At chess.com, I played an unusual game of speed chess. My opponent was Merimopsi of Finland who played black. My game was unusual because I sacrificed a bishop, never developed my queen knight, allowed the pawn shield around my king to be ruined, and delivered mate with a king knight pawn. Here are the moves of the game along with my commentary:
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Bd6
Nc6 and Nf6 are more popular moves for black.
3. Bc4 a6
4. a4 Nc6
5. d3 h6
I usually play d4.
6. c3 Nf6
7. 0-0 0-0
8. Be3 Be7
Black makes a very passive move. A move such as Re8 is better.
9. Re1 d6
Black's dark-squared bishop is immobile.
10. Qd2 Bg4
Black threatens to double my pawns. I do not mind because opening the g-file can help in an attack against the white king.
11. Bxh6 gxh6
12. Qxh6 Nh7
13. h3 Bxf3
14. gxf3 Bg5
15. Qh5 b5
16. axb axb
17. Rxa8 Qxa8
18. Bd5 Qa6
Black moves the queen out of the pin.
19. Kh1 Ne7
I prepare to place my rook on the open g-file.
20. Rg1 Nxd5
21. exd5 f6
22. h4 Qa1
I pin the bishop.
23. hxg5 f5
It is better for black to play fxg.
24. Qg6+ Kh8
Black's move is forced.
25. Qe6 Qxb2
26. g6 Qxf2
27. g7#
It is not so common to deliver mate with a king pawn. In this game I fail to develop my queen knight and allow my pawn shield around my king to be destroyed. This is normally disastrous, but in this game it is effective because I generate sufficient threats to prevent black from taking advantage. This game illustrates that in certain situations basic chess principles can be broken.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Friday, January 6, 2012
Excellent Bishops
In a game of speed chess at chessgames.com, my bishops were instrumental in my victory. My opponent was Arcenciel35 of Cameroon who played white. Here are the moves of the game along with my commentary:
1. e4 c5
2. Nf3 d6
3. d4 cxd
4. Nxd4 a6
I want to prevent Bb5+.
5. Nc3 Nf6
6. Bc4 e6
7. Bb3 Nc6
White's move does not help his development. Better moves are Bg5 and 0-0.
8. Be3 Be7
9. Qe2 Bd7
10. 0-0-0 0-0
11. Kb1 b5
12. Nxc6 Bxc6
13. Bg5 b4
White should advance his kingside pawns.
14. Bxf6 Bxf6
15. Na4 a5
White is forced to move the knight to a4.
16. c3 Re8
White makes a move which weakens the protection of the white king.
17. f4 Qd7
White finally moves a kingside pawn. I make a move which aims to force the knight to move so that I can advance my queenside pawns.
18. Nb6 Qb7
On my seventeenth move I overlook the knight fork which attacks my queen and rook.
19. Nxa8 Bxe4+
Instead of recapturing the knight, I decide to put the king in check.
20. Ka1 bxc
I now threaten to mate with bxc.
21. bxc Bxc3+
22. Qb2 Bxb2+
White is forced to give up the queen.
23. Kxb2 a4
With the white bishop pinned, white decides to resign. A better move for me is Bd5 which also pins the white bishop and protects the d6 pawn, but my move is adequate. With no queen, a pinned bishop and an inactive knight in the corner, white does not wish to continue. In this game my bishops control much of the board and play a big role in my victory.
1. e4 c5
2. Nf3 d6
3. d4 cxd
4. Nxd4 a6
I want to prevent Bb5+.
5. Nc3 Nf6
6. Bc4 e6
7. Bb3 Nc6
White's move does not help his development. Better moves are Bg5 and 0-0.
8. Be3 Be7
9. Qe2 Bd7
10. 0-0-0 0-0
11. Kb1 b5
12. Nxc6 Bxc6
13. Bg5 b4
White should advance his kingside pawns.
14. Bxf6 Bxf6
15. Na4 a5
White is forced to move the knight to a4.
16. c3 Re8
White makes a move which weakens the protection of the white king.
17. f4 Qd7
White finally moves a kingside pawn. I make a move which aims to force the knight to move so that I can advance my queenside pawns.
18. Nb6 Qb7
On my seventeenth move I overlook the knight fork which attacks my queen and rook.
19. Nxa8 Bxe4+
Instead of recapturing the knight, I decide to put the king in check.
20. Ka1 bxc
I now threaten to mate with bxc.
21. bxc Bxc3+
22. Qb2 Bxb2+
White is forced to give up the queen.
23. Kxb2 a4
With the white bishop pinned, white decides to resign. A better move for me is Bd5 which also pins the white bishop and protects the d6 pawn, but my move is adequate. With no queen, a pinned bishop and an inactive knight in the corner, white does not wish to continue. In this game my bishops control much of the board and play a big role in my victory.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Yod-Dropping in Canadian English
Yod-dropping refers to the dropping of the palatal glide in English. In British English, most speakers pronounce the palatal glide following coronals and most American English speakers do not. As a result, for most Americans the words "do" and "dew" sound the same but for most Brits they do not. Canadian English also exhibits yod-dropping but it is not uniform in all speakers.
Examples of words which are usually pronounced with a palatal glide in British English are "tune," "duke" and "student." In Canadian and American English, the palatal glide is usually not pronounced in these words. In fact, in an experiment conducted in southern Ontario, approximately 80% of speakers exhibited yod-dropping in words with coronals.
In my accent, yod-dropping varies. I drop the palatal glide after a syllable-initial -st. I do not pronounce it in words such as "student" and "studio." I do not pronounce it in "tutor," "tumour" or "tune." However, I do pronounce the palatal glide in "Tuesday." Also interesting is that I pronounce the palatal glide in "duty" and "dew" but not in "dune" or "duke." I am also inconsistent with respect to the alveolar nasal. I pronounce the palatal glide in "new" and "neutral" but not in "neuter." My pronunciation seems to reflect a mixture of British and American English.
Yod-dropping is common in Canadian English. It shares this in common with American English. However, it is not uniform among speakers of Canadian English. My own pronunciation attests to this. This may be another indication that Canadian English often combines features of two other English dialects, British and American.
Examples of words which are usually pronounced with a palatal glide in British English are "tune," "duke" and "student." In Canadian and American English, the palatal glide is usually not pronounced in these words. In fact, in an experiment conducted in southern Ontario, approximately 80% of speakers exhibited yod-dropping in words with coronals.
In my accent, yod-dropping varies. I drop the palatal glide after a syllable-initial -st. I do not pronounce it in words such as "student" and "studio." I do not pronounce it in "tutor," "tumour" or "tune." However, I do pronounce the palatal glide in "Tuesday." Also interesting is that I pronounce the palatal glide in "duty" and "dew" but not in "dune" or "duke." I am also inconsistent with respect to the alveolar nasal. I pronounce the palatal glide in "new" and "neutral" but not in "neuter." My pronunciation seems to reflect a mixture of British and American English.
Yod-dropping is common in Canadian English. It shares this in common with American English. However, it is not uniform among speakers of Canadian English. My own pronunciation attests to this. This may be another indication that Canadian English often combines features of two other English dialects, British and American.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Transformation
Here is my latest poem, the first of 2012.
Transformation
Transformation in four stages,
Growing from egg to butterfly,
Each reflecting different ages,
From life on leaves to flight in sky.
On selected leaves small eggs rest,
Giving birth to caterpillars.
Each egg becomes another guest
Feeding now for later ventures.
After these stages follows sleep
For pupas need transformation,
All surrounded by calm so deep,
Bearing mystery of creation.
Buttons of silk hang upside down,
Metamorphosis soon complete.
They change inside their sleeping gown
As they prepare their final feat.
Vibrant wings emerge firm and dry,
Brushing air in search of nectar.
Four stages cross each butterfly,
Creature of amazing wonder.
This poem represents the four stages in the life of the butterfly: egg, caterpillar, pupa and butterfly. The transformation which changes the caterpillar into the butterfly is truly amazing.
Transformation
Transformation in four stages,
Growing from egg to butterfly,
Each reflecting different ages,
From life on leaves to flight in sky.
On selected leaves small eggs rest,
Giving birth to caterpillars.
Each egg becomes another guest
Feeding now for later ventures.
After these stages follows sleep
For pupas need transformation,
All surrounded by calm so deep,
Bearing mystery of creation.
Buttons of silk hang upside down,
Metamorphosis soon complete.
They change inside their sleeping gown
As they prepare their final feat.
Vibrant wings emerge firm and dry,
Brushing air in search of nectar.
Four stages cross each butterfly,
Creature of amazing wonder.
This poem represents the four stages in the life of the butterfly: egg, caterpillar, pupa and butterfly. The transformation which changes the caterpillar into the butterfly is truly amazing.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Removing The Guard
One chess tactic is removing the guard. This is also known as undermining. It removes the defence of a piece so that it becomes possible to win material. In a very short game of speed chess at chessgames.com, I used this tactic to great effect. My opponent was Syanas of the USA who played black. Here are the moves of this game along with my commentary:
1. e4 c5
2. d4 cxd
3. c3 Nc6
I expect dxc.
4. cxd d5
5. exd Qxd5
6. Nf3 Bg4
7. Be2 Bxf3
Black thinks that he can win a pawn. The capture of my knight removes a defender of my d-pawn.
8. Bxf3 Qxd4
Black makes a mistake. Qd7 and Qe6+ are better moves.
9. Bxc6+
I remove the knight which guards the queen. Black must respond to my check. I then capture the unprotected queen on my next move. Realizing the difficulty of playing on in such a position, black resigns. The key to victory in this game is my ability to capture my opponent's queen with a check which removes his queen's guard.
1. e4 c5
2. d4 cxd
3. c3 Nc6
I expect dxc.
4. cxd d5
5. exd Qxd5
6. Nf3 Bg4
7. Be2 Bxf3
Black thinks that he can win a pawn. The capture of my knight removes a defender of my d-pawn.
8. Bxf3 Qxd4
Black makes a mistake. Qd7 and Qe6+ are better moves.
9. Bxc6+
I remove the knight which guards the queen. Black must respond to my check. I then capture the unprotected queen on my next move. Realizing the difficulty of playing on in such a position, black resigns. The key to victory in this game is my ability to capture my opponent's queen with a check which removes his queen's guard.
Friday, December 23, 2011
Trapping the Queen
In a game of speed chess at chessgames.com, my opponent brought his queen out early. On my twelfth move, I trapped his queen and he resigned two moves later. My opponent was Williamigg of Russia who played black. Here are the moves of the game along with my commentary:
1. e4 d5
2. exd Qxd5
3. Nc3 Qa5
I immediately attack the queen.
4. Nf3 Nc6
5. d4 e6
6. Bd2 Qh5
7. Be2 f6
Black lags behind in development.
8. Ne5 Qh4
I attack the queen again.
9. Nxc6 bxc6
10. 0-0 Bd6
The black queen can capture my pawn on d4 but with the lack of development and the king in the centre, it is risky. For this reason black chooses to develop and threaten mate on h2. The problem is that the black queen is in danger. A better move to protect the queen is g5.
11. g3 Qh3
12. Bg4 Qxg4
The black queen is trapped.
13. Qxg4 e5
Now the black bishop attacks my queen.
14. Qxg7
Black resigns. Not only is he down a queen and a pawn but he cannot save his rook on h8. Rather than continue in such a difficult position, he surrenders. My ability to attack the black queen and take advantage of black's lack of development result in a quick victory.
1. e4 d5
2. exd Qxd5
3. Nc3 Qa5
I immediately attack the queen.
4. Nf3 Nc6
5. d4 e6
6. Bd2 Qh5
7. Be2 f6
Black lags behind in development.
8. Ne5 Qh4
I attack the queen again.
9. Nxc6 bxc6
10. 0-0 Bd6
The black queen can capture my pawn on d4 but with the lack of development and the king in the centre, it is risky. For this reason black chooses to develop and threaten mate on h2. The problem is that the black queen is in danger. A better move to protect the queen is g5.
11. g3 Qh3
12. Bg4 Qxg4
The black queen is trapped.
13. Qxg4 e5
Now the black bishop attacks my queen.
14. Qxg7
Black resigns. Not only is he down a queen and a pawn but he cannot save his rook on h8. Rather than continue in such a difficult position, he surrenders. My ability to attack the black queen and take advantage of black's lack of development result in a quick victory.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Quick Mate
In a game of speed chess at chessgames.com, I quickly mated my opponent by penetrating with my queen to the back rank. My opponent was Liew1960 of Malaysia who played white. Here are the moves of the game along with my commentary:
1. d4 e5
2. f3 exd
White's move is a surprise. I expect dxe.
3. Qxd4 Nc6
I immediately attack white's queen.
4. Qf2 Nf6
Qd1 and Qa4 are more common moves for white.
5. b3 d5
6. Nd2 b6
7. Bb2 Bc5
I attack the white queen to create a pawn weakness.
8. e3 Bb7
9. 0-0-0 0-0
White castles queenside to protect the king but my firepower is concentrated on the queenside.
10. Qe2 Nb4
11. Kb1 a5
12. e4 a4
I continue with my attack.
13. exd axb
A better move for white is e5 which attacks my knight.
14. axb Nfxd5
15. Nc4 Na2
16. Qe5 f6
I must stop mate on g7.
17. Qf5 Ndc3+
Now I have a discovered attack on the rook.
18. Bxc3 Qxd1+
19. Kb2 Qc1#
Supported by my knight on a2, my queen delivers mate. In this game white creates a mating threat with Qe5, but fails to see the power of my seventeenth move. It creates a discovered attack on the white rook which allows my queen to penetrate to the back rank. This is the key to victory in the game.
1. d4 e5
2. f3 exd
White's move is a surprise. I expect dxe.
3. Qxd4 Nc6
I immediately attack white's queen.
4. Qf2 Nf6
Qd1 and Qa4 are more common moves for white.
5. b3 d5
6. Nd2 b6
7. Bb2 Bc5
I attack the white queen to create a pawn weakness.
8. e3 Bb7
9. 0-0-0 0-0
White castles queenside to protect the king but my firepower is concentrated on the queenside.
10. Qe2 Nb4
11. Kb1 a5
12. e4 a4
I continue with my attack.
13. exd axb
A better move for white is e5 which attacks my knight.
14. axb Nfxd5
15. Nc4 Na2
16. Qe5 f6
I must stop mate on g7.
17. Qf5 Ndc3+
Now I have a discovered attack on the rook.
18. Bxc3 Qxd1+
19. Kb2 Qc1#
Supported by my knight on a2, my queen delivers mate. In this game white creates a mating threat with Qe5, but fails to see the power of my seventeenth move. It creates a discovered attack on the white rook which allows my queen to penetrate to the back rank. This is the key to victory in the game.
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