Monthly Archives: November 1997

The Great BICS Internet Chess Match

Posted on by

Warwick University Chess Club vs. Exeter
Chess Club

  1. Match results (Exeter players named
    first)
  2. ExeterPlayerA – WarwickPlayerA
  3. WarwickPlayerB – ExeterPlayerB
    (1880)
  4. ExeterPlayerD – WarwickPlayerE
  5. WarwickPlayerD – ExeterPlayerE
  6. warwickg – ExeterPlayerF
  7. WarwickPlayerH – ExeterPlayerG
    (1605)
  8. ExeterPlayerH – Varl (1660)

Match results (Exeter players named
first)

Time control: whole game in 75 minutes each

1a Peter Lane (174) 1/2-1/2 Matt Fletcher
(156)

2b Andrew Pickering (172) 0-1 Richard Maclannan
(88)

3d Ian Ashford (115) 0-1 Simon Gardner
(111)

4e Keith Atkins (112) 1/2-1/2 Joe Sansom
(96)

5f Stuart Cooke (113) 1-0 Tim
(ungraded)

6g Tom Stephenson (100) 1-0 James Humpherson
(ungraded)

7h Alan Maynard (89) 0-1 (time) – Adrian Varley
(ungraded)

 

Exeter 3 – Warwick 4

 

ExeterPlayerA – WarwickPlayerA

bics rated standard game bics, University of Warwick, England
(, 1997

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Bf4 Bg7 5. e3 O-O
6. Nf3 c5 7. Be2 Nc6 8. O-O cxd4 9. exd4 a6 10. Ne5
Be6

 

t+-D-Tj+
+x+-XxLx
x+s+lSx+
+-+xN-+-
-+pP-B-+
+-N-+-+-
pP-+bPpP
R-+q+rK-

11. Nxc6 bxc6 12. Qa4 dxc4 13. Bxc4 Nd5 14. Nxd5 cxd5 15.
Bb3 Bd7

 

t+-D-Tj+
+-+lXxLx
x+-+-+x+
+-+x+-+-
q+-P-B-+
+b+-+-+-
pP-+-PpP
R-+-+rK-

16. Qb4 a5 17. Qd2 Bf5 18. Rac1 Rc8 19. Rxc8 Bxc8 20. Rc1
Qb6

 

-+l+-Tj+
+-+-XxLx
-D-+-+x+
X-+x+-+-
-+-P-B-+
+b+-+-+-
pP-Q-PpP
+-R-+-K-

21. Rc5 e6 22. Be3 Bd7 23. Qxa5 Qxa5 24. Rxa5 Rc8 25. Ra7
Bb5

 

-+t+-+j+
R-+-+xLx
-+-+x+x+
+l+x+-+-
-+-P-+-+
+b+-B-+-
pP-+-PpP
+-+-+-K-

26. a4 Bxd4 27. Rb7 Bxe3 28. fxe3 Bd3 29. Kf2 h5 30. Rb4
Kg7 31. Rd4 Be4 32. a5 Rb8 33. Ba4 Rxb2+ 34. Ke1 e5 35. Rd2
Rxd2

 

-+-+-+-+
+-+-+xJ-
-+-+-+x+
P-+xX-+x
b+-+l+-+
+-+-P-+-
-+-T-+pP
+-+-K-+-

36. Kxd2 d4 37. exd4 Kf6 38. dxe5+ Kxe5 39. g3 f5 40. Bd7
g5

 

-+-+-+-+
+-+b+-+-
-+-+-+-+
P-+-JxXx
-+-+l+-+
+-+-+-P-
-+-K-+-P
+-+-+-+-

41. h4 gxh4 42. gxh4 Kf4 43. Bc8 Ke5 44. Bd7 f4 45. Be8
Bf3

 

-+-+b+-+
+-+-+-+-
-+-+-+-+
P-+-J-+x
-+-+-X-P
+-+-+l+-
-+-K-+-+
+-+-+-+-

46. a6 Kd6 47. a7 Kc7 48. Bxh5 Bb7 49. Ke2 Kb6 50. Bf3
Ba6+

 

-+-+-+-+
P-+-+-+-
lJ-+-+-+
+-+-+-+-
-+-+-X-P
+-+-+b+-
-+-+k+-+
+-+-+-+-

51. Kf2 Kxa7 52. Bd5 Bd3 53. Kf3 Kb6 54. Be4 Bc4 55. h5
Kc7

 

-+-+-+-+
+-J-+-+-
-+-+-+-+
+-+-+-+p
-+l+bX-+
+-+-+k+-
-+-+-+-+
+-+-+-+-

56. Kxf4 Kd6 57. h6 Bg8 58. Kg5 Ke7 59. Kg6 Kf8 60. Bd5
Bxd5 Game drawn by mutual agreement Q

 

WarwickPlayerB – ExeterPlayerB
(1880)

bics rated standard game bics, University of Warwick, England
(, 1997

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5.
Nxf6+ gxf6 6. Be3 Bf5 7. Bd3 Bg6 8. h4 Qc7 9. Qd2 Nd7 10. Nf3
O-O-O

 

-+jT-L-T
XxDsXx+x
-+x+-Xl+
+-+-+-+-
-+-P-+-P
+-+bBn+-
pPpQ-Pp+
R-+-K-+r

11. O-O-O Kb8 12. Bxg6 hxg6 13. Bf4 e5 14. dxe5 fxe5 15.
Bxe5 Nxe5

 

-J-T-L-T
XxD-+x+-
-+x+-+x+
+-+-S-+-
-+-+-+-P
+-+-+n+-
pPpQ-Pp+
+-Kr+-+r

16. Qxd8+ Qxd8 17. Rxd8+ Kc7 18. Nxe5 Bh6+ 19. Rd2 Black
resigned 1-0

 

ExeterPlayerD – WarwickPlayerE

bics rated standard game, bics, University of W, 1997

1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nc3 g6 4. e3 b6 5. Bxc4
Bb7 6. Nf3 e6 7. Qc2 Nf6 8. Bd3 Nc6 9. a3 Ne7 10. Ne4
Nxe4

 

t+-DjL-T
XlX-Sx+x
-X-+x+x+
+-+-+-+-
-+-Ps+-+
P-+bPn+-
-Pq+-PpP
R-B-K-+r

11. Bxe4 Bxe4 12. Qxe4 Qd5 13. Qxd5 Nxd5 14. Bd2 c5 15.
dxc5 Bxc5

 

t+-+j+-T
X-+-+x+x
-X-+x+x+
+-Ls+-+-
-+-+-+-+
P-+-Pn+-
-P-B-PpP
R-+-K-+r

16. e4 Nf6 17. Bc3 Be7 18. Nd2 O-O 19. O-O Nd7 20. f4
Nc5

 

t+-+-Tj+
X-+-Lx+x
-X-+x+x+
+-S-+-+-
-+-+pP-+
P-B-+-+-
-P-N-+pP
R-+-+rK-

21. f5 Bg5 22. Nf3 Be3+ 23. Kh1 Nxe4 24. Bb4 Rfe8 25. fxg6
hxg6

 

t+-+t+j+
X-+-+x+-
-X-+x+x+
+-+-+-+-
-B-+s+-+
P-+-Ln+-
-P-+-+pP
R-+-+r+k

26. Rae1 Nf2+ 27. Kg1 Ng4+ 28. Kh1 Bh6 29. Ne5 Nxe5 30.
Rxe5 Bg7

 

t+-+t+j+
X-+-+xL-
-X-+x+x+
+-+-R-+-
-B-+-+-+
P-+-+-+-
-P-+-+pP
+-+-+r+k

31. Re2 Rac8 32. Ref2 a5 33. Bd6 f5 34. Bg3 e5 35. Rd2
e4

 

-+t+t+j+
+-+-+-L-
-X-+-+x+
X-+-+x+-
-+-+x+-+
P-+-+-B-
-P-R-+pP
+-+-+r+k

36. Rd6 Kh7 37. Rd7 Rc2 38. Bf2 e3 39. Be1 e2 40. Rg1
Rc1

 

-+-+t+-+
+-+r+-Lj
-X-+-+x+
X-+-+x+-
-+-+-+-+
P-+-+-+-
-P-+x+pP
+-T-B-Rk

41. g3 Kg8 42. Rd2 Rd1 43. Rc2 Bd4 White resigned
0-1

 

WarwickPlayerD – ExeterPlayerE

bics rated standard game, bics, University of W, 1997

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 exd5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. a3
Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Nf6 7. c4 c6 8. Bg5 O-O 9. cxd5 cxd5 10. Nf3
Re8+

 

tSlDt+j+
Xx+-+xXx
-+-+-S-+
+-+x+-B-
-+-P-+-+
P-+-+n+-
-+p+-PpP
R-+qKb+r

11. Be2 Nc6 12. O-O Bg4 13. h3 Rxe2 14. Qxe2 Nxd4 15. Qd3
Nxf3+

 

t+-D-+j+
Xx+-+xXx
-+-+-S-+
+-+x+-B-
-+-+-+l+
P-+q+s+p
-+p+-Pp+
R-+-+rK-

16. gxf3 Bxh3 17. Rfe1 Qd6 18. f4 Bd7 19. Bxf6 Qxf6 20. Qg3
Bf5

 

t+-+-+j+
Xx+-+xXx
-+-+-D-+
+-+x+l+-
-+-+-P-+
P-+-+-Q-
-+p+-P-+
R-+-R-K-

21. c3 Rd8 22. Re5 d4 23. cxd4 h6 24. Rae1 Rxd4 25. Kh2
Be6

 

-+-+-+j+
Xx+-+xX-
-+-+lD-X
+-+-R-+-
-+-T-P-+
P-+-+-Q-
-+-+-P-K
+-+-R-+-

26. R5e4 Rd5 27. Re5 Rd4 28. R5e4 Rd5 29. Re5 Game drawn by
mutual

agreement Q

 

warwickg – ExeterPlayerF

bics unrated standard game, bics, University of, 1997

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bc4 e6 4. Nc3 Nc6 5. d3 a6
6. a3 b5 7. Bb3 Nf6 8. Bg5 Be7 9. O-O O-O 10. Re1 Bb7

 

t+-D-Tj+
+l+-LxXx
x+sXxS-+
+xX-+-B-
-+-+p+-+
PbNp+n+-
-Pp+-PpP
R-+qR-K-

11. d4 cxd4 12. Nxd4 Qc7 13. Bxe6 Nxd4 14. Bd5 Nxd5 15.
Nxd5 Bxd5

 

t+-+-Tj+
+-D-LxXx
x+-X-+-+
+x+l+-B-
-+-Sp+-+
P-+-+-+-
-Pp+-PpP
R-+qR-K-

16. Bxe7 Qxe7 17. exd5 Qf6 18. Re4 Nf5 19. Qf3 Nh6 20. Qe3
Qxb2

 

t+-+-Tj+
+-+-+xXx
x+-X-+-S
+x+p+-+-
-+-+r+-+
P-+-Q-+-
-Dp+-PpP
R-+-+-K-

21. Re1 Rac8 22. Re8 Qxc2 23. Qe7 Rcxe8 24. Qxe8 Ng4 25.
Re2 Qc1+

 

-+-+qTj+
+-+-+xXx
x+-X-+-+
+x+p+-+-
-+-+-+s+
P-+-+-+-
-+-+rPpP
+-D-+-K-

26. Re1 Qxa3 27. Qc6 Ne5 28. Qc7 Nd3 29. Rf1 Qc5 White
resigned 0-1

 

WarwickPlayerH – ExeterPlayerG
(1605)

bics unrated standard game, bics, University of, 1997

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Qe2
Qe7 6. d3 Nf6 7. Qxe7+ Bxe7 8. Bg5 Be6 9. Nc3 Nc6 10. d4
Nb4

 

t+-+j+-T
XxX-LxXx
-+-XlS-+
+-+-+-B-
-S-P-+-+
+-N-+n+-
pPp+-PpP
R-+-Kb+r

11. O-O-O Nbd5 12. Nxd5 Nxd5 13. Bxe7 Kxe7 14. Bc4 Nb6 15.
Bxe6 fxe6

 

t+-+-+-T
XxX-J-Xx
-S-Xx+-+
+-+-+-+-
-+-P-+-+
+-+-+n+-
pPp+-PpP
+-Kr+-+r

16. Rhe1 h6 17. Re2 Rhf8 18. Rde1 Rf6 19. b3 Nd5 20. c4
Nf4

 

t+-+-+-+
XxX-J-X-
-+-XxT-X
+-+-+-+-
-+pP-S-+
+p+-+n+-
p+-+rPpP
+-K-R-+-

21. Re4 Nd3+ 22. Kd2 Nxe1 23. Rxe1 Raf8 24. d5 Kd7 25.
dxe6+ Rxe6

 

-+-+-T-+
XxXj+-X-
-+-Xt+-X
+-+-+-+-
-+p+-+-+
+p+-+n+-
p+-K-PpP
+-+-R-+-

26. Rd1 g5 27. Rf1 Ref6 28. Ke2 g4 29. Ng1 Re6+ 30. Kd3
Rfe8

 

-+-+t+-+
XxXj+-+-
-+-Xt+-X
+-+-+-+-
-+p+-+x+
+p+k+-+-
p+-+-PpP
+-+-+rN-

31. f3 gxf3 32. Rxf3 Re1 33. Nh3 R1e2 34. Rf7+ Kc6 35. Nf4
Rf2 36. Kd4 h5 37. a4 h4 38. b4 b6 39. g3 hxg3 40. hxg3
Rg8

 

-+-+-+t+
X-X-+r+-
-XjX-+-+
+-+-+-+-
pPpK-N-+
+-+-+-P-
-+-+-T-+
+-+-+-+-

41. Re7 Rxg3 42. Nd5 Rd2+ 43. Ke4 Rxd5 44. cxd5+ Kb7 45.
Kf5 Ra3

 

-+-+-+-+
XjX-R-+-
-X-X-+-+
+-+p+k+-
pP-+-+-+
T-+-+-+-
-+-+-+-+
+-+-+-+-

46. a5 bxa5 47. bxa5 Rxa5 48. Ke6 Rc5 49. Rh7 a5 50. Rh1
a4

 

-+-+-+-+
+jX-+-+-
-+-Xk+-+
+-Tp+-+-
x+-+-+-+
+-+-+-+-
-+-+-+-+
+-+-+-+r

51. Rb1+ Kc8 52. Ra1 Ra5 53. Kf5 a3 54. Ke4 a2 55. Kd3
Kb7

 

-+-+-+-+
+jX-+-+-
-+-X-+-+
T-+p+-+-
-+-+-+-+
+-+k+-+-
x+-+-+-+
R-+-+-+-

56. Kc2 Kb6 57. Kb2 Kc5 58. Rxa2 Rxa2+ 59. Kxa2 Kxd5 White
resigned 0-1

 

ExeterPlayerH – Varl (1660)

bics rated standard game, bics, University of W, 1997

1. e4 d6 2. g3 Nf6 3. d3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. Nf3 Nc6
6. O-O O-O 7. Nbd2 Bg4 8. h3 Bd7 9. Re1 Re8 10. Nf1 e6

 

t+-Dt+j+
XxXl+xLx
-+sXxSx+
+-+-+-+-
-+-+p+-+
+-+p+nPp
pPp+-Pb+
R-BqRnK-

11. c3 Ne7 12. e5 Nfd5 13. exd6 cxd6 14. d4 Nf6 15. Bd2
Bc6

 

t+-Dt+j+
Xx+-SxLx
-+lXxSx+
+-+-+-+-
-+-P-+-+
+-P-+nPp
pP-B-Pb+
R-+qRnK-

16. Qc1 Rc8 17. Bh6 Nf5 18. Bxg7 Kxg7 19. N1h2 Qc7 20. h4
Nd7

 

-+t+t+-+
XxDs+xJx
-+lXx+x+
+-+-+s+-
-+-P-+-P
+-P-+nP-
pP-+-PbN
R-Q-R-K-

21. h5 e5 22. hxg6 fxg6 23. Qg5 exd4 24. cxd4 Nf6 25. Ng4
Nxg4 26. Qxg4 Qd7 27. Rad1 Rxe1+ 28. Rxe1 Re8 29. Rxe8 Qxe8 30. Ng5
Bxg2

 

-+-+d+-+
Xx+-+-Jx
-+-X-+x+
+-+-+sN-
-+-P-+q+
+-+-+-P-
pP-+-Pl+
+-+-+-K-

31. Kxg2 Qe7 32. d5 h5 33. Qf4 b6 34. Ne6+ Kh7 35. g4
hxg4

 

-+-+-+-+
X-+-D-+j
-X-Xn+x+
+-+p+s+-
-+-+-Qx+
+-+-+-+-
pP-+-Pk+
+-+-+-+-

36. Qxg4 Qf6 37. Kh3 Ne7 38. Ng5+ Kg7 39. f3 Qf5 40. Ne6+
Kf6

 

-+-+-+-+
X-+-S-+-
-X-XnJx+
+-+p+d+-
-+-+-+q+
+-+-+p+k
pP-+-+-+
+-+-+-+-

41. Kg3 Qxg4+ 42. Kxg4 Nxd5 43. Nd4 Nb4 44. a3 Nd3 White
ran out of time

0-1

 

 

The Art of Analysis – Part oe

Posted on by

Let us begin with a mistake – what we might call
positional mistake:

 

“Positional sense should free you from the slavery
of `variations’.” – Nimzovitch

Statements like this, and one or two other factors, led me to
neglect the analysis of variations – instead preferring to develop
positional assessments – for many years. It is possible to consider
positional judgement and planning as somehow a higher calling,
which avoids the need for grubby heavy analysis. This, however, was
a mistake on my part.

Here is some treatment for people suffering from the same
condition:

“What is the essence of the chess master’s art?
Fundamentally it consists of the ability to analyse chess
positions.

“Home analysis has specific features of its own: you are
not restricted by time, and you can move the men freely. Despite
this difference between home analysis and practical play, there is
much in common between them. It is a well-known fact that almost
all the outstanding chess-players have been first-class analysts.
(…)

“It is useful to publish your individual analytical work.
Then you are subject to objective criticism.” – Botvinnik, 100
SELECTED GAMES.

“So I began to analyse games…” – Timman, THE ART OF
CHESS ANALYSIS 

“I got to know Mark (Dvoretsky) at the very beginning of my chess
career, at one of the sessions of Botvinnik’s chess school in 1974;
in those days, Dvoretsky was Botvinnik’s assistant. (…) 

“We are adherents of the same, analytical, way, and we
believe in the triumph of analytical penetration into the secrets
of a position” – Kasparov, Preface to Dvoretsky’s SECRETS OF CHESS
TRAINING (FIRST PUBLISHED IN RUSSIA AS “THE ART OF ANALYSIS”).

“I selected from tournament books those games in which the greatest
complications had arisen. (Then) set myself the task of thinking
long and hard so as to analyse all the possible variations. I would
sometimes … write down the variations I had examined and then I
would compare them with those of the annotator. (…) 

“Great help can be got from solving studies from a
diagram without setting up the position on the board.” – Kotov,
THINK LIKE A GRANDMASTER

“Analysis, if it is really carried out with a complete
concentration of his powers, forms and completes a chess
player.” – Polugayevsky 

“Many players, even of a high calibre, will assert,
half jokingly and half seriously, that a difficult labour of
analysis can be replaced by intuition. ‘I played this move in a
flash – it was obvious it couldn’t be bad‘ is the sort of
thing we often hear in a post-mortem.
“Criticising such a policy is not simple – not after it has just
been successful! <…> Instead of appraising the state of struggle
on the basis of precise calculation, Black makes a move, which on
general considerations, is wholly in the spirit of the position – a
flank attack is countered by a break in the centre. Yet in chess
there are no axioms.”

— ZAK, Improve your chess results.

Two sorts of games should hold a special place in your own study:
(a) Analysis of master games, and (b) analysis of your own games
(especially losses). So, I have an exercise which involves
neither…

 

I have been privileged to obtain a copy of the six games
from the first match of the Exeter `A’ team this season. I propose
to analyse each game with the coaching group during a session in
the New Year, but I would like you to have a go at analysing them
first. Then we can compare notes…

 

How do you analyse a chess game?

If it’s someone else’s:
(1) Play through the whole game fairly quickly, seeing what ebb and
flow the game had.
(2) Divide the game up into episodes, even if they are only opening
middlegame and endgame, and try to describe what happened and who
if anyone had the advantage.
(3) Try and find the critical steps, where one or other side made
an important choice (even if it was only to overlook
something!).
(4) Put your account aside for a few days and have a fresh look
later. What other ideas now occur to you? Did you make a too-smooth
moral fable out of a more fluctuating scrap?

If it’s your own:
(1) write down as much as you can remember about what you thought
about at the time, and
(2) any thought your opponent shared during a Post Mortem.
(3) Leave it for a few days and come back fresh, then analyse it as
you would somebody else’s. Be particularly wary of self-serving
interpretations, especially of the “I was winning all the way
through” variety. What did you miss?

Below, Round numbers are board numbers. The Exeter players
(White on even boards) hold BCF grades this year between 171 and
156; Teignmouth between 180 and 130. These are roughly between 2000
and 1600 ELO.

N.B. Games 2 and 5 feature an early loss of material; to
analyse past this point, in Game 5 at least, may not be very
profitable.

Active Chess

Posted on by 
From Sverre.Johnsen@dnv.com  Fri Nov 21 12:27:48 1997

Anyway these activities are very popular in Norway. When organizing
summer camps or larger team competitions we always try to find some
time for social/ physical activities like "relay-chess", "basket
chess" or "chat-team" competitions. A brief explanation:

RELAY-CHESS

This is a competition between two teams. It is basically an ordinary
game of chess where the teams have to run a bit to do their
moves. They can each have from 2 to app.12 players. It is not
necessary for the teams to have the same number of players.

Both teams are lined up some distance from the board. (10-50 m
depending on how long time they are given) They each get e.g. 10
minutes on the chess clock. The first player on team A (white) runs to
the board, makes his first move and presses the clock button. When he
has started team B's clock, the first player on team B runs to the
board, makes his move starts the clock. When he has pressed the button
the second player on team A may start running, but only if the first
player on the team has found his place at the end of the queue.

As in an ordinary game of chess you can either win on time or by
mating.  The longer running distance and the shorter time limits the
more important it is to run quickly. And the fewer players on each
team, the more exhausting it will be. The blunder rate often increases
considerably because of the time pressure and because the teams will
rarely have a consistent idea behind their moves.

Be sure that the rules are made clear before the game starts: Is it
allowed to shout advices to the player to move? What happens if there
is an illegal move? Do you have to stop your own clock to claim a win
on time?

BASKET CHESS

This too is a typical outdoor activity but between single players. The
idea is that if you captures a piece you have to throw it into a
basket before you can press your clock. If you misses you will have to
run some penalty rounds. If you misses with a pawn it will be just one
round, if you misses with a knight or a bishop it will be three, a
rook will be five and a queen will be ten (or nine if you prefer). You
can vary the running and throwing distances depending on how
"physical" you want the game to be.

Usually this kind of chess is also very entertaining for the
spectators.  In some time pressure situations you may see players
sacrificing their queen on g7 in the hope that their opponent will
miss the throwing and have to run the ten penalty rounds.

CHAT TEAMS

This really is multiple consultation games. Contrary to the outdoor
activities this may be very instructive in addition to being noisy and
entertaining. The basic model is four players on each team but the
match being played over five board. The teams are free to communicate
and to allocate their players as they want to.

Most usual is to give the strongest player two boards to start with
and the others one each. When a game is finished the players move over
to other to give advise or take over games from weaker teammates. But
I have also seen teams letting their strongest player play
simultaneously on all boards just leaving to his teammates to do
obvious recaptures and press the clocks.

If you want to give the match a twist you may set different time
limits on the different boards or you may let one of the games
(perhaps played on an outdoor set) be played for two points (one point
for a draw).

I often set one additional rule: After three warnings from the arbiter
for shouting or non-constructive criticism a point may be deducted
from the team's score.


Sverre Johnsen