User Profile: ThePhenyxx

ThePhenyxx
Member since Jun-28-12 · Last seen Mar-17-13

I am quite new to Chess. I just began playing on a daily basis with a friend and we wish this community will help us get better.

   ThePhenyxx has kibitzed 9 times to chessgames

   Jul-01-12 ThePhenyxx chessforum

ThePhenyxx: I see. Thanks, Stalemate was not clear to me. Now it is.

   Jul-01-12 Kibitzer's Café

ThePhenyxx: Post your comments on my forum please!

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Jun-29-12		I play the Fred: First of all, <ThePhenyxx>, was this played in person? On-line? What was the time control? Were you or your opponent in time trouble at any point? To the moves themselves: <1. e4 e5 2. f3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Bc5 4. Nh3 Nf6 5. Bc4 O-O 6. Nb5 a6> The knight isn't threatening much here, so there's no need to drive it off. I think it's time for 6...d5. <7. Nc3 Nh5> Sorry to get repetitive, but 7...d5 should have been played. <8. g3 Na5> 8...d5 is the move. It's a doble attack on the c4 bishop <AND> the h3 knight. By contrast, one-move threats like 8...Na5 are easily dealt with, and when the c4 bishop skips away, you've got a piece out of place. Note that your a5-knight and c5-bishop are vulnerable to a potential pawn fork. <9. Bd5 c6 10. b4> 10 a3 makes b2-b4 a more potent threat. But getting the d5-bishop out of harm's way was indicated first. <10...Bxb4 11. Bb3 Qe7> Returning to an earlier theme, we've got to unlock the c8-bishop with 11...d5. We've got to open the line for the bishop anyway, and the h3-knight hangs. <12. d3> Ouch. That helps you out, doesn't it? <12...Bxc3+> And you took full advantage. Well spotted. <13. Bd2 Bxa1 14. Qxa1 Nf6> You said you were new to chess, so allow me to introduce this concept to you: When ahead in material, trade pieces. In this position, you are ahead the equivalent of six pawns but your knight is hanging on a5. 14...Nxb3 not only gets your knight out of trouble, but it guarantees that you'll keep a big material advantage. If white refuses to take the knight back after 14...Nxb3, you'll be ahead the equivalent of nine pawns - that's like being ahead by a queen. <15. Bxa5 Qc5 16. Bd2 d5> Good, there it is. <17. Qxe5 Nd7> Oops. Both you and your opponent missed that the h3 knight hangs to the bishop. <18. Qb2 Re8 19. Ng5 Ne5 20. f4 Nf3+ 21. Nxf3> Yes, knights can move backwards. <21...dxe4 22. Ng5 exd3+ 23. Kd1 dxc2+ 24. Bxc2> Well, you're still in good shape but the opponent has both his bishops. The <bishop pair> is a formidable attacking unit. <24...h6 25. Nf3 Be6> That's why 25...Bf5 would have been good for you - it forces the trade of bishops. Once the bishops are traded, he no longer has the <bishop pair>, while you have your extra pawn. <26. Nd4 Bg4+ 27. Kc1 Rad8 28. Nb3 Qf2 29. h3> Hassling the rook with 29...Bf3 leaves it with no safe squares: 30 Re1 Rxe1+ 31 Bxe1 Qxe1+ 32 Bd1 Qxd1#. White can avoid the mate with 31 Bd1, but it leads to utter collapse after 31...Rxd1+ 32 Kc2 R8xd2+ 33 Nxd2 Rxd2+. <29...Be6 30. Be1> After the bishop retreated to e6, there's no longer a double attack on the e1 square by the rook and queen, so the attacked queen must retreat. <30...Qb6 31. Bd2 g5 32. f5> 32 Ba5. <32...Bd5 33. Re1 Be4 34. Qf6> 34 Ba5. <34...Rd7> I like 34...Bxc2, but I think this position needs more analysis than the quick once over I'm giving it right now. The line I've hashed out goes: 35 Ba5 Rxe1+ 36 Kb2 (36 Bxe1 Bxb3 37 axb3) 36...Rb1+ 37 Kc2 Qf2+ 38 Kxb1 Rd1+ 39 Nc1 Qd4 <35. Rxe4 Ree7> Well, that about wraps it up. <36. Rxe7 Qd8 37. Bd3> 37 Qxf7+ and mate next. <37...Rxe7 38. Qg7+> Was there some notation error here? Overstep time? Because 38...Kxg7 keeps things going. Hope this helps, and I plan to dig further the position for black's 34th move.

Jun-29-12		technical draw: Hi, welcome to chess games. Did they mention that you have to pay me a $20 humor fee? Probably not. They never do. Until you pay you can read my jokes but you can't laugh (which won't be too hard!). Just joking, welcome! BTW did I mention my $20 analysis fee?

Jun-29-12		ThePhenyxx: Thank you, this helps a lot. I see some bad moves I do quite often, now that I see them I'll avoid them. As for the context, it was a friendly match in person between me and a friend with no time limits. As I say in my profile header, we are quite new to chess, so some moves may look like they were influenced by time trouble while we actually just overlooked something. I'm really grateful that you took your time to review my match. I may post other games when I feel it could help me out.

Jun-29-12		OhioChessFan: I had a look at your game and had some of the same thoughts as <IplaytheFred> In particular, d5 needed to be played, as early as move 5. I accept it was an unusual opening by White, and maybe you were trying to play just decent moves, and there was nothing wrong with 5...0-0. A few points he didn't mention: After 8...Na5, you had 2 Knights on the edge of the board. The adage "Knights on the rim are dim" is generally true, and I would have avoided putting both on the edge. White's Knight on the edge was there for the taking with 17...Bxh3. You might have missed it since it was a long move. Anyway, Knights do tend to be weak on edges.

Jun-29-12		ThePhenyxx: Thanks for the advice. I checked out a few other games and that's a mistake I do quite often. But more than that, I play too safe when I'm ahead on material and I end up losing my advantage for not using it. I see that in the most of my games. You guys helped me out a lot.

Jun-29-12		I play the Fred: <Phenyxx>, do you play online? If you don't yet, <freechess.org> and sign up. (As the name implies, it's free; there are other free servers, but freechess.org is the very best of them.) The <Internet Chess Club> is the best of them all, but it'll cost you.

Jun-30-12		tpstar: <ThePhenyxx> Welcome to the site! That's great how you want to improve at chess. The first step is to play - get as much practice as possible. Then review your games like you are doing here, looking for tactics and improvements. Then annotate your games, adding comments and variations, ideally with some GM reference games for the opening play. You played a very good opening, following seven standard principles: control the center, maintain a Pawn in the center, develop Knights before Bishops, avoid extra Pawn moves in the opening, don't move the same piece twice in the opening, don't bring your Queen out in the opening, and castle early. Those seven pointers will help you survive the opening phase, especially as Black. Meanwhile your opponent played a low percentage opening with 1. e4 e5 2. f3?! which takes away the best square for the King Knight (f3) while opening the e1-h4 diagonal toward White's King. Here are two missed tactics: 1) After 19 ... Ne5: click for larger view 20. d4 (Fork) wins a piece. 2) After 29. h3: click for larger view 29 ... Bxh3! wins a Pawn, due to 30. Rxh3 Qf1+ (Fork) and 31 ... Qxh3. Good Luck! =)

Jun-30-12		I play the Fred: <tpstar>, was there something faulty about my suggested 29...Bf3, then?

Jun-30-12		OhioChessFan: I don't know if White would find it, but 29...Bxh3 30. Qc3 defends d2 and g3 and sort of holds things together. FWIW, 29...Rxd2 would have been my play although looking at 29...Bf3, it is probably better. <Phenyxx> you will definitely improve your chess if you play over the various ideas other kibitzers suggest.

Jun-30-12		tpstar: 29 ... Bf3 (Trapping) is a very good move, winning the exchange after 30. Rd1 Bxd1 31. Bxd1, but you want to impress your friends and opponents with sacrifices like 29 ... Bxh3! :-) 29 ... Rxd2!? works after 30. Nxd2?! Re1+ but White has 30. Bh7+! Kxh7 31. Qxd2 holding. Compare T Palmer vs D Obukhov, 2010 <you will definitely improve your chess if you play over the various ideas other kibitzers suggest> Absolutely!

Jun-30-12		OhioChessFan: I don't see how that holds. 29..Rxd2 30. Bh7+ Kxh7 31. Qxd2 Qxd2 (Probably Qf3 is better, but it's easier to trade down when ahead material) 32. Kxd2 Bf3 33. Re1 (Anything else, then 33...Re2+ and Rxa2 following) Rxe1 34. Kxe1 b6 and Black should win with the 2 extra Pawns on the Queenside. click for larger view

Jul-01-12		ThePhenyxx: Thanks for your time guys, I posted another game in the caf� if you are interested. Same match-up.

Jul-01-12		ThePhenyxx: <I play the Fred>, I joined freechess.org and downloaded Babaschess to have a GUI. I'm still finding my way around it but it's nice so far.

Jul-01-12		MarkFinan: <ThePheynexx> Just looked at the diagram you posted In the cafe, after ....kf8, and No buddy, theres no stalemate, Blacks completely lost! After Nxg5 Its all over, if you played fxg, then Rf1+ forces you to play Qf6 and once the Rook takes the Queen and gxf6, white has Nd6 and Its all over! Its a forced checkmate.. Theres nothing black can do from that position In your diagram..

Jul-01-12		Phony Benoni: <ThePheynexx> A player is not stalemated unless (1) none of his pieces or pawns have a legal move; (2) it is his move. If it was just a question of the king being unable to move, this position would be stalemate: click for larger view

Jul-01-12		ThePhenyxx: I see. Thanks, Stalemate was not clear to me. Now it is.

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