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| Jun-22-08 | | fictionist: Once in a while, a player of my style would want to enter perilous waters. At first glance, one can really see Black is ahead (and I think he hasn't lost his lead even after the end of the game). Instinct prompted me to play 18.Qxe8 after seeing (and believing) that my pieces will be more active. After the exchanges of Q for 2Bishops and a Rook, I felt as though Black would crush me in a few more moves. The saving move (as I label it!) was 20.Bh3. It looks dubious but there is no other good square for this Bishop. The significance of this 20th move became evident after 24.Rbe1---the light-squared Bishop suddenly becomes powerful on the h3-c8 diagonal! This game proved that sometimes I play daring moves even at the risk of defeat---proving to a very popular draw critic here in CG.com that I have a killer instinct. |
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| Jun-22-08 | | zanshin: <pb> I had a look at the position. I see your point. Rybka wants to maintain the material advantage and wants to move the King to the c-file to support the a-pawn. Rxh6 followed by Ra8 is simpler. I forced Rxh6 and Rybka did see that Ra8 was best. I think this is a good example of human insight seeing a plan that is beyond the horizon of the engine. But maybe your advantage was such that almost any plan would have won ;-)
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Jun-23-08
 | | Phony Benoni: <Zanshin But maybe your advantage was such that almost any plan would have won ;-)> Yes, it is a bad example, but I'm glad it made my point. I will generally skim through completed games with my Bozo 0.5 computer, and generally get amazed by all the simple shots overlooked by both players. But, then, I shouldn't be, as I seem to have the gift of losing to any computer program I play, regardless of the level it's set at. I mean, chessgames.com has links to some programs "...with the cognitive ability of a turnip..."--and I can still lose to them! And you can save your breath with all the simple tips on beating computers--I've tried them all over the last 25 years, and nothing works for me. Yes, 25 years. Back in 1982, I was the first USCF-rated Expert (2000-2199 Elo) to lose to a microprocessor in a tournament. At least I got my name in the press release. |
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| Jun-23-08 | | zanshin: < "...with the cognitive ability of a turnip..."--and I can still lose to them!> You too?! I know what you're talking about. I thought it was just me. I just get so careless sometimes I feel like packing it in. In the team games where comps are not allowed, I hate to make suggestions because they are all so bad. I can see my teammates rolling their eyes, then trying to be diplomatic in their responses. I'm afraid I'm one of those with an unrequited love for the game. <I was the first USCF-rated Expert (2000-2199 Elo) to lose to a microprocessor in a tournament.> At least you became famous ;-) |
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| Jun-24-08 | | whiteshark: Hi <Phony Benoni>.
Can you please check if all these games http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches...
belong to Peter G Grey ? Such important questions arise when I was watching 'Grey's Anatomy' for several hours. It's unclear if this affects the brain, no? |
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Jun-24-08
| | Phony Benoni: <whiteshark> Quite possibly. I know Peter G Grey from having played him at the 1975 US Open, and can confirm that he is the same man who played at the 1967, 1974, and 1999 US Opens. The other tournaments may have USCF crosstables online; I'll check when I get home. |
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| Jun-27-08 | | fictionist: <I'm afraid I'm one of those with an unrequited love for the game.> Eh ako nga, I love this game so much 14 years ago but I didn't have both moral and financial support. I reached 2148 back when I was 13. Who knows what will my rating be when I didn't stop? |
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Jun-28-08
| | Phony Benoni: <fictionist> 2148!? Now I don't feel as bad about losing to you. Best I ever made was 2143. |
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| Jun-28-08 | | whiteshark: Thanks <Phony Benoni>! I see the unification has been completed. :D Chess is like Grey's anatomy: A few characters, varying interrelationship and no close connection between the sessions. |
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| Jun-29-08 | | fictionist: <Phony Benoni: Now I don't feel as bad about losing to you. Best I ever made was 2143.> That was 14 years ago. The one who taught me at age 6 (see my profile) how to move chess pieces told me I could have a bright future since I could defeat 2300+ players at will. We were very poor back then I didn't realize chess was only for those who could afford to have computers,books for study. Plus, my parents were against it. I rebelled against them by cutting classes at high school just to chess for money. |
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| Jun-30-08 | | arsen387: Hello <PB>. We are paired in the first round of <pg>'s tour. Good luck! I hope it will be an interesting game <fictionist: I reached 2148 back when I was 13.> Wow, I didn't know that! 2148 is very impressive! Then I should be proud for holding you to a draw (though I haven't done it yet, but I'm pretty close :) ) |
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Jul-01-08
| | Phony Benoni: <arsen387> I see you've taken the plunge into premium membership. Now I will have to be careful! <citionist> I honestly don't remember how I learned chess, which may be one reason I never became a Grandmaster.
Nobody in my family played. There was a recreation park near my house with some board games available, but I never received any instruction. It's quite possible I picked it up reading books, for I was a voracious reader and haunted the public library even at that age. My first real memory about chess was going to a bookstore at age seven right after getting my first pair of glasses, and buying <Practical End-Game Play> by Fred Reinfeld. I still have the book, but ironically endings remain the weakest part of my game. Either Reinfeld wasn't a good teacher, or I wasn't a good learner. There was no competitive chess in the schools back in those days, so I hardly ever played--just read about chess. My first real taste of competition was correspondence play with <Chess Review> magazine when I was in high school in the late 1960s. I have to admit that I never skipped school to play chess, but I kept up with the correspondence games during study hall and there was the one blind teacher who didn't know that a friend and I played during class. (Miss Fucinari, if this gets back to you, please forgive me!). Of course, I did skip mid-week evening Bible Study class once, which may be even worse than skipping school. |
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| Jul-09-08 | | ganstaman: I'm a little late to the conversation, but...
<Phony Benoni: I will generally skim through completed games with my Bozo 0.5 computer, and generally get amazed by all the simple shots overlooked by both players. But, then, I shouldn't be, as I seem to have the gift of losing to any computer program I play, regardless of the level it's set at.> I think I have 3 games saved where I've beaten a computer (they may be framed some day). What saddens me is when I review the games with another computer (stronger, but still weak) and it finds improvements. It just reminds me how weak my computerized opposition was. In case you're interested in the games (I thought they were quite exciting), I'll post them in my forum (so that I can steal your visitors!). |
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Jul-09-08
| | Phony Benoni: <ganstman> No, I've never beaten a top-notch computer. But then, I've never defeated a top-notch human either. However, I have done the next best thing. In former days, there was a Class A player in Michigan who was a good guy for the most part, but a bit irritatinng about reminding us that he was a member of MENSA. I take great pleasure that my inferior brainpower still produced a 3-0 record against him. Here's one of our games: Event "Boynton Mini-Swiss"]
[Site "Detroit, Mich."]
[Date "1990.11.24"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "2"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "The Genius"]
[Black "Moody, David"]
[ECO "C55"]
[WhiteElo "1841"]
[BlackElo "2043"]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4 Nf6 5.e5 d5 6.Bb5 Ne4 7.Nxd4 Bc5 8.Bxc6+ bxc6 9.0-0 Ba6 10.Re1 Nxf2 11.Kxf2 Qh4+ 12.Kg1 Bxd4+ 13.Kh1 Bf2 14.Re2 Bxe2 15.Qxe2 Bg3 16.h3 0-0 17.Nd2 Rae8 18.Nf3 Qe4 19.Qa6 Rxe5 20.Bd2 Rh5 21.Rf1 Qxc2 22.Qxa7 Qd3 23.Rc1 Re8 24.Kg1
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<I don't have many chess maxims, but one is that being up the exchange and two pawns makes it easy to find combinations.> 24...Rxh3 25.gxh3 Qxf3 26.Rxc6 Bh2+ 27.Kxh2 Re2+ 0-1 |
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| Jul-09-08 | | micartouse: <I don't have many chess maxims, but one is that being up the exchange and two pawns makes it easy to find combinations.> haha good advice that I haven't read in any of my chess books. Has anyone ever failed the MENSA exam I wonder? |
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| Jul-10-08 | | ganstaman: <Phony Benoni: <ganstman> No, I've never beaten a top-notch computer.> Sure, use the qualifier 'top-notch' so that the computer games I posted in my forum seem easy (well, they were certainly easier than they would have been had I played top-notch computers). <But then, I've never defeated a top-notch human either. However, I have done the next best thing.> Very nice. I haven't beaten a top-notch player either. I did almost draw against a USCF-1996 (rating, not year) player. But I messed up from this position: 
click for larger viewBlack to move and not walk into mate-in-1. |
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| Jul-10-08 | | ganstaman: While I'm complaining, here's a position against an 1821-USCF rated player.
click for larger viewBlack to move, after already having thrown away a winning position. Just don't forget what I forgot: protect the queening square <before> using it! |
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| Jul-10-08 | | mmmsplay10: did u play c1=Queen before playing Kd2? ;-) |
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| Jul-10-08 | | ganstaman: <mmmsplay10: did u play c1=Queen before playing Kd2? ;-)> :( Also, I messed up my first diagram. It should have the white queen on h6. 
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Jul-16-08
| | Phony Benoni: Come to think of it, I have beaten some pretty strong players in my time. For instance, I defeated IM Benjamin Finegold the first three times we played. Of course, the last of those was when he was an 11-year-old Class A player; since then, the score is 16-2 in his favor. That's 16 wins for Finegold, 2 draws for Moody. I also got a win over IM Josh Manion back when he was a 2100 player. However, if you're talking about players who were already pretty darn good when I played them, things ain't so rosy. And if you want sad stories, boy, do I have sad stories for you. Take this one:
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Here, I had White against FM Fred Lindsay (2417). I also needed to make two moves in about 30 seconds, but that was no excuse for <39.Qe5??>. After <39...Rc1+> I lost on time as I was too busy banging my head against a wall to make move 40. Here's another one, against IM Vasik G Rajlich, the Wizard of Rybka:
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I deliberately steered for this ending about 35 moves earlier because I knew how to draw it, and had been doing a sufficiently decent job until <94.Rh8+?? Kg1!>. The worst part was that it was played in a team tournament, so you can imagine how much sympathy I got. However, now that I've fed it to a tablebase I don't feel quite as bad. In the diagrammed position, White has only five moves that draw and 11 that lose. The odds were against me. You might enjoy finding the White move that allows mate in two. |
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| Jul-17-08 | | ganstaman: 94. Rg1 f2+ 95. K(d or f)1 fxg1=R#
And yes, the underpromotion would feel good enough to be worthwhile. I always wondered what it would feel like to be around today telling the story of how you once destroyed Fischer in chess ... like 2 days after he first learned how to play. Ah, to be that guy... |
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Jul-17-08
| | Phony Benoni: I did defeat Robert J. Fischer in a tournament. Entirely different guy, of course. I do have a draw against a player who drew with THE Fischer. Do moral victories count? |
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| Jul-17-08 | | ganstaman: <Phony Benoni: I did defeat Robert J. Fischer in a tournament. Entirely different guy, of course.> Well that could have been frightening to see his name paired with yours. <I do have a draw against a player who drew with THE Fischer. Do moral victories count?> Yes. What are we without our morals? |
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| Jul-17-08 | | Travis Bickle: Outstanding Phony Benoni! |
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Jul-19-08
| | Phony Benoni: While we're on the subject of bad moves (something which could sum up my entire chess career)... I was the Games Editor of <Michigan Chess> from 1981-2000. The Michigan Chess Association would distribute free scoresheets to tournament organizers with the understanding the scores would eventually come to me. As a result, I got a chance to publish a lot of good games. I also got the chance to go over an even larger number of totally dreadful games. You couldn't make this stuff up if you tried--and you certainly wouldn't want to. Starting in 1985, I began a Worst Move of the Year feature. The candidates, which were presented anonymously, conformed to two main rules: they had to change the result of a game for the worse, and they had to be funny. This automatically eliminated my blunders, which were without exception heart-breaking tragedies. So here are the nominees for 1985. See if your choice for the worst agrees with mine. And it might be an interesting puzzler to guess what the blunder was. <#1: Black to play>
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Black, who outranked his opponent by 400 rating ponts, chose to trap the bishop with <1...b6??>. Unfortunately, <2.Ba6#> was a strong response. <#2: Black to play>
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You've all seen television commercials where one player says "check" and the other replies "checkmate". Never happens in real life? <1...Re8+?? 2.Qxe8#>. <#3: White to play>
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White is ahead in material, and has several ways of mating in two. Unfortunately, he chose the wrong one: after <1.Ra2?? h3+!> forced stalemate. <#4: White to play>
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Not only is White is a piece ahead, but he has a pretty forced mate with 1.Nd5!. Instead, he played the stronger <1.Rg1??> Stronger for Black, that is, who replied <1...Qxg1> and went on to win. And the winner (or loser) is ... You tell me. |
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