4th Round of Reno Chess Club Championship: Opposite Color Bishop

After my super busy schedule and being sick for at least 6 days last week I am back to post some instructive game for my lovely viewers through the best of my knowledge that I can share.

This is my 3rd round at the RCC Championship technically because I had a BYE at the first round, at this game I wasn't really satisfied at my performance, I felt that I am not fully grown enough as a Chess Player. George played the Bayonet Variation of King's Indian Defense the line that I haven't played for a long time, it was so interesting because I didn't expect that he is going to play such a super sharp line like KID. The game started as 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 0-0 6. Be2 e5 7. 0-0 Nc6 8. d5 Ne7 9. b4 Nh5 10. Qc2!? this line is so interesting because I never come across with this variation, although I know that Black scores well after 10. ... a5, but instead I chose to play the line that is not that much popular.

Anyhow, I think he played well and less mistakes for his rating, but at my side I wasn't that satisfied on my game because there are flaws that shouldn't appear on my game as a mature player. My mistakes here is not that quite obvious and probably won't be recognize by those players weaker than Class A but don't worry I will try to explain it in the instructive way that I know and I even put some games with same ideas so that you will get the the point on it.

Smith, George - Garingo, Nathaniel



After 17. Ne2

So this is probably the position that I would consider the critical position at the game, 17. Ne2 is quite tricky because I was so tempted to take it by 17. ... Bxe2 followed by 18. Qxe2 f3 19. Bxf3 with the idea of 19. ...Qf4 so that white won't be able to play g3 after 20. ... Be5 due to the bishop is hanging.

This is black to play, obviously you can see that white is two pawns up and they have opposite color bishops plus two rooks each side but the only winning key of the game is the two knights!

So black decided to play 1. ... Nf3+ forcing white to capture it by knight 2. Nxf3 Bxf3 3. Rxe8 Rxe8, now black accomplished his aim to exchange the pair of knights and a couple of rooks. Theoretically rooks and opposite color bishops endings are notoriously drawish, because of the long distance checks and also those bishops are sitting in the different channel, now, can white win this position with two extra pawns? let's see... 4. b4 Bd1 5. Ra2 Rc8...

After 5. ...Rc8

I would say this position should be drawn if white doesn't have an excellent resources that makes this position exceptional, so I come up with the idea that before entering a "drawish" materials you should think about your resources!

Here white plays an excellent 6. b5! temporarily sacrificing the Bishop on c3 but in return white will be able to achieve his dream to promote his poor pawn at b4, black losses after taking the bishop by 6. ... Rxc3 7. b6 Rc8 8. b7 Rb8 9. Ra8 and black resigned, I know that taking the Bishop on c3 is losing but what else black can do besides that? is any other reviving move left? what basically this mean is once a position becomes drawish you should squeeze your mind and try to find the "resources" that you have left on the board otherwise shake your opponents hand and accept the draw.

Here is the whole game [Click here to play] Enjoy!

Eye Versus Brain

This post would be interesting. It is all about my game last Thursday against Wesly Situ a kid has just joined at Reno Chess Club. Actually, I'm teaching this one too, it is pretty exciting to play your students at the tournament in the sense that you have to "schooled" and show them that you are stronger than what they think.

This game is actually not a favorite game at our club but it did attract alot of expectorates during that match, the highlight part of this is when Alsasua and Case (both expert players) were pondering at my board deeply and start shaking their heads while crunching their foreheads, that was funny because they were showing me that they don't get the point of my move!

I put Eye Versus Brain as a tittle for this post is because simply, in Chess we shouldn't always rely on what we see on the board it is because the pieces and all materials on that surface can be deceiving, it is better to rely on your theory, principles and sometimes instinct of playing Chess than relying to your eye vision. I mentioned about "physical vision" of the Chess position here because it is quite related at my game, whereas I sacrificed at least 4 pieces including my queen!

After 16. ... h4

Book theory ended prior to black's 16th move, from here you can see how this game goes, it is simply exploiting the white side's weak move by using the combination. White continued by playing 17. h3? and actually black can easily exploit that one by playing the normal 17. ... Bxh3, but I don't wanna win after 40 or 30 moves with accurate play.

Well, here is the starting position when the combination take place.

after 24. cxd6

I know that all players at the Chess Club expected me to win this game and I have no question about it, some players like this game it is not because of the score 0-1 it is because how I skillfully delivered the combination. This Game reminds me the National Geographic Channel where Fox was tearing the body of a cab, it is so pathetic. Click here to play the game

Playing with student.

The Reno Chess Club Championship Had started three weeks ago, at the first week I had a BYE which given me more time to relax and take my time to switch my focus from somewhere to Chess Board.

My First game was fun, that was January 29, 2009 I played Mr. Amaya Mauricio (one of my students) actually he is the last person that I played last year and the first person I played this year, that's funny.

Well, I kept thinking what line I should play against the person that almost all of repertoire is from his upcoming opponent. Before that game we met for the class and do things what we usually do and I told him that no matter what happen "just don't deviate" play the line that you leaned from me and play your chess, forget who is me and try to crash me as best as you can.

I came at the Chess Club ready to play him and also I am ready for the line that I want to play, he is there already and calmly shook my hand, we shared some jokes before we started and eventually pressed the clock. I started my first move with 1. e4 and he answered 1. ... c5 then we continued 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 Nc6 8. Bc4 0-0 9. Qd2 Bd7 10. 0-0-0 Rc8 11. Bb3 Ne5 12. h4 h5 13. Bg5 Rc5 now we reached the Sicilian Dragon Soltis Variation. Here, white has (g4, Kb1, Bh6, Rdg1 and Rhe1) I played the Rhe1, the line that is not that so familiar compare to g4 and Bh6. I chose this one for simple reason, first this is my real line and second I am just putting him in the test trying to find out if he grasped all of lessons that we've dicussed. Then, 14. Rhe1 I know that there is only one competitive move here 14. ... b5! after this move I prepared myself for a tougher game and not understamating him, actually, Black has two options here the text or the less favourite 14. ... Qa5 but that one takes a lot of studies and base on my studies I like the 14. ... b5 a lot.

And the game continued with heavy error free and I would say he played better compare as he played before, it makes me happy because now I know that I am helping him.

I will post our game here with complete analysis.