Annotation #2
21 Aug '10 23:5311 editsI got bored so I decided to do another annotation. I didn't get much feedback from the last annotation but I think it helps improve and the feedback I did get was positive so here we go...
Black is rated somewhere in the mid-1500s here and I am rated in the mid to upper 1600s
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Rg1
Ok, so like my last annotation this is a Sicilian Najdorf with my move 6.Rg1. Black chooses a more direct move against me in this game which is more common and, I think, more accurate as well.
6...b5
The idea here is pretty obvious, white has already committed to attacking kingside with the move 6.Rg1 so black is free to counter with immediate queenside play. I think 6...b5 is a strong response here very likely to give white more troubles than the 6...Ng4 move that was played in the first game I annotated.
7. g4 Bb7 8. f3
These are all technically book moves, although in my database the move 8.Bg2 is more common than 8.f3. I am not sure I could decide which move I prefer right now. 8.Bg2 has the bonus of being more flexible which 8.f3 keeps those kingside files open for my rooks.
8...Nbd7
Novelty - This move is certainly playable as are many other moves such as 8...Nc6 or 8...e6
9. g5 Nh5 10. Be3 g6
These are all very standard moves, white expands on the kingside, develops and supports the knight on d4 and black continues development looking to adopt a sort of dragon setup.
11.Be2 Qa5 12.Qd2
Still continuing along these same lines, both sides are achieving their respective goals so far and there is plenty of activity on the board
12...Ne5?!
Not the most accurate, black sets himself up to lose a tempo here and there is clearly nothing wrong with the very natural move 12...Bg7
13. f4 Nc4 14. Bxc4 bxc4 15. f5 Bg7
Ok, so both sides have played a pretty accurate game through fifteen moves. Really no obvious advantage for either player here and I think it is fair to say that most players would be happy with either side.
16. fxg6 hxg6 17. Nde2?!
Instead of both moves 16 and 17 it was probably more prudent for white to simply castle queenside. These moves allow black to free his position and gain some initiative
17...Be5 18. Bd4 Ng7 19. Bxe5 Qxe5 20. Nf4 Bxe4 21. O-O-O
Indeed black has managed to get a good position with a small material plus. By castling too late and giving black the initiate I managed to get myself into some trouble here. Black should certainly have a good game after the move 21...Rh4. However, he instead played
21...Rb8??
A very bad move, there is no too much pressure along black's e-file
22. Rge1 d5 23. Nfxd5 Rxh2
And now black is the one who is in horrible trouble. White could have managed to simplify into an easily won game by playing 24.Rxe4 Rxd2 25.Rxe5 Rxd1+ 26.Nxd1, but I was playing white so I went for the more complicated and less accurate move
24.Nf6+
White is certainly still winning in this position but it is much more difficult than the alternative listed earlier. I simply got mixed up in the tactics though so played this inferior move.
24...exf6 25.Qd7+ Kf8 26.Rxe4 Qg5+
When analyzing my twenty fourth move I had failed to notice this check, but it is not enough to give black an advantage
27.Kb1 Kg8??
This ends it for black, his only chance for survival is the hard to see 27...Nf5! when after 28.Qa7 Qg3 29.Ne2 Rxe2 30.Rxe2 Kg7 31.Rd7 Nh6 white will have perhaps just a slight edge over black despite the material deficit. In my opinion this will be a very difficult game for both sides.
28. Qd6 Qg2 29. Qxb8+ Kh7 30. Re2 1-0
These moves were very basic, at this point black saw that playing on was completely hopeless and resigned.
I chose this game despite the inaccuracies because it has some very interesting tactics which I think a lot of players could benefit from seeing. Unfortunately, there is no endgame play here but I think that many people will find this game interesting because of the mistakes made by both sides. Clearly, a very back and forth game through to the end.
Black is rated somewhere in the mid-1500s here and I am rated in the mid to upper 1600s
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Rg1
Ok, so like my last annotation this is a Sicilian Najdorf with my move 6.Rg1. Black chooses a more direct move against me in this game which is more common and, I think, more accurate as well.
6...b5
The idea here is pretty obvious, white has already committed to attacking kingside with the move 6.Rg1 so black is free to counter with immediate queenside play. I think 6...b5 is a strong response here very likely to give white more troubles than the 6...Ng4 move that was played in the first game I annotated.
7. g4 Bb7 8. f3
These are all technically book moves, although in my database the move 8.Bg2 is more common than 8.f3. I am not sure I could decide which move I prefer right now. 8.Bg2 has the bonus of being more flexible which 8.f3 keeps those kingside files open for my rooks.
8...Nbd7
Novelty - This move is certainly playable as are many other moves such as 8...Nc6 or 8...e6
9. g5 Nh5 10. Be3 g6
These are all very standard moves, white expands on the kingside, develops and supports the knight on d4 and black continues development looking to adopt a sort of dragon setup.
11.Be2 Qa5 12.Qd2
Still continuing along these same lines, both sides are achieving their respective goals so far and there is plenty of activity on the board
12...Ne5?!
Not the most accurate, black sets himself up to lose a tempo here and there is clearly nothing wrong with the very natural move 12...Bg7
13. f4 Nc4 14. Bxc4 bxc4 15. f5 Bg7
Ok, so both sides have played a pretty accurate game through fifteen moves. Really no obvious advantage for either player here and I think it is fair to say that most players would be happy with either side.
16. fxg6 hxg6 17. Nde2?!
Instead of both moves 16 and 17 it was probably more prudent for white to simply castle queenside. These moves allow black to free his position and gain some initiative
17...Be5 18. Bd4 Ng7 19. Bxe5 Qxe5 20. Nf4 Bxe4 21. O-O-O
Indeed black has managed to get a good position with a small material plus. By castling too late and giving black the initiate I managed to get myself into some trouble here. Black should certainly have a good game after the move 21...Rh4. However, he instead played
21...Rb8??
A very bad move, there is no too much pressure along black's e-file
22. Rge1 d5 23. Nfxd5 Rxh2
And now black is the one who is in horrible trouble. White could have managed to simplify into an easily won game by playing 24.Rxe4 Rxd2 25.Rxe5 Rxd1+ 26.Nxd1, but I was playing white so I went for the more complicated and less accurate move
24.Nf6+
White is certainly still winning in this position but it is much more difficult than the alternative listed earlier. I simply got mixed up in the tactics though so played this inferior move.
24...exf6 25.Qd7+ Kf8 26.Rxe4 Qg5+
When analyzing my twenty fourth move I had failed to notice this check, but it is not enough to give black an advantage
27.Kb1 Kg8??
This ends it for black, his only chance for survival is the hard to see 27...Nf5! when after 28.Qa7 Qg3 29.Ne2 Rxe2 30.Rxe2 Kg7 31.Rd7 Nh6 white will have perhaps just a slight edge over black despite the material deficit. In my opinion this will be a very difficult game for both sides.
28. Qd6 Qg2 29. Qxb8+ Kh7 30. Re2 1-0
These moves were very basic, at this point black saw that playing on was completely hopeless and resigned.
I chose this game despite the inaccuracies because it has some very interesting tactics which I think a lot of players could benefit from seeing. Unfortunately, there is no endgame play here but I think that many people will find this game interesting because of the mistakes made by both sides. Clearly, a very back and forth game through to the end.
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