Hi all!

You may have noticed that it is hard for me to manage to upload a game a day. But I'm trying my best.

Today another quick game, which shows what can happen if you neglect your opponent's possibilities.

Spielmann - Walter
Trentschin-Teplitz 1928
Caro-Kann Defence

1. e2-e4 c7-c6
2. Nb1-c3

This move keeps White's options open. If Black plays 2. ... g6, White can transpose to the Gurgenidze with 3. d4. If Black plays 2. ... d5, then White can go for a main line Caro-Kann with 3. d4, or for a Two-Knights variation with 3. Nf3.

2. ... d7-d5
3. Ng1-f3

White chooses for the Two-Knights Defence.

3. ... Ng8-f6

I think Black's best move is the most principled Caro-Kann move: 3. ... Bg4.

4. e4-e5

Immediately putting the question to the knight. White obtains the initiative.

4. ... Nf6-e4

Black has no other choice. Retreating the knight to either g8 or d7 is worth a question mark.

5. Qd1-e2 Ne4xc3
6. d2xc3

Just as in the game Rellstab - Schönmann, White captures away from the centre in order to open up the diagonal for his bishop.

This idea is a recurring idea in positions in which White strives for the initiative. For example, the following variation in the Russian Defence:
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Nc3 Nxc3 6. dxc3

In this variation, White opts for a quick development with Be3, Qd2 and 0-0-0, when the extra c-pawn is an extra human obstruction for Black's initiatives.

6. ... b7-b6

I think Black should have played either 6. ... Bg4 (putting the bishop out at last) or 6. ... e6 (preventing White to play e6 himself).

7. Nf3-d4 c6-c5?

And here we have it: Black does not pay the slightest attention to whatever it could be White is up to. Still, better would have been 7. ... e6, to prevent White's next move.

Also a playable move is 7. ... Ba6!?, developing the bishop and ready to exchange it with its counterpart on f1. A variation: 8. Qf3 e6! (Black HAS to prevent White from playing e5-e6) 9. Bxa6 Nxa6 10. Nxc6 Qc7 11. Qe2! Qxc6 12. Qxa6 Bc5 13. 0-0 0-0, after which Black is a pawn down, but has plenty of resources with the open c-file, slightly more coordination between his pieces and chances against the pawn on e5.

8. e5-e6!

White tramples open Black's king's shelter.

8. ... f7xe6

Both players had calculated that 8. ... cxd4 fails to 9. Qb5+ Bd7 10. exf7+ Kxf7 11. Qxd5+ and 12. Qxa8. And the pawn must be taken in view of the threats Qb5+ and exf7+.

9. Qe2-h5+ Ke8-d7

After 9. ... g6, Black goes down after 10. Qe5 Rg8 11. Nxe6 Bxe6 (White threatened 12. Nc7+) 12. Qxe6 Rh8 (12. ... Rg7 13. Bb5+ Nd7 14. Bc6 Rc8 15. Bxd5, and Black is helpless against the threat 16. Bh6) 13. Bb5+ Nd7 14. Qe5 Rg8 15. Qxd5.

10. Nd4-f3 Kd7-c7

We don't have time for Dorfmann's questions - Black's king is on the loose.

11. Nf3-e5

Such a wonderful outpost for a knight!

11. ... Bc8-d7

Material loss is already inevitable.

12. Ne5-f7 Qd8-e8
13. Qh5-e5+ Kc7-b7
14. Bc1-f4!

Always develop with a threat! :-)
As you can tell from Dorfmann's questions (first: King's safety, second: material, third: endgame, fourth: pawn structure), Black's king's awkward position is much more important than material gains.

14. ... c5-c4

To close the diagonal for Bf1.

15. Qe5-c7+ Kb7-a6
16. Nf7-d8!!

As I just discussed, the attack is more important than the rook.

16. ... Nb8-c6

This move leads to a forced mate in at most six moves.

17. Qc7-b7+ Ka6-b5

In a loose king case like this, beautiful checkmate positions occur virtually always.
After 17. ... Ka5 18. Nxc6+ Bxc6 19. b4+, all three replies run into checkmate: 19. ... cxb3 or 19. ... Ka4 20. Qa6# and 19. ... Kb5 20. a4#.

One should train on such checkmate positions in order to finish off such a king hunt.
A friend of mine explained the rules of bughouse, told me he had played it lots of times and came forward that this helps him find checkmate variations behind the board.

18. a2-a4+ Kb5-c5

After 18. ... Ka5 19. b4+ cxb3 20. Qa6#

There is something about this position that I'm not giving away.

19. Qb7xc6+ Bd7xc6
20. Nd8xe6#

 

 

Love, Simone