|
|
| |||||||
| From | Message | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
tactical_abyss 08-Apr-13, 10:09 |
 Deleted by tactical_abyss on 08-Apr-13, 11:19.
|
||||||
|
tactical_abyss 08-Apr-13, 11:18 |
TA's info/tips of the month.... 1.Lets start with the differences between two chess words that are thrown around the forums alot:Positional and tactical.What are the differences? Think of tactics as short range threat/goals and positional play as long term wisdom/goals. Some of the differences are: Tactics are a shorter range of forced moves that can involve simple captures,exchanges for setting up longer term positional play goals. Positional play is much more complex.It may involve setting up a better pawn structure,King safety,light and/or dark square control,initiative,better piece development and better use of what is deemed as point value changes in individual pieces relative to the "position"on the board. So,as its been said before.... positional play is the long term goals and wisdom behind the players moves.Tactics is the driving "power"behind positional play in many circumstances. The goal is to be good at both! In fast blitz however,tactics becomes more important than positional play,but thats another thread!Tactics become more important in blitz because,for one thing,both players do not have a significant amount of think time to develop long term positional strategies in 3 minutes or 5 minutes.Yes,its not impossible to play positionally in blitz and yes,it does occur,but short term Knight forks,ex-ray attacks,pawn "storms" and other quick "fixes"usually outweigh the long term positional planning that is more common in regular corresp.chess games. 2.Open vs closed games: Open:A game in which exchanges have opened files and diagonals.This can be just one open file/diagonal or several.So the board appears much less cramped and "complex"looking.But looks can be deceiving!Also,some early open games can later spawn into a closed or semi closed game depending upon positional fluctuations as the game moves forward. Closed:A position with few open lines (files or diagonals), generally characterized by interlocking pawn chains, cramped positions with few opportunities to exchange, and extensive maneuvering behind lines. Such a position may later become an open game. Now,let me add some little statistical facts about open/closed games vs "point value".First of all,understand by simply glancing at the board and piece positions if the game is an open game or closed game.This is critical!Why?Well,for one thing,certain pieces have a higher statistical value than others relative to an open or closed game.Yes,there is always "exceptions",but for the most part: A)Bishops have more value in an open game and Knights have more value in a closed game.Why?Well,Bishops strength lies in the fact that it can attack at greater distances than the Knight,across many more squares and in an open game,and in an open game there are generally more open squares to attack!In a closed game,its generally a "cramped"game and Knights shine a bit more in those kind of games because they are able to jump over both friendly and enemy pieces in cramped positions.A Bishop in a closed game,for example,may be "hemmed"in and froze for a good number of moves,but not a Knight!So in many closed games,the value of a Bishop is LESS than a Knight and in open games,a Bishop has more value than a Knight.How much more or less?Well,that is speculative based upon a players analysis or computer analysis,but on average,plus or minus about 1/10th to 2/10ths of a point depending upon the Knight or Bishop vs open or closed.And adding up those extra fractions with multiple pieces or subtracting the values can make or break you in the pure endgame! Below is a diagram position of an irregular game I play quite frequently in the blitz room and on a few occasions in my regular corresp games.No,its not a very strong opening,infact its a weak opening!So why do I play it? Call it one of my psychological ploys,or a "test"to players as high as 1700 in rating,maybe a bit higher.And it corresponds to this post regarding open/closed and point values. Test: Now,if you were in this position as black and TA was the white and you had like 3 or 5 minutes with zero increment to play this game and it was BLACKS turn to move,what would be the immediate thought process going through your head?What would be your next move or two? Would it perhaps be either Bxa3 or Bxh3 or perhaps both,one right after the other?You may be thinking,well,I already have more control of the center with my centralized pawns,so why not just take TA's Knights?Big deal...right? Hmmmmm.If you answered yes,well...BIG MISTAKE!Huge mistake and get ready to jump off a cliff if you decided to take either one or both of my Knights in that opening! Yes,this opening is called the "Sodium Attack" or I call it the Sodium/Hydrogen attack if one side decides to open BOTH knights on both end flanks.So lets begins with why it is weak.As I stated many times before,a Knight placed on an endfile,especially in the opening is generally weaker in point value due to you forcibly placing it where its movement has been restricted.And in the case of the endfile,its "power"has been effectively reduced 50%,since it cannot move to the left or right,depending upon the file its placed on.But,here's the ploy": Look at the diagram above.This is a wide open game yet,not a closed one.And what did I say about open games?The value of a Bishop in an open game is generally more than a Knight in an open game.So the key here if you were playing the black,is to NOT exchange your Bishop or both Bishops for my Knights!By exchanging your Bishops for my Knights you have strengthened my game by allowing me to 1.keep my Bishops in a game that I will keep open best I can and more importantly... 2. You have created an "open file"on the b and/or g files where I can place my Rooks to bear down with constant pressure.Rooks on an open file are deadly many,many times!Now you might be saying...well,yes,but I have created "doubled pawns" on whites a and h files with my exchange.,so that is a disadvantage for white!My answer:NO!This is what separates the lower class rated player from the 2400+player.Understanding point value theory by timing and position is key.Now what the heck to I mean by this,more hogwash?No. See,its a misconception many times.The misconception is that doubled pawns are weak because the rear pawn is subject to attack without connected support.Yes,this is true,but not necessarily in the opening,just like when you double a players pawn in the opening of a Ruy Lopez game.Is that player going to lose or have a weaker game because you doubled his pawn?Ha,ha...no! Yes,generally "edge pawns"have a reduced value(see my post/link on doubled pawns in this club)....BUT,BUT,BUT...when you COMBINE the value with a wide open file(b and/or g file) you have not only approx equalized the double pawn formation you created on whites side but WEAKENED your side because of the power of the open file and INCREASING the value of whites Bishops in an open game! And as to doubled pawns:In general,doubled pawns(edge pawns) in the opening have very little disadvantage...perhaps costs only a 1/16 less(with Queens present),1/4 or 3/8th in total value less than one full point depending upon the Rooks present or not.... BUT doubled pawns LATER in the game and towards the CENTER of the board have much more of a decrease in value because they are subject to even more attack. So,in summary,I have to say that more opponents than not usually decide to take my endfile Knights I set up by "ploy"in the so called "weak"opening I play...the Sodium/Hydrogen Attack game.So its a weak opening that turns into an advantageous STRONG game(for me) due to my opponents lack of theoretical knowledge in open/closed and point value facts. I can post a few of my sodium games or you can find them unrated in my records.But if we meet up in the blitz room and you decide to exchange your Bishops for my Knights in a sodium game,beware!Because even if your rating was 2400+,i'd probably crush you.But if you DO NOT take my Knights...well,you have a pretty good chance of defeating me!But therein lies my ploy and psychological strategy....and many continue to fail my "test"! TA |
||||||
|
tactical_abyss 13-Apr-13, 18:22 |
So its weakness in my opening,turned into razor sharp claws,scratching the hell out of the open files,then they throw nuclear tipped piercing 60 mm shells hitting my opponents pieces.And all due to his taking my Bishops!That was the root of his demise! Does anyone ever read my posts?Ha ha ha!Who cares,right? You may be thinking...thats no way to speak about defeating your opponent that way! Actually,I use symbolism for a reason...to impress upon you the reader or the opponent a better way to remember the abyss by!Maybe it will help you actually believe and listen to me once in a while,so you do not do as you please next time and get crushed again!Yes,I want you to get mad as hell and crush the abyss next time in blitz!Want me to be nice?Ok....How about some nice tea and crumpets when we are all done here and watch some Partridge Family episodes after the game!Ahhhhhh...no! Plus,this is my club,i'll say what I want!Ha ha! TA [Event "GameKnot Blitz"] [Site "gameknot.com"] [Date "2013.04.13"] [Round "-"]5 min,zero increment [White "tactical_abyss"]Rating:2519 [Black "cjwsr"]Rating:1451 [Result "1-0"]Opponent resigned after Knight trap. 1. Na3 e5 2. Nh3 Bxa3 3. bxa3 d5 4. d4 Bxh3 5. gxh3 e4 6. Rg1 g6 7. c3 Nf6 8. Qb3 b6 9. Bh6 Qd6 10. Bg7 Rg8 11. Bxf6 Qxf6 12. Qxd5 c6 13. Qxe4+ Qe6 14. Qxe6+ fxe6 15. f4 Nd7 16. e3 Nf6 17. Rb1 Ne4 18. Bg2 Nxc3 19. Bxc6+ Kd8 20. Rb3 1-0 |
||||||
|
mistee 13-Apr-13, 18:51 |
Deleted by tactical_abyss on 04-Jul-13, 03:22.
|
||||||
|
tactical_abyss 13-Apr-13, 19:07 |
Well,the motto to the story above is basically,keep your Bishops and do not exchange them in most wide "open"games!This is because Bishops generally have more of a "value" than Knights because they can traverse longer attacking distances over more open squares.And in the game above at move #4,the game is still wide open.See? In closed games where everything is "crowded" and the files(north and south) on the board are crowded with pieces...then its many times ok to exchange your Bishops but do not exchange your Knights,because they can have a higher "value" on a crowded board by having the power to jump over both your pieces and your opponents pieces.Bishops in a tight closed game,many times are blocked in or froze for a while....and this diminishes their attacking power a bit...or as we say...point value. That sodium game above is just an example of what NOT to do if you were playing the black.But it dosen't have to be that exact game above.Basically any game that has wide open squares all over the place or a few open files...its best to just hold on to your Bishops best you can!Hope that helped a bit! |
||||||
|
mistee 13-Apr-13, 19:19 |
Deleted by tactical_abyss on 04-Jul-13, 03:22.
|
||||||
|
tactical_abyss 13-Apr-13, 22:05 |
Are you aware of what is meant by the center of the board and control of the center? Perhaps the link below can help a bit.Perhaps you know this already,but at your level of play,i'd try to do the following within the first 10 moves:Develop your center pawns,both Knights,atleast one of your Bishops or both without blocking both diagonals ahead of those Bishops and make sure you castle,preferably on the King side.If you can do that to start with your on your way!Imagine imaginary laser lines shooting out of your Bishops,Rooks and other pieces even your Queen.Project those "beams" in all the places the piece "could"move to.In the first 10 to 15 moves....are your Bishops,Knights and pawn "laser lines" either on(the piece itself) or shooting ACROSS those e4,e5 and d4,d5 squares?That is called central control or placing pressure on the center of the board from a distance.Sometimes just by moving your Bishop to g2 in the first 10 moves is placing "pressure"on the center of the board....just remember that laser beam and where its aiming...right to the d5 square!By keeping pressure on these key squares and for long periods of time or later in the game reapplying central pressure around those squares,it can give you a successful advantageous edge over your opponent. There's more to it than that of course,but just a few things to keep in mind. www.chesscentral.com |
||||||
|
tactical_abyss 11-May-13, 16:10 |
Any new members that just joined can ask me or others a chess question whenever you like,or give some tips of your own. |
||||||
|
tactical_abyss 25-May-13, 17:20 |
Years ago,while playing a friend of mine OTB,I noticed a pattern when I beat him.It was not immediately noticeable but then it finally dawned on me.A much larger percentage of my game wins occurred when I attacked with my Knights and sprung forks on him,as oppoed to my active Bishop play,even in open games.He finally admitted to me one day that..."you are murder with your knights".That became a weapon I used against him for many future wins.So much so,that my friends "tactic"when we played was to do his best to rid the board of my Knights as early on as possible....through exchanges. Whats interesting,is that I experimented with "not"allowing him the exchange if at all possible.He would place it with a diagonally connected pawn and if I did not take his Knight,he would take mine in the next move.What I did was a bit unusual,like retreating my Knight,sometimes on its original b1 square or off to the side file which was a weak,loss of tempo move in many cases. BUT,I kept my Knight(s)!!So,he might have even captured a pawn of mine and been ahead in points,but by the end of the game I was able to crush him with those "murder"Knights.He simply did not have the "eye"or geometric ability to interpret those bouncing "L"shaped movements on the board.Hmmmmm...I wondered if that was why he did terrible in geometry in High School?Maybe! So,how can this relate to say,your games on GK? Well,take a "good"look at your opponents loss record BEFORE you play or challenge him.Click through the moves where exchanges were made and how the mate ensued.Did the losing player lose with a sudden discovered check,ex-ray or fork with a Knight movement from the winning side?Check additional games as well.Is there a pattern?If there is a pattern of losses with the Knights against this opponent,then when you play this opponent,it might be very wise to "avoid"giving your Knights up and holding on to them as long as possible,even if you have to retreat them and they land up on a weaker square.Just reestablish a stronger position with that knight as soon as possible. The same strategy can be applied in reverse.Perhaps you are stronger with your Bishops rather than your Knights in many games.So,when your opponent decides he wants to exchange Bishops....perhaps its wise to not exchange and retreat if the position allows it without any piece losses. You may be surprised that this bit of advice may very possibly be the "magic formula"to defeat your opponent!So do your homework on a GK opponent long before you play him. Too much work,right?Just let the cards fall where they may,right? Well,that way of thinking is the difference between a 2500 player and many lesser rated players.It takes time,effort and much work to get better at winning.And reading books and playing tactical puzzles are fine,but sometime's understanding your opponent before you even play him,can supersede the best chess books money can buy!So,put that book away and let it collect 3 inches of dust! |
||||||
|
tactical_abyss 01-Jun-13, 09:35 |
Deleted by tactical_abyss on 01-Jun-13, 09:42.
|
||||||
|
tactical_abyss 01-Jun-13, 09:42 |
Sometimes players are a bit in fear of playing either irregular openings,irregular opening defenses or other defenses that may be a bit more unsound like the Dutch Defense or perhaps a Trompowski.I would highly suggest that these players experiment with these kind of games initially against weaker opponents than themselves,not stronger opponents.Yes,you can learn from a stronger opponent,but you can also actually learn from a "weaker"opponent!How?Well,many of these weaker openings like a Sokolsky(1.b4) or a Basman Defense 1.e4,g5 or a grob 1.g4 or a Dutch 1.d4,f5 are weaker for a host of reasons as compared to the mainline openings/defenses.So it then would be your goal to overcome these weakness's by "evening the odds"a bit playing a weaker opponent that will not immediately be able to take advantage of your Sokolsky opening defense(1.e4,g5).This will give you a chance at a "comeback"and strengthen your learning curve and confidence in some of the irregular openings.If you defeat your opponent,then try to step it up a notch by playing someone of your own rating.If you lose,back off and again play a weaker opponent and try,try again!If you win,then step it up another notch and play someone a bit higher in rating than you. In reality,many irregular openings and opening defenses are underrated and should be explored more.For if your opponent plays 1.b4 or 1.g4 against you,will you immediately know the best moves to respond as black,no matter what line they use against you?Be honest with yourself....probably not!And thats why its important to study many of the more obscure type of games like I mentioned above.In addition,if you become atleast semi-proficient in some of the irregular games,then even playing something that is considered "statistically weaker"can become STRONGER and OVERRIDE the statistics when used as a SURPRISE WEAPON against those who are MANY TIMES UNPREPARED for these so called weaker openings/opening defenses!I have countless wins using a Basman Defense,in blitz,OTB and some long corresp games.Many players minds are simply not prepared for the different positions that arise from some of the positions and pawn chain configurations that develop rapidly in a Basman,for example or a 1.b4 Sokolsky.Yes,by the "books",these openings/opening defenses are weaker,but not necessarily in the right hands with those players that actually took the time and effort to practice and play this style of game. So many players say,well,I tried that type of game a few times,did terrible,lost and I won't play that garbage again!Well this is actually "flawed"thinking!How is it that I can do well in it,but not you????Answer:Because I worked with and studied a Basman,Sokolsky,Dutch,Grob,Sodium Attack and others for years and actually took the games serious enough and slowly became better at playing them!Becoming good at chess and improving takes alot of effort,practice,study,patience,passion,willpower and even $$ investment with books,DVD"s,tabletop chess computers and then actually taking atleast a few hours every week regardless of your personal life outside of chess.Desiring to become better/stronger at chess and actually obtaining improvement is another thing entirely.Can't do it,no time?Your broke,your not going to try silly irregulars and its wrong to study irregulars?Well,sorry to hear that but then two things:Your not going to get much better in chess and please,don't ask me to help your game!Bye,bye!Is there any other excuses you have?Ha ha..please! And studying irregular type of games must be part of your repertoire to round out your ruff edges.It makes be laugh a bit to myself when I read in the regular forums on GK that,like some kind of "learning formula"you must do this first,then that before studying irregular opening/opening defenses.Ha ha...HOGWASH!!!!!!Don't believe it!Who knows more about what they are writing about...a 2100 player or a 2500 player?Like I said above,when you play weaker players first,you can begin to learn to overcome some weaker pawn structures(for example) that are present in many irregular games and then strengthen your game over time.Do not forget that many of the regular games like the Ruy Lopez are so extensively studied ahead of time,with book lines than can go into move 40+,many times you are not even playing your "real"opponent till move 30-40,but some long book line!So in reality,by moving out of book more quickly with many irregulars or even a Trompowski type game,you now can concentrate on defeating a "real"opponent that has now surfaced by move 7 or 8 instead of move #40... because your opponent has "no book"from some GM game played 10 years ago or over a hundred years ago and you are really crossing swords with your "real" opponent early on,not Morphy in 1856!! TA |
||||||
|
Yes |
||||||
|
tactical_abyss 01-Jun-13, 11:22 |
Rather than me explaining in detail about open/closed games(for now)...take a quick look at these 2 links that explains fairly simply the difference between open/closed games: www.thechesswebsite.com Then,from the chesswebsite,here is a basic video on open/closed games: www.youtube.com Take note that in both links,they illustrate the OPPOSITE of what you are doing Joe.You mentioned above that you are exchanging Knights in a closed game and that in open positions you are exchanging your Bishops.Truth is that in closed positions you should not exchange your Knights(in most cases),but keep them!And in open positions,its many times best to not exchange your Bishops but hold on to them!Now,in an open position,for example,if you can exchange your Knight for your opponents Bishop,then thats ok,or in a closed position,if you can exchange your Bishop for your opponents Knight,that can be advantageous as well. There are open/closed games as the video shows you(second link) but then there are also what is called...open files or open ranks in some closed games and closed files/closed ranks in some open games.But do not let that confuse you.Sometimes,like in the game below,you have an open file(the b file),but the game is still closed: Notice how even though the game is closed,whites Rook is optimally placed to bear pressure down an "open"file in a closed game. Basically closed games therefore have much less freely open files and the pawns are usually interlocked and the center of the board is clogged up with pawns/pieces ect.Whereas in open games,usually the center of the board is unclogged,open and there is alot of free north and south open files to move your pieces around on. In summary:Try to keep and not exchange your Knights in a closed game as the above video explains.You may even want to retreat your Knight with a temporary loss of tempo if attacked by your opponents Bishop in a closed game.Likewise in an open game....you want to hold on to your Bishops that can traverse longer distances and not exchange them for Knights or other opponents Bishops if at all possible. |
||||||
|
tactical_abyss 01-Jun-13, 20:52 |
Deleted by tactical_abyss on 01-Jun-13, 20:54.
|
||||||
|
tactical_abyss 01-Jun-13, 20:54 |
|
||||||
|
Thanks TA I think a posting like this about once a month would be all i could comprehend. |
||||||
|
@fr1ar |
||||||
|
tactical_abyss 07-Jun-13, 12:56 |
fr1ar In some irregular games like those "Sodium Attack"games I play once in a while....1.Na3... there is a kind of "checks and balances" strategy that one must play to "compensate" white for the weak opening move of Na3.The compensation/balances come from psychology used against the player who lacks chess theory....and ties in with open/semi open files. 1.Na3,e5 2.Nh3,Nc6 3.e3,Bxa3 4.bxa3,d5 5.Bb2,Bxh3 6.gxh3 Position after move #6: Notice above that black captured my Knights with his Bishops.That was blacks first mistake.The game was open.So what is that theory I mentioned about keeping your Bishops in an open game?See?Now what that also did was open up the b and g files where I can place one or both of my Rooks on b1,g1 as well as my Bishops on b2,g2(bearing pressure on the center diagonals) in still,what is an open game.Now see that?So,yes,black still has better central pawn control and potential better development but he has already diminished his dominance on the board by allowing me to develop the open files and fianchetto positions. Also,theory dictates that doubled pawns on the endfiles have only a tiny percent less value in the opening as opposed to doubled pawns in the center of the board or later in the game. So basically,black should have NOT taken my Knights in the first place,and continued to develop in other areas.Yes,they were out there to be snapped up in the opening,but they were coated with poison!!So,believe it or not,with black having taken those white Knights in the above diagram,and even with doubled pawns on whites side.....white NOW only has a small disadvantage positionally!Approx -.60 to maybe -.72.And thats easy to check on a chess program by setting up the pieces and seeing for yourself for those who do not believe it. So why play a Sodium in the first place?Well,i'm not actually recommending a Sodium game,but its for proving a point.The point of players NOT understanding proper theory,capturing when they should not be capturing,how to equalize an irregular game a bit more and basic psychological strategy.Thats why the type of game above is a great blitz ploy.But I have won against players using this type of game in my regular corresp play as well. Now,there are many other types of games that can open up files without using an irregualr opening like above,but again,you get the idea. But how about the "flip side"of the coin?There are times that you may want to actually try and "close up" the game,not open the files!When?At times where you have both your Knights but your opponent has no Knights and only his Bishops.Bishops vs Knights in other words. What was that theory about Knights having an advantage in closed games? Ahhhh ha!!!! P.S. Some players leave a chess club due to not understanding much in the way of chess theory and perhaps feel a bit intimidated.But the flaw in that way of thinking is that you cannot learn or improve by leaving and not asking questions.In school,would you throw your math book away because you could not interpret that formula? I see a few players in this club,not even saying a word,not asking any questions and not even introducing themselves.Yet,they would like to get better at chess,atleast I assume.Don't know what questions to ask?Now come on!Even a 900 rated player,i'm sure,can figure out some question to ask! Whats wrong with that picture?Hmmmmmm. TA |
||||||
|
tactical_abyss 09-Jun-13, 03:43 |
Opening files to cause havoc... [Event "GameKnot Blitz"] [Site "gameknot.com"] [Date "2013.06.09"] [Round "-"]5 min,zero increment. [White "tactical_abyss"] [Black "mz54"]1869 rating [Result "1-0"]TA mates. 1. e4 e5 2. Qh5 Nc6 3. Qxf7+ Kxf7 4. Bc4+ Ke8 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. d3 h6 7. O-O Na5 8. Nxe5 Nxc4 9. Nxc4 d6 10. Nc3 Be6 11. b3 Be7 12. Bb2 Rf8 13. Ne2 Kf7 14. Nf4 Bxc4 15. bxc4 Qd7 16. Rfe1 g5 17. Ne2 Kg6 18. Ng3 Nh5 19. Nf5 Bf6 20. Bxf6 Rxf6 21. Rab1 Nf4 22. Rxb7 Raf8 23. f3 g4 24. fxg4 h5 25. a3 hxg4 26. Kh1 Qh7 27. Re3 Rh8 28. h3 gxh3 29. g3 Rf7 30. gxf4 Qh5 31. Rg3+ Kf6 32. Ne3 Qe2 33. Nd5+ Ke6 34. Rg6+ Kd7 35. Rxc7+ Kd8 36. Rxd6+ Ke8 37. Rc8# 1-0 In this first diagram,notice my complete dominance of the board with my pawns on move #25.Also notice where blacks King is on g6 with next to zero protection from his pieces.The idea would be to clear out through exchange,the g file.Blacks idea was to clear out the h file to attempt to mate me with his Q/R combo,but he missed 29.g3 which began his serious demise and the complete opening of that file on move #30 when he blundered his Knight away. Position below after move #33: Notice my open files on b and g.I call the these files and the edge files the brink vantage point.In blitz as in other games,when I direct an opponent to the center in concentration,it is easier for him to miss movements on the edges of his line of sight.And when I combine a one-two punch on both near edge files,it scrambles/short circuits the brain of my opponent when under blitz time pressure.Just a psy ploy,in other words.Its like two balls flying at you at the same time from two different directions.If you bat one out of the way,the other one will get you....and mine have razor blades attached to them. Final mate position on move #37: Again,notice the complete double Rook dominance,my central posted Knight to complement the Rooks...and look at the helpless black Queen near my lonely unprotected King.The case of my unprotected King has little significance,if the attacking tempo of my Rooks relentlessly prevail until the mate shown below: Again,just a quick look/lesson at what open files can do with powerful Rook placements and then attack....in creepy crawly fashion.Don't forget that I threw my Queen away on move #3 in this game. |
||||||
|
A beginner question.... |
||||||
|
tactical_abyss 09-Jun-13, 21:59 |
Well,lets begin by saying you have to already know about a good number of chess theories,since at a 1568 rating....you are no beginner as you mentioned above!If you were like a 900-1200 player,yes,then perhaps a beginner.But in reality,from my experience and opinion,the vast majority of "average"strength players across the USA that have not had formal chess coaching but have been playing for a good number of years... hovers around your rating....1400-1500+.So pat yourself on the back!Your doing better than a good # of players across the states!So,somewhere along your road of battles you must have picked up knowledge of "theory". Yes,chess theory encompasses a broad definition and cannot be completely answered in this string in just a few words...it would take a book volume to explain and illustrate,but I will summarize a bit.Basically there are 3 phases of chess theory:The opening theory of moves,middlegame and endgame.Not only throughout the centuries but by your own play fr1ar,you have discovered stronger and better moves to make through "trial and error".You have also discovered which moves or positions are weaker(inaccurate),for example in the opening.This is the initial spawning of self acknowledged chess insight and learned chess theory.How many of your games do you begin with 1.a4?You don't do that?Why?Because you already know that it does little to promote a good,proper or better strong development for white to seek control of the center of the board.At your rating of 1500+,i'm sure you already understand atleast the basic concepts of the key central squares...d4,d5,e4,e5 by bringing out your Knights to support central pawns,early castling in most cases and other things.You may not always understand the next phase of middlegame theory or the "best" moves to play,but you do understand chess theory to some extent. "Carry on this process over several centuries from the dawn of chess,bearing in mind that most chess positions contain a few potential moves that are just as good as one another (and some that are not as good but that might just throw an opponent off guard), and you will end up with enough opening theory to fill several encyclopedias. The question is who can remember the most!" Chess theory then,involves learned development from trial and error and other things like "statistics",especially in various openings,opening book lines,variations and subvariational lines in an opening "tree".Some stats are better than others in the opening,and mathematical formulas of success and failure though millions of games played(throughout the centuries) will give the player knowledge ahead of time that a specific opening has had a better rate of return than other openings.This again,is part of "opening theory".But its what a player does after the opening theory runs out of a "book line"and proceeds into the middlegame which is probably the most important aspect of the game.This is the "crossroads of theory"that usually makes or breaks a player.For if your play in the middlegame is outstanding and you understand many of the rules and principles applied to middlegame(in chess theory),then the endgame positions should(in theory)come about as an easier win for you.Mid game things like the weakest squares on the chessboard(f7,f2 squares)and how to concentrate your attack on those squares,advance pawn,battery,ex-ray,skewers and many other tactical ploys...this is part of middlegame chess "theory"to practice,employ and become better at! Endgame "theory"primarily involves the study and use of specific positions with piece combinations such as an endgame with Q vs 2 Rooks,B vs Knight endings, 2 Bishops vs a Knight ending,drawn positions with 2 Knights in the endgame,the ending with a bishop and rook pawn whose queening square is on the opposite color from the bishop is drawn and many more combinations are all part of this endgame theory and actually "reality".Modern computer generated endgame tablebases have in effect,show "best play"that have puzzled players for centuries in complicated endgames....and all this is due to endgame trial and error study in chess theory over the centuries,now compiled in a program to speed the best moves up that have been humanly accomplished after millions of games. All of these things are part of the building blocks of chess theory. Hope that helps a bit,fr1ar! TA |
||||||
|
tactical_abyss 09-Jun-13, 22:50 |
But what differentiates players like you and me is the level,depth and memory of the phases of theory that will give me a 2500 rating and you a 1568 rating.Understanding and studying things like light and dark square control and other things I already mentioned like open/closed games and holding on to that Knight or Bishop or exploiting your opponent with increased usage of your Bishop in an open game when he exchanged his Bishop and chess theory says..."no"he was wrong in doing that....is all key to the differences in a 1500 player and a master! Of course,steadfast study,reading books,joining OTB clubs,playing against tabletop computers,examining your lost positions and adjusting the position using post game analysis on a computer program to see how to improve...is all part of this theory of the game and to improve yourself. Does this mean that you will become a master by following some chess study formula in advanced chess theory and apply the study for 20 years?Maybe,but probably not!My own "theory"is that some players will simply always have a better cognitive understanding of the game,be able to spot positions deeper,mate sequences in bigger numbers and simply be better at the game due to either more electrical connectivity activity in certain lobes of the brain or perhaps even genetics plays a role.Not everyone,for example, will master the theories in geometry or calculus to be master it or teach it,even if they cracked the math books open and studied for 40 years! Same with chess.But one must try hard to see their potential.Many players simply do not try hard enough and make every excuse in the "book"to not try various methods to improve.Its easy to say,I can't afford that 20 dollar book or 100 dollar chess machine,I have a problem playing face to face with opponents at a chess club,I have to feed the baby,no time to study and a million other excuses.So,it boils down to really how serious you are with the desire and effort to improve...not just "wishful thinking".Wishes get you nowhere in chess.Action gets you everywhere in improving your game play,even if its a tiny amount.And procrastination is the culprit that will hold you back. Now,how many times did I use the word "theory" in the last two posts?I'm exhausted just thinking about it! |
||||||
|
tactical_abyss 11-Jun-13, 15:24 |
light/dark square development... In the following game,used as an example,notice whites only dark squared Bishop he has remaining from early on in this Sicilian game: 1.e5,c5 2.Nf3,d6 3.Bb5+,Bd7 4.Bxd7+,Qxd7 Now,from the above diagram,is the game above open or closed? Answer:Its open,atleast yet.Since Bishops tend to have an advantage in open games,wouldn't it make sense to help along whites only dark squared Bishop he has left to strengthen its mobility potential on the board?Of course!Well,how?Can you instantly determine that without looking at the next diagram? 5.c4,Nf6 Notice 5.c4 above.It may not be immediately apparent,but by moving your pawns onto the white squares,this will eventually open up the channels for your dark squared Bishop.5.d3,would be a bit docile and not as developing with better central control/dominance as 5.c4.So always think about moving and occupying the light colored squares which will open up the dark squares for your only remaining Bishop in early exchange games. 5.c4 not only does this but helps control the center....so its white next best developing move in this game. 6.Nc3,g6 7.d4,cxd4 8.Nxd4,Bg7 9.f3 Position after move #9 below: Now notice how white developed his pawns on the light squares which makes his dark squared Bishop much more mobile and better developed than blacks dark squared Bishop.Its what you do with this advantage with your Bishop that will turn the game swiftly in your favor. So,just a quick tip of the day in the mindset of dark and light squared control. |
||||||
|
tactical_abyss 03-Jul-13, 05:30 |
Deleted by tactical_abyss on 03-Jul-13, 06:27.
|
||||||
|
tactical_abyss 03-Jul-13, 06:27 |
Deleted by tactical_abyss on 03-Jul-13, 17:36.
|
||||||
|
tactical_abyss 03-Jul-13, 17:35 |
tidbit guidelines.... 1.Every move you make should have a purpose. 2.Your moves should form a plan. So you should combine both #1 & #2 above to form a consistent mix,even if the plan is misguided.In other words,even a "not so good" plan is better than none! Many early learning players say to themselves...Ok,i'll move this Knight to e2,lets see what happens,if its good or not.No!Thats not a real purpose or plan,your just rolling the chess pieces(like dice)and just hoping it becomes a lucky square! So whats the initial purpose?Well,for beginners,I would say that you must first understand that controlling the center of the board is key.More advanced players can delay this with what is called a delayed hypermodern approach,but I will not get into that at the moment.e4,e5,d4,d5 squares must be occupied or controlled through development of your pieces.Early development,while maintaining pressure on the key central squares is the "plan" for the "purpose" of control and initiative.Don't know what initiative is?Check my post on chess terminology in the club links.Not always,but generally,castling within say,12 moves or less is also a good "plan".Which side to castle on...Q or K side?Check this club link: gameknot.com As to learning strategy or tactics first,it depends upon the student I say.There are new modern arguments about this subject.The so called "swiss system"encourages learning tactics first and strategy later on.So,once you beat others of your rating first tactically,you can pair yourself with stronger and stronger opponents.So if your pins and forks work,it means that you can plan ahead of them and they cannot.If your tactical plans are not working very good,then study strategy in depth initially combined with tactics as you progress. Learning comes different and so does planning and purpose.The method I used when I was learning was to look at NOT what I was going to do as a move,but look at my OPPONENTS possible purpose and plan.Look for a subtle pawn move for example,that you can geometrically picture as opening up a long light squared diagonal.Why did he do that?What was his purpose?Maybe you should place a light squared Bishop(if possible) on that long diagonal on b7 BEFORE he moves HIS possible Bishop to that g2 square to beat him to the punch!Maybe,because the game is still "open" he may NOT want to exchange his Bishop,so he won't decide to move it to g2....but see what happened?You just formed a plan,based upon a "theory"that he was about to move his Bishop to g2 and by psychologically defeating this plan of his,you just gained a much stronger control of the center of the board by bearing your Bishop down through the "line of sight" through the center.Plus there is something called "tempo"which you just gained a small percentage of! So,keep a plan in mind,every move with a purpose,look at what your opponents options are...they may be several and try to out think your opponent ahead of time.Don't just move randomly and hope for the best.And finally,its very important to understand "point values"of the pieces.Point values fluctuate depending upon several factors...but mainly 1.Position of the piece and 2.The value of a piece in an open or closed game.I have gotten into more detail in other posts regarding open/closed games.But the general rule of thumb is that the "value"of a Knight in closed crowded games is somewhat higher than a Bishop is and a Bishop has a higher value than a Knight in wide open games.This is not written in stone,but is a good idea to keep in mind,especially for beginners.So what then becomes the plan?Well the plan would be to try and keep and NOT exchange your Knight in a closed tight knit game and try and keep and not exchange your Bishop(s)in a wide open game.Not always possible,I know!But its a plan!See? Another plan,for example,would be to look at your opponents one Bishop he has left on the board in midgame.Is it a dark or light squared Bishop?Just for arguments sake,lets say it is a dark squared Bishop your opponent has left,his other one(light squared Bishop) is off the board.So what plan comes to mind immediately? Well,it may not be possible for another 25 moves or more,but a good plan would be to better protect as many of your pawns that you can see ahead of time would end up on the a8,c8,e8 or g8 squares(if you are playing the white and your opponent is playing the black side).Even having just 2 pawns left in the endgame that could possibly Queen on one of those squares,generally will give you an endgame edge,since those squares cannot be attacked directly by blacks dark squared Bishop.So have multiple plans of defense and attack,but protect your more "valuable"pawns in a game where you know ahead of time that your opponents Bishop cannot capture on a particular 8th rank colored light square as in the example I provided..See?A plan! Adhere to plans and purposes and your abilities curve should improve over time. TA |
||||||
|
tactical_abyss 06-Jul-13, 10:11 |
Exchange or not exchange,that is the question! 1. d4 Nh6 2. e3 Na6 3. Bd3 d5 4. Nf3 Nb4 5. a3 Nxd3+ 6. Qxd3 g6 7. Nc3 Bg7 8. Bd2 O-O 9. O-O Bf5 10. e4 dxe4 11. Nxe4 Ng4 12. h3 Qd5 13. hxg4 Bxe4 14. Qc3 c5! 15. Be3 Bxf3 16. gxf3 cxd4 17. Rfd1 Rfd8 18. Bxd4 Bxd4 0-1 Critical exchange juncture involving theory.... After move #12 with my move 12....Qd5: Now in the position above,you can see that my Knight on g4 is threatened with capture,so I counterattacked with my Queen and threatened HIS Knight on e4 supported by my Bishop on f5.What would you do here?Would you capture my Knight with your h3 pawn knowing that I will capture your Knight on e4 with my Bishop for an even exchange?Why not you may be thinking,its an even point exchange,right?Dosen't seem that bad,right?On the "surface"that may appear correct,but theory and logic says otherwise!Why?Who has more critical pressure bearing down on the center of the board,white or black?I do as black!Also,is the game open or closed?Its really semi open yet.And theory dictates that Bishops generally have more value in open and semi open games many times.So the key here is to NOT capture my Knight on g4 because the end exchange will create a strategic position for black that "intensifies"the central dominant pressure on the central squares of e5 and d4 including placing a threat,even a temporary threat on whites Queen,ex-raying whites c2 pawn and the potential capture of whites Knight on f3 which if done will leave black even weaker when he exchanges with his g2 pawn,opening up a hole in his castled position.And all this either will happen or could very easily happen all due to that simple exchange on move #13. So the general rule of thumb is to not even exchange anything if it looks like it might just complicate the center more with placing some kind of additional pressure on the center with the next moves of your opponent. And my 2100 opponent forgot the theory it appears or is still learning it in this game! He captured my Knight on g4,I captured his Knight on e5 and the pressure to the center just increased a few notches! NOW,what would have been the perfect move for white on move #13?No one said that a capture "must"be done at that juncture,now did they? Yes,if white would have simply counterattacked again with 13.Rfe1,then the game would have instantly equalized!So let this game be a lesson.Do not take a piece simply because it can be taken and then hope for the best!Look at the position and envision it atleast 2 or 3 moves ahead.Sure you can do this,don't lie to yourself!If it looks questionable,seek a counterattack first,then perhaps exchange!If white would have placed his Rook on e1,that line of sight central pressure on the e file would have been enough to atleast equalize by move #13. But by move # 16,white already is down a pawn and will be down a Rook if he takes my Bishop on move #19,plus his Queen is again threatened.Its basically a mess for white....and the root of all his problems?That simple exchange on move #13.Theory my friends,theory!Keep pressure on that center of the board as much as possible and don't simply exchange for the sake of exchanging!My opponent also created for himself a "loss"of tempo with that #13 exchange.I kept up the central dominant pressure and it payed off!The opponent resigned early. Final position on move # 18: You may notice that white tried to gain initiative back in this game but his loss of tempo prevented it. So,just my 2 cents worth on some early game exchanges that can lead to disaster,if your not careful and just push theory aside. Footnotes: Also take notice in the diagram above whites doubled pawns(weak),a nearly fully open h file(weak) and his overall castled positional defensive posture with that pawn structure...very weak compared to black! Now many of the club members may want to go on in the position above,but trust me,if I was playing the actual world champion in the above position and I was the black and it was whites turn to move as above(the world champions move),I GUARANTEE I would defeat him,hands down!Even playing Deep Fritz,Shredder or Houdini with 10 cores,I would still win!Don't believe it?Try me,you'll lose and so would the world champion!But in reality the world champion,i'm sure,would have more than probably resigned in the above position.Many GM's resign being down only 2 pawn values if they see that they will get no returned compensation in value or position,let alone a 3 point value as in this game by move # 18! No brag,just fact!(and by the way,I play GM's on various occassions in NYC!)So I know what i'm writing about! Time for Mohitos!Bye for now! TA |
||||||
|
tactical_abyss 06-Jul-13, 10:44 |
Deleted by tactical_abyss on 06-Jul-13, 11:23.
|
||||||
|
tactical_abyss 06-Jul-13, 11:23 |
As black I was playing my reverse Sodium/Hydrogen Attack game with my Knights in the opening! And against a 2100 rated player! Now,who says playing those silly,weak and dumb irregular games that do little to promote opening strength in a game should not be played and are ridiculous? Once,marinvukusic argued with me in the regular GK forums about playing the Basman Defense(1.e4,g5)and how my wins that I claimed were in the upper 90% (in blitz)must be a lie because players 2100 and above would not fall for the weak ploys and positions created from the Basman defense.His defense to me was that the Statistics on the Basman Defense show that it basically has a low percentage of wins for black.There is a flaw in his thinking,however!His logic is based upon regular long games both OTB and Corresp,maybe even postal.But see,those "stats" do not incorporate true accuracy with BLITZ games!Blitz is a totally different story!So a 3 to 5 minute game in blitz with someone like me who has trained for decades in every ploy imaginable can then win quite ALOT more than what some stat bears out that you can read in a database somewhere!There is no real accurate stat database on fast blitz games,since many are never really recorded in a database.And blitz blunders will certainly occur much more frequently than in long corresp or OTB games(non blitz OTB).So one cannot say..."well the stat on a Basman or a Sodium Attack bears down a low percent of wins for black,so then in blitz it must be close to the same against 2100-2200 players!" No,this way of thinking has serious flaws in it!Yes,I admit,my success would fall close to the regular stats in a regular non blitz game,but then my first statement was based upon blitz not long corresp games!And in reality,while the stat is not in the 90% of wins for OTB games playing a Basman or Sodium game,my results are HIGHER than the stats...like in the OTB game above!Why?Because most 2500+players refrain from a Basman or Sodium game,but I play them more often and thus,have more of a higher percent of wins using them. Hmmmm....so am I fibbing with my % of wins using a Basman?really?Well,I have proof that he is wrong #1 with my wins against many opponents above 2100 using the Basman in Blitz on another chess site.But what good would that do?One can always claim some kind of set up,cheat or doctoring of records. And as to stats....what a joke sometimes!Seriously!Stats seem like the "Bible"to some chess players. Well,my response to that?Change your Bible and religion!For I have been known to burn players stat ego away in flames!The game above is just one example of many! But which is even weaker?My reverse Sodium/Hydrogen attack in the game above against a 2100 rated player or a Basman defense against a 2100 rated playerAnswer:The above sodium game is even weaker,and I nitched out a win against my 2100 rated opponent simply due to his theory miscalculation on an exchange.Hey,it happens!But when I hear that someone calls me a fibber that I cannot be winning with some of these irregular games against 2100 or higher players,I just laugh to myself.For some of these players I could offer all the proof in the world,and they still would question it!They probably would say..."hey,you doctored up that score card to make yourself look good!"See?So I might as well chat to a wall,atleast i'll get a more intelligent echo back!Yes,some players actual "weakness's"are that they have preprogramed themselves to have a narrow viewpoint on areas of chess openings and more and have trained others the same way and are simply psychologically set in their ways...sort of "stubborn"like.Now,how many scientific theories have been changed or altered over the centuries?Some chess players are the same way.If I throw a monkey wrench into their set ways of thinking,they explode with disbelief and call TA a fibber!Well,I say...thats the difference between a 2100 player and a 2500-2600 player that has much more "insight"into a game and can redially take advantage of 2100 players in a game even with a Basman defense or a Sodium Game(as above)with just the slightest error on my opponents part.Patience,even in games that I intentionally start off with an opening disadvantage can and does many times lead to victory.More power to the irregular games! Oh,I must be fibbing!Ha ha ha!Please! TA |
||||||
|
tactical_abyss 06-Jul-13, 12:17 |
Don't play irregular games!Well,that is if you are still in the learning mode of say under 1400 in rating.Does this statement surprise you?Above in all my ramblings about my irregular game success rate,I did not mention or suggest that YOU play them,now did I?I just wanted to tell you about my success rate using them,but then i'm a seasoned pro at those kind of games,not you! Your rate of return could be horrible in the win dept!And novice players need to learn alot more on regular openings,theory,tactics and various other strategies before using the Basman or other weaker Defenses.But its something to keep in mind as a surprise weapon to use as you get better in the game over the years.In blitz,yes,try a few irregulars and see how you par with them.Maybe you can do well,maybe not.No harm in trying.But opening yourself up to many different kinds of openings,reg and irregular is better to round yourself out a bit,especially when your opponent plays irregular.Then what?Will you know exactly how to proceed as white or black against a Basman,Sokolsky,Sodium or Trompowsky?No you say because you never explored them?Well,see?Thats my point.Being even a slight bit more prepared is better than nothing.And you don't need a human opponent to try these weird opening/opening defenses out.Use a software chess program set on beginner levels or one of those tabletop computers you can buy off of Ebay for under a hundred dollars. Now where are more of those mint leaves? TA |
||||||
| |||||||
