|
« TAP TO LOG IN
|
ANNOTATED GAME
The pawn is mighter than the sword
gilden (1961) vs. nyctalop (2175)
Annotated by: nyctalop (2166)
Chess opening: Sicilian (B33), Pelikan, Bird variation
gilden (1961) vs. nyctalop (2175)
Annotated by: nyctalop (2166)
Chess opening: Sicilian (B33), Pelikan, Bird variation
 Interactive |
• |  Show all comments |
• | All annotated games | • | View chessboard as: |
| ||||||
This game was played in the 60th GK Tournament, on the fourth round. I have to give thanks to my opponent for avoiding the repetition that was available to him at one point and allowing me to play one of my best games so far on this site. | ||||||
|
1. e4 c5 |
I guess I'll have to start mixing it up sooner or later to prevent deep preparation, but so far that's not been necessary. Anyway, the Sicilian is, in my opinion, the best defense to 1. e4. | |||||
| | ||||||
|
2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Bxf6 |
A peculiar move order that gives me a few extra options but none are as good as the main lines. | |||||
| 1 comment | ||||||
|
8... gxf6 9. Na3 |
For example, here I could have played 9...f5, but then the Na3 can come to c4 and White has resolved the main problem of this opening early on. | |||||
| | ||||||
|
9... b5 10. Nd5 f5 |
I've seen Magnus sticking to 10...Bg7 here, probably to avoid some sharper and forced lines. I'm still happy with this move and I don't intend to switch in the near future. | |||||
| | ||||||
|
11. c3 |
A particularly useful move for White. It covers both d4 and b4, it makes room for the Na3 to be brought into play via c2 and in some lines it allows the White Queen to come into play. | |||||
| | ||||||
|
11... Bg7 12. Bd3 Be6 13. O-O Bxd5 |
Now the game has transposed to a main line of the opening. | |||||
| | ||||||
|
14. exd5 Ne7 |
All very natural moves by both sides. I have a slight worse pawn structure but a temporary superiority in the center. | |||||
| | ||||||
|
15. Nc2 O-O 16. Qh5 |
I think this is all theory, with a rather balanced statistic. I think it would be hard to say White has achieved much from the opening here. | |||||
| | ||||||
|
16... e4 17. Be2 f4 |
A rather loose looking move, but you cannot afford to play passively with Black. Your only chance is active counterplay or else White will slowly push you off the board. | |||||
| | ||||||
|
18. a4 |
One of White's ideas for counterplay in this line. He attacks my b5 pawn and either forces me to give up a pawn or activate his pieces and be stuck with a weak pawn on the a-file. | |||||
| | ||||||
|
18... Ng6 19. Bg4 |
Trying to win the b5 pawn immediately runs into all sorts of problems. After 19. axb5 f3 20. Bc4 (20. gxf3 Nf4) fxg2 21. Rfe1 (21. Kxg2 Nf4+) axb5 22. Rxa8 Qxa8 23. Bxb5 Qa2! and White's Q-side pawns will fall, his pieces are stuck on the wrong side of the board and his King is more vulnerable than mine. With the text, White gives up on trying to win the pawn and instead focuses on keeping his Bishop active. | |||||
| | ||||||
|
19... Re8 |
Just activating the Rook. The f-file isn't going to open any time soon, so the Rf8 was the piece that needed to be activated. | |||||
| | ||||||
|
20. axb5 axb5 21. Rxa8 Qxa8 22. Ra1 |
My opponent swaps a pair of Rooks in order to seize the a-file and gain entry to the weak points on my Q-side. | |||||
| | ||||||
|
22... Qb7 23. Nb4 Re5 |
I was thinking about pushing the e-pawn directly, but first I wanted to misplace his Queen. | |||||
| | ||||||
|
24. Qh3 f3 |
Vacating the f4 square for the Knight and weakening the White castle. | |||||
| | ||||||
|
25. gxf3 h5 |
Taking isn't possible because of Nf4, so White has to move the Bishop. | |||||
| | ||||||
|
26. Bc8 Nf4 |
Inviting a Queen swap. Around here I was thinking that this was going to be an early draw. | |||||
| | ||||||
|
27. Bxb7 Nxh3+ 28. Kg2 Nf4+ 29. Kf1 |
29. Kg3 draws on the spot and I have to keep checking with the Knight in order not to lose material. | |||||
| | ||||||
|
29... exf3 |
Now the f3 pawn is rather pesky for White. f2 can become weak and the back rank needs defending as well. Still, I think my opponent was fully justified to play on. | |||||
| | ||||||
|
30. Bc6 |
Now the b5 pawn seems to be a goner. | |||||
| | ||||||
| ||||||