Annotated chess game: Let's play chess

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ANNOTATED GAME

Let's play chess
donnell (1556) vs. rodlestrange (1584)
Annotated by: rodlestrange (1678)
Chess opening: Caro-Kann (B12), advance variation

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1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3

I like to switch it around, for practice and comprehension. I tend to play the standard Bf5, but this little variation, though less active, seems to be interesting to explore as well.

4... Nc6 5. Nf3 Bg4 6. h3 Bxf3 7. Qxf3 cxd4 8. cxd4

I don't usually trade my bishop for a knight, but in this case it was for a small material advantage. In other words, I got greedy for that d4 pawn.

8... Nxd4 9. Qc3 Nc6 10. Be3

We often blunder on our levels, not just because we blunder, but because we pursue a goal. Positionally speaking it pays off to bloackade an isolated pawn, though usually the knight comes first to mind. But the bishop happened to be faster to arrive. That is how we overlook the forest for the trees, I could have and did do the same in many games.

10... d4 11. Bxd4

The knight capture might be just as safe, but one doesn't want to allow any potential pins, so the queen felt safer.

11... Qxd4 12. Qxd4 Nxd4 13. Bd3 O-O-O 14. Be4 f5

It's kind of a multi purpose move. First I want to develop my second knight, quickly. If the e pawn recaptures mine, the knight comes out next. If the bishop retreats to d3, some discovered attack could follow. If the bishop goes to c2, knight captures. It is kind of odd, I did not predict this at all, but it feels like the bishop does not have many squares left.

15. exf6 e.p. Nxf6 16. Nc3

My opponent develops. It will be fast now, if he is allowed, and his rook could go to the c file, discovered attack, all true. But...the bishop still has not many squares to go, it is defended by the knight. But is that enough. The bishop itself happens to bea guard after all, of the c2 square. If only the knight was out just a move earlier, the bishop could have gone to its square. But, timing is everything, so we are removing the guard.

16... Nxe4 17. Nxe4 Nc2+ 18. Ke2 Nxa1 19. Rxa1 e5

This movie does not seek to threaten the king, it only wants to let the poor bishop finally out.

20. a3 Be7

My bishop also does not have many squares but, it is able to restrict the knight from going to either side of the king.

21. b4

The knight now has an outpost, a great idea by my opponent.

21... b6

Naturally in the absence of greatness, small restrictive measures are enough.

22. b5

The pawn limits my king, but not significantly enough, not without the other rook to join in threatening the 7th rank.

22... Kb7 23. a4 Rdc8

I feel there are two unpleasant files that could be used against me, but luckily I have means to plug them both.

24. Nd2

The knight will probably threaten my e5 pawn, at this point, I don't mind that too greatly.

24... Rhd8

Admittedly, I have a weird way of doing things. But, starting with this rook, might be less alarming for my opponent. If I started with the other rook instead, my intention would be too clear. Right now I am giving him the chance to choose the wrong priority.

25. g3 Rc2 26. Rd1

I figured there was a chance that after my bishop joined, and captured the knight, it might be pinned to my d rook, but then should the rook move to a dark square, the bishop would be able to move away safely, while defending that rook. My opponent couid try h4, to limit the bishop's squares, and at this point I could not see precisely how it ends, so might as well try.

26... Bb4

The king is not forced to move away, but its presence is no longer a deterent against capturing the knight.

27. Kf1 Bxd2 28. Kg2

I thought he would try h4, then I could either move my c rook down, to defend the d rook, then move the bishop away, or else move my d rook forward to a dark square and then move the bishop to defend it. Either way, it felt I now had chances to save everything.

28... Rc1

And then it struck me. Why make it complicated again, his rook has no moves, time to trade it now.

29. Rxc1 Bxc1 30. h4 e4 31. g4

As my opponent is not resigning yet, I figured he is planning a stale mate, so I was prepared to sacrifice something, but get myself a queen.

31... Rd2 32. Kg3 Rd3+ 33. f3 Rxf3+ 34. Kg2 Rf4 35. Kg3 Rf8 36. g5 e3

I figured his pawn could almost go all the way to promotion, and I still promote first, the rook is technically guarding against promotion and against the king reaching the pawn. Not super clever or anything, but still effective.

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