Friday, September 22, 2006

Openings, 9/21/06

Key positions in the English Opening, Symmetric Variation. These can be reached via different (1.c4 c5) move orders.

I played through a few annotated games by stronger players, so I'll be ready the next time my opponent tries these lines.
Who should break symmetry? White, with 6.d4. In a recent game I played 6.O-O, but that allowed Black to drive the game.

A couple moves after 6.d4, White has an easier position and Black will be the one desperately striving for counterplay.

In this position, d5 is an obvious outpost. White should launch a queenside attack, and threaten the e7 knight with his bishop.

Black's position will be solid after ...d5, but White can play the aggressive gambit d4!? Black then has to return the material to obtain equality.

8 comments:

SamuraiPawn said...

Thank you for the tip on the Scandinavian! Will keep you posted on upcoming tournament games.

/Chris

transformation said...

nice post LikeForest. i play the english.

#140 85.3, 1312 is great work!

i like your comment at CTS today. RD and rating are not abstract measures alone, but measures of how we compare to other persons, and thus the performance of other persons.

im working 10 of 11 days as i do once a month, so starting in a few days will get back to 92%+ sessions. its so hard when not so much tired as NOT fresh. dk

likesforests said...

samuraipawn, anytime, good luck on your upcoming tournament!

likesforests said...

Thanks, dk. If I can get my rating up to 1350--with accuracy--before I do 10,000 tries I'll be happy. I hit 94% most sessions.

Wow, 10 out of 11 days is tough. I guess if you can maintain your rating (and have some life besides) that's an accomplishment.

I'm wired about the Topalov-Kramnik game... it begins in only 4 hours!

transformation said...

time for bed here... saw your activity second ago--two in a row wrong, for me, is like dieing.

i will see result once i awake. staying up or getting up for it is not an option, i sleep 4 am to 11 am, or 5 am--or 3 am as must be today, i am that tired... enjoy, dk

oh, by the way, check out this AMAZING BBC interview:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/
worldservice/programmes/
the_interview.shtml

this is absol must hear!!!!

sent it now to tempo and blueD. dk

likesforests said...

I got 55 in a row correct, then missed 3 out of my last 10. That's my cue to go to bed. ;)

I watched Kramnik-Topalov live and it was very exciting. It surprised me that Kramnik stopped to think as early as move 5! It proves that GMs are masters--not because they know every line 15 moves deep--but because they have a superb understanding of positions.

transformation said...

1535.42 personal best tonight before bed... could have gone to 1540 but didnt want to risk blowing it, as i was starting to fritz out, as described in my new post...

7841 viewers at playchess at end!

:) dk

transformation said...

yes, we are close friends... i wrote him, then he wrote me back in the next hour, i wrote him back, and he WROTE ME BACK eighteen minutes before the playchess broadcast.

his mom was a practicing psychic, so this is a real connection with us, as i have this trait. i cannot will it into place, but it is clearly there, over hundreds of occassions, maybe thousands. but, of course, i make mistakes in life or judgement. dont take my word for it, just know me for a while.

second, he is savy in stocks and we chat all the time about markets. thirdly, he honors communications and agreements, and we fit that way quite well too.

games? of course not. he has offered anytime, but i want to be 1800 or class A first.

poor topy.

im here now with my CTS friend live... aka you know...

dk