TheDarkKnight vs IBeatScurvey
Date Played: 2006-05-19Location: redhotpawn.com
1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e4 c6
Out of book. I'm guessing its an aim to develop as if it were the caro-kann without any pawn weaknesses. If it was played to help defend the pawn it should have been played before dxc4.
4.Bxc4 e6!?
It would have been better for this to have been played after the light squared bishop was developed.
5.Nc3
Nf3 was proabably better making castling available. But I couldnt think of much of a goal besides a possible opening of lines in the future with d5.
5...Bb4 6.a3 Bxc3+
Ba5 looks better as now white has the Bishop pair against blacks bad bishop and black doesnt even give white doubled pawns as compensation.
7.bxc3 Nf6 8.e5
I may have commited to this pawn structure and a kingside attack to early, with this and my next move as black hasnt even castled yet. But im not sure as it seemed to work.
8...Nd5 9.Qg4 Rg8
If Nxc3? Qxg7 Rf8 Bh6 Nd7 Qxh7 and whites winning.
10.Ne2 Na6
This looks interesting with the possible ideas of an attack on the c3 pawn with Nc7 to b5 and then Qa5, and a queenside pawnstorm with Nc7 Rg8 b5 etc. or b6 followed by c5. Or just aiming to castle O-O-O. But I dont think im a strong enough player to accurately guess at its quality. Perhaps black needs to concentrate more on prophylactic play on the kingside, but perhaps thats not neccasary yet (or plausible before castling).
11. h4
Aiming for speed. Perhaps white is too impatient and hasty in his attack. O-O after Bd3 looks alot safer, and my disconnected Rooks later caused me much annoyance, but later on the attack proves successful until white misses the correct continuation so I think this is an ok move. 11...Qa5 12.Rh3 Two birds with one stone. This defends the pawn while continuing with my plan and placing my rook where it can attack along the g or f files, or help with the advance of the h pawn. But it must be admitted that Nxc3 isnt really much of a threat yet because of the reply Bd2.
12...b5 13.Bd3 g6 14.h5
If not played now then h5 prevents it from being possible in the future.
14...Ne7
Bb7 looks better with Kd7 in mind connecting the rooks.
15.hxg6 hxg6 16.Qh4
With the aim of attacking the rook by Bg5 then Qh7, but I soon realized I couldnt both take away the knight defending the rook and prevent Rf8. Sadly I didnt see when the time came that I could win material another way.
16...Bb7 17.Bg5 Qc7?
Although white missed the oppurtunity, this loses material to the variation given below. Better is Nf5 saving the knight and allowing a future kd7, for if Qh7 Rg6 and if Bxf5 gxf5 and Qh7 must be delayed as the bishop needs to be defended allowing Kd7.
18.Bxe7
Hoping that after exchanges whites good bishop vs blacks bad one and the many holes in blacks position at c5, d6 and f6 (all good places for a knight and accessable from e4) will give white the win. (18.Qh7 Rf8 (18...Rd8 19.Bxe7 Kxe7 20.Rf3 Rdf8 21.Rxf7+ Rxf7 22.Qxg8 Qd8 23.Qxg6+-) 19.Bh6 Rg8 20.Rf3 0𢠢 21.Rxf7+-)
18...Qxe7 19.Qxe7+ Kxe7 20.Rb1
With my attack failed on the king side, I shift focus over to the queenside, where I have a half open file and a Bishop directed. With this move my ideas are that with the b5 pawn pinned to both the knight and Bishop (by my Bishop and rook), and with b4 controlled preventing b4 if the knight moved, I will be able to do one of the following, win a pawn with a queenside pawn majority, (maybe in exchange for g2), create a passed pawn, or simply open up lines for my rooks.
20...Nc7 21.c4 Ba6
I didnt anticipate this defence, defending the pawn while unpinning it from the Bishop.
22. c5
I decide to lock the bad bishop up figuring my Bishop was good enough by comparison to give me the win, but it actually begins to look very drawish. In exchange for locking his pawns on light squares, I give black a hole at d5, which he promptly places a knight on.
22...Nd5 23. Rf3
My plan is still on the queenside, aiming at a passed pawn with a4. But the black knight can jump to its defence with Nc7 so I need another attacker, but before my knight can make the journey to d6, I want to prevent Nf4 forking my bishop and rook. In exchange for preventing this without moving my bishop were it keeps an eye on b5 and g6, I cede the h-file.
23...Rh8 24.Ng3
I dont want to allow the exchange of rooks with Rh1+ so it was this or Kd2. This starts the knight on its way while defending h1, and gets out of the way of the bishop in case its needed to defend g2 after Rh2. If Rh2 Bf1 I figure after Kd2 then Ne4 I can play g3 allowing the bishop to return to d3.
24...Raf8 25. Kd2
a4 looks good except c3 needs to be guarded from the knight. Unfortunately this gives black the time he needs to unpin his b5 pawn and setup a better defence.
25...Bc8 26.a4 a6 27.Ne4
I'm hoping that he will take the pawn, but if not im aiming at axb5 axb5 Ra1. This knight move mainly allows me to stop worrying about Rh2 ex: Rh2 g3 but Nd6 or Nf6 depending on where blacks bishop or rooks might move after Ra1 is nice to have as options. 27...bxa4!? I think this loses the a6 pawn eventually, but it could still be a draw. 28. Ra1 Nb4 29. Rxa4 Not a bishop move along the a6 f1 diagonal. I am attempting to keep the Bishop and its control on a6, for if Be2 or Bc4 or Bf1 then Rh4, the text move still wins the pawn after Nd6 I think, and looks safer to me.
29...Nxd3 30. Rxd3
I felt my rook might be more usefull on the queenside, as it might help in an attempt to capture the c6 pawn.
30...Rd8
I'm guessing his intention is to play Rd7 allowing the doubling of rooks behind c6, but maybe the d-file is the intention.
31.Nd6 f6?
Loses material for if he retakes the pawn then Rf3+ sets up Nf7 winning the exchange. Not to mention messes up his pawn structure more, giving himself 4 isolated pawns on the color of his bishop.
32.exf6+ Kxf6 33.Rf3+ Kg5??
Steps into forced checkmate in 4 moves. I thought I should mention that if Kg7 the computer likes Rf7+ Kh6 (Kg8 Rc7 Bd7 Nb7.) Ra1 a little more than Nf7 winning the exchange.
34.Nf7+ Kh5
(34...Kg4 35.d5+ Kh5 36.Rh3#)
35.Rh3+ Kg4 36.d5+ Kf5 37.Rf3#
Out of book. I'm guessing its an aim to develop as if it were the caro-kann without any pawn weaknesses. If it was played to help defend the pawn it should have been played before dxc4.
4.Bxc4 e6!?
It would have been better for this to have been played after the light squared bishop was developed.
5.Nc3
Nf3 was proabably better making castling available. But I couldnt think of much of a goal besides a possible opening of lines in the future with d5.
5...Bb4 6.a3 Bxc3+
Ba5 looks better as now white has the Bishop pair against blacks bad bishop and black doesnt even give white doubled pawns as compensation.
7.bxc3 Nf6 8.e5
I may have commited to this pawn structure and a kingside attack to early, with this and my next move as black hasnt even castled yet. But im not sure as it seemed to work.
8...Nd5 9.Qg4 Rg8
If Nxc3? Qxg7 Rf8 Bh6 Nd7 Qxh7 and whites winning.
10.Ne2 Na6
This looks interesting with the possible ideas of an attack on the c3 pawn with Nc7 to b5 and then Qa5, and a queenside pawnstorm with Nc7 Rg8 b5 etc. or b6 followed by c5. Or just aiming to castle O-O-O. But I dont think im a strong enough player to accurately guess at its quality. Perhaps black needs to concentrate more on prophylactic play on the kingside, but perhaps thats not neccasary yet (or plausible before castling).
11. h4
Aiming for speed. Perhaps white is too impatient and hasty in his attack. O-O after Bd3 looks alot safer, and my disconnected Rooks later caused me much annoyance, but later on the attack proves successful until white misses the correct continuation so I think this is an ok move. 11...Qa5 12.Rh3 Two birds with one stone. This defends the pawn while continuing with my plan and placing my rook where it can attack along the g or f files, or help with the advance of the h pawn. But it must be admitted that Nxc3 isnt really much of a threat yet because of the reply Bd2.
12...b5 13.Bd3 g6 14.h5
If not played now then h5 prevents it from being possible in the future.
14...Ne7
Bb7 looks better with Kd7 in mind connecting the rooks.
15.hxg6 hxg6 16.Qh4
With the aim of attacking the rook by Bg5 then Qh7, but I soon realized I couldnt both take away the knight defending the rook and prevent Rf8. Sadly I didnt see when the time came that I could win material another way.
16...Bb7 17.Bg5 Qc7?
Although white missed the oppurtunity, this loses material to the variation given below. Better is Nf5 saving the knight and allowing a future kd7, for if Qh7 Rg6 and if Bxf5 gxf5 and Qh7 must be delayed as the bishop needs to be defended allowing Kd7.
18.Bxe7
Hoping that after exchanges whites good bishop vs blacks bad one and the many holes in blacks position at c5, d6 and f6 (all good places for a knight and accessable from e4) will give white the win. (18.Qh7 Rf8 (18...Rd8 19.Bxe7 Kxe7 20.Rf3 Rdf8 21.Rxf7+ Rxf7 22.Qxg8 Qd8 23.Qxg6+-) 19.Bh6 Rg8 20.Rf3 0𢠢 21.Rxf7+-)
18...Qxe7 19.Qxe7+ Kxe7 20.Rb1
With my attack failed on the king side, I shift focus over to the queenside, where I have a half open file and a Bishop directed. With this move my ideas are that with the b5 pawn pinned to both the knight and Bishop (by my Bishop and rook), and with b4 controlled preventing b4 if the knight moved, I will be able to do one of the following, win a pawn with a queenside pawn majority, (maybe in exchange for g2), create a passed pawn, or simply open up lines for my rooks.
20...Nc7 21.c4 Ba6
I didnt anticipate this defence, defending the pawn while unpinning it from the Bishop.
22. c5
I decide to lock the bad bishop up figuring my Bishop was good enough by comparison to give me the win, but it actually begins to look very drawish. In exchange for locking his pawns on light squares, I give black a hole at d5, which he promptly places a knight on.
22...Nd5 23. Rf3
My plan is still on the queenside, aiming at a passed pawn with a4. But the black knight can jump to its defence with Nc7 so I need another attacker, but before my knight can make the journey to d6, I want to prevent Nf4 forking my bishop and rook. In exchange for preventing this without moving my bishop were it keeps an eye on b5 and g6, I cede the h-file.
23...Rh8 24.Ng3
I dont want to allow the exchange of rooks with Rh1+ so it was this or Kd2. This starts the knight on its way while defending h1, and gets out of the way of the bishop in case its needed to defend g2 after Rh2. If Rh2 Bf1 I figure after Kd2 then Ne4 I can play g3 allowing the bishop to return to d3.
24...Raf8 25. Kd2
a4 looks good except c3 needs to be guarded from the knight. Unfortunately this gives black the time he needs to unpin his b5 pawn and setup a better defence.
25...Bc8 26.a4 a6 27.Ne4
I'm hoping that he will take the pawn, but if not im aiming at axb5 axb5 Ra1. This knight move mainly allows me to stop worrying about Rh2 ex: Rh2 g3 but Nd6 or Nf6 depending on where blacks bishop or rooks might move after Ra1 is nice to have as options. 27...bxa4!? I think this loses the a6 pawn eventually, but it could still be a draw. 28. Ra1 Nb4 29. Rxa4 Not a bishop move along the a6 f1 diagonal. I am attempting to keep the Bishop and its control on a6, for if Be2 or Bc4 or Bf1 then Rh4, the text move still wins the pawn after Nd6 I think, and looks safer to me.
29...Nxd3 30. Rxd3
I felt my rook might be more usefull on the queenside, as it might help in an attempt to capture the c6 pawn.
30...Rd8
I'm guessing his intention is to play Rd7 allowing the doubling of rooks behind c6, but maybe the d-file is the intention.
31.Nd6 f6?
Loses material for if he retakes the pawn then Rf3+ sets up Nf7 winning the exchange. Not to mention messes up his pawn structure more, giving himself 4 isolated pawns on the color of his bishop.
32.exf6+ Kxf6 33.Rf3+ Kg5??
Steps into forced checkmate in 4 moves. I thought I should mention that if Kg7 the computer likes Rf7+ Kh6 (Kg8 Rc7 Bd7 Nb7.) Ra1 a little more than Nf7 winning the exchange.
34.Nf7+ Kh5
(34...Kg4 35.d5+ Kh5 36.Rh3#)
35.Rh3+ Kg4 36.d5+ Kf5 37.Rf3#