Annotated chess game: Under-promotion!

ANNOTATED GAME

Under-promotion!
dynamic_dv (1963) vs. charleshiggie (2002)
Annotated by: charleshiggie

(2211)
Chess opening: French defence, Steiner variation (C00)

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1. e4	This game is interesting in that white is virtually forced to under-promote. After being under pressure for most of the game black comes up with a saving resource.



1... e6	This is the French Defence. I normally play the Sicilian Defence, but sometimes play this against stronger opponents. The problem with playing this against weaker players is that the exchange variation is very drawish ((2. d4 d5 3. exd)



2. c4	But what is this! Normally d4 is played and I am also familiar with moves like Qe2, d3, g3, Ne2. I was rather thrown by this.
	1 comment damalfi (1200) on 02-Dec-10: Wonderful! A "new" line of the French!!! I like it. Of course it leaves "holes" in the black squares for white, but this is so interesting... Black cannot easily exploit them.


2... Nc6	Perhaps I should have just played d5
	2 comments no_genius (2006) on 08-Dec-09: Or c5 - I'm pretty sure you have to play that before Nc6 (d5 probably exchanges too many pawns) damalfi (1200) on 02-Dec-10: It looks ok, but - let's say it: boring!


3. Nf3 e5	This is the only move on the Gameknot world opening database, but it may be bad just to lose a tempo in playing e6 followed by e5
	3 comments goingdown (1200) on 08-Dec-09: I agree - I would play ...Bc5, aiming to capitalise on the hole on d4. charleshiggie (2211) on 08-Dec-09: er if Bc5 surely just d4 and the "hole" goes - with more tempi damalfi (1200) on 02-Dec-10: That's the good thing of c4. Black has holes in black squares, but cannot easily take advantage of them!


4. Nc3 Bc5	Black is a move down compared to normal lines
	1 comment damalfi (1200) on 02-Dec-10: Uh-oh., mistake. You just gave away a pawn...


5. Nxe5	and this little combination gives white a strong centre



5... Nxe5 6. d4 Bd6 7. c5 Be7 8. dxe5 Bxc5	White's doubled e pawns are actually quite strong. The black knight is denied the best square of f6
	2 comments steverand67 (1200) on 08-Dec-09: 5 . . . Bxf2+ is an interesting option. I think I prefer the the text because black's dark-square bishop is an excellent piece and the white king is safe in the center for the moment, but it was definitely worth a look. damalfi (1200) on 02-Dec-10: Well... if you have to lose a piece (recovered by white), you better take a pawn in the meanwhile: 5... Nxe5, 6. d4, Bxd4, 7. Qxd4, f6 and even if 8. f4, the game is even (... Nc6...) Also Bxf2+ is good, just to recover the pawn and of course you get the white king uncovered.


9. Bc4 Ne7 10. O-O O-O 11. Na4	And now it looks like I have to let my best piece be exchanged



11... d6 12. Nxc5 dxc5	So now we have an interesting pawn formation. Both sides have doubled pawns. I was rather hoping for an end game where my queen side pawn majority may be an advantage. But first there is the middle game and the problem of how to complete my development.



13. Be3 b6 14. Qb3	And now the natural Bb7 is met by Bxc5! winning a pawn, so I had to come up with something else.



14... Nc6 15. e6 fxe6 16. Bxe6+ Kh8	Of course, I would love to exchange my under-developed bishop, but 16... Bxe6, 17. Qxe6ch and my knight drops



17. Rad1	Developing with tempo
	3 comments goingdown (1200) on 08-Dec-09: I haven't looked into this deeply, but with the king now on h8, I think black can free his position with 17...Bxe6, when: a) 18.Rxd8 Bxb3 19.Rxa8 Rxa8 20.axb3 Rd8 appears fine; black must be careful with a white passed e-pawn, but he has a Q-side pawn majority. b) 18.Qxe6 Qf6 19.Qd7 Rac8 should eventually come out fine. damalfi (1200) on 02-Dec-10: goingdown: a) 18.Rxd8 Bxb3 19. RxR mate. nuntar (1702) on 23-Jan-11: No: RxR(f8) is not mate because the rook on a8 defends it. Remember this is after 17... Bxe6.


17... Qf6 18. Bxc8 Raxc8 19. f4 Rce8 20. e5 Qg6 21. Qd3 Red8 22. Qxg6 hxg6	I was rather relieved to get the queens off. I thought it would be hard for white to attack my weak doubled g pawns.
	1 comment damalfi (1200) on 02-Dec-10: A a high cost. The doubled pawn on g are not strong.


23. h4 Nd4 24. Rd2 Nf5 25. Kf2 Nd4 26. g4 Rd5 27. Kg2 c6 28. b4 Ne6 29. bxc5 Rxd2+ 30. Bxd2 Nxc5 31. Bb4 Rd8 32. Bxc5 bxc5 33. Rc1	Now all my 5 pawns are isolated and 4 of them are doubled!
	1 comment damalfi (1200) on 02-Dec-10: Interesting fight. Pity you didn't comment on all the intermediate moves, so I cannot easily see what's going on.


33... Rd2+ 34. Kf3 Rxa2 35. e6 Kg8 36. Rxc5 Kf8 37. Rxc6 Ke7 38. f5 gxf5 39. gxf5	I thought I may lose this.....



39... Ra3+ 40. Kg4 Kf6 41. Rc8 Ra4+ 42. Kh5 Kxf5 43. e7 g6+ 44. Kh6 Kf6	Now I am threatening mate, so white is forced to underpromote the pawn, or just lose it.
	2 comments nuntar (1702) on 08-Dec-09: 45. h5, surely? charleshiggie (2211) on 08-Dec-09: Interesting suggestion!. If 45. h5 Rh4, 46. Rc4 Kxe2, 47. Kxg6 and according to the endgame database black can still draw with Rg4 or h3/h2/h1.


45. e8=N+	Now if white could hang on the h pawn he is winning, but as soon as I get rid of it, it is a drawn ending. Let's not hang about in going after it!



45... Kf5 46. Nd6+ Kg4 47. Kxg6 Kxh4	Draw agreed.
	1 comment damalfi (1200) on 02-Dec-10: Very interesting game!