Annotated chess game

White has a lot of pieces in the centre, but it is Black with the more secure central control (that 'small' pawn centre). Black's edge will be rather more than a pawn in a position like this.

Possibly 13.Qf3, with the same idea, might have been preferable. After 13.Qf3 Bb7 14.Nf4 ... Black has to beware pitfalls: 14...Nd2?? - what looks like a material-winning move turns into disaster for Black! 15.Qg4 ... and look at all the force piled up against e6! 15...Bc8 16.Nd4xe6 Bxe6 17.Bxe6 Nxf1 (say) 18.Bd4 g6 19.Nxg6!! ... and White has a terrific attack.

Also very strong is 14...Nxb3. Black figures this can wait upon developing other plans. One ought always to be open to this sort of thing - allowing a threat to 'hang fire' whilst using the time the opponent needs to deal with it, to gain time elsewhere.

Perhaps slightly safer might have been 15.Qf3, but one ought not read too much into the 'threat' Qxa8. Black would still play 15...Nxd3, with the idea 16.Qxa8? Nxa1 17.Rxa1 Bb7. Although the queen can crawl out via a7, it will be a long way from the action.

Ordinarily this recapture would have a good deal to recommend it: doubling 'towards the centre', the half-open file, and the knight remaining in the centre. In this sort of position, with the opponent's huge predominance of pawns in the centre, taking with the knight would have meant Black's next move striking empty air - useful, but White would have a freer hand with which to respond. Little considerations like that can make or break a defence.

That huge pawn centre is a game-breaker, especially as White lacks the local means to combat it. Pawn phalanxes like this are very, very strong.

Agreed. By this stage my mobile pawn phalanx will ultimately win the game because my bishops make each step forward create a either new tactical threat or a positional one.

Having spotted not only the immediate attack on the knight, but the threat ...f4 into the bargain. White had to lose material, here, however he played. Presumably he played this counter-threat in the hope of getting some change back, after, say, 17...exd4 18.Qxa8 (...dxe3(?)), but Black would play 18...Bb7 19.Qa7 Nc6, and White's Queen goes.

As my previous comment the central pawns move up the board like a panzer division. The poor white queen gets caught in horrible crossfire now almost with every move.

17...exd4 was quite unobjectionable, but so is this bishop move. Given a strong position, often there is more than one good move. Given a weak position, a good move is sometimes not to be had.

White is fighting hard is a position that is nigh unsalvageable. But that is how difficult positions are occasionally saved!

The move played is a neat try which could pay dividends in a blitz or bullet game. But with time to think.....

The expression 'toad under the harrow' springs to mind, here...

Indeed....this move felt rather sadistic to play but I wanted to make a point about the power of rolling pawns

A horrible move to have to make. 21.Bd2 was probably better (i.e. less horrible) but not by much.

At this stage nothing can really save white....