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[Event "'World Championship Tournament Live'-Sudden Death Game 1"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date ""] [Round "-"] [White "Carlsen"] [Black "Caruana"] [Result "1-0"] { After a 6-6 tie between Carlsen and Caruana which ended in overtime withrapid blitz games, 3 games were played. However, Caruana lost 2 gamesand drawed 1, so Carlsen remains as the World Champion. And, Susan Polgarcovered this game on twitter, so this was the first of 3. } 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. g3 Bb4 4. e4 O-O 5. Nge2 c6 6. Bg2 a6 7. O-O b5 8. d4 d6 { Susanstarts here with, 'White is about to temporarily sacrificing a pawn toweaken Black's pawn structure. I like Carlsen's position, easy to play.' } 9. a3 Bxc3 10. Nxc3 bxc4 11. dxe5 dxe5 12. Na4 { White is down a pawn. ButBlack has very weak c4 and c6 pawns. Very nice position for white. Verylittle risk, pressure on black. Carlsen's rapid rating is 2880! Caruana'srapid rating is 2789! I show the ratings, you decide who is the favorite! } 12... Be6 13. Qxd8 Rxd8 14. Be3 Nbd7 { Black is up a pawn. White has a Bishoppair, better piece placement. White is slightly better. } 15. f3 Rab8 16. Rac1 Rb3 { The idea of f3 is simple. He wants to protect the e4 pawn soeventually the Bishop can get back to f1 to go after the c4 pawn first,then c6 pawn. Black needs to get active before white can pound on the weaknesses.Carlsen's plan is quite obvious and deliberate. He has his targets in thec file with Caruana's weak pawns of c4 & c6. It is up to Caruana to finda plan to either distract or defend. This is an ideal position for RapidChess for Carlsen! The one who will score 1st has big edge! I really dislikeCaruana's position. I will venture a big risk by predicting a Carlsen'swin in game 1 of the rapid! Am I crazy? Maybe! But structurally, white'sposition is simply too strong and black has no real plan to stop it. } 17. Rfe1 Ne8 18. Bf1 Nd6 19. Rcd1 { 17. Rfe1 Ne8 18. Bf1 Nd6 19. Rcd1 Blackhas too many weaknesses: c4 pawn, c6 pawn, c file, d file, poor piece placement,etc. This should be close to winning for Carlsen! That is my 1st game prediction! } 19... Nb5 20. Nc5 Rxb2 21. Nxe6 fxe6 22. Bxc4 Nd4 23. Bxd4 exd4 { As I saidright at the start, this type of position is ideal for Rapid chess, especiallyfor Carlsen! It is difficult for Black to defend too many weaknesses! Goodopening choice for White! If Carlsen wins this 1st Rapid game, he willbe on a roll! But if somehow he screws up and Caruana manage to hold, themomentum will shift BIG time! Self confidence and positive mental attitudeare crucial, especially in short time control! There is one big trick left!24. Rxd4 Kf7 25. Kh1 is a must because of the Ne5 threat! If Carlsen findsit, it is over! } 24. Bxe6+ Kf8 25. Rxd4 Ke7 26. Rxd7+ Rxd7 27. Bxd7 Kxd7 { Carlsen just like in Classical chess, simply lost his ability or patienceto calculate deeply. He chose the 'safest' way but much more difficultto win. This is now still much better for Carlsen but far from winning. } 28. Rd1+ Ke6 29. f4 { I really do not know if he lost his nerves, patience,ability to calculate, or if the soccer injury has some effect, but thisis NOT the Carlsen of past World Championships! Something is very strange!He is missing a lot of things and playing too cautiously! } 29... c5 30. Rd5 Rc2 31. h4 { Caruana should be able to hold now. Very hard to win, especiallywith such little time! It is INEXPLICABLE how Carlsen chose to walk intothis endgame when Caruana was so helpless with his position! Inexplicable! } 31... c4 32. f5+ Kf6 33. Rc5 h5 34. Kf1 { This is now pretty much a draw! Greatstart! Great opening choice! Terrible decision making after reaching ahuge advantage! What disappointment! } 34... Rc3 35. Kg2 Rxa3 36. Rxc4 Ke5 37. Rc7 Kxe4 38. Re7+ Kxf5 39. Rxg7 Kf6 40. Rg5 a5 41. Rxh5 a4 42. Ra5 Ra1 { Ooops! Caruana made some inaccuracies! It will be about nerves now withso little time left! I expect many more mistakes from both players! } 43. Kf3 a3 44. Ra6+ Kg7 45. Kg2 Ra2+ 46. Kh3 Ra1 47. h5 Kh7 48. g4 Kg7 49. Kh4 { Caruana returned the favor. Ooops! Where is the Dvoretsky EndgameManual? Now Carlsen is close to closing out game 1! This one hurts! Stunningturn of event! This is what you get in fast time control! Carlsen had hugeadvantage, decided to return the favor & allowed Caruana back in the game.Then Caruana returned the gift! Carlsen won game 1! This is a big emotionalboost for Carlsen & heart break for Caruana! } 49... a2 50. Kg5 Kf7 51. h6 Rb1 52. Ra7+ Kg8 53. Rxa2 Rb5+ 54. Kg6 Rb6+ 55. Kh5 { Stunning turn of event!This is what you get in fast time control! Carlsen had huge advantage,decided to return the favor & allowed Caruana back in the game. Then Caruanareturned the gift! Carlsen won game 1! This is a big emotional boost forCarlsen & heart break for Caruana! This was the moment of truth! Carlsenlet Caruana back in the game! I would recommend all of you to study thisposition! This is a draw. Analyze it! It will help you in the long run.When the King in stuck in the 1st rank, do not help it by letting it out! } 1-0
[Event "Pirc part IV: A perfect blunder"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2011.10.03"] [Round "-"] [White "warmpancake"] [Black "thedeafone"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1586"] [TimeControl "5 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1531"] { This features me, overlooking numerous basic things, which my opponentexploits and which lead to a beautiful tactical position :) } 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. f4 { The Austrian attack is one of the more aggressiveways to counter the Pirc. } 4... Bg4 { And here I go with the first mistake.Thinking on countering this attack the move Bg4 can be very important.However, only after the opponent played Nf3 ... } 5. Be2 Bxe2 6. Qxe2 { Nowwhite has a very strong center and is ahead in development } 6... Bg7 7. Nf3 O-O 8. f5 { An interesting option. Normally f4 is supposed to ensure theattack on e5, however this way white let's his Bishop into the game andtries to weaken my King safety. A later fxg6 fxg6 allows white to checkon Qc4 } 8... e5 { Trying to gain space and to prevent an additional e5. } 9. dxe5 dxe5 10. Nxe5 { Mistake two: Overlooking that the pawn on e5 was undefended:) } 10... Re8 11. Nf3 Nc6 12. fxg6 fxg6 { White continues his plan to weakenmy king's safety and he is willing to play with an isolated pawn (whichof course could be given away later on for strategical benefit). Howeverdue to his grabbing of the pawn white lost his advantage in development. } 13. Ng5 Qe7 14. O-O { Black tries to attack the isolated pawn. Whiteof course counter reacts } 14... Rad8 15. Re1 { Everything focuses on the e4 pawn. } 15... Nd4 { I thought on forcing the queen to let go of the pawn. She has notthat many squares to go (and I overlook the most important one :D). } 16. Qc4+ { And here it is. The check I did not expect. However I did not seeany harm, since my knight is defended. So why bother? Simply move out ofthe way... but... } 16... Kh8 17. Nf7+ { This allowed this very nice attack. Blacklooses a rook, at least: 17 .. Kg8 18 Nxd8+ Ne6 19 Nxe6 Qxe6 So it is probablybetter to play: 17 .. Qxf7 18 Qxf7 Nxc2 and go for the fork. However itis totally lost for black and really caught me off guard. :) } 1-0
[Event "Fast Ladder"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2014.07.31"] [Round "-"] [White "knightrw1110"] [Black "jallen85"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1088"] [TimeControl "3d+1d<3d"] [WhiteElo "972"] 1. d4 { Standard opening move. } 1... Nf6 { I opted with leading with my Nf6. Ihave preferred opening with the N when playing black. At the same time,if my opponent had lead with e4, I would have been inclined to lead offwith Nc6. Previous experience has shown that my opponents will attemptto chase my N if I play too close to their lead pawn. I dont like that. } 2. Nc3 d5 { I decided to match his pawn as well as provide some resistanceto the e4 when it comes out. It would leave me with a favorable materiallead if my opponent recaptures. } 3. Nf3 g6 4. e4 dxe4 5. Nxe4 Nxe4 6. Bb5+ c6 7. Ba4 Qa5+ 8. Bd2 { I had a few options here. I could capture eitherof his B's or retreat my Q. In the end I decided to capture the DSB andsac my N. } 8... Nxd2 9. Qxd2 Qxd2+ { Then my Q. I wanted to remove pieces fromthe battlespace. So far, if I have the advantage early I like to tradeif the situation presents itself and I determine it to be favorable. Eithermy opponent would lose tempo and capture with his N, which in turn I threatenon my next move with Bh6 or he can capture with his K removing the opportunityfor castling later and again I threaten with Bh6. Computer analysisindicates I should have captured the B on a4 instead. } 10. Kxd2 Bh6+ 11. Kd1 f6 12. Re1 Nd7 13. Re2 Nb6 14. Bb3 Bd7 15. Ke1 O-O-O { I castled Q sidesimply due to what I saw as the better protection I was provided. Granted,since both Q's were off the board I probably did not have to castle. However,I saw no harm and kept my K tucked safely away. } 16. Rd1 Bf5 17. c4 e5 18. d5 cxd5 19. Kf1 { An oversight here leads me into a mean looking forkon my R and N. I choose to protect my R. } 19... Rd6 { This move opened the doorfor my opponent to regain his footing in the match. I noticed it immediatelyafter playing that I erred in my play. Computer analysis shows a largeswing in my opponents direction because of it. } 20. c5 Rd7 21. cxb6 axb6 22. Ba4 Rd6 { I lost some of my advantage as well as tempo. However I stillhad the edge if albeit slight. } 23. b4 Kc7 24. Bb5 Bd7 { My opponent wassupposed to capture my B. However I think he wanted to maintain his piecesconsidering the direction that match was heading. } 25. Bd3 { Computer analysissays that I should have played e4 vice Ba4. Either move forces my opponentfurther into the defense. However, I still think I prefer Ba4. } 25... Ba4 26. Bc2 Bb5 { I am sure I could have played that cat and mouse game for anotherturn. However there was little point. In the end, I gained the edge onhis LSB and forced movements, in my opinion. } 27. Bd3 Kc6 { I left my Bin place and moved my K into position to claim revenge if my opponent chooseto sac his B. Trading materials here was fine with me given the currentsituation. I felt I could outmaneuver my opponent with what was on theboard. The computer did not like this move at all. It wanted me tocontinue with moving my B to a4 again. } 28. Bxb5+ Kxb5 29. Ne1 { I am notentirely sure what the purpose being that move was. However, it did noteffect me. } 29... Re8 30. g3 Kxb4 31. Rc2 e4 { I honestly cannot recall the logicI had with this move. It seems a bit odd looking back on it now. } 32. a4 { Again, this move caught me as a little awkward. It advanced his pawnbut for little purpose other than making room for his R's. Other than thatit did not lead to any development and left me more room to arrange mypieces. } 32... Rc6 { The computer said I was better suited to move Red8. I donot see how that would change the situation much at all. } 33. a5 bxa5 { The computer analysis would rather me have moved Rxc2. This would haveprevented the situation that followed in a few moves. However I alreadysaw that coming and it was not a concern. I would be able to maneuver throughthe situation with ease from my point of view. } 34. Rb1+ Ka3 { My otheroption would have been checkmate. I had already played through that scenarioand was ready for it. } 35. Rcb2 Rec8 { I had not fully thought of all ofmy pieces during this move. I was locked in on the right half of my board.The computer recommended me moving Rc1 at this point and I would concur.However, the change in advantage was minimal. } 36. Rb5 Ka4 { Again, I wasmore comfortable moving towards my pieces where I had better chances forevasion. } 37. R1b2 Rc5 { Again, I could have easily moved my B to c1. Istill think I made a solid move. I conceded a pawn however I was developingthe pieces in my favor. } 38. Rxb7 Bc1 39. Ra2+ { In most other arrangements,I would have been checkmated. However, the layout on the board suited mejust well. I had enough options to not be worried. } 39... Ba3 40. Rb1 Rc1 { Finally,I start moving my pieces to erode the walls his R's have emplaced aroundmy K. } 41. Rba1 Rxa1 42. Rxa1 Rc1 43. Ra2 { That was the only safe positionfor his R and I was squarely on the offensive again. } 43... Kb3 { Move, countermove was the theme for the next few lines. } 44. Rd2 Bb4 45. Rxd5 Rxe1+ 46. Kg2 a4 47. Rd7 { The threat on my h7 pawn was nothing to concern me.I had an open lane to promotion. } 47... a3 48. Rxh7 a2 49. Ra7 Ba3 { Setting upthe blockade helped ensure I would promote my pawn. } 50. f3 { My opponenthad no options of value. } 50... exf3+ 51. Kf2 a1=Q { Opponent resigns. } 0-1
[Event "35th GK tournament"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "15-Jun-08"] [Round "-"] [White "daddyk"] [Black "wmaes"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1522"] [TimeControl "2 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1497"] 1. d4 { London Opening } 1... Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. Bf4 Ne4 { Black not contesting center } 4. Nbd2 { Develop Knight and look for early trade } 4... d5 5. e3 a6 { Lookingto block Bishop b5 - but pointless move as if bishop did dvance then c6would have worked and given black a stronger pawn structure. if situationdid arise black could also block check with knight d7 and develop knight } 6. Bd3 { bishop develops as normal and mounts pressure on knight } 6... Nd7 { blackmisses fact exchange would favour white } 7. Nxe4 dxe4 { fork...but no backup } 8. Bxe4 { white owns center } 8... c6 9. O-O { white developed and castlessafly } 9... h6 { looking to stop advancing bishops & knights } 10. c3 { pawn structurefinished off } 10... Nb6 { Knight eyeing up good out post on c4, also if queensmoves A4 with a view to attack b2 } 11. Bd3 { Bishop retreats to cover, aslight squares are looking crowded } 11... h5 { Black looking to force a hole inwhites king side cover... mistake as reopens g5 as an out post for white } 12. Ne5 { although e5 works as well and reduces blacks options } 12... Nd7 { exchangeoffered (and considered as 2 points up) } 13. Nxf7 { Sac the knight and destroyblacks chances of castling, with a view to chase the king into submission } 13... Kxf7 14. Qf3 { Queen moving in for attack, black must tread carefully notto lose queen. Kg E8, BG6,Kg E7, BG5 black loses queen, if king not movedreleaved check and queen taken with bishop. } 14... Kg8 { Only place to go. Althoughthis will limit blacks chances of getting h rook into action. Whites piecesare all developed whereas black is stuck on the back row. } 15. e4 { Whitepressing forward, no real rush } 15... g6 16. e5 { Pawn structure pointing towardsstranded king, } 16... Rh7 { Another mistake by black missing undefended pawn g6 } 17. Bxg6 { King totally exposed, whites postion is much stronger althoughpoint wise it's level (3 pawns for a knight) } 17... Qh4 { desperatly looking tofudge attack on H2 } 18. Bxh7+ { force king into open and get a nice bishoprook sac, not bad as light squares are tied up with blacks pawns } 18... Kxh7 19. Qe4+ { again black must tread carfully as chance oof discovered attack& losing queen } 19... Kh8 { only option } 20. Qf3 Nb6 21. Bg3 Qg5 { again blackmisses undefended piece } 22. Qxf8+ Kh7 23. Qf7+ Kh8 24. Qf6+ { force blackto exchange ladies } 24... Qxf6 25. exf6 { but win a passed pawn as a prize :) } 25... Bd7 { black never rreally got bishop into play } 26. Rfe1 { looking to bringthe rook into action to force home pawn } 26... Nd5 27. Bh4 Rf8 28. Re5 { blackcould exchange, } 28... Nf4 { black hope to catch out white with a fork on g6 } 29. g3 Ng6 { but... } 30. Rxh5+ Kg8 31. Rh6 Kf7 { black penned back in } 32. Rh7+ Ke8 33. Rh6 { Black resigns although not a clear end insight the onwardmarch of whites army would crush black... } 1-0
[Event "harm's mini-tournament 2"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "15-May-08"] [Round "-"] [White "daveyr18"] [Black "macbone"] [Result ""] [BlackElo "1356"] [TimeControl "5d+2d, 7d max"] [WhiteElo "1412"] 1. g3 e5 { So he's going for the fianchetto. I prefer a more direct attackof the center. Game on! } 2. e4 Nf6 { Attack! Attack! } 3. Bg2 { Althoughthis move protects the e4 pawn, I don't like the bishop's limited attackhere. } 3... Bc5 { Attacks f2, although I'm not crazy about being so aggressiveso early. } 4. c3 { Another interesting move that's setting up d4, but ittakes away from Nc3. } 4... O-O { Run away! Run away! I castle as soon as Ican. } 5. Ne2 { Further reinforcing d4. } 5... d5 { Attacking the center once more. } 6. exd5 Nxd5 { So far, so good, but I don't have a good answer for c4. } 7. d4 exd4 { I'm not liking this. He's going to have a pawn in the center,now, although it will be isolated. } 8. cxd4 Bb6 { I hate to retreat, andhe's gained a serious advantage in time here. } 9. O-O Nc6 { Attacking hispawn and forcing him to defend it. Take the fight to him. } 10. a3 Be6 { Freeing up my queen to attack the d4 pawn. } 11. b4 Qf6 { He'll be ableto defend with Be3, but perhaps I can tie up his bishop in the pawn chain. I've got to do something about his advancing pawns, though. 12. ....a513 bxa5 Bxa5 draws me off my attack on the d4 pawn. } 12. Bb2 a6 { Ah, verynice! 12. Bb2 was a better move than 12. Bc3. a6 is kind of a wussy move,but I don't want to leave my right flank exposed. My rooks have a datewith the center. } 13. Nd2 Rfe8 { ?? Developing rook toward the center,but 13 ... Nxd4 or Bxd4 would have been better. } 14. Ne4 Qg6 { Ouch. Thathurt! } 15. Qd2 Rad8 { Continuing deployment of rooks to center to attackd4. } 16. Ng5 h6 { Chasing away that knight. } 17. Nxe6 Qxe6 { He took oneknight's defender, but I still have the rook and queen. } 18. Rfe1 { Danger! Setting up an attack on the queen. } 18... Nf6 { Uncovers attack against the d4pawn. } 19. Rac1 Qd6 { One more attacker on d4, but he can answer that withRd8 or, better yet, d5. I'll have to retreat the knight to e7 then. } 20. Bf3 Bxd4 { I'd love to see 21. Nxd4 Nxd4 22. Bxb7 Nf4 , but that's a wetdream. } 21. Nxd4 Nxd4 { Trading pieces now. } 22. Bxd4 Qxd4 { Daring him totake the queen. I don't know him well enough to know if he'll take itor not. } 23. Qa2 Rxe1+ { Trading rooks. He's preserved the queen, leavingme with my queen occupying the center, but he still has control of thed5 square. He has enough big guns left to implement his plan. } 24. Rxe1 b5 { Protecting the b pawn. Right now, he has a better position than Ido. His queen has a direct bead on my king, and his rook is in a goodposition to raid my back rank. He still needs to swing his bishop around. Perhaps 25. ... Ng4 26. ... Ne5 is in order (I'd love to fork his rookand king at f3, but that's another wet dream.) } 25. Rd1 { Nice work. Myqueen is toast. } 25... Qxd1+ { Better than moving the queen out of the way, butif my knight hadn't been on f6, I could have saved the queen and the rook. } 26. Bxd1 Rxd1+ { Well, all things considered, that could have gone muchworse. } 27. Kg2 Rd8 { I need to provide some support for the c7 pawn. IfI'm going to win this, I must use my pawns to their fullest. I reallydon't like this scenario. } 28. Qe2 { This seems random. He's not attackinganything just yet, and my back rank is guarded for now. I could attackhim at e4, but that accomplishes nothing. I'd like to get my knight involved,especially since he's the only piece that can attack the queen withoutbeing directly in the line of fire. For now, I'll stick to the plan andreinforce the c pawn. } 28... Rc8 29. h4 { Advancing on my king's position. We'reall gonna die! } 29... c5 { If he responds with Qc2, I can respond with c4. } 30. bxc5 Rxc5 31. Qe3 Rc8 32. Qb6 Rc2 { What I wouldn't give right now for asecond rook... } 33. Qxa6 Ne4 { Going for a Rxf2, but my opponent has otherplans. This was a terrible move on my part. Better perhaps would havebeen Ra2 or Kf8. } 34. Qa8+ { Behold the awesome power of the queen! G'bye,little knight and rook. Big mistake on my part to put them both on thesame parallel. } 34... Kh7 35. Qxe4+
[Event "Let's play chess"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2015.03.20"] [Round "-"] [White "mmoody95"] [Black "fightback"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1443"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1750"] 1. d4 e6 2. Nf3 h6 3. c4 Nc6 4. a3 Nf6 5. Nc3 Bd6 6. c5 { e4 here was probablybetter. } 6... Be7 7. e3 a6 8. Be2 O-O 9. O-O Na5 10. Bd2 c6 { c6 causes Black'sN to become trapped. } 11. b4 b6 12. bxa5 bxa5 13. Bd3 Rb8 14. Qc2 Nd5 15. Nxd5 exd5 { Now Black has structural weaknesses--two sets of doubled pawnsthat will be vulnerable. Offsetting that is temporary control of the bfile. } 16. Rab1 { Fighting for the b file immediately. } 16... Rxb1 { Bb7 mighthave been slightly better, but the B would have been a lousy piece there. } 17. Rxb1 Bh4 { Not sure of the rationale for this move. Generally, Blackwould want to avoid trades when behind in material. } 18. Nxh4 Qxh4 19. Bxa5 Qf6 20. Bc7 Re8 21. Bd6 { The d6 Bishop now keep the c8 Bishop outof play. Black is effectively two pieces down. } 21... Qg5 22. Qd1 a5 23. Rb8 g6 24. Ra8 Qd8 25. Ba6 Qg5 26. Bxc8 Kh7 27. Rb8 { This was unnecessarilycomplex. Bb7 would have worked just fine. } 27... a4 28. Bxd7 Rxb8 29. Bxb8 Qd8 { Already ahead in material, White will now gain several passed pawns atthe cost of the Bishop. } 30. Bxc6 Qxb8 31. Bxa4 Qc7 32. g3 f5 33. Qb3 Qf7 34. Qb5 Qc7 35. Qd7+ { Forces the exchange of Queens. Black's King alonewill be unable to stop the pawns running free. } 35... Qxd7 36. Bxd7 Kg7 37. Be6 Kf8 38. Bxd5 Ke7 39. a4 Kd7 40. a5 Kc7 41. a6 Kb8 42. f3 Ka7 43. Bc4 { NowBlack's King is tied down to the a-pawn. White's f3 prepares for yet anotherpassed pawn. } 43... g5 44. e4 fxe4 45. fxe4 g4 46. e5 Kb8 47. e6 { Black's Kingcannot stop all of the passers, especially with the Bishop helping outfrom the rear. } 1-0
[Event "Team match"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "13-Feb-09"] [Round "-"] [White "gmkonig"] [Black "chessanita"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1768"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1778"] 1. e4 { This was a complicated game played well by my opponent. I willwork on this over the next few days. Feel free to comment. } 1... c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 { A Sicilian Dragon. I play this as blackoccasionaly and understand some of the ideas, but it is complicated. } 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 O-O 8. Qd2 Nc6 9. O-O-O Bd7 10. Bc4 Rc8 11. Bb3 Na5 { Allstandard theory as far as I recall, with maybe some transpositions. } 12. h4 { Going for an attack. Alternatives are 12. Bh6 or 12. Kb1 } 12... Nxb3+ { Normalhere is 12... Nc4 13. Bxc4 Rxc4 , forcing an exchange and bringing therook to c4 } 13. Nxb3 { Preferable to any pawn recaptures, which may weakenthe queenside } 13... h5 { Seems sensible but ultimately may be weakening the kingside } 14. Bg5 { Trying for a tactic based on the idea of e5, de, bxf6 and takingtwice on d7 } 14... Be6 { which Anita side steps } 15. Kb1 Rc4 { Now the above tacticis on again, with the back rank weakened. } 16. e5 Ne8 17. exd6 { Not theonly option. White could have continued with 17. Nd5 Bxd5 18. Qxd5 } 17... Nxd6 { Well defended } 18. Bh6 { Going for an exchange of the powerful dragon bishop } 18... Bh8 { Interesting, sometimes it is worth sacrificing the exchange to keepthe bishop } 19. Bxf8 Qxf8 20. g4 hxg4 21. h5 { Sacrificing material fora direct attack on the king } 21... Qg7 22. hxg6 Qxg6 23. fxg4 Rxg4 { A difficultposition to assess and play, with black having the 2 bishops both baringdown on the white queenside. I am trying to create threats of my own andwatch out for mate } 24. Nc5 { The knight was not doing much on b3 so I triedto activate it } 24... Bf5 { Maybe Bg7 here, with 24...Bg7 25. Nxe6 Qxe6 } 25. Nd5 { More pressure } 25... Qg7 { Threatening mate on b2, but white has a check anda tricky combination first } 26. Nxe7+ Kf8 27. Rxh8+ Qxh8 28. Qxd6 { winninga piece by giving the exchange back } 28... Bxc2+ { I eventually figured out thattaking back on c2 would allow annoying checks from the queen and rook,so I decided to delay the capture, black is forced to get her king andqueen out of the way } 29. Kc1 Kg7 30. Kxc2 Qh7+ 31. Kb3 { I was bit surprisedblack resigned with the queens still on the board, but white is well aheadin material. Still, plenty of room for mistakes by both sides. } 1-0
[Event "Let's play chess"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2010.04.14"] [Round "-"] [White "neofite"] [Black "thehellion"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1283"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1306"] 1. g3 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. d4 e6 { So far, all book play. } 4. Bg2 c5 5. O-O Nc6 { White's advantage in development is counterbalanced by my strongercenter Pawns. } 6. c3 Be7 7. Ne5 Nxe5 8. dxe5 Ng4 { The first tactical skirmishleaves neither side with any advantage gained. } 9. Na3 a6 { To prevent theKnight from planting itself at QN5. } 10. Bh3 Nxe5 { Now I have a small materialadvantage, though not enough to win yet. } 11. c4 O-O { I've been lookingfor a chance to castle, and finally do. Now the middle-game begins. } 12. cxd5 exd5 13. Bg2 Be6 { Right now, my center Pawns give me a space advantage.I need to either maintain this or convert it into material. } 14. Qb3 b5 { I contemplate a general advance on the Q-side. } 15. Bf4 Ng6 16. e4 dxe4 17. Qc3 { Now I'm ahead by two Pawns, which should be a big enough marginto win. Time to think about trading down and simplifying the game. } 17... Nxf4 18. gxf4 { One pair of minor pieces zapped... } 18... Qd4 { Offering a Queen trade. } 19. Qxd4 cxd4 { Now I have a powerful passed Q pawn, and with the Queensgone the endgame has been reached. } 20. Bxe4 Rad8 { Back to 1 Pawn ahead,but it's 3 moves from Queening. I like my chances. } 21. Rfd1 { White hasto blockade the Pawn. } 21... Bf6 22. Nc2 Rd6 23. Ne1 Rfd8 { Now I plan to usethe Pawn as a battering ram. } 24. Nd3 { White prevents this. But White ison the defensive. I'm free to do as I wish. } 24... Re8 { I aim for the unprotectedBishop. } 25. f5 Bc4 { If the Bishop isn't guarded and doesn't move, I cancapture it. I can now also remove the White Knight blockading my Pawn. } 26. Nb4 { Wow, best of both worlds thanks to this blunder. Now I pick upthe B and my Pawn is free to advance. } 26... Rxe4 27. b3 Be2 { Gaining time byattacking the Rook. } 28. Re1 d3 { Now the Bishop and Pawn protect each other,freeing my Rooks for other duties. I also unmask an attack on the WhiteQR. } 29. Nxd3 { If Black wants to give me the Rook, I'll gladly take it. } 29... Bxa1 30. Rxa1 { Now the Knight is en prise and falls. } 30... Bxd3 { Just a matternow of when White gives up. } 31. Rd1 h6 { To avoid any possibility of aswindle and a back-rank mate. } 32. f3 Rf4 33. Kf2 Rxf5 { It's all over butthe shouting. } 34. Ke3 Rh5 35. Rxd3 Rxd3+ { White voluntarily gives up hislast piece, and now has no chance of even pulling a last-ditch swindle. } 36. Kxd3 Rxh2 37. Kd4 Rxa2 38. Kc5 Ra3 39. b4 h5 { With my KRP headed onan unstoppable journey towards becoming a Queen, White finally gives in. } 0-1
[Event "HoF 2010, Jyväskylä, Finland"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2010.??.??"] [Round "-"] [White "Lauk Ülar"] [Black "Riihimäki Pekka"] [Result "1-0"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. g3 a6 7. Bg2 Nf6 8. O-O Be7 9. Re1 d6 10. Nxc6 bxc6 11. e5 { The knight moves forward, always checking for the best possible position. } 11... dxe5 12. Rxe5 Nd5 { You can't capture the same piece twice in a row. After repeated attempts, it's clear that this practice has no practical value, so it's time to move on. } 13. Nxd5 cxd5 14. Bf4 Bd6 15. Bxd5 { Hämmastaval kombel ma ei märganud üldsetugevat võimalust 15. Qxd5! ning pärast 15...Bxe5 16. Qxe5 Qxe5 17. Bxe5Ra7 18. Bxg7 Rg8 19. Bf6 on valgel lõppmängus suur paremus. } 15... Bxe5 16. Bxe5 Qxe5 17. Bxa8 Qxb2 18. Rb1 Qe5 { Etturi löömine viib kuristikku: 18...Qxa2 19. Rb8! O-O 20. Bb7! Qc4 (20... Bxb7 21. Rxf8+ Kxf8 22. Qd8#) 21.Qd6 g6 (või 21... Re8 22. Bxc8 Rxc8 23. Qd8+) 22. Qxf8+ Kxf8 23. Rxc8+Qxc8 24. Bxc8 enamviguriga. } 19. Bc6+ Ke7 20. Qd3 Qd6 21. Qc4 { The king is in danger, the knight must save him. The knight rides quickly to the castle, over the rough terrain, while carrying the flag of the king. He will surely reach the castle in time to protect the king. } 21... Rd8 22. Qh4+ { Parem oli kohe käia 22. Bf3, säilitades muuhulgas ka ähvarduse Lh4+ Näitlikvariant: 22...h6 23. Rd1 Qb6 24. Rxd8 Qxd8 25. Qb4+ Qd6 26. Qc3 Bd7 27.Qxg7 etturivõiduga. } 22... f6 { Ei sobinud 22... Kf8 23. Bf3. Nüüd nõrgeneb musta7. rida. } 23. Bf3 Qa3 { Julge käik. Pidasin seda algul veaks, arvestadesvariante a la 23... h6 24. Qg4 Kf7 25. Rd1 Qb6 26. Rxd8 Qxd8 27. Qh5+ Kg8 28. c4 selge ülekaaluga. } 24. Rb3 Qc1+ 25. Kg2 Qxc2 26. Qb4+ Kf7 { White to move. The knight is about to capture the pawn on e4, but instead moves to e2. Black responds with 27...Rd6. White captures the pawn with 28.Rc7+, then checks with 29.Qb8. Black is forced to give up the exchange with 29...Bd7. White continues to apply pressure with 30.Qb8+ and Black resigns. } 27. Rc3 Qf5 28. Rxc8 1-0
[Event "- - The Annotation Project III - -"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2010.11.27"] [Round "-"] [White "jstevens1"] [Black "rjacobs"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1609"] [TimeControl "3d+2d<5d"] [WhiteElo "1765"] 1. e4 { A bit late to be annotating this one but hopefully the process willstill be helpful... The real business starts at move 7 in this project. Jo is a long-time adversary, who has a big plus score against me, so I'mglad I took my opportunities here... } 1... c6 2. f4 d5 3. Nf3 dxe4 4. Ng5 Nf6 5. Bc4 Bg4 6. Qxg4 Nxg4 7. Bxf7+ Kd7 8. Be6+ Kc7 9. Bxg4 Qe8 { Thisseems to be the most popular and effective move here, though her majestydoes get stuck awhile. } 10. Ne6+ { This too is the most popular move. Theknight really clogs up Black's position. } 10... Kb6 { I think I tried ...Kd6 inanother game and got short shrift for my trouble. This seems much better. } 11. Na3 { There is a good case for preceding this with 11. a4. 11. d3 isalso popular. } 11... a6 { Black creates a hole for his K. The computer prefers11....a5, leaving the king and knight to argue over a6 and taking controlover b4. } 12. d3 { So White aims to cover it with 13. Be3+ } 12... Nd7 { Black hastensto develop what he can and cover c5. } 13. Be3+ c5 14. b4 Rc8 { Each has3 pieces defending c5 but Black can't sustain this indefinitely. The computerprefers 14...Ka7, making no pretence to defend c5 or develop the R. } 15. Nc4+ { ? the computer sees an altogether more devious plan, whereby theb4 pawn creates havoc in Black's defences and the knights grab more materialon f8: 15. bxc5+ Ka7 16. c6+ Kb8 17. cxd7 Qxd7 18. Nc4 exd3 19. Ne5 Qd520. Nxf8 Rcxf8 21. Nd7+ Kc7 22. Nxf8 Rxf8 } 15... Ka7 16. O-O { This appears tomake White's king safer and brings a rook into the action but it also createsopportunities for Black to counter-attack. The computer prefers the morethematic 16. Nxc5. } 16... h5 { Black immediately launches a pawn towards the castledking, forcing White to decide how to redeploy her bishop. The computerprefers the more consistent 16...b6, defending the c-pawn. } 17. Bh3 { Onhere, the B is bereft of decent squares but continues to support the knighton e6. 17. Bf5 or 17. Be2 were both interesting alternatives. } 17... Rh6 { Black'sdevelopmental choices are distinctly restricted, so this move is not asodd as it may look. The computer prefers Black to clear off the centralpawns first, rather than leave the e-pawn hanging. } 18. bxc5 { White cashesin on the pawn. Jo is never shy in accepting largesse and usually likesto equalise materially in these games as soon as she can. At this stage,Black is still 2 points up. } 18... Rc6 { Now it looks like Black plans to returnthose points by giving up the exchange. } 19. f5 { White reinforces the knightand threatens the Rh6 at the same time. } 19... Rf6 { I'd originally planned toput the Nd7 there, so this is a bit of a compromise. } 20. dxe4 { Now Whitegrabs another pawn and opens up another file. With the B on h3, though,it will be a while before White can also exploit the f1-a6 diagonal. } 20... g6 { Black's turn to attempt to open a file and free up his B. } 21. Na5 { Thecomputer has White's advantage gradually increasing here. Now Black hasawkward choices. I decided to concede the exchange for a pawn to get ridof one of the pesky knights. } 21... Rxc5 { ? The computer prefers 22...gxf5. } 22. Bxc5+ { or bishops ... The computer identifies this as a mistake becauseWhite doesn't gain as big an advantage as she would have done with 22.Nxc5: Best: -4.38 » 22. Nxc5 Nxc5 23. Bxc5+ Ka8 24. fxg6 b6 25. Rxf6 exf626. Bxf8 Qxf8 27. Nb3 Qg7 28. Bf5 Kb7 29. Nd4 h4 } 22... Nxc5 23. Nxc5 { Now Whiteis 3 points to the good. } 23... b6 { At this point I commented that one of Freddy's'rules' for this project is that forks are a waste of time; but I thoughthis comment was aimed more at White than Black and that this looked likeBlack's best move in this position anyway. } 24. Rfb1 { White sticks to principlesand leaves Black with the choice, threatening check on b7 whichever knightBlack takes. However, her better opportunity was to bully Black's misplacedR with 24. e5! when the R would either have had to retreat, wasting timeand giving White's pawns a chance to dominate or give itself up for a pawn. } 24... e5 { Black doesn't have to hurry to take a knight. This move offers a betterway of deploying the Bishop, now that the knight is gone from e6. } 25. Ne6 { The knight returns to e6 but the beast has been freed... Now Blackmust decide whether to equalise materially or do something else... } 25... bxa5 { Money has it ... } 26. a4 { Not sure what this was intended to achieve butit leaves Black some nice squares. The compute prefers backtracking with26. Rd1. } 26... Qc6 { At last the Queen can enter the fray to purpose, forkinge4 and c2 while also supporting a possible ...Bc5+ } 27. Ra2 { White's planto double rooks is too slow. Black is now winning. Again the computerprefers Rd1. } 27... Bc5+ { ? According to the computer this is a mistake but,I think, a natural one for a human - finally a chance to activate thatbishop! It also induces a fatal error by White.: Mistake: +1.78 » ... Bc5+28. Kh1 Bb4 29. Ng5 Rd6 30. Rg1 gxf5 31. Bxf5 Bc3 32. Nf3 Qc4 33. Ra3 Bb234. Rd3 Rxd3 35. cxd3 Qxd3 36. Re1 Best: +3.34 » ... Qxe4 28. Nxf8 Rxf8 29.fxg6 Qxg6 30. Rab2 Qc6 31. Rb7+ Ka8 32. Bd7 Qc5+ 33. Kh1 e4 34. Be6 e335. Rd7 e2 36. Bf7 Qc6 } 28. Kf1 { ?? this blunders a piece away that Whitecan ill afford. } 28... Qxe6 29. Rab2 { ?? The computer announces mate in 5 forBlack now. } 29... Qc4+ { I'd worked out the mate in 5 for myself now. } 30. Ke1 Qxe4+ 31. Kf1 Qf4+ { White agreed and waved the white flag, spelling outhow mate was forced. } 0-1
[Event "Slow Ladder"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2011.12.28"] [Round "-"] [White "jkarp"] [Black "tiger-t"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [BlackElo "1773"] [TimeControl "5d+2d<10d"] [WhiteElo "956"] 1. e4 { In this particular game, I remembered not to get nervous or angryafter making blunders. Instead, I remembered Jack Stockel's advice toremain calm by fixing the mistake, looking for a way out of trouble, findingthe opponent's weakness, and spotting his blunder. } 1... Nc6 { He probablymade this move to develop his minor pieces right away, and I understandbecause I used to do the same thing immediately. However, I learned, fromJack Stockel, that it is good to develop minor pieces during the beginninggame but not on the first move. Otherwise, it destroys the center, preventsone from controlling the center. } 2. Bb5 { Now, it is ok to develop minorpieces and control the center. Normally, I was told that it is usuallybetter to develop the knight before the bishop, but there are exceptions. In my opinion, this was one of those exceptions, and it was, actually,! That is because Jack Stockel told me that, 'Knights could be more dangerousthen bishops', and I believe that his knight is extremely dangerous, inthis position. } 2... b6 { If he had played Nd4, there would not have been anexchange, and I would have been forced to move my bishop away from danger. That is because he would have threatened to capture my bishop with Nxb5. On the other hand, an even exchange is not bad because there have notbeen captures, so the score is still 0. Now, I will force the exchangewith Bxc6, followed by dxc6. } 3. Bxc6 dxc6 4. Nf3 { I respond by transposingthe King's Pawn Play or Ruy Lopez opening into the King's Knight Opening. } 4... Nf6 { Now, he threatens to capture my pawn with Nxe4, but I am not aboutto let that happen. } 5. Ne5 { I had three options to handle this situation,and two of them would protect the pawn. Two of these options will becomemy candidate during the game. First, I could protect the pawn with d3,but I did not want to do this because it is, 'pushing', the pawn. Second,I could also protect the pawn by bringing my other knight into play withNf3, and I thought that this option was !? Third, this option was oneof my candidates, but it does not protect the pawn. If he captures mypawn with Nxe4, I simply respond by capturing his pawn with Nxc6. In myopinion, this was .] due to the position. If this exchange had occurred,his weak pawns on the c square would have given him a tactical disadvantage,but this does not happen. } 5... Bb7 { He made this move to protect his pawn onc6 and form a, 'Fianchetto', but that does not bother me. } 6. O-O { I simplyrespond by castling, but this is ? because he could have captured my pawnwith Nxe4, but I would not have been able to recapture his pawn with Nxd6because of his bishop on b7. However, I am lucky because he does not dothis, and I still have a chance to fix this problem. } 6... e6 { I am not surewhy he chose that candidate. Instead, he could have captured my pawn withNxe4, but I am fortunate. } 7. Nc3 { I had mentioned earlier that I had threeoptions, and Nc3 was not my best move. However, this was now .] becauseit was the only way to correct my last blunder. } 7... Bd6 { Now, he threatensto capture my knight with Bxe5, but I am not scared since this is not apin. } 8. Ng4 { Therefore, I simply move my knight away from danger. } 8... a6 { I do not know why he made that move. } 9. e5 { I could have forced theexchange, but it was !? because there was a better option. What was theoption? The fork between his bishop on d6 and knight on f6. After thismove, there is an exchange, starting with Nxg4. } 9... Nxg4 10. Qxg4 { I decidedto take his knight with my queen, instead of his bishop with my pawn becauseI do not want to let him fix his bad pawns on the c square. If he played,cxd6 that would have happened, but this was ?. } 10... Bxe5 { If I had capturedhis bishop, my score would be a +2. Due to this blunder, I am now at -1,but I was not going to get angry or worried about this mistake. That isbecause Jack Stockel has said, 'Don't get nervous. Try to find a way outof trouble'. I was also determined not to get mad because it is a distraction. In fact, I lose more concentration with rage then stress. It is extremelylikely that I would have lost this game immediately, if I became enraged. That is because I would have attempted to force my way through by rushing,if I was angry. Instead, I remained brave and figured that I might beable to stay in and last through the game if I stayed calm, and that willhappen. } 11. b3 { I chose this candidate because he cannot win a free knightwith Bxc3 because of my pawn on d2. This will bring me one step closerto connecting my rooks. } 11... O-O { It is usually a good idea to castle here,but this was not a good time to castle. That will be explained on move12. } 12. Ba3 { Normally, I would play Bb2 and form a, 'Fianchetto', butthat did not happen. However, this move was .] In this position, I nowthreaten to capture his rook with Bxf8. If that happened, his rook wouldbe exchanged for my bishop, at best. Therefore, he would only have twochoices. He could play c5 or Re8, but I will still achieve my goal here. } 12... c5 { This is what he decides. } 13. Rae1 { Yes, this is what I wanted to dobecause my rooks are now connected. However, this was ? Instead, I shouldhave played Rae2. } 13... Bf6 14. Ne4 { I figured that this candidate was the bestway to protect my pawn on d3, but I was wrong. Instead, I should haveplayed Rd1. Now, he will get a free pawn after the exchange, and I willbe at -2. I am referring to Bxe4 followed by 15.Rxe4, Qxd2. } 14... Bxe4 15. Rxe4 Qxd2 16. Re2 { Despite my mistake, I am determined to follow Jack Stockel'sadvice by not resigning in the game. Therefore, I protect my pawn on c2with my rook. } 16... Qa5 { In this position, he is forced to move his queen awayfrom, 'harm's way', but he threatens to capture my bishop with Qxa4. } 17. Qa4 { This protects my bishop and forces his queen to escape. Of course,I could have forced an exchange with Qxa5 followed by bxa5, but I did notwant to do this and give him another pair of doubled pawns. That is becauseI learned from i have arrived that doubled pawns can be good, if they arenot captured. I did not want to give him that advantage because I knewthat I would not be able to recapture his doubled pawns. } 17... Qb5 { He is nowtrying to get his queen away from danger, but I am not going to let thathappen. } 18. c4 { I respond by attacking his queen with two pieces. I amreferring to the pawn on c4 and my queen on a4. If I am guessing correctly,this is a reversed fork. } 18... Qe8 { Now, he retreats with his queen, butI will force an exchange with Qxe8 followed by Rfxe8. } 19. Qxe8 Rfxe8 20. Rd1 { I chose this candidate to put pressure on the d square. That willbe explained on move 21. } 20... a5 { I am not sure why he made this move. Inthis position, c6 would have been better. } 21. Rd7 { That is because I nowthreaten to capture his free pawn with Rxc7. If this happens, he willbe in bad shape because he has two pawns on the c file, but he correctsthis blunder. } 21... Re7 { At this point, he will force an exchange with Rxe7followed by Bxe7. } 22. Rxe7 Bxe7 23. Rd2 { In this position, my goal isto play Rd7 so that I could threaten to capture his free pawn with Rxc7. This time, however, he immediately figures out my plan and does not makethe same mistake. } 23... Bd6 { Instead, he responds with his bishop. } 24. Bb2 { I do not remember why I made this move. } 24... f6 { I do not know why he chosethat candidate, but he corrects this blunder. } 25. Re2 { I want a free pieceinstead of an even exchange because I am, 'down material', and Jack Stockelhas told me that a free piece is generally better then a mere exchange. Therefore, I threaten to capture his pawn with Rxe6. } 25... e5 { He correctsthe blunder by protecting his pawn. } 26. Re4 { In this position, I do notsee how anyone can win. Consequently, I simply offer him a draw, and heaccepts the draw offer. There is a highest rating won against and a lowestrating lost. Well, this was my second highest rating drawn against, andmy highest rated draw was against Jack Stockel, my chess coach, in threeor four different games. Therefore, this was one of my best games, ever,and my best game on this site. } 1/2-1/2
[Event "Petrov's Defence (C42), French Attack"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2012.01.20"] [Round "-"] [White "idldice81"] [Black "evilgm"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1664"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1402"] 1. e4 { With idldice81's permission I'm annotating this game for the benefitof our team, the Burninators. } 1... e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 { This opening is known asPetrov's Defence (C42). } 3. Nxe5 { And now the French attack variant. } 3... d6 { The standard continuation is unfolding... } 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 { This isnow the classical attack variant, all moves according to book. } 5... d5 { Thismove is designed to stake a claim to the center and post my knight to bea constant thorn in white's side. An early priority should be to dislodgemy knight or attack the d5 pawn, all while developing your own pieces. } 6. Bd3 { Book response. } 6... Bd6 { Book, and for those chess monkeys, it's calledthe Marshall variation. } 7. O-O { Castling is a good idea here as it freesup the rook to play as well. } 7... c6 { This move was designed to give my knightand the d5 pawn some staying power. I anticipated that his c pawn of remainingknight will come into play soon. } 8. c4 { And there it is. This is a greatmove as it puts pressure on my d pawn but also allows his knight to developas well, to bring on the heat. There are a lot of good possibilities herefor white. } 8... O-O { Time to castle in case I need to bring my rook into thegame. } 9. cxd5 { This is one of the most typical responses at this pointand white is attacking just like he should. } 9... cxd5 { No other response worthconsidering. } 10. Nc3 { Continuing an aggressive attack, white is in goodshape. I have a few options here. } 10... Bg4 { This was perhaps not my strongestplay, but I wanted to put some pressure on white's knight and see whatshook loose. I also didn't want to give white the chance to shift anotherpawn to his center, giving him a stronger center advantage. My d pawnis weak and isolated, but if it is, I'd rather his was too. If white takesNxd5, Bxh2+ regains parity. } 11. Nxe4 { Effectively earning a pawn advantage. } 11... dxe4 { No other choice. } 12. Bxe4 { And now white is ahead a pawn. I haveonly a few responses that can save me from real damage on my queensiderook. } 12... Nc6 { I prefer this move to Qc7 as it continues development, butalso puts some added pressure on his d pawn, and maybe something good canhappen. So far white is playing superb. } 13. Bxc6 { I believe that thisexchange is a bit premature, as you need to have pieces in order to mountan effective attack, however, it does break up my queenside pawns and theyare now isolated, so in and of itself, that's not a bad thing. Pawns aremore valuable when they are connected, and isolated they are weak. } 13... bxc6 14. Qd3 { This move is great, but it is potentially dangerous if you don'tfollow through, as I will show in a few moves. White wants to relievepressure on his knight and allow his queen to move freely. This is good,but if you want to take that step, follow through and either protect yournewly moved pieces and/or move your knight on to the g5 square for an attackon black's king. Dangling pieces (protected by only air) can lead to verybad things if you're not careful. Where possible it is always better tomove pieces to a place where they are protected and/or have some supportfrom a secondary piece. A better move sequence, instead of 13 Bxc6 wouldhave been 13. Qd3, forcing me to 13... h6. } 14... c5 { Here is a little gambitploy I try, to see if I can coax white into a big mistake, but he doesn'tbite. Moves like this in blitz chess can be damning if you fall into thetrap. A better move here is to take a rook to an open file (thanks kingcruel). } 15. h3 { This move appears natural and one that will make me either tradepieces with his knight or shoo away. I chose the latter. A better approachhere is to target my king with something like Ng5. } 15... Be6 16. d5 { This moveis actually a good one that I didn't appreciate that much in game. I thoughtthat white was giving away his pawn for free, as his queen cannot takeor risk capture, but doubling up my bishops with his potential for a rook/queencombo able to come online and it can be dangerous for me. } 16... Bxd5 17. Be3 { I was holding my breath, hoping that he would take with 17 Qxd5. He didn'tmake that move, but this one is not so good either. It does connect hisrooks, which is always a plus in development, but it doesn't add much attackvalue with where he placed it. More damning, however, it will also costhim his knight for free. If he re-takes, very bad things happen. Thebetter move here for white would have been to put the knight on g5 followedup by Rd1, breaking my chance to exchange with the knight and earning abishop for the pawn I took on d5. (thanks kingcruel) } 17... Bxf3 18. gxf3 { Andvery bad things are about to happen. Here is the biggest learning pointof the annotation. If you go all the way back to move 14, I said thatyou don't leave pieces supported only by air. If you do they can becomea liability. Here, after retaking with his g pawn, because his queen isn'tsupported, it will now be exchanged for a bishop. You have to be cognizantof a bishop's potential check, because it can hurt if you aren't payingattention. } 18... Bh2+ { 19. Kxh2 Qxd3 and white is down 6 points (5 after 20.Bxc5), but not a place you want to be with a questionable pawn structure. In a game against equal players, most resign here, and white chose thepath of least resistance. } 0-1
[Event "Improved English Symmetrical A30 - M31"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009.08.21"] [Round "-"] [White "ChessKnave"] [Black "Computer - FH005"] [Result "1-0"] { This Symmetrical English opening sports a few infighting tactics, somespeculative knight manuevers by the computer, a positional knight sacrificeby white, and a Stein like game ending rook move, after which the computergoes berzerk and sacrifices material to no avail just before it is matedon move 31. } 1. c4 { I have been experimenting with the English openingagainst the computer lately to get a feel for how it plays. } 1... c5 { Thisis the particular branch that I am seeking for my experiments, the symmetricalversion. Both players stake out control of a d file square on the opponentsside of the board. } 2. Nf3 { With this move white plays against ...e5. } 2... Nf6 { Black follows with a similar plan. } 3. e3 { This move fights ford4, and guards c4, and activates the bishop so it can be developed in preperationfor 0-0, and is meant to support the followup move of d2-d4. } 3... d5 { Blackbegins an immediate fight for d5, fully developing a second pawn in thefight for the center. } 4. cxd5 { Exchanging this pawn away makes senseso that black has less influence in the center, and to prevent suffocatingpawn moves by black. } 4... Nxd5 { Material equality is maintained, but the knightwill not be welcomed here by white. } 5. Bc4 { This is a great developingmove for the bishop, it is the most active placement. There is no realthreat against the knight without a second piece, but the move does influencethe center and draws a line to f7. } 5... Be6 { This move is not really necessarybecause the queen has guard of the knight, but it does allow black to trya tactic of ...Nc3! where it attacks both queen and the loose bishop. } 6. b3 { This refutes the tactical idea. } 6... Bf5 { Black repositions the bishopto take control of c2, d3, e4 squares, but this position begs a fork. } 7. d3 { +/= Threatening an e3-e4 fork. } 7... Qa5+ { ?! Black chooses a ratherdramatic, yet clumsy method to refute the fork by way of a distractingcheck, but this too has a tactical refutation. } 8. Bd2 { ! Now there are3 threats for black to counter. } 8... Nb4 { Black finds a way out of the traps,but the knight is not in the happiest of positions here due to the pinthat it has jumped into. } 9. O-O { +/- This prevents any wild ideas of...Nxd3+, and it gives white a serious lead in development. } 9... N8c6 { Blackseeks to catch up in development. } 10. a3 { !? Creating a future threatonce the rook is guarded. } 10... O-O-O { Black finally gains king safety, somewhat,and brings the rook into a coordinated attack with the bishop on d3. } 11. d4 { ! Preventing the loss of the pawn, and opens up options for sometactical play. } 11... cxd4 { Working to clear a path from rook to queen. } 12. exd4 { Not fearing the rook. } 12... e6 { ?! This move activates another bishop,but I consider ...Nxd4 to be better. } 13. Bc3 { ! Taking advantage of blacksprior weak move to activate the knight trap at b4, axb4 is possible nowthat the rook is defended. } 13... Nxd4 { ?! Black decides to try a speculativeidea to ultimately draw the bishop away, to break the pin, to save theb4 knight. } 14. Nxd4 { Nothing to lose by accepting the offer. } 14... Rxd4 { Atthis point you will notice that there is the option to recapture by Qxd4,but then ...Bc5 chases the queen and takes away any positional advantages,in part because of activating the h8 rook, and because the queen will needto leave the d file at some point. } 15. Bxd4 { This move really seems correctpositionally as it enables a good future attack to be developed. } 15... Nc2 { ?! Here the computer makes an interesting, yet dubious or speculativemove, which while interesting does not seem to offer enough advantage. } 16. Bc3 { !? Repositioning the bishop to prevent an exchange while forcinga queen move instead of the knight, spares the rook in the process of gainingthe full d file for the queen. } 16... Qb6 17. Ra2 Ne3 { ?! And the computer makesanother speculative move with the idea of gaining some attack against theking. If the c3 bishop were not guarded, then this move would really rock. } 18. fxe3 Qxe3+ 19. Kh1 { White has much advantage due to material gainand positional aspects, active pieces, and is almost completely winning. } 19... b6 { ++/- ?? This move is the largest contribution to blacks downfallbecause it allows white to achieve a completely won game. } 20. Bd4 { !A fine positional move that forces the queen away to a lesser position,away from the mating attack. } 20... Qg5 21. Ba6+ { Using the weakness that blackcreated, the king will be drawn out and into the attack. } 21... Kc7 { The kingcan not step on the d file or the queen will be lost through tactical methods. } 22. Be5+ { The king is forced to walk the line, a very thin line. } 22... Kc6 23. Qd4 { Offering the knight in sacrifice so that a good mating net canbe formed. } 23... Bc5 { ? Trying to chase the queen away, but this move suffersfor tactical reasons. } 24. Qc4 { ! A pin which can allow the taking ofthe bishop. } 24... Bxb1 { The offer is accepted. } 25. Re2 { ! Not chasing thebishop uselessly, but instead holding the e5 bishop, to block the queenfrom accessing the fight. } 25... Bf5 { Prevents loss of the bishop. } 26. b4 { Realizing the benefit of the pin, but I overlook a fast mate due to thosegreedy material instincts of mine, (26.Qb5+ Kd5 27.Bb7#) } 26... Bg4 { Black triesdesperately to create good counterplay, but nothing is gained. } 27. Re4 { This move does not appear to be correct at first glance, but it has apowerful point to it. } 27... Bf5 28. Rd4 { ! This is a very powerful move thatenables mate in one, providing no distractions are encountered. } 28... Qxg2+ { A desperate attempt to avoid the mate in one, but it is not enough. } 29. Kxg2 Bh3+ 30. Kxh3 f6 31. Qb5# { And so closes the curtain on the finalact. This game was quite a lot of fun, and I had to work at improving thisopening to achieve better play against the computer. I had some other winningattempts before this game, some wins in about 40 moves, but I wanted toachieve this quicker, and this game realized that goal. I still have somerefinements to develop, but this feels like a good start, and this particularopening branch offers white good prospects. } 1-0
[Event "Challenge from warrior16win"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "23-Dec-08"] [Round "-"] [White "warrior16win"] [Black "cheewai"] [Result ""] [BlackElo "1662"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1200"] 1. e4 c5 2. Bc4 e6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Nf6 6. Nxc6 bxc6 7. Nc3 Bb4 8. O-O Bxc3 9. bxc3 Nxe4 10. Qd4 Nf6 11. Ba3 { Interesting on hindsightjust how terrible a blunder 9. ..., Nxe4 was for me. It should have beenO-O (which I had thought about) but I incorrectly felt my king was safe. } 11... Qa5 { According to the post-game analysis by the fruit engine, I reallyshould have played 11. ...,d5. I remembered considering it, but somehowtossed it out. } 12. Bd6 { Ouch. This is a lesson I will probably never forget.From this point on, I was just desperately trying to dig myself out anddislodg that bishop on the d6 square. } 12... Nh5 13. Be2 f6 14. Bxh5+ Qxh5 { Ihad a tiny chance for an attack here, but either my opponent noticed itor he got out of it without knowing. The plan was 15 ..., Qg6 16. ...,Bb7 and finally 17. ..., c5 winning the queen if it had stayed. } 15. Rfe1 Qg6 16. Qd3 { No such luck, it seems. And the queen exchange at this pointwas not to my favor, so I decided to ease my king to a safer place. } 16... Kf7 17. c4 Ba6 { I had wanted to push the a pawn out first, but figured I'drather have the rook cover my pawn than the bishop. } 18. Rad1 Qxd3 { Atthis point, I decided enough was enough ... he was slowly getting piecesinto play and I was still trapped. Trading the queen off (he'd pretty muchhave to take with the pawn) would buy me some time to try and unlock mye pawn and have my rook get to that file to eventually try and dislodgethe bishop. } 19. cxd3 Rac8 { The idea was to push the c pawn, but this couldeasily be countered. } 20. c5 { like so. } 20... Rhe8 { Hence plan B (actually, shouldhave been plan A on hindsight). } 21. d4 Bc4 { There were three aims to thismove. Threaten his a pawn, free my a pawn and potentially block his d pawnif I am forced to do so. } 22. a4 a5 { Had to block it, although again onhindsight, it might have been better to block at a6 instead of a5. a6 limitsmy c rook's movements rather severely though ... that might have been oneof my considerations when I made the decision. } 23. Rb1 { Nasty nasty move... he threatens to push into my 'inner sanctum' (more like hellhole, hehe).The obvious target was my pawn at d7 and there was no way for me to denyhim the b file. } 23... g5 { I figured I had time to free my king. The sequenceI had to consider (to ensure this was safe): 24. Rb7, Red8 25. Bc7, Re8.The bishop and rook block each other from effective attack. } 24. h3 Ra8 { I think I did this to buy me a 2nd defensive position from a7, it alsogives my e rook some freedom to move queenside if needed. } 25. Rec1 Ba6 { I had to consider Bd5 and Ba2 but settled on Ba6 to deny him the b7 attacksquare. Also buys my a rook a possible chance to get out onto the b filethrough Ra7 to Rb7. I was not too concerned at this point if he doubledhis rooks on the b file. } 26. g3 h5 { I had to build a defensive structureagainst a possibly dangerous advancing pawn wave on the king side. Thisalso buys me more legroom for the king and rook. } 27. Bc7 { He wants mya pawn, at this point, I'm not too worried. He cannot take it without losinghis bishop or his own a pawn (which he'd be loathe to do). } 27... e5 { finallymounted enough protective pieces to allow this to happen (his rooks werefinally gone and he had no short-term threats on me). } 28. dxe5 fxe5 29. Re1 e4 { No choice, e5 was not a tenable position and e4 could be defendedby Bd3. } 30. Rbd1 { Back to the d7 pawn and other potential defense penetrationsking side. Could also allow him Rd4 to double the attack on the e4 pawn.Left me with only 1 reasonable choice, imho. } 30... Bd3 { Blocks off the attackon the d7 pawn and prevents Rd4. } 31. f3 { He's threatening to undo theonly protection my bishop has. } 31... Re7 { I cannot do much about fxe4, so Ihave to anticipate the layered attack on d7. } 32. fxe4 Bxe4 33. Bd6 { Again,his bishop gets in the way of the rook attack, so I wasn't too worried. } 33... Re6 34. Bc7 Bd5 { I chose 33 ..., Re6 as opposed to Re8 precisely so I canhave a more solid structure like this while also allowing for an eventualBb3 which could potentially force his d rook into a corner, like he hasmy poor a rook. The rook exchange offered is actually to my disadvantagesince he has an active rook vs my active bishop. } 35. Rxe6 dxe6 { I tookthe chance to break my d pawn free from getting uselessly tied up and constantlyunder attack. } 36. Rf1+ Kg6 37. Be5 Bb3 { Again, I calculated I had time.Rf5 (would have been a game breaker) was prevented thanks to my trustye pawn. Meanwhile, Rf6 is not a big deal as Kh7 prevents his rook fromgetting to the rear of my pawns. At the same time, I had an opportunityto trade off the e pass pawn for an a pass pawn. } 38. Rf6+ Kh7 39. h4 g4 { I wasn't sure if going for the pawn exchange would have been better. Isaw some threats during the game, but I do not seem to remember them now. } 40. Bf4 { He really* wants that h pawn. } 40... Kg7 { I decided to trade rooksat this point. Notice if he tried to attack the h pawn, 41 Rh6, Rh8 wouldleave his rook nowhere to go. } 41. Rh6 Rh8 42. Rxh8 Kxh8 43. Bc7 Bxa4 { Ioffered the draw. Opposite colored bishops, one pass pawn in the middleof the board that promotes on a square controlled by his bishop just didnot seem like good chances for a win on my part. Still, I had expecteda loss after that disastrous start for me. } *
[Event "Let's play chess"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009.06.29"] [Round "-"] [White "fernandod"] [Black "kamshaft"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1202"] [TimeControl "2 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1136"] 1. e4 { as normal } 1... Nf6 { as allways } 2. f3 { not so normal } 2... e5 3. d4 exd4 4. Qxd4 { possibly queen out to early } 4... Nc6 5. Qc4 Nb4 6. a3 Nc6 7. c3 d5 8. Qb3 { loses a pawn } 8... dxe4 9. Bc4 Ne5 10. Nd2 Nxc4 11. Qxc4 exf3 12. Ngxf3 Qe7+ 13. Kf1 Bd7 14. a4 Qd6 { scared for my pawn } 15. Ng5 { i pretty muchinvented that mate } 15... Be6 16. Qb5+ c6 17. Qxb7 { darn } 17... Bc4+ { try to open aforced mate that actually wasn't there, after 18nxb qd1+ 19 kf2 bc5+ 20kg3 qg4# but 20 be3 stops it } 18. Ke1 Qe5+ 19. Kf2 { ??? can you see why } 19... Qe2+ 20. Kg3 Bd6+ 21. Kh3 Qg4# { 3 move forced mate } 0-1
[Event "pleasant pass-time, passing pawns!"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2015.07.16"] [Round "-"] [White "trixstermtl"] [Black "tokkiet"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1508"] [TimeControl "3d+2d<5d"] [WhiteElo "1516"] { any alliteration fans out there? } 1. e4 { hey hey all. i wanted to savethis game because it is short and sweet. it is the story of the 2nd matchagainst the host of a mini tournament i am in. } 1... e5 { currently im happywith my result in the tournament. its given me a nice annotation againstthe leader of the tournament and im placed second. i can still win buti left my victory in the hands of the current leader. Where he has to losehis last two games and i must win my final 1 to win. if he loses 1 andwins 1 we tie etc.. } 2. Bc4 { A little back story before this game whichmay make it more enjoyable as you read. this is my second mini tournamenton game knot where i won the first. and i was able to pull a game likethis in each tournment. } 2... Nf6 { this opponent lost to me in game 1 wherei sacrificed all my material to leave him a knight up but have a fast passedpawn and successfully got him to promotion for the win. } 3. d3 { so my planthis game was to look for an even faster pawn race from the get go, andjust see what develops as i assumed my opponent was not well accustomedto defending a fast racing pawn. } 3... c6 { opponent adopts a defensive development. } 4. a3 { i open this up in case he comes down with b5 instead of d5. i was really hoping he was going to go d5 } 4... d5 { yay! } 5. exd5 { exchange } 5... cxd5 6. Bb5+ { check! more often then not black players will block withtheir LSB to get an easy trade off of LSB's maybe it is wiser to blockwith the knight in this instance with the hopes to reinforce the d5 pawnwith the b7 pawn if white decides to trade his lsb for a knight. } 6... Bd7 { asfor me its what i wanted. but ill let him do the trade! } 7. c4 { theresmy racing pawn! muahaha } 7... Bxb5 { exchanges right away to conserve his middle.maybe exchanging the d pawn out first might be better for black openingmore views to the white king } 8. cxb5 { and so recapture } 8... Qa5+ { tries toget the pawn immediately } 9. Nc3 { the knight protects the pawn while beingpinned } 9... d4 { exploits the pin } 10. Qa4 { but now its queens off to make apawn race easier! } 10... Qxa4 { and he accepts } 11. Nxa4 { now the knight is setup to defend the pawn for when he is allowed access to the b6 square } 11... Nbd7 12. Ne2 { more development towards my pawn and head towards a castle option } 12... a6 { gives my pawn access to the b6 square! } 13. b6 { ill take it! 2 stepsaway now! } 13... Rc8 { preparing pressure for the pawn and also taking controlof the open file probably one of his best current replies } 14. Bd2 { developDSB to go help defend the pawn } 14... Rc6 { forseen pawn pressure } 15. Ba5 Bc5 { develops bishop so ill take his DSB off for a knight } 16. Nxc5 Rxc5 { recaptures,buys me a move to muster some form of confusion for him. im wearing outof b6 defenders. but now i see a cruel skewer appear after he castles } 17. b4 { defend bishop push the rook around } 17... Rb5 { i think this was a mistakefor my opponent, i think his effort was to prevent my pawn from comingup to b5 but this invites a4 to gain time on the rook again } 18. a4 Rd5 19. Rc1 { so now i can take control of the open file and it sets up a deadlycheck attack } 19... O-O { defends with his castle } 20. O-O { so i castle also tobe safe. } 20... Rd6 { reapplies pressure to b6 and that skewer is right there! } 21. b5 { prepare the skewer. i wonder here what his best option was. impetty sure taking one of my pawns should be it. as in axb5 or nxb6. } 21... Nd5 { but he decides to apply triple pressure to the pawn and this temporarilydefends against the skewer } 22. bxa6 { so natural response, i thought, toalso open the way to the b pawn or the a pawn now becomes the racer. } 22... N5xb6 { i believe n7xb6 was better to not have the skewer unprotected. } 23. Bb4 { and so im able to get it } 23... Rd5 { moves 1 rook aside } 24. Bxf8 { i still grabit. if he takes my pawn i save my DSB if not hes in big trouble consideringmy rook and the fact i follow through with axb7 } 24... Kxf8 25. axb7 Nb8 { i thinkthis was mistimed by him overlooking a bit of finesse in the rook sacrifice.i was thinking it was going to play out 25 ...nbxa4 26 Rc8+ Ke7 27 b8=Qndxb8 28 Rbx8 costing me the pawn for the knight and being in a good positionto end it. } 26. Rc8+ { and so opponent resigns. i hope you all enjoyedthis game i love pawn racing games hehe. } 1-0
[Event "zukyyy's mini-tournament"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009.06.26"] [Round "-"] [White "duderino"] [Black "tubamaniac"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1225"] [TimeControl "3d+2d<5d"] [WhiteElo "1457"] 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 { French Defense:Advance variation. This is myfavourite defense against e4. } 4. Bb5+ { Unusual 4th move of white. Theory:4.c3 Nc3 5.Nf6 Db6 } 4... Bd7 5. Bxd7+ Qxd7 6. Ne2 { I think it was better theknight on f3. There's no point to put the knight on e2. } 6... Nc6 7. Be3 cxd4 { I played this move with the point of developing my dark squares bishop. } 8. Nxd4 Nxe5 { Here, I won a pawn. 8.Bxc3 was the move, trying to changehis bad bishop. } 9. Nc3 Bb4 10. Bd2 Nf6 11. a3 Bc5 { Better than Ba5, attackingwhite castle. } 12. Be3 Nfg4 { I think this is a good move. I played thismove , because I wanted to still atacking the f2 point, but trying a littletrap. If white tries to defend, the bishop with the queen, you'll seewhat happens. } 13. Qe2 Nxe3 14. Qxe3 Nc6 15. Nce2 e5 { Trapping the knight,Black is now a piece ahead } 16. O-O-O O-O 17. Qc3 Bxd4 18. Nxd4 Nxd4 { Nowthe plan is to put pressure on the c file. } 19. Rhe1 Rac8 20. Qg3 Rxc2+ { I dont' know if this is the BEST move in this position, but it will leadto a winning position } 21. Kb1 Qf5 22. Ka2 Rxb2+ { Now a lit bit of tactics! } 23. Kxb2 Qc2+ 24. Ka1 Nb3+ { Winning the queen and the game! } 25. Qxb3 Qxb3 26. Rb1 { The worst move in the position . } 26... Qxa3# 0-1
[Event "Looking to join Kings and Queens of the dungeon?"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2010.02.21"] [Round "-"] [White "hijonnyb"] [Black "dungeonking"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1295"] [TimeControl "3d+2d<5d"] [WhiteElo "1335"] 1. e4 { In this game I come out ahead by a big blunder by white. } 1... c5 { TheSicilian my favorite! } 2. Nc3 { Closed variation of the Sicilian } 2... Nc6 { aimingfor control of d4 } 3. f4 { This looks like a hybrid between the closed andgrand prix variations. } 3... g6 { Still aiming for control of the dark centersquares and d4. } 4. Nf3 { Knights before bishops is the general principlehere. } 4... Bg7 5. d3 { He abandons d4 for control of e4 } 5... d6 { Preventing a pawnadvance } 6. Be2 e6 { Preventing his knight from occupying d5 as an outpost. } 7. Bd2 Nf6 { I still have control of d4 now I develop my knight with noworries from pawn to e5 } 8. O-O O-O 9. h4 { His immediate kingside attackis met symetrically. } 9... h5 10. Ng5 { A good outpost for white here as he aimsfor the h7 square. } 10... e5 { Probably not a good move here since he can moveNd5 } 11. Be3 { He wants to grab my pawn on c5 with 12.fxe5 dxe5 13.Bxc5 } 11... Nd4 { I prevent him from doing this by establishing an outpost of my own. } 12. fxe5 dxe5 13. Nf3 Bg4 { Bg4? What if NxP? } 14. Nxe5 { He takes the pawnas expected } 14... Bxe2 { I threaten his Queen and Rook but not for long } 15. Nxe2 Nxe4 { Instead of taking his knight I sac my knight to take his bishop. } 16. Nxd4 { He takes my other knight and I take back with the pawn now Iam threatening to take two of his bishops. } 16... cxd4 17. Nxg6 { He sacs hisknight to destroy my kingside. } 17... fxg6 18. dxe4 { He takes my knight } 18... dxe3 { And somehow ive won the exchange by taking his bishop very complicatedposition. } 19. Qe2 { He wants to grab the e pawn. } 19... Qb6 { I protect it andalso have a direct diagonal to his King! } 20. b3 { A gross blunder as heleaves his rook open for capture } 20... Bxa1 21. Rxa1 Rf2 { White resigned here. Notice he cannot stop the advance of the e pawn. } 0-1
[Event "Tables turned - a devastating loss."] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "18-Dec-08"] [Round "-"] [White "rjacobs"] [Black "derekclarke"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1463"] [TimeControl "5 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1651"] 1. e4 { While I was winning my two games against grietje, I also lost thisshocker against my buddy Derek. We usually play unrated games but I'dforgotten to tick the box for this one and paid the price! While, at present,our ratings are far apart, Derek's is often higher than mine, so he isnot to be taken lightly. I get a bit cocky in this game and pay the price. } 1... e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 d6 { Derek plays a number of responses to the Ruy Lopez. This is the Steinitz, an old and venerable line, which I don't know verywell. The principled 19th century approach would be to launch the d pawnimmediately but the Nimzowitschean approach is to prevent Black from puttinghis pieces on ideal squares, so... } 4. h3 Bd7 { Black probably wanted toplay this anyway! } 5. O-O Nf6 6. Re1 { In the Orthodox Defence, White wouldleave the e-pawn undefended for a move or two but there's no need to doso here and, compared with the Classical Defence, the R doesn't need todefend f2 against a Bc5. } 6... a6 7. Ba4 Be7 8. c3 O-O 9. d3 { The last few moveshave been typical Ruy Lopez moves. This is an unambitious move in thestyle of Michael Adams. White refrains from contesting the centre whilehe completes his development. Note that White has only developed two minorpieces to Black's four... } 9... b5 10. Bc2 { Retreating the full distance soas not to have to move again if Black attacks the Bb3 with his N. Oftenthe B only retreats to b3, so as to prevent Black from launching his f-pawnbut, in this position, in order to prepare that, Black would have to playsome ugly moves with his f6 N. } 10... a5 { grabbing space on the Queenside } 11. Nbd2 { In order to develop the final two minor pieces and preserve the bishoppair, White has to embark on a standard Ruy Lopez manoeuvre with the Queen'sKnight, which will come go via f1 to either e3 or g3 and then either d5or f5 if all goes to (flexible) plan. } 11... Nb8 { Undeveloping the N to allowthe c-pawn to advance. Black has time for this because of White's slowmanoeuvring. } 12. Nf1 c5 13. Ne3 Nc6 14. b3 a4 { Black continues his Queensideattack with vigour. } 15. bxa4 bxa4 16. Bxa4 { but loses a pawn } 16... Nd4 { !? a bolt from the blue, as Fritz would say } 17. Bxd7 Nxd7 18. cxd4 cxd4 19. Nf5 { Now White is a whole piece up, with a lovely remote passed pawn,which could be a decisive factor in the endgame if it lasts that long,so seeks to swap off another piece. } 19... Nc5 { which Black allows, meanwhilerestraining White's passed pawn. } 20. Nxe7+ Qxe7 21. Bg5 Qa7 22. Nh4 { WhileBlack seeks to attack on the Queenside, White is at last in a positionto attack on the Kingside. } 22... Qa3 { ! A nasty move that I'd missed. Whitecan't defend the d-pawn directly. } 23. Be7 { So White seeks compensationby forking R and d-pawn. } 23... Rfe8 24. Bxd6 Re6 { and Black gains tempi forhis rook by chasing the B } 25. Nf5 Qa5 { the pin on the N prevented it fromtaking the d-pawn. If the Q had taken the d-pawn, the N would have fallen. } 26. Qg4 { There's nothing quite like threatening mate in one, even if itis easily defended against. } 26... g6 27. Reb1 Nxd3 { Black gets his pawn } 28. Rb8+ { and White pursues his attack } 28... Rxb8 29. Bxb8 Qd2 { now Black turnshis attention to White's King, threatening f2 } 30. a4 { ?? which White choosesto ignore! A passed pawn must be pushed ... but is this the right timeto do so? } 30... Qb2 { ! Nasty fork of R and B, while the f2 pawn is still threatened. } 31. Nh6+ { When caught out like that, I try to cause a diversion and hopethat something will turn up. } 31... Kg7 32. Nf5+ Kh8 { avoiding repetition. Blackknows he's on top now. } 33. Bxe5+ { Derek asked 'Did that help?', to whichI replied that with the R and B forked, I thought I might as well get apawn in compensation. Unfortunately, Black proceeds to exploit the opendiagonals better than White. } 33... Nxe5 34. Qd1 gxf5 { ouch. Now I've gone frombeing a piece up to being a piece down. } 35. exf5 Rf6 36. g4 Rh6 37. Kg2 Qc3 { The king-hunt has started in earnest. } 38. Qh1 Nxg4 { ! ouch again. The h-pawn is pinned against my Q. } 39. a5 { Will this pawn save me afterall? } 39... Ne5 40. a6 Qf3+ { ! Black seizes the long diagonal with devastatingeffect. } 41. Kg1 Qxf5 { and picks up a loose pawn on the way, attackingthe h-pawn and threatening ... Nf3 or ... Ng4 or ... Nd3 followed by ...Qxf2# } 42. a7 Rg6+ { Attacking the King is an urgent priority with the pawnabout to Queen. } 43. Kf1 Qd3+ { the King cuts of the Q and R's mutual defence,making them both vulnerable. A fork follows. } 44. Ke1 Qc3+ 45. Ke2 { Mutualdefence is temporarily restored. } 45... Qb2+ { but not for long as the d-pawnand N prevent the K from advancing } 46. Kd1 Qxa1+ 47. Kc2 { hoping againsthope that Derek might take the pawn ... } 47... Qxh1 { That's quite enough of that. Well played Derek; not so well played by me. } 0-1
[Event "GameKnot Blitz, http://gameknot.com/"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2010.05.22"] [Round "-"] [White "ocean11"] [Black "mokru"] [Result "0-1"] 1. e4 c5 2. Bc4 { Book. } 2... a6 3. a3 e6 { This is author Tony Kosten's recipefor the English but as black except that black would have already playedg6 and Bg7. } 4. Nf3 Nc6 { This is the problem I see with many authors statedaims of the English and Sicilian. If the aim is the control of d4 forblack or d5 as white, it seems that white already controls the d4 square. } 5. O-O g6 { This is partly an effort to control d4, but d4 is not controllableby black unless white releases it. } 6. d4 cxd4 { Center pawn for wing pawn. } 7. Nxd4 Bg7 8. Nxc6 { I suspect that c3 is better. } 8... bxc6 9. c3 { He playsc3 anyway. } 9... Ne7 10. Be3 d5 11. exd5 cxd5 12. Ba2 O-O 13. Bd4 { I was hopingto play Nf5 prior to his attempt here. } 13... e5 { I might still be able to playit. } 14. Bc5 Be6 { Now there are two defenders. He can remove one. } 15. Nd2 Re8 16. Nf3 Nf5 17. Qc2 Nh4 { I maintain a good center, but it is basicallyeven. } 18. Nxh4 Qxh4 19. Rad1 d4 20. Bxe6 Rxe6 { Bye bye light square bishops. } 21. cxd4 exd4 22. Rd3 Rc8 { Forcing him to take with the rook or not atall. } 23. b4 a5 24. g3 Qe4 25. Rfd1 axb4 26. axb4 Qd5 { I happen think thismove quite fair. } 27. Qd2 Rce8 { The d pawn is lost. I could try to reinforceit, but the position is rather passive. My attack could be in trouble. } 28. h4 Re2 { Interesting at least. White has several tries and some shouldoffer good play. 29.Rxd4 Bxd4 30.Qxd4 and the black queen can flee withmodest compensation. But I find 29.Qc3! interesting. } 29. Qf4 { Black hasmate in 3. } 29... Re1+ 30. Kh2 { Or we can shorten the path to mate. He actuallyresigned after this move preceded with a gg comment. Due to the implementationof gameknot's current live chess games, resigned mere moments before Ifound the reason for the gg. My idea had been on Rh1, but Qh1 works better. I played it, but he resigned a split second before. } 30... Qh1# { # } 0-1
[Event "Master navigat wallstoned !"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2013.04.17"] [Round "-"] [White "31415"] [Black "navigat"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "2273"] [TimeControl "blitz 5mn"] [WhiteElo "1346"] { nice day today ! a hight elo accept a blitz wiht me ! i'm so happy. Butat the end he will loose as 'time out' after leaving me waiting for longminutes...what a pity ! } 1. d4 { so i diced to try my best with my preferedopening : wallstone } 1... Nf6 2. e3 b6 3. Bd3 Bb7 { this is one of the most difficultdefense for me because it is just cancelliong my wallstone developpement. I have to change my plans and sincerely, i dont know any good variationfrom there. Some body advice ? } 4. f3 { this is so poor, i suppose i willbe soon destroyed... } 4... d5 { ho ! this is the first agreable surprise of thegame ! Sir Navigat cancelled his threat ! Could be a mouse slip ? so ijust can go on with my wallstone, with a tempo lost } 5. f4 { here we go! } 5... e6 { classical } 6. Nf3 Bd6 7. O-O Nbd7 8. Nbd2 { this is it ! i dont needto advance the c2 pawn because there is no risk for the moment, so let'ssee what we can do atacking now... } 8... Ne4 { anticipating, this is good becauseit has the b7 bishop supporting the attack. So know i understand why thed5 move ... } 9. Ne5 { no matter, let's go on } 9... c5 { attacking the centerand trying to destroy my wallstone. Normally i should play c2 c3. But iwhant to be more courageous and try some sacrifice to break monotony andto give some surprise to my so hight challenger ... } 10. Nxf7 { he he he! it will give him some difficulties.... } 10... Kxf7 11. f5 { going on whith someagressivity, i dont whant to let him thinking that it will be easy withme ! } 11... e5 { refusing or course, the king would have problems } 12. Qh5+ { buthere are others problem for discovered blackk king ! } 12... Kg8 { Let's analysethe position : black is very strong in the center, but has the h rook locked,and i'm leading nstead of my knight sacrifice. what do you thing aboutthe position ? also, i have a good opotunity exchanging knights : openingthe a2g8 diagonal in order to move the king from his stash and exposinghim to the g1 rook threat and maybe to a mate with the queen (12. Qh5+Kg8 13. Nxe4 d5xe4 14. Bc4+! Kf8 15. Qf7++) } 13. Nxe4 Nf6 { blunder !i will take the knight whith mine in e4 } 14. Nxf6+ Qxf6 { i'm +1 now !!!!!!!!!!!(i'm so happy) } 15. e4 { same kind of plan than before, but no more matecoming ...and maybe a nice move with Bc1 g5... } 15... cxd4 16. Bg5 { interestingbut it will force a queen exchange surely } 16... Qf7 { what did i said ?! so nowi have nothing better than to accept... what a regret for me, my queenwas well placed. But i still have something interesting to play with myf1 rook, the f5 paw and the g5 bishop (some thing like : f5 ...g7xf6 ....Bxf6and wins the h8 rook !) } 17. Qxf7+ Kxf7 18. f6 { so let's try this one ! } 18... g6 { of course, what am I entitled to expect with a 2273 elos player ?! } 19. exd5 { so now i just whant to clear the center, loosing my motivation,the game will finish in ending, fighting to pomote a paw in queen, andat this game i will be surely not enought strong against experimented 2273elos ... } 19... Bxd5 20. c3 { if d4xc3, b2xd4 and then ....c3 c4 to remove thed5 bishop (always targeting the king...) } 20... e4 21. c4 { agressive response,if e4xd3, 2 pawn will be in colon with is more easy to block } 21... Be6 { blunder! , i win the e4 pawn and thret the a8 rook } 22. Bxe4 Bxc4 { of course hetake back a pawn and threat my f1 rook, but what about f1 d1 ? I will stillthreat the a8 rook and in addition threat d4 pawns. Isnt this positionin advantage for me ? } 23. Rfd1 { SO : at this time, master just leave mewaiting untill the end and loose as 'time out' ! what a dishonorable endingfor such a hight elo's player. I suppose he has a ggod reason to abandonin this way. But anyway, i'm so happy to have been leading the game tothis end ! YES ! please if you think it was a good game, rate it ! } 1-0
[Event "Team match"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2012.11.16"] [Round "-"] [White "huckjim"] [Black "algenmaedchen2"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [BlackElo "2002"] [TimeControl "7 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1885"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Ba6 { A standard position of the Queen'sIndian. I checked my opponent's game history and she plays the Queen'sIndian with some regularity. } 5. b3 { This seemed the most solid reply. But 5. Qa4 is certainly possible, too. But I decided in favor of 5. b3because it maximizes the misplacement of Black queen's bishop on a6. } 5... Bd6 { I have never seen the Black king's bishop placed here before, and I sawno game of my opponent where she made this move. It prevents the freeingmove ....d5, but it allows the Black queen some freedom to go to e7 andlater dictate some pawn moves in the center. } 6. Bg2 Nc6 7. O-O O-O 8. Bb2 Qe7 9. Ne5 Bb7 10. Nxc6 { The computer recommended 10. e4 Bxe5 11. dxe5Ne8 12. Nd2 d6 13. exd6 cxd6 14. Nf3 Nf6 15. Qe2 Rac8 16. Rad1 Nb4 17.Bxf6 gxf6 with a slight edge to White. But my motive for 10. Nxc6 was simplyto double the c-pawns, which I expected to exploit later. I think thisturned out to be the right strategy, and it kept me from losing the gamelater. } 10... Bxc6 11. Bxc6 dxc6 12. Qc2 e5 13. c5 { This is a temporary pawnsac designed to expose the double pawns to my queen and rooks later. } 13... bxc5 14. dxc5 Bxc5 15. Rc1 Bd4 16. Ba3 { I did not want to play 16. Bxd4 sinceit would expose my backward king's pawn and give Black a possible passerlater on d4. } 16... Qe6 17. Bxf8 Rxf8 { The computer now rates this position as-0.68, being favorable to Black. This rating will definitely worsen againstme over time. } 18. Nc3 Qh3 { I completely overlooked this move. In shortorder the Black knight will make mincemeat of my kingside. } 19. e3 Bxc3 20. Qxc3 Ng4 21. Rc2 Qxh2+ 22. Kf1 e4 23. Qd4 { I consider this my strongestmove in this position, because it keeps the Black rook out of action onthe d-file. However, the computer now rates this position -1.51 againstme. } 23... Qh3+ 24. Ke2 Nxf2 25. Rg1 Qf5 26. Rf1 Qf3+ 27. Kd2 Qg2 28. Rxf2 Qxf2+ 29. Kc3 { My king will develop into my most valuable fighting piece. Believeit or not, my king will end up back on the king side eventually. } 29... Qxg3 30. Qxe4 Rd8 31. Kb2 h5 32. Qf4 { I hated to trade queens. But I saw noeasy way to prevent the Black horde of connected king side pawns, unlessI got at least one pawn in front of them. The queen exchange accomplishesthat. The computer now rates this position as -3.38 against me. But weare only halfway through this game, believe it or not. } 32... Qxf4 33. exf4 Rd5 34. Rh2 g6 35. Kc3 Kh7 36. b4 { I might as well advance these queen sidepawns. They will turn out to be the only advantage I have in this game. } 36... Rf5 { I was a bit surprised by this move. Is Black letting my king backover into the king side? } 37. Rh4 Kh6 38. Kd3 g5 39. fxg5+ Kxg5 40. Rc4 c5 41. b5 Rd5+ { This is a bit of a mistake, since my king can now enterthe action on the king side. The computer prefers 41...h4 42. Rc2 h3 43.Re2 Kf4 44. Rf2+ Kg4 45. Re2. } 42. Ke3 h4 43. Kf3 f5 44. a4 { The computerprefers 44. Ra4 Rd3+ 45. Kg2 f4 46. Rxa7 f3+ 47. Kf2 Kf4 48. Rxc7 Rd2+49. Kg1 Rg2+ 50. Kh1 Rxa2 51. Rf7+ Kg3 52. Rg7+ Kh3 53. Kg1 Rb2 54. Kf1. Still a losing position, of course. } 44... f4 45. a5 h3 46. a6 { The computercalls this a mistake. With best play (starting 46. Rc2 Kf5 47. Rc1 Rd3+48. Ke2 c4 49. Kf2 Rd2+ 50. Kg1 f3 51. Rxc4 Rd1+ 52. Kf2 h2 53. Rh4 h1=Q54. Rxh1 Rxh1 55. Kxf3), I would be down only -5.83. In short, this ishopeless. But hang in there. It gets worse, and then better. } 46... Re5 47. Rc2 Kf5 48. Rc1 Rd5 49. Rc2 Rd3+ 50. Kf2 { The computer also calls this a mistake. But the best alternative it gives (50. Ke2 h2 51. Rc1 Ke4 52. Rh1 Ra353. Kd2 c4) is just as dismal. The computer now rates this position -8.75against me. } 50... Kg4 51. Rxc5 Rd1 52. Rxc7 Rd2+ 53. Kg1 h2+ 54. Kh1 f3 55. Rxa7 f2 56. Rf7 { The computer does not like this move much. Bur all variationsthat I see now come down to what actually happens here in this position. } 56... Rd1+ 57. Kxh2 f1=Q 58. Rxf1 Rxf1 59. a7 { And just like that, Black hasa host of problems now to deal with. The only advantage Black has is withthe rook being sufficient to deliver mate, but that happens only if Blackcan pin my king to the edge of the board and then place the rook at a distancein order to mate. Note that Reuben Fine, in his classic work 'Basic ChessEndings,' refers to endings with 2 connected passed pawns versus rook,in the absence of kings, as being a win only if the pawns are both on thesixth rank, but otherwise lose. Here, the pawns are in a position to winoutright, but only if my king can avoid the non-stop checks by the rookand also the chance of being mated. See diagram 291 (Keres-Eliskases,Noordwijk 1938) as the typical drawing example. Fine summarizes it: 'Whenthe King of the Pawns is on or near the edge of the board, the threat ofcheckmate may often be an adequate defense against two pawns on the sixthand seventh, while if both pawns are on the sixth, or one is on the seventhand the other on the fifth, the Rook may even win.' } 59... Rf2+ 60. Kg1 Ra2 61. b6 Kf3 62. b7 { Of course! Black cannot prevent both pawns from queening. But Black does have a drawing trick. } 62... Ra1+ 63. Kh2 Ra2+ 64. Kg1 { Hereis the trick. The only way I can prevent a threefold repetition of thesame position that is created by the perpetual checks is to hide behindthe Black king. But see what happens if I try 64. Kh3: 64...Rxa7!! 65.b8=Q Rh7++. A good game, with lots of mistakes, close shaves, and me staringdown the barrel of defeat most of the way. } 64... Ra1+ 65. Kh2 Ra2+ 66. Kh1 Ra1+ 67. Kh2 Ra2+ 1/2-1/2
[Event "A killer pawn, http://gameknot.com/"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2015.07.31"] [Round "-"] [White "damalfi"] [Black "from Suez"] [Result "1-0"] { A light game my opponent loses because of a simple, tricky pawn... almostin the openint! Beginners, be aware. } 1. d4 f6 { Odd move, don't do that. } 2. Bf4 d6 3. Nf3 { g5 is still possible, but it doesn't go well for black(told by experience). } 3... Bf5 4. Nbd2 { Threatening e4. } 4... Nc6 { Not 'seeing'it. } 5. e3 { ? Stupidly leaving e4. } 5... Qd7 { Clearing the way for castlingand supporting his lsb. Black here misses a much better move: can you spotit? } 6. h3 { ? Starting a 'standard' plan, without looking carefully tothe board. e4 was still possible! (...and necessary, since Nb4 would havebeen very unconfortable for white!) } 6... d5 { Finally stops e4, at the costof a tempo. He is also freeing the way for his dsb. Prepares Nb4, in away. } 7. g4 { Standard attack, giving up kingside castling perspectivesat all. } 7... Be4 { This 'wonderful' Bishop can be easily controlled by white,who just leaves it there. } 8. Rh2 { BxN, NxN would be very fine for me.So black has a wonderful piece... Now. But white can exchange it when hewants, making Nb4 almost useless. Black has Nb5, but in that case I (white)plays NxB, then Nf3-d2, and everything's ok. } 8... f5 { What an aggressive move!Nice! Of course it uncovers the kingside. } 9. Ne5 { Eliminating the Nb4jump, and setting a nasty threat on black. Which one? } 9... Nxe5 { After whiteretakes, black must be aware of a trapped B... did you realize it? } 10. Bxe5 { Normally I take it with the pawn, but in this case, this B here isa monster, since no pawn nor N can exchange it, and black's dsb is condemnedto g7's defence for some time. } 10... O-O-O { ! ...or it should be. Black giveshis K a remote fortress instead of the useless fxg4. g5 would have beenan option, or e6 - Bd6. But before those plans can be even considered,black should have taken care of white's f3, that traps the 'wonderful'bishop. } 11. c4 { I ovelooked it! Instead, I started right away the queensideattack. No reason to lose time: dxc4, Bxc4, and d4 is still solid. } 11... e6 { Right, and I have to be careful about a possible / future Bb4(+), so Ipreferred to... (still ignoring f3, which may have came to be a betterchoice than to take it). } 12. c5 { This works because after f6, white canstill attack via a Ba6 sac at some point. } 12... Qf7 { ? No, wrong direction.Black doesn't have time for counterattack on f2. And still doesn't seethe potentially trapped B. } 13. Qa4 { Qxa7 is a 'stupid' threat, but itmust be met. } 13... Kb8 14. c6 { ? If Qe8, Bb5, h6, and white has to exchangeor retire. White still has attack, but the game will go on a little more.Still, Qe8 is the 'only' answer black has... } 14... Bd6 { Sensible, but wrong. } 15. Qb5 { ! The right move. Black is lost without hope. } 15... b6 16. Qa6 { Adepressing end for a good player. Be aware of apparently 'innocent' positions...:-) } 1-0
[Event "Team match"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "21-Dec-08"] [Round "-"] [White "must-er"] [Black "danmesser"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1599"] [TimeControl "5 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1565"] 1. e4 { This is an interesting team game for me. i am a member of team MuslimsUnited... My opponent is stronger for me. But we played only 14 moves.Because i had a good variation. } 1... c5 { He will play scilian. Scilian isa strong oppenning to get center. } 2. d4 { I am not sure but my oppenningmust be named as 'Phillip Morra Gambit'. I usually choice this gambit againistScilian oppenning. Because by this way you win a tempo. } 2... cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3 { As you see, i am having a good starting. Because my knight isactive. Bishops are ready to be actived and one of my pawn is at center. } 4... Nc6 5. Nf3 e6 6. Bc4 { We are trying to improve our pieces. } 6... a6 7. O-O Nf6 8. Bg5 h6 9. Bh4 g5 10. Bg3 { Bishops is at a good place. } 10... Bg7 11. Bd6 { And now bishop is at better place. Because Black can't 0-0. And Can'tget back my bishop right now. It is at a safety place. } 11... b5 12. Bxb5 { Nowi started to my variante. If he can see my variante i will exchange mybishop to his rook. If he can't see, i will get his queen. } 12... axb5 13. Nxb5 { Carefull... he has to move Qb6 or Qa5 or Ra7... else i will get his queen. } 13... Rb8 { But he could not see my variante. } 14. Nc7+ { 1-0 he resigned. } 1-0
[Event "World Challenge Tour"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2010.11.17"] [Round "-"] [White "dwardman"] [Black "rgold52"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1704"] [TimeControl "7d+1d<7d"] [WhiteElo "1663"] 1. d4 { D4 as per usual } 1... d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Bf4 c6 4. c3 Bf5 { We have a symmetricalposition } 5. Nbd2 h6 6. e3 Nbd7 7. h3 e6 { Still the same } 8. Be2 Be7 9. Qb3 Qb6 { Arrrghh } 10. O-O O-O { Time to generate something } 11. c4 Qxb3 12. axb3 { I now have an open file to play with } 12... c5 13. Rfc1 cxd4 14. exd4 a6 15. c5 { It is still drawish but white has some play at last } 15... Rac8 16. b4 Ne4 17. Nb3 Bd8 18. b5 axb5 19. Bxb5 { Things are looking up for white,the pawn on b7 is now a target } 19... Ndf6 { Not sure about this as it allowsN-e5 } 20. Ra7 { Attack the pawn } 20... Bc7 21. Ne5 Rb8 22. f3 { This is the beginningof black's downfall } 22... Ng5 23. h4 Ngh7 24. g4 Bg6 25. Nxg6 { black resigns } 1-0
[Event "The Prairie"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "24 Sept 2009 "] [Round "-"] [White "blackgnik"] [Black "theshandykid"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1425"] [TimeControl "3 days"] [WhiteElo "1439"] { American readers in particular might recognise the title by one of theirmost well-known authors, James Fenimore Cooper, who wrote several novelsof the Frontier. This game, especially in the later stages reminds meof the wagon train travelling across the eponymous grasslands, surroundedby hazards of storm, wildfire and, of course, a local populace (Sioux)filled with malice aforethought. The game begins as it continues, atactical contest full of incident. Black gets an early advantage but letsit slip. Thereafter, white has more or less the better of it, but neverquite managing to put the game out of reach. Although White misses 'matchpoint' more than once, it has to be admitted they aren't always easy tospot, and until right at the end, his 'second best' moves are good enoughto retain the edge. Finally, with the win almost in his grasp, one mistimedmove loses White's winning advantage, and the next brings about his defeat. A complicated game and never dull, this, in my view, is the sort of gamefrom which one can learn a great deal. Enjoy. } 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 { Alreadysomething a little unusual: the Trompowski Attack. This can lead to somevery weird and tactical positions (I've played it once on GK myself, andhad the Black pieces on one other occasion). } 2... Ne4 3. Bh4 { Not the mostpopular choice (3.Bf4) but playable and interesting. } 3... d5 { Among other possibilities3...g5 leads to unusual and interesting positions. It is quite playable,as is the game continuation. } 4. e3 { (!?) OK, but more usual is 4.f3, drivingoff the knight. } 4... c5 { Also good here was 4...g5, seeking to exploit Whiteomission of 4.f3. Whether Black gets much of an advantage thereby is moot. } 5. Nf3 Qb6 { Clearly going after the b-pawn. How should White respond? } 6. Na3 { (!?) Inviting the capture, and intending to derive some advantagefrom the knight's further move to b5. An alternative was 6.b3, but White'schoice is much more interesting. } 6... Qxb2 { Boldly carrying forward his ownscheme. Now, not for nothing is the b2-pawn called a poisoned pawn (asin the Poisoned Pawn Variation in the Najdorf Sicilian). I don't knowhow many games I've won when an opponent has snatched my b-pawn ('...andwelcomes little fishes in/ with gently smiling jaws'). However, here Whitehas no way to round up Black's Queen. What alternative compensation canhe seek? } 7. Nb5 { Threatens 8.Nc7+, but the move also has the effect ofcutting off, for the time being, the Black queen's retreat to safety. } 7... Qb4+ { (!) Best to haul one's bunns outta there at once. The check givesBlack a tempo to bring the Queen to a5 betimes. } 8. c3 { (?!) Now Whitegets into a spot of bother. Better was 8.Nd2. } 8... Nxc3 { (!?) Looks obviousand plausible, but this leads to surprising complications. Simpler was8...Qa5, whereat Black makes off with his booty. } 9. Nxc3 { Forgoing thethreats aimed at c7. An alternative was 9.a3 and Black has no useful discoveredcheck. If then 9.a3 Qa5? 10.Qd2, White gets the edge on account of thepin at c3. So Black would probably have to bury the queen once more deepin White's Q-side: 9.a3 Qb2 (threatening 10...Nxb5 as well as 10...Nxd1)10.Qc1 Qxc1+ 11.Rxc1 Nxb5 with an even (and much less interesting) game. } 9... Qxc3+ 10. Nd2 { Two extra pawns ahead for the moment, Black has the advantage.But... } 10... cxd4 { (?!) Overlooking White's reply. Instead, 10...c4 might havebeen worth a look, seeking to exploit his Q-side majority. } 11. Rc1 { (!)Skewering the Queen against the loose c8-bishop. What can Black do aboutit? } 11... Qa5 { (!?) Now Black loses a bishop, and White emerges with a big edge. As it transpires, Black did have an effective and tactical way of containingthe damage, but it's not at all easy to find: The spectacular 11...Bg4!!retains for Black a slight edge: 12.Bb5+! Kd8 13.Rxc3 Bxd1 14.Rc5 dxe315.Rxd5+ Kc8 16.Kxd1 exd2 17.Kxd2... Black still would have had his two-pawnplus, but White's active position would have made up for at least someof that material differential. } 12. Rxc8+ Kd7 13. Qg4+ { (!) Good followup. } 13... e6 14. Rc2 { Consolidating his ill-gotten gains. But White could haveplayed 14.Rd8+ and Black would have had seriously to think about 14...Qxd8so strong would White's attack have been (14...Kc7 15.Qe4+; 14...Kc6 15.e4!). Still, the text move is sensible enough. } 14... dxe3 15. fxe3 Bb4 { Developingwith ideas of counterattack. However, as 16.Qxg7 was probably very goodfor White, maybe 15...Nc6 was the better option. } 16. Qd4 { This centralisationlooks OK, but now Black is able to consolidate his centre. } 16... f6 { (!) Correctlyidentifying his central pawn phalanx as a key factor in Black's game. At the moment Black has three pawns for the bishop, a nominal materialequality. The pawns are usually to be favoured when they are well advanced,the piece when they are far back, or weak. Here, the game seems to beroughly level, as though not far advanced, Black's centre pawns are, orhave the potential to become, very strong (Personally, I set a high storeon central pawn majorities: they can be and often are game winners). Beforecontinuing, although pawn majorities tend to be 'positional' assets, thisparticular game retains a strong tactical flavour owing to White's highlyactive pieces. This game has just begun: there is a long way to go yet,and plenty of excitement to come. } 17. Be2 Nc6 18. Qb2 Ne5 19. O-O Rac8 { Over the last few moves, both sides have hastened to deploy their reserves. The battle lines have been drawn: game on! } 20. Nb3 Rxc2 21. Qxc2 Qb6 { Threatening ...Qxe3+, but this is easily thwarted. Black might have considereda Q exchange here (21...Qc7 22.Qxc7+ Kxc7) with the idea of reducing White'stactical chances. That would have added value to his central pawns. } 22. Nd4 Bc5 23. Bb5+ { (!?) Good was 23.Rc1. } 23... Ke7 24. a4 Bxd4 25. exd4 a6 { Recognisingthat 25...Qxd4+?? would have lost: 26.Bf2 followed by 27.Qc7+ etc. Butbetter was to seal off the c-file by 25...Nc6. } 26. Be2 { (!?) But evenstronger was 26.a5! } 26... Ng6 { 26...Nc6 still came into consideration. } 27. Bg3 { (!) White has a range of good moves hereabouts. For instance, 27.Rb1. } 27... Kd7 28. Kh1 { (?!) Understandable, with the idea of obviating any inconvenientchecks by Black. But it wasn't necessary, and gives Black an extra moveto consolidate his defences. Instead, 28.Rb1 would have been pretty closeto winning. } 28... Qxd4 { (?) A mistake that could have lost quickly. Black hadto retain watch and ward over c7 - a particularly vulnerable but vitalsquare right now. } 29. Qc7+ { (!) Natch! } 29... Ke8 30. Qc8+ { Plausible, and goodenough for a big advantage, but Black is just about able to stay (moreor less) in touch. The winning line was 30.Rc1! Qa4 (say, hoping the Qcan influence events) 31.Qxb7 Ne7 32.Bd6 Qd7 33.Qxa6 Kf7 34.Rc7. Blackgets driven back and back and then has to give up material. } 30... Kf7 31. Qxb7+ Ne7 32. Bh5+ { Raining blows upon Black's game. But stronger was 32.Bd6. } 32... g6 33. Be2 Qxa4 34. Bxa6 { (!?) Very nasty would have been 34.Be5! withattack on the doubly pinned f6-pawn! } 34... f5 { Be5 was still threatened, soBlack thwarts it. The downside, though it can't be helped, is that Blackis now faced by a serious dark-square weakness that White is not slow toexploit. The game enters a new phase... } 35. Bb5 { (!) } 35... Qa8 36. Qc7 Rc8 37. Qd7 Rd8 38. Qc7 { Just testing the waters... } 38... Rc8 39. Qf4 { White hasno reason to be interested in a draw. He still has the better of it, thoughBlack is by no means out of the game yet! } 39... Rc5 40. Bd3 { (?!) Another retreatthat reduces White's attacking potential. Instead of this, 40.Bd7 wouldhave retained a strong attack. Black now begins to recover some ground. } 40... Qa3 { (!) } 41. Be2 Rc2 { (!) } 42. Bb5 Qb2 { Black has developed a threatof his own: a double attack on b5 and g2. What should White play here? } 43. Bd7 { (?) Aggressive, but overlooks a vicious counterblow he could haveplayed: 43.Qb8!! threatens 44.Qe8+ to win the e7-knight. After 43.Qb8Nc8 44.Qb7+ White would again be attacking strongly. } 43... Rxg2 44. Qe3 { (?)A mistake, though it is not at first sight obvious how Black is able tocounter the strike against e6. } 44... Re2 { (!) Great move, an X-ray defence. Naturally, the Queen can't take the e-pawn, but nor can the bishop, eventhough it is check (45.Bxe6+ Kf6 and after the Q moves off the file, thebishop is lost and Black would be well on the way to winning). As it is,Black has now seized the initiative. Can he retain it? } 45. Qh6 Kg8 46. Qh4 { (?) Rather a doleful phase of the game for White, as this move couldwell have lost him the game. Again, it has to be admitted, given thatWhite is attacking the vulnerable dark square weakness in general and thee7-knight in particular, the refutation is not something that leaps atonce to the eye. } 46... Qg7 { (?) The obvious defence, and obviously planned aheadof time, but it throws away Black's advantage. Black had a much betterdefence - really a counter-attack: 46...Qb7!! - a fantastic 'recoulez pourmieux attaquer' move. It threatens the light square bishop, which Whitecan of course defend by taking the knight: 47.Qxe7. But then comes 47...d4+!and White loses at once! Although pieces have been much reduced in thisgame, the game remains fiendishly complicated. } 47. Bd6 { (!) As you were. White recovers the initiative, and against the win of material that follows,there is little Black can do. } 47... g5 { There is no better defence than this. } 48. Qh5 Ng6 49. Qxe2 Qxd7 { Now White has won the exchange. Yet all isnot lost for Black. He has 4 pawns for it - not a whole rook's worth,withal, but enough to cause White a whole heap of trouble in realisinga win. For example, if Black were, against a lone rook, to get a pairof pawns on the Number 3 rank with the kings out of play, then if neithercan be captured on the move, he'd be winning, even if it were not his move. Something like this: fen='8/2R5/7k/8/7K/3pp3/8/8' w Black wins whateverWhite plays (e.g. 1.Kg3 d2 2.Rd6 e2 etc). } 50. Ba3 Nf4 { (?!) A propos ofmy last comment: passed pawns should be pushed. Indicated was 50...d4!and Black would have been still well and truly in the game. } 51. Qb2 Kf7 52. Qh8 { (!) The other advantage of advancing the pawn to d4 would havebeen to prevent this infiltration. Now Black is in real trouble, and hasto hang on through all sorts of dangers. It is the phase of the game thatfollows on from this that reminds me of the Fenimore Cooper novel. } 52... Kg6 53. Qg8+ Kh5 54. Bc1 { (!) Very strong... } 54... Qb5 { Gamely issuing threats,but now White had a forced win. } 55. Qxh7+ Kg4 56. Rg1+ { (?) Good enoughto retain a big advantage, but White could have cut to the execution herewith the remarkable 56.Rxf4+!! and mates in 4 more moves. The second 'matchpoint' missed! } 56... Kf3 57. Rg3+ Ke4 58. Re3+ Kd4 59. Qg7+ { Black's wagon laagerhas been completely encircled, and soon some stragglers will be pickedoff. Black's hopes for survival are fading... } 59... Kc5 60. Qe7+ { (?!) ...andmight have been extinguished right here with 60.Qc7+! Since 60...Kd4 (61.Qc3#)and 60...Kb4 (61.Qc3+ etc) led to a quick quietus, Black would have hadto play 6o...Qc6, whereupon 61.Rc3 settles the matter. } 60... Kd4 61. Re1 { Apause to draw breath, and fair enough, too. Black was threatening 61...Qf1#. } 61... Qc4 62. Qxg5 e5 63. Qxf5 { I think White could have improved on this by63.Bxf4! exf4 64.Qxf4+ and whatever Black plays, he has to drop Queen forRook: 64...Kd3 (any other move, and 65.Rc1 follows) 65.Qe3+ Kc2 66.Rc1+will do. } 63... Nd3 64. Rd1 e4 65. Qf6+ Kc5 66. Be3+ d4 { Black has now just onepawn for the rook - nowhere near enough even though his last two pawnsare connected, advanced and passed. But White continues to probe, lookingfor an opening, yet, I suspect, to settle upon a plan. } 67. Qf8+ Kd5 68. Qa8+ Kc5 69. Bg1 { Still unable to find a clear winning line, White drawshis bishop back out of trouble. Perfectly safe: he is still pretty muchwinning. But, if he had been prepared to give up something, he might havebeen able to find quicker, tactical roads to the win. For instance, hecould have given up the bishop here: 69.Qxe4! dxe3 70.Qxe3+ ... 71.Qxd3and obtained a simple win. } 69... e3 70. Qa3+ { (!) Possible here was 70.Bxe3,although I would not assert that it's any better than the move played. E.g. 70.Bxe3 dxe3 71.Qa7+ Kb4 72.Qxe3 Nc5 73.Rd4. Instead of the knightmove, Black could initiate a series of checks for White to survive. Onreflection, the move played is straightforward enough, and ought to winat least a piece... } 70... Nb4 { Else the knight is lost. But now White winsthe Queen... } 71. Qa5+ { (?) ... or not. 71.Rc1 wins. } 71... Kd6 72. Qd8+ { 72.Bxe3 } 72... Kc5 73. Qc8+ Kb5 74. Qd7+ Kc5 75. h4 { At last hitting on the idea of pushinghome his h-pawn. It isn't the only plan he could have adopted, as we havealready seen, but it looks promising. However, he had a better plan available,which would have made a fine and spectacular conclusion to a fascinatinggame: 75.Rxd4!! Qxd4 76.Bxe3!! Qxe3 77.Qa7+ picking up the loose Q at e3. A couple of decoy sacrifices followed by a skewer. } 75... e2 { (?) Black hasto make the best of the slender chances he has remaining, and this is avery desirable advance. But it ought to have led to a quick loss. Relativelybetter was to exchange Queens (75...Qd5+), but it is not at all an attractiveprospect. It is possible that Black saw the possible consequences of thismove, but figured, on past record, White might not find the tactical winfrom here... } 76. Re1 { (?) Missing another killer combination: 76.Bxd4+Qxd4 77.Qxd4+ Kb5 78.Qxb4+!! (simplest) Kxb4 79.Re1 with an elementarywin. Yet though he's missing the killer combos, White has been doing enoughto keep himself well ahead. For some time now, Black has been living onhope - of which he seems to have an inexhaustible supply... } 76... Qd3 { (!) } 77. Qe7+ Kc4 78. Rxe2 { Another one bites the dust... But White might havebeen better advised to take with the Queen, to force the Queens off theboard. } 78... Qf3+ 79. Rg2 Nd5 80. Qe2+ { (!) Once the Queens are off, surelyBlack's chances go with them? Well... maybe... } 80... Qd3 { (?!) Not that itmakes all that much difference here, I would have taken the Queen. It'sa tempo thing. It is clear White now wants them off, so Black might aswell take now, and hit the rook with ...d3 to follow, and some chance,however skinny, of an attack. } 81. Qxd3+ Kxd3 82. h5 Nf4 83. Rg3+ { (?!)OK, but more consistent was 83.h6 at once. E.g. 83.h6! Nxg2 84.Kxg2 Ke485.Bxd4! wins. } 83... Ke2 84. Rg5 { Still good was 84...h6! } 84... d3 85. Re5+ { 85.h6! } 85... Kf3 86. Re3+ { 86...h6! } 86... Kg4 87. h6 { (??) Unbelievable! For four movesWhite declined to move this pawn though it was quite OK to do so. Now,faced with its imminent capture, White advances it. But it is preciselynow it is a mistake that throws away White's entire winning advantage. Then what was the correct move? Although at first sight a rook sac mightlook good, it doesn't quite work: 87.Rxd3? Nxd3 88.h6 Ne5 89.h7 Nf7 andBlack reels in the pawn. Correct was 87.Re4 and whatever happens, Whiteretains his rook advantage. } 87... d2 { (!) Black's only chance, but it's a good'un. White has just one problem-like move to draw the game... } 88. h7 { (?) ... and this isn't it. But how was White to find the stunningly paradoxicaldrawing line? 88.Rd3!! Nxd3 89.h7 d1=Q 90.h8=Q and Black pretty much hasto take the perpetual: 90...Qf3+ 91.Kh2 Qg3+ 92.Kh1 etc. The rook sachas the effect of drawing the knight away from the corner, away from wherethe final action takes place. } 88... d1=Q 89. h8=Q Qd5+ { What a turnaround. Still a rook ahead, White can not stop the mate. } 90. Kh2 Qg2# { What agame! And what a finish! } 0-1
[Event "2007 Alabama State Championship (rd #5)"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date ""] [Round "-"] [White "Jerome H."] [Black "Thomas G."] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1419"] [WhiteElo "1331"] 1. d4 { Round 5 of the ASCC begins, and and I have the black pieces vs.a total stranger. I've had a good night's sleep, and am committed to playingfor 2 wins today. This game begins with a simple tactical victory of apiece during the opening, and my opponent just went downhill after that.There were several instances of him not hitting his clock after makinga move. I tried to be a sporting as I could without actually telling him,but I don't think it did much good. He just visibly fell apart after thelast instance, toppled his king, then promptly withdrew from the tourney.I felt kind of bad for him, but obviously I took the point and ran. Whitestarts off 1. d4. } 1... Nf6 { As always. } 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 { Nimzo-Indian defense. } 4. Bg5 { Leningrad variation. } 4... c5 { 4...h6 is main line, but I decide togo ahead mix it up in the center. I'm thinking of Qa5 and Nc6 with developmentalideas. } 5. e3 cxd4 { Removing a center pawn and giving my DSB more options. } 6. exd4 Bxc3+ { ?! Clearing the way for Qa5 with a tactical hit on his Bg5. } 7. bxc3 Qa5 8. Qc2 { ? He doesn't see it, and reinforces his c pawn. } 8... Qxg5 { A piece up this early! This is great! Now to put this guy down as fastas possible - just play smart and the advantage I have should carry theday. } 9. Nf3 { Obviously shaken by his last mental lapse, white spent about25 minutes on this move (which is a good move IMHO). The problem is, heforgets to hit his clock. I spend a few minutes deciding on my move, andselect Qa5. I stare at the clock for about 10 seconds. He sees me lookingat it. I then get up and go smoke a cigarette. I'm gone for about 10 minutes.When I return, he still hasn't hit his clock. I glance at the board, thenwander off to look at other games. From across the room, I see him finallyrealize what is going on, and he hits his clock with a look of utter disgust.I return to the board and play...... } 9... Qa5 { ....the move I selected over30 minutes ago. My opponent is totally on tilt here, and it shows. I assuremyself that I have not done anything unsportsmanlike - it's not my responsibilityto manage his time. I now have an overwhelming material and time advantages. } 10. Bd3 { This move was finalized by hitting his clock with dramatic flair.I simply smile at the board..... } 10... Nc6 { ?! I think I had better optionshere....My LSB is still an issue. } 11. O-O d5 { Looking to start liquidatingthe central tension. } 12. c5 { ! I liked this move for white. I drives awedge between my pieces and secures some boundaries. } 12... b6 { ! And I likedthis move for black. It threatens to pick apart his pawn advance and givesmy LSB some developmental options. } 13. Nd2 { White sees that the queensideis the place to be, and swings a piece over in that direction. } 13... bxc5 { Follwingthrough with the idea....... } 14. Nb3 { ! Winning a pawn. White is startingto claw his way back. } 14... Qc7 15. Nxc5 { White claims the natural post, andI am forced to regroup. } 15... Nd7 { Offering up an exchange of knights. } 16. Nb3 { Rebuffing the offer, white retreats to safety. Again, white forgetshis clock, and another 10 minutes or so is lost. This time, I just sitand analyze on his time. He finally comes to his senses, and I hear someinteresting four letter words mumbled as he hits his clock. } 16... a5 { Threateninga4, but more importantly allowing an avenue to exchange bishops. } 17. a4 { Stopping the threat against his knight. } 17... Ba6 { At a minimum, the bishopscome off. At the maximum, I win the exchange. } 18. Bxa6 { ?! White assistsmy cause, and hits first. Perhaps better was Qe7. } 18... Rxa6 19. Qd3 { Hittingmy rook. } 19... Rb6 20. Nc5 { White keeps helping me out here. He should probablyplay to keep all of his pieces on the board. } 20... Nxc5 21. dxc5 { And believeit or not, he forgets his clock again. He is down to about 10 minutes now,and I still have close to an hour. As the seconds tick away, I stay focusedon the board and decide Rb2 is my play. When he finally hits his clockat around 3 minutes, I snap off a very quick......... } 21... Rb2 { ......and whiteresigns in disgust. I felt kind of bad for the guy, and we shook handswith smiles. I could tell, though, that this fellow was furious with himself.He whipped out a piece of paper, wrote a message to the TD, and promptlyleft the site. Sorry Jerome - I'm sorry you struggled. But I'm not sorryat all about winning - that's 3/5 and I still have a little hope of cashingin on some runner up money. See you in the last round:) } 0-1
[Event "Team match"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009.05.12"] [Round "-"] [White "br246"] [Black "aspiemikey"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1310"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1299"] 1. e4 e5 { We open up our queens and kingside bishops... } 2. Nf3 Nc6 { ...thenI bring out my knight to defend my pawn... } 3. Bb5 d6 { ...but have to bringup a pawn to defend its neighbour. } 4. Bxc6+ bxc6 { My pawn structure isdistorted here... } 5. h3 d5 6. Nxe5 dxe4 { ...but we create more space byswapping pawns... } 7. Nxc6 { ...and lose the pawn that removed the bishopto fall behind... } 7... Qd6 8. Na5 { ...so I force the knight to retreat. } 8... Ne7 9. d3 { This move played into my hands... } 9... exd3 { ...because I have openedup the e-file where the kings start... } 10. Qxd3 Qe5+ { ... and I splitthe king and knight, enabling me to snaffle the latter... } 11. Be3 Qxa5+ { ...here. } 12. c3 Qd5 { Now I line up the queen... } 13. Qxd5 Nxd5 { ...andwe swap. } 14. Nd2 Nxe3 15. fxe3 { I remove the other bishop, in exchangefor my other knight, as I have move bottom rank pieces (certainly morediagonal power). In fact, all my survivors are still in their initial positions. } 15... Bb7 { I unleash my white-square bishop to attack the g-pawn... } 16. Rg1 { ...but my opponent covers it... } 16... O-O-O { ...but I can still castle queensideto bring a rook into play... } 17. O-O-O { ...which my opponent copies. } 17... Bc5 { Now I unleash my other bishop to attack the e-pawn... } 18. Rde1 { ...butthat is covered too... } 18... Rhe8 { ...so I bring my other rook into play toline up a two-pronged attack. } 19. Nc4 Ba6 { I line up the knight with thebishop... } 20. Rgf1 { ...but my opponent fails to cover it... } 20... Bxc4 { ...andI accept the gift, also covering the f-pawn... } 21. Rxf7 Bxf7 { ...and myopponent gets a very nasty surprise! } 22. Kb1 Bg6+ { Now I move in for thekill... } 23. Ka1 Rxe3 { ...and bring a rook onto the attack... } 24. Rc1 { ...forcing my opponent to move the rook out of the way... } 24... Red3 { ...soI double up on the d-file... } 25. b3 { ...and my opponent plans a possibleescape route... } 25... Rd1 { ...so I pin the remaining rook down to its startingrank... } 26. Kb2 R8d2+ { ...and give the king nowhere to hide. My opponentlet this game time out, because the only possible moves were 27. Rc2, myresponse 27... Rxc2#, and 27. Ka1, my response 27... Rxc1#. } 0-1
[Event "Team match"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2012.11.01"] [Round "-"] [White "goldmedal20"] [Black "billabong2"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "761"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "808"] 1. e4 { I am white and billabong2 is black. This game I put a lot of heaton black from the start . } 1... e5 { pawn king opeaning } 2. Nf3 { knight out } 2... Qe7 { letting queen out early } 3. Bc4 { building my minor pieces } 3... Nf6 { startingto build his minor pieces } 4. Na3 { both knights out doing a good job onbuilding minor pieces } 4... Qb4 { brings queen into full force } 5. Nxe5 { takespawn } 5... d6 { Has piece ready to take knight when the time is right. } 6. O-O { castle } 6... Nxe4 { takes pawn } 7. c3 { puts heat on the queen } 7... Qc5 { chases thequeen a way } 8. Bb5+ { check } 8... c6 { blocks the check } 9. Bd3 { chases thebishop a way } 9... Nxf2 { takes but I can take his knight } 10. Rxf2 { now myking is safe } 10... Qxe5 { takes knight. I felt it was more important to get ridof that black knight than save my white knight. } 11. Nc4 { put heat on thequeen } 11... Qg5 { chases the queen away } 12. Nxd6+ { check } 12... Kd7 { safe } 13. Nxf7 { now i can take the queen } 13... h6 { pawn moves } 14. Nxg5 { took queen } 14... Bc5 { bishop out from home } 15. Qg4+ { check } 15... Ke8 { safe } 16. Qxc8+ { check } 16... Ke7 { safe } 17. Qxh8 { takes rook } 17... Bxf2+ { i can take that bishop on my next turn. } 18. Kxf2 { takes bishop. black king is in wide open space. } 18... a5 { moves pawn } 19. b4 { has a check mate plan ready after this move } 19... axb4 { ready to putmy check mate plan in action } 20. Qxg7+ { check moves 20 to 27 was allConditional moves } 20... Kd6 { safe } 21. Ne4+ { check } 21... Kd5 { safe } 22. Nf6+ { check } 22... Ke6 { safe } 23. Bc4+ { safe } 23... Kf5 { safe } 24. Bd3+ { check } 24... Ke5 { safe } 25. Nd7+ { check } 25... Kf4 { safe } 26. Qxh6+ { check } 26... Kg4 { safe } 27. Ne5# { checkmate } 1-0
[Event "Invitational fast players tournament II"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2012.09.22"] [Round "-"] [White "ashera"] [Black "blitzkov"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1880"] [TimeControl "3d+1d<5d"] [WhiteElo "1933"] { Hello, all :) This is a quick one. Hope you like it :) } 1. e4 { Usual move. } 1... c5 { My favorite. } 2. Nf3 d6 { I'm planning to play the Najdorf. } 3. d4 cxd4 { Best, I believe. } 4. Nxd4 { Usual. } 4... Nf6 5. Nc3 { Most common. } 5... a6 { The Najdorf } 6. Bg5 { The most aggressive move, I think. } 6... e6 { Usual. } 7. f4 { Standard. } 7... Be7 8. Qd2 { Probably best. Or Qf3. } 8... Qc7 9. O-O-O Nbd7 { Fine. } 10. Be2 b5 { I will attack on the queenside and he will attack on the kingside/centre. } 11. Bf3 Bb7 { To stop e5. } 12. Rhe1 Nb6 { Planning Nc4. } 13. Bxf6 gxf6 { I'mnot going to castle kingside :) } 14. f5 Nc4 { Best, I think. } 15. Qe3 { ??I think you know why. } 15... Nxe3 { Resigns. } 0-1
[Event "Fool's Paradise!"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "09-Apr-08"] [Round "-"] [White "NN"] [Black "The Dentist"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1297"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1653"] 1. e4 { The other day, I couldn't resist having a peak through my buddy,The Dentist's past games profile because his rating had suddenly shot upabout 18 points. I saw this brevity and I couldn't help playing throughit to see how The Dentist managed to pulverise his opponent in just TWELVEMOVES! I saw how, he showed his opponent the utter folly of leaving theFool's Mate diagonal unprotected. Yes, white was certainly awakened froma Fool's Paradise. } 1... Nc6 2. f4 e5 { 2......... e5 - transposes into a sortof King's Gambit declined. } 3. f5 { 3. f5? - bad move - this leaves theFool's Mate diagonal unprotected to the BQ. Better was Nf3 guarding theh4 square and developing a piece at the same time - in this case whitewill now drop a pawn as 3........ Qh4 forks WK and e4 pawn. } 3... Qh4+ 4. g3 Qxe4+ { 4. ........ Qxe4 - after 4. g3?? this allows another queen forkon e4 and the WR on h1 is toast. The Dentist may have a low rating, butas you saw with my earlier annotated game 'In the Dentist's Chair' in whichI very nearly lost he is not to be underestimated! Now white really feelsthe drill as a lot of enammel is about to disappear from his side of theboard!! } 5. Qe2 Qxh1 6. Nf3 { 6. Nf3 - develops a piece but three movestoo late. The Dentist now develops very sensibly bringing out a knightto f6. } 6... Nf6 7. Qc4 { 7. Qc4?? - white tries to counter-attack by zeroingin on f7 with his queen but he leaves the f3 knight en prise. } 7... Qxf3 8. Be2 { 8. Be2 - develops a piece but white is way down on material. Hadit been me I would have resigned when I knew I was going to drop a rookeven though The Dentist is 300 points south of my rating. But I don'tthink I would have left the Fool's Mate diagonal unprotected in the firstplace. } 8... Qh1+ 9. Kf2 { 9. Kf2 - would interposing with 9. Bf1 been any better? Now the WK is driven into open country. } 9... Qxh2+ { 9. ........... Qxh2 ,yet still more ennamel is drilled away!! } 10. Kf3 e4+ { 10. ....... e4 - deadly pawn stab! } 11. Ke3 Qxg3+ 12. Bf3 { 12. Bf3 - white throws in thesponge after playing this move because he knows that when the Dentist nextcomes on line, white is going to cop Old Matey on f3! } 0-1
[Event "When the Bxh7 sacrifice works!"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "29th April '08"] [Round "-"] [White "lecce-wulf"] [Black "jejudoug"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1862"] [TimeControl "2 days, 44th GK Tournament"] [WhiteElo "2316"] { Just a short game but annotated to discuss the question: how do you knowwhen Bxh7 is a good sacrifice to make? } 1. e4 e6 { The French Defence. } 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 { Nc3 is the Paulsen Variation. Other main lines are exd5(the Exchange Variation), e5 (the Advance), and Nd2 (the Tarrasch). } 3... Nf6 { Other main lines are Bb4 (the Winawer) and dxe4 (Rubinstein's). } 4. Bg5 { The Burn Variation. Steinitz preferred e5 here. } 4... Be7 5. e5 Nfd7 { Anotheroption is Ne4, the Tartakower. } 6. h4 { The Alekhine Attack. } 6... O-O { 0-0 here(Spielmann) is actually a good continuation, though not as popular as theother 2 lines, c5 and Bxg5. } 7. Qg4 Kh8 { f5 is certainly better here. } 8. Nf3 c5 { c5 is a classical move in the French against white's centre. } 9. Bd3 { A strange looking move, merely inviting c4 and forcing the bishopto retreat. But the target remains the same: Bxh7! } 9... cxd4 { How can blackneutralise the threat? 9. ... g6? is no good as 10.h5 Kg8 11.hxg6 fxg612.Rxh7! Kxh7 13.Qh5 Kg7 14.Qxg6 Kh8 15.Qh7 checkmate. Black could tryh6 or f5 (as mentioned earlier). } 10. Bxh7 { !! Can you see why it shouldwork in this situation? } 10... g6 { This is the only move black can play. If10. ... Kxh7 11.Bxe7 Qc7 12.Bd6! and now black must play 12. ... Qxd6,otherwise it's game over. For example: 12. ... Qb6 13.Qh5 Kh8 14.Ng5 andQh7 checkmate cannot be prevented. The queen could also go on a suicidemission, but to no avail: 10. ... Kxh7 11.Bxe7 Qxe7? 12.Qh5 Kg8 13.Ng5Qxg5 14.hxg5 and once more Qh7 checkmate is inevitable (supported by therook this time). } 11. Bxg6 { Look at this position! Black's entire queensideis undeveloped and his King is naked and alone in the other corner. Andthat is the point of Bxh7 and the question: when does it work? Withoutthe analysis potential of a chess engine it is impossible to calculatewith precision the long-term benefits of playing Bxh7, and even computerssometimes cannot see the full potential until a few moves have been made. Basically, any sacrifice made to open up the opponent's king should bemade if (a) the king will end up truly exposed, and (b) pieces can be broughtinto the attack quicker than those brought in to help the defence. } 11... fxg6 12. h5 { The key move! It opens the h-file for white's rook. } 12... Nxe5 { Not12. ... gxh5 Qxh5 13.Kg7 Qh7 checkmate. Another possibility is 12. ...Bxg5 which I played through as the following wonderful King-hunt: 13.hxg6 Kg7 14.Rh7 Kxg6 15.Qh5 Kf5 16.g4 Kf4 17.Qh2 Kxg4 18.Qh3 Kf4 19.Ne2 Ke4 20.Qg4 Bf4 21.Ng3 checkmate, and what a beautiful end to an artistichunt. Never forget that chess is as much art as it is science. } 13. Nxe5 { Bringing another piece into the attack. All things considered though,13.hxg6 is a simpler and more obvious move and also possibly guaranteesa quicker end to the game: 13.hxg6 Kg7 14.Rh7 ! (which I didn't see atthe time) and if 14. ... Kxg6 15.Qh5 Kf5 16.Nxd4 checkmate... very pretty. } 13... Bxg5 14. hxg6+ { And with the h-file open the King-hunt begins. } 14... Kg8 { Kg7is followed by 15.Rh7 Kg8 16.Qh5 Qf6 17.Ng4 e5 18.Nxf6 Bxf6 19.Rh8 !Bxh8 20.Qh7 checkmate. } 15. Qh5 Kg7 16. Qh7+ Kf6 17. Ng4+ Kf5 18. g7+ { Andmy opponent resigned. Comments and questions are most welcome. } 1-0
[Event "I love a happy ending!"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "16-Apr-07"] [Round "-"] [White "flanders"] [Black "ethansiegel"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1777"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1756"] { This is a game against Flanders, named after the place in the UK, notthe tv character, apparently. This started out as the Cambridge Springsof the QGD; the position was then opened up, and I came up with a greattactic at the end, sacrificing my queen for a mating attack. } 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 { This is, ironically, a relatively uncommon position here on gameknot. Still, I'm not afraid of playing the QGD -- I'm actually much more afraidof the QGA! } 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 { The pin on the knight can get annoying,but black has a variety of ways to respond. } 4... c6 { I'm aiming for a setupthat strong-points d5, protects the Nf6 with Nd7, and then the queen headsto a5, with a number of threats. White plays the opening well, though. } 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Nf3 Qa5 { The defining move of the Cambridge Springs variation. Black threatens a number of strokes, including Bb4, winning a pawn, anddxc4, discovering an attack on the Bg5. } 7. Nd2 Bb4 8. Qc2 { The best twomoves to defend everything. Notice that dxc4 by black is met by Bxf6 forwhite, and black gains nothing. } 8... O-O 9. Bh4 Re8 10. Bd3 { Now white is playingfor a buildup of forces aimed at black's kingside, and so I start to getdefensive. } 10... Bxc3 11. bxc3 dxc4 12. Nxc4 { A strong recapture, hitting thequeen and threatening to sink in to d6. } 12... Qh5 13. Bg3 b5 { Missing that whitecan play Nd6, but something had to be done to get the light-squared bishopactive! } 14. Nd6 Rd8 { Now black's 9th looks silly, as the rook simply hadto move again. Black's pieces are not coordinated well at all, whereaswhite has a well-deployed army. At this point, I need a plan. } 15. O-O Nf8 { So I decide to regroup on the kingside and try to get some fireworkshappening there. } 16. a4 { Wisely going after black's weak queenside. } 16... Ba6 { Finally, a chance to get the bishop involved. If I can get it exchangedfor white's good one, I'll be a lot happier. } 17. axb5 Bxb5 18. Bxb5 cxb5 { Mission accomplished. Now white can't win a pawn with Nxb5, but flandershas plans to build up pressure on it... } 19. Qd3 { Now, Nxb5 is a real threat. } 19... a6 { But this defends it adequately for now. } 20. Ra5 Ng6 { I figure thatnow's a good time to build up my pressure on the kingside -- I notice thatwhite's back rank is weak with the second rook out of there. } 21. c4 { ! I like this move for white -- it showcases just how weak black's queensideis, and how poorly positioned black's queen is. } 21... e5 { This was the bestcomplication I could find, made possible by Ng6 the move before. } 22. Ne4 { Giving me breathing room! } 22... Nxe4 23. Qxe4 exd4 { And now I notice that 24.cxb5 axb5 25. Rxa8 is awful for black! Nonetheless, these exchanges havefreed up my position a lot, and that's a general rule for the person withcramped development, to seek exchanges (even if you're down a pawn). } 24. exd4 { I thought cxb5 was better for white, although that passed pawn ond4 could be bad for black now. } 24... f5 { Still, it looks like we've finallygot a game going here! Let's take stock. White's got to move his queen,after which black should be free to take on c4, and there should be a racebetween the passed pawns to see who can make something happen first. } 25. Qe6+ { This check is the only move that allows white to keep his c-pawn. } 25... Kh8 { Much better than Kf8, which would get me killed by 26. Bd6 . } 26. Be5 { Threatening a variety of things -- still, I've wanted that bishopout of there for a long time, and so I'll take advantage of the opportunity! } 26... Nxe5 27. Qxe5 { I wondered if dxe4 was better, but then I realized how weakwhite's back rank is (black's is weak too)... if 27. dxe4, then Rd1 isstrong for black! } 27... bxc4 { ... and now I get my passed pawn. White can respondQxf5, but after the exchange of queens black plays Rxd4 with a big advantage! I'm pretty happy with the outcome of all of this, although I'd be lyingif I said I had planned it all this way. } 28. d5 { And now white pusheshis pawn, which has the added bonus of preventing black from playing c3. } 28... Re8 { This kicks the queen off of her perch, and off of the e-file entirely. } 29. Qd4 { Behind the passed pawn is the place to be. Now, I have to addressthe threat to the pawn on c4, and notice also that the g7 pawn is pinned. So after a think, I decided on... } 29... Qe2 { Qe2; probably the best move. While it doesn't support the advance of c4, it prevents the Rf1 from movinginto action, since any move leads to Qe1 and mate to follow on the backrank. } 30. d6 { ...whereas white is free to push his pawn. Still, the ideain the last note gave me a new idea, especially since he didn't play somethingdefensive like g3 or h3. Notice that the Re8 cuts off all of the whiteking's flight squares, and his back rank is weak. So, with the idea offorcing a mate on the back rank, I play... } 30... Rab8 { Rab8!? This is a threatthat must be addressed, although there are many good ways to do it; thesafest being Qd1. But white overlooked my threat, and played: } 31. d7 { d7? Threatening to take the rook on e8, to promote to a queen, and givewhite an overwhelming advantage. There's just one oversight... } 31... Qxf1+ { !! Sacrificing my queen on purpose for the very first time on gameknot! After 32. Kxf1 Rb1 33. Qd1 Rxd1# is checkmate! Thanks to flandersfor a good game and the chance to do something amazing! Hope you enjoyedit, too. } 0-1
[Event "Let's play chess"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2013.10.19"] [Round "-"] [White "vavavi"] [Black "leosgame"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1283"] [TimeControl "2 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1332"] 1. d4 { SO heresy another game of mine where i manage to turn a losing gameinto a checkmate through quite a nice combination(at least i think it isnice). Starting with d4 this the queens gambit, I've been playing it alotlately and had some success with it. } 1... d5 2. c4 Bg4 { this move kinda tookme by surprise , i hadn't thought that he would pin my e pawn move 2. } 3. h3 Bh5 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. Nf3 { here i unpinned my e pawn but changed itto a night pin.... } 5... e6 6. Bg5 f6 7. g4 Bg6 8. Bf4 Bb4 { another knight pinneddown. at this point this was getting a bit annoying. } 9. a3 Ba5 10. e4 h6 11. Bxc4 { got my pawn back from the start after the e pawn pins weredealt with. } 11... Bxe4 { a bishop sacrifice?! } 12. Bb5+ { I actually was moronicenough to not take the bishop on e4.... } 12... c6 13. Bd3 Bxf3 14. Qxf3 Qxd4 { and here i lost another pawn, things weren't going my way. } 15. Rd1 { queenhas to move because I'm threatening bg6 winning the queen. } 15... Qb6 16. b4 { bishop is trapped and i win the exchange. } 16... Bxb4 17. axb4 Qxb4 18. Bg6+ { i had to protect my knight somehow and this was he best way. } 18... Ke7 19. O-O e5 20. Bd2 { now threatening kd5 winning the queen. } 20... Qc5 21. g5 { herethis pawn has to be taken with h-pawn, because if 21..hxg 22.bxg6....followed by 23.qf7 mate. } 21... hxg5 22. Bxg5 { this bishop is immune becauseof the mate thread on f7. } 22... Nd7 23. Rd2 { preparing to double the rooks ond-file adding more pressure on white. } 23... Kd8 24. Ne4 { again chasing the queen. } 24... Qa5 25. Rfd1 Kc7 { now this is where black went wrong causing him beingmated. } 26. Rxd7+ Kb6 27. Be3+ c5 28. Rb1+ Ka6 29. Qe2+ b5 30. Nxc5+ Kb6 31. Rb7+ Kc6 32. Be4+ Kd6 33. Qd3# { and here after a losing start i managedto win my opponent. Any comments and/or advice is appreciated:) } 1-0
[Event "36th GK tournament"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "07-May-07"] [Round "-"] [White "kwijybo"] [Black "mcbeer"] [Result ""] [BlackElo "1339"] [TimeControl "2 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1566"] 1. e4 { King Pawn's Opening } 1... e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 { Italian Game. } 3... Nf6 { TwoKnights defence } 4. Nc3 { I decide to play safe, since I am a little unfamiliarwith this. Four knights, Italian variation. } 4... Bb4 5. d3 { Not worriedabout Bxc3, cause that will end up being an advantage to me. The pin willnot last long due to my plan to castle. } 5... d6 6. O-O { Removing the pin } 6... Bxc3 { Personally, I don't like trading bishops for knights in the opening tillI know how the game will proceed. The double pawns in the center is actuallyan asset to me. } 7. bxc3 Na5 { Ok, I don't want to lose my bishop here needlessly. Move to b3 and if he takes I can either open the a file or undouble mypawns. } 8. Bb3 c5 { This creates some weakness on light squares when I havea light bishop. } 9. Bg5 { Pin } 9... b5 { Ok, so he is planning on pushing c4,causing grief for my bishop. Cannot allow that. } 10. a4 Bd7 11. axb5 { Perhapsthere was a better move, but I didn't see it at the time. Maybe Bd5 } 11... Bxb5 12. Bxf6 { Bxf6!. If Qxf6, Rxa5. gxf6 is force to save the knight. } 12... gxf6 13. c4 { Turn about is fair play here. Push the bishop back. } 13... Bd7 { Reallythe only logical place to go. } 14. Qd2 { Double attack on the knight. } 14... Nc6 15. Ba4 { Partial pin on the knight through the bishop. } 15... Nb8 16. Bxd7+ Nxd7 17. Qh6 { Threatening 18. Qg7 Rf8 19. Qxh8. } 17... Qe7 { This stops the threat. If 18. Qg7 Qf8. I don't want to trade queens yet cause of my mobilityand his exposed king. } 18. Nh4 { Working the knight to f5. } 18... Qf8 19. Qd2 { Not sure, but probably better would have been Qe3. } 19... h5 { This move confusedme, other than he wants to create space to get his queen and rook on theg file. } 20. Nf5 Qg8 21. Nxd6+ { Free pawn. } 21... Ke7 22. Nf5+ Ke8 23. Qe3 { Threateningc5 pawn (guarded by knight at d7.) Also help protect castled position. } 23... Qg6 { Ok, he's going to line up on the file. Also the h4 pawn push startsto complicate the game for me by disallowing Ng3 as a defensive move. } 24. h4 { Possible Nh4 would have been better. } 24... Rg8 25. Qf3 { Protect. } 25... Nb6 26. Ng3 { And block, also threatening Nxh5 } 26... Rh8 27. Ra5 { Threaten c5. } 27... Nd7 { So this is the 3rd? time the knight has been at this square. Seems likea waste of a lot of moves. } 28. Rfa1 { Attack (and win) a7. } 28... f5 { this justoffers up a free pawn. Perhaps he wants to get his knight to f6 } 29. Nxf5 Nf6 30. Rxa7 Rxa7 31. Rxa7 { Ok, threatening Ra8 , winning the rook } 31... Kf8 { His only defense. } 32. Ra8+ Ne8 { Forced } 33. c3 { Semi-quiet move, threateningd4 and opening up the center. } 33... f6 { Creating room for his king and protectingN@e8 with the queen. } 34. Nd6 { Attacking the pinned knight. Potentialof Rxe8 Qxe8, Nxe8 Kxe8 Qxf6 if his next move doesn't preclude it. } 34... Kg7 35. Nf5+ { Ok, I want his king on the back rank. } 35... Kf7 { And he is not goingquietly. } 36. Ra7+ { Trying to push him back on the back rank } 36... Kf8 37. Qe3 { Threaten Qxc5. } 37... Qg4 { ?? Allows mate in 2. } 38. Qxc5+ { Mate in 2 declared. if 38. ... Nd6 39. Qxd6 Kg8 40. Qb8# if 38. ... Nd6 39. Qxd6 Ke8 40.Qb8# if 38. ... Kg8 39. Qd5 Kf8 40. Qf7# }
[Event "2017 Mario Guiliani Rd 3 "] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date ""] [Round "-"] [White "Milind Maiti"] [Black "Mihir Kumar"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [BlackElo "1847"] [TimeControl "120 d5"] 1. e4 { I am playing Milind after a long time , } 1... e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 { RuyLopez. of late this has become my favorite and I kind of like playing this.... } 3... a6 4. Ba4 Be7 { Is there a difference between 4...Nf6 and 4....Be7? Nf6 - will delay whites castling ? } 5. O-O b5 6. Bb3 Nf6 7. Re1 d6 { 7 ..d6 or 7 ...0-0 ? I think I unnecessarily delayed castling } 8. a4 { This was a surprise. In the game I considered 8..b4 vs 8...bxa4 vs 8....Na5There was actually another option of playing the light Bishop } 8... Na5 9. Ba2 { Grab the pawn ? or push c5 ? I planned to grab the pawn and thenexpected white to play c4 then I can play Nb3 . giving back the pawn andmaking white lose the Bishop pair } 9... bxa4 10. c3 { I got greedy -- why nottry to hold on to the pawn , ? } 10... Bd7 11. d4 { taking the center ..? } 11... Nc6 12. dxe5 { Both dxe5 and Nxe5 leaves me with a bad pawn structure. If ithasto be bad pawn structure -- then whats the hurry - why not keep some pieceson board } 12... dxe5 13. Nbd2 { I think White is better and can get the materialeasily . } 13... O-O 14. Nc4 Bg4 { protectinbg the e4 pawn } 15. Qxd8 { Unpinningand hence getting the e pawn } 15... Raxd8 { U } 16. Nfxe5 { White definitely looksgood ? } 16... Nxe5 17. Nxe5 Rd1 { I think this was good move-- instead of movingthe Bishop , I tried to take advantage of the Bishops excellent positionPn RxR BxR I can swing my Bishop to the queen side and might be able toprotect the a4 paen and neutralize whites light Bishop } 18. Be3 { whilemy pawns look badly placed -- I could not see how white can take advantage.. } 18... Rxa1 19. Rxa1 Bd6 { The light Bishop still doesn't move ! } 20. Nc4 { e5is a threat } 20... Be7 21. f3 Bd7 { The other option was Bh5 ? I wanted to keepthe option of Rb8 } 22. Ne5 Bb5 { White can play c4 and then I can comebackto e8... resulting in white blocking a Bishop and Black blocking his Rook } 23. Rd1 a5 { Preparing for a3 } 24. Bc4 { ? White probably saw a few movesand realized he can get a few pawns ...I hoped I can suffer the loss ofonly one pawn and then would be able to protect } 24... c6 25. Bxb5 cxb5 { atleastthey are in one team now } 26. Nc6 Re8 27. Nxe7+ Rxe7 28. Bb6 Rd7 { witha pawn down -- I stil went for the exchange -- I realized with the rookgone the bishop cannot attack the my pawns and I might be able to playon } 29. Rxd7 Nxd7 30. Bxa5 Ne5 { a vert central and useful spot } 31. Bb4 Nd3 { There was no hurry to play this and I should have considered waysto bring my king to the center . g5 should have been considered } 32. Ba3 f6 { I could not see how the King can to the center.g5 could have been better } 33. g3 Kf7 34. Kf1 Ke6 35. Ke2 Nc1+ 36. Ke3 h5 37. f4 g6 38. Bb4 Nb3 39. h3 f5 { forcing white to take a decision } 40. e5 Kd5 { Very centralKing ! } 41. Kd3 Nc1+ 42. Kd2 Nb3+ 43. Ke3 Nc1 44. Kd2 Nb3+ 45. Ke3 Nc1 46. Kd2 1/2-1/2
[Event "Let's play chess"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2011.03.28"] [Round "-"] [White "quiet_knight"] [Black "kkas"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1590"] [TimeControl "2 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1644"] 1. Nf3 c5 2. e4 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 d6 5. Nc3 { c4 is an alternativetaking play into a Gurgenidze Accelerated Dragon after g6. Nc3 is finethough expecting a Classical Sicilian } 5... g6 { This is quite an odd move orderfor the dragon but I couldn't find a punishment of any kind } 6. Be3 Bg7 7. Bc4 Nf6 8. f3 { Bb3 isn't necessary due to the early d6. We are now ina normal dragon as opposed to an accelerated } 8... O-O 9. Qd2 Na5 10. Be2 { Thisis more precise than the usual Bb3. It looks odd to retreat the bishopbut the knight doesn't belong on a5 so it will likely transpose to a moremainstream dragon line after Bd7, Rc8 and Nc4. } 10... Nc6 { A surprising moveand not one I particularly rate. The bishop itself may not have gainedanything by going to e2 but at least the a1 rook can swing into the attackfaster if necessary afetr 0-0-0 so I don't see how Black has gained anything. } 11. O-O-O { A surprising move and not one I particularly rate. The bishopitself may not have gained anything by going to e2 but at least the a1rook can swing into the attack faster if necessary after 0-0-0 so I don'tsee how Black has gained anything. } 11... Qa5 { This doesn't seem consistent.The only meaningful idea behind Nc6 I thought was to play into a 0-0-0rather than a Bc4 dragon with d5 where the loss of tempo may be made slightlyrelevant by the fact that I'm in an opening less consistent with my repertoire. } 12. Nb3 Qc7 13. h4 { The last two moves have resulted in a transpositionto mainline Qa5 dragon with an extra tempo spent on Be2. Now after themain move h5 then g4 will come with more force now thanks to the bishopon e2 and the rook on d1 getting to g1 quickly } 13... Nh5 { This is just a weirdmove. It's very rare that Black can be thinking about positional movementon the kingside in a dragon without the attack breaking through } 14. g4 Ng3 15. Rh2 Be5 { This move is another strange one to look at. It has afew interesting lines though. The main sequence I looked at was f4, Bxc3,bxc3 (Qxc3, Nxe2, Rxe2, Bxg4) Nxe2, Qxe2, where white does have the doubledpawn weakness but this wont be significant because of the dark square weaknessesin Black's kingside and fact that White's queenside is much more developed. } 16. f4 Nxe2+ 17. Qxe2 Bg7 { This makes Black's position inconsolable. Thelosses of tempo are quite visible with the four pawns on the kingside comparedto Black's immobile a and b pawns. } 18. Nd5 Qd7 19. f5 { Nc5 looks nicebut sadly doesn't actually do anything after Qd8 } 19... Ne5 20. h5 { The attacknow breaks through } 20... gxf5 { not helping matters by opening the g file } 21. gxf5 h6 22. Rg2 { White's threats aren't subtle but they force Black's responses.When you're making defensive moves in the dragon without getting initiativeit's a good sign that your position is lost. } 22... Kh7 23. Rdg1 Rg8 { And thefinish now is the rather good looking: } 24. f6 exf6 25. Rxg7+ { With Rxg7,Nxf6+, Kh8, Rxg7, Kxg7, Nxd7, Bxd7, Bd4 being game over. Sorry about alack of analysis in this game, it was more based on opening themes thanconcrete variations as the attacking moves are quite easy to find and theposition sort of plays itself } 1-0
[Event "73rd GK tournament quick win"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2010.11.26"] [Round "-"] [White "timbut"] [Black "el-loko"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1092"] [TimeControl "2 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1171"] { I was looking around the 73rd gameknot tournament in the casual sectionto see if there were any strange games. I found one that ended in 9 moves! } 1. e4 { A common move for white. } 1... e5 { A common move for black. } 2. a3 { Thisis a waste of a move. It doesn't help develop any pieces or attack thecenter of the board. The only thing this move does is prevent the bishopfrom going to b4 later. } 2... Nf6 { -- } 3. Nc3 { -- } 3... Nc6 { -- } 4. Bb5 { -- } 4... a6 { -- } 5. Bc4 { Another waste of tempo. The bishop moved twice for no reason. } 5... d6 { I would have played 5...Nxe4 6.Nxe4. and then d5. It gives black agood position. d6 only prevents the dark squared bishop from getting intoa better position. } 6. Nd5 { A move that doesen't acomplish anything. Anotherweak move from white. } 6... Nxd5 { That pawn on e4 was just wating to be taken.Oh well. } 7. Bxd5 { -- } 7... Bd7 { -- } 8. Qf3 { Attempting a mate on f7. The matecan be stoped many ways. } 8... Be7 { Ouch! } 9. Qxf7# { White wins with a simplemate early in the game. Remember that this game was played in the casualsection of the tournament. } 1-0
[Event "Let's play chess"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2011.04.02"] [Round "-"] [White "eldominicano34"] [Black "thedessertfox"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo ">1200"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1227"] 1. e4 { In a game were I was trying to regain some rating points after sometime-outs. I wanted to play Roy Lopez because I enjoy using classic Bishopsacrifice on h3 or the Berlin Defence } 1... e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 { The Scotch.An opening I had little experience with but played with my initiative. } 3... exd4 4. Nxd4 { Now my gut was 4... Nxd4 5. Qxd4 but I thought realisedthat Bc5 would put me ahead in development and also kept his Knight intoNd4 because of a Qf6 or Qh4 mating threat. } 4... Bc5 5. Be3 { Takes away themating threat and protects the knight. I had never planned on making aserious mating threat on f2 but a mating threat no matter how simple mustalways have a plan to take care of it. } 5... Qf6 { This was to add another attackerof the d4 square and make black think about the mating threat } 6. c3 Nge7 { Allows me to castle } 7. Bb5 { I expected this. I wanted to force it offthis square } 7... a6 8. Bxc6 Nxc6 9. Nf5 { I liked this move because it meantthe bishop was under attack and meant the knight could attack from d4 ata later date when it was free from the bishops wrath. However this wasthe third time this knight moved in 9 moves and if not for the Bishop vBishop I would have Been able to have castled and been up two tempos. HoweverO-O was probably a weak mvoe as If the knight was sacrificed then my kingis opened up. } 9... d6 { A move that attacks and defends } 10. Qd5 Be6 { Thisgave me flexibility and meant all my minor pieces were developed and Icould castle either side } 11. Qd3 { This stops 11... Bxf6 12.exf6 Qxf6 winsa pawn for black } 11... Bxe3 { Means That white has to double pawns or lose apawn because of the combo In the annotation above } 12. Qxe3 Bxf5 13. Nd2 { He gave me a free knight } 13... Bg6 { I decide to keep my bishop alive } 14. Qf3 { Wants to trade Queens which is interesting because of 14... Qxf3 15.Nxf3Bxe4 makes knight stay at f3 or move to h4 which means it is on a weaksquare to protect the pawn on b2 or risk going down by 5 points.Also ifhe plays 15.gxf3 forced him to castle queen because of half-open b-file.Although there is nothing wrong with castling Queen side because it controlsthe half open d file } 14... Qxf3 15. gxf3 O-O { I castled king side hoping toattack the e-pawn with f5 in a few moves time and so Half open the f-filefor my Rook and with No light squared bishop it means my king will stillbe safe. } 16. O-O-O Bh5 { Looking to attack both rooks with 17... Ne5 and18... Bxf3 } 17. Rde1 Ne5 18. Kc2 { Prevents 18... Nd3+ forking King androok } 18... Bxf3 { A good enough move } 19. Rhg1 Ng4 { I have no idea what I wasthinking here giving up my minor piece advantage and with two rooks onclosed files I would be in a weaker position } 20. Nxf3 Nxf2 21. Ng5 h6 { I was looking to get rid of as many white pawns as possible consideringI was already two pawns up with 4 on 3+ a king on the queenside side and3 on 1 on the King side. The only weak link was the e-pawn. } 22. Nf3 Nh3 23. Rg3 Ng5 { If I trade Knights My pawn advantage should get me home } 24. Nxg5 hxg5 25. Rh1 { Clearly wanting to play 26. h4 gxh4 27.Rxh4 } 25... Rae8 { Makeshim moves his Rook and develops my second rook } 26. Rg4 f5 { I thought hewould play 27.Rxg5 and then I could play 27... Rxe4 } 27. Rxg5 Rxe4 { Hedid } 28. Rf1 { I was quite happy to trade rooks but didn't want to losea pawn for nothing } 28... Re2+ { Now I can gain the h-pawn for the lose of thef-pawn } 29. Kb3 { He wanted to involvve his king but however I could knowtrap his king on the queen side with a pawn storm. } 29... Rxh2 { But first I wantedto simplify the game } 30. Rgxf5 Rxf5 31. Rxf5 g6 { With the Queen side basicallyturning into a stalemate I knew the g-pawn would be my chance of victory. } 32. Rf6 Kg7 33. Re6 Kf7 34. Re4 g5 35. Ka3 { My opponent obviously didn'twant to give up a pawn but this meant I could trap his king } 35... b5 36. b4 { I was happy with this as he was also playing apart in trapping his king } 36... Rh4 { Trading rooks meant I was a certainty to win } 37. Re1 c5 { If he capturedmy c pawn I would re-capture it and then complete my pawn storm } 38. Kb3 c4+ { The trap was set } 39. Kb2 g4 40. a4 { I am still confounded by thismove as even if he does capture I re-capture and he still can't escapethe queen side pawn trap } 40... g3 41. Rg1 Rh3 42. Rf1+ Kg6 43. Rg1 Rh2+ { Knowthis move I believed before this annotation won me the game because itkept his rook away from my pawn long enough to move it one square awayfrom queening. If I waited for my king to arrive I thought his king couldhave come to the rescue but what would have happened was 43... Kg5 44.Kc2 Kg4 45.Kd2 Kf3 46. Ke1 g2 } 44. Ka3 g2 45. axb5 axb5 46. Kb2 Kf5 { Knowthe race begins } 47. Kc2 Ke4 48. Kd2 Kf3 49. Ke1 Rh1 { The writing if notalready on the wall is now on there in size 144 font, red, bold and underlined } 50. Rxh1 gxh1=Q+ { The mating combo would be } 51. Kd2 Kf2 52. Kc2 Qe1 53. Kb2 Qd1 54. Ka2 Ke2 55. Kb2 Kd2 56. Ka2 Qb3+ 57. Ka1 Qa4+ 58. Kb1 Kxc3 59. Kc1 Qc2# { Please post if you have quicker mate } 0-1
[Event "Per corrispondenza, 1975"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "1975"] [Round "-"] [White "Heitmann"] [Black "Bucholz"] [Result "1-0"] { Playing chess by correspondence can lead to mistakes, especially in a position with high tactical content, as happens in this game. The aesthetic result is nevertheless satisfactory. } 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 { In the 1970s this was the most common response to the Najdorf, while today 6.Ae3 is more popular. } 6... e6 7. f4 Qb6 { The popular variant of the poisoned pawn, today. } 8. Qd2 Qxb2 9. Rb1 Qa3 10. e5 dxe5 11. fxe5 Nfd7 { The practice has shown that 11...h6 is the best line. } 12. Be2 { Oggi 12. Ce4 è di gran moda } 12... Qa5 13. O-O Bb4 { This move is even losing. It was advisable to play 13... Ac5. } 14. Ne4 { White could obtain a winning position by improving the idea with 14. Txb4! Dxb4 15. Ccb5! Dxd2 16. Cd6+ Rf8 17. Txf7+ Rg8 18. Axd2Cxe5 19. Te7 h5 20. Cxc8 When you see a good move.. wait a moment: you could find an even better one. } 14... Bxd2 15. Nd6+ Kf8 16. Nxe6+ Kg8 17. Rxf7 Qxe5 18. Re7 Nf8 { Under pressure, black collapses. The only defense was 18...h6 19. Axd2 Cc6 20. Te8+ Rh7 21. Txh8+ Rxh8 22. Cf7+ Rg8 23. Cxe5 white has a certain advantage but black can still hold. } 19. Rf1 { Ilnero threatens both Txf8 checkmate and Ac4 capture. } 19... Qxe6 20. Bc4 Bd7 { Non c'è scamponé dopo 20... Cc6 21. Te8 né dopo 20... h6 21. Txf8+ Rxf8 22. Axe6 g6 23.Af6 } 21. Rxf8+ { Il bianco dà matto anche prima con 21. Cf5! } 21... Kxf8 22. Bxe6 g6 23. Rf7+ Kg8 24. Rxd7+ Kf8 25. Rf7+ Kg8 26. Bf6 { Era più precisa26. Ce8! } 1-0
[Event "Over-extended!"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2010.06.20"] [Round "-"] [White "easy19"] [Black "jstevens1"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1827"] [TimeControl "7 days per move"] [WhiteElo "2205"] 1. b3 { Hi everyone! Lost my 44th game to Freddy the Master Mater. Atleast I was trying to win this one but in doing so I over-extended myselfwhich is what some of my lower-rated opponents have been guilty of doingagainst me. So how did this all happen? Well, it all starts with theLarsen's Opening, 1. b3 - a favourite of the Danish GM Bent Larsen. Asusual I will provide the Gameknot Analysis link to the game here. http://gameknot.com/analyze-board.pl?bd=14047427&fb=1&rnd=0.7658726204127998 } 1... e5 2. g3 { 2. g3 - Hmm - a double-fianchetto. } 2... Nf6 3. Bb2 Nc6 { 3. .....Nc6 - develops a piece and defends my e5 pawn. } 4. c4 d6 5. Bg2 { 5. Bg2- Freddy completes the double-fianchetto. } 5... Bd7 6. Nf3 Be7 7. Nc3 Qc8 { 7...... Qc8 - after developing the ecclesiastical twins, Fou Leblanc andFou Lenoir, Glenda moves onto c8 to try and force a trade of light squarebishops and weaken Freddy's castled position. } 8. Nd5 Nxd5 9. cxd5 Nd8 { 9. .... Nd8 - with the idea of a possible c6 and an exchange of c foradvanced d pawn allowing the knight to move back to c6. } 10. O-O Bh3 { 10....... Bh3 - as Freddy chooses to castle kingside I decided to adopt myearlier plan of trade off of bishops and to delay castling. I would havepreferred to go queenside if at all but alas the decks are not cleared. } 11. Ne1 Bxg2 12. Nxg2 { 12. Nxg2 - the trade takes place as planned. } 12... h5 { 12. ..... h5 - I now decided to start a pawn storm on the kingside whichdoes not quite get going. This sort of thing is what Freddy has done tome so I have at least given him a miniscule dose of his own medicine! } 13. f4 f6 { 13. ...... f6 - although Gameknot Analysis did not offer analternative to this move, Freddy suggested that I should have followedup with h4 here. } 14. Qc2 Nf7 { 14. ..... Nf7 - transferring my knight overto the kingside to attack/defend if necessary and I have at least movedone piece off that back row and next move I plan to put Glenda on h3 andthen castle queenside. However, Freddy puts a stop to the latter planby keeping Henry either in the centre or having to go kingside after all. } 15. Rac1 Bd8 { 15. .... Bd8 - another piece, Fou Lenoir takes the knight'splace to defend that vulnerable c2 pawn from Freddy's heavies on the ccolumn. } 16. Ne3 Qh3 17. fxe5 dxe5 { 17. ...... dxe5 - the idea of f6 becomesapparent here - I played that move to support e5 - the e5 pawn preventsFreddy putting a rook on f4 in order to swing round to h4 forcing Glendato retreat. } 18. Qg6 { 18. Qg6 - aggressive but gameknot analysis suggested18. Ba3 instead - please refer to the link in my intro speech for furtherdetail. } 18... Kf8 19. d4 { 19. d4 - hmm I expected Ba3+ here. He is trying todeflect my e5 pawn from defending f4 as explained in a previous note. However, it gives me a chance to temporarily carry out a Witch Ejectionplan with 19. ...... Rh6. } 19... Rh6 20. Qd3 exd4 21. Nf5 { 21. Nf5 - closingin on Henry and attacking my rook on h6. I dare not play a move like Rg6because of Ba3+ followed by a discovered attack winning the rook on g6so I decided to move the rook to the safety of h8 only for Freddy to havesuggested Ne5 as an improvement. } 21... Rh8 22. Qe4 Ne5 { 22. .... Ne5 - I onlyreceived Freddy's suggestion that I should have played that move one moveearlier just after I played Ne5. I plan to move the knight to g4 and threatenmate (how dare I?!) on h2. } 23. Bxd4 Ng4 24. Rf2 Nxf2 { 24. ..... Nxf2 -can't see anything much better but now Henry is doomed. } 25. Qe6 Ng4 { 25...... Ng4 - allows mate in 3. According to gameknot I would have had tohave given up Glenda for the knight just to limp on against a player nearly400 points above my rating. No thanks, I prefer it this way. So I thinkin retrospect that my attack was premature and Freddy thought that it was. However, would you the jury rather see this than for me to keep defendingall the time? I look forward to hearing your views on this. Hope youhave all had a good weekend - bye for now - Joanne } 26. Bc5+ Be7 27. Bxe7+ Ke8 28. Nxg7# 1-0
[Event "jstevens1's mini-tournament VII"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2012.12.08"] [Round "-"] [White "stalhandske"] [Black "sonata296"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1464"] [TimeControl "5d+5d<10d"] [WhiteElo "2076"] 1. e4 g6 { This is the so-called Modern Defense, where black allows whiteto dominate the centre in the beginning. It is an opening that requiresextensive positional skills from the black player, and which I would notrecommend to beginners } 2. d4 c6 { 2....c6 is solid, but d6 and Bg7 aremore common variants, which would make the defense to closely resemblethe Pirc (Jugoslav) opening } 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. Nc3 d5 5. e5 { White's 5. e5is not the best move, but it is typical of Stalhandske's attack style.One of it's aims here is to make a clamp on black's development (especiallythe fianchettoed bishop) } 5... Bg4 { Black's immediate reply with 5.....f6 wouldhave been much stronger, I think, than Bg4 } 6. h3 Bxf3 { Obviously, thebishop cannot retreat to h5, and any other position would have been passiveand loss of tempo. In fact, elimination of white's strong knight at f3is a good idea and perhaps worth the N/B exchange } 7. Qxf3 e6 8. Be3 { 8. Be3 is a solid but dull move. White could (should?) have initiatedthe K-side attack here by 8. h4 } 8... Ne7 { Black makes himself ready for castling(though he never will!), whereby white finally wakes up...... } 9. h4 { ...andstarts the K-side attack } 9... Nf5 { 9.....Nf5 is not bad. It threatens boththe bishop at e3 and the attacking pawn at h4. However, I think it underestimatesthe strength of white's attack, which would have been effectively haltedby 9...h5! } 10. g4 { White continues the attack and 'sacrifices' the bishopat e3 } 10... Nxe3 { 10....Nxe3 is an excellent move! Nxh4 would have been counteredby Qg3. I think black has managed to pretty much equalise the positionhere } 11. fxe3 c5 { 11.....c5 is not bad and presumably meant to openup the lines against white's king as soon as he has castled long. However,I think this would have been the last opportunity to play f6 to 'clearup' the K side } 12. O-O-O { White castles long (h5 was another option, butcomes later) } 12... a6 { a6 is an excellent move, preventing attacks via b5 andat the same time preparing for a Q-side pawn storm against white's king. } 13. Kb1 { 13. Kb1, the 'second move' of the long castling. I don't recallwhy white was so cautious here; 13. h5 would have been quite possible! } 13... Nc6 14. h5 { Well, finally the K-side attack sets in - it is not too latebecause black has neglected his K-side (for example by not playing f6) } 14... cxd4 15. exd4 { Black completes his plan of 'opening the lines' on the Qside } 15... Qb6 { 15......Qb6 is a logical consequence of black's attack plan.However, it is premature and underestimates white's K-side attack. It bringsaway the black queen, who would have been important in the defense. Thisis the move that loses the game for black (with a little exaggeration). } 16. h6 { 16. h6 does not look very strong, but it initiates a sequence ofevents that lead to black's defeat } 16... Bf8 { 16. Bf8 is obvious } 17. Qf6 { 17.Qf6 is the key move that starts black's demise. Perhaps as a teaching lesson,it is important to note here that Qf6 brings the black Q into attackingposition with a move that at the same time forces white to lose a tempo,because black's move ALSO threatens the black rook. There is, therefore,for example no time to bring the black Q in for rescue! } 17... Rg8 18. Nxd5 { 18.Nxd5 is the second key move of this attack. Either black's Q needs to movenow or then exd5 } 18... exd5 { Black choses 18....exd5, which is the 'obviouschoice'. However, the perhaps less intuitive 18...Qd8 or even Qa5 alsoseem possible. But the game is over for all practical purposes. } 19. e6 { Now, the avenue is straight ahead. 19. e6 is the third key move of theoriginal plan } 19... Qc7 { The black Q comes to rescue, but is she too late? } 20. Bg2 { somewhat embarrassingly, the bishop at f1 prevents it all forwhite....the two rooks MUST connect, otherwise black may be back in fullforce } 20... Rd8 21. Rde1 fxe6 22. Qxe6+ Ne7 23. Qxg8 Kd7 24. Qxh7 Qg3 { 24.....Qg3does not achieve anything in a game that is already lost } 25. Qf7 { Altogether,I think black played very well. In particular, he managed the beginningand early middle game excellently. However, there was a refrain from playingf6 that could (would?) have helped. Then, there was a clear underestimationof white's K-side attack. 'One look away' (moving the Q to the Q side)was enough to trigger the avalanche that followed. } 1-0
[Event "Team match w/Royal Fork mate"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "23-Jan-07"] [Round "-"] [White "tag1153"] [Black "cosmichd"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1442"] [TimeControl "5 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1455"] { I include this game on my list simply because of the beautiful final position.An error by black leads to a very pretty Royal Fork mate. } 1. d4 { My standard. } 1... d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. h3 { ? Very, very slow on my part. I have been playingaround with variants of the QGD (my #1 weapon as white), and was curiousto see where the game would go if black's light squared bishop could berestricted early on. This play was made strictly for it's educational value. } 3... Ne4 { Strong.......black nabs the first really good outpost of the game. } 4. Bf4 { While black has aggressively moved his knight twice already, whiteaccelerates development. } 4... f6 { ? Very suspect. Black has opted to bolsterhis perceived dominance of the center and the black squares, but this 'dominance'is just an illusion. As a matter of fact, black has just destroyed hispawn chain on the kingside. } 5. e3 { Developing and preparing for 0-0. } 5... Nc6 { ?! Yes, this move looks good - but perhaps 5...Be6 was better, asit could shore up the holes on the white squares around his king. } 6. Bb5 { Developmental tempo with a nice pin to boot. } 6... Bd7 { Interposing the pinand developing to a strong square. } 7. Nbd2 { Last piece developed. Timefor white to begin coordinating his pieces for attack. } 7... e5 { ?! .......andblack now pries open the position. Take note of his pawn structure overthe next several moves. It crumbles right before his eyes. } 8. dxe5 g5 { !Strong attempt. White finally sees the weaknesses around his king (orhas he just been setting white up?), and lashes out. White must now dealwith this distraction. Black has the opportunity to gather some time. } 9. Bxc6 { ! White responds with a strong distraction of his own. White wantsto lure his opponents light squared bishop further away from the e8-h5diagonal. } 9... Bxc6 { Black regains his material, but this bishop is now onan awkward square. } 10. exf6 { !! This bishop sac is whole-heartedly sound.Just look at all of the weak squares around the black king. White seesa whole buffet of brutal checking combinations should black take the sacrifice. } 10... gxf4 { Black accepts the bait, and is brutalized for it. 10...Qxf was better. } 11. f7+ { ! White forces black into making a very unpleasant decision - evade the check or neutralize it. Run away from material equality or equalizenow and hope to withstand the storm. } 11... Kxf7 { Black chooses to equalize.Now, his problems are only beginning. } 12. Ne5+ { The obvious play. Butmore importantly, the white squares on the kingside are now open for business. } 12... Kg7 { ? While 12...Ke7 would restrict the dark squared bishop, it couldstill get to the long diagonal. That was the play. Black just makes thingseasier for white. } 13. Nxe4 { First things first. White removes all impedimentsevenly vaguely close to the enemy king. } 13... dxe4 { Practically forced. Blacknow reluctantly invites an exchange of queens. } 14. Qg4+ { No way whiteaccepts. Though down in material, white has great attacking chances. } 14... Kh6 { ?? The worst possible move to make. 14...Kf6 was the only play. } 15. Nf7# { !! .....and white delivers the knockout punch. An unusual gem of a finalposition. White delivers mate with a Royal Fork that hits an enemy rookas well. I hope you have enjoyed - Thomas } 1-0
[Event "Challenge from abro"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "12-May-07"] [Round "-"] [White "invincible1"] [Black "abro"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [BlackElo "1614"] [TimeControl "7 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1873"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 { Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense } 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. dxe5 { Knight has two good moves, more popularis Nf5 but Ne4 is said '!?' interesing, so lets check it out ... } 7... Ne4 8. Qe2 { White could exchange queens but people say it is unnecessary whenN is on e4 ... } 8... Nc5 { 8. ... Bf5 was the main move, but white can lock theknight ... } 9. Be3 Be7 10. Rd1 Bd7 11. b4 { Ah! Actually this is somehowbook move, but we got little different position. } 11... Na6 { Ne6 was good, butis this bad move ... u tell me ... } 12. e6 { ?! } 12... fxe6 13. Nd4 { simply Blackcannot take pawn. ie. NxP } 13... Qc8 14. Qh5+ g6 15. Qh6 { White is threateningQg7, making R to move and eating K-side pawns. } 15... Bf8 16. Qh4 Nxb4 { Blackgot two pawns, due to Na6, so ... } 17. Qf6 Rg8 { White thought a very longin this position. Conclusion: Black got two pawns, but his king has stuckin the center, but it is not easy to exploit it, White's third c pawn isalso threatened. } 18. Nc3 { very critical position, three moves were inmy consideration 1. Nxc2 2. Bg7 3. c5 } 18... c5 19. Nxe6 { Black simply under-estimatethis move, Nde2 were supposed in reply. } 19... Bxe6 20. Rd8+ Qxd8 { Drawn. furthermoves predicated as ... QxB Qe7 QxR materail almost even, Black is onlypawn ahead, Black had a won game but considering apparently current ratedraw was accepted ... } 1/2-1/2
[Event "Challenge from jboyette36"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "06-Sep-08"] [Round "-"] [White "brmichael"] [Black "jboyette36"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1793"] [TimeControl "6 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1697"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 { Looks like the Nimzo-Indian } 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 c5 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Bd3 d5 7. cxd5 cxd4 8. Nxd4 Nxd5 9. Qc2 f5 { brmichael annotation:Jboy's option of f5 is designed to halt white's bishop/queen attackingh7. It's a sharp move, attacking the kingside. It's reallty an acceptablemove though. Safer, and better, would be the simple 9...g6 effecting thesame results and eventually helping black's white squared bishop to comeinto play also. Heck though, f5 looks more fun! } 10. O-O Nxc3 11. bxc3 Ba5 12. e4 Qc7 13. Bb2 Nc6 14. exf5 Nxd4 15. cxd4 Qxc2 16. Bxc2 exf5 17. Rfd1 Bd7 18. d5 Bb4 19. Bb3 Bd6 20. Rac1 a5 21. a4 b5 22. axb5 Bxb5 23. Rc3 a4 24. Ba2 a3 25. Bc1 Be2 26. Rd2 Bb4 27. d6+ Kh8 28. Rc7 Bxd2 29. Bxd2 Rac8 30. Bc3 Rxc7 31. dxc7 Ba6 32. f4 h6 33. Be5 Bb7 34. Kf2 Kh7 35. g3 Re8 36. Ke3 g5 37. h4 Bc8 38. Kd4 Re7 39. Kc5 gxh4 40. gxh4 Kg6 41. Bc4 Kh5 42. Be2+ Kg6 43. h5+ Kf7 44. Bc4+ Ke8 45. Bb5+ Kf8 46. Bc4 Re8 47. Kb6 Rxe5 { A blunder, I believe. In an even game, and brmichael hadoffered a draw, black thought to win the queening race. However, with white'sking on b7 able to attack on b8, white had the queening advantage. } 48. fxe5 f4 49. Ka7 f3 50. Kb8 f2 51. Kxc8 a2 52. Kd7 a1=Q 53. c8=Q+ Kg7 54. Qg8# 1-0
[Event "Team match"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2014.10.17"] [Round "-"] [White "psycho422"] [Black "boxsterjohn"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1000"] [TimeControl "5 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1024"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d5 { Queens pawn counter gambit (Elephant gambit). } 3. Nxe5 dxe4 4. d3 Qe7 5. Bf4 g5 6. Bg3 f6 7. Qh5+ { This forces the king to move. Nice surprise. } 7... Kd8 8. Nf7+ { ...and the rook goes bye. } 8... Kd7 9. Nxh8 { Actually,this could wait while PxPd3+ was dealt with. } 9... f5 10. Nf7 { Now white rescuesthe rook. Black still likes PxPd3+. Picks up two pawns. Actually, Qb4+might be better, followed by QxPb2. } 10... Nf6 { Ne5+ saves the knight. } 11. Ne5+ { :) } 11... Kd8 12. Qxg5 Bg7 13. dxe4 Nxe4 14. Qf4 Bf6 15. Nc4 { Not a good idea. NxBg3+ gives black a free bishop. } 15... Bg5 16. Qf3 { Oh, terrible! Nd2+ andthe white queen must move to e2 to block. Then NxNc4 for free. Blackis better off with NxB+, followed by NxR White loses two major piecesin as many moves. } 16... Nxg3+ 17. Be2 Nxh1 18. Nc3 Qb4 { O-O-O+ won't work--cannotcastle into check. :( Rd1 could be good. } 19. a3 Qc5 20. Nd1 { ? Notsure the point of that. } 20... Be6 { Oh, bad move. That bishop was all that wasprotecting black from QxPb7. Of course, Bd5 keeps white from taking therook. } 21. b3 Bd5 { Now QxPf5 traps black's white bishop. } 22. Qxf5 Bh4 23. g3 Be7 24. Bf3 Qc6 { Oops. This won't defend against BxB. Pc6 wouldhave protected the bishop. } 25. Bxd5 Qc5 26. Nde3 Qd4 27. Rd1 Qc3+ 28. Rd2 Qa1+ 29. Rd1 Qc3+ 30. Nd2 Na6 31. Bxh1 Rc8 { That doesn't protect againstBxPb7 forking the rook and knight. } 32. Bxb7 { Just like that. } 32... Rb8 33. Ke2 Rxb7 { Oops. Nb1+ and the black queen falls. } 34. Ne4+ { Or Ne4+, evenbetter (gets the knight out more in the center--though it still ends upon c3, unless RxQd4. } 1-0
[Event "Jo against The Titans Part 3 - Henry is caught in the middle!"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2012.11.10"] [Round "-"] [White "klauno"] [Black "jstevens1"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1952"] [TimeControl "7d+3d<10d"] [WhiteElo "2425"] 1. e4 { Hi everyone! I have just been informed by Gameknot that this ismy 6th anniversary of joining gameknot - doesn't time fly! To date thisis my first completed match in my third mini-tournament against the Titans. As my rating has climbed I am progressively taking on opponents with ratingswhich lean towards GM Level. Here I am playing against IM Klauno (Klaus). In this game, I chose a rare line of the French Defense which would leadto open play. I thought that it would help me overcome passivitis whichhas been my millstone around my neck, particularly against the higher ratedplayers for many years. Things seemed OK and then I developed the wrongknight. This seemingly natural move led to Henry being trapped in thecentre where he perished. So how did this happen? Well, here is the GameknotAnalysis version of the game. http://gameknot.com/analyze-board?bd=18563548&fb=1&rnd=0.9507084005361646. } 1... e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 e5 { 4. ...... e5 - this is the unusualmove leading to the open play. It looks sound but as you will see it willhave its drawbacks. } 5. Nf3 exd4 6. Bc4 { 6. Bc4 - a gambit of a pawn toincrease his lead in development. } 6... Nf6 { 6. ..... Nf6? - a developing moveat last but the wrong one! Klaus said I should have moved the other knightout instead. Klaus' reply hits at the f7 pawn. Glenda decided to putthe question to the WK but this exacerbated the problem because Fou Lenoiris boxed in. } 7. Neg5 Qe7+ 8. Kf1 { 8. Kf1 - Klaus is prevented from castlingbut he has a way of showing me that this is no hardship for him. } 8... Be6 { 8....... Be6 - I try to develop and defend f7 at the same time but alas thismove does not cut the mustard. } 9. Nxe6 fxe6 { 9. ...... fxe6 - this N forB trade opens up the e8-h5 diagonal. The Wicked Witch of the West willsoon exploit this opening. } 10. Nxd4 { 10. Nxd4 - now Klaus regains hispawn with threats against the e6 pawn and the h5 square. } 10... e5 11. Ne6 { 11.Ne6 - a fatal crimp on Henry. } 11... Nc6 { 11. ..... Nc6 - this clears the deckson the queenside but Henry cannot castle queenside because the d8 squareis attacked by that wretched steed and the Witch! } 12. Bg5 h5 { 12. ....h5 - trying to stop the Witch getting to h5, but Klaus now warns me sheis bound for g6. I manage to delay this by advancing my pawn to e4 butKlaus finds another way to increase the pain. } 13. Qd3 e4 14. Qg3 { 14.Qg3 - like this. Not only that, my pawn on c7 is under fire so I defendit with Rc8. I recall a comment Coach Ion made about The Dentist's positionin my last game against me. Ion quoted this 'White's game is now finelybalanced: weak on the king side and equally weak on the queenside. Thatwhite's centre is looking pretty wobbly completes the picture. Yup, thatdescribes my (black's position to a tee!). } 14... Rc8 15. Rd1 { 15. Rd1 - makingd7 unavailable to Henry should he have any ideas about Castle by Hand. } 15... Na5 { 15. .... Na5 - trying to force off Klaus' dangerous lsb for my knight. } 16. Bxf6 Qxf6 17. Nxc7+ Rxc7 18. Qxc7 { 18. Qxc7 - after exchanging hisdsb for my king knight white wins the exchange. But that is only for starters. I would have also been a whole rook down because Be7 was the only wayto avoid immediate mate. Rather than resign on the grounds of ruinousloss of material I simply allowed sudden death on the next turn. So thatis Game 1 lost and although Game 2 against The Brigadier was a marginalimprovement, I still managed to get Fou Leblanc trapped and found anotherway for Henry to cop Old Matey. However, despite this loss and the othertwo losses I am about to annotate, I am keeping my chin up - cheers andbye for now - Joanne } 18... Nxc4 19. Qd7# 1-0
[Event "Team match"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2015.12.21"] [Round "-"] [White "tacticrob"] [Black "qwer36"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1609"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1719"] 1. c4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 e6 4. g3 Nf6 5. Bg2 Be7 6. O-O O-O { I don`tlike the Black structure. What about you? } 7. d3 a6 { a6 after this moveThe Black structure is not much better } 8. Bf4 d5 9. cxd5 exd5 10. Ne5 Nxe5 11. Bxe5 Be6 12. Qc2 Bd6 { Bd6? A Mistake because the pawn on d6 isnot so good } 13. Bxf6 Qxf6 14. Nxd5 Bxd5 15. Bxd5 Qe7 16. Bg2 Rab8 { Rb8?I think he should play Rac8 to play a little bit more active. } 17. Rac1 b6 18. e3 Rfc8 19. b3 Rc7 20. Qe2 a5 21. Rc4 Rd8 22. Rfc1 Rcd7 23. Re4 Qf6 24. d4 cxd4 25. Rxd4 { Ok I don`t think that Black can win a half pointor a full point yet. } 25... Bc5 26. Rxd7 Rxd7 27. Rd1 Rxd1+ 28. Qxd1 g6 29. h4 b5 30. a4 bxa4 31. bxa4 h6 32. Bf1 Qe6 33. Qd8+ Kg7 34. Qxa5 Qe5 35. Qd2 Bb6 36. Qc1 Qe4 37. Qa1+ Kh7 38. a5 { Run pawn run! } 38... Ba7 39. a6 Qg4 40. Qe1 Qe6 41. Qd2 Qg4 42. Qd5 Qe6 43. Qxe6 fxe6 44. Kg2 Kg7 45. Kf3 Kf6 46. Ke4 Bb6 47. f4 h5 48. Bb5 Ke7 49. Bc6 Kd6 50. Bb7 Ba7 51. Kf3 Ke7 52. e4 Kd6 53. g4 Ke7 54. gxh5 gxh5 55. f5 e5 56. Ke2 Kd6 57. Kd3 Kc7 58. f6 Kd7 59. f7 Ke7 60. Bd5 Kf8 61. Kc4 Ke7 62. Kb5 Kf8 63. Kc6 Ke7 64. Kb7 Bd4 65. a7 { poor Bishop } 65... Bxa7 66. Kxa7 Kf8 67. Kb6 Ke7 68. Kc7 Kf8 69. Kd6 Kg7 70. Ke7 { Thank you for reading my annotation! } 1-0
[Event "Puzzled by the Bird's Defense"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "24-Feb-09"] [Round "-"] [White "blake84120"] [Black "unicornn"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1580"] [TimeControl "5 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1595"] 1. e4 { Team Match, I am playing white and go for the Open game. } 1... e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 { Ruy Lopez - my favorite. } 3... Nd4 4. Nxd4 { 3. ... Nd4 is theBird's Defense. I have never faced this defense that I recall. Expertsseem to agree this is not black's strongest line. Even Bird himself lostmore games than his combined wins and draws playing this line. On the up-side,I don't have much in the way of material on this, so I'm already feelingmy way through the opening. } 4... exd4 5. O-O Bd6 6. e5 { If memory serves, Ifound this in the GK DB. I'm not sure how strong the move is. White losesa tempo, but then black must retreat or advance his bishop, also losinga tempo. White cannot conveniently support the pawn at e5 without disruptinghis castle or first removing the black pawn from d4, so the white pawnon e5 seems to be a little fragile out there so early. } 6... Bxe5 7. Re1 { Idon't think black was supposd to play 6. Bxe5. Now white pins the impertinentbishop to his king. } 7... f6 8. f4 { White attacks the pinned bishop with a pawn,gaining material for white. } 8... a6 9. Bd3 { Black counterattacks, delayingthe inevitable loss of his bishop. Still, it's a good move, driving offthe white bishop. } 9... g6 10. fxe5 { I had been looking long and hard at Qh5 and the ensuing chaos it could cause. But I felt black could weather thestorm, at least until after I take out his bishop on e5. But, apparently,black saw the same threat and put a stop to it. Time to slay a bishop. } 10... fxe5 11. Rxe5+ { The rook gives check and claims the open file. Even better,it's the open file on which black's king resides. } 11... Ne7 12. Bc4 { White wantsto move his pawn at d2 to invite the dark-squared bishop into the attack. } 12... d6 13. Re1 { Not e4 or black would fork white's bishop and rook with 13.... d5. Not e2 or white's queen is limited. So, all the way back to e1we go. } 13... Bf5 14. d3 h6 15. Qf3 { Long range threat on b7, but it isn't theonly threat white makes with this move. } 15... Qb8 16. g4 { Black defended theobvious threat, but now he is getting into deep trouble. He cannot saveboth the bishop and the knight: 16. ... Bd7 17. Qf7 Kd8 18. Qxe7 Kc819. Be6 Bxe6 20. Qxe6 and white cannot quite seem to press for the checkmate,but the g6 and h6 pawns will surely fall too, leaving white ahead by bishop,knight, and pawn. } 16... Rf8 17. Bxh6 { Black left his rook pawn undefended. Inmy analysis of white's 16th move, several continuations ended in quickcheckmates if white had been able to play Bg5 at the right times. Thepawn on h6 prevented this move and let black squirm out of checkmate. Black's16th move allows white to pick off that disruptive pawn, and now blackis in even more trouble. } 17... Rf6 18. Bg5 { Black's rook was en prise, so hesaved it. I looked at 18. Bg7, leaving the rook trapped with no moves.But white can get back to that. This move skewers the rook, chasing itaway so white can play Rxe7 . } 18... Qa7 19. Bxf6 { Black left his rook hanging.I'm not sure why, because now the knight on e7 will fall too. } 19... O-O-O 20. Bxe7 { Black showed me why he played as he did, but sacrificing a rook,bishop, and knight for the opportunity to castle seems a steep price. Still,the black king is out of danger. } 20... Rh8 21. gxf5 gxf5 22. Qxf5+ { Obviouscontinuations. } 22... Kb8 23. Bf8 { Blocks the black rook from defending his king,and threatens mate in 1 with 24. Re8#. } 23... Qb6 24. Re8+ Ka7 25. Qc8 { Thisis where I miscalculated. Ahead by a rook and three pieces, I felt unstoppableand didn't really work out too much of the finer details from here. Muchsmarter would have been to play 25. Bb3 to keep black's queen at bay. } 25... Qxb2 26. Qxc7 { I spent a lot of time on this move. Black can, and willif he so wishes, gain a rook. But then white can win immediately. Betterfor black is 26. ... Qc1 with a strong attack against white's lonely king.I worked out combination after combination, some of which ended up withwhite's king fleeing all the way to c8 before he was safe. I didn't findany combination where black could get a checkmate or a perpetual check,so after sweating bullets, I finally decided on 26. Qxc7, though I wasstill afraid that I had missed a winning or drawing line for black. } 26... Qxa1 27. Qb8+ { I have to put ?? on black's 26th move. While I still don't thinkhe could pull off a win or draw with 26. ... Qc1 , it was much better thanthe move as played. At this point I entered the conditional moves to winthe game. } 27... Kb6 28. Qxd6+ { 28. ... Ka5 is checkmate in 1, and 28. ... Ka7is checkmate in 2: 29. Qc5 b6, 30. Qc7#. } 28... Ka5 29. Qb4# { Final position. } 1-0
[Event "Move out of check? ...Or sacrifice a Rook?"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009.03.11"] [Round "-"] [White "lrgraham"] [Black "al21806"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1461"] [TimeControl "2 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1666"] 1. e4 { This was one of my tournament games. I am annotating this gamenot because of the outcome, but because my opponent made a choice thatsurprised me, and I wanted to explain why sacrificing a full Rook was hisbest move rather than moving out of check. I was really HOPING he'd justmove out of check! Read on, and enjoy! } 1... e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 { I openedthe game with my favorite Ruy Lopez opening... } 3... d6 { I was expecting 3...a6to drive off my Bishop, but moving to d6 gave me the opportunity to doubleup his pawns on the c file... } 4. Bxc6+ bxc6 { ....so I forced the exchange. My experience has been that a weak pawn chain in the end game can oftenbe the difference in winning and losing in a close game. It's a good ideato look for these opportunities and take them whenever you can. } 5. d4 { Controlling the center in the middle game is important, so I continueto attack the four central squares with 5. d4. Should Black choose toexchange pawns with 5... exd4, this would leave him way behind on development,and White still in full control of the center. } 5... Bd7 { Black shores up theweakness of his doubled up pawns, using his Bishop to protect the now vulnerablepawn he was forced to place at c6. } 6. O-O { Always try to castle earlyto remove your King from danger... } 6... Be7 { By failing to protect the pawnagain at e6, I move forward with the exchange... } 7. dxe5 { ... hoping togain a pawn. If he chooses to retake the pawn with 7... dxe5, Nxe5 putsWhite a pawn ahead. However, Black has a trick or two up his sleeve... } 7... Bg4 { Using his Bishop, Black effectively pins White's Knight at f3; ifhe moves it, Black will take White's Queen! So now, I must REMOVE thepin. Since my Bishop's gone, all I can do is move my Queen, or... } 8. h3 { respectfully request that Black move his Bishop...so I push the pawnto encourage a little Bishop activity. Black obliges, not by moving away,but rather by... } 8... Bxf3 { taking the Knight. This forceful move I was preparedfor. So, remembering to maintain my pawn chain on the right side of theboard, I... } 9. Qxf3 { ...recapture with my Queen. This allows Black tocarry through with his plan of removing the Knight protecting the pawnat e5, so he... } 9... dxe5 { evens things back up by taking my pawn. Unfortunatelyfor Black, this opens up the d file, allowing me to attack his Queen with... } 10. Rd1 { Rd1. Black can either move his Queen or block it, so he blocksit with... } 10... Bd6 { Bd6. This gives me a chance to develop another piece,so I choose... } 11. Nd2 { Nd2. But wait a minute! Doesn't that block myRook pinning the Bishop? Wouldn't the Knight have better control of thecenter had I moved it to Nc3 instead? Perhaps it would have, but I amplanning Nc4, attacking the Bishop with not only the Rook, but also withmy Knight. } 11... Ne7 { Black develops a piece and prepares for castling Kingside. Why didn't he move Nf6 instead? I don't know, but this allows me to proceedwith my plan... I move... } 12. Nc4 { Nc4, attacking the Bishop. Note alsothat Black has no pawn on the b or d file to remove the offending WhiteKnight from it's post at c4. Black may not have realized how vulnerablehis Bishop was at d6; perhaps he's worrying more about his King's safety. Whatever the reason, Black castles Kingside... } 12... O-O { This leaves me withseveral options. If I choose to take the Bishop now, Black can recapturewith his pawn at c7. This would allow him to regain good pawn structure,and better control of the center. But wait! Isn't Black's Bishop stillpinned to his Queen? Sure it is... I take full advantage of the situationby moving... } 13. Nxe5 { Nxe5, obtaining a FREE PAWN! Note that Black'sBishop is powerless to recapture, because White's Rook at d1 will surelytake his Queen if he does. Almost instinctively, Black repels the invaderwith... } 13... f6 { f6. He may not realize that this opens a white diagonal tohis King. This will become important a little later on. I've gottenwhat I wanted... a +1 material advantage, so I willingly repost the Knight(one of my friends used to call this 'Snuffy Smith' chess. The comic stripcharacter was perpetually raiding his neighbor's chicken coop, but he nevertook more than he needed for supper!) } 14. Nc4 { REposting the Knight... } 14... c5 { Perhaps Black moved this pawn forward to allow him to move his Knightto c6, but I continue to attack his Bishop with... } 15. Bf4 { Bf4. Notethat I now have Bishop, Knight, and Rook focused sharply on Black's pinnedBishop. Black counters with... } 15... Ng6 { Ng6, attacking the White Bishop atf4. Unfortunately, he's a bit late, so I go ahead with the exchange: } 16. Bxd6 cxd6 { I now have a choice of taking the pawn with either Knightor Rook. Rxd6 looks good because it threatens Black Queen. However,I choose to take it with my Knight, because I like my Knights, as othersmay tell you... } 17. Nxd6 { Black sees that all I have to do is move myKnight, unleashing a discovered attack on his Queen with my Rook at d1,so he moves his Queen to... } 17... Qb6 { b6, attacking my pawn at b3. Sure,I can defend the pawn MANY different ways: 1. Nc4 attacks Black's Queenand defends the pawn, 2. advancing the pawn to b3, preparing a solid pawnchain followed by c4, 3. the passive Ra1b1... or even Qb3+, forcing aQueen exchange leaving White up two pawns ( I thought about this, but knewit would break up MY pawn chain and decided against it). Sometimes,we miss truly great moves because we go on the defensive a bit too quickly. I'm 2 pawns up, so WHAT IF Black takes the pawn at b2? I'll still bea pawn up, and if he does take the time to gobble up the pawn, what canI do with my Queen in TWO moves?... Let's see... } 18. Qf5 { My plans areto move my Queen to the white diagonal at either d5 or e6 and put his Kingin check, unleashing a Queen and Knight attack you may have never seenbefore... ...but Black says, 'Hey, he can't defend both the pawn andKnight, so I'll double attack his Knight with my Rook: } 18... Rad8 { Let's talka moment about POWERFUL moves... In progessing order: If opponentattacks a pawn, you attack his Bishop or Knight... If he attacks yourminor piece, threaten to take his Rook or Queen... If he double attacksyour piece, or threatens your Queen, DON'T move defensively (unless youare forced to do so)... } 19. Qd5+ { PUT HIM IN CHECK. Check is oneof the most powerful moves you can make against your opponent - it CANNOTbe ignored! A response is ABSOLUTELY necessary. There's three waysto get out of check: 1. Capture the attacking piece 2. Move out of check 3. Block it with one of your pieces. Now, for the question that isthe title of this annotation, should Black... 1. Move out of check? Or sacrifice a Rook? What would you do? Think on this long and hard...there's a great lesson to be learned here. If he moves Rf7, White cancapture the Rook with either his Knight or his Queen...but if White takesthe Black Rook with his Knight, Black can take White's Queen with Rxd5..so THAT's not going to happen; if he takes the Rook with his Queen, White'sKnight is protecting the White Queen at f7, Black's King is in check, andBLACK IS DOWN A FULL ROOK. So, obviously, that can't be be best move,RIGHT? Let's see what Black decided to do: } 19... Rf7 { Rf7? I was reallyHOPING he would move Kh1, and I would have an opportunity to use SMOTHEREDMATE: 19. ...Kh8 20. Nf7+ Kg7 21. Nh6++ Kh8 (because if 21. ...Kf8, 22. Qf7#) 22. Qg8+ Rxg8 23. Nf7# There are otherendings, the least of which White would be up +4, and Black would be unableto prevent White queening a pawn. Play through other options you have,and I welcome your comments. White continues here with... } 20. Qxf7+ { Qf7+! White happily snaps up a full Rook for free and puts Black in check... } 20... Kh8 { No option here. Black's King retreats to the only square available. } 21. Nc4 { Moving the Knight aside to bring up the reinforcements, Whitealso attacks Black's Queen. Black still has some fight in him, as he playshis own powerful move: } 21... Rxd1+ { Rxd1+ See how I am powerless to take hisQueen? Of course, I counter with... } 22. Rxd1 { Rxd1... } 22... Qb8 { ...givingBlack the opportunity to move to the only square that he can prevent mateby Qe8+ Nf8 followed by Qxf8# I added an additional threat of mateat g7 by moving... } 23. Rd7 { Rd7. Black's ONLY way to protect from thismate is: } 23... Qg8 { Qg8. I move my Knight in to combine forces for mate... } 24. Nd6 { Oops! Did I make a mistake here? Black certainly thinks so. In moving my Knight to d6, I left myself open for one of my favorite attacks... } 24... Ne5 { ... the Knight Fork! OUCH! How can I be so close and slip up likethat!!!??? Remember about POWERFUL moves.... when your opponent attacksyour QUEEN... } 25. Qxg8+ { PUT HIM IN CHECK. Even after the exchange,I'll be WAY ahead... } 25... Kxg8 { Not only am I +7 ahead, but also I was ableto break the Knight Fork, freeing up my Rook to take his pawn at a8.. OR.... } 26. Rd8# { ... to simply checkmate him on the 8th rank (witha little help from my Knight friend at d6!) I hope this was helpfuland/or entertaining, and I welcome your comments and suggestions. Thanksfor dropping by, and until our paths cross again, I am yours on GameKnot, Lloyd Graham } 1-0
[Event "Team match"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2017.06.20"] [Round "-"] [White "qosmio"] [Black "rf6_"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "2011"] [TimeControl "5 days per move"] [WhiteElo "2011"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. e3 c5 3. Nf3 d5 4. dxc5 e6 5. a3 Bxc5 6. Bd2 { I have neverpalyed this kind play here, so let's go and see } 6... O-O 7. Bd3 Nc6 { wonderingif I can play e5 for simple attack and release Bc8 } 8. O-O e5 9. b4 Bd6 10. b5 Ne7 { well now i have make some forced moves to backward, but stille4 is my dagger } 11. Be2 Qc7 { My Queen controls c3, white has so littlespace } 12. h3 Ne4 { double check for c3 } 13. Bb4 Bxb4 14. axb4 f6 { thereis no hurry to add pressure against b5 } 15. Bd3 Nd6 { again my dagger isready for action } 16. Nh2 Qb6 { some pressure to b5 } 17. Nc3 Qc7 { hmmm...Na4-> Nc5 is too strong, so waiting again } 18. Nb1 Bd7 { again with Bishopand Knight will be not so good in a3 } 19. Na3 Rfd8 { Good idea to put Rookhere, d5 is my weakness } 20. Ng4 h5 { go black go...white Knight , shutthe door! } 21. Nh2 g6 22. g4 h4 { the door is now closed with dagger e5 } 23. Re1 Kg7 { King releases Ne7 and saves g6 also black squares are muchbetter to stand } 24. Be2 Qc3 { Here we are, Q take strong place with forceagainst b4 } 25. Qb1 { now white has so little space he have to play simple } 25... Nc4 26. Nxc4 dxc4 27. Bf3 Bxb5 28. Bxb7 Rab8 { now black have clear planto attack } 29. Bf3 Rd7 30. Rd1 Rbd8 31. Rxd7 Rxd7 32. Ra5 { white is planninga6 and then Bb7 if Rd7 goes line 2 } 32... a6 33. Ra1 { but black eliminates whiteBishop easily } 33... Nd5 34. Bxd5 Rxd5 35. Nf3 { white knight still trying tocome } 35... g5 36. Ra2 { white tries free his game Qb2, but now Rook is outside! } 36... e4 { dagger } 37. Nd4 Rxd4 38. exd4 Qxh3 { now white has big troubles.All pawns are separated, Rook is powerless, and have to choose betweenoffer g4 and get Queen near by King or trying save everything. } 39. Qd1 { white try save averything ! } 39... c3 { bum , f1 is no more for white } 40. d5 e3 { dagger still doing his work } 41. fxe3 Qxe3+ { no good moves for whiteking anymore } 42. Kg2 Be2 { also Qd2+ is ok...but after that there is about30 moves more end game } 43. Qe1 Bf3+ 44. Kf1 Bg2+ { This was one of my finestgames that I have played here in GameKnot } 0-1
[Event "Catalan opening: win in 23 moves!"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "16/08/2010"] [Round "-"] [White "loukas7994"] [Black "martinschmitt"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1837"] [TimeControl "20'"] [WhiteElo "1856"] { The game was played on the chesscube server. Time control was 20 minutesfor each player. I was playing White. } 1. Nf3 { I start with Nf3: my ideawas to get into a comfortable English opening without schemes with e5 anda reverse dragon to be reached. I wanted to get into a low-risk game butas the game turned out I went into complications. } 1... e6 2. c4 { Followingmy plan. } 2... d5 { 2...c5 was possible getting into Symmetrical English. } 3. d4 { A quick change of feel and getting into a Catalan opening that is verypopular at the recent years to chess community. } 3... dxc4 { My opponent triesto play the position as a Queens gambit accepted. } 4. g3 c5 { The modernvariation of the Catalan: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 dxc4 5.Bg2 c5is relevant to the variation played above but the difference is that king'sknight is not yet developed. } 5. Na3 { I play this position for the firsttime. The very first game that comes to mind is the second game of theWorld Chess Championship 2010 where Anand managed to win the game againstTopalov where he sacrificed a central pawn for queenside activity and well-developedpieces. I tried to get some ideas from that game where I had it fresh inmy mind as I saw it live in April. } 5... cxd4 6. Nxc4 { White sacrifices a pawnfor queenside activity and well-developed pieces as mentioned above. Also,Nf3-Ne5-Nd3- the d4 pawn will be blockaded. } 6... Nc6 7. Bg2 Nf6 8. O-O Be7 { Bc5 was a more active square for the bishop. } 9. Bd2 O-O 10. Rb1 { Tryingto advance the b-pawn to b4 and b5 to kick the knight. } 10... Qd5 { A mistakethat allows White to take a complete control of the position. } 11. Nfe5 { The most energetic move. } 11... Qc5 { A second mistake. Trying to defend theknight but the knight will be lost in a few moves. 11...Qd8 is surely tobe recommended instead of 11...Qc5 although things were looking good forwhite. } 12. b4 { 12.b4! } 12... Nxb4 { The right move not to lose on the spot. Myopponent thought for a long time. The critical moment is that 12...Qb513.a4 Qa6 14.b5!: not only forking the queen and knight with the pawn butthe queen is simply trapped. } 13. Bxb4 Qc7 14. Bxe7 Qxe7 15. Qxd4 { Regainingone pawn back. White rules out the position. } 15... Rd8 16. Qh4 { The most energeticplace for the queen as it pins the f6 knight to the queen and getting it into an aggressive position. } 16... Rb8 { A mistake. Although the positionwas still lost with a piece down for Black for a pawn. } 17. Nc6 { ! I amwinning the exchange by this move. } 17... bxc6 18. Rxb8 Qc7 19. Qf4 { Any movewill do here. 19.Rbb1 or Rfb1 were also good moves. I think this move ismore forcing as it forces Black to exchange Queens and go into a lost endgamewith a piece down and weak and isolated pawns on a7 and c6. } 19... Qd7 { A mistake.I don't even know why he keeps playing on. The position after 19.Qf4 isvery well resignable. } 20. Ne5 { ! Black does not have a chance after thismove. The c6 pawn will fall with tempo! } 20... Qc7 { What else? Losing also was20...Nd5 21.Nxd7 Nxf4 22.gxf4..White gains another piece since the pinon d8 and back rank issues. } 21. Nxc6 e5 { This gets ridiculous! } 22. Qxe5 Rd6 { A blunder that quickly ends the game at once. } 23. Qxd6 { ! Continuationwith queen captures queen leads to mate as 23...Qxd6 24.Rxc8+ Qf8(24...Ne825.Rxe8 Qf8 26.Ne7+ Kh8 27.Rxf8++) 25.Ne7+ Kh8 26.Rxf8 Ng8 27.Rxg8++. Iplay the Catalan a lot lately with good results. Although I wanted a reallylow-risk game it transposed into a wild game which I was happy to win it.1-0 Opponent resigns. } 1-0
[Event "Let's play chess"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2012.06.01"] [Round "-"] [White "madamimadam2"] [Black "haleyjohn7"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1461"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1583"] { This turned out to be the shortest match that I've ever played on Gameknot(excluding timeouts). I was white, and haleyjohn7 was black. This matchwill illustrate how making consecutive mistakes can lead to disaster veryquickly. I did a computer analysis of this game just to be sure that myannotations are as accurate as possible. } 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 { Atthis point, nothing really interesting has happened. However, Black makesa chain of mistakes from here on out. } 3... f6 { This type of move is usuallynot advisable this early in the game. It blocks the king-side knight fromusing its main developing square, and it exposes the king along the h5-e8diagonal. It also seriously hampers the king-side bishop's ability to develop. } 4. Bc4 { Here the computer suggested I do 4. Nc3, but this move did justfine. My thinking was that I wanted to make it more difficult for blackto castle later on. Getting more control of the center was nice, too. Infact, little did I know, but thanks to a couple major mistakes on Black'spart, my bishop became an integral part of a quick, decisive attack. } 4... Ne7 { Here's Black's next mistake. There are at least two reasons why this isn'ta good move. First, it does nothing to address the problem that he hasat e5. At first glance, it looks like there's no problem there. I havetwo attackers, and he has two defenders, but as it turns out, his d-pawnhas a little too much on its plate. The second reason why this isn't goodis because it doesn't help black free up any space. Nc6, as suggested bythe computer, would've been better because it would've been quite helpfulin defending the e5 square. } 5. dxe5 { At this point, Black has a criticaldecision to make. Even I was not aware of how dearly Black could be crippledat this juncture had Black made a mistake here. As it turns out, it isnot a good idea for Black to capture my e5 pawn at all. Capturing withthe f-pawn leaves black rather vulnerable on the king-side. Plus, I cansafely capture his pawn with my knight because, as I said, the d-pawn isa little tied up at the moment. Unfortunately for Black, he doesn't realizethis. } 5... dxe5 { This was by far Black's biggest mistake. Do you see why? Byleaving the d-file, Black's new e-pawn has paved the way for me to deala major blow. The computer suggests Bg4 instead. } 6. Bf7+ { The fatal blow.Black has no choice but to capture my bishop. } 6... Kxf7 7. Qxd8 { Having losthis queen, Black chose to resign. I didn't realize that I would be ableto launch such a powerful attack that quickly until Black's final fatalblunder. } 1-0
[Event "TORNEO UNAM 2012 (Round 3)"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "23/11/12"] [Round "-"] [White "Jimenez Capriolova, Yuri"] [Black "Pastor, Arturo"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1532"] [TimeControl "2 hrs"] [WhiteElo "1511"] 1. e4 { This is my third game, Yuri is a 19-year-old Oaxacan chess player, representing his country in the Olympics. A strong opponent. } 1... e6 { Me sentí bastantecómodo al jugar la defensa francesa, como bien saben, la prefiero por susposiciones tácticas } 2. d3 { I must admit that I was surprised by this opening, after investigating it a bit I found out that GM Carlsen Magnus, is accustomed to playing it. It is the Stonewall opening. I guess that is why it has become popular among younger chess players. } 2... c5 { I said I was surprised and decided to advance with c5, taking advantage of your weak d4 point. I was trying to control this whole game by the c5 advance. } 3. Nf3 d5 { Pidiendoexplicaciones al peón de e4, me sentía bastante cómodo en esta posición } 4. Nbd2 { I believe that by underestimating my opponent and his passive position, I made a mistake by playing g6, but I believe that it was stronger d4, with the subsequent e5, supported by the c6. Although I didn't like the idea because it could bring a powerful attack in the king's side. For that reason and taking advantage of my positional advantage, I decided to continue with the original idea and control the square d4. } 4... g6 { I don't remember exactly what GM said, "In an opening where you don't know exactly where the streams are going, I advise fianchetto". It seemed like a good idea, as it allowed me to control the center while still keeping an eye on what my rival was doing. } 5. g3 Bg7 6. Bg2 Nf6 7. O-O O-O { Unfortunately, due to its similar position, and since my supposed advantage was not true...and that it was a position of equality, I became discouraged upon perceiving the same tables. } 8. Re1 { Me pareció una buena jugada, pretende llevar su caballo a f1 y moverloa e3, seguir con avance en e5 y con un Ag5, la posición blanca estaríadestrabada } 8... Nc6 { He wanted to close the center upon seeing what he was trying to do. } 9. h4 { This move seems bad to me, I think it was better to play Cf1, then Cg5 and continue with f4. } 9... Qc7 { In the black position, either in Sicilian or French, there is a line that must be followed to give continuity to all the moves and to give the greatest activity possible. In this case, it could be Db6, Da5, Dc7, in fact IBM configured Deep Blue to recommend this move always by black, Dc7. } 10. Nf1 { Siguecon su plan de Ag5, y e5 } 10... b6 { I feel comfortable in this position, my pieces are developing with some naturalness and the whites have a little difficulty in developing a strategy. } 11. Ng5 { I was surprised by this move, but I realized that he had been planning it all along. Finally, I found that these maneuvers were better. Therefore, I decided to weaken my rook's en-passant with the hope that f4 would not be made. } 11... h6 12. Nf3 Bb7 13. Bf4 { I want to free my knight via e5, then capture the pawn and retreat my knight to e3. I believe having a positional advantage at these moments, I decided to open the game. } 13... e5 14. exd5 Nxd5 { It is possible that my opponent did not like the possibility of changing the knight for the horse, but he had few options and to me it seems that it was his best option. } 15. Bd2 Rad8 { Development first and foremost. } 16. Qc1 Kh7 { Something of a counterattack, resulting in a useless outcome. Perhaps in a rapid game it would have worked, but it was a game of more than two hours, so an error of that magnitude is impossible. } 17. N1h2 f5 { This move I liked a lot, it threatens to break the weakened pawn chain with f4. It keeps the horse on the board and also manages the possibility of e4, in addition to activating the Tf8. } 18. g4 Nd4 { He had already mentioned that taking pieces is a mistake if you leave a weaker piece of your opponent undefended. However, the decision he made with Cd4 was not the best, I think it's better to play Ce7. This change of pieces benefits my opponent, relieving the pressure on their pieces. } 19. Nxd4 cxd4 { I'm sorry, but I'm losing my advantageous position. } 20. Qd1 f4 { I like this game a lot, pressing them until they are insane with knights. It is an aggressive game, and a single error can cause the aggressiveness to be reflected in your favor. } 21. Be4 Ne7 { The change benefits white, however it is an elephant and must be eliminated. It is well-positioned and threatens h5. } 22. Bxb7 Qxb7 23. Qf3 { When I moved this piece, I became aware of my rival's true intentions. He wanted to checkmate. In fact, after he took my knight, he said to me, "I'll give you checkmate", and we had both spent much time, close to 45 minutes. } 23... Qxf3 24. Nxf3 { Ya decía yo que no deberíaconfiarme en la mañosa e3, que por su simpleza, es bastante fácil de jugarpor las blancas } 24... Nc6 25. Re4 Rd5 { In fact, I was thinking a good move. I was calculating some variants, I was a bit angry to have now to defend my weak pawn on e5. Everything seemed to indicate a sad final table. } 26. Rae1 Rb5 { Forzando b3, debilitando un pocolos peones } 27. b3 Rc5 { He was looking for this, to keep the initiative. My rival, felt a bit overwhelmed by this move. The desperation began to set in. We had been sitting close to two hours, one facing the other calculating, waiting not to make any mistake. } 28. Rc1 a5 { It was better to stay. } 29. c3 dxc3 30. Rxc3 Rxc3 31. Bxc3 { Now all the pieces are pointing to e5, a pawn that will fall irremediably. } 31... Rd8 { Viendoque no había posibilidad de salvación, decidí por mantenerme activo } 32. Nxe5 Nxe5 33. Bxe5 Rxd3 { He capturado este peligrosisimo peón } 34. Bxf4 { Finally, I was one pawn short. But then, I calculated some variations and decided to play defensively. I needed to occupy Td4, to threaten the knight, to recover the pawn and if white's tower captured b6, Txg3 and Ad4+ with the knight having the advantage. This was a variation, of some...and fortunately, my opponent had not calculated it. I was surprised that he was already playing without giving it importance...again. I offered him a draw. He rejected it. } 34... Rd7 35. Re6 { La jugada queesperaba del blanco } 35... Rd4 36. Bg3 Rxg4 { White is able to recoup the piece and make a small tactical mistake if he misplays. } 37. Rxb6 { I was surprised to find that I had to recalculate, despite having already done so. I suspected there might be a problem and so I calculated for 30 seconds, but when I saw nothing had changed, I decided to continue with the plan. } 37... Rxg3+ { Ya había calculado que pasaríasi tomase, si no tomase, etc. } 38. Kh2 Rg4 39. Kh3 h5 40. Rb5 Bc3 41. Rb7+ Kh6 42. Rb6 { He was so focused that he hadn't noticed that we were the last ones to keep playing, it had been a long and tiring game and he had started to notice that some curious onlookers had begun to watch the game...Then he turned to look at his rival, he had heard whimpering from when he took his knight, but he was surprised again when he saw that his rival had broken down in tears. I think the tension of the game had gotten to him, we both put too much concentration and only one careless move had changed the situation radically. } 42... Be1 { Although I felt indignant for him, I began to respect him for his passion for chess. I think he would never cry over a lost game, I think there are more important things in life. While the curious onlookers watched him, and murmured, I kept silent and stared at the game. However, he had lost all his concentration, it was only a matter of time before he made a mistake. Then, he gave me his hand, he signed the score sheet, he stood up and left. I wanted to give him a pat on the shoulder and tell him that I admired his passion for this game. But when a man cries, really there is nothing you can do. We all go through this as part of life. Later, I found him again in the 6th round and wished him luck. I also wished him luck. } 0-1
[Event "Challenge from yellowlab"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "02-Feb-08"] [Round "-"] [White "jonny1988"] [Black "yellowlab"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1810"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1244"] 1. e4 { 1. e4 is the most popular first move in chess. It siezes spacein the center and opens lines for the queen and bishop. Space and Developmentare two of the primary elements of chess. } 1... c5 { The Sicilian defense. 1....c5 seeks to prevent White from establishing a center pawn duo (on d4and e4), while avoiding the symmetry established after 1. ...e5. } 2. Nf3 { Developing and centralizing. The knight benefits more than any otherpiece from centralization. } 2... g6 { The hyper accelerated dragon. Black intendsto fight for control over the dark center squares. The bishop on f1 willtake up its perch on g7 and fight from a distance. } 3. c3 { A straitforwardway to counter act Black's plan. } 3... Bg7 { Continuing to develop. } 4. Bc4 { 4.d4 cxd4 5. cxd4 d5 is another way to continue. } 4... e6 { Now, black wants toplay d5 and force the bishop to move again. Notice that while 3. c3 helpsto fight for the d4 square, it hampers white's ability to control d5, bydenying the night on b1 access to c3. } 5. O-O { Quickly completing the kingside development. White is now ready for action in the center. } 5... Ne7 { Reinforcingthe thruust d7-d5, and preparing to castle. } 6. d3 { 6. d4 is still theprincipled continuation. } 6... d5 { Black is ready with a center advance thatalso hits the bishop on c4. } 7. exd5 { This will leave black with an advantagein space. 7. Bb5 is another alternative. } 7... exd5 { Recapturing and forcingthe bishop's hand. } 8. Bb3 { 8. Bb5 Nbc6 does not stop black's development,but after 8. Bb3 black catches up in development and retains a spatialadvantage. This is too much to allow after so few moves. If white hadplayed 6. d4 instead of 6. d3, the game would be level. } 8... O-O { Both sideshave completed their kingside development, but the pawns on c5 and d5 comparedto the ones on c3 and d3 confer a spatial advantage to black. } 9. Re1 { Movingthe rook to the only open file. } 9... Nbc6 { Black seeks to complete his development. } 10. Bg5 { If the pin could be maintained it would be very annoying, butit is not hard for black to neutalize it. } 10... h6 { Putting the question tothe bishop. Retreat or exchange? } 11. Bh4 { White retreats, but the pinis not a problem. } 11... Be6 { Completing the development of the minor pieces,and blocking the e-file. } 12. Ba4 { This is the third time the bishop hasmoved. White is falling behing in the element of time. } 12... Rc8 { Black wantsto preserve is pawn structure in case white chooses to capture. } 13. Bxc6 { The fourth move of a piece that is exchanged for one that has moved onlyonce. Now, black's spatial advantage is combined with an edge in developmentor time. } 13... Rxc6 { Restoring material equality. } 14. d4 { This restablishesspatial equality in the center, but the moves d3 and d4 waste a tempo. Notice the white pieces on a1 and b1 have not moved even once. } 14... c4 { Blackconverts the spatial advantage in the center to the wing. } 15. b3 { Whitewants to challenge the queenside expansion before it gets too far along. } 15... Re8 { Or 15. ...b5. Black is not worried about a capture on c4, becausethe rook would recapture. Then white would be saddled with a backward'spawn on c3. } 16. Bg3 { The 3rd move of this bishop. } 16... Nf5 { Black would loveto play with 2 bishops versus 2 knights. } 17. Be5 { It is important forwhite to eliminate one of the bishops. } 17... b5 { Black continues to expand onthe queenside. } 18. Bxg7 { This helps white by exchanging the bishops, butit took white alot of time to accomplish. The pieces on a1 and b1 stillhave not been developed. } 18... Kxg7 { Reestablishing material equality. } 19. Ne5 { Occupying the center with tempo due to the attack on the rook on c6. } 19... Rb6 { Black is going to play b4-b5 at some point, so is happy to positionthe rook along the b-file. } 20. Nd2 { 20 moves into the game, the knightfinally moves. } 20... a5 { Continuing the theme of queenside expansion. } 21. Rb1 { Anticipating the opening of the b-file. } 21... Qd6 { Black activates his lastpiece with an eye towards invading at a3. } 22. Qc2 { White activates hisfinal piece as well. Both sides have completed their development. 2 setsof minor pieces have been exchanged. Black's edge in space allows hisremaining pieces to be increase their activity more easily. } 22... Reb8 { Theiris no penetration squares along the e-file, so black doubles along theb-file in preperation for activity there. Notice that white cannot matchthis activity due to his lack of space. } 23. Rb2 { White is attempting todouble as well. } 23... cxb3 { The time has come to strike. } 24. Rxb3 { 24. axb3is better, but black plays b5-b4 in any case. } 24... b4 { The final break at last. } 25. c4 { Relatively best would've been 25. Re-b1. Now, white loses material. } 25... Nxd4 { Forking the rook and queen. } 26. Qd1 { White is lost. } 26... Nxb3 { Establishinga winnning material superiority. } 27. axb3 Qc5 { The rest is consolidationand then prosecuting the victory. } 28. cxd5 Qxd5 29. Qa1 { Crossing one'sfingers and hoping, but their is a tactical problem. } 29... Qxd2 { Black can ignorethe discovered check and wins another piece. } 30. Nf3+ { Discovered checkis a powerful tactic, but it does not work in this instance. } 30... Qc3 { Thismay have been what white missed. } 31. Qxc3+ { The game is hopeless for whiteat this point. } 31... bxc3 32. Nd4 Bxb3 33. Rc1 Bc4 { Exploiting the back rankthreat. } 34. h3 { If 34. Rxc3 Rb1 leads to mate. } 34... Rb1 { Forcing the exchangeof rooks. } 35. Rxb1 Rxb1+ 36. Kh2 Bd3 { Now, the knight must be sacrificedas well. 0-1. This game illustrates how to convert advantage in space. White found himself behind in development and with less space. His attemptsto exchange pieces cost more time, and he was not able to match the activityof the black piece swhen the final break game. } 0-1
[Event "Challenge from kermit_zap"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "08-Oct-06"] [Round "-"] [White "kermit_zap"] [Black "goldaxe2006"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1616"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1703"] 1. c4 { The English opening. Against this I normally try to transpose tothe King's Indian, which is what happens here. } 1... Nf6 2. Nc3 g6 3. Nf3 d6 4. d4 Bg7 5. e4 O-O { We have now reached the mainline of the King's IndianDefense } 6. h3 e5 { a typical move, inviting white to close the center withd5. Then black will attack on the kingside with an eventual ...f5, whilewhite will try to make progress on the queenside. } 7. d5 Nbd7 8. Be2 Nc5 { putting pressure on e4 } 9. Qc2 a5 { this move is necessary to prevent b4,driving off the knight } 10. O-O Ne8 { clearing the way for f5 } 11. Be3 b6 12. a3 { preparing b4 again } 12... f5 13. Bxc5 bxc5 14. Bd3 f4 { i decided toclose the center even more with this move to prepare g6-g5-g4 opening lineson the kingside. In some lines a Bxh3 sac might be possible also. } 15. b4 { white breaks through on the queenside } 15... axb4 16. axb4 Rxa1 17. Rxa1 cxb4 18. Na2 { white will now regain the pawn and can put his queensidefiles to use. If i didn't have an attack i would be worse. } 18... g5 19. Nh2 { preventing g4 } 19... h5 { preparing it once more } 20. Nxb4 Bd7 { putting an endto both Nc6 and Ra8 } 21. Be2 { once again restraing g4 } 21... Nf6 { and preparingit again! } 22. Ra3 g4 23. hxg4 hxg4 24. Bd3 { this slight inaccuracy letsme clamp down on the kingside with g3. White's king is then short of escapesquares } 24... Qe8 { preparing Qh5 and then Kf7 and Rh8 with a decisive attack } 25. Nf1 Qh5 26. Nd2 g3 27. fxg3 fxg3 { now if the white king flees via thef file Nxd5 wins material. white's king is therefore trapped } 28. Nf3 { the threat was Qh2 Kf1 Nxd5 . this is just about the only move coveringh2 and closing the f file } 28... Kf7 { preparing Rh8 } 29. Kf1 Qh1+ { invading onthe kingside. } 30. Ng1 { forced. Ke2 Qxg2 and the knight is lost as Ke3Ng4 is mate } 30... Ng4 { threatening both Ne3 winning the queen and Nh2 winningthe knight } 31. Be2 { Qc1 seemed to stop both threats but Kg8 wins witha rook invasion. The rest is easy. } 31... Nh2+ 32. Ke1 Qxg1+ 33. Kd2 Bh6+ 34. Kc3 Qe1+ 35. Kb3 Rb8 36. Bh5+ Ke7 37. Ka2 Qxb4 { I am now 2 clear piecesup and white's king is in a mating net. I really enjoyed that attack! } 0-1
[Event "blitz"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date ""] [Round "-"] [White "kenderfender"] [Black "???"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1885"] [TimeControl "5min"] [WhiteElo "1853"] { White is checkmating Black with 22. Qh8#. } 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 { Maybe too soon to open here } 5... c5 6. c3 Nc6 7. Nb3 { I love N in b3 defending and not being attacked by black ́s bishops,but... I let that idea run in my mind without questioning it } 7... Qb6 8. Nf3 Be7 9. Be2 { Now white bishop should be located in d3 to be active, butsomehow my plan is fouled from the start. } 9... cxd4 10. cxd4 O-O 11. O-O { However,Bd3 is open now. } 11... a5 { Black counteracts where it has more chances. My Nb3is thereatened and I see no good defense, I may have to give up on b2.Spent a few secs here deciding what to do. I feel contrained. } 12. Be3 a4 13. Nbd2 { There we go, trying to move pieces onto the King ́s wing. b2may be worth the sacrifice. } 13... Qxb2 { Black thought on this for awhile, isnot easy to decide whether it is worth or not taking on b2. On the otherhand, queen seems to be relative safe here. } 14. Bd3 { I started to makefast movements trying not to let black have a clear idea of what to do.I am not trying to attack on the queen ́s but on the King ́s wing. } 14... f6 { Iwas expecting 14...f5 straight. Or maybe 14..Qc3 (not that good). I hadto think now more than I wanted to decide to do the net attack (or notto do) } 15. Bxh7+ { It seems interesting at least. If not taken, compesnatesthe lost pawn and leaves a hole to make progress in a future attack. I ́deven say black needs to accept the sacrifice, otherwise BQ will go ontoh5 } 15... Kxh7 16. Ng5+ { The second one hurt me more to make it, since I reallydid not see a clear line to win the game, although the position seemedripe to try it: I will open f column and have an strong attack. However,black can return material several ways, and thus may achieve compensation. } 16... fxg5 17. Qh5+ Kg8 18. fxg5 { Now the threat is g6. I spent most of the remainingtime thinking on what to do in case of 18...Qc3 (threatening B in e3 andthen bringing the queen near the castling to reinforce defense; or evenN3xd5. I still have the feeling black can find a defense here, but maybe } 18... Rxf1+ { This doesn ́t solve black ́s problems, I ́d say it is even making themworse: Now if Qc3, it is doable Rf3 } 19. Rxf1 Nd8 { Now the attack is unstoppable.I was thinking what to do in case of N3xe5 or Nf6 } 20. g6 Nf8 21. Rxf8+ Kxf8 22. Qh8# 1-0
[Event "The importance of a square"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009.07.24"] [Round "-"] [White "nyctalop"] [Black "eddeeagle"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1601"] [TimeControl "3d+1d<5d"] [WhiteElo "1663"] 1. e4 { This game features the very dated variation of the Dragon whereWhite wins a pawn but allows activity for Black. The main defender of thisline for Black is GM Fedorov, scoring quite well with it. } 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. O-O-O { This is slowly gaining favor over the old 9.Bc4, which though still difficultfor Black, is gaining new favor because of newly found resources, one ofthem being the very modern and fashionable Chinese Dragon. } 9... d5 { The mostcritical response. Other moves that are playable here are: 9...Nxd4 10.Bxd4Be6, although a plan involving 11.Bb5, with the idea of Ba4-Bb3 has provenquite successful for White, and 9...Bd7 10.g4 Rc8 11.h4, and it looks likeWhite's attack will be faster than Black's. } 10. exd5 { 10.Kb1 is a newidea here, though I'll hopefully play it in a future game and explain itmore thoroughly there. } 10... Nxd5 11. Nxc6 bxc6 12. Nxd5 { 12.Bd4 is the currentmain line, but my personal feeling is that Black can hold the positionthere. } 12... cxd5 13. Qxd5 Qc7 14. Qc5 Qb8 { Believe it or not, I think thisis the losing move. It's not really apparent but Black is left withoutan important tactical resource to counter White's defensive set up. } 15. Qa3 { As a side note, only play this after 14...Qb8, if 14...Qb7, play 15.b3.It doesn't allow the following trick by Black 14...Qb7 15.Qa3 Bf5 16.Bd3Rab8 17.b3 Qc6!, with the point that if 18.Bxf5 Qc3 and White is in trouble. } 15... Be6 16. Ba6 { Stopping a5 and now allowing a Rook to come to c8. } 16... Qe5 { After 16...Qc7, White should play c3 to blunt out the Bg7. } 17. g3 { PreparingBf4 and freeing the Rook from the defense of the h2 pawn. } 17... Rad8 { Preventing18.Bd4 } 18. Bf4 Qf6 19. Bc7 { Forcing the exchange of one pair of Rooks. } 19... Rd7 { If 19...Rxd1+ 20.Rxd1, White has stabilized the position and the Rf8has no good places to come into play. } 20. Rxd7 Bxd7 21. Re1 { If 21.Rd1Qc6 22.Bf4 Bf5 23.Bd3 Qxf3. Now e7 is under attack but Black should createthreats instead of wasting time defending it. } 21... Bf5 { Threatening Qc6. If22.Rxe7 Qc6 23.Bd3 Qxf3 24.Bxf5 Qf1+ (forcing the White King to come tothe center) 25.Kd2 Qxf5 and Black is better. } 22. Be5 { The general aimfor White in this line is to exchange pieces and enter the endgame wherehis extra pawn will grant him victory. } 22... Qc6 23. Bd3 Bxd3 24. Qxd3 { Onepair of Bishops has been exchanged and now White can be a little more relaxed.Black has to either exchange the dark squared Bishops or reroute to a lessactive diagonal. I can't blame him for choosing the latter. } 24... Qe6 25. Qb3 { Offering a Queen swap after which the c-pawn could advance unhindered. } 25... Bh6+ { Activating the remaining Bishop. } 26. f4 { Finally getting rid ofthe f3 weakness but entering a slightly annoying pin. } 26... Qh3 { Invading theWhite squares. The fact that Black is forced to attack measly pawns insteadof the King means that White is out of the woods. } 27. Qf3 { Indirectlydefending h2, since after Qxh2, Rh1 wins the Queen. } 27... f6 28. Bc3 e5 { Exploitingthe pin. Believe it or not, all of these moves have been played before.Here, the stem game continued with 29.Kb1, but after 29...exf4, Black survived. } 29. Qd5+ { This is much stronger as it shows that it's Black's King turnto come under attack. } 29... Kh8 { If 29...Rf7, then 30.Kb1 and exf4 isn't possibleon account of 31.Re7. If 29...Kg7, then again 30.Kb1 but now 30...exf4is possible but still 31.Re7+ is the move of choice, and after 31...Kh8,it's time to give the White monarch some breathing room with 32.a4 } 30. Kb1 { Finally breaking the pin. } 30... exf4 { Trying to win a pawn. But now it'sWhite's turn to harass the King's castled position. } 31. Bb4 { Making roomfor the Queen to come to f7. } 31... Rg8 32. Qf7 Qc8 { 32...Bg7 loses to 33.Re8and Black has to give up the Queen to stave of mate. } 33. Be7 Bg7 34. Bxf6 Bxf6 { 34...Qf8 was more stubborn but after 35.Bxg7 Qxg7 36.Qxf4 he is twopawns down and out of threats to stay in the game. } 35. Qxf6+ Rg7 36. Re7 { A horrible pin. Black is hopeless. } 36... Qg8 37. gxf4 h5 38. Rxa7 Kh7 { Forcingthe exchanges but now the simple march of the a-pawn is decisive. } 39. Rxg7+ Qxg7 40. Qxg7+ Kxg7 41. a4 { Black resigned. I'm still wonderingwhy this line has fallen out of favor with top GMs, White just seems betterand with a little defense he should hold on to the extra pawn and succeedin the endgame. } 1-0
[Event "Chess game"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "August 14 2018"] [Round "-"] [White "Wesley So"] [Black "Hikaru Nakamura "] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "2777"] [TimeControl "Unknown "] [WhiteElo "2780"] { Short Gm game } 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O { Castling early } 5. Ne2 c6 6. a3 Ba5 7. c5 { !? Probably for preventing Qb6 } 7... d5 8. cxd6 { En passent } 8... Qxd6 9. b4 { Die } 9... Bc7 10. Bb2 Qe7 11. Ng3 e5 12. dxe5 Bxe5 13. Be2 a5 14. O-O axb4 15. axb4 Rxa1 16. Qxa1 { 6 for 6 } 16... Qxb4 { Nope! 6for 7 } 17. f4 Bxc3 18. Bxc3 Qe7 19. e4 Re8 20. Bf3 Na6 21. e5 { Die } 21... Nd5 22. Bxd5 cxd5 { B for N } 23. f5 Nb4 24. f6 Qc5+ 25. Kh1 d4 { ? } 26. Bxd4 { 0 } 26... Qc4 27. fxg7 { Passed pawn } 27... Nc2 28. Qc1 Qxd4 { Why not Kxg7? } 29. Qxc2 Qxe5 30. Qc4 Be6 31. Qh4 Ra8 { Kxg7 waiting for you } 32. Nh5 h6 33. h3 b5 34. Re1 Qg5 35. Nf6+ { !? } 35... Kxg7 36. Qe4 Ra4 { Why not Qxf6 or Kxf6? } 37. Ne8+ Kf8 38. Qc6 Rc4 39. Qd6+ Kxe8 { Bye bye } 40. Ra1 { Threatening Ra8+ } 40... Rc1+ { White resigns } 0-1
[Event "Overpowering The Dentist"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2012.05.30"] [Round "-"] [White "jstevens1"] [Black "The Dentist"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1234"] [TimeControl "7 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1883"] 1. f4 { Hi everyone! I had another game with a long-standing nemisis knownas The Dentist. Do not be fooled by his current rating. He reached anoptimum of over 1400 and I still maintain he is capable of getting to 1500were it not for the fact that he regularly visits Vietnam which may nothave a good internet connection and therefore he has suffered a lot oftimeouts. Make no mistake, at the top of his game he is a serious threatand I have had one loss, a few low draws and several near misses againsthim - that is why I play against him unrated. Just have a look at my annotations,'In the Dentist's Chair and The Dentist has his Day to see why. Thankfullysince the loss I had against him, I have hardly allowed him to breatheand I just hope I can continue to crush him like I did in this game. Hereis how it happened: http://gameknot.com/analyze-board.pl?bd=17550343&rnd=0.45702334734048733. I decided to deviate from my normal e4 and play something else. Thisis f4 known as The Bird's Opening. } 1... g6 2. e4 d5 3. e5 { 3. e5 - pawn cramp- already takes away the black knight's best square, f6. } 3... e6 4. d4 Bb4+ { 4. ...... Bb4+ - this check is a waste because that bishop can be drivenback immediately with c3. } 5. c3 Ba5 6. Nf3 h6 7. Bd3 a6 8. Be3 { 8. Be3- over the last few moves I have concentrated fully on development. } 8... b5 9. O-O Qe7 10. Nbd2 { 10. Nbd2 - and I continue to clear the decks. } 10... Nd7 11. Qc2 Bb7 { 11. ...... Bb7 - black is playing well here. I do not havea plan but I do have the seed of a plan here. I am thinking about Concordborn'sSicilian MT in which I used a4 as a pawn break to beat Concordborn (Matthew). I eventually got a decisive passed pawn on the a column and eventuallywent on to win the exchange. Maybe I could utilise that plan in this gameto good effect. } 12. b4 Bb6 13. a4 { 13. a4 - here it is! } 13... f6 { 13. .......f6?! - not sure about this move, maybe black had been better served byplaying 0-0-0. I now have the choice between BxP+ and axb5. I decidedon the latter - at least this leaves the former threat open. } 14. axb5 Nb8 15. bxa6 Bxa6 16. Bxa6 Nxa6 { 16. ..... Nxa6 - this plethora of exchangesleaves a knight in a pin which can be exploited by ...... } 17. b5 { 17.b5! } 17... fxe5 18. Nxe5 { 18. Nxe5 - I leave the knight on the board as it stillcannot escape without the rook on a8 being taken for starters. This movenow threatens Nxg6. I have threats on both sides of the board. My opponenttimes out but gameknot analysis shows that I am winning hands down. Freddy,if you had the black pieces here, how would you continue this game? Canyou turn the tables on me - this is your challenge. Anyhow I hope youhave all had a good read. Kind regards - Joanne } 1-0
[Event "Team match"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2016.11.16"] [Round "-"] [White "e4newman"] [Black "der33"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1533"] [TimeControl "5 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1484"] 1. e4 { I really need to study the computer analysis on this one } 1... e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bc4 h6 { Mistake: +1.03 ... h6 4. d4 exd4 5. Nxd4 Nf6 6. Nc3 c5 7. Nf3 Be6 8. Qd3 Bxc4 9. Qxc4 Nc6 10. O-O Rc8 Best: +0.00 ... c6 } 4. c3 { Inaccuracy: +0.27 4. d4 exd4 5. Nxd4Nf6 6. Nc3 c5 7. Nf3 Be6 8. Qd3 Bxc4 9. Qxc4 Nc6 10. O-O Rc8 Best: +1.03 4. d4 exd4 5. Nxd4Nf6 6. Nc3 c5 7. Nf3 Be6 8. Qd3 Bxc4 9. Qxc4 Nc6 10. O-O Rc8 } 4... Nf6 5. Bd3 Bg4 6. h3 Bxf3 7. Qxf3 Be7 8. Bc2 O-O 9. d3 Nc6 10. Nd2 b5 11. Nb3 { I washeaded to K-side but ...b5 } 11... a5 12. a4 b4 13. Bd2 d5 14. d4 { Mistake: -0.92» 14. d4 bxc3 15. bxc3 exd4 16. O-O Rb8 17. exd5 Ne5 18. Qg3 d3 19. Bxh6Ng6 20. Qxd3 gxh6 21. Rad1 Nf4 22. Qg3+ Ng6 23. Nxa5 Nxd5 24. Bxg6 Best:+0.38 » 14. O-O Rb8 15. Rfd1 Qd7 16. Rab1 Qe6 17. exd5 Qxd5 18. Qxd5 Nxd519. d4 exd4 20. Nxd4 Nxd4 21. cxd4 } 14... bxc3 { I thought he should open thed-file with something like 14...dxe4 but the computer says the game movewas OK } 15. bxc3 exd4 16. cxd4 { Inaccuracy: -1.63 » 16. cxd4 dxe4 17. Qc3Qd5 18. O-O Bb4 19. Qe3 Rab8 20. Rab1 Rfd8 21. Rfd1 Nxd4 22. Nxd4 Qxd423. Qxd4 Rxd4 Best: -0.86 » 16. O-O Ne5 17. Qf5 d3 18. Bb1 Rb8 19. Qxe5Nxe4 20. f3 Bf6 21. Qf5 Nxd2 22. Nxd2 Bxc3 23. Ra2 Bd4+ 24. Kh1 } 16... Bb4 { Mistake:+0.06 » ... Bb4 17. e5 Bxd2+ 18. Kxd2 Nd7 19. Qxd5 Ndxe5 20. Qxd8 Raxd8 21.Kc3 Ng6 22. Be4 Nge7 23. Bxc6 Nxc6 24. Rhe1 Rfe8 Best: -1.52 » ... dxe4 17.Qe2 Nxd4 18. Nxd4 Qxd4 19. O-O Rfd8 20. Rfd1 Qe5 21. Rab1 Rab8 22. Rxb8Rxb8 23. Be3 Nd5 } 17. e5 Bxd2+ 18. Kxd2 Ne8 19. Rab1 Rb8 20. Rhc1 Rb4 21. Ke3 { Mistake: -0.81 21. Ke3 Rxa4 22. Qf4 Qe7 23. Bh7+ Kxh7 24. Rxc6 Qa3 25. Rc3 Rb4 26. Kf3 a4 27. Ra1 Qb2 28. Qf5+ Kg8 Best: +0.66 21. Qd3 g6 22. Bd1 Rb6 23. Qe3 Ng7 24. Qxh6 Nf5 25. Qf4 Qe7 26. Bf3 Qb4+ 27. Ke2 Nfxd4+ 28. Nxd4 Qxd4 29. Qxd4 Nxd4+ 30. Ke3 } 21... Qg5+ { Mistake: +0.28 » ... Qg5+ 22.Qf4 Qxf4+ 23. Kxf4 f6 24. e6 Nd6 25. g3 Nxd4 26. Nxd4 Rxd4+ 27. Ke3 c528. Kf3 Rb4 29. Re1 Rc8 30. Bb3 Best: -0.81 » ... Rxa4 22. Qf4 Qe7 23. Bh7+Kxh7 24. Rxc6 Qa3 25. Rc3 Rb4 26. Kf3 a4 27. Ra1 Qb2 28. Qf5+ Kg8 } 22. Ke2 { Blunder: -2.96 » 22. Ke2 Rxb3 23. Qxd5 Rxb1 24. Rxb1 Nb4 25. Qe4 Nxc226. Qxc2 Qxg2 27. Qd3 Qd5 28. Rb5 Qa2+ 29. Qd2 Qxa4 30. Rxa5 Best: +0.28» 22. Qf4 Qxf4+ 23. Kxf4 f6 24. e6 Nd6 25. g3 Nxd4 26. Nxd4 Rxd4+ 27. Ke3c5 28. Kf3 Rb4 29. Re1 Rc8 30. Bb3 } 22... Rxb3 { I totally missed the point ofthis move, even made a note during the game that it was a blunder but itis not. } 23. Qxd5 Rc3 { Blunder: +0.77 » ... Rc3 24. Bh7+ Kxh7 25. Rxc3 Nd826. Qe4+ Kh8 27. Rg3 Qe7 28. Kf1 Qe6 29. Qd3 Qc6 30. Qb3 Qa6+ 31. Rd3 Nc632. Qc3 Nb4 Best: -3.19 » ... Rxb1 24. Rxb1 Nb4 25. Qe4 Nxc2 26. Qxc2 Qxg227. Qd3 f6 28. e6 Qd5 29. Qb3 Qxd4 30. Kf3 c5 31. Qc2 } 24. Bh7+ Kxh7 25. Rxc3 Ne7 26. Qe4+ Kg8 27. Rb5 c6 28. Rxa5 { Inaccuracy: +0.60 » 28. Rxa5Nc7 29. Ra7 Ncd5 30. Rc4 Rb8 31. a5 Nf5 32. Ke1 Rb2 33. Ra8+ Kh7 34. Kf1Rd2 35. Kg1 Rd1+ 36. Kh2 Best: +1.52 » 28. Rb7 f6 29. g3 fxe5 30. dxe5Rf7 31. Rc5 Qh5+ 32. Qg4 Qxg4+ 33. hxg4 Nd5 34. Rxf7 Kxf7 35. Rxc6 Nb436. Rc1 } 28... Nc7 29. Ra7 Ncd5 30. Rc2 Nf4+ { Inaccuracy: +1.43 » ... Nf4+ 31.Kf1 Qf5 32. f3 Ned5 33. Qxf5 Ne3+ 34. Kg1 Nxf5 35. Rd7 Ne6 36. Rxc6 Nexd437. Rc4 Re8 38. Rdxd4 Nxd4 39. Rxd4 Rxe5 Best: +0.64 » ... Rb8 31. g3 Nf532. g4 Nfe7 33. a5 Nf4+ 34. Kd2 Nc8 35. Rd7 Nxh3+ 36. Qe3 Nf4 37. Rxc6Rb2+ 38. Kc3 } 31. Kf1 Re8 32. Rb7 f5 33. Qf3 Ne6 34. Rb4 { Mistake: +0.31» 34. Rb4 Rd8 35. Qe3 Qxe3 36. fxe3 Nd5 37. Rb3 c5 38. dxc5 f4 39. exf4Nd4 40. Rcc3 Nxb3 41. Rxb3 Nxf4 Best: +1.98 » 34. Qb3 Qg6 35. a5 Kh7 36.Qa4 Qh5 37. Qa1 Qh4 38. Rd7 Qg5 39. Rd6 Nf4 40. f3 Ned5 41. Qa3 Re6 42.Rxe6 Nxe6 43. Rxc6 Nxd4 } 34... Rd8 35. Qe3 Qg6 36. Rd2 { Mistake: -1.51 » 36.Rd2 Nd5 37. Qb3 Nxb4 38. Qxb4 Kh7 39. Qc4 Rb8 40. Qc2 Rb4 41. Rd1 Qh5 42.f3 Rxd4 43. a5 Rxd1+ 44. Qxd1 f4 45. Qd3+ Kg8 Best: +0.52 » 36. Qb3 Kh737. Rb7 f4 38. Rc4 Nf5 39. a5 Nfxd4 40. Qd1 Qe4 41. a6 Qxe5 42. a7 Qe443. Rb2 } 36... Nd5 37. Qb3 Nxb4 38. Qxb4 Nf4 { Inaccuracy: -1.08 » ... Nf4 39. g3Nxh3 40. a5 Ng5 41. a6 Qf7 42. Qa4 Ne6 43. Qxc6 Nxd4 44. Qc5 Rd5 45. Qc8+Kh7 Best: -1.80 » ... Rd5 39. Kg1 f4 40. Kh2 f3 41. g3 Qe4 42. a5 Nxd4 43.Qb8+ Kh7 44. a6 Rxe5 45. a7 } 39. f3 Qg3 40. Qc4+ { Blunder: -6.43 » 40.Qc4+ Kh8 41. Qc2 Qh2 42. Qd1 Rxd4 43. Rxd4 Qxg2+ 44. Ke1 Qg1+ 45. Kd2 Qxd4+46. Ke1 Qe3+ 47. Kf1 Nxh3 48. Kg2 Nf4+ 49. Kh1 Nd3 50. Kg2 Best: -2.83» 40. Qb6 Rf8 41. d5 Nxd5 42. Qd4 Re8 43. Re2 Nf4 44. Rd2 Qh2 45. a5 Qh1+46. Qg1 Qxg1+ 47. Kxg1 Rxe5 } 40... Kh7 { Blunder: -2.03 » ... Kh7 41. Qc2 Rb8 42.Kg1 Kh8 43. Qc1 Rb3 44. Qd1 Re3 45. Kf1 c5 46. dxc5 Rxe5 47. c6 Best: -6.43» ... Kh8 41. Qc2 Qh2 42. Qd1 Rxd4 43. Rxd4 Qxg2+ 44. Ke1 Qg1+ 45. Kd2 Qxd4+46. Ke1 Qe3+ 47. Kf1 Nxh3 48. Kg2 Nf4+ 49. Kh1 Nd3 50. Kg2 Qf2+ } 41. Qxc6 { Blunder: -10.53 » 41. Qxc6 Qh2 42. h4 Qh1+ 43. Kf2 Qxg2+ 44. Ke3 Nd5+45. Qxd5 Qg1+ 46. Kd3 Rxd5 47. Kc4 Ra5 48. Kb4 Qe1 49. Kxa5 Qxd2+ 50. Kb5Qxd4 51. a5 Best: -6.37 » 41. Qc2 Qh2 42. Qxf5+ Kg8 43. g3 Qh1+ 44. Kf2Qg2+ 45. Ke3 Nd5+ 46. Kd3 Qf1+ 47. Re2 Qd1+ 48. Rd2 Qb3+ 49. Ke2 Qe3+ 50.Kf1 Qxd2 51. Qe6+ } 41... Qh2 42. Qc2 { Blunder: -Mate(12) » 42. Qc2 Qh1+ 43. Kf2Qxg2+ 44. Ke3 Nd5+ 45. Kd3 Qxf3+ 46. Kc4 Ne3+ 47. Kd3 Nxc2+ 48. Kxc2 Rc8+49. Kb1 Qb3+ 50. Rb2 Qd1+ 51. Ka2 Qxa4+ 52. Kb1 Best: -9.54 » 42. h4 Qh1+43. Kf2 Qxg2+ 44. Ke3 Nd5+ 45. Qxd5 Qg1+ 46. Kf4 Rxd5 47. Kxf5 Qe3 48.Ke6 Ra5 49. Rb2 Qxd4 50. Rb5 Ra6+ 51. Kf5 Qxh4 } 42... Qh1+ 43. Kf2 Qxg2+ 44. Ke1 Qg1# 0-1
[Event "GameKnot Blitz, 5 Min"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2010.07.27"] [Round "-"] [White "porygon"] [Black "seneque"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "2042"] [TimeControl "5 min"] [WhiteElo "1590"] 1. e4 c5 { sicilian defense } 2. Nf3 e6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Nf6 6. Bb5 Bb4 7. Bxc6 { I'm not great at playing against the sicilian, so Itend to both trade off the opponents pieces early to thwart any trickytactics and focus on queenside play. } 7... bxc6 8. e5 { pushing the pawn to makeit interesting. } 8... Nd5 9. Bd2 Qa5 { at this point I'm hoping for an uncastledking rather than a doubled pawn. The king in the center with few piecesleft is not so bad. } 10. Nxd5 Bxd2+ 11. Qxd2 Qxd2+ 12. Kxd2 cxd5 { Now blackhas the doubled pawn, though it rests well in the center. } 13. Nb5 O-O 14. f4 { 14. Nd5 would have been better. } 14... Rb8 { Now I risk losing the pawn. } 15. Nd6 Rb6 { but the pawn is left alone. } 16. b3 a5 17. g4 Ba6 18. h4 Rfb8 19. a4 { a pawn push on the kingside would have been better. } 19... Rb4 20. f5 Rxg4 21. Rhg1 { I moved the wrong rook at the last moment. } 21... Rxh4 22. f6 g6 23. Rh1 Rxh1 24. Rxh1 Rb4 25. Rh3 h5 26. Rc3 h4 27. Rc7 h3 28. Rxd7 h2 29. Rxf7 h1=Q 30. Rg7+ Kf8 31. Rf7+ { going for the draw } 31... Kg8 32. Rg7+ Kh8 { ?? } 33. Nf7# { Mate } 1-0
[Event "fatcat2 vs Computers: Game 2"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date ""] [Round "-"] [White "Fritz 10"] [Black "fatcat2"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] { If you have been following my annotated games, you will know that I recentlystarted a sort of 'Grand Tour' playing against as many chess computers/programsas I could, and then annotating them on Gameknot. The Grand Tour continuesinto a 2nd round, with me playing Black against the PC programme Fritz10. Who will win, human or silicon? } 1. e4 { If you want the details, thisgame was a 'rated game' played against Fritz's lowest rated game level- which is still quite formidable. I have heard that a good way of beatingFritz is to play a completely positional, tactic-free game. } 1... e5 { I havehad bad experiences playing my favourite French Defence against Fritz,and Alekhine's Defence gives me a hard time against anyone, let alone Fritz!These are the only two responses to 1.e4 I have had any significant experiencewith (and for the record I gave up Alekhine's Defence in June) so I played1...e5, of which you do not really need so much experience to play competently. } 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 { The Ruy Lopez or Spanish Opening. This is by far themost common 1.e4 e5 opening at grandmaster levels. Obviously White is puttingpressure on Black's e-pawn. } 3... d6 { The oldest response, the Steinitz Defence.I play the Cozio Defence (3...Nge7) more often, but this temporarily compromisesBlack's dark-squared bishop, giving White a dynamic advantage. I tend toprefer more sedate positions while playing Fritz. The problem with theSteinitz Defence is that it pins Black's developed knight. } 4. d4 exd4 5. Qxd4 { Taking advantage of the pinned knight to bring the queen out. } 5... Bd7 { I try to break the pin on the knight. } 6. Bxc6 { Disconcertingly, Fritzwas playing these moves without a second's hesitation, not a single beepof discomfort. My opponent in Game 1, those of you who looked at it willremember, was a rather battered handheld chess device, Star Chess by name- I could easily see when it was uncomfortable with a position by the factthat a little red light started blinking on its side. But what went onin Fritz's silicon chips was unknown to me. } 6... Bxc6 7. Nc3 Nf6 8. Bg5 Be7 { Immediately the pin is broken. I have had bad experiences in tournamentswhen a minor-looking pin festers and eventually causes the collapse ofmy position, so I usually instinctively break pins as soon as possible. } 9. O-O-O O-O { Castling on opposite sides leads to sharp games, as bothsides will often try a pawn storm on the opposing king's position. } 10. Rhe1 Re8 11. Kb1 Ng4 12. Bxe7 Rxe7 { Looking back, probably Qxe7 would haveput more pressure on White's e-pawn and have been a better idea. } 13. h4 Nf6 14. e5 Nd7 { Forced into passivity. By now my silicon opponent's positionis wide-open and dominant. However, Fritz's speed in moving has sloweddown, and has also begun to emit a tiny whirring noise. This is eitherFritz needing some more thought or distracting tactics. } 15. exd6 Rxe1 16. Rxe1 cxd6 17. Ng5 Qf6 18. Qd3 { Fritz goes in for the kill! Or not.At the very least he wants to grab material. } 18... g6 19. f3 Nc5 20. Qd2 h6 21. Nxf7 { !? A knight sacrifice for two pawns. I can see no immediate forcinglines, and in any case didn't want to be left minus a pawn, so I acceptedthe knight... } 21... Kxf7 22. Qxh6 Re8 { Offering up the exchange. Whenever Iam ahead on material by, say, a piece for pawns, I automatically go intoexchange mode, trying to consolidate my lead by removing pieces from theboard. } 23. Rd1 Qg7 { Leaving my d-pawn underprotected, but obviously noten prise, unless White wants to part with his queen :-) } 24. Qg5 Qf6 { Relentlesslypursuing a queen exchange. } 25. Qg3 Re6 26. Qg4 Qf5 27. Qd4 Qe5 28. Qxe5 { Finally, Fritz accepts the exchange. 'The hard part is over', I told myself,'I've got the queens off the board, and with my material advantage - abishop for two pawns - the rest should be easy'. Fat chance. } 28... dxe5 29. a3 e4 { Offering up more exchanges. } 30. Nxe4 Nxe4 31. fxe4 Bxe4 { All ofwhich Fritz accepts! This seems to be going perfectly for me! } 32. g4 Bf3 33. Rd7+ Re7 34. Rd4 Re4 { If he goes back to 35.Rd7 I will retreat myking and then win his g-pawn. } 35. Rxe4 Bxe4 { But, instead, my opponentinitiates an exchange! Incredible! I am sure this is giving him very littlecounterplay... } 36. Kc1 g5 { I calculated that if my Fritz decided to acceptthis temporary sacrifice, I would quickly win both his g- and h-pawns.I hadn't planned for what would happen after 37.h5... } 37. hxg5 { ...but,luckily, he doesn't play 37.h5. This could have led to a disaster for Blackso I think I was very lucky there! } 37... Kg6 38. c4 Kxg5 39. b4 Kxg4 { BAM!BAM!and the two pawns no longer exist. } 40. Kb2 Kf5 41. Kb3 Ke6 42. a4 Kd6 43. c5+ Kc6 44. Kc3 b5 { Another move similar the recent pawn sacrifice.If cxb6e.p. then Kxb6 and all is fine. 45.a5 also fragments White's pawnstructure. } 45. axb5+ Kxb5 46. c6 Kxc6 47. Kb2 Kb5 48. Ka1 Kxb4 { Why isWhite giving up his pawns without a fight? The answer dawns on me suddenly:The position is irrevocably drawn now. I have the curse of side pawn endgames:the WRONG COLOURED BISHOP. If my bishop was dark-squared, I'd be able todrive Fritz's king out of my pawn's queening square. But, as I don't, thisis a draw. I can procrastinate, but... } 49. Ka2 a5 50. Ka1 Bd5 51. Kb1 a4 52. Ka1 a3 53. Kb1 Kb3 54. Ka1 Ka4 55. Kb1 Kb4 56. Ka1 Kb3 57. Kb1 a2+ 58. Ka1 Be4 { ...in the end, I can't force Fritz's king out. And he is unlikelyto come out willingly, strangely enough. Well, it's not all that bad. Ihave secured a solid draw as Black, holding my narrow lead against oneof my stronger opponents - Fritz 10 is not a battered little handheld devicecovered in mysterious red lights, unlike my Round 1 opponent! With thescore at 1.5 to fatcat2, 0.5 to the Computers, I am optimistic for thenext round. } 1/2-1/2
[Event "Challenge from lubos222"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2013.02.13"] [Round "-"] [White "lubos222"] [Black "ptitroque"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1647"] [TimeControl "5 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1650"] 1. d4 Nf6 { Playing the benoni for the first time on GK in a rated game. } 2. c4 c5 3. e3 { White usually play d5 but this variation seems ok tome. } 3... e6 { The GK database gives g6 but the order has little importance,I think. } 4. g3 g6 { Preparing the fiancheto which is part of the benoni } 5. Bg2 { White opts for a fiancheto as well } 5... d5 { I'm not sure about thismove. I expected white to play d5 and may be I should have plaid 5. ...Bg2 } 6. cxd5 exd5 7. Nc3 Be6 { Now I have to defend the poor d pawn whoshould, in the variation I plaid till now be on d3 } 8. Qb3 b6 9. Nge2 c4 10. Qa4+ Qd7 11. Qxd7+ { This move permits black to bring the b knight outbut it would probably have been in a better square on c6. } 11... Nbxd7 12. Nb5 { Menaces from a fork attack by 13. Nc2 } 12... Bb4+ 13. Bd2 Bxd2+ 14. Kxd2 { Thewhite king cannot castle anylonger. } 14... O-O { But black does castle } 15. h3 { The situation seems equilibrated. Material is equal, no direct theats,uncertain fight for the center, both pawn structures are ok, nobody occupatesthe semi open files, white king relatively unsafe } 15... a6 { I don't want thisknight on my territory. } 16. Nbc3 Rfe8 { Now, the open e file, importantin the benoni } 17. g4 { The advantage of having the king on the center filesis that one doesn't hesitate to move the wing pawns. } 17... b5 { To enable Nb3 } 18. a3 Nb6 { To enable the LSB to go to d7 } 19. Rhb1 Bd7 20. b3 { ennoyingattack } 20... Ne4+ 21. Nxe4 { Trade } 21... dxe4 { White has now an advantage with thepawn structure } 22. Nc3 { To attack the pawn e4 } 22... Bc6 { Protecting e4 } 23. Bf1 cxb3 { To prevent bxc4 } 24. Rxb3 Nd5 25. Bg2 Nxc3 { another trade } 26. Rxc3 Bd5 { Blocking the center } 27. Rac1 { Dangerous situation with the doublerooks } 27... Re6 { to prevent Rc6 } 28. Rc7 Rf6 29. Ke1 Rd8 { to prevent d7. I beginto have a plan using the pawn superiority on the right wing but the whiterooks must be in a proper position } 30. Re7 Re6 { I was afraid that whitewould have trade the rooks } 31. Rec7 { White doesn't want to trade } 31... Kg7 { For my plan I might have to send the d rook on another line and have theking in peace } 32. h4 a5 { Go for the pawn attack } 33. R1c5 b4 34. axb4 axb4 35. Rb5 b3 36. Kd2 Ra6 37. Bxe4 Ra2+ 38. Kc3 Rc2+ { Mistake ! I wasto greedy, looking for the mate instead of simply taking the LSB with mybishop. I had a wining position, menacing f2 with my rook... The winningsequence for black was : 38. ... Bxe4 39. Rxb3 Rxf2 (protecting f7) } 39. Bxc2 { The game is lost. } 39... bxc2 40. Kxc2 Be4+ 41. Kc3 Bf3 42. g5 Ra8 43. Re7 Ra3+ 44. Rb3 Ra2 45. Rb2 Ra1 46. e4 Rh1 47. Rbb7 Kf8 48. Rxf7+ Ke8 49. Rxf3 1-0
[Event "Acid Redux"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "31-Oct-06"] [Round "-"] [White "jamestily"] [Black "kuahyeow"] [Result ""] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "791"] 1. d3 { Mieses Opening } 1... e5 2. e4 Nc6 { Defence of e5 pawn, as well as attackingd4. } 3. Nf3 Bc5 4. c3 d6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Bd2 Nf6 { Develop andallow 0-0 } 8. a3 Bxd2+ 9. Nfxd2 Bg4 10. f3 Bd7 11. d5 Ne5 12. f4 Ng6 13. f5 Ne5 14. Nc3 O-O 15. g3 Re8 16. Ne2 { wow! } 16... Nd3#
[Event "The one that got away!"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2016.08.14"] [Round "-"] [White "stalhandske"] [Black "elyhim"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [BlackElo "2556"] [TimeControl "3d+2d<5d"] [WhiteElo "2266"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. c4 { We pick up this epic gameby Stalhandske at move 5 in the mini tournament. IMO the Sicilian Marocozybind system starts slightly in white's favor. This is due to the edge inspace and slightly more active knight. } 5... Bg7 { logically developing thebishop to the strong diagonal. } 6. Be3 { developing and defending d4 } 6... Qb6 { adding pressure to d4 and hitting at the abandoned b2. Black has manyalternative options here such as ...d6 and ...Nf6. } 7. Nb3 Qd8 { Duringthe game I was reluctant to play ...Qc7+ because after 8. Qd2 Nf6 9. Nc3d6 10. f3 the situation is almost ideal for white. However, 7. ...Qb4+!?8. Bd2 Qb6 9. Nc3 Nf6 black should have no difficulties. } 8. Qc2 { ?! slightlyinaccurate as the queen to me looks awkward and passive on this square.Furthermore, it takes a key defender away from d4. Better in my opinionis 8. Qd2 d6 9. Nc3 Nf6 10. f3. } 8... d6 { securing more control over the darksquares and releasing the LSB for active duty. } 9. Nc3 { White continuesto develop and increase his control over d5 and light squares } 9... Nf6 { Developingthe knight, countering white's pressure on d5 and creating typical Sicilianthreats of ...Ng4 and ...Nh5. } 10. h3 { preventing any business of blackharassing the DSB with ...Ng4 } 10... b6 { At the moment white's e and c pawnsare targets so the idea is to play Bb7 in combination of ...Nc5 to hitat e4. However, whie can simply play f3 and any hope of pressure on e4ends. Looking back at it now it seems that the c-pawn is much weaker asthe knight on b3 blocks white from playing b3. Which means white has todefend with pieces. So may a better alternative is 10. ...Be6 11. Be2 Rc812. 0-0 0-0 13. Rac1 Nb4 14. Qd1 Bxc4 15. Bxc4 Rxc4 and white's big pawncenter is no more! } 11. Rd1 { Nice file for the rook and again making surewhite does not lose control of d5 or d4. } 11... Nd7 { following though with myplan to attack the e-pawn } 12. Be2 Bb7 { Pressure on e4 is mounting. Ialso like the position of my knight as they are very flexible and can easilyif needed jump to c5 and e5 } 13. O-O { The advantage of castling is thatthe rook on f1 supports f2-f4 which is very common attacking move in theSicilian } 13... O-O 14. f4 { Stalhandske signals his intent to go for a quickwin. Stalhandske also rightly assesses that the pressure on e4 is false. } 14... Rc8 15. Qd2 Nc5 { Hoping for 16. Nxc5 dxc5 with equality. } 16. Nd4 { ButStal does not bite. It wise to avoid equal exchanges unless absolutelyforced too. The reason is because exchanges usually benefit the one withthe lest amount of space. With the knight on d4 white creates possiblethreats of f4-f5. } 16... Qc7 { ?! not the best move as f5 looks strong for whitein the long term. I really dont know what I was thinking to be honest butbest was 16. ...Nxd4 17. Bxd4 Bxd4+ 18. Qxd4 e5 19. fxe5 dxe5 20. Qxe5Qe8 21. Qxe8 Rcxe8 is likely a draw. } 17. f5 Ne5 { ! only move that neutralizeswhites growing advantage. Besides don't the Knight look awesome! } 18. Qc2 Ncd7 { discovery attack on c4. } 19. b3 { defending c4. However, now thedark square diagonal is weak. } 19... a6 { preventing Nb5 and renewing the threaton c4. } 20. a4 { preventing ...b5. } 20... Rfe8 21. Nd5 { Logical move that centralizesthe knight and attacks the queen. } 21... Qb8 { only move. } 22. Qd2 { Wow Stalis one tough nut to crack. } 22... e6 { ?! giving the knight the boot but creatingsome serious weaknesses on the kingside. Probably better is 22...Nc5 attackinge4 and b3 } 23. Nc3 Qc7 { ?! kinda redundant and passive. Best is 23...Qa8!?But I missed white next move } 24. Bh6 Bf6 { White seems to be slowly butsurely be getting better. I tip my cap to Stalh as it rare that I get outplayed like this! } 25. Rf4 { I really thought that 25. Nc2 opening a discoverattack on d6 would be very difficult for black to handle. } 25... Qd8 26. Rf2 Qe7 27. Rdf1 exf5 { really risky move. This wasme trying to push for somethingthat is not there. Which again was out of character for me. } 28. exf5 Bh4 { ?? wow I thought I had a draw at least after 29. Rf4 Bg3 but I failedto see everything. Again I was trying to create winning opportunities.Best was 28...g5 } 29. Rf4 Bg3 30. f6 { Can you believe that I missed thismove! } 30... Qd8 { Stalh has me on the hook now all he has to do is give it agood tug! } 31. Bg7 { ?? and the line snaps and the big gets away! Killermove was 31. Re4!! Bxe4 32. Nxe4 Nxc4 33. Bxc4 and it is over. } 31... Rc5 { Rookto the rescue! } 32. Rf5 { ?! Trying to save the rook but best is 32. Nc2Bxf4 33. Qxf4 } 32... Nc6 { equal exchanges when defending is good! } 33. Rxc5 dxc5 { Also aiming for mirroring pawn structures increase your chances of a draw. } 34. Nf5 { White does not have enough wood to finish the job! } 34... Nxf6 35. Qxd8 Nxd8 36. Bxf6 gxf5 37. Rxf5 Re3 38. Nd5 Rxe2 39. Rg5+ Kf8 40. Rxg3 Ne6 { the rest is academic. } 41. Nxb6 Rd2 42. a5 Bc6 43. h4 Be4 44. Kf1 h5 45. Re3 Bxg2+ 46. Ke1 Ra2 47. Nd7+ Ke8 48. Nxc5 Rxa5 49. Nxe6 fxe6 50. Rxe6+ Kf7 51. Bc3 Kxe6 52. Bxa5 Bf3 53. Kd2 Bg4 54. Ke3 { Wow a very wellplayed game by Stalh. This is one he should have won! } 1/2-1/2
[Event "A HS quickie"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date ""] [Round "-"] [White "T. M."] [Black "Hellion"] [Result "0-1"] { When inexperienced players are confronted with complexities, they usuallyfail. This game is a case in point. } 1. e4 { We all used this move, backthen... } 1... e5 { ...and almost always replied with this. } 2. f4 { This wasn'tat all uncommon among us. We'd usually accept on the Black side. } 2... Bc5 { Idecided to vary from the norm, just for the hell of it. } 3. fxe5 { T. M.seizes the unprotected KP. } 3... Qh4+ { Anytime I could safely play Q-R5 ch,I figured good things would follow. } 4. g3 { Blocking off the check... } 4... Qxe4+ { ...but now he's in trouble. } 5. Ne2 { It hardly matters at this point... } 5... Qxh1 { This gives me a winning material advantage, if the game gets farenough for it to matter. } 6. b3 { Playing out the string. } 6... Qxh2 { Takingthe free Pawn. } 7. Bb2 { Completing his fianchetto and guarding the advancedPawn. } 7... Bf2# { Finishing the game elegantly. } 0-1
[Event "Team match"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2019.02.20"] [Round "-"] [White "harrigan48"] [Black "pylet2000"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1423"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1480"] 1. e4 { White opens with the most popular } 1... e5 { Blacks replies with the same. } 2. Nf3 { Again the most popular move, attacking e5. } 2... f6 { But this is a badway of defending it. 2...Nc6, d6 or Nf6 are all better. } 3. Nxe5 { Becausewhite can just take here. } 3... fxe5 { This natural recapture is another blunder,3....Qe7 is an improvement, and playable, although inferior for black. } 4. Qh5+ { This check is deadly. Now 4....g6? loses the Rh8 with 5. Qxe5+forking King and Rh8, so.... } 4... Ke7 { This is the only other move. } 5. Qxe5+ { Another check. } 5... Kf7 { This is forced of course. } 6. Bc4+ { Another excellentmove by white checking again. } 6... Kg6 { This is another blunder and there isa forced mate for white now. 6.....d7-d5 lasts longer, but with three pawnsfor the knight and an awesome attack there is a massive advantage to white. } 7. Qf5+ { Correct move again. } 7... Kh6 { Forced again. } 8. d4+ { White correctlydevelops with tempo, giving check again. } 8... g5 { This is the best move forblack. } 9. Bxg5+ { This is not the best though. 9. h2-h4! instead matesin 10 at the most. } 9... Qxg5 { Black takes back. } 10. Qxf8+ { White regains thepiece just lost, and has piece for three pawns. } 10... Qg7 { The best block. } 11. Qxc8 { White gets his piece back, and is 3 pawns up, but no longer hasa mating attack. } 11... Qxg2 { Gameknot post-game computer analysis gives thisas a mistake and instead thinks that best for both sides is Ne7 12. Qxc7Qxg2 13. Qf4+ Qg5 14. Qg3 Rf8 15. Nd2 Ng6 16. O-O-O Nc6 17. c3 Qf4 18.Qh3+ Qh4 19. Qxd7 Rad8 20. Qc7 Rc8 21. Qg3 Rxf2 22. Rdf1 Rcf8 23. e5 Nce724. Rxf2 Rxf2 25. Qxh4+ Nxh4 26. Ne4 Rg2 27. Rf1 Nhf5 28. Bb3 Rxh2 29.Nd6 Nxd6 30. exd6 Ng6 For this analysis see https://gameknot.com/analyze-board.pl?bd=28183317&rnd=0.19559123737513717 } 12. Rf1 { White saves his rook. } 12... Qxe4+ { Another pawn goes. } 13. Be2 { Whiteblocks. } 13... Qc6 { A final mistake allowing a mate in four. Gameknot considersthis the best. Qg6 14. Nc3 Kg7 15. Qxb7 Nc6 16. Qxa8 Nf6 17. Qb7 Nxd418. Rd1 Nxe2 19. Nxe2 Re8 20. Qxc7 Kf7 21. Rd2 Qg5 22. b3 Qe5 23. Qxe5Rxe5 24. f3 Nd5 25. Kf2 Rh5 26. Kg1 Kf6 27. Ng3 There is still massiveadvantage to white, but at least black is still in the game. Find the matein four! } 14. Qf8+ { So white checks on f8 again. https://gameknot.com/chess-puzzle.pl?pz=220597 } 14... Kg5 { The king is forced up the board. } 15. Rg1+ { The rook joins in thefun. A purist may say 15. h4+ is more accurate as it mates more quickly,as now black could delay the mate a move with Qg2, but it makes littledifference. } 15... Kh4 { King runs up the board. } 16. Qf4+ { Another queen check. } 16... Kh3 { Forced! } 17. Qg3# { And it is over. Thank you for reading, please ratethis annotation on the star system and leave a comment or two to let meknow how I am doing. Until next time dear reader! } 1-0
[Event "Destruction Streak #1"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "-"] [Round "-"] [White "Destroyer333"] [Black "-"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1200"] [TimeControl "5:00 +10 sec"] [WhiteElo "1200"] { Hello, and welcome to the first game of my ' Destruction Streak'. In whichI won 27 consecutive games. No big feat, believe me, but it was for me,so I decided to annotate a few. Time to get started. } 1. e4 { I startedwith an open mind and was vaguely thinking about a four move checkmate. } 1... e5 { He opened with a common defense to a pawn at e4. } 2. Bc4 { I moved outmy bishop, continuing my planned attack. } 2... Nf6 { He moved out his knight,also a common defense, but this time realizing my intentions. } 3. d3 { Imoved out a pawn preparing to threaten the knight with my queen-side bishop. } 3... Bc5 { He moved out his king-side bishop in order to gain a vantage point,and control part of the middle. } 4. Qf3 { I developed my queen to threatenthe knight, however, not planning to attack. } 4... c6 { He moved out a pawn toopen his queen on the left side. } 5. Bg5 { I moved my black bishop to threatenan attack. } 5... h6 { He moved out his pawn, forcing a decision, either retreator attack and sacrifice. } 6. Bxf6 { Sacrifice. } 6... Qxf6 { He decides to attackwith queen, knowing I wouldn't attack. } 7. Qxf6 { I moved this way, notmy best, In order to stay unpredictable and not be too easy to notice. } 7... gxf6 { He obviously took the queen, after a few seconds though. } 8. Nh3 { I moved out my knight, rethinking my plan. } 8... d6 { He opened up his bishop,to threaten } 9. f4 { I moved out my pawn to open up a space for my knightsnext move. } 9... exf4 { He decided it would also be in his best interest to attackthat pawn, this small mistake, allowed me to learn what he prioritized. } 10. Nxf4 { I took the pawn, planning the next move out. } 10... Be6 { He threatenedmy remaining bishop with his. } 11. Bxe6 { I took his bishop with mine, notthe knight, because I was planning something else...I'm not a very goodplanner. } 11... fxe6 { He killed my bishop with his pawn, accepting the sacrifice. } 12. Nc3 { Noticing his flat line, I decided to attempt a jump over the line. } 12... Bb4 { He moved his final bishop, knowing I was stuck in position. } 13. a3 { I, like him previously, decided to make him choose something. } 13... Bxc3+ { Hetook my knight for the sacrifice. } 14. bxc3 { I continued the motion byknocking his piece off the board. } 14... e5 { He threatened my knight with apawn, adding depth to his front lines again. } 15. Ng6 { In a slightly blindattempt to attack the king...I was a bit off, eh? } 15... Rg8 { Anyway, he sawthe...er, deliberate threat on his rook and set course for safety. } 16. Nh4 { I found safety from his attack and dropped back. } 16... Rg4 { He was apparentlybloodthirsty though, because he continued on the trail of my final survivinglivestock. } 17. Rb1 { I decided to 'ignore' the dying screams and setupfor yet another offensive threat. } 17... Rxh4 { He took the knight and destroyedhis chance of defense. } 18. Rxb7 { I moved to threaten his knight but,more importantly, try to kill off the king. } 18... Rg4 { His coloured piece triedto recover from taking the knight, but It was already too late. } 19. Rf1 { I moved my next rook out for the attack. } 19... Rf4 { He obviously saw this andstopped it at once, planning a sacrifice. } 20. Rg1 { In no mood for dying,I avoided it. } 20... Rg4 { He was yet again thirsty for the blood of my pieces,but this time, it was for stacked bricks. } 21. h3 { I threatened him without risking sacrifice. } 21... Rg8 { He retreated knowing no place, and secretlysetting for counter attack. } 22. Rf1 { I moved back, for my original plan-well actually my 3rd plan. } 22... Na6 { He opened up his rook, after 22 long moves. } 23. Rxf6 { I moved out my rook to continue on the plan. } 23... Nc5 { He threatenedan attack, to cover the trail of his hidden rook. } 24. Rbf7 { I avoidedhis attempt and still continued attack. } 24... Rxg2 { Well timed, he countered. } 25. Rf8+ { I moved forward to + him. } 25... Kd7 { He moved out of the way, as hisfinal resort. } 26. Rxa8 { I took his rook swiftly after pinning him. } 26... Rxc2 { He attacked a pawn, with shrouded intentions. } 27. Raf8 { I recovered backto my original position. } 27... Nxd3+ { His thoughts clear to me now as he putme in check. } 28. Kd1 { I moved to threaten his piece. } 28... Rc1+ { He avoidedthreat and checked me again. } 29. Kd2 { I forked his knight and rook. } 29... Kc7 { He saved his rook, already protected, and moved away from my next attack. } 30. Kxd3 { I took his helpless knight and continued. } 30... Rd1+ { He checked meagain. } 31. Kc4 { I moved out adding to my plan. } 31... d5+ { He was persistentand forced a final +. } 32. Kc5 { I blocked his king, closing in on him. } 32... dxe4 { He tried to make a pawn to my end, in a futile defense. } 33. R6f7+ { I checked him, in what I thought was mate, forgetting about his rook. } 33... Rd7 { He basically dug his own grave. } 34. h4 { I avoided the kill, knowingI was next. } 34... Rxf7 { He took my rook, but this time, I was ready. } 35. Rxf7+ { I threatened his king. } 35... Kc8 { He avoided in the only way he could. } 36. Kxc6 { I closed down on him, not putting him in check however. } 36... e3 { He triedreviving his queen again. Failing. } 37. Rf8# { 'Mate. My king acting asa wall of pawns, had fully migrated. Good game to the one who chose notto be named. Hope you liked it. Please tune in next time for #2. Thanksfor reading. } 1-0
[Event "Oswestry A v Shrewsbury B Shropshre League"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "22-112018"] [Round "-"] [White "Charles L Higgie"] [Black "Ted Eales"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "ECF143"] [TimeControl "All moves in 85 minutes"] [WhiteElo "ECF 173"] 1. d4 { In this game, early on I sacrifice bishop for pawn. He declinesleaving me a clear pawn up. He complicates by sacrificing bishop for threepawns, but as he is a pawn down anyway, that mean just 2 pawns for theminor piece. He play the freeing move e6-e5 too early and is blown awayin just 26 moves. } 1... Nf6 { Apologies for this act of self-indulgence. I havemany games I could have annotated, wins, draws and loses, but many havebeen long games recently. } 2. c4 { A note about the time control - it shouldhave been 85 minutes each plus an incremental, but at least one of theclocks was set wrong, without the incremental. As a result our board 3lost in a winning position, and we lost the match 3-2. } 2... e6 { A note aboutmy opponent. I asked him if he was related to Richard Eales. He said somethinglike 'yes how do you know my brother?' I replied, I meant the chess playerRichard Eales, author of a book on the Alexhine Defence. http://www.chessgames.com/player/richard_g_eales.htmland https://www.abebooks.co.uk/9780713403664/Alekhines-Defence-Contemporary-Chess-Openings-0713403667/plp } 3. Nc3 { So back to the game. At this point I was rather expecting 3...Bb4and a Nimzo-Indian Defence. } 3... d5 { But he reverts to a Queens Gambit Declined. } 4. Bg5 { I usually play this, although Nf3 and e3 are also popular. } 4... Nbd7 { Common, although also Be7 } 5. e3 { So if he takes on c4 I can take backimmediately with the Bishop on f1. } 5... c6 { Into a Slav pawn structure. } 6. Nf3 { Usual development. } 6... Qa5 { And he opts for the Cambridge Springs Variation.The first recorded use of the Cambridge Springs was by Emanuel Lasker in1892. The name derives from a 1904 tournament in Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvaniain which the defense was used several times. Practitioners of the openinghave included Efim Bogoljubov, Vasily Smyslov, Garry Kasparov, and MagnusCarlsen. The line remains popular among amateurs because there are severaltraps White must avoid. For example, 7.Nd2 Bb4 8.Qc2 0-0 9.Bd3?? dxc4!(threatening ...Qxg5) 10.Bxf6 cxd3! (a zwischenzug) 11.Qxd3 Nxf6 and Blackhas won a piece. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen%27s_Gambit_Declined,_Cambridge_Springs_Defense } 7. Bxf6 { So I avoid all traps. } 7... Nxf6 { He takes back. } 8. a3 { I avoid himpinning my Nc3. } 8... Be7 { Reasonable development, and played successfully inthis position before, although I personally like Bd6 so if the bishop ishit by c4-c5 it can drop back to c7 or b8 to support e6-e5. } 9. b4 { Attackingthe queen. All this has been seen before. } 9... Qd8 { But in the games on myopening databases with this line black has played Qc7, and Qc7 seems abetter move to me, as in due course the Qc7 will support e6-e5. } 10. c5 { Clamping down on the queen side. } 10... O-O { Sensible development. } 11. Bd3 { I did consider 11. Ne5, but eventually came to the conclusion that itwas premature. } 11... Re8 { With the idea of Bf8 in due course. } 12. Ne5 { Nowthe knight jumps in. } 12... Nd7 { This is a mistake! He needed to continue withhis plan of Bf8 first. What would you play here dear reader? } 13. Bxh7+ { Did you find this move? What would you play if black takes the bishop? } 13... Kf8 { If 13....Kxh7 (which is better than the move played, and at leastmakes a fight of it) Fritz gives the obvious 14. Qh5+ as only level. Surewhite can force a draw immediately, with 14. Qh5+ Kg8 15. Qf7+ and thenchecking again on h5, but white should be looking for more. Or white canpick up a third pawn for the bishop with 16. Qxe6 but that allows blackto develop the Bc8 and it is only equal. White needs to be looking formore. 14. Qh5+ Kg8 15. Nf7 is again only equal after 15....Nf6! So after13....Kxh7 the only way for advantage is 14. Nxf7! Qc7 (forced) 15. Qh5+Kg8 16. Nh6+ gxh6 17. Qxe8+ Nf8 and white has rook and two pawns for knightand bishop - a slight material advantage, but an advantage none the less,compared to the other lines which do NOT lead to any advantage for white. } 14. Nxd7+ { Played after a long think, I decided just to play on a clearpawn up with no compensation for black. Fritz prefers 14. Qh5 } 14... Bxd7 { Surprisinglyto my mind, Fritz prefer the recapture by the queen. I assume Fritz wasplanning b6, a5 and Bh6. } 15. Bd3 { Fritz also prefer to drop the bishopback to c2. } 15... Bf6 { An excellent move, threat e6-e5 } 16. f4 { White of coursehas to prevent this. } 16... g5 { Fritz prefers Bc8. I am not sure why. } 17. g3 { A quickly played move and a bad mistake. I should have played Ne2 or 0-0here. } 17... gxf4 { He of course takes. } 18. gxf4 { I take back. } 18... Bxd4 { I missedthis move. } 19. exd4 { I take. } 19... Qh4+ { He checks. } 20. Kd2 { My king runs. } 20... Qxf4+ { He checks again. } 21. Kc2 { King runs again. } 21... Qxd4 { So he gets threepawns for the bishop, but as he was a pawn down to start he now has twopawns for the knight. It is still advantage white. } 22. Rf1 { With the threatof 23. Rxf7+ Kxf7 24. Bg6+ Kxg6 25. Qxd4 winning for white. Fritz prefersQh5. Not sure why. } 22... e5 { This prevents my threat, by protecting his queen,but is a massive mistake. f7 cannot be defended now. 22.....Qh4 was better. } 23. Qh5 { Attacking f7 } 23... Be6 { The only way to protect it. Find white's bestmove! https://gameknot.com/chess-puzzle.pl?pz=215655 } 24. Bg6 { But nowthere is no defence. If 24..... Re7? 25. Qh8 mate! However the best movefor white was 24. Rxf7! and mate in 4. } 24... e4 { Perhaps dreams of a check ortwo starting with Qd3+ } 25. Bxf7 { I take here. } 25... Ke7 { Trying to run. } 26. Bxe6 { Now if he takes the bishop it is mate in two. https://gameknot.com/chess-puzzle.pl?pz=215657Black resigned at this point. } 1-0
[Event "Massive Material Lead vs. Unstoppable Attack"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "08/07"] [Round "-"] [White "C. Milton"] [Black "bakerbaker"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "2247"] [TimeControl "G/40"] [WhiteElo "2123"] 1. d4 { Playing Black is my friend Baker, who always seems to get positionswhere he is down lots of material and still wins. } 1... Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 { So far these are the opening moves of the standard King's IndianDefense. In Indian Defenses such as Nimzo and Queen's, Black does not challengeWhite in the center with pawns, and instead goes for rapid developmentand only challenges the center once he is completely developed. } 4... d6 { Thisimportant move stops e5, and the central break after castling will eitherbe an e5 boost or c5 boost, depending on what kind of position you want. } 5. Be2 O-O 6. Nf3 { This is where Black decides which way to challenge thecenter. The c5-boost is usually better in lines where White makes kingsideprogress such as in the 4-pawns attack or Saemisch. In this line, whichis mainline King's Indian, Black usually plays e5, but c5 is just as fine,which can transpose to a Maroczy Bind or Benoni structure. } 6... e5 { The linedxe5 dxe5 Nxe5 Nxe4 usually favors Black, since opening the position usuallyfavors whoever is castled and less weakened. } 7. O-O { This is the mostcommon move. Against 7.d5, Black wouldn't be able to develop the knightto c6, but can then take advantage of the c5 weakness with Nfd7 Na6, whichcontains White's queenside, while Black still has lots of flexibility onthe kingside. } 7... Nc6 8. d5 Ne7 9. Nd2 { This move differs from the main line.Usually White wants to gain space on the queenside quickly with pawn pushes,and delays the maneuvering of pieces for a few moves. Against moves like9.Nd2 and 9.Ne1, Black cannot play the agressive Nh5 which is a typicalmove in mainline king's indian. In this line, Black should move the knightsomewhere else to prepare for the f5-boost. } 9... a5 { Baker wanted to take advantageof the fact that White didn't play b4, but then decided that a5 wasn'tnecessary and that he should've been making plans on the kingside. I disagree,and I think a5 is good because White had to make 2 preparing moves in orderto play b4. } 10. a3 Nd7 { Knights tend to have the most flexibility on e7and d7 (or e2 and d2), but moving them there early is passive and can usuallybe taken advantage of. Wasting 2 knight moves (Nf6 Nc6 Ne7 Nd7) to getthe knights to these flexible squares is not really a waste of tempo, andare actually common maneuvers in openings like Ruy Lopez or other closedpositions } 11. Rb1 Kh8 { At first glance this move seems awkward and Blackcould do better by playing f5 now and starting a kingside attack. The mainreason for this move is to play Rg8 during the attack, so it's better toplay Kh8 before the attack, because Black won't want to make a move likeKh8 during the middle of his attack. But I don't think Kh8 is that necessarythis early in the game. } 12. b4 f5 { Now it's time for Black to start thepawnstorm, with f5 followed by f4 and g5. } 13. f3 { bxa5 isn't good becauseit trades a pawn for a less valuable pawn, and also isolates the a-pawn.White solidifies his structure, but has also blocked the bishop's diagonalfrom interfering with Black's kingside play. } 13... f4 14. Nb3 { White has pressureon the a-pawn, so Black traded pawns. I thought b6 was better. } 14... axb4 15. axb4 g5 { The play of the position is clear. Both sides will attempt tobreak the pawn chain from the base of the enemy's pawn chain by maneuveringminor pieces to help with pawn advances and attacking. It's only a questionof who can generate the most activity and break the chain more effectively. } 16. Bb2 { c5 looks sharper, but this bishop has to develop sometime. Bakerand I analysed the interesting idea of Bd2-Be1-Bf2, which isn't reallybad for White, just an awkward maneuver. But I think the bishop would bebetter on f2, even though it takes 2 extra moves. } 16... Nf6 { Even though Bakermoved his knight back and forth, it was needed to boost the f-pawn, andnow the knight needs to come back to help with the h5-g4 boost } 17. c5 h5 18. Nd2 { White's knight has also moved back and forth. The knight isn'tmuch good on b3, so White remaneuvers it to c4 to pressure the d-pawn. } 18... Ng6 { It's important that Black doesn't play g4 too early, and sets thepieces in attacking positions beforehand, plus it leaves Black more flexibiltyif he doesn't want to play g4 and instead h4-h3 } 19. Nc4 g4 { This is probablystronger than the h4-h3 idea, since it'll be hard for Black to make theg4-boost without support, and also the Kh8 move is only useful if the g-filewill become opened. } 20. cxd6 cxd6 21. Nb5 { White puts pressure on theweak d6-pawn, and Black's only ways of defending are Ra6 and Ne8. Ne8 hasthe interesting idea of saccing the g-pawn to open up lines to White'sking, but Ne8 also wastes so much tempo with that knight, so Ra6 is better. } 21... Ra6 { If White takes the pawn, then Black wins two pieces for a rook andpawn. 2 pieces for a rook is often a crushing advantage in the opening,the minor pieces have superior mobility in positions with lots of pieceson the board, and the fact that there are 2 attacking forces vs. 1 is alsoimportant. The advantage of 2 pieces for a rook isn't as strong in theendgame where the rook has lots of open space, and where the rook's extrapawn is stronger. This position is clearly not an endgame and not an openposition. } 22. Rc1 { White wants to invade the queenside via c7. PlayingNc7 will harass the oddly placed rook. So far Black has excellent minorpiece activity and pawn play on the kingside, and it's just a matter oftime before Baker activates his queen. Black's only problem piece is therook that needs to defend the base of the pawn chain. Once the base ofthe chain falls, usually the pawns behind it fall too. } 22... Bd7 { Black wantsto kick off the annoying knight, to relieve the pressure on d6. White stillcannot take d6 because Rxd6 Nxd6 Qb6 wins two minor pieces for a rook. } 23. Nc7 { Obviously Qxc7 loses to Nxe5. This is where the game kicks intohigh gear and the players should take their time. It seems that White'squeenside attack is quicker than Black's kingside pawnstorm, so Black musttake drastic action. Black's rook is seriously out of play and has no influenceon the kingside attack, and the rook can no longer defend the d-pawn. Blackcan play Ra7 and Nxd6 is impossible because of Ba4, but after b5 intendingb4, Black's rook is pretty much restricted from the a-file and trapped,if Ra2 then Qb3, so Black is subject to loss of material. Black's onlyadvantage is the kingside space, so he must milk it for all it's worth,and ignore White's threats on the queenside. } 23... g3 { White playing h3 nowmay transpose into the actual game, but White greedily jumped at the chanceto take the rook. } 24. Nxa6 { recovering lost material with bxa6 is a horriblemove, because Black is only focused on the kingside attack, and can ignoreWhite's queenside play, even if it means accepting the loss of the rook.Baker thinks he is in trouble, so it's do or die on the kingside from here. } 24... Ne8 { This move both defends d6, while preparing to attack with Qh4. Itactually seems like Black is good here since there is loads of pressureon the kingside, and White's material advantage is not exploitable in aposition where almost every piece is still on the board. After Black'srook is gone, White's queenside doesn't seem dangerous anymore, it wasjust the pressure on the rook that was dangerous. } 25. h3 { hxg3 is suicideafter fxg3 followed by Qh4. White would've had to play h3 anyway afterBlack plays Qh4, so he might as well play it now. Black's only way of breakingthrough is sacrificing more material with Qh4 Bxh3. We were curious tosee how much compensation Baker had for the rook, so we put this positioninto Rybka (a powerful chess engine like Fritz), and it said that it waswinning for White, which is expected because of the material advantage,but after leaving Rybka analysing for hours, we came back and the analysishad changed to totally winning for Black, after the computer saw the attackQh4 Bxh3, and then Black's piece infiltration Nh4-Bf6-Rg8. We couldn'tbelieve that Rybka found no defense for White, but we didn't let the computeranalyse every position in-depth, so it's possible that Baker misplayedthe attack and given White a defensive resource at some point. It is amazingthat White is up a rook in this position, yet a chess engine claims thatthis is - 'totally winning for Black' } 25... Qh4 26. Rc2 { White knows Bxh3 iscoming, so this predefends g2 after Bd3 } 26... Bxh3 27. gxh3 Qxh3 { The text moveBd3 was White's intent when he played Rc2. Another defensive option isRf2 giving back the sacrificed material, but that just opens up White'sking, and Black can choose to recover all the material since a6 is stillhanging. } 28. Bd3 Nh4 { White can't stop g2, then Bf6 and Rg8 are comingto increase the pressure, while White's pieces are pretty much uselessto defend, and a material advantage is only important when the extra materialis actually attacking. } 29. Nc5 { White reactivates the knight and dxc5??is a blunder because the e-pawn hangs and White can afford to sacrificea piece because of what Black has sacrificed } 29... g2 30. Nxb7 { White wantsBaker to take the rook, so that he can finally relieve the pressure aroundthe king, and still be up a piece, and now White has a passed pawn andNxd6 ideas. I think White has better defensive options like Kf2 or Re1,instead of still attacking on the queenside. After Re1, Nxf3 is not advisablebecause of Qxf3 and White has enough pieces for the queen. } 30... Bf6 { This moveclears the way for Rg8, where Black would threaten mate, so White playedKf2 to try and avoid that. Since Rff2 loses to mate, Re1 is the only wayWhite can save the rook. That defense fails since play could continue 31.Re1Nxf3 32.Qxf3 Qh1 33.Kf2 Bh4 and White is lost because 34.Ke2 loses toQxe1# and 34.Qg3 loses to Bxg3 35.Kf3 g1=N# double-check and mate. (35.Ke2still loses to Qxe1#) Play could also continue 31.Re1 Nxf3 32.Kf2 Bh4 33.Ke2 Bxe1 and White will have to sacrifice the queen to stop g1=N# notto mention Black can promote to a queen after. } 31. Kf2 { If White takesd6 with either knight, then Black plays 32...Rg8 threatening promotionmate (after Nf7 Kh7 White's knights can't do anything) White plays Re1to stop gxf1, then Black plays Nxf3 with the exact same mating attack explainedlast move where Black promotes to knight to mate, or the variation whereWhite has to sacrifice the queen to prevent the pawn from knighting, inwhich Black promotes to queen after that and has a massive material advantage } 31... Rg8 { This threatens 32...g1=Q 33.Rxg1 Qh2 34.Ke1 Rxg1 35.Bf1 Ng2 Whiteis lost, and play could continue 36.Rxg2 Qxg2 where Black has almost caughtup in material and the tactical threats such as Bh4 and Rxf1# will causeBlack to gain more material. After 35...Ng2 , White could also move theking to the 2nd rank instead of taking with rook, Black plays 36...Ne3 winning in any case. If White's king ends up getting to c1 like after36.Kd2 Ne3 37.Kc1, then Rxf1 threatens Rxd1# and Qxc2# and Black willgain more material than was sacrificed. If White's king ends up gettingto c3 after Ne3 , then the simple Nxd1 gains back more material than wassacrificed, since Black already gained a rook after Qh2 If White's kinggoes back to e1 after Ne3 , then the knight is attacking the f1-bishopso Rxf1# is mate. } 32. Rg1 Rg3 { The idea is to play Nxf3 and possibly Bh4with some dangerous tactical threats such as discovered check, and pawnpromotion possibilities, and 33.Be2 won't really defend the pawn becauseof Nxf3 Bxf3 Bh4 (Threatening Rxf3 Ke2 Rf2 Ke1 Rxc2 discovered mate),White can only stop that threat with Ke2, then Rxf3 with the same threat,and White's king is helpless against all of Baker's tactics. } 33. Ke2 Nxf3 { Finally a piece can come in to attack the blocker of the pawn, and White'srook better not move because Black simply promotes and then the queen androok come in for the kill } 34. Nbxd6 { Perhaps White should've tried thisannoying counterplay earlier, but it's too late now, Black will succeedin either promotion, or completing the mating attack. } 34... Nxg1+ { If Whitemoves his king, then Black has many winning moves, like simply moving theknight back and then promoting. } 35. Qxg1 { Rxd3 might win faster, but Ithink f3 is less risky } 35... f3+ { It's pretty much over now. White's king canbe kicked off f2 with Bh4, so the king cannot stop promotion, and Qh1 isan idea. } 36. Kd2 { The king is too vulnerable to stop the pawns. White'sonly chance is Rc1, which is the only other piece that can defend thepromotion square. } 36... Nxd6 { Black shouldn't play Qh1 because Qxh1 gxh1=Q Nxe8and White has 3 pieces for the queen, and Black's other pawn cannot promote,Black should just snap off this knight first so that White only gets 2pieces for the queen. } 37. Ne3 { After Nxd6 Qh1 Rc1 Black has Bg5 and therook is gone, then White has Bxe5 winning Black's rook, but promotionis unstoppable without White's rook, so Ne3 is White's best chance. IfRc1 instead of Ne3, then Black can snap off the knight defending that diagonal. } 37... f2 { This is the only way Black can force promotion } 38. Qxf2 g1=Q { Blackhas succeeded in promoting, but now he has his king to worry about. } 39. Qxf6+ Rg7 { White will soon run out of checks } 40. Qh6+ Kg8 { Now White'sonly check is Qe6 forcing queen trade. If White makes a defensive movelike Nd1, then he has underestimated the power of the major pieces againstWhite's exposed king } 41. Qe6+ Qxe6 42. dxe6 { This is critical. White hastwo pieces and a pawn for the queen, usually material advantages wherethe stronger side has less pieces are harder to exploit, and White is threateningBxe5 } 42... Qf2+ 43. Be2 Re7 { Nxe4 isn't good right now, Black really needs toblock or remove this pawn } 44. Kd3 { This threatens Bxh5, better than takinge5, which just opens the position more for Black's major pieces. } 44... h4 { Thispawn is very valuable, and Bxe5 is nothing to worry about, without thepassed h-pawn, White could maybe manage a draw. } 45. Bxe5 Rxe6 46. Bg4 { White can hold on longer by going all out to stop the h-pawn, and theposition is more complicated for Black to figure out how to win, but theadvantage of queen vs. knight and bishop is enough to win even withoutpawns. } 46... Qxc2+ { But White didn't realize that this trade wins more simplyfor Black } 47. Nxc2 { I think Kxc2 was better } 47... Rxe5 { White's only chanceto draw is to stop or win the h-pawn } 48. Bf3 { The bishop is the only thingstopping promotion, so Black must somehow block the diagonal or force thebishop away } 48... Rg5 { This move prevents White's king from ever crossing theg-file, Black must make sure that his pawn cannot be won, otherwise beingup an exchange is not enough to win. } 49. Ke3 h3 50. Kf4 Rg1 { Black controlsthe promotion square, now all he has to do is contain the pawns. } 51. e5 { Black needs to be careful of this pawn, if the knight gets close thenWhite may be able to force promotion } 51... Nb5 52. e6 h2 53. Ke5 { if e7, thenKf7, and if Bd5, then Kf8 } 53... h1=Q 54. Bxh1 Rxh1 55. Kf6 { All Black has todo now is remove the pawns, which must be done precisely or White couldhold a draw } 55... Rh7 { This stops Ke7, which might be good enough to hold adraw } 56. Ne3 { If e7, then Rh6 forces the king away and Black can stopand win the pawn, this would be much harder to win if White's knight wasa bishop, since he could waste moves and not get into zugswang that easily.But the knight is better than the bishop at helping pawns promote, whichis White's last chance to swindle } 56... Nd6 { This knight must stop the strongpassed pawn } 57. Nd5 Ne8+ 58. Kg6 Rb7 { this could be considered zugswang,White would probably prefer to pass his turn if he could } 59. e7 Rb5 60. Nf4 { After Nf6 Nxf6 Kxf6 Rb6 Black can win both pawns and it's easy winafter that. } 60... Rxb4 61. Nd5 Rd4 62. Ne3 { After Nf6 Nxf6 Kxf6 Re4 Black stopsand wins the pawn } 62... Re4 63. Nd5 Re5 64. Nf4 Rxe7 { This seems like resignableposition, but it could still be tricky to win, especially since both playerswere in time pressure } 65. Kf5 Kf7 66. Nd5 Re1 { The technique is simple,Black uses zugswang tactics to force the king away, Black just has to usesimple chess logic and the game wins itself. } 67. Nf4 Nd6+ { Here Bakerstopped writing his moves down because of time pressure, but I'll continuethe game just for fun. } 68. Kg4 Rf1 69. Nh3 Kf6 70. Nf4 Ke5 71. Nd3+ Ke4 72. Nc5+ Ke3 73. Ne6 Rg1+ 74. Kh5 Ke4 75. Kh4 Nf5+ 76. Kh3 { Kh6 allowsknight trade } 76... Kf3 77. Kh2 Rg4 { Now the win is clear and White will getmated in a few moves. If Kh1 then Kf2 followed by Rh4#, and against knightmoves, Rh4 Kg1 Ng3 and Black plays Rh1# next move. If you liked thisgame, then check out bakerbaker's annotations with a lot of attacking games } 0-1
[Event "Tournament game, Hamburg 1930"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date ""] [Round "-"] [White "Frederick Yates"] [Black "Valentin Marin"] [Result "1-0"] { This was one of Yates' last great games. He would pass away prematurelyin 1932 [some sources have 1931] when a gas leak in his flat asphyxiatedhim as he slept. } 1. e4 e6 { Marin plays a conservative French defense. } 2. d4 { Book. } 2... d5 { The standard response, and a must. } 3. Nc3 { Solid. 3P-K5 locks the center but without development White will be hard-pressedto hold it. } 3... Nf6 { Tempting yates to play 4 P-K5. } 4. Bg5 { Yates insteadcontinues his development. } 4... Be7 { Practically forced. The only other choicewas 4... Q-Q2 to avoid losing the pinned Knight by... } 5. e5 { ...this move,which has now been adequately prepared. } 5... Ne4 { With the more cramped position,Marin naturally wishes to whittle down the wood. This move forces the exchangeof at least one pair of minor pieces. } 6. Bxe7 { Yates elects to trade Bishops. } 6... Qxe7 { Completing the exchange. } 7. Qg4 { Attacking the weakened King-sideat once. } 7... O-O { Marin tucks his King into what he thinks is a safe spot... } 8. Bd3 { Threatening to win a Pawn by exchanging on K4, so... } 8... Nxc3 { ...Marinpreemptively exchanges off the Knight himself. } 9. bxc3 { Completing thetrade. } 9... c5 { With Yates having a K-side spatial advantage, Marin wishesto gain space on the Q-side as a counterbalance. } 10. Nf3 { Developing witha hidden threat. The proper defence is 10... P-KN3, cutting off the Bishop'sdiagonal. } 10... c4 { Marin overlooks the threat, and is blindsided by... } 11. Bxh7+ { ...this thunderbolt from heaven! Marin resigns at once. If 11...KxB 12 Q-R5 ch K-N1 13 N-N5, and the only way to stop mate is 13... QxN14 QxQ leaving Marin with a hopeless disadvantage in material. [13... R-Q114 Q-R7 ch K-B1 15 Q-R8 mate.] And 11... K-R1 12 Q-R5 sets up a devastatingdiscovered check that cannot be prevented. } 1-0
[Event "OTB training game (final)"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "4-jun-18"] [Round "-"] [White "opponent"] [Black "fiercequeen"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "2059"] [TimeControl "no limits..."] [WhiteElo "2100+"] { again, best of five was agreed... } 1. e4 c5 2. f4 { nice: returning thefavor of a Kings' Gambit like approach, with also specs of a Dutch Defensebased attack; which is none other, than the Grand Prix Attack: againstthe player, who teached me to play this... } 2... g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. c3 e6 5. g3 { the theoretical continuation: d4 is to be considered sharper... } 5... Ne7 6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O { this is why I like the Hungarian variation in the Sicilianso much: even against the GPA, we win tempo... } 7... d5 { never waste a chanceto play d5, in the Sicilian... } 8. e5 { better exd5, exd5, d4... } 8... h6 { prophylactic:against Ng5... } 9. d4 b6 { at this point, d4 has no impact anymore... } 10. Be3 { standard move, against c5... } 10... c4 { so we get a standard reply... } 11. Nbd2 { developing and preparing b3... } 11... Nf5 12. Bf2 Nc6 13. b3 b5 14. Qc2 { White finished development... } 14... f6 { played in the spur of the moment: weneed leverage after g3-g4... } 15. h3 a5 16. g4 { and here it is... } 16... fxe5 { after gxf5, exf4: Bf2 cannot intervene... } 17. dxe5 { so first this one... } 17... d4 { introducing a new threat: after gxf5, d3... } 18. Qe4 Bb7 { after gxf5,exf5... } 19. Nxd4 Nfxd4 20. cxd4 c3 { a bit lucky... } 21. Nb1 b4 22. Qxg6 { getting impatient... } 22... Qe8 23. Qe4 { leaving White no choice : f4 needsto be covered... } 23... a4 { opening up the threat Na5... } 24. Qc2 { this seemslike a wise move to do... } 24... Qd7 { no rocket science involved here: harassd4... } 25. Be3 { also, pawn f4 was in a tight spot: making the DSB overburdened... } 25... Na5 { time to solve another issue: the matter of the LSB's... } 26. Bf3 { understandably,but too slow... } 26... Bd5 { Black is delivering one blow after another: thistime, b3 is on the menu... } 27. bxa4 Nc4 { but this is no way out... } 28. Qe2 { no choice left: Be3 cannot move... } 28... Rxa4 { time to pick up some spillsof war: Black is still two pawns behind... } 29. Bxd5 Qxd5 { White needsto untangle his DSB, but not only that: also Nb1 and Ra8 are sorry to lookat... } 30. Qf3 { trying to find a way to at least utilize the Kings' wing,after trading Queens... } 30... Nxe3 { but this spoils it... } 31. Qxe3 b3 32. Nxc3 Qxd4 33. Qxd4 Rxd4 34. axb3 Rc8 35. Nb5 Rb4 36. Nd6 Rc3 37. Ra8+ Kh7 38. Nf7 { following the wrong plan: trying to force Rh8 mate, which will notwork with Bg7... } 38... Rxh3 39. g5 { trying to force matters... } 39... Rhxb3 { afterhxg5, Nxg5+... } 40. Ra6 { there is not much, that White can try: but thisseems too much... } 40... Kg8 41. Nd8 hxg5 42. Nxe6 gxf4 43. Nxf4 Bxe5 44. Ng2 Rg4 { White has cleared all of Blacks' pawns, but he did not come out unscavedeither: he's gotten himself into a nasty pin, with mate perspectives; Blacks'DSB is a real killer... } 45. Rh6 { White is also facing a swift mate threatafter Rh3, followed by Bd4+ and mate: so that needs attention first; walkingout of the pin with Kh1, mates after Rh3+ and Bd4... } 45... Rb2 { doubling theattack on the pinned Knight: now after covering for the Knight, with bothRh2 and Rf2, Bd4, the Bishop will capture a Rook... } 46. Kh1 { getting outof the pin thus seems safest: the Knight cannot be saved without runningmate... } 46... Rgxg2 47. Rg1 { a very clever defense: Black has no tricks... } 47... Rg7 { Rxg1+, Kxg1, looks very drawish: now, Black can trade on own terms... } 48. Rxg7+ { White has little choice... } 48... Kxg7 49. Re6 Bb8 50. Ra6 { at firstglance, White can reach a draw here: the Black Rook and Bishop need assistancefrom the King, in order to be able to mate; and as long the White rookcan keep the Black King on the seventh row - or at least keep him awayas long as possible - nothing can happen: and there is also the 50-moverule; after 50 moves without a capture, it is a technical draw... } 50... Kf7 { this is how it is done: walk towards to Rook... } 51. Rh6 { the Rook hasto go to the opposite side at one point... } 51... Be5 { now, after Bf6, the Rookhas to switch again... } 52. Ra6 Bf6 { and the Black King can advance, undercover of the Bishop: it took a while, but Black finally won this... } 0-1
[Event "Scand, 'my', funny MiddleG, with tactics"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "04-Apr-08"] [Round "-"] [White "eightqueens"] [Black "damalfi"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1625"] [TimeControl "5 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1626"] 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. d4 Nc6 4. Nf3 Bg4 5. Be2 O-O-O 6. Be3 e5 7. c4 Qa5+ 8. Bd2 Bb4 9. d5 { Ok, this is the time to prove that black can escape from this position unscathed. Rich in tactics, from now on... } 9... e4 { Che ne dite? } 10. dxc6 Nf6 { This move allows c6xb2, to which the king must respond with Rb8, and not take the pawn in order to not reveal the white diagonal. The bet is that this pawn will be taken, from the whites, eventually, and that therefore they will remain in advantage. This has been calculated since e5. } 11. cxb7+ Kb8 12. O-O exf3 { Although something could be obtained from the exchange, it was not worth the effort. Nevertheless, I do not regret the final result. } 13. Bxf3 Bxf3 14. Bxb4 Qxb4 15. Qxf3 { If you can play normally by taking back the pawn, and it remained with a pawn for me. But this meant not having demonstrated anything! So I continued to risk... } 15... Qxb2 16. Nc3 Rd4 17. Rab1 Qc2 18. Nb5 { I had analyzed well, and I believed I could survive, despite the opening of the column. Even the pawn c would eventually fall, either sooner or later. If I stayed put and exchanged pieces, I would have remained even. The right move was Th8-d8, for example, and not Td3, since then Df4 wins. Instead I made an inexplicable mistake (?), and I lost myself in the analysis. } 18... Rxc4 19. Na3 Qe4 20. Nxc4 Qxc4 21. Rfc1 Qe6 22. Rxc7 { After waiting for Dxa2, Df5... even though it was still interesting. The alternative was Cd5, but Txf7 did not make me hope for anything good. It was interesting to analyze, but I saw too many tactical tricks from the whites to trust. At this point, I decided to go for the solution that would bring, according to second calculations, a tower less (due to the exchange of the women, then b8!), but at least it was more under control than the previous. } 22... Kxc7 23. Qf4+ Qd6 24. Rc1+ Kd7 25. Qxd6+ Kxd6 26. Rc8 Nd7 27. Rxh8 Kc7 1-0
[Event "Bury Congress U1400, Round 1"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "30.11.96"] [Round "-"] [White "Joanne Stevens"] [Black "Joseph Schutz"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [BlackElo "1392"] [TimeControl "40 moves in 1.5 hrs then + 15 min"] [WhiteElo "1240"] 1. e4 { Hi everyone, I would like to tell you about my best ever Chess Congress. I played in the U1400 section in the Bury St Edmunds Congress, England. There were 5 rounds and these lasted two days. As it was well withindriving distance I did not have an overnight stay in Bury. This is thefirst of the five games. Hope you enjoy. Joanne } 1... c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 { 5. ............... g6 - the start of the SicilianDragon. } 6. Bd3 Bg7 7. Be3 O-O 8. O-O Nc6 9. Nxc6 bxc6 { 9. ....................bxc6 - I often used to exchange knights here - this has brought me mixedresults as you will see in my other two games in this congress with theSicilian. } 10. Kh1 { 10. Kh1 - Henry sidestepps any queen checks on b6 shouldFrere Lenoir move off the g1 - a7 diagonal. } 10... Ng4 11. Bd2 Bd4 { 11. ....................Bd4 - ganging up on the f2 pawn, eh? Nasty, nasty. } 12. Qe1 { 12. Qe1 -enter, Glenda the Defender! Now what's in her in-tray today? Defend f2pawn! } 12... Qb6 { 12. ............ Qb6 - sssss! The Wicked Witch of the Westappears on b6 and she is piling up on the f pawn and attacking my b2 pawn. My next move Nd1 appears to defend both. } 13. Nd1 Be6 14. c3 Be5 15. f4 { 15. f4 - screens off the enemy dsb's line to h2 and it retreats to g7. } 15... Bg7 16. Be3 Nxe3 17. Qxe3 Qc7 { 17. ............. Qc7 - refusing to tradequeens - black still thinks he has an attack. } 18. Rf2 f5 19. exf5 Bxf5 20. Bxf5 Rxf5 { 20. ............... Rxf5 - a plethora of exchanges havetaken place on f5 relieving the pressure on my position. } 21. Qc1 Bh6 22. g3 d5 23. Ne3 { 23. Ne3 - activating my knight and attacking the black rookon f5. } 23... Rh5 24. Ng4 Bg7 { 24. .............. Bg7 - wants to preserve hisdsb. } 25. Kg1 Rf8 26. Qc2 c5 27. Rd1 d4 28. cxd4 c4 { 28. ..................c4 - the pawn on d4 cannot be taken because the c pawn is pinned to theWicked Witch on c7. } 29. Ne3 Rc8 30. Rfd2 Qb6 31. Nxc4 { 31. Nxc4 - theblack c pawn drops. } 31... Qe6 32. b3 Rd5 33. Qb1 { 33. Qb1 - Glenda releasesmy knight from the pin by the black rook on c8. } 33... Rcd8 34. Ne5 Qb6 35. Qa1 Rxe5 36. fxe5 Bxe5 37. Kf1 { 37. Kf1 - after an interesting exchange sacrificeHenry moves out of the pin so I am now threatening to take on e5. } 37... Bf6 38. Ke1 { 38. Ke1 - after black's dsb retreats to f6 Henry moves to e1 tobolster the rooks on the d file. } 38... Qb4 39. a3 Qxb3 40. Qb1 Qxa3 41. Qa2+ Qxa2 42. Rxa2 { 42. Rxa2 - here I give back a couple of pawns to simplifydown to an endgame. I am getting short of time on my clock. I have madeit to the time control but I have only the minimum time left, 15 minutes. I think I have sped up a bit since then but I used to get into time troublea lot in my early games. } 42... Bxd4 43. Rxa7 { 43. Rxa7 - this capture is feasiblebecause the dsb is pinned to the black rook. I would therefore remainthe exchange for a pawn up. } 43... Bc3+ 44. Ke2 Rxd1 45. Kxd1 { 45. Kxd1 - simplifiesfurther but my clock is ticking down. } 45... Bf6 46. Ke2 h5 47. Kd3 g5 48. h3 Kf7 49. g4 hxg4 { 49. hxg4 - here, as I had less than 10 minutes left onmy clock I accepted my opponent's offer of a draw. Given that my opponent'srating was more than 100 points in front of me this was not a bad start. Over the next two games it gets better. } 1/2-1/2
[Event "Die Hard: It's always too early to resign"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "5 Jun 07"] [Round "-"] [White "ian_want"] [Black "nathanman22"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1517"] [TimeControl "14+9<30"] [WhiteElo "1452"] { Annotated 'on request', but a an exciting game in which black shows allhis aggressive inclinations. Still within an English Opening, Black launchesa premature attack that swiftly drops a piece. Thereafter he keeps returningto the fray, losing more material, always driven off, but never quite givingWhite the opportunity to consolidate a winning advantage. After a slipat move 25 (Nf5?) loses half his advantage, White holds on well for another20 moves. But just as Black seems to be running out of resources, Whitemakes another slip... Not what you'd call master chess, this, but greatspectator sport. Watch. } 1. c4 { For many years my favorite: my stock openingmove in OTB and CC. } 1... e5 { A good response. It can lead to Reversed Sicilians,which is not especially desirable for White, but there are other possibilties... } 2. g3 { The move order is flexible here. I used to play 2.Nc3 then 3.g3,but there's nothing wrong with White's choice. } 2... Nf6 3. Bg2 Nc6 4. Nc3 Bc5 { Possibly 4....Bb4 or 4...Be7 are better choices. Sooner or later, Whitewill want to expand on the Q-wing, and the c5-square for the bishop willtend to accelerate that expansion. This indeed happens in the game, thoughnot in the usual circumstances... } 5. d3 { I used to like 5.e3 here, butthe text is OK. } 5... Ng4 { (?) Premature. The sequel indicates that Black hadmore in mind than a cheap kight-fork threat, but miscalculated badly... } 6. e3 { Repulsing the attack at once. Black remains unconvinced. } 6... Qf6 { (??)Simply having overlooked the discovered attack on the g4-knight! } 7. Qxg4 Nb4 { (?!) A piece down, Black judges 2 tempi a reasonable price to induceWhite to recall the queen. It's hard to say he's wrong in the circumstances,but ...d6 was probably a better choice. } 8. Qd1 d6 9. a3 { Presenting thebill. White gets a very quick expansion on the Q-side, altogether desirablefrom his point of view. } 9... Nc6 10. b4 { See my note to Black's 4th. } 10... Bb6 11. Nd5 Qe6 { (?!) Possibly 11...Qd8 is preferable, as that potential fora family check at c7 could become dangerous... } 12. Qc2 { (?!) Worth consideringwas 12.a4 with the idea 12...a5 13.c5! } 12... O-O 13. Nxb6 { (?!) White is startingto neglect his development. There was nio need to be in such a hurry toexchange a well posted knight for a moribund bishop, however desirableexchanges usually are when a piece ahead. Here, too, Black gets a usefulfile opened for his a-rook. More in keeping were developing moves like13.Nf3 or 13.Ne2 or 13.Bb2. } 13... axb6 14. c5 { (?) A mistake that Black alsomisses. } 14... Re8 { (?!) Better is to exploit the half-pin on the a-file: 14...Nxb4! It's no more than a raid, but a pawn's a pawn for a' tha'. } 15. cxb6 { 15.b5! } 15... Nd4 { (?) Ingenious. It seems almost a pity to give it a '?' but Whitecan get away simply with taking the knight: 16.exd4 exd4ch 17.Ne2 etc. Instead, 15...Nxb4! still wins a pawn. } 16. Qxc7 { (!?) This allows Blackto save his d4-knight, though a piece and two pawns to the good ought tobe enough to win! 16...Nb3 17.Rb1 Nxc1 18.Qxc1... } 16... Qb3 { 'Oh, sir, butI insist!' } 17. exd4 { 'Why, thank you sir.' White boldly pockets the secondpiece. Has Black enough attack? Surely not... } 17... exd4+ 18. Kd2 { (!) Boldand correct. Ordinarily there's considerable risk in keeping the K inthe centre, but White is judging that his defensive resources are sufficient,and/or that Black, his Q-side pieces still at home, hasn't enough for adecisive attack. } 18... Bf5 19. Qc2 { (!?) Probably sufficient, but even betterwas 19.Qc4!, which leaves Black the choice of exchanging queens whilststill two pieces down, or the retreat 19...Qa5 20.Bxb7! threatening 21.Bxa8and 21.Bc6. Either way, Black might have come close to tossing in thesponge! } 19... Qe6 20. Qd1 { I would have preferred to develop by 20.Bb2, whichalso protects the vital points against invasion. But the text is OK: Whitehas a winning plus. } 20... Qe7 { Rather a puzzling move at first sight. MaybeBlack wanted to protect the b-pawn without discommoding the rooks. } 21. Nf3 Bxd3 { (?) A third wave of attack! Surely Black can't get away withthis? After 22.Kxd3 Rc8 23.Bb2 Qe4ch 24.Kd2 or 22...Qe4ch 23.Kd2 andBlack has no further attack? } 22. Re1 { White smells a large and hairyrat. This move is fine, though 22.Kxd3 is perfectly playable. } 22... Be4 23. Nh4 { Opening up a nasty attack on the pinned bishop. Sure, Black can keepfrom losing material, but the ensuing exchanges won't help his cause... } 23... d5 24. Bxe4 { Possibly overhasty, though, again, it doesn't compromise thewin. Another approach is 24.f3 Qg5ch 25.f5 (forced, but good enough) 25...Qf626.Bxe4. Very like the game continuation, but White keeps his extra twopieces. } 24... dxe4 25. Nf5 { (??) A simple oversight that hands back one of theextra pieces, thus halving White's advantage. White ought still to win,but Black is back. The central pawn-couple proves to be the front lineof Black's counterplay for the next phase of the game. } 25... Qg5+ 26. Ke2 d3+ { I'd also give more than a passing glance at 26...Qxf5 at once. The d-pawnis safe enough. If 27.Qxd4?? Qf3 secures a draw after 28.Kf1 Qh1ch etc. } 27. Kf1 Qxf5 28. Be3 { A good post for the bishop. Black's pawn centreis imposing, but White ought to be able to contain them whilst mobilisinghis Q-side majority. But Black is not yet without resource... } 28... Red8 { Anotherapproach is 28...Qh3ch, which leads to a dangerous looking attack after29.Kg1 Re5 30.f3 Rh5 31.Ra2 Rxa3!. But after the spectacular 32.Qb3!!Black's attack peters out 32...Rxa2 33.Qxa2 ... } 29. Ra2 Rd5 30. Rd2 { (?!)Very strange. I can only surmise that White hoped to make capital outof mating threats once the rook left the back rank. } 30... Rxa3 { (!) Now Blackhas his final reserves in action... } 31. Qc1 Qh3+ 32. Kg1 Rh5 33. f4 { (?!)Black's attack has after all developed in much the same way as given inmy note to Black's 28th move. With 33.f3! White contains Black's attackin the same way as the text move, but with the added feature of attackingBlack's centre. If 33...exf3?? simply 34.Qxa3 wins out of hand. } 33... Ra4 { Possiblyhoping White has overlooked the protection on c8: 34.Qc8ch?? Qxc8. But...Ra8 at once saves time. } 34. Ree2 { (?!) Another ingenious move (34...dxe2??35.Rd8#, and setting up a strong protection along the 2nd rank), but Imuch prefer the consolidating 34.Bc5 here. 34.Qc7 doesn't look too badeither! } 34... Ra8 35. Rg2 Qc8 { There's nothing doing on the h-file any more,so Black regroups. But offering Q exchanges looks counterintuitive. Whitestill has a marked advantage that would have only been enhanced by 36.Qxc8chRxc8 37.Bc5! Instead 35...Rc8 seems to be indicated. } 36. Bc5 { Queen exchangesought to have come first, but the text doesn't really hurt White's game... } 36... Rd5 37. Ra2 { 37.Qc4 looks an attractive possibility, but retribution isswift: 37...e3! 38.Qxd5?? Ra1ch ... With the text move, it appears thatyet another Black assault has been beaten back. } 37... Rb8 38. Ra5 Qd7 39. Be3 Rxa5 { Ordinarily, one imagines that Black would prefer not to exchangerooks here, but his choices are limited! } 40. bxa5 Ra8 { Since his mistakeon the 25th move, White has maintained his piece advantage well enough,but he hasn't been able yet to build much on it, except, seemingly to repelsuccessive attacks. Things look safe enough, but this is where one needsto be on the alert! } 41. Bd2 { (?!) Protects the a-pawn, but shuts the rookoff from the Q-side. 41.Ra2 seems preferable here. } 41... Qd4+ 42. Kh1 Re8 43. Be3 { Just about forced, but it will do. White can not allow those centrepawns to advance at all. } 43... Qd7 44. Qd2 Rc8 { Black has conjured up anotherattack, though it's more of a long range bombardment for the moment. Nodoubt 45.Qb4 would keep Black contained, but... } 45. Rg1 { (??) } 45... Rc2 { (!)At a stroke, White's advantage disappears! } 46. Qd1 Qh3 { (!) In a flashBlack is once again at White's throat. How is the mate to be averted? } 47. Qxc2 { Panic...or brilliance? The alternative, 47.Bd2 leads to an exciting, 4-queen finish in which White just holds out: 47...e3! 48.a6!Qc8 49.Qf3! exd2 50.Qxb7 Qd8! 51.a7 Rc1! 52.a8=Q Rxg1ch 53.Kxg1 d1=Qch5 54.Kg2 Qe2ch 55.Kg1 Qe3ch 56.Kg2 (=). The astonishing text move is noworse, and is probably better! } 47... dxc2 48. a6 { (!) A fine diversion. Blackhas to break off his attack. } 48... Qd7 { (!) Not bad: retaining attacking chancesdown the d-file. An alternative was 48...Qg4, after which White mighthave to settle for the draw after all: 49.a7 (or axb7) ...Qf3ch 50.Rg2Qd1ch 51.Bg1 h6 52.a8=Qch Kh7 53.Qxb7 c1=Q 54.Qxe4ch etc. } 49. axb7 { (??)No-o-o! A tragedy. It stood to reason that 49.a7 would commit the queento passive defence for a long time to come, whereupon White ought to beable to round up the c-pawn: 49.a7 Qd8 50.Kg2 (Black can draw after 50.Rc1?Qd1ch! 51.Kg2 Qf3ch etc.) 50...h6 51.Rc1 } 49... Qxb7 50. Rc1 Qd5 { Centralisingthe queen. Black has at last a sizeable material plus, but the game isnot yet a 'gimme'. With 51.Kg2 White could present Black with some interstingtechnical difficulties to overcome. But White cuts to the chase: } 51. Ra1 { (??) Ouch! Was he tempted by the non-existent mate threat? } 51... Qd1+ { 0-1. An epic game! } 0-1
[Event "Team match"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "15-May-08"] [Round "-"] [White "barrios"] [Black "mibsam"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1526"] [TimeControl "5 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1451"] 1. e4 { Tipping Point = a point in the game, usually leaving the openingbook and entering the end game, in which the game is tipped slightly infavor of one player. I concentrated on gaining the advantage at each tippingpoint. } 1... c5 { I chose the Sicilian Defense because of comments in MCO-13and the fact that most upper rated players seem in favor of it. } 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bb5+ { NCO-13 comments: ...a safe system, avoiding the complicationsof the open variations. White gains an initiative against imprecise play,but otherwise has few prospects for advantage. Since I am looking to tipthe scales of advantage in my direction, I simply try to be precise andlook for the advantage for me. } 3... Bd7 4. Bxd7+ Qxd7 5. d4 { White left theNCO-13 opening book at this point. Probably a benefit for me in lookingfor the first tipping point advantage. I would rather be closer to castling,and maybe not have the queen off the back rank yet. BUT, I'll take thepossibility of advantage. } 5... cxd4 6. Qxd4 Nc6 7. Qe3 { White left the GameKnotdatabase at this point -- possibly another weakness. The next few movesprepare black for castling. White is not aggressive. } 7... g6 8. O-O Bg7 9. c3 Nf6 10. h3 O-O 11. Nbd2 e6 12. Nc4 b5 { Is this a gain of tempo for black,forcing his knight back? } 13. Ncd2 a5 14. Nb3 b4 { I found a place to increasemy aggression here. By now, I think we are well pass the first tippingpoint with not much tip. } 15. Bd2 Rfc8 16. Nbd4 h5 17. Rac1 e5 18. Nxc6 { This starts a series of exchanges that puts black temporarily behind inmaterial. Could this be the second tipping point? I devoted my attentionto recovery of material. } 18... Rxc6 19. cxb4 axb4 20. Bxb4 Rxc1 21. Rxc1 Rc8 { Perhaps a tempo gain for black. He decides to hunker down. } 22. Rf1 Rc4 23. Bc3 Rxe4 { Gaining material equality again.. } 24. Qc1 Nd5 25. Re1 Rc4 26. Qd2 Qc6 27. Qg5 { I worried about his advanced queen for a while, butthen decided for more aggression instead. } 27... Nxc3 { Begins a combination togain a point. } 28. bxc3 Rxc3 29. Kh2 Rc2 30. Qd8+ Bf8 31. Kg3 Qc5 { Hereblack has an eye on gaining significant material advantage by setting upan attach on white's rook. Notice the possibility of a fork of his rookand king next move. } 32. Rf1 Qc4 { This is a fork between his rook and mate.He probably did not see the mate. } 33. Re1 Qf4# { Thanks for looking overthis game. I am learning chess, so I appreciate any comments that anyonehas throughout. } 0-1
[Event "Let's play chess"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "23-Jul-08"] [Round "-"] [White "justbeu69"] [Black "luni4av"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1552"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1511"] 1. d4 { Hi all. I think you'll enjoy this game, it has beautiful maneuversand combinations. This game was very exciting for because proves me I havean even little tactic knowledge. I have to admit my opponent made thateasier because of his weird playing in the opening } 1... d5 2. h3 { I'm weakin theory and don't know what kind of opening that move is. And I supposemy opponent wanted to try something new } 2... Nf6 3. a3 { The same as previouspost } 3... c5 { I think the best playing vs this passive opening is the aggressiveplaying } 4. dxc5 e5 5. b4 Be7 { Maybe Nc6 is better } 6. c3 { Maybe to preventd4 } 6... O-O 7. g4 { Another move that surprised me. Maybe it is too early toattack } 7... Nc6 8. e3 Ne4 { While all White minor and major pieces are at 1strank, Black is almost finished with its' development. Knight at e4 is goodplaced and at the same time opens line for f5 later } 9. Bg2 Nxf2 { DestroyingWhite defence } 10. Kxf2 e4 { To unfold e5 and to block white pole bishop } 11. Ne2 { White has to develop, anyhow } 11... Bh4+ 12. Kf1 b6 13. cxb6 Ba6 14. Kg1 Ne5 { Threatening Nd3, then Nf2 or Nd3, then Bf2+ } 15. a4 Nd3 16. Rh2 Qd6 { The other line (which I missed) is Bf2+,...Kf1; Qd6,...Rh8; Be1,...Nf4;Nb2+,...Kxe1 etc with good advantage } 17. b5 Bb7 18. Ba3 Qh6 { The othervariant is Qxb6 but then ...Nd4 and the rook is lost } 19. Bc1 f5 20. Nf4 Bg3 21. Nxd3 exd3 22. e4 Qxb6+ 23. Kh1 fxe4 { Now the Black advantage ishuge } 24. Nd2 e3 25. Nf3 e2 26. Qxd3 Rxf3 27. Qxe2 { Forced } 27... Rf2 28. Qd3 Bxh2 29. Be3 Rxg2 { ! } 30. Bxb6 d4 31. Qc4+ Kh8 32. Qc6 { Forced } 32... Bxc6 33. bxc6 Rc2 34. Bxd4 h6 35. Rf1 Rc8 36. Rf7 Rg8 37. c7 Bxc7 38. Rxc7 { Blacktried almost all but now it looks chances are even... but Black holds 2-rankand puts in the battle a little expecting weapon... } 38... Kh7 39. Rxa7 h5 { goodmove - opens white poles for the King } 40. g5 Kg6 41. h4 Kf5 42. Rxg7 Rb8 43. Rf7+ Kg4 44. g6 Kh3 45. a5 Rb1+ 46. Bg1 Rh2# { Thanks for watching } 0-1
[Event "Coffeehouse chess"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2010.01.09"] [Round "-"] [White "nyctalop"] [Black "bone1"] [Result "1-0"] { This is a game played in blitz, so I doubt it holds up to a decent analysisbut, despite that, it still has something to offer. If you've played overgames from 1800's where White would sacrifice everything just to get theattack going and enjoyed them, even if they were unsound, I'm hoping you'lllike this as well. } 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 { The Philidor defense is earningmore respect nowadays than 30-40 years ago and it's not a surprise guestat GMs tournaments anymore. } 3. d4 Bg4 { Not the best, in fact, I believeI have a personal score of 100% in this line. This is also what was usedin the famous Morphy - Count Isouard game, a perfect attacking jewel thatwill never lose its beauty. } 4. dxe5 { Forcing Black to give up the Bishopfor the Knight or else lose a pawn. } 4... Bxf3 5. Qxf3 dxe5 6. Bc4 { White hasa good lead in development and amongst other things is threatening mateon f7. } 6... Qe7 { 6...Qd7 is slightly better, but 6...Nf6 is outright bad afterwhich at least 3 of my own games that I can remember went 7. Qb3 Qd7 8.Qxb7 Qc6 9. Bb5 } 7. Nc3 { Aiming for d5, hitting the Queen. } 7... c6 { Coversboth d5 and b5 but it's another pawn move and another lag in development. } 8. Bg5 { This is one of the reasons why 6...Qd7 is better. } 8... f6 { Black hasmoved nothing but pawns and I have each minor piece, Queen included ona good square. Plus this is an open game. So my next move was somethingI just had to play. } 9. O-O-O { The dance has begun! } 9... fxg5 { The best wayto deal with a sacrifice is to accept it. } 10. Nd5 { This looks just insanebut it's the only move that doesn't concede the initiative to Black. } 10... cxd5 11. Bb5+ Nc6 12. exd5 a6 13. dxc6 axb5 14. cxb7 { White is two pieces downbut his compensation isn't virtual. The b7 pawn is very strong and theBlack monarch is still in trouble. } 14... Rb8 15. Qc6+ Kf7 16. Rd7 { A nice conclusionto the storm of sacrifices initiated earlier. } 16... Nf6 17. Rxe7+ Bxe7 { Theoretically,material is even, and under different circumstance, White would be theone in trouble but Black has serious problems coordinating his pieces. } 18. Qxb5 h6 19. Re1 Bd6 20. Qc6 Rhd8 21. Rd1 { Black is in deep trouble,he can't even exchange a pair of Rooks with 21...Be7 because that willallow Qc8 with devastating effects. } 21... Ke6 { Black finds a surprise defenderto hold up the position. } 22. c4 { The Bishop is pinned and attacked twice.It's dead meat by any standards. } 22... Ke7 { Unpinning but also hemming in theBd6. } 23. c5 Ne8 24. cxd6+ Nxd6 25. Qc7+ Ke6 26. Rxd6+ { The last tacticalblow and the last straw for Black. He had had enough and resigned here. } 1-0
[Event "Topalov vs Morozevich 2002,NAO,Round1,France"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2002"] [Round "-"] [White "Veselin Topalov"] [Black "Alexander Morozevich"] [Result "1-0"] { The first NAO tournament was the strongest ever held in France. The averageage of ten players was 28, ranging from ex-world champion Anatoly Karpov(50) to French champion Etienne Bacrot (19). They both landed in a massive5-way tie, 11⁄2 points behind Bulgaria’s Veselin Topalov, 26, and Israel’sBoris Gelfand, 33. Russia’s Alexander Morozevich, 24, ranked #5 in theworld, was dead last, but his games were undeniably exciting. In this oneWhite’s la st move is simply superb. At the end every piece on the boardis hanging, notably Black’s king. } 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 { I wanted to sharethis game because it made and impression on me and I can't get it out ofmy head :D. I recommend that you watch the game in Interactive move.I willonly annotate a few moves with alternative routes since this game is playedat GM level and its the manifestation of the word logic :D. } 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O b5 6. Bb3 Bc5 7. a4 { White doesn’t get much from 7. Nxe5Nxe5 8. d4 Bxd4 9. Qxd4 Nc6. } 7... Rb8 8. c3 d6 9. d4 Bb6 10. axb5 axb5 11. Na3 O-O 12. Nxb5 Bg4 13. Bc2 h6 14. dxe5 Nxe5 15. Nbd4 d5 16. exd5 Qxd5 17. h3 Bh5 { White’s extra pawn in the ending outweighs his doubled pawnsafter 17...Nxf3+ 18.Nxf3 Bxf3 19. Qxf3 Qxf3 20. gxf3. } 18. g4 Nfxg4 19. Nxe5 Nxe5 20. Qxh5 Bxd4 21. Qf5 Nf3+ 22. Kh1 Qxf5 23. Bxf5 Bf6 24. Ra7 c5 25. Be4 Ne5 26. Rd1 Nc4 27. Bb7 Bg5 { A likely draw would result from27...Rfd8! 28 Bd5 Nxb2 29 Bxf7+ Kh7 30 Rxd8 Bxd8 31 Be3 Nd1 32 Bxc5 Nxc3. } 28. Bxg5 hxg5 29. b3 Ne5 30. Rd5 Rfe8 31. Rxc5 Re7 { Black is a pawn downwithout compensation but this only hastens his defeat. } 32. Rb5 Nd3 33. Be4 { (!) and Black resigns. Every White and every Black piece is hanging!If 33...Rxb5 34. Ra8 mates. Also futile is 33...Rxe4 34. Rxb8+ Kh7 35.Rxf7, losing the exchange and a pawn. Finally, if 33...Nxf2+ 34.Kg2 Ree8(not 34...Nxe4? 35.Rxb8+ Kh7 36.Rxe7) 35.Rxb8 Rxb8 36.Kxf2, losing theknight for a pawn. } 1-0
[Event "Swarming the Uncastle"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009.07.26"] [Round "-"] [White "tonyr2506"] [Black "blake84120"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "2037"] [TimeControl "3d+1d<3d"] [WhiteElo "1430"] 1. b4 e5 { Another ladder challenge. My opponent opens with the colorfullynamed Orang-utan Opening. Also known as the Polish Opening and as the SokolskyOpening. Evidently Tartakover dubbed it the Orang-utan opening after anape he claims to have conversed with. You be the judge. White begins onthe flank intending to control the center from the outside looking in.Black responds by charging right into the center with a move that earn'sblack's choice the clever title of King's Pawn Variation. } 2. b5 d5 { Well,I'm already out of what little opening book to which I might dare lay claim(98% of which I've forgotten in nearly 25 years away from competitive play).I see little purpose to white's move other than hindering my queen's knight'sdevelopment, so I make a grab for the classical strong center, and thefew games in the World DB agree with my choice. } 3. d4 Bd6 { 3. d4 takesme completely out of the world DB and into 'winging-it' territory. Thanksto white's advanced pawn on b5, defending my e5 pawn with the knight isundesirable. I also don't favor recapturing or pushing forward yet with3. ... e4. So I settle on 3. ... Bd6 which seems a weak move for the bishop,but better than my alternatives. Now 2. b5 makes a little more sense. } 4. e3 Nf6 5. Bb2 exd4 { Well, capture on d4 it is then. } 6. Bxd4 a6 7. bxa6 Nxa6 { I got rid of the b5 thorn in my side, so now my knight can developmore naturally, but now he's off on the side of the board. Well, I won'tleave him there long. } 8. a3 O-O 9. Bxa6 Rxa6 { Or white will do me a favorand trade my misplaced knight away. I'm OK with that, too. } 10. h3 c5 { 10.h3 seems like a waiting move. Perhaps white wanted to play Nf3 withoutworrying about the pin, though it seems there would be ample opportunityto drive away a pinning black bishop if needed. Black strikes at the centerwith tempo. } 11. Bxf6 Qxf6 { Don't miss the long-range threat. } 12. Nd2 Bf5 { Developing, but with a goal of capturing the (undefended) pawn onc2. Yes, undefended, since the white queen is too busy guarding her rookagainst black's queen to bother herself to recapture black if he takeson c2. } 13. Ngf3 Bxc2 { White misses it, so black takes the pawn. } 14. Qc1 Bd3 { White plays the only move that doesn't lose a rook, and black repliesby nailing the white king to the center of the board where he needs tostay. } 15. g4 Rb6 { A pawn ahead, let's see about some exchanges. It's prettyclear what white intends to play next, and black's queen would like anaggressive new home. } 16. g5 Qb2 17. Qxb2 Rxb2 { White takes the offer ofthe queen exchange, an exchange that favors black since he's ahead in material,and now black also has a rook on the 7th rank and he has a very well-placedbishop nailing down white's king. I smell an attack in the making. White'sking would be much safer in a castle, but the black bishop on d3 saw tothat. Now white's king is in an 'uncastle' that is about to be swarmed. } 18. Ng1 c4 { I admit, white's 18. Ng1?! perplexes me. I see no point toit so I'll mark it as a dubious move, undeveloping a piece. Perhaps the(misguided) point was to play to e2 and then castle, but that would onlyleave both knights en prise. Or maybe he just felt he needed to defende2 against a rook check. Black advances his passed pawn. In retrospect,this may have been a wasted move by black when 18. ... Ra8 seems much stronger. } 19. Ndf3 Ra8 { And now black plays to the real attack. There is no savingthat pawn now, but the pawn is not the real attack. In fact, for thosewho like puzzles, I have made a puzzle out of this one: http://gameknot.com/chess-puzzle.pl?pz=13111,so don't read on if you like puzzles. } 20. Nd4 Rxa3 { White's in a wholeworld of hurt and there is no way out. I announced checkmate in four beginningwith the move just played, 20. ... Rxa3!. If 21. Rxa3 or 21. Rb1 then 21.... Bb4+ 22. Kd1 Rb1# wins in two. If 21. Rc1 then 21. ... Bb4+ 22. Kd1Be2+ 23. Nxe2 Rd3#. If 21. Rd1 then 21. ... Bb4+ 22. Rd2 Rb1#. The mostinteresting try is 21. Nc2 Bb4+! and now if 22. Nxb4 then 22. ... Rxa1#and if 22. Kd1 then 22. ... Rxa1+ 23. Nxa1 Rb1#. I call this the most interestingbecause I almost missed this line when I analyzed it and that made me reconsider20. ... Rxa3! for a while until I came back to it and worked it out anew.No other moves work any better for white either. } 21. Nge2 Rxa1+ { Whiteleft his rook hanging, but it really didn't matter. White resigned here,but all that was left was 22. Nc1 (forced) Rxc1#. } 0-1
[Event "Sicilian Defence - and why I don't understand it!"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2019.03.23"] [Round "-"] [White "feathered_tiger"] [Black "cougarbait"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [BlackElo "1723"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1867"] { I've never really understood what's going on in the Sicilian Defence,which is one reason why I rarely play it. Black announces, with his firstmove, that he intends to castle K-side, so his King will be landing ong8 at some point. It doesn't in this game, but that's because I don't playthe more usual line. The result is a rather error-strewn game, which wasnonetheless fun, and if I rather bottled out at the end and allowed a drawit's still given me an alternative to play the Sicilian with. } 1. e4 c5 { No-one plays this with the idea of Q-side castling, surely? } 2. b3 { So,on the basis that the King's going to g8, I get ready to claim the longdiagonal towards it. The usual open line 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 seems to helpBlack out: he's happy to give up his c-pawn for a central pawn. White hasalso deprived his e-pawn of a pawn defender and must defend with f3. After4.Nxd4 not only has White moved his one developed piece twice but afterit's attacked he must move it a third time, often to b3, since going backto f3 means the e-pawn can't be defended by a pawn at all. You see whyI'm confused? But to continue... } 2... Nc6 { Since I've advanced my b-pawn Blackisn't bothered by 3.Bb5, since the Bishop can be driven back unless Whitewants to exchange it so early. } 3. Bb2 { Clearly the logical follow on frommy last move. } 3... d6 { Black develops in a more traditional fashion. } 4. Nc3 { My plan is to castle Q-side and advance my K-side pawns against what Iexpect to be the enemy King's defence, so it makes sense to get my Q-sidepieces out quickly. } 4... Nf6 { Since Black is attacking a pawn that's alreadydefended I kind of get a free move here. } 5. h3 { I suppose more logicalis 5.Nf3, and this is a little passive. But it stops the Bishop or theKnight going to g4 and, in any case, I want my Knight behind the f-pawn,not in front of it. } 5... e6 { Black is playing cautiously in the face of a linethat isn't one of the main ones. He could have played 5...g6, getting hisdark-squared Bishop onto g7 to challenge along the long diagonal. It'shardly going to find many squares anywhere else! } 6. Bd3 { Hoping to beable to push the e-pawn at some point and reveal an attack against h7.Once the central pawns have gone my Bishops will be quite strong, I'm hoping. } 6... Be7 { Having kept his g-pawn on g7, this was the only place for this Bishop. } 7. f4 { Now I start my pawn advance, and am ready for Nf3 at some point. } 7... Bd7 { Black completes his development a little before me, and he can castlenext move, while I have to get my Knight out. Despite all this, I'm fairlyhappy with how the game's going. } 8. Nf3 { Curiously, we've now reacheda 'book' position, albeit in a roundabout way. } 8... Qb6 { I think the pointof this is that, should I castle K-side then 9...c4 wins the Bishop witha discovered check. The analysis prefers a more direct attack on the Bishopwith 8...Nb5, which rather ties my Queen to defending my c-pawn if I don'twant to give up the Bishop and prevents my next move... } 9. Qe2 { Gettingready for castling. } 9... h6 { Rather a curious move. Possibly Black has decidedK-side castling is a little suspect and is preparing to counter my pawns.9...Nb4 was still on too. } 10. g4 { Finally I make my aim crystal clear... } 10... O-O-O { And Black scuttles off to the Q-side. This has quite foiled my planand maybe I should have kept the K-side pawn advances to a minimum fora little longer. } 11. Nb5 { Instead of completing my plan and castling Q-side,I launch this rather foolhardy Knight sortie. My idea was to threaten 12.Bxf6and if 12...Bxf6 I win the d-pawn and then get a nasty fork on c7. Thisoverlooks lots of other options at Black's disposal, not least that hedoesn't have to capture on f6 with the Bishop at all, and that he can infact just advance the threatened d-pawn. I'm expecting him to attack myKnight with the a-pawn though, after which I can retreat to a3 and lookfor a post on c4. } 11... a6 { He obliges, which rather weakens his already ratherropey defence } 12. Na3 { And I stick my Knight on this rather dubious square,when in fact a simple retreat to c3 was better. } 12... d5 { And going to c4 isno longer an option; like many players I forget that my opponent gets movestoo. I've handed Black a rather dangerous initiative. } 13. Ne5 { But he'sleft a hole for my own Knight. Maybe I can tempt him into giving up oneof his King's defenders? } 13... Nxe5 { Yes, I can! } 14. Bxe5 { Now my Bishop seizesa good central square. Or is it? 14...c4 wrecks my defence; after 5. Nxc4 dxc4 16. Bxc4 Bc6 17. Bd3 Nd7 18. Bxg7 Rhg8 19. Bc3 Nc5 the analysishas Black significantly ahead. } 14... Bd6 { However, Black thinks my Bishop isnicely placed, and offers to exchange it. } 15. Bxd6 { I'm happy to oblige,since it removes another defender. } 15... dxe4 { Craftily, Black takes the opportunityto mix things up a little. } 16. Nc4 { But it gives me the chance to getto c4 with a tempo, since I'm attacking the Queen. I've made a few errors,but so has my opponent. } 16... Qc6 17. O-O-O { Finally, I castle, but this isquite wrong; I thought the Bishop on d3 was lost, but 17.Qg2 pins the pawn.Instead I've handed back my material. } 17... exd3 18. cxd3 { Ugly, but 18.Qxd3Ne4 looks dangerous. } 18... b5 { Black has the upper hand again, driving awaythe Knight and opening lines against my King. Nasty. } 19. Be7 { Since theBishop is looking hard to maintain in enemy territory, I offer it as partof an exchange. } 19... bxc4 20. Bxd8 Rxd8 { Curiously, Black doesn't play 20...cxd3first, leaving me a pawn down and with a vulnerable pawn on d2. } 21. dxc4 { Instead, he's rather let me close the gap a little. } 21... Ng8 { This retreatis a bit of a missed chance, since I get the chance to bring the ratherthreatened Rook on h1 to a very useful square. } 22. Rhe1 Qc7 { Now Blackis chasing pawns... } 23. Qe4 { I normally find it a little dubious to bedefending a pawn with my Queen, but it seems the best option. Remarkably,this is once again a position that has been reached a number of times. } 23... Ne7 { More serious mistake than usual; Black really needed to plug thatlong diagonal with 23...Bc6 } 24. Qa8+ { Now my Queen has penetrated. I thoughtthe game had swung my way now, as indeed it had, but I still didn't makethe best of it... } 24... Qb8 25. Qxa6+ { At least I get to nick a pawn. A shame,really, that my King is on the Q-side; my planned advance of K-side pawnshas got nowhere and I'm looking at a Q-side pawn advantage! } 25... Kc7 26. d4 { Sensing my advantage, I decide to open a file, but 26.Qa3 was more threatening. } 26... cxd4 27. Rxd4 { Too soon - 27. Qa5+ Qb6 28. Qxb6+ Kxb6 29. Rxd4 gives mea fine advantage. } 27... Nc6 { Instead, Black gets counterplay... } 28. Rd2 { AndI help him by putting my Rook on the wrong square; it's usually betterto have Rooks on the same file or rank, thus 28.Rde4, which I shied awayfrom because of 28...f5 But on d2 it invites 28...Qb4 and the threat of29...Bc8 is alarming. } 28... Bc8 { Instead, Black plays this first, and handsme what ought to have been a winning advantage. Now I can exchange Rooks... } 29. Qa3 { Except I don't, getting my Queen out of the line of fire first,and quite missing that after 29.Rxd8 Black must recapture the Rook, sincetaking my Queen results in the loss of his! Now Black is back in the game... } 29... Rxd2 30. Kxd2 Qb4+ { However, not back in so much he can afford to exchangeQueens! I guess he imagined that my extra pawns would not be any matchfor his pieces. Maybe he was right, even though the analysis gives me abig advantage through the Queen exchange. } 31. Qxb4 Nxb4 32. a3 { Harryingthe Knight seems a good way to start advancing my Q-side pawns. } 32... Nc6 33. b4 { Another heads forward! } 33... Nd4 { The Knight, however, is determined tocause chaos in my defence; the possibility of forks abound and I must bevery careful. Threatened is 33...Nf3+ } 34. Re4 { This avoids the fork, butnot the check, while 34.Kc3 would do both - and defends my c-pawn. } 34... Nf3+ { Now I must be very careful where I go. } 35. Ke3 { Possibly the worst squareI could have picked! Intent on avoiding checks I quite miss the dangersof 35...Bb7 and my Rook has nowhere to go. } 35... Ne1 { Fortunately, in this gameof errors, my opponent misses it too. The win is still on... } 36. Kd2 { Iwant to trap the Knight, but it can hop around an easily elude me... } 36... Nf3+ 37. Ke3 { To blunder once is forgivable; to miss the same threat twice...! } 37... Ne1 { Is possibly not so unusual... Black is clearly wanting to draw byrepetition. } 38. Kd2 { And I have made so many errors and feel so ineptat endgames I collude with him and repeat the moves; after the way thegame has gone I'm just happy not lose; the better line of 38. Kd4 Nf3+39. Kc5 Nd2 40. Re3 is rather beyond me, and even now I'm not convincedI could have played that to win. } 38... Nf3+ 39. Ke3 Ne1 { And it was a draw.Possibly we both made so many errors neither of us deserved the win! } 1/2-1/2
[Event "Sicilian defense (B20) w/ variations"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2012.05.20"] [Round "-"] [White "wmaes"] [Black "evilgm"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1767"] [TimeControl "3d+1d<3d"] [WhiteElo "1585"] 1. e4 { This is a fast ladder match I played against wmaes, a great opponent. There are some instructive segments to this chess match which I thinkbear further scrutiny, and are profitable to all, therefore without furtherado... } 1... c5 2. d3 { Not my favored response to the Sicilian, but definitelyplayable. There are a number of good lines from this position which offerexciting play. } 2... e6 { To give natural development for my bishop and allowfor an eventual center push. } 3. c4 { I was expecting g3, or bringing outone of the knights. This pawn structure is one that certainly seeks tocontrol the center, but I don't like giving potential homes to knightsby creating a vacuum on both sides. If I can get a knight to d4 (and keephim there), he will be powerful. } 3... Nc6 4. Nf3 Nf6 { All natural developmentfor black so far. } 5. e5 { An unexpected incursion into black territory! I was a little taken aback by this move as it was completely unexpected. However, I felt that I only had one response. } 5... Ng4 { Now there is doublepressure against his e pawn. I'm curious what white was thinking to accomplishwith the early assault, however, to the point, now white has two choicesfor defense: Qe2 or d4. } 6. Qe2 { This seems like a more natural play, sinceit brings another piece into the game and doesn't abandon the c4 pawn toitself. Also since white is probably looking to fianchetto his bishopon g2, this protective move will offer more playable options for white. I think the queen move was the better of the two choices. } 6... d6 { And nowwhite has to take, since it is 3 against 2. } 7. exd6 Bxd6 { A fairly centralaxiom to chess is: where possible move pieces before queens/rooks. } 8. g3 { Preparing for the Bg2 move. } 8... O-O 9. Bd2 { This move also surprised me. Perhaps white saw the chance to go Bc3, giving him strong attack linesto the king? However, I believe that white's priority should have beencastling before thinking that far ahead. Better to protect your king whileyou can. Since my king is already castled, I can start probing white'sdefenses for weakness and go on attacks of my own. wmaes is a very goodplayer, so perhaps he has something up his sleeve? } 9... Nge5 10. Nxe5 { I believethat this move was a mistake for the sequence that is about to unfold. I expected Bg2, in preparation for a castle, but now things are aboutto get ugly. } 10... Bxe5 { Threatening b2 and ultimately a1. } 11. Bc3 { I thoughtwhite might move up his knight, but there is a certain logic to bringingin the bishop. However, as soon as this move was made I saw a possibleway to get white to lose his castle. My hand was forced to take on c3. } 11... Bxc3+ 12. Nxc3 Nd4 { Now the power play, I am attacking white's queen, butalso threatening Nc2+! Also note, that white made this powerful positionpossible with the early pawn structure he chose. } 13. Qd1 { The only play... } 13... Qf6 { Now for an attack of my own. White has two real responses here, Bg2or the path he chose, Ne4. If Bg2, Qe5+ offers some rich possibilitiesfor black. } 14. Ne4 { Attack! Or is it? } 14... Nf3+ { Now white has no choicebut to move Ke2. } 15. Ke2 Nd4+ { Another check allowing my queen to getto safety and protect c5. } 16. Kd2 { This move makes sense from the standpointof getting his king out of the way for his back row to link up. } 16... Qe7 17. Ke1 { I'm not certain about the utility of this move. Although white haslost his castle, he still has piece parity, so now I would have moved Bg2(still!) to continue development, then all of his pieces on the back rankare supporting each other. } 17... f5 { No good options for white's knight exceptto retreat. } 18. Nd2 { I was expecting Nc3, but perhaps white is lookingdown the road to an e/f pawn march and wants the knight handy to play defense. } 18... b6 { supporting my c pawn and giving a place for my bishop to develop upon,namely b7. } 19. Bg2 { The long awaiting bishop move, but I have a nice counterpunch. } 19... Bb7 { Since my queen is on the same back rank, I can protect thebishop, and if white takes, he gives me a prime diagonal of power fromwhich to attack. I think f3 is a viable response and should be given seriousconsideration. } 20. Bxb7 Qxb7 21. Rg1 { Any other rook move would lose material,but what about f3? It would allow the king to go to f2, and give somebreathing room for the coming storm from my hungry pieces. } 21... Rae8 { in preparationfor the assault on white's king, who is conveniently boxed in to his spotby a queen and a knight. } 22. f3 { Perhaps a little too late. } 22... e5 { And soit begins. } 23. Kf1 { I think Kf2 is better here, providing support forhis g1 rook, and giving some extra defense for his f3 pawn. } 23... e4 { Decisiontime for white. There is a lot of power projecting into his king's turfand there are a couple of possible responses. My expectation was dxe4or f4. I also wondered if white might try Nxe4. dxe4 would be followedby fxe4+, and f4 would be followed by e3!, likely winning the knight, andopening a hole for a rook to wade in, supported by a knight. When yourking is being pressured, it is best to avoid open lines of attack. } 24. fxe4 { color me surprised! This is the one move I didn't expect white tomake. However, the response is a given. } 24... fxe4+ { Now no matter which waywhite goes, he is in for some pain. White resigned here. The main lessonsfrom the game, I believe, are instructive: look to castle before goingaggressive; and when your opponent has already castled and you have not,s/he will go on the offensive, so quickly develop pieces that will helpyou castle, so you can have a measure of safety. I hope you enjoyed theannotation. } 0-1
[Event "fiercequeen at it again (part 1)..."] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2-sep-18"] [Round "-"] [White "fiercequeen"] [Black "chompi"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1331"] [TimeControl "3+10 blitz"] [WhiteElo "2059"] { watch and learn... } 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 { the dreaded Philidor again... } 3. d4 Nd7 4. Bc4 h6 { all kinds of novelties... } 5. O-O c5 6. dxe5 Nxe5 7. Nxe5 dxe5 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 9. Bxf7 { first casualty... } 9... Nf6 10. Nc3 Bd6 11. f4 b6 12. Bd5 Rb8 13. Nb5 { like taking candy from a child... } 13... Kd7 14. f5 a6 15. Na7 Bb7 16. Be6+ Ke7 17. c4 Bxe4 18. Be3 b5 19. cxb5 axb5 20. Rfd1 Rb7 21. Nxb5 Rxb5 22. a4 { here we go... } 22... Rxb2 23. Bf2 { not so fast,bro... } 23... Rhb8 24. a5 { and here, Black timed out: such a shame... } 1-0
[Event "Let's play chess"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2015.10.19"] [Round "-"] [White "davewelsby"] [Black "mmoody95"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1787"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1699"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. c4 c5 { This ends up as a Benoni-type pawn structurefor Black. } 4. d5 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 6. e4 Be7 7. Nc3 O-O 8. h3 a6 9. a4 { Preventingb5, which makes Black's job of getting untangled much more difficult. } 9... Nbd7 10. Bf4 Qb6 11. Qc2 Qd8 { Qb6 just wasted a tempo and helped Whitedevelop. } 12. Bd3 b6 13. O-O Bb7 14. Qe2 Re8 15. Rad1 h6 16. Rfe1 Bf8 { Blackhas very few useful moves. Quite a few possible moves simply make theposition worse. } 17. Qc2 Ne5 18. Nxe5 dxe5 19. Be3 Bd6 20. Ne2 Qc7 21. Ng3 Bc8 22. Be2 Bd7 23. b3 b5 { This move ultimately drops a pawn. } 24. axb5 axb5 25. Ra1 Ra5 26. Rec1 Rea8 27. Rxa5 Qxa5 28. Bxc5 Bxc5 29. Qxc5 Rc8 30. Qe3 Rxc1+ 31. Qxc1 Qb4 32. Qc2 Qe1+ 33. Bf1 b4 { Making the pawnimmune from White's light-square Bishop. } 34. Qd3 Qc1 35. Qc4 Qe1 { ExchangingQueens just makes White's endgame easy. } 36. Ne2 Qd2 37. Nc1 Nxe4 38. Qxe4 Qxc1 39. Qxe5 Qc5 40. Bc4 Kf8 { Black is much worse. White's passed pawnshould decide the game. } 41. d6 { A shocking tactical oversight. } 41... Qxe5 { Whiteresigned here, after an otherwise better-played game. } 0-1
[Event "Queen's Indian Defense, Old Main Line, 7. Nc3 "] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2016.07.21"] [Round "-"] [White "rondol"] [Black "milly64"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1048"] [TimeControl "3d+3d<7d"] [WhiteElo "1173"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Be7 6. O-O O-O 7. Nc3 { Thistournament game was a loss for me but I think its an interesting game. The game has a surprise in store. } 7... d6 { I went with d5-d6 which allowsmy b knight to access d7. } 8. Bg5 { White attacks my f knight with his DBto g5. } 8... Nbd7 { I now develop my b knight to d7 which is now protecting myf knight. } 9. e4 { White takes further control of the centre with pawn toe4. } 9... d5 { I attack the centre with d6 to e5. This is protected by my LBat b7. } 10. e5 { As expected white pushes his pawn to e5 which further attacksmy knight at f6. } 10... a6 { I move pawn a7 to a6. Not sure why I did not movemy f6 knight maybe I should have. } 11. h3 { White was keeping the tensionand did not take my knight but went with pawn to h3. I presume this wasto prevent my now moving my knight to g4 which would have been the squareif I decided to move it. } 11... Re8 { I decide to move my rook across to e8 Ibelieve I was intending to move my knight to f8. I also am aware thatwhite's DB could move to h6 and I do not want my rook in the firing line. } 12. g4 { White is pushing on the g file now with pawn to g4. } 12... Nf8 { I movemy knight to f8 and I expect my opponent is aware I intend to move my knightto g6. } 13. exf6 { White now takes my f6 knight with his e5 pawn. } 13... gxf6 { I capture with my pawn which may not have been the best move as I hadmy queen at d8 and if I had taken with my DB and white had captured thisthen I could have recaptured white's DB with my queen. I may have notfelt I wanted to exchange my DB at this point and I would normally tryto keep my DB when I am black. } 14. Bh6 { As I thought white's DB movesto h6 and is now facing my knight at f8. My king is now on an open filefollowing my capture of white's pawn at f6. } 14... Ng6 { I move my knight to g6and I was planning to move up to h4 to inhibit white's pawns from any furtheradvance. } 15. h4 { Of course white must have seen my thoughts and pushesh3 pawn to h4. } 15... e5 { I maintain my knight at g6 as it is protected by thepawns and is a good position for present time. So I push my e6 pawn toe5 attacking the centre again. } 16. dxe5 { White captures my e5 pawn withhis d4 pawn. } 16... f5 { I push one of my doubled pawns on the f file to f5 attackingthe pawn at g4. } 17. gxf5 { White captures my f5 pawn with his g4 pawn andis now attacking my g6 knight. } 17... Nxh4 { I capture the h4 pawn with my knightand white's f3 knight is in a position to recapture. } 18. Nxd5 { But Whitedecides to capture my e5 pawn with his c3 knight and is now attacking myDB at e7. } 18... Nxf5 { I capture a pawn in return with my knight taking the pawnat f5 and I am now threatening white's DB at h6. } 19. Bf4 { So white removeshis DB from the attack by my knight and moves his DB to f4. } 19... Bc5 { I alsodo the same and move my DB out of white knight's clutches to c5. I amnow attacking the pawn at f2. } 20. Bg5 { Now white moves his DB to g5 attackingmy queen at g8. There is a passed pawn at e5 and this could be a riskif it continues to push down the e file. } 20... Re6 { So I decide to push my rookto e6 to halt the progress of the pawn and I may have forgotten about myqueen en prise. } 21. Bxd8 { White captures my queen at d8 but I do havethe a8 rook to recapture the DB. Now I am down a queen a piece not lookinggood. } 21... Rxd8 { I recapture the DB with my rook but I have still lost my queen. It doesn't look good for me but I must fight and try to make the bestof it. } 22. Nf6+ { White now checks my king with d knight to f6. My rookat d8 is vulnerable as the queen is opposite at d1. This would be my nextattack if I was white. } 22... Kf8 { I move my king out of check to f8. I couldhave taken the knight with my rook at e6 but this would have been retakenby the pawn at e5 I was trying to stop. } 23. Ng5 { I am surprised my opponentdidn't capture my rook at d8 but instead he moved his f knight to g5 nowattacking my rook at e6. } 23... Rd4 { So I move my rook up to d4 and now protectedby DB at e5 and my knight at f5. } 24. Qh5 { Now queen comes to h5 attackingpawns at h7 and f7. I should have moved my rook down to e7 to protectmy pawn at f7. I could not protect my pawn at h7. } 24... Ng7 { However I movedmy knight to g7 attacking the queen. But my opponent should not have reactedto this threat but should have continued to take the pawn at f7 and itwould have been checkmate. } 25. Nxe6+ { It seems white did not see the checkmate. White went with g knight to e6 checking my king. } 25... Nxe6 { I proceeded totake this knight with my knight. Phew my king survived but for how long. } 26. Nxh7+ { Now white captures my pawn at h7 and checks my king. } 26... Ke8 { Iremove my king to e8 and out of check. } 27. Nf6+ { White checks my kingagain with his knight move to f6. } 27... Kd8 { I remove my king once again tod8. } 28. Qh8+ { Now white's queen comes into the attack with h8 and checksthe king again. } 28... Bf8 { I bring my DB to f8 protected by my knight at e6and my king is safe again. } 29. Nh7 { Now black moves his knight to h7 andattacks my DB. } 29... Rh4 { I move my rook across to h4 and pin the knight tothe queen to stop the knight from capturing my DB. } 30. Qf6+ { White removesthe queen from the pin and checks my king at f6. } 30... Be7 { I defend with theDB to e7. } 31. Qxf7 { White captures my pawn at f7. } 31... Rf4 { I attack the queenwith my rook to f4 which is protected by my knight at e6. } 32. Qg6 { Whitemoves the queen to g6. } 32... Bc8 { I now move my LB from b7 to c8 and safe fromwhite's LB at g2. Now the LB is protecting the knight at e6 which is currentlyin the white queen's line of fire. } 33. Bh3 { However white has decidedto also attack the knight and moves his LB to h3. } 33... Nf8 { I think I am justin defensive mode and not really having any chance to attack the king.I move my knight to f8 and attack the queen protected by the DB at e7 andmy rook on f4. } 34. Nxf8 { White captures my knight with his knight. } 34... Rxf8 { I recapture the knight with my rook. } 35. Bxc8 { White captures my LB ate8. } 35... Kxc8 { I capture the LB with the king. } 36. Rad1 { White moves his arook over to d1 perhaps intending to double up the rooks. } 36... Kb7 { I movemy king away from the 8th rank to b7. } 37. Rd7 { White moves his rook tod7 attacking both the pawn at c7 and my DB at e7. } 37... Bh4 { I remove my DBout of harms way to h4 attacking the pawn at f2 with 2nd attack from myrook at f8. } 38. e6 { Now white's pawn at e5 moves to e6 and we see theplan that white is fixed on. } 38... Rf4 { I move my rook to f4 and towards white'sking. This may not have been the best move, better may have been movinga pawn to allow the king to escape, and while the rook was there white'srook could not access the 8th rank. } 39. e7 { White pushes his pawn to e7. } 39... Rf3 { I push my rook to f3 which is not the best move by any means. I couldnot risk taking the pawn as one of my pieces would have been taken leavingme with even less chances. I should have given my king an escape route. } 40. e8=Q { White queens his pawn. } 40... Rf6 { I now attack the queen at g6 protectedby the DB at h4. } 41. Qge4+ { White moves the queen to e4 on the same fileas the newly queened pawn. } 41... Rc6 { I move my rook to c6 to protect the pawnat c7. } 42. Qa8+ { White sacrifices his queen with a move to a8. } 42... Kxa8 { Myking captures the queen. } 43. Qxc6+ { White's queen captures my rook atc6 and time is up for my king. He is in check. } 43... Ka7 44. Rxc7+ Kb8 45. Qb7# { White captures my c7 pawn with his rook I move out of check to b8. With the queen to b7 its checkmate. I appreciate it if white just allowedme to play the game through rather than checkmating me at 24. I alwayshad hope and I try never to throw the game away if I can help it. } 1-0
[Event "An Overwhelming Finish"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2007.10.26"] [Round "-"] [White "The Dentist"] [Black "jstevens1"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1783"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1249"] 1. d4 { Hi everyone, I have just taken a trip down memory lane and foundhappiness. I feel like doing this after yet another Expert loss. Hereis another game against The Dentist which ended in an overwhelming victoryfor me at the end. Here is the beginning and The Dentist kicks off withd4 against me. He did that for many games against me and then tried e4and the Patzer's Opening. Thankfully I beat him then but that is anotherstory. Anyhow, on with this one and I respond with d5. } 1... d5 2. e3 e6 { 2........ e6 - symmetry. } 3. Nf3 c5 4. c3 cxd4 5. exd4 { 5. exd4 - pawn trade. } 5... Nc6 6. b4 a6 7. Qa4 Bd7 { 7. ...... Bd7 - Fou Leblanc develops and breaksthe pin on my queen knight. } 8. Qc2 Nf6 9. Bf4 Be7 { 9. ........ Be7 - development. } 10. Bd3 O-O 11. Ng5 h6 12. Bh7+ Kh8 { 12. ...... Kh8 (forced), thank Godmy rook is defending f7, can you the jury see why I say thank God? } 13. Bg6 hxg5 14. Bxg5 fxg6 15. Qxg6 { 15. Qxg6 - white has sacrificed 2 piecesfor 2 pawns for a mating attack. Thankfully it fails. } 15... Nh7 16. Be3 Bg5 17. Bd2 Bxd2+ 18. Nxd2 { 18. Nxd2 - when ahead in material, trade, tradeand trade again unless there is a really special reason not to do so. The Wicked Witch of the West cannot deliver mate without assistance. Ifonly I can either exchange queens or swap off the rooks. The game willreally be my own. } 18... Qg5 19. Qxg5 Nxg5 { 19. ....... Nxg5 - a queen trade,yip, yip, yipee! 2 pieces up and no Old Matey to worry about, I am in7th heaven here. } 20. O-O { 20. 0-0 - castles - a good idea to bring hisremaining material in to play, but my opponent is 2 pieces down, a tallorder against a player who at the time was 200-300 points north of hisrating. Still, having a winning advantage is one thing, converting itis another. I hope this will proved a useful lesson to all ye beginnersand intermediate players on how to convert such a material advantage toa forced win. } 20... Rae8 21. f4 Nh7 22. h3 Rc8 23. h4 b6 { 23. ....... b6 - consolidation. } 24. g3 Ne7 { 24. ....... Ne7 - unmasks a battery onto the c3 pawn whichwhite misses! } 25. Nf3 Rxc3 26. Ne5 Bb5 { 26. ....... Bb5 - now attackswhite's rook, but white also overlooks this with 27. a4?? allowing me totake the rook. } 27. a4 Bxf1 28. Kxf1 Rfc8 { 28. ....... Rfc8- this pileup on the c column will prove lethal to the Dentist. } 29. Nf7+ { 29. Nf7+ - a spite check only. } 29... Kg8 30. Nd6 Rc1+ 31. Rxc1 Rxc1+ { 31. ...... Rxc1+- I now force off white's remaining rook, things get nastier and nastierfor him. } 32. Ke2 Nf5 33. Kd2 Rg1 34. Nc8 b5 35. axb5 axb5 36. Na7 Nd6 { 36. ....... Nd6 - preventing the Dentist from getting a passer on theb column. } 37. Ke2 Rxg3 38. Nc6 Rc3 39. Ne7+ { 39. Ne7+ - another spitecheck. } 39... Kf7 40. Nc6 Rxc6 { 40. ...... Rxc6 - is the Dentist playing fora stalemate I wonder? } 41. Ke3 Nf5+ 42. Kf3 Nf6 43. h5 Rc3+ { 43. ......Rc3+ - I am beginning to see a way of moving in for the kill. The enemyking will now be driven right back as follows. } 44. Ke2 Nxd4+ 45. Kd2 Ne4+ { 45. ........ Ne4+ - checking the WK and protecting the rook on c3 simultaneously. The WK is now driven back to the back rank. } 46. Kd1 Rc2 { 46. ...... Rc2- I now announce mate in 3. I gave the Dentist a careful analysis ofthe checkmate. Can you find the checkmate. For the members of the jurythat enjoy doing puzzles. Please do not put your solution in the commentsbut do send me a pm with your solution. I will verify it, I promise. My opponent waved the white flag. What a relief! } 0-1
[Event "Team match"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2013.11.02"] [Round "-"] [White "thefiddler"] [Black "cornishman"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1788"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1840"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Bc5 { Not a common move. } 5. c3 b5 6. Bc2 { considered Bb3 but the text move secures the e4 pawn } 6... Nf6 7. d4 Bd6 { This seems to be a very unnatural position for the black bishop. It'sblockading the d pawn, and interferes with the development of the whitesquared bishop. It seems to have no future on this square and will likelyhave to move again. } 8. O-O O-O 9. Re1 { Just trying to continue to developnormally and wait for black to move his bishop from d6. } 9... Bb7 10. Bg5 h6 11. Bh4 Qe7 12. Nbd2 Kh7 { Walking into the bishop's path. Not sure thisis the best plan for black. } 13. Nf1 { If 13.dxe5 Bxe5 14.Nxe5 Nxe5 15.f4 Qc5 16. Bf2 Ng6 } 13... Rh8 14. Ne3 Rag8 { Still seems to be the wrong planfor black. Perhaps better is moving the h rook out to the e file or something.The king is very awkwardly placed here. } 15. dxe5 Nxe5 16. Nxe5 Bxe5 17. f4 Bxf4 18. e5+ g6 19. Bxf6 Qc5 20. Qd4 Qxd4 21. cxd4 Re8 22. Bxh8 Kxh8 23. Ng4 Kg7 24. Nf6 Rd8 25. Ne4 Bxe4 26. Rxe4 Bg5 27. h4 Be7 28. g3 d5 29. exd6 Bxd6 30. Kg2 f5 31. Re2 Kf6 32. Bb3 a5 33. a4 bxa4 34. Bxa4 Bb4 35. Rd1 c5 36. dxc5 Rxd1 37. Bxd1 Bxc5 38. Kf3 g5 39. Bb3 g4+ 40. Kg2 h5 41. Re6+ Kg7 42. Re5 1-0
[Event "For someone who is online now. (finish in one sitting)"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009.06.07"] [Round "-"] [White "aseely93"] [Black "kamshaft"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1188"] [TimeControl "2 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1200"] 1. e3 { this first move baffled me, I have never seen anyone play this. } 1... e5 2. b3 Nf6 { i open up the knight, that proves to be very useful laterin the game } 3. Nh3 h5 4. Be2 { attacks rooks pawn } 4... d5 { threatens knight,and later defends my knight. } 5. Bb5+ { check } 5... c6 { pawn chain forming } 6. Be2 Ng4 { very dangerous position } 7. f3 { threatened } 7... Nf6 { retreat } 8. f4 { pawn forward } 8... exf4 { i take } 9. Nxf4 { moves knight } 9... Ng4 { vital position } 10. h3 { creates a three move forced mate } 10... Qh4+ { i bring my queen into thegame } 11. g3 { blocks check } 11... Qxg3+ { i take } 12. Kf1 Qf2# { mate, one sittingas asked for. } 0-1
[Event "Defending with nails and teeths"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2015.10.13"] [Round "-"] [White "damalfi"] [Black "nearitalian"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1880"] [TimeControl "3/10"] { I lost for a final blunder after a tight duel in which both of us missedgood lines. } 1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Nf6 3. Nf3 e6 4. e3 Bd6 5. Ne5 { Typical Londonasset. } 5... O-O { Black accepts. } 6. g4 { The older and sharpest plan: as awell experienced player must know, this is somewhat premature, and blackcan meet it. Nevertheless, it's always a good way to make your opponentthink. } 6... Nc6 7. g5 { I want my Q out, so I have to kick the N. } 7... Ne4 { Verynice, but almost useless. } 8. Qg4 { What's this Q doing up here? } 8... f6 { Ok,now it starts. NxNc6 etc is not good because of BxBf4, disrupting white'spawns. } 9. gxf6 { A semiopen column is created, but at the cost of a weakf2! } 9... Qxf6 10. Rg1 { I couldn't calculate, so I just played by feeling. Imust make the most of my threats, I don't have time for Nd2. As an emergencysavior, I had Bg3, but I prefer not to play it (e.g. NxBg3, hxg3? Qxf2+.As long as e3 is defended and the R defends Bf1, I can even let black playit!) } 10... Nxe5 { The counterside of letting the B there. } 11. dxe5 Bxe5 12. c3 { Just holding. If d4, I'm lost, but I had in mind ideas like Bh6 (QxB,QxN). The 'little problem' was Qxf2+, Kd1, Bxc3+ and so on. } 12... Bxf4 { Ok,the B is forced away and now the pressure against g2(Edit:g7) is strong. } 13. exf4 { Black can't take the pawn or Qxg2# (cashing the tempo spenton Rg1). Still... } 13... e5 { In those situations, in blitz, it is so easy toblunder... I played coldly... } 14. Qg2 { ...giving the pawn, but betterthan lose the grip on g2(edit:g7). } 14... exf4 15. Nd2 { I have to develop veryquickly, not allowing black to create pressure on the e column. } 15... Nxd2 { Not the best, as Re8 seemed more to the idea of attacking. Here, Whitemissed Qxd5+, Be3, QxNd2. I can't say if it was better. } 16. Kxd2 { Icouldn't castle, but my R is mobile and my K can't be checked right now. } 16... f3 { Ok, cool blood again. } 17. Qg3 { Let's see how he breaks in. } 17... Qh6+ 18. Kc2 Bf5+ 19. Bd3 { By exchanging undeveloped pieces, my disadvantagecan be somewhat reduced: Black must avoid to get into a siuation wherethe perpetual is his best option. Of course Kb3 allowed Qb6+ and must beavoided. } 19... Rae8 { Correctly threatening Re2+. } 20. Bxf5 { No choice, or Re2+and BxB. } 20... Rxf5 { !? Better was to check at once with Re2+, this gives mea tempo. } 21. Rae1 { Giving up the pressure on g, but if B exchange, Iwill have Re8+ as a resource to mobilize my R. } 21... Rff8 { Here I lost thechance to play RxR, RxR, Qxf3, winning a pawn. } 22. Qxc7 { ...but I consideredthis instead. It keeps the pressure on g7, and prevents BQ to force theQ exchange with Qg6+. } 22... Qf6 { First step to play g6 or something. Black'sKside is weak indeed. Rf7 can't be played (RxRe8+) and if RxRe1, RxR, blackis still in the same trouble. } 23. Qxb7 { Not only to snatch a pawn, butto threat d5. Of course, all this pawn munching has the counterside ofleaving wide open to the R's action the queenside my K is shielding behind. } 23... Re2+ { I can play Kb3, actually, but... } 24. Rxe2 { This gives me a tempoto take d5 with check. } 24... fxe2 25. Qxd5+ Kh8 { I just have to be carefulwith the e2 pawn, take it without losing mine, and I'm up! From a defendingposition to a half-won endgame! } 26. Qc5 { ?? Poor move. It doesn't defendf2, and the attack on a7 is secondary. } 26... Re8 { ?? It seemed much more interestingfor black the sequence Qxf2, QxQ, RxQf2, Kd2 (or Re1), Rxh2, probablywinning. } 27. Re1 Qg6+ 28. Kb3 { Kc1 was countered by Qd3. } 28... Rb8+ 29. Kc4 { Black can't take on b2 because of the backrank mate Qc8#. } 29... Qg4+ 30. Kd3 { The mate threat is now Qf8, if the R leaves. } 30... Qf3+ { Ok, this can go onforever, but now I am the one who may win. Qe3 could have been interestingin sight of QxQ, fxQ, Rxb2, Rxe2. } 31. Kc2 Qe4+ 32. Kc1 Rd8 { Now is thewhite's king the troubled one. This is because of my will of not exchangingQ... } 33. Qe3 { Rd1+, RxR, exR=Q+, KxQ, Qb1+, Qc1, Qxa2 could have beenan outcome. } 33... Qa4 { Here, I blundered by playing Rxe2, and Qd1# followed.If instead I had played the correct Qxe2, actually I think white has thebetter of it! } 34. Qxe2 { What do you think? } 34... h6 0-1
[Event "Long Game Full of Instructive Ideas"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2012.08.10"] [Round "-"] [White "atsiv_swodniw"] [Black "tag1153"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1602"] [TimeControl "3d+2d<5d"] [WhiteElo "1530"] 1. e4 { This is by far the longest game to annotate, but it has so manyinstructive points, and is a perfect game between 2 'average' rated playerson this site. } 1... d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 { Black is playing his queen out too early,so white can immediately attack it. The Scandinavian Defense is OK, but2...Nf6 is more fundamentally sound. } 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 c6 { Typical bookline? It is, but in the opening, we should worry ourselves with the developmentof the pieces, and not play moves like this. Black is simply trying tostall his development but create a sort of position in which white cannotuse the development. It is not a fully correct idea, and is very difficultto implement, since the attack is easier to play for white, and black'sdefense needs to be more carefully played. 3...Nf6 was my best choice. } 5. Nf3 Bg4 { Again, we should have played 5...Nf6, playing a move that MUSTbe played sooner or later. } 6. Be2 { White breaks the pin. A fine move,but all he needed to do was 6.h3, and followed with 7.g4, kicking the bishopoff. Since white has more development, it easily compensates for his weaknesses. } 6... e6 7. a3 { To be honest, although this breaks the principles, it is actuallya decent idea that is in many scandinavian lines. The purpose is to controlthe b4 square, and prevent the black queen and bishop from using it. Also,white may play b4 in some lines. I probably would have just castled. } 7... Nd7 8. O-O Bd6 9. Ne4 { Good move for white, an attacking move, so he shouldput it on high priority. } 9... Qc7 { This move is definitely a poor one. As wecan see, the d6 bishop is the good bishop, and it also controls the black'sweak dark squares. So now white should take the opportunity and grab thebishop, getting an even bigger advantage in the line---10.Nxd6 Qxd6 11.b3followed by a4, and now the black's weak dark squares will be under theattack. White has a clear advantage here. } 10. Ng3 { White fails to takethe opportunity, and now his advantage has become very little. One of thebest ways to get a good position is to trade your knight for the opponent'sbishop, especially in the open and dynamic pawn structures. A bishop'sactivity is by far the most ranged of the pieces. Sometimes it is a bigpawn with a hat, but at others it is almost equaling a rook in power(13B/14Rmaximum controls). In the open position, bishops are favored, but in dynamicstructures, we can now work on creating a favorable pawn structure. } 10... Ngf6 11. c4 { Good idea for white to activate his pawns, and they will give himgood space. } 11... O-O-O { This choice is very risky, and I really don't likeit too much. It may not be so bad, but white has the c4 and d4 pawns attackingtowards the queenside. If white can quickly get his queenside attack in,black is in big trouble. Certainly a kingside castling was much safer. } 12. c5 { This pawn move lets go of the nice square d5. However, it is notbad. White is gaining more space on the queenside, and fixing the b7 pawn.Secondly, he is forcing the dark squared bishop to an exchange, which willweaken the dark squares, or to go backwards, where it is weaker. Whiteintends to follow with b4 and b5. } 12... Bxg3 { Another instructive mistake byblack. White gets a clear advantage now. Black has traded a key bishopfor a weaker knight, and his dark squares are so weak after hxg3 and Bf4.White's attack obviously comes first. } 13. fxg3 { Very strange. White'sintention is to activate his rook immediately, but in these types of position,it is almost always right to take with the h pawn. Firstly, white wouldneed serious justification to weaken the central squares, and a major endgamedisadvantage. Also, white is attacking on the queenside, so this makesno sense. Much better was hxg3. However, at least white takes back thepiece, and this mistake is not as serious as the black's last move. } 13... Ne4 { Black immediately takes control of the weak square. There is a major problem--Itfails tactically. The black queen has only a5 as a safe square, and afterb4 it will be trapped. So after Bf4, black is in big trouble. That is why.,..Nd5 was the best move, with a advantage for white, but a complex position. } 14. Bf4 { Now white is just winning. } 14... e5 15. Nxe5 { Black is losing a lotof material. There is the attack on g4, as well as a discovery. } 15... Bxe2 16. Qxe2 Nxe5 17. Bxe5 Qd7 { Black could not save the piece with 17...Qe7 18.Qxe4f6 19.Qg4+ } 18. Qxe4 f6 19. Bd6 { OK. So white is a full bishop up, andshould be winning? Yes, but the technical grind is very instructive. } 19... Rde8 20. Qf5 Re2 21. Qxd7+ Kxd7 22. b4 Rhe8 23. Rf2 R8e4 24. Kf1 Rxf2+ { Thisis a huge mistake for sure. When losing, black needed to play R2e3, andthat would avoid the trades. Now everything is easy for white. He willlose one pawn, but he has no more problems. By the way, black was losingin either line, but we should still put up max resistance. } 25. Kxf2 Rxd4 26. Re1 Rd2+ 27. Re2 Rxe2+ { Another trade makes things easy. } 28. Kxe2 Ke6 29. Ke3 Kd5 30. Kd3 f5 31. h3 { Black's king is active, but it is notvery useful. White's idea now is to fix the black pawns on the dark squares. } 31... b5 32. g4 { White simply needed to take EP, and he has a majority, and pawwspawn. That would be the easiest win. Now things actually get interesting. } 32... fxg4 33. hxg4 g6 { White's pawns are fixed on the dark squares, and blackthe opposite. This is not what white wants. } 34. g5 Ke6 { And now, if blackhad the ability to pass and not move, he would have a draw in this posiiton!Black just needs to put the pawn on a6, keep the king on e6 and he automaticallydraws! However, white can now force the king back with zugswang. } 35. g4 Kf7 36. Ke4 Ke6 37. Bg3 a6 38. Bf4 { White is using the bishop to 'pass'in the position. } 38... Kd7 39. Bc7 { !!!??? A very strange idea. White onlyhas to use the king to play 29.Ke5 and the win goes easily. If black takesthe bishop, then he loses both pawns on the kingside. } 39... Ke6 { White simplywasted time. } 40. Bd8 Kd7 41. Ke5 Kxd8 42. Kf6 { White finds the right wayto win. } 42... Kd7 43. Kg7 Ke6 44. Kxh7 Kd5 45. Kxg6 Kc4 { So now the win is trivial. } 46. Kf7 Kb3 47. g6 Kxa3 48. g7 Kxb4 49. g8=Q a5 50. Ke6 a4 51. Kd6 a3 52. Kxc6 Kc3 53. Kxb5 Kb2 54. c6 a2 55. c7 a1=Q 56. Qh8+ { Black now resigns-Avery interesting game. } 1-0
[Event "Team match"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2011.12.20"] [Round "-"] [White "poolplayer"] [Black "joeyjp"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1114"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1066"] { Hey everyone! Here is my 2nd annotated game. Please look at the firstgame with gfb3 to get a sense of the way I assess games and for my introduction! Anyways, this is a game with our team member joeyjp. Let's watch! } 1. g3 e5 2. Bg2 d5 { Very aggressive! } 3. e3 Nc6 4. c3 Bf5 { Wow! Aggressive! I love it } 5. Ne2 Bxb1 { hahahaha.....maybe too aggressive. I don't liketrading bishop for knight in early game. } 6. Rxb1 Nf6 7. d4 exd4 8. Nxd4 Bd6 9. Nxc6 bxc6 10. Qe2 { Lots of trading going on } 10... Qd7 11. h3 Ne4 12. Bxe4 dxe4 { joeyjp has a really bad pawn structure here. He had doubledpawns and then a gap on both sides of the pawns....not good. For the mostpart, pawns are at their strongest when there is a chain of them with protectionsupport from other pawns on either side of them. } 13. Qg4 { poolplayer makesa poor play here. He has the position advantage...yet he offers to tradequeens at the cost of him developing stacked pawns???? } 13... Qxg4 14. hxg4 O-O { White's previous move of trading queens I think really hurt him. Nowhe lost his position advantage and there are so few pieces on the boardthat white doesn't have a good opportunity to really hurt joeyjp for hispoor pawn position on the right side of the board and away from his king. } 15. b4 a5 16. a3 c5 17. b5 Be5 18. Bb2 { Another bad move by white. Heshould have moved bishop to d2. Now as we'll see....joeyjp has the opportunityto use this bishop move as a way of pinning the rook on b1. In essence,you'll see how joeyjp uses white's own pieces against him....pretty cool! } 18... Rab8 { And there we go....joeyjp has used white's poor previous bishop moveagainst him. White had a good pawn on b5....but now white's own bishopis blocking the rook's provided protection for that pawn. Good job joeyjp! } 19. O-O Rxb5 { There we go...that pawn is gone and you can see that white'sposition is terrible. He has trapped his own bishop and used his own bishopto block his previously powerful rook on b1. On a side note, this is howI usually play against my brothers. I will let him put his own piecesin poor positions and then he ends up blocking his own pieces from havingany kind of attacking or defending power. This is a great skill to learnand chess and can be used at various levels. However, I have found itmore difficult to do this type of thing to very good players of course. } 20. Rfd1 g6 21. Rd5 { I don't know about this move. I would have rathermoved my bishop to a1 and offered a trading of rooks. But of course Irecognize the terrible position that white is in and I don't think thatpoolplayer does. } 21... Bxc3 { There we go! Great move! This game is over. The piece advantage is going to be too large now. You can see what I wastalking about. If you go back the last 10 moves or so. You'll see thatwhite's bishop and rook on b1 are doing absolutely nothing. They are justsitting there while joeyjp is developing his pieces and creating a betterboard position for himself } 22. Kg2 Bxb2 23. Rd7 { White should have movedhis rook to d2. He could have possibly done the same thing that joeyjpdid to him and use his bishop to block his own knight and remove the rookon b5's attacking power. So this move here was a poor move I think } 23... Rb7 24. f3 exf3+ 25. Kxf3 c4 26. Rxb2 Rxb2 27. Rxc7 Rc2 28. Rc5 a4 29. Ke4 f5+ 30. gxf5 gxf5+ 31. Ke5 { Here is another good lesson for players. Ifyou are at a large piece advantage in the late game. You should tradeis possible!!!! I know when I first started playing...I would want tokeep my pieces and try and increase my piece advantage. But then I mightactually make a mistake and allow my opponent back into the game. So,remember that if your opponent has no pieces on the board and they arebehind in piece advantage, they will lose 99% of the time. So I thinkthat joeyjp does a great job here. He offers to trade pieces and whitetakes it. } 31... f4 32. gxf4 { bad move. This opens up black's h pawn to a freelane } 32... h5 33. Ke6 h4 34. Rh5 Rc3 35. Rxh4 Rxe3+ 36. Kd5 Rc8 37. f5 c3 38. Kd4 Rce8 { At this point the game is basically over. White played an extremelypoor mid and late game. He allowed joeyjp to pin his bishop against hisrook. This caused both his bishop to be blocked by his own pawns and hisrook to be blocked by his bishop. Joeyjp then had the opportunity to develophis pieces and take advantage of white's mistake. Good job joeyjp! Goodwin! Hope everybody enjoyed this! } 39. Kc5 c2 40. Rh1 R8e5+ 41. Kd6 Rxf5 42. Rc1 Rc3 43. Ke6 Rf2 44. Kd5 Rd2+ 0-1
[Event "Let's play chess"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009.05.02"] [Round "-"] [White "itking"] [Black "dankeschoen"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1709"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1873"] { I played this game as black and it was my first time to beat anyone witha rating above the 90th percentile. } 1. e4 { The game opens with one ofthe main lines of the Ruy Lopez } 1... e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 d6 { Deciding to slow down I go with d6 rather than b5... I must say that I really don't like b5 at all, it never seems to deliver,cramps the queenside and increases its vulnerability to attack! Inthe Game Database 11,000 people went with b5, and only 379 with d6, gofigure? } 7. Bxc6+ { Why? What is he gaining? } 7... bxc6 { From my perspectiveI now have an extra pawn to help build a strong center, and the b-fileis semi-open for my rook. } 8. d4 { Now he wants to dominate the center? Make up your mind, sir. } 8... exd4 9. Qxd4 O-O 10. Nc3 Bb7 { The mission becomesclear: The pawn on the e-file must die! } 11. Bg5 { Can he protect his preciouse-pawn? } 11... c5 12. Qd3 Nd7 { Forcing the bishop on g5 and discouraging hise-pawn from advancing } 13. Bxe7 Qxe7 { Hello e-pawn... } 14. Nd5 { Attackingmy queen and asking me to open up the e-file for his rook by taking hisknight with my bishop. } 14... Qd8 { I politely decline! } 15. Red1 { I think thetarget here was my knight, and position on the 7th rank... If 1. e5 dxe52. Ndf6+ Qxf6 3. Qxd7 } 15... Re8 { No thanks... Hello e-pawn and e-file! } 16. Re1 Nf6 { I feel the momentum starting to shift } 17. Rad1 Bxd5 { I takewith the bishop because it forced him to take me in return. The bishopis also threatening a2! } 18. exd5 Rxe1+ { Grabbing the momentum and directingthe game } 19. Rxe1 Qd7 20. Nd2 Qb5 { If you take me the e-pawn is mine andthe a-pawn better watch his back... If you don't take me, I will takeyou and the e-pawn is mine or maybe I'll just take the b-pawn (yeah right)... What's it going to be? } 21. Nc4 { Pretty good move, but that is a lot ofcommitment he is forcing on his Queen. } 21... h6 { My goal is to exchange rooks...But I needed to make sure I didn't get caught with my pants down and thatI didn't leave my a-pawn hanging } 22. Re7 { I knew that is what he was goingto do... but it doesn't matter! } 22... Re8 { The c-pawn is safe... You must takeme! } 23. Rxe8+ Qxe8 { Threatening check, queen trade and taking the what?yes, the e (now d) pawn. } 24. Kf1 { Good move on his part! } 24... Qa4 { Protectand attack } 25. Qb3 { You want to trade really? I thought you'd never ask. } 25... Qxb3 { Come here, you... } 26. axb3 Nxd5 { It's mine all mine... Hurray Iwin the pawn... NOW WHAT? } 27. Ke2 { A slow and tedious end-game begins! } 27... Nf4+ { How about a simple fork? } 28. Kf3 { Of course not. } 28... Ne6 29. c3 f5 { This was the only pawn I could move without weakening my position. Italso prevented his king from advancing and freed up my King to move forward. } 30. Ne3 g6 { At this point I was actually considering offering a draw...My confidence just wasn't there for the win. I had my hands full coveringall the different angles. } 31. h4 h5 32. Nd5 { Threatening my c2-pawn } 32... Kf7 33. Ke2 c6 { Forcing his knight to retreat, and building a support structurefor my d-pawn } 34. Ne3 Nf4+ { Let's try that fork again... } 35. Kf3 Nd5 { Let's trade knights } 36. Nc2 { Let's not and say we did } 36... Ke6 { Strengtheningmy position by getting the King in play } 37. Ne1 { He is setting up forNd3 } 37... Nf6 38. Nd3 Ne4 { Looking to fork with Nd2 on next move } 39. Ke2 { Goodmove on his part } 39... a5 { Much stronger position for my a-pawn Not to mentionthat everything else had to stay put. } 40. Nf4+ { A fork from the otherside... } 40... Kf7 { Careful not to block f6 for my knight to have a place retreatto if he threatens with f3 } 41. Nh3 { Beefing up g5 } 41... d5 { Creeping forwardwith yet another pawn and giving the knight another place so that the Kingcan put more pressure on g5 } 42. Kd3 Kf6 { g5, the next great showdown? } 43. f3 { of course not } 43... Nd6 44. Nf4 c4+ { Looking to trade pawns and getmy knight back in the action } 45. Kd4 { What's this? He doesn't take...Thinks he can clean up from c5 } 45... cxb3 { Thank you } 46. Kc5 Nb5 { Most importantlyI am blocking the path to my a-pawn... If he takes my c-pawn I will takehis c-pawn... There I can protect my d-pawn or at least trade for the knight... And if he takes my knight my pawn gets his queen on... As a matterof fact as soon as King moves to get my c-pawn, I have a queen with a orb } 47. Nxd5+ { Sure that makes sense. if 1. ...cxd5 2. Kxb5 and my pawns } 47... Ke5 { so with Ke5 the Queen is still well within reach } 48. Kxc6 { Youcan have it. } 48... a4 { Take my knight too for all I care } 49. Nb4 { Oh oh hesees trouble in paradise } 49... Nxc3 { Can you just take the knight already Iwant my queen } 50. bxc3 { Thank you } 50... a3 { Avoiding b2 without support fromthe a-pawn. His knight was waiting to fork and make my efforts backfire } 51. Nd3+ { Harmless check } 51... Kf6 52. Nc5 { hoping I will move the a-pawn insteadof the b-pawn } 52... b2 { sorry } 53. Nd7+ { harmless check } 53... Ke7 { I always movemy king so he can't say check on the next move } 54. Nb6 { It pays off } 54... b1=Q { Hallelujah!!! Can you believe it... I think my head can explode now fromall the pressure and conniving. } 55. Nd5+ { What else can he do? } 55... Kf7 { Icarefully move my King out of his range. GAME OVER!! } 0-1
[Event "Let's play chess"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009.12.18"] [Round "-"] [White "obee_ton"] [Black "liveandletdie"] [Result ""] [BlackElo "1200"] [TimeControl "14 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1178"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 { regular kings opening } 2... Nf6 { favorite counter to kingspawn and night out } 3. d3 { declines 'free pawn' } 3... Nc6 4. Bg5 Bc5 5. Bxf6 { Wierd } 5... Qxf6 6. Nc3 O-O { castle due to large forkage } 7. Nd5 Qd6 8. Ng5 Nb4 { offer the knight } 9. Nxb4 { he takes and i think of an awesome idea. } 9... Bxf2+ 10. Kxf2 { get his king out there. } 10... Qd4+ 11. Ke1 { i was hoping hewould go to e2 so i could push d5 and threaten his queen a bit. } 11... Qxb4+ { takes with check, nice } 12. c3 Qxb2 13. Qh5 { ???? }
[Event "Gaining Space Early But Forgoing Development"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2012.02.08"] [Round "-"] [White "denishorvat"] [Black "klacsanzky"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1639"] [TimeControl "2 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1200"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qd3 { e3 or Qc2 are much more common. Onthis square, the queen is subject to more attacks. } 4... c5 5. d5 { This islooking Benoni-esque. } 5... O-O 6. Bd2 { A passive move. Nf3 or e4 would havebeen improvements. } 6... exd5 7. cxd5 d6 8. f3 { I understand that white wantsto build a strong center, but this allows a dark-square weakness that caneasily be exploited. } 8... Nbd7 9. e4 Ne5 { Making a show of the bad placementof the queen and looking to make threats to the king. } 10. Qc2 Re8 { Settingmy sights on the king early. White's development is poor and want to showits weaknesses. } 11. a3 Bxc3 12. Bxc3 a6 { I want to open the a7-g1 diagonalby pushing to c4, but I need the help of b5 first. } 13. Bxe5 Rxe5 14. Bc4 { A disastrous move. Ne2 followed by g3, Bg2 and f4 might have beenthe best course for white. } 14... b5 15. Bb3 c4 { Opening the diagonal and blockingthe bishop of the protection from the d5 square where I will make a tacticalmaneuver. } 16. Ba2 Nxd5 { White's poor development caused this to happen.White concentrated too much on gaining space with pawns that he forgotto foster the activity of his other pieces. } 17. Kf2 Qb6+ { Now the diagonalis used with strong effect. } 18. Ke2 Nf4+ 19. Kf1 Bb7 { Developing andtrying to break open the center so my rooks can dominate. } 20. Ne2 Nd3 { Threatening mate and putting my knight in a very effective position. } 21. Nc1 d5 { The knight can be taken, but a strong attack follows. } 22. b3 { There is not much white can do. } 22... dxe4 { White resigned. Black's rookswill soon blast into the king's sanctuary with the aid of the knight andqueen. } 0-1
[Event "a fresh one..."] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "18-jun -18"] [Round "-"] [White "chestertoo"] [Black "fiercequeen"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "2059"] [TimeControl "3+10 blitz"] [WhiteElo "1658"] { one of those games, where anything goes as planned: 3+10 blitz on themenu... } 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 g6 3. c4 Bg7 4. e5 e6 5. d4 Ne7 6. d5 O-O 7. d6 Nf5 { Black has followed the Hungarian variation in this Sicilian: Whitehas tried, to turn this in something else... } 8. Bd3 Qa5+ 9. Bd2 Qb6 10. b3 a5 { Black is losing no time... } 11. Bxf5 exf5 12. Bc3 Nc6 13. O-O Re8 { pawn e5 on the menu... } 14. Re1 a4 15. Na3 Qd8 16. Nb5 { trying to forkat c7... } 16... Re6 17. Nc7 Ra7 18. Nd5 { Nxe6 might have been an option... } 18... b5 19. cxb5 Nb4 20. Bxb4 cxb4 21. bxa4 Bb7 { Black has lost two pawns, butgained the initiative... } 22. Nxb4 Qa5 { forcing the Knight back to a badplace... } 23. Nd5 Bxd5 24. Qxd5 Qxa4 25. Qc5 { the wrong plan... } 25... Ra5 { takingb5, and trapping the Queen.. } 26. Qc8+ Bf8 27. Qxd7 Qxb5 { stronger thanRxb5, pinning Qa4... } 28. Reb1 Qxd7 { surely not planned: but these arethe breaks in blitz; making bad decisions, in good times... } 29. Rb8 Kg7 30. h3 Qa7 31. Rab1 Rxa2 32. R1b7 Qxf2+ { White had enough, and resigned... } 0-1
[Event "League division D2"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "13-Jun-06"] [Round "-"] [White "garner"] [Black "ecfchamps2002"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1606"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1427"] 1. e4 { This game was littered with blunders and errors. Fritz 8 analysisspit out nearly 2 pages of analysis and variations. } 1... c6 { I play the Caro-Kann,as I do about 90% of the time. It's the only defense I feel comfortablewith and actually understand pretty well. } 2. e5 { Usually White's secondmove is d4, I don't know why he chose to move this pawn again. } 2... d5 3. d4 { And now we've transposed back into the Advance Variation. } 3... Bf5 4. Bd2 { Most of the time, White goes with Nc3 or Bd3 here. Bd2 seems pointless,as we are about to find out. } 4... e6 5. Be2 { Very conservative opening fromWhite, doesn't seem to be interested in making trades straight away. } 5... Qb6 6. Be3 { A blunder. White only focuses on the d4 pawn and doesn't noticethe b2 pawn (which was my goal). Bc3 was the best move here. } 6... Qxb2 7. Nd2 Bxc2 8. Qc1 Qxc1+ { Fritz shows Ba3 to be the move here instead of tradingQueens. I remember thinking about this move for a long time and the onlyoption I could come up with was trading Queens. } 9. Rxc1 Bg6 { I knew theBishop would be useless on a4 so I kept it on the b1-h7 diagonal with thismove. } 10. Ngf3 Bb4 { In the Caro-Kann, I normally aim for making the c5pawn move and taking back with my dark-square Bishop. This wasn't an optionsince White has his Bishop protecting it. Thanks to the capture of thec-and-b pawns, I developed my Bishop here. } 11. O-O Ne7 { I love puttingmy Knight from e7 to f5 and controlling the Kingside with it... } 12. Nh4 { ...but my opponent squashes those ideas by taking my Bishop. Of courseI could've moved Bishop to f5 and made the trade that way, but I wantedto develop another piece, rather than worrying about putting my Knighton the exact square I wanted... } 12... Nd7 13. Nxg6 Nxg6 { ...g6 still isn't abad square for this piece but it's not as active as I would like. } 14. Rb1 Bxd2 15. Bxd2 b5 { Fritz recommends ...b6 here instead of b5, and Iagree. With b6, I would still have the flexibility of ...c5. } 16. Rfc1 { And now, White makes me pay for it with an attack on the backward pawn. } 16... Rc8 { A horrible move, and the worst part of it is that I didn't even seethe pin. } 17. Bxb5 O-O 18. Bxc6 { I had no choice but to allow White's regainof his two pawns. } 18... Nb6 19. Ba5 Nc4 { Had to put the Knight on its outpost. } 20. Bb7 Rb8 21. Bc7 Nd2 { Another blunder...I figured I'd just cut my losses,never seeing the Nf4 move which would've kept it even. } 22. Rb2 { I thinkWhite must've given me too much credit here not to take the Rook. It'sthe same conservative strategy we saw in the opening from White. } 22... Nc4 23. Bxb8 Nxb2 24. Bxa7 Nc4 { I've had to move this Knight way too much. } 25. a4 { Now White gets aggressive and wants to Queen that pawn. } 25... Nf4 { I'venoticed in many of my games, I often make certain moves several moves laterthan I should have. We'll see this theme later in the game from Black aswell. } 26. Rc2 f5 { I knew White would not take en passant here becausehe had not shown me all game that he would accept complications, he keptgoing along in a conservative style. } 27. Ba6 { Two pieces now block thea-pawn. White wants to rid himself of my Knight. } 27... Ra8 28. Bxc4 Rxa7 { Ablunder, it traps my Rook with nowhere to go. } 29. Bb5 Kf7 30. Ra2 Rc7 31. Ra1 Rc2 32. g3 { Now White is worried about a check on his King, ratherthan pushing his pawn like he wanted to before, he can't make up his mind! } 32... Nh3+ { I'm not making anymore trades. } 33. Kg2 Nxf2 34. Kf3 g5 { Anothermove I should've made 4 moves ago. } 35. Be2 Ne4 36. h4 { Has White forgottenall about his passed pawn? It appears so. } 36... Rc3+ 37. Kg2 Rxg3+ 38. Kf1 g4 39. a5 Nd2+ { This was a blunder...f4 should've been the move here. I consideredit but wasn't sure of its merit, so I decided to try and check Black asmuch as possible. } 40. Kf2 Ne4+ 41. Kf1 Nd2+ 42. Kf2 Ne4+ { Trying for thethreefold draw, but White decided against it. } 43. Ke1 Rg1+ 44. Bf1 Nc3 { Another blunder, I wanted to make the move, g3, but again wasn't sureof myself. The game gets ugly from here on. } 45. Kf2 Rh1 46. a6 Rh2+ { Accordingto Fritz, White can now successfully Queen his pawn, but... } 47. Kg3 Rb2 48. a7 { ...this move gives it all away. Forced mate in 4...I didn't evensee it until the checkmating move. } 48... Ne4+ 49. Kf4 Rf2+ 50. Ke3 f4+ { 12 moveslater, I finally make the f4 move! } 51. Kd3 Rd2# { A surprise win for me...ugly,but a win nonetheless. } 0-1
[Event "Game 1"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009.07.16"] [Round "-"] [White "uros23"] [Black "rici"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1653"] [TimeControl "1/432000"] [WhiteElo "1606"] 1. e4 { This was my first team game and as such I was really motivated.I played a promising queen sacrifice and was a bit lucky to outplay myopponent in the arising complications. Comments/criticism always welcomeand thank you for going through the game. } 1... c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Qc7 5. Nc3 e6 6. Ndb5 Qb8 7. Be3 Nf6 { After 7...a6 there's an interestingvariation starting with 8.Bb6! axb5 9.Nxb5, where black can choose to giveup his queen after 9...Bb4+ 10.c3 Ba5 11.Nc7+ Qxc7 12.Bxc7 Bxc7. I think8.Bb6 was introduced in Ponomariov-Al Modiahki 1-0, Las Vegas 1999 (http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1009974),another example is Kurnosov-Ivanisevic 1-0, Istanbul 2003 (http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1263206) Black can of course choose 11...Kf8 in lieu of 11...Qxc7, like in Ponomariov-Ivanisevic1-0, Batumi 1999 (http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1345209) } 8. f4 d6 9. Qf3 Nb4 { (?!) Sailing into uncharted waters. Intuitively, thisshould be a dubious move and a waste of time, since white is going to castlequeenside anyway. Moves like 9...a6 or 9...Be7 would certainly have beenpreferable. } 10. O-O-O e5 11. fxe5 { Accepting the challenge, since 11...Bg4was an obvious threat. But here I have already envisioned the queen sacrificeI followed up this move with. 11.f5 would have been an alternative, thoughthere's an unforced line there, which is just as wild as in the game: 11...a612.Na3 b5 13.g4 h5! 14.g5 Ng4 15.Bg1 Be7 16.f6 gxf6 17.h3 fxg5 18.hxg4Bxg4 19.Qxg4! hxg4 20.Rh8+ Bf8. Safer would be 13.Be2 Bb7 (threateningNxa2+ and Bxe4 if 14.g4) 14.Rhg1, followed by 15.g4. } 11... Bg4 12. exf6 { (!?)Well, no sense in backing out now, right? Of course 12.Qf2 (threateningBxa7, 12...Bxd1? 13.gxf6) was completely safe and probably better. As onemight learn from my games I often fall for the temptation of such speculativesacrifices. } 12... Bxf3 { Black has to accept the sacrifice. } 13. fxg7 { Zwischenzug#1. White is in no hurry to recapture the bishop, but instead makes anin-between move that deflects the bishop from guarding the d6-pawn. Black'sresponse is once again forced, since 13...Bxd1? 14.gxh8=Q is out of thequestion. } 13... Bxg7 14. Nxd6+ { Zwischenzug #2. Grabbing another pawn. } 14... Ke7 { (?) Black goes wrong here. 14...Kf8 was much better. After 15.gxf3 Bxc3!16.bxc3 Nc6 17.Nf5 Rg8 18.Bc5+ Ke8 19.Nd6+ Kf8 20.Nxf7! Kxf7 21.Bc4+ Ke822.Bxg8 an interesting positon arises, where after 22...Qe5 black has agood chance of holding the position. If white tries 23.Rhg1, black has23...Qxc5! 24.Rg8+ Ke7 25.Rxa8 Nd4! 26.Rxd4 Qxd4 where white can hardlyavoid the perpetual check Qe1-b4. } 15. Nf5+ { After black's mistake in theprevious move, white has another in-between move, attacking the bishopon g7 and freeing the a3-f8 diagonal for his own on e3. } 15... Kf8 16. gxf3 { Ichose it was finally time to recapture. However, another in-between check,16.Bc5+, was even better. After 16...Kg8 17.Ne7+ Kf8 and only now 18.gxf3black is in even more trouble. White threatens a deadly discovered checkand if 18...Ke8 19.Bb5+ finishes it off. 18...Nxa2+ (the piece is lostanyway, might as well give it up for as much as you can) 19.Nxa2 Qf4+ 20.Kb1Qc7 21.Bb4 is also hopeless. } 16... Bxc3 { (?) Another mistake. The threat ofBc5+ had to be dealt with, either with 16...Qc7 or 16...b6 and, althoughwhite is better, black can still hope. After the text move, black is lost. } 17. Bc5+ { Finally. } 17... Ke8 18. bxc3 { Because of the threat of 19.Ng7 mateblack can't save the knight. } 18... Qf4+ 19. Kb1 Rg8 20. cxb4 { Threatening 21.Bb5mate. Black has only one move. } 20... a6 21. Bc4 { Eyeing the f7-pawn in combinationwith a possible Nd6+ and connecting the rooks. } 21... Rd8 { Speeding up defeatin what was already a hopeless position. } 22. Rxd8+ Kxd8 23. Rd1+ Kc8 24. Ne7+ { And black resigns because of 24...Kb8 25.Bd6+ (the easiest). A reallynice way to win my first team game. } 1-0
[Event "Almost a Polish attack..."] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date ""] [Round "-"] [White "Anonymous"] [Black "Pierre99"] [Result ""] [TimeControl "Blitz"] { Greetings! This game... strange position with sacrifice that white misplays.Enjoy. ;) } 1. b4 { The Polish attack! Or perhaps, Sokolsky opening. WellI wasn't expecting this in this Blitz game. But there was no way I wantedthat dark squared bishop looking at my kingside. After a very brief think,I decide to accept doubled pawns if white chooses to do that... } 1... g6 2. Bb2 Nf6 3. e4 { Supposedly the game is equal here, although black has avery slight advantage according to Fritz. } 3... Bg7 { And now I may end up witha knight on g7! Now obviously, a better way to have approached this oddflank opening would have been with 1. ...e5 but aside from white gettinggood pressure in the center, stay tuned for what follows... } 4. Bc4 O-O 5. e5 Ne8 { My pieces are in danger of getting rather cramped. } 6. Nf3 a6 { An immediate ...d5 was better. } 7. a4 { Here I decide to create a littlequeenside action, simply to not allow white to totally restrict black. } 7... Nc6 8. b5 axb5 9. axb5 Rxa1 10. Bxa1 Na7 { I did not like Na5. PerhapsNb8 would have been better. } 11. Na3 b6 12. O-O c6 { Bb7 might have beena better move here. But, because of the position, if white takes the cpawn, I plan on driving up the board a bit on the queenside. And if not,then I had ideas to free up my knight and light-squared bishop. Now yes,black looks really bad, lol. But white's pieces are not that well coordinatedyet, and I can't afford to let them get coordinated! } 13. bxc6 dxc6 { Iam beginning to feel a little better about black's position now. } 14. Re1 { This was a slight inaccuracy by white. Better was Qe2. } 14... b5 15. Bb3 b4 16. Nc4 Be6 { And this gives white back the advantage, but I wanted my bishopout doing something. } 17. Qe2 { Better for white was Bd4 or Nd4. But hismomentary failure to see this allowed me to cover it on my next move. } 17... Nb5 18. h3 { I think this was an inaccuracy here. It gives me one more tempoto reposition a knight to a very useful place, and with my kingside fianchettoed,there would be no lasting pin on g4. Fritz agrees. } 18... Nec7 19. d4 Nd5 { Nowat this point of the game, both sides look rather awkward. Fritz insiststhe game is still even. No one has yet blundered, but a couple of smallinaccuracies have been made, leading to white's dark squared bishop beingrather out of the action, and black to being still cramped, although notas badly as before. } 20. Ng5 { I give this some thought, and decide I wouldnot mind so much if the pawns were doubled, as it would give me the f file.I don't want the white e pawn advancing any further, especially with theway white's pieces are set up. Fritz does not like this idea, preferringthat I not allow those pawns to be doubled. } 20... Bh6 { So, I decide to see whatwhite really does have in mind, since my black bishop was not doing verymuch on g7. } 21. Nxe6 fxe6 22. g3 { I am not wanting to control the f4 square,but white felt he needed to make sure he did. Fritz thinks Qg4 was muchbetter, and this is the first move Fritz really dislikes. Nor do I do whatFritz wishes; I don't want to move a knight to c3, because it allows whiteto find an immediate use for his one bad bishop. But after 22. ...Ndc323. Bxc3 bxc3, black gains dangerous piece pressure on the queenside. Oneline would continue 24. Rd1 Nxd4 25. Qd3 c5 26. Ne3 Kg7 and little is leftfor white to try; 27. f4 is too dangerous. In this blitz game, however,I did not see this. } 22... Rf7 { Here I am preparing a bit of a push on the ffile. For some reason, white's dark squared bishop has seemingly been forgottenin that upper corner, and I am not minding that one bit. It's a prettybad bishop right now, and would take a couple moves to undo that. But whitedoes not see the long term value of doing so at this point. } 23. Qg4 { Thisis actually a pretty good move for white, if he chooses the right continuationslater. Fortunately for me, he does not. I'll mention it in a bit. } 23... Rf5 { I will have time now to swing my queen over, and create a little pressuredown the f file. This game is just really odd at this point. } 24. h4 { Ibelieve that white is simply creating a place for his queen to go so thatg pawn can move forward. The white king will be exposed, but I am stilla ways from being able to take advantage of that. } 24... Qf8 25. f4 { And whitethinks he has shut down my attack. Well... we'll see here in a bit. I havean idea, but don't know if I have time to do it. And white can easily forcemy rook from f5... } 25... Qf7 { I'd like to get my king to g7 at some point, butperhaps not quite yet. Now I'm committed to my idea; the black rook cannotescape easily... and if this wasn't Blitz, I'm pretty sure white wouldfind the way to win a pawn... } 26. Ne3 { I of course am forced to exchangeknights because I don't want to move my rook in this position. For somereason, white does not continue with the obvious to threaten the blackrook here. } 26... Nxe3 27. Rxe3 Nc7 { Well, this could get rather ugly for black,since black's rook is rather trapped at the moment. } 28. Bc4 { Hmmm. I hadnot considered just that bishop move, as obvious as it is. With Bd3 onhis next move, black would have to play what he had prepared before hewas ready. I try one move first, to see white's intention. Can you guessblack's intention yet? } 28... Nd5 { Rf3 here for white is dangerous for black.If Rf3, black will be hard pressed to salvage a draw. But white missesit, having decided he wants his rook to take the b pawn. So at this point,the game takes a different turn than it otherwise would have. } 29. Bxd5 cxd5 { I did not take with the e pawn because I did not want that diagonalopen for the white queen, nor did I wish to have an unsupported backwardspawn. Nor did I want white to get in e6. And because white chose to giveup that powerful white bishop, I can try my idea on my terms now if whitedoes not move Rf3. } 30. Rb3 { What would you do here as black? It's likelyeasy to see now since there is not much else black can do here and I'vegiven plenty of hints on what white needed to do. You stronger playerswill know anyways. It turns out to give black an advantage, now that thewhite light-squared bishop is no longer on the board. } 30... Bxf4 { Bxf4! So whitethinks a bit here. And decides to take it on. } 31. gxf4 Rxf4 32. Qg3 { Tokeep the game from getting away from white, Qh3 was called for here. Thisis the game's first real blunder, and it gives black such an advantagethat even in Blitz, it's not given back. After Qh3, however, black's winningchances are greatly reduced even though black still has good opportunitiesto draw with best moves, according to Fritz. } 32... Rf1+ { I missed Qf5! whichwould have been even better here. Well, to be honest I thought about it.But time was short, and I did not have time to think it all the way through;seeing that nothing was imminently going to threaten the black king, Idecided to take the bishop. } 33. Kh2 Rxa1 { Qf5 was still even more devastatinghere, but this time I did not even consider it. } 34. Rxb4 { And this moveseals white's fate; he does not have time to grab the pawn. } 34... Qf1 { EitherQf5 or Qf1 as I chose are both now devastating, and the game will end soon. } 35. Rb8+ { This just delays the inevitable. White has no good response. } 35... Kg7 36. Qg2 { Forced, because otherwise Qh1 is mate. } 36... Qf4+ 37. Qg3 { Kh3also leads to a won endgame for black. This loses immediately... } 37... Rh1+ { Rh1! } 38. Kg2 { Well it was Blitz. } 38... Qf1# { Things got messy in a hurry;but white not noticing a few things there including that bishop sacrificeallowed black to sneak out the point. Hope you enjoyed this one! }
[Event "Challenge from rio1962"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2014.11.25"] [Round "-"] [White "rio1962"] [Black "hiredgun112"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "932"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1000"] 1. e4 { Again, I am annotating from a game hiredgun112 played - please takeyour time to observe and comment. } 1... e5 { Normal. } 2. Qh5 { An early queenmove. } 2... Bb4 { Overlooking Qxe5+ then Qxg7/ } 3. Qxe5+ Ne7 { Fails to Qxg7. } 4. Qxg7 Rf8 { I prefer Rg8. } 5. Qxh7 { I think that Black is actuallymore developed, despite losing three pawns - don't you? } 5... Nbc6 { Developing. } 6. Nf3 { Same for white. } 6... d6 { Opening up the diagonal. } 7. Bc4 { Eyeing f7. } 7... Bg4 { Attacking the knight. } 8. Ng5 { Here we have Bxf7+ winning the pawn. } 8... Qd7 { Overlooking Bxf7+. } 9. Bxf7+ Rxf7 { What about Ke8. } 10. Qxf7+ { Thequeen is immune due to the knight on g5. } 10... Kd8 { The only square. } 11. Qg7 { Preparing Nf7+ followed by Qh8+ winning the rook. } 11... a5 { Overlooking Nf7+. } 12. Nf7+ { As I said. } 12... Ke8 { The only move, falling to the skewer. } 13. Nh6 { What about Qh8+? } 13... Qe6 { Again, overlooking Qh8+. EDIT: (27/12/14) Thisactually threatens mate - not 14. Qh8+? Kd7 15. Qxa8 Qxe4+ 26. Kf1 Qe2+27. Kg2 Qe1# and that is mate. } 14. Qh8+ { Winning the rook. EDIT: (27/12/14)A blunder. } 14... Kd7 { The best move. } 15. Qxa8 { Is white better, eleven pointsahead, or is black winning? We have here 15. ... Qxe4+ 16. Kf1 Qe2+ 17.Kg1 Qe1# - so black is winning. } 15... Qxe4+ { 1. } 16. Kf1 { Mate in two. } 16... Be2+ { No! - wrong move, the best to be Qe2+, following mate. This loses thegame (probably). } 17. Kg1 { Ke1 fails to mate from 17. Ke1 Bd3+ 18. Kd1Qe2#. } 17... Bd1 18. h3 { Preventing mate by Qe1 which should have happened before. } 18... Nf5 { Trading. } 19. Kh2 { Blunder - loses the knight. } 19... Qf4+ { Check. The bestmove is actually Kg1 not the obvious 20. g3?? which fails to } 20. g3 { ... } 20... Qxf2# { Qxf2# - wonderful checkmate - so the moral is, greedily grabbingpieces and pawns may not win the game for you. Well played both sides -@oodle3. } 0-1