Annotated chess game: Freddy is Stonewalled!

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ANNOTATED GAME

Freddy is Stonewalled!
easy19 (2229) vs. concordborn (1570)
Annotated by: jotheblackqueen (1200)
Chess opening: Queen's pawn (D00), stonewall attack

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1. d4	Hi everyone! This game was played between my master buddy, Freddy the Master Mater and a Class C player called Concordborn (Matthew). This game certainly belongs under the It Can Be Done thread. OK, it was a draw and not a win, although in the middlegame Matthew had great winning chances being a piece ahead, but alas allowed Freddy back into the game by getting his knight trapped. Matthew did get a pawn for the knight and ended up in a same coloured bishop ending where he remained a pawn up right until the end. However, because Freddy had put his king right up into his opponent's arc, Matthew had to be content with a Master Draw - at least it took him only 3 attempts to get there as opposed to my 50! Anyhow, gameknot analysis is right here:- http://gameknot.com/analyze-board.pl?bd=14233842&rnd=0.8639711164224122



1... d5 2. e3 Nf6 3. Bd3 e6 4. Nd2 Be7	4. .... Be7 - very conservative development on both sides following a double Queen Pawn Opening.
	3 comments l-d-j (1747) on 15-Aug-11: None of the players seems to want to get his c pawn out to contest the centre... concordborn (1200) on 15-Aug-11: Just recalled that this position was reached in a thematic mini-tournament, the set-up ending after 8... Nc6 archduke_piccolo (2334) on 15-Aug-11: Looks as though White is playing a Colle System - or something very like it. However, that system continues with Nf3, 0-0, c3, Re1 and, when White feels the time is right, breaks out with e4. Quite a nice system - I've played it once or twice on GK myself - but the DSB can prove something of a problem...


5. f4 c5 6. c3 O-O	6. ..... 0-0 - Matthew tucks his king away on the kingside, but is any king safe when your opponent is Freddy?!
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2334) on 15-Aug-11: So White was planning a Stonewall Attack all along!


7. Ngf3 c4	7. ..... c4 - Matthew tries to cramp Freddy for style.
	2 comments archduke_piccolo (2334) on 15-Aug-11: I used to think this advance was strategically compromising (note that this can occur in the Stonewall DEFENCE as well - similar positions with the colours reversed, and White has the move in hand). Turns out that it's quite good after all. elyhim (1200) on 28-Sep-11: I think for some it releases some of the latent tension in the center. Plus in the future when white decides to advance in the center black will not have any counter attack on the queen side.


8. Bc2 Nc6 9. Qe2 b5 10. e4 g6 11. Ne5 Nxe5 12. fxe5 Ne8	12. ...... Ne8 - Matthew had to retreat his knight here. An interesting battle with the footmen going on in the centre - a real stonewall.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2334) on 15-Aug-11: How about 12...Nh5?


13. O-O Ng7	13. ..... Ng7 - Matthew's king looks a little draughty - give him some cover - do! Matthew does but with a knight rather than a bishop. A bishop is better for this kind of thing methinks.
	1 comment elyhim (1200) on 28-Sep-11: I hope this knight adds something valuable because Matthew has invest two moves to reorganize it


14. Nf3 f5 15. exf6 e.p. Bxf6 16. Bh6	16. Bh6 - would e5 have been a good move, I wonder?
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2334) on 15-Aug-11: Possibly White was figuring e5 could wait. For one thing, Black probably dare not play 16...dxe4 17.Bxe4 Rb8 18.Rae1 and White's centre and K-side operations are looking promising.


16... Rf7 17. g4 Bb7 18. Bg5	18. Bg5?? - this move will cost Freddy a whole piece - however, will the 800 point rating differential save Freddy? Only time will tell.
	3 comments easy19 (1200) on 15-Aug-11: yea that was stupid of me. i wanted to move the pawn to g5 but in a blur of madness i just moved the bishop instead of the pawn. archduke_piccolo (2334) on 15-Aug-11: I thought Freddy must have forgotten which piece was which on the f6 and g7 squares! 18.g5 would have been a cracker: 18...Be7 19.Ne5 Rxf1ch 20.Rxf1, threatening 21.Rf7. If Black tries 20...Nh5 21.Rf7 Qe8 in response, guess what? 22.Qxh5!! gxh5 23.Rg7ch Kh8 (forced, as 23...Kf8 24.Rg6#) 24.Nf7ch Qxf7 25.Rxf7. This is no mere exchange: Black must lose material. Here's a possible line: 25...Re8 26.e5 and with the fall of h7, the LSB comes in at g6 whereupon one of the Black bishops will have to be given up to the Inquisition. elyhim (1200) on 28-Sep-11: board was slippery


18... Bxg5 19. e5	19. e5 - Freddy certainly ain't gonna topple his king here, he is trying to counter-attack by going for the throat.
	1 comment elyhim (1200) on 28-Sep-11: I think he is trying to limit a bad move. By closing the center and gain a monster share of space it temporarily limit black's material advantage


19... Qe7 20. Nxg5 Rxf1+ 21. Rxf1 Qxg5	21. ...... Qxg5 - Matthew forces an exchange of rooks before taking off Freddy's knight. Now if Matthew can maintain his material advantage into the endgame it will be decisive.
	1 comment elyhim (1200) on 28-Sep-11: Black has done well in taming the mighty white dragon


22. Qf3 Qe7 23. Qf6 Qxf6 24. exf6	24. exf6 - Matthew naturally exchanges queens to do try and simplify into that won ending. Alas, the knight on g7 is trapped and if Ne8 then f7+ wins it next turn.
	2 comments concordborn (1200) on 15-Aug-11: Definitely missed that the queen trade traps the knight, but given the resulting position what is the winning plan for black? The extra pawn is backwards and the pawn structure hinders both bishops very effectively...thoughts? archduke_piccolo (2334) on 15-Aug-11: Interesting little combination - if we can call it that - that netted White the knight. Could Black have avoided this? Instead of 22...Qe7 at once, 22...Nf5 was playable. White could exchange off Bishop for Knight (OK for Black), but also possible was 23.Kh1 Nh6 24.h3 Qe7 25.Qf6 Qxf6 26.gxf6 Nf7 keeps the piece. Alternatively, instead of taking at move 23, try ...Re8 24.h4 Nf5!! 25.gxf5 Qxf6 26.exf6 exf5. Lo and behold: Black emerges with (in effect) two extra pawns, and sole and exclusive possession of the only open file. White's bishop is little more mobile than Black's.


24... Rf8 25. fxg7 Rxf1+ 26. Kxf1 Kxg7	26. ..... Kxg7 - Matthew has simplified into an endgame a pawn up. That should really be enough to win, although Matthew's extra pawn on e6 is backward so it may make things rather difficult there.
	3 comments dwardman (1661) on 15-Aug-11: What about K f6 which allows for the pawn push archduke_piccolo (2334) on 16-Aug-11: Actually, Black had a wide choice in this sequence. E.g. two moves back: 24...e5!; or here with 26...g5 to lock White's g-pawn onto a light square (27.h4!? h6). White will be left with no possible breakthrough, but Black will have the e-pawn with which to lever his way into White's position. The resulting ending is fairly tricky, as Black has a lot of pawns on light squares (the colour the Bishops are operating on), but his winning chances would be pretty respectable. elyhim (1200) on 28-Sep-11: first order of business is to lay claim to the center with the king. Usually the first one there wins.


27. h4 h6 28. g5 Bc8	28. .... Bc8 - hmm, rather passive but it is difficult to find the right plan here.
	1 comment elyhim (1200) on 29-Sep-11: I think ...h6 is a mistake as ...g6 gives something for white to sink his teeth in. If 27...h6 is a mistake then how does black get it done. Black's winning plan in these types of positions is as follows. 1. Centralize the king and get him outside his pawn chain along the dark squares so that the white bishop can not harass him. 2. force the creation of a past pawn which will lead two things. #1 white having to give up the bishop to stop it or #2. forcing white to block the support past pawn with his king while the black king goes on a pawn hunt. 3. simplify to a won king pawn game. May I suggest: 27. ...Kf7 28. Ke2 e5 29. dxe5 Ke6 30. Ke3 Kxe5 game


29. Kf2 hxg5 30. hxg5	30. hxg5 - pawn trade.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2334) on 15-Aug-11: Now all of Black's pawns are fixed on light squares, with the bishop stuck behind them. How can Black win from here? My own guess would be that he can't, not without help from his opponent (!). In a position something like this that could easily arise: b even if it's Black's move (...Be8) it is hard to see either side breaking through decisively. At that, White might start to fancy his winning chances!


30... Bd7 31. Ke3 Be8 32. Kf4	32. Kf4 - Freddy's king advances up the board and is threatening to infiltrate via e5/d6.



32... Kf7 33. Ke5 Ke7	33. .... Ke7 - but Matthew's king prevents this.



34. a3 a6 35. Bd1 Bc6	35. .... Bc6 and DRAW OFFER - Freddy accepts the draw offer as there is no way through the gate - Freddy has been stonewalled and must now concede a Low Draw, although for him it could have been far, far worse. Anyhow, hope you all have a good read and you Walk the Walkers take heart from this - it is possible to achieve something other than a big fat zero against The Master Mater!
	5 comments l-d-j (1747) on 15-Aug-11: Interesting game and good annotation. archduke_piccolo (2334) on 15-Aug-11: A fine result for Black. It does go to show, though, how hard it is to win against very strong opposition, even with an apparently winning advantage. At that Black did well to thread his way through a tricky endgame to a safe draw. Well done! last_archimedean (1564) on 16-Aug-11: Nicely played! And a great result for Black. faithfulltrav (1949) on 22-Aug-11: Good Game! Thanks for posting, Joanne! elyhim (1200) on 28-Sep-11: great game for black