New Feel

Eladar

Only Chess

26 Sep '15 17:36

Eladar
Joined
12 Jul '08
Moves
13814
26 Sep '15 17:368 edits
Hey guys, I started playing again but this time the games feel different as I play. I've won some games but the feeling now goes like this:

I start with my opening. I feel like I'm losing the game and my opponent is in control. I take a chance doing something that I wouldn't normally do then I end up winning when I feel like I'm behind.

This is a recent blitz game 5 min with 3 sec

Invert Board PGN Comments
1. b4 d6 2. Bb2 e5 3. e3 f5 4. Nf3{at this point I automatically play Bb5 but that obviously doesn't work here, used to play it anyhow} Nf6 5. d4 e4 6. Nfd2 d5 7. c4{at this point I'm feeling pretty bad about my position, but I've read that really this isn't bad since black is playing too aggresively. I did not notice that his bishop was now attacking my b pawn} c6 8. c5{ with his space on the king side I decided to lock things down and play for space on the queenside mostly I wanted to lock things down since I didn't like my position at all} Be6 9. b5 Be7 10. bxc6 bxc6 11. Qb3{I figured why not, he might not defend it and I could win a pawn since his bishop wasn't home} Qc7 12. Na3{I wanted to develop my knight for a queenside attack of some sort without blocking my bishop. I never like to block that bishop} Nbd7 13. O-O-O{I feel like that was a mistake, but perhaps it wasn't so bad after all} O-O 14. f3{time to start my attack on the kingside and my knight would like to go to e4 and it would be nice to be able to advance my d pawn so why not give my opponent that opportunity to move his d pawn} Rab8 15. Qc2 a5 16. fxe4 dxe4 17. Bc4 Nd5{needed to connect my rooks and my knight could recapture to get him off the rim} 18. Nxe4 fxe4{here is my sac for space and to help bring my queen into the attack} 19. Qxe4 Rf6 20. Rdf1 Rbf8{moved the wrong rook here, but my opponent didn't take advantage} 21. Rf3 Kh8{at the time I thought this was a good move but if he took that rook I'd just end up down an exchange} 22. Rhf1 Bf5 23. Rxf5 Nb4 24. Qxe7 Rxf5 25. Rxf5 Rxf5 26. d5 cxd5{my bishop is finally back in the game} 27. Qxg7#

In other words, I feel like my games goes like this:

Try to play well

Get behind and feel bad about my position

Trade material to improve my immediate position and start to attack hoping for the best.

Looks like some of my comments are a space behind
Eladar
Joined
12 Jul '08
Moves
13814
26 Sep '15 18:02
Are there stages in play? I feel like I have gone through several stages since starting to learn to play 8 or so years ago with my breaks away from the game over that time.

After each break the game seems a bit different.
Eladar
Joined
12 Jul '08
Moves
13814
09 Oct '15 01:131 edit
This was the game that inspired the thread: I had to wait for it to end

Invert Board PGN Comments
1. b4 e5 2. Bc1b2 e4 3. e3 Ng8f6 4. a3 d5 5. d3 Bc8g4 6. Bf1e2 Bg4f5 7. Nb1d2 Nb8c6 8. Bb2xf6 Qd8xf6{first real bad move I think, didn't even think about the queen recapture} 9. dxe4 dxe4 10. f3 O-O-O 11. fxe4 Bf5xe4 12. Ng1f3 Qf6g6 13. c4 Qg6xg2 {2nd bad move, should have seen it but I didn't}14. Rh1g1 Qg2h3 15. Nf3d4 Nc6xd4 {now I play a hope move and it worked, the queen is mine}16. Be2g4 Qh3xg4 17. Rg1xg4 Be4f3 18. Nd2xf3 Nd4f5 19. Qd1e2 Rd8e8 20. e4 Nf5d6 21. O-O-O{not sure if the castling is correct, but I wanted some king safety from rook checks} f5 22. Rg4f4 fxe4{his bishop isn't developed so I know my knight is safe} 23. Rd1xd6 Bf8xd6 24. Rf4xe4{that knight is really cramping the center of the board so I decided a loss of material would be good} Re8f8 25. Nf3e5{need to open check for my queen and make my knight better} Bd6xe5 26. Re4xe5 g6 27. Qe2g4 Kc8b8 28. Re5e7 Rf8f1 29. Kc1c2 Rh8f8 30. Qg4d7 Rf8c8 31. Re7e8 1-0

Once again, I start out bad, my opponent screws up and lets me back in and I get the win. I think my opening helps people to think I'm worse than I actually am. That helps 😀
tvochess
Joined
08 Apr '09
Moves
19506
09 Oct '15 14:08
Originally posted by Eladar
Are there stages in play? I feel like I have gone through several stages since starting to learn to play 8 or so years ago with my breaks away from the game over that time.

After each break the game seems a bit different.
I get that feeling. This game seems so different from the game that I saw when I first started playing. My chess battles seems to be held on a completely different battlefield than in those days.
Eladar
Joined
12 Jul '08
Moves
13814
09 Oct '15 15:411 edit
Yes, of course that is true, but are there differences on how the game feels between when you were a 1500 or 1700? What as the difference?

When I first started playing, I just wanted to know what I could do after the opening. What is a good square? What should I do after I develop and castle? I've gotten past that stage. I've achieved my goal of having an idea what to do after the opening and why. I think the why's are what need to be changed. I need better why's.

Where is the battle now? For me it seems the battle is to checkmate shortly after the opening. Rarely do my games result in promoting a pawn, usually it is like both of the games I posted, 30ish moves or so.
tvochess
Joined
08 Apr '09
Moves
19506
09 Oct '15 18:30
Of course I can't know for sure whether chess started feeling differently because of time or because of increased strength. Probably mostly the latter.

There are several possible strategies to win:
* Play safe and slowly improve position and punish your opponents blunders.
* Play aggressively and go for faster but risky attacks.
* Just wait and crunch them in the endgame
* Play traps and hope they catch

Every game is also a bit different. I mostly don't go for aggressive attacks (anymore), but will try to get favorable exchanges or misplace opponents pieces or attack weak pawns, until there is a clear target I can go after.
Eladar
Joined
12 Jul '08
Moves
13814
11 Oct '15 02:32
Increased strength simply means having a better understanding of positions does it now?

As your understanding increases, so how you decide what is a good move and what is a bad move changes. As the logic behind your moves change, so does the feel of the game.

I started playing chess late in life. My rating changes are much more recent. After each break, it seems that how I play changes as well, at least from my limited point of view. It is like going back to a book and reading it again after a year or so and picking out things you totally missed the first time around.

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