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Date: November and December 2007.
White: The Champ
Black: Sicilian
Location: Cyberspace
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1. e4
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Hey Chap and everyone else at one of the best chess sites in the world. Here's my annotation
of a game played in late 2007. Cursory, at best, but at least some ideas
to throw in the hat. Thanks to everyone at Gameknot who continues to make this a wonderful
place to freely play and freely learn the game we all love.
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1... e6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Nc6
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Better for Black might have been pushing the d pawn to d4. If White decides to exchange his c pawn, this would give Black the chance to
challenge the solidness of White's huge pawn on e4. Also, white's d pawn would be hemmed
in stagnating the development of White's queenside minor pieces.
Problem with this option is that uses an additional move for the same piece in the opening. Already
having the disadvantage as the player who goes second in the game, Black should not nurse that
problem by trying to stir up trouble just yet in the center. Indeed, it was good that Black didn't waste
time with that- Black didn't even have time to castle this game! |
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5. d4
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Thus far has been a very strange move order to get into the French defense (adv. variation).
Another option here for White is to develop his bishop to Bb5 and allowing the king to castle. If
Black moves his queen to b6, White can capture the knight on c6 and reducing some pressure off
of d4. Tough call as this would give Black the two bishop advantage. |
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5... Qb6 6. Be2
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A typical French Defense set up. White plays the advance variation (3.e5). Playing a slow game, such as
in correspondance, it gave me a chance to play Nh6. Tough variation, since the French is already so
dense, but interesting and fun nonetheless.
White can also play Be3, because of the well-known tactic in case Black
gets pawn greedy:
6...cxd4 7. cxd4 Nxd4 8.Nxd4 Qxd4 9.Bb5! and the discovered attack on
Black's queen is fatal. |
1 comment
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6... Nh6
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This is risky, but well calculated. If White takes on h6 then Black gets an added pawn
on the kingside on the h file (after...Bg7 fianchetto, Black has a nice castle). In exchange, white has the more mobility, or "space" since the position is closed in the center, thus making his knights more valuable.
Indeed, Black would have trouble developing the "problem" bishop in the French Defense. It wasn't until
move 15 where Black's light squared bishop made a cameo during an exchange on e6.
On another note, if White decides not to exchange on h6, then if Black moves the Knight to the
outpost f5 White can always play the irritating g4. |
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7. Bxh6 gxh6 8. O-O
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White has been playing soundly thus far, not giving Black any room for error.
While castling here was appropriate, he sacrifices his pawn structure on the queenside.
And though he is ahead in development, and it will take black at least two moves to castle,
better here was the move 8.Qc1 or 8.b3 in order to protect b2. Though c3 is the base of White's
pawn structure on the queenside, b2 is quite important to support the base. |
1 comment
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8... Qxb2 9. Nbd2
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In this advance variation of the French- more importantly in light of the position on the board as of now, it seems to help me put the b pawn on b2 as early as possible-almost as important as castling, and fianchettoing the bishop on b2. If Black decides to take with the c5 pawn, white still has plenty of protection for d4. Especially if black had been able to post his kingknight on f5 (great outpost and attacks d4)
One reason Black sends his Queen on an early voyage in the French is to
exert influence on the B file. The b2 pawn can easily become a source of
pain in this opening. |
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9... Qxc3
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gobble gobble |
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10. Nb3
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better here for White is 10.dxc5. He could further box in the Queen with 11.Rc1 THEN bringing
over the knight to b3. |
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10... c4
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closes in the center for good and forces the white Knight to retreat. |
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11. Nbd2
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gives Black another pawn for free. If White still had both Bishops this sac may have helped
clear up the center for play along the long diagonals (a1-h8 and b1-g7). Throughout the game, white
didn't have a justified reason for the pawn sacrifices, therefore allowing me to take.
Notice here an idea that I read in one of Silmans books. Certainly not an original idea, but he helped
me understand it better: It is common that your attack should be directed towards the side where your pawns are pointed.
With my f7-e6-d5-c4 it's easy to see that my attack on the queenside is further justified. |
1 comment
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11... Nxd4 12. Nxd4 Qxd4 13. Nf3
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threatens an enemy piece and develops a piece. powerful moves, which have compound funtions like this
are a good find. |
1 comment
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13... Qc5 14. Nd4 Bg7 15. Bg4
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White's central pawn!, one of his most important pieces (controlling e5 and exerting control of f6
and d6 was his last hope in saving his center. Better here is 15.Re1 and eventually Kf3 and Queen
to follow if additional support is needed. As Black, my focus the whole game was my pawn on d5.
Making sure it was reinforced as needed and waiting to advance the d and c pawn on the endgame.
Better here for White was 15.f4 or Nf3
Took a lesson with a GM once and the FIRST thing he did was point to the four central squares of
the board and say "this is what you're playing for".
Like any game, football-soccer-table hockey, if you
control the CENTER you control the whole playing field. |
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15... Bxe5 16. Nxe6
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Nice way to give up the knight and avoids losing the rook. Didn't see this one. A nice tactic that eventually cleans up the center
and gives White some more mobility- it may have been better for White to keep his forces and
uses them in a surge-like attack on the kingside. If one is down in material it's good to avoid exchanging off pieces. Basically, keeping pieces on the board allows a delay of the endgame. In the
endgame, of course, a material advantage is easily exploited. |
1 comment
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16... Bxe6 17. Bxe6 fxe6
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Better for Black is 17...Bxh2 18.Kxh2 Qd6 19.Kg1 Qxe6 Keeping the King more protected. Much
more protected. This oversight gave White the bulk of initiative for the rest of the game. |
1 comment
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18. Qh5+
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Interesting note here: White's queen starts a journey that almost circumvents the whole
board by move 25 |
1 comment
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18... Ke7 19. Qxe5
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a beautiful 4-move tactic that White completes on this move. |
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19... Rae8 20. Qg7+ Kd6 21. Qxb7
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lots of sharp tactical play by White mops up some more pawns, but leaves Black with a very strong
center- including an advanced pawn on the c file. Now Black simply aims to march down the center
files with the pawns, having plenty open space to thwart any attacks on the exposed King. At this
point I knew that I could simply exchange off all the major pieces leaving me with a pawn structure
that would easily win in the endgame.
Had white began a campaign of building a battery of pieces on the e file in order to attack black's weak e pawn, chances seem likely that he would eventually mop up some of blacks pawns inevitably. |
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21... Reb8 22. Qg7 a5
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more efficient by Black would be to make a nest for his naked king, and forego the development of his a pawn. |
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23. Rfe1 d4 24. Qxh6
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That gain in material is not needed. Not just because it weakens White general attack and
usefulness of her Queen, but also because it grants Black more time to march down the center.
It will take the White Queen a move to get back into true action. White is a tempo
behind now and will have to catch up very quickly if she wants to stop the pawn march.
Pawn grabbing is a very
risky venture- Better could have been to get the A rook into the action.
Nevertheless, it helps clear up some potential endgame threats that were lurking.
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