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ANNOTATED GAME
Round 3 of Los Angeles Championships
Mike J. (1743) vs. bakerbaker (1713)
Annotated by: bakerbaker (1200)
Chess opening: Old Benoni defence (A43)
Mike J. (1743) vs. bakerbaker (1713)
Annotated by: bakerbaker (1200)
Chess opening: Old Benoni defence (A43)
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15. Qb3 |
This relieves the d-file pin and directs some pressure toward my castled king. | |||||||
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15... Nf5 |
I force a trade of my passive knight for White's stronger bishop. | |||||||
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16. Bc2 |
White is simply relocating his unimportant piece to a safer place. | |||||||
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16... Nxg3 17. hxg3 |
This looks like the best move, but I thought fxg3 was better. Even though it isolates White's e-pawn, it gives White a strong open f-file and makes it harder for me to start a kingside storm. | |||||||
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17... h6 |
I was losing the will to play at this point. Positions like this aren't really my style, and I tend to make random moves. I play better in tactical positions with lots of space. Not cramped positional positions like in this game. | |||||||
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18. Nc3 |
White is bringing in pieces to attack my king. | |||||||
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18... Na7 |
I was too bored and sick of playing this "not-my-style" game to see White's crushing move of Na4. | |||||||
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19. Na4 |
White takes advantage of my backward b-pawn and will win a pawn. | |||||||
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19... Rd6 |
My b-pawn covering my king is more important than my e-pawn. | |||||||
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20. Nxe5 Rf6 |
I was starting to feel a little better here when I realized I had a potential kingside attack. Something that always gives me the will to play. | |||||||
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21. Nf3 |
White missed a very strong move here. If he plays 21.Bf5 then his bishop is untouchable. If I play 21...Rxf5, then White plays 22.Nxb6 and if I have to play 22...Kd8 allowing 23.Qd3 picking up my rook, because if I play 22...Kb8, then 23.Ned7 is almost mate and I have to sacrifice my queen. | |||||||
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21... h5 |
I plan to storm the kingside, and White's crushing move doesn't work here since his knight is no longer active near my king. | |||||||
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22. e4 |
Now White is the one with the Maroczy-type setup. A common strategy in Maroczy positions is to get a knight on the strong outpost d5. If White plays e5 at some point during the game, I can simply move the rook to the h-file to strengthen my ensuing attack. | |||||||
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22... h4 |
Most likely I will get this pawn back, but I'm already down a pawn so material shouldn't be my concern. I will take any chance I need to launch a kingside attack in my desperate position. | |||||||
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23. gxh4 |
White has to be careful not to fall for Nxh4? because then I play g5 and Rfh6, and White is in trouble along the wide open h-file. | |||||||
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23... g5 |
This time White can't take the pawn. Playing Nxg5 allows me to recapture the h-pawn and White is in trouble along the h-file. And playing hxg5 allows Rxf3! chopping off the defender of the h7 mating square. Always check for tactical threats like this when your opponent purposely hangs a pawn or piece. | |||||||
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24. Rfd1 |
White realizes my attack is stronger than what it seemed to be a few moves ago, and clears way to escape his king into the centre. | |||||||
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24... g4 |
In just a few moves, I went from having a totally passive losing position, to getting a lot of strong counterplay on the kingside, thereby justifying me castling queenside. | |||||||
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25. Ne1 Rxh4 |
Now I'm only one pawn down, and White's queenside attack has been stalled because now he must defend. | |||||||
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26. Kf1 |
Fleeing. | |||||||
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