Feeling a little, well, a lot, under the weather this day, I decided to tackle stockfish at a mere level five. As expected, I dropped a piece in the middle game, then lost queen for rook and bishop.

But I thought there might be a chance to establish one of those fortress
positions, with rook and a pawn or two vs Queen, where there is no win.

And sure enough, Stockfish let me do it.

There followed a lot of pointless moves when, on move 80, Stockfish
lost it's queen. How could that happen?

And given that I do occasionally lose to stockfish level five even nowadays,
Nimzowitsch's question has to be asked.

https://lichess.org/wgddlr9Z#166

Enjoy my crappy play and revel in a game ten times as long as one of Eli's!

William Hyde

On Monday, November 14, 2022 at 11:16:17 PM UTC+2, William Hyde wrote:
> Feeling a little, well, a lot, under the weather this day,

Bs"d

May you have speedily recovery from heaven.

Where are all the other guys? I hope they didn't fall victim to corona, God forbid.

> I decided to tackle stockfish at a mere level five. As expected, I dropped a piece in the middle game, then lost queen for rook and bishop.

Nothing special, I always play like that.

> But I thought there might be a chance to establish one of those fortress
> positions, with rook and a pawn or two vs Queen, where there is no win.
>
> And sure enough, Stockfish let me do it.
>
> There followed a lot of pointless moves when, on move 80, Stockfish
> lost it's queen. How could that happen?

Very good! You saved the day! Keep up the good work!

> And given that I do occasionally lose to stockfish level five even nowadays,
> Nimzowitsch's question has to be asked.
>
> https://lichess.org/wgddlr9Z#166
>
> Enjoy my crappy play and revel in a game ten times as long as one of Eli's!

It's just that I prefer the shorter games. Mate or resignation within 10 moves is what I like. You should try it, it's fun!

https://tinyurl.com/esc-real

On Tuesday, November 15, 2022 at 1:18:37 AM UTC-5, Eli Kesef wrote:
> On Monday, November 14, 2022 at 11:16:17 PM UTC+2, William Hyde wrote:
> > Feeling a little, well, a lot, under the weather this day,
> Bs"d
>
> May you have speedily recovery from heaven.

No problem, some short term respiratory infection. Tired but clear
headed today.

At least in this game I had the guts to sacrifice against the computer. An unsound sacrifice,
and followed up unsoundly, but it's colourful:

https://lichess.org/hbq95JbS#60

So in answer to Nimzo, some times one is the idioten, and sometimes he's
the one who does the verlieren anyway.

William Hyde

On Thursday, November 17, 2022 at 12:16:04 AM UTC+2, William Hyde wrote:
> On Tuesday, November 15, 2022 at 1:18:37 AM UTC-5, Eli Kesef wrote:
> > On Monday, November 14, 2022 at 11:16:17 PM UTC+2, William Hyde wrote:
> > > Feeling a little, well, a lot, under the weather this day,
> > Bs"d
> >
> > May you have speedily recovery from heaven.
> No problem, some short term respiratory infection. Tired but clear
> headed today.
>
> At least in this game I had the guts to sacrifice against the computer. An unsound sacrifice,
> and followed up unsoundly, but it's colourful:
>
> https://lichess.org/hbq95JbS#60
>
>
> So in answer to Nimzo, some times one is the idioten, and sometimes he's
> the one who does the verlieren anyway.

Bs"d

This time it worked out OK, but remember:

https://tinyurl.com/sacc-oppo

On Thursday, November 17, 2022 at 12:29:04 AM UTC-5, Eli Kesef wrote:
> On Thursday, November 17, 2022 at 12:16:04 AM UTC+2, William Hyde wrote:
> > On Tuesday, November 15, 2022 at 1:18:37 AM UTC-5, Eli Kesef wrote:
> > > On Monday, November 14, 2022 at 11:16:17 PM UTC+2, William Hyde wrote:
> > > > Feeling a little, well, a lot, under the weather this day,
> > > Bs"d
> > >
> > > May you have speedily recovery from heaven.
> > No problem, some short term respiratory infection. Tired but clear
> > headed today.
> >
> > At least in this game I had the guts to sacrifice against the computer. An unsound sacrifice,
> > and followed up unsoundly, but it's colourful:
> >
> > https://lichess.org/hbq95JbS#60
> >
> >
> > So in answer to Nimzo, some times one is the idioten, and sometimes he's
> > the one who does the verlieren anyway.
> Bs"d
>
> This time it worked out OK, but remember:
>
> https://tinyurl.com/sacc-oppo

True, but:

https://www.quotes.net/images/35616.png

Not a Roland for your Oliver, but an Xavier for your Xavier.

William Hyde

On Thursday, November 17, 2022 at 10:39:57 PM UTC+2, William Hyde wrote:
> On Thursday, November 17, 2022 at 12:29:04 AM UTC-5, Eli Kesef wrote:
> > On Thursday, November 17, 2022 at 12:16:04 AM UTC+2, William Hyde wrote:
> > > On Tuesday, November 15, 2022 at 1:18:37 AM UTC-5, Eli Kesef wrote:
> > > > On Monday, November 14, 2022 at 11:16:17 PM UTC+2, William Hyde wrote:
> > > > > Feeling a little, well, a lot, under the weather this day,
> > > > Bs"d
> > > >
> > > > May you have speedily recovery from heaven.
> > > No problem, some short term respiratory infection. Tired but clear
> > > headed today.
> > >
> > > At least in this game I had the guts to sacrifice against the computer. An unsound sacrifice,
> > > and followed up unsoundly, but it's colourful:
> > >
> > > https://lichess.org/hbq95JbS#60
> > >
> > >
> > > So in answer to Nimzo, some times one is the idioten, and sometimes he's
> > > the one who does the verlieren anyway.
> > Bs"d
> >
> > This time it worked out OK, but remember:
> >
> > https://tinyurl.com/sacc-oppo
> True, but:
>
> https://www.quotes.net/images/35616.png
>
>
> Not a Roland for your Oliver, but an Xavier for your Xavier.

Bs"d

I thought it was Tartakower who said that:

http://tiny.cc/mistakes-waiting

On Monday, November 21, 2022 at 2:06:15 AM UTC-5, Eli Kesef wrote:
> On Thursday, November 17, 2022 at 10:39:57 PM UTC+2, William Hyde wrote:
> > On Thursday, November 17, 2022 at 12:29:04 AM UTC-5, Eli Kesef wrote:
> > > On Thursday, November 17, 2022 at 12:16:04 AM UTC+2, William Hyde wrote:
> > > > On Tuesday, November 15, 2022 at 1:18:37 AM UTC-5, Eli Kesef wrote:
> > > > > On Monday, November 14, 2022 at 11:16:17 PM UTC+2, William Hyde wrote:
> > > > > > Feeling a little, well, a lot, under the weather this day,
> > > > > Bs"d
> > > > >
> > > > > May you have speedily recovery from heaven.
> > > > No problem, some short term respiratory infection. Tired but clear
> > > > headed today.
> > > >
> > > > At least in this game I had the guts to sacrifice against the computer. An unsound sacrifice,
> > > > and followed up unsoundly, but it's colourful:
> > > >
> > > > https://lichess.org/hbq95JbS#60
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > So in answer to Nimzo, some times one is the idioten, and sometimes he's
> > > > the one who does the verlieren anyway.
> > > Bs"d
> > >
> > > This time it worked out OK, but remember:
> > >
> > > https://tinyurl.com/sacc-oppo
> > True, but:
> >
> > https://www.quotes.net/images/35616.png
> >
> >
> > Not a Roland for your Oliver, but an Xavier for your Xavier.
> Bs"d
>
> I thought it was Tartakower who said that:

It was.

In many books written in his lifetime his first name is given as "Xavier".

William Hyde

On Monday, November 14, 2022 at 4:16:17 PM UTC-5, William Hyde wrote:
> Feeling a little, well, a lot, under the weather this day, I decided to tackle stockfish at a mere level five. As expected, I dropped a piece in the middle game, then lost queen for rook and bishop.
>
> But I thought there might be a chance to establish one of those fortress
> positions, with rook and a pawn or two vs Queen, where there is no win.
>
> And sure enough, Stockfish let me do it.
>
> There followed a lot of pointless moves when, on move 80, Stockfish
> lost it's queen. How could that happen?
>
> And given that I do occasionally lose to stockfish level five even nowadays,
> Nimzowitsch's question has to be asked.
>
> https://lichess.org/wgddlr9Z#166
>
> Enjoy my crappy play and revel in a game ten times as long as one of Eli's!

Further on this topic, even level six is not immune. Up 70 points it failed to find
Rxg7, mating shortly. It still had winning chances but wound up drawing.

According to the analysis I blundered five times in this game. I would make it
six because while h6 is not actually a blunder, I did not see that it lost a pawn
nor see the compensation I got for it. My f5 move was suicidal.

At this rate it will be a long time before I play level seven regularly, but I wonder
what it will let me get away with should I ever scale those lofty heights.

https://lichess.org/TbUcoBo6#56

The last twenty moves are pointless. But you can't offer stockfish a draw, so if you don't
want to forfeit or die of boredom, there is some interest in trying to play such that
a triple repetition occurs, or to force the trade to K vs K, which even stockfish admits
is a draw.

William Hyde

Bs"d

Thank God for chess computers.

And internet chess. What else should we do with our lives??

https://tinyurl.com/lifes-fault

On Monday, November 14, 2022 at 4:16:17 PM UTC-5, William Hyde wrote:
> Feeling a little, well, a lot, under the weather this day, I decided to tackle stockfish at a mere level five. As expected, I dropped a piece in the middle game, then lost queen for rook and bishop.

I assume from this response you do not know of either the Scottish or Cornish remedy for such conditions?

To the first: In Scotland one would take a little whisky and lemon, and as conditions improve gradually ease off the lemon.

The first again: In Cornwall one might try Vodker and Mead, and as above...

To the second Fishy character: The worst thing about playing on line is that one cannot clumsily knock all the pieces off the board in a galvanic sneeze, retaining the other's Queen in one's pocket until closing time?

Cordially, Phil

On Thursday, April 13, 2023 at 4:54:31 PM UTC-4, Phil Innes wrote:
> On Monday, November 14, 2022 at 4:16:17 PM UTC-5, William Hyde wrote:
> > Feeling a little, well, a lot, under the weather this day, I decided to tackle stockfish at a mere level five. As expected, I dropped a piece in the middle game, then lost queen for rook and bishop.
> I assume from this response you do not know of either the Scottish or Cornish remedy for such conditions?
>
> To the first: In Scotland one would take a little whisky and lemon, and as conditions improve gradually ease off the lemon.
>
> The first again: In Cornwall one might try Vodker and Mead, and as above....

Alas such measures are beyond me now. I console myself with the thought that in my time I consumed more than my
share, thus preventing the stuff from flooding the streets and causing much commotion thereby. No doubt I saved
many lives.

I thought I did well yesterday. Better opening, positional pressure mounts, its pieces are forced to ugly squares, gain of a couple of
pawns, easy endgame. Then I noticed that the game was somehow against level five. Ah well. Back to level six and less one-sided
games (barring those that are one sided for it!).

William Hyde