I think I'm done with it. I've played the Sicilian Dragon exclusively in my slow games for maybe half a year now. And while it does offer some crazy attacks, those never really seem to materialize outside blitz. I always feel I'm a dead man walking, waiting for my opponent to screw up. And I really don't like that, it's a way too passive way to play for me. I crave for the initiative, no matter what the cost.
Here's a perfect example from RHP a couple of days ago. I don't really think I did any bad mistakes, the guy just tightened his grip ever so gently throughout the game. It was like he had a knife on my throat, and whatever I did his hold just got stronger. It took me 17 moves to even get equality. Which fortunately also provoked his mistake 18.Nd5. At that point I knew I was doing very well, but at the same time very aware of the complications I would be facing when the white queen finally lands on h6 with a check. I calculated my ass off to see whether I can escape the mate or not, because I knew he'd be mated if I could just escape his checks for a move or two.
23.Qh6+ and white queen finally landed into my position. I was still unsure if I could escape via e6, which now in hindsight looks obvious. So I chickened out and took the safe way to victory with a queen exchange. Sure it's more reasonable to exchange down into a won, safe endgame, but it just isn't the same as crushing your opponent with devastating massive blows.
[White "LightSoul"]
[Black "wormwood"]
[WhiteRating "1932"]
[BlackRating "1862"]
[Result "0-1"]
1. e4 c5 2. Ng1f3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nf3xd4 Ng8f6 5. Nb1c3 g6 6. Bc1e3 Bf8g7 7. Bf1e2 O-O 8. h4 Nb8c6 9. h5 Nc6xd4 10. Be3xd4 Bc8e6 11. hxg6 fxg6 12. Qd1d2 Qd8a5 13. f3 a6 14. a3 Ra8c8 15. g4 Be6c4 16. Be2xc4 Rc8xc4 17. b4 Qa5c7 18. Nc3d5 Nf6xd5 19. Bd4xg7 Rf8xf3 20. Qd2xd5 Kg8xg7 21. Qd5g5 Rc4xe4 22. Ke1d1 Qc7c3 23. Qg5h6 Kg7f7 24. Qh6xh7 Qc3g7 0-1
To put a long story short, I think I'm going to take up Scandinavian also in slow games. It's just so incredibly nice to harass white straight from the start, develop with ease, and crush! crush! crush! Well at least try, but no waiting for the coup de grâce anymore.
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13 comments:
nice accessment. totally agree.
i ONLY play the Caro Kahn, mostly, but, in bullet or blitz, we do need an alternate opening, so play the french. if thereafter i am on the ropes with a strong opponent, if after returning to mr Caro i am still getting killed, i play the modern.
i never play the sicilian, i just hate it. i feel all that you feel. live it only, or dont play it.
when you do as you describe, or i do, from the moment go, unless against sophisticated opponents, we are usually 'right off the bat' in our own territory.
did you see my new RHP game? its crazy, but my opponent CANNOT go e3xf2+ without a forced loss. its crazy, but true. im sure he didnt see that, and just off to the middlegame in last few moves! game over effectively.
regard, david
I guess it's all about finding out what really suits your personality. I started with the french, nimzo & QID as black, moved on to najdorf & nimzo, which was an improvement. got fed up with their somewhat passive nature and changed into dragon & KID (one reason was to learn to push kingside pawns), and now it looks like I'm gonna be playing leningrad & scandinavian from now on (as white leningrad with reversed colors as well, so it all fits together quite nicely). looking back, every change has been for the better, and for more initiative. sicilians had something going on for them, but it's just too easy to get cramped and bad development in najdorf & scheve. and while dragon had easier development, there's the reasons I already posted about.
I can't talk about your game in progress, but I've looked at it a couple of times since it began...
I caught a horrible flu yesterday, and my brain is oozing through my nostrils. I'll go lie down for a while now...
I play the Leningrad and Scandinavian and you get a lot of action...most of the time. As white I play the Vienna (game and gambit) against 1...e5 and the Grand Prix attack against the Sicilian, which is quite similar to the Vienna.
If you like to play aggressively, I would highly recommend the Vienna.
since e4 (and especially 1.e4 e5) is currently out of the question, so is vienna. also, I just hate a knight in front of my c-pawn, it's simply too restrictive to my liking. so, I'm going to go with the leningrads for the moment...
I should get into GP though, as it's one of the main transpositions from leningrad with reversed colors...
fyi, wormwood, my big post is finally done... on my current chess plan, its status, and future... best regards, dk
honestly i said, your blog contents are very interesting and helpful:) thank you and bravo.
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i so much wanted to play the sicilian, i've studied it, i've tried it online, i just can't seem to get the hang of it. i'm now trying out the french...perhaps i should try the caro-kann or the scandanavian...
repeated efforts, in visiting, sincerely hopefull for the lattest missive from you!
i fixed my toolbar, and despite your indifference, you are there up top...
hope all is well.
after a LOT of CT-Art, and renewing my ties to CTS since i have of course not been tired every day--since ive had a nice long vacation--and lots of GM games, it is time to play chess again... every single day, if i can 'muster it'.
really, i visited to discuss you not me and above note is just prefatory, but how can i know how things are with you, less of you of recently here. your fan!
how goes it?
conquests?
setbacks?
events?
realizations?
disappointments?
its your blog!
warmly, dk
I started out playing the Caro-Kann Defense and did well with it, but it is essentially a passive defense.
I was never a good Sicilian Defense player, but wanted a more aggressive set-up than the Caro-Kann Defense.
I started learning the Black side of the Open Game (1. e4, e5) and now I think it's the way to go.
A strange thing happened while I was doing this: I began liking some 1. e4 openings, which I didn't expect because I've always been a Queen's Gambit player.
Eric
most impressive succesion of tries[of yours] for this elo [1645!] at CTS. congratulations. it works!
2007-10-05 00:50:47 1646 failed to solve p25678 1617
2007-10-05 00:50:15 1646 solved (13.5 secs.) p39156 1725
2007-10-05 00:49:52 1646 solved (14.0 secs.) p32050 1635
2007-10-05 00:49:12 1646 solved (18.6 secs.) p52168 1703
2007-10-05 00:48:44 1646 solved (8.9 secs.) p37406 1721
2007-10-05 00:48:26 1645 solved (5.9 secs.) p22401 1582
2007-10-05 00:48:11 1646 solved (20.1 secs.) p03750 1643
2007-10-05 00:47:41 1646 solved (18.3 secs.) p51731 1607
2007-10-05 00:47:14 1646 solved (5.1 secs.) p65300 1530
2007-10-05 00:46:58 1646 solved (2.4 secs.) p00592 1484
2007-10-05 00:46:47 1646 solved (16.1 secs.) p32592 1591
2007-10-05 00:46:21 1647 solved (18.3 secs.) p12626 1493
2007-10-05 00:45:53 1646 solved (1.2 secs.) p20863 1692
2007-10-05 00:45:42 1646 solved (16.0 secs.) p59195 1637
2007-10-05 00:45:16 1646 solved (14.6 secs.) p27921 1597
2007-10-05 00:44:17 1647 solved (8.8 secs.) p03956 1581
2007-10-05 00:43:48 1647 solved (7.3 secs.) p05172 1457
2007-10-05 00:10:29 1646 solved (8.0 secs.) p41978 1585
2007-10-05 00:10:11 1647 solved (12.4 secs.) p55259 1514
2007-10-05 00:09:49 1648 solved (33.9 secs.) p50970 1583
thanks dk. :) that batch was 58 problems correct in a row, and all of them 1642+. couldn't get over 1650 at any point though. now that would've been a sufficient reason for a new post...
some think high % is counter rating. but when we hit fifty in a row, or 1f/49f=50, i find that this often accompanies a big jump in rating, ala drip, drip, drip, bit by bit we inch up but never fall!
it is the zone. rare but sweet.
btw, and i am being sincere, i did move your link around, and will move it back up top when you post, but am being objective in moving inactive blogs down, however fine they are. no offence.
i have had a hard time knowing where to put you at my links. ive moved it six times in six weeks!
feel free to move the link as you wish. it's just a link. and it's not for me, it's for you. I already know where my blog is. :)
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