Games to learn from : How I Beat A National Master (Part 4)

Hello and Welcome Back to the Game Analysis Series!

If you would like to read Part 3, make sure to Click Here to see it immediately.

In this game, I was playing with the White Pieces against a strong American National Master.

I knew, that I had nothing to lose and decided to play the game with as much bravery as possible.

So, without any time-wasting, let’s move into the game.

• Although I always feel a bit excited and agitated whenever I face titled players, it feels like a good challenge, which motivates me.

The game started with the usual opening :

1 : E4 E5

I wanted to play my favorite Italian Game and so far, my opponent was following me in that direction.

The First moves being made.

2 : Nf3 Nc6

I develop my Kingside Knight and attack his central pawn of e5, threatening to capture it on the next move.

Logically, he develops his Queenside Knight and defends his pawn as well.

So far, everything is logical.

3 : Bc4 Nf6

Finally, I develop my light-squared Bishop to c4, controlling the strong a2-g8 diagonal and giving my King the opportunity to easily castle in the future as well.

Black, on the other hand, develops their Knight and simultaneously attacks my e4 pawn.

The start of the Italian Game.

4 : d3 Bc5

Here, I played this pawn move to defend my central e4 pawn, create a pawn chain and to free the dark-squared Bishop.

Meanwhile, Black tries to take advantage of my pawn play and develops their Bishop as well, on the menacing a7-g1 diagonal.

The logical sequence of moves continue.

5 : Nc3 d6

Here, I develop my Knight , because if I can plant it on the central d5 square, it can be very dangerous for Black, if they’re not careful.

Since there is no danger at the moment, Black defends their central pawn and now, we reach a symmetrical position.

However, symmetry does not always mean equality…

So far, my opponent isn’t gambling anything either.

6 : Bg5 h6

I finally decide to pin the Knight to the Queen and develop my dark-squared Bishop.

I plan to launch a quiet Kingside attack, while my opponent desperately tries to hold on.

On the other side, Black sees no danger once again and kicks my Bishop away with a pawn move, adding no real value to the position.

 

The start of my Kingside attack is here!

7 : Bh4 g5

In the previous blogs, we learned, that we shouldn’t trade active pieces for passive ones, so I decide to wait a while and retreat, hoping for my opponent’s mistake.

Although him wildly attacking my Bishop once more with his wing pawn isn’t losing(In computer’s opinion), on human-level gameplay, this should be avoided.

 

White seems a bit cramped here, unless…

8 : Nxg5! hxg5

I bravely sacrificed my Knight for his pawn, because since he has no active pieces and no counterplay so far, I can afford this partial loss. (If I had retreated my Bishop further away instead, I wouldn’t have any attack)

He basically has no good choice, than to take the sacrifice.

Can you continue the attack?

9 : Bxg5 Rg8

I simply capture the remaining hanging pawn with my Bishop, pinning his Knight to the King and threatening to place my Knight on the d5 square. (Do you remember this Knight maneuver?)

Meanwhile, Black just attacks me with their Rook, only to lose their privilege to castle on the Kingside. (Even if they were to castle on the Kingside, they would be defenseless, which would easily grant White a victory)

Black’s not doing really well here.

10 : h4! Rxg5?

I bravely push my flank pawn to defend my Bishop, to threaten Nd5 in the future and make Black’s life even more miserable with my piece activity.

Finally, my strong opponent has had enough of my Bishop and captures it, which turns out to be a BIG mistake.

The vast majority of Black’s pieces are useless, as if they aren’t even here.

11 : hxg5! Ng8

I simply recapture with my pawn and capture his Rook, while preparing to activate my Queen and castle on the Queenside in the following moves.

Black, however, has to retreat their Knight to a even more passive square, to defend it from being taken.

Black’s bad piece play had caused this to happen.

12 : Qh5! Qe7

I jump in with my Queen as planned, attacking the f7 square and creating a Queen+Rook combo on the flank.

Black decides to defend my threat with the Queen, but you’ll see, that the attack is just too much.

So far, Black barely seems to hold on.

13 : Nd5! Qf8

I finally complete my Knight’s journey and with this move, I simultaneously attack the Queen, the c7 pawn and the check on f6, to force a trade of Knights.

On the receiving end, Black values their King safety over their pieces and they play Qf8, but this fails once again…

It all starts to crumble…

14 : Nxc7+! Kd7

I simply give a check to the King and it has to move, because none of Black’s pieces can take my Knight.

• On the next move, I will simply capture the Rook on a8, after which the win will be a cake-walk.

Black has no other choice, but to move the King.

They attack my Knight, but it’s too late now.

15 : Nxa8 Nd8

I simply capture the Rook as intended and now, I’m threatening to win the pawn on f7, keeping maximum tension on the board.

My opponent went back with his Knight on the back-rank, since there is no other good way to defend the pawn. (f6 would be a bad move too)

 

Desperate times call for desperate measures…

16 : Bb5+ Nc6

I give a simple check, trying to force the King to move to a worse square, but I don’t intend anything else on this move.

Black is smart enough to cover with their Knight.

 

Search for a possible error continues.

17 : Bc4 Nd8

Now that I analyze this position, it would be better to just castle Queenside, but I retreated my Bishop back again, I couldn’t find anything else.(I was a bit tense to convert, maybe that’s why)

Black feels good retreating their Knight, because they wish for a 3-fold repetition, which is a draw)

• 3-Fold repetition means repeating the same position in a chess game 3 times, which is a draw, the moves leading to the repetition do not have to be consecutive.

Here we are, once again.

18 : Qg4+ Ne6

I finally decide to attack the King with my Queen as well, and preparing to activate my Rooks as well, with my King being safe in the corner.

Black covers once again with their Knight. They can’t be blamed, because Kd8 wouldn’t be great as well.

Rooks, hang in there!

19 : Bb5+ Kd8

Finally, I decide to check the King one more time, since the Knight can’t cover it this time.

Black has no choice, but to return to d8, which makes my mission successful.

There we go!

20 : Qh4 b6

I move away my Queen to the diagonal, hoping for a discovery check with g5-g6.

• if you ask, why I delay my Rook activation, it’s just a matter of preference, since I’m already winning, I don’t have to worry, since they have no attack.

Black fails to notice this threat and calmly plays b6, trying to go Bb7 and trap my Knight in the corner.

 

21 : g6+ f6

As planned, I give a check.

Black simply covers the check with the pawn, avoiding further trades.

The attack may get a little delayed.

22 : O-O-O Bb7

Finally! I castle and I activate my second Rook as well. Now, I am very happy with my position.

Meanwhile, Black thinks, that they’ve trapped my Knight and go Bb7, but it would be a good move, if I hadn’t had this trick up my sleeve…

Can you see my idea?

23 : Qh7! Ng7

I attack the Bishop and if it takes my Knight, I end the game with Qd7#, so obviously, that’s not gonna work.

Since Bc8 is unappetizing, Black tries Ng7, blocking my route to their Bishop and renewing the threat of taking my Knight.

 

It’s getting intense…

24 : Bc4! Ne7

I move my Bishop back to a better square and attack his Knight. The attack is getting intense and my second Rook isn’t necessary in this case.

On the other hand, This is the only Knight move that doesn’t let me take it for free.

The final phases of the attack.

25 : Qh8! Qxh8

I manage to find this move to force the Queen trade.

Black doesn’t have many good options, so they opt for the trade as well.

I just have to recapture the Queen here.

26 : Rxh8+ Kd7

I capture the Queen and give a check, which leaves Black with 2 choices.

1st one is to block with the Knight and the other is moving the King.

Black chooses the latter and that proves to be wrong. (On top of that, they don’t have time to capture my cornered Knight, which will decide the fate of the game)

It’s coming to an end…

27 : Bb5+ Ke6

I give another check with my dominating light-squared Bishop, which collaborated with my attack.

• Black should’ve defended with either Bc6 or Nc6, but although Ke6 looks a bit better, it fails to…

Can you find the checkmate?

28 : Nc7# 1–0

I deliver checkmate with my cornered Knight and the game is over.

The King is boxed in with my pieces.

Key Takeaways from this game :

Piece activity over material
Initiative over material
Don’t trust your instincts blindly
Don’t play the opponent, play the pieces
Evaluate, then react

I hope you liked this blog!

More blogs will be uploaded here in the future!

If you have any questions or suggestions, leave them down in the comments!

See you later in my next blog!

Thanks for reading!