It Takes More Than Just One Move

I have to take my openings more seriously. That's funny coming from someone who has been blogging here daily for almost three years, but what it means is: I need to be more prepared for opponents who, more and more, are more prepared... suprise alone won't work.


perrypawnpusher  - wred
blitz, FICS, 2011

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Na5

I have called this "A Line of Play Everyone Should Know About". In response, White doesn't have to sacrifice his Bishop: 4.Nxe5 is good for a small advantage.

4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke7

As I've suggested,

Black's best chance for advantage... – if only for confusion's sake – is 5...Ke7.

After a lot of thought, Rybka thinks that the game should continue 6.Nc3 Qe8 7.d4 Kd8 8.0-0 Nc6 9.Bf4 d6 10.Nf3 Bd7, which looks about even

6.Qh5

Looking at The Database, I see that about 1/4 of those faced with 5...Ke7 chose the reply 6.Qh5. More popular was 6.d4, played by about 1/2 of those who faced 5...Ke7.

Only 8 players (3%) played the "best" move, 6.Nc3.

As an aside, my opponent faced and defeated 6.b3 in FabricioF - wred, FICS, 2010 (0-1,29); while he has lost twice to 6.d3, in brokenSpoke - wred, FICS 2011 (1-0, 22) and Kuehner - wred, FICS 2011 (1-0, 32).

6...Qe8

The only move, and an improvement over 6...d6 7.Qf7 checkmate, Longandsons - wred, FICS, 2011.

7.Qg5+ Nf6

8.Ng4

After the game Rybka 3 suggested 8.0-0 d6 9.Nc3, when Black had a small advantage.

Lucky for me (see "Another Refutation, Another Win"), it takes more than just one move to completely finish off my game.

8...Nc6 9.e5

A straight-forward idea that has a hole in it, although both wred and I missed it.

9...Qg6

This leads to an even game.

Instead, Black's 9...Kd8 would have uncovered his Queen, attacked White's e-pawn, and made the first player's game difficult, e.g. 10.0-0 h6 11.Nxf6 hxg5 12.Nxe8 Kxe8.

10.exf6+ gxf6 11.Qe3+ Ne5

Black had 11...Kf7 keeping a roughly even game.

12.Nxe5 fxe5 13.Qxe5+ Qe6 14.d4 d6 15.Qxe6+ Bxe6

I have stumbled into a much better game.

16.Bg5+ Kd7 17.Nd2 Re8 18.0-0-0 Bg7 19.Nf3 Bxa2

An error: Black's Bishop will not get out alive. Even worse, he will wind up sending in a Rook on a rescue mission, and that will get stuck, too.

20.b3 Re2 21.Rd2 Rhe8 22.Kb2 Bxb3 23.cxb3 Rxd2+ 24.Bxd2 Re2 25.Kc3 Rxf2 26.Rg1 b5

Black needed to play 26...c5 to free his Rook. Now Black will have to give it up for a  piece, falling further behind in material.

27.Kd3 a5 28.Ke3 Rxd2 29.Kxd2 a4 30.bxa4 bxa4 31.Ra1 Bh6+ 32.Kd3 c5 33.dxc5 dxc5 34.Rxa4 Bf4

A final slip.

35.Rxf4 Black resigned