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Black is relatively untroubled from the outset with a (in Tipsy's opinion) nonsense opening; Larsen's Opening, that is followed by a stark lack of piece coordination from White. Conversely Black gets its pieces into good position early then rolls its pawns onto the castled king and victory! |
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1. b3
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Larsen's opening probably can be employed by a dedicated coward, ahem, hypermodernist to good effect. But in my experience; the further from the centre you begin the higher your rating must be to develop well. A 1500, then, probably shouldn't be bothered with this!
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1... e5 2. Bb2 d6
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Tempted with Nc6 but, let's say colours were flipped and Black was threatening the e pawn with the bishop, I'd respond with the d pawn movement. Thus I do similar as Black. This game was played whilst I was overseas, no FCO at my side, so might as well stick to what (little) I know! :) |
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3. e3 Nc6
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There's that knight movement anyway. Now, as an avid Ruy Lopezer, it might stand that I'd be loth to offer up the R-L like 4. Bb5 option to White. But, with 4...Bd7, should White plunge on and take that knight, 5 Bxc6 Bxc6 it's pressure time for White with his g pawn under threat and pinned. Lines such as
5. Bxc6 Bxc6
6. f3 Qg5
7. g3 O-O-O
spring up or, after 6f3, Black can just turn their attention to other things. Point is, Black would definitely be dictating terms to White, or at least that was my impression at the time, so on with the show and the knight movement! |
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4. Bb5 Bd7
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Better than namby, pamby 4a6 for reasons given earlier. |
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5. Ne2
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Ah spoil sport! Oh well, on with development then. |
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5... Nf6 6. O-O a6
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The anticipated castle hasn't really diminished the worthiness of having that bishop control the long white diagonal, so let's see if I can't get my Bxc6 exchange. If not, White is forced all the way back to d3 in retreat so either way, I'm happy. |
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7. Bxc6
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7 moves in and White is already doing what I want. As Mr Burns would say, "Excellent."
(On a side note I had a primary school teacher called Mr Burns. He never once said, "Excellent." "John, stop talking", however, was said quite frequently! :P ) |
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7... Bxc6 8. Ng3
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No idea at the time where he was going with that knight. Especially as I'm heading the other way with my king! Since he's seemingly generously wasted a move, I can afford to lose tempo by getting my Q out of the way for castling. And since my LCB is the activated bishop, might as well stick the Q on a light square, after looking left and right to make sure the coast is clear. Drunk logic perhaps but if it wasn't for that, I'd have no logic at all! :) |
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8... Qd7
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The flagged queen movement. |
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9. h3
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So boys and girls. If you have castled your king. Try not to then go ahead and weaken his fortress by idly moving a pawn one space! :O Actually....in general....try to avoid idly moving pawns one space at all times! :) Anyway it's here I decide to execute an esoteric 9 move sequence starting with 9...h5 to win position. NOT!!! (GK engine...seriously!!!) No, I again check for some deadly move that White is working on with his 2 last odd movements and, finding again none, castle longside baby! :) |
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9... O-O-O 10. d4
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Ah. White has worked out the board has a centre..... |
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10... e4
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...which I have no intention of dissolving. Especially not when White is doing such a good job of cutting his king off from the rest of his pieces. Mine, however, are building pressure on the kingside flank and centre. (GK calls this a mistake. A pox on GK!)
(As an aside, thanks to rmannstaedt for his scathing GotM judgement where he chided me for needlessly dissolving the centre after solid development....after which he then proceeded to award me GotM! http://gameknot.com/club-fm.pl?club=659&th=17218) |
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11. Nd2 d5 12. c4 Be7
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The logic of this move escapes me with time. Probably I had little desire to give White anything so decided to just connect my rooks. Also, with his knight on g3 the only officer foward of his own pawns and the only piece with real influence on the kingside, perhaps I was setting the g7 pawn as bait to get his knight moving? Who knows. |
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13. Nh5 g6 14. Nf4 h5
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Okay time to get rolling kingside! |
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15. c5
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White's fate is almost sealed, his own pawn chain is acting as a screen for my officers to fall into all that lovely, lovely space on the kingside. I think, had he tried rolling down that queenside much sooner by getting the a and b pawns moving this would have become a most intricate game. Instead he idly moves a pawn one space.....again! |
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15... g5 16. Ne2
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Ah-ha! With that pesky knight gone the pawns can do as the Living End sing and roll on! |
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16... h4 17. f4
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You'd have thought White would've figured out by now I'm not interested in exchanging pawns on his terms.... |
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17... g4 18. f5
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Ach! A pawn moves idly forward for the THIRD time in the game. Actually we'll be generous and think that White is trying to prevent that Q from spilling into the kingside via the diagonal. |
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18... gxh3
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Doubled pawns are no problem if they happen to be passed pawns! Here White clearly fears the open file on the king and likely check, GK is being perhaps a little harsh to call this a blunder not to recapture. |
1 comment
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19. Nf4 hxg2 20. Nxg2
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White chooses to drop a pawn rather then expose the king to the check. |
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