Annotated chess game: So many pieces en prise!

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ANNOTATED GAME

So many pieces en prise!
ionadowman (2115) vs. jstevens1 (1790)
Annotated by: jotheblackqueen (1200)
Chess opening: two knights defence (C57), Wilkes Barre (Traxler) variation

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1. e4	Hi everyone! Here is my return match against Coach Ion in the Traxler MT. I will be annotating that one two but this one is quite fascinating because although I lost this match there were so many pieces on both sides that were en prise! This will be a good lesson in tactics to us all, including myself, The Beginner. Here is the link to the game which has Gameknot Analysis:-http://gameknot.com/analyze-board.pl?bd=14875035&fb=1&rnd=0.8882096860666713 I will start the commentary on Move 5.
	2 comments archduke_piccolo (2340) on 18-Nov-10: I think with a rating c.1800, Joanne, you are no longer 'The Beginner'! thitho (1200) on 18-Nov-10: thanks for the game, the vocabulary, the entertainment...


1... e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 Bc5 5. Nxf7 Bxf2+	5. ...... Bxf2+ - this has become the standard response to the knight fork. Both Qe7 and Nxe4 (sacrificing the queen) have been tried in the Gameknot DB. Qe7 has transposed back into the main line however.
	2 comments archduke_piccolo (2340) on 18-Nov-10: After this, White has the choice of taking the bishop, or leaving it alone. In general, declining by 6.Kf1 has been preferred, as here, but 6.Kxf2 has been tried also. One move I haven't seen played is 6.Ke2, and for good reason: 6...Nd4+ 7.Kd3!? b5! 8.Bb3 [else 8.Nxd8 bxc4+ 9.Kxc4 Ba6+ 10.Kb4 Be2 according to Estrin] 8...Nxe4!! 9.Nxd8 Nc5+ 10.Kc3 Ne7+ [there's just no let-up to the battering White is taking] 11.Qxe2 Bd4+ 12.Kb4 a5+ 13.Kxb5 Ba6+ 14.Kxa4 Bd3+ 15.Kb4 Na6+ 16.Ka4 Nb4+ 17.Kxb4 c5#. black_cat_hamlet (1531) on 18-Nov-10: The game Ion just mentioned was the very first Traxler game recorded - I might be annotating that one soon! as for the DB moves, I'm surprised Nxe4 turned into a Black win, and if Qe7, White can castle and the game can continue as if White played Bxf7+ [except Black can castle]


6. Kf1 Qe7 7. Nxh8 d5	7. ....... d5 - another standard move, opening up the diagonal of Fou Leblanc.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2340) on 18-Nov-10: One of the purposes of this move is to interrupt the c4-Bishop's watch over f7, the other, of course, being to free Black's own c8-Bishop for attack.


8. exd5 Nd4 9. d6 cxd6 10. c3 Bg4	10..... Bg4 - attacks the Wicked Witch of the West who in turn feasts her glare upon Henry next move with Qa4+.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2340) on 18-Nov-10: I think all the moves in this sequence were open to discussion... For instance, this bishop sortie could have been played two moves earlier. Whether it would have been preferable to the move played (8...Nd4 ) is moot, however.


11. Qa4+ Nd7 12. Nf7	12. ...... Nf7 - that pesky, rook stealing knight extricates himself from the corner.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2340) on 18-Nov-10: 11...Nd7(!) is preferable to the likely-looking 11...Bd7 12.Qb4 with attack, but, according to Yakov Estrin, 11...Kf8 is playable. Meanwhile, this breakout attempt leads to wild complications!


12... b5	12. ...... b5 - this move is a break from the db but it does not work.
	2 comments nuntar (1702) on 18-Nov-10: Looks like this just gives a pawn away, though White sees something better than taking it. 13. Bxb5 Nxb5 14. Qxg4. archduke_piccolo (2340) on 18-Nov-10: (!?) This is one of the options mentioned by Estrin in this position, in all of which he remarks 'White has sufficient defence'. The main line seems to be 12...Qf6, which seems to lead - by sinuous paths - to a draw.


13. Qa3 Nc2 14. Nxd6+ Kf8 15. Nc8	15. Nc8 - this is getting sooo drole - trouble is I have more pieces en prise than The Coach, sigh and double sigh! There is nothing better than to trade queens as Glenda is pinned and twice attacked.
	2 comments archduke_piccolo (2340) on 18-Nov-10: Interesting that the GK engine mislikes this move! Right now, White has Knight, Bishop, Rook and Queen - all three active pieces and one other - under direct attack. Black has a Queen, Bishop and Pawn in equal jeopardy. Complete shambles! damalfi (1200) on 21-Feb-11: It cames to my mind Qa6, instead, defending the knight and threating Nc8+, once supported by the queen. Also contesting black's Qf6.


15... Qxa3 16. Nxa3 Nxa1 17. Kxf2 bxc4 18. Nd6	18. Nd6 - maybe instead of trading Glenda I should have played RxN allowing QxQ+ and then grab the rook in the corner. Do you the Inquest Jury agree?
	2 comments nuntar (1702) on 18-Nov-10: It seems that after 15... Rxc8 16. Qxe7+ Kxe7 17. Kxf2 Nxa1 18. Bd3 the knight will not escape (Rd8 is met by Ke3) so White remains a piece and pawn ahead. archduke_piccolo (2340) on 18-Nov-10: The line played is the line I expected. Now comes the battle for that knight on a1.


18... Nb6 19. Ndxc4 Nxc4 20. Nxc4 Be6 21. Nxe5	21. Nxe5 - I knew that my e pawn was gonna fall so I thought I would trade it. But my minor pieces become trapped on the queenside.
	2 comments black_cat_hamlet (1531) on 18-Nov-10: why not free your knight? a_random_guy (1985) on 18-Nov-10: Even after Nc2, the knight still has nowhere to go!


21... Bxa2 22. d4 Bb3	22. ..... Bb3 - wrong piece methinks. In retro the knight should have gone to this square.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2340) on 18-Nov-10: I was expecting the knight move. But though the jailers have disappeared, the knight still has to cross the barbed wire fence at a3-b4-d4-e3-e1. Tall order. After 22...Nb3 I had it in mind to play 23.Be3 and if 23...Na5?? 24.Ra1, picking up a piece. On theother hand, after ...a5...a4 the pieces can be extricated from their predicament.


23. Bg5 Nc2 24. Nd7+ Kf7 25. Nc5 Rb8 26. Rc1	26. Rc1 - after a lot of clever manoeuvre, Ion will now remove my knight after NxB, RxN then RxN leaving me 5 points down on material with no counterplay whatsoever so I waved the white flag here. Well played, Ion!
	3 comments archduke_piccolo (2340) on 18-Nov-10: The GK engine doesn't 24.Nd7+ either, preferring 24.Rc1 at once. Personally, I disagree with the machine, but it is right about Black's reply. I had (half) expected 24...Kg1, so as to bring the rook over to the f-file. Mind you, I found that defence only after a lot of wood-shifting, and even that would not have been enough in the long run. Even had the pieces got away, White still had 2 extra pawns in the bag... a_random_guy (1985) on 19-Nov-10: I wonder what happens with 26...Kg6 here... It threatens the bishop at once. White would probably still be winning, but it would have given some counterplay! (26...Kg6 27. Nxb3 (27.h4 Rf8+) Kxg5 28.Nc5 (Rxc2 Rxb3) Rxb2 and so on. I possibly missed something. If I did, tell me! nuntar (1702) on 21-Nov-10: Patience... after 26... Kg6 White need not hurry to take the bishop but can move or defend his own bishop first. Yes, Black has the opportunity to play Rf8+, but what does that achieve?