[NT] The Ultimate Chess Thread

[Blank]

Looking at that game, I can see f6 as only a horrible move.

 

[dorcus0]

I wonder what it would be like if people over-analyized other board games.
Like monopoly.

INTP Bird: How to Win at Monopoly


Back on topic:

1. I started playing chess when I was 5 or 6. I was quite good compared to my friends (which didn't really say much). But I'm much more of a recreational player, I only play online. I also only play short games, usually 10 minutes per person. So, it's not very deep or analytical, just instinctive play.

2. Chess is one hell of a fun game. I like how the rules of the game allow for a diverse set of games. Plus, I can be as aggressive as I want. Generally too aggressive though; I sacrifice units to get an early attack with minor pieces and queen. It works or it doesn't, and either way the game ends quickly.

3. Openings: I go for openings that lead to open games. I open with Queen's Gambit as white (though I have trouble dealing with non-direct defenses). As black, I use the Scandinavian Defense when white opens with king's pawn; otherwise I hope for Queen's Gambit accepted when white opens with queen's pawn. I know these openings aren't the strongest, but they lead to very interesting games.

 

[Provoker]

Here are some 3 minute blitz games of mine against opponents rated around 2000. Even though it's blitz and these were fast skittles games, I am still open to analyzing them. And for anyone else who wants to post their games for analysis, I encourage thee to do so.

Here's the King's Gambit I often play in blitz.

[White "colin c"]
[Black "LeonS"]
[Event "InstantChess"]
[BlackElo "1933"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ICCause "2"]
[ICEcause "4"]

1.e4 e5 2.f4 d5 3.exd5 e4 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Bc4 Bg4 6.Nge2 Bb4 7.d4 O-O 8.O-O Bxc3 9.bxc3 Nxd5 10.Bxd5 Qxd5 11.h3 Bf5 12.Ng3 Nd7 13.Qh5 Be6 14.f5 g6 15.Qh6 Qd6 16.Bf4 Qe7 17.f6 Nxf6 18.Be5 Rfe8 19.Bxf6 Qxf6 20.Rxf6 Bf5 21.Rf1 e3 22.Nxf5 gxf5 23.R1xf5 Re6 24.Rg5+ Kh8 25.Qg7# 1-0

Here's the King's Indian Opening I mentioned in my OP.

[White "cpalape"]
[Black "colin c"]
[Event "InstantChess"]
[WhiteElo "1876"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ICCause "0"]
[ICEcause "1"]
[Annotator "colin c"]

1.e4 d6 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.d4 Bg7 5.Bd3 O-O 6.h3 Nbd7 7.O-O e5 8.dxe5 Nxe5 9.Nxe5 dxe5
10.Bg5 c6 11.Qc1 Qc7 12.f4 h6 13.Bxf6 Bxf6 14.fxe5 Bg7 15.Qf4 Qb6+ 16.Kh1 Qxb2 17.Ne2
Qxe5 18.Qf3 Qa5 19.Rab1 Qxa2 20.Rb4 Qa5 21.Rb3 Qc7 22.Ng3 a5 23.e5 a4 24.Rbb1 a3 25.Qe4
a2 26.Nh5 axb1=Q 27.Rxb1 Qxe5 0-1

Here's a King's Pawn game that I nearly won but lost on time. This opponent was rated in the 2000s. Enjoy.

[White "colin c"]
[Black "timhoustontx"]
[Event "InstantChess"]
[BlackElo "2029"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ICCause "1"]
[ICEcause "6"]
[Annotator "colin c"]

1.e4 d6 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bc4 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.d3 O-O 6.O-O c6 7.Ne2 b5 8.Bb3 Nbd7 9.Ng3 e5 10.h3 a5 11.a3 Bb7 12.Bg5 h6 13.Be3 Qe7 14.Qd2 Kh7 15.Nh2 d5 16.f4 d4 17.Bf2 c5 18.fxe5 Nxe5 19.Nf3 c4 20.Ba2 Nxf3+ 21.gxf3 cxd3 22.cxd3 Nd7 23.f4 g5 24.Nf5 Qf6 25.Nxg7 Qxg7 26.fxg5 hxg5 27.Kh1 Nc5 28.Rg1 f6 29.Rg4 Bc8 30.Rg3 Qh6 31.Kh2 Ne6 32.Bxe6 Bxe6 33.Bxd4 Rad8 34.Be3 Bc4 35.d4 Rh8 36.Rag1 Rdg8 37.e5 Qf8 38.exf6 Qd6 39.Bxg5 Rg6 40.Qf4 Qd5 41.Qh4+ Kg8 42.Qf4 Qd7 43.Bh6 Kf7 0-1

 

[Provoker]

A recent game of mine, analysis, anyone?
(I was white, btw. Opponent: Anonymous.)

1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bb5 Nge7

White opens with the classical Ruy Lopez opening. How can black play Ne7 with a straight face? This move is dubious since it makes for a cramped position by blocking both the queen and king’s bishop for a bit. As black, I would be more inclined to play 3...a6 in which case white will usually pull the bishop back to a4 or else the Berlin Defense, a personal favorite, which is 3...Nf6.

4. Nc3 f6

White proceeds in development. Black’s move is again questionable. For instance, white could play 5. Nh4, could possibly draw black into playing …g5 in an attempt to force the knight back in which case white plays 6. Qh5+ and eventually gets a free rook a few moves later. On the other hand, black could play 5...g6 to defend against the attack which would be wiser but still leads to a lack of development on the king and queen’s side, which makes it a bad position overall.

5. O-O a6
6. Be2 g5

As white, I’d prefer 6. Ba4 b5 7. Bb3…if black presses, play pawn to a3 and move bishop back to a2, but this serves two purposes. First, it allows black to overextend pawns on the queen’s side making it dubious to castle on the queen’s side. But secondly, because black has already played Ne7 and f6, black has a diagonal open to the king’s side making it dubious to castle there as well without careful preparation. In addition, the bishop in this position is also attacking the d5 square, giving white more than enough material to come out on top if black pushes pawn to d5. On the other hand, with Be2 black can push d5 and gain tempo and position.

Black’s move to g5 illustrates incompetence. With some fancy footwork white can win a pawn here, and black is very vulnerable to white’s bishop backed by queen.

7. h3 Bg7
8. d4 d6

D6 was a bad move for black, allowing white to push the pawn and cramp black’s position. An exchange would have been nicer followed by a d-pawn push.


9. d5 Nd4
10. Nxd4 exd4
11. Qxd4 O-O

Black’s Nd4 was dubious. Poorly calculated. Lost both position and material from it.

12. Qb4 c5

Qb4 is questionable. I would have played a4 to control the b5 square and eventually positioned the queen or light squared bishop on c4 followed by a pawn push to d6, which forces a check and wins blacks knight. This is assuming it would get that far, which it likely wouldn’t. But you will still gain position while black prepares a defense against this attack. It offers initiative, if not material.

On black's end, again another dubious move. Rb8, h6 followed by f5…exf5 and then Bxf5 would have improved black’s position and saved the b pawn.

13. dxc6 Nxc6
14. Qb3 Kh8
15. Be3 f5
16. exf5 Bxf5
17. Qxb7 Bxc3
18. bxc3 Ne5
19. Qd5 Bxc2



20. h4 gxh4

At this point black is in a positional nightmare and basically needs a miracle. gxh4 is useless. I would have played Rf5, setting up an attack on the queen with black playing Nf3+. TO avoid this white will have to move queen. Black could try to pass pawn, take the pawn on h4 with queen (granted that white’s queen is off the diagonal to black rook on a8, trade off light squared bishops and get the rook behind the queen in a direct attack along the h file. It’s highly theoretical and it would have to be played with precision and creativity but it could be a way to save the game for black.

21. f4 Ng6
22. Bd4 Ne5

Here, black must trade the rook for a bishop by playing Rf6. If white takes, black takes with queen and is still protecting his pawn on d6, while directly attacking the white's pawn on c3.

23. fxe5 Rxf1

For black, trading when down material isn’t recommended in chess.

24. Rxf1 Kg7
25. e6 Kh6
26. Qh5
1-0

Well done.

 

[Provoker]

I have an important update. As mentioned, the King's Indian and King's Gambit are among my strongest openings--particularly in blitz. However, it is to be noted that the King's Gambit is a 19th century opening that isn't held in high esteem by today's masters. I attended a lecture taught by a strong IM that focused exclusively on the Sicilian. In effect, the Sicilian with fianchetto on the King's side has become my new response to 1. e4. And if black plays the sicilian, I get a really good position as white--particularly when I castle on the Queen's side. On that note, I have observed that in asymmetrical positions I am strongest as I have been playing the Sicilian successfully at 2000, and giving IMs difficulty. This was the missing link as far as I can tell. Therefore, as white 1.e4 remains my opening move and indeed best by test, but now I have a solid response to 1.e4 as black. Before, I didn't like the symmetry of playing 1.e5. And developing a fianchetto on the King's side with pawn to d6 led to an inferior and cramped position for black. Now that my opening base is established, where as before I knew I would sometimes opt for an opening that had poor chances for in advantage in the middle game, I shall allocate resources into looking deeper into the middle games and variations that come out of these openings. This was a critical step in the right direction toward my goal of becoming an International Master.

 

[BlueScreen]

Thanks for this thread. I've been getting into this stuff recently and playing around with combinations. Your notes are really helpful.