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1. e4 e6
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French defense. |
 
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2. d4 h6
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Sillybob is fond of moving these rook pawns which do little towards advancing domination of the board center. The move is slightly more sensible when thwarting the strategic advance of an opponent’s knight, which is seldom the case when he plays it. |
1 comment
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3. c4 g5 4. Nc3 Bg7
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Fianchetto of the bishop—finally a move to assert authority over some central squares. |
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5. Nge2 Ne7 6. Ng3
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Black’s right side remains undeveloped. |
1 comment
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6... O-O 7. Nh5
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Although white will waste three moves seizing the bishop, it weakens black’s h file. |
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7... Ng6 8. Nxg7 Kxg7 9. g3 c6 10. h4
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The castle pawns, already weak, are about to be ripped apart. |
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10... e5 11. hxg5 hxg5
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White controls the h column. Black would have been better served by f6 than e5, opening the castle rook to the field. |
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12. dxe5 Nxe5
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Qh5 seems like an obvious play for white. |
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13. f4
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After a pawn exchange the knight’s recourse will be retiring back to g6. |
1 comment
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13... gxf4 14. Qh5
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The black knight is undefended. But the king is in jeopardy. Rh8 would have been a good idea were it not for Qxe5+. |
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14... Ng6 15. Qh6+ Kf6 16. Bxf4 Ke6 17. O-O-O d5 18. exd5+ Kd7
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This loses the queen. One always wants to be wary of aligning a queen with any piece she cannot move to defend. |
1 comment
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19. dxc6+ Kxc6 20. Rxd8 Rxd8 21. Bg2+ Kc5
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Here Qg5+ captures a rook. |
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22. Qg5+ Kxc4 23. Qb5+
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White pursues bigger game, driving the into the center of the fray where all the pieces might harry it. There is only one square left, and that is where the knight kicks the black king in the head, delivering the fatal blow.
I just wish Stalhandske were still around to contribute his thoughts. I have enjoyed games against both worthy opponents. This one I enjoyed just for the ending, checkmate delivered in the center of the board by a minor piece. Poetic, taking efficient advantage of every error.
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23... Kd4 24. Ne2#
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2 comments
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(1898)