A nap certainly raises my efficiency levels. This was proved in the following game I played recently at FICS. My opponent was a 2265, by far the strongest opponent I have faced so far in terms of ELO. But he didn’t play according to his rating I believe, although he did admit that I played well. Here’s my try at annotating the game, do feel free to comment on any move I didn’t see or anything that might have went wrong in my analysis of the game!
[Event “FICS rated standard game”]
[Site “FICS, San Jose, California USA”]
[Date “2011.04.19”]
[Time “13:04:02”]
[Round “-”]
[White “arcticquasar”]
[Black “pjotrOne”]
[WhiteElo “1703”]
[BlackElo “2265”]
[TimeControl “360+50”]
[Mode “ICS”]
[Result “1–0”]
1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6
The Pirc defense is played against me for the first time. I don’t have any idea about this opening, apart from the fact that it was the opening played by Topalov in Kasparov’s Immortal game in 1999.
3. Nc3 g6 4. Be3 Bg7 5. Qd2 O-O 6. O-O-O c6 7. Bh6
Hoping to have an exchange of bishops and more importantly have the queen on h6, Black however has other ideas.
7...Re8 8. f3
Although I should have played this move before, it’s better late than never, avoiding Ng4 and sort of irritating Knight advances.
8...Bh8 9. h4
The purpose of the move is as is, to break open the kingside
9...Be6
I personally don’t like trapping my center pawns, so I thought I could take advantage of the fact that black is going to have a backward e pawn for now.
10. Kb1 Na6 11. h5
Continuing with the plan, I wasn’t too bothered by Nb4, but I could be wrong.
11...Nb4 12. hxg6 fxg6 13. Nh3
I did think about Bxh3, but then I was also imagining doubled rooks on the h-file which would need one less move after Rxh3. I was just trying to maintain the tempo and keep developing. In the actual game Bxh3 wasn’t played and I had the chance to play
13...Qa5 14. a3 Na6 15. Ng5
Opens the dangerous a2-g8 diagonal for the white light-squared bishop after his black counterpart retreats.
15...Bc8 16. Bc4+ e6 17. Qf4
Bringing the Queen into the action and threatening Qxd6 with a strong attack
17...Qc7 18. e5
17...Qc7 is a great move as it prevents any immediate offense on the 7th rank, I continue on opening lines towards the kingside.
18...dxe5 19. dxe5 Nc5
Another great move by black, he realises the importance of e6.
20. Nce4
Not 20. exf6??? which drops the queen. I thought for a long time before playing this move, I think it actually caused me a slight disadvantage even, but I was just trying to open the f-file for one of my Rooks if black played Ncxe4 (as in the game). If not I had plans of Nd6 and blocking the black queen access to e5, and subsequently the 7th rank.
20...Nfxe4 21. fxe4
As planned but now I am slightly forced on the backfoot.
21...Bxe5
I am down a pawn now! Of course my opponent is a 2200+!!
22. Qf2
Hoping to regain the lost pawn by means of a sham sacrifice.
22...Qe7 23. Nxh7!
Regains the pawn and further weakens the black kingside.
23...Qxh7 24. Qxc5 Qc7 25. Rdf1
Continuing with the original plan of Rooks on f and h files constraining the black kings’ movement. Hence also the reason to play Rdf1 rather than Rhf1.
25...Qd6
An exchange of queens now will give nothing for the position, with the material even and a higher rated opponent meaning a better endgame, one blunder and it’d be over for me, so I prefer to keep the Queens on board and continue with the attack.
26. Qf2 Qe7
Preventing Qf7+ and mate in one. It’s amazing to see no blunders at all! All the more reasons for me to make none either!
27. Bg5 Qg7 28. Qh4
Here I’ve seen a combination which will lead to a great advantage in material.
28...b5 29. Bh6
Trying to drive the Queen away.
29...Qh7 30. Bb3 Bd7
The combination I thought of earlier might be possible now, the black Queen is constrained by this move. But at the same time it connects the Rooks and lends to the defense of the 8-th rank.
31. Qg5
Attacking the black dark squared bishop, a very important piece in this game, 31...Qh8 loses to 32.Qxg6+
31...Bh8
All parts of the puzzle are in place, the combination is in order, the assault begins..
32. Bf8!!
Exposing the black Queen..
32...Rxf8
And not 32...Qxh1??? 33. Qxg6+ Bg7 34.Qxg7 mate.
33. Rxf8+ Rxf8 34. Rxh7 Rf1+
An in between move, luckily the white king has a flight square.
35. Ka2 Kxh7 36. Qe7+ Bg7 37. Qxd7
Thus having a Queen for a Rook and a won endgame, but my history of blunders doesn’t permit me to take the ending lightly, fortunately I have not made any serious blunders as of now.
37...Rg1 38. Qxe6 Re1
And not 38...Rxg2??? 39. Qh3+ wins the Rook.
39. Qxc6 Re3 40. Qb7 Re2 41. g4 Rg2 42. Be6
I don’t know why I played that move, maybe I just want things to look nicer on the board, like having pawns on the same color as the bishop that I have, this drops a pawn however, but I am so far ahead in material that it hardly matters.
42...Rxc2 43. Qxb5 Rxb2+ 44. Qxb2 Bxb2 45. Kxb2
I give up the Queen for the last of blacks’ pieces.
45...Kg7 46. Kc3 Kf6 47. Bc8 Ke5 48. Kc4
Here I thought it better (easier?) to Queen the a-pawn rather than the passed pawn (yes I am strange) because it’s easier to keep the opposition (also the fact that my king is closer to the a-file than blacks’)
48...Kxe4 49. Kb5 Kd4 50. a4 Kc3 51. a5 Kb3 52. a6
Now both pawns are protected by the bishop and the black pawns cannot move. Black’s king cannot defend his own pawns.
52...Kc3 53. Kc6 1-0
Black resigns.
Originally published at http://milspeak.wordpress.com.
Comments
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Anubhaw Srivastav (on April 20, 2011) : Awesome game play.. just analyzed the game with the help of engine, couldn’t find a single weakness in your game. Letting your dark bishop to settle down there was a bad idea .. should have exchanged ..
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Ritwick Saikia (on July 13, 2011) : Well, that was interesting and I don’t even know the game. Congrats Himangshu on a game well played. What’s your ELO rating btw?
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Himangshu Saikia (on July 14, 2011) : @Ritwick : I can’t really say for sure 🙂 It’s somewhat between 1700-1800 in FICS standard time games. But I don’t know how that rating compares to official FIDE ratings. And well, I don’t play chess as often as I used to.