Chess thread

[wobbly]

Does anyone know much about the Sicilian Chekhover variation or have a good link to the theory? I recently started playing this & I know what to do in the main-line (4. Qxd4 Nc6) but not how to handle 4. ...a6. So I won this game at the club, but not because I felt I played well, more like I butchered the opening & was losing but won anyway. Somehow I managed to get all my pieces tangled up & had to scramble awkwardly to fix things.

Club game
wobbly vs Black
Sicilian (Chekhover variation)

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Qxd4 a6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Qd3 Nf6 7. Bg5 e6 8. O-O-O h6 9. Bh4 g5 10. Bg3 e5 11. Be2 Be6 12. Kb1 Nb4 13. Qd2 Rc8 14. a3 Nc6 15. Rhe1 Be7 16. Bf1 O-O 17. Ng1 Nh5 18. Nge2 f5 19. exf5 Bxf5 20. Qd5+ Rf7 21. Ne4 Nf6 22. Nxf6+ Bxf6 23. Nc3 Kg7 24. Bc4 Rfc7 25. Ne4 Nd4 26. Rxd4 exd4 27. Bd3 Be5 28. Bxe5+ dxe5 29. Qxe5+ Kg6 30. g4 Bxe4 31. Bxe4+ Kf7 32. Bd5+ Kg6 33. Qf5+ Kg7 34. Re6 Qf8 35. Qe5+ Kg8 36. Re7+ Resigns

[judias]

I do not know sicilian theory (the last time I played one was like 15 years ago and I always played the closed variant) but I would play 5.c4 creating a maroczy structure. The dame is not well placed in d4 (but hey, it is never well placed there in the opening) and a knight should be there, but a6 is also some kind of time loss.
Ag5 seems a good option, in your game h6 and g5 are clear mistakes, his king will never find shelter and if the position opens he will suffer. Once black plays h6 and g5 white´s main problems are f3 knight and g3 bishop, they are quite passive so the priority should be activate them so 11. Nd2 seems strong, in b3 or c4 it will controls better points and you can play at some moment f3 to activate the bishop.

[wobbly]

Thanks. Up until recently I played the closed Sicilian to avoid theory, I've just played it so many times that if I keep playing it I'll go nuts. I still play it occasionally when I feel in the mood, it can be a very fun opening.

Anyway I found a game of Gata Kamsky's in the line & he played 5. Bg5 & plays c4 later on move 8.

Gata Kamsky - Joel Lautier

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1066719

[wobbly]

Well this was hilarious:

me - opponent
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Bb4+ 4. Bd2 c5 5. a3 Bxd2+ 6. Nbxd2 Qa5 7. b4 cxb4 8. Nb3 Qa4 9. Nfd2 bxa3 10. e4 d5 11. e5 Ne4 12. Nxe4 dxe4 13. Qb1 Nc6 14. Nc5 Qa5+ 15. Kd1 Nxd4 16. Nxe4 O-O 17. Bd3 Rd8 18. f4 Nf5 19. g4 Ne3+ 20. Ke2 Nxg4 21. Rg1 h5 22. h3 Nxe5 23. fxe5 Qxe5 24. Rg5 f5 25. Qg1 Qb2+ 26. Nd2 a6 27. Rd1 b5 28. Qg2 Ra7 29. Qf3 bxc4 30. Bxc4 Rc7 31. Bd3 a2 32. Qf4 e5 33. Bc4+ Kf8 34. Rxf5+ Bxf5 35. Qxf5+ Ke8 36. Qg6+ Ke7 37. Qe6+ Kf8 38. Rf1+ Resigns

Stockfish evaluates the position as -10 before 32. ...e5 & +5 afterwards. So that innocent pawn move is around the equivalent of blundering 2 queens in 1 move.

[Derakon]

Y'all might find this video on bad Chess AIs to be amusing.

[kevin16cun]

I always play Chesstime on my tablet. If anyone knows a better game for Android tell me please.

[KarlM]

I always play Chesstime on my tablet. If anyone knows a better game for Android tell me please.

Against an engine? or with other people?

Options to explore
* Lichess (puzzles, online play, engine play)
* Chess.com (puzzles, online play, engine play) - also has lessons
* Droidfish (play specifically against stockfish - like the other apps, you can set the difficulty, time controls, etc)

[higi82]

Also play Chesstime, is a good game. has good players online.

[wobbly]

It's nice to pull off utter nonsense:


svoskitov - wobbly
lichess
traxler counter-gambit

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc3 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 Bc5 5. Bxf7 Ke7 6. Bb3 d5 7. exd5 Bxf2+ 8.Kxf2 Ng4+ 9. Kg1 Nd4 10. Qf1 Rf8 11. Nf3 c6 12. dxc6 Qb6 13. Resigns

Apparently it's now mate in 7.

[wobbly]

I was looking through the game database on lichess after a game and saw an interesting move that occurred in 3 games. All players involved were rated over 1600.

1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. f4 d5 4. fxe5 Nxe4 5. Qf3 Bc5 6. Nxe4 dxe4 7. Qxe4 Qh4+

Twice white played 8. g6 and black went on to win. Only once did white take the free queen.

[camlost]

Y'all might find this video on bad Chess AIs to be amusing.

Yes, I very much did so.