|
Redmark posted:Endgame question from one of my games: This looks like it came out of a Ruy exchange. Did it? Your goal, as white, is to create a passed pawn. The absolute best way to do that is to get your pawn to f6, then push your other pawn to e6. However, it's pretty hard to do that while keeping control over the e6 square. You also don't want to push f5-e6 immediately because you're not in good shape to defend the pawn. The right way forward, then, is to start with f5 and then improve your king and bishop. What you probably want, on first look, is your bishop in position to control the d6 square. This means that black can't react to e6 with Kd6. If you can get your bishop on the a3-f8 diagonal and push e6 securely, you can then follow it up by bringing your king in e5-f6-g7. You most likely finally win by cashing in your h-pawn. Remember to keep the minor pieces on the board until you're absolutely sure you queen first, since you don't want to let black start running with c5-c4.
|
#
?
May 24, 2023 15:39
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 31, 2024 19:31 |
|
|
Hand Knit posted:This looks like it came out of a Ruy exchange. Did it? It was from a Petrov, but I don't know it very well so I made unconventional opening moves: https://lichess.org/uQe2mrh7 What I played in the screenshot position was 31. h5, to make the passed pawn. My logic was that f5 and h5 would result in very similar positions after the pawn trade, except one has the f-pawn advanced by one square and one with the h-pawn advanced. I wasn't sure if I wanted to advance the f-pawn yet, while the h-pawn was "safe" due to being far away. Going by the engine lines, in both cases we reach a position with White pawns on e5 and f5, and the White king on e4. So I'm not sure why f5 is such a better move than h5 (+4 vs. +1). Though after re-reading your post, maybe the h-pawn being forward is actually counterproductive, since it could make it harder for the king to get up there. Redmark fucked around with this message at 16:13 on May 24, 2023 |
|
#
?
May 24, 2023 16:05
|
|
|
The shortest version is that your h pawn isn't actually threatening to do anything. It's your e and f pawns that create a breakthrough. When you start with the f-pawn you limit your opponent's options, because if they wander off e6 or f6-e6 can come very quickly. starting with the h-pawn gives them a free move. If the difference in eval is +4 to +1, the computer probably sees a line where you push immediately and black cannot stop it (at least without sacrificing the knight).
|
|
#
?
May 24, 2023 17:18
|
|
|
So this here is maybe my most interesting game of the tournament. Highest-rated opponent I faced and I got a pretty big advantage but I just didn’t know how to win it. Another chaotic day. The organizers 'misspoke' when telling me when my day for changing hotels was, so instead of after Round 5 I found myself suddenly locked out of my room on May 5. I spent a long time running around first trying to figure out what was happening, then how to get my stuff out of my room, and then moving to the new hotel. As a result I was 15 minutes late for my game and very tired. I had had some opportunity the night before to look at my opponent's games. They mostly but not exclusively played the Catalan. Then the power went out, which was the end of my preparation. [Round "3"] [WhiteElo "2379"] [BlackElo "2082"] [ECO "A28"] 1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e5 I didn't see any c4-Nc3 games from them in their database, so I figured they were prepared against 2...c5 from me. 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.e3 Bb4 5.Qc2 Bxc3 I considered 5...d6 this because the 'right' move for white (Ne2) is not obvious if you're not familiar with it. However, I decided that since I wasn’t so familiar with the arising structure either, it would be better to play more main line stuff. 6.bxc3 O-O 7.e4 Re8 8.g3 h6 9.Bg2 Na5 I’m not an expert in this setup by any means, but I remember from learning the white side of c4-Nc3-Ncf3-e4 that black’s best shot is usually c6-d5 and so I plan to play c6-d5 as soon as possible. 10.d3 c6 11.O-O d5 12.cxd5 cxd5 13.Nh4 This is a significant mistake by white because it lets black isolate and target the c-pawn. However, the position is still rough for white on other lines. 13.exd5 Nxd5 14.Bb2 Bg4 15.Re1 Nc6 The position is equal but black’s position is potent. 13...dxe4 14.dxe4 Qc7 15.h3 Be6 16.f4 Rac8 17.Kh2 Qxc3 18.Qxc3 Rxc3 I was surprised at how smoothly this all went.  19.Bd2 Rc5 I considered Ra3 but was worried that my rook would be trapped offside since I wasn't going to be playing Bxa2. Looking over it now, the position does seem stable and so Ra3 is probably better. The idea is that rather than going after the a2 pawn, black simply consolidates and has a dominating position. 19...Ra3 20.f5 Bd2! (Bxa2 21.Bxa5 Rxa5 22.Rf2 wins the bishop) 21.Rfb1 b6 22.g4 Nc4 23.Be1 Bc6 Black controls everything. 20.fxe5 Nd7 21.Be3 Rxe5 22.Nf3 Rxe4 It would be nice to retreat the rook and not open white’s light squared bishop, but unfortunately there isn’t a good square for black’s rook. White can create a forced sequence to equalize the game. Anything that liquidates the queenside pawns equalizes the game. 22...Rb5 23.Bxa7 b6 24.Nd4 Rb2 25.Rfb1 Rd2 26.Rd1 (threatening Nxe6 and Rxd2 if black avoids the trade) Rxd1 27.Rxd1 Bxa2 28.Ra1 Bc4 29.Bxb6 Nxb6 30.Rxa5 = 23.Bxa7 I'm not sure how I'm supposed to play this for a win. My main concern is that if the queenside pawns trade then the position probably ends up as a draw, and I'm not sure how to stop that from happening.  23...Ra4 23...b6 24.Ng5 Re2 25.Nxe6 R8xe6 26.Rfd1 Ne5 This seems decent for black but I didn’t want to allow white to trade off my bishop on e6. 23...Nc6 24.Bg1 I didn’t think black could hold the b7 pawn here. 23...Re2 24.Nd4 I thought this equalized instantly. 24.Rfd1 Nc6 25.Bg1 Rea8 26.Rab1 Rxa2 27.Rxb7 I want to find a way to double my rooks along the 2-rank. 27...Nde5 28.Nxe5 Nxe5 29.Kh1 Re2 29...R8a3 30.Be4 g6 31.Rb8+ Kh7 32.Bd4 White has great pressure here. I thought Re2 was a great move. Unfortunately, white has a very neat idea. After the game we agreed it was probably the only move to save the game. 30.Ba7! Not just blocking white doubling the rooks, but guaranteeing a trade of one pair of rooks. Without the rook pair to double, black’s winning chances dissipate quickly. 30...Rc8 31.Rb8 Rxb8 32.Bxb8 Nc4 33.Ba7 Ne3 34.Bxe3 Rxe3 I don't know if there's a way to play this for a win but I played on because I cannot lose. 5.Kh2 Re2 36.Kg1 g6 37.h4 Kg7 38.Bd5 Bh3 39.Rc1 Rd2 40.Bf3 Bf5 41.Rc7 Kf6 42.Ra7 Be6 43.Ra5 g5 44.hxg5+ hxg5 45.Bg2 Kg6 46.Re5 Kh5 47.Bf3+ Bg4 I would love to bring my king to g4. Unfortunately, white knows how to stop it. 48.Bg2 Bd1 49.Re4 49.Bh3 Bf3 50.Rf5 Bd5 Here black’s superior activity does offer chances, although the game is probably still objectively drawn. 49...f5 50.Rb4 Bc2 One last idea, which is to play g4 and Be4. A trade on e4 gives me a passed pawn and renewed winning chances. 51.Bf3+ g4 52.Bg2 Kg5 53.Rc4 Kf6 54.Rc6+ Ke5 55.Rc5+ Kd4 56.Rd5+ Ke3 57.Rxd2 Kxd2 58.Kf2 Be4 59.Bf1 I had missed Bf1, and briefly thought I was winning. I shuffled until move 74 before offering a draw. 1/2-1/2
|
|
#
?
May 24, 2023 21:02
|
|
|
Content-free number post, got to the next round puzzle number   But not sure I'm getting to 2500 now that I can only get +5 a pop  Also my puzzle rush scores have gone to poo poo as I've become too paranoid to move quickly
|
|
#
?
May 25, 2023 14:30
|
|
|
What I've discovered is, if I think to myself "I should go to bed but maybe just a game or two first," I might run 50 straight 2+1s, lose 30 of them, then go to bed and dream about chess the way people dream about falling Tetris blocks. Maybe not a healthy way to engage with the game, lol.
|
|
#
?
May 25, 2023 14:31
|
|
|
Chess before bed doesn't work for me at all. Because I can't sleep after a dumb loss, but I will only play worse as I get more tired and tilted. but it's one of the rare times I actually have 10-15 consecutive minutes for a game, sooo...
|
|
#
?
May 25, 2023 14:38
|
|
|
fisting by many posted:Chess before bed doesn't work for me at all. Because I can't sleep after a dumb loss, but I will only play worse as I get more tired and tilted. My effective elo is at least 200 points higher in the morning immediately post-coffee vs right before bed The difference is really..... night and day 
|
|
#
?
May 25, 2023 14:55
|
|
|
Yeah, it's tough. I understand the way to improve is to block out an hour to play a 15+10 and really dig in and concentrate, but I've got a job and two young kids. There's approximately 0% of my day I can guarantee an hour straight where somebody isn't going to potentially deserve my attention more than chess. I'm really working to focus my time more on enjoying the games as I play them than on improvement. If chess is a game I play primarily to make a number go up, I'm going to start getting grumpy unfairly when I play 15 beautiful minutes to go up a pawn then have to concede when someone needs a bandaid or a hug IRL. That's why I think I've gravitated toward bullet. I can guarantee a 2+1 is going to take <5-6 minutes. And I may not improve myself as quickly (or at all) playing, but if chess isn't a game whose #1 goal is making my Elo go up, then it's free to be something else (and probably something more healthy). kumba posted:My effective elo is at least 200 points higher in the morning immediately post-coffee vs right before bed I've also found I'm about 200 points worse on my phone than on the computer. But if chess time is hard to block out, COMPUTER chess time is even worse. Huxley fucked around with this message at 15:05 on May 25, 2023 |
|
#
?
May 25, 2023 15:03
|
|
|
I don't have any insightful commentary to add, but thanks for sharing your games and thought processes HK. It's illuminating to read which alternate lines you considered and how you evaluated them. Also that hotel switch sucked, glad to hear you played well versus higher-rated opponents regardless.
|
|
#
?
May 25, 2023 15:13
|
|
|
As someone in a similar situation, I find playing daily ideal. Playing a few moves when I get a chance is so much easier to handle logistically than trying to set aside time where I won't be interrupted.
|
|
#
?
May 25, 2023 15:16
|
|
|
Bodrick posted:As someone in a similar situation, I find playing daily ideal. Playing a few moves when I get a chance is so much easier to handle logistically than trying to set aside time where I won't be interrupted. I do a lot of this, too! I make myself feel better by counting my Daily elo as my "real" skill (because it's the only rating I have over 1k haha).
|
|
#
?
May 25, 2023 16:07
|
|
|
kalensc posted:I don't have any insightful commentary to add, but thanks for sharing your games and thought processes HK. It's illuminating to read which alternate lines you considered and how you evaluated them. Thanks. Any questions you have about anything, feel free to ask. Ideally it's a learning experience all around. The hotel switch, like most things to do with the organization, were funny as soon as they were in the past. No matter where you are, chess tournaments are very rarely tightly organized.
|
|
#
?
May 25, 2023 21:45
|
|
|
Hello fellow adults with kids! I'm kinda weird in that I like/need my 15+3 games. I usually just do puzzles or work through a chessable course during the week and then spend the free time I have on the weekend towards actually playing like 5 games (I strangely get anxious even with online games).
|
|
#
?
May 26, 2023 02:25
|
|
|
i just burn through like 20 5+0 blitz games on my phone, analyze them either after or the next day, and eventually i learn something but i am also very bad
|
|
#
?
May 26, 2023 19:31
|
|
|
I assume that the one game estimated ratings are generally very inaccurate? The app has listed 1450 for me a few times and that feels way too high.
|
|
#
?
May 26, 2023 19:34
|
|
|
Olothreutes posted:I assume that the one game estimated ratings are generally very inaccurate? The app has listed 1450 for me a few times and that feels way too high. They're based off your current rating. Here's a Lichess game I imported in to the dotcom analysis where it says I played like an 1800 (as a Lichess 1300, a dotcom probably 900-1100). https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/pgn/cMbwTtvLW?tab=review Here's the exact same game except I changed the import text to add 1k elo to both players: https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/pgn/4fjcxZWxZL?tab=review Suddenly I played like a 2550! If you push it to +2k elo, though, it only makes my estimated ELO 2650, and if you add 10k it just doesn't give you one. (And if you click through, it's very much a low-elo game.) Huxley fucked around with this message at 21:42 on May 26, 2023 |
|
#
?
May 26, 2023 19:45
|
|
|
This game is like a brief intense clash. I think the main dynamic is that my opponent got spooked by the opening and was happy to go for a draw when he actually had a bit of room to press. Ultimately there are missed opportunities for both us. I still need to figure out exactly where the game went wrong from me. Like, obviously there’s a missed big advantage early, but even reviewing the game now it still feels like a surprise when I get to the very end and I’m defending a worse 3v2 endgame. [Round "4"] [WhiteElo "2082"] [BlackElo "2353"] [ECO "D92"] I prepared mostly to play a Maroczy, while also looking a bit at the g3 KID. 1.c4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 This is not something I would usually play but I saw that my opponent had transposed to Maroczy positions from this move order. 3...Bg7 4.Nc3 4.g3 d5 I don't think I've looked at this recently, so I chose Nc3 in case he wanted to play the Gruenfeld. 4...d5 5.Bf4 Not a common line but one I’ve put some time into learning. I'm not perfectly confident in it but I've looked at it enough that I expect to mostly remember the right moves. 5...O-O 6.Rc1 c5 7.dxc5 dxc4 8.e4 White can also trade queens here, though I prefer the line with queens on. 8.Qxd8 Rxd8 9.e4 Na6 10.e5 Nh5 ( 10...Ne8 11.Be3 Be6 12.Ng5 Nec7 13.f4 Bh6 14.Nxe6 Nxe6 15.g3 Naxc5 16.Bxc4 Nd3+ 17.Bxd3 Rxd3 18.Ke2 Closing comment: Black's pieces are poorly coordinated.) 11.Be3 Bg4 12.Bxc4 Bxf3 13.gxf3 Bxe5 14.c6 Nc7 15.cxb7 Rab8 16.Rd1 Rxd1+ 17.Kxd1 Rxb7 18.Kc2 with the closing comment: the bishop pair and queenside majority make the endgame dangerous for black. 8...Qa5 9.Nd2 Be6 10.Bxc4 Bxc4 11.Nxc4 Qxc5 12.b3 b5 The opponent spent a long time on this move. I asked after the game and he said he couldn't remember what to do after 13.Be3. b5 is not covered by my file so I expected there to be a strong continuation though I wasn't sure if I found it. 12...Nc6 13.Be3 Qh5 14.Qxh5 Nxh5 15.g4 Nf6 16.f3 is the main line. Book gives the comment that white should be better so long as white plays actively.  13.Be3 There were a lot of options here. One of the common difficulties I had was what to do once black’s queen landed on b7. I ended up deciding to move my bishop because I kept feeling uncomfortable what to do with the bishop after black played Nh5. Best was 13.Ne3 Qc6 14.Ncd5 Qb7 15.Rc7 Qa6 I got stuck in this position in analysis, worrying about the hanging a2 and e4 pawns. Computer tells me I'm a coward. 16.O-O Nbd7 17.Rxd7 Nxd7 18.Nxe7+ Kh8 19.Qxd7 +- 13.Nd2 Nbd7 14.Nd5 Qa3 Here the forward position of black’s queen seems good. 13...Qc6 14.Nd2 I didn't like going backwards, and was worried about my knight's scope, but I hoped that Nd5 threats and a lead in development kept the advantage. I considered and wrongly rejected 14.Nd5 Nxd5 ( 14...Qb7 15.Na5 Qd7 Another line I didn't like, missing obvious winning material at the end of it. 16.Nc7 Qxd1+ 17.Kxd1 Nxe4 18.Nxa8 ) 15.exd5 Qb7 16.Na5 Qa6 17.b4 White’s control over the c-file, and c6 in specific, proves to be very strong. However, if black plays 15...Qa6 instead of 15...Qb7, black has a comfy advantage as white has difficulty defending a2. 14...Qb7 15.O-O Nc6 16.f4 Wanting to keep the knight away from e5 (where it can go to d3), and also threaten to push e5 myself. when I can then put a knight on e4. At this point both players thought white was a bit better, though the computer thinks black has enough counterattacking resources for equality. It’s probably relevant that the pawn structure is symmetrical, meaning that white has no static advantage. 16...Rfd8 16...e5 17.f5 Nd4 ( 17...gxf5 18.Rxf5 ) 18.Bg5 A key analysis line. I thought that the pressure on f6 meant that white would be in good shape here. The computer thinks that white’s actually in trouble here: the kingside attack goes nowhere and black can start to dominate the centre of the board. 17.e5 b4 I missed this idea, though I think that white's still with an edge. Now black forces significant trades. 17...Nd5 18.Nxd5 Rxd5 19.Qf3 Rad8 20.Ne4 {This is what I wanted. Black’s doubled rooks don’t have a way in. Meanwhile white has the c-file, a good knight on e5, and potential good pressure on c6. 18.exf6 bxc3 19.fxg7 cxd2 20.Rc2 Rd3 21.Qe2 Rad8 22.Rxd2 Rxd2 23.Bxd2 Nd4 24.Qf2 Qa6  I didn't see this move but after settling down I was confident I was still in a good position. My main thoughts are: (1) I would like to open the f-file, even though that probably ends with my opponent having a supported past e-pawn and (2) the endgame probably favours me because of the combination of BvN and queenside majority. 25.Be3 Ne2+ 26.Kh1 Qxa2 27.f5 gxf5 I slightly forgot about this simple move when calculating. The weakness of black’s king is a bit superficial, as there are too few pieces left on the board for white to really take advantage of the openness. I was lucky that my opponent was still shaken from the opening, and was still thinking on the back foot. 27...Nc3 I mostly thought about this, since I thought black was looking for defensive tries to draw the game. 28.fxg6 ( 28.Qh4 Would've liked this if not for 28...Qe2, which forces white’s queen back on defence ) 28...Qxf2 29.gxh7+ Kxh7 30.Bxf2 Kxg7 31.Bxa7 This endgame is apparently equal, but I can’t imagine black being happy to be defending down a pawn, where white has BvN and pawns on both sides of the board. 27...Kxg7 28.f6+ and white wins instantly. 28.Qxf5 28.Bxa7 f4 Now that white’s attack down the f-file is going nowhere, black’s e-pawn starts to look pretty scary. 28.Re1 Nc3 29.Qxf5 I didn't like the idea of moving the rook off the f-file since I thought that’s where my play was. 28...Qxb3 29.Bxa7 I started to feel the game turning against me and offered a draw before I was having to figure out how to defend a 3v2 endgame. 1/2-1/2
|
|
#
?
May 28, 2023 22:09
|
|
|
 black to play for winning advantage bad game in which i went from a material advantage to a losing position when i played a lazy blunder after a quick bathroom break, but i take some solace from holding things together long enough to give my opponent the rope to hang himself
|
|
#
?
Jun 2, 2023 07:13
|
|
|
I sorta feel like I have to analyze all of my games but it takes like an hour per game and it just takes forever. And if I play more there will be more games to analyze so I have an ever increasing backlog. Now I know I am being unreasonable in my goalsetting , but how do you decide which games to analyze?
|
|
#
?
Jun 2, 2023 11:12
|
|
|
The ones where I dismantle and crush my opponents effortlessly duh
|
|
#
?
Jun 2, 2023 12:07
|
|
|
Meadowhill posted:I sorta feel like I have to analyze all of my games but it takes like an hour per game and it just takes forever. And if I play more there will be more games to analyze so I have an ever increasing backlog. Now I know I am being unreasonable in my goalsetting , but how do you decide which games to analyze? idk, the ones i look at more closely are the ones where i either 1. got totally stuck and couldnt figure out any sort of plan at all. what went wrong here? 2. thought i had a plan but it completely failed and i don't know what i missed
|
|
#
?
Jun 2, 2023 12:27
|
|
|
GhostofJohnMuir posted:
I suck at doing notation if the numbers and letters aren't there, but I feel the first move is advancing the pawn to put King in check. Problem is I don't really know where the king is moving. I just know I kind of want to push him back and find a way to bring my rook to the second file and pin his king. I assume he'll move his king back to the second file because if he doesn't, I'm advancing my pawn to put him in check again and taking his rook. If he moves back on the second file, my next move is to put him in check and force him into the corner. From here, I'm moving my knight over to the third file to cover my pawn when I advance him on the next move for the check fork to take his rook. I'm really having trouble seeing this solution to finish the game, but I can see I have the superior position, even if I'm down a rook. I am pretty confident this is not the best solution. 
|
|
#
?
Jun 2, 2023 16:48
|
|
|
Poking around the library before the long weekend, they had a chess book that wasn't just a "for dummies" style and I grabbed it. It turned out to be pretty neat! Maybe it's well-known, I'm not sure. https://www.amazon.com/Improving-Ch...aps%2C90&sr=8-1 The idea is, this researcher put together a few positions (but primarily the one that follows) and gave them to players of all ages and ratings over years and years. The rules were: you are in an important 2-hour Classical game, you've got maybe 90 minutes left on your clock; explain out loud your entire thought process as you evaluate the position, decide on a move, make it, then punch the time clock. Players aren't given black's previous move and the only instruction during the exercise is a reminder to actually talk or a reminder to move if they spend over 30 minutes on a think. They are told ahead of time that the position isn't necessarily a puzzle. This might be a mate-in-4, but doesn't have to be. The book is basically a transcription of what players of different skills are actually thinking as they evaluate moves (and how long they spend thinking). It begins with adult beginners and kids in the 600 elo range all the way up to GMs.  The second half of the book is close to what I've read "The Amateur's Mind" is like, but the way he says to use the transcriptions is neat. Chapters are broken into skill classes, and you read your class (corresponding to how you probably evaluate the position now), then read the chapters for the next 1-2 classes to get an idea what is going on inside the heads of slightly better players. FEN: 2r2rk1/pp2bp1p/1qb1pnp1/3nN1B1/3P4/P1NQ4/BP3PPP/2R2RK1 w - - 0 1 Very loosely: Low-rated players: Don't bother counting material or evaluating the actual position at all. They immediately start counting trades on d5. They don't see Qxb2. A total disregard for "checks, captures, threats." Medium-rated players: Sometimes start off talking about the isolated pawn on d4 before counting trades on d5. They were the most likely to reason, "1. Nxd5 Nxd5 2. Bxd5 Bxd5 wins a piece!" and miss 2. ... Bxg5 (sad trombone)". A lot of assuming the opponent will take back based on their own first instinct and never thinking beyond that. They were the most likely to go, "b2 is hanging so slam b4 next puzzle please" in 10 seconds. They also spend a ton of time trying to make Nd7 happen. Higher-rated players: Often hit on the correct answer but for the wrong reasons. 1. Bxd5 and both 1. ... Bxd5 and 1. ... Nxd5 leave white up a full piece after 2. Nxd5 threatens the queen. They jam Bxd5 confidently up a piece ... missing 1. ... exd5. Master-rated players: Almost always start talking about where pieces are, not where they might go. They see Qxb2 first and dismiss it as not worth defending (yet) because you have about 5 other moves you can force. They pretty quickly see 1. ... exd5 and start evaluating the position assuming that move is forced, because their opponent also saw it. Apparently he showed the position to Alekhine, who gave him the correct answer almost immediately. When asked to explain his thought process he said something to the effect of, "I mean, it's the only move that works obviously."
|
|
#
?
Jun 2, 2023 16:49
|
|
|
At least I rank medium! I was eyeing that Nd7 hard. I missed Qxb2, but once I read the spoilers I do agree that if I had noticed it, I'd have ignored it. What is exd5? I have no idea what this means.
|
|
#
?
Jun 2, 2023 17:05
|
|
|
Apparently I’m a master  (I am definitely not a master, I just happened to notice the right things here, I guess)
|
|
#
?
Jun 2, 2023 18:12
|
|
|
Sataere posted:What is exd5? I have no idea what this means. Basically, the correct answer is, "every move other than 1. Bxd5 is bad for various reasons. If you count through the exchanges, black taking back with the Knight loses them a full piece and taking back with the Bishop loses them an exchange. Both of those runs of trades end with the black pawn occupying d5, therefore 1. Bxd5 exd5 is forced." The correct answer doesn't win material or even push white's advantage that much, but it's the only move that doesn't give away the advantage white already has. The book predates Stockfish, though it does have a computer evaluation in the back by an older system. Stockfish says the second best move in the position is h4, a move I don't believe one person in the book considers for even a moment. The second-most addressed position in the book (of 6) is this one. I haven't read any of the entries on it yet, though, so I'm kind of going in blind. 
|
|
#
?
Jun 2, 2023 19:56
|
|
|
Huxley posted:Basically, the correct answer is, "every move other than 1. Bxd5 is bad for various reasons. If you count through the exchanges, black taking back with the Knight loses them a full piece and taking back with the Bishop loses them an exchange. Both of those runs of trades end with the black pawn occupying d5, therefore 1. Bxd5 exd5 is forced." Awesome! I actually came to the right conclusion. I couldn't figure out a way to make any attack on d5 work, which is why I liked Nd7. Gives him a chance to make a mistake, plus puts me a bit on the attack. As for the second puzzle, is it the same premise? We figure out what move we should make from white?
|
|
#
?
Jun 2, 2023 20:07
|
|
|
Huxley posted:Basically, the correct answer is, "every move other than 1. Bxd5 is bad for various reasons. If you count through the exchanges, black taking back with the Knight loses them a full piece and taking back with the Bishop loses them an exchange. Both of those runs of trades end with the black pawn occupying d5, therefore 1. Bxd5 exd5 is forced." I got the right answer but I'm not sure if my reasoning is correct my first thought whenever i look at puzzles is looking at sacrifices that might look stupid at first glance, e.g., is there some possible way that Qg4+ somehow results in a smothered mate (the answer is no) my next thought is: my queen is hanging - can I use danger levels to force their queen somewhere, can i capture or pin the knight attacking my queen, or do i have a check somewhere as an in-between move? no, no, and no so i need to move my queen, but to where? i have sight on blacks b & d pawns but they're both double defended so no dice. i'd love to line up on the b1/h7 diagonal with my bishop, but that's also covered by black's knight, and i cannot defend the bishop on f5 from anywhere on else on the d-file, so i look at the e-file instead. the only squares from which i can defend the bishop are e4, e5, and e6. e6 and e5 both hang the queen, so... the correct answer is 1. Qe4, which gets the queen out of danger, attacks the knight, and keeps the defense on both the c4 pawn and the bishop on f5. my guess is black follows up with 1.. d5, which keeps black's defense on the knight and gains a tempo on the queen and probably wins white's bishop on f5 anyway, but it looks like the least bad move given what's going on
|
|
#
?
Jun 2, 2023 20:21
|
|
|
Yep, same exercise from the same book. You've got plenty of time to think but not infinite time to think. In the room, they were expected to say out loud everything they thought. After spending 5 minutes with the 2nd one, I've settled on Rook attacks my bishop with the queen covering, Queen attacked by his Knight. His king is weak to my light-square pieces but I don't see any useful checks or counterattacks on his Queen, so I have to move my Queen without dropping the Bishop. Qa5 covers and offers a trade, and I can take back with Ra5 and still cover the Bishop. But b6 makes that a waste of time. Qe4 steps out, doesn't offer a trade and attacks the Knight ... but his Queen covers it and I don't have a reasonable follow-up other than g3. He can attack my queen with d5, but I can take back with cxd5, which undoubles my pawns in a kind of ugly way. Qe5 looks good, still covers the Bishop, still attacks the Knight, plus he can't attack my Queen with d6 because it blocks the defense of his Knight. It still offers the Queen trade, but Rxe5 still covers the Bishop and gives me an opportunity to double Rooks. Ehhh, actually 1. Qe5 d6 2. Qxf4 Rxf5 and his Rook is covered by the discovered Bishop on c8 and I have to move my Queen again, plus his Bishop is free and I traded a good Bishop for a Knight. 1. Qe5 d6 2. Qxf4 Rxf5 3. Re8+ Kh7 4. Qxf5 Bxf5 5. Rxa8 ... is that a thing? It probably falls apart at my assuming black plays d6 but I've been at this for 10 minutes. Qe4 with the pawn trade is anemic so let's try it. I've traded a Queen and a Bishop for a Knight and two Rooks and I'm up 2 points (uh, I think). I have no idea if that's right, but I'll read about it tonight.
|
|
#
?
Jun 2, 2023 20:31
|
|
|
Eh, I just put it in the computer, though I'll still read about it. Stockfish resolution of the 2nd puzzle: Qd4 was the winner. You sacrifice the Bishop for 2. Re8+ Kg7 3. Re7 (threatening mate) Rf7 4. Rae1 (guarding against the Knight fork pinning your attacking Rook). YEESH Qd5 was 3rd best (I didn't account for the d6 attack on my Rook after they trade queens, bleh. 1. Qe4 d5 2. cxd5 actually drops a piece to Bxf5 (which I saw both PARTS of but didn't connect in my brain). e, Now I'm interested if the book from 2009 based on research data spanning the previous 50 years agrees with 15 seconds of Stockfish thinking. I'll report back. Huxley fucked around with this message at 20:58 on Jun 2, 2023 |
|
#
?
Jun 2, 2023 20:48
|
|
|
I came to the same conclusion as you two, with the plan of coming in to attack e7 because I can potentially hammer the 8 row with a rook for force mate Not sure I'm right, but that is where my brain is at.
|
|
#
?
Jun 2, 2023 20:52
|
|
|
train of thought: What I see is a white that is up a pawn and massively ahead in development, so I want to find a way to take advantage of that while dealing with the threats to the queen and the bishop. My first thought on this position was 1. Qf7, but I think Black just goes 1...Qd8 and you lose the bishop. If we can find something like that, we're clearly ahead. Qe5 Qxe5 Rxe5 d6 Bxc8 dxe5 Bxb7 Rb8 doesn't seem good, but it seems better than Qe4 d5 cxd5 Bxf5 and I don't think that there's anything cute you can do after ...d5 like Qe7 or something. Actually in the Qe5 line maybe you can do Qe5 Qxe5 Rxe5 d6 Re4 Rxf5 Re8+? I don't think you can get the piece back before black gets out with b6 Bb7 and even if you can you're still getting rid of a bunch of active pieces for a bunch of inactive pieces. Qa5 b6 Qb5 seems just worse than Qb5 so let's look at Qb5. Oh wait they can just go a6 and b6 to push queen away from the bishop. I keep coming back to Qf7 Qd8 but I just don't think there's anything there but it's so close dangit. I guess the best I can see is Qe4 d5 cxd5 Bxf5 Qd4(or something) and we're in a dynamic position where we're down a bishop for 2 pawns but with play. I really thought we were ahead but I guess not Oh wait looking one last time I think I like Qe5 Qxe5 Rxe5 d6 Bxc8 dxe5 Bxb7 Rab8 Rax7 Ne2+ Kf1 Nxc3 better, I like the two connected passed pawns
|
|
#
?
Jun 2, 2023 20:53
|
|
|
Elyv posted:train of thought: My problem with Qe4 is it feels like I'm trading Queens for the sake of trading them. If I'm reading that lasr exchange right, white loses a queen, rook, and a pawn. Black loses a queen, bishop, and two pawns. Seems like we come up behind overall, even if we've advanced our position a bit more on the board. I also suck at chess, so please tell me if I'm missing something here. Just kind of giving my train of thought on this evaluation.
|
|
#
?
Jun 2, 2023 21:53
|
|
|
Sataere posted:My problem with Qe4 is it feels like I'm trading Queens for the sake of trading them. You're right, but I couldn't find a line where we hold all of our material and positional advantage and this was the one that looked like the least bad option to me. Material ends up even and we have a pair of connected passed pawns, so I think we're probably slightly ahead? It should be a close, playable game from that point. This is all in my head so I could be missing something. The Qd4 line in Huxley's last post was something I didn't even remotely consider but it's obviously the best move
|
|
#
?
Jun 2, 2023 23:46
|
|
|
Elyv posted:You're right, but I couldn't find a line where we hold all of our material and positional advantage and this was the one that looked like the least bad option to me. Material ends up even and we have a pair of connected passed pawns, so I think we're probably slightly ahead? It should be a close, playable game from that point. This is all in my head so I could be missing something. My gut tells me there is something to the f7 line, but I'm not smart enough to figure it out
|
|
#
?
Jun 2, 2023 23:58
|
|
|
Sataere posted:My gut tells me there is something to the f7 line, but I'm not smart enough to figure it out Given that Huxley ran the position through Stockfish and didn't mention it, that seems unlikely
|
|
#
?
Jun 3, 2023 02:10
|
|
|
I just finished reading the section for that position. Re: that move 1. Qf7 Rxf7?? 2. Re8 Rf8 3. Rxf8# was an idea the strong players jump to almost immediately and spend a lot of time on. Unfortunately it loses outright to 1. ... Qd8 and then some nasty stuff chasing your queen around. e: the Stockfish solution above was definitely the intended solution, of course. There are a couple more of these in the book, if people like them I may post another one Monday when I'm back at the work computer. Huxley fucked around with this message at 02:47 on Jun 3, 2023 |
|
#
?
Jun 3, 2023 02:24
|
|
|
I enjoyed that, sure!
|
|
#
?
Jun 3, 2023 03:12
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 31, 2024 19:31 |
|
|
Here that Elyv! You're a strong player!
|
|
#
?
Jun 3, 2023 03:34
|
|