Chess.com slow games: about CSQ

as i mentioned earlier in another topic, I started very recently to play some slow games on chess.com. unlike in blitz, when i have barely time to think 2 moves ahead, in slow games i have the opportunity to use what I am learning on ICS, with positional evaluation and so on. also, I can try the new openings from ICS materials.
Now some notes about the game below:
- I started to play a new opening, Taimanov Sicilian. I will give Najdorf a try, when I will have all ICS Najdorf related materials; however, I find correspondance games very appropiate for starting a new opening, as I have enough time to check the books. also, having more time per move it help me to study more the opening.
- the main reason why i present it is that I believe that applying the CSQ can help even in opening, not only in middlegame/endgame.
- for some reasons my comments are not visible in the flash player, so i put the game twice
Event "Online Chess"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2009.05.02"]
[Round "1"]
[White "zuti"]
[Black "Randy09"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "1423"]
[BlackElo "1594"]
[TimeControl "1 in 3 days"]
[Termination "Randy09 won by resignation"]
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. Bd3 Nf6 7. Bg5 {here i am out of the book already. My book for Taimanov analyse here only 7. O-O} Qa5+ {However, Bg5 have some CSQ- the white King is still at e1, b2 pawn is not defended, my move force white to loose a tempo with his Bishop}8. Bd2 Qb6 { checking the b2 pawn} 9. Bc3 Bb4 {quite forced, otherwise after 10.e5 the white unleash his best piece in this variation, Bd3} 10. a3 {mistake, it lose a pawn} Bxc3+
11. Nxc3 {or 11.bxc3 Qb2 and c3 pawn is lost} Qxb2 12. Ne2 d5 {typical move in Nxc6 Taimanov, black centre is very strong} 13. f3 {CSQ:black squares on white kingside are weakened, f2-e3-g3, so I must act quickly to exploit, even if this means that my c8 bishop will stay blocked and my c6 pawn will become isolated} dxe4 14. fxe4 Ng4 {moving against f2-e3 squares} 15. Qc1 Qf6 {f2 is the next target} 16. Rf1 Qh4+ {new black squares are weakened} 17. g3 Qh5 {after 17...Qxh2 18.Qg4 with unclear game} 18. Nf4 {tactical mistake} Qxh2 19. Qd2 {final mistake} Qxg3+ 20. Kd1 Ne3+ 21. Kc1 Nxf1 0-1

The comments should show, I got it to work:

I'm playing a lot of Sicilians, here are my ideas.
Till move 7, it's ok for you.

It is uncommon for white to take in c6 with the knight, zuti has better chances with the 2 knights in Nc3 & Nb3.



Here Qa5 is not in a hurry, there is no support yet for your queen and bishop can go back to protect. So you loose a tempo too !

In sicilian you have to decide where you put your black bishop, in e7 or in g7 (dragon). Here i would put it in e7 and castle, you opponent will castle also.

But the white mistake mentionned above, let 'b' file opened for your rook, b2 pawn is an easy target.



As is said, the queen idea was not good, you had to retreat the queen, it is not well either in Qb6, Rb8 should attack the b2 pawn, and the caracteristic of Sicilian is a RUSH to kingside ! Qc7 targeting at h2 (after h5, Ng4 for example) is much better.

Now the b2 pawn is protected and Fc3 is well developped for the kingside attack.



a3 ... is clearly a big mistake for zuti, O-O still equals.
And all subsequents moves are awfull for white, he has to castle and preserve his pawn structure. Now white is not good at all !

Moreover center is stabilized, you don't need anymore to castle, thus you should think about bringing Rh8 into battle directly from 'h' file, with a relase move like h5. Don't fear to bring the rook to Rf6



Qf6, Qh4+ ! good moves
And white continues to blunder, Nf4 not good, h4 is forced, Qd2 is awfull.


The final sequence is perfect, nice Ne3, congratulations.

Anyway, white made a lot of mistakes in this game, but you should think about a better position for your queen in the beginning. But in progressing you will find better opponents, and they won't allow Nxc6 at the beginning. Thus this king of game, is merely not to happen again.

Qa5+ {However, Bg5 have some CSQ- the white King is still at e1, b2 pawn is not defended, my move force white to loose a tempo with his Bishop}

Doesn't lose a tempo. White can also play Qd2 and retake with the king if QxQ. The king on d2 isn't that bad since one can still rokade in two moves if necessary.

chesstiger wrote:

Qa5+ {However, Bg5 have some CSQ- the white King is still at e1, b2 pawn is not defended, my move force white to loose a tempo with his Bishop}

Doesn't lose a tempo. White can also play Qd2 and retake with the king if QxQ. The king on d2 isn't that bad since one can still rokade in two moves if necessary.

at 8.Qd2 Qb6 and the b2 pawn is under attack. of course it can be defended, but it is quite annoying. for example 9.b3 weakens the black squares. 9.Qc1 Ba6 and here Black succeed to exchange Bd3, the white best attacking piece in Nxc6 variation, not to mention that black's white square bishop is a bad bishop (black has pawns on e6-d7/d5-c6 white squares). So Qb6 second purpose is to support Ba6. In this respect I still consider that black wins an extra tempo, by being able to control the a6 square while white is forced to respond to black's Queen threats.
The reason why I like this CSQ approach is that, even if I was out of theory at move 7, I was able to obtain a playable position based entirely on the differences between the CSQ of the "theoretical" move 0-0 (white king is safe, b2 pawn is protected) and CSQ of Bg5 (King still on e1, b2 pawn unprotected).
I read many times before about checking the threats of the opponent last move, but until now I was focusing only at the tactical threats or mistakes. Now I feel like going to the next level. Next step will be to make a To-do list, in fact to integrate the CSQ analysis in building the To-Do list.

Randy wrote:

chesstiger wrote:

Qa5+ {However, Bg5 have some CSQ- the white King is still at e1, b2 pawn is not defended, my move force white to loose a tempo with his Bishop}

Doesn't lose a tempo. White can also play Qd2 and retake with the king if QxQ. The king on d2 isn't that bad since one can still rokade in two moves if necessary.

at 8.Qd2 Qb6 and the b2 pawn is under attack. of course it can be defended, but it is quite annoying. for example 9.b3 weakens the black squares. 9.Qc1 Ba6 and here Black succeed to exchange Bd3, the white best attacking piece in Nxc6 variation, not to mention that black's white square bishop is a bad bishop (black has pawns on e6-d7/d5-c6 white squares). So Qb6 second purpose is to support Ba6. In this respect I still consider that black wins an extra tempo, by being able to control the a6 square while white is forced to respond to black's Queen threats.

8. Qd2 Qb6 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. c3 Ba6 11. Bxa6 Qxa6 12. Qe2 Qb6 13. 0-0 looks playable for white in my eyes.

I wouldn't label the white squared bishop of black to quickly as 'bad bishop since the pawns that at the position after move 7 hamper the bishop can be played up or one can develop the bishop via Bb7 and c5. If the pawns where more or less fixed on c6/d7/e6 then one could say that the bishop is bad but now with a still mobile pawns it's not.

I find the TO DO list hard to implement in my thoughtproces. For a part it is because i am not used to break my plan(s) into small parts based on the consequences of each move. But also that i never play such a game out of one piece like those annotated games (from month one)where it all flows so nicely together into the correct plan of action, a game out of one piece. My game(s) are usually a punch here, a push there, a miscalculation/oversight over there, until the KO (for me or the opponent) follows or the peace is signed.

white is far from being lost, but black position is maybe slightly better and much more fun to play. in your sequence, for example, black can start a kingside attack with 13...h5, followed even by Ke7, Rag8 and Qa6-b5-g5. it is black who is playing for the full point.

Randy wrote:white is far from being lost, but ... it is black who is playing for the full point.

I agree that it is black who has the initiative in this game.