A Couple of Interesting Games @ Siglap South CC 30 Dec 2018

Interestingly, this chess session concludes the calendar year 2018 at Siglap South CC.

Overall, it was a good "opening" training and self-exploration. I learned and hopefully will remember something from both games.

Before we start, just want to qualify that I am not advocating anything in my games review/replay exercise. Rather, I am stating how I see things. If any reader has a differing view, please share your thoughts with me for learning /sharing purpose. Thanks in advance!

Game 1: newbie_learner vs. Eric

Key Learning Points

• A rapid game condition of 15+10 is very different from a standard game (90+30). Still, I feel that it pays to spend a little bit more time to remember your own past analysis of the opening!

• Don't try a "bluff" that even you yourself are not convinced of. This is what I feel of Eric's 9...d4. 

• I should have trusted my own initial judgement and went for something like 12.h3 followed by Be3 to consolidate the extra pawn on d4. Even though it felt slow, that would've really consolidated the 1 pawn advantage with little to no repercussions. 

• I have played too quickly at some of the big exchange moves, missing out the correct way to press for more advantage.

Game 2: newbie_learner v.s. William
Key Learning Points

• The correct way of reacting to ...Bd6 in the London system: ignore the threat of ...Bxf4 and continue with development! I will cover a little bit more towards the end of this post.

• Time management is really an art in itself. Really, one plays significantly sub-par under time-pressure. White had a promising position but misplayed the defence towards the end due to severe time pressure. And of course, my Kingside defence seems rather vulnerable over a couple of games.

•  There are some positions / moments I failed to understand -- e.g. I was surprised the engine actually suggest White to ignore Black's Knight on e4 altogether, and just continue with Queenside expansion. Also, I need to calculate and not remain busy and rely on "gut feeling" That was why I did not play 19.f4 -- I was scared of 19...Ng3 but after 20.Rf3 Nh5, White is at least not worse. 

My little view on the London System against 2...Nc6

One typical position will look something like this:

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 to take away ...e5 counter-gambit resources for good.

2...Nc6 Not recommended by mainstream "theory" . The conventional view is that Black needs to get in ...c5 to challenge White's centre control), but it has its practical value.

3.Bf4 may not be the objective best. 3.c4 seems to be preferred based on statistics, but arguably we will be playing into Black's familiar ground of the Chigorin Defence.

3...Bg4 4.Nbd2 This is to allow me to play Nxf3 in response to ...Bxf3 -- it makes way more sense for a Knight to be placed on f3 as compared to a Queen -- it helps to stop Black from achieving ...e5.

4...e6 Arguably, Black has also achieved simple development (Bring the light square Bishop out before chaining the pawns in). Black has no "bad Bishop" problem.

5.e3 I know that this "volunteers" White Knight on f3 to be pinned by the Bishop on g4, but are there very good alternative developing moves?

5...Bd6 A very irritating move -- before I learned a little bit more on the correct treatment in this position.

Position after 5...Bd6

I am nowhere near the expertise of some of my chess friends, but based on the quick light explorations I did, these are my current thoughts on how White can play the position.

• White can afford to ignore the "threat" of ...Bxf4, because (i) the damaged pawn structure after exf4 can (always) be fixed with g3, and after exf4,White has an even firmer control over the e5 square. Now, Black is surely seeing the drawbacks with the Knight placed on c6-- he has no ...c5 pawn break!

• The next issue in White's position is the pin on the f3 Knight. To address this, either challenge the Bishop on g4 with h3, or play a wimpy Be2 to get on with development. 

• In anticipation of ...Bxf4 exf4, it is preferable that White does not commit to playing c4 too early. Instead, c3 supporting the d4 pawn (in need of support as the e3 pawn may end up on f4) and opening up the small a4-d1 diagonal will give White some options like Qb3 or Qc2. If White does not place the light square Bishop on e2, another way to unpin the f3 Queen is to move the Queen along this mini diagonal.

That's it for now. Looking forward to learning more from you! Thank you.


Yours sincerely
Ong Yujing (Eugene)
newbie_learner
Siglap South CC Chess Quartet