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Subject: Re: Answers

Author: Peter McKenzie

Date: 14:09:20 02/16/03

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On February 16, 2003 at 16:25:07, Drexel,Michael wrote:

>On February 16, 2003 at 15:15:33, Peter McKenzie wrote:
>
>>On February 16, 2003 at 12:10:35, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>>
>>>On February 16, 2003 at 07:59:54, Amir Ban wrote:
>>>
>>>>On February 15, 2003 at 13:06:55, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>I disagree with the "played like a super-GM" player, however.  I doubt you
>>>>>will find _any_ 2200 FIDE player that would play as badly as DJ played in
>>>>>the first three games, up until move 30 or so.  Game 1 would not have been
>>>>>played by any 2000 player I know, myself included.  So saying that it has
>>>>>super-GM positional understanding is _way_ _way_ offbase.  Yes, it played
>>>>>good moves at times.  But it also played _horrible_ moves at times.  And I
>>>>>am not just talking about tactically horrible moves such as the blunders that
>>>>>Kasparov dropped on the board, I am talking about moves such as taking the
>>>>>g-pawn and getting exposed to a horrific attack.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>I can't agree with any of this.
>>>>
>>>>It would be good to back the statement that Junior played the "first three
>>>>games, up until move 30 or so" worse than 2200 with some concrete examples of
>>>>where a 2200 player would play better. The three games lasted 27, 30 & 36 moves,
>>>>so what does this mean at all ?
>>>
>>>
>>>Take game 1.  I don't know of _anybody_ that would play like that, except
>>>for some computers.  Totally lost.
>>>
>>>Take game 2.  Every GM criticized the idea of "winning the exchange" instantly.
>>>It took me (and other lowly humans) a lot longer to conclude "this looks very
>>>dangerous for white, where prior to accepting we all thought white had a better
>>>position.
>>>
>>>Take game 3.  Taking the g-pawn to open a file in your own king's face.  Did
>>>you hear _any_ IM/GM player that thought that was a good move?  I didn't and
>>>we had _several_ on ICC.
>>
>>I believe your comments on game 3 are much too simplistic.  There are many
>>examples in chess where one player exposes himself to an attack knowing that at
>>least one of the following holds:
>>
>>- reasonable material compensation (the classic way to combat a gambit is to
>>grab the pawn, and give it back later when it suits you best)
>>- reasonable positional compensation
>>
>>This is the modern dynamic chess style: overcoming the stereotyped evaluation of
>>a chess position to find the resources hidden beneath the surface.
>>
>>A good example is the poisoned pawn variation of the Sicilian Najdorf.  It would
>>be easy to simply dismiss this as a silly pawn grab, and I believe that many GMs
>>were highly skeptical when it was first introduced.  But history has shown it a
>>viable defense.  White has many attacking options but also has problems on the
>>dark squares, a weaker centre, and a pawn is a pawn.
>>
>>I have studied this game 3 in some depth and certainly taking the g-pawn was a
>>reasonable move.  As well as netting the pawn black was able to gain counterplay
>>against the white king which was rather loose in the centre.
>>
>>Was it ultimately sound?  Thats hard to say, but it is definitely the sort of
>>move a Kortchnoi or a Fischer might have played.
>>
>><snip>
>
>I think Bob should criticize the move 9...0-0 rather than 10...Nxg4 in game 3.
>9...0-0 is IMO a mistake. Chessbase native crafty 19.03 likes the stronger move:
>9...Bb7. Black should castle short ONLY if white castles short first.
>10...Nxg4 is of course reasonable. The moves 10...h6 and 10...g6
>have obviously also drawbacks.
>
>However the game 3 has nothing in common with the poisoned pawn variation.
>Where is your counterplay after the simple 14.Bxe4 (14.Bxh6 was a mistake)?
>There is no such counterplay except black would play 14...Nxe4 15.Bxh6 Bf5.
>This complicated line is better for white. If you dont agree give a variation
>please. Black has to show compensation for the piece.

Right now I am unable to analyse a chess position, but I don't think I need to.
You are talking about complex variations beginning 8-10 ply away from the move
being discussed.  That already suggests that things were not quite as simple as
Bob seemed to think they were.

>Junior wanted to play 14...Kh8 and after that white has big advantage.
>The King simply gets into perfect safety by castling long.
>The variation was unsound. Fischer or Kortchnoi would never play 9...0-0
>after 9.Bd2, with the obvious intention to castle long.

I'm not sure if you are trying to refute my main point, which was: Nxg4 was not
the terrible move that Bob said it was.

To put this more strongly: Nxg4 is the sort of move a strong GM might play.

>
>Michael



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