Look Son, There are Tactics!

Thread Thread 94980


Last time I appeared in this Forum I jumped in with
my size nines after briefly looking at a game and got it
all beautifully wrong. This time I’ve looked at the game.

But first “..Greenpawn has a FIDE grade of 2000.”

Any clown can get an over 2000 FIDE rating. You can buy one!

All you have to do is enter FIDE rated tournaments.
If you do not have a FIDE rating then they give you a provisional
rating of 2200.

My Fide grade is 2063 (I think) so infact you could say my
FIDE rating is – 137.

So forget grades.

“You cannot put a number on a brain.” Bronstein.

So onto this Strategic ‘Tacticless’ Masterpiece

I count 3 pure tactical moves. Three moves played whose considerations
were solely tactical. Not part of some deep plan. One shot tactics.

5….Qg5 double attack
11…Bxf3+ desperado
13. Nxc7+ double attack

There are a few others but you can say they were played for another reason.
7.d3 discovered attack – but also a developing move to restrain the pawn on d4.

Black lost this game because of a hat trick of blunders moves 8-10.

8…dxc3 helping White develop with a threat (Nd5).
9…Bd4 moving piece twice in the opening-missing the threat (Nd5).
10…Qe5 missing the strong reply (10…Qd8 was forced).

White took full advantage of Black’s woeful play and punished him tactically.

The moment the a8 Rook was lost the game was over.
End of argument, what followed was a cat playing with a dead mouse.
You will find more tactical moves but the game is over – I stopped counting.

White had a chances to shine, a chances to bring a wee bit of class into
the game and at the same time show us that he was in full control both tactically
and strategically . He failed.

13.Nxc7+ was not the best move. You are winning a rook but moving a
well placed knight to stick it out of the way on a8. Is there anything better?

13.Qc5! Now there is a chess player’s move.



You are not threatening to win the Rook. (and misplace your Knight).

You are threatening mate. Nxc7+ Qf8 mate. And once your opponent has seen that.
Look. You are also threatening Nxc7+ winning the unprotected Black Queen on h5
.Black is really in a mess here.

It was a tactician does.. He scans the board looking for unprotected pieces
and if he find one , he sees if there is anyway to take advantage of it.
When I ‘clicked’ through this game I saw it right away.

The root of most non-mating combinations is an unprotected piece.
Train yourself to start looking for these babies. They pop up time and time again.

If you want to give one piece of advice to a beginner then let it be
‘Try not put your pieces on unprotected squares.’

So let us look for the strategic themes that were employed in this game.

Well there were none. The game only lasted 13 moves (13. Nc7+ 1-0).
At move 8 the blunders started appearing and were dealt with tactically.

To start looking for deep strategic plans before one is fully developed is silly.

Let us have a little look at the opening. (It’s all we can look at.)

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nd5!?

The Bird. It has it’s own flock of dedicated followers.
(I’ve been waiting years to slip that pun in).

Two cracking traps in here boys. Well worth knowing.

4.Bc4 b5? (has been played on a few occasions.)

5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxd4 and the Knight cannot be recaptured because
the Rook on a8 is lost.

After 3…Nd5 4.Bc4

Black can try 4…c6 or 4…b6 or even the ‘I’m a duffer’ 4…Rb8

And if White falls for it. 5.Nxe4?

Then he has been caught in the dreaded Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

4….Rb8 5.Nxe5 Qg5 6.Nxf7 Qxg2 7.Rf1 Qxe4+ 8.Be2 Nf3 mate.

A trap that catches out players day in day all over the world.

It usually appears after the move order;
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Nxe5 etc.

One should always be alert for such trappy trans positions. Especially
Black traps which can work for White a tempo up.

4.Nxd5 ….

Probably best. It’s certainly the move of most GM’s when they face this.

4….exd5 5.c3 …

Poor Robbie got a bit of a pasting for this. It’s alright. It’s a known move.
Nothing wrong with it. 5.0-0 is the choice move.
It was not the cause of Black’s loss. Black’s moves 8-9 & 10 were.

5…Qg5 6.Bf1 Bc5 7.d3 Qf6 8.Qe2 dxc3

This is the start of the trio of blunder 8…d6 8…Ne7 were better

After 8…dxc3 we know what happened next. Two more bad moves
followed and White kicked him.

There is nothing left to say. Except I cannot not see the deep strategic plan
that is within this game. Maybe it’s because I’m just a hacker with a
-137 FIDE grade.

“Chess is 99% tactics.” Richard Teichmann (1868-1925)

(lots of Edits trying to the FEN thingy working - there must be an easier way)

Originally posted by greenpawn34
(lots of Edits trying to the FEN thingy working - there must be an easier way)

Game linked OK at first - possibly deleted.

Moves seem OK - Where wrong?

(you are not thinking of Bird's other opening 1.f4)

As for FEN - Bah!

Originally posted by greenpawn34
Game linked OK at first - possibly deleted.

Moves seem OK - Where wrong?

(you are not thinking of Bird's other opening 1.f4)

As for FEN - Bah!

Originally posted by wormwood
well 3...Nd5 is illegal, and as you were talking about bird I thought maybe you meant to write 1.f4 d5 or something... I know I get that kind of brain freeze often (and it's sunday), so I wasn't sure...

so that's Nd4 then, right?

Originally posted by Mad Rook
Yeah, I'm sure he meant Nd4, which is the Bird's Defense in the Ruy. (or Bird's Defence says my Batsford's MCO for you Brits.)

Hmmm it is 3...Nd4 Oops.
Cannot Edit now - never mind

You saw what I wrote but knew what I meant.
(at least it proves I don't use an engine - perhaps I should!)

Originally posted by greenpawn34
Hmmm it is 3...Nd4 Oops.
Cannot Edit now - never mind

You saw what I wrote but knew what I meant.
(at least it proves I don't use an engine - perhaps I should!)

Originally posted by greenpawn34
Thread Thread 94980


Last time I appeared in this Forum I jumped in with
my size nines after briefly looking at a game and got it
all beautifully wrong. This time I’ve looked at the game.

But first “..Greenpawn has a FIDE grade of 2000.”

Any clown can get an over 2000 FIDE rating. You can buy one!

All you have to do ...[text shortened]... nn (1868-1925)

(lots of Edits trying to the FEN thingy working - there must be an easier way)

I WAS wondering who Daddy was in Robbie's thread. Thankfully, at least that issue's been cleared up. 😉

Originally posted by greenpawn34
Thread Thread 94980


Last time I appeared in this Forum I jumped in with
my size nines after briefly looking at a game and got it
all beautifully wrong. This time I’ve looked at the game.

But first “..Greenpawn has a FIDE grade of 2000.”

Any clown can get an over 2000 FIDE rating. You can buy one!

All you have to do ...[text shortened]... nn (1868-1925)

(lots of Edits trying to the FEN thingy working - there must be an easier way)

Hi Son.

You quoted the game.

Vaddadi, Seshagiri (2058)
Pugh, Derek (2080)
Event: BCF-chT4 0304 (4NCL)
Site: West Bromwich

Calling them Masters. (ahem). (players under 2200 are Not Masters)

How about Bacrot (2712) - Alexander (2743) Biel 2004.
These are Grandmasters. Who after the moves

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nd4 4.Nxd4 exd4
played 5. 0-0 the move I hinted as being the best.

Now I'll get in touch with them and tell them they should
be playing against a dark weakness somewhere on
the Queenside instead of all this 5. 0-0 nonsense.

I'll tell It happened in a game between two 2000 players!
(I'm a 2000 player and I cannot even get standard notation right.)

Your game was a tactical trammash (a good Scots word that).

Please do not try and raise it any higher than what it was.

I am worried about your opponent who now thinks he was
positionally outplayed and is booking up on weak pawns,
pawn structure etc etc.

When he should be looking at simple tactics.

(Slippers you got me for Father's Day too tight - sending them back)

Dad

Originally posted by greenpawn34
Thread Thread 94980


Last time I appeared in this Forum I jumped in with
my size nines after briefly looking at a game and got it
all beautifully wrong. This time I’ve looked at the game.

But first “..Greenpawn has a FIDE grade of 2000.”

Any clown can get an over 2000 FIDE rating. You can buy one!

All you have to do ...[text shortened]... nn (1868-1925)

(lots of Edits trying to the FEN thingy working - there must be an easier way)

" but in the beginners and weak amateurs level tactic is the
most important thing."



Thank You.

Originally posted by Korch
Rec`ed.

Although I would say that Teichmann exaggerates.

Strategy is becoming more important in higher levels, but in the beginners and weak amateurs level tactic is the most important thing.