My blitz game with batgirl 

 

Last night I had the rare pleasure of playing chess with batgirl, and I felt it was my duty to report it, because I know that many people have been curious as to what she's like as a player. For those of you who don't know, (the three of you maybe) Sarah Beth is one of chess.com's top contributors... she collects information about chess history like a dragon hoards gold. Do yourself a favor and go visit her website http://sbchess.sinfree.net/archives.html . Anyways, Sarah, to the consternation of many I'm sure, doesn't play coorespondence chess! and so her playstyle has remained a mystery. That is – until now!

Haha forgive my overly dramatic framing for a moment (I can picture a spinning newspaper, a la the Batman television series – with the headline BATGIRL PLAYS CHESS!).

The following was a 5 0 blitz game.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So now the chess.com community can say they've seen batgirl play, or at least, destroy a patzer like me. Haha.

 

After the game ended I asked for her permission to post this. As she took off into the night, I told her I felt like commissioner Gordon, to which she said

 

"swish..................."

  

Way cool Rael!!

In my country we sometimes say about mysterious people '(S)he has something of the (k)night about her.  Batgirl showed that here but the miss was your not taking the knight with the bishop on move 20.  As they say 'Blitz happens'

A real demolition job.  Bill Wall put a positional crush on me recently in a bliz game. I know the "ouch" feeling.  Thanks for sharing.

cool! looks like it was a good game!!!

Nice game.

Kaniksu,

Well, I didn't mean to.  I was really looking for a chess miniature and was hoping for a trap. 

15...Nd5 doesn't do anything for your game.  Perhaps 15...Ne4, atttacking the Queen, or 15...Bc4 and pinning the knight. 

16...f6 weakens the pawns and opens the center for attack and exposes the king.  Perhaps 16...Nb6 and 17...Nb4 and make your own attack. 

Perhaps 17...Nc7 instead of wasting a tempo with the bishop move. 

I would have worked the center with 18.f4 and 19.fxe5. 

18...Rb8 looks slow and drops material.  Try 18...Ne7, threatening 19...Qxd4.  If the White knight moves, exchange Queens. 

I would have jumped at 20.Qxd5 Qxd5 21.Nc7+ and 22.Nxd5 

20...Kf7 looks better, aiming for ...Kg8 and "castling"

I might have tried 21.Qa5+ or 21.Ne4 and keep my knights hopping. 

21...Kd7 looks bad.  Simply play 21...Bxe6, and if 22.Nxe6, then 22...Qxe6.

22.Nxf8+ looks best. 

 You need counterplay and defend your knight.  Try 22...Bb7 and 23...Rfc8.

23...Kc6 and 24...Qc5 is all that Black can try. 

If you are ahead in time, run!  24...Kc7 and White has to do some more work to get the mate.

Thanks for the analysis billwall! It'll take me some time, but I'm going to go over it.

had a chance to play her on the blitz demo thingie... she kicked my butt too.  but was fun to play.  i'd recently read some of her blogg postings. 

it's obvious she's a smart player... well beyond my means.

 

 

cheers 

If my memory is not playing tricks with me, I’m pretty sure I played a game with BATGIRL sometime last year. It was not blitz and I won. Probably she was busy doing whatever she does all the time. Yeah I’m pretty sure..

Yes - I agree that you should have certainly traded your Bishops on move 13 - this gives you strong central pawns, would have allowed you to castle, and then to bring the two rooks into the central positions - but this was Blitz - gg nonetheless.

Batgirl's a blitz player too?  Interesting.  I should play her then.  I'm a counter-offensive gambiteer ^_^

nice article, thanks