Annotated chess game: Winning against stronger opponents

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ANNOTATED GAME

Winning against stronger opponents
mirela22 (1751) vs. fondrak (1864)
Annotated by: -mirela- (1200)
Chess opening: Ruy Lopez (C61), Bird's defence, Paulsen variation

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1. e4

Winning against stronger opponents is difficult. Nevertheless, there are at least two factors that could be helpful for you.

1... e5

First of all, the higher rated player is supposed to play for a win, especially in a tournament.

2. Nf3

And maybe she or he is tired to see you perform all these grandmaster moves in the opening that you keep looking up in the gameknot database. So she or he might come up with some surprising move to throw you out of the book, even if this move is not necessarily the best move to be played.

2... Nc6

I must admit that this trick works fine with me most of the time.

3. Bb5

But not this time, as we will see in the game.

3... Nd4

Ruy Lopez, Bird's defence, a variation that can lead to complicated positions.

4. Nxd4

the common response

4... exd4 5. O-O Bc5

5. ...c6 right away is also playable. If 5. Ne7, you might also continue 6. d3.

6. d3 c6 7. Bc4

7. Ba4 is another common line, but 7. Bc4 seemed to be more active to me.

7... d5

Of course.

8. exd5 cxd5 9. Bb5+

I guess you would think that black will continue with 9. ...Bd7.

9... Kf8

But there it is, the unexpected move I was talking about. (At least, it was a surprise for me, and yet, there is no other game in the over 1900 gameknot data base). My opponent fondrak plays 9. ...Kf8, he no longer will have the right to castle and it will take him some moves to free his rook on h8. So what seems to be the most "natural" response to 9. ...Kf8? I guess it's 10. Re1, claiming the e-file. But I did not even consider to play this move. I was sure that my opponent had some home preparation at hand in case of 10. Re1. This is why I kept looking for something else. And in fact, he'd probably play 10. ...Be6 and white is not sure to take any advantage of black's uncomfortable king-side position. (For this annotation, I have checked the gameknot data base again and there really is such a fondrak game where he later brings his king over to h7 and finally wins the game.)

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10. c4

If I remember well, I have also considered 10. c3. I finally decided to play this, hoping that, even if it is not a good move, it might at least be an unexpected one as well.

10... a6

the "natural" response.

11. Ba4 Be6 12. cxd5 Bxd5 13. Bf4

development

13... Ne7 14. Nd2

Against the Bird's defense, white usually brings his knight over to f3 via d2.

14... b5

On a4 the bishop still was in possession of the square e8, so black decides to push him back. 15. Bc2 is too passive, so I have to put him on b3 where the bishops can be exchanged.

15. Bb3 Bb7

This is an important decision! Black plays for a win and wants to preserve his bishop on the beautiful diagonal a8 - h1. Against a stronger opponent than I am, he might have considered to trade the bishops or maybe stay on d5 and wait for me to trade bishops (otherwise my knight is stuck on d2).

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16. Qh5

Menacing mate on f7. From now on, black's white-squared bishop will just sit on b7 till the end of the game and never interfere in anything.

16... Nd5 17. Nf3

I was thinking about 17. Ne4 too, menacing the bishop on c5, but this move seems to be more appropriate. Now the knight might go on to e5 or g5 and renew the mating thread on f7. Notice that for the same reason black cannot take on f4!

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