Some work on the error database

I took some time to enter some of the games played during the last two tournaments into my personal error db.  It starts to crystallize; the main issues are two variations with Black and too passive play in case of higher rated opponents....

My main goal for the coming tournament (end of August) is to erase the former!

New FIDE-rules

From 01st of July onwards new FIDE-rules apply - follow the link for a brief update (in German)!

Vellmar - Conclusion

All in all, I managed to win some 15 rating points - not too bad, given that I didn´t have time for any decent and/or continuous training during the last months.

I had the chance to talk to the guy I played in round 5 - I posted the diagram yesterday: He made clear that the +3 evaluation of the machine holds only true if White pushes the pawns, but that things are not really that clear at all if White remains passive and keeps all his pieces tightly together - something the machine cannot really account for; and all of a sudden it takes the machine many many many moves to crack White open... That´s not an excuse for me chickening out (as the worst to happen would have been what I so easily gave without White having to fight for)!  But it provides some reasoning for the difference of my personal and the computer´s evaluation...

The most important take away from the tournament: There is one variation with Black which needs my attention; it was on the board 3 times during the tournament and I only achieved two draws. That´s not good enough and I actually already started to work on it!  For the next tournament - end of August - I will be BEST prepared to meet this variation!

Vellmar - Round 5

After a very long life-or-death struggle including pawn and even piece sacrifices by my 2200-opponent, where I managed to hit the best move (according to the computer) for some 10 moves in a row (which was absolutely vital), I reached the following position:

Yes - it is undoubted that Black is better. But how much? Is it a (very) clear win?  I saw some variations with queens leaving the board and Black losing the a-pawn... Actually, I personally gave it less than one pawn (i.e. about 0.8 or so) for Black and with some 12 minutes left for 12 moves I - once more - chickened out and accepted a draw.

Actually, the computer rates Black´s position at almost +3.0 (even now knowing the score, it seems a bit too much to me) - and what is even more astonishing for me personally, it doens´t really matter at all whether Black keeps the a-pawn or not! Important, however, is the fact that Black has to avoid trading queens (and even the computer needs some more 30 moves to make the victory clear); wheras trading rooks is cleary favouring Black...


Ok - I still need to work on my position evaluation ability (as well as on my self-confidence against stronger players)!

Vellmar Open - First Round

It´s black´s turn - I was black - I fucked it up!

As long as I fuck up positions like this, there is absolutely ZERO chance to reach new hights and increase my rating...    I saw Ng6 and Kg5, winning the game but IGNORED that Kg3 is possible (and I ignored that both Qf2 and even Qh2 are winning, easily).

How can this happen?