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ANNOTATED GAME
Bringing the troops back home
troop80 (1634) vs. ethansiegel (1747)
Annotated by: ethansiegel
(1986)
Chess opening: Bishop's opening (C23)
troop80 (1634) vs. ethansiegel (1747)
Annotated by: ethansiegel
(1986)
Chess opening: Bishop's opening (C23)
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Troop and I are teammates here on gameknot -- we've played a few games together and I usually get the better of him.
I decide to go in for a speculative attack and his queen gets a workout trying to defend against mate... | |||||
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1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 |
I was surprised by this -- I don't usually see bishop's opening here. But there's a lot of room for transposition to more familiar lines. | ||||
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2... Nc6 3. Nf3 |
Like the Italian game, for instance. | ||||
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3... Bc5 4. Nc3 |
Threatening to play the opening known amongst kids as "the boring". After 4... Nf6 5. d3 d6, things are pretty lifeless. | ||||
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4... d6 |
So I decide to forego Nf6 for the time being. | ||||
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5. h3 |
This is a standard part of the opening book here on gameknot, as it prevents Bg4. But since white's Bc1 can't develop to g5 and h3 has just weakened the kingside where black is going to castle, I figure this is a good time to make a play for some activity on the kingside. | ||||
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5... f5 |
!? Aggressive but not without risk -- anything king's gambit-esque is always risky, moreso with the colors reversed! | ||||
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6. exf5 |
I would have thought d3 was better, as this allows the Bc8 to develop strongly, and gives black a slight advantage in the center. | ||||
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6... Bxf5 7. O-O |
Standard development. White looks like he's going to try to play d3, Re1, and perhaps Bg5 (or Be3), with a comfortable game. | ||||
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7... Nf6 |
I develop my last minor piece as well. My best plan here is going to be to develop my forces and aim at his kingside, while castling queenside. | ||||
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8. d3 Qd7 |
Placing the queen on the same diagonal as the Bf5, making a nice little battery and paving the way for a queenside castle. | ||||
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9. Ng5 |
?! Interesting. f7 is weak for black, but this move also grabs temporary control of e6. It has the negative effect of moving the same piece twice in the opening while the Bc1 remains at home. | ||||
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9... Rf8 |
I use this opportunity to develop my king's rook to a good square, the half-open f-file. Now, either Nf7 or Bf7 will lose material for white. Notice that 10. g4 is no threat, as black has the simple Bg6 to defend the h7 pawn. Notice black can't play 0-0-0 just yet, as Nf7 would win the exchange. | ||||
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10. Nd5 |
?! This is suspect also. Instead of developing his pieces, white is pursuing attacking (or possibly exchanging) aims in black's camp. Since any exchange (for instance, 11. Nxf6 Rxf6) favors black, I'm in no rush to initiate them. | ||||
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10... O-O-O |
! Now my development is complete, while white is overextended and has many of his pieces at home. | ||||
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11. Ne3 |
Threatening to exchange black's good bishop on f5, but this also fails to solve white's problem -- his lack of development. | ||||
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11... d5 |
This is speculative, for sure, since white can still play Nxf5, but the complications are hard to assess. | ||||
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12. Bb3 |
Justifying black's choice -- Nxf5 would have been my preference, exchanging off an important piece and opening up the c1-h6 diagonal a bit for the bishop. Perhaps white didn't want to have to face 12. Nxf5 dxc4, where the Nf5 is threatened, and to retreat it loses a pawn after 13... cxd3. | ||||
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12... h6 |
Putting the question to the g5 knight. Notice that white's last four moves have all been about moving his three developed pieces, while black has been improving his position and driving white's pieces around the board. | ||||
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13. Nf3 |
?! I think white had to try Nxf5 here. This conservative response allows black to force the action. | ||||
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13... Bxe3 |
! The start of a risky sacrificial combination. Since white didn't take the opportunity to take black's Bf5, I decide to exchange off the Ne3, which, along with the Nf3, are black's two best defensive pieces. My Bc5 wasn't doing much, but I saw that 13... Bxe3 14. Bxe3 Bxh3! 15. gxh3 Qxh3 leaves white's king dangerously exposed, with black's remaining forces in an excellent position to mate the poorly defended king. | ||||
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