Annotated chess game: Team match

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ANNOTATED GAME

Team match
stringplayer92 (1535) vs. blitzwar0 (1527)
Annotated by: stringplayer92 (1200)
Chess opening: Sicilian (B70), dragon variation

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The game start with a fairly normal Dragon Sicilian.

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Bc4 Bg7	I played this to get into less known territories than the Yugoslav attack which in some lines is 20 moves long. I don't really want to get into a theory debate with my opponent.



7. Bg5 O-O 8. f3	I must build up my central post e4 as the normal Sicilian break will be at d5.
	1 comment alfredjwood (2100) on 24-May-07: This is a well played game, and I hesitate to interject a personal preference, but here goes: I would not have played the combination Bg5 and f3. Both are solid moves in their own right, but in the position I would have played Be3, if I intended f3. The reason is on the queenside: Black will have to hold b5 with a6. That provides weakness on the black squares. White's dark bishop can play a strong tactical role in using b6 as an outpost, or supporting a knight on b6 or perhaps c7! Without a stronger threat to f7, it is unlikely that black will advance the e-pawn before the queen moves, so there will be no pin by the white bishop. Since the bishop pair is an important asset in the endgame, it is unlikely that white would want to exchange the bishop for the knight; and, so, the bishop may be misplaced on g5 when the pawn is on f3. This is just my thinking and may be refuted by play or by deep analysis. Al


8... Nbd7 9. Qd2 a6	Here black deviates from the book lines. Nc6 is given as the main line.
	1 comment alfredjwood (2100) on 24-May-07: Black may be unnecessarily concerned with the potential exchange on f6(?), or he may recongnize the need to protect b6! However, Nc6 is best in order to contest d4 as a pivot for the white knight. Al


10. a4	This is not the greatest move. My only thought was to provide a escape square for my bishop upon b5, and to take control of the dark squares on the queen side with a eventual a5 but this is to weakening for such a double-edged opening, even more so that I had been thinking about castling long and pushing my king side pawns.



10... Qc7 11. Ba2 Re8	This probably wasn't the best move as it leaves f7 weak, and black will not be playing e5 anyways. He should have developed his queen side. I think that Nc5 would have been better. If black can get his pieces out he will be better because of the weakening move a4 played by white (me)



12. h4	Since it seemed that he wasn't making a counter in the center I decided to play on the wing that my pieces were aiming at. The king side. With the bishop on a2 when I play hxg6 he won't be able to play the sometimes superior fxg6, limiting his options. This always helps when you are attacking since the less options he has the less you have to consider.



12... Nb6 13. Bh6	Trying to get rid of the defender of the dark squares. Normal for attacking the fienchetto.



13... Bh8 14. g4	Advancing on the king side since black can't counter in the center or get active play on the queen side.



14... Nfd7 15. h5	Since all of black's pieces are trapped on the queen side I have easy development on the king side.



15... Qc5	Still moving aimlessly with his already developed pieces. He needs to get a plan and develop his queen side. I still think that Nc5 was better.



16. Nde2 Ne5 17. O-O-O	I am going all out. I sacrificed the pawn to open the f-file.



17... Nxf3 18. Qf4 Ne5 19. hxg6 e6	This was an obvious mistake resulting in mate in 5. Better was hxg6, when I was planning Qh2 and Black will have trouble covering both focal points of h7 and h8.



20. gxh7+ Kxh7 21. Bf8+	If Kg6 then Rh6#



21... Kg8 22. Rxh8+ Kxh8 23. Qh6+ Kg8 24. Qg7#	The end of a miniature. This shows why most beginners are taught to "Never move the same piece twice" and to develop their pieces. Black moved his knights a total of 7 TIMES!! And the one on b6 is still not taking part in the ensuing battle on the king side.
	1 comment brulla (1941) on 23-Sep-07: Beautiful game, great play of white, even if black was "helpful" sometimes.