[Event "Standard Chess League - Season Eleven"]
[Site "SchemingMind.com"]
[Date "2018.04.18"]
[Round "-"]
[White "greghghs"]
[Black "The Chess Machine"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C18g"]
[WhiteCountry "ENG"]
[BlackCountry "ENG"]
[WhiteElo "2427"]
[WhiteRD "94"]
[BlackElo "2539"]
[BlackRD "106"]
[GameID "427187"]

1. e4
{
greghghs: hi again , and greetings from Liverpool for a good game , regards Greg
}
{
The Chess Machine: Hello Greg, it's less than a fortnight since our last game! Good games and good luck! JVS
}
1... e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. h4
{
greghghs: yes those bayonet attacks v the Dutch can be lethal - lost a league game to a 200 player after 1 d4 f5 2 g4!?.Want to try the 7 h4!? line in this game , impressive results in Master practice 
}
{
The Chess Machine: Funny, everybody plays 7.Qg4 against me for years, and then I get 7.Nf3 and 7.h4 two days running!? I am wary of database statistics, as they are based on OTB (not CC!) games, and so won't always be a true reflection of the merits of 7.h4!? But no doubt, I will make the move look good! ;o)
}
7... Qa5 8. Bd2
{
greghghs: very interesting comments indeed , and understand your doubts. Yes 7 Qg4 is usual but there is definitely fashion in chess opening lines ( another aspect of this fascinating game !)
}
{
The Chess Machine: Something I do find game-databases useful for, is seeing "trends" in choice of moves in set positions... Strong OTB players use chess-engines to prepare nowadays, so if a  particular move is played consistently in  current practice there is a reason for it! Another indicator might be if e.g. Magnus Carlsen plays the same move repeatedly ;o)
}
8... Qa4 9. h5
{
greghghs: yes that's another good point , most opening lines are engine based nowadays am sure 
}
9... h6
{
The Chess Machine: Tartakower said that "the winner of a game is the player who makes the last but one mistake"... Why I prefer CC games is that you can play consistently accurate moves, whereas OTB you can lose won games on time or because a 200-opponent plays an opening move which is objectively equal, at best, but scores well in constrained time! I am thinking of 1.d4 f5 2.g4!? here obviously! I wonder if 7.h4 is fashionable again as a result of 7.Qg4 Qc7! being at least a draw (my evaluation having played many CC games unbeaten with the poisoned pawn variation) after Black discovered that 7.Qg4 0-0 is a comparatively miserable way to avoid loss!
I think 7..Kf8 is ok but not easy to play!  I can imagine White winning a lot of games OTB with h4, but I hope Black is okay-ish!    
}
10. Qg4
{
greghghs: Hi , yes your comments about otb & cc are really instructive and I will think about them a lot. Came to cc after otb and while I still play otb nowadays its more for social reasons ( I don't get out much! ) I see the future of chess at least for me as webserver as it is so much better than otb chess , but it is very tough as the standard of analysis is so good  
}
10... Kf8
{
The Chess Machine: I played OTB for my local club, and County level for Greater Manchester, from around late 1970's to the end of '93/94 season. I was 160 or so BCF OTB, but knew I was much stronger technically than at lot of those titled players I saw and met in the Opens. I was rubbish at handling the clock, and I resented losing on time because opponents refused to resign lost positions, if they were ahead on the clock. At the Manchester OTB Summer Congress, in 1992, I saw a BPCF (as it was then) "flier", which said "play your best chess by post". I was intrigued, and soon I was hooked. CC is a different animal nowadays, what with chess engines, and me being a technophobic dinosaur, but I love a challenge, and actually prefer my opponents to play stronger chess than was the case in the 1990s! When i feel I can't compete with the chess-engine I will quit!
}
11. Rh3
{
greghghs: Yes very similar to my introduction to CC. Of course with engines it is different nowadays - I have no problem with them but it should be clear if they can be used. ICCF and BCCA I think do not outlaw them so you know in advance. I also play on chess.com and Lichess where they are outlawed. Players who use them are found out eventually and you get a grading refund if you lose to them. Sometimes I wonder if am learning anything playing h4 and Rh3 is primitive and beginner-like but endorsed in Master play so who am I to say!
}
11... Nbc6
{
The Chess Machine: SchemingMind has strictly-stated no-engine policy but it is unenforceable, and I am a little bit sceptical you can tell whether any player is using an engine or not, if he does so with a degree of intelligence. I have heard of a "8-minute blunder-check" but then you have to assume that any human  who makes reasonable moves for whole games without significant error and doesn't vary too far from an engines choice is a cheat! I don't buy that argument - CC is entirely separate from OTB;errors aren't inevitable time is plentiful and some players genuine master-strength! I wouldn't say primitive, more "dangerous", so OTB Black is going to  find it difficult to defend accurately in time pressure, so white should score well. At CC you can be more objective and say it looks tricky, but defensible - I hope! ;o) 
}
12. Qf4
{
greghghs: hi yes totally agree with what you say and there are definitely master strength players. The standard is so much higher and I find when I lose at CC it is very instructive. In the Liverpool League you get 90 mins each to complete the game and often it is who handles the clock best is the winner . It produces players who are content to not always try to find the best move or plan if they are winning on time and that is not good. The introduction of Webservers has changed CC totally and for me is the best way to play this wonderful game and impossible to leave a piece en prise in time trouble !! Have seen and known many players who have given up OTB chess because of that .
}
{
The Chess Machine: Hi Greg, I gained the CC IM and Senior IM titles in two postal CC events in 2002 and 2004, way before I could afford a PC, and also before chess engines were of any use! I fell out of love with OTB, in the early 1990's, when faster time controls started to be introduced. The final straw was when an "England-junior" played on in an ending where I had R+P and all he had was a Rook, and all he could do was to check my King constantly to prevent me Queening the "a" Pawn! He had about 20 seconds more than I did on the clock. He refused a draw saying "he had winning material" so I stopped the clock, and went to complain to the TD, but when I got back to the board my clock had started itself (!) and my flag had fallen. I went absolutely nuts when the TD decided that by stopping the clock, I had resigned the game - he was very aware of this kid's growing reputation, let's say... So that was it for me. Talking about Liverpool, I once played in the Leigh national event in your home town and we lost. In my game I'd a choice at move 30, between a quiet move with a draw and a speculative sac with the  result "in the air". So I went for the sac and geared myself up for a frantic blitz finish, where I quite fancied my chances. To my surprise, my opponent just sat back in his chair, and let his clock run down. Then both team captains approached us to adjudicate the position! My team captain and I didn't speak all the way home... I had lost, because he hadn't told me it was an adjudication situation after 30 moves!?  
}
12... b6
{
The Chess Machine: P.S. Yes, as much as I hate computers, being able to play CC for free is worth the bother -don't think I could afford the postage now!
}
{
The Chess Machine: PS I call Black's pawn-structure The Slinky!
}
13. Rf3
{
greghghs: Yes see what you mean about the slinky!!
That sums it up , your incident against the England-junior - there are too many such incidents with otb chess and personally I think it will continue to decline and Webserver Chess will become the norm. What they do have to tackle is the intrusion of computers . Am about to lose a webserver game and it is clear my opponent uses a strong program but c'est la vie. Have no problem at all with computer analysis so long as it is clearly stated that it can be used , when it is not allowed and players still use it then it is a serious matter that needs addressing. Play 10 minute chess to relax and try to keep tactically aware and they have recently upped their game to detect offenders and twice have had rating.  points refunded , not concerned about the grading points as such but good to know they can be detected.
Your game in the Leigh national event reminds me of when I played in the Stoke League - they adjudicated at move 35 and so many players would not make a move after that and wait for adjudication. It was so annoying and I laugh now at the thought of people going out to play Chess by not playing Chess!!
I call my pawn structure "Rorke's Drift " - too many undefended sections already and doubtless more to follow
}
13... Nd8
{
The Chess Machine: Web-server CC did away with my biggest CC gripe; slow postal service to places like Russia, and the odd individual who "lost" postcards, as well as those whose postal service would get worse when their games deteriorated, but then improved in tandem with their positions as well :o/ Now, your move is delivered, and there is no denial! I would love to know how anyone can state categorically that someone IS using chess engines illicitly, or at all. I can't see why it should be assumed that you can not play games without those errors that spoil OTB chess, as CC gives enough time for a thorough analysis, and just because your moves are not "blunder-full" does not mean  you are cheating! I just don't get it! :o/  
}
{
The Chess Machine: P.S. I hope I am not the Zulus in this game!
}
14. c4
{
greghghs: hi again , I play a lot of 10 minute chess at chess.com and lichess ; for two reasons a) to keep tactically aware and b) to get a feel for the types of positions that arise from the opening lines I play. Recently had a game where I was accused of cheating but I wasn't , it was a main line Grunfeld and my opponent as black gave up his dark squared bishop and went down to a routine h4 attack as his kings position was weakened. He messaged during the game asking me what the opening was and I don't reply as 10 minute chess does not give time to natter.So he said you don't know the name of the opening because you are cheating and he was going to report me!! Not heard anything since - when you finish a game you can request computer analysis and I reckon they must evaluate if you are using a computer by how many inaccuracies and blunders are played. Not heard anything since so presumably they checked a sample of my games but it left a bad taste 
}
14... Bb7
{
The Chess Machine: Welcome back Greg ;o) Your Lichess opponent is obviously a moron. You don't have time for chit-chat in a ten-minute game... I will never buy this "you have to make inaccurate moves or you are cheating" nonsense. What if Carlsen and Caruana had a series of games? Both cheating obviously as you can't play to that level unaided... Total BS. One opponent on this website saw my user name and said, "Well, at least you  are honest"! I pointed out that I had two ICCF master titles from 2002 and 2004 BCE (Before Chess Engines) and my ICCF rating had been steadily falling for 20 years as a result of chess engines, whereas his was steadily rising! :o/ In my experience, the loudest accusers are "players" who bought expensive engines recently, and STILL get beat by the likes of yours truly! ;o) They can't understand How anyone can be honest, and can beat them when they are cheating!? It is not nice to be accused of cheating, especially as you know if you are "clean"!  
}
{
The Chess Machine: P.S. I don't know much about it, but can the chess-engine be of any real help at such a fast time-limit? :o/ I think a much better test of engine-usage is to ask the "suspect" to explain (in words) "counter- intuitive" (ie weird-looking) moves made!
}
{
The Chess Machine: PPS I am pretty sure chess-engines must have found their way into OTB tournament halls as well by now :o/ Do you remember "Toiletgate" in the 2005 Kramnik-Toplaov match? Do they have metal-detectors at the venue nowadays? I think it is much better to STOP banning chess-engines altogether, stop stressing about engine-use and accept it is going to happen. You can't enforce a ban, or prove (conclusively!) engines were involved, and to be blunt, if "you" CAN be beaten AT CC, by an opponent who relies on a chess engine for his moves, then I think "you" should either study more, or give up CC and just play OTB chess (not personal!) 
}
15. dxc5
{
greghghs: hi yes what you say as always makes sense ; recently refunded grading points on lichess as they said my opponent had violated fair play - ie they thought he was cheating. People must be so desperate for grading points if they use engines for a 10 minute game ; you have your suspicions when every move he makes is made after about 10 seconds - just enough time for a powerful engine to figure the tactics . But really , why bother ??Yes am sure OTB is not immune either - ok you have to switch off your phone but somebody could have another one and go to a toilet cubicle - what can you do ! In my day I remember some opponents nipping off to the bookstall if in a tactical opening, but as we know there are errors even in GM written books. Always remember smiling at The Kings Gambit by Korchnoy & Zak - can not remember Korchnoy ever playing it .
Dislke both my games now - you certainly handle the light squared bishop with great effect. This game is still following a GM game which white some how won ; can only hope for tactics as positionally am all at sea summed up by triple c pawns?! Same in the other game too as you have great pressure and think am losing material also. Instructive.  
}
{
The Chess Machine: I am currently re-reading Tony Miles' 2003 book "It's Only Me", and by a coincidence, chapter 11 is entitled "I am nostalgic for the days before computers were invented"! His concluding comments to the first game in the chapter : "Personally I am not terribly interested in artificial intelligence, but the day a computer produces either my 18th or 19th moves, mankind is in big trouble". (His 18th was "??" and his 19th was one gigantic bluff!) I also read in the introduction of a book released today, "The Modernised Caro-Cann" by GM Daniel Fernandez : "and occasionally found some really great lines by trusting my gut feeling against the computer"! ;o) Bravo! The reason why I play the French as Black is to produce the "murky" positions, which the engine evaluates less well than a human sometimes. If engines were "fool-proof", they would all agree on best moves for every position, instead of each one chooses a different move, or at least will give a varying evaluations pawn-percentage (whatever that means!) for the same move. Personally, I don't think CC is dead yet. I wrote an article back in 1998(!) for the BPCF Information Circular stating that any good-quality openings book was of more use than a chess-engine! :o/ Maybe this is not true anymore, but I don't think chess can be solved by a gigantic pocket-calculator! I think our games are "unclear", but I am fairly sure I can "equalise" both of them!    

}
15... dxc4
{
The Chess Machine: PS I only found 4 King's Gambit games in the collection of Korchnoi's games (up to 1977)- he played White twice : against Borisenko, Tula 1950 (0-1, 38 moves) and Malich, Amsterdam 1972 (0.5:0.5,38 moves)! I guess Zak was the book's main author ;o)
}
{
The Chess Machine: PPS I think it is helpful to remember that a chess-engine has been programmed albeit very extensively by a human? This fear of engines is exaggerated imho. We need to step up! ;o)
}
16. Rb3
{
greghghs: hi , yes its good to hear when GMs and strong players rage against the machine. Of course engines can calculate buy not always evaluate . I had the pleasure to play Tony Miles at the Wolverhampton Open - he had just beaten Karpov with that a6 opening. Anyway I had a line that I had invented against the Taimanov Sicilian and the chance to play it came up!! His comment after the game " it was rather slow!" Tried to make the game as murky as possible figuring therein lay any remote chance I had but of course it was always going to be a formality . Very nice man with a dry sense of humour and remember him also from The Master Game on TV - remember that ?
Yes think Zak was the main author!! Always dubious when there are co authors - like Stephen King and Fred Bloggs , you know the main guy is only there for marketing.
In your black game as you are probably aware its followed Sax 2510 v Bokal 2405 1-0 2002 but here is my attempted improvement on Rg3. The French is a wonderful opening and you are obviously well versed , I tend to prefer the Caro Kann but think these are the best defences to e4 imo. The Dutch was a dubious choice and the weakness on the a2-g8 diagonal is now beginning to hurt but when faced with a stronger opponent I always try for the complications ( remember reading Chess for Tigers back in the 80s and it was recommended there )  
}
{
The Chess Machine: Wow, great story. Tony Miles sounded like a real character in the book. He called Nigel Short "Gump", and I loved him just for that! I encountered teenage Short in a Manchester League match in the late 1970's (fortunately, I was too low down the order  to play gump - our board one, Chris Fegan, was taken slowly apart while the arrogant upstart roved about looking for the Space Invaders machine! We had the Knox family (father & son, Vic & David) who played in the British Championships but never on a club night with us plebs, unlike S. Milan who was record 6-time British CC champion in the 1950's and 1960's but too modest to mention it and prepared to play all-comers all night! I've only met big-name players at CC really. No, I didn't know about the precedent to our French game. Strangely, I didn't expect you to allow ...Bxf3 (unlike Komodo, I have "instinct"!?) anticipating 16Rg3 or 16Rb3 instead. I was considering not taking the Rook, if you'd allowed it!? My OTB repertoire with Black was a system based on c6+d5, so Caro-Kann or the Slav. I found it a bit drawish for CC and so the French was introduced when I set off at CC 25+ years ago. Funnily enough the Dutch is one of those defences I just can't play as  either colour(!) but somehow 9...c5 didn't "feel" right to me. Yes, I love "Chess for Tigers", but I'm not sure I would describe myself as a Heffalump, or you as a Rabbit! I have a pretty big chess library (800ish) including two for the Master Game series!? Okay, now I must have a look what to play! 
}
16... b5 17. Rb4
{
greghghs: hi , yes The Dutch is getting benched - its OK to seek tactics against a heffalump but still the position has to be strategically sound . Vic Knox guested for my club in the 80s National Club Champiosnhips , think he worked at Michelin and so did one of our players who invited him. Think he's passed now but remember him at Congresses and saw him a few times really having a go at his son if he blundered. 
Interesting story breaking on chess.com today about a life time ban
".... A visually impaired chess player has been permanently banned by the Norwegian Chess Federation (NSF) after having been caught red-handed with an earplug glued to his palm during a game against a nine-year-old girl. Norwegian chess reporter Tarjei J. Svensen tells the story.
The player, 52-year-old Stein Tholo Bjørnsen, was caught just two months after he had completed serving a two-year ban for prior cheating.
The verdict in this remarkable cheating case, reached at a board meeting of the federation at the end of May, was historic. It's the first time in the history of the NSF that a player received a life-time ban from domestic competition. Although Bjørnsen still has the opportunity to appeal the suspension, the evidence and severity of the case leaves little hope for the verdict to be changed.
"We have zero tolerance when it comes to cheating, and we want all our members to play according to the rules," Morten L. Madsen, President of the federation, said in a statement.
The verdict is likely to be the end of what is the biggest scandal in Norwegian chess ever. How could an unknown beginner manage to go 56 games undefeated, without anyone taking action? 
The 52-year-old caught the attention of Norwegian chess circles in the summer of 2015. As an unrated and completely unknown player, he won the Class 2 section (Norwegian Elo 1500-1750) of the Norwegian Championship with an impressive, undefeated score of 8 out of 9.
He continued his progress by winning Hans Olav Lahlum’s Elo tournament in Fagernes during the Christmas period of 2015/2016, with an undefeated 8/9 and a rating performance of 2267. That was quite an achievement, considering that just a year earlier he had scored 50 percent in the lowest section of the Norwegian Championship for the Blind, a performance at novice level.
It was at this point that his performance started to raise concerns. In previous tournaments he had been allowed to play with an electronic earpiece that later proved to be a bluetooh device. His explanation was that he wanted to record moves in order to be able to play them back later.
However, tech experts told Norwegian chess site Matt & Patt at the time that the headset seen on photos during his games, is unable to connect to a recorder.
Among the strongest evidence used was a report from Kenneth Regan, the main consultant for the world chess federation in cases like this. Regan analyzed the 18 games from the tournaments using a specially developed formula designed to detect cheating based on statistics. A level below 2,75 indicates no cheating, 2,75-4,75 means there's a great chance of cheating, while levels above 4,75 is considered clear cheating,
"The full test of both tournaments is arguably over 5.00," Regan concluded in his report. 
Bjørnsen denied all allegations. "I still claim my innocence. I can understand why it seemed strange that I used headset with bluetooth, but there is a long way from that to receive information to my ears. I didn't any information. I didn't cheat on purpose," he said.
After a lot of hesitation, he eventually agreed to go through a test in order to prove his real playing strength. The test was done in June 2016, and didn't go as planned for Bjørnsen.
In a special lab that prevents all forms of communication from outside, he failed miserably and his approximate playing strength was set to no more than 1000. He couldn't event solve simple mate puzzles.
"There is zero chance that Bjørnsen, with his playing strength, could have made all these moves without any assistance," the Rules Commitee of the federation said, denying his appeal a few months later.
}
17... Qa6
{
The Chess Machine: Yes, the rumour was that Vic and David had a troubled relationship. That is one long story from chess.com ;o) I just wonder why anyone should go to such lengths (and/or depths!) just to win. What satisfaction is there in doing so? At CC it is okay to use engines on some sites but not on others. I wish that the sites that ban engine-usage would just stop doing so. All this does is cause disputes. If anyone does not want to play against chess-engines they can always play OTB (except maybe in Norway!) as it's impossible to detect engine-usage in CC in spite of these claims that no-one can play CC games without significant error unaided which I will always maintain is nonsense. That would be to reduce CC to a slow-ish form of OTB chess, which is simply is not. If someone is suspected of cheating at CC, I believe they should be asked for written explanation of their conduct of the games! Changing the subject, I think I remember a visually-impaired player from Liverpool in OTB events many years ago - Graham Lilley? 
}
18. Rbb1
{
greghghs: well finally got my rooks united albeit in a rather artificial way . Yes Graham Lilley still plays league chess and had a draw and win against him in the last two seasons. Not sure if he can play CC - maybe he would need a helper for that. You mention Think Like a Grandmaster - what a book that is !! Very complicated but a classic . Do you have any favourite books amongst your vast library - I enjoyed GM Preparation by Polugayevsky which dealt with his own agonies and successes with his own complicated variation in the Sicilian. My two favourite games collections are Botvinnik's 100 and Fischer's 60 
}
{
The Chess Machine: Well I can't see anything better than just repeat moves. This is a strange position - White's Rooks are connected, but you kind of ask how! Looks like a 960 or a "swamp"! Heffalumps beware! ;o) I think I remember Graham Lilley being a strong player, 190 BCF or so. I dreaded being paired with him in the Opens, as he played with a plug-in set and spoke moves into his tape machine; I would have felt very self-conscious back then! My favourite book is "World Champion at the Third Attempt" by Sanakoyev, maybe. It took him 3 WCh Finals before he won it! Fascinating read imho. As for player game collections, far too many to list here ;o) 
}
18... Qa4=
1/2-1/2

