Showing posts with label AMA Rogue Squadron. Show all posts
Showing posts with label AMA Rogue Squadron. Show all posts
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Industrial League: AMA Rogue Squadron 4 - Northwestern University 2
CICL veteran David Franklin made his debut for the Rogue Squadron last night. Northwestern's new Board 1, Karsten McVay, studied with FM Aviv Friedman for many years and has represented the U.S. in international play.
Dave was kind enough to share his annotations:
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Chicago Industrial Chess League season underway
As always, check out the latest results at the fabulous CICL site. I play for the AMA Rogue Squadron in the East Division: we won a tough match on Monday against Blue Cross / Blue Shield 4-2. Our teammate Jim Duffy lost a very interesting game to Sonny Mata, and it took me a long time to figure out the computer evaluations in this very interesting ending. Please take the following notes with a large grain of salt: I'm still not sure I understand what was going on, and computers are not to be trusted in rook endings!
After 40.Kc2
Black to play: how to stop the e-pawn?
Analysis diagram
White to play and win: harder than it looks!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Blood on the board, redux
On my way to last Tuesday's Chicago Industrial Chess League match (DRW Trading Group vs. the AMA Rogue Squadron), I was carelessly crossing Wacker Drive (under construction) while checking my iPhone for DRW's address. Just south of the Lyric Opera on Madison, I tripped on the curb and hit the sidewalk hard. It was fortunate that I only bloodied an elbow and not my noggin.
When I told my wise wife that I'd tripped, she said that I needed to spend more time in the real world. I strategically "forgot" to confess the part about not looking where I was going. Fortunately for me, she does not read this blog.
The hospitable folks at DRW help me dress my wound and had Lou Malnati's pizza waiting for us. My clumsiness carried over to the game. After I made my 23rd move, I realized I'd dug a strange little trap for myself, which Lyle Hayhurst of DRW quickly found. The tactic is memorable for being an immediate killer that takes several moves to come to fruition--is that a contradiction?
I sacked a piece in desperation, after which the cool 30.Ng5! would have won immediately. The ending after 41.Nxd2 should also be won for White, but it's nontrivial. Your computer will mislead you if you don't have a tablebase installed: remember that king plus bishop plus rook pawn of the wrong color vs. king is a draw. But if Black sacks the knight for White's g3 pawn, White can blockade the pawns, win them, and then win the KBN vs. K ending (not as hard as it sounds). One idea for White, therefore, is to play h4-h5 an an opportune moment. However undeservedly, I escaped with a draw.
In other February 2011 blood-on-the-chess-board-in-Chicagoland news, NM Pete Karagianis led a his students into battle at the U.S. Amateur Team North. One of his young teammates lost a tooth, and Pete had to render first aid during play.
P.S. White still had a win as late as move 71. Can you find it?
When I told my wise wife that I'd tripped, she said that I needed to spend more time in the real world. I strategically "forgot" to confess the part about not looking where I was going. Fortunately for me, she does not read this blog.
The hospitable folks at DRW help me dress my wound and had Lou Malnati's pizza waiting for us. My clumsiness carried over to the game. After I made my 23rd move, I realized I'd dug a strange little trap for myself, which Lyle Hayhurst of DRW quickly found. The tactic is memorable for being an immediate killer that takes several moves to come to fruition--is that a contradiction?
I sacked a piece in desperation, after which the cool 30.Ng5! would have won immediately. The ending after 41.Nxd2 should also be won for White, but it's nontrivial. Your computer will mislead you if you don't have a tablebase installed: remember that king plus bishop plus rook pawn of the wrong color vs. king is a draw. But if Black sacks the knight for White's g3 pawn, White can blockade the pawns, win them, and then win the KBN vs. K ending (not as hard as it sounds). One idea for White, therefore, is to play h4-h5 an an opportune moment. However undeservedly, I escaped with a draw.
In other February 2011 blood-on-the-chess-board-in-Chicagoland news, NM Pete Karagianis led a his students into battle at the U.S. Amateur Team North. One of his young teammates lost a tooth, and Pete had to render first aid during play.
P.S. White still had a win as late as move 71. Can you find it?
After 70...g5
White to play and win
Friday, September 24, 2010
Chicago Industrial Chess League season begins
The persuasively charming duo of Fred Furtner and Rob Eaman talked me into returning to the Chicago Industrial Chess League. If you'd like to play in the CICL, check out the FAQs.
This was the inaugural match for Trading Technologies: first board Josh Hunter won two pawns against me in the opening, and I was more than a bit nervous.
This was the inaugural match for Trading Technologies: first board Josh Hunter won two pawns against me in the opening, and I was more than a bit nervous.
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