Jaap's Games

YEAH, I beat a 2347 FM! He is the number 1 rated at my local club. I am now leading the internal competitition!

Congratulations! well, that makes up for the draw against the 1800 - and a bit more.

The opening: you are right, Nbd2 is not good. However, I would not have found dxc4, Nxc4, c5, because it is "to take is a mistake".

However, there are 2 guidlines I know in this Catalan-set-up:

The queen on c2 feels uncomfortable if you push ...c5, even in the slav. However, it is psychologically not easy to find c5, because the pawn just moved to c6, and thus is felt like a tempo loss. 

However, if black had played Tarrasch-similar lines, the queen had not gone to c2 in the first place. So kind of "refutation light" is to go for c5 even in the slav (if there is a Qc2).

Some other expert played against me ...Nb8-a6. This is also an interesting approach. It aims for an eventual Na6-b4, attacking the queen. I dont think it is a good as Rc8 and c6-c5 in general, but needs to be kept in mind and dependend on the position, you might want to go for Nb8-a6.

If the white queen is on c2, I try to delay the placement of my Nb1. If you look at other Super-GM games (especially your dutch Super-GM Giri, the Catalan-expert), they tend to want to delay the development of the Nb1.

The "signal" to develop the Nb1 is for me: where is the Bc8 going to?

If the Bc8 is going to b7, then the Nb1 is better jumping to c3, where it acts more towards the center.

If the Bc8 is going to a6, then the Nb1 is better placed on d2, where it guards c4.

So this is how a Catalan is ideally played in my opinion:

After that, it depends what you want to play later: Bd6 or Be7?

I think Bd6 with e6-e5 is simplest to equalize.

If you place it on ...Bb4-e7, you should later not capture on e4 with d5xe4 (after white pushed e2-e4, which is the whole purpose of the Qc2 placement).

However, if white then playes e2-e4, you must not have blocked the e8-square with a rook (Rf8-e8 is bad if you dont have played Bd6 but Be7. The e8 square is needed for the Nf6 to retreat when e2-e4 is played).

All in all, I guess Bd6 is so much simpler to play with black. Then Re8 and even Qe7 can sometimes be played before you open with e6-e5. 

Since in above variation there is likely no Nbd2 placement anymore in most games (but instead it is often played to c3), you will most often play your Bc8 to b7. But really, the Bc8 should move according to what the white Nb1 is going to do.

About your game: I have never seen such an exchange sacrifice. Still, I dont understand what is so great about it? What does it do?

Instead, Rd1 or Rd2 is fine to me, and white still has plenty of play at the kings-wing - without that is costs him material?

The general rule is: the best defender for the king is a knight. If you can get rid of this defender, your attack has better chances to succeed. In this respect, the exchange sac is not wrong. But really, was it worth the risk? I wonder. 

Similar like you: I believe in material. White is forced to win with an attack (so his bad move g4? was a result of the pressure to show up with something). You "only" need to defend for a while - and then his attack fades away and you win due to material advantage. Also: you can sac back material, and since he is often in the need to overstretch his position, you have often good (and better opportunities) to sac. 

In this game it looks like tactics is really your strength. 

good game

One game doesnt make a statistic, but I can at least confirm with my games: I dont like center blocked (french-blocked-style, or KID-blocked-style) not too much. No statistics available, but my feeling is, I am not doing so well in blocked positions.

Blocked positon looks typically like the position after 13.d3.

The trouble isnt the slow positional character of such positions. The trouble is more: blocked centers hardly are blocked forever, they are just blocked for a long time.

This means: while the position is blocked, a lot of tension builds up "under the surface" - and at one point the center cracks open, and all tactics are suddenly unloaded at once. Such games become incredibly tactical at some point - which I am sure I such badly, due to lacking tactical power.

The way I play is: I avoid blocked centers, and thus relieve tactical tension all the time.

On the other hand - you seem to do quite well in tactics, so for you it might be different. But on the other hand - I guess you are positionally not overly accurate, which would lead to the sitiuation: if the center cracks open, your pieces are less active than his, giving rise to lots of tactics against you, but not much you can threat yourself against the opponent.

This game shows at least how tactical it became towards the end - and you prevailed. There is no sign of poor positional play (even though you put lots of "?" on both sides during the game, but this might be a bit too harsh on you or your opponent?).

What am I trying to say?  Nothing! Everything!

Well, guess I want to point out about the character of such closed/blocked positions, and dependend on what you feel/like/suits you  best --> you might consider changing your opening repertoire. Either towards more blockades or less. Really, I dont know, but I think it matters.

Tactically sharp unblocked position looks typically like the position after move: 29...hxg3

(well, there is not much to follow after 29...hxg3, but the position looks very sharp, and this is my point - positions like after 13.d3 wont stay blocked forever).

Kag, I know you don't like gxf6 in the Scandinavian. See my model game, how to play it.

I used to play ...c6 and ...Bf5, with delaying the Nf6 development.

However, meanwhile I know that it isnt enough. The scandinavian like I used to play it would be nice, but isnt really possible - white get's at least the pair of bishops and a good game. So ...Nf6 is probably needed. But this isnt the way I wanted to play and found 1...Nc6 as a good alternative. Then I enter the scandinavian with good variations in case e4xd5 happens.

It is a good game against a weaker player. Pretty risk free. But the poor 1650 player could have harldy done anything better. He tried to play active, and there is nothing I can ask more from a weaker player. He did what was within his abilities: opposite casteling, play active in the center - just maybe he could learn that double pawns are no good for him, too. 

On your side: Rooks dont belong in the center (13...Rd5), the kind of move I have seen you playing against me, too, it didnt matter here and there, but nevertheless - one day you will get punished for that. Rooks arent for blocking, trust me. It worked out here, and I can not see why actually not Rd8-d5, it is good, isnt it? So haveing too much of a strong view isnt going to help. Chess is a game full of exceptions. Just be aware it is an exception.

Instead (according to the rule): Nc6-e7 and eventually Ne7-d5 looks right to me, cause knights are good for blocking (that is the general rule).

Rooks move like very cautiously towards the center, so Rd8-d7 and next Rh8-d8 if you want to double up.

But actually h7-h5-h4 - and eventually sac the h-pawn had been the standard plan, though this is of course not the way you should play a much weaker player, because h7-h5-h4-h3 means it would even sharpen up the game. And finally --> Probably the "right" plan means that the whole opening was not the "right" choice against a weaker player, because it calls for mutual wing attacks, and the h-pawn sac.

Endgame: 27.c3 looks totally wrong to me, and I think 27.a3 is much better. It had not changed the result, though - lost is lost.

@pokerram and others: look how Jaap Amesz handles the engame after the move 27.c3:

The knight is already actively placed in the center, and now the other piece, the king needs to get activated before black starts to think about pawn moves.

The next moves of black are all king-activation moves, and only when the black king can not get any further and more active, only then black does pawn moves: 

31...b5 after which the next 2 moves rearange the knight to an even better position.

Actually Jaap Amesz does nothing here, not even 31...Nb4, but just follow the guidline how to handle such an endgame. And he really does nothing else and suddenly white resigns, without that black had to prove anything. It seems that after having done the right thing (activation of N+K) the position is so easily won that it gets obvious to everybody looking at the final position, and white either resigned or his time flagged (while white could not come up with any rescue plan - there is none).

How do you hyerlink to @pokerram's account?

Tnx for that been practicing alot of practical endgames on the group  endgame  lovers.looks like textbook endgame jaap and tnx for pointing method out kag

Gone through some of smirnovs games in course he prefers nf6 for black but when nc3 played in this line he prefers Qd6  maximum activity. his 3 main things to look for in middlegame 1) least active piece 2) maximum activity 3) attack but I think at your grade you probably know all this and more

You have a link?

I am not so sure if you really get a good game after 3.Nf3.

Instead of 5.d4, I guess 5.Nc3 is fine, and the trick of white is not to play d2-d4 but only a modest d2-d3.

You checked this with stockfish?!

After 6.Nc3 Qh5 - this is a nice variation with a bishop sac in many cases (typically happening with white playing h3xBg4 and black then with ...Nf6xBg4 and the Nf3 cant move cause it needs to guard the h2-square).

However, this is a variation that is totally not the way I would want to play against a weaker player. It is the opposite: sharp, wild, good chances for black, but many tactics. Instead, a modest move like ...c6 is probably calm and gets you in waters which you know well, too, just without the tactics which can get you into time trouble. 

This is why I chose 1...c5 against weaker players, and then 2.Nf3 2...a6 going for the O-Kelly-Sicilian if white is really willing to play the open sicilian with 3.d4. If white does not, I get a slow calm game, highly positional, but also rather good for black (still black winning stats of about 30% if it is french like or Maroczy-like closed, which means it is rather one of the better defenses for black). Of course white should probably go for the french instead of 3.d4?!, but A-class players often dont have an alternative. If the really avoid 3.d4, then they know a bit theory, which means they must have their weakness somewhere else, and thus the game will go into you favour anyway, just not in the first 6 moves.

smirnov corses all over internet jaap but there expensive

d3 in the Scandinavian is the Short system. Wahls in his book sees it as harmless and so do I.

I am absolutely saying that after 1 e4, d5 2 Nf3, Bg4 black is already equal.

The "insert chess game" and then "load PGN" isn't working anymore. I tried Firefox and Chroome, but when I paste the game, I cannot click to a new screen. How strange? 

[Event "ASV internal competition"]

[Site "www.asv-schaken.nl"]
[Date "2016.12.15"]
[Round "10"]
[White "CM Jaap Amesz"]
[Black "Laurens Storms"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2239"]
[BlackElo "2033"]

1. e4 c5 2. Ne2 $6 {I ain't playing this again. It was meant to confuse the
opponent but both e5 or d5+Nf6 next or Nf6 at once give black an easy game.}
2... e5 3. g3 $6 {Fortunately he didn't see d5.} 3... g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. d3 {I
opted for the plan of a quick Be3+Qd2+Bh6+h4.} (5. c3 Nc6 $1 {=} ) 5... b6 $2
{Wrong setup.} 6. c4 {I did not mind closing the game, since after b6 white has
an edge.} 6... d6 7. Nbc3 Bb7 8. f4 {I changed plans and wanted fxe5+Nd5 and
when black takes on d5, I get a covered passed pawn.} 8... Nd7 $2 {Huh? Nc6+Nd4
is much better.} 9. Be3 $2 { SF shows a great pawn sac.} (9. f5 $3 gxf5 10.
O-O $1 Ne7 11. exf5 Bxg2 12. Kxg2 $14) (9. f5 gxf5 10. O-O fxe4 11. Bxe4 Rb8
12. Bxb7 Rxb7 13. Ne4 Qb8 14. N2c3 {white has massive compensation} ) 9... Ne7
10. Qd2 $2 {I was postponing castling, in the hope black would go short and
then I would go long.} 10... Bh6 $2 {Huh? This helps white exchanging the
bishops and leaves black with holes.} (10... Nf5 $1 {and black is equal} ) 11.
O-O (11. fxe5 {I spend time on this one} 11... Bxe3 12. Qxe3 Nxe5 $1 {and I
felt I had more chances how the game went} (12... dxe5 13. Qh6 $2 Nf5 $1) )
11... O-O 12. Bh3 $2 (12. f5 $1 Bxe3+ 13. Qxe3 gxf5 14. exf5 (14. Nb5 $3 {also
very strong} ) 14... Bxg2 15. Kxg2 f6 {I only evaluted here, but give white 2
moves more} 16. g4 Kh8 17. Ng3 {white is much better} ) 12... a6 $2 (12... f5
$1 {we both evaluted this as suspicous for black, but SF shows black can just
hang on, though it is +=} ) 13. f5 Bxe3+ 14. Qxe3 Kg7 $3 {Only move. Kicks out
Qh6.} (14... f6 $4 15. fxg6 hxg6 16. Qh6 {winning} ) 15. Rf2 (15. f6+ $2 {I
had to resist this one, I couldn't see a win and neither does SF} 15... Nxf6
16. Rxf6 Kxf6 17. Qh6 Ng8 18. Rf1+ Ke7 19. Qxh7 Qe8 {black is better} ) 15...
f6 16. fxg6 hxg6 17. Raf1 Bc6 18. Be6 b5 19. g4 b4 20. Nd5 Bxd5 21. cxd5 Ng8
22. Ng3 Qe7 23. g5 $2 { I played this from a pratical point, I saw a winning
endgame and went for it.} (23. Nf5+ gxf5 24. gxf5 Rf7 25. Qh3 Kf8 26. Bxf7
Qxf7 27. Rg2 Ke7 28. Qh8 {is winning} ) (23. h4 Nh6 24. g5 fxg5 25. hxg5 {is
winning} ) 23... fxg5 24. Rf7+ Rxf7 25. Rxf7+ Qxf7 26. Bxf7 Kxf7 27. Nf1 Ngf6
28. Nd2 g4 (28... Nb6 29. Qxg5 Rh8 {this is not a fortress, white will win in
the end switching back and forth on both sides with the queen} ) 29. Nc4 Ke7
30. Qg5 Rg8 31. Kg2 Rg7 32. Ne3 Kf7 33. Nxg4 Nh5 34. Qd8 1-0