BANGOR VERSUS BELFAST SOUTH

Thursday`s match with Bangor could easily haved ended 3.5 - 1.5 for Bangor.  I arrived late for my game and ended up in serious time trouble.

As you can see in the video, the Bangor club are using mechanical clocks which make it difficult to know exactly how much time you have when the flag starts to fall. You reach a stage when it looks like the flag is about to fall immediately.

Rookie`s report is below.
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1.Alan McConnell 0.5-0.5 Ray Devenney;

2.James O'Fee 0-1 Sam Flanagan;

3.Walter Wilson 0-1 Bruce MacLean;

4.Richard Morrow 1-0 David Ruben;

5.Gary Johnston 0-1 Neil Green.

Total 1.5-3.5. +Bonus 1.5-5.5.                                           



I climbed into Sam's old banger to get to Bangor last night. 

Wobbly Walter Wilson wilted to defeat but Bruce couldn't lose.

On Board 1, Alan was falling behind a pawn down but held out for a draw against Ray. 

David was full of sorrow after losing to Morrow. 

The scores were level with time trouble in the last two games. 

Fee, fi, fo, fum, O'Fee was not a happy chum as Sam, 2 Queens up, got him to resign with 15 seconds left. 

All hinged on the bottom board where Neil must have been eating his greens as his stamina outlasted Gary's, who lost on time. 

Martin Kelly.

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1 Cor 7:29 “The time is short.”

NAIVETY TEST

This is a position from my last game in the IOM. It turns out the position is a lot more interesting than I first imagined.

It is so interesting I have now called it an "NAIVETY TEST for club players.

I am black and it is black to play, black is close to queening a pawn. 

How would you assess the state of play? Should it be a win for black or a draw?

What is black`s best move?

In the "Naivety test" I got a rating of "Extremely naive."

Someone may find this an interesting postion to play against their computer programme.

This is the full game showing the position above. I naively assumed by pushing the f pawn I would win the white rook, then it should be easy to use my rook to cut the white king off from the h pawn, and win the game.

As you can see this was extremely naive.

Play chess online

This is how the game should have went according to my computer programme. The move I missed was Rook back to e8 on move 69. As you can see my naivety cost me a forced mate in about 20 moves.


I think this game gives an overall view of my present ability. In most of my games I do not get caught out in the openings. 

However my play in the middlegame and endgames is seriously lacking in proficiency.

Need to commence some very serious middle and endgame studies.

Ecc 12:12 And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

ANTI CHEATING MEASURES AT IOM TOURNAMENT

Here is a short video showing a few of the players being  electronically scanned as part of the anti cheating measures at the Isle Of Man tournament.

Different people are chosen at random every day as part of the security strategy.

Proverbs 28:18 Whoso walketh uprightly shall be saved: but he that is perverse in his ways shall fall at once.

THE THREE HEADED DOG

Someone in N.Ireland has published a book using the brilliant title, "The Three Headed Dog." 

Incidentally, the book has a strong link to the Isle Of Man!

It would make a great title for a chess opening. Maybe GM Simon Williams will be able to conjure up some suitable attack line for his next video series and give it this name.

In my game today a position was reached where you could almost visualise a three headed-dog on the board. You just have to image the horse`s heads are dog`s heads, on c3, e4 and f5, all in a diagonal.

Here is another position which should have arisen in my game today, if I had been a much better player.

A three-pronged attack by white featuring the Knight, Bishop and Queen. Alas, I failed to see it. 

It is black to move.

Here is a real position from my game today, which almost melted my head trying to find the best way to continue. 

I did not find the computer`s best way but fortunately I did find the second best way.

It is white to move, I will post my Computer programme`s best move in the comments section along with my second best move.

Ecc 12:12 And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

???????????? HOW DID I MISS THIS ??????????

It is move 12, I am white and it is white to move.  This mistake shocked me when the computer showed me the best way to continue the game.

My opponent will be pleased as he never saw it either! The game was agreed a draw a few moves later.

The computer continuation will be shown in the comments section.

Here is a short video clip from today`s round. As you can see all the sections are being played in the splendid auditorium of the Villa Marina.


Job 19:4
And be it indeed that I have erred, mine error remaineth with myself.

TOO COMPLICATED

This position arose in my game today. I am white and my opponent has just played a7-a5.  The postion allows white to play a tactical move which seems very pretty. 

However, although I could work out the inital tactical shot, I could not work out the ensuing moves clearly enough to give me the confidence to play it.

It may be a good exercise to try playing the position against a full strength programme to see how it pans out in practice.

I will post the move which was too complicated for me to work out in the comments section.

Here is a short video of the Major tournament first round.

I won my game today largely to what I have learned from this Victor Bologan DVD.

Luke 14:28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?

29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,

30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.