Game 1 - the good
[White "Magicmunky"]
[Black "UNBITABUL"]
[WhiteElo "1633"]
[BlackElo "2042"]
[TimeControl "60+60"]
[Result "1-0"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bc4 Bc5
So far basic stuff I have been reading and looking at the Max Lange attack since in 90% of the games I have played as white with these moves it ends up in the two knights defence
4. O-O Nf6
0-0 is the classical variation move order, there is alot of interest in 4 d4 on the net but it doesn't suit my style to play it before castling. Against strong opponents (I only try to play >200 points higher than myself) it is very easy to end up on the defensive with a bad position.
5. d4 exd4
We have now transposed into the Max Lange attack of the Two knights defence, great analysis of this can be found at www.njscf.org in the openings for amateurs notes section.
For black there are three main replies:
Bxd4 is very common and can lead to alot of fun after 6 Nxd4 Nxd4 7 f4! the Koltanowski variation (If you find some of his games against amateurs these are full of interesting positions)
Nxd4? is always listed as bad, the reasons for this are difficult to come to terms with but in essence the position becomes reactionary for black after 6 Nxe5 0-0 7 Be3! d5 the usual antidote to all ills in the Giuoco Piano does not always do the trick in this line.
6. e5 d5
Standard Max Lange theory so far, I know this by heart now until move 9 where white has moves which are not forced. Recently I have seen Ng4 a fair bit, the analysis for this is Bf4 being strongest, and as yet I haven't got to grips with this line.
7. exf6 dxc4
Black happily eliminates the bishop attacking f7, the 'book' move ' next is Re1 but ....
8. fxg7 Rg8
Horowitz's line from chess review 1957, I have had two reactions in long time controls to this 1) a long think eating time from their clock and 2) a confused attempt to counterattack. This forces black from the easy equality of the mainline into murkier waters.
Rg8 is forced so no shock there.
9. Bg5 Be7
The whole point in this opening variation is fast development, get at the king in the middle and keep going until there is nothing left. If he castles you are likely to be in trouble with the d4 and c4 combo he has. This is still all theory.
10. Bxe7 Nxe7 N
Taking the bishop with the king is the best move, however it took me a while to figure the position out during and after the game. I saw two possibilities to continue the attack 1) Pin the Knight with Re1 to keep the king in the centre for abit longer 2) Take the d4 pawn with either the Queen or Knight
11. Qxd4 Qxd4
Looking at the position (and the rating of the opponent I have to admit) I wanted to continue to force the game with the iniative rather than let him get a hold in the game. Taking with the knight looks sensible but the Rook still takes the pawn on g7 and my original idea for the position 11 Nxd4 Rxg7 12 Nf5 isn't as good as I first thought unless the rooks are connected.
12. Nxd4 Rxg7
Retaining the iniative I hope to keep hitting the knight on e7 with everything but the kitchen sink (which I have reserved for the king I hope...)
13. g3 Bd7
One of my all time pet hates is to be back rank mated, these days it happens less and less but all the same giving the king some room is always good according to Pete Tamburro, Dan Heismann etc.
At the time Bd7 looked a waste of a move, but in retrospect it is not so bad to prepare for castling. Fritz likes a6 giving 14 Nd2 Bg4 15 f3 = ; black offered a draw which I happily refused because I would learn nothing from 13 moves, even if I lose then there is much more merit in playing the whole game out to see where your weaknesses are. Personally my endgame planning is pretty bad, I seem to rarely reach one before either losing or winning.
14. Re1 f6
Finally getting around to pin the knight, and prevent black castling at the moment. I wanted to provoke f5 or f6 to get the e6 free for the knight, the analysis being that after 0-0-0 Ne6 forks the rooks and forces Bxe6 to remove the white bishop. I did this to prevent the bishop covering the g2 square in the castle in the future.
Fritz thinks 14 ... c5 15 Nf3 = but I don't think I would have bothered to retreat the knight, hitting one rook and preventing black castling isn't necessarily a bad thing.
15. Nc3 O-O-O
Nc3? I think Nc3 is warranted here, I want black to castle now to exchange the bishop off. I like the position, black has two connected pawns and the pawn on c4 looks weak. Playing c4 restricts it for a while and generates some nice threats. Fritz thinks 15 Nd2 c3 16 Bxc3 Kf7 +-; I happen to think allowing my pawns to be doubled now is abit strange but opening lines is always good right? In this position I want to reach a good endgame, there isn't masses of material on the board and once the bishop is off I fancy my chances.
16. Ne6 Bxe6
Running through my plan
17. Rxe6 Rd2
After Rxe6 I'm hitting the f6 pawn and hoping to double the rooks to attack the knight, black deceides he should invade the seventh rank and hoover the queenside. He spent along time thinking about this move so I spent along time working out the complicated mess after Rxf6 and deceided to take the pawn. Fritz happened to actually agree with me for once...
18. Rxf6 Rxc2
A pawn exchange but he has more pawns to attack, checking now makes things interesting
19. Rf8+ Kd7
Forced move
20. Rd1+ Kc6?
I had thought Ke6 was OK for black, Fritz agrees after black plays Nc6 (almost even)
21. Rf6+ Kc5
At this point I could smell blood, black's king is in the wrong place on his own
22. Rd7 Rxb2??
Rd7 threatens to take c7 with check. Blacks response is an utter blunder
23. Na4+ Kb4
Forking the King and rook to win the game, time was getting low now so mistakes were always possible to lose.
24. Nxb2 c3
Taking the rook with utter glee! c3 shows that blacks new plan is based around getting a new queen ASAP, this often happens in this opening if you are not careful.
25. Rf4+ Ka3
Nd3+ is better, I found this after the game then 25 ... Ka3 26 Rf4 Rg6 27 Rxc7 Nd5 +-
26. Nd3 Nf5
Securing b4 for the rook and defending the queening square. Nf5 is an attempt to exchange the rampaging rook on d7 off, to quote Frankie Howerd "Not on your nelly!"
27. Rd5 Kxa2
Attacking the knight twice and threatening Rb5 with mate to follow
28. Rb5 a6
Devoid of options my opponent drops the final blunder into the game, Ka3 stretches the game for a few more moves
29. Ra4#
{Black checkmated} 1-0
After the game my opponent logged off, and I sat very happily going through the game for 20 mins afterwards. Running things through Fritz is always alittle distressing but then again how many people can outplay Fritz?
[Black "UNBITABUL"]
[WhiteElo "1633"]
[BlackElo "2042"]
[TimeControl "60+60"]
[Result "1-0"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bc4 Bc5
So far basic stuff I have been reading and looking at the Max Lange attack since in 90% of the games I have played as white with these moves it ends up in the two knights defence
4. O-O Nf6
0-0 is the classical variation move order, there is alot of interest in 4 d4 on the net but it doesn't suit my style to play it before castling. Against strong opponents (I only try to play >200 points higher than myself) it is very easy to end up on the defensive with a bad position.
5. d4 exd4
We have now transposed into the Max Lange attack of the Two knights defence, great analysis of this can be found at www.njscf.org in the openings for amateurs notes section.
For black there are three main replies:
Bxd4 is very common and can lead to alot of fun after 6 Nxd4 Nxd4 7 f4! the Koltanowski variation (If you find some of his games against amateurs these are full of interesting positions)
Nxd4? is always listed as bad, the reasons for this are difficult to come to terms with but in essence the position becomes reactionary for black after 6 Nxe5 0-0 7 Be3! d5 the usual antidote to all ills in the Giuoco Piano does not always do the trick in this line.
6. e5 d5
Standard Max Lange theory so far, I know this by heart now until move 9 where white has moves which are not forced. Recently I have seen Ng4 a fair bit, the analysis for this is Bf4 being strongest, and as yet I haven't got to grips with this line.
7. exf6 dxc4
Black happily eliminates the bishop attacking f7, the 'book' move ' next is Re1 but ....
8. fxg7 Rg8
Horowitz's line from chess review 1957, I have had two reactions in long time controls to this 1) a long think eating time from their clock and 2) a confused attempt to counterattack. This forces black from the easy equality of the mainline into murkier waters.
Rg8 is forced so no shock there.
9. Bg5 Be7
The whole point in this opening variation is fast development, get at the king in the middle and keep going until there is nothing left. If he castles you are likely to be in trouble with the d4 and c4 combo he has. This is still all theory.
10. Bxe7 Nxe7 N
Taking the bishop with the king is the best move, however it took me a while to figure the position out during and after the game. I saw two possibilities to continue the attack 1) Pin the Knight with Re1 to keep the king in the centre for abit longer 2) Take the d4 pawn with either the Queen or Knight
11. Qxd4 Qxd4
Looking at the position (and the rating of the opponent I have to admit) I wanted to continue to force the game with the iniative rather than let him get a hold in the game. Taking with the knight looks sensible but the Rook still takes the pawn on g7 and my original idea for the position 11 Nxd4 Rxg7 12 Nf5 isn't as good as I first thought unless the rooks are connected.
12. Nxd4 Rxg7
Retaining the iniative I hope to keep hitting the knight on e7 with everything but the kitchen sink (which I have reserved for the king I hope...)
13. g3 Bd7
One of my all time pet hates is to be back rank mated, these days it happens less and less but all the same giving the king some room is always good according to Pete Tamburro, Dan Heismann etc.
At the time Bd7 looked a waste of a move, but in retrospect it is not so bad to prepare for castling. Fritz likes a6 giving 14 Nd2 Bg4 15 f3 = ; black offered a draw which I happily refused because I would learn nothing from 13 moves, even if I lose then there is much more merit in playing the whole game out to see where your weaknesses are. Personally my endgame planning is pretty bad, I seem to rarely reach one before either losing or winning.
14. Re1 f6
Finally getting around to pin the knight, and prevent black castling at the moment. I wanted to provoke f5 or f6 to get the e6 free for the knight, the analysis being that after 0-0-0 Ne6 forks the rooks and forces Bxe6 to remove the white bishop. I did this to prevent the bishop covering the g2 square in the castle in the future.
Fritz thinks 14 ... c5 15 Nf3 = but I don't think I would have bothered to retreat the knight, hitting one rook and preventing black castling isn't necessarily a bad thing.
15. Nc3 O-O-O
Nc3? I think Nc3 is warranted here, I want black to castle now to exchange the bishop off. I like the position, black has two connected pawns and the pawn on c4 looks weak. Playing c4 restricts it for a while and generates some nice threats. Fritz thinks 15 Nd2 c3 16 Bxc3 Kf7 +-; I happen to think allowing my pawns to be doubled now is abit strange but opening lines is always good right? In this position I want to reach a good endgame, there isn't masses of material on the board and once the bishop is off I fancy my chances.
16. Ne6 Bxe6
Running through my plan
17. Rxe6 Rd2
After Rxe6 I'm hitting the f6 pawn and hoping to double the rooks to attack the knight, black deceides he should invade the seventh rank and hoover the queenside. He spent along time thinking about this move so I spent along time working out the complicated mess after Rxf6 and deceided to take the pawn. Fritz happened to actually agree with me for once...
18. Rxf6 Rxc2
A pawn exchange but he has more pawns to attack, checking now makes things interesting
19. Rf8+ Kd7
Forced move
20. Rd1+ Kc6?
I had thought Ke6 was OK for black, Fritz agrees after black plays Nc6 (almost even)
21. Rf6+ Kc5
At this point I could smell blood, black's king is in the wrong place on his own
22. Rd7 Rxb2??
Rd7 threatens to take c7 with check. Blacks response is an utter blunder
23. Na4+ Kb4
Forking the King and rook to win the game, time was getting low now so mistakes were always possible to lose.
24. Nxb2 c3
Taking the rook with utter glee! c3 shows that blacks new plan is based around getting a new queen ASAP, this often happens in this opening if you are not careful.
25. Rf4+ Ka3
Nd3+ is better, I found this after the game then 25 ... Ka3 26 Rf4 Rg6 27 Rxc7 Nd5 +-
26. Nd3 Nf5
Securing b4 for the rook and defending the queening square. Nf5 is an attempt to exchange the rampaging rook on d7 off, to quote Frankie Howerd "Not on your nelly!"
27. Rd5 Kxa2
Attacking the knight twice and threatening Rb5 with mate to follow
28. Rb5 a6
Devoid of options my opponent drops the final blunder into the game, Ka3 stretches the game for a few more moves
29. Ra4#
{Black checkmated} 1-0
After the game my opponent logged off, and I sat very happily going through the game for 20 mins afterwards. Running things through Fritz is always alittle distressing but then again how many people can outplay Fritz?
posted by Dr Munky at 12:32 pm
4 Comments:
Welcome to the Knights Errant! I announced you at my blog. You can find some additional information of how to become a Knight etc. at my sidebar.
Howdy! Welcome aboard.
hey! welcome. also, if you are interested in the max lange and the 4. d4 attack, you should check out the Italian Gambit by Jude Acers. It is one of my favorite chess books in my collection. good analysis and stories.
Hi All,
I've got the Acers book, sadly though I have only managed to flick through it briefly. Like most beginners I brought far too many books, and only now I have a plan to follow have I managed to actually read a whole book or two.
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