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This game, a french defense, greatly illustrates how the vulnerability of the enemy king can be a great burden in the middle game. The game follows theory until move 9. |
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1. e4
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please leave comments! |
  1 comment
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1... e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3
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this is considered to be white's most dangerous continuation. 3.Nd2 is also strong. |
2 comments
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3... Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7
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We are entering the Classical Variation of the French Defense. 4...Bb4 is the MacCutcheon variation. |
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5. e5 Nfd7 6. Bxe7 Qxe7 7. f4 a6 8. Nf3 c5 9. dxc5 Nxc5
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We are now out of book. The main continuations are 9...Qxc5 or 9...Nc6(the c pawn is doomed no matter what.) This continuation is considered very slightly inaccurate by theory. |
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10. Qd2
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My plan is to castle 0-0-0, predicting that black will castle 0-0. In that case, my pawn storm on the kingside will likely come first. If black decides to castle 0-0-0, his king will be exposed and easier to attack. |
1 comment
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10... Nc6 11. O-O-O Bd7 12. f5
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A strong move to undermine the black center. Taking on f5 will be a positional victory for white, as the black center is heavily weakened. |
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12... O-O-O
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The black king is weak on the queenside. I should advance my pieces to attack over there. |
1 comment
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13. Qf4
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My queen takes an advanced post, where it will play an important role in an attack on the queenside once some lines open up. |
2 comments
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13... f6
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(?!) a dubious move. White has a tactic to win a pawn and enter an unclear position. The weak position of the black king is crucial in the following tactics. |
1 comment
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14. exf6 Qxf6
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Now the tactic becomes a little more obvious.The black king has no available squares. One safe check that cannot be blocked will lead to mate. |
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15. Rxd5
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(!?)a very interesting move. The middlegame is more complicated, and both sides will have to be very careful to avoid tactics. The first point is 15...exd5?? 16.Nxd5 and white wins a lot of material.
However, black seems to have plenty of resources, and white must be careful each turn. @eden8: After your line 15...exd5?? 16.Nxd5 Ne5, white just chops off the queen with 17.Nxf6 |
3 comments
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15... Qf8 16. Kb1
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the king slides to a completely safe spot. Black has no threats. Here, 16.Bc4 is also seemingly acceptable. |
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16... Qe7
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The black queen could have came here in one move. Now white needs to get the remaining force into the game. |
1 comment
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17. Bc4
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After these few turns, the rook is still hanging but immune to capture. |
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17... Rhf8 18. Re1
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All of white's force is out on the field, and black's position is steadily growing more critical. Notice that the rook is still immune to capture because of the black king. |
1 comment
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18... g6 19. g4
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everything is under control on the kingside. Black's counterplay has been suppressed. |
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19... b5
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(?) A bad move, once again due to the vulnerable position of the king. White's next move totally shocks black. |
2 comments
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20. Bxb5
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(!) The reason for the exclamation mark was the nice tactical combination for this pseudo-sacrifice. The bishop is immune, like the rook. NOW STOP!!!!! and see if you can find the tactic that I that I had prepared. Tiktiktiktiktik.... After you find the solution, you can flip to MOVE 25, and see if you were right. Anyways, the move completely destroys the black king's cover. |
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20... Nb8
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The bishop is immune(see move 25 for why) just like the rook. The black king is in a critical position, and white is now simply winning. Black is cut down to this defense. |
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21. Qe5
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continuing with the initiative. I threaten to take the knight. |
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