A couple of months ago, I asked an IM for advice. What should I do to get 2200? He answered " 2200 that is easy". "You just train on tactics and you will achieve it."
As most of my games are decided by tactics, I thought this could be a useful advice. So I started each day to exercise 1 hour tactics. There are many good books and online tactic servers available. You just need to make a choice what you like the most. The only thing important is to stick to 1 method. It really motivates to see how you progress x-number of tactics/ pages each day.
The IM advised 'Combinative Motifs' of Maxim Blokh so I used that book. The book consists of an introduction, index of the themes, 1206 diagrams (6 each page) and the solutions. Blokh doesn't use words but shows except the answers also why other variations don't work. The diagrams are sufficiently big to work without a board. Personally I use a timer and limit the time at 55 minutes. This allows me to solve 3-4 pages with an average success-rate of 80%. A nice bonus is that many diagrams must be solved with black as with white (often asymmetric solutions). This forces you to think a bit deeper why something works with one colour and not when the other colour is having the first move.
This training improved my game as I finally played a good tournament. TPR 1900+, 2 victories against 2000+ spelers and I was able to have a good fight against an IM, FM and WFM.
I didn't hesitate long to participate in “Karpos Open”. It fitted my agenda, wasn't expensive, there were many strong players (some well-knowns) and good weather. [Karpos is a borough of Skopje, the capital of Macedonie]. And with the actual questions we have of our society, it definitely looked interesting to see East-Europe. It is surely no paradise but people seem often to be more happy. I think it is linked to a more simple way of life. Something which let me reflect about some things:)
I'll try by showing a few fragments of my games played in 'Karpos Open' how often we enter the world of tactics. Even if you see in advance some tactical themes, there are still some typical mistakes which I make. I don't have it about missing some patterns but more about the broader and sportive aspects in chess.
1) 'Being too focused' is a problem which I encountered in rounds 2 and 3. I mean you look at one problem on the board and forget to look at the rest. In round 2 I got excited after a discovered combination but instead of a victory against an IM, I was mated.
[Event "Karpos Open "] [Site "?"] [Date "2016.04.02"] [Round "3"] [White "Gottfried, Jonathan"] [Black "IM Grigoriadis, Alexandros"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "1737"] [BlackElo "2171"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "r1bq1rn1/ppn3bk/3p2pp/1NpP4/4P3/3BBP2/PP1Q2P1/2R1K1NR w K - 0 17"] [PlyCount "48"] {Here I realized that I had to do something before my opponent gets active.} 17. Nxd6 Qxd6 18. Bxc5 Qg3 19. Kd1 Re8 20. Be3 {To avoid my queen getting stuck, I exchange 2 pieces for rook and 2 pawns. With 2 connected and passed pawns my plan is simple} Qd6 21. Bf4 Re5 22. Ne2 Na6 23. Bxa6 Qxa6 24. Bxe5 Bxe5 25. f4 { This improves the strength of the other bishop but my pawns must advance.} Bg7 26. Rc7 Bg4 27. e5 h5 28. b3 Nh6 29. Re1 {My rook is not useful anymore on the h-file. Better is to support the pawn and to activate my knight.} Nf5 30. Kc1 Qb6 31. Qc3 Qf2 32. Qd2 Qb6 33. d6 Rd8 34. Nc3 Nxd6 {This was a shock. We both have not much time left. I was so focused on everything around d6 that I forgot about the rest.} 35. Nd5 Qa6 36. Nf6 Kh8 {With barely 2 minutes on the clock remaining, it is not easy to change plans and see the best options.} 37. exd6 ( 37. Nxg4 $3 {If I had looked to the other side of the board then I would surely not miss this move. Even after the game my opponent was still not recovered :)} Nf7 (37... hxg4 38. exd6 Qa3 39. Kb1) 38. Qc2 hxg4 39. Rxf7) 37... Bxf6 38. d7 {I miss everything and only see my pawns.} Qa3 39. Kb1 Bf5 40. Rc2 Qb2# {a beautiful mate, pity of my mistakes as I missed the chance to beat an IM} 0-1
2) A similar thing can be found in the next fragment where I lost track of the function of my pieces. And that while the winning combination was several moves on the board. Fortunately I was still able to win the game nicely.
[Event "Karpos Open"] [Site "?"] [Date "2016.04.04"] [Round "6"] [White "Gottfried, Jonathan"] [Black "Unal Gural, Ahmet"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "1737"] [BlackElo "2025"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "2r3k1/4pp2/pq2b2p/1p2P1p1/2n5/2P1P1B1/P2rQPPP/1BR1R1K1 w - - 0 25"] [PlyCount "43"] {After winning a pawn and neutralizing the compensation of the opponent it was time to think.} 25. Qh5 Kg7 26. h4 g4 27. Bf4 Rh8 {and here the simple combination, which I had seen but forgot my bishop covering h7} 28. Rcd1 (28. Bxh6 Rxh6 29. Qg5) 28... Qd8 29. Rc1 {I still miss Bc2} Qb6 30. Rf1 Qc6 31. Rcd1 Qd7 32. Bc2 Na3 33. Rxd2 Qxd2 34. Bf5 Qd7 35. Qxg4 Kf8 36. Bxe6 Qxe6 37. Qxe6 fxe6 38. Rd1 Kf7 39. Rd7 Nc4 40. Ra7 a5 41. Rb7 Na3 42. Rd7 Rc8 43. Bxh6 Rxc3 44. Bg5 Rc2 45. Rxe7 Kg6 46. g4 {My opponent resigned, mate is unavoidable.} 1-0
Losing track of a part of the board or the pieces, is normal. Detecting the problem and identifying it, will be the first step to find a cure :)
The most shocking in this tournament happened when the queen of my opponent was cornered:
 |
| White has just played Nf4. How can black profit? |
Finally I also want to show a tactical trap from the last round.
[Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "2016.04.07"] [Round "9"] [White "Cakonchev, Hvistijan"] [Black "Gottfried, Jonathan"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1737"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "r1bqr1k1/1p1nbppp/p7/3pB3/Q4P2/NPPP4/4B1PP/R4RK1 b - - 0 15"] [PlyCount "7"] {my last game against an unrated player - in this position I could win a piece but when I discovered a trap to corner the queen of the my opponent, I could not hold myself anymore} 15... Nxe5 (15... Bxa3 16. Qxa3 f6) 16. fxe5 Bc5 17. d4 Bd7 18. Nb5 Bf8 0-1
It was a fun tournament and if possible I would like once to come back.Some strong qualities of the tournament:
- A spacious, comfortable and well lightened playing-room (the tournament was in the best hotel of Skopje)
- A nice and friendly organization (for each round there was transport from the hotels which you could book via the tournament, everybody got each round a bottle of water,...
- Many strong players: except the 18x 2500 players, the middle-field was very competitive. A mix of veterans and young wolves created a lot of competition (of 200 players more than 120 had +2000 rating)
- Cheap:
- plane 180€ (Adria Airways)
- subscription fee 40€
- hotel 120€ à 280 €
The only negative point I could find was the lack of a proper room to analyze the games afterwards.
Solution of the tactical question:
Black plays Nxe4 and Bf6 follows.
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