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wrecking_ball 05-Apr-14, 17:42 |
 More chess theory and thoughts for beginner/intermediategameknot.com |
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I set up a practice board so I could play the moves and see what's going on and in split screen read the commentary. After I felt I understood ( a little) I split the screen again putting the linked game alongside the GK database for the position at the moment of Whites second move. ____2. Nf3? There are no World Games in the DB for this position, the stronger DB and the Gameknot DB has only a dozen with 2. ...g4 looking favorable for Black. I guess what I'm trying to put together by talking it out is that in this game White's failure on her second move was 1) playing out of habit and hoping/wishing for something less aggressive than 2....g4 2) throwing theory out the window by not playing 2. d4 3) not realistically appraising the consequences of 6.Qxf3 deploying the queen too early and not playing the other option of gxf. 4) The natural and sharp tactical options that surface for Black by having solid center pawn control that arose from White not playing 2. d4 |
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wrecking_ball 29-Apr-14, 18:16 |
Good observation on that 2.Nf3 move.Yes,you are indeed correct that it will rarely show up in databases.But of course,you do not have all the databases out there!Just hiarcs13pro alone has 2.Nf3 listed as 5th in possible responses.But that is besides the point.Whites Nf3 move still occurs,but many times later in the game with the same or similar results....where blacks g5 pawn is patiently "waiting" for that Nf3 move(like it might occur on move 8 or 9),so that it can spring forward to square g4 and then cause white to lose tempo when it retreats or moves forward for more attacks by blacks forces.This is the nature of the "creepy crawly"pawns on blacks King side,if white is not prepared for this irregular defense. Again,I do not suggest the Basman be something you hammer out and study deeply,but it does contain novel value and a lesson to those who are unprepared.That 1800 player was not prepared was she?And her intermediate rating is quite good.So this proves a point,I hope! I have many more examples of the Basman in my Basman thread,in case your interested. And yes,d4 and e4 for whites opening structure is usually best,but even then,most databases are out of steam after move 5 or 6 with whites best of play up until that move #.But there is much of the game left after move #6,even with whites BEST first 5 or 6 positional responses.And AFTER THAT,regardless of whites BEST and first 5 or 6 moves...it is meaningless if that white player cannot follow through with the NEXT best 10 moves(even with dominant central control) against a player(like me)who will still dominate the game,even playing a weak Basman defense as black.And without an additional move database to follow,then my opponent must play off the cuff!I have many examples on GK in my long corresp games and in my Basman post.Take a look at your leisure. |
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wrecking_ball 20-Jul-14, 19:28 |
Here's the 7 point checklist, as darknite13 noted earlier in this club. "I refer to this checklist sent to me awhile back by elyhim, originally prepared by Anatoly Karpov. The idea of using this 7-point checklist is to get a player to adapt the ability to fine tune their understanding of general position evaluation. It answers the question, "What do I need to pay attention to before I make my move?" It also increases the player's overall accuracy in finding the right move in any position. Lastly, it helps a player find and exploit their opponent's mistakes while avoiding the pit falls. The Checklist: 1. Material relationship Are there any imbalances on either side? Remember this is not the sole entity to tell who's winning the game, but is the first step in looking at a position. 2. Presence of direct threats Pretty straight forward I think, but for others this means are any pieces being threatened? Will it be better to retreat or find a way to counter the attack on my piece? 3. King position and their safety Remember the opening theory states a good opening is one that makes strides to: I) Control the center of the board; II) Develop your pieces; III) Castle early or find a means to protect your king. This point drives at the last of these. For a great example of why the opening is so vital to chess game, here are 2 games: one I played with a student I am mentoring, gameknot.com; the other is played between an expert and a master, in which the master capitalized on a big weakness and won due to that weakness: gameknot.com 4. Possession of open lines This speaks to the power of rooks, bishops, and the queen. How many squares do these pieces control? wrecking_ball posted something awhile back showing a technique for determining the better position by simply counting the squares each side controls. Will attempt to look for it later unless he or someone else beats me to it. 5. Pawn structure, weak and strong points The "general rule" is that the further advanced a pawn is, the tougher it is to defend without the use of pieces to avoid capture. Pawn chains can be quite powerful, but each of these has a weakness that is up to the other color to exploit. If you want to learn more about pawn play, look for a copy of ​Pawn Power in Chess, by Hans Kmoch, a book I previously recommended elsewhere. 6. The center and space Again, there always should be a piece or pawn controlling (or attempting to) control the center directly or indirectly. Take a look at the following position for example: Black is using a knight to control e4 and d5, but white has countered that by attacking the knight. A simple example, but nonetheless shows the point. Typically, the color that directly controls the center has greater space and more power, while someone that is indirectly controlling the center has a more "cramped" position. But again, this depends on the situation! 7. Development and the position of pieces So what does "development" mean? I threw it around loosely when talking about opening theory. Well, in the opening, you are attempting to efficiently and effectively activate your forces, especially the pieces (not just pawns). In the opening activating your forces is called development. The side with more development usually enjoys more of an advantage. So after all of this, I combine my comments into a few move choices and think about the advantages and disadvantages of each. I then look for a move that tries to accomplish the following: 1. Create no weaknesses/fix weaknesses. 2. Maintain the balance or equalize it in the position. 3. Meet a threat/create a threat. This is how I evaluate chess positions when making moves, and annotate games. |
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Applying the Math and Science |
