The Bulldog Magazine Issue 8: A New Era, End of the Magazine?

Hello, everybody. This will be the last issue of the Bulldog Magazine for the forseeable future. Given this, I could not let it go without a proper sendoff, and with the rise of a new champion, it is appropriate that we analyze the game. This does not have to be the end of news for Bulldog Chess! If you want to write an article, talk to the members of the Federation. If you are an active member of the community, we'd be happy to promote you so you can write news!

Ratings

*Current Top 10*

Martin0 has been dislodged from the number one spot for the first time since getting there. The position has been handed to JustARandomPatzer, but captaintugwash had his moment in the number 1 spot as well.

AwesomeBen has risen all the way up to 4! Surpassing strong players like thegreatauk and Marks1420. 

DukeOfHelsinki and Sollieman83 also make appearances, with rychessmaster1 dropping off, as he has retired for the time being.

Martin0 (1848) v captaintugwash (1659)

The game began on a chilly April Day. Normally it should've been warm, but the gray clouds were forecasting what was to come. The longest, most grueling game in Bulldog Chess history. Both players had played before, even once for the championship. Matthew, the challenger, had been defeated every time. He knew what he was in for. Martin was aware his opponent was no pushover, and knew this would be anything but easy. Sitting at his highest rating ever, Martin seemed like an unclimbable mountain. Matthew was not having it.

After a pleasant exchange of good luck, the game began. Martin opened up with 1. e4, with Matthew responding 1...g5. Play continued with 2. g4, d6 3. Nd3, Ng6 4. Wc3

Matthew settled in here, taking 4 days for the move. Perhaps he needed the time. Perhaps it was to make Martin uneasy. In any case, all eyes turned to the challenger. Finally, he responded with 4...c6. Perparing to develop the bishop or guard. Martin played like a Swedish Bulldozer, not intending to let his opponent breathe. 5. Bg4, Bc4 6. Qc2, Bxd3 7. Qxd3

Matthew didn't like it, but he put on a steel face as he gave up his bishop pair so very early in the game. The bishop had been loose on c4, and Martin was putting pressure on d7. With only one piece developed, he definetely felt uneasy. However, the being the psychological player that he was, he made a remark that Bxd3 may have been the first time he put Martin in check. This seemingly friendly banter was no doubt used to lower Martin's guard. In fact, Matthew continued this ploy, delaying the game by having a non-functional analysis board.

Martin remained quiet, never showing any emotion or reaction to Matthew's tricks. After Matthew ceased in his stalling, play continued 7... e6 8. 0-0-0, Gc7 9. g3, i6 10. i3

Martin continues to put the pressure on his adversary, castling and threatening mate. Matthew is ready for this cheap shot, playing Gc7 to defend. However, his position feels cramped as Martin makes preparations to take the center with pawn levers such as g3 and i3. With that, we got an advertisment from the sponsor of the match, @Vladmeln. He advertised his YouTube channel for everybody to see. The channel now looks to be dead as he went bankrupt as it discovered he was the leader of a drug scandal, causing many of his fans to desert him.

Matthew jabbed with 10...h5 here, grabbing some space. 11. Bi2, g4?! 12. h3

I regard g4 is a dubious move. It is very commiting, and reliquishes a lot of light square control. Perhaps the challenger was trying to lock down the i2 bishop, but I simply don't see it. Martin immediately undermines with h3, and now the challenger is practically forced it take. Giving up his g5 pawn for the h2 pawn does not seem like a fair trade. Play continued 12...gxh3 13. Bxh3, Qf7 14. Gh2, Be7 15. Kb1, Nb6 16.f3

I don't like white's last few moves. I see the purpose of Gh2 and Kb1, but they are slow. Couple those moves with f3, and Matthew has had plenty of time to untangle his lack of development. A very faint smirk could be seen on his face as Martin let his early initiative fade. With black settled into the game, it was just a matter of who could be better in the middlegame. 16... Wf8 17. Be3, Rjg8 18. Nf2. At this point, Martin called for vacation. Summer was approaching, and he needed to recharge. He knew that his opening advantage was long gone, and regrouped on his plan. He still had more space in the center, but Matthew's structure was very solid.

18... 0-0 19. Rje1, e5 20. Bxb6!?, axb6 21. Bxd7 

Martin felt he had Matthew on his heels, playing the last few moves pretty quickly and keeping his opponent on the clock. Martin removed the guard of d7, but in the process lost his bishop pair. He won a pawn, so it was probably worth it. However, Matthew counterattacked with 21... Rcd8, hitting the pawn through the bishop. 22. Bi2, Bc5! 23. Wd5!?

Martin had thought 5 days about this move. It was quite the risk. Matthew shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Had he missed something? This move was quite shocking. Martin's point was if cxd5, he had dxc5. A witch is worth more than a bishop in this part of the game, but Martin would have a a very strong resulting pawn structure. In this position, it is important to note that Qxd8 was not available because the rook on h8 provides extra protection.

23... Bxd4, 24. Be6! making good use of the rook on e1, the bishop skewers the queen to the rook. 24... Qg7 25. Bxg8, Bxf2 26. Rf1

Everything is being captured, and the matieral inbalances are mounting. Matthew could be seen breaking a sweat, knowing that it could go wrong at any time. Martin continued to be as stoic as ever, playing his moves with certainty. I think Martin could've chosen Re2 as the better square for the rook. It's only disadvantage is disconnecting rooks, but it also threatens to double rooks on either the d or e file, while on f1 it bites the f3 rock. Matthew snatches a pawn with 26... Bxg3 27. Gxg3, Qxg8 28. Qf5, cxd5. Martin ran of out steam, and is now down a witch and knight for a rook. So where did the champion go wrong?

I believe back in this moment, Martin made a mistake. Matthew played Bxg3, and Martin played the obvious Gxh3. However, Qxd8! was more accurate. Following Qxd8!, Gxd8, Rxd8, Kc7, Rxf8! (threatening Rf7+), Nxf8, Rg1!, and Martin will have sufficient material and positional compensation. 

Martin will either have a rook+guard+bishop vs queen and knight or rook+guard+witch vs queen and knight. In either scenario, I believe it is a better result than what happened in the game. Back to the main game,
29.Qxf6, Wg7 30. Gh4, Rf8 31. Qg5, Nxh4 32. ixh4

Interestingly, the material inbalance grows as Martin allowed his guard to be captured by the knight. It is understandable, since the knight was looking at a potentially powerful f4 square. However, I once again do not agree with the decision. The e5 pawn is not easy to defend, especally with d5 falling. It would make more sense to sac the guard on f4 it was necessary, rather than outright give it up for a knight. Now, Matthew, sensing an advantage, went in for the queen trade. His extra material has been consolidated, and he felt confident in this endgame. Film tapes show him giving Martin a quizzical look before playing 32... Qxg5. Was it blood he smelled?

33. hxg5, Gd6!  a very nice move activating the guard. 34. exd5, Rg8 35. c4. Here came Matthew's only real blunder of the game.

Meaning to snatch the pawn on g5, which would surely leave Martin's position crumbling, Matthew typed Rxg6. Martin binded him to Rg6, and Matthew lost a full tempo in picking up the pawn. 35... Rg6 36. f4, exf4, 37. Rxf4. 

Matthew was sweating. He knew he had the advantage. He just had to convert. He couldn't let this game slip by into a draw, as it could be his best chance. However, he was frustrated with himself and upset with the typo. Matthew called vacation to regroup. It was the perfect time to, as they were both near 40 moves, and it going to refresh anyway. Matthew walked away from the board, a scowl on his face, pondering the consequences of Rg6. About a week later, he came back with a clear head, playing 37... Rxg5.

After a few more moves, we reached this position with 41. Rxi6

Funnily enough, Matthew called vacation once again. Clearing his mind once more, he felt the weight of burnout on him. Martin was nothing but relieved. Perhaps this extra time to analyze would show him a fortress to could set up to survive. But none came to him. When Matthew returned two weeks later with 42... Gd4!, the situation began to seem desperate.

43. d6+, Kd8, 44. d7!?, Gd3, 45. Rxb6, Gc2+ 46. Ka1

Martin's king is chased into the corner, the the threat of Gxb2 is permanently looming. Martin's last hope is to liquify enough pawns and just fortress. Fans in the crowd, including vickalan, JustARandomPatzer, and rychessmaster1 all chimed in with how this will go down as one of the most interesting games of Bulldog history. The players come into the home stretch, and it could very well be a 3 result game. 

46... Kxd7 47. a4, Kc7, 48. Rb4?

I believe this is the final mistake from Martin. I don't see how Rb4 solves anything in his position. a5 seemed like a better move, with the potential of of Re7. If the witch tried to block on d7, then the witch would be occupied while the rook could cause mayhem on the 7th. Obviously, it is hard to calculate concrete lines in this stage of the game, but I see Rb4 as nothing but a passive blunder. Play continued 48... Wd7, 49. Re5, h4 50. Rh5, Wd3. This is my point. The rook on the seventh could do two jobs at once, with the help of the rook on b6. Now, the game is almost over. Martin looked panicked for the first time in his tenure as champion. 51. Rh7+

51... Kc6. With the rook on b6, this is not possible. Obviously, the game would have been different, but I believe it would have been different in the sense that Matthew would have had to work harder.

52. Rhxb7, h3 53. R4b6, Kc5 54. Rb5+, Kd4! 55. Rd7+

Matthew smirked at Martin, inflicting psychological warfare on his opponent. He emphasized avoiding the c4 pawn, cleverly knowing that it provided cover for his guard from being harassed by a rook. Martin sunk in his chair. Interestingly, when giving this position to the WeirdEngine, is favors white here. Play continued 55... Ke3, 56. Rh7, Rg4! 57. Rxh3+, Ke4 58. Rxd3, Kxd3 59. Ka2

For the first time, Matthew sat back in his chair. The game was won. Martin had a few last tricks, but Matthew saw them coming, and knew he was just weeks away from a goal he started nearly 10 months ago.

Eventually, after shuffling the pieces around, Matthew forced the champion to give up his rook. White may be making a queen, but he is too late, and mate is imminent. 69... Gxb4 70. a8=Q, Gb3+ 71. Kb1, Gb2#

Matthew shook Martin's hand, and it was it. 314 days of pure calculation and determination payed off.

Key moments: 

1) Most people think 23. Wd5 was a blunder. I don't think so, but not playing Qxd8 after Bxg3 made the sequence a blunder.

2) Trading the guard for the knight. I still don't understand the reasoning behind this. Yes, the knight had potential, but grabbing that d5 pawn was crucial to white's survival. Gh4 is a bad move in my opinion.

3) The Rxg6 typo. Matthew lost a full tempo and allowed an extra trade of pawns. His only mistake in this game, in my view.

4) Rb4. The wrong plan. This eventually led to Martin being forced to play Rhxb7, which leads to passive rooks. a5 was correct.

5) Avoiding the poison c4 pawn and manuevering the king so his guard would remain safe.

Interview with captaintugwash

1) Were there any points in the game where you felt worse if not lost? At what point did you know you won?

 At no point do I remember feeling lost, but certainly I thought we were going to draw, and in fact Martin did miss a move that would have drawn by force. In the opening stages I'm sure Martin was better, but once the game exploded into life with that witch move of his, from there on I always felt like I had at least parity or was slightly better. I knew I was outright won after 52. Rhxb7. Martin has to play Rb5 to cut my king off from joining the attack. When I saw that he failed to do this, I knew the position was winning for me assuming no blunders. That was the move Martin had to play to draw.

2) Martin is not in his prime right now. Do you consider yourself the best bulldog player at the moment? 

I think it came as a surprise to everyone that Martin lost two in a row, but the nature of both these defeats are very different. Against patzer, he was better but made a very bad move to throw the game. It really can happen to anyone. Against me, frankly he was up against someone who was studying the game more than probably anyone he's ever faced. I think the game took so long and was so intense that it became a battle of mental stamina, which ultimately I won. Surprising really, considering I nearly lost the lot halfway through the game! But honestly I think I need to win more than one game against Martin to consider myself better than him. I still feel like I'm the 2nd best. And of course I can't ignore patzer, who I have yet to complete a game against. This next few months will settle this though, I have three games against him including one active. Certainly I'll be treating him with a lot of respect. And I'm yet to face you in a rated game, I know you'll be difficult to beat too. 

3)How long do you see yourself holding the title? Who do you see as your greatest threat?

I expect to beat patzer, but I know I can't take him lightly. If I do prevail, I suspect I'll be facing either you or Martin next. If it's Martin, then I would expect to lose, while if it's you I at least enter the game expecting to win. haoming is still very young and can improve a lot, I don't write him off as a potential challenger, and of course there could be a new player or an outstanding performance from a current player. But I think most likely the next champion is one of Martin, patzer or you. I definitely won't enjoy a run as champion like Martin did though.

4) How were you able to motivate and push yourself to a win over such a long period of time?

 I very much enjoy playing chess, especially against players I consider to be superior to me. So it really doesn't take much to motivate myself, but it's definitely a challenge as the game develops. I was in a very good frame of mind until my typo blunder, after that I was not happy, but I took some time off and was able to regather my focus. It's easier to motivate yourself when the position is fruitful. It was the kind of game I like... open, imbalanced, I wasn't getting bogged down in a positional game. The motivation is I'm actually competing with Martin and could beat him.  It's much harder to motivate when you know you're in trouble. 

5) Is there a retired player you wish to see come back? Who and why?

I'd like to see chess_condor come back, because he's 1-0 up against me. And I do hope to see Ry taking bulldog serious in the future because I think he's a very good player who would be a serious challenge to me if he studied the game like I do. Basically, anyone who can challenge me. I hope to see Nav return too, though he's an infinite rival.

6) Do you prefer bulldog chess to classical?

 Yes. I haven't played classic chess for well over a year now. I guess I got bored of it, the openings are so well studied. I enjoy the extra pieces in bulldog, it's something different while still being chess. I'm sure I'll return to classic chess eventually, my gameknot rating is 1959 and I never did break 2000, which was obviously my target. So I feel I have unfinished business. But I'm not thinking about a return any time soon. For now, my focus is 100% on retaining my status as the current champion of bulldog. 

Other News

-A new challenge game is poised to start soon, between @captaintugwash an @JustARandomPatzer. Also, be on the lookout for a new format for the candidates!

-Micro-Dog tournaments are hot and heavy. Jump in one, or request for new ones to start to get into a quick 4-player tournament.

Thank you for reading! I may continue this one day, but not anytime soon.