Annotated chess game: Team match

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ANNOTATED GAME

Team match
strikerx (1764) vs. thedoorman (1738)
Annotated by: thedoorman (1664)
Chess opening: Queen's pawn (A40)

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1. d4	I have to admit it... I knew I was up against an opponent who plays 200 pts above me. Going in I researched some of his games. He's a very clever and solid player; my work was cut out.... so I started with my strength. The French against his Queen Pawn .....
	1 comment bitterbierce (1200) on 14-Mar-08: Hardly an insurmountable gap. A rating alone won't win; they still have to play good moves, as you demonstrated.


1... e6 2. e4 d5 3. e5	White plays the advanced variation. complicating Blacks development.



3... c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Nge7 6. Bd3	now with Bd3 White deviates from the main opening lines staking out the long and open diagonal and ready to Castle.



6... Nf5	An attempt to stifle Whites King side development and get the black Bishop out.



7. Bxf5 exf5	A trade encouraged by Black to open up the closed game and eliminate the strong white Bishop.
	1 comment bitterbierce (1200) on 14-Mar-08: I have have never played BxN myself, for these very reasons. Not to mention the king-side pawn majority black now has which can be dangerous later on. However white must answer the piled-on pressure on D4 in some fashion, which is why when I choose to play this main-line advanced variation of the French I always play Be2 instead of Bd3.


8. O-O cxd4 9. cxd4 Be6	White is positionally stronger than Black who's Bishop is relegated to pawn defense. Black however finds a way to shift gears soon.



10. Nc3 Be7 11. Qb3 Qd7 12. Bd2 h6 13. Rac1	White appears to be very strong and stable...
	1 comment bitterbierce (1200) on 14-Mar-08: ...and therein lies the problem. It looks cosmetically secure and pretty, but white has a lack of viable middlegame plans. I'd like to play Ne1 & f4 but the d-pawn needs protecting. There are no real productive outposts to place white's pieces, black weaknesses to attack (d5 is quite secure), and most of white's artillery is away from his King-side, which soon comes under fire by black's very viable middlegame plan of a pawn-storm. As I understand, something of a thematic enterprise for black in the French, position permitting.


13... g5	Pow! A nose punch. Time to wake-up. Black becomes very aggressive going after White's king side before White can take advantage of his superior development. Timing and speed become critical in this bout.



14. Ne2 f4 15. Ne1	The Knight retreats and Black now controls the king side.



15... O-O 16. h4 f6	The combination and sacrifice possibilities become a tactical nightmare here.
	1 comment bitterbierce (1200) on 14-Mar-08: You needn't have bothered to castle; black's king is most secure (pardoxically, as it so often is in French positions) in the center. A tempo you can save is a tempo you can contribute to the attack!


17. exf6 Bxf6	jabbing for position.



18. Bc3 Rac8 19. Nd3 b6	Black moves to dissuade any counter play to an attack that is getting ready to strike a serious body blow.
	2 comments bitterbierce (1200) on 14-Mar-08: I wouldn't have bothered with ...b6 either. Given the opportunity white shouldn't be pawn-snatching while his king-side is on fire, and besides white black's queen still covers b7. thedoorman (1664) on 05-Apr-08: b6 is is a defensive move to prevent counter attack via White's threat of Nc5!!


20. Nb4 f3 21. gxf3	The Knight move is too late. Black give a pawn to open up Whites belly with a kidney punch



21... Bh3 22. Nxd5	A full round house counter by White. Taking the poison rook would end the game for Black in short order.



22... Be6	The second pawn sacrifice now becomes clear as Black's bishop locks the white queen into the corner ropes.



23. Nxf6+ Rxf6 24. Qd1	Trying to free the queen.....



24... Rxf3	but the body blows just push her into another corner that she cannot get out of.



25. Ng3 Bd5	A huge uppercut with the Bishop now on the winning diagonal has white shaky in the knees and unable to budge. He is defenseless and just waiting for the.......



26. hxg5	and here it comes.... the knockout blow....



26... Qh3	White can do nothing. Black plans Nexg3 and mate in two. I enjoyed this game and hope any readers do as well. Comments are welcome as I'm not sure how much of this game was strong play by black as opposed to weak moves by white. Thank you
	1 comment bitterbierce (1200) on 14-Mar-08: I'm sure you mean 27. ...RxNch w/mate to follow. And yes, 'tis the coup de grace. Unrelenting and effective attack by black, taking advantage of white's indifferent opening play. Those king-side storms are always the most satisfying. Bravo!