TheaN Member since Mar-29-07 · Last seen Oct-20-21 <Name: Arno Middelkoop Sex: Male Birthdate: 29 May 1988 (27 y.o.) KNSB (Koninklijke Nederlandse Schaakbond) rating as of November 2015: 1793> My name is Arno Middelkoop and I live in the Netherlands. I'm currently 27, and I've been playing this wonderful game from the age of seven. In that year, 1995, I joined the local chessclub here in Zoetermeer, Botwinnik. I enjoyed playing with fellow novice yooth players, and I intended to become a better player than most of them and did that. Even so, in the six years to come I probably only reached an official rating ~1500, not being active in any external competition. As of November 2015, my KNSB rating is 1793. In the last two years my chess progression has been stagnant, now I'm trying to improve openings and getting a solid tactical vision. I started playing on Chess.com under the name Qoko, yet I'm still somewhat rusty in Blitz (only ~1550). Me outsidei of chess: I'm a graduated Biomedical Scientist at the University of Leiden, with a speciality in epidemiology, still looking for a PhD. I'm a Japanese RPG, Anime and Manga fan, although it has been less and less occupying the last years: I enjoy the franchise more than actually being an addict. I (still) have a general addiction for World of Warcraft yet I have been playing much less the last year. Where you find me here: I am almost always occupied on the daily puzzle, although I do not post as often lately. [Update: TheaN on dec-2015]

TheaN has kibitzed 2950 times to chessgames   [more...]

Oct-20-21 Adianto vs R E Espinosa Flores, 2000    TheaN: <22.Rxe7+ Kxe7 23.Bb4+ +-> is straightforward, but I got a bit sloppy after this, thinking we'd follow up with Nc5+ almost immediately. Of course, the starting maneuver unpins Bf8 so White simply plays Bxf8 first. Actually easier than the complications after Nc5+ (if Black ...      Oct-19-21 Barbero vs Larsen, 1991    TheaN: <33.Nxg6+ hxg6 34.Rh3+ +-> was good enough a solution for me, seen the followups with either Qh6-g6 or Rxg6 and deemed it disaster in all cases; and it is because it's #8 from the starting position. Sometimes these clearance puzzles have a weird and dragged out king walk line, ...      Oct-18-21 J L Watson vs S Cronick, 1966    TheaN: <18.Rxe7+ with 19.Qf7#>. More interesting is how this game slipped away from Black so quickly. At move 8, Black seems to be slightly better, having developed all pieces and the dark squared bishop is out of the position. 8....Ng4 (-0.22 > 0) is somewhat questionable, but 9.h3      Oct-13-21 Razuvaev vs Z Mestrovic, 1981    TheaN: <38.Nh7 +-> was actually pretty apparent to me, I just spend a bit too long checking possible answers. Tl;dr, Black's always a tempo short given Nxf6 or Rxf8. Black chooses the 'most material' endgame, but it's rather trivial because the White rooks are simply much better.      Oct-12-21 Krogius vs Jansa, 1965    TheaN: I instantly saw the potential of <34.Rd8+>, actually missing <34....Bxd8>, which would be a bit awkward as 34....Kg7 35.b8Q is a basic manouver. From here, <35.Bc3+ Kg8 36.Bxb2 Bc7 37.Be5> kind of plays itself, where White will force promotion, but 'only' at the cost      Oct-11-21 So vs Sasikiran, 2015    TheaN: I don't really see the biggest challenge in <48.h4+ Kxh4 49.Qxf5 +-> up to a point where you think you're about to miss a Monday puzzle because the mate doesn't exist (well, it does in this variation, eventually). 49....d3 is the best try, but refuted in multiple ways, 50.Qf6+ ...      Oct-07-21 Blackburne vs J Schwarz, 1881    TheaN: This was a surprisingly easy mate in six. Chess can sometimes be straightforward; once you see the potential behind Rxh5 with Rh8, it's relatively easy.      Sep-22-21 M Sibarevic vs M Pavlov, 1988    TheaN: <20.Qxg6 hxg6 21.h5> is kind of the only shot White has here. It works because all defenses of Black come just a move too late. 21....Qxf2+ 22.Kxf2 gives Black some tempos but doesn't help him. Best is <21....Rxf7 22.hxg6+ Kg8 23.gxf7+ Kf8> and now both <24.Rh8+ +-> ...      Sep-16-21 Dolmatov vs P Nikolic, 1989    TheaN: <raviarun: Also, 34 Rd7 can be met with 34...Rxb6> Hah! Yes, can be met definitely, at the cost of all of Black's material (actually #8). White can play 35.Rxe7, because 35....Rxc6 36.Rxe8#. The only mate defense h6 loses both pieces after Rxe8+ and Qxb6.      Sep-13-21 A Sandrin vs W Shipman, 1946    TheaN: That's a mate in two and a five second spot... if you initially look for the right color. And I'm not alone there, I see.

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