Che et al,
Any of these methods are good. It's about what is good for you. You're
pioneering and there's gold in them there moves. It all depends what size
nuggets you want.
In this particular game from about move 12 onwards Black is struggling to stay
in the game. His moves are purely reactive instead of active and White just
keeps pushing forward. He has both the initiative and the advantage. This isn't
a shallow game but it is one way traffic from move 12 onwards. There's little
strategical content. It's a tactical slugfest with Black taking all the
punches. Checks, captures, attacks, forks, pins, skewers and tempo gains are
all here but keep a board-wide eye out. White sacrifices a piece on b5 and
Black has to be aware of having a Bishop loose on h4 several moves later, but
that's on the other side of the board!
The bit about using a physical board is good. Two boards is definitely helpful
for a complicated game. Sometimes it's worth looking at just the Pawn moves in
a game and keeping a board exclusively for that - this isn't one of those!
Have fun.
Tyson
On 20 March 2021 at 15:33 blindadrenaline@xxxxxxxxx wrote:
Hey Tyson,
I am about to go through this game carefully.
I am wondering though the best way to learn from these annotated games.
Should we be looking at various potential playes and trying to figure out
what each player is looking at down the line?
Or is it better to go through the game in total once, get a rough feel
for it, and a general outline, then go back a few times and try to understand
it on a deepr level each time?
Apologies if this should be obvious, but I want to make sure I’m
maximizing the value of the time I spend with my chess study each day, and as
always, I don’t know what I don’t know.
Also, for what it is worth, I am replicating the game on a physical
board, going through each step, and considering possibilities as I go.
Should I be taking my own notes as I go in your opinion?
Thanks much,
Che
From: usbca_chess-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <usbca_chess-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
On Behalf Of mordue andrew (Redacted sender "tyson.mordue" for DMARC)
Sent: Saturday, March 20, 2021 10:02 AM
To: usbca_chess <usbca_chess@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [usbca_chess] Annotated Game: Mordue-Bicknell
Hello all,
A quickly despatched game to illustrate several points.
First is the vulnerability of the Sicilian Defence when the second player
makes a mistake. This example is particularly brutal.
Secondly the game may only be 23 moves long, and up to White's 12th they
are all theory, but there is plenty to analyse here.If you want the most from
this then it will take several hours and you'll get more out of it than
playing ten rapidplay games on the internet!
Finally, Jorge mentioned 'the perfect game' in a recent post. In the note
to Black's 12th I write "Deep Rybka agrees with all my move choices until the
end of the game." In a sense this makes it a perfect game from my
perspective, but it involves a lot of calculation and imagaination. Perfect
games don't fall into one's lap. They have to be worked for and are always
worthy of annotation.
Regards,
Tyson
Text begins
WHITE: MORDUE, AT
BLACK: BICKNELL, C
ECO [B98]
FROME OPEN,
10.05.2008
A violent game where Black never gets his pieces properly developed or
co-ordinated, and pays a high price. This was published in British Chess
Magazine later that year without notes.
1.e4 c5
2.Nf3 d6
3.d4 cxd4
4.Nxd4 Nf6
5.Nc3 a6
6.Bg5 e6
7.f4 Be7
8.Qf3 Qc7
9.0–0–0 Nc6
[A less common line than the much-analysed 9...Nbd7. Black keeps the d7
square free for the Bishop and could castle Queenside. He can swap Knights on
d4 and pick up a tempo on the loose Rook on d4 with ...Qb6 or...Qc5 or place
the Bishop on c6 via d7. I have met this line very occasionally and found it
best to be prepared to play Rhd1 in the event of the possible swap on d4. In
the game none of the afore-mentioned events happens.]
10.Be2 h6
[Similar to the Browne variation which was introduced by the several
times US champion Walter Browne. However, that features ...Nbd7 rather than
...Nc6 but that difference sometimes doesn't matter. The point of the Browne
variation is after ...h6. Bh4 g5. fxg5 to utilise the e5 square with ...Ne5.
Depending on the specific position Black may be sacrificing a Pawn
permanently, but he usually gets it back because the g5 Pawn is pinned by the
Black Bishop on e7 to the White one on h4. Black's Knights control a lot of
squares too and that hinders the scope of the White Queen.}
11.Bh4
[White rarely takes on f6 after ...h7-h6. He has the chance to now
advance g2-g4-g5 opening up lines and for that reason Black rarely castles
Kingside after pushing his h-Pawn. However, there are exceptions as well as
adherents to the rules of standard play. With the text White also has the
option of redeploying the Bishop to f2 with the option of recapturing on d4
or eyeing the weak b6 square with an idea of a later Na4.]
11...g5
[Consistent with the Browne variation. Deep Rybka suggests 11...Bd7 which
is fine, and also 11...0–0 which is dubious for the reason given in the last
note.]
12.fxg5
[At first Deep Rybka suggested 12 Nxc6 was stronger. It give lines such
as 12.Nxc6 bxc6 13.fxg5 Nh7 14.Rhf1 Nxg5 (Not 14...Bxg5+ 15.Bxg5 hxg5 16.Rxd6
or here 15...Nxg5 16 Qf6!) 15.Qh5 e5 16 Kb1 Be6 before coming to an
evaluation of roughly +1.3 for White.
As that is similar to the evaluation as in the game line then I must
disagree with its choice. In the Sicilian Defence most White players usually
choose not to swap Knights on c6 while Black can improve his central control,
and have an open b-file as well, with ...bxc6.]
12...Nh7?
[This turns out badly but only due to White's imaginative play. The usual
move in this sort of position is 12...Ne5 which is why Deep Rybka wanted to
swap Knights first and so cut it out completely. After 13.Qe3 Nfg4 14.Qd2 Rg8
15.Bxg4 Nxg4 16.Nf3 White seems to be holding on to the extra Pawn. An
improvement that regains the Pawn is 14...Qd8 15 Bg3 hxg5 16 h3 Nf6 which is
still analogous to Browne variation lines. However, White's Bishops and Queen
are arguably on better squares whilst Black's Queen has retreated to its home
square so the evaluation must be in White's favour. Nevertheless this must be
an improvement on what happens in the game.
This is the first time (August 2019) that I've ever written notes to this
game and I'm delighted to see that Deep Rybka agrees with all my move choices
until the end of the game. However, if I played this game today I would
probably be scrutinised because of such perfect play. It should be borne in
mind that I have 30–40 years of experience on both sides of the Sicilian
Najdorf and am very familiar with the tactical themes that arise. In this
case there is a slightly new ingredient involved - the g7-Pawn's control of
the f8 square.
Simply put, despite having had Browne variation scenarios from both sides
many times, I've never had anyone play ...Nf6-h7 after f4xg5 so I was on the
alert. My next move was played after a long think.]
13.g6!
[Deep Rybka evaluates this as +1.62 in White's favour so that's the
computer's endorsement.]
13...Bxh4
[Black has plenty to think about.
Throwing in 13...Nxd4 is equivalent to throwing in the towel after 14
Qxf7+. If 13...Ne5 14 gxf7+ Nxf7 15 Bxe7+ Qxe7 16 Rdf1 and White is having
all the fun with an extra Pawn to boot.
If 13...fxg6 14 Bxe7 Nxd4 (or 14...Qxe7 15 Nxc6 bxc6 16 Qg3 forks g6 and
d6 anyway, whilst 14...Nxe7 fails to 15 Ndb5! with themes similar to the
game.) 15 Rxd4 Qxe7 16 Qg3 with the same fork. Instead 13...fxg6 14 Bxe7 Nxd4
15 Rxd4 Kxe7 avoids the loss of a Pawn but cedes castling rights. Deep Rybka
rates this as plus 2.2 to White and recommends 16 e5! as 16...d5 is met by 17
Rxd5!
A recurrent theme is the weakness of d6 once the Black Bishop is
exchanged. After the text said Bishop has moved from e7 voluntarily. Yes, it
has taken a Bishop and Carl probably expected 14 gxh7 Rxh7. If then 15 Qg4
hitting the h4 Bishop and threatening to win the Rook 16 Qg8+ Carl has
15...Bg5+ and time to regroup. A surprise awaits him.]
14.Ndb5!
[After this move my conception got my opponent’s endorsement when he
muttered "Jesus Christ!" White invests one Knight to force the penetration of
the other one to d6. The move g6-g7 is deferred so as to keep the Black Queen
tied to the defence of f7.
I had foreseen that I would be able to win Black's Queen with a
continuing initiative and that Black's pieces would be unable to form a
cohesive defensive unit. The g7 Pawn, when it gets there, will be a menace
that ties Black down. Most of the action takes place on dark squares, control
of which has been abandoned by the Black Bishop on h4. It is worth noting
that the other Bishop does nothing except disconnect the Black Rooks.]
14...axb5
15.g7!
[The timing is important. If 15 Nxb5 Qe7 16 g7? is refuted by 16...Qg5+
and 17...Qxg7. The point is that White wants control of f8 to stop the Black
King going there after Nxd6+.
There is a line that goes 15 Nxb5 Qe7 16 Nxd6+ Kf8 17 Nxf7!? White has
acquired four Pawns for two pieces and has several threats. Deep Rybka
suggests 17...Ng5!? 18 Nxg5+ Kg7 19 Nf7 Rf8 20 Qh5 Bg5+ 21 Kb1 Qf6 22 h4 Be3
23 Rhf1 Qxg6 24 Qf3 Rxf7 25 Qxe3 with a roughly level game where White now
has three Pawns for a piece. This is not by any means forced and both
17...Rxa2 and 17...Qf6 are worth looking at as well. ]
15...Rg8
[Forced. If 15...Bf6, to defend h8 and hope to emerge with two pieces for
a Rook, then White sacrifices again with 16.Qxf6! Nxf6 17.gxh8Q+ and emerges
with a material advantage and an attack.]
16.Nxb5 Bg5+
[A necessary zwischenzug to ensure the defence of the Bishop - see note
to Black‘s 21st - but White gets to defend a2 so that ...Rxa2 is not on the
agenda.]
17.Kb1 Qe7
[Black can threaten mate himself with 17...Qa5 but he will lose his Queen
anyway after 18.Nxd6+.
If 18...Ke7?? then mate follows immediately after 19 Qxf7+ Kd8 20 Nxb7++.
So instead 18...Kd8 or d7 19.Nxb7+ (19 Nc4 also wins the Queen but it is
useful to eliminate the b7 Pawn) 19...Ke8 (If 19...Kc7 20.Nxa5 Rxa5 21.Qxf7+
Ne7 22.Rhf1 with Queen and five Pawns for three uncoordinated pieces. Deep
Rybka is scoring this in the +10s.) 20.Nxa5 Rxa5 21.Qc3 - forking the a5 Rook
and the now-undefended knight on c6 - 21...Bd7 or b7 22 Rhf1 and by
preventing 22...Bf6 White maintains his pull.
If 17...Qb8 18 Nd6+ Kd8 19 Qxf7 threatens 20 Nxb7 mate and 20 Qxg8+.]
18.Nxd6+ Kd8
[It was simpler to play 18...Qxd6 19.Rxd6 Be7 20.Rd2 Rxg7 although White
is still doing well after 21.Bb5 Bd7 22.Rhd1. With the sequence in the game
Black gets a Rook and two pieces for his Queen instead of a scattered three
pieces, but he leaves the dangerous Knight and soon regrets it. ]
19.Nf5+ Qd7
[Note that without the interpolation of 16...Bg5+ 17 Kb1 Black's Bishop
would now have been en prise to the White Knight. An alternative here is
19...Ke8 20 Nxe7 Bxe7 but White has 21 Bb5 amongst other moves keeping the
initiative.]
20.Rxd7+ Kxd7?
[It's true that after 20...Bxd7 21 Nd6 White forks b7 and f7 but this
must be a better try. Currently Black has only one piece - the c6 Knight - on
a sensible square.]
21.Rd1+
[So the Rook that Black took as part of the material for his Queen is
immediately replaced in the attack with tempo, while the Knight that Black
could have taken lives to torment him further.]
21...Kc7
[If 21...Ke8 22 Nd6+ and 23 Qxf7 wins immediately. Once again note that
without the interpolation of 16...Bg5+ 17 Kb1 the text would have lost the
Bishop to the fork Qf4+, a point that both sides had to pick up on at least
five moves ago.]
22.Nd6
[The Knight continues to haunt Black. Now 22...Rxg7 is met by 23 Ne8+, a
scenario that would not have been possible after 20...Bxd7, while 22...Ne5
fails to another fork 23 Qc3+. ]
22...Nf6?
[Black collapses completely. I was expecting 22...Bf6 when after 23 Qf4
e5 24 Qxh6 I thought White was winning more material. Deep Rybka goes a bit
further with 24...Be6 - ruling out Ne8+ after ...Rxg7 - 25 Nb5+ Kb6 26 Qxh7
Bxa2+ 27 Kc1 Bg5+ 28 Rd2 Rad8 29 Bd3 and White is now only +2.
Instead 23 e5! Nxe5 24 Qc3+ Kb8 25 Nxc8 Rxc8?? 26 Qxc8+! Kxc8 27 g8=Q+
wins the house. Of course 25...Rxg7 is an improvement but White has won a
piece. Instead 22...Bf6 23 e5 Nxe5 (if 23...Bxe5 24 Qxf7+ wins) 24 Qc3+ Nc6
25 Qd3! Ng5 26 Nb5+ and Deep Rybka claims mate in 7.]
23.Nxf7
[White threatens 24 Nxg5 hxg5 25 Qxf6. If Black moves the f6 Knight 24
Nxg5 hxg5 25 Qf7 with or without check wins.]
1–0
Text ends
