meniscus
Tim
Nashville, United States 
Member Since: Feb 7, 2009
Last Login: Nov 8, 2009
Profile Views: 3848
Points: 1348
Occupation: Elementary school chess teacher and Nashvillechess.org librarian.
About Me:
I was raised half ninja, half pianist. I am progressive politically, but would prefer a social democracy. That means I don't want to hear about how you're campaigning for Glenn Beck's presidental bid, should it occur.
Call to action: Lobby for additional Eugene Perylstein videos on chess.com! The 2-3 he has done are among the best!
http://www.chess.com/video/player/an-instructive-attacking-game
Benko gambits, Benko Bucks! That's how it is in the class sections. I netted ties for 2nd place North American Open 07' u1700; 3rd place World Open 07' u1600. I have also won 1st place in several local tourneys, drawing a titled player to capture one of them. I was Nashville Chess Center's Blitz Grand Prix champion in 2007 and 2nd place 2008, but haven't been playing blitz so much this year. They floored my rating at 1700 even though I jumped directly into the 1800s from the last one. Although I don't sandbag [lose rating on purpose], I don't go out and try to get points, either!
I'd rather get rating points up to my strength using only big-prize tournaments...you can only do it once! Just for lunch money.
I'm poorer than anyone you know. Trust me. :)
I am currently torn between preparing to waiting, preparing to play u2000 or u1800 in 2010-11 with winning chances, or playing low prize tournaments to reach 2200 USCF asap, so that I can pick up more private students. I havent played rated (except USCF quick rating) in 2009 for this reason, but I study every day. Currently reading lesser know John Watson and Bronstein titles while researching d4 openings with the putting my usual Reti (proper) on the shelf.
In simul play, I have several wins and draws against titled players. The most notable is a win with black vs. GM Larry Christiansen in a simul*. I equalized and made the endgame with Jaan Elvesht in a simul once, too. He still beat me :D
*[G/25 with 25 sec increment, 8 players...admittedly, he had the exchange and sacked for a passer that didn't make it... piece blundered in a won game. I'll take it!]
Openings--I play a variety, but I don't study the opening, rather I switch back and forth in order to improve in a well rounded way. I want to assimilate more strategies, tactics and patterns. Since 2007, my total CTS tactics server (emrald) puzzles completed is 30,000+. The one for accuracy (that I play only when I'm doing well, for rating etc) is meniscus, currently #36 out of 7441 on the US list.
As I said, I'm technically a Reti player now working on 1. d4 repertoire. Until now I refrained from 2. c4, preferring the London or Tromp when I played with the QP.
I enjoy "Black with White" openings. Hypermodern theory was the first that I learned. With e4, I enjoy unbalancing the French exchange, Closing the Sicilian (including the clamp and the grand prix). e4 e5 will usually meet the Scotch, and the Caro meets either the Panov, Advance Panov, Tal attack, Exchange, or Advance variation.
With black
I play the french, alekhine, caro, modern, pirc and the gurgenidze complex vs 1. e4
I play KID, Benoni/Benko, QGD, Budapest and Kevitz gambits, hedgehog, Modern, and Grunfeld vs 1. d4. )
I like group analysis for learning and preparation, etc. It is better to analyze imperfectly and be corrected by humans, who can explain positional motivations and debate evaluations, than it is to use engines. Working at it is key--analysis is a skill! Smyslov is my favorite player of all time. He, Spassky, and Capablanca developed the skill of analysis when adjournment still occurred.
Analyze with others, not by yourself!!!
- Teaching a position or explaining your ideas is great, and the benefit of doing so is reciprocal. When have to vocalize your motivations for a move or strategical operations, you question the purposes, reinforce your memory and familiarity for similar games in the future, identify and refine any unnecessary logic in your decisions, and get great criticism from your friends!
- Group analysis is best done with those you know, not with strangers in public forums: Firstly, you and your friends want human analysis, not some stranger with the most accurate line you've ever seen. Mistakes are GOOD--you catch eachother's missed opportunities, etc. It is a process--and the idea is to improve at chess analysis without public publishing of your conversation, Just like all the masters did during Adjournment and still do during "post mortem".
- It is safe to suggest any move with your amigos.There is a line between criticism and insult that your friends won't cross.
I have started one that my personal friends can join, the group Palindrome, although it's more non-public topics and surprise opening weapons than it is ongoing analysis discussion....I hope that we do more soon.
but, there aren't many people who I know that study on a regular basis around here...
Palindrome is also the title to my blog. It's private as well, sorry. My fictional rock band title is also a palindrome. We're called:
star c0medy DemocRats
it features emi, the crunk skillet.
I named it that because it is palindromic... My 4th [sometimes 6th] favorite palindrome is:
Oozy rat in a sanitary zoO.
i write palindrome haiku as well (to order).
yo, banana boy:
put eliot's toilet up
live not on evil
Here's my tournament finishes from 2007--I was a 1400 rated uscf player (I hadn't played rated in 7 years--I raised 400 points from these events alone). They're interesting enough, but I post them because they both earned a place at a major tournament (and $1500 and $3000, respectively!)
In closing: the princess bride IS the best move ever.
Life Aquatic? Adaptation? Big Lebowsky?
These are not strangers to my list. An African swallow, maybe, but not a European one. That's my point.
Now watch these games, or as Bush [the wrong wing ex-president] once said, "This drive". He was talking about initiative. ha. [source: Sicko, 2007]
