“I won in the 1st round of OKU tournament in Utrecht. Up to move 30 computer gives minus 0,30 so slight advantage for Black, and it is not sure where did I go wrong in the opening!”
“This just shows how far are prepared in the opening the players in Netherlands. Incredible, he is only 2000 Elo and born in 1955, so there is no logic that he should know theory so far with so low Elo ( he is of polish origion, the amateur from Holland ).
He should have played actively 30…Rg4! also 30…b5? is a positional mistake, my b2-b4 is very strong because he collapsed on dark squares!”
“Very instructive endgame which shows this equalish endgame can go either way ( 2 minor pieces for Rook and 2 pawns ) it just depends on slight finesse. But I should not have such a difficult game in the 1st round with the player of Elo 2000, especially with white. Something is wrong with chess in 2014!”
Lalic, Bogdan (2470) – Cebula, Jerzy (1996)
Warmerdam, Max (2174) – Lalic, Bogdan (2470)
“I won in the 2nd round of OKU Utrecht tournament 2014 after a lucky escape in his time scramble against the young hope of Holland Max Warmerdam, Elo 2174.
Instead of 33 Nf6? computer gives 33 fxe6 Rxh5 34 exf7 the piece sacrifice as plus 1,50 for him!
His 32 f5! was the sign for a bright talent. My opening was suspicious at best, instead of …b4? I should play normal …Bb7, Nbd7 and Rc8, …h7-h5 is perhaps playable ( played by GMs Alberto David and Davorin Komljenovic and sometimes Vesselin Topalov ).
The main reason is not to give White to play g2-g4 and there is not so much theory in this line.” GM B. Lalic
Snuverink, Laurens (2009) – Lalic, Bogdan (2470)
“I won in the 4th round of OKU Open tournament. This is the very line with …c7-c6 invented by Lituanian GM Eduardas Rozentalis ( also played by GMs Bojan Kurajica and Milan Drasko ). His Rb4? is definitely the losing move.”
“I thought for quite a long time before playing …Ra8-c8, I was only considering his manoeuvre with the Queen on f4 which computer gives as a draw at the end. I was afraid of playing Bishop to d7 because of the fantastic variation c3-c4, Re6-c6 and now the interesting piece sacrifice Nxg7! Kxg7 cxd5 with big initiative for White.”
“So I thought that Bd7 was wrong, but it is not, only Rc6 is a wrong move, computer gives as best Bd7 c4 dxc4! Bb2 Rc6! as slight advantage for Black.”
“These are the critical moments in the game where humans are much worse than a computer, in assessing which line to enter.
I thought instantly that bishop on d7 is the right move because I have to challenge his knight on f5, however due to this tactical reason of the sacrifice on g7 I did not play it and played the move with the rook on c8, which I did not trust very much because of the lines Qf4 threatening Knight to d6.”
“However, I am not a computer, in critical lines I most often make wrong decisions ( between two moves I never do the best move, I always do some logical move which has a tactical flaw ). Computers destroyed chess, they just show how much we humans are weak. RIP (rest in peace) Chess.”
“I want to explain how difficult life is for non elite chess professionals ( GM ). In 3,5 days travelling all together 1100 km ( 20 hours in bus ), playing 6 slowplay games and also sleeping in those 3,5 days on average 5 to 6 hours per day, also travelling to the game each day by bus 6 km ( 20 minutes ). Is this all worth it?”
“I drew in the last round of Utrecht OKU tournament. Again unlucky me ( Bogdan ), had a good opposition but have not much points. It is not enough to play well and solid, one must have something more to be successful in the tournaments ( luck ).”
“So 4,5 out of 6 in Utrecht. So far I played 6 times in Utrecht, 2 times I had 5 out of 6 and 4 times 4,5 out of 6, so 36 games not losing there ( draws and wins ).”
“In just slightly less than 8 months I played 112 slow games with 54 times having white pieces and 58 times black pieces, had 53 wins, 55 draws, 4 losses ( 71,875% ), 30 times won with White and 23 times won with Black, lost once with White and 4 times with Black.”
“In this year’s OKU Utrecht tournament I fought much more than I used to do, I did 280 moves in 6 games which iw 46,666 moves per game. Usually my average number of moves is 27 moves per games.
So almost 20 moves more made per game and it all came to nothing!!!”
“This is life, fighting in chess does not guarantes you success, only luck does guarantee success in any field of human activity, especially in sport.”
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“GM Epishin was today unlucky in the bus, he was complaining rightfully, he did not have a buss pass with which it would cost fair 1,60 euros, so he had to pay 5 euros just one way ( 6 kilometers from Utrecht to Maarsen, which is just on the outskirts of Utrecht ).”
“He also complained that his flight was 130 euros one way ( north of Germany ) so he was complaining that he can easily be in minus (financially).
He was 2670 in his peak time, but playing in those open tournaments had destroyed him. It is obvious that he is not well with health. Before he used to complain and fight in many tournaments but he had lost the energy. He has not even energy to complain and start fights. Sad, because if he played elite tournaments he would still be 2650 and more ( he easily made draws with 2700 plus players ).”
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