ANNOTATED GAME

Why is the Latvian Gambit Good for Black?
aci_duci (1694) vs. bleddy71 (1482)
Annotated by: bleddy71 (1200)
Chess opening: Latvian counter-gambit (C40)
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22... Be5
Black saves jis bishop from the knight and he further reinforces that weak d6 pawn, thus blunting the scope of white's a3 bishop.

 
23. g3
This was not the best as it creates a backward pawn on the half-open h-file and it allows for some tactics that favor Black. Better was to immediately move the knight to f4 where it could have smoked out that troublesome d6 bishop and defended those light squares.
1 comment
 
23... g5
This move was played to prevent the knight from occupying f4, where it would be able to block off the f-file and defend those light squares that Black has dominance over. It would also have threatened Black's light squared bishop, the crown jewel in his position.

 
24. Bb4
Now that white can't get his knight to f4, he tries to somehow mobilize his bishop to a better square.
1 comment
 
24... Kg6
This move opens the line for Black's h8 rook, which, although it has not moved once in the game, is as fully "developed" as any piece on the board.

 
25. Nd4
White moves the knight to e5 but it does no good from here as there is no time left to avert the following combination.
1 comment
 
25... Bxg3+
The h2 pawn is pinned against the threat of checkmate.

 
26. Kd1
only move.

 
26... Nf2+
Black delivers a knight fork, returning the favor from earlier in the game.
1 comment
 
27. Kc1
Best move.

 
27... Nxh1
Takes the rook.

 
28. hxg3
Takes the bishop.

 
28... Nxg3
takes the pawn

 
29. Bxd6
attacks the knight , but this move allows black to win a valuable pawn...
1 comment
 
29... Rh1+
The exchange of rooks is designed to force the White King into the corner of the board - an endgame disadvantage.
2 comments
 
30. Kb2 Rxa1
Black figures that by forcing the white King all the way back to a1, he will have a king position advantage in the endgame.

 
31. Kxa1 Ne4
Forks the bishop and d2 pawn.

 
32. Bb4 Nxd2
wins the center pawn of white's central pawn majority.

 
33. Ne6
re-mobilizes the knight

 
33... Ne4
and here is where Black makes a decisive mistake. He wanted to block the advance of white's e pawn, thus not allowing his Bishop to have access to the queening square, but in mmaking this move he allowed a worse evil: He allows an opposite colored bishops ending which takes away his winning chances. Had he simply advanced his pawn to g4, he would have been on the way to a clearly winning endgame.
4 comments
 

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