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What's Luft got to do with it?

Subscriber64squaresofpain
Only Chess 15 Sep '13 16:50
  1. Subscriber64squaresofpain
    The drunk knight
    Stuck on g1
    Joined
    02 Sep '12
    Moves
    59220
    15 Sep '13 16:50
    Greetings players and fellow patzers.

    This thread is really aimed on stressing the importance of King safety,
    and how the back rank mate threat can easily be forgotten.

    The first game i'll show (complete with annotations) is a win with the white pieces,
    where black was all out of Luft.

    I'll follow that up with an embarrassing loss from a commanding position,
    where once again black fails to find Luft.

    Here is the first, a recent tournament game:

    Invert BoardPGNHeadersComments


    For the second one, I will just show a FEN diagram

    Black to move


    Note the Rook and the bishop are both watching c8, and so at the moment there is no threat.
    Black should play g6, or even h6, to completely alleviate any threats.

    But in the game, I played the very questionable Bd5, which allowed white to play rb8
    meaning i was being mated next move.

    It wasn't my proudest moment
  2. Subscribergreenpawn34
    e4
    Joined
    06 May '08
    Moves
    42492
    16 Sep '13 02:431 edit
    Not forgetting your recent game in the 2013 RHP Championship

    princebaz - 64squaresofpain RHP Ch.2013

    White has just played 36.Qc6-f3 setting up three snares.


    36...Qxa1 and 36...Rxf3 both lose to back rank mates.
    The impatient quickie to wrap this up 36....Re5-f5 meets 37.Qxf5.

    Black neatly side-stepped them all with 36...Rf8-e8 and White resigned.

    I'm thinking White resigned too soon, there is still one more card in the deck.
    38.Ra8.

    Invert BoardPGNHeadersComments
  3. Subscriber64squaresofpain
    The drunk knight
    Stuck on g1
    Joined
    02 Sep '12
    Moves
    59220
    16 Sep '13 03:321 edit
    It's true what you've said there GP, but I'm afraid that you've played the wrong rook to e8 good sir!

    I played 36... Re5e8, meaning that both rooks are on the back rank 🙂



    White has no more tricks left, and so resigned

    Thanks though 🙂 perhaps a neat trick to try out for when someone has their back against the wall!

    P.s. How are you getting on in the RHP championship anyway? 🙂
  4. a
    Standard memberatticus2
    Frustrate the Bad
    Liverpool
    Joined
    01 Nov '08
    Moves
    92474
    16 Sep '13 11:06
    I like the concept of Luft. I don't speak German, but I think I understand its nuances of meaning.

    The familiar term Luftwaffe might be translated simply as 'Air-Weapon' (ie airplane) when we might suppose 'luft' = 'air' in English. But I think Luft has a richer meaning than that - closer to the English terms: 'breathing space' or 'elbow room'. That's certainly how we use the term in chess, I think
  5. Subscribergreenpawn34
    e4
    Joined
    06 May '08
    Moves
    42492
    16 Sep '13 13:34
    Hi 64.

    So you did! Never mind my idea is good even though it never appeared.
    Your move is better.

    How am I getting on....?

    A few opening traps have been avoided and I'm in the usual mess.
    I may have walked into a an opening trap myself, not sure, but I have
    played the obvious move and will see what happens.

    In one game I am going to toss a piece for what looks like one check.
    There maybe more, it's too interesting to pass, It's what I would do OTB.
    In C.C. such play is nonsense but see what happens.

    Have an interesting Latvian and a couple of KIDS on the go.

    Am following a Botvinnik plan in one game which the book I have says
    is not very good. Looks OK to me, see what happens.

    Playing a symetrical game as Black v one lad where I am copying in reverse
    what he does. I have decided to copy him legally every move he makes.
    I'm bound to come a cropper but hopefully it will prove instructive and if he
    finds a neat wrap up it's Blogged. So no thinking in that game I am going
    to do what he does just for the fun of it and no doubt lose.

    Biggest danger as always is logging on one day when I'm not in the mood
    or Chess'd out and play 8-10 off the cuff moves because it's my turn to move.
    I'm sure that the reason for 80% of the outright blunders maded on here.
  6. Subscriber64squaresofpain
    The drunk knight
    Stuck on g1
    Joined
    02 Sep '12
    Moves
    59220
    16 Sep '13 14:11
    Originally posted by greenpawn34

    Biggest danger as always is logging on one day when I'm not in the mood
    or Chess'd out and play 8-10 off the cuff moves because it's my turn to move.
    I'm sure that the reason for 80% of the outright blunders maded on here.
    Yeah I've been there a few times myself, looking at a position for no longer than, say, 20 seconds before making a move
    only to discover later that it was a game chucker.

    I'm sure something will crop up for ya in those games... open Pandora's box and see what nasty traps you can find 😉
  7. F
    Standard memberFanakick
    Joined
    18 Jul '13
    Moves
    4744
    18 Sep '13 15:41
    Originally posted by atticus2
    I like the concept of Luft. I don't speak German, but I think I understand its nuances of meaning.

    The familiar term Luftwaffe might be translated simply as 'Air-Weapon' (ie airplane) when we might suppose 'luft' = 'air' in English. But I think Luft has a richer meaning than that - closer to the English terms: 'breathing space' or 'elbow room'. That's certainly how we use the term in chess, I think
    There's indeed a bit of a deeper meaning of Luft. In german to "get Luft" is often used in the sense of getting space or means to operate. Like a company that gets a loan so carrying on their business is secured for some time. Or a football team that can step out of the pressure of the opponents team in a match.
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