Grand Prix Attack - No Plan, No Prep, Nil Point

Last week I played a club game against Basingstoke. I confess that I had not properly prepared for Black's 4th and my 5th move response! I didn't have a plan after 6.Bb5, I simply wanted to match my opponents early lunge in the center by giving my Bishop an early exchange and hoping to castle soon afterwards. I thought that by giving Black doubled pawns I'd have a slight advantage?

My opponent was wise and played 7. .. Qc7, a kind of Kan setup. I then went on to blunder a pawn after misplacing my Queen. My opponent finshed me off with nice little tactic against my h3 pawn, winning 2 more of my pawns and the game was up. The lesson for me here is that I well and truly lost the oppening and my opponent kept his advantage ... According to Fritz 13 it is not necessary to take the pawn on d5 (5.exd5), instead Bb5+ can be played on move 5 not move 6.

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4 e6 4. Nf3 d5 end of book here 5. exd5 exd5 6. Bb5 Nf6 7. Ne5 Qc7 8. O-O Bd6 9. Qe1 O-O 10. Bxc6 bxc6 11. Qg3 Nh5 12. Qh4 Nxf4 13. Qxf4 Bxe5 14. Qh4 Re8 15. d3 Bd4+ 16. Kh1 Re6 17. Bf4 Be5 18. Bxe5 Rxe5 19. Qg3 Qe7 20. Rae1 Rxe1 21. Rxe1 Be6 22. Ne2 Re8 23. Ng1 h6 24. Nh3 Qd7 25. Nf2 Bf5 26. Nd1 Rxe1 27. Qxe1 Qe6 28. Qf2 d4 29. h3 Bxh3 30. gxh3 Qxh3+ 31. Qh2 Qf3+ 32. Qg2 Qxd1 33. Kh2 Qh5 0-1

PGN Viewer courtesy of http://chesstempo.com/

ChessTempo for Tactics!

Just lately I have decided to start using ChessTempo for tactics training, particularly endgame tactics study. If you are not a premium member, then you are only permitted 2 x endgame tactics per day. This however is sufficient for one day, given that you need to fully absorb the concept that you are being tested on ... Believe me, these problems are certainly challenging!

Chess Tempo Endgame Problem

Grand Prix Attack - chess.com

Here my two Knights proved to be much better than my opponent's two bishops ... As can be seen from the game, White seems to hem both his Bishops in and as a consequence they are both bad ...

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Bb5 Nd4 6. O-O Nxb5 7. Nxb5 a6 8. Nc3 d6 9. d3 Nf6 10. Ne2 O-O 11. Ng3 Bd7 12. Qe1 Bc6 13. f5 e5 14. h4 Kh8 15. Be3 Qb6 16. b3 Ng4 17. Qd2 Nxe3 18. Qxe3 Rae8 19. h5 d5 20. hxg6 fxg6 21. fxg6 Rf4 22. Ng5 d4 23. Qd2 hxg6 24. Rxf4 exf4 25. Qxf4 Bd7 26. Qh4+ Kg8 27. Rf1 Bf6 28. Qh7+ 1-0

PGN Viewer courtesy of http://chesstempo.com/

The formula for a better chess blitz grade

Not an easy one - but some players would love to see their internet grade soar through the roof! I think that there is no easy solution to this, but with a strict framework in place, self discipline and with a little help from Fritz 13 I reckon it is indeed possible to see your grade increase by 200 - 400 grading points in one season. Here is my formula:

1) Play only 6 games (10 minutes each will be a maximum of 2 hours Blitz per day) in one session. Any more than this and your concentration will lapse and your grade will start to plummet.

 2) When you lose one game - STOP. Analyse the game on Fritz immediately, even if you blundered ... This is an excellent habit to get into because a computer can highlight all the weaknesses in game, and indicate exactly where either you or your opponent started to stray.

3) When you have lost just one game don't play any more games that day. Instead take the time to either -
 a) 'google' the opening and preferred plans for both sides,
 b) Play the game through on Fritz 13 and perform a 'Full Analysis'.
 c) Look a similar game up in a book to get and idea for the plans ...
 d) Do all of the above ... (preferable)

Fritz is an excellent tool when used to perform a full appraisal (Full Analysis) of the game.  I particularly appreciate the English Language commentary set alongside the moves that have a major impact on the game ... This helps me to put into perspective exactly where I went wrong.  I am gradually building up a database of 'losses', which over time will indicate how most games are being lost.

I think that by sticking to this strict training regime unwaveringly, you will start to see a steady improvement over time ...  

Sicilian Dragon, White castles Kingside

Here is this evening's club game - a Dragon (B73 Classical System without Nb3). I have attempted to revisit the quirky (and early) h5 for Black. According to Charlie Storey's book on the Sniper, Black can have some successful games against White by deferring their castling until such time as it is needed ... Problem is that I have been studying games where White castles Queenside. I must confess that I was not prepared for White's Kingside castling, however I played a similar game a year or two ago so there are no excuses for my poor performance!! I have used Fritz 13 to analyse this game (an abysmal loss)... Interestingly after my a6 move Fritz appears to favour White already! (Back to the drawing board I think ...)

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be2 Bg7 7. Be3 Nc6 8. O-O Bd7 9. Qd2 h5 10. h3 last book move 10...  a6 White has a very active position 11. Rad1 Qc7 12. Nd5 Nxd5 13. exd5 Na5 ( 13... Nxd4 14. Bxd4 Bxd4 15. Qxd4 O-O ) 14. b3 b5 15. c3 Rb8 ( 15... O-O 16. Rc1 Rac8 17. Rfe1 ) 16. Rc1 O-O 17. Rc2 ( 17. f4 f5 ) 17...  Rfc8 18. Rfc1 Qd8 ( 18... Rb7 19. c4 bxc4 20. Bxc4 Nxc4 21. Rxc4 ) 19. Bd3 ( 19. c4 Bxd4 20. Bxd4 Bf5 ) 19...  Be8 ( 19... Bf6 20. Re1 ) 20. Be4 ( 20. f4 Nb7 21. b4 Bd7 ) 20...  Bd7 21. f4 e5 ( 21... f5 22. Bf3 Bf6 ) 22. dxe6 Decoy: e6 22...  fxe6 ( 22... Bxe6 23. f5 Decoy Double attack ) ( 22... fxe6 23. Bxg6 Deflection ) 23. Bxg6 h4 ( 23... Nc6 does not solve anything 24. Bxh5 Nxd4 25. Bxd4 ) 24. Nf3 ( 24. f5 makes it even easier for White 24... Qe7 25. Bg5 ) 24...  Bc6 ( 24... Qe7 there is nothing better in the position ) 25. Ng5 Qf6 ( 25... Be8 cannot change what is in store for White 26. Bf5 Decoy: f5 26... Bf7 27. Nxe6 Bxe6 28. Bxe6+ Kh8 29. Bxc8 Rxc8 30. c4 bxc4 31. b4 ) 26. Bf7+ Kh8 ( 26... Qxf7 cannot undo what has already been done 27. Nxf7 Kxf7 28. Qxd6 ) 27. Bxe6 Rf8 ( 27... Rc7 is not the saving move 28. Qd3 Qh6 29. Qxd6 ) 28. Qd3 ( 28. f5 and White wins 28... Qe5 29. Bd4 Qg3 ) 28...  Qh6 29. f5 ( 29. Qxd6 and White can already relax 29... Rbe8 30. Bb6 Be4 ) 29...  Qf6 ( 29... Qh5 otherwise it is curtains at once 30. Qxd6 Rbd8 31. Nf7+ Qxf7 32. Qxd8 Rxd8 33. Bxf7 Nb7 ) 30. Qd2 Nb7 31. Bd4 Qe7 32. Qf4 Rf6 ( 32... Rf7 does not change the outcome of the game 33. Qxh4+ Kg8 34. Bxg7 Kxg7 35. Qh7+ Kf6 36. Qh6+ Ke5 37. Re1+ Be4 38. Rxe4# ) 33. Qxh4+ Rh6 ( 33... Bh6 a fruitless try to alter the course of the game 34. Qxh6+ Qh7 35. Qxh7# ) 34. Qxh6# 1-0

PGN Viewer courtesy of http://chesstempo.com/

English Opening leads to a dubious draw ...

Here is this week's club game - an English. I don't know a lot about the strategy behind this opening other than the fact that Botvinnik has pioneered some sound theory on it ... I need to look this up! (I may even have gone wrong on move 2 ??) I thought I had the edge throughout the game, however a draw was agreed on move 38 after Kf8.

1. c4 Nf6 2. g3 e5 3. Bg2 g6 4. Nc3 Bg7 5. d3 d6 6. Nf3 c6 7. O-O Be6 8. Ng5 Qc8 9. Nxe6 Qxe6 10. b4 O-O 11. b5 d5 12. cxd5 cxd5 13. Rb1 Nbd7 14. a4 Rac8 15. Bb2 d4 16. Ne4 Rc7 17. Ba3 Rfd8 18. Nd6 Bf8 19. Nc4 Bxa3 20. Nxa3 b6 21. Nc4 Nd5 22. Bxd5 Qxd5 23. Qb3 Nf6 24. Nd2 Qxb3 25. Nxb3 Nd5 26. Rfe1 Rdc8 27. a5 Nc3 28. axb6 axb6 29. Rb2 Nxb5 30. Nd2 Rc1 31. Rxc1 Rxc1+ 32. Kg2 Nc3 33. Nc4 b5 34. Nxe5 Rb1 35. Rxb1 Nxb1 36. Nc6 Nd2 37. e3 dxe3 38. fxe3 Kf8 0.5-0.5

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Budapest Gambit Declined - poor strategy and no tactics!

Here is last week's club game - a Budapest declined. In this game I made two fundamental errors. 1) I blocked my dark-squared bishop's diagonal. 2) I opened the 'h' file without actually needing to ... (the result of being 35 minutes behind on time and having only 5 minutes left on the clock). I have performed some analysis on Fritz 13 - this showed that I could certainly have played f5 and sacrificed my Bishop for a win! I wonder if White would have spotted that? Anyway I got mated foolishly on the back rank in the end - should have sac'ed my Queen for the two Rooks (hindsight is wonderful isn't it?)

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3. d5 Bc5 4. Nc3 d6 5. h3 Bf5 6. Bg5 Nbd7 7. e4 Bg6 8. Bd3 c6 9. Qb3 Qc7 10. Nge2 O-O 11. O-O a5 12. a3 Ba7 13. Bxf6 Nxf6 14. Rac1 Nd7 15. Na4 c5 16. Nec3 Nf6 17. Rfe1 Nh5 18. g3 Qd7 19. Bf1 Qe7 ( 19... f5 20. exf5 Bxf5 21. g4 Bxg4 22. hxg4 Qxg4+ 23. Bg2 ( 23. Kh1 Qh4+ 24. Kg1 Qxf2+ 25. Kh1 Ng3# ) 23... Nf4 24. Ne2 Qxg2# ) 20. Nb5 Rfd8 21. Bg2 Qg5 22. Qe3 Qe7 23. Bf3 Qd7 24. Bg4 Qe7 25. Bxh5 Bxh5 26. g4 Bg6 27. f4 exf4 28. Qxf4 Bb8 29. Kg2 Qh4 30. Re3 Ra6 31. Nac3 h5 32. Rg3 Re8 33. Re1 hxg4 34. hxg4 Following move not recommended by Fritz 13. Opening h file was an obvious mistake! 34...  Re5 35. Rh1 Qe7 36. Kf3 f6 37. Rgh3 Kf7 38. Rh8 Bc7 39. Rc8 Bd8 40. Rh8 Bb6 41. Rce8 Qd7 42. Rhf8# 1-0

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