text:
B-52s participate in Koa Lightning exercise
By 1st Lt. Tiffany Bares
20th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron
ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam -- B-52 aircrews from the 20th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron flew to Hawaii last week for an opportunity to sharpen their war fighting skills in the latest Koa Lightning exercise.
A Pacific Command exercise Koa Lightning, consisting of air -to-air intercept training with aircraft based out of Hickam AFB, Hawaii, provided scores of challenging scenarios designed to hone the combat edge of both the 20 EBS and other Pacific Forces resources.
"Koa Lightning is very similar to a B-52 combat sortie. We typically fly great distances with multiple air refuelings to strike targets across the globe," said Lt. Col. Thomas Hesterman, 20 EBS commander. "This exercise highlights the flexibility and range of bombers and further demonstrates our capability to help maintain peace and security in such a vast region like Pacific Command's area of responsibility."
This mission consisted of a flight of B-52s flying more than 18 hours and 6,880 nautical miles to Hawaii and back. Due to the distance and air time, the B-52s took on more than 180,000 pounds of fuel from KC-135 tankers from the 186th Air Refueling Wing deployed from Mississippi and the 168th Air Refueling Wing in Alaska.
Once in Hawaii, the B-52s practiced bombing missions in which they were intercepted by aircraft. The aircrews used defensive tactics while continuing with their mission to put bombs on target. This type of training is crucial for the aircrews since it is possible that they could encounter this situation in combat.
Lt. Col. Frederick Frostic, 20 EBS director of operations, stated "Koa Lightning gave us a chance to work with ground controllers integrating tasks in theater as well as exercise the Hawaiian Air Guard in their execution of the Hawaiian mission." He also stated "It demonstrates the bombers ability to travel nine hours, put bombs on target and return to base."
"This exercise tested our endurance as well," Colonel Hesterman added. "Flying 18-hour sorties gives our aircrews a taste of what combat can be like. It brings together elements of tanker support, air intercept and air defense training. It also proves our ability to operate as a cohesive team and achieve the objectives set by the combatant commander."


text:
Roanoke City County
20 Assisted Living Facilities near Roanoke, VA
Also serving communities of Hardy.
There are 20 Assisted Living Facilities in the Roanoke area, with 18 in Roanoke and 2 nearby.
The average cost of assisted living in Roanoke is $3,407 per month. This is lower than the national median of $3,500. Cheaper nearby regions include Salem with an average starting cost of $2,195.
To help you with your search, browse the 97 reviews below for assisted living facilities in Roanoke. On average, consumers rate assisted living in Roanoke 4.1 out of 5 stars. Better rated regions include Salem with an average rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars.
Caring.com has helped 14 families in Roanoke find high-quality senior care. To speak with one of our Family Advisors about assisted living options and costs in Roanoke, call (855) 863-8283.
Top 10 Assisted Living Facilities in Roanoke, VA
Caring Star 2016
Pheasant Ridge Senior Living
4435 Pheasant Ridge Rd. SW, Roanoke, VA 24014
"My mom is in the locked memory care of Pheasant Ridge. I think it's great and they're really great. They have a lot of activities that she needs to keep the stimulation going. They're really..." More
The Park - Oak Grove
4920 Woodmar Drive, SW, Roanoke, VA 24018
"My mom was a resident at The Park-Oak Grove for 2 years, and I cannot say enough nice things about the staff and facility. Anytime there was a need, the entire staff came together to make sure she..." More
Cave Spring Place
3585 Brambleton Ave., Roanoke, VA 24018
"My mom lived at this facility when Brookdale Cave Springs was still Emeritus, but she died in November. The staff was always wonderful to my mom. The residents looked very happy. I would give this..." More
Magnolia Ridge Assisted Living
1007 Amherst Street, S.W., Roanoke, VA 24015
"Magnolia Ridge assisted living facility, located in Roanoke, Virginia, is one of the smaller assisted living facilities that I have ever visited. According to their website, they only host 34 beds..." More
The Harmony Collection at Roanoke - A...
4402 Pheasant Ridge Road, Roanoke, VA 24014
"" More
Brandon Oaks
3804 Brandon Avenue, S.W., Roanoke, VA 24018
"We liked Brandon Oaks. It was nice and clean. The people were friendly. The apartment were a good size. The food was real good." More
The Harmony Collection at Roanoke – I...
"My dad moved into The Harmony Collection at Roanoke, and so far it has been amazing. They have been so amazing. When we got my dad to go see it, they came out and visited my dad. They had sent..." More
Virginia Veterans Care Center
4550 Shenandoah Ave Nw, Roanoke, VA 24017
Hermitage Roanoke Retirement Community
1009 Old Country Club Road, Nw, Roanoke, VA 24017
"I have already placed my mother in Hermitage Roanoke, and this place is top notch. They have all kinds of activities; they've got a theater room. They've got good food and they are well cared for." More
650 N. Jefferson St, Roanoke, VA 24016
"I visited Our Lady of the Valley. The staff was very cordial, showed us around, and told us what they had to offer. They had different kinds of nice apartments, like singles, some with kitchen. I..." More
Find Local Costs for Roanoke, VA
Friendship Retirement
320 Hershberger Rd Nw, Roanoke, VA 24012
"I have visited this facility two times per month of a couple of years. I have from one to 3 residents at a time that are hospice patients of mine. I am a hospice social worker and I usually visit..." More
North Roanoke Assisted Living
6910 Williamson Road, Roanoke, VA 24019
"My 64 year old brain-injured, bipolar brother lives here and they are very patient and caring with him even though he sometimes screams at workers for the least thing that displeases him. He has..." More
Hamilton Haven of Roanoke
2720 Cove Road, N.W., Roanoke, VA 24017
Hollins Manor
7610 Williamson Road Nw, Roanoke, VA 24019
Meadow Hills Assisted Living
5046 Williamson Rd Nw, Roanoke, VA 24012
Valley Retirement Home
1418 10th Street NW, Roanoke, VA 24012
Virginias Residential
1205 Moorman Ave Nw, Roanoke, VA 24017
Kimsons Home LLC
2609 Edison St, Roanoke, VA 24012
Brookdale Salem
2001 Ridgewood Drive, Salem, VA 24153
"I like the pricing of Brookdale Salem. The representative was very friendly and very informative. It is actually my preferred home for my father-in-law but his health has declined so the cost was..." More
Independent and Assisted Living new residents receive $500 off the 1st full month and 4th full mo... (more) Ends in 12 days
The Joseph C. Thomas Center
3939 Daughtery Road, Salem, VA 24153
"My mother was at the Memory Care Center for 13 months. They took her on a moment's notice when my dad had a heart attack and could no longer care for her. Staff were very kind to her, worked with..." More
What to Consider About Assisted Living in Roanoke
Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Roanoke, Virginia is a municipality of over 300,000 residents with a number of smaller surrounding cities. The city is known for its natural beauty, making it an ideal place for active seniors to enjoy a walk or drive through breathtaking vistas. There are 17 assisted living facilities in the area, all of which are licensed and regulated by the Virginia Department of Social Services.
Benefits and Drawbacks of Assisted Living in Roanoke
Weather in Roanoke, Virginia, follows four distinct seasons. Winter temperatures drop as low as 28 degrees, while summer highs hover in the upper 80s. The rest of the year is considered pleasant, light-jacket weather for senior residents.
The air quality in Roanoke is usually good throughout the year, as it is against the Blue Ridge Mountains of Appalachia, which tends to filter out much of the pollution from the city. However, sometimes there is pollen in the air, which could cause breathing difficulties for seniors with respiratory issues.
According to Sperling's Best Places, Roanoke has an overall cost of living totaling 87 out of 100, which is lower than the state (107) and national (100) averages. This is due to a lower average housing cost of $144,600 in the area. Necessities like groceries, transportation and utilities are also well below the state and national averages, meaning seniors won't spend as much on a daily basis.
Roanoke's crime rate is quite high for a city of its size, with its violent crime average at 4.18 per 1000 people. This is nearly double the state average of 2.18 and slightly higher than the national average of 4. Consequently, Roanoke is considered safer than just 7 percent of American cities, something seniors should take into consideration.
RADAR is a non-profit group that has been providing transportation for seniors, among others, in the Greater Roanoke Valley over the past 40 years. They have partnered with other city and county transit services to give discounted rides to seniors all over the metropolitan area.
The Roanoke area is home to world-class medical facilities, including the Carillion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, in the event of medical emergencies or illness.
Paying for Assisted Living in Roanoke
Average Monthly Costs
Cities in Virginia
$4,495.00 Blacksburg
$4,431.00 Christiansburg
$4,000.00 US
$3,525.00 Roanoke
$2,447.00 Bedford
$2,195.00 Salem
Assisted Living costs in Roanoke start around $3,525 per month on average, while the nationwide average cost of assisted living is $4,000 per month, according to the latest figures from Genworth's Cost of Care Survey.
It's important to note that assisted living rates in Roanoke and the surrounding suburbs can vary widely based on factors such as location, the level of care needed, apartment size and the types of amenities offered at each community.
Financial Assistance for Assisted Living in Roanoke
The state of Virginia has an Auxillary Grant to help offset the costs of assisted living. There is also an Alzheimer's Assisted Living Waiver to Medicaid that will pay for assisted living facilities to those who are 55 years or older and are suffering from Alzheimer's or a related form of dementia.
Learn more about these programs, plus who's eligible, on our Assisted Living in Virginia page.
More Ways to Pay for Assisted Living
While many families use their own funds or personal assets to pay for assisted living, there are plenty of additional options to cover these costs. Some additional ways to finance assisted living costs include:
Life Insurance Policy
For more information about different ways to finance assisted living, visit our Assisted Living in Virginia page.
Free Assisted Living Resources in Roanoke
Roanoke and the surrounding area are home to numerous government agencies and non-profit organizations offering help for seniors searching for or currently residing in an assisted living community. These organizations can also provide assistance in a number of other eldercare services such as geriatric care management, elder law advice, estate planning, finding home care and health and wellness programs.
To see a list of free assisted living resources in Roanoke, please visit our Assisted Living in Virginia page.
Assisted Living Laws and Regulations in Roanoke
Roanoke-area assisted living communities must adhere to the comprehensive set of state laws and regulations that all assisted living communities in Virginia are required to follow. Visit our Assisted Living in Virginia page for more information about these laws.
What to Consider About Assisted Living in Roanoke, VA Paying for Assisted Living in Roanoke, VA Free Assisted Living Resources in Roanoke, VA Assisted Living Laws and Regulations in Roanoke, VA
Assisted Living near Roanoke, VA
Other Options in Roanoke, VA
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Review of The Harmony Collection at Roanoke – Independent Living
My dad moved into The Harmony Collection at Roanoke, and so far it has been amazing. They have been so amazing. When we got my dad to go see it, they came out and visited my dad. They had sent vide... Read more
Review of The Park - Oak Grove
My mom was a resident at The Park-Oak Grove for 2 years, and I cannot say enough nice things about the staff and facility. Anytime there was a need, the entire staff came together to make sure she ... Read more
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Pheasant Ridge Senior Living didn't have any two-bedrooms available. The one-bedroom was adequately sized, but it only had a half of a refrigerator and a microwave. It didn't have a full kitchen. T... Read more
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


We all love 90's fashion, do we? Some of us love chokers, fishnet tights and tiny glasses, some love tailored pieces and elegance and some love both, or none. I recently watched Pretty Woman (I don't even remember how many times I watched that movie) and I saw that salmon color suit of hers – powerful but still casual and sophisticated Vivian was my favorite one, maybe that is the reason I love the pantsuit so much. And I thought to myself – it is having a comeback. Tailored high-waisted shorts (or bermuda shorts) suits are having a big comeback! Yes! And I predict, it is going to be the biggest trend of the upcoming summer. For that reason, I came up with the 10 affordable suits for this summer. And yes, you can thank me later because they are just amazing.


The Bay City Brass Band was founded by Marcus Johnson.
The Excelsior Band is a ten piece jazz marching brass band that consists of three trumpets, three saxophones, one trombone, a tuba, bass drum and snare drum. The band performs in Mobile Mardi Gras parades and other event. The group also performs as a quintet, as requested for smaller events.


It revolves around the confusing and comic events that arise after Jass lies to Mahie about his family in order to marry her. Movie Rating : Carry on Jatta 2 Full Movie Download Free 720p BluRay Carry on Jatta 2 Full Movie Download Free 720p BluRay. Making money shouldn't be the only purpose of making films. What follows is a series of hilarious confusions about real relationships, arising out of this con. There are people making movies out there like dana paani, rangroot n many more, with such noble thought process n then comes gippy grewal who doesn't have a clue about what all acting is about. Ridiculous story telling, awfully written dialogues, below average performances by the lead actors.
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Jass connives with his scheming friend Honey Gurpreet Ghuggi , to con Meet into thinking he has a big family. Will Meet take Jass to North American nation or he can find yourself with some a lot of sudden things in his life when lying such a lot to everyone? Movie Cast : Gippy Grewal, Sonam Bajwa, Binnu Dhillon 3. Gippy grewal needs to look at his peers for once. Even if you have nothing better to do with your time, i would say go take a nap rather than watching this movie. Movie Info Name: Carry on Jatta 2 Category: Punjabi Movies Genre: Release Date: 1 June 2018 Video Quality: 720p Cast: Binnu Dhillon, Gippy Grewal, Sonam Bajwa Story: Carry On Jatta is an Punjabi romantic comedy starring Gippy Grewal and Mahie Gill in the leading roles. This movie is a complete waste of your time and money.
The Film Is A Sequel To The 2012 Blockbuster Film, Carry On Jatta With Gippy Grewal, Binnu Dhillon, Jaswinder Bhalla, Gurpreet Ghuggi, B. I listened the script Also my a piece Also i knew i could do it. Movie Language : Punjabi 6. Movie Name : Carry on Jatta 2 2018 2. Didn't expect actors like bhalla ji n ghuggi ji to be a part of such a low budget money wise n performance wise.
Jass succeeds in courting Meet however the confusion begins to rise as he learns a lot of concerning the actual qualities Meet needs in her future husband. Being a and only those novel into a film with which with the goal large portions desires are officially associated, may need provided for anybody a portion chills down those spine. Sonam, on the different hand, appeared with have the best time from claiming her an aggregation on the set. . Movie Genre : Comedy 7. I may not know much either but i definitely know what its not.
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Being a and only those novel into a film with which with the goal large portions desires are officially associated, may need provided for anybody a portion chills down those spine. The Film Features Sonam Bajwa As The Lead Female And, Upasana Singh And Jyotii Sethi In Supporting roles. In spite of The majority of the star throws need been held from those main installment, Sonam Bajwa turned into an new part of the gang. This movies shows us punjabis in a very bad light who don't need any rythm or rhyme to make sense of something. Sonam bajwa was the only saving grace. I regret that I wasted two and a half hours of my life sitting there at the movies watching audiences laughing like idiots at the lame jokes delivered by the actors. Is Related To 2018 Punjabi Movies.
Sharma and Karamjit Anmol Returning To Feature In The Second Instalment. To achieve this, he piggybacks his lawyer landlord Dhillon Jaswinder Bhalla and his son Goldy Binnu Dhillon , who have a family and a home. . . .


Andrew Sullivan, creator and writer of The Daily Dish.
In 2000, Andrew Sullivan was best known as a conservative, often brilliant, sometimes infuriating essayist and former editor of The New Republic. That summer, he began writing what was still called a weblog, posting a few items a day under the title "The Daily Dish." He was pugnaciously pro-Bush and anti-Clinton. Over nearly 15 years, starting with no staff and ending with a small one, Sullivan shifted his politics (if not his philosophy) from defending Bush and the Iraq War to fiercely rejecting both, and from there to uneasily endorsing Kerry and eventually helping to shape the Obama narrative. The interests of his blog were both general and personal, an eclectic mix that included Catholicism, pot, beards, beagles, and especially gay marriage, the case for which he started making years before anyone believed it remotely possible. His integration of reader commentary into the blog created its own form and inspired devotion: When he revealed on February 4 that he was closing down the Dish, one fan offered an annual subscription of $5,000 to keep the site going. A dip into the archive makes a case for Sullivan's outsize influence on the politics of the new century.
Aug. 25, 2007: Sullivan marries his longtime partner Aaron Tone.
Oct. 27, 2008: Endorses Obama, in The Atlantic and on the Dish.
Nov. 6, 2012: Election Night. "[I've been] foreseeing … a real possibility of profound and necessary change in America over the next four years.


The new version is in the foreground. The old version (originally created in 2002) is in the background. The changes are subtle and almost invisible in-game, but I think it will look better in hero shots. Plus it makes more sense from a practical perspective: you can now get from the cockpit to the cargo bay without a spacesuit.


Stanfurd is the number one most stressful college in the United States. Period.
At least, that's what "The Daily Beast" said. They ranked the 50 most stressful colleges in America and came up with the top 5 of Stanford, Columbia, MIT, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard. Berkeley placed a measly 22nd. We don't really know whether to be pleased or angry about this, especially since it seems just a tad untrue. We'll settle for incredulous indignation. Here goes.
What are you talking about, Daily Beast? Where are you getting your information? Well, we'll give them some props–they at least divided the ranking into five categories: cost, competitiveness, acceptance rate, engineering, and crime. Stats were not given by student interviews (who has the time for that?) but through data from U.S. News and World Report.
So here we go, making a plea for Berkeley. First, the cost: yeah, it may not be Stanford I'll-need-to-sell-my-mother's-pearls-to-pay-for-next-semester status, but as you may have heard, it's getting more expensive. Competitiveness? One need only listen to the horror stories of cutthroat Chem 1A students to understand just how competitive this school is. Our acceptance rate is less than that of Carnegie-Mellon, which placed eighth.
Engineering is so obviously a big deal at Berkeley that we won't even address that field, except to question why that was a category in the first place. Are engineers some kind of catalyst for mass stress and hysteria? We've never seen anyone tremble at an EECS major. And crime? There are so many things to link to, we don't even know where to begin.
All in all, though, we suppose this means we're better adjusted than those wet blanket Cardinals over at Stanford. What counts as stress on that campus? A disappointing haircut? Maybe those prissy kids should just take a leaf out of Berkeley's book and learn how to chillax (and yes, we said all that quite calmly, thank you).
Although, like we said, the Daily Beast-ers seem to be a little arbitrary in their judgment. So maybe we should all just follow UC Santa Cruz's example. Those darn banana slugs didn't even make the cut. They were too busy mellowing.
Hey! This post couldn't be written any better! Reading through this post reminds me of my previous room mate! He always kept chatting about this. I will forward this write-up to him. Pretty sure he will have a good read. Thank you for sharing!


text:
I usually play a game or two of online blitz on holidays. These days are devoted to family time, but there are always a few moments when everyone else is sleeping or otherwise occupied, so I sneak in a game of chess. This morning, the investment of a knight gave me a nice position in a classical French.
My bishop is prepared to come to d7 with tempo, then the other rook can join the fray and all of my pieces will be aiming at White's royal family while his pawn storm is less threatening than the skiff of snow that fell on my deck overnight.
20.Nc3??
20.Qa3 seemed necessary.
20...Bd7 21.Qa3 Rfb8
My opponent realized the hopelessness of his position and wished me Happy Holidays!
Labels: French Defense, piece coordination, vulnerability
Zugzwang
Several of my students have seen this position this past week. None have succeeded. It is one that I use from Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual.
Posted by James Stripes at 10:04 AM 4 comments: Links to this post
Labels: Dvoretsky, Solve This, zugzwang
For the past three months, I have been too busy with other matters to create articles for Chess Skills. I have studied no chess. My chess activities have been limited to coaching and a few games of online blitz most days. Things should get back to normal in December.
I had White and the move from this position against a FIDE Master on Thanksgiving morning. It was my third victory against a titled player in one week. The position will be useful for my elementary students.
Labels: Elementary skills, fork, removing the guard, Solve This
Thompson -- Morphy, New York 1857
Paul Morphy's first opponent at the First American Chess Congress was James Thompson. He had been born in England and emigrated to the United States as a child. After completing his education, he established himself in business in New York City, where he came to be known as a formidable chess player. In 1853, Thompson won the first tournament among members of the New York Chess Club. He represented New York in several correspondence matches with other cities.*
Morphy beat Thompson 3-0. The games offer useful lessons concerning opening principles, as Morphy easily gained better mobility and coordination of his pieces. Two of the games featured endgames where Morphy demonstrated how to convert a small advantage. In the third game, which I present here, a tactical error in the middlegame cost White a pawn. In the endgame Morphy's bishop proved far stronger than Thompson's knight. Having an extra pawn made the game easier.
Morphy won this game in the middlegame, but had to demonstrate proper endgame technique to complete the victory.
Thompson,James -- Morphy,Paul [C54]
USA–01.Kongress New York (1.3), 08.10.1857
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3
This move is superior to 5.d4. I tend to play the inferior move (see "Materialism").
5...d6 6.h3
I have my doubts about the merits of this move (see "Wasting Time" for Phillip Sergeant's criticism and Macon Shibut's rejoinder regarding the frequency that Morphy's opponents played this move).
6...Be6
6...a6 seems the top choice today. With Morphy's move, White has a problem: How should he resolve the tension between the bishops along the diagonal leading to f7?
7.Bb3
I might prefer 7.Bxe6 fxe6. Black's control of the central squares with his pawns more than compensates for any apparent weakness on the kingside. However, White's prospects might be better than in the game. The combination of the unnecessary prophylactic 6.h3 and this retreat of the bishop puts White two tempi behind. Soon, Black seizes the initiative.
Here we have a position that is typical of Morphy's games against all but his strongest opponents, and even a few games against his strongest. A few moves into the game, Morphy has all of his minor pieces mobilized. Many of his opponents, on the other hand, have fallen behind.
Morphy seizes the opportunity to take the initiative.
8.exd5 Bxd5 9.0–0 0–0 10.Bg5
Thompson is ever alert to tactical possibilities. He threatens to force a weakening of the pawns in front of Black's king.
10...Bxb3 11.axb3 h6 12.Bh4 g5 13.Bg3 e4
Thompson's tactical threats have forced Morphy to play this move. However, Black's position is superior due to White's difficulty bringing the b1 knight into the game. This positional weakness will prove decisive.
14.Ne5 Nxe5 15.Bxe5 exd3 16.Bxf6
16.Nd2 might be better than exchanging the only active piece in order to immediately regain the pawn.
16...Qxf6 17.Qxd3
Now, Morphy mobilizes his rooks with further gain of tempi. Meanwhile, White's queenside knight and rook remain spectators to the action.
17...Rad8 18.Qc2 Rfe8 19.b4 Bb6 20.Na3
20.Nd2 is now impossible in the light of 20...Re2.
20...Qf4
Morphy prevents Nc4, and also prepares a battery along the diagonal leading to h2.
21.Rad1 c6 22.Rd3?
White's position was slightly worse. Now, it is lost. However, Black must strike vigorously, or White's will equalize.
Surprisingly few chess players have found the correct plan for Black when I have posted this position online.
22...Bxf2+ 23.Kh1
23.Rxf2 loses instantly. 23...Re1 24.Rf1 Rxf1#.
23.Qxf2 loses the exchange. 23...Qxf2+ 24.Rxf2 Re1+ 25.Kh2 Rxd3
23...Rxd3 24.Qxd3 Re3
Black's checkmate threat is quite serious.
25.Qd8+ Kg7 26.Qd4+
26.Qd7 Bg3!
26...Qxd4 27.cxd4 Re2 28.Nc4 Re1 29.Rxe1 Bxe1
White managed to fend off the checkmate threats and enter a minor piece ending down a mere pawn. However, Black's bishop will prove vastly superior to White's knight.
30.Na5 Bxb4 31.Nxb7
This moment in the game can be useful for provoking a discussion of schematic thinking.
31...Kf6 32.Nd8 c5 33.Nc6 Ke6 34.dxc5 Bxc5 35.g4
It is hard to criticize White's effort to hinder Black's pawn majority on the kingside in this manner, but the problems on the queenside prove fatal. The knight is helpless to manage workloads on both sides of the board and the king alone cannot battle Black's forces.
35...Kd5 36.Nd8 f6
Reducing a vulnerability that could permit White back into the game.
37.Kg2 a5 38.Kf3 a4 39.Ke2 Bd4
Only now does Morphy attack the unprotected pawn after preventing its advance.
40.Kd3 Bxb2 41.Nf7 Be5 42.Kc2 Kc4 43.Nd8 a3 44.Nb7 a2 45.Na5+ Kb4 46.Nb3 Ka3 0–1
The final position offers a nice illustration of zugzwang.
*The biographical sketch of Thompson in Charles A. Gilberg, The Fifth American Chess Congress (1881), 77-80 provides these details. The Congress was held in 1880. The book contains a detailed history of the first four congresses, as well as the games of the fifth.
Posted by James Stripes at 10:27 AM 1 comment: Links to this post
Labels: annotated games, checkmate patterns, initiative, Italian Opening, Morphy (Paul), Time, vulnerability
Critical Moments
How do you analyze a chess game?
I do several things, but the first step--whether my own game or one played by others--is identifying the critical moments in the game. When did the loser reach a technically lost position?
Today was the last day of my tenth annual youth chess camp. The students spent the week--fifteen hours--solving exercises in a workbook (available on Amazon), playing tournament games, discussing games and parts of games with me and with each other. Throughout the week, I stressed a learning process that extends well beyond the week of camp: work on endgames, then tactics and planning, then openings, then study whole games. When they arrived this morning, I had two positions on the two demo boards. We talked about the endgame first. Then we talked about the middlegame.
With two legal moves, Black chose the one that loses.
White turned an advantage into a lost game by moving the queen to the wrong square.
The whole game with annotations at the critical moments is offered below.
Stripes,J. (1911) -- Internet Opponent (1892) [A43]
Chess.com, 10.08.2017
1.d4 e6 2.c4 c5 3.Nf3 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.g3 Qc7 6.Qc2 b6 7.Bg2 Bb7 8.e4 Nc6 9.Be3 Nxd4 10.Bxd4 Nf6 11.0–0 Bc5 12.Bxc5 bxc5 13.Nc3 h5 14.Rad1 h4 15.Qe2 hxg3 16.fxg3 Ke7 17.e5 Nh5 18.Ne4 Bxe4 19.Qxe4 Rag8 20.Rd6 f5 21.Qh4+ [21.Qd3] 21...g5 22.Qh3 Nf4 23.Qxh8 Ne2+ 24.Kf2 Rxh8 25.Kxe2 Rxh2 26.Kf2 g4 27.Rfd1 a5 28.Kg1 Rh8 29.b3 Rd8 30.Bc6 dxc6 31.Rxd8 Qxd8 32.Rxd8 Kxd8 33.Kf2 [33.a4 Ke7 34.Kf2 Kf7 35.Ke2 Kg6 36.Kd3 Kg5 37.Ke3 f4+ 38.gxf4+ Kf5 39.Kf2] 33...Kc7 34.Ke3 Kb6 35.Kf4 a4 36.Ke3 Ka5 37.bxa4 Kxa4 38.Kf4 Ka3 39.Kg5 Kb4 40.Kf6 Kxc4 [40...f4 41.gxf4 g3] 41.Kxe6 Kd4 42.Kxf5 c4 43.e6 c3 44.e7 c2 45.e8Q c1Q 46.Qd7+ [46.Qe4+ Kc5] 46...Ke3 47.Qe6+ Kf3 48.Qe4+ Kxg3 [48...Kf2 49.Qf4+ Qxf4+ 50.Kxf4 c5] 49.Qxg4+ Kf2 50.Qf4+ Qxf4+ 51.Kxf4 Ke2 52.Ke4 Kd2 53.a4 Kc3 54.a5 Kb4 55.a6 c5 56.a7 c4 57.a8Q c3 58.Kd3 c2 59.Kxc2 1–0
After these two positions, we looked at Fischer -- Stein 1967, which they have in their book. Following that presentation, the students worked in groups studying other great games. Then, they played the last round of their tournament. During the last fifteen minutes, we went through the whole game from which I had extracted the two positions that we began with nearly three hours earlier.
Labels: annotated games, blitz, pawn ending, queen ending, Solve This
It's Only Blitz
I beat a National Master yesterday afternoon. It has been a couple of months since my last win against a titled player, so I was happy to get this one. It was my last game in a blitz playing session characterized by poor play, but it was a better game. Of course, I made errors, but they were less egregious than in my previous several games.
I spent a little more than an hour playing blitz, and at least that much time analyzing this one game. This game was played in less than six minutes. Did it deserve more than an hour of post-game analysis? My opponent shall remain unnamed because he left a clue on his Chess.com page that suggests he would prefer it that way.
Stripes,J (1892) -- Internet Opponent (1926) [E11]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+ 4.Nbd2
4.Bd2 is the most popular move. Some years ago, I bought and read partly through The Chess Advantage in Black and White (2004) by Larry Kaufman. Many of the lines that Kaufman recommends do not suit me well, but his basic idea has been an influence. He advocates "second best" moves early in the game when it reduces the amount of theory that one must learn.
I am not certain that 4.Nbd2 is second best, but it is second most popular. 4.Bd2 is played twice as often. 4.Nbd2 has a better scoring percentage for White and a slightly higher Elo performance as well. I had the impression that 4.Bd2 was the choice of top Grandmasters, but a check this morning refuted that. Garry Kasparov has played both moves. Magnus Carlsen has played both, but 4.Nbd2 more recently. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave seems to favor my choice.
I spent some time thinking about the relative merits of the choice that White makes here in the Bogo-Indian Defense. Why is 4.Bd2 more popular?
4...Qe7 5.g3 b6
The databases suggest that this move is rare, but the structure is certainly familiar.
6.Bg2 Bb7 7.0–0 0–0
Castling leads via transposition to a small batch of reference games.
8.Nb3
It is hard to believe that this move has not been played before. There must be something wrong with it. Perhaps, this move offers a clue to the popularity of 4.Bd2. The knight blocks the bishop when it stands there. It also lacks good squares that can be reached from d2. On b3, where I placed it, it interferes with queenside pawn expansion. Other moves seem worse.
8...d5 9.a3 Bd6 10.c5!?
This brilliant pawn sacrifice was actually an oversight. I was unaware that I was down a pawn until at the end of the game, savoring my victory, I noticed that material was equal. This sacrifice creates a minor piece imbalance that sometimes favors White, but was it worth a pawn?
10...bxc5 11.dxc5 Bxc5 12.Nxc5 Qxc5 13.Be3 Qd6
13...Qe7
14.Rc1 Na6
14...Nbd7
15.Bf4 Qd7
16.Ne5 Qe7 17.Nc6
At this point of the game, I was pleased with my position. I seem to have my opponent's forces tied down.
17...Qd7 18.Qc2 Rfc8 19.b4 Nb8 20.b5 Bxc6
After this exchange, we have two bishops against two knights and only the c-pawns are blocked.
21.bxc6 Qe7
How might White squeeze Black from this position?
22.Qb3 with the idea of Qb7 seems to have some merit.
22.Bg5 threatens e4.
I did not spend much time on this position during the game, but invested about fifteen minutes with it on the deck in the evening. It might be one that could be added to the store of middlegame positions for performing Jeremy Silman's inventory of imbalances.
22.e4 dxe4 23.Bxe4 Nxe4 24.Qxe4 a5
Maybe 24...Qxa3
25.Rfd1 Qxa3
Maybe 25...Ra6
26.Bxc7! Na6
26...a4 27.Bxb8 Raxb8 28.c7 looks overwhelming for White.
26...Rxb7 27.Rd8+ Qf8 28.Rxf8+ Kxf8 and the material balance has shifted strongly in favor of White. Even so, a queen and pawn agianst a rook and bishop is not always a winning material advantage in time pressure.
27.Bd6 Nb4 28.c7 h6
29.Bxb4?
29.Be7! My target is d8. Why not make a move that contributes to this plan?
29... axb4
29...Qxb4 30.Qxa8!
30...b3
30...Qa5 is equal and takes advantage of my error a move earlier.
31.Rcd6 g6 32.Rd8+ Kg7 33.Qe5+ f6 34.R8d7+
34.R1d7+ Qe7 35.Rxe7#
34...Kg8 35.Qxe6+ 1–0
Maybe my pawn sacrifice was sound. Both players committed the sort of positional errors that one might expect in a blitz game.
Labels: blitz, checkmate patterns, imbalances, Kaufman (Larry), online play, Opening Theory, Silman, Vachier-Lagrave (Maxime)
How to Think about Checkmate
This week is my tenth annual youth chess camp. During this camp, I am making more explicit a training process that I have advocated for many years: work backwards through the game in your study. That is, start with checkmates, move from there to endgames, then study tactics and middlegame strategy, and only then examine the opening. Finally, look at whole games. Repeat this sequence with more advanced materials. Keep repeating the sequence from the end to the beginning to the whole.
This process is the structure of Jose R. Capablanca, Chess Fundamentals (1921), which I have long advocated as among the best books for beginners and intermediate players. This process is the structure of my camp workbook for this year, Five Days to Better Chess: Essential Tools, which I have made available through Amazon.
Students begin each day with a warm-up exercise. The first day's warm-up consists of questions two and three from a test administered for several years by Richard James, and presented in "Chess Thinking Skills in Children," in The Chess Instructor 2009, edited by Jeroen Bosch and Steve Giddins.* Each question is a diagram where one must find White's best move (Black has a checkmate threat) and explain the reasons for this move. My quick grading of these warm-ups as students finish will facilitate putting them in groups for additional work on checkmates.
Following a period of individual and group work targeted at each student's skill set, the whole group will come together for a short lecture. These are my notes for the first lecture.
How do you think about checkmate? In order to finish the game well, you need to checkmate your opponent.
Coordination of Forces
Checkmate requires coordination of your pieces, and of their contacts with your opponent's pieces. The minimum number of pieces that are needed for checkmate are both kings and either a queen or a rook. Examples will be presented.
Checkmating an opponent with only one of your pieces requires the assistance of his or her pieces. For example, a back-rank checkmate requires that a king be hemmed in by at least two of his own pawns. In the diagram below, Black's f-pawn would be unnecessary if the Black king were on h8. A smother checkmate requires three of a king's own forces holding him down.
Here we have a corridor checkmate from Five Days to Better Chess (30). The back-rank checkmate above was presented as a threat that Black had to address.
There are millions of possible arrangements of the chess pieces to create checkmate.** Nonetheless, most checkmates resemble a few dozen patterns. The better you know these patterns, the more likely you will find checkmate in your games. Five Days to Better Chess lists 37 patterns, but does not present examples of all of these.
Corridor checkmates--always delivered with a rook or queen--are a family of checkmate patterns that are easy to learn. A back-rank checkmate is the simplest corridor checkmate. In Five Days to Better Chess, there is a diagram where White threatens this checkmate, but it is Black's move. This position came about in the game Ansaldo,A. -- Boyce,C., Melbourne 1922 in the Championship of Australia.
Black found a forced checkmate in six moves. That is an ideal worth striving towards.
22...Rd2+ 23.Bxd2
If 23.Kf1 Qd1#
23.Kh3 leads to a sequence much like the game's finish.
23...Rxd2+ 24.Kh3
This is the position presented in the workbook.
24.Kf1 Qf3+ 25.Ke1 Qf2# Here is another pattern utilizing a queen and rook that one should learn. It is one of the final positions that can occur after a queen and rook roll, discussed at the beginning of the checkmate unit in the book.
24.Qe6+ g4
25.Kh4 Rxh2+ 26.Kg5 Qf6+ 27.Kg4 h5#. Here, we do not have a corridor checkmate, but rather one of those positions that has elements of several named patterns. Observe that Black's queen, rook, and pawn are assisted by White's pawn on g4.
25...Qh6+ 26.Kg3 Qe3+ 27.Kh4 Rxh2#
White's king is checkmated on the h-file. Two other pieces hold him there: Black's queen covers two squares and a White pawn prevents escape to another. Three squares on the g-file and three squares on the h-file are controlled by Black or occupied by a White piece. Checkmate on the edge requires coordination of pieces to control six squares. This is an example of what I call an "edge-file checkmate", which is similar in important respects to a back-rank checkmate.
Anastasia's Checkmate is another example of a corridor checkmate. Here is one from a Grandmaster blitz game last year, Harikrishna,P. -- Dominguez Perez,L., Huai'an 2016.
Learning checkmate patterns facilitates finding them when you are on the attack. This knowledge also helps when you are defending. When you see the checkmate threats, you can stop them.
In this position from this year's Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Wesley So has Black's king tied down with a rook, and his knight and pawn are well placed to begin working towards an Arabian Checkmate. First, however, he must meet Black's threats.
42.Kf1 would lose instantly. 42...Qf2#.
42.Kd1 also throws away the win, as So must must avoid Richard Rapport's endless checks that lead to a draw. Nor can White's king find shelter from these checks. 42.Kd1 Nf2+ 43.Kc2 Qxe2+ 44.Kc3 Qe3+ 45.Kb2 Nd3+
White to move (Analysis position)
46.Ka1 walks into checkmate in two.
Facing both checkmate threats and draw by repetition, So played the only move that preserved his advantage, although it also led to a barrage of checks. In this case, however, Black had only one piece harassing the White king, and it was able to find refuge.
42.Qxd3! Qxd3 43.Ng8 Qf3 44.h5! Kh8 45.Rg6 Qh1+ 46.Kd2 Qxe4
So threatens checkmate in one.
47...Qb4+ 48.Ke3 and Rapport resigned, as it was clear that he would run out of checks. Black could have tried Qc5+ 49.Kf3 e4+, but after 50.Kg2, all further checks lose the queen.
Quest for Advantage
Checkmate threats can lead to a material or positional advantage. You threaten checkmate; your opponent sees it and prevents it. There is a simple example of White gaining the advantage of a pawn with a checkmate threat in the section on Legall's Mate in Five Days to Better Chess. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 d6 4.Nc3 Bg4?! 5.h3 Bh5 6.Nxe5!
If Black snatches the queen, White has a checkmate in two.
6...Nxe5 7.Qxh5 Nxc4 8.Qb4+ forking knight and king. After Black gets out of check, White grabs the knight. White then has a material advantage of one pawn, as well as more active pieces.
This position from Chigorin,M. -- Judd.M., New York 1889 offers a more complex example.
20.Rg3
White's rook lift aims for checkmate along the h-file with Rh3, Bxf6, and Qxh7#.
Black's defensive resources are thin due to the cramped position of his pieces. But he finds an ingenious way to avoid checkmate.
20...h6 21.Rh3 Kg8 22.Bxh6 Nd7 23.f6
Otherwise, 23...Nxf6 24.Bxg7 and White will force checkmate in a few more moves. Students might choose to work out the sequence from here on their own.
24.Bg5 Qh6!
In Book of the Sixth American Chess Congress (1891), Wilhelm Steinitz wrote:
This ingenious move, whereby Black escapes at the expense of the Exchange from the pressure of an apparently irresistible attack against the King, was probably overlooked by White in his forecalculation on the 23rd move. (35)
25.Qxh6 gxh6 26.Bxh6 Bf6 27.Bxf8 Nxf8
Black survived the mating attack, but White emerged ahead a rook and pawn for a minor piece and went on to win the game.
Everything that we do on the first day will be focused on developing checkmate skills both for attack and defense. The second day, we will work on endings.
*Longer versions of James' original articles are available on his website: richardjames.org.uk/articles.htm.
**The total number of unique chess positions has been estimated to exceed 10^43 (a one followed by 43 zeros), but most of these, of course, are not checkmate. Even so, my "millions" may be ridiculously low.
Labels: Capablanca, checkmate patterns, Elementary skills, scholastic chess
Five Days to Better Chess
Five Days to Better Chess: Essential Tools was published a few days ago. What is this book about? Who is the audience?
This book offers content and process. This process is for all chess enthusiasts who seek to improve their own game, or who help others to do so. The content aims principally at developing players up to average club strength (Elo 1400-1600). Will it lift you to this level in five days? No. It was noted by a critic on Facebook that a title like "five days to..." cheapens content by promising what no book can deliver. Maybe I could have called it "five steps ..." instead? Better is not best. Improvement is a journey; this book offers a map.
The process mapped in Five Days to Better Chess is neither original nor the norm in chess training. The process is rooted in the experience of watching players of all levels fail to demonstrate basic skills. This process begins at the end of the game and works from there towards the beginning. That is, it starts with checkmate. First, there are elementary checkmates with a few pieces against a lone king. Chess Fundamentals (1921) by Jose R. Capablanca begins the same way. From elementary checkmates, Capablanca moves to simple pawn endings, then middlegame positions, and finally general opening principles. He then repeats the sequence from endings, through middlegames to openings. In Chess Fundamentals, this sequence repeats a third time, then the book contains illustrative games.
Five Days to Better Chess advocates this repeating process, but the book is structured in five units: checkmates, endings, middlegames, openings, and great games. The first four units each begin with relatively elementary skills and build towards more complex. The plan is for readers to read part of each unit and then go through the book again, reading other parts.
The beginning of the checkmate unit illuminates this structure:
How do you become better at checkmate? Skill at execution of checkmate is your tool box for finishing the game. Your tools are 1) mastery of elementary checkmates with heavy pieces, 2) experience with minor piece checkmates, 3) recognition of common checkmate patterns, and 4) calculation skill.
Among the patterns are a list of 37 checkmate configurations, a section on the varieties of corridor checkmates, some work on the weakness of f7/f2 designed to steer players away from attempting scholar's checkmate. Legall's pseudo-sacrifice is offered as a better effort to trap the unwary. Finally, there is a section on the classic bishop sacrifice (Bxh7+) that highlights defensive resources.
Several instructive portions in each of the first three units offer a small number of exercises. Each of the first three also have forty exercises that conclude the unit. For strong class players (above 1600), these 120 exercises could offer a quick warm-up before tackling tougher problems. For those under 1400, they may prove challenging. The exercises offer a range from quick and easy, and thus within reach of those new to the game, to a few with instructive nuances that cause stronger players to pause and calculate.
When I was studying Byrne -- Fischer 1956--the "Game of the Century"--a few months ago, I had this position on the dining room table all weekend.
Without moving any pieces, I tried to calculate and record the principle variations. I became caught up in long and difficult assessment of variations that follow after 18.Bxe6, which was not played in the game. The obvious answer finally hit me while folding my laundry. The position after 18.Bxe6 is on the book's cover and is Checkmate Challenge #70 at the end of the checkmate unit. The notes that I produced that weekend also appear in the fifth unit, devoted to great games.
After checkmate, the process advocated in Five Days to Better Chess presents endgames as day two. It begins with elementary king and pawn positions that highlight the square of the pawn, breakthrough ideas, and the fundamentals of opposition and outflanking. There are sections on knight vs. bishop, queen vs. pawn, and queen vs. rook. A large chunk on endings presents the most important rook endings, concluding with two examples of Vasily Smyslov's exemplary defense against a rook and two pawns with a rook (pawns on the f- and h-files). All of these topics are treated in much greater detail in books by Yuri Averbakh, Jeremy Silman, Mark Dvoretsky, and others. Nonetheless, my explanations may prove useful to many students and coaches. Five Days highlights those skills that are most fundamental.
A section of the middlegame unit offers an extended discussion of the many aspects of pins. Then a short glossary defines with examples the other thirteen most common tactical ideas from attraction (decoy) to zwischenzug. A section on strategy builds upon Dan Heisman's Elements of Positional Evaluation (1999) through deep analysis of the key moments in Pillsbury -- Lasker 1896.* Lasker's own presentation of this game in Lasker's Manual of Chess (1947) validates the usefulness of Heisman's seven elements. Annotations to a couple of Paul Morphy's games further develop the reader's understanding of positional play.
The opening section develops basic principles, and then returns to Lasker's critique of his loss of time against Pillsbury, then offers move-by-move discussion of one line of the classical French (the opening in that game). Four more openings are presented, highlighting verbal explanations of basic principles--Italian, Spanish, Queen's Gambit, and London System. These are tied to model games, including a thrashing of Pavel Eljanov's Catalan by Magnus Carlsen. The exercises at the end of the chapter are twelve instructive miniatures for readers to analyze. Solutions in the back of the book highlight the key errors.
The chapter on great games offers a narrative of my quest for the best game ever played and annotations of three masterpieces that just missed the top ten. The annotations highlight my own learning process as a model for readers, including an extended discussion of how Vladimir Barsky, The Ragozin Complex (2011) helps elucidate strategies Jon Ludvig Hammer employed in his masterpiece last year in Stockholm. My ten candidates for best game are presented in full for reader analysis. Five Days offers brief statements of the merits that I see in each game. The focus in this unit is offering suggestions on how students of the game might approach learning from such games, especially how these games teach all elements from the opening to the endgame.
The subtitle, essential tools, employs a metaphor. Those are my tools on the cover. The metaphor comes out in the writing.
Regular readers of Chess Skills already know that I am a historian. This book offers many anecdotes and vignettes of chess history, such as the origin of the word pawn.
Genesis of the Work
Five Days to Better Chess is the culmination of more than ten years' work. In summer 2008, I offered my first chess camp for children at the school where I had been coaching eight years. My work as a youth chess coach began as a parent volunteer at my son's school. When he moved on to another school, I was offered a stipend so that I would stay on as the coach.
Offering a chess camp extended the chess work one week into the summer, while also intensifying the learning opportunities. To keep the children focused, I prepared more exercises than they could possibly finish even if that is all they did during camp. Camp included competition--a pawn wars tournament, checkmate contests, a camp tournament with one game per day--lectures, and solving sessions. Camp points accumulated as long as behavior was good and exercises were completed. Bonus points were awarded to those who won games, and to those who practiced chess notation.
Assembling the exercises and some of the instructional material into a workbook gave the students something they could take home. My hope was that they would study on their own through the summer. The school photocopied my materials, and then I had them spiral bound with card stock covers at Kinkos or Staples.
I used the same workbook the second summer, changing only the date on the cover. The third year, I created a new workbook focused on learning from Adolf Anderssen, titling it "Attacking with Anderssen". Tactics exercises came from his games. I recycled some of the materials, especially the elementary pawn endings. As the theme changed year after year, some materials that I recycle were fine-tuned. These appear in Five Days to Better Chess.
When I published Forcing Checkmate through Amazon this spring, I learned that Amazon's printing cost and mark-up was barely more than I paid at Staples for spiral binding. It seemed time to expand my workbook and get professional binding. I aimed for 200 pages because that was the minimum length that would allow printing the title on the book's spine. I ended up with more than 225 double-column pages of content, plus front matter and a couple of blank pages to facilitate design elements.
*The second edition of Heisman's book was published in 1999. I have the fourth edition as well.
Labels: Anderssen, Fischer, Heisman (Dan), Lasker (Emanuel), Morphy (Paul), publications, resources for improvement, Smyslov
Smother Checkmate
As I work my way slowly through Tal's Winning Chess Combinations (1979) by Mikhail Tal and Victor Khenkin, I am combing my databases for additional examples. In this way, I am building a database of exercises for personal training, teaching, and hopefully a revision of my pamphlet "A Checklist of Checkmates" with work of such quality that I can interest a legitimate publisher.
I posted a clever smother checkmate from Tal and Khenkin's book two days ago. Since then, I have played through all of the moves in every game published in Chess Informant that ended with checkmate by a knight. There are only 47 such games, although certainly smother checkmate threats led to resignation in many other cases.
I found one instance of a the textbook classic checkmate in five. There were also a few variations on the theme. Below are four checkmate exercises from games published in Informant.
From Timman -- Short, Tilburg 1990 Informant 50/120
From Peters -- Lombardy, Lone Pine 1977 Informant 24/296
From Steingrimsson -- Arnason, Island 1990 Informant 50/578
From Jorczik -- Strunski, Deutschland 2010 Informant 109/227
Leave your answers in the comments below. I usually reply.
Labels: checkmate patterns, Informant, publications, Solve This, Tal (Mikhail)
Alekhine -- Lugowski 1931
An unusual smother checkmate piqued my interest. It is presented in Mikhail Tal and Victor Khenkin, Tal's Winning Chess Combinations (1979), where it is credited as Alekhin -- Lugovsky 1931 (58). Due to spelling variances, my initial efforts to turn up the game score fell short. However, the game is in ChessBase database with the spelling Lugowski, and also on Chessgames.com. The game appears in John Donaldson, Nikolay Minev, and Yasser Seirawan, Alekhine in Europe and Asia (1993), spelled Lugovski.
The game was played as part of a simul during Alekhine's tour of Yugoslavia between two blitz tournaments in Ljubljana (12 December 1930) and Zagreb (25 January 1931). Alekhine in Europe and Asia contains 47 games from this tour and a table compiling his score through 555 games in 17 events (70-76).
Alekhine,Alexander -- Lugowski,S [C25]
1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Qg4
Already, Black must make an unpleasant choice.
4...Qf6
I do not agree with the Chessgames.com user who identifies this move as the losing one.
4...g6 is the most popular try, and was played in Larsen -- Portisch, Santa Monica 1966, which continued 5.Qf3 Nf6 6.Nge2 d6 (here ECO recommends 6...Bf8) 7.d3 Bg4 8.Qg3 h6 9.f4 Qe7 10.Nd5 Nxd5 11.Qxg4 Nf6 12.Qh3 Larsen went on to win in 53 moves.
4...Kf8 has been tried fairly often. Of note is a game won by Viswanathan Anand when he was a teenager 5.Qg3 d6 6.Nge2 Nd4 (6...h5 might be better) 7.Nxd4 exd4 8.Na4 Be6 9.Bxe6 fxe6 10.Nxc5 dxc5 11.Qb3 Qc8 12.Qf3+ Ke7 13.Qg3 Kf7 14.Qf4+ Kg6 15.Qg4+ Kf6 16.d3 Anand,V (2405) --Ravisekhar,R (2390), New Delhi 1986 (57 moves).
4...Nd4 5.Qxg7 Qf6 6.Qxf6 Nxf6 7.Bd3 has occurred in a few games.
4...Bf8 led to a miniature worthy of analysis. 5.Qg3 d6 6.Nge2 Nf6 7.f4 exf4 8.Nxf4 Nd4 9.Qd3 Nc6 10.Qg3 Nd4 11.0–0 g6 12.Qf2 Nxc2 13.d4 Nxa1 14.Nfd5 Bg7 15.Bg5 0–0 16.Nxf6+ Bxf6 17.Bxf6 Qd7 18.Qf4 1–0 Genzling,A (2408) -- Migot,T (2257), Belfort 2012.
5.Nd5 Qxf2+
There is no better option. Here also, the comments on Chessgames.com are less than helpful.
5...Qg6 is no good. 6.Qxg6 hxg6 7.Nxc7+ Kd8 8.Nxa8+-.
5...Bxf2+ is just as bad 6.Kf1 Qg6 7.Qxg6 hxg6 8.Nxc7+ Kd8 9.Nxa8 Bxg1+-.
6.Kd1 Kf8
6...Bf8 was played in Lengyl -- Ruck in the 1995 championship of Hungary and Black won. Lengyl played 7.Nh3, but a better line seems 7.Nxc7+ Kd8 8.Nxa8 d5 9.Qe2 Qxe2+ 10.Bxe2 when White has the upper hand.
7.Nh3 Qd4?
7...h5! 8.Qg5 Qd4 9.d3 and White's threats are not yet decisive.
8...Bb6?
Black defends c7, but the knight on d5 also targets e7.
8...d6 was played by none other than Mikhail Chigorin, who also lost quickly. 9.Qh4 Bxh3 10.Qxh3 Na5 11.Rf1 Nxc4 12.Qd7 f6 13.Nxf6 Qf2 14.Rxf2 Bxf2 15.Nh5 1–0 Mieses,J (2467) -- Chigorin,M (2546), Ostend 1906.
8...h5 still seems worthwhile. 9.Qf3 d6
8...Nf6 9.Nxf6 d5 10.c3 Bxg4+ 11.Nxg4 dxc4 12.cxd4 is better than was played against Alekhine.
9.Rf1 Nd8
A sad looking move, but Black is already lost.
10.c3 Qc5 11.Ng5
White has five pieces attacking Black's king.
11...Nh6
A defensive fork
11...f6 seems reasonable, but also loses.
12.Qh4
Threatening a discovered attack against the knight with a fork of king and queen.
12...d6 1–0
12...Ke8 would have held out longer.
According to Donaldson, et al., Alekhine announced a checkmate in four (74). This checkmate is what caught my interest in Tal and Khenkin's book.
Do you see it?
Labels: Alekhine (Alexander), checkmate patterns, Donaldson (John), Minev (Nikolay), Seirawan, Solve This, Tal (Mikhail)
Where do you begin when teaching chess to a beginner? Certainly, the first steps should be the board and how the pieces move, as Daniel Rensch offers in "Everything You Need to Know 1: Start Playing Chess" on Chess.com. Or, perhaps there is a flaw in this approach. Momir Radovic claims the approach that starts with the moves is flawed, quoting Aron Nimzovich, "How I Became a Grandmaster" (1929).*
Let's start from the beginning -- from the very first lesson. "Moves were shown" to me -- was that the right thing to do? Well, of course, my dear reader would say, it's impossible to play chess without it. But the thing is, the reader makes a mistake: this method is utterly wrong.
Nimzovich, trans. by Alexey Spectra
"Utterly wrong" in this translation is presented as "fundamentally flawed" by Radovic (see "How We Fail Big Time in Teaching Chess"). Nimzovich asserts that one should begin with the board, specifically mentioning the border between the players and the center; then with the rook and the concept of ranks and files. Radovic suggests contacts, which appear to be embodied in Nimzovich's lesson with a White rook on e1 and a Black pawn on e6. Yuri Averbakh. Chess Tactics for Advanced Players (1972) develops a theory of contacts that I imagine must be part of what informs Radovic's approach.
Through work as a guest teacher in elementary classrooms for more than a decade, I taught more than one thousand children to play chess. I developed a curriculum that could be covered in four visits. I always started with the board--ranks, files, diagonals, and the names of squares. Each visit would then introduce the moves of one or two pieces. Sometimes, I started with pawns and then students played pawn wars. Sometimes, I started with the rook and the king and the concept of check. Sometimes I started with the queen and king and the concept of checkmate. None of these methods were perfect, but children did learn to play.
Rensch's First Checkmate
Rensch starts his video with the board's alternating colors, then ranks, files, diagonals, and names of squares. Then he teaches the moves, beginning with the rook. Fifteen minutes into the video, he introduces check and checkmate. His first checkmate is with a queen. The second is with two bishops. Then, he shows a stalemate with the two bishops. Finally, en passant and castling are introduced.
The Nimzovich/Radovic approach deserves further exploration, but the links to his site do not seem to be working for me this morning. Also, his articles on his blog and on Chess.com generally offer teasers only. He suggests the problems that provoked development of his system, but one needs to hire him as a coach to get the details. Or, do a bit of research and find the links, such as his article, "Introduction to the Contacts Method," The Chess Journalist (Fall 2011).
Nearly two centuries ago, William Lewis (1787-1870) presented a "scientific" approach to learning chess. His book, Elements of the Game of Chess (1822), begins with rules and moves and then proceeds to checkmates with queen and king against king. His assertions of the pitfalls of teaching chess the wrong way remind me of my own childhood.
The great objection to the works hitherto published, as far as regards the mere learner, is that they commence too soon with all the pieces, and the reader is expected to manoeuvre all, before he understands the use of one or two; the powers of the pieces are imperfectly taught, and the numerous combinations and difficulties which so early present themselves to the reader, confuse and fatigue him, and he begins to fear that very considerable time must elapse before he can be come, with great study and patience, even a moderate player.
Lewis, Elements, viii.
Lewis observes that a young beginner wants to use all of the pieces, but urges restraint. He asserts that a person who wants to reach a level where he or she can compete with first rank players should defer using all of the pieces until after working through the combinations with few pieces that he offers in Elements of the Game of Chess.
My younger sister taught me the moves after learning them from a neighbor. I was eight years old. A short time later, my uncle corrected some errors, or so he tells me. My memory extends to my sister's instruction, but not my uncle's. In any case, I played chess for several years before I had the faintest idea of strategy and tactics. These, and the beginnings of skill, developed when I discovered chess books shortly before or just after my fifteenth birthday (see "My First Chess Book"). As I learned to read chess notation and began playing through miniatures, my skill rose rapidly.
Lewis advocates using few pieces in many combinations. One almost gets the sense from careful study of his approach that Nimzovich and Radovic are merely refining lessons in a forgotten book. He does not begin with the rook, however. The queen is a terribly difficult piece with which to begin. Even so, Lewis's first checkmates are exemplary for teaching how a queen and king can coordinate their efforts. In particular, his "second situation" offers two solutions (28).
First, he presents checkmate in five. Then notes, "This method is very simple, but the other is more masterly and shorter; replace the pieces and play." We see that White's king does not move and Black is checkmated on the fourth move.
Step by step, Lewis walks his reader through simple checkmates when the Black king is already confined on the edge. Then, we reach the "fifth situation" (30).
It is checkmate in five moves. When a young player starts with such a checkmate, he or she is already well ahead of the one who played 58...Qc4+ in this next position.
After six moves, White resigned in disgust, embarrassed to lose to a player who cannot execute a simple checkmate in three.
*This work in Russian has not been generally available in English, but Alexey Spectra, known on Chess.com as Spektrowski offers a translation on that site (link embedded).
Labels: checkmate patterns, Elementary skills, Lewis (William), Nimzovich (Aron), Rensch (Daniel), scholastic chess
Checkmate Patterns
Some readers of Chess Skills may have been disappointed that my postings have been limited the past two months. Much of my chess time has been devoted to preparing lessons for my camp in August. A standard feature of my annual summer chess camp has a been a camp workbook that each student receives. This year's workbook will be more than twice the size of my previous largest, which ran 92 pages. This year's workbook will be available through Amazon. My title has changed three times in the past two days. Currently, my working title is Five Days to Better Chess: Essential Tools.
In this summer's camp, each day will be focused on one topic. Each topic will be layered to accommodate students of a wide range of skill levels. There will be group activities and individual activities. The topics in sequence are checkmates, endings, middlegames, openings, and great games.
On the first day, beginning students will learn three basic checkmates against a lone king: queen and king, rook and king, and queen and rook. Then, they will move on to where the second tier group begins. Here is a sample from my workbook in progress.
It is not clear precisely how many ways exist to deliver checkmate. Nonetheless, my study of many thousands of checkmates in my games and in the games of others has convinced me that there are only a few dozen basic checkmate patterns. Most opportunities to force checkmate will fall into a much smaller set, perhaps two dozen. My research is not original, but merely confirms what many chess masters have found through the ages.
My booklet, "A Checklist of Checkmates", lists 37 patterns. Portions of this booklet have been distributed to my students for the past fourteen years. The booklet contains illustrations of patterns from games, followed by exercises.
Several books have helped me learn and teach these patterns. The best one in my view is The Art of the Checkmate (1953) by Georges Renaud and Victor Kahn. When I wrote "A Checklist of Checkmates", the English translation of The Art of the Checkmate was available only in descriptive notation, which few children learn these days. Since then, it has been republished in algebraic. After The Art of the Checkmate, the most useful book that I have found is Mikhail Tal, and Victor Khenkin, Tal's Winning Chess Combinations (1979)—this book is new to me, having purchased it a few months ago.
Tal and Khenkin arrange their book with one chapter for each piece, followed by combinations of pieces: rook, bishop, knight, queen, pawn, two rooks, queen and bishop, and so on. Each chapter presents a small number of essential patterns. This arrangement is similar to the arrangement that I created for "A Checklist of Checkmates", reproduced here.
The Checklist
1.Back-rank mate
2. Edge-file mate
3. Two rooks (or rook and queen)
4. Two pigs
5. Anastasia's mate
6. Max Lange's mate
7. Fool's mate
8. Boden's mate
9. Parallel diagonals
10. Reti's mate
11.Rook and bishop
12. Opera mate
13. Pillsbury's mate
14. Morphy's mate
15. Two rooks and bishop
16. Smother mate
17. Smother mate with pin
18. Two knights
19. Corner mate
20. Arabian mate
21. Modified Arabian mate
22. Knight and bishop mate
23. Edge checkmate
24. Swallowtail
25. Dovetail
26. Epaulette
27. Half-epaulette
28. Queen and bishop
29. Queen and knight
30. Queen and rook
31. Legall's mate
32. Lolli's mate
33. Mayet's mate
34. Anderssen's mate
35. Blackburne's mate
36. Damiano's mate
37. Greco's mate
Just as there is no certain definite number of possible patterns, there is considerable variety in the naming of patterns. For example, my "two pigs" checkmate has been called "blind swine checkmate" in other books, including Vladimir Vukovic, The Art of Attack in Chess (1965). I dislike the name blind swine because that term's origin comes from a grandmaster discussing a situation when two rooks could force a draw, but not force checkmate—hence, they are blind. I see blind swine as a drawing combination, not a checkmate pattern. Rooks on the seventh rank are sometimes called pigs, or swine.
Although there is not universal agreement on the number and names of common checkmate patterns, many of these names are in common use. An entry on Wikipedia lists many of them. Some names, such as Reti's mate and Anastasia's mate, have very specific histories. On the other hand, one name, Pillsbury's mate, comes from a specific game that was not played by Pillsbury. Renaud and Kahn present the game as one of his, although it was played by others. There are several important ideas in chess that are misnamed from a historical point of view. For example, the Lucena position (part of the second day lessons) does not appear in Luis Ramírez de Lucena, Repetición de Amores e Arte de Axedrez (1497).
Of central importance are the patterns themselves. If learning the names helps you learn patterns that you will see often, then they are useful. Knowing the name is not essential to perceiving the pattern. For most chess players, the name is a useful memory device.
Labels: checkmate patterns, Elementary skills, publications, scholastic chess
Three Tactics
A pin, decoy, and fork often work together to exploit an elementary error. Sometimes, exploitation of the error is complex, but it remains rooted in a fundamental pattern that should be well-known.
A few days ago in an online blitz game, I had this position.
I executed the pin. Rather than capturing my bishop (the decoy) and facing the resulting fork, my opponent resigned.
The pattern appeared in Greco.
Greco's game concludes: 12.Bb5 Qc5 13.Be3 Qxb5 14.Nxc7+ Kd8 15.Nxb5 1-0
This game deserves inclusion in all packages of instructive material to be used with beginners. My search of my largest database for positions with a White knight on d5, a Black queen on c6, and the move Bb5 (including all mirror positions with colors reversed) turned up well in excess of 400 games. Most led to defeat for the player whose queen was attacked, but not in every case.
I turned up this interesting position from the women's championship of France in 1931, the game Bastin -- Freeman, Paris 1931.
I posted this position in several fora on Facebook, but few responses identified the key move that begins the winning sequence.
9.b4 and the queen is trapped. 9...Qc6 10.Bb5 and Black resigned because 10...Qxb5 offer White the choice of capturing the queen--an error--or checkmating the Black king.
In Fries Nielsen -- Liersch, Germany 1980, White won Black's queen. However, Black gained more than sufficient material compensation for the queen and went on to win.
14.Bb5 axb5 15.axb5 Qxd5! 16.exd5 Rxa1 and Blkack has a rook and three minor pieces for a queen and two pawns.
Posted by James Stripes at 12:06 PM No comments: Links to this post
Labels: decoy, fork, Greco, pattern recognition, pin
Blundering into Victory
On Monday, David Griffin and I met at the Spokane Valley Library to play our game in the Spokane Contenders. This six player round robin began in early May and must be completed by early August. The winner faces Michael Cambareri in the City Championship. Our game was Griffin's fifth and my first. I stated to those who asked that I would play all of my games in July.
This game was the second time that I faced Griffin's Nimzo-Larsen Attack. In the first, I opted for an attempt at tactical refutation, came out of the opening slightly worse, but then was able to gain the advantage when Griffin missed a knockout blow. I opted for a positional response this time and secured a clear space advantage from the opening. As I was playing for checkmate, I made a few errors that let my opponent crawl back into the game. He missed his chances, though, and I had a slight edge in the endgame.
Then, I blundered throwing away the game. This blunder, however, proved to be the game winning move.
Griffin,David (1523) -- Stripes,James (1841) [A06]
Spokane Contenders Spokane, 03.07.2017
1.Nf3 c5 2.b3 Nf6 3.Bb2 d5 4.e3 g6 5.Be2 Nc6 6.0–0 Qc7N
I was pleased to reach nearly the same position I had against Michael Cambareri when I beat him in seventeen moves, but with colors reversed. I contemplated whether lack of deployment of the bishop to g7 was of any account.
6...Bg7 7.Ne5 (7.d4 cxd4 8.exd4 0–0 9.c4 dxc4 10.bxc4 Ne4 and drawn in 51 moves Rethy,P [2389] -- Szabo,L [2537], Budapest 1940) 7...Nxe5 8.Bxe5 0–0 9.Qc1 Ne8 10.Bxg7 Nxg7 11.f4 Qd6 and drawn in 36 moves Trompowsky,O (2366) -- Cruz,W (2307), Rio de Janeiro 1940.
Griffin spent twenty minutes on this move.
7.c4 d4 8.exd4 cxd4 9.Nxd4 Qe5 would have pleased me.
7...Bg7 8.Nbd2 0–0 9.h3 b5
White often plays b4 against the QID. Indeed, A row of pawns on d4, c4, and b4 occurred in several of the games I went through preparing for my Club Championship battle with Michael.
10.Nh2
I was impressed that all of White's pawns are capable of moving to the fourth rank. While it appears that I am gaining space with my pawns on the queenside, I could easily find myself in possession of a fragile center.
10...e5
10...Bb7 11.f4 and White will post a minor piece on e5.
11.f4 d4 12.fxe5 Qxe5
12...Nxe5 would be a gross error 13.exd4 cxd4 14.Bxd4±.
13.e4
Black has more space, leading to greater mobility and flexibility. And yet, it is not entirely clear how to proceed. I would like to exploit some apparent weaknesses around the White king, but the defensive forces seem adequate. Before my queen can profitably occupy the weakened g3 square, White must commit a knight or bishop to f3.
13.exd4 Nxd4 14.Nhf3 Qe3+ 15.Kh1 Bb7 16.Bxd4 (16.Nxd4 Qxh3+ 17.Kg1 Qxg2#) 16...cxd4.
13...Be6
I didn't like 13...Qg3 14.Rf3.
13...a6 was a move that I considered, but regarded as slow. Still, it increases the mobility of my rook on a8, which could then lift to the seventh rank. It also transfers the onus of making important strategic and tactical decisions to my opponent.
14.Ng4 Nxg4
14...Bxg4 15.Bxg4 Bh6.
15.Bxg4
15...f5
This forcing sequence left me with a weak f-pawn, but also opened the g-file for my heavy pieces. I considered 15...Qg3 16.Rf3 Bxg4 17.Rxg3 Bxd1 18.Rxd1 when it was not clear to me that I had gained anything from the material exchanges. I needed to win this game, so eschewed simplification that did not lead to clear advantage.
15...Bh6!? 16.Bxe6 Be3+ 17.Kh1 Qxe6.
16.exf5 gxf5 17.Bf3 Rac8 18.Re1 Qd6
What has become of my advantage? My forces are in retreat. And yet, I was confident that retreat was merely redeployment and that White's forces lacked coordination.
19.Bxc6 seems worthy of consideration in view of the principle that a player lacking space should exchange pieces. 19...Rxc6 But, this rook will soon come to g6 and the pressure on g2 may be too much for White.
19...Ne5 20.Nh2
20.Bc1 f4 (20...Nxf3+ 21.Qxf3 Bd5 22.Bf4 Qc6 23.Qf2) 21.Nd2.
20...Rf6
20...Nxf3+ 21.Nxf3 Bd5
20...Bh6 with plans to play Be3+.
21.Bc1 Rg6
22.Kh1?!
22.Bh5! Bd5 (22...Rf6 23.Bf4+-) 23.Bxg6 Qxg6 24.Re2 Nf3+ 25.Nxf3 Bxf3 26.Bf4 and the game favors White. Black can win back the exchange, but has a weaker pawn structure.
22...Nxf3 23.Nxf3 Bd5 24.Bd2
24...Rg3!
24...Qg3 25.Rg1 (25.Re2 Bxf3–+) 25...Re8.
25.Rf1 only move Re8
I underestimated 25...Qg6 26.Rf2 Bxf3 27.Rxf3 Rxg2 28.Qe1.
26.Be1 Rg6 27.Nh4 Re3! 28.Rf3 only move
28.Nxg6 Rxh3+ 29.Kg1 Qh2+ 30.Kf2 Qxg2#.
28...Bxf3
28...Rge6 29.Bf2 Bxf3 30.Nxf3 Re2 was a better means of keeping control of the game.
29.Nxf3 Qd5?!
I wanted to maintain the pin on g2 with its attendant checkmate threats. I considered 29...Rge6 which would have been more logical. There is no realistic chance to find checkmate, but domination of the open file keeps White's pieces in a passive role.
30.Bf2 Re7
Again, my forces are in retreat.
31.Qf1 Bh6! 32.Re1 Be3 33.Nh4 Rge6
At this point in the game, I sensed that I had let my advantage slip away. However, Stockfish insists that my advantage is as strong as it had been at any point prior. Nonetheless, it would slip away soon.
33...Rh6 34.Nf3 (34.Bxe3 Rxe3 35.Rxe3 dxe3 36.Nxf5 Rxh3+ 37.Kg1 and what will I do about Ne7+? ) 34...f4.
34.Bxe3
34...dxe3?
34...Rxe3 was best
a) 35.Nxf5 Rxe1 (35...Rxh3+?? 36.Kg1 Rxe1 37.Qxe1 Qxf5 38.gxh3=) 36.Nxe7+ Rxe7–+.
b) 35.Nf3 Rxe1 36.Nxe1 Qe5–+.
c) 35.Rxe3 dxe3 (35...Rxe3 I had examined 36.Nxf5 Rxh3+ 37.Kg1 Re3 38.Nxe3 dxe3=) 36.Nxf5 Re6–+.
35.Qxf5 Re5
35...Qxf5 36.Nxf5 Rf7 37.g4 e2 was not to my liking.
36.Qg4+ Kh8 37.Qc8+ Re8 38.Qg4 Rg8
38...Qd4! Black maintains a clear advantage in all lines.
39.Qf4
39.Qe2 Rf8.
39...Reg5
40.Qf6+ R5g7 41.Rxe3
It has become clear that not only have I squandered an advantage, but am in danger of losing.
41...Qd4?
I regretted not playing this move three moves earlier and now felt that it was forced, completely missing White's refutation.
41...a5 42.Re5 Qf7 43.Qxf7 Rxf7 44.Rxc5±
41...Qf7= with equal chances for both sides.
42.Qxd4
42.Re5±
42...cxd4 43.Re4
43.Re2 is probably equal.
43...Rc7
I still have hope of advantage with a pawn exchange because my rook also restrains the enemy king, while my own king might join the fight.
44.Rxd4 Rxc2 45.a4 bxa4 46.Rxa4
46...Ra8
46...Rg7 was the correct way to defend the pawn, keeping pressure on g2.
47.d4 Rb2 48.b4 Kg8 49.Nf5 Kf7 50.g4 Kf6
50...Kf8 would have been a beautiful prophylactic move.
51...Rc8??
Right idea, wrong square.
51...Re8 52.Ra6+ Re6 53.Ra1 a6 and Black is pressing with the advantage.
52.Rxa7??
With both his rook and my pawn still in his hand, David saw the ensuing checkmate and resigned here. Having touched my pawn, he could no longer retract his move.
52.Ra6+ Kf7 53.Nd6++-.
Posted by James Stripes at 11:09 AM No comments: Links to this post
Labels: annotated games, checkmate patterns, flexibility, mobility, Nimzo-Larsen, Queen's Indian Defense, Spokane, tragicomedies


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text:
Technical ProSource, an Atterro Company, Reveals Brand Refresh as Minneapolis Office Opens
by Technical ProSource | Aug 3, 2015 | News |
Technical ProSource, an information technology staffing and recruiting firm within Atterro Human Capital Group, made several exciting announcements today, including the unveiling of a brand refresh, the opening of a new location, and the addition of new senior leadership. According to Clay Morel, executive vice president of Atterro, all changes align with the company's strategic vision for growth and expansion.
"We have been in the business of IT staffing and recruiting for over 25 years, primarily in the Dallas and Houston markets," says Morel. "Technology isn't slowing down, and neither are we. As we prepare for future growth, we want to put our best face forward. Our updated branding better reflects who we are and what we do. And our growing leadership team is going to help us get to where we need to be."
THE REFRESHED BRAND
The brand refresh includes a new logo, tagline, and website. Susan Rylance, senior vice president of marketing and talent acquisition at Atterro, says the new look was designed to visually communicate the personality of the brand.
"Our people are friendly, approachable, and knowledgeable – and we want the brand to reflect these attributes," shares Rylance. "With this in mind, we created branding materials that are modern and clean with a vibrant color palette."
Rylance notes that the updated website offers easy-to-navigate functionality and even more information about IT staffing and recruiting, including a new blog. It also features the new logo which incorporates a power button icon made with the image of a person.
"As an IT staffing agency, we needed our logo to communicate both the people and technology sides of our business," says Rylance. "The logo and tagline – Powering People – work together to emphasize how our IT recruiters focus on the people behind the technology."
THE NEW LOCATION & LEADERSHIP
The brand refresh and website launch coincide with a ramp up for Technical ProSource to expand into new markets, starting with the Minneapolis office that opened today. The new office is housed in Atterro's corporate headquarters in downtown Minneapolis. Like the other locations, the Minneapolis office specializes in staffing and recruiting for IT positions, including app development, database management, web development, IT security, and more.
To lead the changes taking place within Technical ProSource, staffing industry veteran Scott Garfield was recently added to the team as vice president. Garfield brings 20 years of staffing leadership experience to the role and has managed territories in excess of $150 million dollars.
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text:
Q: c++ derive struct to manage different version I need to read some data from a binary file, this file contains some data frames with a different size, depending on the version. For example:
version 1 has a frame of 32 floats, version 2 has a frame of 48, etc...
I store in the header the file version, my question is:
I have these structures:
struct ReplayFrame_8
{
    float data[116];
    ReplayFrame_8();
};

struct ReplayFrame
{
    double time;
    float data[212];
    ReplayFrame();
};

when I load the replay I put the frames in a buffer, but the buffer is a vector of my frames std::vector<ReplayFrame> frames;
Obviously this doesn't work, 'cause when I do the push_back, if is not ReplayFrame gives me the error..
How can I solve this??

A: One possible option:
struct BaseReplayFrame {
  int frame_type;

  BaseReplayFrame(int ft ) {
    frame_type = ft;
  }
};

struct ReplayFrame_8 : public BaseReplayFrame {
  float data[116];
  ReplayFrame_8() : BaseReplyFrame(8) {
    //...
  }
};

struct ReplayFrame : public BaseReplayFrame {
  double time;
  float data[212];
  ReplayFrame():BaseReplayFrame(0): {
  }
};

Then, you can declare your vector as
std::vector<unique_ptr<BaseReplayFrame>> frames;

and insert there frames created via new, something like
frames.push_back(new ReplayFrame_8());

(see Why can I not push_back a unique_ptr into a vector? for details on pushing unique_ptr's into vectors, but here it doesn't seem to be necessary).
If you don't want to have frame_type within your BaseReplayFrame - it should be also possible via having vector element type as something like
pair<int,unique_ptr<BaseReplayFrame>>

, though it will be probably more cumbersome.
EDIT: a better option if having non-empty BaseReplayFrame is ok:
struct BaseReplayFrame {
  virtual float* get_data() = 0;
  virtual size_t get_data_size() = 0;
};

struct ReplayFrame_8 : public BaseReplayFrame {
  float data[116];
  virtual float* get_data() { return data; }
  virtual size_t get_data_size() { return 116; }
};

struct ReplayFrame : public BaseReplayFrame {
  double time;
  float data[212];
  virtual float* get_data() { return data; }
  virtual size_t get_data_size() { return 212; }
};

frames is declared as above, and data can be accessed without cast, via
size_t datasz = frames[i]->get_data_size();
float* data = frames[i]->get_data();

Access to time can be added in a similar manner.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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text:
import * as _s from 'underscore.string';
import { Pipe, PipeTransform } from '@angular/core';

@Pipe({name: 'underscore'})

/**
 * Converts the string to a lower-case underscore.
 *
 * @module common
 * @class UnderscorePipe
 */
export class UnderscorePipe implements PipeTransform {
  constructor() { }

  /**
   * @method transform
   * @param value {string} the input string or null
   * @return {string} the underscored string
   */
  transform(value: string): string {
    return value ? _s.underscored(value) : value;
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Compatible with dcp-l2520dw dcp-l2540dw hl-l2300d hl-l2360dw hl-l2320d hl-l2380dw hl-l2340dw mfc-l2700dw mfc-l2720dw mfc-l2740dw printer. Page yield: 2.600 pages per toner cartridge. All toner cartridges are manufactured in an iso 9001 certified facility. All toner cartridges are engineered to produce superb results. All products covered by a 100% satisfaction guarantee and 1 year warranty.
Compatible with brother laser printers – compatible with: dcp-7060d, dcp-7065dn, intellifax-2840, intellifax-2940, hl-2220, hl-2230, hl-2240, hl-2240d, hl-2270dw, hl-2275dw, hl-2280dw, mfc-7240, mfc-7360n, mfc-7365dn, mfc-7460dn, mfc-7860dw. Yields up to 2.600 pages – this replacement high-yield black toner cartridge yields approximately 2.600 pages in accordance with iso/iec 19752 (letter/a standards. Brother genuine cartridge – tn450 is a brother genuine toner cartridge that produces exceptionally high quality and reliable black prints. Seamless integration – this professional replacement black toner cartridge is packed with fine particles that create rich blacks and subtle grays and is engineered to work in seamless unison with compatible brother laser printers.
What exactly I should pay my special attention to when choosing a toner printer ink?
One of the most important factor of any toner printer ink is its material. It has to be durable and easy to clean. If you want to find a toner printer ink that will serve you for many years, you will have to buy an expensive model made out of the best materials.
Amazon dash replenishment cartridge: upon activation with your compatible brother printer, brother genuine tn730 replacement cartridges can be automatically ordered through amazon dash replenishment and sent directly to your door. Brother genuine toner cartridge – expect high quality and reliable output from brother genuine tn-730 black standard yield laser toner cartridge. Yields up to 1200 pages – professional quality you can rely on: 1.200 pgs/ approx. Toner cartridge yield in accordance with iso/iec19752 (letter/a4). Seamless integration – tn730 brother genuine toner cartridges are designed to work in seamless unison with compatible brother laser printers.
Compatible with laser printers – dcp-l2550dw, hl-l2350dw, hl-l2370dw, hl-l2370dwxl, hl-l2390dw, hl-l2395dw, mfc-l2710dw, mfc-l2750dw, mfc-l2750dwxl.
Hp 410a (cf251am) toner cartridges work with: hp color laserjet pro m452dn, m452dw, m452nw, mfp m377dw, mfp m477fdn, mfp m477fdw, mfp m477fnw. Original hp toner cartridges produce an average of 71% more usable pages than non-hp cartridges and operating temperature range is 50 to 90.5 degree fahrenheit. What's in the box: new original hp 410a pack of 3 toner cartridges (cf253xm): 1 cyan (cf411a).1 yellow (cf412a) & 1 magenta (cf413a) toner cartridge. Hp 410a (cf251am) cartridge yield (approx. ) per cartridge: 2.300 pages cyan.2.300 pages magenta.2.300 pages yellow. Save 10% with hp toner multipacks; print resolution technologies: jetintelligence.
Compatible with dcp-7060d, dcp-7065d, hl-2130, hl-2132, hl-2220, hl-2230, hl-2240, hl-2240d, hl-2242d, hl-2250dn, hl-2270dw, hl-2280dw, intellifax 2840, intellifax 2940, mfc-7240, mfc-7360n, mfc-7365dn, mfc-7460dn, mfc-7860dw laser printer. All cartridges contain high quality ink that is engineered to produce superb results. All products covered by a 100% satisfaction guarantee and 1 year warranty. All cartridges are manufactured in an iso 9001 certified facility. Page yield: 2600 pages per toner.
What's in the box: new original hp 410a (cf410a) toner cartridge. Operating humidity range: 20 to 80% rh. Hp 410a toner cartridge yield (approx. 410a toner is designed to work with your hp printer for high quality, reliable results every print. Hp 410a (cf410a) toner cartridges work with: hp color laserjet pro m452dn, m452dw, m452nw, mfp m377dw, mfp m477fdn, mfp m477fdw, mfp m477fnw. Original hp toner cartridges produce an average of 71% more usable pages than non-hp cartridges.
Brother genuine cartridge – brother tn660 is a brother genuine cartridge that produces black and white laser prints in high quality you can depend on. Compatible with brother laser printers – dcp-l2520dw, dcp-l2540dw, hl-l2300d, hl-l2305w, hl-l2315dw, hl-l2320d, hl-l2340dw, hl-l2360dw, hl-l2380dw, mfc-l2680w, mfc-l2685dw, mfc-l2700dw, mfc-l2705dw, mfc-l2707dw, mfc-l2720dw, mfc-l2740dw. Yields up to 2.600 pages -this replacement high-yield black toner cartridge can print approximately 2.600 pages in accordance with iso/iec 19752 (letter/a standards. Amazon dash replenishment cartridge – upon activation with your compatible brother printer, tn660 replacement cartridges can be automatically ordered through amazon dash replenishment and sent directly to your door.
Compatible with printers: brother hl-l2300d hl-l2305w hl-l2320d hl-l2340dw hl-l2360dn hl-l2360dw hl-l2365dw hl-l2380dw, dcp-l2500d hl-l2520dw hl-l2540dn hl-l2540dw hl-l2560dw, mfc-l2700dw mfc-l2707dw mfc-l2720dw mfc-l2740dw mfc-l2700dwr mfc-l2700dn mfc-l2680w mfc-l2705dw. 0.0038 per print, cost saving is real. Friendly & profectional phone in services. Guarantee happiness, replacement / refund.
Warranty and customer support: 24-month warranty and 24/7 customer support with technical advice. Excellent print value: 0.024/page only, save up to 60% compared to oem toner cartridge. Package includes: 1 pack black.1pack cyan.1pack yellow.1pack magenta toner cartridges and 1 user guide. Compatible with dell printer: dell e525w color laser printer. Yield: 2000 pages per black toner cartridge.1400 pages per color toner cartridge at 5% coverage (letter/a4).
How long does the warranty lasts for a decent toner printer ink?
If you do not want to buy a new toner printer ink or spend your money every time it malfunctions, consider a model with a good warranty period. Otherwise, you will have to waste a lot of resources to repair or replace it.
Are there anything special that I should know before buying a toner printer ink?
Thanks to the our site, you do not have to worry about anything. Choosing a toner printer ink on this site is very simple! You can check photographs. read detailed description of any specific toner printer ink and read various user reviews. Learn from the experience of other people!
What are the price limits for decent toner printer ink?
If you want to buy the best toner printer ink on the market, remember that it does not have to be the most expensive one. Of course, costly models are usually good, but there is always a possibility that you can find an option with better price/quality ratio. If you want to get the most value out of your toner printer ink, choose wisely and consider all its characteristics, not only the price.
How much money do I need to buy the best toner printer ink?
The best toner printer inkare not always the most expensive. However, the bigger the price is — the better the quality of a product. This rule is also applies to toner printer ink, so if you want to get a good model we recommend you to not be too stingy.