|
|
|
11... Bd6
|
I chose this move because it was part of my plan anyway and because it develops another piece. The disadvantage is that it blocks in the d-pawn, so I can't play ...d6 to control the center and allow my bishop to develop, but I had already foreseen that this wouldn't be a big problem since I can first chase the knight with ...c6, then retreat my bishop to c7 and then play ...d5. This was the way in which I was planning to execute my plan mentioned before. |
  1 comment
|
| |
|
|
12. Re1+
|
A good move. This rook was not very active yet and is developed to an open file while forcing me to block the check. I have to either retreat a piece or move my king, which would take away my castling possibility. You could call this 'developing with tempo' since White develops a piece and I'm not able to respond with a developing move as well. |
|
| |
|
|
12... Ne6
|
This is the best choice. I did not want to move my king because that would take away my castling right, as mentioned earlier, and if I would play 12...Be7?? White could fork my king and rook with 13.Nxc7+. 12...Qe6?? would just throw away my queen. |
|
| |
|
|
13. b3
|
Trying to form a fianchetto, but the bishop could already be developed (on e3). Therefore, I think that this loses time because it was an unnecessary move. The fianchetto is a good idea in itself, but the bishop is equally effective on e3 and the weakness of the dark squares on the queenside will play a role in the game later on (after the dark-squared bishop has gone). |
|
| |
|
|
13... O-O
|
Getting my king to safety and removing the pin on my knight. |
|
| |
|
|
14. Bb2 c6
|
As per my plan mentioned above, I kick back (or hit or chase away, other words with almost the same meaning) the knight, enabling ...Bc7 and ...d5 next. |
|
| |
|
|
15. Nc3
|
A good move. It blocks the fianchetto bishop temporarily, but the bishop is still powerful on the long diagonal since the knight can move away easily and then the bishop has again control over the diagonal. |
1 comment
|
| |
|
|
15... Bc7
|
Continuing with the execution of my plan. I want to play ...d5 next. Notice that 4 of my 6 last moves (10...Qg6, 11...Bd6, 14...c6 and 15...Bc7) have been part of a general plan which I had already decided on at move 10. |
|
| |
|
|
16. Ba3
|
?? Unfortunately, this is a big blunder because the bishop is unprotected. However, I do like the idea that jkarp probably had in mind when he played this move. He wanted to force my rook to move, either to the d-file where it is passive as well, or to e8 where it walks into a pin. The pin is not devastating or anything, but at least the knight on e6 is tied down and can't move, so that my bishop on c8 is also blocked in (after I have played ...d5 it can still only develop to d7). |
|
| |
|
|
16... Re8
|
?? Somehow, I miss that the bishop is unprotected. Was it the open a-file, which I'm not used to have, or was it just a problem with my concentration? I don't know, but of course I should just have played 16...Rxa3. |
|
| |
|
|
17. Rb1
|
?? White had to return the bishop to b2 (or c1, but that's a very passive square), of course. |
1 comment
|
| |
|
|
17... Rxa3 18. Rb2
|
?! I don't know what this move accomplishes. The only thing I can see is that it protects the pawn on a2, but that pawn was already protected by the knight on c3. On b2, the rook has less room to manoeuver and White also walks into a pin. |
|
| |
|
|
18... Qf6
|
Now that the dark-squared bishop is gone, the weakness of the dark squares on the queenside created by the move 13.b3 is starting to tell. Because there's no bishop which can protect them, White has to block the diagonal with 19.d4. |
|
| |
|
|
19. Qd2
|
?! This move is not very good. As I mentioned before, 19.d4! was the best move in this position. It removes the attack of the queen on the knight and the rook. Of course I can't win that pawn for free, because 19...Qxd4?? 20.Qxd4 Nxd4?? walks into the back rank mate 21.Rxe8#. After the move played, Black can take advantage of the pin. |
|
| |
|
|
19... Ba5
|
? I do not take advantage completely. With 19...Be5 I can win the knight, because it can't be defended and it can't move as well, due to the pin on the rook. White's best, then, according to the computer (and I agree) is 20.Ne4! (attacking the queen), after which I can play 20...Bxh2+! (sacrificing the bishop, but winning the rook next turn) 21.Kxh2 Qxb2. I thought my move would work just as well, but I missed a defence... |
|
| |
|
|
20. b4
|
! ... which jkarp did find. Well done. |
1 comment
|
| |
|
|
20... Qxc3
|
I want to exchange and this move does force the exchange of queens, but I could have gained a pawn with 20...Bxb4! (the bishop is going to be taken anyway) 21.Rxb4 Qxc3 22.Qxc3 Rxc3. It doesn't matter that much though, because I'll win some pawns anyway. |
1 comment
|
| |
|
|
21. Qxc3 Rxc3 22. bxa5 Nc7
|
Unpinning my knight and also forcing another exchange or else the rook has to go to a very passive square. Here we see that by threatening something (an exchange, in this case, which would not be good for White) I improve my position by force. |
1 comment
|
| |
|
|
23. Ra1
|
I guess 23.Rc1 was a bit more accurate, because I would not be able to win the c-pawn as easily. It also contains a trap: if I want to get to the 2nd rank with my rook to attack White's pawns (23...Re2), White can chase my rook with 24.Kf1 and if I want to stay on the 2nd rank with 24...Rd2?? White traps my rook with 25.Ke1!. So instead I have to retreat at move 24, making 23...Re2 quite useless. |
|
| |
|
|
23... Re2
|
The 2nd rank (or 7th rank for White) is a great place to be for a rook (unless it can be chased away). That is because there are many pawns to attack (especially when they are still in their starting positions) and because it restricts the king to the 1st (8th) rank. Especially in an endgame this is very powerful. |
|
| |
|
