Originally posted by Nowakowski
This is another of my "RHP's Best" picks - this time David Tebb vs Northern Lad
Enjoy the game, I look forward to David and GP's corrections and opinions 😀

[pgn][Event "Clan league"]
[Site "http://www.redhotpawn.com"]
[Date "2006.10.02"]
[EndDate "2007.01.05"]
[Round "?"]
[White "David Tebb"]
[Black "Northern Lad"]
[WhiteRating "2341"]
[Black ueen by a deflection.} 1-0



-GIN

Thanks to Nowakowski for posting this game and putting so much time and effort into his notes.

I like the way he has used so many diagrams at key points of the game, making it easy to follow.

I think most of his comments are quite reasonable.

There were a few places at which I disagreed with his analysis, which I will now point out:



Position after 12.Rf3

Nowakowski wrote: "White has quietly done
something amazing - and enormous. Here white can easily continue playing
quiety with Rc1 and intentions of Qf3, or Qg4 soon. Instead, white has found a
way to pry open some space, and perhaps most importantly, bring his pieces
into space - in front of the black king. An attacking chance. White will have
to humor black - and simplify the center."

There is nothing "amazing or enormous" (lol) about White's play. The Rf3 to h3 manouevre is a standard idea in these sort of positions, routine almost.

Also I don't see how Qg4 can be a serious "intention", whilst Black's knight is on g4!

Finally, "White will have to humor black - and simplify the center"

I'm a bit puzzled by this comment. Ok, the pawns in the centre might be exchanged at any stage, but why say this now, and why should this be White humouring Black?



White played 19.fxg6

Nowakowski essentially passes over this move, just writing: "opening up the kings position"

I think 19.fxg6 might have been a mistake.

White didn't need to rush as the 'f' file can be opened any stage.

19.Rf1 was probably stronger, increasing the pressure and keeping more options open.

For instance f6 (hoping to get the queen to g7!) is a possibility that Black would constantly have to worry about.



Position after 20..c4!

Nowakowsk wrote "it really is a pesky piece". After previously saying "the pesky
bishop - is still pesky". Lol, I wonder whether he just likes the word "pesky"?

I completely overlooked 20..c4, which is a very strong move, gaining counterplay on the queenside.

During the game I was kicking myself for allowing this.

Black's main idea is to mobilise his queenside pawns in order to distract White from his Kingside attack.

If Black had just sat back and waited he would have been crushed.




Positon after 21..Bb4!

Nowakowski wrote: "Black correctly attacks the knight, the well placed knight is whites glue! If the knight is displaced, dxc4 relocates the bishop and makes for a terrorizing queenside pawn march."

I don't think the knight on d2 is well placed at all. It's on a bad square (undefended and easily attacked), which Black exploits.

22. Qe2

Nowakowski wrote: "white has no intentions of relocating his
knight, or his bishop."

The last thing I wanted to do was retreat my queen which was on a good square for the attack, and switch over to defence, but unfortunately the alternatives are worse.

I was now beginning to wonder whether my Rf1 was a mistake.




22..Rc7

I think this is a serious mistake.

The idea of doubling rooks on the 'c' file is good, but I don't think Black has time for this.

He should have won his pawn pack with 22..Bxd2 23.Qxd2 dxc4.

White would still have an advantage, mainly because of the two bishops in an open position, but I can't see anything forcing and Black would have chances on the queenside.

23. cxd5 Bxd5



24.e4?

A bad error, that Nowakowski passes over without commment.

The move loses a pawn for nothing.

I should have played 24.Nc4! shielding the pawn on a2 and preparing to bring the knight to a very strong square on e5.

Once the knight reaches this square (hitting g6 and f7 and threatening to go to g4 and then f6 or h6) Black's defence would become very difficult, if not impossible.

24..Be6

Perhaps he should have taken the pawn immediately. At this stage it's not clear whether White's rook is better on h3 or g3.

25.Rg3 Bxa2

26.Nf3 a5



27. Ng5

It's quite likely that 27.Ne5 was stronger, threatening Ng4, which looks deadly...


I think that's enough for now. I've already spent more time on this post than I intended and am completely exhausted!

Thanks again to Nowakowski.

It's not easy to annotate a game played by somebody else, mainly because you don't know what the players were thinking at the time.

He also made his life more difficult by choosing a messy and complicated game that is hard to annotate.

On the whole, I think he did a good job.