For Chris Kreuzer (one swindle)

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi Chris.

See what I mean about having a cluster of games in a single thread.

You have a post on page 2 that has a few variations. Nothing else.

Because you have just added notes with no diagram (I did say use all the features)
means the casual reader has to go back to page 1 (which takes ages to load in)
just to see what you are talking about. Most won’t.
That is why I’m starting a new thread. That one has gone all over the place.

Our playing strengths are close so there is nothing about chess I doubt
I can show you. We can discuss chess, swap ideas and attitudes.

I’m staying with game one. Kreuzer - Leanse.
There are dozens of ways you can win this but the easiest was to stay in
active tactics mode till he resigns.
If my lad won't resign and I'm a free peice up I look for pretty wrap ups.
After all I now have a piece to sac back.

Here.
[FEN "4qrk1/5ppn/b2p3p/1p1NpP2/4P1PP/P4B2/1PP2Q2/R4RK1 w - - 0 1"] 1. Qa7 {Instead of your 1.Qb6 which allowed Qa8 when you swapped his duff Bishop for your good Knight and freed his game.} 1... Bc8 2. Qc7 {Threatening 3.Qxc8 and Ne7+ Black is all gummed up and cannot get any active play at all. This is resignable.}
This position appeared in your game.

3q1rk1/2N2ppn/bQ1p3p/1p2pP2/4P1PP/P4B2/1PP5/R4RK1 w - - 0 1

The pin on the Knight reminded me of a game I recently noted up for the
Scottish Chess Magazine and it fits in with theme of chucking wins and why we do it.

A. Gillies - C. Sykes Oban 2011.

This position popped up. Black to play.

r2qk2r/p2n1pbp/1p4p1/3pN3/Q2P1P2/6P1/PP5P/R1B1R1K1 b - - 0 1

he played 1…Bxe5 2.Rxe5+ Kf8 3.Rxd5 Ke7. It’s hopeless, Black soon resigned.

Back at the diagram I mentioned a player must recognise the fact when he is lost.
He can either resign or hope for a blunder.
Good players don’t blunder on hope, you have to nudge them into the right direction.
1..Bxe5 gives White such an easy position that even if he does not play the most
exact moves he still wins.

I suggested 1…0-0 Admitting you are lost and we are now at the gambling stage.

Two lines setting two very plausible traps based on the winning player
thinking the game is over and relaxing. Just as you did in game one.

(a move setting two traps is good. They see the first but stumble into the second.
Trust me on this. They do!)

First the Piece up ‘gotta get the Queen’s off’ trap.

[FEN "r2qk2r/p2n1pbp/1p4p1/3pN3/Q2P1P2/6P1/PP5P/R1B1R1K1 b k - 0 1"] 1... O-O 2. Qxd7 Bxe5 {A shot easily missed by both sides.} 3. Qxd8 Bxd4+ {Black then re-captures on d8 and he is not losing anymore.}

Same game. The piece up ‘smug grin this is a technical win’ trap.

[FEN "r2qk2r/p2n1pbp/1p4p1/3pN3/Q2P1P2/6P1/PP5P/R1B1R1K1 b k - 0 1"] 1... O-O 2. Nxd7 {Having spotted the trap above they play the best move.} 2... Re8 {Black invites swaps a piece down. Roger (I think it was Roger) mentioned you have to ask yourself why the lad is not resigning. Excellent advice. The 'tame' 3.Bd2 is best here. But if our lad is tempted by the fact it’s swappo with a check….} 3. Rxe8+ Qxe8 {And the Knight is pinned to the Queen so it cannot hop back to e5. If White tries to wriggle the Knight out.} 4. Bd2 Rd8 5. Nxb6 Qe2 {What's happening here. Black is not losing and an OTB sudden turn of events like this can upset a player so much that they can go on and actually lose.}

I see by your other comments you are thinking of adding Fischer games and Tal games
to that Najdorf. It’s up to you but to me that is following the British Correspondence
School of Chess Writing. (they have all been on the same course - it's what they all do.).
These days you cannot tell one writer from another the only thing that differs
is their Database and what make of computer they want to advertise this week.

The trend of showing some GM game where the same line was played holds water
but were you thinking about this game when you were playing your game or did
you discover this after the game.

We want to know what your were thinking during the game. Let’s have some honesty
in the writing. Drop us a nugget, how often have YOU played this line, any previous
between you and your opponent, .was it a must win game. (all are but some are
must win that others.).

Also slipping in a GM game amongst your game were we are chucking a win….?
You mentioned something about a less 'clunky way'.
There is is - leave it out.

Don’t drop in names. You are writing to entertain people not impress them.
Don’t get caught in that trap. Be you. Stay in your own backyard.
When that bright day comes and you are playing GM’s on a weekly basis then
you can drop in the names. (or use their nicknames to show how trendy you are….)

Just a suggestion where the notes should go but it’s important you follow
your own instinct and note it how you would want to read it.

I write to entertain me first and hopefully I can unearth something instructive.

The Fine Art of Losing a Totally Won Game.
Kreuzer - Leanse. (where and when)

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e6 6. Be2 a6 7. Be3 Qc7 8. O-O Be7 9. f4 Nbd7 10. Nb3 {Note here - later on you are about to bounce a backward Knight move. Why have you played this one.} 10... O-O 11. Bf3 {Note here. About respective plans players could follow.} 11... e5 {Note here Black has set the tone of the game. Is it a sooner or later move.} 12. f5 b5 13. a3 Bb7 14. Qe2 Nb6 15. Na5 Bc8 16. Qf2 Rb8 17. g4 {Note here as to why you want the Knight off f6.} 17... h6 18. h4 Nh7 {Note here. backward Knight move always being wary about such moves. etc etc} 19. Bxb6 {Note explaining why Black thought after the Queen swap on b6 Nd5 was just winning with no counter play. Black realises he is lost but keeps the Queens on praying at some later date he will get some play against your naked King.} 19... Qd7 20. Nd5 Bd8 21. Bxd8 Qxd8 22. Nc6 Qe8 23. Nxb8 Bb7 24. Nxa6 Bxa6 {note here. About relaxing. show my suggestion above if you wish.} 25. Qb6 Qa8 26. Nc7 Qd8 27. Qxa6 Qxc7 28. Qxb5 Rb8 29. Qd3 Qe7 {Note here about why Black kept the Queens on and never resigned. He has annoying moves.} 30. Kg2 Qxh4 31. b3 {Note here about seeing ghosts and switching into timid mode.31.Qxd6 and 32.Rf2. was better You played 31.b3, hammer yourself, and no time trouble excuses. Mention it but don't blame it.} 31... Qg5 32. Rh1 Nf6 33. Qxd6 Rc8 34. Qd1 h5 {Note here about opponent sensing your are losing the grip on the game and this is his last throw of the dice. (try to come up with a better phrase - everyone uses that one.)} 35. Kf2 {Try to capture your feelings at this moment. It's panic. We have all been there, your readers will know what you are talking about. 35.Qc1 forces the Queens off.} 35... hxg4 36. c4 {Note about seeing the Rook coming c2 or c3. Else to the untrained eye it may appear you have ignored his threats and are going for an ending.} 36... Qf4 37. Qe2 gxf3 38. Qxf3 Nxe4+ {You stop here with 38...Ke2. Explain the perpetual and then show what happens if you try to duck it.} 39. Kg2 Qg5+ {40. Kg1 Nd2+} 40. Kh2 Rc6 {Which just wins. But you have no idea who is reading this. You have to show it. (write for your weakest reader.) Here (if you can) find a pretty win adding one possible way to finish was...} 41. Rhg1 Rh6+ 42. Qh3 Rxh3+ 43. Kxh3 Qh5+ 44. Kg2 {Not pretty but there will be guys thinking White has two Rooks for a Queen and three passed pawns. (and anyway it's best to get the whole game out of your system.)} 44... Qg4+ 45. Kf1 Qf3+ 46. Ke1 Qf2+ 47. Kd1 Qd2

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Hi Geoff. Thanks for that! All really good advice. I do actually have annotations already done for those two games, I mentioned this in the original post where I said I wanted to see people's untainted reactions to the two games and only provided annotations for the third game. I'll post up my annotations for this game, but not the ones for the Rutter-Kreuzer game (the 'juicy Najdorf') as I need to rework those to include the games Roger found. I think I can strike a happy medium between the sort of notes you advise against and the sort where I say what I was thinking at the board. One slight nitpick, the game ended in a draw, so it's not the fine art of losing... But yeah, I was breaking out in cold sweats at the board when I realised that Kg2 was losing and was mightily relieved that my opponent accepted the draw offer after I played Ke2. I did completely miss that Qd8 move that saved the bishop and kept the queens on. As you say, I relaxed too much. The same idea with Qa7 was completely winning. Anyway, I'll post those annotations now. PS. Yes, you were right, one game per thread is enough. PPS. You said in your (probably not checked) annotations: "Note explaining why Black thought after the Queen swap on b6 Nd5 was just winning with no counter play." Did you see the line 19...Qxb6 20.Qxb6 Rxb6 21.Nd5 Bd8, which I remember seeing at the time and wondering what to do about it when he played 19...Qd7 instead...

[Christopher Kreuzer]

For Geoff!

[Event "London League (D4), LDCC vs Athenaeum 4"] [Date "21.11.2011"] [White "Kreuzer, C"] [Black "Leanse, M"] [Result "½-½"] 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 6.Be2 a6 7.Be3 Qc7 8.0-0 Be7 9.f4 Nbd7 10.Nb3 0-0 11.Bf3 e5 12.f5 b5 13.a3 Bb7 {(=)} 14.Qe2 Nb6 15.Na5 Bc8 16.Qf2 Rb8 (16...Na4 17.Nxa4 Qxa5 18.Bb6 Qxa4 19.b3 Nxe4 20.Qe1 Bd8 21.bxa4 Bxb6+ 22.Kh1{+-}) 17.g4 h6 18.h4 Nh7 19.Bxb6 Qd7{??} (19...Qxb6 20.Qxb6 Rxb6 21.Nd5 Bd8 22.Kg2 Rb8 23.Nc6 Rb7 24.Nxd8 Rxd8 25.Rfd1{±}) 20.Nd5 Bd8? 21.Bxd8 Qxd8 (21...Rxd8 22.Nc6 Bb7 (22...Qxc6 23.Ne7+ Kf8 24.Nxc6 Bd7 25.Nxb8 Rxb8{+-}) 23.Nxb8 Rxb8{+-}) 22.Nc6 Qe8 23.Nxb8 Bb7 24.Nxa6 Bxa6 25.Qb6 Qa8 26.Nc7 (26.Qxd6 {I considered this move, but running short of time I foolishly decided to swap pieces off instead of developing my extra material...}) 26...Qd8 27.Qxa6 (27.Rad1 Qxh4 28.Nxa6 Qg3+ 29.Bg2 Qxg4 30.Qxd6 Ng5 31.Qxe5 Nh3+ 32.Kh2{+-}) 27...Qxc7 (27...Qxh4 28.Qxd6 Qg3+ 29.Bg2 Ng5 30.Qd2 Nxe4 31.Qe1{+-}) 28.Qxb5 Rb8 29.Qd3 Qe7 30.Kg2 Qxh4 31.b3 Qg5 32.Rh1 Nf6 33.Qxd6 Rc8 34.Qd1 h5 {with less than a minute for the last two moves, I fail to find the move that forces the queens off! And my position collapses...} 35.Kf2 (35.Qc1{+- obvious in hindsight}) 35...hxg4 36.c4 Qf4 {having made the time control, I should have waited for time to be called and sealed 37.Re1, which is one of the moves I was considering, but I wanted to finish on the night and played a move that leads to an instant draw.} 37.Qe2 (37.Re1 {in hindsight, this move is clearly winning - I should have taken time to calm down after the time control, stretched my legs, taken some fresh air, but I was still upset at throwing away a clear win.} 37...gxf3 38.Qxf3 Ng4+ 39.Ke2 Qh2+ 40.Kf1 Qh4 41.Re2 Nh2+ 42.Rxh2 Qxh2 43.Rd1{+-}) 37...gxf3 38.Qxf3 Nxe4+ 39.Ke2 {(=) I had thought for some time, and my opponent accepted the draw offer quickly. It is a perpetual after Ng3+ etc, and Black can't try for more than this.} (39.Kg2 {this line is what I'd missed when playing 37.Qe2, but luckily I saw this before playing move 39, and chose the drawing line and not the losing line!} 39...Qg5+ 40.Kh2 Rc6 41.Qg2 Rh6+ 42.Kg1 Qe3+ 43.Kf1 Rxh1+ 44.Qxh1 Qf2{#})

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi Chris.

I said I would find a game with this pattern (as in your game)

1r1q2k1/8/2N5/8/8/8/8/6K1 w - - 0 1

Where White wins a whole Rook (on b8) and goes onto lose.

Found a really good game. Built a column around it. Just posted it.
Big difference is Black suckered White into taking the Rook.

http://www.redhotpawn.com/blog/blogread ... postid=104

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Thanks, Geoff. I won a recent game after winning a rook, so some of this must have helped...