Playing badly can make you free
Hi Pilgrims,
Ever wondered why you lose at chess, maybe even at the game of life itself?
What do you mean you never lose? And you gave up on introspection long ago as well? Maybe you're right. Self analysis ain't what it's cracked up to be.
However, in chess, it can help improve your play. Take the game below for instance. It made me realize that as a certified bunny-player I need to be, and stay, focused. Anything less than that and no more carrots, unless it's in the stew along with me.
Also, having a stronger position carries certain responsibilites, which can wear you down unless you stay resolute and even a little humble in the face of having an advantage. If you don't, the player with nothing to lose can find a creative freedom which carries the day.
Easier said than done, but one thing is for sure: Bunnies can never relax until the game is over, and if it's a win, then have an extra brace of carrots to go with the brandy.
George Eraclides (1338) VERSUS P. Crofts (1076)
Correspondence Chess League of Australia (CCLA), Tournament 7/1051, 1992. The player ratings are not ELO but peculiar to the CCLA.
This game is dedicated to the memory of that devilish imp, Dr Savielly Tartakower, chess duelist par excellence and champion wit.
This game features some clever play punctuated by gross errors on both sides, and illustrates the aphorism from that wit of chess, Tartakower, that ‘The player who makes the next to last mistake, wins the game’.
White makes a terrible blunder in this game (a feat in itself, when playing correspondence chess), thus placing the burden of winning upon Black.
Relieved of the pressure of having to maintain equilibrium or gain any advantage, White starts to gather his meagre forces and play more confidenly.
For his part, unable to cope with the pressure of having a winning position, Black succumbs to White's desperate and clever tactics.
White unashamedly wraps up a game he should have lost.
Pirc Defence
1. e4 d6
2. d4 Nf6
3. Nc3 g6
4. Bg5
The Byrne Variation. I play it because it seems to offer aggressive chances at relatively little risk - or so I thought at the time.
4 ...........Bg7
5. Qd2 h6
6. Bf4 g5
7. Bg3 Nh5
8. 0-0-0
Hoping (pointlessly) for Nxg3 so that after hxg3 the Rook file could be used for attack.
8 ............Nc6
9. Bb5 Bd7
10. Nge2
I think White has the better position here - he has the classic centre, more space, security, and the potential for an attack. From this point on, compacency sets in and white drifts, missing a key tactical stroke. The ‘Purdy Rule’ to check all threats, should be a mantra for all players; another one could be: If you have a superior position, redouble your efforts to check all threats.
10 ...........Na5?! (TN)
11. Bd3
This leads to unclear play, as the Bishop gets in the way of the Queen's Rook; 11 Bxd7 followed by Rhe1 was simple and good.
11 ............c5!
With the irritating threat of c4.
12. dxc5 Nxg3
13 Nxg3
Presuming the Rook would now need to come to the centre, making the opening of the h file a waste of time and structure.
13 ...........dxc5
14. Nd5?!
I think someone, somewhen, called this kind of move ‘creating an outpost’; 14 Rh1 was correct, followed by Bf1.
14 ............e6
15. Nc3
Not a very secure outpost after all; White's complacency has now assumed mamoth proportions.
15 ............a6!?
What kind of devilry is this? Securing the Queen-side before castling?
16. Nh5 Bd4
17. f4 Qb6!
This move has a sting in it's tail which White is oblivious to; Black's strategy is correct - he is allowing complications to occur. When your position is ‘structurally’ inferior, dynamism can be an effective antidote; this is different to another approach which some players take, which involves just toughing it out in case the better placed opponent makes a mistake.
18. fxg??!
An idiot's move (??), or a deeply penetrating insight (!) into the position? The point needs to be made once again: White is labouring under an excess of smugness brought on by his deluded perception of having ‘positional superiority’; the facts are that Black, cognizant of his inferior state, has embarked on interesting complications. Whit is playing too routinely.
18 ...........c4!
19. Be2 Be3
Not the sort of move you like to receive in the mail - it really spoils your whole day.
20. Nf6+!
The coincidental situation of this Knight at h5 (played to allow f4 above) is a stroke of luck, which allows White to make a fight of it. I now started to really concentrate, as I should have been doing all along. My previous desultory play prevents me from representing my stroke of good luck as insightful play.
20 ..............Kd8 (Necessary)
21. Nxd7 Bxd2+
22. Rxd2 Qa7
White has created some threats of his own. Nothing clears the head like a hand grenade going off in your mail-box. I have started to play really well, whereas poor Black finds the burden of 'winning a won’ game too much to bear. His nerves betray him into making inferior moves.
23. Nb6+ Ke8
24. Nxa8 Qxa8
25. gxh5 Rxh5
26. h3
So that the Rook can move. The dust has settled, and white has Rook, Bishop, and Pawn, for his dull-witted Queen. Not a bad trade under the circumstances.
26 ..............Qb8
27. Rhd1 b5
Black is actually constrained to find a good move; perhaps
27 .............Qf4
28. Kb1 Kf8
may have been of more use.
28 Rd6!
28. Rd8+ Qxd8
29. Rxd8+ Kxd8
Leaves white the exchange down for a Pawn (no thanks).
28 ............Qa7
29. Kb1
A little nervous about
29 ............b4
30. Na4 Qe3
winning the Bishop.
29 ...........Nb7?
Black in turn is worried about the White Rooks and the poor position of his Knight; however b4 is more worthy of play:
29 ............b4
30. Na4 Qe3
31. Rd8+ achieves nothing because the Black King can escape via d7, while White has left himself exposed on his back rank. It’s a heavy burden to carry the mantle of material advantage.
30. Rd7!
With a nice pin, making the threats of e5 and Bf3 possible.
30 .............Qb6
31. e5
This is still good, because White needs to clear the diagonal; at the same time the Pawn closes the bolt-hole at f6 for the enemy King.
31 ............Nc5
32 Rd7d6!
Still pointless would be Rd8+.
32 ............Qa5
Black is effectively playing with Queen and Knight against all four of White's pieces. The move e5 has quarantined the Black Rook in an irrelevant pocket of the board.
33. Bf3 Rg6
34. Ne4?!
Needlessly provocative. Better, although still unclear was
34. Bc6+ Kf8 (Ke2 is the same in practice);
(i) 35. Ne4 NxN
36. BxN Rg5!
37. Rd7 Re5
38. Rf1 RxB
39. Rxf7+ with possibly a draw;
(ii) 35. Bb7 Rxe5
36. Rxa6 Re1
37. Rd6 Qc7
38. Rxe1 Qxd6
39 Bf3 is unclear;
(iii) 35. Rf1 Rf5! and Black's Queen still attacks e1;
(iv) 35. g4 Re1+
37. RxR Qc7
38. Bg2 Rh2!
As these variations show, Black had winning or drawing chances, while White's attempts to complicate, although successful, should have been inadequate. Again psychological factors have been allowed to dominate over the logic of the position.
34 ...........Nb7?
The pressure is getting to Black. The simple Nxe4 was best, with continuing uncertainty.
35. Rd7 Nc5??
Having an advantage is simply too much, and Black blunders:
35 ............Qb6
36. Nf6+! R XN
37. exf6 will win eventually, but it was still preferable to giving up a piece. Black has paid a heavy price for the splitting of his forces.
36. Nxc5 Qb6
37. Ne4 Kf8
38. Nf6 Qc5?
38 .........Rxf6 or a King move also loses. The old Tarrasch observation that when one mistake is made, you should expect more to follow, is borne out in this game.
39. Rd8+ Resigns
Because:
39 ...........Ke7
40. R1d7 is mate, OR
39 ......... Kg7
40 Rg8+ Kh6
41 Rh8+ Kg7 (Kg5, Ne4+ that square again!)
42 Rh7+ Kf8
43 Nd7+wins the house.
A game with grave psychological implications. Black lost because of a mishandling of the position; he was playing under the pressure of having to win because of a material superiority. In such circumstances one must try and remain calm and be patient; if they are available, simple moves which add positional pressure should be played. Time is on the side of the better structure, and as has often been said - there are no special prizes for finishing quickly.
Ever wondered why you lose at chess, maybe even at the game of life itself?
What do you mean you never lose? And you gave up on introspection long ago as well? Maybe you're right. Self analysis ain't what it's cracked up to be.
However, in chess, it can help improve your play. Take the game below for instance. It made me realize that as a certified bunny-player I need to be, and stay, focused. Anything less than that and no more carrots, unless it's in the stew along with me.
Also, having a stronger position carries certain responsibilites, which can wear you down unless you stay resolute and even a little humble in the face of having an advantage. If you don't, the player with nothing to lose can find a creative freedom which carries the day.
Easier said than done, but one thing is for sure: Bunnies can never relax until the game is over, and if it's a win, then have an extra brace of carrots to go with the brandy.
George Eraclides (1338) VERSUS P. Crofts (1076)
Correspondence Chess League of Australia (CCLA), Tournament 7/1051, 1992. The player ratings are not ELO but peculiar to the CCLA.
This game is dedicated to the memory of that devilish imp, Dr Savielly Tartakower, chess duelist par excellence and champion wit.
This game features some clever play punctuated by gross errors on both sides, and illustrates the aphorism from that wit of chess, Tartakower, that ‘The player who makes the next to last mistake, wins the game’.
White makes a terrible blunder in this game (a feat in itself, when playing correspondence chess), thus placing the burden of winning upon Black.
Relieved of the pressure of having to maintain equilibrium or gain any advantage, White starts to gather his meagre forces and play more confidenly.
For his part, unable to cope with the pressure of having a winning position, Black succumbs to White's desperate and clever tactics.
White unashamedly wraps up a game he should have lost.
Pirc Defence
1. e4 d6
2. d4 Nf6
3. Nc3 g6
4. Bg5
The Byrne Variation. I play it because it seems to offer aggressive chances at relatively little risk - or so I thought at the time.
4 ...........Bg7
5. Qd2 h6
6. Bf4 g5
7. Bg3 Nh5
8. 0-0-0
Hoping (pointlessly) for Nxg3 so that after hxg3 the Rook file could be used for attack.
8 ............Nc6
9. Bb5 Bd7
10. Nge2
I think White has the better position here - he has the classic centre, more space, security, and the potential for an attack. From this point on, compacency sets in and white drifts, missing a key tactical stroke. The ‘Purdy Rule’ to check all threats, should be a mantra for all players; another one could be: If you have a superior position, redouble your efforts to check all threats.
10 ...........Na5?! (TN)
11. Bd3
This leads to unclear play, as the Bishop gets in the way of the Queen's Rook; 11 Bxd7 followed by Rhe1 was simple and good.
11 ............c5!
With the irritating threat of c4.
12. dxc5 Nxg3
13 Nxg3
Presuming the Rook would now need to come to the centre, making the opening of the h file a waste of time and structure.
13 ...........dxc5
14. Nd5?!
I think someone, somewhen, called this kind of move ‘creating an outpost’; 14 Rh1 was correct, followed by Bf1.
14 ............e6
15. Nc3
Not a very secure outpost after all; White's complacency has now assumed mamoth proportions.
15 ............a6!?
What kind of devilry is this? Securing the Queen-side before castling?
16. Nh5 Bd4
17. f4 Qb6!
This move has a sting in it's tail which White is oblivious to; Black's strategy is correct - he is allowing complications to occur. When your position is ‘structurally’ inferior, dynamism can be an effective antidote; this is different to another approach which some players take, which involves just toughing it out in case the better placed opponent makes a mistake.
18. fxg??!
An idiot's move (??), or a deeply penetrating insight (!) into the position? The point needs to be made once again: White is labouring under an excess of smugness brought on by his deluded perception of having ‘positional superiority’; the facts are that Black, cognizant of his inferior state, has embarked on interesting complications. Whit is playing too routinely.
18 ...........c4!
19. Be2 Be3
Not the sort of move you like to receive in the mail - it really spoils your whole day.
20. Nf6+!
The coincidental situation of this Knight at h5 (played to allow f4 above) is a stroke of luck, which allows White to make a fight of it. I now started to really concentrate, as I should have been doing all along. My previous desultory play prevents me from representing my stroke of good luck as insightful play.
20 ..............Kd8 (Necessary)
21. Nxd7 Bxd2+
22. Rxd2 Qa7
White has created some threats of his own. Nothing clears the head like a hand grenade going off in your mail-box. I have started to play really well, whereas poor Black finds the burden of 'winning a won’ game too much to bear. His nerves betray him into making inferior moves.
23. Nb6+ Ke8
24. Nxa8 Qxa8
25. gxh5 Rxh5
26. h3
So that the Rook can move. The dust has settled, and white has Rook, Bishop, and Pawn, for his dull-witted Queen. Not a bad trade under the circumstances.
26 ..............Qb8
27. Rhd1 b5
Black is actually constrained to find a good move; perhaps
27 .............Qf4
28. Kb1 Kf8
may have been of more use.
28 Rd6!
28. Rd8+ Qxd8
29. Rxd8+ Kxd8
Leaves white the exchange down for a Pawn (no thanks).
28 ............Qa7
29. Kb1
A little nervous about
29 ............b4
30. Na4 Qe3
winning the Bishop.
29 ...........Nb7?
Black in turn is worried about the White Rooks and the poor position of his Knight; however b4 is more worthy of play:
29 ............b4
30. Na4 Qe3
31. Rd8+ achieves nothing because the Black King can escape via d7, while White has left himself exposed on his back rank. It’s a heavy burden to carry the mantle of material advantage.
30. Rd7!
With a nice pin, making the threats of e5 and Bf3 possible.
30 .............Qb6
31. e5
This is still good, because White needs to clear the diagonal; at the same time the Pawn closes the bolt-hole at f6 for the enemy King.
31 ............Nc5
32 Rd7d6!
Still pointless would be Rd8+.
32 ............Qa5
Black is effectively playing with Queen and Knight against all four of White's pieces. The move e5 has quarantined the Black Rook in an irrelevant pocket of the board.
33. Bf3 Rg6
34. Ne4?!
Needlessly provocative. Better, although still unclear was
34. Bc6+ Kf8 (Ke2 is the same in practice);
(i) 35. Ne4 NxN
36. BxN Rg5!
37. Rd7 Re5
38. Rf1 RxB
39. Rxf7+ with possibly a draw;
(ii) 35. Bb7 Rxe5
36. Rxa6 Re1
37. Rd6 Qc7
38. Rxe1 Qxd6
39 Bf3 is unclear;
(iii) 35. Rf1 Rf5! and Black's Queen still attacks e1;
(iv) 35. g4 Re1+
37. RxR Qc7
38. Bg2 Rh2!
As these variations show, Black had winning or drawing chances, while White's attempts to complicate, although successful, should have been inadequate. Again psychological factors have been allowed to dominate over the logic of the position.
34 ...........Nb7?
The pressure is getting to Black. The simple Nxe4 was best, with continuing uncertainty.
35. Rd7 Nc5??
Having an advantage is simply too much, and Black blunders:
35 ............Qb6
36. Nf6+! R XN
37. exf6 will win eventually, but it was still preferable to giving up a piece. Black has paid a heavy price for the splitting of his forces.
36. Nxc5 Qb6
37. Ne4 Kf8
38. Nf6 Qc5?
38 .........Rxf6 or a King move also loses. The old Tarrasch observation that when one mistake is made, you should expect more to follow, is borne out in this game.
39. Rd8+ Resigns
Because:
39 ...........Ke7
40. R1d7 is mate, OR
39 ......... Kg7
40 Rg8+ Kh6
41 Rh8+ Kg7 (Kg5, Ne4+ that square again!)
42 Rh7+ Kf8
43 Nd7+wins the house.
A game with grave psychological implications. Black lost because of a mishandling of the position; he was playing under the pressure of having to win because of a material superiority. In such circumstances one must try and remain calm and be patient; if they are available, simple moves which add positional pressure should be played. Time is on the side of the better structure, and as has often been said - there are no special prizes for finishing quickly.
posted by George Eraclides at 1:03 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home