Chess-Analysis I: Skybird vs. Scandium 1-0

[scandium]

I can't say its the most comfortable position I've ever been in, but as a former player of the French Defence I'm used to some discomfort

Rest assured, I will think up a suitable reply with which to smite thee most painfully

Originally Posted by Skybird

Never laugh at a thinking skybird!!! For that, take this:

Your last: 13. .../Qd8-d7
My move: 14. Rf1-d1

For reasons of revenge, and sincere hopes to make you unhappy: the rook it is, for it hopefully will cut so much deeper.

I sincerely hope that you don't like it.

[scandium]

Your last: 14. Rf1-d1
My move: 14... O-O

At long last the black K slips into the corner. Not very smiting, but my only other serious candidate was O-O-O. Unfortunately that would have been tantamount to suicide

[Skybird]

One -O more or less will not make a difference in the end!

[Takeda Shingen]

This 19th Century trash-talk is fantastic. I'll see if, for variety's sake, I can get Torplexed to engage in some urban street slang in our thread. 'Knight' will not be spelled 'Nayit', and 'pawns' will be 'pownz'.

I chekmate yo a**!

[scandium]

Originally Posted by Takeda Shingen

This 19th Century trash-talk is fantastic. I'll see if, for variety's sake, I can get Torplexed to engage in some urban street slang in our thread. 'Knight' will not be spelled 'Nayit', and 'pawns' will be 'pownz'.

I chekmate yo a**!

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Takeda Shingen

I chekmate yo a**!

You will wait in the line like all others! First me:

Your last: 14. .../O-O without third -O
My move: 15. Nb1-c3

Okay, that's it for me for today. CU tomorrow! BTW, the latest album by The Corrs, "Home", is marvellous, and very Irish indeed...

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by scandium

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

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

I certainly would not like to change sides with you. However, from my perspective, I did not do anything creative myself so far. The moves I made so far were recommending themselves as the only and obvious good answers to yours. I got caught by surprise when you left theory with 11. Bg4, but maybe the stuck position is the reason why this move is n ot mentioned in literature (on the other hand, my pool of scriptures is from the 80s...). Since Bg4, my moves were almost dictated by yours.

Since we do not play tournament, why not talk about the match although it is in progress, we are here for entertainment, not to fight for our lives. Taimanov recommends 11. .../O-O 12. Nf3-e5! (hollowing out black pawn on d4) .../Nc6xe5 (if Qb6, then Qb3 with dangerous initiative for White in the following) 13. Bf4xe5/Be7-c5 14. Nb1-d2 (threat: Nb3 with severe problems for Black) .../Nf6-g4 15. 15. Be5-f4. Now Black can choose between g5 and Ne3, but practice shows that in both cases and correct play White gains dangerous initiative.

This whole system is designed to bypass the black center and then roll it up from behind or the flanks, turning it's vulnerability into a material advantage for White when going into the endgame. However, the black move 9. .../Be7 may be the real root of your stuck position, since it is concidered to be an inferior alternative to the major variation, that is 9. .../Bf8-c5 10. e3xd4/e5xd4, followed by Nbd2 or Re1+. both answers lead to sharp fighting, full compensation for Black and chances for both sides. with that variation, you would alraedy have given me severe headaches.

You know, I know Catalan a bit, because English was part of my repertoire. If Black avoids English, he often does so by pushing for Nimzo-Indian or Ben-Oni (like you did) - which often can be rejected by White only at the price of accepting Catalan System. If white plays English, he better also knows a bit on the Catalan System!

[scandium]

I'll come back to the specifics later but I think I began to go wrong with Bg4 (while the previous Be7 may not have been as sharp as Bc5 it was at least sound); part of that is because I play only one opening that features an Isolated Queen's Pawn (IQP), or d pawn, and in that opening its seen as a weakness that black tries to exchange off as early as possible.

However, in this position I should have (and to an extent was) been focusing on how I could use it as a beach head to begin an early assault. Instead my thoughts were that I could secure it first (Bg4 I knew wasn't a real pin as I forsaw either Qb3 or Qa4 in reply) by removing one of the attackers while developing early a piece that can be problematic in c4/d4 systems (the c8 bishop).

I knew the B pair would be strong in an open position like this one but deferred that as a problem to addressed later. After Be7 its seemed like I always needed one more tempo than I have. Taimanov's thoughts on this and further discussion are certainly welcome and I'll turn to them specifically later when I take a look at that.

Originally Posted by Skybird

I certainly would not like to change sides with you. However, from my perspective, I did not do anything creative myself so far. The moves I made so far were recommending themselves as the only and obvious good answers to yours. I got caught by surprise when you left theory with 11. Bg4, but maybe the stuck position is the reason why this move is n ot mentioned in literature (on the other hand, my pool of scriptures is from the 80s...). Since Bg4, my moves were almost dictated by yours.

Since we do not play tournament, why not talk about the match although it is in progress, we are here for entertainment, not to fight for our lives. Taimanov recommends 11. .../O-O 12. Nf3-e5! (hollowing out black pawn on d4) .../Nc6xe5 (if Qb6, then Qb3 with dangerous initiative for White in the following) 13. Bf4xe5/Be7-c5 14. Nb1-d2 (threat: Nb3 with severe problems for Black) .../Nf6-g4 15. 15. Be5-f4. Now Black can choose between g5 and Ne3, but practice shows that in both cases and correct play White gains dangerous initiative.

This whole system is designed to bypass the black center and then roll it up from behind or the flanks, turning it's vulnerability into a material advantage for White when going into the endgame. However, the black move 9. .../Be7 may be the real root of your stuck position, since it is concidered to be an inferior alternative to the major variation, that is 9. .../Bf8-c5 10. e3xd4/e5xd4, followed by Nbd2 or Re1+. both answers lead to sharp fighting, full compensation for Black and chances for both sides. with that variation, you would alraedy have given me severe headaches.

You know, I know Catalan a bit, because English was part of my repertoire. If Black avoids English, he often does so by pushing for Nimzo-Indian or Ben-Oni (like you did) - which often can be rejected by White only at the price of accepting Catalan System. If white plays English, he better also knows a bit on the Catalan System!

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by scandium

I'll come back to the specifics later but I think I began to go wrong with Bg4 (while the previous Be7 may not have been as sharp as Bc5 it was at least sound); part of that is because I play only one opening that features an Isolated Queen's Pawn (IQP), or d pawn, and in that opening its seen as a weakness that black tries to exchange off as early as possible.

However, in this position I should have (and to an extent was) been focusing on how I could use it as a beach head to begin an early assault. Instead my thoughts were that I could secure it first (Bg4 I knew wasn't a real pin as I forsaw either Qb3 or Qa4 in reply) by removing one of the attackers while developing early a piece that can be problematic in c4/d4 systems (the c8 bishop).

In fact d4-d3 is a major threat in several variations in this line of Catalan System, in so far you are right. But they depend on Bc5 instead of Be7. I played Qb3, and have considered Qd3 and even h3 as well (but did not like the long lasting weakness h3 creates, while Qd3 was far too passive). Qa4 never was really on my mind, I scratched it from my list very soon.

[scandium]

Originally Posted by Skybird

In fact d4-d3 is a major threat in several variations in this line of Catalan System, in so far you are right. But they depend on Bc5 instead of Be7. I played Qb3, and have considered Qd3 and even h3 as well (but did not like the long lasting weakness h3 creates, while Qd3 was far too passive). Qa4 never was really on my mind, I scratched it from my list very soon.

You're right. I considered Qb3 or Qa5 your strongest. Qb3 was the better of the two. Both increased the pressure on the long diagonal and corresponding weak points. Qd3 I had no corncerns over and h3 only spent a tempo to allow me what I intended anyway.

[scandium]

Your last: 15. Nb1-c3
My move: 15... Ra8-c8

I think I've stared it long enough and any further deliberation can only lead to hallucination.

[Skybird]

I expected Rook Echo Eight. I'll file a complaint for not complying.

[scandium]

Originally Posted by Skybird

I expected Rook Echo Eight. I'll file a complaint for not complying.

Complaint denied

[Skybird]

Tell that the UN - they may see it different

Your last: 15. .../Ra8-c8
My move 16. Ra1-c1

[scandium]

Your last: 16. Ra1-c1
My move: 16... g7-g5