Annotated chess game: Round 6 of Reno Championships

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ANNOTATED GAME

Round 6 of Reno Championships
bakerbaker (1545) vs. Arsham D. (1776)
Annotated by: bakerbaker (1200)
Chess opening: Sicilian (B22), Alapin's variation (2.c3)

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15. Qxh5

Declining the queen trade offer takes away my initiative. Whenever you have the initiative, especially when you're down material, every move you make should be a tactical threat, or moves that stop your opponent's counterplay.

15... Nxh5 16. Na4

A miniature tactic to take one of Black's bishops, leaving me with the strong bishop pair. Black cannot stop Nb6.

16... Bd7 17. Nb6 Rd8 18. Nxd7 Rxd7 19. Be4

Now that I have the strong bishop pair, I can place them actively in the centre where they control both sides of the board.

19... Bd6

Stops Rxd7 Kxd7 Bxb7

20. Rd2

Preparing to double my rooks on the wide open d-file.

20... f5 21. Bf3 Nf6 22. Rfd1

Now if Black's bishop moves, I still have the tactical threat of Rxd7 Nxd7 Bxb7.

22... Ke7 23. Rd2xd6

More tactics come into play.

23... Rxd6 24. Bc5

If I can get the rook for free, then I will be up a piece in the endgame, my strong 2 bishops against Black's defensive 1 knight.

24... Nd5

Rd8 was the other move that defends the rook, but it allows me to trade rooks and get my pawn back with Bxb7, giving me a good bishop vs. knight endgame, where my bishop is stronger because there are pawns on both sides of the board, and his knight is too slow to jump across the board.

25. Bxd5 exd5 26. Rxd5 Rhd8

I must be careful not to play the losing Rxf5?? because Ke6 relieves the pin on Black's rook, while attacking my rook, and I don't have time to get my rook back and defend my own rook, so the endgame will be left with his strong mobile rook against my weaker bishop.

27. f4

I prepare to bring my king to the centre for the ensuing endgame.

27... Ke6 28. Re5+

Trading rooks is bad because after all the pieces are gone, Black's king will be closer to the centre in the pure pawn endgame.

28... Kf6 29. Bxd6 Rxd6 30. Re2

Now I've reached a rook endgame, which seems rather drawish. I play Re2 to stop Black's rook from coming to d2, where my queenside pawns are likely to die.

30... Rd4

My opponent offered me a draw here. I believe that this position is a theoretical draw, but I think I have slightly better winning chances because of my control of the e-file, stopping Black's king from coming into play. And my coach also taught me a lot rook endgame strategies.

31. g3 h6

Black cannot stop my control of the e-file with Re4, because it isolates his pawn, and isolated pawns can be very weak in endgames, especially pure pawn endgames.

32. Kf2

I'm getting my king to the centre.

32... g5 33. Ke3

I was hoping Black would trade rooks here, because his kingside pawns are weaker than my kingside chain, and exploiting pawn weaknesses is easier in pure pawn endgames.

33... Rb4

I thought moving the rook along the d-file was better because it keeps my king from advancing to the centre. This may have been Black's losing error, letting my king get to the centre.

34. b3 g4 35. Kd3

My king is active in the centre while Black's is stuck on the kingside. If he doesn't retreat his rook and let me onto the 4th rank, I can play Kc3 forcing him to do so, because Re4, like I said, gives Black a weak isolated pawn.

35... Rb6 36. Kd4 Rc6

Black can't do much in this position because his pieces aren't as active as mine. Active pieces are the most important thing in winning endgames.

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