Biggest shock in England this year?

[Lee Bullock]

As many of you know I am a bit of a romanticist.

I like seeing big shocks or seeing things that are unusual or rare.

I was just wondering what have been the biggest shocks in terms or fide rating difference between 2 players with a win.

I may of caused it and just asking if anybody knows of any bigger.

I played black in the first round of the London Chess classic Fide open v Jon Friedland (2089) My rating only being (1514) a difference of 575. My win made the top 10 of biggest shocks in the world this year on a certain website but of course not all games are submitted to that website. (Edit, I should add the ecf Grades were 201 v 130 as Roger pointed out)

[Event "LCC Classic Fide Open"] [Site "Olympia"] [Date "8.12.2014"] [Round "1"] [White "Jon Friedland"] [Black "Lee Bullock"] [WhiteElo "2089"] [BlackElo "1514"] [ECO "B22"] [Result "0-1"] 1. e4 c5 2. c3 d5 3. exd5 Qxd5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. Be2 cxd4 7. cxd4 e6 8. O-O Qd7 9. Be3 Bd6 10. Nc3 a6 11. Qd2 b5 12. a3 O-O 13. Rfd1 Rd8 14. Bg5 Be7 15. Rac1 Bb7 16. Qf4 Nd5 17. Nxd5 Qxd5 18. Bxe7 Nxe7 19. Rc5 Qd6 20. Qc1 Rac8 21. b4 Nd5 22. Bf1 Nf6 23. Ne5 Ne4 24. Rxc8 Rxc8 25. Qe3 Rc3 26. Bd3 f5 27. h3 Rxa3 28. Rc1 Rc3 29. Rd1 Qxb4 30. f3 Nf6 31. Nd7 Qe7 32. Nc5 Bc8 33. Qe5 Kf7 34. Qb8 Qd8 35. Bf1 Rxc5 36. dxc5 Qxd1 37. Qxc8 Qd4+ 38. Kh1 Nh5 39. Qc7+ Kf6 40. Kh2 Qe5+ 41. Qxe5+ Kxe5 42. g4 Nf4 43. Kg3 Nd5 44. Kh4 Kd4 45. c6 b4 46. Bxa6 b3 47. gxf5 b2 48. fxe6 b1=Q 49. f4 Qe1+ 50. Kg4 Qxe6+ 51. f5 Ne3+ 52. Kh4 Nxf5+ 0-1

[John Moore]

Well done, Lee. Jon is a serious player and I'd be surprised if there's a bigger upset.

Biggest shock this year though must be Katie Price reducing her breast size - my daughter told me! Perhaps she is now planning to at least read the books that she writes. Mind you perhaps this should be another thread.

[Roger de Coverly]

I played black in the first round of the London Chess classic Fide open v Jon Friedland (2089) My rating only being (1514) a difference of 575.

It's just as good on ECF grades, 201 v 130. It seems to start going wrong for White at about move 20, when trading Queens may maintain equality. 8. .. Qd7 appears a novelty but not one an engine is very keen on. After that, Black didn't do anything that wasn't normal for an IQP position but the White advantage seemed to dissipate.

There's a philosophical question in there. To beat players of a 130 grade, if you have a grading advantage, is playing the c3 Sicilian the best way of doing it?

[JustinHorton]

That's surely a practical rather than a philosophical question.

[JustinHadi]

If you want to beat 130 players, 6.dxc5 with some preparation instead of 6.Be2 could be better. Clearer plan for white.

[John Moore]

If you want to beat 130 players, 6.dxc5 with some preparation instead of 6.Be2 could be better. Clearer plan for white.

Why does a 200 player need a clearer plan when he is playing a 130??

[Roger de Coverly]

Why does a 200 player need a clearer plan when he is playing a 130??

I'm sure there are heretics who consider the chief merit of the c3 Sicilian is to bore your opponent to death. That can be fine if facing 200 standard opposition and a draw is a good result, but perhaps not quite so sensible if you expect to win. I thought Lee played very competently against the IQP.

[JustinHadi]

If you want to beat 130 players, 6.dxc5 with some preparation instead of 6.Be2 could be better. Clearer plan for white.

Why does a 200 player need a clearer plan when he is playing a 130??

I would suggest the game above would be a good example of why White needs a clearer plan!

[Lee Bullock]

Should of added yeah the ecf Grades were 201 v 130. Also he is a Candidate Master which I think means he was once a top player. Think his highest fide was well over 2200. Shame he withdrew because of this. Almost feels he was so embarrassed he had to leave the event.

My reward though for this win was a 3rd round pairing white v FM Peter Constantinou in which I took a beating. 20 moves and it was over in the Smith Morra Gambit. Amazed he chose to play c5 in our game knowing I would play the SM and he took me down some line he analised before the game which I had never seen. A truly lovely guy and best player I have played 1 v 1 in serious game.

And I felt my game v Friedland went wrong for him when he allowed me to take the a pawn. He could of blocked with the rook. I think he saw some tactic but it did not work. Think he thought he was getting a serious attack on my king or there was a discovery on my rook with a Bxh7 check. But the simple Nc3 would of saved me.

The way to beat lower players is without doubt make the game complex and make them make decisions. Give them lost of options where they can go wrong. In this game it felt very simple for me. All my moves made sense. I did like my Nh5 idea at the end though making him play Kh2. Then swap Queens off and I knew it was winning ending.

[Roger de Coverly]

Amazed he chose to play c5 in our game knowing I would play the SM and he took me down some line he analised before the game which I had never seen.

At the cost of a bit of risk of running into an unexpected trick, accepting the Smith Morra grabs a pawn. For those wishing to economise on what they know, playing 3. .. Nf6 usually just transposes to a c3 Sicilian.

[John Moore]

If you want to beat 130 players, 6.dxc5 with some preparation instead of 6.Be2 could be better. Clearer plan for white.

Why does a 200 player need a clearer plan when he is playing a 130??

I would suggest the game above would be a good example of why White needs a clearer plan!

This has nothing to do with the opening

[JustinHadi]

Right-o.

[Roger de Coverly]

This has nothing to do with the opening

If you play the c3 Sicilian, you are going to see a lot of games with positions where White has the IQP. How to squeeze something out of them, or even just maintain approximate equality is a necessary skill. But Lee's opponent has been playing c3 Sicilians for many years. Perhaps Lee's novelty of Qd7 confused matters.

[John Moore]

Thanks Roger - I think you are explaining it quite well. Jon has played this for years and Lee has done really well to win.

[JustinHadi]

6. dxc5 would lead to a position either where White gets a lead in development, or a queenside pawn majority with a plan to promote one of the queenside pawns, insuring against moves like 8...Qd7 which although may not be very good, can turn out well practically in a game. Good way to play with a rating deficit, mixing it up like that.