How euphoric one may be i want to be the devils advocate and say that it starts now. I have been many years a 1900+ player and chess has become harder and harder. Because people tend to play differently against a 1900+ then against a 1900- player. Even lower rated players play more cautiously.
I guess the reason is because you are closing in to 2000 rating and for many players, also for me, this is only a dream so far. So righten your back because now it becomes time for the hard and difficult battle. Good luck
Ivan - if you could decree your own rating based on your ability today, what rating would you give yourself?
If below 2000, what aspects of your game bring down your rating and therefore need to be improved? To look at in more detail, how would you rate each of your openings/middlegame/endings, tactics/strategy, time management, nerves, fighting spirit?
The big problem with 1900 is look at your latest results. I don't know, but if let's say a 1400 got those results, they may have jumped to 1700 or something just like that. But you? You only get around 20 points or so for that because of your current rating.
It's hard to criticize you for losing to an Expert in that game where you showed the diagrams, but those two moves you missed were where it would have helped to see a ply deeper before you made your move.
In that original diagram, I would have blitzed out ...Nd5 to trade a piece off, but I am guessing that ...Nf6 was a quick move once you saw his h3 and realized you couldn't take on e3 (NxRe3). So, instead of taking a little while longer to find ...Bh6, you perhaps cut-off your move-search at that point, a bit prematurely.
BTW, what I meant with ..Ne4 is that it looked safe. Your ...Ng4!? certainly looked a lot more interesting and I myself would have analyzed a move like that as well.
...Ng4 protects the bishop on h6 in case of ..Bh6 and Nxf7+, but it also opens up the diagonal so that if White replies h3 after ...Ng4 that ...e5(!?) is a curious possibility since his pieces are wedged together there.
I realized that you gave up the initiative, but I still don't see how his Nxh7+ followed by RxNe4 works (if ...dxR). White is down a rook, and I can't find mate.
Oops, yeah the Rg8 occupies your king's retreat square.
After going over it with Crafty, I like ...e5 after h3. In one line Black gets the exchange and initiative for two pawns and doubled-pawns.
If you had played ...Ne8 instead of ...Ne4 (basically, the losing move), then you are back into an even middlegame where White has some initiative.
That's the thing, I find it's easier to play an active defense because it's harder to find the right passive moves, which involves more calculation than intuition. ...e5 was the last chance for an active defense.
I suspect that a higher-rated player might have played the passive defense, though, looking for a total "reset" of the game and chances, if they felt that they "needed" the win as Black.
Congratulations Ivan!
ReplyDelete-Jeff Kline (2010 Green Bay Open opponent...)
Way to go! Good job!
ReplyDeleteWell Done!
ReplyDeleteAwesome, man! Now if you can make a nice jump like you did in September, 2000 will be within sight...
ReplyDeleteI thot I had commented earlier but anyway, Congratulations!! Ivan!! :)
ReplyDeleteYou're the MAN!!
Look at how rare the 1900 is these days, no one at that tournament was one. They ought to make a new chess title and call it "King of the Hill".
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the tournament successes! :-)
How euphoric one may be i want to be the devils advocate and say that it starts now. I have been many years a 1900+ player and chess has become harder and harder. Because people tend to play differently against a 1900+ then against a 1900- player. Even lower rated players play more cautiously.
ReplyDeleteI guess the reason is because you are closing in to 2000 rating and for many players, also for me, this is only a dream so far. So righten your back because now it becomes time for the hard and difficult battle. Good luck
Thanks all.
ReplyDeletechesstiger: Thanks for the heads up. I do well against higher rated players. If I can play better against the lower rated ones I should be ok!
In the past 12 months I have only scored 33% against 1700 plyers
Details here
Thanks for the great post on the USCF website! Congratulations on a great tournament.
ReplyDeleteRey Contreras
Ivan - if you could decree your own rating based on your ability today, what rating would you give yourself?
ReplyDeleteIf below 2000, what aspects of your game bring down your rating and therefore need to be improved? To look at in more detail, how would you rate each of your openings/middlegame/endings, tactics/strategy, time management, nerves, fighting spirit?
The big problem with 1900 is look at your latest results. I don't know, but if let's say a 1400 got those results, they may have jumped to 1700 or something just like that. But you? You only get around 20 points or so for that because of your current rating.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to criticize you for losing to an Expert in that game where you showed the diagrams, but those two moves you missed were where it would have helped to see a ply deeper before you made your move.
In that original diagram, I would have blitzed out ...Nd5 to trade a piece off, but I am guessing that ...Nf6 was a quick move once you saw his h3 and realized you couldn't take on e3 (NxRe3). So, instead of taking a little while longer to find ...Bh6, you perhaps cut-off your move-search at that point, a bit prematurely.
In the first diagram, I should have played Bh6 or h6, and the Knight has to retreat. I can then play Ng4. But I played the moves in the wrong order.
ReplyDeleteGood going! That sure was a quick leap from 1800.
ReplyDeleteBTW, what I meant with ..Ne4 is that it looked safe. Your ...Ng4!? certainly looked a lot more interesting and I myself would have analyzed a move like that as well.
ReplyDelete...Ng4 protects the bishop on h6 in case of ..Bh6 and Nxf7+, but it also opens up the diagonal so that if White replies h3 after ...Ng4 that ...e5(!?) is a curious possibility since his pieces are wedged together there.
I realized that you gave up the initiative, but I still don't see how his Nxh7+ followed by RxNe4 works (if ...dxR). White is down a rook, and I can't find mate.
After dxR
ReplyDeleteWhite plays Nf6 + forcing Bxf6
Then its mate in 2
Its all very pretty!
Brack,E (1951) - Wijetunge,I (1886) [B13]
ReplyDeleteUS Class Houston (2), 02.10.2010
159MB, Rybka3.ctg, DELL-9ECB4ECECC
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.Bd3 Nc6 5.c3 Nf6 6.Bf4 g6 7.Nf3 Bf5 8.0-0 Bg7 9.Re1 0-0 10.Bxf5 gxf5 11.Nbd2 e6 12.Nf1 Kh8 13.Ng3 Rg8 14.Ng5 Qd7 15.Re3 Ng4 [15...Bh6 16.Nxe6 fxe6 17.Bxh6 Ng4 18.Bf4 Nxe3 19.Bxe3;
15...h6 16.Nf3 Ne4] 16.h3 Nf6 [16...Bh6 17.hxg4 Bxg5 18.Bxg5 Rxg5 19.gxf5 exf5 20.Qf3 Ne7;
16...Nxe3 17.Qh5 h6 18.Nxf7+] 17.Nh5 Ne4 18.Nxh7 Kxh7 19.Rxe4 Rh8 [19...fxe4 20.Nf6+ Bxf6 21.Qh5+ Kg7 22.Qh6#] 20.Re3 Rag8 21.Rg3 Qe7 22.Bg5 f6 23.Nxf6+ Bxf6 24.Qh5+ 1-0
Oops, yeah the Rg8 occupies your king's retreat square.
ReplyDeleteAfter going over it with Crafty, I like ...e5 after h3. In one line Black gets the exchange and initiative for two pawns and doubled-pawns.
If you had played ...Ne8 instead of ...Ne4 (basically, the losing move), then you are back into an even middlegame where White has some initiative.
That's the thing, I find it's easier to play an active defense because it's harder to find the right passive moves, which involves more calculation than intuition. ...e5 was the last chance for an active defense.
I suspect that a higher-rated player might have played the passive defense, though, looking for a total "reset" of the game and chances, if they felt that they "needed" the win as Black.
Fun game to analyze. :-)
Congratulations on your rating gain! Robin
ReplyDelete