As always, below are my self-attempt to review my own game, as well as another game I happened to watch between 2 other chess friends and regulars at the Singapore Chess Meetup.
I am trying to improve on the game myself, so please do not take my comments as "advice". Rather I am trying to review my thinking process and seeking to improve along the way. Should you have any comments or feedback, please feel free to leave them. Thanks ahead!
The first game is the one and only I've played against a Teenager I've not met for a LONG time. Time control is 15 minutes initial thinking time with 10 seconds increment per move starting from the first.
Teenager (White) v.s. newbie_learner (Black)
1. e4 c6
2. d4 d5
3. e5 Bf5
4. Nf3 e6
5. g3... Diagram
A move I've never seen. During the game, my young opponent was lamenting how this is a mistake. I don't know if this is indeed a mistake, but I do acknowledge that there was no need for White to play g3 in order to develop his light square Bishop.
5...h6
A weird move "demands" a weird response? =) I did it as a possibility to preserve my Bishop pair, in anticipation of Nh4.
6. c4 Ne7
7. Nc3 Nd7 Diagram
I often deploy my Knights this way playing on the Black side of the Caro Kann. The break is usually ...c5 but because White has already played 6.c4 and his Kingside development is faster, I prefer to delay the opening up of the position. "When you are ahead in development, you open up the position. When you are behind in development, you keep the position closed." This general principle is something I tried to apply in this case.
8. Nh4 Bh7
9. f4 Nf5 This was done as an attempt to open up the scope of my dark square Bishop. "When we are short of space, initiate exchanges so that our fewer pieces remaining have more breathing space!" Another general guideline I tried applying here.
10. Nxf5 Bxf5
11. cxd5 cxd5 My rationale of playing 11...cxd5 instead of 11...exd5 is that I do not even want to entertain the possibility of e5-e6.
12. Qb3 Qb6 Diagram
Admittedly, I played 12...Qb6 too casually, and deserved to be punished. I think on hindsight, I would have preferred 12...Rb8. White's series of moves exposes the potential problems of playing Bishop outside the pawn chain -- I have no more light square Bishop to help serve as a defender for my Knight on d7 in the e8-a4 diagonal.
Engine: Although 12...Rb8 is not the strongest, it does suit my playing style best. The engine opine it is okay for Black to continue with normal development (...Be7, ...0-0) and offer Qxb7. I have to admit I am not strong enough to understand such gambiting style (even though I know the opening principle of development over greed).
13. Bb5! Qc7 The problem is, that Black has no obvious way to complete his opening development. Where am I supposed to place my Black Queen? But I think 13...Qc7 made the situation even worse. Somehow, this happens sometime. When a position or situation is already bad, I make it worse =( Here, I think of good ideas for White, including but not limited to just Bd2/Be3, Rc1, playing natural developing moves while harass the Black Queen on c7.
Engine: Indeed, 13...Qc7 made a challenging position worse. The best to the engine is 13...Kd8!? which, despite giving up castling rights, does address the problem: White no longer has the Bxd7 resource with check.
14. Bxd7+ Qxd7 This I find too kind from White. The exchange on d7 solves Black of all the existing problems. Now the Black Queen has found a stable home on d7, there is a clear path to complete opening development (...Be7, 0-0). It simply cannot compare with keeping the tension.
Engine: 14.Bd2/Be3 followed by 15.Rc1 is indeed better for White.
15. Bd2 Be7
16. Rc1 O-O Diagram I regard Black as almost equalised already. Time to start fishing for more.
17. O-O Rfc8 Now this must be completely equal for Black at least. Not to forget, Black has the Bishop pair and prior control to the only open c-file. And I do not see a single (pawn) weakness at all.
18. Rf3 Rc6 I want to double Rooks, and I find it easiest to place it on a square already supported by my own pawn. On a good day, I may even triple my major pieces if necessary.
Engine: 18...Rc4, achieving similar doubling of major pieces while threatening the d4 pawn, is even stronger.
19. Qd1 An unfortunate self-disrupt that one must be alert enough to capitalise! Bg4 Diagram
Black wins an exchange, and that's that in a quite position with no much going on.
20. Kg2 Rac8 The material advantage is not running away, so let's take this chance to further improve Black's position. I am placing the worst placed piece I identified (the Rook on a8) onto the only open c-file, as planned.
21.Qe1 Bxf3+ Last chance to go up the exchange, let's do it!
22. Kxf3 a6 Diagram
My intention is to expand on the Queenside with ...b5.
Engine: 22...a6 can be avoided as a preparatory move and 22...b5 immediately can be considered.
23. Qf2 b5
24. b3 Here my young opponent was intending to play b4, but realised the presence of the dark square Bishop on e7 and changed his mind with b3 instead. Of course, this is fully permissible, since White has yet to release the piece. Ba3
25. Rd1 As 25.Rc2 would have gotten into even more trouble after 25...b4 (c3 Knight is pinned, cannot be moved because the Rook on c2 is hanging).Rxc3+
26. Bxc3 Rxc3+
27. Kg2 Qc6 Diagram
Black is simply a Bishop up. Here my thinking is to avoid any possible approach for White to try and save the game.
28. h4 Rc2
29. Rd2 Rxd2
30. Qxd2 b4 Diagram
My thinking is to prevent the White Queen from "escaping" into Black's territory, as Black slowly but surely will out-maneuverer White. The remaining moves as follows.
31. Kh3 Qc3
32. Qf2 Qd3
33. h5 Bc1
34. Kh4 Bd2
35. g4 Qe3
36. Qf1 0-1
Some other learning points / personal interpretation:
- A key factor of this variation of the Caro-Kann Defence seems to be whether to initiate ...c5 pawn break, and when to do it.
- While bringing the Bishop out before chaining the pawns in may be seen as an "ideal" way of opening development in that we have no "bad Bishop", it is not without any drawbacks. The lack of the Bishop to serve as a defender within your turf can be bothersome.
- When a position is bad, don't (try to) make it worse! 13...Qc7 was real bad. 13...Kd8!? is the kind of move I hope to find one day -- may I be relieved from the shackles of general principles soon!
Full game replay can also be viewed here:
The next game I'm reviewing is a long game played between 2 of my chess friends, William (White) and Weng Chew (Black). I was slightly surprised it was played without the use of a clock, as that would have maximised learning value through mimicking the same playing conditions in a tournament, as well as requiring the players to time-manage. Time management, playing under time pressure is really a practical and important aspect in tournament play.
William (White) v.s. Weng Chew (Black)
1. d4 d5
2. Nf3 Nf6
3. e3 e6
4. Bd3 Be7 Diagram
First minor difference straying away from a possible mirror position. Is this very important? I don't think it's much, but looking at things superficially, the Bishop on d3 does look more
Queenside pieces, play ...c5 to challenge the centre etc. ...h6 here feels a
active than the Bishop on e7. On the other hand, perhaps the Bishop on d3 may be a little but more vulnerable to some sort of Knight / pawns harassment as compared to e7.
LiveBook: Surprisingly, statistically 4...Be7 fares much better than 4...Bd6. But I have not figured out any concrete reason why.
5. O-O O-O
6. b3 Okay, so William is playing the Colle-Zukertort, something he found comfortable with these days. When will I finally find an opening I'm truly comfortable with? My exploration continues... =)
6...h6 Okay, this move seems a little bit unprovoked. Why not do other things
first? Black's opening development has yet to complete -- he can develop theQueenside pieces, play ...c5 to challenge the centre etc. ...h6 here feels a
bit too defensive.
7. Bb2 b6 Makes sense. The light square Bishop has no prospects with the c8-h3 diagonal, so it is heading for the b7-g2 diagonal instead.
8. Nbd2 Bb7
9. Ne5 Diagram
I'm not that familiar with this opening. But after seeing the course of the game and hearing some tips from other stronger and more experienced players, I thought that it might've been better had Black
played ...Nbd7 first -- this gives Black the option to play an immediate ...Nxe5 before White gets to play f4. And then we get ...Nfd7,, ...c5 etc. Also, had the dark square Bishop been placed on ...d6 instead of ...e7 right at the start, ...Bxe5 would be an additional option.
9...Nbd7
10. f4 This also resembles the Dutch: Stonewall attack. Something that is an extremely
effective sideline played against me =)
effective sideline played against me =)
10...c5
11. Ndf3 White has formed this "iron grip" in the middle that is not so easy to challenge. cxd4
12. exd4 Diagram
Black has achieved centre pawn majority. But in reality, I find it so difficult for Black to expand on the Queenside! (While White makes progress in the middle and the Kingside).
12...Qc7
13. Nxd7 Nxd7
14. Ne5 Bd6 Diagram
I'm not sure about the purpose of this move: Does it somehow discourage f4-f5?
15. Qh5 Nf6
16. Qh4 Be7
17. Rf3 Ne4
18. Qg4 f5
19. Qh5 Nf6
20. Qh4 Diagram
Are you as lost over the pieces jumping around as I am? I simply need to insert the diagram here to prevent myself from getting lost! Jokes aside, here, I wonder if there's any issues if White tries something like 20.Qg6 threatening Rg3 and take aim at the g7 pawn.
Engine: 20.Qg6 is indeed very strong for White. Nice find, newbie! But White needs to know what to do as follow-up. E.g. 20...Bd6 (the Queen on c7 protects g7) 21.g4! The point is to open up the d3-h7 diagonal to allow Qh7+ ideas.
20...Ng4
21. Qe1 Nxe5
22. fxe5 Diagram
A good decision to keep the Queens on the board! This increases the difficulty for the defending side (Black).
22...Qc8
23. Rh3 Ba6
24. Qg3 Kh7 Diagram
Seems necessary to hold the Kingside pawns. But the f5 pawn is temporarily pinned.
25. Qe3 Bxd3
26. Qxd3 This series of moves, I feel that White did not play the best. Since White is intending to play Qxd3 (and obviously not cxd3) anyway, why not just play Rf1 first (and
save a move on 25.Qe3)?
26...Qc7
27. Rf1 Rac8
28. c3! Diagram
Simple yet effective. Black will not get the c-file where his pieces have doubled his major pieces.
28...Rf7
29. g4! Very nice move but it does take a bit of guts to play as White opens up his own King cover. The f5 pawn is pinned. 3 attackers v.s. 2 defenders.
29...Rcf8 Okay, Black realises this and decides to increase his defender count.
30. Bc1! I love this move seeing it played live. White knows what he's doing. Yes, it may appear as a "simple, logical" move to most. Even if Black plays correctly, White must be the one calling the shots here.
30....Qd8 Diagram
I guess Black's thinking is to discourage g4-g5.
31. Rhf3 This is where a couple of us were speculating that 31.Rh5 should be better. Not only does the Rook on h5 pressurise the pawn on f5, it also clears the way for possible follow-up like Qd3-h3, and even something like g4-g5 becomes a possibility (out of "nothing"). Still, I do not think Rhf3 is a bad move. Not at all. Especially seeing how the game turns out, that's great!
Engine: After 30...Qd8 (30...Kg8 was easier to play), 31.RRh5 was indeed deemed as a stronger move. But the continuations are not so straight-forward. Anyway, I'm glad my "sense" is at least good enough to detect something more.
31...Bg5 Other spectators do not understand this move, but I do =) I guess I am still "newbie" enough to understand this move. This move was meant as a trick. A possible way White can go wrong include ...Bxc1 Rxc1?? Qg5+ and win the c1 Rook. However, it is often a bad idea to play a move purely based on "trickery", as you cannot tell whether the opponent will fall for it. (Especially in an untimed game like this.) Another spectator suggested Black to just offer adequate defender count with ...Qd7, which seems to at least defend the f5 pawn adequately. Had the White Rook been played to h5, Black needs to guard against a potential g4-g5 as well. Perhaps not immediate, but the threat is
there.
Engine: Indeed, this move loses on the spot. A blunder from an equal position.
32. gxf5! Diagram
White calls Black's bluff. There is no ...Bxc1 because the discovered fxe6 discovered check wins. Objectively, the game is probably decided here. My personal attempt would've been something like 32...Kg8 or ... Kh8 but I highly doubt there would be any adequate defence.
32...Rxf5
33. Rxf5 exf5
34. Rxf5 Rxf5
35. Qxf5+ g6
36. Bxg5 Diagram
I like this move too. My only complaint towards White (complaining for complaining's sake) is that White seems to take so long in an easily winning position ^o^ However, it's better to be safe than sorry. All the prior efforts would've gone to waste had White somehow blunder horribly in the final stage. Here, 36.Bxg5 is good in my opinion as it forces even more exchanges, which simplifies the position and reduces the risks of
complications for mistakes to occur.
36...Qxg5+
37. Qxg5 hxg5 Frankly, Black can consider resigning. But resignation is a very personal choice. I do know of many new / young players sticking to the motto that "You do not win a game by
resigning." Also, from a learning point of view, it is often good to play out a position, even if completely winning or lost, if you have even that 1% doubt. I mean, the worst case scenario is that you lose the game, which is already the most probably outcome in a lost position. There's no "cost" to playing on and losing (other than wasting opponent's time which would be the opinion of some players / spectators). All in all, I personally view that whether or when to resign is completely the player's own decision (and I think everyone else, be it the opponent, or spectators, ought to respect it).
38. Kg2 Kg7
39. Kg3 Kh6 Here, I would have made "passing moves" to make Black run out of moves
and lose, but White played a move that is more effective in inducing a
resignation on the spot.
40. c4! With 2 connected pass pawns, it is really all over.
1-0
Some other learning points / personal interpretation:
- Do not play a move only for the purpose of hoping the opponent falls for a trick.
- Simple moves can be the most effective.
- Always compare between candidate moves.
Full game replay can also be viewed here:
Feel free to drop any comments / feedback for sharing and learning. Thanks ahead, as always!
Yours sincerely
Ong Yujing (Eugene)
a.k.a. newbie_learner
Siglap South CC Chess Quartet
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