Let's Take A Look

Lets Take A
Look...
Nigel Davies


by Bruce Alberston
We invite you to submit games to be considered by Nigel in this column. For
all games submitted, please provide the following information: (1) Names of
both players; (2) Ratings of both players; (3) When and where the game was
played; (4) The time control used in the game; and (5) Any other information
you think would be helpful for us to know. Please submit the games (in PGN
or CBV format if possible) to: nigeldavies@chesscafe.com. Who knows,
perhaps you will see the game in an upcoming column, as Nigel says to you,
Lets take a look...
Beating Your Dad
Most of us who learn chess in our childhood will start out by playing against
immediate family members, and in particular against our fathers. My dad was
one of my first opponents along with my sister; then came family
acquaintances such as our dentist. The dentist was actually a pretty good
player, but a really sore loser. After mating him on the back rank one day
when I was several pieces down, my parents decided it was time for me to get
my teeth fixed elsewhere.
These childhood games can have a profound effect on who we are and how
we play. The late Eugene Martinovsky explained to me once how his solid
style of play was a direct result of his father being a ferocious attacker.
Former British and Commonwealth Champion Paul Littlewood also grew up
to be rather more solid than his father J ohn and wild uncle Norman. Though
in his case there is still something of a family resemblance, especially if the
game is played when the moon is full.
This has got me thinking. What if my own son takes to chess, how should I go
about teaching him. And should I let him win now and then or avoid playing
him whilst training him to beat other kids? Especially the ones with crisps,
baseball caps and hovering parents.
Surfing the net for help on this matter turned out to be rather interesting,
especially when one of my favourite expressions is I crush, therefore I am.
Heres one snippet I found that reflected the general tenor of advice to
parents:
When children are too focused on winning, they may start to evaluate
themselves based on how many victories they achieve, Shepherd-
Look says. Even if they win 90 percent of the time, theyll never be
satisfied. This is devastating to a person, she says. Theyre always
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Let's Take A Look
on a treadmill looking for the next win. All the more reason to nip an
overly competitive nature in the bud.
Well, I hasten to point out that this is nothing like me, and the fraternity of
grandmasters as a whole is a bunch of well-balanced individuals to whom this
obviously doesnt apply. And neither are captains of industry, successful
businessmen and entrepreneurs overly competitive in their behaviour. What a
nasty world it would be if we were, not nice at all in fact.
Here, meanwhile, is this months game that shows an alternative philosophy
in action. The old lions make way for the young despite their best efforts to
stay on top. It was sent to me by Enervon Sanchez who was clearly very
pleased with his win against the old man. J ust a friendly he says. Yeah,
right:
Good day! This game was just a friendly match between me and my
father (the white player). I had this game analysed and annotated
already by Fritz 8 using 30 minutes of calculating time. I hope you can
add your own annotations. Thank you very much!
Sanchez,A - Sanchez,E
Rapid Play, 2005
Slav Defence [D10]
1 d4 c6 2 c4 d5 3 c5
Fritzs comment is that White gains space, which illustrates much of whats
wrong with having computers analyse your chess games. Stick to tactics
Fritzy!
3...g6
Not bad, but Black can do better than this with 3...e5!, after which 4 e3 would
give Black a pleasant choice between gaining space with ...e5-e4 or leaving
Whites e4-pawn weak with a timely ...e5xd4.
4 Nc3 Bg7 5 Nf3 Nf6 6 Bg5 0-0
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As usual one can find a game reference in
just about every series of opening moves
under the sun. It turns out that the game
Nowakowska - Gradalska, Sopot 1997
went 6...Nbd7 7 e3 b6 8 cxb6 axb6 9 Be2
0-0 10 0-0 Bb7 11 h3 Re8 12 Nh2 h6 13
Bh4 e5 with a good game for Black.
Needless to say, I havent heard of either
of the players or the place. Sounds Eastern
European.
7 h3
Consulting Fritz once again one learns that this move secures g4. My own
view is that e4 is far more important here.
7...h6
I like 7...Ne4 in this position; for example, 8 Bf4 b6 with excellent play.
8 Bf4 Re8 9 Be5
Not sure Id want to play this for White. The normal move is 9 e3.
9...Nbd7 10 e4?
White should probably beat a retreat with 10 Bf4, but how do you play such
an undignified move against your son?
10...Nxe5 11 dxe5?
This further error leaves White in a
desperate situation. 11 Nxe5 was the best
chance, though admittedly its not great
after 11...Nxe4 12 Nxe4 dxe4 13 Bc4 Bxe5
14 dxe5 Qa5+15 Qd2 Qxc5, etc.
11...Nxe4 12 Nxe4 dxe4 13 Nh2 Qa5+14
Qd2 Qxc5 15 Rc1 Qxe5 16 Rc2 Bf5 17
Qe3
Nothing more than a defence against the
threat of 17...e3. After 17 Ng4, Black
could play 17...Bxg4 18 hxg4 Rad8 with three extra pawns and a positional
advantage to boot.
17...Red8 18 Bc4 Qa5+19 Ke2 Rd4
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19...Rd3 is possible here too White cant take because hed lose the rook on
c2.
20 Nf1 Rad8 21 Nd2
21 Qc3 might have been a slightly better try, though 21...Qxc3 22 Rxc3 Rd1
would leave White hopelessly placed.
21...Rd3! 22 Qf4
Theres not much choice. 22 Bxd3 exd3+wins the rook on c2.
22...g5 23 Nb3 Rxb3!
Fritz gleefully announces that this is the
death sentence. Er ... thats Dad youre
talking about.
24 Qh2 Rxb2 25 Rhc1
After 25 Rxb2, Black can even get fancy
with 25...Qc3.
25...e3! 26 Rxb2
The only chance here was the Its-well-
past-your-bed-time gambit.
26...Bxb2 27 Rc2 Rd2+28 Rxd2 Qxd2+29 Kf3
It doesnt happen very often, but I feel a song coming on, Harlan Howards
No Charge:
My little boy came into the kitchen this evenin
While I was fixin supper
And he handed me a piece of paper hed been writin on
And after wipin my hands on my apron
I read it - and this is what it said:
For mowin the yard five dollars
And for makin my own bed this week one dollar
And for goin to the store fifty cents
An playin with little brother, while you went shoppin twenty-five
cents
Takin out the trash one dollar
Gettin a good report card five dollars
And for rakin the yard two dollars
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Total owed fourteen seventy-five.
Well, I looked at im standin there expectantly
And a thousand memries flashed through my mind
So I picked up the pen, turnin the paper over,
This is what I wrote:
For nine months I carried you
Growin inside me NO CHARGE
For the nights Ive sat up with you,
Doctored you, prayed for you NO CHARGE
For the time and the tears.
And the cost through the years, theres NO CHARGE
When you add it all up.
The full cost of my love is NO CHARGE.
For the nights filled with dread
And the worries ahead NO CHARGE
For advice and the knowledge
And the cost of your college NO CHARGE
For the toys, food and clothes and for wipin your nose
Theres NO CHARGE, son
When you add it all up,
The full cost of my love, is NO CHARGE.
Well, when he finished readin
He had great big old tears in his eyes
And he looked up at me and he said,
Mama, I sure do love you.
Then he took the pen,
And in great big letters
He wrote: PAID IN FULL.
When you add it all up
The cost of real love is NO CHARGE
29Qxf2#0-1
Recommended Reading
How to Beat Your Dad at Chess by Murray Chandler (Gambit 1998)
Raising Boys: Why Boys Are DifferentAnd How to Help ThemBecome
Happy and Well-Balanced Men by Steve Biddulph (Celestial Arts 1998)
Copyright 2006 Nigel Davies. All rights reserved.
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Let's Take A Look

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