fill up

I just now got your parody song

Patronizing??

Please someone take me out of here, this clique, before I make things worse than they need to be.

<Jess> Just got home from a long day at work and I agree with what you said in your emu. Almost point for point. Just keep that in mind. Ok - you do - so never mind then.

<mack> sends regards, or mackesque words to that effect. He's offline for a few days, but found a way of implanting a coded message in my phone.

It would not be patronizing for anyone else to be critical of jess for her comments because almost no one else has the same relationship that PZh has. To my mind, it is the relationship that makes his comments patronizing.

BTW, no doubt you noticed my cunning use of the word 'tentacles' when I obviously meant, uh, *pseudopodia* ... ?

<Deffi>:

I’m really impressed by <Wagenaar vs Sangeeta Hosea> -- I look forward to playing through all your recent additions to the database. I tried making some comments on the game page, but my comp crashed – it knows when I’m not wanted, even if I don’t. So I rebooted and hopped back here to safety.

Some comments anyway.

White’s Reverse Hedgehog (with a3, b3, d3 etc) isn’t as passive as it looks – like its black counterpart, it has teeth and spikes. He has a good plan: overprotect e4 and wait for a chance to play Bf3 with effect. And it seems to work – after your classical style opening, you’re suddenly forced into awkward contortions with …Nd8 and …c6. White appears to be gaining control, just as flank opening players like to.

BTW, it’s funny how people who open with g3 or b3 are really tacticians – Larsen and Miles are two examples. They like to start with deceptive passivity, then burst into rabid complications. I tend to aim for that type of thing myself, even. On the other hand, many 1.e4 players are positional deep down: they use the open game to cruise smoothly to a won ending.

But to return to the game. White’s plans are foiled by your superb pawn sac, 19…Be7. This is a magnificent move. I could be wrong (I haven’t checked) but I don’t think an engine would find it. To preserve the bishop, maybe, but to give away the e-pawn for free? Never.

But just look at what happens next. White wastes a few tempi grabbing on e5 and retreating. Black springs to life with …Rc8, …c5, …Nc6 – all moves that will be crucial later on. Meanwhile white does nothing.

There could be a psychological component here. Last year in OTB games, I twice got into trouble after winning a pawn against strong (ELO 2100-2200) opponents. These weren’t conscious sacs: I won the material fairly. But each time I followed up badly, going into a crouch and letting the other guy attack – which of course both did. I lost one game, and only won the other after errors on both sides.

Anyway, 19…Be7 is beautiful. It’s as if white gets what he wants and doesn’t know what to do next. While the way black’s pieces suddenly leap into action is very very impressive.

A bit later, I was looking at tactics like 34…Nxg3 (instead of your 34…Qxd3). My idea was 34…Nxg3 35.Nxg3 Qxh4+ 36.Bh3 Rce8, with pressure and threats. They don’t quite seem to be worth the piece, though maybe Tal could have made something of it after, say, 37.Kg2. I can’t find anything forcing for black. You were right to simply regain the pawn.

Still. What doesn't kill me makes me stranger.