Here's a game I played OTB against my buddy last Monday night.
We both wanted an early night, so I tried a very speculative pawn avalanche on his castle position. He had a couple of alternatives, place his pieces passively in defence or launch a counter attack. He correctly chose the latter, but his move order was slightly inaccurate, which allowed me to counterattack back.
If you play through the game, see if you can figure out what black (my opp) should play on move 14 and what white should play on move 16. I'll post FENS in later posts, so stop reading here, if you want to take part.
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bc4 e6 7. Bb3 Nbd7 8. Bg5
Nc5 9. Qf3 Be7 10. Be3 O-O 11. h4 Qc7 12. g4 b5 13. g5 Nfxe4 14. Nxe4 Nxe4 15.
Qxe4 Bb7 16. Nxe6 Bxe4 17. Nxc7 Bxh1 18. Nxa8 Bxa8 19. O-O-O Bf3 20. Rd4 Rd8 21.
Rf4 Bh5 22. Bd5 Rc8 23. Bb7 Rb8 24. Bxa6 Kf8 25. Rb4 Ra8 26. Rxb5 Ke8 27. Ra5
Be2 28. Bb5+ Bxb5 29. Rxa8+ Kd7 30. Ra7+ *
I think the game is very educational in a number of ways.
1: My attack on the castled king was unsound as the preconditions weren't in place, the centre was still open so a counter attack was possible and black's pieces were well placed on the King side, with no obvious weakness to exploit.
2: Vukovic says that if your opponent sacs a piece in an attack, then your possible moves are multiplied as you may sac the piece back to blunt the attack and possibly achieve a long-term positional advantage.
3: Sometimes, counter attack (indirect defence) is the only reasonable form of defence, and without being able to exploit number 2, I was goosed.
Apart from that, there are some very interesting tactical possibilities.
My opponent took a crushing psychological blow with my successfull counter, and despite matching Fritz 10 nearly perfectly until move 16 (when he expected a resignation), his moves weakened considerably afterwards, despite the position still being relatively even.
Hope you enjoy looking through it.
D
Originally posted by RagnorakLooks like Nxe6, followed by Bxe4 (not fxe6 because Qxe6+ with an attack that is probably good enough to win fairly quickly) Nxc7 Bxh1 Nxa8 Bxa8 and the game is tied.
16. White to move and save a lost game.
[fen]r4rk1/1bq1bppp/p2pp3/1p4P1/3NQ2P/1B2B3/PPP2P2/R3K2R w KQ - 0 16[/fen]
D
14...Bb7 seems good. although I wonder if there's still last ditch attacks for white, as all his pieces can attack the pretty lonely black king even if white gives up the queen... but probably there isn't. if only white was castled, so he could give up the exchange and still keep the attack rolling. 🙂
16.Nxe6 took me some time because I didn't realize black was playing a piece down. 🙂 didn't really look at anything else though, just trying to get it work. don't know if it's really winning, but it seems like a good way out of the pin.
Originally posted by wormwoodIt's Nxe4 first than Bb7 to pick up the pin.
14...Bb7 seems good. although I wonder if there's still last ditch attacks for white, as all his pieces can attack the pretty lonely black king even if white gives up the queen... but probably there isn't. if only white was castled, so he could give up the exchange and still keep the attack rolling. 🙂
16.Nxe6 took me some time because I didn't realize ...[text shortened]... t it work. don't know if it's really winning, but it seems like a good way out of the pin.
Nxe6 doesn't have to be winning, it just has to be good enough to get white out from going down a rook, which it is.
Originally posted by GalaxyShieldif ...Nxe4 then doesn't white take the Nxe6 straight away?
It's Nxe4 first than Bb7 to pick up the pin.
Nxe6 doesn't have to be winning, it just has to be good enough to get white out from going down a rook, which it is.
edit: ah right, the bishop is still guarding e6...
edit2: no, wait, I think it does work after all. 🙂
Originally posted by GalaxyShieldThat's how the game went, but looking at it afterwards with my opponent, we thought 16...Qc8 was probably winning for black.
Looks like Nxe6, followed by Bxe4 (not fxe6 because Qxe6+ with an attack that is probably good enough to win fairly quickly) Nxc7 Bxh1 Nxa8 Bxa8 and the game is tied.
D
Originally posted by RagnorakNot after Bd5 I think. Than the game is even, with maybe a slight positional advantage to white, because the pieces are more active and possibly great pawns on the king side.
That's how the game went, but looking at it afterwards with my opponent, we thought 16...Qc8 was probably winning for black.
[fen]r1q2rk1/1b2bppp/p2pN3/1p4P1/4Q2P/1B2B3/PPP2P2/R3K2R w KQ - 0 17[/fen]
D
Originally posted by GalaxyShield14...Nxe4 was the way the game went. Turns out this is drawing.
It's Nxe4 first than Bb7 to pick up the pin.
The winning move is indeed 14...Bb7, the only line which exploits the weaknesses caused by the too early 12. g4. Black wins a pawn, and should have the better of the rest of the game with two central uncontested pawns.
14...Nxe4 allowed my counter-attack.
D
Originally posted by GalaxyShieldHard to say.
Not after Bd5 I think. Than the game is even, with maybe a slight positional advantage to white, because the pieces are more active and possibly great pawns on the king side.
17. Bd5 Bxd5 18. Qxd5 fxe6 looks fine for black, seeing as he has 2 central pawns and his f pawn is on an open file. White is still 2 tempi from castling queen side (1 queen move, then castle), and will still probably have to invest another tempo moving the king off the open c file.
D
Originally posted by RagnorakI see. I would think white would still have a shot at a king side attack, though. He has a well placed bishop and pawns (which are backed by a rook), and a nicely placed queen on g4 or h5. He dominates most of the white squares. You should play a set piece game with this set up and see what happens.
14...Nxe4 was the way the game went. Turns out this is drawing.
The winning move is indeed 14...Bb7, the only line which exploits the weaknesses caused by the too early 12. g4. Black wins a pawn, and should have the better of the rest of the game with two central uncontested pawns.
14...Nxe4 allowed my counter-attack.
D
Originally posted by RagnorakSure they're connected, but they're also both stuck if they get pushed too far, and could be tricky to defend. You also have the king side advanced which could tie up more time and pieces. Hard to say, like you say.
Hard to say.
17. Bd5 Bxd5 18. Qxd5 fxe6 looks fine for black, seeing as he has 2 central pawns and his f pawn is on an open file. White is still 2 tempi from castling queen side (1 queen move, then castle), and will still probably have to invest another tempo moving the king off the open c file.
D
Edit: White may not need to castle. The king would probably be just as safe on d2 or e2, ironically protected from the open files by blacks center pawns. Saves a tempo from moving the king off the c-file, and gives the A rook more power.