Game 7: Ramirez vs. Vela (0-1) now with comments...

Battle number 7 is around the corner...

The seventh game of our Match 2012 will be played next Monday, the 16th of April. The score is still even at 3 points apiece, and as we get closer to the end of the first half, there's absolutely no clues whether someone will take off as a clear leader, and by clear I mean at least a 2 point difference. 

As always, the next battle is very important, and I'm still trying to win one game from Jose with my black pieces. The last time I did that, was on April 18th, 2011. (!!)
I will try again very very hard, and hopefully the result will turn out to be 0-1, instead of a horrible 1-0, haha. We'll see...

  The score in this match has been so close all throughout, that I'm guessing that the first of us to get ahead by 2 points has an excellent chance of become the Winner this year.

   None of this is a prophesy, but the score it's been so close, it seems that the winner will become such by just one point, just like last year.
Anyways, I think for the next game I will be well prepared, and also in big fighting spirits.

Jose, amigo: LET'S DO THIS!!!

Game 6, Vela vs. Ramirez (1-0)

Game 6 of our Match, this is the game with my own comments:

Game 5: Ramirez wins the game!

Jose wins game 5 of our Match 2012. Here is the game now with comments, as it should be!

Next Monday (3-19) is the day for game 5 of our Match

After 4 games out 16 scheduled for this Match 2012, the score has leveled out and we're again as in the beginning, except of course that now only 12 more games are left to decide who will be the champion this year.

It's like the first quarter of a football game is now over and there's no advantage in points for anybody. And just like in football, everything will be decided in the 4th quarter. If, by then, neither I nor Jose is ahead by at least 2 points, say after 12 games, then this is going to be a very close race, and I think it will be close.
Last year I didn't do very well playing with the black pieces against my friend, but that is what I'm trying to change this year. 

So far, I've been able to stop Jose with two draws, the first one when he allowed me to play my favorite defense, the French, and the second one against his own favorite, the English Opening or "Matadora" (the killer) as he loves to call it.

I don't know what he'll decide to play next Monday, I do have an idea, but the most important thing for me in the next game will be to keep his tactical hands tight up, to try to find a way to win with black, and to play my next game with white and an advantage in the score also, that would be ideal, although this is still more wishful thinking than reality.
However, I'm still going into this battle with the full intention of winning it. If that is not possible, at least a draw would be OK with me. Anyways, I don't play to draw on purpose, I really don't even know how to, and Jose -specially with white- always plays not only to win, but to kill his opponent, so if I lose there really is not a surprise, I admit it completely.

But there's a reason why I want to win this game with black  and is this: The last time I beat Jose while he was playing had the white pieces was in April of last year, so it's been almost a year since then, and I think that's too much time. I need to make my black pieces work a little harder than just for getting a draw, and find a way to win. If in that search and risk I end up losing, well, what can I say? There's still a lot of games remaining in the match, and also, I rather lose fighting to the fullest, than to make a chicken-draw. IF there's a draw it'll be a well fought out draw, and I won't offer it on moves 40's, not even 50's.
Jose and I know each other very well, specially and with a big emphasis when it comes to knowing each other as chess players. There's no much that we can surprise the other with in the opening phase, so everything comes down to be the best fighter on that particular night and that particular game.
We'll see what happens.
For now all I can say is: I AM READY MR. RAMIREZ!!

Game 4, Vela vs. Ramirez (1-0)

A nice strategical win for white.
The Match is now even again.

Here is the game with comments:

Game 3, Ramirez vs. Vela. (1/2-1/2)

Here is the 3rd game with my comments:

Match 2012, Game 2:

Here is the win by Jose in the second game of the match, and I was finally able to analyze it with Fritz's help:

Game 3 is next Monday, the 20th.

Game 1: Ramirez vs. Vela (1/2-1/2)

A French defense, Rubinstein variation was played.
The game ended in a very unsual way for us. Not because of the draw, but because of our mutual Blindness! Check it out!

The Match 2012 will begin soon!

After a very good and friendly meeting with my friend Jose Ramirez, all the details have been worked out, and a new Match will begin in just one week...

This time, we have decided to play a match between ourselves, just like in old times, for reasons that I don't need to mention here. The point is, that we have talked and fortified our great friendship after many difficult issues have been resolved.

2012 will be the 14th match in a row and we decided that the format will consist of 16 rated games, which will be played out even if one of us reaches the goal of 8.5 points before the 16th game.

For now, I just wanted to let every reader of this blog know about our decision of continuing our historic matches for another year yet again...woo-hoo!

Jose starts the Match in the first game with the white pieces, and he says he's already studying his openings and everything else in order to try to take the title that has belong to me for the past 3 years in a row...So we'll see what happens.

This promises to be another great fight as usual, and I'm looking forward to it!!

Please stay tuned, because a few sparks are sure to be flying very soon!