For this month's post, I'm going to revisit one of the most bizarre Chess games I've ever played over the board (face-to-face). This game was played on 11 March 2014, and was against Steve (I didn't catch his surname). I played my standard 1. d4 d5 2. c4 and faced a reply I've not seen before, namely 2. ... b5.
What's going on?
It's a good job I was having none of it. I played c4xd5, to keep my pawns in the centre.
1.d4 d5
2.c4 b5
3.cxd5 Nf6
4.e3 Ba6
5.Nc3 b4
6.Qa4+ Qd7
7.Qxb4 Bxf1
So Steve plays his Ba6 and Bxf1 motif, still looking at trapping my king in the centre.
8.Kxf1 Nxd5
9.Qb7 Nb6
10.Nf3 Nc6
11.d5 Nd8
12.Qa6 Nxd5
13.Ne5 Nb4
14.Qc4 Qf5
15.Qb5+
It's not possible to play Ndc6 or Nbc6 here, although the knights will protect each other. Nc6, 16. Nxc6 Qxb5 17. Nxb5 Nxc6 18. Nxc7+ winning the rook.
Instead, the game continued...
15 ... c6
16.Nxc6 Qd3+
17.Qxd3 Nxd3
18.Nd4 e6
19.Ke2 Ne5
20.Ncb5 threatening Nc7+ and picking up the rook
20 ... Kd7
21.Rd1 Ke7
Black wastes a move while I continue to develop my pieces. I was really pleased at this point; a pawn up and with superior development - and I was starting to claim the open files as well.
22.Bd2
22. ... Ndc6
Black wants to exchange my active knights for his stuck on the back rank, and start mobilising his rooks.
23.Nxc6+ Nxc6
24.Rac1 Ne5
25.Rc7+
I exchange my lead in development for a lead in material, picking up the last of black's queenside pawns, and also giving me two connected passed pawns.
25. ... Kf6 (tucked in behind the knight, which isn't guaranteed to go well)
26.Rxa7 Rb8
27.a4 Bc5
28.Rc7 Bb6
29.Rc2 g5
30.Bc3
"Pin and win..."
Black doesn't see the threat, and instead continues the kingside expansion
30. ... h5
31.f4 gxf4
32.exf4 Rhg8
A real blunder. Not only do I win the knight on the spot, but the unfortunate position of the rook on b8 needed to be addressed at this point.
33.Bxe5+ Ke7
34.Bxb8 Rxg2+
35.Kd3 Resigned.
The quick sequence of picking up the knight on e5 and then the rook on b8 has completely tipped the scales, and an unorthodox start comes to a swift end. I enjoyed the way I dodged my opponent's opening preparation, played the middlegame, and developed my pieces in accordance with standard practice, and I think I was fortunate to pick up the knight and rook so quickly. My longer term strategy was to start advancing my unopposed a- and b-pawns, probably with the support of my rooks, while sheltering my king near my queenside pawns.
A few months later, we had a rematch, and my game was a disaster (I don't think I still have the scoresheet!).
What's going on?
Steve said after the game that he expected me to capture the "loose" b-pawn, then he'd play a6, I would capture again; he would then recapture with his bishop and after I move my e-pawn, he'd capture my bishop on f1 and unleash a massive Queenside attack with all his open files, and my king unable to castle to safety.
It's a good job I was having none of it. I played c4xd5, to keep my pawns in the centre.
1.d4 d5
2.c4 b5
3.cxd5 Nf6
4.e3 Ba6
5.Nc3 b4
6.Qa4+ Qd7
7.Qxb4 Bxf1
So Steve plays his Ba6 and Bxf1 motif, still looking at trapping my king in the centre.
8.Kxf1 Nxd5
9.Qb7 Nb6
10.Nf3 Nc6
11.d5 Nd8
12.Qa6 Nxd5
13.Ne5 Nb4
14.Qc4 Qf5
15.Qb5+
It's not possible to play Ndc6 or Nbc6 here, although the knights will protect each other. Nc6, 16. Nxc6 Qxb5 17. Nxb5 Nxc6 18. Nxc7+ winning the rook.
Instead, the game continued...
15 ... c6
16.Nxc6 Qd3+
17.Qxd3 Nxd3
18.Nd4 e6
19.Ke2 Ne5
20.Ncb5 threatening Nc7+ and picking up the rook
20 ... Kd7
21.Rd1 Ke7
Black wastes a move while I continue to develop my pieces. I was really pleased at this point; a pawn up and with superior development - and I was starting to claim the open files as well.
22.Bd2
22. ... Ndc6
Black wants to exchange my active knights for his stuck on the back rank, and start mobilising his rooks.
23.Nxc6+ Nxc6
24.Rac1 Ne5
25.Rc7+
I exchange my lead in development for a lead in material, picking up the last of black's queenside pawns, and also giving me two connected passed pawns.
25. ... Kf6 (tucked in behind the knight, which isn't guaranteed to go well)
26.Rxa7 Rb8
27.a4 Bc5
28.Rc7 Bb6
29.Rc2 g5
30.Bc3
"Pin and win..."
Black doesn't see the threat, and instead continues the kingside expansion
30. ... h5
31.f4 gxf4
32.exf4 Rhg8
A real blunder. Not only do I win the knight on the spot, but the unfortunate position of the rook on b8 needed to be addressed at this point.
33.Bxe5+ Ke7
34.Bxb8 Rxg2+
35.Kd3 Resigned.
The quick sequence of picking up the knight on e5 and then the rook on b8 has completely tipped the scales, and an unorthodox start comes to a swift end. I enjoyed the way I dodged my opponent's opening preparation, played the middlegame, and developed my pieces in accordance with standard practice, and I think I was fortunate to pick up the knight and rook so quickly. My longer term strategy was to start advancing my unopposed a- and b-pawns, probably with the support of my rooks, while sheltering my king near my queenside pawns.
A few months later, we had a rematch, and my game was a disaster (I don't think I still have the scoresheet!).
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