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[Event "Reversion's Open Fire!"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2016.05.25"] [Round "-"] [White "reversion"] [Black "elyhim"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [BlackElo "2572"] [TimeControl "3d+1d<5d"] [WhiteElo "2359"] { This was an interesting game between reversion and elyhim. I was, untilrecently, annotating my own games in this tourney, as part of, a WTW series. But, things changed as I misunderstood what reversion said. What he meantwas that I should annotate games played by stronger players. In my cases,the mistakes are made too easily so there isn't as much to learn. And,why I agree was, believe it or not, for a different reason. It had todo with what Kenneth_fiore_3, reversion, and I discussed about resignation. In those games, the only reason I played until mate was forced was tofollow WTW rules which prohibits resignation, until you reach that point. But, I agree now that against stronger players, when a position is lostit's lost. Playing on doesn't help you learn and is, thus, waste of time. Therefore, that goes back to normal. So, in agreeing with reversion,the first thing I was interested was a game that he plays against Terence. Why? The reason is that the only two players in this tourney who havecoached me was reversion and elyhim. So, I'm interested in annotatinga game where I learned something from both oppositions which is what happenedhere and with something that most of my annotations involve which is theRuy Lopez. } 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 { Not surprised to see Terenceplay the Berlin Defense, as that's what I do in the Ruy Lopez, these days,as he has seen. } 4. d3 { And, reversion gets a solid pawn chain. } 4... Bc5 { And,Terence continues his development and prepares to castle. } 5. c3 { As reversiontold me, this is a very common theme in the Ruy Lopez. Now, later comeswith d4, and we're talking about gain of tempo and a solid pawn chain. } 5... O-O { As noted, Terence protects his monarch, at once. } 6. Nbd2 { As white,I would've pinned black's Nf6 with Bg5 and then continued with my developmentas this appears to leave reversion with a cramped position. Then again,he will, at some point, find a better posting for his N, which as SusanPolgar mentioned, and as Ken told me, an important part of chess is findinga better place for your pieces. } 6... d6 { Opening up a line for his Bishop. } 7. h3 { I am not sure why reversion played this. It doesn't help to gethis King to safety. Then again, with more experienced players, there'salways something that I do not understand. } 7... Bb6 { I'm also not sure whyTerence retreated. As black, I would've brought my Bc8 into play, at once. } 8. O-O { But, I would've played this since my attitude (thought process)is, except for rare circumstances where it's clear blunder, castling early. } 8... Ne7 { As noted earlier, this appears to leave black with a cramped position. However, he repositions his N. I just don't understand why g6 is a bettersquare, though. } 9. d4 { Following up with c3-d4 plan, as noted earlier. } 9... Ng6 { As noted earlier, there's something about this that makes the N strongerthen on c6. } 10. Bd3 { I guess, reversion's adding a defender to e4. However,I would've done that by centralizing my Rf1-e1 since that's one of my theme's,anyhow. } 10... c6 { Presumably, Terence wants to open up another square for hisBb6. } 11. Re1 { Centralizing his Rook, at once. } 11... Be6 { Completing his development. } 12. a4 { Trying to get a semi open file for his Rook. But, Terence hasother ideas first which is by exchanging pawns, followed by, centralizinghis Rf8 in the same way as reversion, since it'll go to e8. } 12... exd4 13. Nxd4 Re8 14. N2f3 { Bringing his N to a better spot, as previously noted. } 14... Bd7 { I don't know why Terence moved here. But, I would've played 14...Qe7because I think that it's generally a good idea to bring the Queen in frontof the Rook as I've studied similar examples. } 15. Bc2 { Likewise, I can'teven begin to figure out why reversion played this. I'm not saying it'spointless or anything of the sort, which it might soon. Rather, I don'twhat variations go into this (how white follows up afterwards) which isalso what I allude by a difficult position. } 15... a5 { Stopping white's semiopen file. } 16. Qd3 { Mobilizing his Queen. } 16... d5 { Terence is preventing whitefrom getting a passed pawn, with this move. However, it gets more interestingsince several exchanges are going to occur. } 17. exd5 Rxe1+ 18. Nxe1 Nxd5 19. Nef3 { Remobilizing his N. } 19... Qc7 { Similarly, Terence is activates hisQueen. } 20. Bd2 { Like wise, reversion also remobilizes his Bishop. } 20... Ndf4 { Terence is interested in exchanging N for B, which means it must be more. I understand as it's how I used to feel. But, I wouldn't have gone forthis exchange, only because of Kenneth_fiore_3 outlined which is not toexchange for the thrills of it. The reason I say this is, were I to gofor an exchange, it would just be because I could. So, there has to bemore to this that I'm missing. However, reversion is going to go alongwith the exchange plan. } 21. Bxf4 Qxf4 22. Re1 { Reversion offered a drawhere which Terence accepted. And, I also would've offered a draw, in thisposition, as I don't see how any can win. So, minds think alike here asit is a drawish position, I guess with no way to win, for sure. } 1/2-1/2
[Event "Black Invasion"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009.09.07"] [Round "-"] [White "nikeso"] [Black "nyctalop"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1960"] [TimeControl "2 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1665"] { This game features a pretty obscure line by White against the Grunfeldthat gets punished badly. White's 4th might not be so bad by itself, butis a lot less challenging than other moves. } 1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 g6 3. d4 d5 4. c5 { This move is so obscure it doesn't even have a name, at leastnot one that I could find. The games I could find my database peak at around2200, so that would explain the lack of popularity. But why is this seeminglynatural move 'bad'? White is gaining space on the Q-side and puts the c-pawnout of harm's way. Well here are a few basic reasons why this move is worsethan almost anything else, except for putting something en prise. Whitemoves the same pawn a second time, so he loses the first move advantage.He also releases the center tension to his disfavor, since now Black hasthe straightforward plan of playing e5 and create a weak pawn on c5. Thereis also the other possibility of play with b6, like I did in the game andthat is also just as good, if not better. } 4... b6 { Prompting White to exchangethe c5 spearhead and open the a-file and, also, to give Black the betterpawn formation. If I have the time, I'll annotate another game of minein which White did exchange and quickly found his position to be lackingin a natural plan of action. } 5. b4 { White wants to keep the c5 pawn whereit is but that's just not possible against precise play. The other problemwith b4 is that the long dark diagonal is weakened. } 5... a5 { Not giving Whitetime to stabilize the position. Now if 6.bxa4, Black responds 6...cxb57.dxc5 e5 and all of White's pawn on the Q-side are weak. Or if 6.cxb6,then 6...axb4 7.bxc7 Qxc7 8.Nb5 Qa5 and Black threatens both Qxb5 and b3.A possible continuation is 8.e3 Ne4 (b3+ doesn't work on account of Bd2)9.Bd2 Bd7 and the Nb5 is a goner. } 6. Qa4+ { Maybe 6.Qb3 was better, butWhite is still in trouble after 6...axb4 7.Qxb4 Nc6 8.Qb5 Bd7 9.Qd3 Nb410.Qb1 Rb8. White has made one move with his Knight, four with his pawnsand five with his Queen. It's no wonder his position is in shambles. } 6... Bd7 7. Qb3 { White misses the chance to close the Q-side with b5 but Black stillgets the better game after 7...bxc5 8.dxc5 e5 9.Nf3 d4 10.Nb1 (a sad necessity)Bxc5 11.Nxe5 Ne4 and Black has a lot of threats. } 7... axb4 { The first stepinto breaking White's fragile pawn chain. } 8. Qxb4 { 8. Nxd5 is a possibilitybut it's hard to judge if it's better than the text. After the forced lineNxd5 10. Qxd5 Nc6 11. dxc5 e6 12. Qc4 Ra5 13. Be3 Qf6 14. Rd1 (14. Rc1fails to 14...Qb2) Qc3+ 15. Qxc3 bxc3 16. Rc1 Bg7 17. Bf4 Rxa2, Black c-pawnis more than enough to claim a winning advantage. } 8... Nc6 { Now Black getsboth material and positional advantage. } 9. Qb2 { Now 9...Nxd4 isn't sogood because White has 10. Nxd5 and he recovers a little. } 9... bxc5 { He won'tget time to recover after this though. } 10. Bg5 { 10. e3 was safer but Blackwould still be much better. } 10... cxd4 { Opening more lines on the Q-side. Alsowinning another pawn and not giving White time to start developing theK-side. } 11. Nb5 { 11. Bxf6 was better but after 11...exf6 12.Nxd5 Be6 13.e4 Bxd5 14. exd5 Bb4+ 15. Kd1 Qxd5, Black is clearly winning. } 11... Ne4 { Thestandard reply to Bg5 in the Grunfeld. } 12. Nxd4 { Walking right into adeadly pin. } 12... Bg7 13. Be3 { Covering both of Black's threats but I can alwayscreate more. } 13... Rb8 { Now the Knight drops. } 14. Qc1 { Shifting to the backrank in shame after being pounced upon by the Black pieces. } 14... Nxd4 { A dreamposition and it's only the 14th move and I'm playing Black. I have 2 centralKnights, 2 Bishops ready to strike, a Rook on an open file, a large leadin development and a chunk of material to boot. How could White go so wrongso early? } 15. Rb1 { It's hard to even think of a logical move for Whitehere, the two Knights are mesmerizing from their central position. } 15... Rxb1 16. Qxb1 Qa8 { The mate is in the air. } 17. f3 Qa5+ 18. Kd1 Ba4+ 19. Kc1 Qc3+ { Mate on the next move, so White resigned. } 0-1
[Event "WCh, Sofia BUL"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2010.05.04"] [Round "-"] [White "Topalov, V."] [Black "Anand, V."] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "2787"] [WhiteElo "2805"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. Ne5 e6 7. f3 c5 8. e4 Bg6 9. Be3 cxd4 10. Qxd4 Qxd4 11. Bxd4 Nfd7 12. Nxd7 Nxd7 13. Bxc4 Rc8 { Alternative variation: [Matši 3. ja 5.partiis mängiti] 13... a6 } 14. Bb5 a6 15. Bxd7+ Kxd7 16. Ke2 f6 17. Rhd1 Ke8 18. a5 Be7 19. Bb6 Rf8 20. Rac1 f5 { Alternative variation: [Teine võimalus oli] 20... Rf7 [Ausaltöeldes eelistanuks ma ise just seda käiku.] } 21. e5 Bg5 22. Be3 f4 23. Ne4 { And Anand is playing a great game, making many strong moves and creating a lot of pressure on his opponent's position. } 23... Rxc1 24. Nd6+ Kd7 25. Bxc1 Kc6 26. Bd2 { Alternative variation: [Üsna ohtlik tundub mustale olevat variant] 26.Rd4 Kc5 27. Rc4+ Kd5 28. Bd2 $1 Kxe5 29. Nxb7 Be7 30. Rc7 } 26... Be7 27. Rc1+ { Alternative variation: [Parem tundus olevat] 27. Bb4 Rd8 28. Rd4 Bxd629. Bxd6 Rc8 30. Bb4 } 27... Kd7 28. Bc3 Bxd6 29. Rd1 Bf5 30. h4 g6 31. Rxd6+ Kc8 32. Bd2 Rd8 33. Bxf4 Rxd6 34. exd6 Kd7 35. Ke3 Bc2 36. Kd4 Ke8 37. Ke5 Kf7 38. Be3 Ba4 39. Kf4 Bb5 40. Bc5 Kf6 41. Bd4+ Kf7 { Alternative variation: [Taking the pawn on e4, Black intends to create a strong passed pawn on e5, and White is unable to stop it, so he resigns.] 41... e5+ 42. Bxe5+ Ke6 43. Ke4Bc6+ 44. Kd4 Bf1 45. Bh2 Bg2 46. g4 Be2 47. Ke4 Bb5 48. Bg3 Bc6+ 49. Ke3Bd5 [White cannot stop the pawn on e5.] } 42. Kg5 Bc6 43. Kh6 Kg8 44. h5 Be8 45. Kg5 Kf7 46. Kh6 Kg8 47. Bc5 gxh5 48. Kg5 Kg7 49. Bd4+ Kf7 50. Be5 h4 51. Kxh4 Kg6 52. Kg4 Bb5 53. Kf4 Kf7 54. Kg5 Bc6 { Alternative variation: [See kaotab kohe, kuidpikk ning paistab et forseeritud variant toob lõpuks valgele soodsa (võidetud?)lipulõppmängu] 54... Ba4 55. g4 (55. Kh6 Bc2) 55... Bb5 56. f4 Bd3 57.f5 exf5 58. gxf5 h6+ 59. Kf4 Bb5 60. f6 Ke6 61. Ke3 Be8 62. Kd4 h5 63.Kc5 h4 64. Kb6 h3 65. Kc7 Kxe5 66. d7 Bxd7 67. f7 h2 68. f8=Q h1=Q 69.Qg7+ Kd5 70. Qxd7+ Kc5 71. Qb6+ Ka4 72. Kb8 Qd573. Ka7 Ka2 74. Kb8 Qd575. Ka7 Ka2 76. b4 } 55. Kh6 Kg8 56. g4 { ja Anand alistus. Variant } 56... Be8 57. f4 Bd7 58. Bg7 Bb5 59. g5 Be8 60. b3 Bb5 61. g6 hxg6 62. Kxg6 Bc6 63. Kf6 Bb5 64. Bh6 { on lihtne ja ühemõtteline. } 1-0
[Event "The Annotation Project"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009.06.06"] [Round "-"] [White "dmaestro"] [Black "yoshark"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1487"] [TimeControl "5d+1d<7d"] [WhiteElo "1449"] { Thematic tournament. } 1. e4 c5 2. f4 d5 3. Nf3 dxe4 4. Ng5 Nf6 5. Bc4 Bg4 6. Qxg4 Nxg4 7. Bxf7+ Kd7 8. Be6+ Kc6 9. Bxg4 e6 10. Nc3 Na6 11. a3 { A useful restraining move. } 11... Qe8 { This opponent tries Qe8 } 12. O-O Rc8 13. Bxe6 Nc7 { Black decides to sacrifice the exchange to deter the attack. } 14. Bxc8 Qxc8 15. Ngxe4 { White is now actually ahead in material. } 15... Be7 16. d3 b6 17. Be3 Bf6 18. Nxf6 gxf6 19. f5 { This move restrains Black. } 19... h5 20. b4 h4 21. bxc5 h3 22. g3 bxc5 23. Ne4 Nd5 24. Bxc5 Qc7 25. c4 Nb6 26. Rac1 Nd7 27. Bd4 Rg8 { Setting a trap...Black wants to take on g3. } 28. Be3 Rg4 29. Nf2 { ?? Hasty move. I was already aware of the need toprevent the sac on g3 but forgot when I logged on again. Otherwise, Blackis lost. } 29... Rxg3+ { White resigns. Carelessness cost the win. } 0-1
[Event "Would you like another one?"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009.12.17"] [Round "-"] [White "royzilla"] [Black "chesswizz95"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1312"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1368"] 1. e4 { This is a game I finished recently, I'm black and royzilla is white.I wanted to annotate this game mainly because of how many ups and downs,and twists and turns there are, ending in a very unusual checkmate. } 1... e5 2. f4 Qe7 3. Nf3 exf4 { My pawn on f4 is the basis of almost all of thebeginning moves of this game. } 4. d3 { Threatening my pawn is what startedthe battle. } 4... Qf6 { Setting up a guard for him. } 5. Nc3 Bb4 6. Bd2 Nc6 7. Nd5 { I barely get myself out of this fork. it's forking 4 pieces, whichis extremely rare(queen, bishop, pawn on c7, and the pawn on f4). I barelyfind a way out. } 7... Bxd2+ { freeing bishop with an even trade.... } 8. Qxd2 Qd6 { and freeing queen while guarding the pawn on c7 and the pawn on f4. } 9. Be2 Nf6 10. O-O Nxd5 { I wanted to open up the board with this move,I gave up on the pawn on f4, it's too much of a bear. } 11. exd5 Qxd5 12. Qxf4 d6 { Guarding the pawn on c7. } 13. Ng5 { Yikes, whites got a very goodposition on my kingside. } 13... Bf5 { This was a mistake on my part, but whitemissed his chance. } 14. Bf3 Qc5+ 15. Kh1 f6 16. Rae1+ { Looks really bad. } 16... Kd7 17. g4 fxg5 { It took me a long time to think about this move, and thenext few. } 18. Qxg5 Bg6 19. Qf4 Rae8 20. Qc4 { I think this was a mistakeon whites part, now I can make an even trade and release the pressure onmy kingside. } 20... Qxc4 21. dxc4 Nb4 { forking two pawns. } 22. Bxb7 { I was hopingwhite would fall for this. } 22... c6 { Now whites bishop is blocked in.... } 23. h4 Rb8 { ....and now he has to sacrifice it. } 24. Bxc6+ { Best move possible. } 24... Kxc6 25. c3 { Very smart, if I took the pawn on a2 my knight would sufferthe same fate as whites bishop. White would follow with Ra1 and my knightwould be gone. } 25... Nc2 26. Re7 { Blocking my king in, now I'm in another mess. } 26... Rxb2 27. h5 { hhhmmm } 27... Bd3 { Forked pawn on c4 and rook on f1. } 28. Rff7 { IfI were to take the bishop on c4 I would lose it when white would followwith Rc7. } 28... Rxa2 29. Rc7+ { I barely avoid checkmate here. } 29... Kb6 { Only move. } 30. Rb7+ { I'm forced to sacrifice my pawn on a7 and my rook to avoid checkmate. } 30... Ka6 31. Rxa7+ Kb6 32. Rxa2 Ne3 33. Rf3 { Trying to fork.... } 33... Re8 { ....soI guard. } 34. Rb2+ Kc5 35. Rf7 { A mistake which saves me from checkmate. } 35... Nxc4 { Now my king is free. } 36. Rc7+ Kd5 37. Rb5+ Ke4 38. Rxg7 { I'm doingreally bad, I don't know how I made it. I have to sacrifice so much toavoid checkmate. } 38... Kf3 { Trying to block his king in. } 39. Kh2 Re2+ { Closingin on him. } 40. Kh3 Ne5 { Keeping both his rooks away from my king. } 41. Rb3 Bc4 42. Rb1 Rc2 43. Rxh7 Rxc3 { Even trade. } 44. Kh4 Nxg4 45. Rg7 Be6 46. Rg6 Bf5 { Forking doesn't work so well here. } 47. Rf1+ { As you can see. } 47... Kg2 48. Rxg4+ { I really didn't think this move was so good a move, butI wasn't sure what he had in mind. } 48... Bxg4 49. Rf6 Bxh5 { I didn't want thatpawn to escape my grasp. } 50. Kxh5 d5 { Things look a lot different now,I win because of one pawn. } 51. Rf4 Rc4 52. Rf5 d4 53. Rg5+ Kf3 54. Rg4 Ke3 55. Kh4 Rc2 56. Rg3+ Ke4 57. Rg4+ Kd5 58. Rg5+ Kc4 59. Rg4 Kc3 60. Rg3+ d3 61. Kh3 Re2 62. Rxd3+ { White told me he was hoping for a stalemate,since he knew their was no way he could stop that pawn. } 62... Kxd3 63. Kh4 Re5 64. Kg4 Kd4 65. Kf4 { I slowly have to corner him. It took me a long timeto find a checkmate. } 65... Kd5 66. Kf3 Re4 67. Kf2 Kd4 68. Kf3 Kd3 69. Kf2 Re3 70. Kf1 Re2 71. Kg1 Ke3 72. Kh1 Kf3 73. Kg1 { This was the checkmate I waslooking for. My plan worked. } 73... Re1+ { Only one move for white. } 74. Kh2 Rf1 { One move left, this looks good for a puzzle. } 75. Kh3 Rh1# { Checkmate,what a neat game. So many ups and downs, lots of sacrifices and gains.Thanks for taking the time to read this. If you have any input, pleasefeel free to say it, I'd like to hear what others think. } 0-1
[Event "Will's 11 player mini-t #20"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2022.10.29"] [Round "-"] [White "sidious1973"] [Black "ianuk"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1224"] [TimeControl "9d+3d<15d"] [WhiteElo "1095"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Bb4 3. a3 Bxc3 4. dxc3 c6 5. Nf3 d5 6. exd5 Qxd5 7. Qxd5 cxd5 8. Nxe5 Nf6 9. Bb5+ Nc6 10. Bxc6+ bxc6 11. Nxc6 Bb7 12. Nd4 O-O 13. Bg5 Ne4 14. Be3 Ba6 15. f3 Nc5 16. b4 Na4 17. Bd2 Rae8+ 18. Kf2 f5 19. Rhe1 Rc8 20. Ne6 Rfe8 21. Nd4 Nb6 22. Rxe8+ Rxe8 23. Nxf5 Re2+ 24. Kf1 Rxd2+ 25. Ke1 Rxc2 26. Rd1 Rxc3 27. Ra1 Bc8 28. a4 Bxf5 29. a5 Nc4 30. b5 Ne3 31. b6 Bd7 32. Kd2 d4 33. bxa7 Rc8 34. Rb1 Nc4+ 35. Ke1 d3 36. Rb8 { I have always tried to keep in mind 'Defense first'. But in this game,despite being 4 points up, there was a real risk of my opponent promoting.Having tried various moves to no avail, I decided to approach things froma more aggressive stance. } 36... d2+ { With my opponent poised to promote I neededto keep focus at the other end of the board. } 37. Kd1 { In an attempt toblock my promotion, this was exactly where I wanted them to go. } 37... Ba4+ { Nowto herd the King whilst keeping check active. } 38. Ke2 { ready now for myQueen. } 38... d1=Q+ { onward } 39. Kf2 { again } 39... Qd2+ { Knowing that the King is unlikelyto hide behind the pawns, all following my conditional moves. } 40. Kg3 Qg5+ { My target is still the rook/pawn combination waiting to promote. } 41. Kf2 { more } 41... Qc5+ { constant check is essential } 42. Kg3 { nearly there } 42... Qc7+ { This time I am ready now to take out both pieces } 43. Kf2 Rxb8 { Firstthe Rook has to go } 44. axb8=Q+ { Followed by the new Queen } 44... Qxb8 { Threateliminated } 45. g4 { now for the conclusion } 45... Qxh2+ { .....four } 46. Kf1 { three } 46... Bd1 { two } 47. a6 { one } 47... Ne3+ { resignation } 0-1
[Event "Quebec #8"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "23-Feb-07"] [Round "-"] [White "dragoneye"] [Black "myself1234"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1813"] [TimeControl "5d+2d, 7d max"] [WhiteElo "1470"] 1. e4 g6 2. e5 { I push the pawn to counter the possible line of the knight. } 2... Bg7 3. d4 d6 4. Qe2 { I did not want to play Nf3, as this could have led to dxe5, followed by dxe5 and Qxd1 for the exchange of dame which would have made me lose the rook. } 4... Nc6 5. c3 { By playing this move, it is clear that I am losing a pawn. Kf3 would probably have been more effective. } 5... dxe5 6. dxe5 Nxe5 7. Bf4 Qd6 8. Nd2 Nd3+ { I did not suspect this move, for I thought the knight would pin the cavalier. I did not realize that I could be checkmated. } 9. Qxd3 Qxf4 10. Ne2 Qf5 11. Ne4 { J'ai h�sit� beaucoup entre ce coupet l'�change de reine. } 11... Nf6 12. O-O-O { I believe that I was impatient with this rook, which after analysis appears to be very dangerous. Ng3 would have been more effective, forcing a series of exchanges or the retreat of its queen. } 12... O-O 13. N2g3 Qa5 14. Kb1 Nxe4 15. Nxe4 Bf5 16. f3 { This move seemed to be the only option to be able to move my queen without giving away the knight. } 16... c6 17. Rc1 Rad8 18. Qc4 { It is clear that this move was bad. Qc2 would have been better. } 18... c5 19. Ka1 Be6 20. Qe2 { Having not seen the line between his knight and his queen. } 20... Qxa2# 0-1
[Event "Team match"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2015.06.21"] [Round "-"] [White "urnesthemingouey"] [Black "ngb1066"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1805"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1846"] 1. d4 { 3 days per move. Rated game. } 1... Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 d6 4. Nc3 g6 { Yousee, now I have some power in the center, but later in the game my opponentwould control th a1-h8 diagonal. That's prety expected. What I like todo in such positions is to bring activity in the center as soon as posible.Perhaps block the diagonal by placing a pawn on e5. That explains my nextmove. } 5. e4 Bg7 6. f4 { This is needed for my plan to play e5 later. } 6... O-O 7. Bd3 { You see, now we have equal number of figures developed. I stilldon't have a good opportunity to play e5. If so, there would have beenplayed 7... dxe 8. fxe Ng4 and I couldn't defend my pawn. Another reasonto play Bd3 is that it's an obvios place for the bishop to stay. I betterwait before playing Nf3. That way my opponent wouldn't play Bg4 and maybeexchange his bishop. So there appears to be problem its development. Ifplaced on d7, the Knight from would have a hard time reaching the center.If the Knight goes on d7, the bishop would have nowhere to move. Also,If 7... Bg4 8. Qc2 and now Kbd7 is bad because the bishop dies after h3and g4. } 7... Na6 { Kinda resolves the problem explained before. But still,that Knight is inactive. It couldn't be exchaned for my bishop on d3 causeI could place it on b1 if needed. } 8. Nf3 { I believe better than movingmy bishop from c1. It would have a chance to be placed anywhere on thec1-h6 diagonal after e5, dxe5 and fxe5 at some time. So I don't want tolose tempo by playing it on d2 or e3. } 8... Nc7 9. O-O a6 { I saw that planfor doing something on b5, but I still don't find it scary } 10. Re1 { Thelast step before e5. Now it couldn't be stoped. } 10... Bd7 11. e5 { e5 comesbefore b5. } 11... Nfe8 { Didn't expected it. Maybe he hopes that I play 12. exdNxd6. Then his knight would be placed in way that it couldn't be attackedby pawn and thats great. But I wouldn't take there cause I see that andalso want my pawn on e5. } 12. Rb1 { This move is kinda hard to explain.First, I procrastinate developing my bishop from c1. Second, I relievethe presure from a1-h8 diagonal. For example, if b3 or b4 is played, I'llhave one pice less to remove from that diagonal before taking somethingwith my e5 pawn. } 12... b5 { If I take here just now, I'm afraid that I'll havehard time defending my d5 pawn later. Also, my opponents c pawn would mostsurely become a passed one. And last, but not less important, that mightlead to exchanging pieces and I don't want that. Just because my opponentspieces aren't placed well enough and I hope he'll have a hard time coordinatingthem. } 13. b4 { Here I want to take on c5 and after dxc to play for myd pawn becoming a pssed one. My opponent's c pawn would also become suchone, but it would be isolated too. } 13... bxc4 14. Bxc4 cxb4 15. Rxb4 Bb5 16. Nxb5 { I want to keep my white bishop and as a whole - myself from exchanges.If I had taken 16. Bxb5 Nxb5 and I would have to think how not to exchangemy knight too. It looks like I win a pawn here, but after all there wouldbe Rxa2 so I don't. } 16... axb5 17. Bb3 { That I find to be the best move inthe game. As I said before, the knight on e8 isn't placed good. By playingBb3 I prevent exchange and the c7 knight from moving (If Ka6, I would takeon b5) and that way also preventing e8 from moving on c7 in just a fewmoves. Thats a big problem for the black cause it means that his rook onf8 would remain inactive. At the same time, I might move mine from b4 tothe center. Also I have a easy plan for playing Nd4 with tempo and thenNc6. } 17... Qd7 { That removes the tempo from the Nd4 move. Also Na6 is a treatleading to development with tempo. } 18. Qd3 { The right response. PreventsNa6 cause then there would be Qxb5 and me having a pawn more. Also N d4happens to be a move with a treat again. } 18... Ra5 { Still trying to play Na6. } 19. Nd4 { Still preventing that in a way. } 19... dxe5 { Seems like now my pawnon d5 is under threat and I would be left with one less. However, I havea previously thought move. } 20. Nc6 { I keep my pawn on d5 and at the sametime attack a rook. } 20... Ra6 { Better was Ra8. Even then, I would just playQf3 and have a great position. Here the treat is Rxc6. } 21. Nb8 { I guesshe didn't see that coming. } 21... Qd6 22. Nxa6 Nxa6 23. Rxb5 exf4 { He triesto take pawns for compensation of the loss, instead of developing the Knightfrom e8. } 24. Qe4 { Double attack. } 24... Bf6 25. Bxf4 Qd7 { Now I'm fully developedNc5 is not a threat. } 26. Ra5 Nec7 27. Ba4 { Important move. That wouldmake his queen inactive. Also harder for the rook on f8 to join the game.My plan includes playng Rc1 and placing presure on the knights on a6 andc7. I'll can play Qc4 too and during that the black's bishop and rook won'tjoin the defence. } 27... Qxd5 { Blunder. However, nice game. } 28. Rxd5 1-0
[Event "Penyffordd KO v Malpas KO"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "23-10-2013"] [Round "-"] [White "Pat Bennett"] [Black "Charles L Higgie"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "ECF 177"] [TimeControl "35 in 1 hour & 15 mins"] [WhiteElo "ECF170"] 1. d4 { This was a rather painful loss from a couple of years ago. Our knock-outteam were away to Pen-y-Ffordd. On paper they seemed a perfect match forus, with 2 stronger players and then a big gap and 4 weaker players. Unfortunatelywhen we turned up, I found that they had a couple of 'ringers' - Pat Bennettbeing one of them - who hadn't played for Pen-y-Ffordd before or since.At the time Pat out-graded me, but most of my other players were out-gradedby an even higher amount, so although I was black, and faced what was onpaper a stronger opponent, I wanted to win! } 1... Nf6 { So it starts conventionallyenough. } 2. Nf3 { Perfectably playable, although 2. c4 is more common. } 2... g6 { I normally play the Grünfeld Defence https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gr%C3%BCnfeld_Defenceagainst d4. } 3. c4 { I was wondering if this was going to transpose intoa Grünfeld Defence } 3... Bg7 { I continue to develop. } 4. g3 { He decides to fianchettohis King's Bishop too. } 4... O-O { I castle. } 5. Bg2 { He completes his fianchetto. } 5... d5 { I play this, mainly because it is played in the Grünfeld Defence. Iplay in the same 4NCL league team as my opponent, and I asked him monthslater whether or not he had specially prepared this opening against me.He replied that he had prepared it, not against me specifically, but generallyagainst Grünfeld Defence players. } 6. cxd5 { So he takes. } 6... Nxd5 { I takeback. } 7. O-O { He castles. } 7... Nc6 { I develop. } 8. e4 { He advances in thecentre. } 8... Nb6 { I retreat. } 9. d5 { He advances again. } 9... Ne5 { I found out laterthat Na5 is more commonly played and scores better. At the time, to me,it seemed to make sense to try and exchange a few pieces as white has thestronger centre. } 10. Nxe5 { So he takes. } 10... Bxe5 { I take back. } 11. Nc3 { Andhe develops again. } 11... e6 { I chip at his centre. } 12. Bh6 { He develops hisbishop with tempo, attacking my rook. } 12... Re8 { The rook only had one square. } 13. Qb3 { This move scores two out of two in the database of world chessgames! } 13... exd5 { So I take. } 14. exd5 { He takes back. } 14... Bf5 { I develop my Bishop.Now this position has been seen twice on the opening databases of Gameknot.On the database of games played on Gameknot there is pitagoran (2031) vs.wildrussianbear (1806) and on the database of world games there is Heck,Norbert (2271) vs. Mueller, Frank (2004). White won both of them. } 15. Be3 { pitagoran (2031) vs. wildrussianbear (1806) continued with 15. Rac1instead, while Heck, Norbert (2271) vs. Mueller, Frank (2004) continuedwith 15. Rad1 } 15... Qf6 { The queens adds power to the Be4 and also protectsNb6 along the rank. } 16. Rad1 { He mobilizes his rook. } 16... Rad8 { And so doI. } 17. Nb5 { He attacks a7. } 17... a6 { So I defend, and hit the knight. } 18. Nd4 { The knight takes up a more central role. } 18... Bc8 { And my bishop dropsback, freeing my Nb6. } 19. f4 { He hits the other bishop. } 19... Bd6 { Which dropsback. } 20. f5 { And he continues his king side advances, threatening f5xg6and discovering an attack on my queen. I can answer that with Qxg6 butthen it means my king side pawns are isolated and weaker. My computer likessimply capturing on f5 now with the pawn, but I felt this left my kingside pawns rather weak and isolated. 20...Bxf5 is playable too. 21. g4doesn't win a piece as black has 21....Qe7 braking the pin and attackingBe3. White can get the pawn back immediately withBxf5 21. Nxf5 gxf5 22.Bxb6cxb6 23. Qxb6. } 20... g5 { Perhaps this is chickening out, but it does keepthe king side closed. } 21. Nf3 { And now his knight, which started out ashis queen side knight, now takes up the position usually taken by thisking side knight! Computer says this is the best move for white in thisposition. } 21... g4 { The pawn was attacked, so it advances again. Computer likesthis move too. } 22. Bd4 { He attacks my queen with tempo. } 22... Qh6 { This seemsthe best square for the queen. } 23. Nh4 { His attacked knight advances. } 23... Nd7 { And I reposition my knight to a more central location. Computer likesthis move. } 24. f6 { He advances again. } 24... Be5 { I am trying to exchange bishops,and hopefully win the pawn on f6. Computer prefers Ne5. } 25. Be3 { He avoidsthe exchange and attacks my queen. } 25... Qf8 { My queen drops back. } 26. Bg5 { And he re-enforces the pawn on f6. } 26... h6 { I decide to attack his bishop.He now comes up with a combination that I hadn't seen. Computer prefers26...Qc5+ } 27. Ng6 { Of course! If I take the knight, 28. f7+ is very strong. } 27... Qd6 { 27....Ac5+ can be met with Be3, but that may have been marginallybetter than what I played. } 28. Ne7+ { So he throws in a check. It may bebest just to give up the exchange here, but white is winning easily nomatter what. Cartainly black has to avoid 28..... Kf8?? 29. Bxh6 mate.28....Kh7 Qd3+ looks pretty grim for black too. } 28... Kh8 29. Nf5 { This is anotherstrong move by white, attacking my queen. I should have taken the queensoff with Qb6+ here. Black is still losing, but black is crushed in thegame. } 29... Qc5+ { So I throw in this check instead. } 30. Be3 { Bishop comesback with tempo. } 30... Qf8 { 30....Qb5, trying to exchange queens was probablystronger. } 31. Bxh6 { Finally the pawn goes. } 31... Qg8 { I felt safer having myqueen near the king for protection, but it is an illusion, in fact thequeen takes up a valuable flight square for the king. 31...Qc5+ was better. } 32. Bg7+ { He throws in a check. I see that I am losing my queen, but Idecide to at least get two pieces for her. } 32... Kh7 { So my king comes up. } 33. Nh6 { Checkmate to the black queen! 33. Qe3 threatening mate was perhapseven stronger, but both moves win for white. } 33... Qxg7 { I take the bishop. } 34. fxg7 { He takes her. } 34... Kxh6 { I take the knight. } 35. d6 { Opening upthe diagonal for his queen to come in. } 35... Bxg7 { Played to reach the timecontrol. Black's position is hopeless. By the time all the other gameswere over. We had lost the match heavily. Rather than put the clocks back15 minutes each, I decided to resign. Many thanks for reading this! Pleaserate the annotation on the star system and leave a comment or two. Untilnext time dear reader! } 1-0
[Event "The Stone Wall - Slow, But Sure!"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2010.06.29"] [Round "-"] [White "x-machine"] [Black "whyonenot"] [Result ""] [BlackElo "1547"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1472"] { In the spirit of Freddy's Stone Wall Project, I decided to have a testrun of it outside of the mini-tournament, and see how it worked out . Afterthis game, I think I'm gonna start trying it out more often! :) Withinthe first 20 moves, I manage to get a huge advantage in space, and startto slowly build up an attack on the Black king. Does it work out? Was Blackable to repel the attack? let's see... } 1. d4 e6 2. e3 Nf6 3. Bd3 d5 4. Nd2 c5 5. c3 Nc6 6. f4 c4 7. Bc2 Bd6 8. Ngf3 O-O { Here, the position ofthe Stone Wall Project has been reached, only this time Black has his bishopon d6 rather than e7. } 9. O-O { I think it's best not to do this straightaway. [from what my experience has taught me] Instead, Ne5 and h3 shouldbe played in order to prevent the strong Ng4... } 9... Nd7 { Though Black seemsto have a completely different idea for that knight! I remember playingthis myself to prepare to capture on e5 should White move his knife thereand/or to drive it away with f6, so I don't think it's that bad of a move(though Ng4 would probably be stronger) } 10. Ne5 { White wastes no timereaching the e5 outpost } 10... Ne7 { Black was probably worried about Nxc6, whichdoubles up pawns on the c-file. Of course, White wouldn't have done thatstraight away (the outpost is too good) but Black may have plans of chasingthe knight away [interestingly enough, Black can do the same with Nxe5,but the semi-open f-file can prove to be sufficient compensation] } 11. Qf3 { Staying true to the sample game on the Knights of Honour forum - White's plan is g4, then g5, then Bxh7!!, which leads to an overwhelmingkingside attack! I was hoping that my opponent would be inexperienced enoughto fall into this attack. } 11... Qe8 { Not sure what the purpose of this moveis supposed to be... } 12. g4 { #1.... } 12... f6 { ahhh.... never mind about myattack then - the knight is an important weapon in the attack that I wasplanning } 13. Nxd7 { White has to exchange, but I don't mind too much rightnow.... } 13... Bxd7 { ...because I still have a good kingside attack going! } 14. Qh3 { ?! Is this the best move? turns out it works to my advantagein this case, but that's only because Black missed out on two better movesto protect h7 (g6, and Ng6) perhaps h4, or the more cautious Qg3 (preventingany nasty tricks) would have sufficed... } 14... f5 { ? Allows White to solidifyhis pawn chain kingside, though it does seem like a neat way to block thebishop's diagonal. White takes advantage of this straight away... } 15. g5 { Black will have quite a job weakening White's pawn chain! } 15... Ng6 { ?!Black, realising that his kingside is going to need support, brings hisknight over to defend... but again, I'm unsure about this move - in fact,when I first saw this move I only saw it as a way to give White a freetempo - I plan to start advancing my h-pawn soon } 16. Qg3 { Of course,the queen does need to make way for the pawn... } 16... Be7 { ? Yet another movewhich I just don't like - it achieves absolutely nothing, for starters!All this did was make the g6 knight even more of a tasty (tempo) target } 17. h4 { White plans to play h5 next move, and Black ought to see thattoo - the only square that he will have is the h8 square, which just looksugly! There are two alternatives to that move; 1) 17...Rf7 18.h5 Nf8, whereBlack will have quite a job unravelling his pieces! 2)Moving the dark squarebishop so that Ne7 can be played. This - might - have been best, but itwould mean admitting his last move was a mistake. } 17... Nh8 { Black takes theaforementioned third option, but like I said, what a horrible place forthe knight! A knight on the rim is dim... what about a knight on a corner? } 18. Kf2 { Making way for a rook push to h1, so that I can support theh4 pawn } 18... Qh5 { ? As much as I hate to keep calling my opponent's move poor,this is just another move that just isn't helping Black at all... perhapsthis game has taken him right out of his comfort zone for such moves likethis to be played. This gives White a free tempo - pure and simple! } 19. Bd1 { ! In addition, White can use the free tempo to advance his pawn evenfurther! } 19... Qf7 { Black is understandably hesitant about retreating the queento the original square (he might as well achieve SOMETHING!) but now wherecan the h8 knight go? } 20. h5 g6 { Just about forced, or else 21.g6! couldbecome a real threat! [I don't think it was possible to play it straightaway, but once White starts getting pressure down the h-file, this movewould have to have been played anyway] } 21. Rh1 { White has no intentionwhatsoever of either locking down the position or exchanging pawns, bothof which withers down White's attack. With that in mind, this is the bestmove to prevent the pawn-winning gxh5, and fortunately it is also consistentwith White's plans down the h-file. First things first; White needs toget his other rook into play } 21... Qe8 { A waste of a move? Well, not really- Black sees what White is trying to do and is preparing his own defenceto the coming storm. In fact, that theme is consistent in the followingmoves - White preparing to storm the castle while Black rallies all histroops to defend. } 22. b4 { played to open up a path for the dark-squarebishop - I honestly couldn't care less whether Black captures en passantor not... } 22... cxb3 { He captures en passant... but there was another possibilityin the position, a move which had been played against me in a game vs Freddy- 22...a4!? It would be more aggressive (and better too, in my opinion)but the difference between this game and my game with Freddy is the positionof my dark-square bishop - I would counter a4 with Ba3, consistent in myplan to free the a1 rook } 23. axb3 { ! There were three recaptures to choosefrom, and I believe this one to be best, keeping the white pawns connectedin one long pawn island. The knight capture takes it away from the actionthat will be happening kingside. The bishop capture sets a trap, thoughit does look like a mistake; 23.Bxb3 gxh5? 24.Bd1! and White regains hispawn with a scary h-file to operate on. However, Black could instead play23...Ba4! I don't want to give Black any kind of attacking chances likethat } 23... a6 { Is Black finally thinking about starting an attack of his own? } 24. Bb2 { White gets one of his bishops out of the way... } 24... Rf7 { ...andBlack reveals the purpose of his Qe8 - he realises that the h7 pawn willeventually need support, so he defends it now } 25. Be2 { and now my rooksare connected! My attack isn't too far away! } 25... Bc6 { ?! I do not understandthe rationale behind this move... } 26. Rh4 { White has plans of settingup Alekhine's gun along the h-file! When the time is right for White, hxg6could prove deadly! } 26... Rg7 { At first, I thought that this move was playedto aid in defence of h7, which would be a potential White target (as I'llexplain later... when White does play hxg6, Black will not be able to retakewith the pawn) } 27. Rah1 { White's other rook comes into play! } 27... Kf7 { Stillclueless about what Black intends here, though I'll find out next move...and I make the mistake in thinking White still have plenty of time... (afterall, Black doesn't seem to have any plans of his own) } 28. R1h3 { !? Studyingthe position, I figured that RRQ was going to be a lot more powerful thanRQR, so I invest an extra move into making that happen } 28... Qf8 { Only nowdo I realise what Black plans, and it seems so obvious too! With the actiongoing on kingside, Black's king is hauling his butt to the other side ofthe board! I don't really want that to happen... } 29. hxg6+ { It's nowor never - time to attack! } 29... Nxg6 { Any other recapture leads to disasterfor Black, meaning that the knight in the 'horribly placed' corner actuallyproved useful! The worst thing Black can do is 29...Kxg6?? 30.Bh5#. Alsoinferior is 29...hxg6?, and simply 30.Rxh8! wins the exchange. 29...Rxg6?30.Rxh7+ Rg7 [else the queen is lost] 31.Rxh8 works out similary, albeitwith an extra pawn with the exchange. } 30. Rxh7 { Now, with all the preparationthat White has been undergoing to attack kingside, he walks away with....a pawn. Is a pawn really all that White was able to gain? well... we'llsee ;) } 30... Rxh7 { ?! Black chooses to exchange - evidently an attempt to releasethe pressure on his position. However, this may have just ramped up thepressure for Black! Ke8 may have been better in the position } 31. Rxh7+ { The king only has two places to go... } 31... Kg8 { and in this case, Black choosescorrectly, though it keeps the king in dangerous waters for now. If 31...Ke8?,32.Bh5! would win the knight, as it's White's two attackers (the rook andbishop) vs Black's defender (the queen - no other piece can assist in time)and of course, the knight is pinned } 32. Rh6 { As it were, White choosesto pressure the knight instead } 32... Qg7 { defending.... } 33. Bh5 { attackingonce again... } 33... Nh8 { !? The Black knight retreats to the sanctuary of theh8 square. Another option would have been 33...Be8, which defends the knightwith another piece, but I suspect that Black still wanted to get his kingaway from the danger area (possibly why Nf8 was rejected, too) } 34. Qh3 { the queen and rook could become a force to be reckoned with on the h-file.I guess I could have simply taken the e6 pawn too - that was an oversighton my part. However, my mind was still in full attacking mode at this point,and I was still looking for ways to mate the king [perhaps this isn't thebest mindset to have...] For this attacking reason, I also rejected Nf3(heading to e5) because I saw that Be8 forced off the bishops, and I didn'tlike that... I dunno why, it just didn't look right for me.... both Rxe6and Nf3 would have been good moves, however, and perhaps they were betterthan Qh3, but then again this move led to a pretty continuation (albeitwith a blunder from my opponent) } 34... Kf8 { His Majesty still entertains ideasof escape... } 35. Be8 { ! Setting a neat little trap for Black. All threepieces can now take White's bishop, but no capture is advised - not onlydoes White get the material back straight away, he also ends up gainingmaterial! } 35... Bxe8 { ?? oops! I believe for now, 35...Kg8! would have beenthe best option for Black, and if I decided to retreat the Bishop (Bh5)then he could play Kf8 once again. I could also play Bxc6, though I wasn'tsure if I wanted Black to have a semi-open b-file... the other two capturesalso leads to disaster. 35...Rxe8?? 36.Rxh8+!! and Qxh8 is forced or matefollows after 36....Kf7 37.Qh5+ Qg6 38.Rh7+ Kf8 39.Qxg6. If 35...Kxe8?36.Rxh8+ Bf8 37.Ba3! [almost forgotten about that lil' guy! :P The kingcan't move to the second rank to allow the rook defence because the queenis lost after Rh7. } 36. Rxh8+ { Now, the bishop capture... } 36... Qg8 { ...losesthe queen! 36...Kf7 37.Rg7 isn't much better } 37. Rxg8+ Kxg8 { now White,who is the equivalent of a rook off, should have no problems convertingthe advantage into a win } 38. c4 { Can I do it quickly though? 38...dxc4??39.d5! is crushing! } 38... Bf8 { Black doesn't fall for it, though White canleave the trap set. Still, Rc8 would have been better here [allowing Whitethe chance to slip up; 38...Rc8 39.cxd5? Rc2! - the one thing that Whiteneeds to be wary of right now] } 39. Nf3 { White's knight is headed forthe outpost on e5... } 39... Bg7 40. cxd5 { [first, though, a pawn trade - notonly because I'm ahead in material, but also because should Black wantto get rid of the knight on e5, he has to deal with a second passed pawn] } 40... exd5 41. Ne5 b5 42. Qxf5 { Another pawn earned, and now it's only a matterof time before White wins this game... I am releasing this annotation earlybecause my opponent takes a long time between each of his moves, but unlessI make a catastrophic mistake, the end result should be obvious [this isnot because my opponent is stalling, by the way - he's just a slow player]In short, a great example of what the Stone Wall can do... however, itis not always this successful. In two other seperate games, my opponentsplayed different responses to the stone wall, while I blindly played themini-tournament's set rules. I got crushed both times, so I need to recognisewhen not to continue a stone wall position... still, an entertaining game[I guess technically it still is an entertaining game... ;)] }
[Event "The shortest win I ever had on an actual game. "] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2013.04.06"] [Round "-"] [White "damalfi"] [Black "1200 player"] [Result "1-0"] { The theme is well known, but the position went somehow fuzzy during thefirst moves, and it was not recognized by my opponent. I hope he learn'the lesson' and is being able to use it for improving his game. } 1. d4 d6 { Ok, it is not normal but I don't think that you can say that is unplayable.It just proposes a different than usual set on the board, and this takesme out from my own beloved schemes. } 2. Bf4 { I go on as normal (for theLondon, or at least my way to play it), controlling e5. } 2... Nc6 { Brings inforces on e5. I kind don't like this move with d5 by black, but I wasn'tsure it was really stunning 3. d5. After Ne5 black's game looks weird andcramped, but it is difficult to say if it is a real edge for white, andhow to exploit it. It was only a blitz... } 3. e4 { This can't be bad, Ithough. Out of my scheme, but due. } 3... f6 { Black is decided to play e5 evenagainst common sense, that suggest not to move f6 before castling. But4. Qh5+ at once is ineffective: after 4. g6, black's pawns are weakened,true, but my queen has nothing best than to go backward, losing a tempo.And black's 5... e5 will follow undisturbed. } 4. Bd3 { With a piece hittingg6 - either knight or bishop -, it is possible to use 'piece x g6' tactics(being h7 pinned to the queen) to break in, but the knight won't be thepiece to do it, in this position: the bishop is. OF course this is a sillyline, since black can play 4... e5, blocking the bishop's action. So thiswas a blunder of mine, actually. I just though that black could be temptedto take in d4, giving me the necessary tempo to push e5. } 4... Bd7 { He didn'ttake the bite, but he is not playing what he has prepared: all this moves'sscope was to take control of e5, so why don't you play it, now that youcan? If you don't, I'll do, and this will be dangerous for you. Actually,this move, is awful, since it blocks an escape rout for he king, and closesthe queen in a self trap, not allowing the queenside castiling. } 5. e5 { So I went for it. I didn't care if he had taken it with either of hispawns: I'll go Qh5+ anyway. I was not sure it would have won, but it lookedlike it. I had too many favours, due to Bd7, not to get something in returnif I attacked that way, despite Bf4 was attacked by the pawn. Black couldhave tried g6 at once, his only defence, and white would have had to rethinkthe attack. But my opponen wanted to get things more complicated, and counterattackedthe bishop wihtout compromising his central pawns. true is that if whitetakes one of them, e5 becomes playable again.. opening the black's kingcage, with a complex game (IMO). } 5... g5 { But all this overlooks the principalmean of white's strategy Bd3 / e5: the control of the white suquares bywhite. } 6. Qh5# { A good 'lesson'. I remember to have fallen in traps likethese very, very long ago... I learned something, for sure... Thank youfor reading. } 1-0
[Event "Short and sweet victory"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2013.12.19"] [Round "-"] [White "vavavi"] [Black "parker1"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1407"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1466"] 1. d4 { Here is a game i played against parker1, which ends in a nice tacticalidea from white. } 1... d6 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nbd7 { Odd move. locks in his bishop. } 4. Nf3 e6 5. e4 { White has a very kings indian style of center here. } 5... h6 { wants to avoid the pin on g5, but wastes time. } 6. Be2 { perhaps bd3 wasbetter } 6... b6 { another pawn move. white has a nice center and a lead in development } 7. Be3 Bb7 8. Qc2 { supports the e4 pawn } 8... c5 9. d5 { This gains some spaceand locks blacks lsb in } 9... a6 { nother pawn move?? black is seriously behindin development, while white is about the finish development } 10. O-O { Whitecastles and connects his rooks finishing development. } 10... Qc7 11. a3 Ng4 12. Bd2 Nde5 13. Nxe5 { here i just though that taking was easier than kickingthe other knight } 13... Nxe5 14. b4 { Perhaps this was a mistake } 14... cxb4 15. Qa4+ { Cant play 15.axb4 because it would lose the pawn on c4 } 15... Kd8 { Black commitsto not castling which will prove later as a bad choice } 16. Qxb4 a5 17. Qa4 Ba6 18. Nb5 { only way to defend the c-pawn } 18... Qb7 19. f4 Nd7 20. Nd4 { heading for c6 } 20... Nc5 21. Qc2 Qd7 { i dont see the purpose of this move } 22. Bg4 { pinning the pawn to the queen } 22... g6 23. f5 Bg7 24. Nc6+ Kc7 25. fxe6 { Here i had a nice idea. IF 25... fxe6 25.cxe6 Qxc6 26.Rxf7+ and afterking moves 27.Rxg7. This appears to leave the pawn on e4 for grabs, butif 27... Nxe4 it would be answered by Bf4 winning a piece. } 25... Qc8 { Blunder.This allows Rxf7+ } 26. Rxf7+ { And my opponent resigns. At minimun hes goingto lose his queen or get mated. Hope you enjoyed:) } 1-0
[Event "Team match"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "12-Dec-07"] [Round "-"] [White "tailzoom"] [Black "kewparknick"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1377"] [TimeControl "5 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1320"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 { my favourite defence to knight f3 } 3. Bb5 { wantingto keep my kings pawn i played d3 } 3... d6 4. d4 Bd7 { releasing the pin } 5. Nc3 Nf6 { developing our minor pieces... } 6. Bg5 { pinning my other knight } 6... h6 { wanting to make the bishop retreat, i played this move } 7. Bh4 Be7 { releasing the pin } 8. dxe5 Nxe5 { perhaps i should have played d3 e4, } 9. O-O { castling surprised me because i thought that he might take my knighton e4 } 9... c6 { releasing the pin on my bishop... } 10. Be2 Nxe4 { i took thispawn to take his bishop on h4 while gaining a centre pawn } 11. Nxe4 Nxf3+ { i played this move just to exchange pieces a little } 12. Bxf3 Bxh4 { thebishop is taken } 13. Nxd6+ { a good move which i seemed to have overlooked,this now prevents me from castling } 13... Kf8 14. Nxb7 { again, a good move, nowi am behind on material and position } 14... Qc7 15. Nc5 Bf5 16. Re1 Qb6 { i playedthis move in the hope of him moving his knight so i could fork his kingand rook with my bishop } 17. Qd6+ { forcing me to play king g8 } 17... Kg8 18. Bxc6 { threatening the rook on a8 while setting up re1-e8 } 18... Rc8 { threateningthe bishop on c3 } 19. Qe5 Rxc6 { i took the bishop because the next movei can take his knight } 20. Qxf5 g6 { stopping checkmate by re8 while keepingthe threat on the knight because his queen has to retreat } 21. Re8+ Kg7 22. Qe5+ Bf6 23. Qe4 Rxe8 { swapping pieces } 24. Qxe8 Qxc5 { finally, itake the knight } 25. c3 Bh4 { threatening queen f2 } 26. g3 { blocked } 26... Rf6 { again threatening queen f2, letting him take my bishop, a plan was formingin my mind } 27. gxh4 Qxf2+ { there we go queen f2 } 28. Kh1 Qf3+ 29. Kg1 Qg4+ 30. Kh1 { the only move } 30... Rf2 { threatening mate on g2 } 31. Qe5+ { adesperado check } 31... Kh7 32. Qd5 { blocking mate on g2 } 32... Qh3 { at this point whiteresigned because there was no way of stopping mate } 0-1
[Event "Game 2: Grandmaster Kasparov Ain't No Match, http://gameknot.com/"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "5/4/97"] [Round "-"] [White "Deep Blue"] [Black "Garry Kasparov"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "Champ"] [TimeControl "Tournament Rules"] [WhiteElo "Computer"] 1. e4 { In Game 2, Deep Blue (The Computer) is now playing as white. Itstarts of with King's pawn to e4. The makers of 'Deep Blue' also addedin new programs after its lose to Kasparov the day before. They downloadedmore games of Grandmaster playing to its brain. Now Deep Blue is fullyready. } 1... e5 { Many great players use pawn to e5 to start out against e4. I however, stick to the french defense (e6) which works well in all mygames. } 2. Nf3 { Deep Blue uses the Kings knight opening and attackingsblacks pawn on e5. } 2... Nc6 { Kasparov continues to play the King's pawn game. } 3. Bb5 { Ruy Lopez or the 'Spanish Opening.' } 3... a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 { Garry Kasparovcontinues the Spanish Game and adds a Morphy Defense by playing Nf6. Thisattacks whites pawn on e4. } 5. O-O { Both players seem to continue the SpanishGame as Deep Blue improves his King's safety by castling. } 5... Be7 { Kasparovplays a Closed defense by playing Be7. This also makes way for a futurecastling. } 6. Re1 b5 { Kasparov attacks Deep Blue's Bishop on a4. } 7. Bb3 { Forcing Deep Blue to retreat his piece, however now that Bishop is ingood attacking position as it now attacks blacks pawn on f7. } 7... d6 8. c3 O-O { Kasparov castles. Here he could have played Ng4 or Bg4. Both wouldbe attacks. } 9. h3 { Deep Blue plays h3. This move disables Kasparov'sknight/bishop from moving to the g4 square, as they would then be taken. } 9... h6 10. d4 { White attacks black's center. } 10... Re8 { At this point, Deep Blue(white) has a decent lead in this game. Kasparov has been playing well,but Deep Blue is just playing magnificent. } 11. Nbd2 Bf8 12. Nf1 Bd7 13. Ng3 Na5 { Here, Kasparov plays Na5. In my mind this is not the best move. I think he should have taken whites pawn on d4 and lost some center control/position. This move however does attack whites bishop on b3. } 14. Bc2 c5 { Lookingto attack whites center, Kasparov plays pawn to c5. He has fought himselfback into this game. } 15. b3 Nc6 16. d5 { Deep Blue continues to push andattack Kasparov's pieces. } 16... Ne7 17. Be3 Ng6 18. Qd2 Nh7 19. a4 { Still pushinglike it did in the last game, Deep Blue plays a2-a4. This sets up an attackon b5, trying to free up its rook on a1. } 19... Nh4 20. Nxh4 { Finally after 19moves, they decide to swap. } 20... Qxh4 { Ill let you look at the next moves aheadand think about each ones yourself. } 21. Qe2 Qd8 22. b4 Qc7 23. Rec1 c4 24. Ra3 Rec8 25. Rca1 { Deep Blue loads the A - file with 2 rooks. } 25... Qd8 26. f4 Nf6 27. fxe5 dxe5 28. Qf1 Ne8 29. Qf2 Nd6 30. Bb6 { After annotateda couple of Deep Blue v Garry Kasparov games, I have realized that DeepBlue (the computer) is a much more agressive player and always is lookingto advance. Kasparov on the other hand, takes it plain and simple anddefense first. } 30... Qe8 31. R3a2 Be7 32. Bc5 Bf8 { Kasparov reading Deep Bluesnext move, Nf5 attacking his bishop on e7, retreats his bishop to f8. } 33. Nf5 Bxf5 34. exf5 { Sacrafice for position and pawn advancement. } 34... f6 { Stops the advancing pawn on f5. } 35. Bxd6 Bxd6 36. axb5 axb5 37. Be4 Rxa2 38. Qxa2 { Deep Blue sets up for a long rang attack from his Queen and Rookon the A - File in the future. } 38... Qd7 39. Qa7 Rc7 40. Qb6 Rb7 41. Ra8+ { Stillnot wanting to Sacrafice Queens, Deep Blue puts Kasparov in check. } 41... Kf7 { See Deep Blue's pawns on d5 and f5. They are defending the 2 open squareson e6 and g6. Now that the king cannot move to those spots, he is forcedto stay in the back two rows. Bad position for Kasparov late in the game. } 42. Qa6 Qc7 43. Qc6 Qb6+ 44. Kf1 Rb8 45. Ra6 { Wow. What playing by bothplayers. You might see the game board even in strength but Deep Blue hasan attacking edge and pawn position on Kasparov. Kasparov resigns, andgoes home to study for game number three. I will have that one ready bytommmorow. Series tied at 1-1. } 1-0
[Event "An action fill draw"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2014.08.28"] [Round "-"] [White "jswca"] [Black "eaglei"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [BlackElo "1929"] [TimeControl "3d+2d<5d"] [WhiteElo "2161"] { To date this is the strongest player I play on GK (just by rating). SoI knew this would be a tough fight. } 1. e4 c5 { My typical response to e4players. My coach tell me it most popular as well. My goal is to gain advantageover the d4 square with the sacrifice of white aggressive development.Also I don't tend to like to play copycat game (1. e4 e5 ...) but ratherpick my own style of play. } 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 { Goal one accomplish.I gain center pawn at sacrifice of allowing white to develop and open theking bishop line. } 4. Nxd4 e5 { Some people call this move a error, butnever get a explanation. Reason I like it I keep a pawn in the center,attack white's piece forcing a move, and I open kingside bishop. } 5. Nb5 d6 { I block one bishop to open the other and add protection to the e pawn. } 6. N1c3 a6 7. Na3 b5 8. Nd5 Nf6 9. Bg5 Be7 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 { This is typicalof how I play this. The rapid development on black side is a side effectof white having to move the knights multiple times early. } 11. c4 Nd4 12. Bd3 Qa5+ 13. Qd2 { This was a surprise. I expected a knight retreat, thisright away told me this would not be my typical game. } 13... Qxd2+ 14. Kxd2 Bg5+ 15. f4 Bxf4+ { Here I accept a pawn advantage to get rid of the knight atthe cost of losing the bishop and breaking the pawn pair. } 16. Nxf4 exf4 17. cxb5 { And the exchanges continue } 17... Nxb5 18. Nxb5 axb5 19. Bxb5+ { Openthe position and even out the score again. Lots of action and excitingturns in the game. } 19... Bd7 20. Bc4 Ke7 { I choose not to castle. With the queengone, I feel I need to keep the king centralize } 21. Bd5 Rab8 22. b3 Be6 { I look at g5 as an option too but I did not go with it because I do notsee where it can lead to a win. } 23. Kc3 Bxd5 24. exd5 Rhc8+ 25. Kb2 { Andthe king moves away from the center. However the game seems to be at astandstill. After all the exchanges and action, we are pretty much deadeven. } 25... Kf6 26. Rhe1 { So we agree to a draw. } 1/2-1/2
[Event "Challenge from corpagent"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2011.10.24"] [Round "-"] [White "corpagent"] [Black "pasha582"] [Result ""] [BlackElo "1610"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1200"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 { Protecting the pawn. } 3. c3 Nf6 4. d4 { Instead ofdefending you attack, a perfectly good strategy. } 4... exd4 5. e5 { Pressingthe attack. This will help you develop your position without sacrificingmaterial. Good strong opening. } 5... Qe7 6. Qe2 Nd5 7. Na3 dxc3 8. e6 { Thispawn was safe where it was. Now it isn't. } 8... Qxe6 9. Ng5 { Now I am encouragedto swap queens, strengthening that three pawn advantage. } 9... Qxe2+ 10. Bxe2 cxb2 11. Bxb2 Be7 12. Nc2 { Why toss the g5 knight? } 12... Bxg5 13. Nd4 { Betteryet would be BxPg7, making back a point while breaking up the black king'spawns. } 13... Nxd4 14. Bxd4 { Now I must protect Pg7. } 14... O-O 15. O-O Nf4 16. Rfe1 Re8 17. Bc3 { Oops, this gives black white's white bishop. Bc4 would havebeen better. } 17... Nxe2+ 18. Kf1 { If black moves the knight black loses thegame with RxRe8#. } 18... d5 19. g3 Bd7 20. Rxe2 { White should have taken theknight before the black bishop could pin white's rook against his king. } 20... Bb5 21. h4 { Nice response, threaten something else. In this case the reprieveis only temporary. } 21... Bxe2+ { Rook is worth more than bishop, but the checksaves it. } 22. Kg2 Bf6 { Tome to trade more. } 23. Rc1 Bxc3 24. Rxc3 c6 25. Rc2 { White decides to gang rape the a2 pawn. } 25... Bc4 26. g4 Re2 27. Rc3 Rxa2 28. Rf3 { White wonders if he will have a second chance to play pin therook on the king. Probably not. } 28... d4 29. Rf4 { Not. Good to pressure thepawn, though. } 29... Bd5+ 30. Kg1 d3
[Event "Caught Napping!"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009.07.30"] [Round "-"] [White "untateve"] [Black "jstevens1"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1805"] [TimeControl "7 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1641"] 1. g3 { Hi everyone! Has this ever happened to you? You are a pawn upand about to exchange into an endgame. You think you are winning but wham- your opponent really hits you with a whammy and it could be a doubleor a triple one. Either way, it ends in a loss for you and worse youropponent's rating is south of you! Well, could the ground please swallowme up here? Anyhow, my opponent kicks off with 1. g3 and this transposesinto the Benko Gambit. } 1... d5 2. c4 dxc4 { 2........ dxc4 - here I accept thegambit. } 3. Bg2 c6 { 3. ...... c6 - taking the sting out of the white lsb'sattack. } 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nbd7 6. O-O e5 { 6. ...... e5 - a central pawnthrust. } 7. d3 cxd3 8. Qxd3 { 8. Qxd3 - pawn trade - I get rid of my c doubletonfor white's d pawn. I therefore become a clear pawn up. } 8... Qc7 9. e4 Bd6 10. b3 O-O { 10. ....... 0-0 - I catch up on the development front by tuckingHenry away on the kingside. } 11. Bb2 Re8 12. Rac1 Qb8 13. Nd2 Nf8 14. Nc4 Bc7 { 14. ..... Bc7 - white has a more active position for his pawn. } 15. Ne2 Rd8 16. Qc2 Be6 17. Rcd1 Ng6 { 17. ........ Ng6 - trying to improvethe position of my steeds. } 18. h3 Rd7 19. Rxd7 Nxd7 { 19. ...... Nxd7 -rook trade. } 20. Rd1 Qe8 21. g4 Rd8 { 21. ....... Rd8 - contesting thatd column. } 22. Ng3 Nb6 23. Ne3 { 23. Ne3 - avoiding a knight trade. } 23... Nc8 24. Nef5 f6 { 24. ...... f6 - giving my e5 pawn more support, guess I shouldhave swapped off Fou Leblanc for that horsie right now. } 25. Bc1 Rd7 26. Nh5 Bxf5 27. exf5 Nf8 28. Bh6 { 26. Bh6!! - here is the stinger, why ohwhy did I not see it. You see, if gxh6?? then Glenda falls to a RoyalForkie on f6, in fact it will be a family fork only I at least trade rooksfirst! } 28... Rxd1+ 29. Qxd1 { 29. Qxd1 - rook trade. } 29... Qd8 30. Qxd8 Bxd8 { 30....... Bxd8 - now the queen trade. } 31. Nxg7 { 31. Nxg7 - I have to givemy pawn back but the agony does not end there. } 31... Nd7 32. Ne6 Be7 33. Bf1 { 33. Bf1 - looks innocuous but it conceals a dastardly plan ....... } 33... Bd6 34. Nd8 { 34. Nd8! - ..... it looks like I am about to lose a pawn .... } 34... Nc5 { 24 ....... Nc5 - I thought that this move would save my b pawn, but........ } 35. Bc4+ { 35. Bc4+!!! - ...... my opponent now reveals his dastardlyplan, taking advantage of the fact that Henry is suddenly short of squares. The only square available to him is h8. Then that horrible horsie ond8 will go to f7 with check. Henry must go to g8 and voila a discoverywill lead to Fou Lenoir's demise for starties. I therefore wave the whiteflag. Sorry for the sour grapes but I do wish the ground would swallowme up here as I was well and truly caught napping. Anyhow, Steve, takea bow. If you play like this in other games then I see no reason why youshould not have at least a 1700+ rating! In the meantime I must get mybrain into gear or I will lose all I worked for. Anyhow, hope you haveenjoyed your weekend - bye for now - Joanne } 1-0
[Event "A Mating Attack Gone Wrong"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "30-Dec-08"] [Round "-"] [White "jstevens1"] [Black "dynamic_dv"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1897"] [TimeControl "3d+1d, 5d max"] [WhiteElo "1742"] 1. e4 { Hi everyone! Just to let you know that this is round 2 againstdynamic_dv, the guy who skewered Glenda to one of my castles in 'An ExpertLesson in Tactics'. This game was a classic Sicilian game in which bothsides castled on opposite sides and when that happens this means a raceinvolving pawn storms and heavies behind them. Whoever gets behind intempo here usually cops Old Matey. I thought I had a strong attack, indeedit seemed that I had won a pawn. But, a strong move by the Wicked Witchof the West put paid to all that and I ended up being a pawn down, andin the final position having to give up a second pawn to a knockout combo. Ah well, at least I felt that I wasn't quite such a doormat in this game,but you the jury may feel something different. Here we go ....... } 1... c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 a6 8. O-O-O { 8. 0-0-0. The sequence of moves between 1. e4 and now is called the RichterRauzer Variation of the Sicilian. It seems like the Sicilian Dragon inthat both players castle on opposite sides, etc... As you can see, allmy pieces bar Frere Leblanc are off the back rank and even he flies thecoup on move 12. } 8... h6 9. Be3 Bd7 10. f3 b5 11. Nxc6 Bxc6 { 11. ........ Bxc6- this bishop's control over the a8-h1 diagonal will prove decisive inmy opponent's favour later on. Black is mounting a pawn storm alreadyand I think the knight exchange was to try and take some of the sting outof black's attack. } 12. Bd3 Be7 13. Qf2 O-O 14. g4 { 14. g4 - I now starta pawn storm on the kingside. It proves to be a pity that Glenda isn'toccupying g2 already. } 14... Nd7 15. h4 b4 16. Ne2 { 16. Ne2 - evading black'spawn stab. This, however, will be a rather unfortunate placement for thisknight. In hindsight Nd4, f4 Nf3 might have been a better plan but doyou jury agree? } 16... Ne5 17. h5 Nxd3+ 18. Rxd3 { 18. Rxd3 - my rook ends upon a rather unfortunate square. I decide to keep on with my plan of akingside mating attack with moving Glenda onto the g file next move andpush my g pawn further up the board making contact with the black h pawn. I miscalculate black's threat big time. } 18... Qc7 19. Qg2 d5 20. g5 dxe4 21. gxh6 { 21. gxh6. If black captures either my rook or my f pawn forkingqueen and knight he will lose his king to Glenda's kiss of death on g7! } 21... Qe5 22. hxg7 { 22. hxg7. Here I thought that this move was very strongas I calculated the following variations:- Variation A 22. hxg7 exf3 23. gxf8=Q Kxf8 24. Bh6 Ke8 25. Qg8 Bf8 26. Qxf8# VariationB 22. hxg7 Qxg7 23. Qxg7 Kxg7 24. Rg1 Kh7 25. fxe4 Bxe4 26.Rd2 Variation C 22. hxg7 Rfe8 23. h6 Qf5 24. h7 Qxh7 25. Rxh7Kxh7 26. Rd1 exf3 27. Rh1 Kg8 28. Rh8# Variation D 22. hxg7exf3 23. gxf8=Q Kh7 24. Qxf7 Kh8 25. Bd4 fxg2 26. Bxe5 Bf6 27. Bxf6# After all these variations I was happy with the positionsI would end up with. But I missed something and Dave is about to showme just what I have been missing, sigh! } 22... exd3 23. gxf8=Q+ Kxf8 24. Bh6+ Ke8 25. cxd3 Rc8 26. Kb1 { 26. Kb1 - I just had to get Henry out of thethreatened discovery else he would become a widower because that lightsquared bishop that I talked about in a previous note woud play Bxf3 andI would have to get Henry off the c file and abandon Glenda to her fate. Moving Henry onto the d file was probably no better as the Wicked Witchwould simply snap off my b pawn. } 26... Qf5 { 26. .......... Qf5!! - this is themove I overlooked in my calcs, I simply didn't analyse far enough. Bothd and f isolanis are attacked by the Wicked Witch of the West, one is defendedby Glenda but also attacked by that pesky lsb and my d pawn is not protectedat all. I try pinning that wretched lsb but it doesn't come off. } 27. Rc1 Qxd3+ 28. Ka1 Kd7 { 28. ....... Kd7. It is a real pity that Glendawas on f1 and not g2 because I could have pinned that witch to her otherhalf with great pleasure but this is not possible. My knight drops backto defend the f pawn but now my h pawn will drop to a skewer by the enemyrook on h8. } 29. Ng1 Rh8 30. Qd2 Qxd2 31. Bxd2 { 31. Bxd2 - the queen swapmomentarily reduced black's pressure on my position but this does not cutthe mustard as my h pawn now falls. Shame as it could have been a lovelypasser. } 31... Rxh5 32. Rd1 Rd5 33. Kb1 { 33. Kb1 - Henry moves back to try andprotect his rook and Frere Lenoir. } 33... Bf6 34. Kc1 Bxb2+ 35. Kxb2 Ba4 { 35.......... Ba4 - the b pawn was captured by black's dsb to enable blackto move his lsb to this square. If the b pawn had still been on the boardI could have blocked this bishop move. My rook must move away allowingFrere Lenoir to be taken. If Henry moves to c1 to try and get two piecesfor the rook then Rc5 simply drives Henry back to b1 and the rook fallsnext move. Any rook move will result in Frere Lenoir being taken withcheck and I could well lose a third pawn and his rook will be a bone inthe throat. I therefore decided to wave the white flag on the groundsof ruinous loss of material. A sad end to a game of which I had high hopes. } 0-1
[Event "Team match"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2013.02.25"] [Round "-"] [White "ffweaver1"] [Black "ottffssent"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1228"] [TimeControl "5 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1235"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 { queen gambit } 2... dxc4 3. e4 { white controls the center } 3... e6 4. Bxc4 { white makes sure that he fully controls the center, half the battleis won } 4... Nf6 5. Nc3 Bb4 { black is developing his pieces } 6. Nf3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 { white still has the center, but black should have taken the pawnon e4 } 7... Nc6 8. Bf4 { still black does not see the free pawn on e4 } 8... O-O 9. d5 { if i was playing white, i would castle first before attacking } 9... exd5 10. exd5 Re8+ 11. Be3 { still looks good for white, he manages to coverhis king } 11... Na5 12. Bb5 { good move by white bishop } 12... Re7 13. O-O { finally... white castles } 13... Nxd5 14. Bg5 { good attacking bishop, remember thiswords ... the best defense is to attack } 14... f6 15. Bd2 { i would have movedbishop to h4 } 15... Bg4 16. Bd3 { not sure why his bishop is on d3 } 16... c6 17. c4 { black's knight on d5 looks dangerous. it was wise to chase the knightaway } 17... Bxf3 18. Qxf3 { good exchange and white has the advantage } 18... b6 { b6?? he should have moved his knight from d5 } 19. cxd5 cxd5 { white shouldwin ... } 20. Qf5 g6 { black weakens his king pawns } 21. Qxf6 Rf7 { only amatter of time before white attacks } 22. Qe6 Nb7 { good pin and black knightis coming to help with the defense } 23. Bh6 Nc5 24. Qh3 { white should havemoved his queen to g5 and threaten to take g6 with bishop sacrifice } 24... Qf6 25. Bb5 { white bishop on b5 is passive } 25... Ne4 26. f3 { f3 is a bad move, iwould have chosen Qe3 or even Be3 } 26... Nd2 { Bxd2 is the correct move. too badwhite did not spend more time analsying the position } 27. Rf2 Qxa1+ { itstime for white to resign } 28. Rf1 Nxf1 29. Bxf1 Re8 30. g3 Rxf3 { mistakeafter mistake } 31. Qg2 Rxf1+ 32. Qxf1 Re1 { white cannot survive and withthe lost of the queen, he should resign } 33. Qxe1 Qxe1+ 34. Kg2 { hopeless... should resign and fight again another day } 34... d4 35. a4 d3 0-1
[Event "Advance French"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date ""] [Round "-"] [White "Chebob"] [Black "Me"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1423"] [TimeControl "5 min + 20 seconds"] [WhiteElo "Unknown"] { Please comment on my performance. I am a new player (I started in Novemberof 2010) and would love all the input I can get! Thanks. } 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 { I like playing the advanced french though this is the firsttime I have played this line where I advance my c5 pawn. } 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Qb6 { Basic advance french setup. } 6. a3 f6 { This is a new idea I startedtrying out. I like it. } 7. Bd3 fxe5 8. dxe5 c4 { Advancing the C5 pawn. } 9. Bc2 Nh6 { In order to bring my knight to f7. My thinking is that ifit is taken then I get the g and f files for my rooks. I will also getsome queenside pawns with my Qb6. } 10. O-O Nf7 11. Qe2 g6 { In order toadd pressure on e5. } 12. Ba4 Bg7 13. Be3 Qc7 { More pressure. } 14. Bd4 O-O 15. Re1 Bd7 { I now feel pretty safe. I have a good position but am unsureof where to go! } 16. Bc2 { So I set about creating a passed pawn. } 16... a5 17. Nbd2 b5 { My opponent is unsure of what to do I think. } 18. Nf1 Nxd4 { Nxd4. I consider this move to be good because I am taking away a pawn from guardingb4. If white recaptures with the knight then I get the e5 pawn. } 19. cxd4 b4 { I continue with my plan. } 20. axb4 axb4 21. Rxa8 Rxa8 22. h4 b3 { Startingmy final pawn push. } 23. Bb1 c3 24. bxc3 Qxc3 25. Ne3 Ra1 { At this pointmy opponent was running out of time (under 1 minute left). } 26. Qd2 { Ididn't see a way to avoid the queen exchange. } 26... Qxd2 27. Nxd2 Ba4 { Rushingmy pieces over to the passed pawn. } 28. Rc1 Bf8 29. Rc8 Kg7 30. Kh2 Bb4 { Driving off the knight (threatening Rxb1). } 31. Nxb3 { The knight sacrificeshimself for the pawn. } 31... Rxb1 { I took the bishop because ...Bxb3 would beanswered Rb8. This actually wouldn't be that bad but I was getting shorton time myself so just did some hasty calculations and went with it! } 32. Nc5 Bxc5 33. Rxc5 { This simplifies my material advantage. } 33... Rb2 { Unsureof how to proceed I just put my rook on the seventh rank. Normally a goodthing. I think I would have rather put it directly on b7. } 34. Kg3 Rb7 35. Nxd5 { Nxd5! My opponent wishes to create 2 powerful linked, passedpawns at the expense of his knight. } 35... exd5 36. Rxd5 Rb3+ { I don't want thisking anywhere near his pawns. } 37. f3 Bc6 38. Rc5 Bd7 { Setting up a 'remote'blockade of sorts on e6 and e5. } 39. Kf4 h6 { Preparing g5! } 40. d5 Rb4+ { Driving the king back and securing the e5 pawn. } 41. Kg3 Nxe5 { White resigns. } 0-1
[Event "Two Painless Forks"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009.04.04"] [Round "-"] [White "blake84120"] [Black "xellos_9"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1625"] [TimeControl "3d+5d<8d"] [WhiteElo "1866"] 1. e4 { Mini tournament game, I'm playing white and begin with the opengame. } 1... c5 2. Nf3 { Sicilian Defense, of course. } 2... d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 { The ever-popular Najdorf. I respond with the EnglishAttack. } 6... e5 7. Nf3 Be7 8. Bc4 O-O 9. O-O { Developing. } 9... Qc7 10. Qe2 { Defendingthe bishop, but also clearing d1 for a rook. } 10... Nc6 11. Rad1 { As planned. } 11... Bg4 12. h3 Bh5 13. g4 { Breaking the pin, and preparing a pawn storm onblack's king. It's nice when the first two pawn moves can be made withtempo. } 13... b5 14. Bb3 { Black counterattacked, but the plan is still the same. } 14... Bg6 15. Nh4 Qd7 16. Nxg6 { Breaking up the castle. } 16... hxg6 17. f4 Rac8 18. g5 Nh5 19. f5 { White's pesky pawns just keep charging toward the enemyking. Did white just leave g3 for black's knight? } 19... Ng3 20. Qf3 { White hasset a little trap for black. I'm hoping he takes the bait. White was notat all afraid of the painless fork with 19. ... Ng3, because 19. f5! hadpaved the way for much nastiness. If 20. ... Nxf1, then 21. fxg6 Bxg5 22.Bxg5 Ng3 23. Qxg3 Ne7 24. Bxf7+ Rxf7 25. gxf7+ Kxf7 26. Qxe5 leaves whiteahead by bishop+pawn. } 20... gxf5 21. Qxg3 { Black correcly blunts white'sattack at the cost of his knight. } 21... f4 22. Qh4 { White seems to be forkedagain. But again it's a painless fork. Black only thinks he's winning material. } 22... fxe3 23. Rxf7 { Nothing refutes a fork like a good old fashioned sacrifice. } 23... Rxf7 24. Bxf7+ Kxf7 25. Qh5+ Kg8 26. g6 { The king hunt is on. } 26... Qe6 27. Rf1 { Threatens mate in 1 with 28. Qh7# } 27... Bf6 28. Qh7+ Kf8 29. Rxf6+ { Seemswhite just can't stop sacrificing his rooks. Not 29. ... gxf6? for then30. g7+ Ke8 31. g8=Q+ Qxg8+ 32. Qxg8+ leaves white ahead queen for rook. } 29... Qxf6 30. Qh8+ Ke7 31. Nd5+ { A little forking of my own. Which is good,since white is down a whole rook. } 31... Kd7 32. Nxf6+ { Grab the black queenwith check. } 32... gxf6 33. Qxf6 { Snarf a pawn and now white is ahead knightfor pawn, but far more importantly, he has those two passed pawns on thekingside. } 33... Ne7 34. c3 b4 35. g7 { Black wants to win a pawn, white wantsto win a knight. } 35... bxc3 36. bxc3 Rxc3 37. Qxe7+ Kxe7 38. g8=Q { White isahead now queen vs. rook+pawn, but now black has the most active advancedpawn. For now. } 38... Rc2 39. Qg5+ { And there we go. Now it's all over but thelegwork. } 39... Kd7 40. Qxe3 Rxa2 41. h4 { White's goal is now two-fold. 1. Promotethe h-pawn, or threaten it seriously enough that black must give up hisrook to prevent it. 2. Find a way to fork the black king and rook so thatwhite can capture the rook, then achieve the first goal unobstructed, orsimply checkmate with queen+king vs. king. } 41... a5 42. h5 Ra1+ 43. Kg2 Ra2+ 44. Kh3 { White's king defends the squares where black would like to placehis rook. } 44... Ra1 45. h6 { And now the pawn on h6 is safe after 45. ... Rh1+because the white queen protects it. } 45... a4 46. h7 { The pawn is still protectedon h7, but black is running out of options. } 46... Rh1+ 47. Kg2 { If now 47. ...Rxh7, white wins the rook with 48. Qa7+ K-any 49. Qxh7. } 47... Rh5 48. Qh3+ { Blackdeclined the pawn, but either way you slice it, white is about to win rookfor pawn. This final sacrifice, 48. Qh3+!, seals the deal. It's all downhill from here. Black would have been better off simply taking the pawn,since the ensuing combination would have left his king closer to protectinghis own passed a-pawn. } 48... Rxh3 49. Kxh3 d5 50. h8=Q dxe4 51. Qxe5 { Whiteis out of pawns, but black is about to be out of pawns and out of queens,too. } 51... Kc6 52. Qa5 { Capturing on e4 seemed more complicated. It might havebeen a little more efficient, but it would allow black's king to try andnurse his last pawn to promotion on the a-file. Instead, for simpicity'ssake, white simply brought the queen over to the a-file where she can killthe a-pawn, leaving the e-pawn for the white king to capture. } 52... Kd6 53. Kg3 e3 54. Kf3 e2 55. Kxe2 { As planned. } 55... Ke6 56. Ke3 a3 57. Ke4 Kf6 58. Qxa3 { I did the math, and white couldn't force checkmate before black couldpromote the pawn, so wasting a couple tempo to kill black's final pawnwas necessary. And now it's just the normal king+queen vs. king endgame. } 58... Ke6 59. Qa6+ Kf7 60. Kf5 Ke7 61. Qe6+ Kd8 62. Qf7 Kc8 63. Qa7 Kd8 64. Ke6 Kc8 65. Kd6 Kd8 66. Qd7# { Final position. This was my longest game yeton Gameknot and only my second game in over 100 games to go over 60 moves.Well played by my opponent. } 1-0
[Event "kids can play chess too"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009.07.04"] [Round "-"] [White "kamshaft 11 years old"] [Black "johnson81 40 years old (according to profile)"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1223"] [TimeControl "2 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1234"] 1. Nf3 d5 2. Nc3 d4 3. Nb5 d3 { pawn walks into a pawn wall } 4. cxd3 { doubledpawns soon get very annoying } 4... a6 5. Nc3 Be6 6. b3 { free my bishop } 6... Nc6 7. Ng5 Bf5 8. e4 { chasing the bishop home } 8... Bc8 9. Qf3 Ne5 { good move } 10. Qf4 f6 11. d4 { blundered a pawn not so bad but allows queen to ruin mycentre } 11... fxg5 { didn't see it } 12. Qxe5 h6 13. Bc4 e6 { ? blunders pawn andputs him/her under pressure } 14. Bxe6 Bxe6 15. Qxe6+ Ne7 16. Ba3 { blunderof pawn } 16... Qxd4 17. O-O Qxd2 { blunders second pawn } 18. Nd5 Kd8 { blundersknight and queen or game deserves ??? } 19. Bxe7+ Bxe7 { saves the queenbut loses the game } 20. Qxe7+ { resigned } 1-0
[Event "State Championship qualifying tournament"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date ""] [Round "-"] [White "Joe"] [Black "Chuck"] [Result "1-0"] { Sometimes in tournament games, even between evenly matched players yousee surprisingly quick wins. This game is a case in point. } 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 c6 4. c4 e6 { A slow opening... } 5. Nc3 Nbd7 { Black's positionis already looking constricted. } 6. Bd3 Bd6 7. O-O O-O { Both sides castleearly. But Black will end up weakening his castled position, and it willcost him the game. } 8. e4 dxe4 { Black gives up the center. With his already-crampedposition, this development is ominous. } 9. Nxe4 Nxe4 10. Bxe4 Nf6 { Theexchange has eased Black's game slightly. He is still under pressure, however. } 11. Bc2 h6 { A disastrous move. White was threatening B-N5 and Q-Q3 withmate threat, but this weakening of his castled position just makes thingsworse. } 12. b3 b6 13. Bb2 { White threatens P-Q5, opening the long diagonal. } 13... Bb7 14. Qd3 { Provoking yet another Black weakening. } 14... g6 { Oh, dear. Whyweaken the already weak K-side further? } 15. Rae1 Nh5 { This move sealsBlack's fate. 15... Q-K2 was the only chance. } 16. Bc1 Kg7 17. Rxe6 { Thefinal attack is beginning. 17... PxR??? is of course impossible [18 QxPchK-R1 18 Q-R7 mate.] } 17... Nf6 18. Ne5 { Black's doom is just a matter of moves. } 18... c5 { 18... BxN would hold out a little longer. But at this stage it matterslittle. } 19. Bxh6+ Kxh6 20. Nxf7+ { Black resigns before he can be mated.[20... RxN 21 QxP mate, or 20... K-N2 21 QxP mate, or 20... K-R2 21 QxPmate., or 20... K-R4 21 QxPch K-R5 22 P-N3ch and mate in 2.] } 1-0
[Event "Knights to remember"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date ""] [Round "-"] [White "Max Marcuson"] [Black "oodle3"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1315"] [TimeControl "50 mins for both players"] [WhiteElo "1245"] { This is round 1 I played at Hinckley for u18. I play for Watford ChessClub: I won this game - please feel free to make any comments and ratings:thanks. (I am Black). } 1. e4 { As normal as ever. } 1... e5 { I reply normally- I don't play any openings - my favourite is 1. d5 for white - I relyon tactics to win the game. } 2. Nf3 { Attacking the e5 pawn. } 2... Nc6 { Subsequentlydefending. } 3. d4 { This; I believe, is the scotch. I have no further repliesthan exd4. } 3... exd4 { Now, I expected for my opponent to take the pawn, however,he did not. } 4. Bc4 { Probably attacking f7; I do not see this move as abeginner's move; rather, a sensible one. } 4... Bc5 { I protect my d4 pawn anddevelop my bishop. } 5. c3 { c3. I am somewhat unfamiliar to the Scotch,so I took innocently ... } 5... dxc3 { ... not knowing that I was to fall fora beginner's (?) trap. } 6. Bxf7+ { Not taking the bishop would be awkward,but taking the bishop isn't much better. } 6... Kxf7 { Leaving d5 a forking square. } 7. Qd5+ { This forks the unprotected bishop on c5. } 7... Ke8 { Hoisting my kingback to safety. } 8. Qxc5 { The bishop goes. } 8... cxb2 { I take the pawn beforethe pawn takes me. } 9. Bxb2 { The bishop takes its long laser aim at g7.Is this position in any way better for white - this disables my abilityto castle, but is this strictly better for white? Black is still a pawnup. Take a moment to look at this position. } 9... d6 { Chasing away the queenand opening the lines for my bishop - note that Bxg7 is irrelevant as thequeen is attacked. } 10. Qd5 { The threat on g7 is renewed. Note that after10. Qh5+?! g6 the queen is attacked, thus the rook on h8 is safe. } 10... Nf6 { Attacking the queen and preventing 11. Bxg7. } 11. Qb3 { Probably not thebest square for the queen. A really passive square - moreover. } 11... Nxe4 { Whatwith 11... Nxe4 12. Bxg7 Rg8 pins the bishop to the g2 pawn. I have usedthe term 'pin' here, because after any move by the bishop, the pawn islost, thus the queen must move to defend it. } 12. Qe3 { This annoying pinpins the knight to the king. The knight needs to be defended. } 12... Bf5 { Isthis the best move - this develops the LSB; however, Nh4! would be quitea killing move, with the only response to be 13. ... b6, losing the rook,were it not for Qxh4 - but if the knight was defended... } 13. Nc3 { Addingthe pressure and developing a piece. } 13... Qe7 { Is this a good move? Query to14. Nd5 but then the Queen could just move. } 14. Nd5 { And thus Nd5 isplayed - prior to the fact the queen must not leave the c7 pawn unprotectedotherwise Nxc7 would fork the king and rook. } 14... Qf7 { This attacks the unprotectedknight on d5. } 15. Rd1 { Defending the knight and centralising the rook. } 15... Kd7 { Relieving the pin and connecting the rooks. d7 is a safe square forthe king, as the only attack is from the c8 - h3 diagonal, defended bythe f5 bishop. However, this inserts a new worry - Ne5+, were it not forNxe5 or dxe5 - but if dxe5 then Nb5++ would be disastrous. I have listedthe possibility below. 16. Ne5+ dxe5 17. Nb6++ Ke7 18. Nxa8 Rxa8 or 16.Ne5+ dxe5 17. Nf6++ Kd7 18. Nxe4 Bxe4. 19. Qxe4+ regaining material withan overall better position. However, white's dreams are crushed due tothe knight on c6, but if it moves ... } 16. Qb3 { This looks dangerous. Whatwith 17. Nc6+ Ke8 18. Nxa8 wins a whole rook, or Ke7 wins the exchange.The queen is not won; the king defends the queen, but the exchange is won. } 16... Rhf8 { Dangerous - this looks risky; note any moves that win for white? } 17. h3 { A quiet passive move, possibly planning g4 - next move, or justcreating a flight square for the king after O-O. } 17... Rae8 { Nasty discoveredcheck 18. ... Nc5+!! coming up next move. } 18. Ne3 { A rather weird wayof concluding the discovered check. The queens can be swapped of, afterwhich an isolated pawn on b3 is produced. The bishop is not won after Nxf5- Ng3+ concludes matters following Rxf5. } 18... Qxb3 { Queen swap. } 19. axb3 { Thepawn on b3 is weak, and after maybe the three pawns on the a, b and c fileswill triumph. } 19... g5 { Possibly, I was planning g4 next, destructing the position- I cannot remember. } 20. g4 { g4 as planned - but now the king cannot castle- here comes the crusher ... } 20... Bxg4 { Bxg4 - looks like equality as after21. hxg4 Rxf3 22. Rxh7+ white even gains a tempo, but that is not the case- Observe. } 21. hxg4 { Hxg4 as follows. } 21... Rxf3 { RXN as follows - and thef2 pawn is attacked! } 22. Rxh7+ { Rxa7 as follows. } 22... Kc8 { Sheltering beneaththe wall of pawns and relieving the pin on the d6 pawn. } 23. Rg7 { Thisis the mistake - to big to be made. The g5 pawn is defended by the knighton e4, but the f2 pawn is attacked- that is the bigger threat. } 23... Nxf2 { Nxf2!Crushing. White cannot cope with both Nxd1 and R8xe3/R3xe3. He will loseeither the knight, or the rook, or both ... } 24. Ke2 { Oh dear. This moveis wrong because ... } 24... Nxd1 { I actually made a mistake here - The best movewas 24. ... Rxe3+ 25. Kd2 (25. Ke1 Nxd1+ 26. Kg2 and the bishop is free)but Nxd1 isn't that bad. If 25. Kxd1 then 25 ... Nxe3 wins a whole rook,whilst after Kxf3 then 25. ... Rxe3+ and Nxb2 wins. The latter was played. } 25. Kxf3 { The most appetising may not be the best. } 25... Rxe3+ { A zwichenszugand the bishop is still hanging. The king cannot move to f2 or f4 whichare the only square that can attack the rook, f2 covered by the knightand the f4 square covered by the pawn. } 26. Kg2 { The only square. } 26... Nxb2 { The bishop disappears. } 27. Rg8+ { In an attempt to slow down my king. } 27... Kd7 28. Rg7+ { Another check. } 28... Ne7 { To blockade more checks - of course,we could have Ke6 but then it comes Rg6+ and Kd8 fails to Rg8+. } 29. Rxg5 { The rook snatches the pawn. No worry about the pawn, but the black piecesare quite inactive. How to combine them? } 29... Ke6 { The g6 square is covered- I get my king into the game. } 30. Kf2 { Trying to attack my rook: of course,with 30 ... Nd1+ checks and defends the rook, but I prefer to move therook. } 30... Re5 { When in the lead, swap pieces and not pawns, and vice versa. } 31. Rg7 { And when losing, swap pawns but not pieces - however, I thinkthere is no hope for white. } 31... Kd5 { Trying to get my king into the game -my knight is defended due to the rook on e5. } 32. Rh7 { Trying to createa safe path for his pawn to promote - preferably 33. Rh3 34. Rg3 } 32... Nd3+ { I give my opponent no time for this nonsense. } 33. Kf3 { Protecting thepawn. } 33... Re4 { Preparing for 34. ... Ne5+! winning the pawn. } 34. g5 { Pushingthe pawn and escaping from the Ne5+ fork. } 34... Ne5+ { I do this anyway. } 35. Kg3 { Stilling trying for the middle. } 35... Nf5+ { Note that 35. ... Rg5+ wouldhave been possible, winning the pawn, but this just looks better and moreco-ordinated. } 36. Kg2 { We still have 36. ... Rg4+. } 36... Rg4+ { Note here thatmy objective was not to win the pawn, but the game. However, this stopsthe pawn from leading. } 37. Kf2 { Centralising the king. } 37... c5 { Trying toget a pawn of my own. } 38. Rxb7 { Trying to counter-attack and win its ownpawns. } 38... a5 { Rescuing the a-pawn and preparing to play 39. ... a5 wherewhite is forced to play 40. bxa5 leaving a suitable passed c-pawn. } 39. Rb5 { Of course, now my c-pawn is trapped, by I have my own plans. } 39... Rb4 { 39. ... Rb4! sheltered and protected by two pawns. What could be better? } 40. Rxa5 Rxb3 { Nothing has changed, except that white is uncoordinated. } 41. Ra1 { Perhaps planning to play Rg1 next move where the pawn will triumph. } 41... Rf3+ { A stream of checks follow. } 42. Ke2 { Still trying to centralise theking. } 42... Nd4+ { Another check. } 43. Kd2 Nc4+ { A losing position for white- all three possibilities fail, like so: 44. Kc1 Rf1+ wins the rook. 44.Kd1 Rf1+ wins the rook. 44. Ke1 Nc2+ wins the rook. } 44. Kd1 { But thisone fails directly due to: (as well as Kc1) } 44... Rf1# { 44. ... Rf1# Thank youfor watching. Please make any comments or ratings. @oodle. } 0-1
[Event "A Tale of Many Pawns"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2012.06.15"] [Round "-"] [White "sieni01"] [Black "bwaa"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1700"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1583"] { This game marks the first time my rating reached 1700 on GK! The gamegets tricky very fast: my opponent, with two Bishops against my two Knights,unleashes a fearsome attack against my hard-to-defend King, while I abusehis weakened pawn structure to limit his attacking potential and set upan advantageous Rook-and-pawn endgame. Enjoy! } 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 { The Bishop'sGame. Not the most popular anymore, but theoretically equal, and with somegood chances for White if Black is unprepared. } 2... Nf6 { This is the BerlinDefence, probably the most standard modern reply. } 3. Nc3 { Transposingto the Vienna Game. } 3... Bb4 { 3...Bc5 or 3...Nc6 are more standard here. Thetext move leads to exciting, probably-equal play, falling somewhere betweenthose calmer lines and the wild Frankenstein-Dracula variation (3...Nxe5!?4.Qh5+ Nd6 5.Bb3 Nc6 6.Nb5 g6 7.Qf3 f5 8.Qd5 Qe7 9.Nxc7+ Kd8 10.Nxa8 b6). } 4. d3 { 4.f4 is the book move here, not that we're at all off the GK databaseyet. The main intent of the Vienna Game, though, is generally for Whiteto transpose into a favorable line of the King's Gambit. There's no dangerof Black winning the e-pawn for free, because 4.f4 Bxc3 is met with 5.dxc3Nxe4 6.Bxf7+ Kxf7 8.Qd5+ and White wins the Knight back with a strong position. } 4... O-O 5. a3 { ?! Now we're off the GK database; this move just begs Blackto inflict some doubled pawns on the White queenside. } 5... Bxc3+ { Black acceptsthe offer. } 6. bxc3 a6 7. Nf3 d6 8. h4 { ?! White proposes a nasty kingsideattack, but forfeits the ability to drive a Black Bishop away from g4. } 8... Bg4 9. Bg5 Nbd7 10. Qd2 { It's hard to say what the right thing to do hereis. The text allows Black to further mangle White's pawn structure, butthere's no way to drive off the Bishop, either. Maybe Qe2-e3?? } 10... Bxf3 11. gxf3 c6 { Preparing ...b5. } 12. O-O-O { White connects his Rooks for a kingsideassault. } 12... b5 13. Bb3 Qb6 { !? Black unpins his Queen, threatens f2, andbegins an attempt to restrict White from playing d3-d4. She's now far frombeing able to defend the kingside, though, so Black will need active counterplayto avoid being run over. } 14. Rdg1 { Game on. Everything White has is aimedat the BK. } 14... Nh5 { Black adds a defender for g7 momentarily, but this Knightis destined for f4, in an attempt to shut the WQ out of the attack or forcea trade to lessen the pressure. } 15. Be7 { Not only the Rook is in dangerhere--moving that Rook invites 16.Bxf7+ or 16.Qh6!, with a huge attack. } 15... Nf4 { ! This sacrifice shuts down White's attack entirely, for if 16.Bxf8Rxf8, White has exchanged a powerful, aggressive piece for an entirelypassive one of his opponent's. 15...Nf4! also shuts the WQ out of the attack,and thanks to the doubled pawns it is completely untouchable without atleast an even exchange--which is to say, a favorable exchange for Black. } 16. Bxf8 { ? I think 16.Bxd6 or 16.Bg5 followed by Bxf4 would have beenmuch better. White wins the exchange, but effectively forfeits his aggressiveoptions, and can no longer do anything at all about Black's Nf4. } 16... Nxf8 { Leaving the Rook on the queenside to create problems for White, and relocatingthe Knight to a more useful spot where it can reach g6 or e6. } 17. h5 { Whitecontinues to press, but he doesn't really have any way to proceed. } 17... N8e6 18. Bxe6 { ?! This Bishop was a critical piece of White's remaining kingsideaggression. White is perhaps hoping for 18...Nxe6?? 19.Qh6, but he's notthat lucky. } 18... fxe6 19. d4 { Trying to remove the e5 pawn defending the BlackKnight. } 19... Rd8 { If 20.dxe4 dxe4 and there's no way for White to get rid ofthe pawn defending Black's bothersome Knight. } 20. Rg3 { Preparing to doubleRooks on the g-file and thunder down on the BK. } 20... Kh8 21. Rg4 { ?! Whiteseems prepared to take the Knight by force, giving back his material advantageif he has to--he simply has no way to make headway against the BK withouthis Queen in the picture. Look at that pretty white cage she's trappedin. } 21... Qa5 { With the obvious threat of ...Qxa3+ and suddenly Black will havean attack that White can neither ignore, nor properly defend. } 22. Kb2 { The only way for White to shore up a3 and c3. } 22... c5 { Black threatens towin at least a pawn with ...cxd4, as White cannot retake; his c-pawn ispinned to his undefended Queen. Additionally, the weak c3 pawn itself iscoming under fire. } 23. Rhg1 { I think 23.Qe3 might have been stronger here,to prevent Black's onrushing queenside incursion, but now White's batteryis prepared, and he invites Black to play ...Nxh5?, defending g7 and winninga pawn--anything to get that Knight off of f4, because if that happens,White's forces spring back to life in an instant. } 23... cxd4 { ! This pawn isworth much more than the h-pawn (especially since 23...Nxh5? is met by24.Qg5! g6 25.Rh1 with a winning attack (thanks to tiger_lilov for thecontinuation)). Black is also looking to force a trade of Queens, and withthe WQ gone and no more reason to block that diagonal, Black's heroic Knightwill have one final blow to deal to the White forces--24.Rxg7?? dxc3+!25.Qxc3 Qxc3+ 26.Kxc3 Ne2+! } 24. Kb3 { The only way to avoid Black forcingthe Queens off the board. } 24... dxc3 25. Qxc3 { ?? I debated rating this onlya mistake, but I really think this is the blunder that costs White thegame. After this exchange he will be behind in material and have a vastlyinferior pawn structure. 25.Qe3 would have been a far better choice, threateningto get behind the Black lines to deadly effect with Qa7. } 25... Qxc3+ 26. Kxc3 Ne2+ 27. Kb4 Nxg1 28. Rxg1 Rc8 { Now it's down to a Rook-and-Pawn endgame--Whitehas an advantage in superior King placement, but his pawns are tremendouslyvulnerable, and Black has the initiative. } 29. c3 Kg8 30. Rc1 { Threateningc3-c4 and Rc3, trading off a weak White pawn for a strong Black one. } 30... d5 { Black invites White to further cripple himself by undoubling the Blacke-pawns and isolating the already-weak White f-pawns. This move also forestallsc3-c4. } 31. Rd1 Rc4+ { Defending the d-pawn with style. } 32. Kb3 { 32.Ka5Ra4+ 33.Kb6 d4 isn't much better. } 32... d4 33. cxd4 { White doesn't have muchchoice in the matter. } 33... exd4 34. Rd3 e5 35. a4 { ?? White overlooks thatthe Rook can capture without any detriment to Black's position. He wasalready lost, but this clinches it, as now Black will have passed pawnson both sides of the board. } 35... Rxa4 36. f4 { A good try, isolating the d-pawnand setting White's e-pawn free. } 36... exf4 37. Rf3 Rc4 { Black prevents theWK from coming near the d-pawn. } 38. Rxf4 d3 { Advancing with a pin on e4. } 39. Rf5 { If now 39...Rxe4 40.Rd5 and the passed pawns are traded off--stilla winning endgame for Black, but he has a simpler resource... } 39... Rd4 { Thisforces White to exchange Rooks in order to stop Black from promoting. Oncethere are only Kings left, Black will have an easy time queening on oneflank or the other. } 40. Rd5 Rxd5 41. exd5 d2 42. Kc2 Kf7 { Black leavesthe WK tied down at the edge of the board while he mobilizes his own. } 43. Kxd2 Ke7 44. Kd3 Kd6 45. Kd4 { White has the opposition, but Black hasa huge advantage--two connected, passed pawns just out of reach. } 45... a5 46. f4 a4 47. h6 { Desperation sets in. Even if Black foolishly plays 47...gxh6,White still loses the race to promote: 48.f5 a3 49.f6 a2 50.a7 a1=Q+ andBlack cleans up the game in short order. } 47... g6 { 0-1. It's over for White;he loses either the d- or f-pawn next turn (with 48.Kc3 or 48.f5 respectively),and Black's queenside pawns will tie up the White King with perfect immunity(if the King takes the rear pawn, he cannot catch the other one) whilethe BK escorts the g-pawn to the queening square. Thanks very much to sieni01for the excellent game, and I hope you all enjoyed seeing it. Commentson the analysis or the game itself are much appreciated; if you leave arating please also comment letting me know what you liked or what I coulddo better. Thanks for reading! } 0-1
[Event "Challenge from jack46"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2011.07.12"] [Round "-"] [White "jack46"] [Black "blikblok"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1352"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1630"] 1. d4 d6 2. e4 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. Nf3 Bg4 5. Be3 e5 6. d5 { 6. exf5 wouldbe too drawish. } 6... Nb4 7. a3 Bxf3 { The right move, doubling White's pawns.White might have played 7. Be2. } 8. gxf3 a5 { This simply loses. The onlygood move was 8...Na6. } 9. axb4 axb4 10. Rxa8 Qxa8 11. Nb5 Qa5 12. c3 bxc3 13. Nxc3 c6 14. dxc6 bxc6 15. Bc4 Qb4 { Black should finish his developmentwith 15...Be7 and 16...0-0. } 16. Qb3 { Protects Bishop and b2 pawn, as wellas threatening the Black Queen and the f7 pawn. } 16... d5 { Probably safer wasto exchange Queens. Now he loses more material. } 17. exd5 cxd5 18. Bxd5 Nxd5 19. Qxd5 Qxb2 20. Qxe5+ Be7 21. Qb5+ { When ahead in material, exchangepieces. } 21... Qxb5 22. Nxb5 O-O 23. O-O h5 24. Nd4 g5 25. Nf5 Bf6 26. h4 { Thiswas a daring move, but I calculated I could regain the pawn by attackingthe Rook and King. } 26... gxh4 27. Bh6 Rd8 28. f4 Kh7 { The best move, I think,forcing White to exchange his powerful Bishop for Black's less threateningone. } 29. Bg5 Bxg5 30. fxg5 h3 31. f4 Rd2 32. Rf2 Rd5 33. Nh4 Rd3 { Therewas probably no way to save the advanced black pawn. } 34. Rf3 { Now, ofcourse, if he exchanges Rooks, Black will lose the pawn to 35. Kh2, Kg6,36. Nh5+, etc. } 34... Rd6 35. Rxh3 f6 { Black hopes to exchange all the pawnsso that none can be promoted. This does not work. } 36. g6+ { Now, even afterthe correct retreat, 36...Kg8, 37. Nf5, Rd1+, 38. Kf2, Rd2+, 39. Ke3, Blackmust give up the other h-pawn. If 39...Rd5?, 40. Ne7+ forks the Rook andKing. } 36... Kh6 { Of course, this wins much more quickly. } 37. Nf5+ 1-0
[Event "Let's play chess"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "16-Oct-08"] [Round "-"] [White "wakefire"] [Black "pstultz"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1487"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1440"] 1. e4 { This is my first annotation here on GK. This particular game wasa lot of fun... a Kieseritsky gambit, a poisoned pawn, and a pretty checkmate(well, pretty for us hanging around 1450!) Enjoy... As white, I'm afan of e4. } 1... e5 { Standard reply. } 2. f4 { The King's Gambit leads to manysharp lines. } 2... exf4 { Accepting the gambit is generally considered to bethe best reply. } 3. Nf3 g5 { Defending the pawn, but weakening the kingside. } 4. h4 g4 5. Ne5 { And we've arrived at the classic position of the Kieseritskygambit, where White threatens to win back the lost pawn. } 5... g3 { !? Interesting. Black doesn't accept the loss of the pawn, and sends the brave soldierto the sixth rank to put pressure on f2. I'm going to have to be carefulnot to allow him to exploit it. } 6. d4 { Taking control of the center, andthreatening to win the pawn at f4. } 6... Qe7 { ?! Huh? I would have expectedBlack to play ..d6 to drive off the knight, or ..d5 to fight for the center. Instead he brings out his queen to threaten my knight, which has a defender... } 7. Bxf4 { ... and now has two. I can now win the pawn at g3 at my leisure. } 7... Qb4+ { Ahhhhh! So THAT'S what her majesty decided to come out and playfor! Black has my b2 pawn caught undefended, and has an eye out for more--indeed, after Qxb2, my rook is trapped and helpless. But I had a senseat this point that if Black DID gobble my pawn, I would actually be ina stronger position! } 8. Nc3 { Freeing and defending the rook. Take a lookat the position. White has 3 pieces out, including a centralized knight,while Black has only the lonely queen out pawn-hunting. Still, good defensemight have salvaged the game, at least for a little while... } 8... Qxb2 { ...but instead, Black goes for the undefended b-pawn. OM NOM NOM NOM } 9. Bd2 { Defends the knight. I can now win the queen with Nc4! } 9... Qb4 { Qa3 servesthe same purpose. Time for her majesty to get outta Dodge... } 10. Nb5 { ! Ouch. 'Your majesty, you don't look well. Perhaps it was that poisonedpawn you ate?' } 10... Qe7 { The only safe square. } 11. Nxc7+ { 'Hey, fork you,man!' } 11... Kd8 12. Nxa8 { Mmm, rookalicious. } 12... Nc6 { ? Wait, you're down in material,and you want to offer an exchange that gives me a check?! Weird... though,I can SORTA see the logic behind it, he attacks d4 and if I did exchange,he would threaten e4... } 13. Bf4 { ... so I kill two birds with one stone,and add a defender to each. } 13... d6 { Okay, you REALLY want to exchange, huh? } 14. Nxc6+ bxc6 15. Qd3 { I've got e4 covered, for now, but I haven't castledyet, and I'm feeling a little exposed in the middle. Still, I probablyshouldn't be complaining, given how well everything else is going! } 15... Bb7 { Take back the Knight! } 16. Rb1 { Or maybe not. (If Bxa8, Rb8 ! and utternastiness to follow.) } 16... h6 { ?? I think Black was (understandably!) in panicmode at this point. He was afraid of the pin on his queen by Bg5... except,I had no intention of playing that, as it could be parried by f6 or Nf6. A wasted move. } 17. Be2 { And now my center is freed, with the e4 pawnunpinned! } 17... Bg7 { Better late than never. } 18. e5 { Closing the center andblocking the development of the knight... poor guy has no squares to moveto! And to make matters worse, if.. dxe5, dxe5 with a discovered check! } 18... Kc8 { Still with an eye to reclaim the knight. But the Black king is justinching closer to doom! } 19. exd6 { Run your majesty, run! } 19... Qd7 { Qd8 wasmore precise. } 20. Nc7 { Escape! And Black is now officially screwed. After this move, I did some analysis and found mate in 6, possibly a couplemore if Black used his queen to eliminate an attacker. } 20... Nf6 { At least theknight can finally move. } 21. Rxb7 { ! BOOOOOM! A battering ram knocksdown the front door! } 21... Kxb7 { Virtually forced. } 22. Qa6+ { Defended by TWOpieces (because one is never enough! Okay, sometimes it is. Shush.),my queen forces Black's king to b8, where he's trapped! } 22... Kb8 { Now all Ihave to do is put him in check. } 23. O-O { I knew I'd get around to castlingeventually, just didn't think it'd be the second-to-last move of the game! (If the knight hadn't moved, I'd play Kd2, because of complications arisingwith Bxd4 , etc.) } 23... Ne8 { Nd5 was his only hope, but it would only be prolongingthe inevitable. (if ..Nd5, 24. Rb1 Nb6 25. Rxb6 axb6 26. Qa8#) } 24. Rb1# { And checkmate! I hope you were both amused and informed by thisannotation... thanks to pstultz for the game! } 1-0
[Event "League division D1"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2010.06.17"] [Round "-"] [White "jaycz"] [Black "sdr46"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1627"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1521"] { Starts rather like usual. } 1. d4 d5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Bf4 c6 { OK doesn't wantto protect pawn all the time. Lets position our bishops behind the firstline of pawns; keep them towers away from the back lines too. } 4. g3 g6 5. Bh3 Bg7 { He commits himself to O-O. } 6. Bxc8 Qxc8 7. Qd2 { double upon the bishop and preparing O-O-O; Get them rooks pounding on his O-O side. } 7... O-O 8. O-O-O b5 { Don't get this one. } 9. f3 { to push the H anf G pawnseffectively i need to get rid of the horse on F } 9... Nbd7 10. e4 b4 { my knightlooks much better on C5 anyway } 11. Na4 a5 12. e5 { with his queen stillout of position I press on the black squares chasing K F6 } 12... Nh5 13. Bh6 { Exchange rooks and foorce the knight back. nothing can stop my pawns } 13... Bxh6 14. Qxh6 { ake should have played K G7 ((a)R. Jacobs. My comment wasment for after move 14. ..e6). } 14... e6 15. g4 Ng7 { his knight is useless thereit's totally protecting the wrong squares } 16. h4 Re8 { making room to flee.Our brave King leads by example (or follows his queen ?) } 17. h5 { Heremy best defence was F6. computer said it's gxh5 } 17... Nf8 { This guy is pinneddown but refuses to give in. Must apply more force. } 18. Nc5 a4 { Hopingto break through before he's mated.ake with H7 and mate on H8 } 19. hxg6 fxg6 20. Nh3 Ra7 { his knight on G7 is blocking this line for rooks andqueen. Too soon for K E6. } 21. Ng5 Nf5 { H7 must be protected so au revoirknight } 22. gxf5 exf5 { I have to get to H8 with my queen. But it's covered.I need Rook #2 } 23. Rde1 Qc7 { E6 is too beautiful to occupy with just apawn. And i don't want to let the Queen in on F4 chess ! } 24. Reg1 { H7is well protected but G6? H7 cannot leave H7 either ! Once the knight onG is gone and His knight on F8 forces to move I get through to H8. } 24... Re7 { doesn't matter. It's H8 i'm going for } 25. Nge6 Nxe6 26. Rxg6+ { killer } 26... Ng7 27. Qxh7+ Kf8 28. Qh8+ Kf7 29. Rf6# { beauty isn't it? } 1-0
[Event "Team match"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2015.01.14"] [Round "-"] [White "mister100"] [Black "psycho422"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1066"] [TimeControl "5 days per move"] [WhiteElo "946"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 { King's knight opening. } 2... Nf6 { Petrov's Defense. } 3. Nc3 { Petrov three knights. } 3... Bb4 4. d3 Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 d5 6. exd5 Nxd5 7. c4 Nc3 8. Qd2 Na4 9. Be2 Nc6 10. O-O Be6 11. a3 Bf5 { Kind of a wasted move. Thatis, 10...Be6 should had been Bf5 instead. } 12. h3 O-O 13. g4 Bg6 14. g5 Nd4 { Now nothing protects Pe5 from NxPe5. } 15. Nxe5 { Just like that. } 15... Bf5 16. Rb1 { While Pb7 is not protected, white will need to move the rook inthe event BxPh3. This will give black time to defend against RxPb7. } 16... Bxh3 17. Re1 Qd6 18. Qf4 { Pc2 is undefended against NxPc2. White will haveto move Rd1 or lose the rook. This, however, would be bad for white becauseNc3 would then fork the two rooks. } 18... Nc3 { This move should have been saveduntil after NxPc2. } 19. Rb4 { Ok, white is oblivious to the threat of NxPc2(an undefended pawn) which then forks the rooks. } 19... Ndxe2+ { This is actuallya much superior move, though I would have used NcxBe2+, preserving therook fork until after the queen had fallen. } 20. Rxe2 { Now this will hurt. Rook, queen, and Ne5 traded for a knight and bishop... } 20... Nxe2+ 21. Kh2 { I take it back--NxQf4 protects the bishop. } 21... Nxf4 22. Bxf4 Qe6 { I kindof like Qd4, which threatens Bf4. Let white trade bishops if he wants. } 23. Rxb7 f6 24. gxf6 gxf6 { While this threatens the knight, it splits thepawns, and RxPf6 attacks white's bishop instead. White must move Bg3 toprotect both it and the knight. } 25. Rxc7 fxe5 26. Bg3 Bf1 { This move focusesblack's attention fully on the king. Mate in four, if white sacrificesthe rook. } 27. Kg1 { Two. } 27... Qh3 { Rg7+, KxR, BxPe5+, king moves to some whitesquare... This adds a couple extra delaying moves. } 28. Bh2 Qg2# 0-1
[Event "Let's play chess"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2014.08.24"] [Round "-"] [White "jayl5"] [Black "dnage"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1200"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1212"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 g6 3. Bc4 Bg7 4. Bxf7+ { A sudden sacrifice that, however,doesn't work. Usually, unless you have a huge lead in development, sacrificesfor an attack don't work. } 4... Kxf7 5. Ng5+ Ke8 6. Qf3 Bf6 { When you are attackingyour opponent, you have to make sure that his pieces are unable to collapseinto defense succesfully. In this position, my dark-squared Bishop alonehas stopped the attack. } 7. d4 cxd4 8. O-O { Almost forced, because 8...Bxg5 9. Bxg5 Qa5+ winning the piece on g5 was threatened. } 8... d6 9. Rd1 Nc6 { I am able to complete my development without any problem, therefore thesacrifice hasn't yield anything meaningful for White. } 10. c3 dxc3 11. Nxc3 Ne5 12. Qf4 Bg4 13. Ne6 { Losing another piece. There was no necessityto panic and play such a move, he could have just moved the rook. } 13... Bxe6 14. Nd5 Bxd5 { If ahead in material, why shouldn't I exchange some pieces? } 15. Rxd5 Qb6 16. Be3 Qxb2 17. Rad1 Qxa2 18. Bc5 { Shily trying to complicatethe game. Laudable effort but no result. } 18... dxc5 19. Rxc5 { He could havejust lost an exchange after 19. Rxe5 Bxe5 20. Qxe5 Nf6. } 19... Qe2 20. Qc1 Bg5 { Trying to deviate White Queen. } 21. f4 Bxf4 { Still employing the sametheme. f4 has just lost a pawn, because even though there is no more mateafter Qxf4 he will lose an exchange in the process. } 22. Rc8+ Rxc8 23. Qxc8+ Kf7 24. Rf1 { If I could just play Be3+ it would be mate very soon.Unluckily, the Bishop is pinned. } 24... Nf6 { A really nice move, threateningthe White Queen and unpinning the Bishop at the same time. } 25. Qxh8 { Heshould have resigned himself to losing his Queen after Rxf4. Now it ismate. } 25... Be3+ 26. Kh1 Qxf1# 0-1
[Event "Dragooned"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009.05.31"] [Round "-"] [White "dmaestro"] [Black "chrisobee"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "2330"] [TimeControl "5d+2d<10d"] [WhiteElo "1469"] { Dragon Sicilian from our Team's tournament which comes to a quick endafter a bad plan by White. } 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 g6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Bg7 5. c4 d6 6. Nc3 Nf6 7. f3 Nbd7 8. Be3 O-O 9. Qd2 b6 10. Be2 Bb7 11. O-O Rc8 12. Rac1 Re8 13. Bh6 { Perhaps premature. } 13... Bxh6 14. Qxh6 { So far play seemsreasonable. } 14... Ne5 15. b3 a6 16. g4 { Risky but requires proper play by White. } 16... Qc7 17. h3 { ? I began to think playing for f4 was better, but it was not.Better was Kg2 followed by h4. } 17... Qc5 { ! A freeing move. } 18. Qe3 Nc6 19. Rfd1 Nxd4 20. Qxd4 Qa5 { I thought Black would exchange queens but reallythere was no imperative to do so, in fact, it encouraged overconfidenceby White. } 21. Bf1 Nd7 22. Qe3 Bc6 23. Kh1 { ? A poor plan. Did not foreseeBlack's strong reply. } 23... h5 24. f4 hxg4 25. hxg4 Kg7 { Now I realise thatQd4+ is not as effective a threat as I thought. Still, that was probablymy best chance. } 26. Bg2 { Trying to support e4 and defend the diagonal. } 26... Rh8+ 27. Kg1 Nf6 28. Qg3 Qc5+ { ! Black has seized the initiative and Whiteis in trouble. } 29. Kf1 b5 { ! } 30. Nd5 { I thought the threats would forcean exchange on d5, but... } 30... bxc4 { !! My almost master opponent shattersthose illusions. If Rxc4 or Nxe7, Bb5! } 31. bxc4 Bxd5 32. exd5 Qb4 { Whitecan't hold everything. } 33. f5 { White resigns after this move. } 0-1
[Event "Discovered attack!"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2018.03.12"] [Round "-"] [White "xempt1"] [Black "lake-bay"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1401"] [WhiteElo "1442"] { This is a interesting game from one of my old opponents. } 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 { Petrov's defense... } 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. Bc4 Bb4 { A little off beat... } 5. Ng5 O-O 6. O-O { Or Bxf7+ } 6... Bxc3 7. bxc3 Nxe4 8. Nxe4 d5 { I get my pieceback... } 9. Bxd5 Qxd5 10. Qf3 f5 { ! } 11. Ng3 Qxf3 12. gxf3 f4 { I keep pushingthe pawn... } 13. Ne4 Bh3 { Naturally... } 14. Rd1 Rad8 { Useless... } 15. d3 Rf5 { Can you tell where this rook is headed? } 16. Ba3 Rh5 17. Rab1 Rh6 18. Rxb7 { ?? } 18... Rg6+ { ! } 19. Kh1 Bg2+ 20. Kg1 Bxf3+ 21. Kf1 { I win a rook... } 21... Bxd1 22. Ke1 Bxc2 { Why not? } 23. Kd2 Bxd3 { Another discovered attack isready... } 24. Nc5 Ba6+ { !! He resigned. } 0-1
[Event "Pawn Fork!"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2018.12.19"] [Round "-"] [White "thebutz"] [Black "jotheblackqueen"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1912"] [TimeControl "3d+2d<5d"] [WhiteElo "2075"] 1. d4 { Hi everyone! Despite the fact that pawn forks are more easier tospot than knight forks, even in games at Class A/Expert Level pawn forkscan occur! In this case there was a pin motif accompanying the fork. But who was the victim? Well read on! } 1... Nf6 2. c4 e6 { 2. .... e6 - afterallowing white to build an impressive pawn centre I now prepare to attackit - e6 prepares d5! } 3. Nf3 Nc6 { 3. ..... Nc6 - development first! } 4. a3 { 4. a3 - preventing a possible Nb4. } 4... d6 5. b4 e5 { 5. ...... e5 was played insteadof d5 - white now has a very impressive looking pawn wall on the queenside. A few jstevens1 hedgehog like moves follow. } 6. d5 Ne7 7. Nc3 Ng6 { 7...... Ng6 Sir Lollabout must give Fou Lenoir some air! } 8. Qc2 Be7 9. e4 Bd7 { 9. ...... Bd7 - and we have another jstevens1 position - oh dear! } 10. Bd3 a6 11. h3 c6 { 11. ...... c6 - challenging white's queenside bind. } 12. Be3 Qc8 { 12. ..... Qc8 - suddenly Glenda eyes up the kingside should KingButz choose to go there! } 13. Rc1 O-O 14. Na4 Bd8 { 14. .... Bd8 - to challengeb6. } 15. Nb6 Bxb6 16. Bxb6 cxd5 17. exd5 { 17. exd5? - yup, with the e4square doubly defended you wouldn't think a pawn fork was possible wouldyou? } 17... e4 { 17. ....... e4! - I play it all the same because if the WQ goes tothe e file she will be pinned against King Butz by my King Rook. } 18. Nd2 { 18. Nd2 - he saves his knight. } 18... exd3 19. Qxd3 Re8+ 20. Kd1 { 20. Kd1 -so my opponent loses two material points and the right to castle. Gettingthis far is one thing but how to proceed from there is another. With mynext move I use Fou Leblanc to ramp up the pressure. } 20... Ba4+ 21. Nb3 { 21.Nb3 - white is forced to put his knight in a pin - his king has no safemoves and it is the lowest value piece he can put in the way. Now comesa knight fork. } 21... Nf4 22. Qc3 Qf5 { 22. ....... Qf5 - out comes Glenda! } 23. Qc2 Qxc2+ 24. Kxc2 Re2+ { 24. .... Re2+ - the queens are off the board but KingButz is in deep do-dos! } 25. Kc3 Ne4+ { 25. ..... Ne4+ - White is a long,long way from copping Old Matey but will also be a long, long way behindin material as he cannot save his c3 knight. He will be 5 points downon material. Despite the rating differentials he decided this was fartoo much and waved the white flag. Thanks to this game I got my secondExpert Victory and enjoyed a brief sojourn in the 1900s. } 0-1
[Event "Team match"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2013.05.06"] [Round "-"] [White "linuxabuser"] [Black "mistee"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1193"] [TimeControl "7 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1236"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. Nc3 { Hi all again! I hope youfind these comments entertaining and informative. Alex388 } 5... O-O { Today wewill learn how to attack a king castled position where the f pawn has takenin b3 or b6, i.e., pawns are in h2 (or h3), f2, f3, and some other chessprinciples in order to improve our chess. } 6. d4 { For the introduction,I would like to remind all the players a chess principle for openings thatsays: 'Do not move the same piece twice or more if it's not necessary'.Here White moves first d3 and now d4 without castling or bringing out hiswhite bishop. Let's see how black punish this. } 6... h6 { 6. .. h3, a good movein this position, but nor really necessary, better was: 6. .. exd4 7. Nxd4Nxe4 8. Nxc6 bxc6 (not dxc6 because of Qxd8 Bxd8 Nxe4) 9. Bxe7 Qxe7 10.Qe2 Re8 =- (the best is 10. ..f5 11. f3 Ba6 12. Qxa6 Nxc3+ 13. Kd2 Nd5,but it was very difficult to see it) } 7. Bxf6 Bxf6 8. Nd5 d6 9. dxe5 dxe5 { 9. dxe5?!, better was Nxde5 (do not block your own bishop). } 10. Bc4 Be6 { 10. .. Be6 it's not a very common place to develop our white bishop. 10... Bg4 bothers a lot! } 11. O-O a6 12. Qd3 Nb4 { 12. .. Nb4?? Free piece!White can easily win playing 13. Nxb4 } 13. Qc3 { White misses a big opportunity. } 13... b5 { b5 is bad because we still have a free Knight. White can play: 14.Nxf6+ Qxf6 15 Bxe6 Qxe6 16. Qxb4 +- } 14. Qxb4 bxc4 15. Rad1 { White refusesthe pawn and develops his Rook. It could have taken c4 pawn, since c6 isanswered with the simple Qxc6. } 15... Rb8 16. Qxc4 Bg4 { Now the Bishop arriveswhere it belongs! } 17. Nxc7 Qe7 18. Nd5 Qe6 19. h3 Bxf3 20. Nc7 { Be verycareful with the intermediate moves. Calculate!! Here white doesn't calculateanything at all, and looses his queen for nothing! } 20... Qxc4 21. gxf3 Qxc7 22. c3 { STOP! In this kind of position we must look at the poorly defendedking, and the 'wall' of pawns in f2 and f3 that prevents the help of otherpieces in the defending of the King. Placing a piece (a Knight or a Bishopin f4 makes a lot more difficult to defend the king as f3 and f3 pawnscan't move. So, knowing that, a good plan here is to play Bg5 and thenBf4. After that brings the queen via e7, g5 and finally pass a rook viab6 or e6 and then to g6. With the bishop in f4 you should aim to h3, g2and f3 weaknesses! } 22... Qa5 { Unnecessary! Could have played Rxb2 immediately } 23. b4 Qxa2 24. Ra1 Qe6 25. Kh2 { Again, the plan Bg5, Bf4 sounds prettydevastating! } 25... Qc4 26. Kg2 Rbd8 27. Rxa6 { Before getting exited for a freepawn, watch out!, maybe it's not free. } 27... Qxa6 28. Rc1 Qb6 29. Rc2 Bh4 30. f4 Qg6+ 31. Kf3 Rd3+ 32. Ke2 Qxe4+ 33. Kf1 Rd1# 0-1
[Event "FFFFF"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2014.12.05"] [Round "-"] [White "rayz88"] [Black "kia-kid"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1661"] [TimeControl "2 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1833"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 { I've always been a big fan of theKing's Indian Defense. That's what the KID stands for in my screen name'Kia-Kid'. } 5. f3 { The Saemisch Variation. White will (usually) castlequeenside and start throwing his pawns down the kingside and often generatesa very strong attack. } 5... O-O 6. Be3 a6 { 5....e5 or ...c5 or ...Nc6 aremore common, and often lead to complex, tense fighting positions. With...a6 I intended to nullify some of white's potential threats and steerthe game into calmer waters, while at the same time trying to give myselfspace and play on the queenside. } 7. Bd3 c6 8. Nge2 b5 { Part of my planfor queenside expansion. Now, if cxb5, then axb5 gives me a space edgeon the queenside as well as an open file for my rook. Or, if white doesn'ttake on b5, then I have the option of bxc5 with an open b-file and potentialto create a weak pawn for white later on with pressure against b2 withmy rook and/or the a-pawn. } 9. O-O bxc4 10. Bxc4 Nbd7 { Strengthening e5and preparing Nb6, or if white pushes d5, which he often does in the KID,Nc5 which can be supported by an ...a5 push (hindering b4 by white, dislodgingthe knight). } 11. Bb3 a5 { Still hoping white plays d5, while at the sametime expanding on the queenside and preparing a possible Ba3, which couldbe very useful as the bishop cuts across the light squares where severalwhite pieces lay currently and which might play some role in an annoyingpin at some point. } 12. Rc1 Ba6 13. Re1 Qb8 { Here I thought it might beuseful to get the queen on the open file and put some pressure on the b2square. Also, the queen can provide some protection for a knight maneuverto c4 (via b6), putting further pressure on b2 and the bishop on e3. } 14. Qd2 Nb6 15. Bh6 Nc4 { I didn't feel as though the weakening of my dark squares(from the Bh6xBg7 exchange) was as problematic for me as the b-file pressureI was getting against him. I thought I could get some good chances onthe queenside with the open b-file and the a-pawn battering ram and wasn'tthat concerned about any kingside attack from white. He really had nopieces on my kingside that could cause much damage, while my rooks, queenand bishop had some room to work in and some targets to take aim at onthe queenside. } 16. Bxc4 Bxc4 17. Bxg7 Kxg7 18. b3 Ba6 19. Na4 Qb4 { Afterwhite's b3, I wasn't as confident I could generate much on the b-file,so I decided an exchange of queens would do two things: first, virtuallyeliminate any real mating or serious threats of white against my somewhatweakened kingside and second, I would now have some pressure and play downthe a-file if white exchanged queens. And if he didn't exchange queensI thought his knight was awkward on the edge of the board and my queenwas well positioned for threats to the a and b pawns. } 20. Qxb4 axb4 21. Rxc6 { I thought this might have been a small inaccuracy. I think e5 orNb6 might have been slightly better, with fewer counter play chances forblack. } 21... Bb5 22. Rc7 Bxa4 23. bxa4 e6 { I thought quite awhile about thismove and after I found it I liked it better than any of the other choices,the primary reason being to hold onto the important central pawn and notallow myself another weakness with an isolated central pawn. I felt thatthe latent dynamism of the two center pawns (or at the very least not havingan isolated central pawn) was important, and the two weak a-pawns for whitewould still be there for me to gobble up. } 24. Rc6 Rxa4 25. Rb6 { This struckme as more of a mistake than an inaccuracy. Allowing me access to thec-file just didn't seem prudent. } 25... Rxa2 26. Rxb4 Rc8 27. Rc1 { Maybe Kf1or Kf2 was better. The exchange of rooks leads to some serious problemsfor white. } 27... Rxc1+ 28. Nxc1 Ra1 { A very annoying pin! } 29. Rc4 d5 30. exd5 Nxd5 31. Kf2 { Keeping the knight out of f4 would have been better. } 31... Nf4 32. Kg3 { The decisive error. 32. d5 would have dropped a pawn, but that'smuch better than the tactic that wins the game next move. } 32... Rxc1 { Of course,if RxR then Ne2+ wins back the rook and black is up a knight, while KxNleaves black up a rook. So white resigned. 0-1 } 0-1
[Event "A game against modern opening."] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "01-Apr-08"] [Round "-"] [White "luresau"] [Black "paddl3s"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1872"] [TimeControl "14 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1673"] 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. c3 { attempting to strengthen the center against futurepunches at it, the main drawback is neglecting my development. } 3... d6 4. Nf3 { Prefering to take a more solid approach than the more aggressive f4 } 4... Nf6 5. Bd3 { leaving me with the option as to what to do with my dark squarebishop and my queens knight. Na3 is interesting in some positions } 5... O-O 6. O-O { Na3 or Nbd2 also seem playable. I decided that i should wait andsee how black would respond. With a mobile centre i prefer to castle early. } 6... Nbd7 { preparing e5 to contest my centre. } 7. Re1 { in reply to threatenede5. after a possible exd4 by black the rook will be well positioned } 7... a6 { black decides to march on the queen side, if he does not this might beregarded as a loss of tempo. It seems a bit dubious to march on the queensidewithout clarifying the center. } 8. Nbd2 { What to do here? i was thinkingabout a4 in respons to the threatened b5, but there again i welcomed blacksflank play. Also my dark square bishop is a bit of a problem. Bf4 e5 doesntseem to good for white. Nor did i feel like Bg5 was accomplishing anythingsignificant. Nbd2 seemed my best bet. with possibilities of moving it tof1,b3 or c4 depending on the demands of the position } 8... b5 { black shouldstrike in the centre. c5 looks better putting pressure on my centre, b5allows the annoying reply a4 } 9. a4 c6 { a blunder, but what to do here?taking on a4 doesnt look any good. Rb8 gives black the a file, and a awquardqueenside pawn formation } 10. axb5 cxb5 11. Bxb5 { black looses an importantpawn that he wanted to use to break open the queenside } 11... Bb7 12. Bd3 Re8 { getting ready to blast open the center. blacks bishops have more potentialin this position if he can open the center to activate them. } 13. Nf1 e6 { not quite sure why black didnt play e5 here. He might have disliked thereply Ne3 eyeing the weakened white squares c4 d5 } 14. Ng3 e5 15. h4 { wantingto get a kingside attack going. I wonder if piece play with Qb3 isnt objectivelystronger. It is probably better to clarify the center before attackingon the kingside } 15... Qb6 { i think d5 was better. following the old axiom aboutcountering flank play with center play. } 16. h5 Nxh5 17. Nxh5 gxh5 18. Be3 { proving the poor placement of the black queen. Qxb2?? Rb1 wins a piece. } 18... Qc7 19. Nh4 Nf6 20. Nf5 Nxe4 21. Qxh5 { threatening Bh6 and Ngx7 Kxg7..Qg4 } 21... Re6 { defends against Nxg7 but doesnt solve Bh6 } 22. Bh6 { Rxh6 23. Nxh6 Bxh6 24 Rxe4 looks decisive. either the rook joins in the attack or whitegets a massive attack with opposite colored bishops. } 1-0
[Event "Oregon Open reserved"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "9/5/2011"] [Round "-"] [White "A. Pikus"] [Black "freeman"] [Result "1-0"] [TimeControl "Rd 6"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. e4 O-O { King's Indian } 6. Be2 e5 7. O-O Nc6 8. d5 Ne7 9. b4 { yup...the so called 'bayonet attack.' } 9... Nh5 10. Re1 f5 11. Ng5 Nf6 12. Bf3 c6 13. c5 { !? intriguing as I've neverseen this before...and I look at the database and seen that it hasn't beenplayed! } 13... cxd5 14. exd5 e4 15. Be2 { this seems good to me.... } 15... h6 { ?? thisis probably my firs mistake....I should've played Nfd5.... What I playedwas the respone that I know is usually played, i.e., 15...h6 } 16. Ne6 Bxe6 17. dxe6 d5 { building up the center eh? } 18. f3 Qc8 { ? yes a misplayedqueen move... } 19. Nb5 Ne8 20. Nd4 Nc7 { reserving my bishop.....It doesn'teven do anythin' for the whole game } 21. fxe4 fxe4 22. Bg4 Nf5 { still goingafter the e6 pawn.... } 23. Bxf5 gxf5 24. Rf1 Nxe6 25. Nxf5 Rxf5 26. Rxf5 Nc7 27. Qg4 Qe6 28. Bb2 Ne8 { I resigned.... } 1-0
[Event "An Exchange Sacrifice by Freddy"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009.03.19"] [Round "-"] [White "jstevens1"] [Black "easy19"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "2188"] [TimeControl "5 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1774"] 1. g3 { Hi everyone - sometimes things do have a habit of biting you onthe behind! Take this game. Now, I am trying to rid myself of the diseasePassivitis, but guess what? In trying to do so, I invite the very thingthat I am trying to avoid. I try to set up my knight on what I think isa strong outpost only for Freddy to undermine its support by an exchangefor pawn sacrifice and boy does it not just work in his favour! I startoff with 1. g3. I remember the last time I played g3 against an Expert,who is now Master Heinzkat and see if I have learnt anything from it...... } 1... e5 2. Bg2 d5 3. d3 { 3. d3 - preparing for an eventual e4. I remember MasterHeinzkat banging on about my failure to play e4. I will play this moveat the earliest available opportunity and hope I fare better this time! } 3... g6 4. c3 Bg7 { 4. ........ Bg7 - predictable follow-up to g6. } 5. Nf3 Ne7 6. O-O c5 { 6. ...... c5 - impressive pawn centre! } 7. Nbd2 O-O 8. e4 { 8.e4- Master Heinzkat, I think you had better look at this! I have playede4! } 8... d4 9. cxd4 cxd4 10. b4 a6 11. a4 { 11. a4 - attempt at dominance onthe flank. } 11... Nbc6 12. Ba3 b5 13. axb5 axb5 14. Nb3 Qd6 15. Nc5 { 15. Nc5?- maybe Glenda should have gone to d2 - at least the pawn on b4 would havehad some back up! } 15... Rxa3 { 15. ......... Rxa3!! - here comes the sacrifice! } 16. Rxa3 Nxb4 17. Qc1 { 17. Qc1 - the knight on c5 must have some back upand unfortunately for me there is nobody else but Glenda. } 17... Nec6 18. Rd1 Bf6 19. Ra1 { 19. Ra1 - passivitis creaps in like some spreading fungus! } 19... Be7 20. Nb3 f5 21. Ne1 fxe4 22. Bxe4 Nd5 23. Bxd5+ { 23. Bxd5+ - I do notlike this - with Freddy having a lsb and the Wicked Witch of the West thatis certainly a cauldron of trouble for King Henry - but what was the alternative. If I did not take the knight then surely it would hop on to c3 threateningmy rook on d1. If the rook then moved to d2 then it could quite easilybe skewered by Bg5! So, I hope that I will be able to defend my 2nd rankadequately agains the Wicked Witch. } 23... Qxd5 24. Qb1 Bg4 25. Rd2 { 25. Rd2- dodges the line of one bishop, but ..... } 25... Bb4 { 25....... Bb4 - walksinto the line of another! } 26. Rc2 Bc3 27. Ra3 { 27. Ra3 - having full controlof the a file is deceptive. Most of the squares are subject to tacticsor are covered by Freddy's pieces - yikes! } 27... Nb4 28. Rxc3 dxc3 { 28. ........dxc3 - there seemed nothing better than to return the exchange, my rookseemed to be a goner wherever he went. Freddy had this to say in his post-matchtalk with me, however:- ' I would move 28. Nxd4 but looking at 25. Rd2i think that one was prequel to the down-fall better should be 25. f3.' } 29. Qc1 Nxd3 30. Nxd3 Qxd3 31. Na1 { 31. Na1 - trying to nab the c pawnbut maybe Glenda should have moved to f1 here but I did need to stop thatc pawn from crowning. } 31... Bh3 32. Rxc3 Qe4 33. f3 { 33. f3 - Necessary to preventOld Matey striking on g2. } 33... Qe2 34. Rc2 { 34. Rc2 - I think I have everythingcovered but ..... } 34... Qxf3 35. Qe1 Qf1+ { 35. ........ Qf1+ - I thought I hadit all covered but a fatal line up on the f file proves to be my downfall. I get that horrid familiar sinking feeling. I will be Freddied next move. } 36. Qxf1 Rxf1# { 36. .......... Rxf1 CHECKMATE - Oh well, as the gameknote-mail tells me I lost the game to easy19 - better luck next time! I canonly hope so. } 0-1
[Event "How I got to 1900!"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2012.06.28"] [Round "-"] [White "ideafuture"] [Black "jstevens1"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1897"] [TimeControl "5d+1d<7d"] [WhiteElo "1753"] 1. e4 { Hi everyone! I reached the important milestone of Near-Expertdomwith this game - just 97 points south of it! I did get a bit of a legup from timeouts/early resignations from Masters Freddy and Chrisobee but,after being anchored in the high 1700s for months on end I decided to enterinto Concordborn's MT to try and pick up rating points against 1500-1700players. Thankfully I managed to get the wins which boosted me up to whereI am now - 1903. This is the game which finally got me to those dizzyheights. Here is the analysis. I will start with move 7 as the first6 moves are set moves from the MT. } 1... c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Be2 { 7. Be2 - white clears the way for castling. } 7... a6 8. Na3 b5 { 8. ...... b5 - pawn push. } 9. Nd5 Nxe4 10. c4 b4 11. Nc2 { 11. Nc2 - after white attempted to entrench a knight on d5 I won a pawnwith Nxe4. After pushing my b pawn I drove back white's other knight. Can I remain a pawn up? We shall see. } 11... a5 12. O-O Bb7 13. Be3 { 13. Be3- oh-oh, white is threatening either Bb6 or Nb6. I tried to prevent thisintrusion with Nc5. Will this hold? Again, only time will tell. } 13... Nc5 14. f4 Be7 15. f5 Bf6 16. g4 { 16. g4 - pawn roll. } 16... O-O 17. g5 Bxg5 18. Bxc5 dxc5 19. Bf3 { 19. Bf3 - after this little stouche I am now two pawnsup. White still has a knight on d5 but will this be adequate compo. Again,only time will tell. } 19... Ne7 20. f6 Nxd5 21. fxg7 Kxg7 22. cxd5 { 22. cxd5- after this stouche I remain two pawns ahead but my kingside pawn structureis busted and Henry is putting in an order for a pair of medieval stockings- 100 denier medium sized Glenda dear! } 22... Rg8 23. Be4 h6 24. Qf3 { 24. Qf3- now comes the Wicked Witch of the West and she has her beady eye on mypawn on f7. Fou Lenoir now blocks this file by moving to f4. } 24... Bf4 25. Rf2 Kh8+ { 25. .... Kh8+ - discovered check. } 26. Kf1 Ba6+ 27. Bd3 Bxd3+ 28. Qxd3 { 28. Qxd3 - bishop trade. At least a possible discovery on myrook on a8 from white's lsb has been addressed. } 28... Qd6 { 28. ...... Qd6 -a new defensive role for Glenda - blockade. } 29. Rd1 Rg6 { 29. ...... Rg6- with a possible plan of doubling up on the g file and attacking the WK. } 30. Ne1 Rf6 31. Nf3 Qa6 32. Qxa6 Raxa6 { 32. ...... Rxa6 - queen trade. I wanted to avoid the march of the d5 pawn so both rooks double up onmy third rank instead. } 33. Ke2 c4 { 33. ..... c4 - this pawn is very vulnerableat the moment. It seems unthinkable that this pawn will spell checkmatefor my opponent many moves down the line doesn't it? This pawn move preventsKd3 and keeps the WK anchored to its third rank - at least for the timebeing. } 34. Ne1 Kg7 35. Nc2 Kf8 { 35. ...... Kf8 - Henry is worried aboutthe d pawn advancing and wishes to free his men to do other work than simplyblockade it. Dare I assume 'Advantage Black' here? } 36. Rdf1 Ke7 37. h3 Bg5 38. Ne3 Rxf2+ 39. Rxf2 Bxe3 40. Kxe3 { 40. Kxe3 - the WK moves to thethird rank at last, but not before a lot of wood has disappeared from theboard. With the remaining rooks off the board I think it is game set andmatch to jstevens1 - but the rooks are on the board and there is stillwork for me to do to bring about a victory here. } 40... Rg6 41. h4 Rg4 42. h5 Rg5 43. Ke4 Rxh5 { 43. ..... Rxh5 - might as well. } 44. d6+ Kxd6 { 44. .....Kxd6 - again - might as well, even though I know that the f7 pawn is finallygonna drop. } 45. Rxf7 Rh4+ { 45. ..... Rh4+ - I wanna get my rook to h2to get among white's remaining pawns, but first I want to drive back theWK. If the WK moves to f5, however, I can always force a K & P endingwith Rf4+. } 46. Ke3 Rh2 { 46. ..... Rh2 - white can always avoid droppinga further pawn by playing Rf2 but it gives me the desired K & P ending. White does not want this. } 47. Ra7 Rxb2 48. Rxa5 c3 { 48. ..... c3 - suddenly,in the space of one move, that weakie on c4 has become a formidable uniton c3 - just two squares from Glendadom. } 49. Rb5 h5 { 49. .... h5 - hereI decided to push my h pawn in order to distract the WK and WR away frommy queenside pawns. } 50. Rb6+ Kc5 51. Rh6 Rxa2 { 51. ..... Rxa2 - white'sfinal pawn drops. I now think that the WR and WK have far too much todo. } 52. Rxh5 c2 { 52. ..... c2 - one square, just one square ..... } 53. Kd2 b3 { 53. ..... b3 - my b pawn supports my c pawn. My e pawn is gonnadrop but Henry has a plan to take refuge on b2 and I also plan to plonkmy rook on a1. When that happens, white cannot stop my pawn from reachingc1 and inflicting eventual Glendadoom on his king. } 54. Rxe5+ Kb4 55. Re8 Ra1 { 55. ..... Ra1 - I now set up conditional moves to get Henry to b2. We play out the first of them and then white gives up the ghost and handsme that 1900 rating. Well, I still feel a little out of my depth againstplayers in the 1900 - 2100 bracket even with this new rating. At leastif I play to the top of my game I can expect to hold my own against theseplayers. But consistency will be the key. At least I can never go below1700 whatever happens. So, I will bask in this new found glory and thenconcentrate on my other games. I hope you have a good read - bye for now- Joanne } 56. Rb8+ Ka3 0-1
[Event "Evening League Chess Game"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date ""] [Round "-"] [White "Knight_nite"] [Black "His opponent"] [Result "0-1"] 1. e4 { So this is the third and last in my trilogy of losses in over theboard games by my friend Knight_nite } 1... e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 { So once againit starts as a Ruy Lopez. } 3... a6 { Once again, black plays the Morphy Defense } 4. Ba4 { Bishop drops back. } 4... b5 { 4....Nf6 is normally played here, and thismove is normally played later. } 5. Bb3 { The only square for the bishop,obviously... } 5... h6 { Played no doubt to stop Nf3-g5 with a double attack onf7, but black has no need to waste time like this - Nf6 6. Ng5 d5 7. exd5Nd4! is good for black, but not Nxd5?? 8. Nxf7 with advantage to white- compare with the Two Knights Defense, Fried Liver Attack https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Knights_Defense,_Fried_Liver_Attack5....Bc5 is also better than 5....h6 - the Nf3 can't go to g5 as the blackqueen guards the square and if say 6. O-O Nf6 7. Ng5 O-O and black hasnothing to fear. } 6. Bd5 { This move sets black interesting problems. } 6... Nge7 { I like this move. } 7. Nxe5 { Now black can't recapture on e5 without losingthe Rh1, but black can capture first. } 7... Nxd5 { Like so, and now if exd5 blacksimply takes on e5. } 8. Nxc6 { So this is forced. The black queen is nowattacked. } 8... dxc6 { So black recaptures. } 9. exd5 { And so does white. } 9... Qe7+ { Black throws in a check before recapturing the pawn. } 10. Qe2 { White blocks. } 10... Qxe2+ { Black takes. } 11. Kxe2 { White takes back. } 11... cxd5 { And black restoresmaterial equibrium. } 12. Re1 { Sensibly developing the rook to the onlyopen file. Fritz is giving black a small edge - presumably because of thetwo bishops in a fairly open position - but I think this is very even. } 12... Be6 { I don't really like this move as it blocks the e file. } 13. Kf1 { Movesthe king to a safer square, and opens up the e file for the Re1 - but Iwould be tempted to develop in this position, say d4. If it looks likeall the rooks are going to be exchanged on the e file, d3 or f3 may bebetter squares to put the king. } 13... Bc5 { Black develops. } 14. Nc3 { So doeswhite. } 14... O-O { This seems a natural move to me, but Fritz prefers 0-0-0 orKd7. } 15. d3 { Excellent move, preparing to develop Bc1. } 15... Rfe8 { Black isplaying well too, neutralising the influence of the Re1. } 16. Bf4 { Anothergood move, developing the Bc1 and also attacking c7. } 16... c6 { So black naturallymoves the c pawn to safety. } 17. Ne2 { White moves the knight towards theking side. Fritz prefers the simple a3 or h3. I can't help thinking thatall the rooks should be exchanged down the e file and draw agreed - butthat is not what happens. } 17... g5 { Black attacks! } 18. Be5 { Bishop takes upcentral position - clearly the best square. } 18... f5 { Black continues with thepawn thrusts. } 19. Ng3 { White tries to get his knight in amongst the squaresweakened by the pawn advances. Fritz prefers d4 or f4 or a4 or Nd4 withminimal advantage to black. } 19... f4 { Black continues pushing. } 20. Nh5 { Andwhite correctly advances the knight rather than retreat. White is now threateningNf6+ forking king and rook. } 20... Kf7 { So black stops that. } 21. Ng7 { So knightcomes in here instead. } 21... Re7 { Black should keep the rook on the e file. } 22. Nh5 { Now white is just wasting time by retreating the knight. 22. Nxe6or 22. d4 followed by 23. Nxe6 amd the position is level, and that is thebest white can hope for. Retreating gives black the clear advantage. } 22... Kg6 { Black correctly attacks the knight and there is no good way saving it.Here Fritz recommends making the best of a bad job with 23. Nxf4 gxf4 and24. Bxf4. White has only two pawns for the piece and black is clearly winning. } 23. g4 { White tries to defend the knight. } 23... Bxg4 { But black just takes it. } 24. Nf6 { White attacks the bishop. } 24... Be6 { Bishop retreats to a strange square,blocking the e file. } 25. d4 { White attacks the bishop. } 25... Bh3+ { Black throwsin a check, but seems to have wasted a move in the process. Why didn'the play this last move? } 26. Ke2 { This is a massive blunder by white. SimplyKg1 was much better. } 26... Bb6 { Luckily for white, black doesn't notice thatthe Be5 is now pinned, so 26.....Bxd4 was possible. } 27. Kf3 { White breaksthe pin. } 27... Kf5 { Now g4+ is a massive threat, pushing the white king backto e2 so that ....Bb6xd4 become an option again. 28. Rg1 was the best defencefor white, but it still would have been very difficult for white. } 28. Nh5 { This knight struggles to get back. } 28... Bg4+ { Black picks up the strayknight, but even better was 28.....g4+ 29. Ke2 Bxd4 } 29. Kg2 { This moveis forced. } 29... Bxh5 { Now white is a piece and a pawn down. White bravely fightson, but the game is lost. } 30. Bd6 { White attacks the rook, but by offeringexchanges white rather makes it easier for black. } 30... Rxe1 { So one rook comesoff. } 31. Rxe1 { And a black one too. } 31... Re8 { Black correctly contests theopen file. } 32. Rh1 { Just leaving the open file in black's control can'tbe right. 32. Rxe8 or 32. Re5+ was better. } 32... Bxd4 { Another pawn goes. Itis hard to suggest moves for white. Fritz gives this as nearly plus 10for black. I think the next few moves can be passed over without furthercomment. } 33. f3 Re2+ 34. Kf1 Rxc2 35. h4 Rc1+ 36. Kg2 { In this positionblack had the sacrifice 36.....Bxf3+! which mates in 7. } 36... Rxh1 { But thisis mate in 8... } 37. Kxh1 { White takes back. } 37... gxh4 { Another pawn goes. } 38. Be7 { Black attacks a pawn. } 38... Bxf3+ { Another pawn goes with check. } 39. Kh2 { Forced! } 39... Bxb2 { Another pawn goes and white decides to call it a day.So the main reason why white lost - his knight went on a little trip upthe board. White should have exchanged it for the bishop and reached alevel ending, but instead he tried to pull it back, and had to start surrenderingmaterial to save it. To an extent white rode his luck and black missedopportunites to win quicker, but eventually his luck ran out. Many thanksfor reading, please rate it on the star system and leave a comment or twoto let me know how I am doing. Until next time dear reader! } 0-1
[Event "Challenge from ptitroque"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2015.04.04"] [Round "-"] [White "liepa"] [Black "ptitroque"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1881"] [TimeControl "5 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1842"] 1. e4 d6 { Pirc opening } 2. Nf3 Nf6 { White opts for a quiet line. } 3. Nc3 g6 4. Bc4 Bg7 5. O-O O-O { Very classical line : players do not take risks. } 6. d3 a6 { The common counterattack in the Pirc is b5 } 7. a4 { Preventingb5 } 7... c5 { As b5 is not possible anylonger, black must advance something elseand cover b4 } 8. Re1 { Solid } 8... Nc6 { To protect e5, take control on b4 andcontest the center } 9. h3 e6 { Black will attack the center } 10. Bg5 h6 { Weakening the king but forcing white to withdraw. } 11. Bh4 Qc7 { Queenon a good diagonal. } 12. Qd2 { ... A good diagonal as well. Both rooks arejoined. White is fully developped. Black has still a problem with the LSB } 12... Nh7 { ?! } 13. Bg3 { Bishop in front of the queen. } 13... b6 { Black is lookingfor to block the queenside. } 14. Bf4 { It menaces h6 but is probably a mistake. } 14... g5 { weakening the king but preparing a pawn storm. } 15. Bg3 Nd4 { Black'sproblem is the LSB : it has no proper place to go. I find it common inthe Pirc opening (or at least, it commonly happens to me...). This tradingmove will enable the LSB to have an active spot on b7 and will weakensblack's kingside where black plans the attack. } 16. Nxd4 Bxd4 17. Rab1 { White reincorces the queenside } 17... Bg7 { The DSB has to retreat as white willprobably play 18. Ne2 } 18. h4 Bb7 { rooks joined. Developpement completed. } 19. Ne2 { The knight covers the important f4 square } 19... Qd7 { To go off thefireline of the DSB } 20. Bb3 { To enable c4 } 20... d5 { Black initiates the fight. } 21. exd5 Bxd5 { Black's plan is to trade the LSB (as the DSB is fianchetoed) } 22. Bxd5 Qxd5 23. Nc3 { to fire the queen } 23... Qf5 { ?! It seems unsafe for thequeen which might get trapped but it gives good attacking possibilitiesand I estimated that the queen had fine places to go. } 24. Re3 { Menacing25. Rf3 } 24... Ra7 { covering f7 } 25. Rf3 { Seems natural at first sight but 25.Rbe1, more strategical, would have been better. } 25... Qg6 { Everybody aroundtheir king ! } 26. Ne4 { Blunder ! Black's counterattack will be crushing. } 26... f5 { The pawnstorm had been an eventuallity for a long time (excpeciallysince 23. ... Qf5) but here is the opportunity. } 27. Nd6 { 27. Nc3 was anotheroption, may be not better. } 27... e5 { I refrained 27... f4 but white has to saveher knight. } 28. Nc4 f4 { The white rook is doomed... } 29. hxg5 Nxg5 { ...and the bishop as well for if the bishop moves,31. ... Nxf3+ with menaceon the queen. } 30. Qe2 Nxf3+ 31. Qxf3 fxg3 0-1
[Event "GameKnot Blitz, http://gameknot.com/"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2012.03.07"] [Round "-"] [White "hugh-jwang"] [Black "coolistdude"] [Result "0-1"] { How not to play Petroff. Brought to you by coolistdude playing black whosomehow managed to score a win. } 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 Nxe4 4. Qe2 Qe7 { This is where things start to go bad. I should have played 3. ...d6 followed by 4. ... Nxe4 } 5. Qxe4 d6 6. d4 Nc6 7. Bb5 dxe5 8. Bxc6+ { Whitehas a pretty good attack starting. Right now I decided I needed to writethe knight off as bad debt and try to play a strong game. } 8... Bd7 9. Bxd7+ Qxd7 10. Qxe5+ Be7 11. O-O O-O-O { Might as well have an interesting game! I'm down a knight and a pawn but who says I can't give a good fight? } 12. Be3 Bd6 13. Qa5 a6 { The queen cannot be allowed on a7. } 14. Nd2 Qg4 15. g3 { In my opinion, white should have continued the attack on black'squeen side or fortified his king side. } 15... h5 { I need to press on the attackif I want to not die in the end game. } 16. Nc4 h4 { Focusing my forces onthe king. } 17. Nxd6+ { This is actually not bad for me, that bishop wasimportant in the attack but he is replaced by my rook. } 17... Rxd6 18. Qe5 hxg3 19. Qxg3 { ?? This leaves a hole in white's king side. Not sure why he madethis move. } 19... Qh5 { White needs to get very creative to survive. I am threateningRg6. The threats I have on the table are a checkmate with Rg6 and Qf3,and a checkmate with Qxh2. } 20. c3 Rg6 21. Bf4 { ?? Missing the finishingmove. } 21... Qxh2# { It was a good game. Sometime you just need to keep fightingand persevere. A game isn't won until it's won. With that said, I havethrown away plenty of winning positions. } 0-1
[Event "Titans fight"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2013.06.02"] [Round "-"] [White "damalfi"] [Black "andigre"] [Result "1-0"] { No special reason to call it like this. Just that it was a strong opponent,I played rather well until I blundered, but then my opponent slipped apiece, and the resulting blunder made it impossible to go on with the game.A pity, because the last postition seemed interesting to me. } 1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 f5 { A strong move, in my opinion, rarely played, against which Iam not really prepared. } 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nbd2 e6 5. e3 Bd6 { Now the challengeI expect in this kind of opening. } 6. Ne5 { I like this move. Speciallywhen the black knight is on f6. } 6... O-O { Normally I play the pawn in g4,but now... and to prepare it with h3 is delaying my developement. } 7. Be2 { That leaves me behind in my plan to castle queenside, in order tobe free to attack his kingside. But you can't have it all. That darn pawnin f5 is a good soldier! } 7... Nbd7 { Black's compressed power is growingly slowly.But with this move, he have to think about what happens if he moves thec pawn (say c5) and my knight jumps to f7, since his bishop is undefended.Nothing definite, still. } 8. g4 { You play for a win. Even with a strongeropponent. } 8... fxg4 9. Bxg4 { I'm pretty sure he didn't expect this plannedcontinuation. Obviously, if I take with the knight, the following exchangedwould have been in black's favour, so I opted for losing the nice bishop'spair but keep the initiative on the g column. A strong attack, with itscounters. } 9... Nxg4 10. Qxg4 Nf6 11. Qg2 { Here the queen is safe, and preparesto put pressure on g7. } 11... Ne4 12. Rg1 { Of course. Running. } 12... Qf6 13. Ndf3 { Here the first mistake. I had to exchange the knight and take the pawn.Good for me. I played the knight thinking about anything to 'brake' black'sdefences. Black overlooked Bb4+, and I can't play c3 (Nxc3 with fork tofollow). True, I planned to move theking just to e2, overlooking the dangerousb6 (for Ba6+). } 13... Bxe5 { This move actually helps me. But it is hard to decidewhich is the best piece to retake. } 14. Bxe5 { It can't be bad. Of course,if QxN, Qxg7# } 14... Qg6 { Oh, yes. So I have to lose a tempo exchanging? No way,sir. You'll lose that time. } 15. O-O-O { Preventing any possible hit onc2 but, specially, RxN... but I overlooked } 15... Qxg2 16. Rxg2 g6 { It is interestingto see if white's compensation is enough after RxN. } 17. Rdg1 { I justblundered again. But it is not easy for white to breack the barrier withoutall his forces. } 17... Rxf3 18. Rxg6+ { Desperation. } 18... hxg6 19. Rxg6+ Kf7 20. Rg7+ Ke8 21. Rg8+ Kd7 { NOw black thinks he is going to escape to c6. ButI prefer to leave his pieces just as they are, because they are very cramped.So may be a hope. } 22. h4 Rxf2 23. b3 Rf1+ 24. Kb2 Re1 25. h5 Rxe3 26. h6 { And here, my opponent slipped the rook to f3 instead ofh3. What doyou think? Could white have survived this? Thank you for reading, I hopeyou enjoyed it. } 26... Rf3 27. h7 1-0
[Event "Team match"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2010.12.18"] [Round "-"] [White "chriseyre2000"] [Black "mreckblad"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1495"] [TimeControl "5 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1582"] 1. e4 c5 { Aha a Sicilian. } 2. c3 { The Alapin. Avoids many book lines. } 2... Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. cxd4 e6 5. d5 exd5 6. exd5 Nce7 7. d6 { A very advancedpawn! No real development on either side. } 7... Qa5+ { An aggressive move fromblack. } 8. Nc3 Qe5+ 9. Be2 Ng6 10. Nb5 { Knight is now threatening Nc7+winning the rook. } 10... Kd8 11. Nf3 { Queen is rather vulnerable. } 11... Qe6 12. Ng5 { Attacking the queen and threatening Nxf7 (which will win the rook). } 12... Qf6 13. Qd5 { Queen is now safe to advance this far. Both Black bishops aretrapped. } 13... Nh6 { To prevent Nxf7+ } 14. Ne4 { Threatening both the Queen andthe h-knight. } 14... Qe6 15. Bc4 { I prefer to exchange with a recapture. } 15... Ne5 16. Nc7 { Forks rook and queen, guarding own queen. } 16... Qxd5 17. Bxd5 { Recaptures. Here I expected Rb8. } 17... Bxd6 18. Nxa8 { Exchanging a rook for a pawn. } 18... Re8 19. Nxd6 { The pin is not scary. All options can be defused. } 19... Rf8 { Witha strong lead it's now just a matter of exchanging off. } 20. Bxh6 gxh6 21. O-O-O { Covers the bishop (and later the rook). } 21... b6 { Trying to finallyget some life out of the trapped bishop. } 22. Bb7 { Trading off the bishop. } 22... Bxb7 23. Nxb7+ Kc8 { Here I can't keep both knights. } 24. Nd6+ Kb8 25. Nxb6 { The best that I can do with the knight is to break up the last of thepaired pawns. } 25... axb6 26. Rhe1 { The knight on d6 prevents the Re8/Nd3 trapwhich would win a rook. } 26... Nc6 { The plan is now to force the exchange. } 27. Re8+ Rxe8 28. Nxe8 Kc8 29. Nd6+ { A pawn won on the next move. Black concededthat there was not much left. } 1-0
[Event "Team match"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "20-Jan-07"] [Round "-"] [White "kingstuart"] [Black "lebanesetuff"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1613"] [TimeControl "7 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1600"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 { Queens gambit declined, a solid popular opening against1.d4 } 3. Nc3 c6 { Now the game has transposed to a semi slav except bothkings knights are still at home } 4. Nf3 Bb4 { 4.Nf6 would transpose to themainline of the semi slav, this move seems quite Nizmo-indian like, thebishop normally does better on d6 in the semi slav } 5. e3 { white devolpssencibly not fearing doubled c pawns as they will help control the centreand give black an open b file to work on } 5... Nf6 6. a3 { forcing the bishopto make a desicion } 6... Bxc3+ { the only move really else black just admitsthat his bishop was misplaced and gives white a free tempo } 7. bxc3 Ne4 { black starts trying to pressure the doubled pawns, but with most of hispieces on the back rank this is a bit optimistic } 8. Qc2 { not only protectingthe c3 pawn but preventing 8...dxc4, which black often looks to play favourablyin the semi slav } 8... Qa5 { continuing the plan of pressuring the c pawns. itis always best to follow your plans through even if you later decide itwas a bad plan as a bad plan is better than no plan at all } 9. Bb2 { i preferthis square to d2 as although the c pawn is pinned i feel it is unimportantand if the centre were ever to become open the bishop would be stronglyplaced on the long diagonal } 9... Nd7 10. Bd3 { threatening the advanced knight,white now has a development advantage. also notice how bad blacks bad bishopis } 10... Ndf6 11. O-O O-O 12. Ne5 { preparing f3, forcing the black pieces tostart retreating } 12... h6 { ?! seems like a wasted move but it's difficult tosuggest alternatives, prehaps 12...Nd7 forcing a pair of knights off, buti feel black stands worse after that as it just emphasizes how bad hislight square bishop is } 13. f3 { forcing the blockader of the e pawn toretreat and so mobilising the central pawn mass } 13... Nd6 14. c5 { ?! i thinkan imediate e4 is more consistant, i had planned to play e4 if the knightwent to f5 but missed that a knight on e3 forks both queen and rook } 14... Nf5 15. Bc1 { unforunatly i need to first defend the e3 square before e4 ispossible, obviously i dont want to capture the knight as that will givehis light square bishop more scope } 15... Qd8 { c7 might be a better square forthe queen preparing ...b6 attacking the cramping pawns } 16. Qf2 { as thequeen is no longer needed on the queenside she heads to the kingside readyfor the impending opening of the position } 16... Nd7 { forcing off the strongcentral knight that ties the b pawn down, but i think it is to late trythat now, the attack is coming on the kingside and this just removes adefender } 17. Nxd7 Bxd7 18. e4 { the white bishops will become deadly onthe adjacent diagonals } 18... Ne7 { ...dxe4 just opens the f file for the whitepieces } 19. Qg3 { as the f file isn't going to open up the queen takes analternate route } 19... Ng6 { a surpisingly strong defencive knight } 20. e5 { thismove both opens the diagonal towards the black king and entombs the lightsquare bishop } 20... Be8 { defends the threatened Bxg6 winning a pawn } 21. a4 { here i'm trying to clamp down on the queenside by getting a pawn to a5as white clearly controls the kingside } 21... Kh7 { ?! walks into a pin on theg6 knight allowing the advance of the h pawn } 22. h4 Kh8 23. h5 Qh4 { ?traps the knight which can only be saved at the cost of a pawn } 24. Qxh4 Nxh4 25. g4 f5 26. Bd2 { simply connecting the rooks and preparing to takeadvantage of the position of the knight } 26... fxg4 27. fxg4 Bd7 { 27...Nf3? 28.Be2wins the exchange. here white has a clear space advantage and his minorpieces are much better placed than than blacks. All this should add upto a white win. } 28. Be2 { need to prevent the knight escaping to f3 } 28... Kh7 29. a5 { ? at the time i liked this move as it prevents b6 but it just reduceswhites winning chances later in the game } 29... g6 { black is still trying tosave the knight } 30. Rab1 { ! forcing off a pair of rooks giving white aneven stronger position } 30... Rxf1+ { the only way to aviod losing immediatly.30...Rab8 loses to 31.Rxf8 Rxf8 32.Rxb7, 30...Rfb8 31.Rf7 , 30...Bc8 hangsthe rook } 31. Rxf1 Kg7 { now white controls the only open file and his 2bishops are far better than the two black minor pieces. } 32. Be1 g5 33. Bxh4 gxh4 { the h4 pawn is completely lost, there is no possible way tosave it. } 34. Kh2 Rf8 { blacks only choice really as white will soon playRf6 when black must trade the rooks anyway } 35. Rxf8 Kxf8 36. Kh3 { ?! ithink 36.a6 is stronger here, there is no rush to capture the pawn andallowing black to play a6 himself closing the queenside off completelyreduces whites winning chances. one weakness can be defended, its the secondweakness that wins it. this is especially true when, as here, the attackingside has a large space advantage as white can easily change fronts butblacks bishop would take 3 or 4 moves to travel from the kingside to thequeenside. } 36... Kg7 37. Kxh4 Be8 38. g5 Bf7 39. Bg4 hxg5+ { ? this just endsthe game quickly, 39...Bg8 or 39...a6 are far more resiliant but whitewins anyway after 39...Bg8 40.Be2 a6 41.Bd3 Bf7 (41...Bh7 42.Bxh7 Kxh743.gxh6 Kxh6 44.Kg4 and the white king penitrates) 42.Kg4 Be8 (42...Bg843.Bg6 Bf7 44.gxh4 ) 43.Bc2 Bf7 44.Bf5! hxg5 (44...exf5 (not capturingthe bishop allows either Bxe6 or Bg6 winning) 45.Kxf5 hxg4 46.Kxg4 andblack is helpless against the two passed pawns) 45.Kxg5 exf5 46.h6 andblackcan't stop the white king from penitrating. } 40. Kxg5 Bg8 41. h6+ Kf7 42. Bh5+ Ke7 43. Bg6 { black must lose his bishop and with it the game. hopeyou enjoyed. if you have any questions/comments or spot something i didn'tfeel free to message me. hope you enjoyed } 1-0
[Event "Chess game"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "Sept 8 2018"] [Round "-"] [White "linusinsulins"] [Black "eric2jin"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "black "] [TimeControl "None"] [WhiteElo "white"] 1. e4 { I am black } 1... c5 { Sicilian } 2. d3 { !? } 2... g6 3. Bf4 { Bishop development } 3... Bg7 { Fancietto } 4. e5 d6 5. Be2 dxe5 6. Be3 e6 7. Bxc5 b6 8. Bf3 { !!!! } 8... Nc6 9. Bxc6+ Bd7 10. Bxa8 Qxa8 11. g3 { ????? } 11... Qxh1 12. f4 { ??? } 12... Qxg1+ { ???? } 13. Bxg1 Ne7 14. fxe5 Bxe5 15. c3 Bg7 16. Qf3 Bc6 17. Qe3 O-O 18. Bf2 { Howin the world did I win this } 18... Nd5 19. Qe4 Ne7 { Die } 20. Qc4 { Snap } 20... b5 { Die } 21. Qc5 { Snap } 21... Re8 { Oof } 22. Qxa7 { Snap } 22... Ra8 { Oops } 23. Qxa8+ { ????? } 23... Bxa8 { Still -3 } 24. Bc5 Nf5 25. Bd4 { ?? } 25... Nxd4 26. cxd4 Bxd4 27. Na3 { ?Better was Nc3 } 27... Bxb2 28. Rb1 Bxa3 29. Rxb5 { +1!! } 29... Bd5 { 2 Bishops vs Rook } 30. Ra5 { ??? } 30... Bb4+ { ! } 31. Ke2 { King } 31... Bxa5 { Yum } 32. h4 { ??.?? } 32... Bxa2 { +7 } 33. g4 f5 34. g5 { Smart } 34... Bd8 35. Ke3 Kg7 36. d4 h6 37. gxh6+ { Dead } 37... Kxh6 { Dead pawn } 38. h5 gxh5 39. d5 e5 { Why not } 40. d6 f4+ 41. Ke4 Bd5+ { Fishing } 42. Kxe5 { !? } 42... f3 43. Kxd5 f2 44. d7 f1=Q { Promote } 45. Kd6 Qd1+ 46. Ke6 Qb3+ 47. Kd6 Kg6 48. Kc6 Kf6 49. Kd6 { Haha } 49... Qe6+ { Check } 50. Kc5 Ke5 { Why not } 51. Kb5 Kd4 52. Kb4 Qb6+ 53. Ka3 Kc3 { Mate in 1 } 54. Ka4 Qa5# { Bishop comes into play! } 0-1
[Event "Early Najdorf Misplay "] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009.03.19"] [Round "-"] [White "concordborn"] [Black "metsfanmax"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1384"] [TimeControl "5d+2d<7d"] [WhiteElo "1759"] 1. e4 c5 { A sicilian najdorf in which black missteps early and resignsafter move 13. Not much annotation here as the moves are pretty self-evident. } 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 { Najdorf. } 6. Be3 { I hadbeen playing 6. Be2 recently against the najdorf and wanted to try somethingnew, but didn't want to go in for the sharp play following 6. Bg5 yet. } 6... e5 7. Nb3 Nc6 8. f3 Be6 9. Nd5 a5 { ?? Blunder } 10. Bb6 { ! Correctlyexploiting Black's mistake. } 10... Qd7 { ? This move deserves a question mark,though perhaps not two, for after this White cannot even win the exchangeback, but rather gives the rook up for nothing. } 11. Nc7+ Ke7 12. Nxa8 Ne8 13. Be3 { Now the knight can escape to b6. If black had earlier tried12... Qc8 13. Nc7 and white can chose where to put his knight again. Blackresigns here. } 1-0
[Event "leo22_7twin19's,Kings Indian,4 pawns attack,mini tournament "] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2018.10.07"] [Round "-"] [White "jiveye"] [Black "eric2jin"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1331"] [TimeControl "3d+3d<7d"] [WhiteElo "1195"] 1. d4 { I am black } 1... Nf6 { Cool } 2. c4 { Yoohoo } 2... g6 { Fancietto } 3. Nc3 Bg7 { Yweah } 4. e4 { Development } 4... d6 { Well } 5. f4 { Thematic over } 5... Nc6 { Ooh } 6. Be3 e5 7. fxe5 dxe5 8. d5 { No } 8... Ne7 { Ooof } 9. Nf3 Bg4 10. h3 { Oh } 10... Bxf3 { Well. } 11. Qxf3 { Queen } 11... O-O { Castling } 12. Bd3 { Cul } 12... c6 13. O-O { Caso } 13... cxd5 14. exd5 b5 { Trade } 15. cxb5 Nexd5 { Woohoo } 16. Rfd1 Nxe3 { Bye } 17. Qxe3 { Yeehaw } 17... Nd5 { Die } 18. Nxd5 Qxd5 { Um } 19. Be4 { Double attacking } 19... Qxb5 { Yummy } 20. Bxa8 { Oh } 20... Rxa8 21. b3 { ? } 21... e4 { ! } 22. Rd4 { What } 22... Bxd4 23. Qxd4 Qb6 { Forced queens trade } 24. Qxb6 axb6 25. Kf2 Re8 26. Ke3 f5 { Yeehaw } 27. a4 g5 28. Rd1 f4+ 29. Ke2 e3 30. Rd6 Kf7 31. Rxb6 h5 { Pawnchain } 32. a5 g4 33. h4 f3+ 34. gxf3 gxf3+ 35. Kxf3 e2 { Yeehaw } 36. a6 e1=Q { Heh } 37. a7 { Oof } 37... Qe3+ { Yay! } 38. Kg2 { Cool } 38... Qxb6 { Yummy rook } 39. Kf3 { Um } 39... Qd4 { Heh heh } 40. a8=Q { ? } 40... Re3+ { !!! } 41. Kg2 { Heheh } 41... Qd2+ { Checkmatein 1 } 42. Kg1 { Oof } 42... Re1# { Checkmate!!!! } 0-1
[Event "Chess game"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date ""] [Round "-"] [White "???"] [Black "Me"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "~2000"] [TimeControl "5mins, 5 secs additional"] [WhiteElo "~1600"] { Hi everyone! I know I just posted an annotated game but they're fun andI literally played this one game after the last. Its not that special butthe end has something chess people/creatures call a 'windmill'. Enjoy! } 1. d4 { So I'm playing black here. I recently adopted the Slav defense toplay against the popular queens gambit. } 1... d5 2. c4 c6 { The Slav defensegoes like this. There are a lot of variations but its usually pretty funto play, and you don't need piles of theory for things like the Kings Indiandefense. } 3. h3 { This wastes time basically. It stops Bg4, which blackcould play after white plays Nf3, but its not a big issue to waste a turnon here. } 3... Nf6 4. Nf3 dxc4 { I've won a pawn but he has decent compensation(since I have to waste time and overextend my pawns to hold on to it).If he hadn't played h3 he'd be doing fine. } 5. Nc3 b5 6. e4 { Grabbinga hold of the centre. This was unavoidable, however, I can undermine itthrough moves like ...c5 and ...Bb7 and ...b4 later. } 6... Nbd7 7. d5 { Nota good move. } 7... Bb7 8. Bg5 cxd5 9. exd5 b4 { The advanced pawns come in handy! } 10. Nb5 { This was actually a very dangerous position. If I play ...Nxd5,he can play Nd6!!, which wins my queen (it would be checkmate except forme playing exd6, but that allows Bxd8). Luckily I spot that. } 10... a6 11. Bxf6 gxf6 { Takes away a castling spot, but I'm winning material, and my rookon the open file combined with the bishop on b7 will make life very difficultfor his king once he castles. This also allows my bishop on f8 to comeout to h6 } 12. Bxc4 axb5 13. Bxb5 Qb6 { I'm up a piece for a pawn (he couldhave saved a piece but doing so would give me a lot of compensation back). } 14. Qd3 Ra5 15. Bxd7+ { He could have temporarily saved his pawn on d5by playing Bc4, but he tries to expose my king. However, he doesn't haveany real capability to attack. } 15... Kxd7 16. Qf5+ Ke8 { And the kings tuckedaway safely again. This is a strong place for the king because of my pieceson the queenside defending the open file. } 17. O-O Rxd5 { Threatens thequeen, wins a pawn, but more importantly, my bishop now attacks his castledposition directly. } 18. Qg4 f5 { Nothing like chasing a queen:) } 19. Qc4 { He correctly targets the open c file, however his king is far too vulnerable. } 19... Rg8 { Now his knight on f3 is en prise, and if it moves, my pieces willtarget g2 instead. } 20. Rac1 Rd6 { Opening up the bishop again and allowingthis rook to move over to the g file to help out. } 21. Nh4 { Saving theknight and protecting g2. But... } 21... Rxg2+ { !! } 22. Nxg2 Rg6 { There's noprotection for the knight or the king, since my queen pins the f pawn tothe besieged monarch. } 23. Qc7 Rxg2+ 24. Kh1 { And this allows a reallynice tactic called a 'windmill'. The premise is, when my rook here takesf2, his king will have to go to g1 because of the check from the bishop.Next my rook checks the king on g1, forcing it to go back to h1, and thenI can capture the next piece in the line. This has the potential to wipethe entire board clear of enemy pieces, however here there is a much quickercheckmate. } 24... Rxf2+ 25. Kg1 Rg2+ 26. Kh1 { Demonstrating the windmill. } 26... Rc2+ { The queen now takes away the king's last move, forcing white to capturethe piece giving check. } 27. Qxb7 Qxb7+ 28. Kg1 { And its all over. Thisis a pretty common sort of attack which arises from similar openings, includingthe Queen's Indian, Slav variations, and the Sicilian Kan to name a few(look those up!) } 28... Qg2# { Hope you enjoyed this:) } 0-1
[Event "Team match"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2011.10.08"] [Round "-"] [White "zal667"] [Black "richard1234567"] [Result ""] [BlackElo "1516"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1400"] { In this game I will be playing the Sicilian and my opponent will be playinga interesting sideline. My opponent turns a winning position into a losingone by trying to go for the win immediately by sacrificing material. Ifmaterial was not sacrificed by my opponent this was going to be a win forhim. } 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 { Normal moves until... } 3. Bb5 { A bit like a Canal-Sokolsky( Nimzovich-Rossolimo) attack but with e6. } 3... a6 { Kicks the bishopto either c4, d3 e2 or f1. } 4. Be2 { The best option. } 4... Nc6 { Developing move. } 5. O-O Be7 6. c3 { White tries to occupy the centre with two centre pawns.Next move he will strike the centre unless I strike it first. } 6... d5 7. exd5 exd5 8. d4 c4 { I advance as White can't attack from the flanks. } 9. Re1 Nf6 10. Bg5 h6 { I should've castled here but h6 was a natural responsewhich ended in me being a pawn down. } 11. Bxf6 { Taking with the pawn wouldleave my king unsafe. } 11... Bxf6 12. Bxc4+ Be6 13. Bb3 O-O 14. Qd3 Qd7 15. Bc2 { Threaten mate on h7. } 15... g6 { Blocking the mate and creating a nice squarefor my DSB. } 16. Nbd2 Rfc8 17. Nb3 b6 18. Re3 Ne7 19. Ne5 Qe8 20. Rae1 Bf5 21. Qe2 Bxc2 22. Qxc2 Qd8 23. Nd2 Nf5 24. Rh3 h5 25. Ndf3 Rc7 { White'sposition is far better and White should've played slowly holding on tohis extra pawn and more comfortable position. But instead white attemptsto crash through quickly. } 26. Rxh5 Nxd4 { The best response. I will beup an exchange here but white will have an extra pawn. } 27. Nxd4 gxh5 28. Re3 Bxe5 { Wasting whites tempo but giving up my important DSB. } 29. Rxe5 h4 { Protecting my pawn. } 30. Ne6 { Ne6?? I'm up a rook for a knightand pawn. This sac was unneccesary. It was to open lines for the queen. } 30... fxe6 31. Qg6+ Kf8 32. Qh6+ Rg7 33. Qh8+ Kf7 34. Qh5+ Kf6 35. Re1 Qe8 36. Qxh4+ Kf7 37. Qh5+ Kg8 38. Qh6 Qg6 { Threaten mate and tries to trade offqueens. } 39. Qh3 { Keeping the queens on the boards and protecting g3. } 39... e5 { I am able to advance freely as is Rxe5 fails to Qb1+ } 40. Rxe5 { A blunder. } 40... Qb1+
[Event "Fierce Queen battles the Brexit..."] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2017.05.03"] [Round "-"] [White "rushnpawn"] [Black "fiercequeen"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "2048"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1948"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 g6 3. c4 { up until recently, I always looked down uponc4 as a false move in this Sicilian setup, Hungarian style; in my opinion,Bf1 would always be hindered in its development, making e4 in fact a redundantmove... this game however learned me, this setup is part of the EnglishParty, a flank opening usually enforced by Nc3... this move always inducesa closed Sicilian; we need to work this out for the future... } 3... Bg7 4. d4 cxd4 { at this level of play, I learned not to trust dxc5, Qa5+ anymore...the upcoming Nc3, will always force d6; so we better prepare for that... } 5. Nxd4 Nf6 { in this variation, there is no time for playing e6, Ne7, 0-0,to prepare d5... after e6, Nc3, Ne7, the threat of Nb5 poses too much problems...so we need to switch plans... } 6. Nc3 d6 7. Be2 Nbd7 8. Be3 Nc5 9. f3 { insteadof Bf3, 0-0, 0-0... White is switching to an English setup... } 9... O-O 10. O-O Re8 11. Qd2 Bd7 12. Rad1 { not clear, what White is planning here...b4, Na4, Nd5, looks much better... } 12... Rc8 13. b4 Na4 14. Nxa4 Bxa4 15. Rc1 a6 { so far, so good... } 16. Bd3 Nd7 17. f4 { better first Qf2, looks muchbetter; now, e4 will become a target after e5, somewhere followed by Bc6... } 17... e5 18. Ne2 { after fxe5, Nxe5, also attacking c4 and Bd3... } 18... exf4 19. Nxf4 { the best move; after Bc6, we need Nd5... } 19... Bh6 { clever move, if I may sayso myself; after Bc6, Nd5, Bxd5, exd5, Black isn't getting anywhere soon,and f5 looks drafty... this move hinders a direct Nd5, due to Bxe3+, Qxe3,Ne5, and White is getting in all sorts of trouble... now, Qf2 is practicallyforced, upon which Black can choose from either Ne5 (also covering f7)or directly Bc6, putting e4 to the test; after Qf2, Bc6 (or first Bxe3+),Nd5, Bxd5, f7 is also (temporarily) covered... } 20. Nd5 { still better thanQf2, Bc6, after a closer look... } 20... Bxe3+ 21. Qxe3 { somewhat better seemsmaybe Nxe3, Qh4! (Qg5, Rf3, Ne5, Rg3), Rc3 (against Ne5), Bc6... } 21... Bc6 { theobject is simple: Bxd5, or after Nc3/Nf4, Ne5... a direct Ne5?, fails onNf6+ } 22. Qh6 { unclear what White is up to here; apart from Nc3/Nf4, theonly other option to keep things together was Qf2: then, after tradingon d5, Ne5 is forced; that way White may create play after c5... this moveis getting Whites' Queen too far from the action... } 22... Bxd5 { instead, Blacks'play is opening up; after exd5 (better not cxd5, considering Blacks' nextmove), Qb6+ (another reason for 22. Qf2), Kh1, e.g. Qxb4... } 23. exd5 { notmuch difference makes cxd5, Qb6+... } 23... Qb6+ 24. Kh1 { after c5, dxc5, Kh1(Qf4, cxb4+, Kh1, f6!), cxb4, with roughly the same result... } 24... Ne5 { themain threat being of course Nxd3 (which can be countered by Qf4) and Qxb4;after Qd2 - to cover for both Bd3 and b4 - follows Qd4, Rd1, Qxd3, Qxd3,Nxd3, Rxd3, Rxc4... } 25. Be2 { better was Qf4, to prevent Nxd3?, Qxf2+,Kh8, Qf6+, Kg8, and the game is drawn in perpetual check... } 25... Qxb4 26. Rb1 Qa4 { stronger is Qa5 or Qa3, to prevent both Rb2 and Qd2... but is of nomatter anymore; Bd3 is getting into trouble...... } 27. Rxb7 { White breaksup the tensions; there was still some defense left in Qd2 or Rb2... } 27... Qxa2 28. Bd3 { the losing move; only Qe3 might be of use; then follows Nxc4!(Rb8, Ra7, a5, Qf2), Qf2 (Bxc4, Qxc4, Qf3, f5), Ne5 (forced), Rxf7, Qxd5,the only way, otherwise White gets good drawing chances or even worse... } 28... Rf8 { the move, White had overlooked; Ne5 no longer needs to protect f7... } 29. h4 { sacrificing a piece for a non-existent attack; after Nxd3, thereis always back to Ne5... the attempt Qh3 (Qe3, Qa3 will lose all), Rb8,Rxb8, Rxb8, Qe3, Qb3, Qa7, fails on Qb6, Qe7, Qb7... after Nxd3, Qg5 (toprepare h5), fails on simply Ne5... } 29... Nxd3 30. h5 { better Qg5, Ne5, Rbb1,Qxc4, Rbc1, Qxd5, Rcd1, and set up some decent defense... } 30... Qxc4 { relentless...White has nothing after hxg6, hxg6, Qg5, Qd4, Qf6, Qxd5... } 31. hxg6 hxg6 { now what? the White queen has to get to f6, to make any difference...in the meantime Black has the time for Ne5 and Qxd5, all covering f7...it is becoming clear now, that 22. Qh6 was a bad move... } 32. Rbxf7 { adesperate attempt; apart from Qg5, Qd4, Qf6, Qxd5, there was nothing left... } 32... Rxf7 33. Qxg6+ Rg7 34. Qe6+ Kh8 35. Qf6 { all forced... } 35... Qg4 { after this,all is over... so White resigned... } 0-1
[Event "Feels like a legals mate"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date ""] [Round "-"] [White "Joshua. P"] [Black "David. P"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "?"] [TimeControl "90 min. 5 sec delay."] [WhiteElo "488 USCF"] 1. e4 { This checkmate felt to me like a legals mate. It was only a bitlike it, but it still used bishops and knights. } 1... d6 { This man always respondslike this. I say it only wins him the opening about 10% of the time, butI am more experienced in the openings. } 2. Nf3 { This move stabilizes thecenter, and gets ready for D4. } 2... Nf6 3. Nc3 { This protects the E pawn. } 3... g6 { Planning to get his bishop out. Perfect time to get into action. } 4. Bc4 { I always do that move, followed by Ng5, to atack at F7. That is thepart less like a legals mate. } 4... Bh6 { This is the part were I invade. I amlucky that he does not see the future attack. :) } 5. d4 { D4 is my attack.I have a harder to find attack on h6, and his bishop. } 5... O-O { Now I havea free bishop, and am close to his king, the invasion part. } 6. Bxh6 Re8 { That was his only option of he didn't want to lose another 2 points. } 7. Ng5 { The f7 attack I planned earlier is now in action. No longer avoidableby D5, but by e6 } 7... Bg4 { Here i shall show you the risk of legals. } 8. Nxf7 { if I were to lift my knight up now, it would be checkmate. Another 5 movesand it is. A free queen doesn't matter. } 8... Qd7 { obviously } 9. Ne5+ { But thatdid not quite do it for black. A discovered kill makes it easier to win. } 9... Kh8 { His only spot. } 10. Nxd7 Bxd1 { Now that we trade out queens, all Ineed is a protection on g7 to win } 11. Nxf6 { I have a mate in 2, avoidable,but not very. Luckily, He gives me a free checkmate by playing the gamewaster, Bxc2 } 11... Bxc2 12. Nxe8 { Now I have a forced checkmate next move,no matter what he does. This isn't exactly what I call a 'legals mate,'but it IS what I call a 'feels like a legals mate.' } 12... Nc6 { This move hasvariations, (Nd7, Ba4, g5,) but they all lead up to the killing checkmate.... } 13. Bg7# { ...Bg7# This is not a common checkmate that you come by. Manyof you may disagree. 'this is nothing like a legals mate.' That is becauseit isn't. only 1 piece is even ON the 4th rank, it just feels to me likethere are so many ways to checkmate in positions, and legals seems a wayyou can call it. Give me other ways to call it in the comments please,if you don't agree. See ya for now. Posthuma } 1-0
[Event "Caro Kann Knight Variation"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2012.12.26"] [Round "-"] [White "e4addict"] [Black "hscer"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1628"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "2050"] 1. e4 c6 { I've gone through a long period of trying out the Scandinavian(1...d5) but against a much stronger opponent I decided to go with themore solid Caro-Kann, which has similar themes. } 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 { When I play the CKD, this is usually the variation I play, althoughon account of this game and others, 4...Nd7 is looking more enticing. } 5. Nxf6+ exf6 { 5...gxf6 is also playable, but I prefer the more structurallysound version, which also allows for quick, natural development. } 6. Bc4 { This move deviated from my other experience with this variation againsta 2000 opponent, which I lost after an unexpected tactical shot on the28th move: 6. Nf3 Bd6 7. Bd3 O-O 8. O-O Bg4 9. h3 Bh5 10. Re1 Nd7 11. Be2Nb6 12. c3 Nd5 13. Qc2 Bg6 14. Bd3 Bxd3 15. Qxd3 Qd7 16. c4 Ne7 17. b3Ng6 18. Be3 Bf4 19. Rad1 Qc7 20. Bxf4 Nxf4 21. Qe4 Ng6 22. d5 cxd5 23.cxd5 Qd6 24. Nd4 Ne5 25. Nf5 Qb6 26. Ne7+ Kh8 27. Rd4 Rad8 28. Qxh7+ 1-0 } 6... Bd6 { The best square for the bishop and preparing to castle, but Whitehas a different idea. } 7. Qe2+ Qe7 { Despite my doubled pawns, there's stillenough material on the board to exchange queens, but not enough that myking is unsafe in the center of the board. } 8. Qxe7+ Kxe7 { Plus, if needed,the king can go to f8 and g8 after the Rh8 moves, and White is not in astate of development to take advantage of the king's current position. } 9. Ne2 Be6 10. Bd3 { Naturally, White does not want to un-double the blackpawns after 10. Bxe6 fxe6 } 10... Nd7 11. O-O g5 { I wanted to deny White the f4square, but this is the my first of two errors. And yet, I expected White'sreply. 11... Rhe8 is natural and better (if 12. Bxh7 g6) } 12. f4 { Unfortunately,it was only now that I realized I couldn't play 12... h6 on account of13. f5 Bd5 14. c4 } 12... gxf4 { So, now my king is less safe and my pawn structureis even more dilapidated. } 13. Bxf4 Rag8 { Looking for counter-play downthe g-file. } 14. c4 Bh3 { I don't know why I hoped to catch my opponentnapping with this. } 15. Bxd6+ Kxd6 16. Nf4 { Obvious, even to me, as I sawit coming after 14... Bh3 } 16... Be6 { I considered a retreat to g4, perhaps hopingto entice a structural weakening for White with 17. h3, but decided tohead to the more central e6 immediately. } 17. Rae1 Rg7 { Looking to doubleup the rooks. This move isn't bad per se, but it does lead indirectly tomy demise. } 18. c5+ Kc7 { Hoping to dash the king away on the queen side,but this is the losing blunder. And while 18... Ke7 is necessary, walkinginto the bishop pin looked ugly. Now I expected 19. Nxe6 fxe6 20. Rxe6,but was in for a rude shock. } 19. Rxe6 { Obviously now if 19... fxe6 20.Nxe6+ is a killer. So I resigned. } 1-0
[Event "Unpleasant miss-calculation"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2010.11.23"] [Round "-"] [White "magnus50"] [Black "potatosoftware"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [BlackElo "1607"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1722"] 1. e4 { Except for a tournament round that I played in last summer, it wasreally more than a year long that I played my last game here. Here I amagain with my first finished game for my second coming. } 1... c5 { Sicilian ismy best defense against e4. The many losses I endured with this defensenever urged me to re consider my choice. } 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be2 e6 { I like these a6 and e6 moves : eventhough I don'tunderstand theory in chess, I really appreciate these moves and feel thecomfort they provide. Of course here stops my knowledge of the Sicilian,I would never allow myself to learn more : it is time to take personalaction depending on opponent moves. } 7. O-O Be7 { Well I should say thatsometimes I consider putting B on g7, but that only happens when Whitemoves his dark B instead of the light one on move 6. And in such case,I learnt to delay moving e6 to a very late time in the game (It is easyto note that the pawn can otherwise become an easy target as soon as 3or 4 moves). } 8. Be3 O-O 9. h3 { h3 ? Planning g4 already or just fearinga Black piece on g4 ? } 9... b5 { So, time to take action : I will threaten e4. } 10. Bd3 Bb7 { Again e4 is threatened with b4 removing away the Nc3. } 11. f4 { I thought I won a pawn, but then found that my opponent can save itwith e5. However, the result of it -I thought- is a comfortable position.Maybe an achievement out of the Sicilian defense ! } 11... b4 12. e5 { ActuallyI forgot why I did not consider the opportunity of opening the d rank herewith dxe6. } 12... bxc3 13. exf6 Bxf6 14. bxc3 { I really think it is a satisfactoryposition for Black. My both Bs are active and the initiative is mine. } 14... Qc7 { Attacks c3. } 15. Qe1 Nc6 { It has been time ago when I used to developpieces and sell the opportunity for my opponent to liquidate material forfree. Enough for the many losses where all of my pieces are exchanged thenunexpectedly find myself into a hard-to-figure-out inferior ending-game! So I was considering Nd7 before I discovered that NxN leads to a doubleattack on White (mate on g2 and attack on c3). So I selected Nc6, of coursec6 is much natural than d7. } 16. g4 { My opponent is very aggressive ! HereI wanted to show my aggressively as well. } 16... Nxd4 17. cxd4 Qc6 18. Qg3 Bh4 { It is not chess here, just showcase of aggressiveness } 19. Qh2 { Nothingis achieved of course. } 19... Rfe8 20. Bf2 Bxf2+ { And BxB. Of course do not accuseme of self-contradiction here for what I previously said about avoidingthe unmeaning liquidation of material. Besides, if I retreat the B, thenit can be positive for Black in light of obliging White's Q to stick toits position to prevent Qh1# now that f2 is not an escape square. However,when I saw the possibility of winning a pawn out of BxB, I could not resistsuch a concrete advantage as a having an extra pawn. } 21. Rxf2 Qc3 { So,Q attacks both Rh1 and d4 pawn. } 22. Rd1 { To my bad luck, taking on d4is not possible because of the discovered Bxh7+ check. However, the factthat White's Ra was diverted from protecting the a-pawn came as a consolationto me. } 22... Bd5 { And if the pawn advance I will bring Q to a. } 23. Qg3 { What? I can't take on a2 either ? Ok then, let's protect our Queen from White's. } 23... Rec8 24. f5 { Oups! What's going on ? I really hate surprises. } 24... Bxa2 { SoI accepted the eventuality of a pawn on f6 in exchange for keeping thef-file closed. } 25. f6 g6 26. Qh4 Kh8 27. Qh6 { This move frightened me,as I thought there was something planned after my expected Rg8. } 27... Rg8 28. Qf4 { Thank God, there was no threat. He just wants my rook to come there. } 28... e5 { It was safe to do this, I think. } 29. dxe5 dxe5 30. Qa4 Bd5 31. g5 { The a6-pawn did not lure my opponent. So let's give him the e4 pawn. } 31... e4 32. Bxe4 Qg3+ 33. Bg2 Bxg2 34. Rxg2 Qxh3 35. Qf4 { What did I achievefrom this manoeuvre ? Nothing except the realization that my extra-pawnadvantage is a chimera. The exposure of Kg1 plays it its own safety Whilethe pawn setup surrounding my king meant that at most I can keep a rookat the 8-th rank and bring two heavy pieces against White's three. Furthermore,My King position somehow meant that manyy scenarios that involve the exchangeof pieces would lead to unfavorable ending game. } 35... Rge8 { And of course Ihad to face the immediate threat of Rh2 ( Followed by Qh attacking h7). So here I was planning a solution that requires the exchange of Qs. Howdramatic ! } 36. Rg3 Qh5 37. Rgd3 Re2 38. Rd8+ Re8 39. R8d2 Rac8 40. Ra1 Re2 { My only resort ; White is trying to attack the a pawn. I had to curethe passivity of my Q by exchanging the R that threatens Rh2. } 41. Rxe2 { Also White does not have other options. The complete exposure of his Kis limiting his options with other pieces. } 41... Qxe2 { I am relatively in asafe position. But I had to solve the K-safety issue and then make useof the extra pawn. } 42. c4 Qe6 43. Rc1 h5 { I could not imagine anothermoment to do it. White's Q cannot touch the g file because of White's Kbeing on the same g-file. Also, the fact that Black Q can target e3 whichis common to Kg1 and Rc1 implies that White's Q will be restricted in itschoices. } 44. gxh6 g5 45. Qd4 Kh7 { I thought the victory is mine here,by forcing Black to lose f6. Two choices were possible : either the Kh7or the Rc6. I selected Rh7 and was expecting Rc2. } 46. c5 { No, he playedc5. } 46... Kxh6 47. Rf1 Qh3 { I played this in view of the posibility to forceWhite's K to be on h file, then after my Kg6, I cumulate to the existingthreats on White's pawn, the idea of Rh8+. } 48. Rf2 Qg3+ 49. Kh1 { Thisreally came as a shock to me. My head was telling this would only precipitatethe plan of Kg6. However, as R is still on f-file guarding f6 and Whites'Q able to play e4+, my king is in danger. I soon realized that my planwas incorrect and I have to cope with the inevitabilily of R+ and my Kto tour the World. Now you can understand the title of the game. } 49... Rb8 { SoI played this more as a defense than as an attack. Q and R needed be connectedas a means to secure the R from potential Q checks attacking both K andR. } 50. Rh2+ Kg6 51. Qe4+ Kxf6 { And the journey began. } 52. Rh6+ Kg7 53. Qh7+ Kf8 54. Qh8+ Ke7 55. Qf6+ Ke8 { Of course Kd7 loses to Qx followedby R# } 56. Rh8+ Kd7 57. Qxf7+ Kc6 58. Rh6+ Kb5 { Taking the pawn would havebeen the biggest mistake in the game as it would make it possible for coordinatea checkmate using R and Q. } 59. Qd7+ { The choice of Ka was discovered tobe bad, I can't find out why now. } 59... Kc4 60. Qe6+ Kc3 61. Qf6+ Kc4 62. Qxa6+ Rb5 63. Qa4+ Rb4 64. Qc2+ Qc3 65. Qxc3+ { And nothing can be achieved byeither sides. Thanks for reading. Thanks to my opponent for his greatplay too. See you in another game ! } 1/2-1/2
[Event "Sense of danger"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2010.02.28"] [Round "-"] [White "nyctalop"] [Black "rlcpw"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [BlackElo "1956"] [TimeControl "3d+1d<5d"] [WhiteElo "2032"] { This game was played in a thematic mini-tournament, where the choice isgiven to the Black player to go for either the KID or the Gruenfeld. SinceI'm trying to explore closed games as White, I thought it would be a goodexercise to stretch my muscles against these two openings. } 1. d4 { The'slow' way to start the game. I'm rather partial to the other central pawnthrust, mainly because it can lead to an overwhelming position in a veryshort span of time if only one move isn't accurate. } 1... Nf6 { I guess the onlyreason to still play 1...d5 is to reach the QGA as Black, which isn't sucha bad deal, provided you're willing to suffer through the middlegame. } 2. c4 { The other 'slow' move. White seizes the d5 square but does nothingfor his development. } 2... g6 { Black prepares to fianchetto the Bishop. If I'dhad to chose between this and 2...e6 in terms of objective strength, I'dgo with the the latter, but in matter of preference, I'm going to stickwith this one. } 3. Nc3 { Finally White develops a piece. But he's stilla long way from castling. } 3... Bg7 { Relinquishing control of e4, Black speedsup development and postpones the central struggle. } 4. e4 { The whole pointbehind White's move order, to control the center with pawns. Stenitz wouldhave been appalled at Black's play but dogmas have a short lifespan inchess. } 4... d6 { Preventing an early e5 and preparing for a central pawn push. } 5. f4 { Not having chosen a specific line against the KID, I decided togo with the 4-pawn attack and see how it turns out. } 5... O-O { Black castlesand is ready to hit the center. } 6. Nf3 { White really needs to completedevelopment and secure the King. } 6... c5 { The classic way to meet White's centralpawn mass. } 7. d5 { After this, the games moves towards a Benoni structure. } 7... e6 { Black wants to open the e-file to pressurize the e-pawn. This approachis highly risky, because if Black lets his guard down and allows Whiteto play e5, he'll have a very hard time coordinating his pieces. } 8. Be2 { Closing the e-file and preparing to castle. } 8... exd5 { The typical pawn exchange.Black wants to use Q-side pawns to achieve counterplay and secure a balancedgame. } 9. cxd5 { The symmetrical recapture doesn't promise White anything. } 9... Bg4 { I think 9...Re8 would have been stronger here, but this Bishop isnotoriously bad in Benoni structures so I can't blame Black for wantingto exchange it ASAP. } 10. O-O { Finally, my King is safe. Somewhat... Blackcan still use tricks on the a7-g1 diagonal. } 10... Nbd7 { This is why Black ishappy to exchange the lsb early on, his pieces would have a bad case ofclaustrophobia. } 11. Re1 { I was just following theory at this point. Theaim of this move is to prepare e5. } 11... Re8 { Black does the same, but his goalis the opposite, to prevent me from achieving my desired pawn thrust. Thismove is also safer now that my Rook has left the f-file and f7 isn't underany kind of potential attack. } 12. h3 { Gaining the Bishop pair and over-defendinge4. The problem is that without the King's Knight, the e5 push won't haveas much strength. } 12... Bxf3 { Forced, but Black was more than willing to gothrough with this exchange. Now he can focus on other things, like gettinghis Q-side pawns rolling and generate pressure there. } 13. Bxf3 { If I wouldhave had the time, I would have loved to play Bf1 and keep this Bishopcovering c4 and d3. It is much more less active of f3. } 13... Qa5 { With my Bishopstranded on f3, Black has a much easier time pushing b5 than in normallines. I'd say he has equalized here. } 14. Be3 { I wasn't very happy withthis move, mainly since there isn't much point behind it. This Bishop isusually kept on c1 when f4 is played, at least until White manages to pusheither e5 or f5. It's kinda loose on e3. } 14... b5 { Black is always happy toplay this, since he can control c4 and d3 now and can start shuffling pieceson the Q-side to attack my pawns. In many a line, this pawn is swappedtactically for White's e-pawn, giving Black an easy game. Also note thatBlack hasn't wasted time with a6, which means that there will be fewerpawn exchanges and that that pawn will be slightly less weaker in the endgame. } 15. a3 { A pretty meager reply. I've taken care of the direct b4 threatbut now c4 will be chronically weak, along with all the white squares onmy Q-side. } 15... Nb6 { The strategic reply to my last move. Since I don't haveany direct control over c4, Black sends his Knight to that square. Theonly drawback is that e5 has lost of one its protectors. } 16. e5 { A flankattack is best countered by a strike in the center. Black allowed e5, butit isn't so bleak, he has managed to created enough resources for counterplay.It's worth noting that more slow replies, like 16. Qe2 would have quicklylost the initiative, since Black would have had time to regain controlof e5 and start operations on the Q-side with 16...Nfd7, followed by Rab8and Nc4, with a very good game. } 16... Nc4 { Remember what I was saying aboutthe Be3? The Nc4 is ideally placed to take care of many problems, it defendsd6 and e5, it attacks e3 and b2. The alternative variation 16...dxe5 17.fxe5 Rxe5 18. Bxc5 Nfd7 19. Bb4 Qa6 20. b3, would have Black lacking coordinationbetween his forces which are almost cut in half by my d-pawn. } 17. exf6 { This tactical line wins me two pieces for a Rook and pawn but Black hasenough prospects on both flanks to secure a balanced game. } 17... Nxe3 { Lineslike 17...Bxf6 18. Bd2 Nxb2 19. Ne4 Bd4+ 20. Kh1 Rxe4 21. Bxa5 Nxd1 22.Raxd1 Rxf4 23. Bd2 are needlessly hectic and not very good for Black. } 18. Rxe3 Rxe3 19. fxg7 Rae8 { Things have settled and Black has good reasonsto be happy with his position. His Rook pair is in complete control ofthe e-file, his King is safer than mine and he still has a menacing Q-sidepawn majority. But I still have a few tricks up my sleeve. } 20. f5 { InvitingBlack to win my Queen for his active Rooks with 21...Re1+ 22. Qxe1 Rxe1+23. Rxe1 gxf5, when Black has a lot of pawns and a lonely Queen againstmy small but more than adequate army. An ending such as this can only bedangerous for Black. } 20... a6 { Black replies very coolly, ignoring the apparentmaterial gain and consolidates his pawn phalanx. He's not ready to pushthe pawns and is waiting for me to decide where I place my Queen. } 21. Qc2 { Here I missed my chance to go for the Black squares around the BlackKing with 21. Qd2! After a possible continuation 21...Qd8 22. Rf1 Kxg723. Bg4 R8e5 24. f6! and I'm the one who's on the attack. After my chosenmove, Black is faced with considerable less problems. } 21... Qd8 { The Queen wasn'tdoing much on a5 and now that b5 is defended, it's time to send her tothe other flank. } 22. fxg6 { This wasn't an immediate necessity and couldhave been postponed for a few more moves. The release of tension only easesBlack's choices in what follows. } 22... hxg6 23. Rf1 { The f-file is my only sourceof counterplay, but thanks to my hasty pawn exchange, Black has a goodrebuke to my plan. } 23... Qh4 { An excellent place for the Queen. This simplyhighlights the strategic drawbacks of playing f4 and h3 early in the game. } 24. Nd1 { Recycling the Knight and sending it for more endeavors on theother flank. } 24... R3e5 { Black is wise to reject exchanges, because my Kingwill feel a lot more safe without his pair of Rooks on the board. } 25. Qc3 { Setting up a would-be pin. This also highlights my wrong decisionat move 21 on choice of squares for the Queen. } 25... f5 { Taking care of allproblems on the f-file. Black could even dream of launching a pawn stormon the K-side. } 26. b3 { Seeing as things have stalled on the K-side, atleast for me, I turn my attention to the other flank, but I don't havehigh hopes of accomplishing anything without my opponents assistance. } 26... Kxg7 { Black can stand the tension no longer and finally gobbles the g-pawn. } 27. Nf2 { A very risky decision but I couldn't stand my passive Knight anylonger. } 27... Qf6 { Breaks the pin and aims the Rook at the third rank. } 28. Qa5 { I was going for broke at this point. I really think that with preciseplay, Black could achieve a significant plus from this position. } 28... Re3 { Veryjustly played. With my Queen loitering on the edge of the board, all Blackneeds to do is mass his pieces around my King and winning should only bea matter of time. } 29. Qxa6 { In for a penny, in for a pound. } 29... Rxb3 30. a4 { I wanted at least to exchange these pawns then I could have start toset up some for of defense. } 30... b4 { Refusing the exchange and gaining a strongpassed pawn. My a-pawn is its white and pale shadow. } 31. Be2 { I wantedto be able to defend my a-pawn in case Black would decide to attack it,but that would mean one less defender on the K-side. Black is very closeto winning here. } 31... Qd8 { I don't like this move at all and I can't find adecent reason behind it. I guess Black was concerned about me pushing a5but that pawn is almost smelling like dead meat. 31...Rb2! would have consolidatedBlack advantage and all that Black would have to do to win is trade Queens. } 32. Bb5 { Defending the a-pawn. } 32... Ree3 { Doubling on the third rank can bevery effective, especially in this position when the pawn shelter aroundmy King is as flimsy as a house of straws. } 33. Nd3 { I finally get a routefor a decent spot, e6, but by now it's too late. Black is active enoughto force a perpetual. } 33... Qh4 { Preparing to sacrifice on h3. I can't preventthis without major concessions, so I have no choice but to allow it. } 34. Nf4 Rxh3 35. gxh3 Rxh3 { At the expense of two heavy pieces, my King isbare and defenseless against harassment by the Black Queen. } 36. Qb7+ { Onelast try and hope that Black might play something to give me reason toplay on. } 36... Kh6 { Such as 36...Kf6 after which I could have played 37. Qe7+!Kxe7 38. Nxg6+ Kf6 39. Nxh4 Rxh4 40. a5 Ke5 41. a6 Rg4+ 42. Kf2 Rg7 43.Bc6, winning for White. But Black could not be swayed. Draw agreed. } 37. Nxh3 Qg3+ 1/2-1/2
[Event "R1: turning tables and a moment of mutual chess blindness"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "24th July 2012"] [Round "-"] [White "l-d-j"] [Black "Black Player"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [BlackElo "1599"] [TimeControl "90 mins for 40 moves, then 30 mins + 30 secs per move from move 1 on"] [WhiteElo "1387"] { Hi all! I just finished an OTB chess tournament of 9 rounds. It was onegame a day and I stayed at home (travelling to the playing venue took aboutan hour). I'm planning to annotate all of the games I played there, sinceI think they are very instructive and one can learn a lot from such a tournament.Analysis is done by me with the help of my computer program Fritz 8 (andsometimes of other players as well). This is the first and longest (interms of moves) of those games. I'm playing White and I was paired up againstone of the strongest players in our group (ratings below 1650). Let's seehow the game unfolded. } 1. e4 c5 { The Sicilian, popular at all levels. } 2. Nc3 { Planning to play the Grand Prix attack (an early f4 against virtuallyhall systems Black can choose). The immediate 2.f4?! is not as effectivesince Black can immediately challenge the centre with 2...d5 and get anequal game. } 2... a6 { !? A common move in many Sicilians. This is to stop knightsor bishops from coming to b5 and to prepare a ...b5 pawn push for himself.I was not happy to see this move, since I always play the GPA with Bb5,but that's impossible now (the grand prix can be played with Bc4 as well,but I don't know those lines). Therefore, I had to change plans already. } 3. Nf3 { Therefore, I decided to switch to open Sicilians, which I playedearlier in my chess career. } 3... e6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Nc6 { Black can stillchoose some different systems, for example the Kan or Scheveningen. Thisis a quite basic and flexible set-up for Black. } 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Bd3 Qc7 { Both players continue with natural development. } 8. f4 { ?! And there wehave the first of many mistakes made by me in this tournament. This simplyloses a pawn. I wanted to prevent ...Ne5, but obviously I should have castledfirst before playing f4. } 8... d6 { ?! Apparently my opponent didn't see it (heplayed really fast the whole game) or thought it was too dangerous. Butif he had played 8...Nxd4 9.Bxd4 Qxf4 he would have been a pawn up. Theopen f-file and centralized bishop are not enough to compensate for a pawnin my opinion, especially because Black has no weaknesses \and is verysolid. With this move, we get into a Scheveningen Sicilian. } 9. O-O Be7 10. Qf3 O-O 11. Rae1 { It is becoming clear that White wants to attack throughthe center and on the kingside and that Black's counterplay lies on thequeenside. Black's position is a bit passive, but solid. } 11... Nxd4 { This exchangeis a bit strange I think. I think Black should keep the tension betweenthese two knights, because I see no reason to exchange right now. I thinksomething like 11...Bd7 or 11...b5 was better here. } 12. Bxd4 e5 { ? Thismust have been the point, Black wants to gain more center control withtempo. Unfortunately it fails tactically. } 13. Be3 { ?! However, I don'tsee it (I know, this was not my best game tactically). Strong was 13.fxe5dxe5 14.Qg3! after which the bishop can't be taken due to the pin on thequeen, while White has a strong attack on the e5 pawn which can hardlybe defended (14...Bd6?? fails to 15.Rxf6! and the g-pawn is pinned so Blackcan't retake). } 13... b5 14. fxe5 { Opening the f-file for my rook. } 14... dxe5 15. Bg5 { Attacking the f6 knight and already foreseeing the following combination. } 15... Bb7 { Probably 15...b4 was better. The game could have continued 16.Bxf6bxc3 17.Bxe7 Qxe7 18.b3 (18.bxc3?! does not win a pawn due to 18...Qc5+winning it back). In the game I can exchange in more favourable circumstances. } 16. Bxf6 { Not quite giving up the bishop pair for free, as we will see. } 16... Bxf6 17. Nd5 Bxd5 { It was unnecessary to give up the bishop pair, as 17...Qc5+(which I missed of course) 18.Kh1 Bg5 would retain it, but White's positionis more active and you can't say that Black's bishops are doing very muchin that position. } 18. exd5 Be7 { Temporarily loses a pawn, but probablyit was necessary at some point to prevent me from sacrificing an exchangeon f6 and opening up Black's kingside. } 19. Qe4 { Black can't defend thee5 pawn due to the mating threat on h7. } 19... g6 20. Qxe5 Qxe5 21. Rxe5 Bc5+ { Activating his forces with tempo. } 22. Kh1 Bd4 { Regaining the pawn, butallowing my rook to enter the seventh rank. } 23. Re7 Bxb2 24. Be4 { ? Abad move. I wanted to play d6 with tempo at some point, but now Black hasa good move to get back into the game. I should have played 24.c4. Blackcan't allow c5 because that would give me two connected passed pawns, andI'm also threatening to win the b-pawn (the bishop is still on d3). Soprobably exchanging is the best option for Black. Now the c-pawn remainsrather weak. } 24... Rad8 { ?! Better was 24...Rae8. I have to exchange my activerook due to the pin on the bishop and after 25.Rxe8 Rxe8 Black gets theimportant open e-file and my Bishop has to move again, while my activerook has been exchanged. } 25. Rc7 { I wanted to play Rc6 to help my d-pawnadvance. Fritz suggests 25.g4, probably to gain some space and prevent...f5. } 25... Rd6 { Black stops Rc6, as 26.Rc6?! Rxc6 27.dxc6 would now leaveme with an awkward pawn structure. The passed pawn on c6 is probably notas strong as it seems, because it cannot advance (on c7 it can't be defendedanymore). Fritz suggests 25...f5 to scare away my bishop and gain spaceon the kingside (and probably also to clear the seventh rank). } 26. Rd1 { 'Rooks belong behind passed pawns', but White's passed pawn can't advanceand has no help from other pawns. Therefore I should have played 26.c4,according to the computer, even though my Rook has to leave the seventhrank after the pawn exchange. Note that I find this endgame quite hardto judge for myself, so I'll sometimes just give the computer's suggestionand hopefully better players than me can give me some insights on the insand outs of this ending. } 26... Re8 { I guess controlling the open file is importanthere. } 27. Bf3 Ba3 { Starts an interesting bishop manoeuvre. Fritz comesup with the counter-intuitive 27...b4, which I cannot understand at all. } 28. h3 { I wanted to give my rook the possibility of moving off the firstrank. It had to stay there because of the mating threat. } 28... Bb4 29. Rd4 Be1 { Fritz suggests 29...Ba5 but I like Black's idea. } 30. c4 { Finally thismove, but at this point I think 30.g4 was better because of what follows. } 30... Bg3 { Hmm, now there's a mating threat anyway. I think it was around thispoint that it became clear to me that the tables had turned and Black hasthe upperhand here. } 31. Rd1 { Probably 31.Re4 was also possible. } 31... bxc4 32. Rxc4 h5 33. Rc3 { My time was running out here. I tried to make a threat(34.Bxh5 with discovered attack on the strong Black bishop on g3) but hewanted to play ...h4 anyway and this just forces him to do that. } 33... h4 34. Kg1 { Wanting to get my king out of that tiny corner, but it can't get veryfar. } 34... f5 35. Rdc1 Kg7 { Black is also activating his king and preparinga kingside assault. } 36. Rc6 Red8 { I don't know the purpose of this move,the rook went back a move later. Maybe he thought the rook on d6 wasn'tdefended but forgot about the bishop on g3. } 37. Kf1 Re8 38. Be2 { ? Closingoff the e-file, but probably I should not have taken the crucial decisionto exchange my strong d-pawn for his a-pawn just before the time control.I create a new passed pawn, but the pawn on d5 was way stronger than thepawn on a2 will be. } 38... Rxd5 39. Rxa6 Rd2 { White's forces lack coordinationand Black is much more active. Black must be better here. Fritz suggests39...Kh6, probably to be able to attack with the pawns on the kingside. } 40. Bf3 Rd3 41. Be2 Rde3 { The last move before the time control (my opponenthad forgotten to press the clock at one moment in the game so we had toplay one move extra). I had made my 41st move with 2 miinutes to spare,while my opponent had barely used an hour for his first 40 moves and stillhad an hour left on his clock. } 42. Rc2 R8e4 { I expected 42...Rd8 withthe threat of 43...Rd1+! 44.Bxd1 Re1# and that's also Fritz' preference. } 43. Rd6 { ?? And here's the biggest blunder of the whole tournament (atleast in my own games). I wanted to defend my bishop on the second rank,but I should have played Rb6 and then b2 instead of Rd6 and then d2. Upto this point I didn't do a safety check before every move. After thisgame I was much more careful and I tried to check before every move ifit failed tactically (of course I sometimes still forgot it). } 43... Rf4+ { ??This is the moment of mutual chess blindness referred to in the game title.I didn't realize util after the game what a big blunder I had just madeand how lucky I was to have gotten away with it. The only good choice was43...Bxd6 44.resigns. } 44. Kg1 Rf2 45. Rdd2 { Actually this was exactlywhat I had in mind when I played 43.Rd6??. } 45... Kf6 46. a4 Rf4 { ApparentlyBlack thought there was not much to do on the seventh rank. He keeps searchingfor the right set-up of his pieces, but meanwhile I am able to reorganizemy forces and get enough counterplay to hold the draw. } 47. a5 Bf2+ 48. Kh1 Re7 { This defensive move more or less ends all hopes of winning forBlack. He could still try with 48...Be1. } 49. Ra2 Rfe4 50. Bf1 Bg3 51. Re2 { Wanting to force another exchange, because every exchange brings uscloser to an ending with opposite-coloured bishops, which would be a deaddraw. I still had the feeling that Black was more active so I was worseand a draw would be a good result for me. Fritz suggests the line 51.Rd1Re1 52.Raa1 Rxd1 53.Rxd1 Re1 54.Rxe1 Bxe1 with just the ending I was hopingfor. Other 51th move alternatives don't offer Black any winning chanceseither because of my passed a-pawn. } 51... Rxe2 { And now it's clear that thiswill be a draw. If Black wanted to try something, allowing me to exchangeon e4 and then retaking with the f-pawn was the way to go. That would alsogive Black a passed pawn. But I don't think Black can win that ending either. } 52. Rxe2 Ra7 53. Ra2 g5 54. a6 g4 { And here my oppponent offered a draw,which I accepted. I didn't see a way to progress as long as Black keepshis rook on the a-file. Fritz says this move is an inaccuracy and suggests55.Ra4 for me, but I don't understand how I can have any winning chanceshere. Anyway I thought a draw was a fair result of this game, because weboth had had some winning chances (I was better in the first half of thegame and my opponent was better in the second half). Overall I was happyto have drawn a player with 212 rating points more. The next game I playedBlack against an opponent with 1612 and that game will be annotated asap. } 1/2-1/2
[Event "Buho21.com"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009-3-25"] [Round "-"] [White "Janusrey"] [Black "karinarios"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [BlackElo "1642"] [TimeControl "600+5"] [WhiteElo "1953"] { A friend's game, despite her low rating, she employs deep and surprises with some defenses and sometimes even gets remarkable results. I am allowed to reproduce her game played in Buho 21. } 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 { esperandoentrar en Nimzo, es lo que últimamente practica... } 3. g3 { The Catalan Opening, you know something about theory because we have been training it together. It is one of the best weapons of the whites and in the style that Kramnik moves it is dangerous for the blacks. } 3... d5 { Shabalov moves this variant. } 4. Bg2 dxc4 { evitando problemas con este peon más tarde. } 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. Qa4 { Riding the horse... } 6... Nd7 { Eventually, the pawn recovers it for the white, so something must be done to expel the queen from the center after the take. } 7. Qxc4 { Taking a pawn... } 7... Nb6 { expulsando la dama. } 8. Qb5 { She continues to strike the horse with her embargola. } 8... Bd7 { She is trying to expel the white piece again by maneuvering. } 9. Qb3 { She stays in the column to not leave a pawn on b6 to move and unprotect the pawn b7. } 9... Na5 { siguen las maniobrasdefensivas.. } 10. Qd3 { Al final se reubica en el centro pero detrás desus barracas.,, } 10... c5 { un agresivo avance de peón..! } 11. dxc5 Bxc5 { It seems that the black piece will lose a piece...however, it is not so simple. } 12. Qc3 { Threatening three pieces at the same time...what move? If 12...Tc8, the queen can take on g7...let's see. 12.Dxg7 Af8, looking for a draw. 13.Dxh8 Txc1+, 14.Rd2 AA4+, threatening checkmate on d1 if the tower is taken, the white king is forced to come out into the center exposing himself. } 12... Nd5 { ..buena elección.. } 13. Qxc5 Rc8 14. Qd4 Rxc1+ 15. Kd2 Rxh1 16. Bxh1 { After a little hesitation... everything under control. } 16... O-O 17. Ne5 Nc6 18. Nxc6 Bxc6 19. Nc3 Qa5 20. e4 Nxc3 21. Qxc3 Rd8+ 22. Kc2 Qg5 23. Rd1 Rc8 { Oups!! tremenda amenaza.. } 24. Qd4 Bxe4+ 25. Kb3 Qb5+ { The persecution begins... } 26. Ka3 Qa5+ 27. Qa4 { era un error si.. 27.Rb3 Ad5!+ perdiendo.. } 27... Qc5+ 28. Qb4 { tablas deacuerdo.. } 1/2-1/2
[Event "Reverse Alkehine"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "8/16/15"] [Round "-"] [White "tactical-abyss"] [Black "kenneth_fiore_3"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1974"] [TimeControl "10 minute blitz"] [WhiteElo "2283"] { This was another interesting game by Joe. Unlike with his other blitzgames, however, I know his rival, Ken. Like what we saw with a certainsomeone, though, we met due to the way that I trained a student. Shortlyafter that, kenneth_fiore_3 asked me if I wanted a training session withhim. I said yes, but it'd have to hold off until I'm available. But,due to his membership, it's not possible, yet. The idea was going overthought process. He, however, does just as good of a job in a lot of myannotations which is why it's as though (an equivalent) to playing eachother. That's why I friended Ken. On the other hand, I've also learneda lot from tactical-abyss, especially those blitz games. I recently discoveredthat these two played each other, as Joe posted it in his club. So, whenI learn from two players, I'm very interested when they play each other. kenneth_fiore_3 made a couple of mistakes which is how he lost, accordingto TA (as I'll outline.) How did this game unfold? } 1. Nc3 { It's moreunusual then the Owen's or Grunfeld's Defense, which is another reasonfor studying. What I've been told is that it's good to get used to somethingdifferent, in case, your opponent plays. This is called the Dunst Opening. While the other two are unusual, this is an irregular opening. } 1... g6 { So,Ken goes for it with a fianchetto. } 2. Nb1 { As I've seen before, Joe bringshis N, and then, he hides back to it's original square. He's testing Ken,and this will continue for a while. } 2... Bg7 { Developing his Bishop. } 3. Nf3 { Similar to before, Joe brings out his other N. Likewise, that will alsomove back and forth for some time. } 3... d6 { Meanwhile, Ken prepares to gethis DSB into play by developing a center pawn. } 4. Ng1 e5 { Advancing hisother center pawn, whilst, achieving a pawn chain. } 5. Nf3 Nc6 { Developinganother piece. Unlike with Joe, it'll remain developed, but TA knows moretheory which is why does extremely well. } 6. Ng1 f5 { Unlike with Joe'sother opponents, I don't consider any moves by Ken pointless since I knowhim. There's always a good reason, but sometimes, I don't know the logic. This one of those times. Instead of advancing the weakest pawn on theboard, I would've developed my Ng8. Now, for some reason, it can't beas good, but what I don't understand is what would happen if black played6...Nf6, at once. } 7. Nc3 Nf6 { But, now, Ken continues to develop. } 8. Nb1 Be6 { Completing his development and preparing to castle. } 9. Nf3 Qd7 { Preparing to castle Q side. So, there's something I'm missing because,in this position, I would've castled short, at once. Therefore, my inferenceis that, with the K side weakened (due to Ken's f pawn advancing), 9...0-0would've left the monarch exposed. } 10. Ng1 d5 { I also don't why this wasplayed. It appears to leave Ken with a bad bishop. Kind of prematureto talk about it, but this seems applicable to me, in a blitz game. Theidea being is to play fast but accurately or lose, as TA emphasized withthe Q sacs. } 11. Nc3 d4 { I knew that it was a matter of time before Kenwould play this. } 12. Nb5 { Testing his knowledge, Joe's brings his N tothis square, as opposed to, retreating on b1. } 12... a6 { Not to my surprise,Ken reattacks. } 13. Na3 { Forced. } 13... Bf8 { At first, I wasn't sure why Kenplayed this. It appears to undevelop his DSB. However, after studyingit, I would've likely played this, as well. The idea is to exchange Knightfor Bishop. } 14. Nb1 { But, this is a closed position since TA's are blockingthe other pieces. Therefore, the N is worth more which is why he retreatsback to b1. } 14... Bd6 { After which, Ken brings his DSB to a stronger outpost,similar to what we see when black's N's are on the seventh rank (or visaversa) when white's Knight's are on the second rank. } 15. Nf3 { Going backto where it was, after Ken attacks with his next move. } 15... e4 16. Ng1 h6 { ??I'm not exactly sure why Ken played, but according to Joe, this loses whichis why I gave it two queiries. It's important to note that TA showed everyonetwo positions with the fen. This was the first. In it, he said, 'Hisweak pawn storming combined with his perplexed Knight moving only drewhim in farther to my electrical storm.' } 17. c3 { So, Joe punishes Ken withthis move. The idea being c2-c3, followed by, an eventual d3-d4, justlike what we see in the Ruy Lopez, when black plays ...Bc5 Although thatwasn't played here, it's still very applicable due to me exploring themind of a senior master. } 17... g5 { The idea is preventing an exchange of pawnswhich is why Ken played this. } 18. cxd4 { But, Joe does it, anyhow. Theidea being, is that, when Ken takes back, Joe will gain tempo by attackingthe Knight. } 18... Nxd4 19. e3 Nc6 20. d4 { This is the same c2-d4 plan. Usually,it's done to get a pawn chain. Therefore, I don't understand the logic,quite as well, since it's an exchange is going to occur, starting withthe en-pessant capture. And, when Joe takes back, Ken will castle long,as noted on his 9th move. } 20... exd3 21. Qxd3 O-O-O 22. a3 { Preventing 22...Nb4,or 22...Bb4+ } 22... Ne5 { With Joe less developed, Ken harrasses the Queen. } 23. Qc2 { But, as we're about to see, it's of no concern in blitz, against asenior master. } 23... Qc6 { So, Ken goes for a Queen exchange which Joe will accept. The idea being that, without black's Queen on the board, white will benefit. As the saying goes, 'Don't trust your opponent.' } 24. Qxc6 Nxc6 25. Nc3 { Redeploying his Knight. But, this time, however, it will not retreatback to b1. } 25... Nd5 { Going for a N exchange. } 26. Bc4 { Which Joe declineswith a half pin by developing another piece. } 26... Be5 { The idea is to exchangeKnight for Bishop. } 27. Nf3 { Since this position has become open, Joe acceptsby continuing with his development. } 27... Bxc3+ 28. bxc3 Rhe8 { Centralizinghis other Rook. } 29. Bd2 { Completing his development. } 29... Na5 { Hitting Bc6,which Joe protects, whilst, keeping the half pin. } 30. Ba2 Nc6 { Retreatingback to it's original outpost, where it's better placed. } 31. h4 { The ideais to maintain an open file by exchanging. } 31... g4 { Not to my surprise, Kendeclines and goes on the attack by advancing that pawn another square. } 32. Nd4 { So, Joe reattacks and goes for another exchange, which Kenaccepts. } 32... Nxd4 33. cxd4 Bg8 { Unlike before, I do not know why Ken playedthis. } 34. O-O { But, Joe waists no time in castling. And, what's interestingto note is that both sides have castled on opposite wings. I don't seethis too often. } 34... h5 { Preventing h4 from advancing another square. I justdon't know why that was a concern since it doesn't promote. But, that'swhere there's still much to study and learn which is the reason behindan annotation, like this. } 35. Bb1 { Going after f5. } 35... Bh7 { Which Ken protects. } 36. g3 { Likewise, Joe prevents g4 from advancing another square. } 36... Nf6 { Idon't know why Ken played this. } 37. Rc1 { Threatening a dangerous attackwhich will be very difficult to drive off. } 37... Ne4 { I'd call this Hope Chess,though. That's because, although I'm unsure, it appears that Ken is hopingto meet the threat without a lot of calculation by reattacking. But, Iunderstand it very well in blitz. } 38. Ba5 { Not to my surprise, however,Joe isn't fooled and goes right after the target. } 38... Rd7 { So, Ken meets itwith this move to prevent 39.Bxc7. In this position, I would not knowwhat to do as white. } 39. Bc2 { Not surprisingly, however, is the fact thatJoe does. That's another example of where I start to see the patternsand become familiar with theory. In other words, this is where it startsto become second nature to me. With that being said, I understand thelogic behind this move since he's mobilizing his LSB where this coversmore squares, and it will turn out to be very damaging, as we're aboutto see. } 39... Kb8 { I'm not sure why Ken played, but in my books, one move isabout as good or bad as another, here. } 40. Rab1 { With that being said,Joe is still preparing for his attack. } 40... b6 { Going after Joe's bishop. How I see it is that, black might as well, from how I see it. } 41. Ba4 { This the plan that I saw coming with 39.Bc2, as now, Joe will win material. } 41... b5 { Doing what he can, however, Ken goes after Ba4. It appears that blackis hoping that white will take back. And, after taking back, when Joechecks, kenneth_fiore_3 would have ways out of trouble. } 42. Rc6 { But,Joe prevents that possibility by playing this. } 42... Kb7 { Still doing whathe can, Ken attacks the Rc6. } 43. Rbc1 { But, this was the logic behind42.Rc6 As now, Joe has doubled up. In doing so, black has no chance ofcounterplay because of what's about to unfold. } 43... Nd6 { I'm not sure why Kenmoved here. As black, I would've, likely, played 43...Ree7 to add protectionto the pawn. But, as we know from the lecture, black is busted, one wayor another. } 44. Rxc7+ { So, Joe takes, at last. } 44... Rxc7 { As anticipated,Ken takes back. } 45. Rxc7+ { But, when Joe makes this recaptures, Ken resigned. The moral of this story is what TA posted, which I find good for learningpurposes. In it, he said, ...'its my 'illusion of weakness'that scramblesthe brain of many players!They simply do not know how to properly attackor defend against such an odd way that a player would move,their game simplyfalls apart when I become suddenly and unexpectedly aggressive!' } 1-0
[Event "A powerful counter-attack?"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009.09.20"] [Round "-"] [White "bugs_bobby"] [Black "x-machine"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1152"] [TimeControl "5d+2d<7d"] [WhiteElo "1006"] { Another game from the mini-tournament. I play as Black, and what I wantto find out from this is; Was I too risky in this game? } 1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 { Queen's Pawn gambit - the programmed starting move } 3. Nc3 { As White,I would have played e4, but this works too (and of course, one move later...) } 3... Nf6 { I respond with developing my own knight } 4. e4 { now the pawn moves,and White threatens to win the pawn back. White already has a strong centrehere } 4... e5 { hoping for 5. dxe5 Nf4 with the chance to retake the pawn anddestroy White's centre control } 5. Nf3 { White brings out his other knight... } 5... Bg4 { so I pin it. Checking the GK database after this game, only one othergame on it has been played like this so far, and Black won that game (thoughI'm not entirely sure if this is the best move) } 6. Be2 { breaks the pin } 6... Nc6 { more development. Looks innocent enough... } 7. Be3 { I'm not too sureabout this move from White either... } 7... Nb4 { This ought to be a bad move(you shouldn't move the same piece twice during the opening) but that knightis going to help a bit later. But first, some exchanges! } 8. Bxc4 { Whitedecides to finally take the pawn (I don't know why he didn't do this earlier) } 8... exd4 { exchange #1 } 9. Bxd4 Bxf3 { exchange #2 } 10. gxf3 Qxd4 { and thanksto my Black knight, Black is now up a piece - 11. Qxd4 loses to 11...Nc2+,then 12...Nxd4, then next move Black castles queenside. This puts White(who has to deal with not being able to castle and a rook on the open d-file)in a bad position } 11. Qb3 { White sees the threat and moves his queen,but I think Qa4+ would have been better here } 11... O-O-O { Black's control ofthe d-file is now obvious here } 12. O-O { the best move, I think... } 12... Bc5 { my original idea here was just to put pressure on the f2 pawn... } 13. Qd1 { ? but this move leads to some further exchanges } 13... Qxf2+ 14. Rxf2 { exchange#3... } 14... Rxd1+ 15. Rxd1 { But Black has just lost his lead... hasn't he? } 15... Rd8 { I need this trade for my plan.. } 16. Rxd8+ { exchange #4 } 16... Kxd8 { nowhere's where White could have (partially) saved himself... the rook pinis a real danger, and White should have used this move to break that pin...(it's also interesting to note that Black has not developed any of hisnon-centre pawns) } 17. Bxf7 { ? Nope, White goes for material greed instead } 17... Nd3 { and now White's rook is officially screwed! } 18. Kf1 { too little,too late } 18... Nxf2 19. e5 { only one safe place for Black's knight to go... } 19... Nd7 20. e6 { this is where it gets interesting - white has a potentiallypowerful counter-attack with his passed pawn } 20... Ne5 { I'm looking to capturethe f3 pawn, but Black should watch out for... } 21. Nd5 { with this move,Black's bishop is burdened with the protection of the knight at f2 andthe prevention of pawn promotion(Nf6 better?) } 21... Nxf3 { i ignore it for now,but I shouldn't have! White simply needs to move 22. b4! And Black losesthe f2 knight } 22. a3 { White seems to forget that the d5 knight alreadycovers that square } 22... Nxh2+ 23. Kg2 Nhg4 { now the knights cover each other.... } 24. b4 { too little, too late.... again } 24... Bd6 { and Black provides extra forceto the left side. Black should work on the left side of the board - that'swhere all its power lies } 25. Bh5 { looks like a powerful threat.... } 25... c6 { but I counterattack, finally moving one of my non-centre pawns } 26. Bxg4 Nxg4 { exchange - for White, this is bad! } 27. Kf3 h5 { have to be carefulhere, for both sides } 28. Nf4 { White's in dangerous waters... } 28... Ne5+ { Whitenneds to be extremely careful of a king fork here.... } 29. Ke4 { he is,and moves to a safe position.... } 29... h4 { but now a pawn heading to promotion!White has a so many things to look out for here! } 30. Ke3 { ? with hopesto stop the promotion, but.... } 30... Nc4+ { king fork! (I keep using this phrase,it seems - I love this attack!) } 31. Kf2 { huh? White gives up on his knightto stop promotion - but at f4, promotion is still preventable (though g5!from Black would be good) } 31... Bxf4 { and here, White finally resigned - a greatgame, in my humble opinion! motions to pre-game comment } 0-1
[Event "A technical win"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2015.12.29"] [Round "-"] [White "BlitzPlayer"] [Black "damafi"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1380"] [TimeControl "5\|5"] [WhiteElo "1405"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e5 3. d5 { Not the most usual. } 3... Bc5 { ? Bh4 presses andthreats Ne4. } 4. h3 d6 5. e4 Bd4 { The idea is to 'force' Ne2, or I'll wine4. } 6. Bd2 { ? Without seeing the danger. } 6... Bxc3 7. Bxc3 Nxe4 8. Qd3 Bf5 { I threat Ng3. } 9. Qb5+ { Threatening b7. I'll leave him take it. } 9... c6 10. Qxb7 { Here, the tactic shot is Qh4, g3, Nxg3 } 10... Qb6 { This heads for a lvelygame, but throws away black's advantage. } 11. Qxb6 axb6 12. dxc6 { NowNe4 has only one scope... } 12... Nxc3 13. bxc3 Nxc6 { No problem if... } 14. Bb5 Kd7 { ...because of this. I can live with the pin, with care. } 15. Nf3 Bxc2 { Ng5 is not a worry... unless a WR is on d1. } 16. a4 h6 { Securing g5 soto be able to play f5. } 17. O-O Be4 { Threatening to exchange the B butshattering white's pawns even more. } 18. Nd2 Bd5 19. c4 Be6 { White's lsbis closed in, my lsb is safe, and I can go pushing my pawns. } 20. Rfd1 { Only thing to worry about: d6. } 20... Kc7 21. Bxc6 Kxc6 22. Ne4 Rhd8 { It shouldbe solid. } 23. Rdc1 f5 { Winning space and ridding out of the threat ond6. } 24. Nd2 e4 { ? conceding d4. Very bad. } 25. Nb3 Bd7 { Taking measuresagainst Nd4. } 26. Nd4+ Kc5 { Let's see this K. } 27. Nb3+ Kb4 { Despite whie'sheavy pieces, my K (I bet) is safe! } 28. Nd2 Rxa4 { Maybe Bxa4 would havebeen better. } 29. Rcb1+ Kc3 { ! White is cramped, and b6 is just not enoughcompensation. } 30. Rxa4 Bxa4 31. Ra1 Be8 { Shielding the B against furtherattacks. } 32. Nf1 Kxc4 { And I got a third pawn without losing mines! Ifelt proud. } 33. Ra7 { Now the delicate defence of all my brave soldiers... } 33... g6 34. Rh7 h5 35. Ne3+ Kc5 36. Rc7+ Kb5 37. Nd5 Bc6 { Necessary to preventRb7 and Rxb6. } 38. Ne7 Be8 { Necessary to defend g6. White can draw by repetition,maybe. } 39. Ng8 { He went otherwise, giving me the chance to prove my win. } 39... Rd7 { I win by exchanging R. } 40. Rc8 Bf7 41. Nf6 Ra7 { Counterattacking. } 42. Rd8 Kc6 { ! The key move } 43. Rf8 b5 { Nothing can stop my pawn now. } 44. Nh7 b4 45. Ng5 Bd5 46. Rb8 Rb7 47. Rc8+ Kb5 48. Rc1 b3 49. Rb1 Kb4 50. h4 { White's only hope is f3, but e3! } 50... Bc4 51. Nh3 Bd3 52. Rb2 Kc3 { TheR is squareless. } 53. Nf4 { The last blunder, but white was lost anyway. } 53... Kxb2 54. Nxd3+ exd3 { An unusual 'technical' win for me. Thank you for reading. } 0-1
[Event "Q vs 2R endgame - missed chances"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2010.11.13"] [Round "-"] [White "pawnstar2010"] [Black "j2000"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [BlackElo "1899"] [TimeControl "3d+1d<3d"] [WhiteElo "1553"] 1. d4 { Here is a ladder game against a stronger opponent, which allowedme to bag my first class B draw. Here's how it unfolded... } 1... Nf6 2. c4 { Whitetries to establish a strong pawn centre early on. } 2... c5 { Black opts for aBenoni defense. } 3. d5 { I prefer this to Nf3, gaining more space. It doesn'tseem to be over extending too much. } 3... e6 4. Nc3 { A natural move. If thereis to be a pawn exchange it may as well help my development. } 4... exd5 5. cxd5 { Nxd5 may be playable, but this way I should be able to maintain somespace in the centre. } 5... d6 6. e4 { Backing up the d pawn, and giving thelight square bishop some options. } 6... g6 7. f4 { Continuing to gain space.Looks like a good pawn centre that is hopefully not too easy to attack! } 7... Bg7 8. Bb5+ { Developing with check. } 8... Nfd7 9. a4 O-O 10. Nf3 { Continuingdevelopment and preparing to castle. } 10... Na6 11. O-O { BxN may double black'spawns on the a file, but that doesn't seem to be enough compensation tolose the bishop pair in a game where white has all that space. In factwith all that space any exchanges would have to be carefully consideredas they would probably favour black. } 11... Nc7 12. Bd3 { Bc4 may have been ok,but the a2-g8 diagonal doesn't look like it will be opening up any timesoon } 12... Rb8 { Black looks to make his own space by preparing for b5. It wouldsuit black if the queenside is opened up. } 13. Nd2 { repositioning closerto the action. } 13... a6 14. Nc4 { I like white's position here - It seems flexible.The queenside seems safe, and white is only a couple of pawn moves awayfrom a dominating presence on the kingside diagonals. } 14... Qe7 15. e5 { Tryingto squeeze black's position. } 15... Ne8 16. Re1 dxe5 17. fxe5 { Now the kingsidediagonals have opened up. Black looks to be cramped, but white will havetrouble holding onto the central pawns, and black may yet get to stretchhis legs. } 17... b5 { I first thought this was a ploy to remove the knight fromits defence of e5, but black already has the opportunity to take the epawn. Perhaps trying to create counterplay on the queenside instead. } 18. axb5 axb5 19. Na5 { Looking at c6 to fork the black Q + R } 19... Bxe5 { Blackchooses counter attacking options instead of being concerned with exchanginga rook for a knight. } 20. Nc6 Qh4 { Threatening 21...Qxh2 } 21. Nxe5 Qd4+ 22. Be3 { This move was setting a trap. If 22...Qxe5, then 23 Bxc5 Attacksa rook with a bishop and discovers an attack on the queen with a rook. } 22... Qxe5 23. Bxc5 { I had wondered if black may have seen the trap and decidedit was worth exchanging an active bishop for an inactive rook. } 23... Qxe1+ { But black had different ideas... I did look at this line, but dismissedit fairly quickly. After black played this it seemed quite playable. Thisway black takes off a rook, a bishop and a knight for the cost of his queenand a pawn. } 24. Qxe1 Nxc5 { White still looks good, but black now hasa chance to try to create some counterplay and outclass a less experiencedopponent. } 25. Qg3 { Making the queen more active. Bxb5 will still be therenext turn. } 25... Rb6 26. Bxb5 { See :) } 26... Nd6 { Bringing the knight back and challengingWhite's bishop, also looking to make things complicated at e4. A knightexchange at e4 does seem perilous for White's bishop. } 27. b4 { White wouldprefer to keep his bishop, but would accept the exchange happily in thiscase to connect two passed pawns. } 27... Nce4 { Forcing the knight exchange. } 28. Nxe4 Nxe4 29. Qd3 { Protecting the bishop and challenging the knight. } 29... Bf5 { Both protecting the knight, and threatening a discovered attackon the queen. } 30. Ra6 { A move White would rather forget. } 30... Nc5 { Blackpounces on whites mistake. } 31. Qd4 { This way white can get some compensation.Black must now 31...Rxa6 but after 32. bxc5 White's passed pawns are connected. } 31... Rxa6 32. bxc5 { Material is now equal, but black is going to need to payplenty of attention to white's pawns. } 32... Ra5 33. Bc6 { Stopping black fromdoubling his rooks (for now)... } 33... Rb8 34. d6 { One step closer... Aware ofthe attacking opportunities for black down the queenside, but it seemsto be repelled easy enough. I expected something like: 34. d6 Ra2, 35.Be4 Bxe4, 36. Qxe4 } 34... Rb1+ 35. Kf2 Rb3 { Trying to squeeze Henry into thewall. } 36. Be4 { Protecting b1. If there's an exchange b1 will still beprotected. } 36... Ra2+ 37. Kf1 { Further restricting Henry. What happened toall that space White had earlier?! } 37... Bxe4 38. Qxe4 { After the bishop exchangeWhite can choose to force the draw by perpetual. } 38... Ra1+ 39. Kf2 Ra2+ 40. Kf1 { Black seemed happy to settle for a draw here, } 40... Ra1+ 41. Ke2 { ButWhite still has some ideas. } 41... Ra2+ 42. Kd1 Rbb2 43. Kc1 { I thought I hadseen a way to exchange the White queen for a Black rook and an unstoppablepawn, but after reconsidering the pawn was stoppable after all 43. Qe8+Kg7, 44. Qe5+ Kf8, 45. Qxb2 Rxb2 and I couldn't find a way to promotion. } 43... Rf2 44. Qe8+ { Just in case black is caught unawares with 44. Qe8+ Kg7,45. Qe5+ Kf8, 46. Qh8# } 44... Kg7 45. Qe5+ Kg8 { Not this time! } 46. Qe8+ { Thegame ends in a draw. Thanks for reading, all comments welcome! } 1/2-1/2
[Event "Game two..."] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2018.03.08"] [Round "-"] [White "aquila217"] [Black "lake-bay"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1410"] [WhiteElo "1588"] 1. e4 { I admit I was feeling pretty good going into this game. } 1... e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 { This is so passive. Nf6 gets out of the boring Italian game that Iknow so well. } 3. Bb5 { Or this, I have won many games with this as black. } 3... a6 4. Ba4 { Come on. Take the knight. } 4... b5 { I still enjoy this move. ButI am conflicted about it. Is the best move? } 5. Bb3 Bc5 6. c3 Nf6 7. O-O Ne7 { ?? My troubles start here. I planned to get my bishop out of the wayand then pawn storm the queen side. } 8. Nxe5 Nxe4 { ?? I blunder again tryingto maintain equality. } 9. Bxf7+ { Whew! He didn't see that Nxf7!! wins thequeen. } 9... Kf8 10. Qf3 Nf6 { ? I am floundering. } 11. Qxa8 { Oh no! I couldhave resigned here. But I wasn't finished yet. } 11... d6 12. d4 dxe5 13. dxc5 Kxf7 14. Qf3 Bg4 { I start my attack. } 15. Qg3 Nf5 { I thought I had wonthe queen. This is premature. Re8! setting a trap first would have beenbetter. } 16. Qxe5 { My hopes were squashed. } 16... Re8 17. Qf4 Nd5 { I didn't see... } 18. Qxg4 { ~sigh~ } 18... Qe7 19. Qxf5+ Nf6 20. Bg5 Qe1 { I planned a back rankmate. } 21. Bxf6 gxf6 22. Qxh7+ Kf8 23. Na3 { I resigned. } 1-0
[Event "GameKnot Blitz, http://gameknot.com/"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2013.02.02"] [Round "-"] [White "idiosyncracy"] [Black "damalfi"] [Result "0-1"] 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nxd5 4. d4 Bg4 { Mistake. The bishop is betterplaced in f5. } 5. c4 Nf6 6. Be3 e6 7. Bd3 Bb4+ 8. Nc3 O-O 9. a3 Bxc3+ { Goingback would mean it was a tempo loss... } 10. bxc3 c6 11. h3 Bh5 12. Bg5 { It starts to be a little uneasy, but everyting's in control. } 12... Nbd7 13. g4 Bg6 14. Ne5 { White is doing well, but black has no weak points, untilthe opposite is proven. } 14... Qa5 15. Qd2 h6 { A 'daring' move by black, andsuddenly it is full of tactics. If NxB, hxB, NxR, Ne4... and a mess. Infact, Ne4 was to be played right now. BxN, BxB, and the white rook andthe black knight are hanging. But let's see... } 16. Bh4 Ne4 17. Bxe4 Bxe4 18. f3 { White thinks he is so clever, but... } 18... Nxe5 { Threatening a forkon f3. } 19. dxe5 Bxf3 { So I win my pawn, and maybe the game with this. } 20. Rf1 Qxe5+ 21. Kf2 Qh2+ { A little of an exhibition. Now my bishopis safe because of the queen behind. } 22. Ke3 Qxh3 { I estimated this betterthan QxQ. Now white can avoid the bishop's exchange, but is is dangerous. } 23. Rxf3 Qxh4 24. Qg2 Rad8 25. Rh1 Qg5+ { White has no escape. } 26. Kf2 Rd2+ 0-1
[Event "International Chess Open Vegas Rd 4 '22"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "6.11.22"] [Round "-"] [White "freeman"] [Black "Adithya"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1333"] [TimeControl "40/90 30 SD +30s"] [WhiteElo "1499"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. e3 { Colle system } 3... d5 4. Bd3 b6 5. Qe2 { Not followingthe mainlines of the Colle system. 5. 0-0, 5 c3 allow black to play thehyper fianchetto 5...Ba6!? At least for the time being White prevents suchplay. If black is insistent on trading light square bishops 5...a5 canbe played with Ba6 to follow. } 5... Bb7 6. O-O Bd6 7. b3 { Colle Zukertort } 7... Nbd7 8. Bb2 c5 9. c4 { 9. a3, 9. Nbd2, 9.Ne5!? are all playable lines. } 9... dxc4 10. bxc4 O-O 11. Nc3 cxd4 12. exd4 { The dynamic pawn duo! } 12... Rc8 13. Nb5 Bb8 14. Ba3 { Here I wanted develop a Rook to match Black's play butI saw that the Bb7 is hanging } 14... Bxf3 { Here my opponent thought for a whilebefore playing BxNf3 } 15. Qxf3 Re8 16. Rfe1 { Nd6...BxNd6; BxBd6 and mybishop is hanging. Thus i thought I could develop a rook first before anymore Knight tricks on the d6 square } 16... a6 { Black forces my hand Knight b5-c3would only let black improve his position. } 17. Nd6 Bxd6 18. Bxd6 Nf8 19. c5 b5 { ?! } 20. a4 { And this made me glad I left the rook at a1! } 20... N8d7 21. axb5 axb5 22. Bxb5 Ra8 23. Rxa8 Qxa8 24. Qxa8 Rxa8 25. c6 Nb6 26. Rc1 { Black resigned. I would say there was still a long game in this and itwould be very hard for White to queen a pawn I would state. } 1-0
[Event "jotacr's mini-tournament 4�"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "05-Jun-08"] [Round "-"] [White "helmetline"] [Black "thexalon"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1488"] [TimeControl "3d+1d, 5d max"] [WhiteElo "1616"] 1. e4 { The story of this game: Black recovers from some opening mistakes,holding a difficult defensive position for a while. White tries a sacrificeto break black's defenses, and black manages to make the material advantagefrom the sacrifice count in his favor rather than white's. } 1... c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e5 { This takes us a bit off the beaten path, but stillwith well-known popular responses for white. White will turn the move intoan attack. } 5. Nb5 { This sets up the threat of Nd6 Bxd6 Qxd6. Black, however,is completely unaware of the hole. } 5... Nf6 6. N1c3 a6 { A poor idea. d6 ismuch better here. } 7. Nd6+ Bxd6 8. Qxd6 Qe7 9. Qxe7+ Nxe7 { When the dustsettles, white has an extra bishop, black an extra knight, and black isarguably a bit more developed. } 10. Bg5 d6 { Black is probably better offwith b5 followed by Bb7. } 11. Bxf6 { ! Good positional exchange that willeventually lead to winning a pawn. } 11... gxf6 12. O-O-O { Another excellent attackingmove. At first glance, it seems as though black's center is about to collapse. } 12... Kd7 { This decision to keep the king centralized has far-reaching strategicimplications. It's safer than usual because the queens and 2 minor pieceshave already been exchanged away. From here on out, exchanges benefit black,precisely because they make the centralized king more of a help and lessof a problem. The alternative is to lose the d pawn and any pretense ofcentral control. } 13. Bc4 { Targeting the doubled pawns makes perfect sensehere. } 13... Rf8 { This is black's only possible defense. The only other piecein a position to defend is the king, but that's tied down by the attackon d6. } 14. Rd2 { Threatening Rd1 and a quick ending on d6. Black has toclear c8 without losing tempo. } 14... b5 { Black has the tempo-gaining move setup. If the bishop goes to b3, black follows up with b4, removing the knight,then plays Bb7 to threaten white's center, and finally plays Nc8 to savethe d6 pawn. } 15. Bxb5+ { The best continuation available for both sideshere appears to be 15. ... axb5 16. Nxb5 Kc6 (if not, 17. Rxd6 Ke8 18.Nc7#) 17. Rxd6 Kxb5. } 15... axb5 16. Kb1 { Guarding a2 after the knight grabsthe b5 pawn. This was not in fact correct play: white would have done betterto press the attack. } 16... Ba6 { The bishop is finally activated. The king cannotact as the defender of the b5 pawn without conceding d6. } 17. Rhd1 Nc8 { Black's knight gets to where it needs to be just in time. } 18. Nd5 Rh8 { The f6 pawn cannot be defended. Ke6 is met by Nc7 and the loss of a rook. } 19. Nxf6+ Ke6 20. Nd5 Ra7 21. g3 { Preparations for a push on f4. Whiteis doing everything possible to break up black's center. } 21... h5 22. f4 f5 { ! 22. ... exf4 would break the black center with disastrous consequencesfor black. At least with this exchange black destroys white's center aswell. } 23. exf5+ Kxf5 24. Ne3+ { This maintains the threat to d6, ratherthan letting black set up the endgame. } 24... Ke6 25. fxe5 dxe5 { This leavesblack with a passed central pawn that will eventually win the game. Also,the white knight now only has one attacking move available, namely d5. } 26. Rd5 Re7 { Standard play here: By putting a rook behind the passed pawnwe make it easier to promote. } 27. c3 Rf8 { Threatening to push back theknight with Rf3. This also eliminates the possibility of Nf5. } 28. Re1 Nb6 { Because the rooks are no longer combined, the d5 rook becomes a primetarget. } 29. Rc5 Kd6 { This closes a trap: The c5 rook cannot move withoutbeing captured. Also noteworthy here is that now the white knight cannotattack at all: if 30. Nd5 Nxd5 31. Rxd5 Kxd5. } 30. b4 { This allows compensationfor the rook. Na4 or Nd7 will not win due to the threat on d5. } 30... Rc8 31. Rxc8 Bxc8 { If 31. ... Nxc8 32. Nf5 and black is lost. } 32. Rd1+ Ke6 33. g4 Kf6 { Not 33. ... hxg4 34. Nxg4 letting the knight out of its containedarea. The king must move in order to catch the white pawn in time. } 34. Rd6+ { This looks like it wins the black knight, but it doesn't work. } 34... Re6 35. Rxe6+ { Possibly better was Rd8 followed by Rh8 to create an openingon black's flank, but white wants the initiative. } 35... Bxe6 { Classic bishop-vs-knightpositioning: Now the knight cannot advance without falling prey to thebishop. Note how the exchanges are continuing to benefit black due to hisactive king. } 36. gxh5 Kg5 37. a3 { A sheer waste of time. } 37... Kxh5 38. Kc2 { White's king finally moves to join the fray. Until this move, black had2 extra effective pieces: the bishop and the king. } 38... Nc4 { Exchanges continueto benefit black. White must trade or lose the a3 pawn. } 39. Nxc4 Bxc4 { bxc4 is out of the question: it leaves black tied up trying to stop apair of passed pawns. } 40. Kd2 e4 41. Ke3 { Standard defense: if there'sa passed pawn, blockade it. } 41... Bd3 { The bishop here is not expected to holdon forever. Its purpose is to hang on long enough for the king to stopthe h2 pawn and move to defend the e pawn. } 42. Kd4 Kg4 43. c4 { Other moveslose immediately. If white moves his king away from e4 and d3, the e pawnpromotes. If a4, bxa4 and one of black's pawns promotes. } 43... bxc4 44. b5 c3 { Either the c pawn promotes first, or black buys himself enough time tostop the pawns without losing his e pawn. Better for white here wouldprobably be to let the c-pawn promote. } 45. Kxc3 Bxb5 46. Kd4 Kf3 { Blackno longer needs the king to protect against the h pawn, because the bishopcan do that. } 47. h4 Be8 { The bishop has enough time to stop both pawnsbecause of how far back they start in white's position. Had either pawnbeen a step ahead of their current positions, black would be forced toconcede a draw. } 48. a4 Bxa4 49. h5 Be8 50. h6 Bg6 51. Ke5 e3 { White isnow unable to force the bishop off the h7-b1 diagonal. h7 is now met byBxh7, whether or not the white king will recapture. } 52. Kf6 Bb1 0-1
[Event "The Amazing Tournament of Grub"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2011.11.02"] [Round "-"] [White "shashwat923"] [Black "cavvie8"] [Result ""] [BlackElo "1102"] [TimeControl "3d+1d<5d"] [WhiteElo "1280"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Qf6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. d3 d6 5. Nd5 Qd8 6. Be3 Be6 7. Nc3 Nf6 8. Bg5 h6 9. Bh4 g5 10. Bg3 Bg4 11. h3 Bxf3 12. Qxf3 Nd4 13. Qd1 h5 14. Be2 h4 15. Bh2 c6 16. O-O d5 17. Bxe5 c5 18. exd5 Bd6 19. Bxd6 Qxd6 20. Qd2 Rg8 21. Ne4 Nxe4 22. dxe4 O-O-O 23. c3 Nxe2+ 24. Qxe2 Rde8 25. f3 f6 26. a3 a6 27. b4 b6 28. Rab1 { White was winning like this } 28... Rgf8 29. Qxa6+ Kd8 30. bxc5 Qxc5+ 31. Kh1 Ke7 32. Qb7+ Kd8 33. Rxb6 Qc7 34. d6 Qxb7 35. Rxb7 { Got into a much better position still } 35... Re6 36. d7 Rd6 { Lost one pawn } 37. Rfb1 Ke7 38. a4 Rd8 39. a5 R8xd7 40. Rxd7+ Kxd7 { A echange of rooks } 41. Rb7+ Kc8 42. Rb5 Kc7 43. c4 Rd1+ 44. Kh2 Ra1 45. c5 Kc6 { Yet anotherpawn gone } 46. Rb8 { Yet } 46... Rxa5 47. Rc8+ Kd7 48. Rf8 Ke6 49. c6 Rc5 50. Rc8 Kd6 51. Rf8 Ke6 { Pawn trapped AGAINN } 52. g4 Rxc6 53. Kg2 Rc2+ 54. Kf1 Rc3 55. Kf2 { Checking starts off. } 55... Rc2+ 56. Kf1 Rc1+ 57. Kg2 Rc2+ 58. Kf1 Rc1+ 59. Ke2 Rc2+ 60. Ke3 { Gives up pawn to stop repetition } 60... Rh2 61. f4 { f4? Mybe whites biggest blunder of the game } 61... Rxh3+ 62. Kd4 Rg3 63. f5+ Ke7 64. Ra8 Rxg4 65. Ra7+ { It is my best game ever Cant be better whodo you think will win me or cavvie. Note that now the king will not beable to save the fpawn but I have no plans to take it am I correct nottaking it? } 65... Ke8 66. Ra8+ Kd7 67. Ra7+ Kc8 68. Rh7 Rf4 69. Kd5 Rf3 70. Rf7 h3 71. Ra7 h2 72. Ra1 { promotion stop try. } 72... Rh3 73. Rh1 Kd8 74. e5 fxe5 { The move which black wud hate Better was ofcourse Ke7 supporting pawn } 75. Kxe5 g4 76. Kf4 g3 77. Kf3 { King controls position } 77... Ke7 78. Kg2 Rh5 { Pawn sealed forcibly } 79. Kxg3 { and finnaly drawn }
[Event "Wold Championship 6th game, Reykjavik"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "1972.??.??"] [Round "-"] [White "Fischer,Robert J"] [Black "Spassky,Boris"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1200"] [TimeControl "?"] [WhiteElo "1200"] { notes based on annotation by Marovic } 1. c4 e6 2. Nf3 d5 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bg5 O-O 6. e3 h6 7. Bh4 b6 { Spassky enters the Tartakower variationof QGD. Spassky's favorite defense to the QGD, with which at that timehe had never lost a game. } 8. cxd5 Nxd5 9. Bxe7 Qxe7 10. Nxd5 exd5 11. Rc1 Be6 { The Bishop is much stronger here than at b7. } 12. Qa4 c5 13. Qa3 Rc8 14. Bb5 a6 { Before developing the knight, Black wants to get rid ofthe possibility of Ba6. } 15. dxc5 bxc5 { Black now has hanging pawns atc5 and d5. Fischer gives a masterful lesson on how to play against hangingpawns. } 16. O-O Ra7 { 16...Qb7 would have been better. } 17. Be2 Nd7 18. Nd4 Qf8 19. Nxe6 fxe6 20. e4 { wrecking Black's pawn structure. on 20...de21 Bc4 Qe7 22 Rfel Nf6 23 f3. Tal proposed 20...c4, but after 21 Qh3Qf7 22 Bg4 Re8 23 Bh5 g6 Be2 Black has problems. } 20... d4 { White reaches hisgoal against hanging pawns. Forcing one of them to move so they can beblockaded. White now has an excellent outpost at c4 for his bishop. } 21. f4 Qe7 22. e5 { ...Nb6 is prevented by the threat of ...f5 } 22... Rb8 23. Bc4 Kh8 { if 23...Nb6 24 Qb3 wins } 24. Qh3 Nf8 25. b3 a5 26. f5 { Black has nocounterplay and Fischer starts the attack } 26... exf5 27. Rxf5 Nh7 28. Rcf1 Qd8 29. Qg3 Re7 30. h4 { Now the knight is out of play. } 30... Rbb7 31. e6 Rbc7 32. Qe5 Qe8 33. a4 Qd8 34. R1f2 Qe8 35. R2f3 Qd8 36. Bd3 { Black is stalematedand Fischer quickly finishes him off. } 36... Qe8 37. Qe4 Nf6 38. Rxf6 gxf6 39. Rxf6 Kg8 40. Bc4 Kh8 41. Qf4 1-0
[Event "Brilliancy prize"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date ""] [Round "-"] [White "Bent Larsen"] [Black "Boris Spassky"] [Result "0-1"] { A look back at the 1970 USSR vs. Rest of the World. V. Smyslov, B. Spassky,M. Botvinnik, M. Tal and T. Petrosian On paper the Soviet team looked monumental.Five world champions and Keres on board 10! A fantastic display of power.Larsen, in an attempt to take his opponent 'out of the book’, tried anirregular opening which Spassky took in his stride. However, the Championcontrived such a complicated maneuver on his 12th move, when he offeredhis opponent a knight, that Larsen spent 45 minutes studying the positionbefore coming to a decision. He took the knight; then Spassky gave hima rook- and three moves later, forced him to resign! The brilliancy prizefor the second round went to Spassky for this game. } 1. b3 { Larsen scoredsome fine victories with this opening named Nimzowitsch-Larsen attack. } 1... e5 { White allows Black to occupy the centre which is hyper-modern opening. } 2. Bb2 { White starts his attack against Black's centre. } 2... Nc6 3. c4 { Theorysuggests 3. e3 d5 followed by 4. Bb5 pinning the knight. } 3... Nf6 4. Nf3 { 4.Nf3 probably inviting the e5 pawn to advance to e4. } 4... e4 5. Nd4 Bc5 { Black'sis ahead in development and is ready to castle. } 6. Nxc6 dxc6 { White saddlesBlack with doubled pawns on c-file. Now the e-pawn will be attacked. Atypical hyper modern opening. White exchanged his developed knight andis behind in development. } 7. e3 Bf5 8. Qc2 Qe7 { The play revolves aroundthe e4 pawn. } 9. Be2 { 9. d4 would have captured the centre for White. } 9... O-O-O { Black castles on the queen side to avoid an attack by the long rangeWhite bishop on b2. } 10. f4 { White's opening strategy seems to be clear.His bishop on b2 is being supported by a strong pawn chain. Black cannotcapture the f-pawn by en passant as the bishop is on f4. } 10... Ng4 { Black attacksthe f2 square with his knight. Looks like a typical amateur play but Spasskywas the World champion in 1970. } 11. g3 h5 { Black starts his attack. } 12. h3 { White tries to drive away the pesky knight. } 12... h4 { !! Black offers theknight. Spassky has devised a brilliant maneuvre to take advantage of theWhite king in the centre. } 13. hxg4 { Larsen, an aggressive player himself,spent 45 minutes before accepting the knight and probably could not seethe maneuver planned by Spassky. } 13... hxg3 14. Rg1 Rh1 { !!! This is the movewhich won the brilliancy prize. A second piece being offered. Can we seeany attack after this? } 15. Rxh1 g2 { A tiny pawn is sufficient to bringWhite's game down. } 16. Rf1 { Larsen hopes for gxf1 but Spassky did notsac 2 pieces for nothing. 16. Rg1 may have been better but Larsen musthave lost his cool by Spassky's audacious sacrifices. } 16... Qh4+ 17. Kd1 gxf1=Q+ { Larsen resigns as White is mated in 3 moves. Can we see the mate at leastnow? It is amazing that Larsen, a top flight grandmaster playing on topboard, for World team should have collapsed in his own opening. So it isOk if we lose our games in similar fashion, eh? } 0-1
[Event "Let's play chess"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2010.11.03"] [Round "-"] [White "krazysick614"] [Black "grandnight"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "995"] [TimeControl "2 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1117"] 1. e4 c5 2. f4 d5 { this i don't know why he pulled off the Queen openingagainst the King opening. } 3. e5 { King opening going for a push } 3... e6 4. Nf3 c4 5. Nd4 f5 6. Be2 Nc6 7. Nxc6 bxc6 8. O-O Be7 9. d4 Bf8 10. Nc3 a6 11. a4 Ne7 12. b4 Ng6 13. b5 { pawn is going for the push } 13... cxb5 { He took the bait. } 14. axb5 { but he don't move that pawn because he lose a rook } 14... Qh4 { i think it's a bad move on his part } 15. g3 Qe7 { waste of a move butit force his queen back away from the take either from the pawn or by thingking } 16. b6 { pawn is still going for the push } 16... Nh4 17. Rb1 h6 18. gxh4 { not one of the best move put using the check to my advantage } 18... Qxh4 19. Bh5+ { messed up the person castle. 'Castle Early As Possible' } 19... Kd8 20. b7 Bxb7 { not one of the best side to do but goes up in points } 21. Rxb7 Kc8 22. Rb6 Qe7 23. Na4 Qd7 24. Nc5 { trying to fork the queen but forgotthat the bishop was there } 24... Bxc5 25. dxc5 Qc7 26. Rxe6 Qxc5+ { first checkfor black } 27. Rf2 c3 28. Rd6 Rb8 29. Rxd5 Qc4 30. Ba3 Kb7 31. Rd7+ { goingfor the boxing fork } 31... Ka8 32. Bf3+ { getting it set up for the kill } 32... Rb7 33. Bxb7+ { shift in points and a game changer for me } 33... Ka7 34. Bc6+ Kb6 35. Qb1+ { now it's getting there and forcing the queen to move } 35... Qb5 { MINE!!!! } 36. Bxb5 axb5 37. Rd6+ { U wonder why he didn't move away from it but hemove toward the mate } 37... Ka5 { you know where the mate it } 38. Qb4# { 38 movesjust to mate the person. he had an strong idea where to do but he madealot of mistake and same goes for me. i had a possible mate somewhere inthe early 20 move but didn't find it. next chance was in the 30 move butit didn't go the way it plan. over all of this match. he or she put upa good fight and try not to lose the queen in the process } 1-0
[Event "Ruy Lopez, Breyer System Consultation Game"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2017.04.08"] [Round "-"] [White "Chess Problems Lovers Club"] [Black "brigadecommander"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [BlackElo "2377"] [TimeControl "5 days per move"] { This was a very interesting game between Charles and Janet. Because thereis and was so much to learn with a different opening, it became a consultationgame in the club, Chess Problem's Lovers. I like the Spanish Opening butwasn't familiar with the Breyer System which is therefore good practicesince we see another example of how intense openings can be. And, thereso important that one mistake can change the entire outcome. Janet gaveall of the members a handicap. So, we started off with the advantage butmade a mistake that ended it in a draw. It's worth noting that the mistakewas an oversight, so how did it all go down? } 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 O-O 9. h3 Nb8 { Thisis how the Breyer's System begins. And, it is also where the voting begins. Simon: 10.d4 With the knight undeveloping itself, an aggressive more intothe centre seems best to me. White has opening advantage plus an extratwo tempi? Joe: my vote is similar, but it would be 10.d3 The idea beingto prevent an exchange because if 10.d4, she can play 10...exd4, and I'mkeeping in mind what kenneth_fiore_3 told me about exchanges which is tohold off on that. And, that was due to me getting impulsive and doing sowhenever possible which is a big no no. ION: I'll join in... ... but forreasons of a rather erratic attention span (I've only just seen this threadthough it must be three days old already) I do not wish to 'captain' theside. I reckon charleshiggie would be very suited to the role. My vote:10.d4 Seems to me as good a time to stake a big claim on the centre,and it frees the Q-side for development. Black's immediate programmewill be to reorganise her Q-side. We can use that time to develop our own. Jeremy: I also vote 10.d4 It's a bit aggressive but with the position,and the knight not challenging, we stake a nice claim on the center, opena space for our dsb to move, and gets us one step closer to completingdevelopment. } 10. d4 Nbd7 { Joe: Could change, but my vote, for now, is11.d5 as that prevents an exchange. The only drawback is that our developmentis hindered since that same pawn will be moving. Simon: I vote 11.Nd2This seems the obvious way to develop the knight as the c3 square isn'tavailable. From here it'll probably go to f1 and then g3 for a kingsideassault, which would free our bishop on c1 at the same time. White couldalso consider 11.c4 or 11.a4 to threaten on the kingside but it feels alittle premature to me. jkarp - I think the exchange would be to ourbenefit. If ...exd4 then cxd4 and we have a central pawn duo and good controlof the centre. Joe: I agree with you Simon which is why Janet did notplay 10...exd4 So, I change my vote. I like 11.Nd2, but this appears tocramp Knight. Then, again, there are situation where this must be done.However, another move that develops which I was also thinking about was11.Bg5. Therefore, this is my new vote. Although not even a half pin, thereappears to be some pressure against Janet's Nf6. And, in somewhat similarpositions to this and the same scenario as we're seeing here, I have playedmoves like this. Therefore, my vote is now 11.Bg5. ION: The Quieen's knight...... will develop via Nb1-d2-f1 and the e3 or g3 as we think best. I believewe can afford to maintain the tension in the centre for now. Let Blackexchange if she durst. I don't reckon she will. If she plays 11...Bb7,we can support the e-pawn with 12.Bc2. } 11. Nbd2 Bb7 { ION: I suggest...12.Bc2. Reason is that we will want to move the d2-knight again verysoon, in order to free the dark-square bishop. The knight will have togo to f1, and thence to e3 or (more likely) g3. But before moving the knightwe ought to ensure the protection of the e-pawn, hence playing the bishopmove first. Joe: I don't know how this frees a square for the N. As thatmoves the LSB, as opposed to, the DSB. I know that Bf1 would. Therefore,believe it or not, my vote is the same as ION but for a different reason.If it were for freeing the N, I'd vote 12.Nf1. But, what I like about 12.Bc2is that the both of the Bishops are nicely aligned. As I analyzed a traininggame between adevela and Steppenwolf. And, what I learned just by beinga spectator is that you want your B's aligned and vertical to each other.So, 12.Bc2 is my vote. Ron: I would also suggest 12. Bc2. That's if Ican join in on this game. I know it would be the 3rd time moving this piece,but I like the Bc2 position. } 12. Bc2 Re8 { Simon: 13. Nf1 Continuingthe plan. 13. a4 or 13. b3 are also worth considering. ION: I'd be ...... happy with 13.Nf1 or 13.a4. If there is otherwise an even split, I'llprobably go with the knight move. The a4 move is on the cards sooner orlater. It can afford to await the further development of our pieces. Jeremy:I really like b3 to activate the dsb and prepare for a4 (coming). Nf1 isan interesting decision, but my preference is b3. Charles: On this openingdatabase, Nf1 seems to be the most popular move, but a4 and b3 seem toscore better... Joe: Which is my vote. And, that's because the idea isfreeing up our DSB. So, my vote is for 13.Nf1. Simon: I can definitelysee the merits of a4 and b3. If we go down the Nf1 and subsequently Ng3or Ne3 then we'll have ended up moving the knight three times and the bishop3 times, which is hardly what the grandmasters recommend! By playingb3 (or a4 and b3 later) we can develop the bishop without having to movethe knight again and hopefully retain more opening advantage. I'll switchmy vote to b3 just to keep things interesting. } 13. b3 Bf8 { Joe: I'mnot sure exactly what to do. 14.Nf1 looks good. But, seeing that we havefreed our Bc1 with the fianchetto, my vote is 14.Bb2 to take advantageof that long diagonal. Simon: I like 14. Bb2 here to develop the bishopand add pressure to the long diagonal. ION: I suggest... ... we carryin with normal development: Nf1 followed by Ng3 Jeremy: Bb2 is my vote.The knight moves take from our tempo advantage. ION: The knight moves... ... must happen sooner or later. I don't think it makes much differencewhat we do within reason: Bb2, Nf1, even d5 - all seem reasonable movesto me, and would have no quarrel with any of them. } 14. Nf1 exd4 { Janet:14.Bb2 or 14.a4 was essential. ION: Oops - - Methinks I made a boo-boo,and have contributed to our having to fight a thankless defence for therest of the game. My blunder: I simply didn't check. Let that be a lesson.Take the time (I was in a bit of a needless hurry), and when offering amove for selection, make a case. It might also be an idea to examineothers' options and be prepared to argue for or against. Usually I tryto do this, but chose an occasion in which I didn't to propose a lemon. At this point I see nothing better than 15.cxd4, but suggest we lookfurther. } 15. cxd4 { Even if it is not the moral of the story, Janet'snext post is a very important lesson, so I have decided to tie it in withthe moral for the annotation. That's because with different defenses,and more then just two he has implied how important it is to study variations. What he has told me is to play moves that are most played by Masters andGrandmasters. Of course, you don't know what they always play. But, whathe has implied is that it is very important to study the variations carefullyas the moral to some of my games. Janet: I would be willing to call thisgame a draw,start over up till move 14. 14.Nf1 is a bad error. But it seemsit was caused by a slight vote count error. It is more important to studythis opening variation then for me to have an easy win. Mr Lopez and Mr.Breyerwould be disappointed.... Let me know guys. ION: Thanks, Janet. I do notbelieve that we could make a successful defence of this as it stands: apawn ffalling, and a centre pawn at that. What do the rest of youse jokersreckon? Jeremy: Agreed to draw. } 1/2-1/2
[Event "League division C3"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "08-Apr-07"] [Round "-"] [White "palmada"] [Black "another_ken"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1824"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1636"] 1. d4 f5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 b6 4. Bd2 Bb7 5. Bd3 g6 6. O-O Nc6 7. h3 d6 8. Ng5 { ? It is not clear what White is intending here (maybe next Kne6 Qd7,d5), but whatever it is only wastes time and brings him trouble... } 8... Qd7 { Finishes Queen-side development, and allows Black to castle Queen sideas well as covering e6 } 9. b4 { To continue b5 no doubt, displacing Black'sknight. Too slow...? } 9... e5 { ! Challenging for central control, and givingBlack a good flight square for his knight on c6 } 10. b5 { White's pawn onb5 cramps his white square bishop, a bonus for Black! What's more, Blackwill be able to offer his king excellent safety on the queen side justas soon as he can safely play a5(!) } 10... Ne7 11. Qe2 { ?! White needs a flightsquare for his knight on g5, other than f3. White should consider d4 orh4 instead } 11... Bh6 { ! White should have seen this coming, and played d4 orh4 in advance } 12. Nf3 e4 13. Ne1 exd3 14. Qxd3 a5 { ! An important insurancemove for Black conceived on move 9, for upon b5-a6x Black's white squarebishop threatens a nasty pin and Black has the a-file all to himself. Anythingelse, and Black can castle Queen side without ever having to worry abouta pawn storm from White -- his pawn structure is impervious, and White'sb-pawn is blocking a6 (even White's knights cannot land there). This moveseems to guarantee Black's future. } 15. Nc3 O-O-O 16. Qc4 { Winning somespace, for Queen and knight } 16... g5 { ! Black is initiating a kingside attack. } 17. Nd3 Bg7 { Clearing the way for Black's h-pawn } 18. a4 { ? Cramping White'sposition further! Qf7 might be tempting here, but it only brings aboutan exchange of queens. Such an exhange only favours Black here -- he nowhas the White squares all to himself. } 18... h5 19. Qf7 Ned5 { ! Forcing an exchangeof queens, only good for Black here } 20. Qxd7+ Rxd7 21. Rae1 Nxc3 { Exchangingfavours Black, while opening the main white diagonal and freeing up e4for a knight -- winning more material! } 22. Bxc3 Ne4 { Gaining time andmaterial for Black...! } 23. Bxa5 { Any other move by the White bishop costsWhite's f-rook (for the Black knight) } 23... bxa5 24. Kh1 { ? For want of somethingto do? } 24... g4 { ! More pressure on White's vulnerable position... } 25. Nf4 g3 { White cannot take the pawn on g3 on his next move } 26. f3 Nd2 27. Rg1 Nxf3 { ! A useful sacrifice -- Black is cramping White's position, and willwin plenty of time/material at the very least } 28. gxf3 Bxf3+ 29. Ng2 h4 30. Rb1 Kb7 { Black's king will cover c5, closing off White, gaining timeand protecting himself further } 31. c4 Kb6 32. Rbf1 Be4 { ! Immovable. White's position is decidedly cramped. } 33. Rf4 c5 { ! Black will bringa rook to an open file shortly } 34. bxc6 Kxc6 35. Rc1 { Some breathingspace for White's king, but at some cost -- time, material at least! } 35... Rb7 36. Kg1 Rb2 37. d5+ { ? Black's second bishop now permanently enters thegame! } 37... Kc5 38. Nxh4 { Stalling } 38... Bh6 { ! White cannot save a rook here. Evenso... } 39. Nf3 Bxf4 40. Rf1 Bxe3+ 0-1
[Event "Challenge from jstevens1"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "01-Mar-08"] [Round "-"] [White "jstevens1"] [Black "dmaestro"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1440"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1587"] 1. d4 d6 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nc3 e5 { The old indian defense, offering a queenexchange. } 4. dxe5 { was not sure my opponent would exchange given the resultsin the gameknot database, but they did! } 4... dxe5 5. Qxd8+ Kxd8 6. Bg5 { herewhite looks like they are gaining an advantage, but black has surprisingresources } 6... c6 7. O-O-O+ Kc7 8. Bxf6 { This exhange is probably appealingbecause the pawns are doubled but loses the bishop pair in a fairly openposition, while white does not have any immediate way of exploiting thedoubled pawns. Black has nothing to fear and has good endgame prospects. } 8... gxf6 9. Nf3 Be6 10. e4 Bc5 11. Rd2 Nd7 12. Bd3 Nb6 13. b3 Rad8 14. Rf1 { Black has systematically attacked subtle weaknesses in white's positionand has gained a slight initiative. } 14... Rd7 15. Nd1 Rhd8 16. Be2 Rxd2 17. Nxd2 f5 { black's plan was to force the exchanges and then undouble thepawn , opening up the bishop pair with a slight initiative. } 18. exf5 Bxf5 19. Nb1 { White is on the defensive, so black pushes the initiative, probingfor weaknesses. } 19... a5 20. Ne3 Be4 21. g3 Bg6 22. Rd1 Rxd1+ 23. Bxd1 f5 { Blackcontinues to push a slight initiative. } 24. Bc2 e4 25. Nc3 Kd6 26. Ne2 Ke5 27. Kd1 { Black continues to look for a way in, while white continuesto block black's advances. } 27... Bh5 28. Ke1 Nd7 29. Nd1 Kf6 30. h4 Ne5 31. Ng1 Bb4+ 32. Kf1 b5 { Black has mounted various threats to try and findinroads, which white has parried. While white remains on the defensive,Black needs to find a way to exploit greater mobility. Black decides totake a risk and open up the position, even though it gives white some counterplay. } 33. cxb5 cxb5 34. a4 { white's plan is to exchange both pawns, and thenexploit the open diagonal. black is hoping that keeping the a4 pawn onthe white squares creates a slightly bad bishop and will open up opportunitiesfor attack. } 34... bxa4 35. bxa4 Nc4 36. Ne3 Nxe3+ 37. fxe3 { At this point, Blackis trying to exploit the bishop pair and a space advantage to tie Whiteup by retaining threats on both sides of the board. But if White can getthe Knight to a good square and/or exploit Black's blockaded white squarepawn formation with his bishop, Black's chances are problematic. Blackdecides to probe and see what White does. } 37... Bd2 38. Kf2 { Black's plan isto force White to expend moves defending the e-pawn and threaten to exploitthe weak a-pawn. White's move was forced. } 38... Ke5 39. Ne2 Be8 { Black decidesto directly threaten the a-pawn to get a better position for the bishop.Black feels that immediate attempts to tie up the bishop by Bf7 and theninvade with the king can be frustrated by a timely g4!?. Black calculatesthat the time it takes white to drive off the black squared bishop willleave the weak pawn at g3 vulnerable. } 40. Bb3 { As expected, but Black'splan is to defend and threaten to exchange the white squared bishops whenthe king can invade. } 40... Bd7 41. Nd4 Kd6 42. Nc2 { Here White has once againprevented Black from invading, but Black has pulled pieces away from theking-side. } 42... Kc5 43. Ke2 Bc1 44. Kd1 Bb2 { All part of the Black's plan,now White has to worry about the g3 pawn. } 45. Ke2 Kd6 46. Ne1 Bc6 { Blacknow threatens to invade after a bishop exchange while still retaining thethreat of e5 followed by Bxp. } 47. Kd2 { White decides to stop the invasionthat would occur after Bd5, at the expense of the g-pawn. } 47... Be5 48. Bg8 { Hoping to exploit white square weaknesses, but Black is prepared. } 48... h6 49. Bh7 Ke6 50. Bg8+ Kf6 51. Bb3 Bxg3 { Now Black finally wins the g-pawnand threatens to followup with the h pawn. White defends. } 52. Ng2 Bd7 53. Ke2 Kg6 54. Kf1 Kh5 { probing for weaknesses, White is forced to bringthe bishop back. } 55. Bd1+ Kg6 56. Kg1 { Here white is losing space, morepractical chances were offered after Ke2. } 56... Kf6 57. Kf1 Be6 58. Kg1 Bc4 { tightening the grip } 59. Kh1 Ke5 60. Kg1 Kd6 61. h5 Kc5 62. Bc2 Kb4 63. Bd1 Kc3 { traps the bishop, forcing resignation } 0-1
[Event "Where Jack Stockel's advice plays a role"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2011.09.14"] [Round "-"] [White "jkarp"] [Black "paulr1212"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [BlackElo "928"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "903"] 1. Nc3 { In this particular game, I made many mistakes during the beginningand middle games, but I did not give up because I remembered Jack Stockel'sadvice to, 'Think about things'. I also remembered, from Jack Stockel,that there are usually second chances to correct mistakes after a mistakehas been made. As a result, I was able to trick my opponent into a threefold repetition. That trick is shown here, from moves 12-16. } 1... d5 2. d4 { I made this move to prevent my opponent from playing d5 and threateningmy knight with exc3. } 2... Nf6 3. Bg5 { This move was made to threaten my opponentsknight on the f square, with Bxf6. If I was able to capture his knight,I would have been able to mess up his pawns. In other words, I would havebeen able to put him in a situation, so that two of his pawns would beon the same square. } 3... e6 4. Qd2 { This was a big mistake because I shouldhave played Bxf6, captured his knight, and forced two of his pawns on thesame square. Instead, I play Qd2 to trick him and put pressure on hisqueen and knight. Now he is able to eliminate this threat. } 4... Be7 { Nowhe plays Be7 to put pressure on my knight. I either could have taken hisknight or pulled my bishop back. Instead, I make a bigger mistake on mynext move. } 5. e3 { Now, I have made one of my biggest, maybe the secondmost serious, mistake. I played e3, without even thinking about it. WhenI look at this board, he could have played Ne4 with a powerful fork betweenmy queen on the d square, and my knight on the c square. That is not theother half of the story. He also could have left his bishop attackingbishop on the g square, if he had moved his knight. Instead, he castleson his next move. } 5... O-O 6. Bf4 { I had to pull the bishop back in orderto prevent him from threatening my knight with his bishop. } 6... Bd6 7. Bxd6 { This is where I decided to exchange bishops with him. This might nothave been the best move, but I wanted to get his bishop, off the board. } 7... cxd6 { Now, he likely made a mistake, because he now has two bad pawns. } 8. O-O-O { This was my biggest mistake. I should have moved the knightand bishop on the other side so that I could castle on the kings side,as opposed to castling on the queens side. At this point, my king is exposed. } 8... Nbd7 9. f3 { This was another big mistake. I should have moved my knightwith Nb2 or Nb5. Nb5 would have been my best move. My queen would nothave been allowed to break through, I would have been able to win a freepawn, with Nd6. } 9... Qa5 { Now my knight is pinned on the c square due to mylast mistake, what am I going to do now? I am not going to resign, butI will try to find a way out of trouble because this where I rememberedJack Stockel's advice. His advice was, 'Don't give up right away.' Hewould also say, 'If you know that you cannot win, try to get a draw.' } 10. a3 { This might have been a good. It was good, in one way, becauseit might have put some pressure on the opponent. On the other hand, itmight not have been so good because I did not use judgement before I madethe move. } 10... b6 11. b4 { This was a great move I put pressure on his queenand some stress on him. As a result, I was able to get a draw, insteadof a loss against him. This, 'forced draw', started here, after the opponentmade a move. } 11... Qxa3+ 12. Kb1 Qxb4+ 13. Kc1 Qa3+ 14. Kb1 Qb4+ 15. Ka2 Qa5+ 16. Kb1 Qb4+ 1/2-1/2
[Event "B33: Sicilian defence"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "03-Aug-07"] [Round "-"] [White "georgerusu79"] [Black "rpilaud"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1488"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1430"] 1. e4 c5 2. Bc4 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. Nxd4 Nxe4 6. Nxc6 bxc6 { Iearned a small advantage here, and I should have played conservativelyat this point, but I didn't ... } 7. Qf3 d5 8. Bd3 Nf6 { 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. Bc4 Nxe4 7. Qf3 d5 8. Bd3 Nf6 9. O-O Be7 10. Re1+ } 9. Bg5 Nd7 10. h4 Ne5 11. Qg3 Nxd3+ 12. Qxd3 Bg4 13. f3 Qa5+ { This was a crazy gambit that most definitely did not pay offin the end. I should have retreated the g4 bishop and developed my f8bishop and maybe put myself into a castle O-O. } 14. c3 Qb6 15. fxg4 Qxb2 16. Qa6 { This is a brilliant counter-attack by white (and should have beenobvious to me when I made my gambit). This forced me to reconsider myattack on the rook and results in me getting all out of position to keepthe queen off my king. } 16... f6 { 17.Qxc6 Kf7 18.Qxa8 Qxa1 19.O-O Qxa2 } 17. Qxc6+ Kf7 18. Qxd5+ e6 19. Qxa8 Qxa1 20. Qxa7+ Kg6 21. O-O Bd6 22. Qd4 Be5 23. Qe4+ Kf7 24. Qb7+ Kg6 25. h5+ Kxg5 26. Qxg7+ { I missed this. This was the straw that broke the camel's back. } 26... Kh4 27. Qxh8 Qxa2 { 28.Qg7 Qe2 29.Qa7 Bh2 30.Kxh2 Qxf1 } 28. Qxh7 Qe2 29. Qa7 Bh2+ 30. Kxh2 Qxf1 31. h6 Qf4+ { 32.g3 Qxg3 33.Kh1 Kh3 34.h7 Qg2# (mate) } 32. Kg1 Qxh6 33. Qf2+ Kxg4 34. Qf3+ Kh4 35. Qh3+ Kg5 36. Qxh6+ Kxh6 37. c4 Kg7 38. g4 Kf7 39. c5 Ke7 40. Nd2 Kd7 41. Kf2 Kc6 42. Nb3 Kd5 43. Ke3 Kc4 44. c6 Kxb3 45. c7 Kc4 46. Ke4 Kc5 47. c8=Q+ Kd6 48. Qf8+ Kd7 49. Qxf6 Kd6 50. g5 Kd7 51. g6 Kd6 52. g7 Kd7 53. g8=Q Kd6 54. Qgd8+ Kc5 55. Qfd4+ Kc6 56. Qc8+ Kb5 57. Qdc4+ Kb6 58. Q4a6# 1-0
[Event "Never underestimate the importance of tempos"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2014.07.18"] [Round "-"] [White "vavavi"] [Black "jobadz19"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1421"] [TimeControl "2 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1599"] 1. e4 { This is a game i played against jobadz19 whit white. In this gameblack gets into alot of pressure right at the start of the game. } 1... e5 2. Nf3 d5 { A surprising reply. This line is called the elephant gambit. } 3. exd5 { I figured it's ok to accept, because white can gain a tempo afterqueen recaptures. } 3... Qxd5 4. Nc3 Qd6 { The queen has to stay and protect thee5 pawn, which will cause some trouble for black. } 5. Bc4 { The bishop islooking at the weak spot at f7. } 5... Bg4 6. Qe2 { This move protects whiteslsb and pins the pawn ok e5 to blacks king. } 6... Nd7 { Here i thought blackwill castle queen side, so i figured id try to do the same. And by decidingthis my pawns on f2, g2 and h2 were more free to be moved because my kingwould be placed on the other side of the board. } 7. h3 { Here i was expectingthe bishop to retreat and after g4 it would be placed on g6. } 7... Bxf3 { Thismove allows white to put pressure on the f7 pawn. } 8. Qxf3 { This doubleattack hits f7 and b7. } 8... Ngf6 { This basically puts the knight into a pin. } 9. Qxb7 { White gobbles the pawn forcong black to castle king side. } 9... Rd8 10. Qf3 { And the queen just retreats on its outpost on f3. } 10... Be7 { Blackispreparing to castle. } 11. g4 { Here i thought that d3 would kind of letblack stable his game, so i played this. Black is under pressure now, becausethe knight is still virtually pinned. } 11... h6 { This stops g5. } 12. h4 { Andwhite renews the threat immediately. } 12... O-O { Now the knight is free to movebecause blacks rook is covering f7, but castling into a ready made attackcan be lethal. } 13. g5 Nh7 { Knight retreats. Black doesn't seem to havealot of counterplay. Whites bishop still on c1 is doing a good job coveringd2. } 14. gxh6 Qxh6 15. d3 { Now i played this, because i gained anothertempo. White stands better here. Blacks pieces are all quite passive. } 15... Qg6 16. h5 Qf6 { Whites attack is getting dangerous, but he hasn't castled.Will the king in the center backfire? } 17. Qg3 { White avoids the queenexchange. The queen is now looking at g7. } 17... Bd6 18. Nd5 { And again whitegains a tempo. } 18... Qf5 19. Bh6 { Now black is in troube. Almost all whitespieces are ready for an attack. } 19... g5 20. hxg6 { White ignores the rook andcaptures the pawn, dismembering blacks king safety. } 20... Qxg6 { If 20. Fxg 21.Ne7+ Kh1 22.Nxg6+ Qxg6. And theres no defense. But this move allows a matealso, but its more beatiful. } 21. Qxg6+ { Qxg6+ black is forced to takein order to avoid mate on g7. } 21... fxg6 22. Ne7+ { Ne7+ its a double check whichdrives the king to h1. } 22... Kh8 23. Nxg6# { And a beatiful mate for the finish.Blacks pieces are working well together to stop the black king and thiswas made possible by numerous tempo gains. } 1-0
[Event "Gloria's Chess Tournament "] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2015.04.01"] [Round "-"] [White "ackid"] [Black "hiredgun112"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "939"] [TimeControl "3d+1d<5d"] [WhiteElo "944"] 1. e4 { Hello hiredgun112 fans and followers.Here is a short annotationfrom me please leave input.Have a great day.He opens with e4 } 1... e5 { I answerwith e5.This is a standard answer move for me.If you notice lately i havebeen opening with d4 if i am white. } 2. Ne2 { Brings out his kingside cowboy } 2... Bc5 { Trying something a little different bring out kingside bishop insteadof knight first } 3. g3 { not really understanding this move } 3... Nf6 { bringout my kingside cowboy,i believe iam ahead in development } 4. Bh3 { puttingpressure on my Queen } 4... Nc6 { Both of my cowwboys out now } 5. b3 { Perplexedby this move } 5... O-O { i castle } 6. c4 { he does have a chain here } 6... Nxe4 { Ihave good control of center } 7. a4 { to much pawn movement no development } 7... Qg5 { notice my bishop and queen placement } 8. f3 { trying to scare cowboy,iain't skeered! } 8... Bf2+ { put on check with Bf2 cover with Ne4 } 9. Kf1 d6 { lookat bishops and queen } 10. Qc2 { a better move would have been f3xNe4,butwould have been futile for him game is lost } 10... Bxh3# { Another shattered dreamand broken heart!I hope you enjoyed annotation and can use it to improveyour game.Please leave input } 0-1
[Event "Chess game?"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "8-sep-18"] [Round "-"] [White "ilr2001"] [Black "fiercequeen"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "2059"] [TimeControl "3+10 blitz"] [WhiteElo "UR"] { another one, without a clue about chess... } 1. e4 c5 { always... } 2. Bc4 { here we go again: no clue... } 2... g6 { always... } 3. Nc3 a6 { Najdorfs' extension:always, after Nc3; d6 is also an option, but we need the d-pawn for later... } 4. a4 { u tell me... } 4... Bg7 { always... } 5. Nf3 e6 { always... } 6. d3 { why notd4? } 6... Ne7 { always... } 7. O-O O-O 8. Bg5 { a minor distraction... } 8... f6 9. Be3 { that would have been a sound move: in an earlier life... } 9... d5 { always d5... } 10. exd5 exd5 11. Bb3 { making d5-d4 a lethal move... } 11... Kh8 { so we firstneed this... } 12. Bxc5 Qc7 13. Bxe7 Qxe7 14. Nxd5 Qc5 { not discouragedat all... } 15. h3 Be6 { pushing Nd5... } 16. d4 { a bit too late... } 16... Qc6 17. Nc7 Bxb3 { fearless... } 18. Nxa8 { idiot: this Knight will never survive... } 18... Bxc2 19. Qd2 Be4 { setting up, multiple targets... } 20. Rac1 Qd5 21. Qe3 b5 { after Nb6/Nc7, Qb7... } 22. Nc7 Qb7 { like so... } 23. axb5 Bxf3 24. Qxf3 Qxf3 { like planned... } 25. g3 { a sudden end of the game: what is this?a mouse slip? a resignation? a cunning plan, to foil Black? we will neverknow: White resigned... } 0-1
[Event "(OTB) In Good Position? WHO is?"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date ""] [Round "-"] [White "CykO"] [Black "Iansensei"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1305"] [WhiteElo "1507"] 1. e4 { Me and my office buddy (who is also on gameknot) played OTB andhad another very good game. } 1... e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 a6 4. d3 b5 5. Bd5 Bb7 6. Nxe5 Qf6 7. Nxf7 { At this point I thought he was in for a world of hurt. } 7... g6 8. Bg5 Qxb2 { I am willing to sac this pawn for the position. } 9. Nd2 Be7 { I should have went ahead and castled here, if he takes BxB thenI take back with N. I need to release my queen from guarding the a1 rook. } 10. Nf3 Bxg5 11. N3xg5 { It's baffling that I have so much material aroundhis king and can't do anything with it. This irritates me. } 11... Qc3+ { Nowmy castling is ruined. Great job me. } 12. Kf1 h6 13. Nxh8 Qxh8 14. Nf7 Qd4 15. h4 { I need to make room for what's to come... } 15... h5 16. Rc1 Qb2 17. c3 Nf6 18. Rc2 Qa3 19. Qe2 b4 20. g3 b3 21. Rb2 { Once again I can alreadysee that not castling is going to keep me from moving on up and takinghis bishop. } 21... bxa2 22. Rxa2 { So now instead of taking the bishop I haveto take the dang pawn! } 22... Qxc3 23. Qf3 Rb8 24. Qf4 Qxd3+ 25. Kg2 Nb4 26. Qe5+ Kf8 27. Qxf6 { He has to act fast in order to keep from N-e5 andforking his queen. } 27... Nxd5 28. Qh8+ { I thought about this move for a while,and with the gameknot board analyzer I may not have made it, but this wasprobably a mistake. } 28... Kxf7 29. Qxb8 Nf4+ 30. gxf4 Qxe4+ 31. Kf1 Qxh1+ 32. Ke2 Qf3+ 33. Ke1 Qh1+ 34. Ke2 Qf3+ { he's wanting me to go onto the D fileso he can go d5 and kill my rook. But I won't allow that. } 35. Ke1 Qe4+ 36. Re2 Qb4+ { Here he sets a simple swindle and I fall for it hook, line,and sinker. } 37. Kf1 Bg2+ { trap is sprung! } 38. Kxg2 Qxb8 { I resign. Good game to Ian! } 0-1
[Event "Let's Play!, Chess.com"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2015.11.09"] [Round "-"] [White "silly_prince_william"] [Black "RADLI78"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1392"] [TimeControl "1 in 3 days"] [WhiteElo "1491"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 Nxd5 6. Nxf7 { The Fried Liver Attack is preferred by Harding and Pinski. 6. d4 [(Lolly Attack) is preferred by Morphy.] 6... exd4 7. O-O Be7 8. Nxf7 [Houdin evaluates +- (+2.02)] 8... Kxf7 9. Qf3+ Ke6 10. Nc3 (10. Re1+ [!] 10... Ne5 11. Bf4 Bf6 12. Nc3 c6 13. Rxe5+ Bxe5 14. Re1[etc etc. Black has no change as all White pieces are involved in the attack]) 10... dxc3 11. Re1+ Ne5 12. Bf4 Bf6 13. Bxe5 Bxe5 14. Rxe5+ Kxe5 15. Re1+ Kd4 16. Bxd5 Re8 17. Qd3+ Kc5 18. b4+ Kxb4 19. Qd4+ Ka5 20. Qb3+ Ka4 21. Rb1# [1-0, Paul Morphy - NN, New Orleans] } 6... Kxf7 7. Qf3+ Ke6 8. Nc3 Ne7 { Alternative variation: 8...Ncb4 [!?][definitely more dangerous] } 9. O-O { Alternative variation: [Houdiniprefers] 9. d4 } 9... g6 { Feels unusual and too slow. } 10. d4 { Alternativevariation: [Houdini prefers first] 10. Ne4 c6 [??] (10... Nf5 [!?] 11.d4 c6 12. dxe5 Kf7 13. g4 [evalutuates according Houdini as ± (+1.48)])11.Qf6+ Kd7 12. Qxh8 } 10... Bg7 { Alternative variation: 10... c6 [!?] 11. Bg5 Bg7[∞] } 11. Bg5 { Alternative variation: 11. Nxd5 [!] 11... Nxd5 12. Bg5 Qd613. dxe5 Qc5 14. Qc3 [!] 14... h6 15. Rad1 } 11... Rf8 { Alternative variation:11... c6 [∞] } 12. Qg4+ { ?! Alternative variation: 12. Qh3+ [!] 12... Kf7[!] 13. Nxd5 [!] 13... Bxh3 [?!] 14. Nxc7+ [and Black must return his Queen]14... Nd5 15. Bxd8 } 12... Kd6 { ? Alternative variation: 12... Kf7 [!] 13. Nxd5Bxg4 14. Nxc7+ Nd5 15. Bxd8 Raxd8 16. Bxd5+ Ke7 17. Bb3 Rxd4 [⩲] } 13. Ne4+ { ? Alternative variation: 13. dxe5+ [!] 13... Bxe5 14. Qe4 [+⁠−] 14...c6 (14... Be6 15. Bxd5 Bxd5 16. Nxd5)15. Bxd5 cxd5 16. Nxd5 Bf5 (16...Nxd5 17. Bxd8)17. Qb4+ } 13... Kc6 14. Qe2 exd4 15. Rfe1 Bf5 { Alternative variation:15... b6 [about equal f.E.] 16. Rad1 Rf5 17. Bxd5+ [∞] } 16. Bb3 b6 { ?Alternative variation: 16... a6 17. Qc4+ Kd7 18. Nc5+ Kc8 19. Bxe7 Nxe720. Ne6 [White has compensation but not much more] } 17. Qa6 { +⁠− } 17... Bxe4 18. Rxe4 Kd6 { ? Alternative variation: 18... Qc8 19. Ba4+ Kd6 20. Qd3 Nc621. c4 [though still a piece down White is obvious winning] } 19. Bxd5 { Alternative variation: 19. Rae1 [is better and more logical as now allWhite pieces are involved in the attack] } 19... Kxd5 { ? } 20. Bxe7 { Alternativevariation: 20. Qb5+ Kxe4 21. Re1# } 20... Qe8 21. Rae1 Rf5 22. c4+ Kc6 23. Re6+ Kd7 24. Qb7 { Alternative variation: 24. Rd6+ cxd6 25. Qb7# } 24... Qb8 25. Rd6+ Ke8 26. Rd8+ 1-0
[Event "Team match"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009.07.09"] [Round "-"] [White "grogygrmln"] [Black "darkrai123"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1628"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1506"] 1. e4 e5 2. f4 { King's Gambit. } 2... exf4 3. Nf3 d5 { I knew how to play thisopening well, but I lack the experience in playing it. } 4. exd5 Nf6 { Qxd5is bad here due to Nc3, getting white a tempo. } 5. Bc4 { Normally the responsein Nc3 or c4. If c4, then c6 and black retains an advantage. } 5... c6 { I playedincorrectly and if the pawn were taken, the effect of the King's Gambitwould activate. Note that this opening is to start a queen side pawn storm. } 6. O-O { I get a pawn back. } 6... cxd5 7. Bb3 Be6 8. Qe1 Bd6 { I protect the f5pawn earlier because it looks like a better time saving move. Once thewhite bishop recaptures on f4, then the pawn storm is dominant. } 9. d4 { Attacking f4. } 9... Nc6 10. c3 O-O 11. Nbd2 { Somewhat of a bad move here. Igain a tempo after Ng4, as if the knight won't leave, I control e3, wheremy knight is said to be as powerful as a rook. } 11... Ng4 12. Nb1 { Controllinge3 again. I get a 2 move tempo, so I continue positionally advancing. } 12... Re8 13. Qh4 Qxh4 { Trading. } 14. Nxh4 Na5 15. Nd2 Ne3 16. Re1 { Here camethe blunder. If you are under 1400, think about my next move. } 16... Nxb3 { Removingthe Guard tactic. } 17. Nxb3 Nc2 { Fork. } 18. Bd2 Nxa1 19. Rxa1 b6 20. Rf1 a5 { The attack is basically over here, so I can begin my own. The f4 pawnis indirectly defended. } 21. Bxf4 Bxf4 22. Rxf4 g5 { White resigned here.The lessons here are to outpost your knight, mainly on the 5th and 6thranks, dominate weak squares of the enemy, and always look for defenseslike shown on the position right now. } 0-1
[Event "The Knights Coaching Project"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009.11.28"] [Round "-"] [White "richie513"] [Black "dungeonking"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1304"] [TimeControl "5d+1d<5d"] [WhiteElo "1172"] 1. e4 { This was my worst game so far. White easily developes and keepshis king safe while black concentrates on a futile effort to develop hisdark squared bishop ignoring king safety. } 1... c5 2. f4 d5 3. Nf3 dxe4 4. Ng5 Nf6 5. Bc4 Bg4 6. Qxg4 Nxg4 { The starting position. Black has one squareto move his king d7 } 7. Bxf7+ Kd7 8. Be6+ { White wins the knight compensatingfor the loss of the Queen. } 8... Kc6 { I wonder if Kc7 was better? } 9. Bxg4 Qc7 { Im trying to get my queen into play and overlook that he can easily defendthe pawn with g3 or better 0-0! } 10. O-O g6 { This was a terrible mistakeand a waste of time. The whole game is centered on my getting my bishopdeveloped. } 11. Ne6 { He could just take my bishop if he wanted to but hehas other plans } 11... Qd6 12. Nc3 { White gets good development here. Now hehas his bishop and two knights going after my King } 12... a6 { another wastedpawn move because I was worried more about losing my queen than my king!!! } 13. Nxe4 Qd5 { another major blunder. somehow i think i can win one ofhis knights with h5? He can easily protect his e4 knight with d3! developinghis dark squared bishop. Instead he moves Ne4xc5 then after i move hecan move Bf3 pinning my Queen to my King. } 14. N4xc5 Qd6 { My only moveto save my Queen } 15. d3 Bg7 { another blunder because I assume NxB thenQxN } 16. c3 Rg8 { Now i have to make the wasted rook move to protect mybishop } 17. Bf3+ Kb6 { My king is not safe here either as white mates infour moves } 18. Be3 Ka5 { The only safe square but not for long } 19. a4 b5 { Throwing up a prayer here } 20. b4+ Kb6 { mate on the next move } 21. Nd7# { I got thrashed! } 1-0
[Event "Let's play chess"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2010.06.02"] [Round "-"] [White "stevie-baby"] [Black "freefallife"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1276"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1283"] { I thought this game was going to get into the smith-morra, an openingI hate to face, but turned out that a few blunders by white gave the gameaway } 1. e4 c5 { My usual play as black, the Sicilian } 2. d4 { At this point,I assumed the morra gambit... } 2... cxd4 3. Qxd4 { I disagree with this moveonly because it allows black to gain tempo... } 3... Nc6 4. Qd1 { A really passiveretreat by white makes Qxd4 look a bit silly. } 4... Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 { planninga sort of dragon variation here with a bishop on g7 } 6. Nd5 { White hangsthe pawn on e4. I looked hard and tried to remember any traps here, butcouldn't find one } 6... Nxe4 { Black is up a pawn } 7. Bf4 { An obvious and easilydefended threat of Nc7+, but good development of the bishop. At this point,I was sort of eyeing Qa5+. If it weren't for the defence of the white queen,it wins some material. } 7... e5 { Defending Nc7+ and attacking the bishop } 8. Bd3 { Bd3?? Blunder number 1. Loses a Bishop. Now that white has cut offthe defence of the knight on d5... } 8... Qa5+ 9. Nc3 Nxc3 10. bxc3 exf4 { Whiteloses a piece. } 11. Qd2 Bg7 { Threatening Bxc3 to win the queen... } 12. Qxf4 Qxc3+ { A nice fork... } 13. Ke2 Nd4+ { Thought about taking the rook,but I figured It get the knight closer to the action first. } 14. Ke3 { Ke3??Pins the bishop on d3 and loses a queen for a bishop. Do you see it? } 14... Bh6 { A textbook piece sacrifice... } 15. Qxh6 Nf5+ { With the bishop on d3 pinned,Nf5+ wins. White resigned here. } 0-1
[Event "Fast Ladder"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009.09.02"] [Round "-"] [White "nailicis"] [Black "chessy131"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1903"] [TimeControl "3d+1d<3d"] [WhiteElo "1648"] 1. c4 e5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. O-O Nb6 { We havean transposed into a four knights English opening with 4. g3... exceptwhite hasn't yet played Nc3! } 7. d3 { More common is 7. Nc3, reserving d4as an option. } 7... Be7 8. a3 { Still resisting normal development with 8. Nc3 } 8... O-O 9. Nbd2 { Now white's position resembles a pseudo king's indian attack. } 9... a5 10. b3 Be6 11. Bb2 f6 12. Qc2 Qd7 13. Rfd1 Rad8 { Maybe better forme was Rfd8 here. } 14. Rac1 Qe8 { Aiming to shift my attention to the kingsidevia the h5-e8 diagonal. } 15. Nb1 { An awkward, undeveloping move that seemspointless. better was Nc4 here. } 15... a4 { I take some time off the kingsideto cause white worries around his exposed queen. } 16. Nfd2 { Better wasbxa4, even though it ruins the pawn structure. } 16... axb3 17. Nxb3 Qf7 18. Nc5 Bxc5 19. Qxc5 Bd5 { Slightly more accurate would have been to first placeBb3, forcingthe white rook to a more awkward location. } 20. Bxd5 Rxd5 { NowI have the initiative, and plan to use it! } 21. Qc3 f5 { White's king isstarting to look a little lonely! } 22. Qb3 { Better was Qe1, in defendingposition. } 22... f4 23. Nc3 { A blunder, I can play Nd4 with tempo, and attackvery quickly! } 23... Nd4 24. Qa2 fxg3 25. fxg3 Qf2+ 26. Kh1 Nf3 { A tactical shotthat ruins white, taking advantage of his exposed king! } 27. exf3 Qxf3+ 28. Kg1 Qe3+ 29. Kh1 Rf2 { And white can't stop Qf3+ with mate. } 0-1
[Event "A bust to the Kings' Gambit? (part 3)"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date ""] [Round "-"] [White "Kings' Gambit"] [Black "Robert James Fischer"] [Result ""] { 'And Black wins...Of course White can always play differently, in whichcase he merely loses differently.' ~Bobby Fisher, A bust to the King'sGambit, 1961... } 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 d6 4. Bc4 h6 5. d4 g5 6. O-O Bg7 7. c3 Nc6 8. Qb3 Qe7 9. h4 Nf6 10. hxg5 hxg5 11. Nxg5 { and still weare left, with this reminiscence of Bobby Fischer claiming to have bustedKing's Gambit with the above set of moves, to be followed by Nxe4, 12.Bxf7+, Kd8, 13. Nxe4, Qxe4, 14. Bxf4, Nxd4... as we have seen in part II,after this the battle is all but over and far from winning for Black; infact, Whites' play so far has been so sharp, that sacrificing a piece with14. ... Nxd4 is the only move that does not lose immediately, since Whitehas several threats at that point; Bg5+, Nd2, and Qd5, to name a few...that leads me to believe, that this analysis leaves a lot to be desired... } 11... Nxe4 { at this point, Fritz already had suspicions; if Black is so eager,to sacrifice with Nxd4, then why not right here? after Qd1 (cxd4, Nxe4,already looks very awkward; Bxf7+, Kd8, cxd4, Nxe4, same), Ne6, and Whiteis in deep trouble... } 12. Bxf7+ { as we already had established in part1, this is no less than a losing blunder; after Nxe4, Qxe4, Bxf7+ (betterRxf4!), Kd8, Bd5, White has no worries... } 12... Kd8 13. Nxe4 Qxe4 { this canbe no longer a coincedence: also at this point, Nxd4, was absolutely winning;after Qd1, Qxe4, White is crushed... } 14. Bxf4 { at this point, White couldhave easily tried Qd5, Qxd5 (Qh7, Bxf4, is more worrying), Bxd5, Nxd4,cxd4, Bxb4+, Rf2!, or Bd5, Bxd4+, cxd4, Qxd4+, Rf2... } 14... Nxd4 { as we haveseen in part II, this by no means leads to a conclusive win for Black;putting this all together, I suspect big failures in the transcriptionof Fischers' original analysis; more plausible seems: 11. Nxg5, Nxd4, 12.Bxf7+ (still a losing blunder), Kd8, 13. cxd4, Nxe4, 14. Bxf4, Bxd4+, andWhite is losing... }
[Event "Power of the Passed Pawn!"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "04-Dec-07"] [Round "-"] [White "chizznappy"] [Black "sycilmathai"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1214"] [TimeControl "14 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1305"] { Date: November and December 2007. White: The Champ Black: SicilianLocation: Cyberspace } 1. e4 { Hey Chap and everyone else at one of thebest chess sites in the world. Here's my annotation of a game playedin late 2007. Cursory, at best, but at least some ideas to throw in thehat. Thanks to everyone at Gameknot who continues to make this a wonderfulplace to freely play and freely learn the game we all love. } 1... e6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Nc6 { Better for Black might have been pushing thed pawn to d4. If White decides to exchange his c pawn, this would giveBlack the chance to challenge the solidness of White's huge pawn on e4. Also, white's d pawn would be hemmed in stagnating the development ofWhite's queenside minor pieces. Problem with this option is that usesan additional move for the same piece in the opening. Already having thedisadvantage as the player who goes second in the game, Black should notnurse that problem by trying to stir up trouble just yet in the center. Indeed, it was good that Black didn't waste time with that- Black didn'teven have time to castle this game! } 5. d4 { Thus far has been a very strangemove order to get into the French defense (adv. variation). Anotheroption here for White is to develop his bishop to Bb5 and allowing theking to castle. If Black moves his queen to b6, White can capture theknight on c6 and reducing some pressure off of d4. Tough call as thiswould give Black the two bishop advantage. } 5... Qb6 6. Be2 { A typical FrenchDefense set up. White plays the advance variation (3.e5). Playing a slowgame, such as in correspondance, it gave me a chance to play Nh6. Toughvariation, since the French is already so dense, but interesting andfun nonetheless. White can also play Be3, because of the well-knowntactic in case Black gets pawn greedy: 6...cxd4 7. cxd4 Nxd4 8.Nxd4Qxd4 9.Bb5! and the discovered attack on Black's queen is fatal. } 6... Nh6 { This is risky, but well calculated. If White takes on h6 then Black getsan added pawn on the kingside on the h file (after...Bg7 fianchetto, Blackhas a nice castle). In exchange, white has the more mobility, or 'space'since the position is closed in the center, thus making his knights morevaluable. Indeed, Black would have trouble developing the 'problem' bishopin the French Defense. It wasn't until move 15 where Black's light squaredbishop made a cameo during an exchange on e6. On another note, if Whitedecides not to exchange on h6, then if Black moves the Knight to the outpostf5 White can always play the irritating g4. } 7. Bxh6 gxh6 8. O-O { Whitehas been playing soundly thus far, not giving Black any room for error. While castling here was appropriate, he sacrifices his pawn structureon the queenside. And though he is ahead in development, and it willtake black at least two moves to castle, better here was the move 8.Qc1or 8.b3 in order to protect b2. Though c3 is the base of White's pawnstructure on the queenside, b2 is quite important to support the base. } 8... Qxb2 9. Nbd2 { In this advance variation of the French- more importantlyin light of the position on the board as of now, it seems to help me putthe b pawn on b2 as early as possible-almost as important as castling,and fianchettoing the bishop on b2. If Black decides to take with thec5 pawn, white still has plenty of protection for d4. Especially if blackhad been able to post his kingknight on f5 (great outpost and attacks d4) One reason Black sends his Queen on an early voyage in the French is toexert influence on the B file. The b2 pawn can easily become a sourceof pain in this opening. } 9... Qxc3 { gobble gobble } 10. Nb3 { better here forWhite is 10.dxc5. He could further box in the Queen with 11.Rc1 THENbringing over the knight to b3. } 10... c4 { closes in the center for good andforces the white Knight to retreat. } 11. Nbd2 { gives Black another pawnfor free. If White still had both Bishops this sac may have helped clearup the center for play along the long diagonals (a1-h8 and b1-g7). Throughoutthe game, white didn't have a justified reason for the pawn sacrifices,therefore allowing me to take. Notice here an idea that I read in oneof Silmans books. Certainly not an original idea, but he helped me understandit better: It is common that your attack should be directed towards theside where your pawns are pointed. With my f7-e6-d5-c4 it's easy to seethat my attack on the queenside is further justified. } 11... Nxd4 12. Nxd4 Qxd4 13. Nf3 { threatens an enemy piece and develops a piece. powerfulmoves, which have compound funtions like this are a good find. } 13... Qc5 14. Nd4 Bg7 15. Bg4 { White's central pawn!, one of his most important pieces(controlling e5 and exerting control of f6 and d6 was his last hope insaving his center. Better here is 15.Re1 and eventually Kf3 and Queen to follow if additional support is needed. As Black, my focus the wholegame was my pawn on d5. Making sure it was reinforced as needed and waitingto advance the d and c pawn on the endgame. Better here for White was15.f4 or Nf3 Took a lesson with a GM once and the FIRST thing he did waspoint to the four central squares of the board and say 'this is what you'replaying for'. Like any game, football-soccer-table hockey, if you controlthe CENTER you control the whole playing field. } 15... Bxe5 16. Nxe6 { Nice wayto give up the knight and avoids losing the rook. Didn't see this one. A nice tactic that eventually cleans up the center and gives White somemore mobility- it may have been better for White to keep his forces and uses them in a surge-like attack on the kingside. If one is down in materialit's good to avoid exchanging off pieces. Basically, keeping pieces onthe board allows a delay of the endgame. In the endgame, of course, amaterial advantage is easily exploited. } 16... Bxe6 17. Bxe6 fxe6 { Better forBlack is 17...Bxh2 18.Kxh2 Qd6 19.Kg1 Qxe6 Keeping the King more protected. Much more protected. This oversight gave White the bulk of initiativefor the rest of the game. } 18. Qh5+ { Interesting note here: White'squeen starts a journey that almost circumvents the whole board by move25 } 18... Ke7 19. Qxe5 { a beautiful 4-move tactic that White completes on thismove. } 19... Rae8 20. Qg7+ Kd6 21. Qxb7 { lots of sharp tactical play by Whitemops up some more pawns, but leaves Black with a very strong center-including an advanced pawn on the c file. Now Black simply aims to marchdown the center files with the pawns, having plenty open space to thwartany attacks on the exposed King. At this point I knew that I could simplyexchange off all the major pieces leaving me with a pawn structure thatwould easily win in the endgame. Had white began a campaign of buildinga battery of pieces on the e file in order to attack black's weak e pawn,chances seem likely that he would eventually mop up some of blacks pawnsinevitably. } 21... Rb8 22. Qg7 a5 { more efficient by Black would be to makea nest for his naked king, and forego the development of his a pawn. } 23. Rfe1 d4 24. Qxh6 { That gain in material is not needed. Not just becauseit weakens White general attack and usefulness of her Queen, but alsobecause it grants Black more time to march down the center. It will takethe White Queen a move to get back into true action. White is a tempobehind now and will have to catch up very quickly if she wants to stopthe pawn march. Pawn grabbing is a very risky venture- Better could havebeen to get the A rook into the action. Nevertheless, it helps clearup some potential endgame threats that were lurking. } 24... Rbf8 { A drunkenoversight by Black. Obviously better was 24.Rbe8. } 25. Qxe6+ Kc7 26. Re5 Qd6 { Black would like to exchanges of Queens asap. If White gets theBlack king to the b file, then White will check him using his rook currentlyon the a file. From there, matings threats will surely follow. } 27. Qe7+ Qxe7 { whoosh....close call. A little too close for comfort. withthe exchange of queens now and the passed pawns, this game Black is doingwell. } 28. Rxe7+ Kd6 29. Rae1 { As said before, my plan was to march downthe pawns. With the pawn blunder and now my rooks out of action it seemslike White could possibly draw the game, or at least even up some material. } 29... Rd8 { took me a long while to find that move. i've been finding thatquiet moves are 1.difficult to find 2.very effective! } 30. R1e5 c3 { a commonthread in endgame theory is this: the player who can centralize (get theking to one of the four center squares or as close as possible) the kingin the endgame has more space, and as a result more control of the wholeboard. as in the opening where we try to castle asap, in the endgame itsa good idea to centralize the king asap. Here white could have a planof f3, Kf2, Ke3, etc. Of course, there are some exceptions: you mighttake a look at this position here and say 'the centralized black king isin jeopardy. Though, even with the two white rooks owning the e file andclose to the enemy king, there are no significant mating threats. Indeed,as GM Mike Christiansen has said 'the threat is often greater than theexecution'. Nevertheless, Black is using his king as an active piece:claiming territory and aiding the safety of the passed pawns. } 31. Re1 { White could have kept that rook on e5. Instead, 31.R(7)c6 and eventuallyexchanging d rook. After the king takes on, i.e. Kxd7, then the e5 rookcan now take the pawn on the a file, after which his king could march inand save the day. Note that the Black king is quarantined below the 5thrank because of the White rook on a5. Even so, black still has a chanceto quarantine the White king by playing Re8- allowing no chance for theking to come in and gobble up the pawns } 31... d3 32. R7e3 Kc5 33. Rc1 { Whitecouldn't have drawn the game here, but instead of shipping the e1 Rookover to the c file checking and rechecking the king from the efile mighthave forced Black to exchange one of the rooks, giving better chances ofusing his king to stop the pawn march. The Black king is in a precariousposition here of protecting his d pawn and not allowing White to draw thegame. A chess tactician would called that 'overloading the defender'. In this case, the king. } 33... c2 34. Kf1 { too late for the white king toget in on the action. } 34... Rhe8 35. g4 { better here for White is 35.Re1. IfBlack plays 35...d2, then 36.Rxc2 Kb4 37.Rd1! Leaving Blacks dream ofqueening a pawn in the dust. NOW White would actually be winning as hehas a huge pawn majority on the kingside. His pawn grabbing from earlieron would come in handy now. NOTE that while material is even here, theadvanced pawns of Black have a value of a minor piece or major piece. White is having to expend all his forces to keep the black pawns from queening. This concept of 'overloading' is providing Black with more and more spaceon the board. } 35... Rxe3 36. fxe3 Kc4 37. h4 Kc3 38. Kf2 Rf8+ { Getting theking out of the way as far as possible. } 39. Kg3 d2 { now the fatal strike. here on out is just standard endgame technique- which is my nemesis. } 40. Rxc2+ Kxc2 41. g5 d1=Q { the material advantage will now be decisive. } 42. e4 Qf3+ 43. Kh2 Rd8 { this seems the fastest way to checkmate. } 44. e5 Rd2+ 45. Kg1 Qd1# { Great game, with a lot to learn from each side. Good example of the power a passed pawn. Had White not given up materialin the beginning of the game it would have given him a more solid positionin the center and and equality of position. There's alot missing fromthis annotation. Any thoughts? Thanks to whoever might have actuallyread this whole annotation. Thanks alot Chizznappy for playing- } 0-1
[Event "Latvian Gambit 3"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2012.06.14"] [Round "-"] [White "luker67"] [Black "bwaa"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1693"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1605"] { This is a League game; I choose the Latvian as that's the opening I'vebeen learning recently, and my opponent graciously accepts the gambit,leading into a very sharp game with a lot of twisted positional complications.I finally manage to pull off a decisive kingside attack and secure a winningendgame. Enjoy! } 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f5 { ?! The key move of the controversialLatvian Gambit. Very rarely seen at high levels, Black gives up a pawn(and usually much more) for a lead in space and development. } 3. Nxe5 { Thisis the main line, which continues with 3...Qf6 (or 3...Nf6?!) and theneither 4.d4 d6 5.Nc4 fxe4 or 4.Nc4 fxe4 5.Nc3 Qg6 6.d3. } 3... Nc6 { ?! This unusualvariation leads to especially sharp lines as Black offers White a freeRook with 4.Qh5+ g6 5.Nxg6 Nf6 6.Qh3 hxg6 7.Qxh8 Qe7, hoping his positionalcompensation will be enough to deal with White's significant material lead. } 4. Nxc6 { This is not actually bad, but it is probably the best-case scenariofor Black, as he gets to free up his LSB and the d-file without an enormousmaterial sacrifice. } 4... dxc6 5. e5 { ?! White is playing extremely aggressively,but the e-pawn was in no real danger (...fxe4 isolates Black's pawn farfrom any support and will be won back easily) and White needs to developin order to compete with what is about to become a very active Black position. } 5... Qd4 { With no Knight and d4 blocked, White doesn't have a comfortable wayto dislodge this Queen. } 6. Qe2 { This is the only way to protect the pawnuntil White can find time for f4, but it does the LSB no favors. } 6... Be6 { Blackblockades the troublesome e-pawn and puts another piece between his Kingand the WQ. } 7. c3 { Kicking the Queen, but hampering White's developmentfurther. } 7... Qb6 { !? Black allows his Queen to be somewhat marginalized, butthreatens White's b-pawn, tying the WQ to its defense should the Bishopget out after White's d4. With only a couple pieces in play, Black is makingit exceedingly uncomfortable for White to complete his development. } 8. d4 { Reinforcing the e-pawn, though this seems susceptible to attack from...c5. } 8... O-O-O { White is still far behind in development and Black's piecesare looking hungrily at the WK--which is still at least three moves fromcastling. } 9. Bg5 { ?! White develops while trying to gain some tempo, butBlack has an easy response. What's worse, this move ties the Queen to thedefense of b2 and prevents White from playing an immediate Nd2 as a result. } 9... Be7 10. Bxe7 { I don't like this choice by White to trade off his only activepiece. Perhaps 10.Be3 would be better, threatening 11.d5. } 10... Nxe7 { Blackis almost fully developed, while only White's Queen is off her startingsquare--and she's not looking great, either. } 11. b3 { ? White tries toloosen up his position a bit, but it would have been better to simply bitethe bullet and take the time to develop with 11.Qc2 followed by Bd3 andNd2, as now Black can counter with... } 11... Rxd4 { ! This sham sacrifice winsthe pawn and gives Black undisputed control of the d-file. If 12.cxd4?Qxd4 and Black wins back his Rook with interest. } 12. Nd2 { Now White cantake the Rook, but his queenside pawns and e-pawn are looking very weak. } 12... Rf4 { ?! I still don't know how to feel about this move. Black continuesto apply pressure to White's cramped position and prevents f4 for the moment,but he gives up the d-file and allows White to develop his Bishop withtempo. } 13. g3 Rg4 { Not 13...Bd5? (thinking to invade h1 and deny White'scastle) because of 14.f3!, simultaneously blocking the threat and winningthe Rook. } 14. f4 { ?! Shoring up the advanced e-pawn yet again and lockingBlack's Rook out of the center. This does completely shatter any safetythat was to be had in the White kingside though, as Black can reach theh1-a8 diagonal first and now also controls all of g1-a7 as well. I think14.Bg2 was better here. } 14... Bd5 { Black seizes the diagonal for his Bishop.The tempting 14...g5?? (trying to undermine e5 yet again) loses badly to15.Bh3. } 15. Nf3 h5 { ?! Black's Rook is in a precarious spot with onlyone retreat square, but it's safe for now, and with both Rooks on the kingside,he plans to break through White's pawns and get all his pieces into theattack before the King can escape the center. } 16. Bh3 { Finally, the Bishopgets out of the corner. After the Rook moves, this Bishop will actuallybe of some use pinning Black's f-pawn. } 16... Rg6 17. Rf1 { White unpins his Knightand threatens Nd4, winning the f-pawn. } 17... Qc5 { Forcing White to deal withhis weak c3 pawn before anything else happens, and provoking the naturalresponse... } 18. c4 { White kicks the powerfully-centralized Bishop, thoughit won't go far... } 18... Qb4+ { ! Clearing the WQ away from her defense of e4. } 19. Qd2 Qxd2+ 20. Kxd2 { ?! This is surprising. White wants to keep hisKnight available for kingside maneuvers, but putting his King on the opend-file is dangerous at best. } 20... Be4 { With the WQ gone, Black's Bishop isnow free to occupy this powerful location. } 21. Ng5 { Another surprise,though it's clear why White wants to trade off the Black Bishop. He leaveshis King dangerously exposed, though. I expected 21.Rae1 or maybe 21.Ke3(thinking to work his way over to g1). } 21... h4 { ! Black has decided that 21...Rd8+doesn't offer enough promise, as the WK can easily flee to his kingsideand hide amongst his pieces there. Instead, Black tries to disrupt theWhite position and get an advantage for the endgame--now if White wantsto eliminate the Black Bishop, he'll let the Rooks in to wreak havoc onhis kingside (22.Nxe4 hxg3 23.hxg3 Rxh3 and now the Knight must retreat,allowing 24...Rhxg3). } 22. Rae1 { White seeks to eliminate the pesky Bishoponce and for all, but Black's aggressive Rooks will be too strong for White'spassive ones, especially the Rf1 blocking the WB's escape route. } 22... hxg3 { Black forges ahead with his kingside break. White has several optionshere, none of them particularly pleasant. For instance, 23.hxg3 Rxg5! 24.fxg5 (24.Bxf5+ Rxf5 25.Rxe4 Rh2+ 26.Re2 Rxe2+ 27.Kxe2 c5 gives Black aclearly won endgame) ...Rxh3 and Black's powerful Bishop is unassailableon e4 while the Knight and King clean up White's pawns. Alternately, Whitecould try 23.Nxe4 g2! 24.Bxg2 (24.Rg1 is met with ...Rxh3 25.Nf2 Rxh2)...Rxg2+ 25.Nf2 Rhxh2 26.Re2 and White's pieces are hopelessly passive,tied down to defending each other while the Black Knight and King and againfree to roam the board. } 23. hxg3 Rxg5 { ! This Rook 'sacrifices' itselffor the second time. Black has too many threats to counter at once. He'llget at least two minor pieces and a pawn for his Rook if White takes it. } 24. Rxe4 { ?! White counters by removing the powerful light-square Bishop,but now he'll be down a Knight as the endgame approaches. } 24... Rxh3 { Blackcleans up the Bishop and unpins his f-pawn, while threatening to win g3as well. } 25. Re3 { ? White chooses to avoid more trades and save his Rook,but trying to defend the g-pawn is a futile gesture. Better may have been25.Rd4, trying for some counterplay on the d-file. } 25... Rgxg3 { Black removeshis own Rook from danger, gains a pawn, and now threatens to win the Re3,as well as the a2 pawn. } 26. Rxg3 { If White wanted to exchange Rooks, itwould have been more accurate to play 25.fxg5 fxe4 26.Ke3 Rxg3+ 27.Kxe4,where at least White has a good, centralized position for his King. } 26... Rxg3 27. Ke2 { Allowing White to interpose his Rook after ...Rg2+, though tradingoff more material isn't going to help him much. } 27... Rg2+ 28. Rf2 Rxf2+ 29. Kxf2 Kd7 { With almost no pieces remaining on the board, the Black Kingfinally mobilizes to attempt to escort a pawn through the White camp. } 30. Ke3 { White doesn't fall for the temptation of 30.Kg3, thinking to wina kingside pawn, as that loses to 30...b5 31.Kf3 a5 32.Ke3 Ng6 33.c5 Ke6etc. } 30... Ke6 { Black gets his King in the most centralized location available,ready to push to d5 whenever the opportunity presents itself. If now 31.Kd4,Black can play ...b6!, and then White must mark time while the Black Knightrelocates to d7: 32.a3 Ng6 33.Ke3 Nf8 34.Kd4 Nd7 35.Ke3 g5! 36.fxg5 Nxe537.Kf4 Ng6+ 38.Kg3 Ke5 and soon Black will win the g-pawn or simply pushthrough on the queenside. } 31. a4 { White keeps his King close by f4, butit won't do him much good. Black has too much material to throw at hisproblems. } 31... b6 32. b4 { There are few other choices. } 32... g5 { ! White has noresources left. 33.fxg5 loses the e-pawn, then the g-pawn in due course.No queenside pushes are possible; Black simply has too many pawns therefor White to break through. Avoiding capture of the f-pawn is no betteranyway, as ...Ng6 forces the issue soon enough. } 33. a5 { Hoping for 33...bxa534.bxa5 and then maybe Black will blunder and allow the KW in through d5-c5. } 33... Ng6 { White's queenside pawns pose no threat at all. Black can simply forcethe creation of a passed pawn on the kingside, then march to victory onwhichever flank the WK doesn't defend. } 34. fxg5 Kxe5 35. axb6 cxb6 36. Kf3 { White chooses to go kingside, hoping to defend his g-pawn and maybedrive the Knight away, allowing a promotion if Black missteps. } 36... a5 { Butnow Black will have a passed a-pawn as well, and the WK cannot hope todefend both sides of the board. } 37. bxa5 bxa5 { 0-1. White has no way tostop both the a- and f-pawns, and he resigns. Many thanks to luker67 forthis excellent game! Comments on the analysis or on the game itself aremuch appreciated. If you leave a rating, please also comment letting meknow what I did well or need to improve! Thanks for reading! } 0-1
[Event "........... comes a Ray of Hope"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009.09.18"] [Round "-"] [White "jstevens1"] [Black "dynamic_dv"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [BlackElo "2066"] [TimeControl "3d+1d<5d"] [WhiteElo "1833"] 1. e4 e5 { Hi everyone! I have had my share of heartache against theExperts - indeed there have been cases where I have got into an endgameor late middlegame with an Expert, in fact, let's throw in the Master Materas well where I have had at least some drawing chances and then I makea critical wrong decision and blow it big time. Here are some of thosenames where I have tasted this kind of heartache on at least one occasion. Easy19, Ionadowman, Therealjimfriar, Marinvucusik, Chrisobee, Leo_Londonand Dynamic_Dv. This time, however, I manage to hold my nerve and theposition and gain a 5.8 point reward. This latest Expert Draw, my 6thhas ended a 5 match losing run against Dynamic_Dv. It gives me a realray of hope against the abovementioned players. Anyhow, on with the game. I depart again from my usual Ruy Lopez and have a go at The Three KnightsOpening. I kick off with 1. e4. } 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 g6 { 3....... g6 - thismove, intending to fianchetto his dsb ensures that this opening is theThree Knights Opening because 3 of the four knights have developed oneafter the other. } 4. d4 exd4 5. Nxd4 { 5. Nxd4 - transposes into a kindof Scotch Opening. } 5... Bg7 6. Be3 { 6. Be3 - out of his home church comes FouLenoir, supporting Henry's steed. } 6... Nf6 7. Nxc6 bxc6 { 7. ........ bxc6 -bishop for knight trade to disrupt black's queenside. } 8. Bc4 O-O 9. e5 d5 { 9. ....... d5 - here Dave departs from the database. After carefulcalculation I decide to take on f6. } 10. exf6 Bxf6 11. Bb3 { 11. Bb3 - preservingFou Leblanc. } 11... d4 { 11. ...... d4 - I anticipated this fork. Now the queensare traded after Fou Lenoir gives his life for the d4 pawn. } 12. Bxd4 Qxd4 13. Qxd4 Bxd4 14. O-O { 14. 0-0 - after the tactical stouche on the kingsideHenry decides to castle kingside. The rooks are now connected and at leastI can meet Re8 with Re1. Dave develops his lsb to f5. A strong move puttingpressure on c2. } 14... Bf5 15. Rfe1 Rfe8 16. Rxe8+ Rxe8 { 16. ..... Rxe8 - rooktrade. } 17. Kf1 h5 18. Re1 { 18. Re1 - on my 17th move, Henry moves backtowards the centre to support a neutralisation of the e column. Dave electsto trade. At least the trade brings Henry further towards the centre,a good thing as we are now in a 2 piece endgame as early as move 19! } 18... Rxe1+ 19. Kxe1 c5 20. f3 { 20. f3 - this pawn avoids the black dsb and shuts offa diagonal of the white lsb. This allows Henry to come out to the secondrank. } 20... h4 21. h3 { 21. h3 - to halt the advance of the h pawn. } 21... c4 22. Bxc4 Bxc2 { 22. ....... Bxc2 - pawn trade. } 23. Kd2 Bf5 24. b3 { 24. b3 - supportingFou Leblanc on a long diagonal. Maintains a pin on f7 pawn. } 24... Kg7 { 24....... Kg7 - breaking the pin. } 25. Ne2 { 25. Ne2 - this move seems passivebut I see it as a precaution. Note that infiltration routes of the BKvia f4 - g3 on the kingside and d4 on the queenside are now blocked offas it is illegal for a king to walk into a check! Note that the knightis untouchable by the black dsb and it is extremely difficult for the knightto be assailed by the white dsb. During my coffee break at work this morning,as I stir my cup, I put the question to the black lsb next move and alsoone to my opponent as I feel confident that I can keep it out - do youwant a draw Dave? In my lunch hour Dave logs on, although I feel confidentthat I have kept hime out, Dave is an expert and he might see somethingI haven't. That proved not to be the case. Dave accepted my draw offer. At least I have managed to get into an endgame with an Expert and notmake the wrong decision this time. To this opponent I lost 5 games onthe bounce so it is nice to end that losing run. So, to the Experts listedin my intro note and Master Freddy it gives me a real ray of hope of endinga losing run with them. I now play Dave as black and hope I can do OKthis time. Ah well, bye for now - Joanne } 25... Bb6 26. Bd3 1/2-1/2
[Event "R2: can I take that pawn?"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "25th July 2012"] [Round "-"] [White "White Player"] [Black "l-d-j"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1387"] [TimeControl "90 mins for 40 moves, then 30 mins + 30 secs extra from move 1 on"] [WhiteElo "1612"] { The second game in the nine-round tournament I played in. In the firstgame I drew a much stronger player, so now I got another strong opponent(as usual in a Swiss system tournament), this time with Black. There wasone crucial question in this game: can I take that pawn or not? } 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 { Probably my opponent wants to avoid some lines (like the Budapestgambit) and plays 2.Nf3 instead of 2.c4. } 2... c5 { I like to play the Benkoagainst 1.d4 openings, so I continue with my normal 2...c5. } 3. e3 { Unfortunatelyit won't be a Benko Gambit. This move is somewhat passive as it blocksin the dark-squared bishop, but if White wants to avoid main lines andstill wants to play c4 at some point, this is a logical move. } 3... d5 { I decideto stake a claim in the center as well. Now it's a sort of reversed queen'sgambit declined, but it can still transpose into other lines. } 4. c4 cxd4 { I could play 4...e6, transposing into a sideline of the Tarrasch defenceto the QGD, but I don't know that opening so I decided to play differentand try to avoid book lines... } 5. exd4 Nc6 { Putting pressure on the d4pawn, which will be the main theme of this game. } 6. Nc3 { Believe it ornot, but this game has transposed into a Caro-Kann, Panov-Botvinnik attack.Compare it with the variation 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.c4 Nf6 5.Nc3Nc6 6.Nf3... It's the same position. I don't play the Caro-Kann and didn'trecognize the position, and my opponent was not aware of it either I think,as he took much time to think at each move. } 6... Bg4 { More pressure on d4.But the question is: 'Can I take that pawn, or not?' I tried to calculatemany moves in advance and already saw the game position at move 10. } 7. Be3 { More defence for the pawn. By the way, the main continuation is 7.cxd5. } 7... Bxf3 { ? Exchanging a defender of d4 for a piece that doesn't directly attackit. I decided to go for the pawn, as I couldn't see a clear refutation(yet). Even though I did see that White would get a development advantage,I didn't think it would be enough compensation for the pawn. The variationwas too long for me to see White's winning move at move 11. Note that thismove in itself does not lose the game, but the plan behind it does. } 8. Qxf3 dxc4 { Clearing the d-file for my queen. } 9. Bxc4 Nxd4 { ?? Played quickly(too quickly?). Probably if I would have calculated now, I would have seenWhite's winning move. But it's very hard to 'admit' that you have madea mistake, and I kind of felt that there was no way back at this point.If I would not take this pawn now, I would have lost the bishop pair andgiven White a development advantage for free. But anything's better thangiving him the win. } 10. Bxd4 Qxd4 11. Bb5+ { ! This wins. When I lookedat this position at move 6, I thought about 11.Qxb7 and wanted to replywith 11...Rd8 'with threats to the exposed White king' (at first I actuallythought it was a mating threat on d2 as I still had the bishop on f1 inmy head). Of course, 12.Bb5+ would also refute that variation (even ifthe Bishop were really on f1), but as said before, the variation was toolong to calculate. } 11... Nd7 { 11...Kd8 fails to 12.Rd1 winning the queen, oralso 12.Qxb7 with a huge attack. } 12. O-O { 12.Qxb7 was better and simpler,but White is still winning. Maybe he didn't see that after 12...Rb8?? 13.Qxb8#is mate due to the pin on the knight. Also winning is 12.Bxd7+ Kxd7 13.Qxb7+winning the rook on a8, or 13.Rd1 winning the queen. } 12... O-O-O { The best defenceaccording to the computer because it unpins the knight, But White is stillwinning at least a piece. } 13. Rac1 Qe5 { I saw the threat of 14.Ne2+ winningthe queen and I saw that 13...Kb8 would simply lose the knight on d7 after14.Rfd1. I also calculated a line with 13...Nc5, which went 14.Na4 b6 (onlyone to defend the knight) 15.Ba6+ Kc7 16.Qb7+ Kd6 and Here I thought 17.Rfd1??would win the Black queen, not seeing that the White queen was also attacked.But at all moves of that variation White has many alternatives which allwin. But it does not matter what I play here, as I'm lost in all variations. } 14. Rfe1 { And now I'm losing the queen anyway (14...Qc7 and 14...Qb8 failto 15.Nd5(+) and 14...Qd6 and 14...Qc5 fail to 15.Ne4(+)). Moreover, Whitekeeps an enormous advantage in activity. Therefore, I decided that I hadseen enough and resigned. Quite a painful loss for me, but fortunatelyI had almost a day to recover, an advantage of playing one game a day.An interesting question that arises after seeing this game is: 'How tocope with variations that are very long and hard to calculate correctly?'There are, in my view, at least three solutions. The first is to keep calculatinguntil you have come to a clear-cut conclusion, but that's often not possible(due to time restrictions, for example). The second solution is to justplay it and see what happens, which is what I did in this game, but thatcan lead to a quick disaster, as happened here. A third solution couldbe to assess the risk of the variation, and if you find it too risky, justnot play it. In this case I could have seen that White would have 3 piecesdeveloped against only one for me (an exposed queen which could be attackedeasily), and that my king cannot castle and won't be able to castle safelyin less than three moves (the e- or g-pawn had to be moved and the bishopand knight be brought out). If you have any other ideas, please leave acomment. I would like to read your views on this. Thank you again for readingthis annotation, hope you enjoyed it. } 1-0
[Event "Blitz game"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date ""] [Round "-"] [White "porcho"] [Black "bagus02"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1200"] [TimeControl "five minute +15 second"] [WhiteElo "1154"] { This is a blitz game I played against a 1200 player, so I don't know histrue strength. } 1. d4 e6 { I don't know what this is, so I'll just playwhat feels natural. } 2. c4 d6 { As I said earlier, I don't know this openingbut he seems to be playing a little cautiously. } 3. e4 { I take advantageand stick another pawn in the center. } 3... Nf6 4. Nc3 Nc6 5. Nf3 { I think Ihave a superior center, but can it hold? } 5... a5 6. a4 Bd7 7. Bd3 Nb4 { I'mnot sure what he's trying to do here, but it's a little annoying to havea knight lodged there. } 8. Bg5 Be7 { Too bad he noticed that I could winhis knight with e5 if he didn't block. } 9. e5 { I decided to play it anyway. } 9... Nxd3+ 10. Qxd3 { I certainly didn't mind that trade, it brought my queenout. } 10... dxe5 11. dxe5 Ng4 12. Bxe7 Qxe7 13. h3 { I get rid of the knight } 13... Nh6 14. Nb5 { Threatens a fork on c7 } 14... Bc6 { Discovers a defense. } 15. O-O-O { I know queenside castling might now have been wise because of the pawncover being blown off, but this doubles my queen and rook on the open file. } 15... O-O 16. h4 Nf5 17. g4 { I start a pawn storm } 17... Rad8 { Hmmm complications } 18. Qc2 Bxf3 { I almost cried here. Luckily I found a way to win back mypiece and not lose anything. } 19. Rxd8 Bxh1 20. Rxf8+ Kxf8 21. gxf5 Qc5 { And material is even. } 22. fxe6 { I miss a better move here } 22... Qxe5 { Buthe gives me another chance and this time I see it. } 23. Qd1 { ! Forks amate threat and the bishop. } 23... Be4 { ?? misses it } 24. Qd8# { MATE! As always,please comment and rate. } 1-0
[Event "37th GK tournament"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "30-Jul-07"] [Round "-"] [White "darthmix"] [Black "vents"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1559"] [TimeControl "2 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1619"] { Yeah, so to me this game is just an example of why you shouldn't giveup just because you're getting creamed in the opening. I'm generally lesscomfortable with opening theory than I think most players around my skilllevel are, so black dominates the game early here, but as the game progressesI move into my comfort zone while my opponent moves away from his. } 1. e4 e6 { Here's a secret: I hate playing against the French defense. } 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 { MCO recommends this for anti-french players. Idon't like giving away my queenside pawn structure, though the spacialadvantage is supposed to compensate. Still, I'm not a happy camper rightnow. } 4... Ne7 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 O-O 7. Nf3 c5 { Still book. } 8. g3 Nbc6 9. c4 { Trying, as ever, to compromise black's superior pawn structure. } 9... cxd4 10. cxd5 Qxd5 11. Bg2 Nxe5 { I think black should go ahead and play 11...Qe4, trade queens, and use the time to further develop while white triesto shuffle his king to safety. 11... Nxe5 grabs a pawn but allows whiteto castle and eventually equalize. } 12. O-O d3 13. Ne1 { Unnatural looking,but best. After 13... dxc2 14. Nxc2 Qxd1 15. Rxd1 white at least has controlof the open file. } 13... Qb5 { To bring the rook into the game. } 14. Nxd3 Rd8 15. Re1 Nxd3 16. Bf1 { Taking back immediately obviously loses another pawnand the file. This is white's best hope, though black still has the initiative.Of course black cannot try 16... Nb2, or any other knight move, becausethey all lose to 17. Qxd8 and then mate. } 16... Qb6 { Regrouping. There's no wayto immediately continue the attack on d3. } 17. Bxd3 e5 { White's piecesare in disarray, but this simply gives up a pawn and evens the material.Up until now I felt my opponent had been playing quite well; he'd playedan opening that phases me, and had forced me into a series of uncomfortabledefenses. Here his play begins to go wrong. } 18. Rxe5 { I assume black wasaiming for 18... Bh3, but can't play it now that the knight is under attack. } 18... Be6 19. Re1 Nd5 20. Qh5 { At last, counterplay. Threatening 21. Qxh7 andforcing the king back onto the central files. } 20... g6 { 20... h6 isn't muchbetter; After 21. Bxh6 gxh6 22. Qxh6 black is in deep trouble. Best, probably,would be 20... Nf6, adding defense to the h-pawn. 20... g6 opens up dark-squaredholes that white will use in a mating attack later. } 21. Qe5 Qd6 22. Qb2 { After a queen trade, black would be left with the centralized minor piecesand a stronger position. } 22... b6 23. Bh6 { Mirroring the attack black has beeneyeing for the last ten moves. } 23... f6 { Forced. This weakens the kingside pawns,but black has no other defense. } 24. c4 Bh3 { If it'd been me, I probablywould've moved the knight. After 24... Nc7 25. Qxf6 Black's kingside isopen but he still has many defensive possiblities. Material isn't everything,but it is something, and the knight on c7 would go a long way toward defendingagainst white's major pieces. } 25. cxd5 Qxd5 { Threatening mate early isa mistake; it's easily rebuffed by the 26. Be4 skewer. } 26. Be4 Qd6 { Blackhadn't been playing well for a few moves, but this seems to be the keyblunder. Black MUST keep the queen on the a2-g7 diagonal for defense. 26...Qf7 is probably best, since white can't immediately harass it any furtherthere; Rooks on the d-file prevent the queen-winning pin. } 27. Bxa8 Rxa8 { Ouch. Chess games are often lost when one player can't bring himself toconcede material and a won piece becomes a mating attack. Black neededto be able to bring his rook to the seventh rank, since the queen is preparingto threaten mate on it. Now he can't. } 28. Qb3+ { The mating combinationmaterializes. } 28... Kh8 { 28... Be6 isn't much better, since after 29. Rxe6 whitewins the bishop, gains a tempo and prepares a brutal discovery check onthe diagonal. Black is lost. } 29. Qf7 { The irony is that black is not incheck and is a move away from delivering a mate almost identical to theone white is preparing. But his queen isn't in position, and he has notime. } 29... Rg8 { Delaying the inevitable. } 30. Re8 { Aaaand the arrival of anothermajor piece seals it. Anything black does with his rook or bishop willbe met with any number of mating moves, the most elegant being 31. Bg7#.The only way to delay is to sac the queen with 30... Qf8, Qd1 or Qxg3, all of which are empty. Black resigns. } 1-0
[Event "Challenge from dr_ken"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2012.02.17"] [Round "-"] [White "cosstephanides"] [Black "dr_ken"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1730"] [TimeControl "10 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1802"] 1. h3 { a crazy game. I had lost a few times to ken so tried a new openingh6 the basmans or something. } 1... c5 { Ken goes for a Sicilian, and you willsee combines with a kings Indian we out the book already. } 2. c3 { nottext book, the analysis suggests e4 but we not computers } 2... d6 3. e3 a6 4. d4 { straight in for the fight challenging the c5 pawn } 4... cxd4 5. cxd4 { itook with the c pawn to maintain the king side pawns } 5... e6 6. Bd3 { the firstmajor piece to move } 6... Nf6 7. Nc3 g6 { perhaps an error the bishop is goingto the g7 square so i start thinking of black square movement as it isout the game a bit } 8. Nf3 Bg7 { as predicted } 9. O-O { get the king safeand let the game begin } 9... O-O 10. Re1 { ok rook to a central file but we stillshadow boxing after early exchange } 10... Nc6 { contesting the centre squarespreparing d5 } 11. a3 { blocking off the knight advance } 11... Bd7 { still shadowboxing setting things up for the attack } 12. Bd2 b5 { even i would say butthis move seemed a waste } 13. b4 { cannot let the b pawn advance further } 13... d5 { ken moves into the centre but i think e5 better } 14. e4 { I immediatelycontest } 14... Nxe4 { and we draw swords } 15. Nxe4 dxe4 16. Bxe4 { a series ofexchanges, i would imagine that we both felt happy with things } 16... Rc8 { lookingto get a rook on a open file } 17. Bg5 { go for the lady hot things up alittle } 17... Qb6 { fine get out clause attacking e4 } 18. Be3 { triple protection } 18... Qc7 { still very even } 19. d5 { ok lets force things a long a little } 19... exd5 { maybe a better move on not sure knight d8 } 20. Bxd5 Nb8 { a slight errorbetter bishop e6 } 21. Rc1 { now a can see some options first make life difficultfor the lady } 21... Qd8 22. Rxc8 Qxc8 { then really shake it up with the exchange } 23. Bc5 { and kaboom squeezing things at the back and its now that i cansee the mad combination seven/eight moves and it all looks good } 23... Re8 { maybe he sholud have sacrificed the rook } 24. Bxf7+ { so now i commit to thecombination everyway i looked at it i came out on top with either a bigwin or a good end game.kens no coward so he gives as good as he gets. } 24... Kxf7 { that's cool queen can go into action but first lets get the knightinvolved } 25. Ng5+ { this move took ages to go for i kept thinking of thequeen check and thereafter } 25... Kg8 { maybe i would have brought the king outi had worked out combinations for this ken took me by surprise but as ihad a good look i could see that i could win outright. } 26. Qd5+ Kh8 { seriouserror } 27. Nf7+ { and i move in for the kill } 27... Kg8 { the rest is forced } 28. Nh6+ Kh8 29. Qg8+ { and i love this } 29... Rxg8 30. Nf7# { a knight checkmatea text book or chess puzzle ending } 1-0
[Event "33rd GK tournament"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "17-Nov-06"] [Round "-"] [White "cbas"] [Black "goldaxe2006"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1695"] [TimeControl "2 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1503"] 1. e4 { A good move to start the game. White plants a pawn in the centrewhilst giving squares to both his Bishop and his Queen. Definitely oneof the best possible moves at the start of the game...so good that thegreat man Robert J. Fischer gave it an exclamation mark! } 1... c5 { Of the manyoptions open to him, Black chooses to play the Sicilian Defence - Whichleads to some of the most common positions seen on a chess board. In choosingthe Sicilian Defence, Black is attempting to go into a highly theoreticalgame. } 2. Bc4 { White chooses to play a closed Sicilian in an attempt toavoid some heavy theoretical lines. } 2... e6 { e6 is a strong move here as stopspotential attacks on f7 and starts to open up some space for black to develop. } 3. Nc3 { Nc3 - White's aim is clear here - to develop his pieces in an ordinaryfashion and to try to gain an advantage from his position. } 3... Nc6 { Nc6 isa strong reply to Nc3 as it is striking out at two of the main 4 centralsquares. } 4. Nf3 { White again develops his pieces. } 4... Nf6 { One's first impressionof this position is a very dull one - but one can be easily mistaken...There are many tactical complications that can arise here with lines includingd4 at some point. } 5. d3 { perhaps d3 is a bit passive, a more aggresivemoves such as d4 might have given White more chances of gaining an advantage.There is nothing wrong with d3 however as it allows White to continue hisdevelopment without any un-necessary tactical complications. } 5... d5 { d5!?Black immediately challenges the centre. } 6. exd5 { There aren't many otheralternatives to exchanging here - going into alternative lines would giveBlack more of an advantage. } 6... exd5 { Black is prepared to exchange pieceshere in an attempt to open up the position. } 7. Qe2+ { A pointless and passivecheck, giving Black a free tempo with Be7. } 7... Be7 { Black makes use of hisfree tempo. } 8. Bb5 { Bb5!? White is starting to go off on a tangent here...amove such as Bb5 does nothing to improve his position. } 8... O-O { Black choosesto castle...now Black has sustained quite a strong position. } 9. Bxc6 { White'sBishop has moved 3 times to take a Knight which has only moved once...dubiousplay from White...it is generally considered best to not swap if it doesNOT give you any advantages from the swap(as is the case here). } 9... bxc6 { Blacktakes...obviously. The doubled pawns are generally seen as a weakness butin some instances they can be very strong! } 10. Bf4 { For the first timein 3 moves White decides to make a reasonable move; developing the Bishopto f4 gives White some spacial advantages. } 10... Re8 { Black's threat of a discoveredattack is obvious. Now we see that Qe2 is rather dubious as it can comeunder pressure and cost White some valuable time at a later stage (Theresultant position from this game is conclusive evidence). } 11. O-O { Whitecastles dubiously!? Bd6!! } 11... Bd6 { !! Now black is clearly winning... Whitehas let himself get into lots of trouble. Now we see why the Qe2 move wasvery poor...never make un-necessary checks that don't do anything and canpotentially cause you major problems at a later stage. } 12. Qd2 { SurprisinglyWhite's only move! } 12... Bg4 { Black is starting to command the game now - White'sking-side is coming under immediate pressure. } 13. Nh4 { White's piecesare starting to become immobile...the h4 Knight is not doing anything!Now you know the reason for the phrase: 'A KNIGHT ON THE RIM IS DIM' } 13... d4 { Black forces White's other Knight onto a bad square. } 14. Nd1 { You cansee how much of an advantage Black now has...mainly because of the passivemove of Qe2?? Qe2 has cost White dearly here; losing him time and spaceand eventually the game. } 14... Re2 { Black has now managed to develop into atotally won position...not from amazing play but because White made onesilly error and allowed Black to capitalize on this. } 15. Qc1 { Just lookat how bad White's position is now. Once more I shall emphasize how muchQe2 has cost White in this game! I urge you, if you are a beginner to lookat why Qe2 is bad and to learn not to make un-necessary and passive checkssuch as this. When a beginner sees a check, his automatic reaction is tocheck! Checking doesn't necessarily do anything!!! This is a very importantrule. } 15... Bxf4 { Black can afford to trade off pieces here in order to wina few pawns. } 16. Qxf4 { The Queen literally HAS to take. } 16... Rxc2 { Black snapsup the pawn. } 17. f3 { f3 is a feeble attempt to drive off the g5 Bishopas it opens up White's King furthermore. } 17... Be6 { Black retreats the Bishopgladly into a good,strong square. } 18. Rf2 { Is White trying to lose thisgame!? Rf2 allows Black to swap off pieces. } 18... Rxf2 { Black gladly exchangesthe Rook. } 19. Nxf2 { To be fair to White though, his Knight has now becomemore active after the exchange. } 19... Nd5 { Black immediately siezes the oppurtunityto go on the attack. } 20. Qe4 { White's Queen moves once again! Note howmany Queen moves White has made in this game! Most of these moves wouldhave been un-required had White not foolishly chosen to play Qe2 } 20... Rb8 { Black once more goes on the Pawn hunt. } 21. Rb1 { Rb1!! OUCH! } 21... Nc3 { Nc3!!0-1 White ought to resign now. Important Points to be learnt from thisgame: 1.Do not jump to hasty checks which give your opponent free timeand can cause you problems at a later stage. 2.Always consider if checkingso dubiously is good for you or if it is just a passive move and does notdo anything to enhance/ improve your position. Thanks, I hope you haveenjoyed this game. Any comments are welcome. } 0-1
[Event "Let's play chess"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2015.04.24"] [Round "-"] [White "jjisawesome"] [Black "yuyo61"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1087"] [TimeControl "14 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1320"] 1. e4 { king's pawn opening } 1... e5 { most obvious } 2. Nf3 { i started to develop... } 2... d6 { ... until this came } 3. Nc3 { i decided to ignore that } 3... Nf6 { so he starteddevelop After i developed } 4. Bc4 { best move } 4... Qe7 { queen out in the beginninggame is not good and it blocks the dark-squared-bishop } 5. d3 { lettingmy bishop out } 5... Be6 { not a great spot } 6. Bxe6 { decided to trade } 6... Qxe6 { no double pawns for him and me } 7. Ng5 { getting the knight useful } 7... Qe7 { back to where it started } 8. O-O { so i casled } 8... Nbd7 { to this } 9. Be3 { seems like a good move } 9... O-O-O { into the attack } 10. Bxa7 { attack! } 10... b6 { what? } 11. Nb5 { easy peasy lemon squeezy } 11... Kb7 { not good } 12. c4 { pawnare less... because they are strong } 12... c5 { copycat } 13. a4 { even more pawns! } 13... h6 { that right now? } 14. Nf3 { no pieces are for a pawn } 14... g5 { losing tempo } 15. a5 { to this } 15... Kc6 { not good and not bad } 16. axb6 { letting out the rook } 16... Nxb6 { of cource } 17. Ra6 { a pin } 17... Kd7 { unpinning a pin } 18. Bxb6 { yummy! } 18... Ke6 { not accepting the skewer } 19. Bxc5 { pin } 19... Qd7 { useless } 20. Ra7 { force } 20... Qe8 { and of cource } 21. Bb6 { nowhere to go } 21... Nd7 { a move.. } 22. Bxd8 { abishop for a 'useless' rook } 22... Qxd8 { that is surly expeted } 23. Qb3 { planninga discovery } 23... Kf6 { getting out } 24. c5 { still that move } 24... Be7 { why not takeit? } 25. cxd6 { so I took } 25... Bf8 { backwards } 26. Qd5 { more action } 26... Rh7 { rookout } 27. d4 { another trade } 27... Kg7 { bad move for the king } 28. Rfa1 { attack! } 28... Kg6 { waste of move } 29. Nxe5+ { check } 29... Nxe5 { unusual } 30. dxe5 { attack withthe pawns } 30... Kh5 { hiding in the corner } 31. Rxf7 { free } 31... Bg7 { winning } 32. Raa7 { both on the second to last rank } 32... Qg8 { you wanna challenge me? } 33. d7 { better be 33. Ra8 } 33... Qd8 { no good } 34. Ra8 Qb6 { should just have takenit } 35. d8=Q { two queens } 35... Qg6 { simple } 36. g3 { cutting off the last escapes } 36... Bxe5 { what!? } 37. Rxh7 { rook trad then } 37... Bf6 { back? } 38. Qd1+ { check! } 38... g4 { obvious } 39. Q8d5+ { last few checks } 39... Bg5 { best move here } 40. Rah8 { killingmove and he resigned thanks for watching my anotation and good-bye!!!!! } 1-0
[Event "OTB WTW Coaching Game"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "1-15-16"] [Round "-"] [White "Joe"] [Black "Jack"] [Result "0-1"] [TimeControl "95 min"] [WhiteElo "1356"] { This was the first time, in over two months that I got to play againstJack Stockel. In early December, a new student joined known as, I believe,Neima. Therefore, Jack needed the time to train her. In addition, theplace that runs the chess club was closed for Christmas and New Years Day. And, I was sick with a cold, a week afterwards. When this happens I goby the Health Department Guidelines which says that you shouldn't be thereif you're sick, even with the mildest cold. But, I was back last week,and the student was not there. This enabled the coach and I to play eachother. It was another interesting game, and I played extremely well. Early on, he miscalculated due to his Glacoma which allowed me to win aRook for a minor piece. Later on, I made an error that allowed him toeven out. In the end, I made a mistake that lost by exchanging which allowedhim to get an unstoppable. After which, it was over, so what happened? } 1. e4 { I would've switched it up with 1.d4, and gone for the ColleFranketort System (which I only played one against a Bert.) The cornerstoneis 1.d4, d5 2.Nf3, followed by 3.e3. But, since it's been a while, I'mvery comfortable with sticking to the Ruy Lopez. } 1... e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 d6 { Tipsyjourneyman were speculating how Jack usually responds. I temporarelyforgot and thought it was 3...Bc5 But, this is his most common responseby allowing self imposing the pin. } 4. Nc3 { Instead of castling right away,I delay for one move by playing this. In part, I remember what I'm studyingwith John. But, mainly I based it on comments from kenneth_fiore_3 andfelt most comfortable with this move. } 4... Bd7 { Developing and breaking thepin. } 5. O-O { Not wanting to take any chances with his Bishops, in thelong run, I get my K to safety, at once. I felt that if Jack could organizeboth bishops, it could be very dangerous for me, if I'm not castled. So,to avoid getting nervous, I play it safe because as the saying goes, 'Don'ttrust your opponent.' } 5... Nf6 { Meanwhile, Jack continues with his development. } 6. d3 { I could've continued with the mainline (Exchange Variation): 6.d4,exd4 7.Nxd4, Nxd4 8.Bxd7+, Qxd7 9.Qxd4 First, sticking to mainlines mightmake Jack too comfortable on what to do. So, after seeing what happenedin my game with nuntar, I'm trying to put my coach out of his comfort zone. By doing this, I felt that Jack wasn't used to this variation. In addition,I get a nice pawn chain and place to complete my development, in return. The other idea, as I learned from tipsyjourneyman and kenneth_fiore_3is not to exchange against a stronger opponent, just because, you can. } 6... Be7 { Completing his development. But, the only problem is that my coachis in a cramped position. And, I will try to take advantage of that withthe idea being to make things difficult against the runner, as easy19 pointedout in our last WTW training session together called, 'All your base belongto us.' In it, he said, 'Don't be afraid to make things difficult forme.' Well, that's the idea against any coach. } 7. Bg5 { Meanwhile, I alsocomplete my development. } 7... O-O { He tucks his monarch away, as 'the courtof last resort', as they say. In other words, it's also based on whatJohn also said which has to do with castling, as the final step in development. } 8. Re1 { Meanwhile, I centralize my rook with the idea being that it'sone way to control the center. I know I've been told to hold off untillater, but I wasn't going wait here. The idea is centralization can alsomake things difficult for your opponent. I hope I'm not overgeneralizing,but I saw that in a recent GM game. Not only that, but, contrary to whatI said earlier with 3...d6, now's the time that I go back to mainlinesto keep Jack guessing. Aside from that, the only other move that cameinto consideration was 8.Nd5, but I'd lose material after 8...Nxd5, 9.exd5,Bxg5 10.Nxg5, Qxg5 } 8... a6 { However, Jack goes back mainlines, but at a later,so I abide in both cases. } 9. Ba4 b5 10. Bb3 Na5 { Believe it or not,this move came into calculation. Now, I was wondering what to do, in thisposition. I could allow him to double my pawns since the capture wouldbe towards the center. At first, however, 11.Nd5 was still ruled out dueto the concern about the loss of material. But, then, I came to my senses,as now, his Ra8 is en-prise. So, I play it. } 11. Nd5 { This is one of thefew times where Mr. Stockel and I disagree with each other. Jack: You'rein big trouble. } 11... Nxd5 { I anticipated this move. That's because of thenext move, and when he recaptures... } 12. Bxd5 Bxg5 13. Bxa8 { I take theRook and now wind up ahead. Don't forget that I remember the mistake Imade with nuntar by forgetting to capture which would've left him in roughshape since he'd be down by a pawn and lose castling rights. Well, I didnot forget about that, and in return, left Jack clinging, as archduke_piccoloput it in our first game, where I also could've taken. But, that happenshere. } 13... Qxa8 { Figuring that he got something back, Jack recaptured. Fora couple of minutes, I was wondering what to do. } 14. Nxg5 { But, I foundthis move since the Queen did not defend his DSB. He overlooked, and itwas nothing short of the glamoma, as noted because it got confused witha pawn or bishop. Jack: Oh, you had the Knight there. Joe: The Knightis very dangerous. Jack: Now, I must figure something else out. } 14... Qd8 { So,he attacks my Ng5 in such a nasty way. Now, I'm the one that must figuresomething out. I considered what appeared to be an exchange with 15.Qg4??but saw that he'd get my Queen for free which could not be allowed. So,I find something else, and not for a cheapo tactic. } 15. Qh5 { As I'm threateninga checkmate. But, mate wasn't the idea for, if it were, this would nothave been played. Instead, I'm protecting the N. And, when Jack responds,I felt that his options would be limited. The idea is playing things thathe doesn't anticipate, and yet, I know how he'll respond and am ready forit. In return, I feel that my advantages increase which Jack implied lateron in our game chat. } 15... h6 { Joe: I figured that you'd play this. Jack: Whatelse can I do? } 16. Nf3 { I'm not struggling, as it might appear. For,I thought about what I could do, prior to playing 15.Qh5 Turns out thatany other move, except 16.Nh3?? loses the N. The problem with bringingthe N to h3, isn't so much the exchange, but when it happens, my pawn structuresaround the K is destroyed. That would expose the monarch, and as you remember,that's how I lost my last game against him. Being ahead doesn't mean thatyou can compromise the safety of your monarch. So, I retreated to thebest square, in my books. } 16... Nc6 { Bringing his Knight to a better outpost,as well. } 17. Qh4 { Now, I go for an exchange. The idea is to liquidatepieces when ahead. In this case, the Queens are the target because, asI've learned, exchanging Queens, especially while ahead, changes the dynamicsof the game, in a positive way. Yes, I had the same kind of Homework witha mentor which makes me remember, all to well. } 17... Nb4 { Jack is threateningto fork both Rooks which I did not overlook yet. Before defending againstthe threat, however, I decide liquidate once and for all. } 18. Qxd8 Rxd8 19. Rec1 { And, now I defend. I also considered 19.Rac1 to keep the otherRook centralized. But, he'd win back a pawn, after 19...Nxa2, which Iwasn't going to allow. } 19... Be6 { Yet, he's still threatening to win a backa pawn. } 20. a3 { So, I defend, whilst, attacking his Nb4. The idea beingis that I'm playing, as though, it were an Archange line. That's because...Bc5, is generally played, after which, white plays c3, followed by d4. If something's there, which he noted in a game against Jack, you attackit to gain tempo, which in return, allows a pawn chain. The same thingapplies here, but instead c2-c3 followed by d2-d4, the plan starts here,and when he retreats, I'll play 21.b4 and get a similar chain. } 20... Nc6 21. b4 Bg4 { I'm not sure why Jack played this, but I don't see the point sincemy Nf3 is not pinned. } 22. Nd2 { So, I retreat to d2. Another move thatcame into consideration was 22.c4??, but after exchanging, my monarch isstill exposed. } 22... Nd4 { At first, I wasn't sure why Jack played this, andtherefore, also viewed it as pointless. But, this time my assessment isquite bad because in doing so, I made a mistake that allows Jack to recompensate. } 23. c4 { ?? Not seeing the point, this where I take advantage of the opportunityto try and exchange. But, in doing so, he will equalize with his nextmove. As now, my monarch and Rc1 will be forked, allowing him to get aRook for a Knight. Best was to refute this bringing my monarch into thecorner with 23.Kh1. Another option was 23.Kf1, except for what might happenafter 23...Be2+ That's why I think that the better alternative is havingthe monarch on h1. } 23... Ne2+ 24. Kf1 Nxc1 25. Rxc1 bxc4 { After my blunder,however, the exchange ensues. } 26. Rxc4 { But, in this position, however,I had a hard time deciding how to take back. That is, whether to recapturewith the Rook or d3. In fact, 26.dxc4 was almost played in order to keepthree pawns closer together to make a stronger pawn chain. But, the reasonI captured here is because of the fact that I'm now threatening his c7,whereas, after the other way, this wouldn't happen. And, after Jack defends,I will have another threat. } 26... Rc8 27. Rc6 { With that being said, this wasalso part of the plan behind taking back with the Rook. As now, I willtake. Initially, my thought process was winning back a pawn. But, aswe're about to see, white doesn't win anything } 27... Bd7 { My inference is thatJack is trying to scare so that I don't find the right move. He's probablyhoping that I'll retreat back, e.g., to c3 or c2. } 28. Rxa6 { But, it doesnot work against me, as I was going to take, one way or another. } 28... Bb5 { This,however, is where I discovered that my thought process. With this fork,he is going to recapture. } 29. Ra5 { Knowing this, I attack his Bb5, butfor the thrills and giggles here because my Rook needed to be protected. And, there's no way to defend d3, anyhow, so one move is as good or badas another with the R. } 29... Bxd3+ 30. Ke1 { I had a difficult time decidingbetween 30.Ke1, and 30.Kg1, in this position. I almost moved my monarchto g1, with the idea of bringing it into the corner, as noted earlier. The reason for playing this is the fact that we've now reached an endgame. And, during that phase, the monarch is a powerful. So, the idea is tokeep, as mobile as, possible. } 30... f6 { I don't know why he played this. } 31. Rd5 { 31.f3 was almost played to get a different pawn chain. However, Iwanted to put pressure right on his Bd3 knowing that the usual escape route(whilst attacking the Rook) with 31...Bc4??, won't work, due to my Nd2. So, the idea of making things difficult for my coach remains the same. } 31... Ba6 { I had anticipated 31...Bc2, where his Bishop would not get reattacked. } 32. Ra5 { Believe it or not, I played 32.Nf3? here because of what GM SusanPolgar taught me about a better placement for the Knight. But, Jack Stockelaccurately pointed out that this is a blunder because I'd lose a pawn after32...Bb7, without compensation. Therefore, he made me find a better move,as Homework. This is similar to what a mentor did by giving me HW whenmentioning a move which I remembered to give my students Homework. And,it's also similar to what kenneth_fiore_3 when we talked about the possibilityof getting training from him before it got busy. What Ken said is thatthere are times where he will not allow the student to make a move, ifit's an error. Well, the same thing is true here because Jack was notgoing to allow me to make that mistake. Therefore, I found this move,and he said, 'Very good move! That's much better.' But, this move willresult with the same response, as he also outlined. On the other hand,it doesn't lose material. } 32... Bb7 33. f3 { However, I decide to add a defenderto e4 so that I can move my Nd2 to a better outpost, without the loss ofmaterial. } 33... Kf7 { As noted earlier, the King plays a powerful role in theendgame. } 34. Nc4 { Also mentioned is that my Knight is better placed. Jack said, 'You moved the Knight. That is a good move.' } 34... g5 { Advancinghis g7. The idea being is that by playing this, his pawns are better connectedwhich is also critical, at this phase. } 35. Kf2 { Like what we saw withJack, I get to it by mobilizing my monarch. The long term plan, however,is to get the opposition. We're not at that phase, yet, since so manypawns obstruct the monarch, but the idea is getting towards that phase. } 35... h5 { Advancing his h pawn. Now, if it can go to h4, this chain will becomevery dangerous. } 36. Ra7 { But, before he can do, I hit Bb7. Then, Jacksaid, 'Nothing is good right now.' What he was alluding is for black. } 36... d5 { 'This is the best', as he also said. } 37. Na5 { I considered exchanginghis Bb7 for my Knight. But, my N can do a lot here. More importantly,(the reason for this decision) is that exchanging means that Jack wouldhave passed pawn, right away. That's because his d5 would keep advancing,and it would be unstoppable. By playing this, however, that's not true,any longer. Even if he plays ...d5, I'll answer with Ke2, and black can'tplace me in check, due to my Ra7. } 37... Ba8 { Since I denied that exchanged,Jack wisely retreats because anything else, loses the Bishop. With thatbeing said, another reason for playing 37.Na5, was to prevent him fromresponding with ...Bc6, as now, it's confined. Although it's an endgame,the idea is to still leave black with a cramped position. } 38. exd5 { Now,how dangerous that pawn can be, I take, to prevent that from happening. } 38... Bxd5 { As expected, he takes back. } 39. Ke3 { This time, the plan is to getthe opposition. This involves exchanging more pawns, as a long term plan,though so that nothing interferes with the King's being opposite of oneanother. And, I remember what Susan told me that this opposition is vitalin endgames. The other idea, is for something else which is importantcalled triangulation (where the King moves in a triangle). But, that willhappen, right after his next move. } 39... Kg6 { Unpinning his c pawn. } 40. Kd3 { So, I take advantage of the opportunity to do the triangulation. } 40... g4 { And,he attempts to exchange pawns, which I accept due to the plan of gettingthe distant opposition. However, that is a mistake because he is goingto win a pawn, without compensation. Better is 41.Ke3 or 41.Ke2, addinganother defender to f3. } 41. fxg4 hxg4 42. g3 { Protecting g2, whilst preventinghis g4 from advancing any further, for now. } 42... c6 { I'm not exactly sure whyhe played this, but my guess is to do damage with his c6. } 43. Rd7 { Inthis position, I reversed the colors and thought that his Bishop was pinned. It's because I mixed up my King with his thinking that his monarch wason this square. This still remains a weakness for me. Doing this is nota good way to go, though, and has led to me giving some of students thewrong information in their annotations. In fact, that's why it often happened. But, it's worse here, as this is where I'll start to go wrong, believeit or not. } 43... Rh8 { As noted, Jack is going to pick up a pawn. } 44. a4 { Theidea here is to get pawn chain followed by an exchange. That's becausemy goal is to get a passed pawn. But, I felt that it does not work sincehis pieces appear coordinate here. } 44... Rxh2 45. Rd6 { But, before advancingmy a4 further, I decide to pin his f6, first. } 45... Ra2 { However, he is stillgoing to win my a4, one way or another. With best play, I might be ableto draw, as Jack told me later on. This happened after this game, secondsbefore we said goodbye. That's because when we were finished, my coachshowed me a different position with a student as to, why it's not lost. Right after we put things away, just before leaving he told me what happened. } 46. Nxc6 { ?? With that being said, this is where reversing the colors becomesthe costly error. I figured that he's going to get my a4, but in return,I've won a piece since it appeared that his Bd5 was pinned. As noted,I mixed up his monarch for mine. } 46... Bxc6 { Due to that weakness, I thoughtthat this was unplayable. Joe: This is an illegal move. Jack: How isthis illegal? After which I looked at it and said that he was right. But, the game is now lost for white, as he implied. During our chat, Jacksaid that instead of exchanging Knight for Bishop, much better was to wait,and later on, sac the Knight for a pawn. By playing this, he will geta passed pawn which will become impossible to stop. The idea being isthat in an endgame like this, the Knight can stop a pushed pawn from doingdamage. Eliminating it early on, takes away that opportunity enablinghim to get a passer which will promote. } 47. Rxc6 Rxa4 { As anticipatedhe takes. But, this also blends in with what he was saying because ofthe fact that I have two isolated pawns, against three of his connectedpawns. To of them are in a chain } 48. b5 { So, I do what I can to preventfurther damage. } 48... Ra3+ { But, it's too little, too late because he will pickup another pawn with this fork. Little did I realize that when he does,he'll have another passer. And, this is the one that will do the damage. At this point, however I figured out that I'm lost. Although I'd normallyresign, resignation is not an option, yet. That's due to the fact thatsince this is a WTW game (which will be posted in that club, and the factthat I have a little more time then usual, 30 instead of 5-10 minutes,I'll follow the Supplemental Talking the Talk Rules. It states that wedon't resign until you see a forced a mating sequence.) } 49. Kc4 Rxg3 50. Kd5 { Doing what I can, I decide to stop his e pawn from advancing. } 50... Kf5 { But, he now has the opposition which is going to enable him to push e5since I can no longer stop it. } 51. Kd6 { So, I try to come up with anotheridea. The idea is to counterattack, if he plays 51...Kf5, for I'd respondwith 52.Ke6. Not to my surprise, though, it doesn't happen. } 51... Rb3 { Instead,he goes after my b5. } 52. b6 { Which I thought could be protected with thismove. But, Jack's got something else up his sleeve. } 52... g3 { It's with thispawn, as it's a matter of time before it Queens. As the saying goes, 'passedpawns must be pushed.' } 53. Ke7 { Doing whatever possible, I attempt tocentralize my monarch. That's because I still remember about mating withjust two bishops and the king. And, when you're on the other end of it(so they have the mate), the way to last longer is by centralization ofthe monarch. The reason it appeared to apply here is that I thought wewere similar territory. Knowing that he'll Queen with a similar position,the idea was applying what I've learned. But, it does not apply, however,in this position. That's because it's even worse then I imagined and outfound that I don't last longer after his next move. } 53... g2 { At this point,Jack told me that the position was resignable, as usual. But, with 20-25minutes, as opposed to, less time, I refused. In it, I admitted to beinglost but resignation was not an option, yet. Now, he know's that I havea computer and annotate my games against him since I've told him. But,I just told Mr. Stockel that I'm in a club, and they have a rule of notresigning until mate is forced. And, I was going to abide by. For thosethat are wondering, the only time I don't is when time management is anissue (meaning: that I'm almost out of time. Otherwise, I don't.) } 54. Rxf6+ { So, I take, knowing that he can't back. } 54... Kg5 { I don't know why heplayed this. } 55. Rf7 { ? But, I prepare, for when he promotes. However,similar to what we saw when continuing a different game with my coach,after premature resignation, I made the same mistake. By playing this,he is going to win another pawn. Instead, my Rook had to remain on thesixth, where b6 was protected. Therefore, just about anything else wasbetter then the move played. Another way of putting is what charleshiggiessaid in one of his annotations that this is a mistake in a lost position. } 55... Rxb6 56. Rg7+ { Without anything much better, I decide to place him in check. This time, it is just for the thrills and giggles of it since there didn'tappear to be anything to lose. My thought was delaying the promotion for,as long as, possible since the it appeared that the only way to get outwas with the monarch. But, I overlooked his next move. } 56... Rg6 57. Kf7 { ?So, I try to get his Rook, in return. But, this is another mistake ashe will liquidate. Afterwhich, I can resign soon after since I'll onlybe left the monarch. Much better was 57.Rh7, or 57.Rf7 where this exchangewould not have been possible. And, now, if he promotes, even with a Rook,I'd still have mine and might be able to hold off against mate. Consequently,that would further delay my resignation. } 57... Rxg7+ 58. Kxg7 g1=Q { Right afterthe promotion, I resigned. With only my monarch against his Queen andKing (even without the pawn) mate is forced. That is due to what I rememberon how to mate with your Knight and Bishop, since I studied this for severalmonths until it became second nature. Well, the same concept applies herebecause he will force my monarch into the corner (this time, h8 where matewould be forced.) Therefore, it blends right in with the rules mentionedearlier of not resigning until mate is inevitable. With that being said,my next move would be 59.Kf7. After that, a likely continuation wouldbe 59...Qd4, 60.Ke6, Kg6 61.Ke7, Kf5 62.Kf7, Qd7+ 63.Kf8, Kf6 64.Kg8, Qf7+65.Kh8, Qg7# But, no matter how you slice it, mate is still forced oneway or another. } 0-1
[Event "OTB G45 KIA vs the French"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date ""] [Round "-"] [White "ME"] [Black "A Friend"] [Result "1-0"] [TimeControl "G45"] 1. e4 { This is a game I played OTB - G45 with a friend. I don't normallyplay 1. e4, but I have been experimenting with various lines to increasemy chess knowledge. } 1... e6 2. d3 { Intending to keep the position closed alongthe lines of the KIA. My friend and I have played dozens of main lineclassical French lines, so I wanted to deviate to increase my practicalchances. } 2... d5 3. Nd2 c5 { This is the most aggresive continuation. Blacktakes immediate advantage of the fact that White has held back his d4 pawn. 3..Nf6 is an interesting line of play, intending 4...b6. Before I switchedto the Sicilian, this was my favorite line against the KIA in the French. For more information, see Watson's 'Play the French'. } 4. Ngf3 Nc6 5. g3 Bd6 { Black intends to play aggressively, and can get a very solid gamewith a lot of dynamic chances, as long as he follows up with the correctdevelopment plan. } 6. Bg2 Nf6 { This is clearly not it. The best is 6...Nge7. Now the constant threat of the fork on e5 causes Black some problems. } 7. O-O O-O 8. Re1 { Threatening e5! } 8... Qc7 9. Qe2 { This can prove to be alittle annoying for Black. } 9... dxe4 { Best is probably ...Be7, although ifBlack doesnt want to admit the mistake, then he can play ...e5 and aftered, Nxd5; c3, Bf5; at least has good piece play, although White's positionis looking much better, with the e4-square for his pieces and the weake5 pawn as a target. } 10. dxe4 { Fritz likes the knight capture, but I likedthe idea of opening the d-file and either playing e5, or forcing Blackto make his bishop bad by playing it first. } 10... e5 { Keeps the dark-squarebishop passive, and weakens d5 and f5. } 11. c3 { Necessary to take awaythe d4 and b4-squares from the Black knight. } 11... h6 { This is a waste of timeand critically weakens the Black kingside for no good reason. } 12. Nc4 { The Queen's knight eyes the e3 square with plans of going to f5. } 12... Be7 13. Ne3 Be6 { Black is finally developed, but the White pieces are betterpoised to take advantage of the Black weaknesses. Indeed, White's onlyweakness, e4, is protected by tactical means. If 13...Nxe4 14. Nd5, winningthe piece. } 14. Nh4 { With 13...Be6, Black now threatens to take on e4,however, Nh4 not only discovers a bishop defense, but naturally aims bothknights at the weak f5-square. } 14... g6 { If the pawn were not on h6, then thismove wouldn't lose the pawn, but it would critically weaken the dark-squares. } 15. Nd5 Qd8 { Also bad, however both captures dont help Black much. ...Qb8would keep the Queen of of the d-file. } 16. Bxh6 Re8 17. Rad1 { Developingwith threat to include all pieces in the attack. } 17... Qc8 18. Nxe7+ { The planis to remove the dark-squared bishop before Black can shore up the dark-squares. } 18... Nxe7 19. Rd6 Ng4 20. Qd2 Kh7 21. Bg5 f6 22. Be3 Nxe3 23. Qxe3 Kg7 24. f4 Rh8 25. fxe5 fxe5 26. Qg5 { Black resigns, as the dual threat of Qxe7 andQxe5 are too much. } 1-0
[Event "Petrov's defence and one or two stalled attacks"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2010.05.22"] [Round "-"] [White "kicorse"] [Black "johnpap6"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [BlackElo "1866"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1856"] { In this game I, White, gained an advantage due to a passive move by Black(move 14) but saw it whittled away by accurate play by my opponent andan error or two of my own. A couple of attacks never got going and we agreedthe draw early in an opposite bishops endgame. } 1. e4 { I annotated thegame without computer assistance, then ran it through a Fritz blunder check(typically about 17 ply). Therefore comments and computer analysis do notalways agree. Fritz only found a single blunder by each player, where ablunder is a move that changes the evaluation by >0.6 pawns. } 1... e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 { Petrov's Defence is the most respectable way for Black to avoid theRuy Lopez in the open game. I haven't faced it much but have struggledwhen I have. } 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 Bg4 { 5... d5 is more commonlyplayed. } 6. Bd3 d5 { White's advantage is founded on Black's d-pawn takingtwo moves to reach d5. } 7. O-O Be7 8. c4 Nc6 9. Nc3 Nxc3 10. bxc3 { So nowthere are some imbalances worth discussing. White has a slight lead indevelopment and a strong presence in the centre, but has weaknesses onc4, c3 and potentially d3. Black's pin on f3 has the potential to be areal nuisance. White can try to aggressively exploit the b- and e-files,while Black can put pressure on White's weaknesses. } 10... O-O 11. Re1 dxc4 12. Bxc4 { This was the last move in Fritz's opening book, so hereafter I willpost Fritz's score. } 12... Bd6 { The bishop was safe enough on e7, but now Blackcan challenge for the e-file. Worth considering was 12... Na5 13. Bd3 c5,striking at White's centre immediately. (Fritz: score of+0.65 / 16-plyanalysis) } 13. h3 { Forcing Black's DSB to choose between the d1-h5 andc8-h3 diagonals, an easy choice. I wanted to play this move before thequeen reached the c8-h3 diagonal, and to push the bishop to h5 for reasonswe will see. (Fritz: +0.64/18) } 13... Bh5 14. Rb1 Rb8 { ? Unnecessary, e.g. 14...Qf6 15. Bd5?! (15. Rxb8?? Na5) Bh2+. The wasted tempo gives White a clearadvantage. (Fritz: 14... Rb8 +1.25/17; 14... Re8 +0.37) } 15. Rb5 Bg6 16. Bg5 { Piling in, now White has the initiative. (Fritz: +1.10/17) } 16... Qd7 { 16...Be7 or 16... Ne7 both fail to 17. Rd7. (Fritz: +0.83/14) } 17. Nh4 a6 18. Nxg6 axb5 { 18... hxg5 might have been better. The rook would then havebeen forced to retreat. (Fritz disagrees: +0.78/18) } 19. Nxf8 Kxf8 { Alsointeresting is 19... Qf5 20. Bd3 Qxg5 21. Nxh7 (Fritz: +0.78/16) } 20. Bxb5 Qf5 { White can now play 21. Qh5, threatening Be7+, but after the simple21... Kg8, h5 is not a particularly good square for the queen. Still, thegame line leaves us with opposite bishops and chances of a drawish endgame.(Fritz: +0.99/18; according to Fritz, the attack was played accuratelyby both players) } 21. Bxc6 Qxg5 22. Qb1 { Threatening 23. Qxh7 while maintainingthe bishop on the excellent c6 square, but this move is also making a rodfor White's back. The queen is bound to the b-file, and d2 has been giftedto Black's queen. (+1.21/18) } 22... g6 23. a4 { ? The pawn march could win thegame for White if there was time for it, but there isn't. (Fritz: 23. a4+0.58/19; 23. Qb2 +1.24) } 23... Qd2 24. Rc1 { Leaving an excellent square to passivelydefend c3, but it was necessary. (+0.24/19) } 24... Kg7 { This simple move dealswith all Black's troubles in the position except the material deficit.Now White has to be careful in disentangling his position, otherwise Black'ssimple plan of Qf4, Re8 and Qh2+ could become dangerous. (+0.23/17) } 25. Bf3 f5 { This seemed a slight waste of a tempo to me. (Fritz: 25... f5 +0.44/18;25... Qf4 +0.00) } 26. Qc2 Qxc2 { Black gives up the initiative for an endgamein which White will struggle to make use of the extra pawn. (Fritz: +0.42/19) } 27. Rxc2 Re8 28. g3 Re1+ 29. Kg2 b6 30. Bc6 h5 { (Fritz: +0.36/19) } 31. c4 { ?! White needed to play (e.g.) Bb5 first. (Fritz: +0.22/19) } 31... Bb4 { !White's idea had been e.g. 31... Kf6 32. c5, creating a passed pawn forWhite, but after 31... Bb4 32. c5 bxc5 33. dxc5 Re5, Black is also gettinga passed pawn. Now Black threatens 32... Rd1, forcing 33. d5, which isdead drawn. (Fritz: +0.22/19) } 32. Kf3 { Now 32... Rd1 33. Ke3 Re1+ draws,but I simply was hoping for a mistake. (Fritz: +0.22/18) } 32... Kf6 33. Bb5 Re4 { Advancing either pawn leads to a draw. I chose the one with the best chanceof provoking an error. (Fritz: +0.06/19) } 34. c5 Rxd4 { 34... bxc5 35. dxc5and we could have played on. (Fritz: +0.06/23) } 35. cxb6 cxb6 36. Rc6+ Rd6 37. Rxd6+ Bxd6 38. Ke3 { Draw agreed. (Fritz: Score +0.00 / Ply 25-plyanalysis) } 1/2-1/2
[Event "knight over bishop"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2012.04.15"] [Round "-"] [White "water123"] [Black "iggibb"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1710"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1852"] { hi! this game shows the power of the knight! } 1. d4 { my favorite! } 1... f5 { the dutch, a dubious move } 2. g3 { going to protect my king as much asi can! } 2... Nf6 3. Bg2 e6 4. Bg5 { ! i think this is the best move! now, i cango f4 and extra guard my king! (bg5 so i can go f4 without trapping mydark colored bishop) } 4... d5 5. f4 Bd6 6. Nf3 O-O 7. O-O c6 8. c3 { i thinkqb6!? is best (attacking b2 and frees his knight from the pin) } 8... Nbd7 9. Bxf6 Nxf6 10. Nbd2 { i got my two favorite pieces on the board (the knights!) } 10... Ng4 { threatening ne3 forking the queen and the rook } 11. Qc1 Ne3 12. Re1 Nxg2 13. Kxg2 c5 14. e3 b6 15. Qc2 { i want to get my d2 knight to d3 soi can go to e5 and have a better game } 15... Bb7 16. Nb3 a5 17. Nc1 c4 { he stoppedme! } 18. Ne2 b5 19. Kg1 { repositioning my pieces } 19... b4 20. Ne5 a4 21. Reb1 Qc7 22. h3 { go g4 with an attack on the king side } 22... b3 23. Qd1 Bxe5 24. dxe5 { !! now, i can go nd4! and control the board with it! } 24... Qb6 25. Nd4 Rfb8 26. a3 { closing the queenside } 26... Bc8 27. Qf3 Rb7 28. Kf2 { getting myking out of the way, so my rooks can work freely! } 28... Qd8 29. Rh1 Qe8 30. Rag1 Rf7 31. Ke2 { moving it way out of the way! } 31... Raa7 32. Kd2 Rae7 33. Rg2 Bd7 34. g4 g6 35. gxf5 exf5 36. h4 { ! DONT take on d5 with the queen?why: opens the a8-h1 diagonal } 36... Bc6 37. h5 Rg7 38. Qh3 { attacking f5 oncemore and getting the h-file ready! } 38... gxh5 39. Nxf5 { winning the exchange! } 39... d4 { ??!! i think he was trying to get his bishop working! } 40. Nxe7+ Qxe7 41. Rxg7+ Kxg7 42. Rg1+ Kf8 43. Qf5+ Qf7 44. Qc8+ { ! the best move i think,if qxq then kxq and pushes his h pawns forth } 44... Qe8 45. Qc7 { threateningmate (qg7 mate) } 45... dxc3+ 46. Kxc3 Bd7 47. Qd6+ Qe7 { forced! if king f7 thenqf6 mate!! } 48. Rg8+ Kf7 49. Rg7+ { resigns why: i win his queen no matterwhat he does!! please comment and rank on the star system thank you!!!!! } 1-0
[Event "Unusual Opening - Grob's attack (A00) Part 2"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2013.02.11"] [Round "-"] [White "jstevens1"] [Black "chessmaniac51"] [Result "1-0"] [BlackElo "1200"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1938"] 1. g4 { Hi everyone! This game came from Dennis Hebblnyck's THEM Tournaments,which are a correspondence chess site which is not related to Gameknot. This game is THEM27-34 FRITZ GAMBIT (known as The Grob on Gameknot). My opponent is Guy Shelmerdine. Because of the involvement in the ClubI ended up taking too long over responding to Guy's moves. ThankfullyGuy decided to join Gameknot and we finished our games on Gameknot. Thisis the first of a best of two. I won by 1.5 - 0.5 on aggregate. So, Ikick off with the thematic 1. g4 of which my opponent responds d5 and Iplay Bg2 and my opponent then takes on g4. } 1... d5 2. Bg2 Bxg4 3. c4 { 3. c4- I decided to undermine the pawn on d5 and black defends with Nf6. } 3... Nf6 4. cxd5 Nxd5 { 4. ..... Nxd5 - pawn trade. } 5. Nc3 c6 6. Nxd5 cxd5 { 6. ......cxd5 pawn trade. } 7. Qb3 { 7. Qb3 - I now decide to put pressure on b7. Guy then makes a big mistake. Glenda has been eyeing up the square a4and has been itching to fork the BK and the bishop on g4. However, thatprelate or the Witch can interpose on d7 and either way the bishop is protected. However ...... } 7... e6 { 1. ..... e6 ?? - this move blocks that diagonal. There is no way for black to play those moves which will avoid being apiece for pawn down. Now Glenda takes a jump to the left and then sixsteps to the right and the black prelate on g4 finds himself doing thattimewarp in the sky! } 8. Qa4+ Nc6 9. Qxg4 Bc5 { 9. ..... Bc5 - black keepshis king upright and puts up a terrific fight for another 30 moves or so. As he has decided to play on, he must get his pieces out asap and mountan attack on Henry. I must be alert to this and clear my own decks asquickly as possible. } 10. Nf3 O-O 11. a3 { 11. a3 - to prevent Nb4. } 11... Qf6 12. O-O { 12. 0-0 - now Henry gets tucked away on the kingside. Guy givesme the chance to start trading pieces. This will take me one step nearerto the endgame. } 12... Ne5 13. Nxe5 Qxe5 14. e3 { 14. e3 - threat - d4. } 14... f5 15. Qa4 Qf6 16. d4 { 16. d4 - I play it anyway - Fou Lenoir must have a squareto develop to so that I can connect my rooks. } 16... Bd6 17. Bd2 a6 18. Bb4 { 18.Bb4 - looking to force another trade. } 18... b5 19. Qb3 Qe7 20. Bxd6 Qxd6 { 20...... Qxd6 - mission accomplished. } 21. Rac1 Rac8 22. Qd3 g5 23. Qd2 { 23.Qd2 - I now give myself an opportunity to trade off the rooks. } 23... h6 24. Rxc8 Rxc8 25. Rc1 Rc4 26. Rxc4 bxc4 { 26. .... bxc4 - the rooks have beentraded off, but I am going to have to work very hard to avoid throwingaway the win here. } 27. Qa5 Kf7 28. Bf3 g4 29. Bd1 { 29. Bd1 - I am takinga risk here. Henry could still cop Old Matey even in this endgame. Allthe Witch needs is a few black pawns and even the BK to help her, so Imust still take care. However, I have to do something else black may beable to get away with a draw. } 29... h5 30. Qc5 { 30. Qc5 - I am even preparedto get an isolani to get those queens off the board. If I do it is onlya matter of time. } 30... Qb8 31. Qb4 Qc7 { 31. ..... Qc7 - still no trade. } 32. Ba4 h4 33. Qc5 { 33. Qc5 - I am planning to put Glenda on c6 threateningthe pawn on a6 and a check on e8. This plan now entices/forces Guy totrade off the queens. } 33... Qxc5 34. dxc5 Ke7 35. Kg2 e5 { 35. ..... e5 - blackis still trying to get a passer on the d file, I must be careful. } 36. Bc2 f4 37. exf4 exf4 { 37. ..... exf4 - pawn trade. } 38. Bf5 g3 39. fxg3 fxg3 40. hxg3 hxg3 41. Kxg3 { 41. Kxg3 - now all the kingside pawns havebeen liquidated, Henry rushes towards the centre of the board. } 41... d4 42. Kf4 { 42. Kf4 - Henry has caught the smell of his favourite nosh! P(r)awns! He wants them with piri-piri sauce today! } 42... d3 43. Bg4 Kd8 44. Ke4 { 44.Ke4 - Henry is gonna clean up those juicy p(r)awns on c4 and d3. Guy seesthis and waves the white flag. In our next game, Guy gets his revenge. } 1-0
[Event "34th GK tournament"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "09-Jan-07"] [Round "-"] [White "saccopterigio"] [Black "kingstuart"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "1631"] [TimeControl "2 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1753"] 1. d4 { black plays a very provocative opening which allows white to setup a large central pawn mass, it is debatable whether white is overextendedor not. what follows is a soup of tactics, white misses an oportunity towin a piece which gives black an advantage. white immediatly sacrificesthe exchange for the initiative which can be all important in crazy tacticalpositions; The gamble almost pays off but white buckles at the criticalmoment, missing the winning continuation. Whites attack keeps going butis missing the power it had, black defends well then counter attacks andquickly mates as the white attack runs out of steam. i hope you enjoy } 1... Nf6 2. c4 e5 { the budapest defence, white does better to immediately returnthe pawn and play for a solid positional edge rather than try to hold thepawn when black should be more than compensated } 3. dxe5 Ng4 { 3...Ne4?!is not so good after 4.a3! preventing Bb4 } 4. e4 { white has no interestin holding onto the pawn, prefering to gain a large centre. } 4... Nxe5 5. f4 { the logical continuation of white 4th move, white will try to prove thecentral pawns are a strength while black will argue that they are in facta weakness that will need to be heavily defended. black will go about thisby the method pioneered by Aron Nimzowitsch, Restrain Blockade Destroy! } 5... Ng6 6. Nf3 Bc5 { black hits the weakened d4 square } 7. Nc3 d6 8. Bd3 O-O { black removes his king from the centre getting ready to start operationsin the centre } 9. Qc2 { white develops so as to support his pawns } 9... Nc6 { againhitting the weak central dark squares } 10. Nd5 Nb4 { 10...Nh4 is stronghere as it aims to exchange the white knight on f3 which is much strongerthan the black one on g6. } 11. Nxb4 { white can't allow black to tradeoff the light square bishop as it is a key piece in holding together thewhite pawn centre } 11... Bxb4+ 12. Bd2 Bc5 { Black prefers to keep the dark squarebishops on the board as this emphasises the dark square weaknesses } 13. O-O-O { !? interesting idea, white wants to castle on opposite wings anduse his more advanced pawns to help launch a kingside attack } 13... Bd7 { ? weakmove. now white has an advantage as he can force my pieces into bad positions } 14. b4 Bb6 { ?? terrible blunder, i thought i saw a miracle save which made15.c5 bad but i overlooked something... black has to try 14...Bf2 15.Rhf1Bh4 when white has an advantage due to blacks badly placed pieces and thusshould try to open up the position with 16.e5 } 15. c5 dxc5 16. bxc5 Rc8 { preventing 17.cxb6 and 17...cxb6 pins the queen, therefore the king hasto move } 17. Kb1 { ?? Kb2, the move i overlooked, wins, this however loses.the point being that when the black queen takes the d3 bishop if the kingis on b2 it isn't with check. } 17... Ba4 { ! the miracle save mentioned earlier } 18. Qc4 { ? a dubious sacrifice at best, white should settle for 18.Qxa4Qxd3 19.Kb2 Bxc5 when black is up a pawn but white is more active } 18... Bxd1 19. Rxd1 { the only try for any sort of advantage } 19... Bxc5 { finally savingthe bishop. if black can now tie up all the loose ends it will surely bean easy win from there on in } 20. f5 { white aims for a kingside attackas compensation for the exchange, will it be enough? } 20... Ne7 21. Bg5 { ?! 21.f6with Bh6 to follow seems to be a better try. The computer suggests thatthe quiet Bc2 is the best move for white here but it's not exactly themost natural maneuver, especially when down the exchange and a pawn. } 21... Bb6 { ?? yet again Bb6 turns out to be an awful move. Qd6 was the correct wayto secure the black bishop, now white gets a huge attack } 22. f6 { ! goodmove, cracking open the black king } 22... gxf6 23. Bxf6 Qd7 { all white needsto do is get his queen to the kingside and black is in serious trouble } 24. Bc2 { ?? this allows black to save the game. 24.Qc1!! was very strong,black must give up the e7 knight with 24...Qg5 or else face a huge attack } 24... Qc6 { ! this elastic band move holds onto the extra material and consolidatesthe black postion } 25. Qb4 { ?? black naturally tries to avoid trading queensbut there is no good way to do it } 25... Qxf6 { gobbling up the free piece } 26. e5 Nc6 { ?? yet another blunder in this game of blunders, this allows whiteto regain the lost rook and be down only a pawn } 27. Qg4+ { ?? and againwhite misses the best continuation, it appears both sides are trying theirhardest to lose! 27.Qxf8 was the correct move } 27... Qg7 { from here on in nietherside makes any glaring cock ups and black duely converts his winning advantage } 28. Ng5 Nxe5 29. Qf5 Ng6 { 29.Nc4! was better, you must mix counterattackwith defence in the right quantities, here was an opportunity to counter } 30. h4 Nxh4 31. Qd3 { White needs to keep the queens on to have any chances } 31... Ng6 32. Rh1 Rcd8 33. Qf5 h6 34. Ne4 Qe5 { black now starts to try and forcethe queens off } 35. Nf6+ Kg7 36. Nh5+ Kh8 37. Qf1 { white has suceeded inkeeping the queens on the board but now it is black who is attacking! } 37... Rd2 38. g3 Qc3 { the black pieces move in for the kill } 39. Qf5 Bd4 { itsamazing how quickly things can change } 40. Kc1 Rd8 41. Nf4 { not 41.Qxf7??Qxc2# but black can force mate whatever white plays here, so i supposeit doesn't really matter. } 41... Qa3+ 42. Kxd2 Qe3+ 43. Kd1 { and white resigns,43....Bc3 44.Qd3 Rxd3 with 45....Qd2# to follow is the finish } 0-1
[Event "Salvage a Draw from A Lost Cause"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "24-Jul-06"] [Round "-"] [White "superglue"] [Black "fedayn1"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [BlackElo "1504"] [TimeControl "3 days per move"] [WhiteElo "1510"] 1. d4 { My first annotation...I thought that this was an interesting gamein that I salvaged a draw from a game that I deserved to lose. d4 startwhich I enjoy... } 1... d5 2. c4 { gambit } 2... dxc4 { accepted } 3. e4 { I always debatebetween e4 and e3. I like both but chose e4 here } 3... b5 { We know wherethis is going once b5 happens. The queen side is ready to be destroyedand lead to a wide open board with congestion on the King side. Here wego... } 4. a4 c6 5. axb5 cxb5 6. b3 { pretty standard exchanges } 6... cxb3 7. Bxb5+ { I like my position here } 7... Bd7 8. Qxb3 { I control the centre andhave more pressure on black } 8... e6 { Opens the diagonal } 9. Nf3 a6 10. Bxd7+ { I could have went Bd4 maybe better than this exchange... } 10... Nxd7 { Whitestill has position } 11. O-O { Did I castle too early?? } 11... Ngf6 12. Bg5 { pressure } 12... h6 { of course } 13. Bh4 { hoping that he will open up the kingside as well } 13... Be7 14. Bxf6 Bxf6 { exchange improves blacks position but I did not havemany better options } 15. e5 Be7 16. Nbd2 { time to clear the back line } 16... O-O 17. Rfc1 { Gaining the column } 17... a5 { The pawn was a nuisance. } 18. g3 { Here was a stupidmove on my part. But wait more stupidity to follow...this move accomplishednothing } 18... Bb4 19. Nc4 Nb8 20. Qe3 { I was looking for more options with theQ in the centre of the board } 20... Nc6 21. Nd6 Bxd6 22. Rxc6 { I liked this exchange } 22... Bb4 23. Rcc1 { Double up the rooks again was my thoughts here. I was worriedabout hanging the rook in the centre. Probably would have been betterto move the other rook to C1 and strenghten contol on the file. } 23... a4 { peskypawn again... } 24. Rc4 Qa5 { nice move by black here } 25. Nd2 { Here is thebig misake that put me down a player for the rest of the game. } 25... Bxd2 { Ouch } 26. Qa3 Qb5 { Good moves here to get back a pawn } 27. Rxa4 Rxa4 28. Qxa4 { Being down a player I am trying to eliminate the threats and pushfor the end game. I know that the bishop is not as tough to deal within a pawn battle as a knight... } 28... Qxa4 29. Rxa4 { Here we go into the endgame } 29... Rd8 { black attacks the weakest pawn as expected. I need to createsome congestion... } 30. f4 { I know that I need to get my pawns off theblack squares } 30... Be3+ { good move } 31. Kg2 Bxd4 32. h4 Kh7 { I questionedthis move by black at the time. I was considering Ra7 here for pressureon f7 but decided against it and decided Kf3 was better } 33. Kf3 Kg6 { Justwhat I was hoping for } 34. g4 { I like my wall of pawns here } 34... Bc3 { Lookingto check me with Rd3 } 35. h5+ { Beat him to it } 35... Kh7 36. Ke4 { prevent thecheck and get into stronger position. At this point white isstill waybehind but I see some hope } 36... g6 37. hxg6+ Kxg6 { Black has isolated his pawnon h6 in lieu of leaving e6 alone. Good news for white. Perhaps fXe6would have been stronger in the end. } 38. f5+ { exchanges to keep his pawnon h6 isolated } 38... exf5+ 39. gxf5+ Kg5 40. e6 { White is looking better butstill behind. Position has improved. } 40... Re8 { I think h5 march would be betterin hindsight } 41. Kd5 { A forced move } 41... fxe6+ 42. fxe6 { I am surviving okat this point } 42... Kf6 43. Rf4+ { the first check } 43... Kg5 44. Rf7 { some pressurefor black } 44... h5 45. e7 { logical last ditch chance for a winning position } 45... Bb4 { ah the bishop! Thwarted...but the draw is still alive } 46. Ke6 Kg6 47. Rf6+ { check } 47... Kg7 48. Rf7+ { check } 48... Kg8 { here is where the draw is sealed } 49. Rf8+ { check to exchange } 49... Rxf8 50. exf8=Q+ Bxf8 51. Kf5 h4 { Would Be7have won this for black? protect the pawn til the black king was in placeto support the march from the front? I knew that with h4 that this wasa drawn position. } 52. Kg4 { click ahead for the eventual draw. Thanksfor the game and thanks for checking out my attempt at annotation. Cheers Superglue } 52... Be7 53. Kh3 Kg7 54. Kg4 Kg6 55. Kh3 Kg5 56. Kg2 Kg4 57. Kh2 Bd6+ 58. Kg2 h3+ 59. Kh1 Kf3 60. Kg1 Ke2 61. Kh1 h2 62. Kg2 Ke3 63. Kh1 Bg3 64. Kg2 Ke4 65. Kh1 1/2-1/2