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The rules are simple - send us your questions and see them featured in the weekly Q&A column!
Q1: I just played my second club match tonight and like the first one, I built up a
great positional advantage (computer says -1.3 advantage to black) and then
compromised it with some moves that were less than accurate and then forced a draw
by repetition in a slightly better position. How do you keep your foot on the
accelerator in a better position when you cannot find a knockout tactic?
A1: In such cases one has to slowly build up pressure, improve ones position and create new weaknesses in the opponents camp. Boa constrictor technique. Many people hate withstanding it so much that they will jerk and give you an easy win. However, this requires good positional understanding, otherwise one might make a few inaccurate moves and let the advantage slip away. Also, you might want to check my article for Chess.com on converting winning positions.
Q2: Have you tried playing bughouse, crazyhouse, losers chess and so on? What are the impressions?
A2: I did play Fischers, losers chess and some other games a few times. Most of all I like bughouse. It is really fun and instructive in the tactical sense! :)
Q3: Hi Natalia, this is what I think: the chess players are getting used to think that each piece has a worth; the queen nine points, pawns one point ,etc. But if we change it like:" now rooks worth 3 points each" and something like that ,everything would be different and we would not have that fear to lose a queen or a rook . What do you think? Thank you.
A3: The main idea behind assigning a certain value to pieces is to teach a novice (or teach an engine) how much a piece is worth in general. However, strong players know that in some cases the value might change, i.e. a pawn may be stronger than a knight or even a queen. If you assign random numbers to pieces, it will lead to havoc in the mind of beginners, and wont help the experts. This will simply be misleading and make some players do crazy things, i.e. throw a rook for a bishop in any position. In fact, the current system has been around for a few centuries, and it is quite convenient.
Q4: I am now 27.I last played a regular tournament game when I was 19 and my rating used to be at 1900.Two weeks before I participated in a tournament almost after 8 years. I was completely trashed, I lost all my games with black .my score was 1.5/10.
I have lost self esteem since a child aged 12 or 13 years also defeated me. What should I do now for future tournaments?
I am thinking of not participating in any tournament unless I defeat "Deep Fritz 11 of strength 2200 Elo, is it a good decision?
A4: Wow-wow-wow. First of all, relax and calm down. After an 8-year break it is impossible to start playing at the same level right away. Therefore, there is nothing surprising in losing a lot of games. Secondly, dont be so arrogant to kids. Nowadays some 12-13 year olds play at grandmaster level, and you shouldnt underestimate them. Thirdly, playing against chess engines is a bad idea since there is no psychology involved (remember the shame of losing to a kid?), and they are not able to imitate a human way of playing well enough. Last advice: sort out your priorities. If you are 27 and ex-1900, you will either have to take it easy and play chess as a hobby (why get pain from it then?), or set yourself a goal and change your attitude and lifestyle in order to attain it.
Q5: How hard is it to raise your Elo rating? Is the difference between 1800-2000 smaller than the difference between 2200-2400? What exactly does one rating point represent?
A5: The higher the level, the more precious are the points. The difference between 1800 and 2000 is much lower than between 2200 and 2400, not to mention 2400 and 2600. Rating points are meant to show how well a person does against the opposition. Therefore, it is hard to scientifically compare ratings of now and, lets say, 70s. Also, even in the modern world a lot depends on the country (some are under-rated) and type of tournament. For instance, it is universally acknowledged that its much harder to sustain a high rating in open tournaments than in closed round robins (since a leader in an open event has to face players who are outperforming their average strength a lot, e.g. play a 2500 who has a 2700 performance). Thats one of the reasons why elite players try to play only in the former.
Q6: From your experience, and if you know the opinion of another GMs... is most difficult to play against a player of your same style or different style? Im positional and to me it is more difficult vs aggressive players because normally I defend...but I like it!
A6: It is usually harder to face opponents of a different style since you have to somehow adjust to their play. For example, lets say you are a positional player, and the guy starts playing for mate since move 1. Or, on the contrary, you want to go all-in, while your partner is building a solid wall and offering a queen trade. When playing an opponent of the same style things are more straightforward, no fire vs ice stuff.
Q7: Hi Natalia,your English is quite good, how many languages do you speak?
A7: Thanks. Russian, English and a tiny bit of Spanish.
