Chess game: MindWanderer vs Glee

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
41

MW glee

  1. d4 Nf6
  2. c4 c5
  3. Nf3 cxd4
  4. Nxd4 b6
  5. Nc3 Bb7

Black is first to attack the h1-a8 diagonal. White will have to decide how to develop his f1 bishop (without losing the g2 pawn).

42

From an early version of ‘Forest Gump’:

“An SDMB chess thread is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get.”

43
  1. d4 Nf6
  2. c4 c5
  3. Nf3 cxd4
  4. Nxd4 b6
  5. Nc3 Bb7
  6. f3

My bishop is really hemmed in, but I’ve made your bishop and knight constricted as well.

44
  1. d4 Nf6
  2. c4 c5
  3. Nf3 cxd4
  4. Nxd4 b6
  5. Nc3 Bb7
  6. f3 d6

See my post #31!

45

It seems e4 is the standard response, but for some reason I like e3 better. Quite likely I’m wrong but I’d rather play the weird move and find out why’s it bad. I like e3 because my light squared bishop is better matched up against your pawns which are on dark squares.

MW Glee

  1. d4 Nf6
  2. c4 c5
  3. Nf3 cxd4
  4. Nxd4 b6
  5. Nc3 Bb7
  6. f3 d6
  7. e3
46

MW Glee

  1. d4 Nf6
  2. c4 c5
  3. Nf3 cxd4
  4. Nxd4 b6
  5. Nc3 Bb7
  6. f3 d6
  7. e3 a6

e4 is indeed standard. e3 is OK, just more passive.

My a6 move must look mysterious, especially after my advice to develop pieces.
The reason is that this position is hard for White to open up (by exchanging pawns). Therefore Black has time to set up his piece formation. Do I put my f8 bishop on e7 or g7? Does mt e7 pawn stay where it is (to guard d6), go to e6 or to e5?
Well I know I don’t want a White Knight on b5 in any case. So I play the slow a6, because my King is in no danger in the centre.
This ‘breaking the rules’ is tricky to explain, and can only really be learnt with experience.

47

MW Glee

  1. d4 Nf6
  2. c4 c5
  3. Nf3 cxd4
  4. Nxd4 b6
  5. Nc3 Bb7
  6. f3 d6
  7. e3 a6
  8. Bd3

This is a really weird position that I haven’t seen before, or anything like it really. Of course normally when I face a move like Nf6 I don’t know what to do. When I played my dad and learned some openings we ended up playing 4 knights opening a lot for some reason. I didn’t know anything about the modern openings until much later.

48

MW Glee

  1. d4 Nf6
  2. c4 c5
  3. Nf3 cxd4
  4. Nxd4 b6
  5. Nc3 Bb7
  6. f3 d6
  7. e3 a6
  8. Bd3 g6

This type of opening (where the White d pawn and Black c pawn have been exchanged etc) is known as a Hedgehog formation (really!). Black relies on his pawns guarding all the key squares. N.B. If White had played e4, I would have played e6 (not g6) to stop a White Knight dropping into d5.

49

Watching “pros” play always reminds me how little I really know about this game! I can read a game and see the logic behind each move in retrospect…but not so good at deciding what the next move should be. Probably not alone in this, huh? :smiley:

I’m not sure who’s position I’d take if I walked up and was offered either side to play. To me (and my mediocre eye), white is more open & driving a wedge up the center but looks a little weak in the pawn structure. Black on the other hand is still a bit behind in development but looks explosive on the queen side. And despite the difference black still seems to have reasonable control of the center squares.

50

Chess is easy to learn, but difficult to play well!
I hope my brief comments are helping, but it’s simply not possible to explain exactly how an experienced player like myself knows what features of the position are most important.

This is simply not a position that beginners reach.

You are reasonably accurate with your assesment:

  • White has more space.
  • White has no ‘wedge’ at all in the centre (the key to such a breakthrough is a pawn break, supported by pieces. No sign of that).
  • White’s pawn structure is solid at present. However to make any progress, he has to advance, which potentially creates weaknesses.
  • Black is behind in development. Although this is risky in open positions, here Black can choose his setup based on what White does.
  • Black is not explosive anywhere!. After finishing his development, Black will consider d6-d5 (unless White plays e3-4, but this is an admission that e2-e3 lost time).
  • the key point for Black’s opening is that there are no central squares for White to occupy.
51

MW Glee

  1. d4 Nf6
  2. c4 c5
  3. Nf3 cxd4
  4. Nxd4 b6
  5. Nc3 Bb7
  6. f3 d6
  7. e3 a6
  8. Bd3 g6
  9. b3

I just renewed my USCF membership recently and I’m thinking I might get involved in some correspondence games. I’ve really am enjoying being able to take my time and try to figure out a good move.

52

MW Glee

  1. d4 Nf6
  2. c4 c5
  3. Nf3 cxd4
  4. Nxd4 b6
  5. Nc3 Bb7
  6. f3 d6
  7. e3 a6
  8. Bd3 g6
  9. b3 Bg7

Correspondence chess can be much swifter if you use e-mail. Sadly there is nothing to prevent your opponent from using a computer.

53

MW Glee

  1. d4 Nf6
  2. c4 c5
  3. Nf3 cxd4
  4. Nxd4 b6
  5. Nc3 Bb7
  6. f3 d6
  7. e3 a6
  8. Bd3 g6
  9. b3 Bg7
  10. Bb2
54

MW Glee

  1. d4 Nf6
  2. c4 c5
  3. Nf3 cxd4
  4. Nxd4 b6
  5. Nc3 Bb7
  6. f3 d6
  7. e3 a6
  8. Bd3 g6
  9. b3 Bg7
  10. Bb2 OO (castles Kingside)
55

MW Glee

  1. d4 Nf6
  2. c4 c5
  3. Nf3 cxd4
  4. Nxd4 b6
  5. Nc3 Bb7
  6. f3 d6
  7. e3 a6
  8. Bd3 g6
  9. b3 Bg7
  10. Bb2 OO
  11. OO

I predict you are going to start a pawn storm very soon, or threaten my e pawn.

56

MW Glee

  1. d4 Nf6
  2. c4 c5
  3. Nf3 cxd4
  4. Nxd4 b6
  5. Nc3 Bb7
  6. f3 d6
  7. e3 a6
  8. Bd3 g6
  9. b3 Bg7
  10. Bb2 OO
  11. OO Nbd7

Black doesn’t do pawn storms in the Hedgehog!
However any undefended pawn (or piece) is worth keeping an eye on…

57

MW Glee

  1. d4 Nf6
  2. c4 c5
  3. Nf3 cxd4
  4. Nxd4 b6
  5. Nc3 Bb7
  6. f3 d6
  7. e3 a6
  8. Bd3 g6
  9. b3 Bg7
  10. Bb2 OO
  11. OO Nbd7
  12. Qc2

I’m having a hard time coming up with a plan, it seems like there’s not a whole lot I can do to make progress.

58

MW Glee

  1. d4 Nf6
  2. c4 c5
  3. Nf3 cxd4
  4. Nxd4 b6
  5. Nc3 Bb7
  6. f3 d6
  7. e3 a6
  8. Bd3 g6
  9. b3 Bg7
  10. Bb2 OO
  11. OO Nbd7
  12. Qc2 Nc5

Well that is typical of this opening. White has more space and is under little pressure. But what progress can he make?!

59

MW Glee

  1. d4 Nf6
  2. c4 c5
  3. Nf3 cxd4
  4. Nxd4 b6
  5. Nc3 Bb7
  6. f3 d6
  7. e3 a6
  8. Bd3 g6
  9. b3 Bg7
  10. Bb2 OO
  11. OO Nbd7
  12. Qc2 Nc5
  13. Rad1
60

watches with interest, flirts with others