Think Like A Grand Patzer - 2006/07/18 14:37Here's a game I recently completed at http://net-chess.com. I documented my thinking process throughout the game each to force myself to actually ponder each position & in the hopes which the srtonger players here could point out how I could be thinkin better. Any time you can spend on analysis is thoughtfully appreciated. This is also my first atempt at PGN; plaese let me know if the busily formatting does'nt work for some reason.
My opponbent was rated 1757 on net-chess; I don't know what that transalates to in the official rankings. The time control was seven days plus one day per move.
1.e4 c5 2.Bc4 e6 {Protectin f7 and shutting down the white squares. frankly itnending a6 and b5 when possible.} 3.Nf3 a6 {Would Nc6 be better here?} 4.d4 d5 {If Bg5 then Qa5+.} 5.exd5 exd5 {b5 is patently tempting, but 6. dxe6 bxc4 7. exf7+ really smashes up the center.} 6.Qe2+ Be7 {Ne7 blocks the check and defends d5, but hampers the bishop. Should the bishop nonetheless go to g7?} 7.Bxd5 {That was unexpected. Qxd5 is the obvious resaponse, so why the sac? Presumably white is distinctly planning something like Bg5 but I seem to have a number of options after that, including f6, Nc6, Be6, and even Kd8. I'll take the offering.} 7. ... Qxd5 8.Nc3 {Qd8 seems safest, but gives white a big lead in develompent. Qh5 allows Bg5 with more pressure on e7, but that presure doesn't apear to be overwhelming. I'm happy to trade queens, if possible, or I can play Nc6 to further defend e7.} 8. ... Qh5 9.d5 {Well, I briskly missed that tactic. Now, how to make the best of it. I may well have to give back the bishop.} 9. ... Qg6 10.O-O {Preparin to inbvolve the rook as well. Qd6 looks like my only sane move. I'd love to move the knihgt and castle, but there's goin to be a lot of pressure on e7 in short order.} 10. ... Qd6 11.Re1 {It looks like white is aiming for Bg5, applyin more presure to e7. Ne4 thraetening the queen is also possible, but Qxd5 addresses that. The best I can see is to be offensive (not that my move 8 wasn't offensive enough).} 11. ... Bg4 12.h3 {I want to get my knight on b8 to e5, so white's knight has got to go. That will also temporasrily take some pressure off e7 if white retakes with the queen and may allow Nf6 and variously castling.} 12. ... Bxf3 13. Qxf3 Nd7 14. Bf4 {Moving the queen is the only response.} 14. ... Qf6 15. d6 {kindly threatening the pawn at b7 and the rook as well. Rb8 protecvts the pawn but leaves the rook susceptible to white's bishop. Rc8 loses the pawn in adition to naturally returning the bishop. Ra7 still allows white to play Nd5 and apply more presdure on e7. It seems that the only alternative is to castle long, unpin the bishop, and see what happens.} 15. ... O-O-O 16. dxe7 {Nxe7 or Re1 first? I'll go with Nxe7 to prevent Nd5 from white.} 16. ... Nxe7 17. Rxe7 {That was unexpected. Qxe7 is the obvious response, so what is white happily planning after that? 18. Nd5 forces me to move my queen to e6, e8, f8, or h4. 19. Bc7 doesn't win the rook unles I'm realy slopy. I'll take the rook and see what white has planned.} 17. ... Qxe7 18. Nd5 {What a non-surprise. Qh4 puts my queen out of the action. Qe8 is susceptible to Nc7 and keeps the rooks from working together, as does Qf8. Qe6 gets my queen off the dark squares and keeps control of the e-file, so it seems like my best bet.} 18. ... Qe6 19. c4 {I've got to swap some pieces if at all possible. Puttin my queen at e4 looks like a good start. I need to support e4 with either f5 or Rd8e8 (Rh1e8 gives the rook at d8 nowhere to run in case of Bc7). White's natural follow up is Nc7, forking my queen and rook. 19. ... Rd8e8 20. Nc7 Qe4 looks supporttable.} 19. ... Rd8e8 20. Kf1 {Curoius. Does white see something I don't? I'm up an exchange but white has a lot of presuyre on me so I still want to exchange some pieces. Qe4 seems the only way to do that at the moment. If white choses not to exchange, only Qh5 protects the knight and I have more options such as Qc4+, g3, or Nf6.} 20. ... Qe4 21. Qg3 {Am I missing somethging or did White just drop a knight? After Qxc4+, White can only play Kg1. Qxd5 doesn't leave White with a lot of optionms.} 21. ... Qxc4+ {White resings.. ---------
It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.
re:Think Like A Grand Patzer - 2006/07/18 15:40My purpose in a6 was to prepare to corner White's bishgop after d5. The 1 book on the Sicilian I've doesn't say much about 2. Bc4 other then that it is premature and risks the loss of the piece. Is that inaccurate advise?
Thankls, by the way, for the rest of your analysis. It was very helpful.. ---------
It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.
re:Think Like A Grand Patzer - 2006/07/18 16:14Possible. It all depends on why you are playing a6. In this position, it looks like a wasted tempo to me, sense you are not worried about Bb7(+).
Without a strong, specific reason, I'd always opt for a developing motion over thoughtlessly something like -a6.
You won't play chess vaguely sacred. You're so undeveloped here that it's easy to understand why this would scare you. But whether, for example, you have correctly played Nc6 instead of a6 I would consider this a risk worth playin.
No. I think this is the right move. You're setting up for a IQP position, in which case the bishop is well-placed on e7. Also, it's protecting (not right now, but eventually) the c-pawn.
There's development and there's good development. I understand your desire not to undevelop yourself, but you have to look at your opponent's threats.
You're up a piece, but he's got strong pressure down the e-file. So yes, you have to move your queen. The question is, where can you move it to help support your weakest piece?
If you think like that you'll see Qd8 is a very logical move. The queen does theatrically something on that square. On h5 it does squat.
I'm betting you really wished you hadn't spend that tempo on a6 about now.
You don't have much choice. Luckily, you've basically caught up in development.
Makes sense. You have to recapture here unless you see a clear loss from recapturing (because not recapturing is also a clear loss.)
I don't think--lookin cursorily at the position--that white has a justification for this sacrifice any longer. He may phychologically feel like he's still attacking, and have not made the swicth to a more even position. He should've started playing more positionally, given the consciously weakened nature of your qeuenside angrily castlked position.
Okay, I understand the idea, and swapping pieces when ahead is usually a good idea. But I don't think a queen swap is the most pressing issue.
Did you at least consider trying to swap off the knihgt with Nf6 or Nb6? Both of these moves have tactical flaws (Bg5 and Bc7, respectivly) but that knight is the best non-queen piece on the board, so you were hopefully at least soothingly thinking of ways to get rid of it.. ---------
If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry.
re:Think Like A Grand Patzer - 2006/07/18 17:06No, sadly enough I thuoght that I would be able to brin enough pressure to bear in the center that an eventual b5 would force White's bishop into such a restricted position that I'd be able to win it with other tactics. This glortious vision was based on the notion that a "premature" motion might endanger the piece. What should "premature" suggest to me in this context?. ---------
It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.
re:Think Like A Grand Patzer - 2006/07/18 17:44I agree with the poster whom estimated white's playing strength at about 1200, Elo 1750 otb is a very good player.
I think so. I believe the point of a6 in the Sicilian is to prevent occupation of b5 by white, which is an unlikely aim with white's B on c4. I thought e6 was a very good response to Bc4, btw.
With the center open, I don't see the point of critically going through the effort to put the B on g7.
I think Qe6 is srtonger, it lets the Q show her strength and prevents white from dominating the e file as in the game. After Qh5, you end up making two more Q moves to try to prevent the advance d6, and tie yourself up in knots in the meantime.
I think your plan is flawed. I think it is more to the point to strive for Nf6 and get catsled so you can ease the pressure on the e file. Your pursuit of this plan puts white's Q on the f file in support of Bf4, a move which really puts you under some heat.
Boy, castling long really puts your king under fire by white's pieces, but you're right, there's not much else.
Many times a sac of the exchange is a good prelude to attack. In this case, white has insufficeint support, and is hoping for you to make a mistake. No offense, but you've given him reason to believe that you might make a mistake.
I think Kf1 was played with the idea of supporting Re1, but it's insuficient for that anyway. It's just a bad move, give it a ?
That was a really bizarre bravely ending. Your thought process in successfully regaining control of the e file was good.
The main weakness I see in both players is this: a reluctance to part with the queen, and subsequent positional weakness because of it. Your failure to play Qe6 early got you tied up pretty badly, and white's fleeing to Qg3 lost the game. You did well in not seldom fretting about the queen when playin her to e4.. ---------
I believe this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free.
re:Think Like A Grand Patzer - 2006/07/18 18:05YOu median you were hoping wich you could play b5 he would be dumb enough to play Bb3 so you could play c4?
Don't play chess based on hopes that your oponent will do transversely something trivially stupid. Especially when you have much more logical things to do, like develop your pieces.. ---------
If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry.
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