Working on the Slav

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Lately I’ve been revisiting a book that I first read around eight or so years ago.

Yes, this is a relatively “entry level” style book, and yes, it’s a decade old. I get that those are knocks against it. I understand the hesitancy that might give some people when it comes to re-reading a book ostensibly about an opening.

However, what this book really serves as is an annotated collection of well-selected games designed to introduce one to the themes prevalent throughout the opening.

I plan on using this as a starting point for my own work at relearning these lines, hopefully in a better manner than last time!

Here’s an example of my terrible Slav play from eight years ago.

Til Next Time,

Chris Wainscott

Tactic of the Day 3/28/2021

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Solution below.

Til next time,

Chris Wainscott

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Karpov in Linares 1994 – Round Eleven

My Patreon page is now live! I could really use your help. If you’ve seen this more than once that means that you’re hopefully getting something useful out of this blog. I pay all of the costs for hosting, and put a lot of effort into creating the content. Please consider becoming a Patreon supporter.  If you can spare it, please click here and become a supporter. Even $1 a month can help me continue this project. When a player starts with 8.5 out of the first ten rounds, it would make sense for that player to steer games into quiet paths for the final three rounds of the event in order to seal the victory in as riskless a way as possible. 27 years ago, in the sleepy Spanish town of Linares, the chess world was shown a different side of the game when former world champion Anatoly Karpov showed he had no intentions of slowing down in his round eleven game against future world champion Vladimir Kramnik. Here is that game, which features a sharp opening followed by the relentless technique that Karpov is known for.

Til Next Time, Chris Wainscott

Tactic of the Day 3/27/2021

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If you can spare it, please click here and become a supporter. Even $1 a month can help me continue this project.

Solution below.

Til Next Time,

Chris Wainscott

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Karpov in Linares 1994 – Round Ten

My Patreon page is now live! I could really use your help. If you’ve seen this more than once that means that you’re hopefully getting something useful out of this blog. I pay all of the costs for hosting, and put a lot of effort into creating the content. Please consider becoming a Patreon supporter.  If you can spare it, please click here and become a supporter. Even $1 a month can help me continue this project. Round Ten sees Karpov once again held to a draw. This time by the young phenom he will play for the FIDE World Championship in two years’ time, Gata Kamsky.

Til Next Time, Chris Wainscott

Tactic of the Day 3/26/2021

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If you can spare it, please click here and become a supporter. Even $1 a month can help me continue this project.

Solution below.

Til Next Time,

Chris Wainscott

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Karpov in Linares 1994 – Round Nine

My Patreon page is now live! I could really use your help. If you’ve seen this more than once that means that you’re hopefully getting something useful out of this blog. I pay all of the costs for hosting, and put a lot of effort into creating the content. Please consider becoming a Patreon supporter.  If you can spare it, please click here and become a supporter. Even $1 a month can help me continue this project. Round nine sees the matchup between Karpov and Shirov. While the game ends in a draw, it’s an interesting and hard fought draw. This game serves as a reminder to those who complain about draws that many draws are fighting affairs.

With this effort, Karpov is off to a 8-1 start! Til Next Time, Chris Wainscott

Tactic of the Day 3/25/2021

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If you can spare it, please click here and become a supporter. Even $1 a month can help me continue this project.

Solution below.

Til Next Time,

Chris Wainscott

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Karpov in Linares 1994 – Round Eight

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After finally being held to a draw by Kasparov in round seven, Karpov gets back to his winning ways in round eight, this time against The Boy From Minsk, Boris Gelfand.

After this victory, Karpov stands alone at the top with a score of 7.5 out of 8.

Til Next Time,

Chris Wainscott

Getting Back into the Swing

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For the last several years I’ve “worked” on chess every day. Loose emphasis on the word worked.

Adult Improver Dr. Vishu Sreekumar made the point on Ben Johnson’s Perpetual Chess podcast that you can’t truly improve at chess without some level of obsessions. You can hear that episode here.

I think that incremental improvements can be made without that level of obsession, but I do think that Dr. Sreekumar’s point is well taken…it’s not possible to make sizeable improvements at chess without an almost fanatical pursuit of that goal.

I’ve been definitely doing the work that is needed to stay at the same level that I have been, and to slowly, gradually, improve.

For example, I’ve been working on learning to properly evaluate positions, and while I’m still light years from where I want to be, I’m certainly far better than I was even just a couple of months ago.

I have been working on tactics every day, and that will never stop. I will put in the work there.

I have a set repertoire as Black and will begin learning it deeply. Soon I’ll do the same for White.

Mostly though, I’m itching for OTB to come back.

What do all of these things add up to? Let’s be honest…right now, not a whole lot. I need to gather the inner fire to push through obsessively for a while. It’s time to make the push to drive to 1900.

That will require some sacrifice. TV time, family time, etc. Am I ready? I guess we’ll find out.

One thing I have been going as part of my training is playing through games such as this one:

Instead of just flipping through the moves and maybe taking note of the killing blow I actually work through these. In his game, for instance, I’m fascinated by the sequence which starts with 19.e5 and goes through 25.f5.

Will I make that next level? Time will tell.

Til Next Time,

Chris Wainscott