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ANNOTATED GAME

Challenge from vhhsawb
vhhsawb (1050) vs. ethansiegel (1714)
Annotated by: ethansiegel (1986)
Chess opening: Giuoco Piano (C50)
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Pages: 123
11. a3
White needs to be developing his pieces, and this doesn't help with that.
1 comment
 
11... Re8
While black brings another piece towards the center. Take stock here, after 11 moves. Black controls more space, is up a pawn, and after a move like Bg4 or Be6, will have completed development. White is almost as developed, but it's a lot more difficult for his Bc1 to join the fray.
1 comment
 
12. b4
?? A very bad move. During the game, vhhsawb asked me about where he went wrong and I pointed to this as the losing move. Whenever a pawn or piece is moved, I like to check how this effects the rest of the board. Here, moving the pawn from b2 to b4 turns the knight, which was protecting e4 and attacking d5, into a horribly pinned piece. Only the queen protects it, and now black has a good shot...
1 comment
 
12... dxe4
Now, white cannot recapture, as the pin on the knight is too strong, so he's got to move the Bd3 to either e2 or c4.

 
13. Bxe4
? But white doesn't see that Bxe4 is impossible. Now white loses a piece.
1 comment
 
13... Nxe4
If white recaptures, black is free to play Bxa1.

 
14. Nxe4
There was no good option here -- moving the queen allows either Nxc3 or Bxc3, and either way white is down a piece with black's pieces swarming the queenside. This way, black's pieces are awkwardly positioned, but white is down a full rook!

 
14... Bxa1
And now black is up a rook.

 
15. Qxd8
Exchanging queens only brings black closer to a won endgame.

 
15... Rxd8
...so I'm more than happy to oblige. Now, white can threaten to win some material back with Bg5, which puts a double threat on the Rd8 and the Ba1.

 
16. Bg5
! White's best chance. But I find the right counterstroke...

 
16... Rd4
Rd4 threatens the knight, removes the threat on the rook, and prevents white from winning any material back. Note how this is better than f6, which loses a pawn.

 
17. Rxa1
Allowing the exchange of pieces is all in black's favor here.

 
17... Rxe4
And with two rooks and a bishop against one and a bishop, the end is near.

 
18. h3
Allowing the rook to move off the back rank.

 
18... f6
And this bumps the bishop out of black's territory.

 
19. Bd2
Maybe Be3 was slightly better.

 
19... Bf5
Preparing to load up on the c2 pawn.

 
20. Re1
When you're down material, exchanging pieces is frowned upon -- the goal should be to exchange pawns but to keep as many of your own pieces on the board as possible.

 
20... Rxe1+
Of course, when you're up material, it's hard to resist an exchange like that.

 

Pages: 123