Annotated chess game: Let's play chess

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ANNOTATED GAME

Let's play chess
the_grey_one (1545) vs. paco71 (1500)
Annotated by: the_grey_one (1200)
Chess opening: Greco defence (C40)

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1. e4	Favourite



1... e5 2. Nf3 Qf6	Bit surprised by the queen, but carry on with standard.



3. Bc4 Bc5 4. Nc3 c6 5. d3 h6	Seems content to block future attacks.



6. a3 b5 7. Ba2 d6 8. b4 Bb6 9. Qe2 Bg4 10. Be3 Bxf3 11. gxf3 Ne7 12. Kd2	Can't rem why I did that instead of castling.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2355) on 30-Jun-21: Perhaps the king seemed better protected than it would have been on c1 or g1. Castling short looks to me quite feasible.


12... Bxe3+ 13. Qxe3 Ng6 14. Ne2 Nf4 15. Nxf4 Qxf4 16. Rag1 Qxe3+ 17. fxe3	Yes a disruption to the pawns, but I don't see that much of a disadvantage in having a large block of pawns there.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2355) on 27-Jun-21: After 12...Bxe3, I feel sure I would have taken with the f-pawn - White's centre looks pretty formidable after that! As it is in this position, White has every reason to be quite pleased with his structure. If anyone has the better game here, I'd put my money on White.


17... O-O 18. Rg3 a5 19. Bb3	Anticipating a8 rook coming down. Probably too soon.
	2 comments archduke_piccolo (2355) on 27-Jun-21: Did you have anything against 19.Rhg1...? Looks to me that 18...a5 was a mistake that permitted the doubling of rooks on the g-file, with a strong attack coming up. After 19.Rhg1, Black dare not play 19...g6, on account of 20.Rxg6ch Kh7 21.Rg7ch Kh8 22.Bxf7! ... threatening 23...Bg8! White gets a very strong attack. After the best move, 19...g5, White plays 20.h4, with a winning advantage. the_grey_one (1200) on 28-Jun-21: I was anticipating a5-b4, can't retake as it leaves the bishop en prise to the rook. So concentration was on bolstering that side. Unusual for me to be defence minded


19... axb4 20. axb4	Maybe not.



20... Na6 21. c3 Nc7 22. Kc2 d5 23. exd5 Nxd5 24. Bxd5 cxd5	Overall happy with this position against this level of opponent. A2 is the worry for me, with him doubling up on the A file.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2355) on 27-Jun-21: At move 21, White still could have doubled rooks, with an edge. Now it's starting to look drawish...


25. Kb2 Ra4 26. Ra1	Prophylactic move against rooks doubling.



26... Rfa8 27. Rxa4 Rxa4 28. Kb3 g5 29. h4 f6 30. hxg5 hxg5 31. c4	Aim to force the rook away
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2355) on 27-Jun-21: 28...g5 was a serious mistake that allowed White to secure a passed pawn on the other wing. Although 29.h4 secures for White the better game, even stronger would have been 29.c4! forcing the win of a pawn and obtaining a passer (or two!) on the b-file. Having said that, its having been played now gives White an edge.


31... dxc4+ 32. dxc4 Ra1 33. cxb5	Now with a pawn advantage... nice trick lets do it again.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2355) on 27-Jun-21: Sometimes one reaches Nirvana by a roundabout route. white now has a winning game. Black will have no answer to those rampant esquires - the knight-pawns.


33... Rd1 34. b6 Rd6 35. b7 Rb6 36. f4	Now his rook is occupied...
	2 comments archduke_piccolo (2355) on 27-Jun-21: I think White could have done better, though he still has winning chances here. For instance, instead of 35.b7, he might have gone 35.b5 Rxb6 36.Kc4 Kf7 37.Kc5 Rb8 38.Rg4! ... Black could have done nothing on the K-side, and White have made progress on the queen's. Probably this pawn thrust now represents White's best chance for a win, but I think he might have let Black off the hook... the_grey_one (1200) on 28-Jun-21: Almost certainly White could have done better. But then White is a bumbling amateur.


36... exf4 37. exf4 Rxb7 38. fxg5 Kf7 39. gxf6	I did consider g7, but I didn't like the look of what came after. Decided better to continue swapping.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2355) on 30-Jun-21: Black is now firmly back on the hook again. He was correct in rejecting 38...fxg5, but his solution is no better. The right move was to secure a passed pawn of his own: 38...f5!! = This endgame has become so interesting that I'd like to publish it on the 'Fiat Lux' Club's end game thread.


39... Kxf6 40. Rc3 Ke6 41. Rc5 Kd6 42. Kc4 Rb6 43. b5 Rb8 44. Rc6+ Kd7 45. Kc5 Rh8 46. Kb6 Rb8+ 47. Kc5 Rh8 48. Rd6+ Kc7 49. b6+ Kb7 50. Rd7+ Kc8 51. Kc6 Rh6+ 52. Rd6 Rh1 53. b7+ Kb8 54. Rd8+ Ka7 55. b8=Q+	Very unusual for me. This is the kind of situation where I end up getting impatient and making mistakes. Quite proud I managed to ram the pawn through.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2355) on 27-Jun-21: After 40. Rc3 - I would have preferred Re3 or Rd3 myself, to keep the Black King as far away as possible from the pawn - White should always be winning. But, as it happens, Black was to be given some chances to draw: e.g. 41.Rc5? (unnecessary: the rook can sit quite comfortably on c3 whilst the pawn and king advance) 41...Kd6! 42.Kc4 Rb6? (The rook HAD to stay on the 7-rank -a7, or -e7-h7. White is now back on track) 43.b5 Rb8 44.Rc6ch Kd7 45.Kc5 Rh8 (White's close order advance can't be stopped by blockade: a counterattack is in order. Black goes - correctly - for 'checking distance') 46.Kb6 Rb8ch 47.Kc5 ...(47.Ka6 would have been fine) 47...Rh8 48.Rd6ch?? ... (No: this brings the Black King to where it can play an active part in the defence.) 48...Kc7 (=) 49.b6ch Kb7 50.Rd7ch Kc8 51.Kc6 Rh6ch 52.Rd6 ... (forced) 52...Rh1?? (On the grounds, presumably, that the rook should stand behind the passed pawn. But it's too late for that. Ok would have been ...Rh7 or ...Rh8, but in this situation I would have cut to the book draw pawn end game: 52...Rxd6ch! 53.Kxd6 Kb7 {...Kb8 is equally effective in securing the draw} 54.Kc5 Kb8!) 53.b7ch ... and checkmates in 2 more moves - he doesn't even need to promote!


55... Ka6 56. Qa8#	The pawn run is what makes this game special for me. Against an opponent of this calibre too. I'm not good at the technical intricate stuff. I tend to rely too much on opposition mistakes rather than creating opportunities. So this was a good one!
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2355) on 27-Jun-21: A very interesting rook ending from which much can be learned. a game of fluctuating fortunes, although White had most of the fun!