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staving off defeat


  • 8 months ago · Quote · #1

    Jitesh

    I played this game wherein I spent most of time avoiding checkmate.In the end it was drawn due to incorrect 'insufficient material" though.

    But I ended up in hopeless situation.Please point out if I could have played any move better.

  • 8 months ago · Quote · #2

    ivandh

    What do you mean incorrect insufficient material?

  • 8 months ago · Quote · #3

    Jitesh

    ivandh wrote:

    What do you mean incorrect insufficient material?


    I mean a bug in live chess wherein a game is deemed to be drawn incorrectly due to insufficient material.If you see end position,there is enough material with my opponent to force a checkmate but even then system decides it to be a draw.

  • 8 months ago · Quote · #4

    ivandh

    You moved last, so your opponent must have run out of time.

    Normally you win when your opponent runs out of time. But you had insufficient material to checkmate your opponent.

    Therefore, the game is drawn by insufficient material.

  • 8 months ago · Quote · #5

    Jitesh

    ivandh wrote:

    You moved last, so your opponent must have run out of time.

    Normally you win when your opponent runs out of time. But you had insufficient material to checkmate your opponent.

    Therefore, the game is drawn by insufficient material.


    really?is that the logic ?Thanks for clarifying that.

  • 8 months ago · Quote · #6

    paulgottlieb

    Ivandh must be right. It was Black who had insufficient mating material when White ran out of time. Thanks for clearing that up; it was a real mystery

    As to the game itself, I think your troubles actually started with 3...e6. Not because this is a terrible move, or because White now has a big advantage, but because you are starting down the wrong path. Wouldn't White love to have two pawns abreast on d4 and e4? Of course he would! This gives him the kind of big center you don't get in a mainline Sicilian. And doesn't White's pawn on c3 prevent his normal Nc3 move? Sure it does. So don't play this like a routine Sicilian; there are significant differences. The first move that comes to mind for you is 3...Nf6, taking advantage of the fact that he can't protect his e-pawn with the normal Nc3. After 4.e5 Nd5 5.cxd4 d6, White's dream of a beautiful pawn center is but a memory and you are getting close to equality. Your work isn't done--there's still a tough struggle ahead--but you're fighting. 

    4...d6 isn't a bad move, but once again, you're not exactly challenging White's buildup, are you? And why fear e5 from White? He gives up his ideal pawn center, and you can start undermining his e5 pawn with d6. Every pawn advance isn't a threat!

    I've wasted quite a bit  of space on the the first few moves of this game because I want to emphasize that the game starts on move one! You can't just "develop" your pieces and then look around for a plan. 

  • 8 months ago · Quote · #7

    Jitesh

    paulgottlieb wrote:

    Ivandh must be right. It was Black who had insufficient mating material when White ran out of time. Thanks for clearing that up; it was a real mystery

    As to the game itself, I think your troubles actually started with 3...e6. Not because this is a terrible move, or because White now has a big advantage, but because you are starting down the wrong path. Wouldn't White love to have two pawns abreast on d4 and e4? Of course he would! This gives him the kind of big center you don't get in a mainline Sicilian. And doesn't White's pawn on c3 prevent his normal Nc3 move? Sure it does. So don't play this like a routine Sicilian; there are significant differences. The first move that comes to mind for you is 3...Nf6, taking advantage of the fact that he can't protect his e-pawn with the normal Nc3. After 4.e5 Nd5 5.cxd3 c3, White's dream of a beautiful pawn center is but a memory and you are getting close to equality. Your work isn't done--there's still a tough struggle ahead--but you're fighting. 

    4...d6 isn't a bad move, but once again, you're not exactly challenging White's buildup, are you? And why fear e5 from White? He gives up his ideal pawn center, and you can start undermining his e5 pawn with d6. Every pawn advance isn't a threat!

    I've wasted quite a bit  of space on the the first few moves of this game because I want to emphasize that the game starts on move one! You can't just "develop" your pieces and then look around for a plan. 


    Thanks Paul.About 4..d6,I fear e5 because it does not allow me to play Nf6.I have to play Ne7 that makes my king and bishop cramped.

  • 8 months ago · Quote · #8

    paulgottlieb

    I'm not saying you're completely wrong about White's e5, but you're only looking at the negative side of the move. If you had played 4...d5 and White had played 5.e5, it's true that your Knight can't come out to f6, and your Bf8 will be temporarily blocked in after Nge7, But look at the positives! White's d4 pawn is now an inviting target! You can play an immediate Nc6, followed by Ne7->f5 and Qb6. Now you are putting serious pressure on White's center pawns. In fact, we're now playing a line in the advance variation of the French Defense. You have your assets and White has his. It's a fight.

    In the actual game, your opponent didn'y play too well, and you did play well, and you actually ended up with a slight advantage.  On your 15th move, I think you would have been much better off taking his e-pawn with 15...Nxe5. His c3 pawn is a weakness that you can come back and attack later, but his e5 pawn is a pain, cramping your kingside.

    I'm not sure that White's 17.Bxh7+ was good for more than a draw, although it was a very tempting move, and I probably would have played it too. Those classic bishop sacrifices don't always win, and when they do, it's often because the defense let down. After 17...Kxh7 18.Ng5+ Kh6(! I think), how does white win?

    But after 17...Kh8 18.Ng5 I believe you are doomed. White missed a quick kill when he didn't play  19.Qh5. What do you do now? If 19...Nf6, 20.Nxf7+ followed by Qxe5. If you do nothing, its mate after Bg6+ and Qh7#. And if you move the Rf8 to give the King room to run, then Nxf7#.


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