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ANNOTATED GAME
Edge of the precipice
nyctalop (2057) vs. ksasidhar (1733)
Annotated by: nyctalop (2166)
Chess opening: Gruenfeld (D85), modern exchange variation
nyctalop (2057) vs. ksasidhar (1733)
Annotated by: nyctalop (2166)
Chess opening: Gruenfeld (D85), modern exchange variation
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22... Qd8 |
After 22...Bxd2 23. Bxf6 Be3+ 24. Kg2 Bd4 25. Be7 Rfd8 26. Bxc6 bxc6 27. Bxd8 Rxd8 28. Rfe1 Rxd6 29. Re7, and the a-pawn will fall soon and with it, the game. | ||||
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23. Qg2 |
Lining up on the long diagonal and on the g-file. | ||||
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23... Qd7 |
The Queen is given the distasteful task to blockade a mere pawn. I'd just like to note something characteristic to the positions in these lines. Since both pairs of Knights have been exchanged, Black has no good pieces to blockade the d-pawn and his position also suffers from claustrophobia. The added space advantage that White has is nothing to sneeze at. Just by comparing the pieces in this position it's easy to figure that White has the upper hand. Black's Ba5 is loitering on the Q-side, when he's dearly needed to safeguard his King, while my Bb2 is perfectly placed on the open long diagonal. | ||||
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24. f5 |
Starting the planned assault. There is a cardinal principle in chess, when your pieces are poised for attack, don't wait, start active operations at once. Opportunities are soon lost and time must not be given to the opponent to organize the defense. | ||||
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24... Bxf3 |
Black should have kept the K-side closed with 24... g5 but after 25. Bxc6 Rxc6 26. Qd5 Re8 27. Be5 Bd8 28. h3 Ra6 29. Rd2 Ba5 30. Rd3 Bb4 31. Rf2, his dark square Bishop can't quite get back home and I can slowly turn the screw on Black's blockade. | ||||
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25. Rxf3 |
Better than taking with the Queen, now the Rook can swing over on the third rank. | ||||
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25... f6 |
A more sturdy defense was 25... Qa4 26. Rc1 Qc6 but after 27. Qh3 , Black is forced to play 27...h5 28. gxh5 g5 29. Rd3 f6 30. h6 Qd7 31. Rcd1 Rce8 and now the Queen infiltration decides 32. Qh5! Qf7 33. Qg6+ Qxg6 34. fxg6 Bd8, with the two pawns in phalanx near the Black King, h8 becomes on vital importance 35. Rh3! g4 36. Rh4 Ba5 37. Rf1 Bd2 38. h7+ Kg7 39. h8=Q+ Rxh8 40. Bxf6+ Kxg6 41. Rxh8, winning a full Rook. Notice how helpless the Black Bishop is in these lines. | ||||
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26. fxg6 hxg6 27. g5 |
Black is presented with an impossible choice, to open the long diagonal or to curl up behind the pawn and watch helplessly as the Queen and Rooks swing around his King like sharks circling a group of castaways in the middle of an ocean. | ||||
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27... Rc6 |
A nice line that shows the insurmountable task of defending the position goes like this: 27... Qc6 28. Qh3 Bd8 29. d7 Rb8 30. gxf6 Rf7 31. Rg3 Qe4 32. Qh6 and mate is looming in the air. | ||||
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28. gxf6 |
Black had enough and resigned here. This game shows the dangers that Black is faced with in this line, where it's very difficult to find counterplay and stop White's dangerous initiative. | ||||
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