Chess Blog
The Scotch game
(1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4) when i was young i learn some notions about the Scotch Game (d6) so 4.dxe5 dxe5 5.Qxd8 Kxd8 6.Bc4 is good for the white (4.Bb5 Bd7 5.Bxc6) i have some experience with this move, i remember a game with the International Master Gojko Laketic playied long long time ago, the point is that the white less of a bishop on the white square to attack the black on the queen side! (bxc6) Laketic played me the more safe Bxc6 (6.d5) castle is more flexible move, the black has the pair of bishop in the open position and the b-file to attack so the point e5 is one point to look for a counterplay (c5) there isn't hurry to close the center if you have the pair of the bishops! (7.O-O g6 8.Nc3 Bg7 9.h3 Nf6 10.Bg5 O-O) so kleinert plays an indian system, a solid way to close the position but i think that with the bishop pair is better to play in both side to exploit them advantage of controls more squares than the knights (11.a3 Rb8 12.b4 cxb4 13.Ne2) the Tasj_Mahal's idea was good next 13. axb4 the pawn in b4 was weak as the pawn in a7! (h6 14.Be3) Bxf6 was interesting, i think that with two rooks on the queen's side Tasj_Mahal can manage for a counterattack (a5 15.Qd3 c5 16.c3 Bb5 17.c4) off course while, for the white the light is off next 15. ... Bb5 because 16. c4 bxc3 e.p.! (Bd7 18.Qd2 Nxe4) so a slip gives a tactic and strategical advantage to black, the majority of pawns on the queen's side was enough to win the endgame (19.Qc2 Nf6 20.Nh4 e4 21.Ng3 Nh7 22.Nxe4 Bxa1 23.g3) missing the rook and next the bishop! I think that Tasj_Mahal has good ideas often but too many slip too, as if thinking of something else before moving (Bg7 24.Nxd6 Bxh3 25.Nxf7 Rxf7 26.Qxg6 Qf6 27.Re1 Qxg6 28.Nxg6 Bf5 29.Ne5 Bxe5 30.Bxc5)the line is good in the crazyhouse (Bf6 31.Bd6 Rbb7 32.Re8+ Nf8) I think that the position was very interesting until the 12th move, with the black that has the pair of the bishop but in a closed position!
The Bishop pair in chess
(1.g3 Nh6) we know that this unusual move is not the best continuation in the first stage of the game (2.Bg2 d5 3.d4 Ng4 4.Nf3 e6 5.Ne5) so that's another game with the crazy horse (Nxe5 6.dxe5 Bc5) we have to do the point of the situation:
- Tasj_Mahal has moved the knight 3 time while, hiratexkeniih has move his knight two time.
- Both has developed a bishop.
- hiratexkeniih has gained space in the center and he has the control of an open file, but Tasj_Mahal has better pawn formation than the white.
(7.O-O O-O 8.Nd2 Nc6 9.Nb3)the game is equal, 9. ... Bb6 with the idea to break the center with f6 or to play in the center with Ne7 and c5 offer good chance to the black (b6) i have some doubt about this move (10.Nxc5 bxc5 11.c4) an interesting idea because the white has the pair of the bishops and open the center is the best way to exploit their influence (Nxe5 12.cxd5 Rb8) good idea because 12. ... exd5 13. Qxd5 Qxd5 14. Bxd5 Rb8 15. f4 the center is open and the black has two doubled weak pawn without a really counterplay (13.dxe6 Bxe6 14.Qxd8 Rbxd8) the wrong rook, now the bishop is not bound to defend the pawn in b2 (15.Be3 c4 16.Bxa7 Rd2 17.a4 Rxe2) this interesting chess position deserves a diagram to understand the strenght of the bishop pair in open position!
The pair of the bishops controls the diagnols h1-a8 and e3-a7 so the pawn in a4 is candidate to promotion, there is not more to do to stop the action of the bishop in g2. The idea more simple is to put a pawn in c6 to wall the bishop with Bd5 or to move the rook in d8 with the same idea. Next 18. a5 c6 19. f4 Nd3 20. Bxc6 Nb4 21. Bb7 Rd8 22. a6 Rd7 23. Bc5 with the idea a7 and a8=Q+ the white has a great advantage while next 18. a5 Rd8 19. a6 Bd5 20. Bxd5 Rxd5 21. Bb8 Nc6 22. a7 the white has the same great advantage. So we have to search for more complex solution, for example 18. a5 Bd7 19. a6 Bc6 at last a good wall on the square a8 20. Rfe1 Rxe1 21. Rxe1 Bxg2 22. Rxe5 Bf3 23. Rc5 c6 24. Rxc4 Ra8 and the bishops of opposite colours offer some practice way to draw the chessgame!
(18.a5 Rxb2 19.Bd4 Rb5 20.a6 Nc6 21.Bxc6 Bd5 22.Bxb5) 20. ... Bd5 21. Bxe5 Bxg2 22. Kxg2 Rxe5 23. a7 Ra8 24. Rfb1 Rd8 was a good chance to keep the control of the diagonals! (21. Ra8 23.Rfd1 c6 24.Be3 Bf3 25.Rdb1 Be4 26.Bxc6 Bxc6) a sugar (27.a7 h5 28.Rb8+ Kh7 29.Bd4 g5 30.Re1 c3 31.Re7 Kg6) next 31. ... c2 32. Rxf7+ Kg6 33. Rf6+ the bishop in c6 was lost (32.Bxc3 g4 33.Bd4 f5) ok it's a mistake but next 33. Bf3 Ree8 there isn't salvation (34.Re6+ Kf7 35.Rxc6 Ke7 36.Rxa8 Kd7 37.Rac8 f4 38.R8c7+ Kd8 39.a8=Q#) we seen a good chessgame until the slip at the move 20, we seen how is strenght the pair of bishop in the open game, also an active rook can trouble them action!
The Gunderam Defense
(1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Qe7)This is the Gunderam Defense, there is not much teory of this openins so it's a good opening to trick your opponent but the queen in e7 close the way to the bishop in f8 so there are some contraindications to play it for the black (3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3) after many correspondence chessgame the black has discovered that his best setup is consisting in the moves of the pawns in c6-d6-h6 to control the hole in d5 and g5 then he can manage for a long castle (Qc5) i found two games with this move in my database and they were two victory for the white (5.d3 Nc6 6.Be3 Qb4) the queen attacks the helpless pieces and pawns but doing this lost the time, while the white defend his position gaining time attacking the queen (7.Bb3 d6 8.h3 Be6) is not simple to suggest a plan to find an escape for the black queen, also this move lost material next 9. a3 Qa5 10. Bxe6 fxe6 11. b4 and the black must to give the knight to safe the queen (9.a3 Qb5) so a slip but the queen was exposed too after 4. Qc5 (10.Nxb5 Kd7 11.Bxe6+ fxe6 12.c4 d5) with the queen less there is little to suggest, also to offer greater protection to the king is better don't open the center (13.cxd5 exd5 14.O-O a6 15.exd5 Nxd5 16.Ng5 axb5) an interesting sacrifice to take time to attack the king (17.Rc1 Be7 18.Qg4+ Ke8 19.Ne6 g6 20.Nxc7+ Nxc7) so Tasj_Mahal has two knights for the queen but the king is in the middle of the board and the rooks aren't coordinated (21.d4 Rd8 22.dxe5 Nxe5) we know that with the king in the middle of the board the player with advantage of material has to open the game (23.Qe4 Nc4 24.Bc5 Rd7 25.Rcd1) so the attack of kleinert hit the target but Tasj_Mahal has played a good resistance after losing the queen so i suggest to play a more quiete defense next time (Rf8 26.Rxd7 Kxd7 27.Qxe7+ Kc6 28.Qxf8 Ne6 29.Qc8+ Kd5 30.Rd1+ Ke5 31.Qh8+ Ke4 32.Qf6) and 32. ... Nd2 is the one to avoid 33. f3# or 33. Rd4#
1. e4 e5 2. d4 the center game
(1.e4 e5 2.d4) Tasj_Mahal plays the Center Game usually, we have annotated a game with this order of moves just (exd4 3.Qxd4 Nc6) Scientificalmadness chooses to take the pawn in the center, so the queen must move to escape from the threat of the knight (4.Qa4) it's the Scandinavian Defence reverse (Nf6 5.Nc3)the queen is not well placed in a4 next d6 and Bd7 so another idea is to play the plan Bg5, Nd2, c3 to give another way of escape for the queen in c2 (Bc5)Bb4 with the idea Qe7 to do pressure on the pawn in e4 was another idea (6.Bc4 O-O 7.Be3) the queen in a4 is out of the game but 7. Nf3 d6 8. Bg5 Bg4 9. Nd2 with the idea f3 seem not so bad for the white also the black is in advantage of development and i think that he is escape well from the opening battle (Bb4)why not Bxe3?
next 8. fxe3 the pawn in e3 is a weakness 8. ... Ng4 and the position of the Bishop in c4 is unsafe so is no good 9. 0-0-0 Nxe3 with a double attack, while 8. ... Ng4 9. Ne1 Nce5 is a strategical victory for the black
(8.Bd3 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 d5) Scientificalmadness is in advantage of development so the idea to open the center is good but the pair of the bishops is more strong with the open lines so the position is unclear (10.Bg5) 10. f3 to defend the center was a good option (Qe8 11.f3) slow too now 11. Bxf6! gxf6 12. Ne2! with the idea to castle and to attack on the kings side is interesting (Qe5 12.Bd2 Bf5) nice shoot (13.g4) when you have the king in the middle of the board and there are open files for the rooks is better to look for a quick castle so 13. Ne2 was more safe (dxe4 14.f4 Qc5 15.g5 Ng4 16.Be2 Nf2) at the last the rook in h1 falls (17.Qd4 Qxd4) slip and slip again, there is a knight in c6! (18.cxd4 Nxh1 19.Be3) (Nb4 20.Kd2 Nd5 21.c4 Nxe3 22.Kxe3) i think that in this position with the pawns on the black squares the knight is more strong than the bishop but Scientificalmadness is working to save the knight in h1 (Rfe8 23.c5 c6 24.Bc4 Bg4 25.h3) so the knight has the square g3 to escape, next 25. Ne2 Bf3 the knight was protected but the bishop was bound (Bh5 26.Ne2 Bxe2 27.Bxe2 Ng3 28.Bg4 g6) now Scientificalmadness has a net plus rook (29.Rb1 h6 30.Rxb7 h5 31.Bd7 Nf5+ 32.Ke2) 32. Bxf5 gxf5 was winning also (Nxd4+ 33.Kf1 Re7 34.Kf2) the king alone can't stop the pawn supported from knight and rook (e3+ 35.Ke1 Nc2+ 36.Ke2 Nd4+ 37.Kd3 e2 38.Kxd4 e1=Q)with the benefit of the queen is only a matter of technique (39.Bxc6 Rd8+ 40.Kc4 Re4+ 41.Bxe4 Qxe4+ 42.Kb5 Qxb7+ 43.Kc4 a5)with so many pawns with freedom of movement is not believable to find the stalemate.
Crazy Horse in chess
(1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Nd5)3. f4 leads to the Vienna game that lets you organize a promising attack on the King's side (Bc5 4.Nh3) i'm thinking at the can can of the crazy horse, hiratexkeniih starts the walzer of the knights (d6 5.c3 Nf6 6.d3 h6 7.Be2 Be6) kleinert has completed the development of the light pieces and he has a good position while the hiratexkeniih's crazy horse are under attack (8.O-O Bxh3) so the castle is broken but 8. ... Nxd5 9. exd5 Bxd5 take a pawn with advantage (9.gxh3 Qd7 10.Nxf6+ gxf6 11.Be3) 11. Bg4 Rg8 12. Rh1 was a safe way to escape from the hell (Qxh3 12.Kh1 Bxe3 13.fxe3 Qxe3 14.Rg1) the position of the white king is unsafe but 14. Rxf6 gives some chance to equal (O-O-O 15.Bg4+ Kb8 16.Rg3 Qf2 17.Rg2 Qh4 18.Bf5 Rhg8) so the black queen escapes from hunting (19.Bg4 h5 20.Bf3) the pawn is untouchable 20. Bxh5 Rxg2 21. Kxg2 Rg8+ and if 22. Rh1 Rh8 with the idea to mate in h2 while next 22. Kf1 Qxh2 with the idea Rg1# (Ne7) there is a good outpost in f4 for the knight (21.Qb3) looking for a counterplay (Qf4 22.Rxg8) better 22. Raf1 with the idea 22. ... Rxg2 23. Bxg2 and the pawns f6 and f7 are both under attack (Rxg8 23.Bg2 Rg7) 23. ... Qf2! is interesting (24.Rf1 Qd2) nice trick, a good idea to take a pawn (25.Rg1 Qxd3 26.Rd1 Qe2 27.Rg1) so hiratexkeniih is in trap (Ng6) the long legs of the dancers are moving in the hot stage (28.Qd1 Qxb2) nothing exchange of theater (29.Qxh5 Qd2) good idea to control the home h6 (30.Qg4 a6) so the black king has a way out and the game is in the way! (31.c4) no escape next 31. Qd7 Qxc3 32. Qd8+ Ka7 33. Qxf6 Rh7 (Qxa2 32.h4) so the white king has less protection, 32. Qd7 was an option (Rh7 33.h5 Rh8) safe move but next 33. ... Nf4 34. Qg8+ Ka7 35. Qxh7 Qf2! 36. Qf5 Qh4+ 37. Bh3 Nxh3 38. Rg4 Nf2+ there was fireworks by another crazy horse (34.Bh3 Nf4) so the pieces are tied (35.h6 Rxh6 36.Rg3 Qb1+ 37.Kh2 Qxe4 38.Qf3 Qc2+ 39.Kg1 Ne2+ 40.Kf1 Nxg3+) the last move by the crazy horse and (41.Qxg3 Qxc4+) the last pawn is fall (42.Kg2 Rg6 43.Bg4 Rxg4) so we have seen some good ideas from hiratexkeniih and kleinert, i have one tips only:
- Don't move your knight in h3 or in h6 in the first session in the opening games because they are target for the opposite bishop to destroy your castle, i know that there are some opening where the knight has strategical function on the board to move in f2 or in f7 but that are strange opening and aren't good to learn chess!
The art in chess using the formation of the pawns
(1.d3 d5 2.b3 e5 3.a3 d4 4.g3 Nf6 5.Bg5) three moves of pawns for Scientificalmadness and four moves of pawns for hiratexkeniih before to move a piece, also the development of the knight is natural while the development of the bishop is out of the tips to close the hole of flank, so 5. Bb2 seem more safe (Nc6 6.Bg2 Bc5)the bishop slams against own pawn, i like 6. ... Be7 7. Nf3 Be6 8. 0-0 Qd7 with the idea to exchange the white bishop next Bh3 (7.Nf3 O-O 8.O-O Bf5 9.Nbd2)I like the pattern formed by blacks pieces also the two bishop are exposed to attack by white knights (h6 10.Bxf6 Qxf6 11.Ne4 Bxe4 12.dxe4) so the pawn in e4 close the diagonal to the bishop in g2, an improve to gain back the pair of the bishop was 11. Nh4 Bd7 12. Ne4 Qe7 13. Qxc5 (Rad8 13.Qd3 a6 14.b4 Bb6 15.Rad1 Rfe8) hiratexkeniih can use the outpost f5 to put pressure on the King's side or exploit the outpost on c4 to control the center and the Quenn's side (16.Bh3) a try to find the light, but the bishop was well placed in g2 (Na7 17.a4 c5) this is a good idea, the pawn in c2 is a weakness so is possible to attack it after the open of c-file and the doubling of the rooks (18.b5) i think that white is able to play 18. c3 to remove his weakness next 18. ... dxc3 19. Qxc3 cxb4 20. Qxb4 hiratexkeniih can do pressure on the quenn's side using the open files (axb5 19.axb5) now the b-pawn is a fixed weakness (Ba5) now 20. c4 dxc3 e.p. doesn't work for white (20.Ra1 Qb6 21.Rfb1 Bb4)winning the pawn in b5 (22.Nd2 Nxb5 23.Nc4 Qc6 24.Na5 Bxa5 25.Rxa5) why not 25. Qxb5?! The endgame with opposite bishop offers good chances to draw (Nc3 26.Rba1 Nxe4) 26. ... c4 with the idea to gain space was more accurate (27.Bg2 f5 28.Qc4+ Qe6 29.Qb5) loosing the opportunity to play an endgame with four rooks next 29. Qxe6+ Rxe6 30. Bxe4 fxe4 31. Rxc5 there were good chances to draw (b6 30.Ra7) so one rook reaches the seventh rank (Nc3 31.Qa6 e4 32.Qb7) wonderful hiratexkeniih has a good play with the heavy pieces while Scientificalmadness has an excellent counterplay with the pawns (Nxe2+ 33.Kf1 Nxg3+ 34.hxg3 Qg6) so 4 pawns for the bishop seems enough but how to advance the pawns? (35.Rb1 Rb8 36.Qd5+ Qe6 37.Qxe6+ Rxe6) without the queens is more simply to play the endgame so 36. Qc7 continues to play versus the pawn g7 was a good idea (38.Bh3 g6 39.Ke2) here there was a good trick to take back a pawn 39. Rc7 with the idea Rxc5 because the rook in b8 is pinned and next 39. ... Ra8 40. Rb7 the white has an active play (Rd8 40.Bf1) 40. g4 f4 41. g5 was a good idea to break the pawn chain (c4 41.Ke1 d3 42.c3)now the black pawnchain is more strong 42. Kd2 was a risky move to look for an active play (g5 43.g4) so the white bishop has less free squares to move, Kd2 was a better move again (f4 44.Kd2) but not now (e3+ 45.Ke1 e2 46.Ra2 d2+ 47.Rxd2 exf1=Q+ 48.Kxf1 Rxd2) a good combination in one nice artistic chess game(49.Rb4 f3 50.Rb1 Ree2)there is no more chance for a counterplay so the best move is to start another game!
1.e4 e5 2.d4 Qh4
(1.e4 e5 2.d4 Qh4) Don't go out with the queen too early! How many times do you heard this tip? (3.d5) 3. Nc3 to defend e4 was the right way (Qxe4+ 4.Ne2 Nf6 5.Nc3 Qf5 6.Ng3 Qg4 7.Qe2) hiratexkeniih proposes the exchange of the queen but 7. Be2 with the idea 8. 0-0 is a good way to exploit the advantage of development (Qxe2+ 8.Bxe2 d6) without the queen is not simple to find a counterplay for the pawn (9.Nb5 Nxd5)
The game is here, if the attack on c7 fails the game is miss
10. c4 Nb4 11. Nxc7+ Kd8 12. Nxa8 Nc2+ 13. Kd1 Nxa1 14. Be3
14. ... b6 15. Cxb6 axb6 16. Bxb6+ Ke8 17. Kd2 winning the knight in a1 and remaining with a plus pawn
(10.O-O Na6 11.c4 Nf4 12.Bf3) now the point c7 is safe and i don't see a counterplay for the pawns (g6 13.h3 c6 14.Nc3 Bf5 15.a3 O-O-O 16.b4 Bd3 17.Bg4+ f5 18.Be2 Nxe2+ 19.Ngxe2 h6)the simplifications help hiratexkeniih (20.b5 Nc5 21.Re1 Bxc4 22.Ng3) curiously Tasj_Mahal don't catch any pawn (Bxb5 23.a4 Ba6 24.a5 f4 25.Nge4 Nxe4 26.Rxe4 Bg7 27.Ba3 Rhe8 28.Rd1 b6 29.Bxd6)the task of the white is not simple, it is not possible to annotate this game without to think that there are too many pawns less for Tasj_Mahal so the white has to go for the king searching for some traps (bxa5 30.Bc5) allow a change of towers is not the best way to complicate the game (Rxd1+ 31.Nxd1 Bd3 32.Ra4 Bc2 33.Rxa5) 33. Ra1 the one (Bxd1 34.Rxa7 Bf6 35.Ra8+ Kd7 36.Ra7+ Ke6 37.Rc7 Kf5 38.g4+ Kg5 39.Rxc6) threatening h4+ and Rxf6 (Bh8 40.Kg2 h5 41.f3 Ra8 42.h4+ Kh6 43.g5+ Kh7) and the king is escaped.