[Event "188th GK tournament"] [Site "?"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "blackjackgeary"] [Black "Paul H."] [Result "0-1"] [PlyCount "50"] [EventDate "2020.??.??"] [SourceVersion "1"] [SourceVersionDate "2013.12.29"] [SourceQuality "1"] [TimeControl "1/172800:0"] {[%evp 0,50,28,23,38,41,48,-7,4,-52,-12,-30,-17,-14,-8,-17,-3,-7,0,-7,11,-38, -40,-83,-79,-92,-92,-117,-98,-165,-114,-242,-199,-381,-656,-820,-821,-833,-841, -850,-850,-850,-554,-686,-651,-719,-719,-767,-766,-1274,-1267,-1275,-1275]} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3 {The c3 Sicilian is a great weapon for amateurs. I used to play it before I adopted the King's Indian Attack. White plays c3 to prepare d4 to try and get a strong center.} Nf6 4. Bd3 $6 {A sideline book move. Simpler would be d4 which was the whole reason for playing c3 in the first place. Blackjack is trying to confuse me and so far it's working.} g6 ( 4... d5 5. e5 Nd7 $11 6. e6 $2 fxe6 7. Ng5 Nf6 8. Bxh7 Nxh7 9. Qh5+ Kd7 10. Nxh7 $19 {Lots of fireworks but black is much better. The Queen is tied down to the defense of the knight and wthout a light-squared bishop, he is in for some trouble.} b6 11. O-O Ba6 12. Re1 Bd3 13. Nf6+ exf6 14. Qxh8 Qe8 $19) (4... e5 {This was the better option. Cementing the center and making White untangle his pieces.}) 5. O-O (5. Bc2 d6 6. h3 Bg7 7. O-O O-O 8. d4) 5... Bg7 6. Bc2 O-O 7. d3 {Non-commital moves like this tells me he wants to play a defensive game. } d6 $6 (7... d5 {With White behind in development, It is important to strike in the center.} 8. e5 $6 (8. exd5 Nxd5 9. Re1 Qc7) (8. Re1 Qc7 9. Nbd2 $11) 8... Nh5 (8... Ng4 9. d4) 9. d4 Bg4 10. Be3 cxd4 11. cxd4 f6 $19) 8. h3 { Stopping Bg4 isn't a bad idea but White needs to focus on development. Moves like Bg5, Re1 or Nbd2 all look reasonable.} b6 {A slow moved aimed at preparing Bg7. b5 looks better as it grabs more space and could be followed up with a5 at some point.} (8... e5 9. Be3 b6 10. d4 Ba6 11. Re1 Rc8 12. d5 Ne7 13. Nbd2 Nd7 14. Nf1 c4 15. b4 cxb3 16. axb3 Bxf1 17. Rxf1 a5 18. Qd2 f5 19. exf5 Nxf5 20. Bg5 Qc7 21. Rac1 Rf7 22. c4 Nc5 23. b4 axb4 24. Qxb4 e4 25. Nh2 Nd4 26. Kh1 Nxc2 27. Rxc2 Nd3 28. Qd2 {1/2-1/2 (28) Zubcu,V (2248)-Oltean,L (2346) Gilau 2018}) 9. Be3 Bb7 {[#]} 10. Nh2 $146 {Preparing f4. Normally this is reasonable but not with knight and rook idle on their starting squares.} ( 10. a3 Rc8 11. Nbd2 {1/2-1/2 (11) Petrovic,Z (2165)-Zivkovic,M (2065) Belgrade 2013}) 10... d5 $17 {White has taken too much time to develop his pieces. Black seizes the initiative.} 11. f4 $2 {Too early. White does not have enough piece development to justify a move like this.} d4 (11... dxe4 12. dxe4 Qc7 13. Na3 a6) 12. Bf2 (12. cxd4 cxd4 13. Bf2 Nh5 14. f5 Qd6 $15) 12... Nh5 {Hitting the f4 pawn with ideas of f5, opening the long diagonal for the bishop on b7.} 13. Qd2 $2 {This protects f4 but he should have played f5 before I do.} (13. f5 e6 14. fxe6 fxe6 {[%CAl Gf8f1] An ugly pawn for an open f-file.} 15. c4 Bh6 { Redeploying the bishop to a better diagonal. Now moves like Nf4, Ne5 and Qg5 are a problem.} 16. Nd2 Ne5 17. Be1 Qc7 $17) 13... Qc7 $6 {Slow, f5 is the right move to open the b7-h1 diagonal as well as the f-file.} (13... f5 $1 14. exf5 Qd6 15. Na3 Rxf5 16. Nc4 (16. g4 $4 Nxf4 17. gxf5 $4 Na5 $1 {/\Nh3}) 16... Qc7 $19) 14. g3 (14. Nf3 {Bringing the knight back into the game. Note the knight and rook on b1 and a1. They have still not moved.} Nxf4 15. cxd4 Nxd4 16. Nxd4 cxd4 17. Bg3 Ne2+ 18. Qxe2 Qxg3 $19) 14... Rad8 $6 15. c4 {[%csl Rc2] Burying his c2 bishop. It can still see daylight via Bd1 but there are bigger problems about to happen.} (15. cxd4 Bxd4 16. Bxd4 Nxd4) (15. Nf3 e5 16. cxd4 Nxd4 17. Nxd4 cxd4 18. Bd1 f5 19. Qc2 (19. Bxh5 $2 gxh5 20. Na3 fxe4 21. dxe4 Bxe4 $19 {Black is invading on all fronts.}) 19... Qxc2 20. Bxc2 fxe4 21. dxe4 exf4 $19) 15... f5 16. e5 $4 {This looks like an innocent enough move. White is trying to lock he position in the hopes of completing his development and creating a fortress.} (16. exf5 Ne5 17. Qe2 Qc6 $19) (16. Bd1 e5 17. Bxh5 gxh5 18. Nf3 Bh6 19. Qe1 fxe4 20. dxe4 exf4 21. g4 hxg4 22. hxg4 Ne5 23. Bh4 Rde8 24. Nbd2 Nxg4 25. Kh1 Qd7 26. Rg1 Bg7 27. Rxg4 Qxg4 28. Qe2 Qh3+ 29. Qh2 Qxh2+ 30. Kxh2 Bxe4 31. Nxe4 Rxe4 $19) 16... Nxe5 $3 {Strong players would see the weak light squares and play this move without much hesitation. For me, it took lots of analysis to see if my idea of playing Qc6 is enough to win.} (16... g5 17. Bd1 gxf4 18. Bxh5 Nxe5 19. gxf4 Qc6) 17. fxe5 (17. Ba4 Ba8 $1) 17... Qc6 $1 {[%csl Rg2,Rh1][%CAl Gc6h1] The point. White is walking into a mating net that can only be stopped by sacrificing material.} 18. Bxd4 {Moving the bishop is the only way to stop mate since the Q on d2 covers g2. The move also allows the King an escape square.} (18. Be1 Qh1+ 19. Kf2 Qg2#) (18. Bxd4) 18... Qh1+ 19. Kf2 Qxh2+ 20. Ke1 $8 Qxd2+ {Simplying is a good a move as any though other ideas are possible too.} (20... Qxh3 21. Bg1 Bxe5 22. Nc3 Bxg3+ 23. Bf2 Rf6 24. Qe2 Nf4 25. Bxg3 Nxe2 $19) 21. Kxd2 cxd4 {The rest is self explanatory. Black is up material and threatens to win even more. Once again, note the the queenside knight and rook are still spectators.} 22. Na3 {Finally!} Nxg3 23. Rg1 Bxe5 24. Rae1 Bf4+ 25. Kd1 Bf3+ {White resigns.} 0-1