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ANNOTATED GAME
"Walking the Walk"
easy19 (2191) vs. archduke_piccolo (2030)
Annotated by: archduke_piccolo
(2332)
Chess opening: Reti opening (A05)
easy19 (2191) vs. archduke_piccolo (2030)
Annotated by: archduke_piccolo
(2332)
Chess opening: Reti opening (A05)
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18. Nxe4 |
Not a chance. At last, waiting until rescue was imminent, White nabs the pawn. Black doesn't appear to have much for it. | |||||||
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18... Nxe4 19. Bxe4 |
What now for Black? White has the bishop pair as well as an extra pawn. 19....f5 looks aggressive, but to my mind rather weakens Black's K-side without achieving a great deal. Instead, I sought counterplay on the other wing. It has to be said, prospects didn't look promising there either. | |||||||
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19... a6 |
A modest beginning... | |||||||
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20. Bg2 |
Consolidating... | |||||||
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20... b5 21. b4 |
(!) The impact of this was as I imagine that felt by a skate-boarder who uses his face as a braking device. Right at the beginning of my counterplay, too. Neither pawn capture looks very enticing, yet we have to go on... | |||||||
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21... cxb4 |
Marginally better than the alternate capture. 21...bxc4 22.Qxc4, and it is White who has the play on the Q-side. | |||||||
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22. Rxb4 |
(!?) Moderately surprising, as the bishop capture looks attractive on account of the threat on d6. Black's reply would have been as in the game: | |||||||
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22... Qc7 |
Can something be made of the pin on the c-file? | |||||||
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23. Qc1 Rec8 |
Now the c-pawn is threatened with capture. A file magically opens up for Black's major pieces, and now he has something to play with! | |||||||
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24. cxb5 Qc2 |
(!) Rather than lose the file after 24...Qxc1?? Inviting the Q exchange, Black hopes to establish a rook on the 7th, whence he can haul in White's Q-side pawns: 25.Qxc2 Rxc2 26.Bc1 Rc8 with strong counterplay. Of course, to achieve this much activity, Black hardly notices the loss of a second pawn... | |||||||
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25. a4 |
(!) | |||||||
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25... a5 |
(!?) Was the 'natural' ...axb5 better? The move played looks counterintuitive, allowing White a protected passed pawn on the 5th rank. Yet to protect the supporting a-pawn, the b4-rook has to stay on the fourth rank. As it transpires, the 4th rank is a dangerous place for the rook... | |||||||
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26. Rh4 Qa2 |
Gaining a tempo to avert the Q exchange (note how sometimes the exchange is invited, at other times avoided), and to gain time to go after the h4-rook. Game on! | |||||||
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27. Qd1 Bf6 28. Rg4 h5 29. Rf4 |
29.Re4 would transpose into the game. | |||||||
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29... Be5 30. Rh4 |
(!) To induce the bishop back to f6. Had the rook gone at once to e4, Black would have had the option of 30...Nf6, with attack on the d-pawn as well as on the rook. | |||||||
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30... Bf6 31. Re4 Nc5 |
At last the rook has either to give up the a-pawn, or die in its protection. He turns out to be one loyal bodyguard... | |||||||
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32. Bxa5 |
(!) Netting a third pawn for the exchange. From Black's point of view, this is a material improvement on the two-pawn deficit, but the price is high in terms of White's advanced pair of passed pawns. Both sides still have a battle on their hands - White if he is to win; Black to save the game. | |||||||
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32... Nxe4 33. Bxe4 Kg8 |
(!?) White was threatening 34.Qh5, but maybe this retreat was overcautious? Black would have liked to play 33...Rc4, but 34.Qh5 looked unpleasant. Now, this line turns out fine for Black: 33...Rc4 34.Qxh5 ? Kg7 35.Qf3 Rxa4 and Black would have been well and truly back in the game. But White can improve: 34.Bd3! Rxa4 35.Bc7 Be7 36.Qxh5 Kg7 37.Qf3. Not quite so delightful for Black. However, 33...Kg7 might have been a better retreat in order to protect the bishop, but I wanted to keep the g7-square open for its retreat should it become necessary. | |||||||
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34. Bb1 |
(!) The more obvious 34.Bb4 would have been met by 34.Rfd8 - not a very active posting for this rook. But the move played gains time for White to combat Black's threat to win the a-pawn by ....Rc4. | |||||||
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34... Qb2 |
(!?) Maybe 34...Qa3 was more pertinent? The move played was intended to inhibit the advance of the b-pawn, but it seems possibly better to have maintained pressure on the a-pawn. | |||||||
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