Studies in Phailure: Episode 1
Studies in Phailure is going to be a series focusing on the losses of Cystem_Phailure, your humble host. Of all possible chess-related topics, this is the one I can be most sure will never lack for material.
Game summary:
Opening: Rubinstein opening (D05)
Fixed opening moves: 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 c5 5.b3
Cystem Phailure played: White
Number of moves: 19
For Episode One I'll start with a real stinker from last month. This was actually the second (and longer, believe it or not) of two games that I lost to an opponent in my group in a thematic tournament (Rubinstein Opening, D05). When this game started I outrated this fellow by more than 350 points, and his rating is even lower now than when we finished this game. He's managed to win only 39% of his games against average 1400 competition, but this guy whipped me with both colors.
Even though I normally play 1.e4, the initial set-up of the Rubinstein looked appealing. I certainly haven't done well with it in this tournament. Maybe it would take more games for me to get a feel for the Rubinstein, but it doesn't seem like an opening that would come up too often. It takes cooperation from both sides to reach this 5th move position.
This chart shows how total mobility for both players varied during the game. I always keep track of that (counted after each of my moves) during games. Looking at it along with my notes and an analysis after a game sometimes helps me identify turning points and trends. I've got to admit, though, this chart for my first blogged loss isn't particularly informative.