Game - 4
Game #4 at chess.com is a short and easy win with White for me. It was also the first rated game that I started.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6
The Philidor Defense!
3. d4
White's usual attack on the center.
3...Nc6 ?!
An unusual and questionable defense.
4.d5
An attack on the prematurely developed knight and a cramped pawn situation for the black.
4...Nb4 5.Bd2?
Attempt to push the lone developed knight to the corner.
5...c5
A stubborn defense,
6.dxc6
That worked!
6...Nxc6 7.Bb5
A pin on the lone knight. Note that white's third piece has developed.
7...Qb6 8.Nc3 a6
Attempts to unpin the knight.
9.Bxc6+
Accepted! Mainly because the b2 pawn is weak.
9...Qxc6 10.O-O Bg4
A pin on white, similar to what white engaged a few moves back.
11.Nd5 !!
Preparing for an attack Black's king while opening lines and stifling the central pawns of black.
11...Bxf3
The pawn on c2 is Black's reward. But Black lags in development by a wide margin.
12.Qxf3 Qxc2
Seems like a jackpot: White just lost a pawn and has to defend another one.
13.Bc3
The lone Queen is still an immature attack, its retreat line is cut while defending the wayward material
13...Qa4
Queen, nothing to gain further and under an implied threat of being completely isolated, attempts a convoluted retreat. Remember that players below 1300 rating seldom do precise calculations.
14.Nc7+
The famous knight's lesser fork. Black loses at least an exchange, but since it lags in developing pieces, whole rook is to be lost.
14...Kd7? 15.Nxa8 Nh6??
Black isn't aware of a more sinister fork coming.
16.Nb6+
A rook and now a queen, irreparable losses.
1-0
