A game from last night

[Dewi Jones]

Well Geoff Chandler said he wanted to see some games from around the leagues, so here's one - which shows exactly why they are not considered suitable for a wider audience!

I don't really have anyone to help me analyse my games, so I thought I might do so on here in the hope that you might throw in some useful comments. If this turns into an enjoyable thread then I will put up other games that I play, at least it should motivate me to look over them as all the books encourage us to do. My ECF grade is barely a hundred, so those easily offended by idiocy might want to look away now.

I've tried to explain what I was hoping to achieve with my worst moves.

This is an end of tournament game, we're both on 2/4, neither of us can place in the tournament, but it's always nice to make at least 50% in an open tournament.

[Event "Pencampwriaeth Gwynedd 2013"] [Date "2014.05.12"] [Round "5"] [White "Jones, Dewi (1553)"] [Black "A>N Other (1719)"] [ECO "A04"] [WhiteElo "1553"] [BlackElo "1719"] [PlyCount "88"] 1. e4 c5 2. d3 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 d6 5. Bg2 Nf6 6. O-O Nc6 7. h3 Nd7 8. Be3 Bxb2 9. Nbd2 Bxa1 10. Qxa1 e5 11. Bh6 Nb6 12. a4 Nb4 13. Rc1 Be6 14. Nxe5 dxe5 15. Qxe5 Rg8 16. Qxc5 Qe7 17. Qd4 Nc6 18. Qa1 Qb4 19. Nf3 Qxa4 20. Qf6 Nd7 21. Qf4 Nd4 22. Qd6 Nxf3+ 23. Bxf3 Qc6 24. Qf4 Qc5 25. c3 Qe5 26. Qe3 Bxh3 27. d4 Qe7 28. Kh2 g5 29. Kxh3 Qe6+ 30. Kg2 Qxh6 31. e5 Rb8 32. Rb1 b6 33. Bd5 Rg6 34. Qf3 Qg7 35. Re1 Kd8 36. Bxf7 g4 37. Qf4 Rc6 38. e6 Qf6 39. e7+ Qxe7 40. Rxe7 Kxe7 41. Qe4+ Kd6 42. Qf4+ Ke7 43. Qe4+ Kd6 44. Qf4+ Ke7 1/2-1/2

7. a3
I have played this opening all season, in order to get to know it. I will have a new opening for all of next season. My dark squared bishop occasionally proves a difficulty, h3 was played in order to allow me to play Be3 on move 8 before I put my QK on d2. Also since he put his bishop in fianchetto, I was hoping after Be3 to set up a battery with my queen and bishop and force the exchange of his important defensive piece with Bh6.

7. ...... Nd7 obviously puts paid to that plan, except.....

8. Be3?? I was so wrapped up in my own plan that I completely overlooked the fact that my opponents Knight move meant ploughing on regardless dropped a pawn and the exchange.

I feel like giving up on the spot, but hey, I was expected to lose the game anyway, and now all the pressure is on my opponent. Plus it is at least obvious (in my mind) what I must now do. If my opponent manages to castle and develop his pieces I will be smashed, so I tried to play active aggressive moves that forced him to respond. He may get my rook for his bishop, but I will get to develop two pieces whilst he mops up.

17. Qd4 (does anybody think I should have exchanged queens here? I don't think my move 17. Qd4 was very good, but I felt I had to keep the material on the board and on that basis Qd4 was the only move to stop my opponent castling. I planned to meet 17... Nxa4 with 18. c3

22. Qd6. I had seen the Knight fork on e2 and hoped it would tempt my opponent. I planned to meet it with Kf1 and Bg5.

26. Still trying desperately to keep on the board the pieces that might carry a threat.

35. ..... Kd8? One move before the time control, though I am the one who's short of time, and not my opponent. That's the benefit of being a sub 110 player, your opponents might just blunder something back to you.

37. ..... Rc6? and finally the game swings my way. Rc8 is obviously better as it accomplishes the same thing but removes the threat of my discovered attack....

FINAL POSITION
1r6/p2n1B1p/1prk4/8/3PQ1p1/2P3P1/5PK1/8 w - - 0 44

And I got to put to use the information I learned from a thread here last week on what constitues three fold repetition. I had less time on my clock than I would have liked, and a win or loss made little difference to the final standings, so I chickened out and allowed the repetition. I did feel I was winning at the end but I hadn't seen 44. d5 which would have allowed me to press the advantage. I'd assumed I needed to keep the pressure on with my queen, checking and picking up the g pawn - which would have led to the fall of my c pawn.

[Roger de Coverly]

Well Geoff Chandler said he wanted to see some games from around the leagues, so here's one - which shows exactly why they are not considered suitable for a wider audience!

I think your opponent's play is the one that should be criticised. Essentially you were a Rook down for nearly all the game, so any desperate measures are justified. For whatever reason your opponent declined numerous opportunities to play O-O-O which would have brought his a8 Rook into the game and I would imagine enable him to win without much trouble. If necessary, he could have followed a Korchnoi precedent and asked the arbiter if it was legal.

[Dewi Jones]

I was wondering whether he was laboring under that missaprehention too Roger. There were a few times I expected him to castle long, none of the moves he made in place of doing so appeared to be required urgently enough to excuse not doing so.

[Geoff Chandler]

Ahhhhhh.....the pure absolute bliss of playing over a 1500-1700 OTB league game.

How I miss seeing these games.

Two chess players, possibly doing a day job meet that night and play chess.

All the chess books, DVD's and playing over those endless number of GM games
have not made one shred of difference. Thank God.

White traditionally ducks the mainline Sicilian (there must be thousands of Open
Sicilian books on the shelves of these under 2000 players totally unused....what a waste of money that was.)

The tentative h3 so White could play and lose the exchange.
(White should have won this, we could then have called this an exchange sacrifice.)

Before Black can settle down and show off his technique White sacs a piece for three pawns.
This bid for counter play on a muddy board is perfectly timed.
White is a whole Rook down, three centre pawns up and as the supposed losing
player is now firing eyes-wide on all pistons.

Black slips into swap-off mode. He declines castling Queenside when he has the chance,
therefore keeping both Rooks out of the game.
Perhaps the reason Black declined castling was because his sole plan was 'Queens Off'.
The a8 Rook is handily placed behind that passed a7 pawn.

Black is going through all the pains of having a won game facing a
resourceful opponent. The losing player is spotting all the shots, the
winning player is trying his best to calm the position down.

The winning player at this level often drifts and blunders.
Yet another example that the attacking (and often the losing player) at
this level has the easier game.

White then has a win dropped in his lap and the relief plus the perpetual
sitting there makes him miss his win.

Your typical under 1800 league game - beautiful.

[Roger de Coverly]

The tentative h3 so White could play and lose the exchange.

h3 is a normal idea to prevent Ng4. But Black played the sneaky Nf6-d7 instead of being cooperative by castling. White should then play c3 or Nc3 (Qc1 at a pinch) if he's awake.

After the exchange loss, Black's task is to persuade White that it's time to resign

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi Roger,

I know h3 is theoryish. Don't play it myself, White has made 3 pawn
moves in the opening - that's enough.

What I was saying that after 7.h3 all thoughts of Ng4 had gone,
the Bishop can safely go the e3 and then came the exchange sacrifice.

Chess is like that. The game is not your friend, it is always looking to trip you up.

A good trap that one. Or was it a trap?

I wonder if White had played 8.Nc3 (my 7th move choice instead of 7.h3.)

r1bqk2r/pp1nppbp/2np2p1/2p5/4P3/2NP1NPP/PPP2PB1/R1BQ1RK1 b kq - 0 8
instead of 8.Be3, was Black's Nf6-d7 idea to chop on c3 (a delayed sniper).

This is why I love these games. You see fresh ideas, moves the GM's would dare not try
on a fellow GM and, as here, opening theory is the first thing to go out of the window.

[Roger de Coverly]

opening theory is the first thing to go out of the window.

I don't really think so. I've played this line on and off for more than forty years and Nf6-d7 is a normal idea. It's not to take on c3 which I suspect would just be bad, but to be able to plonk both Knights on d4 and e5. White will often play Nf3-h4 followed by f2-f4-f5 whereupon the Knights can take up central residence. You find similar ideas (Nf3-d2) with colours reversed in the English.

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi Roger,

You have played 7...Nd7 here?

r1bqk2r/pp2ppbp/2np1np1/2p5/4P3/3P1NPP/PPP2PB1/RNBQ1RK1 b kq - 0 7

Is the Rook sac trap known. I wonder if the lad caught anyone with it before...Have you?

or if instead of 7.h3 White plays 7.Nc3.

r1bqk2r/pp2ppbp/2np1np1/2p5/4P3/2NP1NP1/PPP2PBP/R1BQ1RK1 b kq - 0 7

Do you play 7...Nd7 here.

I was wondering if the lad had the idea of playing Bxc3 in asnswer to Nc3.
This is what I mean about theory going out the window.
I don't think the Rook sac is part of theory.
(well it is now. The Dewi Jones Exchange Sac Variation)

[Dewi Jones]

I don't think the Rook sac is part of theory.
(well it is now. The Dewi Jones Exchange Sac Variation)

I think you mean the Dewi Jones Ball Sack Variation.

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi D.J.

Call it what you want mate, it's your line.

I know it's tough seeing and looking for a win when there is a perpetual for you and
at one time you would have sold your soul for a draw in that game but you have to snatch
these chances when they appear.

Smashing back to the wall play and a good OTB recovery.

Of course you do realise that there will be a game coming up you should
have won and will only draw or lose it. So remember to accept it as part of the game.

Chess. She will give and take away. But as long as you know and accept
this then she will give a lot more than she takes back.
It's those that think they don't deserve to lose she is really after. These people she never gives anything too.

[IM Jack Rudd]

It looks like the sort of position where there a number of viable moves and they're all likely to converge to very similar positions within a move or three; you're attempting to get a load of moves in without there being any reason why they should be in a particular order.

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi Jack.

"you're attempting to get a load of moves in without there being any reason why they should be in a particular order."

I've explained the move order. It's a fresh idea. Possibly OTB inspired.

I cannot find one game by a GM, or anyone else for that matter, in this well known position...

r1bqk2r/pp2ppbp/2np1np1/2p5/4P3/3P1NPP/PPP2PB1/RNBQ1RK1 b kq - 0 7
playing 7...Nd7(!). TN.

7...Nd7 is aimed at stopping the standard Be3-Qd2-Bh6 idea for which the move 7.h3 was played to implement.

r1bqk2r/pp1nppbp/2np2p1/2p5/4P3/3P1NPP/PPP2PB1/RNBQ1RK1 w kq - 0 8

Does it damage the Black position?

One can indeed transpose back to the mainline or maybe White
can use his 7.h3 move by playing Nh2 answering Ne5 with f4.
The h2 Knight can then spring to g4 with options/ideas of Nh6.

It is a fresh idea in a well known position. (and it sets a valid trap - witness the above game.)
1700 players can have ideas. We should encourage them.
One can imagine some crusty coach saying;

"No you cannot play that, it's not opening theory and it moves a piece twice in the opening."

This was a very good battling and entertaing game of chess,
very typical of the lower boards at league games and tournaments.
The ignored masses who keep chess going by paying clubs subs
and buying the opening books and DVD's that they really don't need.
(hmmm....I wonder if Black got that trick Nd7 from a note in a book.)

If it had been posted with both players graded 2400+ most of you would have been nodding along.

Dewi, who was Black, and why did you not name him?

[Dewi Jones]

I didn't name him because I thought it rude to put someone else's name up on the internet. But if you search for my rating card on the Welsh Chess Union website then you can easily work it out.

I like your idea of Nh2 in this position after his Nd7

r1bqk2r/pp1nppbp/2np2p1/2p5/4P3/3P1NPP/PPP2PB1/RNBQ1RK1 w kq - 0 8

I'll bear it in mind, along with c3. It may well happen to me again, because whilst I blunder in simple endgames because I have a book Idon't bother to read, that's not my excuse for ducking the Sicilian. With the Sicilian I don't even have a book I don't read.

I'm playing in the Rhyl Congress this weekend. I'm playing a section under my opponent from this game, so as long as I stop chucking rooks away on move 8 I might stand a chance

[Dewi Jones]

There's something wrong with my version of Fritz. It doesn't call it the Dewi Jones Exchange Sac. Fritz uses the completely disrespectful and sarcastic "Unusual lines after Nf3 and Kings Indian Attack"

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi Dewi,

It a chess game, it's not rude to name an opponent.
Anyone who gets upset seeing their name next to a loss is being silly.

One day you will be a famous player. I can tell these things.
Spinning that game around with that Knight sac and having
an unopend end game book and no opening books are good signs.

When they are putting together your complete games the other
lad will be pleased to see his name in the book and dine out
by saying he once had a winning position against you.
(winning positions don't count - it's the win on the noticeboard that counts.)

Good luck at Rhyl and always sac an unmoved Rook for a fianchetto'd Bishop
and no more perpetuals in won games.

If you start blowing easily win endings - you will get a reputation for doing just
that and your opponents will sus you out. (trust me on this.)
Maybe give that endgame book a going over. At least get the Rules of Thumb stored.