GameKnot: annotated chess game

ANNOTATED GAME

The Swarm!
jstevens1 (1928) vs. kikoursus (2394)
Annotated by: jstevens1

(1891)
Chess opening: French (C01), exchange, Svenonius variation

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1. e4	Hi everyone! Here is another game in GM Cyrano's MT where I have been playing against the big boys, this time a Master with a rating close to IM level. I end up in a position where I have a rook against 2 pieces. Boy those two pieces proved to be much more lethal than a rook. In fact, all black's remaining pieces swarmed around Henry who, sadly, got stung and suffered an anaphylactic shock. So how did this happen. Well before I start, here is the gameknot analysis: http://gameknot.com/analyze-board.pl?bd=17836549&rnd=0.9027691620956812
	1 comment dmaestro (1445) on 15-Aug-12: of course the relative value varies on the position. But overall analysis of lots of games shows the 2 pcs particularly a bishop pair are worth slighly more than rook and pawn on average.


1... e6	1. .... e6 - this is the French Defense. At first sight it appears cramping but this can cause the white player to overplay his or her hand later on.
	2 comments jkarp (1168) on 15-Aug-12: That is a very strong Defense. In fact, it is almost as strong as the Siclian Defense or King's Pawn Game. ionadowman (2080) on 11-Nov-12: Of the four games I've had with kikoursus, 3 have been with the French Defence. All ended up as draws - fighting draws.


2. d4 d5 3. exd5 exd5	3. ..... exd5 - exchange variation.
	3 comments cdeburca (1644) on 15-Aug-12: Boo! jkarp (1168) on 15-Aug-12: From what I know, exchange variation occurs, whenever there is an exchange. Therefore, there are more transpositions with the exchange variation then any other variations. Edit: I do not really know, but this is an educated guess based on all of the exchanges, that occur in chess. ionadowman (2080) on 15-Aug-12: The 'Exchange Variation' is ordinarily identified by context - so here: Exchange Variation of the French Defence. In my view, this is not the ideal way to take on a stronger opponent. I played 3.Nc3 twice against this opponent; he played the Advance Variation (French Defence; 3.e5) against me. Actually, I think it led to the Milner-Barry Gambit...


4. Nf3 Bd6 5. c4 Nf6 6. Nc3	6. Nc3 - both sides concentrate on piece development.



6... O-O 7. cxd5 h6 8. Be2 Nbd7 9. O-O	9. 0-0 - and Henry tucks himself away on the kingside. Alas, this will be where Henry will meet his doom later on.



9... Nb6 10. Bd3 Nbxd5	10. ..... Nbxd5 - this pawn could not be sustained. Things are gonna start hotting up over the next few moves.



11. Ne5 c5 12. Nxd5 Nxd5	12. ...... Nxd5 - knight trade.



13. Qf3	13. Qf3 - hitting out at the knight on d5 and Glenda is also fixing her beady eye on f7.



13... Nb4 14. Bc4	14. Bc4 - pin and another piece attacks f7.
	2 comments cdeburca (1644) on 15-Aug-12: I'd be happy enough with the white pieces here to be honest! ionadowman (2080) on 15-Aug-12: I think I would have preferred 14.Bb1 here, or maybe 14.Be4 - keep it aiming towards h7 at any rate, intending to follow up with Qe4.


14... Qc7 15. Bxf7+ Rxf7 16. Nxf7 Qxf7 17. Qxf7+ Kxf7	17. ...... Kxf7 - so, after a tactical melee over the last few moves we have a position of R and P v 2 pieces. My position does not look too bad at the mo - but ..... a few moves down the line .....
	3 comments dmaestro (1445) on 15-Aug-12: Here black is more active and white will have a hard time getting a passed pawn. Black has to be better off at this point. black_cat_hamlet (1421) on 15-Aug-12: Open board and the bishop pair...scary! ionadowman (2080) on 15-Aug-12: I regard this line as a sacrificial one by White. Although I have a regard for Fred Reinfeld's scale of values (mainly on account of its simplicity compared with alternatives), one exception I do make: if you are going to trade 2 minor pieces for a rook, get TWO pawns for the trade, not just one. For an exception to the exception, check out my annotated game 'Horatius at the Bridge.'


18. dxc5 Bxc5 19. Bd2 Nd3 20. Bc3 Bg4	20. ...... Bg4 ..... it will. The swarm now begins.
	1 comment ionadowman (2080) on 11-Nov-12: Maybe 19.Be3 ought to have been tried, even though after the Bishop exchange, White is left with an isolated pawn. The upside is that she would not have to deal with swarming Bishops, and her rooks will be correspondingly easier to mobilize. So: for the slight cost of some damage to the pawn structure, White might have gained valuable time.


21. a3	21. a3? - Gameknot Analysis thought that b4 was better, giving up a pawn but freeing myself from the bind I am currently in.
	2 comments ionadowman (2080) on 15-Aug-12: I'm inclined to agree with the Gameknot Analysis... raymond2002 (1398) on 16-Aug-12: This doesn't necessarily give up a pawn even! After 21. b4! Bxb4 22. Bxb4 Nxb4 23. Rb1 a5 24. a3 Nc6 25. Rxb7 Ke6 26. Re1 Black is still better but White can still hang on.


21... Be2 22. Rfb1 Bxf2+ 23. Kh1 g5 24. b4	24. b4 - three moves too late.
	5 comments haile1996 (1962) on 15-Aug-12: Since when did brutal mean "really bad" outside of a moral stance? bwaa (1771) on 15-Aug-12: 21...Be2 is brutal! This is a very well-executed attack; I agree with the GK engine that 21.b4 was your best bet. Possibly 21.g3?!! was worth a look as well? Edit "brutal" just means brutal--extremely violent or cruel! I'd say that's exactly how White felt about that move from Black. cdeburca (1644) on 15-Aug-12: That comment reads really strange to me; "brutal" means really bad here, so a brutal move wouldn't be part of a well-executed attack! *Edit* - @haile1996 - words mean different things around the world. In Ireland, brutal (often the "t" is silent) means really bad. Violent or cruel is very much a secondary meaning. ionadowman (2080) on 16-Aug-12: In my part of the world, 'Brutal' means 'violent', but, often, also lacking in finesse. It also has the connotation of lacking in mercy. It is this last meaning that is to be inferred, here. Black is giving White not the slightest chance to wriggle out from under. Those 3 minor pieces form the shape of a boot, firmly pressed upon White's 'froat'. sccadams (1664) on 29-Aug-12: According to wiktionary: brutal (comparative more brutal, superlative most brutal) Savagely violent, vicious, ruthless, or cruel Crude or unfeeling in manner or speech. Harsh; unrelenting. Disagreeably precise or penetrating. I think the last two definitions are in line with what bwaa has stated, and the first is acceptable within the poetic license of people describing chess games.


24... Be3 25. h3 g4 26. hxg4 Rg8	26. .... Rg8 - now comes the black rook.
	1 comment ionadowman (2080) on 11-Nov-12: Man, this is horrible! White's pieces have been shovelled off into some remote corner, there to lie forgotten. White can't even try 27.Re1 Nxe1(?!) 28.Rxe1 Rxg4! as she would be left simply a piece down (29.Rxe2?? Rh4#). At that 27...Nxe1 isn't even Black's best reply (27...Rxg4!).


27. Ra2 Rxg4 28. Kh2 Rh4+	28. ..... Rh4+ - deadly, Henry has only one square to go.



29. Kg3 Bf2#	29. ..... Bf2 MATE!! - Henry is fatally stung by black's dsb on f2. This is awesome, guys!
	3 comments dmaestro (1445) on 15-Aug-12: Instructive use of an imbalance by the master. Cumulative small errors added up Thanks jo. ionadowman (2080) on 16-Aug-12: This makes a nice little endgame study, Jo. You don't often see finishes quite like this. l-d-j (1747) on 16-Aug-12: What a great finish! Well played by both.

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