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[Event "Let's play chess"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2010.01.05"] [Round "-"] [White "tomlib"] [Black "crumbler"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1200"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1468"] 1. d4 { This is a Queen's Pawn Gambit Accepted game in which I gained amaterial advantage and my opponent eventually timed out. } 1... d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e4 { I generally prefer 3. e4 here although I used to play 3. e3 quitea bit. This leads to very sharp play quite often } 3... b5 { It is generally considereda bad idea to try and protect the c pawn } 4. a4 Bd7 5. axb5 Bxb5 6. Nc3 c6 { The problem with trying to protect the forward c pawn is a generallack of development and weakening of position as we see here } 7. b3 a5 { The pawn is now in serious trouble and there is little to be done to saveit 7. ... cxb4 8. Bxb5 cxb5 9. Qxb3 evens material with a strong centerand a big gain in development } 8. bxc4 Ba6 { My center is extremly strongand I have strong squares for my queen and dark squared bishop available. } 9. Nf3 { My focus is now getting in position to castle so I can use my developmentin attacks } 9... e6 10. Bd3 h6 { Trying to prevent me from placing my knighton g5 but giving me even more time to develop } 11. Ne5 { I thought aboutcastling here but decided to move foward with an attack } 11... Nf6 { It is nolonger possible to develop the queen side knight at this time because 11.... Nd7 12. Nxc6 } 12. O-O Bd6 { Trying to drive off my well placed knight. } 13. Bf4 { Developing my last piece } 13... Nfd7 { While this does attack my wellpositioned knight it overlooks the combination in the game continuation } 14. Nxf7 Kxf7 { I thought that 14. ... Bxf4 15. Nxd8 Kxd8 might be betterbut I'm not sure if two pieces for a queen is worse than a pawn and theloss of king side security. } 15. Bxd6 Nf6 { My dark squared bishop is verystrong now and dislodging it with one of the knights is going to take considerabletime } 16. e5 { I thought this was better than 16. c5 Bxd3 17. Qxd3 becauseit keeps black with a bad bishop on the a6 square which is inhibiting developmentof the knight and thus the rook as well. } 16... Re8 17. exf6 { All the availablesquares for my light squared bishop and queen on the now exposed king sideseemed ripe for attack to me even though I'm losing my dark squared bishop } 17... Qxd6 18. Qh5+ { 18. ... Kxf6? 19. Ne4+ Ke7 20. Nxd6 Kxd6 21. Qxe8 nets mea Queen and Rook for a knight } 18... Kf8 19. fxg7+ Ke7 { 19. ... Kxg7 20. Qxe8is immediate loss of rook but also bad is 19. ... Kg8 20. Qxh6 Qxd4 21.Qh8+ Kf7 22. Qxe8+ Kxe8 23. g8=Q+ I'm not sure there are any good solutionsat this stage } 20. Qxe8+ Kxe8 21. g8=Q+ { My opponent timed out at thisstage although my material advantage is very heavy. } 1-0

[Event "Portsmouth Minor Round 6"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009/02/22"] [Round "-"] [White "Bob Jacobs"] [Black "John Upham"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [BlackElo "1480"] [TimeControl "36 in 90 then 15"] [WhiteElo "1592"] { The final round. We were both on 2.5/5, he from 5 draws, me from twolosses, two wins and a draw against a 72 (approx 1176 ELO). After my lightningwin in the morning I was full of confidence but my good mood was not tolast long. My opponent seemed not to want to be there. Before we evenstarted he asked me if I wanted a quick getaway. I was already committedto an afternoon playing chess and trying to get a poitive score, so I declineda pre-arranged draw and explained that I always moved quickly anyway... } 1. e4 { Inviting an open, cut and thrust game. } 1... c6 { The Caro-Kann, a counter-attackingdefence that has a good drawing reputation. } 2. d4 { White's standard response. } 2... d5 3. e5 { The advance Variation. I have an excellent book by the GreekGM, Kotronias, on this opening. I tend to play the wildest line, whichgives me plenty of entertainment but not a very good percentage... } 3... c5 { ! Black takes me into unknown territory, though thanks to the after-gameanalysis, more familiar now. } 4. c3 { ? Loses a pawn after the sequencethat follows. John recommended either 4. dxc5 or 4. c4, both being complicatedand potentially wild. } 4... Nc6 { increasing the pressure on d4. dxc5 is nolonger such a good option for White because Black's N could then take thepawn on e5. } 5. Nf3 { Not the best way to defend the pawn. 5. Be3 wouldhave been better. } 5... cxd4 6. cxd4 Bg4 { pinning the N and threatening to takeit, depriving the d-pawn of its cover. } 7. Be2 { Perhaps pinning Black'sN might have been better. } 7... e6 { a normal developing move, releasing theother bishop. } 8. h3 { ? a wasted tempo, forcing the B to do what it wasplanning to do anyway. Be3 was still needed } 8... Bxf3 9. Bxf3 { This B is nowout of position and the d-pawn is under-protected in view of Black's nextmove. } 9... Qb6 { ! forking b2 and d4. White's DSB is required in two placesat once. The d-pawn looks much more important than the b-pawn, so I optto save it but the respite is only temporary. } 10. Be3 Qxb2 11. Nd2 { TheR had to be defended. Unfortunately the N interferes with White's Q'sdefence of d4. } 11... Nxd4 12. O-O { White's one advantage is his advanced development. Getting the K to safety is the best option at this stage. Unusually forme, I'm hoping that Black will swap his good N for my bad B. With Black'sK trapped in the centre (or exposed on the c-file if he castles Q-side),White has good counter-chances with potential pins and skewers on the openlines. } 12... Nc6 { Now double-attacking the pawn on e5. } 13. Qa4 { Finally, acounter-attacking move, pinning the N, but too late. } 13... Qxe5 14. Rfe1 { Iactually started to feel good about my prospects. John offered a drawagain. 'Fancy an early bath?' 'If you're offering a draw, no thanks, let'splay on a bit, it's just getting interesting.' I think I was somewhatover-optimistic! } 14... Bd6 15. g3 { To prevent the intrusion on h2 } 15... Qf5 { Evadingthe threatened exposed attack by 16. Bd4 or Bc5 or Bf4. All options hadtheir attractions. } 16. Bg2 { defending h3 and preserving the option ofa future capture on d5 } 16... Ne7 { protecting d5, closing the attacking optionsdown the e-file and preparing to castle } 17. Rab1 { at last threateningto take on b7 to reduce the pawn deficit } 17... O-O { consolidating Black's position,which, with a monster protected passed pawn on d5, is already winning. } 18. Rxb7 Rfc8 { Now I recognised the reality of my plight and relied onBlack's eagerness to be away, so I chose an innocuous-looking move andoffered a draw. } 19. Nf3 { Black realised that he'd already offered drawstwice and had, in fact, taken twice as long as me to get to this position,so he accepted the offer. He then surprised me by suggesting that we spentsome time analysing the game and proceeded to explain to me all my errors. He claimed to have been winning in 5 out of his 6 draws in the tournament. In that case, why hadn't he won them? His grade would be much higherif he actually backed his judgments by seeing them through rather thaninitiate or accept premature draws. } 1/2-1/2

[Event "Belgrade 1995 -- Reti Opening"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date ""] [Round "-"] [White "Vladimir Kramnik"] [Black "Belyavsky"] [Result "1-0"] 1. Nf3 { This is a very interesting attacking miniature, which also featuresa clever way to play against the Reti Opening. However, what is actuallymore impressive in this game is what doesn't transpire over the board. This game definitely will appeal to Dutch Defense players who face 1.Nf3. } 1... d5 2. g3 { Kramnik doesn't like to enter the reverse Benoni linesafter 2. c4 d4. It is probably worthy to note that Kramnik would normallyplay 2. d4 here, however, this game was the last in a winner take all tournamentand he was looking to avoid any preparation that his opponent might havedone prior to the match. } 2... c6 { Black begins to secure his center, whileleaving the c8-h3 diagonal open for the bishop. This is a very flexibleway of playing the opening. } 3. Bg2 Bg4 { This move is very logical,as Black intends on closing the light squares with ...e6. If 3...Nf6;4. c4 Bg4, White has the very sharp 5. Ne5 Bh5; 6. cd cd; 7. Qa4 Nbd7;8. Nc3 e6; 9. g4! Black is having difficulties. } 4. O-O { White keeps hisoptions open as well. } 4... Nd7 { Black is preparing an advance in the center. } 5. d4 { White finally commits in the center, as ...e5 was Black's idea. } 5... e6 { Black has a strong center and a very logical developmental plan. White'scentral pawn breaks are c4 and e4. Black prevents this in an interestingway. } 6. Nbd2 { Leaving the possibility of both breaks open. } 6... f5 { This moveradically prevents the e4 break, which White was going to play after ...Ngf6;7. Re1. } 7. c4 { White reverts to the other plan of attack. } 7... Bd6 { Now Blackcan develop the knight flexible and either move to f6 or f7 via h6. IfBlack is able to develop the knight and castle, then he will have no problemsas he has a favorable version of the stonewall with the bishop outsideof the pawn chain. } 8. Qb3 { Kramnik decides that the Black kingside isunderdeveloped and undertakes active operations to keep Black off balance. } 8... Rb8 { If the queen moves to defend the pawn, then Ng5 leaves White better. } 9. Re1 { This move indicates that White wants to play e4, however, thislooks difficult at the moment. } 9... Nh6 { After 9...Ngf6; 10. cd cd; 11. Ng5Qe7; 12. f3 Bh5; 13. e4, White would begin a direct attack against theBlack king. } 10. cxd5 cxd5 11. h3 { There had been one previousgame in the database prior to this game, when White illogically blockedthe e-file with Ne5. After a few moves, a draw was agreed. Kramnik islooking to open the e-file against the enemy king, which is precariouslyplaced in the center. } 11... Bh5 { This move loses in a very surprising fashion,however, 11...Bxf3; 12. exf3, Black cannot save the e6-pawn without losingthe right to castle and he is unable to deploy the knights to good squares. } 12. e4 { Forcing Black's hand in the center and shattering the stone wall. } 12... fxe4 13. Ng5 { Black was expecting 13. Nxe4. } 13... Bf7 { If 13...Qxg5; 14.Nxe4 Qe7, White has two ways of keeping an overwhelming advantage. 15. Bg5 Nf6 (15...Qf8; 16. Qxd5! ed; 17. Nxd6#); 16. Nxf6 gxf6; 17. Bxh6,when the attack continues, or White can play 15. Nxd6 Qxd6; 16. Bf4, whenWhite picks up the b8-rook and the weak pawns on d5, e6 and b7. If 13...Qe7;14. Nxe6 Bf7; 15. Nxg7 Kf8; 16. Nxe4 Kxg7; 17. Bg5 Qf8; 18. Bxh6 Kxh6;19. Qe3 Kg7; 20. Qg5 , when mate is a few moves off. } 14. Ndxe4 dxe4 15. Nxe6 Bxe6 { Black could prolong the struggle with 15...Qf6;16. Rxe4 Be7. } 16. Qxe6+ Qe7 17. Rxe4 Kd8 18. Qd5 { HereBlack resigned, however, after 18...Nf6; 19. Rxe7 Nxd5; 20. Re6, regainsthe piece and transposes into a won ending. } 1-0

[Event "Casual game on the Internet Chess Club, ?"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2016.04.09"] [Round "-"] [White "Coffey, John"] [Black "Fiddler"] [Result "*"] [TimeControl "G/15"] 1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 Nf6 3. c4 e6 4. Bg5 { 4. Nc3 Is the computer preference. } 4... Be7 5. Nc3 { Stockfish likes 5... h6 } 5... dxc4 6. e4 O-O 7. Bxc4 c5 8. dxc5 Qa5 { This looks correct, but it gives white a slight advantage becausehe can harass the queen. } 9. O-O Qxc5 10. Qe2 Nc6 11. Rac1 { A good linefor black is 11... h6 12. Bf4 Rd8 } 11... a6 { Too slow. White is up two movesin development and can play for a strong advantage wit 12. e5 } 12. Na4 { Not the strongest move. Now 12... Qb4 13. Bb3 and black is holdingon. } 12... Qa7 13. Be3 Qb8 14. Nb6 { Now 14... Nxe4 Gets something for theexchange. } 14... Nd7 15. Nxa8 Qxa8 16. Qc2 Nce5 17. Nxe5 Nxe5 18. Be2 b5 19. f4 Ng6 20. Bf3 Bb7 21. e5 Bxf3 22. Rxf3 Nh4 23. Rff1 { 23... Nf5 isbest. } 23... Rd8 { By far the strongest is 24. Qc6 Nf5 (24... Qb8 25. Qxa6) 25. Qxa8 Rxa8 26. Kf2 and white is clearly winning. } 24. Qf2 g6 25. g3 Nf5 26. Bb6 Rd3 { White can press his advantage with 27. Qc2 Qe4 (27...Rd7 28. Qc8+) 28. Qg2 Qb4 29. a3 Qb3 30. Qc2 Qd5 31. Rcd1 Rxd1 32. Rxd1Qb7 } 27. Rfd1 { This gives black a little freedom. Black should play 27...Rxd1+ 28. Rxd1 Qc6 } 27... Qd5 28. Rxd3 Qxd3 { Now white should play 29 Qc2Qd5 (Qf3 30. Bf2 Ne3 31. Qc6 with no problems.) 30. Rd1 Qb7 } 29. Bc5 { Thiswillingness to trade fails by giving Black too many checks. Best forblack is 29... Bxc5 30. Rxc5 Qb1+ 31. Qf1 (31. Kg2 Qe4+ 32. Kh3 Ne3) 31...Qxb2 } 29... Kg7 { The computer thinks that this gives white a winning game. However, the resulting position is so difficult to play that it is veryhard for white to win. } 30. Bxe7 Nxe7 31. Qc5 { Chases the knight whereit wants to go. Instead the computer move now is 31. a3 How exactlythis helps white or how he can make progress is not clear here. Then afterNd5 I gave this position to the computer to play out, and it had such ahard time finding a win that I assumed that the game must be a draw. After moving somewhat aimlessly for about 100 moves, the computer finallypushed g4 and f5 to reach a winning but difficult endgame that resultedin checkmate around move 180. That is how difficult this position is. } 31... Nd5 { Best now is 32. Re1. If Qf3? then 33. Qd4 and for the moment theblack queen is stuck. Qg4 34. Kg2 g5 35. h3 Qf5 36. fxg5 Qxg5 37. Qg4 } 32. Qc2 Qe3+ 33. Kh1 { Now 33... Nb4 34. Qb1 Qf3+ 35. Kg1 Qe3+ 36.Kg2 Qe2+ is a draw. } 33... Qf3+ 34. Qg2 Qe3 35. Rf1 Qd4 36. Qf3 { Accordingto the computer 36. Qe2 would have maintained some advantage, but it ishard to see how white can make progress. } 36... Qxb2 37. g4 { Now 37... h6 holds. Then no good is 38. f5 Qxe5 } 37... Qxa2 { Gives white an advantage. } 38. f5 { If 38... exf5 39. gxf5 Nc7 40. e6 Nxe6 (40... fxe6 41. Qc3+) 41. fxe6Qxe6 42. Qc3+ with a winning game. } 38... Qd2 39. f6+ { Wrong. Correct was 39.fxe6 Nf4 (39... fxe6 40. Qf8#) 40. e7 Qd7 41. Qxf4 Qxe7 42. Qf6+ } 39... Kf8 40. Qa3+ { Now black can hold the game with 40... Nb4 41. Qf3 Nd5 42.Qa3+ Nb4 } 40... Kg8 41. Qxa6 Qh6 42. Qc8+ Qf8 { Now by far the best move is ... } 43. Rc1 { Black resigns } *

[Event "Just when you think you have a counter-attack..."] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009.10.15"] [Round "-"] [White "willis59"] [Black "x-machine"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1188"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1381"] 1. e4 { As Black, I made a few mistakes that ended up with me losing twopawns, but all of a sudden I see a possible counter-attack on my opponent.One move later, I lose to a brilliant knight move. I love unusual matepositions (unusual, clever, pretty, dashingly handsome - they're all good!)even if they're played against me. This one involves a mate with a bishopsand two knights } 1... c5 { This is my prime move when the King's Pawn is played- the silican. I might (as I mentioned in another annotation) work on whatI can do with the Scandinavian defence though (1...d5) } 2. Bc4 { White bringsout his bishop - but this is not the best response to the silican. I takethe recommendation of nuntar and play... } 2... e6 { with the threat of d5, gainingtempo and driving back the bishop } 3. Nc3 { bringing out the knight } 3... g6 { playing my normal developing move, but if I wanted to play defensivelythen 3...a6 would work as well } 4. a3 { ?! Though this pawn move may havelooked good for Black, it seems like a waste of a move for White - rightnow I'm not planning to land a knight on the b4 square anyway. Maybe Whitewas thinking of 5.b4, but although Black would lose some centre control,it'd weaken White's queenside, as well as lose a pawn (5...cxb4 6.axb4Bxb4... but then White could play d4 to strengthen his centre control,which may compensate) } 4... Bg7 { the bishop now has control of the long diagonal(fianchetto) } 5. Nce2 { hmm.... this could be a little slow for White, butthere's nothing seriously wrong with this move (I'd have played Nge2 orNf3) } 5... Ne7 { Opening up a castling opportunity kingside. I do consider Nf3,but I'd lose tempo if White were to play e5 - the e-pawn would be vulnerable,but a) Ne4, Ng4 and Nh5 would all be open for White's pawns to push myknights around (f3 if Ne4/Ng4, and g4 if Nh5) and b) the time taken forBlack to take the free pawn would allow White to catch up in development } 6. Nf3 { White brings out his other knight, and the knight pair looksstable where they are (both knights control the d4 square). Also, Whitecan now castle... } 6... O-O { as Black does here } 7. c3 { ?! another strange pawnmove - perhaps White is thinking of b4 here? (though to be fair, that optionwas open to White since move 5) } 7... d5 { now's a good time as any - the Whitebishop has overstayed its welcome } 8. exd5 { White shouldn't retreat itsbishop straight away due to 8...dxe4, forcing the White knight to move } 8... exd5 { Black's centre control looks good here } 9. Ba2 { better than Bb3,because of.... } 9... c4 { White would have been forced to retreat again had heonly retreated the bishop one square, but this move still packs a punch- it blocks off the a2-g8 diagonal for the bishop } 10. d4 { halts any furtheradvancement of Black's pawns - I had a game where my opponent had me trappedlike this in the opening moves - my first and only attempt with the FrenchDefence as Black (1. d4 d6 2.d5 e5 3.e4 c5 4.c4 - that ended up being toocramped of a game for me, and I lost to a king/queen fork by my opponent'sknight) } 10... b5 { I start a possible queenside attack } 11. h3 { stops Bg4,but this does something else to me psychologically... } 11... h5 { my attentionsuddenly focuses on the kingside, and advancing my pawns while attackingthe knight at the same time (when my pawns get there). What I should havedone here was a4, continuing my queenside assault (White could play b4,but after a4, it really cramps queenside activity) } 12. Bg5 { a pin on theknight, but I have no problem with this... } 12... f6 { it's a perfect excuse tocontinue my kingside assault! } 13. Bf4 { ?! I think at first that Whiteblundered with this move... } 13... g5 { as shown here - attacking with tempo... } 14. Bxb8 { but I never expected this! This was new to me, and I definitelywouldn't have traded a developed piece for an undeveloped piece (this movealso draws my attention to the fact that my queenside pieces are undeveloped- maybe I've been focusing too much on pawn advancement?) but then again,in this game knights could be more useful due to the (slightly) crampednature of the game } 14... Rxb8 { naturally, I return the favour } 15. Bb1 { movingthe bishop to a better position } 15... f5 { ?? I see the bishop move, and I immediatelyplay this to block in the bishop, but that pawn was needed elsewhere... } 16. Nxg5 { ! protecting the g-pawn, for example. This is an obvious move,but it still packs a punch - it rips open a hole in my kingside defence } 16... Nc6 { A discovered attack on the knight, but Ng6 may have been better } 17. h4 { instead of retreating, White protects the knight, and therefore itremains a threat to Black } 17... f4 { ? well, so much for my blocking the bishop...that h7 square isn't looking too good, and what can the pawn do at thispoint anyway? I was thinking of clearing more space for my rook, I think } 18. g3 { hm? White's letting me attack the knight? } 18... f3 { well, if he insists... } 19. Nf4 { oh, wait, the queen. White threatens to take the pawn, but I seesomething else... } 19... Re8+ { White never castled in the 13 moves that he hadthe opportunity to, and now he never will! } 20. Kf1 { Well now that's outof the way, I need to do something about that threat on the f-pawn, soI move my bishop to... } 20... Bd7 { ? You know what, I'm raking my brain but Ican't work out why I made this move! } 21. Qxf3 { Why not? } 21... Bg4 { NOW Imove the bishop. Too late? well, yes but I didn't see what the Queen coulddo - the only safe square for the queen was the f2 square, and a pin onthe king with Bh3 is threatened.Since the g3 square was defended by twoknights and a rook, my aim was then to move the rook to e7, then the queento e8 to threaten a possible mate with the king. Qd7 wouldn't work becauseWhite can move its bishop to stop Qe1# } 22. Bh7+ { !! speaking of which....all roads lead to me getting thrashed. The lesser of the two evils- Kf1- is met by Ne6+, winning the queen. Kh1, and Nf7 wins the queen, but atleast it'd allow for an exchange of queens... } 22... Kh8 { right? } 23. Ng6# { Nope!Why do that when you can do this? a nice finish by White! and those pawnsover on the queenside never did go in for the attack... good game :) } 1-0

[Event "Opening trap, Monte Carlo tournament (1902)"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date ""] [Round "-"] [White "Frank Marshall"] [Black "Mikhail Tchigorin"] [Result "1-0"] { Tchigorin, uncharacteristically, makes a catastrophic opening blunderand loses a very fast game. } 1. d4 { Normally the KP opening leads to fasterwins. But opening traps can occur anywhere... } 1... d5 { The Classical response. } 2. c4 { Theory dictates this is by far the best 2nd move in this position. } 2... Nc6 { An unusual defense. } 3. Nc3 { The logical reply. } 3... dxc4 { A delayed QGA,where both men developed their QN's before the Pawn capture. } 4. d5 { Marshallpresses the attack. } 4... Na5 { Tchigorin protects his advanced Pawn. } 5. Bf4 { Marshall continues his development, and since it's a QP opening, he focuseson the invasion point at QB7 instead of KB7. } 5... Bd7 { Tchigorin cautiouslycontinues his own development. He aims to move his KP and clear lines fordeveloping the K-side. } 6. e4 { Anticipating this plan, Marshall sets aclever trap. } 6... e6 { Tchigorin proceeds as planned. } 7. dxe6 { Giving Tchigorinone safe and one disastrous way to recapture. } 7... fxe6 { Tchigorin picks thewrong move. 7... BxP leaves him in a perfectly safe position. } 8. Qh5+ { Picks up the unprotected Knight at Black's QR4. Tchigorin resigns at once. } 1-0

[Event "A win against a higher rated opponent"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2015.11.06"] [Round "-"] [White "blenderboy"] [Black "vadim_tziganasj"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1597"] [TimeControl "3d+2d<5d"] [WhiteElo "1383"] { This is a game I managed to win against a significantly higher rated opponent. } 1. d4 d5 2. c4 { Because this is a themed mini-tournament, the game startshere. } 2... e5 { The Albin counter-gambit. I've never seen it before, so I wasmostly playing moves that 'felt' right. } 3. dxe5 d4 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. g3 { Afianchetto seemed to be the right thing to do here. } 5... Be6 6. Nbd2 { I thinkmaybe I should have played b3 instead. This move blocks in my bishop. } 6... Qd7 { If I were him, I might have played Bb4, pinning my knight and increasingpressure on the c pawn. } 7. Bg2 { This bishop on g2 comes in very handylater. } 7... O-O-O { Again, I might have played Bb4. } 8. O-O h6 { Maybe he wasthinking about a pawn storm attacking my king? } 9. a3 { Preparing a pawnstorm of my own. } 9... Nge7 { Development, but it blocks in his bishop. } 10. b4 { I launch the pawn storm. } 10... Nf5 { According to the Gameknot computer,this move was the first inaccuracy of the game. } 11. b5 { I advance. } 11... Na5 12. Qa4 b6 13. Nb3 { I planned on removing his knight and resuming my attack,but the GK computer tells me that this is an inaccuracy. After black playsBxc4, my attack is diffused. } 13... Nxb3 { Luckily for me he doesn't find themove. In fact, I might call this a mistake because of what follows. } 14. Qxa7 { He can't take my rook or it's mate in one. Interestingly, the computercalls this a mistake, that black should play c6. What the computer doesn'tknow is I would be perfectly happy with a draw by perpetual check againstan opponent this strong. } 14... Qe8 { He had to either move his queen or playc6, and as I said earlier that allows a draw. } 15. Ng5 { ! He can't takethe knight or I'll play Qb7+, Kd7, Bc6+, winning his queen. } 15... Bd5 { The analysissuggests Na5 instead of this. } 16. cxd5 { ! Had I taken with the bishop,he could have played Rxd5, and then after I retook played Nxa1. Instead,this keeps the attack alive. } 16... Nd6 { The final mistake, allowing mate in5. I suppose he was hoping that I would take his knight with the pawn? } 17. Bh3+ { ! There is now a forced mate, and my opponent resigns. I wasvery happy to get this win against such a high rated opponent! If you likedthis annotation, please leave a comment or two and rate it on the starsystem. } 1-0

[Event "Italy wins"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "18-Nov-06"] [Round "-"] [White "mynox"] [Black "tempesto"] [Result "*"] [BlackElo "1477"] [TimeControl "14 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1626"] 1. e4 { I played this game with black } 1... e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. e5 { He was very aggressive } 6... d5 { But I kniew how to anwerit } 7. exf6 dxc4 8. Qe2+ { Probably the best } 8... Be6 9. fxg7 Rg8 10. cxd4 { Ng5would have been better } 10... Bxd4 11. Ng5 Qf6 { To control b2, f2 and g7 } 12. Nxh7 Qxg7 13. Ng5 Ne5 { Threatening Nd3 } 14. Nxe6 fxe6 15. Nc3 { I thinkthis was a blunder } 15... Bxf2+ { This pseudo-sacrifice is much better than thesimple Nd3 } 16. Kd2 { if 16. Kxf2, Qxg2 17. Ke1, Qxh1 if 16. Qxf2, Nd3! } 16... O-O-O+ 17. Kc2 Bd4 18. g3 Bxc3 19. Kxc3 Rd3+ 20. Kb4 Qe7+ 21. Ka4 Qd7+ { forced mate in a few moves } *

[Event "Team match"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "10-Jan-06"] [Round "-"] [White "kaleidoscopio"] [Black "doclovejones"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1421"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1413"] 1. e4 { Since I was never any good at openings, I started with the mostbasic move. e4 } 1... d5 { Things started to complicate for me, never liked tostudy or train openings and this one was all new to me. (didn't know aboutGame DB, call me a Noob. :o ) } 2. d4 { I decided to try and conquer thecenter of the board. } 2... dxe4 3. Nc3 { Developing pieces and aiming to geta pawn back. } 3... Nf6 4. Be3 { Dumb move on my part. Just wasted a move, sinceI will move the bishop again. I would have been better of with Bc4 } 4... e6 5. Bg5 Bb4 6. Qe2 { Another dumb move, I can't explain today. } 6... Qxd4 7. Rd1 { Only logical move at this point. } 7... Qe5 8. Bxf6 { At this point I was hopingthat he played Qxf6 so I would do Qxe4, liberating my Bishop and gettinga pawn back. } 8... gxf6 9. g3 b6 10. f4 { Another strange move, but I wasn'tthinking proper. } 10... Bxc3+ 11. bxc3 Qxc3+ 12. Kf2 { At this point, runningaway was best, since I couldn't afford to exchange more pieces, given mypawn disadvantage. } 12... f5 { I believe he would be better off with Rg8. Itwould apply extra pressure on my already difficult position. } 13. Nh3 Ba6 14. Qd2 { I had no choice at this point, I had to deliver my queen to theexchange. } 14... Qf3+ 15. Kg1 O-O { Protecting from Qd8 } 16. Ng5 { Time to budgethat Black Queen away. } 16... Qa3 17. Bxa6 { Clearing some of the pressure onmy king. } 17... Nxa6 18. c3 { I stop him from doing Nb4 while protecting my a2pawn } 18... Nc5 19. Kg2 { Freeing my h1 rook. } 19... Nd3 20. Rhf1 { No idea why I playedthis, but I was running low on ideas. } 20... Rad8 21. Qe2 { Taking my queen outof harms way. } 21... Kg7 22. Qh5 { Finally a chance to put a bit of pressure ofmy own. } 22... Qxc3 23. Nxe4 { This seems like a dumb move, but Qxh7 would onlyhelp him develop his rook on the h column. I sacrifice my Knigh, but... } 23... fxe4 24. f5 { Now I'm getting some where. I think... } 24... Nf4+ { He decides togive me my Knight back, can't imagine why. } 25. gxf4 { Only move possible. } 25... Qc2+ 26. Kh1 Rxd1 27. Rxd1 { Some trades. } 27... exf5 28. Qg5+ { Mate in three. } 28... Kh8 29. Qf6+ Kg8 30. Rg1+ Qg2+ 31. Rxg2# { Check Mate. Couldn't believeI had won. } 1-0

[Event "Fierce Queen shutting up?"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "15-Feb-18"] [Round "-"] [White "rama38"] [Black "fiercequeen"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "2059"] [TimeControl "3+10 blitz"] [WhiteElo "2090"] { Sometimes, chess works in mysterious ways. In this 3+10 blitz game, Imet a really strong opponent: so what can you do? Just the same as always,I decided... } 1. d4 d5 2. c4 Bf5 { my standard play, against any d4 opening... } 3. Nf3 e6 { always releasing Bf8, with eyes on square b4: possibly preparingan early c5... } 4. Nc3 Bb4 { an always useful pin... } 5. g3 { what can Isay? not what I would have played, but this bloke is way above me... } 5... Nf6 { at least preparing castling: we have no fear for Qa4+, Nc6, Ne5, Bxc3+... } 6. Bg2 Ne4 { why not? a free tempo in development for Black: Bb4 is winningin strength and also c5... } 7. O-O O-O { the position is fairly equal andbalanced here: best White can do, is work on development; in stead, heprefers a tricky trade in the center, to release more pieces... } 8. Nxe4 dxe4 9. Nd2 { not good: better Nh4; already, Black might consider Qxd4;I thought it was too early: after Nb3, things become unclear... } 9... Nc6 { bringinganother piece in the equation: safest seems e3, or maybe a3... } 10. Nxe4 { not sure, what to think of this: here is more in the balance for White,than just a pawn trade... } 10... Qxd4 { however, Black has no second thoughts... } 11. a3 { compensating for the threat Bxe4, Bxe4, Qxe4, losing a piece... } 11... Qxd1 12. Rxd1 Be7 { Black has changed the scenery into advantage: Whitestill has to wrap up development, while Black is in full attack mode... } 13. Bf4 { trying too hard, to finish development: safer was first b4 ; afterBf6, Rb1 or Nxf6+... } 13... e5 { simple: but yet very troublesome... } 14. Bd2 { considering Blacks' next move, better Be3... } 14... Nd4 { posing multiple threats: the most pregnant being Nxe2+, and then back to square d4; but there ismore... } 15. e3 { practically forced... } 15... Nb3 { much stronger, than Nc2: nodoubt... } 16. Ra2 { the final mistake: after Rb1, things would have beendifferent... } 16... Rad8 { suddenly, all is over: there is no way, to protectBd2, after Bxe4, so White will lose a piece; he didn't even take the courtesyto resign: he just left the board... } 0-1

[Event "Team match"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2021.04.14"] [Round "-"] [White "coldbrew3691"] [Black "atom842"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1498"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1605"] 1. e4 c5 2. Bc4 e6 3. Nf3 a6 4. c3 d5 5. exd5 exd5 6. Bb3 Nc6 7. O-O Be7 8. Re1 Nf6 9. h3 O-O 10. a4 h6 11. Bc2 b5 { I have reviewed the computeranalysis of this game and here is where it points to my first mistake.I should have moved d4 due to center control. This move instead allowedwhite to dominate the a file and, as you'll see, I pay for this move lateron. } 12. axb5 Na7 13. bxa6 Nc6 14. d4 c4 { Here I missed a chance to get6 for 5 with Rxa6. Looking back, of course I wish I had done that. Thatreally would have given me a better chance further into the game, but herewe are reviewing my mistakes instead. Two pawns down to a much higher ratedplayer is not an enviable position. } 15. Nbd2 Bxa6 16. Nf1 Re8 17. Ne5 Qd6 { This one stumps me a little. The computer wanted Nxe5 as the optimalmove, but from what I can see it's just... still bad, but not quite asbad? I guess that makes sense, but the nuance of that kind of positionis clearly not my strongest point. The analysis goes on for 16 moves inthis line for a slightly less bad position for black, leading me to believethat the chess engine is far, far more advanced than any human likely hasneed for, now or in the near future. } 18. f4 { A series of mistakes on bothsides follows that doesn't materially effect my play/position because Imake a lot of them... Also, I've experienced this before, but sometimesI get a kind of 'mistake blindness' where I just don't see the errors ahigher rated players makes while I'm in the game. Things that look obviousafter the fact are obscured by rating difference somehow. } 18... h5 19. Ng3 Ne4 20. Nf5 Qf6 21. Nxe7+ Rxe7 22. Bxe4 dxe4 23. Rxe4 Bb7 24. Rxa8+ Bxa8 25. Re1 Nxe5 26. Rxe5 Rxe5 27. dxe5 Qg6 { This one I understand. Qc6 was thebetter position due to lining up the Queen and bishop and then being ableto effectively press white's positions. Missed my last and best opportunityto really make up some material in this one. } 28. Qd8+ Kh7 29. Qxa8 Qb1 30. Kh2 Qxc1 31. Qe4+ g6 32. Qxc4 Qxb2 { It says I blundered here and gaveColdbrew mate in 14 moves. I'm not sure I've ever played anyone who canstring a game out 14 moves to mate from this position... The rest of thisgame is what the engine classifies as a series of blunders on both sides,but I'm not sure any commentary matters much past move 37 or so since Ithink the best it said I could expect was to be at -60 and surrounded bywhite's pawns. I resigned at 42 because I just didn't see how it was possibleto stop all of his pawns, so drawing it out seemed unsportsmanlike. I congratulatemy opponent and appreciate his and his team captain's willingness to matchme up with a much higher rated player. } 33. Qxf7+ Kh6 34. e6 Qxc3 35. e7 h4 36. Qxg6+ Kxg6 37. e8=Q+ Kh6 38. Qe6+ Kg7 39. Qg4+ Kf6 40. Qxh4+ Kf5 41. Qg4+ Ke4 42. f5+ 1-0

[Event "League division D1- It's not over till it's over"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009.07.30"] [Round "-"] [White "berka52"] [Black "rjacobs"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [BlackElo "1542"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1463"] 1. c4 { Here's a lucky escape which shows the value of not automaticallyresigning in the face of overwhelming odds. I owe some virtual flowersto my opponent. Hopefully this draw may save me from demotion from D1in the immediate future. White starts with the English Opening, a verysound one that suits a strategically minded player. } 1... Nf6 { I respond byaiming for a King's Indian structure. } 2. Nc3 e5 { and then remember thatI've seen some interesting wins for Black recently with this line, so varyfrom my normal practice. } 3. g3 g6 { and now revert to Plan A! } 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. Nf3 d6 6. O-O O-O 7. d3 c6 { to control d5, where I don't want White'sN or B to settle. } 8. Rb1 { Getting the R off the long diagonal and preparingto support a pawn advance, so I try to discourage that advance with mynext move. } 8... a5 9. a4 Nbd7 { This gets in the way of Black's QB, but, thisearly in the game, that piece has nowhere useful to go anyway. With thepawn on c6, the alternative was ...Na6, which I often play in similar positions,but it is not so attractive when the attacking opportunities from c5 arenot so obvious. In a closed Benoni, Black often plays ...Na6 followedby ...Nc7. Possibly that might have been a good choice here. } 10. Re1 { White prepares to support a central advance on the e-file. } 10... Ng4 { In turn,preparing to advance ...f5 and gesturing towards the newly weakened f2pawn. Unfortunately this turns out to be a wasted move. } 11. h3 Ngf6 { Thaalternative ...Nh6 might have been better, still allowing ...f5, indeedsupporting it, and leaving a good square fro the Nd7. I needn't worryabout 12. Bxh6 Bxh6, which increases the scope of Black's fianchettoedB. } 12. Bg5 h6 13. Bxf6 Nxf6 { An interesting position: Black has the advantageof the two bishops but it's a relatively closed position, so White hasthe advantage of the two knights. White is also better developed, withonly his Q on her starting position, whereas Black still has his QB andQR at home as well. Whose advantage will pay off? } 14. e3 Be6 15. b3 Qd7 { at last exploiting the weakness created by my premature 10. ...Ng4 andWhite's 11. h3 but White can easily defend it. } 16. Kh2 g5 { launching anattack against a well defended King. } 17. g4 { which White easily blocks. Now Black changes tack. Unable to advance the h-pawn immediately, becausethe g-pawn would be en prise, Black seeks to exploit the newly weakenedh2-b8 diagonal. } 17... Qc7 18. Kh1 { White sensibly gets off the weak diagonal. } 18... d5 { and now Black starts to open up the centre. I think I was confidentof gaining an advantage here. } 19. cxd5 cxd5 { revealing an attack on theundefended N on c3 } 20. Nb5 { which counter-attacks. White has good pressureon the Queenside. } 20... Qb8 { an ignominious retreat but I think I preferredto stay on the longish diagonal than remain on the exposed c-file or retreatto d7 once again or to the kingside, where she'd be pointing the wrongway for my plans. } 21. Rc1 { White seizes the open file with his Rook, soI immediately oppose it. Unfortunately for me, theis square naturallybelongs to the QR but my Q prevents it from getting there, so I have touse the KR, which really belongs kingside or, possibly, the d-file. } 21... Rc8 22. Rxc8+ Qxc8 23. Nxe5 { White picks off the loose pawn. Now White's knightsare really becoming a nuisance and his fianchettoed bishop is looking strongerwith every move. } 23... Nd7 { so I seek to swap off one of the knights } 24. Nxd7 Qxd7 { another Q move and still no improvement in Black's position. Infact, Black's pawns are a mess and he's one down } 25. e4 { White increaseshis control of the centre. Black is happy to swap off the weakling ond5. } 25... dxe4 26. Bxe4 Rd8 27. Qf3 { White gangs up on the weakling on b7, offeringup the pawn on b3 in exchange. } 27... Bd5 { I think I should have accepted theexchange of pawns as I would also have threatened the a-pawn as well. With this move I meekly give up the bishop pair and allow White to exchangedown while a pawn ahead. Not bright. } 28. Bxd5 Qxd5 29. Qxd5 Rxd5 30. Rd1 f5 31. f3 Kf7 32. Kg2 Ke6 { ?? a well-motivated blunder. The good motivewas centralising the King. The blunder is revealed by White's next move. I could have avoided this by the simple remedy of checking before I clickedthe Submit button. } 33. Nc7+ { How often do I walk into a knight fork? Too often... } 33... Kd6 34. Nxd5 Kxd5 { Objectively, Black is lost and couldresign now with a clear conscience but I decided to bluff it out for awhile. See if White would return the favour. } 35. Rc1 { The threat of Rc7looks devastating. } 35... fxg4 { but I decide to swap off my hanging pawn whileI can. Anything to be unpredictable. } 36. fxg4 Be5 37. Kf3 Kd4 38. Ke2 Bf4 39. Rc4+ Kd5 40. Kf3 Bd2 { I don't want to allow White to swap off thepieces when he would have two pawns extra and my King would be torn betweenthree fronts. better to keep the pieces on, even though the Rook is strongerthan my Bishop. } 41. Rc7 b6 42. Rh7 { another pawn is about to fall fornothing } 42... Bb4 43. Rxh6 Bc5 44. Rg6 { and another ... } 44... Kd4 45. Ke2 Kc3 { soI go after White's Queenside pawns } 46. Rxg5 Kxb3 47. h4 { White immediatelystarts the campaign to promote his remote pawns. } 47... Kxa4 { Hoping to somehowwin a race... } 48. h5 Bd4 49. Rd5 Bg7 50. g5 b5 51. Rd7 Be5 52. g6 b4 53. g7 { I have to sac the B for the pawn to prevent it queening. } 53... Bxg7 54. Rxg7 b3 { and now I'm ahead in the race! } 55. Rb7 Ka3 56. h6 { but Whitehas my pawn covered and can simply advance his pawn at will. } 56... b2 57. h7 Ka2 58. Rxb2+ Kxb2 59. h8=Q+ { Now my one remote hope is somehow to swindlestalemate. } 59... Kb3 60. Qc8 a4 { or perhaps promote the pawn! } 61. Qc4+ Ka3 62. Qc3+ Ka2 63. Kd2 a3 { Now White has to be careful to leave Black a squarefor his King... } 64. Kc1 { but he falls headlong into the trap, unless ofcourse he was just being charitable... Black has no legal moves but isnot in check, so it's Stalemate. } 1/2-1/2

[Event "fiercequeen having breakfast..."] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "1-aug-18"] [Round "-"] [White "fiercequeen"] [Black "miguel77777"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "UR"] [TimeControl "3+10 blitz..."] [WhiteElo "2059"] { every day, I start with beer, smokes, and my morning chess: this was atough, but willing opponent... } 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 { the Russian defense:I was not in the mood for Nxe5, Nxe4, Nxf7, Kxf7, Bc4+... } 3. Bc4 Nxe4 4. O-O d6 5. Re1 Nf6 6. d4 { this works way better... } 6... Be7 7. dxe5 dxe5 8. Nxe5 { the White Queen is covered: also pawn f7, is in dire straits... } 8... Qxd1 9. Rxd1 Be6 10. Bxe6 fxe6 11. Bg5 Nbd7 { putting the Knight up fortrading: after Nxd7, Nxd7, Bxe7, Kxe7, Black is slightly better... } 12. f4 { keeping pressure... } 12... Nd5 13. Bxe7 Kxe7 { Nxe7 is prohibited... } 14. c4 Nxe5 15. cxd5 { a nasty surprise... } 15... Ng6 16. dxe6 Nxf4 17. Rd7+ { theRook is in... } 17... Kxe6 18. Rxg7 Rhg8 19. Rxg8 Rxg8 20. g3 { in time... } 20... h5 21. Kf2 { unpin the King... } 21... Nd3+ 22. Ke3 Nxb2 23. Nc3 c6 24. Re1 Re8 { thewrong idea... } 25. Kf4+ Kd7 26. Rb1 Nd3+ 27. Kg5 Nc5 28. Rd1+ Kc7 29. h4 { after Kxh5, Rh8+... } 29... Rg8+ 30. Kxh5 Rxg3 31. Ne2 Ra3 32. Rd2 Ne4 33. Rc2 { from here on, Black has to reackon with a free h-pawn... } 33... b5 34. Kg6 Rh3 35. h5 Nd6 36. Nd4 { a new threat: pawn c6... } 36... Nc4 37. a4 a6 38. axb5 axb5 39. h6 Rg3+ 40. Kh5 Rh3+ 41. Kg5 Kd6 42. Nf5+ Ke5 43. Re2+ Kd5 44. Kf6 c5 45. Re7 { the pawn is loose... } 45... Rf3 46. h7 Ne3 { attacking Nf5... } 47. Re5+ { a tempo losing mistake... } 47... Kc6 48. h8=Q Nd5+ 49. Ke6 Nc7+ 50. Kf7 { out of reach... } 50... b4 { not paying attention... } 51. Qh1 { oops... } 51... b3 52. Qxf3+ Kb5 53. Qxb3+ Kc6 54. Re6+ Nxe6 55. Kxe6 { stronger, than Qxe6+: forobvious reasons... } 55... Kc7 56. Qc4 Kc8 57. Qxc5+ Kd8 58. Qf8+ { White has tolook out for stalemate: after Kc7, Qd6+, the Black King is cornered; theKnight will serve the mate: so Black resigned... } 1-0

[Event "Team match"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2013.01.07"] [Round "-"] [White "N.N."] [Black "tisamon"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1935"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1800"] 1. d4 Nf6 { Black develops the King's knight to deter e4 and indirectlycontest the center. } 2. c4 { Generally agreed to be the most assertive movefor White, c4 contests the vacant d5 from the wing and infers a plan todevelop the knight behind it to support a potential e4. } 2... e6 { Pushing thepawn out one square to resume control over d5 and freeing the King's bishop.The plan is to play either the Nimzo-Indian (3.Nc3) or transpose to theBenoni (3.Nf3 where the f-pawn is blocked - of course, the QID is alsopossible). } 3. a3 { ?! A somewhat dubious move. White is obviously anticipatingand looking to prevent the Bb4 pin, but this allows Black to equalise easily.Developing either knight was the stronger option. } 3... c5 { Punching back inthe center, asking White to decide upon a plan for his center. (A benoni-typeposition is still possible with 4.d5 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 but Black is gainingcontrol over the initiative, if 4.dxc5 then 4...Bxc4 and Black can be quitepleased with the position, and if 4.Nf3 then 4...cxd4 5.Nxd4 Nc6 and Blackcan still be content.) } 4. e3 { White instead opts to play e3 to open thebishop and reinforce the d-pawn, although with c5 already on the boardthe exchange will give up the central e-pawn. } 4... cxd4 { Exchanging the wingpawn to gain the stronger core center and the semi-open c-file to fightthrough. } 5. exd4 { The stronger way to gain back on material (If 5.Qxd4?then 5...Nc6 and Black is quite far ahead in development), but White'scentral pawn position is now potentially susceptible to exchange and isolationthrough a supported and well-timed d5 thrust. } 5... Be7 { We know the bishopis going here - it's the only square available (or that doesn't block acentral pawn advance), we're looking to castle kingside, and it's a decentsquare to 'support the support' (and if the Knight on f6 moves, can alwaysshift to f6 where it nicely controls the center and hits some weak pawns/squares). } 6. Nc3 { These next few moves are quite natural development - Nc3 to developthe Queen's knight to increase control in the center, castling, and Bd3to get the bishop to an open diagonal and allow for castling. } 6... O-O 7. Bd3 b6 { At this point, the d5 thrust was certainly viable but I felt no rushto play it and instead waited to first set up the queenside fianchettowith the bishop cutting down the open diagonal to the kingside. } 8. h3 { ?! I'm calling this one dubious as there were no threats prevented andno gains made that I can see - it only serves to delay finishing development.Nf3 was the best move. (8.Nf3 Bb7 9.O-O d5 10.cxd5 Nxd5) } 8... Bb7 9. Nf3 d5 { And now I felt the timing was right to begin the attack with the d5 thrust,expecting to isolate the pawn. } 10. O-O { White castles as it is imperitiveto get the King to safety when things are opening up. If instead 10.cxd5Nxd5, or if 10.c5 bxc5 11.dxc5 Bxc5/Nbd7 and possibly 12.b4 for nice complicationsfor both sides. } 10... dxc4 { The Queen's pawn has now been isolated to providea target to play against. I'm quite content with Black's position here- open c-file and semi-open d-file to the isolani for the rooks, the bishopscutting out through those open files, no major pawn weaknesses, and nomajor concession to the center. The Queen's knight is obviously not developed(yet), but there was no rush as it could operate effectively from a fewsquares in these types of positions - of course with an isolated pawn ond4, Nc6 will be best now. } 11. Bxc4 { White captures to even up material. } 11... Nc6 { Not where I normally like the play the knight with the queenside fianchetto,but the short term plan is to grab the open lines and load up on and winthe isolated pawn, which is pretty much already fixed by e6 (eg 12.d5 Na513.Bd3 Nxd5). } 12. Be3 { White develops his bishop to defend the pawn (currentlyat two attackers, three defenders). } 12... Rc8 { Grabbing the open file and creatingthe threat of a discovered attack on the (currently) hanging bishop. } 13. Bd3 { White retreats the bishop to a fairly strong square that can batteryup in front of a Queen on c2 hitting h7 in case the King's knight moves,however it cuts the communication with one of the isolani's defenders. } 13... Nd5 { Although this leaves the position open to the somewhat ugly looking14.Qc2 g6 15.Bh6 Re8, Nd5 results in a nicely centralised knight blockadingthe isolani (and hitting the supporting bishop) with a line for the darksquared bishop to attack it from f6. } 14. Nxd5 { Fortunately my opponentdecides to exchange which allows for continuation of pressuring d4. } 14... Qxd5 { Now, both the Queen and the rook will be able to attack the pawn (currentlyat two attackers and two defenders), and the rooks are connected, but onemust be wary as not many squares are safe for the Queen other than retreatdown the d-file. } 15. b4 { White pushes to gain some elbow room on the queenside,taking a5 as a possibility from Black's knight and perhaps intending afuture b5. } 15... Rfd8 { Continuing with the plan - the isolani now has threeattackers and two defenders. } 16. Be2 { White retreats the bishop to connectthe Queen to the pawn to rebalance the equation. } 16... Bf6 { And with Bf6 wehave tipped it in our favour as White has run out of defenders. } 17. Qa4 { White gives up on the pawn and instead looks to generate some counterplayagainst the a-pawn which will hang, but the Queen is unable to immediatelyfollow through (for example 17...Nxd4 18.Qxa7 Nxe2+ 19.Kh1 and the winningQxf3 which leads to mate or netting the white lady, a little further intothe exhange line with the isolani and she becomes trapped 17...Nxd4 18.Bxd4Bxd4 19.Qxa7 Ra8). } 17... Nxd4 { With the balance in our favour, we follow throughwith the attack and exchanges. Note how we get the nice Queen bishop batteryalong the a8-h1 diagonal. } 18. Bxd4 Bxd4 19. Rad1 { A nice move, takingup opposition on the open file and pinning Black's queen, however the Queenand Bishop are easily protected by the supported e5. } 19... e5 20. Nh4 { Whiterepositions the knight (while protecting the g2 mating threat from Queenand Bishop that he just opened - eg. 20.Nxd4 Qxg2#) but I'm not certainwhat he was planning here. } 20... Bc6 { Attacking the Queen - after 21.Qxa7 Rd722.Qa6 Ra8 23.Qc4 Qxc4 24.Bxc4 Rxa3 Black has successfully traded down. } 21. b5 { White however looks to counter with the pawn, however Black hasa powerful response... } 21... Qe4 { With Qe4 we accomplish quite a few things- we hit the hanging knight and the hanging bishop, but also with the threatof if 22.bxc6 then Bxf2+ opens an attack on and wins the hanging Queen. } 22. Bc4 { A nice move cutting the line between the Queens after the potentialBxf2+ } 22... Bd5 { So, we attack that blocked line with bishop and rook whileprotecting our threatened bishop (if Bxd5 then it re-opens). } 23. Nf3 { Whiteretreats the hanging knight to a stronger defensive post striking intothe center occupied by Black. } 23... Rxc4 { With two attackers on the bishop defendedonce by the Queen we win a piece and attack the Queen at the same time. } 24. Qxa7 { White gains back the pawn, creating potential threats along theback rank. } 24... Qg6 { With Qg6 we pin White's g-pawn threatening to win theKnight on f3, with a good bit of firepower bearing in on the King. } 25. Qe7 { The White Lady threatens the undefended rook, but with open linesand communication channels we mitigate the threat through Rdc8. Also possiblewas Ra8 threatening to win another pawn. } 25... Rdc8 26. Nh4 { White Knight againto h4, looking for to make the Queen dance. } 26... Qh5 { Ducking away and preventingthe Knight from going anywhere else (Knight to g6, f5, or f3 lose it). } 27. g4 { White weakens up the King's castle which is extremely dangerouswith two bishops bearing down upon it, looking to kick the Queen again. However, with Qh6 there is no follow through (eg. 28.g5 Qxh4 or 28.Nf5Qxh3). } 27... Qh6 { Additionally, on h6 we end up with three heavy pieces convergingon c1 which has only the two rooks in defense along the back. In addition,we have a check available with Bxf2+ as a potential move to draw out adefender. } 28. Rd3 { I suspect White was looking at a lift to enable therook to f3, but the game is now won for White with a pretty combination. } 28... Rc1 { Of course, quite a few threats exist on the board... for example: If 29.Rxc1 then Rxc1+ 30.Kh2 Qf4+ 31.Rg3 Rh1#. If 29.Rf3 then Bxf2+ 30.Kxf2Rxf1+ 31.Kxf1 Qc1+ 32.Kg2 Rc2+ 33.Kg3 Qe1+ 34.Rf2 Qxf2# } 29. Rdd1 { Whiteretreats back, hoping to dampen down the firepower, however with Bxf2+we effectively draw out the guard to win the exchange. } 29... Bxf2+ 30. Rxf2 Rxd1+ { And White resigned. Possible followups include 31.Rf1 Rxf1+ 32.Kxf1Qc1+ 33.Kf2 Qd2+ and then mate, or 31.Kh2 Rh1+ 32.Kg3 Rc3+ 33.Rf3 Qf4+and then mate. } 0-1

[Event "Tournament game, Zurich, 1959"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date ""] [Round "-"] [White "Bobby Fischer"] [Black "Paul Keres"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "GM"] [WhiteElo "GM"] { This was Fischer's first victory over a leading Soviet Grandmaster. Hewould have little success afterwards for about 10 years before finallymastering the Soviets in the early 1970's, culminating with his win overBoris Spassky to give him the world championship. } 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 { The Ruy Lopez, probably the most deeply analyzed opening in chess.Some published variations go for more than 40 moves of 'opening' analysis! } 3... a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 { The Closed Variation, leading to a slower, morepositional game. 5...NxP, the Open Variation, can get tactical very quickly. } 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. c3 d6 { All by the book. } 9. h3 { Preventing thepin on the KN. } 9... Na5 10. Bc2 c5 11. d4 Qc7 12. Nbd2 { Black will play fora Q-side advantage, while White's play evidently lies on the K-side. } 12... cxd4 13. cxd4 { For the moment, Black controls the open QB file. } 13... Bb7 14. Nf1 Rac8 { Forming a battery on the open file. } 15. Bd3 Nc6 { 15...N-Q2 is adrawish alternative. } 16. Ne3 Rfe8 17. Nf5 { 17 P-Q5 would have a crampingeffect. } 17... Bf8 18. Bg5 Nd7 19. Rc1 { Pinning... } 19... Qb8 { ...and unpinning. } 20. Bb1 Nxd4 21. N3xd4 Rxc1 22. Bxc1 exd4 { A tactical burst that leaves Keresa Pawn up for the moment but with doubled, isolated QP's. } 23. Nh6+ { Fischercounters with gusto. } 23... gxh6 24. Qg4+ Kh8 25. Qxd7 { Now Keres' Pawn plusis virtually nullified by his horrible Pawn structure. He has TWO setsof doubled, isolated Pawns. } 25... Bd5 26. Qf5 Re5 { Keres tries to drive offFischer's attack. } 27. Qf3 f5 28. Bf4 { Counterthrust! } 28... Re8 29. Qh5 Bxe4 30. f3 { Driving the Bishop. } 30... Bc6 31. Rc1 Bd7 32. Bxh6 { Winning back a Pawn. } 32... Re6 33. Bxf8 Qxf8 { More wood vanishes from the board. } 34. Qh4 Qf6 35. Qxf6+ Rxf6 { The Queens vanish, and the endgame begins in earnest. Keresis still up a Pawn, but his Pawns are very weak. } 36. Kf2 { An alternativechoice was 36 R-B7 R-B2 37 R-R7, attacking Keres' Pawns from the rear. } 36... Kg7 37. Rc7 Rf7 38. Ke2 { Trying to centralize the King. } 38... f4 39. Ra7 Kf6 40. Rxa6 { Equalizing the material. } 40... Re7+ 41. Kf2 Be6 42. Rxd6 Ke5 { Kerestries to use his passed QP to generate a counterattack. } 43. Rc6 Bd5 44. Rh6 Rc7 { Trying to invade via the QB file. } 45. Rh5+ Kd6 46. Rh6+ Ke5 47. Rh5+ Kd6 { Down a Pawn, Keres tries to lure Fischer into drawing by threefoldrepetition. } 48. Rf5 { 48 P-QN3 would severely restrict Black's Bishop. } 48... Rc1 49. Bd3 Rd1 { Keres has penetrated and now tries aggressively to forcethe issue. } 50. Ke2 Rg1 51. Kf2 Rd1 52. Ke2 Rg1 { Again trying to get adraw by threefold repetition. } 53. Rg5 Bxa2 { Material is again even... } 54. Bxb5 { ...momentarily. } 54... Rb1 55. Kd3 h6 { 55...RxP would make it verydifficult for Fischer to produce a win. } 56. Rh5 Rxb2 57. Kxd4 Rxg2 58. Rxh6+ { Even if Fischer wins Keres' last Pawn, the ending is drawn if theBishops are exchanged. If the Rooks are exchanged and Keres can reach KB3for a King blockade, the ending is also a draw [White's B is the wrongcolor to Queen the KRP.] } 58... Ke7 59. Ke4 Rg5 60. Ba6 { A mistake. 60...B-N8ch draws for Keres. } 60... Bf7 { Another mistake! Now Fischer retains winningchances. } 61. Bc8 Rg6 62. Rh7 Kf8 63. Bg4 Rg7 { Trying to trap Fischer intoexchanging Rooks, which would enable Keres to set up a drawing fortress. } 64. Rh6 Rg6 { Now, however, Fischer can prevent the blockade after the exchange. } 65. Rxg6 Bxg6+ 66. Kxf4 Kg7 67. Kg5 { The critical move. Fischer's Kingblocks access to the square Keres needs to reach to successfully draw. } 67... Bd3 68. f4 Be4 69. h4 Bd3 70. h5 Be4 { Keres is trying to prevent the advanceof the White KBP. } 71. h6+ Kh8 72. Bf5 { Blocking the B from the criticaldiagonal. Obviously Keres cannot trade, as Fischer would easily win theensuing King and Pawn ending. } 72... Bd5 73. Bg6 Be6 { Occupying another diagonalto block the BP. } 74. Kf6 Bc4 75. Kg5 Be6 76. Bh5 { Fischer tries to driveoff Keres' obstructing Bishop. If his P can reach KB6 the game is won. } 76... Kh7 77. Bg4 Bc4 78. f5 Bf7 { A last-ditch attempt. } 79. Bh5 Bc4 80. Bg6+ Kg8 81. f6 { Keres resigns. With his King confined to the back row, Fischerwill simply use the black squares to move his own King to K7, supportingthe KBP and enabling it to Queen after driving the black Bishop. } 1-0

[Event "Passive play prevents primary player prevailing"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "22-Jan-07"] [Round "-"] [White "watusi"] [Black "anotherminorpawn"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1613"] [TimeControl "5 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1734"] { I played black and should have lost this game, but managed to come backdespite a material disadvantage due to white's passive midgame play. Areview of this game should show the dangers of underestimating an opponentby playing weakly. Please feel free to message me if you have comments,questions, or find any mistakes. } 1. c4 { The English opening is very flexibleand often transposes into other openings. It was named for the unofficialEnglish world champion, Howard Staunton, who played it during a match in1843. } 1... e5 { 1...e5 often leads to a transposed Sicilean defense, in whichwhite has an extra tempo. } 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. e3 { Prepares for a d pawn pushto d4. } 3... c5 { Prevents d4. } 4. g3 { Opens the long diagonal for the bishop. This weakens the kingside castle slightly and seems unnecessary sincethe bishop can be developed via e2. Edit: sicilian_monster pointed outthat g3 followed by Bg2 is strong because of the fianchettoed bishop, especiallysince black has already played c5, weakening his queenside. He furthercommented that it should be met by d5 because of the advanced e pawn andweak d3 square. } 4... Nc6 5. Bg2 { The fianchettoed bishop puts a lot of pressureon black's queenside and controls the critical central squares e4 and d5. } 5... Be7 { Preparing to castle. } 6. Nge2 { This may be what White had in mindwhen he played 4. g3. If white had played Nf3, then e4 would have forcedthe knight to move again, though supporting the pawn with d5 or f5 wouldbe problematic. The knight supports a d4 push if White were interestedin clearing the center and opening the game. } 6... O-O 7. b3 { Perparing forBb2, fianchettoing the 2nd bishop. } 7... d6 8. h3 Be6 { The d5 square is weakdue to black's advanced c and e pawns. Black is forced to defend it withpieces rather than pawns. I played this move thinking to prevent Nd5,but realized a move later that it encourages white to occupy it since Nxd5,cxd5 forks black's knight and bishop. Bf5 is better. } 9. Nd5 { The centralizedknight is strong and puts pressure on most of black's central structure. } 9... Rb8 { I had originally planned to play Qd7 further pressuring h3 and preventingwhite from castling. After Nd5, I decided against it but believe it wouldhave been the better move since it would have protected both b7 and c6. Rb8 supports the b pawn, which I had planned to advance, and removed therook from the long diagonal. } 10. a3 b5 { ? (Bad move) The push I was thinkingof, overlooking the fact that my c6 knight is unprotected and that Nxf6 forces a reply. } 11. Nxf6+ { ! (good move) } 11... Bxf6 12. Bxc6 bxc4 { Once Ilose material, I feel I need to resolve things quickly, before my opponentcan bring his extra material to bare or we simplify to a lost endgame. This opens the b file and prevents Bb2 without preparation. } 13. bxc4 e4 { Threatening Bxa1 and wishing for something like 14. Ra2 Bxc4 15. Bxc4and winning some material back. } 14. Nc3 { My opponent was too canny togive up a rook so easily. } 14... Bxc4 { ! (Good move) This was played to preventcastling. I hold the a6-f1 diagonal for most of the midgame, imprisoningwhite's rook in the corner. } 15. Rb1 Rxb1 { I would prefer not to trade,but didn't want to surrender the b file either. Besides, this forced whiteto use tempo redeveloping his knight and gave me time to defend my advancede pawn. } 16. Nxb1 d5 17. Nc3 a6 { Prevents Bb5. } 18. Ne2 { Preparing to castle. } 18... h5 { Attacks the castled position. I was a little afraid of opening theg file, but thought my dark bishop would adaquately protect me. } 19. Qc2 { Giving up on castling since the white king is all that protects white'sknight. Preparing for Bb2, finally developing his remaining pieces. } 19... h4 20. g4 { ?! (Dubious) gxh4 would have opened the g file for counterplay,which would have been dangerous for Black after Rg1 and Bb2; however, thisalso prevented Black from invading on the kingside. } 20... Be5 { Preparing toadvance the f pawn and half open the f file for my rook. } 21. Bb2 f6 { Withthe option for a trade, I decided that opening the f file while strengtheningmy pawn center was much better. This also prevented counterplay on theg file. } 22. Bxe5 { White commented that he traded because he felt my bishopwas stronger than his. } 22... fxe5 23. Ba4 { Avoiding the threat of 23. Qf6, forkingthe bishop and f pawn. } 23... Qf6 { I spent a lot of time studying the next fewpositions, but still unsure if I had anything better. } 24. Rh2 { Strongerthan Rf1, which would have abandoned the h pawn to Qf3, Qd1 Qxh3. } 24... Rb8 { Controlling the b file and preparing for Bd3 followed by Rb1. 24...Qf325. Qd1 Rb8 may be slightly stronger, but it also fails to Nc3. } 25. Nc3 { ! (Good move) } 25... Kh8 { I was afraid of 26. Nxe4 dxe4 27. Qxc4 , taking initiativeand destroying my pawn center. Bd3!? was considered, but was delayed dueto the possibility of 26. Nxd5 Qf3 (Bxc2? 27. Nxf6 Rf6 28. Bxc2, losingtwo pawns.) 27. Nd7 . There were far too many checks available with myking on g8. Looking back now, I don't think White could have sustainedthe checks and after an eventual white move of Bd1, Rb1 should have sealedthe game. } 26. Nxe4 { Exactly what I feared, without the fatal check. Qf3goes no where after 27. Nc3, when I'm a pawn down for nothing. } 26... dxe4 27. Qxc4 Rb1+ 28. Bd1 { Not Ke2 Qf3#. } 28... Qf3 29. Qe2 { I expected 29. Qc2 Ra1 30.d3, but think this is stronger. } 29... c4 { Preventing an eventual d3, allowingthe trade since exf3 with trap the white king. } 30. Qxf3 exf3 31. Rh1 { ??(Blunder) g5 was required to allow white to escape the prison. This beginsa series of passive moves that allow black to centralize his king and retaincontrol of the game. } 31... g5 { ! (Good move) White is almost completely trapped. The only play he really has at this point is 32. d4 (or d3) c3! preventsthe king from moving and seems to lead to a draw, which black should behappy with. 32...dxc3? 33. Kd2 e4 34. Kc3 Kg7 wins for white. } 32. Rg1 Kg7 { e4 is better, though at the time I thought I needed to centralizemy king immediately. } 33. e4 Kf6 34. Rf1 Ke6 35. Rh1 Kd6 36. Rf1 Ra1 { Lookingfor anything other than a draw. } 37. Rg1 Kc5 { ?! (Dubious) This allowswhite to play d4 and finally escape. Prior to this, I was about to offera draw, but was still trying to see if I could force something. } 38. d4+ Kxd4 { After a lot of thought, I decided to capture with my king. Thatprevents white from gaining a passed e pawn, which would require babysitting. The paired passed pawns of mine would be a huge threat, but I couldn'tfind a way to force the two pawns through. Edit: emf817 pointed out thatcxd3ep is an excellent play: 39. Kd2 Kd4 40. Rh1 (Re1? Ra2 41. Kc1 d2 queens) Ra2 41. Ke1 Kxe4 and black has a protected passed pawn while whiteremains trapped. A few moves earlier, I was set on the c pawn blockingd2 before pushing on for a queen, then didn't reconsider it when needed. } 39. Kd2 c3+ 40. Kc2 Kc4 { Prevents White from escaping to cause mischief. Edit: sicilian_monster pointed out this is a horrible mistake becauseof the possibility of 41. Be2 . } 41. Re1 { Rh1 followed by Bxf3 is probablystronger. Edit: sicilian_monster pointed out that Be2 !!, winning black'srook (and the game), is the best move here. 41. Be2 fxe2 42. Rxa1 a543. Re1, etc. } 41... Ra2+ { Rxa3 42. Bxf3 Ra2 43. Kc1 Rxf2 might be interestingbecause it frees my a pawn, but would allow white more counterplay. } 42. Kb1 { ? (Bad move) Kc1 is better as this allows me to capture his c pawnand defend mine with check. 42...Rxf2 43. Re3 a5 44. Rxf3 Rxf3 45. Bxf3Kb3 and the game seems drawn. } 42... Rxf2 43. Re3 Rb2+ 44. Kc1 f2 45. Rf3 { Threatening46. Bc2 followed by Rxf2. } 45... Rd2 46. Bc2 Kd4 { White has no useful moves atthis point and is almost at zugzwang, German for 'compelled to move', atwhich point any possible moves loses. After 47. a4 a5, he's forced toabandon protection of his e3 or e4, either losing his pawn or allowingthe black king to penetrate. 48. Rf8 Ke3 49. Rf5 Rxc2 (Re2 50. Bd1 Rd2(Re1? 51. Rf3 loses black's f pawn) 51. Bc2) 50. Kxc2 Ke2 51. Kxc3 f1=Q52. Rxf1 Kxf1 53. Kc4 Kg2 and white's h pawn queens first. } 47. Bd1 { ?(Bad move). White doesn't have many options at this point, but abandoningdefense of the e pawn is one of the quickest ways to lose. } 47... Kxe4 48. a4 a5 { Black probably doesn't need to worry about his a pawn at this point,but it seemed wise to move it off of white, to prevent capture by white'sbishop if things went wrong. } 49. Rf5 Kd4 { 0-1 White resigned at thispoint, as black can push his e pawn and should be able to queen one orthe other. Please feel free to message me if you have comments, questions,or find any mistakes. } 0-1

[Event "Sicillian Scheveningen OTB"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date ""] [Round "-"] [White ""] [Black ""] [Result "0-1"] { OTB tournament game. } 1. e4 c5 2. d4 { Small departure from the more common2.Nf3 } 2... cxd4 3. Nf3 d6 4. Nxd4 Nf6 { Both players transpose to very familiarposition. One name is the Moscow variation } 5. Nc3 a6 6. Nf3 { Not vitalto return to knight to f3. White losing tempi by moving the same Knightso often. } 6... Nc6 7. Be2 e6 { Black prepares Be7 and with the two central pawnshas the flexibility of moving to d5 or e5 later } 8. Bg5 Be7 9. O-O O-O 10. a3 b5 11. Bd3 Qc7 { Both players continue to develop but again Whitemoves t.he same piece } 12. h3 Bb7 13. Qd2 Rfe8 { White was eyeing Bh6, whileBlack moved Rfe8 to take away the target and protect Be7. } 14. Nh2 { Whitewanted to place his Knight on g5, then advance f-pawn } 14... Ne5 15. Bxf6 Bxf6 16. f4 Qc5+ { Black took some time over 14...Ne5 as he also considered d5.He said he knew f4 pawn move was coming after the Ke5 so the next choicewas where to put the Queen for a check. Check to drive King away from defenceof Rf1. He said he chose the bolder Qc5 rather than Qb6, just to improveBlack's presence in the center. } 17. Kh1 Nd7 { 17.Ned7?? wrong move. Capturingthe strong bishop on d3 is a no brainer. Black said he wanted to land theKnight on the weak g3 square. But with this move Black is giving back allthe advantage he gained and the Queen looks misplaced on c5. A protectedRook on f5 looks juicy. } 18. Nf3 d5 { With this move Black wanted to shakethings up in the center. } 19. e5 Be7 20. Ne2 f6 { White starts to move hispieces to the Kingside. Black weakens his pawn structure to deal with thepressure. } 21. b4 Qb6 { Again, where to put the Queen. It's looking aftera weak pawn,it's not the job for a Queen. } 22. c3 fxe5 23. fxe5 Rf8 24. Ned4 Rf7 25. Qc2 g6 { Black is running out of squares and the slow build-upis undermining his defence } 26. Rf2 Raf8 27. Raf1 Rf4 { Black is lookingat the f2 Rook to attack if his bishop goes to h4. White attack is slowin coming maybe a few equal exchanges will take the sting out of it. } 28. Qd2 Bc8 29. Qe1 Nb8 30. g3 { While White was fooling about with the Queen,offering no immediate threats. Black contorts his pieces to protect andget them into a better attacking position. Bishop can take over from Queen,who intended to head for d8 to link with both Be7 and Rook. } 30... R4f7 31. Qd2 Nc6 { calm before the storm } 32. Nxc6 { White felt he could attack with tempoif when moving the Nf3 in front of the doubled rooks. But it didn't gothe way he was expecting. } 32... Qxc6 33. Nd4 { just to pause again, White expectedthe Black Queen to move. } 33... Rxf2 34. Rxf2 Rxf2 35. Qxf2 Qxc3 { Black is hastaken an advantage, with alot less pieces on the board. } 36. Bf1 Qxa3 37. Nc6 Bxb4 38. Nd4 Bc5 { White is helping Black at the minute. Both playersconscious of the time. But White stopped thinking in the last few moves. } 39. Kh2 Qa1 { Black considered Qc3 and Qa1 because there the Knight canmove and attack Queen but with a1 and c3 if 1. Knight moves Bxf2 2. Nxc3(or Nxa1) Be4 and has won another pawn with tempo. It's still a trickyendgame in time trouble, to Queen a pawn. But with two Bishops every squarecan be covered. In the post mortem it was pointed out Qa4 was out of dangerof the Knight but Black wanted the Queen in a dominant position and a darksquare meant less thinking time worrying about White's Bishop. } 40. Qf6 Qxd4 { White is on the precipice. } 41. Qd8+ Kg7 42. Qf6+ { Black took abit of time on this, to check there was no substantive mating threat fromKh6. The dual-purpose move h4 was been considered by White. } 42... Kh6 43. Qh4+ { White decided to on the Queen exchange. } 43... Qxh4 44. gxh4 b4 45. Bd3 a5 46. Bc2 Bd7 47. Kg2 a4 48. Kf3 b3 49. Bb1 a3 { Here White resigned } 0-1

[Event "Zugzwang in the Middlegame"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009.07.23"] [Round "-"] [White "nyctalop"] [Black "wildpops1000"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1336"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1642"] 1. d4 { This game features a rare form of zugzwang, with plenty of pieceson the board, black is having difficulties finding moves. } 1... Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 { Not avoiding the Nimzovich. } 3... Bb4 4. Qc2 O-O 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. Qxc3 b6 7. Bg5 d5 { Not really popular and for good reasons. It blocks the b7bishop and creates a backward pawn on the c-file. } 8. cxd5 exd5 9. e3 c6 10. Nf3 Bb7 { Black is already having problems defending the c-pawn. } 11. Ne5 h6 12. Bxf6 Qxf6 13. Rc1 Rc8 14. b4 { Not allowing the freeing movec5. } 14... Rc7 15. Bb5 { Using the newly created pin, the white bishop developsat the best possible square. } 15... a6 16. Ba4 b5 { Dooming the c6 pawn. } 17. Bb3 Qe7 { Preparing to evict the Knight from e5. } 18. O-O Qd6 19. Rc2 { Gangingup on the c-file. Very crude play but effective in the given position. } 19... a5 { A nice move to create counterplay and free the Ra8. } 20. Rfc1 { Consistentwith the formulated plan. } 20... Na6 { Putting pressure on b4 and at the sametime developing the Knight from b8 at move 20. } 21. Nd3 { Not releasingtension. This is another point why the development of the Bishop to b5and subsequent rerouting to b3 was better than the natural d3, this squareis needed for the Knight. } 21... a4 { A big mistake. After this move, Black won'tbe able to generate any counterplay at all. } 22. Ba2 { Getting ready toaim at h7. } 22... Kh7 { Very politely moving in the line of White's planned diagonal. } 23. Bb1 g6 { Black doesn't dare to move the Knight from a6 in fear of Nc5.Also he was trying to obstruct the b1-h7 diagonal. } 24. Qb2 { Preparinga double battery, the c-file and b1-h7 diagonal. } 24... f6 { Preventing Ne5, butfurther weakening the diagonal. } 25. Rc3 f5 { Black now sees that g6 wouldcome under fire, so he plays another kingside pawn to prevent this. Butnow Ne5 is again possible. } 26. Ne5 Nb8 { Going to d7 to exchange the WhiteKnight. } 27. Qc2 { Finally, White's desired setup is complete. Every pieceis optimally placed, as opposed to Black's huddled in a corner. } 27... Rg7 { Tryingto defend g6, but removing a defender from c6. } 28. h4 { This is both anattacking and a defensive move. It makes sure there won't be any bank-rankmates and plans to dismantle the pawn defenders on the b1-h7 diagonal. } 28... Nd7 { Black can't contain himself anymore. The Knight on e5 was alreadythreatening to sacrifice itself at g6 so he chose the exchange it at thecost of a pawn. } 29. Nxc6 { Finally the weakling at c6 has fallen. } 29... Bxc6 30. Rxc6 Qe7 31. Rxg6 { Now the Rook gets the opportunity to clobber thekingside pawns. } 31... Rxg6 32. Qxf5 { A deadly pin. White's double battery hasproven its worth. } 32... Ra6 33. h5 { A nice touch to White's 28th move. } 33... Nf8 34. hxg6+ Nxg6 35. Qxd5 { The Queen is removing the Black infantry withno resistance. } 35... Qg7 { Over protecting the Knight in order to remove thepin. } 36. Qxb5 { Capturing another pawn with tempo. } 36... Rf6 37. Rc6 { Exchangingeverything now that White has amassed an army of foot soldiers. } 37... Rxc6 38. Qxc6 { Black resigned here since there was nothing he could do after theforced exchanges to prevent the b-pawn from Queening. } 1-0

[Event "Team match"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2012.12.13"] [Round "-"] [White "quintilianor"] [Black "myevilluck"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "2047"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1941"] 1. d4 { Weirdly enough I play 1. e4 all the time, but if you asked me whatI'd want to play black against; it is 1. d4. } 1... Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 e5 { The classical Kings Indian defense. A gamewith lots of tactics and strategy. For a first timers glance it doesn'tseem that strong for black, but these lines are as sharp as they come. } 7. O-O Nc6 8. d5 Ne7 { The idea of this position is that the center iscompletely blocked off, so advances are more heavy on each wing of theboard. But don't twist it into something it's not. Black's main goal isgetting to the weak square d4, but that is a very long plan that takestime. In the meantime he'll settle for attacking on the kingside. } 9. b4 { The Bayonet attack. A nice queenside threat, with the option of movingc4-c5 to disrupt black. Some people prefer blacks next move to be 9. ...a5 to prevent it from ever happening, but I'm not one of those people. } 9... Nh5 { Allowing my f-pawn to advance and go along with the King's Indianplan of attacking kingside. } 10. Re1 f5 11. Ng5 { A good spot for the knight.Threatening to go to e6 and clogging up black just a bit. Still, in themainline of the Bayonet attack. } 11... Nf4 { I know 11. Nf6 is a better move,and I'd recommend anyone who sees this plays it instead of 11. Nf4, butI'd never really tried this move and wanted to see why it was worse. } 12. Bxf4 exf4 { White has created a doubled up pawn, and has made it very easyto obtain, if he chooses. However I said before d4 is what we are playingfor to achieve, so now we have a bishop on it, and our opponent has noDSB to challenge it now. } 13. Rc1 { Protecting the unprotected knight. } 13... Bh6 { This move is a little strange, and I only made it because I wantedto see, if I could sucker him into 14. h4 and exposing his kingside a littlerather than just moving the knight back to f6. Also, this showed me, ifhe played this opening enough to know the d4 spot is my main intentioneven though I took my only piece on it, off it. } 14. h4 { Isn't it nicewhen luck is on your side? } 14... a5 15. a3 Bg7 { Putting my eye back on my maingoal. } 16. Bf3 { I guess he really likes that knight on g5. I really haveno idea what he was trying to accomplish with this other than overprotectinge4. } 16... Be5 { I didn't want his e-pawn to advance at any point, so I blockedit and at the same time am guarding my weak pawn. } 17. Ne6 { I don't reallylike this move, but I guess he was concerned with me attacking his knight.All this really did in my mind was weaken his center. } 17... Bxe6 18. dxe6 Nc6 { Two pieces now on d4. My goals are finally starting to come together.Also, this move attacks that lonely h4 pawn. } 19. exf5 { Trying to cut intomy kingside. } 19... Qxh4 { I decided in the spirit of the KID that I'd counter-attackrather than worry. Taking advantage of the weak h-file, does this meanmy development is finally complete and we are almost in a middle game whenhe moves his queen? } 20. Qd5 { A huge blunder and oversight of the strengthof what I have. Yes he is thinking of a discover check, but it really amountsto nothing and lets me keep my kingside intact. Way better was fxg6. } 20... Rxf5 { Free pieces are always nice. } 21. Qe4 Bd4 { Finally I achieved where Iwanted to be, and I'm already threatening a checkmate. Also, at this pointI saw a winning tactic. } 22. Rf1 { Guarding against the threat. } 22... Re5 { Puttingmy rook in a better position on a basically open file, but mainly apartof my tactical idea. } 23. Qb1 { This was the worst place for the queen andmade my life a little easier. } 23... Ne7 24. Nd5 Nf5 { Threatening Ng3. I guessmy opponent didn't want to watch all the cool things about to happen becausehe knew he was going to have to let go of some pieces to save it. } 0-1

[Event "A Brief Game"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2012.12.16"] [Round "-"] [White "hscer"] [Black "Black"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1372"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1200"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e3 e5 { Black does not fall for the famous trap 3...b54. a4 c6 5. axb5 cxb5 6. Qf3 winning a piece. } 4. Bxc4 Bb4+ 5. Nc3 Bxc3+ { This is unnecessary until White plays a3, if he does at all, and eventhen Black should consider keeping two bishops for the time being. } 6. bxc3 exd4 { This pawn exchange is inadvisable as it effectively concedescontrol of the center to White. Perhaps 6...Nd7 was better. } 7. cxd4 { Blackhas done everything White can hope for out of the opening, giving him twocentral pawns vs. zero, the two bishops, and a slight lead in development. } 7... Qd6 { Threatens Qb4+ but loses a pawn. Black should have considered 7...Nf6 } 8. Qb3 { Hitting b7 and f7. On a second look I suppose Black can play 8...Nh6, but either way, he's disadvantaged himself with 7... Qd6. } 8... Be6 9. Bxe6 Qxe6 10. Qxb7 Qc6 { Even down a pawn, Black has to offer the exchangeof queens to avoid losing the rook. } 11. Qc8+ { Exchanging queens wins,of course, but more slowly. This move gives Black a lot of ways to go wrong,which he does. } 11... Ke7 { Only legal move. } 12. Ba3+ Kf6 { Only move that doesn'tlose the queen. [Edited thanks to comment from haile1996] } 13. Qd8+ Kg6 { The wrong square--Ke6 is probably best--as 14. Nf3 is now a double threat(Nxe5+ and Qg5#). Even if the king went to e6, 14. Nf3 Qc3+ 15. Ke2 Qxa3is bad for Black due to 16. d5+ Kf5 17. Qg5+ Ke4 18. Qe5# } 14. Nf3 Qf6 { 14...f6 stops both threats. This move technically does as well, but stillallows the Knight check on e5. 14...f6 also has the benefit of threateningto trap the White Queen with 15...Nd7. Had it been played, White's Queenprobably has to immediately plot an escape via f8. } 15. Ne5+ Kf5 { Againthe wrong square for the king. 15...Kh5 (16. g4+ Kh6) was the only movethat survives for any length of time. If 15...Kh6 then 16. Ng4+ and if15...Kg5 then 16. h4+ Kh5 17. g4+ Kh6 18. g5+. As it is, Black is now freshout of chances. } 16. g4+ Ke4 { If 16... Kg5 then 17. h4+ Kh6 18. g5+ andif 16...Ke6 then 17. d5+ Kxe5 18. Bb2+ } 17. f3+ Kxe3 { The only other legalmove is 17...Qxf3. } 18. Bc1# { The bishop did some efficient work in thisgame. If there are lessons here, I would say: remember the importance ofdevelopment (ending a game with rooks on their original squares is onething, but Black never even moved a knight), avoid cheap tricks that don'timprove your position (such as Black's 7...Qd6), and always have a goodreason when exchanging (Black's 5th and 6th moves were more helpful forWhite than Black). } 1-0

[Event "Just another Dragon"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "23-Jul-08"] [Round "-"] [White "metalhead"] [Black "moppa"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1774"] [TimeControl "5 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1788"] 1. e4 { I've seen a couple annotated Dragons lately. Here's one I playedrecently. I think this game is quite interesting in terms of positionalcompensation and piece activity against material. } 1... c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 { A little thoughts about the Dragon; Some peopleseem to think that it's not sound against best play unlike some other openings,but I think it's perfectly playable at all levels of chess. I agree thatWhite's plan is easier to adopt than blacks, but it makes no differenceof the objective assesment of the opening. I do think that the openingis rather one-sided, and I'm going to take some other openings against1.e4 on my repertoire aswell. I've had bad score against the Scheveningen,so maybe I should experiment that line. } 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 { Yugoslav Attack.The most aggressive and probably the most critical test of black resources.White strenghtens his center, preparing to castle long, advance his h-pawnand checkmate down the h-file. Some games are this simple, actually. } 7... O-O 8. Qd2 Nc6 { I like to think that this knight's job is to force White makesome sort of concessions at the queenside. Whether it is to give up theuseful light-squared bishop (and so weaken the light squares) or to distrupthe pawn formation or something else, something for black to attack. } 9. Bc4 { The most agressive variation. The pin on the f7-pawn might turn usefulif white plays h4-h5xg6, because black would like to answer fxg6 keepingthe h-file closed and to clear escape route for the king. It also defendsthe queenside lightsquares and prevents the move d5. However, the minusside of this bishop move is linked with loss of time. It is forced to moveto b3 and many times equally forced to trade itself to a knight landingon c4. Thus some players prefer 9.0-0-0 d5 but it it mostly matter of taste. } 9... Bd7 { Making room for rook to come to f8. The bishop is not very happy onthis square, but there is no better square right now. } 10. O-O-O Rc8 { Ideallyblack would like the other rook to come to f8, but there is no fully acceptablesquare for the queen right now. There is a notoriously sharp variation10...Qa5 but the modern theory seems to dislike this move. } 11. Bb3 { Acommon theme - there is no immediate threat against the bishop, but hewill have to retreat it sooner or later so white mantains maximum flexibilitywith the text. } 11... Ne5 { On a way to c4 to weaken the queenside - altough insome variations the knight stays at e5, controlling important central squares.That is not so common though. } 12. h4 { White starts the thematic h-pawnhack } 12... h5 { A big decision for black. I played this move at the first timein this game, mostly because I've had more problems breaking this formationas white than those where black allows the move h5. It's a little suspiciousto play at the side of board where your opponent is stronger though... I remember that I once read John Nunn writing something like that thereare two ways to play the Dragon (or was it about all positions with opposite-sidecastling...) , the safe and the attacking way. The other is to use minimumamount of preventive moves on the side you are defending and use everypossible tempo to attack on the other side - and this is the safe way!The other way is to completely ingore the opposite attack and trust thatyou are the one qho checkmates faster. It seems that black is now playingthe 'safe' way. } 13. Bg5 { Aggressive, once again. Now white is ready toremove the f6-knight and he is not forced to trade the LSB for black knight. } 13... Rc5 { Black immediately exploits the square white has left without control.Sergei Karjakin once wrote on his blog something like: It's easy to winwith the Dragon. Just move your rook to c5, sacrifice it to anything thatcomes to the fifth rank, pick up pawn(s) and win the endgame. Sometimesthings may be that simple... } 14. g4 { It looks like black is getting blownof the board! However, it is not so easy. Good bless the open c-file blackobtained at move 4. White have to work for those! } 14... hxg4 { I think this isthe best move, altough black wouldn't like to play at the kingside. Ifthe pawn is left at g4, it might somewhat cramp White's attack. } 15. f4 { Preparing to blast trough the kingside. Note that White doesn't reallywin tempo because it merely forces black to make a move he wanted to doanyway. } 15... Nc4 16. Qe2 { No reason to give up the LSB, not yet. } 16... Qc8 { Theknight must be defended, but there are other purposes too. Obviously blacklikes to increase firepower on the f-file, and at c8, unlike at the naturalsquare c7, the queen lends support to the g4-pawn too. } 17. f5 { Thematic.Now black sees no reason to react, so he tries to force White to wastesome time on the queenside. } 17... Nxb2 { This looks like a pseudo sacrifice,but it all boils down to a familiar Dragon exchange sacrifice. } 18. Kxb2 { Now here a move like 18.fxg6 must never be forgotten. After 18...Nxd1white can deliver check with pawn or bishop, but after 19.fxf7 Kh8 or19. Bxf7 Rxf7 20.gxf7 Kf8 There are several hanging white pieces andblack gains free hand to operate at the queenside. Black king looks airybut there are no quick ways to kill. I don't remember what I had preparedto it at the time of this game.... Maybe I should Fritz the position. } 18... Rxc3 19. fxg6 Rxb3+ { And so black finally gets rid of the white LSB, atthe cost of an exchange. Not many other possibilities here, though. Thewhite king gets a bit airy and now Black is constantly looking ways toexploit it. } 20. cxb3 { There is something to be said about axb3 as Whitedoes not seem to be interested in challencing the c-file... } 20... fxg6 { Nowblack has, somewhat superficially, actived his other rook. However, thef-file turns out to be a good highway to action and the rook now has anideal square on his mind - f2. } 21. Qe3 { This might be a minor mistake.I think 21.Rc1 would've been more awkward move to meet. } 21... Qc5 { Interestingpossibilities here; 21...Nxe4 is worth analysing. If white captures, thenafter ...Rf2 blacks attack would most probably crash trough. But I couldn'tsee anything acceptable after the simple 22.Rc1, so I decided to renewthe threat while activating the queen. Now White takes blacks word andmakes a preventive move. } 22. Kb1 { One gets a feeling that there shouldbe something better here... } 22... Qa3 { Once again renewing the threat; now itis 23...Nxe4 24.Qxe4 Bf5 when the queen is a goner since the d4-knightis pinned against checkmate on b2. } 23. Bh6 { Now white decides to act onthe kingside deciding to answer ...Nxe4 with Bxg7 with complications thatare far too hard to analyze for me. } 23... Nxe4 { Black steps bravely into theaction. With this move black is willing to sacrifice at least a piece,in some lines even more. } 24. Bxg7 { It is not the calculating task thatis hard but some positions just are not easy to asses. This is clearlythe best move in this situation, removing the 'checkmate-pin' of the knight. } 24... Rf2 25. Nc2 { Now it looks like black runs out of steam, he is down on materialand the queen is threatened. } 25... Bf5 { Jacob Aagaard, one of my favouritechess authors once established a '90% rule' - 9 times out of ten the moveyou want to make for positional reasons works out tactically, too. So,black wants his whole army to work together and this is clearly the bestsquare for this bishop. So we can forget such minor tactical problems asa hanging queen. It is still not sure if blacks gamble work out - he isdown a rook for three pawns. However, the activity of black forces andthe incoming pin of the knight will give him such a pressure on whitesposition that (or that is what he trusts) black will win atleast an exchangeback and then have three pawns for the exchange - two of them doubled andisolated, though. I would like to add that this sort of move is very,very hard to resist. It is so aesthetically pleasing that black felt thathe must try it. That is probably why he played 23...Nxe4 in the first place. } 26. Bb2 { Clearly the best. 26.Nxa3 Nc3 27.Kc1 Nxa2# or 27.Ka1 Rxa2# } 26... Qc5 { Queen exchange is no problem for black, there is other goals for anattack than a checkmate. All his pieces are better than their white counterpartsand he has a nice bind on white, not to mention the two central pawns thatmay turn into a great force in a endgame. One gets the feeling that white'sextra rook is not doing everything it can... } 27. Qxc5 Nxc5 { Now it becomesclear that white cannot mantain all of his material lead. He must now decidethe best way to give up the exchange back. It is suprising how activeall black pieces became. Not the same can be said about white pieces, theb2-bishop looks nice, but without other pieces it does nothing. The knightis doomed to a poor square and the rooks can't do much right now. Leadin developement is not, however, a permanent advantage, so black must dosomething with it. } 28. Rc1 { Of course it's not necessary to lose a wholepiece. } 28... Nd3 29. Rcf1 Re2 { White knight cannot move and black threatens...Nxb2. White decides to get rid of the suprisingly active black bishop. } 30. Rxf5 gxf5 { So black has three pawns for a bishop. White has a passerand now his rook is in a good position, but black has four (!) connectedpassed pawns. The game is not over yet, but now it sure looks like blackhas the advantage - his rook and knight are better than white's so thequestion is: can the pawns overcome the bishop? } 31. Bc3 { If the bishopgoes, then it's all over for black. Knights are not as good against pawnsas bishops. } 31... f4 { Passers must be pushed, as the say... } 32. Nd4 Rg2 { Blackwants to keep the white king immobilised and out of the pawns way. Theactivation of the black king is tricky, too, because if it runs too faraway the white h-pawn may run through. } 33. Ne6 { White cannot allow ...e5.This is good square for the knight and now he must try to make some playconnected with the advance of the h-pawn. Note that now all white piecesexpect the king are able to help the h-pawn, so black must act quickly. } 33... f3 34. Bd4 f2 { If black is allowed to play ...g3 and ...Rh2 things arestarting to get miserable for white. } 35. Bxf2 { But are things really thisdesperate? Now the game turns into a Rook and knight endgame with two extrapawns for black, not to mention the superior rook. In my notes I had thisline: 35.Ng5 Nf4 36.Ne4 Nh3!? It is a long time ago since I analysed this,since at this point my opponent started using all the 5 days for everymove, maybe waiting my rating to rise (his rating had gone up to 1830 orsomething) so he would not lose so many points. 35.Ng5 is at least somethingactive. If black does nothing, white simply advances his h-pawn to victory.Now 35...g3 36.Nf3 locks the rook out forever, so 35...Nf4 looks best.After 36.Ne4 Nh3!? black threatents to win a bishop with Rg8 or forcethe bishop out of the long diagonal with ...e5, ...d5 and ...d4. It's notclear if wghite can do anything for that. } 35... Rxf2 { This should be a matterof technique, altough I'm not sure about mine. } 36. Rg1 Ne5 37. h5 Kh7 38. Ng5+ Kh6 39. Ne4 Rf8 { Black is now playing 'safe' moves and intendsto place his rook behind the passers. } 40. Ng3 Nd3 { Black now wants toget rid of white's last hope, the h-pawn. After that he can squeeze thewin without worrying some random runners on the edge of the world. } 41. Kc2 Nf4 { The plan is to swing rook to g5. } 42. Rf1 e5 43. Ne4 { Does thismove really have a purpose? } 43... d5 { These pawns are starting to look scary...This central pawn majority was one of blacks advantages he gained at movethree! } 44. Ng3 Rg8 45. Rh1 Rg5 46. Rf1 { White decides to prepare Nf5 . } 46... Nxh5 47. Nf5+ Kg6 { Blunders a pawn. Surely Kh7 was better? } 48. Ne7+ Kg7 49. Nxd5 g3 { Black wants to tie white forces with the passers. The he willhave more room to maneuvre } 50. Ne3 Nf4 51. Rg1 g2 52. Kd2 Kf6 { The kingcomes. At last. } 53. b4 { White is running out of moves. } 53... b5 54. a3 a6 { Blackknows that the greater rook mobility will ensure him the privilige to 'waste'a move if he wants to. These pawn moves are to take that away from white. } 55. Ke1 { Unfortunately for black the king cannot come to f2 due ...Nh3 } 55... e4 { Making room for the king. } 56. Kd2 Rg3 { Suddenly white has no moves.All knight moves allows Nh3, king moves drops the knight and rook movesof course drops the rook. This leaves 57.a4 and white didn't want to faceanother passer. He resigned. I would like to thank my opponent for thegame and apologize about the bad language I've been writing. English isn'tmy native language after all. And please, leave comments and rate the game!:) It's nice to have feedback for annotations. } 0-1

[Event "WtW Challenge"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2013.01.13"] [Round "-"] [White "myevilluck"] [Black "klauno"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [BlackElo "2419"] [TimeControl "5 days per move"] [WhiteElo "2158"] 1. e4 { Hi everyone! Myevilluck is certainly bombing towards his next goal,that is to become a Gameknot Master with a rating north of 2200. If hekeeps this up he will certainly get there because he achieved an IM Drawwith the mighty Klauno (Klaus). So how did this happen? } 1... c5 { 1. .....c5 - Klaus may have gathered that Myevilluck is an absolute connoisseurof the King's Gambit, so he gives him the Sicilian rather than play e5. It will be interesting to see just how Myevilluck shapes up against thisone! } 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 { 4. Nxd4 - usual Sicilian play. } 4... Nf6 5. Nc3 { 5. Nc3 - out come the cavalry! } 5... a6 6. Bg5 { 6. Bg5 - white bringshis pieces out rapidly. } 6... e6 7. f4 Be7 8. Qf3 Qc7 9. O-O-O { 9. 0-0-0 - allo,allo, allo - are we gonna get the classic Sicilian castle on opposite wingsfollowed by a mating attack race. Yup, last one there cops Old Matey! } 9... Nbd7 { 9. ...... Nbd7 - solid. } 10. g4 { 10. g4 - looks like the race ison, will this wall of pawns dissuade Klaus from castling kingside I wonder? } 10... b5 { 10. ..... b5 - and now we get the standard Sicilian Naijdorf pawn pushto b5 followed by b4 chasing away the c3 knight leaving the WK more vulnerableto a mating attack. Usually in the Sicilian, the WK almost always goesto b8 because black usually plonks a BQ on the c column or a black rook,leaving the possibility of a very strong attack of heavy artilliary onthe a, b and c column. Sometimes, particularly in the Sicilian Dragon,an exchange sac on c3 occurs to bust up white's pawn structure and leavethe WK open to hostile castle fire and an attack from a dsb from the a1-h8diagonal. In this game the black dsb is on the a3-f8 diagonal but thereis still a possibility of that prelate coming in to a3 at a later date,so, Myevilluck - beware! } 11. a3 Rb8 12. Bh4 h6 13. Bg3 { 13. Bg3 - Myevilluckputs his bishop on the same diagonal as the BQ and a BR on b8. There ispotential for a skewer if Klaus does not watch out! } 13... Nc5 14. g5 hxg5 15. fxg5 { 15. fxg5 - hmm, the h column is now open, but to whose advantage?! } 15... Nfd7 { 15. .... Nfd7 - sneakily threatening Bxg5+. } 16. g6 { 16. g6 - nowthreatening Qf7+ and now Klaus does castle, but is he castling into it? } 16... O-O 17. Qe3 { 17. Qe3 - I did wonder whether Qh5 was a good move here, althoughthe WQ can be chased away with Nf6 - although white can play gxf7+ to avoidlosing a pawn before retreating the queen. } 17... Ne5 18. gxf7+ Rxf7 { 18. .....Rxf7 - black does not want to risk putting his king on the open f fileto be checked by the WQ. } 19. b4 Bd7 20. Be2 { 20. Be2 - why not PxN? } 20... Rc8 21. Be1 Bf6 22. Kb1 Nb7 { 22. ..... Nb7 - black retreats his knight andnow there is a potential threat of Qxf2+ should both white steeds be luredaway. } 23. Bh5 g6 24. Rg1 { 24. Rg1 - pin. } 24... Rg7 25. Be2 Nc4 26. Qc1 { 26.Qc1 - the WQ evades the black knight's attack. Suddenly white's positionlooks a bit like a jstevens1 position in the middlegame - this player seemsto have a tendency to batten down those hatches and now Myevilluck is havingto do so. Now Klaus is really trying to open up white's already draughtycastled position. } 26... a5 27. Ncxb5 Bxb5 28. Nxb5 { 28. Nxb5 - aha, a plethoraof exchanges puts white temporarily at least one pawn ahead. } 28... Qb6 29. Rf1 Be5 30. a4 { 30. a4 - necessary to back up the knight on b5. } 30... axb4 31. Bg3 Bxg3 32. hxg3 { 32. hxg3 - material is even but white's pawns are weaker. } 32... Ne3 { 32. .... Ne3 - fork! } 33. a5 Qc5 { 33. ..... Qc5 - why not QxP? } 34. a6 Na5 35. Nxd6 Ra8 36. Rh1 { 36. Rh1 - only one rook can dodge the knightfork, the other will perish. } 36... Nxd1 37. Rxd1 b3 38. cxb3 Nxb3 39. Qc4 Qxc4 40. Bxc4 { 40. Qxc4 - after the queen trade white is the exchange for apawn down. This could prove decisive in black's favour, but white fightson. } 40... Nc5 41. Kb2 Rc7 42. Nb5 Rc6 43. a7 { 43. a7 - trying to tie black down. } 43... Na4+ 44. Kb3 Rxc4 45. Kxc4 { 45. Kxc4 - I wonder why black returns the exchange? } 45... Nb2+ { 45. .... Nb2+ - answer - another fork! } 46. Kc5 Nxd1 47. Kb6 { 47.Kb6 - but white has counterplay in that little pawn on a7. } 47... Nf2 48. e5 Ng4 49. Kb7 Rxa7+ 50. Kxa7 Nxe5 { 50. .... Nxe5 - black has been forcedto give up his rook to stop the a pawn crowning but he takes off anotherwhite pawn. White must get his king back towards the centre or he is toast! } 51. Kb6 Kf7 52. Kc5 Kf6 53. Kd4 g5 54. Ke4 { 54. Ke4 - white manages toget his king back to the centre and as he does so, offers a draw. Klausaccepts and despite being a pawn light, Myevilluck has triumphed in theendgame. Kudos to both players for an exciting game! Kind regards - Joanne } 1/2-1/2

[Event "Let's play chess"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2012.04.26"] [Round "-"] [White "allanrockart"] [Black "kaspanatola"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "2111"] [TimeControl "5 days per move"] [WhiteElo "2204"] 1. e4 { This was a strange game white amounted a large pressure on the centerand managed to get a quality exchange, but I found some compensation onthe fact that white's king remained exposed and his rooks unconnected...white's attacks depended solely on one piece at a time, and were neverwell coordinated, finally white blundered his queen to lose the game } 1... e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Qe7 { uncommon variation } 5. d4 Bb6 6. Bg5 Nf6 7. d5 { a very sharp option } 7... Nd8 8. d6 cxd6 9. Na3 Bxf2+ { white can'tcapture the bishop due to Nxe4+ wining it back } 10. Kf1 d5 11. exd5 Bc5 { headed to d6 } 12. b4 { gains more space } 12... Bd6 13. Nb5 h6 { quid pro quo...do you want my bishop... give me your's... or face a worst position } 14. Bh4 a6 { now inviting the exchange of knight by y dark squares bishop, asit probably my worst developed piece } 15. Nxd6+ { he does so, exchangeshis developed knight for my worst piece } 15... Qxd6 { my position is still a bitcramped but is getting better } 16. Qe2 { now white starts to put pressureon my e pawn } 16... O-O { to ensure safety white's king still exposed, I can nowstart to develops my remaining pieces to harass him } 17. Bg3 { I was expectingBf2 to threaten Bc5 } 17... b5 { gains space and waits to see what white has toshow, probably Bxe5 } 18. Bxe5 Qb6 { !? threatening Qf2 at any point } 19. Bb3 { to allow the c4 push maybe the idea of this move } 19... Bb7 { with the ideaof connecting rooks or developing Rc8 } 20. Qd3 a5 21. Bd4 { and white goesto force the quality exchange } 21... Qd6 { only } 22. Bc5 Qc7 { threatening Qxc3after Bxf8, and preventing 24.Qxb5 after 23.Bxf8 Kxf8 due to 24...Qxc3threatening to win both white's rooks } 23. Bxf8 Kxf8 24. bxa5 Rxa5 25. Qd4 { ? I don't see the point of this move... is it to get to b4? } 25... Ra6 { preparingd6 if Qb4 is white's idea and threatening to create a permanent weakend5 pawn, plus a weak light squared bishop } 26. Nh4 Bxd5 { ok, if you don'twant it I'll keep it for you... and now with a pawn and a piece for myrook I can start to make some serious threats on white's exposed king } 27. Bxd5 { ?! } 27... Rd6 { pining the bishop } 28. c4 Ne6 { development completedall my pieces are active now } 29. Qb2 bxc4 30. Bxe6 c3 { still leaving whitewith another hanging piece to keep the initiative } 31. Qa3 dxe6 { and nowgrab the bishop to play with a better pawn structure on the king side Ineed to protect further my king and keep white under pressure to avoidhis only wining chance to push the a pawn } 32. Nf3 Kg8 { further protectionof my king now with h7 to hide from white's queen and any perpetual threats } 33. Rc1 Qc4+ { finally the compensation for the sacrificed material } 34. Kg1 Rd3 35. h3 Kh7 { avoiding back rank tactics to free my knight } 36. Qb4 { ?? } 36... Qxb4 { If a queen move I was expecting either Qa5 or Qb3... this moveloses on the spot?? } 0-1

[Event "Team match"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "04-Sep-07"] [Round "-"] [White "kleberkabg"] [Black "topazg"] [Result "*"] [BlackElo "1525"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1573"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. e3 g6 3. Bd3 Bg7 4. f4 { Never seen this before. I'm not sureif this is good or unwise for white (would have made more sense for e3to be on e4 I think), but it does increase kingside pressure. } 4... O-O 5. Nf3 d5 { Holding the e4 square for the time being. } 6. Nbd2 b6 7. O-O c5 8. c3 Nbd7 { I'm really not sure about this move. I think Nc6 would have beenbetter (doesn't block in the bishop), but as I wanted my bishop on b7 ifI could manage to clear the diagonal, I didn't want to block it in forthe future. Shouldn't be making plans whilst the position is like thisthough :S } 9. Ne5 { I really want to relieve kingside pressure now, especiallyin light of possible pawn advances. } 9... Nxe5 { The knight exchange is not reallybecause the exchange was beneficial in itself, so much as freeing up mybishop again. } 10. fxe5 Nd7 { But having been forced back here, it reallyhasn't achieved much :-( White has a clear initiative and pressure advantagenow, and black is definitely on the back foot. } 11. Nf3 f5 { Either to lockthe kingside or get counter play if an en-passant capture is played. } 12. exf6 exf6 { I chose this as I think Rxf6 would leave the rook vulnerableto too many minor piece and pawn combinations, and it doesn't have muchuseful manoeuvrability at this stage. The bishop was definitely an option,but I wanted the ability to attack the e3 pawn in the long run, so I choseto go with opening up the e file instead. } 13. e4 Bb7 { Now my bishop canprove useful on this diagonal. } 14. exd5 Bxd5 15. Nh4 { Can only be preparing16. Nxg6 hxg6 17. Bxg6. Torn now between f5 to protect the capture andattack the knight with my queen, or starting a counter-offensive of myown. } 15... cxd4 { Opted for the counter-offensive, if cxd4 then f5 becomes quitestrong as it attacks both the knight and the d4 pawn (which would alsoresult in a useful check ...) } 16. Nxg6 { Ah, white ignored it - I hadn'tconsidered this. } 16... hxg6 17. Bxg6 { Material advantage, but horribly exposedking. I need activation and counter-play as soon as I can get it. I'm lookingat a threatened Qh5, so attacking the bishop would be useful. } 17... Ne5 18. Bc2 { Retreating the bishop -- wow, this game is sharp. Looking at Bxg2to return material, and after Kxg2 Qd5 I get more possibilities for counter-play.Of course, I'd rather keep the material advantage. } 18... dxc3 19. Qh5 { Hmmm,seems to be threatening Bh7 , hard to see how to refute it. I'd like toget my Queen into the defence, so I'm going to go with Qe8 on the offchanceof a Queen exchange. } 19... Qe8 20. Qh7+ { Ah, how obvious. Now there are a lotof weaknesses in my position. } 20... Kf7 21. Bg5 { Obvious, and rather cute --It is vital to keep the knight on e5, yet if I move to the e file it canbe skewered by a rook. This is horrible. } 21... Ke6 22. Bf5+ Kd6 23. Qxg7 fxg5 24. bxc3 { Material advantage is still mine, but the position is just horrible. } 24... Qe7 { Again hoping for a queen exchange, but why oh why did I not play Rf7. } 25. Qh6+ Qf6 { Chose against Rf6 here because of the loss of the pawn. } 26. Qh7 Rf7 { Now white seems to have lost momentum, and I can try to getthe king to safety. } 27. Qh3 { I really need to get to get the queen ofthe f file whilst the white rook is on f1, but my King needs getting tosafety first. I cannot travel to f8 with my rook on a8, and I need to avoidall the white squares. Kc7 is possible, but I'd rather activate my a8 rookand maintain initiative. } 27... Rh8 28. Qg3 { Ah, this is foolish. Now Ke6 andKc7 are caused problems by Rfe1 or Rae1. Having the knight skewered isawkward to say the least. Ke7 would have been better than 27... Rh8 bya long shot -- } 28... Re8 { What a waste of tempo, and I cannot retreat to e7without losing the rook's protection of the knight. } 29. Rad1 { Oh dear,everything has fallen apart again. Now c4 will simply lose the bishop. } 29... Rfe7 { Trying for Qf7, but playing with fire, the game is lost now. } 30. Be4 { Hmmm... with the discovered attack on the queen this is probably evenbetter than c4. Tempted to play Qe6 and take the bishop queen for bishoprook, but it is likely to be losing. I have one last tactical attempt totry. } 30... Qxf1+ { Hoping he takes with the rook. } 31. Kxf1 { The final nail. } 31... Rf8+ 32. Kg1 { Well finished, nothing for black to do now. Game annotationfor team benefit -- } *

[Event "Let's play chess"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009.08.14"] [Round "-"] [White "egill"] [Black "mmoody95"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1798"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1340"] 1. d3 d5 2. f4 b6 3. g3 Bb7 4. Bg2 Nf6 5. Nf3 e6 6. c3 Bd6 7. O-O Nbd7 8. Qe1 O-O { I like my setup. My opponent has given me a free hand in thecenter and I am prepared to attack on the Kingside. However, my opponentdoes not give me anything easy. } 9. Nbd2 Qe7 10. Nd4 a6 { I thought hereabout c5 instead to gain space in the center. However, it allows the Nto jump to b5, forcing the trade of my dark square B. I decided I wantedto keep the B. } 11. c4 { An excellent move. I can't play dxc4 because myBb2 hangs. } 11... Rab8 12. b3 Bc5 { Playing dxc5 and then exchanging Bs mighthave been better. I would have a better chance of a Kingside attack. On the other hand, White would be stronger in the center. The problemwith Bc5 is that is allows White to take more time to develop. } 13. Bb2 Ng4 14. e3 Ngf6 15. h3 Bd6 16. N2f3 { White's position was always solid,but with time to develop, White may now be better. } 16... dxc4 17. bxc4 Nc5 18. Rd1 Na4 19. Rb1 Nxb2 20. Rxb2 { Maybe I can now cause some problems on theQueenside for White. } 20... Rfe8 21. e4 Bc5 { Avoiding the e5 pawn fork. } 22. Qc3 Rbd8 23. Kh2 Nd7 24. Ne2 Qf8 { I'm cramped and White is doing a goodjob exploiting the bind. } 25. Nd2 Be7 26. a4 { a4 is undefended and d3 ispoorly defended (Q only). I see an opportunity. } 26... Nc5 27. Ra1 Nxd3 { Sneakinga pawn. Plus I have a tempo because the N is hitting White's R. } 28. Rbb1 a5 29. Nd4 { A good move which cuts off my N and heads the N to an outpostat b5. } 29... Nb4 30. Nb5 Rd3 { I need to make space for my R. I also gain atempo by hitting White's Q. Playing c6 to dislodge the N immediately losesthe exchange to Nc7. } 31. Qc1 Bc5 32. Rb3 { White avoids the temptationto play Nxc7. Now that my R has space, his N would be poorly placed onc7. } 32... Red8 33. Rxd3 Nxd3 { Gaining a tempo by hitting the Q again. White'sQueenside pawn structure is a problem and I will keep trying to beat onit. } 34. Qc2 c6 { Now I have time to dislodge the annoying N. } 35. Nc3 { White'scenter is still better, but I have a slight material edge and better pawnstructure. Overall, I think Black is equal. } 35... Nb4 { Gaining another tempoby hitting the Q. } 36. e5 { In the heat of battle, White somehow missedthe attack on the Q. I think White probably had a good plan to open thee4 square to drop on the the Ns in. This was a very unfortunate move ina well-played game for White. I am guessing egill's rating will rise fromwhere it is now! } 36... Nxc2 { White resigned. The material deficit is justtoo much to overcome. } 0-1

[Event "No queens or knights... how will you do? III"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009.03.31"] [Round "-"] [White "aspiemikey"] [Black "governus"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1357"] [TimeControl "3d+1d<5d"] [WhiteElo "1319"] 1. Nc3 Nc6 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Ne5 Ne4 4. Nxc6 Nxc3 5. Nxd8 Nxd1 6. Kxd1 Kxd8 7. e4 e5 8. Bc4 { Now my bishop is free, I unleash it, attacking the pawnthat is not covered... } 8... f6 { ...but my opponent moves it. } 9. d3 Bc5 { Heattacks my equivalent pawn... } 10. Rf1 { ...so my rook covers mine. } 10... d6 11. h3 g5 12. Be3 { I attack his bishop... } 12... Bxe3 13. fxe3 { ...and we swapdistorting my pawn structure, and I'm eyeing up his f-pawn again... } 13... Rf8 { ...but he covers it... } 14. d4 exd4 15. exd4 { ...and we swap pawns, undistortingmy structure. } 15... c5 16. dxc5 dxc5 { We again swap pawns, creating more spaceon the board. } 17. Rf2 { Now my rook comes up, to get more room to manoeuvre... } 17... h5 18. Rd2+ { ...and attacks the king, forcing him to move. } 18... Ke7 19. Ke2 a6 20. Rf1 { Now I unleash my other rook... } 20... b5 21. Bd5 { ...and attack oneof my opponent's... } 21... Ra7 { ...so he moves it out of the way. } 22. c4 { NowI pressurise another pawn... } 22... Rd8 { ...but he declines to take it... } 23. cxb5 { ...so I take his... } 23... axb5 { ...but lose mine. } 24. Rc1 { I line upthe c-pawn... } 24... c4 { ...so he pushes it... } 25. b3 { ...and I pressurise it... } 25... cxb3 26. axb3 { ...so we swap. } 26... Bb7 { This move actually played into my hands... } 27. Rc7+ { ...as I simultaneously attack the bishop, and the king... } 27... Rd7 { ...and blocking with his rook did likewise... } 28. Rxd7+ { ...as I canremove it... } 28... Kxd7 { ...at the expense of mine... } 29. Bxb7+ { ...allowingme to remove his bishop, exposing his king to my rook. } 29... Ke7 30. Bc6 { NowI eye up his pawn... } 30... Ra5 { ...but he covers it... } 31. Rd7+ { ...so I checkonce again. } 31... Ke6 32. Rd5 Ra2+ 33. Rd2 { I can afford to block, with an advantageof a bishop... } 33... Rxd2+ 34. Kxd2 { ...so I get the exchange I was lookingfor. } 34... Ke5 35. Bxb5 { I remove his b-pawn... } 35... Kxe4 { ...but lose my e-pawn... } 36. Bc6+ { ...so I cover my g-pawn, attacking the king. } 36... Kd4 37. b4 Kc4 38. b5 { Now my b-pawn and bishop can't be touched... } 38... Kc5 39. Ke3 { ...soI bring my king to attack his pawns. } 39... f5 40. Kf3 Kd6 41. g4 { I simultaneouslypressurise two pawns... } 41... hxg4+ { ...and lose one... } 42. hxg4 { ...but stealone... } 42... f4 { ...and he pushes his other pressurised pawn... } 43. Ke4 { ...soI keep my king close by... } 43... Kc5 44. Kf5 f3 45. Bxf3 { ...and I remove hisf-pawn... } 45... Kxb5 { ...but lose my b-pawn... } 46. Kxg5 { ...and remove hislast one... } 46... Kc5 47. Kf6 Kd6 48. Kf7 { ...and mine now has a clear run... } 48... Ke5 49. g5 Kf5 50. g6 Kg5 51. g7 { ...so I push it all the way. } 1-0

[Event "Consultation Game"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2016.09.28"] [Round "-"] [White "knightrider62"] [Black "penguin_"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [BlackElo "1602"] [TimeControl "7 days per move"] [WhiteElo "947"] { This was a very interesting consultation game between Sue and penguin_. It started off at Chicoboy's Legacy Club. However, things did not workout, and thus, ended in my club, Chess Coaches and Mentors (to make a verylong story short). The idea was just like any other consultation gamewhich is that we learn by discussing the moves. Since a good portion gotdeleted, when it got banned from the other club, the conversation duringthose moves did not save. But, white's moves were based on what the majorityagreed on. However, the discussion saved towards the end, so I'll copyand paste what we said there. Before that, so during what did not save,I'm going to, for a first time ever, use the post game analysis from Fritzto see if that program agrees with our assessment as this is a way forus to learn, as well. } 1. d4 { Although I like 1.e4 since it's in mystyle, the stronger players prefer this opening. Plus, it's what Sue ismost used to, so I was outvoted there. } 1... Nf6 { This could've also becomethe QPG with the obvious 1...d5, something tells me that he wanted us toplay the Colle's Franketort System since 2.e3 was a unanimous agreement. } 2. e3 { Although it is a known, Fritz disagrees with our decision. Eventhough I agree that this is solid, but according to them, 2.Nf3 With themain continuation being 2...d5 3.Nc3, e6 4.e3, Nc6 5.Bd3, Bd6 6.0-0, 0-07.a3, h6 8.Bd2, Ng4 9.Nb5 } 2... g6 { He wanted a nice long diagonal for his B,but I think he also wanted to transpose this into the KID since e3 is playedlater on. But, we put a stop to that with our next move. And, accordingto Fritz's analysis, black didn't play the best move either. Accordingto Fritz, though, black's best move was 2...d5 with the continuation being3.c4, e6 4.cxd5, exd5 5.Nc3, c5 6.Nf3, Nc6 7.Bb5, a6 8.Bxc6+, bxc6 9.Ne5,cxd4 10.Nxc6 In addition, Fritz also indicated with the best move of 2...d5,the position is equal. But, with this move, white now has a 0.03 withthe most common move being 3.Nf3 as that should now lead to 3...Bg7, 4.c40-0 5.Nc3 d6 6.Be2 c5 7.0-0 cxd4 8.exd4 Nc6 9.d5 Ne5 10.Nxe5 dxe5 11.Be3Bf5 12.g4 Bd7 13.h3 Therefore, we don't play the most common move sincewe all agreed on 3.Bd3. } 3. Bd3 { With this move, the advantage increasesto 0.04 in our favor according to the analysis, after black's move. And,now, the analysis agree with us, until our fifth move. That's becausewe played 5.c4, but we did discuss about castling. Actually, I believeit was ION who told us what might happen if we castle which is how 5.c4was decided upon. But, according to the analysis, that would've been ourbest move. That's because they continue with 5.0-0 d5 6.c4 dxc4 7.Bxc4Nc6 8.Nc3 a6 9.Ng5 h6 10.Nge4 Nxe4 11.Nxe4 b5 12.Bb3 e5 13.dxe5 Nxe5 14.Bd5. But, after we play our fifth move, the position is equal. As now, themain continuation is 5...c5, 6.Nc3 cxd4 7.exd4 d5 8.0-0 Nc6 9.Be3 dxc410.Bxc4 Ng4 11.Rc1 Bf5 12.h3 Nxe3 13.fxe3 Rc8 14.g4 Nb4 15.Qe2 Qc7 16.gxf5Qxc4 17.Qxc4 Rxc4 } 3... Bg7 4. Nf3 O-O 5. c4 d6 { But, according to them, despite5...d5 being the most common, there is nothing wrong with this move, whatsoever,and gives this as an equal position. Now, they say that we should continueby castling with the main idea of 6...c5 7.d5 Bg4 8.h3 Bxf3 9.Qxf3 Nbd710.Nc3 Ne5 11.Qe2 Nxd3 12.Qxd3 Nd7 13.e4 Ne5 14.Qe2 e6 15.Be3 Qh4 16.Rad1Rad8 17.b3 } 6. e4 { ?! Unlike before, however, they give this as an inaccuracy,as now, black has a 0.08 advantage after 6...Bg4 with the continuationbeing 7.Nc3 Nc6 8.Be2 Bxf3 9.Bxf3 e5 10.d5 Nd4 11.Be3 Nd7 12.0-0 c6 13.Bg4Nf6 14.Bh3 Qb6 15.Qd2 Qb4 16.dxc6 bxc6 } 6... Nbd7 { ?! But, this move gives usa 0.05 initiative according to them with our next move. They continuethis afterwards with 7...c5 8.d5 Ng4 9.0-0 Nde5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Be2 f512.f4 Nf7 13.Qc2 fxe4 14.Nxe4 Qb6 15.Rb1 Bd4+ 16.Kh1 Bf5 17.Bd2 a6 18.Rfe1 } 7. Nc3 e5 { ?! With that being said, Fritz gives this another inaccuracy. But, it's not nearly as bad because our edge has diminished from 0.05to 0.03 starting with our next move. From there, the line continues with8...Nc5 9.0-0 a5 10.h3 b6 11.Bg5 Qd7 12.Qd2 Bb7 13.Be3 c6 14.b3 Rac8 15.Rac1Ra8 16.Bc2 cxd5 17.exd5 a4 18.b4 Even better would be 12.Be3 Bb7 13.Qe2c6 14.h3 cxd5 15.exd5 Rac8 16.Rad1 Ba6 17.Ng5 Rfe8 18.b3 as now, we havea 0.04 advantage. } 8. d5 c5 { ?! I did lose the links with all of thosevariations from before, so now, it's just move by move. However, I believeit changes because the first few moves were similar to the Game DB on thiswebsite. So, Fritz is calling this as another inaccuracy and keeps usa little better after 9.a3 Of course, we don't stick to it as 9.Bg5 isagreed on. } 9. Bg5 { ?! But, with this move, Fritz says that we lose a littlebit of our advantage. So, we go from a minimum to only a slight edge asblack's best move is 9...Qc7 } 9... Nb6 { ?! But, with this move, what we lostcomes back after 10.b6 or 10.Qe2 which according to Fritz is our best move. } 10. Qd2 { ?! But, with this move, we've lost our initiative. As now,The position is equal after 10...Bg4. } 10... Bd7 { ?! However, this also givesus back the initiative, if we play 11.b3, 11.h3, or 11.0-0 In it saysthat, 'White is minimally better.' } 11. O-O-O { ?! Once again, Fritz doesnot agree with this decision. And, it was hard because castling shortalso came up. But, according to them, this is inaccurate as we lose alittle bit of our intitative after 11...a6 or 11...h6 as we go from minimumto only a slight advantage. } 11... Na4 { But, Fritz says that this move is evenbetter then those other positions as this equalizes the position. It suggestedthat we exchange with 12.Nxa4, but 12.Bc2 Let's see what Fritz says aboutthat. } 12. Bc2 { ?! They're calling this an inaccuracy because black nowgets a slight initiative with his next move. That, in return forces ournext move to prevent the loss of a piece. What this means, which I agreewith is that his Na4 is the weak N since it's on our rim. Whereas, ourNc3 was better placed, and thus, the strong N. So, this exchange windsup hurting our position. After that, black penguin_ maintains his advantageafter 13...b5 since Fritz also agrees with this. } 12... Nxc3 13. Qxc3 b5 14. Nd2 { However, Fritz gives a very interesting line and says that black'sadvantage increase by sacking a piece. They suggest 14...Nxd5 after which,'Black is clearly better.' I don't agree with that since I don't see animmediate advantage, but I'm still gonna assume that they're correct becauseTA outlined that Fritz analysis is an equivalent to an analysis that you'dget from, I believe it is a 2100 or 2200 rated player. } 14... b4 { ?! But, theygave this as an inaccuracy because after 15.Qf3 or 15.Qe3 black's edgenow decreases. As now, his advantage is slight. } 15. Qg3 { ?! But, withthis move, black's initiative increases a little bit and now ends up witha minimum advantage after 15...Re8 } 15... a5 { ?! With that being said, Fritzdisagrees with black's decision and says that his advantage decreases toonly slight if white plays 16.h4, 16.Kb1, or 16.f3. } 16. Bd3 { But, theysaid that this was just as good, where black's edge remains slight. Theyrecommended 16...h4, 16...Kb1, or 16...f3 } 16... a4 { They also gave this moveas just as good and recommended 17.h4, 17.Kb1, or 17.h3 for white. However,the analysis stops here. That's because, up until this point, this gamewas continuing at, 'Chicoboy's Legacy' Club. But, at this point, it stopsworking out. Therefore, someone, unfortunately, wound up leaving thatclub. And, the thread which had the discussion that led to this pointgot deleted. So, I used Fritz to fill in the gaps. If you'd like, I cancontinue with this analysis, but it would have to be under commented annotationsas I'm worried that there will be so much that the game gets deleted. So, let's start with the discussion here. So, Qa4 is the move that wementioned, but that was a typo, so that we don't get confused because Qh4is what we're alluding to. Sue: Ion had suggested the following as possiblemoves before I resigned from the club. Qh4', f3,and h3. I quite. like Qh4. Joe: I also do. Those other moves are good, but I think that bringingthe Queen on that square is more powerful and forceful. } 17. Qh4 { Sue:Move made by white Qa4. } 17... a3 { Sue: Move made by black a3. Joe: In thisposition, I did consider exchanging with bxa3, but my fear is, if we playedthat, instead of taking back with the pawn, he can recapture with the Rookwhich would give him a passed pawn. A known way to stop this is with b3,as not only haven't we've exchanged, but we prevent a passed pawn witha pawn chain. Sue: Seems like the best idea my vote also goes with b3. Ron: I would vote also for b3 for reasons mentioned } 18. b3 { Sue: Weplayed b3. } 18... h6 { Sue: Black has moved h6. My vote is for Be3. Joe: Be3is also my vote. I was thinking about Bxf6 which is the only other optionthat doesn't lose material. But, I don't think that exchanging is the wayto go, in this position, because it's unclear if we need the pieces ornot. Plus, our Bg5 appears more active then our his Nf6. Ron: I vote forBe3 seems to be a good choice! Sue: I have had second thoughts BxP BxBQxB and we are up a pawn. Think about it after that I might be a good ideato play Qg3 and push the h pawn to try and. breakthrough. Or try a Rooklift along the h-file. Blacks bishop is preventing our breakthrough. Iam doing an online chess course at that is where I got my ideas from. Joe: I agree with Sue. Thing with Be3, is that black can answer with 1...g5. I'm thinking about this because after something like 2.Qg3, Nh5 3.Qg3,g4 4.Qe2 white has lost some tempii which could play an important roleat this phase. If we take right away, losing time wouldn't be a problem.And, we prevent black's Nf6 from becoming more powerful. } 19. Bxh6 { Sue:Move made BxP. Had to move running low on time. Black to move. } 19... Bxh6 { Sue:Black has moved BxB. I suggest QxB as our next move. White to move. Joe:In this position, which is where we stand, I agree. For one thing, we'rea pawn up, as opposed to a piece down for pawn. Plus, with the Q on h6,black is now faced with a lot of pressure against his monarch. It doesn'thappen yet, but our Bd3, Nd2, and perhaps, the Rd1 can all become a problemagainst black's monarch because we're, eventually, talking about buildupagainst that area. So, not only is it virtually forced, but even if wedidn't need it to avoid the loss of material, Qxh6 would still be my vote. Sue: I am going to move Qxh6 now because it is the only obvious move andhas two sufficient votes. Black to move. } 20. Qxh6 Ng4 { Sue: Black hasmoved Ng4. Looks like Qh3 is the only move. Black still threatens to forka pawn. And Bishop., with a double knight fork on the Rooks to follow.The Bishop will threaten our Queen when the knight moves so that is a discoverattack. At the very least we will lose a Bishop an Rook. Joe: That makesthe position difficult. Now, it's what can we do to avoid losing the Queen.The only move that I think would prevent this is 1.Qh3, but then 1...Nxf2,forcing 2.Qf3 since the Queen is attacked twice, after which, he's gottenback a pawn, for that reason. But, more importantly is the fact that welose a Rook for the N because of 2...NXR, either on d1 or h1. As anythingelse appears to lose the Queen. Ron: Do you have a suggested move? Joe:Yes. As much as, I don't like it, Qh3 is the only move that I can suggest.In other words, I'm pretty sure that it's the only way for us to avoidlosing our Queen. Sue: I am going to move Qh3. Black's move. } 21. Qh3 Nxf2 { Sue: Black has move Nxp. It's a choice really between Qh6 and Q f3I choose Q f3. Joe: I agree that those are the only options, But, I, believeit or not, like Qh6 the best. After he takes with ...NXR and we take back(which would happen regardless), our Nd2 would become realibility. Withthe Queen on h6, this would make Nf3 effective later on, as we're now threateningNg5, which would lose the Queen for N, or get him mated. If he defendsagainst that with ...f6, before that to stop Ng5, we can still play Nh4,which threatens Nxg6, and with the Queen on h6, our threat would remaindangerous. What that indicates is that a Q and N coordinated can becomequite dangerous. Sue: I have tried out your idea on the analysing boardand it looks promising. I change my vote to Qh6. Mike: ?? If I were BlackI would not take the rook for N when I can win the B on d3 with check firstthen go back to f2 and the fork leaves me full rook up. Sue: Qg3 stopsNxB+ so perhaps this is the best move? Joe: I agree with Mike. I thoughthe was saying that it was an automatic win for black but, as usual, misunderstood.Yes, I see where and agree with Sue. As now, that won't be possible. Maybelater, Qh6 will be a vote. But, for now, I change it to Qg3. } 22. Qg3 { Sue: Moved Qg3 for white. Black to move. } 22... Nxd1 { Sue: Black has moved. Nxd1. It is out move. The only move RxN. Joe: My vote is RNX, as thatis best. Mike: You might want to also consider KxN because the Rook willhave to move back to the Kside anyway. Sue: I was considering KxN andit does seem to save a tempi. I change my vote to KxN. Joe: It's alwaysthe question if which to take with, as Susan Polgar noted. But, after whatMike said, I also change my vote because KXN seems the better of the twooptions. } 23. Kxd1 { Sue: Move made by us, White KxN. Black to move. } 23... Kg7 { Sue: Black has moved Kg7. I think we should get our knight into theaction. Joe: This is where we're at. And, I agree with Sue because theN isn't active. As I also learned it's about where to place your piecesand bringing the N to a more active square. So, we have a few choices.But, my vote is Nf3 as that appears the most sensible. Bring it back onthe first rank, and it's less active. By bringing it there, it appearsto be the most mobile of any other spot. } 24. Nf3 { Sue: No more votesso have decided on Nf3 as that is the best move. Have played it Black'smove. Ron: been following the game Joe: It now boils down to what blackwill do. } 24... Rh8 { Sue: Black has moved Rh8. Joe: Now, it's about what todo here. It is difficult to tell. My vote would be Ng5 to enable our Queento travel to f3, at some point, with pressure against black's f7 pawn.Were it not for us being behind, I'd find Qg5, with the idea of a Queenexchange to be a good idea. But, it's better not to liquidate here, unlesswe must. With that being said, I can't find a better move then Ng5. Sue:I agree with you Joe, especially now black has control of the h file. Ron: I vote for same Ng5. } 25. Ng5 { Sue: Ng5 has been played it is nowblack to move. Isaac: I'm sorry I didn't see this. I realize Ng5 hasbeen played but it's an idle threat. There are two striking things aboutthis position. 1. The white bishop is paralyzed. 2. The white rook is...well,also paralyzed. White should try to improve either of those pieces. Ng5 could give the bishop a way out, but I think f7 by black is goingto create a nice wall. The only way to fight that wall is to get thewhite queen out of the way of the g pawn and push the pawns on g and hfiles. This will also give room to white's rook. Furthermore, sincethe queenside is completely locked up (and white has the only knight) theking should move toward the central kingside. However, ultimately thegame looks lost for white. There is only a little play on the kingside,and the only hope is to expose the king. That is why those pawns on h andg need to move forward. The queen needs to move out of the way, I think Sue: @pawntificator thanks for your much needed advice. My. suggestednext move will prolly be Qe1. Isaac: The queen is now the only defenderof the knight on g5 against the black queen so you can't abandon it now.Besides I think black will just play f6 ( I accidentally said f7 earlier)forcing the knight to retreat back to f3. After that white might be ableto move the queen and push those pawns. But look for black to get therooks on h8 and g8 or maybe f8 and run the king away to start a push oftheir own. Sue: I change my suggest next move for white to Nhh3 that wayblack will get no where by doubling rooks. We could either do that ormove the knight back to f3 and then the Queen to e1. } 25... Rh5 { Right afterthis the next move is made without a vote because I was AFK, as noted. Sue: Black played Rh5 attacking our knight twice with Rook and Bishop.I moved our knigh back to f3 the only safe square. Joe: This is wherewe are. I'm going away tomorrow, and with a busy work week, I'll haveto extend my vacation flag. Therefore, it's unlikely that I'll be ableto make it back on for a week. So, I'm probably gonna have to miss a votefor two. For that reason, I'll be leaving Ron in charge of the fen, sothat I know where we are when I come back onto the computer. } 26. Nf3 g5 { Sue: Black. Has moved G5 my suggested move is Be2. Ron: Current Boardafter 26. I want to thank Pawn for his brilliant analysis and welcomehim to help white out with our next move. While jcarp enjoys his vacationlets do our best and carry on with this game. Joe: Thanks Ron. I cameback and it's starting to settle down. Not completely out of the woodssince I switched shifts, and thus, will be working tomorrow morning. Oncethat sets, it's settled for this week. Because of a tropical developmentwith Tropical Storm Hermine changing it's course, with the new possibilitythat it'll hit my area, it could change again. But, I've learned, as notedin my annotation about Super Storm Sandy, not to get overworked with thingslike that. Anyway, I'm thinking about what to play next, in this position.Not sure but think that Qf2 is best here as this would enable us to playh3 followed by g4 later on with the threat against the Rook. There mightbe ways to stop it, but even then, I currently don't know of a move that'sbetter, or as good as, bringing the Queen back. So, Qf2 is my vote fornow but, as usual, could change. Sue: I am going to move Qf2. black tomove. } 27. Qf2 Bg4 28. Be2 { Sue: Black has moved Bg4. White moved Be2 } 28... Bxf3 { Sue: Black has moved Bxf3, my suggested move BxB. Ron: I alsosuggest Bxf3 as next move Joe: I also like Qxf3, as it could threatena K side attack. What it boils down is if it brings our Queen out of play?I don't think so, but if we take with the Bishop, that'll have more mobilitythen if we take the other way. As right now, I don't like the placementof our Be2. But, that'll change if that's how we recapture. So, under thatground, my vote is also Bxf3. } 29. Bxf3 { Sue: Move made by white Bxf3. Black's move. } 29... Qf6 { Sue: Black has moved Qf6? My suggested move Qe2. Joe: We're here. And, what I know is that we should move our Queen. But,I like the Qe2 the best as not only do we threaten the Rook, but thereis another attacker on the same diagnol. So, Qe2 is also my vote sinceblack will be faced with a little pressure. } 30. Qe2 { Sue: I have justmoved Qe2. Black to move. } 30... Rh4 { Sue: Black has move Rh4. My vote us forG3 driving the Rook back. Joe: This is where we stand. I like g3 whichattacks the Rook and appears to gain tempo, but it is not my vote. As thereis more and a bigger picture, being that it would appear to leave our Queenout of play since it wouldn't be able to reach the g or h files. My votewould be Rf1 to break the half pin that black has on our Bf3. Sue: Ifwe move Rf1, black will take our h-pawn. We are already material down.We need a tie-breaker? I shall ask redfoxrising to vot. Joe: That is truewhich I overlooked. What I did was the h pawn since it is our only Rook.It's a common problem called Ghost Vision since I forgot that the pawnwas there. Ok, my vote changes to g3. And, since we're nearing the endgame,I don't think that K safety is as much of a concern, at this point. But,I'm interested on Ron's take. Ron: looked at this and suggest Qg2 nowthat Black's rook is on h4. 1. Qf2 Rah8 2. h3 R8h6 3. Qg3 Kg6 4. Ke2Rxh3 5. gxh3 g4 6. Qxg4+ Kh7 7. Rg1 Qh4 8. Qg8# CHECKMATE May behope chess idea but this board is locked up so tight Sue: What do youthink of Ron's idea? Joe: I like Ron's idea even more. } 31. Qf2 { Sue:I have moved Qf2 for us following Ron's idea. Black to move. } 31... Rh6 { Sue:Black has moved Rh6 I still think we should move h3 followed by Qg3 though. Joe: This one is very difficult. I was gonna vote for g3 similar to before.But, in comparing the position with Ron's analysis, despite a differentmove. It's still similar and might lead to a swindle anyway. So, I thinkthat h3 is the way to go. } 32. h3 { Sue: I have moved h3. Black's intentionmight be to double Rooks. } 32... Qg6 { Sue: Black has moved Qg6. Not sure whatto move now. Possibilities are G3, G4 or Q f3 sooner or later we will needto move our Rook in case black doubles Rooks on h-file. Joe: I'm not surewhat to do. Will need to come up with a vote later on. It is a difficultposition. Sue: I like Bg4 followed by Bf5. Isaac: Make sure you protectall your pawns while maneuvering. Joe: pawntificator is right becauseif the B moves, white loses a pawn. With that being said my vote is Qe3,as that will enable us to play that sequence without losing more material. Isaac: Do you have a reason for deciding between Qe2 and Qe3, or possiblyeven Re1? Joe: Now that you mention it, I do. I like Re1, so my vote changesto that as it centralizes the Rook. And, this is where I apply what I'velearned from elyhim. What he said was, first, centralizing the Rook isthe way to control the center. Second, center control isn't just importantin the opening. At the time, I only thought it mattered in the beginning,but Terence said that it is also important in the mid and end games. Infact, the annotation, where he said was an example of the importance ofcenter control in the late mid game. And, he maintained a control with,although a different position, the exact same move since it centralizedthe Rook. This is what helped him to win that game. Isaac: Black playingf5 seems to be the only immediate challenge to the position. Joe: You'reright. So, the question is what can we do prevent that, whilst, addinga defender to the pawn. What I believe is that if the B stays where itis for much longer, it's left with less mobility. And, as we know mobilityplays an essential role. I just don't know what else to do. Isaac: g4would do it, but then our bishop loses all mobility until and IF blackever plays f5. I think protecting the pawn and trying to get the bishopout by Bf4 and Bg5 is the best plan. If f5 is played then perhaps justtake and get the bishop more mobility by moving to e4. I'm not greatat endgames but it looks like this should be a draw. although, if therook moves to e1 then the queen can pin the bishop to the white queen. I probably shouldn't discuss this, I only look in once in a while. Ihaven't really been involved in the game. Ron: We each have a Queen, Blackhas both Rooks we have a Rook and a Bishop, Black will double the Rooks We each have blockades and our Bishop is better at blockading than hisrook. We should get a draw I keep looking at g4 or Bg4 I support bothof these. Isaac: Bg4 looks really dangerous letting the queen behind enemylines. Joe: It's fine. It doesn't matter the time in which you post forthis game. That's because I continued the game here at a later phase. I agree, and thus, believe that we might, very well, have to give up thepawn. It was hard, but Qe3 is indeed my vote. It still doesn't preventf5 from being played, but the piece is protected, and it prevents blackfrom pinning our Bf3. } 33. Qe3 { Sue: I moved Qe3 for white. Blackto move. } 33... f6 { Sue: Black has moved f6. Our turn. Joe: My vote is Re1,at this point, to centralize the Rook. Ron: I'm for blockading.. Bf4or g4. Sue: I think we should go along with one of Ron's suggestions whatdo you think. The the only reason to move the rook is to make it safer.Penguin(don't know his real name) says position looks like heading fora draw. We could manage this with accurate play. Ron: a draw in our positionis good as we are way down. A Rook. Blockcade is just forcing a drawishgame g4 is beter for us Sue: I will move G4 tomorrow. Hope you agreeJoe. Joe: I agree with this. I'm hoping to get a draw, as Ron mentioned. } 34. g4 { Sue: I have moved G4. Black to move. } 34... Rah8 { Sue: Black playedRah8' I recommend we play Bg2 preventing black from taking h3. ...Rxh3,Bxh3.. Joe: I agree. What happens in general is the same with this positionbeing that two Rooks on one file is dangerous. So, Bg2 is my vote becausethat pawn is defended 3 times, if we play that. Isaac: The position isalmost impenetrable. The only way they can get behind the lines is withthe queen, probably on h4 Sue: I am moving Bg2. Black to move. } 35. Bg2 R6h7 { Sue: Black has move Ra h8. I suggest we move Rf1 Rf3' Qg1 Q f1and finally Rxf6. Or shall we offer a draw now? Joe: I like that planbut think he might be able to stop it. And, if we offer a draw, he'll morethen likely, decline since we're behind. So, I think that the plan is thebest thing that I see coming, so my vote is Rf1. } 36. Rf1 { Sue: MovedRf1. Black to move. Joe: Let's see how black answers. Ron: If I wasBlack I think I would say it's a draw but If I was to make a move whichis the question. double up the rooks Rah8 this could happen... 1. ...Rah8 2. Rh1 Rh4 3. Qf3 Qh6 4. Qg3 Rxh3 5. Bxh3 Qxh3 6. Rxh3 Rxh3 7. Qxh3 I also tried something else and Black checkmated. position isstill playable have to be cautious not to stalemate also. I change mymind and say lets play on until penguin asks for the draw Joe: Which iswhy I'm convinced that he was not going to accept a draw, were we to offerit. } 36... Kf7 { Sue: What do you think of rf3. Joe: I like Rf3. I think that'sour best option in the situation that we're currently at. Ron: I favorRf3 also. } 37. Rf3 { Sue: White has moved Rf3. Black to move. } 37... Ke7 { Sue:Black has moved Qg6 . I suggest we make a waiting move with our bishop, if we move our Queen black will take the pawn' Ron: I say move up ourKing, not that,much is going to happen in this locked position It is ourturn to move we are playing white Black is up a rook, we have a lsb,pawns are equal, we each have a Q my suggestion was to move up our Kingd2 or e2 since we have the lsb maybe d2 is best? Sue: I am going tomove Kd2 to see what black will play. } 38. Kd2 { Ron: What can Black playWhere can he attack? Rxh3 loses Rh4,Rg3 to protect This should a draw.What do you think? Sue: I agree with you. Ron: yea just ask for the drawthis game is so locked up its the correct thing to do. Sue: I have offeredblack a draw offer. } 38... Rh4 { Sue: Black has moved Rh4. We can only moveour King. Anything else would cause loss of material. I am surprise hedidn't accept draw. Joe: With what you said, I'm also a little surprised.But, I'm not as much because in a different game that I thought was a drawagainst my coach, he declined. The lesson there is that, 'you have to playout the draw, first' as he said. Meaning, that you have to finish it outand be sure that it's a draw, I guess. What he's really getting at is don'tgo for a draw just because it appears so. Instead, play the rest out becausehe also mentioned that it can change if one side makes even a single mistake. Sue: What do you think we should move? Joe: I think that our best moveis Ke2 with the idea of moving our K far enough to the right to allow aneventual Kg3 with the idea that it's not as mobile where it is. The ideabehind moving to e2 is in hope of increasing its mobility. Ron: I'm forKe2 also. Isaac: No Our king can only do any good at h2 defending thepawn. The pawn is already completely defended. A king move could be useful,but not as a journey toward the kingside. The game is dead draw and ourking is best kept in the center on our side. Our only fear is a push bythe f pawn when we might have to defend against the e or g pawn. A kingmove is fine but don't go to g3 or we lose all defense. h2 is ok but servesno purpose. Keep the king in the center. Ron: agree with Pawn game isdrawish we need to keep it that way and keep king in center, may be ableto get a 3 move repeative draw, will have to do our best with our opponentnot accepting the draw. Sue: I am going to move Ke2. Black to move. Black has asked for a draw I have accepted. } 1/2-1/2

[Event "Black's quick comeback"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2008.07.29"] [Round "-"] [White "- white"] [Black "antonino-c"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1444"] [TimeControl "?"] [WhiteElo "1370"] { I'm Antonino, playing as black. } 1. e4 { The opening is boring until Imake a mistake. } 1... e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. Nc3 Bc5 4. d3 h6 5. f4 { Here comes themistake... } 5... Ng4 { Not paying enough attention, my knight commits suicide. } 6. Qxg4 { The Queen begins and attack, backed by the developed white bishop. } 6... g6 { I'm forced to defend g7. } 7. fxe5 { White's pawn continues his march. } 7... d6 { I confront the pawn and uncover an attack on White's Queen. } 8. Qf3 { His retreat opens a checkmate threat on f7. } 8... O-O { I castle to protectthe pawn and guard the King. } 9. Bxh6 { White takes a free pawn, attackingthe rook that I cannot move, but this is where I turn the game around fora fairly quick checkmate. } 9... Qh4+ { Knowing that I can't defend the rook,I put White in check and position myself to capture the menacing bishop. } 10. g3 { With no way to save the bishop. White puts a pawn in the way. } 10... Qxh6 { Some pressure is taken off of my king, and the rook is saved. } 11. Nd5 { Seeing no need to protect his king any further, White begins a newattack that I cannot stop. } 11... Nc6 { I choose to counter attack and simultaneouslyleave my rook room to escape the knight's predictable next move. } 12. Nxc7 { White ignores my advance, and takes the pawn. The beginning of the end. } 12... Nd4 { My knight safely moves to put his queen in check while positioningitself to fork the king and rook unless his queen defends pawn c2. } 13. Qd1 { With few available options, White's queen goes back home, allowingmy Queen to come in to attack. } 13... Qe3+ { White can either surrender his queento my knight or walk into checkmate by putting his knight in the way. } 14. Ne2 { Unable to part with his Queen, he makes his second to last move. } 14... Nf3+ { Now the king has nowhere to go but f1. } 15. Kf1 { I could end thegame by moving the Queen to f2 or bringing my white bishop down to h3,which I found to be more interesting. } 15... Bh3# { Somehow, the game I shouldhave lost turned around in my favor. I've won even though I only capturedone of his pieces and lost a knight and three pawns. } 0-1

[Event "An Opening Trap for the Greedy"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date ""] [Round "-"] [White "lcampop"] [Black "???"] [Result "1-0"] { I was playing a game with the Scotch Opening when I saw this funny trap. } 1. e4 { Opening up the queen and f1 bishop and controlling d5. } 1... e5 { A commonresponse, the king pawn game. } 2. Nf3 { Attacking the pawn and leading toseveral common openings. } 2... Nc6 { Protecting the pawn. Other moves are d6(Philidor) or Nf6 (Petrov). } 3. d4 { The Scotch Opening. Planning dxe5,winning a pawn. } 3... exd4 { Destroying the threat and the d4 pawn. } 4. Nxd4 { Recapturing and putting a knight in the center of the board. } 4... Nxd4 { Notthe best move. This allows the white queen to come to a powerful postat d4. Better is Bc5 or Nf6. } 5. Qxd4 { Maintaining material equality. } 5... Qf6 { Black is hoping for Qxf6 Nxf6 or a retreat of the queen. } 6. e5 { Thisis a good move that wins a tempo for white. } 6... Qg6 { A move that tries toavoid giving up a tempo by threatening the c2 pawn. If Qb6 Qxb6 and Nc3or Qc6 Nc3 or Qe6 Bc4. } 7. Nc3 { Developing with tempo. The pawn is notas undefended as it seems. } 7... Qxc2 { ?? Black greedily snatches the c pawn. } 8. Bd3 { Black resigns as his queen is trapped. } 1-0

[Event "Fast Ladder - an exciting draw"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009.09.24"] [Round "-"] [White "rjacobs"] [Black "pineman"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [BlackElo "1676"] [TimeControl "3d+1d<3d"] [WhiteElo "1525"] 1. d4 { Nearly all my games on the Fast Ladder have been against lower-ratedopposition whom I challenged because they were higher up the ladder, soin most I have been Black. Recently, the tables have been turned on meas higher-rated played lower down the ladder have challenged me. Hereis one such challenge I survived by the skin of my teeth. I open with1.d4, which has recently been my habit against higher-rated players. } 1... d5 2. c4 e5 { Black replies with the Albin Counter-Gambit, a favourite of twoof my colleagues at Didcot Chess Club. Despite several knockabout gamesat the club, I still don't know it. } 3. dxe5 { This seems to be the principledresponse. } 3... d4 { This pawn is designed to be a thorn in White's front. } 4. Nf3 { I hasten my development, attacking the pawn at the same time and inadvertentlyavoid the Lasker Trap: 'The careless move 4.e3? can lead to the LaskerTrap. After 4...Bb4+ 5.Bd2 dxe3 6.Bxb4?? is a blunder — 6...exf2+ 7.Ke2fxg1=N+ and Black wins. The Lasker Trap is notable because it is rare tosee an underpromotion as early as move 7.' ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albin_Countergambit) } 4... c5 { Black bolsters the pawn, establishing a powerful centre that I'mgoing to have to play around. } 5. g3 { As mentioned, I decide to developaround the Black pawns, rather than challenge them directly with 5. e3(The Lasker trap would no longer work because the pawn on c5 prevents 5...Bb4+). Of 5. g3, Wikipedia says: 'Perhaps White's surest try for an advantageis to fianchetto his king bishop with 5.g3 followed by Bg2 and Nbd2. Blackwill often castle queenside. A typical continuation is 5.g3 Be6 6.Nbd2Qd7 7.Bg2 0-0-0 8.0-0 Bh3.' } 5... Be6 6. b3 { I diverge from Wikipedia's line,not that I was following it at the time (I'm just using it as referencefor the annotation). I think this move is in the Gameknot database, though. It's consistent with my avoidance of 5. e3 and plan to fianchetto, defendingthe c4 pawn with another pawn. } 6... Nc6 { Black continues to develop his Queenside,probably preparing Queenside castling. } 7. Bg2 Qa5+ 8. Bd2 { Counter-attackingBlack's Q but depriving my QN of its best square. } 8... Qc7 9. O-O { Offeringthe e-pawn back for developing. } 9... O-O-O { Black ignores the offer to gethis K to relative safety. } 10. Bf4 { Now I defend the pawn to make roomfor my QN. } 10... h6 { Black prepares to push the B back again. } 11. Na3 { Nowdeveloping the N to d2 would have deprived the B of retreat squares, soit goes to a3, hoping to attack from b5. } 11... a6 { Black scotches that idea. } 12. Nc2 { A knight on the rim is dim and he has no future over there, sohe heads back towards the centre. } 12... g5 { As predicted, the B is pushed back } 13. Bd2 Nxe5 { and Black finally wins back his pawn. } 14. Qe1 { Threateningto skewer Q and R from a5, a threat easily parried, but it also gets myQ off the d-file, which Black has occupied with a Rook. } 14... Nc6 15. Rd1 { Whiteis preparing to break out in the centre some time soon. } 15... Bf5 { Attackingthe loose N on c2. } 16. e4 { ?! As the game developed, this didn't turnout badly but it desrves at least a 'dubious' because I'd failed to seethe force of Black's reply. } 16... Re8 { ! The pawn is pinned and can't be defended. } 17. exf5 { ! I think this was making the best of a bad job. On conventionalscoring, I only lose 1 point and should be able to contest control of thecentre. } 17... Rxe1 18. Rfxe1 Nf6 { Black hastens to develop his remaining pieces. For a gambiteer, he is surprisingly behind in development but has gotrid of White's Queen. } 19. a3 { A slow move, depriving Black's QN of a keysquare and preparing to open a second front in front of Black's K. } 19... Bd6 { Pointing at White's kingside. If Black can get in a few moves with hish-pawn, he will have a powerful attack. } 20. b4 { White continues with hisplan. } 20... d3 { Black seizes the opportunity to harass the N that defends b4. The downside of this move is that the pawn is now out on a limb (well,in thin air really!) } 21. Ne3 { White uses the square released by Black'slast move to threaten to occupy d5, attacking Black's Q. } 21... cxb4 { Black goesfor the extra pawn, by opening up the position in front of his K and Q. } 22. Nd5 Nxd5 23. cxd5 g4 { Rather than 23...N moves 24. Rc1 pinning Q againstK. Now some careful calculations are required... } 24. dxc6 gxf3 25. Bxf3 bxc6 26. Bxb4 { Winning back the b-pawn while I can, before going afterthe c-pawn; also revealing an attack on the loose d-pawn. } 26... Bxb4 27. axb4 Rd8 28. Rd2 { Preventing the d-pawn from advancing. 28. Rc1 would havebeen a blunder because of the fork. } 28... c5 29. Rc1 { Pinning the c-pawn } 29... c4 { which advances to (apparently) defend the d-pawn, though of course itis pinned .... } 30. Be4 { Because of the pin, this threatens to win thed-pawn. } 30... Rd4 { This attacks the B but makes no difference to the calculationof the capture on d3. } 31. Bxd3 Qd7 { Black sidesteps the pin. Now eitherthe B or the R behind it appears doomed but I spot a neat trick based ona revealed check. } 32. Bxc4 { Apparently this loses the Rd2 but ... } 32... Rxd2 33. Be6+ { ! Revealed check: Black can't block it sensibly because the Qis pinned by the B, which can't be taken because of the check. I thinkthis move was difficult to spot because the square appears to be well defendedby Black's Q and f-pawn. } 33... Kb7 34. Bxd7 Rxd7 { Now White is two clear pawnsahead but the advantage is difficult to exploit because one of them isdoubled and Black has a remote pawn that soon becomes a passed pawn. Ithink I should have prevented that from happening. } 35. g4 { ? invitingBlack to fork White's 4th rank pawns. } 35... Rd4 { ! This is a powerful fork. White doesn't want Black to take either pawn, one of which restrains Black'sa-pawn, one provides a direct line to White's King. } 36. h3 { ? The easyoption but in retrospect the b-pawn was the more important to save. } 36... Rxb4 37. Re1 { Preparing to counter-attack on the 7th rank and hoping then topromote the advanced f-pawn. } 37... Rc4 { Black prepares to block the check anddefend his f-pawn at the same time. } 38. Kf1 { Moving the King within thequeening square (both Black's a-pawn and White's K are 5 moves from a1). } 38... a5 39. Re7+ { I need the tempo provided by this check to enable my k toget across the board. I may also be able to snaffle the f-pawn or getbehind the a-pawn if Black errs. } 39... Rc7 40. Re1 { I decided to keep Rookson as I didn't trust my ability to both capture the a-pawn and get backto defend or promote my own pawns in a pure pawn endgame. After 40. Rxc7+Kxc7, White's K would be 5 moves from capturing the a-pawn. Black coulduse those 5 moves to capture the rear f-pawn and would then be able tohunt down the remaining pawns if White's King scuttled back across theboard. White would have to deploy careful tactics to try to get a passedpawn while Black's King was in pursuit. } 40... Kb6 41. Rb1+ { So I opted for tryingto prevent Black from moving his pawn by delivering frontal checks. Blackcan't move away from his R or pawn else he loses one or both. If he retreatsbehind the pawn he can't support its advance effectively. } 41... Kc5 42. Rc1+ Kb6 { Black had to defend the R } 43. Rb1+ Kc5 44. Rc1+ Kb6 45. Rb1+ { I couldn'tsee a way of forcing a win, so was happy to implicitly offer a draw byrepetition. } 45... Kc5 { With this move, Black offered the draw that Gameknotwould have declared next move anyway. } 1/2-1/2

[Event "Martian chess...Tournament style!"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "on Mars"] [Round "-"] [White "bob alien"] [Black "joe alien"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "7212"] [TimeControl "40/5hours, G/1 week"] [WhiteElo "7898"] 1. e4 e5 2. d4 d5 3. c4 c5 4. b4 b5 5. a4 a5 6. f4 f5 7. g4 g5 8. h4 h5 9. Ra3 Ra6 10. Rhh3 Rhh6 11. Ne2 Ne7 12. Nd2 Nd7 13. hxg5 hxg4 14. axb5 axb4 15. dxc5 dxc4 16. exf5 exf4 17. Rh1 Rh8 18. Ra1 Ra8 19. Rg1 Rg8 20. Rb1 Rb8 { The martians set up the board.Pease note that their rating systemis different than ours. } 21. Nxf4 { One of a plethora of opening strategies. } 21... Nxf5 { A classic reply. } 22. Nxc4 Nxc5 { And they really play it out by thebook. } 23. Rxg4 Rxb5 { Boring opening. } 24. Qa4 { The Nimoteso attack. } 24... Rxg5 { That one never gets old. } 25. Qxb5+ Bd7 { One defense later... } 26. Qxb4 { That was.......................... odd. } 26... Nd3+ { Boink! } 27. Kd2 { See howquick the momentum changes. } 27... Nxb4 28. Ba3 Rxg4 { This will end soon. } 29. Rxb4 Bxb4+ 30. Bxb4 { All downhill for bob as white now... } 30... Bb5+ 31. Kc3 Bxc4 32. Kxc4 Ne3+ 33. Kc5 Qe7+ 34. Kc6 Qd7+ 35. Kb6 Rxf4 36. Kc5 Qe7+ 37. Kc6 Rf6+ 38. Kb5 Qe5+ 39. Ka4 Qa1+ 40. Kb3 Nxf1 41. Bc3 Qb1+ 42. Ka3 { Nothing worth mentioning up to here... } 42... Ra6+ { Bob will lose soon. } 43. Ba5 Rxa5# { See? } 0-1

[Event "Challenge from aspiemikey"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009.06.06"] [Round "-"] [White "aspiemikey"] [Black "sinziana"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1256"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1315"] 1. e4 e5 2. d4 { I move up my centre pawns to free my queen and bishops... } 2... exd4 3. Qxd4 { ...then we exchange. } 3... d6 4. Nf3 { Now I develop my knight... } 4... Nc6 { ...he develops his to attack my queen... } 5. Bb5 { ...I develop mybishop and pin the knight down... } 5... Bd7 { ...he brings out his bishop tounpin it... } 6. Bxc6 { ...so I remove the knight and its threat to the queen... } 6... Bxc6 { ...but lose my bishop... } 7. O-O { ...and castle kingside to bringmy rook into play if needs be. } 7... Qe7 { His queen adds pressure to my pawnon e4... } 8. Nc3 { ...so I contest it with my knight. } 8... b6 9. Bg5 { Now Imove up my other bishop to attack the queen... } 9... f6 10. Be3 { ...but it mustretreat. } 10... O-O-O 11. Nd5 { Now I move up my knight to attack the queen... } 11... Qe6 { ...but he moves her out of the way... } 12. Qc4 { ...so I attack thebishop... } 12... b5 { ...and he attacks my queen... } 13. Qxc6 { ...so I accepthis bishop. } 13... Qf7 14. Bxa7 { Now my surviving bishop removes his far pawn... } 14... Re8 15. Nb6+ { ...so my knight can attack the king, whilst protected fromthe pawn by the queen. } 15... Kd8 { He moves him onto the only possible space... } 16. Qa8+ { ...so my queen can attack him. } 16... Ke7 { Again, there is only onespace to move... } 17. Nc8+ { ...so my knight attacks again. } 17... Kd7 18. Nxd6 { Now I remove a pawn... } 18... Kxd6 { ...but removing the knight with the king... } 19. Rad1+ { ...allows one of my rooks to force the king to the e-file... } 19... Ke6 20. Qd5+ { ...so the queen... } 20... Ke7 21. Bc5# { ...and the bishop can movein for the kill. } 1-0

[Event "Team match"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2014.08.21"] [Round "-"] [White "last_archimedean"] [Black "stewpotk"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1408"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1350"] { This grueling game was filled with twists and turns. I finally won a difficultending. } 1. d4 c5 2. d5 d6 3. c4 e5 4. e4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Be7 6. Nf3 O-O 7. Be2 Nbd7 8. O-O b6 9. b3 Bb7 10. Bb2 a6 11. a4 a5 { With the locked Pawnposition on the Q-side, the game is destined to go slowly. } 12. Nb5 Nb8 13. Bd3 Na6 14. Bc3 Nb4 15. Bxb4 cxb4 { The first real action takes place,with an exchange of minor pieces. } 16. Rc1 Nd7 17. Bb1 Nc5 18. Ne1 { Anerror, leaving the KP en prise. } 18... Ba6 19. Nd3 { 18 P-B3 was the correct move. } 19... Nxe4 20. Nb2 Bxb5 21. cxb5 { Well, at least I have an open file for my Rook. } 21... Bg5 22. Bxe4 { Whoops, another oversight. At this level that's how gamesare decided. } 22... Bxc1 23. Qxc1 { Huh, not so bad after all. Material is evenbut unbalanced. } 23... Rc8 24. Qd2 Rc3 25. Bc2 Qc7 26. Nc4 { Breaking the linkageof the Black pieces on the QB file. } 26... f5 27. g3 e4 28. Rc1 Kh8 29. Qf4 { Pressuringthe QP. } 29... Rf3 30. Qxd6 { This time Black overlooked that a pawn was en prise. } 30... Qb8 31. Qxb6 { I win another Pawn and offer another exchange of Q's. } 31... Qa8 32. Qc6 Qd8 33. Ne5 Rc3 34. Qd7 Qf6 { Black resolutely resists the exchange. } 35. Nc4 Rd8 36. Qe6 Qg5 37. Ne3 { A blunder, although loss of some materialappears inevitable. } 37... Rxe3 38. fxe3 Qxe3+ { I had overlooked this shot. } 39. Kg2 Qxc1 40. Qe7 { The way the material edge has been shifting backand forth, it's far from over. } 40... Qxc2+ { Whoops, missed this one too. } 41. Kh3 Rg8 { Locking the position against any back rank mates. } 42. d6 { H'mm,I have a couple of passed Pawns... } 42... Qc8 43. d7 { Onward! } 43... Qd8 44. Qd6 { Blackcan stop the one Pawn, but another danger lurks... } 44... g6 45. b6 { ...in theform of this passer. } 45... Rg7 46. b7 { I now threaten P-N8 (Q) pinning and winningthe Queen. } 46... Rxd7 47. Qe5+ { This move buys time for... } 47... Kg8 48. b8=Q { ...thisone. } 48... Qxb8 49. Qxb8+ { It's still far from over. A Rook and two Pawns includinga protected passer has chances against a Queen. } 49... Kf7 50. Qe5 { I hastenback to the danger zone. } 50... Kg8 51. Qxa5 { Time to start eliminating BlackPawns. } 51... Re7 52. Qxb4 { Another one down. } 52... e3 53. Qe1 { Blockade tactics. } 53... g5 54. Kg2 g4 { A mistake. 54... P-B5 would leave Black with two connectedpassed Pawns if I chose to exchange them. } 55. Qe2 Kf7 56. h3 h5 57. hxg4 hxg4 { Now I have one Pawn holding 2 on the K side. } 58. b4 Kg6 59. Kf1 Kg5 60. a5 { My Q-side Pawns are now a distinct threat. } 60... f4 61. gxf4+ Kxf4 62. Kg2 { With Black's K-side Pawns now split I should be able to pick themoff. } 62... Rd7 63. Qc4+ Ke5 64. Qxg4 { One gone. } 64... Rd2+ 65. Kf1 e2+ 66. Ke1 { Theplan is now QxP at the correct moment, and after ...RxQ KxR I can win withmy connected QR and QN Pawns. } 66... Ra2 67. Qh5+ Kd4 68. Qxe2 Ra1+ { Black doesn'twant to give up his last piece... } 69. Qd1+ { ...but I force the issue. } 69... Rxd1+ 70. Kxd1 { Now it's a simple matter of technique. } 70... Kc4 71. Kc2 Kb5 72. Kb3 Ka6 73. Kc4 Kb7 74. Kb5 Ka7 75. a6 Ka8 76. Kb6 Kb8 77. b5 Ka8 78. Kc6 Ka7 79. b6+ Kb8 80. b7 Ka7 81. Kc7 Kxa6 82. b8=Q { And Black resigns. } 1-0

[Event "bears1's mini-tournament XLV"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2014.05.11"] [Round "-"] [White "mic1971"] [Black "marysson"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "996"] [TimeControl "3d+2d<5d"] [WhiteElo "947"] 1. d4 d5 2. e3 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. Nc3 Bg4 5. h3 Bxf3 6. gxf3 { Here whitedoubles his pawns. QxBf3 would preserve the king's side pawn structure,in case white ever wanted to castle on the king's side. } 6... e6 7. f4 Ne7 8. Bb5+ c6 9. Ba4 b5 10. Bb3 b4 11. Na4 a5 12. f3 O-O 13. f5 { What did thispawn sacrifice accomplish? } 13... exf5 { I like NxPf5 better, though moving thispawn does help clear the e file. Black's e7 knight is now blocked by pawns. Of course, it is also protecting pawns, but it isn't in all that greata location. } 14. f4 Nc8 { Nd6, Ne4, it will take two moves to position thisknight somewhere good, giving white opportunity to develop his pieces. } 15. Nc5 Nd6 16. c4 Qc7 { I like Pxc3 e.p. much better. White now has apawn and bishop bearing down on poor little Pd5, which black will kissgoodbye. } 17. cxd5 cxd5 18. Bxd5 { Bye little pawn, hello rook! } 18... Ra7 19. h4 Ne4 20. Bxe4 Rd8 { Wait, what? Knight for nothing? } 21. h5 { ? Why notmove the bishop? There will be plenty of time for pushing pawns when majorpieces are free from danger. } 21... Qd6 { PxBe4 isn't going to wait forever. } 22. Qb3 { ...or maybe it will. } 22... fxe4 { :) Finally! } 23. Nxe4 Qd5 24. Nc5 { ? Seriously wrong. Qd3 or Qc2 would protect the knight. Even QxQd5would be ok. But This--QxRh1+ spells disaster for white. } 24... Qxh1+ 25. Kd2 Qxh5 26. Kd3 { Oops, QxNc5. The white knight is fair game because it isNOT protected by the d4 pawn (discovered check by black's d8 rook). } 26... Qf5+ 27. e4 Qc8 { I still liked QxNc5. Free knight. What 's not to love? } 28. f5 { The knight is still available... } 28... Qxc5 { :) } 29. Ke2 { Mm, I kind oflike Be3 to protect that pawn. RxPd4 would be a terrible idea, since Be3would pin black's rook against the queen. QxPd4 is the way to go here. } 29... Qxd4 { White might think Be3 will pin black's queen against the a7 rook,but black can respond with QxPe4, giving time to move the rook out of harm'sway. } 30. Be3 Qxe4 { An alternative is QxPb2+. This forces a queen trade,but ultimately does not work out as well for black. The e4 pawn is themuch tastier morsel. } 31. Rd1 { Every trade now counts to black's advantage. } 31... Rxd1 32. Kxd1 Rd7+ 33. Ke2 Qg4+ { QxPf5 is also worth considering. } 34. Ke1 Qxf5 35. a3 Qb1+ { Personally, I like Rd3. The white queen then cannotmove to protect white's bishop, which subsequently falls with RxBe3+. Black becomes beautifully positioned. } 36. Ke2 Qd1+ { This is a really badtrade. Queen and rook for a queen? Here Re7 would have been a lot better. Even QxPb2+ (forcing a queen trade) gets black a queen and pawn for aqueen. } 37. Qxd1 Rxd1 38. Kxd1 Bxb2 39. Bf4 Nc6 40. axb4 Nxb4 41. Ke2 a4 42. Bd6 Nd5 { Nah, don't bother. Pa3 instead. BxNb4, Pa2, white cannotprevent promotion of the queen. } 43. Kd3 a3 44. Kc2 h5 45. Kb1 f5 46. Ka2 f4 47. Bxa3 Bxa3 48. Kxa3 f3 49. Kb3 f2 50. Kc4 f1=Q+ 51. Kxd5 h4 { Blackdoes not need another queen. Here Kf7 would probably help end the gamequicker. Time to run the white king up against the edge of the board andgut him. } 0-1

[Event "Let's play chess"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009.04.20"] [Round "-"] [White "elyhim"] [Black "rusmil"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1662"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1881"] 1. c4 e5 2. g3 Nc6 3. Bg2 d6 4. Nc3 g6 5. Rb1 Bg7 6. e3 f5 7. d3 Nf6 8. Nge2 O-O 9. b4 { Advancing the b pawn to gain space on the queenside. } 9... Rb8 { ? a slight error: the best way to deal with a flank attack is to attackin the centre. Better is e5-e4. } 10. b5 Ne7 11. O-O g5 { ? another positionalblunder that does not quite give up the game but seriously weakens thesquares in front of the castled king. The aim of this move is to play asupported f5-f4 which results in a open g file. However, I am not afraidto open the g file because I see that I can make great use of the file. } 12. f4 gxf4 13. gxf4 Ng6 { a good move that breaths some life into a dyinghorse. } 14. Qa4 { Not 14...Nd5 which leads to a draw by allowing blackto exchange pieces to lessen black's cramped position. I played 14. ...Qa4because I wanted to give myself a chance to win. } 14... Ng4 { A big blunder thatmakes black's life very hard. The knight has abandoned d5 and does nothingto stop ...Qxa7. Both Be6 and Ra8 keep the game semi-equal. } 15. Qxa7 Be6 { Black can not afford to allow white to invade with Nd5 } 16. h3 { evictingthe knight before knocking of the the pawn. Which is important becauseif: 16. Bxb7 then 16. ...Qh4 gives black the advantage. The pawn on h3prevents black from creating mating threats on h2. } 16... Nh6 17. Bxb7 Qh4 { e5-e4is better because it cuts whites forces in half. } 18. Bg2 exf4 { ?? a hugeerror that gives up all hope for black to make a defense. } 19. exf4 { Thepawn on f4 creates a massive bind in black's position. It is amazing thatone pawn can render 5 pieces absolutely useless. } 19... Rbc8 20. a4 { Becauseblack has the vast majority of his pieces on the king side white can prettymuch march a pawn to victory } 20... Bd7 21. a5 Rfe8 22. Qf2 { Offering to removethe queens. The exchange would be in whites favor because the absence ofthe queens increases the strength of the past pawn. } 22... Qf6 23. Nd5 Qf7 24. a6 Ne7 25. Nxc7 Rxc7 26. b6 Rc5 27. b7 Nc6 28. Bxc6 Bxc6 29. b8=Q Rxb8 30. Rxb8+ Bf8 31. Qg3+ Kh8 1-0

[Event " Blitz 4m+2s, AMD"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2014.04.10"] [Round "-"] [White "Komodo TCECr 64-bit"] [Black "StockfishRW 170214 64 SSE4.2"] [Result "1-0"] [TimeControl "240+2"] { AMD Phenom(tm) II X4 940 Processor 3006 MHz W=18.2 plies; 3.216kN/s B=23.7 plies; 3.729kN/s } 1. d4 { 0.01/1 0 Ambos Ãoltima jugada del libro } 1... Nf6 { 0.08/22 7 } 2. Nf3 { 0.01/1 0 (e3) } 2... e6 { 0.18/21 8 } 3. c4 { 0.01/10 } 3... d5 { 0.12/22 5 } 4. Nc3 { 0.01/1 0 } 4... Nbd7 { 0.12/23 5 } 5. Bf4 { 0.01/10 (e3) } 5... dxc4 { 0.13/23 12 } 6. e3 { 0. 01/1 0 } 6... Nb6 { 0.14/23 8 } 7. Bxc4 { 0.24/19 7 } 7... Nxc4 { 0.07/24 4 } 8. Qa4+ { 0.25/18 3 } 8... c6 { 0.08/25 5 } 9. Qxc4 { 0.23/18 3 } 9... Nh5 { 0.08/25 4 (Qb6) } 10. Bg5 { 0.52/19 5 (Bg3) } 10... f6 { 0.05/22 4 } 11. Bh4 { 0.47/19 3 } 11... g5 { 0.04/23 5 (g6) } 12. Bg3 { 0.45/196 } 12... Be7 { 0.04/23 4 } 13. Rc1 { 0.44/18 10 (0-0) } 13... O-O { 0.06/21 7 } 14. Nd2 { 0.40/17 7 (0-0) } 14... Bd7 { 0.03/21 4 (Kh8) } 15. O-O { 0.36/17 6 } 15... b6 { 0.02/229 (Ng7) } 16. Rfd1 { 0.33/17 19 } 16... Nxg3 { 0.00/23 8 (Kh8) } 17. hxg3 { 0.43/186 } 17... Qe8 { 0.00/22 6 (Kh8) } 18. Qe2 { 0.43/18 13 (a3) } 18... Bc8 { 0.00/22 15(Rd8) } 19. a4 { 0.39/17 9 (Nf3) } 19... Kg7 { 0.00/21 7 } 20. a5 { 0.54/16 5 (Qc4) } 20... Bb4 { 0.00/22 6 (Kh8) } 21. Nb3 { 0.48/ 18 15 (Na2) } 21... Bd7 { -0.01/21 6 (Kh8) } 22. e4 { 0.61/18 20 } 22... Qf7 { 0.05/20 6 (Kh8) } 23. Qc4 { 0.43/17 9 (e5) } 23... Be7 { 0.00/23 5 } 24. e5 { 0.42/18 6 (Qe2) } 24... f5 { -0.01/21 6 } 25. Qe2 { 0.38/188 (Nd2) } 25... g4 { 0.00/22 15 (Rfd8) } 26. Nd2 { 0.64/17 6 } 26... Rab8 { 0.12/23 21(Bc8) } 27. Nc4 { 0.87/17 2 (axb6) } 27... Bg5 { 0.23/23 10 (Rfd8) } 28. Nd6 { 1.14/174 } 28... Qg6 { 0.23/23 8 (Qh5) } 29. Ra1 { 1.36/18 3 (Rc2) } 29... b5 { 0.27/23 4 } 30. Qd3 { 0.82/17 7 (Qc2) } 30... h5 { -0.01/21 6 } 31. Ne2 { 0.75/18 7 (f4) } 31... Qh6 { 0.15/214 } 32. Kh2 { 0.72/20 8 (f4) } 32... h4 { 0.22/22 5 } 33. Rh1 { 0.85/20 4 } 33... Rh8 { 0.36/23 5 (hxg3+) } 34. Kg1 { 0.95/18 3 } 34... Qg6 { 0.45/24 9 (h3) } 35. gxh4 { 1.00/17 3 } 35... Rxh4 { 0.78/24 4 } 36. Rxh4 { 0.95/18 2 } 36... Bxh4 { 0.86/25 6 } 37. d5 { 1.26/19 4 } 37... cxd5 { 0.80/ 25 7 } 38. Qc3 { 1.30/19 10 } 38... Bd8 { 0.76/253 } 39. Nf4 { 1.44/18 3 } 39... Qh7 { 1.18/25 7 (Qg5) } 40. g3 { 2.07/19 4 (Qc5) } 40... Kg8 { 1.66/24 5 (Ra8) } 41. Qc5 { 2.32/18 2 } 41... Bg5 { 1.71/27 4 } 42. Qxa7 { 2.63/18 4 } 42... Rf8 { 1.95/26 10 } 43. a6 { 2.55/18 2 } 43... Bxf4 { 2.06/ 26 4 } 44. gxf4 { 2.69/17 1 } 44... Kh8 { 2.23/26 10 (g3) } 45. Qb7 { 2.76/19 7 (Qc5) } 45... Rg8 { 1.61/23 5 } 46. Nf7+ { 3.57/21 7 (Ra3) } 46... Qxf7 { 3.62/23 2 } 47. a7 { 3.49/194 } 47... g3 { 3.56/26 3 } 48. a8=Q { 3.88/19 2 } 48... Qh5 { 3.61/27 3 (g2) } 49. fxg3 { 3.02/19 8 } 49... Be8 { 4.33/28 7 } 50. Qa3 { 4.38/19 6 } 50... Qh3 { 4.60/28 5 } 51. Kf2 { 4.22/17 2 } 51... Qh2+ { 4.60/ 28 2 } 52. Ke1 { 4.55/18 4 } 52... b4 { 4.75/24 2(Qg1+) } 53. Qbxb4 { 5.01/17 2 } 53... Qh1+ { 4. 80/27 2 } 54. Kd2 { 4.80/20 3 } 54... Qg2+ { 4.95/28 3 } 55. Kc1 { 5.45/19 3 } 55... Qf1+ { 5.00/ 30 2 } 56. Kc2 { 5.45/191 } 56... Qe2+ { 5.25/31 7 } 57. Kb1 { 5.40/21 5 } 57... Bb5 { 5.25/32 1 } 58. Qaa5 { 5.45/182 (Qbc3) } 58... Rb8 { 6.23/21 2 } 59. Qc3 { 5.63/18 5 (Ka2) } 59... Bc4 { 6. 47/19 3 } 60. Kc1 { 5.76/17 1 (Qa4) } 60... Bd3 { 8.77/22 4 } 61. b4 { 6.10/18 4 (b3) } 61... Qe3+ { 7.00/20 2 (Qf1+) } 62. Kb2 { 6.32/18 1 } 62... Qf2+ { 8.11/21 2 } 63. Ka3 { 6.46/19 3 } 1-0

[Event "Chess mini tournament game"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2018.05.27"] [Round "-"] [White "killroy"] [Black "eric2jin"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "Black"] [TimeControl "3d+3d<7d"] [WhiteElo "White"] { I actually won against killroy on the other mini tournament game, butthis is the first one, in which I lost. The thematic part is the Dutchopening. } 1. d4 { I am black. This is thematic } 1... f5 2. c4 Nf6 3. g3 d6 4. Bg2 c6 5. Nc3 Qd7 { End of thematic } 6. e3 d5 7. Nh3 dxc4 8. O-O e6 9. Nf4 Bd6 10. Nh5 Nxh5 11. Qxh5+ g6 12. Qg5 Be7 13. Qh6 c5 14. Qg7 Rf8 15. Qxh7 cxd4 16. Qxg6+ Kd8 17. exd4 Qxd4 18. Rd1 { Oh no! } 18... Rf6 { I tried. :P } 19. Rxd4+ Bd7 20. Qg5 Nc6 21. Rd1 Rc8 22. a3 Rf8 { Discovered attack } 23. Qd2 { Nope } 23... Kc7 { !? } 24. Qxd7+ Kb8 25. Qxe6 Rf6 26. Qd7 Rd8 { Oh my god am Ilosing } 27. Qxd8+ { Understandable } 27... Bxd8 28. Bg5 Rf8 29. Bxd8 Nxd8 30. Rd7 Kc8 31. Rad1 Nc6 32. b4 f4 33. gxf4 Rxf4 34. b5 Ne5 35. Rd8+ Kc7 36. Re8 Rf5 37. Nd5+ Kd7 { Attacking rook, but white can go Ne4+ or Ne7+ andit is rook + knight + king v. knight + king, all with a few pawns. } 38. Rh8 { Whew! } 38... Ke6 { Move king } 39. Rh6+ { Check } 39... Kd7 { ?? } 40. Ne3+ { I resign } 1-0

[Event "Bobby Fischer's 'Game of the Century'"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "10-17-56"] [Round "-"] [White "Donald Byrne"] [Black "Bobby Fischer"] [Result "0-1"] [TimeControl "Grunfeld Defence"] { There is no telling how many copyright infringements I'm breaking rightnow, and I'm sure RJF would rip my head off for having the audacity toeven LOOK at one of his games, but this game is by far one of my favoritesand I wanted to share it with the masses. For the record, this game WASNOT mine (it was played 14 years before I was born!) and the comments Imake are strictly MY OWN observations....(I can sense that the thoughtpolice are gearing up for a trip to my house!:) This game is simply majestic.Notice how RJF seems to initially decline the center, and then seeminglydisregards his own queen's safety. All of this must have totally confusedByrne, but if he had ANY idea what was in store for him he probably wouldhave stayed in bed that morning. My favorite part of this game is the 'swingingdoor' attack Fischer uses to absolutely destroy any play that Byrne had.This is a masterpiece. Enjoy:) } 1. Nf3 { (*Back one for intro*)Only aGM playing at this level considers this move normal. Most of us patzerstry to stake pawns in the center right away...... } 1... Nf6 { Repaid in kind.It is noted that with the black pieces, RJF tried to castle kingside early,and this move aids that idea, as well as exerting influence in the middle. } 2. c4 { Going for a quick queenside expansion right away. I guess the dand e pawns haven't quite learned to walk yet.... } 2... g6 { And the plan ofRJF is obvious. Bishop to g7 and castling are next....no surprise there. } 3. Nc3 { Simple development. } 3... Bg7 4. d4 { Finally! } 4... O-O 5. Bf4 { More developing,getting the dark squared bishop outside a potential pawn chain. } 5... d5 { RJFfinally stakes a claim in the center. } 6. Qb3 { I see moves like this whenI play stronger players myself. I can only assume the intent is to tiedown black's light squared bishop in a protective role, while protectingthe c pawn and getting an early line aimed towards black's king. } 6... dxc4 7. Qxc4 c6 { I guess this is why I will never break 1600. This move makeslittle sense to me. Black's Nb8 has just lost a potential home. } 8. e4 { And it appears that Byrne owns the center. } 8... Nbd7 { And now RJF blocks inhis light squared bishop. I wonder if he really knows how to play thisgame;) } 9. Rd1 { Strong....rook to half open file, and protecting the dpawn. } 9... Nb6 { And here come the pain....I guess Fischer DOES know a littlesomething about this game! } 10. Qc5 { I like Qd3 better........ } 10... Bg4 { Lastpiece developed, with a nice little pin to boot......... } 11. Bg5 { ? Mistake....Be2was far better as it would break the pin. } 11... Na4 { !! The white queen nowhas some serious issues. } 12. Qa3 Nxc3 13. bxc3 Nxe4 { ! This turns outto be a key move in the game. That knight is righteous and will soon causeserious upheaval in white's defenses..... } 14. Bxe7 { Practically forced...... } 14... Qb6 15. Bc4 { Byrne now entertains the idea of getting his knight to e5or g5. } 15... Nxc3 { ! Weakening the d pawn, and seeing play down the e file.If white takes, then the Be7 is pinned against the king next move. } 16. Bc5 { White counters, attacking the black queen. } 16... Rfe8+ 17. Kf1 { 17. Kd2loses either the Bc5 by 17...Ne4 or loses a rook for a knight by 17...Nb1 18. RxN QxR . } 17... Be6 { !! Stopping any idea of a sac on f7, and seeing thatafter a queen sac, black can take c4 with check! } 18. Bxb6 Bxc4+ { As Emerilwould say......'BAM!!!'. Can you see what black's knight is thinking? } 19. Kg1 Ne2+ { And the 'swinging door' opens. } 20. Kf1 Nxd4+ { And closes..... } 21. Kg1 Ne2+ { And opens..... } 22. Kf1 Nc3+ { And closes.... } 23. Kg1 axb6 { Gaining the bishop while attacking the queen......... } 24. Qb4 Ra4 { !Preserving the strength of black's light squared bishop. } 25. Qxb6 Nxd1 { Notice the position. Black has 5 pieces working collectively, while whitehas a a lonely queen attacking nothing of value, a knight tied down protectinge1, and a rook who has put a 'Do not disturb' sign on his door...... } 26. h3 { A last chance effort to free the rook is coming..... } 26... Rxa2 { Grabbingyet another pawn for free if the king budges. } 27. Kh2 Nxf2 28. Re1 { Ihave no idea why white would instigate a trade here. I guess he is tryingto find a way to coax out the Bg7 and attempt a 3 move repetition. } 28... Rxe1 29. Qd8+ Bf8 { RJF ain't having it!!!!!!!!!!!! } 30. Nxe1 Bd5 { ! Anothergreat move. It points the bishop towards white's king while blocking thewhite queen from retreating back down the d file to defend. } 31. Nf3 Ne4 { Not willing to give up the Bd5 under any circumstance. } 32. Qb8 { Why not?Maybe Bobby will have a heart attack and lose all touch with reality. } 32... b5 { Anybody else notice that besides having an AWESOME attack underway,he also has two connected passed pawns? } 33. h4 { Kind of pointless........... } 33... h5 34. Ne5 { This move was made due to lack of options....... } 34... Kg7 { Puttingthe white knight at least three moves away from delivering a check, whilefreeing the dark squared bishop. Great patience by Fischer. } 35. Kg1 Bc5+ { Byrne's inner vocabulary was probably insulting to Fischer's mother..... } 36. Kf1 Ng3+ { And father....... } 37. Ke1 Bb4+ { And siblings.... } 38. Kd1 Bb3+ { And extended family.... } 39. Kc1 Ne2+ { And dog..... } 40. Kb1 Nc3+ { And the guy who cut Bobby's suits....... } 41. Kc1 Rc2# { And there youhave it. An absolute masterpiece of attack. I've never seen a game likeit. That guy sure could (can?) play. I hope you have enjoyed the game,and I welcome any feedback you may have. Best regards - tag1153 } 0-1

[Event "COMBINATIONS!!!"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2011.05.04"] [Round "-"] [White "theancientbeast"] [Black "irwinblock"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1119"] [TimeControl "1/604800"] [WhiteElo "1024"] { This was a great game played between irwinblock and me. I enjoyed it greatly. } 1. e4 e5 2. d4 d5 { The Centre Game. } 3. Nc3 { Here I deviate from Gameknot'sdatabase. } 3... Bb4 4. f3 { Do you have any idea of what opening this is? I'mtoo lazy to look it up. :) } 4... exd4 5. Qxd4 Bxc3+ 6. Qxc3 { I wanted to keepmy Kingside pawns strong. } 6... dxe4 7. Qxg7 { This is the first of two beautifulcombinations. } 7... exf3 8. Qxh8 f2+ { I expected fxg2. } 9. Kxf2 { Perhaps betterwas Ke2 or something along those lines. } 9... Qf6+ 10. Qxf6 Nxf6 11. Bf4 Ne4+ 12. Ke3 Nd6 13. Bxd6 { When ahead, trade. } 13... cxd6 14. Bb5+ Ke7 15. Kd3 { Clearingthe e file. } 15... a6 16. Re1+ Kf8 17. Re8+ Kg7 18. Bc4 Bf5+ 19. Ke3 b5 20. Bd5 Bxc2 { Useless. } 21. h4 { Here I began to push my h-pawn so that I mightmate him. } 21... Ra7 { Hanging the Knight. } 22. Rxb8 Re7+ 23. Kf4 { Bringing Henryto constrict the other King. } 23... f6 { Allows Rg8+ in the future. } 24. h5 { Herebegins the second of the two combinations. } 24... Kh6 25. Nf3 Kg7 { Can you findthe mating sequence? } 26. h6+ Kg6 27. Nh4+ Kh5 { I expected Kxh6, but theresult is the same. } 28. Nf5+ Kg6 29. Rg8+ Rg7 30. Rxg7# { There it is!!Thank you irwinblock for this memorable game! Please rate and comment. } 1-0

[Event "The Apple assault"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2012.07.23"] [Round "-"] [White "rawgirl"] [Black "yrahcaz0729"] [Result "*"] { I feel like publishing this game. My opponent was able to cancel the gamebecause i took too long to move? I don't recall taking very long on mymoves and had plenty of clock left but whatever. } 1. d4 Nf6 { I decidedto move my horse because it moves in an L shape and that is pretty cool. } 2. Bg5 { I haven't ever seen anyone do this before. } 2... e6 { But it's all coo'because my queen now has visual contact with the steed of awesomeness. } 3. e4 { I see your game, you devious rogue you! } 3... Be7 { That pin isn't coolyo. Not going to lose my Noble steed of awesomeness to some pawn like that. } 4. e5 { Still going to advance. Long hair, don't care } 4... Nd5 { Dun want myhorsy to get taken. } 5. Bd2 { That dude with the cross on his head ran away.Probably because my army is so intimidating and what not. } 5... d6 { Quit crampingme yo, i need some room to breathe. } 6. c3 { Waste of a tempo and removesa good square for one of his horsy. } 6... dxe5 { HIYAHHHHH! And with the swiftnessof a thousand lambs my pawn strikes! } 7. dxe5 { I drew first blood, so itsall good. } 7... Nc6 { Now i have 2 horsy's running around. I wish i had an appleto feed them. } 8. Nf3 { One of his horsy's come to protect the evil footsoldier dude that is in my space. } 8... O-O { My king decides it is time to chillin his awesome castle. It has a pool table. } 9. Bb5 { That other dude withthe cross on his head came out. Long hair, she don't care. } 9... Bd7 { So i figurei will bring my other dude with the cross on his head. His name is Fredrickthe 3rd and 1/2. } 10. Bxc6 { NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MY HORSEY! } 10... Bxc6 { VENGEANCE!dang poachers are stealing my steeds. Luckily Fredrick the 3rd and 1/2was there to rectify the situation and maintain order. } 11. O-O { He goesinto his castle. It probably doesn't have a pool table though. } 11... Nb6 { Myhorsey made another L. It was pretty cool. } 12. Qc2 { The evil succubusis on the move! You shan't have my king succubus! } 12... Bxf3 { I decide to exchangemy crossheaded dude for one of his horsey's, thus piercing his castle! } 13. gxf3 { Now that i see inside his castle, i am certain there is no pooltable. } 13... Nc4 { My horsey threatens his cross headed guy. } 14. Bf4 { But hiscross headed guy runs away... again. What a pansy. } 14... Bg5 { However, my crossheaded guy is not a pansy, and looks to do battle. } 15. Bg3 { And his crossheaded guy runs away again! pansy... } 15... Bh4 { My guy will not be denied! } 16. b3 { meh... } 16... Bxg3 { Hiyahhhh! and the cowardly cross headed dude is slain. } 17. hxg3 { and now no crosses remain. And his castle still has a holein it... Whats up with that? } 17... Nxe5 { Yo... my horsey just ate a man. thatis what happens when you don't feed them apples. } 18. Nd2 { His horsey finallyenters into the field. About time you lazy horse. Maybe he had too manyapples? } 18... Qf6 { And my noble lady leaps into the field! } 19. f4 { meh... } 19... Ng4 { Your castle is all but destroyed! your walls are crumbling and myarmy approaches! } 20. Nf3 { His horsey comes to the defense... } 20... e5 { Butmy minions know no fear! and i'm pretty sure there are apples on the otherside of the board. } 21. Kg2 { meh... } 21... exf4 { Invading the castle for allthe apples and other assorted fruits for my horsey. } 22. gxf4 { meh... } 22... Qxf4 { Your castle is all but destroyed, your apples will soon belong tome! } 23. Rh1 { A pathetic attempt to raid my castle! The pool table shallremain in my possession. } 23... h6 { Your feeble assault has been repelled! Mybulwark of fortitude is unrivaled! } 24. Rh4 { I'm not worried. Your appleswill soon belong to me. } 24... g5 { And my castle suddenly grows feet and chargesinto the fray! Soon i shall send everything at your crumbling structure.Except for the pool table of course... That stays with me. } 25. Nxg5 { Alast ditch effort to create an opening for my pool table. } 25... Qxg5 { Howeveryour assault is easily repelled once more. } 26. Rh3 { Retreat you littlepansy! Your apples will soon belong to me. } 26... Ne3+ { And my noble steed makeshis move on the evil succubus, whilst my noble lady discovers the kingand his apples. } 27. Kf3 { The castle has been fully vacated, and the applesare ripe for the taking! } 27... Nxc2 { But first the steed defeats the evil succubusin battle. } 28. Rg3 { Hmm... the noble lady is put in a predicament. However,the battle is all but over, and the apples will soon be mine. } 28... Qxg3+ { Andthis is where my opponent cancels the game? He didn't leave, he didn'tresign, but cancelled on the count of a move taking too long? Personallyi'm a bit upset with that as i didn't think any of my moves were particularlylong, however i have an apple, so i'm still calling it a victory and dominantperformance. My pool table was not even threatened in the process either. } *

[Event "A fascinating draw-but did I miss a win?"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2013.12.28"] [Round "-"] [White "charleshiggie"] [Black "rmannstaedt"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [BlackElo "1791"] [TimeControl "3d+2d<5d"] [WhiteElo "2031"] 1. d4 { This was a fascinating game. After a complex middle game - whichthe post-match computer analysis (pmca) says Black makes a couple of mistake.It comes down to a queen v 2 rooks ending. The computer thinks I made amistake, but my opponent says it was drawn anyway. Is he right? And ifhe is right, were his two 'mistakes' really mistakes, if he was holdingthe position anyway. Is the pmca right, or is my opponent right? Pleasestudy and tell me your views, dear reader. } 1... Nf6 { So it starts conventionallyenough } 2. c4 { I continue with my usual } 2... g6 { Black prepares to develophis Bf8 to g7 } 3. Nc3 { So I continue, and threaten e2-e4 } 3... d5 { He opts forthe Grünfeld Defence, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gr%C3%BCnfeld_Defence)rather than the King's Indian Defence with Bg7 instead of d7-d5 } 4. cxd5 { I continue with the exchange variation, the most popular reply. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gr%C3%BCnfeld_Defence#Exchange_Variation:_4.cxd5_Nxd5_5.e4 } 4... Nxd5 { So he takes back } 5. e4 { I seize the centre, or center, as my Americanfriends would say } 5... Nxc3 { He takes - the usual continuation } 6. bxc3 { Itake back } 6... Bg7 { He continues with development. White can develop his piecesin a number of ways in the Exchange Variation. For decades, theory heldthat the correct method of development was with Bc4 and Ne2, often followedby 0-0 and f4–f5, playing for a central breakthrough or kingside attack.It was generally thought that an early Nf3 was weak in the Exchange Variationbecause it allowed Black too much pressure on the centre with ...Bg4. Inthe late 1970s, however, Karpov, Kasparov and others found different methodsto play the Exchange Variation with White, often involving an early Rb1to remove the rook from the sensitive a1–h8 diagonal, as well as attemptingto hinder the development of Black's queenside. } 7. Nf3 { With this move,I am planning on playing Rb1 next move. } 7... c5 { He hits at my centre } 8. Rb1 { So I do my rook move. } 8... O-O { He castles } 9. Be2 { This is the usual squarefor the bishop in this variation } 9... Nc6 { So he develops. } 10. d5 { And I hitthe knight, going into very complicated variations! Black can take thepawn on c3 with his Bishop with check, but after Bc1-d2 Black has to partwith his powerful black squared bishop, as his knight on c6 is hanging.After Bxc3+ 11. Bd2 Bxd2+ 12. Qxd2 white has full compensation for thesacrifices pawn, so black doesn't normally accept the offered pawn. } 10... Ne5 { This is the usual move } 11. Nxe5 { So I take } 11... Bxe5 { He takes back } 12. Rb3 { I protect my c3 pawn } 12... Qc7 { Now I can't play 0-0 as he can meet thatwith Bxh2 check } 13. c4 { So I consolidate my centre and make it possiblefor my rook to swing across the third rank. } 13... e6 { and he hits at my centre.I was hoping to follow Kakageldyev, Amanmurad (2365) vs. Mikhalchishin,Adrian (2530), which white won, but black played f7-f5 in that game. I'mthinking for myself now! } 14. h3 { So I prepare to castle } 14... Bd7 { He continuesto develop } 15. Qd2 { I move my queen to a better square, perhaps with Bc1-b2and if he exchanges, retake with my queen, doubling up on b7 } 15... exd5 { Heopens up, the e file, a great idea with my king still on e1 } 16. exd5 { soI take back } 16... Rfe8 { He moves the rook onto the open e file } 17. O-O { SoI get my king out of the line of fire } 17... b5 { My opponent now comes with thisfine pawn sac } 18. cxb5 { so I take } 18... c4 { He advances } 19. Rb4 { I attackthe pawn } 19... c3 { He advances again, attacking my queen } 20. Qd3 { So I movemy queen } 20... Bf5 { He attacks it again } 21. Qf3 { So my queen is forced to move. } 21... Qa5 { He hits my rook } 22. a3 { I defend my rook } 22... Bd6 { He hits it again } 23. Rd4 { I move it again } 23... Bc5 { The pmca says this is a mistake, and prefers Rac8 24. Bd3 Bd7 25. a4 c2 26. Rh4 f5 27. g3 Re1 28. Kg2 Re7 29. Rg1 Kh830. Kh1, which it says is only plus 0.25 to white, as opposed to the gamecontinuation, which is ranks as plus 0.89 for white. Is this really true?Your views - and/or how your computer assesses this position would be mostwelcome! Certainly at the time, I didn't think this was a mistake. } 24. Rf4 { Now white has some concrete threats on the king side } 24... Bxa3 { So hetakes the pawn } 25. Rxf5 { I sacrifice the exchange to open up his kingside } 25... gxf5 { He takes back } 26. Qxf5 { I take his pawn. Notice he can't take myBe2 because of Qg4 check, also attacking his Re2 } 26... Bxc1 { So he takes mybishop on c1 instead } 27. Rxc1 { I take back with the rook. I have somenasty threats involving Bd3 followed by queen checks in h7 followed byh8, driving his king out into the open } 27... Qb6 { So the queen has to hurryback } 28. Rxc3 { I take the pawn, threatening join in the attack with Rg3check } 28... Qg6 { Already black is looking at the queen vs 2 rooks ending - andso was I. I thought I may be able to win, it, my opponent thought he coulddraw. At the time I thought Qg6 was a mistake, and pmca thinks so too,and gives Qh6 29. Bh5 Re1+ 30. Kh2 f6 31. Rc7 Kh8 32. Rc8+ Rxc8 33. Qxc8+Kg7 34. Qc7+ Kg8 35. Bf7+ Kg7 36. Qxa7 Qf4+ 37. g3 Qd6 38. Be6+ Kh6as aplayable line for black, with an assessment that this is 'only' 2.38 inwhite's favour, as opposed to the game continuation which it gives as 3.55in white's favour. But is the computer right? Your views would be mostwelcome! } 29. Rg3 { So I pin the queen } 29... Rxe2 { He takes my bishop } 30. Rxg6+ { I take the queen } 30... hxg6 { He takes back this way, to give his king moreshelter } 31. Qd7 { I move my queen up } 31... Re1+ { He throws in a check } 32. Kh2 { This is forced } 32... Rb8 { He offers to exchange pawns } 33. d6 { But now he hasn'ttime to take } 33... Rd1 { He has to watch this pawn } 34. Qc6 { So I make way forthe advancing pawn } 34... Rd8 { He doubles up on the d pawn } 35. Qc7 { So I goafter the a pawn } 35... R8xd6 { He takes } 36. Qxa7 { I take } 36... R6d3 { He preparesto double again the b pawn } 37. Qb8+ { I throw in a check } 37... Kg7 { King moves } 38. Qe5+ { Another check } 38... Kg8 { King back } 39. Qe2 { This is to prevent eitherrook leaving the d file } 39... R3d2 { So he hits the queen } 40. Qe8+ { I throwin a check } 40... Kg7 { King moves. Now this is where the pmca thinks I made amistake. It things I should continue with 41. Qe4 Rd4 42. Qc2 R1d2 43.Qc3 R2d3 44. Qa5 Rd7 45. b6 f6 46. Qb5 R3d5 47. Qa6 R5d6 48. Kg3 Rd2 andclaims that this is plus 2.9 for white. But my opponent thinks this lineis still drawn. Who is right? } 41. b6 { This is one last hope for a mistakefrom black. I was hoping for Rb2?? allowing Qe5 check } 41... Rb1 { But he doesn'tfall for those. Thought the b pawn is going, and then is it clearly drawn.May as well accept. } 42. Qe5+ { check again } 42... Kg8 { King goes back } 43. Qe8+ { and draw agreed, on my proposal. Many thanks for reading this, and I lookforward to reading your comments! Please rate the annotation on the starscheme of rating, so I get an idea how I am doing. } 1/2-1/2

[Event "Canal Variation mini-tournament"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2011.09.15"] [Round "-"] [White "last_archimedean"] [Black "debriyano"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1358"] [TimeControl "3d+1d<5d"] [WhiteElo "1339"] { The great Reuben Fine, in his classic work 'Ideas Behind The Chess Openings',had this to say about this variation: 'The lines [in the Giuoco Piano]where White does not try to secure a Pawn at Q4 are, with one exception,easy to meet and consequently of little importance. Symmetirical developmentis the indicated counter for Black and if he takes care to prevent P-Q4by White as long as possible and threaten to prepare it on his own hookhe will have little to fear. *The exception is the Canal Variation, whichhas led to some striking successes.*' } 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. d3 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bxf6 Qxf6 8. Nd5 Qd8 { The games all beginhere. } 9. c3 a6 10. d4 b5 11. Bb3 { It was Esteban Canal's idea to plantPawns on K4 and Q4 that let to his developing this variation. } 11... Ba7 12. O-O Ne7 13. Re1 { I not only have a stronger center but also a slight advantagein time. } 13... Bb7 14. Kh1 c6 15. Nxe7 { Rather than retreat, I exchange offthe Knights. } 15... Qxe7 16. g3 O-O-O 17. Nh4 { To clear the diagonal for theQ. } 17... Qf6 18. Qf3 Qxf3+ 19. Nxf3 { Black anticipated my move and guarded thesquare with his own Q, leading to the exchange after I moved there anyway. } 19... f6 20. Rad1 Rhe8 21. Kg2 { Moving the K to a safer location. } 21... d5 22. dxe5 fxe5 23. Ng1 { To clear a spot for the KB pawn to assume guard duty. } 23... a5 24. f3 dxe4 25. fxe4 { A few Pawns come off the board, creating open lines. } 25... Rxd1 26. Rxd1 c5 27. Bd5 { Cenralizing the B. } 27... Bxd5 28. Rxd5 g5 29. Nf3 { We've arrived at an even end game. } 29... Bb8 30. Kf2 g4 31. Nh4 { Slipping outof the way of the Pawn. } 31... Ba7 32. Kg2 b4 33. Nf5 { Now both my remainingpieces are centralized. } 33... h5 34. Nd6+ { Black overlooked this Knight fork,which decides the game. } 34... Kc7 35. Nxe8+ { If Black had played 34 ...K-Q1[or ...K-Q2] instead, he could have answered 35 NxR dis ch with 35 ...KxNand been only down an Exchange instead of a whole Rook. I still would havewon but he could have dragged out his resistance longer. } 35... Kc6 36. Rxe5 a4 37. cxb4 { Now I also have a passed KP in addition to my material edge.It's all over but the shouting. } 37... cxb4 38. b3 Bd4 39. Rxh5 { Sealing offBlack's K from my Q-side Pawns. } 39... Kb6 40. Rf5 Bc5 41. Nf6 { Maneuvering intoposition for the final blow. } 41... Kb5 42. Nd7 axb3 43. axb3 { The pinned B falls.Black resigns here, and somewhere in heaven Esteban Canal smiled. I madehis variation look good. } 1-0

[Event "Wonder if there'll be fireworks"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "07-Apr-07"] [Round "-"] [White "kiev53"] [Black "racsimjoe"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1463"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1600"] 1. d4 { ok I'm gonna play queens gambit. played a few times before and likethe very open games it produces. } 1... d5 2. c4 e6 { so you decline the gambit? } 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 { pinning the knight. } 4... Nbd7 { and as you don't remove thepin ... } 5. cxd5 { I'll simply take the pawn. and become a pawn up earlyin the game. Thanks } 5... h6 6. Bh4 Bb4 { and as I cannot recapture on d5 ifyou now take with pawn .... } 7. dxe6 { I'll swap that off first. } 7... fxe6 8. Qd3 Bxc3+ 9. bxc3 O-O 10. e3 Qe8 11. Be2 b6 12. Bf3 Rb8 13. Ne2 Bb7 14. Bxb7 Rxb7 15. Nf4 g5 { At this point I'd made a serious mistake and wasshocked to see the pawn come forward.... } 16. Nxe6 { ... but I managed torecover } 16... Qxe6 17. Qg6+ Kh8 18. Qxh6+ { ... cleaning up three pawns for myknight - not my intention but forced by your pawn advance to g5. } 18... Kg8 19. Qg6+ Kh8 20. Qh6+ Kg8 21. Qg6+ { just to let you know I could force a drawif I wanted :-) } 21... Kh8 22. Bxg5 { before cleaing up final pawn } 22... Qf7 { now here,you thought I could take my win quickly - I'd like to know If you saw goodthings for me here as I just couldn't see a quick kill myself. and decidedto... } 23. Bxf6+ { clean up a few pieces. } 23... Nxf6 24. Qxf7 Rxf7 25. O-O { ...and hope to press home the pawn advantage thinking four pawns for the knightwould see me through .. especially as the kings side is wide open. } 25... Nd5 26. c4 Nc3 27. a4 Ne4 28. Ra2 Rb8 29. f3 Rbf8 30. Rc1 Ng5 31. h4 Nxf3+ { And then I wasn't expecting this sacrifice but it was inspired... notonly does it take care of all my pawns on f-g-h but we see later it equaliseson a4 nice move!! } 32. gxf3 Rxf3 { ok 3 pawns for knight h4 is indefensible. } 33. Re1 Rg8+ 34. Rg2 Rh3 35. Rxg8+ Kxg8 { still thought I could do it! withthe passed pawn on the e file... } 36. Kf2 { and wanted my king behind thethree pawns for the push forward } 36... Rxh4 37. Ke2 { f3 may have been betterbut I still would have had no answer to ... } 37... Rh2+ 38. Kd3 Ra2 { and nowthe a pawn is gone and you have a passed pawn of your own on the a file... I am now seriously worried !! } 39. d5 Kf7 40. Kc3 { ... but decidethat if you are to take my pawn? I'm not gonna allow your rook back outround the back of my king. } 40... Rxa4 { so you do.. } 41. Kb3 { .. and I cut offyour retreat. your rook must join your pawns and hopefully be trappedfrom my e pawn advance ... } 41... Ra5 42. Rf1+ Ke7 { though I can't see anythingbetter than a draw here for myself at present. } 43. Rf5 Rc5 44. Re5+ Kd6 45. Re6+ Kd7 { now ... here I cannot see a way through atall with my pawns:-( and your pawn on a file is strong .. I can see only a draw at mostfor me but I'm not in your shoes .... only panicking in mine ... } 46. e4 { looking now you cannot really loosen up your position and all yourpieces are pretty bound to their current positions. any move will weakenyour defences } 46... Ra5 { so you can't really be blamed for this one ... butit gives me great hope ... } 47. Rc6 { now my rook takes a strong position } 47... Ra1 { and I'm sure your chase is futile .. } 48. e5 Re1 49. e6+ { ... butstill there is no real way through ... } 49... Ke7 { .. unless you allow me totake your defending pawn on c7 !!! surely king to d8 was better ?? letme know why you gave up your pawn here.. I cannot see me forcing anythingwith your king on d8 - but giving away your pawn has given away the game!! } 50. Rxc7+ Kd6 51. Rd7+ Ke5 { so now its elementary } 52. e7 Kf6 53. d6 a6 54. Rd8 Kf7 55. Rf8+ { Great game again.. It had a draw written allover it again - I'm sure you had me stronger than I felt - and maybe Iwas missing the killer moves that you were seeing at various points? theknight sacrifice was inspired and really got you right back into it ...cheers for another good one :-) } 1-0

[Event "unrated fun"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2015.01.19"] [Round "-"] [White "skiu"] [Black "emphyrio1500"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1562"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1297"] 1. e4 e5 { 1. ... e5 is my standard response to 1. e4 } 2. Nf3 Nc6 { Againa standard move. } 3. Bc4 Nf6 { After 3. Bc4 I almost always go into theTwo Knights Defence with 3. ... Nf6. } 4. d3 Be7 5. Nc3 d6 6. Be3 { I'veonly seen this move once before... } 6... O-O { ... and this was the responseI made. I can't find the game yet, the Database is showing 6. ... O-O 1which means that two or more games transpose at some point (or there'sa single game that has a position repeating): I'd have to nose throughmy Personal Database to find which game corresponds to the exact same sequenceof moves. } 7. O-O Bg4 { I've only played this once before. I have a gamewith Ng4, but that seems to be by transposition, and the position may notbe the same after the 7th move. } 8. Nd5 { I haven't seen this before... } 8... Nxd5 9. exd5 Na5 10. b3 a6 11. b4 Nxc4 { I don't have a good square formy Knight so getting rid of White's Bad LSB is my best option. It wouldb nice to have a Bishop Pair for later on (if the board opened up a bit),but now's not the time for counting chickens... } 12. Qe2 { I assume thiswas just an oversight on White's part. } 12... Nxe3 { I'd rather get rid of theWhite's remaining Bishop than save my Knight. If White recaptures: 13.fxe3 he might be able to attack down the f-File (I'm willing to risk that) } 13. Qxe3 Bxf3 14. Qxf3 Bg5 15. c4 b6 16. Rae1 Qf6 17. Qxf6 Bxf6 18. a3 a5 19. Re4 axb4 20. axb4 Ra4 21. b5 Ra3 22. Rd1 Rfa8 23. Ree1 Rc3 24. Ra1 Raa3 { I don't want to give White: 1). the a-File 2). access to c7 3). anychance of a Back Rank Mate (on me) } 25. Rxa3 Rxa3 26. Rd1 g6 { I want topull my Bishop back to g7 to allow my f-Pawn to support my e-Pawn. I'mhoping to then play e4; if White takes my Pawn I'll play Ra1 forcing anexchange of Rooks. } 27. Kf1 Bg7 28. Ke2 f5 29. g3 Ra2+ 30. Kf3 Bh6 31. h4 Rd2 32. Rxd2 Bxd2 { Now I need to find a way to weaken White's KingsidePawns... } 33. Ke2 Bc3 34. f3 h6 { I want to exchange White's three KingsidePawns for mine, then my King can break through without fear of White queening.After that I'll be able to push White away from his Queenside structurewith trivial DSB moves. } 35. Kf2 Kg7 36. g4 fxg4 { I'm assuming 37. fxg4I'd respond with h5; I don't mind whether White goes along with the furtherexchange or not: he'll have one or two Pawns on dark squares. My positionisn't good enough that it would be worth losing the Bishop for them though.My DSB would be best used to force White to make King Moves that he won'tlike... } 37. fxg4 h5 { I think I made a mistake here: if White plays g4my King is blocked and I won't be able to unblock it without losing myDSB. } 38. g5 Kf7 { I might have a chance if I push c6... but this looksextremely risky (at best). } 39. Kg2 Be1 { I'm so dim! :( White can temporarilysave h4 with 40. Kh3 but on his next move White will be forced to eitherabandon h4 to its fate or make a bad move with one of his Queenside Pawns } 40. Kh3 Bf2 0-1

[Event "US National Scholastic Championship Round 5"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "4/30/2011"] [Round "-"] [White "James Thomas Moresco"] [Black "Ryan Murphy"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [BlackElo "1253"] [TimeControl "G/120"] [WhiteElo "1589"] { At nationals I came in third in my USCF rating class. I am now a 1398. Round 1 I won on a forfeit by my opponent who didn't show up. Rounds2,3,4 I played high rated class B players, in two of which I had drawingchances until late endgame miscalculations. Rounds 5 and 6 I drew againsthigher 1500's and 1600's and I won my final round (7) against a 1600 in20 moves with a sacrificial attacking line. I have annotated my firstthree losses on paper, and may update at a later time, but have been slackingin analysis of my final three round games. } 1. d4 { My coach (a class Aplayer coached by an IM), had previously gone over a few solid lines againstd4 openings, which I took into consideration, so I was happy to see thisfor the first time all tournament. } 1... d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. g3 Be7 5. Bg2 O-O { This is a line in the closed catalan so far. Usually white followswith 6. O-O } 6. Qc2 Re8 { As long as the f6 knight guards h7 there shouldbe no Ng5 funny business. } 7. cxd5 exd5 { This simplification in the centerequalizes for black I believe for after ...c6, there are no easily exploitablepawn weaknesses to focus on and the white lsb loses it's powerful scope,meanwhile the black bishop pair is liberated. } 8. Nc3 c6 9. Bg5 { Whitewants to play e3 but doesn't want to lock in the dsb. He could have carriedout this plan after castling, which I believe the better course, consideringmy rook on the half open e file. } 9... Nbd7 { A very flexible, thematic knightmove, seen also in the QGD tartakower variation. } 10. e3 h6 { Objectivelya fine idea, putting the question to the bishop in hopes of gaining thebishop pair. White doesn't want to retreat as he will then lose his bishopfor two pawns without much hope of attack because of lack of developmenton the KS. } 11. Bxf6 Nxf6 { Not 10...Bxf6, locking the dsb on the KS wherethe pawn structure inhibits its movement. Now the knight reinforces e4.,wish should become a target for the black pieces. Black might be slightlybetter out of the opening. } 12. Rd1 Ne4 { I decide to play aggressively,and calculated just enough to know this was a sound move with immediatecontrol where I wanted it. 13. Nxe4? is bad because of ...dxe4 and afterthe knight moves the bishop will play to b4, with some dynamic attackingchances for black. } 13. O-O f5 { Reinforcing the knight and e4 in general. } 14. Nd2 { Attempting to eliminate the pesky knight without losing tempo. } 14... Bb4 { a3? loses to ...Nxc3 } 15. Rde1 { ?! We can already see that white misplacedhis rook earlier, but it doesn't belong on e1 either. Now it blocks theaccess of the king's rook, optimally it should be placed on the half openc file and white should strive to push his a and b pawns to try to forcea weakness in the black pawn chain. This increases tension in the pin. } 15... Qa5 16. Ncb1 Bd7 { Black has clearly shifted focus from the KS with hisearly knight maneauver to chances on the QS, as this move activates thequeen's rook and guards the c pawn so that there may be advances on theQS. Black doesn't want to give white counter chances by ignoring his developmenton the QS. Simplifying with the exchange in order to grab the a pawn isalso a bad idea as white gets more than enough in positional factors. } 17. f3 Nf6 18. a3 Bd6 19. e4 { Here white has successfully parried black'sattack, and returend by grabbing tempi and space, ultimately coming tocontest e4 with lots of pressure. } 19... fxe4 20. fxe4 dxe4 { e5 with a fork wasthreatened. } 21. Nxe4 Nxe4 22. Bxe4 Kh8 { Now white has proven his rooksto be placed well on the f and e files. Black has been pushed back a bit,and his queen perhaps is a little awkward, though so too is white's knight. I would assess this as about equal, because of the bishop pair and thefact that both open files can still be contested easily. } 23. Nc3 Bh3 { Tryingto gain time. } 24. Rf7 { An active response that postes a threat of itsown, although this was surely in mind when the bishop was on d7 as it wouldthen buy a tempo. } 24... Qb6 { Defending b7 and attacking the pinned isolatedpawn on d4, which should be black's focus now. White may soon be in troubleif he is not careful. } 25. Qd2 Rf8 { Contesting the key open f file, I suppose...Rad8 was also possible so that the sacrificial ... Bxg3 becomespossible } 26. Rxf8+ Rxf8 { The exchange was almost forced as Rd7?! leadsto Be5! and black is having everything his way. The game has now swayedin black's favor and he should be able to come in with an advantage inthe endgame. } 27. Bg2 { Giving up the good lsb bishop to avoid complications } 27... Bxg2 28. Kxg2 Qd8 { ?! This I remember was a horribly passive consolidationmove made under lower time, it gives away the majority of black's advantage,although it has the idea of ...Bc5. It also avoids Na4, attacking thequeen. } 29. Ne4 Bc7 { Threatening ...Ba4 b4 ...Bb6, or even ...Qd5 witha comfortable pin on the knight } 30. Nc5 Qd5+ 31. Kg1 Bb6 { Black regainssome semblance of an attack } 32. Re5 { The only active defense that coversboth the knight, pawn and queen indirectly. b4 would have been weakeningto the a pawn but would also have covered the bases } 32... Qf3 33. Qe2 { Thisshould essentially be offering a draw, and black should have tried to presson with Qf6, but he hardly has any initiative. If ...Bxc5 there are tworesponses dxc5 (bad for black because it restricts the QS pawns) and theother is better for black with Qxf3 ...Rxf3 dxc5 ...Rb3. Even with theisolated d pawn, white should have a draw } 33... Qxe2 34. Rxe2 Rd8 { Keeping somelife in the position, hoping for Nxb7? } 35. Re4 { ?? As mentioned before,I was getting low on time (almost half hour lower than my opponent by thispoint as my notation shows) and missed the temporary sacrifice that winsthis game almost outright ...Rxd4! I am considerably more tactically inclinedthan I was at the time of this game, and this being my first chance toreview it besides the immediate post mortem with my coach, I finally seesome glimmer of hope for black. ...Rxd4, Rxd4 Bxc5!! and the rook ispinned to the king and will be lost as no pawn can defend it. If not Rxd4then the rook must move and the knight should be lost to the pin immediately. I literally almost just pulled my hair out annotating this >.< } 35... Bxc5 { ?? Horribly frustrated with myself } 36. dxc5 { As a lower rated player I supposeI was trying to just be safe, but black had the win for sure with the rooksac. Now white has connected his pawns, and this is a drawn Rook v Rookending, that becomes just that. } 36... Kg8 37. Kf2 Rd2+ 38. Re2 Rd5 { I calculatedthis to fight on for a try at the win, even though I was low on time } 39. b4 Kf7 { Key to preventing any Re7 ideas } 40. Kf3 { Preventing similar ...Rd3ideas } 40... a5 { ! An interesting pawn sac. maybe ...b6 was a better try forblack, but this has the same idea of fracturing the chain to try to pickapart at the resulting weakness. I played this idea in an earlier gamein the tournament with good intentions but blundered elsewhere to losethe game to an 1800. } 41. h3 axb4 { Draw offered by black } 42. axb4 Kf6 43. g4 { Preventing Rf5+ with the idea of gaining a route of penetrationor repelling the white king to a useless square } 43... Rd3+ 44. Kg2 Rb3 45. Re4 Rb2+ 46. Kg1 Rb1+ 47. Kf2 g5 48. Kg2 Rb2+ 49. Kf3 Rb3+ 50. Kg2 Rb2+ { DrawAgreed, white cannot leave his h pawn to hang in order to continue thegame, and black doesn't want white's king to contribute to the endgameefforts. I had a little under 5 minutes left on my clock here. A backand forth kind of game, hope it was somewhat interesting. Please commentif I missed something, I only spent about an hour or so on this so I'dappreciate the help. Thanks! } 1/2-1/2

[Event "With a final touch..."] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2018.03.15"] [Round "-"] [White "damafi"] [Black "wierd_open"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1534"] [TimeControl "300+5"] [WhiteElo "1595"] { Another wild game, with a final thrust of good chessistic thinking, maybesound enough to deserve an annotation. } 1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Nf6 3. Nf3 e6 4. Nbd2 Bd6 5. Ne5 O-O 6. e3 c5 7. c3 { I know, you'll say that c4 was better...but this is just the way I play. } 7... c4 8. g4 Nbd7 { This move allows the trickyNxf7. Black has to retake, the Q is threatened, and then BxBd6, winninga pawn. BUT it opens the f column for his R, and I am not sure I have awinning attack after that. So... } 9. g5 Ne8 { Now the Nxf7 threat is nomore. } 10. h4 { Solidifying my pawn. He should play f6 now, I will haveto go Ng4, then hold e5... no I have no real edge. } 10... Bxe5 11. dxe5 g6 { Itmakes my work a little more difficult. Anyway... } 12. h5 Kg7 { The plainhxg6 is answered with fxg6, and I have nothing really. I have to buildsome more. } 13. Bh3 { ? I threat now hxg6 and if fxg6, Bxe6. But this isa mistake, since it gives him a very nice counterplay. } 13... Rh8 { Nc5, threateningthe annoying Nd3+. He prefers to help the h column, but this gives me atempo. } 14. hxg6 fxg6 { hxg6 would have been better, IMO, since after itI couldn't have swapped the e6 pawn. It was poisoned, nevertheless! } 15. Bxe6 Nc5 { Yesssss. The only good move for black. Now, I don't have anychoice but to hold the countergame. I thought about Nxc4, avoiding thecheck, but black could have gone for NxB, and my piece sac won't give meanything solid (16. Nxc4, NxB or BxB, my N has to move, and 17. Nd6 justallows NxN, exN. After this move, thoug, I have Ne5 as a nice threat. Still,I wasn't sure about all this during the game. ) } 16. Bxc8 Nd3+ 17. Ke2 Qxc8 18. Qg1 { Preventing Qg4+, followed by NxB, exN, Qxf4, and I'm almostlost. } 18... Qf5 { I expected NxB here. He is planning Nxb2, then get the Q tod3 with check. The point is: can I afford that, or there is a tactic thatkills me? I bet there was none. } 19. Qh2 Nxb2 20. Qh6+ Kg8 21. Nf3 { Thismay be a losing move, but let's see if and how he takes advantage of it. } 21... Qd3+ 22. Ke1 Qxc3+ 23. Kf1 Qd3+ 24. Kg2 Qe4 { Pinning my N is a mild downsidefor such a terrible incursion. Now, his best chance were the c and d pawns,and I think that aftr d4 I am in very serious trouble. } 25. e6 { Finallygetting the e5 square for my B! } 25... Nd3 { Wise! Now he shields e5. I can'tafford to lose my lsb and a pawn. } 26. Bg3 { Necessary! } 26... Qxe6 27. Rab1 { ? A bad one. He can defend too easily. Of course, he can't allow Rxb7! } 27... b6 28. Rbd1 { Well... let's see now what happens. I telegraphed my idea,but there is few he can do about that! } 28... Nd6 { Even better! This move leavesthe black diagonal to h8 free after... } 29. Rxd3 cxd3 30. Be5 { ...and blackis a walking dead. Not even QxB can save him, since after NxQ, I threatNxg6. } 30... Qe7 { As I said in a recent game: all the fuzz (and -4) for an exchange?No way! :-) } 31. Bf6 { Mostly, making room for my N! } 31... Qf7 { Too easy! } 32. Ne5 Qf8 { A tactic puzzle here (very easy). A single move makes me win.All the others gives advantage to black, even with the lost exchange onh8 and a messy position. 'I'll give you two seconds... if you found it,congratulations!' :-) } 33. Qxg6+ { In great style, for a low rated playerlike me! } 33... hxg6 { Qb7, QxQ# } 34. Rxh8# { Being -7, with only three pieces,all of them necessary for the mate. This was elegant, wasn't it? Pleaseforgive me my self-praising, sometimes you just need it! Thank you forreading! } 1-0

[Event "Two dead locks in a game!"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2016.03.28"] [Round "-"] [White "Grand-Ayman"] [Black "damafi"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1423"] [TimeControl "5|5"] [WhiteElo "1324"] { A 3:45am game is not likely to be a good one, and this is not an exception.Nevertheless, I annotate it in order to save an unusual and extremely strongbind I stepped into by pure chance. } 1. e4 d5 2. e5 Bf5 { This game iseasier and quieter than the accepted exd5 and its consecuences. And I playedit a lot, so I felt confortable with it. } 3. d4 e6 4. Nf3 a6 { Normal developementhere, and now I 'lose a tempo' with this move instead to go on with theinmediate c5. But it's on purpose. I just don't like to go - again andagain - into Bb5+ etc. It can be very boring. } 5. Bd3 { Here black hasto think on Ne7, but it comes that the N on f5 is easily kicked out withg4, starting a pawn storm on the kingside. I don't really like a N on f5.And if White doesn't take, I'm self-closing me in. Why not BxB? This justgives white 'all' and to me 'nothing'. Bg4 is anoher idea, but after h3,we'll reach a position similar to the game's. } 5... Bg6 { It seems a loss oftempo, but white's B is also sitting there without scope. } 6. O-O c5 { Now,of course. } 7. c3 { Opening the way for the Q to a4+, and I can't playb5 because of Bxb5+... } 7... Nc6 { ...but it's all foreseen. Qa5 works too. } 8. a4 { One of the thematic attacks. Here I lost the track and did makemy first (I think) real 'inaccuracy'. } 8... Qb6 { The pressure on d4 kind ofensures white'll play BxBg6 at some point. At the same time, the Q is preventingwhite to play the dsb. But I overlooked... } 9. a5 { Whooops. I did considerQa7, but finally played } 9... Qc7 { ...pressing on e5 and on the c column forthe future. } 10. Be3 c4 { ? Black's game is in keeping the tension 'on'in order to control the game with a constant threat on the center, pressureon the c column and intelligent use of Nb4... and I am throwing it allout with this move! In addition, I have no support against a future b3because of my previous tempo loss allowing a5. And now I would struggleto develop. A very bad move for sure! } 11. Bc2 { Now white goes for Ba4. } 11... b5 { I just can't stay quiet. Now or never. Open the game or be squeezedin. } 12. Ng5 { White's thematic attack - I know it - goes through f4-f5.Very dangerous. } 12... b4 { I am allowing Bh4 for a tempo. } 13. f4 { Here it comes.It's very good game, except that I'm 'coming late' since I lost precioustempos. } 13... b3 { Alea Iacta Est. } 14. Bxg6 hxg6 { ...a new defender for g6and and Sopen column for my R. But my pieces are stuck and undeveloped.I'm lost... except that white has to manouver wisely in order to develophimself... } 15. g4 { ! Attacking f5, my weak point. Because of e6, of course. } 15... Be7 { My B is useless and so it will be useful to exchange the annoyingwhite N. } 16. f5 { Here it comes. } 16... Bxg5 17. Bxg5 { Severe danger now. } 17... gxf5 { What else? } 18. gxf5 exf5 { ...this is based on the fact that e5 ispinned. I'm sure I'll lose this, at this point. } 19. Rxf5 { Extreme weakness. } 19... Nge7 { Exchange quickly it's my only chance, if ever. } 20. Rf3 { Probablya suboptimal choice, after Rh5. Neverhteless, I opted for } 20... O-O-O { ...acceptingRxf7 and it's all over... } 21. Rxf7 Nxe5 { The last desperate try, basedon dxN, Qxd5 threatening h2. Bf4, and it's over. } 22. Rxe7 { !? Typical'higher rated fear'. White thinks that there is a trick he can't see, sotries to complicate things in return. The move could be good, except for... } 22... Nf3+ { is a check. No choice for white... } 23. Qxf3 { I'm +6, but still alive.White is suffering from its underdevelopement much more than me! } 23... Qxh2+ 24. Kf1 Rdf8 { Is this a beauty or not? } 25. Rf7 { Here, RxR will do...or not? RxR, QxR, and black will have a roadway to h1+ and so on. } 25... Qh1+ { A hurry's mistake? } 26. Qxh1 Rxf7+ { Important move in order to play theprevious one. } 27. Kg2 Rxh1 28. Kxh1 { ...and all my 'fantastic' idea lentme into a -5 position, fighting two minor pieces with a R. I should lose,right? My only potential soldier is the pawn g7. It's my hero. As longas it stays where it is... } 28... Rf1+ 29. Kg2 Rd1 { Ok, now: let's try to figureout how to mobilize white's R or N without losing one of them, or compensationenough for it. } 30. Kf2 { White can perfectly give up the N for a freeR, and after a4 - b4 black is lost. But it's very hard to give up a piecefor free, and besides, Rxb2+ would be deadly afterwards... } 30... Kd7 { My K cango to the center. It won't be able to prevent white's R entry, if whitefinds it, but in the meanwhile I have to go for my faint chances. } 31. Ke2 Rg1 { White can't cover all the 1st row squares. It's a dead lock! } 32. Be3 Rh1 33. Nd2 { ? White's blunder solves the tension in a questionableway, but let's see... } 33... Rxa1 { Now the material is 0, but still a game toplay... } 34. Nf3 Ra2 { Setting my rule on the position... again. } 35. Bc1 Rxa5 36. Ne5+ Kd6 37. Nf7+ Ke7 38. Ne5 Ra1 { ? a last mistake, allowin Bg5+. } 39. Kd2 { But my opponent wasted the occasion, and falls for ANOTHER DEADLOCK. Now he will never be able again to move any piece but the N. Canyou believe it? Beginners, be aware of such 'dead lock'... } 39... g5 40. Nc6+ Kf6 41. Nb4 Ke6 42. Nc6 g4 43. Nd8+ Kf5 44. Nf7 g3 { If ever white managesto play Nxg, I'll win all the same... white carved his own grave withouteven knowing it... } 0-1

[Event "GameKnot Blitz, http://gameknot.com/"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2018.02.24"] [Round "-"] [White "doraguy1"] [Black "lake-bay"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1424"] [WhiteElo "1200"] { I should have lost this game... I made a huge mistake but he blunderedback and I won. } 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 { I try and tempt him intoNg5 from where things get crazy. } 4. d3 { Nope. } 4... Bc5 5. O-O d5 { I love pushingthis pawn as black and giving the bishop a boot. } 6. exd5 Nxd5 7. Nc3 { Asmall exchange } 7... Nxc3 8. bxc3 { I never miss a chance to scramble some pawns... } 8... Bg4 9. h3 Bxf3 10. Qxf3 { Threatening mate... } 10... O-O 11. Qd5 Bd6 12. Be3 b6 { ?? Here is where I messed up. } 13. Qxc6 { Oh dear. } 13... Ba3 { At least I geta pawn in return. } 14. Qe4 Bb2 15. Rab1 Bxc3 { but I am still down... } 16. Bd5 Rb8 { Getting out of harm's way. } 17. a4 Re8 18. d4 { This is where histroubles began. } 18... exd4 { Ouch! } 19. Qd3 dxe3 20. Qxc3 { Should have takenthe pawn with his f-pawn. } 20... exf2+ { With check. } 21. Rxf2 Qxd5 { I get mybishop back. } 22. Qf3 { Why did he want a queen trade? } 22... Qxf3 23. Rxf3 Re2 { Of course. } 24. c4 Rd8 25. c5 { ? Now I begin my reconquista. } 25... Rdd2 { !!'pigs on the seventh!' } 26. Rg3 { Preventing immediate havoc... } 26... Ra2 { Istart to chase down pawns. } 27. cxb6 axb6 28. Rg4 Reb2 29. Rc1 c5 30. Kh2 f5 { And the a-pawn falls!. } 31. Rgc4 { Whoa! What did he do that for? } 31... Rxg2+ 32. Kh1 Rh2+ 33. Kg1 Rxh3 { I snatch up some pawns. } 34. a5 Rxa5 35. Kg2 Rb3 36. Rd1 { I am winning without a problem. } 36... Ra2+ 37. Kf1 Rf3+ 38. Ke1 { ? Kg1 was far better. This allows... } 38... Rh3 { Threatening mate. } 39. Rd8+ { Wrong idea... } 39... Kf7 40. Rd7+ Kg6 41. Rd6+ Kg5 42. Rd2 { This is the onlyway to avoid mate. He gives up a rook. } 42... Rh1+ 43. Ke2 Rh2+ 44. Ke3 Raxd2 { Now he is down 10 points. } 45. Rc3 f4+ { I start pushing his king around. } 46. Ke4 Rd4+ 47. Kf3 { ?? } 47... Rh3+ { There goes his last rook. } 48. Kg2 Rxc3 { He just disconnected. } 0-1

[Event "Dutch Despair"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2010.12.19"] [Round "-"] [White "banora"] [Black "-nosferatu-"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1742"] [TimeControl "3d+2d<5d"] [WhiteElo "1746"] 1. c4 { This could have been one of one of my finer bloody attacking morsels,however, indigestion of the mind led it to being one of my vilest capitulations,as I snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. } 1... f5 { This game was partof an English Opening theme tournament. All of the tulip maidens Nosferatudrained in Holland has made him a Dutch Defense player so ...f5 usuallyfactors into most of my systems against the d4/c4 web of openings. } 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 { Still remaining in English territory. 3. g3 is also common. } 3... d6 { 3. ...e6 keeps the classical dutch setup. With 3. ...d6 I now threaten...e5, so: } 4. d4 { White transposes back into standard Dutch lines. } 4... g6 { 4. ...c6 and 5. ...Qc7 is another approach, the The Antoshin Variation,aiming at a quick ...e5. } 5. g3 Bg7 6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O Qe8 { Via transposition,we have reached the Leningrad Variation of the Dutch Defense, arguablythe sharpest and most theoretical of all the Dutch lines. I used to playit quite frequently before switching the Classical Dutch, because after8. d5 I played too many games where I suffered on blindingly light squares(Nosferatu hates the light). It still leads to enterprising chess. } 8. b3 { This is the other main line approach (aside from 8. d5). However,8. Re1, Qb3, and 8. Nd5!? have all been tried. } 8... Na6 { This move covers c7and eyes the c5/b4 squares, but most often this move is played with ideaof redeveloping the knight on c7 after a summary ...c6 push. 8. ...Nbd7?is a common error with mortals who don't understand the Leningrad, sinceafter 9. Ng5 black is embarrassed on the light squares, i.e. 9. Ng5 Nb610. c5. The queen's bishop must remain unimpeded in this variation, andoften remains on c8 for a long time. } 9. Ba3 { 9. Bb2 is the alternative,and IMO a little more challenging, though the white queen's bishop canstir up plenty of mischief on the f8-a3 diagonal as well. } 9... c6 10. Re1 { ?!As Tartakower said, obvious, therefore dubious. It prepares e4 of course,but the downside is that black can now play ...b5 immediately, with counterplay,whereas the most critical test, 10. Qd3, doesn't without additional preparation,(10. ...Rb8). } 10... b5 { ! As mentioned in the previous note. } 11. Bb2 { ? Thissheepish retreat pretty much concedes a whole tempo and admits 9. Ba3 wasa mistake. Correct is 11. cb cb 12. Qd3 (12. ...b4? doesn't win a piece:13. Bxb4 Nxb4 14. Qc4ch) Rb8 13. b4, though after 13. ...Bb7 black hasa good prospects, and even a slight pull in the middlegame. } 11... b4 { ! I flickmy thorn forward into the neck of my opponent's queenside. My bid forqueenside play has pretty much been successful. } 12. Nb1 { 12. Na4 is thealternative, though white probably took a dim view of stranding his knighton the periphery of the board. } 12... Ne4 { Posting a knight on a center post,and letting my dark-squared priest breathe a little more (Nosferatu alwaysbreathes better in darkness), which helps an ...e5 break. In the meanwhile,after shooing away the c3 knight, I've put the kibosh on white's own e4break (many advantages in the opening rest on who breaks in the centerfirst at the right moment, with initiative). } 13. Nbd2 { White would beremiss not to challenge my black knight, however I'd been following anidea of mine seeded in my head since move 10 or so that would now reachgestation. } 13... Nc3 { !? Sacrificing a pawn for time and development, and consideringit was a relatively unimportant wing pawn and crosses up white's linestemporarily I thought it was a good investment. There's a long historyof b-pawns being the first on the block for just such considerations, actually(in chess and war). Look at the the Evan's, Benko, and Sicilian/FrenchWing Gambits. } 14. Bxc3 { Junior revealed to me that delaying the capture14. Qc2 would in fact be better, a sample line going: 14. Qc2 e5 15. dede 16. e4, but this is a very inhuman continuation. I knew that psychologicallythe urge to immediately kill an enemy knight that's just landed on yourthird rank is a strong one, which is what he did. } 14... bxc3 15. Nb1 { The queen'sknight has had a restless time in the opening so far. } 15... e5 { I have morecentral space, the two bishops, and more forcing moves to choose from. With these considerations Junior has firmly signed off on the pawn sacat this point, believing I have good counterplay. } 16. dxe5 dxe5 17. Nxc3 { 17. e4 would be met with 17. ...f4 on my part, naturally. } 17... e4 { ! Now myDSB has a clear firing line down the h8-a1 diagonal, and I've put a gagon white's LSB's bishop on the mirror diagonal. } 18. Nd4 Bb7 { Development. ...Rd8 is threatened, and I also have my own potential tactical tricksfollowing line-clearing ...c5 and ...e3! pawn pushes. } 19. e3 { Protectingd4 and stopping ...e3, although white's light squares are now very weak. The d3 square is now an advanced support point for black. } 19... c5 20. Nde2 Rd8 { My pieces continue to increase their scope and influence while whiteis kept busy with defensive maneuvers. Junior believes black has a veryclear edge now. } 21. Qb1 { White's queen doesn't have may ideal squares,facing an inevitable ...Na6-Nb4-d3 maneuver on the horizon. } 21... Nb4 22. a3 Nd3 { Once again I've sunk on knight on my enemy's third rank, and thisone is not so easily wrenched free from its post. } 23. Rd1 g5 { More infantryto support ...f4 incursions into the enemy king-side. } 24. Ra2 { Vacatingthe rook from the dangerous h8-a1 diagonal, and giving potential defensivesupport to f2 in the future. } 24... f4 { ! I almost played a preperatory 24. ...Qg6first, however that would have been unnecessarily conservative, and I decidedto storm white's king-side pawns immediately instead (the right decision,it was later confirmed). } 25. gxf4 gxf4 26. exf4 Qg6 { With many threatsbaring down on the white monarch. I was expecting white to now returnthe pawn and eliminate one of the deadly bishops with Nd5. After 27. Nd5,Bxd5 28. cxd5, Rxd5 black is still better, though his position isn't asmenacing. } 27. Kf1 { ?? I was thrilled to see this move, since thenext strokeI was planning on depended on it. } 27... Nxf2 { !? But now it turns out Nosferatuwas the one who missed the most effective and straightforward crusher. 28. ...Bxc3 29. Nxc3 Nxf4 30. f3 (30. Bh1 Bc8!! where white is hopelessagainst the thread of ...Bh3ch) Qg7 where white's position is in ruins. The move I chose is second-best, but still good. The knight is poisonedagainst an ...e3! with check. } 28. Rxd8 Rxd8 29. Qe1 { ? In demoralizingpositions, blunders come easily, like this natural-looking one. Whitecan still bail out and minimize the carnage (again, as at move 27) with29. Nd5. } 29... Bd4 { ? I thought this move was very strong, since I can now threaten...Ng4 and ...Ne3ch to devastating effect (30. h3 runs into Nxh3!), andkeeping my knight on f2 kept the enemy queen off g3, and if white tookit, I would now have a pair of advanced, passed, 'hanging pawns' lurchingat the white position, so I thought I had a won position either way. Juniortells me, with his usual pitiless manner, that I in fact threw away myadvantage with this move, and I should have played 29. ...Ng4 immediately,with 30. ...Rd3 to follow, with a tight noose around the position. } 30. Nxd4 cxd4 { Here was my 'dream' position which looks cosmetically losingfor white, though my silicon pet is not easily persuaded. Still, withvery double-edged positions, there is a lot of leeway for both sides togo awry and 'lose the thread' of the game. } 31. Qxf2 { The deflecing 31.f5! is in fact best: 31. ...Qg4 (...Qxf5?? 32. Rxf2) 32. Nd5 (yet again)but this is an unorthodox sequence for a human to consider. } 31... dxc3 { I wasalternating between the text and 31. ...e3??, which turns out would havelost after 32. Qg3 Qxg3 33. hxg3 Bxg2 34. Rxg2 dxc3 when black's formerlyrobust pawns are now rotten fruit hanging down the lowest branches waitingto drop. After rejecting it in my calculations, I figured that this move(or 'retaking capture') was forced. } 32. Qg3 { ...but I met 32. Qg3 andthe forced queen trade anyway. Now, with the previous losing variationstill fresh in my mind and the diseased blood of rats Nosferatu has beenforced to eat lying like lysol in his belly, I started to hallucinate indespondency, and made my worst blunder of the game. I resigned. All Icould see was an even worse position awaiting me related to the previous31. ...e3 variation, except after the queen-trade a bishop pinned behindthe e-pawn and pawns also helpless to be slaughtered. It turned out thisposition is completely different. Contrasted against the superficiallysimilar but inferior 31. ...e3 32. Qg3 Qxg3 33. hxg3 Bxg2ch 34. Rxf2 cxd3,here the synergy of my pieces perfectly aligns to keep the white king offthe d-file: 32. ...Qxg3 33. hxg3 Rd1ch 34. Ke2 Rc1!! White is helplessto meet ...c2 and a loss of material, i.e.: 35. b4 c2 (threateneing ...Rd1ch)26. Kd2 Rg1! and white must lose his bishop (and the g-pawn behind it)or else the c-pawn promotes. A bitter rodent pill for Nosferatu to swallowas he slinks back to his lair, awaiting the next opportunity to invadethe Kingdom of Banora, and this sortie enters the dubious history of chessgames where the loser resigned the game in a won position. The lessonof this game? Never sink so low in life that you must feed on rats forsustenance in the endgame. } 1-0

[Event "First time rated over 1800"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2013.04.26"] [Round "-"] [White "rickypr18"] [Black "alira22"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1721"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1804"] 1. e4 { This is the game that finally got me over 1800 rating. The fourthin a series of games with alira22. I lost the first and won the last three. } 1... e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 { Petrov's Defence } 3. Nxe5 Qe7 { I don't really like thismove. It blocks the dark squared bishop's development. } 4. d4 d6 5. Nf3 Nxe4 6. Be2 d5 7. O-O Be6 8. b3 Nd7 { I am behind in development but I havecastled already and I can strike at the black center soon. He does havea well placed knight on e4 but with my next move I begin to weaken thatsquare. } 9. c4 { Attacking the center. If 9... dxc4 10. Bxc4 Bxc4 11. bxc4,I end up with two pawns that control central squares, and his knight facingthe possibility of a pin. If 9...dxc4 bxc4, I end up with two central pawnsbut I wasn't sure of my light squared bishop's activity in this line. Ifhe castles queenside, I don't even remember what I thought of doing ifhe castled queenside, but right now I think I could have pawn stormed myway to his king. } 9... c6 10. cxd5 Bxd5 11. Bc4 { Offering the pretty much inactivelight squared bishop for the possibility of central control with the cand d pawns. } 11... Qe6 { He declines at first. } 12. Re1 { Pinning the knight one4 and possibly winning the game. I thought about 12. Ng5, for a while,there were some tactics involved there that I don't quite remember, butI remember not liking the end result as much as Re1's end result. } 12... h6 { Nowmy knight can't go to g5, but it can go to d2 and it will. } 13. Nfd2 { Iconsider this to be a bit of an underdevelopment, but this underdevelopmentweighs less than the loss of a piece. Now my f pawn is free and can attackthe knight, plus I am already threatening to win the knight since 13...Bxc4 Rxe4 loses the queen, 13... Nxd2 loses the queen, and any moves otherthan 13... f5, 13... Nf6 lose the knight immediately since the d5 bishopshould not take whichever piece captures on e4, for it is pinned by thec4 bishop to his queen. } 13... O-O-O 14. Rxe4 { I didn't take with my knight becauseafter 14... Bxc4 15. bxc4 Qxc4, I'd have been +2 instead of +3, and I haven'tlooked that deep into it but I think that maybe I couldn't have developedas quickly as I did in the game. } 14... Qf5 { Unpinning his light squared bishopso that he can attack my rook. } 15. Bxd5 { Getting rid of the light squaredbishop's threat and simplifying the game since I'm a full piece ahead.Allowing him to keep that bishop could have been detrimental to the safetyof my king as well. } 15... Qxd5 { If cxd5 then his king is on an open file andif I develop quickly he could be in a lot of trouble. } 16. Nc3 { Developingwith tempo. } 16... Qa5 17. Bb2 { My development of minor pieces is complete. Ialso considered Nc4, but if 17. Nc4 Qxc3 18. Bd2 Qd3, finding a safe squareand attacking my rook at the same time. Maybe if I looked deeper into itthere was a way of trapping the queen if it took on c3. } 17... Nf6 18. Nc4 { Placingmy knight on a better square, with tempo as well. } 18... Qc7 19. Re1 { Gettingmy rook out of harm's way. } 19... Bb4 20. a3 { Trying to get rid of the pin. } 20... Bxc3 { I don't really think trades favored him at this point, but therewas no way of avoiding this trade after 19... Bb4, unless he wanted toput his bishop on e7 or on f8, squares on which the bishop will be hardlyactive. } 21. Bxc3 Qf4 { Here, I was sensing a bit of danger towards my king.I needed to make a good move here to prevent my f and h pawns from beingforked with 22... Ng4 } 22. Ne5 { I thought this was one of the best to preventsuch things, plus it would get my knight in a nice square in the centerof the board, and if he was not careful, I could fork his rooks. } 22... h5 { Icould have forked his rooks here, at the cost of my king being exposed.I didn't calculate too deeply into the lines where my king could be attacked,and decided that offering my queen for his queen could nullify his attackon my king, and I think that I was right. } 23. Qf3 Qxf3 24. gxf3 { I doubledmy pawns on purpose, maybe this wasn't the right move, but I wanted tokeep my knight on it's active square on e5. } 24... Nd5 25. Bd2 { Saving the bishopand taking away squares for his knight, also preventing an immediate advanceby the g pawn to g5. } 25... Rhf8 26. Be3 { Offering my bishop in order to getmy pawn structure fixed. Also a bit of a defensive move to defend the dpawn which could have been subject to a discovered attack by moving theknight on d5. } 26... f6 27. Ng6 { Preventing a pawn storm and keeping my knightclose to his king and his rooks. } 27... Rf7 28. b4 { Attempting a minority attack. } 28... f5 { This is probably a mistake. } 29. Bg5 Rd6 { Not sure that Rg8 was better,his rook would have been doing close to nothing on g8, even though it wouldhave avoided further material loss. } 30. Re8+ { Now he is forced to losean exchange, I believe. } 30... Kd7 { If 30... Kc7 31. Ne5 wins the exchange. } 31. Rd8+ { The king is forced into c7 anyway, because if 31... Ke6 32. Re1+Ne3 33. Nf4# } 31... Kc7 32. Ne5 { The exchange is lost, and now he can give up. } 32... Rff6 { Maybe he was giving it a last shot, to see if I took the d6 rooknow and he could re-capture with his f6 rook. } 33. Bxf6 { Disallowed. } 33... gxf6 34. Rxd6 { Important, otherwise I would only be the exchange up. } 34... Kxd6 { NowI was up a rook and he resigned. } 1-0

[Event "Chess game on Lichess"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "16/6/2020"] [Round "-"] [White "Cathryn Woodall"] [Black "Mike Keenan"] [Result "0-1"] [TimeControl "45 mins plus 15 secs"] 1. e4 { This was played in a friendly match Malpas v Crewe. } 1... e5 { it startconventionally enough. } 2. Bc4 { A good move developing the bishop. } 2... Nf6 { A sound developing move by black, attacking the pawn on e4. } 3. Qf3 { Notthe best way to defend the pawn. Bringing the queen out early can leaveher open to attack. 3. d3 or 3. Nc3 are both better. } 3... c6 { Preparing d7-d5.I prefer 3....Nc6 here with the possibility of driving the Qf3 back tod1 with Nc6-d4 attacking both the queen on f3 and the pawn on c2. } 4. Nc3 { The best move for white by far, protecting e4 again and attacking thed5 square making it impossible for black to play d7-d5 without losing apawn. } 4... Bb4 { A good developing move by black, also threatening to captureon c3 and then play d7-d5 } 5. Nge2 { And this is a good reply by white.If black takes on c3 now, white simply recaptures with the knight on e2,keeping the pressure on the d5 square. } 5... O-O { Black castles, a good move. } 6. O-O { And a good move by white too. } 6... d6 { A good developing move by black,preparing to develop the Bc8 to g4. } 7. d4 { This is an interesting move.7. h3 is the move which was played in both the games I have on my openingdatabase with this position. Having said that, the move d2-d4 has its merits.It prepares to develop the Bc1 and gains space in the centre. However Mycomputer (Fritz)prefers 7. a3 or 7. Bb3 } 7... Bg4 { Black comes out with bishop,attacking the queen, a good move. } 8. Qd3 { The best square to put the queen,so as to not block the Bc1. } 8... Nbd7 { Black carries on developing. This isgood. } 9. dxe5 { Oops! this is a dreadful move, losing a bishop. Fritzprefers 9. Ng3 or 9. Bg5 } 9... Nxe5 { The problem is now white has queen andbishop attacked. The only queen move to maintain the protection of thebishop is 10. Qd4 but then Bb4-c5! and the queen has no where to run to- a common fate if the queen is brought out too early. White is going tolose her bishop, so best is now Bxf7+ and at least get a pawn for it. } 10. Qg3 { The queen run here. } 10... Nxc4 { Black duly takes the bishop } 11. b3 { White attacks the knight. } 11... Bxe2 { Before moving the knight, black doesthis exchange. It is a good idea generally to exchange pieces, but notpawns, if materially ahead, but in this case it is slightly questionableas the Bishop on g4 was more active than the knight on e2. } 12. Nxe2 { Whiteof course back, clearly the best move. } 12... Na3 { Now if black had played thisa move previously, white would have had difficulty in defending the pawnon c2 - in fact it would have been impossible, and so to avoid losing thec pawn white would have had to take the knight on a3 with her bishop. Asit is, white has a strong reply. } 13. c3 { An excellent move by white! Thereis no a real danger that black will lose his extra piece. For instance,13. ...Ba5? 14. Bxa3! There was however an equally good move in this positionfor white, namely 13. Bh6! with the threat of Qxg7 mate! Black can defendwith 13...Ne8! and then white can play 14. c3 } 13... Nxe4 { Black takes the pawn,attacking the queen. } 14. Qf4 { This unfortunately is a mistake. 14. Qd3was called for, keeping the double protection of knight and queen on thepawn on c3. } 14... Nxc3 { Black now has material advantage of bishop and twopawns. } 15. Ng3 { White correctly avoids exchanges. } 15... Nd5 { Clever move byblack, protecting the bishop and attacking the queen. } 16. Qg4 { Queen hasto move again. White is cleverly planning an attack on g7. } 16... Nc2 { Blackattacks the rook, a good idea, but there was a much better move at black'sdisposal here, namely 16. Qf6! attacking the rook on a1 and also nullifyingwhite's attempted to attack the black king. } 17. Bb2 { An excellent moveby white, threatening mate. } 17... Nf6 { Black defends against the mate, and attacksthe white queen. } 18. Qc4 { White moves the queen. fritz agrees that thisis the best move for white here. } 18... Nxa1 { Knight takes the rook. } 19. Qxb4 { White correctly takes back the more active bishop, rather than the knighton a1 which is trapped behind enemy lines and lost anyway. } 19... Nc2 { The knighttries to come out. } 20. Qc4 { A good square to put the queen where it attacksthe knight. } 20... Qe7 { Black develops the queen. } 21. Qxc2 { The knight goes. } 21... Rfe8 { A good move by black, taking full control of the e file. } 22. Qf5 { Perhaps white is intending to exchange on f6 to weaken the black pawns? } 22... Qe6 { Black offers the queen exchange. } 23. Qg5 { Which white correctly declines. } 23... Re7 { Perhaps black is planning to triple on the e file? } 24. Rd1 { Whitedevelops her rook. I'd be tempted to play 24. h3 here, to avoid the backrank mate that happens. } 24... h6 { Black attacks the queen. } 25. Qf4 { Queen dropsback. } 25... Nh5 { This is a very clever move by black. If 26. Nxh5?? black asa mate - Qe1+ 27.Rxe1Rxe1# so white cannot take. } 26. Qh4 { So the queenmoves. } 26... Nxg3 { Black takes } 27. Qxg3 { A disaster! Taking with the h pawnand white is still in the game. } 27... Qe1+ { Now it is over. } 28. Rxe1 { Whitetakes. } 28... Rxe1# { And black mates. Many thanks for reading my annotation.Please rate it on the star system and leave a comment or two to let meknow how I am doing. Until next time dear reader! } 0-1

[Event "Let's play chess"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "20-Jan-07"] [Round "-"] [White "sadguy"] [Black "tag1153"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [BlackElo "1390"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1258"] { Skittles game........Scandanavian Advance Variation. } 1. e4 d5 2. e5 c5 { Logical. Black intends queenside activity. } 3. Bb5+ { Offering a cleanbishop exchange in preparation for 0-0. } 3... Bd7 { Black accepts the idea. } 4. Bd3 { ? Having already offered to trade light squared bishops, whiterenegs on the deal and chooses to move the bishop for a second time ina game only four moves old. Notice that addition to breaking that 'rule',he has chosen the worst possible square to move it to. Bad idea. Blackwants to take advantage of white's backward d pawn. } 4... c4 { Black sees thetempo gaining expansion move. } 5. Bf1 { White is now WAY behind in development. } 5... Bf5 { This bishop is now safe to move outside the pawn chain, where it canexert more influence. } 6. d3 { White now tries to deal with his backwardpawn. } 6... cxd3 7. Bxd3 { ?! Not too sure about this one. Perhaps cxd was better. } 7... Bxd3 8. cxd3 e6 9. d4 { Unbelievable. After such suspect opening play, whitehas established a very solid position. } 9... Bb4+ { At this point, black realizesthat he probably just screwed up that opening advantage. He intends toposition himself for the most advantageous endgame position as quicklyas possible. He shoots for a fast few skirmishes that hopefully will resultin a R & P endgame. } 10. Nd2 { ? Again, I question that move. It furtherrestricts the dark squared bishop. Perhaps Bd2 was better. } 10... Ne7 { Giventhe time to develop, black prepares for 0-0. } 11. f4 { ?! Dubious. Whiteweakens the real estate around his leader, but is threatening overwhelmingforce on the kingside. } 11... Nbc6 { Developing, and threatening the pawn on d4. } 12. a3 { White attempts to kick out the bishop that is causing him so muchgrief. } 12... Qa5 { ! Black loads up on the pin of the Nd2. White cannot retakebecause 13. axB QxR!. } 13. Kf2 { ? 13. Nb6 was the play, as it would develop,protect the d pawn, and hasten 0-0. } 13... Nxd4 { Black launches the attack. } 14. Nb3 { ! Great move on many levels. Black MUST take the knight, as itthreatens his queen and his knight. White's plan is for even more rapidexchanges to recover the integrity of his kingside. } 14... Nxb3 15. Qxb3 Bc5+ { Black of course saw this position in analysis, and was willing to playalong. 16. Be3 is next, right? } 16. Kf1 { ? White had such a strong possibilityof recovering his kingside. I don't where that move came from. } 16... Qa6+ { Tryingto punish the enemy king for his premature activity. } 17. Ne2 { White voluntarilywalks into yet another pin. } 17... O-O { Given the free tempo, black castles andprepares for the endgame. } 18. Be3 { !White once again finds the best move.He can STILL pull off his previous idea. } 18... Bxe3 { Pretty much forced, asblack couldn't allow white to gain tempo. } 19. Qxe3 Nf5 { f5 is a naturalpost for the knight, and the white queen is compelled to move. } 20. Qf2 { Not much else available. } 20... Rac8 { Black claims the c file, and preparesfor another volley. } 21. g4 { ! Strong. Black must vacate f5. } 21... Ne7 { 21...Na6causes WAY too many complications. } 22. h4 { And the battle lines are drawn.White is surging straight forward on the kingside. Black is threateningto flood force on the queenside and come around from behind. } 22... Rc2 { ! Strong.This move absolutely hammers the knight on e2. It is now doubly pinned.Black can now try to pick off b4. } 23. Re1 { ? While this appears to alleviatea portion of the tension on the Ne2, it really does little else. The knighton e2 is extremely weak, yes - but it is also adequately protected. } 23... Rfc8 { Given yet another free tempo, black loads the c file and prepares to startshooting. } 24. h5 { While there is nothing inherently bad about this move,I don't question it. I just consider 24. Rh3 much more flexible. } 24... Rxb2 { Black picks up the freebie and prepares to load the 2nd rank with moremore artillery. } 25. h6 { ! As white is already committed, he launches hisoffensive first. Take a good look at this position. This game is all aboutwho is gonna flinch first. White has the initiative, the space, and hisqueen and Rh1 to work with. Black has more firepower, but must defend first.White has a chance to end it right here and now. If he fails he's dead.Black has to defend for his life right now, but if he can survive thenhe's got the goods. } 25... Rcc2 { As planned. } 26. Rh2 { ! Very strong. White furtherprotects the critically weak Ne2 while maintaining all other threats. } 26... Nc6 { ?! This move feels right, and black was wary of playing Ng6. Perhapsit was better to just let him stay right where he was however. } 27. hxg7 { White presses forward, and looks to get his queen to the h file. } 27... Nd4 { ?? Incredibly bad. Black didn't see the white queen retaking. } 28. Qxd4 { White nabs the free piece. } 28... Rd2 { Black attempts to keep white distracted. } 29. Qe3 { Looking for Qh3. } 29... Rd3 { ! Nice tactic. } 30. Qf2 Qxa3 31. Qh4 { !White threatens mate in 1. } 31... Rf3+ { Black clings to the cliff. } 32. Kg1 Qe3+ { ! Black can now defend h7 and give a brutal pin after 33. Kh1 Qe4. } 33. Kh1 Qe4 34. Qd8+ { White's only real attacking option is with his queen,so........ } 34... Kxg7 35. Qg5+ Kf8 { If white plays ANY move that doesn't delivera check he is lost. } 36. Qd8+ Kg7 37. Qf6+ Kf8 38. Qd8+ Kg7 { And draw agreedupon. A very interesting game I thought. - Thomas } 1/2-1/2

[Event "Challenge from mylaguna"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2022.11.13"] [Round "-"] [White "mylaguna"] [Black "riaannieman"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1362"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1334"] 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 { Bishop's opening. This is the setup for the School'sMate among less advanced players, but remains a popular opening. The secondmost popular response to 1. e4. e5. } 2... d6 3. Qf3 { There it is. White ishoping for Qxf7#. The trouble is that by moving the queen out early... I am reminded of the shipwreck where six sailors and one woman (a WACthey had picked up) washed ashore. After they were rescued, the motherof one young sailor inquired about the woman: Was she chaste? Oh yesmam, all over the island! This quick mate is easily defended and whiteloses momentum moving the queen about while black develops pieces. Asidefrom that, it is a fine move against less skilled players. In the worlddatabase white never plays 3. Qf3. } 3... Qe7 4. d3 c5 5. Qg3 Nf6 6. Bg5 Nbd7 7. Nf3 a6 8. Nh4 h6 9. Nf5 b5 { Oh my. Black ignores Nxe7. } 10. Nxe7 Bxe7 11. Bxf6 Bxf6 12. Bd5 Ra7 13. Bc6 O-O 14. Nd2 Rc7 15. Bxd7 Bxd7 { Blackneeds to avoid even trades, but white certainly has the advantage. } 16. f4 exf4 { While this looks like an even trade, black picks up white's bpawn. } 17. Qxf4 Bxb2 18. Rb1 Be5 19. Qh4 Bf6 20. Qg3 Be5 21. Qf3 Be6 22. O-O { White curiously drops the a pawn here. Castling does not providesignificant advantage with the black queen off the board--though whitedoes get the rook out. This move could have waited--I definitely recommend22. c4. Black probably responds Re7. 23. Rf1 f5 g4 f4 Ke2 Ra7 h4... } 22... Bd4+ 23. Kh1 Bxa2 24. Rbe1 Bc3 25. Qf4 Be5 26. Qh4 Bc3 27. Qg3 { This movemade no sense. The knight is easy pickings now. Rd1 or Re2 would havedefended it. } 27... Bxd2 28. Ra1 Be6 29. Qxd6 Rd7 30. Qxa6 b4 31. Rf2 Be3 32. Rf3 Bd4 33. Raf1 Bg4 34. Rg3 Be2 35. Rf5 g6 36. Rd5 Rxd5 37. exd5 Re8 38. d6 { 38. d6? This is absolutely a blunder. White should have played Qa4to attack the rook, or Qc6. 38. Qc6 Kf8 Qd6+ Kg7 Qd7 Re5... Black's bishoppair is being put to fairly deadly use. } 38... Bxd3 { White must play h4 and sacrificethe queen. 39. h4 Bxa6 d7 Rd8 Rb3 Rxd7... } 39. cxd3 Re1# 0-1

[Event "Let's play chess"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009.05.18"] [Round "-"] [White "jagmcc1922"] [Black "grownsafir"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1158"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1163"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Qf6 4. O-O Nh6 5. d3 Ng4 6. Nc3 Bc5 7. d4 Nxd4 8. Nxd4 exd4 9. Nb5 O-O 10. Qxg4 Kh8 { enemy queen n bishop r going to attackmy king so i move to safe place } 11. Re1 d5 12. exd5 { concentration changeto minor problem and attack big points } 12... Bxg4 { attacked } 13. Nxc7 { whitenight try to attack my root } 13... Qg6 { not safe for queen so i got away fromnight } 14. Bd3 f5 15. Re6 Qf7 16. Nxa8 Rxa8 17. h3 Bh5 18. Bg5 Rd8 { havn'tthink that my root is safe } 19. Bxd8 Bf8 20. Rae1 { he brings his root tosupport other root } 20... Qd7 { but not safe for my queen so i move away fromunsafe place } 21. Ba5 Qxd5 22. Bc7 Bf7 { 2 sides attack } 23. R6e2 g5 24. Re5 Qc6 25. Ba5 b6 { white bishop is threats me so i have to trap it } 26. Rxf5 Qd7 { beside i have to capture one of root too } 27. Bxb6 axb6 28. Rxg5 { my king is not safe but my 2 bishop is very strong block from any otherattack } 28... Bd5 { protect my king one side and try to attack my enemy king otherside } 29. c4 Bb7 { start to target my aim and also protect my king } 30. Rh5 { my king 90% in danger so i how to move forward to come closer } 30... h6 31. Ree5 Qg7 { trying to attack root as well my aim position is targeted. } 32. Re8 Qxg2# { done } 0-1

[Event "I NEED A VACATION #3"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "29-Aug-08"] [Round "-"] [White "threefingers3558"] [Black "andy94"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1327"] [TimeControl "3d+1d, 5d max"] [WhiteElo "1282"] 1. h4 { Well, I've annotate this game yet. But htis time there's a li'lsurprise! yes, because i ask to a chess friend of mine to comment thisgame. and i wanna do it. and that chess friend of mine is CYRANO!he's italianlike me so i'll try to translate as well as i can his comments. } 1... d5 2. b3 e5 3. Bb2 f6 4. e3 c5 5. Nc3 { I don't comment white's opening, it'smade by weak moves. } 5... Ne7 { easier was 5...Nc6 } 6. Qe2 a6 { i don't understandthe sense of this move. 6...Nbc6 was better. } 7. O-O-O Nbc6 8. f3 b6 { whitestill make incoherent moves. he want to attack on Queen side. so therewere no need to move b6. 8...Be6 was better. } 9. e4 { This is a bad mistake. } 9... d4 10. Nb1 { Nb1 hinds the king } 10... Bd7 { this is not a good move for 2 reasons.1.Be6 was better 2.Nb4 threatens a2#in the next move. } 11. g4 { white hasn'treal targets on king side and he should care of king's health... } 11... h6 { Therewere no need of a defencing move. } 12. d3 a5 13. Bh3 Be6 { Black ignores13...Nb4 and if 14.a3 Na2 15. Kd2 a4 with a violent attack. } 14. Rf1 Qd7 { too quit move. black could move a4 or Nb4. } 15. h5 g6 { black still decideto not attack white's king. } 16. Nd2 Nb4 { black move Nb4 finally....butit's too late! b5 was better } 17. Kb1 O-O-O { noooo rook was good in a1 } 18. hxg6 Nxg6 19. Qg2 Be7 20. Nc4 Bxc4 { a nervous move that dissolves theadvantage. Kb7 was better } 21. dxc4 Kb8 22. g5 { 22.a3 Nc6 23. Nc6 Ne2!with the idea Cc1-d3. } 22... Qd6 23. gxf6 Bxf6 24. Qxg6 d3 25. c3 { a suicidemove. Rc1 was so better... } 25... d2 26. Rd1 Qd3+ 27. Ka1 Nc2+ 28. Kb1 { in thismoment black could make a good mate combo: 28 ...Na3 29. Ka1 Qb1 30.R:b1 Nc2#. } 28... Ne3+ { Like u can see i've just sketch the analysis. Bye. } 0-1

[Event "Team match"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009.04.16"] [Round "-"] [White "dylam"] [Black "wanttaja"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "2215"] [TimeControl "5 days per move"] [WhiteElo "2218"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Qb6 { Sicilian: poisoned pawn - Kasparov's favourite as black. } 8. Qd2 Qxb2 9. Rb1 Qa3 10. f5 b5 { not playing the main line. the main line here was10...Nc6 and keeps black ahead. the move in the game give white the advantageas Black's queen will soon be hanging on a5 and the b8 cant move to goodpositions. } 11. fxe6 fxe6 12. Rb3 Qa5 13. Be2 { developing pieces and preparingcastling. the f-file is critical. } 13... Be7 14. O-O b4 { ??? I think that 0-0is a must. now the black king is helpless in the middle of the board. } 15. Bh5+ Kd8 { 15... Nxh5 16. Bxe7 Kxe7 17. Nd5+! exd5 18. Qg5+ Ke8 (18...Nf6 19. Qxg7+ +-; 18... Kd7 19. Rf7+ Ke8 20. Qe7#) 19. eXd5!! Qd8 (19...Nd7 20. Nc6 +-) 20. Re3+ Kd7 21. Rf7+ +-. } 16. e5 { open up the lines andfiles. } 16... bxc3 17. Rxc3 { soon, there will be no spots for the black kingto run to. } 17... Qxe5 18. Re1 { and there is no hope for black... } 1-0

[Event "Knightly Destruction"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "19-Dec-08"] [Round "-"] [White "joebagadonuts"] [Black "blake84120"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1354"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "946"] 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 { Bishop's Opening, Berlin Defense } 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. d3 Bb4 5. Nf3 d5 { White's knight on c3 is pinned, so the center exchange isequal. Black is trying to open up the center. I expect Pxd5 because ifthe Bishop retreats, d4 wins the pinned knight. } 6. O-O dxc4 { Now thatwas not what black had expected. } 7. a3 Bxc3 { Maintaining the full materialadvantage. If Black retreats the bishop, white can play Pxc4 and blackis only up by the exchange of pawn for bishop. This move allows Pxd3, exchangingthe pawn rather than outright losing it. } 8. bxc3 cxd3 9. Qxd3 O-O { I hadnot expected white to be so willing to trade queens when he was down inmaterial. Better for white would have been 9. pxd3 to fix his pawn structureand avoid exchanging queens. But taking the queen now would allow whiteto fix that doubled isolated pair of pawns on the C file. As much as Iwanted to trade queens, I wanted to keep white's queen-side pawn structurein ruins even more. } 10. Qxd8 Rxd8 { And white played the exchange anyway.Every exchange consolodates black's material advantage. This move alsoputs the black rook on the only open file. } 11. Bg5 Rd6 { My knight is hungryfor that e Pawn. But not while it is pinned to my rook. I expected whiteto defend that e Pawn now with one of his rooks (f1 would be best, leavingthe a1 rook to deploy to the open D file of the half-open B file). } 12. h3 h6 { I don't know why white played h3. Sure, he doesn't want black'sbishop on g4, but saving his pawn was even more important, I think. Asfor black's move, I should have taken that e Pawn, which forks the bishopand the pawn on c3, letting me trade next move with Nxg5. A pawn and afavorable bishop exchange. I should have taken it. Not sure what I wasthinking here with h6. } 13. Be3 Be6 { Now black can take the e pawn thatI should have taken last move. But, it seems fairly indefensible, so Ican take it later. I am planning an attack instead, beginning with doublingmy rooks on the open file. } 14. Rab1 b6 15. Rb5 Nxe4 { Now black eats thee pawn (finally) and threatens the c3 pawn. White cannot seem to save it.In retrospect, black's better move here would have been Bc4 forking thetwo rooks. I moved too quickly - I had my sights on the e pawn and didn'treally consider the alternatives. White's best move now would be 16 Nxe5,claiming a pawn for himself. } 16. Kh2 f6 { I am not sue why white choseto move his King. He later told me he didn't see anything better (Nxe5would have been better). That pawn on c3 is still tempting, but it isn'tgoing anywhere and black can take it at his leisure, so first black defendshis pawn on e5. } 17. Rfb1 Nxc3 { A bad move for white. He wanted to doublehis rooks on the half-open file, but this was not the right time or placefor it. Now he loses the exchange. After two moves when I missed an obviousfork, white shows me a different way to fork those rooks. } 18. Nd2 Nxb5 19. Rxb5 Nd4 { More forks from the black knights. Black has sensed thatwhite has difficulties accounting for the peculiar moves of knights. Rb2is weak, retreating the rook to defensive duty. Bxd4 is weak, exchangingwhen white is greatly disadvantaged in material. Anything else loses arook or a pawn. } 20. Rb4 Nxc2 21. Re4 Nxe3 { 5 consecutive knight moves,4 of which are captures. } 22. Rxe3 Rxd2 { First the knight eats the unprotectedpawn. Then, since the bishop is the only piece defending the knight, blackcan take the bishop free of charge. White either exchanges the knightsor he doesn't (white chose the exchange, generally a bad idea, but black'sknights have eaten him alive, so maybe he's safer getting them off theboard for good.) } 23. Rf3 Rad8 24. a4 R8d3 { Forces the rook exchange. Whitehas nowhere to retreat. This eliminates the last of white's pieces, leavingan impossible endgame for white. } 25. Rxd3 Rxd3 26. g3 Kf7 { There are manyways for black to win. The easiest is probably promoting the c pawn. Whitecannot stop it as long as black keeps his rook on the D file and defendsthe rook against white's king. But, white had said something to me aboutwanting to see how I finished out the game, so I was determined not topromote any pawns. This dragged it out a bit, but I felt it provided amore instructional ending for white. } 27. Kg2 Kg6 28. h4 Kf5 29. Kh3 g5 { Move the king up (he's crucial to a checkmate with lesser pieces) andalso clear out the white pawns. That's the plan. White doesn't have anythingreally good. h5 might have stalled black a little longer. } 30. Kh2 gxh4 31. gxh4 Kg4 32. Kg2 Bd5+ { It's not about eating pawns now. That pawn onh4 is safe from black - I have better things to do. } 33. f3+ Rxf3 { Blockingwith the pawn was the wrong answer, but white has nothing else anyway.I choose to capture with the rook because it limits the white king to just4 squares, and two moves from now he will have only 2 squares. } 34. h5 Rf5+ 35. Kh2 Rf2+ 36. Kg1 Kg3 { This would be stalemate, except for thewhite pawn on a4. After white moves his pawn to a5, black cannot play Pxa5or he gives white a draw. } 37. a5 Re2 { It's mate in 1 if white plays anypawn move. White can delay the inevitable by chasing the black rook: 38Kf1 Rh7. Then it's a foot race with the black king chasing the white kingto the far side of the board until white has no more room to run, at whichpoint he will be checkmated on b1. } 38. a6 Re1# { 38 a6 was instant deathfor white, as would have been 38 Pxb6. Kf1 lets white live for 6 more moves,but I think white was just ready to call it a day. } 0-1

[Event "League division B2"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "29-Mar-07"] [Round "-"] [White "dylam"] [Black "drhpatron"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "2017"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "2149"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Bxc6 { thats my prefered line, even thoughit leeds to an equal position. } 4... dxc6 5. O-O f6 { that line was used by Spassky... } 6. d4 Bg4 7. dxe5 Qxd1 { going into an end game very soon. in that end gamewhite ha the advantage due to black's isolated pawn on the E file and thedoubled pawns on the C file. } 8. Rxd1 fxe5 9. Rd3 Bd6 10. Nbd2 { the e5pawn is very weak... } 10... b5 { prevents Nc4 but now the c6 pawn is weak... } 11. h3 Bh5 12. c4 { what else? have to open the game and free the c1 Bishop. } 12... Ne7 13. b4 { a bate. the b pawn is less important than the e pawn. } 13... Bxb4 { black has no choise but excepting the bate. for example: 13... 0-0 14.c5 and e pawn is lost, or 13... bxc4 14. Nxc4 Ng6 15. Nxd6 and c7 pawnis lost, or 13... Bxf3 14. gxf3 Ng6 15. c5 Be7 16. Nb3 0-0 17. Be3 Rfd818. Rad1 Rxd3 19. Rxd3 Rd8 20. Rxd8 Bxd8 21. Na4 Nd7 22. Bg5 and c6 pawnus lost... } 14. Nxe5 Bd6 15. Bb2 { white is well placed and the e pawn isgetting stronger. } 15... O-O 16. Nb3 Be2 17. Re3 Bxe5 18. Bxe5 Bxc4 { black isone pawn up. not for long... } 19. Na5 Bf7 20. Bxc7 Rac8 21. Bd6 Rfe8 22. Nb7 { there is a lot of pessure on black in the center and queenside. whitewill find the right time to exchange pieces. } 22... Ra8 23. Bc5 { d6 is for theKnight. } 23... Ng6 24. Nd6 Red8 25. a4 { the white Bishop will not let the blackpawn go ahead. } 25... Ne5 26. Rc3 Be6 27. f4 { the breakthrough! } 27... Nc4 28. e5 Nxd6 29. Bxd6 Rac8 30. axb5 { it is very clear now that the c6 pawn is very weak. } 30... axb5 31. g4 { in order to play f5 and e6. } 31... Rd7 32. f5 Bc4 33. Kf2 { the willbe placed very good on c5, allowing the rooks to move free on the board. } 33... Bd5 34. Ke3 h6 35. Kd4 h5 36. Kc5 Rb7 37. Kb4 Rd7 38. Rca3 hxg4 39. hxg4 Kh7 40. Bc5 { blockade on c5. nothing can stop now the e pawn. } 40... Re8 41. g5 Be4 { 41... Rxe5 is bad beacause of 42. Rh3 Kg8 43. Ra8 Kf7 44. Rf8# } 42. e6 Rdd8 43. e7 Rb8 44. g6+ Kg8 45. Rf1 Bd5 46. Re1 Rbc8 47. Re2 Bc4 48. Rh2 Bf1 49. Ra1 { and black cant prevent RaH1 with mate on h8. } 1-0

[Event "Let's play chess"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "10-Jan-07"] [Round "-"] [White "michaeldommer"] [Black "rieffer"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1457"] [TimeControl "14 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1367"] { PLAYING AS BLACK } 1. e4 { typical KP opening... } 1... e5 { mutual KP } 2. Qh5 { brought the Q out a 'little' early in my own humble opinion, and unprovoked...? I guess this is called the Patzer opening. } 2... Nc6 { defend my KP, withoutpanic of his Q } 3. Bc4 { does he really think i am that easy of a CM?!? ...though cannot blame him for trying, just setting his attack } 3... g6 { threatenhis Q } 4. Bxf7+ { interesting move... eliminating my castle opportunity,while setting up another check } 4... Kxf7 { obvious D } 5. Qf3+ { retreat of hisQ, with a check } 5... Nf6 { establish my knight, block his check } 6. a3 { ratherpassive in comparison to his previous 5 moves } 6... Nd4 { once he chose to bepassive, i took the reigns as the aggressor with a Q check and advancementof my knight. hopes for a possible check (Nxc2 ) then take R (Nxa1) } 7. Qd3 { good move/defense... he noticed my plans for attack (Nxc2 to Nxa1) } 7... d5 { seeing my opportunity to take full control the centre, i advancemy QP } 8. Nc3 { good development of his knight to guard his KP and threatenmy QP } 8... dxe4 { Q check which forces his knight to take my pawn } 9. Nxe4 { obviousD } 9... Qd5 { full control of the centre... looking at Qxg2 once he moves hisknight } 10. Ng5+ { smart move, though easily defended } 10... Ke8 { obvious D, didntwant to suffocate my R w/ Kg8 or my BB w/ Ke7 or Kg7 } 11. N1f3 { smart,establishing his Knight while clearing out for a castle opportunity } 11... Bf5 { develop my WB; threaten his Q in order to prevent his plan to castle,while also providing protection for a check/fork of the rook; I view thisas the defining point in the match to take full control } 12. Qc3 { no factor } 12... Nxc2+ { plan development } 13. Kd1 { i might have chose another option tomove the K } 13... Nxa1 { plan executed } 14. Qxc7 { bad choice for a mere pawn;leaving K exposed to many threats } 14... Qb3+ { check, a few options available;wait to see what develops } 15. Ke1 { obvious move } 15... Rc8 { threaten Q whiledeveloping another piece to put this match in the books } 16. Qxe5+ { obviousD, move Q w/ a check } 16... Be7 { block check while defending Knight } 17. Nd4 { another unwise move, it seems more out of desperation than anything } 17... Rxc1+ { its almost over now } 18. Ke2 { only move available } 18... Qd3# { OVER; reallyin control of the entire match. Once an opponent brings the Q out on move#2 it almost over before it begins. } 0-1

[Event "A Kingside Assault"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2014.05.03"] [Round "-"] [White "bvr04"] [Black "cichociemny"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1573"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1653"] 1. f4 e6 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. e4 { From a fairly unorthodox sequence of moves,next I take the center. } 3... a6 4. d4 d6 5. c4 g6 6. Nc3 Bg7 7. e5 { This moveblocks off the black bishop's activity completely, and leaves me with avery strong central pawn. } 7... d5 { Not giving up the e4 square. } 8. cxd5 exd5 9. Bd3 { With black's pawn on e6 missing, a future P-f5 seems like the bestand most obvious plan for white. } 9... Nge7 { Preparing Bf5. } 10. O-O O-O { Thiswas probably a mistake, since black's king will fall under heavy attackon the kingside. } 11. Be3 Bf5 12. a3 { Preventing Nb4. } 12... Bxd3 13. Qxd3 Nf5 14. Rac1 Re8 15. Na4 { Advancing on the queenside. Notice that black hasvirtually no counterplay because of my strong,supported e5 pawn. } 15... Bf8 { PreventingNc5. But the knight will come into play later... } 16. Bf2 { I want to playP-g4, but it is first necessary to prevent the knight from moving to h4. } 16... Kg7 17. g4 { Now, a direct, effective assault ensures. } 17... Nfe7 18. f5 { Forward! } 18... gxf5 19. gxf5 Kh8 20. Ng5 { A natural continuation: while the pawn on f7is undefended, the knight is activated without the loss of initiative. } 20... Kg8 { The king is forced to return. Now, the g-file seems promising, butit will take some time to fully exploit. Another idea is P-f6, but theproblem is that black's knight returns to g6 and my attack is ruined. SoI choose... } 21. Nxf7 { ...this powerful sacrifice! It turns out that mycentral pawns will keep rolling forward, while black's pieces are too unwieldyto help. } 21... Kxf7 22. e6+ Kg7 23. f6+ { Sacrificing the pawn, to keep the momentumand open the f-file for the rook. Retreating with the king will lead toP-f7, which should eventually win for white. So black takes the pawn, butthe end is even quicker. } 23... Kxf6 24. Bh4+ { Now, both the bishop and rookare in play! } 24... Kg7 { 24. ... Kxe6 leads to 25. Nc5+ (here is where the knightcomes in!) Kd6 26. Rf6#. But this move also loses. Notice how the blackpieces are passively watching on, while the black king is struggling beneaththe white pieces. } 25. Rf7+ { Now, white will checkmate the black kingwith Qxh7# next move. So, black resigned. 1-0 An effective game that showsthe progression from a positional advantage to a mating sacrifice. } 1-0

[Event "Someone else's revenge!! SO vs. SOE II"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "-"] [White "Someone else"] [Black "Someone "] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1200"] [WhiteElo "1200"] { This is the game that Someone else plays Fired liver gambit against Someone,who beat him in the last game using Fried liver gambit. } 1. e4 { The firstmove of Fried liver gambit. } 1... e5 { Replies normally. } 2. Nf3 { Threatens thepawn with the knight. } 2... Nc6 { Protects the pawn. } 3. Bc4 { Someone else seesan opportunity to use Fried liver gambit. } 3... Nf6 { Someone falls for it! } 4. Ng5 { Someone else rejoices as he continues the Fried liver gambit. } 4... d5 { The only way to stop losing a rook. } 5. exd5 { Takes the pawn. } 5... Nxd5 { Someone takes with the knight, obviously. } 6. Nxf7 { Someone else takesthe pawn, and now he is in the exact same position that Someone was inin the last game. } 6... Kxf7 { Takes the knight. } 7. Qf3+ { Checks the king, threateningthe knight. } 7... Ke6 { Someone makes the same mistake! } 8. Nc3 { And someoneelse replies like someone did! } 8... Ne7 { Someone has managed to save his knight!:O } 9. d3 { Wanting to get out the other bishop. } 9... g6 { ? Should of done somethingelse, something useful. } 10. Bg5 { Pins the knight, that's one less pieceprotecting the knight on d5! } 10... Bg7 { Should of played c6, because now, Someoneelse has won a knight! } 11. Bxe7 { Takes the knight. } 11... Qxe7 { Takes back withthe queen, should have been the king. } 12. Qxd5+ { Someone else is backin the game!! } 12... Kf6 { Retreats. } 13. Qf3+ { Checks again, and now the kingis forced to move into the middle of the board or lose a bishop! } 13... Kg5 { Movesinto the middle of the board. } 14. h4+ { Checks the king, who has one option. } 14... Kh6 { Retreats, and is now positively trapped! } 15. Qe3+ { Not anymore. Someoneelse should have played g4. } 15... Kh5 { Only free square, should have blocked. } 16. Ne4 { Preparing to checkmate on Ng3. } 16... Bf6 { Threatens the pawn, but itis no use, Someone has lost. } 17. Ng3+ { Checks the king with the knight. } 17... Kg4 { Only possible square. } 18. Qf3# { CHECKMATE!!! Someone else has gothis revenge! Again, this game shows you not to protect the knight withyour king in that position. } 1-0

[Event "Challenge from iszke"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "17-Feb-07"] [Round "-"] [White "iszke"] [Black "jschulte"] [Result "*"] [BlackElo "1550"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1683"] 1. f4 { I'm using this more to help myself think out my moves than as aneducational tool. Feel free to read if you like...you may gain some insightin how another player plays This is a new one. } 1... Nf6 2. e3 d5 3. Nf3 { I have to think he will move the King Queens side, so I will open theboard that direction. } 3... e6 4. b3 { I assume he is opening the diagonal forhis bishop. I'll move my bishop to protect the knight and open up a kingside castle. } 4... Be7 5. Bb2 c5 { Opening Queen side } 6. Bb5+ Bd7 7. Bxd7+ Qxd7 8. O-O { Did not think he'd castle King side. I need to bring knight upto prevent his knight from getting to e5, but don't trade if he goes there,it opens f } 8... Nc6 9. Nc3 a6 { Protecting against the rook and advancing pawns } 10. Ne2 h6 11. Ne5 Nxe5 12. fxe5 { I would like to move the knight to g5. I don't think he'll chase with the h pawn and open his King more. } 12... Ne4 13. d3 Ng5 14. Ng3 { I want to leave his pawn on e5 cutting off his bishop. he colud sacrifice his knight to advance the pawn so I should guard againstthat... } 14... g6 15. Qe1 Rf8 16. a4 { pushing the h pawn to attack the knightand then clear the King. } 16... h5 17. h4 { I can back up my knight and attackhis pawn which will pin his knight to the Queen. } 17... Nh7 18. Ne2 { Well heblocked my pawn attack and immobilized my knight. I back up the bishopwith my Queen to attack the pawn, but g3 defeats that. It could be a distractionthough, that allows me to open the a rank. I think I may want to plugup that side fo the board, though. } 18... a5 19. d4 b6 { I am setting up a defenderfor a bishop if he takes. dxc5, Bxc5 putting an attacker on the King } 20. Bc1 { e5 just lost some importance, but is just one move away from regainingit. I am thinking about g5 to work his King side more. It would alsoallow my knight out who could go to e4, a very strong position. I canstill castle Queen side... } 20... g5 21. Qc3 { I can only guess what he'sdoing with this. If he takes c5 my bishop is still available and wouldclear out for the queen to get to his King side for an attack. } 21... gxh4 22. e4 { Good move. It opened up his Queen to help King side, made a lane forthe bishop, and if he follows it with exd5, my knight will not have anyprotection at e4. I am going to try to gain some tempo with cxd4. Hemust either use the knight to take the pawn, or move the queen, otherwiseI can pin the queen to the King with the bishop. } 22... cxd4 23. Nxd4 Bc5 { I'm pinning his knight for now, I may get to attack the rook with thebishop. I would like to get the rook over to c and maybe have a idsoveredattack on the queen. Long shot.... } 24. Be3 { His bishop unpins the knight. what can the knight do???? I don't mind if he takes the d pawn becauseI'll retake with the queen and have an attack on g2. I'll move the rookto g to set up for that. } 24... Rg8 { This move also goes back to the earlierstrategy that 22. e4 blocked. } 25. Nb5 { His knight getting to d6 is dangerousif it has any support, so I'll trade bishops to draw off the Queen. } 25... Bxe3+ 26. Qxe3 Ke7 27. Rad1 { The rook is attacking my Queen, but she can't movefar because of the knight pressure. Qc6 lets me attack g2 if the pawnstrade.if the queen ends up on d5, the knight will have a queen rook pin } 27... Qc6 28. Qh6 { Qxc2 threatens mate } 28... Qxc2 29. Rd2 { His queen is protectingthe rook, so if I go Qxe4 I difuse a threat, protect the knight, and keeppressure on g2 } 29... Qxe4 30. Qxh5 Raf8 31. Nd6 Qg6 { I am going to let my hpawn go to build a better defense where I can get rid of white's e pawn } 32. Qe2 { I thought he'd take the h pawn, but he moved off. It looks likehe took the Queen out of play... I'm going to try to dispose of thewhite e pawn now. } 32... f6 33. Qa6 Rd8 { King needs a protector and the pressureis off of the f pawn } 34. Qxb6 fxe5 { He's taking some pawns back and willhave a good avenue for the a and b pawns. I'll have to try to win quickly.. } 35. Rf7+ { Ahhh! crushing mistake. I have to give up the Queen to the knight. I have an up hill climb from here... } 35... Qxf7 36. Nxf7 Kxf7 37. Rf2+ Ke7 { Reacting....I need to try to bring the knight forward whil the rooks protectthe King. } 38. Qc7+ Rd7 39. Qxe5 Ng5 40. Kh2 Ne4 41. Rf3 Rg5 42. Qf4 e5 43. Qxh4 Kd6 44. Qh6+ Kc5 45. Qa6 Rh7+ 46. Kg1 Nd2 47. Qc8+ Kd4 48. Qc3+ Ke4 49. Qe3# *

[Event "Alekhine's Block"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "13-Feb-06"] [Round "-"] [White "escrimador"] [Black "magermans"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1772"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1727"] { ALEKHINE'S BLOCK escrimador vs. magermans The Scotch Gambit The followinggame is a real attacking gem, and my best GK miniature to date. Blackmisplays The Scotch Gambit and White quickly seizes the initiative withearly pressure on f7. The game features a well-known tactical device called,Alekhine's Block, which White implements on Move 15. The Block jams upBlack's kingside and prevents him from freeing his position. The tensionquickly mounts as White calmly brings his entire army to bear down thekingside, resulting in a simple knockout combination. Enjoy! } 1. e4 e5 { At the start of this game my opponent was undefeated on GameKnot. } 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 { The Scotch Gambit. Here Black has two mainmoves, transposing into known systems: 1) 4...Nf6 Two Knights Defense,and 2) 4...Bc5 Giuoco Piano. All other moves are weaker. } 4... Bb4+ { The Bishopcheck nets a pawn, but Black must tread softly on thin ice in order toachieve a tenable position, as there are several possible ways for Whiteto obtain a clear advantage. The counterattacking Two Knights Defenseand solid Giuoco Piano offer Black a much better game. } 5. c3 dxc3 { Here6.O-O is possible, since 6...cxb2 7.Bxb2 gives White the ominous-lookingHorwitz Bishops in a Danish Gambit position. I prefer 6.bxc3 as it onlygambits one pawn and forces Black to do something with his b4 Bishop. } 6. bxc3 { Black now has several continuations: 1) 6...Bf8? undevelops theBishop. That can't be good. 2) 6...Be7?? loses material after 7.Qd5 Nh68.Bxh6 O-O followed by retreating the Bishop. 3) 6...Bd6? blocks in Black'sown pieces. 4) 6...Bc5? allows White a clear advantage after 7.Bxf7 Kxf78.Qd5 followed by Qxc5, and Black cannot castle. 5) 6...Ba5 is the onlyreal try, but White gets a strong position after 7.O-O. 6) 6...Qf6 is aninteresting try, but White can force matters with 7.Bg5 Bxc3 8.Kf1! Bxa19.Bxf6 Bxf6 10.e5! Bd8 (leaving e7 open for a Knight) 11.Qd5 Nh6. AlthoughBlack is ahead in material with a position that's somewhat difficult toattack, White does enjoy the Queen, better development, and control ofthe center. White is slightly better. I had Fritz 10 play both sidesof this position and White eventually won with an accurately-played kingsideattack. } 6... Bd6 { This move can hardly be recommended, as it interferes withnatural development. } 7. O-O { Here the routine 7...Nf6?? drops materialafter 8.e5 Nxe5 9.Nxe5 Bxe5 10.Re1 and 11.f4. This convenient tactic ismade possible by the poor placement of Black's dark-squared Bishop. } 7... Nge7 { A question mark. The Black Queen is suffocating behind her pieces. Abetter try would be 7...Qf6 and then ...Nge7 (similar to the main lineof The Scotch Game), since Black is OK after 8.Bg5 Qg6. Now White getsa powerful initiative! } 8. Ng5 { Without a Knight on f6, it's much easierfor White to attack the kingside. Here 8...O-O?? walks into 9.Qh5 h6 10.Nxf7and huge material losses are inevitable [10...Qe8 leads to checkmate after11.Nxh6 Kh8 (or 11...Kh7) 12.Nf7 Kg8 13.Qh8#]. Black's next move isforced. } 8... Ne5 9. Bb3 { Here Black can try 9...O-O, but White still has strongplay after 10.Qh5 h6 11.f4 Ng6 12.Bxf7 Rxf7 13.Nxf7 Kxf7 14.f5! } 9... h6 10. f4 { Exclam! The counter hit on the Black Knight, which forces open thef-file, is the key idea behind White's Ng5 on Move 8. } 10... Bc5+ 11. Kh1 hxg5 12. fxe5 { Now the pressure increases on f7. } 12... O-O { Black can take his chancesin the center with 12...d5 13.exd5 Ng6 14.Qe2 Qe7, but it might get kindof scary for him after 15.e6! } 13. Qh5 Qe8 { Not 13...g6?? because of 14.Qh6and Black's dark squares are toast. } 14. Bxg5 d5 { Black is forced to saca pawn in order to free his position, since White is threatening 15.Rf4Ng6 16.Qxg6 winning outright. Although White is still much better afterthe obvious 15.exd5, Black can utilize the f5 square and try to reorganizein front of White's advanced pawn center. Instead White finds a very strongpositional move which ties Black up like a pretzel. } 15. Rf6 { Alekhine'sBlock!! 'The 6th Rank is intimidating. A piece placed on it brings fearand panic into the enemy's army.' - S. Tartakower The Rook is immuneto capture, since 15...gxf6?? loses to 16.Bxf6 Ng6 17.Qh6 and mate nextmove. } 15... a5 { Attempting to bump the light-squared Bishop off the a2-g8 diagonalwith ...a4 and preparing a possible Rook lift to a6. It's interestingto note that neither player really wants to release tension in the center. If Black plays ...dxe4 the pin on f7 becomes a problem, whereas exd5 allowsBlack access to f5. } 16. a4 { It's important to keep the light-squared Bishopaiming at f7. } 16... Be6 { Defending f7, d5, and the a2-g8 diagonal. } 17. Nd2 { Preparing to double Rooks on the f-file. White also has ideas of bringingthe Knight to e4, hitting f6. Black cannot attempt to swap Bishops with17...dxe4?? because of 18.Rxe6 fxe6 19.Bxe6 and Black is getting crushed. } 17... Qc8 { Threatening to harass the White Queen with ...Bg4. } 18. h3 Ng6 { Strikingat e5, but losing control of d5. Now it's actually favorable for Whiteto snap on d5, creating a mobile pawn center. } 19. exd5 Bf5 { Stopping Ne4. } 20. Rf1 { The last White piece joins the kingside attack with tempo! } 20... Bd3 21. d6 { Exclam! The diagonal is re-opened for business as White offersthe exchange for a winning combination. } 21... Bxf1 { Black doesn't have muchchoice. White was threatening 22.Rxg6 Bxg6 23.Qxg6 followed by checkmatein a few moves. } 22. Rxg6 Bxg2+ { The desperado doesn't change anything;Rxg7 is unstoppable. } 23. Kxg2 Qf5 { Black threatens mate in two, but hangshis Queen! } 24. Rxg7+ Kxg7 25. Bf6+ { 1-0 Even if Black wanted to playon without a Queen, it's still forced mate in five after 25...Qxf6 26.exf6 Kxf6 27.Ne4 Kg7 28.Qg5 Kh7 29.Nf6 Kh8 30.Qh6#. } 1-0

[Event "C47:Scotch Four Knights and Four Knights with 4. g3"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2016.05.11"] [Round "-"] [White "yannovitch"] [Black "vkas"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1243"] [TimeControl "3d+5d<5d"] [WhiteElo "1352"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d3 Be7 5. Bg5 O-O 6. Be2 Nc6 7. O-O Be6 8. a3 d5 9. Bxf6 Bxf6 10. exd5 Bxd5 11. b4 { Mistake: +1.37 » 11. b4 Bxf312. Bxf3 e4 13. Nxe4 Bxa1 14. Qxa1 Nd4 15. Qd1 a5 16. Nc5 axb4 17. axb4Nxf3+ 18. Qxf3 b6 19. Nb7 Qd4 20. Qe4 Qc3 21. Rc1 Best: +0.29 » 11. Nxd5Qxd5 12. Re1 Rad8 13. Nd2 Nd4 14. Bg4 Rfe8 15. Ne4 Bh4 16. c3 f5 17. cxd4fxe4 18. Rxe4 exd4 } 11... Qd7 { Inaccuracy: +0.25 » ... Qd7 12. Nxd5 Qxd5 13. c3Rfd8 14. Qc2 a5 15. Rfe1 Ne7 16. Nd2 Nf5 17. Nc4 a4 18. Bf3 Qxd3 19. Qxd3Rxd3 20. Bxb7 Best: +1.19 » ... Bxf3 12. Bxf3 e4 13. Nxe4 Bxa1 14. Qxa1 Nd415. Bd1 a5 16. Qc3 axb4 17. Qxb4 Qd5 18. Re1 Rfe8 19. c3 c5 20. Qb2 Nf5 } 12. b5 Ne7 13. a4 Qd6 14. Nxd5 { Inaccuracy: +0.92 » 14. Nxd5 Nxd5 15. Nd2Nc3 16. Qe1 e4 17. Nxe4 Nxe4 18. dxe4 Bxa1 19. Qxa1 Rfe8 20. Rd1 Qc5 21.Bd3 Rad8 22. a5 Re6 Best: -0.01 » 14. Nd2 Bh4 15. Nf3 Bf6 } 14... Nxd5 15. c4 Nc3 16. Qd2 { Mistake: +3.50 » 16. Qd2 e4 17. Rac1 Nxe2+ 18. Qxe2 exf3 19.Qxf3 Be5 20. h3 Rab8 21. c5 Qg6 22. Rfe1 Rfe8 23. a5 Qg5 24. g3 Re6 25.Qd5 Best: +1.40 » 16. Qc2 e4 17. dxe4 Nxe2+ 18. Qxe2 Bxa1 19. Rxa1 Rfd820. e5 Qd3 21. Kf1 a5 22. Qxd3 Rxd3 23. Ke2 Rad8 24. c5 Rc3 25. c6 Rc2+26. Ke3 } 16... e4 17. dxe4 { Mistake: +6.37 » 17. dxe4 Qxd2 18. Nxd2 Nxe2+ 19.Kh1 Bxa1 20. Rxa1 Nc3 21. e5 Rfd8 22. Nb3 Nxa4 23. Kg1 Rd3 24. f4 Rxb325. Rxa4 a5 26. bxa6 e.p. Rb1+ 27. Kf2 Best: +3.50 » 17. Rac1 Nxe2+ 18.Qxe2 exf3 19. Qxf3 Be5 20. Kh1 Rab8 21. Rce1 Rfe8 22. Re4 Re7 23. Rfe1Rbe8 24. Qh3 Re6 25. a5 Rg6 } 17... Nxe4 { Blunder: +0.50 » ... Nxe4 18. Qxd6 cxd619. Rae1 Bc3 20. Rc1 Rfe8 21. Bd3 Bb4 22. Rb1 Ba5 23. Rbd1 Rad8 24. Nd4Nc3 25. Ra1 Bb6 26. Nf5 Bc5 Best: +6.27 » ... Qxd2 18. Nxd2 Nxe2+ 19. Kh1Bxa1 20. Rxa1 Nc3 21. e5 Rfd8 22. Nf1 a6 23. Rc1 Nxa4 24. bxa6 Rxa6 25.Rb1 Rb6 26. Rxb6 Nxb6 27. Ne3 Na4 } 18. Qxd6 cxd6 19. Rac1 { Inaccuracy:+1.08 » 19. Rac1 Nc3 20. Bd1 Rac8 21. Nd2 Rfe8 22. Bg4 Ne2+ 23. Kh1 Nxc124. Bxc8 Rxc8 25. Rxc1 Bg5 26. Rd1 Bxd2 27. Rxd2 Rxc4 28. Rd1 Best: +0.51» 19. Rae1 Bc3 20. Rc1 Rfe8 21. Bd3 Bb4 22. Rb1 Ba5 23. Rbd1 Rad8 24. Nd4Nc3 25. Ra1 d5 26. c5 Bb4 27. c6 Bc5 } 19... Nc3 20. a5 { Blunder: +7.33 » 20.a5 Nxe2+ 21. Kh1 Nxc1 22. Rxc1 Rac8 23. g4 Rc5 24. b6 Rxa5 25. bxa7 Rxa726. Kg2 Ra2 27. Re1 Rc8 28. Re4 Ba1 29. h4 Bc3 Best: +0.98 » 20. Bd1 Rac821. Nd2 Rfe8 22. Bg4 Ne2+ 23. Bxe2 Rxe2 24. Nb3 Ra2 25. c5 dxc5 26. Rxc5Rd8 27. Rc7 Rxa4 28. Rxb7 Ra2 } 20... Nxe2+ 21. Kh1 Nxc1 22. Rxc1 Rac8 23. g3 Rfe8 24. Kg1 d5 25. c5 a6 26. bxa6 bxa6 27. c6 g5 28. Kg2 g4 29. Nh4 Re6 30. f4 { Mistake: +9.06 » 30. c7 d4 31. Nf5 Be5 32. h3 gxh3+ 33. Kxh3d3 34. Rd1 Bxc7 35. Rxd3 Bxa5 36. Rd7 Rc2 37. Nd4 Rd2 38. Kg2 Ree2 } 30... Bxh4 31. gxh4 Rexc6 32. Rxc6 Rxc6 0-1

[Event "68th GK tournament"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2010.04.18"] [Round "-"] [White "philgirvan"] [Black "demadone"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1480"] [TimeControl "2 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1468"] 1. e4 { In this game I recovered from a very bad start and ended the gamewith rather strong moves. } 1... e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 { White starts with theRuy Lopez(Spanish game). } 3... Bc5 { My usual response. } 4. c3 d6 5. d4 { Whitemakes good moves with an early attack the sets me a bit off balance asI'm only playing to his tune. } 5... exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ { Trying to control thegame with a minor yet insignificant attack. } 7. Kf1 { The most common moveis 7.Nc3 but white has other ideas } 7... Bd7 8. Qa4 { White attacks the blackbishop which is only defended by the knight. } 8... Nge7 9. d5 { I didn't quitesee the pawn move. White is sure to gain. } 9... a6 { Trying to confuse whitebut it's too late at this stage. } 10. Bxc6 bxc6 11. Qxb4 cxd5 { At thisstage I decided to keep fighting and taking any little advantages I had } 12. exd5 Nxd5 { Gaining a pawn to reduce the deficit } 13. Qe4+ Ne7 14. Nc3 O-O 15. Ng5 { White's attack starts. At this point I'm down in pieces butthere is one principle I've always believed. Even if one may be down inpieces what matters is how many each player is using during the game. Atthis point white's rooks are inactive and would take longer bring in thegame than black's. } 15... Bf5 { The best form of defense... } 16. Qf3 c5 { Openingup for the queen. Opening up for more pieces. } 17. g3 { White decides tosafeguard his rook while introducing a rook. } 17... Re8 { Also introducing a rook. } 18. Kg2 h6 19. Nge4 d5 20. Nxc5 { Believe it or not this was a sacrificeto gain position. At this point my game is becoming stronger with emphasison positional play. } 20... Qc8 { A better move if you can see it fully. Thereis a good attack for black which is also position oriented. } 21. b4 { Ofcourse the knight has to be protected. } 21... Bh3+ 22. Kg1 Ng6 { The white rookis blocked from being introduced into the game while at this point therook is threatening a mate. } 23. Bb2 Ne5 24. Qxd5 { Interestingly, yet anotherdeliberate sacrifice though I didn't think white would go for it. } 24... Qf5 { This is a very powerful combination threatening a mate. Actually, I didn'tthink white had a reply to it even after analyzing. } 25. f4 { Good move.I didn't see it before. } 25... Rad8 { Trying to force white into submission.I was sure this time there was no possible response to this. } 26. Qe4 { A very good move. I actually thought my attack was done for and whitewould now regain the advantage. I took quite some time on this one. } 26... Rd2 { I tried moving every piece in my mind before getting to this move. I guessthat's what GM's do. } 27. Qxf5 { White didn't even realize what was happeningwith this fast response. } 27... Nf3# { A very good opponent beaten by positionalchess. This was my immortal. } 0-1

[Event "Competition game"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date ""] [Round "-"] [White "L.V."] [Black "bewxdarkone"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1764"] [WhiteElo "1699"] { A little game I played against my dad about 3 years ago. We both likeattacking games, so we unavoidably play a sicilian every time. } 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bd3 g6 7. Be3 Bg7 8. Qd2 Ng4 { I'm playing this move for 2 reasons. 1 being I don't want white toexchange his black-squared bishop for mine, and 2 is removing my knight,so my own black-squared bishop has a direct line of sight on white's queenside. White can't move his bishop because then his knight on d4 is no longerdefended. } 9. Nde2 Nxe3 10. Qxe3 b5 { In case 5. ... a6 wasn't enough ofan indication I was going for a full attack on that side! White has noreal threat against the center right now, so there's no need castling justyet. } 11. O-O-O { Despite 10. ... b5, white feels comfortable castling tothe queenside! When white does queenside castling, that means both sidesare going for a brutal attack; white on black's kingside and black on white'squeen side. Whoever attacks faster wins the game (just the way I like it!) } 11... Nc6 12. f4 { The tension is building up on both sides. } 12... Qa5 13. Kb1 { Perhapsthis move is too slow and actually moves the white king towards the locationI'm attacking. But admittedly, the threat of ... b4 and Qxa2 doesn't lookvery inviting. } 13... b4 14. Nd5 Rb8 { This move serves 2 purposes: 1 is thatNc7+ no longer costs me the rook, 2 is that the rook is on the same lineas the white king. } 15. Bc4 { Protecting the important b3 square as wellas attacking the f7 pawn as soon as the knight moves. } 15... O-O 16. f5 { Whitesacrifices a pawn to clear the g line and make the f-line free for hisrook } 16... gxf5 17. exf5 Bxf5 { But my bishop is also activated, attacking andpinning the c2 pawn. } 18. Qg5 b3 { White can't hit the bishop because of19. Qxf5 bxa2+! 20. Bxa2 (20. Ka1 Bxb1 mate or 20. Kc1 a1Q+ mate) Rxb2+21. Kc1 (21. Ka1 Qxa2 mate) Rxa2 and the threat of 22. ... Ra1 mate willcost white a huge amount of material. } 19. axb3 Bxc2+ { The time is ripefor a sacrifice! } 20. Kxc2 Nb4+ { Because I moved my bishop away from f5,the white knight is now pinned (the queen is behind it and is not defended).White has no choice but to move his king back. Moving his king to d2 exposeshis king to a check, for example Nxd5 } 21. Kc1 Kh8 { A seemingly quiet move,but in essence a quite aggressive one! The g7 bishop is perfectly placedfor an attack on the white queenside, but it is held in place by the queen.This move removes this obstacle. In addition, white is unable to defendthe weak points on the queenside such as the b2 pawn (22. Rd2 Qa1 matefor example) and the white king is trapped there for the same reason mentionedprevious move. } 22. Nec3 { Perhaps not the best move as it opens up thesecond file for me, but in all honesty, I can't think of any move I wouldlike to do. } 22... Qa1+ 23. Kd2 { 23. Nb1 Qxb2 mate } 23... Qxb2+ 24. Ke3 Bxc3 25. Nxb4 { Understandably not 25. Nxc3 Qxc3+ with the attack still going on whileblack has material advantage, but the game is of course already over; blackis too far ahead and controls the important a1-h8 diagonal. } 25... Bxb4 26. Rhf1 { Attacking the f7 pawn, but since my king isn't on g8 anymore, the pawnis irrelevant. } 26... Bc5+ { No check with the queen; the queen is doing an excellentjob keeping the white king away from safety. } 27. Kf3 Rg8 { A dangerousattack on g2 is now in place. If white moves his queen, Qxg2 leaves onlyf4 for the white king } 28. Rd2 { This moves costs an additional rook. } 28... Qc3+ { 29. Rd3 Qxd3+ 30. Bxd3 Rxg5 and so black forfeits. } 0-1

[Event "Team match Masters of the game vs the white knight"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date ""] [Round "-"] [White "martenp"] [Black "spacegoat"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1862"] [WhiteElo "1829"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Qc7 4. O-O Nf6 5. Re1 e6 6. c4 { A bit of anodd move, I suppose. I decide I wanted to try taking control over the a1-h8diagonal, while constraining black's advancement in the centre. It is concerningthat I block my white bishop, forcing me to trade with his knight, althoughat least that makes it harder for my opponent to make use of my newly createdweak square d4. } 6... Ng4 7. Bxc6 { With my strategic plan of taking the darkbishop to b2, keeping the white bishop as a reasonable peace would requirea couple of moves to get it to c2, before I get to play b3. Trading offtherefore seemed best. } 7... bxc6 8. b3 Bd6 9. h3 Be5 { black tries to take advantageof my slow plan for development of the queen side, but it is not as concerningas it may seem, as we will soon see.... } 10. Nxe5 { taking the opposingdark bishop off the board will make mine that much more powerful once itgets optimally placed. } 10... Qxe5 { Nxe5 would have been better, although I shouldbe easily able to defend square d3 with Re3 (and in case of a followingQe6 with Qc2) after which black has little opportunities to apply pressure,allowing me to develop a dangerous attacking position with a bishop onb2 and possibly a rook on g3, or a pawn advancement to f4 } 11. Qxg4 { Winninga piece. Qxa1 does not concern me because..... } 11... Qxa1 12. Nc3 { And the queenis trapped! I can spend the next few turns calmly collecting it by securingthe rook and playing Ba3 } 12... O-O 13. Rd1 f5 14. Qe2 { I would rather give upthe pawn than opening the position, since black's queen will trade withmy rook and the more the position is closed, the less his two rooks willbe able to compensate for the lack of a queen. } 14... fxe4 15. Ba3 Qxd1+ 16. Nxd1 { I would be much happier with a knight on d4 than c3, so I take withthe knight here to start its journey to that square. } 16... d5 17. Bxc5 Rf6 18. Ne3 a5 19. Nc2 a4 20. Nd4 { Now both of my light pieces are nicely placedon dark squares that black will have difficulty to contest. } 20... axb3 21. axb3 Ra1+ 22. Kh2 Bd7 23. Qg4 { Black's rooks may now soon get annoying on thesecond row, but if I get my queen to g3, it can get very active on thedark squares that are weak for black } 23... Ra2 24. cxd5 cxd5 25. Bb4 { I tradedfirst because I didn't want to allow black access to d2 too easily through24 Bb4, c5 25. Bxc5, Rxd2. } 25... Rxf2 26. Qg3 { Didn't really care about thepawn, since I gain a tempo while getting my queen more active. } 26... Raxd2 { Seemslike a last ditch attempt to create some danger with connected passed pawnswith an exchange sacrifice. While this in itself is already rather unconvincing,a little combination makes it even worse.... } 27. Bxd2 Rxd2 28. Qb8+ Kf7 29. Qf4+ { And black resigns. Let me know what you think, especially aboutthe annotation, since this was my first and I surely have much to learnabout it. } 1-0

[Event "Pins and traps. "] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2015.01.05"] [Round "-"] [White "1700 player"] [Black "damalfi"] [Result "0-1"] [TimeControl "3/10"] { This game features a great number of pinned pieces... with a funny useof it. } 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. c4 e6 4. Nc3 Qe7 { An Icelandic, 'strongline', with this awkward move. } 5. Qe2 { With this, White is almost ok,so I tried something different. } 5... e5 6. Nf3 { I had to keep on pushing thepawn. } 6... Bg4 7. h3 Bh5 8. d3 { My pawn push is stopped. } 8... Nbd7 9. g4 Bg6 10. Bg5 O-O-O 11. a3 { Good move. My next one would have been Qb4. } 11... Qd6 { Until now, the pins have been normal. This move helps redeploy my Q, freethe e column, the dsb... but has a downside. } 12. Ne4 Bxe4 { Almost forced,or the Q goes to b6, but with no perspectives. } 13. dxe4 Qb6 { Still, b3can be a good outpost. } 14. b4 { Ok, white is threatening hard, so I haveto came up with something new. } 14... Bxb4+ 15. axb4 Qxb4+ { I swear this givesme some compensation for the pieces, more than the 2 pawns. } 16. Bd2 Qb2 17. Rxa7 Qb1+ { This was in the spotlight. } 18. Qd1 { QxQ, followed by Nxe4doesn't seem enough. } 18... Qxe4+ { Pinning the N... } 19. Be2 { ...and the B.Now, c5 was interesting, but I went, very 'naively'... } 19... Nc5 { ThreateningNd3+. } 20. Kf1 { The white N is pinned (not the B anymore), but I can'tsee any good way to attack. h5 is not promising. } 20... Na6 { Well, this forceshim in Ra1+, or he will lose an exchange. I expected Be3, but my opponentwent... } 21. Rg1 { ...unpinning the N. } 21... c6 { Threatening d5, with the threatto pin the B, but overlooking white's possible reactions. } 22. Ng5 { Goodmove, forcing me back into... } 22... Qg6 23. h4 { Good move, threatening to trapmy Q. } 23... Ne4 { Planning a counter sac. Nd7 was wiser, but I don't like togo back, if possible. } 24. h5 Nxf2 { I have an almost trapped rook forthe next 'free' move. c5 is still mine, if I have the tempo to play c6. } 25. hxg6 { Accepting the exchange, that gives much danger to white. } 25... Nxd1 { forced. } 26. Nxf7 Rdf8 { The N is pinned, the next move the pawng6 will be gone, and the only move that allows W to save this N is Rg3(to Rf3), but that gives me tempo to play save the N or to take the pawng6, or to threaten the Ra7... } 27. Ra8+ { If I move the king, allowing RxR,RxR, the pawn in g6 can become dangerous after Ke1 by white. } 27... Nb8 { Freeingthe R. } 28. Bxd1 hxg6 { White choose the best option, freeing the R andkeeping the bishop pair. } 29. g5 { ...to give more squares to the lsb,but closing the diag for the other. } 29... Rxf7+ 30. Ke1 Rh4 31. Be3 { Lookingfor Ba7, winnin the N. } 31... Re4 { Pinned. } 32. Kd2 Kc7 { Unpinned (and saved). } 33. Bc2 Rxc4 34. Bxg6 Rd7 { Pinned pawn. } 35. Bd3 Rxd5 { Pinned bishop.This dance is really interesting and funny. A pity my opponen blunderedhere. } 36. Rg4 Rxg4 { ...and no one will know how this nice endgame wouldhave been :-( } 0-1

[Event "OTB training game, for old times sake (pt. 2)..."] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "30-jun-18"] [Round "-"] [White "opponent"] [Black "fiercequeen"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "2059"] [TimeControl "no limits"] [WhiteElo "2000+"] { this game spawned, from my previous annotation: a game, which I won; sothere will always be retribution... } 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 g6 3. b3 { a new twist:in fact, enforcing an early d4... } 3... Bg7 4. c3 { cleverly done: but it hindersthe natural development of Whites' Queens' wing; Black will use that... } 4... e6 { following the lines of the Hungarian variation on the Sicilian: theobject is Ne7, 0-0, d5... } 5. d4 { as was to be expected: c5 gets dissolved... } 5... cxd4 { forced... } 6. cxd4 { maybe best: White needs Nc3... } 6... Ne7 7. Nc3 a6 { this is were the Najdorf extension comes in handy: square b5 is a veryimportant square, in any Sicilian... } 8. Bd3 { Black is about to castle:so White has to at least prepare that too... } 8... d5 { but Black decides different:made possible by a6; because otherwise Bb5+ would really be a problem forBlack... } 9. O-O { no use in exd5, exd5... } 9... O-O { a very important position:White has to decide what to do, but has little time left... } 10. Bg5 { development:but not without any consequences... } 10... f6 { simple, yet very effective: firste4-e5, would have been an option... } 11. Be3 { Bh4 is unholy too: Bf4, wouldsurely induce e6-e5... } 11... b5 { making use, of the temperary status quo: takingaway possible White moves... } 12. Qc2 { supporting e4, no doubt... } 12... Bb7 { so let's return the favor... } 13. Ne2 { not sure, if this is the move:giving up the c-file, with a Queen on it; this is asking for troble... } 13... Nd7 { serving mutliple purposes: Black controls the center, to begin with;and Rc8 is a nasty threat... } 14. Qd2 { maybe preparing a trade on h6... } 14... f5 { a little trick, I learned from my former team captain: sadly, he forgotabout it (see also the previous annotation)... } 15. exf5 Nxf5 { making Bh6impossible, and attacking Be3... } 16. Bg5 Bf6 { no solution here either... } 17. Ng3 Kg7 18. Nxf5+ exf5 19. Rac1 { not donating much at all... } 19... Nb6 { Blackstill has to finish development: the Black Queen needs a purpose; but Whiteis helping with that one... } 20. Bxf6+ Qxf6 21. Ne5 { trying to break iron,with bare hands... } 21... Rac8 { Nc6 is not really a threat: but Black needs tosimplify... } 22. Nf3 { White needs to tackle the weakness of d4: costingtempo... } 22... Rxc1 23. Rxc1 Rc8 { Black has the space and the play: time toequalize... } 24. Qg5 Rxc1+ 25. Qxc1 Qc6 { practically forced: this willat least lead to a draw... } 26. Qf4 Nd7 27. Ne5 Nxe5 28. Qxe5+ Kg8 { Blackis holding ground: now, White has to reckon with Qc1+... } 29. g4 Bc8 { atrick: White tries to overpower the Kings' wing by force... } 30. gxf5 Qc1+ { only to cut, in his own flesh... } 31. Bf1 { not really an option is Kg2,Qg5+: this is not much better... } 31... Bxf5 { White is in trouble: Black is threateningmate after Qg5... } 32. Qg3 Qb1 { a waiting move: White can afford very little;Bd3 is already a killer... } 33. Qb8+ Kg7 { relentless: but White does notgive up that easly... } 34. Qb7+ Kh6 35. Qxd5 { forced: White has to return,to cover for Bf1; or else Bd3 is lethal... } 35... Qxa2 { winning the pawn back,and keeping up the threat... } 36. Qf3 { forcing this one... } 36... Qc2 { coveringthe Bishop } 37. Qf4+ Kg7 { a dangerous attempt from White; there are fewchecks left... } 38. Qe5+ Kf7 39. Qd5+ Kf6 { relentless... } 40. Qd6+ Kg5 41. Qxa6 { a miscalculation... } 41... Qxb3 42. Bxb5 Qc3 43. Qb6 Qc1+ { Bf1, willfail after Bd3... } 44. Kg2 { but this will too... } 44... Be4+ 45. Kg3 Qf4+ 46. Kh3 Qg4# { and resigned... } 0-1

[Event "the godfather I"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2011.05.06"] [Round "-"] [White "verybig"] [Black "thitho"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1727"] [TimeControl "3d+1d<5d"] [WhiteElo "1657"] { Hi, this is a game from a tournament called 'The godfather I', becauseit is initiated on a variant of the sicilian -aka the Najdorf. } 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 { imposed moves } 6. Bd3 { smoothchoose } 6... e5 { offensive black } 7. Nb3 Be6 { this leads to a variant whereblack can castle. } 8. O-O Be7 9. Be3 b5 10. a3 O-O { white is just a littlebit more advance in development, but it is without consequence. I guesswe can consider the position is almost a draw. I am not sure about thetheory, but, as white has castled on the king side, it has lost an opportunityto press sooner the d6-pawn which is in this position (as far as I know)the black weakness } 11. Be2 Nbd7 { this lead white to press the black center.Maybe it was not very clever. My intention was to forbid the dark bishopto have any ambition on the b6 square. } 12. Nd5 Nxd5 13. exd5 Bf5 { strangeposition for both players. the f5-bishop is uncomfortable and has to finda good position soon, but on the other hand, white has abandoned the possibilityto a direct pressure on d6. } 14. Bd3 { i am pretty sure this is a mistake } 14... e4 { of course e5 was protected by d6, but on the other hand, the possibilityto develop soon f5 was a good security to operate this attack on a pretentiousbishop. } 15. Be2 { back home. } 15... h6 { preparing an eventual havre for Bf5 } 16. Nd4 { of course this threatens more c6 than f5, but i have to protcetmy bishop first. } 16... Bg6 17. Nc6 Qe8 { only move. the position is scary, butthere is no direct threat. } 18. Nxe7+ Qxe7 { who win with this exchange?My bishop was not very active, but, on the other hand, he could have becomefastly with Bf6. On the other hand, the Nc6 was active and protected...So, i think it is a loss for white. } 19. Bd4 { I don't see any pecular threathere. On the other hand, it cut my queen and my knight for some moves...that I was of no intention to do. } 19... f5 { as planned. } 20. Qd2 f4 { doubleimpact: cut white intention to put the queen on f4 (I guess), and attackingas planned... } 21. Bg4 { once again, we are not sure of the intention. Myknight is not active and the possibility of a check on e6 is not reallyinteresting. or is it? } 21... f3 { the attack is more and more dangerous. } 22. g3 { what could white do? Taking was not very interesting, and let me takewas not interesting at all... } 22... Bf5 { my own bishop was no more interesting,and the white g4 bishop was an obstacle to a direct attack on h3 } 23. Bxf5 Rxf5 { now, all my force are just about to be on the king... } 24. Rae1 { ithink this is a really bad move: white is blcoking twice is own king foran eventual necessity of escape. } 24... Re8 { the idea was to free my queen, uponto go on g5 or f7 } 25. Be3 { looks like I cant go on g5... } 25... Nf6 { this wassupposed to be a deviation move: I double threatened the d6 pawn, so itcould lead to the idea my goal was d5. But actually, white thought my goalwas to go on g4... and, any way, d5 was lost, so... } 26. h3 { yes, the ideais not so bad: to avoid a Rxd5 followed by the 'evil' Ng4, at least whiteavoids this last one. } 26... Qf7 { but i never was my idea. } 27. Qa5 { I guesswhite still saw d5 as my goal (but why putting my queen as a third attacker?),and decided to counter-attack. It gave me one more free move. } 27... Qh5 { thisleads to the inevitable next 3 moves. } 28. h4 { if Kh2, then Ng4+ and forcedthe return of the king and mate in 2. } 28... Qg4 29. Kh2 { no othe move to avoidmy queen on h3. } 29... Nh5 { Key move! } 30. Rg1 { another move that has no realimpact on the defense: g3 was not really threatened. } 30... Nf4 { but now, h3is really threatened } 31. Bxf4 { forced. If gxf, then Qxh4x } 31... Rxf4 32. Qxa6 { Idem: g3 cannot take f4. On the other hand this move is definetly toooptimistic. } 32... Re5 33. Qxb5 { White is now 2 pawns ahead but a small amoutof moves away of complete defeat. } 33... Rh5 { there is nothing more white cando... Unless I missed something. } 34. Qb8+ { a last check } 34... Kh7 35. Qd8 { theidea was generous: protecting h4 from the back... } 35... Rf6 { but black had thekey for it: now, there is no more move. Even Rxe4 only retards the end.white resigned. Thanks, verybig. I have to recognize my opponent gaveme some opportunities, but I am glad of my e5-e4-f5-f4-f3 moves which leadto the victory. I guess some stronger player would have found an easierway... I am not at all convinced that I played the most decisived moves.But I liked the movement and intend to improve on this tactic. } 0-1

[Event "Jo's a Lucky So and So - Part 1"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "13-Dec-08"] [Round "-"] [White "NN"] [Black "jstevens1"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1734"] [TimeControl "7d+3d, 15d max"] [WhiteElo "1329"] 1. e4 { Hi everyone, I have decided to annotate a couple of very lucky wins. After the disappointing result of the Beafyness tourney two players puta smile on my face by waving the white flag. But, as you will see fromthese two games, the chessic illness I suffer from, passivitis, is stillwith me. But I got away with it and as a result you could certainly callme a lucky so and so! This game started out as a Guicco Piano. } 1... e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 { 3. ........ Bc5 - these moves characterise the centre-contestingGuicco Piano. } 4. O-O Nf6 5. Nc3 { 5. Nc3 - becomes more like a 4 kts gamehere. } 5... d6 6. d3 a6 { 6. ....... a6 - preparing a b5 possibility. I do getin this pawn break but it leaves my c6 pawn backward and weak. } 7. Ng5 O-O { 7. ......... 0-0 - dealing with the minor piece pile up on my weakf7 pawn. Here we leave the database behind. } 8. Kh1 Na5 9. Bb3 Nxb3 10. cxb3 { 10. cxb3 - this exchange of N for B breaks the pin on my f pawn anddoubles up white's queenside pawns. } 10... c6 11. Bd2 Bd7 12. Qe2 { 12. Qe2 -sensible development from my 1300 opponent. } 12... Re8 13. Be3 Bxe3 14. Qxe3 h6 { 14. ......... h6 - after another exchange of minor pieces I have hadenough of that enemy knight camped out on g5, back he jolly well goes! } 15. Nf3 Nh7 16. h3 b5 17. d4 Qc7 { 17. ......... Qc7 - white has an excellentposition and has made the thematic break d4. Take note Joanne Stevens. Glenda does her usual - adds defensive back up to d and e pawns x raystyle along the diagonal. } 18. a3 f6 19. Ne2 Qb7 20. Ng3 Qa7 21. Rac1 Rec8 22. Rfd1 { 22. Rfd1! - here it looks as though white can open some lineshere to his advantage. I did analyse that I would be a pawn down in awretched position. I was seriously considering waving the white flag. Had it been an Expert or dmaestro I probably would have, but wait, myopponent has a 1300 rating. I will see what he does on his next movebefore I make any decisions. I play Be6 and say my prayers. } 22... Be6 23. b4 { 23. b4 - and my prayers get answered. This is the start of some irrelevantmoves by my opponent which lets me off the hook! } 23... Ng5 24. Nxg5 hxg5 { 24............ hxg5 - I end up with a doubleton on the kingside but I getrid of one of white's steeds and do not have to worry about my own steedbeing dim on the rim! } 25. f3 g6 { 25. ....... g6 - ah - I forgot to mentionthat with the exchange of knights the h file is open. Henry is ratherdraughty here but behold - my second rank is empty but for one piece -Glenda! If she senses danger to her other half she will be over therebelieve you me, but first I have the seed of an idea of attacking the enemyking down the h file and it germinates over the next few moves and it willbe me with the extra booty! } 26. Ne2 Rc7 27. Rg1 Kg7 28. f4 gxf4 29. Qf3 { 29. Qf3 - first my opponent gives away a pawn. } 29... Qb7 30. Rcd1 Rh8 { 30....... Rh8 - here I am planning to put Glenda on c8 piling up on the pinnedh3 pawn. White moves his rook to f1 on move 31 and his knight to g1 onmove 32 to guard this beleagured h3 pawn. } 31. Rgf1 Qc8 32. Ng1 { 32. Ng1- however, because of the pin on the h file, the Wicked Witch of the Westis skewered to her castle by Frere Leblanc on my next turn and, me, alreadya pawn up, will now be the exchange for a pawn up! } 32... Bg4 33. Qd3 Bxd1 34. Qxd1 Qd7 35. Nf3 Qe7 { 35. ......... Qe7 - now it is my turn to b****r about. I think I should have got in my g5 move here instead of next move. Tolose one tempo can be costly. Thankfully not here. } 36. Qd3 g5 37. Nd2 g4 { 37. .......... g4 - a pleasant surprise awaits me in that he wavesthe white flag. In his resignation note he said that he felt that I wassubjecting him to slow strangulation. Me, jstevens1 doing that to an opponent? Well, maybe I am starting to learn some lessons from my higher rated opponentsand am finally putting them into practice! Joanne } 0-1

[Event "37th GK tournament"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "06-Aug-07"] [Round "-"] [White "persicum"] [Black "fattouh"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "943"] [TimeControl "2 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1121"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 d5 5. exd5 Qxd5 6. Nxc6 Qxc6 7. Qe2+ Be7 8. Bf4 Bd7 9. Nc3 Nf6 10. O-O-O Be6 11. Qe3 O-O 12. Qg3 Nh5 { 12.Nh5!, good move, eliminating the threat on the Black's king side } 13. Qe3 Nxf4 14. Qxf4 h6 15. Bd3 { 15. Bd3?, lack of concentration from the white,loses his queen for free } 15... Bg5 16. Be4 Qb6 17. Na4 Bxf4+ 18. Kb1 Qa5 19. b3 Rad8 { Now beginning the exchange } 20. Rxd8 Rxd8 21. Bxb7 Rb8 22. Bc6 { 22. Bc6, the only move, anything else loses a piece because Qxa4! cannotbe answered because of the pin of the white pawn at a3 } 22... Qa6 { 22. ... Qa6!,chasing for the free piece } 23. Nc5 Qc4 { 23. ... Qc6?, loses the chanceof winning a piece because the lack of concentration too } 24. Nxe6 Qxe6 25. Bf3 Rd8 26. g3 Be5 27. Re1 Re8 28. Re3 Rd8 29. c4 Rd2 30. Bd5 Qe7 31. a4 Qb4 { 31. Qb4!, the trap is set for mate here and the will coordinatedforces of the black make it difficult to get away } 32. Rxe5 Qxb3+ 33. Kc1 Qb2# 0-1

[Event "OTB WTW Mentoring Game-Semi Finale"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "7/15/16"] [Round "-"] [White "Joe"] [Black "Jack"] [Result "0-1"] [TimeControl "94 min"] [WhiteElo "1333"] { This was my first game training session against Jack Stockel in a longwhile. And, it was also the first one since my training game against Kenneth_fiore_3which happened, about, 2 months ago. So, I was waiting for this moment. But, it was under the technicality that a tourney has started, and I wasn'tinvolved. Just like with what he does in the local school district, combinedwith, what I heard from Judit Polgar in her school, Jack has started aseries of tournaments. It's going to last a month or two to help the studentsimprove even more. It's also done to get us ready for real tournamentssince there will be time controls. In addition, there used to be a tournamenton Friday nights, after the chess club. But, it was cancelled due to lackof attendance since chess players haven't gone there, as of late. In theend, everyone involved gets $5. But, the person who wins the most amountof games will be awarded $20. Now, most of them are going to start offwith 55 minutes which would be enough time for me to notate and then annotate. However, I'm going to be given less then everyonelse due to being a strongerplayer. Therefore, Jack will only give me 35 minutes to make it fair. And, if I do really well, he'll make it less because, similar to teammatches with current and top 90 day ratings, he said that it had to befair. With 35 minutes, there is not enough time for me to notate sincetaking notes takes me between 40-45 minutes, on average. By then, I'lltime out, and unlike with the normal games, the time controls are absolute,so there's no such thing as the game timing out. It's like GK, so on topof checkmate or resignation, if you time out, you've lost by default. Consequently,I'll try to do anything to prevent that which means that somethings gotto give, in this case, annotations. So, I played two games against Jackwith this being the first one. And, it's the week before I get involvedin the tournament. Consequently, this will be one of my last OTB annotationsfor a while which is why I named it Semi Finale since the next one willbe the Finale. With that being said, I wasn't use to what just startedand it caused me to play terribly in the opening. And, similar to a differentgame, though not being unsound or attempting Cheapo Tactics, it was, 'PoorOpening Play' that sealed my fate, and I resigned with a mate in 1 whichis why it qualifies as a WTW game. So, how did it all go down? } 1. e4 { So, I start off with my usual. } 1... c5 { Jack usually answers with 1...e5 But, he has played this before, and in fact, taught me the Siclian Defense. However, Mr. Stockel said that he hasn't played it in a while. What'simplied is that, Jack wants to see how I do against it. } 2. Nf3 { Therefore,I stick to the mainlines. } 2... e6 { But, this is how Jack responds, and I'mnot used to it. The only variation I'm familar with starts off with 1.e4,c5 2.d6, etc. } 3. d4 { The reason for saying etc is that I play it, asthough, he played 2...e6 since it's about, 'Stick with what you know'. } 3... cxd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 { But, this, however, is where I start getting myselfinto trouble, as I'm familiar with this move. I figured he'd play 4...a6since it's still very similar but with a slightly different move order. Therefore, although not a transposition, I wouldn't be in unknown territory. What I didn't realize, however, is that it was all in book until we discussedit after this game. Figuring that this was played to exchange my moreactive N for his less active bishop, I remember what Ken and Susan Polgartold me. } 5. Nb3 { ?? As I decline and reattack his Bc5. But, accordingto the mentor, this is the losing blunder because of what follows whichis why I give it two queries. That's because we discussed the game, whenit was over, and he said that best was to accept the exchange by continuingmy development with 5.Nc3, as now, Jack implied that I went out of book. And, in doing so, I'm going myself in so much trouble and won't be ableto get out. } 5... Bb6 6. Bc4 { This was played to develop and to attempt somepressure on Jack which won't work. } 6... Qh4 { But, once he played this, I figuredout that I'm in some trouble. As of now, it's not check, but this movereminds of what happens after the Domiano Defense since 4.Qh5+ is played. I realized that he's got pressure on my K side. } 7. Qd2 { ?? In an attemptto reduce that, combined with wanting to maintain my castling rights withoutrisking safety (which is the reason for not attacking with 7.g3) I playedthis. However, this is a terrible mistake as I'm going to lose two pawns,without compensation. Believe it or not, I think this is the losing move. } 7... Qxe4+ { Jack: Why didn't you play 7.Qe2 Joe: I didn't think it was alegal move because of a pawn blocking it. Though, looking back, I seethat it's what I could and should've done. By saying I didn't think itwas legal, I was implying that Ghost Vision was the key factor. But, thecause of Ghost Vision was the distraction and thinking too much about thetourney. The thing is that I thought that there was still a pawn at e2,forgetting about the 1.e4 opening. Now, were it not for that distractionthis wouldn't have happened. But, in doing so, I'm going to lose materialwith no way of compensating. } 8. Be2 { Knowing what I had done and thatI can't castle short, my goal is to be able to castle long. So, I getout of check with my LSB, as opposed to, the monarch. Later on, he saidthat I should've played in the tourney because of how bad I'm playing now. I disagree about participating in the tournament this week; I wanted trainingwhich just happened to work out. But, I agree that this is a terriblewith bad performance, on my part. However, our next game, which will bethe Finale was much better, and I managed to get a draw. I just need tolearn to adapt to being put on the spot since the tourney just startedon Friday, combined with the fact that it only started a minute or twobefore this game. And, that's not to mention that I was feeling the affectshere. } 8... Qxg2 9. Rf1 Qxh2 10. Nc3 { This is where I decide to continue withmy development. But, the plan is to castle long. However, as he mentionedat the end of our game, this would've been much better on my fifth move. } 10... Nf6 { As now, Jack also continues with his development. } 11. Qd3 { My DSBwas cramped which is something that I don't like as it's similar to howI went wrong in a different game. In an attempt to undue that damage andtry for completion of development and castle, I uncramb the position byadvancing my Queen. } 11... Nc6 { Not to my surprise, Jack continues with his development. So, I'll complete mine and attempt counterplay by putting pressure onehis Nf6 with my next move. However, he said something that I don't buysince ION told me not to trust my opponent. Jack: you're in trouble. Joe: I might have a way around that. I know that, to an extent, it's truebut don't believe that I'm in too much since I'm prepared to play my nextmove, anyhow. After my next move, it was implied that my mentor anticipatedas he said, 'that's allowed.' } 12. Bg5 Qe5 { This, however, undoes thepressure and stops me from castling, which is no wonder why he said that. Thus, I was shocked to see Jack play this, but it's the only reason Ican find for him moving here. BTW, 12...Ng4?? was almost played, but withthe glacoma he mistaked my pawn for the Bishop. But, by feeling it, whichis similar to blindfolded chess, he figured out what would happen and refrainedfrom making that blunder. So, some say it's not good and others use it. I do use it since TA has, so my model for that is, 'expect the unexpected'. Overlooking what's attacked, though, the game chat resumes. Joe: Whatif I castled? Jack: What about your Bg5 By that, he accurately said thatcastling will result in the loss of, yet, another piece. If that happened,I'd resign right then and there. Knowing what I overlooked and the mistakethat was almost made, I go in a place that I think will leave me in bettershape. } 13. Be3 { ?! But, I overlook his next move which forces an exchange. Therefore, better would've been 13.Be3 By bringing it back, he's goingto exchange my more active Bishop for his less active Bishop which is somethingthat I didn't want or have in mind. To be truthful since I made a similarmistake with dynamic_dv, the only reason behind this retreat is becauseI studied a training game where the teacher brought his or her B directlyin front of the other Bishop, like this. However, I forgot something veryimportant Ken told me which was to base it on the position. And, in thiscase, not only didn't I base it on that, but the position was almost ofno concern to me. In other words, it didn't even come into considerationwhich is what's not supposed to be done. } 13... Bxe3 14. fxe3 { I take back witha pawn, for had I recaptured the other way, he would've forced a Queenexchange, which to me, adds insult to injury since things are bad enough,as is, for white. } 14... Nb4 { Due to my refusal to exchange he kicks my Queenwhich doesn't bother me, at the least. As now, being put on the spot iscoming to an end. So, I'm to retreat in a spot where my c2 is still protected,and where a Rook remains mobile. Therefore, it'll be on d2. } 15. Qd2 h5 { He said something like, 'I'm just going to keep pushing with my passedpawn until it promotes.' So, I'm thinking about what to do. } 16. Rh1 { Withthat comment and thought process, I figured that Jack forgot about thismove since it stops the pawn from promoting. And, I remember this froma previous Homework, some time ago, that he gave me. You use your Rookto stop the passed pawn that right in front of the opponents Rook. Thistime, I feel that my instincts are spot on as I do last longer. Believeit or not, while I was in rough shape and, thus, really struggling, I'malready starting to feel more confident which will come up later in thegame chat. As now, I'm feeling less and less pressure. } 16... b6 { Not knowingwhy Jack played this, I figured that he was just going for a pawn chain,which is meaningless to me. } 17. Nb5 { As I attempt to put pressure on Jack,knowing that he can't take my N. But, there's more to the story then justpressure. Won't say that it is since it's not. The idea, though, is thesame as Hope Chess, as I'm just hoping that Mr. Stockel will blunder, somehow,and remove the guardian by taking his Queen of the square. If he doesthat, I'll wind up with the iniative with Nc7+, as suddenly, I'd win hisRook with the N fork. } 17... Ba6 { Not to my surprise, Jack doesn't allow that. But, that's where I come up with the second plan, after my last move. He, however, implied that it was a blunder. The problem is that I onlycalculated 2 variations, but you need multiple variations. One or twoisn't going to cut the mustard. } 18. Qxb4 { Jack: You took my Knight? Joe:I think that I've got my advantage back. Jack: How do you like that. Lol. I just smiled after that to imply that I like it a lot. And, I saidthat because I didn't feel any more pressure, from this point forward. Plus, I calculated 18...Bxb5, as then, I was going to play 19.Bxb5 buthad overlooked what came right after that. In doing so, I, somehow, woundup forgetting what Ken told me about calculating multiple variations sinceI only bothered with one or two here. } 18... Bxb5 19. Bxb5 Qxe3+ { As this isthe move that I missed. Sure, I've got things back, for now, but my Kingis completely exposed. Instead of feeling confident, I should've realizedthat I was under pressure and asked myself the same question that I askedmyself which kenneth_fiore_3 asked me. And, it was how to get out of problem. The problem was that, after what took place, I, shockingly, forgot a lotof important things that took place in that training game which didn'thappen on our second game. } 20. Be2 { Still trying to be able to castlelong, I used my Bishop to get out of check but forgot about his next movewhich is going to prevent me from castling, at all since I'm gonna haveto my monarch, after his next move. } 20... Qg3+ 21. Kd1 Nd5 { After which, Jackkicks my Queen. } 22. Qd4 { Not trusting him, I move it here. The idea isto Jack will play 22...Ne3+, one way or another. But, if I wasn't carefulon where he'd win my Queen, as now, I remember something from my traininggame with Ken. And, it's, where do you move your Q? After careful consideration,I decided that this was the place to go. For had he won it, I'd resign,at once. By playing this, I'm still in the fight and keep it in perspective,as I did earlier, which was also how I gained confident but, unfortunatelyfor me, it was at a bad time. } 22... Ne3+ 23. Kd2 { Feeling more and more confident,I bring my K right here. In fact, Jack said, 'You nasty man. It's a goodmove. I cannot defend it.' I don't agree with this because there's noimmediate win of material, but the idea is becoming a, 'Mr. tough guy'as Jack implied with his first sentence on this move. Sooner or later,I was planning to bring it up, move a rook over and then, bring it backdown. As then, it's the equivalent of castling. So, by checking me theway that he did, I add an attacker to put more pressure on him. It doesn'twork. I did anticipate him bringing it back but didn't realize that itwas right in a spot where my Queen is reattacked. } 23... Nf5 24. Qe5 { ?? Consequently,my next plan is to attack his 7th rank with Qc7. This, however, is a terribleblunder that I overlooked as Jack could and should win my Queen. Whenplanning my on getting tough, I overlooked this basic threat which isn'tgood because, back in the day, this was something that I was trained notto do. In fact, it fell right into the same category of not allowing thenasty checks or mate which is also a basic rule. Therefore, it is a basicblunder. } 24... Rc8 { But, Jack puts a stop to that in order to prevent me fromgetting counterplay. But, this is where I get really greedy. Seeing thathis h5 is week, I felt that there was no way he could defend it. So, Itake, at once, with my next move, and when he takes back, I recapture with25.Rxh5 And, when I played that, he said, 'Nasty man. This man is gettingtough.' However, I forgot that my Queen is still hanging. Therefore,best was still 24...Qxe5, at once. With his glacoma, Jack has been knownto miss moves like that. } 25. Rxh5 Rxh5 { Taking my Queen is still thebest move. It's that we both overlooked it for several moves. The reasonI did was because of how poorly Jack said that I played which still getsto me, even at this phase. When I tend to forget about it is the momentthat the game ends. I've got to find a way out of that, and no amountof training is going to help me since these things happen to me on thespot, against Jack. There's no control of when it happens. I think thelesson is taking the bad with the good and thinking about when I'm playingthose good moves so that things like this doesn't get the best of me. That's been an ongoing problem for years, to be exact. } 26. Bxh5 { Takingon g3, so 26.Qxg3 was still the way to go. Then, he's forced to take backwith 26...Nxg3, after which, I could've gotten his Rook with this move. And, all of a sudden, the advantage has turned in white's favor, thus,pulling a swindle in a lost position, by my books. The problem I had herewas repeated episodes of Tunnel Vision since I got obsessed with takingthe pawn on h5 but missed the bigger picture caused by overgeneralizingwhat Jack told me earlier which is a known weakness for me. } 26... Qg5+ { I saidthat because what I forgot is that I'm in check. And, it gets worse. He still missed 26...Qxe5, but this is also bad, as now, I'm going backdown a piece. I think getting greed and overanalyzing what he said ishow I wound up missing my Queen being en-prise. And, the reason for Jackforgetting to take it was the glacoma as I've seen that kind of thing before. } 27. Kd3 Qxh5 28. Qb5 { But, I get interested in trying to get a pawn. So,I play this with the plan being my next move. } 28... Nd6 { Not sure why attackedit since my plan, as noted, is to play 29.Qa6 } 29. Qa6 Qf5+ { But, I overlookedthis check. From here, I believe it's a mate in 6. I did, however, presentit in the Chess Problems Lover's Forum. But, they didn't believe it wasmate. I, on the hand, think otherwise, and let comments by them be filledin. } 30. Kd2 Qxc2+ 31. Ke1 Qe4+ 32. Kf1 Qf3+ 33. Kg1 Rc2 { And, I resignedright here because it's a forced mate. Now, I see it wasn't in 6, butthe most I'd last is 3 more moves. It could be blocked with 34.Nd2, butthen comes 34...Rxd2 This forces 35.Qe2, but then comes 35...Qxe2, andthen it's mate, as 36...Qg2# would become inevitable. However, I thoughtit was inevitable. But, one thing is for sure, which is that Jack hasa forced mate, so resignation was called for. After this game, we starteda new one, but Mr. Stockel gave his input on where he thought that I wentwrong. In it, he said that my fifth move was the decisive mistake. Therefore,5.Nb3?? was the losing blunder. Then, Jack told me the same thing he saidyears ago which is how I wound up giving milly64 the wrong informationin her last information, regarding the Larsen's Defense. In it he said,that after 1.e4, c5 2.Nf3, e6 3.d4, cxd4 4.Nxd4, Bc5 5.Nc6 is what's played,but I brought the N to b3 which is where I went wrong. Therefore, Jacksaid that the lesson is to play moves that are played by Grandmasters. I disagree with that. Even after that, I was ok, until the seventh movebeing 7.Qd2, as 7.Qe2 is what would've prevented the loss of material butwas overwhelmed by being put on the spot. Later on, he made a blunder,in which I failed to expolit. That was, leaving his Rook en-prise, andthus, not liquidating Queens which would've gotten the Queen. Therefore,I think that the real moral's is learning how to adjust my attitude whenit comes to being put on the spot. For me, the problem was finding outthat I'd have less time then everyonelse which was only 35 minutes whichenfuriated me. Later on, though, I decided to get to the bottom of it,once and for all, before it could affect future games. That's when I askedhim why I'd be given less time then everyonelse which is, of course, dueto being a stronger player. Before that kind of thing affected my chessgames, it was problematic in life and wound up getting nasty and, in onecase, having a temper tantrum when that happened. So, what to realizeis that, sometimes, there are inconviences, and life is about being puton the spot. Therefore, you just have to be flexible. The other moralis not overanalyzing what someone tells you, even the coach. That's partof not trusting your opponent. And, be it note that overanalyzing anythingwas a problem that dates back to before I started playing chess. It'sthe main part of my disability which still needs to be worked on. In thefuture, if I play, and Jack says oh this was bad and now you're in trouble. What I've learned is not to take it too seriously, and just play normallyso that it won't get to me. Those factors will enable me to make betterdecisions which will lead to better results. } 0-1

[Event "Glendadoom Part 3"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2012.10.27"] [Round "-"] [White "jstevens1"] [Black "dmaestro"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1527"] [TimeControl "5 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1953"] 1. c4 { Hi everyone! She's at it again! Things have a habit of comingin threes, don't they? Well, on that Saturday they certainly did. Myopponent this time was dmaestro who beat me in that 60 mover where I lostagainst him because I chose to take off the wrong pawn. If I had takenthe central pawn instead of the side pawn I would have clawed back halfa point off him but it wasn't to be. On move 18 he just did not know whatwas gonna hit him. So how did this happen, well, here is the GameknotAnalysis version of our game: http://gameknot.com/analyze-board.pl?bd=18563197&rnd=0.8681993657365421 } 1... Nf6 { 1. ..... Nf6 - I decided to kick off with the English Opening andMike responded by developing a knight. } 2. Nc3 d6 3. d4 { 3. d4 - vigorousplay in the centre is called for here. } 3... Nbd7 4. Nf3 e5 5. e4 { 5. e4 - andmore of the same here. } 5... Be7 6. Be2 O-O 7. O-O c6 8. Re1 Ne8 9. Bf1 { 9.Bf1 - looks passive but is clearing a path for my rook. } 9... Qc7 10. Rb1 g6 11. b4 { 11. b4 - behold - a wall of white pawns! } 11... f5 12. exf5 gxf5 13. dxe5 dxe5 { 13. .... dxe5 - Mike gets his pawn centre but he has exposedhis king. Can I capitalise on this? We shall see. } 14. c5 b6 15. Bc4+ { 15. Bc4+ - this bishop rakes through the BK's position which has got fartoo many cavities for The Dentist to fill. I however, will certainly finda way to fill them - in a way that he will not want! } 15... Kg7 16. Ng5 { 16.Ng5 - threatening a family fork on e6 so black must play BxN. } 16... Bxg5 17. Bxg5 bxc5 { 17. ..... bxc5 - white wins a pawn, but it is a poisoned pawnbecause, just look at who is hopping on her broomstick, all the way toh5 ....... } 18. Qh5 { 18. Qh5 - GL-EEE-NDA! } 18... Ndf6 { 18. .... Ndf6?? - afterthis move, I realised I had a forced mate in 3. I played my next moveand announced the mate to my opponent, giving him the option of resignation. He immediately resigned on the grounds of Unavoidable Mate. Can you workout the mate? Answers on a postcard, please. } 19. Qh6+ 1-0

[Event "Challenge from jeich, http://gameknot.com/"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2014.04.25"] [Round "-"] [White "pcm1858"] [Black "jeich"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1789"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1771"] 1. e4 { This is a game against a new player on our team that I thought couldbe instructive for our members. I lost badly but I am not discouraged. I felt I had some nice ideas, but he is a better player and found waysto exploit my mistakes. I did not want a computer analysis to influencemy thoughts so I have did not have one run yet but I will after the annotation. } 1... c5 { I am trying to learn the Sicilian Defense so that is all I playright now against 1. e4. } 2. Nf3 d6 { Black uses another pawn move andgets further behind in development but black should still be able to equalizeeventually. } 3. Bb5+ { I typically do not see this move so I am alreadyout of my 'book' for the Sicilian Defense. I'm sure this is still in 'book'but I do not like to study openings. } 3... Nc6 { I feel like development isthe way to go here even though there is the threat of 4. e5. I would replywith 4....Bd7 instead of getting into trouble with 4....dxe5. } 4. O-O { I expect white to push the d-pawn out to d4 but this is not a surprise. } 4... Bd7 { I have been burned before with tactics against the c6 square inthis situation before so I develop and protect that square further. Idon't like that I have nothing on the kingside developed yet but I feellike this has to be done first. } 5. Re1 { Again, I am expecting 5. d4 butmy opponent lines up his rook with my king. Possibly to support the eventuale5 central space gaining push. } 5... g6 { My response was probably not thebest. For some reason, I did not like the variations I played out in myhead after 5....Nf6. I felt my opponent could respond with 6. Bxc6 Bxc67. e5. I must have had a blind spot here because I was worried about 7....dxe58. Qxd8+ Kd8. The problem with this line is that it is not possible....white'sd-pawn is still on the board which is usually not the case in the openingsI see often. With my opponent this far ahead in development, I don't thinktaking two tempos to develop my dark squared bishop is the way to go herebut I failed to see the danger. } 6. c3 { My opponent prepares the d4push and works to build a large pawn center. } 6... Bg7 { Finishing the fianchettowhich hits the d4 square a third time. Not enough since white can removeone defender of it any time (Bxc6). } 7. d4 { White gains central spaceand will enjoy freedom of movement for his pieces. } 7... cxd4 8. cxd4 Nf6 { I have caught up in development with all four minor pieces out. My opponenthas 3 pieces out (bishop, knight, and rook) and castled. The importantimbalance favors white though. The e4 and d4 pawns give his pieces roomto work and restrict mine. My king is still stuck in the center so I mustcastle before my opponent can get the rest of his pieces mobilized. } 9. Nc3 O-O 10. Be2 { I was expecting 10. Bf4 or Be3 developing the dark squaredbishop. I felt like this retreat gave me the chance to equalize but Idid not see how. The plan here should have been to add pressure to white'scenter but that was not my plan during the game. } 10... Rc8 { I decided toimprove my rook with this tempo but again I don't feel it was best lookingback. I can put pressure on white's d-pawn with 10....Bg4 threateningto remove a defender of the d4 pawn. Controlling the only open file wasmy plan at this stage...wrong plan when an opponent has a large center. } 11. h3 { I felt like this was a wasted tempo during the game. Howeverit is right on. White is indirectly defending his center and I didn'teven realize it during the game. Now the f3 knight is a great piece....itis stable (means it can not be traded anytime soon) and it serves an importantoffensive role (attacking the e5 square) and defensive role (defendingthe d4 pawn). Even though the trading value assigned to a knight is equalto that of 3 pawns....this knight is far more valuable due to it's quality. Quality is determined by several factors but stability and role playedare two important ones. Again, during the game, I did not even realizeit but I'm quite sure my opponent was proud of his great piece. } 11... a6 { All I was working on right now was double my rooks on the c-file. Thereis nothing there to gain but I thought that was my ticket to winning thegame. This prepared my rook lift to Rc7 by keeping the c3 knight fromNb5. } 12. Be3 { Now my opponent strengthens his center further and develops. } 12... e6 { I finally go back to playing in the center of the board but haveno decent options. My opponent already dominates there. I checked 12...e5that allows 13. d5 which forces my knight back to e7 and my pieces havenowhere to go. I checked 12...d5 but 13. e5 has the same effect. I seean opportunity to lose an exchange down the road with rook for knight onc3 then grabbing the e4 pawn to break down his center so I prepare to openthat file. } 13. Rc1 { White challenges the c-file. } 13... Ne7 { Here goes. I have to get my pieces some activity so I set myself up for a sacrifice. } 14. Bd3 { Really....did my opponent see that coming as well? If you lookinto a chess book about how to ideally place your pieces....white is twomoves away. The queen on e2 or d2 and the c-rook on d1 would be a textbookpiece placement and I have allowed it. } 14... b5 { My last ditch attempt isto trade down. The player with the cramped position should search foreven trades to alleviate some of the lack of mobility problems. I lookto kick his knight from the c3 square and trade rooks. Less pieces needless room to work. } 15. Qd2 Bc6 { I saw a chance to make some exchangesin the center so I bailed on my last plan. } 16. a3 { My opponent prevents16....b4. Always a step ahead of me. } 16... d5 { Now I lose my nerve a littlehere and go for a pawn sacrifice that hopefully (a bad way to play chessis move and hope) gives me enough activity for the sacrifice. I know myopponent is likely to respond with 17. e5 gaining more space. 17.....Nd7makes my light squared bishop useless and my dark squared bishop can easilybe exchanged whenever my opponent wishes with Bh6 then Bxg7. What I hadin mind was to sacrifice the d-pawn for the bishop pair. What I had workedout was the line...16...d5 17. e5 Ne4 (leads to a loss of my d-pawn) 18.Bxe4 (not 18. Nxe4?? due to the pawn fork 18....dxe4) dxe4 19. Ng5 winningthe d-pawn on the next move. I am aware this will happen. I also knowthat white can force the exchange of dark squared bishops which gives menothing for the sacrifice but I can exchange his dark squared bishop first. After 19. Ng5 Nf5! is the way to keep my bishop pair. If 20. Bf4 I canrespond with 20....Qxd4 or 20...Nxd4 material equal again and much neededspace gained. I give 19...Nf5! because it accomplishes my idea not becauseit is a great move. } 17. e5 { As expected not allowing exchanges andgaining space. White is in complete control. } 17... Ne4 { Here is the sacrifice. } 18. Bxe4 { My opponent captures with the correct piece of course avoidingthe blunder mentioned earlier. } 18... dxe4 19. Ng5 { Will win the e4 pawn. } 19... Nf5 { All according to plan. Secures the capture of the dark squared bishop. } 20. Ngxe4 Nxe3 21. Qxe3 { Now I realize the error in my ways but it isfar too late to go back now. The bishop pair and the backward d-pawn makeme feel like I have compensation for the lost pawn. My analysis was excellentbut my evaluation was terrible. Analysis is calculating all the possiblelines and captures. I am pleased looking back to see that aspect of thegame was correct for me. Evaluation is looking at the position after thecaptures are over to see who stands better. If you told me I was goingto be down a pawn but have the bishop pair and the opponent has a backwardpawn on an open file, I would say I like my chances. The problem is, inthis position, I would rather have the knights. I didn't see it this wayduring the game, but my opponent easily turns this position into a winfor him. What I failed to recognize is that the holes in black's position(f6 and d6 are the worst ones) and the white knight's ability to accessthem give white all the play. I saw 22. Nf6+ but that gives me back thepawn so I didn't worry about it. I failed to see 22. Nd6 completely dominatingthe game. } 21... Qh4 { I admit I did not have any plan at this point. I feltI accomplished something by getting the bishop pair and was in control. This move keeps the initiative (so I think) by threatening to win theexchange with 22...Bh6. I assume my opponent will see this but can't doanything about it. } 22. f4 { My opponent takes action against my planbut I still like where I stand. } 22... Bh6 { Attacking f4 a second time. } 23. Rf1 { Defending f4. I thought this was good for me before Bh6. I consideredthe rook defending the f-pawn and calculated incorrectly. 23. Rf1 Bxe424. Nxe4 Rxc1 25. Rxc1 Qxf4 and I am loving my position. However, I missthe easy solution for white. 23. Rf1 Bxe4 24. Qxe4 is what I failed tosee and now white gets the initiative and the game from here. } 23... Rfd8 { Since my original plan fails I should probably get my queen out of there. I sensed some danger at this point knowing Nf6+ is in the air but I failto listen to my instincts. I feel like I have to press on. } 24. Nf6+ { No surprise there. } 24... Kh8 25. Kh2 { Now the game is all over. White hastrapped the black queen. } 25... Bg7 { This gives some breathing room for thequeen. } 26. Nce4 { Here was a moment in the game where I was stubborn andwould not give up the bishop pair. If I exchanged here with 26...Bxe4or 26...Bxf6, I might have been able to hold on for a while. Again, notevaluating the knights vs bishops correctly in this position is why myending came so quickly. } 26... Bb7 27. g3 { Tightening the noose around my queen. } 27... Qh6 28. Ng5 { Amazing what the knights can do with advanced supportpoints. Of course the threat is 29. Nxf7+ forking my king, queen, androok all at the same time. } 28... Rf8 { It's over, but I cover the square f7square anyway. } 29. Rxc8 Bxc8 30. Nfxh7 { I expected 30. Rc1 but this isa faster execution. } 30... Qxh7 { This game gives some really nice instructionon a couple of things. The bishop pair is an imbalance (chess author JeremySilman's term) but only better if you can make the position better forthem (they line an open position meaning central pawns are off the board). The knights like to get deep onto enemy territory where they can not bepushed back by pawns (advanced outposts). If you place a piece in a badposition, be 100% sure the tactics you are relying on will work. 21. Qh4put my queen on the edge of the board where it could get trapped whichit later was. Better players would categorize my attempt to exploit theh6-c1 diagonal (white's queen and rook lined up on that diagonal) as acheap trick. I didn't think it was at the time, but it is good practiceto assume your opponent will see your threats and find the best move. } 1-0

[Event "C B winter tournament# 6."] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2017.11.29"] [Round "-"] [White "ronthetenth"] [Black "gur-dial"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1567"] [TimeControl "3d+2d<5d"] [WhiteElo "1801"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nd7 4. Bc4 { the Lion. dangerous if Black is wellprepared. (aka: Philador; Hanham variation.) } 4... h6 { ...c6 is a thematicalternative. } 5. dxe5 Qe7 6. O-O dxe5 { 26...Nxe5 } 7. Nc3 c6 { Not bad, butmore normal is Ngf6. Black is behind in development. but ...c6 is useful,limiting the knight's aggressive expansion. } 8. Be3 b5 9. Bd3 { 9.Bb3 tobe preferred, leaving the file open for the Rooks to double quickly. Whatis ahead in development and must set aggressive plans in motion. Bb3 keepsthe aim on the f7 square. if ...a5, a3 keeps the bishop safe. } 9... Nc5 10. Bxc5 { 10.Qe2 or 10.a4 are better. I would prefer 10.Qe2 as ...Nxd3, Qd3leaves Black congested with development difficulties. } 10... Qxc5 11. h3 { playedto limit the Bishop. } 11... g5 { development. development. 11....Nf6 is better.game would be about even. } 12. a3 Bd6 13. Qd2 { 13.Be2 better slightly.again, it is interfering with aggressive development. } 13... Nf6 14. b4 { 14.b4! } 14... Qb6 15. Ne2 { 15.Rfd1 forces ...Ke7. with king stuck in center, Black willcontinue to remain under pressure for a long time. } 15... O-O { not best... } 16. Nxg5 { Playing just like Tal! snatch the pawn and attack! } 16... hxg5 { thepawn is lost. ...c5 is better. letting the Queen at the Black King Is NotGood. } 17. Qxg5+ Kh7 18. Qxf6 { White is up 2 secure pawns and has strongthreats of attack. f4, Rae1 Re3, Rg3 Rf3 etc... Student Body Right... allhands on deck. } 18... Qc7 { 18....Qd8. } 19. f4 { 19.Qh4+ Kg7 and 20.f4. } 19... Be7 20. Qxe5 Bd6 { 20.....Qxe5 much better. } 21. Qh5+ Kg7 22. e5 Qb6+ 23. Kh1 Be7 24. Qh7# { pretty mate. } 1-0

[Event "Strepsil's Annotated Blitz Chess VI"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "-"] [White "johntoma"] [Black "strepsil999"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1350"] [WhiteElo "1356"] 1. e4 { He uses a popular opening: King's Pawn game. } 1... e5 { I respond normally. } 2. Bc4 { He opens up his bishop, ignoring the classic theory: 'Knights beforebishops'. } 2... a6 { I push up my pawn, preparing to threaten his bishop withmy b-pawn. I probably should have been getting my pieces out, but, likeusual, I was trying something. } 3. a4 { I still can push up my pawn, theresult would would be a swapping of pawns.: b5 4. Bd3 bxa4 5. Rxa4. } 3... Nc6 { I open my knight. } 4. Qf3 { He opens up his queen surprisingly early, lookingfor 'Scholar's mate', a checkmate using the bishop to protect the queenas she takes the f-pawn. 'Scholar's mate' is one that beginners fall for.I will not. } 4... Nf6 { I open up my knight, at the same time preventing thequeen from reaching my pawn. } 5. h3 { This doesn't do anything, he shouldbe getting his pieces out. } 5... Bc5 { I open my bishop, and am now in a positionto castle. } 6. Nc3 { He opens up his knight. } 6... Bd4 { I threaten his knightwith my bishop. } 7. Nd5 { He moves forward, threatening my knight. } 7... d6 { Iignore the threat and prepare: Be6. } 8. c3 { He threatens my bishop. } 8... Bc5 { I retreat. } 9. b4 { He threatens again. } 9... Bb6 { I retreat again. } 10. a5 { Yet again, he threatens my bishop, and yet again... } 10... Ba7 { ...I retreat. } 11. b5 { He now threatens my knight, and I'm not liking my position so much. } 11... axb5 { I take his pawn with my own. } 12. Bxb5 { And he takes mine with hisbishop, he is still threatening my knight. } 12... Bb6 { I push up my bishop, preparingto take the free pawn. If you ask why I would sacrifice my bishop, lookagain at the position, at both my and my opponents rooks. } 13. Bxc6+ { Hetakes my knight, checking the king. } 13... bxc6 { I take his bishop with my pawn. } 14. Nxf6+ { He takes my bishop with his knight, checking me and I obviously... } 14... gxf6 { ...Take him. } 15. Ne2 { He is now in a castling position. } 15... Rg8 { I musthave forgot about the free pawn... } 16. Bb2 { He pushes up his bishop. } 16... Bxa5 { I take the free pawn with my bishop. } 17. O-O { He castles. } 17... Bb7 { I seesomething. A could pin the pawn to his queen and persuade his pawn to takeone of my pieces, which would give me the queen, but how do i get to thisposition? I see my pawn on f6: My bait, And my pawn on c6, my barricade.Now I'm thinking further. The rook and bishop connect and collide on theg2 square. } 18. Rfd1 { He uses his rook to protect the pawn. } 18... c5 { I go forit, trying out my plan. ^^ 00 V - } 19. c4 { He pushes up his pawn... :o } 19... Qd7 { I push my queenout in case he decides to take my pawn with his queen. } 20. g4 { No matter,he is pinned to his king with my rook. But I don't see that, so I try toget rid of the pawn. } 20... h5 { I try to get him out of the way, then I realizehis g-pawn can't take me, and it can't take my pawn when I move it to f5.. } 21. d3 { This move doesn't do anything, thats what i needed, a move thatdoesn't threat any of my pieces or get in the way of my plan. } 21... f5 { He cantake with his pawn or his queen, or he can just totally ignore it, eitherway, I get at least a pawn. } 22. exf5 { A very bad move, but my plan worked! } 22... Bxf3 { I take his queen, and he resigns! :D Until I captured his pawn inmove 15, I was worried, really worried. But, what a game! Thank you forreading my Sixth Annotated Blitz game! } 0-1

[Event "Game 4"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date ""] [Round "-"] [White "Friend"] [Black "thedessertfox"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] { The 4th game in the series. This was quite interesting because there waschance of an exchange sac. Sicilian Najdorf Bg5. This ended in a draw Ilead the series 3.5-0.5 with one game to go } 1. e4 c5 { No french this timeI look to win and try and make this my 4th straight win in the series } 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 { Najdorf. Last time this wasplayed I won the game as white (See game 1) } 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Be7 { StillOTB } 8. Qf3 Qc7 9. O-O-O Nbd7 10. g4 b5 { The pawn storms have started } 11. Bxf6 gxf6 { Not Nxf6 because white gets a better position and Bxf6 fallsto Bxb5 axb5 Ndxb5 followed by Nxd6+ and e5 looks good for white } 12. f5 Ne5 13. Qh3 O-O 14. Rg1 Kh8 15. g5 Rg8 { I saw a chance of an exchange sachere I don't know if my opponent did. 16. gxf6 Rxg1 17. fxe7 Qxe718. Nce2Rg8 19. fxe6 fxe6 20. Nf4Bb7 21. Ndxe6 Bxe4 its not very good but it wasan idea } 16. g6 fxg6 17. fxg6 Rg7 { Stops mate on h2. I could have playedNxg6 or Rxg6 Rxg6 Nxg6 but I wanted my knight centralized } 18. Nxe6 Bxe6 19. Qxe6 Rxg6 20. Rxg6 hxg6 21. Qh3+ Kg7 { Interesting position where blackis better developed but white's king is more protected } 22. Nd5 Qd7 23. Nxe7 Qxe7 { I believe that he thought his Bishop is better than my knight } 24. b4 a5 25. a3 axb4 26. axb4 Ra1+ 27. Kd2 Rxd1+ 28. Kxd1 { Black simplifiesthe game } 28... d5 29. exd5 Qxb4 { Still even on material } 30. Qg3 Kf8 { Wastingtime } 31. Bg2 Qg4+ 32. Qxg4 Nxg4 33. d6 Kf7 { !? I don't know why I didn'tplay Ke8 } 34. Bc6 Nxh2 35. d7 Ke7 36. Kd2 f5 37. Kd3 f4 38. c4 bxc4+ 39. Kxc4 g5 40. Kd3 g4 41. Ke2 f3+ 42. Kf2 g3+ { black realizes its going tobe a draw } 43. Kxg3 Ng4 44. Kxf3 { Capturing the knight allows the pawnto queen } 44... Ne5+ 45. Ke4 Nxd7 { Its a draw. Even though its possible to checkmateit will be a draw unless something stupid happens. Nxc6 also ends in adraw. This was interesting because it showed how a pawn majority doesn'talways mean a victory } 1/2-1/2

[Event "Challenge from jstevens1"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "29-Nov-07"] [Round "-"] [White "jstevens1"] [Black "chessnovice"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1815"] [TimeControl "7 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1525"] { jstevens1 challenged me to a quick game last week, and I felt the gamewas interesting enough to justify some notation. I hope you enjoy. } 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 { The game starts off with the Giucco Piano. Bc4 usually beckons this position, and I rarely enjoy the awkward situationsthat 3. ... Nf6 brings (with Ng5, threatening the f7 pawn). The openingwas convenient, because I was in the mood for a nice, slow game. Closedgames like these tend to make mistakes and advantages in the game fairlysubtle. White has several options available. Evans Gambit (4. b4) andthe Italian Gambit (4. d4) are aggressive options. Guicco Pianissimo (4.d3) is a tender approach where both sides rely on middle-game creativity. Main line (4. c3) prepares to control the center on d4. } 4. d3 { Whitechooses Giuocco Pianissimo. } 4... Nf6 5. c3 d6 6. O-O O-O 7. b4 { A nice, aggressivemove by white. 7. h3 tends to be more common, but there's really littledifference between the two options. No move is without its disadvantages,though. Finding those disadvantages is important to developing good strategy.One disadvantage in this move is that it weakens a relatively clumsy whitec3 pawn. Initially pushed in order to support the d pawn's march to d4,the c-pawn now has to protect the b-pawn from the black knight while receivinglittle protection itself (presuming that white wants to develop the queensideknight). } 7... Bb6 8. a4 { White continues an admirably aggressive approach,hoping to trap the black-square bishop. Pawn rushes like these must betreated carefully. Even though the danger is somewhat minimized by havingthe kings castled on the same side, the strategy can succeed in disablingblack's development or fail by overextending white's pawns. The differencebetween success and failure in pawn rushes is subtle. } 8... a6 { The best solutionsare often the simplest ones. } 9. a5 Ba7 10. Bg5 h6 11. Bh4 Bg4 { Black'spawn being pushed to g4 is an inevitability, because white's pin on theknight is beginning to make black's position uncomfortable. 11. g4 iswithheld because, although Nxg5?! is unsound, it's not unsound by verymuch. This move brings the board to a position that could have happenedanyway, but had much better odds of happening when performed in this order. It has the advantage of developing the white-square bishop, and gettingrid of the potential stickiness of having to prove a sacrifice wrong. } 12. h3 Bh5 13. Nbd2 { That knight had to develop, but white runs the riskof making that c-pawn a target. } 13... g5 14. Bg3 { Ultimately, this is the safestposition for black after white's dangerous Bg5 attack. } 14... Qd7 { This positionhad precedent on GK, in the 1st Master Tournament. The match is betweenflight2000it (white) and papani (black), and can be found on: http://gameknot.com/chess.pl?bd=7038723 The queen move to d7 commits the d2 Knight to its current position (otherwise,... Bxf3, gxf3, ... Qxh3 for a pawn advantage). It also sets up black'squeenside Knight for a long travel to a very powerful post on f4. } 15. Qc2 { White's queen gets out of the way of the pin. White may be hopingto open up the center with an eventual pawn push to d4. An interestingmove along the same idea would have been Qa4, especially considering black'splan involving the knight. } 15... Nd8 16. Bh2 { Pre-emptively retreating the bishopis a bit passive. Part of black's plan involves papani's innovation ofblack coordinating with Bg6, Nh5, and Nf4. So the bishop would likelyhave to move anyway. Perhaps white was planning to play g4, for a moresymmetrical (usually translating to even) game? Alternatively, this couldhave been a good opportunity for white to take advantage of the knight'sretreat. 16. d4 is now a feasible option that opens the game up a bit(notice white's queen is out of the game, otherwise), and makes white'swhite-square bishop less bad. } 16... c6 { I hoped to create a back-up plan incase my knight didn't make it to its final destination. Concerned aboutBxe6 in the future, I planned the possibility of redirecting my attentiontowards the power-struggle in the center should things go awry. Lookingback, the move wasn't very wise. It allows white another opportunity totemporarily distract black from his knight's plan, by playing 17. d4. } 17. Bb3 { White wishes to keep the pawn pinned against the king (as I haddone a few moves before). This is also a better spot for the bishop toreside, compared to the c4 square. } 17... Ne6 18. Rae1 { Taking the knight mayhave been better, to deny black a rather strong post on f4 (especiallyafter I committed all that time spent with the black knight on the backrow, doing nothing). 18. Bxe6 Qxe6 19. Re1, and I'd say the game wouldstay even. } 18... Nf4 19. Bxf4 gxf4 { The black knight found its destination,and white reasonably had to remove it from the board. The new threat againstwhite is now the half-open file, and most of white's pieces are cordonedoff by an unfortunate pawn structure. White's best move here is d4. Ittakes away the defender of the now-overextended f-pawn, and take away theinitiative that could be used to manipulate the half-open g-file. } 20. Qb1 { This is white's only concrete mistake. The plan is to allow Bd1 toeliminate black's white-square bishop. However, this puts a majority ofwhite's pieces on the back rank, and gives the rooks even less room inan already tight position. Furthermore, there's nowhere that the knighton f3 can go, except perhaps h2. The mistake isn't game-breaking, andit's certainly playable given what transpires in the next few moves (20.... Kh8 21. Kh1 Rg8 22. Nh4 Rg5 23. Bd1), but there are better and moreoffensive moves available. I find that the alternative of d4 is the bestalternative move to make. } 20... Kh8 21. Kh1 Rg8 22. Nh4 { Black's plan is clearlyto double the rooks on the g-file and bully a way into an advantage. Thisposition gives the interesting dilemma of where black will place the rookin order to advance the plan. If Rg2, then Nf5. This blocks black's queenfrom targeting the potential weakspot, h3. If Rg5, then Nf3, and whiteattacks the rook before being able to double. If the rook moves anywhereelse on the g-file, it gets captured by either a knight or a pawn. Ifblack doesn't double the rooks on the g-file right away, white will winan irreversibly strong outpost on f5 (effectively stealing black's originalplan!). } 22... Rg5 23. Ndf3 Bxf3 24. Nxf3 { The knight has to capture the bishopinstead of the pawn, otherwise Qxh3#. At this point, the rook could retreatto g7 and double the rooks as previously planned. However, the problemthat black faces is a return to Nh4, where the knight is difficult to remove. } 24... Rxg2 { So the rook becomes impatient! } 25. Kxg2 Rg8+ 26. Kh2 { A game-decidingmove (26. Ng5 prolongs the game. A hypothetical line would be: 26. ...Rxg5 27. Kf3 Qxh3 28. Ke2 Rg2 29. Kd1 Ng4 30. Kc1 Nxf2 31. Bc2 Be3 32.Kb2 Nxd3 33. Kb3 Nxe1 34. Rxe1 Bd2 35. Rh1 Qxc3 36. Ka4 Rg3, with a winon the horizon for black). At this point, black can declare 'Mate in 9'.Do you see how it can be ended? Check out Puzzle #788 to see, or justcontinue watching the game... http://gameknot.com/chess-puzzles.pl?u=chessnovice } 26... Ng4+ 27. hxg4 Qxg4 { White resigns at Mate in 2. } 0-1

[Event "Benoni (W)"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2013.05.18"] [Round "-"] [White "nagy"] [Black "ptitroque"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1706"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1657"] 1. d4 Nf6 { Benoni } 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 { Still following the main modernbenoni line } 4. d5 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 { Now, it's definitely a benoni. } 6. Bg5 { Usually white plays e4. } 6... Be7 { Black abandons the fiancheto line. } 7. Nf3 O-O { Securing the king. } 8. e3 { I would have expected e4 } 8... Nbd7 { a6was another candidate move } 9. Bc4 { I see little interrest in this movefor white's d pawn is already supported and not under attack. } 9... Nb6 { Toattack white's undefended LSB } 10. b3 { Defending the LSB } 10... Bf5 { Black devellopshis LSB while he can (for it's not so easy in Benoni). } 11. O-O Ne4 { Forkattack (wether by 12. ... Nxg5 or by 12. Nxc3) } 12. Bxe7 { Only move tosave both c knight and DSB } 12... Qxe7 { Now black's plan is to attack the whiteking straight ahead. } 13. Nb5 { It achieves little } 13... a6 14. Na3 { Only retreatingplace for the white knight who is now far away from both kings and thereforenot dangerous. } 14... Nc3 { Menacing the queen. } 15. Qd2 Qf6 { The black queenis now on the 6th line, before her pawns, ready to menace the white kingby 16. ... Qg6 or 16. Qh6. } 16. Rac1 { To fire the black knight. } 16... Ne4 { Comingon the king side and menacing the white queen. } 17. Qe1 Rfe8 { Before launchinghis attack black need more pieces ready. } 18. h3 { To secure the king butweakening it. } 18... Bxh3 { Opening the white's king defense. } 19. Bd3 Ng5 { Menacing 20. gxh3 Nxf3+ and taking the queen. } 20. Be2 { To protect the f knight. } 20... Bxg2 21. Kxg2 { Forced move if white doesn't want to lose his rook. } 21... Re4 { Bringing more material by the e8 e4 highway and menacing mate by 22. Rg4+23.Kh2 Qh6+ 24. Nh4 Qxh4 # } 22. Rg1 { To provide an escape square for thewhite king. } 22... Rg4+ { White has only one move. } 23. Kf1 { Forced move. } 23... Nxf3 { White has only one move to avoid losing his queen or mate. } 24. Bxf3 Qxf3 { Now black has the material advantage as well as the positionnal one. } 25. Rxg4 Qxg4 { Black attack comes to an end for the moment but white isdoomed at middle term. } 26. Nc4 { Trying a counterattack. } 26... Nxc4 { The exchangeis in black favour. } 27. Rxc4 Qh3+ { gaining one tempo. } 28. Kg1 { MaybeKe2 would have been better. } 28... Re8 { More material to attack the black king(black's pawn block eventual queenside attacks) } 29. Rf4 Re5 { Menacing30. ...Rg5+ 31.Rg4 Rxg4# Unavoidable except if white had sacrified hisqueen by 30. Qe2 Rg5+ 31. Rg4 Rxg4 32. Qxg4 Qxg4+ and black would be onequeen and 2 pawns ahead. So that white submits. } 0-1

[Event "joveyboy1 vs. geniusacamel (Game 1)"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2014.07.26"] [Round "-"] [White "joveyboy1"] [Black "geniusacamel"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "2109"] [TimeControl "2 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1110"] { (The ratings of the two players are their ratings when this game had started)Hey everyone! It's been a while since I've done annotations because I'vejust been so busy. It's about time I made my return. I've liked doing annotations,so now, I will return with the first of four games against a very highrated player. Now you look at the ratings, it is obvious who has the advantage,I mean, 999 points difference, and black is stronger than that, but actually,the lower rated player lasted longer than you may think. I hope you enjoy,and please comment and rate, offer suggestions, ect. it never bugs me.Enjoy! } 1. e3 { White starts of with one of their usual two openings, eitherc4 or, in this case, e3. My openings are unique and most would say thatit is bad, but it seems to do good for me. Unless I can learn a new andbetter opening and remember it, I'll stick with this opening of mine. } 1... Nf6 { Already black starts with an opening I'm not used to seeing, for Idon't play higher rated players much. } 2. c4 { White continues their openingwith c4, which is what I would usually play. } 2... e5 { This kind of move canconfuse me. Again I'm not used to playing high rated players, so this movemade me think, 'What is this?' Of course, for someone as high rated ashim, this is all part of black's plan. } 3. h3 { This is actually an inaccuracy,says the computer analysis at least. It also says the best move was 3.Nc3, which is actually part of my opening strategy usually. Well, thisis also where I begin losing, believe it or not. Just take a look at thegame analysis I showed at move 1. It's not much, but it is the beginningof the end for white, but the move made keeps black's f6 knight from advancingto g4. That is what I was thinking at the time. } 3... Nc6 { Something I waskinda expecting actually, having both knights out early. } 4. a3 { I plannedthis move the moment I saw the c6 knight. Now that knight can't advanceto b4. All part of white's opening. } 4... d5 { This kind of move you wonder whichis better, stay or take. When I look at this though, this is when havingthe b1 knight on c3 would of been helpful. } 5. cxd5 { I decide to take. } 5... Nxd5 { Of course he would take back, but really, it's looking like blackis gaining a positional advantage here. } 6. Bb5 { I decide here to pinthe knight. It can't move at this moment because of the knight being theonly thing between the king. Of course, I'm sure I'll have to move it soonbecause black would likely play a move like a6. } 6... Qd6 { Not what I reallyexpected. I expected black to bring their queen out soon, but after themove I made, I wasn't totally expecting that move. Of course black mustbe positioning himself. } 7. Qc2 { I decide to do the same. Although thecomputer analysis says nothing, I'm pretty certain there were better movesthan this. } 7... a6 { Now black plays a6, as I was still expecting. } 8. Bxc6+ { Well, I think about this move, and I don't like it. It exchanges knightfor a bishop. Both knights and bishops are valuable, but in this case,my bishop's position may of been better than a trade. Thus, I think 8.Ba4 or Bc4 were better moves than Bxc6+. } 8... Qxc6 { I expected that move.Unfortunately I am not good with thinking ahead, otherwise I know I'd beway better at chess. With that, the next move is where white starts losingcontrol. } 9. Nc3 { My first mistake was this move. Again, I don't do welllooking ahead. Here's what the computer analysis predicts: 9. Nc3 Nxc310. Qxc3 Qxg2. Those moves will happen. After that, it gets worse for white. } 9... Nxc3 10. Qxc3 { It was when I made this move for fair exchange betweenthe knights that I realized I made a mistake. I should of played 10. f3.It would of helped. I'm sure you all know where black's queen is headed. } 10... Qxg2 { The best move now to make is 11. Qxe5+. Black would defend andthen I could protect my rook by playing Qh2. The problem is, I didn't dothat. } 11. Qxc7 { I don't know what I was thinking here. The rook is lostnow and black is winning, a big blunder for white. } 11... f6 { I didn't knowthe point of this move at first, but now I see that there was no need forblack to attack now and lose another pawn, even if he is winning. There'snothing white can do to stop the attack now. } 12. Qc4 { With nothing elseto take and with no attack available, white decides to fall their queenback to get it ready to land on f1 so it can protect the knight at least. } 12... Qxh1 13. Qf1 { The rook is gone, and now with this move, I wasn't quitesure what else to do at this point, which is never good. } 13... Be6 { I'm guessingblack is preparing for another attack. } 14. d3 { I decide I should buildup my defenses as much as possible. I don't think d3 was the best moveat this point. } 14... Rc8 { He continues to line up for his attack. } 15. Bd2 { I think this move of mine only crammed my king further. } 15... Rc2 { It is hardfor me to say weather I should of moved my bishop or not. By moving it,the pro is that my rook has more mobility options. The con is the moveblack just made. Now I must protect my pawn by playing Rb1. } 16. Rb1 e4 { One thing I've come to realize slowly is that taking is not always thebest choice. I didn't realize that as much in July when this game was inprogress. } 17. dxe4 { Blunder, a big one in fact! Why? Well, I could explainhere and now, but how about I explain through the next few moves. I shouldof played d4 or b4 instead of this. } 17... Bc4 { This is the big reason why. Ihave nothing to protect my queen except my knight, which is protectingthe queen. The only option really is to move the knight. } 18. Ne2 { Whiteis falling, but the trouble is far from over. Queen exchanges for sure. } 18... Qxf1+ { You can probably see where the rest of the trouble comes for whitenow. White has no choice but to take the queen with his king. The problemis, when the king moves to f1, goodbye d2 bishop. Taking a measly pawncaused big trouble for white. The only reason I play on is to see how farI can get with my opponent. } 19. Kxf1 Rxd2 { And the bishop is gone, butthe trouble is still not over. } 20. Re1 { This is probably the best move,for the knight needs to be protected. Unfortunately for white, the b2 pawnand soon also the a3 pawn will be lost. } 20... Rxb2 21. f4 { I decide pushingthe pawns forward and giving my king a little more space is best. } 21... Bxa3 22. Kf2 { There's not much else white can do now. His disadvantage continuesto grow, and they're about to grow more. } 22... Bb4 { The troubles continue. Whitemust save their rook now. Thus, the knight is lost for white. } 23. Rg1 Rxe2+ { Black has won, it is just a matter of time now. } 24. Kf3 Rxe3+ { This move confused me. When playing this game, I thought he decided togo easy on my and give me his one rook. That was a mistake to believe,lol. } 25. Kxe3 { I take, and that's when I see the problem. } 25... Bc5+ { Theproblem is now all I have is a king and 3 pawns. } 26. Kf3 Bxg1 { Blackis really good, but I think lasting this long is pretty nice for white.The end is near now though. } 27. f5 { Well, not much more white can donow. } 27... Bf1 { Well, although I have nothing to gain, I'll keep my remainingpawns up. } 28. h4 { That was another blunder, the final one, says the computeranalysis. The best move was e5? Well, I don't agree with that, but at thispoint, there really is no good moves. } 28... Kf7 { Obviously black will get hisrook involved now. } 29. h5 { Nothing else to do really for white. } 29... Rd8 30. Kf4 { With the rook about to attack, I decide it is best to try to hide. } 30... Rd3 { It's over, mate in 2. } 31. Kg4 Be2+ { Mate in 1. } 32. Kf4 Bh2# { Checkmate.Well, I look at this and I know I could of done better. Well, I am gladto say I have improved my game, especially since I came on Gameknot about1 year ago, so I'm proud of how I've improved, and I will continue to improve,that I know. This game helped teach me things I wasn't aware of, so I'mglad to of had this learning experience. Congratulations to Geniusacamelfor his win and thank you all for reading, commenting, and rating thisannotation. I hope you all enjoyed it! I'll be annotating game 2 hopefullynext week, and games 3 and 4 in the weeks to follow. I hope you look forwardto them! Until next time :) } 0-1

[Event "Dominating the queen!"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2011.01.08"] [Round "-"] [White "sokolskyb4"] [Black "nuntar"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1701"] [TimeControl "2 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1432"] 1. d4 { After a long slump, my rating has finally crossed the 1700 lineagain, with the final push coming from this game in the 77th GK Tournament-- a brevity ending with an unusual domination of the queen. My opponent,sokolskyb4, does *not* begin with the opening named after him (which wasa comfort, as I find it difficult to play against....) } 1... Nf6 2. c4 e6 { Instead,we play the first moves of a Nimzo-Indian. White must now choose whetherto enter the Nimzo with 3. Nc3 or to avoid it. } 3. a3 { White chooses theAustralian Attack. (Not to be confused with the Austrian Attack in thePirc Defence....) If the move is intended solely to prevent the Nimzo,it seems a waste of time, since 3. Nf3 would achieve this while also developing;but probably (given the word 'Attack' in the opening's name) it is normallyplayed with the intention of queenside expansion. Nevertheless, a muchrarer choice than Nf3; BCO2 does not consider it at all. } 3... b6 { I'm not surewhat Black normally plays in this opening, so I try to take the game intolines I'm more familiar with -- a Queen's Indian, Petrosian Variation. } 4. Nc3 { White normally develops the other knight first, though I can'tsay I know why. } 4... d5 5. Qc2 { And this is definitely not in book; 5. Nf3is usual, after which 5... Bb7 returns us to known lines. The move playedprepares to establish a pawn on e4, but it has a downside: the queen isno longer defending d4. } 5... dxc4 6. Nf3 Nc6 { (!?) Black increases the attackon d4, forcing White to play e3 rather than e4. I'm still not sure aboutthis move, since it blocks the (back) c-pawn; my original plan was to slipin this move before playing Ba6 to hold the c4 pawn, but then I saw thatthis is refuted by Qa4 forking the pieces. } 7. e3 Bb7 { So, I let the pawngo and continue with development, hoping to make something of the factthat White's QB is blocked, and he is a little behind on development thanksto his Q move. } 8. Bxc4 Bd6 { I felt the bishop would be too passive one7. } 9. Bd2 O-O 10. Nb5 { (?!) White decides to gain the bishop pair, butat the cost of time. } 10... a6 11. Nxd6 cxd6 12. O-O-O { (?) Up to now, Blacklooks to be slightly better, but after 12. 0-0 a long and difficult middlegamewould be in prospect as Black tries to make something of that advantage.But castling into the broken queenside just gives Black an immediate andobvious line of attack. } 12... Rc8 { No marks for subtlety. Black threatens towin a piece at once with 13... b5. } 13. Bc3 { Frère Leblanc is tiring ofhis guard duties, so Frère Lenoir hastens to take his place. } 13... b5 14. Ba2 { (?) The wrong way! After 14. Bd3! White has a much better chance of holdingthe position together. Firstly, 14... a5 can't be played at once, as theb5 pawn would hang; secondly, the b1-h7 diagonal would be covered. Whyis that so important? Read on and find out! } 14... a5 15. Kb1 { In order thatthe bishop can retreat without QN-any leaving the queen pinned. Since Whitecannot in fact avoid loss of material, the best play would really justbe to abandon the bishop -- though White then faces an unpleasant middlegamea piece down with his king still exposed. } 15... b4 16. axb4 axb4 17. Bd2 { After17. Be1 Black has 17... Nxd4 18. Qd2 Nxf3 19. gxf3 Bxf3 winning two pawnsand the exchange (thanks to the fork of the rooks). After the move played,the same line is available, but Black sees something even better... } 17... Nxd4 { ...the win of the White queen! In open play, with 14 legal moves availableto her, she has no safe squares. The one line that may need spelling outin detail is 18. Qa4 Ra8 and White must lose the queen, since 19. Qxb4allows Be4+ 20. Kc1 Ne2# or 20. Ka1 Nc2+ 21. Kb1 Nxb4+ 22. Ka1 Rxa2# (22.Kc1 Nxa2#). } 18. Qd3 { White chooses this move instead and resigns immediatelyafter Black's reply. } 18... Be4 { Just a small final note -- aesthetically, Ilike the fact that the f6 knight also has a small but important role inthe combination. } 0-1

[Event "Another Sicilian of a sorts"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date ""] [Round "-"] [White "Pierre99"] [Black "Anonymous"] [Result "*"] [BlackElo "1877"] [TimeControl "Blitz"] [WhiteElo "1200"] { In this Blitz game, no fooling around for me like in my last annotatedgame, I do take the ratings here at their value, so here I play as wellas I can against my opponent. The Sicilian is always tricky, and I thinkmy opponent lost his way when I developed and castled on the kingside ratherthan the queenside. Rather than reacting swiftly and aggressively, he allowedme too much time to prepare what I wished to; hence, nearly every moveafter the first few moves for white seemed to work well together. Doesn'talways work out that way! Enjoy the game. } 1. e4 { E4 is always my preferredopening. } 1... c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Be2 { This move is not very aggressive. I playit because there is no where else to really play it because of where Iwill put my pawns. I don't like fianchettoing the white bishop in thisposition at all. } 3... g6 { In my last annotated game, Blake78613 was kind enoughto comment on some of it, and made the observation that black often fianchettoe'sdepending on if white moves c4 in the Sicilian. Here, I haven't moved myC pawn yet, and my opponent is already moving g6, probably because of mybishop move. Interesting. I am tempted to move c3 and d4 now, to see howplay goes. But I need to explore that more fully against lower rated playersfirst, to see how it feels. So I develop as I am wont to when I play againstthe Sicilian, and plan c4... } 4. d3 Nf6 5. O-O Bg7 6. c4 { C4. Now Blakealso said that taking too long as white in this position here can be problematic.But because black has fianchettoed, it would appear I have plenty of timefor getting ready to assault the black king. He also said that black shouldreally move e6, probably before attempting to open things up with d5. Perhapsmy opponent did not realize this. } 6... d6 { This move prompts me to move myking. } 7. Kh1 { Reason being, since I am playing (placing my pawns) on thewhite squares (although later I'll be playing some on the dark squares),I'd rather lose my white squared bishop than the knight, providing thegame doesn't really open wide up later. This gives me the option of advancingthe f pawn without any tactics occuring on the g1-a7 diagonal; and alsoif the bishop comes to g4, it allows me to move Ng1, serving three purposes:getting out of the way of the f pawn, and threatening the bishop on g4while protecting my own bishop, and if retaking, again keeping the d4 squaresomewhat contested. } 7... O-O 8. a3 { My queen will go to c2; this will avoidan annoying attack, because I want my queen on c2!! } 8... a6 9. Qc2 Bg4 { Andthere is that black bishop on g4. } 10. Ng1 { Now here I've played againstplayers who move Nd4 in this position. Here however, black does not. } 10... Bxe2 11. Nxe2 { Okay, this is the position that I wanted. I am sure black canplay more challenging, but when I am playing against the Sicilian, I likethis position for white. Black really should consider e6 here, I'm thinking. } 11... Qd7 { I am not so sure that is the best square for the black queen. } 12. Nbc3 Ng4 { Well I had planned on advancing my f pawn. This doesn't seemto do much. } 13. f3 Nge5 14. Nd5 { Before I kick the black knight on e5away, I get in this in-between move, threatening Nb6. It forces black totake a tempo to prevent that. } 14... Qd8 { It would seem black had ideas of playingdown the queenside, and this delays him some. As things turn out, he nevergets going over there now. } 15. f4 { I don't want that black Knight on e5. } 15... Ng4 { Nor do I want it on g4. Although d5 is a great place for my knight,I can get my other one there if I really wanted to, so I decide to usethe knight rather than the h pawn, because with the f pawn advance, myking's defense is already a little loose. Besides, ...e6 would immediatelykick my knight away anyways. } 16. Ne3 Nxe3 17. Bxe3 { This also serves mypurpose, allowing me to bring my bishop to e3. } 17... e5 { I don't like this blackmove in this position. I think e6 is better. I don't understand his intention;in this position the f5 square is more critical. Or so I think. } 18. f5 { And you just know my opponent does not want to take with the g pawn atall, and e6 may have prevented me moving f5. This is my first real bindon black's position, and the rest of the pressure against the black kingwill come about because of this pawn. } 18... Qh4 { This is rather optimistic.Who can join the Black queen to assist? And it won't protect h6 at all,after a rook lift. } 19. Qd2 { First, getting my queen behind my bishop. } 19... h6 { Black's bishop is not very good rightnow, and overall black is verypassive. His pawns don't look all that good to me around his king. Perhapshe expected me to take on g6, but I have no desire to trade pieces in aposition I felt was better for white. } 20. Rf3 { The rook lift. The queenwill soon retreat, and will have accomplished nothing other than helpingwhite to prepare his attack. } 20... Nd4 { Now the threat is Nb3, as well as hittingthe rook. } 21. Rh3 { However, moving the rook to menace black's queen givesme the time to deal with the knight. } 21... Qf6 { Well I had hopes to use thatknight, but now I have to trade it against d4. If I don't, I rather thinkblack will if I counter Nb3 potential. I'd rather have his pawns doubled,so... } 22. Nxd4 { The bishop is moving on the next turn anyways. } 22... cxd4 { Ireally like white's position now. } 23. Bxh6 Bxh6 24. Qxh6 Qg7 { I had otherways of trying to broach the black kingside, but I did not want to taketoo much time, because I thought black might be able to muster a defense.I was rather pleased to find my next move. } 25. f6 { f6! It will ultimatelywin two pawns, and put white into a won endgame. Black cannot take it,because of mate on h7. So off go the queens, but I know at this point Ihave won, it's just a matter of execution now. } 25... Qxh6 26. Rxh6 { And Black'sking is trapped. } 26... Rfe8 { Black knows what is coming. Or so I thought. } 27. Rf1 { And here I make a pretty good mistake. g4 would have been muchbetter. If g4 Re6, then g5 ensures the black king's doom after white'ssecond rook lift. Black's other try against g4 would be ...g5; in thatcase, white has Rf1, followed by Rf5 and mate. Black can delay mattersa bit, but g4 would have sealed things. Play continued... } 27... Re6 28. Rf3 { Now having missed g4 in the game, when I played Rf3 in this position,I full expected ...Rxf6 Rxf6 Kg7 Rxg6+ fxg6 Rxd6, and white is up 7 pawnsto black's five, and has a won endgame with a little care. Oh how muchbetter was g4! But for some reason my opponent got fixated on the rooksthat could double up on the h file (And I would if black did not take thepawn on this turn, as black would lose immediately) and mistakenly movedhis king to f8, into a rather basic mate. } 28... Kf8 29. Rh8# { Another fun game.Hope you enjoyed it! } *

[Event "Brave Knights + Selfless Bishop = Royal Pain"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date ""] [Round "-"] [White ""] [Black ""] [Result "1-0"] [TimeControl "2 days"] 1. e4 { This game's only fine attribute is that it shows how an inaccurateopening can be punished severely. The quality of the game is not high,but it does contain an entertaining minor piece attack. } 1... g6 { Black goeswith the modern defense. } 2. d4 { Not having faced this move before I optedfor quick control of the center. } 2... d6 3. Nf3 { Continuing development andprotecting d4 against the inevitable Bg7 } 3... Bg7 { Yep. } 4. Nc3 { Further dominatingthe center. } 4... Nd7 { ? This move blocks Black's white squared bishop. Pinningthe white knight on f3 looks better. } 5. Bc4 b6 { Preparing to fianchettothe other bishop. It is true the bishop needs to get into play but Blackis taking way too much time to get developed } 6. Ng5 { Brave Knight number1 prepares to attack the weak f7. (The pawn of f7 cannot be moved becauseof 7. Ne6 winning the Black queen.) } 6... e6 { The best Black had but.. } 7. Bxe6 { ! The Selfless Bishop offers to sacrifice himself. } 7... Nh6 8. Bxf7+ { Thebishop insists on sacrificing himself. Martyrdom for eternal paradise? } 8... Nxf7 9. Ne6 { The Knight sets his sights on the Black queen. } 9... Qf6 { Tryingto protect the poor bishop on g7 } 10. Nd5 { ?/! This is a bit of a gamblewith Qxe6 available } 10... Qh4 { ?? This costs black the game. Qxe6 would haveresulted in black being three points down, but still having play with sixpieces (three developed) to white's four (zero developed). } 11. Nxg7+ { Whattrue knight could resist plundering a rich bishop? } 11... Kf8 12. Ne6+ { Preparingto go after the rook on a8 as soon as the king returns to e8. } 12... Kg8 { ?!losing the rook was preferable to .. } 13. Qg4 { !! losing the queen. Ifthe Black queen leaves the d8-h4 diagonal then Ne7# , any other move losesthe queen for a knight. } 1-0

[Event "An annotation of a first round 92nd GK tournament game"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2012.04.15"] [Round "-"] [White "rwurtinger"] [Black "yulio"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "2060"] [TimeControl "2 days per move"] [WhiteElo "2473"] 1. d4 { I recommend all viewers to use the 'interactive' button to lookthrough these games. } 1... Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 { White avoids the Nimzo-Indian,if 3. Nc3 black can play Bb4. } 3... c5 { Attacking the centre. } 4. g3 { Lookslike a Catalan but with c5. } 4... d5 { A Tarrash-like move, enabling white togive black an isolated d pawn. } 5. cxd5 cxd4 { This move loses a pawn (blackcan regain it later but with compensation for white as the game will show). } 6. dxe6 Bxe6 7. Qxd4 { White wins a pawn for little compensation. } 7... Nc6 8. Qxd8+ Rxd8 9. Bg2 Nb4 { White is playing safe, but here Nc2+ is threatenedso Na3 is forced, giving up the a pawn. } 10. Na3 Bxa2 11. O-O { It is importantto mention that an 'a' pawn isn't exactly the same as a 'd' pawn, plusit's clear that black went out of his way to take it - just look at thelight bishop and knight. Black is neglecting castling a bit too much, whichwhite will demonstrate it to be a (potentially, perhaps you see a way todefend) decisive mistake. } 11... a6 { Black should play Be7 and castle immediatelybut instead delays it to protect the b5 square. In reality, if after Be7Nb5 and castle white decides to take the a7 pawn, Bc5! The knight can'tget out easily, the e2 pawn is threatened, and if white protects it withRe1, Nc2 fork! } 12. Bg5 { A natural move. } 12... Be7 { Unfortunately it's too lateto castle. } 13. Nc2 { Black should just take on c2 and be happy to livewithout a bishop pair (the knight could go back to c6 later). } 13... Bc4 { It'stoo risky to try to grab the 'e' pawn at the moment, but black still tries. } 14. Nxb4 Bxb4 { Perhaps Bxf6 would be good, but white didn't want to giveup the bishop. } 15. Rfd1 { White ignores the 'e' pawn, since its importanceis illusionary. } 15... Rxd1+ 16. Rxd1 Bxe2 17. Rd4 Bxf3 18. Bxf3 Bc5 { Black istrying to hold on, but it's difficult. An engine evaluation suggests thatthe white has an advantage. } 19. Rc4 b6 20. b4 Be7 21. Rc7 { Black's rookis really out of play at this point. } 21... Kd8 22. Ra7 Rf8 23. Be3 Nd7 24. Bc6 Nb8 25. Bxb6+ Kc8 26. Rc7+ Kd8 27. Ba4 { The mate is unpreventable and blackis forced to resign. } 1-0

[Event "Team match with a nice comeback"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2011.03.31"] [Round "-"] [White "pcshark11"] [Black "johndoe63"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1484"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1555"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 { This is the Schotch Gambit, oneof my favorite openings. } 4... h6 { I've been seeing this alot lately... don'tknow why though... } 5. Nxd4 Nxd4 6. Qxd4 c5 7. Qd3 Qf6 8. Nc3 Ne7 9. Nb5 Qc6 { A blunder on his part. } 10. Nd6+ Kd8 11. Nxf7+ Kc7 12. Nxh8 { His Queenmove lost him his Rook. } 12... b5 13. Bxb5 Qf6 14. Be3 g5 15. Qc3 Qxc3+ 16. bxc3 d6 17. O-O-O Be6 18. a4 Bg7 { Now I've lost my Knight though... } 19. f4 Bxh8 20. fxg5 hxg5 21. Bxg5 Ng6 22. c4 { A big blunder on my part. } 22... Ne5 23. Bf4 a6 24. Bxe5 Bxe5 25. h4 axb5 26. axb5 { Now I'm only up becauseof my extra pawns. In any situation, I'd prefer Black though. } 26... Bxc4 27. h5 Bxb5 28. g4 Bf4+ 29. Kb2 Bc6 30. h6 Bxe4 31. Kc3 { A huge blunder onmy part. I made this move early in the morning when I was half asleep,and started kicking myself later. } 31... Be5+ 32. Kd2 Bf4+ 33. Kc3 Bxh1 34. Rxh1 { Now Black is definetly up, and should win this. } 34... Rh8 35. h7 Kd7 36. Kd3 Ke7 37. Ke4 Be5 { Most other Bishop moves would have been better. } 38. Kf5 Kf7 39. g5 Kg7 40. g6 Bf6 { The right move was Rf8+. } 41. Rb1 Rf8 { The moveis too late now. White regains the initiative, making the game about drawn. } 42. Rb7+ Kh8 43. c4 Be5+ 44. Ke4 Rf4+ { A huge blunder. He had better chanceswith almost any other Rook move. } 45. Kd5 Rh4 { This seals it in, Whitehas won. } 46. Ke6 Rf4 47. Rb8+ Kg7 48. h8=Q+ Kxg6 49. Rg8+ Bg7 50. Rxg7# { I was up, then down, then back up again. A rollercoaster game that keptme on the edge the whole time. } 1-0

[Event "Attack on the H-file"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2012.11.13"] [Round "-"] [White "dsfei"] [Black "reedbello"] [Result "1-0"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 { I consider this move to be weak (Philidor's Defence). } 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Be3 b6 7. Bc4 Qe7 { The purpose of thisQueen sortie I do not know. } 8. Qd2 Nf6 9. f3 O-O 10. O-O-O c5 { A pawnpush, often made by weak players. Here, it's definitely a blunder. } 11. Ndb5 { Here's why. } 11... d5 12. exd5 a6 13. d6 { Counterattacking is almost alwaysbetter than retreating. } 13... Qd7 14. Nc7 Ra7 15. g4 Ne8 { Black exchanges theannoying white knight. } 16. Nxe8 Rxe8 17. h4 Nc6 18. h5 Ne5 19. Bd5 Bb7 20. hxg6 { The h-file is open. That means trouble for Black. } 20... hxg6 21. Qh2 Bxd5 22. Qh7+ Kf8 23. Nxd5 Nxf3 { Another gross blunder, capturing a hangingpawn. Black should be worrying about how to avoid getting mated. } 24. Bh6 { Black is busted. } 24... f5 { A good try, but resistance is futile. } 25. Qh8+ { Taking advantage of the pin. } 25... Kf7 26. Qxg7+ { Black resigns instead of26. ... Ke6 27. Qf6# } 1-0

[Event "Challenge from guy04"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "24-Nov-06"] [Round "-"] [White "nathana"] [Black "guy04"] [Result "*"] [BlackElo "1770"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1176"] 1. d4 d5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Be3 { A move that is bad for three reasons. It blocksthe e-pawn. This in turn prevents the f-bishop from developing normally.And it does nothing (protects a pawn that does not need protection). } 3... Bf5 4. Nf3 e6 5. g3 { At least the bishop will try a fianchetto. } 5... Bb4 6. a3 Ba5 7. Bf4 { Finally this bishop is at a better square, but maybe g5 wasbetter. } 7... Ne4 8. a4 { Useless. Now black will win a pawn. } 8... Nxc3 { BxN wasalso possible. } 9. Qd2 Nxe2 10. Qxa5 Nxf4 11. gxf4 O-O { Bxc2 was possible,since after Rc1 black can play b6. But black plays it safe. } 12. c4 { Thiscould have been a good idea, were it not for white's reply. } 12... Be4 13. Bg2 b6 14. Qd2 { Why not c3? } 14... dxc4 { Another pawn is netted. } 15. Qe3 Bd5 16. O-O Nd7 17. Ne5 Nf6 { With an idea that is interesting... } 18. Rac1 Bxg2 19. Kxg2 Qd5+ 20. f3 Rac8 21. Rxc4 Ng4 { This is the move black had in mind,but it is unsound. } 22. Qe2 { Not so bad, but Qc3 was better to put pressureon the weak c7 pawn. } 22... Nxe5 { Maybe black would have been better off swallowinghis pride and put the knight back on f6. } 23. fxe5 { Now white is back ontrack. The c column is all his. But black has the d column with a passedpawn. } 23... Rfd8 24. Rg1 { It is tempting to use the open column to attack theblack king, but I beleive here the right strategy was to go for the c7pawn. So R(f)-c1 was called for. The attack on the g file is not as dangerousas it seems. } 24... Qd7 { The queen must yield the front position to the rook(and possibly come to the rescue of the king). } 25. Kf1 { Kh1 was much tobe preferred, putting the king to safety, and still allowing for the grook to go to c1. } 25... c5 { Now black can play this freeing move which alsobecomes an attacking move. } 26. Qg2 g6 27. f4 { Even though this move doesnot help the attack, it is already difficult to find a saving move forwhite, since opening the center is suicidal for white. But it will be openedanyway. } 27... cxd4 28. Rb4 { Rc2 (or RxR) was an absolute necessity. } 28... Rc1+ 29. Kf2 Rc2+ 30. Kf3 Rxg2 31. Rxg2 d3 32. h4 *

[Event "Two Knights Defense - Pin it to win it"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2012.11.06"] [Round "-"] [White "N.N"] [Black "tisamon"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1749"] [TimeControl "3d+2d<5d"] [WhiteElo "1523"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 { The starting position of the thematic mini-tournament-> the Two Knights Defense, or perhaps more appropriately the TchigorinCounterattack. This move is more aggressive than 3...Bc5 as it attackse4 and provokes White to attack f7. } 4. Ng5 { White accepts the challenge,looking to win the pawn, but a complicated tactical game will likely ensue,where Black will try to wrest the initiative. } 4... d5 5. exd5 Na5 { Also possibleare Nd4 and b5 which share related ideas. Black looks to take over by chasingaway the bishop/knight and to take control over the center. } 6. d3 { A questionablemove (but played by none other than Morphy) looking to hold the gambitpawn. Usually white plays 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Be2 h6 } 6... h6 { The principledreply - pushing back with the intent of e4. } 7. Nf3 e4 8. Nfd2 { Anotherquestionable move, but Black is controlling the game. 8.Qe2 Nxc4 9.dxc4pinning the e-pawn, or perhaps 8.Ne5 may have been stronger. } 8... Nxc4 9. dxc4 { Stronger would have been 9.Nxc4 unblocking his queen from being attacked.(9.Nxc4 Bg4 10.Qd2 Qxd5 11.Nc3 Qc5 12. O-O O-O-O) } 9... Bg4 { I suspect thatBc5 or Bd6 may have been more thematic, but Bg4 certainly adds complicationsin attacking the kingside at f6. } 10. f3 exf3 11. gxf3 { If 11.Nxf3 then11...Bc5 with the intent to exchange the light-squared bishop for the knightif taken to the task. } 11... Bh5 { Maintaining the pin on the weak f-pawn to thequeen and striking into White's center. } 12. Qe2+ { Nc3 I suspect was moreprincipled - the Queen check does very little at the moment as it is easilyblocked, and it's always dangerous to align your Queen in front of theKing. } 12... Be7 { Simply blocking the check and allowing for castling. } 13. Rg1 { Black looks to take over the semi-open g-file, but I feel this may havebeen premature as the minors are hardly involved. The rook threat is mitigatedthrough simply castling. } 13... O-O 14. Nc3 Re8 { Naturally opposing the Queenon the open file to the King. } 15. Nde4 { White looks to make gains in thecenter with a pair of connected knights. However, he is walking into atactical minefield... } 15... Nxe4 { First we remove one of the knights... } 16. Nxe4 Bc5 { And now we have a puzzle-like position -> the f-pawn is pinnedto the queen, the knight is pinned to the queen who is indirectly pinnedto the king, and the rook is being attacked! } 17. Be3 { White looks to relievesome of the tension and block a pin, however the defender of the formerlypinned knight is also pinned, leaving 17...Rxe4 to continue the assault.17.Rg3 f5 18.Nxc5 Rxe2+ 19.Kxe2 looks about best for White, but Black stillholds the advantage. } 17... Rxe4 { So now... the f-pawn is pinned the queen, thebishop is pinned to the queen and the rook, and the queen is indirectlypinned to the king. } 18. O-O-O { White gives up a piece to get his Kingto safety. } 18... Rxe3 { A decent move, but perhaps not the best. Also possiblewas 18...Bxe3+ 19.Kb1. I noticed after that 19...Qf6 intending a matingthreat with Bc1, Qxb2 would have taken the White Queen. } 19. Qg2 { Whitethreatens mate with Qxg7, but the threat is parried and another piece broughtinto the action with Qf6. } 19... Qf6 20. Rde1 { White hopes to exchange, but thereis no reason to oblige when all the pieces are coordinating together. } 20... Bxf3 21. Qg3 Rae8 { Now, with doubling the rooks, every piece is involvedin the attack. } 22. Kd2 { Technically a mistake, but there's really nothingfor white at this point anyway - the threat was to take the rooks off theboard and be a bishop pair ahead for an easy win. } 22... Bb4+ 23. c3 { If 23.Kc1 then 23...Rxe1+ 24.Rxe1 Rxe1+ 25. Qxe1+ Bxe1 } 23... Bxc3+ { If 24.bxc3 Qxc3#.If 24.Kc1 Bxb2+ 25.Kc2 Qxc3+ (25.Kb1 Be4#) 26.Kb1 Be4# } 24. Kc2 { Mate iscoming - it's just a matter of which one. } 24... Be4+ { If 25.Kc1 Bxb2+ 26.Kd1Qd4#. If 25.Kb3 Qb6+ 26.Ka4 Qb4# } 25. Kd1 Qd4+ 26. Kc1 Bxb2# 0-1

[Event "FIND JENNIFER KESSE"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "27-Jun-07"] [Round "-"] [White "grietje"] [Black "byakuugan3"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1543"] [TimeControl "3d+1d, 5d max"] [WhiteElo "1661"] 1. e4 { I was Black in this mini-tournament game } 1... c5 { I prefer the Sicilianover the 'principled' e5, since c5 controls the same d4 square with a lessimportant pawn } 2. Nf3 d6 3. c3 { This is 'delayed Alapin,' rather thannormal Alapin where White plays c3 on the second move. I think Alapin isstronger than delayed Alapin since Black can stall d4 unlike if White hadplayed c3 on move 2 } 3... Nf6 4. Be2 { There is an opening trap where White playsNxe4?? and White wins with Qa4 winning the knight. Another line is h3(preventing Bg4) followed by Bd3 where White wants the bishop on c2 todefend e4 before playing d4. } 4... Nc6 { I think g6 was a better move becauseI didn't realize that White could play d4 here. After d4, Nxe4 is impossiblebecause of d5 followed by Qa4 winning the e4-knight after the c6-knightmoves } 5. d3 { White must not have realized the chance to expand the centre,and plays a passive move. } 5... e6 { I thought about developing g6 Bg7 with aDragon-setup, but since I'm not familiar with this opening, I decided toplay something a little more solid } 6. O-O Be7 7. Re1 O-O 8. Bf1 { Thismove gets the bad bishop out of the way while defending the kingside, andnow White can play d4 here, although it isn't as strong as it would havebeen on move 5, since White has wasted a tempo playing d3?! } 8... b6 9. d4 { Iplayed b6 so that I could recapture c5 with a b-pawn, which brings a flankpawn to the center, rather than playing dxc5, which weakens my center andgoes into a drawish position where the pawn structures are symmetrical } 9... d5 { I wasn't comfortable with White's superior center, so I thought mybest chance of containing the center is to challenge it, which goes intoa type of French structure } 10. e5 Nd7 { Now this is sort of like a FrenchAdvance (e4 e6 d4 d5 e5 c5 c3), but there are a lot of differences. Iwas able to develop my kingside knight, unlike in French Advance whereit is blocked by e5. I have a pawn on b6 instead of a queen, which strengthensmy center. White has undeveloped his bishop, which is dubious in this typeof opening. Because of these differences, I would prefer my position. } 11. Bf4 f6 { Normally Black would attack on the queenside with pawns, buthere I have a chance to undermine White's center, a common move in theFrench. } 12. Nbd2 { I think exf6 was better, after Nxf6 Ng5, my e-pawn isvery weak, and I'd have to play a move like Ne4 } 12... fxe5 13. Bxe5 { forcedsince I'm threatening Rxf4, White's bishop is almost like a pawn now. } 13... Qe8 { I wanted to maneuver my pieces to the kingside to start an attack } 14. Bd3 { White's bishop aims at my kingside } 14... Ndxe5 15. Nxe5 Nxe5 16. dxe5 { After the series of exchanges, my center and queenside seem to be impenetrable,so all the play of this game will take place on the kingside where I havea strong open f-file. White's open d-file doesn't do him any good } 16... Qf7 17. Nf3 g5 { Here was where I got carried away with an illusory attack.g5 is a serious weakening move, and White has adequate defenders, but Icouldn't see any other way to generate play on the kingside } 18. h3 h5 19. Re2 { White is on the defense for now, but after my attack fades, I'llbe left with a very weakened kingside } 19... Bb7 { I played this move so I couldhave a bishop aiming at White's kingside (where else does this bishop go?)If I start a strong attack on the kingside, then I could end up with d4threats that would reveal some kind of tactic on the kingside. I also connectmy rooks so my a-rook can join the attack on White's kingside } 20. Qc2 Qg7 { I wanted to make room for my rooks to double on the f-file with Rf4Raf8. } 21. Bg6 { Because of my overextension of pawns, White's pieces cango annoyingly in my territory. } 21... Ba6 { I was also contemplating Qa6 and g4,but I decided to move my bishop again so it would have a clear path, ratherthan blocked by d5 } 22. Re3 g4 { My overextension isn't pretty, and I thinkQa6 is better } 23. hxg4 hxg4 24. Nh2 Bg5 { My g-pawn is under serious pressure,so I need a counter-threat since Rf4 is not an adequate defense, my rookcould easily get chased off the 4th rank } 25. Rg3 { This doesn't win thepawn because of my next move. Re1 was much better and wins the pawn, inwhich my only hope would be to go for a do or die attack on the kingside } 25... Bh4 26. Rxg4 Bxf2+ { Although White missed his chance to win my overextendedpawn, I'm still in trouble because of the open file to my king. } 27. Kh1 { If Qxf2, then Rxf2 Bh7 Kxh7 Rxg7 Kxg7 Kxf2 and material is still even,but bishops are usually better than knights in open positions } 27... Kh8 { Onlymove since White is threatening discovered attacks on the g-file } 28. g3 { White has no useful discovered attacks now, since the bishop has nothingto attack and my queen can simply move. Although Bd3 Bxd3 Qxd3 increasesthe pressure on my king with tempo. The text move threatens Rh4 Kg8 Bh7 Kf7 Qxf2 } 28... Be3 { I stop the threat, while preparing to get my bishop backto my king to defend. Overextending my pawns to try for an illusory attackwas not a good idea, as you can see my king is very weak. This would bea different story if my king was safe on the queenside, because then White'sking would be weak and the open kingside files would benefit me, I'd probablywin White's g-pawn and have a winning endgame, but here my king cannotescape to safety. I was very lucky to have won this position. } 29. Bd3 { If White had tried Rh4 Kg8 Bh7 then my king would only have an easiertime escaping to the queenside } 29... Bxd3 30. Qxd3 { Rxg7 loses a piece afterBxc2 } 30... Bg5 { The only way to defend my queen and bishop since Qh6 allowsRh4 } 31. Re1 { This defend e5, but Nf3 may have been a better way to doso } 31... Qh6 { This was where I started to get out of danger, and I was readyto walk my king all the way to the queenside, where I'd be safe and ableto continue my kingside attack, and I'm also threatening Rf2 threateningQxh2#, so I think my position has recovered and I'm good here } 32. Kg2 { 32.Kg2?? totally loses for White. Kg1 was a simple way to defend the threatbecause after Rf2, White simply plays Nf3 and I have two pieces under attack.In this continuation, I can play Rf2 with tempo, and White cannot defend } 32... Rf2+ { Tactics like this are often missed because a lot of people don'tanalyse the board thoroughly. A grandmaster would probably resign heresince he'd be able to see that he is totally lost. White probably knowshe is lost, but the sudden change of game probably shocked him. } 33. Kxf2 Qxh2+ 34. Kf3 { Kf1 still allows Rf8 , and White's king is just as dead } 34... Rf8+ 35. Rf4 Bxf4 { Here I'm threatening 36...Bxg3 37.Ke3 Qf2# (or 37.Kg4Qh4#), and taking the bishop also results in immediate mate (which is whathappened in the game) If White tries to get out of mate with 36.Kg4, then36...Bxg3 threatens Qh4#, and 37.Qxg3 loses to Rg8 where I win the queenand have an easily won game. 36.Kg4 Bxg3 37.Rh1 stalls the loss, but theconcentrated power of my queen and rook is enough to finish off White easily. 36.Kg4 Bxg3 37.Kg5 Qh4 38.Kg6 Qg4 39.Kh6 Bf4# is forced mate, but White'sgame continuation got mated quickly. } 36. gxf4 Rxf4+ 37. Ke3 Qf2# { I hopeyou enjoyed this crazy game, and you should think twice before overextendingyour kingside, since I got into deep trouble around move 25 } 0-1

[Event "The Annotation Project: Pawn Power!"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009.07.14"] [Round "-"] [White "nuntar"] [Black "untateve"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1623"] [TimeControl "5d+1d<7d"] [WhiteElo "1629"] 1. e4 { Another game from the ongoing Annotation Project, with a forcedopening involving an interesting queen sacrifice. } 1... c5 2. f4 d5 3. Nf3 dxe4 4. Ng5 { White begins the attack on f7, which will involve losing the queenbut will bring Black's king into the open. } 4... Nf6 5. Bc4 Bg4 6. Qxg4 Nxg4 7. Bxf7+ { This is the first 'free' move, but still forced in a sense, asthere is no other way of gaining sufficient compensation for the queen. } 7... Kd7 8. Be6+ Kc6 { This is beginning to prove the most popular choice ofking move. 8... Kd6 can be ruled right out (9. Nf7+ and White is winning);8... Kc7 and after 9. Bxg4 either the king or queen must move to avoidthe fork on e6; 8... Ke8 invites 9. Bf7+ and an early draw. } 9. Bxg4 e6 { This is also becoming the main line as the tournament progresses and theearly experimentation dies down. Black, being so much material ahead, givesa pawn back to let his pieces develop. White can even take the exchangewith 10. Nf7, but this seems to favour Black, since White's play dependson his minor pieces. } 10. Nc3 { Rapid development is essential if Whiteis to maintain pressure in view of his material deficit. } 10... Na6 { This developmentof the knight to the side is common in this line, since c6 is taken. } 11. a3 { I have been told that 11. a3 is 'essential' to prevent 11... Nb4. Istill don't see it -- my games as Black where I've played Nb4 have allgone badly so far -- but I play the move all the same. } 11... Qf6 { AttackingWhite's f4 pawn and making way for the rook. Still following the main line,according to the database. } 12. O-O { White defends the pawn and gets hisking to safety. } 12... h5 { Another database recommendation. Black disturbs theWhite bishop, forcing it to choose between the immediate capture on e6or surrendering the pressure on that square. } 13. Be2 { I choose the retreat,after noting that 13. Bxe6 Nc7 gets Black's knight to a better square withtempo. This move also makes it possible to put a piece on b5 should thatbe advantageous at a later stage. } 13... Be7 { Development. 13... Bd6 would blockthe best file for Black's rooks. } 14. Ngxe4 { At this stage we're down totwo database games that reached this position (although it's a bit of ashock to realise that as my rating crossed 1600 recently, my game willbe the third!) The choice is between 14. Ncxe4 (as in rt4sm vs. enasab,0-1 in 22 moves) or 14. Ngxe4 (as in cliang vs. rockroy, 1-0 in 36 moves).The fact that White won after 14. Ngxe4 does not necessarily prove thisthe better move, especially as both of these games were won by the higher-ratedplayer. However, I prefer this capture, as the other allows 14... Qd4+15. Kh1 Bxg5, exchanging a pair of pieces. } 14... Qd4+ 15. Kh1 Raf8 { Black nowdeparts from cliang vs. rockroy (in which 15... g6 was played), so we arein uncharted territory. This move activates the rook and restores the pressureon my f-pawn, though for now it is adequately defended. I feel it wouldhave been better to play this move with the other rook, since Black couldthen get both rooks to active positions on d8 and f8; on h8 the rook isnot doing much. } 16. b3 { Preparing to develop the bishop. With the possibilityof gaining tempo on the queen in sight, or even a skewer winning the g7pawn with a fork of the rooks, I feel this is a better development thanvia d2. } 16... Nc7 { Black gets the knight to a better square and denies my piecesthe b5 square. } 17. Bb2 Qd8 { Black gets out of the way of the potentialskewer. } 18. Na4 { I play Na4 anyway, releasing the bishop's power on thediagonal and also increasing the pressure on the c5 pawn. } 18... Bf6 { Black blocksthe attack, forcing an exchange of pieces, which he hopes will help tocement his material advantage. The downside is that the c5 pawn is lost,which could have been prevented by 18... Rf7 or Rh7. I would then probablyhave continued by developing my inactive queen's rook, but it would havebeen difficult to make progress. } 19. Bxf6 gxf6 20. Nexc5 { I chose thisknight to make the capture as 20. Naxc5 f5 is awkward for White to meet.Now White is threatening 21. Bf3+ Kd6 (Kb5 22. c4+ Ka5 23. b4#) 22. Nxb7+winning the queen. } 20... Qe7 { Black gets the queen out of harm's way. } 21. Bf3+ { White can still win the b7 pawn, and hopes to confine the Black king andso gain useful tempi by forcing Black to find defensive moves. } 21... Kd6 22. Nxb7+ { Before this move the Black king has no legal moves, but sadly thereis no way to create a checkmate threat. On with the main plan... } 22... Kd7 23. Nac5+ { Now the other knight joins the action! Having knights defendingeach other like this can either be a weakness or a strength. It is a weaknessif the knights get in each other's way (this is often called 'the superfluousknight'). But it is a strength, as here, if they are immune to attack bypawns and can remain as a self-supporting unit, a thorn in the enemy'sside controlling several useful squares. } 23... Ke8 24. Rfe1 { 'Place your rookon the line of the queen' -- but the move is even stronger if the enemyking is on the same line. } 24... Kf7 { For that reason, Black's king immediatelyleaves the line. The knight defends e6, but if the king had stayed put,White could simply take out the defender with Na6 and wreak havoc. } 25. f5 { An obvious move, using the pin to storm the flimsy barrier put up byBlack's two remaining central pawns. } 25... Kg7 { Was this the losing mistake?White now gets a passed pawn (in fact, TWO passed pawns in addition tothe one he already has) and these pawns will end up being too strong forBlack's defences. The most obvious alternative is 25... e5, when Whitecan still get a dangerous attack after 26. d4. } 26. fxe6 f5 { Freeing f6for the queen, since White's knights currently prevent her moving anywhereuseful. } 27. d4 { Passed pawns must be pushed! This move now cannot wait,since it would need more preparation if Black's queen were on f6, and inaddition, if Black is given time to play that move, White's pieces mayhave to leave their good squares to defend the other queenside pawns. } 27... Nb5 { Defends d6, and also prepares for Black's next. } 28. d5 Rb8 { Blackdecides to threaten taking off the pair of knights. } 29. c4 { White respondsby solidifying the pawn chain, also having in mind a possible future advanceto c5 and d6 to drive the queen from her blockading perch. } 29... Nd6 { Blackis determined to get rid of those knights! } 30. b4 { (!?) A speculativesacrifice. White prepares for the c5-d6 advance just mentioned, havingin mind that with the knights off, Black may be forced to give a rook toprevent promotion. Also, if Black accepts the sacrifice by 30... Nxb7 31.Nxb7 Qxb7, 32. d6 comes with tempo. Instead, 30. Nxd6 was possible (andshould also be winning for White). Or 30. Na5. But the c5 knight was inthe way, and I thought that by ditching it I might win faster. (Note, bythe way, that Black should not play 30... Nxb7 31. Nxb7 Rxb7 in view ofthe double attack after 32. d6.) } 30... Rxb7 { I had not considered this. Blackaccepts the sacrifice but offers an exchange sacrifice in return, hopingthat keeping the knight gives him better defensive chances. This, whilenot refuting my sacrifice, does at least refute my confidence in thinkingthat 30. b4 would win quickly. } 31. Nxb7 Qxb7 { I was expecting 31... Nxb7,to which I would have responded with the same move, 32. c5. } 32. c5 { Andnow we have reached nominal material equality -- but in fact the pointssystem masks the fact that material imbalances adding up to the same numberof points are rarely equal. Here the imbalance, subtracting the piecesheld by both sides, is rook, bishop and four pawns against queen and knight.Let's ignore the bishop and knight, which will soon be exchanged. Rookand four pawns against queen, like many material imbalances with pawnsagainst pieces, can favour either side depending on the pawn structure.Here, the pawns are as strong as they can possibly be, in a solid chainwith a strong base, the outliers well advanced and with no enemy pawnsin their way. I feel White must now be winning. } 32... Ne4 { Black blocks boththe rook's control of the e-file and the bishop's defence of d5. The downsideis that after the obvious move 33. d6, the knight is pinned and Black cannotprevent its being exchanged. } 33. d6 Qb5 { A good position for the queen,keeping an eye on my pawns' potential advance while also looking aggressivelytowards my king in the corner. } 34. Bxe4 { I decide the time has come toexchange the knight before it can get up to any mischief. This also reopensthe e-file so that I can threaten to advance the pawns again. } 34... fxe4 35. Rxe4 Rf8 { Threatening 36... Qf1+ 37. Rxf1 Rxf1#. Aside from this threat,which is too easily dealt with to be much of a problem, the move activatesBlack's rook on an open file. The downside is that if White gets the chance,e7 is now with tempo. } 36. Ree1 Qc6 { Black now threatens 37... Rf2 and38... Qxg2#. This is a more potent threat, since I would be forced to play38. Rg1, relegating the rook to a passive position. Therefore: } 37. Rf1 { I seize the open file for myself. If Black moves the rook horizontally,38. Rf7+ takes control of the last bridge the pawns need to cross -- oneof them has now been waiting on e6 for twelve moves! } 37... Rxf1+ { Black thereforeexchanges, and we now enter a queen vs. rook endgame. But the rook -- likethe tower it represents -- will have the role of protection for the king,while the pawns take the real starring role. } 38. Rxf1 Qe4 { Threateningthe undefended pawn on e6. } 39. d7 { (!) Stronger than 39. e7, because Blackneeds to spend a move to keep d8 defended. } 39... Qe2 { Attempting to gain tempoby threatening the rook (and checkmate). } 40. Rf7+ { Escape by means ofcheck! } 40... Kg6 41. h3 { And finally, a quiet move that seals victory. } 41... Qe1+ 42. Kh2 Qe5+ 43. Kg1 { Black cannot now continue checking for ever: 42...Qe3+ 43. Rf2 Qe1+ 44. Rf1 Qe3+ 45. Kh1. However, I would have been interestedto see how the game would have continued after 45... Qe2 46. Rg1. Perhaps46... Qd2 47. c6 Qd6 48. c7! Qxc7 49. Rd1 Qd8 50. e7. Come to think ofit, a similar line could follow had I played 40. Rg1. } 43... Qxe6 { Instead, Blacktakes the pawn, asking me whether I am giving up the rook. } 44. d8=Q { Iam; I can't see anything better, and surely White must be able to promotethe c-pawn now, even without the help of the king. } 44... Qxf7 { I think 44...Kxf7 would have offered more resistance, as it creates a genuine threatof perpetual check and forces White to play accurately. } 45. Qd6+ Kg5 46. c6 { Now it's all plain sailing. White gains a vital tempo, and even ifBlack plays 46... Qe8 to threaten perpetual, White has the resources toprevent it. (47. Qd2+ and 48. b5 defends the c-pawn, and 49. Qc3 preparesits advance while keeping the possible checking squares under control.) } 46... a6 47. c7 Qf5 { Black missed the opportunity to prolong the game on move46, and now there is no good way of controlling the c8 square. 47... Qe8or Qg8 is met with 48. Qd8+, and this: } 48. Qc5 { A pin, followed by a forcedqueen exchange and promotion. Black resigns. It's appropriate, consideringthe way this wild opening is characterised by a battle between the solidarityof White's pieces and the mobility of Black's queen, that the game shouldconclude by finally shutting the queen down completely. } 1-0

[Event "League division D3"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2010.01.05"] [Round "-"] [White "slc669"] [Black "tomlib"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1463"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1046"] 1. e4 { This is a King's pawn opening that quickly got out of anything withwhich I'm familiar. I dropped a pawn early but gained some initiative whichallowed me to get a winning position. } 1... e5 2. d3 { I'm not familiar with3.d3 } 2... Bc5 { My thinking was to develop } 3. Be2 { 3. Be2 again is unfamiliarto me. I'm guessing setting up a castle but the light squared bishop isblocked. I would guess 3. g3 setting up a fianchetto might be better } 3... Nc6 { More pressure on the d4 square } 4. Nf3 Nd4 { Here I'm so excited to placemy knight in a good square and attack the Bishop that I complete overlookmy hanging pawn } 5. Nxe5 Nxe2 { I lose my most active piece here but doexchange a knight for a bishop } 6. Qxe2 Nf6 7. Bf4 { This doesn't reallyprotect the knight and I thought 7. Bg5 pinning my knight might be better } 7... d6 { Chasing off the well placed knight } 8. Nc4 Bg4 { I lost the pawn butdid put the queen into a bad position so I thought pushing her around wasa good strategy. } 9. Qd2 { 9. f3 weakens the king side castle but I thoughtkept initiative for white } 9... O-O 10. Nc3 a6 { I wanted to keep the knightoff the b5 square } 11. d4 Bb4 { Pinning the knight } 12. d5 { I think notrealizing 12. Nxe4 Nxe4 13. Bxd2 loses the queen } 12... Nxe4 13. Qe3 Re8 { Settingup the discovered pin of the queen. White cannot capture 14. Nxe4 becausethe king is pinned by the dark squared bishop. A castle earlier in thegame would have prevented this line. } 14. f3 { Forking my pieces but I suspectmissing the game continuation } 14... Nxc3 { Pins the queen } 15. Qxe8+ { I thinkbetter is 15. fxg4 Nxd5+ 16. Qxe8+ Qxe8+ 17. Kf2 but it gets a little complex. } 15... Qxe8+ 16. Be3 { I think better is 16. Kf2 to alleviate the problem thatoccurs in the game continuation } 16... Nxd5+ 17. c3 Nxe3 { Setting up anotherdiscovered check although leaving both Bishops hanging } 18. cxb4 { Alsopossible is 18. Nxd6 Nc4+ 19. Kf2 Nxd6 20. cxb4 } 18... Nxc4+ 19. Kf2 Qe3+ 20. Kg3 g5 { I thought this was my most inspired move of the game although mymaterial advantage is killing in any case. If 21. Kxg4 Qf4+ 22. Kh3 Qh4# } 21. Rae1 Qf4+ 22. Kf2 Nd2 { This sets up a forced mate } 23. h3 { 23. Re2Nxf3 24. gxf3 Qxf3+ prolongs the game a few moves } 23... Bxf3 24. gxf3 { Mateis now forced but not taking the Bishop loses even more material } 24... Qxf3+ 25. Kg1 Qg3# { I liked the pressure I was able to develop after I blunderedthe pawn. This led to my opponent making some mistakes. } 0-1

[Event "A famous ending"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date ""] [Round "-"] [White "E. Z. Adams"] [Black "Carlos Torre"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "GM"] [WhiteElo "Amateur"] { Just about anyone who reads about chess knows the famous ending of thisgame, how an ordinary amateur's brilliant Queen maneuvers forced GM Torreto give up the ghost. But have you ever wondered how the game got to thatposition in the first place? } 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 { Adams aggressivelyattacks the Philidor's Defense setup Torre chooses to play. } 3... exd4 4. Qxd4 { Bringing out his Queen early... but in this game he makes it work. } 4... Nc6 { Attempting to gain time by attacking the Queen. But... } 5. Bb5 { No retreatfor me, Adams says! } 5... Bd7 6. Bxc6 { Choosing to exchange rather than removehis Queen from her central position. } 6... Bxc6 7. Nc3 { Surprisingly, Adamshas made his system work. He has a lead in development of 3 pieces to 1and a central advantage. } 7... Nf6 8. O-O Be7 { Torre prepares to castle intosafety. } 9. Nd5 Bxd5 10. exd5 { Fully opening the King file and crampingTorre with a Pawn on Q5. } 10... O-O 11. Bg5 { Pressing the attack onwards! Nofear from this amateur. } 11... c6 { Attacking Adams' cramping QP. } 12. c4 { Reinforcingthe Pawn. } 12... cxd5 13. cxd5 { Fully opening another file. Now the QB-file canbe used as an attacking avenue. } 13... Re8 14. Rfe1 { Both players battle forthe open file. } 14... a5 15. Re2 Rc8 { Seizing the QB-file. } 16. Rae1 { Counteringby doubling on the K file. } 16... Qd7 17. Bxf6 { Forcing Torre to either weakenhis K-side Pawns or open the K file to the battery of Rooks. } 17... Bxf6 { Thisis the point at which most books pick up the game. If Black's Queen failsto guard the Rook at his K1, the continuation is RxR ch RxR RxR mate. } 18. Qg4 { 18... QxQ is impossible, so... } 18... Qb5 19. Qc4 { Now both ...RxQ AND..QxQ are ruled out. } 19... Qd7 20. Qc7 { The Queen is again immune. } 20... Qb5 21. a4 { The Queen must stay on the diagonal, but cannot move to B3 or Q2. So... } 21... Qxa4 { Forced. } 22. Re4 { 22... QxR would be answered by 23 RxQ, and Torrecannot capture either the Queen or Rook without allowing mate. } 22... Qb5 23. Qxb7 { 23... QxQ, Q-R5, Q-B3 and Q-Q2 are all ruled out. Mate is unstoppable,so Torre resigns. } 1-0

[Event "41st GK tournament"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "07-Jan-08"] [Round "-"] [White "smartmoves"] [Black "zamzam"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1392"] [TimeControl "2 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1337"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 { Philidor Defence } 3. d4 { white straightaway strikesat the center } 3... exd4 { By this capture Black gives up his center } 4. Bc4 { Here I preferred to sac a p so as to play in gambit style but black doesntco-operate } 4... Be7 { If one wants to play without risk then this is o.k - Notcommitting & developing the piece around 3 ranks! (though this breaks thesmall rule - Ns before B) } 5. Nxd4 { Here I was considering 5.c3 but somewhatfelt blacks 5...,Ne4 might give edge to him & so instead played the text } 5... Bd7 { Now this is too much - Here Blacks violates again the basic principle& though at first sight it seems difficult to exploit the move neverthlessBlacks text must be punished & whites attack starts rolling } 6. Qh5 { Threatens7.Qxf7 # & black will find it difficult to find defence or one may say,as the game unfolds, there is no defence against f7 # except to give upa piece. The point is which piece will black prefer to give his g8N ord7B. } 6... g6 { This temporarily blocks the threat but white shifts his Q ond5 } 7. Qd5 { setting Q-B battery on the diagonal a2-g8 & reinstating thethe threat of # on f7 & creating another threat on b7-p. } 7... Be6 { Black blocksthe f7#; but white eliminates the B } 8. Nxe6 { & now black instead of takingthe N he counters whites Q with } 8... Nf6 { Now white has the choice betweenNxd8 - taking the Q & after Black takes the Q, white recaptures the N ond5 with B when he remains a piece up to the good or he has N-g7 & followedby Qxf7, when he has a strong pressure against Blacks K, so he I choosethe latter forcing Blacks K to d7 } 9. Ng7+ { Ofcourse Black K cant go tof8 due to # from f7 } 9... Kd7 { the only flee } 10. Qxf7 { White prefers takingthe f7-p rather than b7 as it mounts strong pressure on blacks K } 10... Kc8 { BlacksK tries to find a safe home but white now strikes the Q } 11. Ne6 Qd7 { Whitenow has lot of good option viz.12.Qg7 attacking the R or 12.Nc5 followedby 13.Be6 trapping blacks Q or as played in the game, developing his N& defending the e4-p } 12. Nc3 Nc6 { develops his last minor piece withthe threat of fork from e5 on whites f7Q & B on c4. White has two goodway to repluse the threat - 13.Bb5 pinning the N or as played in the game } 13. f4 { stops any of blacks idea of ....Ne5 & at the same time take morespace in the center } 13... Bf8 { Text is ?!. Probably Black wants to swap theQs but this leaves his N hanging on f6. This shows how a player cracksunder pressure. } 14. Qxf6 { picks the N & further threatens the R. With2 piece down & no hope of letting down the attack Black prudently resigns... } 1-0

[Event "Walking the Walk and Learning to Run MT Part 4"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2013.03.21"] [Round "-"] [White "small_potato"] [Black "chrisforbes21"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1213"] [TimeControl "5d+5d<10d"] [WhiteElo "1671"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 { I don't really know much about book openings, but thedatabase says this is Philidor's defence. } 3. d4 { This is the most commonmove at this point, and I prefer it as I like open games rather than oneswhere the board is clogged up with static pawns. } 3... Bg4 4. Bc4 { Putting abit of pressure on f7, this might be useful later on. Recently I've takento putting the LSB on c4 rather than b5 to see how it works out. } 4... Nf6 5. dxe5 { Making some space in the centre, if ..dxe5 then Qxd8 and black can'tcastle. } 5... Bxf3 6. Qxf3 { Retaking with the queen to keep the K-side pawnsin tact. } 6... dxe5 { With the white queen no longer on d1, black can do thiswithout losing his right to castle. } 7. Qb3 { putting a double attack onf7, which is only defended once, this forces black to try to defend it.The white queen is also attacking b7, so black cannot defend both threatsat once. } 7... Qe7 { Protecting f7. } 8. Qxb7 { Taking the undefended pawn, andputting black at risk of losing his rook. } 8... Qc5 { Attacks the undefendedLSB, also points at f2. } 9. Qb5+ { I had a good think about this move, Isuspected I could probably get away with taking the rook, but I was a bitconcerned about my king being out in the open and black playing Ng4, sodecided to swap queens and take the one pawn advantage. Analysis withhoudini says this is a blunder, scoring Qxa8 as +7 and Qb5+ as +1. } 9... Qxb5 10. Bxb5+ c6 11. Bd3 { Having swapped queens, the LSB moves back to defende4 from the knight. } 11... Nbd7 12. Be3 { 12 moves in so really need to get thepieces out at this point. Putting the DSB here temporarily ties blacksa8 rook to defending a7. } 12... c5 13. Nc3 { Just getting the pieces out still,no real plan at this stage. } 13... Ng4 14. Bg5 { Given the open board, I don'treally want to exchange a bishop for a knight, so I move the bishop away. } 14... h6 15. Bh4 { Keeping the bishop on the d8-h4 diagonal to attack squaresnear the black king. } 15... g5 16. Bg3 { Only move at this point. Leaves black'sking without much defence although with the queens off the board this probablydoesn't matter too much. } 16... Bg7 { I'm not sure this was a good move, the longdiagonal is blocked so the DSB would have been better developing in theother direction. } 17. O-O-O { I castle queenside to get the rooks into actionquicker, since with no queens on the board I'm not too concerned with thekings safety on the queenside. } 17... Nb6 18. Bb5+ { Taking away the kings abilityto castle, since black can't block the check with Nd7 as that square isattacked twice. } 18... Ke7 19. Nd5+ { Expected ..Nxd5 in response to this, withRxd5 to follow, putting the rook into the middle of the board. } 19... Kd6 { Thisis a blunder, costing black a rook from the inevitable discovered checkwhich leaves the white Knight attacking a8 with no defence. } 20. Nxb6+ Kc7 21. Nxa8+ Rxa8 22. Rd7+ { f7 and g7 are undefended so I decided thismay gain some more material soon. } 22... Kb6 23. Bc4 Bf8 24. Bxf7 { Winning thef7 pawn. } 24... c4 { As far as I can see this is mistake, as the pawn just getstaken. } 25. Bxc4 Bc5 { Black threatens to win the f2 pawn, but will needto exchange a minor piece to do so, and I'm happy to allow this since I'malready 8 points up, and it will leave black with just 2 pieces and a handfulof mostly disconnected pawns. } 26. Rhd1 { Doubling up the rooks. } 26... Bxf2 27. Bxf2+ Nxf2 { Allowing black to win a pawn at the expense of an exchangereducing material left on the board. } 28. Rd8 { Forcing black to exchangerooks. Black's rook has nowhere to go - so black must either play ..Rxd8with Rxd8 in response, or ..Nxd1 with Rxa8 in response. } 28... Nxd1 29. Rxa8 Ne3 30. Bd3 { With just a knight left on the board against a rook, bishopand larger number of pawns, black's loss is inevitable although he canwin another pawn on g2. } 30... Nxg2 31. Rh8 { Picking off blacks h-pawn, whichcannot be defended. } 31... Nf4 { Threatening the bishop, although of course exchangingwon't help black's cause. } 32. Rxh6+ Kc5 33. Ra6 { Targeting the a-pawnnext, which also cannot be defended. } 33... Kd4 { Threatening ..Nxd3, cxd3 ..Kxd3winning a pawn, although still with a hopeless position for black. } 34. Kd2 { Prevents black winning a pawn, and black decides to throw the towelin at this point. } 1-0

[Event "OTB training game..."] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "9-jun-18"] [Round "-"] [White "fiercequeen"] [Black "opponent"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1800+"] [TimeControl "no limits"] [WhiteElo "2059"] { it is getting busy, in the training department: this one is played viaanother platform - chess.com - against a player, who always craved a pieceof me... } 1. e4 c5 2. f4 d6 { the slow version, of the Sicilian: againstthis, only g6 stands a chance... } 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. c3 { a profylactic measureagainst Nb4/Nd4: also part of the Grand Prix Attack approach; the onlyfeasable weapon against any Sicilian... } 4... g6 5. g3 Bg7 6. Bg2 { this alsogoes with the territory: fianchetto's on the Kings' wing; Indian style... } 6... e6 { preparing Ne7: Nf6 has no place in this opening... } 7. d3 { usuallyplayed against Nf6, if or when it occurs: but also this serves a commonpurpose... } 7... Nge7 8. Be3 { Black is preparing castling: White can wait awhile... } 8... O-O 9. Nbd2 { not making any decisions yet: just developing... } 9... b5 { not bad: conquering the Queens' wing, might work out profitable later... } 10. Qc2 { here, White can still decide wheter to castle short or long: ornever at all; Kf2 is a safe place... } 10... a5 11. Kf2 Bb7 { already, Black isat least two tempi behind in development: he still needs to find purposefor the Queen... } 12. Rhd1 { preparing d4: the enevitable outcome of anySicilian... } 12... Qc7 { not unwise: get the Queen off the d-file; also completingdevelopment... } 13. Rac1 { still more preparation for d4: in fact, a hiddenattack on Qc7... } 13... e5 { probably better than Rc8: but not discouraging d4... } 14. d4 exd4 { keeping the c-file closed, forcing White: Be3 is trapped... } 15. cxd4 cxd4 16. Nxd4 { also forced: leaving Nd4 attacked twice, coveredonly by Be3, while developing Bg7; this gives Black time for Rc8... } 16... Rfc8 17. N2f3 { also forced: the stage is set... } 17... Qb6 { so this is forced... } 18. Nxc6 Qxc6 { a sound solution for now: up to a certain point... } 19. Qd3 Qd7 { sacrificing d6, but b2 and e4 are attacked too... } 20. e5 { killingtwo birds, with one stone: the Black Queen is again uncovered... } 20... d5 { thislooks like a solution: but it is not... } 21. Nd4 { attacking b5 twice... } 21... b4 { Bc6 will not work: this might... } 22. Qb5 { wrapping it up: the BlackQueen is uncovered, and cannot leave Bb7... } 22... Bc6 { still, Bc6 will not work... } 23. Nxc6 Nxc6 24. Rxd5 Qe6 { forced... } 25. Rd6 Rab8 { an eye for an eye... } 26. Rcxc6 { challenge accepted... } 26... Rxb5 { there is no use, in running fromthis with Qxa2: Rxc8+ is too dangerous... } 27. Rxe6 { the best way out... } 27... Rxc6 28. Bxc6 { very clever: Rb5 has no way out... } 28... fxe6 { so this is forcedagain... } 29. Bxb5 { after this, Black resigned... } 1-0

[Event "Knights on the rim are dim"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "19-Oct-08"] [Round "-"] [White "crisec68"] [Black "gil-gandel"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1200"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1281"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 Na5 { Knights on the rimare dim? Not here, the main line of the Two Knights Defence. The alternative5. ... Nxd5 is hairier. Here I am giving up a pawn temporarily in orderto gain time attacking White's two minor pieces. } 6. d3 { Not as fashionableas 6. Bb5 , but if Morphy was happy with it then who are we lesser mortalsto hold it in contempt? } 6... h6 7. Ne4 { The usual here is 7. Nf3. The textis a blunder, as two units are guarded only by the same pawn, and as longas I make the right capture first I must come out a piece ahead. } 7... Nxe4 8. Qf3 Nxc4 9. dxc4 Nf6 10. O-O Bd6 11. Nc3 Bg4 { Castling first would havebeen safer and better, I think, but I thought kicking the White Queen aroundwould be fun. } 12. Qg3 Qd7 13. f3 { Gives the Queen a square, but weakensthe King's position. } 13... e4 14. Qf2 exf3 15. gxf3 Bf5 { The position's notwithout its risks for me, of course, as I have delayed castling. I thoughtI might as well put the Bishop here with a threat against c2; 15. ...Bh3is only sending the Rook where it wants to go anyway. } 16. Re1+ Be7 17. Bf4 { I was looking forward to an uncomfortable time if the Queen came tothe e-file to reinforce the pin, as it's then difficult for me to castleand keep my extra piece. In some lines White seemed to be getting a dangerousattack. However, this doesn't put any pressure on the pinned Bishop andso I can castle straight away - only on the King's side; much as I wouldlike to castle Queen's side and storm the White King's position, I wouldhave a hanging pawn on a7 and would deeply regret it. } 17... O-O 18. Qg3 Nh5 { Knights on the rim are dim? Not this time, as the fork wins me more material.White is losing a whole piece as the Queen has no square from which toguard the Bishop, so he lashes out in an attempt to muddy the waters. } 19. Rxe7 Qxe7 { Obviously not 19. ...Nxg3; 20. Rxd7 and White has plentyto be happy about. } 20. Re1 Qc5+ { But this forces the Queens off and Istay a Rook for a Pawn ahead. } 21. Be3 { 21. Qf2 is worse. } 21... Qxe3+ 22. Rxe3 Nxg3 23. hxg3 Rfe8 { Usefully for me, White has no option but to exchangeRooks. } 24. Rxe8+ Rxe8 25. Nb5 Bd7 26. Nxc7 Re2 27. c5 Rxc2 28. b4 Rxa2 29. b5 Rc2 { Now White has no alternative but to give his last three Q-sidepawns for the Black Bishop and b-pawn, leaving an elementary win for Black. } 30. c6 bxc6 31. bxc6 Bxc6 32. dxc6 Rxc6 33. Nd5 { For now Black has a pawnmajority on both wings, and promises to emerge with both passed Rook'spawns - a hopeless situation for the Knight. First, however, White threatensa fork, so Black has to deal with the situation. } 33... Rd6 { Played in orderto cut the White King off from the a-pawn. But now White sees a pawn andmakes haste to grab it. } 34. Ne7+ Kf8 35. Nc8 Rd7 { ...With disastrous consequences.Knights on the rim *are* dim, this time; not only can White not safelytake the pawn, but his Knight has no safe squares at all. } 36. f4 Ke8 { TheKnight cannot be saved; after 37. f5, f6 prevents a rescue, and the Kingsimply marches up to the hamstrung horse. Black then needn't even Queena pawn or take either of White's, but it is easy to do either or both,so White resigned. } 0-1

[Event "FIDE Chennai Game 7"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2013.11.18"] [Round "-"] [White "Anand, Viswanathan"] [Black "Carlsen, Magnus"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [BlackElo "2870"] [WhiteElo "2775"] 1. e4 { Anand, with the whites, played this dull game like he was at a dentist's visit. It was quick and more bearable... With this lack of bite, and accepting the Ruy Lopez for the enxtime, I see few chances of success for the Indian. With five or six, depending on the course of the game, he still has a few chances of a win, apart from a sudden sleep of Carlsen and a superdose of adrenaline for Anand. The game, lost, does not deserve many comments. Carlsen, with logical interest, has kept it as plain as possible. An unrecognizable Anand has done nothing to win it. Let's hope for better intentions tomorrow... } 1... e5 { . } 2. Nf3 { . } 2... Nc6 { . } 3. Bb5 { . } 3... Nf6 { . } 4. d3 { . } 4... Bc5 { . } 5. Bxc6 { . } 5... dxc6 { Il neroha la copia di alfieri. } 6. Nbd2 { . } 6... Bg4 { Impedisce la cattura di Nf3xe5se 6... Be6 7. O-O ( se 7. Nxe5 Qd4 8. O-O Qxe5) } 7. h3 { . } 7... Bh5 { . } 8. Nf1 { forse un po' di aggressività con 8. Nc4 Nd7 non avrebbe guastato } 8... Nd7 { It would have been better to wake up the Queen and bring her into play 8...Qd6 9. Ng3 } 9. Ng3 { . } 9... Bxf3 { . } 10. Qxf3 { . } 10... g6 { Protegge f5+h5 } 11. Be3 { . } 11... Qe7 { . } 12. O-O-O { For a heterogeneous attack, it might have changed the attacking pattern and even the game: 12. O-O O-O-O } 12... O-O-O { . } 13. Ne2 { . } 13... Rhe8 { . } 14. Kb1 { . } 14... b6 { Consolida c5 } 15. h4 { . } 15... Kb7 { . } 16. h5 { . } 16... Bxe3 { . } 17. Qxe3 { . } 17... Nc5 { . } 18. hxg6 { . } 18... hxg6 { 19... Rh8 20. a3 } 19. g3 { Another possible continuation: 19. f3 f5, trying to weaken the center. Two pawns on e4 and e5 form a wall. But it appears that neither side is willing to give up the fight. } 19... a5 { . } 20. Rh7 { . } 20... Rh8 { . } 21. Rdh1 { . } 21... Rxh7 { . } 22. Rxh7 { . } 22... Qf6 { . } 23. f4 { . } 23... Rh8 { . } 24. Rxh8 { . } 24... Qxh8 { . } 25. fxe5 { . } 25... Qxe5 { . } 26. Qf3 { . } 26... f5 { . } 27. exf5 { . } 27... gxf5 { 27... Qxf5$2 28. Qxf5 gxf5 29. Nd4 } 28. c3 { . } 28... Ne6 { e uno } 29. Kc2 { . } 29... Ng5 { . } 30. Qf2 { . } 30... Ne6 { e due } 31. Qf3 { . } 31... Ng5 { . } 32. Qf2 { . } 32... Ne6 { The third repetition. Bad performance from the show, but according to the database, perfect. A perfect... without sugar. } 1/2-1/2

[Event "Warrior King V. Monkey"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date ""] [Round "-"] [White "Warrior King (me)"] [Black "Monkey"] [Result "*"] [BlackElo "-10000000"] [WhiteElo "-1200"] { I notice that nobody is commenting on, or looking at my Monkey programbased games anymore. That's ok, I understand and respect your decisions...infact if you're looking at or reading this right now...what's wrong withyou, seriously dude? Basically I wanted to see if I could beat the monkeywith just my king. It goes pretty well. For white. If you can waste a hugeamount of time and still call that it going well. I actually do like themonkey program for teaching someone completely new to chess. I think itis the perfect way to mess around with the chessboard without getting atall frustrated or overwhelmed. Watch here as the warrior king tears downan entire army on his lonesome. (This game will be almost more horrid thanman v. monkey III/the redux). } 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 { This may look likean okay choice for black, but don't forget the moves are entirely random.So there was about a 1 in 13 chance that that would happen since only 13pieces can move at this point. Left bishop and rooks being blocked in. } 3. e5 f3 4. e6 b6 5. e7 b5 6. g4 f5 7. g5 h5 8. g6 b4 9. h4 Rh7 10. Nh3 Bb7 11. d4 Rh6 12. d5 Rh8 13. d6 Qc8 14. c4 f2+ 15. Kxf2 Bg2 16. Kxg2 a5 17. c5 Bxe7 18. c6 f4 19. b3 Ra6 20. Kf3 Kd8 21. Kxf4 Nf6 22. Ng5 Rh6 23. Nh7 Ra7 24. Nf8 Ne8 25. a4 Na6 26. Ke4 Bxf8 27. Kd4 Nb8 28. Bg5+ Nf6 29. Qf3 Rh8 30. Qd5 Rb7 31. Qg8 Ra7 32. Ba6 Rxa6 33. Re1 cxd6 34. Re8+ Kc7 35. Na3 Nxe8 36. Nb5+ Kb6 37. Nc7 Ra8 38. Re1 Nf6 39. Re8 Nh7 40. Kd5 Qxe8 41. Kd4 Na6 42. Bd8 d5 43. Kxd5 Qe1 44. Kd4 Be7 45. Kd3 Qc1 46. Ke2 Qe1+ 47. Kxe1 Bxh4+ 48. Ke2 Ra7 49. Na8+ Kc5 50. c7 Kd6 51. c8=Q Nf8 52. Kf3 Nxg6 53. Ke4 Be7 54. Kf5 Ne5 55. Ke4 Ng6 56. Kf5 Bh4 57. Kxg6 Bg3 58. Kxg7 Rxg8+ 59. Kxg8 h4 60. Kg7 Be1 61. Kg6 Bc3 62. Kg5 Ke5 63. Kxh4 Bd4 64. Kg5 Bc3 65. Kg4 Be1 66. Kf3 Kd5 67. Ke2 Rb7 68. Kxe1 Ke5 69. Kd2 Kf5 70. Kd3 Rc7 71. Kd4 Kg4 72. Kd5 Kg3 73. Kd6 Rc1 74. Kxd7 Kg2 75. Kd6 Kg1 76. Kd5 Kg2 77. Kd4 Rc5 78. Kd3 Rc4 79. Kxc4 Kg1 80. Kb5 Kh2 81. Kxa6 Kg1 82. Kxa5 Kf1 83. Kxb4 { Now I have to finish in 50 moves. Which could be harderthan it sounds! } 83... Ke1 84. Kc4 Kf1 85. b4 Ke2 86. b5 Kf3 87. b6 Kf4 88. b7 Ke5 89. b8=Q+ Ke4 90. Nc7 { (To make room for lady #3) } 90... Ke5 91. Ne8+ Ke4 92. a5 Ke3 93. a6 Kf2 94. a7 Kf3 95. a8=Q+ Ke2 96. Kd4 Kf1 97. Ke3 { I limitthe amount of random choices he has. By herding him with my warrior ways. } 97... Kg1 98. Kf3 Kh1 99. Kf2# { And mate! Pretty unique ending, eh? } *

[Event "savsams's mini-tournament IV"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2011.02.23"] [Round "-"] [White "deaderfish"] [Black "sbwmdfacs"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1722"] [TimeControl "3d+2d<5d"] [WhiteElo "1422"] { This was back when I first started playing in Mini-Tournaments on Gameknot.By not paying attention, I managed to sign up for a Mini-Tournament whereall of the other players were rated much higher than me. I played withdetermination to give the best account of myself that I could. I camelast in the tournament but I did record this win and my opponent has remainedthe highest rated opponent I have beaten for more than five years. Thegame has stuck in my mind because of the sacrifice on move 32 that ultimatelywon the game, was it really sound though? } 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 g6 4. Bxc6 { I used to play this line quite a lot back then. I had pickedit up from an article that I had read on Anti-Sicilian openings. Thesedays, I much less afraid of playing 4. d4. These days, I feel that theconsequences for white of black responding cxd4 are not disturbing enoughto justify Anti-Sicilian play. } 4... dxc6 { 4. Bxc6, bxc6 is more usual and Ithink probably stronger. Here black has weakened its claim to the centreand opened the d file. This is probably pretty playable (especially againstweaker opposition?) but was this perhaps the first sign of over-confidencefrom black? } 5. O-O Bg7 6. d3 { Contorting to avoid cxd4. } 6... Nf6 7. Be3 { Afterexchanging the bishop with the knight and so achieving the doubled pawnson the c file, I now threaten to take black's undefended pawn and perhapshelp remove the black's doubled pawn problem? Nc3 probably better. } 7... b6 { I used threats in this game to illicit a response from my opponent, hopingthat pressure would lead to an error. } 8. Nbd2 { Why not Nc3? - the bishophas lost a little bit of movement. } 8... Bb7 { Not a great move by black. Withthe doubled pawns, the white squared bishop does not look very threateningon b2. } 9. Qe2 { White is looking cramped. Only plus is that a lot of white'sstrength is building in the centre of the board. } 9... O-O 10. Rad1 Ng4 11. h3 Nxe3 12. Qxe3 Bxb2 { Black is now looking a fair bit ahead. The spaceon the board looks better suited for black's bishops than white's knights. } 13. Qh6 { I'm about to throw everything that I have into attacking h7. } 13... Bg7 14. Qh4 { Keeps the pressure on h7. } 14... e6 15. Ng5 { Threatens h7# - blackhas to respond. } 15... h6 16. Ndf3 { I was so keen to maintain the threat of h7#that I'm willing to lose material. Not an amazing strategy, what elseis really on for white though? } 16... hxg5 17. Nxg5 Re8 { That was forced. Neitherside is looking too great here. Black is maybe still a bit ahead but theexposed King is cause for concern (and proved decisive). } 18. Qh7+ Kf8 19. f4 { Protects white's knight from the Queen so it can stay deep. A simplef6 though and black can brush away that problem. } 19... f6 { f6 - should havebeen obvious. } 20. Nf3 Kf7 { I guess preparing to chase away white's queenwith the rook. } 21. Nh4 { Again, I manage to find a threat to worry my opponentwith. } 21... Rh8 22. Qxg6+ { It didn't worry him and I gain a pawn. } 22... Kf8 23. Nf3 { Black still ahead. White's rooks totally ineffectual. } 23... Rh6 24. Qg4 Bc8 25. e5 { Blocks e5. } 25... f5 26. Qg3 Qe8 27. c4 Qg6 { Queen exchange offered.Black probably wants rid of those pesky Queen attacks. } 28. Ng5 { Exchangenot taken. A pretty nice square for white's knight to make home on. } 28... Rh5 { Black is willing to exchange a rook for a knight? } 29. Qf3 Bd7 { Black'sbishops have found themselves closed in and ineffectual. } 30. d4 { cxd4looks more palatable now... white's rook can control the open d flank andfinally join the game. } 30... cxd4 31. Rxd4 Ke7 { Use's the King to protect theknight. Probably did not like the look of 31 .., Bc8 32 Qxc3. Black probablyexpected me to follow with Rfd1 to create doubled rooks on the d flank.I don't think black even considered my next move. } 32. Rxd7+ { Rxd7!? -this became the winning move. Planning 32 .., Kxd7 33. Rd1+ and latergetting that rook onto d6. Just getting my pieces deep into black's territory. If 32 .., Ke8 then 33. Qxc3 and I can still create options. 32. Kf8is less advantageous for white. Still worth grabbing the bishop though. } 32... Kxd7 { It felt like forever waiting for my opponent to move. I thoughtthe sacrifice was just a little too obvious. More likely, it didn't reallylook too threatening for black. } 33. Rd1+ Kc7 34. Rd6 Qe8 { Blunder. Probablyas important as the sacrifice in the outcome - but that's less romantic. } 35. Nxe6+ Kb7 36. Nxg7 Rxh3 { Black's rook commits reckless suicide. } 37. Qxh3 Qg8 38. Nxf5 Qxc4 39. Rd7+ Ka6 40. Qa3+ { Black resigned. 40 .., Qa441. Qxa4# 40 .., Kb5 41 Nd6# } 1-0