Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Big News
At the Flash On The Beach (FOTB) conference in Brighton, Sr. Director of Engineering at Adobe Systems Paul Betlem, confirmed that Adobe is indeed developing a Flash Player for the iPhone. However, Apple calls the shots as to when it'll be available.How far behind can ChessFlash on the iPhone be? But that's not the "Big News." The "Big News", of course, is that now (or soon) I have an excuse to buy an iPhone! I mean invest. Invest in a iPhone.
... He said (not direct quote) "My team is working on Flash on the iPhone, but it's a closed platform." He noted that Apple makes all the decisions, so in other words, the ball is in Apple's yard at this time. If Apple says yes, Adobe will have the player available in a very short time.
Flash for the iPhone confirmed at FOTB
In the meantime I do need to get back to posting tactics here and working on additional ChessFlash features...
Labels: chessflash
Friday, September 19, 2008
Houston Chess Club Open and Insane!
From Mark Dixon:
and
OPEN FRIDAY 9-19-08 at 6:30 p.m., SATURDAY 9-20-08 10:30 a.m., and SUNDAY 09-21-08 at 11:00 a.m. THANK YOU!!!!! hope to see you there!!!
and
The HCC insanity is set for OCTOBER 24th 2008 starting at 7 p.m.. The first round is at 7 p.m. the second is at 8 p.m. etc., etc., the last round starting at 6 a.m. OCTOBER 25th 2008. I have 10 players signed up. IF FOR SOME REASON YOU STILL CAN'T MAKE THAT DATE (the 10 players signed up already) please contact me. 713-773-2437 or the hotline 832-473-7178. I still need your entry fee money though. Because it was a RESERVED THING. First place is 100.00 and second is 50.00. I have a ANONYMOUS DONOR and the prize fund will increase. I have 1 master, 6 A'S, 1 EXPERT, AND 2 UNDER 1400 PLAYERS SIGNED UP SOO FAR. If you want to get in PLEASE CONTACT ME. I will be contacting the players already signed up individually. The time control is G/30. Let's go!!!! IT should be EXCITING.........Entry fees: $20 HCC member and $25 non-HCC member.............
Labels: Houston Chess Club
Monday, September 15, 2008
We're fine after Ike
Still no power but it is getting close. Some neighbors have power and nearby stores are starting to open. I'll add more when I get power...
Update 9/17 7:20 PM: (on borrowed internet and power) Power company crews were in my neighborhood yesterday assessing and recording locations that needed work (trees removed from power lines, etc). There are here now working on those issues. We expect (hope) power back on tomorrow. This morning I went to our local Kroger and it was operating close to normal. They had fresh baked bread (but no fresh in-store baked tortillas), the Deli counter seemed fully up, the meat section was low on supplies but open, dairy looked complete, lots of fresh produce and non-perishables. I didn't see batteries (but did not look very hard) and they had plenty of charcoal (in big demand right now). Lines were normal. I passed a gas station with lines of about 4 cars deep. Of course, some areas got hit very hard compared to far west Houston where I am...
I intended to pass some time with chess-related reading during the day but the debris cleanup and searching the web for news (now that I have occasional access) has take up a lot of time.
Update 9/19 11:25 AM: We got power back yesterday around noon. The story will continue at my non-chess blog here.
Update 9/17 7:20 PM: (on borrowed internet and power) Power company crews were in my neighborhood yesterday assessing and recording locations that needed work (trees removed from power lines, etc). There are here now working on those issues. We expect (hope) power back on tomorrow. This morning I went to our local Kroger and it was operating close to normal. They had fresh baked bread (but no fresh in-store baked tortillas), the Deli counter seemed fully up, the meat section was low on supplies but open, dairy looked complete, lots of fresh produce and non-perishables. I didn't see batteries (but did not look very hard) and they had plenty of charcoal (in big demand right now). Lines were normal. I passed a gas station with lines of about 4 cars deep. Of course, some areas got hit very hard compared to far west Houston where I am...
I intended to pass some time with chess-related reading during the day but the debris cleanup and searching the web for news (now that I have occasional access) has take up a lot of time.
Update 9/19 11:25 AM: We got power back yesterday around noon. The story will continue at my non-chess blog here.
Monday, September 08, 2008
Max Lange Part 2
This is an update to the Sept 4 Max Lange post. It turns out that "my" Novelty (based on searching ChessBase 2003 Mega database) is on move 9, not move 7. I'm just relieved that my whole idea has not been played before. :)
Next time I guess I'll check ChessBase sooner. Of course, it could have been played since 2003 and I still would not know as that is my latest mega database.
I have also included White's best 12th move (left as an exercise in the last post) and made that the main line. This is all the result of deep study and research I am undertaking to try to improve my opening play.
Openings/MaxLangeLine2.pgn
Next time I guess I'll check ChessBase sooner. Of course, it could have been played since 2003 and I still would not know as that is my latest mega database.
I have also included White's best 12th move (left as an exercise in the last post) and made that the main line. This is all the result of deep study and research I am undertaking to try to improve my opening play.
Openings/MaxLangeLine2.pgn
Labels: combinations, opening
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Combinations 08.09.04 (Max Lange)
Here is some original opening research and analysis from yours truly that deals with an early Black deviation in the Max Lange Attack. I left White's best 12th move out of this file. What combination should White play on move 12?
The novelty (so far as I know) on Black's seventh move sets up Black's surprising eleventh move. Even with White's best 12th move this line appears to be playable for Black....what do you think?
Openings/MaxLangeLine.pgn
Update: Black's seventh move does occur in the ChessBase 2003 Mega database twice but without what I believe is the correct followup (they both feature 10...Re8?! instead of 10...Bf5). They are below with light notes:
[Event "Ivrea WE op-B"]
[Site "Ivrea"]
[Date "2001.??.??"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Caresana, Alessandro"]
[Black "Vozza, Nicola"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C56"]
[PlyCount "61"]
[EventDate "2001.??.??"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2002.11.25"]
1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. O-O Nxe4 6. Nxd4 Be7 7. Nf5 Bf6 8.Qd5 O-O 9. Qxe4 d5 10. Bxd5 Re8 $6 (10... Bxf5) 11. Qc4 $6 (11. Bxc6 Rxe4 12.Bxe4 {+-}) 11... Ne5 12. Bxf7+ Nxf7 13. Ng3 Be6 14. Qb4 Nd6 15. Nc3 a5 16. Qc5 b6 17. Qh5 Bf7 18. Qf3 Nc4 19. Nce4 Be5 20. Ng5 Bg6 21. Rd1 Nd6 22. c3 h6 23.Qd5+ Nf7 24. Nxf7 Bxf7 25. Qf3 Qh4 26. Be3 Rf8 27. Bd4 Bb3 (27... Rae8 28. Bxe5 Rxe5 29. Rd4 Qe7 {+/=}) 28. Qc6 Bxd1 29. Qd5+ Rf7 $4 (29... Kh7 {+/-}) 30.Qxa8+ Kh7 31. Rxd1 1-0
[Event "Leipzig VfB op 5th"]
[Site "Leipzig"]
[Date "1998.??.??"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Bosse, Volkmar"]
[Black "Goessling, Guido"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C56"]
[BlackElo "2140"]
[PlyCount "46"]
[EventDate "1998.03.??"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1998.11.10"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4 6. Nxd4 Be7 7. Nf5 Bf6 8.Qd5 O-O 9. Qxe4 d5 10. Bxd5 Re8 $6 (10... Bxf5) 11. Bxf7+ $6 (11. Bxc6 Rxe4 12.Bxe4 Bxf5 13. Bxf5 {+- White has a rook and two pieces for the Queen.}) 11...Kxf7 12. Qg4 (12. Qf3 {=}) 12... Re5 13. Qh5+ Kg8 14. g4 Nd4 15. Nc3 g6 16.Nh6+ Kg7 17. Qh3 Bd7 18. Qd3 Bc6 19. f4 Ne2+ 20. Nxe2 Qxd3 21. fxe5 Qxe2 22.exf6+ Kf8 23. Rf2 Qe4 0-1
The novelty (so far as I know) on Black's seventh move sets up Black's surprising eleventh move. Even with White's best 12th move this line appears to be playable for Black....what do you think?
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. O-O {Now 5...Bc5 enters the Max Lange Atttack and 5...Nxe4 is the Anti-Max Lange Attack.} Be7 {This is a modest move that appears to give up the fight and give White an easy advantage. But can appearances be deceiving? 5...Be7 is not considered in ECO C Edition 2, 1981 nor MCO 15 2008. There is some coverage for it in the 1916 edition of Handbuch des Schachspie (Bilguer) -- a great resource for some old and out of fashion lines.}
Openings/MaxLangeLine.pgn
Update: Black's seventh move does occur in the ChessBase 2003 Mega database twice but without what I believe is the correct followup (they both feature 10...Re8?! instead of 10...Bf5). They are below with light notes:
[Event "Ivrea WE op-B"]
[Site "Ivrea"]
[Date "2001.??.??"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Caresana, Alessandro"]
[Black "Vozza, Nicola"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C56"]
[PlyCount "61"]
[EventDate "2001.??.??"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2002.11.25"]
1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. O-O Nxe4 6. Nxd4 Be7 7. Nf5 Bf6 8.Qd5 O-O 9. Qxe4 d5 10. Bxd5 Re8 $6 (10... Bxf5) 11. Qc4 $6 (11. Bxc6 Rxe4 12.Bxe4 {+-}) 11... Ne5 12. Bxf7+ Nxf7 13. Ng3 Be6 14. Qb4 Nd6 15. Nc3 a5 16. Qc5 b6 17. Qh5 Bf7 18. Qf3 Nc4 19. Nce4 Be5 20. Ng5 Bg6 21. Rd1 Nd6 22. c3 h6 23.Qd5+ Nf7 24. Nxf7 Bxf7 25. Qf3 Qh4 26. Be3 Rf8 27. Bd4 Bb3 (27... Rae8 28. Bxe5 Rxe5 29. Rd4 Qe7 {+/=}) 28. Qc6 Bxd1 29. Qd5+ Rf7 $4 (29... Kh7 {+/-}) 30.Qxa8+ Kh7 31. Rxd1 1-0
[Event "Leipzig VfB op 5th"]
[Site "Leipzig"]
[Date "1998.??.??"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Bosse, Volkmar"]
[Black "Goessling, Guido"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C56"]
[BlackElo "2140"]
[PlyCount "46"]
[EventDate "1998.03.??"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1998.11.10"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4 6. Nxd4 Be7 7. Nf5 Bf6 8.Qd5 O-O 9. Qxe4 d5 10. Bxd5 Re8 $6 (10... Bxf5) 11. Bxf7+ $6 (11. Bxc6 Rxe4 12.Bxe4 Bxf5 13. Bxf5 {+- White has a rook and two pieces for the Queen.}) 11...Kxf7 12. Qg4 (12. Qf3 {=}) 12... Re5 13. Qh5+ Kg8 14. g4 Nd4 15. Nc3 g6 16.Nh6+ Kg7 17. Qh3 Bd7 18. Qd3 Bc6 19. f4 Ne2+ 20. Nxe2 Qxd3 21. fxe5 Qxe2 22.exf6+ Kf8 23. Rf2 Qe4 0-1
Labels: combinations, opening
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