Weak.ie An Irish beginner's chess blog

This match was a home match against Gonzaga chess club, one of the top clubs in the country and favorites to top the division; we were not expecting great things from this match and I certainly lived down to that expectation with this game!

Here’s the game, with annotations:

[pgn eo=t autoplayMode=none pieceFont=alpha ss=64 ps=64 h=800 commentsDisplay=newline]
[Event “Bodley A”]
[Site “St.Benildus Chess Club”]
[Date “2013.11.13”]
[Round “2”]
[White “Peter Urwin”]
[Black “Mark Dennehy”]
[Result “1-0”]
[WhiteElo “1297”]
[EventDate “2013.11.13”]
[Annotator “Stockfish 09-06-13 64bit”]

1. e4
{+0.24}
1. … c6
{+0.52}

2. d4
{+0.60}
2. … d5
{+0.60}

3. Nc3
{+0.44}
3. … dxe4
{+0.48}

4. Nxe4
{+0.56}
4. … Bf5
{+0.40}

5. Ng3
{+0.40}
5. … Bg6
{+0.44}

6. Nf3 $201
{+0.36}
6. … h6 $2 $16 $201
{+2.10 / +0.36
And here I got my opening variations a tad confused. Nd7 is probably better here, but Bh7 is still a defence from Nfe5. }

( 6…Nd7 7.Be2 Ngf6 8.O-O e6 9.Bg5 Bd6 10.c4 h6 11.Bxf6 Qxf6 12.Bd3 O-O-O 13.Ne4 Bxe4 14.Bxe4 Kb8 15.Qb3 Ka8 16.Rae1 Bc7 17.Qc2 g5 18.d5 exd5 19.cxd5 $10 )

7. Bd3 $2 $10
{+0.40 / +2.10
Okay, so either swap off the light squared bishop, which isn’t the one I’m worried about, or disrupt my pawns in front of where my king will be. Bh7 would let the rook do the recapture, but then I can’t castle kingside as planned. }

( 7.Ne5 Qd6 8.Bf4 $16 )

7. … Bxd3
{+0.52
Not ideal, but not too horrible.}

8. Qxd3
{+0.44}
8. … e6
{+0.44}

9. Bd2 $201
{+0.36}
9. … Be7 $6 $14 $201
{+1.17 / +0.36
Would Nf6 have been that much better? I might have been gunshy of Bd6 after the last time, but it would have prevented Ne5 being so strong, maybe…}

( 9…Nf6 10.O-O Be7 11.c4 O-O 12.Rfe1 Nbd7 13.Bc3 Qc7 14.b3 Rfe8 15.Rad1 Rad8 16.Qc2 Ng4 17.Ne4 Ngf6 18.Nxf6+ Nxf6 19.Ne5 Nd7 20.Nd3 Bd6 21.h3 Nf6 22.g3 $10 )

10. O-O $6 $10 $201
{+0.44 / +1.17}

( 10.Nh5 Bf6 11.O-O Nd7 12.Rad1 Ne7 13.Qb3 Qb6 14.Qa3 Nf5 15.Nxf6+ gxf6 16.Rfe1 Rg8 17.g3 Qa6 18.Qxa6 bxa6 19.Kg2 O-O-O 20.c4 Nb6 21.Ba5 Kb7 22.c5 $14 )

10. … Qb6 $6 $16 $201
{+1.65 / +0.44
That’s worrying; I can’t see after the game why I made this move. I must have been eyeing b2 even at this point. Sod.}

( 10…Nf6 11.c4 O-O 12.Rfe1 Nbd7 13.Bc3 Qc7 14.Rad1 Rad8 15.Nf5 $10 )

11. a4 $6 $10 $201
{+0.40 / +1.65}

( 11.Nh5 Kf8 12.Nf4 Nf6 13.Rae1 Nbd7 14.Nxe6+ fxe6 15.Rxe6 Qxb2 16.Rfe1 Bb4 17.Bxb4+ Qxb4 18.a3 Qa5 19.Nh4 Kg8 20.Ng6 Rh7 21.Qb3 $16 )

11. … Qxb2 $4 $18
{+8.08 / +0.40
Facepalm. And ironically, I really didn’t want to make the move, but all the worry over not playing aggressively enough messed up my head.}

( 11…Nf6 12.Rfe1 Qc7 13.Ne4 O-O 14.Nxf6+ Bxf6 15.Qe4 Nd7 16.Bf4 Qb6 17.a5 Qb5 18.Re3 Rfd8 19.Rb3 Qa6 20.Bc7 Re8 21.h3 Be7 22.Qd3 Qxd3 $10 )

12. Rfb1
{+8.00
And there it is. Wallop.}
12. … Qxa1
{+7.83
Well, it has to be one of them, and at least this one doesn’t give him the B-file without a tempo. Just, you know, the game. }

13. Rxa1
{+7.91}
13. … Nf6
{+7.87
Yeah, sensible move, where were you three moves ago?}

14. Ne5
{+7.91
That’s a nasty outpost. Qc7 should fix… oh, right.}
14. … O-O $201
{+8.00}

15. c3 $18
{+6.98 / +8.00}

( 15.Rb1 b6 16.Qf3 Kh7 17.a5 $18 )

15. … c5 $201
{+7.67
The idea being to dislodge Ne5 in a few moves.}

16. Ne4 $18
{+6.42 / +7.67
Didn’t expect this (neither do the engines) but Ne5 can still be kicked, it’s just going to mean both knights go off, which I don’t like when material down, but this game’s a bust anyway and I don’t like Ne5 at all.}

( 16.Qb5 b6 17.a5 a6 18.Qxb6 Nbd7 19.Nxd7 Nxd7 20.Qb7 Rfd8 21.Re1 cxd4 22.cxd4 Bf6 23.Be3 Be7 24.Bf4 g5 25.Bc7 Re8 26.Ne4 Nf6 27.Nc5 Nd5 28.Be5 Red8 29.Nxa6 Bf6 30.Bxf6 Nxf6 31.Rb1 Nd5 32.Rc1 Nf4 33.Rc2 Nd5 $18 )

16. … cxd4
{+6.42}

17. Nxf6+
{+6.06}
17. … Bxf6 $201
{+6.26}

18. cxd4 $6 $18 $201
{+5.41 / +6.26}

( 18.Ng4 Nd7 19.cxd4 Rfd8 20.Qf3 b6 21.Nxf6+ Nxf6 22.Bxh6 Rd5 23.Bg5 Nh7 24.Be3 Rc8 25.Qe2 Nf6 26.Qa6 Rc7 27.a5 Rxa5 28.Rxa5 bxa5 29.Bf4 Rc2 30.Qxa5 Rb2 31.g3 Nd5 32.Bd6 $18 )

18. … Nc6 $2 $18 $201
{+7.37 / +5.41}

( 18…Rd8 19.Qe4 Nc6 20.Be3 $18 )

19. Nxc6 $18
{+6.26 / +7.37}

( 19.Nd7 Bxd4 20.Nxf8 Rxf8 $18 )

19. … bxc6 $201
{+6.14
And that’s exactly how I thought it would go.}

20. Qe4 $6 $18 $201
{+5.09 / +6.14
Why not Rb1 or Rc1?}

( 20.Rc1 Rfd8 21.Be3 Rd6 22.Qa6 Bxd4 23.Bxd4 Rxd4 $18 )

20. … Rac8 $6 $18
{+6.06 / +5.09
Engines say c5 instead, but I just saw c5, dxc, Rac8 then anyway and then Rac1 and c6, c7 and his queen can waltz in and wreak havoc while the rook’s pinned. }

( 20…c5 21.Rb1 $18 )

21. Rc1
{+6.06}
21. … Rcd8
{+6.62
Really wish I’d moved the other rook here…}

22. Be3
{+6.54}
22. … Rfe8
{+6.94}

23. Rxc6
{+6.94
And now I’m looking for a way to drop a rook onto the back rank because there’s sod all else will save me!}
23. … e5
{+10.56
G’wan, take the pawn, I’m harmless, me, I mean why else would I weaken e6 like that?}

24. d5
{+10.74
Sod.}
24. … a5
{+10.97
Well, it was hanging.}

25. Bxh6
{+10.48
gxB, Qg4+, Kh7 or Kf8, RxB and stuffed. No thanks…}
25. … Rc8 $201
{+98.68
RxR, RxR, then gxB and the Qa4 and run away king and then Rc1+ but we’re out where the busses do not go with that one I think.}

26. Bd2 $18
{+13.05 / +98.68
Bit of a blunder that, did he think he hadn’t much choice maybe?}

( 26.Rxf6 Rb8 27.Qf5 Re7 28.g3 Rd8 29.Qg5 Kf8 30.Qxg7+ Ke8 31.Qf8+ Kd7 32.Rd6+ Kxd6 33.Qxd8+ Rd7 34.Bf8+ Kxd5 35.Qxd7+ Kc4 36.Qxf7+ Kd4 37.Qa7+ Kd5 38.Qc5+ Ke4 39.f3+ Kd3 40.Qxe5 Kc2 $18 )

26. … Red8
{+16.94
a5’s hanging, but I was focussed on RxR, dxR, RxB for some reason. }

27. Rxc8
{+17.01
Maybe he was too}
27. … Rxc8
{+12.96}

28. g3
{+15.95
And there goes the last hope out the window.}
28. … Re8
{+19.13
Thinking to free the bishop.}

29. Bxa5
{+21.01}
29. … Kf8 $201
{+42.47
Thought during the game that I couldn’t really move the bishop without this first. In hindsight, not so convinced of that.}

30. Qb4+ $18
{+23.56 / +42.47
And pretty much everything’s forced from here.}

( 30.d6 g6 31.d7 Re6 32.Qa8+ Kg7 33.Bb4 Kh7 34.Qf8 Bg7 35.Qxf7 Rf6 36.Qd5 e4 37.Qxe4 Rf5 38.d8=Q Rh5 39.Bd2 Rf5 40.Qe6 Bf8 41.a5 Rf3 42.Qh4+ Kg7 43.a6 Rxg3+ 44.fxg3 Bc5+ 45.Be3 Bxe3+ 46.Qxe3 $18 )

30. … Be7
{+92.85}

31. d6
{+92.85}
31. … f5
{+108.90}

32. dxe7+
{+108.90}
32. … Rxe7 $201
{+327.43}

33. Qb8+ $18
{+96.07 / +327.43}

( 33.Bd8 Kf7 34.Qxe7+ Kg6 35.Bc7 Kh7 36.Bxe5 Kg6 37.Qxg7+ Kh5 38.h4 f4 39.Qg5# $18 )

33. … Re8
{+96.12
Or Kf7 but it’s a fairly done deal by now anyway.}

34. Bb4+
{+96.12}
34. … Kf7 $201
{+96.12}

35. Qxe8+ $18
{+89.24 / +96.12
Didn’t quite expect that, but okay.}

( 35.Qc7+ Kg8 36.Bc3 Rf8 37.Bxe5 Rf7 38.Qxf7+ Kxf7 39.a5 Ke6 $18 )

35. … Kxe8
{+89.24}

36. Bc3
{+89.24
Ah, right. Fudge. Well, save the forward ones I suppose.}
36. … e4
{+105.94}

37. Bxg7
{+105.94}
37. … Kd7
{+119.93
Well, we’re inside the square for a4 at least I suppose.}

38. h4
{+107.25
Ah, bugger. Can’t fight off the two wing pawns. Resigned.}

( 38.h4 {21:+107.25} 38…Ke6 39.a5 Kd6 40.a6 Kc6 41.h5 e3 42.fxe3 Kb6 43.a7 Kxa7 44.h6 Kb6 45.h7 Kb7 46.h8=Q Kc7 47.Qe8 f4 48.gxf4 Kb6 49.Qe6+ Kb5 )

1-0[/pgn]

The opening was the classical variation of the Caro-Kann, and went by the numbers to move 6, when the mainline has white move 6.h4, but my opponent played 6.Nf3. The correct following move for 6.h4 is 6…h6 (creating a hidey-hole for the light bishop on h7 when the h4 pawn pushs to h5). The correct following move for 6.Nf3 on the other hand, is 6…Nd7 and h6 at this point just wastes a tempo (6…Nd7 defends against 7.Nfe5, the only attack possible on the light bishop at that stage). And of course, I went down the wrong path, playing the h6 response instead of the Nd7 one. Stockfish rates this as being about on a par with giving away two pawns at this stage. However, my opponent didn’t press the advantage with Ne5, but went on to set up a bishop exchange and we were back to levelish.

On move 9, somewhat gunshy from the nightmare of playing Bd6 in Round 1, I played Be7 and of course stockfish is still not happy with that; it really prefers knights out first! But again, the advantage evaporated on the next move.

…and then there’s 11…Qxb2.

Yeah, look. Here’s the thing, I don’t like playing aggressive chess. It’s not in my nature. I lean to the slow and methodical. And John, who’s been coaching me down at the club, thought at the time that that wasn’t a stylistic choice, but a failing 😀 So I’d been constantly pushed to get more and more aggressive in my chess, even changing my white opening over from the English to a d4 opening of John’s recommendation to get things a bit more aggressive from the off.

But there’s assertive; there’s progressive; there’s active; there’s aggressive; and then there’s berserker shield-chewing daftness. And I aimed for active and missed horribly and wound up chewing on my shield (or, less metaphorically, on a poisoned pawn). For some reason, all I saw was gaining a point and didn’t see 12.Rfb1 trapping my queen. Rookie mistake (literally).

Gah. That one’s going to stink up my record for a while. The rest of the game’s not even worth the look. We didn’t even bother to analyse it in the skittles session afterwards, apart from pointing and laughing. There’s a little sensible chess after the madness, but it can’t help and he did miss a trick on move 26, but he can afford to by that point and it’s a foregone conclusion shortly afterwards – eventually stockfish just throws up its hands and tells me to go home 🙂

The team report on the match is here on the Benildus website, but at least Kevin kept the comments on my match short!