GameKnot: annotated chess game - The Annotation Project: King Trap

ANNOTATED GAME

The Annotation Project: King Trap
nuntar (1639) vs. yodean (1557)
Annotated by: nuntar (1690)
Chess opening: Sicilian (B21), Grand Prix attack

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1. e4	Another game from the ongoing Annotation Project, in which a total of 110 games are being played to explore all the ups and downs of an intriguing early queen sacrifice. For further comments on the opening, see my recent annotated game vs. untateve.



1... c5 2. f4 d5 3. Nf3 dxe4 4. Ng5 Nf6 5. Bc4 Bg4 6. Qxg4 Nxg4 7. Bxf7+ Kd7 8. Be6+ Kc6 9. Bxg4 Qe8	The first diversion from my game against untateve, in which 9... e6 was played. That is also the move I have encountered more often. This alternative prevents a knight incursion on f7, but has the disadvantage of further delaying the development of Black's minor pieces.
	2 comments nyctalop (2141) on 16-Jul-09: The knight incursion on f7 isn't all that dangerous, white is bound to win more material until black secures his king. untateve (1773) on 16-Jul-09: Early on, the N incursion on f7 also isn't dangerous as Black is more than happy to trade the inactive rook for the very active N.


10. O-O	King safety and activating the rook. This is, however, rarer than 10. Nc3. But in the GK database it has a higher win percentage for White and was chosen by players with an average rating of 2221, against 1994 for 10. Nc3. Still, a small number of games doesn't prove much.
	2 comments ionadowman (2080) on 15-Jul-09: Interesting: someone who takes into account the ratings of players who have played this or that move. The higher the users' ratings, the higher the confidence in the move played. But of course, it's all past history (or passed history) so one still has has to qualify such findings in the light of one's own experience... rjacobs (1636) on 21-Jul-09: I also take account of the ratings of the players who played particualr moves but how one interprets the significance is interesting. In this tournament, I've ignored the database completely, preferring to work it all out for myself, with varied results (see my ill-fated experiments with 7. Nxf7) but always interesting results. The scope for errors in this variation is phenomenal!


10... h6	And now we are out of the database altogether; 10... Nd7 was chosen in all three previous games reaching this position. 10... h6 instead drives the knight away so that Black can set out developing in peace.



11. Nxe4 e6 12. Nbc3	White gets another piece out in the hope that his strong central presence and developmental advantage will pay dividends.



12... Na6 13. a3	As in the earlier game, this move prevents Nb4.



13... g6	Black opens a second line for the bishop, perhaps hoping to exchange it for the c3 knight. This does, however, seem to make 11... e6 look questionable.
	1 comment nyctalop (2141) on 16-Jul-09: 11...e6 is not without merits, it restricts the white squared bishop and it controls d5. I'm not so sure about the merits of 12...Na6 though.


14. d3	White responds by getting his own bishop out, choosing to develop on e3 since if Black's bishop goes to g7, White has some pressure on the c5 pawn, and the c3 knight is free to move (unless Black takes it immediately).
	1 comment ionadowman (2080) on 15-Jul-09: Although White has played this line almost as if there were no material disparity, his development looks pretty purposive, to me. Nothing concrete, you understand: just that his game looks to have plenty of potential.


14... Bg7 15. Be3 Bd4	Instead Black chooses to pin the White bishop, with an exchange looking likely.



16. Rae1	White does not take the immediate exchange, since the c3 knight would have to move after 16. Bxd4 cxd4, and none of the available squares look particularly enticing.
	1 comment nyctalop (2141) on 16-Jul-09: After 16.Bxd4 cxd4, white can play 17.Nb5, the point being that after 17...Kxb6, 18.Nd6+ wins for white.


16... b6	Black protects the c5 pawn and prepares to get his king behind some pawn cover. Unfortunately....
	1 comment nyctalop (2141) on 16-Jul-09: 16...b6 looks like a move without purpose. Even worse, it manages to weaken the king without provocation.


17. Bf3	The diagonal is opened, which White immediately seizes. Black must now respond to the threat of Nf6+.
	1 comment nyctalop (2141) on 16-Jul-09: 17.Bxd4 cxd4 18.Nf6 wins at once for white.


17... Kc7 18. a4	An anchor, allowing the knight to join the attack at b5. White could play 18. Nf6 winning the exchange, but since White is still material down, that seemed unappetising; it would involve surrendering White's active minor pieces and would lead to a difficult endgame.
	1 comment ionadowman (2080) on 15-Jul-09: An alternative was begin a conquest of the centre by 18.Bxd4!? cxd4 19.Nf6! Qf7 (Where else? There's no place on the a4-e8 diagonal...) 20.Nb5+ Kb8 21.Ng4 Qd7 22.a4 and White has quite a range of threats, not to mention the Sword of Damocles hanging over the head of the a8-rook.


18... Bxc3	It's hard to see what this exchange achieves, since White recaptures with tempo and still has a knight ready to come to b5. Perhaps 18... Bxe3+ was better.
	1 comment ionadowman (2080) on 15-Jul-09: ... or, for that matter, 18...Rd8.


19. Nxc3 Rd8	(?) The rook gets out of the way, but to the wrong square! Black needed d8 for the king.
	1 comment nyctalop (2141) on 16-Jul-09: The bishop on f3 is more dangerous than the rook on a8, maybe an exchange sacrifice was needed to reduce white's play against the black king.


20. Nb5+ Kb8	The only other legal move now is 20... Kd7, but 21. Nxa7 threatens 22. Bc6+ and there is no good defence: 21... Ke7 Nc6+ or 21... Qf8 (or f7, g8) 22. Bc6+ Ke7 23. Bb7. Still, after 21... Ke7 White only wins the exchange and a pawn, and Black is still in the fight.



21. f5	(!) Taking advantage of the Black king's incarceration.
	1 comment nyctalop (2141) on 16-Jul-09: Very nice thematic breakthrough.


21... gxf5	Better was 21... e5, when 22. Bf4 exf4 23. Rxe8 R(either)xe8 24. fxg6 enters an unclear endgame in which White is still nominally at a disadvantage, but the g6 pawn is strong. This move loses immediately:
	1 comment ionadowman (2080) on 15-Jul-09: Blocking the dangerous diagonal might have kept Black in the game indefinitely, as the annotator indicates.


22. Bf4+	There is no escape. Black's only legal moves are 22... Rd6 or 22... Nc7, both losing a rook for nothing, or the move played.



22... Kc8 23. Nxa7+ Kd7 24. Bc6+	And now Black's queen is doomed. Black resigns.
	3 comments ionadowman (2080) on 15-Jul-09: What an opening: so many games have turned on one single slip by one side or the other. nyctalop (2141) on 16-Jul-09: It certainly seems that white is scoring better with this line. Maybe because modern players don't like to defend and because of that they're playing badly in such positions. untateve (1773) on 16-Jul-09: It's my understanding that Black actually has the advantage. However, in this tourney, aside from two players, everyone else is in the 1600s and below. As such, it is not uncommon for players at that rating to make tactical errors, particularly in an opening this sharp/complicated. Until I recently played nuntar, I was beginning to enjoy playing Black more than White (actually, I still prefer Black).

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ANNOTATED GAME