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Subject: PostModernist in CCT5

Author: Andrew Williams

Date: 15:07:34 01/21/03


PostModernist at CCT5
=====================

Game 1 - PolarChess 0-1 PostModernist

I didn't know much about PolarChess before this game, except that its
rating is quite a bit less than PM's, so I was reasonably confident.
Unfortunately, in response to PolarChess's 1.Nf3, PM decided on ...b6?!
I had barely recovered from that before PM decided on: Nxf2?! in this
position:

[D] rn1qk2r/pbpp1ppp/1p2p3/2b1P3/6n1/2P2N2/PP1PBPPP/RNBQ1RK1 b kq -

To be honest, this just looks wrong. Against Amateur, PM would later be
taught a harsh lesson on the value of RP vs 2 minors, although in that
case the position (also involving Nxf2) came out of a book line. Anyhow,
PM had a score of -0.29 at this point. PM's score remained negative
until PolarChess's 14.Nc4 and then it shot up to over +2 after 20.Bd2.


Game 2 - PostModernist 0-1 Comet

I was drawn against Comet in game 2. I had slight hopes of a win against
this program, the more so when Comet's Queen drifted offside early
in the game. She was stuck there for quite a while, but PM doesn't
really understand the importance of that. As very often happens
when PM doesn't have anything to attack, it drifted around with its
pieces. This is emphatically not wise against Comet, which is a *very*
smooth operator. The speed at which it unraveled itself and set about
forcing PM back was very impressive. A good nice win by Comet.


Game 3 - NoonianChess 0-1 PostModernist

I played against NoonianChess at the WCCC in Maastricht this year, where
I ended up with a slightly lucky draw. In this game, Noonian didn't
really get into it at all.  Unlike the game against Comet, PM found a
position which it could get its teeth into.  The game seemed to turn
in this position, where PM thought Noonian's cxd4 was a mistake:

[D] r1bq1rk1/pp2npbp/2np2p1/2p5/3pP3/2P1BNP1/PP3PBP/RN1Q1RK1 w - -


Game 4 - PostModernist 0-1 Searcher

I was pretty worried to be drawn against Searcher, which lives up
to its name and was outsearching PM by a couple of plies for much of
this game. It is a *real* menace and it completely out-foxed PM in the
middlegame, emerging an outside-passer to the good.  Nevertheless,
I entertained hopes of saving the game until PM allowed an exchange
of Queens, which looked pretty stupid even to me. Towards the end of
this game, I remembered that I hadn't mounted the HD with my (Nalimov)
EGTBs on, and I briefly felt that that had cost PM the game. However,
a blunder check on the game later suggested that this was not the case.


Game 5 - Alarm 0-1 PostModernist

Five games, five wins by Black! Alarm is another one which is rated
much lower than PM, and he was also handicapped by crappy hardware,
a 533MHz machine vs PM's 1200MHz.  I said to Benny Antonsson that Alarm
deserved better hardware, because although PM was in charge for much of
the game, it seemed on the verge of losing its way towards the end. Maybe
a possible extra ply of search depth might have helped Alarm wriggle
out of this loss.


Game 6 - PostModernist 1/2 - 1/2 Monsoon

I like games against Monsoon, even though it's probably a bit tough
for PM usually.  This was a typical fluctuating struggle, with both
programs at various points believing they were going to get the upper
hand. Eventually, PM offered a draw, but Monsoon declined it. Sure enough,
PM's score started to rise, and I think Scott got a bit worried. However,
PM's advantage dissipated and the next time PM offered a draw, Monsoon
accepted it. An enjoyable game; I've not looked at it in detail, but
there didn't look to be any real howlers by PM.


Game 7 - Amateur 1-0 PostModernist

In general in CCTs, PM has been pretty lucky with the openings it has
obtained. Not so here, but this game was characterised by the accuracy
of Amateur's play. IM Kim Commons made many interesting comments on this
game, and was highly impressed by the way Amateur handled its two minors
against PM's R+P. This was probably the best game PM was involved in in
CCT5. A fine win by one of PM's oldest rivals.



Game 8 - Butcher 1-0 PostModernist

Here was another game where PM never got going. Again, not a great opening
for PM, again a very smooth performance by PM's opponent. Butcher has
come on in leaps and bounds in the last year, it seems. Had the colours
been reversed, I would have been ecstatic at this win.


Game 9 - PostModernist 1-0 Aristarch

I didn't know too much about Aristarch before CCT, other than that it had
played in the WBEC leagues run by Leo Dijksman. I was a bit freaked out by
the two crappy openings I had just had. But I needn't have worried. This
time my opponent had the poor opening, and ended up with his King in
the middle of the board, with my Queen, Bishop and two Knights keeping
him company. Fairly quickly, PM won the exchange and Aristarch resigned
without ever having really got into the game.


So, 4.5 points and 24th place for PostModernist. I'll confess to being a
bit disappointed, but as always in a CCT, I had a whale of a time. The
commentary by IM Schroer (plus IM Kingway for the Amateur game) was
excellent and very entertaining. I believe Schroer was "sponsored"
by one of the participants, so thanks very much to whoever put up the
cash. Biggest thanks are reserved for Volker Richey, who organized the
whole event. I REALLY hope he enjoyed it, because then he's more likely
to organize CCT6!

:-)

Andrew

PS I've put the PGN for PM's games into a response to this message.





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