| Sep-16-07 |
| adale: <Cactus> thx for the info on openings but if this would help u helping me pick a good opening am kinda good with queen gambit sometimes i dont do gambit and just open with d4. but i believe am an poositional player because i heard e4 was more tactic and when i play e4 i lose alot but with d4 i last way longer and sometimes win |
 |
Nov-19-07
 |
| Cactus: No problem! |
|
Nov-25-07
|
| Cactus: A good opening is the Torre Attack; it doesn't take very much memorization, and it's very positional. |
|
Nov-25-07
 |
| NakoSonorense: Hi. I like your handle! |
|
Mar-22-08
 |
| minasina: The Kibitzer's Café (direct reply link) |
|
May-14-08
|
| Cactus: Thanks! |
|
Jun-08-08
|
| minasina: <Cactus: Thanks!> Was that for <Nako> or for <me>? Anyway, nice to see, that You sometimes read your chessforum. :) |
|
| Jun-10-08 |
| najdorfman: Dear Cactus,
I only recently saw your thoughtful response to my post about the Dragon. Thank you for taking the time and effort for your reply. I don't wish for there to be any misunderstanding between us. I have already made an incorrect inference about your being swayed by a computer evcaluation of the Ivanchuk-Hodgson game.
To reply to the Dragon analysis, I never have claimed that White should win the way Ivanchuk played, only that the computer analysis indicates that it should be, with best play for both sides, a draw. 25...Qb7(!) does seem to improve for Black. Then we get to move thirty: 30. Rfe8 Qxf3 31. Rd7(!) which is White's best way get his rooks to the seventh rank and threaten Black's pawns--31...Qf6+ 32. Ka3 e5 33. Ra8 a6 34. Raa7 h6 35. c4 e4 36. c5 e3 37. c6 e2 38. Rxf7+ Qxf7 39. Rxf7+ Kxf7 40 c7 e1Q 41. c8Q and if Black wins the pawn on h2, White will capture the a6-pawn--both kings are completely exposed to perpetual check and neither side has a winning advantage in possible pawn promotion races. Proper outcome is a draw.
Back at move 31, Black has other tries but despite queening first again, Black still does not win or obtain a clear advantage according to Fritz: 31...e5 32. Rxh7 Kh6 33. Ree7 (Here, White efforts to win are fruitless because his king is to exposed to perpetual checks. E.g., 33. Rxe5 Qf2 34. Ree7 Qd4+ 35. c3 Qf2+ 36. Ka3 Qc5+ 37. Ka4 Qxc3 38. Rxf7 Qc6+ 39. Kb4 Qb6+ 40. Kc4 Qc6+ 41. Kd4 Qd6+ 42. Kc3 Qd4+ 43. Ka3 Qd6+ 44. Ka3 Qd6+ 45 b4 Qd3+ 46. Ka4 Qd1+ 47. Ka5 Qd5+ 48. b5 Qxa2+ 49. Kb6 Qe6+ and again the computer says it's equal.) 33...f6 34. h4 Kh5 35. Rxh7+ Kg4 36. Ra6 Qf4 37. Rf7 f5 38. Rxg6+ Kf3 39. Rd6 Qg4 40. a4 Qh5 41. Rdd7 f4 42. Rh7 Qg4 43. h5 e4 44. h6 Qh4 45. Rd4 Qf6 46. Rhd7 Qxh6 47. Re7 e3 48. Rde4 Qc6 49. a5 Qxe4 50. Rxe4 Kxe4 51. a6 e2 52. a7 e1Q 53. a8Q+ Kf5. Here Fritz says White has a 1.00 advantage but I still think it's a draw because of the exposed kings, the checking power of queens and the fact that Black's pawn is further advanced than either of White's.
I hope that this analysis--which is by no means exhaustive--will satisfy you that the position should be drawn with best play. I believe 31. Rd7 is White's key saving move. Black, of course, has many opportunities to deliver perpetual check, as you have already noted.
To end this communication with an anecdote you might find amusing, I was visiting New York in 1994 for the PCA Candidates' matches, and Mickey Adams was facing the very strong Dragon expert Tiviakov. Adams was using Hodgson as his second. They were well into the match and Mickey was avoiding the Dragon with 2. c3 (twice) and 3. Bb5+ in another game. Mickey had already lost a game versus Tiviakov in a Dragon. Nick DeFirmian and I were walking into the playing site and there were Adams and Hodgson standing in the lobby of the Trump Plaza. When they saw us, the faces lit up and we exchanged greetings. Then Adams said that he was getting nowhere against Tiviakov's Sicilian, that they had exhausted all of their match "preperation" and were out of ideas! Nick and I laughed and I remarked: "Oh, sure. Nick and I always was around with anti-Dragon theoretical novelties in our pockets!"
Everyone laughed and Nick said let's adjourn to the nearest bar.... |
|
| Jun-10-08 |
| najdorfman: There's a typo in my post towards the end. What I said was WALK around, not "was around". Sorry about that. Good luck playing the Dragon. DeFirmian, I think, gave up playing the Yugoslav Attack against it, and switched to a set-up with kingside castling. He's fifty years old now and chess opening memory contests are just too taxing on older players. Still, I am a little surprised because Nick worked with Benjamin, Fedorowicz and Illescas for the IBM Deep Blue people. When they were preparing for a potential Dragon that Kasparov might try they did a lot of work. I believe it was Fedorowicz who told me that the silicon monster found something good for White in the 9. 0-0-0 lines with 10. Qe1!? but he was not at liberty to divulge detailed analyses. |
|
Jul-25-08
|
| Cactus: <Najdorfman> It must be exciting knowning top players! Anyway, I totally agree with you in that the poition looks drawn, if slightly better for black. Thanks for all the analysis. |
|
Jul-25-08
|
| Cactus: <Minasina> It was more of a general thanks reaching out to all those who were helpful. :) |
|
Aug-19-08
 |
| hms123: <cactus> I learn things things from bitter experience, and am happy to help others avoid my mistakes.--hms |
|
| Aug-19-08 |
| ILikeFruits: do you like cactus... |
|
Sep-06-08
 |
| Artar1: <We need your vote in our Battle of the Brains2 game. Can you vote right now? The team needs you. Thanks!> |
|
Sep-07-08
|
| Cactus: <Artar> Sorry, I was on holidays! Has the team faltered?
<Ilikefruits> No, I'm more of a fruit kind of guy.
<hms> We sound very alike! |
|
|
|
heart failure community and support group
|
|
|
