Going Good 2

[Event "simonjosephbertrand vs. p2kpradeep"]
[Site " Chess.com"]
[Date "Nov 11, 2017"]
[White "simonjosephbertrand"]
[Black "p2kpradeep"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "1095"]
[BlackElo "1020"]
[TimeControl "1 in 0 day"]
[SetUp "1"]
[Termination "p2kpradeep won by checkmate"]
1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. a3 Nc6 5. Nf3 e6 6. d3 Bc5 7. Be3 Nf6 8. b4 Qa6 9. Bxc5 Ne7 10. Bxe7 Kxe7 11. d4 Qc6 12. Qd2 Ne4 13. Nxe4 Qxe4+ 14. Be2 Rd8 15. O-O b6 16. Rae1 Bb7 17. Qg5+ f6 18. Qxg7+ Kd6 19. Qxf6 Rg8 20. Bc4 Rxg2+ 21. Kxg2 Rg8+ 22. Kh1 Qxf3+ 23. Qxf3 Bxf3#  0-1

Sent from my Android

Going Good

[Event "p2kpradeep vs. Keevinblue"]
[Site " Chess.com"]
[Date "Nov 11, 2017"]
[White "p2kpradeep"]
[Black "Keevinblue"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "1010"]
[BlackElo "981"]
[TimeControl "1 in 0 day"]
[SetUp "1"]
[Termination "p2kpradeep won by resignation"]
1. e4 e6 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. e5 Ng8 4. d4 d6 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. Bf4 d5 7. Qd2 Bb4 8. Bb5 Nge7 9. Bg5 f6 10. exf6 gxf6 11. Bxf6 O-O 12. Qg5+ Kf7 13. Bxc6 Nxc6 14. Bxd8  1-0

Sent from my Android

Attempt to Create and Share Game Videos

In the last several months, I have been looking for a simpler, better, seamless way to share my games and self-analyses here in my blog.

With so much technology infiltrating into our lives these days, we may come to expect that posting our own chess games on our own blogs is just as simple a process as 1. Play chess using any program/site; 2. Add your in-game move comments and self-analysis notes; 3. Post/share on whichever site you want. And yet, in reality it is still not as simple as that. Yes, it just takes the three steps, but the process is not really seamless in practice.

I mostly use my mobile devices to play chess (either online on chess.com or other sites, or using the excellent chess apps that are abundantly available). And I mostly use my PC/laptop to blog, to take advantage of the larger display and the physical keyboard/mouse combo.

It's somewhat easy with the games I play on chess.com; all I need to do is copy my game PGN to their analysis board, add my move comments and save the game; then I can copy the URL that points to my saved game and paste it here.

However, that's not so true with the games I play on other sites/programs on my mobile devices; here it involves the additional burden of exporting the PGN out of the phone and onto the laptop and then importing it into chess.com to continue what I want to do.

Not that I am lazy, but I do wish there were more efficient ways--some API, for instance, or some way to automate the whole thing--to replace all this hardware and software jugglery.

Finally I hit upon an idea. Seeing how easily tutors and masters create videos of their games or tutorials on their youtube channels, I decided to try the same route right here. Rather than typing out large chunks of notes and move comments, I could just speak my thoughts out in a video while I run through my games, and then just post it here. Now I just need to a) find some apps to record my mobile and laptop screens, b) learn to effectively use them, and c) find free space to host my videos (the last I checked, blogspot didn't support video hosting).

So this is what I'm going to try over the next week or two. If it works out as expected, I shall flood my blog frequent posts!


---
Many thanks.
Prady.
FB page: https://www.facebook.com/HungryForChess
Partner FB group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/195960723787552/

Game 20170511.001 (Chess.com)

In this game I was playing with Black pieces. I started with the idea of the Indian defense, but it deviated as early as the second move. I ended up committing mistakes and blunders in the first 15 moves, which should have cost me the game, but my opponent went on to commit bigger blunders in the next 15 moves, and lost an almost won game.

My thoughts and comments in-line.




---
Many thanks.
Prady.
FB page: https://www.facebook.com/HungryForChess
Partner FB group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/195960723787552/

Game 20170419.001 (Chess.com)

My thoughts and comments in-line.



---
Many thanks.
Prady.
FB page: https://www.facebook.com/HungryForChess
Partner FB group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/195960723787552/

Game 20170311.006 (Chess.com)

If you are unable to see the game above, please click here.

---
Many thanks.
Prady.
FB page: https://www.facebook.com/HungryForChess
Partner FB group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/195960723787552/

Game 20170311.005 (Chess.com)

About a year ago, I would have tried to either win and exchange or at least keep it even. These days I don't mind if my opponent takes off pieces I do not need for my plan (however good or bad it may be). In fact, when that happens these days, it gives me a degree of satisfaction that my opponent just wasted a move and created more space for me to move around.




If you are unable to see the game above, please click here.

---
Many thanks.
Prady.
FB page: https://www.facebook.com/HungryForChess
Partner FB group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/195960723787552/

Game 20170311.004 (Chess.com)

If you are unable to see the game above, please click here.

---
Many thanks.
Prady.
FB page: https://www.facebook.com/HungryForChess
Partner FB group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/195960723787552/

Game 20170311.003 (Chess.com)

If you are unable to see the game above, please click here.

---
Many thanks.
Prady.
FB page: https://www.facebook.com/HungryForChess
Partner FB group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/195960723787552/

Game 20170311.002 (Chess.com)

If you are unable to see the game above, please click here.

---
Many thanks.
Prady.
FB page: https://www.facebook.com/HungryForChess
Partner FB group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/195960723787552/

Game 20170311.001 (Chess.com)

I feel and see a marked difference in my playing style these days, as compared to a year ago. It was not a gradual change, but quite a sudden one. It seems to have happened during my last hiatus. I trust I'm improving surely, albeit slowly.



If you are unable to see the game above, please click here.

---
Many thanks.
Prady.
FB page: https://www.facebook.com/HungryForChess
Partner FB group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/195960723787552/

Game 20170312.001 (Chess.com)

I feel and see a marked difference in my playing style these days, as compared to a year ago. It was not a gradual change, but quite a sudden one. It seems to have happened during my last hiatus. I trust I'm improving surely, albeit slowly.



If you are unable to see the game above, please click here.

---
Many thanks.
Prady.
FB page: https://www.facebook.com/HungryForChess
Partner FB group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/195960723787552/

Game 20170310.001 (Chess.com)

This game went quite well for me. My opponent delayed development to start an early attack with limited resources, which suited me fine, though I was down material in the opening. Though I could not play the exact opening I wanted because of Black's first 2 moves, I could still play very similar ideas with the N sac on f7. Got many tactical shots from there on.

If you are unable to see the game below, please click here.




On a side note: Rather than owning up and resigning, my opponent just disconnected and let the game auto-resign. I learned later (from other people's notes on her/his profile) that this was not the first time it happened. I wonder why such wimps play chess at all.

---
Many thanks.
Prady.
FB page:

https://www.facebook.com/HungryForChess
Partner FB group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/195960723787552/

Productive Year

This time the break was only from the blog, and not from the game. Over the last few months, I have been playing a few 30 min games each weekend live on chess.com with people rated roughly equal. I've also played a couple of 30 min games every day against a good mobile app by thinking down Arasan to 15% strength, which should be a range of rating slightly more challenging. Shall post at least some of those games here in coming days (Converting the pgns to repayable games on a daily basis is a hassle, since there are no apps for that, and I have to depend on chess.com).

Over the last three months I've gradually and finally realised exactly what kind of games I really like to play. With that realisation came a change in my openings as White. However, with that also came a need to find comparable openings as Black, but since Black's first few moves are generally only reactive attempts at equalising, I found no satisfactory answer at my level. So I generally feel weaker when I play the Black pieces, but not if my opponents allow me a chance to gain initiative--then I happily try to capitalise.

I believe this year will be productive in terms of improvements.

Shall post those games when I'm able to convert them.

* Spellings as per English (UK) keypad. Please pardon any irritation.

---
Many thanks.
Prady.
FB page: https://www.facebook.com/HungryForChess

Game 20170309.001 (Chess.com)

I was comfortable throughout this game. There was not much pressure from White.



If you are unable to see the game above, please click here.

---
Many thanks.
Prady.
FB page: https://www.facebook.com/HungryForChess
Partner FB group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/195960723787552/