2009 Queenstown Linares Open Tournament (Game 4)

please comment on this game :) thank you

I have a question for you, never heard of queenstown lineres in australia ? can you show me the link to the event ?

it's a private event my friend. The tournament is simply called Queenstown, but the name Linares from the Spanish Super-Tournament is borrowed.

oh I see....

Queenstown, Tasmania-Australia
Queenstown, South Is. of New Zealand and we do have the Queenstown Classic which had been held this year

thanks Alekhine :) that's nice of you

First issue:

Why is 8...Bf5?? It clearly isn't.

even a single ? from a normal opening would have to be a move which leads to a very bad position. a double ?? from an equal position has to be clearly losing.

This move isn't even a "?"

(at most a ?!)

just ...Bd7 and white only has a slight edge. I've done some analysis, and even I can defend the position quite easily. Actually, EVEN after what black played, white didn't have too much (though I see no reason for ...Bg4. f3 isn't that bad for white in this position. The bishop is blocked anyway. 

Also, the maneuver ...Na6, ...Nc7 before taking on d5 to ensure a pawn ends up there and not a piece is not too difficult to find.

so 8...Bf5 is just a strange move. White's advantage is not even that obvious (given the maneuver mentioned) after that move, so It can't even get a "?".

As to "giving white a temp": The position isn't open enough for the tempo to matter a lot. Even after black's strange (to me) continuation, white only holds a nice position with a stable (and very small) advantage, nothing more.

the 10...Qd7 move is what I find strange. While it starts a very common maeuver (with ...Bh3 next), the timing is important. Now, taking with 10...cxd5 at least uses the one plus of the bishop's location at g4 (Attacking the knight) to ensure a pawn ends up on d5. leaving it for a piece is positionally unsettling.

If white tries to get cute with 10...cxd5 11.f3 then simply 11...Bd7 and if 12.Nxd5 Nxd5 13.Qxd5 NOW black has 13...Qb6+ 14.Kh1 Be6 15.Qd3 and Na6 (intending to land on c5 and support with ...a5 or induce a queenside weakening by white, black has a lot of compensation for the weakness on d6. 

The more I look at it the less intimidating white's position is.

Still, black's failure to handle the d5 issue correctly is starting to show.

Still, 14...Nxd5 should probably have been postponed. makes it hard for white to remove defenders from the knight. it's not oding much by itself yet. After all, if only pawns defend it, and a pawn ends up on d5, the strategic important of that square is eliminated, and white is left only with a slight space advantage, which shouldn't be enough for anything in and of itself, but the position is bad for black after that fiasco.

Well, EVEN here, may be still ok, but black seems to have given white a lot he shouldn't have, and white probably has a pretty nice advantage, so I think mark ...cxd5 as a ?.

Heh I guess my main problem with the comments is that whoever commented it was too liberal with ?????:)

Bad habit. Calling every strange (or even bad) move a huge blunder prevents you from properly prioritizing the mistakes made.

And as I've said, the first one (...Bf5), while weird, should probably not even get a ?.

15...Rd8 is probably simply senseless. white connects his rook with tempo. and the rook moves again anyway.

17...h6 is probably ?! (or more) in my opinion. Just weakening the kingside structure (ever so slightly). Besides, Na6 connects the rooks and prepares to kick the queen of it's dominant position, while white's bishop is still not doing that much on g5 (in my opinion).

23...Rd8 goes by without a comment. if black goes passive in this position, he dies. Removing the rook from the open file when the pawn isn't even threatened is strange. Especially since black can try to create counterplay with 23...a4!? either creating weaknesses (after bxa) or, most probably, b4 Nd8, just trying to fix the structure. White has a magnificent position, but he still has to break through (search for c5 or f4 at the right moment (maybe f4 now).

After ...Rd8?, it seems like white just starts attacking everything right now. So black did most of the work for him. It is at this point that I think the game is beyond lost (not just winnable, but very easy to win).

27.Rxe5 was missed. It doesn't just win a pawn, it keeps total control of the position and wins more material quickly. MUCH faster than 27.Nd5 that was played(and if black doesn't take, of course it's better) :) but everything wins, it is no longer necessary to find the best moves. Good ones will do.

No more comments required. I can name many ways to win after that. even 37.g4 (37.Ra8 wins just as easily, even if g4 doesn't follow for quite a few moves), as well as other moves besides 38.Ra8. Those are very good moves. The position is just totally and unconditionally winning by then.

Sorry for the super long post.

How come you're not on the Fide rating list?

to AMcHarg

I'm not ? O.o ooh, I'll have to rectify the problem then, thanks for informing me

to Grolich

It's okay, thanks for your in-depth analytical comments, it allows me to see a thing or two that I might have overlooked in the 5 minutes phrase of the game :) sometimes I just dont think at blitz game

 If you aint on their rating list then you can't have a rating, nevermind an FM title.  What's your player number with them?