Peter Svidler
@polborta.bsky.social
i have the best dog. chessplayer, cricket tragic, reader of books
wanted to refresh my Gävlebocken trivia knowledge, and this is excellent imo
November 28, 2025 at 4:43 PM
wanted to refresh my Gävlebocken trivia knowledge, and this is excellent imo
things have quietened down a touch
November 23, 2025 at 6:35 PM
things have quietened down a touch
toothy goofball <3
November 20, 2025 at 7:47 PM
toothy goofball <3
this is a large hedgehog but it still counts
November 18, 2025 at 7:13 PM
this is a large hedgehog but it still counts
and one last finesse: if after ke4 kf6 kf3 black tries a4 (diag1) white has to make two only moves in a row: b4! Ke5 (diag 2) ke3!, shouldering the black king away. The plan then is to achieve the position on the third diagram with black to move, and then white gets to play kf4, take on g3, and win
November 7, 2025 at 7:43 PM
and one last finesse: if after ke4 kf6 kf3 black tries a4 (diag1) white has to make two only moves in a row: b4! Ke5 (diag 2) ke3!, shouldering the black king away. The plan then is to achieve the position on the third diagram with black to move, and then white gets to play kf4, take on g3, and win
After ke4 kf6 kf3 ke5, you can still go wrong by playing kxg3, which would allow a4!, and after bx bx kxh2 kd4 bc6 kc3 bxa4 kb2 black is suddenly safe! Instead, it's time to ensure the bishop will protect the all-important a pawn by playing a4 ourselves, and then we can finally start collecting
November 7, 2025 at 7:43 PM
After ke4 kf6 kf3 ke5, you can still go wrong by playing kxg3, which would allow a4!, and after bx bx kxh2 kd4 bc6 kc3 bxa4 kb2 black is suddenly safe! Instead, it's time to ensure the bishop will protect the all-important a pawn by playing a4 ourselves, and then we can finally start collecting
.. instead of playing a4, ensuring that the pawn ending is winning since white can just head over towards the b4 pawn now and happily give up the bishop for the one on g3. However, there is still some care required:
November 7, 2025 at 7:43 PM
.. instead of playing a4, ensuring that the pawn ending is winning since white can just head over towards the b4 pawn now and happily give up the bishop for the one on g3. However, there is still some care required:
However, none of this needed to happen - a few moves prior to that fateful resignation, Titus could have won completely drama-free by not playing a4. the same trick won't work anymore because the king on g1 won't be stalemated, and if black plays b4 themselves white will trade..
November 7, 2025 at 7:43 PM
However, none of this needed to happen - a few moves prior to that fateful resignation, Titus could have won completely drama-free by not playing a4. the same trick won't work anymore because the king on g1 won't be stalemated, and if black plays b4 themselves white will trade..
finally remembered i wanted to expand this a bit. by now, i assume we all know that instead of resigning, wesley could have waited for the king to get to f4 or f3, and then played h1q bxh1 kh3, resulting in this position, which is a draw regardless of whose move it is
November 7, 2025 at 7:43 PM
finally remembered i wanted to expand this a bit. by now, i assume we all know that instead of resigning, wesley could have waited for the king to get to f4 or f3, and then played h1q bxh1 kh3, resulting in this position, which is a draw regardless of whose move it is
this is the final position of his game today. it's a cute little study if you haven't seen it yet
November 5, 2025 at 6:06 PM
this is the final position of his game today. it's a cute little study if you haven't seen it yet
joyce is great, thank you. i am not remotely qualified to play the world cup these days - way below the cut off in both elo and activity requirements
October 14, 2025 at 1:16 PM
joyce is great, thank you. i am not remotely qualified to play the world cup these days - way below the cut off in both elo and activity requirements
we bought a pair of crow figurines, in the hopes of discouraging the pigeons from shitting all over our balcony whenever they feel like it. not only did that not work, the local crows did not take kindly to us encroaching on their turf, and are now taking turns to kill the impostors dead.
October 14, 2025 at 12:14 PM
we bought a pair of crow figurines, in the hopes of discouraging the pigeons from shitting all over our balcony whenever they feel like it. not only did that not work, the local crows did not take kindly to us encroaching on their turf, and are now taking turns to kill the impostors dead.
hellhound on the loose
October 7, 2025 at 8:47 PM
hellhound on the loose
yep, missing out this time, sadly. i appreciate the concern.
September 28, 2025 at 8:44 PM
yep, missing out this time, sadly. i appreciate the concern.
machine says be3 bxh4 g3 Be7 Qf3 is very strong, which is not a shocker - we're about to castle long, and once the white king is safe g4 followed by f5 will be very hard to meet
September 28, 2025 at 8:04 PM
machine says be3 bxh4 g3 Be7 Qf3 is very strong, which is not a shocker - we're about to castle long, and once the white king is safe g4 followed by f5 will be very hard to meet
gotta say, i'd have bet good money on fabi finding a way not to protect h4, esp having gambled with a3/nb5 to get there. my first reaction was be3 bxh4 kd2 lol, which isn't great (still 0.00 though), but the desire not to play g3 was totally overpowering.
September 28, 2025 at 8:04 PM
gotta say, i'd have bet good money on fabi finding a way not to protect h4, esp having gambled with a3/nb5 to get there. my first reaction was be3 bxh4 kd2 lol, which isn't great (still 0.00 though), but the desire not to play g3 was totally overpowering.
if qa4 the absolute best play appears to be an amazing king march to safety - via f6! the king is going to be very snug on g7, leaving black to enjoy the bishop pair and better structure
September 15, 2025 at 2:00 PM
if qa4 the absolute best play appears to be an amazing king march to safety - via f6! the king is going to be very snug on g7, leaving black to enjoy the bishop pair and better structure
i don't think i've ever seen anything like the first line solution to this. timing suggests amin knew, but richie seems to have worked it out over the board, and correctly chose qc4 instead of qa4. curiously, amin spent an hour after qc4 - i guess he only checked the most natural move at home.
September 15, 2025 at 11:45 AM
i don't think i've ever seen anything like the first line solution to this. timing suggests amin knew, but richie seems to have worked it out over the board, and correctly chose qc4 instead of qa4. curiously, amin spent an hour after qc4 - i guess he only checked the most natural move at home.
now black will meet promotion on a8 with a perpetual via Rg4-h4-g4. an attempt to avoid it with 3.h5 runs into 3...Kg7!, and white loses the rook or gets mated on g4. the best try is 3.Rh7+ Ke6 4.Kxg6, but then after Rg4+ 4.Kh5 Ra4 the king will never escape the g5-h5 cage, and black holds
September 6, 2025 at 9:46 AM
now black will meet promotion on a8 with a perpetual via Rg4-h4-g4. an attempt to avoid it with 3.h5 runs into 3...Kg7!, and white loses the rook or gets mated on g4. the best try is 3.Rh7+ Ke6 4.Kxg6, but then after Rg4+ 4.Kh5 Ra4 the king will never escape the g5-h5 cage, and black holds
in case you were wondering what the solution is
in the diagram in the post below, after 1.a7 (white still wins after 1.Ra7+ or 1.Rc8, but vincent had just played Ra7-a8 which suggests he probably wasn't aiming to put it back) Ra5 2.Rh8 Black has a beautiful draw with 2...Ra4!!
in the diagram in the post below, after 1.a7 (white still wins after 1.Ra7+ or 1.Rc8, but vincent had just played Ra7-a8 which suggests he probably wasn't aiming to put it back) Ra5 2.Rh8 Black has a beautiful draw with 2...Ra4!!
September 6, 2025 at 9:46 AM
in case you were wondering what the solution is
in the diagram in the post below, after 1.a7 (white still wins after 1.Ra7+ or 1.Rc8, but vincent had just played Ra7-a8 which suggests he probably wasn't aiming to put it back) Ra5 2.Rh8 Black has a beautiful draw with 2...Ra4!!
in the diagram in the post below, after 1.a7 (white still wins after 1.Ra7+ or 1.Rc8, but vincent had just played Ra7-a8 which suggests he probably wasn't aiming to put it back) Ra5 2.Rh8 Black has a beautiful draw with 2...Ra4!!
staying with this topic - kf7 would have been a gorgeous trap, one for the books. pretty sure vk planned to play a7 here, too. he's v good, maybe he would have caught himself in time - or maybe not
September 5, 2025 at 6:05 PM
staying with this topic - kf7 would have been a gorgeous trap, one for the books. pretty sure vk planned to play a7 here, too. he's v good, maybe he would have caught himself in time - or maybe not