Weak.ie An Irish beginner's chess blog

[pgn eo=t autoplayMode=none pieceFont=alpha ss=64 ps=64 h=800 commentsDisplay=newline]
[Event “Bodley 2014”]
[Site “St.Benildus”]
[Date “2014.01.29”]
[Round “6”]
[White “Alex Goss”]
[Black “Mark Dennehy”]
[Result “1/2-1/2”]
[WhiteElo “906”]
[ECO “D10i”]
[EventDate “2014.01.29”]
[Annotator “Stockfish 210214 64”]

1.d4
{+0.14

Okay, Slav time!}
1…d5
{+0.19}
2.c4
{+0.12}
2…c6
{+0.48}
3.Nc3
{+0.23}
3…Bf5
{+0.85}
4.h3
{+0.29

Not sure what that’s about…}
4…e6
{+0.24}
5.Bf4
{+0.01}
5…Nf6
{+0.27}
6.e3
{+0.11}
6…Be7
{+0.18}
7.c5
{-0.01}
7…O-O
{+0.07

Well, it’s a fairly stodgy opening and I’ve lost some ground in the
center. Should have swiped that c4 pawn before c5…}
8.Bd3
{-0.41}
8…Nbd7
{+0.15}
9.Nf3
{-0.31}
9…Be4
{+0.38}
10.Qc2 D
{-0.31}
10…Re8?! =
{+0.44 / -0.31

Stockfish’s suggested variation here might have opened things up a bit
more allright.}
10…Bxd3 11.Qxd3 b6 12.cxb6 Qxb6 =
11.Nxe4
{+0.33}
11…dxe4
{+0.41}
12.Bxe4 D
{+0.40}
12…Qa5+?! += D
{+1.25 / +0.40

Yeah, I have no idea why I thought this would work; I think I just had
board blindness to the Nd2 move.}
12…Nxe4 13.Qxe4 Qa5+ 14.Kf1 Nf6 15.Qc2 b6 16.cxb6 axb6 17.Kg1 Rec8
18.Kh2 Qd5 19.Rhc1 Rxa2 20.Rxa2 Qxa2 21.Ne5 c5 22.b4 Qxc2 23.Rxc2 Ne4
24.bxc5 bxc5 25.f3 =
13.Nd2? =
{-0.28 / +1.25}
13.Qd2 Qxd2+ 14.Nxd2 Nxe4 15.Nxe4 e5 16.dxe5 Nxc5 17.Nxc5 Bxc5 18.Ke2
Rad8 19.Rad1 Bb4 20.f3 Rxd1 21.Rxd1 +=
13…Nxe4
{-0.28}
14.Qxe4 D
{-0.35}
14…Nf6?! +=
{+0.95 / -0.35

And throwing away the (very slim) advantage. Poop.}
14…e5 15.Bxe5 Bxc5 16.Qc2 Bb4 17.a3 Nxe5 18.dxe5 Bxd2+ 19.Qxd2 Qxe5
20.O-O Rad8 21.Qb4 Rd7 22.Rad1 Red8 23.Qb3 Qc5 24.Rxd7 Rxd7 25.Rd1 Qb5
=
15.Qd3
{+0.45}
15…Rad8 D
{+0.91

If you don’t have a plan, make your position stronger.}
16.a3?! = D
{+0.00 / +0.91}
16.Ke2 Nd5 17.Bd6 b6 18.Bxe7 Rxe7 19.Rhc1 e5 20.Nb3 Qb4 21.a3 Qa4 22.
Kf1 exd4 23.Nxd4 bxc5 24.b3 +=
16…e5? +/-
{+1.89 / +0.00

Dammit, I don’t mind missing the trick so much as missing the opening
up of the game!}
16…Qxc5 17.Qxh7+ Kxh7 18.dxc5 Bxc5 19.Ke2 e5 20.Bg3 Nd5 21.Rac1 Bb6
22.Rhd1 Bc7 23.Nc4 f5 24.Bh4 Rc8 25.g4 g6 26.gxf5 gxf5 =
17.Bxe5 D
{+1.20}
17…g6? +-
{+3.35 / +1.20

After a lot of going nowhere, that’s the first real Bodley-level break
the game’s seen and of course it goes against me. Why I even paniced
about h7 I don’t know.}
17…Qxc5 18.f4 Qb6 19.O-O Nd7 20.Nc4 Qa6 21.Rfc1 Nxe5 22.Nxe5 Qxd3
23.Nxd3 Bh4 24.Ne5 f6 +=
18.b4
{+3.32}
18…Qa6
{+3.89

Feck. I didn’t want a queen exchange, but I’ve no choice now.}
19.Qxa6
{+3.97}
19…bxa6
{+3.99

Yay. Doubled pawns on the a-file. Just… perfect.}
20.g4
{+3.81}
20…Nd5
{+3.96}
21.Nc4
{+3.99}
21…f6
{+4.21}
22.Bg3
{+4.23}
22…Bf8
{+4.26}
23.Na5
{+4.09}
23…Rc8
{+4.25}
24.Nb7
{+3.78}
24…Nc3
{+3.86}
25.Nd6
{+3.73}
25…Bxd6
{+3.54}
26.Bxd6
{+3.27}
26…Ne4
{+3.64

There’s no real plan going on here, the game is as stodgy as it gets,
and we’re about to hit a rook endgame where I’m two pawns down. In
hindsight, I should have gotten up, taken a breather and settled back
down to keep on going and try to grind out a win, but on the day I was
just exhaused by the thought of that and accepted the draw. Stockfish
(and the skittles room) think I was too slow accepting the draw and
that I should have taken his hand off while doing so!}
26…Ne4 { 14:+3.61} 27.Bf4 Kg7 28.Ke2 h6 29.Rac1 Ng5 30.Bxg5 hxg5
31.h4 gxh4 32.Rxh4 g5 33.Rh5 Re4 34.Rch1 Rxg4 35.Rh7+ Kg6 36.Rxa7
1/2-1/2
[/pgn]

[pgn eo=t autoplayMode=none pieceFont=alpha ss=64 ps=64 h=800 commentsDisplay=newline]
[Event “Bodley 2013”]
[Site “Naomh Barrog Chess Club”]
[Date “2013.11.26”]
[Round “3”]
[White “Conor McDonald”]
[Black “Mark Dennehy”]
[Result “0-1”]
[WhiteElo “977”]
[ECO “A07”]
[EventDate “2013.11.26”]

1. Nf3
{+0.20
Oh poop. A reti opening. What’s he going for, e4, d4, c4?}
1. … c6
{+0.64
Betting on e4 and answering with a caro kann…}

2. g3
{+0.00}
2. … d5
{+0.00}

3. Bg2
{+0.16}
3. … Bf5
{+0.16}

4. O-O
{+0.28
I swear, if he plays d4, John is going to laugh his head off.}
4. … e6
{+0.16}

5. d3
{+0.20
Well, I wasn’t expecting that… Waitaminute….}
5. … Be7
{+0.12}

6. c4
{+0.16
Aha! Where have I seen that before? :D}
6. … Nf6
{+0.08
Well, I’m not going to capture away from the center so if he wants the pawn exchange, let him be the one to give away the g file. Also, development.}

7. h3
{-0.20
Eh? Okay, so g4 to kick the bishop? But I just retreat to g6, why would you break up your king’s defences so early like that? Is there a tactic I don’t know here?}
7. … O-O
{-0.12
In the absence of knowing what the heck to do, develop…}

8. g4
{-0.36
Hm. Okay, that seemed obvious, but what does he do after I retreat?}
8. … Bg6 $201
{-0.32}

9. h4 $2 $17
{-2.42 / -0.32
Okay, now he’s confusing me. That move doesn’t seem right at all. Is he making a mistake? Stockfish says it’s a blunder, and suggests Bf4 instead which seems better.}

( 9.Bf4 Nbd7 10.Nbd2 Qb6 11.Qb3 Qa6 12.Rfc1 Rac8 13.Bg3 h6 14.d4 Rfe8 15.Rd1 Ne4 16.Nxe4 Bxe4 17.Rac1 dxc4 18.Rxc4 Bd5 $10 )

9. … Nxg4
{-2.50
Why not? It’s a free pawn as far as I could see. Sure there’s a knight fork against N&B, but that just gives you NXN…}

10. Bg5 $201
{-2.86
Okay, didn’t see that coming, but I suppose he thought the pawn support better than the f4 square.}
10. … Bh5 $6 $17
{-1.81 / -2.86
I don’t want to swap off the dark bishop, but I want to reinforce the knight’s outpost before moving my queen, and I’d like that b8-h2 diagonal please. Also this stops a h5 push, which might get awkward. Bf5 also considered, but it seemed more expose and didn’t stop h5.}

( 10…f6 11.Bf4 e5 12.Bg3 dxc4 13.dxc4 Nd7 14.Nc3 Qc8 15.e4 Nb6 16.Nd2 Bf7 17.Bf3 Be6 18.Na4 Rd8 19.Nxb6 $17 )

11. Qb3
{-1.73
Going after b7 and the rook?}
11. … Qc7 $201
{-1.61
Defending B7 and the dark bishop. Qd7 would work as well but this gives me the diagonal I wanted earlier and now I’m thinking that Qh2 would be nasty if that knight wasn’t on f3.}

12. Rc1 $6 $17
{-2.86 / -1.61
Leading to cxd, exd, Qxd?}

( 12.Bxe7 Qxe7 13.Nbd2 Na6 14.d4 Rad8 15.Rac1 Bg6 16.Rfe1 Bf5 17.Qc3 Qc7 18.Kf1 f6 19.e3 e5 20.cxd5 e4 21.dxc6 exf3 $17 )

12. … f6
{-2.78
Enough with the reacting to his moves. Kick the bishop back to d2. Then push for space with e5? Need some prep work first, maybe Na6, Nc5, Rad8?}

13. Be3
{-2.90
Eh? I didn’t think he’d do that, because now the exchange gives me the dark squared bishop and the bishop pair.}
13. … Nxe3
{-2.94}

14. fxe3
{-2.86}
14. … Nd7
{-2.86
Took way too long to finish development I think. That queenside knight always seems to be the last out of the starting gate when I play this opening. But right now I’m thinking Qg3 looks lovely but I need more pieces into the attack first, so move up the knight, maybe get a rook more into the game and coordinate the bishops better.}

15. cxd5 $201
{-2.94
Okay, so exd? Or push the knight and the attack? If he pushes the pawn, I can just take it, I can recapture if he takes the c pawn and if he takes the e pawn, he’s stuck in front of that bishop threatening nothing.}
15. … Ne5 $2 $201
{-0.56 / -2.94
Screw it. Sorry little pawn!}

( 15…Nc5 16.Rxc5 Bxc5 17.d4 Bb6 18.dxc6 bxc6 19.Nbd2 Bf7 20.Qc3 e5 21.dxe5 fxe5 22.Ng5 Rad8 23.Nxf7 Qxf7 24.Rf1 Qe6 25.Rxf8+ Rxf8 26.Nf3 Qh6 27.Kh1 e4 28.Qc4+ Rf7 29.Qxe4 Qxe3 $17 )

16. dxe6 $4 $19 $201
{-3.95 / -0.56}

( 16.Nxe5 Qxe5 17.d4 Qg3 18.dxc6 Bg4 19.e4 Qc7 20.Qxb7 Qf4 21.Nd2 Bd6 22.Nf1 Bxe2 23.Qb3 Bxf1 24.Rxf1 Qh2+ 25.Kf2 Rab8 26.Qxe6+ Kh8 27.Rfb1 Qf4+ 28.Ke2 Rbe8 )

16. … Nxf3+ $2
{-1.37 / -3.95
And there goes another defender. Recapture with the pawn and the d file is looking weak, recapture with the bishop and the king is in for a chase.}

( 16…Bxf3 17.exf3 Nxf3+ 18.Kf2 Ne5 19.Nd2 Ng4+ 20.Kf3 f5 21.Nf1 Rad8 22.d4 h5 23.Bh3 f4 24.Bxg4 hxg4+ 25.Kg2 f3+ 26.Kf2 Rf5 27.Kg1 Rh5 28.Qc2 Rf8 29.Qh2 $19 )

17. exf3 $201
{-1.69}
17. … Rad8 $2 $10 $201
{+0.00 / -1.69
Let’s get the rooks into the game so they can earn their keep.}

( 17…Bxf3 18.Nd2 Bg4 19.d4 Rae8 20.Rc3 f5 21.Rf1 f4 22.Nf3 fxe3 23.Rxe3 Rd8 24.Kh1 Rf4 $17 )

18. Rc5 $4 $19
{-6.46 / +0.00
Hm. That rook’s active, his other one isn’t, I can cover the pawn with the queen and plug the gap to the king with the white bishop…}

( 18.Nd2 Qg3 19.Rc2 Qxh4 20.Qxb7 f5 21.f4 Rxd3 22.Nf1 c5 23.Bd5 Rd8 24.Rh2 Qg4+ 25.Rg2 Qh4 26.Bc4 R3d6 27.Rh2 Qg4+ 28.Rg2 Qh4 $10 )

18. … Bxc5
{-7.08}

19. e7+
{-13.05}
19. … Bf7
{-13.29
I have no idea why but in the game here my brain farted and I captured the pawn with the dark bishop. I mean, I’d seen the light bishop move earlier, I have no idea what my head was thinking. Anyway, transpose the bishop, doesn’t matter which rook he retakes, I either take with the other rook or with the king so as not to give up the d-file.}

20. exd8=Q
{-16.28}
20. … Rxd8
{-16.44}

21. Qd1
{-327.41
Not sure what threat he was looking at there, or if he was just thinking he needed more defence around the king. Doesn’t matter, his e pawn is still hanging. Stockfish thinks this move is game over actually, but I couldn’t see it.}
21. … Bxe3+
{-327.42}

22. Kf1 $201
{-327.42}
22. … Qg3 $19
{-10.46 / -327.42
And there we go, only took half the game… Stockfish thinks its a horrible blunder though – it’s saying Qh2 leads to mate in seven, but I didn’t see it. I did think Qh2, but I just thought it wasn’t direct enough and I didn’t see the looping round the bishop that stockfish is pointing out. Rats.}

( 22…Qh2 23.Qe1 Qg1+ 24.Ke2 Qxg2+ 25.Kxe3 Re8+ 26.Kd4 Qxb2+ 27.Kc5 Qb6+ 28.Kd6 c5+ 29.Kd7 Qc6# $19 )

23. Qe1 $201
{-10.91}
23. … Bf2 $4 $14
{+0.72 / -10.91
Didn’t want to swap off the queens, but why on earth I didn’t think the king could recapture on f2 after QxB, QxQ, I don’t know. And stockfish is very disappointed in me as well, though the alternative I thought of at the board was Qf4 not Qe5.}

( 23…Qe5 24.Nc3 Rxd3 25.Ne2 Bb6 26.b3 Qe3 27.Rc1 Bh5 28.Qg3 Rd2 29.Qb8+ Be8 $19 )

24. Qxf2
{+0.68
D’oh…}
24. … Qf4 $201
{+1.01
Qh2 looked useless and Qe5 looked like an invitation for f4 and a queen chase}

25. Qxa7 $4 $19
{-6.54 / +1.01
Wait, what? My queen’s up in your king’s grille and now you go chasing pawns off in the far corner?}

( 25.Nc3 Rxd3 26.Qxa7 Bc4 27.Kg1 h6 28.Re1 Rd2 29.Re8+ Kh7 30.Qe3 Qxe3+ 31.Rxe3 Rxb2 32.Bf1 Bxf1 33.Kxf1 Kg6 34.Re7 h5 35.Ne2 Rxa2 36.Rxb7 Ra4 37.f4 c5 38.Kf2 $14 )

25. … Qc1+
{-6.62
Okay, I’ll have your rook so.}

26. Kf2
{-6.82}
26. … Qxb2+
{-6.78}

27. Kg3
{-8.48
Didn’t expect that, figured he’d head back to the back rank, but no matter.}
27. … Qxa1
{-8.48}

28. Qb6
{-12.52}
28. … Qe5+
{-13.14
Escaping from the corner and defending the rook.}

29. Kf2 $201
{-12.92
That was a mistake I think – I was expecting f4 and planning Qe4 and a queen swap now that I’m up material.}
29. … Ra8 $19
{-9.69 / -12.92
Thinking Rxa2+ followed by Qb2, QxQ, RxQ. NOT thinking Qe4+ ironically enough, just didn’t see it. Not sure I’d have taken it though, I was trying to keep the queen on the board and push the attack at the time.}

( 29…Rxd3 30.Qb4 Bxa2 31.Qa4 Qb2+ 32.Kg3 Bxb1 33.Qc4+ Kh8 34.Bf1 Qe5+ 35.Qf4 $19 )

30. a3
{-11.19}
30. … Re8
{-11.39
Okay, if I can’t have the a pawn I’ll just threaten mate in one and force his queen back out of my side of the board.}

31. Qxb7
{-327.49
Oh. He missed the mate. Kinda sad really, I was enjoying this.}
31. … Qe1#
{-327.49
Fun game. Not my best game by a large margin, but fun.}

0-1[/pgn]

[pgn eo=t autoplayMode=none pieceFont=alpha ss=64 ps=64 h=800 commentsDisplay=newline]
[Event “Bodley A 2013/4”]
[Site “Drogheda Chess Club”]
[Date “2013.11.02”]
[Round “1”]
[White “Jonathon Tsang”]
[Black “Mark Dennehy”]
[Result “1-0”]
[WhiteRating “945”]
[EventDate “2013.11.02”]
[Annotator “Stockfish 09-06-13 64bit”]

1. e4 c6
2. d4 d5
3. exd5 cxd5
4. Nf3 {Nf3 here? Odd…}
4. … Nf6 {Well, that should have been Bf5 but I think Nf3 threw me..}
5. Be2 {This… is not the caro kann mainline!}
5. … Bf5 {Right, back on track.}
6. O-O
6. … e6
7. Nc3
7. … Bd6 {Was thinking Be7 but Bd6 looked better because of the b8-h2 diagonal.}
8. Nb5 {Well, that was to be expected I suppose.}
8. … O-O {Giving up the bishop for a gain in development. Which I think in hindsight was a serious error.}
9. Nxd6
9. … Qxd6
10. Ne5
10. … Nc6 {Hoping for NxN followed by QxN and taking the c-file}
11. Bf4 {I hate that bishop. Sooooo much.}
11. … Qe7 {Worrying about Ng6 winning a rook.}
12. Nxc6
12. … bxc6 {Okay, no c-file, but there’s that nice b-file instead….but I can’t Rb8 because of BxR}
13. c4
13. … Rac8? {Expecting cxd, cxd and owning the c-file. The engines have a different suggestion though.}
14. c5 {Oh. Yeah, chess, not checkers . And now Bd6 is a bit of a nasty threat. Need to guard the d6 square.}
14. … Ne8
15. Ba6
15. … Rd8 {Ra8 would just exile the rook. }
16. Qb3 {Looking to Qb7, and now QxQ , BxQ, Bd6? Ugh.}
16. … e5?!
{Blocking off the line to d6, even if the pawn’s hanging as a result. The engines spot this as a really bad idea though.}
17. Rfe1
17. … f6
{Defends e5 and gives an ecape route for Rf and Q, but opens the diagonal for an attack on the king. But Bf5 is there to help out.}
18. Rac1?!
{I never saw this in the game or immediately after, but the engines highlighted this as a bit of a blunder}
18. … g5?!
{GO AWAY!}
19. Bg3
{Yay!}
19. … Nc7
{Now that Bg3 has happened, get on with the game.}
20. Bb7?
{Odd. I expected Qb7 at this point and then Rb8 to counter. The engines expected Bf1…}
20. … Nb5?
{Going after the d4 fork point against Q&B but the engines have the better line}
21. Bxc6
21. … Nxd4
22. Bxd5+ {And now we’re committed to the exchange to come, but I’d counted that and can come out equal.}
22. … Be6
23. Bxe6+
23. … Qxe6
24. Qxe6+
24. … Nxe6 {Okay, that went as foreseen. }
25. c6
25. … Rd2 {Thinking that the knight can block the c pawn and this gives me a rook on the 7th.}
26. c7
26. … Nd4?? {I think I fell asleep here and just looked at the Ne2 fork. Stupid. Rc8 was so much better. This is the mistake that threw the game away.}
27. c8=Q
27. … Rxc8
28. Rxc8+ {Ah. Right. Miscounted that.}
28. … Kg7
29. Rc7+
29. … Kg6
30. Kf1
30. … Nf5
31. Rxa7
31. … Nxg3+
32. hxg3
32. … Rxb2 {Why not? It’s free…}
33. a4
33. … Ra2 {Get in behind the passed pawn.}
34. a5
34. … h5
35. a6
35. … Kf5 {To avoid checks from behind}
36. f3
36. … h4
37. Re2
37. … Ra1+
38. Kf2
38. … Ra4
39. g4+
39. … Kf4 {And from here on the engines have this as a waste of time….}
40. Re4+
40. … Rxe4
41. fxe4
41. … Kxg4
42. Rf7
42. … h3
43. gxh3+
43. … Kxh3
44. Rxf6
44. … g4
45. Rh6#
1-0[/pgn]