<What about two people who are old friends but haven't spoken directly for some time, and they cross paths in someone else's house?> I would offer them greetings and much time not seen, also an offering of greetings and welcome back to the forums if that is the case that they have been absent from such.

HI ANNIE!!! Long time no see, so I extend warm greetings since we are in a neutral forum here.

This is <Than Phan's> forum, if I'm not mistaken.

<Jess> heh... or something like that, yeah. ;)

Thanks for mail - I'll get to it this weekend, a bit too tired now, and have a tournament tomorrow - classical time control! Eeek. But I figure I'll have to jump in and start swimming sometime. ;s

Best of luck and have fun- look forward to a report.

Although the pace may seem glacial to a blitz addict, be thankful for any time controls at all:

http://www.chesscafe.com/text/spinr...

That might imply I am actually Odysseus as he was -if memory serves- the man of the thousand faces.

<craw> thanks for the most timely advice! I have indeed endeavored to stay awake, with a little help from several cups of coffee...

<Jess> thx, here's the game:

[Event "Madatech 5-round Swiss Tournament"]
[Site "Haifa"]
[Date "2010.10.29"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Annie Kappel"]
[Black "Yosif Rabinovich"]
[ECO "B50"]
[WhiteElo "1732"]
[BlackElo "2244"]
[TimeControl "5400+30"]
[Result "0-1"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. c3 g6 5. h3 Bg7 6. Qe2 O-O 7. O-O Nc6 8. Bb3 e5 9. d3 h6 10. Be3 Qe7 11. Re1 Na5 12. Bc2 d5 13. exd5 Nxd5 14. Bd2 Nc6 15. Na3 Re8 16. Rad1 Bf5 17. Bb3 Rad8 18. Bc1 a6 19. Bxd5 Rxd5 20. Nc2 Qd8 21. d4 Bxc2 22. Qxc2 cxd4 23. cxd4 Nxd4 24. Nxd4 exd4 25. Rxe8+ Qxe8 26. b3 d3 27. Qd2 Qe2 28. Re1 Qxd2 29. Bxd2 Rd7 30. g3 h5 31. Kg2 Bd4 32. Rd1 f5 33. Kf3 Kf7 34. Be3 Bf6 35. Bd2 g5 36. g4 fxg4+ 37. hxg4 h4 38. Kg2 Rd4 39. f3 Rd5 40. Kh3 Kg6 41. f4 gxf4 42. Bxf4 Bg5 43. Bd2 Bxd2 44. Rxd2 Kg5 45. b4 b5 46. a3 Rd7 0-1

As the header shows, this was the first round of 5, the remaining rounds will be played one game per each Friday for the next 4 weeks. The time control was 90 30 - in other words, "all the time in the world". ;p

(Note: this time my opponent is not "NN", since this is an official OTB game. Hmm, I'll have to check if this tourney counts for FIDE ratings - it might... the rapid ones don't count for FIDE of course, so my rating is an Israeli Chess Federation rating, not a FIDE one.)

As the header <also> shows, ;) my opponent is a 2244 rated player - under the circumstances, and what with this being my first classical time control OTB game, I was mainly trying to play without committing any gross blunders, and I'm fairly pleased that Fritz thinks that none of my moves were <absolutely> awful (most of them turn out to have been among its top 4 choices, many first or second), with a few just, errm, somewhat inferior. :p

My opponent said after the game that the problem - mine, that is - was that I gave him too much space. My phrasing would be that I played way too timidly. But I'm not displeased with this game overall - I avoided outright blunders, and made a 2200+ player do some work for his point. :p The game took about 3 hours, which we have used about equally.

Congratulations- your opponent's rating puts him close, or at, <Master Level Rating>.

So yes of course it's an achievement to make him work that long to beat you.

I agree that you weren't aggressive enough in the opening- your usual <Blitz Assassin> style would play just as well in a long time control game.

You open <1.e4> but then seek a solid structure, when you could have benefited from aggressive play from the get go-

After Black plays <4..g6> in particular:

click for larger view

From here, either <5.d4> or <5.e5!> retains white's opening advantage, and also creates immediate tension and tactical complexity in the center. <5.e5> in particular guarantees a sharp position and likely future fireworks. Your tactical play is strong- we know that from your Blitz games- so why not mix it up with these guys too? Make them work even harder.

<5.d4>

click for larger view

or <5.e5>

click for larger view

And you are maintaining initiative.

However, as you say, there are no blunders in your play.

Did you play more solid than usual because of his rating? I do that all the time and it costs me points.

<Tryfon> does it too, particularly when facing a GM.

I look forward to the next four games in your tournament- I predict some victories.

<I agree that you weren't aggressive enough in the opening- your usual <Blitz Assassin> style would play just as well in a long time control game.>

Heh... well, I'm not sure of that. Blitz play tends to be "refutable" - it works because your opponent doesn't have time to refute it. I think one really does have to be a bit more solid at classical, but there's some difference between "solid" and "timid" - which I'll have to work out, and I expect I will. Just didn't want to do anything really embarrassing in my first classical game - that would have been worse for my confidence. I have always tended to build my rating up gradually at online sites, pacing it so the goals I set myself and my confidence would be in balance, and I'm just doing the same thing now OTB: my first goals are relatively modest (like avoiding blunders and not losing quickly) - and as I manage to live up to them, I'll gain the confidence (and the experience) to set my sights higher. That's psychological self-management. ;)

<Did you play more solid than usual because of his rating? I do that all the time and it costs me points.>

Both his rating and the "new" time control were factors, and I'd say with the time control being the more important influence.

<I look forward to the next four games in your tournament- I predict some victories.>

We don't observe Halloween here - we have a "costumes and masks" holiday - Purim - sometime in the spring, but there's no trick-or-treating custom involved. Parties and parades, yes, but more for the kids - for adults it's quite possible to ignore the whole thing, if they prefer not to get into it.

I tend to regard that as *good* luck, as I can usually grab a point or two from 'em. It's the low-rated opponents who worry me, as I seem to reserve my most egregious blunders for them.

You're probably more consistent.

Apropos some other thing ... don't you think that, for many people, the very act of logging into CG is itself a river in Africa? Never mind what they might have to say: the medium is the message.

And all that.

<Dom> well, playing higher rated opposition is certainly healthier for one's rating, but at my current low-ambition setting I might do better against under-2000 opponents.

<You're probably more consistent.>

I wish. :p

<don't you think that, for many people, the very act of logging into CG is itself a river in Africa?>

Hmm... but of what? I can see various interpretations, chess ability related, social functionality related, or even more general. So I may be a case in point, but I don't quite follow on this one...?

I think you know yourself better than anyone else, and as a legitimately "self-aware" individual, I would trust yourself if I were you.

I'm me, but I trust yourself.

Oops. Or do I mean *woops*?

I can has clarification on the D word "of what" question? ;)

[Event "Madatech 5-round Swiss Tournament"]
[Site "Haifa"]
[Date "2010.11.5"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Rebeka Frumin"]
[Black "Annie Kappel"]
[ECO "A04"]
[WhiteElo "1500"]
[BlackElo "1732"]
[TimeControl "5400+30"]
[Result "0-1"]

1. Nf3 d6 2. d4 c6 3. e3 Bg4 4. Be2 Nf6 5. Nbd2 Qa5 6. c3 e5 7. h3 Be6 8. Nb3 Qc7 9. O-O h6 10. Bd3 e4 11. Be2 exf3 12. Bxf3 d5 13. Re1 Ne4 14. Nd2 Ng5 15. h4 Nxf3+ 16. Nxf3 Nd7 17. e4 O-O-O 18. e5 Bg4 19. Bf4 g5 20. hxg5 hxg5 21. Bxg5 Re8 22. Qd3 Be7 23. Nh2 Bxg5 24. Nxg4 Rh4 25. Nh2 Reh8 26. f3 Rxh2 27. Qf5 Be3+ 28. Kf1 Rf8 29. Re2 Rh1# 0-1

The game took exactly one hour.

Well, not exactly what you'd call a glorious victory. Not even sound - Fritz is having fitz over the opening, and he's not going to like the endgame any better :p - but I was definitely playing the opponent here. I've played and beaten her before, in a rapid tournament, and I know she is prone to nervousness and "seeing ghosts", so I figured I could take some chances and "mix it up", and get away with it.

OK, so it's bunny bashing, but a point is a point is a point, and I don't choose my opponents, aight?! :p

But - as <Dom> just mentioned ;) - there <is> an extra pressure in such games: for me, playing an 1500 opponent is a must-win scenario (otherwise I'll be hearing recommendations that I take up a game more suited to my talents, such as tic-tac-toe, from myself all weekend...), :s and that's a distinctly different mindset from the any-result-goes relative "freedom" of playing strong opposition.

Luckily, after the 10.Bd3?? howler (and just when I was planning on playing 10...e4 in any case!), I could start breathing easier, and once I got rid of the DSB, her last dangerous piece as far as I was concerned, it was all a walk in the park... ;)