Interesting game. What do you think about 10.c5, it looks like it would've created some headaches for black (the knight has nowhere to go really). Also if the black knight comes to d5, Qb3 might be annoying.

Maybe after Bd4+ you could play Kh1 in order to keep the possibility of playing Rg1 if the black bishop moves off the a7-g1 diagonal.

Hmm...I hadn't considered 10. c5 at all, although I think you're right that it seems like a good option.

As for moving Kg2 I was trying to clear the back rank as I wanted to put my rook on the h-file to try to pry open black's position with a h-pawn push after I had pushed my f-pawn as planned which I still think is a good idea, although maybe your right in that I should have tried to use the half-open g-file a bit more.

Thanks for the comments

Here's my most recent online game, this one a French.



Comments are welcome and encouraged as always

Well my most recent blitz game (sadly unrated ) features me where I'm not very often, on the WHITE side of a Benoni, and one which allows me to play the Taimanov Attack



I don't think he should have grabbed that last pawn, but I am quite proud of my mating net

Comments and analysis welcome as always.

Well just finished a bit on cts, raised my rating by 25 points in about as many minutes , currently 1592 although going back to do some more.

Stop practicing! You're not allowed to pass me.

Well Bkildahl you'll be happy to learn that I had a maor slump yesterday and fell back down to 1570 or so , but don't get your hopes up! I intend to be back at or around 1600 within a week!

Well here's my latest blitz game on FICS.

Well slumped again this morning and went down into the 1560's , then did some more this afternoon and after about a total of two hours today I am at 1581.

I'm sorry to hear about your slump. I had one recently too, and went down into the 1570s for a bit. It sucks to go down in rating, but the practice matters more than anything else.

Here's hoping you're back at 1600 soon!


Brett

Thanks Bkildahl! I'll certainly try to be there soon again

It's a bit crazy though, I'm on like a ratings roller coaster! A week ago I was having my largest slump ever, all the way down in the low 1540's , then 5 days ago in the 1560's, then 2 days ago or so right around 1600, then earlier today around 1560 and as of now 1580

Usually a big ratings slump is followed by an even greater ratings climb. I believe what happens is that you learn something new (such as how to play positionally for instance, or how to attack an isolated pawn) but you don't quite have the praxis under your belt. So, you take a dip in ratings. However, you eventually master the new technique and you start to climb even higher than you did before. Here's hoping that's what happens to you!

I know the feeling mofro
I seem to get over 1700, often to 1710 and the all the way back to 1680! Which is pretty frustrating, but I won't give up so easily...

Well bit of a update:

I tried out chesstempo today, has some nice features like seperate rating and smoother interface, but the problems are terrible compared to cts. They don't seem to be based on your rating, are way too inconsistent, etc. Thier entire rating system is crazy, according to them I'm somewhere between 1950-2100 in blitz puzzles, thier typical 1300 puzzle is simply taking a free hanging peice, thier 1500 puzzle is twice as hard as thier 2500 puzzle, and thier 2000+ puzzles are either impossible or a joke etc. Overall it looks nicer, and has some nice features, but beneath the cosmetics it's nowhere near as good as cts, at least in my opinion.

Anyways, from now on if I do both I'll try to post both ratings, while I finished the day rated 2000 even on ct, I had a bit of a slump on cts (coincidence?) and finished at something like 1567 or someother equally repulsive number

Feel pretty good though as I did about two hours of tactics and still had time to watch some movies, since that's my second passion I'm thinking that maybe I'll try to keep posting what movies I watch and the crazy thing is I don't even have a T.V.

Anyways, I watched Glengarry Glenross: 9/10 which was excellent, superbly well acted all around with a script adopted from a Pulitzer Prize winning script. Pretty sad that only Pacino was nominated, really all of the main characters give terrific performances and it's a shame only one got nominated (all the others were great as well, but Jack Lemmon I thought was incredible!), also, where is the screenplay nom? I mean, it's only won a pulitzer prize...

Little Children, only got halfway through, will finish tomorrow, as of now though it's quite good, Kate Winslet's great, and I haven't seen that much of Jackie Earle Haley yet (maybe 5-10 minutes screentime?) but he's really impressive. Looking forward to finishing it tomorrow and currently looking at about a 9 as well. So far think it got the noms it deserved.

Will also try to give my opinion on thier Oscars or lack thereof.

Oh yeah, about my rating system:

I rarely watch bad movies (at least in the general consensus) so will very very rarely see a film rated below a 6 or so, but for the record the system goes:

10 masterpeice
9 extraordinary
8 very good
7 good
6 worth watching, but not that great
5 or lower, BOMB

Since I'm just starting off, I'll start from last weekend I've seen:

The Big Lebowski: 9/10 Very well acted, quite funny, etc. If you can accept that there's really no plot, you should have a blast. (think that Jeff Bridges and John Goodman are both missing nods for thier perspective roles).
Ed Wood: 10/10 Amazing! Martin Laudier gives a absolutely phenomenol performance as Bela Lugosi (won best supporting Oscar over Samuel L. Jackson in Pulp Fiction even!) with Johnny Depp not far behind as Edward D. Wood Junior himself. Poigant, heart touching, and often very funny, this is probably Burton's best film, at least in my opinion. Sadly underrated and missing noms for best picture, actor, & cinematography IMHO. Also won Best Makeup, deservedly.
Glengarry Glenross & Little Children see comments above.

Anyways, just an experiment, tell me what you'll think, should I continue with the movies, or scrap this idea? Maybe we can discuss some as well if you like the idea?