Well, I have a girlfriend. It happened rather suddenly...

Well, I have a girlfriend. It happened rather suddenly. It's going to be weird not being a giant whore anymore; I've been single for about four years and engaging in casual sexual contact is kind of habitual at this point. Anyone else experience this?

Your chess game is weak

1. f5 with the threat of opening the f file, I think. I'm looking for a brilliancy but can't see it.

Hey, that was actually White's next move in this game. Nice.

not f5 but g 4

It's positionally sound. 1. ...exf5 2. Qxf5 yields a passed pawn, the opening of the white diagonal, as well as the queen and rook bearing down the f file with a decisive advantage. If black doesn't take the pawn it leaves the possibility for 2. f6.

"A master may make a mistake. A fan, never!"

Doesnt sound like your idea... she is playing you.
runforthehillsnow.jpg

Well, look. Here's the game, as it transpired, in its entirety; the thumbnail I posted shows move 25, Black to move.

1.c4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.d4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Be7 5.Bg5 0-0 6.e3 h6 7.Bh4 b6 8.cxd5 Nxd5 9.Bxe7 Qxe7 10.Nxd5 exd5 11.Rc1 Be6 12.Qa4 c5 13.Qa3 Rc8 14.Bb5 a6 15.dxc5 bxc5 16.0-0 Ra7 17.Be2 Nd7 18.Nd4 Qf8 19.Nxe6 fxe6 20.e4 (diagram) d4 21.f4 Qe7 22.e5 Rb8 23.Bc4 Kh8 24.Qh3 Nf8 25.b3 a5 26.f5 exf5 27.Rxf5 Nh7 28.Rcf1 Qd8 29.Qg3 Re7 30.h4 Rbb7 31.e6 Rbc7 32.Qe5 Qe8 33.a4 Qd8 34.R1f2 Qe8 35.R2f3 Qd8 36.Bd3 Qe8 37.Qe4 Nf6 38.Rxf6 gxf6 39.Rxf6 Kg8 40.Bc4 Kh8 41.Qf4 1–0

I'm still a terrible novice at chess and am busy marveling at the great games.

Yeah I feel you, g4 followed by f5 is pretty aggressive.

That's Bobby "Let Me Spend Months Exercising My Grip So That I Can Crush The Opponent's Phalanges When We Shake Hands" Fischer for you, I guess.

18. Nd4, nice.

20. e4? not so much but then the bishop can guard the passed pawn, keep it under lock and key as the great man said.

Instead of 29. Qg3, qf3 and that f file is decisive.

34 and 35 are stalling on white's part. Bring the g pawn into play and cramp black's kingside.

I'm an amateur myself, 1600 Elo so not the best, plus I've not been taking my studies seriously as of late.

I just started a few months ago. I'm in Peace Corps and have been working on a program to teach people chess / provide supplies and techniques for making sets with local materials, since people seem really enthusiastic about the game, but there aren't thaaat many people around who were even aware of chess before I popped up, so I'm mostly playing with people who are even less practiced than I am. I'm hoping to skill up a bit once I get back to the States.

f5 'd be my move too, still, nothing WOW, just a good move

You look like you have a decent enough grounding in positional play so I'm guessing you've read My System. Check out Chess Praxis and Shereshevsky's Endgame Strategy.

That's not my game, though; that's Bobby Fischer v. Boris Spassky, game 6 from the 1972 world championship. I'm REALLY just beginning. And also bear in mind that I don't have regular Internet access (and the mail system is also rather difficult) where I am; this is why I'm not putting too much pressure on myself to buckle down until I get back Stateside.

Thanks for the recs, though; I'll make note.

lol that's a master game? Christ, that's uninspiring. It looks like two amateurs just pissing around over a couple of drinks.

If you're after insane games you should definitely check out Mikhail Tal for his brilliancies and Petrosian for being so impenetrable and dense.

Yeah, Spassky rose and applauded Fischer when he (Spassky) resigned. Someone described it as a "symphony of placid beauty."

I do have a lot to absorb. I managed to get a copy of "The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played" from an outgoing volunteer, so I've been poring over that; it has stuff from Petrosian, Tal and others. Unfortunately, it's all in lame descriptive notation, but-- well, it's a lot better to have around than nothing.

Does your gf play chess or what?

She's learning.