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ANNOTATED GAME
A bizarre rook ending
yates24 (1434) vs. blackbaron (1383)
Annotated by: nuntar (1702)
Chess opening: French (C02), advance, Milner-Barry gambit
yates24 (1434) vs. blackbaron (1383)
Annotated by: nuntar (1702)
Chess opening: French (C02), advance, Milner-Barry gambit
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1. e4 |
This is a game I witnessed between two players who were in the same group as me in the 38th GK tournament, round 2. It's long, but I think it's well worth following through to the end to see an interesting endgame tactic... that the players missed. | |||||
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1... e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 |
French Defence, Advance Variation. The main alternatives are 3. exd5, 3. Nc3 and 3. Nd2. | |||||
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3... c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Qb6 |
This is all book. Black is playing to put pressure on d4, White to defend it. | |||||
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6. Bd3 |
Seems to weaken d4, but still a main line. 6. Be2 and 6. a3 are the alternatives. | |||||
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6... cxd4 7. cxd4 Bd7 |
7...Nxd4? 8. Nxd5 Qxd5 9. Bb5 ! | |||||
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8. O-O |
The Milner-Barry Gambit. White parts with the d4 pawn, hoping that his piece activity will compensate. 6. Bd3 basically commits White to making this sacrifice, since if 8. Bc2, Nb4! | |||||
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8... Nxd4 9. Nxd4 Qxd4 10. Qe2 |
This is where we leave book, which is Nc3. (This seems to lose a second pawn, but if 10...Qxe5, 11. Re1 and 12. Nxd5.) Play might continue 10...a6 11. Qe2 Ne7. | |||||
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10... Bc5 11. h3 Ne7 12. a4 |
To support a later Bb5 without allowing Bxb5 Qxb5 Qxe5. White's plan is questionable, as the original idea of the Milner-Barry Gambit is to allow White's light-squared bishop to reach its best square, while Black's LSB is trapped behind its own pawn chain (as often happens in the French). | |||||
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12... Nc6 13. Rd1 |
Another poor move, failing to defend e5. | |||||
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13... Qxe5 |
After the knight capture, White has Bxh7 chipping a hole in the Black king's intended refuge. | |||||
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14. Qxe5 Nxe5 15. Bb5 |
As planned. But now that queens are off, this move seems even worse than it did before, because White is simply entering a poor endgame in which Black has two pawns and the compensation. (Who was it who made that quip?) | |||||
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15... Bxb5 16. axb5 O-O |
Black could have considered 16... Kd7; it isn't quite an endgame yet, but White has little chance of an attack, especially considering his poor development. | |||||
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17. Bf4 Ng6 18. Bg3 Rae8 |
Black's first questionable move, by my tastes. The other rook is doing nothing on f8, whereas 18...Rfe8 would have allowed a later Rac8, taking the open file, or Rad8, placing both rooks behind the powerful central pawns. | |||||
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19. Nc3 d4 |
Understandable, but careless, in view of White's reply. | |||||
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20. Ne4 Bb6 |
Any other bishop move allows Rxa7, and 20... Rc8 is met by 21. Nxc5 Rxc5 22. Rxd4 Rxb5. Black finishes still two pawns up, but White has exchanged the worthless b5 pawn for the powerful d4 pawn. | |||||
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21. Nd6 Red8 |
21... Rb8 is an interesting try here, asking White to do his worst. After 22. Nxf7 Kxf7 23. Bxb8 Rxb8 Black's two minor pieces should be worth more than a rook; after 22. Nf5, Rd8 keeps everything defended; best is probably 22. Nc4 Rbd8 23. Nxb6 axb6 24. Ra7 Rd7 25. Rc1 intending Bc7. | |||||
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22. Nxb7 Rd7 23. Nd6 e5 24. Nc4 |
A good choice of retreat, combining defence with attack; on a later Rc8 (after defending the e-pawn), b3 keeps the c-file closed for at least a while. | |||||
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24... Rfd8 |
Oh dear, what can the matter be? | |||||
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25. Nxe5 Nxe5 26. Bxe5 f6 27. Bg3 |
Now material is level again at last. White has blockaded doubled pawns and Black has a passed pawn, so Black looks better, but the d-pawn will not be easy to advance now that it is isolated. | |||||
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27... Kf7 28. Rd3 Ke6 29. Re1+ Kd5 30. Rc1 |
This move (together with the next) helps keep both open files guarded. | |||||
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