Annotated chess game: Don't fear four pawns

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ANNOTATED GAME

Don't fear four pawns
jprante (1753) vs. stonni (1807)
Annotated by: jprante (2152)
Chess opening: King's Indian (E76), Four pawns attack

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1. d4	In this game I lose to stonni, only a few minor mistakes by white shows how black can encounter a powerful four pawns attack in the King's indian.



1... Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f4	The game opening is E76 King's Indian, Four Pawns Attack. This opening gains much space for White. Black needs to respond to avoid losing the center.



5... c5	Black attacks at the edge of the pawn chain.



6. Nf3 cxd4 7. Nxd4 Nc6 8. Nxc6 bxc6 9. Be2	Black has a light advantage. The king castle is solid, the rook can get the b file with 9. ... Rb8 and the Queen can look into the white Kings's castle by 10. ... Qb6



9... Rb8 10. O-O Qb6+ 11. Kh1 h5	Black prepares an attack on the white King's wing.



12. Na4 Qc7 13. Qc2 h4 14. Nc3 h3	The black pawn h3 will be decisive. It reaches far into the white space and is close to the white King.



15. g3 c5 16. Bf3 Bg4 17. b3 O-O 18. Bb2	Both white and black play a balanced game. The pawn structure gives the bishops and the queens much power on the diagonals.



18... Qb7 19. Rae1 Bxf3+ 20. Rxf3 e6 21. Rd3 Rfd8 22. Qe2 d5 23. exd5 exd5 24. Qf3	? A better move was 24. Nxd5
	2 comments masini (1725) on 02-Jun-07: One idea maybe worth considering for white is, instead of 19 Ra-e1, 19 Qe2, with the idea of placing the Queen on the h1--a8 diagonal, doubling rooks on the d file, and try to avoid n.....d5 (Masini) jprante (2152) on 09-Jun-07: 19. Qe2 is acceptable to play, but e4 is lost and the black pawns on the e and f files are strengthened, possibly by 19. ... Bxf3 20. Rxf3 Nxe4 21. Nxe4 Bxb2 22. Re1 Bd4 23. Qf1 f5 24. Ng5 e5 25. Qxh3 Rbe8! with advantage to black.


24... Rde8 25. Rdd1	White is more and more in a bad situation. The pawn center is destroyed and the black d pawn can break through.



25... dxc4	Black starts an exchange sequence, winning a pawn by a discovered attack on the queen.



26. Qxb7 Rxe1+ 27. Rxe1 Rxb7 28. Na4 Nd7 29. Bxg7 Kxg7 30. Rb1 cxb3 31. Rxb3	Black has a lone pawn at the c file and will try everything to get through to c1.



31... Rb4 32. Rxb4	White hopes that a one Knight end game can halt the marching pawn. The white King is needed for help, but unfortunately far away in the corner.



32... cxb4 33. Kg1 Nf6 34. Nc5 Nd5 35. Na6 f5 36. Kf1 Kf7 37. Ke2 Ke6 38. Kd3 Kd6 39. Kd4	The King appeared in the center. Can white force black to lose the b pawn?



39... b3 40. axb3	Yes! White has growing hopes, but the black Knight can now take the h pawn at only three moves!



40... Nf6 41. Nb4 Ng4 42. Nd3 Nxh2	Black is now turning the game and can force White to defend at the h file, while the a pawn is marching, supported by the black King.



43. Nf2 Nf3+ 44. Ke3 Ng1 45. Nh1 a5 46. Kf2 h2 47. Kg2 Ne2 48. Nf2 h1=Q+ 49. Kxh1	White has defended the h file successfully, but for what a price. The black King and knight are bothcloser to the a file than White. A fierce fight begins. Black can check.



49... Nxg3+ 50. Kh2 Ne2 51. Nd3 Kd5 52. Ne5 Nc1 53. Nxg6 Nxb3	White has only one pawn left. Is there a chance to halt the black a file pawn?



54. Ne7+ Ke4 55. Nc6 Kxf4	Now black has two pawns more. The last phase of the fight begins.



56. Kg2 Ke3 57. Ne7 Ke4 58. Nc8 f4 59. Nb6 Nc5 60. Kf2 a4 61. Nc4 Nd3+ 62. Ke2 f3+ 63. Kd1 Kd4 64. Na3 Ke3 65. Nc2+ Kf2 66. Kd2 Nc5 67. Kc3 Kg1 68. Ne3 f2 69. Kb4 f1=Q 70. Nxf1 Kxf1 71. Kxc5	By taking the knight, the white king is one step too far away from the last black pawn and black wins.