Keyif's Journal

Funny you mention the Vienna since I've been looking at it quite closely because of a very tense onilne game I had with it until recently. I'll try to annotate it in my journal soon. Just an observation is that the main line after white's 3.f4 is 3..d5 by black (and then 4.fxe5 Nxe4). I don't agree that 3...Nc6 is stronger than 3...Nf6, but possibly safer! I have to know theblack side of the vienna since I play the Alekhines a lot, and after 1.e4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e5 - surprise! it's the Vienna (with Nf6).

I played the Vienna last night and it was an exciting game. I did not write it down but it ended with a King hunt and Mate on A4 for black.

I look forward to your comments.

Ok for an update. I have been training with a few people: Chess Expert Geoff Caveney, Mikhail Korenman (USCF Board Candidate), IM Eric Shiller, FM Igor Khmelnitsky and playing alot OTB.

At the Chicago Open the training paid off, mostly. LOL!! I lost one game because I missed a tactic to take his rook in the endgame. I would have won his rook, taken his promoted pawn, lost my rook to his bishop. But I had a protected pawn on the 6 rank that was protected by my King and the promoting square was opposite color to his bishop. It sounds so easy now!

I played the Vienna as White and did well with it. (See Below)

A long hard Battle with a 2k rated USCF player.

Very exciting game against Aman. Just a brief remark: In the opening 7.Nb5 is a fairly well known line which is really tricky to play for black. But you managed to get an attack going all the same! Possibly there is a win for you somewhere in the maze of complications, but above all it must've been really great fun to play that game!

It certainly was. I have never beat him, but perhaps next time.

Ok. So with all my promoter work for Midway Chess Club and such I have neglected my journal. I am working through Pandolfini's End Game course and Traps and Zaps. I am going to post the two problems from EG here daily.

1. Queen and Rook Roll.