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Chessville
Chess
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Annotated Games
fantasychess v. rattlesnake Annotated by Chris Bird [Click here to view the "Annotated_Games" PGN file in Chess Tutor, an interactive chess board.] [Or download the PGN file to use in your own chess program.] The following game was played in the Online Chess League
run at the Internet Chess Club. I played a couple of games for a team called
Knights of the Square Table. The following game (I was white) is a perfect
example of a person knowing the opening moves of a certain line, but then
being thrown completely off-guard by a perfectly “normal” move and not
knowing what to do! This move signifies the Tarrasch variation of the French Defense. I have always played this move since the first book I ever owned was “Karpov’s Greatest Games” and this is the move he always played against the French. 3…Nf6 Although this move is considered very solid, 3…c5 is probably more common in top-level play. 4.e5 Nfd7 5.Bd3 White can also play the more forceful 5.f4, planning to build on the kingside. 5…c5 6.c3 Nc6 7.Ne2 Qb6 7…cxd4 is probably more precise, leaving the queen the option of going to c7 if needed. Then would normally follow 8.cxd4 f6 9.exf6 Nxf6 10.Nf3 Bd6 11.O-O O-O and white has a few moves available to him in this fairly standard position. 8.Nf3 cxd4 9.cxd4 f6 This is a very common theme in the French. The idea is to undermine white’s strong central pawn structure. The only drawback is black’s backward pawn on e6, which also blocks his white-squared bishop. However, if black can play …e5 without losing material, he usually has the better game. That’s why a lot of white’s play is concentrated on preventing black from playing …e5. 10.exf6 Nxf6 11.0–0 Bd6 12.Nc3 0–0 13.Bg5 Qxb2
This was the move that threw me. Until this game, I never actually realized that white was offering the sacrifice of a pawn, as nobody else has ever taken it! You could say that it is not in the “spirit” of the French to snatch the pawn on b2, but it certainly made me pause and think for about 15 minutes of the hour I had to complete the game. 14.Nb5 Since my usual knowledge of the strategic ideas had now been trashed, I decided to turn the game into a bit of a queen hunt, as that was the only reason I could think of as to why it was bad for black to capture the pawn. I chose the move 14.Nb5, since the only thing I could see after 14.Na4 was 14…Qb4 15.Bd2 Qa3 16.Bc1 Qb4 17.Bd2 Qa3 with a draw. Surely white must play for more than a draw? 14...Bb8?! Definitely not the most accurate move, even though black invariably wants to preserve his dark-squared bishop, a common theme in this line of the French. I believe a better alternative was to play 14…Ne4, utilizing the fact that white’s bishop is tied down to the defense of the knight on b5. There could follow 15.a4 protecting the knight (15.Bxe4?! dxe4 16.Rb1 Qxa2 17.Nc3 Qc4 18.Nxe4 Bb4 leaves black a clear pawn up) 15…Nc3, which leads to some very complicated play e.g. 16.Bxh7+ Kxh7 17.Qd3+ Kg8 18.Nxc3 (18.Qxc3 Qxc3 19.Nxc3 Rxf3!? (another common theme) 20.gxf3 Nxd4 with an unclear position, but I believe black should be ok and may even have a slight plus) 18…Nb4 19.Qe3 Nc2 20.Qd2 Bb4 21.Rac1 (21.Rfc1? Bxc3 22.Qxc2 Qxc2 23.Rxc2 Bxa1) 21…Bxc3 22.Qxc2 Qxc2 23.Rxc2 and white has a slight advantage because of the open c-file and more active minor pieces. 15.a3 I had the feeling that, in order to stop the queen from escaping, I had to cover the b4 square, but it appears white has to let the a-pawn go if he wants to get an advantage and capitalize on black’s inaccuracy, e.g. 15.Rb1! Qxa2 16.Ra1 Qb2 17.Ra4! the rook covers the important b4 square 17…Ne4 18.Bc1 Nc3 19.Bxb2 Nxd1 20.Rxd1 leaves white with a clear advantage having a piece for two pawns and a very active position. 15...Ne4! = 16.Rb1 Qa2 17.Qc1?! Here I missed a nice tactical shot that gives black the advantage. It appears from analysis that white’s best might be 17.Ra1 Qb2 18.Rb1 Qa2 with a draw by repetition. Not exactly what white wanted. 17...Nxg5 18.Nxg5?! If White now could only play 18.Rb2, but this leads to a decisive black advantage after 18…Nxf3+ 19.gxf3 Qxb2 20.Qxb2 a6 21.Nc3 Nxd4, as black has too much material for the queen. It appears the best move for white is 18.Qxg5, avoiding the neat little tactical trick that was missed by black, although after 18…a6 19.Ra1 Qb3 20.Qe3 Qa4, black’s queen escapes and he remains a pawn up. 18...Bxh2+? This is a decisive mistake. Much better was 18…Bf4 and it is white who is struggling: 19.Qc3 Qd2 20.Qxd2 Bxd2 21.Nc7 Bxg5 22.Nxa8 Nxd4 leaves black clearly better with the active pieces and strong pawns in the middle. 19.Kxh2 Rxf2 It appears that this move saves the black queen and actually threatens an attack with …Rxg2 to follow. Unfortunately, this falls into a beautiful ending.
20.Rb2!! A double attack, and white eventually wins the queen! Black cannot capture the rook because of the mate threat down the f-file, e.g. 20…Rxb2 21.Bxh7+ Kh8 22.Rf8#. 20...Qxb2 21.Qxb2 1–0 If 21…Rxb2 22.Bxh7+ Kh8 23.Rf8#
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