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[Event "Philidor's Defence"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2018.11.05"] [Round "-"] [White "feathered_tiger"] [Black "metcalfe"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [BlackElo "1790"] [TimeControl "2 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1812"] { In this game I keep gaining and losing the initiative, the momentum ofthe game, and in the endgame I make a single mistake that allows my opponentto force a draw. One that got away. } 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 { My opponent hasplayed this a number of times... } 3. Bc4 { And I usually develop the Bishopinstead of playing 3.d4. It's a perfectly good alternative. } 3... h6 { Especiallywhen my rather defensively minded opponent allows me the luxury of whatalmost amounts to an extra move. } 4. d4 { The game develops in fairly standardway, with both sides getting pieces into play. Somehow, despite the earlyinnacuracy, my opponent doesn't suffer too many consequences. Maybe I shouldhave been more aggressive. } 4... exd4 5. Nxd4 Nf6 6. Nc3 Nc6 7. O-O { I couldexchange and double Black's pawns, something that happens in the Scotchopening, but I have a tendency to leave castling too late, and decide toget my King to safety now. } 7... Be7 8. h3 { Just to guard againt an intrusionby the Bishop or Knight. } 8... O-O 9. Re1 Ne5 { Attacking my undefended Bishop,which now has to make a choice: to stay on the diagonal againt the King,or retreat? } 10. Bf1 { I don't want to lose it and leave Black with thetwo Bishops, and this seems about the safest place. } 10... Nh7 { Getting readyfor an f-pawn advance, something that looks a little dubious. } 11. Nf3 Nxf3+ { Black wants to exchange his centrally place Knight, so I'm happyto oblige. } 12. Qxf3 { Looking at the board now, despite that early andunnecessary h-pawn advance, Black doesn't have a bad position at all; Ihave a bit more space, but those two Bishops have a couple of decent diagonalsto play with, while mine has scurried home. } 12... f5 { I thought that f-pawnadvance looked dubious, and it is. Better was developing the dark-squaredBishop, which can find a nice home on e5, via f6. Now I could go on theattack, as the computer suggests , with 13.Bd3, and suddenly that f-pawnis looking frail. Instead I decide to exploit the opened diagonal againstthe King. } 13. Nd5 { I also have the possibility of getting rid of one ofBlack's Bishops. } 13... Bg5 { If he's going to give it up, it will be for a Bishop,not a Knight. But this doesn't really interfere with my plan... } 14. Qb3 { Attacking the b-pawn and keeping the light-squared Bishop at home to defendit, and threatening a nasty discovered check. } 14... Kh8 { The Black King wiselysteps out of the way. } 15. Bxg5 { I'm allowing the Knight back into thegame, but I miss the computer's rather convoluted advantage... 15. exf5Rxf5 16. Bxg5 Nxg5 17. Nxc7 Qxc7 18. Re8+ Kh7 19. Bd3 } 15... Nxg5 16. Nf4 { Threateninga horrible fork on g6. } 16... Rf6 { Black guards against it, but it's better donewith the Queen, getting both Queen and Rook on the same file. } 17. exf5 { Drawing out that Bishop from c8 - Black won't want to allow the checkon g6. It means the Bishop will be attacking my c-pawn, but he will losethe b-pawn inexchange... } 17... Bxf5 18. Qxb7 Bxc2 19. Nd5 { Now I feel I haveBlack on the run, attacking the c-pawn twice. And his Bishop has openedthe file against it as well. } 19... Rf7 { Black is on the defensive. } 20. Rac1 { Once I get rid of the Bishop, I have three pieces on that weak c-pawn.However, I've missed the reply. Chess is often about momentum, and at presentI have it. Better to continue with 20.Qc6, which wins the weak pawn: 20...Bf521.f4 Bd7 22.Qxc7 } 20... c5 { Black has neatly turned the tables, and now, threateningmy Queen, I'm the one on the back foot. } 21. Re7 Rxe7 { It also allows himto exchange a couple of pieces, rather neutralising my attack and headinginto the phase of the game he's better at... } 22. Qxe7 Qxe7 23. Nxe7 Be4 { One of those hard-to assess (for me) positions. But I probably do haveit slightly better, despite those connected pawns in the centre; that a-pawnon a7 is going to be hard to defend. } 24. Bb5 { I start by trying to getthe Rook away from it. Not a bad idea, and certainly not an error, butprobably not the best plan... } 24... Rb8 25. a4 a6 26. Bxa6 { Now I win the a-pawnand give up my b-pawn. I've now got a passed pawn and a Bishop that coversthe Queening square. Great. But the exchange has allowed Black two passedpawns, something that is going to prove a problem later. } 26... Rxb2 27. Bc4 { At the moment, though, those pawns aren't going anywhere. } 27... Rb4 { Blackcounters by threatening both Bishop and pawn. } 28. a5 { I get the pawn outof the way; the Bishop is already defended. However, once again I havelost momentum. A threat, and I think about defending the threat. Betterto keep the momentum going with counter-attacks on Black's pieces - 28.h4,followed by 29.f3. Not a serious problem, but once again Black is seizingthe initiative. } 28... Rb7 29. Nd5 { Black gets his Rook in front of my passedpawn. } 29... Ra7 30. Ra1 { And I get my Rook behin d it, which is how it's supposedto be! } 30... Nh7 { The computer prefers the exchange before this move, for somereason. Instead, it follows... } 31. f3 Bxd5 32. Bxd5 { I feel happy withthe position; the Black central pawns are blocked and I have the rightcolour Bishop to cover the Queening square. Surely it's just a matterof technique now? } 32... Nf6 33. Bc6 { Obviously I don't want to lose or exchangethe Bishop. } 33... Kg8 { The King must lose no time in getting across the board. } 34. a6 { And I must push that pawn whenever I can, especially if it meansplacing it on a white square... } 34... Kf8 35. Bb7 { Where it can be covered bythe Bishop. The Rook is out of play for now! } 35... Ke7 36. Rb1 { Getting readyto go to b7, force an exchange of Rooks, Queen the pawn etc. Ha. } 36... c4 { Blackstrikes out with his own passed pawns. } 37. Kf2 { I decided it might beprudent to get my King off the back row, in case there's a point whereboth pawns Queen. Rather negative thinking, given my position. } 37... Ne8 { Thisactually gives me a chance, with 38.Bc6, which, though it gives up thepawn, there follows 38...Rxa6 39.Re1+ and the Knight falls. But I didn'tsee that, so focussed was I on Queening that pawn! } 38. Bc8 { Instead, Igo the other way, geeting ready to force an exchange of Rooks with 39.Rb7+ } 38... Nc7 { Black really ought to have pushed his pawn. 38... c3 39. Ke3 c2 40.Rc1 Nc7 41. Rxc2 Kd8 and both pawns fall. With this move, I still havea chance. } 39. Rb7 Rxb7 40. axb7 { Eh? When I look back at this move I wonderwhat I was thinking. Did I just think it advanced the pawn to the 7th?Clearly, the Rook must be taken by the Bishop, so it's still covering theQueening square, and Black will be forced to give up the Knight for theresulting Queen. Then, I would have a Bishop to help stop Black's passedpawns, and a pawn majority on the K-side. It probably, might, have beenenough to win. This way, it all goes awry. I later wondered how Black managedto get a draw, and the answer is probably here. } 40... Na6 { Now Black coversthe Queening square and there's not much I can do about it with those pawnsadvancing. } 41. Ke3 { My King can at least block them... } 41... d5 42. Kd4 Kd6 43. f4 { And I still have that pawn majority to play with. Hopefully I canlure the King away to the K-side, win the Black pawns and head to b7 withmy King. } 43... Nb8 44. g4 Nc6+ { Crafty; the Knight isn't confined to coveringthe Queening square. It can help drive my King back. } 45. Kc3 Kc5 { Onceagain, I have lost momentum and am being driven back. I wonder now if Blackhad a win here? The computer says not, but Black advances those pawns mostskilfully... } 46. g5 d4+ 47. Kd2 hxg5 48. fxg5 Kd5 { Then he gets worriedabout my pawn majority, instead of pushing me further back with 48...c3+ } 49. h4 Kd6 50. h5 Ke7 { Black reasons that since my King can't do anythingabout the pawns, he can get rid of that majority. } 51. h6 gxh6 52. gxh6 Kf6 53. h7 Kg7 54. Be6 c3+ 55. Kd3 Kxh7 { And he can! But I still get pawnstoo. } 56. Bf5+ Kg7 57. Be4 Nb8 58. Kxd4 Kf7 59. Kxc3 Ke7 { Still, his Kinghas enough time to scurry back to my remaining pawn, hovering on the brink. } 60. Kb4 Kd6 61. Kb5 Kc7 62. Bf3 Nd7 63. Ka6 { However much I shuffle pieces,unless Black drops a real clanger, it's drawn. } 63... Kb8 64. Kb5 Ne5 65. Bc6 { Hoping for 65...Nxc6?? 66.Kxc6 Ka7 67.Kc7 winning. } 65... Kc7 { Nope. } 66. Bd5 Kb8 67. Kb6 Nd3 68. Kb5 Nf4 69. Bc6 Ne6 { Here I ceased scurrying aboutand accepted the draw. } 1/2-1/2

[Event "(+) League division D1: Old Benoni"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "04-Apr-06"] [Round "-"] [White "mreckblad"] [Black "brulla"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1555"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1601"] 1. d4 { This is my first game annotated for the public. Please give me yourcomments for improvement! I chose this ame because I am a bit proud ofhe final combintion in Morphy-style, although my partner 'kindly' assisted.As English is not my native language, I ask for your kind understandingin case of mistakes. I do my very best! ;) } 1... c5 { As a player of he 'Vulture',I used to answer 1.d4 always with c5, which gives black in an unbalancedposition good chances for counterplay. } 2. Nf3 { In this variant, blackdevelops a strong center formation. The normal answer is 2.d5 with thepossible outcome 2...Nf6 3.c4 and then Black can play 3...Ne4 for the Vulture. } 2... cxd4 3. Nxd4 d5 4. Nc3 e5 5. Nb3 Bb4 { There it is, the black pawn center.The bishop pins the white knight and so indirectly supports the centerpawn on d5. } 6. Bd2 Nf6 7. e3 O-O { Black has his king's wing developed,white still trails behind. } 8. Be2 Bf5 9. f4 { ? 0-0 is to be preferred. } 9... exf4 { Opens up the diagonal g1-b6 which will eventually become important. } 10. exf4 Re8 { Attacking down the central line! } 11. O-O Nc6 12. Bb5 Qb6+ { Fritz suggests here 12...Bxc3 13.Bxc6 Bg4 14.Bxc3 Bxd1 15.Bxe8 Bxc2 withheavy black advantage. Here black catches a pawn. } 13. Kh1 Bxc3 14. Bxc6 Bxb2 15. Rb1 bxc6 16. Rxb2 { Black is a pawn ahead. } 16... Bg4 17. Qb1 Ne4 { Laysthe base for the combination to come. } 18. Ba5 { ?? If white had knownthe basic manoevre to come, he would have played 18.Be1. } 18... Nf2+ 19. Kg1 { ? Here the last chance was to give the rook for the knight. But, as mentionedbefore, he 'cooperates'. } 19... Nh3+ { ! Here we go! } 20. Kh1 Qg1+ 21. Rxg1 Nf2# { Mate. Mmh, is that nice? :) } 0-1

[Event "Let's play chess"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "30-Dec-08"] [Round "-"] [White "inhinyero"] [Black "rubacchus"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1553"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1612"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Bd2 { The text move breaks the pin, butis considered a less ambitious plan for white. It does offer the advantageof a better pawn structure. } 4... O-O { Nimzo-Indian, last book move. } 5. e3 { Another alternative is Nf3, but e3 appears okay, it safeguards d4, andprovides clearance for the f1 bishop, while protecting c4. } 5... b6 { The beginningof a interesting idea to put pressure on g2 by Bc8-b7, which aims to createan advantage based on the lack of development for white and with the ideathat white expects to castle short. However, white can play Bf1-e2, thenNg1-f3, where after ...Bxf3, then Bxf3 ...Nc6 to protect the rook - blocksin the c pawn which is usually pushed to c5. } 6. f4 { White loses the threadand forsakes development, but has little to gain from this move which createsa weakness at e4. } 6... c5 { Black continues with a correct move typical of thisopening. } 7. a3 { White over reacts to the bishop, better is to developin preparation for castling. } 7... Ba5 8. Bd3 Bb7 { Now a real threat appearsat g2, and next h1. } 9. Nf3 { Develops and controls e5 while protectingthe rook from attack. } 9... d5 { Black complicates the position some. } 10. Ne5 { White applies some Nimzowitsch blockading with the knight which reinforcesc4. } 10... dxc4 { Creating two attacks (d3, g2). } 11. Nxc4 { White threatens togain the bishop pair advantage after Nxa5, but overlooks the weakness atg2. } 11... cxd4 { Black creates another threat while opening up the center. Agood plan since the white king is still in the center. } 12. Nxa5 { The textmove is stronger than 12.exd4 because it threatens the unprotected bishopat b7 while capturing the a5 bishop. } 12... bxa5 { Maintaining the bishop at theexpense of the pawn structure - a necessary choice. } 13. exd4 Qxd4 { Thereare two threats (Qxd3 and Bxg2). } 14. Qe2 { White observes both threatsand provides a counter. } 14... Rd8 { Renewing the threat (Qxd3). } 15. Bxh7+ { Desperation- the piece could not be saved. } 15... Nxh7 16. O-O-O { A quick save of the bishop. } 16... Nc6 17. Rhf1 f5 { A questionable move which creates a weakness at e6. } 18. Qxe6+ { White takes immediate advantage of the weakness to gain two points. } 18... Kh8 19. Qxf5 Ne7 { Creates two attacks (f5, g2). } 20. Qh3 { Pins the h7 knight.Both players have a lack of coordination of pieces. Black has 2 hangingpieces. } 20... Bc8 { Disrupts the coordination of the rooks for a cheap shot atthe queen. } 21. f5 { The text move (?!) could lose R P to B N, with slightfavor to black. } 21... Qf6 { Threatens to take the pawn. } 22. Ne4 { Leaves an openline for black. } 22... Qc6+ 23. Bc3 { Blocks the check, but also targets g7. } 23... Bxf5 { --/ } 24. Rxd8+ Rxd8 25. Rxf5 { A questionable move. } 25... Qxe4 { The bestchoice. Not (25...Nxf5? 26.Qxf5) with 2 pieces for the rook. } 26. Rxa5 Rf8 27. g4 { Prevents (27...Rf1 ). } 27... Qh1+ { Maybe (27...Nc6) to bring anotherpiece into the attack would be better. } 28. Kc2 Rf2+ 29. Kb3 Qb7+ { Withthe idea of bringing the knight into the attack to take the bishop. } 30. Ka2 Nd5 31. g5 Nxc3+ 32. Qxc3 Qf7+ 33. Kb1 Qg6+ 34. Ka2 Nxg5 35. Qe3 Qe6+ { Black feels confident that a forced queen trade will provide a favorableendgame because of the extra piece. } 36. Qxe6 Nxe6 37. Rxa7 Rxh2 { Thereis some danger of a pawn promotion for white due to the connected passedpawns, but black has a chance to promote first. } 38. a4 g5 39. a5 Rh7 40. Ra6 { White can not lose the rook because the knight will stop the a pawn,and the rook is needed to block the g pawn. } 40... Re7 41. Rc6 g4 42. Rc3 Rg7 43. Rg3 Kh7 { The knight can not participate in attacking the rook becauseof the a pawn. } 44. b4 Nc7 45. Ka3 Kh6 { Black makes a bold decision tochase the rook by using the king. Nice. } 46. Ka4 Kh5 47. b5 Kh4 48. Rg1 g3 49. b6 Rg4+ 50. Kb3 Na6 { A nice blockading move. } 51. Kc3 Kh3 { The rookwill be forced out. } 52. Rh1+ Kg2 53. Rh8 Kf3 54. Rf8+ Rf4 { White forfeitson time, but the pawn promotion can not be stopped and black would geta queen and win. White does not have time to eliminate the knight and promotepawns. A nice game with interesting play. } 0-1

[Event "Mate in 8"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2011.06.15"] [Round "-"] [White "kingzach"] [Black "freitaspm"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "827"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1200"] 1. e3 { Van't Kruijs opening. } 1... d5 2. c4 { I decide to speed up a very slowopening. } 2... dxc4 3. Bxc4 { White is ahead in development, and space. } 3... e5 4. Qb3 Nh6 5. Nf3 { I put some more pressure on the center. } 5... Qd7 { (??) Blackignores the knight better would probably be Bd6, or e4. Now, I have anidea for a combo. Black lets me take a tempo, and a pawn. } 6. Nxe5 Qd8 { I decide to open a diagonal for my queen, and take a pawn. } 7. Bxf7+ Nxf7 { (??) Ke7 would have been the only response. } 8. Qxf7# { Checkmate. } 1-0

[Event "A Tactical Save"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2011.04.21"] [Round "-"] [White "tonyawesome"] [Black "browni3141"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1583"] [TimeControl "2 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1543"] 1. f4 { This is a strange opening. Perhaps white wants to move the pawnbefore he brings out his knight, but his king already feeling a breeze. } 1... d5 { A logical pawn thrust to gain central control. } 2. d4 { If white wanteda queen pawn opening, he surely should have done this on his first move. } 2... Bg4 { Pins the king pawn in an attempt to restrict developement. } 3. h3 { Now I must acknowledge that my last move was a mistake, because after3. ... Bh5 4. g4 Bg6 5. f5 ... my bishop is trapped. } 3... Bf5 { The only moveother than a full retreat or the quiet Bd7. } 4. e3 Nf6 { I see the holea e4, and get ready to occupy it if I wish. } 5. Bd3 Be4 6. Bxe4 Nxe4 { Ihave now occupied the outpost, but... } 7. Nd2 { white can easily challengemy knight. } 7... e6 8. Nxe4 dxe4 9. Ne2 Bb4+ { This move is too aggressive, andaccomplishes nothing. } 10. c3 Ba5 11. O-O { Now my bishop looks silly, withnothing to do. } 11... Qh4 { Hoping for a kingside attack. } 12. a4 { This doesn'tseem to do anything. } 12... Nd7 { A terrible blunder, which costs me a piece. } 13. b4 { Now I see the purpose of a4, white was hoping to trap my bishop,which I unfortunately overlooked. Now I just have to decide how to losethe piece. } 13... Bb6 14. a5 a6 15. axb6 Nxb6 { It seems like the best way tolet the bishop go. } 16. Qc2 { Attacks the pawn. } 16... f5 { Defending. } 17. Qb3 { Over the next few moves, white gains a dangerous attack. } 17... Kf7 18. Kh2 g5 { A very bad move, only helping white. I wanted to open lines for myown rook. } 19. fxg5 Qxg5 20. Ng3 Nd5 { Trying to block the queen. } 21. Nxf5 { Now taking back would be devastating, I feel my position falling apart. } 21... Nf6 { blocking all the discovered checks. } 22. Ng3 Rhg8 { One final effortto make something happen. } 23. Rxf6+ { If I take with the king, he has Ne4+ } 23... Qxf6 { So I must take with the queen. } 24. Nxe4 { A blunder, can you findthe winning combination? } 24... Rxg2+ { Suddenly I can turn the tables. } 25. Kxg2 Rg8+ 26. Ng3 Qg6 27. Kf1 Qxg3 28. Ke2 Qg2+ 29. Kd3 Qf1+ 30. Kc2 Rg2+ 31. Bd2 { White has played perfectly since his mistake, most or all other lineswould have ended with checkmate. For example, 31. Kb1 Qd3+ 32. Qc2 Qxc2# } 31... Qxa1 { I'm finally winning. } 32. Kd3 { White steps into force mate. He wouldhave had chances if not for this. } 32... Qf1+ 33. Ke4 { Kc2 would have held outlonger. But this move allows mate in one. } 33... Qf5# { Checkmate. I was ableto save a losing game with a great combination. } 0-1

[Event "Attack on the uncastled king"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2012.01.22"] [Round "-"] [White "l3issi"] [Black "cdeburca"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1615"] [TimeControl "2 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1356"] 1. e4 { This is a game I played shortly after starting to read through VladimirVukovic's 'The Art of the Attack in Chess'; specifically, the section onthe attack on the king stuck in the centre. The ideas in the book helpedme to a quick win in this game. } 1... e6 2. Nf3 { d4 is the most common here. I find 2. Nf3 usually indicates a weaker player unfamiliar with the French. It's also a sign that the French exchange is on the way. } 2... d5 3. exd5 { And as expected, the dreaded exchange variation. } 3... exd5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nc3 { I don't think this is the strongest; it blocks the c-pawn advance. Themain line is Bd3. } 5... Be7 6. Bf4 { Bg5 puts more pressure on black's position- trying to undermine the d-pawn and restrict black's pieces that littlebit more by virtue of the x-ray onto black's queen. } 6... O-O 7. Be2 { 7. Nb5is a threat easily dealt with - ... Bb4+ 8. c3 Ba5 and c7 is coveredwhile white falls behind in development; a subsequent a6 will kick theknight to an awkward square. If instead 8. Bd2 to block the check, alot of white's pressure is gone. } 7... Bf5 8. Bd3 { I think this is unnecessaryfor white; he may be better advised to castle now and challenge the bishopon his next move. This may be with the bias of hindsight though! } 8... Bxd3 9. Qxd3 c6 { If 9. ... Nd7, 10. Qb5 looks strong for white as the b andd pawns are hanging. Though black may be ok after 10. ... Nb6, in whichcase, this move may just be too slow. The d-pawn is stronger than usualbecause white isn't threatening to remove the knight at f6 (as he wouldhave been with the bishop on g5) } 10. Ne5 Nbd7 11. Qg3 { ? This is an errorfrom white, who won't get another chance at castling. My task now isto try take advantage of the uncastled king while I can. } 11... Nh5 12. Qe3 Nxf4 13. Qxf4 Nxe5 { Swapping off often doesn't favour the attacking player,but here, I need to clear lines to the king. } 14. Qxe5 { If instead 14.PxN, d4 followed by Bb4+ should cause white some problems. } 14... Bd6 15. Qf5 { The e-file has been successfully opened. } 15... Re8+ 16. Ne2 Qe7 { ?! Not theright plan, computer analysis reckons. Instead, Re4 means the rook headsthe battery, not the more valuable queen. A triple attack down the e-fileis also formed quicker - Qe7 and Re8 are following; in the game, my rookhad to go via d6 and e6, wasting an extra move. } 17. Qd3 Bf4 { PreventingKd2 while also freeing d6 for the a-rook to join the battle. } 18. g3 Bh6 19. f4 Rad8 20. Kd2 Rd6 21. Rhe1 { ? Qf3 was better here; if I can get Re3in, white's queen will be cut off from the defence of the knight. Thecomputer gives as the best line 21. Qf3 Re6 22. Rae1 Re3 23. Qf2 Qe4 24. Qf1 Kf8 25. h3 (don't really understand those last three moves)RxP! 26. NxR Qxd4+ 27. Kc1 BxP+ 28. Kb1 BxN, when black has threepawns for the exchange and a reasonably active position. } 21... Re6 22. a3 { ?? White needs to make room for his queen. Better would be 22. Kd1 when,after 22. ... Re3 23. Qd2 Qh3, black is going to start winning materialwhile white is still trying to extract his pieces. } 22... Re3 { White's queenmust leave the a6-c1 diagonal, and as a result, the knight at a minimumwill fall (computer analysis recommends 23. g4). White resigned here. A salutary lesson to take care of your king! } 0-1

[Event "Scand, 'my', good sacs"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "12-Jan-09"] [Round "-"] [White "mb1122"] [Black "damalfi"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1654"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1661"] 1. e4 { To attack can be very dangerous... for the one who attacks. In a'thematic' Scandinavian, Lasker variation. } 1... d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qe5+ 4. Be2 c6 5. d4 Qc7 { Here, the 'winning' move for white is d5. It putsme under a real pressure, since black cannot allow white to go to b5 withone of its minor pieces. The only time I faced an opponent who went forit, I was crushed in a dozen games. Black doesn't have to take fxe5, andif white takes dxc6, black has to play, very oddly, bxc6, otherwise Nb5,and related moves are overwhelming. Maybe this is not completely accurate,or oversimplified, I admit. } 6. Nf3 Bf5 { I always say that the best movehere for white is e5... but nobody makes it :-) } 7. O-O e6 { Saved fromthe e5 danger. } 8. Re1 Nd7 { I am aware of the danger represented by thehalf-open e file, and the possible sacs in d5 white has. } 9. Nh4 { The knightgoes for the bishop. Very well, I lose a good bishop for a poor knight.But I have counterplay for that, even if I have to lose a tempo for it. } 9... Bg6 10. Nxg6 hxg6 { Now white's pressure is balanced by my pressure againsth2, and even if it is easy for white to defend, he must start to figureout a plan, while I am ready to castle queenside. The attack coming froma4, b4, etc. is something my experience says that I can cope with. } 11. g3 { The other defence, h3, is definitely better. It is not clear if it'destroys' my setting, but it is better for sure. Because the three pawnscan be taken, even by pieces. A sacrifice is coming. } 11... O-O-O { This way,I risk. But in one move, I put my rook in front of his queen, that cannotget out easily. My knight is free to jump to e5 or c5. I know white willattack my queenside, but in the meanwhile, I will do the same on his kingside.With 11. h3, I better think in how to defend, and normally I can (I havea good knight jump due to the pin of the d4 pawn in front of the whitequeen. It always worries white...). } 12. Be3 { Building the attack. Betterseems Bf4, but I just had to choose between Bd6 or even e5 to defend. } 12... Ngf6 { Still developing. The black position seems to be very innocent, dueto underdevelopment. } 13. Qb1 { First 'strange' move. But it makes sense:releases the pin on the queen, and adds pressure to the a and b pawns,that soon will be launched against my king. } 13... Nh5 { Now, I am building upMY attack. And I am offering the knight for the white bishop, if he acceptsit, it will release some strenght to the white force over my king... whilemy rook still aims at h2, and soon it will be ready to be supported bythe other one. } 14. a4 { Here he goes. I have one or two moves before Ihave really to take care of the queenside. } 14... f5 { This is a very dangerousmove. I always try to avoid it on this scheme, because the weakness ofe6 is often mortal. But, in this case, all my attack can vanishes afterNe4, so I have to avoid that. Yes, I know, the e column is easy to openfor white. So will become the d column for me. } 15. Bg5 { It makes me losea tempo defending the rook while he is starting to open the e column...and leaving the d column to me. Moreover, it 'helps' me to get my pieceover the kingside. No matter the knight is pinned, as you will see. } 15... Ndf6 { Now, I could have been almost 'destroyed' by 16. Bc4, double-attackinge6. Anyway, there are some compensations here: I can take the d pawnwith my rook. After the check, I can simply retire my king to b8. It ISin danger, but my attack is going on. After the lsb moves, I can jumpwith my knight to g4, adding material to my attack. } 16. Rd1 { Releasesthe pressure on the e column, maybe realizing what I commented before.But my aim is not to take the d pawn... } 16... Bd6 { The gun is armed. } 17. b4 { Back to the original a-b plan... less dangerous, now, without the dsbaiming at a7 (I will question this move). Anyway, if Bc4, there is no problemfor me. Not anymore. } 17... Bxg3 { I could swear he didn't expect this one. } 18. fxg3 Nxg3 { And this. I am sacrificing TWO minor pieces, but this isonly apparent. After Qg3 I can take the bishop in g5, so... } 19. Bxf6 { Ok, but not enough. From now on, most variants go to mate, the betterfor white with a piece less and a very bad position. } 19... Nxe2+ 20. Nxe2 Qxh2+ 21. Kf1 Qh1+ 22. Kf2 Rh2+ 23. Ke3 Qe4+ 24. Kd2 gxf6 { I could well havetaken Rxe2, but I wanted to threaten Rxd4. } 25. Kc1 Qe3+ 26. Kb2 Rxe2 27. Ra3 Qf2 28. Rad3 Re4 29. Rf1 Qh2 30. Rh1 Qd6 31. c3 Re2+ 32. Ka1 e5 33. Rhd1 e4 34. R3d2 Rxd2 35. Rxd2 e3 36. Re2 Qg3 37. Qf1 Rh8 38. Qc1 f4 39. c4 Qf3 40. Re1 Rh2 41. Rf1 Qg2 42. Qb1 e2 43. Rg1 Qf2 44. d5 Qd4+ 0-1

[Event "Human V Computer Game 6"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "06/07/2014"] [Round "-"] [White "Excalibur(Level70)"] [Black "Honza88888"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1534"] [TimeControl "1hr15min+30sec/move"] [WhiteElo "???"] { Game 6 in this series. Enjoy the game! (Honza 4.5 - 0.5 Excalibur) } 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Bd3 { 4.e5... (Winawer variation) is the mostcommon line, as well as 4.Bd2... } 4... c5 5. Be3 Nc6 { The luring 6.dxc5?...is an error, and is met with 6...d4 -/+ } 6. a3 Ba5 { My bishop remains powerful,since 7.b4... brings material grief to White, and White will soon be closeddown. } 7. exd5 exd5 8. Bb5 c4 { Doubled pawns on the c-file aren't the worstthing that can happen. I can respond by capturing on c3. Also, the d3-squareis now secure. } 9. Bxc6+ bxc6 10. Ne2 Bf5 { Although White has superiordevelopment, his pieces are stifled in his own half, supressed by my long-range. } 11. O-O Nf6 { e4 is beginning to weaken. } 12. Ng3 { A complex array of variationshas occured. I can capture on the c-file... V1 - 12...Bxc3 13.Nxf5 Bxb214.Nxg7+...with an unbalanced and precocious position for Black in exchangefor queenside weakening. V2 - 12...Bxc3 13.bxc3... Unlikely, but possible,with even chances. } 12... Bg6 13. Re1 O-O { White's c3-knight is pinned again,but a dangerous rook on the e-file threatens me greatly. The key is todouble pawns on the c-file, then try to dominate the b-file with a rook. } 14. Bf4 { Now the question is whether to dominate the b-file or the e-file.For now, the e-file isn't necessary, so I'll attack from the flank. IfI exchange on the e-file, then the c3-knight regains usefulness. Also,the bishop on f4 is now attacking the b8-square. } 14... Bc7 { If White tries Nc3-Na4-Nc5,then Nd7! solves all. } 15. Bxc7 Qxc7 { White's most powerful piece is gone.Both sides are now firing from their bass line. } 16. a4 { My predictionwas of White to utilise the a4-square to manoeuvre his c3-knight to c5.Whilst the a4-pawn contests b5, it blocks access. } 16... Rfe8 { The position thathas arisen is roughly equal (since both the c6 + b2-pawns are backward). } 17. Re3 { If I exchange, a second pawn is lured into play. } 17... a6 { Althoughaway from the action, when I attempt to swap-off my doubled pawn on c5,I must cover the b5-square from becoming an outpost for the c3-knight. } 18. a5 c5 { White moves the outpost to b6, but I can cover with Nd7. } 19. Rxe8+ Rxe8 { The swap-off on e8 gives me unprecedented control over thee-file. I predict (20.dxc5 Qxc5 21.Ne4... and 22.Nb6...) } 20. Nge2 { Instead,White places for improved position. The recapture on d4 now benefits White,so it would be illogical. I need to counteract this. Also, 20...Nd7 leavesd5 undefended. } 20... Rb8 21. Qc1 { White now threatens on e3 and f4. } 21... cxd4 22. Nxd4 Qc5 23. Nce2 { The knight on d4 doesn't have much to aim at. Also,e4 is now undefended. } 23... Nd7 { I must now manoeuvre to c6 and create an exchange,or else lose material. } 24. h3 { (?!) } 24... Ne5 { White could have tried to reinforced4 with c3, even if it would gift me control of the b1-h7 diagonal. Thisseems a wasted opportunity. } 25. g3 { White now appears to close down theactivity of my minor pieces. An advance on the kingside might allow fora counterpunch. } 25... Nc6 26. Nxc6 Qxc6 { The position is roughly equal. Whitecan advance with 27.f4... closing down my bishop, but I can try and dominatethe centre. } 27. Nd4 Qc5 28. c3 { White anchors the knight, but he is pinnedshould the f-pawn move. } 28... Bd3 { 28...Be4 is better, but can be removed with29.f3... } 29. Ra2 { Preparing for 30.Qf4..., which threatens my back rank. } 29... Re8 30. b3 { White now attempts to reduce my centre. I won't exchange onb3 to keep my stance. } 30... h6 31. bxc4 dxc4 { The White knight is limited tof3. } 32. Ra1 { (?!) Little is achieved with White's drop-back. No crucialsquares are attacked. } 32... g5 33. f4 f6 { The queen is cut off from f4, andI can play my bishop to e4 if I want. } 34. fxg5 fxg5 35. Qb2 { White threatenswith 36.Qb6..., 36.Qb4..., and maybe 36.Qb7... } 35... Re7 36. Qb8+ Kf7 { My kingand rook have advanced, whilst White's queen will assault a6. } 37. Qb6 Qc7 { If 38.Qxa6... or 38.Qxh6... then 38...Qxg3 benefits Black. } 38. Kh2 { If White ventures his king to g2, my d3-bishop will cut him down. However,38.Kf2... would be more active. } 38... Qb7 { If 39.Qxh6... then 39...Qb2+ providesstrong winning chances for Black. } 39. Re1 { White wants to force an exchangewith passed pawns on the a+b files (one for each side). However, I canintercept his passed pawn - so I will play this variation. } 39... Qxb6 40. Rxe7+ Kxe7 41. axb6 Kd6 { My king is further developed. White's kingside accessis blocked, and the passed b-pawn is doomed, whereas my passed a-pawn hasprospects. } 42. h4 g4 43. Kg1 { White has too much to cover. } 43... Be4 44. h5 Kc5 45. b7 Bxb7 46. Nf5 a5 47. Kf2 a4 48. Ke3 a3 49. Nxh6 a2 50. Nxg4 a1=Q 51. Kf4 Qxc3 52. Ne5 Qd4+ 53. Kf5 Bc8+ { White is forced to pin his ownknight. } 54. Kf6 Kd5 55. h6 Qxe5+ 56. Kf7 Be6+ 57. Kg6 Qf5+ 58. Kg7 Qf7+ 59. Kh8 Qg8# { White played well tactically, and held strong central prowess.However, he miscalculated heavily with move 40.Re1..., leading to a wonendgame position for myself. This concludes the series. (Honza 5.5 - 0.5Excalibur) } 0-1

[Event "A very pleasing draw"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date ""] [Round "-"] [White "opponent"] [Black "thereaper1"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [BlackElo "1072"] [WhiteElo "1790"] { A game from the country victoria championships. It's a tournament heldfor people outside a 50km area of Melbourne Australia. This was a gameI played first round and was very happy with considering the rating difference.time controls were one hour each side with an extra 30 seconds per move. } 1. e4 c5 2. c3 g6 { I have become quite fond of the accelerated dragon sothis move suits me just fine. } 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. Bb5 { Normally I would haveplayed Bg7 before Nc6 so this move is interesting. } 4... Bg7 { but I figureif white wants to give up his bishop then thats fine with me, I'll justcontinue to develop normally. } 5. O-O a6 { I decided to put the questionto the bishop, is he willing to give it up and give me the bishop pair,the semi open b file and a nice centre? if not then this move still preparesthe queen side storm that I tend to play for with these set ups. and Iwould normally play this move anyway so the bishop to move is a bonus. } 6. Ba4 b5 { So a storm it is. } 7. Bc2 d6 8. h3 Nf6 { I had left this knightuntill now because I didn't want to block my DSB diagonal. However it needsto be developed and I didn't want to play e6 untill I was sure where myLSB belonged. } 9. Re1 O-O { So now I have basically completed my developmentand all thats left is to decide what my game plan should be. } 10. d3 Nd7 { I figured all my play was on the queen side so I should bring my piecesover there, but this move just looks wrong. Maybe Re8 was slightly moreaccurate. } 11. Nbd2 a5 { More pushing on the quuenside. Time on the clockwhite 45:00 black 55:00 } 12. Nf1 { redeploying the knight to some bettersquares. } 12... b4 { More pushing and threatens bxc } 13. Bd2 Qb6 { ?! The ideawas bring everything over to the queenside. In retrospect this was a ratherdubious move that accomplishes nothing. } 14. Ne3 { eyes the two nice squares.c4 and d5. } 14... e6 { covers d5 } 15. Nc4 Qc7 16. Bf4 { Placing the bishop on thesame diagonal as my queen and puts two attackers on d6. So maybe Qc7 wasalso a bad square for my queen. } 16... Nde5 { Being such a low rated and poorplayer does have some advantages. Namely the fact that against strongeropponents I can use a draw as a threat plus a draw becomes a good result.This move was designed to iniate mass trades and if I get doubled pawnson the e file I will play f5. } 17. Ncxe5 Nxe5 18. Nxe5 Bxe5 19. Bd2 { Itseems white wants to keep bishops on. } 19... Rb8 20. Bh6 Rd8 21. d4 { That d pawnthrust has been waiting for a while. now seems about the right time asit makes a nice thrust at the centre. Time on the clock white 31:00black 48:00 } 21... cxd4 { This was actually a miscalculation on my part. I thoughtI could win a pawn by taking d4 with my bishop but I overlooked the factthat after Qxd4 there would be a mate threat on g7. Still though I'm notcertain that this exchange is too bad, it does give white a good centrehowever I'm not sure what my other options would have been. Maybe Bg7. } 22. cxd4 Bg7 23. Bxg7 Kxg7 24. Bb3 Ba6 { It was a toss up between this squareand b7 I thought this diagonal was probably best. } 25. Rc1 Qb6 26. Qd2 Rbc8 { Contesting the open file. } 27. Rcd1 { It seems that white doesn'twant to trade. However it does mean that I get full control of the c file. } 27... Bc4 { looking for more trades. And if I get to take on b3 then white willhave double isolated b pawns. } 28. Ba4 { trying to bait me. Of course Bxa2??losses to b3. } 28... Bb5 29. Bb3 Bc4 { I would have been happy with a reppition. Time on the clock white 13:40 black 45:00 } 30. Re3 d5 { Well somebodyhad to advance a pawn sooner or later. This can also make whites d pawnweak. } 31. e5 Rc7 { The point is to double up on the c file. Probably Rd7was the correct rook move though. } 32. Rf3 { The point is to play Qf4 andstart attacking my king. } 32... Qb5 { threatens the fork at e2 I overlooked thefact however that Qf4 also threatens to win a rook with Qf6+ forking theking and unprotected d rook. } 33. Qf4 Rdc8 34. h4 { ! starting to attackmy king. I tired to workout if I had enough time to play Be2 however after...Be2 then white just plays Qf6+ Kg8 h5 threatning h6 and unstoppablemate. Maybe I could have tried ...Kf8 then however I wasn't up to testingit out. } 34... h5 35. Qf6+ Kh7 { Maybe g8 was a better square for the king. } 36. Rd2 { I'm not completly sure what this move was all about possibly itwas designed to prevent a rook trade if the Bishops were traded off allowingthe c file to be opened again. } 36... Bxb3 { ! I waited until now when I thinkit is most effective to trade off. White either has to take back with hisrook and spend time swinging it back to the kingside or else accept doubledpawns. } 37. axb3 { I couldn't say which recapture was best, on one handthis leaves white with weak pawns. However on the other hand the rook capturewould allow a few possiblities like ...Rc2 or maybe even ...a4. } 37... Rc1+ { ?!Probably a bad move. At the time I reasoned to myself that this would threaten...Qf1 which when I think about it isn't really a threat at all. Begginersees check begginer takes check I suppose. } 38. Kh2 Rf8 { ? Looses a pawnI just didn't realise at the time. } 39. Qe7 Qe8 { The best move, means myposition isn't too bad even though I will be a pawn down. Time on theclock white 10:12 black 36:00 } 40. Qxe8 Rxe8 41. Rxf7+ Kh6 42. Ra7 Ra1 43. Rc2 g5 { Necessary in prevent all sorts of trouble when White playsR2c7. } 44. hxg5+ { I might have played Kh3 instead if I was white. Timeon the clock white 6:30 black 35:00 } 44... Kxg5 45. Rf7 { keeping my king lockedin. R2c7 was also worth a look. } 45... Rd1 46. Rcc7 Rxd4 47. g3 { covering moresquares around my king. } 47... h4 { Probably not good. } 48. gxh4+ { I think Rg7+would have been better. This has the feel of letting me off the hook. } 48... Rxh4+ 49. Kg2 Rf4 { I spent quite a bit of time working out what would happenafter 50.Rg7+ I came to the conclusion that this was safe. time onthe clock: white 1:42 black 30:00 } 50. Rxf4 { Rg7+ was probably still bettereven Re7 was worth looking into. } 50... Kxf4 51. Ra7 Rg8+ { An inbetween movethat was probably just helping white bring his king to where he wantedit. } 52. Kf1 Kxe5 53. Rxa5 Kd4 { ? ...Rb8! held on to the pawn. I was actuallygoing to play that in the game but for some reason played this instead. } 54. Rb5 Kd3 55. Rxb4 Kc2 56. Rb6 { Time on the clock White 3:40 Black29:00 } 56... e5 57. Ke2 d4 58. Rd6 Kxb3 59. f4 { secures the draw I think. Time on the clock white 1:23 black 28:00 } 59... exf4 60. Rxd4 { I couldn't seeanyway to win so I offered a draw here. Overall I was very pleased withthis game. I didn't make any game losing blunders, possibly I might havemissed a win but then so did white. And I think I played well and probablya bit better then my rating would suggest so I was happy. } 1/2-1/2

[Event "NOCTURNE IN F MINOR OP55:1"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2022.01.15"] [Round "-"] [White "titusyemiosikoya"] [Black "dikbordak"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1475"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1852"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 { Queens Gambit is always a great opening for fastpaced games. } 3... e6 4. Nf3 b6 5. Bg5 Be7 6. Bf4 Nf6 7. Qa4 Bd7 8. e3 b5 9. cxb5 cxb5 10. Bxb5 Bxb5 11. Nxb5 O-O 12. Nc7 { The Analyse function of GKhelps players to pre-analyse the outcomes of each attack and plan routes.Few steps before this, I could easily analyse that a discovered check inmove 11 would lead to a gain of points when i exchange my knight for therook now. And this generally determined the direction of the game. } 12... Nbd7 13. Nxa8 Qxa8 14. g4 Nb6 15. Qd1 Ne4 16. a3 a5 { In preceding moves to move13, black became more despesrate and strong in resolve to balance the gamethrough an attack of strong knights. I knew I had to neutralize the knightssince I had advantage point-wise, so at this point, I had to set up thefoundation for my queen to sit on most important squares which you wouldsee few moves ahead. This would as expected prevent black from coming backinto the game after pursuing the plan of advancing his pawns after i exchangedthe knights in moves ahead. } 17. Rc1 a4 18. h3 Nc4 19. Qc2 Rb8 20. Bxb8 Qxb8 21. Qb1 h6 22. Rxc4 dxc4 23. Qxe4 Qxb2 24. O-O Qxa3 25. Rb1 g6 26. Qc6 c3 27. Ne1 Kf8 28. Qc8+ Kg7 { Here the only solution was to safe guardthe F8 square by keeping the queen on that flank. I needed to divert theattention of the queen from that square and that would give me a mate inthree to eight moves. } 29. Nc2 Qa2 { I hoped but did not expect the blackto make this move, but I was nonetheless happy the bait was accepted.With htis move, the death of the king was imminent in 3 moves. } 30. Rb8 g5 31. Qh8+ { ...there was no way out. } 31... Kg6 32. Rg8# 1-0

[Event "three main mistakes can lose a normal game"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009.06.23"] [Round "-"] [White "kamshaft"] [Black "sullix"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1057"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1222"] 1. Nf3 e5 { ? loses 1 pawn } 2. Nxe5 Qg5 3. Nf3 Qf6 4. Nc3 Bc5 { starts developing } 5. Nd5 Qd6 6. c4 Nf6 7. Nxf6+ gxf6 8. d3 Bb4+ 9. Bd2 f5 10. e4 fxe4 11. dxe4 Qc5 12. h4 h5 13. Ng5 f6 14. Nf3 Nc6 15. Qc2 Nd4 { ?? loses a minorpiece } 16. Nxd4 Bxd2+ 17. Qxd2 Rh7 18. O-O-O { doubling rook and queen } 18... d6 19. Nb3 Qb6 20. c5 { boxing the queen 3 } 20... Qc6 21. f3 { 2 } 21... Rd7 22. Qb4 { 1 } 22... Kd8 { ??? loses queen } 23. Bb5 { K.O. no queen ran out of time, but I thinkhe wanted to to resign only three main mistakes lost a normal game } 1-0

[Event "Challenge from Team Member"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2011.07.27"] [Round "-"] [White "gcah2006"] [Black "ricktaylor"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1402"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1673"] 1. e4 { This game is one I thought I played fairly well. It is good to haveluck on your side also. Kings Opening. I am especially weak playing asblack. Partially because the guy that got me into playing chess alwayslet me start the games as white. I played probably 300 games as white beforeI ever played a game as black. Feel free to comment or point out a moveI missed or even how lucky I was this game. } 1... e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 { Evans Gambit accepted. All move up to this point are text bookmoves. } 5. c3 Bc5 6. d4 exd4 7. O-O d6 8. cxd4 Bb6 9. d5 { Ulvestad variation.Still all fairly text book moves. But we are close to getting this gamerolling. } 9... Na5 10. Bb2 Ne7 { Paulsen variation. Now we roll right into thegame play. } 11. Bd3 Bg4 { I thought I would go ahead and come out of thegate a little aggresive. I knew I had to jump on gcah2006, to many timesallowing the better player to be aggresive I get into trouble fairly quickly. } 12. Nbd2 Qd7 { This move stops 13. h3. Which would be followed by blacks13. Bxh3, and opening up the h & g files for a direct attack on the King. } 13. Qc2 a6 14. Rac1 { White is stacking up on the c file which is startingto make me a little uncomfortable. } 14... Rc8 { This move was intended to protectc file and provoke 15. Bxg7 opening g file for an attack. } 15. Bxg7 { Itworked. I feel this move helped me gain a tempo (maybe not I'm faily newto this game). } 15... Rg8 { This is exactly what I wanted here. Whites majorpieces are stacked on the queen side and I now have a direct attack tothe king. } 16. Qb2 Bxf3 { An exchange I have to do to get my queen involvedin the attack. } 17. Nxf3 { This move is the one that sealed the deal. Ithink gxf3 would have been the better move. } 17... Qg4 18. g3 { h3 would havedefinitely been stronger here. Regardless White's bishop on g7 is as goodas gone. } 18... Rxg7 19. h3 { Now it's over. } 19... Qxg3+ { That's pretty much it.gcah2006 spanked me on our next game. It's crazy how just a couple of badmoves critically changes the game. Thank you Gavin for the game. } 0-1

[Event "How about a tiebraker?"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2013.08.28"] [Round "-"] [White "porcho"] [Black "stealth-invader"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [BlackElo "1352"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1224"] { This was the tiebreaker game I played against stealth-invader, and guesswhat? Draw! Anyway, this was a nice comeback on my part as I was far downand managed (Although helped along by my opponent) to regain some materialand gain the upper hand until he managed to get a draw. } 1. e4 e5 2. d4 { Playing for the Danish Gambit. } 2... c6 { Don't recognize this... Don't thinkit's common or good. } 3. dxe5 { It's a pawn. } 3... d6 4. exd6 Bxd6 { So now hemade this weird sacrifice and he got almost nothing for it. Not worth itif you ask me. } 5. Bc4 Qe7 { ?! I don't think this is great, I can defendand develop at the same time. } 6. Nc3 b5 7. Bb3 Nf6 8. Qd3 Ba6 { Threatensb4 } 9. Qe3 Bc5 { Chasing my queen. } 10. Qf3 O-O 11. Bg5 { Develops and pins. } 11... Nbd7 12. Bxf6 { ? Bad. } 12... Nxf6 13. Nge2 Bb4 14. O-O Bb7 { Lining up his bishopwith my queen. } 15. a3 Bd6 16. Rfe1 { Targeting his queen. } 16... Qe5 17. Ng3 { Black has better piece activity, but white has an extra pawn. Very closeto equal. } 17... b4 18. axb4 Bxb4 { Now my rook has a half open file, but he haspressure on my knight. } 19. Re3 Bc8 20. Nf5 { Nice spot for my knight. } 20... g6 { Not as bad as it looks ad I don't have a DSB anymore. } 21. Nh6+ Kg7 22. Qh3 { I still can't believe I did this, I just didn't notice his bishop. } 22... Bxh3 { I really thought about resigning, but I was glad I didn't. } 23. Rxh3 Bxc3 24. bxc3 { Taking with the rook would lose my knight. } 24... Nxe4 25. Ng4 Qc5 26. Re1 f5 27. Ne3 { At this point I am down by six, and it looks lostfor me. } 27... Qxc3 { Was this an oversight or was this purposely played to exchangeoff material even at the cost of his queen? } 28. Nxf5+ Rxf5 29. Rxc3 Nxc3 { Things still look bleak, down by a full rook there looks to be no hopefor me. } 30. Re7+ Kh6 31. g4 Rf4 { ! Wins a pawn. } 32. Re3 Nd1 { ! Securesthe pawn. } 33. Rh3+ Kg7 34. Rg3 { I decided it would be better to defendthis one. } 34... Rxf2 35. Rd3 Nb2 { ?? Gives the game back to me, perhaps he wascounting on Rd7+ Rf7 and he didn't notice the bishop. } 36. Rd7+ Kh6 37. Rc7 { ????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Somehow I didn'tnotice that the rook was available! } 37... Rf6 { WAAAAAAHHHH Now I was feelingREALLY demoralized and was inches from resignation. } 38. h4 { Threatensa fork. } 38... Rd6 39. g5+ { Played anyway. } 39... Kh5 40. Rxh7+ { One pawn. } 40... Kg4 41. Kg2 Rd2+ 42. Kf1 Re8 { His pieces swarm for a mating attack. } 43. Bf7 Ree2 44. Bxg6 { Another pawn and now my queen pawns look a little dangerous. } 44... Rf2+ 45. Ke1 Rfe2+ 46. Kf1 Kf3 { Threatens mate, but overlooks... } 47. Bh5+ { THIS! } 47... Ke3 48. Re7+ { !! Realizing I can win even more with this. } 48... Kf4 49. Rxe2 Nc4 50. Rxd2 Nxd2+ { Now it looks like the game might be in myreach. } 51. Ke2 Ne4 52. g6 { And I give it right back with this blunder. } 52... Ng3+ { *Groan* } 53. Kd3 Nxh5 54. Kd4 { Now I fight for a draw. } 54... a5 55. Kc5 Ke4 56. Kc4 { Taking his pawn would be suicide. } 56... Ng7 57. Kb3 Kd4 { I believethis position would be a draw. } 58. Ka4 Kc4 59. Kxa5 c5 60. Kb6 Kd4 61. c3+ { Wanting to exchange pawns. } 61... Kc4 62. Kc6 Kxc3 63. Kxc5 { Now black isfighting for a draw but there is no way for white to win that I can see. } 63... Kd3 64. Kd6 Ke4 65. Ke7 Kf5 66. Kf7 Nh5 67. g7 { And draw. I saw that hecould take my pawn with his knight and then take my other pawn with hisking after which it would be draw by insufficient material. Good game stealth! } 1/2-1/2

[Event "One Successful Mating Attack Part 2"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2013.05.03"] [Round "-"] [White "jstevens1"] [Black "jkarp"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1148"] [TimeControl "5d+5d<10d"] [WhiteElo "1915"] 1. e4 { Hi everyone! And now is the second of the two successful matingattacks. Funnily enough, Joe did not make any obvious errors in this gamesuch as leaving pieces en prise. He, did, however, leave himself on fora decisive bishop for pawn sac from Fou Lenoir which created a denouementand a denuding! This led to resignation on the grounds of unavoidablemate. So, how did this happen? Well, let's start with a Sicilian Naijdorf/ByrneAttack! } 1... c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 { 4. Nxd4 - all standard Sicilianmoves. } 4... Nf6 5. f3 Nc6 6. Nc3 a6 { 6. ..... a6 - this move characterisesthe Naijdorf. A credible alternative to this move is g6 which leads tothe Sicilian Dragon. However, I am quite OK with the Naijdorf and I choosethe db option which steers me into the Naijdorf/Byrne Attack. } 7. Be3 Bd7 8. g4 { 8. g4 - the first pawn push towards my kingside attack. Is Joegonna go kingside? We shall see. } 8... e5 9. Nb3 Be7 { 9. ..... Be7 - perfectlyplausible and natural developing moves. } 10. Qd2 O-O 11. h4 { 11. h4 - sohe does go kingside. Time for a Freddy style assault on his pos then! } 11... Qc7 12. h5 Kh8 13. g5 { 13. g5 - the pawn storm gathers pace and Joe's f6knight is en prise. I think Joe ought to have played b5 on the previousturn. However, I have not yet committed Henry to the queenside yet, soI thought it would be sensible to get my attack rolling first before Ido put Henry there so if Joe does start up something there I will now beahead of the game. } 13... Ne8 14. O-O-O f6 15. g6 h6 { 15. ..... h6 - Joe darenot play PxP due to PxP disc. ch. Joe defends by moving his h pawn upbut now I have a sacrifice planned which will lead to #3 if accepted. } 16. Bxh6 Kg8 { 16. ..... Kg8 - aha - so Joe sees the threatened mate! Welldone, Joe! Sadly for him, my attack is gonna be just that little bit toostrong. } 17. Bc4+ Kh8 18. Be3 { 18. Be3 - preparing h6. } 18... f5 19. h6 { 19.h6 - which I now play. } 19... gxh6 20. Bxh6 { 20. Bxh6. Here Joe resigns on thegrounds of Unavoidable Mate. A deadly discovered check, Bxf8+ is threatenednext move. Joe has no good answers to it and he acknowledged this factin his resignation note. I just hope I can post a few more mating attackson this board before my rating finally drops below 1900. Kind regards- Joanne } 1-0

[Event "Un(usual) dev. and defence"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2014.12.15"] [Round "-"] [White "damalfi"] [Black "player"] [Result "1-0"] [TimeControl "3/10"] { An interesting pin in the end of the midgame. } 1. d4 e6 2. Bf4 Nf6 3. Nf3 c5 4. e3 cxd4 { Unusual, but ok. } 5. exd4 { I here fear Qb6. } 5... b6 { Fortunately,my opponent goes for other plan, very difficult to handle. } 6. c3 { A weakmove, but I didn't like c4 because of Bb4+ and what follows. This way Ishould expect no surprises on the queenside. } 6... Bb7 7. Nbd2 { Just in caseBxN. } 7... h6 { Black is taking good chances of the no-committement in the center. } 8. h3 { h4 was another idea. } 8... g5 9. Bh2 { I feared g4, here, where itis dangerous to uncover the h column for him. } 9... Nc6 { Failing in pressureme a little more. } 10. g4 { Stopping g4. I am aware I am opening the diagonalfor his bishop. He can't take advantage of it right now: I can defend e5without this N (in case of black's e5). } 10... Na5 { Uncovering the B threat,but abandoning the center. He is controlling c4, but that's ok! } 11. Rg1 { Unraveling my pieces is the most important task. } 11... Ne4 { No panic. ThisN is doing nothing, here. } 12. Ne5 { Not Be5?, f6. } 12... d6 13. Nec4 { ThisN goes here, and now he is almost forced to exchange and free my pieces. } 13... Nxc4 14. Nxc4 { Note that the white diagonal is controlled by black, buthe is not able to materialize this in any way! This is a subtle form ofdefence that it is helpful, sometimes. I made this move to press on d6. } 14... Qf6 { A strong reply, that puts me in a little trouble. Let's see... } 15. Qe2 { Blinding my B and inviting him to a pin, but threatening his Nand at the same time defending f2. } 15... Ba6 { It seems a good idea, at first,but it loses a piece, since my N is defended by the 'inactive' Bf1. Nevertheless,he finds a nice fork if QxN, and thinks that it will work. } 16. Qxe4 d5 { The fork. Can you see white's only (and good) move? } 17. Qg2 { Yes. Ascramped as they seem, white pieces are active. Black has lost a piece andit's is not easy to see compensation. } 17... O-O-O { ? Another bad idea. I couldaccept the lsb's exchange, but this was nicer: } 18. Nd6+ Bxd6 19. Bxa6+ { The hunter became the victim. } 19... Kb8 20. Bxd6+ { Why not? A B pair againsta B... } 20... Rxd6 21. Qg3 { Pin returned! } 21... Rd8 22. O-O-O { It's a matter of time,now. How would you break into the position? } 22... Ka8 23. Kb1 { Just to avoida premature Q's exchange, just in case there is some combination beforeit. } 23... Qe7 24. Rge1 { Pinned d5. A pity it is not threatened. } 24... Qc7 25. Re3 { Looking to f3. } 25... Rb8 { Black is slowly manouvering to trap my B. } 26. Rf3 { I am manouvering too, and my plan is cruel. } 26... b5 { Here he goes. Twomoves from taking my B, but... } 27. Rxf7 { ... he didn't expect this. Itis not anything special. Just something you have to care about in suchpositions. } 27... Qxf7 28. Qxd6 { Black was not lost, but his cramped K decides.A possible try for black was the following: } 28... Rb6 29. Qd8+ Rb8 30. Qa5 Qd7 31. Re1 Rb6 32. Re3 Qc6 33. Rf3 Rxa6 34. Rf8+ Kb7 35. Rf7+ Kc8 36. Rc7+ Qxc7 37. Qxa6+ Kd8 38. Qxe6 { ...and the endgame is won for white.Very interesiting game, despite the mistakes. } 1-0

[Event "When a sacrifice is needed..."] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2014.02.22"] [Round "-"] [White "darknite13"] [Black "rollowa"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1539"] [TimeControl "5 days per move"] [WhiteElo "2081"] 1. e4 { While this is meant to be an instructive game, I have to say I madesome mistakes that a player around my rating would have capitalized on.I managed to clean it up in the end, and have to say my opponent gave avaliant effort. } 1... c5 2. Nc3 d6 3. Bb5+ { The closed Sicilian. Not all thatpopular, but I like using it from time to time. First used it by accidentin an over the board event. (Did Bb5 instead of Bc4). } 3... Nd7 { Alternative:Bd7. Either way is ok, but at least you don't trap the bishop in usingthat approach. } 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. O-O a6 6. Be2 { Alternative: Bxd7+ Qxd7 d4cxd4 Qxd4 e5. I didn't want to trade off my bishop just yet though. } 6... b5 { ? - e5 allows black to develop the bishop and castle. The longer thisis delayed, the harder it will be for black to develop. } 7. d4 cxd4 8. Nxd4 { I really should have taken with the queen here... } 8... Bb7 { Protectsthe rook and attacks e4! a 2 to 1 advantage will win the pawn unless... } 9. Bf3 { ...I respond and protect it. } 9... g6 10. a4 { ? - played without thinkingabout a b4! response } 10... e5 { Finally! Was looking for this move for awhile. } 11. Nb3 Bg7 { Alternative: 11. ...b4! 12. Na2 a5 13. c3 Nc5 14. cxb4 axb415. Nxb4 Nxa4 But black plans to castle. } 12. axb5 axb5 13. Rxa8 Qxa8 14. Nxb5 { Simplifying the position and winning a pawn. Got to ask who reallyis benefitting from these exchanges though. } 14... O-O { ! - A necessary move.Any other response loses the queen } 15. Nxd6 Rd8 { ? - Ba6 saves the bishopas I plan to trade off an get rid of the attacker. My knight has done itsjob well. } 16. Nxb7 Qxb7 17. Bg5 { Qd3 is also playable but with a simplifiedboard, I felt the need to apply pressure where I could. } 17... Qb6 18. Be3 { Iforgot why I played this move. Qd3 was considered here as well. } 18... Qc7 19. Qd2 Rc8 20. Rd1 Rd8 { ? - Allows for Qa5! making black think about tradingqueens. } 21. Nc5 { Instead I choose to attack the knight and try and pushfor an endgame. } 21... h6 22. b4 { Alternative: Qd6! putting pressure on a weakenedkingside due to so many key weapons being gone from the board } 22... Bf8 23. c3 { Qd3 serves well here as well. } 23... Be7 24. Nd3 g5 25. h3 Kg7 { ? - Wasn'tsure where black was going with the king, but I felt that I needed to getit back to the exposed queenside in order to pursue victory. } 26. Bxg5 { ?? - weakens my position quite a bit, but I do expose more of the kingside.But now I'd like to ask, how many of the higher rated players would makethis sacrifice? } 26... hxg5 27. Qxg5+ Kf8 28. Rc1 { Keep the queen there for nowand defend my weak pawns using my rook. } 28... Qd6 29. Qe3 { Be2 or Rd1 also protectthe knight. } 29... Nb6 { ? - This move gave me an idea on how to expose the king. } 30. Qh6+ Ke8 31. Qh8+ Kd7 32. Nc5+ { Keeping pressure on it. Trying notto let it sit and get comfortable. } 32... Kc6 { ? - Kc7! } 33. Qg7 Rf8 { Nfd7 would'vebeen a decent idea here. } 34. Rd1 Qc7 35. c4 Nxc4 { ?? - With this move,I can deliver the finishing blows to the exposed king and attack the queen,whose power has been greatly diminished in this game. } 36. Rc1 Kb5 37. Be2 Bxc5 { Collateral damage, but his job was finished and he did it well. } 38. Bxc4+ Kxb4 39. Qg3 { I gave up a lot to get the position I wanted. Nowan exposed king is closing in on a mating net. } 39... Ka5 40. Qb3 Bxf2+ { A lastgasp by black. Only delays the mate. } 41. Kh1 { No need to take. Why giveblack more time to attack when the game is over? } 41... Qc5 42. Ra1+ Qa3 43. Rxa3# { A great effort on black's part. Despite my mistakes, she hung inuntil the end and had some clever responses to some of my attacks. } 1-0

[Event "Berlin Defense v Roy Lopez-Consultation Game"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2020.07.26"] [Round "-"] [White "supersparksky"] [Black "brigadecommander"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [BlackElo "2465"] [TimeControl "5 days per move"] [WhiteElo "2427"] { Well, we finished a previous consultation game against Janet, which wewon. Believe it or not, this game started right after my comments on someone'sannotation, for one of the last times. Unlike before, the thread to thisgame was unsticky, for a while. But, it was that way because the gametook place in Chicoboy's Legacy Club. So many threads were at the topthat it was very hard to tell which one was which. So, Gerhard asked Ronto unsticky a lot of threads to avoid confusion, so there were only 2 sticky's. And, when we got further into the game, this became the only one thatwas the top. But, now that it's over, there are, currently, no more threadsthat stick to the top. } 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. dxe5 Nf5 { This is where we start. redfoxrising:Our turn move 8. Are we making a discussion thread or discussing in thisthread? 8. QxQ is my suggested vote as Black will take with King. thenfollow with development, This game moves us into a quick end game. 9. Nc3is the quickest way to develop. Black has both Bishops open to move, Blackhas King in middle of the board and is prevented from castling. supersparksky:Like the previous game we shall just use the one thread I agree 8.Qxd8is the way to go followed by 8....Kxd8 9.Nc3....... thewrongreason: Yes,I'll also vote for 8.Qxd8+ to take away Janet's right to castle. } 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 { thewrongreason: I'll probably vote for 9.Rd1+ here, but I don't ifit's the best. nambam: vote Rd1. npt happy without bishop pair in opengame redfoxrising: i'll support Rd1 but agree with nambam about the Bishoppair in our open game } 9. Rd1+ Ke8 { thewrongreason: To be honest, I haveno idea what to do here. My thinking would be to continue developing asI don't see a really bad move right now. And, with that, I'll vote for10.Nc3. nambam: i like c4,another pawn having a say in the centre thewrongreason:I learned something, Morgan. You said that c4 did something in the center.I thought that something like this only happened in QPO which is why yougenerally wouldn't play Nc3 or ...Nc6 before moving the c pawn. And, here,we started with the KPG. Now, I know that even in the KPO the c pawn is,sometimes, important for the same reason of center control. Well, in thatcase, especially seeing that ION hasn't commented yet, I'll change my voteto 10.c4 redfoxrising: I'll go with c4 as my suggested vote at this timeI like both of the moves suggested and also b3 to prep for finchetto ofthe long DSB diagonal. move order c4 after to play Nc3. This is more aplan than anything... I'll go with c4 as my suggested vote at this time followed by my plan above of development I see BC getting both of herB's on the e-file Be7 and Be6. I think our imbalance of her have the strongerB's will have to be fought off with our development of our lone B and theN to Nc3 then to Ne4 keeping our 2 N protecting each other... supersparsky:I feel we are grossly underdeveloped and should start off with 10.Nc3 redfoxrising: i agree lets play 10. Nc3 next thewrongreason: Then, I'mwith 10.Nc3 as well. } 10. Nc3 Be7 { thewrongreason: I'm at a loss here.I'd like to finish development. And, I would've voted for 11.Bf4 or 11.Bg5,but, for some reason, I don't feel comfortable with either candidate move.Therefore, I'll vote for 11.Re1 to centralize one of the R's. supersparksky:11.h3 is my favoured continuation. thewrongreason: I'll change my voteto 11.h3 then. redfoxrising: 11. h3 will be my vote } 11. h3 Nh4 { thewrongreason:I generally don't like exchanging, but I also how that a N can become dangerouswhen it gets too far down. And, I don't trust Janet's Nh4. As such, 12.Nxh4is my vote. nambam: I think we must play NxN,otherwise janet can disruptour kingside, then get our other nite over poste haste, as i foresee anasty attack via the h file } 12. Nxh4 Bxh4 { thewrongreason: Will log offright after this. I like 13.g3 but am worried that this might expose themonarch. So, I'll vote for 13.Bf4 where our development is complete. Myother reasoning is that should something happen with one Janet's c pawns,we'll be threatening what ION calls the masked battery on c7. supersparksky:Be3 I feel our DSB is better placed on e3, that is my suggestion. redfoxrising:I'll also vote for Be3. thewrongreason: I'm glad you said this Dave, asI was torn between that vote and what you're suggesting. So, besides myoriginal vote and what I considered, the only other candidate move thatI took into consideration was 13.Be3. So, I'll change my vote to that. nambam: yep! Be3 for me. get some artillery over to king side. } 13. Be3 Be7 { thewrongreason: I don't know what to do, but I'll vote for 14.Rd4as my goal is to double up on one file. redfoxrising: I'll vote for sameidea 14.Rd2 instead with idea of Rd1 to follow nambam: my vote is for14.Ne2 bolster up the king side. there are the horwitz bishops glaringdown at our king side pawns, which need a defending nite like a mad dogneeds shooting. I suspect janet may be toying with the idea of castlinglong and going for broke down the H file. supersparksky: Black has lostcastling rights as she has moved her King twice! I will go along with doublingrooks on the open D file and agree with redfox that Rd2 should be played } 14. Rd2 { nambam: i think we may regret not defending against the impendingattack. } 14... h5 { thewrongreason: This time, I'll vote for 15.Ne4 because ofwhat Morgan posted a move prior. supersparksky: 15. Rad1 or Ne2.... itdoesn't really matter which way round we play them. nambam: yes Rad1 orNe2,. i wouldn't play Ne4 Dave, as it too open to attack by Bishop. E2much safer. 15 Rad1 for me thewrongreason: So, I'll also vote for 15.Rad1.For me, it's about doubling up on one file. I think I'm just too much inthat habbit for the wrong reason as well with Jack. So, independent ofthat, we're centralizing the other R which is what I like about the wholething. As that now goes with elyhim told me, several years back in oneof his annotations. } 15. Rad1 Bf5 { nambam: I THINK WE should play 16. Ne2.I think we should fortify the king side,and try to shift the wsb afterplaying pf4. redfoxrising: Absolutely 16. Ne2 needs to be rerouted asN moved to another open square like Na4 is not as good because pb6 by Blackwould stop our N and we would lose tempo. } 16. Ne2 { Forgetting that wejust move and it's Janet move, I wrote: The only reason I question Morgan'sassessment is that I went with it on the previous move. But, Dave advisedagainst it. Having said that, I'll also vote for 16.Ne2, unless Dave thinksthat we should play somethingelse. } 16... Rd8 { thewrongreason: Unless someonethinks otherwise, I'll vote for 17.Bd4 so that we're not forced to exchange. redfoxrising: I say go ahead with 17.Rxd8 followed by... 18. exd8 18.c4 } 17. Rxd8+ Bxd8 { thewrongreason: I don't know if this works, but I'mthinking in terms of attacking with 18.Ng3 to get our N to a more activesquare. Then again, I don't know if that square is better since the wrongcoach told me that. So, if that doesn't work, I'd be thinking about 18.Bd4which threatens the masked battery on the g7 pawn. mo-one: 18. t4 If whiteis the wicked East, it appears to me that we have a pawn on e5 that hasclimbed the wall and is on the verge of escaping. How might we stop that?Might I suggest 18. f4 to threaten harm to that pawn? nambam: i thinkour king side i safe enough for now, and as our c pawn is under attack,i vote for 18, pc4. supersparksky: 18.Rd7 is my choice! Correction! sorryto confuse I meant to type 18.Rd2... Obviously Rd7 is suicide! } 18. Rd2 b6 { thewrongreason: I'm going to vote for 19.Nd4, as it forks her Bf5 andc6 pawn. Of course, Janet can get out of that, but I think there's is agood strategy once she plays something like 19...Be4 or 19...Bd7 supersparksky:19.f3 is my choice lets get something moving! thewrongreason: Let's gowith it Dave since I like the idea of mobility. And with it, I'll changemy vote to 19.f3 redfoxrising: 19. f3 is my vote } 19. f3 h4 { thewrongreason:Unless Dave thinks differently, I'm going to base this vote on what changedmy mind on the last move. So, I'm going with the mobility factor, and I'mthinking in terms of a solid pawn chain. Now, to say the very least withhow little I know, I don't if it'll work. But, assuming that this is goodfor white, I'll vote for 20.g4, as I'm also thinking about gain of tempo. redfoxrising: 20.g4 is my vote supersparksky: I don't like 20.g4. after20...hxg3 e.p. we are in all sorts of trouble! I feel 20.c4 is our bestmove. thewrongreason: I forgot that there was a pawn right next to it.And, with that, I also don't like the en-pessant capture that comes withit. As there was one time, where keeping in mind but hoping that Carl wouldmiss the opportunity to capture en-pessant, I made a move. Once he tooken-pessant, however, I was lost. And, with it, I'll change my vote to 20.c4 } 20. c4 c5 { thewrongreason: I'm thinking along the lines of 21.Nf4 sinceI don't like where our N is placed, at the moment. redfoxrising: I thinka simpler move should be 21.b3 Our e5 pawn is also hanging but not a threatyet. b3 will strengthen our pawn chain. thewrongreason: I missed the pawnchain which really is not go. Without going into details, I'm learningabout how little you have to miss for it to be problematic later on. Havingsaid that, I agree with your thinking Ron. Therefore, unless Dave thinkswe should do somethingelse, I'll change my vote to 21.b3. supersparksky:I feel we should play 21.Nc3 first. redfoxrising: lets play 21. Nc3 assuggested } 21. Nc3 Rh5 { thewrongreason: I'm thinking in terms of 22.Nd5here, as my idea would be trying to stop her R with 23.Nf4 supersparksky:I feel it is time for b3 22.b3 is my suggestion! thewrongreason: And,Ron mentioned this a move earlier for the pawn chain. With that, I'll changemy vote to 22.b3. redfoxrising: 22. b3 I was thinking of this move earlieras Joe said and now that we have played Nc3 first as Dave suggested. I'min favor of 22.b3 nambam: yes, b3. needs to be played,but i think pf4is more urgent. I do not like our position,our pawns are a mess,and wecan be attacked on either side. } 22. b3 c6 { thewrongreason: I have no idea.If it weren't for the en-pessant, I'd vote on 23.g4, as we'd have an effectivefork. Having said, while it's prone to change, I'll vote for 23.f4 sincethat would connect our e5 pawn, giving us a pawn chain. However, that'sjust a very small picture, and there might very well be something biggerthat I'm missing in all of this. redfoxrising: Move 23. Kf2 time to getour King in the game. Our e5 pawn will needs protection and Joe's suggestionof f4 was also considered. I'm good with both choices, but Kf2 is my favoredsuggested vote. } 23. Kf2 Bc7 { supersparksky: 24.f4 is the obvious movenow. thewrongreason: That'll be my vote then, 27.f4. redfoxrising: 24.yes f4 } 24. f4 Ke7 { thewrongreason: I think that this is a similar scenarioto what we had on our 23rd move. Having said that, I'll vote for 25.Kf3My idea behind this is to try to get our monarch into the action sincewe're nearing the endgame. redfoxrising: 25. Kf3 for reasons mentioned. } 25. Kf3 Rh6 { thewrongreason: I don't know what'll work now, by my choicefor a candidate move would be 26.Ne4 to limit the amount of squares, mobility,for Janet's Bf5. supersparksky: I suggest N advance to e4 26.Ne4... thewrongreason:Then, that's my official vote. 26.Ne4 redfoxrising: I will go with 26.Ne4 I had been looking at this and further moves, and I believe we willhave quite a bit of moves unless she exchanges her LSB then we are bothvery draw-ish. We will have to see what happens. } 26. Ne4 a5 { thewrongreason:I'm now thinking in terms of 27.g4 My thinking is that if Janet answerswith 27...hxg3 e.p., we can recapture with our monarch which is why I votedfor Kf3 a little earlier in the game. supersparksky: A waiting move nowI think 27.Re2. 27.g4 would be a blunder i.e. 27.g4..hxg3 e.p. if 28.Kxg3..Bxe4and we lose a Knight or 28.Nxg3.Rxh3. thewrongreason: 27.Re2 sounds greatto me, so I'll change my vote to that. redfoxrising: Re2 I made a postwhy and went into other moves I must not of posted it! nerveless 27. Re2my suggested vote too! } 27. Re2 Rh8 { thewrongreason: This position is evenmore complex then I could've imagined which is how things get in chess.With that, I'll vote for 28.a3 here. redfoxrising: 28. Bd2 complexityat it's best, the game of chess! This is a better diagonal for our loneB. She has both B's } 28. Bd2 Bg6 { supersparksky: we need to play29.Ke3in order to prevent the skewer on the H/D diagonal. redfoxrising: i agree29. Ke3 } 29. Ke3 Ke6 { supersparksky: 30.Ng5+ I think! thewrongreason:I agree, and 25.Ng5+ is my vote. redfoxrising: 30. Ng5+ expecting BC toplay Kf5 31.Nf3 I vote for both votes 30 and 31 } 30. Ng5+ Kf5 31. Nf3 Ke6 { redfoxrising: 32.Be1 gives us 2 pieces attacking h4 pawn thewrongreason:I see why, so 32.Be1 is also my vote, unless Dave thinks of something better. } 32. Be1 Bd8 { thewrongreason: Janet defended again, so my idea of a goodtime would be to put pressure on the same pawn. With that, I'll vote for33.g3, or 33.g4. My thinking is that whether she does a regular captureor takes en-pessant, I'd find 34.Bxg3 a good response. However, my voteis prone to change, of course. redfoxrising: 33. Rd2 looking to checkand start trading down. thewrongreason: I see what you're saying and likethat idea even better. So, then it's about if Dave likes the idea. But,unless he thinks otherwise, I'll change my vote to 33.Rd2. supersparksky:As I see it the safe way is Rd2 but I would like to try something different.i.e. 33.Ng5+ and see what she does! redfoxrising: lets go with 33.Ng5+ } 33. Ng5+ Bxg5 { thewrongreason: The only move that seems sensible is 34.fxg5.So, that is my vote. } 34. fxg5 Rd8 { supersparksky: Lets swap with 35.Rd2 redfoxrising: ok with Rd2 } 35. Rd2 Rxd2 { redfoxrising: 36. KxR 2 waysto take KxR or BxR She will be able to take our hanging e pawn I tend tolike KxR then Bxp is on same diagonal I'm thinking to ask for a draw afterthe 2 moves. I'm not sure who will win, If we are stronger, she will accepta draw. If declined it might be that she knows she is stronger. if sheasks us for the draw I would suggest accepting. Hopefully Joe could doan annotation. I'm willing to play on another 5 moves if necessary. Thereis a lesson to been learned prior to exchanging our N for her B. The Bishoppair is very strong once the Q's come off. Exchanging the R's. She hasa LSB vs our DSB I'm looking at our pawn chain on white and her dark squaredpawns. supersparksky: @ Red You are correct with 36.Kxd2 otherwise wecannot defend our Q/side against her lsb attack. The game has been verydrawish for a while now, that is why I tried to see how desperate she wasto keep the Bishop pair. I concur and will do as you suggest Ron. } 36. Kxd2 Kxe5 { brigadecommander: This is a 'Bishops of Opposite color ending.Unless i, or you guys, make mistakes,It is an easy draw for Black. Whichis why i chose this variation. As Black,against very strong oppositioni need a safe clear cut variation to secure a half point.The Top playersin the world use it for this very reason.They place there winning chanceswhen playing white. I would suggest adopting this opening when faced withpowerful players. Anyway i am willing to draw at this point. But by allmeans play on if you wish. It's a learning experience to be sure. thewrongreason:We could play on, but there was a different game that I studied in theNew York Post about Opposite Colored Bishops. And, that annotation wascopied and pasted, as there was a miscalculation that lost. But, I don'tthink there'll be any here. As such, I'll vote to offer a draw, but I'minterested in what Dave thinks. Sometimes, when I think it's drawn, it'snot. redfoxrising: I'm for drawing I'm for drawing and I will study thisgame. This has been an interesting game and I want to try this game inthe future as BC suggests. I do play 2200+ players and trying this willmake it a way to draw, and a draw is a win for me in my mind. } 37. Bxh4 { supersparksky: White plays 37.Bxh4 with draw offer. awaiting Blacks reply brigadecommander: OK a draw it is.... you guys played an excellent game.Don't feel bad that you did not win. I believe that all of you togetherplay stronger then i do. But that's why i played the Berlin. If playedcorrectly, It is virtually impervious to aggression. Well played guys. } 1/2-1/2

[Event "Royally Forked"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "05-Feb-09"] [Round "-"] [White "homyak"] [Black "blake84120"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1509"] [TimeControl "2 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1594"] 1. e4 c5 { 54th GK Tournament game, I choose the Sicilian. } 2. Bc4 e6 { ThePhilidor Variation, characterized by White's 2. Bc4. } 3. a3 Nc6 { I'm notsue what was gained by 3. a3, unless white was planning b4 (never played)or really early in anticipating that I might move a knight there. } 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 d5 { Seems like a good time to strike at the center. } 6. exd5 exd5 7. Ba2 Bd6 { Ready to castle. Black has a strong center and 3 piecesdeveloped to white's 1, and I'm not sure that a2 is an ideal place fora bishop. Maybe white will soon lament his loss of tempi and the fact thatso many of his pieces are still on their starting squares. } 8. Qf3 Qe7+ { White goes after a pawn, so I go after a king. } 9. Qe3 Ne5 { Not quiteready to exchange the royal ladies. I might yet find a use for her. } 10. Ne2 Nfg4 { Now, this looks promising. Careless play here by white couldcost him his queen, such as by 11. Qg3 Ng6 12. Qf3 Nh4 13. Qh3 Nxf2. } 11. Qd2 Bf5 { Adding pieces to the fray, threatening the pawn at d3. } 12. Bxd5 Nxd3+ { White pounced on the defenseless d5 pawn, but I'm not sure he hadmuch else. If 12. O-0 then Nf3 , 13. gxf3 Qh4 is fairly decisive, thoughwhite can sacrifice his queen on f4 to prevent immediate checkmate. } 13. Kf1 Ngxf2 { Now the white rook falls. 14. Rg1 is met by 14. ... Bxh2 } 14. Bc4 Nxh1 { I cannot seem to find a sure win in this position, but I canwin the exchange, liquidate a little, and clear away some kingside pawns,virtually ensuring an easy endgame. } 15. Bxd3 Bxd3 16. Qxd3 Qf6+ { Keepingup the pressure, and hunting those kingside pawns. } 17. Ke1 Qf2+ { Whitecould not have played 17. Kg1?? to hunt the trapped black knight, for 17.... Qf2 , 18. Kxh1 Qf1 , 19. Ng1 Qxd3 is decisive. } 18. Kd1 Qxg2 { Justmunching pawns, building the material and positional advantage. White cannottake the undefended bishop with 19. Qxd3 because 19. ... Rd1 wins the whitequeen (rook bishop for queen isn't much of a win, but it's sufficient toensure the bishop's safety). At this point, I really expected white toput me in check with 19. Qe3 to which I didn't have any clever replies- just consolidating my forces and eventually bringing my rooks to bearon the open center and exposed white king. } 19. Nd2 Nf2+ { 19. Nd2?? wasostensibly an attempt to bring some of the underdeveloped white piecesinto play, but after black's reply, white is royally forked and resignsimmediately. } 0-1

[Event "The distraction power of the passed pawn"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2013.09.24"] [Round "-"] [White "kneilca2"] [Black "jstevens1"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1815"] [TimeControl "5d+5d<10d"] [WhiteElo "1492"] 1. d4 { Hi again everyone! Kenneth from Casual Group N, challenged me inthe Walking the Walk and Learning to Run Welcome MT. Ken gave me the frightof my life in my game against him as white and in that one, Henry oweshis life to Ken moving the wrong rook. In this game, Henry wasn't in suchdire danger, but, despite being a pawn up, Ken made my life difficult byputting pressure on my f7 pawn with his heavy pieces and it wasn't untilhe lost a second pawn that I was able to start moving my queenside pawnsup the board and to distract Ken's heavy pieces from f7. In the end Iwas able to successfully promote a pawn and make a new queen. Ken resignedjust before Old Matey was about to descend on him. So, how did all thishappen? Well, read on ...... } 1... d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 c6 4. Bd3 Bg4 { 4. .....Bg4 - after a double queen pawn opening both sides get their pieces outquickly. } 5. O-O Nbd7 6. b3 e6 7. Nbd2 Bd6 8. Bb2 { 8. Bb2 - and out comethe dark square bishops. } 8... Qc7 9. c3 O-O { 9. ...... 0-0 and Henry tuckshimself away on the kingside. } 10. Qc2 { 10. Qc2 - both players are puttingpressure on the respective h pawns with the B & Q - and I don't mean aBritish hardware store! } 10... h6 11. h3 Bxf3 12. Nxf3 { 12. Nxf3 - after bothsides move their respective h pawns to the third rank, there is a B forN trade. } 12... e5 13. dxe5 Nxe5 14. Nxe5 Bxe5 { 14. ...... Bxe5 - at least myposition looks a little less cramped with that plethora of exchanges. } 15. f4 Bd6 16. c4 dxc4 17. Bxc4 { 17. Bxc4 - pawn trade. } 17... Nd7 18. e4 { 18.e4? - allows Bxf4 winning a pawn. } 18... Bxf4 19. Qf2 Bh2+ 20. Kh1 Ne5 { 20. .....Ne5 - here I am setting a trap. Now why is K x B a blunder here? An obbo.test here for the Inquest Jury. } 21. Be2 Ng6 22. Bg4 Be5 23. Bxe5 Qxe5 { 23. ...... Qxe5 - bishop trade. Glenda now threatens to hoover up anotherpawn. } 24. Bf5 Ne7 25. Rae1 b6 { 25. ...... b6 - I wanna free up my QR butI also wanna avoid the Wicked Witch of the West from turning my a7 pawninto dust, so my b pawn shuts off her glare. } 26. Qf3 Rad8 27. Qg4 Nxf5 28. Rxf5 { 28. Rxf5 - all the minor pieces have been traded off, now itis all the major pieces and Kenneth's are sooooo active. How on eartham I gonna win this from here? Well, patience and persistence are thebuzz words here. } 28... Qe6 29. Ref1 Qc8 30. Qf4 Qd7 { 30. ..... Qd7 - still Glendais living up to her nickname. } 31. Rf3 c5 { 31. ...... c5 - however, hereis a little hint of what is to come later. } 32. Rd5 Qb7 33. Rxd8 Rxd8 { 33..... Rxd8 - at least with being a pawn up, the more pieces traded off thebetter. At least it eases slightly the line up of white pieces on thatbally f column! } 34. e5 Qd5 { 34. ...... Qd5 - at least Glenda now takesup a more aggressive stance while still defending that f7 pawn. } 35. a3 Qe6 36. Rf1 { 36. Rf1? - Ken overlooks the fact that his b3 pawn is hanging. As Glenda is still controlling that vital f7 square from b3, she is ableto swipe it! Now my c pawn is a passer and will be used to decisive effect. } 36... Qxb3 37. Qf5 Qe6 38. Qh5 { 38. Qh5 - Ken elects to keep the queens on butnow comes the distraction motif. Next move, my passer is heading righttowards Glendadom. } 38... c4 39. a4 c3 { 39. ..... c3 - only two squares to go! } 40. Rc1 Qc4 41. Qf5 a6 { 41. ..... a6 - Ken has managed to blockade thec pawn but now I am preparing to bring up reinforcements by playing b5next move and if Ken trades off his a pawn then I will be able to backup my c pawn with another pawn! This really will make life a lot lessonerous for Glenda! } 42. Qf3 c2 43. Kh2 Qxa4 { 43. ..... Qxa4 - Glenda nowsnaps off the a pawn, now that only the Witch is attacking my f7 pawn. } 44. Qe2 { 44. Qe2?? - this blunder not only costs Ken his rook but alsoallows mate in a handful of moves. } 44... Qf4+ 45. g3 Qxc1 46. Qxa6 { 46. Qxa6- the Witch snaps off a free pawn but he is still a massive 7 materialpoints down. Now Glenda checks the WK to make room for my passer. } 46... Qd2+ 47. Kh1 c1=Q+ { 47. ..... c1/Q+ - My passer has made it to c1 and now Glenda2appears. White has only one legal move. Qf1. Ken does not want his queento be taken and so resigns on the grounds of Unavoidable Mate. A welcomewin for yours truly but a great effort from Ken! I will be back soon toreport on another player called Jellycake who has also given me a run formy money. Until then, watch this space. Kind regards - Joanne } 0-1

[Event "a game of tricks plots and mistakes"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009.07.15"] [Round "-"] [White "capruta"] [Black "kamshaft"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [BlackElo "1272"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1291"] { a game of tricks plots and mistakes } 1. e4 { kings pawn, i find this openingtoo common for my liking I believe that using this opening shows lack ofimagination to think of a different opening. } 1... Nf6 { my personal favourite } 2. e5 { my most hated response } 2... Nd5 3. c4 { chasing the knight } 3... Nf4 4. g3 Ng6 { back next to home } 5. f4 { a pawn chain except its on the wrong sidemy bishop can still escape but his is blocked off although my knight istrapped } 5... Nc6 6. Nc3 { developing } 6... d6 7. d4 { looks like a queen trade } 7... dxe5 8. dxe5 Qxd1+ 9. Nxd1 { to my advantage i have two developed pieces he hasnone } 9... Bg4 10. Ne3 { i hatch a plan } 10... Nd4 11. Nxg4 { bad move } 11... Nc2+ 12. Kd2 Nxa1 13. b3 { although my knight is trapped } 13... O-O-O+ 14. Kc3 Rd1 { hopingfor a bishop } 15. Ne2 { not going to get one } 15... f5 { hoping that he would chopoff his own pawn chain } 16. Ne3 Rd8 { retreat } 17. Bb2 Nxb3 18. Kxb3 { ? } 18... Rd3+ 19. Nc3 Rxe3 20. Bg2 e6 { horrible move rook soon to be trapped } 21. Rd1 Be7 { with plan for a rook exchange without losing a pawn } 22. Bc1 { therook is dead } 22... Rxc3+ { if he is going down he is taking the knight with you } 23. Kxc3 Rd8 24. Rxd8+ Bxd8 { the game was heading for a draw } 25. h4 b6 26. h5 Nf8 27. Ba3 c5 28. Bc1 g6 { at this point my opponents points roseabove mine and I realised I could not win as my knight was trapped so iwas happy to offer a draw } 1/2-1/2

[Event "Team match"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2010.08.04"] [Round "-"] [White "mushin"] [Black "ngb1066"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1596"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1516"] 1. d4 { Queen's pawn opening } 1... Nf6 { Queen's pawn game } 2. c4 g6 { Now King'sIndian defense. Rather than challenge W's control of the middle of theboard with 2. e6, B allows W control of the middle, for now. } 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 { W obliges } 4... d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 { Making a little room and tryingto deploy some pieces. } 6... c5 7. d5 { 7. dxc5 does nothing, but 7. d5 keepsW's pawn structure intact in the middle of the board, and provides a bitof a block for B's queen side knight and bishop. } 7... Na6 { Gameknot calls thisan inaccuracy and prefers 7. e6, but I don't really see why this is worseat this point. } 8. O-O Rb8 9. e5 { Putting pressure on B's knight and Iexpect dxe5. } 9... Nd7 { Instead B moves Nd7, which GK again calls an inaccuracy,preferring dxe5. Thie difference seems to be who ends up with controlof the middle after a long series of moves. } 10. Bg5 { GK calls this a mistake,preferring 10. exd6. This makes sense as W loses a pawn for no good reasonat e5. If W had moved 10. exd6 then B moves exd6 and W can move Nb5, threateningthe unprotected pawn at d6. } 10... Nxe5 11. Re1 Bg4 { Again, GK calls this a mistakebecause eventually, with the optimum series of moves for each player Wends up with an advantage pressuring the pawn at e7, which if B wants todefend then leaves the pawn at b7 vulnerable. } 12. Nxe5 Bxe2 13. Nxf7 { Thismove makes up for my lost pawn, I expect B to make the Queen trade. } 13... Rxf7 14. Qxe2 { Rxf7 slightly increases my score according the post-game analysisand Qxe2 slightly decreases it again - not sure why. } 14... Bd4 { GK isn't a hugefan of Bd4 either, but it does create a bit of an obstacle for W later. } 15. Bxe7 Qd7 16. Bh4 { W must retreat here with 16. Bh4 to cover f2, whichis suddenly becoming an important square. } 16... Rbf8 { B marshalling reinforcements,W is getting nervous about f2, but no need to panic yet. } 17. Ne4 { Ne4helps calm W } 17... Nc7 18. Red1 { GK doesn't like 18. Red1. This is becausethis could eventually leave the knight at e4 unprotected and break up W'sking's defenses. Post-game analysis prefers 18. Bg3, which threatens thepawn at d6 and keeps the initiative with W. } 18... Ne8 { GK calls this an inaccuracy,presumably because b5 would have begun to wreck W's control of the middleof the board and eventually threaten the knight at e4. } 19. Rab1 Ng7 20. b4 Nf5 21. Ng5 { Post-game analysis calls 21. Ng5 a mistake because it eventaullyleads to W's defenses being opened up whereas 21. Bg5 leads to B's king'spawns being extended and an advantage at b4, with the optimum turn of eventsper GK's post-game analysis } 21... Re7 { Re7 is a strong move for B. W has anunprotected bishop in danger and now must protect the queen. } 22. Ne6 { GKsays this is actually not a very good move. } 22... Nxh4 { W's bishop was alreadydead but now W poses a choice to B. Some pieces are going to fall, B decideswhich. } 23. Nxf8 Rxe2 { GK calls this a 'blunder'. It seems to me thatthe essence of B's mistake here is that B would have been better off keepingthe queen and continuing the attack, plus B goes down in material valueas well, whereas if B had taken the knight with the king it would havebeen even. After the queen trade, it seems like B can keep W on the ropes,but the attack actually falters quickly. } 24. Nxd7 Rxf2 { It seems B feltthat the lost points could be made up by breaking up W's defenses. } 25. bxc5 { W wants that bishop at d4, but B can keep the king dancing a littlewhile longer. } 25... Rxg2+ 26. Kh1 { Kf1 wouldn't have been as good, even thoughgenerally I am wary of putting the king in a corner. In this case Kh1avoids putting the W king at B's mercy and a potential eventual checkmateby the knight. } 26... dxc5 27. Rxb7 { Now W's attack is on, and it is a strongerattack than what B is able to muster at this point. } 27... Rxa2 { Rxa2 protectsa7 but W has options. } 28. Re1 { Threatening the back-row 'mate, eventually. } 28... Nf3 { Nf3 seals it. Threatening the rook at e1 doesn't accomplish much,even as an attempt to open up W's back row to attack the king... } 29. Nf6+ { ...because Nf6+ paves the way for 'mate. Either way B moves the kingRe8 finishes the game, same if B moves Bxf6. } 1-0

[Event "Challenge from wasspwot"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2010.01.26"] [Round "-"] [White "wasspwot"] [Black "roan99"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1232"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1691"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 { here, in the Gruenfeld, black begins to fightfor center control with plans to control d4 } 4. Nf3 c5 { deserves a doublequestion mark. clearly best is ...Bg7. } 5. dxc5 { white accepts the invitationand marches forward. the black pawn is now pinned, though normally whiteis not keen to give up the Q, even while preventing black from castling. } 5... Nc6 { trying to contain white and start pressure on d4, an attempt to staywith the spirit of the defense. } 6. e3 Bg7 7. Be2 Bf5 8. O-O O-O { blackhas to protect himself, though ...dxc4, ...d4, or ...e6 may have been better. } 9. cxd5 Nxd5 { while this opens up the diagonal for the Indian B, this losespoints for black. maybe ...Nb4 would have helped though the advancingpawns make white even more pleased } 10. Nxd5 Qd7 { an awful tactical blunder,especially when white entices the black B to leave the Q hanging, opento the fork } 11. e4 Bxe4 12. Nf6+ Bxf6 13. Qxd7 Rfd8 14. Qg4 { white doesn'twaste time taking the b7 pawn } 14... Bf5 15. Qc4 Rd7 { aiming to create a battery. a more forcing move e.g...Na5 might have helped. } 16. Rd1 Rad8 { whiteis happy to take the rook } 17. Rxd7 Rxd7 18. Ng5 { adding pressure to f7via mate threat } 18... Ne5 { the black pieces get tied up here. ...e6 may havebeen adequate } 19. Qb3 Kg7 20. f4 { the black N can't move with the threatso } 20... Bxg5 21. fxe5 { the B is hanging. ...Bh6 keeps a foothold. the blackrook needs to get into the game } 21... e6 22. Bxg5 { the black king is gettingboxed in } 22... h6 { this just encourages white } 23. Bf6+ Kh7 24. Rd1 { white developshis last piece } 24... Rc7 { this actually decreases the rook's effect on the game } 25. Rd8 { mate in one threat } 25... g5 { trying to create a flight square. } 26. Rh8+ Kg6 27. g4 { restricts the king even more while threatening the B. black is gasping } 27... Be4 28. Bf3 { no hope. ...Bxf3 would create a diversionbut also lose black's only active piece } 28... Bd5 29. Qd3+ Be4 30. Qxe4# { somuch for that. thanks to my gentleman opponent for being so helpful. we'll see what transpires next time } 1-0

[Event "Let's play chess"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2015.10.20"] [Round "-"] [White "spillaneca"] [Black "jazzbox61"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1508"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1598"] 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. Bd3 Bxd3 { 4...not so crazy about the trade...theCaro-K is kind of passive-y, but a little imbalance is to black's advantage. Retreating the bishop and allowing the trade on g6 is not bad...Fischeralways said the doubled pawn formation was almost impossible to attack...sometimesthe open h file comes in handy. 7...Why trade the good black-squared Bfor White's bad one?...also the trade hands W a tempo...how will blackever get counterplay...he is already behind in development and openingthe game will help W, not black. 8. I might have played N x d2...lookingat c5 which is where B's break and counterplay will come...clamping downon the Q-side will reduce B to a waiting game 11. W has space, and noweaknesses, and better development...this is already a struggle for B 12. the g4 push creates an ugly hole on f4 for W, if B could sink a knight in there, then he can stop W's K-side attacking possibilities. B willhave to be careful to guard the h file, maybe playing g5, K up, then bringingthe R and Q back to oppose W's buildup there. } 5. Qxd3 e6 6. Nf3 Bb4+ 7. Bd2 Bxd2+ 8. Qxd2 Ne7 9. Nc3 O-O 10. Qd3 h6 11. O-O-O Nd7 12. g4 Ng6 13. Qf1 c5 14. Rg1 cxd4 15. Rxd4 Ndxe5 { 15...B should now be winning...sometimeshaving a pawn advantage in one sector means using them, even in frontof the K...otherwise the pawn 'disadvantage' really means more open linesfor W who wants to attack here anyway...so B maybe should be trying tomake his pawn advantage felt in the center....paradoxical but passivitycan be fatal...fight for space } 16. Nxe5 Nxe5 17. f4 Nc6 18. Rd1 Rc8 19. Qf3 a6 20. g5 { 20. W's K side attack is more advanced than B's play onthe Q side...who will get there first? } 20... hxg5 21. fxg5 Ne5 22. Qh5 { 22.Now W threatens a rook lift to h3, in a move or two...how is B going tocounter this...not so easy to see how. B's pawn at e6 impedes his K-sidedefense, and W owns the g5...d8 small diagonal...so B's defensive optionsare meager } 22... Ng6 23. Rdf1 b5 { 23...too slow....need to weather the K-sideattack before thinking about counterplay } 24. Rg3 Qa5 25. Rh3 Rfe8 { 25...toolate...the pin, after the check on the h file is going to lose the gamefor B } 26. Qh7+ Kf8 27. Qxg6 1-0

[Event "38th GK tournament"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "22-Oct-07"] [Round "-"] [White "justinjkropf"] [Black "gcasanova"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1502"] [TimeControl "2 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1593"] 1. d4 { Having been thoroughly creamed as black against gcasanova in thistournament, I was hoping for a much better result as white. I've alwaysbeen more comfortable with a positional queen's pawn game. } 1... Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 O-O 5. Bg5 Nc6 6. e3 { Having developed the queen's bishop,I can play e3 without hindering one of my favorite pieces' scope. } 6... d5 7. Nf3 { I like this position a lot as white. No need to fear dxc4, as it onlycosts black tempo. } 7... a6 8. a3 h6 9. Bh4 g5 { Black's first real mistake inmy opinion. Here I actually considered Nxg5, but realized that while sortof sacrifice might work in blitz chess (and is very fun), it is not thewisest as the attack would probably not be strong enough... } 10. Bg3 { Black'spawn structure is still screwed up without needing to sacrifice anything.It's not just pawn structure, but which pawns. The king's perilous positionwill eventually be exposed. I was quite confident at this point. } 10... Bd6 11. c5 { Trying to lock up the queen's side so I could enjoy attacking the weakenedblack king...and also hoping for black's next move. Trading black bishopsreally helps because my white bishop has so much more power at the time,since my pawns are on black and his on white. } 11... Bxg3 12. hxg3 { Now my rookcan apply pressure without having to move. } 12... Kg7 { Shucks! Well, defended,of course. } 13. Be2 { I was beginning to wonder whether I would be ableto force issues enough on the king's side. It was taking me a few moremoves than expected. A pawn storm was the plan. } 13... g4 { He beat me to it!This was becoming very inconvenient! } 14. Nd2 e5 15. dxe5 Nxe5 { Black hasruined many plans by contesting the center and breaking the lock. } 16. f3 { Time to just consolidate and slowly build... } 16... gxf3 17. gxf3 { Good.Pawn structure normalized. King has a hole at f2. Can eventually doublerooks on h-file. I'm liking this more again. Just wish I hadn't had tomove the Nf3 away. Plus, his knights have all the important light squarescovered. Maybe this isn't so good after all. } 17... Ned7 { Really not sure whatwas best for black here, but I don't think this was it. Blocking the bishopin leads to problems. Perhaps Qe7 or Re8 would have been better. } 18. b4 { The only good way to protect the pawn. Using the knight is awkward andthe queen is going to have more important things to do. Most of these movesare not complex, nor do they have many tactical surprises (well, not yetanyway). They are simply sound, positional moves that keep building a strongerposition. When you have a good positional stand, tactics somehow seem topop up. } 18... a5 { hmm... this I was not expecting and got me thinking a while.Thankfully, I had a couple days. } 19. Kf2 { 19. bxa5? 20. Rxa5 would probablybe winning for black. Don't let those rooks out for him. Make him workfor it! } 19... Qe7 { Sound, recentralizing the queen. But now the tactics beginto kick in... } 20. Nb5 { I wasn't sure about this when I played it. I simplycouldn't think of anything better. After I played it, I realized it waspretty good and there wasn't a lot black could do. I was expecting c6 withthe reply of Nd6, making use of an excellent outpost from whence the Knightcould wreak havoc. Once again, I missed black's reply. He was making whatI thought was a winning position into a real battle. } 20... axb4 21. Nxc7 { 21.axb4 Rxa1 22. Rxa1 is not really what I wanted. I still wanted to attackthat black king on the h-file. Plus the afore mentioned move could leadto nasty tactics involving black queen and knights. Those pieces work verywell together. } 21... Rxa3 { Again, I somehow overlooked this and was really beginningto sweat. How was I letting this game get away? A passed pawn 2 squaresfrom promotion? Well, better than any alternative I guess... } 22. Rxa3 bxa3 { Would love to find a way to gobble up the black pawn, but realizethe importance of my own c-pawn. Thus, the only good way to protect it.I could use the rook, but 1) I like it on the h-file (still want to attackthat king) and 2) it probably will have to go to the a file anyway to blockthe pawn and eventually help capture it. So... } 23. Nb3 b6 { As frustratedas I was getting with black thwarting my plans and turning this into aqueen-side game rather than allowing me to use my advantage on the king-side,I now realize he was pretty frustrated too in that he didn't have manyproductive things to do. Such is life when something like a bishop is pinnedin and a rook is inactive. It limits the effectiveness of all other pieces. } 24. cxb6 { Now I was beginning to see some daylight and good tactical chances.Still, I didn't like the realization that the black queen was now connectedto his advanced passed pawn and the knights were not too far away. I wouldhave to be careful... } 24... Nxb6 25. Qc6 { It took me a while to find this move,but once I did, I was pretty sure I was going to win. I expected ...Qb4as a response, which looks very good and had me worried. But in response,I had found a winner, which made this game seem really cool to me - a rooksacrifice. It somehow seems so much cooler to sacrifice a rook than justa pawn or minor piece. Anyway, here's the line I saw: 25. ... Qb4 26. Rxh6!Kxh6 27. Qxf6 ... and black has his choice of where he wants to be mated.A combination of white pawns and the white bishop leads to a quick matein either case, unless black decides to sacrifice his queen for a pawn.So I was pretty confident here, but still wondering whether I had overlookedsomething. } 25... Nc4 { Hmm... could be trouble. I thought about Bxc4 dxc4 Qxc4,with a better position and pawn structure, but thought there must be somethingbetter. Of course...! } 26. Nxd5 { Now black is in trouble and about to losehis knight at the least. Finally, my Rook on h1 that I never wanted tomove pays off. He finally is decisive... } 26... Nxd5 { The final losing move...atleast he went down swinging. } 27. Qxh6+ { Kg8 Qh8# A very different sortof game, but thoroughly enjoyable. This game was all the more important,because a win meant 3 of us were going to the next round. A loss or drawmeant only gcasanova was. Didn't spend a lot of time in post-analysis onthis and I'm sure I missed a lot. My goal is not to give a detailed rightmove, wrong move, but rather just to give my thoughts on a complex situation.Overall, I think 9...g5 was the big mistake of the game. It was just toodangerous in that situation to expose the king like that. Of course, itvery well could have worked, who knows? I'm sure someone will play thesame move against me someday and thoroughly whoop me. Any comments on thegame, I would love to hear from you. Thanks for reading, Justin } 1-0

[Event "Challenge from zoeaner"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2010.05.24"] [Round "-"] [White "zoeaner"] [Black "ragozin"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1570"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1413"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 { Entering the Petrov Defence. } 3. Bc4 { Now I shouldprobably have taken the e4 pawn, but I've never been in this situationbefore and I only thought about White's attack on the f7 pawn. That's whyI played the safe Nc6 } 3... Nc6 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 b5 { Ulvestadt Variation. I'vealways preferred this move over Na5. } 6. Bxb5 { I believe Bf1 is best here.It defends the g2 pawn, keeping Black's counterattack at bay. The B5 pawncan then be grabbed later. } 6... Qxd5 7. Bxc6+ Qxc6 8. O-O { This allows a dangerousattack at the White King. } 8... Bb7 9. Nf3 g5 { Don't know if this theoreticallythe best move, but it sure looks dangerous for White! } 10. h3 h5 { The lasttwo moves allow the opening of the h-file. I have hopes of exploiting that. } 11. d4 { Attacks the g5 pawn. Losing it stops my attack, so I figured Ihad to continue with the attack. } 11... g4 12. dxe5 { I had thought long aboutmy next move. Capturing his knight with 12. ... gxf3 looks better for Whiteon account of 13. exf6 gxf2 14. Te1+ and I have to give up my dark-squared-bishopto avoid mate. Then my king is in greater danger while my attack is bluntedby my own pawn! I had to find a way to keep the e-file closed while alsobeing able to remove my king from danger which is impossible at the momentbecause White's Queen guards the d-file. That's why I played the next move. } 12... Nd7 13. hxg4 hxg4 { Opening the h-file! } 14. Ne1 { Forced. Other moves losethe knight or the king. } 14... g3 { Trying to open the g1-a7 diagonal for my dark-squaredbishop. White probably should have played something like Qf3 instead ofthe next move. } 15. fxg3 Bc5+ 16. Rf2 { Forced. } 16... Rh1+ { This sacrifice (well,not really a sacrifice) keeps the king confined to the h-file, somethingthat can be of use for my other rook. } 17. Kxh1 Bxf2 18. Nf3 { Threateningmate on g2 due to the knight being attacked. The poor horse has to returnto f3. } 18... O-O-O { Threatening a devastating check on h8, as well as beingable to move my inactive knight with tempo. } 19. Nh4 { Guarding againstthe check on h8? } 19... Bxg3 { Threatening mate on g2 yet again. } 20. Nf3 { Theknight has to return. } 20... Nxe5 { Attacking both the knight and the queen. Funnyto see how White's queenside is still undeveloped. } 21. Qe2 Nxf3 22. Qxf3 Rd1+ { A rook sacrifice! White's has to take rook because to avoid mate,,but then gets mated anyway on the good old g2-square. Thanks for watching!Hope you enjoyed it! } 0-1

[Event "'Rubinstein's Immortal'"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "1907"] [Round "-"] [White "George Rotlewi"] [Black "Akiba Rubinstein"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "?"] [TimeControl "Lodz"] [WhiteElo "?"] { Rubinstein was no doubt a great artist of the endgame, however this gameshows his talent in another field of chess brilliancy. In this game heunleashes an attack with a the fire and elegance of my fave player Morphy,and unfolds wonderful combos and brilliant sac's that would do honour toTal, Alekhine maybe even Morphy!( And believe me I worship Morphy and whenI compare something to him then its a bloody big complement!) 'Rubinstein'sImmortal' undoubetedly ranks with the most famous games of all time. Thereis nothing like seeing this game for the first or the second or even thetenth time. It is amazing. Its almost as good as Bobby Fischers 'Game ofthe Century'. } 1. d4 { Rotlewi used this opening move 21 out of 25 timesas white. He obviously felt most comfortable with 1.d4 so decided to playit against Rubinstein. Bear in mind the stats I point out are mostly fromchessgames.com. } 1... d5 { This was Rubinteins fave way of combating 1.d4. Hehad an impressive record of 125 games win-draw-loss 35.2%-39.2%-25.6% } 2. Nf3 { A standard developing move. } 2... e6 3. e3 c5 4. c4 { This position hasmorphed into a kind of Tarrasch. } 4... Nc6 5. Nc3 Nf6 { The position is completelysymetrical and both sides has two pieces developed. } 6. dxc5 Bxc5 7. a3 { This move prepares b4 attacking the c5 bishop.Notice that at this juncture,white has captured the c-pawn before black moved his bishop even once.If black can get white to play Be2 or Bd3 before he plays dxc4, he willhave gained a tempo. } 7... a6 { Black makes this move because he soon willmake the move dxc4 followed Bxc4 and then he will play b5 at some pointto to attack the bishop. It has the same intention as whites previous move. } 8. b4 Bd6 9. Bb2 { Whites heeds Aron Nimzovitch's injunction, ' Never playto win a pawn while you development is yet unfinished' and avoids 9. cxd5exd5 10. Nxd5 when the punishment would be 10...NxN 11.QxN Bxb4 check and off comes his queen. } 9... O-O 10. Qd2 Qe7 { ! } 11. Bd3 { Here the captureis still too risky . } 11... dxc4 { Rotlewi and Rubinstein, as you can see haveadopted very similiar setups. The setups have to subtle but vital differences,however, both of which are in blacks favour. The first is that black waitedto play 11. dxc4 until after white's king bishop moved, and this strategicdelay gained a tempo for black.The second difference is that the blackqueen is better placed on e7 than whites queen on d2. Black's queen issafe, while the white queen is exposed on the open-d file. Are these smalladvantages enough to win. Maybe- maybe only if your name is Rubinstein! } 12. Bxc4 b5 13. Bd3 Rd8 14. Qe2 { The queen steps aside feeling uncomfortabeon the same file as the rook. This loses white another tempo. } 14... Bb7 { Asyou can see the positions are almost mirror images of each other. The differenceis that Rubinstein has already castledand played his rook to d8. Clearlyblack has gotten an advantage out of development in the opening. } 15. O-O Ne5 { !withvarious dangers,the major one being 16. NxB and if 17. QxNBxh2 and off comes the queen. } 16. Nxe5 { Practically forced, but whiteparts with his king's knight the best protector of his castled position. } 16... Bxe5 { Now black threatens to win a pawn by 17.Bxh2 18. KxB Qd6 19...QxB } 17. f4 Bc7 { Is Rotlewi gaining an edge in the centre, or is Rubinsteinmprovoking weaknesses in the white king's position? I think the latter.Look at balcks bishop pair glaring menacingly over at the black king fromthe long diagonals. } 18. e4 { Rotlewi still thinks he needs to gain spacein the centre. } 18... Rac8 { Rubinstein brings up the reserves. This sort of movealways reminds me of what Blackburne once said 'Never commence your finalattack until the Queen's rook is in play' } 19. e5 { This move cuts downthe bishops mobilitya little bit but does not affect its attacking prowessas you will soon see. } 19... Bb6+ { The bishop merely sidesteps the tackle andon to another long diagonal giving check to the king- the first move ina magnificent combo. } 20. Kh1 { forced } 20... Ng4 { The safety of whites kingisclearly the most criticlal element at the moment. 21. Qxg4 Rxd3 is clearlybetter for black. } 21. Be4 { Rotlevi tries to exchange his bishop, therebyremoving one of a terryfing pair of angry wolves. This is a good idea,however... Rubinstein has other ideas. :) } 21... Qh4 { Rubinsteins begins thedisplay of fireworks. } 22. g3 Rxc3 { !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!This is a remarkable sacrifice of a queen that white can't refuse. If 23.Bxc3 Bxe4 24 Qxe4 Qxh2 checkmate. } 23. gxh4 Rd2 { !Sacrificing a queenwasn't enough for Rubinstein. He now throws another rook into the the mixture. } 24. Qxd2 Bxe4+ 25. Qg2 Rh3 { !And checkmate by ...Rxh2 is unavoidable.Notice that the white queen on on g2 is pinnedby the black bishop on b6.Rubinstein. What a game! I hope you liked this game. I'm happy for positiveand negative feedback aslong as its constructive criticism! and feel freeeto leave comments. Thanks Tom } 0-1

[Event "Winning exchanges"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2011.12.12"] [Round "-"] [White "evilgm"] [Black "shamusb"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1416"] [TimeControl "3d+1d<3d"] [WhiteElo "1582"] 1. e4 { I annotated this game for some of my teammates, as I thought thatthere were a few notes worth pointing out. Welcome any comments. } 1... e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Nc3 Be6 { This move is an inaccuracy that allows me to make anearly push for the center. } 4. d4 c6 { A mistake. Now I can take the epawn, force a queen trade, and take away his castle. The big lesson tolearn here is that you and your opponent can both screw up early in thegame. Don't make automatic moves in the first few turns. Really study whatyour opponent is doing and see if you can take advantage. If you can (andit doesn't really cost you development), go on the offensive early. } 5. dxe5 dxe5 6. Qxd8+ Kxd8 7. Nxe5 Nh6 { I believe that Nf6 was the bettermove, but perhaps he didn't want the knight pin? Normally I would preferto keep my bishops in a game like this one, with an open, exposed king,but the chance to double up his pawns on the kingside is too tempting topass up. } 8. Bxh6 gxh6 9. Bc4 { I made this move to allow a graceful exitfor my knight, threatening Nxf7 to fork his king and rook, thus invitinghim to exchange bishops. However, he decided not to play the game my way,and I respect that. } 9... Rg8 { This move has some merit and was a decent response,but it still allows me to exchange bishops. } 10. Bxe6 fxe6 { After thismove I had a few options, but felt that the best bet was to castle kingsideand see if he would go for the doubled e pawns. A queenside caste hassome interesting implications, but I think that a kingside castle, dueto his doubled pawns makes more sense long term. } 11. O-O Bg7 12. Rad1+ { Getting this rook posted on an open file was a no brainer. I was hopingthat he would go to c7 and he did. } 12... Kc7 13. f4 { To protect the knight andand hopefully open up the f file as well. } 13... Bxe5 { Rf8 would have made thingsa lot more interesting. As it is, he manages to double up my e pawns,but opens his king up to check allowing me to eat his two h pawns, settingthe stage for a crushing connected, passed-pawn advantage. } 14. fxe5 Nd7 { Not a mistake per se, as he really needed to get his knight in the game,but it does allow the pin and eating of his h pawns. } 15. Rf7 Rad8 16. Rxh7 Kc8 17. Rxh6 Nc5 18. Rxd8+ Rxd8 19. g4 { Now is the time to start marchingdown this passed pawns. He could bring his rook down to eat my c and bpawns, but doing so will allow me to promote without true resistance. If you have connected, passed pawns, march them down the field and makeyour opponent sweat. } 19... b5 { here he makes a play for the e pawn by tryingto force out my knight. I need to respond to this threat before continuingmy march. } 20. a3 Rg8 21. h3 a5 22. b4 axb4 23. axb4 Na6 24. Na2 Rd8 { protectingmy queenside is all done, but now he threatens some interesting thingswith his rook. I have a decision to make, between advancing my g pawnand taking the e pawn. } 25. Rxe6 { This move is a mistake, as I should havecontinued the march of my g pawn. Even with this mistake I would stillbe able to promote my g pawn, I would just have less total pieces leftas a result. The best series of continuation is as follows: 25.g5Nc7 26.Rf6Ne8 27.Rf8Rd1+ 28.Kg2Kd8 29.Rf2Ng7 30.h4Ke7 31.Rf1Rxf1 32.Kxf1Nh5 33.Nc3 } 25... Nc7 { A blunder, allowing me to take c6 andpin his knight. } 26. Rxc6 Rd4 { A better play is to put me in check withRd1+, as it allows me the chance to make more errors in my play, givingshamusb a chance to get back closer to even. However, Rd4 is a mistakeas it will allow me to force a rook exchange, which shamusb can ill afford. However, my response also has a hidden threat. } 27. Nc3 { This move isgood, as it protects my e pawn, but also threatens to get his knight forfree. The only good response to this play is Rc4, forcing a rook exchange,however, I hoped that he wouldn't see my next move, and he did not. } 27... Kd8 { A mistake, and a critical one at this late stage in the game, but onethat can and often is overlooked by newer chess players. I have missedmany opportunities such as this in previous games, which is one of thereasons I was able to see it here. } 28. Rxc7 { Herein lies the best teachingmoment of this annotation. If he takes the rook with his king, I can playNxb5 and get his rook with a fork. These types of moves are often overlookedby junior players and my opponent gave me a 'nice move' comment after thisone. The game was already over at this point, but this move sealed thedeal, as it were. Take a look at where pieces end up AFTER the capturesare complete, and see if you can leverage a fork to regain parity. Oftentimes people only look to see 'Oh, that knight is protected by my king'and don't think any further. As my friend mythas once told me, dream abit and see what would happen if a piece is no longer there, or a piececan be made to move a square. Engineer those moments and you will be abetter chess player and catch people off guard. I hope this little teachingmoment was useful. } 28... Rxb4 29. Rc5 { A blunder on my part. I should havecontinued the push of my g pawn, as the potential fork is still in operation,but sometimes when we have an overwhelming advantage, we don't always makethe best moves to finish the games out as quickly as possible. } 29... Rb2 30. Nxb5 { Another mistake, as Nd5 was much better, threatening the king. Oneof the things that I need to work on is remembering that you don't alwayshave to take the proffered piece right away. Nd5 allows me two ways toeat his pawn and allows me to continue the assault on black's king. } 30... Rb3 31. cxb3 1-0

[Event "Team match"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2011.04.25"] [Round "-"] [White "diedjee"] [Black "huckjim"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1838"] [TimeControl "5 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1753"] 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. exd5 exd5 5. Ngf3 Nf6 6. Bb5+ Bd7 7. Qe2+ Be7 8. dxc5 O-O 9. Nb3 Re8 10. Be3 a6 11. Bd3 a5 12. a4 Na6 13. c6 Bxc6 14. Nfd4 Bd7 15. Bb5 Ng4 16. O-O Qc7 17. g3 Nxe3 18. Qxe3 Bf6 19. Qd3 { Iwas expecting 19. Qf3 Nb4 and next 20...Nc6, which parallels Karpov-Bareev,Tilburg 1994. But 19. Qd3 let's black's queen's knight into action quickly.It seems to shift the momentum now. } 19... Nb4 20. Qf3 Bxb5 21. Nxb5 Qxc2 22. Rac1 Qe2 23. Qf5 Rad8 24. Rfe1 Qxe1+ 25. Rxe1 Rxe1+ 26. Kg2 b6 27. h4 { 27.h4 Best. If 27. Qf3, then 27...Nc2 and ...d4 and white is facing a dangerouspassed pawn. } 27... Re5 28. Qg4 Re4 29. Qf3 Nc2 30. Kh3 Nd4 { 30...Nd4 This ismy attempt to exchange a few pieces with the hope of pairing the rooksand the passed pawn against the queen. It seemed to be a formidable threat,so that explains White's 32nd move. } 31. N3xd4 Bxd4 32. Nc7 { It is importantin this position for black to watch his first rank, since the white queencan always find a way to spring loose and checkmate the black king effortlessly. That theme develops into a significant threat shortly. } 32... Bxb2 33. Nxd5 Re6 { The computer prefers for me to take the a-pawn 33...Rxa4, but 34.Qb3! looked too strong for me to counter all the threats. } 34. Nc7 Red6 35. Nb5 Re6 36. Qf4 Be5 37. Qg5 Bf6 38. Qf5 g6 { 38....g6 gives my kinga little 'luft' or an escape hatch. That is, until he starts to mounthis h-pawn mini-storm. } 39. Qf4 Kg7 40. g4 { 40. g4 This gives the rooksa chance to mount a very serious challenge now, as long as Black's kingcan avoid getting checkmated first! } 40... Rd3+ 41. Kg2 Re2 42. h5 Be5 { 42...Be5 I now had to calculate the moves precisely. I could not afford to abandonthe king's protection of the bishop, but that is precisely why the coming43.h6+ is so effective. And so I had to rescue the bishop first, knowingI would then have to send my King on a merry chase around the board. Ironically,the following rain of checks against me gives me a chance to hide my kingbehind the bishop, just long enough to mount what will be the death blowto the white king. } 43. h6+ Kf8 44. Qc4 Rdd2 { 44....Aligning the batteringram now against the white king. Only giving up the white queen can stopit now. } 45. Qc8+ Ke7 46. Qb7+ Kf6 47. Qxb6+ Kg5 48. Qc5 Rxf2+ 49. Kg1 Rg2+ 50. Kh1 { 50. Kh1. Seemingly giving up, since this is now a matein two. White still has life after 50. Kf1, but for how long? } 50... Rh2+ 0-1

[Event "Let's play chess"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2020.11.09"] [Round "-"] [White "timborino"] [Black "erickronawetter1"] [Result "*"] [BlackElo "1456"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1086"] 1. e4 { This is my standard opening. Developing the pieces. } 1... e5 { His respnse. } 2. Nf3 { Bringing out my knight again as development and attacking e5. } 2... Qf6 { Ok, I'm lost here. I'm not an avid player but I have explored strategyand this move seems to go against most strategy I've read. As of yet Isee no value in it. } 3. d4 { I can't see how his queen threatens me at thispoint so I continue development. } 3... exd4 { An anticipated move. } 4. Bg5 { Threateningblacks' queen. } 4... Qd6 { Black queen retreats. } 5. Bd3 { Blocking d4 and settingup the castle. } *

[Event "Casual Game, http://www.itsyourturn.com"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2015.06.07"] [Round "-"] [White "check"] [Black "John Coffey, Utah Senior Chess C"] [Result "*"] 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Qb6 6. a4 { The line that Iknow for white is to play 6. a3, 7. b4 with Bb2 to follow. Since whitedidn't play this line, this determines Black's next move. } 6... a6 { Minusculebetter than Bd7. The idea is that White is going to have a harder timeprotecting D pawn, so he would like to be able to play 7. Bb5, even thoughI normally dislike Bb5 against the french. } 7. Bd3 cxd4 8. cxd4 Bd7 9. O-O { 9. Bc2 is better. } 9... Nxd4 { Only gives black a tiny advantage accordingto computer analysis. So what is White's compensation? } 10. Be3 { Blackhas no problem dealing with this. } 10... Nxf3+ 11. Qxf3 Qxb2 12. Nd2 Qxe5 13. Rfe1 { 13. Bf4 Qd4 14. Nb3 Qb4 15. Rab1 Qxa4 16. Be5 b5 was a littlebetter. } 13... Bd6 14. Qg4 { 14. g3 Qf6 was necessary. } 14... Qxh2+ 15. Kf1 h5 16. Qf3 { 16. Qxg7? Be5 17. Qg5 Bxa1 18. Rxa1?? Qh1+ } 16... Ne7 { With the idea of17. ... e5! 16... Nf6?! 17. Ke2 e5 18. Bf5 16... Bc6?! 17. Bd4 16... e5?!17. Qxd5 Rd8 18. Bc4 Be6 (18... Nh6 19. Bxh6) 19. Qxb7 } 17. Ke2 e5 18. Rh1 Qxh1 { A major blunder. Black needed to play 18. ... e4! } 19. Rxh1 { No good now is Bg4 because of Qxg4. } 19... e4 { With this move, white's advantageis tiny. } 20. Nxe4 dxe4 21. Bxe4 Bxa4 22. Bxb7 { Black gets just enoughcounter play to matter. 22. Rxh5 is the better choice. } 22... Bb5+ 23. Ke1 Rd8 { Or Rb8. } 24. Qe4 g6 { =+ } 25. Bd4 { Disaster. 5. Bxa6 Bc6 (25... Bxa626. Qa4+) 26. Qc2 } 25... Bb4+ 26. Kd1 Bc5 { Or Bc3. } 27. Kc2 Rxd4 28. Qe5 Rc4+ { With many tactical possibilities coming up. } 29. Kb3 O-O 30. g4 Rd8 { Simple but effective. } 31. Rh3 a5 { With the idea of 32. ... Rd2 and 33.... a4 mate. Black could have also played 31. ... Rd2 or Rdd4. } 32. gxh5 { 32. Qe1 was better. } 32... Rd2 33. hxg6 { 33. Qxc5 Rxc5 } 33... a4# *

[Event "Team match"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2013.09.16"] [Round "-"] [White "prcpower"] [Black "element60"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1849"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1828"] 1. e4 { My standard first move. } 1... d6 { The Pirc. I sometimes play thisas Black as it is slightly more off-beat and can lead to some dynamic positions. } 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 { All pretty standard stuff. } 3... Nbd7 4. Bg5 { Continuingmy development and allowing a potential Q-side castle at a later stage. } 4... e5 { A slightly unusual move. I was expecting c5. } 5. dxe5 dxe5 6. Qe2 { Preparing to castle Q-side or play Rd1. } 6... c6 { Black is thinking abouta Q-side pawn storm perhaps. I think Bb4 would or Bc5 would have beenbetter. } 7. O-O-O { Castling and some useful pressure on the D-file. } 7... Be7 8. f4 { Trying to opening things up and control the centre. } 8... Qc7 9. fxe5 Qxe5 { I think Nxe5 is better and doesn't lose a tempo. } 10. Nf3 Qc7 11. e5 { Time to strike out! } 11... Ng8 { The only square for the Knight that protectsthe Bishop and avoids Black's King having to move once exchanged. } 12. Ne4 { Eyeing Nd6+ } 12... Bxg5+ 13. Nfxg5 Nh6 { Perhaps anticipating my next moveand trying to hold f7. } 14. Nd6+ Ke7 15. e6 { Pushing on! Black's Kingis starting to feel exposed. } 15... Nf6 16. exf7+ { Serious trouble for Blacknow. } 16... Kf8 { But can he cling on... } 17. Qe8+ { No! All over now after Nxd8then fd8= Q or R mating. Comments appreciated! } 1-0

[Event "Redfoxrising watching for blunders"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2016.02.25"] [Round "-"] [White "peteywheatstraw"] [Black "redfoxrising"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1606"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1518"] 1. b4 { After playing this person and losing to my own blunder, I was notgoing to let that happen in this game. He opened with b4 and I figuredhe was going Bb2 next. } 1... e5 { I'm playing Black and open with e5 } 2. b5 { Hepushes his pawn to b5 and I ask if he is trying to promote his b pawn? } 2... Bc5 { I am able to develop my DSB to c5. } 3. e3 { This opens his LSB tolook down diagonal protecting his hanging pawn on b5. and his Queen tolook down the other diagonal. } 3... Nf6 { I develop my Knight with plans toget my King to safety } 4. a4 { He brings out his wing pawn which does notcontrol the center. } 4... d5 { I take advantage of the open center and now myLSB has a view of the h3 diagonal. } 5. d4 { He decides to defend the centerthreatening my DSB. } 5... exd4 { Pawn takes pawn, this doubles my pawns on thed-file for now. } 6. exd4 { He takes back my pawn again attacking my DSB. } 6... Bd6 { I drop by DSB back and am now looking at his d2 pawn. } 7. Be2 { Hedecides to develop his LSB in front of his King, this leave just his knighton his King-side to be develop. } 7... O-O { I decide to Castle Kingside to getmy King to safety. } 8. Nf3 { He develops Nf3 which completes King-side development. } 8... a6 { I want to develop my Knight on my Queen-side but his b5 pawn has beenin the way so I simply play a6 to see what he decides to do about my attackingpawn. } 9. O-O { He ignores my attack of his b5 pawn and instead castlesKing-side. } 9... axb5 { I take his b-pawn and also open up my Rook to get inthe game. } 10. Bxb5 { Bishop takes and again my knight can not develop toc6. } 10... Ne4 { This move is normally saved until I develop my minor pieces,but e4 was open and I wanted my Knight there now. There were no attackersand I had my d pawn watching my back. } 11. c3 Nc6 { enough is enough I bringout my Knight to Nc6. } 12. h3 { He plays h3, I think it weakens his King-side. } 12... Re8 { I play Re8 to look down the e-file for a x-ray attack } 13. Bg5 { ?LSB attacks my Queen Better would of been Nfd2 } 13... Nxg5 { I take the LSB withmy Knight. } 14. Nbd2 { He develops his other Knight in front of his Queen. } 14... Nxh3+ { I get in the first check of the game with my move of Nxh3+ } 15. gxh3 { Pawn takes my Knight. } 15... Bxh3 { I retake with Bxh3 wondering how I canget to a quick mate. } 16. Re1 { He moves Re1 attacking my rook. } 16... Qf6 { Ifinish my development and bring my Queen out to f6 as the other 2 blacksquares are protected by his Knight on f3. } 17. Bd3 { ? He maneuvers hisLSB back to d3. I thought he might have brought it back to f1. } 17... Qh6 { Ican't check on g6 so I move to Qh6 } 18. Qc2 { ?He aligns his Queen behindthe same diagonal as his LSB. Rook b1 was his best move, althought themove made did connect his Rooks. } 18... Qh5 { My decision to move my Queen likea pawn is due to the Knight on f3 protecting the array of dark-squares.and the LSB backed up by his Queen. } 19. Bxh7+ { ? Bx7+ looks good but bestmove would have been to attack my DSB moving back to Bf1 } 19... Kh8 { I had todecide to move here to h8 or f8. I would lose my tempo and trade off Queensif I chose to take with my Queen. } 20. Bf5 { He moved Bf5 } 20... Bxf5 { Bishoptakes Bishop } 21. Rxe8+ { ? Rxe8+ this is useless as I will just takeback best move was Qc1. } 21... Rxe8 { Rook takes Rook } 22. Qd1 { ?He has to movehis Queen from attack of my LSB so he thought actually taking Qxf5 wasbest move as his Queen and Rook watched rest of the game. } 22... Qg4+ { Qg4+ } 23. Kh1 { He plays Kh1 } 23... Qh3+ { Qh3+ I check and think about my plan to mate,I thought I might eventually swap Queens if not careful. } 24. Kg1 { Kg1is forced, again I cant play my Queen to a dark square so I } 24... Re6 { Haveto bring up my Rook for help } 25. Nf1 { Nf1 is played and He is going tohave good defense with his 2 Knights. His Queen and his Rook will haveto just sit and watch our game } 25... Rg6+ { Rg6+ } 26. Ng3 { Ng3 is forced } 26... Bxg3 { I take Bxg3 } 27. fxg3 Rxg3+ 28. Kf2 { Kf2 is forced } 28... Rg2+ { Rg2+ } 29. Ke3 { He plays Ke3 } 29... Qh6+ { Qh6+ } 30. Ng5 { Ng5 is forced } 30... Qxg5+ { Qxg5+ } 31. Kf3 { Last forced move. } 31... Be4# { He allows me to make my last move Be4# CheckMate } 0-1

[Event "Why I Prefer Chopsticks...AKA...Death by Fork...or...That Alluring Yet Greatly Overrated Wife-Swap."] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "10-Feb-09"] [Round "-"] [White "hercules_isadore"] [Black "nunorc"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1200"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1200"] 1. e4 { I spend the first half of the game slowly picking apart his defenseson the right hand (with even trades) not gaining any leeway points-wise,but making slow progress toward opening up the castle, and snatchingthe throne. But in the end a dang horse shifts the balance of the game,with a rather magnificent fork on the part of my opponent, which is immediatelycompounded by a stupid greedy move on my part, resulting in a queen forqueen trade. When the dominoes fall nothing is left for me. (Thanks ionadowmanfor helping me analyze my many mistakes.) } 1... Nf6 2. Nc3 d6 3. d4 g6 4. d5 { Someone recently suggested to me this pawn push to be a weak maneuver...seemsto work out here, but maybe I should have been developing knights or bishops......................................................................................blake78613 (1830): the thematic push White is looking for against the Pircis e4-e5. this becomes much harder after White plays d4-d5. ..................................................................................... Thanks, I'll give that a try, if I can even recognize the Pirc next Isee it. (Had to look it up to understand what you were talking about.)lol...could probably stand to study a lil more chess in general. } 4... e5 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bh4 g5 7. Bg3 { My bishop is chased off by pawns, but the castleon the king's side is no longer a sweet possibility for black. } 7... Nbd7 8. f3 { Escape hatch. } 8... Nh5 9. Bf2 { knight encourages me through it. } 9... Nf4 10. g3 { You are standing too close to my stuff. } 10... Ng6 11. Qe2 Nb6 12. O-O-O Bd7 13. Bh3 Be7 14. Nb5 O-O 15. Bxd7 Qxd7 16. h4 { He castles into an openspot, I initiate trade so as to further open it up. } 16... a6 17. Nc3 Nc8 18. hxg5 Bxg5+ 19. Be3 f6 20. Nh3 Bxe3+ 21. Qxe3 Kg7 22. Nf2 { King steps forward to hold the walls up himself, and my horsie sidesteps, to open upa line of attack. } 22... Rh8 23. Ng4 h5 24. Nf2 Nce7 25. g4 h4 26. g5 f5 27. exf5 Nxf5 28. Qe4 { Castle is opened up, non-existent. Still having troublegetting through. Here I set him up for the fork that changes the game.Well...loses the game. } 28... Ng3 { There it is. } 29. Qa4 { I take a shot at aqueen snatch. Instead I wind up trading ladies. Basically a desperationgamble. } 29... Qxa4 30. Nxa4 Nxh1 31. Rxh1 Raf8 32. Rh3 Nf4 33. Rh2 Nxd5 34. Nh3 Rxf3 35. Nf2 Rhf8 36. Nd3 h3 37. Kd2 { Black's advantage grows in pawns.All thanks to that fork. The king no longer needs the castle he lost. Ihave thrown this game away with one foolish move. } 37... c5 38. Ke2 Rg3 39. Nf2 Rg2 40. Kf1 { King gives up his kingdom for a horse. For some reason Isaw only Rgxf2, and not this move. I didn't even think of Rh2 which wouldhave been equally disastrous, but not as cool to look at. } 40... Rfxf2+ 41. Ke1 Rxh2 42. c4 Ne3 43. Nxc5 { And I am officially completely dead. I thinkI'd have had this one if not for that one fork, and the domino effectoccurring after. Mental note: challenge that dang nun-orc to a rematchsome time. } 43... Rf1# { PS: I challenged nunorc to several rematchs, but shewill not accept. She knows that she got lucky in this game, and that Iwould beat her in the next. } 0-1

[Event "French Winawer (C18)"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2014.06.11"] [Round "-"] [White "drakulo"] [Black "utopia15"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [BlackElo "1939"] [TimeControl "4 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1770"] 1. e4 { I played white against a stronger opponent and was probably luckyto achieve a draw, sustaining very weak pawns away from my king in a minor-pieceendgame. Allow me to annotate a correspondence game for the first time,in a personal view with the help of an engine. } 1... e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 { As mentioned, black will gradually exploitthe weakened queen-side pawns of this very usual variation. Note that theywill never move again, forcing fellow pieces into comic defensive moves. } 6... Ne7 7. Qg4 { Main line. Queen comes out early in a modern style. } 7... O-O 8. Bd3 f5 { Still a common position. White rather takes en passant, givingblack a half-open file while trying to expose the black king. } 9. exf6 Rxf6 10. Bg5 Rf7 11. Qh5 { White spends a few queen moves in order to opendark squares via 11... g6. Black knows 11... h6 is inferior, allowing12. Nf3! with the threat of Ne5 or even 13. Bh7+! Kxh7 14. Qxf7. If thebishop is taken, black is under too much pressure. One interesting lineis 12... hxg5? 13. Nxg5 g6 14. Qh8+! Kxh8 15. Nxf7+ recovering the queen,and white wins. } 11... g6 12. Qd1 { Her home was indeed the better square. Whitehas compensation for giving up the lead in development. } 12... Nbc6 13. Nf3 Qa5 { The black queen ties a lot of white material to the defense of weak pawns! } 14. Qd2 c4 { Black perfectly releases central tension, getting this bishopoff the nice diagonal and making it block the half-open e-file. } 15. Be2 Qc7 { 15... Nf5 seemed slightly better, assuming the queen on a5 disturbswhite more. In fact, black could probably have reached this exact positionwith black to play instead of white, via previous 13... c4 14. Be2 Qc715. Qd2. } 16. O-O Bd7 { Contrary to mainstream play against the French Winawer,I preferred to leave the h-pawn untouched, afraid of failing aggressionwith king-side pawns. Black finishes development, preparing the queen rookto come over. } 17. Rfe1 Nf5 { This move allows 18. Bf4 Qa5 (back to herformer action!) 19. Ng5 Rf6 20. Bg4 aiming rook, knight and bishop at black'sbackward pawn. White would stand slightly better, but that line wasn'tchosen. } 18. Bf1 Raf8 { It is clear now that white has lost some positionand won't scare black's backward pawn. 19. Bf4 is still possible, but notwith the same effect: 19... Nd6 20. Bg3 and it seems to me that, havingthe g-pawn blocked, white's light-square bishop would have very few prospects. } 19. Ne5 Nxe5 { I tried to double rooks by exchanging knights. That planitself won't be effective. Here I considered retaking with the pawn, settlinga pawn majority on the king side and making f6 an outpost for the bishop.However, the remaining black knight can always maneuver to cover that square:20. dxe5 Ng7 is fine for black. } 20. Rxe5 Nd6 { Now white really needs toguard e4, making a horrible pawn structure for the light-square bishop,which otherwise wished the f1-h3 diagonal available. } 21. f3 Rf5 22. Rae1 { This move does not much, because retaking on e5 with the rook will leavewhite's queen side even weaker. White should have retreated the rook oreven exchanged on f5. } 22... Rxe5 23. Rxe5 { Mistake, as mentioned. Black cannow go 23... Nf7 24. Re2 (quickly supporting c2) Qd6 and white will losethe a-pawn: 25. Qc1? is useless, overloading herself. } 23... Rf5 { Black missesthe best line, the game is about equal. } 24. Qe3 Rxe5 25. Qxe5 Ne8 { Thebest move! Exchanging rooks was fine for white, but black now, besideswatching important dark squares, offers a deadly exchange of queens. 26.Qxc7? Nxc7 and the white bishops look awful trying to defend weak pawns:27. Bc1 Ba4 or 27. Be2 Nb5, any line will lose a pawn. } 26. Qe1 Qd6 27. Qb1 { Given nothing on the king side, she quickly maneuvers to her own side.Defending a3 was also possible, but I prefer the counter-attack with potentialplay in the file. } 27... b6 28. Qb4 { Incredibly loses a pawn! But this move ishard to be qualified as bad. In the game, I thought the exchange of queenswould solve my structure problem. But my bishops are suddenly overloaded. 28... Qxb4 29. cxb4 Nd6 threatens 30... Nb5, forking a3 and d4. Whiteis forced into 30. Bc1 Nb5 31. Bb2 c3 (otherwise white will play 32. c3and relax) 32. Ba1 and black can choose which pawn to take: 32... Nxd433. Bxc3 Nxc2 34. Bb2 and black has not much to show with the extra pawn.White will eventually exchange the light-square bishop for the knight,leaving only opposite-colored bishops on the board, an easy draw. 32...Nxa4 33. Bxc3 Nxc2 seems better, but the knight can't avoid being exchangedfor the light-square bishop. For example, 34. Kf2 Kf7 35. Bd3 Na3 36. Ke3Bb5 is tricky, but 37. Bb2! forces opposite-colored bishops endgame. Inconclusion, I don't see a win for black in any line. } 28... a5 29. Qxd6 { Exchange!I didn't mind my bishops having to hold three debile pawns. But of courseI was counting on necessary forcing moves, as follows. } 29... Nxd6 30. Bd8 Nc8 { The white bishop ties the knight to this awkward defense, until the blackking comes to drive it away. Meanwhile, I had also planned to try and movemy king to the queen side, to support all three pawns at once. But thatwas not possible. Curiously, this is the third time that this knight sitson a different light square of the 8th rank, and all for perfect reasons. } 31. Be2 Ba4 32. Bd1 { This sad bishop maneuvers to defend c2. } 32... Kf7 33. Kf2 Ke8 34. Bg5 { White could have delayed this retreat, via 34. Bc7 Kd7 35.Bf4 and the black king is further from action. } 34... Nd6 35. Bc1 Nb5 36. Bb2 { Both bishops have maneuvered just in time to defend all three guardlesspawns. Now I was all for keeping the black king away from my 'tall pawns'.An easy task after all. } 36... Ke7 37. Ke3 Kf6 38. Kf4 g5+ 39. Kg4 Kg6 40. h4 h5+ 41. Kh3 gxh4 { My opponent offered a draw, which I took since blackpieces can always be there to force my bishops back to looking like pawns.White holds no prospect of queening. Black could still be tricky after42. Kxh4 Kf5! when white must decline the pawn or else struggle for lifeafter the black king penetrates. } 1/2-1/2

[Event "The slaying Dragon..."] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "june 2012"] [Round "-"] [White "bossan"] [Black "vonbonkagain"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1200"] [TimeControl "Blitz 5+10"] [WhiteElo "1200"] { My own favourite little dragon... } 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 g6 { One of the firstto experiment with Kings Indian tendencies, in the Sicilian Defense, wasBobby Fisher. He was one of few players, who mastered this opening strategywith both black, and white. Bobby would never have played 2. Nf3... Mostlikely, he would have played 2. f4 d6 (or e6) 3. Nf3 Nc6 (whatever) 4.g3... } 3. d4 Bg7 { This is not for the faint-hearted; black does not defendc5... This is one of the great concepts of the Sicilian Defense: neverdefend c5... It is about d5... } 4. dxc5 { A natural reply, but weak... Whiteis opening the diagonal to Bg7... Since black can easily win the pawn back,he gains tempo... In other variations, black would strive for e6, Ne7,0-0, followed by d5... If he can beat white to it... It is all about d5... } 4... Qa5+ { The trick is: black can leave c5 undefended, while this check isstill possible; after c3 or Nc3, black has to trade pawns with cxd4... } 5. Ke2 { Obviously, white is planning on a trick... The best reply is 5.c3 Qxc5 6. Be3 Qc7 7. Bd3... 5. Nd2, Bd2, or Qd2, are all options... Butthis? } 5... Qxc5 6. c3 { Right move, one too late... Best is 6. Ke1, and sitit out... With any luck, white can exchange queens... } 6... Nc6 { Of course,there is 6. ... Nf6 7. e5 Ne4/Ng4, but I was not sure if white was stickingto his plan... So I introduced the minor threath Nd4+... } 7. Be3 { Whitefinds the one wrong move! After 7. Ke1 Nf6 8. Be3 Qa5 9. Bd3, all is wellon the white front... Apart from castling... } 7... Qb5+ { A very unpleasant surprise...White was gambling on 8. Ke1, with an attack on the queen... Well, thatgoal is met... } 8. Ke1 { Got you... } 8... Qxb2 { Oops... Black also threatensBxc3+, all of a sudden... After Nxc3, Qxc3+, it looks grim... } 9. Nd4 { Whiteis following his bad intent... Planning on trapping the black queen, hedefies 9. Nbd2 Bxc3 10. Rc1 Nf6 11. Qc2 Qxc2 12. Rxc2 Nxe4, with fightingchances against 3 pawns for somewhat better development... } 9... Qxa1 { No mercy... } 10. Qc2 { Of course, white could just as easily have resigned, but thisis blitz... You never know, what is going to happen... } 10... e6 { Best is offcourse 10. ... Nxd4 11. cxd4 Bxd4 12. Bxd4 Qxd4 13. Bd3, and white startspraying... But I wanted to see if he still wanted my queen... } 11. Nb3 { Which he did... White has no options left... } 11... Bxc3+ { Forced, and winning...After 12. Kd1 Nb4 13. Nxa1 Nxc2 14. Nxc2 Bg7 it is done... After 12. Qxc3(Nxc3 is pinned) Qxb1+ 13. Nc1 f6! also... } 12. Bd2 { White finds the onlyway, to lose another piece... } 12... Bxd2+ { And blacks queen escapes... Whiteresignes, with 6 minutes on the clock... } 0-1

[Event "My strangest game"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "20-Dec-07"] [Round "-"] [White "the_villa"] [Black "powerwagon"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1220"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1220"] 1. c4 { I started with the English opening } 1... a5 { which then for strange reasonhe moved to A5 } 2. Nc3 { I then thought I would get my knights out } 2... Ra6 { then he moved his rook and I was totally confused as to what he mightbe up to } 3. e3 { I then moved to e4 so next I could move my C4 pawn toattack the rook with bishop on F1 } 3... Re6 { he then moved his rook to E6 } 4. Nb5 { I moved Knight to B5 so after then move to A7 to attack the Bishop } 4... Nc6 { He then moved his Knight out to prevent that } 5. Be2 { I decided tobring my bishop out to develop my pieces } 5... Nb4 6. a3 { I then moved to A3to force his Knight to move back } 6... Nc6 7. Nf3 { I then brought my Knightout so I could castle should I need to } 7... d5 { He then moved to D5 to attackmy C4 Pawn } 8. c5 { I decided to decline as if I took he could of takenit with then queen and he would of developed his Queen and would then havea Rook and Queen out } 8... d4 { He carried on pushing the pawn forward } 9. Bc4 { which then I brought my Bishop out to attack the Rook } 9... Rg6 10. Nh4 { thenI did the same but with the Knight } 10... Rg4 { he the attacked my knight withhis Rook } 11. Qf3 { I then decided to attack the F7 square with my Queenand let him have the Knight } 11... g5 { instead of taking he decided to attackit with Pawn also } 12. Qxf7+ { Which then I went to the F7 square } 12... Kd7 { whichhe then only had one move KD7 } 13. Be6# { which then I mated him with Be6 Link to game here http://gameknot.com/chess.pl?bd=8678396&=rnd=0.09935537290808888 } 1-0

[Event "A most unusual game!"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date ""] [Round "-"] [White "Leo 'Forgacs' Fleischmann"] [Black "Geza Maroczy"] [Result "0-1"] { This game was played in a 1902 tournament in Budapest. In the first 13moves, Maroczy sacrificed his Queen, won Forgacs' Queen Rook, and promoteda Pawn to new Queen. In the spirit of 'whatever you can do, I can do better'it took Forgacs just *eight* moves after that to duplicate the feat --sacrificing his Queen, promoting a Pawn to new Queen, and winning Maroczy'sQueen Rook! } 1. e4 a6 { Maroczy plays a most unusual response to Forgacs'opening thrust. } 2. d4 e6 { Maroczy plays a delayed French defense. } 3. f4 d5 4. e5 c5 5. c3 b5 { Maroczy intends to apply pressure to Forgacs'pawn chain and break it. } 6. Bd3 Nc6 7. Nf3 Bd7 8. Be3 Nh6 { Both playersbegin developing their pieces after the flurry of initial Pawn moves. } 9. dxc5 b4 10. Nd4 Qa5 { Trying to pressure Forgacs' Q-side, where Maroczyhas a spatial edge. Forgacs' play should lie on the K-side with this Pawnformation. } 11. a3 bxc3 12. Nxc6 cxb2+ 13. Nxa5 bxa1=Q { Maroczy has accomplishedhis triplet of achievements. Now it is Forgacs' turn. } 14. c6 Bc8 { Theonly square. } 15. Qa4 Nf5 { Countering the threat of discovered check withan attack on the B. } 16. Ba7 Bxa3 { Seizing the loose pawn and creatinga passed QRP. } 17. c7+ Bd7 { Threatening Forgacs' Q. but the Hungarian masteris unafraid. } 18. Bb8 Bxa4 { Setting up what's almost like an exchange ofQueens, except that instead of both Queens being captured, the taken Queenreincarnates. } 19. c8=Q+ Ke7 { Forced. } 20. Qb7+ Kf8 { Allowing the B tointerpose if Forgacs' Q checks on the 8th rank. } 21. Qxa8 Bb4+ { Now thatboth sides have finished their remarkable achievements, Maroczy plays toswarm Forgacs' position for the win. } 22. Kf1 g5 { Making air for his King. } 23. Bc7+ Kg7 { Placing his King in a safe haven, and allowing him to launchthe final attack. } 24. Qxa6 Qb2 { Looking for a 'skewer' to win the Rook. } 25. Bb6 Qc1+ { The winning move. } 26. Kf2 Qxh1 { With decisive material gain. } 27. Bf1 Qxh2 { Forgacs resigns. } 0-1

[Event "Aboveoeuf's Happy Hours 8"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "30-Jul-07"] [Round "-"] [White "valeriuzaharia"] [Black "ybrevo"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1957"] [TimeControl "3d+1d, 5d max"] [WhiteElo "2133"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f3 { The Kings Indian, S�misch... I love to play this with both White and Black, because it has a greatoffer of different strategies. And as always in a Kings Indian, initiativeis paramount. } 5... O-O 6. Be3 Nc6 7. Nge2 a6 8. Qb3 { So far we have followedtheory, but this move I can�t find anywhere in the books or databases.And in combination with long castling it doesn�t look sound. The Queenwill come under fire, giving Black some valuable tempi, as we shall see. } 8... Rb8 9. O-O-O Bd7 10. Kb1 b5 11. cxb5 axb5 12. Ng3 { Of course it is toodangerous to grab the pawn on b5. } 12... b4 13. Nce2 Na5 14. Qc2 b3 15. axb3 Nxb3 16. Rd3 { The White Rook comes into action for the defence, but looka the positions of the two Kings. White�s only have one pawn for cover,while Black�s can sleep peacefully. } 16... Na5 17. Ra3 c5 { Defending the Knight,and threatening Qb6-Qb4 with more power in the attack. } 18. h4 Qb6 19. Ra2 Be6 20. d5 { A very natural response, but this is a crucial moment.White�s Bishop on f1 is out of the game, and so is Rh1. The two Knightsare more or less away from where the action is, so it wasn�t too dificultto find the sacrifice of a piece to open the lines for Black�s Bishops. } 20... Nxd5 21. exd5 Bxd5 22. Nc3 Bb3 { A 'zwischenzug' to put the White Queenon a less favorable square, since the Black Knight on a5 wins a tempo goingto b3 later. } 23. Qd2 Bxa2+ 24. Kxa2 { 24. Nxa2, Qxb2 25. Qxb2, Rxb2 andBlack wins decisive material after either 26. Ka1 or 26. Kc1. } 24... Nb3 25. Qe2 Bxc3 26. Qb5 { Only move. 26. bxc3 is mate after Nc1 and Qb1 followedby Qb3 mate. } 26... Qxb5 27. Bxb5 Rxb5 28. Rc1 { ?? - but 28. bxc3 is no better:28 -, Nd4! (threatening Ra8#) 29. Bc1 (only move), Ra8 30. Ba3, Nc2 andcurtains. } 28... Nxc1+ 29. Bxc1 { Of course White should just resign, but evenchess-players believe in miracles ... } 29... Bxb2 30. Bxb2 Ra8+ 31. Kb1 { Everythingwins, but I had hoped for the cute alternative: 31. Ba3, c4! - when Whitecan�t do anything against 32. -, Rb3 and 33. -, Raxa3 mate. } 31... Rab8 { Whiteresigns, but I would like to thank my opponent for many great games duringthe time on GameKnot - and thanks to the inventor of the Kings Indian! } 0-1

[Event "What happens next?"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "09"] [Round "-"] [White "daveyr18"] [Black "raymundo "] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1853"] [TimeControl "7 days"] [WhiteElo "1988"] 1. e4 { Kings pawn opening v...... } 1... c5 { Sicilian defence... } 2. Bc4 { quiteoften I use this reply when playing against the Sicilian, I like it... } 2... e6 3. c3 Nc6 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. Qc2 Be7 6. O-O O-O { Now both sides have safelytucked their kings away it's time for the fire works to begin.... } 7. d4 { Instantly taking an aggressive posture... } 7... cxd4 8. cxd4 d5 { Black counterstrikes with vigour... } 9. exd5 exd5 10. Be2 Bg4 { After the initial briefconflict, the complications begin... } 11. Nbd2 Bb4 12. Nb3 { It seems thed4 pawn could determine the whole outcome of this game as it becomes themain focus of the encounter... } 12... Na5 13. a3 Nxb3 14. Qxb3 Bxf3 15. Bxf3 { Now the pressure has been switched to the d5 pawn.... } 15... Bd6 { I almostmade the mistake of taking d5 here but I didn't like the thought of Bxh3+as a reply.. } 16. g3 { I almost made the mistake of taking d5 here but Ididn't like the thought of Bxh3+ as a reply.So I defend against it... } 16... Rb8 17. Bxd5 Bxg3 { A surprise but it keeps the pawns even, enterprising.But.... } 18. Bxf7+ { Up a pawn again, however.... } 18... Rxf7 19. hxg3 Qxd4 { Materialregained, until.... } 20. Be3 Qg4 21. Kg2 { I could have been greedy andtaken the a7 pawn but didn't like the idea of Qh3! followed by Ng4 at somepoint... } 21... Rf8 22. Bxa7 { I take it while I can though, I feel I'm gonnabe too busy to do it after this opportunity.... } 22... Ne4 { The storm cloudsare gathering but I think I can see what he is planning so I had a realgood think and came up with a cunning plan.... } 23. Rad1 Kh8 { The moveI had anticipated! } 24. Qxf7 { This must have come as a bit of a thunderbolt!the Queen is immune due to Rxf7 25 Rd8+ Rf8 26 Rxf8# after this moral sappingloss black begins to snap under the pressure... } 24... Nf6 25. Qxf8+ Ng8 26. Rd8 Qe4+ { A brief respite.... } 27. Kg1 Qe6 28. Bd4 { Black cannot defendagainst the twin mating threats and resigns. A very enjoyable game to playand I hope to read also. Thanks. } 1-0

[Event "Let's Play!, Chess.com"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2019.01.06"] [Round "-"] [White "Caissarius"] [Black "soitgoes317"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1938"] [WhiteElo "1853"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 e6 4. Nc3 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 6. e4 g6 7. Bd3 Bg7 8. Nge2 O-O 9. O-O Na6 10. a3 Nc7 11. Bg5 a6 12. a4 h6 13. Be3 Re8 14. Qd2 Kh7 15. h3 Bd7 16. g4 { Up to this point, Stockfish 10 would choosedifferent opening moves for both sides, however, this is where the gamestarts to get very interesting. Black plays very accurately for the remainderof the game. } 16... b5 { Correct. Without this expansion on the queenside, Blackdoesn't have much. After 17. Ng3 the computer suggest 17... bxa4 18. Nxa4Bb5!? 19. Nc3 Bxd3 20. Qxd3 Rb8 with a slight advantage. } 17. Bxh6 { Whitemight have thought that there was good reason to do this, but it is a blunderthat will ultimately cost him the game. } 17... Bxh6 18. g5 { What should Blackdo? } 18... Bxh3 { Much better than 18... Bxg5 19. Qxg5. Black gets a counterpunch, and the weakness of the White king will soon become apparent. } 19. Rfe1 c4 { This expansion on the queenside costs nothing and mightbe useful later. } 20. Bb1 { This is a terrible square for the bishop, becauseit disconnects the rooks. Better is 20. Bc2. } 20... Nh5 { Prepares to attackthe kingside. } 21. gxh6 { This capture won't matter really, and in factit makes Black's job easier. } 21... Qh4 22. Qe3 Re5 { Bring in reinforcements. White can't play 23. f4?? because of 23... Qxe1+. } 23. Ng3 b4 { Removesthe defender on d5. } 24. Nce2 Nxd5 25. Qd4 Ndf4 { Adding another attackerto the fray. Black can also play 25... Ndf6.. } 26. Nxf4 Nxf4 27. Qxd6 { Things are terrible enough for White, but grabbing a pawn wastes valuabletime. Instead he could mount a better defense with 27. Re3, 27. Qe3 or27. Bc2. } 27... Rg5 28. Re3 Be6 { Prepares Nh3+, but 28... Rd8!! is actuallystronger. Now if 29. Rf3 Rd8!! and White will either give up the queenor allow checkmate. For example, 30. Qxd8 Rxg3+ 31. fxg3 Nh3+ followedby 32... Qxd8. } 29. Qc6 { This is not very helpful. Now nothing can stopmate. } 29... Nh3+ { More accurate is 29... Rd8 30. Bc2 Nh3+ 31. Kg2 Rd2 32. Kf1Qf4 33. Re2 Rxg3 34. Rxd2 Rg1+ 35. Ke2 Qxf2#. If 32. Rf1 Nf4+ 33. Qg1 Qh334. e5 Rxg3+! Now White can delay things a bit with 30. Kg2 Nf4+ 31. Kg1Rd8. } 30. Kf1 { The king hunt starts. } 30... Qf4 { White's pieces are unable tocome to the defense of the king. If 31. Re2 Rxg3 threatening 31... Rg1#,so 32. Rc2 Rg1+ 33. Ke2 Qxf2# } 31. Nh1 Rg1+ 32. Ke2 Bg4+ { Black couldalso play Rxh1 or Rd8. } 33. Kd2 Rd1+ { A little faster is 33... Rd8+ 34.Kc2 Bd1+ 35. Kf1 Bb3#. If 34. Qd5 Rxd5 35. exd5 Rd1+ 36. Kc2 Qf5+. 37.Re4 Qxe4#. } 34. Kc2 b3+ 35. Kc3 Qe5+ { if 36. Kxc4 Be6+ 37. Kb4 Rb8+ 38.Ka3 Qd4! } 36. Kb4 Rb8+ { This is a little easier than 36... a5+ 37. Kxc4Rb8. Now if 37. Kxc4 Qd4#. } 37. Ka3 Qe7+ { Mate is forced. } 0-1

[Event "Wardcliff scholastic 2010 "] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "April 24"] [Round "-"] [White "Joshua "] [Black "Arham"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "?"] [TimeControl "game 30"] [WhiteElo "709"] { This kid named Arham that I played In round 2 of the Wardcliff scholasticwas an AMAZING competitor. He knew his openings amazingly! He was 1 of3 competitors who actually gave me a challenge. I ended up getting 4.5-5,getting a tie for first place. It was great to see returning competitorsthere. Ben Deidrich, Veronica Gawreki, Soumya Kulkarni, and Andrew Alson. } 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 { I like that opening, and he responded good. } 3... Bc5 4. O-O Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. Ng5 { Attacking f7. He obviously is a good player } 6... Ng4 { Copy-catting in this position is OK. Especially how he plays it. } 7. Nxf7 { I thought I had him, but I overlooked Qh4 } 7... Qh4 { See. } 8. h3 Bxf2+ 9. Rxf2 { Why I did that? Here are the variations: 9. kh1, qg3 10.rxf2, Nxf2+. The rook move kinda has to sow up or else 10. ...Qh2# comesinto play. } 9... Qxf2+ 10. Kh1 Qh4 { A wise move. Same thing as my variationlast move. Threatens Nf2+ } 11. Bg5 { Bg5 looks like a pretty promising counter-attack. Of course I hate the pin on the H- file. } 11... Nf2+ 12. Kh2 Ng4+ 13. Kh1 { Was he going to do it or not? } 13... Qf2 { He Made a mistake here. Qg3 isbest. I was thinking of Rf8, but Bxh4. I would be really bad if I overlookedthat. } 14. Nxh8 { Take THAT. He could not control both situations. } 14... h6 { Things were looking good for me now, even though black's queen was inan uncomfortable position. } 15. hxg4 hxg5 16. Nf7 Bxg4 17. Qxg4 Nd4 { Myrook had only one chance to escape. } 18. Nc3 Qh4+ { Why would black wantto throw away its queen when it is so much behind?! } 19. Qxh4 gxh4 20. Ng5 O-O-O { Dream on Arham, that pawn won't promote. } 21. Be6+ { Figurethis math out: Lets say black was a rook down. With is better for white,5 points to 0, or 40 points to 35? If I were white, I'd want the 5 to 0.There is no reason why white falls behind in the trade, that is why blackdid not want it. } 21... Kb8 22. Bb3 { Protecting the pawn, and tempting blackwith another trade. } 22... Rh8 23. Ne6 { again } 23... Nf3 { 23. ...Nf3?? Why? Arham,you are not going to promote! Don't give up your pieces unless you knowyou can succeed in promoting! } 24. gxf3 h3 25. Ng5 h2 { I forced him downtowards my king AND rook. } 26. Rf1 { Going after the pawn, and taking mytime. You see how the whole 5 to 0 or 30 to 25 thing is working out forme? } 26... d5 { He starts giving up on purpose. } 27. Bxd5 c6 28. Be6 Kc7 29. Rf2 Rh5 30. Nf7 { Finally, safe! } 30... Rh3 31. Bxh3 { I think he just didn't see that.I'm not sure, because, there was the fact of 31. Rxh2, Rxf3, but he didplay 26. ...d5, so I dont know. } 31... g5 { Now he TOTALLY is just giving up. } 32. Nxe5 g4 33. fxg4 { Now my pawn will go over and promote. Easy as that. } 33... Kd6 34. Nc4+ Kc5 35. Rxh2 b5 36. Nd2 b4 37. Ne2 a5 38. Nb3+ Kb5 39. Ned4+ Ka4 { He obviously was trying to stalemate himself, but I had a plan upmy sleeve. Do you see it? } 40. Nb5 Kxb5 { NOOO!! The answer was 40. ...cxb541. Nc5# } 41. c4+ { I wanted him to e.p. } 41... Ka6 42. e5 c5 43. e6 a4 44. Nxc5+ Ka5 45. e7 a3 46. e8=Q { Let him do what he wants, I will win. } 46... axb2 { Andthe final move, to end the second to last game in the room, Qb5# } 47. Qb5# { Arham was a hard competitor, but he still has much to learn. I had wentto the wardcliff tournament 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010. 2006: 2nd.2007: 4th. 2008: 2nd. 2009: 2nd. 2010: 1ST!!! Thank you for watching. } 1-0

[Event "Mayor de Chile 2002, Santiago, Chile"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2002.02.14"] [Round "-"] [White "Mamani, Héctor"] [Black "Romero, Claudio"] [Result "1-0"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bb5+ Nd7 { It is time to put this idea into practice. Playing Rossolimo allows white to direct the idea towards a Spanish opening. In this specific case, black did not play e5, so the plan deviates into a kind of Indian King's attack. } 4. O-O Nf6 5. Re1 e6 6. c3 Be7 7. d4 O-O 8. Nbd2 a6 9. Bd3 { The blacks must now be silent to stop the murderer of the white pieces, and they will play 'e5', which will lead to positions of the Spanish Opening, where one of the main themes will be to take advantage of the white pieces with 'd5' and 'f5' respectively. } 9... b5 10. e5 { Ok, the blacks didn't play e5, so the struggle is heading towards the Indian Attack of the King, where the diagonal b1-h7 is a constant worry for the blacks. } 10... dxe5 11. dxe5 Nd5 12. Ne4 { Although 'c4' is an interesting alternative, Toga believes that the black pieces are not well organized on the d-file, so taking 'c4' would leave a weakness on 'c5' and not doing so allows the white pieces to exploit the great diagonal. Alternative variation: 12.c4 Nf4 13.Be4 Rb8 14.Nb3 Ng6 15.Qc2 } 12... h6 13. Bb1 Re8 { Preparing the defender on the right flank of the black pieces, the horse is on 'f8'. The defense is excellent, but it comes at the price of sacrificing a piece. } 14. b3 Bb7 15. c4 bxc4 16. bxc4 Nb4 { I managed to get the centralized horse out, but how am I supposed to move more pieces to the flank? Moving the knight of 'a1' to the third rank would take me some time. I was starting to feel uncomfortable since I couldn't find a clear, strong continuation. } 17. Qe2 Qc7 18. Bf4 Bxe4 19. Qxe4 Nf8 { Las negrasescupen su gran alfil para evitarse dolores de cabeza, confiando en loscambios de pieza para aliviar la presión. } 20. h4 Red8 21. a4 Rab8 22. Ra3 Nc6 23. h5 Nd4 24. Nh2 Qc6 { El avance de h4-h5 costó un par de valiosostiempos a las blancas. el flanco de dama se empieza a teñir de negro, laschances prácticas serán del primer jugador. } 25. Qe3 Rxb1 { El fin de lamaniobra defensiva de las negras. Las blancas deberían estar perdidas... } 26. Rxb1 Nc2 27. Qg3 Nxa3 28. Bxh6 g6 { It was better 28...Cg6, but it took nerves of steel to withstand the offensive of the whites while the clock was ticking and its gradual influence on the analysis certainty was becoming more and more evident. } 29. Qxa3 gxh5 30. Re1 Rd4 31. Qb3 Ng6 { I could tell from a glance that I needed to add more weaknesses in order to reach my goal, so I opted for a complex and risky idea, reorganizing the pieces, giving black pieces some space and taking advantage of their expansion. My mid-term goal was to exchange the black knight on c6 and improve my horse. } 32. Be3 Rd7 33. Nf3 Rb7 34. Qd1 Rb4 { Ok, the first phases are completed satisfactorily, the blacks are advancing on the flank and my horse is back on the board. } 35. Nd2 Nxe5 { The blacks have fallen into the psychological trap. It was better35.., by forcing them to block the diagonal d1-h5, the path to victory for the whites. } 36. Qxh5 Ng6 37. Bg5 { Now Af8 allows Ce4, so those black pieces will play for the sake of accumulating wealth on the opposite flank. The result will be a reward for the tenacity of the whites. } 37... Rxa4 38. Bxe7 Nxe7 39. Ne4 Rxc4 40. Ng5 Qe8 41. Rxe6 Rc1+ 42. Kh2 Qb8+ 43. g3 { Se acabanlos jaques, la bruma de los cañonazos se esfuma y el rey negro yace completamenteacorralado. Las negras se rinden. } 1-0

[Event "League division D3"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2010.01.19"] [Round "-"] [White "tomlib"] [Black "jananorway"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1141"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1470"] { This is a Queen's Gambit Declined along what I think is a Ragozin Variationfrom what I can find. It was certainly new for me and was a close gameuntil my opponent overlooked a check that allowed me to capture his Queen.From there I applied heavy pressure eventually forcing a mate. } 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. e3 { I fluctuate between 3. e3 and 3. Nf3 on occasion and decidedon a more passive game in this instance. } 3... Bb4+ { This apparently is associatedwith the Ragozin Variation but I'm not sure it is such a good idea withwhite's dark squared Bishop still on the queenside of the board. } 4. Bd2 Bxd2+ 5. Qxd2 { I have to think this exchange favors white because the darksquared Bishop for black was a strong piece but white's was trapped behinda pawn wall for quite some time to come. } 5... a6 { I'm not sure the purposeof this move as I'm a couple of moves away from getting a piece towardsthe b5 square although perhaps the plan was 6. ... b5 } 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Bd3 Bd7 { Another move that didn't seem to accomplish a great deal to me unlessBlack is planning on a longside castle which does actually happen in thegame continuation. } 8. O-O h6 { The white knight might eventually make itonto the g5 square but if Black is going for a longside castle I don'tthink it is such a great outpost so I thought this was a further unnecessarydelay of development. } 9. b3 { I thought that keeping a pawn on the c4 squaremight prove useful although Black can still use b5 at any time to counterthis strategy. } 9... Nf6 10. Nc3 Qe7 { Now I suspected a longside castle is comingwhich I think might be a mistake as my queenside development is alreadyfairly advanced } 11. Ne5 { This sets up the fairly lengthy combination whichshould result in an even board but with white having good initiative } 11... Nxe5 { 11. ... Bc8 12. Nxc6 bxc6 doesn't seem good for Black and anything elseresults in losing the light squared Bishop in an exchange. } 12. dxe5 Ng8 { 12. ... Ng4 13. h3 traps the Knight but this is obviously not such a greatsquare for the Knight. } 13. cxd5 { While the game continuation leaves theeven material I thought this kept up the pressure on Black and frees upmy light squared Bishop a bit } 13... exd5 { Anything else results in 14. d6 forcingan exchange and undoubling my pawns. } 14. Nxd5 Qxe5 15. Qa5 { This threatens16. Nc7+ Qxc7 17. Qxc7 } 15... O-O-O { This is a mistake and overlooks the gamecontinuation. Clearly better is 15. ... b6 16. Qc3 Qxd5 17. Qxg7 Qxd318. Qxh8 which leads to a very interesting game. Also possible is 15. ...Rc8 and 15. ... Kd8 both of which also lead to fairly even games althoughWhite has a developmental advantage. } 16. Nb6+ cxb6 17. Qxe5 Nf6 { Makingthe best of the situation because anything else results in 18. Qxg7 andfurther loss of material } 18. Rac1+ Bc6 { The only move because White'sQueen covers the b8 escape square } 19. Bf5+ Nd7 { 19. ... Rd7 20. Rfd1 mightbe better for Black but results in unfavorable trades at the end of whichWhite's Queen will rule the board. } 20. Rfd1 f6 21. Qe7 Rhg8 { 21. ... Rde822. Qxd7+ Kb8 23. Qd6+ Ka8 24. Rxc6 bxc6 25. Qxc6+ Kb8 26. Rd7 anything27. Qb7# or 21. ... Rhe1 22. Bxd7+ Rxd7 23. Qxd7+ Kb8 24. Qxe8+ Bxe8 25.Rd8+ and white has two Rooks against pawns to finish the game. } 22. Bxd7+ Kb8 23. Rxc6 { Mate is now essentially forced although there are a coupleof variations. } 23... bxc6 24. Qd6+ Ka8 25. Bxc6+ Ka7 26. Qc7# { I thought thiswas an interesting game where I had good initiative from the beginningand my pressure forced an error on which I capitilized } 1-0

[Event "Petroff defence - an opening trap."] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2008.03.27"] [Round "-"] [White "ziggs"] [Black "hangatyr"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1200"] [TimeControl "1/604800"] [WhiteElo "1151"] { This is one of my earliest games on GameKnot. I have the black pieces,and play the Petroff defence. White gets off to a bad start by fallinginto an opening trap. The main points that come out of this game are: (1)Know your opening traps. Not necessarily so that you can use them on youropponents (they don't always work), but so that you don't fall into themyourself! White was on the wrong end of this game by move 6. (2) Developyour pieces and don't make too many pawn moves. White compounded a badsituation by failing to develop his pieces. } 1. e4 { A sound first movefor white, opening up diagonal lines for whites queen and f1 bishop, andattacking the d5 and f5 squares. } 1... e5 { A standard response to e4. This openslines for black's queen and bishop, and attacks d4 and f4. } 2. Nf3 { Developswhite's knight to (usually) its best defensive square and attacks black'spawn on e5. It is often best to develop your knights before your bishopsbecause it is easier to find the correct square for a knight than for abishop in the opening. For instance white could move his knight to e2 (blockingin his queen and bishop), to h3 (placing it on the edge of the board),or to f3 - fighting for control of the centre of the board. The best squarefor the knight in this instance seems clear. } 2... Nf6 { This is the Petroffdefence. Black ignores white's attack on his e5 pawn and develops his knight- attacking white's e4 pawn. } 3. Nxe5 { White captures black's pawn... } 3... d6 { Black drives white's knight away with d6. This is usual in the Petroffbefore capturing with ...Nxe4, since it avoids a number of traps that workin white's favour. } 4. Nf3 { White move's his knight back out of dangerto f3. } 4... Nxe4 { Black captures white's pawn on e4. } 5. h3 { This move preventsplaying ...Bg4 (pinning white's knight against the queen), but does nothingto help white's piece development. I think that d4 would have been better- providing space for development and maintaining a presence in the centre. } 5... Qe7 { Not the best move, since it blocks the bishop on f8, and doesn't reallydevelop a piece. Black is still at least 2 moves from being able to castle.But it does set a trap for white... } 6. c3 { White doesn't see the danger- a discovered check on the king when black's knight moves. c3 is anotherpawn move that does not do anything for white's development. Qe2 or Be2would have been better here, preventing the discovered check on black'snext move. } 6... Nxc3+ { Ouch! Black takes white's pawn, attacks white's queen,and white's king is in check. White has only two moves and they are bothbad: Qe2 (which loses the queen to Nxe2) or Be2 (which loses the queento Nxd2). } 7. Be2 { Blocking the check on white's king. } 7... Nxd1 { Black grabswhite's queen. } 8. Kxd1 { White bravely plays on and captures the blackknight, but has now made a king move so can no longer castle to safety. } 8... Be6 { Black now starts developing pieces. } 9. Nc3 { White also begins todevelop by bringing our his knight - although now it is probably too late! } 9... Nc6 { Another developing move. Black now has the option of castling queenside. } 10. b3 { Another pawn move from white. I think d4 would have been betterhere - that would get a pawn into the center and would also threaten 11.d5, forking blacks knight and bishop. } 10... g6 { Preparing to fianchetto black'sbishop, taking control of the a1-h8 diagonal. } 11. Ba3 { I think Bb2 wouldhave been better here. On a3, white's bishop has little influence - b4is attacked by black's knight and c5 by black's pawn on d6. } 11... Bg7 { Completingthe fianchetto of the bishop. Black can now castle kingside or queenside.Black's knight on c6 and black's bishop on g7 work together to maintaintotal control over the central black squares of the board - e5 and d4. } 12. Bb5 { This pins black's knight against the king, preventing it frommoving. } 12... O-O { Castling kingside to safety, and breaking the pin on black'sknight. Black is now up on material, and also has superior piece developmentto white. Blacks rooks are connected on the back rank (white's are stillseparated by his king), and black has control over the central black squares(white has no real presence in the centre of the board). } 13. Rc1 { I thinkwhite's plan here was to move his knight next move, opening up the c filefor his rook. } 13... Nd4 { Black is up on material, so trading pieces works inblack's favour. Black forces white to trade something with this move (aknight for either a bishop or a knight) - even though it is bad for white. } 14. Nxd4 { White decides to trade a knight for a knight. } 14... Bxd4 { Black recapturesthe knight. } 15. Ne2 { Threatens black's bishop, but leaves white's bishopunsupported - and leaves white's pawn on f2 en-pris. } 15... Bxf2 { Black grabsthe free pawn. } 16. Rc3 { White attempts to pick up development of his piecesagain with a rook lift. Perhaps to be followed by Rf1 and Rcf3. White doeshave some time to regroup now because black's pieces are not currentlyvery active. } 16... Qg5 { Black starts putting pressure on the d2 pawn that protectswhites king, threatens white's bishop on b5, and white's pawn on g2. } 17. g4 { This move prevents Qxg2 (which would cost white a rook for black'sbishop) - but it leaves white's bishop hanging. } 17... Qxb5 { Black takes thebishop, and white resigns. } 0-1

[Event "Fast Ladder"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2013.04.29"] [Round "-"] [White "gedfitzgibbon"] [Black "samuels"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1805"] [TimeControl "3d+1d<3d"] [WhiteElo "1791"] 1. e4 { I decided to analyze one of my loses, especially, because my opponentfound a beautiful way to end the game. } 1... c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 { The opening is Sicilian Defence, Najdorf Variation. Thisopening has been played a lot at grandmaster level. } 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Be7 8. Qf3 Qc7 { We are stilling following the well-known theory. } 9. O-O-O O-O { This is first time I deviate from the theory. 9. Nbd7 is the mostplayed move here. 9. O-O is probably not that good, although I found outthat even Bobby Fischer played this once (Unzicker-Fischer, Buenos Aires1960), but lost that game. } 10. Qg3 Rd8 { And now we are definitely outof the book. As shown later in the game, the rook does not belong here.But I was worried that White plays Bh6 at some point and I wanted to beable to play Bf8 for defence, and possibly Ne8 if necessary. However, especiallywith opposite side castling, concrete lines are more important than vagueideas. } 11. Kb1 { I sensible move. The king is probably safer at b1. } 11... b5 { This pawn push serves multiple objectives. It frees the b7-square forthe bishop, and advances a pawn towards the enemy king. Later, b4 mightforce White to move the knight, which leaves e4 unprotected. } 12. Be2 { Thebishop will go to f3, where it opposes the b7-bishop. White does not haveto worry about 12. b4, because he can exchange on f6, eliminating the knightthat attacks the e4-pawn. } 12... Bb7 { Following my plan. I add pressure on e4and develop the bishop. } 13. Bf3 { Defending the e4 pawn. } 13... Ra7 { This mightseem like a random move, but it has an idea behind it. I was calculatingwhat happens after White plays 14. e5. Then White can play Bxb7 in manylines attacking the rook and basically forcing the recapture with the queen.I did not like the queen on b7. Now the rook can capture the bishop. Butthe other side of the coin is that the rooks are not easily connected,which leaves the d8-rook a little vulnerable, and the b5-square is an obvioussquare for a knight fork, if White can make it work tactically. } 14. Rhe1 { Now White is fully developed and ready to act. } 14... b4 { Here comes the b4-push.I wanted to dislodge the knight from c3 where it protects the e4-square. } 15. e5 { But this was a nasty surprise. I had calculated 15. e5, but concludedthat it is not good for White here. } 15... dxe5 { I simply capture the pawn, notsensing the danger. 15...bxc3 16. exf6 did not appear good, because I couldnot take back on f6, because the queen on g3 allows White to take backwith Bxf6. } 16. fxe5 { Recapture, as I expected. } 16... bxc3 { I thought I couldnow take the knight. } 17. Bxf6 { Ok, White takes with the bishop and notwith the pawn. After 17. exf6 I had planned 17...Qxg3 simplifying intoan endgame, where Black has better pawn structure. } 17... Bxf6 { This is a mistake,although at that point it seemed like a logical choice, because I stillexpected 18. exf6 Qxg3 19. hxg3 and a nice endgame. } 18. Nb5 { This is theblow that ends the game. I just stared at the board for a while, and slowlyI began to see that I was completely lost. White did not take back thepiece, but offers an other one. But 18...axb5 19. exf6 threatening boththe queen and a checkmate on g7 wins, because 19...Qxg3 is followed by20. Rxd8#. A counter-threat like 17...Qb6 is just not enough: 18. exf6g6 19. Rxd8+ Qxd8 20. Nxa7 and White can probably even save the knight,because the knight on b8 is only protected by the queen. I did not likelosing a rook, so I decided to give White a chance to go wrong. } 18... Bxf3 { Thisis a desperate attempt, but I am losing anyway, so it was worth trying.Now 19. Nxc7 Rxd1+ 20. Rxd1 Bxd1 21. exf6 g6 and there are still practicalchances. } 19. exf6 { But White plays the correct move. } 19... g6 { Preventing theimmediate checkmate. } 20. Qxc7 { And taking with the queen, not with knight,nails it. The only way to prevent checkmate is 20...Rxd1+ 21. Rxd1 andnow all my pieces are hanging. } 1-0

[Event "Let's play chess"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2013.06.19"] [Round "-"] [White "porcho"] [Black "coreyb33"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1038"] [TimeControl "2 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1146"] { This is a game I won that I found quite interesting, I won a piece, blundereda rook, and then got a queen checkmate. } 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 { Philidor'sdefense, not what I'd play } 3. Nc3 { ?! better id d2d4 } 3... Nf6 4. Bc4 Bg4 { Weboth continue development } 5. O-O Bxf3 6. Qxf3 { I wouldn't have traded,as it develops my queen. } 6... c6 7. d3 h5 { Thinking about a pawn storm perhaps? } 8. Bg5 b5 9. Bb3 a5 { Trying to trap my bishop } 10. a3 a4 { He goes throughit despite that I made a hidey-hole. } 11. Ba2 Be7 { Breaks the pin } 12. Bxf6 Bxf6 13. Rad1 { I was told it is good to centralize you rooks, is itcorrect? } 13... h4 14. h3 Nd7 { He completes his minor piece development, butI have all my pieces off their home square. } 15. Rd2 g5 16. Qf5 { My queenis now in a dominant position. } 16... c5 17. Nd5 { Adds another attacker to thebishop. } 17... Qa5 { Counterattacks, but it won't work. } 18. Nxf6+ Nxf6 19. Qxf6 { And if he takes my rook, I win both of his. } 19... Rf8 20. g3 { ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Loses my rook for nothing } 20... Qxd2 21. Qxd6 { I keep up the attack anyway,maybe I can win some more pawns or fork the king and rook or something. } 21... Rd8 22. Qxe5+ { I've equalized material wise. } 22... Kd7 23. Qxc5 { My queen goesgobble, gobble, gobble. } 23... Qa5 24. Qxg5 { Another pawn drops off } 24... hxg3 { ?!this opens the rooks file. } 25. fxg3 f6 26. Qf5+ Ke7 { ?????? Allows mate } 27. Qe6# { Wham! I certainly didn't play great this game, but I felt likeannotating it. Please leave a comment and rate it on the star system. } 1-0

[Event "GameKnot Blitz, http://gameknot.com/"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2010.08.13"] [Round "-"] [White "cherise"] [Black "baronderkilt"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1846 GK"] [TimeControl "3 minutes"] [WhiteElo "Unr."] { WT mating attack with King chase to in front of his Q-side pawns, by 2Knights & a Queen. From the Scandinavian Defense Gambit } 1. e4 { [Event'GameKnot Blitz'] [Site 'http://gameknot.com/'] [Date '2010.08.13'] [Round '-'] [White 'cherise'] [Black 'baronderkilt'] [Result '0-1'] 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. c4 c6 4. dxc6 Nxc6 5. b3 Bg4 6. Be2 Qd4 7. Nc3O-O-O 8. Bxg4+ Nxg4 9. Qf3 Nce5 10. Qg3 Nd3+ 11. Kd1 Ngxf2+ 12. Kc2 Nb4+13. Kb2 Nfd3+ 14. Ka3 Nc2+ 15. Ka4 Qb6 16. Nb5 Nc5# 0-1 } 1... d5 { 2...d5 iscommonly called the Scandinavian Defense now. Formerly it was often referredto as The Center-Counter Defense. I feel it is an excellent choice forblitz play since WT must play precisely to keep an advantage, which shouldthen be a small one. Granted that some small inaccuracy will probably notdamage WT to the point of losing, as in more volatile Defenses such asthe Dragon Sicilian. At the same time, BL faces less tactical risk herebut still has some chances to mix-it-up with tactics. These may often resultin positions resembling a Caro-Kann; or strangely, similar to a GoringGambit Reversed(!) when the ...c6 gambit line is accepted, as we see inthis game. If the ...c6 gambit is offered but declined, than it may welltranspose to a line of the Panov-Botvinnik Attack of the Caro. } 2. exd5 { exd5. What else?! While 2. e5 is certainly playable, the disadvantagesfor gaining that bit of space are: #1 Unlike a French Defense, BL can stilldevelop his Bf5. #2 WT does not yet have a supporting pawn chain for themove, such as d4, that BL could prevent by 2...d4 himself, or he can immediatelystart to play against WT pawns being placed at e5 & d4 by 2...c5 now. Finally#3, WT used a tempo to push ahead to e5. We could also say a fourth thingbeing that BL gets a clearly defined game strategy against 2.e5, whichwill cost him some space but gives WT little chance for unexpected tactics. } 2... Nf6 { I prefer 2....Nf6 here over Qxd5 since it keeps more options. Andit also permits WT to play 3.c4!? or 3.Bb5+ , both of which I dearly enjoyto play against. Vs the Bb5+ I usually play the mainline of ...Bd7, butfind ...c6 an acceptible alternative for blitz play. Had WT played differentlythen the responses possible are largely why I defer 2...Qxd5. I do likethe transposing Q capture vs 3.Nf3 or especially 3.d4 since the lattercan put BL in a bit of a cramp later if he has played Nxd5 before Nc3 hasbeen played. } 3. c4 { Oh, excellent ... I love to see this move from WT.Like the similar position, with colors reversed, in a Scotch/Goring Gambit,my object will be to expose a great gaping hole on the 4th rank of theopponent's d-file. If only he will Accept my offer . . . } 3... c6 { The offer... to put him a clear pawn ahead. 'A pawn is a pawn' , someone once said.I'm not sure who (likely Legions have), so let us try another one; 'Theonly way to refute a gambit is to accept it.' GM Larry Evans. I'm not absolutelycertain he used the word 'only' tho. } 4. dxc6 { Accepted~! O.K. ... allthat's left is to Refute me } 4... Nxc6 { The move 4. ...e5 here is quite interestingand entertaining here when 5.cxb7 Bxb7 is played; and it usually wins inmy blitz games. I was introduced to it by a blitz opponent and tho I wonthat one, it required all my alertness toward the task of surviving. Andso I put it on my own list to try out. That is a large part of my philosophyabout opening choices/moves/variation. I figure that if it gave Me enoughtrouble, then it is worth seeing how others will fare with it. In otherwords, if they are not just a clearly better player than I, then they willhave a heavy task set before them. I believe this is much the same stancetaken by GM/WC Mikhail Tal in pursuit of his own tactical combinations.If He cannot find a refutation of his own sac/combination/continuation, then he defies the opponent to be a superior analyst. And THAT is notgoing to happen often to a Mikhail Tal. But, if You or I did so, yet lost... well then we know how to handle that line the next time it gets playedagainst us. So a Win situation even if a loss is taken~! } 5. b3 { Now heweakens the entire a1-d4 diagonal, and exposes an undefended piece to possibleattack; namely his Rook. For Tactical students; you now have more than3 significant 'Tactical Elements' [aka 'Factors'] in the WT position,even before move 6~!! In other words, you might say WT is 'asking fortrouble', so eyes wide open for your chances. The Elements: (1.)BL is +2pieces ahead in development and maybe 3 since it is his move. (2.)WT 'hole'on d4, which may be permanent, & (#3)Hole on d3, likely temporary, butbecomes a backward pawn if he puts one there and still leaves d4 for BLto outpost on. (4.)The entire diagonal thru a1 is open. #5) The Ra1 istotally unguarded. Elements present now, but less important at the moment:Half-open c&d files(for BL) & e-file (for WT). Also f2 is hard to defend. } 5... Bg4 { Normally I would look to 5... e5, 5...Bf5, or 5...Qd4 as CandidateMoves. The first ...e5 is much 'my style' yet preceeding an e-pawn movewith ...Bf5 seems objectively better. But I want to see how he handlesBg4 since a number of replies are bad for WT, and I will end up with anotherpiece developed, irregardles. If asked which is the worst reply for him:f3, Ne2, Nf3, or Qc2 I would be hard pressed to pick one as worst, andwould enjoy playing against all of those quite a lot. } 6. Be2 { Be2 mustbe best. Here I could reply ....h5 or ...Bf5 also, but the latter is somethingof an 'admission' that suggests I should have put it there the prior move,and saved a tempo. Of course that is Right, but . . . } 6... Qd4 7. Nc3 { Ifinstead he captured Bxg4 I planned 7...Nxg4 to make his choise betweendefense of f2 or a1 } 7... O-O-O 8. Bxg4+ Nxg4 { The alternatives of 9.Nh3 orQe2 both Seem better. (After Qf3 Ne5 gains tempo. Yet Qe2 has a definateproblem that shows up later) Notice WT weaknesses on a1, c2, d3, d4, f2as well as his lag in Development and King Safety. Factors/Elements. Alsothe d-file. Still 5...Bf5 looks better to me all the time. For Bg4 didtrade off a pair of pieces, which usually the Attacker does not wish todo unless he gets a critical defender in exchange. And perhaps the Be2Was critical to the white square defense, ultimately. Yet the positionhas not reached 'critical mass', tension and piece placements that canexplode into a winning combination. } 9. Qf3 { Considering which Nf5 I choseto keep the pressure on f2 while bringing the other Knight more into thebattle. Nb4 was not much considered with any intent to winning of the idleRa1, but was a big idea in relation to striking at Nd3+, or Nc2+ if needed.Then it is important to see the potential N-forks that can exist if Nbd3+,Kd1 were played; and alert to follow-ups such as captures on f2, or Nge5,or ...e5/...e4 , must be analyzed. [We don't care about the f7 pawn excepthow letting it be captured by Qxf7 may impact our attack & overall position.Concerns to review would then be Qe3+, Qf5+, aor Nb5, Nd5, aor abilityto bring Bf5 in with check or restriction of my K to Kc8. Now any Ne5 makesthose concerns moot, for now. } 9... Nce5 { Made with tempo since his Q is attackand would not have been if it moved Qe2 instead of Qf3. But even then,Nd3+ is going to be fantastically strong for BL. Now we see he chose Qf3to have Qg3 possible. } 10. Qg3 { If 10... Nxf2 what happens? } 10... Nd3+ { If10...Nxf2 instead, then NOT 11.Qxf2?? or ...Nd3+ 12.Kf1 Qxf1# & winningQ as well. BL should should keep in mind to look at any WT moves that arepossble threats, while continuing his attack. Note his own weak squares& K position. Did you see before this the potential Nb5 by WT; that itwould have threatened Qc7# as well as Nxa7# , and so you looked at thateven tho it subjects the Ra1 to capture? Never get so involved in attackingthat you do not make a King Safety review when replies will not all beforced. And always look for the 'inbetween moves' Zwishenzugs, for bothplayers. Zzg's Win or reverse MANY games. Also, always look to see whatyour opponent can do AFTER you CAPTURE, not just TO the point of Capture.This is Very Important. You will not get hit with those 'shots' as Fischercalls them, where you told yourself 'he cannot possibly move that, or loseshis ZYX-piece'. } 11. Kd1 Ngxf2+ 12. Kc2 Nb4+ 13. Kb2 Nfd3+ 14. Ka3 Nc2+ 15. Ka4 Qb6 { With little time left I play Qb6 ,seeing there will be 2 ormore Mate Threats against him. But can you find a more Forcing continuationfor me here, instead of ..Qb6? } 16. Nb5 { After Qb6 BL's immediate MateThreats were 16...Qa6,Nc5#,or Qb4#. It is nice to have choices. **** Yes15...Qd7+ is more 'Forcing' since it keeps him under checks until it isMate. Whether or not he plays Nb5 or moves the King vs Qd7+, he can bemated using moves ...b6 and ...Qb7#, the difference being that ...Nc5+is made first if he should interpose Nb5. Ka5 b6+, Ka6 Qb7# . Does thismatter, it being more forcing? Maybe a bit. If he sac's ...Qb6, Qxd3 Qa6#Zwishenzug is played. Remeber, his N is not on b5 then. Otherwise, if itWere already there (the position you see before you now) then, saying WTto move, he could slow down BL with Qc7+ Qxc7 [forced], Nxc7 Nc5+ ... Howdoes that come out? I will leave that one to you dear reader, as it didnot appear nor get analyzed within the scope of the game. My impressionupon sight of that one is, 'It gets raggedy, but there Might still be aMate there in some extra moves!?' } 16... Nc5# { The other Mate Threat, beforeand after Nb5, was Qa6# although his N move did eliminate the ...Qb4# threat. } 0-1

[Event "Chess game"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date ""] [Round "-"] [White "???"] [Black "???"] [Result "*"] { This i hope will be an entertaining game: } 1. e3 { Indeed } 1... e6 { What isthe point of playing this opening now? } 2. d4 { Pretty interresting. } 2... d5 { Black likes to copycat i can see! } 3. Nf3 { Oh no! getting duller } 3... Nf6 { What is wrong with black! } 4. c4 { That is tactically and positionly anexcellent move! } 4... c5 { But nope! Black is not interrested. } 5. Nc3 { Whiteseems to be the stronger player of the two! } 5... Nc6 { What is up with black! } 6. Bd2 { Maybe hoping for 0-0-0 } 6... Bd7 { So is black or maybe it is stickingto its old techiques! } 7. Qb3 { Fancy! } 7... Qb6 { Errrrr! } 8. O-O-O { That issurprising; shouldv'e taken the queen. } 8... O-O-O { God! black is bad! } 9. Qc2 { White still doesn't want to swap queens! } 9... Qc7 { I guessed this move beforit even happened! } 10. Bd3 { Now that is better! } 10... Bd6 { What can one say!!! } 11. Rhe1 { Adding to the jumble! } 11... Rhe8 { So does black! } 12. a4 { Pawn attack } 12... a5 { What i thought! } 13. Nb5 { Now that is good } 13... Nb4 { Black really can onlycopy! } 14. Nxc7 { Finally, a piece is taken } 14... Nxc2 { And another! } 15. Bxa5 { White is on the attack } 15... Bxa4 { And so is black! } 16. Rd2 { Playing safe! } 16... Rd7 { As usual } 17. Bxc2 { The expected } 17... Bxc7 { Also the more expected! } 18. Bxa4 { Ha ha } 18... Bxa5 { Black is a real fail } 19. Bxd7+ { Why black cannot copyany more!!!!!!!!!!!! } 19... Kb8 20. Rd3 Re7 { Black's attempt to copy I guess! } 21. Ra3 { A swap } 21... Ne4 { Knight's attack } 22. Rxa5 { Oh yes } 22... Nxf2 { Keep going } 23. Re2 { Attack } 23... Ng4 { Not } 24. b4 { What? } 24... f5 { Nothing if it is black } 25. Rea2 { OOOOHHH } 25... b6 26. b5 { White has inherrited black's genes I think! } 26... Rf7 { Well? } 27. Ra8+ Kb7 28. R2a7# { Clever!!!!!! } *

[Event "Chess game"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date ""] [Round "-"] [White "Plachetka"] [Black "Zinn"] [Result "1-0"] 1. Nf3 c5 2. b3 Nf6 3. Bb2 Nc6 { Slow progress... } 4. e3 d5 5. Bb5 { Whitestarts to be aggressive... } 5... e6 6. Ne5 { Seizing territory... } 6... Qc7 7. O-O { White gets his King to safety. } 7... Bd6 8. Bxc6+ bxc6 9. f4 O-O { Black alsogets his King to safety. } 10. Rf3 Nd7 11. Rh3 { White's attack is startingto take shape. Black has to defend well... } 11... g6 { A mistake, because of... } 12. Qh5 { ...this move. Black resigns. If 12... PxQ, 13 R-N3ch K-R1 14 NxKBPmate. By opening the long diagonal, White's fianchettoed Bishop becamea deadly threat. } 1-0

[Event "Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defence"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2018.10.24"] [Round "-"] [White "pitagoran"] [Black "feathered_tiger"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1800"] [TimeControl "3d+1d<3d"] [WhiteElo "2057"] { Here's another game against a stronger player where I play without errorsfor a good part of the game, even though my opponent, little by little,gains an advantage. Then, a single false move allows him to make a materialsacrifice that opens up my King's defences... } 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 { The Berlin Defence, one of the most popular - and hard to break down- of the various defences to the Spanish. } 4. d3 { Sometimes White castles,allowing Black to go to an often reached position: 4.O-O Nxe4 5.d4 Nd66.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8 Kxd8 where Black has the two Bishops butcan't castle, and it's often not easy for White, despite the exposed positionof Black's King. But here White's having none of that and just defendsthe pawn. } 4... d6 { This means Black must also defend his e-pawn. } 5. c3 { Insteadof developing a piece with 5.Nc3, White prepares a central advance. } 5... Bd7 { Now Black can break the pin on the Knight. } 6. O-O { Now the e-pawn issafe, White castles. He's clearly going for a slow build up. } 6... Be7 { I havea rather cramped but solid position, and am ready to castle myself. } 7. Re1 { Adding to the e-pawn's defenders - the d-pawn advance can't be farbehind. } 7... O-O { Now I have time to castle. Still quite happy with my defensiveset-up. } 8. Ba4 { Rather curiously - to me - White doesn't wait for a6,presumably because, since the Knight is no longer pinned, Black has noreason to try to force away the Bishop. So it goes to h4 of its own accord. } 8... Re8 { Centralising my Rook, and leaving the home spot vacant for the Bishop,should it need to retire there - the dark-squared Bishop often has limitedmovement in this defence. White does have all the options now - he cango to c2 with the Bishop, since it's not doing much out on the wing; hecan play 9.h3 if he wants to prevent a potentially awkward pin on his Knight;even the central push with 9.d4 is feasible, and possible even best. } 9. Nbd2 { But my opponent is a slow build up player, and brings his other Knightacross the board to the K-side, via f1 probably. But it's rather laborious. } 9... Bf8 { Perhaps I don't make best use of the tempo, but revealing anotherdefender of my e-pawn means I will soon be ready for a central push myself.Since White hasn't played h3, though, that pin might have been more effective,if I could drive away the Bishop from a4, so as not to leave the Knightpinned. That would take a move or so though. } 10. Nf1 { This Knight oftengoes to f1 in this opening, headed for g3. Now the dark-squared Bishopis free, and once the light-squared Bishop gets to c2 White will have acouple of potentially dangerous diagonals to play with. } 10... h6 { Reducing thedark-squared Bishop's spaces a little; going back to e7 with my own Bishopto break a pin would be a waste. } 11. Ng3 { And the Knight reaches its spotwithout any trouble, which is perhaps worrying; my defence is solid, butWhite has all the options. But playing a 2000+ player usually demands caution! } 11... a6 { Getting ready to drive away the Bishop with 12...b5. Another optionwould have been the rather counter-intuitive 11...Nb8 } 12. h3 { Now Whiteprevents the pin. } 12... b5 { I drive away the Bishop. } 13. Bb3 { Instead of goingto c2, where the diagonal is currently blocked, the Bishop sits on a diagonalheaded towards the Black King. One of the drawbacks of playing h6 is that,with a Bishop pinning the f-pawn, g6 is undefended. } 13... Na5 { However, It'seasy to force the Bishop to go to c2, if White doesn't want to lose it.I never really feel comfortable with this move, even though it allows c5,since the Knight is rather out on a limb. } 14. Bc2 { There he goes to c2. } 14... c5 { And I get to challenge the centre a little more strongly. } 15. d4 { Sothat, now the central advance has come, I can capture with the c-pawn.Or maybe bring the Knight back into play on c6. But I don't... } 15... Qc8 { Dubious,in retrospect. It's not really time to line up a counter-attack sacrificeagainst White's h-pawn, and clearly if White plays 16.dxc5 I can't recapturewith the Queen because of the horrible pawn fork 17.b4 } 16. d5 { In anycase, White closes up the centre, which has horrible consequences, really.My dark-squared Bishop is severely confined, and my Knight out on a5 can'tget back via c6 any time soon. } 16... Nb7 { It has to go the long way round, andsince both e6 and c6 are covered by that pawn it doesn't have too manyoptions. From here on, White slowly increases his space and strength inthe game. But I hold on for a while... } 17. Be3 { White gets his final minorpiece out. He's not aiming at my c-pawn, which could, I guess, be advancedto block any Q-side pawan advance. But it's not the Q-side that White hasin mind. } 17... Nh7 { The start of some very time-consuming piece juggling, alldue to allowing that central pawn advance to block the position. } 18. Qd2 { No, White's not interested in the Q-side; he's lining up against my h-pawn- just the plan I had when moving my Queen to c8. } 18... Qd8 { From where it returnshome; I'm getting worried about those dark squares around g5. } 19. Rad1 { All my juggling about allows White to build up his forces even more. } 19... Be7 { At least, with the Knight on h7 I can get my Bishop back out to addto the cover of the dark squares. But I've moved three pieces out and backduring this game - the Bishop to e7 and back; the Knight out to a4, gettingstranded; the Queen to c8 and back. It's no wonder my cramped defence iscreaking. But I haven't made any outright errors. } 20. b3 { A sudden switchto the Q-side, and now c4 doesn't look good. However, he's drawn my attentionaway from my K-side. } 20... Rc8 { Another piece that isn't really going anywhere- that file is not going to get opened up. 20...Ng5 might have helped mydefence a little. } 21. c4 { White clearly wants to close up the Q-side. } 21... b4 { I oblige. I have enough to think about on the K-side! } 22. Nf5 { Ratherhorrible for me. } 22... Bxf5 { A bit of panic, I suspect; this is my better Bishopand I've just exchanged it. I'm hoping that after 23.exf4 Nf6 I have blockedthe pawn's advance and also stymied White's attack along the b1-h7 diagonal... } 23. exf5 Nf6 { That Knight never looked comfortable on h7. But it was coveringg5, and would have been better posted there. } 24. Qe2 { Once the Knighton f3 has moved, the Queen can join the attack! } 24... Qa5 { A rather hopefulattack on an undefended pawn... } 25. Bb1 Qd8 { Soon rebutted. Not only pointless,but giving White a tempo to switch around his Bishop and Queen... } 26. Qc2 { Which he does. He really needs to shift that pawn on f5 though. } 26... Bf8 { Paralyzed. But are there any good moves? } 27. Qb2 a5 { Just in case Whitehas plans to open up the Q-side. } 28. Nd2 { Getting ready to go to e4 attackingmy Knight. } 28... Qd7 { I shuffle my pieces in an ever-decreasing space. MaybeI should think about opening up the Q-side myself with 28...a5? } 29. Ne4 { Here it comes. } 29... Be7 { Never again will I limit this Bishop so badly inthis opening. But I have to protect the Knight. } 30. Qc1 { So White switcheshis attention back to that h-pawn. } 30... Kh7 { Ensuring that any sacrifice doesn'topen up my King's defence too badly is all I can think of at this point. } 31. f4 { Possibly not the best continuation? } 31... exf4 32. Bxf4 { White has openedup a file, but I can relieve the pressure with some exchanges - } 32... Nxe4 33. Rxe4 Bf6 { Once again the f-pawn is prevented from advancing. } 34. Re6 { Now White has a nasty plan, to give up the Rook for the Bishop, and openmy King's defence. Curiously, this doesn't really occur to me; I'm expectinga build up of force on my d-pawn. And the f-pawn is undefended. So I commitmy first real blunder... } 34... Kg8 { Defending that f-pawn and getting out ofthe line of the light-squared Bishop. Analyses differ on the best move,one being 34...h5 - presumably to avoid capture, the others being 34...Qd8or 34...Qc7, expecting a Rook exchange on e8. But that's not White's planat all.. } 35. Rxf6 { He gives up the Rook for the Bishop and h-pawn. } 35... gxf6 { Major blunder, which probably seals my fate. There really was no needfor this - after 35...Qe7 36.Re6 fxe6 I'm a little better placed, thoughI guess I'd just have lost more slowly against the advancing pawns. } 36. Bxh6 { There's no escape for my King now. } 36... Kh7 37. Qf4 Qe7 38. Qh4 { Thegame is up - I'm just hoping for an error that allows some counterplay,since e3 and the Rook on d1 are undefended. } 38... Qe2 { There's a mate in sevennow, if anyone can see it? } 39. Rf1 { 39. Bg5+ Kg8 40. Bxf6 Qxd1+ 41. Kh2Qg1+ 42. Kxg1 Re1+ 43. Kh2 Rh1+ 44. Kxh1 Kf8 45. Qh8# but it doesn't matter. } 39... Rh8 { So that when I move my King after the discovered check the Queen isattacked. } 40. Qxf6 { The end is close. } 40... Rhg8 { At least I get a mate threatof my own! } 41. g4 { Now, it did occur to me that giving up the Rook forthe pawn gave me a little time, but the White King just escapes - 41...Rxg442.hxg4 Qxg4+ 43.Kf2 Qd4+ to a lost endgame. } 41... Rce8 { So I cover the escaperoute and hope there's a tempo to play 42...Rxg4 } 42. Qxf7+ { I didn't thinkof this, thinking I could just take the Bishop. } 42... Kxh6 { And did, so it'smate in three... } 43. Qh5+ Kg7 44. Qg6+ { Mate next move wherever I go,and I resigned. I think the crucial error was Qc8, allowing White to closeup the centre - note my Knight is still stuck on b7, having had its returnsquare c6 covered by the pawn. After that it was a lot of squirming butno escape! } 1-0

[Event "Let's play chess, http://gameknot.com/"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2012.02.23"] [Round "-"] [White "ltchrysalis"] [Black "fermoncada"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1220"] [TimeControl "14 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1229"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 c5 { Interesting choice here for black. It later becomes obvious to me that I have a better grasp of the pawngame than fermoncada does, but at least early on he uses them forcefully. } 5. Nf3 Bg4 { Ye olde knight pin. I'm a fan. } 6. Be2 Bxf3 { Interesting choiceby black to trade knight for bishop here after opening the board up bytaking pawns. I wondered what he was up to. } 7. Bxf3 Be7 { Complete violationof the Knights-Before-Bishops rule of thumb. I would've done Nc6. I expectedhis bishop to come out to f6 and attack the center, but I think he wasjust making room to castle. } 8. Nc3 { I'm feeling pretty comfy with thecenter at this point. } 8... Nf6 { Why bring the bishop out if you're just goingto block it in?? I don't get this move at all except in the 'castle ASAP'idea. } 9. Bf4 O-O 10. Nd5 { I'm feeling a little aggressive here. Probablynot the best idea since it'll let his black bishop out, now that I thinkabout it. } 10... Nxd5 11. Qxd5 { And out comes my queen. I considered the pawntake, but I figured the queen up here was gonna be a thorn in his side. Now I'm threatening b7, and he's got to watch out for d6 and f7. Andthanks to his earlier bishop trade and pawn trade, he's got nothing toscare her away with. } 11... Qb6 { Counter-attack by threatening b2. Nice move. I consider castling queenside, but figured I could just as easily counterwith... } 12. b3 Qc6 { I don't get this trade. Why come here? I admit myqueen is in a better position than his, but hell, the board opens up moreand I have both bishops. Plus I get to mess up his pawn structure. } 13. Qxc6 bxc6 14. c4 { The best part of that queen trade for me is this position. I have for now completely shut down his queenside pawns. He's got nothinghe can do there for a while. } 14... Na6 { I spent a lot of time analyzing thisposition. It was clear that black intended knight to b4 to c2 for a fork. The problem was that anything that prevented the fork was at risk of walkinginto a trap. I considered 15. Bd2 for some time, but then the knight couldgo to d3 and cause trouble. Any attempt to stop the fork by using thea1 rook would hang the a2 pawn and allow black's rook to move to b8 andundermine the pawn structure. It was a complicated decision to castle,but in the end, I decided I could neutralize both the fork and the problemof Nd3. } 15. O-O Nb4 { As expected. Black probably figured it was win/win- if the a1 rook moves, the a2 pawn hangs. If not, Nc2 can challenge itwhile keeping the f-rook locked down. } 16. e5 { This move was intendedto open up the d file for my rook, and prevent d5 later. } 16... dxe5 17. Bxe5 Nd3 { I figured black wouldn't be able to resist Nd3 here attacking theunprotected bishop. Nc2 was suicide by this point. } 18. Bc3 { It's a carefuldance. I want to keep the black knight as locked down as possible. Thismove makes black's only knight move to f4 that accomplishes little. Meanwhilehe's blocking the d file and keeping black's rooks from claiming it. I'mplanning Bxc6 to win the pawn. } 18... Rad8 { Black either anticipated Bxc6 andwanted to move the rook out of danger early, or expected 19. Be2 or Be4,which would threaten the knight. I honestly don't like those moves becausethey just push black's knight away. } 19. Bxc6 { Free pawn and now black'sf8 rook is locked down. } 19... Nf4 { Black moves his knight out, freeing up thed file for his rook, and leaving it ready to defend the bishop at e7 ifneed be. A good move, but he's forgotten that the knight was the onlything keeping me off the e1 squarerook... } 20. Rfe1 { Simple and direct. I'm expecting Ng6 here. I would then respond with bringing the a1 rookinto play on d1 and challenging black's control of that file. The queensidepawns are also waiting to become a nice battering ram that will lock downblack's rooks. I'm feeling pretty good about this position. } 20... Rfe8 { Bigblunder. Forgetting the knight completely, black hangs his rook. } 21. Bxe8 Rxe8 { I win the exchange and now have the d-file all to myself. } 22. Rad1 { I'm clearly winning here, but need to be cautious. I see Rd7in my future and then a peaceful walk up the a or b files to queen. } 22... Ne6 { He's got plans for his bishop, I see. This lets it move without riskingback-rank mate, and his knight can enter the battle on either side fromhere. Solid move. } 23. Rd7 { Time to harass that a-pawn. } 23... a6 { Obvious move. a5 would fall to the bishop, and Ra8 loses his bishop. } 24. a4 { Just makingsure he comes up no farther. } 24... Bf6 { He's offering a bishop trade. I'm upmaterial, so hell yes. He thinks he's saving his a-pawn. He's wrong. } 25. Bxf6 gxf6 26. Ra7 { I want that a-pawn. } 26... Rd8 { Interesting move thisone. I really did not see what he had planned, and paid for it later. } 27. Rxa6 Nd4 { Here's an interesting position. He's wanting my b3 pawnfor his f6 one. I thought I could stop him by pinning the knight to hisrook. Big mistake. } 28. Rd1 Ne2+ { Oops. I give back the exchange I wonbefore. I'm still up in pawns and still have a much better position afterwards,but ouch, this hurts. } 29. Kf1 { To state the obvious, Kh1...Rxd1#. Thisis forced. } 29... Rxd1+ 30. Kxe2 { I saw where this was going. He wanted to harassmy kingside pawns now. I was gonna have to shut that down quick. } 30... Rh1 31. h3 h5 { He's stopping g4, for now. If I do it, it'll free his rookup in exchange for nothing. } 32. Rxf6 { One advantage of my screwup is thathis rook is stuck behind my lines for now and mine is out and about. } 32... Rb1 { And here's where I make a second mistake, though this one's not nearlyas bad. From here, Rf5 is completely dominating. He gets one of my pawnsand I get one of his. I can then pretty confidently force a rook tradeand win the king&pawn endgame. Instead I defend, which extends the gamesignificantly. } 33. Rb6 { The reason I made this mistake is because I sawan interesting rook dance forming here and was intrigued by it 'cause Irarely get to play this rook-v-rook endgame. I figured I could force hisrook into stagnation on the a-file and I was right. } 33... Kf8 { He sees it comingand starts trying to activate his king. } 34. a5 { It won't work, however. His king can't make it in time even if my rook lets him. } 34... Rb2+ { I'm guessinghe was hoping I'd dodge to d3 or d1 to try and attack his rook, which would'veset said rook loose on my pawns. Fat chance. } 35. Kf3 { and just like thatall my pawns are covered AND his kingside play is shut down. He has nothingnow but to try and hold for a draw. } 35... Ke7 { He seems to go back to plan A:kill the a-pawn. This was a small mistake. The a-pawn is safe no matterwhat, as you'll see. } 36. a6 Kd7 37. a7 { He can threaten my rook by goingto c7, but then I queen. His only chance is to prevent that with his rookat the same time. } 37... Ra2 { which he tries. But here's where the king's presenceat d7 helps me. If he'd been at d8, my plan still would have worked, Ithink, with Rb8+...Kc7, a8=Q...Rxa8, Rxa8 and I've won the rook. It'smop-up afterwards. But this way I lock his rook down and start a kingsideattack. Slower to be sure, but I've pretty much won the game by this point. } 38. Rb7+ Kc8 { Rb8+...Kc7, a8=Q would've traded rook for pawn, and I missedthat. I'd found a way to win and didn't want to deviate, even though thiswould've won faster. It's a bad habit I'm working on. } 39. Rxf7 { SinceI missed winning the rook, I follow my plan. Taking out the f7 pawn meansthe kingside is almost clear. Trying to bring up the f2 pawn would bea mistake - his king is too active. I have other plans. } 39... Kd8 { From hereon out, all he can do is pray I blunder. } 40. g4 { Why g4? Well, I forcehim to remove his last pawn that can do anything or let me pass at fullthrottle. The sad thing is that even now I could've done Rf8+...Ke7, a8=Qand he loses his rook. } 40... hxg4+ 41. hxg4 { So now I have the passed g-pawn,the a-pawn, and the f-pawn. That's WAY too much for him to defend. } 41... Ke8 42. Rb7 { My God. Looking back on this game there were so many opportunitiesto win his rook. In the end, he had to GIVE it to me. } 42... Kf8 { He's defendingthe g-pawn. It won't help, but damn it. I STILL had Rb8+. } 43. g5 Kg8 { I basically have free run of the board with my king. Do I wander overand take his c pawn then walk up the c file? Do I escort my g-pawn upto queen? It's all up to me. and I STILL fail to see Rb8+. } 44. Kg4 { Fromhere on out I'll just assume you all know how much of an idiot I am fornot just winning his rook. This move was key, believe it or not. Kf4seems a better move at first glance, but once you see Rxf2+ you see hecan harass my king all the way to the bank. } 44... Rxf2 { Clever move here. He's defending the queening mate. Won't help, but credit where it's due. fermoncada fought hard the entire match. } 45. a8=Q+ Rf8 46. Qxf8+ { Heckyes I'll take that rook. From here it's a game of choose-how-I'll-mate-you. Took me long enough to win that rook, though. Sheesh. } 46... Kxf8 { At thispoint we are well into my endgame comfort zone. I've planned out everypossible move. } 47. Kf5 Ke8 48. Kf6 Kd8 49. g6 Ke8 50. g7 Kd8 51. g8=Q# { Well played, fermoncada. } 1-0

[Event "Let's play chess"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "11-Jul-06"] [Round "-"] [White "sxcvi3t"] [Black "ludo21"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1461"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1185"] 1. e4 e5 { Usually I use the cicilian but I wanted to try something new... } 2. Nf3 d6 3. Na3 { a weird move... probably for C4 after... } 3... Nf6 4. Bd3 Nc6 5. b3 d5 6. exd5 Nxd5 7. O-O Bg4 8. Nc4 Bd6 9. h3 Bh5 10. g4 { I thinkthat this move open me too much } 10... Bg6 11. Bxg6 { Bad move... It opens methe column H... } 11... hxg6 12. Nxd6+ { he tried to protect is king from the attackbut it will be worse... } 12... Qxd6 13. c4 Nf4 14. Re1 O-O-O 15. Bb2 Nxh3+ { Idon't know why he doesn't proctect this pawn... } 16. Kf1 Qd3+ 17. Kg2 Nf4+ 18. Kg3 { and the finish... } 18... Rh3# 0-1

[Event "Analyzed Games"] [Site "ChessDoctor.com"] [Date "?.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "W53"] [Black "B53"] [Result "?"] [ECO "?"] {00053.6.24 Analyzed by Candidate Master Daniel Waite} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 h6 {This is a wasted move because the primary objective of the opening is get your pieces to useful squares as soon as possible. Time can be a decisive, depending on how you use it.} 4. c3 {The Giuoco Pianissimo. The idea is to play a quiet controlled game. Unfortunately many underestimate the potential of quiet moves and quiet games. This is fine if you understand the options and what you are choosing. For instance 4.0-0 is strongest and 4.d4 is interesting. Also playable is 4.Nc3 but this leads down some very sharp lines.} 4...Bc5 {I don't like this move. It certainly develops a piece but it does not stop the intended 5.d4. This gives White a target in the center, which means that time can be gained by attacking the Bishop.} 5. d4 {An interesting idea is 5.b4 but it is generally wise to play in the center unless there is a specific reason.} 5...exd4 6. cxd4 Bb6 {Again, Black does not help the cause in the center. ...Bb4+ is much stronger and because it puts pressure on the White center (attacking a supporting pieces with a pin). Also notice that the Bishop has moved twice and is not necessarily useful at b6 in this position.} 7. b3 {Fasinating idea. The possibilities of playing Bb2 or Ba3 offer Black some potential headaches. I personally like 7.0-0 because another primary idea of the opening is King safety. Preparing to castle is one of those keys. Remember because you are ready to castle does not mean you have to castle but all things being equal, typically you will want to castle as soon as it is safely possible.} 7...d6 8. O-O {Now let me confuse you. A move earlier castling was strong but now it is not. There is a specific concrete reason for judgment. Black now gets to threaten the center by ...Bg4. This threatens the center because it posses the possibility of removing the defender on f3.} 8... Bg4 9. Bb2 Nf6 {Once again, let me confuse you. Yes, this does develop a piece but there is a move that is stronger based on a concrete idea. 9...Qf6 creates more threats in the center than White can answer after ...Bxf3} 10. d5 Ne5 11. Bxe5 {So far the moves have been "natural" but it is time to make a decision. This move gives up the Bishop pair (something I'm personally allergic too). Worse than giving up the Bishop pair is the lose of the pressure on the center. Lose the center, lose the game. Both Be2 and Bb5+ are stronger.} 11...dxe5 12. h3 Bxf3 13. Qxf3 Bd4 14. Nc3 O-O 15. Rad1 {As a general rule, Rooks belong on 'open' files. This allows 15...Bxc3 16.Qxc3 Nxe4 17.Qxe5 Re8 and now Black can chose between ...Nf6 or ...Nd6 with the superior minor piece.} 15...a6 16. Ne2 Bc5 17. Ng3 g6 18. Qe2 b5 19. Bd3 Nh7 {Black saw this in a movie someplace. That's the only place a player can decentralize a Knight and survive. (There are some interesting exceptions but we'll discuss this after you crack the 2200 mark.) The idea that it looks like Black is trying for is ...f5 after the King's Indian style of attack.} 20. Kh1 {Free targets everywhere. Attack something! 20.Rc1} 20...Qe7 21. f4? {Charlie Brown always believed he could kick the football. This faith, which ignored reality, gave him much grief and pain. It is interesting that you have passed on many sound attacking ideas and gone after an unsound one. It's like you stopped believing in the truth to chase a shadow. This allows Black to grab the initiative immediately. When you are the cat and your opponent is the mouse - don't let him whistle for the bull dog! Black is bottled up. This move frees Black's game and gives him considerable chances. } 21...f6 {Blundering away the freeing ...exf4 22.Rxf4 Bd6! White's Bishop is just a tall pawn and the N on g3 is awful.} 22. fxe5 {When it rains it pours. Blundering the chance to play 22.f5! Now if ...gxf5 then 23.Nxf5 and the Knight is a beast. If ...g5 then 23.Qh5 and you can hear Black taking the last gasp. On ...Qe8 you get to play 23.fxg6 followed by planting your monster Knight on f5 the next move.} 22...fxe5 23. Rxf8 Rxf8 24. Rf1 Rxf1+ 25. Qxf1 Qg5 26. Qf3 Qc1+ 27. Qf1 Qe3 28. Kh2 {Nifty defense! It might be easy to lose track of Black's attacking ideas, but you don't. Good job.} 28...Kg7 29. h4 Nf6 30. Be2 {Winning in chess will be easier if you do not give away pieces.} 30...Nxe4 31. Nxe4 Qxe4 32. g3 Qxd5 33. Qf3 {It would not be out of line to resign at this point. Black has ...e4! and ...Qd2. Both are dangerous while ...e4 wins almost immediately.} 33...Qd4 34. Qg2 Qe3 35. Bf3 Bd4 36. g4 c5 {Missing 36...e4! And now not 37.Bxe4 because ...Be5+ 38.Kh1 Qe1+ 39.Qg1 Qxe4+} 37. Bb7 a5 38. Ba6 b4 {The final Black blunder. This allows the draw in a completely won position. Next time you see your opponent, by him a hot fudge Sunday to say 'thanks'. You have learned some valuable lessons!} 39. Qb7+ Kf8 40. Qa8+ Ke7 41. Qb7+ {Coach's advice: I would push you to "open" your game up. You have a good defensive feel but you don't trust yourself. It's like driving a Mustang 35 mph in a 55mph zone. Part of what you need to develop is a "feel for when." When should you castle? When should you attack? This boils down to priorities and opportunities. For instance, if your opponent leaves a piece undefended your mind should think "target practice." That is opportunity. If your priority is to run like "Chicken Little" then go for it, just make sure the center is secure at all costs. You lost your grip of the center on several occasions. Your opponent's final blunder was to lose control of the center. It doesn't take much, just focus. Be careful what you believe. You were safe but believed you were not and did not attack. You were unsafe but believed you were and attacked. You must learn to read the board, it alone is truth in the game of chess, not what you want, or fear, or hope.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "Intern HZP Schiedam"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date ""] [Round "-"] [White "J.Scheele"] [Black "A.Schouteren"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1814"] [TimeControl "1 oktober 2018"] [WhiteElo "1740"] 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Nf3 Bg4 5. Bb5+ Bd7 6. Qd3 a6 7. Bxd7+ Nxd7 8. Qb3 Qa5+ { (8... Pgf6 of e6 is beter) } 9. Nc3 e6 10. Bf4 { White has enough compensation for the pawn with 10.Dc6 Pe7 and 11.Dc6 Tb8. } 10... Bb4 { (waar 10...Db4 beter is) } 11. O-O Ra7 { White has just played the move 11. Pgf6, which is equivalent to 11. Ta7 and both players have a draw game. } 12. Rfe1 Ngf6 13. Ne5 Bxc3 { 13... Lxc3?!-0.39 (13....0-0 +0.27) } 14. bxc3 O-O 15. Rab1 Nxe5 16. Rxe5 { 16.Txe5?(16.dxe5 Pe4 17.c4 dxc4 18.Dxc4 Pc5 19.Ld2 Dxd2 20.Dxc5 Taa8 0.00 =) } 16... Ne4 { 16... Pe4!? (beter is 16... b5!) } 17. Re1 { White to move? (17.c4 -0.17 always in balance) Dxc4 [+ 1.60 for black] (still better is b5 + 1.74) } 17... Qxc3 18. Qb1 { Attacking the queen with a7 is checkmate and with Te3 threatens a1+ checkmate on the next move; however, 18.Td1 Tc8 is still playable, albeit with a 1.40+ for black. } 18... b5 19. Re3 Qxd4 20. R3xe4 { The light goes out. } 20... dxe4 { The knight on a7 is of no avail since the tower on e5 is able to capture it. } 21. c3 Qd3 22. Qxd3 exd3 23. Re1 Rc8 0-1

[Event "redcloud's mini-tournament"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009.07.25"] [Round "-"] [White "crazyeye180"] [Black "lumenator"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1476"] [TimeControl "3d+2d<5d"] [WhiteElo "1590"] 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nf3 e6 4. Bc4 Nc6 5. Nc3 b6 { i've never liked openingswhich start with fianchetto's on both sides. i just simply cant believethey're a good idea. whilst attempting to controll the centre from afarthey are theoretically a good idea i just cant believe that a quickly casteledking and some central pawns aren't better at achieving the same aim. } 6. Bf4 Bb7 { i dont normally open like this, it's too square. it doesnt seemlike theres any real attack, but in this case the c7 pawn is weak. i thinkthis is the problem with fianchetto-ing both sides so early. } 7. Nb5 d6 8. Qd2 a6 9. Nc3 { whilst that knight forray seems a little pointless white'sdeveloped his queen in the last two moves, whereas black just has somefunny looking pawns } 9... Nge7 { i think this is a clear mistake. it causes serioustrouble for black later in the game as we'll see and basically completelyremoves defence except pawns and one black bishop from the kingside. itsalso hinders the knight's own mobility. it could hactually have moved tomore squares from its home square than it can from there! } 10. O-O-O { whilstlong castleing tends to lead to complicated double edged positions i feltfairly confident (having the c1-h6 diagonal) that i could displcace blacksblack bishop, and remove some of the threat. here i was worried about Nb4,i am unsure if this is justfied but the idea of that queenside mobilizingquickly seemed quite scary, especially as the pawns could conitinue a fairdistance without real impediment, after 10)....,b5 11) bd3, e5 black hasstrong attacking chances on the queenside, a solid challenge for the centreand white's bishop is hemmed in . similarly retreating the bishop to b3causes further time headaches as does moving the a pawn to provide a spacefor it to sit. } 10... O-O { castleing here weakens the kningside. with the knighton e7 blocking any queen involvement white chose to attack along the Hfile, trying to exploit the weaknesses of the fianchetto setup (the knightcan easily move to g5 without being threatened, and bh6 forces an exchangeof black bishops, which is better for white). } 11. h4 e5 { i think thismove should've come under different circumstances (specifically beforeblack had casteled and when black had mobilised his queenside pawns) asnow the king is castled white can force exchanges } 12. Bh6 { the idea ofgiving up the D pawn for this attack i think was risky, though i was confidentof my piece mobility and calculated i needed about two extra moves to getunder the kingside defence, something that i thought a pawn and a (relitively)useless knight was worth. i think the key aspects of the position are white'sdominance of the a2-g7 and d2-h6 diagonals and black's spread and backwarddevelopment. the pawn on e4 prevents the E knight going anywhere usefulquickly, and also restricts the queens movment. similarly the other Knighton c, whilst a potential threat to whites queenside is at the moment justpreventing the bishop doing anything useful, as it is not part of a coordinatedattack, simply a lone piece with some pawns for backup, agianst a queensidecomposed of 3 pawns, 2 minor pieces and a queen. also significantly therooks are fairly inactive, the a rook has potential if the a pawn is pushedbut i dont think it ever is. } 12... exd4 13. Bxg7 Kxg7 { (dxc3 is obviously badfor black, after Bxc3,...., Qh6) now things aren't looking great for black,with the exception that the knight can now go to e5! something that wasclearly missed in two moves time. } 14. h5 { the key move, this totallycommits white to the attack,loosing the knight for tempo. my original (slightlyhopeful) analysis was the line: 14)...dxc3, 15)Qxc3+, kg8, 16) h6 whichis disasterous for black. other more likely lines i thought of were: *14)..., dxc3. 15) Qxc3, f6. 16) Ng5! (threatening the now unprotected e6and also f7 under protection of the knight), Bc8 (hoping to avoid variation2!). 17) h6+, Kh8 (the only option) 18) Nf7+ winning a rook for a knightand an excellent position. * 15) ..., f6. 16)Ng5, Qe8 17) Ne6+ !, Kh8,18) Nxf8, Qxf8. 19) Hxg6, Nxg6, 20) Qh3 (leading to positions ismilar tothose found after move 20 in this game only with slightly fairer material. having said that though the way the game did turn out is relatively similarto this for black even with the ?! on move 16 } 14... dxc3 { i think Ne5 was betterfor black. it's got more activating potential and threatens to double white'spawns on the f file, or else create two black connected pawns in the centre.(it also helps to discover an attack on e4.) } 15. Qxc3+ { from here blackis in trouble } 15... f6 16. Ng5 Ne5 { was this a mistake or some sort of bizzaretactical sacrifice? i'm still unsure, i hadn't actually thought that blackwould give up his queen but in effect it is the same as giving up the knightas white had earlier in terms of points, and it certainly improves black'sposition, (as we see after move 20.) by giving up the queen here, blackestablishes a knight in the centre of the board, has time to activate oneof his rooks on the d file, activates the bishop on b7 (a not insubstantialthreat of a bishop for rook trade considering the margin in terms of pointsis only 3) and potentially gains black a tempi or two (considering thequeen has not moved from its original square the entire game wheras theknight has moved a couple of spaces. also having the knight on e5 allowsfor the hxg6, Ne7xg6 eventuality and generally re-inforces balcks defensiveposition however the one thing that black is still substatially missingis a black bishop. as a result i was less worried about just taking thequeen } 17. Ne6+ { white took this not thinking too hard, Knight forks canbe hard to spot - i assumed he had just missed it. } 17... Kh8 18. Nxd8 Raxd8 { probably the correct rook to acticate as at the moment defnese is thename of the game. i had though instead of taking immediately blacks answermay have been Nxc4 - removing one of the substatial threats on his kingand giving him time to perhaps recooperate with two strong rooks in thecentre of the board, though of course it does fatally weaken the c7 andd and b 6 squares. and althought white may not want to open up his queensideto an attack, the advantage of essentially 2 maybe 3 pawns plus the twoknights for a queen going into the endgame would probably be insumountable,even with the strong rooks and extra two minor pieces. had the two blackknights been bishops i would have been more worried. } 19. hxg6 N7xg6 20. Qh3 { on with the attack!, at this point i was still thinking of endingthe game quickly. i thought that the queen and king fork had been an exampleof the preasure of my attack causing problems and decided to keep the preassureobviously on rather than suring up my position and trading off pieces untillthe endgame where i would presumably have an advantage. } 20... Rd7 21. g3 { thismove may look silly, but i wanted to make the advantage clear. i was uneasyabout the number of pieces (even less important ones) black had on theboard. hence i thought about trading my h rook and a pawn for the bishopand the knight on e5. materially exactly equal, and changing whites positionvery little except to advance my f and g pawns. black cannot move the eknight or else the queen takes the rook on d7. whereas black's positionis further weakend, as the a6 pawn is now unprotected and attacked. } 21... Bxe4 22. f4 Bxh1 23. Rxh1 f5 { another mistake i think. more accurate probablywould have been Rg7. this would almost certainly have lead me not to expecta checkmate in this game but a long drawn out affair. as it is e6 is nowa weak square and a fantastic square to have a bishop on. } 24. fxe5 dxe5 25. Be6 Re7 26. Bxf5 { the exchange worked out clean, that is that whites3 point advantage is maintained, at the cost of a black passed pawn, thoughwhite definately has the initiative here. crucially the mumber of pieceson teh board is now equal (black has one more pawn). so white's worry ofa well coordinated minor piece attack is removed. the material advantageboils down for a queen for a rook and a pawn. } 26... Kg7 { another mistake underpreasure from the attack, now checkmate is inevitable } 27. Qxh7+ Kf6 28. Qxg6# 1-0

[Event "Double Trouble"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2006.04.11"] [Round "-"] [White "wanred"] [Black "clagersie"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1513"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1471"] 1. Nc3 { In all the games on gameknot this is one I remember the most andenjoyed. It happened 3 years ago against clagersie. As normal there aremany mistakes in my games but some good moves too. I start with the Dunstopening. A change from moving my normal e4. } 1... d5 2. d4 { I made this moveto block blacks advance and chasing my knight. It would have extended hispawns however. Also my bishop comes into play. I thought should I movee4 to prompt a pawn exchange but decided against it. } 2... Nf6 3. Bg5 Nbd7 { Blackprotects his knight on f6 . A knight - bishop exchange would have meant a double up of Black's pawns on the king side, I guess black did not wantthat. } 4. Nf3 { I continue my development. } 4... e6 5. e4 { e3 a mirror move ofBlack's e6 was my other move. I choice e4 was to be a little more aggressive.Tempting a pawn exchange knowing if 5... dxe4. 6. Nxe4. Black knight unableto take my knight because my bishop pinning his knight against his Queen.My hope is that he will turn down the exchange so I can advance my e pawnto e5 and pressure his knight. } 5... h6 { Black turns down the exchange but seesthe potential advance of e5 so black needs my bishop moved to unpin hisknight. } 6. Bxf6 { I felt I had to make this move. Bh4 would have been foolishas black would have pushed g5 and Bishop would have to retreat furtherresulting the loss of my pawn on e4. } 6... Nxf6 7. Qe2 { e4 needs protecting.other options were e5 and Bd3 but I decide to move my Queen in preparationto castle Queen side. Was Bd3 better. Should I have prepared to castleking side instead? comments please. } 7... dxe4 8. Nxe4 b6 { Black looks to fianchethisbishop attacking knight on e4. } 9. O-O-O { I decide to castle. Maybe castlingthis side was a little weak as I've lost my black bishop to defend c1-h6line and my knight is off c3. } 9... Be7 { I thought black might have moved Bb7here but instead looks to castle. } 10. h4 { Knowing that I have a weaknesson c1-h6 line I decide to give g5 square extra protection.Also knowingthat black will probably castle king side h4 starts a Queen side attack. } 10... O-O 11. Ne5 { Looking to move to Nc6.attacking Queen and bishop. } 11... Bb7 { Blackstops that move and now has a doumle attack on my knight at e4. } 12. Nc3 { Was f3 better? Maybe it was and it would have put a pawn in the centreif the piece exchange was made. I did not want to move my knight to g3as it would have hindered my pawns so decided a defensive move to protectmy kings pawns. } 12... Bb4 13. Qd3 { Protecting my knight. I don't want 13...Bxc3 14. bxc3. That would weaken my pawn defense. } 13... Bxc3 14. Qxc3 { Pieceexchange but also moving me away from e4. } 14... Ne4 15. Qe1 { Protecting my fpawn. } 15... Re8 16. f3 { There's f3. Should have done that a few moves ago. } 16... Nd6 { Black retreats. } 17. Qg3 { I did think of moving g4 to stop Nf5 butthought that would leave f3 very weak. Qg3 a poor move by me I feel butworse was to come. } 17... Nf5 { A double attack on d4 with knight and queen andonly my rook to defend. Also knight attacks my queen. } 18. Qg4 { a massiveblunder by me, I look to defend d4 but Clagersie can now fork my queenand rook with Ne3. f2 or e1 would have been better. } 18... Ne3 { Which he does. } 19. Qf4 { Save the queen. } 19... Nxd1 20. Kxd1 f6 { I think I would have movedc5 here attacking d4. } 21. Ng6 { My knight finds a hole and hope's the pawnon the h file will advance to defend him. } 21... e5 { Thing's are not lookinggood. } 22. Qd2 { blockading my king. } 22... exd4 { I might have gone Qxd4 forcinga queen exchange. } 23. Bd3 { Waking my bishop up to give my rook more options. } 23... Qd5 { attacking a2. } 24. b3 { I move b3 to protect a2 and threaten Bc4 pinningblacks Queen. } 24... Qh5 { Black sees it. } 25. Bc4+ Kh7 { blacks other move wasBd5. } 26. Qd3 { I spot a possible double check but first should I have movedBf7 or Nf4 attacking his Queen? } 26... Re3 { This move surprised me and on firstglance looks menacing. Blacks attention is clearly fixed on f3 with queenrook and bishop attacking it. Rook also looking my Queen in the face toobut Black should have moved Be4 or Qxg6. Now for checkmate in 2! } 27. Nf8+ { Revealing a double check! Both Queen and Knight are safe. Only h8is safe for the black king. } 27... Kh8 { Black is dead and 3 up too! } 28. Qh7# { I enjoyed that ending, It could and should have been stopped but blackdid not see the lethal double check rendering rooks attack on my Queenuseless! That was pulled out of the fire! Very satisfying, just provessometimes when you make a horrible mistake sometimes not all is lost. } 1-0

[Event "Connected passed pawns, http://gameknot.com/"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2012.05.09"] [Round "-"] [White "benrous1"] [Black "Sporting opponent"] [Result "1-0"] 1. d4 { I play white in this blitz game. Normal queen's gambit openingfor a while. } 1... d5 2. c4 Nf6 3. a3 { I don't know why I chose this move order. There's probably something wrong with this move. However, the queen'sgambit seems to be a bit forgiving to a beginner like me. } 3... e6 4. Nc3 c6 5. Bg5 { Where does this bishop go, here or f4? I tried this one. } 5... Be7 6. e3 O-O 7. Nf3 a6 { Not sure what this does. b5 is already unavailableto the N. I suppose it prepares b5 pawn push. } 8. Ne5 { This move goesin the 'try' category. } 8... b5 { There's the push. } 9. b3 { Required. } 9... Bb7 10. Be2 Nbd7 { Kicks my N. } 11. Nxd7 Qxd7 12. O-O h6 13. Bh4 Nh7 14. Bxe7 Qxe7 15. cxb5 { My normal conundrum--how to handle pawns??? Help? } 15... axb5 16. b4 { ?? the a pawn is backward, my B is still junk. (So is black's, though...) } 16... e5 17. Re1 f5 { Black charges ahead. I search for counterplay. } 18. dxe5 Qxe5 { Threatens the N, which has very few squares, threatens some sortof infiltration. } 19. Qc1 { Several options to protect the N, I went withthe one that doubled up on a3. I probably should have kept the Q aimedat a4, however. Ahh, blitz. } 19... Ng5 20. a4 { Looking for counterplay on theQueen side. This threatens to win a pawn, actually, and I'm not sure black'sbest response. Perhaps bxa4, followed by a rook trade, is best. Thisdoes allow white a good knight on c5, however. But black opted for... } 20... Ne4 { Easily dealt with, allowing me to trade a weak knight for a strongone. } 21. Nxe4 fxe4 22. axb5 { The pawn is won, if I'm not mistaken. } 22... Rxa1 23. Qxa1 Qf5 { Black tries to keep up the attack, but plays a dangerousgame with the a and b files. } 24. Rf1 Ra8 25. Qb2 { c1 was an interestingtry, doubling the attack on c6; but I wanted to avoid a rook inflitration. } 25... h5 { Black tries to keep the attack going, but his plan is too slow. } 26. Rc1 { Threatening bxc6 with a winning advantage. } 26... h4 { ? Black lacks animmediate threat, and is allowing connected passed pawns. } 27. bxc6 { !obvious, and deadly. Black lacks an adequate reply. } 27... Bc8 28. b5 { Passedpawns must be pushed! } 28... g5 { Too slow. } 29. b6 { Threatening b7 and the fork. } 29... Rb8 30. b7 { Push! } 30... Be6 31. c7 { And push! } 31... Rxb7 { Off comes the rook. } 32. Qxb7 h3 33. g3 Bc8 { A try, but walks into a pin. } 34. Qb8 Kg7 { Breaks thepin } 35. Ba6 { Perhaps maneuvering the rook to the 8th rank was a betterplan, but Black is lost. } 35... Bxa6 36. c8=Q Qf3 { Black goes all in, hopingfor a slip. I had about 1:00 left on the clock, but apparently that wasn'tenough for me to find a forced mate with two queens and a rook on the strandedking. Oh well. Back to the tactical training for me. } 37. Qg8+ { ? Qh8,denying the retreat down the h file, was needed, followed by a Qb8 to c7or d6. } 37... Kh6 38. Rc6+ { ?? Arg. Qh8! } 38... Kh5 39. Qh7+ { I guess, but.. } 39... Kg4 40. Qf4+ { ? This worked, but it's a crude tool it seems. } 40... gxf4 41. Qg6# { Finally. The passed pawns prevail. } 1-0

[Event "Team match"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2015.11.08"] [Round "-"] [White "otakumadness"] [Black "pasty100"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1050"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1058"] 1. d4 Nc6 2. e4 Nf6 3. e5 Ne4 4. Bd3 f5 5. exf6 d5 { I gain a pawn advantagebecause Black can't recapture due to having to protect the knight. } 6. fxe7 Qxe7 { Exchange of pawns. } 7. Nf3 Nb4 8. a3 Nf6+ 9. Be3 Nxd3+ 10. Qxd3 Qb4+ { This was a bad move on Black's part; now I get the queen. } 11. axb4 Bxb4+ 12. c3 Bd6 13. Nbd2 g6 14. Qb5+ c6 15. Qd3 Bf5 16. Qe2 Ne4 17. Nxe4 dxe4 { Exchange of knights. } 18. Ng5 h6 19. Nh3 { The only safe place formy knight to move. } 19... h5 20. Ng5 { Now my knight can move back up to whereit was. } 20... Be7 21. O-O O-O 22. Qc4+ { Thus begins my forced checkmate. } 22... Kg7 23. Ne6+ { I think in this instance, black should have taken the knightwith the bishop. White would have recaptured, but black wouldn't have losta rook. } 23... Kg8 24. Nxf8+ { Taking the rook. } 24... Kxf8 25. Bh6+ Ke8 26. Qg8+ { Pinningthe rook. } 26... Kd7 27. Qxa8 Kc7 28. Bf4+ Bd6 29. Bxd6+ Kxd6 { Exchanging thebishops. } 30. Qxb7 Be6 { Not really sure why black made this move. Maybehe was trying to open up a path for his bishop to be able to move morefreely. } 31. Qb4+ Kd5 32. Qc5# { Mate. I think castling kingside and losingthe queen were two of Black's big mistakes in this game. The Queen is self-explanatory,but in move 21, when black castle kingside rather than queenside, it putthe king within range of my queen to check him. From move 22 onward, it'sa string of my checking the king in various ways to either gain a pieceor force his move. If Black had castled queenside instead on move 21, Iwouldn't have been able to force a mate so easily. } 1-0

[Event "solohawk6_9's mini-tournament"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "06-Jul-06"] [Round "-"] [White "macduffee"] [Black "markpinkston"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1473"] [TimeControl "5d+2d, 7d max"] [WhiteElo "1390"] 1. d4 { This is the first time I have played macduffee, but I usually answerd4 with ...Nf6 to keep my central pawn options open. } 1... Nf6 2. e3 { An interestingmove that leads me to think a Colle is coming. I used to play the Collequite a bit as white, but more recently have moved to the Scotch Game.It would be fun to play the black side of a Colle. } 2... e6 { Keeping my optionsopen should white play c4 and transpose into more normal lines. } 3. c4 { And we are back at a more normal position. I can play ...Bb5 if I wantto head into a Bogo-Indian, but that is not what I play with black. } 3... d5 { I prefer a Queen's Gambit Declined. } 4. c5 { And now we are out of book.This can't be a good move theoretically, but as a surprise tactic, it maybe playable. It certainly caught me by surprise. } 4... b6 { Threatening to wina pawn with ...bxc5 and ready to meet cxb6 with axb6, opening the a filefor my rook. } 5. b4 { But white wants to bolster his pawn on c5. } 5... a5 { SoI attack the defender. } 6. b5 { This drops a pawn, but white seems moreinterested in gaining queenside space. } 6... bxc5 7. Ba3 { Finally developinga piece, but I'm not sure what this accomplishes. Maybe looking to tradeon f8 if black plays ...cxd4, but that trade doesn't really do anythingfor white. } 7... cxd4 { So I will take another pawn. } 8. Bxf8 Rxf8 { And now blackcan castle by hand with ...Ke7, ...Re8, ...Kf8. But for the time being,the king is safe where he is. } 9. exd4 { Getting back one of the pawns,but I don't see that white has enough compensation for his sacrificed pawn. } 9... c6 { Hoping for bxc6, when I can recapture with the knight and increasemy lead in development. } 10. bxc6 { And white obliges. } 10... Nxc6 { After 10 moveswe can take stock of the opening. Black is up a pawn and has both knightsdeveloped. The only piece white has that isn't on its starting square isthe d4 pawn. If this was a boxing match, white would get a standing eightcount. } 11. Bb5 { Developing a piece with an attack. Maybe this will bea game after all. } 11... Bd7 { As I am up a pawn, I will look for ways to tradedown to an endgame. This prepares to offer a trade of bishops. Oh yeah,and it breaks the pin :) } 12. Nf3 { Nice developing move that prepares castling. } 12... Nb4 { White's a pawn can kick the knight from this position at any time,but the point was to trade the bishops off. } 13. Bxd7+ Qxd7 { Mission accomplished. } 14. O-O { White gets castled, but if I can get the queens off, my king willbe safe, even without castling. And in an endgame, my king will be closerto the center, which is an advantage. } 14... Ke7 { But I must release the king'srook. } 15. a3 { Getting rid of the knight. } 15... Nc6 { The knight resumes hisattack on the isolated d pawn. I probably can't get enough pressure onit to win it, but maybe I can stretch white's resources enough to allowsome other weakness to arise. } 16. Qd3 { Eyeing the h pawn and getting thequeen off the back rank to help connect the rooks. } 16... h6 { Not only does thisrelease the f6 knight from the obligation of defending the pawn on h7,it takes away the g5 square from white's knight. The drawback is that ifthe f6 knight moves away, white's queen can invade on h7 and the g7 pawnis weak. But I am not worried. } 17. Nc3 { Finishing development. } 17... Rfc8 { Puttinga rook on an open file is standard middle game strategy. } 18. Rfc1 { Whichwhite is aware of also :) } 18... Kf8 { Not sure why I did this, but probably toprotect the g7 pawn so the f6 knight is free to move. } 19. Na4 { Headingfor the nice outpost on c5. } 19... Qa7 { Again, I don't remember what I was thinkinghere, except that the queen has to go somewhere when the black knight getsto c5. } 20. Nc5 { And white's knight is strong here, covering importantsquares in the black camp. } 20... Nd7 { So I attempt to trade it off. } 21. Qh7 { And white declines to trade on d7, since my trading on c5 will let himrecapture with the then-passed c pawn. Also, his queen has now invadedmy weak kingside pawns, and looks to wreak some havok. } 21... Nxc5 { Getting ridof the strong knight, as I think I can successfully blockade the c pawn. } 22. Qh8+ { But rather than recapture immediately on c5, white plays thisintermezzo to win the g pawn. } 22... Ke7 23. Qxg7 Nb3 { But by not recapturingon c5, white lost a piece, and with this move black wins the exchange also.As white does not want to continue a rook down, he resigns. 0-1 } 0-1

[Event "Let's play chess"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "21-Mar-08"] [Round "-"] [White "chris16"] [Black "eddieleggs"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1861"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1922"] 1. f4 c5 { This reply to Bird's opening allows Black the option of placinga pawn on d6 to prevent a White knight from reaching e5. The main lineis 1 ... d5, heading for a Dutch Defense Reversed with the main fight overcontrol of e5, a line that can also be reached by way of the more flexible1 ... g6. Finally, for those who like immediate fireworks there's From'sGambit, 1 ... e5. } 2. Nf3 { 2 e4 g6 transposes to the Sicilian Grand PrixAttack } 2... Nf6 3. c4 { 3 e4 would once again transpose to the Grand Prix Attack,but with Black's knight already on f6. } 3... Nc6 4. e3 { Black has the optionof a Sicilian Dragon type setup with d7-d6 shutting the Knight out of e5and g7-g6 and B8-g7 bringing pressure along the a1-h8 diagonal. Whitedecides to counter by forcing an immediate d2-d4, but Black already hasa slight pull because of the awkwardness of White's pawn structure. } 4... g6 5. d4 { White is already falling behind in development, and forcing theissue on d4 adds to his problems by further weakening the central squares. The less committal 5 Nc3 Bg6 6 Be2 d6 7 0-0 0-0 would probably have beenbetter. } 5... cxd4 { The most logical way to attack White's pawn center. Thisexchange and Black's next move remove pawn support for d4, fix White'sd pawn as a target on the soon to be hot diagonal, and give Black the half-openc file. If White then plays cxd5, he's left with an isolated d pawn andthe pawn cover for his king has been disrupted on both wings. For Black,5 ... cxd4 and 6 ... d5 has the drawback of weakening e5, but White's weakpawns, lagging development and difficulty castling minimize the threatof a knight on e5. } 6. exd4 d5 7. Nc3 Bg7 8. cxd5 { This causes more problemsfor White than it solves. On the other hand, after 8 c5 or 8 Be3 the dpawn is still a fixed target, and White is flirting with a new positionalproblem, a bad dark-square bishop (compare the game jwh1234-eddieleggs,7-Mar-2008). } 8... Nxd5 9. Qb3 { A reasonable alternative was 9 Bc4 Nb6 10 Bb30-0 11 Be3 Bg4 12 h3 Bxf3. } 9... Nb6 10. d5 { Better than 10 Be3 Be6 11 Qa3 0-0AND 10 bB5 0-0 11 bXC6 BXC6. On the other hand, White's going to havetrouble finding a secure refuge for his king, and the transfer of the Blackbishop to the a7-g1 diagonal makes this even more difficult. } 10... Nd4 { Therewas no point in allowing the knight to be deflected to a5, or to createa traffic jam among Black's pieces on e7. } 11. Nxd4 { Virtually forced. Very bad is 11 Qd1 Bg4 12 Be3 Bxf3 13 gxf3 Nf5 14 Bf2 Bxc3 15 bxc3 Qc716Bb5 Kf8. Not quite so bad (but not good) is 11 Bb5 Nxb5 12 Qxb5 Bd713 Qb3 Qc714 0-0 Nc4 15 Kh1 0-0 16 Ne5 Rac8. } 11... Bxd4 12. Bb5+ { White's firstpriority should be to get Black's bishop off the a7-g1 diagonal, so thebest move here is 12 Nb5. Black will have at best a minimal edge afterthe bishop retreats to f6 or g7 (e.g., 12 ... Bf6 13 Be3 0-0 14 Rd1 Bf515 Be2 Be4 16 0-0 Nxd5 17 Bc4 e6 18 Bxa7 Rxa7 19 Nxa7), and White getsa bonus if Black falls into 12 ... Bc5? 13 Qc3. } 12... Bd7 13. Bxd7+ Nxd7 { 13... Qxd7 is playable, as well, with pressure against d5, but the knightmight be needed on the kingside. The position is reminiscent of the Panov-BotvinnikAttack in the Caro-Kann after 1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 exd5 cxd5 4 c4 Nf6 5 Nc3Nc6 6 Nf3 Bg4 7 cxd5 Nxd5 8 Qb3 Bxf3 9 gxf3 Nb6 10 d5 Nd4 11 Bb5 Nd7 12Qa4 Nxb5 13 Qxb5 g6. White doesn't have the Panov-Botvinnik's doubledf pawn, but Black is a tempo or two ahead, and his bishop prevents 14 0-0. } 14. Ne2 { Best. Not so good is 14 Qxb7?! Rb8, when neither 15 Qa6 Nc5 16Qc6 Kf8 17 d6 Kg7 18 Qd5 Qxd6 19 Qxd6 exd6 nor 15 Qc6 0-0 is satisfactory. White's king is stuck in the center, and he lags badly in development. } 14... Bc5 { 14 ... Bb6 is playable, but this keeps a useful eye on d6. } 15. Bd2 { This makes 0-0-0 possible, but somewhat better was 15 Be3 Qa5 16 Kf2Nf6 17 Bxc5 Qxc5 18 Kf3 Qxd5 19 Qxd5 Nxd5 20 Rac1 0-0. } 15... O-O 16. f5 { Thisis White's eighth pawn move, half of his first sixteen. The logical follow-throughto 15 Bd2 0-0 is 16 0-0-0 Nb6 17 Nc3 Rc8 18 Kb1 Qc7 19 Rhe1. Black stillhas an advantage, but a smaller one than in the game. } 16... Nf6 { This is lesscommittal than 16 ... Rc8 and puts pressure on the d pawn. Black couldalso try 16 ... Qb6 17 0-0-0 Rac8 18 Kb1 Qxb3 19 axb3Nf6 20 fxg6 fxg6 21Nc3 Ng4, but I wanted to keep the queens on the board. } 17. fxg6 hxg6 18. Nc3 { The d pawn is now defended, but White's king is still on its originalsquare and his bishop passively posted. } 18... Qd7 { Once again, this is moreflexible than 18 ... Rc8 19 0-0-0 Qc7. As it turns out, the Black queen'srook can serve very well from a8 by supporting the advance of the a pawn. } 19. O-O-O { White's alternatives were less attractive: 1) 19 Rf1 Qg420 Gb5 Bd6 21 Qe2 Bxh2 or 2) 19 Qa4 Rfd8 20 Qxc7 Rxd7 21 0-0-0 Rad8. } 19... Rfc8 { Why not? Maximum firepower on the queenside. Whether White plays 20Rhf1, 20 Kb1, 20 h3 or 20 Rhe1 (as in the game) the answer will be 20 ...a5. } 20. Rhe1 a5 { Black now has a winning advantage. } 21. Bg5 { Slightlybetter is 21 a4. The Black a pawn now advances with gain of tempo, forcesa weakening of c3, and becomes a permanent thorn in White's side on a3. } 21... a4 22. Qc2 a3 23. Kb1 { The king needs to find shelter. No better is 23Bxf6. } 23... Ra6 { This may not be best, even though it turns out well for Black. 23 ... Bd6 24 Rd3 axb2 25 Bxf6 exf6 26 Qxb2 Be5 27 Qb5 Qxb5 28 Nxb5 Rc529 Na3 Rac5 is Black's other try. } 24. Bxf6 Rxf6 25. g3 { It's hard to seeany purpose behind this move. Black is threatening 25 ... Bb4 with a doublepin on the White knight. The logical response would be to move eitherthe queen or the e1 rook. E.g., White might try 25 Qd3 qxb2 26 Ne4 Ra627 Nxc5 Rxc5 or 25 Rf1 Rb6 26 Na4 Rb5 27 b3 Qg4 or 25 Qa4 b5 26 Qb3 Rf2. } 25... Bb4 26. Re3 Rb6 { Black had at least two other options. Perhaps bestwas 26 ... axb2 27 d6 Rxd6 28 Rxd6 Bxd6 29 Rd3 Qc6 30 Kxb2 Be5 31 a3 Qb5, but 26 ... Qc7 27 Qb3 Rb6 28 Na4 Rb5 29 d6 was also playable. } 27. b3 { With his last few moves White has broken one of the pins on his knightand removed the threat of axb2, but at the cost of depriving the knightof pawn support and leaving Black with a very annoying pawn on a3. } 27... Rb5 { Since 27 b3 temporarily relieves the pressure against b2, Black decidesto switch gears. The objective is no longer an attack but winning thed pawn and wholesale exchanges that lead to a won endgame. } 28. Rd4 { Theonly try: 28 Rde1 Rbc5 29 Rxe7 Rxc3 30 Rxd7 Rxc2 31 Re8 Rxe8 32 Kxc2Re2 33 Kd3 Rxa2-+; or 28 d6 exd6 29 Red3 Rbc5 30 Rxd6 Qe8 31 Qe4 Bxc332 Qxe8 Rxe8-+. } 28... Bxc3 { Black could have played 28 ... Ba5, but there wasno point in getting tangled up in complications such as a possible rooksacrifice on f7 or g6. Now all the pieces will be exchanged, leaving Blackwith a won king and pawn endgame. } 29. Rxc3 Rxc3 30. Qxc3 Rxd5 31. Rxd5 { The rooks have to go: 31 Rf4 Rd3 32 Qc1 Rd1. } 31... Qxd5 { Black is a pawn ahead,but what make his advantage decisive are his superior king position, hispawn on a3, and his passed e pawn. After an exchange of queens Black willwin the king and pawn endgame by advancing his e and f pawns supportedby his king. And the queens must go. White can't defend against Black'smate threats on b2 and d1, as well as threats against his g and h pawns,while handicapped by a king with absolutely no pawn cover. The immediatethreat is 32 ... Qd1 , forcing the exchange of queens. } 32. Qc4 { This obviouslyfails to prevent the exchange of queens, but the two likeliest alternativesare no better: 32 Qc1 Gf5 33 Qc2 Qf1 33 Qc1 Qxc1 34 Kxc1 f5 and we'vetransposed to the game; 32 Kc2 e5 33 Qd2 Qxd2 34 Kxd2 f5 and Black wins. Worse is 32 Qc8 Kg7 33 Qc3 (after 33 Qc4 Qd1 34 Qc1 Qxc1 35 Kxc1 f5Black has gained a tempo over the game continuation) e5 34 Kc2 Qg2 35Qd2 Qxd2 36 f5, when Black is a tempo ahead of the 32 Kc2 variation givenabove. A final try is 32 b4, opening a path to the Black a pawn: 32 ...Qd1 33 Qc1 Qxc1 (or Black can play ... Qf3 34 Qd2 e5 35 Kd2 e4 and try tojam the e pawn down White' throat) 34 Kxc1 f5 35 Kd2 (there's no time tocapture the a pawn: 35 Kc2 e5 36 Kb3 f4) Kf7 36 Ke3 e5 and Black winsas in the game. } 32... Qd1+ 33. Qc1 Qxc1+ 34. Kxc1 f5 35. Kd2 e5 36. h3 Kf7 { Theking comes to the center. White has no chance of counterplay on the queensidebecause his king can't leave the square of the f pawn (36 b4 Ke6 37 Kc2f4 and after either 38 g4 g5 or 38 gxf4 exf4 the White king can't go tothe b file). } 37. Ke2 Kf6 38. Ke3 g5 { Another road to the win is 38 ...Ke6 39 Kd3 Kd5, but there was no need to move the king any farther towardthe center than necessary. After the text, Black wins easily because Whitehas no way to slow down the e and f pawns: 39 h4 gxh4 40 gxh4 f4 andconnected passed pawns rule; 39 g4 e4 40 Kd4 b6 41 Ke3 Ke5 42 gxf5 Kxf5and wins; 39 b4 f4 40 gxf4 (40 Kf2/3 fxg3 41 Kxg3 e4 42 b5 Ke5 43 Kg2(43 Kg4 Kd4) Kd4 and wins. } 39. Kd3 f4 40. g4 { After 40 gxf4 gxf4 41Ke4 Kg5 the h pawn falls. } 40... f3 { The pawns don't need to be defended by theking, since capturing the laggard pawn allows the remaining pawn to queen. } 41. Ke3 e4 42. Kf2 Ke6 { Triangulation to lose a tempo. } 43. b4 Ke5 44. Ke3 b5 { Zugzwang. } 45. Kd2 f2 { White resigned in light of 46 Ke2 e3 47Kf1 Kf4 48 Kg2 (48 Ke2 Ke4 49 Kf1 Kf3 50 h4 e2#) Ke4 49 h4 (49 Kf1 Kf3)gxh4 50 Kh3 (50 g5 h3 51 Kf1 f2) f1Q . } 0-1

[Event "The Fool's Checkmate"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2014.12.15"] [Round "-"] [White "michel77"] [Black "otakumadness"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1282"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1304"] { The Fool's Checkmate is easily the shortest documented chess game in history- four moves to mate. I don't recognize it at first, but white makes crucialerrors that allow me to mate. } 1. g4 { First error, as you'll see in thefollowing moves. It would have been better to move a different pawn, becausethis pawn being moved two spaces forward is one of the aspects of the Fool'sMate. If the pawn had moved one space instead of two, it would have protectedthe h4 square and White would have avoided mate. } 1... d5 2. Nf3 Bxg4 { Takingthe unprotected pawn } 3. Nd4 e5 { Threatening the knight } 4. f3 { Seconderror. Mate is inevitable unless White either protects h4 (to prevent myQueen from moving there) or f2 (in order to interpose) or moves a pawnin front of the king to allow it to escape check. } 4... Bd7 { I didn't recognizethe Fool's Mate at first because it's been so long, but then I recognizeit two moves after this. } 5. c3 { White forgets to move the knight out ofdanger } 5... exd4 6. cxd4 { Exchange complete. Mate on the next move. } 6... Qh4# { Mate.White made several crucial errors in this (short) game. } 0-1

[Event "Let's play chess"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "06-Oct-07"] [Round "-"] [White "ddbjean"] [Black "billbolton"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1514"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1509"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 { A typical, ueventful Ruy Lopez opening ... } 3... Nge7 { Bad moves as the knight in e7 hinders the development of the blackbishop. It is also cramp black position as castling on the king side becomesmore difficult. } 4. O-O a6 5. Ba4 b5 6. Bb3 Ng6 7. d4 Be7 8. c4 { c5!? freeingup c2 as a retreat path for the bishop on b3, allowing the knight onb1 to be developed on c3 and challenging black center. Preferable was theless aggressive but very solid c2-c3. } 8... O-O 9. d5 { Trying to disrupt blackcramped position and expanding white's space advantage in the center. } 9... Na5 { 9. ... Na5 trying to get to get the bishop pair is less significantin a cramp position. } 10. cxb5 axb5 { Preferable is Nxb3 as it is a goodpractice to exchange when behind in development. Play would continue: 10.... Nxb3 11. Qxc3 a6xb5 with solid attacking potentials. For example ifwhite plays 12. N-c3 then Balck would reply with 12. .. B-a3! with thesharp threat 13. .. b5 14. N-e2 B-c5 which powerfully place black bishoppair on the queen side bearing down on white's king position. } 11. Bc2 Bb7 12. Nc3 c6 { c6! challenging white advanced pawns } 13. d6 { 13. d6!?- gaining a tempo and trying to restrict black mobility and keep the h1-a8diagonal close for now - at the expense of white pawn structure. } 13... Bf6 14. Be3 Nc4 15. b3 Nxe3 16. fxe3 { Nxe3 was a double edge move. White pawn structureis further crippled but the compensations are adequate: Open F file, goodprotection for the weak squares d4 and f4. White's 2 powerful kngithsin a very cramped position is an extra bonus. } 16... Bg5 17. Nxg5 Qxg5 18. Qe2 b4 19. Na4 Ba6 20. Bd3 Nh4 { threatening 20. ..., Bxd3 21 Qxd3 Qxg2 mate } 21. Bxa6 Rxa6 { 22. Qxa6??? is bad because of Qxg2 mate. } 22. g3 f5 { Losingmove ... Black is overextended and their position is going to come crumblingdown very soon. The rook in a6 and the knight in h5 are both under attack.Black will lose a piece once the pin in g1 is relieved. To make a badposition worse, Black just open the c4-g8 diagonal exposing the black king.Opening of the F file will not bode well for the black position. Betterwas 22. ... R-a8 22. g3 N-g6 followed by N-h8 and N-f7 bearing down onwhite disconnected e6 pawn. } 23. Kh1 { Calmly removing the pin and leavingthe knight and the rook under attack. } 23... Raa8 24. gxh4 Qxh4 25. Nc5 { N-c5!- shifting the focus of attack on the weak d7 pawn with a view to createa passed pawn on d6. Not 25. e4xf5 ... because of 25. ... Qxe4ch followedby Rxf5 } 25... fxe4 { an other bad move ... Opening the f file white's rooks. } 26. Nxd7 { Nxd7! a devastating move for white and possibly the winning move.It attacks f8 winning the F file for white. It also threatens an elegantmate . } 26... Rxf1+ 27. Rxf1 Rd8 28. Qc4+ { 24. Q-c4ch is a solid move. it putspressure on f7, pester the black king. Better was 24 Nxe5! R-d6 25 Q-c4ch! K-h8 26. N-f7ch! K-g8 27. N-h6 dblch! followed by mate } 28... Kh8 29. Nxe5 { Threatening mate 30. N-f7ch Kg8. 31. N-h6 dblch! Kh8. 32. Qg7ch Rxg733. N-f7!!! choked mate. Black will also lose his queen because after29. ... h6 30. Ng6ch forked the king and the queen on h4. Also 29. ...Rxe6 30. Rf8 mate. Black is in a lot of trouble. } 29... h6 30. Ng6+ { Wins thequeen and the game. } 30... Kh7 31. Nxh4 Rxd6 32. Qxe4+ { Black cannot escape checkmate ... } 1-0

[Event "100th GK tournament"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2012.12.11"] [Round "-"] [White "blitzkov"] [Black "velunia8"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1700"] [TimeControl "2 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1875"] { Hello, all :) This is from the 100th GK Tournament! } 1. c4 { The English,one of my favorites. } 1... Nf6 { I like this response best. } 2. Nc3 g6 { GoingKing's Indian, I think. } 3. e4 { Stopping 3...d5 and threatening 4. e5! } 3... d6 { Probably best. } 4. g3 Bg7 5. Bg2 { To keep my centre safe. } 5... O-O 6. Nge2 { I think this is better than Nf3; it gives the Knight more 'flexibility'! } 6... c5 7. O-O Nc6 8. d3 { Keep my Pawns together is best, I think. } 8... e6 9. h3 { Planning Be3 but if I went Be3 before 9. h3, he could go Ng4! } 9... Nd7 10. Be3 { Nice place for my Bishop. } 10... Nde5 11. f4 { 'Move!' The Pawn says :) } 11... Nd7 12. Qd2 Qc7 13. g4 { Kingside attack coming! } 13... b6 14. Nb5 { ! As you'llsee.... } 14... Qb8 15. e5 { !! (maybe it doesn't deserve '!!') Threatening theKnight on c6 and the d6-Pawn! } 15... dxe5 { ? Losses a piece. } 16. Bxc6 { Wins.He resigned here. } 1-0

[Event "Amateur Dragon Series #8"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "4.??.??"] [Round "-"] [White "jacamabe"] [Black "scottyad"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1984"] [TimeControl "3"] [WhiteElo "1785"] 1. e4 { An adventure in the main line of the 9.Bc4 Yugoslav, the SoltisVariation. It is a typical Dragon encounter, which is to say pawn stormsrage on both flanks and Black sacs the Exchange for attacking chances (butnot on c3!). } 1... c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 O-O 8. Qd2 Nc6 9. Bc4 { The 9.Bc4 Yugoslav, signaling a double-edgedgame. This move is far from refuted, but White players are lately flockingto the 9.0-0-0 plan, keeping the bishop at home (intending to save timeon the Bc4-b3 maneuver by simply avoiding it) and virtually forcing Blackto play 9... d5 with liquidation and a very small edge for White. After9.Bc4, plenty of tactical possibilities arise. } 9... Bd7 10. Bb3 { The mostflexible move, as the bishop retreat is inevitable. Another perk of thisline is to de-claw one of Black's more interesting options (and a personalfavorite), the Chinese Dragon with 10. .. Rb8. } 10... Rc8 { Thus, Black somewhatgrudgingly enters the main lines with ... Rc8. Other alternatives are possible(but just barely, according to modern theory!). } 11. O-O-O { ([The pointis that after] 10... Rb8? [White can soundly grab material. As much analysishas shown,] 11. Nxc6 bxc6 12.Bxa7 [leaves Black with very few options.The bishop on b3 effectively covers the queenside pawn trio and White's11.Nxc6 has taken the ...Ne5-c4 maneuver off the menu for Black (whichis the only reasonable way to harass the b3 bishop.]) ([It is worth notingthat] 10... Nxd4!? 11. Bxd4 b5 [is a direct attempt to exploit White'smove order, intending to frustrate the b3 bishop with a speedy pawn stormbefore White has castled, as] 12. h4 ([ The seemingly harmless] 12. O-O[is a real threat to this variation, as White has not committed to thekingside and can still contest the rest of the board via a4 and Nd5 ideas.]a5 13. a4 b4 14. Nd5 Nxd5 15. exd5 e5 16. dxe6 Bxe6 17. Rad1 [is very muchunclear]) 12... a5 13. a4 bxa4 14. Nxa4 e5 $5 [gives Black a very interesting,albeit highly unusual, game; Black fights for the initiative at all costsand White's king is left in the center. I'm hoping to explore this lineover the board sometime.]) } 11... Ne5 12. h4 h5 { The main idea of the Soltisvariation. It seems odd that Black spends time shuffling kingside pawns,but it turns out that the h-pawn advance usefully hinders White's attack,buying Black valuable time on the queenside. } 13. Bg5 { This funny moveis actually a main line. White decides not to jump in with Bh6 immediately,opting instead to pester Black along the dark squares and threaten a defenderof crucial g4 and d5 squares. There is no immediate threat of Bxf6, butit looms as White 'slows down' and improves his position. } 13... Rc5 { The mainmove. Black's rook enters the game on an active square (which is difficultto attack) and prepares ...b5 while leaving open the threat of furtherc-file pressure via ...Qc7 or a future ...Rfc8. And, of course, the thematic...Rxc3 is still a future possibility. } 14. Kb1 { the White king is saferon the light-square b1. This move is a key idea for White; much as ...h5frustrates White's kingside efforts, Kb1 can cost Black crucial tempi onthe queenside (in particular, the queen can no longer reach a3 with check.This looks far fetched now, but in many ... Rxc3 lines it is a main thrustfor Black). } 14... b5 { The most direct. Kasparov famously tried ...Re8 againstAnand in the 95 World Championship match, but ... b5 remains Black's mostpopular plan. } 15. g4 { Again, the main move. Attacks are raging on bothsides of the board. } 15... hxg4 { ! - an excellent idea (and still very muchin theory); Black voluntarily opens up his kingside because...it works.Concrete analysis shows that Blacks capture is most challenging for White,so long as Black continues accurately. Of course, one small slip from Blackand his open kingside will surely doomhim. } 16. f4 { ? - This move isa well-known (and once-popular) inaccuracy. The f-pawn advance is simplytoo slow. Alternative variation: [Much more testing is] 16. h5 [when Blackshould probably respond ...Nxh5! with a strange looking, but solid enough,kingside and plenty of chances against the White king. It is worth notingthat ...Rxc3 has long been a main move here, but it looks dubious afterthe simple Qxc3] Nxh5 17. fxg4 Bxg4 } 16... Nc4 { Black seizes the initiative. } 17. Bxc4 Rxc4 18. e5 { The best move for White, who is fighting for theinitiative in a slightly worse position. } 18... Nh5 { A reasonable response,but possibly not the best one. Black reasons that a knight on h5 is usefulin stopping White on the kingside and activating the g7 bishop. Alternativevariation: [Worth a look is] 18... b4 [ again fighting for the initiative.Given ...bxc3's attack on the d2 queen, the mutual exchanges favor Blackand force White to find something else, e.g.] 19. Qd3 Rxd4 $1 20. Qxd4bxc3 21. exf6 exf6 [and Black is much better. Such is the power of ...b4and fighting for the initiative in general. In this case, White's g5 bishopis entombed and thus helpless to save himself from ... fxg5.] } 19. Ndxb5 { Alternative variation: [Far more spirited is] 19. exd6 f6 20. Ndxb5 e6[with a wild game, as ...Rxc3 and ...fxg5 loom while the White queen caneasily swing to h2 after ...fxg5 hxg5 and the whole position is a mess!(though Black retains better chances)] } 19... Qa5 { This move creates a numberof threats for White to consider. There are other, more direct, possibilities.Alternative variation: [ The computer favors the most direct] 19... Bxb520. Nxb5 Qb6 [ when White has only] 21. Na3 [ and Black gets a fierce initiativeon the queenside.] } 20. Bxe7 { I find it diff icult to believe in thismove. Even as the e7 pawn is such a crutch in the Black position (e.g.now d6 is weak and White's pressure on the d-file threatens), Black hasa dangerous attack and this move does nothing to help things on eitherflank. In any case, the computer favors this move and it seems to workout practical equality if White walks a precipice of tactics. } 20... Bxb5 { !- Black ignores the threat to his f8 rook in pursuit of his queenside chances.The game now becomes very sharp, as White can decide to take the materialand rely on defensive resources or simply recapture on b5. } 21. Nxb5 { Thisturns out to be a mistake. Often it makes sense to decline material whenfacing a dangerous attack, but sometimes declining a sacrifice is evenmore dangerous than accepting one! In this case, Black keeps material equalityfor now and reorganizes on the queenside under favorable circumstances.Alternative variation: [ It turns out that] 21. Bxf8 [works, as] Bxf8 22.Nxb5 Qxb5 23. exd6 Bg7 24. c3 Rc8 25. Rhe1 [lead to an approximately equalposition where Black's active minor pieces and queenside pressure (notto mention the g4 pawn) compensate for White's central pressure and powerfuld6 pawn. The game would remain razor sharp.] } 21... Qxb5 22. Bxf8 { Now Whiteacquiesces. There was not anything else - allowing the rook to swing ontothe queenside is fatal. Alternative variation: 22. Qxd6 Rfc8 23. Rd5 (23.c3 Rxc3) 23... Qb7 24. Rc1 Ng3 [and White is completely lost. The Blackknight will move to f5, e4, or e2 with decisive effect while White's piecesare tangled and he is out of moves.] } 22... Kxf8 { ! - Black keeps his bishopon the long diagonal, anticipating an opening and forcing White to holdoff creating passed pawn counterplay via exd6 owing to ... Qxb2# } 23. Qxd6+ { The only move, but something of a victory for Black. White no longerthreatens a passed d-pawn and Black's king is quite safe on the kingsidelight squares. } 23... Kg8 24. Rd5 { It is hard for White to find more reasonablemoves in this position. The natural Rhe1 may have been stronger, but it'snot clear if White can survive. } 24... Qb7 25. Rhd1 Nxf4 { A devastating decision.White's d-file pressure somewhat intimidating, but ultimately it is superfluous.Black nabs material without any drawbacks. } 26. R1d4 Bf8 { A winning intermezzo.If White does not sacrifice his queen on the spot, he loses quickly. } 27. Qd8 { Alternative variation: [ The strongest continuation, which Blackmay have underestimated, is] 27. Rxc4 Bxd6 28. exd6 [when White drums upsome dangerous counterplay. Black can win with careful play, but it isnot so easy. After] Qf3 29. Rcd4 Ne6 30. d7 Nd8 [Black should win, buthis last 3 moves are actually 'only' moves - one small slip and White shouldat least draw.] } 27... Ne6 { A decisive fork. Black doesn't ultimately win material,but the threat forces White to exchange into a completely lost endgame. } 28. Qd7 Rxd4 29. Rxd4 Qxd7 30. Rxd7 g3 { The g-pawn advance wins on thespot. White cannot hope to stop the pawn and hold the game, as Black's2 minor pieces allow him to protect the pawn and go hunting for stragglingWhite pawns on the kingside while White is tied up. There is no defense.0-1. } 0-1

[Event "Team match"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "17-Jun-06"] [Round "-"] [White "cmiller"] [Black "chads"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1495"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1447"] 1. e4 { Chads.>Please reply with improvments for the game .I love playingthe french and hope to master it sometime.... Thank You. } 1... e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 { The French Winawer is an opening i began to play when i founda nice Book in a bookshop for �2.00 ...One of only a few books i own andhave read ferverously. From here it is up to white to choose , but carefullyas each variation is unstable with no time to stumble ... Im not a goodenough player yet to understand why there unstable but they are. } 4. Bd2 { The keres gambit 4.Bd2... Most games i play are due to 4.e5 locking inthe pawns but this variation allows black to snaffle some pawns while whitegets stuck in on the king side. } 4... dxe4 5. Qg4 Nf6 { all known theory andquite relieving for me as most of my games encounter 4.e5 and the knightalways seams awkward to me on e7 after whites kingside thrust. } 6. Qxg7 Rg8 { This has all known theory so far and the moves just come naturally. } 7. Qh6 Qxd4 8. O-O-O { I have an extra pawn with my Queen expecting a discoveryby white at any time } 8... Bf8 { This position has been played before betweenBoleslavsky and Bronstien ,but we got here in a different move order ,this Bishop move back to f8 has a strong pyschological effect as it goesback to its origional square and puts the white Queen in decision time. } 9. Qf4 { Now here Bd6 or Rg4 have been played before in competition buti tryed something new. } 9... c5 { A new move i havent read about or seen before... although blacks position seems to have a lot of holes the centre isquite active and peices can still develop to the protection of the king. } 10. Nb5 { c7 under some pressure and mostly the reason for moving c5. } 10... Nd5 { Attack and defence. } 11. Nc7+ Nxc7 12. Qxc7 { So the Queen has c7 afterall and can smell the king. } 12... Nd7 { Just saving the Bishop. } 13. Bg5 { OhDear an inevitable discovery with mate to follow ...... But my Active CENTREshould be sound. } 13... Rxg5 14. Rxd4 cxd4 { Level material and White to play.... Both of us have Developed slowly and have awkward decisions to make.Thetwo pawns look happy togeather in the centre and mostly my reason for thisvariation. } 15. a4 { I thought this move unfortunate for white ... I couldntreally see Where he was going with it ......The bishop to b5 cant get tookby the rook but its too slow and it allows me to take command of the centre. } 15... Rc5 { The centre is mine . } 16. Qf4 { My Attack plan was under way now ..i saw a possible check from the Dark Squared Bishop , i had to get my Rookactivated , the lazy white squared Bishop to move some how } 16... d3 17. Qxe4 Rxc2+ { Hello King........ } 18. Kd1 Nc5 { Hello Queen.... Attack and Defence. } 19. Qd4 { now i wanted to activate my two Queenside peices , i attemptedto make white develop them for me. } 19... e5 20. Qxe5+ Be6 { Space at last } 21. Nf3 Bh6 { space at last } 22. Ng5 { spoil sport } 22... Rc8 { out at last } 23. Bxd3 { all out to play except poor old rook in the corner .... A complicatedgame for two amatuers im two pawns down now but have co-ordination andall my peices can wreak havoc ......... } 23... Nxd3 24. Qb5+ Ke7 25. Qxd3 Rc1+ 26. Ke2 Bc4 27. Rxc1 Bxd3+ 28. Kd2 Bxg5+ { I Just liked this game notjust becuase i won but i played a new variation of an opening i enjoy andsacrifised The Queen for Centre activity ..... Its probably subject toridicule by top players but i thoroughly enjoyed the game and i thank myOpponent for that and Frank Marshell who first introduced the move 4.Bd2 in 1901 against Chigorin. } 0-1

[Event "2 Rooks v.'s Queen"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2013.11.24"] [Round "-"] [White "Iohannes7"] [Black "wojko"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1773"] [WhiteElo "1397"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 { The Ruy Lopez } 3... a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O d6 { TheDeferred Steinitz variation } 6. Bxc6+ { With the idea of creating a longterm weakness in White's queenside pawn structure } 6... bxc6 7. d4 exd4 8. Qxd4 Bb7 { Better moves to consider here were Be7 and c5 for example } 9. Nc3 Be7 10. e5 { Trying to gain some advantage from White's Queen still beingin the centre } 10... dxe5 11. Qxe5 Qd6 { White's position clearly looks preferablehere and so an exchange of Queen's would only help Black's position } 12. Qe2 O-O 13. Be3 { A natural development move } 13... Nd5 { I do not want my ownpawn structure comprimised by Black exchanging on c3 } 14. Ne4 Qg6 15. Ng3 Nxe3 { Black gains the Bishop pair and this a strategic gain in this openposition. I will need to exchange one of them for a knight } 16. Qxe3 Bd6 17. c3 { Simply defending the hanging pawn } 17... c5 18. Rfe1 Rfe8 { This movegives White the option of exchanging the Queen for two Rooks. Giving thatBlack's bishop would be pinned and White's two knights are well placedto join an attack, it is an option I take } 19. Qxe8+ Rxe8 20. Rxe8+ Bf8 21. Ne5 { Attacking the Queen but also threatening Nd7 followed by Rxf8# } 21... Qd6 { This defends the d7 square but of course there is another Knight tobear down on the position and renew White's simple threat } 22. Nf5 { Blackresigns as he can no longer defend the e7 square. For example, if 22.... Qb6 then 23. Ne7+ Kh8 and 24. Rxf8#. However, there is also 22. ...Qf6but 23. Nd7 is winning for White } 1-0

[Event "The Quietest Winning Move"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009.03.25"] [Round "-"] [White "blake84120"] [Black "s_ilija"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1661"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1796"] 1. e4 { Team match. I'm playing white. } 1... e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 { Ruy Lopez. } 3... d6 4. d4 { 3. d6 is the Old Steinitz defense, not a very popular variationfor black. 4. d4 is a fairly forceful move. White grabs the center, threatensto win a pawn on e5, and threatens to win the pinned knight with 5. d5. } 4... Bd7 5. Nc3 { Without 4. ... Bd7, white could have played 5. Bxc6 bxc6 6.dxe5 dxe5 7. Nxe5 to win a pawn, but now, black responds 5. Bxc6, recapturingwith the bishop and therefore is able to play 7. ... Bxe4 regaining thepawn, although that simplified move order endangers the black bishop ate4, so a zwischenzug with 7. ... Qe7 followed by 8. ... Bxe4 is required. } 5... Nxd4 6. Bxd7+ { Well, that one isn't in my opening reference even thoughit seems fairly natural, so white simply goes along with all the exchanges.I hope I didn't miss a clever trap. } 6... Qxd7 7. Nxd4 exd4 8. Qxd4 { White seemsto have gotten the better of the exchanges, with two pieces developed stronglyin the center. White also prevents black from castling by threatening thepawn on a7. } 8... f6 9. O-O Ne7 10. Be3 Nc6 11. Qd2 { Safer than most. } 11... Ne5 12. Nd5 c6 13. Nc3 { Changed my mind. } 13... Nc4 14. Qe2 Nxe3 15. Qxe3 { Blackexchanges knight for bishop. } 15... Be7 16. Rad1 O-O 17. Ne2 { Headed for thekingside. } 17... Bd8 18. Qb3+ { Wasting time, mostly, but aiming for b4. } 18... Kh8 19. Qb4 Be7 20. Ng3 { Black is well-enough bottled up that white is stymiedlooking for attacks. } 20... Rfd8 21. Rd3 a5 22. Qb6 Ra6 23. Qe3 { Still stymied,but I like that black has removed one rook, placing it on a6 where it willdo his king no good. It suggests that a kingside attack might be warranted. } 23... Qe6 24. a4 { The a2 pawn was en prise, so it runs to a4. } 24... Qa2 25. Rb3 { Defendsb2 and traps the black queen, inviting black to give white a rook on the7th rank. } 25... Qxa4 26. Rxb7 Bf8 27. Qd3 { I used to like the rook on a6, andnow for some reason I chase it back to a8. Maybe 27. Nf5 and 28. Qg3 wouldhave been more fun. Well, at least white can still play those moves. } 27... Raa8 28. b3 { Securing black's queen behind a wall of white pawns, shut off fromdefending her king. I have to give 28. b3! an exclamation point for quietlydenying black his queen for the moves to come. } 28... Qa3 29. Nf5 g6 30. Qh3 { Threatening mate in 1 on h7. } 30... h5 31. Nh4 { The winning move. 31. Nh4! maybe the quietest winning move I have played so far. I think Capablanca wouldprobably like this one. Black is thoroughly busted from here. 32. Nxg6+followed by 33. Qxh5, combined with that powerful rook on the 7th rank,creates a force that black cannot stop. } 31... Bg7 32. Nxg6+ Kg8 33. Qxh5 { Whitenow has a forced mate in 4 (it was probably a forced mate in 6 with 31.Nh4! though I didn't work it out then), though black has a couple stallingtactics if he wishes to extend the forced mate a bit longer. White enteredthe moves from this point as conditional moves. } 33... Rab8 34. Ne7+ Kf8 35. Rc7 { 35. Rc7 puts an end to that line of stalling. Black cannot threatenthis rook again, as playing either ook to c8 allows capture by the whiteknight with mate in 2 to follow. } 35... d5 36. Nf5 { Now 36. ... Qe8 forces whiteto waste two more moves, effectively stalling a little longer. } 36... Kg8 37. Qf7+ Kh8 38. Qxg7# { Final position. } 1-0

[Event "First American Congress, New York 1857"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date ""] [Round "-"] [White "Louis Paulsen"] [Black "Paul Morphy"] [Result "0-1"] 1. e4 { By 1857, the chess boom reigning after the first international tournamentin London had also reached the New World. The First American Congress,which later became the US Championship, took place in the fall of 1857,in New York. It attracted the 16 best players in the country and like theLondon event, it was held on the KO system: mini-matches of first to winthree games, and in the final - five games. This was Morphy's first tournament,and he demonstrated his complete dominance over the field in fine style,as this game against the second-strongest player of the tournament (andlikely, the second-strongest player in the US at the time) clearly shows.He easily reached the final (nine wins and one draw!), where he proceededto crush the as yet little-known German Louis Paulsen, who was then livingin the US. Moreover, Morphy played quickly, as usual, whereas his opponentplayed very slowly, and since the time for thinking was not yet restricted(chess clocks were still a couple of decades away!), the games lasted 10-11hours, and the drawn second game of the Final as long as 15 hours (outof which Paulsen thought for 12!). This sixth game is probably the mostfamous game of the match. } 1... e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bc5 { Much quieteris the 4...Bb4, while the Marshall-Rubinstein move 4...Nd4 was still halfa century away. } 5. O-O { If 5.Nxe5 it is considered quite safe to reply5...Nxe5 (but not 5...Bxf2+?! 6.Kxf2! Nxe5 7.d4) 6.d4 Bd6 (after 6...Bb4?!7.dxe5 Nxe4 8.Qd4! Black fails to equalize) 7.f4 (7.dxe5 Bxe5=) 7...Nc6(worse is 7...Ng6?! 8.e5 as in Janowski-Lasker, Cambridge Springs 1904)8.e5 Bb4 9.d5 (9.exf6 Qxf6=) 9...Ne4! 10.Qd3 Nxc3+ 11.bxc3 Be7, with asolid game for Black. } 5... O-O { True to his style, Morphy sacrifices a pawn.If 5...d6, then 6.d4 exd4 7.Nxd4 Bd7 8.Nf5! (Paulsen-Zukertort, Leipzig1877). } 6. Nxe5 Re8 { (?!) For the pioneers it is always difficult! Later,both 6...Bd4?1 (Schlechter) and 6...Nd4?! (Marshall) were tried in thisposition, but the main variation became 6...Nxe5 7.d4 Bd6 8.f4 (8.dxe5Bxe5=, as in Paulsen-Winawer, Baden-Baden 1870) 8...Nc6 9.e5 Be7! (9...a610.Be2 Short-Adams, England 1991; after 9...Bb4 10.d5 it is no longer possibleto play 10...Ne4, and 10...a6 11.Be2 Bc5+ 12.Kh1 Nxd5 13.Qxd5 d6 neverthelessfavors White) 10.d5 (10.exf6 Bxf6=) 10...Nb4 (10...Bc5+ 11.Kh1 Nd4 12.exf6Qxf6 13.Ne4 Qe7 14.Bd3 Bb6 15.f5 with a strong attack, Paulsen-Anderssen,Leipzig 1877) 11.exf6 (11.d6!? cxd6 12.exf6) 11...Bxf6 12.a3 (12.Ne4!?)12...Bxc3 13.bxc3 Nxd5 14.Qxd5 c6 15.Qd3 cxb5 16.f5 with a slight initiative. } 7. Nxc6 { (?!) 7.Nf3!+- gives an advantage, ex: 7...Nxe4 8.d4 (Nxe4 Rxe49.d3 Re8 10.d4 is also good) 8...Nxc3 9.bxc3 Bf8 (9...Be7?! 10.d5 Nb8 11.Bf4Maroczy-Pillsbury, Nuremberg 1896) 10.d5 Ne5 11.Nxe5 Rxe5 12. Bf4 Re8 13.Qf3c6 14.Bd3+- or 7...Nd4 8.e5 Nxf3+ 9.gxf3! (Teichmann-Rubinstein, San Sebastian1912). } 7... dxc6 8. Bc4 b5 { Taking the seemingly-hanging pawn e4 immediatelywith 8...Nxe4? is bad in view of 9.Nxe4 Rxe4 10.Bxf7+! Kxf7 11.Qf3+ } 9. Be2 { 9.Bb3?! Bg4! 10.Qe1 b4 11.Nd1 Rxe4 12.Ne3 is hardly advantageous forWhite } 9... Nxe4 10. Nxe4 { Not 10.Bf3? Nxf2! 11.Rxf2 Qd4 12.Ne4 (12.Qf1? Qxf2+!13.Qx2 Re1#) 12...Rxe4 and wins. } 10... Rxe4 11. Bf3 { According to Steinitz,11.c3 is better, when 11...Qh4 is acceptable, ex: 12.d4 Bd6 13.g3 Qh3 (threatening...Rh4) 14.f4 Bd7 15.Bf3 Re7 (followed by ...Rae8), or 12.g3 Qe7! (inferioris 12...Qh3 13.d3! Re8 14.Bf3 Bd7 15.a4) 13.Bf3 Bh3 14.d4 Bxf1 15.Bxe4Qxe4 16.Qxf1 Bd6 with a comfortable game. } 11... Re6 12. c3 { (??) Positionalsuicide! 11.c3 a move ago was an appealing option, but now the situationis quite different, since the Black rook is no longer en prise and Blackhas a free tempo with which to exploit this hideous move, which invitesthe black Queen to a warm cozy spot on d3 where is it going to absolutelyparalyze the Black position! 12.d3 would have been a much better choice. } 12... Qd3 { (!) Of course! } 13. b4 { (?!) This is also dubious. A better try wouldhave been 13.Re1 Rxe1+ 14.Qxd1, although after 14...Bf5! (14...Bd7 15.Qf1!)15.Bxc6 (15.Qe2 Rd8!) 15...Rd8 16.Qe5 Qc2! (16...Bd6? right away is badin view of 17.Qxb5 Qc2 18.Qa4) 17.Bf3 Bd6 18.Qxb5 Bd3 19.Qc6 Kh8! Blackstill has the advantage } 13... Bb6 14. a4 bxa4 15. Qxa4 { White is trying hisbest to uncramp his position... } 15... Bd7 { (?) A mistake in reply. Black couldhave won by 15...Bb7! (maintaining control of the key square a6) 16.Ra2Rae8 17.Qd1 Ba6! 18.Rxa6 Qxa6 19.d4 Qc4 20.Bd2 a5. } 16. Ra2 { (?) A fatalerror. The Q should have been dislodged from d3 by 16.Qa6!, when the advantagecould have even passed to White: 16...Qxa6?! 17.Rxa6 Rae8 18.Bg4 (but not18.d4? c5! 19.bxc5 Bb5) 18...Bc8 (18...R6e7? 19. Bxd7 Rxde7 20.d4) 19.Ra1Rf6 20.Bxc8 Rxc8 21.d4, or 16...Qf5 (worse yet is 16...Qg6?! 17.d4 Rae818.Bf4) 17.d4 Rae8 18.Be3 c5 19.bxc5 Bxc5 20. Qb7 (Not 20.Qa5? Rg6 21.Kh1Qxf3 22.Bxf5 Rxe2 23.Bxd7=) 20...Bb6 21.c4. Instead of winning, Black wouldhave had to defend... } 16... Rae8 { The threat is ...Qxf1+ } 17. Qa6 { Also hopelessis 17.Qd1 c5 (17...Re5!? Neishtadt) 18.bxc5 Bxc5 19.Ba3 (19Bg4 f5) 19...Bxa320.Rxa3 Bb5. Paulsen found the correct idea after all, but again for somereason a move too late. At that time, tempo play was still quite unusual! } 17... Qxf3 { (!!) A beautiful refutation! } 18. gxf3 Rg6+ 19. Kh1 Bh3 20. Rd1 { Or20.Qd3 (20.Rg1? Rxg1+ 21.Kxg1 Re1+ and its over) 20...f5! 21.Rd1 (21.Qc4+Kf8!) 21...Bg2+ 22.Kg1 Bxf3+ 23.Kf1 Bxd1 and wins } 20... Bg2+ 21. Kg1 Bxf3+ 22. Kf1 Bg2+ { The 'quiet' 22...Rg2! is even more lethal: 23.Qd3 Rxf2+ 24.Kg1Rg2+ 25.Kh1 Rg1# - Zukertort } 23. Kg1 Bh3+ { Black could have mated fasterby 23...Be4+ 24.Kf1 Bf5! 25.Qe2 Bh3+ Ke1 Rg1 - Bauer } 24. Kh1 Bxf2 25. Qf1 Bxf1 26. Rxf1 Re2 27. Ra1 Rh6 28. d4 Be3 { White resigns. 0-1 } 0-1

[Event "A missed high-victory?"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2017.07.02"] [Round "-"] [White "sunit_v_joshi"] [Black "damafi"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1490"] [TimeControl "300+5"] [WhiteElo "1624"] { The rating of my opponent makes this game a little more interesting thanothers. I got a superior midgame with a stronger opponent, catching himwith the Icelandic (he missed some good moves), I got an exchange and aclosed-in piece, but I failed the correct follow-up and to see the 'afterwards'of the position. A good lesson in strategy. } 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. c4 { One of the weakest answers, since it blocks lsb's action. } 3... e6 4. dxe6 Bxe6 { The basic Icelandic asset. } 5. d4 { Another thematic second-bestmove. My opp. is testing my knowledges. } 5... Bb4+ 6. Nc3 Ne4 { ...or Qe7. Whitewill lose his d4 pawn or the exchange. } 7. Bd2 Qxd4 { White must defendf2. } 8. Nxe4 { Qe7 is another playable move here. My answer is forced: Qxb2is just ugly. } 8... Qxe4+ 9. Qe2 { Here, the only thing I'll get would be hisK exposed while I will be able to castle. But is more than nothing, witha stronger opponent! But it is true that, looking closely, now ...BxB+,10. KxB, Qd4+, threatening b2, may whorth a look. } 9... Qxe2+ 10. Bxe2 { Nowit comes the problem: how to continue? Do I grab the centered K advantage?I decide yes, but Nc6 can be interesting, in view of 11. Bf3? (BxB+, KxB,Nd4+, exchanging the Wlsb). But he won't have fallen for it. } 10... Bxd2+ 11. Kxd2 { Now what? o-o is probably right, but I wanted to be sure he won'tgrab so much space and action with his lsb, so I dared to play... } 11... c5 { ...weakeningb7. Now, if Bf3, Nc6, and I'll accept gladly the doubled pawns keepingthe only lsb on the board. Was it a good decision? } 12. Nf3 { He apparentlydidn't see too much advantage in grabbing the diagonal, and, very 'old-schoolisly',developed. } 12... Nc6 { Now, I want to win a tempo by castling Qside and chechhim. But h6 should be on my agenda. } 13. a3 { He, righly, protects my N'spossible entryon b4. This allows me to play Na5, threatening the fork checkon b2. I missed it, unfortunately. } 13... O-O-O+ 14. Kc3 Rhe8 { ...but now Iset another treat, and I get a wonderful center occupation. } 15. Bd3 { Ifwhite plays b4, I'd play Bh3. Either bxB, RxB, or Bf1 (otherwise, Bxb2forks N and R), and I can retire the B where I like to. He is threateningh7 here, but it is doubtful he can release the B after g6, in the longrun. } 15... Bg4 { The idea is that if Bxh7, BxN and after g6 the B is trapped.Not so simple, though... } 16. Ng5 { Ouch! } 16... Ne5 { Protects f7, threats theB, 'forcing'... } 17. Bxh7 g6 { Now, white will lose a piece, after f6...doesn't he? } 18. f3 { The problem here is that after my B retires, f4 andmy N has to go, and f7 falls. If I defend it with Be6, NxB and, again,f4 saves the material for him. I had two choices here: Bf5 (g4, Bd3!?),or... } 18... Rd3+ 19. Kc2 { Now, I can save the B in f5, threatening a discoveredcheck. But... g4, and I am committed to play double check or get out thelsb from the game. But... can I get something more from the position? } 19... Red8 { If fxB, I can sense a victory due to the checks and the N's futureNxc4, pressing b2 with the R. } 20. Rad1 { I was right! My opponent didn'tfell for it, which is very good! } 20... Bf5 { Now it is a different story: ifg4, RxR+ and I'll win two R for a B. } 21. Rxd3 { My....! Which piece toretake with is correct???? Which I am not seeing now is that the plan g4can't be let unattended, since after gxB white can even try to crown thepawn... } 21... Nxd3 { Not sure!! Both Bxd3+ or Rxd3 has his ups and downs! Now,obviously... } 22. g4 { And here the great decision: to win the exchange(N2+, gxB, NxR), or try something very tactic with Ne1++!? Now I can seeit better... it was Kb3 the only one (or mate), Bc2+, Ka2, Rd1 and I thinkwhite is busted! } 22... Nf2+ { ? Wrong decision. } 23. gxf5 Nxh1 24. Nxf7 { ! Nowif I move the R, g7 and I'll lose it for the pawn!!!! } 24... gxf5 { Only way toget on, losing right away the exchange won, and getting a lost position.My N will be trapped, can you see it? I can't do anything. } 25. Bxf5+ Kc7 26. Nxd8 Kxd8 27. Kd2 { The rest is useless... thanks for reading! } 27... Ke7 28. Ke2 Kf6 29. Be4 1-0

[Event "Tonydog's 11th mini-tournament "] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2011.07.05"] [Round "-"] [White "thehellion"] [Black "getbren"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1403"] [TimeControl "3d+1d<5d"] [WhiteElo "1277"] { I don't normally unleash wild attacks... but I will make exceptions whenthe situation calss for it. } 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 Be7 6. Qe2 f5 7. dxe5 O-O { All book so far. } 8. Nc3 { Challengingthe established Knight. } 8... Nxc3 { Rather tan retreat to QB4, Black exchanges. } 9. bxc3 { I complete the exchange. } 9... Qe8 { Trying to sneak the Q out ontothe K-side to harass my King. } 10. Bb2 { Clearing the decks and connectingRooks. } 10... Bd6 { Taking advantage of the fact that PxB??? is momentarily impossible(... QxQ) } 11. Rfe1 { Now PxB is possible. } 11... a6 { Probably expecting 12 PxBPxB, but... } 12. Bxc6 { Now Black must end up down a piece. } 12... dxc6 { Choosingto trade off the Bishops. } 13. exd6 { Concluding the win of a piece... } 13... cxd6 { ...for a Pawn. } 14. Qxe8 { Immediate pressure,and also swapping downand reducing Black's chance for counterplay. } 14... Rxe8 { Forced. } 15. Rxe8+ { Now I pick up an additional Rook in the bargain. Black's incomplete developmentcosts him, as if his B had cleared the line his Rooks would have been connected. } 15... Kf7 { Forced. } 16. Rae1 { I plan to double Rooks on the last rank and forcehis last two pieces off the board. } 16... Kg6 { Seeking shelter. } 17. Rd8 { Thethreat of 18 R/1-K8, winning a piece, prompts Black to resign. } 1-0

[Event "League division D2"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2015.10.08"] [Round "-"] [White "tacticrob"] [Black "wizard001"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1300"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1719"] 1. c4 e5 { Classical English is one of the save Openings of the World. Butits tricky. } 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 Bb4 5. d3 { I think that`s theonly move here ,what do you think? } 5... O-O 6. Bd2 a5 7. Bg2 h6 { h6 and a5this moves are not very active. } 8. O-O Nd4 9. Nxd4 { A mistake from me } 9... exd4 10. Ne4 Bxd2 11. Nxd2 c5 12. Ne4 b6 { This move is not so good Nxf6+was my answer } 13. Nxf6+ { I hope you like this little annotation } 1-0

[Event "A short game, again with my friend :-)"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "09. 01. 2010."] [Round "-"] [White "My friend"] [Black "Me"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1516"] [TimeControl "---"] [WhiteElo "1253"] 1. e4 { A usual opening from my friend. } 1... c6 { My reaction is Caro-Kann. Idon't really know how to play it, or I can play it well, but I don't usethis very often. } 2. Qf3 { Whoa! That made me a bit confused. Did he reallywant to win with Scholar's mate? Did he think it seriously? } 2... e5 { Hm...I just didn't want him to play d4. In case he had just wanted to confuseme a move driving into Scholar's mate, but wanted to have his queen inthe battlefield. } 3. Bc4 { Sholar's mate??? Are you serious??? :D } 3... Nf6 { Hecan't play Qxf7# :D } 4. d3 { It was good to open the way for his DSB. Ifhe plays Bg5, I will have doubled pawns. I must play something againstit! } 4... d5 { I played this in order to avoid having troubles with the f7 pawn. } 5. exd5 { He exchanges! } 5... cxd5 { I complete the exchange, again attackinghis bishop. } 6. Bb5+ { Now, he played this. I have some choices, but I choseto bring the knight out. In my opinion, it was a time losing move, he didn'tdevelop any pieces, but I could, on the other hand, he didn't have anychoices, just to save the bishop. } 6... Nc6 { So, I blocked with the knight.Later on, it will turn out that it was a good choice. } 7. Qe2 { As you cansee, my knight is pinned, so my e5 pawn has no defender. } 7... Bd6 { Bd6 seemedto me the best to play. } 8. Bxc6+ { Now, he excanges, again. } 8... bxc6 { Onlyoption: I'm not in check, I have an e and a d pawn, both of them are defended,so I can say I control the centre. } 9. Bf4 { Now, my pawn is pinned! I cannottake his bishop. I ought to move something which defends my e5 pawn andalso make an end of the pin. } 9... Qe7 { I could easily play this, because heputs no pressure on my queenside and not either on my kingside. I don'thave to take care of that. } 10. Nf3 { Blunder. This is why I wanted to makean end of the pin. I think he played this because he din't notice thatthe pin has been abolished. } 10... exf4 { So, I took his bishop, and I also openedthe e file. It's good for me because if he takes my queen, I can recapturewithmy bishop (later on, I had te take care due to I had to keep my bishopon the a3-f8 diagonal), but if I manage to capture his queen, his onlypossible move to capture it with his king. And the a6-c8 diagonal is opened,that can be important, because if I move my bishop on the a3-f8 diagonal,my pawn would be out of defender and that can elicit his king to captureit. } 11. Nd4 { It will make my job easier because of the undefended c6 pawn. } 11... Bc5 { Just take my pawn, I am not defending it, free meat :D } 12. Nxc6 { Haha!You made a wrong move! } 12... Qxe2+ { No, I didn't. } 13. Kxe2 { Only option. } 13... O-O { Preparing Re8+ } 14. d4 { Ahha! } 14... Ba6+ { Yeey! Check! } 15. Kf3 { Here startsthe big problem: Where can his king go if I defend the pawn on f4??? (Afterthe game I told him that Kd1 may have been the best, or maybe Kd2 havebeen another better choice) } 15... Bd6 { Of course, he should be annoyed fromnow. I also had a great plan, as it will turn out. } 16. Nc3 { Whuh! I willhave some problems with my plan. } 16... Rfe8 { If that knight weren't there... } 17. a3 { Tempo-losing move! If I had tried to take his knight with my DSB,my f4 pawn would become undefended, there wouldn't be mate for a long time. } 17... Rac8 { Lose your knight, or lose the game! But he may not have realisedthe move Ne5. He would lose a pawn, but not a knight and not a game! } 18. Nxa7 { With this move he lost! He could save his knight, he could take apawn of mine, but now... } 18... Rxc3+ { He has no choice. bxc3 } 19. bxc3 { Wh...Where is your knight? Nowhere? Run, bishop, run! } 19... Be2# { And it's checkmate!Do you remember that I said I played correctly after 6. Bb5+ ??? If I hadchosen the other way (Bd7), I wouldn't have this 'bad' bishop which wasthe most useful piece! It made the king to move out to f3 by checking it,it took the e2 square when I defended the f4 pawn, and it's the bishopwith which I gave my friend a checkmate! Please, rate my second (THIS!:D)annotation, and write comments. Thank you. } 0-1

[Event "Shropshire 2 v Sandhurst Cadets 4NCL"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "26-11-2016"] [Round "-"] [White "Charles L Higgie"] [Black "Luke Vallis"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [BlackElo "ECF162"] [TimeControl "40in1Hr 40+30secs/move"] [WhiteElo "ECF166"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d6 4. e4 Bg7 { So it starts as a conventionalKing's Indian Defence. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King's_Indian_Defence } 5. f3 { I play the Samisch_Variation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King%27s_Indian_Defence,_S%C3%A4misch_Variation } 5... O-O 6. Be3 { The usual moves. } 6... Nc6 { Panno Variation: 6...Nc6 The Pannoline, named after Oscar Panno, is a sharp and highly theoretical systemwhich can lead to very complicated play. Black holds back the c-pawn forthe time being, and aims to put the knight on d4. The immediate plan isto prepare queenside counterplay with ...a6, ...Rb8 followed by ...b5. } 7. Nge2 { This is the usual reply, so that if 7.....e5 8. d4 black can'tplay Nd4, which is a very strong sacrifice if say 7. Qd2 e5 8. d4 Nd4 whiteshouldn't grab the pawn with 9. Bxd4 exd4 10. Qxd4 because of 10....Nxe4!!with advantage to black. } 7... e5 { 7.... a6 may be stronger. } 8. d5 { So closethe centre. } 8... Ne7 { Knight drops back. } 9. Qd2 { Now I do the usual queenmove, maybe playing Bh6 at some stage as part of a king-side attack and/or0-0-0. } 9... Ne8 { He prepares the thematic f7-f5 break. } 10. g4 { So basicallyI am saying - well if you do play f7-f5 I will at least open the g fileagainst your king. } 10... f5 { But he plays it anyway. } 11. gxf5 { I take. } 11... gxf5 { He takes back. Here I had a mental aberration. I wanted to play 12. Bh3but thought that he could win a piece with 12......f4, because if I play13. Bxc8 I was afraid of him playing fxe3 attacking my queen. It was onlyafter I castled I realised that I had 14. Be6+ saving my light squaredbishop and going a pawn up. However later I found out that 0-0-0 is infact the most widely played move here. } 12. O-O-O { So I castled. } 12... f4 { Andnow he blocks the king-side up } 13. Bf2 { Bishop drops back. } 13... Ng6 { Withideas of going to h4 to attack f3. } 14. Qe1 { So I stop that. } 14... Nf6 { Theother knight comes up. } 15. h4 { Threatening h4-h5 and maybe h5-h6 at somestage. } 15... Nh5 { So he stops that. } 16. Bh3 { I offer an exchange of light squaredbishops. If he doesn't take I can play Bg4. } 16... Bxh3 { So he took. } 17. Rxh3 { I take back. } 17... Qd7 { Queen attacks my rook. } 18. Qh1 { I protect my rook. } 18... Kh8 { He prepares for action on the open g file. } 19. Rg1 { So do I. I amnow threatening Rg5 attacking the Nh5, and if it moves, I can play h4-h5and now the follow-up h5-h6 will win a piece. } 19... Bh6 { This is an interestingposition. I would have loved to have play 20. Rg5 anyway, as after 20.....Bxg521. hxg5 his Nh5 can't drop back to f6 as my pawn is in that square andit can't really drop back to g7 as then h7 falls. However I think after21.... Ng3 although I can get a pawn for the exchange I don't think itis enough, which is why I decided against playing it. I also thought inthis position, he is threatening to drop his Nh5 into g3 and if I takeit, he takes back with the pawn, with a discovered attack. For that reasonI decided to move my king off the same diagonal as his bishop. } 20. Kb1 { With this move. } 20... Rg8 { So he gets ready for the g file action. } 21. Rh2 { I have a plan - Rg-g2 followed by N-g1-h3-g5, threatening to go to e6. } 21... a6 { My 14 year old opponent offered a draw here. } 22. Rgg2 { I played on. } 22... Raf8 { He bought his other rook over. I now realised that 23. Ng1 doesn'twork, as he has 23.... Ng3 and if 24. Nxg3 fxg3 25. Rxg3 he has 25....Bf4winning the exchange. I now see I may be winning in those sorts of variations,after 25. Rh3 Bf4 26. Nc3-e2 - but he may have enough compensation, hemay be able to open lines on the queen-side. Bearing in mind we were 1-0up and looking good for a win on one board, I said 'Do you still want thatdraw?' He asked me to make a move first. } 23. Rg4 { I played this. He hada long think, then offered his hand with the word 'draw?'. I accepted ofcourse, although I think I may have had an edge in the final position.What do you think dear reader? Many thanks for reading. Please rate theannotation on the star system and leave a comment or two to let me knowhow I am doing. Until next time dear reader! } 1/2-1/2

[Event "A wild banzai attack"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2011.05.30"] [Round "-"] [White "damalfi"] [Black "picklepuss"] [Result "1-0"] { I deserve to lose this game, but a wild banzai attack could do the trick(with a little help from my opponent!) } 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 c6 3. c3 Nd7 4. Bf4 b6 { Weak, maybe. The fianchetto is a slow plan for the black's lsb,but it is coherent. } 5. e3 Ngf6 6. h3 Nh5 7. Bh2 e6 { The discovered threatagainst the black knight is ok, but not enough for me... } 8. Bd3 Be7 9. Nbd2 O-O 10. Qc2 { well, if he leaves me, I develop attacking. } 10... Bb7 { Justan oversight by him. } 11. Bxh7+ Kh8 { provided g6 traps my bishop, and Bxg6,fxB, Qxg6, Nmoves and it's ok for me, but not decisive, I tried a crazysac (it was an over the board blitz) } 12. Bg6 fxg6 13. Qxg6 { As wrong sac,since the knight retires and nothing happens. } 13... Nhf6 14. Ne5 Nxe5 15. dxe5 Nh7 { Now, Qxd6 is tricky, but I have my 3 pawns for the piece. But no attackanymore. } 16. f4 { Consolidating for o-o-o and bring more firepower tothe lines. } 16... Kg8 17. O-O-O { Now I can play Ne4. But I was lost, anyway.c5... } 17... Qe8 { Well, this threats with a queen exchange that leaves me witha long, long game... } 18. Qxe6+ { So why don't try the crazy way? } 18... Rf7 { If Qf7, Qd8, but it was not that strong. } 19. g4 { Another 'crazy' attackmove, just looking for something (f6 fork, for instance) } 19... Bc8 { UUUUUPPPSSSS,right! } 20. Qg6 { Rf8 and it forces queen's exchange, and my attack vanishes. } 20... Nf8 { Nice. } 21. Qh5 { My queen is trapped. } 21... Qd8 22. Nf3 { Aiming at nothing,overlooking the danger. } 22... g6 { touché! } 23. Qh6 Rh7 24. Qxh7+ Kxh7 { Minus4. Wonderful. Time to consolidate. } 25. g5 { Maybe better was h4, and ifBxh4, g5 or Bg1. } 25... c5 { Strong, threatening the diagonal fork. } 26. h4 { Just a stupid move: Bg4, and I cannot avoid exchanges and losing. } 26... Bb7 { A little help by my opponent. } 27. e4 { jeje... } 27... Ne6 { By moving the queen,I would have be driven into defensive mood... and losing. } 28. h5 { Yahoooooooo! } 28... gxh5 29. Bg3 Qe8 30. exd5 { Well, now Rd8, since I cannot advance the pawnwithout losing a Night... } 30... Ng7 { Attack produces fear. A very unpolite wayto win at chess (don't try it with computers). } 31. Nh4 { I have to stopNf5, and try to clear the white diagonal as soon as possible. } 31... Qd7 32. Rhf1 { Probably better Rg1, or e6 at once. } 32... Nf5 33. e6 { Black could haveplayed returning the queen, with Nxbg3, exQ, NxR... } 33... Qd6 34. g6+ { May aswell try the trick. } 34... Kg8 35. Nxf5 { Piece returned, and material balancealmost restored. But what a pawn's line! } 35... Qc7 { Forgive them, Father, sincethey don't know what they are doing... } 36. d6 { and resigned. Incrediblyenough, I won this one... } 1-0

[Event "Tournament Game"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date ""] [Round "-"] [White "abdalmoneem"] [Black "player B"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1200"] [TimeControl "2 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1200"] { This game was a team match on another site. } 1. e4 e6 { French defence. } 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 { French defence, Paulsen Variation. } 3... dxe4 4. Nxe4 Qd5 { Frenchdefence, Frere (Becker) variation } 5. Bd3 Bb4+ { if instead 5....Qxd4 then6.Bb5+ and queen dies. } 6. c3 Ba5 7. a4 { to trap black bishop with b4 thena5. } 7... a6 8. b4 Bb6 9. a5 Ba7 10. Nf3 Ne7 11. Ne5 Nbc6 12. f4 O-O { 12....O-O???black shouldn't castle king side now as all his pieces are in the queenside. } 13. Qh5 { 13.Qh5!! now white has a very dangerous attack with allhis pieces. } 13... Nxe5 { 13.Nxe5?? } 14. Nf6+ { 14.Nf6!!! it is mate next move,whatever black plays, 15.Qxh7# so black resigned here. } 1-0

[Event "Team match"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2012.06.30"] [Round "-"] [White "raymond2002"] [Black "gumi7"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1307"] [TimeControl "5 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1342"] { This game was a team game which I won. I chose the Ruy Lopez, in whichI have a rather solid repertoire in the 3. ... a6 line. My opponent choosesa rather erratic line of play at move 5, but the game turns into a roughmiddlegame. There are some pawn exchanges and I decide to advance my c-and d-pawns, and place my queen on c5. Then I advance my pawns. Soon Iwin material and the exchange. I actually promote my d-pawn, and win hisrook. Finally, I set up a mating net. He does not see it, so I win thegame by a mate with a queen and a bishop. I hope you enjoy this. } 1. e4 { One of the most flexible moves to the start of a game, and perhaps thebest. It opens up a line for the bishop and queen, and puts a pawn in thecentre. } 1... e5 { The King's pawn opening, a good opening if Black does notwish to do the Sicilian; 1. ...c5. } 2. Nf3 Nc6 { Both sides develop theirknights. } 3. Bb5 { The Ruy Lopez, a exciting opening which has many lines. } 3... a6 { 3. ...Nf6, the Berlin Defence, is also quite feasible, but he wishesto stick to the main line. } 4. Ba4 b5 { This move, the Caro Variation ofthe Ruy Lopez, is quite O.K, though no opponent against me has ever playedit before. } 5. Bb3 { In this position, Black can play the Norwegian Variation,which hunts the bishop with 5...Na5, or he can continue 5...Bc5, the GrazVariation, a sort of Classical Defence only with the pawns on a6 and b5.But Black chooses something else... } 5... h6 { ?! I consider this move as a wasteof time. Why would the bishop come to g5 anyway? } 6. c3 { Proceeding alongwith my plan of advancing the pawns in the centre. } 6... Nf6 { A logical move,which makes me have to defend e4 before I advance my pawn to d4. I thinkif Black wanted to play this move, he should have played it on his fifthmove, rather than ...h6. } 7. Bc2 { Defending my pawn. } 7... Bc5 { !? This positioncould also have been reached from the Graz; 5...Bc5 6. c3 Nf6 7. Bc2 h6.However, 7...0-0 is more popular than 7...h6. } 8. O-O d6 9. d3 { !? I couldhave plunged in to complications and played 9. d4, but I felt this wasa little too loosening. So I decided to move the queen to e2, the bishopto e3, and exchange bishops. Then with some of the pressure off, I couldplay d4. } 9... Bg4 { I think I should have played h3 sometime, so I played itnow, instead of going along with my plan. } 10. h3 Bxf3 { ?! This move isnot positionally correct. White will open up the centre sooner or laterand Black will do well to keep his bishops because it is said that bishopswork well when the centre is open. Better is 10...Be6. } 11. Qxf3 b4 { !?Trying to get some queenside counterplay. } 12. Be3 Bxe3 13. Qxe3 { My planhas been done, but now Black has a advance in the centre which he played. } 13... d5 { ! Black tries for some play in the centre. } 14. exd5 Nxd5 15. Qc5 { !?Qe4 and Qe2 are okay, but I decided on a tricky move. } 15... Nce7 { ?! The badmerit to this move is that it is a passive move. When the centre is openedyou should play actively. It also leaves the pawn on e5 weak. I threatenedto take it with my next move. } 16. Re1 bxc3 17. bxc3 O-O { ? The first obviousmistake. Black leaves the pawn on e5 en prise! Better was 17...Qd6, theonly way to defend the pawn, although White should be a lot better in theending. } 18. Rxe5 Re8 19. d4 { I advance my pawns in the centre to attack.Note that this move also secures the rook, and opens the c2-h7 diagonalfor the bishop. } 19... f6 { ? This move should not be taken into consideration.This is a positional secession, weaking the light squares and strengtheningthe power of the bishop. There is another reason which becomes apparentsoon. } 20. Re2 g6 { ? Another bad move, weakening the kingside pawns. } 21. Bb3 { ! Pinning the knight. Now we can see why ...f6 was a bad move. NowWhite can make the advances c4 and d5 without much difficulty. } 21... c6 { Tryingto secure the knight's position, but it fails. } 22. c4 Nf4 23. Rd2 Qc7 { ? A move which fails to see the winning move. } 24. d5 { !! A great move.Black cannot capture the pawn with his pawn because White captures withhis queen. } 24... Nfxd5 { ? The position is very bad for Black. However, thisknight sac was not needed. Better was 24...Qb7 or Qb8, but after Ba4!Black loses his c6 pawn. } 25. cxd5 Kg7 { Black has to avoid the discoveredcheck, but now White has a winning fork. } 26. d6 { ! Winning the knight,but I had other plans. } 26... Qb8 { ? One could take the knight, but I had otherplans... } 27. d7 { !! This devastating move forces Black to wave the whiteflag. Taking the knight would still win, but I prefer the move I made inthe game. } 27... Qb5 { Desperation. } 28. dxe8=Q Rxe8 29. Qd6 Kf8 { ?? This oversightcost Black the game immediately. Black could well play on with somethinglike Qf5, but would still lose in the end. } 30. Qxf6# { A great game whichthe basic rule is:The passed pawn, when advanced, can be devastating. Ihope you enjoyed this annotation. Thank you. } 1-0

[Event "Novgorod 1997"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date ""] [Round "-"] [White "Nigel Short"] [Black "Veselin Topalov"] [Result "0-1"] { Topalov limits White's expansion (mainly his rooks) to win a positionalbeauty! } 1. e4 { The opening is a Sicilian Najdorf, so annotations willcome later. } 1... c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 Ng4 7. Bg5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. Bg3 Bg7 10. Be2 h5 { Black decides to expand on thekingside. } 11. Bxg4 Bxg4 12. f3 Bd7 13. Bf2 Nc6 14. O-O e6 15. Nxc6 Bxc6 16. Bd4 { Black has two bishops, so White is attempting to force a tradeof minor pieces. But Topalov knew that what was most important here weresquares on the d-file. 16...e5 would weaken the d5-square. This is whyhe played... } 16... Be5 { (!) Doubled pawns for Black would dominate the d-file,benficial to him. } 17. Qd2 Qf6 { White now didn't choose 18.Rad1 Bxd4+ or18...Qf4 19.Qxf4 gxf4 since this endgame is weaker. } 18. Bxe5 dxe5 { (!)White's rooks can't be opened up any more. Black has all trgets covered,whereas White has weaknesses. } 19. a4 { (?) Here, 19.Qd6! Would provoke19...Rd8 20.Qc5... Meaning Black's king needs to find a safe square ANDconnect rooks. This would cause temporary disarray for Black. } 19... O-O 20. b3 Rfd8 21. Qe3 Qf4 { (!) } 22. Qxf4 gxf4 { (!) White can regroup his knightwith Nc3-a2-b4. However he hs targets at g2 and f3, which could faltersoon with ...f5 } 23. Rfd1 h4 24. Rxd8+ Rxd8 25. Rd1 Rc8 { (!) Topalov keepshis rook to attack g2 and c2. } 26. Rd2 Kf8 27. Nd1 Ke7 28. Nf2 f5 { (!) } 29. Kf1 fxe4 30. fxe4 a5 { (!) Short's pawns cannot move. } 31. Ke2 Be8 { (!)Black's bishop can join the attack. One variation is 32.c4 Bh5+ 33.Kf1Rd8 34.Rxd8 Kxd8 35.Nd3 Bd1! If 33.Ke1... Then 33...Rd8 34.Rxd8 Kxd8 35.Nd3Bg6. } 32. Kd1 Bh5+ 33. Kc1 Rg8 34. Nd3 h3 { The rest is simple } 35. gxh3 Rg1+ 36. Kb2 Bf3 37. Nxe5 Bxe4 38. Rf2 Kf6 39. Nc4 Kg5 { The h-pawns arefodder for Black's pieces. } 40. h4+ { 40...Kxh4?? 41.Rxf4+... +/- } 40... Kg4 41. h5 f3 42. h6 Kf4 43. Nd2 Rg6 44. h7 Rh6 45. h8=Q Rxh8 { Topalov wins aftera beautiful display of positional prowess. } 0-1

[Event "My first loss"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date ""] [Round "-"] [White "bogolyubov"] [Black "johnsmith95"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1496"] [WhiteElo "1657"] 1. e4 { The only way to get better at a game is to review your mistakes.I lost so I must have made some; Thus, I am annotating this game. Feelfree to give any constructive criticism for a move you thought was bador could have been done better. I'd appreciate it. } 1... b6 { This was beforeI learned how to play the sicilian properly. I would have played c5 insteadof b6. } 2. d4 { Trying to control the center... } 2... Bb7 { Attacking an undefendedpawn. } 3. Bd3 { Defending the pawn, and developing... } 3... Nc6 { Also developing,while attacking a pawn. } 4. c3 { He defends it. } 4... d5 { Challenging the centercontrol... } 5. e5 { He presses the pawn. } 5... e6 { Opening the queen up. } 6. Nf3 { Developing, and preparing to castle. } 6... h6 { To end all thoughts of Bg5or Ng5. } 7. h4 { ? I thought that pressing pawns where you castle is bad...amI wrong? } 7... Qd7 { I planned on castling queen-side, so I moved the queen there. } 8. b4 { Seems normal. } 8... a6 { To prevent b5. } 9. h5 { ...? } 9... Bxb4 { Thinking back,I think this was a mistake. I thought I could press the pawns through...but couldn't. } 10. cxb4 { obvious response } 10... Nxb4 { Again, obvious. } 11. Ba3 { Attacking my knight, while developing. } 11... Nxd3+ { I think this was best. } 12. Qxd3 { Only good choice. } 12... Rc8 { Preparing to press the pawns. } 13. O-O { He castles. Possibly to get the f Rook involved and/or king safety. } 13... c5 { Charge! } 14. Qb3 { Attacking the undefended b pawn. } 14... Qb5 { I think thismight have been a mistake. } 15. dxc5 { He's up. Why not trade off? } 15... bxc5 { I think this was the best response. } 16. Nc3 { Developing while attackingmy queen. } 16... Qxb3 { Was this the best choice? } 17. axb3 { Naturally. } 17... Ne7 { Tryingto develop... } 18. Na4 { c pawn is dead. } 18... d4 { Nxc5 or Bxc5 followed by Bxf3weakens king side defense... } 19. Nd2 { At this point I saw no chance forblack and resigned. Hope you enjoyed! } 1-0

[Event "Going Unorthodox!"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2018.01.29"] [Round "-"] [White "dadof5brats"] [Black "shantijack"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1781"] [TimeControl "2 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1891"] 1. h4 { Trying a different approach against my good ol pal Jack. Saw thisopening somewhere on gameknot. Figured I’d give it a try. Believe it’scalled walking the plank... } 1... e5 { Still going to walk the plank... } 2. h5 { See, just going for a walk... } 2... d5 { Jacks next move was what I had in mind... } 3. h6 { Farewell Soldier... } 3... Nxh6 { Young lad died with cause. Was hopingJack would play Nxh6 } 4. d4 { Now hopefully all goes well...never openedthis way...should be interesting } 4... exd4 { Your turn bishop joe.....a sacrificeis needed. } 5. Bxh6 { Perfect, took his knight and now forces him to playg7xBh6 } 5... gxh6 { Bishop Joe served his purpose. Now Queen Big Birtha is thirstyfor blood! } 6. Qxd4 { Die pawn! } 6... Qg5 { Good ol Jack up to his tricks again....asdopey as I been playing, Wasn’t going to let this new opening be over thatfast. Great move Jack. But I caught it! } 7. Nc3 { Queen Bertha calls outfor knight in shining armor. Yes m’lady? } 7... Bg7 { Dang it.....was hoping tocapture that rook some how...but aww well. Bertha knows she’s under attack.But she’s not sweating it. } 8. Qd3 { Bertha pulls back. } 8... Be6 { Enemy is bringingreinforcements... } 9. Nf3 { As do I... } 9... Qe7 { King Jack’s Queen retreatsfor the moment. King Jack....I may as well be King Jon. Now our kings havenames. } 10. Nd4 { I advanced my knight. At this point, was still feelingthis game out. } 10... Nd7 { Saw that coming... } 11. Nxe6 { Ok...at this point...wasn’tsure what to do. Later realized I probably could of played a better movethan to snatch Jacks Bishop. Just felt it was a good idea to play withless pieces. } 11... fxe6 { Hmmm... thought for a minute and I saw at this pointJack was going to put the pressure on with his knight... Let me just say,Jack (my opponent) and I have played many games against each other. Sowe kind of know what the other is thinking. At least that’s what I liketo think. } 12. Qd2 { Queen Bertha decides to pull back yet again. } 12... O-O-O { King Jack decides to go inside for a cup a coffee... } 13. O-O-O { Me too... } 13... Qf6 { Here she comes again... } 14. e3 { At this point... I know I’m playingaccordingly. I move my knight... then it’s all over. So, soldier e2, Ineed you to step into the front lines. } 14... a6 { Ok....another move made....stillgoing to play safe. } 15. f4 { Another soldier steps up. } 15... Nc5 { Ok...herecomes that knight pressure I was talking about. } 16. Be2 { Bishop Mike.“I need you to make room in the in the back rank” says Queen Bertha. “King Jacks knight is planning on threatening our rooks. I need to protectthem.” } 16... Ne4 { You can smell the stink coming from King Jacks Knights mouth. } 17. Qe1 { “Greetings m’lady.” Both rooks reply at the same time. } 17... d4 { KingJacks orders must of gotten misled. Black pawn jumped to soon. } 18. Nxe4 { With that, came a swift death of King Jacks knight. Decapitated! } 18... Qf7 { Blacks Queen couldn’t bare the site of watching her final knight get slaughtered.She pulls back. } 19. Qf2 { Queen Big Bertha had enough of the rooks gazingat her beauty. She moves out. } 19... dxe3 { That pawn caused a lot of troublefor King Jack. Definitely a Benedict Arnold. } 20. Qxe3 { I don’t like traitors.He must die. } 20... e5 { This will be King Jacks Final move. His Stronghold isfallen. } 21. Qa7 { Queen Bertha gives King Jack an ultimatum and accepts.It’s all over. Victory! } 1-0

[Event "RESURECTION"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "07-May-08"] [Round "-"] [White "pizzakeith"] [Black "yanov"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1637"] [TimeControl "7d+2d, 9d max"] [WhiteElo "1581"] 1. e4 { ALL COMMENTS ARE WELCOME !!! ------------------------------------------- } 1... e5 2. f4 exf4 { king's gambit accepted } 3. Nf3 g5 4. Nc3 Bg7 5. Bc4 { wearrived to an old position in king's gambit accepted. h4 is often played. this position is not played nowadays as it gives poor chances for blackto win, even to draw } 5... g4 { d6 is more careful. From now, i was expectinga bad cyclone on my head ! } 6. O-O { a good move ! white sacrifies a pieceto open the f column and gain time. } 6... gxf3 { let's go ! I want to loosewith my stomach full of white knight ! } 7. Qxf3 { the f4 pawn will now payfor Knight's death. } 7... d6 { digestion ... } 8. Qxf4 { ... it seems that whitedid not analyzed the situation correctly: the sacrifice Bxf7 was givingsurely a winning attack : Bxf7, Kxf7, Qh5 , Kf8, Rxf4 , Nf6, Nd5, Nd7,b4 etc. } 8... Bd4+ { after a long analyze, i found this move that makes me livefor some time more... } 9. Kh1 Qf6 { here it is, black are ready to signfor a queen exchange as they have two points advance. } 10. Nd5 { white looksto c7, but let black exchange queens i was expecting Qg3 } 10... Qxf4 { blacktakes a breath white cannot take c7 immediatly ? : Nxc7 , Kd7, Nxa8, Qxf1, Bxf1 etc. } 11. Rxf4 Bb6 { just in time to defend c7 } 12. Nxb6 { herewhite are not obliged to take immediatly. i think Rxf7 was better } 12... axb6 13. Bxf7+ { black are loosing a pawn again, but escaped from the 1st whitestorm. at that time, i sweared never accept again a king's gambit ! } 13... Kd8 { Ke7 was better to control f6, f7 and f8 } 14. d3 { now is a series ofwhite imprecisions. white have still a development advance. their planwould be d4, a3, Bd2 or e3 and Rf1 } 14... Ne7 { black have a lot of work to develop. black king must find rapidly a square to be secured. } 15. Be3 c5 { blackplan is to give the c7 square to their king, d7 to the bishop and c6 tothe 'b' Knight, and to finally coordinate rooks } 16. d4 { an error. white2nd attack is not prepared. white needed to play a3 to put a second rookin action. } 16... Nbc6 17. dxc5 { taking c5 isolates pawn e4 and let blackto take with b6, it also gives the e5 square to black. protecting thepawn with c3 was better. } 17... bxc5 18. a3 { finally open the liberty door toRa1. } 18... Kc7 19. Bd5 { a strange move. why did the white want to exchange anactive piece and give the pair of bishop ? Raf1 was definitly more frightening } 19... Nxd5 20. exd5 Ne5 { the black knight is now the chessboard's more powerfulpiece. it prevents c4, Rf7. } 21. h3 { a passive move. i was expecing Rf1.this gives the chance to black to achieve their development } 21... Bd7 { blackaim is done } 22. b3 { a bad move. Rf1 was better } 22... b5 { for the first timeof the game, i have the initiative. the rook a1 never moved !! } 23. Kh2 Rhe8 24. Bg1 { black plays actively } 24... Rf8 { black want to enter in a winningfinal } 25. Rxf8 Rxf8 26. a4 { white have a passed a pawn } 26... bxa4 27. bxa4 { the white pawn structure is now ruins } 27... Ra8 28. a5 { with this move, thed5 pawn is now not defendable } 28... Bb5 29. Bf2 Bc4 30. Bg3 { a good plan forblack, but too late } 30... Bxd5 31. Bxe5 dxe5 { black have a decisive advantagewith one piece more. } 32. Ra4 { yes :-) !!! the rook is waking up and ishungry } 32... e4 33. g4 e3 34. Kg1 Kc6 35. c4 { the c4 pawn is now a target forthe Black bishop black have a winning final. } 35... Bf7 36. Kf1 Kd6 37. Ke2 Re8 38. a6 Kc6 39. h4 Kb6 40. a7 Ra8 41. Kxe3 Rxa7 42. Rxa7 Kxa7 43. Kd3 Kb6 44. h5 Kc6 { it was my birthday, i was 44 ! } 0-1

[Event "Team match"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2010.12.13"] [Round "-"] [White "dutchman0118"] [Black "luderamo"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1819"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1887"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 Na5 6. Bb5+ c6 7. dxc6 bxc6 8. Qf3 h6 9. Ne4 Nd5 10. Nbc3 cxb5 11. Nxd5 Bb7 12. Ne3 Qd7 13. O-O Nc6 14. d3 O-O-O 15. c3 { Rybka loves this move. } 15... g6 16. a4 { Rybka lovesthis move too. } 16... b4 17. a5 { Rybka loves this move too. } 17... f5 18. a6 { Rybkaloves this move too. } 18... Ba8 19. Nd2 { Rybka loves this move too. } 19... Kb8 20. Ndc4 { Rybka ligthly prefers the other knight on c4. } 20... Be7 21. Rd1 { Rybkaloves this move too. } 21... h5 22. Qe2 { Rybka loves this move too. } 22... g5 23. Na5 { Rybka loves this move too. } 23... Rdf8 24. d4 { Rybka loves this move too. } 24... f4 25. dxe5 { Rybka loves this move too. } 25... Qe6 26. Qb5+ { Rybka loves this movetoo. } 26... Kc8 27. Nd5 { Rybka loves this move too. } 27... Nxe5 28. Bxf4 { Rybka lovesthis move too. } 28... gxf4 29. cxb4 { Rybka loves this move too. } 1-0

[Event "Let's play chess"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2011.09.23"] [Round "-"] [White "theobserver"] [Black "sargo"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1369"] [TimeControl "2 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1356"] { The fastest checkmate I had recently... } 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Bd3 dxe4 4. Bxe4 { You must admit, my style is weird :) } 4... Nf6 5. Qd3 Nxe4 6. Qxe4 Bd6 7. b3 O-O { Oh, look, the king is ready for checkmate, fastest attackavailable is by queen protected by the knight. We should try this beginnermove. } 8. Nf3 Re8 9. Ng5 Bb4+ { Wrong move I guess. He should have protectedhis king. } 10. c3 Ba5 { Still no checkmate since the king can escape onf8, we need a bishop there. - Bishooop, are you ready? } 11. Ba3 { Here Iam sir! } 11... Bxc3+ { But wait, I'm under attack! I can solve this very easyby taking the bishop with the knight. BUT here comes my idea: if I takethe bishop, he might see what's coming: checkmate and ruin my plans. SoI prepared a bate for him: my rook. If I give him my rook he won't hesitateto take it, and then checkmate! So I moved the king! } 12. Ke2 Bxa1 { Hetook the bate :D Enjoy it! } 13. Qxh7# { And here I go ... I think he wassurprised ;) } 1-0

[Event "League division E2"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2014.08.06"] [Round "-"] [White "frank85715"] [Black "jallen85"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1121"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1240"] { It was interesting playing two matches against the same opponent simultaneously.It is something I think I will enjoy. } 1. e4 { Standard opening. } 1... e5 { Response. } 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d3 c6 { I played c6 to set up d5. d5 right away would haveresulted in a slight material disadvantage. } 4. Nf3 d5 5. exd5 cxd5 6. Bb5+ Bd7 { Blocking with my B seemed to be the best move in my opinion.It allowed for development of some variety while leaving my Q and K inplace. Also, it provided a direct threat if my opponent choose to movea different piece. } 7. Nc3 Bb4 { I wanted to pressure his N and his B wouldbe exchanged regardless. } 8. Bxd7+ Qxd7 { I should have captured with myN instead. } 9. Nxe5 Qe6 { The N was now pinned to his K. Looking atthe computer analysis from the previous move, the computer said my movehere should have been Qc7. I like having both N's pinned for the time being. } 10. d4 O-O { I used the opportunity to tuck my K away into safety. Conversely,my opponents K was still in the center allowing his N's to remain pinned. } 11. Bd2 Nc6 { Development of my N and threatening the d4 pawn. } 12. Nb5 Rad8 { The computer says my move here was to Nxe5. However that leaves mevulnerable to a very nasty fork with 13. Nc7. Despite the computer sayingthis resulted in more than a 3 pawn swing. I am inclined to say I disagree. } 13. Bxb4 Nxb4 14. Nc7 Qe7 15. Nb5 a6 16. Nc3 Ne4 { I was ok with the positioningof my N. I did not want to move my N to d7. The computer keeps statingmy opponents best move was to castle, however while this may be true. Idid not see my opponent castling during the match. He appeared to be neglectingthat aspect of play. } 17. Nxe4 dxe4 18. c3 f6 { I was ok with the tradeoff in this situation. Additionally, I still had my eyes on his Q. } 19. Nc4 { Wisely, my opponent did not want to exchange N's. } 19... Nd3+ { WhileI did not see my opponent castling, I wanted to remove the option completely.I also had my eyes on another play to reduce my opponents material. } 20. Kd2 { My opponent facilitated my plans. I would be able to claim the advantageand maintain from this point forward. } 20... Nxf2 { I was set up fairly wellfrom this point forward. } 21. Qe2 Nxh1 22. Rxh1 Rfe8 { I did not see anythingelse of value that I could play. This move would provide extra firepowerand enable me to launch my Q into battle. } 23. Nb6 { Awkward move in myopinion. It really did nothing for my opponent. } 23... e3+ { A simple check. } 24. Kd3 { My opponent played his K right into the heart of my maneuver. } 24... Rd6 { I had limited options and opted to chase the N. } 25. Nc4 { Im notsure what happened here however this sealed his fate. } 25... Qe4# { Mate. } 0-1

[Event "67th GK tournament"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2010.07.21"] [Round "-"] [White "victorl"] [Black "adrian21"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1567"] [TimeControl "2 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1553"] 1. e4 { Hello everyone, and now I will annotate a game played recently between2 C level players on GK. So white plays e4. } 1... c5 { black plays c5, the Siciliandefense. This is the most popular reply to e4, and the most theoretical.There are hundreds of important lines in the open sicilian(Nf3), and onlya player who has a very good memory and lots of study time will be ableto learn the open sicilian. } 2. Nf3 { Nf3. White goes for an open sicilian. } 2... d6 { the d6 variations. This can usually go into a najdorf or dragon afterd4. } 3. Bc4 { instead, white chooses Bc4, a perfectly reasonable choice.The bishop is active, and white can bring out his other pieces easily. } 3... h6 { I'll give this a ?!, for a dubious move. Black needs to get on withhis development. I suggest Nc6. Instead, h6 deprives the dark squared bishopof the square g5, when it has an equally good square at f4. } 4. h3 { Thisdoes have a purpose, denying the black light bishop g4, and when white'sdark bishop goes to f4, it can get tucked in at h2. This does not develophowever, but I will not give it?!. } 4... Nf6 { A perfectly good choice. } 5. d3 { protecting the pawn while opening a diagonal for his bishop. } 5... Nc6 { Now both players are developing their pieces. } 6. Bd2 { A dubious and passivemove. The bishop is much more effective at f4. Maybe white didn't likee5,but that weakens d5 severely. Even if white doesn't know what to dowith this bishop, he could move the knight with Nc3. } 6... e5 { I don't likethis move at all. It clamps on d4, but that square isn't an outpost. Itseverely weakens d5, and a piece may find a permanent home there laterin the game. } 7. a3 { A waste of time. Better is 0-0 or Nc3. } 7... Be7 { An OKmove here. } 8. O-O Bxh3 { A big mistake. Less experienced players considerto be good, since taking the bishop ruins the kingside structure and exposesthe king. However, these moves are only good if black has adequate forcesto attack the king after it's pawn structure is shattered. } 9. gxh3 { Andhere, with the sacrifice of a bishop, black has blasted open the g file.But whose g file is it? It's white's g file, which means he can play Kh2followed by Rg1, when the sacrifice only helped white's rook, and the kingis hard to attack. At this moment, white is up a bishop, and black hasnot nearly enough compensation. } 9... g5 { the idea of this is right, open linesto attack. Black may include the h8 rook into the fight, but again, ifwhite defends well, then he will get a big advantage. } 10. Nc3 Nd4 { takingthe post and remaining a piece down. } 11. Nxd4 cxd4 { here we see the doubledd pawns, but these are actually good for black, as they can't be attackedeasily, the d4 pawn gets space, and the c file is open. } 12. Nd5 { now theweakness of the d5 square is apparent. } 12... Nxd5 13. Bxd5 { the bishop is wellplaced here. It cannot be driven away. } 13... Qb6 14. b4 Qb5 { At this point blackcan ask himself: What do I get for the bishop? almost nothing. The 'attack'he imagined has not come simply because there are no pieces to participatein it. } 15. Qh5 { the queen is advanced and very active here. } 15... Rh7 16. Kh1 { yes. he can now prepare Rg1 and h4 sometime. } 16... Qd7 { just moving around.Black's pieces really have nothing to do. } 17. c4 { Fine move! White increaseshis space on the Q-side. } 17... Rb8 { If black wants b4, he will have to get theb pawn out of the pin. } 18. Rg1 { most of white's pieces are rather activeand have some good prospects. } 18... Qa4 { maybe black intends to penetrate toc2, causing some minor positional problems. } 19. Qd1 { right now, tradingqueens would favor white. } 19... Qd7 20. Qh5 Qa4 21. Qd1 Qd7 22. b5 { A triple??? blunder. White, who has an easy win, probably asked himself: Why didmy opponent make this move? instead of: What are all the things black intendsto do with this move? white probably thought black wants to repeat theposition or is just getting out of the queen trade. But he missed a minordetail. Before, I would score the position 4, because of white's materialand positional advantage(bishop pair, more active pieces, more space).Now it is Mate(1) } 22... Qxh3# { mate! } 0-1

[Event "Henry's Deadly Dash - Part 1"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2011.03.11"] [Round "-"] [White "brigadecommander"] [Black "jstevens1"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1784"] [TimeControl "9d+2d<10d"] [WhiteElo "2218"] 1. c4 { Hi everyone! Has anybody ever heard of Steve Backshall? Well,he is a guy who just lurves chasing wild animals, although on occasionsthey chase him. I found out about him from watching a Children's programmecalled CBBC with my six year old Charlotte and later played the CBBC gamewhere Steve has to outrun bees, hippos and alligators - this game is calledSteve's Deadly Dash. In this MT in aid of the Christchurch EarthquakeI am playing Master Janet. Things seemed to be OK for me when suddenlyHenry was subjected to a deadly dash from her rook and the Wicked Witchof the West. Alas, Henry got caught and he had to rest up! Anyhow, onwith the game. Gameknot Analysis is provided in the following link.http://gameknot.com/analyze-board.pl?bd=15488483&fb=1&rnd=0.19786173690656117. Janet kicks off with the English Opening - 1.c4. } 1... e5 2. g3 { 2. g3 - whiteusually likes to fianchetto a lsb on the kingside in the English Openingand Janet is no exception. } 2... Nf6 3. Bg2 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 { 4. ....... Nxd5- pawn trade. } 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. O-O Nb6 7. Nc3 Be7 { 7. ...... Be7 - clearingthe way for kingside castling. } 8. a3 O-O 9. b4 { 9. b4 - a queenside pawnstorm perhaps? } 9... Be6 10. d3 a5 11. b5 Nd4 { 11. ..... Nd4 - an interestingpassage of play is about to evolve. The e5 pawn is left to hang, but .... } 12. Nxe5 Bf6 13. f4 Nb3 14. Be3 Nxa1 15. Qxa1 { 15. Qxa1 - ..... but thereis an exchange sac on white's part. Can this be justified? We shall see. } 15... Bxe5 16. fxe5 Nd5 17. Bc5 Re8 { 17. ..... Re8 - my rook is en prise andmust move to the only possible square. } 18. Na4 b6 19. Bd4 { 19. Bd4 - aline up on the a1-h8 diagonal could spell danger for Henry. } 19... Rc8 20. Qb2 Qd7 21. e3 Bh3 { 21. .... Bh3 - wanting to exchange off white's strong lsb. Unfortunately white's dsb is the one I should perhaps be thinking of riddingmyself of. } 22. e6 Qxe6 23. Bxh3 Qxh3 24. e4 { 24. e4 - puts the questionto my knight. I opt for f6 - will Janet be prepared to part with thisstrong bishop in order to open up the g column? Will this decision provecostly to me? Time will tell. } 24... Nf6 25. Bxf6 gxf6 26. Qxf6 { 26. Qxf6 -Aha, here is the Wicked Witch and my f7 pawn is en prise. I choose todefend by Qh5?? but this proves to be the losing move according to GameknotAnalysis. My opponent also suggested 26.Qe6 and she thought that if Iplayed that then I would have had great drawing chances. Again I missthe chance to add Janet's name to my Master Draw list! } 26... Qh5 27. Rf5 Qd1+ 28. Kg2 Qb3 { 28. ..... Qb3 - I eschew the knight on a4 because Henry willcop Old Matey if Glenda takes it. Instead she defends the pawn on f7. However, Rg5+ proves decisive and now comes Henry's Deadly Dash. } 29. Rg5+ Kf8 30. Qh6+ Ke7 31. Re5+ Kd7 32. Qc6+ { 32. Qc6+. Here I resign onthe grounds of Unavoidable Mate. Henry has only one square (d8) and nextmove comes Qxe1#. Well played, Janet. Joanne } 1-0

[Event "League division C3"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2014.08.23"] [Round "-"] [White "mischo"] [Black "stefano80"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [BlackElo "1839"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1770"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. d3 Bb7 9. c3 h6 10. Nbd2 Re8 11. Nf1 { Very interestingly, database resultsin this position are clearly for black, but SF5 gives +0.34 at depth 25. } 11... Bf8 12. Ng3 { The plan behind Ng3 is to install the knight in f5. SF5 prefersto first play d4 and considers white's advantage to have vanished afterthis move. The point is that the move allows c5, after which d4 becomesvery difficult. } 12... Na5 13. Bc2 c5 14. h3 { Now white must play d4, sacrificinga pawn to be able to play e5, or install the knight in f5. It is not clearwhat h3 is good for. } 14... d5 { Right! Black's goal in the spanish is to playd5, and if black has not played d6, he is even able to save a tempo. Afterhaving equalized, now black gets more active pieces. } 15. exd5 Qxd5 16. Ne4 Qe6 { In order to avoid the doubling of the f-pawn. } 17. Nxf6+ { Ne4is the best placed black piece, so it is illogical to exchange it. Nevertheless,after 17. Qe2 Rad8, black has a very nice position thanks to white's passivepieces. } 17... Qxf6 18. Be3 Bxf3 { This makes black's advantage vanish. Black'sidea is to enter an endgame in which he is supposedly better thanks towhite's weakened pawn structure, but he oversees that the bishop's pairis more than enough as a compensation. The natural alternative was 18.... Rad8 19. Qe2 c4 20. d4 Nc6 21. dxe5 Nxe5 22. Nd4 Bd6 and black canbuild a very strong kingside attack. } 19. Qxf3 Qxf3 20. gxf3 Nc6 21. a4 b4 22. a5 { This is a bad move since Pa5 is weak. } 22... Rad8 { A paradigmaticalexample of the wrong rook! The a rook must be placed on b8 to threatenRb5! E.g. 22. ... Rab8 23. Ba4 Re6 24. f4 Rd8 } 23. Red1 { Again a wrongrook move! Better was Bb3, with the idea of attacking black's weak pawnon a6. } 23... g6 { And again black does not see the necessity of moving the rookto b8. This move also blocks the 6th row for the own rooks. } 24. Kg2 f5 { Blunder which could cost the game. After 26. cxb4 cxb4 27. Rdc1 thereis defense against Rc4 Rac1 and winning the knight. } 25. Ba4 Rc8 26. d4 { White does not see the winning move and starts a sequences which was thoughtto win a pwan. } 26... cxd4 { Now black, based on a wrong calculation, enters asequence in which he thinks to lose a pawn, but get a drawn endgame dueto a smart intermediate... } 27. cxd4 exd4 28. Bxd4 Nxd4 29. Bxe8 Nb3 { Thisis the 'smart' intermediate. It attacks the rook to get the knight outof the rooks' attack. What Black missed (and he did not see until postmortem analysis) is that white could play the identical intermediate 30.Bd7 which wins the game. } 30. Bxg6 { But white misses that too. } 30... Nxa1 { Andhe also misses that Bxf5 would win a pawn due to the same kind of attackon the rook as before. } 31. Rxa1 f4 { Now black seem to be safe due to theopposite bishops, but this move is a bad weakenings. Better would havebeen to first activate the rook with Rc5, so to avoid white's rook comeinto play. } 32. Rd1 Kg7 33. Be4 Rc5 34. Rd5 { This is the drawing move,leading to an endgame with opposite bishops. } 34... Kf6 { Black does not playRxd5, since he wants to capture with the bishop. He misses the strong Rd8(again an intermediate!). } 35. Rxc5 { White misses it too, and the gameis dead draw. } 35... Bxc5 36. Bb7 Bd4 37. b3 Be5 { After 38. Bxa6 Bc7 39. h4 Bxa5it is draw. } 1/2-1/2

[Event "Team match"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "02-Mar-07"] [Round "-"] [White "alshahmat"] [Black "lobotomy"] [Result "*"] [BlackElo "1707"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1717"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. f3 e6 7. Be3 b5 8. g4 h6 9. Qd2 Nbd7 10. O-O-O Bb7 11. h4 g6 12. g5 hxg5 13. Bxg5 Qa5 { Stupid-this should just go to c7, and avoid giving White a tempo. } 14. Nb3 Qc7 15. Bg2 b4 16. Ne2 d5 { Not achieved without a cost- the black Nf6 willspend some time returning to anywhere useful, I think. } 17. e5 Ng8 18. f4 a5 19. Nbd4 Ba6 20. b3 Bc5 21. Bf3 Ne7 22. h5 { Hadn't quite calculatedthis fully- 22.O-O-O fails to hg when the N is pinned. 22...Nf8 23.Bf6Rg8 (Rh7, hg, Rxh1, gf ) 24.h6 Nh7 22...Rc8 23.hg Nxg6 24.Bh5 Ndxe5!? 25.feNxe5 maybe hangs on, but 24.Rxh8 Nx 25.Rh1 Ng6 26.f5 ef 27.Bxd5 } 22... Nf8 23. Bf6 Rg8 24. h6 { Hmm, this can't be right. After 24...Nh7, Black is suddenlylooking pretty good. Black currently can't castle and once the Rh8 is exchangedoff, this kingside looks a little exposed. It's difficult to see quitehow White should procede, however, since the tempting Rdg1 starts to looka little uncomfortable after moves like Qb6 and Nf5. Maybe the simple 24.hgfollowed by swapping rooks and Rh1 will suffice. } 24... Nh7 25. Bg7 a4 26. bxa4 Qa5 27. Nb3 Qxa4 28. Ned4 { 28.Nxc4 is met by 28...Qa3 29.Kb1 and 29...Bxe2when White will either get mated or lose a rook. Or both. } 28... Qa3+ 29. Kb1 Bc4 30. Qe3 Nf5 31. Qf2 Nxd4 32. Rxd4 Qxa2+ 33. Kc1 Bxb3 34. Rhd1 Bxd4 35. Rxd4 *

[Event "Shadow Days Quad SCC Game 1"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "9/1/2011"] [Round "-"] [White "Ryan Murphy "] [Black "Jester"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1390"] [TimeControl "G/90"] [WhiteElo "1394"] { This is probably one of the worst otb games I've played since I startedgetting serious about chess almost a year ago (October, 2010 during mySenior year of HS). I was tired and feeling like I was coming down witha cold, but this is little excuse for the stupid positional play I employed,in lines I had somewhat extensively studied. This is to show that evenwhen you know you should do something one way, in-game impatience and nervescan destroy you quickly. This game is for all new players to learn thevalue of the bishop pair (something I already had known for quite sometime but ignored for a few foolish reasons). Emotions/nerves are not factorsin correspondence games on gameknot, but in real chess, otb, they are quitea large portion of what goes on on the 64 squares. I remember this entiregame without the game notation, as I contemplated it in disgust for severalhours before I could allow myself to sleep that night (game began after7 pm that night). } 1. e4 c6 { Caro kann, which I play a lot as black. Ihad studied quite a bit for this opening in order to play it, or to playagainst it. } 2. d4 d5 3. e5 { The advance variation, which is one of thesharper options according to most databases. I spent a while decidingon this variation, considering also the panov-botvinnik attack in the exchangelines, which I think I will try in the future. } 3... c5 { This offers to transposeinto a French Defense perhaps, and plays an early c5 to undermine d4, withthe idea of if dxc then maybe Qa5+ with the semi open c file and a nicespot for the queen on c7 after Be3 } 4. Nf3 cxd4 { Certainly not the onlymove, developing the lsb before closing the pawn chain is to be consideredtoo } 5. Nxd4 { Objectionable I think, the pawn has no future with two attackersand no defensive resources available. I considered developing Nbd2 tob3 with a strongly posted knight on d4. This move opens up the Queen toaccess the light diagonal on the KS for hopes of a Qg4 if the bishop leavesits defense of g7 } 5... e6 { This is a French Defense type transposition now,locking in the lsb of black. } 6. Bd3 { A natural square for the bishop,preparing to castle if desired. Nbd2 again possible or maybe the fianchettoingof the dsb to eye the KS. } 6... Bc5 7. Nb3 { This is questionable. I do notthink in retrospect that this knight belongs on b3, but it gains the tempoon black's valued dsb and forces the question of which diagonal it shallpossess. It stakes out control of d4 still } 7... Bb6 8. Qg4 { An aggressivemove recommended by Dzindzichashvili in some of his interesting Bd2 linesagainst the Winnawer pin on the c3 knight in the advance French, it makessense to play this now that the bishop has committed itself away from thedefense of the pawn and g6 is an awkward weakening of the dark squareson black's KS. } 8... Ne7 { I saw the chance for the following: Qxg7 Rg8 Qxh7Rxg2 Be3 Bxe3 fxe3 and the position is jumbled a bit with doubled e pawnsfor white but the outside passed h pawn. White will castle QS and pursueKS initiative now that it is opened. White has good control on d4,but the position is unclear in my mind, at least so it was otb. } 9. Bg5 { !? The idea is simple, though perhaps not to be recommended. I made itin the mindset of a quick attack, though it really just gives tempi toblack in his defense which gets hi pieces to agreeable squares and allowshim the development lead } 9... Nbc6 { The obvious defense to Bxe7 Qxe7 Qxg7,where the rook is attacked } 10. Bb5 { ? This is just a bad move, and commitsthe lsb to a poor diagonal. It allows and encourages Bd7, developing black'slsb naturally. This is the second time this bishop has moved in the opening,so for beginners this should be made a special note of how not to playthe opening. Better wa s Nbd2 with ideas of castling long and after h6most likely Bxe7 to save the tempo as it would be awkward to retreat thebishop, and on h5 the same response most likely as the one to h6, withsome slight danger because of Bxf2+ not Kxf2 for then Qb6+ winning white'squeen. The threat by black's knight against e5 is temporarily bluntedby the pin, but this is a quick fix and soon white finds himself tied upby his own initiative. } 10... Bd7 11. Bxc6 { ? Better was maybe Bxe7 Nxe7 Bxd7+Qxd7 Qxg7 or Nbd2 and maybe even f4 in the immediate future. This commitsgiving away the bishop pair for absolutely nothing (the way I play it,which is a good note to the beginner as well, don't give away the bishoppair, note even for a pawn or even two pawns in an open position). } 11... Bxc6 12. Bxe7 { ?? Though this allows white to grab the g pawn without the Rg7retort it overlooks Qxe7 Qxg7 O-O-O! } 12... Qxe7 13. Qxg7 O-O-O { Black is clearlywinning despite the temporary pawn deficit } 14. Qf6 { ? This worsens white'sgame considerably as now he can not contest any diagonals at all and willbe quickly zugzwanged } 14... Qxf6 15. exf6 Bb5 { Gripping down total control againstwhite's helpless KS. } 16. N1d2 { The move that is finally played far toolate. THe knights are entirely useless against the bishops's long piercingscopes } 16... Rhg8 17. g3 Rg6 18. f4 Rxf6 19. O-O-O { I calculated this potentialposition and saw how cramped and horribly in black's favor it was, butstill saw some fighting hope. } 19... Kb8 20. Kb1 { Avoiding the pin perhaps toallow the knight some mobility in the future. } 20... Re8 21. Rhe1 { To allow Nf3because if immediately played it runs into Be2! winning the knight } 21... Rg6 22. Nf3 { Looking for a decent home and some play on the KS } 22... Bf2 23. Re5 { Committing to the following idea } 23... f6 24. f5 { !? } 24... fxe5 25. fxg6 e4 26. Nfd4 { This I calculated as ok for white as it gives chances with the soonto be passed pawn on the seventh, but it perhaps misjudges black's passedpawn. I saw this chance to place the knight well on d5 to win the tempoon the lsb. White has gained some space and hope though he is still losing } 26... Bc4 27. g7 e3 28. Nxe6 { ! } 28... e2 29. Re1 { ?? Much better was Rh1 this doesn'teven get the pawn, white would still have a hope because of his passedpawn after Rh1 maybe. It has already been said this is my worst game ofchess.. From there: Rh1 e1=Q+ Rxe1 Bxe1 Nbd4! (blocking the d pawn sothat the knight on e6 can block the rook, making Rg8 suggested which wouldthen create b3 and Ng5 to folow with the idea of Ne7 to at least get somecompensation) Maybe white can make chances with his passed pawn althoughhis back rank is still weak. From here it is hopelessly lost. } 29... Bxe1 30. Nbd4 Bb4 31. Nf3 { Desperate measures... } 31... e1=Q+ 32. Nxe1 Bxe1 33. Nf8 d4 34. Nd7+ Kc7 35. Nf6 Re2 36. b3 Bc3 { 0-1 White resigned for the mate intwo threat. A good lesson to all beginners on how not to treat your minorpieces and the dangers of otb emotions, tiredness and sick play. A displayto all others of how we can be capable of playing far below our ratings(I would give this a performance rating of 900-1000 for the sequence ofpositional play after ...Ne7, even with some of the tactical tries I gavemyself). A horrible showing and a game I shant soon forget. Here's tonot playing like sh*t again! } 0-1

[Event "GameKnot Blitz, http://gameknot.com/"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2010.12.21"] [Round "-"] [White "supergir1"] [Black "coolistdude"] [Result "0-1"] { An interesting blitz game. } 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Bc4 Bc5 { No, I am notcopying her moves. I am prodding her to see if I can achieve an imbalancedposition. } 4. O-O { The only way to keep the opening normal. Alternativesinclude 3. Bxf7+ Kxf7 4. Nxe5+ or 3. Nxe5. Castling consolidates the positionand gives a cue that my opponent prefers development over deep calculationsfor an imbalanced position in the opening. Maybe that is reading too muchinto my opponent. } 4... d6 { A somewhat passive response, even though the bishopmust be freed. Perhaps this also is reading too much into the developingposition. } 5. c3 Bg4 { Leaving a hole on b7. } 6. Qb3 { Which she saw! } 6... O-O { I castled. The compensation I will gain from the queen taking the b pawnis sufficient for me to not feel completely uncomfortable being a pawndown. } 7. Qxb7 { In taking this pawn she is up a pawn but I have the potentialof doubling up pawns, snagging the e pawn should her queen need to move,and threatening the good bishop with an eventual Nb6. None of these aretruly solid but the main advantage that is solid is her development isnow lacking. } 7... Nbd7 { All my minor pieces are out. Mission successful. } 8. d3 Bxf3 { The purpose of this move goes beyond doubling pawns. I am eyingher lonely king. } 9. gxf3 Nh5 10. Be3 Kh8 { Necessary to remove the pinon f7. } 11. Nd2 f5 12. Bxc5 Nxc5 { I am feeling pretty good about my position.My two knights are inching their way towards her kingside and my queenis ready to attack. Also, her queen is under attack and must retreat. } 13. Qc6 Qg5+ 14. Kh1 Qxd2 { 14. ... Nf4 is a mistake after 15. Rg1 } 15. Qxc7 Qf4 { My center is falling but the attack on the white king is farmore valuable. f3 is the weakest point and not easily defended. } 16. Rg1 { ? 16. Kg2 would have been a better choice in my opinion as it would inviteperpetual check or a more stable position. However, in a blitz match Imay miss Qxg7# } 16... Qxf3+ { Now the trouble brews. } 17. Rg2 fxe4 { Opening thef file. Not 17. ... Nf4?? 18. Qxg7# } 18. Bd5 Nxd3 { This is about more thansnatching pawns, I am eying f2 which has no defender. } 19. Rf1 Ndf4 { ThreateningQxg2# } 20. Rg1 Ne2 { Why settle for the exchange when one can pursue checkmate?21. Bxa8 Nxg1 22. Kxg1 Qd1# or 22 . ... Nh3 threatening 23. ... Qd1+ 24.Rg1 Qxg1# or 23. ... Nxf2+ 24. Kg1 Qd1#. My main concern at this pointis I have strong threats but no seemingly forced mate. } 21. Bb3 { Coveringd1 and threatening Bd1. Also allowing her king to capture my knight shouldit take g1. } 21... Nxg1 22. Kxg1 e3 { Not 22. ... Nf4?? 23. Qxg7#. One must becareful when a single piece impedes checkmate. } 23. Qc4 exf2+ { I wouldlike to point out that e2 is a stronger move as it immediately forces whiteto give up her queen. I felt like I was missing something here. This moveworks as well, it just takes a little longer to do the job. } 24. Kf1 Nf4 { Now it is safe to move the knight as Qxg7# is no longer possible! 0-1 25. Rxf2 Qh1# or 25. Rg5 Qh3+ 26. Rg2 Qxg2# or 26. Kxf2 Nd3+ 27. Kg1Qf1# or 27. Ke2 Rf2+ 28. Kd1 Qf1#. 25. Rg3 is the only option but thatleaves the king bare to a discover attack after 25. ... Qh1+ 26. Kxf2. } 0-1

[Event "Rematch game jeffegg2"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "09-Oct-06"] [Round "-"] [White "jeffegg2"] [Black "chess79"] [Result "*"] [BlackElo "1235"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1411"] 1. e4 { e4 'Best by test: Bobby fischer' } 1... e5 { probably the best response. } 2. Nf3 f6 { ? this move opens the e8-h5 diagonal to the king. Very dangerous!!! } 3. Nxe5 fxe5 4. Qh5+ Ke7 5. Qxe5+ Kf7 6. Bc4+ Kg6 7. Qf5+ Kh6 8. d4+ g5 9. h4 Be7 10. hxg5+ *

[Event "Analyzed Games"] [Site "ChessDoctor.com"] [Date "?.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "W49"] [Black "B49"] [Result "?"] [ECO "?"] {00049.6.19 Analyzed by Master Daniel Waite} 1.e4 Nc6 2.Nf3 {Another good idea here is to play d4. These pawns make it easier to control the center. 2.d4 e5 3.d5 White has firm control of the center. The center is important because if you lose the center then you lose the game.} 2...Nf6 3.Nc3 {Developing your pieces is good. Objectively this is not the best move but this develops good habits for the novice player.} 3...e5 {This is the move I like because it gains all sorts of space in the center. The move also prepares to attack on the Kingside because of the space that is gained there. 3...e5 Welcome to the "Four Knights". The reason we have these names is to help us identify common opening sequences. Once you learn these names then you can find them in books and study them until you know them. At this point, just enjoy the King hunt.} 4.Bb5 Na5 {This is a error. There are several reasons for this judgment. First, the Knight and the Bishop are of equal value. Your Bishop move does not really immediately threaten anything. Finally, the Knight on the rim is severely restricted in its movement. As you get better you will find exceptions to the rule for concrete reasons. But for now remember, "a Knight on the rim is dim."} 5.Nxe5 {Good! You removed the defender and now you pick up the piece.} 5...Bd6 {This is not a good place for the Bishop because it blocks the advance of the d-pawn. If the d-pawn is blocked then the Queen Bishop will have difficulty developing properly.} 6.f4 {5.d4 does the same thing and completes the control in the center. I distrust this move because if you castle Kingside the g1-a7 diagonal is open to all sorts of mischief.} 6...c6 7.Bd3 b5 8.Nf3 {This move is not correct. First, it gives back material ...Bxf4. Second it signals a retreat from the center. Remember that when your Knight crosses the 4/5 line, you want to maximize the damage it causes before retreating back into your own territory.} 8...Ba6 {A blunder, that you nicely point out.} 9.e5 {Nice! One of the basic move in the "how to humiliate your opponent 101" class. The idea behind this is repeated through the GM level. The pawns being the "weakest" (read "least valuable", because they are the "least mobile") become the strongest (since they can make contact, threats, and do battle where others fear to tread!} 9...Nh5 10.exd6 Qf6 11.0-0 Qxd6 12.Ne4 {12.Re1+ Kf8 13.Ne4} 12...Qxf4 {Another mistake because of 13.Nfg5 Qe5 14.Qxh5} 13.Qe2 0-0 14.Nc5 {Chasing the unguarded Bishop on a6. This is a "one move" attack. For the novice, it's ok. However, I'd like to push you to deepen your thought process and think at least one move deeper. One problem with the "one move" attack is that it often does not take into account the opponent's threats and possibilities. Another problem is that better moves are typically available.} 14...Rae8 15.Qd1 {Always play with a plan. As yourself what your opponent is threatening and what you are threatening.} 15...Qd6 16. b4 {Nxa6} 16...Bc8 17. bxa5? {Your Knight is much more useful than the Knight on a5. Do not trade useful pieces for useless pieces, even if they are of equal value.} 17...Qxc5+ {Remember this diagonal? It is trouble, all started by the move f4.} 18.Kh1 d5 19.c4?! {A mistake, but an interesting idea. You recognize the power of the Bishop pair. The giving of the pawn frees the Queen Bishop. A much stronger idea to free the Bishop is to play a4. [19.a4 b4 20.c3 Nf4 21.cxb4 and the Bishops are free.]} 19...Re6 20.Bb1 {Repeat after me.... "ATTACK!" "Fischer's rule" was attack something if it doesn't move take it. Unless you there are specific reasons you must attack. [20.Bf5 Ree8 21.Bxc8 Rxc8 22.cxb5 cxb5 Being a piece up gives you the luxury of opening the game up. Typically the open nature will favor the player that is best developed (or has the most material.)]} 20...Rh6 21.g4?? {OK, I've got to complain about this move. The move d4 attacks the Queen (at c5) with the pawn and the Rook (at h6) with the Bishop at the same time. The basic idea of the combination is to attack two things at the same time.} 21...Ng3+ 22.Kg2 Nxf1 23.g5 Rxh2+?? {Missing a force mate. 23...Bh3+ 24.Kh1 Qf2 and there is no stopping Qg2 mate!} 24.Nxh2 Nxh2 25.Qh1? {You needed Qc2. This move allow Black an advantage with ...Qd4 or ...g6 or ...Re8 or ...f5. You get the point.} 25...f6 26.Qxh2 fxg5 {27.Qxh7+} 27.Bxh7+ Kf7 28.Ba3 Qxa3 29.Qc7+ Kf6 30.Rf1+ Bf5 31.Rxf5+ Ke6 32.Qxc6+ {The reason for Ba3.} 32...Qd6 33.cxd5+ Ke7 {And White gets to take all Black's remaining pieces, if you want them. 27...Kf7 28.Bb2 d4 29.Bg6+ Ke6 30.Re1+ Kd6 31.Qxg7 Rf4 32.Re8 32.Qe7# That's check mate. 32...Rg4+ 33.Kf3 Rg1 34.Bxd4 34.Qe7# That's check mate. 34...Qa3+ 35.Kf2 Re1 Black misses mate in two with.... 35...Qg3+ 36.Ke2 Now pick one either ...Re1 or Bg4 is check mate. 36.Rxe1 36.Rd8+ Ke6 Pick one 37.Qf6 or 37.Qf7 are both mate. 36...bxc4 37.Be5+ 37.Qe7+ Kd5 38.Qe5# That's check mate. 37...Kd5 38.Be4+ Kc5 OK, we are into the territory where "anything" wins. I suppose it could be argued that it doesn't matter, but I do not like to see a student go to sleep at this point in the game. When the point is in hand, don't lose it! Like you almost did when Black missed ...Qg3+ a couple of moves back. 39.Rb1 Bg4 Qxa7, Qe7 and Qf8 are all check mate. 40.Qb7 Qxa5 41.Qxc6# } 1-0

[Event "Team match #3- The sin of greed"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009.09.30"] [Round "-"] [White "fiver"] [Black "x-machine"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1139"] [TimeControl "5 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1232"] 1. e4 { I was so close to winning this game, and I was thinking at thattime that this would be my best checkmate ever on GK. Two fatal mistakeslater and that was snatched away from me! } 1... c5 { I;d like to try somethingdifferent with my opening sometime, but for now, I'm happy with the Silican } 2. Nf3 { bringing out the knight } 2... Nc6 { my usual move } 3. Bc4 { this is supposedto be a bad response to the Silican, but I'm not sure how to take advantageof this move... } 3... g6 { so I continue with normal development, preparing tofianchetto that bishop (thank you cadavre) } 4. c3 { I guess this move wasplayed to stop me advancing my knight } 4... Bg7 5. d4 { bringing out his centerpawn - White need to think about castling to protect his king } 5... Nf6 { again,normal development, } 6. Qd3 { I'm not too sure why White decided to playthis...I'd consider 6.Nbd2 } 6... O-O { this is where my move of memorised movesend - any move I make after this is based on my own decisions } 7. Bf4 { hmmm....again, White's motives escape me...for now (I've decided when annotatingthat unless it's significant to my analysis, I'll speak without the benefitof hindsight) } 7... d5 { preparing to challenge the center... } 8. exd5 Nxd5 { nowthere's a clear file to White's king. (though White's king can easily bedefended by the bishop or knight) } 9. Be5 { now I realise the plan of thatbishop - trading off my strong bishop } 9... Nxe5 { I decide to trade with knightinstead } 10. dxe5 { in my first game with fiver (my other team match - I'llannotate that one as well) he was kind enough to sent me some basic chessrules from his team forum around mid-game. Here's one of them in play now- 'always attack with the weaker piece' (in this case, White attacks withthe pawn instead of the knight) I know anyone looking at this annotationprobably already knows this but I just thought I'd throw this in } 10... e6 { ?I thimk I played this to free up the black queen, but it blocks my ownwhite bishop in } 11. O-O { castling } 11... a6 { preparing to chase the white bishopaway with b5 } 12. Nbd2 { developing the second knight, and I believe herethat White is pretty far ahead in development } 12... b5 { the threat, as promised... } 13. Bxd5 exd5 { now, here's where the game starts to get interesting, onaccount of my pawns on the 5th rank. } 14. b3 { to stop c4 chasing away thewhite queen. At this point, fiver posted a comment saying he hated pawnsstorms. } 14... f5 { I didn't know how I could utilise my pawns at this point,so I worked towards a pawn threat on the knight (there's always the possibilityof white capturing with en passant, but that'd, for me, bring out my rookinto play) } 15. Nh4 { Black declines, and tries to set up a trap for me.15...Qxd4? 16.Qxd5+ Kh8 17.Qxa8 } 15... g5 { I threaten the knight by other meansinstead, and at this point I have my full concerntration on this game.The pawn wall on the 5th rank is a double-edged sword for Black - on onehand, it limits the mobility of White's pieces to its side of the board.On the other hand, most of Black's major pieces are bogged down with theprotection of the pawns (the black Queen, in fact, is overburdened withtwo pawns. But not for long...) } 16. Nhf3 g4 { continuing the threat onthe knight.... } 17. Nh4 { baiting me with that knight trap of his again... } 17... Bxe5 { but I just nab the now unprotected pawn } 18. Rae1 { a challenge tothe e-file } 18... Re8 { and I return that challenge } 19. g3 { this move may nothave been the best, as it weakens the White King's defence a little } 19... f4 { offering an exchange.... } 20. c4 { White finally decides to challenge thosethree pawns which had held their ground for so long! } 20... fxg3 { I go for theexchange first... } 21. fxg3 { ? But White captured back with the wrong pawn- this opens up the king for a powerful attack } 21... Bb7 { Black has the bishoppair, White has the knight pair, and its clear enough here that the bishopsare more powerful in this situation! Black threatens Bd4+, and White isforced to trade rook for knight (Kh1?? dxc4 mate) } 22. cxb5 { White sidestepsthe danger and wins back his pawn... } 22... Bd4+ 23. Kh1 { but White is not outof the woods yet! } 23... Qd7 { I didn't see it until next move, but this queenmove, though subtle enough, is a part of my downfall a bit later (can yousee the danger?) } 24. a4 { White didn't see it either - he was obviouslythinking I was about to capture the b pawn } 24... Rxe1 { necessary exchange... } 25. Rxe1 Bf2 { ! yes! The threat of mate is once again in play, and here'swhere I was having fantasies of showing my best game on here (well, I stillconsider this my best game, but I was imagining me winning) } 26. Ne4 Bxe1 { ?? dammit! I played this move way too fast, and now White is gonna makea comeback! Black should have played d4 (pinning the knight), followedby Qd5, with the threat of mate in the next two move. } 27. Nf6+ { I sawthis move on the screen for a full second before going to the nearest walland giving myself a nasty lump on my head! I was so sure I was going towin this as well! (and by the way, I don't mean to sound cocky or arrogantin any way in saying this) } 27... Kf7 { ? second mistake - despite the queen loss,I still had a chance with Bf2. Kg7 and Kh8 would have both been recommendedover this move, because the knight can now block my b7 bishop with Nd5+,then Nc6 } 28. Nxd7 Ke6 { stopping that knight move for myself, and I wasplanning to resume my checkmate strategy, but... } 29. Qf5+ { damn! thanother knight! now, instead of the bishop pair the knights are dominatingthe board } 29... Ke7 30. Qxh7+ Kd6 { and I resign; White can move his knight andthreaten capturing the knight and Qd7+, which I'm sure would lead to aneventual mate (well, there is Bc8, but White would still have a lot ofchecks up his sleeves) this was a very entertaining game for me, despitemy mistakes! I really enjoyed it! :) } 1-0

[Event "Team game"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2011.03.06"] [Round "-"] [White "mannx"] [Black "elyhim"] [Result "*"] [BlackElo "2212"] [TimeControl "5 days per move"] [WhiteElo "2221"] 1. d4 { This game features excellent middle game strategies and endgametechnique } 1... Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 c6 { This is a very stable setupfor black. If he can manage to keep the centre fixed then it will morethen likely end in a draw. } 5. Bg5 { A very sharp way to continue that offerswhite a host of possible attacks } 5... h6 { !? more than likely inferior to Nbd7or Be7 but I was looking for quick tactical chances after Bxf6. } 6. Bh4 dxc4 { before playing ...g5 I release tension in the centre } 7. e4 { A greatmove by white that keeps the center dynamic. } 7... g5 { The game is quicklyshaping up to be a run and gun type } 8. Bg3 b5 9. Be2 Bb7 10. h4 g4 { Therewas nothing to be gained from allowing axg5 so I decided to gamble withforcing white into a bit of a cramped position. the drawback is that mypawn structure is messy and white has the better center. However, I havegained real threats in g4 and b4. The real value for me in the move 10....g4 is that it actively strikes at the heart of white main idea whichis to break through with e4-e5. By forces white to play Ne5 prematurelyit forces white to weaken is his control of e5. Thus allowing me to exchangeof knights white loses a value piece in the conquest of play e4-e5. Blackon the other hand at this point in time retains the option of playing b5-b4 } 11. Ne5 Nbd7 { playing ...a5 simply allows white to cement his knight one5. } 12. Nxg4 b4 13. Nxf6+ { A good exchange for white because it divertsa piece away from the queen side. } 13... Nxf6 14. Na4 Nxe4 { regaining the importante-pawn with a slight initiative but at the cost of a weakened queen sideinitiative. } 15. Be5 { preserving the bishop for the time being. It is unlikelythat anything favorable for white would come from allowing ...Nxg3 } 15... Rg8 16. Bf3 Qd5 { This move is the best move because 16. ...c5 is premature.Any flank attack the begins while the center is in a state of flux willmost likely fail. } 17. Qe2 { Threatening to win the knight } 17... f5 { a forcedweakening move. } 18. a3 { This forces black to play ...c5 insuring thedraw after 19. Nxc5 } 18... c5 19. O-O-O { !? allowing black to get away with ...c5is just asking for trouble. 17. Nxc5 was necessary } 19... O-O-O 20. Bf6 Re8 21. h5 cxd4 { white's last center pawn is gone and he has a hanging knight ona4 plus black still has a strong queen side pawns. } 22. Rxd4 Qa5 23. Bxe4 fxe4 24. Qxc4+ Kb8 { White's piece active has increased drastically in thelast few moves. } 25. Rhd1 Bg7 26. Nc5 Rc8 27. axb4 Rxc5 28. bxc5 Bxf6 29. Qxe6 Qxc5+ { Forcing white into a inferior endgame. Techniquely speakingblack would need an extra pawn with the bishop pair to win easily againsta rook and a pawns, but this type of position is draw for white and winningchances for black. } 30. Rc4 Qxc4+ 31. Qxc4 Rc8 32. Qxc8+ Kxc8 { I decidedto keep the LSB centralized } 33. Rd6 Bg5+ 34. Kd1 Kc7 35. Rg6 Bd5 36. Ke1 e3 37. fxe3 Bxg2 { Playing 37. ...Bxe3 is bad because white will havean easier time defending connected pawns. } 38. Kf2 Bc6 39. Re6 Bd7 40. Re4 a5 { discouraging b2-b4 and limiting the range of the rook } 41. b3 Kb6 42. Kg3 Bf5 43. Re8 Bc2 44. Rc8 Bd1 45. Rb8+ Ka7 46. Rb5 Bd8 { Black needsthe bishops so the greed 46. ...Bxh5? draws after 47.Rxg5! hxg5 48. h6= or after 47. Rxa5+ Kb6 48. Re8= } 47. Kf2 Ka6 48. Rb8 Bb6 { ! the onlyway to win. It blocks the rook from defending b3 and creates a advancedh-pawn for black } 49. Rh8 Bxb3 50. Rxh6 a4 { Wins! because black can blockthe advance of the h-pawn, force the exchange of the rook for a bishopand then queen his own pawn. } 51. Rh8 a3 52. Ra8+ Ba7 53. Rc8 a2 54. Rc1 Bb8 { Moving the bishop to e5 where it blocks the e pawn, supports the apawn and stop the h-pawn. } 55. h6 Be5 { White can not stop the bleedingnow } 56. h7 Bc2 57. Rxc2 a1=Q *

[Event "Mating Net"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2012.04.22"] [Round "-"] [White "jkarp"] [Black "dmaestro"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1479"] [TimeControl "5 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1065"] { This game is instructive for the mating net that ended it. It starts outas a Siclian, my opponents preferred defense. } 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nf6 { Thisis unusual but playable. Black hopes to either get favorable variationsof an Alekhine Defense type game or to be able to play an early ...d5 inone move. } 3. Nc3 { A sound, developing choice, if e5 instead, the resultingcomplications favor the higher rated player. } 3... Nc6 { Best, 3...d5 has beenproven to be premature. But now Black does threaten ...d5. } 4. Bb5 { A good,developing move. Deters ...d5. } 4... Qc7 { Best. 4...Nd5 leads to complicationsthat offer white good chances. } 5. Nd5 { A good move, still deterring anearly ...d5. } 5... Nxd5 6. exd5 Nb4 { Best. Black gains time attacking the dpawn. } 7. O-O { ?! Here White goes astray. There is not enough compensationfor giving up the pawn because Black has a solid position. } 7... Nxd5 8. d4 { White is opening up lines of attack. } 8... cxd4 { Consistent although a littlerisky. } 9. Nxd4 { Qxd4 developing the Q would be more consistent and Ithink slightly stronger, but this is ok. } 9... e6 { Black's plan becomes evident.Develop and then use the central pawns to fend off attacks. } 10. c4 { Agood move. White drives the N back and deters d5. } 10... Nf6 11. Bg5 Be7 { Thisis the position Black sees as defensible. White has an edge in developmentbut limited targets. } 12. Qc2 { ?! Opposing Queens opens up the possibilityof tactics and hampers the LSB retreat. Better was Qe2 and Rc1 . } 12... a6 { Nowis the time to drive the bishop back. } 13. Ba4 O-O { Black castles and isnow prepared to start undermining White's position. } 14. g3 { ?! My lowerrated opponent sees that he could play Bf4 if the pawn protects the bishop.But a more skilled player does not create holes around the K unnecessarily.This move actually contributes to the final mating net. Here if Bf4, e5!anyway. So better was Rc1. } 14... d5 { Finally...d5 in one move! Black has freedhis position and is a pawn to the good. } 15. b3 { ?! This move supportsthe c pawn but blocks the bishop's retreat. } 15... h6 { Put the question to theBishop. } 16. Bf4 { ?? White overlooks ..e5. I expected Be3. } 16... e5 { Of course... } 17. Be3 exd4 18. Bxd4 { Black is now a full piece ahead. But how to exploitthat? } 18... Bh3 { This move is a luxury Black can afford. The idea is that anunopposed check on the Black rank or a Q move to f3 is fatal. } 19. Rfe1 Bb4 { Attacks the Rook and opens the e file to rook exchanges. } 20. Be5 { Counterattacks the Queen. } 20... Qd8 { Black retreats, but being a piece up ismore interested in finding a way in. } 21. Red1 { This threatens BxN, QxB,exd (Rxd??, QxR+) } 21... Rc8 { Blocks that possibility by pinning the Q. } 22. Qd3 { ? This exchange does not favor White who is already behind in material.Better was Qb2. } 22... dxc4 23. Qxd8 Rfxd8 24. Rxd8+ { ? Another error. Whitegives Black a rook on the 7th rank. } 24... Rxd8 25. bxc4 Rd2 { Exactly. Whiteis in trouble. } 26. Rb1 { ? This move is weak because of back rank threats. } 26... Bc5 { Setting the trap, } 27. Rxb7 { ? This loses quickly. Can you see theforced mate? } 27... Rxf2 { Of course, threatens Rf1#. } 28. Rb8+ { Spite checks. } 28... Kh7 29. Rb1 { At least preventing Rf1#... } 29... Rf1# { But no, it is still checkmate,because this is a double check. White's weakening of the King proved fatal. } 0-1

[Event "Chess game"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date ""] [Round "-"] [White "Isaac Rice"] [Black "James Hanham"] [Result "1-0"] 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. h4 g4 5. Ne5 Nf6 6. Bc4 d5 7. exd5 Bd6 8. O-O { The Rice Gambit, as played by Rice himself. } 8... Bxe5 9. Re1 { Pinning. } 9... Qe7 10. c3 g3 11. d4 { Winning back the pinned piece. } 11... Ng4 12. Nd2 Qxh4 13. Nf3 { As long as the black King stays where it is, White can take theBishop at any time. So White improves his position rather than rushinginto a recapture. } 13... Qh6 14. Qa4+ c6 { A mistake. Now White can drop his Queenonto a diagonal that prevents Black from castling. } 15. Qa3 { And he does. } 15... Nf2 16. Rxe5+ { White recaptures his piece without losing a tempo. } 16... Be6 17. Kf1 Qh1+ 18. Ng1 Nh3 { A dubious sacrifice. Black loses a powerfullyposted attacking piece to free a file for his Pawn. } 19. gxh3 f3 20. Bg5 { With four pieces to one involved, White's attack is more potent than Black's. } 20... Qg2+ 21. Ke1 f2+ 22. Kd2 f1=N+ 23. Kd3 Kd7 { With this move, ceding theinitiative, Black seals his fate. } 24. dxe6+ { The final attack begins...and is conducted brilliantly. } 24... Kc7 25. Qe7+ Kb6 26. Qd8+ Rxd8 27. Bxd8# { A sparkling finish. } 1-0

[Event "GK Blitz Chess"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "July 18,2009"] [Round "-"] [White "ccmCACollister"] [Black "Duarte311"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "2087"] [TimeControl "10 minutes"] [WhiteElo "2096 someplace :"] { Collister vs Duarte @ GK blitz July 18,2009 1-0 The intention of theannotation is just to illustrate a bit of my own 'blitz thinking' duringa ten minute GK game; as it does tend to vary widely from what I considerfor a corr. game or even an otb tournament game. I like to keep it 'trappy'for blitz. 'Wild' if possible. } 1. e4 { 1.e4 produces the most dynamicgame the most quickly... great for blitz player who know their lines. Andgreater opportunity to err more quickly if they do not know the openingswell. } 1... c6 { Caro-Kann Defense } 2. Nf3 { Usually I play Nc3 here with optionof 3.d4 for a mainline Caro, or Nc3 for my usual 2 Knights line that Fischerplayed. Here in blitz I sometimes play Nf3 instead, planning to go intothe 2 Knights to begin with, but giving the impression of 'not knowingI am Supposed to play 2.d4' :) And it stops 2...e5, for what its worth. } 2... d5 3. Nc3 { 2 Knights Variation, as promised. } 3... Bg4 4. exd5 { 4.h3 first iscustomary here. But again, I want to confuse the issue, and give him thechance to drop a tempo by 4...Bxf3 if he is so inclined. } 4... cxd5 5. h3 Bxf3 6. Bb5+ { ZWISHENZUG, an 'in-between move'. Zwishenzugs win many games,by the way. Tho this is not that particular Kind of Zwishenzug. Still itis forcing. And being blitz, maybe the opponents heart will go pitter-patterhere if they did not see it. I try to do it Quickly, and slam the piecedown loudly for such moves~! ]8-D } 6... Nc6 7. Qxf3 e6 8. d4 Qb6 9. O-O { I darehim too, and he does. The idea is: I am planning to gain time against hisQ now, and maybe sac later on d5. After placing Rook(s) on e1 and/or d1maybe. } 9... Qxd4 10. Be3 { Now 10. ....Qf6 11.Qe2 d4 12.Ne4 Qe5 13.B-moves tosave it from the fork. I didn't expect his reply now. But it seems quiteactive & threatening. } 10... Qb4 { Now I could probably play 11.Rfe1 for a strongbut safe position. And then he would really need to think twice about 11...Qxb2(if he has plans to O-O-O) 12.Nxd5~! exd5? 13.Bd4+ Discovered Check andhis Q is lost. Or 12...Qxb5? Nc7+ forking the K & Q. } 11. Nxd5 { At thistime I am thinking: 'I wonder if it's sound? Looks very Active.' And mycenter lines are open for Rooks to occupy. } 11... exd5 { Definately NOT 11. ...Qxb5??12.Nc7+ K-move and 13 Knight takes the Queen. *** } 12. Qxd5 { Perhaps mysac wasn't sound. 13. ...Nge7 attacking my Queen, while defending the Nc6looks hard to meet. I had thought to have a bit of a bind then with 14.Qe5but he has ... O-O-O~! and I have not time to play 15.Bf4 now since theNc6 has become unpinned and thus attacks my Queen 'for real' now. Alsohe could play 13. ...Qd6 threatening a Q trade, but I would retreat myQ, to come back and harass his with a Rd1. *** Then again, I've alwaysbeen a pretty LUCKY Player~!? At board games that is; not cards, dice,or lotteries. I used to say 'Love' there, but I met my wife on GK~! Can'tget luckier than That ( Ok, on a Chess site ... right? :) } 12... Nf6 { Apologiesto my opponent, here I cannot recall if he played Nf6 or Qxb2. My replywould still be Bxc6+ tho. } 13. Bxc6+ bxc6 { 13 ...Ke7 14.Bc5+ is alsobad here. } 14. Qxc6+ { And the Rook or Queen must fall. 1-0 } 1-0

[Event "major's mini-tournament"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009.09.02"] [Round "-"] [White "diosynus"] [Black "emf817"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1495"] [TimeControl "5d+2d<7d"] [WhiteElo "1469"] 1. e4 { King's Pawn Opening } 1... e5 { King's Pawn Game. Black responds symmetrically } 2. f4 { King's Gambit } 2... exf4 { King's Gambit / Accepted } 3. Bc4 { King's Gambit/ Accepted / Bishop's Gambit.: The most logical continuation off of theKings Gambit Accepted } 3... Nf6 { King's Gambit / Accepted / Bishop's Gambit/ Cozio Defense. } 4. Nf3 { Leaves Opening Book: Clears way for kingsidecastle. } 4... Nxe4 { Black gambles and uses the Knight to gain additional material. } 5. Bxf7+ { White checks the king and sacrifices the bishop to expose theking } 5... Kxf7 6. Ne5+ { Again white applies the pressure. } 6... Ke8 { Black retreatsthe king, allowing Qh5+, Might have been better off with Kg8 but I wasuncomfortable with leaving the king in the corner. } 7. Qh5+ { Checks theking: } 7... g6 { ?g6: Could maybe have played Ke7, However I expected Nxg6 hxg69. Qxh8 and then I would begin to apply some pressure. } 8. Nxg6 { As expected,white applies the pressure. } 8... hxg6 { Logical } 9. Qxg6+ { Qxg6+ !!: This moveI did not expect: White was able to fork the Knight and will keep the kingin check after Ke7 Qxe4+. This was a solid move and he really has me scramblingand on the run } 9... Ke7 { Forced } 10. Qxe4+ { Takes the knight and forks thepawn. White has regained most of his lost material. } 10... Kf7 { moves it outof check } 11. Qxf4+ { checks the king again and creates a passed pawn pairon the g and h files. } 11... Qf6 { brought the queen out in front of the king,applied pressure to the opponent queen. I had expected a trade or for himto castle kingside } 12. Qxc7 { Qxc7 ?! Dubious move: White goes after materialand take advantage of the weak pawn. } 12... Qe6+ { Checks the king, removes hisability to castle } 13. Kf2 { moves the king out of check. } 13... Bd6 { Bd6 !? InterestingMove: I thought this move was quite good, I removed the threat on the bishopat c8, applied pressure to the queen and developed a piece. After somediscussion it appears that Rh5 would have been better as it would haveallowed me to bring the queen rook grouping into a position where I wouldhave been able to threaten mate with: 14.d4 Rf5+ 15.Qf4 Bd6 16.Qf3 Rxf3+17.gxf3 Qf6 18.Nc3 Nc6 } 14. Qc3 { Threatens the rook on h8 } 14... Qf5+ { checkswhites king } 15. Qf3 { blocks with the queen. } 15... Bc5+ { checks the king, Idon't recall why I made this move, but it made sense to me at the time. } 16. Ke1 Re8+ { checks the king, My plan here is to push the king back intothe corner before I make the queen swap. White could also have move Kf1. } 17. Kd1 { Moves the king to d1 as I had expected, allowing me to start mycounter attack. } 17... Qxf3+ { queen swap } 18. gxf3 { forced } 18... b6 { A rather passivemove, but it frees up the bishop } 19. Re1 Bb7 { I move to Bb7, knowing thatif I can take the pawn on f3 it will allow me to have a sustained presencein my opponents territory. I also know that if he takes the rook tradeoffered up to him it will leave him with no pieces developed and a fairlycramped position. } 20. Rxe8 { White takes the offered trade. } 20... Kxe8 21. Ke2 { White sees the weak pawn and moves to protect it. } 21... Na6 { allows meto get the rook out in a few moves. } 22. d3 { He moves to free the bishop } 22... Kf7 { I wanted to get the rook a clear path on the 8th Rank } 23. Nc3 Re8+ { checked the king, just wanted to see how he would respond. I expectedNe4 for the block, but maybe he didn't want the knight pinned down... } 24. Kf1 { Allows me to take the weak pawn } 24... Bxf3 { I take the material. } 25. Bf4 { Bf4? Not sure what white expected to gain here. } 25... Nb4 { Applies pressureto c2 } 26. Rc1 { Removes the threat on Whites pawn at c2 } 26... Rg8 { !! Rg8: Ispy the potential mate (rook to g1) and control the open file. } 27. Ne2 { White seems the danger and responds accordingly } 27... Nd5 { I passes up thefree pawn on c2 and decided to move the knight into position to check theking. } 28. Bd2 { ?? Bd2 Danger: this cramps his position. } 28... Ne3+ { ?? Ne3+: This was an error, The best move would have been Rg2 leading to 29.d4Rxe2 30.dxc5 Rxd2 31.Re1 bxc5 32.c4 Bg2+ 33.Kg1 Nf4 34.h4 Rxb2. HoweverWhite bailed me out by playing Bxe3. } 29. Bxe3 { ?? Bxe3 This signals thebeginning of the end for white. Leads to Bxe3 and a very cramped whiteposition. } 29... Bxe3 { Takes the bishop, threatens the rook. } 30. Re1 { Whitemoves into a forced mate. Much better is c4. Re1 leads to 30...Bg2# andmate. } 30... Rg2 { ?! Rg2, Dubious Move: I missed the forced mate, but I stillhave a won game. } 31. Ng3 { Gives me another Mate opportunity with: Rg1# } 31... Rg1# { And Mate: This was my First attempt at an annotation. Comments andsuggestions are welcome. Enjoy } 0-1

[Event "Beautiful Queen's Gambit"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "19-Oct-09"] [Round "-"] [White "God24"] [Black "Neo675849"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "917"] [TimeControl "2 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1053"] { I played as White and the opponent was lower rated but had a lot of goodwins against higher rated opponents. } 1. d4 { Queen's Gambit } 1... d5 2. c4 { Ofcourse main line is to not capture pawn } 2... e6 { good defence, but c6 for Koro-KahnDefence is just as solid } 3. a3 { This is to prevent Bb4, which is a veryannoying move } 3... Nf6 4. Nc3 { Knight is now safe and able to hold its squareon c3 } 4... c5 { This move I do not know how to respond to, in real life Blackalways plays Bd6 and c5 with my pawn and there is no problem. I don't mindthis move, because it's like the Gambit I played } 5. Bg5 { The Knight isbacking up his center, so I decide to put some more pressure on it } 5... Nbd7 { Defending just in case } 6. e3 { Finally the ideal situation for me } 6... h6 { I really don't like this move, but since I don't know which side he willcastle my Bishop will continue to pin the knight, or control the center } 7. Bf4 { I decided that the center needed some more control } 7... g5 { Now I knowif he castles King Side the pawns are vulnerable } 8. Bg3 { Usually h4 andKing's side castle become really dangerous } 8... Bg7 { Putting more defence fora castle but pawns are main defence and they are moved too far out } 9. Bd3 { Planning to put more pressure to force him to castle Queen, but hedoes so anyways } 9... O-O { Now Queen c2 for a battery in the near future } 10. Nf3 { Bringing another attacker into the King side } 10... g4 { Moving the pawnseven farther? I just easily avoided this and also moving my Knight closerto the Black King } 11. Ne5 { I wanted a trade so the pieces are cleared.I have so many more attackers in this position } 11... Qb6 { I saw the potentialof his attack so I decided the only thing I could do was counter attack } 12. Qc2 Nh5 { Again forcing my pieces into better positions. This is justplain suicide } 13. Bh4 { I didn't know about this move, but I didn't wantto trade because my Bishop is vital to my attack } 13... f6 { Again, too far outwith his pawns, I just magnificently beat him now } 14. Ng6 { Ne7 is unpleasant,because then the rest of my attackers will rush in } 14... Re8 { Preventing mygood move } 15. cxd5 { First nail in coffin. I wanted to clear some piecesso my attack could become more deadly } 15... exd5 { I wanted to castle but mypieces were just begging to get in the fight } 16. Nxd5 { Beautiful attackon Queen and because of this all his pieces need to relocate } 16... Qe6 17. Nc7 { Muhahaha Ultra fork } 17... Qc6 { Attacks my Knight, but the Queen has been deceivedand Mate in 3 } 18. Bc4+ { Mate in 2, unless he gives up rook and queen } 18... Kh7 19. Nf8+ { Double check, so mate in 1. See it? } 19... Kh8 20. Qh7# { Time todie } 1-0

[Event "League division D1"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2010.05.15"] [Round "-"] [White "romarychkov"] [Black "alexmilne"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1527"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1698"] 1. e4 { This is one of my most beautiful games i ever won. } 1... c5 { The Sicilian. } 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 g6 5. O-O Bg7 6. h3 { I played this move tomake his knight on the rim. } 6... O-O 7. e5 { Here it goes. The only problemis that the pawn is now weak. } 7... Nh5 8. Bxc6 { The pawn is now attacked. Notthe best idea. Better was Re1. } 8... dxc6 { This was a mistake because in theSicilian it's better to take control of the center. } 9. d3 { Ready to winthe knight with g4. } 9... Bh8 { Leaving an open space for the knight. } 10. Be3 { Just developing with tempo. } 10... b6 11. Qe2 Qc7 12. Bh6 Re8 13. Rae1 { Gettingready for an attack. } 13... Bb7 14. Ng5 Nf4 15. Qf3 e6 { Blunder by black, notseeing my queen attacking the knight. } 16. Qxf4 b5 { Not knowing the attack. } 17. Nce4 Bxe5 { This is a mistake. } 18. Nf6+ { The winning move. Black can'ttake the knight because of the queen hanging. } 18... Kh8 { The only move. } 19. Qxe5 Qxe5 { Blunder that let me win the game. } 20. Nxf7# { A clear, beautifulcheckmate. } 1-0

[Event "Slow Ladder"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009.09.16"] [Round "-"] [White "elyhim"] [Black "chase103"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [BlackElo "2173"] [TimeControl "5d+2d<10d"] [WhiteElo "1997"] { In this game I make a couple of late mistakes that lead to a inferiorendgame. } 1. Nf3 { I normally play d4 or c4 but I thought I would try somethingdifferent } 1... g6 2. d4 d6 3. c4 Bg7 4. Nc3 { transformed into a Kings Indiandefense style of game } 4... e5 5. d5 { it really is a matter of preference youcan either play d5 or dxe5 } 5... Nf6 6. Bg5 O-O 7. e4 Bd7 8. Qd2 Na6 9. Bd3 { ? I don't like this move because I will be forced to move it twice whichresults in a loss of tempo. An improvement would be 9. Be2 } 9... Nb4 10. Bb1 Bg4 { taking good advantage of the fact that white's light square bishopis over on the other side of the board } 11. Ng1 { a weaker move but theidea is to play f3 to evict the bishop off of g4 and support e4 } 11... c6 { agood move that does not allow white to achieve the ideal pawn structure } 12. f3 Bd7 13. a3 Na6 14. Nge2 cxd5 15. Nxd5 { I can not play cxd5 becauseof ...Bb5 } 15... Nc5 16. Ba2 { not a good spot for the bishop but my positionis starting to show signs of wear and tare } 16... Ne6 17. Nxf6+ { with my spaceadvantage going up in smoke I wanted to exchange some of black's most activepieces. } 17... Bxf6 18. Be3 { I am betting that chase is going to play Bh4+ soI over support on d4 so that I can defend against the check without weakeningmy pawn structure even more } 18... Bh4+ 19. Ng3 { playing g3 is to much of a concession. } 19... Ba4 { a good restricting move that prevents b3 } 20. O-O Bg5 21. Ne2 { againensuring that black can not enter d4 } 21... Bxe3+ 22. Qxe3 Qb6 { forcing the queensof the board. However it comes at the cost of a doubled pawn that hindersblack from winning. although black does not have any real good alternatives } 23. Qxb6 { Hin sight being 20/20 the queen less game is in black's favor. } 23... axb6 24. Nc3 Bc6 25. Kf2 { I am heading toward the end game and want toget my king into the action first } 25... Kg7 26. Rfd1 Rfd8 27. Rd2 { I would liketo double my rooks but I am sure that my opponent would not allow that.So this is more of a waiting move. } 27... Ba4 28. Nd5 { Threatening to win apawn and fork the rook and bishop } 28... Ra6 29. Rc1 { This game is a very closedposition. In such tight games it is easy to go astray without even relievingit. The key is to play small moves that slightly build your position. Donot play over committed or aggressive moves. } 29... Nd4 30. f4 { if I was evergoing to get this move in it was now. So did not see any real reason whyI could not play it. The interesting thing about this move is that it createsan immediate imbalance in the position. } 30... Bc6 31. Rdd1 h6 32. Ke3 g5 33. g3 Bd7 34. h4 Bg4 35. Rxd4 { a good scarfice that gives me more controlover the center and creates a powerful mobile pawns on the king side. } 35... exd4+ 36. Kxd4 { I am very comfortable in my position } 36... Rc8 37. Ne7 { ?? thefirst blunder. I should have played my gut move which was to restrict thebishop with 37. f5! At least then black would have a terrible time tryingto figure out how to get his bishop back in the game } 37... Rc5 38. Rf1 f6 39. Nd5 Be6 40. hxg5 { I was kinda at a lost to how to proceed. I still feelthat there is a better move than this. But because I could not find itI played it safe. } 40... hxg5 { Black has managed to neutralize the king side } 41. Nc3 { I dont want to allow black to play ...Ra4 } 41... Ra8 42. b4 Rc6 43. Rf3 { ?? If I remember right I played this move at 3:00 am. Which is nevera good idea. I should have played a4 instead. } 43... Rxa3 { ! why not! like omgnow I am in serious trouble. By the way this is where the doubled pawnson the b file start to save the game for white. The real learning valuein this game is how I restrict the strenght of my opponents peices by settingup a blockaid. } 44. b5 { This is it! it is an easy draw from here. Blackwill try but he will be unable to break through the wall of pawns. Technicallyblack is up by a pawn but because they are doubled they cancel each otherout. } 44... Rc8 45. Rd3 Bf7 46. Rf3 { prevoking ...g4 which will prevent theblack bishop from entering through via h4 } 46... g4 47. Rd3 Be6 48. Re3 Rc5 { Thisforces 49. F5. I can not allow the rook access to the h file. } 49. f5 Bf7 { Now if black has any chance to win he will have to do it on the hfile } 50. Re2 { This move prevents black from breaking through from bothflanks } 50... Rc8 51. Rh2 { the only move that holds } 51... Rca8 52. Kd3 { now all Ihave to do is make king moves until the cows come home. } 52... Rh8 53. Rxh8 { after Kxh8 black has no chance so it is a draw. In the game black continuesto try to break through for another 20 moves but to no avail } 53... Kxh8 54. Bb1 Ra1 55. Kd4 Kg7 56. Kd3 Ra8 57. Kd4 Rh8 58. Bd3 Rh3 59. Ne2 Rh1 60. Ke3 Rf1 61. Nd4 Rg1 62. Ne2 Ra1 63. Nc3 Rc1 64. Ne2 Re1 65. Kf4 Rd1 66. Ke3 Kf8 67. Nc3 Rc1 68. Ne2 Rf1 69. Nd4 Re1+ 70. Ne2 Ke8 71. Kf4 Rd1 72. Ke3 Rf1 73. Nd4 Rc1 74. Ne2 Ra1 75. Nc3 1/2-1/2