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ANNOTATED GAME
Over the board game
My mate vs. his opponent
Annotated by: charleshiggie
(2222)
Chess opening: Ruy Lopez (C70), Classical defence deferred
My mate vs. his opponent
Annotated by: charleshiggie
(2222)
Chess opening: Ruy Lopez (C70), Classical defence deferred
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1. e4 |
This is an annotation I have done to help one of my friends improve. I will not embarrass the player by giving the name, nor, for that matter, help opponents of my friend with their preparation. It was played in an evening league over-the board game. | |||||
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1... e5 |
Black copies white's first move. | |||||
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2. Nf3 |
White attacks e5. | |||||
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2... Nc6 |
Black defends e5. | |||||
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3. Bb5 |
As a Spanish Opening or Spanish Game or Ruy Lopez, named after 16th-century Spanish bishop Ruy López de Segura. | |||||
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3... a6 |
Black plays the Morphy Defence, 3...a6, which "puts the question" to the white bishop. | |||||
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4. Ba4 |
The bishop retreats, the most common move, although exchanging on c6 is quite playable. | |||||
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4... Bc5 |
This is the Classical Defence Deferred (deferred as 3....a6 and 4. Ba4 are inserted. The classical defence is 3.....Bc4 immediately) For a century it was believed that it was safer for Black to place the bishop on e7, but it is much more active on c5. White can gain time after playing d4 as the black bishop will have to move, but this does not always seem to be as important as was once thought. | |||||
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5. O-O |
White sensibly castles, probably the best move, and certainly the most common. | |||||
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5... b5 |
Black attacks the white bishop. | |||||
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6. Bb3 |
Of course the only safe square. | |||||
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6... Nf6 |
Black sensibly continues to develop. | |||||
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7. Nc3 |
This is playable, white simply protects the e pawn. This move has a drawish reputation. White doesn't have to worry too much about the attack on the e pawn while the black king is in the centre. The drawback with this move is that it rules out the c2-c3 followed by d2-d4 plan. White can play 7. c3 and just ignore the attack on e4, meeting 7....Nxe4 with 8. d4, 8. Qe2 or 7. Bd5, but not, of course, 8. Re1? Bxf2! 7. d3 is also playable, planning to develop the Bc1 and keeping c3 and d4 at a later date an option. White can also play 7. Nxe5, meeting 7....Nxe5 with 8. d4 or 7. a4, threatening 8. axb5. | |||||
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7... d6 |
Black continues to develop, perhaps with the idea of playing Bc8-g4, perhaps followed by Nc6-d4. | |||||
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8. h3 |
White decides to rule that out, although there are other options such as 8. d3 Bg4 9. h3 Bh5 10. Bg5 Nd4 11. g4 were possible, although black can improve by exchanging on f3 with 9....Bxf3 10. Qxf3 Nd4. 8. a4 is perhaps best, with perhaps 8. a4 Na5 9. Ba2 O-O 10. d3 c6 11. Bg5 b4 12. Ne2 Qe7 13. Ng3 h6 14. Be3 Bxe3 15. fxe3 a reasonable line for both sides. So 8. h3 is arguably a slight inaccuracy. | |||||
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8... b4 |
Black hopes to drive the Nc3 away and then win the e4 pawn. The drawback of this move is that if white moves the knight to any square other than d5, then ....Nf6xe4 can be met by Bd5 forking knights on c6 and e4, for instance 9. Na4 (better than Nb1 or Ne2) Nxe4? 10. Bd5 wins for white as, as well as attacking both knights the Nc6 is threatened to be taken with check, and then the Ra8 could go too. 9. Bd5 also saves the pawn, play may continue 9....Nxd5 10. Nxd5 and although black has the two bishops, play is equal. The computer program Fritz tells me that white does best to sacrifice a pawn here with 9. Nd5, although I probably would not play that myself! | |||||
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9. Ba4 |
White meets the attack with an attack on c6. Not a bad idea, it is always a good idea to look for counter-attacking moves rather than just respond to opponent's threats, but, as we saw from the previous note, white had better options, so I would call this a mistake - white's first mistake. | |||||
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9... Bb7 |
Black of course protects the Nc6, but probably better is Bd7 as this move leaves the Nc6 pinned against the black king, and therefore gives white more tactical chances. However in this game white fails to take advantage of this, and in the end the Bishop on b7 plays an important part in the mating attack on the white king. | |||||
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10. Nd5 |
Fritz gives this as the second best move and prefers 10. d4, but I think white can be forgiven for not seeing all the tactical possibilities after 10. d4. I am sure I would play 10. Nd5 myself too. | |||||
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10... Nxe4 |
Black does the obvious capture, the move black has been aiming for, but it is actually a mistake! Fritz tells me that white should now play 11. d4! with advantage, for instance 11. d4 Bxd4 12. Nxd4 exd4 13. Re1 winning the Ne4 (13.....f5 can be met with 14. f3). We now see how crucial it was for black to protect the knight with Bd7 rather than Bb7. Fritz actually gives as best for black after 11. d4! 0-0 12. dxc5 Nxc5 and white has an extra bishop for two pawns - what should be a winning advantage. Fritz gives as the second best move for white 11. Qe1 | |||||
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