[BrianWall-ChessList] Tragicomedy
Brian Wall
brianwallchess3 at taom.com
Sat Jun 16 21:48:48 MDT 2007
Ever go through a Chess tournament in a fog like a zombie? That's how I went
through the 2007 Southern Colorado Open. Paul Anderson wrote in the latest
Colorado Springs newsletter he played the same way in the same tournament. I
asked Josh Bloomer about it and he said that's how he felt about the 2007
Colorado Closed. These mysterious, inexplicable fogs come and go without
warning. Even so, missing obvious stuff each game, had I beaten Imre Barlay in
the last round I would have tied for first with Renard Anderson. I should be
able to win any local tournament on autopilot.
This game took a strange course - I would make a horrible move, shake it off,
find the best move, blunder again, shake it off, make a great move, etc. I felt
like a boxer staying on his feet after heavy blows or an emergency room
physician who calmly examines a traffic accident victim and sews him up as best
he can. I was a human strobe light, on the right frequency half the time while
Jacob was a dim bulb who never knew what was going on, constantly choosing the
wrong square for his King. I don't know how normal Chessplayers ever find a
subtle move since all they ever consider is the 2 or 3 most obvious ones. Only
a complete move search will find odd moves in irrational positions.
No one knows it yet but I just wrote an article for our local rag, the Colorado
Informant, featuring the following game with Bill Weihmiller. Analysis showed
White had a clear advantage for 17 moves. Bill established a pawn wedge in the
center and I moved heaven and earth to dismantle it, employing unsound methods.
I think Jacob Zax is a Bardwick clone, meaning he must play the English Opening
and French Defense upon threat of death. Losing to a Bardwick clone is the
stuff of nightmares. Jacob is 200 points stronger than I was at his age ( 15 ).
[Event "Poor Richard's Restaurant May Round 5"]
[Site "Colorado Springs, CO"]
[Date "2007.05.30"]
[Round "5"]
[White "William Weihmiller"]
[Black "brianwall"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ICCResult "White resigns"]
[WhiteElo "1738"]
[BlackElo "2239"]
[Opening "French: Tarrasch, closed variation"]
[ECO "C05"]
[NIC "FR.16"]
[Time "18:07:42"]
[TimeControl "Game/90 5 second delay"]
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. c3 Nc6 7. Ngf3 cxd4 8.
cxd4 Qb6 9. Nb3 a5 10. a4 Bb4+ 11. Kf2 f6 12. Be3 O-O 13. Bd3 g5 14. g3 g4
15. Nh4 fxe5 16. Qxg4+ Kf7 17. dxe5 d4 18. Qh5+ Ke7 19. Qg5+ Ke8 20. Bxh7
dxe3+ 21. Kg2 Be7 22. Qg6+ Kd8 23. Qd3 Bxh4 24. gxh4 Rxf4 25. Rhe1 Nxe5 26.
Qxe3 Qxe3 27. Rxe3 Rxh4
0-1 Weihmiller resigns
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[Event "Southern Colorado Open"]
[Site "Manitou Springs, El Paso Road"]
[Date "2007.06.09"]
[Round "1"]
[White "brianwall"]
[Black "Jacob Zax"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ICCResult "Black Checkmated"]
[WhiteElo "2237"]
[BlackElo "1687"]
[Opening "French: Tarrasch, closed variation"]
[ECO "C05"]
[NIC "FR.16"]
[Time "15:14:26"]
[TimeControl "Game/90 5 second delay"]
Southern Colorado Open
June 9, 2007
Round 1
Board 2
Game 90 5 second delay
White - Brian Wall
1. e4 e6
I decided to leave the Gay Vulture on his tree branch for
a game and employ my secret Weihmiller analysis.
2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. c3 Nc6 7. Ngf3 Qb6
I played 7 ... cd 8 cd Qb6 against Bill
8. Nb3
I considered the gambit 8 Bd3 which has been tried 7 times with even results.
I decided to try and play the same way with White as Bill Weihmiller played
against me. Let Zax go crazy breaking rocks against my center like I had to.
8 Nb3 was first played by Schallop, Alekhine and Capablanca and followed by
196 others.
8 ... cxd4 9. cxd4 Bb4+
I played 9 ... a5 10 a4 and then 10 ... Bb4+ against Bill -
The move has more effect when the b3-knight is undefended -
after 10 ... Bb4+ 11 Bd2 B:d2 the best move is 12 K:d2!
The way Jacob played I have a close choice between 10 Bd2 and 10 Kf2 -
10 Bd2 is slightly better because you shouldn't move your King in the middle
game unless you have to. The problem is - my plan was working - I was about
to torture Jacob with analysis learned from the Weihmiller game - I didn't want
to back out now.
Capablanca ( the world's most accurate Chessplayer ever, according to recent
computer analysis of all the World Champions, Kramnik second ) and 14 others
played 10 Bd2.
Grandmasters Seirawan and Westerininen plus 7 others have tried 10 Kf2
10. Kf2
10 ... O-O TN
Hard to believe but 10 0-0 is a Theoretical Novelty by Jacob Zax,
according to my database -
10 ... f6 tried 5 times
10 ... a5 tried 3 times
10 ... Be7 played once before
Hiarcs 10 -
10 ... f6
10 ... Be7
10 ... a5
10 ... Nf8
10 ... 0-0
10 ... Bf8
10 ... a6
10 ... f5
10 ... h5
The French in general seems solid with many ways to play
10 ... f6 11. Bd3
My pawn structure is arranged to highlight
the power of this piece aimed at the King.
11 a3 , 11 Be3, 11 Bd3 and 11 Qc2 are about equal in value
11 ... f6
When I analyzed my Weihmiller game I was surprised to discover the best strategy
for Black was to give up the idea of wrecking the White center pawns and just
retreat with moves like ... Be7 and ... Qd8 - other good ideas are ... a5 and
the ultra-thematic French move ... f6 -
Hiarcs prefers 11 ... f5 which a human would attack by preparing g4
12. Be3! fxe5 13. Bxh7+???
I knew from my game with my friend Bill W. that 13 fe
would be about plus 6/10ths of a pawn and that
13 de might be good too.
I way overestimated the power of the Greek sacrifice.
I told Zax after the game that if I already had h4 in on move 12
I could make the sacrifice then - this is also an exaggerrated
overestimation - for example,
11 Bd3 f6 12 h4 a6 13 B:h7+?? K:h7 14 Ng5+ fg 15 hg+ Kg8 16 Qh5
fails to ... Nd:e5!!!!, ... Nc:e5!!!, ... N:d4!!, ... Ne7! or ... Rf5
The right way to play the position is to be patient with
13 fe, 14 Rf1 and 15 Kg1
Other ideas are a3 or Qc2 to provoke a pawn weakness on the Kingside.
Not having any experience with the position and chomping at the bit to
destroy a Class B player, I played like a rabid dog. I thought I was
exploiting the temporary loss of bladder control over the Fishing Pole
square g5. I told Zax that Fritz was going to tear us up pretty bad
after the game.
13 ... Kxh7! 14. Ng5+??
14 de is better but then my idea doesn't work -
14 de Qd8 15 Ng5+?? Q:g5
Man's passion for believing what he
wants to is a powerful delusion.
14 ... Kg6?
What I soon realized is that my whole concept totally sucks,
14 ... Kg8!! 15 de R:f4+!! blows me away,
in addition, 14 ... Kg8!! 15 de Bc5! or ... Nc5! also work
What I THOUGHT was happening was
14 ... Kg8!! 15 de Qd8?? 16 Qh5 Nf6 17 ef winning
14 ... Kg6? or ... Kf6? are still winning but they are about half as strong
as 14 ... Kg8!!
15. Nxe6!!
By now I had emerged from my self-induced coma and realized the true horrors of
15 de R:f4+!! 16 Nf3 R:f3+ 17 Q:f3 Qc7 or
15 de R:f4+!! 16 Nf3 Bc5 17 B:f4? Ne4+
18 Ke2 Qf2+ 19 Kd3 Nb4 checkmate or
15 de R:f4+!! 16 Nf3 Bc5 17 Qc2+ Rf5 18 B:c5 N:c5 19 N:c5 N:e5
or
15 de R:f4+!! 16 Ke2 Qb5+ 17 Qd3 Q:d3+
and I finally made a decent move.
15 ... Rxf4+?
This is the part I meant about ordinary Chessplayers being incapable of finding
hidden moves because they only analyze the obvious. Only an " every-move search
" like a Chessmaster or computer would reveal 15 ... Nf6!!!,
untangling the clogged up Queenside with gain of tempo ( ... B:e6 ) -
other virtues of 15 ... N:f6!!! are preventing Qg4+
and threatening checks with the f6-knight on g4 or e4.
Instead Jacob only examined captures on d4 or f4.
I didn't see it either , of course, but this game I
played more like a blind beggar than a Chessmaster.
I couldn't see my hand, let alone the Chessboard.
15 ... ef 16 N:f8+ is better for Zax but much better than what I deserve
after 13 B:h7+??? -
ditto for 15 ... ed 16 N:f8+ or 16 B:d4 or 16 Nb:d4
16. Bxf4?
Every move a blunder - how embarrassing.
16 N:f4+! ef 17 Qg4+ Kf7 18 Q:f4+
with Rook and pawn for two pieces is best,
still better for Zax.
16 ... exf4??
The only good move is 16 ... Nf6!! untangling
17. Qg4+??
The pain just doesn't go away.
This time I remember my thoughts -
analyze 17 Qg4+ and 17 N:f4+ and then
choose between them.
I falsely analyzed 17 Qg4+ out to a forced win and didn't bother
looking at 17 N:f4+ -
When Jacob was thinking I became furious with myself because
my "forced win" was a mirage while obviously
17 N:f4+ Kf7 18 Qh5+ Kg8 19 Q:d5+
or
17 N:f4+ Kf7 18 N:d5
are better for me.
17 ... Kf7! 18. Ng5+!!!!
After adjusting my mirage that
18 a3? Nf6! 19 Q:g7+! K:e6! 20 ab wins
( 20 ... N:d4!!!, ... Kf5!!, ...Ne4+! )
I finally played a second decent move.
What I liked about 18 Ng5+!!!! was that
there were so many ways to go wrong.
18 ... Kf6??
Horrible - only 18 ... Kf8??? 19 Qe6 mating is worse
18 ... Kg8 19 Qe6+ Kh8 20 Qh3+ Kg8 21 Qh7+ Kf8
22 Rhe1, Rae1, a3 or Qh8+ are also great for me.
18 ... Ke8 19 Re1+ ( either ) Ne5 ( either ) 20 Q:f4 wins and
18 ... Ke8 19 Re1+ ( either ) B:e1+ 20 R:e1+
doesn't help either
18 ... Ke7 19 Rae1+! B:e1+ 20 R:e1+ Nde5 21 Q:f4 Be6
22 Kg1!! or R:e5! or Kg3!
are better for me.
The only good move is scary, walking right into discovered check
with 18 ... Kg6!!!! and I have lots of perpetuals but nothing more.
19. Qxf4+!!
Back on track
19 ... Kg6?
gets mated but
19 ... Ke7 is a slaughterhouse after
20 Qe3+, Rae1+, Rhe1+, a3, Qf7+ or Rhf1
20. Qf7+!!
Checkmate in 9
20 ... Kh6
If 20 ... K:g5 21 g4!!! mates in 8
and 21 Q:g7+ mates in 9
21. Ne6!!
Mate in 6
21 ... Bf8! 22. Nxf8?
I examined 22 g4!! Nf6 23 g5+ Kh7
but then instead of mating with
24 N:f8+! Kh8 25 gf!
I got lost in the pointless variations
of 24 g6+?? Kh8+=
and decided to just grab a piece for a sure win.
22 ... Nde5 23. Qf4+!! g5?
Getting mated again but I have many easy wins
after 23 ... Kh5 like
24 Kg1, Kg3, Kf1 and Qd2
24. Qf6+!
mate in 4
24 ... Kh5! 25. Qh8+! Kg4! 26. Qh3+! Kf4! 27. Ng6+! Ke4
27 ... N:g6 28 Qf3 checkmate
28. Rae1+ checkmate
I picked this rook because Josh Bloomer told me he hates French positions
with a King on f2 so I wanted to accentuate the fact that the h1-rook
never got to develop.
Hideously played which is why I didn't mind coming in second.
I do think the game is a tactical treasure
trove for those who investigate it.
I should add that I like Jacob Zax a lot - he is a brilliant, funny kid who is
always reading deep, esoteric stuff. I just lost 50 pounds and Jacob's Dad
congratulated me at the tournament. He looked shocked.
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[Event "Southern Colorado Open"]
[Site "Manitou Springs, El Paso Road"]
[Date "2007.06.09"]
[Round "1"]
[White "brianwall"]
[Black "Jacob Zax"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ICCResult "Black Checkmated"]
[WhiteElo "2237"]
[BlackElo "1687"]
[Opening "French: Tarrasch, closed variation"]
[ECO "C05"]
[NIC "FR.16"]
[Time "15:14:26"]
[TimeControl "Game/90 5 second delay"]
Southern Colorado Open
June 9, 2007
Round 1
Board 2
Game 90 5 second delay
White - Brian Wall
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. c3 Nc6 7. Ngf3 Qb6 8.
Nb3 cxd4 9. cxd4 Bb4+ 10. Kf2 O-O 11. Bd3 f6 12. Be3 fxe5 13. Bxh7+ Kxh7 14.
Ng5+ Kg6 15. Nxe6 Rxf4+ 16. Bxf4 exf4 17. Qg4+ Kf7 18. Ng5+ Kf6 19. Qxf4+
Kg6 20. Qf7+ Kh6 21. Ne6 Bf8 22. Nxf8 Nde5 23. Qf4+ g5 24. Qf6+ Kh5 25. Qh8+
Kg4 26. Qh3+ Kf4 27. Ng6+ Ke4 28. Rae1+ checkmate
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[Event "Havana simul"]
[Site "Havana"]
[Date "1931.03.??"]
[Round "0"]
[White "Capablanca,Jose Raul"]
[Black "Montero,H"]
[Result "1/2"]
[Eco "C05"]
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.c3 c5 6.f4 Nc6 7.Ngf3 Qb6 8.Nb3 cxd4
9.cxd4 Bb4+ 10.Bd2 Bxd2+ 11.Qxd2 Qb4 12.Rc1 Qxd2+ 13.Kxd2 f6 14.Bb5 Ndb8
15.Na5 Kd7 16.Rhe1 a6 17.Bxc6+ Nxc6 18.Nxc6 bxc6 19.f5 Re8 20.exf6 gxf6 21.fxe6+
Kd6 22.e7 Ra7 23.Rc3 Raxe7 24.Rce3 Rxe3 25.Rxe3 Rxe3 26.Kxe3 c5
27.h3 Bf5 28.g4 Bb1 29.a3 a5 30.h4 a4 31.g5 fxg5 32.Nxg5 Bg6 33.Nh3 Bb1
34.Nf4 Bf5 35.Ne2 Bg6 36.Nf4 Bf5 37.h5 Bb1 38.h6 Bf5 39.Nh5 Bb1
40.Nf6 Bg6 41.dxc5+ Kxc5 42.Nd7+ Kd6 43.Nb6 Be8 44.Kd4 Bc6 45.Nc8+ Kd7
46.Na7 Kd6 47.Nxc6 Kxc6 48.Kc3 Kc5 49.b4+ axb3 50.Kxb3 Kb5 51.Kc3 Ka4
1/2
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[Event "NWC October op"]
[Site "Seattle"]
[Date "1992.10.??"]
[Round "0"]
[White "Seirawan,Yasser"]
[Black "Kasa,Richard"]
[Result "1/2"]
[Eco "C05"]
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.c3 c5 6.f4 Nc6 7.Ngf3 Qb6 8.Nb3 cxd4
9.cxd4 Bb4+ 10.Kf2 f6 11.Be3 a5 12.a4 Be7 13.Rc1 0-0 14.Bd3 Qd8 15.Rf1 Nb4
16.Bb1 Nb6 17.Nbd2 Bd7 18.b3 Rc8 19.g4 Rxc1 20.Qxc1 Qa8 21.exf6 Bxf6 22.Qe1 Qa6
23.Qe2 Qxe2+ 24.Kxe2 Rc8 25.Ne5 Rc3 26.Rf3 Be8 27.Bf2 Rc1 28.Rh3 Bxe5
29.dxe5 Nxa4 30.bxa4 Bxa4 31.Bxh7+ Kf7 32.f5 Bd1+ 33.Ke3 Rc3+ 34.Kf4 Rxh3
35.Bg6+ Ke7 36.Bb6
1/2
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[Event "DSB-08.Kongress"]
[Site "Kiel"]
[Date "1893.08.28"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Schallopp,Emil"]
[Black "Metger,Johannes"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Eco "C05"]
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.c3 Nc6 7.Ngf3 Qb6 8.Nb3 c4
9.Nbd2 f6 10.Nh4 g6 11.Qg4 f5 12.Qh3 Bg7 13.g4 fxg4 14.Qxg4 Ne7 15.b3 cxb3
16.axb3 Nf8 17.Ba3 Nf5 18.Nxf5 exf5 19.Qg5 Qd8 20.Qxd8+ Kxd8 21.Bg2 Ne6
22.Bxd5 Nxf4 23.Bc4 Be6 24.Bxe6 Nxe6 25.Nc4 Kc7 26.0-0-0 Bf8 27.d5 Bxa3+ 28.Nxa3
Nc5 29.Kc2 a6 30.Nc4 b5 31.b4 Ne4 32.d6+ Kc6 33.Na5+ Kd7 34.Rd5 Rac8 35.c4 bxc4
36.Rhd1 Rhe8 37.R1d4 Red8 38.Nxc4 Ke6 39.Kb3 g5 40.Ra5 Rc6
41.b5 axb5 42.Rxb5 h5 43.Kb4 h4 44.Rb7 Rxc4+ 45.Kxc4 Kxe5 46.Re7+ Kf6
47.Rexe4 fxe4 48.Kd5 Kf5 49.Rd1 Kf4 50.Rf1+ Ke3 51.h3 Ke2 52.Rg1 e3
53.Rxg5 Kd2 54.Rg4 e2 55.Rd4+ Ke3 56.Re4+ Kf3
0-1
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[Event "Maribor sim"]
[Site "Maribor"]
[Date "1930.10.??"]
[Round "0"]
[White "Alekhine,Alexander"]
[Black "Kukovec,Borut"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Eco "C11"]
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.c3 Nc6 7.Ngf3 Qb6 8.Nb3 cxd4
9.Nbxd4 Bc5 10.Rb1 0-0 11.Be3 a5 12.Bd3 f6 13.0-0 Rf7 14.Kh1 g6 15.exf6 Nxf6
16.Ng5 Re7 17.Nxc6 bxc6 18.Bxc5 Qxc5 19.Qe2 Qd6 20.Qe5 Qxe5 21.fxe5 Nd7
22.Rbe1 Rb8 23.Rf2 Nc5 24.Bb1 Na4 25.Ref1 Ba6 26.Re1 Rxb2 27.Rxb2 Nxb2
28.Kg1 Bd3 29.Nf3 Bxb1 30.Rxb1 Nc4 31.Kf2 Rf7 32.Ke2 Rf5 33.Rb8+ Kg7
34.g4 Rf4 35.Ng5 Rxg4 36.Nxe6+ Kh6 37.Ra8 Nxe5 38.Rxa5 Nc4 39.Kf3 Re4
40.Nc5 Nxa5 41.Nxe4 dxe4+
0-1
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[Event "Oberliga NRW 8687 I"]
[Site "Germany"]
[Date "1986.10.??"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Westerinen,Heikki MJ"]
[Black "Diedam,Norbert"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Eco "C05"]
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.c3 Nc6 7.Ngf3 Qb6 8.Nb3 cxd4
9.cxd4 Bb4+ 10.Kf2 a5 11.Be3 a4 12.Nc1 a3 13.b3 Be7 14.Nd3 Nb4 15.Nxb4 Bxb4
16.Bd3 g6 17.Rc1 Nf8 18.h4 Bd7 19.h5 Rg8 20.Ng5 h6 21.Nf3 Rh8 22.Rh3 Be7
23.Rg3 gxh5 24.Qh1 h4 25.Nxh4 h5 26.Nf3 Qd8 27.Rg7 Rc8 28.g4 Rxc1 29.Bxc1 h4
30.g5 Qc7 31.Bd2 h3 32.Kg3 Qb6 33.Be3 Bb5 34.Qf1 Bxd3 35.Qxd3 Qc6 36.Nh2 b5
37.Ng4 b4 38.Nh6 h2 39.Kxh2 Ng6 40.Kg3 Bf8 41.Rxf7 Rxh6 42.Rxf8+ Kxf8
43.gxh6 Kf7 44.f5 Nf8 45.Bd2 Kg8 46.Kf2 exf5 47.Qxf5
1-0
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Event "NWC October op"]
[Site "Seattle"]
[Date "1992.10.??"]
[Round "0"]
[White "Seirawan,Yasser"]
[Black "Kasa,Richard"]
[Result "1/2"]
[Eco "C05"]
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.c3 c5 6.f4 Nc6 7.Ngf3 Qb6 8.Nb3 cxd4
9.cxd4 Bb4+ 10.Kf2 f6 11.Be3 a5 12.a4 Be7 13.Rc1 0-0 14.Bd3 Qd8 15.Rf1 Nb4
16.Bb1 Nb6 17.Nbd2 Bd7 18.b3 Rc8 19.g4 Rxc1 20.Qxc1 Qa8 21.exf6 Bxf6
22.Qe1 Qa6 23.Qe2 Qxe2+ 24.Kxe2 Rc8 25.Ne5 Rc3 26.Rf3 Be8 27.Bf2 Rc1
28.Rh3 Bxe5 29.dxe5 Nxa4 30.bxa4 Bxa4 31.Bxh7+ Kf7 32.f5 Bd1+
33.Ke3 Rc3+ 34.Kf4 Rxh3 35.Bg6+ Ke7 36.Bb6
1/2
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