|
|
|
1. e4
|
Hi all, I've got a very fun game between chicoboy and I to show off from early this month. This is the closest he's come to beating me yet, and let me tell you, it was close indeed! |
 
|
| |
|
|
1... e5 2. Nf3 f5
|
I've been playing the Latvian Gambit exclusively in these games. Gerhard has been getting much better at thwarting it. I'm not going to give the opening itself a lot of detail; I have a whole series of annotations on it if you want that. |
|
| |
|
|
3. d3
|
I do still think this is too passive, though (better 3.Nxe5 or 3.d4!) |
2 comments
|
| |
|
|
3... Nc6
|
Getting the Knight out and defending e5. |
|
| |
|
|
4. Be3
|
This isn't necessarily the best place for this Bishop, since it could be easy to chase with f5-f4. |
2 comments
|
| |
|
|
4... Nf6 5. exf5 d5 6. d4
|
This is essentially why I think 3.d3 is not ideal for White--his best chances lie in an all-out total war against the Black kingdom. Kudos to White for recognizing that and making the second pawn move. |
|
| |
|
|
6... Bb4+ 7. c3 Bd6 8. Bb5
|
White repels the invading forces with ease and continues his development. |
2 comments
|
| |
|
|
8... Bd7
|
?? Tactical opportunities abound in this opening, and I missed the one that this allows. 8...e4 was far better. |
|
| |
|
|
9. Bxc6
|
My opponent does not miss the tactical opportunity. |
|
| |
|
|
9... Bxc6 10. dxe5
|
Winning a piece. |
1 comment
|
| |
|
|
10... Be7
|
Trying to keep the Bishop pair, but probably 10...O-O was better, gaining a little in terms of time. |
|
| |
|
|
11. exf6
|
Black should be pretty much lost at this point, but I'm going to make White prove it. It's still very early in the game--plenty of time for tactics and mistakes! |
1 comment
|
| |
|
|
11... Bxf6 12. O-O
|
White gets his King to safety. |
|
| |
|
|
12... Qd7 13. Nd4 Bxd4
|
Black trades, since his light-squared Bishop is better-placed than his dark-squared one--though neither is looking great at the moment. |
1 comment
|
| |
|
|
14. Bxd4 O-O 15. Nd2 Qxf5 16. Bc5
|
Probably not what I would have played, since it just forces Black into the Rook lift he wants to play anyway. As White is a full piece ahead, I probably would have simply focused on finishing development and then trading down into a won endgame. |
3 comments
|
| |
|
|
16... Rf6 17. Nf3 b6
|
Trying to drive this Bishop off the a3-f8 diagonal in preparation for ...Raf8. |
|
| |
|
|
18. Bd4 Rh6 19. Be3 Rg6
|
!? This looks like it fails to a tactic, but it's actually a stronger threat that I will explain in a moment... |
|
| |
|
|
20. Nh4
|
Forking the Q and R, but it's really important to notice: **this is a bluff!!** White cannot actually take the Queen, for if he does, Black gets back in the game with a nasty windmill attack: 20.Nh4 d4!! 21.Nxf5?? Rxg2+ 22.Kh1 Rxf2+! 23.Kg1 Rg2+ 24.Kh1 Rg3+ 25.Rf3 Bxf3+ 26.Qxf3 Rxf3 and Black has a fine position, though he's still a little behind. |
4 comments
|
| |
|
|
20... Qf6
|
?????? Black set up the windmill combination perfectly, but entirely failed to execute it! I really don't know what came over me. As I mentioned above, correct here was 20...d4! |
|
| |
|
|
21. Nxg6 Qxg6 22. Qd4
|
The situation looks very grim for Black, a full Rook in the hole. He needs to activate his pieces and play energetically--or else resign, but Black committed to Total War with his second move, so he's not going to back down now! |
3 comments
|
| |
|
(1873)