{"id":294,"date":"2011-04-01T00:01:14","date_gmt":"2011-04-01T00:01:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/occamstypewriter.org\/notranting\/?p=294"},"modified":"2012-05-25T21:28:03","modified_gmt":"2012-05-25T21:28:03","slug":"board-of-the-kings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/occamstypewriter.org\/notranting\/2011\/04\/01\/board-of-the-kings\/","title":{"rendered":"Board of the Kings"},"content":{"rendered":"

In which I take stock, and decide to move on…<\/span><\/p>\n

The world is changing: I feel it in the water, I feel it in the earth, and I smell it in the air.<\/em><\/p>\n

…Though that last smell could be me, of course.<\/p>\n

And I feel… old. Well… middle aged, anyway.<\/p>\n

I am, of course, properly middle-aged, and even older than my esteemed colleague and occasional adversary Dr H Gee of this parish, another gentleman given to occasional musing on the onward thundering of Time’s Winged Chariot.<\/p>\n

And I feel that, as the world changes, I need to follow suit.<\/p>\n

As the two or three regular readers of this blog will know, I don’t kid myself that I am Mister-Height-of-Popularity with my employer. I have had the same job title now for more than twenty-four years – which might be the explanation, or might be the consequence…. who knows. Anyway, what with the way things are going in the UK Universities<\/a> (see also here<\/a>), I have decided it is probably time to make some changes.<\/p>\n

One is that this blog is re-locating. It will be moving to a new site (to be announced) where it will be known henceforth as:<\/p>\n

“A scientist does pawn”<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

…Which brings me to my second<\/em> announcement.<\/p>\n

I will be taking voluntary redundancy from my job at the University, and devoting myself full-time to attempting to become a chess master in my sixth decade.<\/p>\n

The two or three regulars of this blog will know that I had a Dark Past, many, many Winters ago, as a Teenage Chess Fiend.<\/p>\n

I have to blame Steve Caplan<\/a>, and Stephen Moss<\/a>, for helping to re-awaken the Dark Hunger in my soul for pawn, mating threats, combinatorial fireworks and zugzwang<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n

Now, chess is typically considered a young man’s game, but I think I can show these young whippersnappers that us Old Farts are not totally past it.<\/p>\n

And in any case, since I gave up chess at the age of eighteen, in chess years<\/em> I am not even twenty yet.<\/p>\n

Getting back to the current day job, in the present financial climate all the UK Universities are keen to shed grumbling old geezers, so terms are on offer. With a bit of luck, the settlement should give me at least a year hunched over my chess books and my computer before I actually have to think of some way of earning a living. Hopefully not too honest a one.<\/p>\n

For instance. I could make use of my knowledge of complementary medicine<\/a> and join Cromercrox<\/a> as a Celebrity Nutritionist.<\/p>\n

And\u00a0if that is not enough, I can always send The Boss out to work full time. The kids will both be in full-time education (or nursery, at least) from this coming September, so I could even become a chess-studying house-husband.<\/p>\n

So…. this blog, in its new guise and home, will henceforth be cataloguing my progress in my new career (or rather non-career) direction. Though it may digress back into science from time to time.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, as a taste of things to come, here is a chess game from my long-ago Geek Years. Enjoy – especially the two Steves. Or stop reading, if you are pawn-averse.<\/p>\n

————————————————————————————-<\/p>\n

A Elliott – S Hughes
\nOxford Inter-School League Match, Nov 1978<\/p>\n

1. e4 e6
\n2. d4 d5
\n3. Nc3 Bb4<\/p>\n

The Winawer variation of the French Defence (1…e6)<\/p>\n

4. e5 c5
\n5. a3 Bc3: +
\n6. bc: Ne7<\/p>\n

A typical starting position in the Winawer variation. 6 ..Ne7 allows Black to meet 7 Qg4 with castling King-side or perhaps with ..Ng6, if Black does not fancy the complications of 7. Qg4 Qc7 8. Qg7: Rg8 9. Qh7: cd: 10. Ne2 etc<\/p>\n

7. Nf3<\/p>\n

Opting for something a bit less manic, but not without teeth<\/p>\n

7. ….h6<\/p>\n

To prevent a later Ng5 if Black castles King-side<\/p>\n

8. a4<\/p>\n

An important move. White is planning to develop the Queen’s Bishop on a3 to take advantage of Black’s weakness on the dark squares.<\/p>\n

8. …Qc7
\n9. Bd3 Bd7
\n10. 0-0 c4<\/p>\n

A committal move, closing the centre. This usually signifies that Black intends to castle Queen-side and try and launch a pawn storm against the White King with the g- and h-pawns. However, it would be better to keep the tension in the centre a while longer with …Nbc6 and 0-0-0.<\/p>\n

11. Be2 Nbc6
\n12. Ba3 0-0-0<\/p>\n

The position is now set, a typical type in this opening, with a fairly fixed pawn centre and the players castled on opposite sides. Black plans his King-side attack, while White will attack on the Queen side down the a- and (open) b-files and on the Black squares. The question in such positions is always – who will get there first?<\/p>\n

13. Nd2<\/p>\n

Re-deploying the Knight toward the Queen-side. \u00a0It also means Black cannot gain time by attacking the Knight with g5-g4<\/p>\n

13. …g5 (diagram)<\/p>\n

Starting the planned advance.<\/p>\n

\"After<\/a>

White to play<\/p><\/div>\n

14. Qb1 !<\/p>\n

This looks a bit of a cumbersome way to get the Queen into action, but appearances can be deceptive.<\/p>\n

14. …Rdf8 ?!<\/p>\n

Black changes his plan, now deciding to try and open the f-file with f6. It would almost certainly have been better to stick to his first idea with Rdg8, h5, g4, h4 etc<\/p>\n

15. a5 f6<\/p>\n

White’s a-pawn cannot be taken, and Black does not want to block it with a6 as this would leave the b6 square weak<\/p>\n

16. Bd6<\/p>\n

Emphasising Black’s dark-squared weakness and also protecting the pawn on e5.<\/p>\n

16. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0…Qd8
\n17. Qb2<\/p>\n

Intending Rfb1 with the threat of mate on b7<\/p>\n

17. \u00a0 \u00a0…Nb8<\/p>\n

An ugly move, but it makes space for the Bishop to go to c6 and protect b7<\/p>\n

18. Rfb1 Bc6
\n19. Bc5<\/p>\n

Forcing Black’s reply, which leaves b6 weak<\/p>\n

19. \u00a0 \u00a0 …a6 (diagram)<\/p>\n

But now White has a nice tactical shot:<\/p>\n

\"After<\/a>

After 19... a6<\/p><\/div>\n

20. Bc4:! fe:<\/p>\n

Capturing the Bishop allows White’s Knight to c4, when the threats of Nb6+ or Nd6+ leave Black in dire straits, e.g. 20 …dc 21. Nc4: Nd5 22. Nd6+ Kd7 23 c4 or Nb7:<\/p>\n

21. de: Nf5<\/p>\n

The Bishop is still taboo<\/p>\n

22. Bd3 Rf7
\n23. Bf5:<\/p>\n

Deciding to remove Black’s only actively-placed minor piece<\/p>\n

23. …Rf5:
\n24. Bd6 Nd7 (diagram)<\/p>\n

Probably worrying about Nb3-c5-b7, but White has another way to pry open Black’s position.<\/p>\n

\"White<\/a>

After 24... Nd7<\/p><\/div>\n

25. c4! g4<\/p>\n

Trying for some counterplay with ..Qh4 and perhaps …Rh5<\/p>\n

26. cd: Bd5:<\/p>\n

Wanting to open the diagonal for the Bishop, with ideas like …Qh4 and if g3 …Qh3. – but Black is too late<\/p>\n

27. Qc3+ Bc6
\n28. Ne4 Qh4 (diagram)<\/p>\n

A desperate attempt to conjure up a threat, e,g, with ..Rh5, but allowing the decisive blow.<\/p>\n

\"White<\/a>

After 28...Qh4<\/p><\/div>\n

29. Rb7: ! Kb7:
\n30. Rb1+ Bb5<\/p>\n

30…Ka7 Qc6: is no better<\/p>\n

31. Rb5:+ !<\/p>\n

A second rook sacrifices itself to remove a defender<\/p>\n

31. \u00a0 \u00a0…ab:
\n32. Qc7+ Ka6<\/p>\n

And Black resigned, not waiting for 33 Nc5+ Nc5: 34 Qb6 mate (diagram).<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In which I take stock, and decide to move on… The world is changing: I feel it in the water, I feel it in the earth, and I smell it in the air. …Though that last smell could be me, … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26,31,1,23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-294","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-chess","category-getting-old","category-uncategorized","category-universities"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/occamstypewriter.org\/notranting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/294","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/occamstypewriter.org\/notranting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/occamstypewriter.org\/notranting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occamstypewriter.org\/notranting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occamstypewriter.org\/notranting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=294"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/occamstypewriter.org\/notranting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/294\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/occamstypewriter.org\/notranting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=294"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occamstypewriter.org\/notranting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=294"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occamstypewriter.org\/notranting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=294"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}