The everything CHESS thread

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

Originally Posted by Scornfire

I have gold purely for analysis, it's super useful

I had the Diamond for two years but let it lapse this year, first because there is tons of good free content on lichess, but also because I started using chessable for studying and courses and didn’t want to pay for both. I do think the analysis tool is worthwhile and one of the best and easiest ways to improve, especially early on.

[Superfraggle]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

It shouldn't take this group more than a few days to finish up and we can have a big tournament again.

I pay for Gold, you get best value only if you like doing Puzzles and going make an evaluating games.

I'm happy to set up a consolation bracket for the people who didn't advance if there is enough interest. The trouble with the big tournaments is that it seems like they spread people out by rating in the first round, so the people who enter the tournament with the lower ratings won't get to play each other unless they win their groups.

[TheIronMaiden]

we can set up an everybody plays everybody bracket next time if that is the preference.

[Superfraggle]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

we can set up an everybody plays everybody bracket next time if that is the preference.

That might be a good idea depending on the numbers.

I did just go ahead and start a consolation bracket tournament for this one to see if those people want to do it. I invited the 6 people who got eliminated in the first round, with the plan to start as soon as we have a response from everyone.

[Superfraggle]

With respect to membership, I got the diamond one, but will likely downgrade when the renewal comes up. I like the Insights and Coach explanations, but I'm not sure I get enough out of them to make the extra cost worth it. i will probably only drop to Platinum because I do like the game reviews, but in terms of bang for your buck, I think Gold is a pretty good option too. Unlimited Puzzles is by far the best feature hidden behind the paywall, imo.

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by Superfraggle

With respect to membership, I got the diamond one, but will likely downgrade when the renewal comes up. I like the Insights and Coach explanations, but I'm not sure I get enough out of them to make the extra cost worth it. i will probably only drop to Platinum because I do like the game reviews, but in terms of bang for your buck, I think Gold is a pretty good option too. Unlimited Puzzles is by far the best feature hidden behind the paywall, imo.

Gold is only 25 puzzles a day, which may as well be unlimited.

[Superfraggle]

Did that maybe change recently? I was looking here, which says unlimited: https://www.chess.com/membership

[Superfraggle]

Looks like they updated on Sept 1, but if you subscribed under the old plan you might have to let it expire and then renew in order to get the new perks:

https://support.chess.com/article/45...t-plan-changes

[Scornfire]

No chance I'm letting it lapse and losing unlimited Game Reviews lol, way better than unlimited puzzles

[Superfraggle]

Oh yeah, I didn't really look that closely at the old plans. If you're already getting 25 puzzles per day, plus the unlimited game reviews that's great.

[mrkajz44]

Looks like Gold has unlimited puzzles and lessons, while Platinum gives unlimited game reviews. The game review is probably the most coveted? Seems a bit steep at $14/month though. It looks like you get one game review per day no matter what, so unless I really get into it Gold is probably best for me. Thanks all!

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

Round 2 is underway and Superfraggle is beating me in an end game. Haven’t resigned yet, but it’s almost over. He surprised me with a Caro-Kann line that I didn’t know, and I’ve been in trouble since about move 5….

[Superfraggle]

That was a really solid game. No blunders, misses, great moves, or brilliancies in the game review. Just small positional advantages from the opening and a couple won pawns ground out through the end.

[mrkajz44]

Would love to see a link if possible. Since you guys hooked me on chess again, I've been looking for way to avoid the standard pawn-knight piano openings that seem to occur all the time. My thought is people will be less familiar with non-standard openings, but the problem is so am I!

[Superfraggle]

You should be able to see all the tournament games by going here, since you were part of it: https://www.chess.com/tournament/cal...ament-ii/games. Not sure if it's visible to people who weren't.

The game we were talking about is this one: https://www.chess.com/game/daily/482068545

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

Originally Posted by Superfraggle

That was a really solid game. No blunders, misses, great moves, or brilliancies in the game review. Just small positional advantages from the opening and a couple won pawns ground out through the end.

Not a ton of blunders, but there was a pivotal moment, I think, on move 20. I played Bd1, revealing an attack on your queen and (through it) the rook on c8. But that doesn’t work, because you can trade queens and then the threat of my attack is blunted (your rook on c8 is defended by the knight, and I’m down material so more trades don’t help.

Apparently, I needed to find 20. Bd3!, which does the same thing but also stops Qxf3, and forces the black queen away somewhere.

After that I don’t think I ever found any good threats. Then in the end game the two pawns were decisive.

Well played!

[Superfraggle]

Oh yeah. I didn't see Bd3 at all. Not a crushing move by any means, but prevents me from trading down, which was crucial at that point.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

Originally Posted by Superfraggle

Oh yeah. I didn't see Bd3 at all. Not a crushing move by any means, but prevents me from trading down, which was crucial at that point.

Exactly. Black is still a little bit better even after Bd3–but the trades that followed Bd1 resulted in a position where black was winning.

[FireGilbert]

Share the game gifs!

Here is a fun game of mine. Straight up blundered a bishop in the opening and later sacrificed the rook before finding a nice mate. Should have gone for the nicer mate with the pawn though!

[Superfraggle]

Not sure if this will work or not. This was a game from a while ago that got exciting. Opponent got a second queen and I threw everything at the wall until something finally stuck. A bunch of fun sacrifices.

edit: oh, it's flipped. I was black.

[/QUOTE]