Velocity Chess
Velocity Chess is a revolutionary new online chess platform that is making playing chess “at odds” cool again. Want to play a game against a chess master where he/she spots you a rook or a few minutes in a blitz game? Velocity Chess is the place for you. Setting up a game at odds has never been easier and you can even wager virtual coins on the outcome. By harnessing the power of Bitcoin, Velocity Chess seems poised to become the online leader in handicapping on internet speed chess. Coupled with with the best anti-cheat technology in the industry, Velocity Chess is adding a new dynamic to online chess in much the same way that poker was transformed by Planet Poker in 1998.
Setting up “at odds” chess games on Velocity Chess is easy.
Below is my best example of a chess game played at odds on Velocity Chess:
[Event “blitz game at rook and time odds”]
[Site “www.VelocityChess.com”]
[Date “2014.8.2”]
[Round “?”]
[White “Chris Torres”]
[Black “Msrmsr”]
[Result “1-0”]
[TimeControl “White 5:00, Black 10:00”]
[SetUp “1”]
[FEN “rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBN1 w Qkq – 0 1”]
The starting position. White had 5 minutes while black has 10.
{I enjoy playing games at odds. Many of my chess heroes played in a time
that this was common. Now, it’s rare but I am keeping the torch burning both in classrooms and on Velocity Chess .}
1. a3 {I am convinced that the main reason
Anderssen’s Opening has a bad reputation is the fault of the players
playing white rather than the opening itself. It is actually a very
flexible way to start the game as white. In addition, the white player can
play his favorite black opening with the bonus of starting with the a-pawn one square forward.}
1… g6 {My opponent’s plan is to immediately make it
hard for me to play a “b4” pawn push.}
“I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”-Robert Frost
2. d4 {I grab the center while placing an obstacle on the a1-h8 diagonal.}
2… d5
3. e4 {When you are playing at rook’s odds, it is imperative to attack quickly because most early attacks are not reliant rooks and you are unlikely to win an endgame down a rook anyways.}
dxe4
4. Nc3 Bf5 {My opponent makes his first strategic mistake. Generally
speaking, you do not want to bring a bishop out to the side of the board
you are preparing a fianchetto for your other bishop. Now his bishop is
limited in the direction it can retreat.}
5. f3 Bg7 {This is a seriously
interesting opening position. However, an early tactical brawl favors the
player who is a stronger tactician.}
The position after 5…Bg7.
6. fxe4 Qxd4 {I really don’t want to
trade queens as I am already down a rook. Unfortunately, my opponent definitely understands the value of trading when ahead pieces.}
7. Nb5 {Rather than trade queens, I throw more tactics into the mix.}
The position after 7. Nb5.
Qxe4+ 8. Be2 {I avoid trading queens and am hoping for a combination with Nxc7+ followed by Qd8#.}
Be5 {My opponent defends “c7” and thus stops my mating idea.}
The position after 8…Be5.
9. Nf3 {I develop with a threat against the “guard.”}
h6? {Black stops my knight from jumping to “g5” but that is not what I was planning. Thus, he just
wasted time.}
10. Nxe5 Qxe5 {The queen takes the place of the bishop in
guarding “c7.”}
The position after 10… Qxe5.
11. Be3 {I am tempting the queen to leave d5 in order to capture my bishop. Either way, the position retains just enough tactics.}
a6? {My offer confuses my opponent. Really, he should have just taken my bishop.}
12. Bd4 {Lots of tactics now.}
The position after 12. Bd4. “Lots of Tactics now!”
12… Qxh2
13. Nxc7+ {For the moment, I am threatening both of his rooks and checking his king. These are the types of positions that tend to confuse weaker players.}
13… Kf8 {And black is definitely confused. He should have simply captured the knight on “c7” with his queen.}
The position after 13… Kf8.
14. Nxa8 {Now we are even in pieces although my opponent maintains a material advantage because of his extra pawns. Still, white is catching up.}
14… Nf6
15. Bxf6 {I am attempting to expose his king further at the cost of trading pieces when I am down in material.}
15… Qh1+ {My opponent should hold off on the check until after he recaptures on f6.}
The position after 15… Qxh1+.
16. Kd2 Qxd1+
17. Rxd1 {He finally trades queens but it is not nearly as advantageous of a plan as it used to be.}
17… exf6
18. Bf3 Nc6 19. Nc7 {My knight exits from a dangerous corner while
threatening to win a pawn after the bishop grabs the knight on “c6.”}
The position after 19. Nc7.
19… Kg7{Black could have saved a pawn by playing “a5.”}
20. Bxc6 Rd8+ {My opponent is still trying to trade pieces even though the position no longer calls for it.}
21. Kc1 Rxd1+
22. Kxd1 bxc6
23. Nxa6 {At this point, my oppnent’s
clock reads “6:18” and my time left is just “1:36.” No worries.}
23… Be4
24. Nc5 {Rather than save my pawn on “g2,” I elect to blockade his pawn on “c6” with my knight in order to facilitate my a-pawn queening on “a8.”}
24… Bxg2
The position after 24… Bxg2.
25. a4 Bf1
26. a5 f5? {I am not sure why my opponent decided that the
f-pawn is more of a threat than the a-pawn because it is not.}
27. b3 {Now
my plan is to place a pawn on “c4” and then my a-pawn will be home free.}
27… f4
28. c4 f3
The position after 28… f3.
29. Ke1 Bg2
30. Kf2 {This move was really not necessary but I was playing purely by instinct. It certainly doesn’t hurt my cause at all.}
31… h5
31. a6 h4
32. a7 h3
The position after 32… h3.
33. Kg1 {This move wasn’t necessary but just
“felt correct.” Again, it doesn’t hurt my cause.}
33… Bh1
34. a8=Q h2+
35. Kxh1 f2 {This looks like trouble but all my pieces and pawns have been perfectly placed for victory. To quote John “Hannibal” Smith, “I love it when a plan comes together.”(A-Team reference)}
The position after 35… f2. “I love it when a plan comes together.”- John “Hannibal” Smith
36. Qa1+ f6
37. Qf1 g5
38. Qxf2 Kg6
39. Kxh2 {I have just 7.4 seconds left on the clock. No worries!}
The position after 39. Kxh2. “I have just 7.4 seconds left on the clock. No worries!”
39… f5
40. Nd7 g4
41. Qd4 Kg5
42. Qf6+ Kf4
43. Kg2 g3
44. Qe5+ Kg4
45. Qxg3+ Kh5
46. Qe5 Kg4
47. Nf8 f4
48. Nh7 f3+
49. Kf2 Kh3
50. Qg3#
1-0
Victory Achieved with 2.8 seconds to spare.
For more info on Velocity Chess, please read:
My First Impressions of Velocity Chess
and
For more info on Bitcoin, I recommend reading:
Chess Musings 