01-08-2013
, 10:29 AM
If anybody wants to add some of their own games to the thread, that's cool.
2012 was a bad chess year for me, so looking back at better times is the natural thing to do.
The following game is probably my best game ever, for a couple of reasons. It was played in May 2011 in our regional championship. I am a little bit proud of this game.
Villain - Hero
1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 c5 3. c3 Nc6 4. e3 Qb6 5. Qb3 c4 6. Qc2
6.. Bf5?!
I had prepared this line against the London system especially for this tournament. Unfortunately, after long analysis I am quite sure 6.. Bf5 is a mistake.
Sorry for the long text that is following; those interested in the London system can read it, the others can just skip it.
6.. Bf5 7. Qxf5! Qxb2 8. Qxd5 Qxa1 9. Qb5 and now Black has at least three possibilities, probably none of them equalising (The problem is that White can always find ways to defend the Nb1. If Black could play Qxb1+, he usually has enough counterplay to draw):
a) 9.. 0-0-0 (as played by Gelfand) 10. Bxc4 e5 11. Ne2 (11. Bxe5 Nb4!? 12. Bd3 Nxd3+ 13. Qxd3 Qxa2 is also good for White) 11.. exf4 12. 0-0 and Black can't stop Nd2.
b) 9.. a6 (Sveshnikov's try) 10. Qxb7 Nd8 11. Qe4! (not 11. Qxa8?! Qxb1+ 12. Ke2 e5 13. Bxe4 Qd3+ = This was Black's idea with 9..a6.) 11..Qb2 13. Bxc4 and Black is worse.
c) I found a novelty based on the idea Rd8-Rd7-Nd8-Rb7: 9.. Rd8N It took me a long time and a lot of White only moves to find a White advantage:
c1) 10. Qxb7?! Rd7! 11. Qb5 a6 (or even 11.. e5 12. Bxe4 Bb4!?) 12. Qb6? (better 12. Qxc6=) Nd8 -+
c2) 10. Bxc4! e5 11. Qxb7 Rd7 12. Bxf7+ Ke7 13. Qb3 exf4 14. Bxg8 Nd8 15. Qc2 Rxg8 16. Nf3 Rb7 17. 0-0 and finally White has achieved his goal.
Compare this to the London system lines with Nf3 and Nf6 included: Here Qxf5 is no possibility because d5 is covered and there is no Qxd5 follow-up. So (based on Houdini and a post on chesspub) I think 6.. e5! is the better move to prepare Bf5. Black sacrifices a pawn to block the Qxf5xd5 idea (and to open the f8-a3 diagonal, again with possible Bb4 motifs later on).
Some lines after 6.. e5 7. Bxe5:
a) 7.. Nxe5?! 8. dxe5 Bf5 9. Qa4+ Bd7 10. Qc2 Bf5 leads to a draw by repetition.
b) 7.. Bf5 8. Qc1 Nxe5 9. dxe5 f6 10. exf6 Nxf6 and Black has a lot of activity for the pawn with Bc5, 0-0, Rae8 next.
Back to the game:
7. Qc1 Nf6 8. Be2 e6 9. Nf3
The Black plan in this line is the same as in the variations in the Winawer French where Black has closed the center with c4: He wants to castle long and initiate a pawn storm on the kingside, especially after White has castled short. So I started with Nh5, trying to exchange White's most active piece.
9.. Nh5 10. Bg5
10. Be5 f6 11. Bg3 and now either 11.. Nxg3 or first 11.. g5 is similar to the game.
10.. h6 11. Bh4 g5 12. Nfd2
I had not expected this. Capturing on h4 would disrupt my pawn structure while opening the g-file; I did not like it. So I just covered the knight with 12.. Bg6, expecting his idea to be 13. Bxh5 Bxh5 14. Bg3 when I intended to follow the plan I outlined above (if White allows it).
My opponent expected 12.. Nf4 13. exf4 gxh4 and Houdini confirms this to be best, but I didn't consider that at all; I didn't want to play gxh4.
12..Bg6 13. Bg3 Nxg3 14. hxg3 Be7 15. e4?!
White's problem is his undeveloped queenside and his lack of counterplay. Therefore 15. b3 was a better move that probably still holds the balance. Say 15.. cxb3 16. axb3 and now Black has a difficult decision on how to continue (castling long/short?, pushing h-pawn or e-pawn?), whereas White can play develop Na3 and intend c4 later on.
15.. O-O-O 16. e5
Just now 16. b3 wasn't an option because of 16.. Nxd4. Still, 16. e5 is a mistake I could have exploited immediately by rolling up his center but didn't: 16.. f6! 17. exf6 Bxf6 18. Nf3 e5 19. dxe5 Nxe5 with a strong attack. Instead I continued with my planned scheme of pushing the kingside pawns:
16.. h5 17. b3 cxb3 18. axb3 g4 19. b4 h4 20. b5?
The last moves were the logical continuation of our respective ideas. I push my pawns whereas he tries to untangle his queenside. Instead of 20. b5 he should have played something like 20. gxh4 Bxh4 21. Rf1 (21. g3?! Bg5) but it is understandable that he didn't want to just cede the h-file. However, his move is a blunder.
20..Nxe5! 21. dxe5
21. gxh4 was maybe a bit stronger, but after 21..Nd3+ 22. Bxd3 Bxd3 Black's pieces dominate the board and Black has a strong attack, e.g. after 23. g3 e5.
21.. hxg3
The point of the combination.
22. Rf1 gxf2+ 23. Kd1
Here Houdini gives the line 23.. d4 24. cxd4+ Kb8 25. Ra4 Rxd4 26. Rxd4 Qxd4 and White is helpless against the threat Qa4+. He can exchange queens but the endgame is lost. I think my move 23.. g3 is stronger from a practical standpoint. Just keep the kingside pawns and then go for the direct attack on the king.
23.. g3 24. Nf3 Bc5 25. Nbd2 Kb8
To prepare d4.
26. Nb3 d4 27. Bc4 dxc3+ 28. Ke2 c2
The second pawn on the second rank.
29. Qf4 Rhg8
Here I had my last think. The plan of Rhg8 is Bf5, Rg4 and it's either mate or I win the queen and mate later.
30. Rh1 Bf5 31. Rhf1 Rg4 0-1
Total domination.
As I said, I consider this my best game. It has everything: an interesting opening with a strategical idea that I put into action; a nice combination; a mating attack; and a pretty postion with the c2 and f2-pawns. Also, this was a sportingly important game against a stronger opponent.
The pgn of the game:
Replayer link
2012 was a bad chess year for me, so looking back at better times is the natural thing to do.
The following game is probably my best game ever, for a couple of reasons. It was played in May 2011 in our regional championship. I am a little bit proud of this game.
Villain - Hero
1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 c5 3. c3 Nc6 4. e3 Qb6 5. Qb3 c4 6. Qc2
6.. Bf5?!
I had prepared this line against the London system especially for this tournament. Unfortunately, after long analysis I am quite sure 6.. Bf5 is a mistake.
Sorry for the long text that is following; those interested in the London system can read it, the others can just skip it.
6.. Bf5 7. Qxf5! Qxb2 8. Qxd5 Qxa1 9. Qb5 and now Black has at least three possibilities, probably none of them equalising (The problem is that White can always find ways to defend the Nb1. If Black could play Qxb1+, he usually has enough counterplay to draw):
a) 9.. 0-0-0 (as played by Gelfand) 10. Bxc4 e5 11. Ne2 (11. Bxe5 Nb4!? 12. Bd3 Nxd3+ 13. Qxd3 Qxa2 is also good for White) 11.. exf4 12. 0-0 and Black can't stop Nd2.
b) 9.. a6 (Sveshnikov's try) 10. Qxb7 Nd8 11. Qe4! (not 11. Qxa8?! Qxb1+ 12. Ke2 e5 13. Bxe4 Qd3+ = This was Black's idea with 9..a6.) 11..Qb2 13. Bxc4 and Black is worse.
c) I found a novelty based on the idea Rd8-Rd7-Nd8-Rb7: 9.. Rd8N It took me a long time and a lot of White only moves to find a White advantage:
c1) 10. Qxb7?! Rd7! 11. Qb5 a6 (or even 11.. e5 12. Bxe4 Bb4!?) 12. Qb6? (better 12. Qxc6=) Nd8 -+
c2) 10. Bxc4! e5 11. Qxb7 Rd7 12. Bxf7+ Ke7 13. Qb3 exf4 14. Bxg8 Nd8 15. Qc2 Rxg8 16. Nf3 Rb7 17. 0-0 and finally White has achieved his goal.
Compare this to the London system lines with Nf3 and Nf6 included: Here Qxf5 is no possibility because d5 is covered and there is no Qxd5 follow-up. So (based on Houdini and a post on chesspub) I think 6.. e5! is the better move to prepare Bf5. Black sacrifices a pawn to block the Qxf5xd5 idea (and to open the f8-a3 diagonal, again with possible Bb4 motifs later on).
Some lines after 6.. e5 7. Bxe5:
a) 7.. Nxe5?! 8. dxe5 Bf5 9. Qa4+ Bd7 10. Qc2 Bf5 leads to a draw by repetition.
b) 7.. Bf5 8. Qc1 Nxe5 9. dxe5 f6 10. exf6 Nxf6 and Black has a lot of activity for the pawn with Bc5, 0-0, Rae8 next.
Back to the game:
7. Qc1 Nf6 8. Be2 e6 9. Nf3
The Black plan in this line is the same as in the variations in the Winawer French where Black has closed the center with c4: He wants to castle long and initiate a pawn storm on the kingside, especially after White has castled short. So I started with Nh5, trying to exchange White's most active piece.
9.. Nh5 10. Bg5
10. Be5 f6 11. Bg3 and now either 11.. Nxg3 or first 11.. g5 is similar to the game.
10.. h6 11. Bh4 g5 12. Nfd2
I had not expected this. Capturing on h4 would disrupt my pawn structure while opening the g-file; I did not like it. So I just covered the knight with 12.. Bg6, expecting his idea to be 13. Bxh5 Bxh5 14. Bg3 when I intended to follow the plan I outlined above (if White allows it).
My opponent expected 12.. Nf4 13. exf4 gxh4 and Houdini confirms this to be best, but I didn't consider that at all; I didn't want to play gxh4.
12..Bg6 13. Bg3 Nxg3 14. hxg3 Be7 15. e4?!
White's problem is his undeveloped queenside and his lack of counterplay. Therefore 15. b3 was a better move that probably still holds the balance. Say 15.. cxb3 16. axb3 and now Black has a difficult decision on how to continue (castling long/short?, pushing h-pawn or e-pawn?), whereas White can play develop Na3 and intend c4 later on.
15.. O-O-O 16. e5
Just now 16. b3 wasn't an option because of 16.. Nxd4. Still, 16. e5 is a mistake I could have exploited immediately by rolling up his center but didn't: 16.. f6! 17. exf6 Bxf6 18. Nf3 e5 19. dxe5 Nxe5 with a strong attack. Instead I continued with my planned scheme of pushing the kingside pawns:
16.. h5 17. b3 cxb3 18. axb3 g4 19. b4 h4 20. b5?
The last moves were the logical continuation of our respective ideas. I push my pawns whereas he tries to untangle his queenside. Instead of 20. b5 he should have played something like 20. gxh4 Bxh4 21. Rf1 (21. g3?! Bg5) but it is understandable that he didn't want to just cede the h-file. However, his move is a blunder.
20..Nxe5! 21. dxe5
21. gxh4 was maybe a bit stronger, but after 21..Nd3+ 22. Bxd3 Bxd3 Black's pieces dominate the board and Black has a strong attack, e.g. after 23. g3 e5.
21.. hxg3
The point of the combination.
22. Rf1 gxf2+ 23. Kd1
Here Houdini gives the line 23.. d4 24. cxd4+ Kb8 25. Ra4 Rxd4 26. Rxd4 Qxd4 and White is helpless against the threat Qa4+. He can exchange queens but the endgame is lost. I think my move 23.. g3 is stronger from a practical standpoint. Just keep the kingside pawns and then go for the direct attack on the king.
23.. g3 24. Nf3 Bc5 25. Nbd2 Kb8
To prepare d4.
26. Nb3 d4 27. Bc4 dxc3+ 28. Ke2 c2
The second pawn on the second rank.
29. Qf4 Rhg8
Here I had my last think. The plan of Rhg8 is Bf5, Rg4 and it's either mate or I win the queen and mate later.
30. Rh1 Bf5 31. Rhf1 Rg4 0-1
Total domination.
As I said, I consider this my best game. It has everything: an interesting opening with a strategical idea that I put into action; a nice combination; a mating attack; and a pretty postion with the c2 and f2-pawns. Also, this was a sportingly important game against a stronger opponent.
The pgn of the game:
Code:
[White "Villain"] [Black "Hero"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "D00"] [PlyCount "62"] 1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 c5 3. c3 Nc6 4. e3 Qb6 5. Qb3 c4 6. Qc2 Bf5 7. Qc1 Nf6 8. Be2 e6 9. Nf3 Nh5 10. Bg5 h6 11. Bh4 g5 12. Nfd2 Bg6 13. Bg3 Nxg3 14. hxg3 Be7 15. e4 O-O-O 16. e5 h5 17. b3 cxb3 18. axb3 g4 19. b4 h4 20. b5 Nxe5 21. dxe5 hxg3 22. Rf1 gxf2+ 23. Kd1 g3 24. Nf3 Bc5 25. Nbd2 Kb8 26. Nb3 d4 27. Bc4 dxc3+ 28. Ke2 c2 29. Qf4 Rhg8 30. Rh1 Bf5 31. Rhf1 Rg4 0-1
Replayer link
01-09-2013
, 09:38 PM
I feel bad putting this game on this thread because it's nowhere near as interesting or high quality as Ajezz's, but it's a recent game and I think it's somewhat humorous. I was white against a 1750. It's interesting because the game ends on move 18 without any pieces or pawns having been exchanged, but black's queen is trapped. Haven't had too many games like that. It pretty clearly illustrates what happens when one side suffers from a lack of space and makes no effort to counterattack the opposing center.
Game replayer link
http://www.chessvideos.tv/chess-game...r.php?id=75296
Final position
Raw PGN
Game replayer link
http://www.chessvideos.tv/chess-game...r.php?id=75296
Final position
Raw PGN
Quote:
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 c6 5. Bg5 Be7 6. e3 O-O 7. Qc2 Nbd7 8. Rd1 Re8 9. Bd3 Nf8 10. O-O h6 11. Bh4 Bd7 12. Ne5 Rc8 13. c5 b6 14. b4 c7 15. Qe2 N6h7 16. Bg3 Qd8 17. Qh5 f6 18. Nf7 1-0
01-10-2013
, 12:16 PM
Your assumption that she (was actually playing a girl. I hope this game taught her to get back in the kitchen. amirite??? totally joking ) was just doing it to get developed is completely accurate. After the game, she told me she wasn't familiar with black's plans when white doesn't capture with cxd5. She was used to the typical Carlsbad structure, with white playing for the minority attack and black for kingside play.
Her play was just inconsistent with the structure, she was basically mixing plans with what she somewhat knew. Playing 10...h6? after putting the knight on f8 is just bad, the knight is never coming to g6. Then 11...Bd7 is probably a ?? move. The knight needs to stay there to support c5, which black never got to play.
) was just doing it to get developed is completely accurate. After the game, she told me she wasn't familiar with black's plans when white doesn't capture with cxd5. She was used to the typical Carlsbad structure, with white playing for the minority attack and black for kingside play.Her play was just inconsistent with the structure, she was basically mixing plans with what she somewhat knew. Playing 10...h6? after putting the knight on f8 is just bad, the knight is never coming to g6. Then 11...Bd7 is probably a ?? move. The knight needs to stay there to support c5, which black never got to play.
01-10-2013
, 08:43 PM
Yeah, playing a smothered mate out is such a rare pleasure, congrats
I stopped playing seriously after reaching ~1600 11 years ago (at 14), so there haven't been any really good games of mine
I thought there were a couple of creative attacks I could be proud of (alas no big sacs ), but now, thanks to this forum, I've discovered Houdini 1.5a that showed me that the one I was the proudest of was suboptimal, leading only to a draw
I played those games in offline tourneys and don't have their records, so sorry for the absence of the openings, I'll just post the key positions.
The first one was played vs a substantially better (1800+) villain (White) when I desperately needed points.
The second one was played vs a previously better (1700+) player (White) who however had stopped studying and was already weaker at that point. (I don't remember the queenside position exactly, but do remember the kingside pretty well.)
I stopped playing seriously after reaching ~1600 11 years ago (at 14), so there haven't been any really good games of mine
I thought there were a couple of creative attacks I could be proud of (alas no big sacs ), but now, thanks to this forum, I've discovered Houdini 1.5a that showed me that the one I was the proudest of was suboptimal, leading only to a draw I played those games in offline tourneys and don't have their records, so sorry for the absence of the openings, I'll just post the key positions.
The first one was played vs a substantially better (1800+) villain (White) when I desperately needed points.
Spoiler:
The second one was played vs a previously better (1700+) player (White) who however had stopped studying and was already weaker at that point. (I don't remember the queenside position exactly, but do remember the kingside pretty well.)
Spoiler: