Our own masterpiece in progress has me presently stumped. I looked at a couple possibilities last night but couldn't work out all the likely continuations to my satisfaction so I gave up, watched a movie and went to bed :)

I have the position setup once more so something will be forthcoming at some point today... of course I can only hope it will cause you at least significant discomfort, if not outright anguish :yep:

You may wind up feeling utterly helpless, but at least we will have solved your feelings of loneliness :D

13. Bb3-d1....Takeda's move

13. Nd7-c5

http://zioxville.homestead.com/files/Chess13.jpg

Torp's move: 13...Nd7-c5

My move: 14. Nf3-g5

Nuts. Missed that one.

**resigns**

You bested me there Torplexed. 14. Ng5 was a major blunder, as 14...Nxd3 will result in either 15...dxe3, 15...Bxe2 or 15...Nxe1 and the loss of Queen. I had gambled on bypassing the chain base at e5 and trying to draw forces into the kingside via 15. Bxg4 or 15. Qxd1/16. Qh5, which would threaten your king and force you into a time-consuming redeployment of material.

8...d4 was the start of my problems. I was willing to tolerate the intrusion with hopes to quietly draw to the queenside, but my ignoring the center was too much of a risk and cost me dearly.

Well-played, and congratulations!

This game, before the blunder, wound up being a little cramped :) Not usual in the closed Ruy variants though.

Would have been a good opportunity with the blocked center to unleash the King's side infantry in a King's Indian style attack, perhaps. :hmm:

I would say: start a new one or agree on taking back that little fella.

Gee...I feel bad now. :( Thanks for the game tho. It was fun while it lasted. Was expecting Bd1-c2 next. ( BTW if you wanna take the move back that's fine with me.) Strange to see a game end with all the pieces still on the board.

BTW a belated thanks to Onkle Neal for stickying these matches. Much appreciated. :up:

I had considered it, but it then opens up the road for a bishop/queen combination on the d8-h4 diagonal. With my king already without mobility, Torp's black bishop accessible on d6 and his white bishop already camping in the neighborhood, mate would have been a real threat. I had committed my forces to play on the queeside. To redeploy would have cost tempi that I could not spare.

I suspect that my admission of distaste for closed positions made my opponent immediatley persue such a course.

First, thanks to Neal. You're a sport!

Second, don't feel bad. You're supposed to try and win. You took and opening which was clearly my strength and manipulated it once leaving the book into a position that became my weakness. You refused to trade, and persuded a 'Nimzoian' style of slow, methodical build up which stymied my aggressive style. Good show!

If you want, we can start another one tomorrow. I need time to chew my loss and plan anew. We can sink this one and start a new thread. You play as white this time.

Ahh. You are an excellent sportsman Tak! Tomorrow it is then if you wish. Me as white. We'll start afresh with a new board which will be even uglier than the last if that is possible. ;)

http://zioxville.homestead.com/files/NewBoard.jpg

I would suggest you start a new thread, "Match IV". Just send Neal a PM, requesting a sticky. And maybe declare this one as ended, in the headline. Too bad that you two and me and scandium did not finish at roughly the same time, then we could have picked new opponents.

This works as well since a chess a match is generally a minimum of two games, one with each colour. Thus we're already obliged to play a 2nd game, win lose or draw, with colours reversed ;)