Hey guys,

This was a pretty long game, so I put it in another thread. So if this forum gets busier I am fine with putting it all into one thread though. But anyway!

http://www.chessvideos.tv/chess-game...r.php?id=13971

Here is the raw PGN game:
[Event "rated standard match"]
[Site "Free Internet Chess Server"]
[Date "2009.03.20"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ian Scott"]
[Black "garcia1000"]
[Result "*"]
[WhiteElo "1687"]
[BlackElo "1797"]
[ECO "C68"]
[TimeControl "900"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 c6 5. Be2 Nf6 6. Nf3 Bg4 7. Ne5 Bxe2 8. Qxe2 e6 9. O-O Bd6 10. f4 O-O 11. Be3 Nbd7 12. Bf2 c5 13. Rad1 Nb6 14. Qf3 Nbd5 15. Nc4 Qa6 16. Nxd6 Qxd6 17. g3 c4 18. Rfe1 Qb4 19. Rb1 Nxc3 20. bxc3 Qa3 21. Qxb7 Qxc3 22. Qb2 Nd5 23. Re5 Qxb2 24. Rxb2 Rfb8 25. Rxb8 Rxb8 26. f5 Rb2 27. fxe6 fxe6 28. Rxe6 Rxc2 29. Re5 Nb4 30. Be3 Nd3 31. Ra5 Re2 32. Bf4 c3 33. Ra3 Nxf4 34. Rxc3 Nd5 35. Ra3 Ne3 36. Rxa7 Rg2+ 37. Kh1 Rd2 38. Kg1 Rxd4 39. a4 Rd2 40. a5 Rg2+ 41. Kh1 Ra2 42. Kg1 Nc4 43. a6 Nb6 44. h4 h5 45. Kh1 Kh7 46. Kg1 Kg6 47. Kh1 Kf6 48. Kg1 g6 49. Kh1 Nd5 50. Rd7 Ke6 51. Rg7 Ne7 52. Kg1 Rxa6 53. Kg2 Kf6 54. Rh7 Re6 55. Kf3 Nf5 56. Kf4 Rd6 57. Rc7 Rd4+ 58. Kf3 Rd3+ 59. Kf2 Rxg3 60. Rc6 Ke5 61. Rc5 Ke4 62. Rc4 Kd5 63. Rf4 Rg4

*

Here is the same PGN game, except that I highlighted moves I thought seriously about, or are good/bad moves, here:

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 c6 5. Be2 Nf6 6. Nf3 Bg4 7. Ne5 Bxe2 8. Qxe2 e6 9. O-O Bd6 10. f4 O-O 11. Be3 Nbd7 12. Bf2 c5 13. Rad1 Nb6 14. Qf3 Nbd5 15. Nc4 Qa6 16. Nxd6 Qxd6 17. g3 c4 18. Rfe1 Qb4 19. Rb1 Nxc3 20. bxc3 Qa3 21. Qxb7 Qxc3 22. Qb2 Nd5 23. Re5 Qxb2 24. Rxb2 Rfb8 25. Rxb8 Rxb8 26. f5 Rb2 27. fxe6 fxe6 28. Rxe6 Rxc2 29. Re5 Nb4 30. Be3 Nd3 31. Ra5 Re2 32. Bf4 c3 33. Ra3 Nxf4 34. Rxc3 Nd5 35. Ra3 Ne3 36. Rxa7 Rg2+ 37. Kh1 Rd2 38. Kg1 Rxd4 39. a4 Rd2 40. a5 Rg2+ 41. Kh1 Ra2 42. Kg1 Nc4 43. a6 Nb6 44. h4 h5 45. Kh1 Kh7 46. Kg1 Kg6 47. Kh1 Kf6 48. Kg1 g6 49. Kh1 Nd5 50. Rd7 Ke6 51. Rg7 Ne7 52. Kg1 Rxa6 53. Kg2 Kf6 54. Rh7 Re6 55. Kf3 Nf5 56. Kf4 Rd6 57. Rc7 Rd4+ 58. Kf3 Rd3+ 59. Kf2 Rxg3 60. Rc6 Ke5 61. Rc5 Ke4 62. Rc4 Kd5 63. Rf4 Rg4


Cliffs notes of the game:

I play the Caro-Kann version of the Scandinavian Defense.
Early on I get a cramped position but one that I like.
I do a central break, position becomes unclear
I have a way superior minor piece
I bust up his queenside
I exchange queens and simplify into an advantageous endgame
I get a passed c-pawn and penetrate with rook
I trade my c-pawn, active rook, and super knight to win a piece
I gobble things up
I might have played the endgame badly

Here's annotated /w diagrams!

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 c6 5. Be2 Nf6 6. Nf3 Bg4 7. Ne5 Bxe2 8. Qxe2 e6 9. O-O


9... Bd6?!

I was thinking either this or Bb4. The bishop is nice on d6, but it's loose and easy to attack. Probably Bb4 is better.

10. f4?

imo this is a bad move. When the queens are exchanged, I can play ...g6 and his bishop will be awful forever. He probably intended to play f5 and stuff.

10... O-O 11. Be3 Nbd7 12. Bf2



12... c5?!

This move is certainly aggressive, but how sound is it? I have no idea! If you think this move is bad, what would you suggest in this position instead. ...a6? Rad8?

13. Rad1 Nb6?

This move fails to Nb5! which takes advantage of the moving of the c-pawn from c6. Luckily for me he didn't do that!

14. Qf3 Nbd5
15. Nc4 Qa6

I also considered Qd8. I can't go to Qc7 because Nb5 wins a piece.

16. Nxd6 Qxd6



I think the following move is a critical one.
17. g3??

Awful! It shuts in white's dark-squared bishop, ignores the important parts of the position (center fight!), and wastes a critical tempo. If he did dxc5 then I am screwed in the endgame after ...Qxf4, Qxf4 Nxf4 because his bishop goes from worthless to monster.

17... c4!

This move owns because now I am boss on the queenside. He will have to play with energy in the center to strike back.

18. Rfe1 Qb4!

Maybe not objectively the best move, but I remember an advice I got here in a game I posted previously was that I didn't give my opponent a chance to make a mistake. Well, this move gives him chances to make a whole lot of mistakes!

19. Rb1 Nxc3
20. bxc3 Qa3



21. Qxb7 Qxc3

Rxb7 is better than Qxb7. This is because Qxb7 allows ...Qxc3! which I think is better than Qxa2.

Now it looks like White has something on the seventh rank and stuff. But he has no targets to attack! On the other hand, I have a whole lot.

22. Qb2 Nd5

You can clearly see that my knight is superior to his bishop.

23. Re5?

This move ignores the action which is on the queenside. He is thinking of doing f5, which will win a pawn. But my queen is very powerful at c3 and I think he should have exchanged. (I considered moving my queen to f3 the previous move but it looked kind of complicated)

23... Qxb2
24. Rxb2 Rfb8

Here, i considered ...g6, which would prevent the threat of f5. But I worked hard for the initiative, I'm not going to give it up for a pawn!

25. Rxb8 Rxb8
26. f5



White threatens fxe6 fxe6, Rxe6. I can't take the pawn because my knight will hang. Should I do ...Rb6 or some lame stuff like that, which would condemn me to a defensive rook? No!

26... Rb2!
27. fxe6 fxe6
28. Rxe6 Rxc2

I saw this back when I decided not to do ...g6. These exchanges have netted me a passed pawn. Although my knight has lost pawn support, it's not so easy to dislodge. The natural Re5 fails tactically, and Rd6 obstructs his own passed pawn.

29. Re5 Nb4!

Crafty says that ...Nf6 is better, but what does it know! Now ...Rxf2 threatens to win a piece, so he can do nothing with his passed pawn. Notice how even with so few pieces on the board, his bishop is still useless.

30. Be3



30... Nd3

I also considered ...c3 here. Nd3 has the psychological advantage that it is in his face and kicks his bishop around, which is demoralising.

Also, TACTICS ALERT: TRAPPED BISHOP

31. Ra5 Re2
32. Bf4 c3!

Bg5 is no better because ...h3 does the same thing.

33. Ra3 Nxf4
34. Rxc3

Forced, or else the pawn will queen. Now it's a R/N/Ps vs R/Ps ending.

Here's my plan:
1) Keep his king bottled up.
2) Get my king out.
3) Win his d-pawn.
4) Win his a-pawn.
5) Kick ass

This game is technically won. But I would appreciate if endgame experts would tell me any sub-optimal moves I made!




34... Nd5

I also considered ...Nh3+.

35. Ra3 Ne3

I considered ...Re7 and then getting the king out. Is that better?

36. Rxa7 Rg2+
37. Kh1 Rd2
38. Kg1 Rxd4
39. a4 Rd2
40. a5 Rg2+
41. Kh1 Ra2
42. Kg1 Nc4
43. a6



43... Nb6

Good/bad?

44. h4 h5
45. Kh1 Kh7
46. Kg1 Kg6
47. Kh1 Kf6
48. Kg1 g6
49. Kh1



49... Nd5

If Rd7 Ke6, Rg7 then I have the pretty ...Ne7! which wins the a-pawn.

50. Rd7 Ke6
51. Rg7 Ne7

Voila!

52. Kg1 Rxa6
53. Kg2 Kf6
54. Rh7 Re6
55. Kf3 Nf5
56. Kf4 Rd6
57. Rc7 Rd4+
58. Kf3 Rd3+
59. Kf2 Rxg3
60. Rc6 Ke5
61. Rc5 Ke4

I didn't miss Rxf5 Kxf5, Kxg3. The resulting pawn endgame is won for me.

62. Rc4 Kd5
63. Rf4 Rg4

Not sure how I keep finding myself commenting about the opening in your games, but whatever.

I think 6. .. Bg4 is somewhat mediocre. Your light bishop is by far your best piece, and you trade it off for white's worst piece. That just can't be right. He could have even gotten a free h3 in, which is probably a useful/safe move in such a dry position. Bf5 seems much more testing.

As for the rest, your central break is very thematic BUT I do not like it here. The reason is because of white's blunder 10. f4?!. That move turned his bishop into a brick. You really need to keep an eye on the bishops in positions like this. Your bishop is a classically good bishop, his bishop is a classically bad bishop. When you play c5, you give him alot of chances to turn his bishop into a monster and you restrict the mobility of your own bishop. Already with something like 14. Nb5, he ruins your position due to his bishop. Or even 17. Nxd5 Nxd5 18. dxc Qxf4 19. Qxf4 and he has a winning four versus 2 pawn majority with a super strong bishop versus a knight.

But once he gives you the chance 17. .. c4 is an excellent move and you are probably already winning at that point! But you ran into a problem I think you had in another game. You give him way too much counterplay. When you get a big advantage the first thing you need to do is to immediately lock down any counterplay. I actually like the cold 18. .. g6 which makes sure his bishop stays crap for the rest of the game, and also stops any ideas of a freeing f5 sacrifice. Then your idea is simple: rooks on a8/b8/c8 in some order, push your pawns, gain space and you can probably force a break through on the queenside.

But after you rush things on the queenside you give him alot of chances. For example, 21. Rxb7 Qxa2 22. Re2 a5 23. f5! with tons of counterplay.

But he seems to only realize he needs to start getting counterplay once he trades off all his pieces and you do a good job of cleaning up! Although you had the nice in betweener 33. .. Re1+ then Nxf4, immediately forcing a queen or winning a rook.

Good game!

Hey Garcia, nice post! Here is what I think:

First of all, I agree with Dire about 6.. Bg4. It leads to exchange of light square bishops, gives knight a tempo to go to e5, and gives a tempo for queen to go to e2, all of which favors white. Simple 6.. Bf5 seems better to me. After 6.. Bg4 and following exchange, I would say your position is really, really not good, now matter if you like it or not

9.. Bd6 is not a bad move, but I would probably prefer Nbd7 or even Be7. After Bd6 he always has this nasty Nc4, and I just hate your position after that bishop is gone, black squares are very very weak. Same after 9.. Bb4, it just cannot be a good move, you are not even pinning that knight! In fact he could probably even play a3 after Bb4, because position after Bxc3 bxc3 Qxc3 Rb1 looks kind of horrible for black from what I can see, but maybe Fritz would find something.

12.. c5 is a big mistake in my opinion. First of all, like Dire mentioned, you are opening his bishop yourself. Secondly, in order to make moves like c5, you must have your rooks prepared. So why not put "a" rook to c8 and "f" rook to d8 first, and then think about pushing? Because now, after a simple 13. Rad1 you are already in pretty big trouble, probably even close to losing due to following Nc4--> Nxd6.

13.. Nb6 fails, but so do all the other moves.. Still, 13.. Rfd8 was required, though I think your position there is very bad after Nc4.

And yeah, 17. g3 is pretty bad.. Good job spotting c4! But in my opinion, 18.. Qb4 and the whole following line is favorable for white more than black. Why are you rushing so much? You have a dominating position, so you don't have to hurry at all. It is clear, that b7 pawn will always be under attack, so why not play something like a6-->b5, or just b6? It's not like white can do anything.. Because now, if he plays 21. Rxb7 instead of Qxb7, suddenly you might find yourself under attack if you don't play carefully. The pawn storm on king side can become pretty annoying. You don't want to give your opponent that kind of counter play when you have such a dominating position.

Also, I find position after 23. Qxc3 Nxc3 24. Rb7 not so clear. Black's obviously better, but you overestimate your knight a lot.. It can be dislodged from there

Very nice sequence between moves 23 and 28, now you have a completely winning position
due to that pawn on c4 and his terribad bishop.

30... Nd3 is a mistake in my opinion. Don't forget, that he has a passed pawn on d4 too, so you need to start pushing your own as soon as you can! That's why I would prefer Rxa2 or Re2, to move the rook out of the way and start pushing.

Now tell me what would you do if he played 31. Re7 or Re4 instead of dubious Ra5? The thing is that his "d" pawn becomes very fast too, and there is nothing in his way, like your rook is in a way of your pawn. For example let's say 31. Re4 c3 32. d5 , I already think that white is not worse, because how exactly do you stop that pawn?

Good job spotting the Re2 and c3 idea!

The resulting endgame is really not one of those endgames that are hard to win. I would have played Nh3+ instead of Nd5, and taken on a2, but it doesn't really matter anymore.

43... Nb6 is good.

I don't really understand 49.. Nd5, were exactly are you going if he doesn't play Rd7? I would have just played Kf5--> g4 and mate him quickly and painlessly Though of course Nd5 wins too, it doesn't matter.

In general, a good game and a very good post!

Im too lazy to look at anything other than diagrams but 26...Rb6 looks best to me.

No reason to get involved in complications, the black knight owns here. Just defend e6 for now, bring king out to defend it and free the rook, and I'm pretty sure white's in big trouble.

In any case ...Rb6 is definitely not a passive rook. Mabye for 1-2 moves, but once your position is defended you can basically do whatever you want while his pieces are much worse, mainly due to superiority of knight on d5 vs bishop on f2.

Anyway looked again, your way seems pretty good too since that pawn is pretty strong, just saying that from a practical standpoint, Rb6 and just relaxing should also be very strong, and you don't have to calculate anything yet. Let's just say I'd have to be VERY VERY sure I was winning to play Rb2 in such a powerful position.

Thanks dudes! I read through your comments, and looked for mistakes I made in this game. In general terms:

- I didn't realise that my light squared bishop was a good minor piece. Here, I thought that it was a bad/active bishop since it was on the same color as my central pawns. But white's bishop has no future, whereas my bishop is active.

- I didn't proceed to the "stopping enemy counterplay" phase quickly enough. This is not because of forgetting about it; this is simply because I wasn't aware my advantage was static!

For example, this position:



Here, I recognize that my units on c4, d5, e6, f7 are great, and his bishop is awful. You guys said that here I should focus on stopping enemy counterplay.

But I was worried that the c4 pawn could be traded away, after which my position is weaker than before. I was worried about b3 by white. Therefore, I didn't take the time out to move ...g6 (which I was planning to do when the position was quieter).

I missed I could do ... a6, ... b5, where white's b3 move is ineffective. Seems like I was in a rush to seize the initiative, as it seemed to me my advantage was only temporary.

Any comments about this? I get the theme, but applying it is hard.

- I recognized the superior minor pieces theme with white's bishops and my knights, but I didn't do enough to cement this advantage. This was shown mainly by my ...c5 advance, which was premature. I'll work on this part.

- I missed an elementary tactic (33 ...Re1+). This was due to fatigue. This is a relatively minor problem though


Action for next time:

Play the opening better
Stop enemy counterplay when ahead

Before worrying about any pawn move, you should figure out precisely if it actually is a threat or not. b3 is an extremely precarious move for white. For starters it opens up alot of tactics on his c3 knight/square, and he is also forced to give black a half-open c file with a potentially weak pawn on it (after .. cx ax).

So who does this favor? Just consider some variations. Let's see after:

1. .. g6 2. b3 Nxc3 3. Qxc3 d5 4. Qxc4 Rfc8 5. ?? and suddenly white has no good square for his queen. b5/a4/e2 all lose the exchange to Nc3 so only Qd3 keeps the c2 pawn. But then after Nb4 black picks up the pawn, has a massive initiative and white's d pawn is left isolated! Black has a much better position.

So it looks like white must exchange the knight himself first so then you consider: 1. .. g6 2. Nxd5 Nxd5 3. b3 but then this is obviously bad as black has a ton of great moves, the least of which not being the simple cramping c3 advance.

Both of those are quite simple variations to calculate. It's just a matter of forcing yourself to do so! But once you do, it's clear that any 'threats' of b3 are just illusory. So you should not only not worry about it, and even more importantly you give your opponent the chance to make a mistake and play it!

One other small thing. The mistake you made in the opening wasn't an opening mistake per say. It was a mistake that can occur in any phase of the game. The important thing is to make sure you don't give your opponents free tempo to make useful moves (like h3 and Ne5 both are - meaning you potentially gave your opponent two free moves in the first 6 moves of the game!!!) and don't trade off good pieces for bad pieces. Or more precisely, if you have a good piece - keep them on the board! This was something that came up towards the end of the sicilian game you posted where you ended up trading off your only good piece which took the life out of your position.