Campfire Chess

Category: Game Analysis

  • Victory and Destruction in Blitz

    Victory and Destruction in Blitz

    The following games were blitz games played on [lichess.org](http://www.lichess.org) in the past few weeks. I decided to annotate and share them because they show some of my continued progress (and regression) over the past few weeks. I continue to read, study, and play as much as possible, so I hope that these games reflect *some* improvement in my overall play style.

    The first game is a very nice win with some cool tactical elements. There were moments where I felt like I just got lucky, but others where I felt like concrete principles were starting to sink in for me.

    [pgn]
    [Event “Rated Blitz game”]
    [Site “https://lichess.org/sPR0hG0h”]
    [Date “2019.01.24”]
    [Round “-“]
    [White “Internet Opponent”]
    [Black “AmishHacker”]
    [Result “0-1”]
    [WhiteElo “1169”]
    [BlackElo “1148”]
    [TimeControl “300+0”]
    [Termination “Normal”]
    [UTCDate “2019.01.24”]
    [UTCTime “04:11:51”]
    [Variant “Standard”]
    [ECO “C44”]
    [Opening “King’s Knight Opening: Konstantinopolsky”]
    [Annotator “https://lichess.org/@/AmishHacker”]

    1. e4 { [%clk 0:05:00] } e5 { [%clk 0:05:00] } 2. Nf3 { [%clk 0:04:58] } Nc6 { Whenever I focus heavily on my opening it ends up being a Kings Indian or Sicilian Defense of some semi-random variation. I have noticed that when I am feeling more anxious than usual, my openings (especially with Black) tend to be some variation of the Kings Knight with mixed results. } { [%clk 0:04:57] } 3. g3 { [%clk 0:04:53] } d5 { Trying to avoid a pawn buildup in the center and hoping to force White into an immediate exchange. } { [%clk 0:04:54] } 4. exd5 { He goes for it. } { [%clk 0:04:48] } 4… Qxd5 { [%clk 0:04:53] } 5. Bg2?! { Inaccuracy according to Stockfish. } { [%clk 0:04:46] } (5. Nc3 Qd6 6. Bg2 Bg4 7. h3 Bf5 8. g4 Bg6 9. d3 O-O-O) 5… Qd8? { Stockfish listed this move as a mistake and recommended Qe4+ as the viable alternative. } { [%clk 0:04:50] } (5… Qe4+ 6. Kf1 Nf6 7. Nc3 Qf5 8. h3 Bc5 9. g4 Qe6 10. Ng5) 6. O-O { [%clk 0:04:39] } Bg4?! { Stockfish listed this as an inaccuracy and it is certainly correct. In this position I was trying to put pressure on the f3 Knight and keep it pinned to the Queen for as long as possible. } { [%clk 0:04:48] } (6… Nf6) 7. b3 { White prepares to fianchetto his light squared Bishop. } { [%clk 0:04:29] } 7… Nf6? { Stockfish prefers Qd7 in this position to boost the g4 Bishop and open space for potential O-O-O. } { [%clk 0:04:47] } (7… Qd7) 8. Bb2 { White tries to gain counterplay by putting pressure on the d5 pawn. } { [%clk 0:04:27] } 8… Bd6 { Defending the pawn. } { [%clk 0:04:41] } 9. d3 { [%clk 0:04:25] } O-O { Castling to safety, for now. } { [%clk 0:04:40] } 10. Nbd2 { [%clk 0:04:24] } Qd7 { The move that Stockfish wanted me to play from earlier. Strengthening the g4 Bishop and preparing to break through White’s King defense. } { [%clk 0:04:25] } 11. Re1 { The fight is brewing in the center over the e5 pawn. White adds an additional attacker to the mix. } { [%clk 0:04:19] } 11… Rae8 { In keeping with the buildup against the e5 pawn, I moved my a8 Rook to provide additional defense. Unfortunately, I did not have a clear plan of action at this point. I was playing rather passively and “hoping” for something good to happen, which is a terrible way to play chess. } { [%clk 0:04:24] } 12. Ne4?! { Stockfish recorded this as an inaccuracy. My opponent should have gone Nc4, which would have put much more pressure on my King’s position. Now, I have a little bit of room to play. } { [%clk 0:04:03] } (12. Nc4 Nd4 13. a4 h6 14. Nxd6 Nxf3+ 15. Bxf3 cxd6 16. c4 Bxf3 17. Qxf3 b6 18. Kg2 Rc8) 12… Nxe4 { Offering the Knight trade. } { [%clk 0:04:19] } 13. Rxe4 { [%clk 0:03:57] } f5 { This is a main reason that capturing with the Rook as opposed to the d3 pawn was not a good idea. White faces a threat that is getting harder and harder to stop. } { [%clk 0:04:14] } 14. Re1 { [%clk 0:03:47] } e4? { A mistake on my part. I was trying to push my pawn forward to increase pressure on the e-file when I should have been doing so on the f-file. The best move in this postiion was f4. Yes, White would have tried to trade Rooks on e4 and open the position, but Black would have emerged with a slightly better position. } { [%clk 0:04:09] } (14… f4 15. Re4 fxg3 16. hxg3 Bc5 17. b4 Bxb4 18. c3 Bd6 19. Qb3+ Kh8 20. Re3 Bc5 21. d4) 15. dxe4 { [%clk 0:03:45] } fxe4 { [%clk 0:04:08] } 16. Bxg7?? { A curious move. White seems to ignore all of his previous development for this brazen attack on my castled position. Black now has excellent control of the board. } { [%clk 0:03:32] } (16. Qd5+ Be6 17. Qxe4 Bxb3 18. Qh4 Rxe1+ 19. Nxe1 Be6 20. Nd3 Qf7 21. a3 Bf5 22. Nf4 Ne7) 16… Bxf3? { I noticed Kxg7 immediately after I made this move. It is not that I was ignoring the move or thought it was bad, I just felt that capturing the Knight and putting a little pressure on the Queen would be a better option before continuing. } { [%clk 0:03:58] } (16… Kxg7 17. Qd5 exf3 18. Rxe8 Qxe8 19. Bf1 Qe5 20. Rd1 Bf5 21. Qxe5+ Nxe5 22. Rd2 Bg6 23. Bb5) 17. Qb1?? { White misses two opportunities here. One is to capture the Bishop on f3 and the other is to play Qd5+. Instead, he abandons both pieces. } { [%clk 0:03:19] } (17. Bxf3 Rxf3) 17… Qxg7 { Variation of the move I should have made earlier. } { [%clk 0:03:54] } 18. c3 { [%clk 0:03:05] } Bxg2 { [%clk 0:03:45] } 19. Kxg2 { [%clk 0:03:03] } Qxc3 { Definitely not the best move out there, but it got the job done. White has opportunities for counterplay, but these never manifest. } { [%clk 0:03:27] } 20. Rxe4?! { Checkmate is now unavoidable. Best move was Qd1. } { [%clk 0:02:59] } (20. Qd1 Nd4) 20… Qf3+ { The final assault begins. } { [%clk 0:03:22] } 21. Kg1 { [%clk 0:02:52] } Qxf2+ { [%clk 0:03:21] } 22. Kh1 { [%clk 0:02:49] } Bxg3?! { Not good! There was a #5 forced sequence that I broke with this little inaccuracy. } { [%clk 0:03:07] } (22… Qf3+ 23. Kg1 Bc5+ 24. Re3 Bxe3#) 23. Rg4+?! { White does nothing to help his position at this point. } { [%clk 0:02:35] } (23. Qg1 Qf3+) 23… Kh8 { The only option. } { [%clk 0:03:03] } 24. Qb2+?! { [%clk 0:02:27] } (24. Rxg3 Re2) 24… Be5?! { Another lost checkmate sequence, but my intention was to do whatever I could to get my Queen to h2. } { [%clk 0:02:56] } (24… Qxb2 25. Rxg3 Re2 26. Rg2 Rxg2 27. h3 Rh2+ 28. Kg1 Qf2#) 25. Rag1?! { White missed a big chance to win the game by trading Queens. Instead, he opted to reinforce the attack on my Kingside with an additional Rook. This will cost him his Queen. } { [%clk 0:02:15] } (25. Qxf2 Rxf2 26. Kg1 Rxh2 27. Rf1 Rxa2 28. Rg2 Rg8 29. Rxg8+ Kxg8 30. Rf3 Rb2 31. Kf1 Nd4) 25… Qxb2 { A devastating blow for White. The game is lost. } { [%clk 0:02:53] } 26. Rg8+ { [%clk 0:02:12] } Rxg8 { [%clk 0:02:50] } 27. Rxg8+ { [%clk 0:02:12] } Rxg8 { 0-1 White resigns. } { [%clk 0:02:49] } 0-1
    [/pgn]

    This next game is a devastating loss. It is no good for a chess player to only share his/her winning games. As [Chess Coach](http://www.chess-coach.net) likes to say: *losing is learning*. Well, this is a *painful* loss, so check it out:

    [pgn]
    [Event “Rated Blitz game”]
    [Site “https://lichess.org/44ajhEWH”]
    [Date “2019.01.25”]
    [Round “-“]
    [White “AmishHacker”]
    [Black “Internet Opponent”]
    [Result “0-1”]
    [WhiteElo “1147”]
    [BlackElo “1089”]
    [TimeControl “300+0”]
    [Termination “Normal”]
    [UTCDate “2019.01.25”]
    [UTCTime “15:30:39”]
    [Variant “Standard”]
    [ECO “C65”]
    [Opening “Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense”]
    [Annotator “https://lichess.org/@/AmishHacker”]

    1. e4 { [%clk 0:05:00] } e5 { [%clk 0:05:00] } 2. Nf3 { [%clk 0:04:58] } Nc6 { [%clk 0:04:49] } 3. Bb5 { [%clk 0:04:56] } Nf6 { I do not recall playing many games < 1200 blitz that enter into the Berlin Defense. } { [%clk 0:04:45] } 4. d4 { [%clk 0:04:53] } exd4 { [%clk 0:04:41] } 5. Nxd4?! { An early mistake for me. I should have pushed the e4 pawn forward to attack the f6 Knight, but I was too focused on recapturing the immediate material that I failed to see the coming loss of more material on my side. } { [%clk 0:04:51] } (5. e5 Ne4 6. O-O a6 7. Bxc6 dxc6 8. Nxd4 Bc5 9. c3 O-O) 5... Nxe4 { Black is looking pretty good at this point. } { [%clk 0:04:38] } 6. O-O { Castling to safety. } { [%clk 0:04:47] } 6... a6? { A mistake. Black should have captured the Knight on d4, but instead opts to attack the Bishop with little in sight for return on the move investment. } { [%clk 0:04:33] } (6... Nxd4 7. Qxd4 Nc5 8. Re1+ Ne6 9. Nd2 c6 10. Bd3 d5 11. Bf5) 7. Ba4? { Stockfish preferred that I capture the c6 Knight. In hindsight, I agree. } { [%clk 0:04:42] } (7. Bxc6 dxc6) 7... Nxd4 { [%clk 0:04:26] } 8. Qxd4 { [%clk 0:04:37] } Qe7?? { Blunder. Best move was Nc5. } { [%clk 0:04:24] } (8... Nc5 9. Re1+ Ne6 10. Bb3 c6 11. Bh6 Qe7 12. Bxe6 fxe6 13. Nd2 d6 14. Bf4 e5 15. Bxe5) 9. Re1 { Pinning the Knight and Queen to the e-file for the moment. } { [%clk 0:04:34] } 9... f5 { Black tries to defend the Knight, but it is not my ultimate goal, so the attack does nothing to improve the position. } { [%clk 0:04:17] } 10. Nc3 { Adding an additional threat to the e4 Knight. } { [%clk 0:04:27] } 10... c5? { Mistake. Best move was Qf6. } { [%clk 0:04:11] } (10... Qf6 11. Qxf6 gxf6 12. f3 b5 13. Bb3 Bb7 14. fxe4 O-O-O 15. exf5 Bd6 16. Bd2 Be5 17. a4) 11. Qd5 { [%clk 0:04:10] } Qd6?? { I would trade Queens if I were desperate, but that’s not the case in this instance. } { [%clk 0:03:51] } (11... Qf7) 12. Qxf5 { [%clk 0:04:06] } Be7 { [%clk 0:03:42] } 13. Qxe4 { Another free piece. This was reminiscent of a tactics puzzle. } { [%clk 0:04:02] } 13... O-O { Black seeks safety, but it doesn’t help the position. } { [%clk 0:03:36] } 14. Bb3+ { [%clk 0:03:46] } Kh8 { [%clk 0:03:32] } 15. Rd1? { A big mistake. The Rook should have stayed where it was. Very bad things are coming. } { [%clk 0:03:33] } (15. Qxe7 Qxe7 16. Rxe7 d6 17. Ne4 Bf5 18. Nxd6 Bg6 19. Nxb7 c4 20. Bxc4 Bxc2 21. Be3 Rae8) 15... Qf6 { #-3 is coming if I fail to see Be3 defending the f2 pawn. } { [%clk 0:03:24] } 16. Nd5?? { And yes, I failed to see the move. So, in a single move I went from dominating this game to losing #-2. Be3 was the saving move that doomed me. } { [%clk 0:03:10] } (16. Be3) 16... Qxf2+ { There is no escape. } { [%clk 0:03:18] } 17. Kh1 { [%clk 0:03:05] } Qf1+ { [%clk 0:03:15] } 18. Rxf1 { [%clk 0:03:03] } Rxf1# { A few choice words were yelled out in my house at the conclusion of this game, but I think it is a nice little tactical blitz game that demonstrates an important part of chess. The last person to make a mistake loses the game, no matter how good they are. } { [%clk 0:03:14] } 0-1 [/pgn]

  • Approaching the 1300 Threshold

    Approaching the 1300 Threshold

    Chess improvement can be a slow and grinding process. It has been a rollercoaster-like ride full of ups and downs (mostly downs) over the last few years. I am excited to be approaching the 1300 rating threshold after several setbacks over the past few months. Some of the losses this year have been brutal and some of the wins have been incredible, but learning to live with win and losses is one of the biggest challenges when learning the game.

    This is a game I played last night that placed me within 2 points of the 1300 threshold. I have been too busy today to put my mind to another game, so I figured I would annotate this game and show some of the things I continue to learn on the long to road to chess mastery.

    [pgn]
    [Event “Rated Classical game”]
    [Site “https://lichess.org/MNMxfAi2”]
    [Date “2017.07.29”]
    [Round “-“]
    [White “Internet Opponent”]
    [Black “Wesley Surber”]
    [Result “0-1”]
    [TimeControl “900+10”]
    [WhiteRatingDiff “-9”]
    [BlackRatingDiff “+16”]
    [BlackElo “1282”]
    [WhiteElo “1226”]
    [Termination “Time forfeit”]
    [Variant “Standard”]
    [UTCDate “2017.07.29”]
    [Opening “Italian Game”]
    [Annotator “lichess.org”]
    [ECO “C50”]
    [UTCTime “03:10:46”]

    {This was a decent game that offered me some unique learning opportunities. My opponent lost on time, but was on track to lose by checkmate prior to the flag falling.} 1. e4 {[%clk 0:15:00] } e5 {[%clk 0:15:00] } 2. Nf3 {[%clk 0:15:07] } Nc6 {[%clk 0:15:06] } 3. Bc4 {[%clk 0:15:14] } Qe7 {[%clk 0:15:08] Nothing quite exciting happening here. White attempted to make quick end to my options for castling, but I was not having it.} 4. a3 {[%clk 0:14:43] } d6 {[%clk 0:15:16] } 5. O-O {[%clk 0:14:36] } Be6 {[%clk 0:15:23] } 6. d3 {[%clk 0:14:20] } O-O-O {[%clk 0:15:30] } 7. Ng5 {[%clk 0:14:12] } Bxc4 {[%clk 0:15:34] An attempt to keep White from building a complete blockade in the center.} 8. dxc4 {[%clk 0:14:14] } h6 {[%clk 0:15:37] } 9. Nf3 {[%clk 0:13:56] } Nf6 {[%clk 0:15:38] } 10. b4 {[%clk 0:13:55] } Qe6 {[%clk 0:15:05] } 11. Qd3 {[%clk 0:13:48] } a5 {[%clk 0:14:32] } 12. b5 {[%clk 0:13:52] } Ne7 {[%clk 0:14:29] } 13. Be3 {[%clk 0:13:32] } b6 {[%clk 0:13:17] } 14. Nc3 {[%clk 0:12:16] } c5 {[%clk 0:13:12] Solidifying my own blockade and preventing White from advancing his pawns without sacrificing material to break through.} 15. h3 {[%clk 0:10:19] } g5 {[%clk 0:13:13] } 16. a4 {[%clk 0:09:30] } g4 {[%clk 0:13:20] } 17. hxg4 {[%clk 0:09:34] } Nxg4 {[%clk 0:13:23] My original plan was to sneak my Queen into the h-file, but my opponent had other plans. My counter-attack ultimately blocked that path and forced other alternatives.} 18. Nh4 {[%clk 0:08:51] } Nxe3 {[%clk 0:12:56] } 19. Qxe3 {[%clk 0:08:42] } Qxc4 {[%clk 0:13:03] White abandoned his pawn and was down material for the first time in the game.} 20. Nf5 {[%clk 0:08:34] } Qe6 {[%clk 0:12:40] } 21. Rad1 {[%clk 0:07:52] } Nxf5 {[%clk 0:12:35] } 22. exf5 {[%clk 0:05:13] } Qxf5 {[%clk 0:12:42] } 23. Rc1 {[%clk 0:05:06] } Rg8 {[%clk 0:12:49] Attempting to neutralize the f-pawn.} 24. Qf3 $4 {[%clk 0:04:31] } Qg6 $4 {[%clk 0:12:41] A terrible move because I missed that my Rook had already immobilized the f-pawn. White’s Queen was dead but I failed to see the safe capture opportunity. This changed the dynamic of the entire game and could have possibly ended it earlier than it did.} (24…Qxf3) 25. Nd5 {[%clk 0:04:28] } e4 {[%clk 0:12:41] } 26. Qh3+ {[%clk 0:04:12] } Kb8 {[%clk 0:12:44] } 27. Nxb6 {[%clk 0:03:52] } Be7 {[%clk 0:11:46] } 28. Nd5 {[%clk 0:03:37] } Qg5 {[%clk 0:11:35] } 29. Nxe7 {[%clk 0:03:34] } Qxe7 {[%clk 0:11:42] } 30. b6 {[%clk 0:03:32] } Qe5 {[%clk 0:11:37] } 31. Rb1 {[%clk 0:01:52] } Rg5 {[%clk 0:11:43] } 32. b7 {[%clk 0:01:35] Not sure about this move. No significant threat at this point as I had no desire to move my King.} Rdg8 {[%clk 0:11:50] } 33. f4 $6 {[%clk 0:01:20] A nice fork, but the exposed King nullifies its effect.} Qd4+ {[%clk 0:11:51] } 34. Rf2 {[%clk 0:01:24] } Rg4 {[%clk 0:11:26] White’s King is in some serious trouble.} 35. c3 {[%clk 0:01:29] } Qxa4 {[%clk 0:10:42] } 36. Qxh6 {[%clk 0:01:16] } Qd7 {[%clk 0:10:33] } 37. c4 {[%clk 0:01:15] } Qe7 {[%clk 0:09:36] } 38. Ra1 {[%clk 0:00:27] } Rh4 {[%clk 0:09:42] White’s Queen is history.} 39. Rxa5 $2 {[%clk 0:00:22] My opponent would have been better off taking the material exchange instead of going for the lone pawn.} Rxh6 {[%clk 0:09:48] } 40. Ra8+ {[%clk 0:00:29] } Kxb7 {[%clk 0:09:54] } 41. Rf8 $4 {[%clk 0:00:37] I believe that White clicked the wrong square because he was running low on time. I am sure he intended to capture the Rook. Although the game was still lost, White’s flag fell immediately following my next move.} Qxf8 {[%clk 0:10:02] } 0-1
    [/pgn]

  • Analyzing My First OTB Win

    Analyzing My First OTB Win

    Longtime readers know that I have struggled to secure any hint of a victory when playing against players over-the-board (OTB). I have won (and lost) my share of online blitz and standard games on [Chess.com](http://www.chess.com) and [lichess](http://www.lichess.org), but capturing that first victory at a real tournament was elusive. This might not seem like much to a seasoned chess player, but not being able to obtain even a slight advantage in so many games was frustrating. See [here](http://www.campfirechess.com/mhcc-july-2016-round-1-the-stuff-of-nightmares/), [here](http://www.campfirechess.com/game-analysis-mhcc-2016-4-surber-vs-martinez-0-1/), and [here](http://www.campfirechess.com/analysis-mhcc-march-2016-game-3/). However, that frustration came to a close recently with my first OTB victory!

    [pgn]
    [Event “MHCC 2017”]
    [Site “San Antonio, TX”]
    [Date “2017.04.26”]
    [Round “4”]
    [White “OTB Opponent”]
    [Black “Surber, Wesley”]
    [Result “0-1”]
    [ECO “B00”]
    [Annotator “Tactical Analysis 2.0 (30s)”]
    [PlyCount “46”]
    [EventDate “2017.??.??”]
    [Source “Campfire Chess”]
    [SourceDate “2014.10.11”]
    [SourceVersion “1”]
    [SourceVersionDate “2015.09.13”]
    [SourceQuality “1”]

    1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nc6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Bd3 {B00: Queen’s Fianchetto Defence,
    Nimzowitsch Defence} (4. Nc3 Bg4 5. d5 Nb8 6. h3 Bxf3 7. Qxf3 Nbd7 8. g4 g6 9.
    Be3 Bg7 10. O-O-O c5 11. Qe2 b5 12. g5 Nh5 13. Nxb5 Rb8 {1-0 (34) Carlsen,M
    (2851)-Petrosian,T (2611) chess.com INT 2016}) 4… e5 {LiveBook: 17 Games} 5.
    Be3 (5. Bb5 $5 {looks sharper.} exd4 6. Nxd4 Bd7 7. Nc3 Be7 8. O-O) 5… d5
    $146 (5… exd4 6. Nxd4 Nxd4 7. Bxd4 c5 8. Bxf6 Qxf6 9. Nc3 Be6 10. Bb5+ Bd7
    11. Bxd7+ Kxd7 {1-0 (20) Wachtel,A (908)-Breitkopf,R Heidesheim 2013}) 6. exd5
    {White is slightly better.} (6. Nxe5 $5 {creates asymmetry.} dxe4 7. Bb5 Bd7 8.
    Nc3 Bb4 9. Bxc6 Bxc6 10. O-O) 6… Nxd5 7. Nxe5 {-0.44/20} ({White should try}
    7. Qe2 $11 {0.17/15}) 7… Nxe5 8. dxe5 Nxe3 9. fxe3 Bc5 10. Qf3 O-O {0.54/18}
    (10… Qg5 $15 {-0.37/18}) 11. Nc3 {-0.06/18} ({White should play} 11. Qe4 $14
    {0.54/18} g6 12. Qf4) 11… c6 {1.11/18} (11… Qg5 $11 {-0.06/18 remains
    equal.}) 12. O-O-O {0.00/17} (12. Qe4 $16 {1.11/18} g6 13. Qf4) 12… g6 $2 {
    2.05/18 [#]} (12… Qg5 $11 {0.00/17 and Black stays safe.}) 13. h4 {0.63/18} (
    {Weaker is} 13. Bxg6 Qg5 14. Bh5 Qxe5 $14) ({Better is} 13. Ne4 $1 $18 {2.05/18
    }) 13… h5 $2 {2.60/18} (13… Qc7 $14 {0.63/18}) 14. Bxg6 $1 $18 Qe8 (14…
    fxg6 15. Rxd8) 15. Bxh5 Qxe5 16. Ne4 Bf5 17. Ng3 $2 {1.11/17} (17. Nxc5 $18 {
    3.07/19} Qxc5 18. e4) 17… Be6 18. Rde1 $2 {0.00/18} (18. e4 $18 {1.62/16})
    18… Bxa2 {1.22/18} (18… Ba3 $1 $11 {0.00/18 keeps the balance.} 19. bxa3
    Rad8) 19. Qg4+ $16 Kh8 20. Qf5 $2 {-#11/14 [#]} (20. Qg5 $16 {0.98/19} Qxg5 21.
    hxg5) 20… Bxe3+ {Black mates.} 21. Kd1 Rad8+ 22. Ke2 Qxg3 23. Rh3 Bc4+ 0-1

    [/pgn]

    Because it has been awhile since I posted anything of significant here on *Campfire Chess*, I thought it would be a good idea to share this game with my readers to help celebrate my victory. My opponent was very challenging, but errors were made that turned things in my favor.

  • Game Analysis: Balance of Power

    The balance of power in a chess game can change with a single blunder or amazing move. Although, in my case it is usually the former. This game was played last night on lichess and while it was heartbreaking, I found it to be a worthy educational experience.

    [pgn]
    [Event “Rated game”]
    [Site “https://lichess.org/0ihX4xUK”]
    [Date “2017.02.19”]
    [Round “?”]
    [White “Internet Opponent”]
    [Black “Surber, Wesley”]
    [Result “1-0”]
    [ECO “C44”]
    [WhiteElo “1281”]
    [BlackElo “1206”]
    [Annotator “Surber,Wesley”]
    [PlyCount “85”]
    [EventDate “2017.??.??”]
    [Source “Campfire Chess”]
    [SourceDate “2014.10.11”]
    [SourceVersion “1”]
    [SourceVersionDate “2015.09.13”]
    [SourceQuality “1”]
    [TimeControl “900+10”]

    {This game shows how fast the balance of power can switch during a chess game
    and serves as a reminder that although the balance might tip in your favor,
    the game is not over until its over.} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 f6 {Clearly,
    this was not the best option in this position, but having not played online
    chess in awhile I was hesitant to play aggressively and did not take the pawn
    on d4.} 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. d5 {White’s aggressive style was anxiety provoking, but
    threatened to undermine his development at several points in the game.} Nce7 6.
    Bd2 a6 7. Be2 f5 {Stockfish hated this move and clearly gave the advntage to
    White, but I needed a way to break through the central pawn structure and
    dislodge the Knight threat.} 8. Nxe5 $1 {I missed this move and prayed that I
    would not pay for it later.} Nf6 9. Bg5 {Fortunately, White’s counterplay was
    not perfect and the position equalized for a bit.} h6 10. Bxf6 gxf6 11. Bh5+
    Kf8 {A quick trade put White back on top and eliminated any chance I had of
    castling.} 12. d6 {At this point, White went from clearly winning to being
    slightly better in the position. Obviously, he wanted to bring the pawn closer
    to the first rank to threaten my King and to bring another Queen to the board.
    This created additional dilemmas for me as there was already a Knight and
    Bishop pair bearing down on the King and his defenders as well.} fxe5 13. dxe7+
    Qxe7 14. exf5 Bc5 15. Qf3 d6 16. f6 Qe6 17. Ne4 Qc4 {Not the best move, but my
    intention was to put additional pressure on White’s King and prevent any
    last-minute attempts to short castle. I also wanted to be in position in case
    he blundered with a Knight or Queen move.} 18. f7 {White pinned my King to the
    back rank with the threat of adding a new Queen to the board.} b5 19. Nf6 {
    White added an additional attacker and essentially immobilized my King.} Bb4+
    20. c3 Bxc3+ 21. bxc3 Rb8 22. g3 $2 {White gave up a clearly winning position
    at this point to allow a deadly skewer of the Queen-Rook combination.} Bb7 $1 {
    This was a very nice move in that White loses a large amount of material.} 23.
    Qe2 Bxh1 $1 {For the first time in the game, I had a small advantage.} 24. Kf1
    Qc6 25. f3 b4 26. Bg4 $4 {With this move, I went from a slightly better
    position to having a decisive advantage in the game. Yet, this is where things
    became tricky.} bxc3 27. Nd7+ Kxf7 28. Nxb8 Rxb8 29. Bh5+ Kg7 30. f4 {White
    made several attempts to force me into a Queen sacrifice with no success. At
    this point, the position was clearly in my favor.} Rb2 $6 {A move designed
    purely to force my opponent to move his Queen.} 31. Qg4+ {I got my wish but
    opened myself to a trap!} Kh8 32. Qc8+ Kg7 33. Qg4+ Kh8 34. Ke1 {Mate in 5 if
    I played with care.} Qe4+ 35. Kd1 $4 {A devastating blunder! Mate in 2 for me..
    .if only…} Bf3+ 36. Qxf3 Qc2+ $4 {And then things turned ugly. My own
    blunder handed control of the game back over to my opponent and #2 was
    suddenly no longer a possibility.} 37. Ke1 Qd2+ 38. Kf1 c2 39. fxe5 dxe5 $4 {
    This was my own death knell. After this, there was no escape from my
    opponent’s corner trap.} 40. Qf6+ Kg8 41. Bf7+ Kh7 42. Qg6+ Kh8 43. Qg8# 1-0
    [/pgn]

  • Settling Above 1100

    Settling Above 1100

    The cycle of life ebbs and flows with some periods being more demanding than others. August to October of this year has been particularly demanding, which forced me to cut down on my chess writing and playing. Curiously, that break preceded a jump in my online game successes both in live challenges and on the damnable [Chess.com Tactics Trainer](). My online ELO currently sits at 1101, which is the first time it has surpassed that benchmark since March 13 of this year.

    Pretty charts, but still a long way to go. (Credit: Chess.com/Campfire Chess)

    Of course, some of my recent wins were clearly undeserved (abandoned by opponent, etc.) but I believe that many of them are starting to reflect my constant dedication to studying and learning about the game. For example,

    [pgn]
    [Event “Live Chess”]
    [Site “Chess.com”]
    [Date “2016.09.25”]
    [Round “?”]
    [White “Internet Opponent”]
    [Black “AmishHacker”]
    [Result “0-1”]
    [ECO “A00”]
    [WhiteElo “1081”]
    [BlackElo “1074”]
    [Annotator “Surber, Wesley A. “]
    [PlyCount “28”]
    [EventDate “2016.??.??”]
    [Source “Campfire Chess”]
    [SourceDate “2014.10.11”]
    [TimeControl “900+10”]
    [WhiteClock “0:16:08”]
    [BlackClock “0:16:38”]

    1. h3 {0 I cannot remember the last time I seen this used as an opening move
    against a Chess.com opponent. My wife uses it at times, always to her peril.}
    d5 {2 Almost ignoring White’s opening move, I played for control of the center.
    } 2. e3 {3 No doubt sensing the coming buildup, White engages on the e3 square.
    } Nc6 {1} 3. a3 $2 {3 Another unusual move. White seemed less interested in
    building up his forces in the center and more interested in guarding the
    outside files…} Bf5 {2 Putting pressure on the c2 pawn in the event White
    wanted to play to c4. With such an unusual collection of opening moves, it
    seemed as though anything could happen.} 4. d4 {6 White blocks the d-pawn from
    advancing and intends to force an engagement on e5 or c5 if I were to advance.}
    e6 {2 Reinforcement for the d5 pawn.} 5. Be2 {6} Nf6 {3 An attempt to
    pressurize White’s kingside by preparing a combo attack.} 6. Nc3 {6 White made
    an empty threat to the d5 pawn, but had no option unless he wanted to lose
    material.} Bd6 {2 An attempt to assert control of the d6-h2 diagonal and
    prevent any future castle option for White.} 7. h4 $4 {12 I am still unsure
    why this move was made…} O-O {2 Safety!} 8. g4 {2 White forces an exchange
    of pieces.} Be4 {3} 9. Nxe4 {2} Nxe4 {3 I am typically not happy with trading
    Bishops for Knights, but White’s counterplay made the Knights much more
    powerful for the scenario.} 10. Bd3 {17} Qf6 $6 {2 This was a gamble to see if
    White noticed the #1 move. Of course, he did and I was prepared for the
    counterplay.} 11. Bxe4 {4} dxe4 {2} 12. g5 {4} Qf5 {7} 13. Ne2 {5} Qf3 $1 {
    8 Dangerous territory given the potential for a trap by the Queen and Rook.}
    14. Nc3 $4 {2 White made a tragic mistake that changed the course of the game
    entirely. The Rook (and the game) is lost.} Qxh1+ {AmishHacker won by
    resignation} 0-1
    [/pgn]

    Winning and losing in chess is like the tides, so I am trying to prepare myself mentally for the time when the wins don’t come and the only way ahead seems to be down, like this heartbreaking loss:

    [pgn]
    [Event “Live Chess”]
    [Site “Chess.com”]
    [Date “2016.09.25”]
    [Round “?”]
    [White “Internet Opponent”]
    [Black “AmishHacker”]
    [Result “1-0”]
    [ECO “D00”]
    [WhiteElo “1041”]
    [BlackElo “1064”]
    [PlyCount “41”]
    [EventDate “2016.??.??”]
    [Source “Campfire Chess”]
    [SourceDate “2014.10.11”]
    [TimeControl “900+10”]
    [WhiteClock “0:13:54”]
    [BlackClock “0:15:43”]

    1. d4 {3} d5 {3} 2. Nc3 {8} Nf6 {3} 3. f3 {14} Nc6 {6} 4. Bg5 {6} e6 {4} 5.
    Bxf6 {3} Qxf6 {2} 6. e4 {56} dxe4 {12} 7. Nxe4 {5} Qf5 {14} 8. Bb5 {10} Bd7 {3}
    9. g4 {28} Qd5 {12} 10. Bxc6 {6} Bxc6 {3} 11. c3 {13} O-O-O {2} 12. Ne2 {7} f5
    {11} 13. gxf5 {27} exf5 {4} 14. Nf4 {7} Qc4 {10} 15. b3 {9} Qa6 {9} 16. Ng5 {23
    } Re8+ {8} 17. Ne2 {13} h6 {15} 18. Nf7 {6} Bxf3 {3} 19. O-O {17} Bxe2 {17} 20.
    Qe1 {4} Bh5 {16} 21. Qxe8# {Internet Opponent won by checkmate} 1-0
    [/pgn]

    Until next time, keep the flame burning, campers!

  • MHCC July 2016 Round 1: The Stuff of Nightmares

    MHCC July 2016 Round 1: The Stuff of Nightmares

    Although you’ll be hard-pressed to find many pastors (or people) out there who would admit that The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is their favorite film of all time, I am not your typical pastor nor do I like to think of myself as your typical person. When it comes to chess, there is much evidence to support the position that I might be the world’s worst chess player. I have become accustomed to losing just in some of the most interesting and depressing ways over the past few years and I thought I have learned to deal with the trauma that can arise from such an experience, but last Wednesday’s tournament OTB game reminded me of how devastating it can be to make a mistake in a game where I put so much time, effort, energy, and focus. In essence, Wednesday night was an opportunity for me to experience my own Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

    As many of you know, I have been playing in my first series of OTB tournaments a few months back, but had to take a break to finish some school and other personal projects. These projects also contributed to the lack of posts here on Campfire Chess, but I digress. Playing in the July edition of this tournament was a last-minute decision, so there was a little bit of hesitation on my part for returning. However, I know that the best way to improve is to continue to play. Unfortunately, my return to OTB play was the stuff of nightmares. Rarely do I go into these situations expecting a win because very few of the players involved in these tournaments are rated anywhere near where I perform. Most of them are the master level or higher including a resident International Master and occasional visits from Grandmasters, which I have written about in the past. However, I can say that I never expected what happened this past Wednesday night. To say that it was traumatic betrays the depth of the experience.

    I lost a game in eight moves although I played through to 12 moves for a combined total board time of around 14 minutes. Looking back on things, I realized that it was a simple mistake that ended the game so quickly whether it was rushing or simply not surveying the more properly. It has taken me a few days to get over it, but I have written some commentary on this atrocious game and decided to share it with my Campfire Chess audience. Now, for your viewing pleasure I present to you around one of MHCC July 2016.

    [pgn]

    [Event “MHCC July 2016”]
    [Site “Methodist Hosp”]
    [Date “2016.07.06”]
    [Round “1”]
    [White “Wesley Surber”]
    [Black “Gary Zintgraff”]
    [Result “0-1”]
    [ECO “C63”]
    [WhiteElo “100”]
    [BlackElo “1727”]
    [PlyCount “24”]
    [EventDate “2016.??.??”]
    [Source “Campfire Chess”]
    [SourceDate “2014.10.11”]

    1. e4 {Nothing really special here. Typical opening move for me.} e5 {A
    typical response. Nothing really going on here.} 2. Nf3 {Playing for a Ruy
    Lopez opening. Not terribly exciting. I was not interested in trying anything
    crazy since I had not played an OTB game in a couple of months.} Nc6 {Black
    responds in kind.} 3. Bb5 {Ruy Lopez opening now in full-force. Again, not too
    much going on here at this point. I believe that only 5 minutes or so had
    elapsed on the clock.} f5 {I liked this move. It was tempting to take with the
    e-pawn, which is well within the book. However, I wanted to develop a little
    more before lunging into some crazy attack considering that my opponent was
    rated some 4-billion percent higher than me.} 4. Nc3 {Reinforcing my e4
    position.} Nf6 {Now we’re starting to get somewhere. Black doubles down on my
    e-pawn. This made the f5 pawn look much more appetizing at this point.} 5. exf5
    {This is a very nice position. I felt confident about moving forward, but was
    also cautious…or so I thought…} e4 {Another good move. I liked the way in
    which my opponent pressed for advantage but was not forcing anything. This
    move was something I had considered when planning exf5 and I had devised a
    counter to protect the knight long enough to get out of the way.} 6. Qe2 {
    The pawn is pinned to the King and the knight is protected for now.} Qe7 {
    The pin is countered and the knight is no longer protected. There are several
    options here, but Black is slowly gaining an advantage.} 7. Ng5 {Given the
    circumstances, this seemed to be the best way to counter an attack on the f3
    knight without retreating to the first rank.} Nd4 $1 {I missed this move and
    it shocked me because it is deadly in a number of ways. I was on the cusp of
    losing a rook and possibly more if I did not find a way to counter it. I
    thought for a few minutes, focusing on a way to avoid the upcoming assault
    while trying to execute my continued development plan.} 8. Bc4 $4 {I cannot
    imagine a single move in the years I have been working on my chess that I wish
    I could take back more. This is the KING OF BLUNDERS. I can see myself making
    a move like this if I were in diapers or something, but this was simply
    unacceptable. What’s worse is that I STILL did not see the blunder after I
    moved the bishop until my opponent made his next move.} Nxe2 $3 {My heart
    stopped. I started sweating, and I felt an intense urge to run out of the room
    screaming at the top of my lungs. Less than 12 minutes had elapsed on the
    clock and this game was over before I even had a chance to crack the lid on my
    Diet Coke. The subsequent moves are a case study in the deterioration of chess
    playing ability following a significant psychological trauma.} 9. Nd5 {A
    desperate play for c7+.} Nxd5 {Nope. The knight is gone. I was just looking
    for a good point to end it all at this time.} 10. Bxd5 {Hoping to push to f7+.}
    Qxg5 {Nope. Another KNIGHT is history and my NIGHT is almost over.} 11. h4 {
    Pointless pawn development. Just looking for a reason to move pieces.} Qxg2 {
    I would have made this move when I was 600 on Chess.com. The end is nigh.} 12.
    Kxe2 {Trading the rook for the knight is not something I would normally do,
    but this game was over on move 8…} Qxh1 {I resigned after approximately 14
    minutes of total gameplay and 12 moves. The worst chess performance I can ever
    remember. Although it was devastating, it was a reminder not to get complacent
    and most importantly, not to give up because I left the room prepared to burn
    everything I owned related to chess.} 0-1

    [/pgn]

    Unfortunately, my desire to try again this week has been postponed because of a sick child. As always, family comes first. Therefore, I will have to wait until next week for an opportunity to redeem myself with a reasonable loss.

  • Game Analysis: Sharp Forks and Dull Blunders

    Game Analysis: Sharp Forks and Dull Blunders

  • Spinning Wheels at the Bottom

    Spinning Wheels at the Bottom

    Another week, another loss. There is no other way to say it: the month of April itself is a loss for me. After watching my online ELO plummet 200 points I have consistently put zeros on the board for every game I have played OTB in the past 30 days. It is easy to get frustrated and want to give up, but these are the kind of times when the true test of resilience presents itself. As Rocky likes to say, it ain’t about how hard you can hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep going. And now, full analysis of my game from Wednesday’s tournament at Methodist Hospital. Enjoy!

  • Yet Another Loss

    Yet Another Loss

  • Game Analysis – MHCC 2016 (4) – Surber vs. Martinez (0-1)

    Game Analysis – MHCC 2016 (4) – Surber vs. Martinez (0-1)