Bughouse and Zhouse (Scroll down to see entire post)

[Event "Live Chess - Crazyhouse"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2018.12.25"] [White "FLchessplayer"] [Black "JerryGr"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "D02"] [WhiteElo "1683"] [BlackElo "2029"] [TimeControl "180"] [EndTime "19:34:07 PST"] [Termination "JerryGr won by checkmate"] [Variant "Crazyhouse"] 1.d4 {[%clk 0:02:57]} d5 {[%clk 0:02:58]} 2.Nf3 {[%clk 0:02:56]} Nf6 {[%clk 0:02:56]} 3.Bf4 {[%clk 0:02:56]} Nc6 {[%clk 0:02:54]} 4.h3 {[%clk 0:02:55]} Bf5 {[%clk 0:02:53]} 5.a3 {[%clk 0:02:54]} e6 {[%clk 0:02:52]} 6.e3 {[%clk 0:02:53]} Bd6 It seems like an uneventful position, however, Black has two more pieces developed and White has wasted moves with a3 and h3. {[%clk 0:02:51]} 7.Bxd6 This is a bad move because the recapture, cxd, brings another pawn to the center. {[%clk 0:02:52]} cxd6 {[%clk 0:02:49]} 8.Nbd2 {[%clk 0:02:51]} B@g6 {[%clk 0:02:48]...

[Event "Live Chess - Crazyhouse"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2018.12.15"] [White "JerryGr"] [Black "FLchessplayer"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C23"] [WhiteElo "2057"] [BlackElo "1702"] [TimeControl "180"] [EndTime "20:13:13 PST"] [Termination "JerryGr won by checkmate"] [Variant "Crazyhouse"] 1.e4 {[%clk 0:02:58]} e5 {[%clk 0:02:57]} 2.Bc4 {[%clk 0:02:58]} Nc6 {[%clk 0:02:57]} 3.Bxf7+ (This is generally a mistake in zhouse.  It was nearing the end of the tournament and I wanted to rack up a few quick wins) {[%clk 0:02:57]} Kxf7 {[%clk 0:02:55]} 4.Nf3 {[%clk 0:02:56]} h6 h6 is an awful move, as it weakens both g6 and h7. {[%clk 0:02:54]} 5.d4  (I want to get more material to attack with) {[%clk 0:02:56]} Bb4+ {[%clk 0:02:50]} 6.Bd2 {[%clk 0:02:54]} Bxd2+ He is on the wrong track here.  The player whose king is exposed does not want tr...

I will show the first game tonight against Qbert00: [Event "Live Chess - Crazyhouse"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2018.12.02"] [White "Qbert00"] [Black "JerryGr"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C42"] [WhiteElo "1649"] [BlackElo "1962"] [TimeControl "180"] [EndTime "15:21:17 PST"] [Termination "JerryGr won by checkmate"] [Variant "Crazyhouse"] 1.e4 {[%clk 0:02:57]} e5  (In bughouse, 1..e5 is playable but harder to play.  In zhouse it is fine because you control the flow of pieces) {[%clk 0:02:58]} 2.Nc3 {[%clk 0:02:56]} Nf6 {[%clk 0:02:57]} 3.Nf3 {[%clk 0:02:56]} Nc6 {[%clk 0:02:55]} 4.Bb5 {[%clk 0:02:55]} Bc5  (seems dubious because Bxc6 dxc6 Nxe5 Qd4 N@d3) {[%clk 0:02:54]} 5.Bxc6 {[%clk 0:02:54]} bxc6 {[%clk 0:02:52]} 6.d3? (He could have taken on e5.  Also B@b6 is not easy to defend against.)  {[%clk 0:02:53]} B@b6 {[%clk 0:02:51]} 7.Be3 (Nxe5 d...

JohnGalt accused me of cheating is zhouse by using an engine.  That is not true.  I am actually pretty experienced in zhouse and I am happy to provide my analysis of the game:  [Event "Live Chess - Crazyhouse"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2018.11.30"] [White "JohnGalt"] [Black "JerryGr"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C02"] [WhiteElo "2110"] [BlackElo "1947"] [TimeControl "180"] [EndTime "20:11:01 PST"] [Termination "JerryGr won by checkmate"] 1.e4 {[%clk 0:02:59]} e6 (I don't think this is the best move in bughouse, but I don't mind answering a future p@d6 with Bxd6 exd Qxd6 {[%clk 0:02:59]} 2.d4 {[%clk 0:02:58]} d5 {[%clk 0:02:59]} 3.e5 {[%clk 0:02:56]} c5 (actioning it up.  This is near the end of the tournament and I want to take chances to win. {[%clk 0:02:57]} 4.dxc5 {[%clk 0:02:56]} Bxc5 {[%clk 0:02:56]} 5.Qg4 (This is a standard idea in chess.  In zho...

Today my partner, davijerr, and I managed to win a game (as Black against gnejs, who was probably the strongest bughouse player in the world for much of the 90s. Bughouse is so popular in his native Sweden that Russians call bughouse  шведский, or Swedish chess.  My partner was a (possibly underrated) 1700. 1. Nf3 (This is a departure from the 1.e4 that I see most often.  Even though the Knight could be used to attack f7, he assumes that I know how to defend against such an attack) 1..e6 2. Nc3 (I think this was unusual, as he is not moving a pawn to the center)   2..e6 (helps guard the c4 to f7 diagonal)  3. e4 Nf6 4. d4 Nc6 5. d5 (this sets a trap, which I always seem to fall into, and this game was no exception)  Ne5  (the correct move is Nb8 so the knight cannot be traded off)  6. Nxe5 dxe5 7. Bb5+ c6 8. dxc6 Qxd1+ 9. Nxd1  bxc6 10. Bxc6+ B@d7 11. Bxa8 This is even worse than it looks. N@c7 (This is a funny looking mo...

Here Black is a beginner and White is not that much better. 1. e4 e5   (1..e5 is not recommended for beginners.  He should play 1..e6.  Here Black is already on the road to allowing the sac on f7.  There are some good players who allow the sac on f7, but I think its more to prove they can defend as opposed to it being a good idea to allow it.)  2.Bc4 Nf6 (Black's best hope of preventing the sacrifice is 2..Qe7. ) 3.Nc3 Bc5 (The purpose of this move is to threaten a sac on f2.  However White can sac on f7 and not allow the sac on f2) 4. p@e3 b5 (this is a chess move.  It doesn't answer the threat of Bxf7+.   It leaves two many weaknesses.  Furthermore, in bughouse, losing a pawn is like losing two pawns.   5. Bxb5 (I would have taken on f7.  The bishop is not useful if it is blocked by the d-pawn)  5..c6. 6.Bc4 d5 7exd OO (This seems a bit bizarre, as Black's plan was to play cxd) 8.dxc6 Nxd6 9.Nf3 Bg4 10...

The majority of contemporary players think that trades are generally good and essential.   Some players are both chess masters and bughouse masters.  But when going over one of their chess games they can explain the purpose of every trade they initiated.  It is only in bughouse that they trade for the sake of trading.  Sometimes chess masters who are inexperienced in bughouse trade because they would trade in speed chess and in speed chess they like to reach the ending.  I wouldn't say that endings never happen in bughouse.  A chess master should be able to win a won endgame in 30 seconds or less.  My friend Ron call this the "Tournament Game strategy" So if he has these two advantages, he can have his partner sit while he wins.  But if you don't have both of these advantages and your board is sparse, it is especially important to guard against checks and/or make sure trades come on your tempo. There are trades for defensive or offensive...

Yes, I know its a bughouse blog, but here I have a zhouse game that I was fortunate enough to win against a master: My opponent decided to play 1.e4 d5.  I think this a bad idea.  In zhouse,  white starts with a slight edge and a small number of trades amplifies the edge.  It is different than bughouse, and when black trades the pieces go to his partner who is playing white. The pawn a c3 is an advantage for white.  Black can place either knight or pawn on f4, or better yet, place the pawn on h3. Here black makes his first aggressive move, but it is too little too.  Also his plan is to win the knight, which may be ill advised.  Sometimes squares are more import than pieces, so p@h3 might be a better move.  White has some threats planned, especially p@h6. Black defends h6 and completes his idea of trapping the knight.  White will play e5, which threatens the bishop on d6 and provides the e4 square for the knight.  Blac...

In this game, I was playing a master.  Both of us had a good amount of material in hand.  I didn't expect to win this game because my opponent had two queens.  Fortunately almost all of the checking squares were covered and he didn't realize I had a threat. It was in this position that he made a mistake.  I think that assuming he could give a Queen, his best bet is the Queen sacrifice Qxb5+.  If he has two knight, he can place one on c4 or a4, threatening to put the the other on c5.  If I take with the b-pawn,   It leaves b5 open for a rook or c4 or a4 open for the second Knight. Here I have several threats, but he defended the wrong one.  If he doesn't check me somehow,  I am threatening Rxe7, Bf4 and Qf2. He took the rook, letting me get in Qf2+ and he plays Ne2 (the f-knight is pinned).  I play B@e3.+  I have a queen in my hand, so he has to take Qxe3. So I forked his King and Queen with N@c4+ So I c...

Time: In bughouse, speed is more important than in most forms of chess.  The side that has more time has more control over the flow of pieces.  In general, you want to have more time than your partner's opponent.  Time is more important when the material count is against your side on either board. Defense: Always defend before attacking unless you have mate.  By having mate, I mean that you already have the necessary pieces and have mate in every continuation.  Your opponent must have less time than your partner. Don't bring your king out.  Often keeping your king back is more important than recapturing. Don't think in terms of defending by having your partner stall unless its the only alternative.  Remember that you can be mated by the pieces your opponent already has. It is much harder for Black to defend than for White.  In general, I advise against playing or allowing a sac on f7.  Know the standard defensive moves.  Playin...

Unfortunately chess.com only has bughouse replay on one board, but actually I was concentrating on one board.  c6 is a wasted move.  Of all the threats that White has, the most serious is h6.  This kind of position is an argument against Black playing a passive opening.  After a passive opening, Black will always have some weak squares at this point, but he should also have a pawn in the center in return.  e5 is also weak. Against a weak player, h6 is probably a good move.  Against a strong player, take into consideration that he might play p@g6. Black has played Ng5 which is a mistake.  His knight is trapped.  Correct was Nd5.  Black should not worry about p@d6 because Bxd6 exd Qxd6,  In general, moving the c-pawn weakens your position.  Unlike the e-pawn and the d-pawn, c7 is only guarded by one piece, and its a piece you don't want to give up. p@g6 is probably a mouse-slip, as it doesn't address either of Bla...