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1. e4
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A coaching game. |
 
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1... e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6
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The Four Knigkts' Game. Usually remains very symmetrical. |
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4. Bc4
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d4 is the usual move. All opening books recommend pushing the centre pawns whenever it is possible to retain the alleged advantage of white making the first move. But this is certainly not a mistake. |
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4... Nxe4
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I try taking the pawn, even though I think in retrospect it is not such a good move. |
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5. Nxe4 d5
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Black regains the piece. |
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6. Bb5
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Excellent! |
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6... dxe4 7. Nxe5
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Unless I'm missing something, this is not so good for black. |
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7... Bd7
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And I was missing something.
Raskerino wrote to me and pointed out : "I think 7... Qg5 is worth a try:
a) 8.d4 Qxg2 9.Rf1 Bd7 and while black may have a moment of discomfort white's kingside is ruined and black is up a pawn.
b) 8.f4 Qxg2 9.Rf1 Bd7 should not be a problem, white's king is horrible.
c) 8.Nxc6 Qxb5 is at least equal, and trying for more is 8... bxc6!?? 9.Bxc6 Kd8 10.Bxa8 Qxg2 11.Rf1 Bg4!
d) 8.Bxc6 bxc6:
d1) 9.Nxc6 Qxg2 10.Rf1 Bg4!
d2) 9.d4 Qxg2 10.Rf1 Bh3!
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8. a4
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A blunder. By exchanging knights and bishops, white would have left black with a terrible pawn structure. How is it possible to make an error like this one? Of course, white obviously played too fast. But another explanation can be this: it is very easy to overlook a threat when it is not directly a consequence of the piece actually played. Black played his bishop on move 7. The bishop does not threaten anything. So it is quite possible when one plays fast to overlook that the black knight on c6 is now unpinned, and can now take the white knight. One must always try to consider not just the piece that has moved, but also how this movement affects the dynamics of the other pieces on the board. |
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8... Nxe5 9. O-O
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A natural move here. |
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9... Bd6
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Black could also have exchanged bishops (when you're ahead in material, exchanging pieces is good, but this is true mostly if you're being threatened). |
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10. Re1
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OK |
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10... O-O
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Trying to protect the pawn and leaving the king in the centre would be dangerous. With the piece won, black can afford to let the pawn go. |
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11. d4
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White admittedly forgot about the en passant rule here. |
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11... exd3 e.p. 12. Bxd3
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I had a little trap prepared (winning a pawn) if white played pxp here. See if you can find it. The solution at the end of the game. |
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12... Qf6 13. Bd2 Rad8
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Why this move? It develops a piece. But the real reason is that the rook is now on the same column as the white queen! While this may seem a bit wild for a reason (there are now 4 pieces between the rook and the queen), it is surprising how fast sometimes pieces can get out of the way and all of a sudden, the rook can take the queen!! |
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14. Re3 Bc5
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Tempting white for a sacrifice. |
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15. Bxh7+
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And white accepts the challenge. |
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15... Kxh7 16. Qh5+ Kg8
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Not Qh6 because white plays RxN justifying white's 15th move. |
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17. Qxe5
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Rxe5 would be met by Qxf2 followed by Bc6 and the mate threat by the bishop(!) or the queen |
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