Year-End/Beginning Special

1. e4 d6 2. Bf1c4 e6 3. d4 d5 4. Bc4d3 Qd8d6 {? There is no reason to bring the queen out so early, except to be attacked.} 5. e5 {5. Nc3 is a bit better, with ideas of Ne4 or Nb5.} Qd6b4 6. c3 {Simple, strengthening, and kicking back the queen.} Qb4b6 {The game now almost looks like a strange French where White has a few extra moves in.} 7. Ng1f3 g5 {?? I can find no explanation for this move. It just blunders a pawn.} 8. Bc1xg5 {8. Nxg5 is a slightly more accurate way to take back, as it highlights the weaknesses on f7 and h7, and doesn’t leave an opening at b2.} f6 {?? Again, this blunders a pawn, as Black is unable to take back.} 9. exf6 h5 {?? One final, illogical move. After this, the already untenable Black position simply busts into pieces.} 10. Nf3e5 Qb6xb2 {?? Gets mated.} 11. f7 {1-0. Checkmate.}

1. e4 e6 2. Nb1c3 d5 3. d4 Bf8b4 {Black pins the knight, but the real target is the e4 pawn.} 4. Bf1d3 {White dutifully defends it.} dxe4 5. Bd3xe4 Ng8f6 6. Bc1g5 {White pins to avoid retreating.} h6 {If White plays 7. Bh4, maintaining the pin, then g5, 8. Bg3 Nxe4, capturing a bishop. Thus the next move follows.} 7. Bg5xf6 Qd8xf6 8. Ng1e2 O-O 9. O-O Nb8c6 10. Be4xc6 bxc6 {White has the superior pawn structure. However, this is difficult to take advantage of, and the two bishops/two knights disparity gives Black the edge.} 11. Nc3e4 {White tries to find/create outposts for his two knights. The c5-square would be a fine candidate if it weren’t patrolled by the Black bishop.} Qf6d8 12. c3 Bb4e7 13. Ne2g3 Bc8a6 {Both sides now get themselves sorted out for the upcoming conflict.} 14. Rf1e1 Rf8e8 15. Qd1f3 Qd8d5 16. b3 c5 {This is the right idea, but it is a bit premature. This should be prepared.} 17. Ra1d1 {Nh5! is the best move, creating threats on the kingside. This is a great position to explore, with some ideas being Qg3, attacking g7 and c7, and Nf4, threatening Black’s queen.} c4 18. b4 {Bb5 looks like a good move, stopping White’s a4 queenside expansion.} Ba6b7 19. Ne4d2 Qd5b5 20. Qf3e2 {White attacks the c4-pawn.} Bb7d5 {Black defends it.} 21. Ng3f1 {White hops around to e3 to dislodge the bishop.} a5 {Black attacks the queenside, seizing White’s move of discoordination.} 22. a3 axb4 23. axb4 Ra8a2 {Black, having opened the file, inserts his rook into the seventh rank.} 24. Nf1e3 Be7g5 {Clever. White, on a capture, doesn’t have a great way to capture back.} 25. g3 Bg5xe3 26. fxe3 {26. Qxe3 is better, although the weak squares and passivity are still a problem. White captured this way hoping to consolidate with 27. e4.} Bd5e4 {The bishop heads to d3, using e4 as a rest stop because of the pinned d2-knight.} 27. Qe2g4 Be4d3 28. Nd2f3 Qb5a4 {Black now begins the final phase of infiltration.} 29. Rd1d2 Ra2xd2 30. Nf3xd2 Qa4c2 31. Qg4d1 Qc2xc3 {0-1, because after moving the queen, c3-c2-c1Q decides the game.}

1. d4 d5 2. Ng1f3 e6 3. Nb1c3 c5 4. b3 {Bad. Best for Black now is cxd4, then, if Nxd4, e5, and start pushing back the knights, or if Qxd4, Nc6, developing freely with tempo.} Ng8f6 5. e3 Nb8c6 6. Bf1b5 Bc8d7 7. O-O a6 8. Bb5xc6 {Black takes rather than allow Blck to expand on the queenside with a subsequent b5.} Bd7xc6 9. Nf3e5 Qd8c7 {Black sets about eliminating the knight. Since he cannot play f6 at the moment, he instead aims to threaten to capture it.} 10. Qd1f3 {10. f4, supporting the knight, may have been slightly more prescient.} Bf8d6 {Since the knight can no longer be supported, White trades it off for Black’s useful bishop.} 11. Ne5xc6 Qc7xc6 {bxc6 would not have been unreasonable, the idea being, on the next move, to play cxd4 exude c5, and destroy the White center.} 12. Rf1e1 cxd4 13. exd4 Ra8c8 {Black begins to pressure the knight, hoping to win material.} 14. Bc1d2 Bd6b4 15. Re1e3 Nf6e4 16. Nc3xe4 dxe4 17. Qf3d1 {White’s attempt at keeping the pawn are futile, since Black will merely trade down.} Bb4xd2 18. Qd1xd2 Qc6xc2 19. Qd2xc2 Rc8xc2 20. Re3xe4 {Black’s good play has won him a better endgame, with his rook on the seventh rank and White’s isolated d-pawn, but he must now demonstrate endgame prowess to convert the advantage.} O-O {Poor technique. Black should play Kd7 and Rc8, keeping his king in the center to make it more powerful.} 21. Re4e1 {Best here is to sacrifice the d-pawn with 21. d5! exd5 22. Re7, getting his own rook on the seventh rank. This is a recurring defensive idea which White misses repeatedly.} Rf8c8 22. Re1d1 Kg8f8 {Both players aim to centralize their kings.} 23. g3 Kf8e7 24. Kg1g2 Rc2e2 {Black tries to double on the seventh rank, but} 25. Ra1c1 {White stifles that dream.} Rc8c2 26. Rc1xc2 Re2xc2 27. a4 Rc2c3 28. d5 {As Black goes after the pawns, White tries to get active and somehow hold a draw.} Rc3xb3 29. dxe6 Ke7xe6 30. Rd1e1 Ke6f6 31. Re1e4 b5 32. axb5 axb5 {If White plays well, a draw is now not entirely inconceivable, although obviously Black has an advantage from his extra pawn. White needs to, now, stay active and hold Black down, neutralizing the extra pawn.} 33. Re4h4 {Good…} h6 {No problems here…} 34. Rh4c4 {?? What?}g5 {Both players, my explanation goes, go temporarily insane.} 35. Rc4c6 {And now, White having been unable to sleep for fear that Black would take and now extremely relieved, we go back to normal play.} Kf6g7 36. Rc6b6 {White has done well, getting behind the passed pawn to impede its progress.} Rb3b1 {Black makes space for the passed pawn to advance.} 37. Kg2f3 b4 38. Kf3g2 {Black should now play g4, closing in the White king and impeding a White pawn advance.} b3 39. Kg2h3 h5 {Best, now, is g4, blocking Black up.} 40. Kh3g2 {Now, g4, once again.} f6 41. Rb6b7 Kg7g6 42. Kg2f3 g4 43. Kf3g2 {43. Ke3, getting active at the perfect time, is correct, and offers the best chances.} Kg6g5 44. Rb7b5 f5 45. Rb5b7 b2 46. Rb7b6 h4 {Black has simply moved forward too far. Now, even if White eliminates the b2-pawn, Black will be able to win the pawn ending.} 47. gxh4 Kg5xh4 48. Rb6h6 Kh4g5 49. Rh6b6 f4 {Black’s plan is to push the White king onto g3, then play Rg1+ and b1Q.} 50. Rb6b5 Kg5h4 51. f3 gxf3 52. Kg2f2 {White tries to keep it together, but Black has one last trick up his sleeve.} Rb1h1 {Skewer alert! If Rxb2, Rxh2+ wins the rook.} 53. Kf2xf3 b1=Q {0-1 by resignation.}

1. e4 e5 2. Bf1c4 Ng8f6 3. Bc4xf7 {White storms ahead prematurely, sacrificing a piece for a pawn and an exposed Black king, but this simply leaves White with a lost game, unless Black plays badly.} Ke8xf7 4. d3 d6 5. c3 {White fails to play energetically, making his position even worse.} Bc8g4 {The bishop is misplaced here. Better is Be6.} 6. Qd1b3 {6. f3 is the best move, trying to avoid trades.} d5 7. exd5 Qd8xd5 8. f3 {White should, instead, avoid a queen trade, or otherwise simply develop with moves like 8. Nd2.} Qd5xb3 9. axb3 Bg4e6 10. c4 {No! Active moves like 10. f4 are needed here, even if White is completely lost. When behind, strive for activity. This simply weakens squares and pawns, namely d4 and d3.} Bf8c5 {The bishop immediately lays further claim to d4.} 11. Ng1e2 Nb8c6 {More control of the d4 and b4-squares.} 12. Ra1a4 Rh8d8 {Black targets the crucial d-file and bears down on d3.} 13. Ke1d2 {White defends.} Nc6b4 {Black attacks.}14. Ra4xb4 {White lashes out, sacking the exchange, but this merely leaves him down a full rook.} Bc5xb4 15. Nb1c3 Rd8d7 16. Rh1d1 Ra8d8 17. Kd2c2 Bb4xc3 18. bxc3 {White has defended d3, but the next move renders it, at last, viable for Black to capture.} Be6f5 19. f4 {This move is misplaced, but White is, by this point, grasping at straws.} Bf5xd3 20. Rd1xd3 Rd7xd3 21. fxe5 Nf6e4 22. e6 {One last shot from White. If Black takes, Ng5+ wins back the rook. Black simply, though, sidesteps the check.} Kf7e7 23. Bc1g5 Ne4xg5 {0-1, as White, having blundered a final piece, is two rooks down.}

1. b3 e5 2. Bc1b2 Nb8c6 3. e3 d5 {While White aims to fire at the center from a distance, Black accepts the territory his opponent has ceded.} 4. Bf1e2 {White’s opening choices are very passive. Perhaps 4. d4 instead, to get a slice of the center.} Ng8f6 5. h3 {This strikes me as severely unnecessary, even, perhaps, a waste of a move. Black’s pieces weren’t going to occupy g4 so soon anyway.} Bf8b4 6. a3 Bb4a5 {Bd6 was simpler and better, sniping away at the kingside instead of a wall. On top of this, it doesn’t lose the e-pawn.} 7. b4 Ba5b6 8. Ng1f3 {? Missing the simple shot 8. b5, winning the e-pawn because the knight is forced to move.} Qd8d6 {e4 is better because it gains space and solves the tenuous e-pawn problem.} 9. O-O Bc8f5 10. Nb1c3 {10. b5, again.} e4 {Because Black is slower with this move than he should have been, White gets to occupy the d4-square.} 11. Nc3b5 Qd6e6 12. Nf3d4 Nc6xd4 13. Nb5xd4 Bb6xd4 14. Bb2xd4 c6 {Black protects his center. White now has the edge because he is already castled and has a well-placed, useful bishop pair.} 15. Qd1c1 Nf6d7 16. g4 {This is just a bit of a bad, weakening move.} Bf5g6 17. Bd4xg7 {White steals a pawn, but opens up his own kingside, breaking down his cover.} Rh8g8 18. Bg7d4 f5 19. Kg1g2 fxg4 20. Be2xg4 {? 20. h4 is necessary, as now the pinned bishop is destroyed.} Bg6f5 21. Rf1h1 h5 22. Kg2f1 hxg4 23. hxg4 Bf5xg4 {White has lost a piece, but also has his king on the run.} 24. Kf1e1 Bg4f3 25. Rh1f1 Nd7e5 26. Qc1b2 Ne5g4 {Nc4 was also a little bit more accurate, hitting the queen and taking up a nice spot. However, he can now go after the rook by means of h2.} 27. b5 Ng4h2 28. bxc6 Qe6xc6 29. Bd4g7 Nh2xf1 30. Qb2e5 Ke8f7 {Black mops up the game accurately, avoiding a perpetual.} 31. Ke1xf1 Rg8xg7 32. Qe5f5 Qc6f6 33. Qf5xd5 Kf7g6 34. Ra1b1 Ra8h8 {0-1. Resigned as mate is coming soon to a nearby theater.}

1. g3 e5 2. Bf1g2 d5 3. d3 Nb8c6 4. Nb1c3 Bf8b4 {Black defends the pawn with the threat of d4, pinning the knight.} 5. Bc1d2 {White breaks the pin.} Bb4xc3 6. Bd2xc3 d4 7. Bg2xc6 {White gives up a bishop to break Black’s pawn structure.} bxc6 8. Bc3b4 {White makes it hard for Black to castle, controlling the a3-f8 diagonal.} Bc8b7 {9. Nf3 is best now, developing with tempo.} 9. Bb4c5 {? Makes way for a nice fork.} Qd8d5 {Forking the c5 bishop and the h1 rook. They describe the knight as the best forking piece, but beware the queen!}10. f3 {10. Nf3 was just best. Why not develop?} Qd5xc5 11. Qd1d2 Qc5d5 {No, there’s no reason for this, really. Ne7 and Nf6 are the best, just getting the bits out and then castling.} 12. O-O-O {This is just bad. It blunders both a pawn and the king’s possible cover.} Qd5xa2 13. Qd2g5 {White avoids mate and threatens the g7-pawn.} Ke8f8 14. Qg5xe5 Qa2a1 15. Kc1d2 Qa1xb2 {The king gets chased out. Black is completely winning.}16. Qe5xc7 Qb2b4 17. Kd2c1 Ra8c8 {Black kicks the queen out, then will regroup and destroy White.} 18. Qc7f4 Ng8f6 19. e4 {And now, with only a few moves left in the game, }dxe3 {Noooooo!} 20. Qf4xb4 {1-0}

1. e4 Ng8h6 {Black develops. This isn’t the best place for the knight, but it can work. There are worse moves.} 2. Qd1h5 {This move I find more issue with because it doesn’t even attack anything. or develop.} a5 {Just develop. Why move the side-pawns forward?} 3. d3 {3. d4 was better because it simply occupies more of the center.} g6 4. Qh5e5 Nh6g4 {Black, trying to attack the queen, blunders the rook.} 5. Qe5g3 {White misses it.} h5 {Holding the knight.} 6. h3 {Kicking back the knight.} Ng4f6 {This is really where the knight should have gone on move one, but I suppose it eventually found its place.} 7. Qg3e5 {The queen, I suppose, goes here to play g4-g5 and pin the knight?} Nb8c6 {A great developing move by Black.} 8. Qe5c3 d5 9. e5 Nc6xe5 {d4, then taking here would have won a clear pawn. This just blunders a piece.}10. Qc3xe5 Qd8d6 11. Qe5d4 {Avoiding the trade is inferior to taking the queens off, in general.} c5 12. Qd4h4 c4 {13. dxc4 would cause Black’s newfound center to be shattered.} 13. Bc1f4 {This allows the next move.} Qd6b4 14. Nb1c3 {Nd2 limits the damage because the knight is protected.} d4 {Qxb2 is better. It wins a piece as well, getting an extra pawn along the way.} 15. a3 {15. Rc1 was best, protecting the c-pawn.} Qb4xb2 16. Ra1b1 Qb2xc3 17. Ke1d1 a4 {Qxa3 is better, clearing the a-file for the passed pawn to storm down.} 18. dxc4 {Just when Black is at his highest, he pitches a knight.} e6 19. Qh4xf6 Qc3xa3 {Then Black tosses a rook.} 20. Bf4c7 {White doesn’t take it.} Bf8e7 {Qe7 saved a piece for the rook without getting mated.} 21. Qf6xh8 Ke8d7 22. Qh8e5 f6 23. Qe5b5 {White should maintain protection of the bishop with 23. Qg3.} Kd7xc7 24. h4 Bc8d7 {This blunders to 25. Qb6+ Kc8 26. Qxb7+, winning a rook.} 25. Qb5b2 e5 {Black should have traded, relieving the pressure on the b-file.} 26. g3 {Qb6 or Qxb7!} Bd7g4 27. f3 Bg4e6 28. Bf1g2 {Qxb7!} Ra8b8 29. Ng1e2 Be6xc4 30. Ne2c1 {Qb6+. White needs to make use of his extra material and attack.} f5 31. Rh1e1 e4 {Black needs to trade queens and try to use his extra pawns to control territory.} 32. Qb2xd4 {Rd8, pinning the queen, would crush White’s dreams.} b5 33. Qd4a7 Rb8b7 34. Qa7e3 Bc4a2 {This blunders a piece to 35. Qa3 Bxa3 36. Nxa2.} 35. Rb1a1 Be7c5 {The same tactic works again.} 36. Qe3h6 {Instead, White tries to attack the Black king.} Bc5d4 {Rb6, protecting, was the best move, instead of this move, which blunders the oft-blundered Black bishop with 37. Rxa2.} 37. Ra1xa2 Qa3c3 38. Nc1e2 Qc3e3 39. f4 Kc7b6 {Black lets White take g6 with check.} 40. Qh6xg6 Kb6a5 41. Qg6xf5 Qe3b3 {White does not deign to take the valiant Black queen. Yet.} 42. Bg2xe4 Rb7c7 43. Ne2c1 Bd4f2 44. cxb3 Bf2xe1 45. bxa4 Ka5b4 46. Qf5xb5 Kb4c3 47. Nc1e2 {1-0: Checkmate in a brilliant final position. The king is a knight’s-move away from every possible White piece.}

1. g3 Ng8f6 2. Bf1g2 d5 3. d4 Bc8f5 4. c4 {White sacrifices a pawn to get more control of the center, and will likely get the pawn back anyway.} c6 5. Nb1c3 dxc4 6. a4 {White dissuades Black from b5, which would hold the c4-pawn.} e6 7. e4 Bf5g6 8. Ng1e2 {Of course not 8. Nf3, because then the e-pawn falls.} Bf8b4 {Black threatens the e-pawn again.} 9. O-O {White, by breaking the pin, indirectly defends the e-pawn.} O-O 10. Ne2f4 {White undefends, the e-pawn, but it is still indirectly protected.} Bb4xc3 {White can still keep the e-pawn with Nxg6, a useful intermezzo.} 11. bxc3 {After this, Black can take the -pawn. There’s only one defender now.} Bg6xe4 12. Bg2xe4 Nf6xe4 13. Qd1f3 Ne4g5 {Nf6 is simpler and better, because it is more solidly defended.} 14. Qf3e2 b5 15. Bc1a3 {Both White and Black have a few weak squares, so White occupies them.} Rf8e8 16. Ba3c5 {? This misses a chance to trap the Black knight with 16. h4.} Nb8d7 {Black is now winning, two pawns up.} 17. axb5 Nd7xc5 18. dxc5 cxb5 19. h4 {This seems like it traps the knight, but Black can counterattack and also clear the e6-square with his next move, e5.} e5 20. Rf1d1 Qd8c8 21. hxg5 {21. Nh5, keeping the most possible wood on the board, is the best chance for White.} exf4 22. Qe2h5 fxg3 {0-1. White resigned, three pawns down and king cover shattered after 23. fxg3 Qxc5+.}

1. d4 d5 2. Nb1c3 {White decides to block the oft-used c-pawn to develop more quickly.} Nb8c6 3. Ng1f3 Bc8g4 4. Nf3h4 {Why? The attempt to turn the bishop back is counterproductive and against opening principles.} e5 5. g3 e4 {This is bad. To seize the advantage possible, Nxd4 was good, getting a pawn, and this move lets it go.} 6. f3 exf3 7. exf3 Bg4h5 {White has, actually, achieved his goal somehow–pushing back the Black bishop.} 8. Qd1e2 Bf8e7 9. Nh4f5 {This is an interesting multipurpose move–attacking g7, defending d4, and pressuring the e7 bishop.} g6 {This is a mistake, allowing Ng7+–Nxh5.} 10. Nf5g7 Ke8f8 11. Bc1h6 {?? Nxh5 is far superior, doubling Black’s pawns and stealing the bishop pair. Instead, White decides to give Black a nice present of a bishop.} Ng8xh6 12. Ng7xh5 gxh5 13. O-O-O Be7b4 {Black untangles, hoping to unravel White’s queenside with Bxc3.}14. Qe2e3 {White hopes he doesn’t notice the attack on his knight.}Nh6f5 {Instead, Black simply develops and hits the queen.} 15. Qe3f4 Nc6xd4 {Just retreating is better. This embroils Black in a complicated position which he doesn't need to be in while he is ahead.} 16. Bf1d3 {16. Rxd4 is best, which gets two pieces for the rook and eliminates tow of Black’s current best pieces.} Qd8d7 {? This blunders a piece.} 17. Bd3xf5 {After this move, if the knight recaptures, Qxb4, and if the queen takes, Qxd4.} Qd7c6 {? This blunders a piece once more by not recapturing and simply letting White take his knight.} 18. Rd1xd4 {Qxd4 is a bit better, because it doesn’t allow Bxc3 to win a pawn.} Bb4xc3 19. bxc3 Qc6xc3 {This just makes things worse, allowing White to play Be6 if he pleases, threatening mate.} 20. Rh1d1 {White misses Be6, but this is a good, consolidating move, eliminating Black threats.} Qc3a3 21. Kc1b1 c6 22. Qf4h6 Kf8e7 23. Rd1e1 Ke7d8 {Black tries to run from the oncoming White pieces, but he cannot.} 24. Re1e3 Qa3c5 25. Qh6f6 Kd8c7 26. Qf6xf7 {The White pieces encroach further, ending the game with mate.} Kc7d8 27. Qf7d7 {1-0. Checkmate with the Black rooks still hiding in the corners, never having moved.}

1. Ng1f3 d5 2. d4 Bc8f5 3. c4 dxc4 4. Nb1c3 e6 {Nf6, preventing e4 right away, is best.} 5. e4 Bf5g6 6. Bf1xc4 {White has now occupied a huge swath of the center, giving him an advantage.} Bf8d6 7. Qd1b3 b6 {Nd7 is a better defence, offering to give up the v7-pawn for active play.} 8. h4 {Threatening to trap the bishop, which Black must prevent.} h6 9. h5 Bg6h7 10. e5 {White storms forward, making full use of his development advantage.} Bd6e7 11. d5 Nb8d7 12. dxe6 Nd7c5 {Black attacks the queen, and attacks the e-pawn, but White attacks with check.} 13. exf7 Ke8f8 14. Qb3b5 {1-0, by resignation. Black had had enough.}

1. e4 e5 2. Ng1f3 Ng8f6 3. Nf3xe5 Nf6xe4 4. Qd1e2 d6 5. Qe2xe4 dxe5 6. Qe4xe5 {White has gained an unforced pawn, but his exposed queen will be attacked and driven back while Black develops.} Bc8e6 7. Nb1c3 Nb8c6 {Black makes a good developing move.} 8. Bf1b5 {White pins the knight.} Qd8d7 {However, Black still gets a development advantage, and uses it as compensation for being down a pawn.} 9. Qe5e2 O-O-O 10. d3 Bf8c5 11. O-O Be6g4 {There’s not really a need for this just yet. Black should play a6 to free up his knight for active duty.} 12. Qe2d2 {This gets in the way of developing the bishop. Better is a more active move like 12. Qe4.} Qd7f5 13. h3 {This is a bad move which creates weakness on the kingside.} h5 {However, this is the wrong way to take advantage. White should take on c6 and destroy Black’s pawn structure. Black can get a much stronger attack by sacking the bishop with Bxh3 gxh3 Qxh3.} 14. Qd2f4 Nc6d4 15. Bb5a4 Bc5b4 16. hxg4 Qf5xf4 17. Bc1xf4 hxg4 {This is wrong, because Black could have played Bxc3 and then Ne2+, winning back the piece.} 18. Nc3e4 {However, the same motif now plays a role.} Nd4e2 {0-1. Checkmate.}

1. d4 d6 2. c4 e5 {Black strikes back in the center, not wanting to be swept away.} 3. Nb1c3 exd4 4. Qd1xd4 {Black hopes that, though the White queen is now on a powerful square, he will be able to exploit its exposure.} Ng8f6 5. b3 {White fianchettoes, hoping to aim at the kingside.} g6 {Black, perhaps riskily, aims to occupy the same diagonal.} 6. Ng1f3 Nb8c6 {Black gets his developing move in, so White moves over to the kingside.} 7. Qd4h4 Bf8g7 8. Bc1h6 {White decides to change plans, cleverly eliminating Black’s powerful bishop when he castles.} O-O 9. Bh6g5 {Now, however, White is brave enough to acknowlegde that a better plan exists: working a pin on the f6 knight.} Nc6b4 {Black defends well, stopping White from playing Nd5 to pressure the knight, while also threatening Nc2+.} 10. Nc3e4 {White piles on the knight regardless.} Nf6xe4 {Interesting! Black sacrifices his queen to gain a rook, a piece, and a lead in development.} 11. Bg5xd8 Bg7xa1 12. Nf3g5 {White threatens mate, forcing another trade.} Ne4xg5 13. Bd8xg5 Rf8e8 {Black bears down on the file of White’s king.} 14. Bg5f6 {White trades off the bishops to accentuate Black’s weak kingside dark squares.} Ba1xf6 15. Qh4xf6 Nb4xa2 {Black steals a pawn.} 16. g3 {White develops the bishop by way of g3, fianchettoing, as moving the e-pawn would damage the light squares on White’s kingside further.} a5 17. Bf1g2 a4 {Black not only forms a base on b4, but aims to attack White’s queenside, breaking it down.} 18. h4 {However, White sacrifices a pawn for a kingside attack, betting that Black will not be able to make use of it.} axb3 {h5, blocking the attack, is Black’s best bet here.} 19. h5 Na2b4 20. Ke1d2 {White takes a move to lock things down, although it is unnecessary, because the White queen already provides sufficient defense on a1 and b2.} Bc8e6 21. hxg6 fxg6 {Ra2+ provided the most counterplay, but this only loses because of White’s skillful next move.} 22. Bg2e4 {1-0. Black resigned, as Bxg6 will shatter his position and he will soon be mated.}

1. Nb1c3 Ng8f6 2. e4 d6 3. d4 g6 4. f4 {The idea for White in this opening is to dominate the center.} Bf8g7 {The idea for Black: to hit at the center from the sides.} 5. Ng1f3 O-O 6. Bf1d3 c5 {Black strikes back at the d-pawn, hoping to attack it and gain counterplay.} 7. dxc5 dxc5 8. h3 {White, though preventing a piece incursion on g4, weakens the e1-h4 diagonal.} Nb8c6 9. Bc1e3 b5 {Black sacrifices a pawn to open up queenside files, dissuading White from castling there.} 10. Bd3xb5 Qd8b6 11. e5 Nf6e8 {Ne4 is better, taking advantage of the overworked White knight.} 12. Bb5xc6 Qb6xc6 13. Qd1d5 {White hopes to trade queens and convert his extra pawn.} Qc6b6 14. Nc3a4 Qb6b4 15. Na4c3 Qb4xb2 {0-1. Here, even though Paullli was threatening the a8 rook and the position is tactically equal, he resigned. Fight on, lads! Do not resign while you still can play!}

1. e4 c5 2. Ng1f3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Qd1xd4 {White allows a tempo move to centralize his queen because he will pin the knight and not have to re-move the queen.} Nb8c6 5. Bf1b5 Bc8d7 6. Bb5xc6 Bd7xc6 7. Nb1c3 {Now, as compensation for giving the bishop, White has a development advantage and a space advantage.} Ng8f6 8. Bc1g5 g6 {e6 is better, as if White takes the knight, Black won’t have a bad, isolated d-pawn.} 9. Bg5xf6 exf6 {Black now has a wrecked pawn structure, giving White an advantage.} 10. h4 {White dissuades Black from castling kingside, as he would then be greeted with an unfortunate (for him) h5-push.} Bf8g7 11. h5 {If Black takes, he further ruins his pawn structure, and he doesn’t want to allow White to push onto h6 and prevent castling.} h6 {Therefore, this move is played, but he should just leave his pawn there. This softens the pawn structure, weakening the king’s hideaway.} 12. hxg6 fxg6 13. O-O-O Bg7f8 {Black should have castled here. The king is even more exposed in the center.} 14. Nf3g5 {The knight takes up an improved position thanks to the pin on the f6-pawn.} Qd8e7 15. Nc3d5 {The other knight moves in, opening up a file for the rooks to use.} Bc6xd5 16. exd5 Ke8d7 17. Qd4a4 Kd7c8 18. Rh1e1 {1-0. Black resigned, as he has been outplayed beautifully and mate is coming.}