb2 are always venomous.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393640898640561043.post-23440440869501007102024-01-26T01:59:13.566-05:002024-01-26T01:59:13.566-05:00Agreed, white can get the pawn back. But is he bet...Agreed, white can get the pawn back. But is he better after that? Anyway, as said I don’t like the Bg7 being unopposed. I play CK as well, so lots of interesting stuff here on your blog. Keep up the good work.Jasonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393640898640561043.post-26719614548247190392024-01-25T21:51:52.941-05:002024-01-25T21:51:52.941-05:00Hi there, thanks for the comment. About the theory...Hi there, thanks for the comment. About the theory, the only move my (limited) English Opening books had was 10...Bd7, following an old Karpov game. Looking at the database, the move played in the game 10...Qd6 is actually the most popular, although it doesn't do very well. 10...Bxb2 isn't really a pawn sacrifice, since White can eventually get it back with something like 11. Rb1 Bg7 12. Nd4 Qd6 13. Bxc6 bxc6 14. Qc1, or if 12...Qxa2 13. Nxc6 and White can eventually get both of the doubled c-pawns.<br /><br />About the comments, I've gone back and forth on them. I have to keep the moderation on or the spam would proliferate. Allowing anonymous comments resulted in a large spam folder I had to keep manually reviewing, so that was not fun. I can try lifting the Google account requirement as an experiment and see what happens. In general I prefer easier comment posting, but the spam is very tiresome. ChessAdminhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02231584333139931889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393640898640561043.post-77951501842916723492024-01-23T02:44:12.994-05:002024-01-23T02:44:12.994-05:00Hi, I like your blog! But it takes some effort to ...Hi, I like your blog! But it takes some effort to be able to post comments. I wondered if you knew any theory after 10...Bxb2. It's a pawn sacrifice after all. I play Reti openings myself (in the 1.Nf3 move order) and ususally I prefer to play b3 (or b4) after black's ...g6, to oppose bishops on the long diagonal.IJsseldijk 321https://www.blogger.com/profile/08043360773270076744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393640898640561043.post-48719055896221027452023-07-01T12:24:11.438-04:002023-07-01T12:24:11.438-04:00Unfortunately an increase in spam messages meant t...Unfortunately an increase in spam messages meant that I've had to re-instate the Google account requirement for comment posting. Sorry.ChessAdminhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02231584333139931889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393640898640561043.post-56186235726501874242023-03-26T18:48:51.031-04:002023-03-26T18:48:51.031-04:00Thanks for the observation. Re: staying at the boa...Thanks for the observation. Re: staying at the board, I've gone back and forth on this one over my chess career. There are also benefits from taking a quick break to refresh your perspective on the game, plus my body tends to appreciate me not being static for that long. I think being *able* to stay at the board for however long is necessary when you need to focus, however, is essential.ChessAdminhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02231584333139931889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393640898640561043.post-57333341092851983842023-03-26T16:35:40.422-04:002023-03-26T16:35:40.422-04:00If this refers to the ability of a chess player to...If this refers to the ability of a chess player to focus for 3-4 hours during a chess game, I would agree whole-heartedly. <br /><br />I would even go so far as to say that this ability, along with determination, dynamism and agression in play, can even compensate for a rating difference.<br /><br />These days, I remain at the board during the entire game, if possible, and no longer walk around or look at other boards, but try to focus entirely on my own game.Signalmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16729072457754759564noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393640898640561043.post-47942470670035872032022-12-11T22:56:34.694-05:002022-12-11T22:56:34.694-05:00I wasn’t aware that there is a book covering the S...I wasn’t aware that there is a book covering the Stonewall Attack (SA) before September 2022. And what a treat that it has been offered freely as PDF! The concept “attack” is analogous to the King’s Indian Attack (KIA), such rarity compared to the KID with tons of books and theory. The Stonewall Defence is well examined counterpart against many white’s systems though not popular on the highest human level.<br /><br />As a youngster, I had trouble finding comfortable openings to play. I got creamed so badly in 1. e4 and Queen’s Gambit openings both colors. Then, in mid 2000s I saw an Asian guy demonstrating how to beat Fritz 5.32 solidly with the SA on the internet. I became a fan instantly. I got a dedicated chess computer, Mephisto Milano Pro (Fritz 3 included) as a present at one time and no surprise it lost to the same attack pattern.<br /><br />This Soltis’ book is the first chess book I have ever seriously studied. I discovered the majority of the same techniques before reading it by playing people and chess engine analysis. I still have to master nuances like QB/dark-squared bishop d2-e1-h4, cxd3 instead of Qxd3 and Ngh3!?. One problem is that most of the people don’t know how to counter SA at all: the most basic setup is enough to win, or they play the favorable setup but manage to find some defence in the middle game just before the typical sacrifices.<br />Another problem is what to do if the opponent counters the SA with KID, some other Kingside fianchetto lines, mirror Stonewall or early …Bf5/Bg4. There is no other option than to abandon SA and switch to another opening. Although these topics are discussed in varied lengths in the book, I wish there was more sturdy analysis on these strategies and perhaps concrete lines as a summary how handle these situations. The authors suggest reading their successive book White Opening System: Combining Stonewall Attack, Colle System, Torre Attack which came out 5 years after the 1st edition in 1992. I find Colle very vague and double-edged to play if your opponent knows to neutralize the SA to begin with (but maybe this book can change my opinion!?). Another downside to me is that I couldn’t find 6 referred example games in the text on the internet. If someone can provide me those, please let me know! There are couple of games where the move order contradicts the internet sources I found. Also, the analysis is pre-engine era, so I strongly suggest going through every game and line with multi line analysis of your favorite modern engine (there are few harsh misjudgments).<br /><br />Overall, the book is the most in-depth work on SA by a landslide, which is a point the chess literature has missed completely and the most important feat of the book. There are many SA games (from same players) not covered in the book, of course. It’s a no-brainer to seek and go through them to get more ideas and how modern strong players play them out.<br /><br />Some supplementary material:<br /><br />The Stonewall Attack in 60 Minutes by IM Andrew Martin – Frivolous analysis of SA but a resource for novel games and players.<br /><br />Yaacov Norowitz's Lecture on the Stonewall Attack http://www.kenilworthchessclub.org/games/java/2006/yaacov-lecture.htm<br />– Perhaps the closest digest of Soltis’ book and gives a complete repertoire to work with. Really recommend!<br /><br />Matt Pullin’s SA videos:<br />https://tag.wonderhowto.com/stonewall-chess/<br />https://kenilworthian.blogspot.com/2012/03/stonewall-in-black-and-white-annotated.html<br /><br />– Short and instructive videos focusing on how to counter the SA also giving white some improvements. I haven’t had time to study these myself, but look informative at least. He used relatively weak Crafty for analysis and Chessgames.com database, so there is a need for better DIY assessment.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393640898640561043.post-6622991980651797392022-10-02T19:45:53.754-04:002022-10-02T19:45:53.754-04:00I believe this was the first time McGee beat (hosp...I believe this was the first time McGee beat (hospitalized) Meyer as well.ChessAdminhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02231584333139931889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393640898640561043.post-47364473765486367282022-10-02T19:26:59.678-04:002022-10-02T19:26:59.678-04:00Probably not a coincidence that "taking your ...Probably not a coincidence that "taking your retirement in installments" and a chess hobby are very complementary!Georgenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393640898640561043.post-84258167857168520912022-09-11T11:15:23.684-04:002022-09-11T11:15:23.684-04:00Thanks for flagging the link - it's fine, but ...Thanks for flagging the link - it's fine, but the author just deleted the post for whatever reason. Main idea was extracted in the quote given.<br /><br />I would share your description of intuition as a part of the thinking process. In this particular case it also refers to the "feeling" had about the excellence of particular ideas, which when you win is then seemingly validated.ChessAdminhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02231584333139931889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393640898640561043.post-25259598512249205422022-09-11T03:43:33.812-04:002022-09-11T03:43:33.812-04:00The article link doesn't work for me : 404 res...The article link doesn't work for me : 404 result. This may be because I am not a member, but I don't find it on the author's blog page either. <br /><br />For me, Intuition is for generating moves and ideas but these moves still need to be checked/calculated. I 'm sure the more experience and technical skills one has, the more accurate ( or useful ) the moves and ideas that arise can be.Signalmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16729072457754759564noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393640898640561043.post-24015933435360034862022-08-11T03:23:26.747-04:002022-08-11T03:23:26.747-04:00Thank you for this insightful and detailed review....Thank you for this insightful and detailed review.Laurent Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05371507031711622435noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393640898640561043.post-58916832309123990942022-06-08T21:12:41.610-04:002022-06-08T21:12:41.610-04:00Leela Chess Zero (Lc0) uses a UCI protocol like mo...Leela Chess Zero (Lc0) uses a UCI protocol like most other modern engines, so it should work with HCE Pro.ChessAdminhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02231584333139931889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393640898640561043.post-73891763949465483662022-06-07T18:00:02.620-04:002022-06-07T18:00:02.620-04:00Does HCE Pro support Leela?Does HCE Pro support Leela?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393640898640561043.post-91237836267180871202022-05-01T21:39:50.279-04:002022-05-01T21:39:50.279-04:00Thanks for the link! I agree it looks like a good ...Thanks for the link! I agree it looks like a good group's behind it. I got a lot out of the old analyzing videos by Pruess. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393640898640561043.post-35138920100138708372022-04-16T18:05:40.718-04:002022-04-16T18:05:40.718-04:00Hello Andrew, thanks for stopping by and for the q...Hello Andrew, thanks for stopping by and for the question. I'm not sure that "driving factor" is necessarily the right phrase, but by nature I felt more comfortable in semi-open type positions, so that was certainly one significant reason I settled on both the Caro-Kann and the Slav as my primary defenses. I'd say there are some similar pawn structure themes and plans because of the b7/c6/d5 chain and potential for queenside play down the c-file if the c-pawn is exchanged. It's also nice to have a few transposition ideas such as with the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit. However, I wouldn't say it's an overriding reason to pair the openings in your repertoire.ChessAdminhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02231584333139931889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393640898640561043.post-42472052588530524822022-04-16T11:28:30.272-04:002022-04-16T11:28:30.272-04:00Hey there I just stumbled upon your blog and wante...Hey there I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to thank you for such an impressive and inspiring creation. I had a quick question for you on your experience with your Slav and Caro-Kann repetoire ... you mention in passing in your post on Why I Play Slav that you liked that both openings yield semi-open position but that seemed like a minor observation not a driving factor in repetoire selection. So my quesetion is whether you have found, as Soltis claimed in his "Defensive System" book, that it is a good idea for an intermediate player to use these two openings because they are thematically similar and lead to overlapping ideas and plans. AndrewSnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393640898640561043.post-70904776517696877432022-04-09T13:18:33.422-04:002022-04-09T13:18:33.422-04:00Thanks! The quitting chess blog post was a masterp...Thanks! The quitting chess blog post was a masterpiece, looks a lot like similar ragequit ones until you get down further into it. Hopefully you'll start blogging again too. ;)ChessAdminhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02231584333139931889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393640898640561043.post-52154334141190961912022-04-09T09:46:25.093-04:002022-04-09T09:46:25.093-04:00Not sure I would have believed that if I had read ...Not sure I would have believed that if I had read it first hand, although I rarely visit chess.com. Chess wouldn't seem the same without the ep rule. Not sure that I have ever played someone who didn't know it, but there is often a surprise when it splayed. Not always taken account of in calculation !<br /><br />Keep up the blog, its a good read. I've tried to comment before, but either my browser or google account doesn't interact properly :(Signalmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16729072457754759564noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393640898640561043.post-31431189177509255172022-03-27T13:46:21.611-04:002022-03-27T13:46:21.611-04:00PART 2:
As an aside, I looked up Mr. Reinfeld'...<b>PART 2</b>:<br /><br />As an aside, I looked up Mr. Reinfeld's rating (using Wikipedia). Here's the section on his playing strength; he was NOT quite a "weakie".<br /><br />Although Reinfeld is remembered today mainly for his writing, he was also one of the strongest chess players in the United States from the early 1930s to the early 1940s, after which he withdrew from competition. He was ranked sixth in the country, with a rating of <b>2593</b>, on the first rating list issued by the United States Chess Federation in 1950, after Reuben Fine, Samuel Reshevsky, Alexander Kevitz, Arthur Dake, and Albert Simonson.<br /><br />The chessmetrics group, which retrospectively rates chess events and players, endeavoring to estimate the playing strengths of players on an historical basis, places Reinfeld with a peak rating of <b>2532</b> in May 1942, good for #70 in the world. His highest world rank on this basis was #64, from March to April 1942.<br /><br />I could only wish I could get up to that "weakie" rank!!<br /><br />Crazy BobRobert Coblehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12427520849707914818noreply@blogger.com