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Basman Defense games and thoughts....
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deeper_insight 08-Aug-15, 22:11 |
 Basman Defense games and thoughts....The Basman has,in effect,surprise value in corresp as well as blitz(especially blitz).And not to repeat myself,but it is a psychological weapon.It can produce a gambit,positional murkyness,odd pawn chain configurations and one or several pawn chain thrusts(especially on whites King side)or attack on whites advanced Knight on f3. Not long ago ago,I had another Basman win in the GK blitz room(5 min+0): [Event "GameKnot Blitz"] [Site "gameknot.com"] [Date "2013.02.05"] [Round "-"] [White "tonyjordan"] [Black "tactical_abyss"] [Result "0-1"] Now,is this player a "beginner"???Absolutely not!He's rated at 1754,atleast in corresp: 1. e4 g5 2. Nc3 d5 3. exd5 Nf6 4. Be2 Nxd5 5. Nxd5 Qxd5 6. Bf3 Qe6+ 7. Qe2 Nc6 8. Bxc6+ Qxc6 9. Nf3 g4 10. Nh4 Bg7 11. c3 Bf6 12. O-O Bxh4 13. g3 Bf6 14. d4 Be6 15. Bf4 h5 16. Rfe1 h4 17. Be5 Bxe5 18. Qxe5 O-O-O 19. Qe4 Qxe4 20. Rxe4 c5 21. Rd1 Kc7 22. d5 hxg3 23. fxg3 Bxd5 24. Rxe7+ Kc6 25. b3 Be6 26. Rf1 Rh6 27. c4 Rd2 28. Rf2 Rxf2 29. Kxf2 Rxh2+ 0-1 Notice as you go through this SHORT game the long open diagonal created by my opponent.This happens alot in this defense.The opponent leaves diagonal "holes"due to the confusion produced with a strange opening hardly anyone plays against 1.e4.So "short"games many times ensue! Here is a long GK corresp game,even shorter and against a 1900+player where I won again. Beginner?Absolutely not!Now,Joan is a fine player and I hate to bring up this game from time to time...but I have to prove a point.Basically,the Basman IS underrated and IS a good weapon,especially in blitz! As time goes on,I will post more and more Basman wins and if I lose,I will post those as well! But to date,I have a big fat "0" in losses using the Basman Defense in the GK blitz arena. So,I will continue to plug "good things"about this obscure and so called "weak"defense. Yes,weak to many,but not all(if used in the right hands!): A Basman win against a well known 1800+player on GK:  game ====================================================================== Full past club link on my Basman chat: gameknot.com |
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deeper_insight 17-Aug-15, 19:44 |
Another Basman win...blitz [Event "GameKnot Blitz"] [Date "2015.08.17"] [Round "-"]5 min,zero increment [White "valenok37"]1934 [Black "tactical-abyss"]2283 [Result "0-1"] 1. e4 g5 2. d4 h6 3. h4 gxh4 4. Rxh4 d5 5. e5 Bf5 6. Nc3 e6 7. Rh1 Bg7 8. g4 Bg6 9. f4 Nc6 10. Be3 Qd7 11. Bd3 O-O-O 12. Nf3 h5 13. g5 Nge7 14. Nh4 Kb8 15. a3 Na5 16. b3 Qc6 17. Qd2 Nc4 18. bxc4 dxc4 19. Kf2 cxd3 20. cxd3 Nf5 21. Nxf5 Bxf5 22. Ne4 Qd5 23. Rhc1 h4 24. Rc5 Qd7 25. Rb1 h3 26. Rcb5 b6 27. Nc5 Qc6 28. Na6+ Kb7 29. Rc5 Qg2+ 30. Ke1 Qh1+ 31. Ke2 Bg4+ 32. Kf2 Qf3+ 33. Ke1 h2 34. Rxc7+ Kxa6 35. Qa5+ bxa5 36. Kd2 h1Q 37. Rxa7+ Kxa7 38. d5+ Qxe3+ 39.Kxe3 Rh3+ 40. Kd2 Qxb1 41. Kc3 Rxd3+ 42.Kc4 Rc8# 0-1 I could immediately see that this 1900+player lacks theory and the know how in respects to proceeding more accurately in the first few moves against this Basman. 3.h4 is weak,due to the fact that after my capture of whites h4 pawn and his recapture of my h4 pawn with his Rook,I will cause him loss of tempo on move #7 when white retreats his Rook all the way back to its original h1 square.Better to not move whites flank pawn at all.That open flank will curse him through many parts of the game,and if you jump to move #40 you can easily see why that open file will be his undoing.He should have built up a much stronger pawn storming defense and left that h file alone.It was a mate in 6 or 7 even before move #40.He went a full 42 moves ,but no cigar.The Basman is weaker than other defenses for sure,but if you are unsure of how to play against it,it can be a formidable weapon in the hands of a strong player.Lots of double checking in the last 8-10 moves in this game and lots of aggressive action! Long live the Basman!Have I played it against players in my long corresp games on GK?Yes,the games are in the links in this post somewhere!Just too tired to check right now! |
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deeper_insight 17-Aug-15, 20:10 |
Deleted by deeper_insight on 17-Aug-15, 20:17.
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deeper_insight 17-Aug-15, 20:17 |
Tidbits of thought,relative to the valenok37 game above Its my lesson to you all to be prepared to use many types of weapons in your defense arsenal!Simply always using e5,d5,c5 as black for move #1 is not good enough!!Are you prepared to play as white against it,if suddenly your opponent uses it against you rated or unrated? Apparently,my opponent above obviously was not prepared(valenok37). That's why these irregulars can come in handy!The Sodium Attack has its novel value as well as you can see from my other post on it! TA |
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deeper_insight 19-Aug-15, 05:58 |
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deeper_insight 10-Jan-16, 20:45 |
Basman Opening Trap #1 So,even with slower OTB time controls,the Basman Defense has value.So many new players today go more mainstream with their openings and do not study defenses like the Basman 1....g5 or 1.b4 openings like the Sokolsky.Then someone comes along like me with my bag of tricks and throws a monkey wrench into their game style.Expecting a Sicilian when you open with 1.e4?Maybe a Ruy Lopez?Why?So you can play all your memorized lines and subvariations against your opponents to quick victory?Sorry...I won't permit that!Here....catch this monkey wrench,boy!Game over in 19 moves! Game: Basman Defense Marshall Chess Club,NYC 1/9/16 Joe(me)approx 2400 OTB vs Thomas M.(1965 OTB) 1.e4 g5 2.Bc4 c6 3.d4 g4 4.Qxg4 d5 5.Qg3 dxc4 6.c3 Nf6 7.e5 Rg8 8.Qe3 Nd5 9.Qf3 c5 10.Bd2 cxd4 11.cxd4 Nc6 12.Nc3 Ndb4 13.O-O-O Nxd4 14.Qe4 Bf5 15.Qxb7 Nxa2+ 16.Nxa2 Nb3+ 17.Qxb3 cxb3 18.Nc3 Qd3 19.Na2 Qc2# 0-1 chesstempo.com Poisoned pawn position after my move # 3: Take that yummy pawn,my 1965 rated player friend!Eat hardy! He fell into the basic Basman trap that I have been successful many times in my blitz games. If you take that pawn(and he did),then I simply open up the diagonal with my d7 pawn to d5,attacking both his Q and his Bishop on c4 with that pawn of mine.He loses a Bishop immediately by move #5.Right from that point he knew the game was over against me,but continued to play on anyway.Hmmmm..I never even needed to castle in this one.He castled Q side,but it only made his condition worse with my linked Knight control on my Q side. I knew the Marshall would be crowded Sat,so I got there before the events later that day.Too cold at the park. Long live the Basman Defense!As you can imagine,in blitz,the Basman can shine,especially if an "A" rated player falls for an opening trap in a game with lots of think time at their disposal.I have other opening traps using wing pawns,but this will do for now. I brought up this game I played at the Marshall to illustrate to the club members here that irregular games can have value.If you stay away from things like the Basman,simply because some 2100+ rated dude in a GK forum told you that the stats are lousy for black or you read in some chess book that the Basman has too many opening flaws and not to play it....this is actually a bad decision to not study and experiment with it.Why?Well,my 1965 rated player fell for this opening trap because he admitted to me later,after the game that he was not use to seeing odd pawn structures like that and never researched the Basman.So,it can become a psychological killer with some opponents....and 1965 is NOT a weak rating,my friends! And YOU may run into an opponent one day that moves 1...g5,instead of 1....e5 or 1.....c5. And will you be prepared to play against this irregular,even if you do not fall for the opening traps?Those "creepy crawly" pawns on blacks King side can quickly devastate you,if you are not prepared....trust me!And forget that "dude"in that GK forum that advised you otherwise! Again,I will post more opening traps with the Basman,but no time now.Maybe next weekend. TA |
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well played |
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deeper_insight 31-Jan-16, 13:21 |
Basman Defense game win against an "A" rated player How many of your opponents know about,have played and have much experience with the Basman Defense on either side of the board?Probably just a trickle or none at all,right? So,this can play into your advantage readers! It does not matter many times what the "stats" bear out on the Basman.Sure it is not as "sound" as other defenses.But how unsound is it really?Answer:With careful and accurate play out of the opening....only a slight bit disadvantageous!Trust me....many deep computer analysis's have been studied by me and others at the Marshall and the Basman is not nearly as bad as you have been led to believe.As a blitz weapon it shines!As a long corresp weapon it can still produce wins against MANY players south of 2100 in rating.Statistics do bear this out.Again...trust me on that! Try it unrated once in a while and experiment for yourself.Nothing much to worry about if the game is unrated...right?That is key in your learning process.Afraid of losing?Why?That is HOW you learn to improve!Hey,I have lost plenty of times using the Basman Defense.Does that immediately stop me from try try again till I find another subvariation to win or draw at?Absolutely not!Keep at it! The relatively strong player below(A rated)lost in only 22 moves.I strongly believe that his loss was due to very little exposure with the Basman.One of the ways I can tell this is think delays between the first 10 moves in my defense.He took quite a while as my moves did indeed short circuit his brain!Hogwash your thinking?Think again! I'm not going to annotate this game in detail,I have much to do today.But the "creepy crawly"is kind of reversed in this game.Instead of my Kingside pawns advancing and dominating,it is the semi open b & c files and overall Q side and quick UNEXPECTED Q advancement that produces the win.Take special note,backing up for a moment,my double fianchetto Bishop moves completed by move # 9 and then a Basman CLASSIC.....which is move #13....Bxg2 trapping my opponents Rook on square h1.Many times its the opposite....I trap my opponents a8 Rook in the first 10 moves or so. So again,the Basman can have good surprise value!And it is one of my all time favorites. What was that about the bad rap and stat's the Basman has? Below,I just defeated a 1944 rated player.If I can defeat a 1944 rated player in only 22 moves,regardless of this being a blitz game or not,can you defeat those opponents of yours that are south of 1900 in rating?Absolutely!!!!! See,you should be prepared for 1.....g5 when you,as white move 1.e4.If not,you may be destroyed like my blitz opponent below!So logic dictates that experimenting on the black side with 1....g5 is also a fine thing to do over the months and years! [Event "GameKnot Blitz"] [Site gameknot.com/"] [Date "2016.01.31"] [Round "-"]5 min,zero increment [White "caseywalse"]1944 [Black "tactical-abyss"]2372 [Result "0-1"]Mate 1. e4 g5 2. d4 h6 3. d5 d6 4. Be3 Bg7 5. c3 Nf6 6. Nd2 c6 7. Bc4 b5 8. Bb3 cxd5 9. exd5 Bb7 10. Qe2 Nxd5 11. Bxd5 Bxd5 12. Qxb5+ Bc6 13. Qd3 Bxg2 14. f3 Bxh1 15. Qe2 Nc6 16. O-O-O Qa5 17. Nh3 Rb8 18. Rxh1 Qxa2 19. Nb1 Na5 20. Re1 Nb3+ 21. Kd1 Qxb1+ 22. Bc1 Qxc1# 0-1 chesstempo.com |
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deeper_insight 21-Feb-16, 12:01 |
Being unprepared against the Basman.... [Event "GameKnot Blitz"] [Site //gameknot.com/"] [Date "2016.02.21"] [Round "-"] [White "sowax4"]1487 [Black "tactical-abyss"]2373 [Result "0-1"] 1. e4 g5 2. Nf3 g4 3. Ng5 h6 4. Qxg4 hxg5 5. Qxg5 Nc6 6. Bc4 Nf6 7. e5 Rh5 8. Qf4 Rxe5+ 9. Kd1 Re4 10. Bxf7+ Kxf7 11. Qg5 Rg4 12. Qb5 Rxg2 13. d3 d5 14. Bf4 Rxf2 15. Bg3 Bg4+ 16. Ke1 Re2+ 17. Kf1 Nd4 18. Qa4 Bh3+ 19. Kg1 Nf3# 0-1 chesstempo.com Notice,if you care to take a peek,my opponents lack of opening theory on this game...even by move # 3!!!!!See where he places his Knight?I'm ready to attack it,then later attack his Q with the h file I opened by move #7.By move #8,I have already centralized my Rook,checking his King and preventing him from castling when he moved his King to d1.Backing up for a moment,see move #7,e5?This was my opponents attempt at carbon copying my #2....g4 move,but he failed at recognizing the power of my semi open h5 to counterattack his Q. So game over in 19 moves with a mate.Not bad for such an "inferior"type of opening that many label the Basman Defense as.Inferior...really????Only if you are prepared to properly react against a Basman Defense and have done your homework!(Or your opponent plays just as badly as you)! Truth is,the Basman Defense,just like the Sokolsky opening is only slightly weaker than other mainline openings.But even more POWERFUL against those who become surprised at an irregular defense opening they have never,or rarely encounter! So,that "creepy crawly" 2......g4 pawn can IMMEDIATELY cause chaos.So,then,what move would have been best for white after 2....g4,instead of 3.Ng5? Look below: At this position with the better 3.Ne5,white still maintains an edge(about a half pawn value).Black is a bit forced to protect his g4 pawn with a classic 3....h5 pawn move.Then white can set up a Bishop attack with 4.Bc4.If black moves either 4....d6 or 4....f6,then white can mate black easily with a type of Fools Mate!So whites Knight has much more extensive power with a simple "in book"move of 3.Ne5,instead of 3.Ng5 that my opponent initially responded with.And on top of that,white can still retreat his Knight in safety,if necessary,later in the game with only a slight loss of tempo. So,using the "best"response for white,even early...by move #3 will keep white ahead in tempo and initiative.One bad move early?Then you can see what the results are in the game above! So,this is how TA can turn a weaker opening defense into a super weapon against the unwary! Blitz has very little to do with it!For an error on move #3 already(by my opponent above)has nothing to do with a "faster time limit excuse"!!!!!That would be like trying to prove you can eat a full sized washing machine in 2 minutes!Do not make excuses of time limits,then,especially if you have already made a weak move on move #3! Just another mini lesson in an irregular. I was asked once..."well,what good is all this book study stuff,if my opponent moves out of book early'?What good you ask?The game above speaks volumes!!!!! 3.Ng5 WAS out of book.3.Ne5 was not.And my opponent got creamed from early on!Does that answer the question?Hmmmmm...think a little readers and reflect upon my mini lessons,even if it is a fast blitz game! TA |
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deeper_insight 20-Mar-16, 07:36 |
Exposing your King is not always dangerous,even in the opening.... This game was no different: [Event "GameKnot Blitz"] [Site //gameknot.com/"] [Date "2016.03.20"] [Round "-"]5 min,zero increment [White "onetwothree"]1540 [Black "tactical-abyss"]2376 [Result "0-1"] 1. e4 g5 2. Nc3 d6 3. b3 Bg7 4. Bb2 Nc6 5. Nf3 g4 6. Ng5 h6 7. Nxf7 Kxf7 8. Bc4+ Ke8 9. O-O h5 10. Kh1 h4 11. f3 g3 12. h3 Bd4 13. f4 Nf6 14. e5 dxe5 15. fxe5 Nxe5 16. Rb1 Bxh3 17. gxh3 Qd7 18. Kg2 Qc6+ 19. Rf3 Qxf3+ 20. Qxf3 Nxf3 21. Kxf3 Rf8 22. Kg2 Bxc3 23. Bxc3 Ne4 24. Bg7 Rf2+ 25. Kg1 Ng5 26. Bd4 Nxh3+ 27. Kh1 Rh2# 0-1 Again,the Basman is an excellent learning tool in the irregular arena,especially for blitz play,but there is nothing wrong with including it in your correp play as well once in a while.I have defeated many 1800-2100 players using the Basman in long corresp play,so you can too! Ok.My opponent is 1500+rated.And yes,he is playing against a monster.But that is besides the point!The point is that,even with my King being forcibly exposed on the f7 square,it played very little to offset the Basman weaker opening disadvantage.My opponents theory was to sacrifice a bit of material to gain check and attack with either his Bishop or Queen and then gain a critical advantage of position and pressure in a few moves.That "almost"open f file which normally will cause black problems,will only become whites real living nightmare. Why?Well,that is where a 1500 player lacks critical theory in the proper "ingredients"of what to add into the soup mix!He added way too much salt...and his soup tastes like beach sand mixed with seawater! Notice,I never castled,but he did.I did not need to!That alone is a psy ploy.My opponent naturally figures that by castling,along with his sacrificial position,this should clench a win,since I did not castle.....I could not castle,of course,after he took that f7 pawn of mine and I recaptured with my King.Again,castling is not always necessary...in fact,in my opponents case it became his undoing! Why? The power of the "creepy crawly"as it is said about the Basman Defense,that's why! Notice,if you may,the initial attack by white,move #8: Now notice below the final mate position looks?Notice how my opponent "allowed"my crawly pawns to advance without exchanging them earlier in the game?Notice also that open f file which became whites undoing,not mine?And finally notice HOW whites Castling became his undoing as a weak castling move with that open file and pawn thrusts from black on the Kingside?If he was going to castle,castling on the Q side for white is usually Key,not the King side.My 1500+ opponents Bishops,as you can see might as well been off the board,they became only slightly active in this quick 27 mover. So,in summary,I found no need to castle and my exposed King early in the game was no advantage for white to move in and destroy me. In conclusion,be aware of the first signs of that creepy crawly......especially by move #5 below! Sure,the Basman Defense is weaker than other defenses,but stronger for those who are prepared to use it against the unwary or unprepared,like I am. Study it on the side,you may encounter it one day and if your not prepared to meet it,you may also be destroyed like my opponent was....in only 27 moves! |
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deeper_insight 25-Mar-16, 23:02 |
Attacking the creepy crawly is ok,if you enjoy eating poison! I must admit,it was for 5 dollars,but hey,that latte costs $$ in the city and I need someone to help pay the bills!I wore some scruffy clothes to look like a pauper and took along my inexpensive plastic chess set to add to the deception. My opponent was actually 2125 rated since I know of him from the Marshall Club.I do not think he recognized me,I haven't shaved in a week...all the better!If he did,I probably would not have played this surprise Basman Defense. Time settings were sudden death 10 minutes.Moves were recorded on both sides as I asked him to do and he complied with suspicion being that I looked like a bum,but he said he had no pencil.I gave him one. White:Jeff 2125 OTB Black:Joe 2400+ OTB 1. e4 g5 2. d4 h6 3. Bd3 Nc6 4. d5 Ne5 5. Ne2 Bg7 6. c3 c6 7. c4 cxd5 8. exd5 Qc7 9. Qc2 Nf6 10. Be3 b5 11. Nd2 bxc4 12. Nxc4 Nxd5 13. Nxe5 Qxc2 14. Bxc2 Nxe3 15. fxe3 Bxe5 16. Rb1 Ba6 17. Nd4 Rc8 18. Bb3 f5 19. Nxf5 Bd3 0-1 Interesting.First note that no castling occurred on either side.Again,the Basman produces some strange play on both sides quite frequently!For a weaker defense,I beat this expert in 19 moves.Move #11 initiates a pawn advantage +1.A long series of exchanges leads me to advance my "creepy crawly"pawns on the King side.This is where,even a 2100 player must be careful.All it took was one poisoned pawn(my f5 pawn) to cause a swift and utter destruction of my opponent.He could have gone on to play farther,but he took one look at me and said,here's the 5 dollars,you look as if you need it!I responded back to him and said...."do you have change for this 100 dollar bill"?And yes,I flashed and intentionally waved it in front of him like waving the US flag,left and right... as he walked away in disbelief,without playing me a second game.Lesson over at the park for today!How does that saying go?"Looks can be deceiving!" Position of the poisoned f5 pawn(move #18): Please,please,take my beautiful pawn!I placed my hand on my forehead at that f5 move acting as if I just made a huge blunder!The psychology paid off by the very next move!!! Then the final position(move #19) where my opponent resigns and leaves 5 dollars lighter: Man,that latte tasted good!Thanks Jeff! Next!I think between that free latte and saving on razor blades this week,that will help pay for the lobster and steak dinner at Le Bernardin,a place I frequent after playing 50 games or so at the park.Now where is my designer suit,still at the tailors,I forget? TA |
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deeper_insight 16-Apr-16, 14:59 |
Mini lesson to a 1500 player in the Big Apple and info for all Cons: 1.Black needs a priority of equalizing as fast as possible.The Basman does not offer the best developing moves.Many other moves,like 1....c5,e5,e6 and others accomplish a more solid developing defense than 1....g5. 2....h6,which is a common response to support the g5 pawn,does tend to slightly weaken blacks King side and loses "tempo",compared to other,better developing moves. 2.Allows white to develop with the positive tempo and control the center of the board faster,thus the Basman is not as reliable as other defenses. 3.Against a better or well prepared opponent,blacks slight disadvantage in the opening will remain a disadvantage leading to either eventual defeat or no more than a draw at best. Pro's: 1.The point of this opening is that it is so uncommon that errors are made and the psychological impact of this choice disadvantages the opponent. 2.Black will have a share of the center eventually and is not far behind in development,with careful play from black,regardless of loss of tempo. 3. White gains advantage with accurate play,but less precision play from white allows Black the "unclear,murky and thus experimental positions" to initiate an "Accelerant" of equalization or even a swift demise of white. 4.The unusual pawn chain configurations which develop in a Basman tend to go against the established grid of whites thought process's.Doubled pawns,creepy-crawly pawn(s)like blacks g4 pawn attacking whites Knight on his natural developing f3 square can overpower white if he counter develops that Knight of his to another square that allows that Knight to be double attacked,or if not attacked,a retreat of whites Knight can create enhanced initiative for black to equalize the game. Marshall Chess Club,NYC 4/16/16 OTB No clock settings,friendly,unrated game Jeff 1540 rating OTB Joe(TA)2400+OTB 1. e4 g5 2. d4 h6 3. e5 d6 4. Nf3 g4 5. Nh4 dxe5 6. Be2 Nc6 7. Bxg4 Bxg4 8. Qxg4 Nf6 9. Qg3 Rg8 10. Qc3 e6 11. f4 Bb4 0-1 Ok.Notice anything?Yes,game over in 11 moves!My 11th move pins whites Queen in classic style in line of sight with Whites King.My opponent immediately resigns here,justifiably. So,lets back the game up from move #1 and go over a few moves. 2.d4 is whites natural developing move.He now has his e4 and d4 central pawns developed. 2....h6,my classic g5 pawn protector move.But this is the initiator of psychological strategy.Why?Because that g5 pawn can spring to square g4 at any given moment and attack the key f3 square where whites Knight usually rests on! White could have moved Nc3 instead of Nf3,supported his central pawns more efficiently with an early c3 and a host of other responses....but failed to do so. Why?Because he is only 1500 rated?No.That may be a small part of the reason,but not all.Its because this player is unfamiliar with this opening and was forced to traverse down a dark alley in thick fog.Even a 1500+player knows the basics of more sound development,but his mind plays tricks on him with sudden positions that surface from blacks King side development that are unusual.The hammer that shatters the glass usually occurs when a sudden central thrust from black occurs against whites central pawns or a multi attack occurs on both wings from black.....confusing white even more! So,getting back to the game directly... 4....g4(the classic creepy-crawly Knight attack): Now,notice white's 5th move here: Notice anything here?What was that I stressed many times about Knights on the edge file's losing some piece value due to restricted movement?And what did white do?So then,is my weaker 1....g5 opening defense still considered weak?No,in fact I am now equalizing at a rate as fast as the speed of light reaching whites town from a mile away. 5.....dxe5 capturing a pawn makes white think.He does not want to take my pawn back on e5 for it will open up the center d file with possible early exchange of Queens and leaves whites King more vulnerable to attack.Either way,white is now at a disadvantage and the tide is turning swiftly in the Basman strategy I force on him. 6....Nc6 counter defense support on my e5 pawn. 7.Bxg4 is a double halo of poison.First my g4 pawn created a weakened white Knight on h4,now,by white capturing my g4 pawn,it "allows" black to begin a tempo attack on whites Queen after the Bishop exchange and the smoke clears.This early Q move from white simply amplifies whites insecurities with the Basman,now brought on by my Knight attack and then follow through with the classic semi open g file utilizing my Rook to control that file(and do not forget that white now has a central control pawn disadvantage with my well place Knight on c6 as you can see: Unusual doubled pawn position(move #10....e6)leaving a subtle potential ex-ray pin on whites King if he does not react quickly enough to remove his Q again.Another lesson in theory is to NOT line up your Q on a direct diagonal leading to your own King,especially with your opponents dark squared Bishop present and both your Q and K are ON THE DARK SQUARES! 10...e6: Yes,white fails to place his fleeing Q on a safe square and then gets the hammer to glass shattering move of mine: Summary: 1.White allows my g pawn to attack his Knight on f3.That is his first mistake.Develop in other ways,like whites Q side. 2.White has an early weak Knight move with loss of point value.Flank positioning of any Knight move early in the game is positional unsound development. 3.Central pawn development is good for white initially as he proceeded to do,but failed at the proper "support"of those central pawns with other major pieces and/or f or c pawn support. 4.Too early Queens moves for white began his downfall. 5.White was simply not prepared to counter blacks WELL PREPARED Basman defense opening which BECAME tactically OFFENSIVE in nature against whites improper developing moves. So,this weaker defense was a game of psychology which quickly,in 11 moves overcame whites POTENTIAL opening superiority.Yes,white can maintain an edge.....but must know HOW to maintain that edge in tempo and initiative! So,this win of mine goes much deeper than simply a 2400 player brutalizing a 1500 player.It illustrates the sudden turning of the tide in 11 moves with a defense that is weaker than say,a Sicilian defense,but can have even more sting to those who travel into murky uncharted waters with no water map playing against this defense that moves OUT OF BOOK rather quickly from the onset. By the way.... Notice in the final diagram above where Whites Knight is still positioned on h4,kind of protecting that g2 pawn of his,but still semi frozen and a obvious decrease in piece point value? Yes,the Basman can have devastating results to the unprepared.And my opponent found this out in 11 moves of terror,confusion and bewilderment. TA |
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deeper_insight 04-Jan-17, 15:21 |
Basman Defense win with a few important notes.... But lets examine the words "statistics" and "proper play". Statistics,while I use that word quite frequently in my threads,can be very misleading depending upon how you examine games by pure "stats"or not.Many stats are based upon master games,GM games and perhaps a few games you can find from class A or expert play.The Basman is not trusted enough to be played on the GM tournament levels,but in the past,international masters like Michael Basman had many successful wins with that Defense.So,stats can give you an overall picture as to how a defense will "statistically perform"against players of higher class ratings,but not accurately define statistically how well lower class ratings will do against it as white or defending with it as black.Lower rating is another relative term!And differences of rating,say a 2300 rated player against a 1900 rated...you would think that a 1900 rated should still have enough knowledge against the Basman weakness's playing white,that it should be enough to kick the 2300 rated off the board! But many times,I have observed,this is NOT the case.And also not the case with lower rated players if they study up on the Basman.Like A Basman Defense does not have a ton of games on record to study,thus,if one experiments with the defense enough,many times is what you find is that you can indeed lay traps,open up files unexpectedly or at least equalize from early on,not later.Most sources will tell you the opposite!!That white,not black will usually gain the upper hand!Not nearly as true as you read! Why? Well,that's where we come up to the second group of words...."proper play".So not being prepared and not playing accurately and not observing proper theory,even in a weaker defense game(like the Basman)can still be a surprise and quick devastating blow to many players who refuse to play only the highest stat games on the board. So,if you want to use the Basman Defense, it is best to carefully work out transpositional paths that will encourage your opponent to step into your traps or magnify your opponents lack of positional theory. Below is a Basman Defense game I played against a 1700 rated player.This was not on GK.It was not a blitz game but a regular 2 day per move game unrated. TA (2503) vs John(1734): 1. e4 g5 2. c3 d5 3. d4 dxe4 4. Bxg5 Qd5 5. Be3 Nf6 6. Nd2 Bg4 7. Be2 Rg8 8. Qb3 Qxb3 9. Nxb3 Bxe2 10. Nxe2 Rxg2 11. Nf4 Rg8 12. Nc5 b6 13. Nb3 Nc6 14. O-O-O O-O-O 15. Rhg1 Rxg1 16. Rxg1 e5 17. dxe5 Nxe5 18. Bd4 Nf3 19. Rg2 Nxd4 20. Nxd4 Bh6 21. Nde2 Nd5 22. Rg4 Nxf4 23. Nxf4 f5 24. Rh4 Bg5 25. Rxh7 Bxf4+ 26. Kc2 Rd2+ 27. Kb3 Rxf2 28. Rf7 e3 29. Rxf5 e2 30. Rf8+ Kd7 31. Rf7+ Ke8 chesstempo.com White resigns with significant material loss as well as a mate in approx 9 moves above.You can copy/paste the PGN above and place it in the viewer above for a move to move analysis.I am not going to annotate every move here,just make a few "key"comments at the right places. First of all notice by move #6,my classic Basman g pawn in this variation has been captured,but that capture involves advanced theory to place pressure on that specific file...the g file,and this will "haunt"white with pressure throughout many parts of the game,and lay the foundation for his demise.Sometimes defending an open file(white should do this) or even closing it up(white should consider this) is better than leaving the file door open!Notice,by move #7 of mine 7....Rg8,this is a classic black Rook file dominance and it is placing additional pressure on whites g2 pawn through a line of sight ex-ray attack. Now advance the game to only move # 10! 10.....Rxg2!So,after a series of exchanges,white is already down a pawn on move # 10! So,what was that about the Basman being inferior to other defenses?Well,winning a pawn already by move # 10 and against a 1700+player seems to be going against these so called stats that claim a Basman is garbage.Not so.This player lacks open file theory and how to compensate.Note how open and clean that g file is now...for black to have a field day placing potential attacking pieces on the file(with black tempo of course)and note how white cannot castle on the Kingside,another strong play by me.Castling on the Q side will occur later(move #14),but this will not strengthen whites side. Jumping ahead to move 18,one can now see several things.It first appears that white dominates the g file,but that is short lived.Those disconnected pawns of white on h2 and f2 are a problemchild within themselves and will eventually force whites Rook to counterattack deep within my side but the attack is weak.Black has additional open file control of file d,much better central pawn control and take a look at blacks Bishop by move #24....Bg5 placing added pressure on whites Knight on the dark square in direct line of sight to whites King!This combination leaves black an easy capture of the disconnected f2 pawn,with the game coming swiftly to an end a few moves later.Take special note to move 29....e2. Black(me)was able to move my pawn all the way up to e2,practically with ease.That alone should never have been!Its white that is "supposed to"control the center by late midgame or the endgame...and the reverse has occurred!Is this only due to my rating vs a 1600 player?Not necessarily!Even a 1700 player should be able to compensate and strengthen his side(as white)with my so called weaker and inferior 1....g5 move! But the reality is that many players will not fall into that "stat"catagory and lose not win against such unorthodox defenses.Some players become way too comfortable in playing the memorized e4 games(as white) and expect a Sicilian or a Ruy Lopez.And when they receive a "curve ball" like a Basman,they fall apart,like a player rated a few hundred points below them!!!!!This is a fact,many times! Again,the open files of g and d need a Rook to be placed on them for optimum devastating pressure in an endgame.But early pressure on that g file(move #7)with 7...Rg8 begins a Basman strategy.If that strategy of mine is not kept at the proper defensive levels by white,even a weaker "stat"game can yield killer results! I play the Basman in blitz all the time,so you can well imagine the results on a quicker time level IF I have studied all the variations,traps,open file pressures and more and I have memorized a few good lines to instantly spit out like a cobra to the unwary!!! End position(move #32)and white resigns.Mate would have ensued in about 9 moves.Can you see how? So after all of this specific post,am I trying to tell all my club members to begin playing a Basman and study it?No,not necessarily.The game above is one of many examples(Basman style)or even Sokolsky or Trompowsky style in which your opponents are many times NOT prepared(regardless of rating strength).So stats and proper play do not always coincide with players abilities to always react in a game like they should based upon their actual rating! The same player above most likely would have done significantly better if I had played a Ruy or a Sicilian as a black defense.My opinion,anyway. TA |
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deeper_insight 04-Jan-17, 15:35 |
So its: 31. Rf7+ Ke8 32. Rg7 and it would have been my turn as black to move,but white resigned. I love irregulars and unorthodox games.Going off the beaten path is a true form of rich and exciting chess play that has its value. |
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deeper_insight 06-Jan-17, 09:56 |
Ahhh....a Queen trap! 1/6/17 Joe vs Terry(1842) Time control:60 minutes sudden death OTB Terry resigned on move # 17. 1. e4 g5 2. g3 h6 3. Bc4 e6 4. d4 d5 5. exd5 exd5 6. Bb3 Bg7 7. Nc3 Nc6 8. Be3 Nge7 9. Qf3 g4 10. Qf4 Ng6 11. Qxf7+ Kxf7 12. Bxd5+ Be6 13. Bxc6 bxc6 14. Nge2 Rb8 15. b3 Re8 16. O-O Qf6 17. Ne4 Qf5 0-1 Now,even 1842 player's can have trouble with a Basman Defense,since they rarely play it in the club level!So,of course,I am going to do a Basman rain dance on many players boards that are below 2000 in rating!And a few 2100's as well!But that is a different post! So,yes,the Basman is a bit weaker in the irregular arena,but if you are not prepared or make weak moves yourself,the Basman can crush you like a 50 ton boulder crashing down on a spider that spiraled down from 100,000 feet altitude!And this game is no exception! Game had 60 minutes to complete,but was over in 15 minutes 34 seconds. Not much to say here.Why? Well,what was that old thing in chess theory that everyone knows but manages to NOT apply it often,especially players south of 2000 rating? Moving your Q out way too early in the game!!!!You will either get it pushed back with loss of tempo,lose points if it becomes forked or ex-rayed and in this case with a visitor to the club...Terry,he managed to get his Q trapped already by move #10...even before castling has been initiated on either side!Moving your Q out in this style of game,even before castling? Huge mistake,especially against any strong player,let alone a monster like me!And he knew of my strength BEFORE the game began!So caution to the wind,and more defensive play my friend!! See the nice trap below after my move # 10: Hemmed in dark square Bishop also caused his demise,as you can clearly see. Notice anything else?When you decide to continue a game after losing your Q in a trap(early on),it is extremely unwise for that player to play the "exchange game"...like he did on move #13.Bxc6!If your going to continue,being all those points down,you must do as I do in blitz!!!!!Run ploys,fall back and gain any kind of defense you can!Just continuing to play offensively and exchanging pieces will only SIMPLIFY the game down more,and in the end,I will have a much easier endgame to send that 50 ton boulder down on YOU!!So avoid exchanges when down serious material UNLESS the exchanges will result in gaining point value(like capturing a Rook for your Knight)or having some rare positional advantage that causes me major trouble. I can be down a Q in blitz and a few times in corresp and OTB and still win,but then i'm a seasoned pro at this game(and the Basman).Many players are not,and 1842 is certainly not weak.But Terry came unprepared and went against opening theory with his loose Q moves. This player resigned after only 17 moves.I'm glad he did,for he had no prayer when "I"am up a Q(the reverse of my Q blitz sacs!)...unless the Marshall came under Marshall law! So,is the weaker Basman Defense primarily for blitz play and should be avoided in your GK long corresp games?No!Why?Are you going to sit there after I just showed you this OTB win and tell me that your opponent will never play like Terry above?Hogwash!And opening books in this case would have done little.This game moved out of book very early on and would not have prevented Terry from throwing his Q around a bit recklessly!See now???? I just love the "illogic" in many players minds!You forget,I am a psychologist and know what I others think,even if they do not admit it!And chess is a game of psychology,indeed! TA |
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deeper_insight 12-Feb-17, 09:15 |
Same old,same old.... The Basman defense is weaker than other openings for sure.So handle my "weakness"correctly!Build up your center,castle early,draw more offensive play on blacks Q side and more. Sure,sure,I know...this player is only 1450 rated and it is only a blitz game!But,but multiply "But"to the power of a thousand....and do you really think that my opponent would have played "miraculously better" if the game was 5 days per move?Hmmmmmmm........NO.Players like my 1450 opponent will do the same mistakes over and OVER again!!!They have no real intention of improving!!!I have played this opponent about 30 times now in blitz and looked at his long corresp games.In his long corresp games he has won 158 games and lost 194 games!Need I say anymore?This is constructive criticism,not destructive criticism!So that old,old saying about..."well,TA,your opponents are only playing 5 or 10 minute blitz,so of course they will play much worse under those smaller time constraints!" Hmmmmmm....false and incorrect,well,many times anyway!So get those faulty ways of thinking OUT of your head!Your thinking is flawed!Yes,in many circumstances time factor DOES make a difference,but not to others!So it is NOT a universal constant!Kapish? No need to annotate here,take a look at the Basman game below.Most 1450 players never encountered a Basman.So simply trying to initiate a fools mate or other early Q moves against a strong player is as futile as trying to hammer your way out of a sealed titanium vault where the door was laser welded shut,no time lock to open and all you have is your bare hands to try and hammer a wide hole in the titanium to escape and leave the vault!Impossible to win,unless the senior master drops dead or is infused with alcohol or drugs.Hey,I say it the way it is...no pulling punches!Its the "wake up and smell the coffee"I constantly refer to!Even a 1450 rated can play better!Learn,observe and stop trying to "cliche" your moves like other games!Look at my rating above the board!Does it say 1300?!1000?So then simple logic will dictate to NOT use a fools mate or bring out your Q early! Only 19 moves below for his resignation and scurrying away! [Event "GameKnot Blitz"] [Date "2017.02.12"] [Round "-"] [White "lakerlarry"]1450 [Black "tactical-abyss"]2300+ [Result "0-1"]Opponent resigns,loss of material,ect. 1. e4 g5 2. Qf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 g4 5. Qf4 h5 6. e5 Bh6 7. Qg3 Bxc1 8. Nd2 Bxb2 9. Rb1 Bxe5 10. f4 gxf3 e.p. 11. Qf2 fxg2 12. Qxg2 Rg8 13. Qf2 Bd4 14. Qf4 d5 15. Bb5 Bxg1 16. Bxc6+ bxc6 17. Nf3 Bb6 18. d4 Qd6 19. Qxd6 0-1 chesstempo.com Already on move #6,his Bishop will be captured through an ex-ray attack via his Q: See what early Q moves accomplish most of the time,and already on move #6?Answer:Nothing but trouble and headaches.So why do it?Hmmmm.Maybe against a 1000 rated,or even a 1200-1300 rated,but a stronger player master level or above?But even against a 1200 player,a fools mate is not a good idea...it will get you into a bad habit!!!See?So,even in a fast 5 minute blitz game...the "truth"can come out with respect to how a 1450 player thinks in his mind about chess moves!And this is not only limited to 1450 players!Players as high as 1700 think the same many times,even in 5 days per move! Just another obscure mini lesson through many of my blitz games. TA |
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deeper_insight 12-Feb-17, 09:33 |
Bang,bang! Directly above,for move #3 is lakerlarry's fools mate attempt: Hmmmm.With all my pieces ready to still defend in the opening for black,you might as well try running at me with a dull plastic fork while my Gatling gun is poised and ready to fire on you from a distance and there is nothing but open field and nowhere to hide! en.wikipedia.org Sorry,but my gallows humor prevails today for lesson purposes,like it or not! |
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deeper_insight 12-Mar-17, 09:23 |
OTB Basman game Again,some players simply play worse when they confront some of these irregulars,especially if they are on the white side playing against a Basman.I argued for days with someone here in the general GK forums that was 2100 rated.He said that the Basman defense was so inferior that any 2100 player would simply wipe me off the board in OTB play or longer blitz time controls.I suggested that he look at some of Michael Basman's games from the past as an international master where he defeated many over 2100 players,GM's and more.He claimed to be some chess trainer.Well that chess trainer needs some serious training himself and from me!He,of course was highly incorrect.Sure,the Basman Defense is nowhere as good as other defenses statistically,but with close analysis and playing the best of the best tree lines,black really only ends up at a "slight"disadvantage.That slight disadvantage can turn into either equality or an advantage,if your opponent does not play the best moves,is unfamiliar with the Basman or the Basman works in a psychological way against someone who is overly programmed to only respond in a Ruy or Sicilian progression of moves. This player made moves already in theory that were inaccurate.His move #18.Na4,which was a flank Knight move set him up for my Rook development 19...Rb8 and then 20...Qxa4 where he could not recapture due to the K check.Also white failed to castle early.All of these factors boil down to uncertainty and mismanaged wisdom when moving into uncharted waters.His blunderr on move #25 with a weak Rook move,caused his immediate resignation when i snapped up his Q with 25...Qxg6!So,see,this game was something deeper than the surface!My opponent was an expert,yet failed at some move responses and then finally a bad blunder like move.Bad day maybe?No,I think not!It a game of psychology and this opponent probably never met a Basman Defense and if he had,it was so long ago that he forgot!Of course,this player knew of my reputation before he played me,which probably made him nervous!I could tell by his foot tapping on the floor! So just because the Basman is a weaker defense...this does not automatically equate to less winning chances if you use it against your opponents.Are your opponents 2100 rated or above?No?Well then,what makes you think that you would surely lose playing 1.e4,g5 as black? Just because GK is a corresp site,this does not automatically dictate that your opponent will suddenly crush you because you moved 1....g5 instead of 1....c5! Tommy(white)2120 Joe(black)2400+ Basman defense 30 minutes,sudden death,non tourney game. 1. e4 g5 2. d4 h6 3. Be3 d5 4. e5 Bg7 5. Nc3 c5 6. Qd2 Nc6 7. Bb5 a6 8. Bxc6+ bxc6 9. Nge2 Qc7 10. f4 gxf4 11. Bxf4 cxd4 12. Qxd4 Qa7 13. Qd3 h5 14. O-O-O Qb7 15. Rhf1 Nh6 16. Bxh6 Bxh6+ 17. Kb1 a5 18. Na4 Qb4 19. b3 Rb8 20. Nd4 Qxa4 21. e6 Bxe6 22. Nxe6 fxe6 23. Qg6+ Kd7 24. Rfe1 Qg4 25. Rd3 Qxg6 0-1 Now,will I risk playing a Basman Defense against my 2300-2500 opponents on GK?Sure!But not yet!Wait till I am in that safety zone of 2500 again.I will not incorporate "risk"against a 2300-2500 player.But after I can afford to lose a few points I will show all of you that the Basman is not as bad as its reputation is portrayed.But perfect play will not exist with lower rated players,so the Basman is a good trial and error experiment on levels below 2100. |
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deeper_insight 12-Mar-17, 09:51 |
Back to GK blitz.... [Event "GameKnot Blitz"] [Date "2017.03.12"] [Round "-"]5 min,zero increment [White "tatalex2"] [Black "tactical-abyss"]2300+ [Result "0-1"]Mate 1. e4 g5 2. Bc4 d5 3. Bxd5 Nf6 4. Bxf7+ Kxf7 5. e5 Qd5 6. exf6 Qxg2 7. Qf3 Qxf3 8. Nxf3 exf6 9. d3 Bh3 10. Be3 Bg2 11. Nxg5+ fxg5 12. Rg1 Bc6 13. Rxg5 Be7 14. Rf5+ Ke6 15. Rh5 Nd7 16. Nc3 Nf6 17. Rg5 Nd5 18. Nxd5 Bxd5 19. Rg1 Rhg8 20. Kf1 Rxg1+ 21. Kxg1 Rg8+ 22. Kf1 Bf6 23. c3 Kf5 24. Rb1 Bf3 25. d4 Rg2 26. h3 Ke4 27. Re1 Rh2 28. h4 Rh1# 0-1 chesstempo.com My King position by move #28 and where white is mated: Also unusual with some Basman games is that there was no castling on either side!This game was no exception! |
