I follow the footsteps of chess grandmaster Bogdan Lalic, who is travelling from tournament to tournament in Europe to make a living from chess. It is quite interesting to study his chess strategy.
Brewer Callum D (1803) – Lalic Bogdan (2485)
“I won in the 2nd round of Sunningdale open tournament ( first round I had a draw ). I played with young 13 years old underated player who recently drew with WGM Milliet elo about 2400. This time I changed line against 2 c3 Siclian ( which I avoided yesterday ) and got slightly better position out of opening ( after I surprised my opponent with the rare line 7…dxe5 and 8..Ndb4 ). He commited some mistakes in his time scramble after which my pair of Bishops prevailed.”
by GM Bogdan Lalic
Replay Chess Game
Lalic Bogdan (2485) – Dilleigh Stehen P (2136)
“I drew in the 3rd round of Sunningdale Easter Premier. My opponent was very well prepared despite of Elo 2136 and age 56 ( most of players on the West are like that, despite age very well booked ), I got no advantage from the opening, this play with …a6-b5 now play all the top World players ( Aronian, Grischuk ).
My opponent told me that he has my book on QGD Bg5 lines in which I gave this line with …c7-c5 as better for White, but I did not give this play with …a6-b5 ( it came some years later after the book was published ).
This shows that my opening knowledge is now not higher than those of determined amateurs in the West, who work every day on their opening repertoire. On the East amateurs do not play like that because they have no money to buy all those best software programs, chess books, videos etc.
In short: My advantage of isolated pawn is purely symbolic, he does not even have to play for attack on the Kingside, he can exchange all Rooks on the c-file and one weakness on d5 is not enough for White to play for win. So where had my elo advantage of 350 points plus White pieces gone and Why? Because of bloody computers and opening preparation. I was right when I said that chess is shxx!”
“I cannot understand that – my opponent 56 years old amateur with very modest elo of 2136 had followed all the best recipes of play for Black – Aronian and Grischuk.
Is that normal? Maybe he is in pension and studies chess a couple of hours daily ( as a difference to me ). But why, what is the purpose? I can assure you that such fanatism of amateurs is only possible in the western countries, especially in UK, where amateurs have all time and what is most important money, to invest in all the best books, computers videos etc.
I am a GM and I wrote a book on this opening ( about 10 years ago ) and I just vaguely know for this plan for black ( I saw it couple of years ago but forgot all ) and my opponent of elo 2136 knew it exactly.
Come on, if that is normal then fxxx chess. I can easily go to 2450 by playing those players, easily.”
“… 7 Qc2, a Kramnik move, was considered as the best, avoiding Mannhatan Variation, but my opponent showed clear antidote against it, so I should learn Mannhatan Variation with e3, Bd3, Qc2, which is a very complex strategical battle ( Black has excellent knight on e4, but White is playing in the kingside for attack ).”
Lalic Bogdan (2485) – Pisacane Pietro (2051)
I am not anymore a serious professional. Yesterday I let myself got drunken ( 2 litre of wine drunk together both me and IM Marholev ). This is not wise while there are 2 rounds a day, but an enormous difference in price of alcohol in the UK and the rest of Europe, made most of players from UK going to play and drink cheap wine! (in Italy). 2 litres of red wine 12% (alc) costs 3,11 euros in Italy. In the UK just one bottle of 0,7 now cost cheapest 5 pounds, really a big disproportion!
I won in the 3rd round of Arzachena open tournament. The game was very difficult for me ( young underated opponent born in 1995 ) but at the end I won in the endgame slowly slowly a la Botvinnik style ( g3-g4 and Ne2-g3 is the manoeuvre invented by Botvinnik also Nd4-e2 is his manoeuvre avoiding exchanges on d4 ). At the end my pair of Bishops prevailed.
Lalic Bogdan (2485) – Ljubisavljevic Zivojin (2132)
I won in the 5th round of Arzachena open tournament against Serbian IM Zivojin Ljubisavljevic ( Elo 2132 ). Despite his low Elo he is a very experienced IM, born in 1941. His nick name is Zika-Talj, because of his attacking style, not sound, but often it could be quite dangerous.
Once I lost against him with Black from an almost winning position in some Yugoslav league, when I played for Bosnia Sarajevo and he played for Gosa Smederevska Palanka.
Incredible, but with piece up for a pawn for me the position was quite messy, and I got into time scramble and after 20 minutes of thinking I played the logical move 39 Qg2? ( blocking the g-pawn which only draws after 39…Qe3 40 Qxc6 Rf2 41 Qc8+ Kh7 42 Nf8+ Kh8!)
Fortunately he continued the coffee style 39…a4?? playing for my time scramble, after which I am winning easily. So correct way to a win was 39 Qb6! g2 40 Qb8+ Kf7 41 Qf8+ Kg6 42 Qd6+ Kf7 ( 42…Kh7 43 Qh2+ wins ) – this is the position which I saw before playing 39 Qg2+ and here I did not see anything for me and because of that, I cancelled that line, but now 43 Re2! threatening Qe6 mate easily wins for me.
A worrying sign, because after a long time of thinking I should see this. Either I became a patzer after age of 50 ( the tactical calculations were always my strong side ) or I am just tired. It seems that reaching 50 one just starts to blunder more often and calculate worse this is why the elo goes down – 5 elo points here, 5 elo points there… It seems that ageing is the main calprite for chess playing starting to play badly, a pure biological process.
Lalic Bogdan – Altea Alessandro – Bogo-Indian Defense
I won in the 7th round of Arzachena Open tournament, it was an easy pairings for me and I won the tournament.
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