My Great Games #1
I am now an amateur chess player with strength about that of a candidate master. During my entire chess career on chess.com, some good and pretty interesting games have been played. I decide to start this new series because I had just played a really interesting game which I believe is no less exciting than that played by a master.
So here I share this game with you with very detailed analysis:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Ba5
This line is called French Defense: Winawer, Advance, Retreat Variation:
6.Nf3 cxd4 7. Nxd4 Qc7 8. Bb5+
In a game between Alexopoulos Georgios (2249) and Alexas Dimitrios,
White chose to play 8. Ndb5. Here 8. Bb5+ is also possible.
8... Bd7 9. O-O Bxc3 10. bxc3 a6?! 11. Qg4!
Here I sacrificed a pawn to gain a significant lead in development.
In move 10, Black should have played 10... Ne7, which develops a piece and prepares to castle.
11... Qxe4?!
Black accepted my pawn at the price of lagging behind in development and the position suddenly
become very sharp. Computer indicates that this move is inaccurate and leaves me with +1.25
advantage. The best move is 11... Ne7 which prepares to castle.
12. Bf4
I developed my bishop and at the same time attacked Black's queen.
12... Qf6 13. Bg5?!
This move is slightly inaccurate according to Stockfish. But here I thought that I wouldn't mind a quick draw as long as Black didn't mind it either. Best move is 13. Qg5! axb5 14. Bxb8 with a slight advantage for me.
13... Qg6
Clearly Black thought he has an advantage and decided to play on.
14. Bd3
Attack again Black's queen.
14... f5
The position after 14... f5 is shown above.
Look at this position, I was still down a pawn, but I have a real lead in development. We have always been taught that when we have a lead in development, especially when we are down in material, we should attack with all might, even at the cost of sacrificing more pieces. I decided to follow this strategy and played:
15. Bxf5!!
With this move, I blasted open the e-file and were already for a decisive attack against Black's uncastled king. I didn't see all those moves that follow up, but I believed that I would succeed because my intuitions told me so! Anyway, calculations aren't all that important in chess. The great Reti, when asked about how many moves can he see ahead, he always answers "One move" or even "None at all!". Surprising enough, computer considers this to be an inaccurate move (at least not blunder!) and recommends instead 15. Qf4, but I believe this is the best most players (including masters!) can do here.
15... exf5
Black has no other options.
16. Rfe1+?!
Stockfish says the best move in this position is 16. Rae1+, which after 16... Kf8 17. Ne6+!! Bxe6 (Qxe6?? 18.Qb4+ followed by 19. Rxe6) 18. Qb4+ Kf7 19. Qxb7+ Nd7 20. Qxa8 Qxg5 21. Rxe6!! Kxe6 22. f4! (the real point of 16. Rae1+ instead of 16. Rfe1+) Qg6 23. Re1+ Kd6 (Black could play Ne5 if I played 16. Rfe1+ (and so I can't play f4) and gains an advantage) 24. Qxa6+ the position is completely even and should be a draw. But the difference is extremely difficult to spot (though computer spots it almost instantly!) and you can't blame me for it!
16... Kf8 17. Qg3 h6
Black hoped desperately to trade my queen:
18. Qc7!!
I sacrificed my other bishop in order to avoid trading my queen.
Now Black's king is in real trouble.
18... hxg5
The best Black can do here is to accept my gift and hope to survive.
Note that after 18... Qxg5 19. Qxb7 Qd8 (Bc6?? mate in 3 20. Ne6+ Ke8 21. Nxg5+ Kd8 (Kf8 Qf7#) 22. Nf7#) 20. Qxa8 I win the rook and still have a very strong attack.
19. Qd8+ Kf7 20. Nf3!
My knight also join in the attack against Black' king. Black seems to be pretty helpless:
20... Qf6??
This move loses instantly. In fact, Black can still hold on to the game by playing 20... Nc6! 21. Nxg5+ Qxg5 22. Qxg5 after which Black loses his queen but has three extra minor pieces for compensations.
21. Ne5+ Ke6??
Another blunder by Black. If Black sacrifices his queen now and plays 21... Qxe5 22. Rxe5 my attack is far too strong to stop and Stockfish indicates a +5.53 advantage for me. But now Black is completely losing:
22. Nxd7+ Kd6 23. Nxf6+
Black resigned and it's mate after 23... Kc5 24. Qxd5+ Kb6 25. Rab1+ Kc7 26. Rxb7+ Kc827. Re8#
Here is the complete game:
Hope you enjoy it!
Thanks for your reading!