|
« TAP TO LOG IN
|
ANNOTATED GAME
Attack - and counter-attack
jgkagaoan (2002) vs. archduke_piccolo (2178)
Annotated by: archduke_piccolo
(2334)
Chess opening: Bishop's opening (C24), Berlin defence
jgkagaoan (2002) vs. archduke_piccolo (2178)
Annotated by: archduke_piccolo
(2334)
Chess opening: Bishop's opening (C24), Berlin defence
 Interactive |
• |  Show all comments |
• | All annotated games | • | View chessboard as: |
| ||||||
This, the third of the game I've selected from Charles Higgie's '2018 Commonwealth Games' Mini-T, was I think the most exciting - certainly the most dramatic. From a fairly even Bishop's Opening, White embarks upon a direct attack against the apparently under-defended Black King. Lacking defensive resources near at hand, Black perforce must counter-attack 'on the Other Wing'. Although the latter makes faster progress, Black has further to go to reach the enemy King. Let's see how this played out. Spoiler alert; there are a couple of Queen 'sacrifices' in this game: one hidden, the other... well, let's call it an 'offer'. | ||||||
|
1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d3 Nc6 |
Bishop's Opening. I'm quite fond of playing it with the White pieces, too, but here, I'm Black. | |||||
| 1 comment | ||||||
|
4. Nc3 Na5 |
Quite a popular line, this. Black sacrifices a little time to bring about the exchange of the White's King's bishop for a knight. | |||||
| 2 comments | ||||||
|
5. Bb3 |
A 'obvious' move, if White doesn't like the pawn structure after ...Nxc4; dxc4. Yet 5.Qf3 and 5.Nge2 are both more popular alternatives. | |||||
| 2 comments | ||||||
|
5... Nxb3 |
5...Bb4 seems a reasonable alternative, but as Black set up the exchange, Black might as well go through with it. | |||||
| | ||||||
|
6. axb3 Bb4 |
Alternatives are 6...d5 or 6...Bc5. The purpose is really to facilitate ...d5 shortly. | |||||
| 1 comment | ||||||
|
7. Nge2 |
Played presumably, to retake on c3 with a knight (and by so doing, discouraging Black from exchanging at all). But I had no special desire to exchange: the pin was serving its purpose. Better might have been 7.Nf3. | |||||
| 1 comment | ||||||
|
7... d5 |
In my view the position here is even. Black threatens ...d4, so White isn't left with much option. | |||||
| | ||||||
|
8. exd5 Nxd5 9. O-O O-O |
There was little point in ...Nxc3, but now White can exchange on d5. | |||||
| 1 comment | ||||||
|
10. Bd2 Be7 |
No point in exchanging, so the bishop departs the scene. As ...Bd6 or ...Bc5 were likely to be met by Ne4, the bishop retreats as far as it will go. | |||||
| | ||||||
|
11. Nxd5 Qxd5 12. Nc3 Qc6 |
A good sanctuary for the Queen. It was later to prove a handy jumping off place for a counter-offensive to meet White's K-side attack. At this point, there is little to choose between the sides. Black has the bishop pair, and White has doubled pawns. Yet White's game is solid, and has no real weaknesses except maybe at c2, and that is well masked. But, having seen that Black's K-side is lacking defenders, White judges the time propitious to begin K-side operations. | |||||
| 2 comments | ||||||
|
13. Qh5 |
In the game Laszlo Kiss vs Heinrich Rolletschek, White played 13.Qe2, and went on to lose in the end game. Here White chooses a more aggressive line. Who's to say he was wrong? | |||||
| 1 comment | ||||||
|
13... f6 |
Partly to protect the attacked e-pawn (as Rolletschek did in his game) but also to strengthen the centre AND the dark squares on the K-side. Lacking a light-square bishop, White won't find it easy to exploit the weakened light squares. Having said that, the g7 and h7 squares have been weakened slightly - something for White to aim at, and something of which Black has to be aware - and beware! | |||||
| 1 comment | ||||||
|
14. f4 |
Very good: a direct strike at Black's centre. | |||||
| | ||||||
|
14... Bd6 |
Exchanging on f4 looked most unappealing - giving up much of Black's central presence. Hence the choice to defend. | |||||
| 1 comment | ||||||
|
15. Rae1 |
Adding pressure against Black's centre, but really to reinforce the developing K-side operation. White's game is looking fairly promising, but, even though the Black Queen's bishop has yet to move, Black is solidly placed. Game on. | |||||
| | ||||||
|
15... b6 |
Although the light square bishop covers h3 - a square that White might find useful - there are few prospects for it in the c8-h3 diagonal otherwise. So the bishop looks to greener fields. | |||||
| | ||||||
|
16. f5 |
[!?] Not really surprising, though I was more expecting the exchange on e5. But the exchange didn't offer White much, not to mention that opening up the centre would have compromised White's planned flank attack. The centre isn't fully closed, but is sufficiently rigid to encourage White to continue with his plan. | |||||
| | ||||||
|
16... Bb7 |
Threatens an immediate checkmate! Black's bishop pair is looking very powerful, though not enough to present yet a serious challenge to White's position. | |||||
| 1 comment | ||||||
|
17. Re2 |
Covering g2. White wants to play Rf3, and might have done here, but then he might want to continue with Rh3. Hence the choice, for the time being, of using one rook for defence and the other for attack. | |||||
| 1 comment | ||||||
|
17... Bc5+ 18. Kh1 |
Only move. Were Black's queen not on the long diagonal, those Black bishops would be a considerable constraint upon White's K-side ambitions. But the queen is handily placed on c6, as will be seen. | |||||
| | ||||||
| ||||||