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1. e4
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Playing White is my friend Baker against a fellow tournament player. This was the first time Baker played him in a tournament and crushed him quickly. |
 
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1... e5
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I think 1...c5 is more accurate because 1...e5 creates the same weaknesses as e4, while White has the initiative.
1...c5 is more imbalanced if you want a sharp game. |
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2. Nf3
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Baker's favorite gambit is the danish (2.d4 exd4 3.c3!?) but he wouldn't play it against Marco in a tournament after he taught him how to play against it. |
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2... d6
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Rather than developing while defending with Nc6, Black decides to solidify his pawn structure while opening lines for the queen's bishop. |
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3. d4
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Baker loves positions with wide open tactics, so naturally he would want to open up the centre. |
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3... exd4
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Black's other options are Bg4 and Nd7. Bg4 is complex and very tactical, while Nd7 is more passive but safer. |
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4. Bc4
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Instead of recapturing the pawn immediately, White makes a developing move and gives Black the option of playing c5?! which holds the pawn, but overextends Black's structure and gives White a huge lead in development. |
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4... Be7
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Knowing Baker's style of attacking with brilliant tactics with a lead in development, Black declines White's intended pawn sacrifice. Although I though Be6 was better. |
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5. Nxd4
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Now Black can't play Be6, and White has a slight lead in development, so Black should play a move like Nf6 to catch up in development while preparing to castle. |
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5... Nd7
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But Black makes this horrible move that weakens e6. Black probably wanted to play Nb6 or Ne5 chasing White's bishop, but didn't realize the temporary weakness on e6 was so serious. |
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6. Bxf7+
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Baker exploits the weakness quite nicely by sacrificing his bishop to remove the only defender of e6. Black is already dead here. Never get caught in the opening against Baker, because he always sees these magnificent attacks he can get from sacrificing while he has a lead in development. |
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6... Kxf7
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So what does Baker do here to capitalise on the e6 weakness? |
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7. Ne6
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This move looks very surprising at first, but since Black's king is the only thing defending the e6 weakness, White can simply post a piece there since if Kxe6, then Qd4 Kf6 Qf5#
Black's queen is also under attack, so he probably realizes that Baker's attack is very dangerous. |
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7... Qe8
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Only move |
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8. Nxc7
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Because Baker's bishop sacrifice jumbled up Black's camp, he has had time to create loads of threats. Black's extra bishop is of no use since Baker clearly has the initiative here. |
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8... Qf8
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If Qd8, then Qd5 Kf8 (Kg6 Qf5#) Ne6 .
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9. Qh5+
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Qd5 was the only other way to keep the initiative, but Black is fine after Kg6 since Baker has no more dynamic threats, and is down a piece. |
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9... g6
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Only move since Kf6 Qf5# |
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10. Qd5+
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Now that g6 is blocked, White can finish the attack without letting Black's king escape. |
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10... Kf6
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Kg7 loses to Ne6 |
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