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Burns,J (1770) – Rogers,Kieran (1700) [D17]
Kilkenny (5), 25.11.2012
[Burns,John]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5
Coincidentally all my games with White were met by this line of the Slav Defence. My unimpressive score of 1/3 suggests I have homework to do… 6.Bf4 6. e3 and 6. e5 are far more popular replies 6…e6 Fritz recommends 6….Nd5 with (already) a half-point advantage to Black 7.e3 Bb4 8.Bxc4 Nd5
9.Bxd5?! As white, having to give up your white-squared bishop for knight so early in the game, and for no tangible benefit, is clearly a disaster 9…exd5 10.Qb3 Na6 11.0–0 Qa5 12.Ne5 [12.Na2 going backwards never seems right, but this at least hints at the pressure White has on b7] 12…0–0 13.f3 f6! Black responds actively, and doesn’t wait around for White to get in e3-e4 14.Ng4™ Bd3 but doesn’t follow up correctly, with ..Bxg4 15.Rfd1 [15.Nxd5 Naturally, Fritz finds the tactical refutation 15…Bxf1 16.Nxb4+ Rf7 17.Nxc6 bxc6 18.Rxf1] 15…Bc4 16.Qc2 Black has weakened the white squares around his king 16…Be7 17.Qf5 Qd8 18.e4 Qc8
19.Ne3 [19.Qh5 doesn’t work for White 19…f5 20.Ne5 fxe4 discovers an attack on Bf4 21.Nxc4 dxc4 22.Ne2 exf3 23.Qxf3 Qe6–+] 19…Qxf5 20.Nxf5 Bb4 21.Nd6 Bxd6 22.Bxd6 Now that White has eliminated Black’s bishop pair, the position is pretty equal 22…Rf7 23.Re1 Rd8 24.e5 fxe5 25.dxe5 Rfd7 kingside pawn majorities are less dangerous than queenside ones, but with the Black B outside his pawn chain, this one could develop bite if I can get g2-g4/ f3-f5 in… 26.a5 [26.Ba3 is a more interesting try, with the idea of e5-e6-e7 with gain of tempo. I was afraid that after he plays d5-d4, Black can bring his bishop back to f7 and ensures my passed pawn never lands 26…Nc7 27.e6 Nxe6 28.Rxe6 d4 but once again the idea is refuted by Fritz 29.Re5 dxc3 30.bxc3 b5] 26…Nc7 27.Na4 Ne6
28.Nc5? Played quickly, and without calculation, presuming he would have to swap knights28…Rxd6 but of course he doesn’t.. 29.Nxb7 R6d7 30.Nxd8 Rxd8 in theory this is an equal swap; in practice the rook will be no match for Bishop and Knight 31.Kf2?and especially not when I throw another pawn at him [31.Rad1 Rb8 32.Rd2 Rb5 33.g3 Rxa5 34.f4 Nc5 35.Kg2 Rb5 36.e6 Kf8 37.f5 Ke7 38.g4 Nd3 39.Ra1 a5 is also pretty comfortable for Black] 31…Rb8 32.Kg3 Rxb2 33.Rab1 Rxb1 …Rb5 is even stronger 34.Rxb1 Bb5! shutting the door on the Rook, which now has no way in 35.f4 g6 36.Kf3 Kf7 37.g4 h6 ..Nd4+ is a lot stronger, supporting the Bb5 and allowing the c-pawn to roll 38.h4 a6 39.Ke3 Nc5 40.Kd4 Ne4 41.Rg1 [41.Rxb5 would be a desperate attempt to bluff, which could work in time pressure (although with increments being standard in weekend tournaments, nobody really gets into time trouble any more) 41…cxb5 42.Kxd5 Nf2 43.g5 hxg5 44.fxg5 Ke7 45.Kc5 Ne4+ 46.Kb6 b4 47.Kxa6 b3–+] 41…Ke6 42.h5 c5+–+ 43.Ke3 gxh5 44.gxh5 Kf5 45.Rg6 d4+ 46.Kf3 d3 47.Rg1 d2 48.e6 Nc3 White resigned. Moral of the story? One hasty move (28) can cost you a game 0–1
Rathmines Chess Club 
Hi John,
Good to see some games up on the website I will have to try and send a couple in. 6. Ne5 was very popular a few years ago and the positions become interesting fairly quickly. A good website I use before any league games is http://www.chesslive.de/, its a quick and easy way to look at opening lines and find ideas you may not of ever thought of, the downside is there is no computer evaluation but you can a rough idea on the basis of how a position scores for each color.
Killian
Yes, 6. Bf4 is just rubbish. Can you recommend any good books on the Slav?
John i have a book on the complete semi slav if you want to borrow it.
Would love to Leon, thanks. Are you coming down for the Xmas blitz?
john i will see you at the christmas blitz.You being an attacking player there are some really good attacking plans for white.Look up the meran line if your opponent takes the c4 pawn and trys to hold onto it.
yes …. 28. Nc5 looks like a natural move to make , yet it’s a blunder . It’s good to see a game from a club member here and it’s more interesting to study and if GM john burns can make a blunder like this it gives the rest of Non GM players like me hope for the future . How come there are so many tournaments in Dublin during spring and summer but the only one ( the worse one ) is in gonzaga . you thought cold winter months were more suitable for chess tournaments than summer times when weather is better and you want to be outside .Talking about gonzaga they have chosen the worse weekend for their tournament , feb 1st- 3rd , on feb 2nd , 6 teams from armstrong and 4 from heidefled and other teams are playing including rathmines A in armstrong and rathmines ennis while the weekend on either side of it is virtually match free for the league , I contacted the organizers there but to no avail . Rathmines should organize a tournament itself , the club can actually make money out of it like e2-e4 organizers . Killian said he is trying to organize a fide rated blitz tournament , talking about killian does any one know any good strategy to beat him in blitz , I think there should be a health warning given to any one with any delusions of grandeur in chess to stop him playing killian in blitz .
I cant be beaten Shahram!
I wonder that myself why there are no tournaments over Winter, it just doesnt make sense. I was going to play Gonzaga but with a Armstrong game on the Saturday not sure how that will work now maybe get a bye for round 3 on Saturday evening or try and play 2 games at once although Im not sure that would be the best idea! That is also a big problem with so many teams coming into the league and playing on a Saturday, I dont mind 1 or 2 games over the season but we have 4 at the moment and I can see that potentially rising to maybe 6 in a few years…
Rory is looking to organise a few fide rated blitz tournaments in Dublin in 2013 and is looking to have the first 1 in Rathmines in January or February. It looks like it will go ahead and its just a case of finding dates that suit.
I like your confidence killian but even a super computer like you can be beaten.Shahram all you have to do is play something non book thats not in killians database that confuses him and then eat up his pieces.See you all at the christmas blitz
Yes there should be more tournaments in Dublin during winter when it’s cold and wet ( It’s always wet ) and you want to be indoors , As for gonzaga It is the most convenient as I live in Ranelagh but the worse tournament in ICU calendar , badly organized and it’s over 1800’s section was pathetic last year. Could you ask rory to arrange a fide rated rapid games as well !! ( if not asking too much, lol ) The UNrated rapid games in bray brought over 100 people last summer and I believe it will be a success in Dublin , Blitz suits young sharp minded persons like you but majority with ageing demented brains like me would prefer a rapid game than a blitz . talking about rapid games I thought you were supposed to play tony bermingham in a rapid game to see who is the senior club champion , 6 MONTHS AGO ?! .
@ Leon , yes killian is a good fast player & is over-confident and likes to boast while I lack confidence in my chess ability and I never boast . Not to worry , his rating has been flatlining around 2000 mark for many years and he has NO title while mine is like a ballistic missile ! It is only question of When and not IF when my rating goes above killian ( 2-3 years time ). by the way Raimund who sits on board 1 of rathmines heidenfeld is available and very interested to play in armstrong if any one needs a sub.
nikrow i beg to differ on killians rating about flatlining however i do agree he should be over 2200 and needs to get a fm or im title to his name his ability merits this.However if he is lacking motivation this is where i come in just look at his motivation levels last year when we won the league sky high.still i’m having great fun this year in the bodley and i’m going to capture the one trophy i never won the bodley cup.
@ Leon , yes killian deserves a title and has amazing speed in mental calculation . As for me I am unable to train in chess I am a premium member in chess.com but anytime I try to watch any chess video I fall sleep after 5 minutes and find playing against fritz or generally training boring and prefer just to play with others . The night before blitz I have I shall give at least 1/2 hour to see If it is possible to see if killain’ s favorite caro – Kann can be turned into a caro – Kan’t .
shahram killian hates weird openings for example na3 or g4 or something non book these moves may not be so good but it takes killian out of his pet lines and he has to think.however remember killians strength can also be his weakness and that may explain why he is not an im yet.over confidence in chess can sometimes make you careless.That being said i thing Killian is one of the best attacking players on the chess circuit so break up his attack and hit him on the counter.
Thanks for taking a interest in my chess however I think you guys are underestimating how good you have to be to get to 2400 or even 2200! I will be sending Tony a few games in the next day or so for the website so you can take a better look.
@ Leon I can only hope everyone takes your advice and makes my life easier winning the Christmas blitz!!
These Saturday games in the League are a real nuisance, but how ironic that Gonzaga – one of the clubs that has moved league games to Saturday – should have its tournament compromised??!!
I will be suggesting to the Rathmines club committee that we put forward a motion at the LCU agm banning all Saturday league games except for clubs that are more than 25 miles from the GPO (and hence their players would find it difficult getting home after games on week-day nights).
killian if you don’t win the christmas blitz i will be surprised and very disappointed.looking forward to seeing everybody.Killian if your a betting man check out the odds on round towers winning the bea, o’hanlon and ennis in the next 3 years.
@Leon . I’m sure you won’t be too disappointed with killian if you win the blitz competition yourself . Raimund asked me to play a long game ( ladder ) last night and to come in @ 7:45 , I arrive on time & find he is playing as a sub in armstrong ( I wonder who came up with that clever idea ? ), any way I tried your Na3 opening ( sodium attack, initial Na stands for sodium ) and All I could hear was the calcium in my bones getting crushed . Na3 is Not good ,knight does not do anything and has to move again and it’s a waste of a move, I think if you want to pull someone away from book is to make moves which can be described as inaccuracies in early or middle game .If john burns can not play saturday may be he can ask opponent to come in during club night if a home game or play away during opponent club nights in weekdays ? .
So that’s good we’ve established that 1. Na3 is pants. I bet 1. Nh3 is rubbish too. And 1. a4. Hopefully we can crack this before the blitz next week so we’re ready for Killian. I might try 1. f3.
Leon’s idea to play Na3 is to get me into a position that is out of book however he making an assumption that he cannot play a normal opening against me and get a result and that if he gets me out of book by playing a terrible move he will be able to. Personally I think Leon is overestimating my opening knowledge although it is probably better than Leon’s that is not to say that if Leon was to prepare a specific line he could not get a good position even more so that if Leon thinks my chess standard can be 2400(I disagree) that he would be happy to play a terrible position against me! I have the same problems when I am playing players where I want to avoid at all costs playing into a system they know well by playing some dodgy lines(E4,D5,PXP,C6) but the problem with that I will never improve until I learn how to play against my opponents systems. I will often however play a move I know not to best to get a position I feel will suit my style more so than my opponent.
@ Shahram I am fan of the name Sodium attack however I cant give you credit for thinking of Raimund for the Armstrong as I did ask him to play against Gonzaga.
Personally I take this Sodium attack with a grain of salt
There is an easy and sensible way to resolve the issue of whether killian ‘s advantage over Leon is due to his better book preparation or not and that is to play chess 960 where pieces are randomly placed in the back rank , then there is NO book and players raw talent is displayed. @ Leon , did you say you can bet on your team’s chances ? what website ? . It’s funny how easy it is to guess the result immediately after a match ends , The winner talks more than the loser as if giving him/her a lecture and then goes for walk of honour around the venue with a grin on their face while the loser discreetly make their exit .
Tip!
My english is a bit weak but I want to express thats its natural that ICC loses members and most new players join more serious clubs wth less rabiat, unhonest admins. One example is that Its not even possible to send critics for unsporty behaviour from an “helper” without listening to a whole club where admins gets mad-rabiat, they all protect each other even if one of them acts wrong.
I was one of the first IT-chess players around 1994, also holding my own tourneys in Sweden.
I have experience enough. The admins of ICC today destroyed an old nice club and dont fullfill the intentions from the grounder.
One of my blogs is mainly about unfairness and criminals in governments etc.
ICC is nowadays more or less a club for demandless kids, abusers, cheaters and half-figures.
Also the interfaces are unserious spyware.
(why do you have such a LONG page, separate it, some ppl use mobile 3G and dont want to download such pages, otherwise I ccan see your club is very nice)
Regards / Hans Sweden