The time control was G/120 d5.
Endgames are Fun
Sort:
Jun 22, 2015
0
#3
achja wrote:
Hi,
You seem to be overestimating white's attacking possibilities.
"White has various threats" you write here.
But I don't see those threats, and ... black has a pawn fork on d4.
0-1 as far as I'm concerned.
Aha, I missed that. Since there was a lot I wanted to say in a short time, I just tried to justify my initial feelings with a perfunctory variation, one of I didn't really check! I guess I got a little nervous and thought an attack could come through if I wasn't careful. Now I see it wasn't as dangerous as I initially thought.
Jun 22, 2015
0
#4
Looking back, it's an interesting and colossal psychological mistake I tend to make, thinking my opponent's threats are always dangerous. This paranoia helps me avoid variations that allow many dangerous attacks, but more often than not, it's a misjudgment. What if allowing the attack is the only variation that wins, or, even more stringently, doesn't lose? Then I'd be screwed. Maybe I should play a few Najdorfs and REALLY learn what a dangerous attack is! 
Jun 23, 2015
0
#5
achja wrote:
@chessman1504
Thanks for your answers. Interesting to read them.
I'd like to add that you are criticizing h2h3 and h7h6 in your annotations.
I would say that it completely depends on the positions whether it is an inaccuracy or not.
In the Ruy Lopez top GMs play h2h3 and h7h6 all the time. It is even part of opening theory in that case.
A move like h7h6 could be exploited when black has castled kingside and white would castle queenside, and then push g4 and g5 opening lines in front of the black king (like in some Sicilian openings).
But even then a winning attack is not always 100% guaranteed :)
Well, yes, I am aware of those pawn moves in the Closed Ruy Lopez. Ruy Lopez is my favorite opening from the White side! I just wasn't so sure it was useful in these particular positions. Regarding whether or not it could be exploited when both sides have castled kingside, I was reminded of this Capablanca game, where Kostic needlessly weakened his kingside, allowing Capablanca a more or less winning position, at that level, anyway,
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1361561
I had that game in mind. Even if I'm too dogmatic, at least I'm a good student whose done his "homework!"
Jun 23, 2015
0
#6
achja wrote:
Interesting to hear.
But looking at that Capa-Kostic game, it is obvious that Kostic resigned prematurely.
Reading the comments there show that Kostic might have resigned because he was upset about a 4 - 0 score, and no clear win is to be found.
That game is for me not a good example of exploiting a h7h6 weakness.
And in your game above h2h3 is fine in a London setup. In fact, h2h3 is a typical London move. Nothing wrong with that :)
Well, yes, there is general agreement on chessgames that Kostic was psychologically shot. I was merely parroting Fischer's comments on the game. 
I guess I wasn't sure of what the exact idea associated with it was, so normally, if I were to play such a move, I wouldn't know what it accomplished and then brand it as a mistake! Silly me
Jun 23, 2015
0
#7
achja wrote:
Interesting to hear.
But looking at that Capa-Kostic game, it is obvious that Kostic resigned prematurely.
Reading the comments there show that Kostic might have resigned because he was upset about a 4 - 0 score, and no clear win is to be found.
That game is for me not a good example of exploiting a h7h6 weakness.
And in your game above h2h3 is fine in a London setup. In fact, h2h3 is a typical London move. Nothing wrong with that :)
It's interesting that you compare it with a London setup. I'm not familiar with those sorts of setups. Could you elaborate?
Jun 23, 2015
0
#8
achja wrote:
Here's my annotations (half an hour work ? :) )
For some reason the "insert" refused this time to add it to the game viewer comment.
1. e4 c6 2. Nf3 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. d4 ( 4. Ne5 !? ) 4... Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bf4 a6 Was a7a6 really needed ? ( 6... Bg4 7. Nb5 Rc8 and white has nothing. ) 7. Be2 Bf5 8. Bd3 Bxd3 9. Qxd3 e6 10. a3 Be7 11. O-O O-O 12. Rfe1 Rc8 13. h3 Na5 14. b3 ?! This allows black to put a lot of pressure on c3 and c2. ( 14. Rad1 Nc4 15. Bc1 Qa5 threatening Nxa3 16. Nb1 ) 14... h6 15. Ne5 Bd6 16. Bd2 Nc6 17. Nxc6 Rxc6 18. Re2 Qc7 19. Qf3 Rc8 ! 20. b4 ?? 20... Rc4 ? ( 20... Rxc3 21. Bxc3 Qxc3 22. Qxc3 Rxc3 and should be 0-1 ) 21. Qd3 Qb6 Again Rxc3 should win for black. 22. Na4 Qxd4 23. Qxd4 Rxd4 24. Bc3 ?! Looks strong but isn't. 24... Re4 ?! ( 24... Rdc4 25. Nb6 Rxc3 26. Nxc8 Rxc8 Should also win for black. ) 25. Rae1 Rxe2 26. Rxe2 Ne4 27. Be1 Be5 28. Nc5 ( 28. f3 ? 28... Bd4+ ! ) 28... Nxc5 29. bxc5 Bb2 30. Bb4 a5 31. Bxa5 Bxa3 32. Re3 Bxc5 33. Rc3 Rc6 34. Rb3 b6 35. Bd2 Bd4 ( 35... e5 36. Kf1 f5 37. Ke2 Kf7 ) 36. c3 Bf6 37. Kf1 d4 This "resolves" the only weakness that white has. I would have preferred to activate the black king here. 38. cxd4 Bxd4 39. Be3 Bc5 ( 39... Bxe3 I would have preferred keeping the b pawn a b pawn, further away from the white king. 40. Rxe3 ) 40. Bxc5 bxc5 41. f4 Kf8 42. Ke2 Rd6 The rook should be behind the passed pawn is a nice rule of thumb. Unless the passed pawn can be stopped and captured by the opponent king. ( 42... c4 43. Rc3 Ke7 44. Ke3 Kd6 45. Kd4 f6 46. Rxc4 Rxc4+ 47. Kxc4 e5 48. fxe5+ Kxe5 49. Kd3 Kf4 Looks lost for white. ) 43. Rb8+ Ke7 44. Rb7+ Rd7 45. Rb6 ?? ( 45. Rb5 Rc7 46. Kd3 Kd6 47. Kc4 And black has some work to do still for a win. ) 45... Rd5 46. Rb7+ Kf6 47. Rc7 White has managed to activate the white rook, and the black c passer has lost some of its strength. 47... g5 48. fxg5+ Rxg5 49. Kf3 h5 50. h4 ?!?! ( 50. g3 !? ) 50... Rd5 ( 50... Rg4 51. g3 c4 52. Rc5 e5 ) 51. g3 Ke5 52. Rxf7 c4 53. Rg7 c3 54. Rc7 ( 54. Rc7 Rd3+ 55. Kf2 Kd4 56. Rd7+ Kc4 57. Rc7+ Kb3 58. Rb7+ Kc2 59. Rb5 Kd1 60. Rxh5 c2 61. Rc5 c1=Q 0-1 ) 54... Kd4 55. Ke2 Rc5 56. Rd7+ Kc4 57. Rd1 c2 58. Rc1 Kb3 59. Kd2 Rd5+ 60. Ke2 Kb2 61. Rg1 c1=Q 62. Rxc1 Kxc1 63. Kf3 Rd4 Nice finish in the rook ending. Good.
I see. Admittedly, having the insert function mess up kind of makes it a little hard to follow at times, so I took a cursory glance and kind of mentally replayed the game in my head. Bg4 must have just escaped my calculations when I decided to play ...a6. Regarding the ending at move 20: I saw Rxc3, but I thought at the time ...Rc4 was stronger. I initially missed that Na4 could significantly complicate my winning chances. I got greedy and wanted to win a pawn right away. This is another typical problem: Misevaluating the win of a pawn vs the position that involves a win of two minor pieces for a rook.
Regarding your variation at move 24: What about simply 25. Bxf6? Nb6 shouldn't be forced.
I have more questions, which I'll say later, when I have a little more free time!
Jun 23, 2015
0
#9
chessmicky wrote:
Interesting game. I would echo what some other people have already said: you equalized quite nicely in this gme, and I thought you were a bit better from the early middle game, I think you over-estimated whites chances I think 6...Bg4 7.Nb5 Rc8 dealt very easily with the threat of Nb5 by White, and I don't think White had anything if he had played 10,O-O-O. after Qa5 and Rc8 you have more than enough counterplay
You were quite right: 20...Rxc3 would have given you a terrific position! At the master level, I suspect Black may just be winning. 20...Rxc3 was also best. You have a gret game anyway, but you could have had a even greater one!
Yeah, it's amusing that I completely missed 6...Bg4. It was just 1st round jitters: this phenomenon apparently also happened to Mikhail Tal, which would cause him to lose a lot of first round games even in open tournaments. Of course, I'm definitely not Tal, but I thought the anecdote would be interesting!
1st round jitters, though, can't possibly explain one of my annoying habits: seeing ghosts without so much as a shred of concrete calculation. That's not entirely true: I try to find nice squares for my opponent's pieces, but then I say "Yikes, that's dangerous!" and completely try to avoid such positions. Such a paranoid approach leads to one of my dangerous habits: drifting into a hopelessly passive position by "handling" threats that don't actually exist. This is just as risky as playing an unsound gambit, but at least the gambit might mess with my opponent!
Jun 23, 2015
0
#10
achja wrote:
chessman1504 wrote:
It's interesting that you compare it with a London setup. I'm not familiar with those sorts of setups. Could you elaborate?
London System example :
More about London System :
That's interesting.
This Capablanca game also involves an h2-h3 as early as move three!
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1093057
I guess this idea isn't so odd. It was just odd-looking to me, but then again, everything is odd looking to me!
Jun 23, 2015
0
#11
achja wrote:
If I may add a fresh game of mine in which h7h6 is exploited with
a dangerous attack :
You certainly can! It's instructive that this occurred in a game with opposite side castling.
Jun 23, 2015
0
#12
achja wrote:
Here's my annotations (half an hour work ? :) )
For some reason the "insert" refused this time to add it to the game viewer comment.
1. e4 c6 2. Nf3 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. d4 ( 4. Ne5 !? ) 4... Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bf4 a6 Was a7a6 really needed ? ( 6... Bg4 7. Nb5 Rc8 and white has nothing. ) 7. Be2 Bf5 8. Bd3 Bxd3 9. Qxd3 e6 10. a3 Be7 11. O-O O-O 12. Rfe1 Rc8 13. h3 Na5 14. b3 ?! This allows black to put a lot of pressure on c3 and c2. ( 14. Rad1 Nc4 15. Bc1 Qa5 threatening Nxa3 16. Nb1 ) 14... h6 15. Ne5 Bd6 16. Bd2 Nc6 17. Nxc6 Rxc6 18. Re2 Qc7 19. Qf3 Rc8 ! 20. b4 ?? 20... Rc4 ? ( 20... Rxc3 21. Bxc3 Qxc3 22. Qxc3 Rxc3 and should be 0-1 ) 21. Qd3 Qb6 Again Rxc3 should win for black. 22. Na4 Qxd4 23. Qxd4 Rxd4 24. Bc3 ?! Looks strong but isn't. 24... Re4 ?! ( 24... Rdc4 25. Nb6 Rxc3 26. Nxc8 Rxc8 Should also win for black. ) 25. Rae1 Rxe2 26. Rxe2 Ne4 27. Be1 Be5 28. Nc5 ( 28. f3 ? 28... Bd4+ ! ) 28... Nxc5 29. bxc5 Bb2 30. Bb4 a5 31. Bxa5 Bxa3 32. Re3 Bxc5 33. Rc3 Rc6 34. Rb3 b6 35. Bd2 Bd4 ( 35... e5 36. Kf1 f5 37. Ke2 Kf7 ) 36. c3 Bf6 37. Kf1 d4 This "resolves" the only weakness that white has. I would have preferred to activate the black king here. 38. cxd4 Bxd4 39. Be3 Bc5 ( 39... Bxe3 I would have preferred keeping the b pawn a b pawn, further away from the white king. 40. Rxe3 ) 40. Bxc5 bxc5 41. f4 Kf8 42. Ke2 Rd6 The rook should be behind the passed pawn is a nice rule of thumb. Unless the passed pawn can be stopped and captured by the opponent king. ( 42... c4 43. Rc3 Ke7 44. Ke3 Kd6 45. Kd4 f6 46. Rxc4 Rxc4+ 47. Kxc4 e5 48. fxe5+ Kxe5 49. Kd3 Kf4 Looks lost for white. ) 43. Rb8+ Ke7 44. Rb7+ Rd7 45. Rb6 ?? ( 45. Rb5 Rc7 46. Kd3 Kd6 47. Kc4 And black has some work to do still for a win. ) 45... Rd5 46. Rb7+ Kf6 47. Rc7 White has managed to activate the white rook, and the black c passer has lost some of its strength. 47... g5 48. fxg5+ Rxg5 49. Kf3 h5 50. h4 ?!?! ( 50. g3 !? ) 50... Rd5 ( 50... Rg4 51. g3 c4 52. Rc5 e5 ) 51. g3 Ke5 52. Rxf7 c4 53. Rg7 c3 54. Rc7 ( 54. Rc7 Rd3+ 55. Kf2 Kd4 56. Rd7+ Kc4 57. Rc7+ Kb3 58. Rb7+ Kc2 59. Rb5 Kd1 60. Rxh5 c2 61. Rc5 c1=Q 0-1 ) 54... Kd4 55. Ke2 Rc5 56. Rd7+ Kc4 57. Rd1 c2 58. Rc1 Kb3 59. Kd2 Rd5+ 60. Ke2 Kb2 61. Rg1 c1=Q 62. Rxc1 Kxc1 63. Kf3 Rd4 Nice finish in the rook ending. Good.
Initially, I thought it was more important to cut off the enemy king, but I see White has more counterplay. I think the ending is still hopeless, or at least hard to play. I think my methods took longer, but I might analyze the pure rook ending separately.
Jun 23, 2015
0
#13
Actually, Black shouldn't have a lot of trouble winning by simply advancing the pawn, sacrificing it, entering a king and pawn ending where White's king is off sides, and winning it easily. That is, if White so desires. Otherwise, the advanced passer will tie White's pieces down. I might look into it more, but this is what Black should do should White decide to cut off Black's king. I was worried about that, and I was in a little bit of time pressure, so I decided to play what I felt was safe.
Jun 24, 2015
0
#14
achja wrote:
Here's my annotations (half an hour work ? :) )
For some reason the "insert" refused this time to add it to the game viewer comment.
1. e4 c6 2. Nf3 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. d4 ( 4. Ne5 !? ) 4... Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bf4 a6 Was a7a6 really needed ? ( 6... Bg4 7. Nb5 Rc8 and white has nothing. ) 7. Be2 Bf5 8. Bd3 Bxd3 9. Qxd3 e6 10. a3 Be7 11. O-O O-O 12. Rfe1 Rc8 13. h3 Na5 14. b3 ?! This allows black to put a lot of pressure on c3 and c2. ( 14. Rad1 Nc4 15. Bc1 Qa5 threatening Nxa3 16. Nb1 ) 14... h6 15. Ne5 Bd6 16. Bd2 Nc6 17. Nxc6 Rxc6 18. Re2 Qc7 19. Qf3 Rc8 ! 20. b4 ?? 20... Rc4 ? ( 20... Rxc3 21. Bxc3 Qxc3 22. Qxc3 Rxc3 and should be 0-1 ) 21. Qd3 Qb6 Again Rxc3 should win for black. 22. Na4 Qxd4 23. Qxd4 Rxd4 24. Bc3 ?! Looks strong but isn't. 24... Re4 ?! ( 24... Rdc4 25. Nb6 Rxc3 26. Nxc8 Rxc8 Should also win for black. ) 25. Rae1 Rxe2 26. Rxe2 Ne4 27. Be1 Be5 28. Nc5 ( 28. f3 ? 28... Bd4+ ! ) 28... Nxc5 29. bxc5 Bb2 30. Bb4 a5 31. Bxa5 Bxa3 32. Re3 Bxc5 33. Rc3 Rc6 34. Rb3 b6 35. Bd2 Bd4 ( 35... e5 36. Kf1 f5 37. Ke2 Kf7 ) 36. c3 Bf6 37. Kf1 d4 This "resolves" the only weakness that white has. I would have preferred to activate the black king here. 38. cxd4 Bxd4 39. Be3 Bc5 ( 39... Bxe3 I would have preferred keeping the b pawn a b pawn, further away from the white king. 40. Rxe3 ) 40. Bxc5 bxc5 41. f4 Kf8 42. Ke2 Rd6 The rook should be behind the passed pawn is a nice rule of thumb. Unless the passed pawn can be stopped and captured by the opponent king. ( 42... c4 43. Rc3 Ke7 44. Ke3 Kd6 45. Kd4 f6 46. Rxc4 Rxc4+ 47. Kxc4 e5 48. fxe5+ Kxe5 49. Kd3 Kf4 Looks lost for white. ) 43. Rb8+ Ke7 44. Rb7+ Rd7 45. Rb6 ?? ( 45. Rb5 Rc7 46. Kd3 Kd6 47. Kc4 And black has some work to do still for a win. ) 45... Rd5 46. Rb7+ Kf6 47. Rc7 White has managed to activate the white rook, and the black c passer has lost some of its strength. 47... g5 48. fxg5+ Rxg5 49. Kf3 h5 50. h4 ?!?! ( 50. g3 !? ) 50... Rd5 ( 50... Rg4 51. g3 c4 52. Rc5 e5 ) 51. g3 Ke5 52. Rxf7 c4 53. Rg7 c3 54. Rc7 ( 54. Rc7 Rd3+ 55. Kf2 Kd4 56. Rd7+ Kc4 57. Rc7+ Kb3 58. Rb7+ Kc2 59. Rb5 Kd1 60. Rxh5 c2 61. Rc5 c1=Q 0-1 ) 54... Kd4 55. Ke2 Rc5 56. Rd7+ Kc4 57. Rd1 c2 58. Rc1 Kb3 59. Kd2 Rd5+ 60. Ke2 Kb2 61. Rg1 c1=Q 62. Rxc1 Kxc1 63. Kf3 Rd4 Nice finish in the rook ending. Good.
I'd also like to note something that may or may not be interesting: After 37...d4, it is true that this is allowing White to get rid of one of his weaknesses. During the game, I thought of it as more or less trading one advantage for another, like trading the pressure against White's c3 weakness for the creation of a passed pawn. I thought such immediate action would be worth more than the pressure, but I see how some patience may have helped the win be a bit easier than it was. I was a little impatient because of the amount of time left, which wasn't exactly too little to cause time trouble, but it was enough to make me want to hurry things up a little.
Um... all those should have become a draw!
Hello!
I played in a classical chess tournament recently, and it was a success. I ended on 4.5/5 in my section (USCF Class C), and I had some games I could be proud of. I haven't decided on whether or not I will annotate all 5, but I know that I will at least analyze this game from the first round. I initially wanted to sharpen my openings, especially against 1.e4, but I decided not to overcomplicate things and just play chess. As far as I'm concerned, there's only one move that works for me in that regard: 1...c6!!
The Caro-Kann is the opening in which I have the most experience against 1.e4, so I decided to start off my first long time control game in a long time with it. I get nervous out of the opening after the ostensibly forced ..a6, but my opponent allows me to equalize comfortably and build a strong and possibly decisive advantage in the middlegame. However, when given the chance to reach what appears to be an easily winning endgame, I allow my opponent some counterchances, though I still think the ending is winning. We finally reach a rook ending in which I'm two pawns up and have an outside passed pawn on the queenside with my rook supporting it. I feel this has to be winning, but I'm not 100% sure. After turning the screws and playing a little cat and mouse, I decide to sacrifice a pawn on the kingside to force the promotion of the queenside passer. After my opponent loses his rook, he resigns two moves later. Please help me analyze.
Thanks,
chessman