(Otherwise know as - The DLM program Revisited)

But first -

Or maybe i should just use the nicknames?

Edit: People tell me it works on Firefox but doesn't work on IE? That sucks, but - So.. just get Firefox :)

Happiness can truly be found in unexpected places and in simple things.

So go get yourself a present too ok (Preferably a non-chess one).

- Happy Holidays -

Piece activity is the ultimate positional goal in chess - Temposchlucker



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Chess authors had been leading us to water, but we refused to drink.

I am as guilty of this as anyone. In fact if there ever was a "Read chess book, dont agree" fan club, I may have been its president.

Jack Wilson: [throws a pistol at the sheep herders feet] Pick it up.
Sheep herder: I don't wanna pick it up, mister, you'll shoot me.
Jack Wilson: Pick up the gun.
Sheep herder: Look, mister, I don't want no trouble. I just came to town to get some hard rock candy for my kids and some gingham for my wife.
Jack Wilson: Pick up the gun.
BOOM BOOM!
Jack Wilson: You all saw him... he had a gun




I'm soo shallow... hehehe... but you all saw him..

didnt you!?

In the meantime, I got to practice more. I lost 5 in a row to a guy named "Rahmat". When we started playing, he was just 1680. Now we are both 1740. Hyukyukyuk!!! I've personally given him 50 points. And no, I aint no Santa Claus. (I dont know whats worse. Losing, or losing to a guy named Rahmat)

Frock!
(I'm still mad at myself)

New York Times


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There's only one problem. Take a look at my five latest games:

1. + 1775 W 1467 LasseR
2. - 1768 B 1829 AnesJamak
3. + 1771 B 1532 mirrorring
4. = 1776 W 2014 surround
5. + 1781 W 1652 eBraun

Hehehe..

*sigh*

The things we do for ratings

(Note: Dont ask why this is here, just.. never mind..)

You Dont Say Kind Words

Your voice lights up,
and we will talk for hours.
Now I call late at night,
but you say your sleeping,
and gently put down the phone.
I don't hear kind words anymore.

I mail everyday, and try to say hi,
I tell funny stories just like before.
"Its great to hear from you, but gtg",
was the only answer i got.
You don't say kind words anymore.

Oh baby, I still remember your words
"I love you so dearly, your my friend..
you make me happy, don't leave me"

But now we hardly talk..

We loved each other so much.
it seems not possible but,
Is this goodbye?
I need you to tell me the truth
(I don't need kind words anymore)

//----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I read a very interesting post by GM Ziatdinov yesterday. (See this sample)

Here are some of his more interesting comments:

1. On Thought Process


Chess is not a time for thinking, it is time for action; it is show time!

2. An Inadvertent GM Knight Errant?

To study tactics, I recommend my timed tactical software program, or similar software programs. A good book of combinations is beneficial too, but less efficient and not as fun. Basically, set up a cycle of ten positions, go through them until you get a perfect score, then set a cycle from 10-20, get a 100% score, then go through problems 1-20, repeating this cycle until you can go through 1000 problems "by hand" (not mind) without any mistakes. If you try this method with my tactics program and complete it, you will have the tactical ability of a Grandmaster. I have had more than a hundred students and nobody had enough will power to finish this tactical training method. Is it my students or is it me?

Hmm, Sounds like a quasi-DLM plan to me. What do you think? Have we found our long lost brother?

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5




3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. Nf3 h6






and so, why would I help him get rid of a half-dead bishop?

7. c3 e6


Anyway, viewing it this way, my next move is

8. Bf4




8. .. Bd6

What a good helper you are.

9. Bxd6 Qxd6 10. Be2


10. ..Nf6

11. O-O O-O 12. Re1 Nbd7 13. a4?!





15. Qd2 Nf4

How dare you threaten my preciousss!!!

16. Bc4





16. ... N4h5 17. Nxh5 Bxh5





Hmm, this Caro-Kann stuff is interesting after all.

18. Ne5 Ng4 19. Bd3




19 ..Nxe5 20. Rxe5 Bg6 21. Bxg6 fxg6





22. b4

22. ..Rf5

What else?

23. Rae1 Rxe5 24. Rxe5 Rf8 25. Qe3 Rf6




25. Qe3 Rf6 26. c4 b6 27. axb6 axb6 28. c5 bxc5 29. bxc5 Qd7




30. f4 Qf7 31. g3 g5 32. fxg5 hxg5 33. Rxg5 Rf1+ 34. Kg2 Qf6




I intend to bring my king into the battle. The more the merrier, i say. Plus, there is no way he can mate me. My own queen and rook protect me well enough.

35. Re5 Kf7 36. Qe4 Rc1 37. Kh3 Qh6+ 38. Kg4 Rc3 39. Qxc6 Qg6+




From here it becomes easy. I give the rest without comments

Supplemental





Full game text


Paste here Lutanho

This is called "ramen". I had this for lunch a few hours ago. This is one of those things where, it just grows on you. When i first tasted my ramen some eight years ago, i found it bland and too oily. But now, i couldnt keep my hands off these things. When i see the noodles floating in oil, my veins starts constricting even before one sip. But I eat it anyway. Btw: There's lots of variation of this dish. Some get chicken feets, chicken heads, cow ankles, pig tails, etc.. in short, meat that cannot be sold. They bind these combination inside a net and boil it for 6-8 hours until it melts. The melted liquid is that brownish thing you see in there. Hmm, nyam2x.. delicious no?



Japan is supposed to be a budhist/shintoist(?) country but you wouldnt know it from all the christmas activities going on. Celebrating christmas? How dare the heathens! All the malls are replete with decorations such as this. Every corner even have its very own santa claus standing. Albeit one with slanted eyes shouting "irrashaimase" (welcome). This one is taken from venus fort in Odaiba. Highly recommended place for tourists. Its got an artificial sky that changes alongside the time of day. And the best part of it is - this place contains the most number of japanese babes in high tops and designer dresses.. just an overload of cuteness going all around.. err.. did I just say that? hehe.. lets just move on..



Alongside the venus fort is a kind of a car showroom. Only these one is like so big, it feels like a bazaar. However, it contains only toyota cars. Every car sold by toyota is represented here. From camry to prius to corolla. Even hybrids and lexus can be seen. There are even car simulations and you can ride automated concept cars for 300yen ($3). Just a fun place to be if your a car-loving geek like me. Btw: This is gonna be my next car. I used to drive a honda civic, but i decided to get this one next (Just to mix things up). Although when "next" is i dont know.






Oh please kind sir. Wont you give me some alms? (Still in venus fort)










And who might this handsome young gentleman be? Rumor has it, he is programmer by day, gigolo by night. Also known among the girls as the grand high mystic ruler of love. (But dont tell that to the girls as they dont know yet.)








(Next time ill take more pictures to show you guys. I've been regretting not taking any since i came here. But ive since bought a new camera and is looking forward on using it)

I have been thinking lately of planning. It is a very well known saying that a chess player must plan, and that a bad plan is better than having no plan at all. Various authors across the ages have even recommended a myriad of ways on how to do this. For example, let me give the well known "Sillman Technique":

Jeremy Silman:

1. Take note of the differences in the position (imbalances)
2. Determine which side of the board you wish to play on. You can only play on the side of the board where a favorable imbalance exists or the possibility of creating a favorable imbalance exists.
3. Find Candidate Moves. A Candidate move should always be directed at your positive imbalances unless you're being forced to play a purely defensive move.
4. Calculate Candidate Moves.

I havent read any of sillmans books, nor studied any of his games and yet im familiar with this technique of his, so i assume most chessplayer is too. And if not, im sure a lot of players have their very own unique list. A checklist to go through every move. I myself have created such a list once (I threw it out because i cant remember to go thru the list, and when i do i consumed an inordinate ammount of time)

Now i will not critizise this technique as he is a far better player than i am, and so perhaps i am not qualified to pass judgement on such matters. However, the question im now going to ask is this. During playing, do you really stop, then think about a position? Do you really go - "wait, wait, wait. before i proceed i have to go thru the imbalance" - or some such thing?

Because when i play chess, particularly a good tense game - i tend to go into a kind of "zone". This is the moment where the outside world is forgotten and you can hear your own thoughts.

Most of the time when i enter into this state, i have a good game. And if not, i tend to blunder material away. However, when in this zone concious thought is not done. I mean things tend to become almost a game of action and reaction. Outposts, lines, diagonals, i tend to not consider them "deliberately". I just do it. (Of course sometimes i dont - and this is why i think the circles was very good for me. The patterns was absorbed deeply that even in the zone its presence is felt. And that is why, i think learning ang re-learning the positional concepts are important so it too will exists in the zone.)

Anyway, the point is - in this state, you forget yourself and so you can't do any such thing as go through a list, or even plan. It becomes a "do or do not" proposition. All the knowledge that you gained up to that point is synthesized. The plan present itself to you or it does not so to speak. (Trying to break this and "think" is like your wife telling you she wants to go out and "think" in the middle of "it")

(Sidenote: Like in basketball. Basketball is one of those games where if you think too much your game just suffers. You just have to play. To let the game come to you as they say)

Anyway perhaps trying to get a clear head and trying to stop going into zones will be better for my chess. You know, like try to follow sillmans list or something (However, does somebody really follow this list? - just curious). But that zone is almost like crack its addicting. Taking it out of my games will make chess unpleasant i think.

Or perhaps its just endorphines?

We all know about the people who say "I can do things better than that" while jeering the player they are watching. A backseat driver so to speak. But put this very same person in the battle himself, and he will wither like an ice cream under a hot sun.

Sometimes this is what i feel. I analyze grandmaster games and it looks so simple that I begin to think "Is the opponent really a GM? I could do better than that. I would have played this move here then i would have done that to counter this, etc.. blah2x..". But of course things aren't really that easy.

For example, take this game Ive analyzed with Bahus a few days ago -Botvinnik-Szilagyi

It looks soo effortless here that in hindsight we can almost say "The moves are logical, anybody could have thought of that". Then you try to play a game and you find out that it wasn't so easy after all. (And were GM Szilagyi and I were to play a game, he would have beaten me in 15 moves. He would put the pieces down with a loud "bang" and say with a sneer "I got your easy right here! Baby, right here!!!!" - But said Arnold Scwarcheneger-like so it sounds "russian").

Anyway - going through this game, i noticed a lot things. I think i can summarize Botvinnik's play like this:

1. Opening Moves
2. Take over Strategic Squares
3. Prepare
4. Prepare
5. Prepare
6. Prepare
7. Prepare
8. Prepare
9. Prophylaxis
10. Mate

(Btw: I thought about listing the things i learned but thought otherwise. I think a person needs to analyze the game himself before he understand its meaning. Just trying to explain something without that person experiencing it for himself will not convey the truth i think. For example, I always knew winter was cold. But now I'm actually living under it. I never knew it was this cold until now. I sleep under three blankets, wearing three shirts with the heater on, and still i get cold. brr.. brrr...)

I wonder when i will be able to play like this. There is a sense of constancy in games like this that make me envious. My own games reminds me of the saying "Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing". Peripatetic queen moves, galloping knight sallies, slashing bishop attacks. Only they come back later to some odd square not really accomplishing anything. When I look back at my older games, i couldn't figure out why I did what I did. The names of my games should in fact be the "What am I doing here? " game. (Or the term I believe that a scientific type would use would be "Superfluous").

Oh well, perhaps someday. One fine day, i will play a game and it will be clean and orderly like Botvinnik. That elusive "At least I knew what I did here" game. (Yeah, and while i'm dreaming, i would like to play like Nezhmetdinov too, and could someone please give me a black car? and a million dollars and, and a mansion in the everglades.)

> Also Fierabras left this interesting comment
>> But if you want to play like Nezhmetdinov ... ... too passive

You know, before I proceed with discovering my chess "style", I think it best to discover what I am doing now. To answer this, I'll start by answering this question "why don't I try to play like Nezhmetdinov?".

To begin with, lets start with title of the first three chess books I've read:

> 1. Judgement and planning in chess - Euwe
> 2. Chess Fundamentals - Capablanca
> 3. Simple Chess - Stean

Do you see a pattern here? Do you know what this means? It means that for the first year or so of my chess life, I've been studying positional play. (I stopped only when i noticed that no matter how good I am positionally, i wont come very far without being good also tactically, hence the circles)

Our very first teachers influence us in ways we don't notice ourself. It is only later through self-inspection, when we seek to analyze why we do the things we do that we understand. We understand that what we had been doing was precisely what was thought us by those very same teachers.

For example, I dislike sacrificing pawns for initiative. I try to keep the positions simple, I constantly try to prevent counter play.

When I asked myself, why am I like that? I imagined myself an "attacking" player. But when I analyzed, my games does not "feel" like an attacking game. Its a slow grind2x.. get small advantage here, build outpost there-type of game (See previous post Cheap Tactics)

When I first played chess and i had no knowledge of things, I'm sure i didn't feel this way. And you know how my site is named after an aggressive player, and to someone who had been reading my posts regularly, it would appear that I at least try to emulate him with all my talk about tactics and stuff...

But alas, what we want to do, and what we do are two separate things. Alas, Nezhmetdinov came too late to influence my play. It was Capablanca who came first, and Euwe and Stean. This chess trinity has influenced my play to such a degree that it would take significant amount of time to reverse it. I'm not even sure if it can be reversed.

If I could have gone back in time, I would give me a copy of Nezh's games along with a tactics book and say "Here, go through this tactics book 7 times, and then study these games." Then perhaps, i would had been the fearless slasher I thought I was. But its too late now (And too late that I noticed or my site would had been named "In Honor Of Stecapeuwe").

Perhaps later, ill evolve into that. But right now I have to be true to myself and accept the fact that the road I'm walking is different. Trying to put fire on board when my inner voice tells me to keep calm, keep calm, prepare and keep calm is a conflict I wish to avoid. If only for the sake of winning. Valor is no substitute for victory. I like the aesthetic side of chess too of course, but 80% of the reason I'm playing is for competitive reasons. That sense of blood pounding in my ears, my heart beating like a trapped butterfly, during a tense moment in a game. That is why I play chess.

I just want to win. And if it wins subverting my desires to do so. Then so be it.

(Sidenote: If you are the type easily offended, please don't read this post)



Kramnik: This is place is very beautiful.
Leko: Yeah, but we have to keep smiling like this for the reporters.
Kramnik: Yeah, but look over there. Mountains
Leko: Where?
Kramnik: There, outside the window. Do you like mountains Leko?
Leko: Yeah, my wife and I went on a trip once on the Himalayas.
Kramnik: Me too, but you have to be careful
Leko: Huh!? why?
Kramnik: I broke my back in a mountain once.
Leko: What!
Kramnik: I said I broke my back.
Leko: Oh, haha.. I thought you meant.. haha.. yeah.. that's a bummer..
..
.. (awkward silence)
..
Kramnik: So was it as good for you as it was for me?
Leko: What!?
Kramnik: Our games..
Leko: Oh haha.. i thought you said.. haha, but yeah i guess so..
Kramnik: So you were satisfied?
Leko: Uhmm.. uh, it was a draw but i-i guess so.. yeah..
..
.. (awkward silence)
..
Kramnik: Do you like me Leko?
Leko: what!?
Kramnik: I said do you liiiike me Lek0?
Leko: (Blinks)
Leko: ..
Kramnik: Now I'm hurt, just awhile ago you said you were satisfied.. but now you cant even answer
Leko: No wait you have to smile.. don't stand up.. yes, yes.. yes i like you..
Kramnik: Really?
Leko: yes i like you.. please sit down
Kramnik: Oh leko! you make me so happy. Hold my hand, hold me and never let this champion go.

(hat tip to jeskeets for the idea)

1. On talent

When I was a teenager, I liked girls. Well I still like them now, however that time I was broke. So I figured the only way I can impress them would be to study the guitar. I will buy love for a song I said to myself. Plus, I could dress like a homeless man, and people wouldn't care just because guitar players are expected to look like flood victims - this is very important as i had no money to buy expensive shirts. But the only problem is, I cant carry a tune. Cant figure out a song in my head. I couldn't even differentiate Do from Re. Took me ten years to achieve some sort of proficiency. But by that time, the girls don't want songs anymore. They want guys with car and bling2xs, and guys who try to serenade them with songs are now called "nerds". Go figure.

But there were guys who they just pick a guitar and immediately play something they've just heard. It was just amazing to me. Here I am studying scales and stuff, and this guy just plays it all from his head. That convinced me that there really is such a thing as "Talent". You can kill yourself trying to master something that for all intents and purposes flows like water in another..

Ok now, why am I telling you this? - its because of this comment

>you sound like a naturally very gifted chess player. impressive! thx, dk

Well I sure hope i have talent.. however, i cannot be considered as possessing as having an abundance. Most of that rating was earned via study. Specifically, studies of tactical exercises. The seven circles, CTS, puzzle books.. You name it. Then, here are some of the books I've read from cover to cover

1. Judgement and planning in chess - Euwe
2. Chess Fundamentals - Capablanca
3. Simple Chess - Stean
4. Fred Reinfeld book whose title i cant recall
5. Art of Checkmate - Georges Renaud, Victor Kahn
6. Art of chess combination - Eugene Znosko-Borovsky
7. Art of Attack - by Vladimir Vukovic

Plus a score of books Ive partially read. Title like "Tal's life and games", "Chess advantage in black and white", etc... etc.. I was solving chess puzzles while my wife was giving birth to our daughter.. She almost left me.. After that I've not dared solve puzzles in her presence..

(Sometimes, i wonder if all these hours I've spent in chess would had been better spent in something else. Like trying to get rich perhaps? So i can buy cars and bling2x so i can finally get the girls? haha..)

However - there is something that I've noticed from studying all those books. Some books I've felt like i was reading the secret to life.. However some books, particularly opening books, have had a very detrimental effect on my game.

This has led me to -

2. Why I don't study opening anymore

It is my whole hearted advice to a newbie, or to anyone with low enough rating to NOT study openings. You know why? Its because all those memorization of lines kills a players maturation of judgment and planning. Take me for example. Instead of thinking for myself, I've almost become a slave to variations.. My opponent will make some move which i think is weak, and I wouldn't care about it because its "not the main line". This line of thinking affected other areas of my play too. I was always constantly trying to steer the games into a variations that i know. And if it diverges, then i became lost.. And besides you cant shutdown your brain and start thinking only on move 10. A battle is won before it begins it was said. You walk into a battle sleepwalking and all you'll get is punch in the face i gather.

Also - You know, I've been thinking. What are opening variations but fragments of games played long ago. Of course it carries with it significant analysis but - why do i need to know if GM Kramniparov used the move order x,y,z in the Kan variation of the French defense to defeat GM Topalipov. Understanding another's thoughts is hard. Heck, sometimes I don't even know what I'm doing.

Then it occurred to me too - why am i following them? I've followed the government, my boss, sometimes even my wife. And then I'm gonna relax and play a game only to follow somebody there too? Why cant i live my own life in the board at least?

So screw that. I decided not to be peon anymore. I wont be a serf and follow another's lead. If I'm gonna win, it will not be because if followed a book. I will win with my own skill and my own way.

(Then, if you want I'll give you my winning games for you to follow. After all I won didn't I. Why don't you follow that variation I used? But that's silly right. I ain't no GM so why follow my opening repertoire. But then why does a "hypothetical" 1200 player follow a GM. To a 1200 player, does it really really make a difference whether you follow a 1700 player instead of a 2500 player? You know, we both can defeat a 1200 player easily so why pick one instead of the other. Is a GM win "better" than a 1700 win? Thats like trying to kill somebody. A 1700 might get in a single bullet, and a GM might pepper him with 100. But the end result is - he's dead. He cant be anymore dead from a single bullet than a hundred. And yes, its a bad analogy - but I feel you need to know these things..)

So I dropped any sort of opening study. Sure if I remember something that worked, ill try to use it. After all why throw knowledge away? Sometimes an opponent will catch me unaware in an opening trap. But its okay. Those times are few and far apart. Compared to what i think I gained, its no contest. - You know the other things that Ive been studying. The positional concepts like outposts, square strategy, etc.. etc.. Well I think I'm learning them more now because i am thinking about them from the beginning of the game. Like, instead of thinking about the book line, now i think "Hmm, lets see do I create an outpost, or do I use a white square strategy? hmm, how about this.. how about that..". Sometimes, i almost feel like a kid in a candy store when choosing the "lines".

Now of course I'm just 1700 alright. I might never improve from here on using "my system". But I am convinced that right now, at this very moment, studying endless variations is pointless. And don't worry, someday I'll teach you the nezha variation of (insert opening name here)

=)