Robert James Fischer vs. Samuel Reshevsky (Annotated game #9)
1. e4
It's Fischer! What do you expect. His favorite opening move, "best by test". Opens for the Bishop, Queen, Knight, (and God forbid, King). Goes for the control of the center.
1... e5 Similarly, Black Opens with his King's pawn.
2. Nf3 Developing the Knight towards the center, clearing the bank rank for castling, and attacking the Black pawn.
2... Nc6 Developing a piece towards the center and protecting the pawn.
3. Bb5 Ruy Lopez. One of Fischer's specialties. Developing the Bishop. Attacking the defender of the pawn. He is ready to castle.
3... a6 Attacking the Bishop. Making him decide what he wants to do with the Bishop. Note that Black does not lose a pawn if White plays, BxN dxc6, Nxe5 because of ...Qd4.
4. Ba4 Gets away from the attack, still attacks the Knight on c6.
4... Nf6 Develops a piece towards the center, attacks the pawn on e4, and clears the back rank, preparing for castling himself.
5. O-O White castles, protecting the King and bringing the Rook into the game, leaving his pawn hanging. If Black takes the pawn, White can either play d4, or Re1 or Bxc6 in some order and he ends up with a long-lasting initiative.
5... Be7 Black goes for development instead of grabbing loose pawns. He is now ready to castle.
6. Re1 White protects his pawn. He is ready to take the Knight on c6 followed by taking the pawn on e5.
6... b5 Black closes the path of the Bishop to the Knight by attacking it with this pawn move.
7. Bb3 Bishop retreats, the focus of the attack will be along the new diagonal (unless the Bishop is taken out by moves like Na5 followed by Nxb3.) White exerts a lot of pressure on d5. This control builds up after Nc3 and the exchange of the d-pawn after d4.
7... O-O Protects the King and brings the Rook into the game.
8. c3 Preparing for d4 and also opening the way for the Bishop in case it is attacked by Na5.
8... d6 Opening for the Bishop on c8 (even though this blocks in the Bishop on e7), and also supports the pawn on e5. The Knight on c6 is free to go wherever Black wants without worrying about losing the pawn on e5. People have argued that it was bad strategy for Reshevsky to play the closed
9. h3 Prevents any piece from coming to g4 (especially the Bishop on c8). It may also be preparation for a move like g4 later on.
9... h6 Similarly, he prevents any piece from coming to g5. Gets ready for his own g5 later in the game.
10. d4 Going for the center. If Black exchanges pawns, White captures back with the c-pawn and has two central pawns. This move also opens the d2 square for the Bishop, Knight and Queen.
10... Re8 Bringing the Rook into play. Since the Bishop is closed in, it may be better to put in on f8 to help defend the King in case of an attack, and also allow the Rook to come into the game. The Rook defends the pawn on e5, but if Black initiates the exchange, (and the Bishop gets out of the way), you have the Knight on f6 and the Rook attacking the pawn on e4.
11. Nbd2 Developing a piece, defending the pawn on e4 in case of the exchanges mentioned above, but also the Knight may be headed to f5 or h5 via f1 and g3.
11... Bf8 The Bishop has gone back to Open the file for the Rook. As mentioned earlier, it may also help defend the King.
12. Nf1 There is the Knight manouvre. Targets may be f5 and h5 if it goes to g3, or f5 and d5 if it ends up on e3. (Of course, going to e3 immediately would lose a pawn ;-))
12... Bd7 Developing the last piece. One would wonder why not go to b7 with the Bishop since that side is already open. This move has several ideas behind it. First is to avoid the Queen exchanges after dxe5 dxe4, when White can exchange
13. Ng3 So.. the Knight is headed towards f5 and h5. going to f5 would exchange Blacks only active Bishop. This move prevents Black from playing Nh5, in case he wants to play the f-pawn. Of course he can still do it by going to h7.
13... Na5 Attacking the Bishop, but most of all, opening the way for the c-pawn.
14. Bc2 Fischer loved his King Bishop. I cannot remember what Fischer-game Kasparov was analyzing. It was from his "My greatest predecessors" series, and he mentioned that he could only remember one game in which Fischer won with his dark-squared Bishop. So here he goes again, protecting his light-squared Bishop. Actually, this Bishop move is essential to conducting a Kingside attack (in the Ruy Lopez and other openings). It nicely works with the Queen to create threats of mate against the opposing King.
14... c5 White appears to be ready to launch a kingside attack, Black needs to attack the center and may be go for a Queenside attack himself.
15. b3 Black could have played b4 next move, and White could not meet it with c4 as the pawn could be captured by the Knight. So in a way, b3 enables c4 in case of ...b4. The move also prevents Nc4 when Black would attack the dark-squared Bishop if developed on b2 or e3. It appears White is giving himself the options of joining the attack through b2, or even going to a3 with the Bishop to attack the d6 pawn after pawn exchanges.
15... Nc6 The Knight returns to c6 after releasing the pawn. It adds pressure to d4 and adds protection to e5.
16. Be3 Developing the last minor piece. Adding support to the d4-square. x-ray attack to c5. Similar to Bd7, the Queen can come behind the Bishop and attack the h-pawn.
16... cxd4 Black decides to relieve the tension. I am not sure why. He accepts a backward pawn on d6. What else was there to play? But may be he sees that after cxd4, the Knight can go to b4 attacking the Bishop on c2... but the Bishop can just retreat to b1, followed by a3 and the Bishop goes back to c2 if need be.
17. cxd4 he has to take back the pawn.
17... Nb4 Knight attacks the Bishop on c2.
18. Bb1 The Bishop is needed for a Kingside attack. It is more powerful than the Knight that is attacking it, so why allow the exchange?
18... a5 Trying to liquidate the Queenside - may be something will come out of it. He is also opening a spot for the Knight to land if attacked. The Rook on a8 can then come to c8 without being blocked by the Knight.
19. a3 Attacking the Knight. He may also bring the a-Rook into the game via a2 to c2 or d2 or e2.
19... Na6 Knight retreats to a6, not c6, to avoid blocking the c-file. Black gets to the c-file quicker with his Rooks.
20. Bd3 The Bishop comes back into the game with an attack on the pawn. The White Queen can come to e2 to support the Bishop attack on the pawn. That's something to remember about Chess... it is always changing, you gain some you give some. Black had created a spot on a6 for the knight to land after being chased by a3, but in the process he removed the support for the b5 pawn. Now that pawn can become a weakness.
20... Qc7 Not sure about this move. I think Rc8 was better. May be Reshevsky 'feared" a4 which would have taken advantage of the Knight-wthout-support on a6. But that could be countered by Nb4. How about Qb8? to support the b5 pawn if it needs extra support. May be it is bad because the Queen no longer supports the a5 pawn?
21. Qe2 Fischer goes for the b-pawn. He also opens a way for the King's Rook to come to the Queenside for an attack there.
21... Qb7 Protecting the b-pawn. That could have been accomplished in one move by going to b8 instead of c7 earlier. May be he didn't want to block the connection between the Rooks?
22. Rad1 I am surprised by this move. I thought the Rook on e1 would come to c1, but that would start piece exchanges. This Rook move leaves the pawn on a3 without support. It is not yet attacked, but it can be attacked by the Bishop on f8 after pawn exchanges. The Rook indirectly attacks the Bishop on d7 when the file is clear.
22... g6 May be he is preparing for a push like h5
23. Qb2 Providing protection to the pawns, but mainly attacking the e5 square. White can win a pawn.
23... Qb8 Providing protection to e5. I guess I am vindicated; 20...Qb8 seems to have been a better move.
24. Bb1 Preparing to trade places with the Queen at a moment's notice: Queen in front supported by the Bishop behind it threatening a check(mate) - at some point in the future. I guess Fischer had seen that the Queen would end up on b8 leaving the Bishop on d7 supported by the Knight on f6. The Knight has no support.
24... Kh7 May be supporting the pawns and ...??? I don't know. All I can see is that now the g-pawn is "pinned". If the b1-h7 diagonal is blasted open, White moves like Nh5 would be possible. Now the f-pawn is not defended. Of course it is not attacked. But when you leave several pieces unsupported, something you treasure can leave the board without compensation.
25. dxe5 After so long, the pawns are exchanged. Why now? Because Fischer can benefit from the situation. See the next couple of moves.
25... dxe5 Black has to take back.
26. Nxe5 Temporarily sacrifices his Knight to gain a pawn. If [26...Qxe5 27.Bd4 followed by 28.Bxf6]
26... Rxe5 ??He has to take back or address the attack on the Bishop by the Knight and Rook. Does he have to take with the Rook? I think this is a blunder. I think better was 27...Qxe5 as explained above when Black would be down a pawn. Now he will be down the exchange plus a pawn.
27. Bf4 Of course. Fischer will now be up the exchange.
27... Qb7 [27...Bd6 28.Rxd6 Qxd6 29.BxR followed by 30.BxN would be bad for Black.] This is the thing about leaving pieces unprotected. If the Knight on f6 was protected by a pawn or Bishop, things would not be so bad. At the same time, you cannot have your Bishop that's attacked by a Rook supported by a Knight that can be easily attacked. If the Knight is chased away or captured, the Bishop is a goner.
28. Bxe5 White takes the Rook with an attack on the Knight on f6.
28... Ne8 Runs away from the attack.
29. Ne2 Shifting positions. The Knight is going to join the attack on the Black King. I thought White would want to move the Bishop from e5 so that the Bishop on b1 can join the attack after the pawn moves. May be it's slower than the moves played.
29... Nc5 "A Knight on the side of the board is a shame." - i guess removing it from the side of the board. Attacking e4 and b3. The Knight may also be shifting to the Kingside to protect his majesty.
30. Nf4 Not sure whether he is attacking g6 or he wants to go to d5 and then f6 to exchange one of the King's defenders. Moves like this are hard to deal with... you wonder where you opponent is headed. You react one way, he goes the other way! He also opens the file for the Rook to protect the pawn on e4.
30... b4 Trying to create something on the Queenside. A constant theme in Chess.
31. a4 Fischer say no to discussing the Queenside!
31... Bc6 Pressure on the e-pawn.
32. Nd5 Blocking the attack on e4. But may shift to the Kingside.
32... Nd7 Attacking the Bishop and strengthening the defense on f6.
33. Bd4 Running away from the attack and also preventing the Knight from coming to c5. The Bishop is controlling most of the landing squares for both Knights.
33... Ng7 Heading to e6 to attack the Bishop again?
34. Bd3 Headed to c4 to attack f7?
34... Ne6 Attacking the Bishop on d4.
35. Bc4 x-ray to f7.
35... Re8 Black appears to have consolidated his defenses.
36. Bf6 Take me if you can! Since Black was attacking the Bishop, White puts it where it would be "poisonous" to do so. [36...Nxf6 37.NxN+ Kh8 38.Nxe8+]
36... Nec5 Attacking the pawn on e4 with the support of the Rook.
37. Qc2 Protecting the attacked pawn.
37... Ne6 After forcing the Queen to move to c2, the Knight returns home.
38. Ba1 The Bishop would like to trade places with the Queen: Queen in front, Bishop behind it, threatening to mate!
38... Qa7 Had to play something without impacting the position negatively. Now the Bishop on c6 is not supported by anything. May be he is intending to play Bc5 to attack f2?
39. Kh1 White moves away from the pin. He is now ready to play f4 if need be to soften Black's position.
39... Bg7 Cancelling out the possibility of Bishop-Queen battery.
40. Bxg7 It appears forced. Simplification sometimes favors the losing side. Sometimes it favors the winning side. In this case, it is hard to tell. I would say, temporarily, it has favored Black as his Bishop was not doing much.
40... Nxg7 He has to take back. [If King takes, Queen can give check. Why waste time?]
41. Bb5 Double attack on the Bishop (by Bishop and Rook). Fischer is going to simplify further. Here he is not just simplifying for the sake of it. He is creating a passed pawn with the exchanges that ensue.
41... Bxb5 Black had no choice.
42. axb5 White has to take back.
42... Rb8 Attacking the isolated pawn.
43. Qc6 Protecting the pawn. Attacking the Knight with the support of the Rook (if the Knight moves from d5). Actually, White threatens to win a piece by taking the Knight with his Queen and then playing Nf6+ forking King and Queen.
43... Ne8 Defending the f6-square and any tricks associated with it.
44. e5 At long last, the e-pawn joins the attack.
44... Nf8 Defending against e6. He can go to e6 next move, blocking the file.
45. Nf6+ Exchanging more pieces. Eliminating one more defender.
45... Nxf6 Forced, otherwise he would lose a piece.
46. exf6 Has to take back. The Queen has to stay where she is to protect the pawn on b5.
46... Rb6 Attacking the Queen.
The game was adjourned. Reshevsky did not resume play. He lost because he did not show up. He made Fischer wait to win the game as long as Fischer had made him wait to start the game! Hope you enjoyed it!
Game#3: Fischer - K. Warner
Robert James Fischer vs K Warner
Lincoln ch-US jr 1955 · Sicilian Defense: Classical Variation (B58) · 0-1
1. e4
Nice opening move. Going for the center, opening for Queen, Bishop, and King. Controlling d5 and f5.
1… c5
Sicilian defense. Avoids direct confrontation at the center. Control/attack b4 and d4. Opening for the Queen - diagonal to a5. The knight usually comes to c6; this move makes sure that the Knight is not blocking the pawn.
2. Nf3
Developing move towards the center. Clearing the way for castling. Fights for control of d4. Attacking e5 and g5 to name a few.
2… Nc6
Developing move towards the center. Another fight for the center. Contests control for d4 and e5. Supports the pawn in attacking b4 and d4.
3. d4
The d4-square is ‘attacked’ 3 times by the white pieces and 2 times by the black pieces. Thus white can afford to make this move. If the pawns are exchanged, white takes away Black’s only pawn at the center. If Knights are exchanged, Black will have no pieces near the center of the board. White will have a pawn and a Queen. This move opens for the Queen, Bishop, King and both Knights. White is also threatening to play d5 dislodging the Knight from c6.
3… cxd4
Black decides to exchange pawns.
4. Nxd4
Of course, don’t take with the Queen!
4… Nf6
A developing move towards the center, attacking the undefended pawn. Black leaves it to White to decide whether to exchange Knights.
5. Nc3
A developing move towards the center and protecting the pawn on e4.
5… d6
This opens for the Bishop on c8 as well as the Queen. Also playable is a6. This move “prevents” e5 (after the exchange of the Knights).
6. Be2
A developing move. Clears the way for castling. Also playable is Bc4 or Bb5.
6… g6
Looks like the Dragon variation to me. Fianchettoing the Bishop is one of the easiest ways to develop a Bishop. In addition to the development, the area around the King after castling is pretty tough to break. The Bishop comes into play once the Knight gets out of the way. Thus the fight for the d4 square is not finished.
7. Be3
Develops a piece towards the center. Adds support to the d4 Knight. If the Queen moves, White can castle short (o-o) or long (o-o-o). Note that if White had not played Be2, Black could have played Knight to g4 at this point. So Be2 was a prophylactic move.
7… Bg7
Develops a piece. Clears the way for castling. If Knight on g6 gets out of the way, the Bishop attacks everything that comes on the diagonal (h8-a1)
8. f3
It seems White is announcing that he may not castle short. In addition to supporting the pawn on e4, this move prepares for g4 to be followed by h4 and so on. Almost the only way to break the protective structure around the King with a fianchettoed Bishop.
8… O-O
Black seems not to mind the oncoming pawn assault. He tucks his King away the same side anyway. This move protects the King(?) and brings the Rook into play.
9. Qd2
Develops the Queen. Gets it out of the way for White to castle long. He is threatening to play Bh6 forcing the exchange of Bishops which would weaken Black’s defenses around the King.
9… a6
Prevents any Knight move to b5, AND prepares for b5. If White is going to attack my King with a kingside pawn storm, I am going to attack his Queenside with my own pawn storm. If the King goes that way, all the better. If the White King castles short, then he will have opened himself up anyway.
10. O-O-O
White castles long. This protects the King, and allows the Q-Rook to join the attack on the White King. I suspect that he things he will get to the Black King quicker than Black can get to the White King.
10… Qa5
This move not only attacks the Queen side, (for example, if the Knight on c3 moves, the Queen can take on a2), but it is a way to get the Queen to the Kingside if need be, to support the King. (if you take out the Knights on d4 and f6, the Black Bishop and Queen are attacking the Knight on c3. That is how dangerous the fianchettoed Bishop is. You always have to be mindful of its potential harm.)
11. Kb1
The King scoots over to protect the pawn on a2 thus freeing the Knight on c3 for other duties.
11… Rd8
If you take out the pawn on d6, the Rook pins the Knight on d4. Usually, when a player brings Rooks behind pawns like this, his intension is to open up the position so that the Rooks can become more effective.
12. g4
Better get on with the attack before Black consolidates his position.
12… Nxd4
Relieving the tension in the center. Getting rid of these Knights will allow Black to attack through the c-file.
13. Bxd4
Better to capture with the Bishop that way you don’t have to worry about a discovered attack (on your Queen).
13… Be6
If the Knight on c3 moves, the Black Queen and Bishop are attacking the pawn on a2. Mate is in sight! This moves also clears the way for a Rook to get to c8. However, it blocks the path for the pawn on e7, (not that it needs to be moved right away.)
14. Qe3
Strategically, this is a move preparing to get to the Kingside. Tactically, White is threatening to play Bb6 winning the exchange! (Where can the Black Queen go? …Qe5?? f4.)
14… Nd7
Preventing Bb6 and opening the way for the Bishop.
15. f4
Carrying on with the pawn attack on the King. If Black wants to trade Bishops, let him make the move!
15… Bxd4
Black trades Bishops. Sometimes the best way to defend is to make things a little clearer through exchanges. This cuts both ways, if it’s clearer for you, it is clearer for your opponent!
16. Qxd4
No choice, she has to take back.
16… Nf6
The White Bishop has been executed, so the Knight does not need to be on d7 any longer. He helps the Bishop on e6 attack the g4 pawn. If the Bishop was not on e6, this would have been an opportune time to play a move like e5, attacking the Queen and busting the pawn armada.
17. f5
One of the best way to defend is to counter-attack! In your face!
17… Bd7
Exchanging pawns by Black would have been dangerous as it would have opened up the g-file. The Bishop wisely decides to step back. He did not go all the way to c8 because he does not want to block the path between the two Rooks.
18. h4
Another pawn to join the attack. Send the foot soldiers first to soften up the target.
18… Bb5
Let’s get rid of another set of pieces so that White does not have enough pieces to attack my position with. The other reason is that the Black Bishop did not have a nice sanctuary, so why not get rid of it?
19. Bf3
Black needs his Bishop. Just to point out, White could not initiate the exchange with the Knight, as Black would have captured with the pawn - and the Queen and Rook would be attacking the pawn on a2.
19… Rac8
Black brings the Rook into play. He may sacrifice the Rook for the Knight in order to generate a Queenside attack and also remove a defender of the King. He may be thinking about bringing the Rook over to help in the attack, but that cannot be successful if the Knight is still on c3.
20. Nxb5
Since the Rook is no longer on the a-file, White decides to take the Bishop with his Knight! It also takes out the threat that Black posed - of giving up the exchange for an attack.
20… axb5
Interestingly, Black goes on to take with his pawn as if the Rook is on a8. This is probably because, he can bring the Rook back in one move. Notice that that move is a big deal for White. Previously, the Rook was already there, so he could not take the Bishop. After the Rook moved, it requires an extra move for Black to achieve the same result/position.
21. h5
Going on with the attack (before defending any attacks that have not yet materialized.)
21… Rc4
I am not sure about this move. The only thing I can think of is that he wants to have the Rook on e8 move to a8 instead of this Rook (that was on c8). Why? May be that way you have all the Rooks involved in the attack? For example, having Rooks on the c-file and a-file within 2 moves allows him to attack both the a2 and c2 pawns within 3 moves. Other than that, I miss the point.
22. Qe3
Gets away from the attack while eyeing h6.
22… Ra8
As previously explained, attacking a2.
23. a3
Easiest way to stop/delay the attack.
23… Qa4
Attacking c2 with Rook and Queen. Attacking e4 with Knight, Rook and Queen.
24. c3
Stopping the attack! Hopefully, you saw that 24.b3 forking Queen and Rook was a blunder… because???)
24… Nxe4
Yummy! On a serious note, apart from the attack on the White King (see next comment) this is a way to defend the Black King by opening the 4th rank so that the Rook and Queen can get to the Kingside.
25. Bxe4
Otherwise, the Knight could be sacrificed on c3.
25… Rxe4
Has to take back.
26. Qh6
Running away? Sort of! More like Attacking away! Threatening hxg6 followed by Qxh7 as it would be supported by the Rook on h1.
26… Re2
If you try to give me mate I will give you mate! Threatening to play Qc2+ followed by Qxb2# How would you defend this?
27. Rd2
Probably because he saw that after Rc1, Black would play Qb3 which might be a little hard to defend! But this does not see even two moves ahead! Aw!
27… Rxd2
Black has to take, because of a bigger winning move awaits!
28. Qxd2
White has to take… otherwise he will be mated sooner than he can checkmate Black.
28… Qe4+
Aw! That’s what Bobby “missed”- may be he should have played 27.Qc1 - May be.
Game#4: Kenneth Blake vs Robert James Fischer
Kenneth Blake vs Robert James Fischer
Philadelphia ch-jr (09) 1956 · Sicilian, Boleslavsky Variation, 7.Nb3 (B59) · 0-1
This is an interesting game. Not just because Fischer played it when he was 13, but because I wonder if you will see why his opponent resigned. Should he have resigned?
1. e4
Opening for the Queen, Bishop, King, Knight, and moving towards the center where pieces have the most mobility. “Controls”/”attacks” d5 and f5. What will Fischer play against his favorite opening move when he is playing White?
1… c5
The Sicilian Defence. “Attacks b4 and d4. Gets the pawn out of the way so that the Knight on b8 can come to c6 without blocking the pawn. Makes White think twice about playing a move like d4.
2. Nf3
Develops a piece towards the center. Attacks d4, e5, g6, and h4. He can now play d4 without worrying about capturing back with the Queen.
2… Nc6
Develops the Knight towards the center, attacking a5, b4, d4 and e5. Supports the pawn in putting pressure on b4 and d4.
3. d4
Fights for control of the central d4 square. If the pawns and Knights are exchanged, White would have a Queen on d4, pawn on e4. Black would have to pieces or pawns in the center of the board. This move opens for the Queen, King, both Knights, and the Bishop on c1.
3… cxd4
Fischer decides to exchange pawn. One reason could be to prevent it from advancing to d5 where it would chase away his Knight. He could have played e6. Of course, I will not go into the merits of that move if White went ahead and played d5.
4. Nxd4
White takes back with the Knight. (Of course taking back with the Queen would lose!)
4… Nf6
Instead of capturing the Knight on d4, which would get rid of his only developed piece, Fischer decides to develop another piece! (This is a good lesson for beginners). The newly developed Knight, on f6, attacks the pawn on e4. So instead of White thinking about just one thing (if Fischer had captured the Knight on d4), he will be thinking about several things: should he initiate the exchange of Knights? Should he defend the pawn? How should he defend the pawn. The more you make your opponent think about a lot of things, the better.
5. Nc3
White decides to protect the pawn on e4 and do so while developing a piece (towards the center). He could have played Nd2 defending the pawn, but this would have blocked all those pieces that the pawn had opened for.
5… d6
White opens for the Bishop on c8, the Queen, and the King. The pawn attacks e5 and c5. These squares become crucial as the game progresses.
6. Be2
White develops a piece, clearing the way for castling. Playable is Bc4; but it exposes the Bishop to attacks like Na5 which would force white to address the attack. Another possibility is Bb5 which would exert a lot of pressure on the Knight on c6.
6… e5
This opens for the f8-Bishop, the Queen and King, the Knight on c6 if it wants to move over to g6 for whatever reason. It attacks f4 and d4 (and the White Knight happens to be on the latter square).
7. Nb3
White decides to keep his Knight instead of exchanging in. He could have gone back to f3, but that would have blocked the pawn on f2, the Bishop on e2. I should have mentioned that the Bishop on e2 is preventing moves like Bg4 and Ng4.
7… Be7
White develops his last Kingside minor piece, so he can castle next move. The bishop move renders White moves like Bg5 harmless, (otherwise it the Knight would have been pinned).
8. O-O
This protects the King and brings the Rook into play.
8… O-O
Black castles and has similar advantages to White’s previous move.
9. f4
White launches a Kingside attack with this move. He would like to dislodge the black pawn from e5. This move opens the f-file for the Rook to get into the game. A possibility is f5, Rf3, Rg3 or Rh3, and somehow get the Queen and Bishop involved.
9… a5
Black starts a counter-attack on the Queenside. “The best form of defense is counter-attack” - especially if you can meet the attack HEAD ON. (Apply it directly where it hurts!)
10. a4
White decides to neutralize Black’s attempts to create an attack on the Queenside, before he continues with his own attack. Another good lesson here… knowing when to stop and look and see if you can take care of other business first before your wishes/dreams are carried out.
10… Be6
Black develops his last minor piece. He puts in a position where it can go to the Queenside or the Kingside as need be. Note that if Black captured the Knight on b3, White would have to capture with the c-pawn. The pawn would move away from the center, which is usually a disadvantage. If Black had not played a5, forcing a4, after the Bishop captures the Knight, White could capture with the a-pawn, towards the center. So the a5 move was not just a counter-attacking move, it had other “strategic considerations” to it.
11. f5
White decides to dislodge the Bishop from e6. If you take into account my previous comment, this seems ill-advised as it forces Black to exchange the Bishop for the Knight. White gets doubled pawns, backward pawns, pawns that are away from the center. Since the position is a little locked up, Knights may be preferable to Bishops.
11… Bxb3
It seems forced to me from my previous comments. It appears to have advantages than disadvantages. I have already talked about the disadvantages to White for allowing this exchange. Hence Black’s advantages can be found in exploiting White’s disadvantages. What are Black’s disadvantages in playing this move? One major disadvantage is that Black’s pawns are on dark squares, that being the case, it is preferable to have the Bishop of opposite color as it is not blocked by the pawns, and it also complements the pawns in covering squares that are not being covered by them.
12. cxb3
White captures back. Forced.
12… Nb4
If you see a backward pawn, (like in this case) see if you can put a piece in front of them. First, you stop them from advancing any further. Second, you cannot be chased away by the lowly pawns. Third, if you cannot be captured, you can stay there forever and control things.
13. Bg5
White develops his last minor piece, attacks the Knight on f6, and opens for the Rook on a1 to get into the game.
13… Re8
If I had played this move, I would have said… I needed to move something, and this seemed the least evil thing to do. Let’s see. If Black wants to play d5 at some point, he does not want the pawn on e5 to be unprotected. If White somehow attacks the Bishop on e7, he wants some place for the Bishop to retreat to. Lastly, it pays to move the Rooks to the central files. With practice you just know that they become more effective there. (Just like the other pieces.)
14. Bf3
May be Black really wanted to play d5! Let’s stop him!
14… Qb6+
Bringing the Queen out so that the Rooks can be united…. and if you can gain a move by giving a check, do it by all means! (Note tha if the Black Knight moves from b4, the Black Queen is attacking the pawn on b3.
15. Kh1
Looks like the least evil way to take care of the check.
15… Rac8
Bringing the Rook into play via the only open (=no pawns) file. If the Knight on c3 moves, the Black Knight on b4 can go to c2 attacking the Rook for the fun of it! Well, not really, but it is moves like that that you watch out for. (Just saying “bringing the Rook into play” didn’t seem enough!)
16. Rg1
Hmmnnn! Preparing for g4? Really? I am not sure about this move. Is he considering g4, Rg3, Rh3? I would start with g4 right away if that was my idea since the Bishop is protecting the pawn anyway. Why choke my King?
16… Qf2
Since the f2 square is no longer controlled by the Rook, why not go there to attack the pawn on b2? (and also enable Nc2?)
17. Qe2
The Queen seems to be a nuisance, let’s get it off the board by exchanging it with my docile Queen. Remember that when you seek simplification, you may sometimes benefit your opponent. When things become clearer for you, the also become clearer for your opponent!
17… Qxe2
Ok. I have nowhere else better to go, I will give you my Queen for yours.
18. Bxe2
White ought to take back.
18… Nc2
Remember I mentioned this move? But it is not just to attack the Rook. It is to move the Knight to a better post. If you can do it with the initiative (by giving a check or attacking a more valuable piece) then do it by all means!
19. Rac1
If you defend, and you can counter-attack while defending, …. (do so my all means!). The Rook attacks the Knight that attacked it!
19… Nd4
The Knight runs away, but with an attack in mind. It gets to a central, more favorable outpost, with the initiative by attacking the Bishop on e2.
20. Bc4
The Bishop runs away, gets to a more favorable post - generally speaking - on c4. Here, it defends the pawn on b3 - (did I say it was attacked?) - and it blocks the path of the Rook on c8. It cannot be attacked by pawns here. It attacks f7. d5 is almost permanently taken… Whew! But!!! remember when I said on move 6 or 7, that Be2 prevents moves like…
20… Ng4
this! Well, what did I say about choking the King? What’s up with the Bishop on g5? What do you think White did? Well, he resigned! Now, go back to my introduction and answer the questions! Hope you had fun!
