[BrianWall-ChessList] Last comic standing

Mon Dec 10 02:31:46 MST 2007

All Crab games are silly but this one is also .... instructive.
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[Event "ICC 3 3"]
[Site "Internet Chess Club"]
[Date "2007.12.04"]
[Round "-"]
[White "JSBach"]
[Black "Anthea Martinez"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ICCResult "White checkmated"]
[WhiteElo "1677"]
[BlackElo "1307"]
[Opening "Corn stalk defense, Queen Crab Defense Delayed, Nakamura Attack."]
[ECO "B00"]
[NIC "VO.17"]
[Time "11:55:42"]
[TimeControl "180+3"]
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White -
The popular JSBach,
a computer programmed to make a certain number of mistakes.

Black -
The popular Anthea Martinez,
similarly programmed.

The Opening -
The Queen Crab Defense, Delayed

Crab Defense equal =
Double rook pawn as Black

Queen Crab =
Queen rook pawn moves first

1. e4 a5 2. Qh5

This computer reads minds!
The only move that delays the Crab.
Hikaru Nakamura, who I drew in the World Open
6 years ago when he was in diapers,
plays  2 Qh5 against both  1 e4  e5
and  1 e4 c5.
I sent my old friend and critic extraordinaire
IM John Watson Anthea's book -
How To Play Chess Like An Animal -
113. John Watson(01:10 07-Dec-07 EST): Thanks Brian, I got your book! I feel
like I'm a better player already.
114. John Watson (01:11 07-Dec-07 EST): Seriously, much appreciated.

I heard John Watson's ICC interview of Hikaru Namamura -
HN-
"The Nakamura Attack is even against  1 e4  e5
but I lost to Volokitin after  1 e4  c5  2 Qh5!?
and I haven't tried that in a tournament game since."

How does the Crab Defense stack up against the Nakamura Attack ,
versus  1 ... e5  and 1 ... c5 ( the two moves considered probably best by
Capablanca.)?
About the same, roughly even.

2 ... a4

So the Queen Crab goes merrily on her way,
the King Crab is stuck in a sand pit.

3. d4 Nf6

Insisting on playing the Crab,
even if belatedly.

4. Qf5

Bach is programmed to make bad moves randomly,
like most of us.

4 ... h5

4 ... d5  would be considered normally
but Anthea is pre-programmed to embrace
Crabs and resist carbs.

5. d5

Reading minds again,
preventing 5 ... d5!

5 ... d6 6. Qf4 e5 7. dxe6 Bxe6 8. Be3 g6 9. Nf3 Bh6 10. Qh4 Bxe3
11. fxe3 Ng4 12. Qxd8+ Kxd8 13. Ke2 Bc4+ 14. Kd2 Bxf1 15. Rxf1 Na6

Why not  15 ... Nc6 aiming for the sweet spot on ... e5?
Because part of the Crab comedy act is to put the knights behind
the rook pawns. Anthea was cheated out of ... Nh6 because the
Nakamura Queen was too frisky but she'll be damned if she'll
be cheated twice.

16. Ng5 Ne5 17. Nxf7+ Nxf7 18. Rxf7

Anthea is down a pawn for a
long time but she hangs tough.

18 ... Re8 19. Rg7 c5 20. Rxg6 Kd7 21. g4 Rxe4 22. Rg7+ Kc6
23. gxh5 Rh8 24. Kd3 Re6 25. Rg6 Rxg6 26. hxg6 Rg8 27. Nc3 Rxg6
28. Nxa4 Rg2 29. h4 Rh2 30. a3 Rxh4 31. c4 b5 32. cxb5+ Kxb5
33. Nc3+ Kc6 34. e4 Nc7 35. b3 Ne6 36. Rg1 Nd4 37. b4??  cxb4??

One never knows when Bach will blunder. or Anthea.
37 ... Rh3+!!  and 38 ... R:c3  and ... Ne2+  wins

38. Nd5 Nb5 39. Rc1+ Kd7 40. axb4 Ke6 41. Rg1 Rh3+ 42. Ke2 Nd4+ 43. Kf2 Rh4 44.
Ke3 Nc2+ 45. Kd3 Na3 46. Rg6+ Kd7 47. Rg7+ Kc6 48. Rc7+ Kb5 49. Kd4 Rh1 50.
Rb7+ Ka6 51. Rb6+ Ka7 52. Kc3??  Rc1+??

Here the knight fork ... Nc4  allows a draw after
52 ... Rh3+!!  53  Kd4  Nc2+=  perpetual

53. Kb2 Nc4+ 54. Kxc1 Nxb6 55. b5??

Bach allows a fugue in D minor -
55 N:b6 wins the King and Pawn ending.

A King and Pawn ending is a nightmare if there
is a gun to your chips forcing you to play
second best moves.

55 ...  Nxd5!!

Dead even but both must blunder.

56. exd5 Kb6 57. Kd2 Kxb5 58. Kd3 Kc5 59. Kc2 Kxd5
60. Kd3 Kc5 61. Kc3 Kd5 62. Kd3 Ke5!!

Excellent strategy against Bach -
wait long enough and he will shoot
himself in the foot every time.

63. Ke3 d5??

Anthea did not realize on sight that  63 ... Kd4!!
wins the opposition and the game.

64. Kd2 Ke4 65. Ke2 Kd4 66. Kd2 Kc4 67. Kc2 d4 68. Kd2 d3 69. Ke1??

99% of tournament players know  69 Kd1!! (only move)
draws but Bach marches to a different drummer.
Anthea now wins with slow but sure technique.

69 ... Kc3 70. Kd1 d2 71. Ke2 Kc2 72. Kf3 d1=Q+ 73. Ke4 Qd2
74. Ke5 Kc3 75. Ke4 Qd6 76. Ke3 Qd5 77. Kf4 Kd3 78. Kg4 Qe5
79. Kf3 Kd2 80. Kf2 Qe4 81. Kf1 Kc3 82. Kf2 Qf4+ 83. Kg1 Qd2
84. Kh1 Kd3 85. Kg1 Ke3 86. Kh1 Kf3 87. Kg1 Qg2#
{White checkmated} 0-1

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[Event "ICC 3 3"]
[Site "Internet Chess Club"]
[Date "2007.12.04"]
[Round "-"]
[White "JSBach"]
[Black "Anthea Martinez"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ICCResult "White checkmated"]
[WhiteElo "1677"]
[BlackElo "1307"]
[Opening "Corn stalk defense, Queen Crab Defense Delayed, Nakamura Attack."]
[ECO "B00"]
[NIC "VO.17"]
[Time "11:55:42"]
[TimeControl "180+3"]

1. e4 a5 2. Qh5 a4 3. d4 Nf6 4. Qf5 h5 5. d5 d6 6. Qf4 e5 7. dxe6 Bxe6 8.
Be3 g6 9. Nf3 Bh6 10. Qh4 Bxe3 11. fxe3 Ng4 12. Qxd8+ Kxd8 13. Ke2 Bc4+ 14.
Kd2 Bxf1 15. Rxf1 Na6 16. Ng5 Ne5 17. Nxf7+ Nxf7 18. Rxf7 Re8 19. Rg7 c5 20.
Rxg6 Kd7 21. g4 Rxe4 22. Rg7+ Kc6 23. gxh5 Rh8 24. Kd3 Re6 25. Rg6 Rxg6 26.
hxg6 Rg8 27. Nc3 Rxg6 28. Nxa4 Rg2 29. h4 Rh2 30. a3 Rxh4 31. c4 b5 32.
cxb5+ Kxb5 33. Nc3+ Kc6 34. e4 Nc7 35. b3 Ne6 36. Rg1 Nd4 37. b4 cxb4 38.
Nd5 Nb5 39. Rc1+ Kd7 40. axb4 Ke6 41. Rg1 Rh3+ 42. Ke2 Nd4+ 43. Kf2 Rh4 44.
Ke3 Nc2+ 45. Kd3 Na3 46. Rg6+ Kd7 47. Rg7+ Kc6 48. Rc7+ Kb5 49. Kd4 Rh1 50.
Rb7+ Ka6 51. Rb6+ Ka7 52. Kc3 Rc1+ 53. Kb2 Nc4+ 54. Kxc1 Nxb6 55. b5 Nxd5
56. exd5 Kb6 57. Kd2 Kxb5 58. Kd3 Kc5 59. Kc2 Kxd5 60. Kd3 Kc5 61. Kc3 Kd5
62. Kd3 Ke5 63. Ke3 d5 64. Kd2 Ke4 65. Ke2 Kd4 66. Kd2 Kc4 67. Kc2 d4 68.
Kd2 d3 69. Ke1 Kc3 70. Kd1 d2 71. Ke2 Kc2 72. Kf3 d1=Q+ 73. Ke4 Qd2 74. Ke5
Kc3 75. Ke4 Qd6 76. Ke3 Qd5 77. Kf4 Kd3 78. Kg4 Qe5 79. Kf3 Kd2 80. Kf2 Qe4
81. Kf1 Kc3 82. Kf2 Qf4+ 83. Kg1 Qd2 84. Kh1 Kd3 85. Kg1 Ke3 86. Kh1 Kf3 87.
Kg1 Qg2# {White checkmated} 0-1
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for more Crab games go to Anthea' website -
www.PlayChessLikeAnAnimal.com

to buy her book
How To Play Chess Like An Animal
write her at
nth_Carson at Yahoo.com

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