The importance of the opening

As your rating increases so does the need to have a strong opening knowledge. I played a game earlier that demonstrates this well, black gave me the advantage very early on and I never let go. The F9 annotations show that I could have won much faster too.



[Event "Rated game, 25m + 0s"]
[Site "Main Playing Hall"]
[Date "2006.11.04"]
[Round "?"]
[White "CMSMaster"]
[Black "Kokmusbinkofte"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B45"]
[WhiteElo "1557"]
[BlackElo "1598"]
[PlyCount "129"]
[EventDate "2006.11.04"]
[TimeControl "1500"]

1. e4 {2} c5 {9} 2. Nf3 {2} Nc6 {9} 3. d4 {1} e6 {17} 4. Nc3 {14} cxd4 {17} 5.
Nxd4 {2} e5 {6} 6. Ndb5 {3} Bc5 {8} 7. Nd6+ {22} Bxd6 {17} 8. Qxd6 {2} Nf6 {14}
9. Bd3 {62} Qe7 {34} 10. Qxe7+ {36} Nxe7 {3} 11. Bg5 {9} d6 {28} 12. Bxf6 {21}
gxf6 {5} 13. O-O-O {40} Ng6 {13} 14. Bb5+ {6} Bd7 {8} 15. Bxd7+ {27} Kxd7 {2}
16. Nb5 {5} Rhf8 {72} 17. Nxd6 {107} Nf4 {13} 18. Nf5+ {160} Kc7 {21} 19. g3 {
89} Ne6 {33} 20. Rd3 {47} Rac8 {41} 21. Rhd1 {36} Kb8 {6} 22. Rb3 {20} b6 {53}
23. Ra3 {15} Rfd8 {39} 24. Rxd8 {59} Rxd8 {10} 25. Rd3 {7} Nd4 {55} 26. Nxd4 {
16} exd4 {8} 27. c3 {1} Kc7 {19} 28. Rxd4 {3} Re8 {17} 29. Kd2 {7} Re5 {15} 30.
Ke3 {11} Kc6 {52} 31. Rd5 {47} Rxd5 {15} 32. exd5+ {1} Kxd5 {1} 33. Kd3 {1} f5
{10} 34. f4 {12} h5 {7} 35. b3 {4} Kc5 {27} 36. b4+ {7} Kd5 {5} 37. c4+ {2} Kd6
{5} 38. Kd4 {1} a6 {8} 39. c5+ {2} Kc6 {6} 40. cxb6 {5} Kxb6 {3} 41. a4 {38} f6
{9} 42. Kd5 {2} Kc7 {35} 43. Ke6 {3} Kc6 {2} 44. Kxf6 {5} Kd5 {3} 45. Kxf5 {2}
Kc4 {2} 46. b5 {4} axb5 {24} 47. axb5 {3} Kxb5 {2} 48. Ke5 {1} Kc4 {2} 49. f5 {
1} Kd3 {12} 50. f6 {2} Ke3 {1} 51. f7 {1} Kf3 {1} 52. f8=Q+ {2} Kg2 {2} 53. Qh6
{5} Kxh2 {3} 54. Qxh5+ {4} Kxg3 {2} 55. Qf5 {7} Kh4 {5} 56. Ke4 {9} Kg3 {5} 57.
Qf4+ {4} Kh3 {6} 58. Ke3 {5} Kg2 {3} 59. Qf3+ {1} Kh2 {2} 60. Ke2 {10} Kg1 {3}
61. Qf2+ {2} Kh1 {3} 62. Qf3+ {6} Kg1 {5} 63. Qf5 {20} Kg2 {13} 64. Qg5+ {7}
Kh3 {5} 65. Kf2 {Kokmusbinkofte resigns (Lag: Av=0.40s, max=0.7s) 3} 1-0




[Event "Rated game, 25m + 0s"]
[Site "Main Playing Hall"]
[Date "2006.11.04"]
[Round "?"]
[White "CMSMaster"]
[Black "Kokmusbinkofte"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B45"]
[WhiteElo "1557"]
[BlackElo "1598"]
[Annotator "Fritz 9 (1s)"]
[PlyCount "129"]
[EventDate "2006.11.04"]

{B45: Sicilian Four Knights} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 e6 4. Nc3 cxd4 5. Nxd4 {
last book move} e5 6. Ndb5 Bc5 7. Nd6+ Bxd6 8. Qxd6 Nf6 $4 {
leading to a quick end} (8... Qf6 9. Qxf6 Nxf6 10. Bg5 $18) 9. Bd3 (9. Nb5 $142
{and White wins} Qe7 10. Nc7+ Kd8 11. Qxe7+ Nxe7 12. Nxa8 $18) 9... Qe7 10.
Qxe7+ Nxe7 11. Bg5 d6 12. Bxf6 (12. Nb5 $5 Kd7 13. O-O a6 $18) 12... gxf6 $16
13. O-O-O Ng6 (13... a6 $5 $16) 14. Bb5+ $18 Bd7 (14... Ke7 15. Nd5+ Kf8 16.
Nc7 $18) 15. Bxd7+ (15. Rxd6 $5 Bxb5 16. Nxb5 Ke7 $18) 15... Kxd7 16. Nb5 Rhf8
(16... d5 17. Rxd5+ (17. exd5 $143 Nh4 $16) 17... Kc6 18. Nd6 $18) 17. Nxd6 Nf4
18. Nf5+ Kc7 19. g3 Ne6 (19... Nh3 20. Rhf1 Ng5 21. f3 $18) 20. Rd3 (20. Ne3 {
keeps an even firmer grip} Rad8 $18) 20... Rac8 (20... Rad8 21. Rhd1 $18) 21.
Rhd1 Kb8 22. Rb3 (22. Rd5 {keeps an even firmer grip} Rc5 $18) 22... b6 (22...
Rfd8 23. Rd5 $18) 23. Ra3 (23. Rf3 {seems even better} Ng5 24. Re3 Rfd8 $18)
23... Rfd8 24. Rxd8 Rxd8 25. Rd3 Nd4 $2 (25... Rxd3 $142 26. cxd3 Kc7 $18) 26.
Nxd4 exd4 27. c3 Kc7 28. Rxd4 Re8 29. Kd2 Re5 30. Ke3 (30. f3 {
makes it even easier for White} Rh5 31. h4 Kc6 $18) 30... Kc6 (30... f5 31. f4
Re6 32. e5 $18) 31. Rd5 $1 {a brilliant end} Rxd5 32. exd5+ Kxd5 33. Kd3 f5 34.
f4 h5 (34... Kc6 35. Kd4 f6 36. b4 $18) 35. b3 (35. a4 $142 {
and White can already relax} a5 $18) 35... Kc5 (35... b5 {
a last effort to resist the inevitable} 36. c4+ Kc5 $18) 36. b4+ Kd5 (36... Kc6
$18 {the last chance for counterplay}) 37. c4+ Kd6 38. Kd4 a6 (38... Ke6 39. c5
b5 $18) 39. c5+ Kc6 40. cxb6 Kxb6 41. a4 f6 42. Kd5 Kc7 43. Ke6 Kc6 44. Kxf6
Kd5 45. Kxf5 Kc4 46. b5 $1 {the final nail in the coffin} axb5 47. axb5 Kxb5
48. Ke5 (48. h4 $142 {might be the shorter path} Kc6 49. g4 hxg4 50. Kxg4 Kd7
$18) 48... Kc4 49. f5 Kd3 50. f6 Ke3 51. f7 Kf3 52. f8=Q+ Kg2 (52... Ke3 {
is no salvation} 53. Qa3+ Kd2 54. Kd4 Ke2 55. Qa2+ Kf1 56. Ke3 Kg1 57. Kf3 h4
58. Qg2# ) 53. Qh6 (53. Ke4 h4 54. Qf3+ Kg1 55. Qe3+ Kh1 56. Qe1+ Kg2 57. Qd2+
Kh1 58. Kf3 h3 59. Kg4 Kg1 60. Kxh3 Kf1 61. g4 Kg1 62. Qg2# ) 53... Kxh2 (53...
Kf3 {is not much help} 54. Qf4+ Kg2 55. Ke4 h4 56. Qd2+ Kh1 57. Kf3 h3 58. Kg4
Kg1 59. Kxh3 Kf1 60. g4 Kg1 61. Qg2# ) 54. Qxh5+ Kxg3 (54... Kg2 {
cannot undo what has already been done} 55. Qe2+ Kg1 56. Kf4 Kh1 57. Kf3 Kg1
58. Qg2# ) 55. Qf5 (55. Ke4 Kg2 56. Qf3+ Kh2 57. Qg4 Kh1 58. Kf3 Kh2 59. Qg2# )
55... Kh4 56. Ke4 Kg3 57. Qf4+ Kh3 (57... Kg2 {does not help much} 58. Qe3 Kf1
59. Qd2 Kg1 60. Kf3 Kh1 61. Qg2# ) 58. Ke3 (58. Qg5 Kh2 59. Kf3 Kh1 60. Qg2# )
58... Kg2 59. Qf3+ (59. Qg5+ Kf1 60. Qg4 Ke1 61. Qe2# ) 59... Kh2 60. Ke2 Kg1
61. Qf2+ Kh1 62. Qf3+ {White has a mate attack} (62. Qh4+ Kg1 63. Qg3+ Kh1 64.
Qg4 Kh2 65. Kf3 Kh1 66. Qg2# ) 62... Kg1 63. Qf5 Kg2 64. Qg5+ Kh3 65. Kf2 (65.
Kf2 Kh2 66. Qg2# ) 1-0


This one felt good, because I've had a whole bunch of tough losses recently causing about a 75 point rating drop, and because I played well in all three stages of the game - always good. 🙂

I've had similar experiences in tournements against teenage players when their openings aren't quite strong. Usually the advantage sticks and I win a piece ahead

Hmm I replayed the game on winboard and there were numeric numbers displayed. Is that Fritz-speak? Why didn't black try to play for control of d5 with an a6 somewhere? He dished out a pawn basically in the opening.

In fact why did black lose tempi with Bc5 and then Bxd6? Why not a6 to kick out the knight rather than Bc5?

Originally posted by z00t
Hmm I replayed the game on winboard and there were numeric numbers displayed. Is that Fritz-speak? Why didn't black try to play for control of d5 with an a6 somewhere? He dished out a pawn basically in the opening.

In fact why did black lose tempi with Bc5 and then Bxd6? Why not a6 to kick out the knight rather than Bc5?

Yeah, that was my point, black's opening moves don't make send, e6 then e5? Two bishop moves? And failing to play d6? Three big errors.

Depends on where you are playing.

OTB I tend to concentrate on early deviations and how best to meet them simply because most amatuers/club players (especially the older players) dont spend a lot of time staying up to date with opening theory.

On RHP I think its more important simply because we can use books.