26 Nov 07
Here are two games I just played on ICC. They were both 15 0 games. In the first one, stop before White's 23rd to see if you can find the win.
[Event "ICC 15 0 u"]
[Site "Internet Chess Club"]
[Date "2007.11.25"]
[Round "?"]
[White "TonyRo"]
[Black "trophyking"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B07"]
[WhiteElo "2270"]
[BlackElo "2338"]
[PlyCount "49"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[TimeControl "900"]
1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 e5 4. Nf3 Nbd7 5. Bc4 Be7 6. O-O O-O 7. a4 c6 8. Re1 b6 9. b3 a6 10. Bb2 Bb7 11. Bd3 b5 12. Qd2 Re8 13. Ne2 Bf8 14. Ng3 g6 15. axb5 axb5 16. Rxa8 Bxa8 17. c4 bxc4 18. Bxc4 d5 19. dxe5 dxc4 20. exf6 Nb6 21. Qc2 cxb3 22. Qxb3 c5 23. Qxf7+ Kxf7 24. Ng5+ Kg8 25. f7# {Black checkmated} 1-0
My opponent graciously offered me a rematch, and I accepted, then we got into one of my favorite variations to play, this crazy queen sac line in the 9. 0-0-0 Dragon. I'm not sure if it's objectively the best way to play, but it's hard to win with White. It's seems as though I had a reasonable position, until the stupid blunder with about 1 minute on my clock left.
[Event "ICC 15 0 u"]
[Site "Internet Chess Club"]
[Date "2007.11.25"]
[Round "?"]
[White "trophyking"]
[Black "TonyRo"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B76"]
[WhiteElo "2338"]
[BlackElo "2270"]
[PlyCount "67"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[TimeControl "900"]
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 O-O 8. Qd2 Nc6 9. O-O-O d5 10. Kb1 Nxd4 11. e5 Nf5 12. exf6 Bxf6 13. Nxd5 Qxd5 14. Qxd5 Nxe3 15. Qd2 Nxd1 16. Qxd1 Be6 17. Bd3 Rfd8 18. Qe2 Rd6 19. g4 Rb6 20. b3 a5 21. h4 a4 22. Bc4 axb3 23. cxb3 Bxc4 24. Qxc4 Rc6 25. Qb5 Rac8 26. Rd1 Bxh4 27. Qxb7 e6 28. Qb5 Bf6 29. Qe2 h5 30. gxh5 gxh5 31. b4 Rc4 32. a3 Rc3 33. Qb2 Rxf3 34. Qg2+ {Black resigns} 1-0
It looks to me as though 33..h4, 33..Kf8, and 33..Bg7 are all OK for Black. After 33..Kf8, maybe black is even better, because White's king is in all kinds of trouble given the lack of cover.
26 Nov 07
Originally posted by !~TONY~!You are just one big bundle of fun today aren't ya! 😀
Here are two games I just played on ICC. They were both 15 0 games. In the first one, stop before White's 23rd to see if you can find the win.
[Event "ICC 15 0 u"]
[Site "Internet Chess Club"]
[Date "2007.11.25"]
[Round "?"]
[White "TonyRo"]
[Black "trophyking"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B07"]
[WhiteElo "2270"]
[BlackElo "2338"]
[PlyCount "49"]
[E ...[text shortened]... ds of trouble given the lack of cover.
26 Nov 07
2 edits
Originally posted by !~TONY~!From what I remember, your opponents play is or was the most theoretically critical variation. However, your opponent's choice of Kb1 left him with very little if anything. You were perfectly equal barring any blunders. 😛 So, where is that legendary White advantage that is supposed to be obtained in the Dragon? I tried being ambitious and winning a pawn on d5 instead, but Black is again perfectly equal due to his ferocious counterplay. For example:
Here are two games I just played on ICC. They were both 15 0 games. In the first one, stop before White's 23rd to see if you can find the win.
[Event "ICC 15 0 u"]
[Site "Internet Chess Club"]
[Date "2007.11.25"]
[Round "?"]
[White "TonyRo"]
[Black "trophyking"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B07"]
[WhiteElo "2270"]
[BlackElo "2338"]
[PlyCount "49"]
[E ds of trouble given the lack of cover.
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 O-O 8. Qd2
Nc6 9. O-O-O d5 10. exd5 Nxd5 11. Nxc6 bxc6 12. Nxd5 cxd5 13. Qxd5 Qc7 14. Qc5
Qb7 15. Qa3 Bf5 16. Bd3 Rab8 17. b3 Qc6 18. Bxf5 Qc3 19. Qc5 (trading rooks for Queen does not give any edge either) Qb2+ 20. Kd2 gxf5
What is considered the most dangerous variation objectively nowadays? Is the idea that White gets an edge in the Dragon just a myth of the past?
BTW: Why not 8. Qd2 d5!? ?
26 Nov 07
Originally posted by exigentskyIt's all very complicated and hard to assess, but the line Golubev gives in Experts vs. the Sicilian is still in my opinion the hardest:
From what I remember, your opponents play is or was the most theoretically critical variation. However, your opponent's choice of Kb1 left him with very little if anything. You were perfectly equal barring any blunders. 😛 So, where is that legendary White advantage that is supposed to be obtained in the Dragon? I tried being ambitious and winning a pawn ...[text shortened]... bjectively nowadays? Is the idea that White gets an edge in the Dragon just a myth of the past?
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 O-O 8. Qd2 Nc6 9. O-O-O d5 10. exd5 Nxd5 11. Nxc6 bxc6 12. Bd4 e5 13. Bc5 Be6 14. Ne4 Re8 15. h4 h6 16. g4 Qc7 17. g5 h5 18. Bc4 Red8 19. Qf2 Qb7 20. Rhe1
Recently a few Dragon players (myself included) on chesspublishing.com have been looking at the interesting line for black:
20..Nf4 21. Bxe6 Nxe6 22. Bd6 Rd7 23. Rd2 Rad8 24. Red1 c5!?
with complex play. I myself am not so convinced here that Black has completely equalized, but there are some incredibly deep and interested variations that people have come up with. I'd certainly still play the Dragon with confidence in a tournament. If someone played all this as White and ground me down from that position, they deserve the win! 😀
26 Nov 07
Originally posted by exigentskyIronically, that fancy ..Qc6-c3! maneuver and the Qxd5! Queen Sac that I played in the other game were both from the brilliant mind of Mikhail Golubev.
From what I remember, your opponents play is or was the most theoretically critical variation. However, your opponent's choice of Kb1 left him with very little if anything. You were perfectly equal barring any blunders. 😛 So, where is that legendary White advantage that is supposed to be obtained in the Dragon? I tried being ambitious and winning a pawn ...[text shortened]... bjectively nowadays? Is the idea that White gets an edge in the Dragon just a myth of the past?
26 Nov 07
5 edits
Originally posted by !~TONY~!Oh, well that variation looks pretty much fine for Black although it's extremely complicated. If White has any advantage, it's quite small imo. I've seen bigger White advantages in the Ruy Lopez and Najdorf! In fact, I would rather play that than some main line Najdorf or Ruy positions, for example:
It's all very complicated and hard to assess, but the line Golubev gives in Experts vs. the Sicilian is still in my opinion the hardest:
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 O-O 8. Qd2 Nc6 9. O-O-O d5 10. exd5 Nxd5 11. Nxc6 bxc6 12. Bd4 e5 13. Bc5 Be6 14. Ne4 Re8 15. h4 h6 16. g4 Qc7 17. g5 h5 18. Bc4 Red8 19. Qf2 Qb7 20. meone played all this as White and ground me down from that position, they deserve the win! 😀
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e5 7. Nb3 Be6 8. f3
Be7 9. Qd2 O-O 10. O-O-O Nbd7 11. g4 b5 12. g5 b4 13. Ne2 Ne8 14. f4 a5 15. f5
a4 16. Nbd4 exd4 17. Nxd4 b3 18. Kb1 bxc2+ 19. Nxc2 Bb3 20. axb3 axb3 21. Na3
Ne5 22. h4 Ra5 23. Rh3!
This is one of the positions that made me prefer Nbd7 to Be7. I guess Black could try to avoid it with 18. ...bxa2 or 19. ... Bxa2 but those don't look that promising either. 22. ...Ra4 seems like the best try. Play would follow 23. Rh3 Rxe4 24. Bg2 Rg4 25. Bd4 Qc8 26. Qf2 Rxg2 27. Qxg2 Qxf5+ according to GM Svidler. Black is still struggling a bit. Here's a picture:
White to move
Back on topic... the difference between the Dragon and the likes of the Ruy or French is that in the Dragon, there is much more chance to go horribly wrong so even if White is without advantage with best play, one Black inaccuracy could spell the end. Although, it is not very forgiving for White mistakes either. Anyway, it's clear I underestimated the Dragon. Lev Alburt put a diagram of the main line in Chess Openings for Black, Explained and told me to be scared so I was and played his Accelerted Dragon. 🙂 Now, I think there is less to fear.
BTW: I see Golubev played my old Accelerated Dragon a few times too. He seems to hate it less than you. 🙂
26 Nov 07
Originally posted by exigentskyI think 20..Rbc8 is much stronger than 20..gxf5. White cannot defend c2...
From what I remember, your opponents play is or was the most theoretically critical variation. However, your opponent's choice of Kb1 left him with very little if anything. You were perfectly equal barring any blunders. 😛 So, where is that legendary White advantage that is supposed to be obtained in the Dragon? I tried being ambitious and winning a pawn ...[text shortened]... ea that White gets an edge in the Dragon just a myth of the past?
BTW: Why not 8. Qd2 d5!? ?
26 Nov 07
Originally posted by !~TONY~!I'm moderately curious about your meteoric ratings rise in blitz chess on ICC. In your game there with Martica Fierro, dated 11/25, your rating was 1860. In the current game -- also dated 11/25 -- your rating is 2270. (Note that your RHP rating, after nearly 1200 games here, is 1830, which seems to be fairly representative (with atypical fluctuations) of your performance over the course of perhaps 100 games since December '06: certainly not an inactive recent RHP history.
Here are two games I just played on ICC. They were both 15 0 games. In the first one, stop before White's 23rd to see if you can find the win.
[Event "ICC 15 0 u"]
[Site "Internet Chess Club"]
[Date "2007.11.25"]
[Round "?"]
[White "TonyRo"]
[Black "trophyking"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B07"]
[WhiteElo "2270"]
[BlackElo "2338"]
[PlyCount "49"]
[E ...[text shortened]... ds of trouble given the lack of cover.
To what do you attribute your phenomenal improvement at blitz chess on ICC?
26 Nov 07
Originally posted by Mark AdkinsNothing. I haven't improved at all. Note that the blitz game was a blitz game. These are 15 0 games, which are rated in a different category. I'm a terrible blitz player actually. 😀
I'm moderately curious about your meteoric ratings rise in blitz chess on ICC. In your game there with Martica Fierro, dated 11/25, your rating was 1860. In the current game -- also dated 11/25 -- your rating is 2270. (Note that your RHP rating, after nearly 1200 games here, is 1830, which seems to be fairly representative (with atypical fluctuations) ...[text shortened]... nt RHP history.
To what do you attribute your phenomenal improvement at blitz chess on ICC?