First, I met THE MAN, Rolf Wetzell and had him sign my dog-eared copy of his LANDMARK, BDK- D-graded-but-that's-because-he-doesn't-know-better, book titled "Chess Master...at Any Age"
He's a decent guy. I joked about not wanting to tear up dollar bills to condition myself for better adherence to time control as suggested in his book. He said that the idea actually stemmed from a golf improvement thing where if you miss the par you are to tear up a dollar.
It warmed my heart to watch this advanced aged man beat the pants off of a 1900 rated kid! He is my idol and inspiration...knowing he earned his master title after reaching 50... and sustaining that level of play, unlike others ( including myself) who sometimes feel their rating is impervious to any kind of chess improvement plan.
In any case, the game I played against a player 100+ higher in rating than I was a Caro-Kan than had me in a slightly bad position with a pawn down entering the middle-game. The only compensation was that I was able to activate my rooks and double them up while attack the center as I learned from my chess ancestors. The game ( posted here with my annotations) ended in a brilliant romantic style, complete with the tension grabbing advanced h7 pawn for white not being able to queen due to my persistent mate threat.
Here is the final position to placate the lazy:
position after 41...b5#
5 comments:
What specific aspects of his book, in terms of chess improvement recommendations, did you find useful?
I remember being very excited to get his book, and wanted to like it, so was very disappointed in that purchase. He sounds like a nice enough guy, and is sure a bad-ass for what he accomplished.
PS A great game with useful annotations.
blunderprone, you are quickly becoming the ne plus ultra among quality chess blogs.
from whence does this well spring of greatly amplified creative energy come?
or is it simply the personal matter confided to me late last fall has now either resolved or been greatly calmly, liberating more of you for your own not insignificant creativity?
sure is great to see you not only gushing forth, but such please to see and read and learn by!
love dk
On WHY I like Wetzell's book:
1) He's local, done it after 50, still going strong and not a flash in the pan like MDLM.
2) I relate to his idea of playing strength being like the evaporating vessel and having to keep constant vigil with knowledge in order to prevent it from evaporating.
3) Despite the dated "Flash" card approach, I utilize a more modern day version in my "etude" chess base position of my most difficult positions to work on the evaporation
4) I have yet to run into serious time trouble. I haven't torn any money, but I utilize a modified version if his suggestion in that I mark out in 5 move increments what my target time should be ( 40 moves dived by first timne control) and I shoot for plus scores on the first 10-15 and even scores on 15-40. It's been good.
DK, BDK: Thanks for your kind words.
I am really enjoying the journey back in time. Its so satisfying on many levels to review these games. Aside from teh 3 games in the GM-RAM series ( maybe 4 I don't have it directly infront of me) Andy Soltis once dismissed the rest of the games as not worth remembering. I have to disagree given the period of time, Romantic Age, of chess. These are wonderful historical perspectives of the times.
Anderssen was a virtual unknown and blew everyone away. After the event he rested on his laurels and didn't play for 6 or 7 years before Paul Morphy came along and " woke him up". He lost to Morphy but went on to win Baden Baden ( my next stop I figure after the London 1851 series) and finished top in several other events of the time.
Like Wetzell, Anderssen is an inspiration for those of us in later years still putting up a fight. The Young Morphy came and went.. ( like our MDLM) but this guy soldiered on!
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