Brag: *Finally* got a club quad going with me as TD. Wanted more than a quad, but at least four of the eight people who said they were definitely showing up, showed up.

Beat: Lost as black to a 1650. In the Ruy Lopez. I should never lose to a similarly-rated player in the Ruy Lopez. grumble grumble grumble. I have a knack for making mistakes lately that keep the position materially even but give my opponent the easiest game in the world to play, where all his best moves are very natural.

Variance: Still had a ton of fun.

What I know about chess and what I play seems to have no connection whatsoever. I've got to figure out how to reconcile the two.

http://www.chessvideos.tv/chess-game...r.php?id=61357

5. ... Be7?



10. ... Bh4?



12. ... Qd7?



18. ... Bxe3?



23. ... Qe6

Isn't it amazing how much clearer a game becomes once you're not in the moment? Tunnel vision during games is a horrible thing.

So I've dropped about a bajillion online rating points this week because of internet connection problems. I get booted and reconnected at random intervals, just enough to cause auto-forfeit.

I hadn't had any problems all morning, so I hazarded a game. I was playing against a guy I was 0-6 against in the last few months. He plays crazy aggressive gambit openings and overwhelms me, most of the time.

Anyway, it's the goring gambit, and I flail pretty hard but avoid any immediate loss. I think at one point he spurned a chance to go up a pawn and tried to keep the pressure on, but it was a mistake and we ended up in a fairly equal but dynamic position.

Finally, I see a nice little positional combination that's going to leave me at worst with a better position, and if he doesn't look far enough ahead, he's going to have big problems. He doesn't look far enough ahead and suddenly I have a dominating position.

So the big problems come, and I've got an easy forced win of a rook and probably a mate. He very sportingly resigns immediately.

No more than 10 seconds later, the internet ghosts return and I get booted off the server. I'm not usually one to get too upset about such things, but if I had been d/c'd 10 seconds earlier, or if he hadn't resigned when he did, I probably would have broken something.

jim lefebvre

Seriously is anything worse than blowing a won game against a strong player because you are just too dumb to do things the way you should? Had a 2380 on the ropes tonight at the club and got the brilliant idea that he had overlooked mate. Just want to hide under the table.

set noescape 0?

Not for pool play, which is what I prefer.

You technically have 120 seconds to reconnect, but it never works anymore... it used to work many years ago.

Beat: Played a game today that is one of the most embarrassing I've played in a long time. I lost as black in under 20 moves in an opening I know very well. No excuses for play like that, just an awful feeling.

This would be unremarkable in a blitz game or something, but in an online (correspondence speed) game at chess.com against an 1800? Love it.

White to play and find the move that looks superficially appealing but is actually the worst possible:

Brutal post by Kyle in the spoiler.

For that position:

*sigh* fine. But remember, you jinxed me first Mr. "I can't wait to hear about you playing in more tournaments."

Hahahaha, I completely forgot I did that. You're right. We're even.

lol i spent 2 minutes searching for a refutation of Rd6.

Brag: Notched a win over a guy rated 2190 ICC standard, and it was in one of those blithering English openings that are completely incomprehensible to me. I think that's the highest-rated player I've ever beaten online.

Variance: He just flat out hung a rook due to a tactical error, wasn't like I shrewdly outplayed him (though I didn't play terribly).

Brag/Beat/Variance all in one: I think my fancy play syndrome is contagious and he caught it.

Once-a-week USCF tourney game tonight, got white against a 650 who very gamely agrees to join all our tournaments to help fill out the numbers.

I decided to break out the old QG just for funsies, and quickly realized I didn't really remember any of my move orders. Didn't matter, mate in 10.

http://www.chessvideos.tv/chess-game...r.php?id=61629

you're a cruel person

4.Nc3 is inaccurate due to 4.-e5!, 4.e5 Nd5 5.Bxc4 is the main line

KyleJRM82 - the soul crusher

"Um yeah I don't play 1. d4 and I also don't remember any QGA theory but I just mated you in 10 moves"

Totally kicked that dude in the junk.

I didn't *say* any of that. But yeah, I always feel really awkward about playing him.

Which is more insulting? To string him along with bad moves, or play my best and crush him?

I'd say its better to just play your best moves against him, that way he doesn't feel as bad.

Yeah I agree with brownieattack. Nothing is worse than someone playing intentionally sub-par and STILL beating you. Might as well lose against their best.