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ANNOTATED GAME

Malpas & Oswestry 1 v Wallasey 4
Charles L Higgie (ECF166) vs. Vivian Oldham (ECF119)
Annotated by: charleshiggie (2222)
Chess opening: QGD Slav (D15), 4.Nc3
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Pages: 123
1. d4
In this game black plays passively and pays the price.

 
1... d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bh4
Immediately before the game I had demonstrated my win against David Jameson. I was wondering how long he would repeat moves for! http://gameknot.com/annotation.pl/colwyn-bay-v-malpas-oswestry-chester-league?gm=62100

 
6... Bd6
This is different! Jameson had taken on c4 instead. Bd6 is very unusual though - it normally goes to e7 or b4 here.
2 comments
 
7. e3
My very good friend Peter Lovatt, when I showed him the game suggested e2-e4 instead of this move. I was glad to see that e2-e4 had not been played in any of the previous games where this position arose. What do you think dear reader? Is e2-e4 superior to e2-e3.
3 comments
 
7... Nbd7
So he develops.

 
8. cxd5
I decide to exchange - rather than develop my bishop from f1 and then he can gain a tempo with dxc4. Another point of course in this position, black can only recapture with a pawn, and not his Nf6. If he takes back with the e pawn, as in the game, there is a possibility of a white minority attack. http://www.expert-chess-strategies.com/minority-attack.html Another consideration was that with his Nb8 already committed to d7, if he takes back with the c pawn, that knight ca't be developed immediately to c6. Of course, taking back with the c pawn and his Bc8 has problems in developing. I was very surprised that in none of the games on Gameknot, on the Gameknot database, was 8. cxd5 played, although ti was played in some of the games on the World Databse
2 comments
 
8... exd5
He took back this way.
1 comment
 
9. Bd3
Preventing his knight coming to e4 in some variations, and preparing to castle.

 
9... O-O
He castles.

 
10. O-O
I castle.

 
10... Re8
He puts his Rf8 onto its most logical square, controlling the semi-open e file. In chess, a half-open file (or semi-open file) is a file with only pawns of one color. The half-open file can provide a line of attack for a player's rook or queen. A half-open file is exploited by the player with no pawns on it.

 
11. Qc2
I get my rooks connected and add another piece to the key square e4.

 
11... Nf8
he move the knight to prepare the development of his Bc8.
1 comment
 
12. Rae1
I change my mind about an immediate minority attack. I am planning Nd2 followed by f3 and e4 to expand in the centre.
1 comment
 
12... Be7
Rather an acknowledgement that his bishop would have been better developed to e7 in the first place. I tend to think that this move is a waste of a tempo and it would have been better for him to develop his Bc8.
2 comments
 
13. Ne5
This is the logical reply, putting the knight on an aggressive square.

 
13... Nh5
Black is seeking to ease the pressure with exchanges, but the knight is rather out on a limb here. After 13. Ne5 I can only find one game in my opening databases with this position, http://gameknot.com/analyze-board.pl?bd=20476007&mv=24&rnd=0.006532949289570045 colo1889 (1907) vs. john_wr (1871). I have actually met John face to face! Anyway he chose Be6 instead, and I think that move is better. Incidentally Gameknot post-game computer analysis doesn't give Be6 as a mistake, suggesting it was a reasonable move, maybe even the best. I was also looking at Ng4 for him, with a similar idea of exchanging pieces.
3 comments
 
14. Bxe7
So I take his bishop. But really I am getting rid of his good bishop and my bad bishop.

 
14... Rxe7
I was rather expecting him to recapture with his queen.

 
15. f4
So I anchor my knight to e5.
1 comment
 

Pages: 123