Annotated Chess Game 8915701

Queen's Gambit Declined Semi Slav . . .

Marshall Gambit where white offers a pawn for a strong attack on the dark squares.

Offering the d4 pawn...

Black accepts the pawn...

White takes the bishop and begins to bring dark squares in the black position under his control.

Black takes the knight with check to regain the piece...

White blocks the check with the Bishop offering the g2 pawn. If he wants to limit the gambit to one pawn then Ne2 is possible here.

Theory books will give lines to prove that taking the g2 pawn leads to very difficult positions for black. Common sense will say that with the Queen out and vulnerable and the dark squares under threat Black has no business taking any further pawns. I first came across this move when it was played against me in a congress a few years ago. Although it reduces by 100% the squares available to the light squared bishop it supports a push of the c pawn or e pawn to the fifth rank, blocks the action of the White Queen on d8 and also should that Q go to d6, prevents mate on f8. Theory smiles on moves like Na6 or c5...

Develops and blocks the line to g2.

Counters on the dark squares with this pawn advance supported by the knight.

Now g7 is under threat...

Blocks the line to g7 and prepares kingside castling.

White continues. He is ahead in development and holds the two bishops in compensation for his pawn sacrifice.

Black develops moving the king away from the weak dark squares. Now all he needs is to be able to play is b6 and Bb7 to be developed and contemplate using the extra material.

Gaining tempo by forcing the Queen away and improving the bishop to aim at Black's kingside.

The only sensible square that seemed to me to avoid the risk of being further troubled by Whites collection of well developed minor pieces.

Further centralisation and restrains the extra pawn. White has a firm grip of the square e5.

Development is the only defence to White's building pressure.

I wasn't convinced by this move which offers an exchange of a well placed piece for a less well placed piece, apart from the fact that Black is a pawn up. I thought that if Nxe5 15. Bxe5 Bb7 white might not be able to play Bxf6 and force gxf6 and that even if he did I could concentrate my forces against g2 with Kh8 and Rg8.

Have it off!

A surprise! What was he planning?

Threaten mate on g2 and develop with a tempo.

Aha! now Bxf6 wins a piece because the g7 pawn is pinned and at the same time g2 is protected. Perhaps I didn't develop with as much of a tempo as I thought. g6 loses the knight. Ne8 allows Qh5 and the such like. Mmmm.

Perhaps a good time to return the extra pawn. The Queen now defends the knight and the bishop is temporarily blocked from f6 allowing time for a black rook to join the fray.

Grabbing the pawn back, the position looks dynamically balanced but White still has two bishops and pieces poised to attack.

We don't want any sacrifices on h7 and we need to keep the white queen out of h5. Rfe8 18. Bxh7+ Nxh7 19. Bxg7 followed by Qh5 or a discovered check a la Greenpawn's blog looked too ugly to contemplate.

White takes a moment to block the line to g2.

I begin countermeasures in the centre against White's pieces. Ideas based on Rxe5 Rxe5 Ng4 fxg4 Qxg2 begin to form...

White protects the second rank and unpins the light squared bishop if I were to play Rad8. I was looking here if White could sacrifice twice on g6...

Here I thought I could build against the Be5 with Nd7 and f6 as in the event of Rae1 the bishop is pinned.

White protects the bishop a second time with this unexpected Queen move and Black now has to watch out for moves like Bh8 Qg7. The knight is attacked twice. This move is much better than the hoped for Rae1.

Continuing with the idea as well as moving the knight away as it was attacked twice and cannot be further defended on f6. If Bh8 then f6 but whether Bxg6 then worked (fxg5 Qg7#) I didn't care to speculate.

Charge!! Threatening to advance to f5 and break up the black pawns but reopening the diagonal towards g2. White's Queen now has access to g3 and h3 if needed as well after a move like Bxg6. The whole position has gone mad.

Removing an attacker has to be good right? - especially one that controlled so many key squares.

I had thought Qxe5 because now g4 is free for my Queen.

So I go there threatening mate

Defends g2

Remove another attacker and contemplate Rad8 which will pin the white bishop and threaten Rxd3 Qxd3 Qxg2 mate winning the bishop.

Forced or be a rook down.

Threat RxB as previous note.

A nasty double attack on the unprotected rook and the Queen. I logged into this position to find that White had already resigned. His defence fails to RxQ BxQ when Rxg2 check forks the King and Bishop leaving Black a pawn and bishop up. An interesting battle which I felt lucky to win.