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Simon Kim Williams vs Martin Simons
"Barnes Stormer" (game of the day Mar-12-2018)
British Championship (1999), Scarborough ENG, rd 10, Aug-12
Barnes Opening: Hammerschlag (A00)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

find similar games 1 more S Williams/M Simons game
sac: 30.dxc6 PGN: download | view | print Help: general | java-troubleshooting

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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 3 OF 3 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Apr-01-09  waustad: <Eric Schiller>The link to the opening names document on the chesscity site is dead.
Apr-01-09  WhiteRook48: I can't imagine why this is the Opening of the Day
Apr-01-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  Eric Schiller: <waustad>http://ericschiller.com/resources.htm
Jun-26-10  abstract: I think it was a forced touch move2.kf2. maybe williams touched the king piece by mistake..
Mar-26-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  FSR: Strong as 1.f3 and 2.Kf2 is, it takes a long time to grind out the win.
Jan-02-12  wordfunph: game sidelight :)

<The most popular story was that it was in the last round, IM Simon Williams had nothing to play for, so his friends had offered him a total of 19 free drinks if he created history. He created a record by playing the silliest opening ever seen in the prestigious tournament 1.f3 e5 2.Kf2 and white won on the 40th move.>

sorry, missed my source..

Jan-02-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  FSR: I don't know if Williams intended it as such, but it's a brilliant piece of psychological warfare. It's like saying to your opponent, "I think you're such a fish that I can play utter garbage against you." Then Black is apt to feel that he must beat you in order to maintain his honor.
Jul-01-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  Dionysius1: <wordpfunph> Here's a source for that story. Bottom of the article at http://www.chesscafe.com/text/lane0...
Mar-13-13  KingofChess20: I believe that this website should call these "Uncommon Openings" by their name. For instance, this particular game uses the "Barnes Opening".
Sep-06-14  oxxo: >mack <Drunkenknight>, what do you mean, the Damiano holds up? I thought black complete collapses after 3. Nxe5, doesn't it?

Damiano defense is okay because of 3... Qe7!

Now if 4.Qh5+ g6 5. Nxg6 Qxe4+ wins a piece.

Sep-23-17  slideon: This should be dubbed "The Williams Attack" or something. I lost 2 blitz games to this opening yesterday because I was pressing too hard for the win (I felt that I should punish my opponent for such a terrible opening).
Mar-12-18  andrewjsacks: I'm glad I didn't see this game when I was a beginner.
Mar-12-18  Once: <oxxo: Damiano defense is okay because of 3... Qe7!>

Not really. Sure, White loses a piece after 4. Qh5+ g6 5. Nxg6 Qxe4+ followed by Qxg6.

But White doesn't have to play 4. Qh5+. Instead 4. Nf3 gives white an easy game. Black's kingside pieces are tied up and if 4...Qxe4 white gets to develop whilst kicking the black queen around. The f6 pawn move is preventing Nf6.

The Damiano isn't quite the forced loss that some books say, but it is a long way from being "okay".

Nice story about today's game.Simon Williams does have a good sense of humour. It's the sort of thing he would do.

Mar-12-18  morfishine: Should've left the barn door shut
Mar-12-18  Ironmanth: Still some work to do in the position. Bravo, Ginger GM!
Mar-12-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  chessgames.com: <IM Simon Williams had nothing to play for, so his friends had offered him a total of 19 free drinks if he created history.>

Story corroborated:
https://twitter.com/chessgamescom/s...

Mar-12-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  offramp: Today's GoTD opening, 1. f3, 2. Kf2 might look odd, but today's Position of the Day is even weirder: Carlsen vs K Holm, 2018, 1. a3, 2. h4.

"Everything you think you know about chess is wrong".

Mar-12-18  schnarre: ...Last time I tried 1. f3 I played 2. g3 before Kf2.
Mar-12-18  Everett: Not surprised it became a sort of Dutch Stonewall formation coming from Williams.
Nov-30-19  jith1207: Ginger GM attack!
May-14-20  Llera: <WhiteRook48>Sinclair, Ian - Knight, Timothy, Teeside, World U-20-ch12 Final "D"; was The winner of David Norwood's 2005 "Wackiest Chess Game Competition" in The Daily Telegraph.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture...

May-14-20  Llera: <Llera> Wow, that's incredible! Compare this game with that one:

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1973.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Sinclair, Ian"]
[Black "Knight, Timothy"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A00"]
[EventDate "1973.??.??"]

1.d3 d5 2.Kd2 e5 3.a3 Nf6 4.Kc3 Bd6 5.Kb3 Be6 6.Ka2 c5 7.h3 a5 8.Kb3 d4+ 9.c4 Qb6+ 10.Kc2 a4 11.e3 Nc6 12.e4 Na5 13.Nd2 Qc6 14.Qe2 b5 15.Kd1 bxc4 16.dxc4 Qb7 17.Ngf3 h6 18.Qd3 Nd7 19.Qc2 Nb3 20.Nxb3 axb3 21.Qd3 Ra4 22. Nd2 Ke7 23.Qxb3 Qxb3+ 24.Nxb3 Bxc4 25.Bxc4 Rxc4 26.Nd2 Ra4 27.b3 Ra6 28. Nc4 Rb8 29.Kc2 Nb6 30.Kd3 Ke6 31.Bd2 Nxc4 32.Kxc4 Rba8 33.a4 Rc6 34.Rhb1 Rb6 35.g3 g5 36.Rh1 f6 37.h4 Rab8 38.Rab1 Ra8 39.hxg5 hxg5 40.a5 Rba6 41. Rh7 Be7 42.Rbh1 Bd8 43.Rb7 Bxa5 44.Bxa5 Rxa5 45.Rhh7 R8a6 46.Rbe7+ Kd6 47. Rd7+ Kc6 48.Rdf7 Ra4+ 49.bxa4 Rxa4+ 50.Kb3 1-0

May-14-20  Llera: <Llera> The Game Williams-Simons, 1999, started with 1.f3 e5 2.Kf2 d5 and White won in 40 moves. The Game Sinclair-Knight, 1973, started with 1.d3 d5 2.Kd2 e5 and White won in 50 moves. Compare the two games!
Dec-27-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  FSR: Carlsen used this extremely strong opening to beat So in the Banter Blitz Final. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-R... Despite the promising start, the game was horrible.
Nov-13-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  FSR: Nakamura vs Kramnik, 2023 calls the soundess of this hitherto well-respected opening into question.
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