Traps + The Curse of Knowledge.

Inspired by a thread about learning the tactics in openings.

Also a suicide mate constructed in two moves.

Blog 4

Can I add a traumatic loss that I suffered from the beetle. I was thrilled by the idea of inflicting triple pawns to my opponent only to find out that these pawns were covering all the crucial squares completely hindering my play. There are some tactical oversights and there is not a decisive attack ending the game. Just pointing out how my "school knowledge" destroyed the correct evaluation of the position. I have no time to write some comments but I do remember a lot about this game. If anyone is interested I will try to comeback.

Originally posted by Ulysses72
Can I add a traumatic loss that I suffered from the beetle. I was thrilled by the idea of inflicting triple pawns to my opponent only to find out that these pawns were covering all the crucial squares completely hindering my play. There are some tactical oversights and there is not a decisive attack ending the game. Just pointing out how my "school knowled d3 25. Kc2d1 O-O 26. c7 Nf6e4 27. cxb8=R Rf8xb8 28. Bg5e3 1-0 [/pgn]

Trusty feer, greetings! i remember the game well, for we were having a debate with a
position that had been given in a John Emms book, which beetle and tom tom were
vigorously debating. I had originally posted it and queried why Emms had stated that
the position was better, for there were tripled pawns, beetle wanted to try the idea out
and implemented it in your game. I am sure that I questioned him about it afterwards
and he gave a great explanation of what was in his mind, anyhow, its good to hear
from you. I was on the brink of 1800 recently and looking forward to
challenging you when i was beaten back by two 1400s and reminded of my
pretensions!

This and other knowledge can hinder. I give you this game...

Game 3222858

If I had not been so worried about my queen safety I may have seen the correct move to take out more than just the queen.

22. Bg5+ Rf6 23. Bxg5+ then king moves and queen takes the other rook. Of course I'm sure I missed a lot more than just this.

That is a perfect example Ulysess (and a good game) the tripled pawns
coverered 6 squares on the Queenside hamstringing the Knights.
Add two rabid Bishops and a better developed side then the game flowed.

Of course double/tripled pawns are usually a thing to accept with
trepidation and understanding. But as long as players are aware that
there are conditions when they don't matter (those short blog games) or
can infact be a plus (as in the game in the thread).

Stats:


This formation has occurred in 352 games on the DB with Black wining 65% of the games.

Quadrupled pawns....From Chernev's Wonders and Curiosities of Chess
This is a young Alekine v Nenerakov, Moscow 1907.


Black played 38...Qe8 blockading all four pawns. Alekhine resigned.

Hi Deeploser.

In the line you gave instead of going for the Rooks. Go for the King


White to play and mate in 3. (check all checks).

Originally posted by Ulysses72
Can I add a traumatic loss that I suffered from the beetle. I was thrilled by the idea of inflicting triple pawns to my opponent only to find out that these pawns were covering all the crucial squares completely hindering my play. There are some tactical oversights and there is not a decisive attack ending the game. Just pointing out how my "school knowled ...[text shortened]... d3 25. Kc2d1 O-O 26. c7 Nf6e4 27. cxb8=R Rf8xb8 28. Bg5e3 1-0 [/pgn]

Doubled or trippled pawns are not a bad thing when one has a bishop or better yet the bishop pair. Diagonals open up on wonderful ways. 😉

Every triple pawn position I seem to encounter seems to be the side with trips being up a pawn but unable to do more than draw.

Bg5+ Bg8+ Qe8#

See how we are blinded by tactics?

I tried to double, triple and isolate as many of my pawns as possible... and I STILL lost! 😉

Originally posted by Anthem
[fen]r3k3/1p1npp2/p2p3n/5P2/5PBr/1Pp2P1p/1P1K3P/RN4R1 w q - 0 23[/fen]

I tried to double, triple and isolate as many of my pawns as possible... and I STILL lost! 😉

Only because you didn't have the B pair, and your opponent had a pair (of knights)
😕 🙂
1 pair beats no pair simple chess/poker rule of thumb 😞

Originally posted by nimzo5
Every triple pawn position I seem to encounter seems to be the side with trips being up a pawn but unable to do more than draw.

Not this one:

(Edit: blow this for a game of soldiers - the site won't accept it as PGN no matter how I fudge it, I'll just give it literally and you can just paste it comments and all into your PGN viewer.)

[Event "Grand Slam Final Masters"]
[Site "Bilbao ESP"]
[Date "2010.10.14"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Black "Shirov, Alexei"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C78"]
[WhiteTitle "GM"]
[BlackTitle "GM"]
[WhiteElo "2826"]
[BlackElo "2749"]
[EventDate "2010.10.09"]
[Opening "Ruy Lopez"]
[Annotator "IM Gonzalez de la Torre"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O b5 6. Bb3 Bc5
{The Moller variation, one of Shirov's specialities.} 7. a4
{This secondary variation is now quite popular between elite players} (
{Mainline was} 7. c3 d6 {And now white must choose between two moves} 8. a4 (8.
d4)) 7... Rb8 8. axb5 axb5 9. c3 d6 10. d4 Bb6 11. h3
{Looks quite logical, but not very popular.} (11. Bg5 {Is the most played}) (11.
Qd3 {Is another interesting option}) 11... O-O 12. Re1 h6
{After a long thought, Shirov deviates himself from hisprevious games. Black spends a whole tempo in preventing Bg5}
(12... Bb7
{Was played before by Shirov himself. Which was Magnus preparation?}) 13.
Na3 {The typical way of pressing the queenside.} 13... exd4
{Shirov surreders the center in orther to create counterplay in the queenside, butMagnus has an idea in mind}
14. cxd4 Na5 15. Bc2 b4
{With his moves, black'sidea was to prevent the white's kight to explote the light squares on the queenside, but...}
16. Nb5 {This knight looks almost trapped, but black cannot threat the knight}
16... Ba6 (16... c6 17. Nxd6 {Followed by e5}) 17. Na7
{After the game, shirov told us that he underestimated this move. Now white can force a favourable pawn structure with d5 fixing the "c6" weak square}
17... Bb7 18. d5 Ra8 (18... Bxa7 19. Rxa5 Bb6 20. Ra1 c6
{Maybe this is a way to challenge the white's strong center}) 19. Nb5 Nc4
20. Rxa8 Qxa8 21. Nbd4 Qa7 22. b3 Ne5 (22... Na3 23. Bb2
{And black's excursion doesn't work}) 23. Bb2 Nxf3+ 24. gxf3
{This is what the black's activity has created in return for an inferior pawn structure. From dynamical point of view, white's initiative on the kingside looks very menacing. The opening looks a failure for black.}
24... Qa2 25. Qc1 Bxd4
{Under the constant threat of Nf5, black's concedes an undisputed bishop on d4. White's advantage is very clear now.}
26. Bxd4 Nd7 27. Kh1 f6 28. Rg1 Rf7 29. Qd2
{Ra1 is a very strong threat. White wins a pawn and keeps a very strong initiative on thekingside}
29... Qa8 30. Qxh6 Ne5 31. Bd1 Qe8 32. Qe3 c5 33. Bb2 Re7 34. f4 Nd7 35. Qg3 Qf7
36. Bf3 Ba6 37. Bg4 Nf8 38. Bf5 c4 39. bxc4 Bxc4 40. Qh4 Bxd5 41. f3 Be6 42.
Bxf6 Bxf5 43. exf5 Rc7 44. Rxg7+ Qxg7 45. Bxg7 Rxg7 46. f6 Rd7 47. Qe1 d5 48.
Qxb4 d4 49. Qc4+ Kh7 50. Qd3+ Kg8
{White is winning. Now the king mustblockade the "d" pawn and just use his pawns on the kingside}
51. f5 Kf7 52. Kg2 Kxf6 53. Kg3 Kg7 54. h4 Nh7 55. Kf2 Nf6 56. Qd2 Nh7 57. Ke1
d3 58. Qg2+ Kh8 59. Kd2 Nf8 60. Qg5 Kh7 61. h5 Kh8 62. f6 Kh7 63. f4 Kh8 64. h6
Kh7 65. f5 {And white wins easily with Qg7} 1-0


Richard

Originally posted by Shallow Blue
Not this one:

(Edit: blow this for a game of soldiers - the site won't accept it as PGN no matter how I fudge it, I'll just give it literally and you can just paste it comments and all into your PGN viewer.)

[Event "Grand Slam Final Masters"]
[Site "Bilbao ESP"]
[Date "2010.10.14"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Black "Shirov, Alexei ...[text shortened]... {And white wins easily with Qg7} 1-0


Richard

I tried to get it to work but failed miserably - someone else try now 😉