Saturday, February 18, 2006

 

Step 2 Complete

That's a relief. The last 200 problems were the slowest. I gave each problem more real-game type consideration, hoping to get more out of this last bit of the process than I would relying purely on memorization or CTS blitz-like mentality.

I am taking a short break before Step 3.


-=-=-=-=-

I ran into this game recently and was baffled attempting to follow it. The first surprise was that up to move 17 it follows book. Here is the game, followed by Fritz's analysis:
pgn player

[Event "Aeroflot Open"]
[Site "Moscow RUS"]
[Date "2006.02.12"]
[EventDate "2006.02.08"]
[Round "5"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "TL Petrosian"]
[Black "P Smirnov"]
[ECO "B85"]
[WhiteElo "2558"]
[BlackElo "2614"]
[PlyCount "62"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e6 7. a4 Nc6 8.Be2 Be7 9. O-O O-O 10. f4 Qc7 11. Kh1 Re8 12. a5 Nxa5 13. e5 dxe5 14. fxe5 Qxe5 15. Bf4 Qc5 16. Na4 Qa7 17. Be3 Nd5 18. Bg1 b5 19. Bd3 Bf6 20. Nxb5 Qd7 21. Nbc3 Bd8 22. Nc5 Qc7 23. Nxd5 exd5 24. Rxa5 Qxa5 25. Bxh7+ Kf8 26.Qxd5 Ra7 27. b4 Qb5 28. c4 Qxb4 29. Qd6+ Be7 30. Rxf7+ Kxf7 31. Qd5+ 1-0

Fritz:

{B85: Sicilian Scheveningen: 6 Be2 a6, lines with early Be3} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6
3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e6 7. a4 Nc6 8. Be2 Be7 9. O-O O-O 10.
f4 Qc7 11. Kh1 Re8 12. a5 Nxa5 13. e5 dxe5 14. fxe5 Qxe5 15. Bf4 Qc5 16. Na4
Qa7 17. Be3 {last book move} Nd5 18. Bg1 b5 (18... b6 $5 19. c4 Nb4 $15) 19.
Bd3 $11 Bf6 (19... Qd7 $5 {is worth consideration} 20. Bxh7+ {
Demolition of pawn structure} Kxh7 21. Qh5+ Kg8 22. Qxf7+ Kh7 23. Qh5+ Kg8 24.
Qf7+ Kh7 25. Qh5+ Kg8 26. Qf7+ $11) (19... bxa4 $2 20. Bxh7+ Kf8 21. Nxe6+ Bxe6
22. Bxa7 Rxa7 23. Bf5 Bf6 24. Bxe6 fxe6 25. Rxa4 Nc6 $18) 20. Nxb5 $16 {
Clearance to allow g1-d4} Qd7 (20... axb5 21. Rxf6 gxf6 22. Qg4+ Kf8 23. Bc5+
Re7 24. Bxh7 Ke8 25. Qg8+ Kd7 26. Bxa7 Rxa7 27. Nc5+ Kc7 28. Be4 Kb8) 21. Nbc3
Bd8 $2 (21... Nxc3 $142 {and your king hangs on} 22. bxc3 Bd8 $14)
22. Nc5 $18 Qc7 $4 {your bishop has lost his nerve...
understandable when you consider his position}(22... Qe7 23. Nxd5 exd5 $18)
23. Nxd5 exd5 24. Rxa5 $1 {the end, the rest is history}
Qxa5 {Decoy theme: a5} (24... Re5 {doesn't change the outcome of the game}
25. Qf3 $18) 25. Bxh7+ $1 {Demolition of pawn structure}
Kf8 (25... Kxh7 {Decoy to h7} 26. Qh5+)
26. Qxd5 Ra7 27. b4 $1 {leaving no more doubts}
Qb5 (27... Qxb4 {Decoy to b4} 28. Nd3 {Discovered attack}
Qe7 29. Ne5 g5 30. Ng6+ Kg7 31. Nxe7 Rexe7 32. Qxd8 Kxh7 33. Qxc8)
28. c4 Qxb4 (28... Qb6 {the last chance for counterplay} 29. Nd3 Be6 $18)
29. Qd6+ Be7 30. Rxf7+ $3 {Demolishes the pawn shield.} Kxf7 {Decoy theme: f7}
31. Qd5+ {A classical mating theme} (31. Qd5+ Be6 32. Qxe6+ Kf8 33. Qg8#) {
Fritz 8: 1)} 31... Be6 ({Fritz 8: 2)} 31... Kf8 32. Qg8# {[%eval 32766,0]}) ({
Fritz 8: 3)} 31... Kf6 32. Ne4# {[%eval 32766,0]}) 32. Qxe6+ Kf8 33. Qg8# {
[%eval 32765,0]} 1-0


-=-=-=-=-

Through no fault of my own I won an incredibly inaccurate Cochrane Gambit blitz game as Black. If you look at the main line of this opening, you might conclude that it was concocted by space aliens. Granted, it can be a real test of Black's defensive skills, and even more so in blitz.

Luckily, my opponent gave me an almost obvious checkmate opportunity, an opportunity which I squandered by offering up my Queen instead of my Rook. Not to be outdone, my opponent let me keep my Queen, continuing on embarrassingly until he finally handed me a checkmate so obvious I couldn't refuse. This last blunder was avoided a position where he was materially behind but had a big pawn center, i.e. objectively lost but still with promotion threats. Here is the checkmate position and solution right underneath:

Black to Move


Rg6+! (not Qg6+?? as I played) seals the deal:
Rg6+! fxg6 (as Rg2 Rxg2+ or Kh1 Qh8+ Rh2 Qxh2! Kxh2 Rh8#)
Qxg6+ (as Rg2 Qxg2#) Kh1 Rh8+ Rh2 Qg2!#
Computer analysis of Qg6+:
26. fxg6 Rxg6+ 27. Kh1 Rh8+ 28. Rh2 Rxh2+ 29. Kxh2 Nf3+
30. Kh3 Ng5+ 31. Kg3 Nxe4+ 32. Kf4 Nxc5 33. Kxe3
This leaves White up two pawns and a good position


Here is the full game:
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nxf7 Kxf7 5. d4 c5 6. Bc4+ Be6 7. Bxe6+
Kxe6 8. d5+ Kf7 9. Nc3 Be7 10. O-O Rf8 11. f4 Nbd7 12. Qf3 Kg8 13. g4 g5
14. f5 Ne5 15. Qh3 Nfxg4 16. Qh5 h6 17. h4 Nf6 18. Qxh6 Nfg4 19. Qe6+ Kg7
20. hxg5 Bxg5 21. Nb5 Qe8 22. Qxd6 Bxc1 23. Raxc1 Ne3 24. Rf2 Rf6 25. Qxc5
Qg6+ 26. Kh1 Qh5+ 27. Rh2 Qf3+ 28. Kg1 Qg3+ 29. Kh1 Nf3 30. Qe7+ Rf7
31. Rh7+ Kxh7 32. Qxf7+ Kh8 33. Qf6+ Qg7 34. Qxg7+ Kxg7 35. Re1 Rh8# 0-1

I hope to work through my unsound Queen sacrifice propensity. May its siren lure call me no more :-).


-=-=-=-=-


TCT Results

Circle 1Circle 2Circle 3Circle 4Circle 5Circle 6Circle 7
Step 197%99%99%100%r
Step 293%96%95%97%96%99%100%
Step 393%97%97%96%
Step 480%86%90%92%
Step 574%77%83%87%


Comments:
Huzzahh!!!
 
It makes me very happy when players of Black slay the Cochrane Gambit, since I used to play the Petroff.
 
Thankfully, ourCheap wow gold challenger set it up a nearly clear checkmate chance, a chance that i misused by providing right up our Double as an alternative to my own Rook. Never to possibly be usual, the adversary allow me to preserve our Queen, continuous in embarrassingly untilBuy rs gold finally this individual finally given me a checkmate therefore apparent I couldn't reject.
 
Post a Comment

<< Home

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?