Hah, thanks Yeah, it's kind of cool to have such a result in the very first experience. By the way how is your chess? You haven't played too much REAL chess after your Las Vegas event as far as I can recall except for the 960 chess you are playing now



The old guy... Yeah, some of us 20 year olds looked really old in the B section: so many kids although there were some really old folks as well, I have played one 75 year old

Thanks for the kind words. Yeah analysis practice is the thing to be done and it's on it's way! ( game analysis ) As soon as I am not too busy with my bachelors degree at the university

I think 2200 ain't that hard. I am pretty confident I might get there sometime but I really don't think I am like terribly good. ~2000 is I think about where I am at and as I have heard someone say: " you are just as good as your worst move " so yeah, my first estimated rating of 1850 sounds good

Hi armis,

My chess is pretty non-existent these days. I got laid off from my job back in March, so most of my energy is directed at job hunting in an economy best described as a nuclear winter here in Silicon Valley. It's very frustrating and depressing -- and chess is unimportant right now.

I think the Chess960 bit was part diversion (because I was new to it and there's only so much job searching you can do on any given day) and part rage (stomping a bunch of folks with 1200-1600 regnular chess ratings in Chess960 games was a socially acceptable way to let it out, I'm ashamed to admit...). It stopped being fun / interesting / satisfying / whatever about a week ago and I'm not starting any new games any time soon. I've learned when I start dreading emails saying it's my move, it's time for a break.

Sorry to be so gloomy, but you asked... When my finances stabilize, I'm going to pretty much have to start all over again since I'm getting pretty rusty.

L8erz...
=wild=

When I even STARTED analysis my FICS best rating jumped from 2045-2093, I was amazed at how fast my rating jumped. Of course, my analysis is far from perfect but still I HARDLY ever lose to someone rated below 2000. Now I have a 66-21-12% rate (win-draw-loss) against players... below 1980 recently (last 50-ish games) and I'm proud of it. That gives me confidence I won't fall below 2000. Also I have been able to beat 2100+ players much more frequently, and finally I almost always win against those overrated jerks after they blunder! (say a piece or a couple of pawns) I think you'd be amazed how fast your rating jumps after you can analyse well!

I see, well I hope it turned out well since your reply as you have started playing some regular chess on chess.com.
Yeah, same here. Once I get the emails it's OVER I know something is just plain wrong

Yeah, I kind of should analyse my games from the mentioned Pan Open 2009 but the bachelor is kind of busy Once the weather is crap though I'll get into it

Hi armis,

No... Nothing has really changed on the employment front. I alternate between being optimistic (since I'm getting more nibbles than 2-3 months ago), and being horribly depressed (since they don't seem to pan out). Being the sole breadwinner supporting a wife, a kid, and a Silicon Valley mortgage really sucks when you get laid off...

As for the chess.com business, I played in a match for the Chess Nuts group as a favor to Chess_Kababs and had enough fun beating a 1900 player on the other team (1.5/0.5 -- pushing my rating back over 2000) that I joined another match for the cv.tv group. I'm already regretting it, even though I'm pretty sure I'm going to munch the 1700 player I'm facing. I guess my mood swings are shorter than my CC games are long...

Anyway, thanks for the kind words.

L8erz...
=wild=

Ah, that sucks. But you still haven't lost your charm. Literally every single time you write something I wonder how did you come up with that

anytime

Aw shucks... I'm gonna blush! Unfortunately, people don't seem to want to pay me just for being charming...

I agree that I do seem to have a knack with a turn of phrase. Unfortunately, I doubt there would be much of a market for The Collected Writings of Wildman... Maybe I should persue a career as a stand-up comedian.

Sorry for your hopefully temporary misfortune. I presume you are in computers/IT? If you are, be aware that New Zealand is desperate for people with such skills and they're actively seeking Californians. Also, New Zealand is a totally beautiful and incredible place to live. Lower wages but cheaper prices (esp real estate), great health and education systems. I would have moved there myself years ago but sadly I'm too old and they are not looking for film/tv composers there at all. OK, I know it's a long shot that you would ever make a move like that but I bring it up in case you hadn't considered it before- also, lots of Californians already there.

And now back to Armis' training journal- sorry for the interruption.

[/armis training journal]

Hey kamus,

Thanks for the kind words and the tip. I'm not really a "computer/IT" guy. I'm an integrated circuit designer who is also a registered patent agent. If there's any semiconductor work being done in NZ I'm unaware of it, but I'll check it out anyway. I'd imagine there is even less of a market there for US patent agents... I'd view making such a move as a really cool adventure, but it would be a hard sell at the dinner table, ya know? There was a slim shot at a job in "Silicon Fen" (near Cambridge, England) and that one didn't fly well at home...

Thanks again! I'll let you know what I find...

L8erz...
=wild=

[armis training journal]

Oh wow, I really haven't been here in a million years

University has been real busy so my chess is kind of rusty but now I finally got time to get back at it I am thinking about reading some kind of book just to review things. I also figured I'll probably play in a tournament this summer so I kind of should be getting ready for it! Yeah, it's a long way off but I have some other stuff to do so I'll take the baby steps.

So I was reading this book "Chess Strategy for Club Players" by Grooten and I don't know, the first 20 pages and I still haven't learned that much, it's supposed to be the book of the year 2009 after all. I'll continue with it, alhough I have noticed Silman's 4th is released, perhaps I should get that instead?

One thing that bothers me though is my openings. I never really settled on anything. I want to change my repertoire from 1.e4 to 1.d4. I think 1.d4 is just much less of a headache, yeah there are crazy stuff there too (which I like) but the entire sicilians? Come on, I hate that stuff So I'll fiddle around with 1.d4 from now on, see how it goes

Black openings is a little more tricky. I used to play the Berlin (Cox book) and wing it against other openings, mostly NID/QID stuff. But nah, that's not me, I wanna change (the Berlin). I was thinking something that leaves a lot of tension and not a lot of pieces get traded off suits me (yeah, vague description, I know). I want the repertoire to be coherent too. The best I came up with: Sicilian Kan, NID/QID, Hedgehog against english as I guess that leaves most pieces on the board. I was also thinking about the french, e5 and Slavs, Benkos. Of all Slav and KID seem most practical as one can employ them in a variety of situations, QGD as well. Benko I like so much, never played it but the pieces do look lovely, although it can be avoided by white(the benko I mean, I don't know about the pieces ). But basically I am lost, HELP What do you play? Why?

Hey Armis,

Long time, no talk! How the heck are you?

As for chess, I'm not sure how much you've been paying attention in the last year and a half (i.e., since your last post in here), but there are two video series worth a look. katar did one for Black based on 1. e4 e5 that's quite interesting. I'm starting to learn it. Cazzeo is doing one for Black against 1. d4. using some active lines in the QGD (four so far). He's got 3-4 videos on "Declawing the Catalan" plus a couple more and it's supposed to be a complete repertoire. I've only seen one so far (very busy myself), but it was great stuff. Might be worth a look if you're starting over...

L8erz...
=wild=

Hey Wild! How are you?

I am good, I am good. Apart from an injury in skateboarding but I'll be ok someday and that's why I got time for chess! + Got my bachelor in physics and now going for a master's degree in materials technology so I guess I am doing pretty good even though the economy sucks in our country but hey, where is life perfect?

Yeah, a lot has changed here. Thanks! I should look into it, although now it's a matter of choosing of what I am going to play 1. ...e5 or 1. ...c5 against 1.e4. I have tried 1.d4 as white and I love it! lost a bunch of blitz games though. I should really look into those Catalan ones though, never figured out what to do against that

So what's your repertoire?

Hey Armis,

I'm doing OK. I haven't found a permanent job yet, but for the moment I have enough consulting work to keep the bills paid and the roof overhead.

Sorry to hear about your injury. "I'll be OK someday," doesn't sound good... What happened?

Repertoire? What repertoire? That's my constant dilemma. I can't seem to find something I don't get sick of after a few months. So now I have a whole slew of openings I know just enough about to be dangerous in -- as likely to myself as my opponents...

I just started playing again after taking an 8 month chess vacation. I just got too busy and chucked all my CC games last March. I need something simple that makes sense to me. I really like katar's philosophy behind his 1. e4 e5 repertoire -- and it makes sense -- so I'm going to try playing that. I was playing 1. d4 for awhile and that seemed OK, but I just wasn't getting it. Same thing with 1. c4. Back in the day (as in the early '70s) I just pushed my e-pawn out there on move one looking for a fight. No one knew much theory, so it was just a brawl. Since most people still don't know much theory at my level, maybe I should just go brawling for awhile. Who knows, I might even sharpen my tactical skills some in the bargain.

That still leaves me trying to figure out what to do against 1. d4 and the 1. Nf3/1. c4 locus of opening fun...

L8erz...
=wild=