My thread of miniatures

[gm darksquare]

In this thread, I will post strictly my miniatures. In this game, my opponent used the B40 Sicilian Marshall variation. Noted, this variation is not an opening I familiar with, but I'd say I didn't play it bad... perhaps my opponent did? definitely an opening I will investigate more. It looks nice, intentionally complicates a Sicilian straight away.

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1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 d5 4.exd5 exd5 5.Bb5+ Nc6 6.Qe2+ Be7 7.dxc5 Qa5+ 8.c3 a6 9.Bxc6+ bxc6 10.b4 Qd8 11.Nd4 Bb7 12.O-O a5 13.Re1 Ba6 14.Qe3 Nf6 15.Nxc6 Qd7 16.Nxe7 Ng4 17.Qf3 Kf8 18.Qxd5 Qxd5 19.Nxd5 g6 20.bxa5 Kg7 21.Bg5 Rhe8 22.Na3 Rec8 23.h3

[gm darksquare]

Ok, running by the computer, it starts off as this opening, it transposes after move 4 as the French exchange variation (C01). On move 8. c3, it changes into the Sicilian Alapin.

[gm darksquare]

This is a game I just played... personally, I consider it to be one of my best miniatures I have ever had. The opening is the Scotch Gambit which leads to an advantage that I hold onto. On move 16, I calculate an attack, to allow his knight entry on my queenside to fork two rooks. When he takes one of my rooks, I sacrifice my other for my attack, which was in fact mate in 1.

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1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.Nf3 c5 4.Bc4 h6 5.Ne5 Qe7 6.Bxf7+ Kd8 7.Ng6 Qxe4+ 8.Qe2 Qxe2+ 9.Kxe2 Nf6 10.Nxh8 Nc6 11.Ng6 Bd6 12.Re1 b6 13.Kf1 Bb7 14.c3 Kc7 15.cxd4 Nxd4 16.Nc3 Nc2 17.Rd1 Nxa1 18.Rxd6 Kxd6 19.Bf4+ Kc6 20.Ne7#

[gm darksquare]

Here is a line I sometimes play with the Scotch Gambit. My opponent blunders with a mate in 2.

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1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.Bc4 Nf6 5.e5 Ng4 6.Bxf7+ Kxf7 7.Ng5+ Ke8 8.Qxg4 Nxe5 9.Qxd4 d6 10.O-O Be7 11.f4 Bxg5 12.fxg5 Nc6 13.Re1+ Kf8 14.Qf4+ Kg8 15.Nc3 Qf8 16.Qc4+ Qf7 17.Re8#

[gm darksquare]

I should note that the exchange according to the silicon gives black a small advantage. But in human terms, my temporary sacrifice means he cannot castle - there are better responses than 7. Ke8, such as the positional Kg8 which is better according to the computer.

Continuing through the ''obvious'' line my opponent chose, on 9. Qxd4, white regains the advantage and continues to win according to the computer.

So it's a kind of ''trick'' opening, which could play out bad for me if my opponent knows this line well. So it is a risky gambit, with an unclear future. But I enjoy lines like this.

Some famous games often start off with gambits which the computer does not like, in a famous game against Anand, Judit sacrifices a rook and a bishop for an attack for white in which black is actually favoured by the computer. She used a similar line a few years later against Mecking. I will show you the game if you like in another thread... in fact I might just do this. It gives an interesting perspective on a Sicilian opening and displays her risky nature... she's not as risky nowadays though.

[gm darksquare]

New miniature, opponent rated at 1742, I use the Scotch Gambit against him. He realizes that his position wasn't solid when I create a pin on his knight. If his knight moves, he looses badly, something like -2.30, he is loosing anyway even before the pin, by nearly half a point. He resigns.

I like opponents who know when to resign.

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1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.Bc4 Qf6 5.O-O Ne5 6.Nxe5 Qxe5 7.f4 Qc5 8.b3 d6 9.Bb2 d3+ 10.Kh1 dxc2 11.Qxc2 Be6 12.Qd3 O-O-O 13.Ba3 Qh5 14.Nd2 Nf6 15.Bxe6+ fxe6 16.Rac1 Be7 17.Qc3 Rd7 18.Nc4 Nxe4 19.Qe3 Nc5 20.b4 b5 21.Na5

[gm darksquare]

Not my best game ever, but good to note, my opponent used the Birds Opening. He avoids the opening trap by playing 2. d4 which transposes into the not so familiar line, Indian A45, the Canard opening! Clearly he studied the opening well.

I think his best move at the end was to sacrifice the queen. He tried to avoid one line by falling into another. I am black.

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1.f4 Nf6 2.d4 d6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.e3 e5 5.fxe5 dxe5 6.Bb5 exd4 7.Bxc6+ bxc6 8.exd4 Ba6 9.c3 Bd6 10.Qa4 Bb5 11.Qb3 O-O 12.a4 Ba6 13.Qc2 Re8+ 14.Kf2 Ne4+ 15.Kg1 Qf6 16.Be3 c5 17.Nbd2 Nxd2 18.Qxd2 cxd4 19.Bxd4 Qg6 20.Nh4 Qg4 21.Nf3 Re2 22.Qg5 Rxg2#

[gm darksquare]

This one was a game where I was trying out some new things. I entice a kind of Smith-Morra gambit out of a Scotch gambit game, it transposes really into a Birds Gambit, Philidor. Turns out it wasn't actually a sound line. Oh well, you have to always try new lines. Even though I won by resignation, the computer says I am loosing by half a point.

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1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.Bc4 h6 5.c3 d6 6.O-O Be7 7.cxd4 Nf6 8.Qb3 O-O 9.e5 dxe5 10.dxe5 Ne8 11.Rd1 Bd7 12.Bxf7+ Rxf7 13.e6 Bxe6 14.Rxd8 Rxd8 15.Qc2 Bf5 16.Qe2

[gm darksquare]

A bishop sac that lead to a knock out.

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1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 Bb4 7.Be3 Nge7 8.a3 Ba5 9.Nb3 Bc7 10.Qd3 O-O 11.O-O-O Ng6 12.Qd2 h6 13.Nc5 d6 14.Nd3 b5 15.f4 Na5 16.Nb4 Nc4 17.Bxc4 bxc4 18.f5 Ne5 19.Rhf1 Qe8 20.fxe6 Bxe6 21.Ncd5 Bb8 22.Bxh6 gxh6 23.Nf6+ Kh8

Resigns being queen down.

[gm darksquare]

When I just beat this opponent, he said 'damn, you play like tal.' I took it as a compliment. What do you think of my play? In one swift swoop, I sac two bishops to completely destroy the protection around the king, and I go onto forking his king and queen through a blunder.

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1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.Qxd4 Nc6 4.Qd1 e5 5.Nf3 Bc5 6.a3 h6 7.b4 Bb6 8.Bd3 a6 9.O-O Nf6 10.Re1 O-O 11.Bb2 d6 12.Nbd2 Bg4 13.h3 Be6 14.Nf1 Qd7 15.Ng3 Bxh3 16.gxh3 Qxh3 17.Bf1 Bxf2+ 18.Kxf2 Ng4+ 19.Ke2 Qxg3 20.Qd3 f5 21.Kd1 Nf2+

[gm darksquare]

Reflecting on it now, I have calculated a much faster win, with 17. Qxg3+, pawn is pinned after all!

[gm darksquare]

Here is a new miniature. It had some perks. I am black, opening is the Fried Liver attack by my opponent

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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.Qe2 Nxc4 7.Qxc4 Qxd5 8.Qxc7 Bd6 9.Qc3 O-O 10.Qf3 e4 11.Qe3 Bc5 12.Nc3 Qc6 13.Qf4 Bd6 14.Qe3 h6 15.Ngxe4 Nxe4 16.Nxe4 Re8 17.d3 f5 18.O-O fxe4 19.dxe4 Rxe4 20.Qb3+ Be6 21.Qd3 Bf5 22.f4 Bc5+ 23.Kh1 Rxf4 24.Qb3+ Be6 25.Qc3 Rxf1#

[gm darksquare]

A center game, queen swap variation. I am white

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1.e4 e5 2.d4 d6 3.dxe5 dxe5 4.Qxd8+ Kxd8 5.Nf3 Bd6 6.Be3 Bg4 7.Nc3 Bxf3 8.gxf3 Bb4 9.O-O-O+ Ke8 10.Nd5 Ba5 11.b4 Bb6 12.Bxb6 axb6 13.Nxc7+

[munich]

Nice and typical tactic at the end of the game, which I recommend to look at and remember well. It is a "capturing defender" tactic (the black Bb6 was defending c7).

For the  opening, it is probably a rather good (and little explored) opening for black after Qd1xQd8.
Despite losing the right to castle, black´s king isnt really having much trouble. In fact, if white does O-O, then black´s king might be closer to the center in the endgame, and that could be a long term advantage.

The most natural move for black had been 5...f7-f6, defending the e5 pawn. Also, if white plays Bf1-c4, the black move 5...f7-f6 made sure the f7-pawn isnt a target anymore.

Like the game showed, a knight jumping to d5 can be dangerous. Black should play soon c7-c6 (guarding the d5 square) and by doing so, he can also tug his king away to c7.
 
In the game, black did so many wrong moves - no wonder darksquare finished him off so quickly. Even if he had played 10...Bd6 (instead of 10...Ba5) black is already in big trouble. After 10...Bd6 I would place my Bf1 on h3, and there is no black bishop left that could oppose this white bishop on the white squares. Besides: Black is suspiciously behind in development (not that it mattered in this game anymore, because it finished so early).

[munich]

Inspired by black´s weak play in the game above, I played and lost as black like the following game illustrates.
Well, I lost this one on time, mainly because I had a lagging internet conection.
I shouldnt play with such an internet connection, but I cant help it - if I dont play, then I would not play any chess at all.

Here the way I believe it is approximately played as black (it is a 5 min + 2 sec increment game):

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[Event "Live Chess"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2014.01.03"] [White "adamschmalhofer"] [Black "Munich"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "1739"] [BlackElo "1664"] [TimeControl "5|2"] [Termination "adamschmalhofer won on time"]  1.d4 d6 2.e4 e5 3.dxe5 dxe5 4.Qxd8+ Kxd8 5.Nf3 f6 6.Be3 Be6 {I think it is important to care about the white squares early. That is why white might maybe better play 5.Bc4 or 6.Bc4} 7.Nc3 c6 {taking care about the d5 square...} 8.O-O-O+ Kc7 {...and finding a nice spot for the black king} 9.Nd2 Bb4 10.Nb3 Bxc3 {different to darksquares game above, this is my "bad" bishop (my pawns are on dark squares), and the double pawn is a bit more severe here than the double pawn in darksquares game. white cant use the half open b-file, and if he wants to, my king on c7 guards b7 nicely. The pair of bishops is a factore for white, but I dont think it compensates for the weak pawns sufficiently.}  11.bxc3 Nd7 12.f4 Ne7 13.f5 {maybe with a pair of bishops you wouldnt want to achieve a blocked position. I am not sure white did himself a favor here} 13...Bf7 14.g4 a5 15.Bc5 Nxc5 16.Nxc5 Rad8 17.Be2 b6 18.Nb3 a4 19.Nd2 Bxa2 20.c4 a3  21.c3 Rd7 22.Kc2 Rhd8 23.Nf3 Rxd1 24.Rxd1 Rxd1 25.Kxd1 Bb3+ 26.Kc1 c5 27.Kb1 Nc6 28.Nd2 Ba4 29.Ka2 Na5 30.Kxa3 Bc2  31.Kb2 Ba4 32.h4 Bc6 33.g5 Nb7 34.g6 h6 35.Bd3 Nd6 36.Kc2 Ba4+ 37.Kc1 Bc6 38.Kd1 Ba4+ 39.Ke2 b5 40.cxb5 Bxb5  41.c4 Bc6 42.Ke3 Kb6 43.Nf1 Ka5 44.Ng3 Kb4 45.Nh5 Ne8 46.Kd2 Ba4 47.Be2 Bb3 48.Ng3 Bxc4 49.Bxc4 Kxc4 50.Ne2 Nd6  51.Ke3 Kb3 52.Nc1+ Kc2 53.Nd3 c4 54.Nc5 1-0 {I moved c3, but the lag was so long, that my last 5 seconds were lost, and thus I received a message that I lost this game. I dont know if it is already won for black here, but during the game I had the hope I would win this. Again, my lag decided otherwise.}