< an exercise best performed without the aid of warm blood.> Cold but true!

Although, in the end, the nature of the exercise may appear cold, but the rational approach is as human as it gets, ironically enough.

How scientific an endeavour may appear, there is always the <emotional> reward.

<Niels> your FENS made it even more clear to me--

Recapturing correctly with the <c-pawn> doesn't drive his Bishop off the diagonal if he really wants to stay there- but it does allow the <e5> push with tempo which is screaming to be played in the position-- as it embarrasses his Knight, as you point out.

I'm glad I had enough sense to push my <e-pawn> eventually in the game, as I was very hesitant to do so as it gave me a fixed backwards <d-pawn>-

But Shredder agrees with my play in the game at that juncture.

As you mentioned at my place, this type training also shows you need not fear rating numbers, as there are plenty of inaccuracies to pounce on. Not just in the middle game, where it is your insight vs the other guy's - but you can really train to be superior in a certain opening, punishing weaker moves that allow you to gain tempo, and control the center in a way like with the embarrassed <f6 Knight> - having no decent place to go, and Black's position almost has already sucked the life out of him, within 13 moves!

Add to that the emotional pain when you are sitting behind the black pieces, with a position that shows you are a PAZZER (I hate the word, but this once...) - and basically have been outplayed from the start.

Real test of character that is, for both, as the one up with an advantage STILL NEEDS TO CONVERT!

And that is where practise sessions with your engine at full blast come into the picture.

It all makes sense! And you end up beating the crap out of opponents that HAVE NOT put in the work!

Billie the Kid,
Smoking Gun Division>

LOL

I'm going to have a close look at the actual game parts you posted in a bit. You certainly have painted a vivid picture of the ups and downs of what was a titanic battle!

I think you should be very encouraged by this <E: I suppose the ending of this story is a positive- I got really mad and I hunkered down and pretended I was starting a new game from the present position. And despite him having what was probably a winning positional advantage (I think-), I managed to play down to a theoretically drawn endgame>.

Being able to rise above such emotional turmoil and play the <current> position objectively and to the best of your ability is the test of true fighting spirit. Mastering this emotional control is worth <not winning> a few games in the long run IMO, and cannot but help your progress overall.

I understand how painful such a mistake is in the moment of making, which is why I admire how completely you overcame it all the more.

Many of our chess heroes lead by example here as in everything else. Karpov putting Korchnoi away in the 32nd game of their first WCC match would just be the example I would point to. That wasn't so much a test of chess as character and pressure management IMO.

Now, for the game itself...

I know you're dying to know what chess minutia my obsessive brain can contribute.

Well according to Silman's AWESOME biography of Pal Benko...Benko had a tendency to hang rooks as well.

In fact he somehow interwove this tendency into his story about his failed attempt to flee the eastern block and getting caught and thrown into prison.

Apparently Szabo knew he was in prison and could have helped and did nothing....because he was afraid to lose any more chess games to Benko.

That is pure evil innit?

Ciao.

<JFQ>

Good game indeed, and <elephant> has already provided some very good analysis as well, so here are a few of my thoughts too.

Your <critical position one> shows that you certainly managed to outplay your opponent in the opening. 15...Nd7 is a rotten move to have to play at that stage, even Mr Breyer would balk at that I think.

<I was thinking I had a long term structural weakness with my fixed backwards <d-pawn>, but <Shreddy> says White is perfectly fine here.> Yea I wouldn't worry about your d-pawn becoming a weakness here, because Black has a lot to worry about before looking at that.

A rapid KS attack is certainly in order IMO. It is true that Black can get some counterplay on the QS with c5, and you should maybe consider Rc1 before taking further action, but it all depends on style here I think. Certainly there is no problem with an immediate Nf1-g3-f5 (h5!?) idea.

Another idea might be an immediate 16.e6!? which would render the Black KS terribly weak on the LS.

See what your <Shrubby> thinks, hell I'm interested myself as this is an interesting line.

Notice 16.e6 fxe6 17.Rxe6 Rf4?! can be met with 18.Re4! with advantage IMO

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Like I said, an awesome biography. I should actually buy it.

And wasn't Benko important to Fischer's WC ascendency? gave up his spot in the candidates or something?

A true prince that Pal.

<I thought about <f6+> several times, but quickly dismissed it because I couldn't see the forced win -- but I could see that my original plan of pushing my <e-pawn> DID win material by force, so I suppose I took the <Rook in the hand> as opposed to the <Checkmate in the bush>>

I can understand that entirely <JFQ>. In a real game, if you have a plan that is winning, why bother to look for anything better!?

That is a nice mating attack, but the practical plan would be too tempting for me as well in a real game and I doubt I would have invested sufficient thinking time either in f6+ either

1.f6+ Kh8 (h7 2.Qd2) 2. Qd2 g5 3.Nxh6

Easy when you <know> it is there I guess.

It is super helpful to me. Also, your support and expertise is crucial to my devlepment in all areas of playing strength.

Your insights into <chess psychology> in OTB play are very helpful-- <Elephant> is strong in this area as well obviously.

<Howard> yes I did in fact see your line and even played it- but despite losing his Knight, he managed to pin my bishop to my Rook and then when he evicted my Knight with his h-pawn, after he moved to the only safe square then buddy attacked the unfortunate horse with his d-pawn and I had to surrender him in exchange for a pawn.

And managed to draw from there.

I haven't actually analyzed the game after my last FEN there since I stopped writing down the gamescore after I hung my Rook.

(I didn't even realize I was no longer writing down the moves till the game was over).

However, I remember the moves I just told you about and I'm going to reconstruct that tomorrow and look to see if there was any way for me to save my extra piece- a way that I could still have won the game.

<JFQ>, looking at that final position and all your very logical and detailed thoughts behind it, I am even more impressed you managed to control yourself and grind out the win after < <29.Re7+?> hangs the Rook.>

Really, you did a great job. Sheet happens as <Dom> would say, and it happens to the <best> of us.

Have you seen this?

Christiansen vs Karpov, 1993

Some people check in less regularly than others, but we all have a life time membership to the Club of Human Errors.

It's my pleasure <JFQ>! I'd like to do more for you if I could, but when it comes to actual hard and fast variations, your <Shrubby> and <hms>'s analysis is the very best help you could wish for.

If you keep taking apart your games the way you are, unafraid to confront the facts behind any losses, I know you will keep getting better and better!

I wouldn't be surprised if the logical part of Carlsen's mind knows he is moving <much too quickly> in some of his most important games, he should really start listening to it more if he wants to continue improving...

Thanks <JFQ>!

UNTIL I STARTED GETTING MALWARE from the <incredibly unstable Yahoo> crapola website.

However, I have hundreds of gamescores from my Yahoo career written down in my <Chess Journals>. I would be happy to EMU a few of them to you.

<Madly Deeply: MD> I'm interested in <Benko> as well and I wish I had that book you guys have.

Maybe I will order it when I'm in Canada again.

<Kasparov> was an admirer of <Pal Benko's> endgame technique.

He sure had a tough life it sounds like.

I think all chessplayers are evil, except for us.

LOL

<Thanks <Wood> but it's a <Draw> only that I managed to grind out.>

haha

Yea I had read that, sorry <JFQ>, subconsciously I really wanted you to win that position though.

Plus the word <draw> is offensive to my religious beliefs.

hehe

<Drawssily Drawchuck> was only 1/2 point out of first with <ELEVEN> draws...

He's such a <whacko> you never know what he's going to do.

Win <five in row> like he did last year--

Lose <a whole pile of games>, as recently-

Or win <Linares> with the Drawing Tool?

I think the others are afraid of <Drawchuk>.

He is unpredictable in every sense- weird openings with White where he gets nothing out of it and loses--

And then coming right back with a <masterpiece> and blowing one of these 2700 muppets off the board.

He's as talented- maybe more so- than any of them.

And he's quite obvioulsy <raving mad>.

He has many fans, and few enemies.

If you don't like <Drawchuk>, it means you are a bad person.

Pretty sure about that.>

I think you are right there <JFQ>.

I hope he doesn't retire before getting a match with the then World Champion.

As you say, it would be one of the most thrilling and entertaining matches in history, no doubt in my mind.

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You can play <1.Re7+ Qxe7 2.Qxb6 Qa3 3.Re1>

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can't you?