Annotated chess game: Another Brick in the Wall

« TAP TO LOG IN

ANNOTATED GAME

Another Brick in the Wall
NN (?) vs. diemjay (1590)
Annotated by: diemjay (1739)
Chess opening: KP (C20), Indian opening

Interactive

•

Show all comments

•

All annotated games

•

View chessboard as:


1. e4	"Some stagger and fall, after all it's not easy... Banging your heart against some mad bugger's wall." Outside the Wall, Pink Floyd



1... e5 2. d3	C20 KP: Indian opening



2... Nf6 3. Be2 Bc5 4. Nc3 Nc6 5. a3 h6 6. Be3



6... Bxe3 7. fxe3 d6 8. Nf3 Be6	8...Be6 Notice how the e-file seems to have a wall dividing the board in two (e2, e3, e4, e5 and e6 squares) . Pieces on both sides will have difficulty joining the play on the opposite side.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2332) on 23-Dec-07: Both sides seem to be set up for K-side operations. It will be interesting to follow the careers of the respective bishops: Black's "good" one, and White's "bad" bishop. White does have a useful half-open file and a reinforced centre to balance the slight inferiority of his bishop...


9. O-O O-O	9...0-0 White and Black have castled to the same side of the e-file wall. It's now a race to coordinate an attack to take advantage of the isolated Kings.



10. d4 Ng4	10...Ng4!? Looking to make something happen. The Knight is taking a risk but White will now have to defend the pawn on e3. e3 is also a forking square (Nxe3) for the g4 Knight.



11. Qc1	11. Qc1 Defending the e3 pawn but moving the queen away from the 'action'.
	2 comments archduke_piccolo (2332) on 23-Dec-07: Interesting choice. Why was this move preferred to 11.Qd2 alternative? robyfish (1200) on 03-Jun-11: An appropriate lyric here would be 'Together we stand, divided we fall' (Hey You, Pink Floyd)


11... f5	11...f5!? This move ignores the potential pawn fork on d5. In fact, Black is inviting the fork in order to gain play on the kingside. The other possible responses by White are quite playable for Black as well. If 12. exf5 then ...Bxf5. If 12. dxe5 then... ... either exd5, Ncxe5 or Ngxe5 and Black is still good.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2332) on 23-Dec-07: Surprisingly playable! Had White's Q stood at d2 it would not have been. Had White intended to provoke this move?


12. d5



12... fxe4	12...fxe4! Notice how the f-pawn capture accomplishes three important things. It opens the f-file (for the rook on f8), it brings the e5 Bishop back into play against the kingside and the pawn itself gives attack to White's Knight on f3.



13. Ne1	13. Ne1?? Another brick in the wall!!! This Knight move is a serious blunder. Note how White's Queen isn't able to continue its support to the rook on f1. Also note that the Knight retreat surrenders a key defensive post. Without a Knight on f3 White is unable to defend against a Black Queen invasion. A better option was 13. Nxe4!



13... Qh4	13...Qh4! White is now at risk of being mated by Qxh2. Another Black piece has tunneled under the wall and is attacking the isolated King.



14. Rxf8+	14 Rxf8 ? With this move White gives away any control he had over the important f-file. He also trades away his last piece on his king's side of the wall.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2332) on 23-Dec-07: Black has a very strong attack. 14.h3 Rxf1ch 15.Bxf1 Qf2ch 16.Kh1 Qxf1# or 14.Bxg4 Rxf1ch 15.Kxf1 Bxg4 (with the idea 16.dxc6 Rf8ch 17.Nf3 exf3 with an imminent win).


14... Rxf8	14...Rxf8! Regaining control of the f-file and keeping the king in the corner.



15. h3	15. h3? White doesn't have a lot of options really. The Qxh2 mate was still looming. Bxg4 may have solved that problem but then Qf2 still remained! Nf3 surrenders the Knight but it would have allowed the Queen to aid in defense. It isn't an attractive option but it may be the best defense here.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2332) on 23-Dec-07: 15.Bxg4 Qf2ch 16.Kh1 Qf1#. The desperate 15.Nf3 closes the file only briefly: 15.Nf3 exf3 16.Bxf3 Rxf3 17.gxf3 Qf2ch etc.


15... Qf2+	15. Qf2 ! It is all forced from here on in. The Queen drives the king to the corner (the Knight prevents flight on h2) and then sacrifices herself to enable mate.



16. Kh1	16. Kh1 Only move.



16... Qf1+	16...Qh1 !! This sacrifice draws White's Bishop off the e2 square and thereby removes White's ability to prevent the f8 rook from giving mate on the f1.



17. Bxf1	17. Bxf1 Only move.



17... Rxf1#	Rxf1# And there was much rejoicing. "If you don't eat your meat, you can't have any pudding. How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat?!"
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2332) on 23-Dec-07: A nice finish. Another spectacular ending - with the same general idea, but without the Q-sac - was this elegant rook offer: 15...Rf1ch! 16.Bxf1 (16.Kxf1 Qf2#) 16...Qf2ch 17.Kh1 Qxf1#.