Dec-24-13
 | | Phony Benoni: I may not match <FSR> for quantity, but this is the third year in a row one of my "Christmas Puns" has been selected during the holiday season. Although, looking at it now, I wish I had used "Gnaws" instead of "Knows". The game is nice but nothing special. Don't all Polugaevsky Variation games wind up looking like this, no matter who wins? |
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Dec-24-13
 | | Richard Taylor: It's typical Najdorf in any case with crazy tactics that usually result from that opening. I dont know much about the Polgaevsky except that he spent hours and hours analysing it until he played it. I believe it has been "analysed out to a draw" but that only applies to GMs etc or those who can remember the various ramifications of the opening. |
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Dec-24-13
 | | offramp: ...And when he died, the Variation died. |
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Dec-24-13
 | | rodchuck: Dear Phony, I am a fan of your humour and creativity in puns, but unfortunately Rainer, being an Austrian, would pronounce his name "Riner" as in "Liner". But that's just a quibble.... |
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| Dec-24-13 | | Cheapo by the Dozen: <rodchuck> Quite so. But now let's imagine "rein" pronounced in a Germanic language. :) Indeed, I imagine the name "Rainer" is based on the "reiner", with the same pronunciation. By the way, my father's first and middle names were "Ernst Rainer". He eventually asked and received permission from his parents to change them ... |
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Dec-24-13
| | offramp: ... And he is now known as Moonchunder Heartattack. |
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Dec-24-13
| | Phony Benoni: <rodchuck> That's disappointing. It will be a massive project teaching everybody in Austria to pronounce their names the way I do, but it would still be easier than teaching me how to properly pronounce Austrian names. |
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Dec-24-13
 | | tamar: There must be some random Rhine deer who wouldn't mind being named Rudolf to save this pun. |
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Dec-24-13
| | rodchuck: Right <cheapo> "Reiner" would certainly be a cleaner version.... |
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| Dec-24-13 | | shadowflack: 13. Nxe6 looks pretty strong to me. i'm just learning how to play though. any ideas? |
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Dec-24-13
| | Phony Benoni: <shadowlack> <13.Nxe6> is a nice move to see, and looks strong at first glance:
click for larger viewObviously, Black gets mated after either 13...hxg4 14.Nxc7#, or 13...fxe6 14.Qxe6+ Be7 15.Qxe7#. The attempted defense 13...Qxe5 also fails: 14.Nc7+ Qxc7 15.Qe2+ Ne5 16.Qxe5+ Qxe5 17.Rd8#. However, <13...Qb6> in reply forces White to give up the knight. The e6 square is guarded, and White doesn't have Qe2+ because the e-file is blocked by the pawn on e5. It's still a wacky position after 14.Nxg7+, however. Another idea for Black in the diagram is <13...Qxc3>. . Now if 14.bxc3 Ba3+ gives Black's king a flight square and he can play 14...hxg4 safely. White has 15.Nc7+ Kf8 16.Nxa8 Bxa8, and
again it's quite wacky though Black is surely better. In our database White has avoided this line by moving the queen to f4 or h4. The sacrifice on e6 is so common that it may be assumed it has been examined and found wanting in the position. However, that never means we shouldn't take a look at it, if only to learn why. |
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| Dec-26-13 | | kevin86: g7-is a worthy target...of reindeer poo. |
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Kibitzing
sac: 14.Bxb5