A Chess Confession

Indeed! We aren't playing standard book moves. We are playing CHESS. I'll stop it here, but the point is well taken. 🙂

I see an opening book in this.

"Play and win the shabby pawn sac" a complete repertoire response to White.

back cover blurb;

"Tired of fighting the stodge? Want a quick solution to your sub 1600 chess woes? The seven circles make you want to puke. Play the Shabby Pawn Sac and watch the shocked faces of your opponents as their hours and hours of chess study gets blown off the board as early as move 2."

Put in some cool computer game graphics and I think you have a winner.

Hi

I've played a few London Systems at blitz (always good to try out
an opening you might have to play against - someone will play
something and you will get ideas and spot things you don't like
in that opening you can use to play against it.)

I'm not having a go at you Paul but I've seen some of your games.

If you want to play something like the London System then you did not
need the book, you are good enough to play it at the board with just
the basic theme. Infact you can do that with most openings.

It is a very easy opening to play.
The hard bit (for me anyway) was to stay within it's theme and
not go off setting traps.

PLU's (players like us) really only need to book up on sharp tactical
openings if we play them. Latvians, Yugoslav attacks and alike where
finding the path OTB can be very tricky for both sides.

But I'm thinking you most likely do not have the book and just say
you have to pysche out future opponents. 😉

Originally posted by greenpawn34
Hi

I've played a few London Systems at blitz (always good to try out
an opening you might have to play against - someone will play
something and you will get ideas and spot things you don't like
in that opening you can use to play against it.)

I'm not having a go at you Paul but I've seen some of your games.

If you want to play something like ...[text shortened]... ost likely do not have the book and just say
you have to pysche out future opponents. 😉

I agree

I guess I just liked the author's video on ICC so much that I got hooked.
I'll dig up the nice Colle System game from the video, if you like. It's not in the online database, but I hand wrote it. I was hoping the book, being a long time player's first author attempt, would have a few nuggets of wisdom thrown in (kind of like Jude Acers book). I won't really know until I get it in the mail.

Also, I have noticed from experience that learning all these opening lines kills a certain part of my creativity. I make that mistake more so in these postal games. A lot of the positions I am reaching just have one or two basic plans (after a ton of book moves), and you really can't deviate without messing up the position completely.


Now, the Catalan is another bird altogether!

I can't tell you how many games I have had with black, played natural moves, and then looked up around move 10 with a totally unplayable (or passive) position.
I got a book on the Catalan today, and I am going to really have to take a look at it. I'm studying the opening not because I have opening problems but because the middlegames I am getting into are hard strategically.

I mostly need to go through a lot of games to get a real feel for the middlegame and endgames that arise. So far I have read 60(!) pages of Wojo's Weapons, and I only got it today. Admittedly, it is more like 2400 beats up on 2200s and 1900s (which he would do anyway), but I am finding some of the commentary quite useful. In fact, the authors admit that some of his wins are in equal positions but caused by time trouble and such.

If I like enough of what I see, I may take it up. If not, I'm going to just call it an instructional book because the format is complete annotated games (so far anyway), and the annotations are quite honest.

Originally posted by paulbuchmanfromfics
I agree

I guess I just liked the author's video on ICC so much that I got hooked.
I'll dig up the nice Colle System game from the video, if you like. It's not in the online database, but I hand wrote it. I was hoping the book, being a long time player's first author attempt, would have a few nuggets of wisdom thrown in (kind of like Jude mat is complete annotated games (so far anyway), and the annotations are quite honest.

1- please tell us your thoughts on the book once you have read it, this would wonderfully complement this interesting thread.

2- The Catalan is freaking amazing man.( I recommend Avrukh's GM repertoire book on the Catalan.) The best players at my club often (always) end up in completely passive positions out of the opening, since black (unlike white) has to be very precise and you often frustrate the opponent out of his tactical edge. I personally think it is currently the best high level opening in chess. Just look at how Anand destroyed Topalov with it in their WC match.

Now I'm starting the timer to see how long it takes GP to flame me 😉

So play the Catalan as White if you re toiling.

You will either win all your games, or, hopefully, you will see
an annoying weakness. 'Ding!' the penny has dropped.

You know it's there next to you play against it.
That wee annoying Black plan that gave you so much trouble
when you were White. You are now using it as Black.

Good if the book is just full and complete well annotated games.
You can enjoy the games and the ideas sink in.

(enjoy the games?......This is The London System).

My loathing for opening books goes to a time when they use to drop
their readers at move 9 or 10 with a +- or -+ symbol.

I think MCO/BCO are hideous and a complete waste of money.
What is looking a a bare score of a game up to move 12 going
to teach you?

Originally posted by greenpawn34
So play the Catalan as White if you re toiling.

You will either win all your games, or, hopefully, you will see
an annoying weakness. 'Ding!' the penny has dropped.

You know it's there next to you play against it.
That wee annoying Black plan that gave you so much trouble
when you were White. You are now using it as Black.

Good if the book ...[text shortened]... waste of money.
What is looking a a bare score of a game up to move 12 going
to teach you?

18 minutes, not bad 😉

But yeah I know what you mean and your lecturing is very important to me. I rarely go over complete games with any effort; it's a mistake I do that has stunted my growth as I chess player. 🙁
I am the type of player guilty of memorizing opening lines with programs such as chess position trainer. Memorizing openings is like crack to me! I just can't stop and I always need to go further, but the sad truth is, my opponents never know those lines as deep so my knowledge is completely pointless since I ain't always familiar with the plans. I guess I find comfort in knowing that my first 10 moves are of world championship caliber 😉

No Max

That reply was for Paul.

Your reply.

The best players in your club end up lost v the Catalan?

What club is this. The Club for retired traffic wardens.
If these numpties are dumb enough to play 1...d5 in answer to 1.d4
then they deserve to get smushed.

King's Indian = No Catalan.

The Catalan was only played over and over again in the Topo/Vishy match
because these two were told to by book publishers who have
piles and piles and piles of unsold Catalan books on their shelves.

It's all a giant con aimed at fleecing the weaker players.

Latest reports are that the publishers have whole warehouses full
of books on the French Defence. Every Anand v Carlsen game will be
a French Defence.

Don't fall for it Max. resist the temptation.

Originally posted by greenpawn34
No Max

That reply was for Paul.

Your reply.

The best players in your club end up lost v the Catalan?

What club is this. The Club for retired traffic wardens.
If these numpties are dumb enough to play 1...d5 in answer to 1.d4
then they deserve to get smushed.

King's Indian = No Catalan.

The Catalan was only played over and over again ...[text shortened]... nd v Carlsen game will be
a French Defence.

Don't fall for it Max. resist the temptation.

Which variation of the French ???


Just Kidding LOL

I have now read 77 pages and given the Catalan a test run.

Here is my first attempt:

3 Minute Game

I have included annotations to try out the new site feature!

On a lighter note, I think I found someone related to greenpawn.

Game 7591401

Note e5, followed by Be6. It looks a lot better this time though.

Originally posted by greenpawn34


What club is this. The Club for retired traffic wardens.

GreenPawn, I do live in Canada.

77 Pages!!

In the golden olden chess with my cornflakes days
it used to sometimes take me a day to get past one annotated game.

(I'm a slow reader.) 🙂

I'd do this, I'd try that,
Of course then any note you saw in a book and you knew that position
had been infront of and looked at by the author so you were looking for holes.
Wee OTB tries that hid a wee sneaky pete.

Of course if you found a huge hole then you published it and became immortal.

Nowdays you get box droppings that foul up the pages so there
will be nothing tactical to find. Pointless looking.

That game by PicMix was good. The London Bishop was a miserable
spectator for most of the game.

Stopped here with an oops!



Black played 25...a5? he missed White's e6 pawn sac to get the f4
Bishop back into the game. 25...axb5 and Black is looking very good indeed.

Keep it simple, only go for the cute shots when you are losing.

-------------------------------

Anand - Carlsen. What will be the opening this time?

Anchored 285 nautical miles off the coast of Spain is the good ship 'Lollipop.'

In it's hold are 1.000's and 1,000's of books on the Tarrasch version
of the French defence.

The ship is due to dock in London and unload on the same day
Anand is going to play 1...e6. Have your credit cards top up.

Lollipop is the the ship for Suckers'. It is not to be confused with the
S.S. 'Teapot' which is the ship for Mugs.

S.S. Teapot is currently moored in New York harbour having
unloaded crates and crates of books on the Catalan opening.

I really love that ...e5 move Greenpawn.

I remember another thread recently that said something to the effect of should I study openings and its seems as if some folks think that studying openings means memorizing variations you don`t understand.

But this ...e5 move is a great example methinks of another way to study openings and I think a good homework assignment would be to try to figure out why I love ...e5 Greenpawns brilliancy so much.

Originally posted by Maxacre42
GreenPawn, I do live in Canada.

AH...

Canada..Catalan.. I see the connection.

Chess players who finachetto their White King Bishop's
should be reported to the NPCTB.

The National Prevention of Cruelty To Bishops.

The f1 Bishop goes to c4 and then next move sacced on f7.

whartonski followed this excellent advice and missed his winning moment.

A rush of blood when playing the 'winning' move.
If only he had stopped for moment and sat on his hands.

whartonski - weeclarky. RHP 2006

This is the analysis postion in the game where I adivse playing d6
to keep the developed Bishop and not the h1 undeveloped Rook.
Blackburne as Black here gave up the Rook.