09-11-2011, 08:56 AM
Here's my game from yesterday. I had huge problems after a bad decision in the opening and was lucky to scrape a draw. Today we play lithuania...
White: T Kett 2184
Black: P Roberts 2222
European Team Championship Round 6
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.c3 Bg7 4.d4 cxd4 5.cxd4 d5 6.exd5 Nf6 7.Nc3 Nxd5 8.Bc4 Nxc3
Looking back on it now, this was the start of all my problems in the game! This exchange gives white a better pawn structure and chances of attacking down the half open b-file. Better was 8...Nb6 9.Bb3 0-0 when white can play either 10.h3 or 10.0-0
9.bxc3 0-0 10.0-0 Nc6 11.Re1 Qa5
11...Na5 was tempting to go after the bishop and control the c4 square, though white has 12.Bd3 Be6 13.Bg5 Re8 14.Qa4 Bd7 15.Qa3 with some pressure
12.Bd2 Bg4
12...Rd8 with the idea of e5 and meeting 13.d5 with 13...Qc5. Unfortunately 13.Rb1 a6 14.Qb3 e6 15.Bg5 Rf8 16.Bf4 Rd8 17.Ne5 gives white an edge. Exchanging all the pieces doesn't help either, eg 17...Nxe5 18.Bxe5 Bxe5 19.Rxe5
13.Rb1 Bxf3
13...e6 with the idea of preventing Rxe7 after taking on f3 and d4 still allows white to invade with 14.Rxb7 Bxf3 15.Qxf3 Nxd4 16.cxd4 Qxd2 17.Rd1 Qa5 18.Rxf7! (spotted by Alan Tate during post mortem analysis. 18.d5 exd5 19.Bxd5 was also clearly better for white, but not as incisive) and white is close to winning
Also possible was 14.a4 Bxf3 15.Qxf3 Nxd4 16.Qxb7 Nf5 17.Qb4 with an edge
14.Qxf3 Nxd4 15.cxd4 Qxd2 16.Rxe7 Rac8 17.Rxf7
17.Rd1 Qxd1+ (only move, otherwise white keeps the d-pawn and should start hoovering up pawns on the seventh) 18.Qxd1 Rxc4 19.g3 Rxd4 20.Qb3 b6 21.Rxa7 Rd6 with Bd4 to follow. Black has rook and bishop for the queen and has good drawing chances.
17...Rxf7 18.Qxf7+ Kh8 19.Rxb7 Qxd4
19...Qd1+ 20.Bf1 Qxd4 21.Re7 Qf6 22.Qxf6 Rxf6 23.Rxa7 with good winning chances. In the game the bishop is en prise which gives black time to defend the a-pawn
20.Re7 Qf6 21.Qxf6 Rxf6 22.Re4 Rd8 23.g3 Rd4 24.Re8+ Kg7 25.Rc8 Bd8 26.Bb3 Rd2 27.h4 Kf6 28.Kg2 Ke7 29.Rc4 Rd6 30.Re4+ Kf8 31.Ra4 Rd7 32.Kf3 Bb6 33.Rf4+ Kg7 34.g4 h6 35.g5 hxg5 36.hxg5
White has made some progress as there is now a lone g6 pawn which is vulerable to attack from the rook and bishop. The main method of defence is to keep the rook on the second and to cover c2 or any other square where the bishop can attack g6. Once the pawn advances to f4 a last ditch defence would be for the rook and bishop to attack f4 if the g-pawn is about to be taken. This is a very unpleasant endgame and white can play on for a long time. Luckily for me my opponent only had a couple of minutes left to make the time control and allows the rooks to be exchanged!
36...Bd8 37.Kg4 Bb6 38.Rf6 Bd4 39.Rf3 Bb2 40.Rf4 Rd4 41.Rxd4 1/2-1/2
White: T Kett 2184
Black: P Roberts 2222
European Team Championship Round 6
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.c3 Bg7 4.d4 cxd4 5.cxd4 d5 6.exd5 Nf6 7.Nc3 Nxd5 8.Bc4 Nxc3
Looking back on it now, this was the start of all my problems in the game! This exchange gives white a better pawn structure and chances of attacking down the half open b-file. Better was 8...Nb6 9.Bb3 0-0 when white can play either 10.h3 or 10.0-0
9.bxc3 0-0 10.0-0 Nc6 11.Re1 Qa5
11...Na5 was tempting to go after the bishop and control the c4 square, though white has 12.Bd3 Be6 13.Bg5 Re8 14.Qa4 Bd7 15.Qa3 with some pressure
12.Bd2 Bg4
12...Rd8 with the idea of e5 and meeting 13.d5 with 13...Qc5. Unfortunately 13.Rb1 a6 14.Qb3 e6 15.Bg5 Rf8 16.Bf4 Rd8 17.Ne5 gives white an edge. Exchanging all the pieces doesn't help either, eg 17...Nxe5 18.Bxe5 Bxe5 19.Rxe5
13.Rb1 Bxf3
13...e6 with the idea of preventing Rxe7 after taking on f3 and d4 still allows white to invade with 14.Rxb7 Bxf3 15.Qxf3 Nxd4 16.cxd4 Qxd2 17.Rd1 Qa5 18.Rxf7! (spotted by Alan Tate during post mortem analysis. 18.d5 exd5 19.Bxd5 was also clearly better for white, but not as incisive) and white is close to winning
Also possible was 14.a4 Bxf3 15.Qxf3 Nxd4 16.Qxb7 Nf5 17.Qb4 with an edge
14.Qxf3 Nxd4 15.cxd4 Qxd2 16.Rxe7 Rac8 17.Rxf7
17.Rd1 Qxd1+ (only move, otherwise white keeps the d-pawn and should start hoovering up pawns on the seventh) 18.Qxd1 Rxc4 19.g3 Rxd4 20.Qb3 b6 21.Rxa7 Rd6 with Bd4 to follow. Black has rook and bishop for the queen and has good drawing chances.
17...Rxf7 18.Qxf7+ Kh8 19.Rxb7 Qxd4
19...Qd1+ 20.Bf1 Qxd4 21.Re7 Qf6 22.Qxf6 Rxf6 23.Rxa7 with good winning chances. In the game the bishop is en prise which gives black time to defend the a-pawn
20.Re7 Qf6 21.Qxf6 Rxf6 22.Re4 Rd8 23.g3 Rd4 24.Re8+ Kg7 25.Rc8 Bd8 26.Bb3 Rd2 27.h4 Kf6 28.Kg2 Ke7 29.Rc4 Rd6 30.Re4+ Kf8 31.Ra4 Rd7 32.Kf3 Bb6 33.Rf4+ Kg7 34.g4 h6 35.g5 hxg5 36.hxg5
White has made some progress as there is now a lone g6 pawn which is vulerable to attack from the rook and bishop. The main method of defence is to keep the rook on the second and to cover c2 or any other square where the bishop can attack g6. Once the pawn advances to f4 a last ditch defence would be for the rook and bishop to attack f4 if the g-pawn is about to be taken. This is a very unpleasant endgame and white can play on for a long time. Luckily for me my opponent only had a couple of minutes left to make the time control and allows the rooks to be exchanged!
36...Bd8 37.Kg4 Bb6 38.Rf6 Bd4 39.Rf3 Bb2 40.Rf4 Rd4 41.Rxd4 1/2-1/2