Featured Game of the Week
Thanks to Chessflash for the diagram illustrations.
1. Nf3 Nf6 2. d4 d5 3. c4 e6 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5 c5?
(Diagram 1)
Here it is not the move, but the question mark, that reveals my confusion about tension and exchanges in the center. After the game, both my opponent and I determined that this move lost me a pawn, but a much higher rated player then walked by and showed us that this was not the case at all. After 6.dxc5 Black should not reply as I did with 6…Bxc5, but with 6…Bxc3 and Black will eventually regain the pawn.
6. dxc5 Bxc5
Now I see that I might be losing a very important pawn.
7. cxd5 exd5?
Doh! Now I’ve lost the pawn.
What I didn’t see was 7...Qb6!? refusing to immediately regain the pawn and instead threatening two of white’s, the ones on f2 and b2, simultaneously! (8.Bxf6 gxf6 is not the end of the world here, as I so terribly feared.)
8. Bxf6 Qxf6 9. Qxd5?
9. Nxd5 might be better, yet also trickier, for White.
9…Nd7
(Diagram 2)
Awkard. Still, it’s probably the second best move available. 9...Qb6! is certainly still best here. Active moves are almost always better!
10. e3 O-O 11. Bb5 Bb4?
Only encouraging White to castle into safety. Still better is 11...Qb6! followed by 12...Nf6, 13...Rd8 etc. For some reason I struggle to find strong moves for my Queen.
12. Rc1 Rd8 13. O-O Nb6
(Diagram 3)
13...Nc5 would take away more squares from White's Queen which is forced to retreat.
14. Qb3 Bf8
BWhy retreat? 14.a5!
15. Rfd1 Be6 16. Qc2 Rac8
Probably stronger was 16…Nd5
17. Rxd8 Rxd8
17...Qxd8 maintains the pin against the Black Queen.
18. Bd3 g6 19. Nd4?
19.Be4 targets the weak b7 pawn and posts the bishop on an even stronger square.
19…Bg7 20. Ne4 Qe7 21. Nxe6 Qxe6 22. b3 Nd5 23. Bc4 Rc8?
23...Qe7 breaks the pin.
24. Qd2??
Drops the knight! 24.Rd1 or 24.Ng5 puts Black in a tough spot.
24…Qxe4 25. f3
(Diagram 4)
With just two minutes left on my clock I succumb to time trouble and White’s clever offer. I rush my next move thinking it would lead to a simplified winning position. The resulting endgame was far from simple and was later studied at length by the higher rated players who found it to be of interest.
25…Qxe3+??
Not taking the time to see the tactics involved with my vulnerable King, and giving away the advantage I had just gained. The simple 15...Qe5 keeps Black up a piece for a pawn.
26. Qxe3 Nxe3 27. Bxf7+ Kxf7 28. Rxc8
(Diagram 5)
Now this complicated endgame arises for which I had less than two minutes left on my clock to play. Black has only one good move. If I fail to see it, I will lose. Luckily, I see it immediately.
28…Be5!
Stopping the Rook from hitting the seventh rank with check and making my two pieces better than White’s one, for the moment, at least.
29. g3 g5 30. Kf2 Nd5 31. Rd8 Ke6 32. Re8+ Kd6 33. Rf8 Bd4+ 34. Kf1 a5
34...h5 is better because the a7 pawn is already protected by the Bishop. It's the h7 and b7 pawns that need saving.
35. Rf7 b5 36. Rxh7
(Diagram 6)
The game is slipping away from me even though a knight and bishop are usually slightly stronger than a lone rook in the endgame.
36…Nc3 37. Rh6+ Kc5 38. a3 Be3
38...Nb1! while the Rook is out of the action!
39. h4 gxh4 40. Rxh4 Nb1?
Too late now. White's Rook cuts off the king and now White's pieces aren't communicating very well. Better was 40...a4.
41. b4+ axb4 42. axb4+ Kb6?
(Diagram 7)
The question mark is because Black's king now blocks the diagonal for his bishop, limiting it's mobility. Far better was 42...Kc6 where the King would be closer to the center and the a7-g1 diagonal is open for the bishop to maneuver.
43. f4 Bd2
43...Nc3 Centralize your pieces to better work together!
44. f5 Nc3 45.f6 Bg5 46. Rd4?
Setting up a “cheap-o” that I readily fall for. However, stronger was 46. f7!
In time trouble things get sloppy.
46…Bxf6?
46...Kc6 keeps the bishop.
47. Rd6+ Kc7 48. Rxf6 Nd5 49. Rf7+
49.Rf3 and White has an easily won game.
49…Kd6 50. g4 Nxb4?
Time trouble reveals the true sophistication of your chess vision. 50...Ne3+! would fork the king and g-pawn, killing White’s kingside play.
51.Rb7
51.g5 is strongest.
51…Nd5
51...Kc6! protect that pawn!
52. Rxb5? Nf6?
52.Ne3! wins the g-pawn! This is why I hate blitz chess.
53. Rg5 Ke6 54. Kf2
Whoops. This is why I love blitz chess.
54…Ne4+ 55. Kf3 Nxg5+ 56. Kf4 Kf6 Draw.
(Diagram 8)