My next game…

Replay (I am black)

In our previous game, my opponent had played 1.e4 and I blundered in a better position to lose. Here, he switches openings but plays it extremely strangely, allowing me to equalise very quickly!

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e3 e6 4. Bd3 c5 5. c3 Bd6 6. a4 O-O 7. dxc5 Bxc5 8. b4 Be7 9. Bb2 b6

(9… a5 10. b5 Nbd7)

10. O-O Bb7 11. Qc2 Nbd7 12. Rd1 Rc8 13. Qe2 Qc7 14. a5 Rfd8

I looked deeply at 14… Ne4 15. Bxe4 (15. Rc1) 15… dxe4 16. Nd4 Ne5 with a pretty imbalanced position. I wasn’t sure if my pawn at e4 was a weakness or strength and so I decided to avoid this line.

15. axb6 axb6 16. Na3 Ra8 17. Nb5 Qb8 18. h3 Rc8 19. Rxa8 Bxa8 20. Ra1 Ne4?! 21. Bxe4

21. Nfd4 Ne5 22. Bc2, holding on to both bishops was an option.

21… dxe4 22. Nfd4 Ne5 23. Ra7 Bf6 24. Ba1

24. Ra1 was probably the right move, realising that the rook won’t be able to survive on the 7th rank.

24… Bd5 25. Qb2?

The rook needs rescuing! (25. Ra3)

25… Nc6?

25… Nd3! 26. Qa3 (26. Qe2 Bxd4 27. exd4 Nf4 28. Qe3 Bc6 29. Nd6 Qxd6) 26… Bh4 is already winning.

26. Ra6?!

26. Ra3 Nxd4 27. cxd4 Bc4 28. Nc3 -/+

26… Bc4 27. Ra3?

(27. Nxc6 Rxc6 28. Nd4 Rc8 29. Ra3)

27… e5 28. Nxc6 Rxc6 29. Na7?

29. Qd2! Bxb5 30. Qd5! Rd6 31. Qxb5 was the only chance, now its game over.

29… Rc7 30. Nb5 Bxb5 31. Qa2 Rc8 32. Ra7 Bc4 33. Qa3 Rd8 34. Qa4 g6 35. Qa3 Kg7 0-1

Back to blogging, and the recap of a painful loss

Replay (I was white)

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 b5 9. Nd5 Be7 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. c3 Rb8

This variation was new to me. I know that in the Sveshnikov, white creates (and pushes) passers on the queenside while black attacks on the kingside. This move prevents white (after Nc2) from playing a4 because after bxa4, white’s b-pawn is hanging. I didn’t know that white responds with Ncb4 in this variation to carry on his play. Instead, I carried on making “normal” moves.

12. Nc2 O-O 13. Bd3 Bg5 14. Nce3 Bxe3 15. Nxe3 Qg5 16. O-O Ne7 17. Qc2 Ng6 18. Rfd1 Bb7

(18… Bh3 19. Bf1) (18… Be6)

19. a4 f5 20. exf5 Nf4 21. Bf1

(21. Be4 Nh3+ 22. Kf1 Nxf2 23. Bxb7 (23. Kxf2 Qh4+ 24. g3 Qxe4 25. Qxe4 Bxe4 26. Rxd6 bxa4 27. Rd2 Bc6) 23… Nxd1 24. Bd5+ Kh8 25. Nxd1 Rxf5+ 26. Kg1 Rbf8)

21… Be4 22. Qb3+ Kh8

(22… Bd5 23. Nxd5 Nh3+ 24. Kh1 Nxf2+ 25. Kg1 Nh3+)

23. g3 Bxf5 24. Nxf5 Rxf5 25. axb5 axb5 26. Qxb5

26. Rxd6 Rbf8 27. Qxb5 e4 28. Qb6 is the line that the computer gives, and while I certainly saw this line, it seemed a bit too greedy!

26… Rbf8

(26… Rff8 27. Qc6 Rxb2 28. Ra8)

27. Qb6

(27. Rxd6)

27… d5 28. b4 h5 29. Qe3 Qg4 30. Rd2

(30. b5! h4 31. b6)

30… h4 31. Ra7 Nh3+ 32. Bxh3 Qxh3 33. Rda2 Qg4

(33… hxg3 34. Qxg3 Qh6)

34. Ra8 Qd1+ 0-1

And here I blundered and resigned, thinking that 35. Kg2 h3+ 36. Kxh3 Rh5+ was mate 😦