As some will know, I teach chess. 
And I can’t resist a challenge, so here (by request) goes another training game.
Treis, feel free to advice ask from me anytime. You can also take a move back. After the game, I’ll post some annotations. (If you don’t know algebraic chess notation, learn it fast…)
Spectators can comment (and ask questions), but those who post a board diagram 
are much more appreciated!
White Black
Glee Treis
White Black
Glee Treis
If you guys don’t mind I’d rather the comments go into spoiler tags until after the game. I plan on making notes as I go about what I want to do, and what I think glee is doing.
White Black
Glee Treis
Spoiler tags are good for me.
Do you want me to make comments during the game? (spoilered or otherwise)
White Black
Glee Treis
Did you want to use short hand or long hand notation?
Spoiler tags are good for me. I suppose I’ll post my thoughts as well. That ought to provide instruction on what not to do in addition to your instruction on what to do.
[spoiler] I want to put my dark bishop on either c5 or b4. Moving his pawn to has stopped that temporarily. If I go to c5 now he moves d2-d4 forcing me to move it to b4 or b6. If I go to b4 he brings out his knight to block check. That is a fine position for my bishop, but if I just wait I can get there with just one move of the bishop.
If I put my dark bishop on b4 he kicks me out with a2-a3, which normally I like for the other player to play because I just slide my bishop back to a5. If he continues to chase I go to b6, which is a good diagonal for him to be on. Since glee has gone to c4 I can’t run back to the a-file because I lose a bishop.
The disadvantage of c4 for glee is that his light bishop can’t go to c4 or b5 which are probably going to be the best positions for him. Thus since he is unlikely to move his light bishop the turn after next, I don’t see his king pawn moving. He probably will be moving d2 to d3 or d4, with the idea of pinning my knight to my queen. If he does move that pawn I will likely move h7-h6 to stop that from occurring.
I moved my knight to f6 because it is something that was going to happen eventually. I want to see what his plan is a bit more before I decide what I want to do with my bishop.
[/spoiler]
White Black
Glee Treis
Long (as above), so spectators can follow easily.
Both sides are playing a flexible opening. For those who follow such things, the game could transpose into any of:
)Although it’s important to control the centre squares d4/e4/d5/e5 (preferably with pawns), it’s considered OK to wait a little and see what your opponent’s plan is.
So my first move prevented e7-e5 by Black. Soon I will play either my e or d-pawn forward. Black is ready to play either d7-d5, or possibly c7-c5.
White Black
Glee Treis
:smack: How could I have done that!! I resign. 
Notes on this opening:
It appears to be the English (Queens Indian). According to chess-ref.org, it favors White or a draw (21/49 historical White wins). I’m not so good at openings, but my guess is that glee will play e4 or g3 next.
I’m not an opening expert by any means and this one struck me as an odd way of opening. But hey, I wouldn’t be surprised if it, or something very close to it, has been catalogued.
White Black
Glee Treis
The Queens Indian includes White playing an early d2-d4. I can still transpose into it, but would need to do so before Black plays c7-c5.
I don’t know your source, but Chessbase has a database of millions of games…
I could indeed now play e2-e4, d2-d4 or g2-g3!
Here are the significant moves of the openings I mentioned earlier:
Queen’s Gambit: 1. d2-d4 d7-d5 2. c2-c4
Catalan: 1. d2-d4 Ng8-f6 2. c2-c4 e7-e6 3. g2-g3 d7-d5 4. Bf1-g2
Nimzo-Indian: 1. d2-d4 Ng8-f6 2. c2-c4 e7-e6 3. Nb1-c3 Bf8-b4
Hedgehog 1. c2-d4 Ng8-f6 2. Nb1-c3 c7-c5 3. Ng1-f3 e7-e6 4. g2-g3 b7-b6 5. Bf1-g2 Bc8-b7
English 1. c2-c4 e7-e5 2. Nb1-c3 Ng8-f6 3. g2-g3 Nb8-c6 4. Bf1-g2
White Black
Glee Treis
I give up a bit of control over the center in hopes of hemming in his bishop that will eventually move to g2
Comments on treis’s plan:
It may end up that you can get your bishop out, but he’ll probably get his bishop on g2 on the next move. Of the moves that protect the c4 pawn (Bf1-g2, e2-e3, or d2-d3), it seems the best. Moving Bf8 to d6 is probably the best you can do with it then. I don’t know that Bf8-d6 is the best move, but it doesn’t seem so bad (puts pressure back on the c4 pawn, and opens up for castling). Glee will probably be able to better advise later on other options for this situation.
Anyone else following along with thoughts on that?
On what I said earlier to glee:
I put the game into SigmaChess, a very nice Mac Chess program with a freeware version. It indicated that name, but now I see that variation is called “English/Queens Indian formation” by Chess-ref (but not elsewhere), which probably implies that d2-d4 will show up, though it may not in this game. Chess-ref.org is an open-source effort, but it does seem a bit small at the moment. No link since they show up in spoiler text. I had problems with the chessbase website search, but it’s probably my browser.
Since you’re the one teaching here, feel free to read my other comments if you like, unless you don’t want any hints as to what treis is saying during the game.
[spoiler] His c4 pawn is protected. If I take it d5xc4, he can move Qd1-d4 check and then take back Qd4xc4. Besides, I have no real intention of taking c4. I’d like to set up pawns on c6 and d5. This will effectively keep his bishop at g2, at least for a while. I want to keep the h1-a8 diagonal blocked, because it will be difficult for me to protect that diagonal.
I’m guessing that glee will move his bishop to g2 this turn before deciding how he wants to challenge the center. [/spoiler]
I’ve given the precise identifiers for each opening variant earlier. This game is probably the most confusing opening in terms of the number of possible transpositions!
As I said, I haven’t heard of Chess-ref.
Chessbase is a commercial program which is the standard for storing tournament games.
They’ve branched out into sponsoring chess events and running a chess news website.
The names of the opening variants have evolved over the years, but I don’t like “English/Queens Indian formation”. (White doesn’t play d2-d4 in the English opening, but must do in the Queen’s Indian.)
White Black
Glee Treis
Black chooses which pawn to occupy the centre with. 4. … c7-c5 was the main line.
My move appears to lose the c4 pawn, but the rook on a8 is in grave danger if he does that.
Experienced players usually expect only a couple of possible moves. Here I have looked at 5. … d5-d4 and 5. … Bc8-b7.
This is a flexible opening for both sides.
My main decision will be whether to play d2-d4, and if so, when. I expect to castle on the king-side and use my bishop on g2 to put pressure down the diagonal h1-a8.
Especially when you haven’t got a clue what they are.
[spoiler] My move does two main things. First it prevents me from losing a center pawn through c4xd5. Second, it reduces the effectiveness of his g2 bishop. If the a8-h1 diagonal becomes free it would be a very powerful piece for him, and difficult for me to remove.
From here glee is most likely going to develop his king or queen pawn, or castle. If he castles it would be a bit of a delay move. His king is going to castle king side eventually, doing so now would give him an opportunity to see what I am going to do. I expect that he will likely castle.
My weakness at this point is my c6 pawn. It would be bad for me if he were able to put a knight on d4. I don’t want to use a pawn to protect it because I would weaken d5. The best way for me to defend it is Bf8-c5. If he brings out his queen pawn to challenge my bishop, great, because it means he can’t put his knight there. If he does do so I will likely take on c4 to attack his queen side, after moving my bishop back to d6.
He can’t challenge with the b pawn because it would be undefended on b4 and I would just take it. He’d have to prepare with a2-a3, to which I would move a7-a5. After that b2-b4 would be pointless because I would (1) win a pawn, and (2) open up my a file for my rook.
e5 is also a weakness of mine, but I plan on moving Nb8-Nd7 at some point to guard those squares. [/spoiler]
Quadruple post!
I forgot to mention that he could also go Nf3-e5. I would respond with Nb8-d7 to challenge. If he protects it with d2-d4 I trade knights, and then move d5-c4 setting up a queen side pawn push. He would have to be feeling feisty to do this, and judging by his previous plays I think it’s unlikely.
White Black
Glee Treis
At last the position in the centre is becoming clear. Black has a solid position, but will find it hard to advance.
Also the bishop on c8 can become blocked - combined with spending time on playing the move b7-b6, Black is committed to playing Bc8-a6.
Now I don’t want to play c4xd5 if it can simply be answered by c6xd5, when my bishop on g2 is stymied. I would like to keep the position flexible and put pressure on d5 (and indirectly on c6).
However I have to watch out for d5xc4, followed by b6-b5, winning a pawn.
Therefore I saw two main ways to proceed:
I could play d2-d4, then answer Bc8-a6 by Nf3-e5. This brings my g2 bishop into the game, but may risk losing material. The key line is 6. d2-d4 Bc8-a6 7. Nf3-e5 Bxc4; but I don’t like 7. … Nf6-d7, when my c4 pawn is forced to exchange.
I could play d2-d3 and answer Bc8-a6 by b2-b3. This keeps the c8 bishop out of the game. However I allow d5-d4, which might embarrass my knight on c3. :eek: Perhaps I can justify my loss of time with my knight by the fact that Black’s moves b7-b6 and c7-c6 are not relevant once d5-d4 is played.
