One of the guys people used to say that I looked like was "that guy from The Cars". Followed, in no particular order, by John Cooper Clarke, David Cronenberg, and William Gibson. And there was the 'depraved Goth' line, though since the growth of a small grey beard I think it's more the depraved imam look.

Ocasek? Was that the Cars guy?

<me: <If you ever run across one>>

<Deffi: if you ever run into one>>

... just try not to run them over, I guess. It's bound to be against some law or other. ;s

I know a couple of Cars songs, but I never looked into the band's composition.

You're driving softly to East Anglia in a broken cell phone dream. You play Qh5.

Interesting, innit, that 'sneakers', 'trainers' and 'runners' all refer to essentially the same kind of footwear. Three very different activities, I'd have thought...

Heheh!

<Interesting, innit, that 'sneakers', 'trainers' and 'runners' all refer to essentially the same kind of footwear. Three very different activities, I'd have thought...>

"Interesting" is correct - I think the different terms may represent the primary activity their designers had in mind. Makes you wonder, particularly about the "sneakers" designer... any criminal tendencies there?! ;p

<We can has The Wrold.>

Kewl! :D

~~~~~~~~

BTW, thought I'd bring here one of my latest games in (against, that is) the French - with 6...c4, an unusual variation for me, since the vast majority of my French opponents go with an eventual cxd instead. It took me quite a while to learn to somewhat deal with this more cramped position, but this game went well, although my play was admittedly on the dirty materialistic side. ;)

[Event "FICS rated blitz game"]
[Date "2010.09.18"]
[White "AnnieK"]
[Black "NN"]
[WhiteElo "1455"]
[BlackElo "1429"]
[TimeControl "600+0"]
[Mode "ICS"]
[Result "1-0"]

It - ie, 3.e5 - always strikes me as the most 'pure' kind of French: the Frenchiest. The pawn on e5 cramps Black and suggests a kingside attack, Black hits the pawn chain with ...c5. Just as Saint Nimzo said.

Except in cases like this, where Black drops a pawn on the queenside and ends up trying to whip up a desperate kingside attack.

I've never actually played this line with 6...c4, though I've checked it out in the past with a view to possible use. It seems playable, but Black blundered with 8...Nb3. Instead, 8...Bd7 is OK.

Materialism? I'd have gone for the pawn at once with 10.Nd2, but I liked your Rook moves a1-b1-a1.

I was actually reminded of a Michael Adams game I played through earlier today, from a magazine. Adams won a pawn, but didn't do anything with it - he carried on with his previous plan of gaining space, building up pressure, etc. The annotator approvingly said this was typical Adams - the pawn would be useful in an ending, but it was no reason to deviate from his plan.

One thing I don't get: why Black didn't go for 20...Qxb2. It seems to limit your advantage, and the Queen can escape. 21.Rab1 Qxc3 22.Rxb7 Re7 goes nowhere, and if you try to guard c3 he can hit it again, eg 21.Qd3 Rc8. Maybe he was fixated on a King attack and didn't want the Queen offside, but it was actually Black's only chance to save the game after move 8.

<Dom> I recall the post you made some years ago (rightly) claiming that the "Winawer" variation of the French should more properly be labeled the "Nimzowitsch" variation, since Nimzo played it a great deal more and was the first to develop theory on the opening.

It's one of those strange things in chess history- I'd say that openings are named more often for the Master who popularized/analyzed them the most, as opposed for the Master who first played them.

So can we at least give a tip of the hat to an opening named for the Master who was in first to play it?

J Mortimer vs Winawer, 1883

This is the first Master level game in which 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 was actually played.

Who will say a kind word for poor <Szymon Winawer>?

Oh wait the opening *was* named after him.

heh

Ok <Dom> but c'mon Nimzo has thousands of opening systems with his name on them.

As <Tim Harding> put it, "Nimzo was just too busy inventing openings!"

BTW, did *you* happen to write this article?

<Both of these exemplify Nimzowitsch's ideas about controlling the center with pieces instead of pawns. He was also vital in the development of two French Defense systems, the Winawer Variation <<<(in some places called the Nimzowitsch Variation;>>> its moves are 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4)>

The Winawer *is* usually named after Nimzowitsch in continental Europe, though that can lead to confusion with other 'Nimzo Variations' such as 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.Qg4, with which he beat Szekely and Menchik.

<Dom> wow, thanks - I don't consider my blitz games to be database-worthy, but I certainly don't object. ;)

And thanks much for the analysis!

I'm just now looking at the Opening Explorer in this 6...c4 line - I haven't done that before at all. :s I've developed the 7.Nbd2 and 8.Rb1 system on my own, after finding myself horribly cramped several times in this variation due to failing to contest the control of the b3 square immediately after 6...c4. Turns out that I've reinvented the wheel - but that's ok, I like reinventing wheels, and probably have enough for a bus by now. ;p

I dunno why the GM's play this system - but I play it because 8.Rb1 threatens an immediate breakout on the b file - 9.b4, I suppose, although maybe I'd consider 9.b3 too if I ever got around to it - so far it never happened, as all my opponents felt compelled to prevent the breakout with 8...Nb3 - which is why I play 7.Nbd2, to be ready for that.

The OE does show that 8...Bd7 is the more common response, but it still has unpleasant stats for Black (40% White wins, 50% Draws and a little black spot on the right, which presumably stands for 10% Black wins) ;p - and I see Morozevich actually played my 9.b4 idea against Vaganian in this line, and won too: Morozevich vs Vaganian, 2008. Heh... not bad. :)

<Materialism? I'd have gone for the pawn at once with 10.Nd2, but I liked your Rook moves a1-b1-a1.>

10.Nd2 Bd7 11.Nxb3 Ba4 = OUCH. That's why I prepare to keep that pesky B away from the Qside before I do anything else - and the R already served its purpose as provocateur on b1, it can go happily home to a1 now. ;)

Thanks for the very flattering Adams comparison. :) Well, that b3 pawn is practically history anyway, and I don't like to fall too far behind on my castling preparations - plus I really like to divide my attention between offence and defence where my opponent doesn't have any immediate attack going. For one thing, it's sound, and for another, my habit of switching from attack on one side of the board to casual defensive moves on the other side, seems to confuse the heck out of some of my opponents. :p

(That probably <is> the reason he didn't play Qxb2 - which, actually, I have also completely overlooked - thanks for pointing it out, if I ever play this line OTB, I'll now remember not to just run off with my B like that.) ;s

From here it just seems like I somehow managed to stay exactly that one crucial tempo ahead of my opponent for the rest of the game.

%D

I'm smiling, and it makes my glasses crooked.

Getting the hang of this now.

;x))

btw, I've noticed some of the Pogo-people asking what 'Deffi' means ... didn't we have a general debate on nicknames and decide that 'OD' had unsavory connotations? So I suggested 'Deffi'. Ages ago, now.

England also drop a half point, but the USA and many others cruised to 4-0. With today's pairings any result closer than 3.5/0.5 counts as an upset.

I've been waiting here so long
and all this time has passed me by
It hardly seems to matter, now.

You stand there with
your fixed expression,
Casting doubt on all I have to say

Why don't you touch me?
Touch me