A long silence...sigh

Well, perhaps this silence of mine has been a bit longer that I supposed it might be. I changed jobs a few months back, and it's taking more time than I expected to figure out a new daily routine. It seems like most of my chess-playing time and energy has disappeared.

At least the interest in the game is still there, so maybe there's hope! I have started reading the blogs again and I'm casting around a little for a good way to get my studies going again. I've tried a couple of times to get CPT configured as a tactics trainer. It seems a little awkward to work with. Perhaps the answer is to simply break down and buy a copy of CT-Art. I tinkered with the demo version and didn't like it much. The most "fun" study tool I've used it the Chess Tactics Server. Since the crash and restart, it's a lot harder to monitor progress.

Anyway, I'm back. I know, nobody noticed I was gone! That's OK. I understand.

STC MayMania 2006 Round 4 - I need to study more!

I've not had much time to work on chess in the last few weeks (more on that later). I was not well prepared for this game, and was up against a good player who played well.

I hope to get back in the routine of regular study in a few weeks when things settle down a bit.



















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Wikibooks on Chess

I ran across this in my wanderings -- Chess - Wikibooks. Must investigate further.

A chess player can't have too many books!

No big mistakes, but lost anyway!

Here's the first game of the STC MayMania tournament. All I can say about the game (other than the comments below) is that my opponent played well. I don't think I made any glaring errors other than exchanging my passive Rook for Black's active one into a lost endgame. But, I don't think I made any stellar moves either.

I'd really appreciate your advice on how to avoid this kind of outcome. I was on the lookout for tactical opportunities throughout the game. There were a number of tense moments that ended up being resolved in equal exchanges. Perhaps I need to work on creating tactical opportunities? Maybe I simply lost focus at the end of the game?


















[Event "STC MayMania 2006 Round 1"]
[Site "freechess.org"]
[Date "2006.05.08"]
[Round "?"]
[White "RBHawkins"]
[Black "CharlesAllen"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "1678P"]
[BlackElo "1720P"]
[ECO "D02"]
[TimeControl "3600+5"]
1. d4 {1:00:00} d5 {1:00:00} 2. Nf3 {0:59:59} e6 {0:59:52} 3. e3 {0:59:55} Nf6 {0:58:54} 4. Bd3 {0:59:48} c5 {0:58:38} 5. c3 {0:59:28} b6 {0:58:10} 6. Nbd2 {0:58:52} Bb7 {0:58:04} 7. O-O {0:58:05} Be7 {0:57:33} 8. Re1 {0:57:28} O-O {0:57:04} 9. e4 {0:56:25} dxe4 {0:56:26} 10. Nxe4 {0:56:04} Nbd7 {0:54:58} 11. Nxf6+ {0:51:52} Nxf6 {0:52:09} 12. Bg5 {0:48:50} cxd4 {0:48:40} 13. Nxd4 {0:42:13} h6 {0:46:17} 14. Bxf6 {0:40:29} Bxf6 {0:46:03} 15. Qc2 {0:38:59} Rc8 {0:42:50} 16. Rad1 {0:33:53} Kh8 {0:39:26} 17. Nf3 {0:30:19} Qc7 {0:35:23} 18. Be4 {0:26:15} Bxe4 {0:33:11} 19. Qxe4 {0:25:48} Rfd8 {0:32:49} 20. g3 {0:23:15} Rd7 {0:28:32} 21. Rxd7 {0:22:00} Qxd7 {0:28:32} 22. Ne5 {0:21:47} Bxe5 {0:27:28} 23. Qxe5 {0:21:29} Qd2 {0:26:20} 24. Re2 {0:20:52} Qd1+ {0:25:11} 25. Kg2 {0:20:45} Rd8 {0:23:39} 26. Re1 {0:19:29} Qd5+ {0:23:03} 27. Qxd5 {0:18:59} Rxd5 {0:23:06} 28. Re2 {0:18:54} g5 {0:22:27} 29. g4 {0:17:15} Kg7 {0:22:25} 30. Kg3 {0:16:48} Rd3+ {0:21:41} 31. f3 {0:16:01} Kf6 {0:21:11} 32. c4 {0:14:26} e5 {0:20:49} 33. Rc2 {0:12:07} e4 {0:19:33} 34. Rc3 {0:08:48} Rxc3 {0:19:16} 35. bxc3 {0:08:47} e3 {0:19:11} 36. Kg2 {0:08:45} Ke5 {0:19:00} 37. Kf1 {0:08:41} f5 {0:18:10} 38. gxf5 {0:08:15} Kxf5 {0:18:12} 39. Ke2 {0:08:17} Kf4 {0:18:10} 40. a3 {0:07:56} h5 {0:17:31} 41. a4 {0:07:04} a5 {0:17:24} 42. h3 {0:06:00} h4 {0:16:43} 43. c5 {0:05:13} bxc5 {0:16:44} 44. c4 {0:05:11} Kg3 {0:14:18} 45. Kxe3 {0:05:07} Kxh3 {0:12:43} 46. Kf2 {0:04:50} g4 {0:12:18} 47. fxg4 {0:04:46} Kxg4 {0:12:21} 48. Kg2 {0:04:41} Kf4 {0:11:57} 49. Kh3 {0:04:44} Ke4 {0:12:01} 50. Kxh4 {0:04:46} Kd4 {0:12:04} 51. Kg3 {0:04:46} Kxc4 {0:12:08} 52. Kf2 {0:04:44} Kb4 {0:12:11} 53. Ke3 {0:04:45} c4 {0:12:10} 54. Kd2 {0:04:47} Kb3 {0:12:11} 55. Kc1 {0:04:43} Kxa4 {0:12:08} 56. Kc2 {0:04:47} Kb4 {0:12:12} 57. Kb2 {0:04:49} c3+ {0:12:13} 58. Kc2 {0:04:47} a4 {0:12:15} {RBHawkins resigns} 0-1

Life is Interfering with Chess...

This has not been a good week (or two) for chess study. My wife was in the hospital for two days and is now recovering at home (serious, but not life-threatening). That makes for lots of extra jobs to be done, and not much study or playing time. Priorities!

I did manage to finish up Round 9 in the STC Open on a good note. I've done a bit of looking at my play and am posting the comments below.



















[Event "STC Open 2006 Round 9"]
[Site "freechess.org"]
[Date "2006.05.02"]
[Round "9"]
[White "RBHawkins"]
[Black "Skorj"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "1596P"]
[BlackElo "1681"]
[ECO "D04"]
[TimeControl "3600"]
1. d4 {1:00:00} d5 {1:00:00} 2. Nf3 {0:59:52} Nf6
{0:59:49} 3. e3 {0:59:43} c5 {0:59:07} 4. c3 {0:58:42}
Bg4 {0:57:48} 5. Nbd2 {0:56:57} c4 {0:57:07} 6. b3
{0:54:18} b5 {0:56:55} 7. Qc2 {0:52:51} Nc6
{0:55:58} 8. Be2 {0:51:42} e6 {0:54:59} 9. O-O {0:51:14}
Rc8 {0:53:47} 10. e4 {0:50:24} dxe4 {0:51:57} 11. Nxe4
{0:50:02} Nxe4 {0:50:59} 12. Qxe4 {0:49:19} Bf5
{0:50:01} 13. Qe3 {0:47:27} Qd5 {0:48:49} 14. Nh4
{0:44:22} Be7 {0:46:09} 15. Nxf5 {0:42:48} Qxf5
{0:46:00} 16. bxc4 {0:41:40} Bg5 {0:44:20} 17. Qxg5
{0:41:18} Ne7 {0:42:24} 18. Qxf5 {0:38:31} Nxf5
{0:42:20} 19. Ba3 {0:37:26} bxc4 {0:42:01} 20. Rab1
{0:36:39} f6 {0:41:15} 21. Rb7 {0:36:11} a5 {0:37:20}
22. Bxc4 {0:35:32} Rxc4 {0:35:39} 23. Rb8+ {0:35:26} Kf7
{0:35:38} 24. Rxh8 {0:35:21} Rxc3 {0:35:37} 25. Rf8+
{0:34:21} Kg6 {0:35:29} 26. Bc5 {0:33:14} e5
{0:34:08} 27. Rd1 {0:31:25} exd4 {0:33:43} 28. Bxd4
{0:31:08} Nxd4 {0:33:38} 29. Re8 {0:29:01} Rc2 {0:32:01}
30. Kf1 {0:27:34} Nc6 {0:30:05} 31. Re2 {0:26:48} Rc4
{0:29:12} 32. h3 {0:24:41} Nd4 {0:28:20} 33. Re4
{0:23:48} {Skorj resigns} 1-0