Annotated chess game: Final Round of LA Open

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ANNOTATED GAME

Final Round of LA Open
bakerbaker (1795) vs. Twain Vinecour (1843)
Annotated by: bakerbaker (1200)
Chess opening: Centre game, Kieseritsky variation (C21)

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1. e4

My game with this 80-year old guy is an excellent example of how a simple lead in development can totally annihilate your opponent's king.

1... e5

In double king pawn positions, and other open games, development is the most important thing.

2. d4

Instead of playing Nf3 like normal, I decided to see if this old guy knew the importance of development, by playing this risky opening that can crush someone (like Mr. Vinecour) or anyone else who isn't familiar with it. But if Black knows what to do against this opening, then it really isn't dangerous.

2... exd4

Not taking the pawn leads to very boring positions.

3. Nf3

Taking the pawn will lose a tempo to an eventual Nc6 attack on the queen. Instead I develop another piece while I test this old guy's knowledge of development. If he's smart, he'll know not to try and hold the d4-pawn.

3... c5

Apparently this guy hasn't learned the importance of development in his alleged 70 years of playing. Although Black is winning a pawn, c5 is a serious weakening move since Black can no longer play the defensive c6, and Black is neglecting his development, allowing me to gain more. For those of you who know this opening, you know that 3...d5 is a much stronger move by Black.

4. c3

The sacrifice for development.

4... dxc3 5. Nxc3

This gambit is a lot like the dubious Danish Gambit (e4 e5 d4 exd4 c3) except that Black has played c5, which makes a HUGE difference. Because in the Danish Gambit, Black can hold onto his extra pawn by playing c6 securing a solid position, but now Black's position will fall apart due to this weakness. His d-pawn is backward and I have strong control of the d-file. I'm also ahead in development.

5... d6

This is the only good square for Black's backward pawn. Notice how Black has a hard time finding good squares for his undeveloped pieces, while I'm developing strong and have lots of active squares for my pieces to develop in the future. This is because I was developing while Black was greedily holding onto a measly pawn.

6. Bc4

I have such strong piece play in the centre. If Black plays correctly, then the game will reach ultra-complicated positions where I must use my development initiative to crush his passive position. All it takes is one inaccurate or pointless move by Black and he will be totally lost.

6... h6

There it is, the inaccurate move. Black is too worried about me playing Ng5 (which isn't a dangerous threat) and makes a losing move. Black has no idea what the importance of development is, otherwise he would've played a move like Be7, which stops Ng5, while also DEVELOPING a piece. I searched for this position on the Gameknot database, and not one of the 7 players who've had this position found my next winning move.

7. Bxf7+

I can afford to sacrifice this piece, because I have strong piece play in the centre, while Black's extra piece will be sitting passively undeveloped on the back rank. However, after this sacrifice, I must be extremely careful to play tactically correct, or else Black may find a way out of my attack and hold onto his extra material.

7... Kxf7

Accepting the sacrifice is totally losing. Black's only chance was to not take the bishop. Material would be even, but it would take longer for me to rip open Black's passive position. Black probably thought his only chance was to try to hold onto his extra piece, but he is sadly mistaken.

8. Ne5+

My queen's domination of the d-file and the fact that White's undeveloped pieces block the rook from protecting his queen are what make my move possible.

8... Kf6

The king cannot go back to e8 because I will play Qh5 check, followed by mate on f7. If Black played Ke7, then I can fork the king and rook with Ng6, and I'll be up the exchange. (His rook for my bishop). And 8...Ke6 is also losing because of 9.Qd5 Kf6 (Ke7 Qf7#) 10.Qf7 Kxe5 11.Bf4 Kd4 12.Qd5# Black's best chance was to just simply give me the exchange, which avoids immediate mate.

9. Qf3+

You may think I'm crazy for sacrificing my e5 knight when I'm already down a bishop, but White's last moves are pretty much forced, and his two extra pieces haven't even moved yet. Also, sacrificing a second piece is the only way I can win this position.

9... Kxe5

Forced, since the other two moves get mated. Ke6: 10. Qf7 Kxe5 11. f4 Kd4 12. Qd5# Ke7: 10. Qf7#

10. Qf7

Here I am cutting off the king's escape square e6, and I am also threatening to play Bf4 with Qd5 mate to follow. Although my win is completely forced, please note that I did NOT calculate the final mating position on move 16 when I played Bxf7. Once I calculated up to this position from move 7, I couldn't calculate anymore, and I knew there had to be a forced mate somewhere, because my pieces have easy access to Black's humorously exposed king, and also Black has absolutely no counterplay in his underdeveloped position.

10... Nf6

This is Black's only move that stops my checkmating threat of f4 then Qd5# and g5 or Qh4 don't stop it since after f4 I can simply replace the pawn with my bishop. But Black is only further prolonging the mate, because whenever there's a centralized king on an open board, which is surrounded by enemy pieces, there is almost always a forced mate.

11. f4+

I have taken away another square from White's king, drawing him further into my territory.

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