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Ask the Tiger
with GM Nigel Davies
January, 2004
Your chance to pick the brain of one of the world's leading GMs, chess
teachers, and authors!
Learn
more about Nigel's teaching philosophy and check out his very
reasonable rates. Visit his website,
Tiger Chess, loaded with instructional articles.
Ask the Tiger Your
Question Now!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Question:
I am pretty new to chess. I know all the tactics and other stuff but I
don't have any repertoire. Can you suggest to me which repertoire would be
better for a novice player like me and also some suggestions to improve and
also some names of good sites where I can get enough material to study.
Thank you, Mohammed Haseeb
Answer: I wouldn't worry too much about a 'repertoire', focus more on
the principles and play through lots of games.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Question: This question is a little off of the usual topics of
variations and positions. You are one of the few chess professionals who is
a "triple threat" - you teach, play actively, and write, and I read that you
have an interest in finance and investments. My question is what do you
estimate the UK and world wide chess 'business' to be? If the value of
teaching activity, tournaments, equipment, and publishing (print and
digital) were to be tabulated, would it be in the millions of pounds? I'm
curious as the video game business has now surpassed movies in the US and
now is estimated to generate revenues of $6-7 billion annually. Sincerely,
Julian Wan
Answer: I'd guess in the region of several hundred million, but this
may be wildly inaccurate!
-------------------------------------------
Question: I'd like to know how sound you think the Finegold
Defense in the Morra gambit, you think it is; and I would like that you
could talk a little about it!!
Answer: I don't even know what it is, and sincerely hope this will
remain the case!
--------------------------------------------
Question: Please tell me with adequate practice can anybody
becomes GM or it require special talent? How many moves ahead a GM can
think?
Answer: Some players can't even get to 1600, no matter how hard they
try. In theory a GM should be able to think an infinite number of moves
ahead, but sometimes it's only one.
---------------------------------------------
Question: My friend Ben came over this weekend and explained his
Colle system for White. He uses this with experts and masters even; rarely
loses. He is an expert endgame player. Now, what do you think? Is it based
on sound solid principles not flashy, somewhat boring; but easy to learn and
apply.
Answer: It's not a good opening to play if someone wants to improve.
There's too little variety and it shuts in White's pieces.
---------------------------------------------
Question: I currently play a QGD set-up against d4 which, as an
attack-minded player. I don't like the feel of. I quite like the look
of the Gruenfeld or Kings Indian as Black which seem to offer better chances
for Black to attack. Which defence against d4 do you think offers the best
counter-attacking chances? Dave Kilmartin
Answer: There are a number of defences which try to challenge for the
initiative, from the Gruenfeld to the Benko and the Tarrasch Defence. But if
you dream of seeing your opponent's king position in ruins then either the
King's Indian or Dutch will give you the greatest chance of happiness.
---------------------------------------------
Question: Other than buying the book It's Only Me, where
can I see a copy of the game mentioned in the Vol 2 Iss. 45 where Karpov
lost to Tony Miles who played the St. George's Defense in Skara 1980?
Answer: Here it is in all its glory:
Karpov,A (2703) - Miles,A (2534) [B00]
EU-chT Skara (1), 1980
1.e4 a6 2.d4 b5 3.Nf3 Bb7 4.Bd3 Nf6 5.Qe2 e6 6.a4 c5 7.dxc5
Bxc5 8.Nbd2 b4 9.e5 Nd5 10.Ne4 Be7 11.0-0 Nc6 12.Bd2 Qc7 13.c4 bxc3 14.Nxc3
Nxc3 15.Bxc3 Nb4 16.Bxb4 Bxb4 17.Rac1 Qb6 18.Be4 0-0 19.Ng5 h6 20.Bh7+ Kh8
21.Bb1 Be7 22.Ne4 Rac8 23.Qd3 Rxc1 24.Rxc1 Qxb2 25.Re1 Qxe5 26.Qxd7 Bb4
27.Re3 Qd5 28.Qxd5 Bxd5 29.Nc3 Rc8 30.Ne2 g5 31.h4 Kg7 32.hxg5 hxg5 33.Bd3
a5 34.Rg3 Kf6 35.Rg4 Bd6 36.Kf1 Be5 37.Ke1 Rh8 38.f4 gxf4 39.Nxf4 Bc6 40.Ne2
Rh1+ 41.Kd2 Rh2 42.g3 Bf3 43.Rg8 Rg2 44.Ke1 Bxe2 45.Bxe2 Rxg3 46.Ra8 Bc7 0-1
Click here
for a JavaScript board to follow the game on.
-------------------------------------------
Question: I was surprised to come across a webpage that talked
about the O'Sullivan gambit in Alekhine's defense. I had never heard of it
before, and I don't think its given any coverage in your latest on the
subject. It goes: 1.e4 Nf6; 2.e5 Nd5; 3.d4 b5?!. Did you research this
strange line? Thanks, Mike Rosensaft
Answer: Nope.
--------------------------------------------
Question: I very much enjoyed the article on online chess
etiquette, and have a question of my own: there is a player at my local club
who comes out with an endless stream of obnoxious remarks, slams the pieces
down, etc. etc. I guess I shouldn't let it, but this rattles me and I
usually end up losing to him. Of course he may just be better, but I'm rated
over 200 points higher then he is and I regularly beat people around his
rating, but who act civilly at the board. Is this kind of behavior
"just part of the game," or should I lodge some kind of formal protest with
the club president? Tony Serafini
Answer: A player who disturbs his opponent's concentration is just
breaking the rules, period. I suggest you ask your opponent to behave
himself and if he doesn't, lodge a formal complaint. If nobody listens then
either refuse to play him or join another club.
--------------------------------
Question: You seem to be playing more OTB tourneys this year than
in the recent past. If so, what made you decide to start playing more, and
are you enjoying yourself doing so? David Surratt
Answer: Yes, I've been more heavily motivated, the main reason being
that I needed the money after the arrival of my son. I don't see chess as a
'pleasure' as such, but I get great satisfaction from playing well and
winning.
---------------------------------
Question: Do you have any current info on Lisa Lane Hickey? Garey
Answer: Nope. Last I knew of is what I reported in my
June/July, 2003 Ask the
Tiger! column.
---------------------------------
Question: I get very intimidated by ratings. I start to see what
must be blunders (and may be blunders) as some tactical trick that I just
don't get. This puts me off so much, I generally blunder my self. If
you were to play Kasparov, would you feel the same? His awesome presence:
would it make you play worse, or with more doubt than normal. I read that
Kramnik felt he beat Kasparov by not looking at him once. I watched Keith
Arkell in a simultaneous at my sons school. I knew everything he was doing,
and felt buoyed by it. But if he sat with me alone, he'd kill me. I'd know I
was dead by move 8. Trevor English
Answer: It's best to try and focus on the pieces, and the more you
play against strong players the easier it becomes.
----------------------------------
Question: I am a fairly good player as I rarely lose chess games.
I more often than not play against computers, though I have played several
tournaments this year and won rather easily. Although human opponents are
usually relatively weaker I also find that computers become weaker and
weaker as their game leaves the opening and progresses to play that involves
careful pawn advances. At it's highest level the computer doesn't seem to
know how to combat it. Why is it that computers have such problems in these
positions? Mark Hesford
Answer: Computers crunch variations well but do not have our
intuition and positional judgment. They never know what to do with the pawns
unless it has tactical consequences within their range of vision.
-----------------------------
Question: Which is stronger in the endgame, two Rooks or a lone
Queen?
Answer: It depends where everything else is! King safety is usually a
big issue in such positions.
------------------------------
Question: Is the bishop opening weak to open with?
Answer: Not at all. Bent Larsen used to play it.
-------------------------------
Question: I am 62. In the year 2000 I had a 2000+ rating.
When I lose I change openings. A vicious cycle! Aggressive
openings, positional openings, etc., back and forth, even unorthodox lines.
I don't think I've gone a month playing the same repertoire!
Discouraged but not to the
point of giving up chess. Also when a position gets to be unfavorable
for me I usually ask for a draw. Rather draw than lose but my best
results were when I played knockdown chess. Any hope for me regaining
my former successes? Arthur Nugent
Answer: It sounds like you're blaming the openings for your losses.
You need to diagnose the real cause.
---------------------------------------------
- GM Nigel Davies,
Tiger Chess
Email GM Davies
and Ask the Tiger Your
Question Now!
[Index of Ask the Tiger Columns]
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