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Although the great defender (who played black) did end up losing, I annotate this game because I was very impressed with black's nettlesome defence. |
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1. e4 d6 2. d4 e6 3. Nf3 Bd7
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Mainline for black was 3...Nd7. 3...Bd7 instead results in excessively passive play for black, with little centre dominance |
 
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4. c4
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Although GK's analysis shows that 4Nc3 was best, I played this to capitalise on black's lack of centre control |
3 comments
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4... c6
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This issue with this move is that it traps in both black's bishop and knight, and wastes a tempo (move) |
3 comments
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5. Nc3 h6 6. Bd3 Be7 7. O-O Qc7 8. Bf4
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Here it is evident that white is playing for central dominance and piece development, while black is playing 'quietly' and is building a relatively solid defence.
Given black's higher rating, I think black should have played more aggressively and played for a win. |
3 comments
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8... Qc8
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Black does so to remove the pin on the d6 pawn by the f4 Bishop |
2 comments
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9. Re1 Nf6
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White's best move is to now play 10. e5, dxe5 11. dxe5 allowing white's centre to further expand |
4 comments
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10. Rc1
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However I did not see 10. e5 so I instead played to develop my last unmoved minor piece |
3 comments
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10... O-O 11. e5
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White now plays e5, albeit a tempo too late to have gained maximum advantage |
3 comments
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11... dxe5 12. Nxe5 Be8
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The issue with Be8 is it traps in the f8 rook. Better was to first play 12...Rd8 |
3 comments
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13. Qf3 Nbd7
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A solid move by black in an attempt to rid white of the dominant e5 knight |
1 comment
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14. Qh3 g5
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A potentially game ending blunder, as if play continues 15. Qxh6 white mounts a near-unstoppable kingside assault. 15...gxf4 allows mate in five: 16.Nxd7! Ne4, 17Nf6+ Nxf6 18. Re5 Ne4 19. Rh5 ... and I'll leave it to you to work out the rest ;) |
3 comments
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15. Be3
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Sadly, I did not see this, so instead saved my bishop. |
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15... Kg7 16. f4
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White attempting to throw open black's kingside defence |
1 comment
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16... Nxe5
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A mistake by black as 17. fxg5 Nf3+ 18. Qxf3 would have been devastating for black (had I seen it!) |
1 comment
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17. dxe5 Nh7 18. Bxh7 Kxh7
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An error by black, in that the h6 pawn is now pinned |
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19. fxg5 Rh8
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This is where black's magic begins. Rh8 has allowed for the rook to later fire down white's kingside, and also potentially to attack the white queen |
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20. Ne4 Kg6
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Kudos to black for attempting to rapidly free up the rook and remove the pin, but this was a blunder as it allows 21 gxh6, which leaves the black king stranded in no-man's-land |
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21. gxh6 Kh7
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Black now has to undo their previous move in order to salvage their king |
2 comments
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22. Nf6+
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A lost opportunity as white. Better was 22. Bg5 which would lead to more piercing play for white rather than simply trading off pieces |
2 comments
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22... Bxf6 23. exf6 e5
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Black's attempt to offer a queen trade and dampen white's attack. Upon white's decline of the trade offer, the black queen is now mobilised.
GK's analysis does show that 23... Rg8 would have been superior. However, given that this is a lost position for black, best is to play with the intention of creating a sharp middle game, which occurs upon black's queen becoming active. |
1 comment
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