15 Mar 11
1 edit
Following the discussion in the analysis woes thread I thought it might be worth posting the details of my game in the county league last night, whilst the PM was still relatively fresh in mind.
It is also a glimpse at typical club chess at the ECF 150 level, and from my point of view gaining the draw from a significantly higher graded player of 168 ECF was a good result for me, even though I could have lost, and also could have won!
16 Mar 11
An over the board game with some light notes. Excellent. The forum needs more of these.
Do you normally play dxc5 when faced with the benoni? Definitely not the norm but it did steer the game out of book rather quickly.
I think Nc3 before c4 was a mistake. Especially since you didn't want to play e4, c4 was necessary to fight for the center. Having to move your knight out of the way allowed black to position his knight on e4 which caused problems.
Black definitely should have played his rook to the seventh. Good game salvaging the draw. BTW your annotated games are some of the best in that section. Keep them coming.
Originally posted by KneeCapsOK. Here's an OTB game I played earlier this year and posted on a clan forum, with my immediate comments:
An over the board game with some light notes. Excellent. The forum needs more of these.
I was poorly last night, so I wasn't in work, but I felt well enough to go to the chess club as I agreed to play for them tonight. I was only hoping for a fairly quick draw, but sensed that my opponent wouldn't agree to that early on, and then I got a bit more space on the Queenside.....
16 Mar 11
Originally posted by KneeCapsThanks for the positive feedback.
Do you normally play dxc5 when faced with the benoni?
Depends on my mood. I do play more main lines too. I'm in a slightly rebellious frame of mind at the moment regarding reams of unintelligible GM theory. It seems to be based on them trying to remember ever more complex lines of computer analysis to gain a tiny plus. I could just as well take a saw to the club and remove the top third of a pawn for the difference it makes to me!
I think Nc3 before c4 was a mistake
Who knows. All moves have their drawbacks some of which we take on willingly. An early Nc3 can be played in these lines with the idea of harassing the dark squared bishop by Ne4. In this game he stopped it. A lot of the dxc5 lines come out like a Queens Gambit Accepted or Semi Tarrasch with colours reversed.
BTW your annotated games are some of the best in that section. Keep them coming.
Thank you. I am pleased that someone looked.
16 Mar 11
Originally posted by RagwortComing from the philosophy that you can't truly avoid opening theory, if you wanted to steer things away from a Benoni what about playing 2.e4 cxd4 3. c3 and going for a Smith Morra type game? If Black declines taking on c3 and plays Nf6 then you continue with e5 and Nf3 type setups.
Do you normally play dxc5 when faced with the benoni?
Depends on my mood. I do play more main lines too. I'm in a slightly rebellious frame of mind at the moment regarding reams of unintelligible GM theory..[/b]
This might play into the style that the Benoni player likes though so idk.
16 Mar 11
Originally posted by nimzo5Well it's a reasonable suggestion. I'm sure the Morra suits some players but they are more likely to start 1.e4 anyway. Despite experimenting with the BDG, Sicilian Wing Gambit and others on here, I am not really one for deliberately offering pawns on the never-never in the opening, especially OTB. What if you don't get it back once any initiative has expired?
Coming from the philosophy that you can't truly avoid opening theory, if you wanted to steer things away from a Benoni what about playing 2.e4 cxd4 3. c3 and going for a Smith Morra type game? If Black declines taking on c3 and plays Nf6 then you continue with e5 and Nf3 type setups.
This might play into the style that the Benoni player likes though so idk.
There are a number of reasonable second moves for white instead of d5 for days when you don't fancy a main line Benoni, Old or Modern. 2.c3 with the London/Colle beckoning, 2.dxc5 off beat Benoni as played, or 2.Nf3 with lines that can transpose to variations of the English if c4 is played.
finnegan had it right in another thread recently "... that whatever clever or foolish openings are used, there is enough opportunity across the whole game for the better player to win and the lesser player (despite every advantage) to fail..."
16 Mar 11
Originally posted by RagwortAdmittedly, I have a very good score against the Smith Morra, but the advantage I suppose lies in that unless the Benoni player plays the Sicilian vs e4 you have pretty good chances of getting an edge without having to memorize all that much theory.
Well it's a reasonable suggestion. I'm sure the Morra suits some players but they are more likely to start 1.e4 anyway. Despite experimenting with the BDG, Sicilian Wing Gambit and others on here, I am not really one for deliberately offering pawns on the never-never in the opening, especially OTB. What if you don't get it back once any initiative has expire ...[text shortened]... e for the better player to win and the lesser player (despite every advantage) to fail..."
C3 and even e3 seem reasonable, I never seem to get decent positons when I play 2.Nf3 but that is probably just my lack of study on the subject.