I am trying to analyse the puzzle from Sunday Ziatdinov vs D Gurevich, 1995

specifically, I am trying to see if 23..Nf2 also leaves black a pawn up, just like 23..Rxc7 (with best play)

The line I have is 23..Nf2 24. Bxb7,Qc5 25 Bxc8, Qxc2 26.Ka1,Nd3 27.Qd4,Nxe1 28.Rxe1, Nxg2 29.Rf1, Rxc8, Bf4 but is this best play by white?

On the plans of our coastline expansion and related, EG part of Schiphol Airport in the North Sea, with "rotating" landing strip and runways...

http://translate.google.com/transla...

This type of engineering is indeed only possible by Dutch companies...

Also, there was a US delegation sent to Holland a few years ago after the Katrina devastation, to be informed on protection from floods etc...

Truly, the Dutch people are great engineers.

<Dom> said they should put Holland on stilts!!

I think we should get the Dutch government to lodge an official complaint against the Irish government.

<Dom> is a good friend, but <Holland> is too important for such fripperous ideas!!

Here is the Great Documentary:

<Extreme Engineering: Holland's Barriers to the Sea>

(also known as HOLLAND: LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT!)

Watch it on <Mozilla Firefox> browser.

Let it load for a few minutes, then watch away.

It's actually quite fascinating.
http://www.66stage.com/documentarie...

Also, once again I just spent an hour and a half training against Little Chess Partner with <1.c4>.

It's not a hyperagressive program-- it seems "happy" to play positionally so once again I managed to build up a promising attack-- and once again it found best defence and whupped me.

I am getting better at obtaining a playable Middle Game position against it though.

I'm also marvelling at the way <Botnnivik> played the <English>.

I played through two of his wins very slowly with Computer help.

He loves to put his King Knight on <e2> rather than <f3> in the LSB fianchetto variations, so I've been "copying" him.

Makes the f-pawn more free and still observes the <d4> square nicely.

Check this brilliancy out against <The Great GM Sammy Reshevsky>:

Botvinnik vs Reshevsky, 1938

Move 25: White <Botnnivik> to play-- DO YOU SEE THE KILL SHOT? Plus the continuation is forcing and divine...

click for larger view

ANYONE WHO DOESN'T LIKE CHESS OR HOLLAND IS CRAZY.

Meaning, if you don't like <The Great (GM Jan Hein Max Donner Timman Euwe Speelman)>, you are crazy times two!!

OK Tell me about the hypocrisy and irony?

You better not be talking about Holland!!

A group of enterprising engineers already has, at least in part. I was watching a documentary that showed new houses built in Holland by waterfronts with this crazy design. The house is completely watertight like a ship so that when the water rises it just floats.

It is anchored to these metal poles which it can rise up and down on with the water, and they stop it from floating away. Also, water/gas/electricity pipes are fed through these poles into the house, so everything still works when it is afloat!

But you can't have one until it is ready!

I read and enjoyed all of your posts and links. Please feel free to post more whenever you want.

After a day or so, though, I'll periodically be cleaning my page to keep as much <chess analysis> on the "front page" as possible.

Oh also I won't be deleting <Holland Engineering related posts>, for obvious reasons.

WAIT FOR IT -- it's a LOT...

Regards,
Economy Anti Buff But Not a Fool Without a Compassionate Heart Either

This is a very big deal for me "psychologically" so I'll need expert <chess> AND <psychological> analysis, if you've got the time and inclination.

Also, the two other <chess/computer/psychology> experts- <Boomie and HMS>, not to mention the other experts of this kind like <Deffi> and <Dom>... I hope they have time to help lend me some insight.

I now "OWN" the space and time on the Board, whereas the engines (both Shreds and Rybs) can't drive the lone King into a position FROM WHERE they can calculate the 13 or 15 move forced Mate finish. They cannot plan and Harmonize--- they can only calculate... It's quite pathetic, actually, to see them THAT deficient in that area...

That whole process of over 18 months now has helped me ENORMOUSLY. It's the best possible training method you van employ, at home on your own, structurally and systematically adding pieces and thus difficulty... (add a pawn, then 2; then a Rook; then BOC...........all the way to middle- and late middle games)

POINT: I no longer feel like I'm being BULLIED when I play my engine, although it is 400 points stronger than me when playing a fresh game, where it can choose its opening lines at will.

Of course we all train in different, "personalized", ways that suit our personality as well as the time available... Needless to say my OTB opening play is still rudimentary, but openins weren't set by me as a goal --- I started backwards, sort of like the 4-5-6 men tablebases program.

--it's of course the balance between 'having fun', playing online (for one more year, then OTB!, I hope for you), on the one side-- and the more labotious work, on the other side...

Figuring that out, is situated in the 'fun' area -- that's what is so satisfying about it.

EXACTLY the kind of analysis and <reportage> I was looking for-- and much more to come I hope.

I'm dead tired right now so I'll post my discovery tomorrow after work.

Just this last week or so, thanks to <computer sparring>, i believe I have identified a key weakness in my game.

IE-- an area where I need to to the most work on at the moment.

OK I'm shattered right now but post away on <chess related observations> as you wish in the meantime...

I'll explain more in the car.

I think EMU will be in order as well.

I got a very pleasant surprise against <Little House on the Chess partner> today that turned to tragedy...

And I believe I know why, and what to do about it.

<Jess> You're welcome to let me know what happened whenever you feel like telling it.

I'll be sure to check in later tonight, but right now I'm searching the databases for more documentaries on <Dutch Engineering Miracles>.

EMU will come tomorrow-- I think I've had a chess epiphany about my play and it's the <computer sparring> that showed me exactly where I need to work...

(I still hate engines-- even the idea of them-- but they can be wonderful tools to aid a person in improving their game-- if used the right way-- as <Majnu> said in one of his tutorials--)

I will explain the curious tale tomorrow.

I must say it's an honor to have the aid of a <WWII British Aircraft Carrier> that featured <bi-planes> instead of fighter jets.

Also, they have been programmed with a whole set of [insert the right term] - to pay extra attention to king safety, prevent permanent weaknesses, if they see them in time, etc...

Great training tool when handled in a specific way.

Thanks <coach>!>

Now the next time you make a bad move, just remember Aronian's(!) horrible ♖e2-b2?? and you will feel much better.

<Jess> My previous post contained nothing new, I know, but when I said that "they do not place their pieces well," it was of course, viewed strictly, untrue... The programmers have done a good job, and "they" are a mix between those guys, abd the hardware application, together producing a Chess machine, capable of playing mostly sound (including developing) moves, at pretty much any stage of the game... As such, they place their pieces quite well. Ackshirley.

*clears throat*

I was on a roll and couldn't help swithing a bit to "rant-mode."

I'll be posting some findings and asking more questions, but You'll see that you've already answered most of them.

But I want to post something concrete to

A. start talking specifics

B. publicly give myself some confidence even though <Little Chess Partner> is very weak compared to your standard chess engine these days.

Back soon, and EMU to accompany....

I feel like there's a bomb in me about to explode or something.

Tough coupla days at work and my brain is not working worth a crap when it comes to chess.

I played through a <botvinnik> game after work today and actually started crying because I couldnt' understand the moves.

That's when I decided to eat a sandwich and go for a walk.

Tomorrow, I play chess agaisnt a human.

the thought of getting a job in a chess-playing country is one of the only things keeping me going at this point.

I'll explain in the car...

but first I'm going to watch some Monty Python now I think.

Well, I have never gone that far but I know how you feel. Sometimes I pick up games collections and go from one game to the next not having a clue what is going on!

I think it has a lot to do with personal style though. For example, my book of Tal games gives me a headache and I feel out of my depth. However, if I play through a Karpov game I feel much more at home and can appreciate the moves much more easily because his style suits me more.