heh

I thought it was one of the reasons you posted the <Kasparov road to the Champion> link...

Actually I think I posted on it even..

1. e4 c5 2. f4 Nc6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. e5 Nd5 6. g3 d6 7. Bb5 Bd7

Bd7 is understandable. The following line allows the doubled pawns in exchange for activity.

(7...Be7 8. Bxc6+ bxc6 9. exd6 Qxd6)

8. exd6

A bad move which hands black a lead in development. Notice 10...bxc6 in the following line. Capturing with a pawn toward the center can be better than with a piece in spite of the pawn structure.

(8. Nxd5 exd5 9. O-O dxe5 10. Bxc6 bxc6 11. Nxe5)

8...Bxd6 9. O-O a6 10. Bxc6 Bxc6 11. d4 O-O

11...0-0 allows white to equalize. (Yes, Virginia, Rybbie does prefer black here). After the following line, black is almost winning.

(11... Nxc3 12. bxc3 cxd4 13. cxd4 O-O)

click for larger view

12. Ne4 Qe7 13. c3 Ne3 14. Nf6+

You were both being too cute here with Ne3 and Nf6+. Generally when you lead in development, continue developing before setting out for the Grail. Rfd8 is just fine. Notice after the correct 14. Bxe3, all the life is drained from the position.

(14. Bxe3 Bxe4 15. dxc5 Bxc5 16. Bxc5 Qxc5+ 17. Qd4)

14...Qxf6 15. Bxe3 Bb5

15...Bb5 is off point. Up to here you played very well. But the correct line is subtle. Notice how dreadful the white bishop is. How can you lock it in a cage of his own pawns? After the following line, black will rock and roll on the white squares.

(15...c4 16. Ne5 Bxe5 17. dxe5 Qg6)

click for larger view

16. Rf2 (Fails to punish Bb5)

(16. dxc5 Bxf1 17. cxd6 Bh3)

16...Rad8 17. b3 Bc6 18. Qd3 Rd7 19. Ne5 Bxe5 20. fxe5 Qd8

Nothing wrong with Qd8 but did you consider the cutesy Qxe5?

(20...Qxe5 21. dxe5 Rxd3 22. Bxc5 Rfd8)

21. Rd1 b5 22. h4 Qa8

(22... cxd4 23. Bxd4 Qc7 24. Qe3)

You passed the 13K without me noticing!

OK I'm in Korea but it's now <7:30 pm> Pacific time---

So I'm signed in to <Weasel Way> as <Jessica_Fischer_Blitz>.

What ID name will you use?

sorry--

< 11 PM Central USA time- at new yahoo chess room Weasel way.>

Got it.

NEW YAHOO-- got the time--

that's 2 and a half hours from now.

You are 8 minutes early.

I'm signed in now

yahoo -- NEW CHESS-- Weasel Way

as <jessica_fischer_queen>.

<positional>

I thought <central time zone> was ONE HOUR ahead of <pacific time zone> when it's actually TWO HOURS ahead.

So I've kept you waiting an hour for nothing!!

I shudda checked the time zone map before, instead of relying on my personal "knowledge" of time zones.

DAmmit. I was so sure I was right.

I was training for our match...

I'm so sorry <positional>.

I'm 50 minutes late!!

I'm in <Weasel New chess> but you've gone already.

I'm sorry I'm so stupid and it ended up with you wasting time...

Sorry for my extremely late reply. I was "off chess" for the last couple of days and did not see your posting at my forum. I will be back soon and then we can continue to talk about the culture in Korea ;)

Unfortunately, I don't know any chess clubs at Daegu, and doubt if there is any. However, there are some strong players there. I don't know all of them, but there's a woman who has a FIDE rating about 1900.

I was really looking forward to our game (and had been training for 3 days at Rapid Time Control)....

I'm VERY sorry I messed it up.

sigh.

Thanks for Blitz invitation, but I've got to go back to work tomorrow and after that my chess playing time will be rather severely restricted.

I hope you are enjoying our holiday as much as I am.

Look forward to hearing from you again soon.

There is a "english bar" in Daegu where folk go to play OTB chess, some of them are pretty good.

Also, I had one fine evening on my vacation playing my friend <Ronnie> with a pocket set in a restaurant.

Kalbi..... mmmmmm... Kalbi n' chess!!
But it's back to work for me tormrroow.

<THE GREAT CLASSICAL V. <<<HYPERMODERN>>> DEBATE:>

Part One: <The Larch>...

No just kidding: actually <The <Gruenfeld Exchange>:

OK look at the position from this opening:

1.d4 Nf6
2.c4 g6
3.Nc3 d5
4.cxd5 Nxd5
5.e5 Nxc3
6.bxc3 Bg7

click for larger view

Exemplary example (heh) in the GREAT DEBATE. White has space and an imposing pawn center-- Black's job is to prove that the pawn center is overextended and unstable.

Here's <Kasparov> with the White Pieces, disproving Black's <Hypermodern> ideas-- at least in this particular game:

Kasparov vs Sax, 1982

Now here's the question that interests me.

How much of each approach has "objective merit" within the realm of <GM OTB Chess>?

(just forget about computers for a minute)...

And how much depends on the relative OTB strengths of the opponents?

OK now let's remember computers again.

Does modern Engine analysis tip the "objective scales" one way or the other in the GREAT DEBATE?

Or is the question too general to give a meaningful answer to?

I need to know..

More to come in this series, ALL COMMENTS/ANALYSIS/OPINIONS super welcome!!

but in this case I am probably willing to trust Gufeld's analysis for now as instead of 16...♕b8 there is also a very interesting line for Black begining 16...h5

In these positions I would be less inclined to go with the engine's evaluation as there are many dynamic factors such as piece mobility and co-ordination as well as defensive vs attacking potential...

and it does seem that in this late middle game type position (I wouldn't call it an end game yet but maybe I would be in the minority yet) White's King is not yet totally safe and he has to be careful in not getting the Rooks and Bishops tied down in passive defence.

To do this he might have to sacrifice a ♙ (probably the h pawn on the King side) but then his winning chances are also greatly diminished and to handle a position like this requires technique so probably Gufeld has this aspect in mind when he says that the line starting with 14.♕xa8 has been found to favour Black in terms of practical chances rather than Black having an advantage or winning

However later he became alive to the dynamic possibilities of the Black side,

However in every position there is a trade off, Black tries to control the center through piece pressure, but for example in the topical 8.Rb1 variation of the Grunfeld, White tries to limit this pressure by getting his Rook of the long diagonal (thereby avoiding many tactical tricks) and tying up the Bishop to defending b7 (Black often has to play b6 or Rb8 to be able to develop the Bishop)

So in a way this is a bit of a success of the Hypermodern school of thought in that players have to counter the pressure on the center exerted by their opponents pieces...