King and two pawns x 2

I have looked out today games in the collection of my own games for king and pawn endgames and found several positions I should have handled better. I published already one video of king and two pawns versus king and two pawns endgame.

And then there were more videos!

I've made couple more chessvideos during last days: a video of me playing my sicilian against equally rated opponent and a video of recent game where I played black in very interesting positions of King's English Nimzowitsch-Flohr Variation.

The curious case of a King and Queen versus Queen endgame

Here's a video for 5 minute blitz endgame with hopefully revealing mistakes and right solutions.

More fresh material

I analysed superb defensive display of my friend Ereshkigal. Check out the Rybka brilliancy sacrifice in one of the variations!!

I also recorded another endgame video for chessvideos.tv.

I have found out new ideas on the opening also but especially I am feeling at the moment that working on the endgames improves my overall game as I am getting more feeling for the positions and what I would like to do to it. There's already couple nice examples but now I am heading for jam session with my friends so more about that later...

Some new material!

Here's a treat for all the people waiting for some update. It's a video I worked out on the king and rook versus rook endgame.

Lately I've also published an endgame video of my game against Gouldy and some analysis on interesting 5 minute blitz game against my friend waparker on chessvideos.tv.

Tactics

Watching curtains and zibbit commentaries on chessvideos.tv set my mind in a mode where position from yesterday came back to me. It's a position from 45 minute game yesterday so neither player har serious time trouble.



r3r1k1/ppp2ppp/3p4/3P4/1nP1N2P/1PN1Pq2/P2Q4/2K3R1 b - - 0 22

Here I spotted nice tactical theme of removing the defender and fork but in actual game I miscalculated it - still it is always delightful to find that my mind is able to work couple move forwards.

There was another really strong idea too in the position which also goes by the theme of removing defender.

I feel like not giving it up here if anybody feels like working them out so here it is.

First chess video I ever produced

I'm not so sure everything was in right place in my head while recording, but anyways: here it is.

Rybka brilliancy

Here's a position from yesteday. Black to move.



White has just blundered(!!) with b4. Black has most brilliant refutation. It's extremely sharp position where there is one move to win the game and other moves to loose.

Here it is.

Combination time

Here's a little treat for all your tactics lovers out there from my game yesterday. There are maybe three good moves but one that in high level chess would be "winning". I didn't see it, something was bothering me at the back of my head but I wasn't able to figure it out in 10 minute blitz.

White to move.



I've got the solution here.

Roller coaster

Here's a little treat for all herrahuu fans out there. It's a 45 minute game of mine against 1600 player with some informative psychological obstacles for both players to get over. And. In the end there was the most dubious rook sacrifice that set the game on fire.

This time it's David Bronstein

Yasser Seirawan tells a wonderful story on this video of how David Bronstein sixty and so year old player reached a position where everything was in its right place.

Holes in Chessmaster Academy

The snake has sneaked into my happy Chessmaster Academy universe. I had studied Josh Waitzkins chessmaster course earlier and thought I'd jump this time straight into mastery quiz for beginners and see where I'm standing.

Here's the first position I've strong reservations against:



Josh Waitzkin says with his well articulated clear manner: "Here white has mate in four. What's the first move?"

The snake is whispering from my shoulder: "Here white has mate in two. What the hell is Josh talking about?"

Do you see it?

Ok. I should be understanding towards teaching a point. Climbing a ladder is a good endgame technique. But what happened to being flexible in every moment to see how things actually where instead of applying some laws of nature that do not necessary apply? And how many seconds did Josh actually stare at the position?

And another position that has a problem:



"Here white has mate in five, but this one is a little tricky. Take your time. Recreate the pattern we found before."

Ok, I am willing to take the pattern but I want to apply to this position. Josh has mate in 5 in mind. But I've got something better. Mate in 4!

It's not THAT hard. I'm not sure what to make of it. This mastery quiz. Did I pass it or not?

Alternate ways of approaching the same thing

I've been working on Chessmaster drills the last days. One interesting change that I noticed after working this time on memorizing 4-6 piece positions. It was really difficult first. But today I begun to make stories in my mind to memorize them.

For example:



"It's black's turn and he or she promotes to queen. All of three pieces are in the same diagonal with one square in between. King is on c8."

Funniest stories are with all pieces. I've had shotguns and what else on the positions.

I'm still to find out how these drill exercises are viewed in chess training usually and how are they used and is there other posibilities to get on with them than chess software as Chessmaster.

Watching Josh Waitzkins interview on YouTube confirmed me on some of my ideas I've been forming on my mind about chess and gave more food for my thoughts.

Damppu demonstrates

My friend Daniel has had me in tough places in our encounter but has had some troubles finding comfortable positions against his opponents in FICS. He had a short break but now he is back and he is enforcing!

Here's a fine demonstration.

Kings Indian Attack

I had fortunate situation to try my Kings Indian Attack ideas against French defense but I was clearly outplayed by better opponent.

My thoughts and analysis.