Saturday - May 19, 2012

FORSOOTH!  CHESS A SILLY GAME? NONONONONONONONNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Drew happens to be one of the very best friends I have never met.  He has done favors and given me tech help, some of which I don’t understand to this day.
He’s never offered bad advice and from time to time has saved me from myself.  He’s gone out of his way to snail mail me stuff because I asked. So yeah, I consider him a very good friend.
However ...... 

Gee Drew ... after all this time ... is this our first spat? LOL

It all started with Christopher’s chess game and a comment Drew made as follows.

I think you take this silly game way too seriously.

Now Dear Friend Drew, this deserves a post all its own, not under comments.

Drew. Chess a silly game? OMG!  Crivens! Et tu Brute? Or whatever’s close. No. Never that.

Wish I were a good player but my brain does not engage to a high chess standard. And you have be serious about this activity (game seems so, ??? ordinary?)

Haven’t played in years. Wife and I used to spend hours at it. Alas, she is a better player and once played on several boards. In a tournament, England’s Southern Champ fought off all comers on lots of boards till my wife sat down and fought him to a stalemate. She always felt she might have won but lost concentration due to many ppl crowding around them and especially her, being the only female. This was in the days when ladies weren’t supposed to be doing such things. The games were hosted by the IBM chess club. Of which my wife was a member. She belonged to team two and waited for an opening on the first team. Which came open and they picked a man for the spot on team one, who Jennifer had beaten more then once.

So then ….  Just how serious can some folks take this …. game?

She quit IBM

Christopher… Love the animation on that game but it moved so fast I had a hard time. Put it down to age etc.
It was especially interesting because each and every move seemed to be synced with a loud ticking clock we have in this room.

I haven’t been much up to date and forgot how to ID the moves as I was used to the old way.
But I did notice something with pawns. At one point is looked like a white pawn had a clear and safe capture of an undefended black pawn, but did not take and so on a following move the black advanced and protected the other black. But the animation was moving too fast for me to figure out why the white never took black pawn. Anyway, even tho I don’t contribute to it I really enjoy looking in on games. 

Posted by peiper     on 05/19/2012 at 03:53 AM   
Filed Under: • CHESS •  
• Comments (4) • Trackbacks(0)  Permalink •  

   Thursday - May 17, 2012

Chess Problem #237

I know, the chess problems have been conspicuous by their absence. But here’s a new one. And a difficult one. #237 is White to move. Theme is ‘overload’. I’ll quote:

Overloading involves the exploitation of an enemy unit which must protect at least two other important pieces (or squares). The object of the attacker is to force the overloaded defending piece to relinquish its necessary defensive functions.

White to move and win

Taken from Combination Challenge by Lou Hayes and USCF Senior Master John Hall (2520)
Graphics courtesy of Exachess.

Also, for any who are interested, I’ve posted another amusing game of mine. This was in the second round of the 1993 Gem City Open. My opponent out-rated me by 162 points. He should have kicked my @ss. Indeed he was kicking my @ss. I was down a Bishop and two pawns, but my 27th move really confused him, and I won. I still don’t know if my 27th move was brilliant, bluff, or a brilliant bluff. I do know that if I’d lost, I’d have annotated it as ??, as in losing move. As things turned out, I gave it a !? which is chessic for interesting.

Here’s the link: Christopher (1809) - Friedman (1971), 1993 Gem City Open, Rd. 2.

It’s a javascript animated link. You can play through it right on the webpage.

Posted by Christopher     on 05/17/2012 at 09:43 PM   
Filed Under: • CHESS •  
• Comments (14) • Trackbacks(0)  Permalink •  

   Wednesday - April 11, 2012

Your Move! e1: Wehnert-Leiss, Sassnitz 1962

Again changing sources. This one is from Your Move! by Yakov Neishtadt, published in 1990.

A little bit of a different format, as you will see.

With the move 1. Rb2 White offers an exchange of Rooks. Your reply?

See, a bit different. We have to reply to a move that hasn’t happened on the board. Yes, it is Black to move, but we’re only told what White’s next move is going to be. Almost like playing over-the-board.

I’ve got to start using this book. It was printed on cheap pulp paper and already shows about the same amount of deterioration that my Amazing Stories magazines from the ‘20s and ‘30s show. Combination Challenge was printed in the same year, but printed on acid-free paper stock. Granted that Combination Challenge is falling apart due to lousy binding, but the pages aren’t turning yellow and brittle due to acid content.

Posted by Christopher     on 04/11/2012 at 10:37 PM   
Filed Under: • CHESS •  
• Comments (7) • Trackbacks(0)  Permalink •  

Christopher-Wagner 1988

I’ve finally found some of my old games. This one was played in the last round of the 1988 Gem City Open. I out-rated my opponent by over 200 points. He came on so strong that the tournament director had recorded the game as a win for BLACK before the game was over. Black played well and I sucked.

Black surprised me with 15 … f4!

I never even considered that move. Black continued to surprise me. The next unpleasant surprise was 20 … Nf4!

By the time we got to 25 … gxf3 I was prepared to resign after 26 … Bg4. But Black faltered with 26 … g4 which allowed me to block his attack and even used Black’s pawns to shelter my King.

I did learn something from this game: in the Dutch Defense, the square f4 is a problem for White.

I’m leaving my comments here because if you click on the link, you will go to the game. Feel free to play through it and ask questions. I couldn’t figure out how to post this directly on BMEWS. I think I need ftp access. That’s the only way I got on my own blog.

Christopher-Wagner 1988

Posted by Christopher     on 04/11/2012 at 07:45 PM   
Filed Under: • CHESS •  
• Comments (6) • Trackbacks(0)  Permalink •  

   Sunday - April 08, 2012

Chess Problem: GM Robeson-Aditya Udeshi 2011

Sticking with my April issue of Chess Life, here is another position from the 2011 World Junior in India. White to move and win.

GM Robeson-Aditya Udeshi

1.?

UPDATE: 4/11/12

This is a one move answer, several got it, starting I think with Al_in_Ottawa.

1. d5

That is all. Black resigned. I wouldn’t have personally. I know I’m lost, but I rarely get to play a GM. I’d keep going just for the instructional value.

Posted by Christopher     on 04/08/2012 at 10:24 PM   
Filed Under: • CHESS •  
• Comments (13) • Trackbacks(0)  Permalink •  

   Thursday - April 05, 2012

Chess Problem from April’s Chess Life

Thought I’d switch sources. I got my April issue of Chess Life today. GM Andy Soltis has a column every month on some obscure chess facts. He also features problems from fairly recent tournaments, like the 2011 World Junior in India. American GM Robson tied for fourth place. This position is from IM Priyadharshan-GM Robson, 2011. Black to move and win. If there’s a theme, I’d call it sacrifice. Or possibly attraction. Oh hell, it’s both!

1…?

I suppose I should explain: IM is an International Master (2200+), GM is a Grandmaster (2400+). The difference is like me (an 1800 player) going against an Expert (a 2000 player).

UPDATE 4/8/12
JW solved this one too. I’m beginning to think JW is either very good and/or a subscriber to Chess Life. Or both.

1… Qxa2+!

and either:

2. Kxa2 Ra4+ (White can’t take because of the pin by Black’s e6 Bishop)
3. Kb1 Ra1#

or:

2. Kc1 Bf4

Resulting in what we used to call a LOQA (Loss Of Queen Accident) in my chess club.

Posted by Christopher     on 04/05/2012 at 07:34 PM   
Filed Under: • CHESS •  
• Comments (12) • Trackbacks(0)  Permalink •  

   Sunday - April 01, 2012

Chess Problem #809

Again, the theme here is attraction. White to move and win.

1. ?

Taken from Combination Challenge by Lou Hayes and USCF Senior Master John Hall (2520)
Graphics courtesy of Exachess.

Posted by Christopher     on 04/01/2012 at 06:59 PM   
Filed Under: • CHESS •  
• Comments (5) • Trackbacks(0)  Permalink •  

   Saturday - March 31, 2012

Chess Problem #808

The theme here is ‘attraction’:

This device is usually employed to attract an enemy piece onto an unfavorable square. Sometimes this implies that the piece being so distracted is placed under attack.

White to move and win.

1. ?

I’m happy to report that my copy of this book is falling apart.  I’ve been using it too much in the last year or two.

Also, and I have to thank Wes for reminding me, I have Lazlo Polgar’s book. The one that he used to train his daughters Susan, Judit, and Sofia. Susan was the Women’s World Champ for a while. All of them qualified as Grandmasters using the men’s scale. Well, not sure about Sofia. I think she got interested in being a wife and mother. But I’m certain she was Master level…which means she would kick my @ss over-the-board. (yes, unfortunately, FIDE rates women differently. Sad, but true. The Polgar sisters have been trying to change that. Has caused problems for the Polgars, there are politics in the chess world.)

Taken from Combination Challenge by Lou Hayes and USCF Senior Master John Hall (2520)
Graphics courtesy of Exachess.

Wes finally got it right, though he ‘cheated’ and used Rybka. I do have to agree with Wes; I’d have never played 3. Ra3 either.

Solution:

1. Nf7 Kxf7
2. Qf6+ Kg8
3. Ra3! f4

if 3… Be8
4. Rg3+ Kh7
5. Qh6# or

3… Nxa3
4. Qg6+ Kf8
5. Bxa3+

4. Bxf4 Nxa3
5. Re3 Be8
6. Rg3+ and White wins.

Posted by Christopher     on 03/31/2012 at 12:15 PM   
Filed Under: • CHESS •  
• Comments (12) • Trackbacks(0)  Permalink •  

   Tuesday - March 20, 2012

Chess Problem #299

Another Knight fork. This time it’s White to move and win.

1.?

UPDATE 3/21/12

CenTexTim got this one right.

1. Qg7+ Qxg7.
2. fxg7+ Kg8
3. Ne7+ winning a Rook and the game.

Posted by Christopher     on 03/20/2012 at 09:01 AM   
Filed Under: • CHESS •  
• Comments (7) • Trackbacks(0)  Permalink •  

   Sunday - March 18, 2012

Chess Problem #298

Today’s problem features the Knight fork:

The late Dr. Robert R. McCready, a strong expert and beloved chessplayer in Dallas for many years used to jokingly say ‘Were it not for those darned Knights, I would have been a Grandmaster.’ Indeed, of all of the chess pieces the Knight is the most fascinating and mysterious.

1…?

Black to move and win.

Taken from Combination Challenge by Lou Hayes and USCF Senior Master John Hall (2520)
Graphics courtesy of Exachess.

UPDATE 3/19/12

Well Drew, I’ve got to find and post one of my tournament games. I was White, on the ropes, so bad that the tournament director had already recorded my game as a loss. I was gratified to correct him; I won. It did feature a classic Knight fork–I forked both of Black’s Rooks and his Queen. If I find that game score I will post it. A classic example of what Drew says: Never give up.

Here’s the ‘book’ solution to this problem:

1. … Bxg2+
2. Qxg2 Rxd1
3. Rxd1 if 3. Qxc6 Rxe1+ and wins
3. … Nf2+
4. Kg1 Qxg2+
5. Kxg2 Nxd1 And Black wins.

Yes Drew, sorry. It’s one of those ‘magical wins’. Black is up substantial material. The win shouldn’t be a problem.

Posted by Christopher     on 03/18/2012 at 08:53 AM   
Filed Under: • CHESS •  
• Comments (10) • Trackbacks(0)  Permalink •  

   Saturday - March 03, 2012

Chess Problem #236

I’ve not solved this one. I haven’t peeked at the answer either. But it’s another case of ‘overload’ but this time it’s Black to move and win. I can’t even find a piece to overload. And I’m not gonna peek at the answer until tomorrow, when I’ll post the solution.

1. … ?

Taken from Combination Challenge by Lou Hayes and USCF Senior Master John Hall (2520)
Graphics courtesy of Exachess.

UPDATE 3/4/112

Guess l was wrong. Seems Drew got it right.

1. … Bh3
2. Re1 Bg2 winning material.

My keyboard isn’t working. I spilled Mountain Dew on it last night. I’m gonna go to Best Buy and buy a new keyboard. Fortunately I’ve got a virtual keyboard that I can hit with my mouse. But let’s face it, I type much faster than my mouse moves. My shift keys don’t work, my ‘a’ key also doesn’t work, nor does my delete key work. I really should quit putting vodka in my Mountain Dew.

Posted by Christopher     on 03/03/2012 at 06:22 AM   
Filed Under: • CHESS •  
• Comments (11) • Trackbacks(0)  Permalink •  

   Friday - March 02, 2012

Chess Problem #235

This problem’s theme is overload.

Overloading involves the exploitation of an enemy unit which must protect at least two other important pieces (or squares).

White to move and win.

1. ?

Taken from Combination Challenge by Lou Hayes and USCF Senior Master John Hall (2520)
Graphics courtesy of Exachess.

UPDATE 3/3/12

I am going to quote the book, just so Drew will be happy. JW pretty much solved this, after my ‘hint’.

1. Qc5!! (Black had the ugly threat of Rh1+!! which is now impossible because of Bxh1 and there is no mate on f2. Besides this defensive function, 1. Qc5 overloads the Bishop on d7 by threatening 2. Qc8+ Bxc8 3. Re8#. Black must defend against the mate and in so doing loses a Rook)

1. … h5
2. Bxg4 hg4
3. Kxh2 Qh6+
4. Kg1 Bc6
5. f3 Bxf3
6. Re8+ Kh7
7. Qc2+! and Black resigns, as a trade of Queens will be forced by 8. Qh2.

Posted by Christopher     on 03/02/2012 at 08:30 AM   
Filed Under: • CHESS •  
• Comments (12) • Trackbacks(0)  Permalink •  

   Thursday - March 01, 2012

Chess Problem #494

There are 1154 problems in this book. They are categorized by theme: pin, weak back rank, or, as in this problem, discovered attack.

The discovery is one of the most powerful types of move possible in a game of chess. The term ‘discovery’ simply means that a piece is moved from a rank, file, or diagonal while uncovering an attack by friendly forces behind it on the line, thereby giving both pieces a chance to simultaneously threaten the opponent.

I’ve decided to start ‘hopping’ through the book. We spent some time on ‘weak back ranks’, and most recently on ‘pins’. Now I’m going to ‘hop’ to different themes. In this case, discovery. (Drew should like this one, White wins in all variations that I’ve found. Nothing magical…)

Theme: Discovery
White to move and win:

Taken from Combination Challenge by Lou Hayes and USCF Senior Master John Hall (2520)
Graphics courtesy of Exachess.

UPDATE 3/2/12

Drew, JW, and Al_in_Ottawa all got this one right.

1. Qh6+ Bxh6
2. Ng5+ Kh8
3. Rh7#

Posted by Christopher     on 03/01/2012 at 04:07 AM   
Filed Under: • CHESS •  
• Comments (9) • Trackbacks(0)  Permalink •  

   Tuesday - February 28, 2012

Chess Problem #66

Motif is the pin.
Black to move and win!

1. … ?

I better get #67 ready, this one is too easy.

Taken from Combination Challenge by Lou Hayes and USCF Senior Master John Hall (2520)
Graphics courtesy of Exachess.

UPDATE 3/1/12

Two people got this close enough that I’m calling it. It actually went:

1. … Bg5!
2. f4 Bxf4 and White resigned as 3. Qxf4 is met by 3. … Qxb2# mate.

I know, Drew, you don’t like this sort of ‘magical win’ by either side. Let us just say that a ‘loss of Queen accident’ is usually enough to win for the other side. Not always, as the next problem will show. But then, in the next problem, the Queen is bait, her loss is not an accident.

Posted by Christopher     on 02/28/2012 at 03:43 PM   
Filed Under: • CHESS •  
• Comments (7) • Trackbacks(0)  Permalink •  

DISCLAIMER

THE SERVICES AND MATERIALS ON THIS WEBSITE ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND THE HOSTS OF THIS SITE EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF SATISFACTORY QUALITY, MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, WITH RESPECT TO THE SERVICE OR ANY MATERIALS.

Not that very many people ever read this far down, but this blog was the creation of Allan Kelly and his friend Vilmar. Vilmar moved on to his own blog some time ago, and Allan ran this place alone until his sudden and unexpected death partway through 2006. We all miss him. A lot. Even though he is gone this site will always still be more than a little bit his. We who are left to carry on the BMEWS tradition owe him a great debt of gratitude, and we hope to be able to pay that back by following his last advice to us all:

1. Keep a firm grasp of Right and Wrong
2. Stay involved with government on every level and don't let those bastards get away with a thing
3. Use every legal means to defend yourself in the event of real internal trouble, and, most importantly:
4. Keep talking to each other, whether here or elsewhere

It's been a long strange trip without you Skipper, but thanks for pointing us in the right direction and giving us a swift kick in the behind to get us going. Keep lookin' down on us, will ya? Thanks.

THE INFORMATION AND OTHER CONTENTS OF THIS WEBSITE ARE DESIGNED TO COMPLY WITH THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. THIS WEBSITE SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND ALL PARTIES IRREVOCABLY SUBMIT TO THE JURISDICTION OF THE AMERICAN COURTS. IF ANYTHING ON THIS WEBSITE IS CONSTRUED AS BEING CONTRARY TO THE LAWS APPLICABLE IN ANY OTHER COUNTRY, THEN THIS WEBSITE IS NOT INTENDED TO BE ACCESSED BY PERSONS FROM THAT COUNTRY AND ANY PERSONS WHO ARE SUBJECT TO SUCH LAWS SHALL NOT BE ENTITLED TO USE OUR SERVICES UNLESS THEY CAN SATISFY US THAT SUCH USE WOULD BE LAWFUL.

Copyright © 2004-2008 Domain Owner