Annotated chess game: Colwyn Bay 2 v Malpas & Whitchurch

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ANNOTATED GAME

Colwyn Bay 2 v Malpas & Whitchurch
Barrie Wells (ECF142) vs. Charles Higgie (ECF164)
Annotated by: charleshiggie

(2222)
Chess opening: Gruenfeld (D85), modern exchange variation

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In this game, we play quickly 12 moves of established theory. I have actually already got an annotated game with the same 12 moves, only with me as white rather than black, as here. White takes a pawn in a variation which is known to give black compensation for the pawn. White fails to find the right continuation in a tricky position, and actually loses in another 8 moves each! And I am going to ask you to analyse the final position and tell me why white resigns. Let's see who answers the best!

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Be3 O-O 8. Bc4 c5 9. Ne2 Nc6 10. O-O Bg4 11. f3 Na5 12. Bxf7+ Rxf7 13. fxg4 Rxf1+	This has all been seen many times before. It was the old "main line" of the Grünfeld Defence, Exchange Variation. Please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gr%C3%BCnfeld_Defence#Exchange_Variation:_4.cxd5_Nxd5_5.e4 From about 1960 to about 1980 it wasn't played much, it being replaced by Smyslov's idea of 10....Qc7 followed by 11. Rc1 Rd8, but this was rather put out of business by 12. Bf4! so players went back to this older system. To quote from Wiki "this was frequently played by Karpov, including four games of his 1987 world championship match against Kasparov in Seville, Spain, is the Seville Variation, after 6...Bg7 7.Bc4 c5 8.Ne2 Nc6 9.Be3 0-0 10.0-0 Bg4 11.f3 Na5 12.Bxf7+, long thought a poor move by theory, as the resultant light-square weakness had been believed to give Black more than enough compensation for the pawn.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2334) on 03-Apr-14: As I recall, Karpov gave Kasparov a bit of a hurry-up with this line.


14. Qxf1	Taking with the king is just as good.



14... Nc4	Notice how I also often play Nb8-c6-a5-c4 while playing black in the Sicilian Defence



15. Qf2	This is just about forced, if white wants to hang onto the pawn.



15... Qd7	This was played against me when I had white in this variation. I was surprised to see in the databases, Qb6 is more common. This seems logical, hitting g4 and putting the queen on a white square - which seems logical as white squared bishops have been indirectly exchanged.



16. Rf1	This indirectly protects the pawn, if I take on g4 he checks on f7, picking up my knight on c4. It allows me to win back the pawn though, so I prefer h3.



16... Rf8	So I hit the queen, driving it to an inferior square.



17. Qg3	To protect g4 and e3



17... Rd8	Rather than take the pawn back immediately, I ratchet up the pressure and he cracks.



18. dxc5	This drops a piece
	2 comments darknite13 (1200) on 02-Apr-14: Ouch white should've pushed e5 here I think. Alternative: 18. e5 Nxe3 19. Qxe3 Qxg4 charleshiggie (2222) on 02-Apr-14: Yes, that was a move I was half expecting. It does leave the white squares in the white centre weak and the Be3 pretty poor. 18.....Qd5 was another possible reply - or getting the pawn back as suggested....


18... Qd3	He can't protect the bishop and the knight.



19. Bd4	So if saves his bishop



19... Qxe2	I take the knight



20. Bxg7	He takes the bishop. I could have just taken the bishop, but I found something much stronger.



20... Ne3	and he resigned. Why? Give me some variations please! I hope you enjoyed this game. Please feel free to comment, please rate it on the star system, I need to know how I am doing! Many thanks for reading dear reader!
	5 comments darknite13 (1200) on 02-Apr-14: 21. Qf3 (or Qf2) Qxf1+ 22. Qxf1 Nxf1 23. Bd4?! Rf8 (23. Kxf1?! is just as bad) and Black is in a favorable endgame scenario. eduherminio (1952) on 03-Apr-14: I cannot give you any variation, buy you may enjoy this gameknot.com archduke_piccolo (2334) on 03-Apr-14: As the piece deficit is permanent, he probably had no reason to continue. At any rate, the rook has no good moves by the look (21.Re1 Rd1), nor, as darknite 13 has pointed out, can it remain in situ. White is in fact going a whole rook down at least. charleshiggie (2222) on 04-Apr-14: Notice how Rd1?? immediately allows white to checkmate black, starting with Qb8 check. I was hoping someone would come up with the variation 21.Re1 Rd1 22. Rxd1 Qxd1 23. Kf2 Nxg4 which wins the white queen. the-sigularity (1300) on 28-Oct-14: Resignation because the rook was the sole protector of the back (1) rank and had to move or checkmate by the queen. If the rook moved then rook d8 to d1.. RxR NxR and after the N moves back to e3 the white queen cannot help the checkmate. If rook to d1, RxR+,and white is lost.QxR