The Immortal Game

1. e4

This is considered the main opening for the majority of GMs

1...e5

Black meets White's centralization of a pawn with one of his own.

2.f4

The King's Gambit. White offers up the f-pawn in exchange for fast development, control over the centre and an attack on f7. It was played as long ago as the sixteenth century.

2...exf4

Black takes up White's offer by accepting the the free pawn.

3.Bc4

The King's Bishop Opening. In this opening when White doesn't play 3.Nf3, he allows Black to get in 3...Qh4+, but the check is considered double-edged since Black may lose time in retreating the queen in some lines.

3...Qh4+

Black ignores the rule "Knights and Bishops before the Queen and Rooks" for an early check.

4.Kf1

If 4.g3, than 4...fxg3!

4...b5?!



This is the Bryan Gambit, named for Thomas Jefferson Bryan. It is not considered a sound move by modern players. The idea is to return the pawn by forcing White's bishop off the a2-g8 diagonal where it can easily be attacked a second time with a timely c6. Mainline is 4...d5 5.Bxd5 Bd6.

5.Bxb5 Nf6

Development of pieces are paramount for both sides.

6.Nf3

White attacks Black's queen.

6...Qh6

The second move for the queen keeps Black from developing another piece.

7.d3



Protecting the e-pawn as well as setting up an attack on f4.

7...Nh5

The knight moves to protect the f-pawn. Better would be to develop the bishop to e7.

8.Nh4

The white knight heads for the outpost square on f5.

8...Qg5

The Queen moves to avoid the coming attack by the knight. At this point, Black's queen has now made three moves in the opening phase of the game.

9.Nf5! c6?!

Black now attacks the bishop, but I don't like this move. The idea is to support the pawn push to d5. The problem is that ...c6 takes away the strong space for Black's knight on b8.

10.g4

Piece attack and Black cannot take en passant due to his queen's vulnerable position.

10...Nf6

Black's knight has now moved three times in the opening. Black is three tempos behind.

11.Rg1!



White protects the g-pawn while leaving his bishop en prise.

11...cxb5

Piece capture. White loses his bishop, but for what compensation? We shall see further down the line as White is now a bishop and a pawn down.

12.h4

An attack on Black's queen.

12...Qg6

The fourth move of the queen.

13.h5 Qg5

Black's queen has moved a total of five times while White has gained space on the king-side. Tempo count stands as follows White: 10 Tempi; Black: 5 Tempi.

14.Qf3

Double attack on the f-pawn. White has two threats: first, bishop captures f5 attacking the queen which has no where to retreat to; second, to push e5 attacking the knight, the only other developed piece Black has out besides his queen.

14...Ng8



Black takes care of both threats by un-developing his knight. He has now moved the knight a total of four times and it has gone absolutely nowhere. Tempo count now stands at White: 11; Black: 4.

15.Bxf4

The bishop captures the pawn forcing Black's queen to move for the sixth time.

15...Qf6 16.Nc3

White develops another piece now that his king-side is secure.

16...Bc5

Black develops a piece with an attack on White's rook.

17.Nd5!

White ignores the piece attack with an attack of his own on Black's hapless queen as well as threatening to fork the king and rook on c7.

17...Qxb2



Black has captured the pawn giving him an attack on White's other rook.

18.Bd6!!

White can afford to be careless of his rooks as his minor pieces begin to surround the Black monarch, trying to catch it in a matting net.

18...Qxa1+

Black cannot take the bishop as it would lead to mate by 18...Bxd6 19.Nxd6+ Kd8 20.Nxf7+ Ke8 21.Nd6+ Kd8 22.Qf8# mate. Instead Black captures the rook giving him an eight point lead in material.

19.Ke2 Bxg1

Black has now captured the other rook giving him an eleven point lead in material advantage. Yet it is White who has more space, control of the centre and is nine tempi ahead of Black. On top of that, even though Black's two developed pieces have infiltrated into White's back rank, neither one of them have any real scope of attacking White's king.

20.e5!!

White's pawn move cuts off Black's queen from returning to help its troubled king.

20...Na6

Black develops his knight to the edge of the board in trying to prevent the fork on c7.

21.Nxg7+

Check. White grabs a pawn and attacks the king forcing him to move to d8.

21...Kd8 22.Qf6+!!

White sacrifices his queen with check to decoy Black's knight away from protecting the e7-square.

22...Nxf6

Black is now eighteen points ahead in material, yet its not what is off the board that counts but what is on the board, as White checkmates on the next move.

23.Be7# 1-0

Final Position

Lessons learned from this game:

• Don't play with your queen early in the game as it is easily attacked by your opponent.
• Development of your pieces is paramount especially when your opponent does not do so.
• Gaining space, time and control of the centre can out weight loss of material.
• Play with what is on the board (all your pieces) and attack your opponent at all times when you have the initiative. Never let up the pressure even at the expense of pieces that are not in play.