Annotated chess game: League division D2

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ANNOTATED GAME

League division D2
nathanman22 (1426) vs. bobster38 (1465)
Annotated by: apastpawn (1200)
Chess opening: Sicilian defence (B20)

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1. e4

Was asked to annotate this game for the purpose of improvement by Nathan. He says he GAMBITED a bunch and it paid off. I believe he meant that he countered a bunch. Its always nice to have some contempt towards the opponent. In other words, don't always reply as he wishes. If you do, then he simply controls the entire game with initiative and momentum.

1... c5

Sicilian Defense

2. Bc4

Bishops Opening for white. The trouble with bringing the bishop to c4 prior to black playing e5 is that now black can play e6 and have the bishop bite on a chain of pawns.

2... e6

Guess black knew this!

3. Nc3

Continueing with the normal Italian developement.

3... Nc6 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. d4

White trying to open the game up.

5... cxd4 6. Nxd4 Bb4

Pinning the Knight to the king and prepares to castle.

7. Ndb5

Getting creative: defending the c3 knight, if black plays BxN then NxN preventing doubling of the pawns if white replied PxN. Also eyeing the juicy square d6 for the knight.

7... a6

Shoe horsey!!! What black could have done here is a tactic common in games with B at c4. That being 7...... Nxe4, 8. Nxe4 oh! wait white can't reply that way due to the pin. The tactic would continue -8.d5 forking white. So the best move for black is 7.......Nxe4 defends d6 and 8.Qd3 or 8.Qe2 is met by d5. If 8. Bd3 then black plays Nxc3 and white either replies bxc3 or (Nxc3 then Bxc3 followed by bxc3 anyway). This leaves white with double isolated pawns = a major weakness. Even 7.....O-O is better for Black on 7.....Nxe4, Qf3 or e2 or g4 is okay for black as the knight capture is again met with the d5 fork.

8. Nd6+

If BxN then white plans QxN and black has a cramped position and unable to castle either side. So black forfeits castling by moving the king. Initiative to white still.

8... Ke7

Kf8 safer place.

9. e5

Guarding the knight but Bf4 was stronger as it gets another piece into the fray.

9... Ne8

Why not 9.....Nxe5 its hanging and the initiative goes back to black as the bishop at c4 is under attack. Maybe this is what Nathan meant by gambiting. A true gambit gives up material for either the iniative or position and is usually part of an opening series of moves.

10. Bg5+

The best here. Gets another piece into the fray.

10... f6

The only move as moving the king is fatal to the queen.

11. Qf3

Stopping fxg5 as then Qf6 is mate.

11... Bxd6

Trying to simplify things. Here black missed a strong move (Nxe5) this forces the queen to move and also guard the hanging bishop at c4. After the queen moves to e2 then white still has two pieces in jeopardy, the knight at d6 and the bishop at g5.

12. exd6+ Nxd6 13. Nd5+ Kf7

After things simplify more, black decides not to take at d5. This again is a mistake as after the knight capture white will also lose another piece as two are still in peril. Black would have the two knights to block in the open position.

14. Bf4

Saving the bishop and attacking the knight but this forces the knight to move or be guarded. What better place then c4, capturing a piece. I liked Bb3 here for move 14. as exd5 is met by Bxd5 and check. getting a pawn at least for the piece and opening the front door for an attack.

14... Nxc4 15. O-O-O

White could of moved the knight back to c3 or e3 but would be a piece down and black could play R to e/ f 8 and then K to g1 a type of false castling. Black also had a strong candidate move in 15.....Qa5 starting an attack of his own which requires white to react and give up his attack for the moment. Intiative to Black. Black must have seen 15....exd5, 16. Qxd5 with check and the loss of the c4 knight.

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