I have recently been contemplating possible places to take this blog. I realized, that since I have started, every project I have commensed has required a good deal of input before anything substantial can be discovered. So I am posting today to announce another new project.
My new project will involve concepts and theories of chess. I plan for this to be one of the most important and unique projects here on the blog. I have stumbled upon some concepts and theories while analyzing games, and each installment of this project will be a piece of writing describing and explaining these concepts and theories. These will be raw thoughts, and things you can take the board with you next time you sit down.
Also, I believe this project will encourage more feedback from you the reader, and will set us all on the fast track.
Thanks for reading everybody, keep voting, and send in some feedback!
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
2009 FIDE Women's Tournament
There is yet another tournament I am focusing on. This one is just getting ready to start, and I plan to cover it round-for-round. This one is the FIDE Women Grand Prix in Istanbul, Turkey.
This will begin on March 6, and you can find all the coverage you need right here.
Thanks to all my participants.
This will begin on March 6, and you can find all the coverage you need right here.
Thanks to all my participants.
Good Poll Results
It's still quite early in the most recent poll, and we already have enough responses to determine a results (if the poll were to end now). This is a good sign, and gives me confidence in the Analysis Series project. Arman Pashikian is the current favorite at the Aeroflot Open in Moscow, so to start off the analysis, I am working on a game of his from 2 years ago at the World Junior Championship. I will post this by the time the current poll closes.
Send in your games, and give me some feedback on the analysis. This is your community, this blog feeds off of reader participation.
Thanks for reading and supporting the project.
Send in your games, and give me some feedback on the analysis. This is your community, this blog feeds off of reader participation.
Thanks for reading and supporting the project.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Aeroflot Open 2009 Coverage
As some of you may know, the Aeroflot Open chess tournament for 2009 is under way, and I am going to starting a new project. I am going to select a few games from the tournament that have attributes I am focusing on. I will dig through the available PGN files and find games that fit a specific criteria.
To start this project off, I want to know what analysis you, the reader, would like to see. I am going to post a poll with a variety of different traits that a game could have, such as 'Black overcomes White in center control in the opening'. I will choose the qualification that the readers would most like to see, and analyze as any games from the tournament that fit this qualification. Then I will post the analysis on the blog.
So go check out the poll at the top of the page, and tell me what you would most like to see in a game I analyze.
On a separate note, I am suspending the current main project for a few reasons. I am currently working on building a readership, and until I have a big enough sample of participants to poll, the results are not very conclusive. Also, I believe that turning my focus to posting analysis, puzzles, and resources will draw in more readers.
The current project has lead to a Ruy Lopez open, and I am going to take some time to figure out a way to take this project. I am considering renovating it, and turning it into an exploration of the Ruy Lopez opening.
Finally, I have recently stumbled upon a piece of work I created about a month ago. This work is a walk through of the Benoni Opening. By the end of the week, I will post a download of this word document on the blog. This will also become part of the Exeterstreet Data Package that I am compiling and hoping to offer on the blog as soon as I have a considerable amount to offer. This package will be offered at no cost to any visitor of the blog. Each version of the package I release will have a bonus add-on, available exclusively to members of the mailing list.
To start this project off, I want to know what analysis you, the reader, would like to see. I am going to post a poll with a variety of different traits that a game could have, such as 'Black overcomes White in center control in the opening'. I will choose the qualification that the readers would most like to see, and analyze as any games from the tournament that fit this qualification. Then I will post the analysis on the blog.
So go check out the poll at the top of the page, and tell me what you would most like to see in a game I analyze.
On a separate note, I am suspending the current main project for a few reasons. I am currently working on building a readership, and until I have a big enough sample of participants to poll, the results are not very conclusive. Also, I believe that turning my focus to posting analysis, puzzles, and resources will draw in more readers.
The current project has lead to a Ruy Lopez open, and I am going to take some time to figure out a way to take this project. I am considering renovating it, and turning it into an exploration of the Ruy Lopez opening.
Finally, I have recently stumbled upon a piece of work I created about a month ago. This work is a walk through of the Benoni Opening. By the end of the week, I will post a download of this word document on the blog. This will also become part of the Exeterstreet Data Package that I am compiling and hoping to offer on the blog as soon as I have a considerable amount to offer. This package will be offered at no cost to any visitor of the blog. Each version of the package I release will have a bonus add-on, available exclusively to members of the mailing list.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
First Analysis
Thanks to everybody for supporting the blog. The lastest poll has been a great improvement on the pass, with our most votes ever. In the game we are voting on, you have chosen the Ruy Lopez and the opening. I have also produced the analysis of a game that I won quite simply. I believe that it is a good example of a black victory, turning around white's first turn advantage and taking over the center. To those of you on the mailing list, an additional game analysis will be emailed to you shortly. Also, I would like some games outside the pool of my own to add to this database. I encourage you to email me any game you play online and would like analyzed. If you play chess on RedHotPawn.com, have the site email you with the pgn file of a game and forward it to me.
#001
Date: 1/30/09
White: Frohike
Black: Exeterstreet
CC on RedHotPawn.com
(0-1), 32 moves
Exeterstreet Database
1.Nf3
White opens in somewhat of a strange way, with the Reti Opening. This Indian style open isn’t seen as often as most other openings. This opens the game up to be abstract throughout.
1…d5
This is the main continuation of the Reti Opening. Black’s pawn on d5 isn’t threatened by the Knight on f3.
2.Nc3
White takes a less common turn with this move. This two Knights development is possibly the most theoretically ideal opening, as it develops pieces and grabs center control fastest, but there are problems when applied.
2…Nc6
Black makes a second developing move on the Queenside
3.g3
This pawn advancement on the Kingside is not properly placed. White is setting up its formations diagonally on the board from Black. This move has little impact on the center, and White should have made a stronger move, such as d4.
3…Nf6
Black takes advantage of the tempo available and develops his second Knight on the Kingside. This move grabs center control, and evens out Black’s development by making a play on the kingside. This may also play a role in cramping White’s plan for development.
4.e3
Once again, White makes a minimal move that does not make enough of a stance. White has lost his lead in time, and is not properly responding to Black’s push for the center.
4…e5
This move takes advantage of White’s lack of proper development in the previous move. White is now looking very cramped, with the Queenside bishop locked behind a set of pawns.
5.Bb5
This is a better move for White than the previous. White develops his other bishop onto Black’s side of the board, pinning the Knight to the King. This reduces Black’s grasp on d4 and e5, the latter of which is occupied by a pawn which must be defended.
5…Bd6
Black develops a bishop to a post where it defends the pawn on e5. Black is set up for a threat on the White Knight on f3, by moving e4.
6.Be2
This is confusing. White breaks an important rule by moving the bishop back and forth, this allows Black more time to work on his plan. This also is an extremely cramped position for White.
6…e4
Black mounts the attack mentioned earlier. White’s Knight is now in danger, and must move. Black has control over this game, and is making White respond to his moves.
7.Ng5
This is purely a defensive move. Black needs to make a move that forces White to respond to him, again. Black has a strong advantage in terms of piloting the direction of the game, and is in complete control. Unfortunately for White, moving the Knight to g5 will lead to the conquest of the piece. Black has so much spatial dominance that the Knight has nowhere to move safely.
7…0-0
Black takes the opportunity to castle. This also cuts off any escape for the White Knight
8.0-0
White follows, taking an opportunity to castle while it doesn’t have to spend the time responding to an attack from Black.
8…h6
Black advances a pawn to threaten the doomed Knight on g5. White’s Knight now has nowhere to go.
9.Nf3
White moves the piece back to a dangerous location, and Black is lined up to gain 2 material points. With Black’s heavy all-around lead, 2 material points will prove helpful to Black’s plans.
9…exf3
Black makes the capture.
10.Bxf3
White makes the obvious capture.
10…Be6
Develops white-squared bishop into the game. Now Black’s piece development is complete, and only the rook on a8 and queen on d8 have not moved out yet.
11.d4
White builds pawn structure, and claims center control before Black expand into it.
11…Qe7
Black brings Queen up to offer more support to his presently placed pieces.
12.b3
White brings forward a pawn on the queenside, and his not properly deflecting Black’s contest for the center. White seems to be giving up the center and focusing on controlling the sides, a position that Black is usually pushed into due to White’s first move advantage. This is a indicator is a strong sign that Black has overtaken White in the opening, and it is fair to say that Black is dominate going into the middle game.
12…Rad8
Black has completed absolute development. The Queen has been brought forward to defend developed pieces and the rooks have been moved to the center.
13.Nb5
-White tries to make a plunge into Black territory on the Queenside. This attack seems to premature, as White hasn’t claimed enough control in this area to launch an attack.
13…Ne4
Black steps forward and begins to contest the Kingside. e4 is a center square that is so heavily dominated by Black that Black uses it as a step up push into White’s space. White is now up against the wall in space, and the rate that Black’s advantage grows is increasing with momentum.
14.Bg2
White’s move steps back in space, and does little else.
14…a6
Black tries to push White out of the queenside, and thus totally cripple White’s space and development. More importantly, Black is about to capture material, because White’s knight is in a no retreat situation. White did not have enough control on the queenside to launch an attack, and is about to suffer with another knight lost to this.
15.Nc3
White chooses not to take a pawn for his knight, and just give it up to Black’s overwhelming tidal wave.
15…Nxc3
Black captures the knight.
16.Qd2
White brings out the queen to threaten it.
16…Bb4
Black defends with a bishop and sets up a possible revealed attack on the queen. The bishop is defended by a knight on c6.
17.Bb2
White increases pressure on c3, trying to overwhelm and retake the piece that captured his knight previously.
17…Ne4
Black returns the knight to safe post of e4, a spot which also attacks the queen. This makes this a double-revealed attack, because the bishop on b4 also attacks the queen.
18.Qd1
White retreats back to row 1. Black basically has control of the center and both sides of the board. This, on top of the material lead, is dominating the game.
18…g6
Black pushes the pawns forward on the kingside.
19.a3
White responds with a pawn-push on the queenside that attacks the Black bishop at the post of b4.
19…Bc3
Black decides to make a trade, and finds an opportunity to force it. The bishop pins the White bishop to the rook on a1. The White bishop is also undefended, so White has no other real choice but to make the trade.
20.Bxc3
White conceits.
20…Nxc3
Black recaptures and attacks Queen on d1.
21.Qd3
White moves up queen and tries to fend off the knight.
21…Nb5
Knight moves back and threatens White’s queenside pawns.
22.a4
White makes the only move that gets the pawn out of danger. This attacks the knight.
22…Bf5
Black brings out a bishop to threaten the queen. This puts off Black’s response to the knight in danger.
23.Qe2
White queen moves back, but still threatens the Knight as alongside with the a-pawn.
23…Nc3
Black makes continued threats on the queen, and again pushes into White’s territory relentlessly.
24.Qd2
White continues to respond Black’s attacks by trying to expel his presence.
24…Ne4
Black returns to a safe spot that attacks the queen. Black is playing with an exact placement in order to find a strong attack to penetrate the defense and win the king.
25.Qc1
White responds with a retreat to the back row, once again.
25…Nc3
Black tries again to return to an unstable square, and is not making much improvement at trying to steer into the endgame.
26.Qe1
White stays on the back row this time, and hopefully this will be the end of the repeating moves.
26…Ne4
Black returns to the safe post of e4, this time without a threat involved.
27.c3
White now tries something new and moves forward with the pawn structure.
27…b5
Black contests the pawn development with a pawn advance of his own.
28.axb5
White makes a capture in the pawn faceoff, threatening the Black knight on c6.
28…axb5
Black recaptures.
29.b4
White pushes up.
29…Ra8
Black makes a trade of the rooks available.
30.Qe2?
White makes a questionable move. This move allows an attack on c3 with the knight on e4, which would also defend the pawn on b5.
30…Nxc3
Black takes the opportunity to win a pawn.
31.Qd2
White makes an attack on the knight on c3.
31…Qxb4
Black takes the opportunity to capture another pawn and push in with his queen.
32.Bxd5?
White makes another mistake, and in a moment of desperation, trades a bishop for a pawn.
32…Nxd5
Black recaptures with a move that defends the Black queen and opens up a trade of the queens. After this move, White resigns, seeing that the game is lost, and victory seems impossible.
#001
Date: 1/30/09
White: Frohike
Black: Exeterstreet
CC on RedHotPawn.com
(0-1), 32 moves
Exeterstreet Database
1.Nf3
White opens in somewhat of a strange way, with the Reti Opening. This Indian style open isn’t seen as often as most other openings. This opens the game up to be abstract throughout.
1…d5
This is the main continuation of the Reti Opening. Black’s pawn on d5 isn’t threatened by the Knight on f3.
2.Nc3
White takes a less common turn with this move. This two Knights development is possibly the most theoretically ideal opening, as it develops pieces and grabs center control fastest, but there are problems when applied.
2…Nc6
Black makes a second developing move on the Queenside
3.g3
This pawn advancement on the Kingside is not properly placed. White is setting up its formations diagonally on the board from Black. This move has little impact on the center, and White should have made a stronger move, such as d4.
3…Nf6
Black takes advantage of the tempo available and develops his second Knight on the Kingside. This move grabs center control, and evens out Black’s development by making a play on the kingside. This may also play a role in cramping White’s plan for development.
4.e3
Once again, White makes a minimal move that does not make enough of a stance. White has lost his lead in time, and is not properly responding to Black’s push for the center.
4…e5
This move takes advantage of White’s lack of proper development in the previous move. White is now looking very cramped, with the Queenside bishop locked behind a set of pawns.
5.Bb5
This is a better move for White than the previous. White develops his other bishop onto Black’s side of the board, pinning the Knight to the King. This reduces Black’s grasp on d4 and e5, the latter of which is occupied by a pawn which must be defended.
5…Bd6
Black develops a bishop to a post where it defends the pawn on e5. Black is set up for a threat on the White Knight on f3, by moving e4.
6.Be2
This is confusing. White breaks an important rule by moving the bishop back and forth, this allows Black more time to work on his plan. This also is an extremely cramped position for White.
6…e4
Black mounts the attack mentioned earlier. White’s Knight is now in danger, and must move. Black has control over this game, and is making White respond to his moves.
7.Ng5
This is purely a defensive move. Black needs to make a move that forces White to respond to him, again. Black has a strong advantage in terms of piloting the direction of the game, and is in complete control. Unfortunately for White, moving the Knight to g5 will lead to the conquest of the piece. Black has so much spatial dominance that the Knight has nowhere to move safely.
7…0-0
Black takes the opportunity to castle. This also cuts off any escape for the White Knight
8.0-0
White follows, taking an opportunity to castle while it doesn’t have to spend the time responding to an attack from Black.
8…h6
Black advances a pawn to threaten the doomed Knight on g5. White’s Knight now has nowhere to go.
9.Nf3
White moves the piece back to a dangerous location, and Black is lined up to gain 2 material points. With Black’s heavy all-around lead, 2 material points will prove helpful to Black’s plans.
9…exf3
Black makes the capture.
10.Bxf3
White makes the obvious capture.
10…Be6
Develops white-squared bishop into the game. Now Black’s piece development is complete, and only the rook on a8 and queen on d8 have not moved out yet.
11.d4
White builds pawn structure, and claims center control before Black expand into it.
11…Qe7
Black brings Queen up to offer more support to his presently placed pieces.
12.b3
White brings forward a pawn on the queenside, and his not properly deflecting Black’s contest for the center. White seems to be giving up the center and focusing on controlling the sides, a position that Black is usually pushed into due to White’s first move advantage. This is a indicator is a strong sign that Black has overtaken White in the opening, and it is fair to say that Black is dominate going into the middle game.
12…Rad8
Black has completed absolute development. The Queen has been brought forward to defend developed pieces and the rooks have been moved to the center.
13.Nb5
-White tries to make a plunge into Black territory on the Queenside. This attack seems to premature, as White hasn’t claimed enough control in this area to launch an attack.
13…Ne4
Black steps forward and begins to contest the Kingside. e4 is a center square that is so heavily dominated by Black that Black uses it as a step up push into White’s space. White is now up against the wall in space, and the rate that Black’s advantage grows is increasing with momentum.
14.Bg2
White’s move steps back in space, and does little else.
14…a6
Black tries to push White out of the queenside, and thus totally cripple White’s space and development. More importantly, Black is about to capture material, because White’s knight is in a no retreat situation. White did not have enough control on the queenside to launch an attack, and is about to suffer with another knight lost to this.
15.Nc3
White chooses not to take a pawn for his knight, and just give it up to Black’s overwhelming tidal wave.
15…Nxc3
Black captures the knight.
16.Qd2
White brings out the queen to threaten it.
16…Bb4
Black defends with a bishop and sets up a possible revealed attack on the queen. The bishop is defended by a knight on c6.
17.Bb2
White increases pressure on c3, trying to overwhelm and retake the piece that captured his knight previously.
17…Ne4
Black returns the knight to safe post of e4, a spot which also attacks the queen. This makes this a double-revealed attack, because the bishop on b4 also attacks the queen.
18.Qd1
White retreats back to row 1. Black basically has control of the center and both sides of the board. This, on top of the material lead, is dominating the game.
18…g6
Black pushes the pawns forward on the kingside.
19.a3
White responds with a pawn-push on the queenside that attacks the Black bishop at the post of b4.
19…Bc3
Black decides to make a trade, and finds an opportunity to force it. The bishop pins the White bishop to the rook on a1. The White bishop is also undefended, so White has no other real choice but to make the trade.
20.Bxc3
White conceits.
20…Nxc3
Black recaptures and attacks Queen on d1.
21.Qd3
White moves up queen and tries to fend off the knight.
21…Nb5
Knight moves back and threatens White’s queenside pawns.
22.a4
White makes the only move that gets the pawn out of danger. This attacks the knight.
22…Bf5
Black brings out a bishop to threaten the queen. This puts off Black’s response to the knight in danger.
23.Qe2
White queen moves back, but still threatens the Knight as alongside with the a-pawn.
23…Nc3
Black makes continued threats on the queen, and again pushes into White’s territory relentlessly.
24.Qd2
White continues to respond Black’s attacks by trying to expel his presence.
24…Ne4
Black returns to a safe spot that attacks the queen. Black is playing with an exact placement in order to find a strong attack to penetrate the defense and win the king.
25.Qc1
White responds with a retreat to the back row, once again.
25…Nc3
Black tries again to return to an unstable square, and is not making much improvement at trying to steer into the endgame.
26.Qe1
White stays on the back row this time, and hopefully this will be the end of the repeating moves.
26…Ne4
Black returns to the safe post of e4, this time without a threat involved.
27.c3
White now tries something new and moves forward with the pawn structure.
27…b5
Black contests the pawn development with a pawn advance of his own.
28.axb5
White makes a capture in the pawn faceoff, threatening the Black knight on c6.
28…axb5
Black recaptures.
29.b4
White pushes up.
29…Ra8
Black makes a trade of the rooks available.
30.Qe2?
White makes a questionable move. This move allows an attack on c3 with the knight on e4, which would also defend the pawn on b5.
30…Nxc3
Black takes the opportunity to win a pawn.
31.Qd2
White makes an attack on the knight on c3.
31…Qxb4
Black takes the opportunity to capture another pawn and push in with his queen.
32.Bxd5?
White makes another mistake, and in a moment of desperation, trades a bishop for a pawn.
32…Nxd5
Black recaptures with a move that defends the Black queen and opens up a trade of the queens. After this move, White resigns, seeing that the game is lost, and victory seems impossible.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Renovating The Polls
The last series of polls I posted does not seem to have gone well, and the inconclusive results have been somewhat of a roadblock. I have scaled back the operation to be a little more user-friendly, hopefully this will encourage a level of voting that the project can grow from.
To everyone who has participated in the past, I appreciate the readership, and want to remind everyone to keep voting in the polls and keep spreading the word. Tell your opponents, especially if you are victorious.
Finally, I have been behind in posting game analysis. I am still working on examining some games, and I hope to have them up within a few days.
To everyone who has participated in the past, I appreciate the readership, and want to remind everyone to keep voting in the polls and keep spreading the word. Tell your opponents, especially if you are victorious.
Finally, I have been behind in posting game analysis. I am still working on examining some games, and I hope to have them up within a few days.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Another Reminder
Those of you out there who would like to see these projects through, become a follower of the blog! It will keep you alerted on when new updates on the projects are posted.
I'll be putting up those games I promised in the previous blog up here soon
I'll be putting up those games I promised in the previous blog up here soon
We're Growing!
Thanks to everybody out there who has participated, our readership has tripled since I asked for you to spread the word. I appreciate everybody's effort. Later tonight, as part of a new project (as I promised), I will be posting a few games I played on the website RedHotPawn.com. I have also added lists of websites to the side of the blog, where you can go to discuss chess theory and where you can go to play games.
Also, I have complicated the current project a little bit. The first poll allows multiple answers, pick the ones you would like to see. Then, scroll down to see a few more polls. Some of the options in the first poll have continuations and variations. This allows you to choose which one you would like to see played out if the selection is chosen. Go vote everybody! I hope these new additions will expediate things, and get this game moving faster.
I want to remind you all to keep participating, and keep up the feedback. If you would like to participate, email me. If you want to play a game, find me on one of the websites (probably RedHotPawn.com). Make sure to inform me you are a reader of the blog.
Thanks again everybody.
-Exeterstreet
Also, I have complicated the current project a little bit. The first poll allows multiple answers, pick the ones you would like to see. Then, scroll down to see a few more polls. Some of the options in the first poll have continuations and variations. This allows you to choose which one you would like to see played out if the selection is chosen. Go vote everybody! I hope these new additions will expediate things, and get this game moving faster.
I want to remind you all to keep participating, and keep up the feedback. If you would like to participate, email me. If you want to play a game, find me on one of the websites (probably RedHotPawn.com). Make sure to inform me you are a reader of the blog.
Thanks again everybody.
-Exeterstreet
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