[Event "2013 Standard Chess Dropout Tournament, Round 5"] [Site "SchemingMind.com"] [Date "2014.04.23"] [Round "-"] [White "pmdpsp"] [Black "zygyzag"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "A21"] [WhiteCountry "GER"] [BlackCountry "ENG"] [WhiteElo "1775"] [WhiteRD "79"] [BlackElo "2175"] [BlackRD "99"] [GameID "357314"] { pmdpsp: Hello from Munich and good luck! } 1. c4 e5 { zygyzag: Hi - have a good game. } 2. Nc3 Bb4 3. Nd5 { pmdpsp: Counterattack sounds good! } 3... Bc5 { zygyzag: Good for me or you :) It will be fun either way. } 4. e3 Nf6 5. b4 Nxd5 6. bxc5 Nf6 7. Bb2 Nc6 8. Nf3 Qe7 9. Ba3 O-O 10. Be2 b6 11. O-O bxc5 12. d4 d6 13. dxc5 dxc5 14. Qc2 Rb8 15. Rab1 Nb4 16. Bxb4 cxb4 17. a3 a5 18. axb4 axb4 19. c5 Rd8 20. Bc4 Bg4 21. Be2 { pmdpsp: time for a chat? counterattack was ok, but probably not how it was meant!? pros for you: 1 pawn up, even passed pawn, solid position, black has the momentum and not white, probably a few good ideas. pros for me: still alive, still solid. I would be really interested in your judgement. } { pmdpsp: maybe 8) d4 instead of Nf3 would have been a better defense! } 21... Nd5 { zygyzag: Hi - I wouldn't presume to advise you on the quality of your game. I don't have the experience. But my database seems to indicate a divergence of opinion at move 7 - where Ba3 rather than Bb2 might be played. Though most popular move that I found in the database was b4 at move 7. Here is a link to the Ba3 game: Kharlov (2639) vs. Piket (2632) France 2001 · English, Kramnik-Shirov counterattack (A21) · 1-0 As regards the d4 at move 8 - I would probably have played exd4 then after your exd4 - castled. Thought your Nf3 was quite logical. } { zygyzag: ps the counter attack was more of a reflex response :) I often open with d4 and after Nf6 like to try the Trompowski with Bg5, then Bf4 after Ne4. So the early moves in our game were kind of a reflection of that. } { pmdpsp: interesting how fit you are in opening theory. I mostly lack this and would need to dig it out and I have no time for that. mostly I play onthe fly between two other taks for distraction, but I need to admit that"s not good enough to compete with ELO far beyond my own one. after Nf3 you moved your Q on the king line and then I couldn't play d4 without being exposed to check. if I ask for comments then you can advise. That's how I learn. otherwise I only have my own thoughts on my game and tha's obviuously single-sided and biased. } 22. h3 Bh5 23. Rfd1 Bg6 24. e4 Nc3 25. Rxd8+ Qxd8 26. Nxe5 Bxe4 27. Qb2 Nxb1 28. Nc6 Qg5 29. f3 Bxc6 { pmdpsp: This is hopeless, now Congratulations. I tried my best } { zygyzag: Thanks for the game. You asked me earlier for some comments - there are just a couple that I could mention. At move 15 you lined up your rook and Queen on the open diagonal H7-B1 which immediately put in my mind the possibility of attacking your Queen/Rook with my light squared bishop. I could have done that immediately with Bf5 except that the bishop was unsupported. In order to prevent the rook exchange I blocked with Nb4 and simultaneously attacked your Queen. The resulting exchanges benefitted me by undoubling my pawns on the c file and obtaining a passed pawn. At move 20 I began the attack on your Queen/Rook. I could have done this with a preparatory pawn to g6 - but since I had no bishop in place to fiancetto this might have alerted you to the threat along the diagonal - so I chose to feint an attack on your Knight. If you had not withdrawn your bishop to e2 I would have taken your Knight which would have resulted in a weakened pawn structure around your King. Unfortunately by withdrawing the bishop to e2 you allowed me to play Nd5 placing my Knight in a powerful central position where I could see an immediate fork of your rook and bishop as a possibility. (Perhaps Nd2 rather than Be2?) Your attack on my bishop with h3 forced a withdrawal to h5 - but I still had the attack on your Queen /Rook option available. So now I have two possible attacks available - the Knight fork and the Bishop along the diagonal. Your move 23 Rd1 then gave me the option to fork BOTH of your rooks as well as your bishop and made things worse for you:) Like I said, I am not an expert - but the open diagonal for my light squared bishop, my Knight being able to occupy a central position, and the double rook fork were all helpful to me. All the best - and thanks again for playing } { pmdpsp: Thanks for the comments, rellay appreciated. Good luck } 0-1