Finally Out Of The Slump…
November 20, 2007 · Print This Article
Finally I got out of my slump by winning two games in the Hamilton CC quad on 17 Nov. 2007. I think my Thought Control exercises (involving training games with Fritz along with speaking and writing analysis as we play) really did help me get back to playing real chess.
It was another fun Saturday at the Quads. There is always a good amount of socializing going on while we wait for Ed the TD to work his index cards and come up with the pairings. There was a good group but some of the regulars were missing since another tournament was being held that day in North Jersey.
Round One: Scandinavian. Loss as black. I played Greg once before and got a draw. This time I lost on time. Here’s the final position.
Here is the replay.
I was so focused in this game that I lost all sense of the passing of time. The game is 40 moves/80 minutes. Around move 25 I looked at my clock and I had eight minutes left! It felt like I was playing for only 15 minutes. I didn’t make the time control. But I felt good and the loss didn’t bother me because I feel that I was playing well. The losses only hurt when they are due to my stupid play.
Round Two: Sicilian Grand Prix. Win as white. Finally I break the losing streak! Mike and I have played four times so far and are 2-2 now. Each time we played, I had white and we went into a Sicilian GP.
Here is the replay.
This game features a bishop and rook attacking f7, pinning a knight, and using the open f file to pile on the pinned piece.
Round Three: Scandinavian. Win as black. This is the first time I’m playing Charles. He’s one of the regulars. He tries to sidestep my opening with the known to be inferior e5. I should have countered better with an immediate c5.
Here is the replay.
Before playing the knight to f5, I looked to see if it was safe. I saw it could be kicked with g4 but said to myself that Charles wouldn’t play that and weaken his Kingside. And then he did! That move gave me my strategy for the game. My knight will go to the rim but will not be dim because from there it can participate in the attack. I told myself to just castle Queenside and starting hittin’ the target on the Kingside (while watching out for Qside counter play). It worked out.
It’s interesting that both wins featured a blocked center and use of an open file to get into the opponents territory.
Next Saturday is another Quad. I have to be consistent in my play but watch the time management!
Nice wins–but in the loss it’s too bad you’re out of time, your position is good. Something that has really helped me is writing down the time used by both players for each move as that way you not only don’t lose track of the clock, but later you can consider if you took too long on a simple move (or not long enough at a critical position). Not too many players do this, but you might consider it.
Cool games! In the last one, white’s 8.g4 was an unnecessary reaction to a “phantom threat” and really gave you a good kingside attack. You punished him properly for that mistake
Playing over Round Two and Round Three games brings to mind the old chess proverb that Chess is 99 percent tactics by Teichmann.
Wahrheit - good advice! If I had been doing that I could have managed my time better. Will try this in the future.
Chessaholic - maybe he felt that the center was locked so he was safe.
Diamondback - but how do tactics and strategy work together? Can tactics be divorced from strategy? What comes first tactics or strategy? I’m starting to think that most games look tactical because tactics are what we must use to accomplish something - gain material or mate. But first I have to get my pieces nicely placed. This is something I’m starting to be more aware of.
Atomic Patzer
I have to say tactics flow from strategy. In your Round Two game with Polito, you opened up the F file and took control with your rook , that is Strategic planning,than you overloaded Black’s occupied D7 Square which is Tactics. Similar is Round Three game, you took control of the H file with both rooks and queen , then you overloaded the H2 Square, which suddenly resulted in your opponent’s mate utilizing control of the H file.
The first game is a real shame as I think you have the advantage. The Scandinavian is very solid and difficult to destablize. Your third game made me laugh as I thought your opponent was a bit too agresseive and that type of early pawn pushing never seems to do well against a Caro-Kann.
Nice games and I’m glad you are out of your slump.
nice wins, it’s nice to come out of a slump. and with the scandanavian no less!
Wow! I’m quite surprised that my name is in your blogroll!!!
I was just looking for a good pgn viewer for my blog… I’ll start publishing shortly… in English!
Thank You!
Ghost!
Ghost - I see a lot of the other chess bloggers using chess publisher.
http://www.chesspublisher.com/
I just use my ChessBase.
Late in the evening yesterday I registered to chesspublisher. It is interesting since it is possible to include comments. I will probably start putting games there this week-end and go back in tournaments in the end of December… lots of fun to come!
In your round 3 game after g2-g4?, Ne7 seems better, you can follow that up with h7-h5 next move. If white plays g4-g5 after h5, you have a permanent home for your knight on f5, if he plays h2-h3 he opens up the h file for your rook.. This theme is very common in Caro-Kann/French Advance positions.
I love your f5 move busting open the position.. Nice win.
Well… just started publishing my games with one I played in my last tournament.
More to come!
BTW, I kinda like chess publisher.
Braden - Thanks for the improvement! I really appreciate it. e7 does seem a better spot for the knight. I didn’t look at that during the game.
Ghost - Looking forward to some games now…
There will be!
If things do not go down the drain tomorrow I should be in a tournament in the afternoon. Incidentally I would have a question to the chess maniacs here (that means you as well). I let you see that question on my blog.
So… tomorrow night there will be some games if I don’t get humiliated!