How would you have beaten the Big Dogg?

I don't win too many games on the strength of defensive play. So, this game was a pleasant surprise.

But, I still have some doubts as to the soundness of my defensive play - and I think this could be a fun question to pose - so I'm asking, If you were black in this game, what would you have done to kill white's King?

Move 25 I would have taken with the advancing H Pawn and saved my bishop for a later Checkmate..... I think there was one following from this somehow.... Nice game though ;-)

Originally posted by Adam Hallsworth
Move 25 I would have taken with the advancing H Pawn and saved my bishop for a later Checkmate..... I think there was one following from this somehow.... Nice game though ;-)

Yeah, that seems better than what Black did in the game. He was probably thinking to get the Bishop out of the way of the Q [for later ...Qg4+ but missed that I can give back the exchange to defend].

I was going to answer 25...hxg4 with 26.Nxg5, similar to what I did in the game.

12 ... f4
followed by
13 ... Nh5
seems to really cramp white.

Originally posted by wolfgang59
12 ... f4
followed by
13 ... Nh5
seems to really cramp white.

I agree with 12. ... f4. That seems like a very sensible plan for Black given that White has played both f3 and h3. I'd play f4 and then g5, h5, g4 etc. The knight is fine on e8 for the time being.

25. ... Nxh3 followed by 26. ... Bxg4. My 2 cents worth.

Originally posted by wolfgang59
12 ... f4
followed by
13 ... Nh5
seems to really cramp white.

That is a more traditional-style KID plan for Black. At least, it's more like what I would have done as Black back when I played the KID more often.

I ended up playing against past-me and doing the things that would have annoyed him the most on the White side. Sometimes a well-solidified g4 point stops the attack in its tracks, though I'm not sure I ever got mine there.

Originally posted by moonbus
25. ... Nxh3 followed by 26. ... Bxg4. My 2 cents worth.

That's another idea to take out the white pawn shield. Am I in deep shyte if I still go with 26.Nxg5?

Cannot see me playing anything different from what Black did OTB.

That Bxh3 followed by Qg4+ looks very good.

Then I see how it petered out. If Ne2 is all there is then leave it, the bolt
has been fired too soon. (a common trait - guilty!)

This must be a critical position.

Hate posting without a diagram and hate seeing analysis with no diagram.
We have to keep flicking back and forth to the actual game.

I cannot put diagram in ATM - work - surely we can have a feature where
you can create a Fen string from a position in a posted PGN. (Site Ideas Spanky.)

So instead of Bxh3 how's about Bh6 (I like playing that in KID/Pirc games)
if Ne6 take it with the Bishop (I think you have to) - don't take back on e6
but play Kh7 (get off the g-file (away from Rg1 pins on the King) and off
the back rank so no promotions with a check, it may be as close as that.) -
After Kh7 soon you will everything (including that spectator on a8) pointing
at that White King. and ready for the big hurrah!

I've got an idea!

No create a diagram feature but I do have Dog's game, I can alter that!

Sorry you have to have the whole game till move 26 but at least you can
see what I'm talking about.

Originally posted by greenpawn34
Cannot see me playing anything different from what Black did OTB.

That Bxh3 followed by Qg4+ looks very good.

Then I see how it petered out. If Ne2 is all there is then leave it, the bolt
has been fired too soon. (a common trait - guilty!)

This must be a critical position.

Hate posting without a diagram and hate seeing analysis with no di ...[text shortened]... an take the h4 Knight - I doubt it Kxh4 Qg8 must win. (comments based on OTB reasoning.)} [/pgn]

Yeah, that's looking better already. Black should have been thinking, "White doesn't have the good Queenside play he's supposed to have in this setup, so I have time to build up a bit more."

Originally posted by BigDoggProblem
[b]I don't win too many games on the strength of defensive play. So, this game was a pleasant surprise.

But, I still have some doubts as to the soundness of my defensive play - and I think this could be a fun question to pose - so I'm asking, If you were black in this game, what would you have done to kill white's King?

Maybe this on move 27?



But chances are, that you would've taken the knight with your rook, since you were already up in material. Still, just a thought.

Originally posted by vivify
Maybe this on move 27?

[pgn][Date "????.??.??"]
[Result "*"]
[FEN "r1q3k1/1pp3b1/p2p1r2/2PPp1Np/PP2Pn1n/4B1KN/2Q5/R4R1B b KQkq - 0 1"]

1...Nxh3 2.Nxh3 Qg4+ 3.Kh2 Rf3 4.Bxf3 Nxf3+ 5.Kh1 Qxh3+
*[/pgn]

But chances are, that you would've taken the knight with your rook, since you were already up in material. Still, just a thought.

Yes, I would have to play 5.RxN. But that line is the kind of thoughts you want to think during an attack.

It looks to me like you can get away with accepting the sac but after 26.Nxg5 I'd play

Originally posted by Adam Hallsworth
Move 25 I would have taken with the advancing H Pawn and saved my bishop for a later Checkmate..... I think there was one following from this somehow.... Nice game though ;-)

I think this is a very good point. With the pawn capture first, we get guaranteed open lines, and the bishop is preserved for future attacking possibilities. Below is a pgn viewer (for you-know-who!) where I altered the game from move 25 on, to see what it might look like after a few moves.

It's not over (especially in blitz), but black is having all the fun.

😉