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ANNOTATED GAME
The rocky road to peace
demaqoq (1411) vs. lapsekili (1331)
Annotated by: archduke_piccolo
(2334)
Chess opening: English (A22), Bellon gambit
demaqoq (1411) vs. lapsekili (1331)
Annotated by: archduke_piccolo
(2334)
Chess opening: English (A22), Bellon gambit
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Annotated 'on request'. It has long been my view that books for early chess players ought to feature games played at rather nearer the level at which readers will have attained. Sure, the mistakes are more frequent, but you get good moves, too. More importantly, I think, the schemes and counterschemes are more easily understood, and the games therefore easier to follow. Here is such a game - full of incident and accident, but a fighting game to its peaceful concusion. | ||||||
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1. c4 e5 |
The 'Pawn to King Four' Defence against White's English Opening. For many years the English was my favoured opening as White, but as Black I liked to meet it with this defence - as aggressive as the Sicilian is against 1.e4. | |||||
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2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 |
So far, a standard development, but now Black departs from the usual lines of play... | |||||
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3... e4 |
(?!) Playable, but rather a risky line. If Black wants a tough fight on his hands, this is a good way to get one! | |||||
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4. Ng5 |
The usual response, planning to take on e4 with this knight. Other options that have been tries are 4.Nd4 and even 4.Ng1. There seems to be no reason, however, not to choose the move played. | |||||
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4... Bc5 |
(!?) Oddly enough, the most popular response here seems to be 4...b5!? The idea is, presumably, to decoy if possible, White's c-pawn, or maybe the c3-knight. White can choose from 5.Nxb5 and 5.d3 - both being good responses. With the move played, Black definitely gambits a pawn, leaving both sides in uncharted territory. | |||||
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5. Ngxe4 Bb6 |
(!?) | |||||
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6. g3 |
(!?) Well worth considering were 6.Nxf6 and 6.c5. | |||||
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6... c6 |
(?!) Very risky, as with 7.Nd6 Ke7 8.Nxc8 Qxc8 9.Bg2 Black would be unable to castle. True, that is not a huge handicap, as with ...Re8 and ...Kf8 Black achieves adequate protection for the king, but it does lose time that White can use to complete his development and plan an attack. | |||||
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7. d3 |
(!?) Though 7.Nd6 was good, this seems a reasonable alternative. But now Black breaks out in the centre - a very good plan... | |||||
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7... Nxe4 8. Nxe4 d5 |
(!) Well played. This break goes a long way to freeing up Black's Q-side and developing some counterplay. | |||||
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9. Nd2 Nd7 |
(!?) "Knights before bishops" on any given side ot the board is a useful guideline, but this is one of the exceptions, I feel. Preferable was 9...Be6 first, and then develop the knight. However, Black had already planned to move the knight on to f6, so the bishop will soon be free to move... | |||||
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10. b3 |
(??) A bad mistake that could have cost White the game. Better was 10.cxd5 cxd5, leaving Black with an isolated d-pawn to worry about (11.Bg2 attacks it immediately). Now Black can win material... | |||||
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10... Nf6 |
(?) According to a plan already laid, I suspect. But it's always worth re-evaluating any given position in the light of what your opponent actually plays. White's last opened himself up to a deadly double-attack: 10...Qf6! To stop the mate at f2, White would have to give up his rook at a1. | |||||
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11. Qc2 |
(?!) This also has its downside, as Black shows next turn... | |||||
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11... Ng4 |
(!) Good: attacking the vulnerable spot at f2. | |||||
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12. c5 |
(?) The last couple of moves have revivified the threat mentioned at move 10. Instead, 12.e3 seems a better choice. | |||||
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12... Ba5 |
(?) Again, 12...Qf6! would have been embarrassing for White: 13.Bb2 Qxf2 14.Kd1 Ne3#. Note that 12...Bxc5 first would have been a mistake, as the WQ from c5 (13.Qxc5) would be protecting the f2-square. | |||||
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13. Bb2 |
Now the opportunity is gone for good. | |||||
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13... Bxd2+ |
(?) Not a well-motivated exchange, in my view. This bishop was the more mobile of Black's pair (consider where the Black pawns are standing - the colour of the squares), and was worth a deal more than White's knight. The exchange also cedes White the bishop pair - an asset easily overrated, but an unnecessary concession all the same. Better was 13...0-0 or 13...Nf6 to protect the g-pawn from capture. | |||||
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14. Qxd2 |
Of course, it was too much to hope that White would retake with the king! | |||||
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