Mon Jan 11, 2010
(Chess)
Comments
I am managing the clock better and blundering less. Here I played a nice positional game against a ChessMaster 10 personality- Miguel, rated 1240.
CM10 / Miguel versus Erik
After 16... Nd7 Black Is Solid
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Mon Jan 11, 2010
(Chess)
Comments
I managed to win an endgame recently. This is a rare occurrence for two reasons:
- As a beginner playing other beginners, often I or my opponent make a fatal mistake in the middlegame, leading to checkmate or significant loss of material.
- I lose many endgames due to the time pressure of a blitz game.
Guest versus Erik
After 44 Kd5. Black to move and win.
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Sun Nov 29, 2009
(Poker, Chess)
Comments
[I posted this comment on a poker blog and thought I'd reprint it here. The author made a tortured analogy between tennis and poker and I called it a stretch.]
Hard Boiled Poker
It's a limited analogy. Really, poker is a very simple game. It doesn't take long to become a competent player. One of the most important aspects of being a successful professional card player is to overcome one's boredom and remain calm and analytical. Comparing this skill (personality?) to the skills required to master tennis or soccer or chess... I don't know. It seems an empty comparison to me. Those professional athletes and chess players are competing at a level so much higher than pro poker players- who are just marginally better than than rest of us.
Sorry, I don't mean to direct this criticism of poker at you. I really enjoy your blog mainly because you make it about
more than just poker. My criticism is directed at the young poker players who tie so much of their manhood to the game. But that's just me- 34 years old and amused by 20 year olds beating their chest over their skill in a game that doesn't really allow much distinction between great and good.
Wed Apr 22, 2009
(Chess)
Comments
Positional struggles that lead into endgames with slightly unbalanced material have their own appeal. But it's the attack that appeals most to beginning players.
I played this blitz game online the other day. I slowly marshalled my forces then launched a deadly attack against the enemy king. Very satisfying.
chesstao versus Erik
After 23 Rb1
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Mon Apr 06, 2009
(Chess)
Comments
I managed to
figure out how to play against the Chess Master 10 engine in the Fritz GUI. It wasn't easy. But the struggle to resolve all the technical complications was worth the effort because the Fritz GUI is so much slicker than the Chess Master GUI. Plus, the Chess Master engine is a much better fit for a novice player. It comes with many personalities of varying strength (each with their own opening book) and it allows the user to create custom personalities. Piece value, center control, mobility, king safety, and other factors can be adjusted. I have not come across a chess engine that is as flexible as the Chess Master engine.
Once I got Chess Master running in Fritz, I played a fun blitz game against a weak opponent. Afterwards, I examined the game with a strong chess engine (Rybka) and annotated the game, noting my mistakes. I figure that spending time to annotate a game is just as valuable as playing a game, so far as it helps me improve my chess skills.
Erik versus CM10 / Duke
After 20... d3
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Wed Feb 04, 2009
(Chess)
Comments
I haven't played much poker lately. This is because I rediscovered chess over the Christmas holiday. When I was in high school I bought myself a Kasparov Olympiad chess board and learned how to play the game. I played occasionally in college. My physics professor ran the chess club and I'd join him and a few others in the student cafe.
I haven't played much since. A while ago (after years of voluntary non-participation) I bought a video game system. I guess I got burned out on all the Halo games and was looking for a more cerebral game. I found poker a year ago. Now I've rediscovered chess. I enjoy both games greatly. They are very intellectually satisfying when played well.
To get to the point, I bought a copy of
Fritz 11, an excellent chess program. Too excellent in fact. After one merciless beating after another I looked online for weaker chess engines. Fritz supports the Universal Chess Interface (UCI) so it's easy to swap out the very strong Fritz engine for a much weaker one and continue to play in the familiar Fritz environment.
Even against a weaker computer opponent I still struggle to win games. Case in point.
T.rex versus Erik
After 27. Qd4
My computer opponent, T.rex as White, offered to exchange queens. I declined, feeling that while the position looked drawish, I felt with good play I could beat an inferior opponent- and having my queen would help. But how exactly does Black win?
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