GameKnot: annotated chess game - Challenge from alfredjwood

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ANNOTATED GAME:

Challenge from alfredjwood
sirmohammad (1200) vs. alfredjwood (2099)
Annotated by: alfredjwood

(2124)
Chess opening: Evans gambit (C52), compromised defence

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	1. I will annotate this game in the first person, playing Black. The reason is because I expect to give opinions in the notation. 2. As you watch the game, keep in mind that my initial plan with Black is always the same, every game I play: Play the opening as deeply as I know it, and play to wrest the initiative from White. In this game White plays a gambit and gains tempo, he carries a strong initiative deeply into the game; but my plan is still to wrest the intitiative and then attack. Both players are attacking players, Black is initially on the defensive, and remains there for some time. Once he seizes the initiative and White goes on the defensive, Black's attacking prowess slowly gains time and space. My games are usually not won by material, they are usually won by time and/or space. I often trade these for material in the endgame. So, Black's initial plan: a. Allow White to choose the opening and then play the opening as far as it is known. b. Strive to seize the initiative, taking advantages of any inaccuracies in White's play. Once out of the opening, the plan must be modified.

1. e4	By agreement, we will play the Evans Gambit, which is a favorite of both players with White. White is a Master Candidate over the board, but is new on gameknot, his true elo is far above the gameknot indication. He is a formidable opponent. Black is a coach.
	1 comment harlekin92 (1926) on 24-Jul-09: The rating was almost the same.Hmm,this will be very interesting game -


1... e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4	White moves to play the Evans Gambit. Black prefers and normally plays the Two Knights (3. ... Nf6), but will play into the Evans for this game, to evaluate Whites' true strength.
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3... Bc5	The Giuoco Piano. First step to the Evans.
	1 comment harlekin92 (1926) on 24-Jul-09: In this position i usually play 3... N f6 4. Ng5 d5... but this is OK too -


4. b4	The Evans Gambit. I recommend it to beginning players because it is an attacking, tactical game. White will yield a wing pawn for tempo and space.
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4... Bxb4	Black accepts the gambit.
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5. c3	White will gain space and tempo with the dislodgement of the black bishop.
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5... Ba5	The bishop must come to a5, white gains a tempo on Bc5.
	4 comments pikket (1960) on 24-Feb-08: There's no 'must' about it. The bishop could go to e7. (Whether that is as good a move is another matter). toiletduck1 (1200) on 26-Jul-08: Bc5 and the strange looking, but quite playable Bd6 are other options. kv-ly (1268) on 12-Nov-08: Bd6 blocks the d pawn so that might not be so good. theorybrat (1516) on 14-Jan-09: The main lines are 5... Ba5 and Be7. Both are perfectly fine. -


6. d4	The book move. So far, every thing has been main line book.
	2 comments darkrai123 (1700) on 21-Jul-09: I think the main line changed from d4 to O-O harlekin92 (1926) on 24-Jul-09: Good move -


6... exd4	Capablanca said: "Capture with the kings pawn at every opportunity.", Black complies.
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7. Qb3	This was a surprise to Black, who expected 0-0. White is obviously a gambler who enjoys the attack. Mohammad shared that this move has been played by Short and Conquest in a few games. He shared what he believes is the Main Line with me: 7. 0-0 Nge7, 8. cxd4 d5, 9. exd5 Nxd5, 10. Qb3. I did not know this line. So, now Black is out of the opening and into the middle game! I suspect White has had experience in this line and will still be in the opening for a while. While White remains in the opening, Black now enters his middle game: Blacks' plan now is: a. Seize the initiative at the first opportunity. Gain time whenever possible. b. Hold any material advantage so far gained until the initiative is gained. c. Get the pieces into play, with attacking moves where possible. It appears that White's plan is mainly tactical: Attack f7, build a center, get the Kings rook into play on the e-file. In the Evans, White wins lots of brilliancy prizes - unless it goes to an endgame. White must attack relentlessly, seeking tactical opportunities.
	1 comment theorybrat (1516) on 14-Jan-09: I understand what you're getting at, but it's move 7 and both of you are still playing the opening. The opening isn't defined by whether you're outside the book lines you've memorised: it's defined by the moves which develop your pieces and make the first plays for the centre. Black is nowhere near done with development, so the opening is not over. -


7... Qe7	The only reasonable move. Black holds f7 and attacks e4.
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8. O-O	The pawn on e4 is safe because of the pin that would occur on the e-file. The rook will now seize the e-file.
	1 comment harlekin92 (1926) on 24-Jul-09: Yes, 8... Qe4 9. Re1 -


8... Nf6	Black does not take the c3 pawn because White would gain another tempo, bringing his knight into play at no cost. Black must gain tempo in order to seize the initiative, not lose tempo. d6, Bb6, and h6 are all playable here; but they are too defensive for this Black player, who wants the initiative - and Nf6 offers better opportunities to grasp the initiative.
	1 comment theorybrat (1516) on 14-Jan-09: Black's 8th move is a necessary developing move. Because, as I said, you're still in the opening game... IMO Bb6 and h6 are not playable, and they'd be marked by a ?! because they are pointless wastes of tempi in a sharp gambit opening. But d6 is playable, because it facilitates development, but it's too slow. Black needs to develop the kingside ASAP. -


9. Re1	The rook reaches his post.
	1 comment harlekin92 (1926) on 24-Jul-09: Whites pawn can be dangerous now... -


9... Ng4	The knight is headed for e5, to blockade the e4 pawn, and to threaten the bishop on c4.
	2 comments pikket (1960) on 24-Feb-08: Lovely move. harlekin92 (1926) on 24-Jul-09: Pikket is right -


10. e5	White knows the importance of opening the e-file and cannot have the pawn blockaded.
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10... Ngxe5	If Black is to ever seize the initiative, he cannot make defensive moves that do not accomplish a second objective. This self-pin of the knight will result in loss of the piece - for a price. The knight captures a second pawn, 'attacks' the bishop, threatens Nxf6 with discovery on the e1 rook and also protects f7 from this post! The initiative is in the balance!
	1 comment reyjf (1510) on 07-Jul-08: Why not Bxf7? -


11. Nxe5	White must exchange the best defender of the kingside in order to win the piece.
	3 comments reyjf (1510) on 07-Jul-08: Why not Bxf7+ instead? kv-ly (1268) on 12-Nov-08: Bxf7+ is logical. theorybrat (1516) on 14-Jan-09: 11. Bxf7 Qxf7, then what? -


11... Nxe5	This knight can eventually be captured by the d-pawn or f-pawn. Once White gets the e1 rook off e1 the pin on c3 is broken and the discovery on f3 loses its potency. This capture is the the way to avoid the discovered attack by 12. Nf3. Having said all of that, I really don't like White's position. The pinned pawn on c3 is taking away the best square for his knight, the white knight cannot go to d2 to protect f3 because it must guard that pinned pawn. To unpin the pawn, the rook must leave e1, and only e2 seems a reasonable placement because it must hold the pin on the knight. The e1 rook is hanging and the discovered attack by ... Nf6 will win the rook if it remains on e1 unprotected. Once the pinning bishop is relocated to b6 it will attack White's kingside and the thing that troubles me most about White's position is that the kings knight is missing from the defense. Again, the queens knight cannot get there because it is tied down to the defense of the c3 pawn. That means that White needs to find the tempi to get the c1 bishop into the game without blocking d2 as the knights' next post. As White, I would not like the situation where the queenside pieces have not been developed and Black just needs a target for his c1 bishop in order to gain tempo. As White, I would like to get the c1 bishop into play on this move, but I think that Re2 is probably best, in order to break the pin without leaving the rook hanging. Still, this is the first time I have seen this position and deeper study may prove my thinking inaccurate.
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12. Re4	I think this move makes Blacks' development easier and then opens the black diagonal to whites' king after cxd4. It may have been better to take the king off of the a7-g8 diagonal. White missed this and lost a tempo and eventually the initiative.
	2 comments far1ey (1705) on 14-Apr-07: Is Bxf7 Kd8 any good for white? Surely he can somehow get in Bg5 threats and blacks position looks shakey due to the lack of co-ordination and the weak king. theorybrat (1516) on 14-Jan-09: The real issue is that White seems to be trying to grab a pawn in an opening where the material balance is irrelevant and tempo and attack are EVERYTHING. 12 Bxf7 is a very tempting move! -

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