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1. d4
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Here is a team game I just completed, and it was one of the hardest fought games I've had in a while. It was a very positional type game, and with the white pieces I establish what I considered to be a very favorable position with two handsomely posted pieces. While the board was somewhat locked down, I felt that I had a nice space advantage and the more active pieces. The main problem was that I just couldn't seem to break through. My opponent, who was apparently playing off of his heels heading into and during the middlegame, fights back very admirably and has me on the very unexpected defensive. He ends up pushing a pawn down my throat that forces me to lose my last piece defending against his promotion. The real beauty of the position is that while I am down a piece, that piece is a bishop, and as you know lone bishops can be dodged by a crafty king. My king runs an end sweep around his remaining pawns, and ends up trapping the enemy king! This really is a pretty nifty draw - I hope you enjoy:) |
 
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1... d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. c4 dxc4
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Queen's Gambit Accepted. |
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4. Qa4+
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Immediately regaining the gambit pawn. |
1 comment
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4... c6
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A Slav type response that bolsters d5. |
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5. Qxc4 e6
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?! I guess it's a matter of style, but I really prefer bringing the c8 bishop to f5 first, so as to not block it in. |
1 comment
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6. a3
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?! Maybe not the most economical as it does not develop, but in QGA positions black's dark squared bishop can cause white some headaches. |
1 comment
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6... b5
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?! Way aggressive. Black chases the white queen with a non developing pawn thrust. Black now has a backward c pawn and a potentially ugly looking pawn chain on the queenside. |
1 comment
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7. Qd3 h6
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?! Black continues to confound me by not developing a piece. |
2 comments
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8. e4
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Since the center is available, white claims it. |
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8... Qa5+
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Black throws a misguided check that is easily repelled. |
2 comments
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9. Bd2
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Counter punching the intruder with development. |
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9... Qc7 10. Nc3 a6
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Black is allowing white entirely too much time to develop with these pawn moves. |
1 comment
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11. Rc1
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! Rook to half open file which targets the backward pawn and X-rays the enemy queen. |
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11... Be7
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Black finally gets into gear and prepares to castle. |
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12. Be2
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Last piece developed. |
1 comment
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12... Bd7 13. O-O O-O 14. e5
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Intruding into enemy territory and keeping lanes open towards the enemy's castled position. |
1 comment
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14... Nd5
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Black moves to safety and offers to exchange knights. |
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15. Ne4
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! As exchanging the knight would only help black, white eyes the nice hole on c5. |
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15... f5
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This move forces white to do what he was going to do anyway, which is nab the outpost. |
1 comment
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16. Nc5 Bxc5
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Bishop for knight, but black just couldn't allow that knight such a cushy outpost. |
2 comments
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(1700)