Annotated chess game: torrefish's mini-tournament I

ANNOTATED GAME

torrefish's mini-tournament I - A deadly double up
rgold52 (1807) vs. jstevens1 (1782)
Annotated by: jotheblackqueen (1200)
Chess opening: Queen's pawn, Mason variation (D00)

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1. d4 d5	Hi everyone! At last I have a game of my own to annotate. It looked as though my game was going nowhere until after a queen trade my rooks somehow ended up on my opponent's second rank. To have just one rook there can be a bone in the throat to my opponent, but two ....... well read on. Gameknot Analysis is provided for this game as follows:- http://gameknot.com/analyze-board.pl?bd=15155377&fb=1&rnd=0.7747064337826831



2. Bf4	2. Bf4 - this is the Mason Variation of the QP Opening and it is part of this themed MT.
	1 comment damalfi (1200) on 27-Mar-11: My preferred scheme for white, but with some improvements to white's way.


2... Nc6 3. Nf3 Bg4 4. e3 Nf6	4. ...... Nf6 - both sides concentrate on their development.



5. Be2 e6 6. O-O Be7 7. Nc3 O-O	7. ..... 0-0 both sides now castle on the kingside.
	1 comment damalfi (1200) on 27-Mar-11: As white, I bet on a pawn storm on the kingside, so no castling, no Be2, and no Nc3: it has to go d2, supporting the brother knight. White bishop should be chased h3, g4, with g5 in mind.


8. h3 Bh5 9. Ne5	9. Ne5 - this knight move brings about a trade off of minor pieces.



9... Bxe2 10. Nxe2 Nxe5 11. Bxe5	11. Bxe5 - I got rid of white's knight on e5. Although it is replaced by white's dsb I am more than happy to trade off Fou Lenoir for it.
	1 comment damalfi (1200) on 27-Mar-11: The white queen must retake on e2, just to avoid the black knight to go to h5 after a future g5. Of couse, this is not so safe when the king is castled on the kingside. Ne4 by black seems strong, but in fact, white just exchanges it. Black's best is to build a fortress with f5, but, again, being the white king on the queenside, white has good chances of attack on the kingside, well faster than black attack on the queenside.


11... Bd6 12. Qd3 Bxe5 13. dxe5	13. dxe5 - and I do. Although a white pawn now occupies e5 it is doubled. At least white does not have his lsb so it may not be quite so easy for white to mount an attack on h7.



13... Nd7 14. f4 c5	14. ...... c5 - I decided to expand on the queenside.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2352) on 26-Mar-11: Sensible and good. For the moment, White is constrained from plying f4-f5 on account of the attack on his e5-square.


15. Qb5 Qc7 16. c4 a6	16. ...... a6 - a Witch Ejection Plan is in place. I call the enemy Queen the Wicked Witch of the West because she can be very wicked if allowed to be.
	2 comments archduke_piccolo (2352) on 27-Mar-11: Good move! White has made a very interesting decision. At first sight, the c-pawn's advance might have stymied Black's Q-side, but after an exchange on the c4-square, Black will have a very mobile Q-side majority. This little pawn advance to a6 kick-starts the pawn roller. A nice little finesse. damalfi (1200) on 27-Mar-11: What has white to get from attacking the queenside? Black has the best chances there, as the game shows. Still very well done by black.


17. Qa4 b5 18. cxb5 axb5 19. Qxb5 Rfb8	19. ...... Rfb8 - although I am temporarily a pawn down the Witch is skewered in front of her b2 pawn and she cannot retreat to defend it, so I get the pawn back and give my opponent that bone in the throat.
	2 comments archduke_piccolo (2352) on 27-Mar-11: Instead of this line, I am pretty sure I would have continued as indicated in my previous comment: 17...dxc4 18.Qxc4 b5 with strong pressure on the Q-side. However, Jo has obviously an entirely different approach, also on the Q-side. About to recover the pawn minus, she gets the much more solid pawn array, a passer on the c-file, and the more active rook play. It's looking pretty good, I must say! damalfi (1200) on 27-Mar-11: Another idea was to kick the white queen with Nb6, then Nc4, threatening b2 and e3 at the same time. But Joanne's idea is completely good.


20. Qd3 Rxb2 21. a4	21. a4 - natcht.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2352) on 27-Mar-11: Oh yes: and a rook on the seventh... At this point, I notice that the engine prefers 21...c4. I think that's what would have played, too. But Jo's choice isn't bad.


21... Rab8 22. Nc3 Rb8b3	22. ....Rb8b3 - pin.
	2 comments archduke_piccolo (2352) on 27-Mar-11: Events have rather run away from White, here: Black has quite an attack going. There's something compelling about attacks that don't have the enemy King as their immediate target... damalfi (1200) on 27-Mar-11: Stronger than c4, the rook move puts a question mark on Nc3.


23. Nb5 Rxd3 24. Nxc7 Rdd2	24. ..... Rdd2 - now here is the double-up. Already g2 is under fire and the white knight is too far away to help.
	2 comments archduke_piccolo (2352) on 27-Mar-11: Doubling on the seventh rank is often sign of imminent death in the opposing royal family... damalfi (1200) on 27-Mar-11: Black had Qa5, too, but Joanne's plan is very strong.


25. Rfe1 Rdxg2+	25. ...... Rxg2+ - a pawn is a pawn. I now decide to drive the WK to the edge of the board and nail him there.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2352) on 27-Mar-11: Probably White's rook ought to have gone all the way to b1.


26. Kh1 Rgh2+ 27. Kg1 Rbg2+ 28. Kf1 c4	28. ....... c4 - I trick white into believing that the c pawn is bound for Glendadom. My queen is known as Glenda. Ah, but this is a space clearance for my knight. White should start feeling very cold soon and you will soon see why.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2352) on 27-Mar-11: Another fine move that opens up all sorts of interesting possibilities.


29. a5	29. a5 - white is tempted to push that passer along. You would never believe that that innocuous looking steed on d7 is the Chessic Grim Reaper, Old Matey in disguise, would you?
	1 comment damalfi (1200) on 27-Mar-11: With Na6 instead, white prevents black to easily bring the Knight into the action. But then? black just go pawns - grabbing and wins.


29... Nc5 30. a6	30. a6 - he still pushes on that pawn but the square e4 is undefended and my steed now lands on it. White should have played Nb5 here. He will now cop Old Matey.



30... Ne4 31. Red1	31. Red1 - white can only delay the mate with the self-immolating Re2. He decided not to do this and my knight comes to g6. White decided to resign on the grounds of Unavoidable Mate here and I pick up 10 useful rating points.



31... Ng3+
	2 comments archduke_piccolo (2352) on 27-Mar-11: A very well played positional attack, Jo. This sort of game really suits your style, I think. Ever tried the Benko Gambit? damalfi (1200) on 27-Mar-11: Wonderful game, Joanne. I like to see you biting your opponent.