Crazyhouse Championships - Annotated games




Two annotated games from tantheman -
From the FICS Anniversary Crazyhouse Championship - 2 0 zh



Tecumseh (2306) - tantheman (2456)

1. e4 e6
2. d4 b6
3. Nc3 Bb7

I play this opening quite often and have done
some extensive analysis on it, so I would like
to take the pleasure of naming it.
So far, amongst my peers, I jokingly call it
"The Tan", but I am looking for something more
poetic.  Please message me for any suggestions! :)

4. Nf3 Nf6
5. Bd3 Bb4
6. Qe2

This is a standard line of play for white,
planning to keep control of e4 and the centre.

6. ... d5
7. e5 Ne4
8. Bd2 Bxc3
9. bxc3

Here, white shows potential to steal black's
dark squares, while black attempts to make
something on the long light squared diagonal.

9. ... Nxd2
10. Qxd2 N@e4
11. N@h5!

An interesting play from white, going for the
dark squares, forgoing the queen for a minor
piece and some powerful initiative. A sound
idea as white has potential targets, while black,
even with the queen in hand, does not.

11. ... Nxd2

Under pressure, this move was played, with not
much consideration for Rg8 or B@f8. However,
11... Rg8 or B@f8 allows a possible 12. Bxe4 dxe4
13. N@f6 being most likely troublesome for black,
although playable.
11... Nxd2 was played to salvage something in return for
white's initiative.

12. Nxg7+ Kd7

One of the key ideas of this opening is for the
black king to run and sit safely on c8, with white
squares covered by bishop and knight.

13. Nxd2 B@g5?

Here, black should just forgo the f6 square and
play B@b2 to weaken white's admirable pawn chain.

14. Nf3 Q@b2
15. 0-0 Qxc3
16. N@b5

A strong move intending to weaken the dark squares
around the king while hitting the queen with tempo.

16. ... p@e4

Black intends to give the queen back for some initiative
on the white king and some relief back at home.

17. Nxg5

White avoids a hassling black pawn on f3.

17. ... Qxa1!

Black steals a rook before the queen is wasted on c3.

18. Rxa1 Qxg5
19. p@g3

Perhaps 19. B@g3 is slightly better with potential
for further weakening of the d6 and c7 squares.

19. ... exd3

Black takes a risk and goes for the white king, leaving
a dangerous B@f6 to be played by white.

20. B@f6 N@e2+
21. Kh1 R@c1+!

Black stamps a deadly rook on the back rank that cannot be taken!

22. B@g1?

Here, 22. Q@f1 was a better option, yet still worse after
22... Rxa1! 23. Qxa1 R@c1+ 24. R@f1 Rxa1 25. Rxa1 B@c1.

22. ... Qxf6??

Here, 22... Rxa1 is a simple win, as 23. Q@e7, Kc6 leads
to no mate for white, yet black's threat of Rxg1 remains undefended.
Unfortunately for me, I missed the fact that Kc6 was a move in time
trouble while under pressure and ultimately thought i was doomed
to Kc8 and Qxc7 mate.
22... Qxf6 now allows white back into the game with some now "real"
mate threats.

23. exf6 B@b4
24. Q@e5 B@d6
25. Qxe2

By now there are only 11 seconds on each clock and both players
miss easy moves.  25. Q@e7+ is a very powerful move making
mate hard to avoid.. 25... Kc6 26. a4!! with two mate threats
of Qxc7 and Nxa7, p@b5 !!

25. ... Rxa1
26. Q@f1

Now all sense has gone out the window in the mad chase
to flag the opponent's clock.

26. ... dxe2
27. Qxa1 R@f1
28. N@e5+ Bxe5
29. R@e7+ Kc8
30. Nxa7+ Rxa7
31. Rxc7+ Kd8
32. p@e7+ Kxc7
33. Nxe6+ Kc6
34. p@d6 Kd7
35. Nc5+ Kc6
36. p@b5+ Kxb5
White forfeited on time.

This game could've easily gone either way.
The game finished with white on 0:00 and black on 0:01 -
an extremely tight scramble, which could have been avoided
had either player played out their winning chances.



nonspiego (2292) - tantheman (2451)

1. e4 e6
2. Nc3 b6
3. Nf3 Bb7

Same opening, go with what you know! :)

4. d4 Nf6
5. Bd3 Bb4
6. Bg5

Another standard line of play for white in this opening.
Again, white wants to hold the e4 square and centre, while
working away at black's dark squares.

6. ... h6
7. Bxf6 Qxf6

Also possible is 7. Bh4 g5 8. Nxg5 hxg5 9. Bxg5 N@h7.
It is just another line of play.

8. 0-0

The obvious 8. N@h5 runs into 8... Qg6 9. Nf4 Qg4 being
reasonable for black. 8. e5 is met with 8... Qf4 which
is also fine for black.

8. ... B@h5

Pressuring f3 and stopping N@h5.

9. N@d2 Nc6
10. e5 Qf4
11. Ne2 Bxd2

Black offers the queen for two minor pieces, while gaining
a favourable position. Should white recapture the bishop with
queen or knight, black will win the e4 pawn and impose
threats on the diagonal.

12. Nxf4 Bxf4
13. Be4 N@f5
14. c3 N@d2?

An error in giving white the two pieces back for the queen.
Black already has a good position with little to offer for
white. In doing so, white is allowed back into the game.
Better was perhaps 14... N@g5, where after 15. Nxg5 hxg5.
Black is still good and is improving the position.

15. Nxd2 Bxd1
16. Rxd1 Bxd2
17. Rxd2 N@g5
18. Bxf5 exf5
19. d5?! Nxe5

A slight error in playing 19. d5. Though cutting off
black's strong bishop, white has allowed a good knight
on e5 and has dropped a pawn in the process.

20. Re1 p@e4

Black now threatens to throw a knight on f3 and go for mate.

21. B@d1 B@f4
22. B@e3 Bxe3
23. fxe3 B@f3
24. B@h1

White's defence has been well played. It is solid and
tough to crack.

24. ... Bxg2
25. Bxg2 p@f3

Black is desperately looking for something to go on.

26. Bf1 Bxd5!
27. Rxd5 p@f2+!

Black sacrifices a few things for a mating net!

28. Kxf2 N@g4+
29. Kg3 Q@f2+

In my excitement, I thought this was checkmate.
Unfortunately, it was not.

30. Kf4 Qxh2+
31. p@g3 Ne6+
32. Kxf5 Nf6

Black tries to piece a broken mating net together again,
imposing Qh5+ followed by mate.

33. N@f4 Nxf4?

Here, 33... Qxg3 should give black an easy win in a few
moves, as the threats of Qg5+ and Qxf4+ are unstoppable,
both leading to mate. (eg: 34. Ke5 Qxf4+ 35. exf4 N@c6+
36. Kf5 p@g6 mate)

34. Kxf4 N@h5?

Again, a missed opportunity.  34... N@e6+ leads to mate
after.. 35. Ke5 Qh5+ 36. N@f5 p@d6+ 37. Rxd6 cxd6+
38. Kxd6 R@d5 mate.
Without N@e6, black fails to cover the vital d4 square
and white gets away.

35. Ke5 Qxg3+
36. Kd4 p@c5
37. Kc4 Nxd5
38. B@b7 Nxe3+
39. Rxe3

Clocks are 0:19 to 0:09 in nonspiego's favour.
Here, black's rushed moves do not make sense,
while white still maintains the standard.

39. ... 0-0
40. N@e7+ Kh8
41. B@e5 p@f6??
42. Bxg3 b5+
43. Kb3 R@b6+
44. Kc2 b4
45. N@g6+ fxg6
46. Nxg6+ Kh7
47. Nxf8+ Rxf8
48. p@g6+ Kxg6
49. N@h4+ Kf7
50. Q@g6+ Ke7
51. Nf5+ Kd8
52. R@e8+ Rxe8
53. Q@c8 mate

Clocks were 0:09 to 0:01 so I was truly dead without
a chance at this point.

Commendations to nonspiego who held well under attack,
got out safe and cashed in for the big win in the end.

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Please message frengo (on FICS), if you have questions, suggestions or criticism.