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ANNOTATED GAME
Team match
mybookrunsdeep (1936) vs. maksas (1946)
Annotated by: mybookrunsdeep (1431)
Chess opening: Reti opening (A05)
mybookrunsdeep (1936) vs. maksas (1946)
Annotated by: mybookrunsdeep (1431)
Chess opening: Reti opening (A05)
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1. Nf3 |
This is game features a Symmetrical English, where I play an early d4 to break the symmetry. Black then adopts a light-squared strategy, rather than the more popular kingside fianchetto. I offer a pawn on move 8, which Black declines. I then offer a piece at move 11 which Black accepts and finds himself all tied up and unable to complete development. | ||||
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1... Nf6 2. c4 |
It must be noted that I cant take all of the credit for the ideas in this game. I study the games of Vladimir Kramnik heavily and this idea comes from the 7th round of the Monte Carlo Amber Rapid -- Kramnik-Anand 1994. | ||||
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2... c5 3. d4 |
There are more positional treatments, but typically an early d4 break is the most direct way to fight to keep the advantage and initiative. | ||||
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3... cxd4 |
Going in for the main lines rather than playing for complications with 3...d5 or accepting a Benoni setup after 3...e6. | ||||
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4. Nxd4 e6 |
This variation was a welcome change from the typical kingside fianchetto defenses, which are mostly popular at club level. Here Black intends to deploy his dark-squared bishop along the a3-f8 diagonal. | ||||
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5. Nc3 Nc6 6. g3 Qb6 |
Other alternatives are ...Be7, ...Bc5, and ...Bb4. Black is developing along the lines of the Grivas Sicilian, made popular by Greek GM Efstratios Grivas. The biggest strategic difference is that there is no White pawn on e4, hence the white light-squared bishop will be a more active participant in pressuring Black's queenside. | ||||
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7. Ndb5 |
Taking aim at the dark squares. This is Kramnik's move, others are Nb3, Nf3 and e3, although this and Nb3 are the strongest. | ||||
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7... Ne5 |
Keeping d6 under control and hitting c4. I hadn't had any experience in these lines prior to this game, but protecting the c4-pawn seemed to hand Black the initiative, and this is most likely the case. Gelfand-Topalov, Dortmund 2002, saw 7...a6, 8. Nd6 Bxd6, 9. Qxd6 Qb4 10. Qxb4 Nxb4, 11. Rb1 d5, 12. Bg2 dc, sees White keep a pull due to his pressure on the queenside and superior development, but Black was able to hold the draw. | ||||
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8. Bg2 |
The bishop on g2 is a very powerful piece. | ||||
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8... a6 9. Qa4 |
The most active move, although 9. Na3 is playable also. Qa4 develops a piece, but also creates tactical possibilities if Black plays ...d6 or ...d5, as there is now a discovered check and possibly a double check lingering. | ||||
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9... Neg4 |
Target f2, however, I gain a developmental tempo in the defense by castling. | ||||
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10. O-O Rb8 |
Forcing me to make a decision as to the placement of the White knight. Here, I was convinced I could eek out a /= with 11. Na3, however, Kramnik provided a wonderful idea with the next move. | ||||
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11. b4 |
As far as my databases are concerned, this is the only game where this move has been played. This makes it a bit risky to employ in a correspondence game, especially since Kramnik played this in rapidplay, but the more I analyzed the move, it really seems to be a strong sacrifice. | ||||
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11... axb5 12. Nxb5 Kd8 |
Materially speaking, I only get a pawn for the piece, but if you look at the power of the White pieces as compared to their counterparts, the compensation becomes a little clearer. What really struck me at this point was that the Black light-squared bishop is entombed and so is the Black King's rook. This leaves me essentially a piece up on the Queenside after Bf4 and Two pieces up with the participation of both rooks, which comes quickly. Black's King is also stuck in the center. Anand chose to limit the compensation by playing 12...d5, however, the advance of the queenside majority decided the issue before the two lame pieces got developed. | ||||
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13. h3 |
Since there are no games in the database with this move I was on my own. My reasoning here is to remove the attack on f2, so my king's rook can come into play on the queenside. | ||||
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13... Ne5 14. Qb3 |
Black's attack again meets with a move which I was going to play anyway, as I need to get my queenside pawns moving to keep the pressure on. | ||||
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14... d5 |
Black consistently fights for the initiative though, the mark of a strong player. | ||||
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15. Bf4 |
taking the pressure off of c4 by tactical means. | ||||
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15... Nfd7 |
15...dc? meets with 16. Qd1, when the material balance tips in White's favor and the Black king is still in the center of the board. | ||||
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16. a4 |
Protecting the knight and preparing c5, which Black cannot allow. | ||||
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