Nova Daily - 24 February 2025
Hi!
We're ten days away from Valentine's Day. That's long enough for me to write something about it without it being counted as a Valentine's Day blog. They should be glad about that: had I posted this on February 14th I'd have messed up that competition.
As I indicated in last week's recap, the BlogChamps competition has kicked off. Multiple entries have already been submitted by now, and I loved reading them. There are some who really want to know how well they have done on their writing and can't wait to receive the results and feedback on their work.
Suspense
I can totally relate when people say "The suspense is killing me." As if you're a hyperactive cat that has to stay put. There's nothing you can do, but you can't keep your mind off things. It drives you crazy.
And I think that's beautiful.
I don't mean this in a sadistic way. I genuinely think that suspense is perhaps the most beautiful that things can get. The heightened awareness, the excitement that you can feel in every fiber of your body, craving an answer, almost dying for the results. When you join a blogging contest and you don't know if you're going to make it to the next round. When political elections have taken place and it's anyone's guess who will scrape the win. When you've just sacrificed a queen and you're not 100% sure if it's working.
When you send someone a card for Valentine's Day, the most intense experience is when you don't know how your crush would respond. When you're texting with someone that you like, it's in the build-up, in the uncertainty, the anticipation of watching your phone every 17 seconds, that your feelings become really engaged. These moments of tension are the moments when you fall in love.
So get used to the suspense that eager anticipation brings.
Don't run from it.
Enjoy it.
Love it.
Own it.
Because those moments of suspense, those intervals of tormenting uncertainty, are the gems that make you feel alive.
(And if for nothing better, remember that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.)
The game
The game was indeed rather suspenseful. I managed to win, and I don't think that I ever have been in danger. However, it was anything but straightforward, and I'm quite sure that I must have missed some important ideas. However, my opponent had over 2000 before this game, which is still a few points higher than where I'm currently at.
My thoughts:
Model game:
The move 11...Nf5 was the first move that isn't mentioned in Marin. I was the first to deviate from the theoretical path with 12.a3?. The best move for white according to the engine is 12.Ne2. The database contains a high-level game with this system between Ivanchuk and Nepomniachtchi. White lost in the end, but this is a result that can be explained away by it being a blitz game. Important to take from this game is that white's Bb2 is stronger than black's Bc5, and white could have probed black into weakening the kingside with 17.Nf4 intending to go to h5. (Instead Ivanchuk played 17.Bd4?, committing to ultimately trade his strong bishop.)
https://www.chess.com/games/view/14149109
The analysis:
Ultimately an interesting game, with some nice ideas that I could take into account for next time.
What can I take away from this game?
- 6.e3 and 6.Nf3 are both perfectly fine options, but in case of the latter I'd have to make sure to take on e4 rather than d5.
- Following the game's variation, white's idea after 11...Nf5 is to play 12.Ne2 followed by b2-b3, Bb2, and then e3-e4 and Ne2-f4-h5 to create further weaknesses around black's king. It'll be hard for black to arrange his position without breaking off the retaining wall.
- There were points at which the calculation was rather sloppy. 14.Bd2 was perfectly possible, because the pawn was poisoned after 15.Nc3!.
- I might wish to train more for tactical motifs in positions with opposite-coloured bishops. 31.Bh7+ Kf8 32.Rf4 and 33.Bg6 would have been a great thing to play.
