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ANNOTATED GAME
Challenge from whiplash1
rejected_2 (1209) vs. whiplash1 (1662)
Annotated by: whiplash1 (1200)
Chess opening: Sicilian (B20), Gloria variation
rejected_2 (1209) vs. whiplash1 (1662)
Annotated by: whiplash1 (1200)
Chess opening: Sicilian (B20), Gloria variation
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An unrated game between rejected_2 (1209) and whiplash1 (1662). | ||||||
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1. e4 |
The King's Pawn Opening, seizing control of the center and freeing White's queen and king's bishop. | |||||
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1... c5 |
The Sicilian Defense, a counter-attacking response to 1. e4. | |||||
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2. c4 |
The Gloria Variation, a rare line of the Sicilian. | |||||
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2... Nc6 3. Nf3 e5 4. d3 d6 |
The position has a closed symmetry. White has a useful outpost on d5. Black has an equally useful outpost on d4, although White's knight currently protects that square. | |||||
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5. h3 |
5. h3? is a purely prophylactic move. It is passive, weakens White's king-side, and gives Black the lead in development, something important in a symmetric structure. However, it does prevent a pin on White's knight, but ...Bg4 presents no immediate threat, since the knight is protected by the queen. Better would have been 5. Nc3, keeping the lead in development. | |||||
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5... Nf6 |
Black takes the lead in development. | |||||
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6. Bg5 |
Pinning Black's knight. | |||||
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6... Be7 |
A much better move than 6...h6. Be7 relieves the pin on the knight without weakening Black's king-side pawn structure while developing and preparing to castle. | |||||
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7. Bxf6 |
7. Bxf6 represents a conflict between chess principles. Firstly, since the game is currently closed in the middle, a knight is slightly more valuable than a bishop. Trading a bishop for a knight in a closed game is a good trade. However, White is trading an active bishop for a passive knight: Black's knight had no central squares to move to. Secondly (and much more importantly), White is trading his good bishop for Black's knight. Since White's pawn structure is locked down on the light squares, White's dark-colored bishop is much more valuable than his light-colored bishop since it isn't blocked by his pawns. The game will soon open up, leaving White with one weak bishop and Black with a powerful bishop pair. Better would have been more development, such as 7. Nc3 or 7. Be2. | |||||
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7... Bxf6 |
Black gladly accepts the trade. | |||||
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8. Nc3 O-O 9. Nd5 |
White occupies his d5 outpost, available now since White traded off Black's knight on f6. The move is moot though, because White has left the b4 square unprotected. Black's knight can move there to dislodge White's knight. | |||||
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9... Nb4 10. Nxb4 cxb4 |
This trade leaves Black with doubled pawns. However, it further locks down White's pawns on light squares. Black will want to move his pawns to a5 and b6 to lock in White's bishop and stop all counterplay on the queen-side. | |||||
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11. Be2 Qb6 |
11...Qb6 eyes White's f2 pawn. This pawn will be pinned once White castles king-side. | |||||
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12. O-O Bd7 13. b3 |
? Another pointless waiting move. It also completely shuts off White's bishop and queen from easy access to the queen-side. Better would have been more development, such as 13. Qd2. | |||||
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13... a5 |
This move could have waited until it was needed after White's pawn push to a3. Better would have been 13...Rfc8 or 13...Rac8, taking control of the half-open c-file. | |||||
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14. a4 |
?? Now White has completely locked himself in on the queen-side. White should trade down his extremely weak bishop soon to have any chance at the endgame. | |||||
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14... Rac8 |
When deciding which rook to move to the open or half-open file, one must consider various aspects of the current state of the board. Black's pawns on b4 and a5 have shut in White's queen, bishop, and rook on the queen-side. Black's f-file rook is important to the protection of the king-side, where White still has good attacking chances. Naturally, the a-file rook is the correct rook to move. Black is slightly ahead, heading into the middlegame. | |||||
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15. Qd2 |
! An excellent developing move, preparing 16. Ng5 or 16. h4 then 17. Ng5. White's bishop, queen, and knight are all aimed at Black's king-side, ready for an assault on the king's position. | |||||
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15... Rfe8 16. Ng5 |
White attacks, but perhaps a little prematurely. 16. Ng5 offers a trade, Black's bad bishop (which is locked in by his pawns) for White's active knight. This is a bad trade for White, who is already suffering from weakened dark squares. The knight would have been useful protecting those. Much better would have been 16. h4 followed by 17. h5! and 18. h6!, damaging Black's king-side defenses and opening up his king. | |||||
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16... Qd8 |
Preventing White's queen from recapturing on g5. | |||||
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