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ANNOTATED GAME

My First Ever Master Draw!
jstevens1 (1824) vs. renniemay (2292)
Annotated by: jotheblackqueen (1200)
Chess opening: Ruy Lopez (C67), Berlin defence, Cordel variation
Interactive Show all comments All annotated games View chessboard as:
Pages: 12
1. e4
Hi everyone! I may have posted this result in the general forums, in fact this game came fourth place out of ten participants in the Coaching Club's January Game of the Month's competition. I will now annotate it as I am currently playing the Master Mater as white in the KID Four Pawns Attack competition and as I already lost to him as black I need some kinda ego boost here to remind myself that I do not always lose to Masters. This game is the Ruy Lopez.

 
1... e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6
3. ....... Nf6 - normally a6 is played here but this move is pretty good.
1 comment
 
4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4
5. d4 - if d6?? then d5 wins the c6 knight.

 
5... Be7 6. Qe2 Nd6 7. Bxc6
7. Bxc6 - a kind of delayed exchange variation.

 
7... bxc6 8. dxe5 Nf5 9. Qe4
9. Qe4 - Glenda takes an aggressive stance but can she maintain it?

 
9... g6 10. Nd4 Nxd4 11. Qxd4
11. Qxd4 - knight trade. Well, I have castled short but my queenside pieces need to come out. After Maria castles short, Fou Lenoir develops with a threat to Maria's f8 rook.

 
11... O-O 12. Bh6 Re8 13. Nc3
13. Nc3 - now out comes the knight and now my rooks are connected.
2 comments
 
13... d5 14. exd6 e.p. Bf6 15. Qc4 cxd6 16. Qxc6
16. Qxc6 - I am still in the database but playing through the moves this looks good as I am a clear pawn up and black's queenside pawns (only 2 of them) are scattered, so I have no reason to deviate at this point.

 
16... Rb8 17. Rfe1 Be5 18. Bf4 Bd7 19. Qf3
19. Qf3 - Glenda is driven to a defensive square but not for long. My pawn on b2 drops but there now follows a plethora of exchanges.

 
19... Rxb2 20. Bxe5 Rxe5 21. Rxe5 dxe5 22. Rd1
22. Rd1 - this moves pins Maria's light square bishop to the Wicked Witch of the West (yup, that is my nickname for the enemy queen - she really can be very wicked!)

 
22... Kg7 23. h3
23. h3 - this is also a database move but I think it is very sensible to create a flight square for Henry, especially if I wish to do some attacking in Maria's arc.

 
23... Qe7 24. Nd5 Qe6 25. Qa3 Rxc2 26. Qxa7
26. Qxa7 - this gives me a passer on the a column. Sadly I find myself unable to hold on to this pawn. If I could have done so then I may well have been talking about a Master Victory here.

 
26... Rb2 27. Qa3 Re2
27. ....... Re2 - we are finally in open play and this black rook does not want to leave my second rank if he can help it. I just wanna get rid of it.
2 comments
 
28. Nc3 Rc2 29. Rc1 Rd2 30. Rd1 Rxd1+ 31. Nxd1
31. Nxd1 - I get my wish but .....
1 comment
 
31... Qb6 32. Nc3 h5 33. Qb3 Qd4
33. ...... Qxd4 - declining my invitation to trade queens.
1 comment
 
34. a4
34. a4? - Too much too soon as Maria will show me.
1 comment
 
34... Qd2 35. f3 Qe3+ 36. Kh2 Bxa4
36. ....... Bxa4! - aaargh! Although the a4 pawn was twice defended, I repeat twice defended, I found it was not defended at all. The c3 knight is pinned against Glenda. If Glenda takes on a4 then my c3 knight falls. I decided to take on a4 because a Q & P ending with pawns on one side of the board looks drawish. It is one thing to think of an ending as theoretically drawn however, another to proove it.
1 comment
 
37. Qxa4 Qxc3 38. Qe8
38. Qe8 - Glenda gets behind the majority pawn which could become passed. Here is the maxim, when in a rook or queen ending, always get your heavy piece behind the passed enemy pawn. Also, there is the possibility here that if Maria advances her pawns at an innopportune moment then Glenda can check her king to kingdom come!

 
38... h4 39. Qe7 Qe1 40. Qe8
40. Qe8 - hang on in there Glenda!

 
40... Qe3 41. Qe7 Qf4+ 42. Kg1 Kh6 43. Qf8+ Kg5 44. Qe7+
44. Qe7+ - Glenda keeps her glare on the black king.

 

Pages: 12