OT: Chess

[Ben Grimm]

This Fabi vs Rapport English game went on to see 4. ... Ng8 5. d4 cxd4 6. Qxd4 Nc6 7. Qf4 which @Harbour Dog told Fabi is currently scoring better than 7. Qe4, but Rapport won the game anyways.

Fabiano Caruana vs Richard Rapport (2022)
English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense. Flohr-Mikenas-Carls Variation Nei Gambit (A19) · 0-1​

 

[Harbour Dog]

This Fabi vs Rapport English game went on to see 4. ... Ng8 5. d4 cxd4 6. Qxd4 Nc6 7. Qf4 which @Harbour Dog told Fabi is currently scoring better than 7. Qe4, but Rapport won the game anyways.

Fabiano Caruana vs Richard Rapport (2022)
English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense. Flohr-Mikenas-Carls Variation Nei Gambit (A19) · 0-1​

I was pretty excited when they went into the Mikenas-Carls Variation! I love playing it as White.

Rapport put on a clinic though. Even though it is quite an unpopular line for Black. It seems like even the best of the best have to keep their wits when Rapport starts deviating into these awkward sidelines.

 

[Ben Grimm]

The power of passed pawns

"In the diagrammed position it is White to move and draw. White has a powerful passed pawn on g7 that forces Black's bishop to control the g8-square, but White is a pawn down and Black also has a powerful passed pawn that just attacked White's bishop on d3. Should the bishop go to b5 or to c2"?​

 

[Ben Grimm]

20th Century Chess Players

"The 20th century was an exceedingly rich century for chess! Wikipedia devotes multiple pages to 20th century chess players (Category:20th-century chess players - Wikipedia). For those of us who lived through a portion of the 20th century, the world-wide arena of chess was exciting and stimulating. The history of the whole century is replete with names of players, tournaments, and developments in chess which continue to have significance today. This Crossword presents the very smallest cross-section of 20th Century Chess players. It ranges over times and persons so it may be difficult to identify all the Answers. I hope it can stimulate further study of this period, and a deepened appreciation for the richness of the contributions of these players"!​

 

[Harbour Dog]

The power of passed pawns

"In the diagrammed position it is White to move and draw. White has a powerful passed pawn on g7 that forces Black's bishop to control the g8-square, but White is a pawn down and Black also has a powerful passed pawn that just attacked White's bishop on d3. Should the bishop go to b5 or to c2"?​

I could see that c2 wasn't right, so I got it right by process of elimination, but I never seen why it was right until I played through the game.

I find forced draws much harder to find than wins.

 

[CLW]

oops wt

 

[Ben Grimm]

I was pretty excited when they went into the Mikenas-Carls Variation! I love playing it as White. ...

I thought you would be. You probably play. 7. f4. I'll try to make another post tonight about Tata history, but it may be Friday.

 

[ORRFForever]

I could see that c2 wasn't right, so I got it right by process of elimination, but I never seen why it was right until I played through the game.

I find forced draws much harder to find than wins.

Same with me. c2 doesn't look right because of Black's e pawn. Must be b5

 

[ORRFForever]

I'm scared of that kid! ​

R9: Caruana, Karjakin, Carlsen, and Giri won. Rapport, Duda, and Dubov tied. @Harbour Dog

I found a weird opening and put the image in my sig. A00 Van't Kruijs opening: 1. e3 e5 2. Bd3 Qh4 3. Nf3 Qf6 4. O - O d5 @ORRFForever is that your favorite White opening?

I HATE playing against kids in tournaments. A LOT of people feel that way.

First, they're fidgets. Second, winning against them feels lousy - I've thrown games because I didn't have the heart to win. Third, you never know what you're up against - some kids get trained by GM's and they absorb everything.

I'd rather take a bye.

 

[aufheben]

I was pretty excited when they went into the Mikenas-Carls Variation! I love playing it as White.

Rapport put on a clinic though. Even though it is quite an unpopular line for Black. It seems like even the best of the best have to keep their wits when Rapport starts deviating into these awkward sidelines.

Yo @Harbour Dog I’m looking to get back into chess again. You got a few really basic openings to learn? Like 1. d4 or e4, and black’s response to both? Whatever the best method is for casual practice.

You know my style pretty well (such as it is). Sharp attacks & stout defense. I like offbeat stuff like queenside castles. and I’d love to learn the English, because it always confounded me and was really annoying to play against, but it transposes into basically anything so that’s probably too much for a newbie.

I want to keep it simple this time around and not try to use the Hedgehog after a month of playing.

 

[Ben Grimm]

I HATE playing against kids in tournaments. A LOT of people feel that way. First, they're fidgets. Second, winning against them feels lousy - I've thrown games because I didn't have the heart to win. Third, you never know what you're up against - some kids get trained by GM's and they absorb everything. I'd rather take a bye.

Agreed. Here's an article I like:

Tata Steel Chess: A Photo Retrospective

"As chess tournaments go, Tata Steel Chess has run pretty much forever—it has been held annually since 1938 with just one missed year. In that time, it became one of the strongest chess competitions in the world".​

 

[ORRFForever]

Agreed. Here's an article I like:

Tata Steel Chess: A Photo Retrospective

"As chess tournaments go, Tata Steel Chess has run pretty much forever—it has been held annually since 1938 with just one missed year. In that time, it became one of the strongest chess competitions in the world".​

LOVE those old photos. Love to see people dressed up to play chess.

 

[ORRFForever]

Yo @Harbour Dog I’m looking to get back into chess again. You got a few really basic openings to learn? Like 1. d4 or e4, and black’s response to both? Whatever the best method is for casual practice.

You know my style pretty well (such as it is). Sharp attacks & stout defense. I like offbeat stuff like queenside castles. and I’d love to learn the English, because it always confounded me and was really annoying to play against, but it transposes into basically anything so that’s probably too much for a newbie.

I want to keep it simple this time around and not try to use the Hedgehog after a month of playing.

If I can throw in my 2 cents...

e4 or d4...

Play whatever feels right to you. I can't play d4 - it just feels "wrong" and off balance. I hate d4.

Against e4, the Sicilian works nicely - as you know, a LOT of top players play it.

Against d4, I play the Grunfeld.

The English is pretty easy to play as black. Just mirror what White is doing until you're ready to go in a new direction.

 

[Harbour Dog]

Yo @Harbour Dog I’m looking to get back into chess again. You got a few really basic openings to learn? Like 1. d4 or e4, and black’s response to both? Whatever the best method is for casual practice.

You know my style pretty well (such as it is). Sharp attacks & stout defense. I like offbeat stuff like queenside castles. and I’d love to learn the English, because it always confounded me and was really annoying to play against, but it transposes into basically anything so that’s probably too much for a newbie.

I want to keep it simple this time around and not try to use the Hedgehog after a month of playing.

Awesome!

Given your style, I'd say go for 1.e4. Maybe look at the Smith-Morra Gambit when Black responds with the Sicilian. It leads to some big attacks (1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3).

And when Black responds with e5, maybe you could try the Vienna Game (1.e4 e5 2.Nc3). I don't know much about it, but it has a reputation for leading to all out attacks from White.

For Black, I'd say to try the Sicilian against 1.e4. Pretty much any variation that you get comfortable with will have plenty of activity and tactics.

Against 1.d4 and 1.c4, it's more difficult to get a very active game without being worse. Maybe the Queen's Gambit Accepted or Albin Countergambit would offer games that you like, but I think it may be best for you to use games against 1.d4 and 1.c4 as opportunities to play some slow games. There's lots to learn from having to maneuver around a congested board and pick and choose pawn breaks.

 

[Harbour Dog]

Maybe the Grunfeld against d4 is a good call, like @ORRFForever pointed out. I don't know it well, but at the top level, the guys that play it the most are the guys that love tactics.

 

[ORRFForever]

Maybe the Grunfeld against d4 is a good call, like @ORRFForever pointed out. I don't know it well, but at the top level, the guys that play it the most are the guys that love tactics.

I also find the Grunfeld provides a lot of drawing opportunities for Black.

 

[Kaners Bald Spot]

Fabi is having a bad tournament.

I went to my club today and had a hell of a game. Both myself and my opponent were completely lost at one point in the game. I had an easily winning position but got tired and didn't want to play anymore. I would have had to grind for another 30+ moves and had already played 51.

 

[ORRFForever]

Fabi is having a bad tournament.

I went to my club today and had a hell of a game. Both myself and my opponent were completely lost at one point in the game. I had an easily winning position but got tired and didn't want to play anymore. I would have had to grind for another 30+ moves and had already played 51.

It's amazing how exhausting a good chess game can be. Exhilarating, too.

 

[Ben Grimm]

Fabi is having a bad tourney for him, but he's still #4 in the live ratings.

 

[Kaners Bald Spot]

It's amazing how exhausting a good chess game can be. Exhilarating, too.

Yeah. I got tired, felt bad that my opponent blundered a completely winning position and offered a draw. Was accepted instantly. Went home and put it into software and the computer announced mate in 21. I think my opponent was close to resigning but I was like whatever.

 

[ORRFForever]

the computer announced mate in 21.

And you missed it? Boy, you must have been tired.

 

[Kaners Bald Spot]

And you missed it? Boy, you must have been tired.

Lol.

OTB I thought my opponent had a perpetual and if I didn't go into that line I was lost.
I was in a Q vs R+N endgame and both myself and my opponent had connected passers.

 

[Harbour Dog]

Fabi is having a bad tournament.

I went to my club today and had a hell of a game. Both myself and my opponent were completely lost at one point in the game. I had an easily winning position but got tired and didn't want to play anymore. I would have had to grind for another 30+ moves and had already played 51.

He's definitely having a down tourney. He may be hurting himself a bit by staying away from his Candidates prep.

Could be a repeat of 2018: finish near the bottom at Tata Steel; win the Candidates.

 

[Kaners Bald Spot]

He's definitely having a down tourney. He may be hurting himself a bit by staying away from his Candidates prep.

Could be a repeat of 2018: finish near the bottom at Tata Steel; win the Candidates.

You guys really think Magnus will abdicate if it's not Firouzja?
He's beaten Fabi, Nepo and Karjakin already......who does he have left to beat of his contemporaries? Radjabov?

 

[Harbour Dog]

Lol.

OTB I thought my opponent had a perpetual and if I didn't go into that line I was lost.
I was in a Q vs R+N endgame and both myself and my opponent had connected passers.

That sounds like a brutal position to grind out for 30+ moves lol. Can't blame you one bit!