A Win Improved by Fritz 9

[fern]

Yesterday I played a game at 40 minutes, 40 moves, with Sjeng setted to play as a 1700 elo adversary. It is not very clear what those settings really means, if they simulate a player of this or that elo or not, but Sjeng at least give a realistic impression to be playing as such kind of player as far as I remember in my real encounters with human of that chess level.
In any case, what result interesting is to let Fritz, later, to analyze the game -in this case I won rather easily- and see how many better ways there existed to get the point.
In my case I discovered an interesting thing that I share with you because I guess it happens to many middle level players as me. Examining the analysis by Fritz, I realized that every better move he found to improve my game has been, in fact, seen by me even as first candidate move, BUT rejected all the time because not going deep enough in the search. In most of the cases I rejected the candidate move because I did not examine just ONE ply more.
Laziness is then part of the secret of just a mediocre chess player as I am You lose chances to play better moves because in quiescent positions, where there is not an immediate pressing situation againts you, you examine only 4-5 ply depth instead of at lest 6 or 7.
If any is interested I will see a way to post the game.

My best
Fernando

[Larry]

Fernando, regarding your first statement about the selected
playing strength of the comp being accurate, this has been raised
before, usually with the Chessmaster personalities. They are quite
approximate, and depend on the power of your computer. They were
set on the comp in the lab, which may by now be old.
Regarding laziness being the cause of lack of playing strength, I've
long been conscious of that myself. With chess opponents being
so darned accessible nowadays, either computers or humans on
the internet, we do tend to play the game out of force of habit, when
we would not normally play. Back in yours, or my, youth, you would
wait all week for the local chess club to convene, then enjoy your
chess fix, concentrating well out of enthusiasm. Now you set up the
pieces and play chess with you wife talking to you and the phone
ringing.
regards
Larry

[fern]

Well, Larry, in my case that situation you describe happens very often, BUT there are some ocassions when I really concentrate all my power. The sad thing is that even when trying hard and playing lot better, I still fall in the vey same holes of my lazy chess attitude, I mean, specially not being enough cautious looking lateral possible moves. I can go very deep in a line, but I forget to look beyond 3-5 plies those I believe are not important.
My game againts this supposed 1700 something player was of that class. I examined a variant that could give me a fast win, but I did so one ply less than neccesary to see it and so I continued another 20 moves to get the point. Fritz 9 told that at once, of course, not to mention a move where my artificial opponent could get a draw....
Well, even so, what a delight to play....!!!

nmy best
fernando