ANNOTATED GAME

A mini-tournament
poder_yaqui (1134) vs. chessgregory (1181)
Annotated by: poder_yaqui (1200)
Chess opening: Ruy Lopez (C62), old Steinitz defence, Nimzovich attack
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1. e4
"Best by test" Bobby Fischer

 
1... e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5
The spanish its popular even at patzer levels.

 
3... d6
Entering into the old Steinitz Variation of the Ruy Lopez.

 
4. d4
The most popular continuation.

 
4... Bd7 5. O-O
5.-Nc3 was also possible, while 5.-Bxc6 Bxc5 6.-dxe5 Bxe4 its out of question nothing but equality.

 
5... exd4
The tension should have been mantained.

 
6. Nxd4 Nxd4
Allows the centralization of white's queen.

 
7. Bxd7+ Qxd7 8. Qxd4 Nf6 9. c4
Establishing an academic Maroczy Bind formation.

 
9... c5
A clear mistake, weakening d5 and d6. Now white has a clear plan: Double rooks on the d file and press the backward pawn.

 
10. Qd3 g6
Continuing with the mistakes. Be7 was needed in order to defend the weak d6 pawn. 10.-...a6 in order to obtain counterplay by b5 and mine the maroczy bind should have been triyed instead. But what can black do after white's 11.-a4?

 
11. Rd1 Rd8 12. Nc3 Bg7 13. Bf4 Bf8
Accepting the mistake that g6 was...but it is too late.

 
14. Rd2
Nd5 was very strong as well, to ocupy the weak square d5 with a piece.

 
14... Qg4 15. Qg3 Qxg3
The exchange of queens only increases white's positional advantage.

 
16. Bxg3 Be7 17. Rad1 O-O
The pawn was lost.

 
18. Bxd6 Bxd6 19. Rd2xd6 Rxd6 20. Rxd6 Ng4
a move without a purpose. Kg7 was indicated.

 
21. Rd7 b6
Pasive defense should have been triyed, this was the moment for Rb8.

 
22. Rxa7 Rd8 23. Nd5 Nf6
A blunder, the rest require no comments.

 
24. Nxf6+ Kg7 25. Nd5 Re8 26. f3 h5 27. Rb7 Ra8 28. a3 Ra4 29. Nxb6 Rb4
A positional sacrifice. Black gives the rook with no apparent compensation in order to give white a whole piece up (psychologycal pressure) and a passed pawn. Sarcasm its welcome.

 
30. axb4 cxb4 31. Nd5 b3 32. c5
Black resigned.