Personal chess game - 1

Event: Computer chess game
White: GNUChess
Black: Jishnu
Result: 0-1

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5

B12; Caro-Kann Defense, Advance Variation. It concedes Black's objectives in the hope of a kingside attack.

3… Bf5 4. h4 h6

A less bookish move against the standard line 4… h5.

5. g4 Bh7 6. Nc3 e6 7. Nf3 Be7 8. Be3 Nd7 9. Be2 Qb6

Attacks White's pawn at b2 and enables the long castle.

10. Qc1 O-O-O 11. a3 f6 12. g5 fxe5

Flips open the f-file and adds an extra pawn in the very center.

13. dxe5

Threatens Black’s queen.

13… c5

Time for black to act in the center.

14. gxh6

Attacks and isolates Black's pawn at g7.

14… Nxh6 15. Bf4?

White is wasting a move and is not attempting to castle on either sides.

15… d4

Using the center pawn majority to create passed pawns.

16. Nb1 Qa5+ 17. c3 d3

Pushing harder! Use of the seemingly dormant h7 bishop.

18. Bd1 Ng4

Preparing to free the crowded h-file.

19. Nbd2 Bf5 20. b3?

Still not interested in castling.

20… Rh5 21. Nc4 Qc7 22. Nd6+

The correct outpost for the knight. But the initiative gained is both, weak and late.

22… Kb8 23. Bg3?

Losing initiative… Still not castling!

23… Rdh8

Doubling rooks on the h-file. Slightly better is 23… Ndxe5 24.Nb5 d2+ 25.Qxd2 Qc6 26.Nbd4 cxd4 27.O-O Rxh4 28.Bxh4 dxc3.

24. Rg1 Bxd6

The exchange is profitable, as it leaves white with only a passed pawn (that too, a blocked one) hanging on the king-side.

25. exd6 Qc6 26. Ng5

Pins Black’s knight at g4.

26… e5

Attacks White’s pawn at g6.

27. Bf3 e4!

Removes the threat on Black's queen and threatens White's bishop at f3.

28. Bxg4 Bxg4 29. Qf4 Bf3

Moves it out of immediate jeopardy and blocks White's pawn at f2.

30. Qf7 Be2

Loss of an isolated pawn, in turn gaining time to develop pieces around the 2 passed pawns, that too passed center pawns against an uncastled king stuck in the center. White is up a pawn in material but its position is miserable.

31. Qxg7 Re8 32. Qf7 Rhh8 33. Ne6?

Leads to 33...Bg4 34.Ng5 Rhf8 35.Qe7 Kc8 36.Qg7 Qd5 37.Kd2 Qxb3 38.Ke3, which loses a pawn. Better is Kd2, leading to 33...Rhf8 34.Qg7 Qb5 35.Rab1 c4 36.a4 Qf5 37.bxc4 Bh5, which wins a pawn.

33… Bg4 34. Nc7??

Yikes! Leads to 34...e3 35.f3 Bxf3 36.Nxe8 d2+ 37.Kf1 Qe4 38.Qc4 Qxc4+ 39.bxc4 Rxe8 40.Re1 d1=Q 41.Rxd1 e2+ 42.Kf2 exd1=Q 43.Rxd1 Bxd1. Much better is Ng5, leading to 34...Rhf8 35.Qe7 Kc8 36.Qh7 Qd5 37.f3 exf3+ 38.Kf2 Re2+ 39.Kf1 c4, which gains a queen, a rook and a knight and loses a queen, a rook and two pawns in comparison. This was White's key error. White was not able to regain the lost ground and was eventually mated.

34… e3 35. f3 Bxf3

Material is even.

36. Rd1

White moves into a forced mate. Much better is 36. Kf1. Rd1 leads to 36...d2+ 37.Kf1 Qe4 38.Na6+ bxa6 39.Qxe8+ Rxe8 40.Rg2 e2+ 41.Kg1 e1=Q+ 42.Bxe1 dxe1=Q+ 43.Rxe1 Qxe1+ 44.Kh2 Qxh4+ 45.Kg1 Re1#.

36… Qe4

Black misses the forced mate.

37. Qxf3

White gives Black another forced mate opportunity. Much better is 37. Qd5. Qxf3 leads to 37...Qxf3 38.Rxd3 Rhg8 39.Rg2 Qxg2 40.Kd1 e2+ 41.Kc1 e1=Q+ 42.Bxe1 Rxe1+ 43.Rd1 Rxd1+ 44.Kxd1 Qf3+ 45.Kc1 Rg1+ 46.Kd2 Rg2+ 47.Kc1 Qf1#.

37… Qxf3 38. Rg2 Ref8 39. Bf4 Qxf4 40. Na6+ bxa6 41. Rc2 Qf1#