It was a strange opening of the season in the club. First I was paired with a master, with whom I have a 0:3 score. So, I prepared to “die with a music” , even started the clock, then he came and said that he can’t play tonight (he is TD by the way), but there is a guy who got a bye, so he can. So, instead of the number 1 in the list I get number 24. I feel much better. It’s a boy, we finally start the game. I have White and it’s a Ruy Lopez, Keres variation, here is the game. I played this variation twice before (2 wins), his 12… Bf6 gets me to the unfamiliar territory.
I realize that d5 will restrict his knights and bishop and play it. Then I gradually prepare attack on the kingside. After 19. Nh5 Be7 I think about Nxg7, but feel that it is premature. I decide to get ready on the “g” file before that. Then, after f6, I feel that the moment has come and play Nxg7. Houdini prefers quiet Ng3 with a good positional pressure. He plays Kf7, I feel that it’s a bad move, but don’t see g5! and play it one move later, when the effect is not the same at all. Anyway, I think that I have a very strong attack. I defend h3, then double my rooks, thinking that it prevents Rg8 (?). I have 48 minutes left and for some reason get a bit nervous, like “it’s taking too much time”. Then he plays unthinkable Rg8. I think that he blundered, he looks a bit confused. I take on g8 and frankly expect that he will resign. Suddenly he quickly takes on h3 and right away shakes my hand (kids like to do it when they win). I see that I got mated.
This is a first time in 4 years playing OTB (after a very long break), that I blundered a mate in 1. It was once that I didn’t mate my opponent in one move, I won anyway. After coming home, I find that all the positions after Nxg7 evaluated by me as at least +3 the three different engines – Crafty, Fritz and Houdini consider almost equal. I don’t remember the case when I was so wrong.
I don’t know what to make out of it. Of course, there was psychological moment: I thought that I was winning, the guy looked completely lost and his “blunder” was typical for these situations. I actually don’t remember ever getting into a trap, so it mattered too, no experience. I underestimated the guy too, he had 1900 performance rating at Canadian Open, drawing and beating quite a few 1700-1800 guys. Also, that nervousness about the time, I should never get it to affect my play, better lose on time.
Still, if I compare it with what I do – programming, it is not possible that having many years of experience you will write something stupid in your program, forgetting the basics and that’s what I did here. Unbelievable. I remember now that famous video with Kasparov after the game with Anand, how he shakes his head and makes faces, now I can understand it very well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZqcT66Fkzw
Rolling Pawns 
September 9, 2011 at 3:41 pm
RollingPawns, I just finished commenting my game from yesterday, so you can see it now. 🙂 I was playing blitz with Alex last night, won like 16/20 or 17. I even saw his missed wins in his blitz against a 1700 and in his OTB game against 1900. 😉 What I am trying to say is that all of this analysis we do really does pay off. Alex studies openings, I studied tactics and endgames. And yet, like yesterday I hung my queen and continue to mismanage my time, even though I happily play gambits and openings I don’t know during blitz. It’s one of life’s mysteries which we are both trying to figure out. 😀 I’ll look at your game now.
September 9, 2011 at 4:40 pm
Kasparov shakes his head as if he just dropped his queen and allowed mate in 1 all at the same time. I’ve seen the position, the average Class C player probably still loses to him.
I would have played g4 before Ng3 (and if ..h6 then Nf5), but you have the wonderful position.
I would have seen g5 instead of BxRf8 even in blitz chess because you want him to waste time and remain cramped there, not give him the attack.
I wouldn’t play gxf6, Rag1 instead, but it transposes after ..Rg8.
You have to play like 30.Bd3, then Bf1. Or get in Ng1 and Bg4, trading off his most active piece, that White bishop. You should probably get an even bigger advantage the way his knights are out of play then.
It’s more difficult to adjust to the 3-D board, which is why playing blitz with a real board is probably a lot better than online, then it becomes easy.
These types of errors at the end, such as the one you played, rarely ever happen where one isn’t winning at some point, or attacking with initiative, only to fall flat on defense.
I think “Attack fast, defend slow” on the clock, should be the motto because it’s so much more tempting for it to be the other way around.
OTB games are more strategic, defensive, and energy/nerves-draining. You don’t want to be out of gas or in the wrong state of mind, even if it seems like it is wasting too much time to let emotions pass. You have to take a “mental cigarette” before you move. I don’t even smoke, just made that up; If we weren’t so nervy late in a game, this wouldn’t be as pertinent.
You were playing a nice game. It feels more unnatural to move fast when opponent moves slow, or slow when opponent moves fast, but this is what you have to do, almost on principle really. The quick moves are usually pretty good.
When we look over each others games, we are not nervous and can do it quickly, same applies to blitz. With G/90 it’s easy to get so nervy at the end that one could simply start blundering everything. It’s the nervous emotional energy that gets out of whack. We are looking for their big blunder, not our own. 😉 Still, this game is good practice, as are most all OTB games.
September 9, 2011 at 8:05 pm
When I played Alex, I think he must have dropped at least 30 pieces, and I don’t remember dropping any. 8 minute blitz games. He knows openings, has them memorized. I was astounded to see his book, opening positions highlighted, tabbed. He knew if I had lost a tempo in a variation or not.
I was sacking pieces and playing the 2 knights defense gambit. I was sacking pieces in most all of the games.
What does this tell me? It tells me that you/ I/we have to forget about the performance anxiety effect somehow. I’ve already come to a new understanding, and perhaps you will naturally see this as well on your own after that game, that I only care about a good game now, not winning or losing. As soon as you care more about winning than chess, or like some want to beat their opponents too badly, that is when one starts hanging queens and mate and that sort of thing, because one is thinking about winning rather than chess. Perhaps that is why some people take draws even in knockout situations where they must win, they respect the game so much. I think that’s over doing it, but you see what I am saying.
September 9, 2011 at 8:26 pm
When I looked at it (I was rushed, earlier), I didn’t see the Nxg7 sac but wanted to see Nf5, sure. The sac helps to unwind his position, so it lets Black off the hook somewhat, presuming Black actually plays it well/accurately, which he did not.
The footnote to move 23 seems really goofy to me, like something only a computer would calculate out to reach that conclusion. Why is Black playing ..Qf7 instead of ..Nf7 (Black can also play ..Rh8 and ..Kg8, or looks that way). Anyway, weirder still is White playing f5, locking the kingside up, rather than play Rf1 to expose that rook and queen battery on the f-file. If White can’t attack Black’s king position directly there, then either something is wrong with my head, it’s impossible for White to win a Ruy with a kingside attack, or having a cramped position is the new “White” and an open attack on the king is the new “Black”.
September 10, 2011 at 2:59 am
Let’s go to move 24, that footnote of analysis there:
On the given move 28.Nf3, I would probably play 28.Be1 instead, but let’s put that aside and look at the end of that line. You are seeing this += .37 score from an engine (and hanging your head). I am telling you, you win that position 8 out of 10 times against a 1600 player if they are good at endgames. If they are bad at endgames and 1600, you win 9 out of 10 times (we should be playing for endgames more with our energy/clock at G/90). What is White’s 39th move there? I am looking, no engine:
39.Rg5! Nd7, 40.d6 (threatening to win a piece with Bg8+) Bg6, 41.Be6 Rd8, 42.BxN RxB, 43.Rxe5. This is how you beat a 1600 player, if you can blitz it or save enough time to see this. 🙂
The “Oh Bxg7 is bad strategy!” thought is almost meaningless. I can pull up a Zhiatdinov quote up that basically says anyone below Expert should not be thinking strategy, only tactics (he stresses the 1 to 2 move tactics as well!). This is a great position, it is += yet imbalanced; you should win these positions vs. Class B. Theoretically, if you could hustle through the opening and middlegame with blitz strength, the (near equal) ending could be cleanup-duty for you against a Class B player. After 20 blitz games against Alex (Class B), I have become convinced of this.
If you don’t think an endgame can be “cleanup-duty” for someone of our strength (at endgames), look at this link where I just commented:
http://antheacarson.hubpages.com/hub/Chess-Interview-with-a
September 10, 2011 at 12:04 pm
At the end of the footnote to move 23, I think that White could do either of two plans (There are probably more – these are just my own thoughts).
A. 27.Ng6 Re8, 28.h3 and 29.g4 or
B. 27.Bd1, 28.h5 hxg, 29.Bh5 Qg8, 30.Bg6+ Kh8, 31.Nf3 and then break through with 32.h4
September 10, 2011 at 12:20 pm
linuxguy – thanks for your comments, as usual they have a strong soothing effect. I liked your “mental cigarette” expression. I smoked when I was young, so I know how it works. You are right about the nervous emotional energy in G/90, sometimes it ruins your game.
Yeah, locking the position looks strange, I wouldn’t do it.
Blitz matches are interesting, it can be “convenient” or “not convenient” opponent and the score does not always reflects the ratings.
Yes, in positional play or endgame I definitely would overplay this guy, look at his pieces on the queenside.
That 39. Rg5 line is crushing.
So, basically, Nxg7 was OK, first he made a mistake with Kf7 and second – I could simply win that endgame.
Too bad, spoiled my record with Keres variation, I do not consider it very good for Black.
Maybe I just didn’t play G/90 for a long time (last in June), last 3 recently were with the increment.
September 10, 2011 at 1:20 pm
RollingPawns, thanks! 🙂
Yes, the pieces are out of play on the queenside and you probably win.
This Keres variation, it’s like for so many of White’s building moves you think you are winning and that it should be a “tap-in” extra-point at the end. Maybe think “What should White do in this position?” rather than subjectively wanting to win it too much.
Your Nxg7 was a very practical decision. That footnote to move 23 was not realistic. Likely the game continues 23.Nh5-g3 g5, and then if 24.Nf5 BxN, 25.gxf it’s a completely different game, plus you probably don’t want to play 24.Nf5 until you’ve brought your rook into play, moved your king again, etc. because after the exchange on f5 Black’s position will have more freedom – e.g., Nd7.
But by releasing some of the tension, it gave him a chance to go wrong and you both continued development normally without having to come up with another plan for development before an attack. At G/90, your decision was understandable. In a longer game, you can maneuver more and put your attack off for another day, since your advantage isn’t going away.
September 10, 2011 at 3:33 pm
I spent an hour looking at that position, and couldn’t find anything monumental for White after 23.Ng3 (or even 23.Nh4, no matter) Nf7-g5 and now h6 is protected and so is the kingside.
So I fire-up Fruit and it says 23.Nxg7 is best, and yes you were winning even against Kh7 (around +.9), and yes ..Nf7..Ng5 is coming after 23.Ng3. I am thinking your Fritz program really sucks, buddy. hehehe. Now I know why players used to become GMs without an computer. If you look at the board long enough, you will figure things out on your own. We are 1800, we are big boys now. hehe.
If no Nxg7 plan, then White has to play on both sides of the board with a4, and try to wrong-foot Black’s queen, that sort of outmaneuvering.
September 11, 2011 at 12:27 am
You are absolutely right. Fritz sucks (it can’t win for White after Nxg7, while Houdini and Crafty can).
The funny thing is – after 23. Nh4 Nf7 24. Nf5 Ng5 there are only draws for all 3 engines and after 23. Ng3 there are wins, but less than after Nxg7.
In all shootouts naturally the closed position is much more drawish than the open one after Nxg7.
Interesting that Houdini and Crafty after some thinking both want to play 23. Nxg7.
September 11, 2011 at 3:12 am
Doesn’t surprise me that Crafty would. After all, Crafty’s motto is “Play the most aggressive move and if that doesn’t work out, change your mind about it later on.” 😀
Yes, that seemed like the right arrangement of knights for White on the kingside after 23.Nh4, but the jist I got after looking at it with Fruit, sparring a bit, was that White should make Black’s knight look like a beautiful statue on the kingside, whilst White goes over the queenside and starts making some noise over there.
I’ll have to give that Nxg line a closer look, it was very interesting how White wins and gains that advantage.
I am watching these incredible games with Karpov, Spassky, Timman, etc., back from 1982. I was a sophomore in High School and I had no idea such programs existed. Just to catch some of the K-K match at that time, I had to watch “public broadcasting” channels. There would be the infrequent, random “coverage” of one of the games, and I saw no live video of the players. All I saw would be a journalist and perhaps a chess master or Expert kid go over the game post-mortem. You didn’t even see them, all you saw was the board, and the graphics looked like it was coming straight off an Atari game console screen. Oh, and the episodes were around 20 minutes long and ran at like midnight or 1 am in morning, ridiculous, but I actually made my chess buddies stay up and watch it with me. haha.
USA culture historically has not been intellectually minded. I was surprised the other day when I heard that chess tournaments in the USA pay more than the ones in Europe. Chess should be a well-paying profession, IMHO.
Anyway, I have been watching this:
http://www.chessvibes.com/reports/bbcs-the-master-game-on-youtube/
You start watching those and I may never hear from you again, you’ll think you died and went to chess heaven. 😉
September 13, 2011 at 1:08 pm
The chess tournaments inn US are paying more because there are enough people to pay a few hundred bucks for the entry, also there are many sponsors.
Good luck looking for this here, same in Europe.
Nice videos!