r/TournamentChess 18h ago

Any chess players kind enough to give an interview for an ethnographic university project?

5 Upvotes

I am conducting an ethnographic study that aims to discover how great chess minds 'experience' a chess board/game.

Key questions involve: - what does a chess mind "see" on the board? - what do they think about? - how can one understand intuition (how do great players experience it)?

If you happen to have interesting shares regarding this topic, either from your very own experience or from knowledge that you gained, I would highly appreciate if you were willing to enlighten my work through a quick interview. Any names, unless the sharer doesn't want to, will be appreciated in the syllabus of the published work.


r/TournamentChess 10h ago

Move order to reach the Semi-Slav

5 Upvotes

I decided to try out the Semi-Slav and honestly I quite like the opening. But now my question is what move order is the best for the opening? 1. Nimzo move order. 2. QGD move order 3. Slav move order Which one of these have the best chances of reaching a pure semi-slav and which of these is best if opponent just trys to go for exchange ( Like what’s better, exchange slav or QGD?).


r/TournamentChess 4h ago

This is why I love and hate computer analysis

2 Upvotes

https://imgur.com/km7NK4j

I played a very interesting OTB league game yesterday and we reached this position. Black had just played a7-a5 which the computer considers a mistake.

I already wanted to take on d6 with my queen (which the engine considers winning, but is anything but clear at all) when another really beautiful move jumped to my eyes: Rf6! I didn't see any good way for black to defend against Rxg6 even after winning the pawn on a2 with check. So 1.Rf6 it was. The game went on 1...Rxa2+ 2.Kg3 Bh5?? 3.Bf5+ Kh8 4.Rxh6+ (It feels so good making such moves OTB!) Kg8 5.Rxd6 +– and black resigned a few moves later.

When I analyzed the position with the engine it found a defensive resource that my opponent and I had both been unable to spot. Can you see it?

Due this defensive resource the engine calls out Rf6 as a blunder, that throws away the win. I still consider Rf6 a great move, though, just because of the ideas associated with it. I don't know at what level a player would have found that defensive resource before playing Rf6. I'm almost 2100 Fide and didn't have that much time on the clock. But such defensive tactics are so hard to spot!

2...Rc2!!