Sometimes, I just like unwind by not thinking too hard, play a couple of quick casual unrated games, while listen to some slow jazz! 😌♟️🎵

I normally have Tuesdays off and this morning, I played three casual unrated games while having my morning coffee. ☕😊 You never quite know what you’re going to when not logged in – sometimes it’ll be a beginner, sometimes, it’ll be an experienced player trying out some openings!

Today, I had a couple of easy wins against the Scandinavian, and then the Sicilian using the Smith-Morra Gambit. The last game I used the Steinitz Variation against the Scotch Game, which often allows me to win a pawn out of the opening. And then, it’s a battle in the middle- and endgames! I’m not so great with rook and pawn endgames, or pawn and king endgames, and it was an exciting battle that I managed to pull through!

Oh, and some exciting news!

My copy of “May the Best Player Win” by Kyla Zhao arrived in the post yesterday afternoon from the US! Check out my book review from last week to see whether you might consider buying a copy.

I’ve been in correspondence with the author, and next week, we’re going to record an interview / “in conversation” video about her book, chess, and life. Do you have a question that you’d like Kyla to answer? If so, put it in the comments and I’ll pass it on to her for the interview!

Game 1: https://www.chess.com/analysis/library/xV3FewiKY
Game 2: https://www.chess.com/analysis/library/2kMwchZwxA
Game 3: https://www.chess.com/analysis/library/24NL1EPyRg

[Event "Noob vs Noob UNPLUGGED #2"]
[Date "2024.09.24"]
[Round "1"]
[White "vitualis"]
[Black "Random Noob"]
[Result "1-0"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qe5+ 4. Qe2 $6 {[%c_effect
e2;square;e2;type;Inaccuracy;path;null;size;100%25;animated;false;persistent;true]}
4... Qd6 $6 {[%c_effect
d6;square;d6;type;Inaccuracy;path;null;size;100%25;animated;false;persistent;true]}
5. Nf3 Bg4 6. Ne4 $2 {[%c_effect
e4;square;e4;type;Mistake;path;null;size;100%25;animated;false;persistent;true]}
6... Qe6 7. Nc5 Qxe2+ 8. Bxe2 Bxf3 $4 {[%c_effect
f3;square;f3;type;Blunder;path;null;size;100%25;animated;false;persistent;true]}
9. Bxf3 c6 10. Nxb7 e6 11. Na5 Na6 $6 {[%c_arrow
f3c6;keyPressed;none;from;f3;opacity;0.8;to;c6;persistent;false,c6e8;keyPressed;none;from;c6;opacity;0.8;to;e8;persistent;false,c6a8;keyPressed;none;from;c6;opacity;0.8;to;a8;persistent;false][%c_highlight
c6;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;c6;persistent;false,e8;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e8;persistent;false,a8;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;a8;persistent;false][%c_effect
a6;square;a6;type;Inaccuracy;path;null;size;100%25;animated;false;persistent;true,e1;square;e1;type;Winner]}
1-0


[Event "Noob vs Noob UNPLUGGED #2"]
[Date "2024.09.24"]
[Round "2"]
[White "vitualis"]
[Black "Random Noob"]
[Result "1-0"]

1. e4 c5 2. d4 d6 $2 {[%c_effect
d6;square;d6;type;Mistake;path;null;size;100%25;animated;false;persistent;true]}
3. dxc5 dxc5 $6 {[%c_effect
c5;square;c5;type;Inaccuracy;path;null;size;100%25;animated;false;persistent;true]}
4. Qxd8+ $1 {[%c_effect
d8;square;d8;type;GreatFind;path;null;size;100%25;animated;false;persistent;true]}
4... Kxd8 5. Bc4 $2 {[%c_arrow
c4f7;keyPressed;none;from;c4;opacity;0.8;to;f7;persistent;false][%c_highlight
f7;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;f7;persistent;false][%c_effect
c4;square;c4;type;Mistake;path;null;size;100%25;animated;false;persistent;true]}
5... Nf6 6. Nc3 Nxe4 $4 {[%c_effect
e4;square;e4;type;Blunder;path;null;size;100%25;animated;false;persistent;true]}
7. Nxe4 Nc6 8. Bxf7 Nb4 9. Bb3 c4 10. Bxc4 Nxc2+ 11. Kd1 Nxa1 12. Be3 $2
{[%c_effect
e3;square;e3;type;Mistake;path;null;size;100%25;animated;false;persistent;true]}
12... Bf5 13. f3 Rc8 14. b3 $2 {[%c_effect
b3;square;b3;type;Mistake;path;null;size;100%25;animated;false;persistent;true]}
14... g6 $9 {[%c_effect
g6;square;g6;type;Miss;path;null;size;100%25;animated;false;persistent;true]}
15. Bd4 $1 {[%c_arrow
d4h8;keyPressed;none;from;d4;opacity;0.8;to;h8;persistent;false,d4a1;keyPressed;none;from;d4;opacity;0.8;to;a1;persistent;false][%c_highlight
h8;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;h8;persistent;false,a1;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;a1;persistent;false][%c_effect
d4;square;d4;type;GreatFind;path;null;size;100%25;animated;false;persistent;true,d1;square;d1;type;Winner]}
1-0

[Event "Noob vs Noob UNPLUGGED #2"]
[Date "2024.09.24"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Random Noob"]
[Black "vitualis"]
[Result "0-1"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Qh4 5. Nc3 Bb4 {[%c_arrow
b4c3;keyPressed;none;from;b4;opacity;0.8;to;c3;persistent;false,c3e1;keyPressed;none;from;c3;opacity;0.8;to;e1;persistent;false][%c_highlight
c3;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;c3;persistent;false]} 6. Nxc6 $2 {[%c_effect
c6;square;c6;type;Mistake;persistent;true]} 6... Bxc3+ {[%c_arrow
c3e1;keyPressed;none;from;c3;opacity;0.8;to;e1;persistent;false][%c_highlight
e1;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e1;persistent;false]} 7. bxc3 Qxe4+ $1
{[%c_arrow
e4e1;keyPressed;none;from;e4;opacity;0.8;to;e1;persistent;false][%c_highlight
e1;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e1;persistent;false][%c_effect
e4;square;e4;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} 8. Qe2 Qxe2+ {[%c_arrow
e2e1;keyPressed;none;from;e2;opacity;0.8;to;e1;persistent;false][%c_highlight
e1;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e1;persistent;false]} 9. Bxe2 dxc6 10.
O-O $6 {[%c_effect g1;square;g1;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true]} 10... Bf5 $6
{[%c_effect f5;square;f5;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true]} 11. Bd3 $2 {[%c_effect
d3;square;d3;type;Mistake;persistent;true]} 11... Bxd3 $1 {[%c_effect
d3;square;d3;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} 12. cxd3 O-O-O 13. d4 Nf6 14. Bg5
Rd6 15. Bxf6 Rxf6 16. Rfe1 Re6 $2 {[%c_effect
e6;square;e6;type;Mistake;persistent;true]} 17. Rxe6 $1 {[%c_effect
e6;square;e6;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} 17... fxe6 18. Re1 $1 {[%c_effect
e1;square;e1;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} 18... Kd7 19. f4 $2 {[%c_effect
f4;square;f4;type;Mistake;persistent;true]} 19... Rf8 $1 {[%c_effect
f8;square;f8;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} 20. g3 h6 $6 {[%c_effect
h6;square;h6;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true]} 21. Kg2 Kd6 22. Re5 $6 {[%c_effect
e5;square;e5;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true]} 22... Rf5 $1 {[%c_effect
f5;square;f5;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} 23. Kf3 g6 $2 {[%c_effect
g6;square;g6;type;Mistake;persistent;true]} 24. c4 $9 b6 $9 25. Re1 $9 Ra5 26. Re2
h5 27. Ke4 c5 $6 {[%c_effect c5;square;c5;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true]} 28.
d5 $6 {[%c_effect d5;square;d5;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true]} 28... exd5+ 29.
cxd5 c4 $6 {[%c_effect c4;square;c4;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true]} 30. Kd4 Rc5
31. Re6+ Kd7 32. Kc3 b5 $4 {[%c_effect
b5;square;b5;type;Blunder;persistent;true]} 33. Rxg6 $9 Rxd5 34. Rg7+ Kc6 35.
Rg6+ Kc5 36. Rg5 c6 {[%c_highlight
c6;keyPressed;alt;opacity;0.8;square;c6;persistent;false,d5;keyPressed;alt;opacity;0.8;square;d5;persistent;false,c4;keyPressed;alt;opacity;0.8;square;c4;persistent;false,b5;keyPressed;alt;opacity;0.8;square;b5;persistent;false,c5;keyPressed;shift;opacity;0.8;square;c5;persistent;false]}
37. a3 a5 38. h3 b4+ 39. axb4+ axb4+ 40. Kc2 b3+ 41. Kc3 Kb6 42. Rxd5 cxd5
{[%c_highlight
d5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d5;persistent;false,c4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;c4;persistent;false,b3;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;b3;persistent;false]}
43. f5 d4+ 44. Kxc4 $6 {[%c_effect c4;square;c4;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true]}
44... b2 {[%c_highlight
b2;keyPressed;alt;opacity;0.8;square;b2;persistent;false,b1;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;b1;persistent;false][%c_arrow
b2b1;keyPressed;none;from;b2;opacity;0.8;to;b1;persistent;false]} 45. f6 b1=Q
46. Kxd4 Qb2+ {[%c_arrow
b2f6;keyPressed;none;from;b2;opacity;0.8;to;f6;persistent;false][%c_highlight
f6;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;f6;persistent;false]} 47. Kd5 Qxf6 48. g4
hxg4 49. hxg4 {[%c_effect b6;square;b6;type;Winner]} 0-1