VelvetEars vs. Morgski

VelvetEars

Only Chess

14 Nov 11

VelvetEars

Joined: 22 Aug 08
Moves: 9361

14 Nov 11

Just finished a game against Morgski and here are my notes of the game and a couple of alternative lines for black. A very attacking game drifting into a annoyingly balanced endgame. I'll be happy to hear of any missed wins here for me (white).

Alternative pgn for move 8.

Alternative pgn for move 16

Morgski's comments to follow

morgski

In attack

Joined: 02 Mar 06
Moves: 30225

14 Nov 11

Originally posted by VelvetEars
A very attacking game drifting into a annoyingly balanced endgame. Morgski's comments to follow

{[White "VelvetEars"] [Black "morgski"]}
1. e4 e5 {I never play e5, but did just this once} 2. f4 exf4 3. Ng1f3 d6 4. Bf1c4  Bc8e6 {My first semi blunder. Was only looking at undoubling my pawns} 5. Bc4xe6 fxe6 6. d4 Qd8f6 7. O-O g5 {Semi blunder number 2. Nd7 or Qe7 with hindsight} 8. h4 gxh4 {VE: g4? Ah yes. That would have been nice} 9. e5 {VE: "With the f pawn weakened I launch an attack for it". Me: "Oh dear"} dxe5 10. Nf3xe5 {Really "Oh dear"} Bf8h6 11. Qd1h5 {and we're into a situation I hate in chess. My King is exposed, my movement is constricted. Frankly I'm there for the taking} Ke8e7 12. Nb1c3 Nb8c6 13. Rf1e1 Nc6xe5 {VE: "Rd8?" I was worried that this may close off my King's escape route. Also trying desperately to engineer a way for my g Knight to move} 14. Nc3d5 {Lovely move. I am up a nasty creek without a paddle} exd5 15. Re1xe5 Ke7d7 16. Re5xd5 Kd7e7 {I thought Kc6 was unsound as my king would be well out in the open, and if bishop and other rook join the party it is game over} 17. Bc1xf4 Bh6xf4 {Still in damage limitation mode, but now realising I can possibly force this into Q vs 2R} 18. Ra1e1 Ke7f8 19. Rd5f5 {Pinning the queen - but it will cost some material to use the pin to the full} h6 20. Qh5g6 Bf4g5 21. Re1e6 {Group Hug!} Ra8b8 {Kind of a Zugzwang non move, waiting for the exchange} 22. Re6xf6 Ng8xf6 23. Rf5xf6 Bg5xf6 24. Qg6xf6 {Q vs 2R it is!} Kf8g8 25. Qf6e6 Kg8g7 26. Qe6e7 Kg7g6 27. Qe7xc7 Rh8e8 {Finally thinking I have a chance in this game. If I can get my Rooks on the 2nd rank, and my king up to help, I can force the Queen off. Pawns are now immaterial} 28. Kg1h2 Rb8c8 29. Qc7xb7 Rc8xc2 30. Qb7a6 Kg6f7 {but i need to be careful while my rooks are apart} 31. Qa6b7 Kf7f6 32. Qb7f3 Kf6g5 33. Qf3d5 Kg5f4 {Anti-climax indeed. Too many checks to check over and over and I fall to a very simple blunder indeed. Would only have accepted a draw if VE forced a perpetual. Brilliant attacking play from him though, felt thoroughly abused in this game} 1-0

In a few days/weeks time there'll be Part 2, Morgski vs VelvetEars, featuring a Grob.
In this case though I got thoroughly out-attacked 🙂

tharkesh

Joined: 04 Sep 10
Moves: 5716

14 Nov 11

1

thank you both for taking the time for these notes! is really a nice read - and the group hug is something for gps blog!

~~robbie carrobie~~

Joined: 26 Aug 07
Moves: 38239

15 Nov 11

Originally posted by morgski
[pgn]
{[White "VelvetEars"] [Black "morgski"]}
1. e4 e5 {I never play e5, but did just this once} 2. f4 exf4 3. Ng1f3 d6 4. Bf1c4 Bc8e6 {My first semi blunder. Was only looking at undoubling my pawns} 5. Bc4xe6 fxe6 6. d4 Qd8f6 7. O-O g5 {Semi blunder number 2. Nd7 or Qe7 with hindsight} 8. h4 gxh4 {VE: g4? Ah yes. That would have been nice} 9. e5 {VE: "W ...[text shortened]... vetEars, featuring a Grob.
In this case though I got thoroughly out-attacked 🙂

lol, i find myself saying the same things, 'oh dear'!

Shallow Blue

Joined: 18 Jan 07
Moves: 12477

15 Nov 11

Originally posted by tharkesh
thank you both for taking the time for these notes! is really a nice read

I concur! Playing over games is all very well, but when you read what the players thought, it really comes to life - and you learn a lot more.

Richard

morgski

In attack

Joined: 02 Mar 06
Moves: 30225

15 Nov 11

Thanks 🙂

We discussed how to do post game analysis while playing, as the two games we had going were really interesting (from my point of view at least). It seemed a little daunting to do the analysis in plain view of everyone (because of the risk of looking stupid), but the annotated pgn means it is an ideal format.

The second game is now finished so here is part 2, Morgski vs VelvetEars:

{White "morgski" Black "VelvetEars"} 1. g4 {The Grob!} d5 2. Bf1g2 Bc8xg4 {no messing about here, straight in for the hanging pawn} 3. c4 {Would sir care for another?} dxc4 {Why yes, thank you} 4. Bg2xb7 {the prize for throwing away pawns} Nb8d7 5. Bb7xa8 Qd8xa8 {Black creates the counterplay to threaten the h Rook} 6. f3 {Little other option} e5 {in all our games, velvetears loves pawn charges, so this didn't come as a surprise.} 7. Qd1a4 Ng8f6 8. Nb1a3 Bf8e7 {this was surprising, the pawn charge has stalled} 9. Na3xc4 O-O {Both of us had taken some time out of the carnage to develop some more} 10. Nc4e3 Nd7c5 11. Qa4c2 {Forced retreat, too many active pieces in the centre for her to be hanging around} Bg4d7 12. Ne3f5 Bd7xf5 13. Qc2xf5 {...but she´s been tempted back out again} e4 14. fxe4 Nc5xe4 {The knights are now working together. They would be a serious thorn in my side, yet ironically would stay pinned here for some time} 15. Ng1f3 Rf8e8 16. Rh1g1 {Reduce the queen threat and exert some pressure on the king's pawns} Be7c5 17. d4 Bc5b4 18. Ke1f1 {This open e file is looking dangerous...} Qa8c6 19. Bc1h6 {Time to attack again} g6 20. a3 Kg8h8 21. Qf5f4 {Things are looking quite dicey for my queen. There aren't many flight squares, so caution is necessary} Qc6a6 22. Rg1g2 {Slightly reducing the e file risk, but one false move and this is over for both players} Bb4d6 23. Nf3e5 {A bit of a get out of jail move, protects the queen and closes the e file at the same time. I can afford to exchange as I'm up on material} Qa6b5 {velvetears himself admitted he was ignoring my attack and focusing on his own here} 24. Ne5xf7 {which means I get a pawn for the exchange as well} Kh8g8 25. Nf7xd6 cxd6 {Still pretty even, but I feel like I've got the upper hand now, even if those knights are still being troublesome in the middle of the board} 26. Qf4c1 Qb5d7 27. Kf1g1 {stopping the Nd2 threat} d5 28. Qc1f4 {Like the rook move in the last game, this moving the queen backwards and forwards along the diagonal is a kind of non-move waiting for the action to happen} Re8e6 29. Ra1c1 {Threatening the 7th rank} Qd7e8 {Black tries to buildup pressure on the e file again} 30. e3 {some protection for the e pawn from the bishop if my queen moves} Ne4d6 {finally those knights are separated!!} 31. Rc1c7 {..with the idea of boxing the king into the corner and/or picking up the a-pawn} Nd6f5 {the Knight swings across to deal with the Bishop...} 32. Qf4xf5 {not seeing the protecting pawn is pinned. Cracking game though} 1-0

I also felt that the game had some life at the end with the e file threat for black. As with the last game where I messed up, risky games can only stay risky until someone blunders. I think the moral of the story is that we're well matched. 🙂 Hope you enjoyed...

VelvetEars

Joined: 22 Aug 08
Moves: 9361

15 Nov 11

1 edit

1

My side of the story:

I welcome abuse at my mistakes 😉

1. g4 d5 2. Bf1g2 Bc8xg4 3. c4 dxc4 {This was my plan right from seeing g4, it's basically a 'putting your foot in it opening'} 4. Bg2xb7 Nb8d7 5. Bb7xa8 Qd8xa8 6. f3 {Now all I need to do is develop and launch a crushing attack - simple?} e5 7. Qd1a4 Ng8f6 8. Nb1a3 Bf8e7 {Not the best place for it - I had dreams of sending the bishop to h4 at the moment. Bxa3 Qxa3 c5 looks like a more promising course - stifle white's development and prepare an attack} 9. Na3xc4 O-O 10. Nc4e3 Nd7c5 11. Qa4c2 Bg4d7 12. Ne3f5 Bd7xf5 13. Qc2xf5 e4 14. fxe4 Nc5xe4 {Debatable tactics here - I've developed nicely but allowed white space to develop aswell, possibly should have held him to ransom on the developing front} 15. Ng1f3 Rf8e8 16. Rh1g1 Be7c5 {Again, I'm not so keen on this move, inviting white to control the centre} 17. d4 Bc5b4 18. Ke1f1 Qa8c6 {Probably long overdue this move - my queen's doing nothing down on a8} 19. Bc1h6 {Nice move, I should play Ng4 here and take the bishop I feel instead I go very wrong with...} g6 {? - On the whole never wise to play if it can be avoided that bishop strangles my king, but here white has a very nice next move} 20. a3 {Not a3. Ne5 is the move here and I'm in trouble. Threat is Nxg6 fxg6 Rxg6+ hxg6 Qxg6+ and mate follows (I think). Did you consider this morgski, is there a counter line for black I missed?} Kg8h8 {Mainly to stop Ne5 which I just saw} 21. Qf5f4 Qc6a6 22. Rg1g2 Bb4d6 23. Nf3e5 {Yes, I saw this as an option but I was running out of ideas and I thought he missed Ne5 a few moves ago, he might miss it again...} Qa6b5 24. Ne5xf7 Kh8g8 25. Nf7xd6 cxd6 {Things aren't too bad, if I get both my knights onto decent white squares they're as good as rooks} 26. Qf4c1 {Right now I should have one thought - Get that king back onto h8 out of harms way} Qb5d7 {That's good, defend against Qc7} 27. Kf1g1 d5 {Umm the king needs to move?} 28. Qc1f4 Re8e6 {Any chance of a king move - he will cause trouble there} 29. Ra1c1 Qd7e8 {OK, setting up an attack down the e-file, then moving the king right?} 30. e3 Ne4d6 {Options here are Nfe4 followed by Rf6 and Nf5 is quite nice} 31. Rc1c7 Nd6f5 {And I make this move quite smugly thinking that knight is in an awesome position!} 32. Qf4xf5 {Aaah, yes, the king on g8.} 1-0

morgski

In attack

Joined: 02 Mar 06
Moves: 30225

15 Nov 11

1 edit

Never quite worked out how to create a FEN to midway through a game so scroll down...
I think 20. Ne5 isn't that incisive because...

Quite an interesting line this, the e4 square becomes hugely important...

KnightStalker47

Joined: 12 Nov 06
Moves: 74414

16 Nov 11

Originally posted by morgski
Never quite worked out how to create a FEN to midway through a game so scroll down...
I think 20. Ne5 isn't that incisive because...

[pgn] 1. g4 d5 2. Bf1g2 Bc8xg4 3. c4 dxc4 4. Bg2xb7 Nb8d7 5. Bb7xa8 Qd8xa8 6. f3 e5 7. Qd1a4 Ng8f6 8. Nb1a3 Bf8e7 9. Na3xc4 O-O 10. Nc4e3 Nd7c5 11. Qa4c2 Bg4d7 12. Ne3f5 Bd7xf5 13. Qc2xf5 e4 14. fxe4 Nc5xe4 15. Ng1f3 Rf8e8 ...[text shortened]... nullified} [/pgn]

Quite an interesting line this, the e4 square becomes hugely important...

22. Nxc6 GG

queenabber

Joined: 22 Oct 10
Moves: 1975

16 Nov 11

Originally posted by morgski
[pgn]
{[White "VelvetEars"] [Black "morgski"]}
1. e4 e5 {I never play e5, but did just this once} 2. f4 exf4 3. Ng1f3 d6 4. Bf1c4 Bc8e6 {My first semi blunder. Was only looking at undoubling my pawns} 5. Bc4xe6 fxe6 6. d4 Qd8f6 7. O-O g5 {Semi blunder number 2. Nd7 or Qe7 with hindsight} 8. h4 gxh4 {VE: g4? Ah yes. That would have been nice} 9. e5 {VE: "W ...[text shortened]... vetEars, featuring a Grob.
In this case though I got thoroughly out-attacked 🙂

Hi,
Entertaining stuff.

Why on move 22 did you play Rf6?
Black is so tied up so why release the tension.
Black's sort of plan with 21..... Rb8 was to play b5 and Rb6 so how about

22 c4!? with the idea of pushing pawns before taking the black queen plus that gives
22.... b5
23. c5 covering b6

an alternative would be
22 Kh2!? gaining a tempo on the game and unless black plays 22... b5
white can then play c4 etc as above

both look promising for white to me on first glance

morgski

In attack

Joined: 02 Mar 06
Moves: 30225

16 Nov 11

Originally posted by KnightStalker47
22. Nxc6 GG

..and that's why one shouldn't do analysis last thing at night 😳

morgski

In attack

Joined: 02 Mar 06
Moves: 30225

16 Nov 11

Originally posted by morgski
I think 20. Ne5 isn't that incisive because...

In the cold light of day (or what passes for day at 64°N in November), it would seem the only option if I'd seen that move would have been Rxe5... Opportunity missed

VelvetEars

Joined: 22 Aug 08
Moves: 9361

17 Nov 11

Originally posted by queenabber
Hi,
Entertaining stuff.

Why on move 22 did you play Rf6?
Black is so tied up so why release the tension.
Black's sort of plan with 21..... Rb8 was to play b5 and Rb6 so how about

22 c4!? with the idea of pushing pawns before taking the black queen plus that gives
22.... b5
23. c5 covering b6

an alternative would be
22 Kh2!? gaining a tempo ...[text shortened]... b5
white can then play c4 etc as above

both look promising for white to me on first glance

Hi,
Thanks for the feedback.

I did look fairly long at playing moves like 22. c4

In the end the reason I chose 22. Rxf6 was the fact I knew I could pick up a loose pawn at the end of the exchange. My worry was that if I played 22. c4 and black played 22... c6 I could no longer win an extra pawn.

However, looking at this again, I feel that 22. d5 might have worked in my favour.

22. Kh2! is actually a very good move I missed, like you said black is tied up and all he can really do is Qxf5 to un-tie himself, so putting my king out of trouble is a very wise move I missed. Well spotted!

queenabber

Joined: 22 Oct 10
Moves: 1975

18 Nov 11

Originally posted by VelvetEars
Hi,
Thanks for the feedback.

I did look fairly long at playing moves like 22. c4

In the end the reason I chose 22. Rxf6 was the fact I knew I could pick up a loose pawn at the end of the exchange. My worry was that if I played 22. c4 and black played 22... c6 I could no longer win an extra pawn.

However, looking at this again, I feel that 22. d5 ...[text shortened]... to un-tie himself, so putting my king out of trouble is a very wise move I missed. Well spotted!

I thought the drawback of c6 as you mentioned, might be d5 just trying to queen a pawn straight away as opposed to winning material / letting black unravel somewhat?