Game 8 - Me vs hyxxy - 10/19/13 on iggamecenter.com

Lots of commentary on this one.

1.c8-c6 a2-c2
2. b1-b3

This has become a standard opening for me.

…h4-f2
3. f1xh3
This move gives black the choice of centralizing the offside piece with h3-e3, or levying it there for a base or wall. g1-g3 works as well.

…h5-f7
4. g8-g6 h7-e7
5. e8-b5 h6-f4
Prevents f8xh6, thereby limiting the eastward and southward mobility of black's f8 piece.

6. e1-e3 a7xe3
Oops.

7. f8-c8

Finding a convenient escape route, but black will have trouble moving his pieces on the g and h files towards he other pieces.

…c2xc6!
Capturing a key connecting piece. Identifying these pieces before they become part of a solid position is an important part of the game. Red's piece on c6 becomes a key connector itself.

8. b8-e5
Black now tries moving eastward.

…h2xe5
Notice how this and the next 3 move by red all go in the direction of c6.

9. b5xe5 f7-d7
10. g1-g3
Maybe h3-e6?

…f2-d4
11. c1xa3?

Really doesn't accomplish anything.

…e3-c5!
Probably the winning move, preventing e5-c5. Before this, red threatens mate in 2 with a6-b5 and f4-c4. Black e5-c5 would have prevented that.

12. g3-g5
Threatens g5xc5, but that's not the key piece to capture. Maybe c8-a8 as a desperation move, threatening a8xc6. Of course, red then has c6xa8.

…a6-b5
Threatens f4-c4# and all kinds of other mates. Also prevents g5xc5.

13. b3xb5 f4-c4
14. a3-c3
Trying to avoid e7-b4# and a5-b4#, but to no avail. Red has too many ways to win.

…d4-b6#

Yet another game I will return to. I especially want to analyze the position after 10…f2-d4 to see if black  had any winning variations. The piece on c6 also intrigues me. Is c6 an important square to occupy or control in this opening, as certain squares are important in certain chess openings? Could there have been more of a fight to occupy or control that square?

Game 7 - Xophe vs Me - 9/29/13 on iggamecenter.com 

A singleton this time around. Not much commentary, as I felt xophe was new to the game by the questions he/she asked. Xophe made some good moves, though.

1. e8-e6 h6xe6
Following ddyer,  I always accept opening gifts…

2. b8-d6
…except this one, for some reason.

…h4-f2
3. f8-f5 h2-e2
4. b1-e4 a6xd6
Now I capture it, I don't know why I waited; maybe I just missed it.

5. c8-f8 a2-d2

Establishing a wall I thought was solid.

6. d8-e7 a7-d4
7. g1-g3 h7-h4

8. c1-g1!
Xophe is sneaking around to connect on the g file.

…a4xe4
h3xf1 would have made a wall, but one open to counterattack down the f file.

9. g8-g5 a5-e5
10. e7-f7?!

10. f8-f4 keeps red's pieces separated, but establishes more control of the f file. Still, this move threatens f7xf2 followed by f8-f4.

…d6xg3
11. f8-f3?
f7xf2 captures a vital connecting piece.

...a3-e3#

2 new tactics discovered this game, both played by my opponent: moving along the edge to circumvent a wall and the position on the f file in the 3rd illustration, establishing control and counterattacking possibilities. Another game I am considering analyzing again.

Game 6: Me Vs Mirjam - 9/15/13 on Mindoku.com. 5 minute game #2.

2nd blitz game. Unusual that I played black for both games against the same opponent.

1. c8-c6 a4-c2

2. c1xa3

The same opening twice in a row? You'd think this was a professional chess match or something.

…a2-c4

3. d1-d3 a5-c5

Yet another gift missed.

4. b1-b3 a7-c7

5. b8-b6 a6-b7

6. e1-d2 b7-e7

7. f8-f6 c7-f7

8. g8-g6 c2xc6?

Allows black to escape from e8, where this piece had limited mobility.

9. e8xc6 c4-e4

Red's strategy appears to be to use the h file as a base and move the rest of his pieces east.

10. d8-d5 c5-f2

Threatens f2xf6

11. b3-e6 f2xf6

12. g1-e3

Threatens e3xh6

…h3-f5

Red gives black a better capturing move.

13. f1xf5 h2-g3

14. a3-c5 h4-f4

15. g6-g4??

c6-c4 is mate!

…h7-g8

16. d3xg3??

Missing c6-c4 again! Instead, black just handed red the game.

…g8-g6#

I did OK until the blunders at the end of the game. But Mirjam's strategy made me think about the concept of making and/or using a base. Maybe there is a remote element of go that can apply here? It's worth exploring.

Game 5: Me Vs Mirjam - 9/15/13 on Mindoku.com. 5 minute game.

First "blitz" game of LOA I've played.

1. c8-c6 a4-c2

2. c1xa3

This capture, although not recommended as a first move, is better than c1-f3.

…a2-d2

3. d1-f3

A gift for red, who misses it.

…a5-c5
A gift for black who misses it.

4. b1-b3 a7-d4
5. a3-e3

Another gift for red, a big one this time. If red played h6xe3, black has no immediate recapture. Black should have played g1xd4. It seems like both players were more concerned with getting their pieces centralized and connected quickly than finding the best move. Did I mention this was a 5 minute game?

…a6-c4.
6. f1-f4 c2xc6
7. b8-e5

Black has more options to connect in the center, but red has attacking possibilities from either side. (e.g.  h5xe5 or h5xf3)

…d2-d5
8. f8-f5 h7xf5
9. b3-c2 h6-f6
10. g8xd5! f5-d3
11. c2-e2
e8xe4 might have been better to play first, making a solid wall.

…h3-g2
12. e8xc6 h2xe2

h4-f2 might have been better, isolating the g1 piece, followed by d3-e4.

13. e1-g3 e2-c2
Intending c2-e4, but h4-h2 might be better, threatening c4xf4.

14 g1-h2 d4-a1
Preventing 15. d8-d4#, but black has another mate.

15. d8-c7#

Whoo-hoo! My first win since I started the blog!

Game 4: Nivolet vs. Me - 6/18/13 on iggamecenter.com

This is the 2nd of the 2 games played with Nivolet at iggamecenter. I sucked in this one too, just like the first.

1. b1-b3 a3-c5?
(...a2-c2 would be better)

2. c8xc5 a5-c3?
(Maybe ...h2-f2

3. e1xc3 a4-c4?

Three bad moves in a row. Black has limited the movement of white's pieces in column A. This is not going to go well.

4. g8xc4 a2-c2
5. b8-b6 a6-b7
6. f8-d6 a7-d7

Trying to walk around.

7. g1-d4
Black's last 5 moves have all connected.

...b7-e7
8. b3-d5
Enables d1xd7

...c2-e4
9. d1xd7 e4-g6
10. f1-d3

...h6xd6.
A hopeless attempt at defense.

11. d5-c6 e7-e5
12. c1-b2#

Lesson learned? Besides the horrible opening, my pieces in column H were totally useless in the endgame. Nivolet kept his pieces just out of reach of any counterattack.

Game 3: Me vs. Nivolet - 6/18/13 on iggamecenter.com

This is the first of 2 games I played with French competitor Nivolet at iggamecenter.

1. c8-c6 h7-f7
2. f8xh6 a4-c2
3. b1-b3 a2-d2

4. d1-f3
Better to be captured than blocked in.

...h5xf3
So far, the opening has been about white trying to block black in, and black escaping, either by moving out, or capturing pieces at the edge of the board. White is in a better position to start connecting.

5. c1xa3 f7-f4
6. f1-d3 h2-e2
7. e1-g3
The only move to avoid being trapped by 7. ...h4-f2 or f4-f2. But black soon uses this move to his advantage.

…a6xd3
(...e2-g4? 8. g8xg4)

8. g1-g4 a5-c3
9. g8-g5

Black tries to separate the 2 pieces on the h file, but he'll have trouble moving the rest of his pieces eastward.

...a7-a5
10. a3-b4 a5-c5
11. b8-e5 c5-d4
12. d8xd4 h3-g2

13. h6-f6??
c6xf3 or e5xe2 would have kept black in the game.

...h4-h3#

I was trounced. Nivolet forced me to make escape moves, and those moves put me in a bad position to connect.

Game 2: Arty Vs Me - 4/20/13 on iggamecenter.com

The 2nd game played at iggamecenter. Trying it this time with photos from my 

iPhone. Black vs. white pieces.

1. e1-g3 h3-f5

2. b8-e5

A gift for white. But I was more concerned with being blocked in.

...h4-f4

3.g1-g4 h6-e3

4. g8-e6

g8-g5, followed by c8xf5 would have been better, creating a stronger wall.

...h2-f2

5.d1-d3

Another gift. This one I saw.

...h7xd3

6. c1xa3 a2-c4

White is starting to connect, although not too solidly.

7. c8-c6 h5-h6?

Oops! Ruins a5xe5, a move that should have been played by now.

8. f8-d6 a5-b4

9. e8-e4 a7-d4

White is almost connected, but the lone piece at h6 is having difficulties joining the party.

10. e6xc4 a4xc6

11. d8xd4 c6xe4

h6xd6 is much better, preventing the next move.

12. d6xd3

With these 3 moves, black has decimated white's connections, while creating a new wall.

...f2-f6

13. a3xe3 h6-e6

14. f1-b5 b4-c5

White recovers nicely, threatening mate with a6-d6.

15.b5-c6

Blocks mate

...e6xc4

16.c6xe4 a6xd3

17. g3xd3

Threatens mate. White misses it

...c4-d5.

Also threatens mate, but too little, too late.

18 b1xf5#

A lesson in counterattacking and paying attention to the pieces on the edges of the board. White had a connection in the 2nd diagram, but black had 4 moves that would break it. This was a close game I will visit again in the future, as I feel that it would be worth analyzing the some of the positions.

General Strategy

Here are some thoughts about general strategy in Lines of Action. Some might be obvious, and some are gleaned from the annotations of Dave Dyer over at the Lines of Action homepage over at Boardspace.net.

1. As in chess, it is better to try and centralize your pieces during the opening. Moving to the center increases that piece's mobility and therefore gives it more chances to connect.

2. Counter-intuitively, having less pieces on the board does not make it easier to connect. It decreases your choice of movement.

3. However, it is best not to capture your opponent's pieces haphazardly. Any capture should also enhance your position. Capturing a lone piece at the edge of the board does nothing and may actually help your opponent.

4. The best moves are those that connect your pieces while blocking your opponent's pieces or breaking one of their connections.

As in chess, these rules are not to be strictly followed all the time, but should be adjusted due to the nature of the position. But these are good rules to have in mind while playing.

Game 1: Me vs Arty - 4/20/13 on iggamecenter.com

This is the first of 2 games I played against the programmer at iggamecenter.com, back when I was only playing every couple of months. And off we go...

1. c8-c6 a4-c2

2. c1xa3

Trying to escape a possible wall.

...a2-d2

3. d1-f3

Another escape route.

...h7-e4?

This allows e1xe4 with no counter-play.

4. e1xe4 a7-c5

5. d8-d6 a6-c4

6. a3-d3 a5-d5

7. b1-b3?

b1-e1 is better.

...h5-e5

8. f8-f5 h4xe4!

Removes a vital connecting piece and keeps black's pieces separated.

9. e8xe5 h6-f4

10. c6-e6 h2-e2

11. g1-e3??

The losing move of the game. This allows c5xe3 with red capturing a vital connecting piece while connecting himself. 

...c5xe3

12. f1-e1

Trying to avoid h3xf1#, but it's now mate in 2 no matter what.

...h3-g2

13. e1-f2 g2-g4# (or ...g2-f1#)