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The game begins in an odd Reti that goes into an Alapin sicilian. Then its a fight for the d4 square and the d file. Black loses this fight but gains another advantage and slight edge with it, and then throws it away. A blunder and a king hunt follow. |
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1. Nf3
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The Reti Opening (A.K.A. The Zukertort OPening. Though I have also heard it refered to as the King's Indian Attack), a very flexible opening, though one I play rarely because it lacks agression. Transpositions into the Queen's Gambit, Catalan, Ruy Lopez or many others are very common. But which one is more often determined by Black's play than by White's. |
 
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1... c5
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A variation of the Reti Opening, one that I've never seen before, but it looked like it would transpose into the Sicilian Defense. |
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2. c3
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I aimed to get into an Alapin Sicilian, which is my favorite line in the Sicilian. |
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2... Nc6 3. e4
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Reaching the Alapin Sicilian by a slightly different move order. |
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3... e5
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This is setting up the Maroczy Bind (Pawns on e5 and c5, or e4 and c4 for White) a very strong set up for defense and stifling counter-play. But it also makes it hard to achieve active play, especially for the dark squared bishop. It makes for very slow play. Also this makes d4 difficult, the first of many moves in this game bent on controlling d4. It also makes playing d5 harder, which is a normal goal in the Sciilian. |
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4. Bb5
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Setting up a potential pin on the knight and getting the bishop out of the pawn structure before I play d3 or c4. But d4, in order to open up the game immediately and then to develop bishops may have been better. Bc4, to attack f7 would have probably been better too. There's little shortage of better moves. There rarely is. |
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4... h6
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Keeping the knight and bishop out of g5, but it makes a slight weakness on the kingside and wastes time. A developing move like Nf6 would have been better. |
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5. d3
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Supporting my center and freeing my bishop, also good was to castle immediatly. Threatens 5. Bxc6 bxc6 6. Nxe5 as now 6...Qe7 no longer skewers the Knight and Pawn. |
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5... Nf6
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A good developing move, but overlooking the threat of Bxc6 which wins a pawn. |
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6. Bxc6
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Giving up a bishop for knight, which is not always good, and made worse by the fact that my Bishop was active and outside of my pawn structure. It does however win me a pawn. And it double his pawns, though this is not much of a weakness if they are used correctly. In this case they can be used to keep me from playing d4, and keep my pieces out of d5. Never let it be said doubled Pawns are always bad. |
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6... dxc6
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Better is bxc6 despite the trapped Bishop, because it retains the possibility of a d5 break. And it would allow the Bishop to develope to a6. |
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7. Nxe5
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Taking the pawn of course, but temporarily ceding the initiative. White now has a knight and a pawn for a bishop in a semi-open position, this is good but Black is not without counter-play. |
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7... Be6
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I think Bd6 was a better move, to get the Knight out of his position as soon as possible. But now Qd6, 0-0-0 and c4 to pile up on the d pawn could be very good. |
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8. O-O
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0-0 here is good, but f4 to take advantage of my opponent not kicking him out of there immediately is better, and to threaten to entrap the bishop with f5. |
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8... Bd6
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Black's Bishops are definently poorly placed now, but atleast he can castle. I think this is really the only way for Black to gain counterplay. |
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9. Nf3 Bg4 10. Re1
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? Readying e5 which I definently should've played now because of 10.e5 Bxe5 11.Qe1 Bxf3 12.Qxe5 Kf8 13.gxf3 Qxd3 14.Qxc5 Kg8 which wins two bishops and a pawn for a knight and two pawns. |
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10... Be5
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Stops e5 once and for all. And tries to protect d4, which is the key sqaure to control.
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11. h3
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Trying to break the pin on the knight, but allowing and kingisde weakness. |
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11... Bxf3
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Best, in order to stop Nxe5. |
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12. Qxf3
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?! Better than gxf3 which is weakening. 11...Bxf3 also allowed the Queen to come to her present square allowing a rook to go to her former square, adding a defender to d3 and a supporter to d4. |
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