Annotated chess game: Slow Ladder

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ANNOTATED GAME

Slow Ladder
lady (962) vs. lord_shiva (1850)
Annotated by: lord_shiva

(1898)
Chess opening: Ruy Lopez (C68), exchange variation

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1. e4	Lady has played over 45,000 games on GK, in the past 22 years. This is our first game. I issued the challenge only to quickly run up the slow ladder.



1... e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5	Standard Ruy Lopez.



3... a6	…exchange variation. Pretty sure I set up conditionals for some of my moves, but the log is no longer accessible.
	1 comment nuntar (1702) on 05-Jun-25: This is called the Morphy Variation. It's only the exchange variation if White captures on c6.


4. Bc4	A bit unusual, but not off book.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2332) on 12-Jun-25: Basically an 'Italian Game', but Black has ...a6 thrown in. 4.Bxc6 would have led to the Exchange Variation, in which usually, and probably more advisedly, Black recaptures with the d-pawn.


4... Nf6 5. d3	Defends the pawn. Jan Johansen made this move against Magnus Carlhammar (not Magnus Carlson). Carlhammar responded with d6. I attack the bishop instead.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2332) on 10-Jun-25: This is taking on the characteristics of the Bishop's Opening - one of my favourites with the White pieces.


5... b5 6. Bd5 Nxd5 7. exd5 Nb4 8. c3	I expected Nxe5. White leaves d5 undefended.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2332) on 10-Jun-25: 8.Nxe5 seems playable enough. Black might land in trouble trying 8...Qe7, going for the pin. White would simply respond by castling, whereat Black dare not play 9...Qxe5 owing to 10Re1, winning the Queen! A move I would certainly have looked at in this position was 8.c4!? to protect the d-pawn.


8... Nxd5 9. Bg5	Nxe5 is still good? Actually maybe not. I pin with the queen, white defends with bishop or pawn, I counter with a pawn from either side and the knight falls to perdition. White’s attack on the queen is easily countered, defending the e pawn in the process.
	2 comments nuntar (1702) on 05-Jun-25: 9. Nxe5 is the best move here. 9... Qe7 10. 0-0! archduke_piccolo (2332) on 10-Jun-25: Agreed: 9.Nxe5 was still favourite.


9... f6	Nxe5 is not bad here. Because fxg5, Qf3 threatens mate. Qf6 is followed by Qxd5. If black answers d6, 11. Qh5+ g6 12. Nxg6 hxg6 13. Qxh8
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2332) on 10-Jun-25: And this is why. Black at once blocks the check and protects the e-pawn. White COULD now try 10.Nxe5, when 10...fxg5 opens up some tactical possibilities. But Black would be better going in for the wild 10...d6 11.Qh5+ g6 (forced) 12.Nxg6 hxg6 13.Qxh8 fxg5 14.0-0 Qf6. After the exchange of queens in this line, Black has the bishop pair for a rook, and a nigh-on winning game.


10. Bd2 c6	Black opens the queen’s gate, but pawns make navigation problematic.



11. b4	Black eyes d3. While undefended, the knight risks trading with white’s black bishop to capture it.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2332) on 10-Jun-25: OK, but 11.a4 would have been more dynamic.


11... Nf4 12. Nh4	This was unexpected. The white knight withdraws to the edge of the field, inviting attack?
	2 comments nuntar (1702) on 05-Jun-25: 11... Nf4 is risky. 12. Bxf4 would have brought White nearly back on level terms. archduke_piccolo (2332) on 12-Jun-25: 11...Nf4 was not merely risky: it was a mistake. Much better was to develop, e.g. by ...Be7. However, 12.Nh4 was worse, especially when the very good 12.BxN was available.


12... Nxd3+	Now the king cannot castle.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2332) on 10-Jun-25: Now White has a bone in the throat to deal with, not to mention the two-pawn deficit.


13. Ke2 e4	Black could threaten the queen with Nb2 which seemed pointless. Black likes the knight there, bypassed by all white’s pawns. If white attacks the protecting pawn black can counter with d5 or Qe7.



14. Nf5 Qb6	White can counter imminent trouble with Be3. Nd4 and Ne3 also work, less effectively. Qe1 and Qf1 protect the king’s pawn also, though either of these choices constricts the queen’s ability to move like coupling high heels with a hoop skirt.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2332) on 10-Jun-25: Best was 14...d5, shoring up Black's centre with stout props. The mate-in-one threat from this queen move should be easily countered, and it is not clear that Black gains from it. But, of course, why not test White's alertness...?


15. a3	Definitely not. Black’s queen dashes out from the pawn forest to administer the coup de grace.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2332) on 10-Jun-25: ... Why not indeed! Best for White would have been 15.Be3, chasing off the queen.


15... Qxf2#
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2332) on 10-Jun-25: One should always keeps an eye out for where enemy (and your own) pieces' and pawns' moves converge upon a point. In this instance, the queen's and knight's moves converged at f2. THEN, you have to decide the extent to which this should worry you...