The psychology of chess?

Post by D
Hello chess experts,
Do you ever think about the psychology of chess? What I mean, do you
have any psychological tricks or ideas about how to pressure an opponent
into mistakes, or perhaps how to boost yourself when things are looking
grim?

I played a horrible game in the new years tournament two years ago,
going from two pawns up to an exchange down. I specifically went for a
K+R vs K+B endgame counting on that he didn't know how to win that. He
didn't =)

Always try to go for the most difficult win if you are losing ...

/C.

2024-03-13 15:38:12 UTC

Post by D
Hello chess experts,
Do you ever think about the psychology of chess? What I mean, do you have
any psychological tricks or ideas about how to pressure an opponent into
mistakes, or perhaps how to boost yourself when things are looking grim?

I played a horrible game in the new years tournament two years ago, going
from two pawns up to an exchange down. I specifically went for a K+R vs K+B
endgame counting on that he didn't know how to win that. He didn't =)
Always try to go for the most difficult win if you are losing ...
/C.

Thank you very much C! Do you play professionally? And how big is the
difference between that situation versus just playing with competitively
minded friends and family?

Best regards,
Daniel

The Horny Goat

2024-03-14 20:19:14 UTC

Post by Chimbis
I played a horrible game in the new years tournament two years ago,
going from two pawns up to an exchange down. I specifically went for a
K+R vs K+B endgame counting on that he didn't know how to win that. He
didn't =)

There's a regular at our events who likes to play K+B+N vs K at speed
chess time controls for quarters - he generally comes out ahead and
does it as he thinks it makes him better at it. (He's probably right -
and enough people DON'T know that ending he'll take either side of the
bet - white to play and win or black to play and draw)

William Hyde

2024-03-13 21:57:18 UTC

Post by D
Hello chess experts,
Do you ever think about the psychology of chess? What I mean, do you
have any psychological tricks or ideas about how to pressure an opponent
into mistakes,

One trick used by strong players is to voluntarily get into time
pressure. The opponent is likely to then move quickly so that the
player won't "Think on their time".

I won perhaps my most absurd victory in this way, if unintentionally. I
don't know what was wrong with me that day, but by move 22 I was two
pawns down and had a terrible position, plus ten minutes to make move
40. My opponent had just under two hours left. He had played well.

I was thinking of resigning, but he began to move quickly. I awoke from
my lethargy. Now it was a speed game, and I was pretty good at that.
He resigned as soon as it was clear we had made time control.

If you know your opponent you can try to steer the game into areas he
does not like. In his first match against Steinitz, Lasker traded
queens early in most games. Steinitz was, of course, one of the best
endgame players in the world, but his real strength was in the
middlegame, and he wasn't that keen on endings. It's difficult to play
your best in a position you don't like.

In his match against Blackburne (at least in those games I have seen)
Lasker kept the queens on. Blackburne was also one of the best endgame
players of his day, though probably not better than Steinitz (I think)
but he was happy to play endings and was at his best in them.

or perhaps how to boost yourself when things are looking

Post by D
grim?

First, I remind myself it's just a chess game.

Second, I remind myself of all the "won" games I have lost. If it can
happen to me, it can happen to my opponent. The first few moves after
the opponent gains a winning position are often an opportunity. There
is often a rush to win, overconfidence. After all, if you have played
so badly to this point, the opponent feels, this should be easy. Make
it not easy. As Lasker said many times, there are always resources,
even in terrible positions. But you won't find them if you have
mentally conceded defeat.

And if things are really grim, seek complications at any cost. Might as
well go out with a bang, and it's surprising how often this works. Even
a tiny reverse can upset someone who thinks he has the game in the bag,
leading to further mistakes.

Even if this doesn't work you can profit.

I was losing a game against a strong master when I re-energized my
kingside attack with an unclear sacrifice. He spent almost all of his
time finding the refutation, and I did lose, but at least the game had a
certain amount of class, rather than being a routine crush. And it left
me in a better mood for later games with him (I did eventually start
scoring, but he remained vastly the better player).

How a loss affects your mood in the next game can be important,
especially if the next game comes soon. After a particularly bad loss,
an acquaintance, who had been winning both the game and the tournament,
fell apart and scored no more wins. Over the next few months he dropped
250 rating points. Petrosian dealt with post-loss depression by making
sure to draw the next game, Tal said that after a loss the next game
would be anything but a draw.

If a loss depresses you, find a way to deal with it. Tal's way is
probably only good for Tal (I'd probably just lose a second game,
extending the problem) and most of us non GMs don't know how to play for
a draw (at my strength playing for a draw means playing for a loss), but
find a way to shake it off.

You don't need the moves to my crap games, but for lessons in holding a
poor or lost position you could do worse than look at Lasker's games.
The Soltis collection is extensive and readable.

It occurs to me that someone should publish a deeply annotated book of
lost games won. John Nunn, are you listening?

William Hyde

2024-03-14 08:58:42 UTC

Wow, thank you William, great post!

Why someone else? Maybe you are the one to publish such a book? =)

So you're not a GM, but are you an IM?

I find posts like yours one of the great charms of Chess. It is so
incredibly deep and you can come at it from so many different ways. And
add to that the history surrounding it!

Best regards,
Daniel

Post by D
Hello chess experts,
Do you ever think about the psychology of chess? What I mean, do you have
any psychological tricks or ideas about how to pressure an opponent into
mistakes,

One trick used by strong players is to voluntarily get into time pressure.
The opponent is likely to then move quickly so that the player won't "Think
on their time".
I won perhaps my most absurd victory in this way, if unintentionally. I
don't know what was wrong with me that day, but by move 22 I was two pawns
down and had a terrible position, plus ten minutes to make move 40. My
opponent had just under two hours left. He had played well.
I was thinking of resigning, but he began to move quickly. I awoke from my
lethargy. Now it was a speed game, and I was pretty good at that. He
resigned as soon as it was clear we had made time control.
If you know your opponent you can try to steer the game into areas he does
not like. In his first match against Steinitz, Lasker traded queens early in
most games. Steinitz was, of course, one of the best endgame players in the
world, but his real strength was in the middlegame, and he wasn't that keen
on endings. It's difficult to play your best in a position you don't like.
In his match against Blackburne (at least in those games I have seen) Lasker
kept the queens on. Blackburne was also one of the best endgame players of
his day, though probably not better than Steinitz (I think) but he was happy
to play endings and was at his best in them.
or perhaps how to boost yourself when things are looking

Post by D
grim?

First, I remind myself it's just a chess game.
Second, I remind myself of all the "won" games I have lost. If it can happen
to me, it can happen to my opponent. The first few moves after the opponent
gains a winning position are often an opportunity. There is often a rush to
win, overconfidence. After all, if you have played so badly to this point,
the opponent feels, this should be easy. Make it not easy. As Lasker said
many times, there are always resources, even in terrible positions. But you
won't find them if you have mentally conceded defeat.
And if things are really grim, seek complications at any cost. Might as well
go out with a bang, and it's surprising how often this works. Even a tiny
reverse can upset someone who thinks he has the game in the bag, leading to
further mistakes.
Even if this doesn't work you can profit.
I was losing a game against a strong master when I re-energized my kingside
attack with an unclear sacrifice. He spent almost all of his time finding
the refutation, and I did lose, but at least the game had a certain amount of
class, rather than being a routine crush. And it left me in a better mood
for later games with him (I did eventually start scoring, but he remained
vastly the better player).
How a loss affects your mood in the next game can be important, especially if
the next game comes soon. After a particularly bad loss, an acquaintance,
who had been winning both the game and the tournament, fell apart and scored
no more wins. Over the next few months he dropped 250 rating points.
Petrosian dealt with post-loss depression by making sure to draw the next
game, Tal said that after a loss the next game would be anything but a draw.
If a loss depresses you, find a way to deal with it. Tal's way is probably
only good for Tal (I'd probably just lose a second game, extending the
problem) and most of us non GMs don't know how to play for a draw (at my
strength playing for a draw means playing for a loss), but find a way to
shake it off.
You don't need the moves to my crap games, but for lessons in holding a poor
or lost position you could do worse than look at Lasker's games.
The Soltis collection is extensive and readable.
It occurs to me that someone should publish a deeply annotated book of lost
games won. John Nunn, are you listening?
William Hyde

William Hyde

2024-03-15 02:18:18 UTC

Post by D
Wow, thank you William, great post!
Why someone else? Maybe you are the one to publish such a book? =)
So you're not a GM, but are you an IM?

Not even remotely.

I once was half-terrible, now am about three quarters terrible.

But I understand more about chess than I did then.

William Hyde

2024-03-15 10:06:20 UTC

Post by D
Wow, thank you William, great post!
Why someone else? Maybe you are the one to publish such a book? =)
So you're not a GM, but are you an IM?

Not even remotely.
I once was half-terrible, now am about three quarters terrible.
But I understand more about chess than I did then.
William Hyde

And what is it about chess that kept your interest all these years despite
not being a GM? What dimensions is it that you appreciate? =)

William Hyde

2024-03-15 20:29:21 UTC

Post by D
Wow, thank you William, great post!
Why someone else? Maybe you are the one to publish such a book? =)
So you're not a GM, but are you an IM?

Not even remotely.
I once was half-terrible, now am about three quarters terrible.
But I understand more about chess than I did then.
William Hyde

And what is it about chess that kept your interest all these years
despite not being a GM? What dimensions is it that you appreciate? =)

Good questions. I don't know the answers.

Like many here (at least when there were many here) chess fascinated me
from the first time I saw it. But other things did also, and still do.
Perhaps if I'd grown up in a land with a deep chess culture it would
have dominated the others, but it didn't.

I am uninterested in team sports, and bored by solo sports like boxing
(unless A. J. Leibling is writing about it) or tennis. So chess and
similar games are interesting as an outlet for competitive feelings.

Chess gives some consolation for real world problems. If after 110
years there is still no consensus about Lasker's f4 in his game with
Capablanca at St Petersburg, our failure to figure out whether
supersymmetry is valid after 50 years doesn't look so bad.

Chess has a rich culture, you can lose yourself for months in its
literature and apocrypha. As with the house in Crowley's "Little, Big",
the farther in you get the bigger it is.

William Hyde

2024-03-15 21:49:32 UTC

Post by D
Wow, thank you William, great post!
Why someone else? Maybe you are the one to publish such a book? =)
So you're not a GM, but are you an IM?

Not even remotely.
I once was half-terrible, now am about three quarters terrible.
But I understand more about chess than I didÂ then.
William Hyde

And what is it about chess that kept your interest all these years despite
not being a GM? What dimensions is it that you appreciate? =)

Good questions. I don't know the answers.
Like many here (at least when there were many here) chess fascinated me from
the first time I saw it. But other things did also, and still do.
Perhaps if I'd grown up in a land with a deep chess culture it would have
dominated the others, but it didn't.
I am uninterested in team sports, and bored by solo sports like boxing
(unless A. J. Leibling is writing about it) or tennis. So chess and similar
games are interesting as an outlet for competitive feelings.
Chess gives some consolation for real world problems. If after 110 years
there is still no consensus about Lasker's f4 in his game with Capablanca at
St Petersburg, our failure to figure out whether supersymmetry is valid after
50 years doesn't look so bad.
Chess has a rich culture, you can lose yourself for months in its literature
and apocrypha. As with the house in Crowley's "Little, Big", the farther in
you get the bigger it is.
William Hyde

Thank you William, that's quite poetic! If you are refering to The Sweet
Science, it is also one of my favourite books! =) I also have trained in
boxing and sparred for a few years, but never competed, so if you are
curious I really do recommend it! There are actually interesting parallels
in chess, believe it or not!

Chess for me, comes and goes in cycles depending on how much else is going
on in my life. If there's too much going on I don't have the mental energy
for it, but when things calm down, and when I'm on vacation, I do love
loooong over the board, informal games with my father in law. Sadly he's
the only one close to me who enjoys chess, but the fun part of it is that
he's better, but not enormously so, so about 20%-30% of the games I win,
and that keeps it fun.

I compared that with my experience playing against a former colleague, an
IM, and that was not even a game. One immortal quote from him was once
when we were playing and he stopped, and we asked him if he had any
trouble...

He answered... I can mate you in 7 but I'm trying to figure out the most
beautiful way to do it. ;)

On the other hand, he got his punishment! Once he played online against
Magnus and he treated him just the way, that the IM was treating me. ;)

Best regards,
Daniel

The Horny Goat

2024-03-17 17:23:10 UTC

On Fri, 15 Mar 2024 16:29:21 -0400, William Hyde

Post by William Hyde
Chess gives some consolation for real world problems. If after 110
years there is still no consensus about Lasker's f4 in his game with
Capablanca at St Petersburg, our failure to figure out whether
supersymmetry is valid after 50 years doesn't look so bad.
Chess has a rich culture, you can lose yourself for months in its
literature and apocrypha. As with the house in Crowley's "Little, Big",
the farther in you get the bigger it is.

You want "real world problems" - try directing chess tournaments.
People bring all sorts of "problems" to tournament halls and part of
the attraction is dealing with one's own issues at the board in a
socially acceptable way.

I'm now largely retired from the board as opposed to running
tournaments and the national executive of the Chess Federation of
Canada. While the quarterly national meeting is important obviously
the big event for us is the Candidates which starts in Toronto April
3rd with round 1 on the 4th.

The event site is candidates.chess.com (am going from memory here) and
while I'm not in Toronto the national executive as a whole has been
doing some heavy lifting - our online Assembly meeting this week,
followed quickly by first the 2024 Canadian championship and with a
one day break before the Candidates (which for the first time is being
held concurrently with the Womens' candidates event)

This is the first Candidates event being held in Canada since
Yusupov-Spraggett in 1989 so there's excitement building...

Both the national championship and hte Candidates are being held in
Toronto.

2024-03-17 17:36:15 UTC

Post by The Horny Goat
On Fri, 15 Mar 2024 16:29:21 -0400, William Hyde

Can you give some examples?

William Hyde

2024-03-17 20:29:39 UTC

Post by The Horny Goat
On Fri, 15 Mar 2024 16:29:21 -0400, William Hyde

You want "real world problems" - try directing chess tournaments.

I have directed tournaments, very small ones in Canada, somewhat larger
ones in Texas.

A good friend had been directing and playing in local events. I don't
like playing in weekend events, so I took on the directing and he gained
200 rating points despite being at an age where ratings decline rather
than advance.

I ran a few evening events which attracted strong players we generally
never saw - I am not the only person with a dislike for these weekend
events.

Our weekend events when I arrived in College Station were one day
tournaments with eight players. By the time I left we were pushing 60
and I would have had to upgrade my TD certification for the last one but
for the fact that a person with that qualification moved into the area.

This change came about because I guaranteed a prize fund of $500
personally. There was not the slightest chance I would ever have to pay
- entry fees always allowed me to raise the prize fund. People wanted
chess, but would not drive a hundred miles without a guaranteed prize fund.

I left and returned six years later. The tournament now drew about
twelve people. Nobody was guaranteeing a prize. I did not resume my
activity.

I could go on with stories about problem players, but with your greater
experience you could doubtless top them. And I invite you do so so.

William Hyde

The Horny Goat

2024-03-18 18:59:00 UTC

On Sun, 17 Mar 2024 16:29:39 -0400, William Hyde

Post by William Hyde
I have directed tournaments, very small ones in Canada, somewhat larger
ones in Texas.

I was shanghaied into directing when I was 14 by none other than
Jonathan Berry who I have known from childhood but haven't seen much
of in recent years. It was a club championship and I did a horrible
job assuming everyone wanted an event of the sort a young teenager
would enjoy ... bad mistake!

Since then I've directed 100+ events (everything from club events to a
national championship) on my way to the International Arbiter title in
2003 though have largely retired from directing in favor of my role as
Secretary of the Chess Federation of Canada which makes me responsible
for the administration of their quarterly "voting member" (used to be
called Governors but the name change was mandated by the 2014 federal
act governing federally chartered non-profits) meetings including the
Annual General Meeting.

Some of the CFC's procedures are a bit quirky dating back to the days
when most federation business was done by "snail mail". Most
federation business is done these days by e-mail with the rating
system set up for electronic transmissions of tournament reports and
ratings by e-mail and website. While (like everyone else in chess) we
took a pounding in the pandemic, we've had an excellent membership
recovery during the past 18 months.

Post by William Hyde
A good friend had been directing and playing in local events. I don't
like playing in weekend events, so I took on the directing and he gained
200 rating points despite being at an age where ratings decline rather
than advance.
I ran a few evening events which attracted strong players we generally
never saw - I am not the only person with a dislike for these weekend
events.

My problem these days is that most of the events in my home town are
on the other side of town from me averaging 45-60 minutes' drive away.
(each way) I have tried online chess but am not a fan of online speed
chess. What I am is a major-league chess bibliophile with 300+ chess
books in my library. Obviously had I found the time to master all of
them I'd be GM strength which I'm far from (borderline A/B player)

Post by William Hyde
Our weekend events when I arrived in College Station were one day
tournaments with eight players. By the time I left we were pushing 60
and I would have had to upgrade my TD certification for the last one but
for the fact that a person with that qualification moved into the area.
This change came about because I guaranteed a prize fund of $500
personally. There was not the slightest chance I would ever have to pay
- entry fees always allowed me to raise the prize fund. People wanted
chess, but would not drive a hundred miles without a guaranteed prize fund.

What I've especially noticed since the pandemic is that room rental
costs locally have spiralled from pre-pandemic levels. There's a major
'pick-up' chess area on the 9th floor of the downtown Vancouver Public
Library mostly involving teenagers and 20-somethings.

Post by William Hyde
I left and returned six years later. The tournament now drew about
twelve people. Nobody was guaranteeing a prize. I did not resume my
activity.
I could go on with stories about problem players, but with your greater
experience you could doubtless top them. And I invite you do so so.

Obviously the main Canadian chess interest right now is the coming
Candidates Tournament in Toronto (https://candidates2024.fide.com/)
which will be the first World Championship cycle event held in Canada
since Yusupov - Spraggett in 1989. The 2024 Canadian championship is
taking place just before that also in Toronto (if you're familiar with
Toronto chess you probably know Hart House at University of Toronto -
when I lived in Toronto in the late 80s I definitely knew about it but
never played there - it's certainly central enough)

(Though being in Vancouver people around here tend to commemorate
Fischer-Taimanov in 1971 and the 1975 Vancouver International which
was Paul Kere's last tournament and last tournament victory as he died
on his way home to Estonia and which is why the major Vancouver spring
tournament is the Paul Keres Memorial. I was fortunate enough to have
my copy of Keres' Practical Chess Endings autographed by him at that
event - so probably one of the last 100 autographs he ever gave)

Of particular interest with the Candidates Tournament is the fact that
for the first time the Womens' candidates is being held concurrently
at the same site.

The event starts 3 April with round 1 on 4 April. I wish I could
afford to fly to Toronto and stay there for a month but that's simply
not on.

William Hyde

2024-03-18 22:07:26 UTC

Post by The Horny Goat
On Sun, 17 Mar 2024 16:29:39 -0400, William Hyde

Post by The Horny Goat
Obviously the main Canadian chess interest right now is the coming
Candidates Tournament in Toronto (https://candidates2024.fide.com/)
which will be the first World Championship cycle event held in Canada
since Yusupov - Spraggett in 1989. The 2024 Canadian championship is
taking place just before that also in Toronto (if you're familiar with
Toronto chess you probably know Hart House at University of Toronto -

I attended the 1972 Canadian Championship there, occasionally operating
a demo board. That was Biyiasis' first win, when Kuprejanov lost in the
last round to Paul Selick, a last minute replacement who did very well
in the event. A decade later I played there in the Toronto reserves.

The Great Hall at HH was the site of many weekend events. It is no
longer used for dining, but somehow also not used for chess. It seems
to be unused about 90% of the time, so you'd think it could be rented
for a weekend swiss at a reasonable rate. Perhaps it is too small for
modern events. It would hold about 100 boards, more in summer.

That is also where I met Keres, when he gave a simul in 1975.

Until recently I played regularly in their Tuesday night bridge
tournaments which have grown spectacularly over the past decade due to a
dedicated organizer and director. There still is a chess club, but it
doesn't have its own room, as student space has been crowded out by
administration.

Post by The Horny Goat
The event starts 3 April with round 1 on 4 April. I wish I could
afford to fly to Toronto and stay there for a month but that's simply
not on.

Regrettably, I will not be there. Pity this didn't happen ten years ago.

William Hyde

The Horny Goat

2024-03-19 18:53:30 UTC

On Mon, 18 Mar 2024 18:07:26 -0400, William Hyde

Post by William Hyde
The Great Hall at HH was the site of many weekend events. It is no
longer used for dining, but somehow also not used for chess. It seems
to be unused about 90% of the time, so you'd think it could be rented
for a weekend swiss at a reasonable rate. Perhaps it is too small for
modern events. It would hold about 100 boards, more in summer.
That is also where I met Keres, when he gave a simul in 1975.
Until recently I played regularly in their Tuesday night bridge
tournaments which have grown spectacularly over the past decade due to a
dedicated organizer and director. There still is a chess club, but it
doesn't have its own room, as student space has been crowded out by
administration.

Perhaps, but Hart House is still active enough chess-wise to host the
Canadian Championship which will be held REAL soon just before the
Candidates.

https://www.harthouseregistration.ca/Program/GetProgramDetails?courseId=78bb9b75-63a4-491d-933c-670d5c16efc0&semesterId=0d2b7698-f912-4876-b962-0d1423747ea5

William Hyde

2024-03-19 20:13:50 UTC

Post by The Horny Goat
On Mon, 18 Mar 2024 18:07:26 -0400, William Hyde

Perhaps, but Hart House is still active enough chess-wise to host the
Canadian Championship which will be held REAL soon just before the
Candidates.
https://www.harthouseregistration.ca/Program/GetProgramDetails?courseId=78bb9b75-63a4-491d-933c-670d5c16efc0&semesterId=0d2b7698-f912-4876-b962-0d1423747ea5

Good news.

So the great hall is good for 110 boards, more or less as estimated,
while the debates room is good for 50 (the Toronto closed+reserves at 24
boards didn't fill half the room) and the music room for 50 more.

I can drop by on the appropriate day and spectate both chess and bridge.

William Hyde

The Horny Goat

2024-03-23 07:58:41 UTC

On Tue, 19 Mar 2024 16:13:50 -0400, William Hyde

Post by The Horny Goat
https://www.harthouseregistration.ca/Program/GetProgramDetails?courseId=78bb9b75-63a4-491d-933c-670d5c16efc0&semesterId=0d2b7698-f912-4876-b962-0d1423747ea5

Good news.
So the great hall is good for 110 boards, more or less as estimated,
while the debates room is good for 50 (the Toronto closed+reserves at 24
boards didn't fill half the room) and the music room for 50 more.
I can drop by on the appropriate day and spectate both chess and bridge.
William Hyde

Glad you're pleased - I'm in Vancouver so it's a bit more
difficult....

William Hyde

2024-03-23 18:41:28 UTC

Post by The Horny Goat
On Tue, 19 Mar 2024 16:13:50 -0400, William Hyde

Post by The Horny Goat
https://www.harthouseregistration.ca/Program/GetProgramDetails?courseId=78bb9b75-63a4-491d-933c-670d5c16efc0&semesterId=0d2b7698-f912-4876-b962-0d1423747ea5

Good news.
So the great hall is good for 110 boards, more or less as estimated,
while the debates room is good for 50 (the Toronto closed+reserves at 24
boards didn't fill half the room) and the music room for 50 more.
I can drop by on the appropriate day and spectate both chess and bridge.
William Hyde

Glad you're pleased - I'm in Vancouver so it's a bit more
difficult....

That's always our problem in Canada. Nine out of ten times the event
you want to see or play in is over a thousand kilometers away.

I've never actually been able to play in the Canadian Open when it
has been held in Toronto. But I had the time and money to play in
Ottawa and Quebec city (and almost, almost, Vancouver, but alas not
quite).

Even at shorter distances transport can be a problem for chess players.

One year Billy Oxygen shared first place at a tournament in Bellville,
Ont. He had traveled by taxi from his home in Kitchener, for $160.
Which was probably more than his prize.

The next year he did not show up at the event. Word was he didn't
have the taxi fare. IIRC there is no bus service between the two
towns.

Dave Ross, an Ottawa master, saved money by hitchhiking to a Detroit
tournament. He showed up for round one not having slept at all,
but somehow won the event anyway.

William Hyde

2024-03-23 21:21:15 UTC

Post by The Horny Goat
On Tue, 19 Mar 2024 16:13:50 -0400, William Hyde

Post by The Horny Goat
https://www.harthouseregistration.ca/Program/GetProgramDetails?courseId=78bb9b75-63a4-491d-933c-670d5c16efc0&semesterId=0d2b7698-f912-4876-b962-0d1423747ea5

Good news.
So the great hall is good for 110 boards, more or less as estimated,
while the debates room is good for 50 (the Toronto closed+reserves at 24
boards didn't fill half the room) and the music room for 50 more.
I can drop by on the appropriate day and spectate both chess and bridge.
William Hyde

Glad you're pleased - I'm in Vancouver so it's a bit more
difficult....

That's always our problem in Canada. Nine out of ten times the event you
want to see or play in is over a thousand kilometers away.
I've never actually been able to play in the Canadian Open when it
has been held in Toronto. But I had the time and money to play in
Ottawa and Quebec city (and almost, almost, Vancouver, but alas not
quite).
Even at shorter distances transport can be a problem for chess players.
One year Billy Oxygen shared first place at a tournament in Bellville, Ont.
He had traveled by taxi from his home in Kitchener, for $160.
Which was probably more than his prize.
The next year he did not show up at the event. Word was he didn't
have the taxi fare. IIRC there is no bus service between the two
towns.
Dave Ross, an Ottawa master, saved money by hitchhiking to a Detroit
tournament. He showed up for round one not having slept at all,
but somehow won the event anyway.
William Hyde

Speaking of the financial side of chess... has there been an increase in
prizes and sponsoring?

It seems to me that chess has become more popular due to Maguns Carlsen
(at least in scandinavia) and this chess series Queens gambit.

Has this been translated into more sponsoring?

Best regards,
Daniel

The Horny Goat

2024-03-24 07:02:54 UTC

On Sat, 23 Mar 2024 14:41:28 -0400, William Hyde

Post by William Hyde
That's always our problem in Canada. Nine out of ten times the event
you want to see or play in is over a thousand kilometers away.
I've never actually been able to play in the Canadian Open when it
has been held in Toronto. But I had the time and money to play in
Ottawa and Quebec city (and almost, almost, Vancouver, but alas not
quite).

I haven't played in a Canadian Open since 1971 when in round one I was
clearly winning against a player rating 150 above me. I snatched an h
pawn with my bishop which was immediately trapped, put my head in my
hands and looked up. (Our game was on the main aisle to the top
boards)

I looked up and saw none other than Boris Spasky watching my board and
I saw him shake his head sadly and turn away. 50 years later I still
wonder if he remembered that sad looking kid in Vancouver when Fischer
snatched the h-pawn in round one of his match with Spassky in
Reykjavik.He's now 87 and very much still alive but I will always
remember that day.

(I also remember being in the skittles room where a distinguished
older man chastised us for making too much noise and that our noise
was making it back to the main tournament hall. Afterwards one of the
kids said "OMG was that who I think it was?" "Uh huh - THAT was Max
Euwe" who was then FIDE president. (The FIDE Congress was not far away
from the hall where the Canadian Open was being played and he knew
Spassky was there so dropped in to take a look. This was about 3
months after Fischer-Taimanov which was played elsewhere on the same
campus and which my parents wouldn't let me make a 90 minute bus trip
to the university to see the GMs play. This was of course his first
match to the world championship which went through Taimanov, Larsen,
Petrosian and finally Spassky in Reykjavik the following year)

So that's how I came to meet two world champins in the same event -
one was playing the other not.

William Hyde

2024-03-24 19:11:34 UTC

Post by The Horny Goat
On Sat, 23 Mar 2024 14:41:28 -0400, William Hyde

My guess would be that he recalled it very well.

In September of that year Spassky played at the CNE open in Toronto.
Had I won my first four games I might have been paired with him, but
I fell just three games short of that target.

Most unusually for the time, the event featured six GMs, with
Benko and Byrne winning at 6-0. Canadian players scored some
upsets, with Day drawing with Spassky, Lipnowski beating Browne,
and Delva beating Bisguier.

Toronto was cursed for Browne. In my second weekend Swiss Browne
finished 3.5/6. As he insisted he was winning the adjourned
round 5 position he was paired up for the last round. But he was
meeting Ivan Theodorovic who was 5-0. What he didn't know was
that Theodorovic always won his last round game if he went 5-0.
A mere GM couldn't break that streak.

I only attended one round of the 76 open in Toronto, just in time to see
Browne storm off after losing to Amos (the game is here:
https://kevinspraggettonchess.wordpress.com/2011/08/11/the-1976-canadian-open-in-toronto/).

William Hyde

The Horny Goat

2024-03-26 22:18:39 UTC

On Sun, 24 Mar 2024 15:11:34 -0400, William Hyde

Post by William Hyde
My guess would be that he recalled it very well.
In September of that year Spassky played at the CNE open in Toronto.
Had I won my first four games I might have been paired with him, but
I fell just three games short of that target.
Most unusually for the time, the event featured six GMs, with
Benko and Byrne winning at 6-0. Canadian players scored some
upsets, with Day drawing with Spassky, Lipnowski beating Browne,
and Delva beating Bisguier.
Toronto was cursed for Browne. In my second weekend Swiss Browne
finished 3.5/6. As he insisted he was winning the adjourned
round 5 position he was paired up for the last round. But he was
meeting Ivan Theodorovic who was 5-0. What he didn't know was
that Theodorovic always won his last round game if he went 5-0.
A mere GM couldn't break that streak.
I only attended one round of the 76 open in Toronto, just in time to see
https://kevinspraggettonchess.wordpress.com/2011/08/11/the-1976-canadian-open-in-toronto/).

Great stories - and while I didn't know Delva I knew the rest of the
Canadian players you name. Which is not surprising for an
international arbiter (guilty) who has lived in Vancouver, southern
Ontario and Winnipeg.

(I was the one primarily responsible for getting Abe Yanofsky off the
international arbiter list two years after his death - it seems
everybody at FIDE knew he was a GM but had forgotten the other title.

I also had the dubious "honor" of being one of two BC international
arbiters who FIDE got our gender wrong. Hint: I'm not female and the
late Lynn Stringer wasn't male! That got fixed in near record time
with an e-mail to Canada's FIDE rep...)

The Horny Goat

2024-03-24 07:11:59 UTC

On Sat, 23 Mar 2024 14:41:28 -0400, William Hyde

Post by William Hyde
One year Billy Oxygen shared first place at a tournament in Bellville,
Ont. He had traveled by taxi from his home in Kitchener, for $160.
Which was probably more than his prize.

That's not all that short a distance - Kitchener is about 45 minutes
to an hour W of Toronto while Belville is the town on the eastern end
of Lake Ontario - typically about a 2-3 hour drive away. (My late aunt
lived there)

[I remember my father telling me that when I went to McMaster
(Hamilton ON) he told my grandmother that Hamilton was on the W end of
Lake Ontario and she remembered her daughter lived in Belville which
she knew to be "at the end of Lake Ontario" and said "Oh good - Lyle
will be able to see his aunt often!" My father knew the geography and
had to gently tell her "Actually Mom Hamilton and Belleville are at
opposite ends of Lake Ontario" (slightly under 200 miles apart) and
told her how long Lake Ontario is though to be fair 3 years later I
met my future wife at McMaster and married her 8 months after
graduation and my aunt and her husband _did_ come to our wedding.]

The Horny Goat

2024-03-24 07:12:53 UTC

On Sat, 23 Mar 2024 14:41:28 -0400, William Hyde

Post by William Hyde
Dave Ross, an Ottawa master, saved money by hitchhiking to a Detroit
tournament. He showed up for round one not having slept at all,
but somehow won the event anyway.

OK one more master we've both met...

2024-03-23 11:26:22 UTC

Post by William Hyde
I can drop by on the appropriate day and spectate both chess and bridge.
William Hyde

Pease excuse me for going a bit off topic, but since I see you
mentioning bridge, and since the card games group is kind of dead, I
wonder if you could tell me if it is possible to play bridge with
complete strangers?

I'm fascinated by the game, but the team-aspect of it makes it kind of
annoying since I like the fact that with chess, poker or other games,
you can just sit down and play, and there would be no need to form a
team where you know the other guy.

Best regards,
Daniel

William Hyde

2024-03-23 18:31:26 UTC

Post by William Hyde
I can drop by on the appropriate day and spectate both chess and bridge.
William Hyde

Specifically partnership-aspect. In bridge teams are of four.

of it makes it kind of

Post by D
annoying since I like the fact that with chess, poker or other games,
you can just sit down and play, and there would be no need to form a
team where you know the other guy.

It depends on how seriously you and your partner take the game.

Generally when two people find themselves without partners at an
event and decide to play together, there is a short discussion as
to conventions and signals to be employed. Often some of these
will be forgotten in the heat of play, and you have to be mature
enough not to mind.

I don't mind playing with a random partner who knows less than I
do and plays even worse. I'm there to enjoy the game, not necessarily
to finish in first place. If I get a good partner, it's also fine.

But if my proposed partner is a serious bridge nut I may hesitate. Some
such people take the game entirely too seriously, get really riled
if you forget anything, or even if you don't know a convention that
was not discussed. It's amusing to recall my first such experiences,
when I was at pains to explain that I was knew to bridge, and knew
virtually nothing beyond the basics, and then to be upbraided for
not recognizing some advanced gadget (an advance cuebid, for example).
I laughed, but some people find that sort of thing upsetting.

Others are wise and accommodating (and generally
get better results with weaker partners).

You will do better in bridge if you are always respectful of your
partner, no matter what idiotic action partner has made. Remember
that you yourself make the occasional idiotic play.

Your best bet is to find a regular partner, agree on some level of
conventions, and play mostly with that person. Once you know more
you'll be better able to accommodate to new partners.

William Hyde

2024-03-23 21:19:26 UTC

Post by William Hyde
I can drop by on the appropriate day and spectate both chess and bridge.
William Hyde

Specifically partnership-aspect. In bridge teams are of four.

Apologies! I'm fascinated but I know nothing (or very, very little) of
the game.

Post by D
of it makes it kind of
annoying since I like the fact that with chess, poker or other games,
you can just sit down and play, and there would be no need to form a
team where you know the other guy.

Ahh, ok so that's how it works.

Post by William Hyde
I don't mind playing with a random partner who knows less than I
do and plays even worse. I'm there to enjoy the game, not necessarily
to finish in first place. If I get a good partner, it's also fine.

That's a very nice way to look at it! =) My wife is horrible to play
with, since she always loses her temper if I win. If I let her win, but
do it too obviously, she also loses her temper. ;)

Needless to say, I don't play any games with my wife for the peace in
the house. ;)

Post by William Hyde
But if my proposed partner is a serious bridge nut I may hesitate. Some such
people take the game entirely too seriously, get really riled
if you forget anything, or even if you don't know a convention that
was not discussed. It's amusing to recall my first such experiences,
when I was at pains to explain that I was knew to bridge, and knew
virtually nothing beyond the basics, and then to be upbraided for
not recognizing some advanced gadget (an advance cuebid, for example).
I laughed, but some people find that sort of thing upsetting.

Wow... I think I would be offended. Hopefully I won't have to experience
something like that.

Post by William Hyde
Others are wise and accommodating (and generally
get better results with weaker partners).
You will do better in bridge if you are always respectful of your
partner, no matter what idiotic action partner has made. Remember
that you yourself make the occasional idiotic play.
Your best bet is to find a regular partner, agree on some level of
conventions, and play mostly with that person. Once you know more
you'll be better able to accommodate to new partners.
William Hyde

Thank you very much William, my question has been fully answered! =)

Best regards,
Daniel

The Horny Goat

2024-03-24 06:51:52 UTC

On Sat, 23 Mar 2024 14:31:26 -0400, William Hyde

Post by William Hyde
I can drop by on the appropriate day and spectate both chess and bridge.
William Hyde

Specifically partnership-aspect. In bridge teams are of four.

Teams of 4 are common in competitive bridge play where the same hand
is played on two different tables with 1/2 of one team playing N-S,
the other playing E-W and the scores of both tables in each round are
summed. There are various scoring methods with raw score on each, raw
score team of 4, Intenational Match point scoring where a raw score is
converted to IMP score designed to moderate the effect of big swings
such as when one side gets a slam, the other stops in game.

Then there's pure duplicate where a pair is a team and many others.

Finally let me share with you a hand I showed Dr Nathan Divinsky who
was both my vector calculus professor at the University of BC as well
as being long time Secretary of the Chess Federation of Canada (my
current job) and a well regarded bridge player.

I asked him "what is the worst hand in bridge?" He said he didn't know
and asked me to show him. I wrote on the napkin:

S: AKQJ
H: AKQJ
D: AKQJ
C: AK

After looking at it and not getting it he asked me how that could
possibly be the worst hand. I said "Dr Divinsky count the cards!" A
moment later he had a huge grin on his face and called me a nasty name

I had the honor of representing the Chess Federation of Canada at his
funeral in 2012 telling the family "I am one of the ten thousand" (the
eulogist had mentioned his 10000+ students at UBC) "and in addition I
am the secretary of the Chess Federation of Canada" then turned to
each of the family and said "on behalf of the Chess Federation thank
you for giving him to us for awhile"

[After his death his widow invited me and several other chess players
to their house and was each gifted several of his books. One of mine I
got that day was a first edition of Fine's Basic Chess Endings - I
already had a copy of the much enlarged third edition but the first
edition was quite special]

Post by William Hyde
of it makes it kind of

Post by D
annoying since I like the fact that with chess, poker or other games,
you can just sit down and play, and there would be no need to form a
team where you know the other guy.

For tournament play that's true though for casual play if you're
willing to play "pick up" you can easily play though obviously you
have to stick to the same bidding conventions everyone knows

Post by William Hyde
Others are wise and accommodating (and generally
get better results with weaker partners).

Victor Mollo covered that point in detail in his books featuring The
Hideous Hog who was a master level player who was totally ungifted
when playing with weaker partners and simply could not adjust his play
to them some of which led to magnificent disasters. Any of these books
is tremendously entertaining though I can't imagine it would improve
your bridge much!

Post by William Hyde
You will do better in bridge if you are always respectful of your
partner, no matter what idiotic action partner has made. Remember
that you yourself make the occasional idiotic play.

Mollo did finish all these books with a chapter on how not to be the
"Hideous Hog" and actually play good bridge with any partner (which
may not be your best with your regular partner but nonetheless
satisfying)

2024-03-24 10:58:48 UTC

Thank you very much! =)

Best regards,
Daniel

Post by The Horny Goat
On Sat, 23 Mar 2024 14:31:26 -0400, William Hyde

Post by William Hyde
I can drop by on the appropriate day and spectate both chess and bridge.
William Hyde

Specifically partnership-aspect. In bridge teams are of four.

Teams of 4 are common in competitive bridge play where the same hand
is played on two different tables with 1/2 of one team playing N-S,
the other playing E-W and the scores of both tables in each round are
summed. There are various scoring methods with raw score on each, raw
score team of 4, Intenational Match point scoring where a raw score is
converted to IMP score designed to moderate the effect of big swings
such as when one side gets a slam, the other stops in game.
Then there's pure duplicate where a pair is a team and many others.
Finally let me share with you a hand I showed Dr Nathan Divinsky who
was both my vector calculus professor at the University of BC as well
as being long time Secretary of the Chess Federation of Canada (my
current job) and a well regarded bridge player.
I asked him "what is the worst hand in bridge?" He said he didn't know
S: AKQJ
H: AKQJ
D: AKQJ
C: AK
After looking at it and not getting it he asked me how that could
possibly be the worst hand. I said "Dr Divinsky count the cards!" A
moment later he had a huge grin on his face and called me a nasty name
I had the honor of representing the Chess Federation of Canada at his
funeral in 2012 telling the family "I am one of the ten thousand" (the
eulogist had mentioned his 10000+ students at UBC) "and in addition I
am the secretary of the Chess Federation of Canada" then turned to
each of the family and said "on behalf of the Chess Federation thank
you for giving him to us for awhile"
[After his death his widow invited me and several other chess players
to their house and was each gifted several of his books. One of mine I
got that day was a first edition of Fine's Basic Chess Endings - I
already had a copy of the much enlarged third edition but the first
edition was quite special]

Post by William Hyde
of it makes it kind of

Post by D
annoying since I like the fact that with chess, poker or other games,
you can just sit down and play, and there would be no need to form a
team where you know the other guy.

For tournament play that's true though for casual play if you're
willing to play "pick up" you can easily play though obviously you
have to stick to the same bidding conventions everyone knows

Post by William Hyde
Others are wise and accommodating (and generally
get better results with weaker partners).

William Hyde

2024-03-24 18:46:54 UTC

Post by The Horny Goat
On Sat, 23 Mar 2024 14:31:26 -0400, William Hyde

Post by William Hyde
I can drop by on the appropriate day and spectate both chess and bridge.
William Hyde

Specifically partnership-aspect. In bridge teams are of four.

Teams of 4 are common in competitive bridge play where the same hand
is played on two different tables with 1/2 of one team playing N-S,
the other playing E-W and the scores of both tables in each round are
summed. There are various scoring methods with raw score on each, raw
score team of 4, Intenational Match point scoring where a raw score is
converted to IMP score designed to moderate the effect of big swings
such as when one side gets a slam, the other stops in game.
Then there's pure duplicate where a pair is a team and many others.
Finally let me share with you a hand I showed Dr Nathan Divinsky who
was both my vector calculus professor at the University of BC as well
as being long time Secretary of the Chess Federation of Canada (my
current job) and a well regarded bridge player.
I asked him "what is the worst hand in bridge?" He said he didn't know
S: AKQJ
H: AKQJ
D: AKQJ
C: AK
After looking at it and not getting it he asked me how that could
possibly be the worst hand. I said "Dr Divinsky count the cards!" A
moment later he had a huge grin on his face and called me a nasty name
I had the honor of representing the Chess Federation of Canada at his
funeral in 2012 telling the family "I am one of the ten thousand" (the
eulogist had mentioned his 10000+ students at UBC) "and in addition I
am the secretary of the Chess Federation of Canada" then turned to
each of the family and said "on behalf of the Chess Federation thank
you for giving him to us for awhile"
[After his death his widow invited me and several other chess players
to their house and was each gifted several of his books. One of mine I
got that day was a first edition of Fine's Basic Chess Endings - I
already had a copy of the much enlarged third edition but the first
edition was quite special]

Post by William Hyde
of it makes it kind of

Post by D
annoying since I like the fact that with chess, poker or other games,
you can just sit down and play, and there would be no need to form a
team where you know the other guy.

For tournament play that's true though for casual play if you're
willing to play "pick up" you can easily play though obviously you
have to stick to the same bidding conventions everyone knows

Post by William Hyde
Others are wise and accommodating (and generally
get better results with weaker partners).

As I recall it the Hog usually succeeds, even with a terrible partner
like the Rabbit, Toucan, or Walrus. Indeed, almost half his hands
as given are with the Rabbit.

But the point is he succeeds the wrong way. By doing things one
shouldn't do. He comments several times that he does not try to
get the best out of his partners, on the grounds that their best
is worse than random chance. If they don't think they might play
the right card, if they do they will not.

He always arranges his bids so as to be declarer. Better that he
declare in a hopeless 3NT which he will probably make than that
the Toucan declare in an ice cold 4S which he will probably not
make. Or so he will say.

The Hog is, as well as a Hog, a brilliant player who can virtually
do no wrong. IIRC his Nemesis, Papa (a fine player himself) only
gets the better of him once.

But the Rabbit does so many times as luck is on his side. Part of
the fun of looking at his hands is trying to see how he will think
he is making the hand, as opposed to how it is actually made (he
plays for an impossible squeeze but winds up playing the Devil's
coup, for example).

Any of these books

Post by The Horny Goat
is tremendously entertaining though I can't imagine it would improve
your bridge much!

I picked up five from amazon a few years ago. I wish there were more.

Post by The Horny Goat

Mollo did finish all these books with a chapter on how not to be the
"Hideous Hog"

This was left out of my editions.

William Hyde

The Horny Goat

2024-03-26 22:09:25 UTC

On Sun, 24 Mar 2024 14:46:54 -0400, William Hyde

Post by The Horny Goat

Mollo did finish all these books with a chapter on how not to be the
"Hideous Hog"

That's true of most any partnership game where you intend to play more
than one round of play. (Or 'hand' if you prefer)

I'm NOT a good bridge player - the kind of memory you have to have to
be a good Bridge player is entirely different from what you need to
excel at Chess.

2024-03-27 09:13:00 UTC

Post by The Horny Goat
On Sun, 24 Mar 2024 14:46:54 -0400, William Hyde

Post by The Horny Goat

Mollo did finish all these books with a chapter on how not to be the
"Hideous Hog"

That's true of most any partnership game where you intend to play more
than one round of play. (Or 'hand' if you prefer)
I'm NOT a good bridge player - the kind of memory you have to have to
be a good Bridge player is entirely different from what you need to
excel at Chess.

What's the difference? I remember seeing a documentary a year ago about
Judith Polgar and that the memory of chess players seems to be the same
memory that is engaged when memorizing faces. But in chess players it's
chess positions instead of faces.

What type of memory is valuable in bridge?

The Horny Goat

2024-03-14 20:27:43 UTC

On Wed, 13 Mar 2024 17:57:18 -0400, William Hyde

Post by William Hyde
I won perhaps my most absurd victory in this way, if unintentionally. I
don't know what was wrong with me that day, but by move 22 I was two
pawns down and had a terrible position, plus ten minutes to make move
40. My opponent had just under two hours left. He had played well.

My most absurd ever was years ago my last game before Christmas one
year and I was directing (and playing) in a club event.

Some time around move 20 I hung a piece and I >REALLY< wanted to go
home but couldn't as I was the TD so decided to hang in there another
10 moves before resigning.

Half an hour later I wasn't down a piece but an exchange - so decided
to resign in another 1/2 hour

Half an hour after that I was a pawn down and actually had (probably
phantom) counterplay on the other side of the board - so another 1/2
hour....

By which time I had a positional crush and he resigned in disgust.

Now I wouldn't have hung in there except he was a longtime friend who
knew my style very well and was on very good terms with (he is a
former CFC president - that's Chess Federation of Canada for you
MurrCans) and some 200 pts above me. I thanked him for his Christmas
gift (knew I could say that without enraging him) and we watched the
few games and wished him a Merry Christmas and called it a night after
we put away our gear...

Naturally he beat me soundly in the New Year!

2024-03-14 21:21:58 UTC