The Irish Chess Union

[Event "Armstrong Cup 2012-13"] [Site "Dublin IRL"] [Date "2013.01.30"] [Round "?"] [White "O'Connor, Jonathan"] [Black "Collins, Sam"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A56"] [Annotator "O'Connor, Jonathan"] [ICUid "30635"] { In our last game, I played like a compete eejit, and lost without a fight. As I age, I don't mind losing, but I find it embarrassing when I play badly. } 1. d4 { I have been an e4 player for 30 years, but maybe an old dog can learn new tricks. } 1... Nf6 2. c4 c5 { Rats. Out of preparation! I had expected the Tarrasch, the Slav or the Grunfeld. Now, I wondered if he would play a benoni or a benko gambit. } 3. d5 e5 { The Czech Benoni - another surprise. I assumed Sam was getting experience playing an unusual opening, but after the game he said he wanted to avoid my preparation. } 4. Nc3 d6 5. e4 Be7 { When Alex Baburin first came to Ireland, he gave a series of lectures to the Dublin Chess Club. One of those was about this position. What I remember most was the battle to exchange the bad bishops. White would like to swap the white squared bishops, and black would like to swap the black squared ones. } 6. Bd3 Nbd7 7. Nge2 g6 { Sam wants to stop my knight going to f5 via g3. } 8. Bd2 { The idea was to play Qc1 to make it difficult to swap bishops on g5. Then I would expand on the queenside with a3, b4 and Rb1 } ({ If } 8. Bh6 Ng4 { forces the bishop to retreat, as going forward is no good } 9. Bg7 $2 Rg8 { and the bishop is trapped. }) ( 8. h4 { is recommended by theory. During the game I worried about him blocking with 8...h5, and then it may be weak if black moves his Nf6. However in the games I found, white played f3, and g3, Be3, Qd2, a3, Rb1 and b4. Black's position is very cramped, and he has to be careful not to open the position. }) 8... O-O 9. Qc2 { Change of plan! I felt if black plays Ne8 and Bg5, indeed he can swap his bad bishop, but it takes time, and I can castle queenside, and push my g and h pawns. Also, after playing g6, without the black squared bishop, his king-side would be quite week. } 9... Nh5 10. g4 $1 Ng7 11. O-O-O { I think it's important to attack, especially against strong players. It's easier to attack than to defend! } 11... a6 { Ok, it might not be so one-sided as I hoped. } 12. Kb1 $2 { This is a waste of time, and it allows Sam to play b5 for free. I wanted to keep the a-pawn protected when the a-file opens. I should have played Rdg1 immediately } 12... b5 $1 13. Qc1 { I decided to gambit my c-pawn. The queen retreats to let the Bd3 retreat to c2. If black plays bxc4 then that pawn will block his pieces. } (13. cxb5 $2 Nb6 $1 { and now the threat of c5-c4 ensures that black wins my g4 pawn. }) 13... Nb6 (13... b4 $2 { is a strategic mistake. The queenside would be blocked up, with no chance of attack. } 14. Na4 Nb8 15. Rdg1 Bd7 16. Bc2 { and now Qe8 isn't possible due to Nb6. }) 14. Rdg1 { The start of the migration of my pieces over to the kingside. } 14... Nxc4 15. Bh6 Na5 16. Nd1 { The knight is heading for e3 and f5! I want the g-file open, and I don't mind giving up a piece for it. } 16... c4 17. Bc2 b4 18. h4 { Finally I get my h-pawn going. Earlier I was afraid Sam would play Bh4 and block the h-pawn advance. However, after Rg2 and then Ng1-f3 would kick the bishop back. } 18... Bd7 19. Ne3 Rc8 $2 { Sam overlooked the strength of Nf5. He had two reasonable choices. } ({ The prophylactic } 19... f6 $1 20. Nf5 gxf5 21. gxf5 Rf7 { And white doesn't have enough compensation for the piece. }) ({ The attacking } 19... b3 20. axb3 cxb3 21. Bd3 Bb5 $1 { Here I don't want to swap on b5, opening the a-file. }) 20. Nf5 $1 { Tally ho. It's always nice playing moves like this. } 20... Nxf5 (20... gxf5 $4 21. gxf5 Bf6 22. Bxg7 Bxg7 23. Qh6 { mates. }) (20... Bf6 $1 { would have been better. } 21. g5 (21. Nxd6 { looks wrong after } 21... Bxg4 22. Nxc8 Bxe2 23. Qe3 b3 24. axb3 cxb3 25. Bd1 Bxd1 26. Rxd1 Qxc8) (21. Nxg7 Bxg7 22. Bxg7 (22. h5 b3 23. Bd1 bxa2+ 24. Ka1 { And this is similar to the game except that here the g-file is still closed. }) 22... Kxg7 23. h5 g5 $1 { Closes off the lines for the rooks. }) 21... Nxf5 22. gxf6 Nxh6 23. Qxh6 Qxf6 24. h5 Qg7 25. hxg6 Qxh6 26. gxf7+ Kxf7 27. Rxh6 { I wasn't sure how to evaluate this position, but it now looks good for white. }) 21. gxf5 $1 { I'm not interested in winning the exchange. I want mate. } 21... b3 22. Bd1 bxa2+ 23. Ka1 $1 { The king will hide behind the black pawn. } 23... c3 { Sam wants the c4 square for his knight. } ( 23... Nb3+ 24. Bxb3 cxb3 25. Nc3) 24. Nxc3 Qb6 25. h5 { Stop offering me the exchange. I'm not interested. } 25... Rxc3 { Ok, that's an offer I can't refuse. } 26. Qxc3 Rc8 27. hxg6 $1 { You know your position is good, when you can sac your queen. } 27... hxg6 (27... Rxc3 $4 { allows mate in a few moves after } 28. gxh7+ Kxh7 (28... Kh8 29. Bg7#) 29. Be3+ Bh4 30. Rxh4#) (27... fxg6 { is worse than taking with the h-pawn because the king can't escape to the kingside } 28. fxg6 Rxc3 29. gxh7+ Kxh7 (29... Kf7 30. Bh5+ Kf6 31. h8=B# { Awesome. A 3 bishop mate with all the bishops on the one file! }) 30. Be3+ { mates in 2. }) 28. Qh3 ({ If } 28. fxg6 f6 (28... f5 $2 29. Qh3 { White has too many threats. For instance 30.Bg7 Kxg7 31.Qh7+ Kf6 32. Qf7#. Or 30.Be3 with threats to the king and queen }) ( 28... fxg6 29. Rxg6+ Kf7 (29... Kh7 30. Bf8+ Kxg6 31. Bh5+ Kh7 (31... Kf6 32. Qf3+ Kg5 33. Bxe7+ Kh6 34. Be8+ Kg7 35. Qf7#) (31... Kg5 32. Qg3+ Kf6 33. Qg6#) 32. Be8+ { mates }) 30. Qf3+ Ke8 (30... Kxg6 31. Qh5+ Kf6 32. Qg5+ Kf7 33. Qg7+ Ke8 34. Qg8+ Bf8 35. Qxf8#) 31. Rg8+ Bf8 32. Qxf8#)) 28... Bf6 29. Bg5 (29. Be3 Qb5 30. Qh7+ Kf8 31. fxg6 Be8 32. gxf7 Bxf7 { I had seen a nice rook sac } 33. Rg8+ ({ But Sam spotted the beautiful queen sac } 33. Qxf7+ Kxf7 34. Rh7+ Kf8 (34... Ke8 35. Rg8#) (34... Bg7 35. Rhxg7+ Kf8 36. Rg8+ Kf7 37. R1g7+ Kf6 38. Bg5#) 35. Bh6+ Bg7 36. Bxg7+ Kg8 37. Rh8+ Kf7 38. Bh5+ Ke7 39. Bf6+ Kxf6 40. Rh6+ Ke7 41. Rh7+ Kf8 42. Rf7+ Ke8 43. Rg8# { It's just wonderful how the bishops and rooks dance around the king. }) 33... Bxg8 34. Bh6+ Ke8 35. Qxg8+ Ke7 36. Qe6+ Kd8 37. Qxd6+ Qd7 38. Qxf6+ Kc7 39. Qxa6 { is completely winning }) 29... Nc4 30. Bb3 $1 { A nice move blocking the attack on b2. } (30. Bc1 { even black's one attacking idea doesn't work. } 30... Nxb2 31. Bxb2 Rc1+ 32. Kxa2 ({ definitely not } 32. Bxc1 $4 Qb1#) 32... Qa5+ 33. Qa3 $18) 30... Na5 $2 { Sam in a lost position missed my next move } (30... Bg7 31. Qh7+ Kf8 32. f6 ) 31. Bxf6 $1 (31. Bxf6 Nxb3+ 32. Qxb3 Qxb3 33. Rh8#) 1-0