[Event "Morra Gambit master norm"]
[Site "SchemingMind.com"]
[Date "2009.09.15"]
[Round "-"]
[White "TimeOnTarget"]
[Black "john1960uk"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B21z"]
[WhiteCountry "USA"]
[BlackCountry "ENG"]
[WhiteElo "1788"]
[WhiteRD "89"]
[BlackElo "2043"]
[BlackRD "79"]
[GameID "219495"]

1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4
{
john1960uk: Ok let's go then ;-)
}
3. c3
{
TimeOnTarget: Hi John--that sounds good to me!  This really is a fun line.
}
3... dxc3 4. Nxc3 Nc6 5. Nf3 d6 6. Bc4 e6 7. O-O Nf6 8. Qe2
{
TimeOnTarget: Hi John-- sorry for the delay.  got swamped with work, then got the flu (I was around my niece this weekend and she came down with swine flu (Dr. tested and confirmed) on Sunday night, I started feeling bad Monday night, so I am pretty sure that was what it was.  But the good news is she is feeling fine now, and I started feeling much better today--it seems like it wasn't nearly as bad as the "regular" flu.  And, since I didn't even find out about my niece having it until today, I didn't know what I had so I couldn't even ham up having the flu for my wife (she thinks I am a hypochondriac --I have to come up with something compelling to get any sympathy from her).  My niece and I may have gotten lucky on the strain though--I have had flu twice before--once was 10 days, not that much worse than a really bad cold--just tons of coughing and a fever that lasted a long time.  The other time I was sick as a dog for over two weeks and didn't even start to feel better for a month--I wouldn't even let people come to my house for fear of spreading it.  So, either this strain isn't as bad as they feared, or my wife is training me out of being a hypochondriac--and why not, since she tries to train me on damn near everything else . . . . . I'm going to have to break out my negotiating knowledge and start fighting back against all this excessive training, perhaps something like pooping on the floor to make the rest of my failings look insignificant in comparison--pooping on the floor is called a "paradigm shift" in negotiating parlance.  I doubt it would take more than two paradigm shifts to stop the muttering about me messing up the kitchen.   And, actually, I probably could have moved sooner, but what I was worried about was catching a case of Siberian Flu in our game, which I have seen before and want no part of . . . .  
}
8... Be7
{
john1960uk: I'm glad you're over the flu, in the main 'swine' flu appears to be milder than 'normal' flu in Europe as well, possible media hype methinks. I think one paradigm shift would do it........ after that you'll find yourself living in the yard, in great pain with various broken bones :-) no more worries about training etc ;-) cheers, John.
}
9. Rd1
{
TimeOnTarget: You're right, but it sure is fun to think about at times!  "OK, you thought THAT was bad . . . . "  One trick that worked great in college was I got hold of a friend's toothbrush--we were having a bit of a practical joke war, pretty much at least one a day--and as the day wore on, I could tell he was getting anxious because he hadn't found what I had done, nor did he until the next morning when he went to the bathroom, hung over, of course, and pulled his toothbrush from its case--I had taken a big wad of "short and curlys" and pulled them down deep into the teeth of his toothbrush.  I think deep down he thought it was pretty funny, but he wanted to call a truce after that. 
}
9... e5
{
john1960uk: You could've been onto something there!!! Did you patent it? Brushing and flossing at the same time, a boon to the modern age! ;-)John.
}
10. Be3
{
TimeOnTarget: What a great idea!  I never thought of the flossing/new application aspect, but that would surely earn a patent.  And for marketing, with modern sensibilities being what they are, we could emphasize the recycling aspect of it too!
}
10... O-O
{
john1960uk: Great! It's 'eco friendly' as well ;-) perfect for the 'modern age' :-)
}
11. b4
{
TimeOnTarget: I had a great idea for the guest toilet at my old house.  I was doing something that involved clear spray acrylic.  While using it, the thought occurred to me that I could take the toilet seat, lightly spray it, then spread a bunch of short and curlys all over it so that they stuck in it kind of like glue, let that dry, then give it several more coats of clear acrylic, letting each one dry thoroughly in between, and when I had finished, I would have a toilet seat that looked disgusting, but was perfectly sanitary.  The rest of the plan was to install a bidet nozzle somewhere in the the bowl that was unobtrusive and had a control switch outside the bathroom and a master light switch outside the bathroom that overrode all the lights inside.  The idea ultimately being that a guest would go into the bathroom, I'd give them time to reassure themselves the toilet seat was sanitary and sit down, although they still would hopefully be a bit unsettled by the toilet seat, then once I was sure they were at a point where interruptions wouldn't be welcome, kill the lights and hit the bidet jet . . . . making for a memorable bathroom experience.  The girl I was living with at the time didn't share my enthusiasm for the project and vetoed it.  Maybe one of these days--I know my 12 year old boy would like it . . . . He loved the talking toilet paper roll trick I pulled on him--you can buy these motion activated rolls to put the toilet paper on instead of the regular one and they let you record your own message and so I chose "OH GOD!  Please use the kleenex just this time, PLEASE!"  I have to be careful with him though--he got even with me for one of my practical jokes by putting vaseline on the steering wheel. 
}
11... a6 12. a3 b5
{
john1960uk: It sounds like you have to be on your guard from the second you wake up in your house :-)loads of fun! :-)
}
13. Ba2
{
TimeOnTarget: I try to keep it that way!  You know how sensitive 12 year olds are to what other people thing.  Well TJ seems especially sensitive although he is adamant that he doesn't care what other people think.  We were taking a pretty long plane trip for vacation this summer and I thought it would be a good time to illustrate to him that he cares more about what people think than he is willing to admit.  I knew I would be sitting next to  him and my wife with Jordan, our little girl, would be forward a row and across the aisle.  So, to prepare for the flight I mixed blue food coloring with just a bit of green food coloring in a small little squirt bottle.  My plan was to go to the bathroom and return with my left arm (the one on the aisle that everyone could see) dyed blue-green up well past my elbow.  The dye I made was to imitate the color of the disinfectant/flush they use in the toilets on the airplane.  I would then just casually sit back down--not without everyone knowing that there is  only one way to get your arm dyed bright blue/green in the bathroom of an airborne airplane (or thinking they know that).  This would allow me to observe if TJ cared what other people think--that he was traveling with the guy with the blue arm that wasn't blue before he went to the bathroom.  Unfortunately, my wife was such a spaz the morning we were leaving, meaning she was spazzing at me, I totally forgot my little package, which I had prepared months before in anticipation of the fun . . . . "Don't worry about it TJ--I washed it off, it's clean--you don't care what other people think . . . Oh well, next time. . . . 
}
13... Be6
{
john1960uk: Very elaborate lengths you go to. It's funny to watch the kids go through their different stages. A few years ago they thought it was funny when dad tried on the funny wigs and furry scarves etc in 'Acessorise', (A sort of costume jewellery shop in case you haven't got them over there) now they disown me if I do the same thing. ;-)John.
}
{
TimeOnTarget: Hey John, it sounds like you and I ought to go shopping together!  My thought is that as far as clothes shopping goes, you try to make it as undesirable as possible for you to be along and you will have to do it less. .  .  .  .
 I think I must have totally forgotten what it is like to feel so self conscious.  I "humiliated" TJ one morning when he was running a minute late--I had the idiotic idea that rather than me have to get his little sister up and ready and me truck them both to drop him off at school because he was running one minute late for the bus, which stops literally right across from our driveway, I'd just ask the bus driver to wait one minute.  End of the World.  That was just a couple of weeks ago. (He doesn't know it, but if the answer had been "no" I would have stood in front of the bus with a hand cupped over my ear feigning bad hearing until he got there.)  Now a couple of years ago, he might have had a bit more of a legitimate complaint.  Shortly after my wife and I got married (I was 42 at the time, so if I sound like I have a hard time adjusting to being married sometimes, well yeah, 24 years of doing whatever you want whenever you want does get a bit habit forming . . . .)  TJ was in second grade at the time and really hadn't gotten to know me all that well yet (he saw some of my clothes, like my conservative seersucker suit--with the stripes being of all alternating bright colors--very tasteful, I assure you, it's for Halloween at work, but he thought I was sneaking out on his Mom to go disco dancing--dancing--me?  DISCO dancing??--not this lifetime--I saw too many of those National Geographic bird mating ritual shows as a kid for that to ever work for me--I prefer the sophisticated, refined, and subtle approach as I am sure you can imagine.  (As an example of my refined, sophisticated, and subtle technique, I managed to propose with my fly open, as my then Fiancee' was quick to tell my Mother and Sister at dinner the next night, who both simultaneously said in the same incredulous, but believing and "what won't he do?" kind of tone, "ON PURPOSE?" (no, not that time))  Anyway, to try to stay on point . . . TJ didn't really know me well at all when we got married, then almost immediately we then moved into a new house in a new neighborhood. But, since there were only a couple of months left, we kept TJ at the same school to finish the year. Within a day or two we meet the people who live two houses over who have two boys, one a year older than TJ, one two years older.  A couple of days later, I went out to get the paper one morning.  I was sleepy and I didn't realize I had grabbed my wife's bathrobe rather than mine until I got to the front door.  It was one of those short, silk, "seductive" ones that, on her, came up pretty high on her legs-- above mid thigh.  I'm bigger than she is--a lot--and my legs are quite hairy.  Anyway, it wasn't what I would have chosen to wear on purpose, but for going to get the paper, I don't give a shit, so I just put it on and go out to get the paper.  I don't think twice about the kids across the street waiting for the school bus--doesn't even register.  The next morning TJ and I are eating breakfast (my wife goes to work really early) and I mutter "I'm going to get the paper" (not a morning person) and TJ, who is only in second grade, gets visibly agitated--just starts squirming, moving his mouth without words,etc.  It's enough that even Mr. Unperceptive Insensitive here notices something is wrong and I pause and I finally coax him into saying something and he says "You aren't going to wear that thing again, are you????"  I laugh to this day thinking about him in absolute agony watching me go get the paper in his mother's short short, silk bathrobe-- acutely aware that the neighborhood kids, including the two older boys he had just met the day before, are watching me-- I was just totally oblivious.  And for him to react the way he did the next day, when I already had shorts and a tee shirt on, it's like he thought I was going to make a special effort to go change out of those and into his mother's short silk bathrobe before I went outside in front of all the kids he was going to have to deal with on a daily basis--I obviously wanted to make his life absolute hell on earth . . . . Oops--sorry-- too much BS and not enough thinking.  I have to go get the little hooligan right now.  I'll move later.  Have a good one, Glenn
}
14. Bd5
{
TimeOnTarget: Hi John--
Sorry about the delay in the move.  I'm going to be a bit dogged tomorrow because I have work stuff to finish up and I also have to watch my daughter, which is actually kind of nice if I can finish up the work stuff -- she's not a big help and I cannot ignore her no matter how much I try.  Anyway, I didn't have much time to really do lengthy calculations (or rather TRY unsuccessfully to do lenghty calcualtions) or research, but I have been trying to catch up and read books, look on chessgames, etc. as much as possible since.  I figure it is all part of the learning process, though it does feel kind of weird to be looking at books--like cheating on a take home test or something.  (I don't get the point at all of playing games with computer "aid"--unless those people are very, very, very good.)  Anyway, as best as I can tell with what I know about, we are now in fully uncharted territory--past even possible continuation lines in books . . . . .  By the way, one of my favorite books is called the Modern Morra Gambit by Hannes Langrock--I have been trying to use it--I found the lines, or parts thereof, for some of the games in it, but I think most are past everything already.  It is actually even kind of hard to find the stuff sometimes even if you know it is in a book . . . .least for me it is.  Have a good one, Glenn
}
{
TimeOnTarget: And if you haven't been using any crib stuff but making all the right moves anyway, I'm probably as good as dead . . . . .
}
14... Qd7
{
john1960uk: Hello Glenn, The last move in my database(s) / opening tree was 13.Ba2. there was one game left, a win for white ;-) and I didn't like the black move so I shifted some wood about and came up with 13...Be6. I'm out of 'crib stuff' now....... So you should notice it fall apart :-)John.
}
{
TimeOnTarget: Hi John--OK, I feel a bit better.  I think this game may have actually had a line I could follow the longest of any of them.  I have a feeling I need to get Chessbase-- it seems like opening trees are kind of what I have always imagined doing with "decision tree" kind of documents--I actually was attempting for a while to paste together different boxes from org chart diagrams, etc. and pretty quickly gave that up.  I'm kind of slowly getting into stuff on computers over time.  When I started my first full-time post school job in 1990, the office manager brought a computer to my office.  Our dialog went roughly:  "what's that?  It's your computer.  I don't want a computer.  But its your computer.  I'm not going to use it--why don't you give it to someone who will?  Because it is yours.  That's silly.  How about I just put it over here in the corner?  I really don't want it in here--it gives me the willies."  This occasioned a visit from the big boss who said that I had to have it in my office and at least learn how to read my (they didn't even call it "email" back then--I can't remember what it was called--wait--"profs" I think).  There was a reason for my aversion.  When I was in college until my senior year there was one intro computer course--in the college of engineering--a fortran programming course.  I knew people who had to take it three times before they passed it.  I constantly saw people sweating bullets about getting their program to "compile" before midnight on certain days.  None for me, thanks.  By my Senior year, computers were starting to get really big and I did think I should probably learn a little something about them. I wanted "hi boys and girls, this is a computer.  today we will discuss turning the computer on . . . . "  So, my Senior year, all of a sudden in the college of arts and science appears "CS 100"  The only intro computer course before had been something like "Eng 152"  A friend of mine who was a computer major tells me that this is finally a "computer course for the arts and farts guys."  I still smelled danger, so I figured I better take it pass/fail.  I go one day too early to register for pass/fail.  I then jell out until one day too late to register for pass/fail.  I needed the hours to graduate on time, so I couldn't drop.   Of course, it turns out that only, and I mean only, the numbers on the course had changed--everything else was still the same--"program the computer to play tic, tac, toe" "program the computer to run a grading printout averaging each class with mean, median etc., then make it do that for all 5 intro computer classes, then make it take all those and mix them all together and divide it all up, assign grades to everybody based on the following percentages . . . --a bloody nightmare.  The grade of for the course was calculated as follows:  25% for six pain in the ass programs you had to do, 25% for tests--midterm and final, 25% for homework, and 25% for pop quizzes.  I was a Senior history major.  I had my routine down.  My routine did not include going to any classes except the first (for the syllabus), the midterm, and the final.  If I really liked the professor--there were 5 in four years that I remember liking well--I would occasionally go and listen to a class or two as a sign of respect. One prof I really liked a lot I went to all his classes--he taught "Drugs, Society, and Human Behavior."   I also would sometimes try to hit the review classes before the midterm and final if I didn't know anyone else in the class to find out what the test was supposed to be on.  That was pretty much it on the classes. I usually had to do one or two papers for each class too--no problem--a book, a twelve pack and take it to a typist.  My routine did not include "homework" or "pop quizzes" but I gave it sort of a try for the computer class-- the 50% of my grade for those two areas somewhat pophetically turned out to be a 50% i.e, 25 points toward my final grade.  Passing turned out to be something like a 68.  I passed, but only after I went and argued for extra points on my final ("come on man, I'm a Senior History major.  I'll never touch another computer in my life!)  So, me getting into using computers has been a slow process . . . . . But, now that there is stuff I actually want from them, like music and Chess, I think I am getting darn good.  I don't know why no one else seems to share my opinion . . . . .  
}
{
TimeOnTarget: And we picked a fine time to run out of crib materials, eh?  With everyone pointing a gun at everyone else's head.
}
{
TimeOnTarget: John, would you mind waiting while I read my newest (honestly) book,  "Excelling at Chess Calculation?"  ugh. what a booger to figure out.  It's not the ideas or the options that I am lacking, it's the how things will look 7 moves from now that is shrouded in the deepest mystery for me . . . . . 
}
15. Rac1
{
TimeOnTarget: Perhaps during Don Corleone's funeral . . . . .
}
15... Rac8
{
john1960uk: Wow! If you're playing without databases you're playing exceptionally well! Chess books are good learning tools, but that learning requires a development of understanding that seems to be aquired best through actual experience i.e. playing games :-).
Trying to learn from a book only would be like trying to learn a language like Japanese, without hearing anybody speak or uttering a word yourself. ;-)Setting up Chessbase is probably the easiest commercial software, NOT the cheapest though!! Chess assistant is another option to consider. SCID is very good and free, trawling around the internet for games collections is the biggest problem there. Chessgames.com and 365chess are online databases that could be useful. Shredder chess and chessok have opening databases that are quite good. All the best, John.
}
16. h3
{
TimeOnTarget: Hi John-- well in this game I did have a book to crib with for a while.  I think I found the line somewhere around move 8 and our game diverged from anything they had on move 13.  But, that was a big help.  I do get the feeling I need to get Chessbase.  Part of the reason I haven't gotten it is I don't know how to use it.  I recently saw that there is a "crib" CD available that teaches you how to use chessbase and fritz.  I think I need to get that first.  I entered both the smith morra and the king's gambit mini tournaments-- two tournaments is too much for me and it is showing.  Somewhat belatedly remembered to use chessgames and then after that I couldn't remember what was what, so I printed out a copy of each game, numbered them S-M Gambit 1-6 and KG 1-6 and started writing down references that might help on the page for each game--e.g., other games, pages of books, etc. That helped in some of the games.  Others I was either past the point where there were other games of lines analyzed, or I just haven't found them.  It will be good to go back and analyze my mistakes.  I had one S-M game with Andre that I thought was going fine (I didn't have any references for it) but all of a sudden I am thinking it isn't going as well as I thought.  But, the biggest problems is I need to learn how to tackle figuring out situations like this.  I'm going to have another go at it tomorrow, but for now, h3 seems to help without committing me to anything dramatic--I think!!!  Have a good one, Glenn
}
16... Bxd5
{
john1960uk: Hi Glenn, sorry for the delay, work 
:-( The game explorer on here is also good for the opening. Can't hang around, I haven't moved in any games since Wednesday, feels like I've got reams to get through :-) all the best, John.
}
17. exd5
{
TimeOnTarget: Hi John-- no problem at all.  I have been buried myself.  In fact, I knew I had a whole bunch of moves that I would have to do tonight, but I thought I had until midnight until the first game ran out of time.  Wrong-- I timed out in one of my games against peterm--I must have just missed it by minutes.  Oh well, I had just pissed away a promising opening-- story of my life.
}
17... Nd8
{
john1960uk: Time creeps up on you doesn't it! I'm back straight with my games now :-) Although you had a promising opening, thought I'd let you know that I'm struggling in both my games against Peter M, without any specific threats to work on he just feels like he is 'in control' of the games! All the best, John.
}
18. Bg5 h6 19. Bxf6
{
TimeOnTarget: Hi John-- you are right about Peter M.  He has kind of a slow, considered, steady play where you can kind of tell he isn't making mistakes (or not mistakes that I can see in any event).  I wonder what his OTB Elo rating is.
}
19... Bxf6 20. Ne4 Be7 21. Ng3
{
TimeOnTarget: It looks like a step back, but it is really a good career move for him . . . . .
}
21... f5
{
john1960uk: Throw everything forward! :-)John.
}
22. Rxc8
{
TimeOnTarget: I need to get some offense going.  You have me responding to your moves now.
}
22... Qxc8 23. Qd2 Qd7 24. Qc2
{
TimeOnTarget: you do it without me even noticing, but all of a sudden I look up and think about it, and you have better pawn structure.  Not just this game-- the others too.
}
24... g6
{
john1960uk: Lets try and improve it a bit more then. :-) John.
}
25. Ne2
{
TimeOnTarget: Finally!  You left Ne2-c1-b3-a5-c6 open for me.
}
25... Qb7
{
john1960uk: You're welcome :-) John.
}
{
TimeOnTarget: I'll pass-- you go ahead.
}
26. Qb3
{
TimeOnTarget: There, that is as little a move as I can do.  Time for you to move some of those pawns.
}
26... Kg7
0-1

