In the following 5 0 blitz game played on the Playchess server I am white. White clearly gets the better position out of the opening but makes a poor pawn push in opposite side castling. This is followed by a very questionable (and objectively unsound) knight sacrifice, but my opponent doesn't defend correctly and the sacrifice is made justified.
Plantagenet (1730) - Ukdragon (1690) [B07]
Friendly Game, 5m + 0s Main Playing Hall, 30.07.2007
1.e4 d6 2.Nc3 possibilities of transposing into a closed sicilian etc 2...b6?! an odd move; there are no instances of this on the Fritz 10 database. I might add that I do not cricise my opponent or myself to trying dubious or strange ideas out as this is an informal blitz game. Fritz puts the evaluation to 0.9. A possible benefit is that c5 is very well supported. Perhaps though the downside is that d6 doesn't sit well with a queenside fianchetto. 3.g3 I choose to setup in a closed sicilian style structure, but Fritz doesn't like it and finds more critical replys to black. [3.Nf3 addressing black's lag in development 3...Nf6 (fritz doesn't like the immediate 3...Bb7 4.Bc4 Nf6 this doesn't seem to me to make much difference. 5.0–0 offering a pawn due to the lead in development 5...e6 (5...Nxe4? 6.Nxe4 Bxe4 7.Bxf7+! Kxf7 8.Ng5+ Kg8 9.Nxe4 white is much better) 6.Re1 Be7 7.Qe2 c5 8.d4) 4.d4 e6 5.Bd3 Bb7 6.0–0 Be7 7.Re1 0–0 white has a classically very decent game] 3...Bb7 4.Bg2 Nd7 seems logical enough to me as it covers c5 and e5 [F1: 4...Nf6 5.Nge2 Nbd7 6.d4 e6 7.Qd3 Be7 8.0–0 0–0 black has a solid position] 5.Nge2 [Fritz opts for 5.d4 Ngf6 6.Nge2 e6 7.0–0 Be7 then white has many pawn moves to choose from] 5...c6?! a passive move, but none-the-less solid and part of a double edged plan to castle queenside. 5..c5 is probably worse; black plays tightly with 5..c6 and maintains control of b5 and d5. [Fritz opts for the sensible option: 5...e6 6.0–0 Ngf6 7.f3 Be7 8.d4 0–0 9.Be3 c5 black is doing pretty well here] 6.d3 [more critical would be 6.d4 Ngf6 7.0–0 Qc7 kingside castling is probably too slow 8.h3 e6 9.f4 having had time to prepare a post for his dark squared bishop, now black is obliged to castle queenside in view of the threat to by white to tear open the centre 9...0–0–0 white must have the best chances in this opposite castling game, having much more space 10.a4] 6...Qc7 [F1: 6...e6 as before, fritz likes to make space for his bishop while he has time 7.d4 embarassingly this is maybe the best idea, showing the passivity of d3] 7.0–0 0–0–0 [F1: 7...Ngf6 8.d4 e6 9.d5 Be7 10.Nd4 cxd5 11.exd5 0–0 12.dxe6 Bxg2 13.Kxg2 Nc5 14.exf7+ Rxf7 black's only compensation for the pawn is trading white's important defensive bishop. The isolated d6 pawn can't be good news.] 8.Be3 on the plus side the bishop is developed and on a good square possibly aiding attack and defence.. on the minus it is probably better to charge forward immediately with a4 [now that battle lines are drawn, Fritz recommends immediate action: 8.a4 a5 it is noteworthy that all of black's king's pawn cover are 1 square forward.. this will make them easier to latch onto in a pawn storm 9.d4 h5] 8...Kb8 tempos are worth a lot in these positions so unsurprisingly it was at least a bit better to charge immediately with h5 [8...h5 9.a4 a6 10.d4 these are just example moves] 9.a4 h5 both players play the natural moves 10.b4 for the first few second fritz put 10.d4 as the first choice, but naturally in such strategic situation not involving immediate calcuation but rather a long term vision of attack, computers are not at their strongest (yet), and after suggesting to it b4 and waiting a while, it changes its mind in favour of this move which is visually natural for a human player. 10...h4 11.a5? incorrect. I was aware that this was weak at the time due to b5, so I can only blame the blitz time control, (though this is still a quite shocking move at any time control).. I soon try to justify it with a piece sac [11.b5 the natural and obvious move, e.g. 11...cxb5 12.axb5 a computer need a long time to come to a decision in these positions 12...Ngf6 eventually it opts for this but on further processing I wouldn't be surprised if it changed its mind 13.h3 hxg3 14.fxg3 g5 15.Qc1 g4 16.h4] 11...b5 12.Nxb5? A mad move. Fun none-the-less in a blitz game. [a sound move was: 12.g4 Ngf6 13.h3] 12...cxb5 13.c4 I see the potential pressure my pawns can cause and as my bishops are keyed right in for an attack, I am likely to at least give my oppoenent defensive headaches [Fritz gives as objectively best: 13.h3 but of course I am going to try and justify my sacrifice] 13...Rc8? this allows white to create a blob of advanced pawns to tear open the king position, and now white's sacrifice is justified [13...bxc4 14.b5 Nc5 15.dxc4 black blocks the white attack somewhat and gives a little material away, and now makes a bid for play of his own 15...hxg3 16.Nxg3 e6 17.b6 axb6 18.axb6 Qxb6 white apparently doesn't have enough for the sacrificed material and stands 1.5 pawns down in evaluation according to fritz] 14.cxb5 f5?! an opportunity is missed to take much danger out of white's attack [14...Qc2 15.h3 Qxd1 16.Rfxd1 the position is very imbalanced and on the surface about equal] 15.b6 for a long time fritz favours Rc1, but eventually the evaluation of b6 keeps rising until fritz puts it as its first move. This is another instance of a human being able to see the obvious long term strength of an attacking move and it being beyond the computer's initial horizon. 15...axb6 16.axb6? This is weak compared to at least one alternative [16.Qa4! horrible tactical threats now surround the black king 16...Qc2 17.Qxd7 Bc6 (17...Qxe2?? 18.a6 quickly leads to mate) 18.Qxf5 Qxe2 now black regains the piece up; this is surely his only hope in such a position 19.Bh3! is very potent] 16...Nxb6 some tension is relieved and white now stands just a little better according to fritz 17.Nd4! I think this deserves a ! as it is correct in this position to bring the knight into the game.. fritz preferred Nf4 for a while but changed its mind to the game move.. naturally the knight is closer to the action on d4 17...Qd7 [F1: 17...hxg3 ] 18.b5! with the idea of Nc6 and furthering the onslaught [18.Nxf5 was much better apparently, e.g. 18...hxg3 19.fxg3 g6 20.Nxe7! Nxe7 21.Bxb6 Bg7 22.d4 Rcf8 23.Rxf8+ Rxf8 24.Ba7+ Kc8 25.Qd3 Kd8 26.b5 fritz evaluation of 1 pawn to white] 18...Kc7? very bad due to what it allows [18...fxe4 19.Bxe4 Bxe4 20.dxe4 hxg3 21.fxg3 Nf6 black is in real trouble; 18...g6 19.Nc6+ Bxc6 20.bxc6 Rxc6 21.exf5 d5 22.Qb3] 19.Qb3! I believe that black is busted in this position whatever he does... the black kingside pieces are pleasing to the eye for white... his queen, bishop pair, knight, and rook pair assist in the attack, whereas only about 4 black pieces are in positions to defend and they do not have much space 19...Kd8 [19...Kb8 is no better 20.Ne6 a classic octopus style knight, e.g. 20...fxe4 21.Bxb6 Nf6 22.Qa4 Bd5 23.dxe4 Rc4 24.Qa7+ Qxa7 25.Bxa7+ Kb7 26.exd5] 20.Ne6+ not the best [20.Qf7 e.g. 20...hxg3 21.fxg3 in no rush 21...Qe8 22.Ne6+ Kd7 23.Qxf5 the threats are ridiculous 23...Qh5 24.Nxf8+ Kc7 (24...Ke8 25.Qxh5+ Rxh5 26.Ra7 Rb8 27.Bxb6 Rxb5 28.Ne6 Rxb6 29.Rf8+ Kd7 30.Rxb8 Kxe6 31.Rxg8; 24...Kd8 25.Bxb6+ Rc7 26.Qd7#) 25.Rfc1+ Kd8 26.Rxc8+ Bxc8 27.Ne6+ Kd7 28.Ra7+ Bb7 29.Rxb7+ Kc8 30.Rc7+ Kb8 31.Qf8+ Qe8 32.Qxe8+ Nc8 33.Qxc8#] 20...Ke8 21.Bxb6 Nf6 [F1: 21...Nh6 is no better 22.Ra7 d5 23.exd5 Nf7 24.d4 almost sarcastic; white plays patiently and black has all of his piece squashed on the back two ranks] 22.Ra7 not bad, but fritz prefers Rfc1 [22.Rfc1 fxe4 23.dxe4 hxg3 24.hxg3 d5 25.Rxc8+ Qxc8 26.Nc7+ Kf7 27.e5 Nh5 28.Bxd5+ Bxd5 29.Qxd5+ Kg6 30.Ne6 Qc2 31.g4 Nf6 32.exf6 gxf6 33.Be3 Qc3 34.Nxf8+ Kg7 (34...Rxf8 35.Qh5+ Kg7 36.Bh6+ Kh8 37.Bxf8+ Kg8 38.Qg6+ Kxf8 39.Ra8+ Qc8 40.Rxc8#) ] 22...Rb8?! the position should already be doomed, but there was more tenacious. This allows the horrible Nc7+ [22...h3 23.Bh1 fxe4 24.dxe4 d5 25.Nxf8 Kxf8 26.e5 Rh5 (26...Ne4 27.e6 Qxe6 28.Rxb7) 27.e6 Qxe6 28.Rxb7] 23.Nc7+ Kd8 24.Na6+ [24.Rc1 hxg3 25.Qf7 Qc8 26.Ne8+ Kd7 27.Rxc8 Rxc8 28.fxg3 Rc1+ 29.Bf1 f4 30.Rxb7+ Kc8 31.Nxd6+ exd6 32.Rc7+ Kb8 33.Rxc1 Be7 34.Qa2 fxg3 35.Qa7#] 24...Ke8 25.Nxb8 Qc8 26.Nc6 [F1: 26.Na6 d5 27.exd5 hxg3 28.fxg3 Bxa6 29.d6 Bxb5 30.Qxb5+ Kf7 31.d7] 26...Bxc6 [F1: 26...Nd7 27.Be3 f4 28.gxf4 h3 29.Bf3 g5 30.Rc1 Nc5 31.Bxc5 gxf4 (31...dxc5 32.Ne5 gxf4 33.Bh5+ Kd8 (33...Rxh5 34.Qf7+ Kd8 35.Qxf8+ Kc7 36.Qxe7+ Kb6 37.Rxb7+ Ka5 38.Nc6+ Ka4 39.Ra1+ Kb3 40.Qf7+ Qe6 41.Qxe6+ Rd5 42.Qxd5+ c4 43.Qxc4+ Kb2 44.Qc1+ Kb3 45.Ra3#) 34.Nf7+) 32.Bxd6 Rh7 33.Bxf4 Rg7+ 34.Kh1] 27.bxc6 e6 28.Rfa1 [28.Rc7 Qxc7 (28...Qb8 29.Qxe6+ Be7 (29...Kd8 30.Rc8#) 30.Qxe7#) ] 1–0
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