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1. e4
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Team Match, I am playing white and go for the Open game. |
 
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1... e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5
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Ruy Lopez - my favorite. |
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3... Nd4 4. Nxd4
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3. ... Nd4 is the Bird's Defense. I have never faced this defense that I recall. Experts seem to agree this is not black's strongest line. Even Bird himself lost more games than his combined wins and draws playing this line. On the up-side, I don't have much in the way of material on this, so I'm already feeling my way through the opening. |
1 comment
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4... exd4 5. O-O Bd6 6. e5
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If memory serves, I found this in the GK DB. I'm not sure how strong the move is. White loses a tempo, but then black must retreat or advance his bishop, also losing a tempo. White cannot conveniently support the pawn at e5 without disrupting his castle or first removing the black pawn from d4, so the white pawn on e5 seems to be a little fragile out there so early. |
2 comments
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6... Bxe5 7. Re1
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I don't think black was supposd to play 6. Bxe5. Now white pins the impertinent bishop to his king. |
1 comment
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7... f6 8. f4
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White attacks the pinned bishop with a pawn, gaining material for white. |
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8... a6 9. Bd3
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Black counterattacks, delaying the inevitable loss of his bishop. Still, it's a good move, driving off the white bishop. |
2 comments
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9... g6 10. fxe5
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I had been looking long and hard at Qh5 and the ensuing chaos it could cause. But I felt black could weather the storm, at least until after I take out his bishop on e5. But, apparently, black saw the same threat and put a stop to it. Time to slay a bishop. |
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10... fxe5 11. Rxe5+
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The rook gives check and claims the open file. Even better, it's the open file on which black's king resides. |
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11... Ne7 12. Bc4
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White wants to move his pawn at d2 to invite the dark-squared bishop into the attack. |
2 comments
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12... d6 13. Re1
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Not e4 or black would fork white's bishop and rook with 13. ... d5. Not e2 or white's queen is limited. So, all the way back to e1 we go. |
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13... Bf5 14. d3 h6 15. Qf3
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Long range threat on b7, but it isn't the only threat white makes with this move. |
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15... Qb8 16. g4
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Black defended the obvious threat, but now he is getting into deep trouble. He cannot save both the bishop and the knight: 16. ... Bd7 17. Qf7 Kd8 18. Qxe7 Kc8 19. Be6 Bxe6 20. Qxe6 and white cannot quite seem to press for the checkmate, but the g6 and h6 pawns will surely fall too, leaving white ahead by bishop, knight, and pawn. |
1 comment
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16... Rf8 17. Bxh6
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Black left his rook pawn undefended. In my analysis of white's 16th move, several continuations ended in quick checkmates if white had been able to play Bg5 at the right times. The pawn on h6 prevented this move and let black squirm out of checkmate. Black's 16th move allows white to pick off that disruptive pawn, and now black is in even more trouble. |
2 comments
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17... Rf6 18. Bg5
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Black's rook was en prise, so he saved it. I looked at 18. Bg7, leaving the rook trapped with no moves. But white can get back to that. This move skewers the rook, chasing it away so white can play Rxe7 . |
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18... Qa7 19. Bxf6
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Black left his rook hanging. I'm not sure why, because now the knight on e7 will fall too. |
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19... O-O-O 20. Bxe7
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Black showed me why he played as he did, but sacrificing a rook, bishop, and knight for the opportunity to castle seems a steep price. Still, the black king is out of danger. |
1 comment
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20... Rh8 21. gxf5 gxf5 22. Qxf5+
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Obvious continuations. |
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22... Kb8 23. Bf8
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Blocks the black rook from defending his king, and threatens mate in 1 with 24. Re8#. |
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23... Qb6 24. Re8+ Ka7 25. Qc8
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This is where I miscalculated. Ahead by a rook and three pieces, I felt unstoppable and didn't really work out too much of the finer details from here. Much smarter would have been to play 25. Bb3 to keep black's queen at bay. |
2 comments
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