Chess Games: Sprocket501 v Non-Cheaters

[M H]

Close. Torquay.

I may be down that way in a couple of weeks myself mate. Provided my back and leg improves

[Sprocket501]

It's the Scottish championship that is being held in Helensburgh

Correct. Got a few friends playing in that.

[The Cat]

What's your rating Sprocket? I enjoyed having a go and read up later a bit on grand masters and the points etc. I did once take out 3 library books to try and learn the openings etc and try them against my kasparov machine but it wouldn't follow what I expected to happen so I stopped reading.

What would you recommend as the best way to improve other than just playing loads?

[Sprocket501]

My grade is only about 1700 FIDE. I make some shocking mistakes regularly which keeps it down.

To improve? Simply tidying up the way you played your opening today would add about 100 points to your 'rating'.

1) Open with a centre pawn
2) Develop Knights and Bishops
3) Castle early (first ten moves - six is even better)
4) Make sure all your pieces are co-ordinated ie. protecting eachother.
5) Do not move a Bishop or Knight twice in the opening.
6) Connect your Rooks by developing your Queen to your second rank.
7) Make sure every move you make has a reason behind it.

Once you have completed the first six points here, you are out of the opening and into the middlegame.

[Sprocket501]

In more depth. here are Fine's Thirty Rules which I follow religiously:

TEN OPENING RULES

1. Open with a center pawn.

2. Develop with threats.

3. Knights before Bishops.

4. Don't move the same piece twice.

5. Make as few pawn moves as possible in the opening.

6. Don't bring your Queen out too early.

7. Castle as soon as possible, preferably on the Kingside.

8. Always play to gain control, of the center.

9. Try to maintain at least one pawn in the center.

10. Don't sacrifice without a clear and adequate reason. For a sacrificed pawn you must:

A. Gain three tempi, or
B. Deflect the enemy Queen, or
C. Prevent castling, or
D. Build up a strong attack.

TEN MIDDLEGAME RULES

1. Have all your moves fit into definite plans.
Rules of Planning:

a. A plan must be suggested by some feature in the position.
b. A plan must be based on sound strategic principles.
c. A plan must be flexible,
d. Concrete and,
e. Short.

Evaluating a Position:
a. Material
b. Pawn structure
c. Piece mobility
d. King safety
e. Enemy threats

2. When you are material ahead, exchange as many pieces as possible, especially Queens.

3. Avoid serious pawn weaknesses.

4. In cramped positions free yourself by exchanging

5. Don't bring your King out with your opponent's Queen on the board.

6. All combinations are based on double attack.

7. If your opponent has one or more pieces exposed, look for a combination.

8. In superior positions, to attack the enemy King, you must open a file for your heavy pieces.

9. In even positions, centralize the action of all your pieces.

10. In inferior positions, the best defense is counter-attack, if possible.

TEN ENDGAME RULES

1. To win without pawns, you must be at least a Rook or two minor pieces ahead (with the exception of two knights).

2. The King must be active in the ending.

3. Passed pawns must be pushed

4. The easiest endings to win are pure pawn endings.

5. If you are only one pawn ahead, exchange pieces, not pawns.

6. Don't place your pawns on the same color squares as your Bishop.

7. Bishops are better than Knights in all but blocked pawn positions.

8. It is usually worth giving up a pawn to get a rook on the seventh rank.

9. Rooks belong behind passed pawns.

10. Blockade passed pawns with the King.

[D & B]

Has this turned into a forum for queens and queers???

[M H]

In more depth. here are Fine's Thirty Rules which I follow religiously:

TEN OPENING RULES

1. Open with a center pawn.

2. Develop with threats.

3. Knights before Bishops.

4. Don't move the same piece twice.

5. Make as few pawn moves as possible in the opening.

6. Don't bring your Queen out too early.

7. Castle as soon as possible, preferably on the Kingside.

8. Always play to gain control, of the center.

9. Try to maintain at least one pawn in the center.

10. Don't sacrifice without a clear and adequate reason. For a sacrificed pawn you must:

A. Gain three tempi, or
B. Deflect the enemy Queen, or
C. Prevent castling, or
D. Build up a strong attack.

TEN MIDDLEGAME RULES

1. Have all your moves fit into definite plans.
Rules of Planning:

a. A plan must be suggested by some feature in the position.
b. A plan must be based on sound strategic principles.
c. A plan must be flexible,
d. Concrete and,
e. Short.

Evaluating a Position:
a. Material
b. Pawn structure
c. Piece mobility
d. King safety
e. Enemy threats

2. When you are material ahead, exchange as many pieces as possible, especially Queens.

3. Avoid serious pawn weaknesses.

4. In cramped positions free yourself by exchanging

5. Don't bring your King out with your opponent's Queen on the board.

6. All combinations are based on double attack.

7. If your opponent has one or more pieces exposed, look for a combination.

8. In superior positions, to attack the enemy King, you must open a file for your heavy pieces.

9. In even positions, centralize the action of all your pieces.

10. In inferior positions, the best defense is counter-attack, if possible.

TEN ENDGAME RULES

1. To win without pawns, you must be at least a Rook or two minor pieces ahead (with the exception of two knights).

2. The King must be active in the ending.

3. Passed pawns must be pushed

4. The easiest endings to win are pure pawn endings.

5. If you are only one pawn ahead, exchange pieces, not pawns.

6. Don't place your pawns on the same color squares as your Bishop.

7. Bishops are better than Knights in all but blocked pawn positions.

8. It is usually worth giving up a pawn to get a rook on the seventh rank.

9. Rooks belong behind passed pawns.

10. Blockade passed pawns with the King.

Interesting mate, now I know how you beat me so easily as I did none of that

[Jockenaria]

Has this turned into a forum for queens and queers???

fucking chess and cricket, I think so mate!!!

[The Cat]

Cheers thats a lot of good advice. I must be honest I set up today trying to exchange pieces one by one to see if I could get a draw as that has happened a couple of times against a computer.

That advice makes total sense above my next aim when we play will be 20 moves that sounds like a decent target.

[M H]

Mr Sprocket, could you do the board stuff if Mr Cat and I play and the winner plays you mate?

Mr Cat has to be up for it as well and you know neither of us will cheat

[The Cat]

My fuckups earlier on were genuine too I'm ashamed to admit. I was very tempted to do another one when I knew the end was close to see if you exploded

[Sprocket501]

Mr Sprocket, could you do the board stuff if Mr Cat and I play and the winner plays you mate?

Mr Cat has to be up for it as well and you know neither of us will cheat

I'd have to be here throughout the game otherwise it could get frustrating for you both.

It's not too diffficult. Keep a record of the game by pen and paper and use this site:

http://www.chessvideos.tv/chess-diagram-generator.php

Move the pieces around the board and click 'Generate Diagram'. A smaller version of the board will appear in a new window and you just copy its image location and paste it in the image tags here.

[Sprocket501]

Cheers thats a lot of good advice. I must be honest I set up today trying to exchange pieces one by one to see if I could get a draw as that has happened a couple of times against a computer.

That advice makes total sense above my next aim when we play will be 20 moves that sounds like a decent target.

You are playing into a stronger player's hands this way as he is going to be thrilled with an endgame where he is level. It is usually in the endgame where the stronger player comes into his own.

[The Cat]

I'm up for it M H busy day tomorrow but Sunday perhaps? I think I could get the hang of the boards screenshots now I remember where the horses go lol

[Sprocket501]

The only thing to remember with that board is that when you are taking things, you have to remove the piece being taken before you put the capturing piece on its square.

Eg Queen takes pawn on e4.

Remove the pawn from e4 before putting Queen on it.

[The Cat]

I went on some website to get a board and move the pieces I obviously messed up the starting position.
At the end I was so tempted to put a rook jumping over a pawn diagonally for a capture to pretend the whole thing was a wind up

[M H]

I'm up for it M H busy day tomorrow but Sunday perhaps? I think I could get the hang of the boards screenshots now I remember where the horses go lol

I'm hoping my back and leg will be good enough to be chucking darts in the pub on Sunday mate. I should be about Monday regardless if that's good?

Will check out Sprocket's link tomorrow and work it out

[The Cat]

Monday evening sounds good mate

[M H]

Could well be a date mate

[The Cat]

Check. Mate.