2200 assault

[Vlad Drkulec]

A pinned piece is not protecting what you think it is protecting. Your opponent played the game very poorly though perhaps not surprising given the rating.

[Hans Jung]

I liked the way you restrained his knights and the way you made your bishops work. You brought the knight and the queen in at the right time and accomplished your goal. There is always work to be done on the openings.
A good benchmark game for your start back. Keep playing. Onwards and upwards.

[Amit R]

A pinned piece is not protecting what you think it is protecting. Your opponent played the game very poorly though perhaps not surprising given the rating.

Yes, Vlad; a few moves back, Black had tried Rc7, an illegal move, first, instead of Qc7 ; I guess Black never internalized the effect of this pin.

As I see it, White's victory was over a different player, though ; one who was too lazy and scared to ever play a tournament game.

I am satisfied that the journey from zero to one was made.

[Amit R]

I liked the way you restrained his knights and the way you made your bishops work. You brought the knight and the queen in at the right time and accomplished your goal. There is always work to be done on the openings.
A good benchmark game for your start back. Keep playing. Onwards and upwards.

Thank you, Hans, for your kind words, as always .

To be honest, I wasn't too happy with how I used my light-square bishop ; when I shut the a2-g8 diagonal down, I was hoping that it might be worth if if White can shut down both of Black's bishops. Eventually, White's bishop came to life only because of Black's c5 blunder.

Next game this Wednesday!

[Amit R]

Game 2

[Event "CEM 1: Amit Ramesan vs. Christine Grenier"]
[White "Amit Ramesan"]
[Black "Christine Grenier"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "0"]
[BlackElo "879"]
[UTCDate "2023.09.21"]
[UTCTime "02:23:04"]
[Variant "Standard"]
[ECO "B22"]
[Opening "Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation"]

1. e4 c5 2. c3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. cxd4 d5 5. Nc3 Ne7 6. Bf4 Nbc6 7. Bb5 Bd7 8. Ba4 g6 9. Nb5 Nc8 10. Nc7+ Ke7 11. exd5 Nd6 12. Nxa8 Qxa8 13. dxc6 bxc6 14. Nf3 Bg7 15. Bxd6+ Kxd6 16. Ne5 Be8 17. Qf3 Qb7 18. Qb3 Qxb3 19. axb3 Kd5 20. O-O Kxd4 21. Nxc6+ Ke4 22. Nxa7 Bxa4 23. bxa4 Bxb2 24. Rab1 Bd4 25. Rb4 e5 26. Rfb1 Rd8 27. Nc6 1-0

[Amit R]

Game 3

Got lucky, White missed a mate.

Missed a chance to activate my bishop, gave needless counterplay, showed poor endgame knowledge. Need to improve a lot!

[Event "CEM 1: Maxime Cloutier-Courcelle vs. Amit Ramesan"]
[White "Maxime Cloutier-Courcelle"]
[Black "Amit Ramesan"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "0"]
[BlackElo "0"]
[UTCDate "2023.09.28"]
[UTCTime "23:36:11"]
[Variant "Standard"]
[ECO "D02"]
[Opening "Queen's Pawn Game: Zukertort Variation"]

1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 g6 3. e3 Bg7 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. g3 Bg4 6. Be2 Bh3 7. Ng5 Qd7 8. f4 h6 9. Nf3 Nc6 10. Bb5 Ng4 11. Bf1 Bxf1 12. Rxf1 Qe6 13. Qe2 O-O 14. h3 Nf6 15. g4 Ne4 16. Bd2 Ng3 17. Qg2 Nxf1 18. Qxf1 a6 19. O-O-O Na5 20. b3 Rfc8 21. Na4 b6 22. Ne5 Nb7 23. f5 gxf5 24. gxf5 Qd6 25. Qg2 Kh7 26. Rg1 Rg8 27. Nxf7 Qf6 28. Qxd5 Nd6 29. e4 Qxf7 30. Qxf7 Nxf7 31. e5 Nxe5 32. dxe5 Bxe5 33. Rd1 Rad8 34. Re1 Bf6 35. Bb4 c5 36. Bc3 Bxc3 37. Nxc3 Rd7 38. Re6 Rf8 39. Rxb6 Rf6 40. Rb8 Rxf5 41. Ra8 Rf1+ 42. Kb2 Rf3 43. Rxa6 Rxh3 44. Ne4 Rc7 45. Nf2 Rh4 46. Re6 Kg7 47. Re5 Kf6 48. Re4 Rxe4 49. Nxe4+ Kf5 50. Ng3+ Kg4 51. Ne2 h5 52. c3 h4 53. Ng1 h3 54. Nxh3 Kxh3 55. a4 e5 56. Kc2 Rd7 57. b4 e4 58. bxc5 Kg3 59. c6 Rc7 60. Kd2 Kf4 61. Ke1 Rxc6 62. a5 Rxc3 63. a6 Ra3 0-1

[Amit R]

Game 4

Missed a fork and had to give up my bishop. On the backfoot throughout, and finally won because of the opponent's blunder.

[Event "CEM 1: Christine Grenier vs. Amit Ramesan"]
[White "Christine Grenier"]
[Black "Amit Ramesan"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "879"]
[BlackElo "0"]
[UTCDate "2023.10.05"]
[UTCTime "23:36:41"]
[Variant "Standard"]
[ECO "C22"]
[Opening "Center Game: Normal Variation"]

1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Qxd4 Nc6 4. Qd1 g6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Nf3 Nge7 7. Bc4 Na5 8. Bd3 O-O 9. O-O b6 10. Bg5 Qe8 11. Re1 Bb7 12. Rb1 a6 13. Qd2 d6 14. Bh6 Qd7 15. Bg5 Nac6 16. Nd5 Rae8 17. Nf6+ Bxf6 18. Bxf6 Qe6 19. Bg5 Ne5 20. Nxe5 dxe5 21. Bh6 Rd8 22. Bxf8 Kxf8 23. Qh6+ Kg8 24. b3 b5 25. Re3 f5 26. Rh3 Qf7 27. Qh4 f4 28. Re1 Bc8 29. Rf3 Qg7 30. g4 g5 31. Qh3 Ng6 32. Be2 Nh4 33. Rd3 Rf8 34. Red1 Qe7 35. a4 b4 36. Rd5 c5 37. Bc4 Kh8 38. R5d3 h5 39. gxh5 Bxh3 40. Rxh3 g4 41. Rhd3 Nf3+ 42. Kf1 Qh4 43. Rxf3 gxf3 44. Ke1 Qxh2 45. Kd2 Rd8+ 46. Kc1 Rxd1+ 47. Kxd1 Qxf2 48. Kc1 Qe1+ 49. Kb2 f2 50. Ka2 f1=Q 51. Bxf1 Qxf1 52. Kb2 f3 0-1

[Amit R]

On a related note, the famous adult improver Neal Bruce has set 2200 FIDE in his sights too : https://twitter.com/NealBruceBC/stat...07393549996034

[Aris Marghetis]

So since returning from Baku, I do multiple Chess.com lessons daily, and I've been playing slow games at two clubs, the RA and the CEH in Gatineau. I'm also continuing with group lessons.

- on the positive side:
a) I seem to be much more creative, especially when losing, being able to salvage draws vs. "quitting"
b) I'm genuinely enjoying playing more than I have in years!

- on the negative side:
c) my openings still very often leave me in trouble, which is why I often end up living point a) above lol
d) even though I've drawn some higher-rated, I usually lose to anyone rated 200 below me and up lol

Interim status: realistically, this is still "1900 assault" for me!!

P.S. I would be very interested in what Neal Bruce tries to do.

[Amit R]

So since returning from Baku, I do multiple Chess.com lessons daily, and I've been playing slow games at two clubs, the RA and the CEH in Gatineau. I'm also continuing with group lessons.

- on the positive side:
a) I seem to be much more creative, especially when losing, being able to salvage draws vs. "quitting"
b) I'm genuinely enjoying playing more than I have in years!

- on the negative side:
c) my openings still very often leave me in trouble, which is why I often end up living point a) above lol
d) even though I've drawn some higher-rated, I usually lose to anyone rated 200 below me and up lol

Interim status: realistically, this is still "1900 assault" for me!!

P.S. I would be very interested in what Neal Bruce tries to do.

Keep going, Aris. I was very happy to see you in the RA Fall Open, but then was surprised to see you left after the 1st round.

Perhaps, we can have mini-challenges to egg each other on. I see you are 1690 CFC ; as of now, I am unrated in FQE.

How about the following: you try to reach 1900 CFC first before I reach 1600 FQE ? Or propose an alternative rating target for me you'd like..

[Aris Marghetis]

Keep going, Aris. I was very happy to see you in the RA Fall Open, but then was surprised to see you left after the 1st round.

Perhaps, we can have mini-challenges to egg each other on. I see you are 1690 CFC ; as of now, I am unrated in FQE.

How about the following: you try to reach 1900 CFC first before I reach 1600 FQE ? Or propose an alternative rating target for me you'd like..

Thanks, but I'm only competing against myself lol

By the way, I'm 1749 FQE. All the best to you too!

P.S. For the RA Fall Open, I was just a floater to reduce forfeits, I already had family weekend plans. Maybe see you there in November?!

[Amit R]

Thanks, but I'm only competing against myself lol

By the way, I'm 1749 FQE. All the best to you too!

P.S. For the RA Fall Open, I was just a floater to reduce forfeits, I already had family weekend plans. Maybe see you there in November?!

Raunak will be back at October end after a long tournament, so the Capital Open might be rather tiring for him. Not sure we'll make it... Hopefully in Jan.

[Amit R]

The last game of the tournament went well ; no significant (at my level) blunders.

[Event "CEM 1: Amit Ramesan vs Maxime Cloutier-Courcelle"]
[White "Amit Ramesan"]
[Black "Maxime Cloutier-Courcelle"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "0"]
[BlackElo "0"]
[UTCDate "2023.10.12"]
[UTCTime "04:07:21"]
[Variant "Standard"]
[ECO "B12"]
[Opening "Caro-Kann Defense: Advance Variation"]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 g6 4. Nf3 Bg4 5. Be2 e6 6. Bg5 Be7 7. Bxe7 Nxe7 8. O-O Nd7 9. Nbd2 Qc7 10. c4 Bxf3 11. Bxf3 Nf5 12. cxd5 Nxd4 13. d6 Qb6 14. Nc4 Qc5 15. Rc1 Nxf3+ 16. Qxf3 O-O-O 17. Rfe1 f5 18. exf6 Rhf8 19. f7 b5 20. Na5 Qxd6 21. Rxc6+ Kb8 22. Rc8+ 1-0

[Amit R]

Got a rating of 1364 FQE , a modest start.

[Aris Marghetis]

Got a rating of 1364 FQE , a modest start.

I think I might catch up to you, heading in the opposite direction lol

Last night, vs. a nice kid, I suffered a simple piece-losing fork-check!