Annotated chess game: Pawn Storm!

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ANNOTATED GAME

Pawn Storm!
jstevens1 (1799) vs. g-minor (1714)
Annotated by: jotheblackqueen (1200)
Chess opening: Reti opening (A04)

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1. Nf3	Hi everyone! This game starts off as a Reti but transposes into a Sicilian Naijdorf. In the Naijdorf both players castle on opposite sides. White on the queenside and black on the kingside. Both sides are going for the jugular and it is a race to mate. Will Glenda still be a defender or will she win the race for me? In order to find out you can either read the spoiler below or read on.
	1 comment jotheblackqueen (1200) on 15-Apr-18: game


1... c5 2. e4 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4	4. Nxd4 - typical Sicilian type position.



4... Nf6 5. Nc3 a6	5. ..... a6 - this move characterises the Sicilian Naijorf. Prepares a b5 onslaught should I go queenside.
	2 comments archduke_piccolo (2355) on 15-Apr-18: Its intention is also to prepare ...e5 without having to worry about attacks against the backward d-pawn by Ndb5. Having said that, 5...e5 IS playable, though the Najdorf seems to be more popular. redfoxrising (2156) on 15-Apr-18: a6 stops a Nb5 by white and also preps b5 as Jo states


6. Be3 e5 7. Nb3 Be6 8. f3 h5	8. .... h5 tries to hold up any potential kingside mating attack.



9. Qd2 Nbd7 10. O-O-O	10. 0-0-0 - so Henry goes queenside - but is he playing with fire?! We shall see.
	2 comments archduke_piccolo (2355) on 15-Apr-18: The Q-side is well eniough protected, and by so playing, White brings a rook immediately onto the half-open d-file. Black will get no attacking mileage out of the h-pawn recently thrown forward. redfoxrising (2156) on 15-Apr-18: It seems that Blacks pawn would of be better left back to protect the K side once castled


10... Be7 11. Kb1 b5 12. Bd3 Qc7 13. h3 O-O 14. g4	14. g4 - over the last few moves both sides have been clearing their decks and preparing to pawn storm each other's castled positions. I am playing to open up the g and h column.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2355) on 15-Apr-18: This move seems to point up a very dark side to Black's 8th move (8...h5).


14... b4 15. Ne2 a5 16. Rdg1	16. Rdg1 - I mean business!
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2355) on 15-Apr-18: This is going to get exciting! Having said that, White MIGHT have been better advised here to push the g-pawn and extend her attack that way: 16.g5 Nh7 17.f4 ... with thses ideas in mind: 17...exf4 18.Nxf4 and suddenly White's attack seems to be the further ahead; or 17...a4 18.f5 axb3 (or ...Bxb3) 19.fxe6 bxa2ch 20.Ka1 fxe6 21.h4 - unclear position with plenty of play. Now Black should simply keep shoving - 16...a4! - which would be quite in keeping with the major theme of this game!


16... a4 17. Nbc1 b3 18. cxb3 axb3 19. a3	19. a3 - jo-blocking off the b column.
	2 comments archduke_piccolo (2355) on 15-Apr-18: In principle Black was right to push the b-pawn, rather than the a-, to force a breach in the White pawn wall. I wonder about the timing, though. Maybe some sort of build-up was called for, ...Nc5 or ...Rfb8, say, to reinforce the ...b3 pawn thrust. ++++ Having said that, maybe White could have thrown more of a spanner in Back's works by 18.g5. It's a pretty murky sort of position, both sides striving for attack, the outcome obscure. Black's attack seems the more promising --- for the moment... redfoxrising (2156) on 15-Apr-18: yes a3 does block and is protected by pawn on b2 up to this point game is quite even... I can't tell who will get a winning position.


19... d5 20. gxh5 d4 21. Bh6	21. Bh6 - Fou Lenoir leads the charge. The threat is Rxg7 with a pile on along the g column.
	2 comments archduke_piccolo (2355) on 15-Apr-18: This short sequence should be broken up, Jo: there's a lot to these moves! [A] 19...d5 is a very interesting crack at broadening Black's attack, but maybe ...Nc5 offered better prospects. [B] White ought to have taken it (20.exd5), with the following explosion a possible outcome: 20...Bxd5 (best) 21.Nc3 Bxf3 22.Bh6!! ... with the idea Bxh1?? (Better to cut one's losses with 22...g6! with a level game. Even more fatal would be 22.gxh6, when 23.Qh6 or 23.gxh5 woukld be decisive) 23.Bxg7!! White wins! [C] In turn, Black's 20...d4 looks good but gets refuted by White's reply. Instead 20...dxe4 would have seized the initiative: 21.fxe4 Bxa3!! 22.bxa3!? and 22...Rxa3 or even 22...b2! look very promising for Black. +++++ After 21.Bh6 White seizes the initiative for herself. redfoxrising (2156) on 15-Apr-18: The Bh6 is protected due the pin on blacks b7 pawn Looking like white may be able to build up more attackers now


21... Nxh5 22. Ng3 Nf4 23. Nf5	23. Nf5 - black has tried to foil Rxg7 but I renew my threat and the pin on the g file.
	2 comments archduke_piccolo (2355) on 15-Apr-18: Instead of 22.Ng3(?) White would have been winning handily after 22.Bxg7! with 23.Qh6 to come whether or not Black took the bishop on g7. Fortunately the knight move retained just enough attacking chances for White. Black's own attack has completely stalled. redfoxrising (2156) on 15-Apr-18: N is protected by the e5 pawn if Black could exchange but it's lsb is protecting its passed pawn on b3.


23... Bxf5 24. exf5 Nxd3 25. Nxd3	25. Nxd3 - N for B trade.
	2 comments redfoxrising (2156) on 15-Apr-18: Q exchange looks best for black game is better for white keeping the q's on the board archduke_piccolo (2355) on 19-Apr-18: At this point black might have been well advised to exchange queens: 25...Qc2ch 26.Qxc2 bxc2ch 27.Kxc2 (or Kc1) ...Rfc8ch 28.Kb1 Bf6 with a reasonable game.


25... Bf6 26. Rgc1	26. Rc1 - to prevent the BQ from any counter threats along the c column - next move she creates an annoyance elsewhere.
	2 comments archduke_piccolo (2355) on 15-Apr-18: At this point, White had a spectacular winning sequence available. But it has a wrinklle in it that would have made it very hard to see: 26.Rxg7ch! Bxf7 27.Rc1!! ... This is the wrinkle: it is absolutely essential that White plays this. To continue: 27...Qd6 (Best is that Black give up the Queen by ...Qxc1, but let's suppose she doesn't) 28.Rg1 Qc6! 29.Nb4!! ... (again, absolutely essential. Taking on g7, even with check, would be fatally premature) 29...Qf6 30.Bxg7! Qxf5ch 31.Ka1 ... and White is winning. ____________ After all that, 26.Rxg7ch isn't even White's best option. The Sword of Damocles hanging over White's attacking prospects is the threat to exchange by ...Qc2ch, and the text move is White's attempt to forestall it. More accurate would have been 26.Nb4! leaving the rook on the g-file. redfoxrising (2156) on 15-Apr-18: archduke explained well but R to c1 pressure the blacks Q leaving the pawn to take LSB in time I do like the Nb4 option


26... Qb7 27. Qg2	27. Qg2 - protecting the doubled and isolated f pawn and renewing the pin along the g file. I am now threatening Rhg1 for a decisive double up on the g column.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2355) on 15-Apr-18: The game is looking fairly even again. I'm not sure how that is happening...


27... Kh8 28. Bd2 Qb5 29. Nb4	29. Nb4 - prevents a nasty queen check on d3.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2355) on 15-Apr-18: The game is hanging on a razor's edge hereabouts. At this point 29...Rfc8 (or the other rook) would have forced off a pair of rooks, as the reply 30.Rcg1 would have been met by 30...Rc2!! 31.Nxc2 bxc2ch 32.Kxc2 Nc5 and Black would have a winning attack.


29... Nc5 30. Bg5 Nd3	30. .... Nd3? - menaces my rook but really that knight should have retreated to d7 to back up f6. Fou Lenoir now exploits this error with a threat of mate.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2355) on 15-Apr-18: 30.Bg5 was not the best (30.Rhg1 seems more pressing), but this move by Black is a disaster that finally swings the game in White's favour. The right move was to exchange bishops, after which White's attack is just enough to preserve the balance.


31. Bxf6 gxf6 32. Qg4	32. Qg4 - Now threatening mate on g1. Black tries to foil this but.....



32... Rfg8 33. Qh4+ Kg7 34. Rcg1+ Kf8 35. Rxg8+ Kxg8 36. Qh6	36. Qh6 - trapping the BK on g8.
	2 comments archduke_piccolo (2355) on 15-Apr-18: Accurately played. With a clear cut plan ahead, there is no stopping Jo now! redfoxrising (2156) on 15-Apr-18: Yep mating should be soon


36... Nf4 37. Rg1+ Ng6	37. .... Ng6 - in order to stave off the chessic Grim Reaper, Old Matey, black must now start losing material.



38. fxg6 Qe2	38. .... Qe2?? - allows mate in a few moves.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2355) on 22-Jun-18: OK 38...Qd7 was the better defence, but the game for all practical purposes was over anyway: 38...Qd7 39.Nd5! (39.gxf7ch wins easily, but the knight move offers White so many mate threats that Black can not defend them all, e.g.: 39...Qxd5 40.g7 as in the game.


39. g7	39. g7 - of which I now announce to my opponent. Black may only stave it off by sacrificing his queen. But Qh8 mate is inevitable. Black now waves the white flag and my rating goes back up to 1800+! Nice.
	2 comments archduke_piccolo (2355) on 15-Apr-18: 39.Qh7 was mate in 2, giving Black no chances of a 'spite' check. Well done, Jo, coming through one of the most complicated games I've seen in a while. It is quite an instructive game in respect of the 'opposite castling' type of play, with both sides striving for attack, and the fine balances required between attack and defence. Very entertaining game. redfoxrising (2156) on 15-Apr-18: Thanks for sharing this exciting game!