Rolling Pawns

Some time ago I found an interesting option in ChessBase Light 2007.  Now I started to use it quite a bit, so I decided to share the experience.   If you have a pgn file, containing your games (with standard header),  you can analyze the effectiveness of your openings.  You open pgn file in ChessBase , sort it by ECO code, select the files with required opening, then go to Tools/Statistics.

I used the blitz games from FICS. Here are the stats for Ruy Lopez, White, Old Steinitz defense. It’s considered hard for Black and I feel comfortable playing it, which is confirmed by my performance rating, +100.

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Another sample – French, Black. Performance rating doesn’t look very exciting – ~-40.

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But just a second –  it’s a new opening for me, which I started to study this year.  So, let’s see how I progressed. Here is my first month, performance rating – ~-75:

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Here are my May’s games, result – ~+30. So it’s ~100 improvement in 3 month, 400 in a year, looks like 3 more years studying/playing and I’ll play the French like GM .

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Of course there is random factor for blitz, where the result could be decided by blunder, but I think if you have enough games, this factor would be eliminated because the mistakes are mutual.

What happed on Sunday in my regular G/90 game reminded me the song “All screwed up” by my favorite AC/DC - 

“… you’re out of luck 

Yes you are 

It’s all screwed up 

All screwed up”.

I was 10 minutes late and the boy was waiting for me.  Suddenly I see these 10 minutes on my clock.  Formally we begin at 1pm, but usually only 1, max 2 games begin right away.  I myself wait at least 10-15 minutes before starting the clock,  others the same.  It kind of ticked me off, since the format is G/90.  

How will I deal with Botvinnik rule? I hurried to get on time and now this – I felt like when you are late,  run and then you can’t catch your breath.  The same happened with my concentration and it was so until end of the game.

Anyway,  I am White,  Caro-Kann – first time OTB.

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Nxf6+ exf6 – new line for me, usually (online) I get 4. … Bf5. 

6. Nf3 Bd6 7. Be2 O-O 8. O-O Bf5 9. b3 Qc7 

10. Bb2 Nd7 11. Re1 Rfe8 12. g3 c5 – g3 played against Bf4

13. Qd2 Rac8 14. c4 Bh3 15. d5 – I thought I am better after that, Crafty – 0.43.

15. … Ne5 16. Nxe5 Bxe5 17. Bxe5 fxe5 18. Bd3 f5 19. f3 – Crafty – 0.98

19. … Qe7 20. Re2 Qf6 21. Rae1 Re7 22. Re3 Qg5 23. Qf2 f4

24. R3e2 fxg3 25. Qxg3 Qxg3+ 26. hxg3  - I thought Black’s fxg3 was a mistake, Crafty agrees – 1.72

26. … Rf8 27. Be4 Bf5 28. Kg2 Bxe4 29. Rxe4 Ref7 30. R1e3

30. … Re7 31. Rxe5 Rxe5 32. Rxe5 Kf7 33. f4 Re8 34. Rxe8 Kxe8 – here I decided that the game is won

35. Kf3 Ke7 36. g4 Kd6 37. g5 b5 38. Kg4 b4 39. f5?? – if the guy with whom I played yesterday night lightning games 2/1  could see it, he would change his mind. After winning 5 out of 6 games (and we played before ~ two dozen with about 50/50 result)  I suddenly read a chat message – “you are computer”. I laugh, feel flattered and send a message – “I am not”, but then see that I am censored.

39. … Ke5!  The combination of non-concentration and being sure that protected passed pawn guarantees me a win brings me here

40. g6 h6 ?? – Black should play hxg6 with a draw – Crafty – 0.43.

So I decide that I am losing material and it’s a draw,  since black king should guard “d” pawn. The boy looks at me at the same moment and says – “Draw?”.  I agree.  He says – “Now, as we agreed to a draw, I’ll show how White wins here” and moves “d” pawn –  

41. d6! Kxd6 42. f6! – and White gets a queen.  Pawn breakthrough,  looks familiar .  

I am stunned. Then he asks me about my rating and tells me his – 280 lower than mine. The whole evening I was very upset, didn’t have a time to look at it, next morning I look - and feel better. Crafty says, that if I don’t play 41. d6 ( which I didn’t see), all other moves cause losing both “h” and “g” pawns and it’s not a draw, it’s a win for Black,  at least estimate was – -3.