1

d4

d5

2

c4

c6

3

c5

This move, although apparently gaining space and cramping Black, is too premature.  It gives Black a target.  Stronger players would keep the tension in the centre by playing, instead, 3. Nc3 or any of several other developing moves

…..

Nf6

4

Nf3

Nbd7

5

a3

This move may have been to support a b4 move if Black hits at the c-pawn with ..b6.  However, what does White do then after ..a5?

…..

Qc7

The freeing move Black has in mind, though, is ..e5.

6

b4

White has set up a blocking wedge of pawns in black territory.  What will their effect be?

…..

e5

7

e3

Be7

8

Be2

Ng4?

Here begins the first move in a major squandering of time …. What did this 'lone ranger' hope to achieve against White's well-organised defence?

9

Nc3

0-0

10

Nd2

Ndf6

11

Nf3?

What has this knight returned to f3 for?  Why not play 11. h3 or 0-0?

…..

e4

12

Ng5

Wow!  A risky advance into Black's territory

…..

Nh6

13

g3

A weird move!  This advance covers the wrong squares and even makes an immediate retreat of the knight to h3 impossible.  It can only signal a quick h4.

…..

Ne8

14

h4

Nf6

Yet another change of plan.

15

a4

And, apparently, one by White!

…..

Nfg4

16

Nh3

Have you been counting up the number of knight moves?  An incredible fourteen so far.  Should I contact Guinness?

…..

Bd7

17

Bd2

Qc8

18

Nf4

Spotting the concealed threat to the knight

…..

Kh8

19

a5

Ng8

A great deal of manoeuvring has taken place to no purpose.  What would the reader suggest is required?

20

b5

At last!  A positive attempt at a breakthrough …. This sort of move was required of both players

…..

f6

A very strange counter by Black.  What on earth does this move do?

21

b6

Due to purposeless play by Black, White now has a very strong grip on the Q-side.  Has Black dug his own grave with these time-wasters?

…..

axb6

(The first take, at last!)

22

axb6

f5

Perhaps Black meant to do that  on move 20 and his hand slipped

23

f3!?

With his king still on its throne, this could be a double-edged move by White.

…..

exf3

24

Bxf3

N(1)f6

25

Nce2

Rxa1

26

Qxa1

Qa8

27

Qxa8?

Surrendering the open file.

…..

Rxa8

28

0-0

g6

29

Nh3

Bf8

30

Nef4

Ne4

31

Bxe4

fxe4

32

Ng5

Bh6?

33

Nf7+

Kg7

34

Nd6

Rb8

35

Kg2

Nf6

36

Ra1

Ne8

Desperate defence now for Black!

37

Nxe8

Rxe8

38

Ra7

Rb8

39

g4??

What is White thinking of?

…..

Bxg4

40

Kg3

Bd7

41

h5

g5

42

Ng2

Kf6

43

Ne1

Kf5

44

Nc2

Be8

Looking at the game now, we can see how a very likely win for White has slid into a probable loss.  The deadlocked pawns, despite the weak b7-pawn and the dangerous vicinity of White's b-pawn to the queening square, have proved an annoying barrier across the board for white pieces to manoeuvre around.  White should have co-ordinated his pieces but, instead he has his rook right out of play

45

Nb4

Bf8

Black is wary of  Nxc6 if he takes the h-pawn, White threatening to force the b6-pawn through.

46

Na6!?

White tries a different way to achieve the same end

…..

bxa6

47

Rxa6

Rxh7 may have been better, threatening h8 and with two passed pawns.

…..

Be7!

48

Ra7

Ke6

49

Ba5

Manoeuvring the bishop to g3 seems stronger ….It can only be used on its present square by committing the pawn to b7 – but the black king can then move across to defend.

…..

Bxh5

Black grabs his chance to take the last vital K-side pawn

50

b7

Kd7

51

Bb6

Although this is virtually a wasted move as the game is played, what else can White do?  In choosing the wrong direction for his bishop he is now committed to keeping the black king off c7 or Black captures the queen-elect.  However, ..Bd8 for Black will resolve this issue anyway.  White's last hope would be to cut his losses and swing the rook over to the K-side with Ra1 or a2, etc.  However, Black, a piece up and with the bishop pair must now win ……

…..

Be2??

Black has presented White with the ideal opportunity to do just that manoeuvre to the K-side!  However…..

52

Ba5?

h5

53

Bb6?

h4+

54

Kf2

Bf3

55

Ba5

g4

56

Be1

Much too late!

…..

g3+

57

Kg1

Bd8

58

Ba5

Bxa5

59

Rxa5

h3

60

Ra8

Kc7

Missing the simple winning ..h2+ and ..h1=Q mate

61

Ra2

Rxb7

And White resigned

1

e4

c6

2

d4

d5

3

e5

Bf5

A part of the Caro-Kann strategy is to get this bishop out

4

Bd3

Bxd3

5

Qxd3

e6

This early position is quite strong for White.  His central pawns control squares in Black's territory and will be hard to dislodge as they can be supported by their flanking comrades on the c and f files

6

Nf3

e2 seems a better square for this knight as it now restricts the f-pawn's advance.

…..

Ne7

7

Bf4

Qb6

We are about to see another and very serious principle affect the game … complacency leading to careless play!  This by White.

8

Qc3?

Nf5

Threatening, of course, to pin and win White's queen with the king's bishop.

9

a3

Nd7

10

g4

Ne7

11

Nbd2

c5?

Earlier this would have been a sensible, powerful move but, as the game sits, it hands back the initiative to White

12

dxc5

Nxc5

13

Be3

Nc6

14

b4

Na4

15

Qb3

Qb5

16

c4

dxc4

17

Nxc4

Rd8

18

0-0

Somewhat belated but it is two steps ahead of Black.

…..

Be7

19

Rfd1

Rxd1?

Why concede the d-file to White?  0-0 is better

20

Rxd1

0-0

21

Nd4

Nxd4

22

Rxd4

h6

23

Nd6

Qxe4!?

(The author had completely missed this move but has a material- winning resource.)

24

f4!

Nc5!

A clever try.  If you are going to lose a piece, look to sell it off dearly.

25

bxc5

Qxc5

26

Rd3

Qc7

27

Nb5

Qa5

28

Kf1

Rc8

29

Nd6

Bxd6

30

Rxd6

Rc3

31

Rd8+

Kh7

32

Qb1+

g6

33

Qb2

Qxd8

34

Qxc3

Qd1+

35

Kf2

Qxg4

Although a piece up, White has got into a sticky position due to Black's active play.  Theoretically there is a material balance (Black having enough extra pawns to compensate for the piece) but White now saves the game with a few telling moves.

36

Qf6!

Qf5

(Virtually forced by White's move.)

37

Qxf5

gxf5

exf5 would keep the pawns in one block but the g6 square is immediately blocked for the Black king

38

Bxa7

Kg6

39

h4

White foresees that his f-pawn may be exchanged and seeks to hold the g5 square.

…..

f6

40

Bd4

Kf7

At the time control this was adjudicated a win for White.  The plan would be for White to hold the K-side with his bishop (first playing the blocking 41. h5) and, perhaps, take his king over to the Q-side to win the b-pawn

1

e4

c5

2

Nf3

d6

3

d4

cxd4

4

Qxd4?

This re-take using the queen has to be bad.  The queen is too exposed this early in the game and can be forced to retreat with the gain of a tempo for Black.  White, as will be seen, is quite a good tactical player and may have been hoping for an early slip-up by his opponent - for there can often be threats when the big Q is roaming about … but, one shouldn't play poor moves under such hopes!

…..

Bd7

If the black knight comes immediately to c6 to threaten the queen it may be pinned and exchanged off.  The text move holds back the Q-side knight

5

bc4

Nc6

6

Qd1

Any other square has its down side but Qh5 is, maybe, a possibility, threatening a K-side attack?

…..

e6

7

Nc3

a6

8

a3

h6

Neither player wants their knights to be pinned.  Also, for White, a useful 'hole' for his white-squared bishop

9

Bf4

e5

A move not usually played by the author as it commits to leaving the d-pawn backward and weak but, it seems to played quite a lot these days.

10

Be3

This bishop is now on one of the biggest 'nuisance' squares from Black's point of view … if co-ordinated with the c-knight it is a powerful force against Black's Q-side.  Black takes steps to stop that co-ordination though, as we shall see, not too successfully….

…..

b5

11

Ba2

Nf6

12

Nd5

Now, if Black takes the knight to prevent the aforementioned co-ordination of bishop and knight, either re-taking by exd5 or Qxd5 presents Black with more problems.  He decides to 'bite the bullet' and try a different solution ….

…..

Rb8

13

Nxf6?

Again, I cannot see the logic of White removing his own strongly posted knight.

…..

Qxf6

14

Qd2

Be7

15

Bd5

0-0

White's move is either very devious – or, irrelevant to the plan of attacking Black's greatest weakness, his d6-pawn.  It simply gives Black the chance to complete his development.

16

Rad1

Rfc8

17

h3

Perhaps, in accord with principle 1, reading Black's mind … with the knight defended by the rook, Black was looking towards ..Bg4 and ..Bxf3 to tear open White's K-side pawns.

…..

Be6

(It is time to eliminate this nuisance).

18

Bxe6

Qxe6

19

0-0

Rd8

Although reluctant to take the rook off the semi-open c-file, Black is looking to a possible (eventual) freeing ..d5 though to do this he needs the support of the knight, ideally on e7 – but what to do with the bishop?  A risky alternative may have been ..Qa2!? but, after 20. b3, if ..Qxa3 21. Ra1 looks strong for White.  Perhaps White feared both ….

20

Qd5

Qc8

Black does not want to swap off queens in this position so, he now re-positions it on a better square.

21

Qd3

Qb7

The struggle for pawns (not yet entirely obvious) is becoming two-sided.  Here, Black has half an eye on the weak e4-pawn.

22

c3

Here, Black thought long over his next move.  This is a critical phase of the game.  Black can either sit back to a protracted defensive struggle or, as he now does with the text move, seek counter-play

…..

a5

23

b4

The correct response: Black must not be allowed to play ..b4

…..

Rdc8

24

Rc1

axb4

25

cxb4

Both sides have weak target pawns.  Play now revolves on who will gain the ascendancy.

…..

Ra8

26

Rc3

This not only defends the a-pawn but, worse for Black, threatens to control the now open c-file with doubled rooks.  Black has to put aside for the moment his ideas of winning the a-pawn and to contest the c-file.  His particular weakness could be the c7 square so, after much thought, he decides to re-site his knight with the plan of doing just that.

…..

Nd8

27

Rfc1

Rxc3

28

Rxc3

ne6

29

Qc2

White is making all the right moves now and Black is on a knife edge.  He fears Rc6 and then Rb6.  He decides he needs another piece to help out with the defence!….

…..

Kf8!?

This allows the immediate 30. Rc6 where ..Ra6 is virtually forced.  If then Rc8+, ..Bd8 looks dodgy but how can White follow up?

30

Nd2

Ke8

31

Qc1

Kd7

32

Nb3

Bd8

33

Rd3

White, though desperately short of time, has lined up a trap for Black …. Black sees what is coming but believes it is flawed…..

…..

Qxe4

One pawn down!

34

Qd1

Bc7

35

Nc5+

Nxc5

At the time control there was no choice over this move.  Now there is fifteen minutes each to complete the game with Black having an extra five minutes on his clock.

36

bxc5

Qc6

Other moves discarded were ..Ra6 and ..Qg6.

37

cxd6

Bxd6

38

Rd5

Ke7

Black saw the trap of 39. Rxe5 but ruled out the tempting  ..Ke6 (even though this would force the white rook to withdraw) because the king is then on a square highly vulnerable to attack from the white queen

39

Qf3!

As both players have little time (White being the worse off), White is right to set traps …. Here he threatens Rxe5+ winning the queen

…..

Ra6

40

Qd1

Rxa3

Two down…. But is this a safe capture?

41

Bc5

Another fiendish attempt but Black judges that he can take the bishop.  Will White's ingenuity prevail?

…..

Bxc5

42

Rxe5+

Kf6

Forced, of course

43

Qh5!!

One too many for the author … I had not seen this coming.  Now, White threatens mate or, if ..g6 to prevent that,  44. Rxc5.  After some thought, Black sees the saving resource .…

…..

Bxf2+!

44

Kxf2

Ra2+

45

Re2

With this move goes, not only the mating threat, but, realistically, White's last chance of saving the game. But what else?  King moves onto the e-file will lose the rook to a queen check.

…..

Rxe2+

46

Qxe2

Qc5+

47

Kf3

Qe5

Not just to proffer an exchange of queens but to cover the diagonal to the black king.

48

Qa2

g5

49

Qa6+

Kg7

50

Qb7

Qf4+

51

Ke2

Qc4+

52

Kd2

b4

53

Qe7

Qc3+

54

Kd1

b3

Note how the black queen is shepherding the pawn through yet preventing a check along the diagonal.  Simultaneously, Black will look to an exchange of queens which White, short of time, must avoid at all costs.

55

Qe4

Qa1+

Perhaps a slight inaccuracy but soon retrieved

56

Kd2

Qf6

57

Kc1?

Qf4+

And White resigned.  This was the enforced swap off of queens but, before making his last move, Black calculated that his king would arrive at the white pawns before the white king could eliminate the b-pawn and then get back to defend them.  As we will see in the chapter on end-games, this calculation is often essential