The FICS Academy
The FICS Chess Academy provides a medium for interaction
between stronger players and those wishing to become
stronger. Over the last few months, the Academy has
concentrated its efforts on
The FICS Chess Ladder.
Volunteer members of the Ladder review games played
by FICS users, providing useful advice on how weaker
players can improve their chess skills.
Any FICS registered player can
submit a game.
A Ladder reviewer will receive the game and annotate it
usually within 2 weeks. All annotated games are available
on web.
The following game, played by a 1400+ FICS Blitz rating player
and annotated by a 2050 national ELO player, shows the
kind of insight provided by the Ladder reviewers. Player
comments are shown in blue, annotator comments in black.
PTFN - Tomarov
2 november 2002
Dutch, A90
notes by PTFN and Aeneas.
1. c4 f5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. d4 e6 4. g3
Can I play 4.Bg5 here?
Of course this natural move is possible. It has been
played quite often, by players of the highest level, such
as Spassky, Bronstein, Bogoljubow,...
4. ... d5 5. e3?
More logical maybe 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg2
Aeneas: The simple 5.Bg2 is the best here, as Black
cannot win the c4 pawn: 5.Bg2 dxc4 6. Qa4+. 5. e3
weakens the light squares and closes the diagonal of the
poor Bc1. After this move, you will have problems to
finish your developpement and put your Bishop where he has
to go: on g2!}
5... c6 6. Nge2
Seeing the e6 pawn weakened I planned to put my knight on f4.
6. ... Bd6 7. Nf4 O-O 8. c5?
A very bad move. By releasing the tension in the centre
you give Black the initiative: now Black has an easy play: he can
prepare e6-e5 or a pawn storm by g7-g5.
8. ... Bc7 9. h4
I made this meaningless move since I didn't know how to
develop my pieces in this situation.
It is no so meaningless. Black now cannot push when they
want g7-g5. 9. Bg2 e5 10. dxe5 Bxe5 11. O-O is
probably better.
9. ... Qe8 10. Nce2
This knight aimed at e5
10. ... Nbd7 11. Ng1 Ne4 12. Nf3
I neglected my opponent's next move. Better is 12.Bd2 or
12.b4.
12... Ba5+ 13. Bd2 Nxd2 14. Nxd2 e5!
Shocker! I never noticed this pawn's advancement! I would
only waiting for my position ruins if it were a
club player who play against me.
It's a very good move, which is possible because of your
8th move. Black has a better developpement now and
open the position: your King is stuck en centre.
15. Ne2
If 15. dxe5 Nxc5and the e5 pawn will be soon lost.
15. ... exd4 16. Nxd4
trying to keep the material is no better 16. exd4 f4!
and lines are opening on the white King's position.
16... Nxc5 17. Rc1
It was better to try to finish the developpement by
17. Be2 Ne4 18.N4b3 Bb6 19. O-O
even if Black has still a winning position.
17... Bxd2+?!
Why did black play this? Isn't, for instance, 17. ...Ne4
better? Black released the pinning on a5-e1 diagonal himself!
You're right! I've written here some interesting (and
sometimes beautiful) variations.
17... Ne4 18. N4b3 18. N4f3 f4!
a key move with such a pawn structure; it threatens 19...Bg4
which will be deadly. White has no more defence:
19. gxf4 (19. Bh3 fxe3 20. fxe3 Nxd2 21. Nxd2 Qxe3+
22. Qe2 Bxd2++/-) 19... Bg4 20. Rc2 Nxd2 21. Rxd2 Rxf4-/+
18. ... f4! 19. gxf4
19. Nxa5? Nxf2 20. Qe2 (20. Kxf2? Qxe3+ 21. Kg2 Qxg3#)
20... fxg3 21. Rg1 Bg4-/+
19... Rxf4 19... Nxd2 20. Nxa5 Qe4 21. Bg2 Qxg2
22. Kxd2 d4!-/+ opening the position and undermining the
pawn chain.
18. Qxd2 Ne4 19. Qb4?!
I was determined if 19. ... c5 then
20. Rxc5 Nxc5 21.Qxc5 maybe I can
find some opportunity.
The natural 19. Qc2 is better than the game's move:
19... Bd7 20. Bg2 b6 21. O-O Black is of course a
pawn up, but White can continue playing.
19... Rf7?!
19... c5! 20. Rxc5 Nxc5 21. Qxc5 Qe4 22. Rg1 Qb1+ 23. Ke2
23. Kd2 Qxb2+ 24. Qc2 Qxc2+ 25. Kxc2 b6 is an ending easy
to win for Black. 23. ... Qxb2+ 24. Kf3 Qxa2
and the white opportunities are very small for White.
20. Nb3 Bd7
I was surprised of this move at first glance. Was black
tempting me to play 21.Qxb7 and then trapping my queen? But I found
nothing he could do, so I played:
21. Qxb7 Qc8?
A very bad move, which throw away any advantage. 21... Nxg3
was very tempting here, trying to exploit the bad position
of the white Queen: 22. fxg3 Qxe3+ 23. Kd1 Re8 24. Nd2
Black was threatening f4, Bg4+, Bf5+ followed by Qe1 mate
24... f4 24...Qxg3 is very interesting too
25. Qb3 The point of 24.Nd2: the white Queen is
back in defence. 25... Bg4+ 26. Kc2 Bf5+ 27. Bd3 Rb7
28. Bxf5 28. Qa3 Bxd3+ 29. Qxd3 Rxb2+! while 28. Qc3
is same than 28.Qa3. 28... Rxb3 29. axb3 fxg3
with a totally wild position, probably for Black.
22. Ba6?
White wants too much of the position. It was better to
exchange the Queens: 22. Qxc8+ Rxc8 23. Ba6 Rb8 24. O-O
with an equal position.
22... Qxb7?
Giving up a pawn. Keeping the Queens on the board gives good
chances to Black. For example:
22... Qf8! 23. O-O Rb8 24. Qc7 c5 25. Qa5
25. Nxc5 Bb5! 25... c4 26. Nd4 Qd6
and Black is very actively placed.
23. Bxb7 Rb8 24. Bxc6 Bxc6 25. Rxc6 Rfb7 26. Ke2 a5 27. Ra6 Rb5 28. Rd1?
Why not take the opened file with 28.Rc1?
28... Nc5 29. Nxc5 Rxc5 30.b3 Rc2+ 31. Kf3
31. Rd2 seems more natural here. Black has to leave
the 2th rank, as exchanging on d2 gives gim a lost Rook's ending.
31... Rxa2 32. Rxd5 Rxb3 33. Rd7?
I was too doctrinairized by the chess books which suggests
"pair of rooks on the 7th rank" and didn't play 33.Rxf5
which guarantees a easy win.
The doctrine of the book is good here: You missed an
intermediate check, which changes everything. Let's look at it:
33. Rd8+ Kf7 34. Rd7+ Ke834... Kf8?? 35. Ra8+
35. Rxg7 Kf835... Rd2 36. Rxh7 36. Rxh7
and it's an easy win for White.
33... h6 34. Raa7 Rbb2 35. Rxg7+ Kh8 36. Kf4 Rxf2+ 37. Ke5 Rac2 38. Rgd7
Maybe I should play 38.Rh7+ Kg8 39.Rxh6 now.
38. Rh7+ Kg8 39.Rxh6
is good indeed. This position is very similar to the position
obtained after your 43th move. But there is difference:
The black Rook in more passive here on f2 than on d2.
39... Rc5+ 40. Kd4 Rfc2 41. Rd6!
Threatening mate.
41... R2c4+ 42. Kd3 Rc3+ 43. Ke2 Rc8 44. Rxa5+/-
38... Rc5+ 39. Kf6 Rc6+ 40.Ke5 Rc5+ 41. Kd4 Rc8 42. Rh7+ Kg8 43. Rxh6 Rd2+!
Black begins several forced moves which lead to a draw.
They play very precisely.
44. Ke5 Rc5+ 45. Kf4
45. Kf6? Rd6+ 46. Kg5 f4+ 47. Kxf4 Rxh6 {and Black wins.
45... Rf2+ 46. Kg5 f4+! 47. Kg4 fxe3
Now I think that this ending is a draw. Black has
activated his rooks and it should be enough to hold the draw.
48. Re6 e2 49. Re8+ Rf8 50. Rxe2 Rf7 51. Ra8+ Rf8 52. Rxf8+ Kxf8 53. Ra2 Kg7
Is this a winning or a drawish position? I am lack of
endgame knowledge.
I think it's a draw here. I don't see how White can
activate his King without losing one of his pawns.
54. Ra4 Rb5 55. Kh3 Kg6
I was urgy to advance my pawns!
56. g4?
After this move, White has no more win. It's absolutely
sure here. You could have waited a while, playing your
King in centre and see what your opponent plays. A good
lesson here: always think carefully before a pawn's
advance: pawns cannot go back.
56... Rb3+ 57. Kg2 Rb4!
An excellent move which ends the game in a dead draw.
58. Rxa5 Rxg4+
Now it is a theoritical draw.
59. Kh3 Rg1 60. h5+ Kh6 61. Kh4 Rh1+ 62.Kg4 Rg1+ 63. Kh4 Rh1+ 64. Kg4 Rg1+ 65. Kh4 Rh1+ 66. Kg4
1/2-1/2
Some observations about this game:
-
When you play g2-g3 in the opening you should be able to
play then Bg2.
-
Never forget your developpement: here your King has been
stuck in the centre and Black could have exploited this.
-
The move 8.c5 allows Black to push e5 with an excellent
game for him. Be careful when you release the tension in
the centre.
-
Taking a pawn on b7 with a Queen is often dangerous: you
win material, but your Queen is far away from defence
and from the centre.
