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1. d4
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Hi everyone!
This game started off as a Dutch Defense in a thematic mini-tournament. This resulted in closed positional play right until the latter part of the middlegame where I managed to win a pawn and go into an endgame with a pawn up. You would think this ought to have been a straightforward win, wouldn't you? Well, not quite - let's throw some opposite coloured bishops into the mix and things were not as straightforward as they seemed, even when I increased the advantage to that of two pawns the graffiti on my wall was reading "Low Draw". However, before hitting that Offer Draw button, I decided to have one last throw of the dice but did it pay off? Well, in order to find out you will have to read on ...... |
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1... f5
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1. ..... f5 - this is the Dutch Defense and I have had mixed results with this opening. It looks as though I will be leaving Henry exposed on the Fool's Mate diagonal, but in order for my opponent to plonk the Wicked Witch of the West on the h5 square, it is not as simple as it first seems. |
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2. Nc3 d5 3. Bf4 c6 4. e3 g6
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4. ..... g6 - this position is getting to be a little stonewallesque. It sometimes leaves me really stuck for ideas and this is how I end up getting bogged down in the middle game. |
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5. Nf3 Nd7 6. Bd3 Bg7
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6. ...... Bg7 - I complete the kingside fianchetto and the Fool's Mate diagonal is firmly closed off. |
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7. O-O Nh6 8. h3 Nf7
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8. ..... Nf7 - not much happening. |
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9. b4 e5
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9. ..... e5 - so I try and liven things up a little with a pawn break. |
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10. dxe5 Ndxe5 11. Nxe5 Nxe5
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11. ...... Nxe5 - followed by a plethora of exchanges. |
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12. Be2 O-O
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12. ...... 0-0 - finally Henry is tucked away on the kingside. |
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13. Rb1 Be6 14. Qd2 Nf7 15. Na4 b6
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15. ..... b6 - even with those exchanges I seem to be in a defensive mode. |
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16. c3 Re8 17. a3 Ne5
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17. ...... Ne5 - I return my knight to its outpost. |
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18. Rfd1 Qe7 19. Nb2 Rad8
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19. ..... Rad8 - lining my rook on the same file as the Witch. |
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20. Bxe5 Bxe5
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20. ..... Bxe5 - B for N exchange. Nice to keep the bishop pair. |
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21. f4 Bg7 22. Qe1 Bf7
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22. ..... Bf7 - one move ago, white played the seemingly strong f4. However, this has left Roger with a backward e pawn and now I sneakily discover an attack on it. Glenda is getting her broomstick ready ...... |
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23. Rd3 Rd6 24. Bf3 Re6
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24. ..... Re6 - pile on. |
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25. Nd1 Bh6
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25. ...... Bh6 - threatening Bxf4 as the e3 pawn is pinned to the Witch. |
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26. g3 Bg7 27. Rb2 Rf8
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27. ..... Rf8 - I have a very subtle plan here to win that e3 pawn. Where there's a will there's a way. |
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28. Re2 Be8 29. Kg2 Bd7
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29. ..... Bd7 - step 2. |
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30. Nf2 Bc8
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30. .... Bc8 - now I am threatening the rooks on the a6-f1 diagonal. |
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31. Rd1 Ba6
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31. .... Ba6 - I play it anyway. |
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32. Nd3 Re8
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32. ..... Re8 - pile on renewed. |
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game