Annotated chess game: Gambito #325

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ANNOTATED GAME

Gambito #325
bakerbaker (2247) vs. Orlowski (1678)
Annotated by: byakuugan3 (1200)
Chess opening: KGD (C30), 2...Nf6

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1. e4	Playing White is my friend Baker, be sure to check out his other magnificent attacking games in bakerbaker's profile



1... e5	I personally don't like the symmetrical reply, since now Black doesn't have any imbalanced advantages, when White has the tempo.



2. f4	Baker is an incredibly strong attacker, so he often plays gambit openings like this and crushes his opponent quickly.



2... Nf6	Black should just take the pawn and try to hold it, since the best way to refute a gambit is to accept it. Even though White is much higher rated than Black, Black still should just take the pawn, since declining it is like giving White a free f4-boost.
	2 comments theorybrat (1333) on 21-Jun-07: the only really solid way to refuse the gambit, IMO, is the KDG - Classical, i.e. 2 ... Bc5. otherwise one should just take the dang pawn, and if you're scared of all the theory involved in holding onto it, then develop naturally without worrying about it. i just don't understand why so many people refuse the gambit in these FLAKEY ways..... danilsafin (1768) on 07-Jul-07: No, this variation is actually a solid way to refuse the gambit. It was invented and analyzed in the beginning of the century. The main variation goes: 3. fxe5 Nxe4 4. Nf3 Ng5! It is not that players choosing to decline the sac are scared of theory; but it is a psychological decision, with the weaker player preferring to play in a worse position rather than defend against all-out attack by the stronger player. Personally, I think 1. e4 e5 2. f4 d5 is the hardest variation to play as white.


3. Nc3	White's other choice was fxe5 Nxe4 Nf3, but this continuation has transposed into the Vienna Gambit (e4 e5 Nc3 Nf6 f4!?)
	1 comment theorybrat (1333) on 21-Jun-07: the text is a solid response. it defends the e-pawn and also brings the (in)famous "lazy knight" into play. in my experience, an early fxe5 in these flakey KGD lines is rarely advisable.


3... d6	Black still won't take the pawn, and has planted it in the centre. White still offered the pawn for a few more moves, but Black refuses to accept the gambit.
	1 comment gazr (1671) on 19-Jun-07: 3 ... d6?! is too passive and concedes white a space advantage. 3 ... d5!? is the main line and after 4 fe Nxe4, the position is unclear with attacking chances for both sides.


4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Bc4 Bg4 6. O-O Be7 7. d3	Both sides have almost completed development, but Black has not castled yet, which is what led to his loss. I think h3 is better than d3 here, since Black cannot play Bh5 due to g4 Bg6 f5 trapping the bishop. Black would have to lose a tempo or take the knight, which leaves White with the bishop pair.
	1 comment theorybrat (1333) on 21-Jun-07: again, i differ slightly from the annotator's opinion -- in that i think 7. d3 is just fine. the queen's bishop is now activated and both e4 and f4 are buttressed. and there is time enough for h3 later...


7... Nh5	This move is a blunder, and immediately loses material. It was much better for Black to simply castle, or play Qd7 and castle queenside if Black is concerned about White starting a kingside pawnstorm.



8. fxe5	Black's blunder would've only cost him a pawn, but Black wasn't prepared for Baker's attack since he simply assumes that f3 is pinned. If Black plays dxe5, then Bxf7 Kxf7 Nxe5 and White wins the piece back with extra pawns.



8... Nxe5	Black simply assumes that White's knight is pinned and cannot take, so he probably didn't even consider it. If he had, then perhaps he would've seen the devestating effects of Baker's attack, and not have blundered Nh5 in the first place.



9. Nxe5 Bxd1 10. Bxf7+	White is down a lot of material, but the results of the attack could be disastrous



10... Kf8 11. Bxh5+	Nd7 was another idea, because Qxd7 Be6 wins back the queen, but after the smoke clears, material is even and White hardly has an advantage.



11... Bf6	If Kg8, then Bxf7 Kf8 Nd7 with the same queen winning idea as before, except this time, White has an extra piece.



12. Rxf6+	This magnificent sacrifice is the only way to keep the fuel burning and continue the attack. Here, Black's best resource is Kg8, and it's hard for White to continue the attack, but three pieces is already more than enough to compensate for the queen.



12... gxf6	If Qxf6, then Nd7 wins back the queen with extra material, this move actually lets White have forced checkmate



13. Bh6+	White can bring in another attacker with tempo to finish the attack, now Black's uncastled king is helpless



13... Ke7	If Kg8, then Bf7# is mate



14. Nd5+	White brings the last minor piece into the attack, drawing the king further from its defenders. White hardly used his major pieces in this game, he just sacrificed them to increase the power of his minor pieces



14... Ke6 15. Bf7+ Kxe5 16. c3	With this quiet move, White seals Black's fate and now Black has no defense to the coming Bf4# checkmate.



16... c6 17. Bf4#
	3 comments archduke_piccolo (2332) on 20-Jun-07: Nice game! The motif that begins the attack is one to add to one's technique. Even if it doesn't always lead to the savage attack White got here, it can be a material-winning line (even just a single pawn). theorybrat (1333) on 21-Jun-07: a very nice game... 7. ...Nh5 was the losing blunder, but even before that Black just doesn't seem to grasp how critical it is to get your king to safety in an open game (i.e. 1. e4 e5). he doesn't seem to appreciate the weakness of f7 -- what with a White Bishop on c4, a rook controlling the f-file... and, on top of it all, a strong pawn centre! and bakerbaker exploits this with a combinative brilliancy that might make even bronstein (RIP) grin with appreciation. philibuster (1453) on 09-Jul-07: Another brilliant attack by Baker. He truly is the master...