Chess Night 071414 – Chess 960 Tourney Rd 2

Another great night at LCCC!

A great time at LCCC Monday night. We had Chess.com’s Team
Michigan and LCCC member Pat K come and visit from Midland, MI. Welcome Pat!He played some casual games during before and during our 960 round.

We also want to welcome our new club members Ethan and Ken B. They are fairly new to the chess scene, but we will have them tournament ready in no time!

In the round (2) – we had three matches delayed until next week:

Board 1: Luke S – Aaron J
Board 2: Ken T – Paul M
Board 3: Zade K – Ted G

The games played, the winners were:

Mike N

Vince V
Americo M
Marcello M

One game was drawn by Luigi M and Gene M.

The 960 Round Two continues next week, but most of the club members will be available for casual games, Ladder tournament games or lessons if you want one.

Stop on by!

More great games with analysis – the best I can – next post.

Nice Night at LCCC – New Member – New 960 Game Analyses

The first chess played at La Buffelo de Viva Wings a la Paris!

It was 960 Tournament Make-up night, but no games had to be played. So, we had a Ladder Tournament game played – won by Paul M. We also had some casual games played – both speed chess and regular casual.

A group lesson was given to some of our members. The main focus of the lesson was “square control”. How to win by limiting your opponent move options and realizing what squares you control and figuring out which ones you need to control. The lesson was well received.

Here is a 960 game from last year, with a little background. It was a win by Jason Morris – on his way to the 2013 LCCC 960 Tournament win. This is a mid-tournament game Jason had against a much lower rated opponent. But Jason has a few things working against him.

One thing it is a 960 tournament. So Jason’s much stronger opening book memory is no help. Second, the time limit was only 30 minutes per player. The lack of quality think time with a completely random position also leveled the playing field. Maybe a little over confidence could have been a factor.

Having said all that, Jason’s opponent played a real first class game up until the time pressure got to him also. Here is the game with the back rank pieces placed left to right as so:  QRNBBKRN
1. Ng3    c6
2. d4    d5
3. Nd3    Bc7
4. Nf5    Nd6
5. g4     Ng6
6. Ng3   Bd7
7. f3    Re8
8. b3    Qc8
9. Ne5    Nf4
10. Bd2    Nh3
11. Rg2   f6
12. Nxd7   Qxd7

White is simply trading a knight for a bishop with the hopes of opening the position soon. Bishops are better in open positions. But Black will strive to keep the position closed for two reasons; his knights will fair better than White’s bishops and who wants open lines against a better player?

13. c3    Nf7

14. Bc2   g6
15. Re1    e5
16. Qc1    Nhg5
17. h4    Ne6
18. e3    Re7
19. f4    e4
20. g5    f5
21. c4    b6
22. Bd1   Ng7
Black stays with the plan of keeping the position closed and not make waves. The computer says White has a slight lead, but the game is basically even.

23. Bb4+   Bd6

24. Bxd6   Nxd6
25. Be2    Kf7
26. h5    Re6
27. Kf2    Ke7?
The first slip by Black. He pulls off the g-pawn. Ree8 was best to help his fellow rook. (+1.5)

28. Rh1    Qd8?

More slippage by Black as Kd8 was better (+2.2), getting the King out of the way.

29. Qa3   Qb8

30. Rgh2   Kd7
31. hxg6   hxg6
32. Rh7   Nde8?
A little panic and time pressure is starting to affect Black. Kd8 is fine as 33. Rh8 can be met with Ree8. Now the advantage is (+4.1)

33. cxd5   cxd5

34. Bb5+  Kd8
35. Bxe8   Rexe8
36. R1h6    Re6?
37. Qa4??  ……
There is now time pressure for both sides. This is why you never give up or stop looking for chances to punch back. White had 37. Rxg7, Qxg7 38. Qf8+, Re8 39. Qxg7 and its over. Now it is still a struggle (+1.2).

37.  …..     Qc7

38. Ne2     Ke8
39. Rh1    Kb8?!
 Black still thinks he is losing and is in time pressure. Kb7 holds the fort.

40. Rc1    Qb7

41. b4    b5?
42. Qc2?! …..
White had Qb3, then Rc5 and then Nc3! Time trouble is a cruel master.

42. ……   Re7

43. Qc5    Resigns
A fine effort by both players!
PS: Thank you to all of our readers as we crossed the 25,000 hits line on the blog!

Summer 960 Tournament Starts With 14 Players and a Bang!

Everyone wants to see how a 960 game plays out!

Just because the tournament started, doesn’t mean you can’t play the first round. This tournament is running each round for two weeks! We know it is summer and people have other activities to get in. So you only have to show up every other week to play your round – if you want or need to.

On the weeks you don’t have a round, the Club will still have the Ladder Tournament, casual games and lessons going on. So stop on by any Monday night for a fun night of chess.

Now for the bang! There was one big upset in the tournament’s first round. The winners in the first round were Ken T, Gene M, Mike N, Luke S, Luigi and Paul M. Nice job guys.

But the slight shocker was the win by Zach Romeos over his much higher rated opponent!

Fischer Random or Chess 960 is a variation of chess where the back rank pieces are randomly placed on the board. A couple things are certain in this type of chess; One is that the regular chess openings theory does you no good, and Two - White hass an even bigger advantage at the start in most of the position, than in regular chess. Black is usually on his heels right away.

Zach did have the White pieces in this game. That being said, lets watch how this upset unfolded.

The position started as Position 501 (yes, someone actually numbered all 960 of them) – which starting from left to right has the pieces NBRNKRBQ. And the game when as follows:

1. c3   e5

2. Bc2   d5

3. Nb3   c6

4. g3   Bd6

5. d4   e4

Black is building a strong center. Always a good idea in standard chess. Black is a very strong opening player in regular chess and wants to get to familiar territory.

6. f3   f5

7. fxe4    fxe4

8. Rxf8+   Kxf8

9. Be3   Be6

10. Nf2    Nb6

White to make move No. 11

The first ten moves are over and the game is essentially even. Black cannot castle and his king is exposed, but for compensation, he does have the stronger center and more active bishops. According to Fritz, Black stands slightly better at (-.11). This is big for Black as in 960 chess, White has an even bigger starting advantage with the first move since he can sometimes attack an unprotected pawn right away.

11.  O-O-O    Nc4

12.  Nxe4!?     dxe4

White instinctively realizes he needs to trade the piece for two of the center pawns or get smothered by them. There were other move options - but this option gives White some play, rather than being on the defensive against a strong opponent.
 

13. Qxe4   Nxe3

14. Qxe3   …….

Black has improved his lead to (-.77) as his more active pieces are stronger than White’s two center pawns. But he has to get active with them and his Queen out of the corner and into the game….with g6.

14. …..     Rc7?

Looks natural and right, but not so. It leaves his pieces outgunned with the White Lady dominating the board. The lead evaporates and the game is dead even - after White’s best next move.

15. Nc5   Bf7

16. Qg5   Be7?

Blocks the rook from helping defend the King. Re7 was preferred by Fritz.

17. Qe5!   Rc8

White has a (+2.5) advantage with that best move. Other options of decent moves lessens the lead to less than half that - around (+.9).

18. Bf5     Bg5??

White continues to make the strongest move and Black…..not so much. Ra8 to hide the rook from attack was needed. It’s looking bleak for Black (+6).

19.  e3     Bf6

20. Nd7+   Kg8

Black is essentially a Queen down because His Lady is entombed in the corner.

21.  Qd6    Resigns

Black did not like the looks of 21. ….Ne6, 22. Bxe6, Re8 23. Bxf7+, Kxf7 24. Rf1, h5 25. Ne5+, Kg8 26. Qd7, Re7 27. Qc8+, Kh7 28. Qf5+, Kg8 29. Ng6

Great game Zach R!

If you have never played Fischer Random / Chess 960, you are missing a fun time at the chess board. Come on out on Monday and check it out.

Summer League May Be Over, But Exciting Chess is Still Possible at LCCC

We had a nice crowd of 17 players this Monday night. No League play, no tournament happening, but good chess still does.

You can still get a lesson. You can still get a casual game. You can still get a speed chess game. You can get a Fischer Random 960 game.

Or you can step up to our always running Ladder Tournament. Start at the bottom and work your way up the rungs. Beat someone higher than you and move up – lose and you stay put, but the winner moves above you. It’s as easy a tournament as that.

We had action of all types tonight. We had some ladder games that will appear here later.

The big announcement is that LCCC will be running a Fischer 960 tournament soon. Be sure to sign up for it by email or on Monday nights at the club.

White to move and win.

The tournament will probably be four rounds – and it will run every other week! This will give the players two weeks to get their game in.

Obviously vacations happen in the summer and you may miss a week. Hopefully the two week window to play the game will help with that.

Final details about the 960 tourney to follow.

In the meantime, here is a puzzle for you to enjoy. As usual, the answer will appear in the comments soon.

LCCC Chess League Concludes – 300 Spartans are the Champs!

Zach Romeos (left) and Paul Johnson take over Board One.

As it turned out, the league title did not have an exciting finish, but the battle for what they thought was for 3rd place, ended up going down to the wire AND ended up being for 2^nd place! Now that was exciting.

The 300 Spartans snuffed out the Gamma Rays        3.5 - .5 in a battle for the title. So it was an undefeated summer season for the 300 Spartans. Congratulations!

This final team score tally of that match left the door open for either the Four Aces or Its Your Move to slip into second place with a commanding win in their own head to head match.

The Four Aces got it done with a 3 – 1 win over Its Your Move, with 2^nd place alone being secured with a late, last game going win by Zach Romeos to push the point total to 11.

Here are the final standing for the Summer League:

1^st - 300 Spartans  5 – 0……..14.5 team points

2^nd - Four Aces  3 – 2……..11 team points

3^rd – Gamma Rays 3 – 2……..10.5 team points

4^th – Red Dragons 2 – 3……..9.5 team points

5^th – Its Your Move 2 - 3……..9 team points

6^th – Unnamed Team 0 – 5……..5.5 team points

Congratulations again to the 2014 Summer League Champs – 300 Spartans

Board 1 – Aaron Jagt

Board 2 – Dave Sybert

Board 3 – Sam Thompson

Board 4 – Marcello Milani

Week 5 of the LCCC League – The Grand Finale Next Week!

Aaron (left-300 Spartans) and Gus (Red Dragons) battle on board 1. 

Well we are set up for a great finish!

The Four Aces defeated the Unnamed Team 2.5 – 1.5 as a late draw on the 1^st board clinched the win for the Aces.

Meanwhile, in the other match, it also came down to the last game to finish with the 300 Spartans winning 3 -1 and clinching at least a tie for the Summer League title!

As luck would have it, next week the 300 Spartans (4 points and 11 team points) play the Gamma Rays (3 points and 10 team points). If the Gamma Rays win they at least tie for the league title. And a 3 – 1 or better win gives them the title outright!

Of course the 300 Spartans only need a drawn match to win the league outright. This is very exciting stuff. Stop by LCCC next Monday to watch all the action.

Black to move. Find the best one.

In the other match next week, the Four Aces (2 points and 8 points) battle Its Your Move (2 points and 8 points) to see who finishes tied for second or finishes third in the league.

Games from Round 5 and 6 will be highlighted on this blog soon. Stay tuned.

 

Here is a puzzle and a tough one. Find the best move for Black.

The answer will be posted in the comment section later.

 

Round Four of the LCCC 2014 Summer League

League Action is fun for everyone at LCCC!

Another exciting evening of league chess as twenty-two players were on hand for the action. Several casual games were played also.

But in League play;
The Red Dragons defeated the 1st place Gamma Rays 3 – 1 and that leaves the door open for 300 Spartans to take control of the league lead if they defeat the Gamma Rays next week! The 300 Spartans had a bye this week.

It’s Your Move defeated the Unnamed Team 3 – 1 and tying them with the Red Dragons for 3^rd place. Two games in this match lasted the full 2 hours and both ended in hard fought draws. Well done players.



Two intense games - both ending in draws! 

Next week the Four Aces will play the Unnamed Team. A victory for the Aces will put them in sole possession of 2^nd place, and the Aces have a match in hand!

The match of the week next week is 300 Spartans vs The Red Dragons. A must win for the Dragons and a possible league clincher for the Spartans!

Great excitement at LCCC. Stop by and be a part of it next Monday. Full League standings on the right side of the blog.

Here is a puzzle. Answer to be given in the comments in a few days.

Black to move and win in three moves.

 

Good luck!