|
After my seventh round draw, I finally got a weaker opponent. Although I knew I should not underestimate him (I had lost painfully to him in the first round of a rapid tournament some 3 months before this game, and from a little chat I knew he only played chess for 2 years so he was probably underrated), this game seemed to go my way, when I got up a pawn very early in the opening. But winning seemed easier than it actually was... |
|
|
1. e4 e5 2. d4
|
I was expecting to go into a Petroff (like in round 4), as that was my main opening at that time, but my opponent decided to deviate from the usual 2.Nf3. |
 
|
| |
|
|
2... exd4
|
The only reasonable move in this position, in my opinion. |
1 comment
|
| |
|
|
3. Qxd4
|
?! Apparently White played 2.d4 without knowing the theory, or he just accepted an inferior position for some surprise value to his opening. Either way, 3.c3, the Danish Gambit, is better. |
1 comment
|
| |
|
|
3... Nc6
|
This way, Black gains a tempo on the queen and forces it to move again, either blocking one of White's bishops, retreating to an awkward square (a4) or undeveloping. |
1 comment
|
| |
|
|
4. Qd1
|
White chose the latter, although I like 4.Qe3 better as it at least keeps White somewhat active and also prevents 4...Bc5, as also indicated by the opening theory (as far as there is any on this position). |
1 comment
|
| |
|
|
4... Nf6 5. Bg5
|
Preventing me from taking on e4 immediately, but I guess a simple 5.Nc3 was better because this gives me some tactical possibilities. |
|
| |
|
|
5... Be7
|
As mentioned earlier, 4.Qe3 prevents ...Bc5, so probably I should have played that here. It would also threaten ...Bxf2+! and if Kxf2 then ...Nxe4+ wins back the piece with a huge advantage for Black. This was also suggested by a club mate (rated 1700) with whom I analysed this game afterwards (I'll call him G). However, my move also threatens something... |
|
| |
|
|
6. Nc3
|
?! ... Which White misses. 6.f3 was the only way to retain material equality, although it's an awkward move to make. |
3 comments
|
| |
|
|
6... Nxe4
|
! This combination wins a pawn for Black. |
|
| |
|
|
7. Bxe7
|
Or 7.Nxe4 Bxg5. |
|
| |
|
|
7... Qxe7 8. Nxe4 Qxe4+ 9. Ne2
|
? this move is just bad. 9.Be2? fails to 9...Qxg2, but 9.Qe2 is better. Maybe White was reluctant to play that because the queen exchange would favour me, being the side with a material plus (although the rest of the game shows that he was probably not aware of that rule). |
1 comment
|
| |
|
|
9... d5
|
? Here I should have played 9...Nb4!, as also suggested by G. Because 10.Rc1 fails to 10...Nxa2 11.Ra1 Nb4 and we have the same situation minus a White pawn on a2, the only way to defend c2 is 10.Kd2, depriving White of castling rights and giving me other tactical possibilities due to my better development and White's awkward king placement. My move is more positionally oriented, but not bad either. |
2 comments
|
| |
|
|
10. c3
|
?! Understandable to defend d4 and b4, but this is just asking for another knight manoeuvre... |
|
| |
|
|
10... O-O
|
... But again I choose the more slow and positional way. However, 10...Ne5 was very strong. The computer comes up with this continuation: 11.Qd4 Nd3+ 12.Kd2 Qxd4 13.Nxd4 Nxf2 and this is obviously winning for Black, being two pawns ahead. Notice that White is forced to move his queen (or h1 rook but that piece doesn't have any decent squares), as otherwise 11...Nd3+ followed by 12...Nf2 forks king and rook. (There is actually one other line which avoids that, namely 11.f3 Nd3+ 12.Kd2 and now I have to retreat my queen (12...Qg6, say), but that's obviously not pleasant for White either.) |
|
| |
|
|
11. Rc1
|
? This makes ...Ne5 even stronger. |
|
| |
|
|
11... Re8
|
? Apparently I was just not looking at those possibilities carefully enough. Again, a simple 11...Ne5 wins easily as now ...Nd3 already forks king and rook.. |
|
| |
|
|
12. Qc2
|
?! Again, not the best. White is proposing a queen exchange while he is behind in material. He should really, really focus on developing his other forces Whiile defending d3. |
|
| |
|
|
12... Bf5
|
?! I wanted to play 12...Qxc2 13.Rxc2 Bf5 which is clearly better as it wins a tempo on the White rook, but somehow I reversed the move order. I was just not fully concentrated in this phase of the game. |
|
| |
|
|
13. Qxe4 Bxe4 14. f3 Bg6
|
I had been looking at this line at move 12, but I had already seen that 14...Bd3?! would lose a pawn to 15.Rd1 Bc4 16.b3 (which G missed at first). That was the reason why I preferred 12...Qxc2 over 12...Bf5, and the reason why I had to play 14...Bg6 here. |
|
| |
|
|
15. Kf2 Rad8 16. Nd4
|
I don't like this, as it just isolates White's d-pawn (and there is nothing to gain from the open c-file for White). Moreover, it proposes another exchange of pieces. I guess White was not aware of the fact that piece exchanges generally favour the side with extra material. |
2 comments
|
| |
|
Log in 