Annotated Game #330: A flexible Stonewall and a false fortress

In this last-round tournament game, I follow an independent line of the Colle and end up in a Stonewall formation with White, which I am normally comfortable playing. However, as has often happened in past games, I accept (and choose) too many cramping versus freeing alternatives, and end up in a worse position. This was no fault of the Stonewall, which can in fact be flexible; see moves 14-18 for some examples in the analysis. In the end, I was lucky that both myself and my opponent believed I had successfully closed the position to further progress, which was not in fact the case, although there was no immediate knockout.

[Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "ChessAdmin"] [Black "Class B"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [Annotator "ChessAdmin/Dragon 3.2"] [ECO "D04"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [BlackFideId "-1"] [PlyCount "60"] [GameId "2254768247188867"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e3 Bf5 4. Nh4 {an independent alternative.} (4. c4 {would transpose into the main line Slow Slav after ...c6}) 4... Bg4 5. f3 Bd7 {choosing to withdraw and preserve the bishop.} 6. Bd3 (6. f4 {may be a better move-order. The point is to nullify the threat of ...g5, trapping the Nh4.}) 6... e6 7. f4 c5 8. c3 {we now have a classic Stonewall structure.} Nc6 9. O-O (9. Nf3 $5 {the knight eventually has to be brought back anyway.}) 9... Qb6 10. Kh1 {the ideas was to get off the a7-g1 diagonal to avoid potential future tactics, although this is not necessary immediately.} (10. Nf3 $11) 10... Be7 11. Nf3 O-O-O {evidently done to avoid a Stonewall Attack on the kingside.} 12. Ne5 {better to develop something else first before moving the knight yet again.} (12. b3) (12. Nbd2) (12. Qe2) 12... Be8 13. Nd2 Nd7 $6 14. Ndf3 $6 {missing my chance to generate a central initiative.} (14. Nxd7 Bxd7 15. dxc5 Bxc5 16. e4 {the standard Colle break, which also leaves Black's Q+B battery hitting nothing but air. I recall looking at the e3-e4 idea, but not liking the Rd8 lined up against my queen on the open file following the pawn exchange. However, after} dxe4 17. Nxe4 $16 {Black has no good way to exploit this, while Qe2 is coming as an excellent queen development.}) 14... f6 15. Nxc6 {wrong knight trade} (15. Nxd7 $14) 15... Qxc6 16. Bd2 $6 {while this gets the bishop (sort of) developed and vacates c1 for a heavy piece, it also cramps the Nf3.} (16. b3 $5 {would give the bishop an alternative outlet and prepare c3-c4.}) 16... Bh5 (16... c4 $5 {and Black's king position would benefit from the closed center.}) 17. Rc1 $6 {this would be a waste of time if Black chose to close the center.} e5 $6 (17... c4) 18. Be2 (18. fxe5 $1 {I confess I never even looked at this idea, being fixated on the threat of e5-e4.} fxe5 19. Nxe5 $1 {I simply assumed the Nf3 was pinned. Instead, this wins a pawn.} Nxe5 (19... Bxd1 20. Nxc6 bxc6 21. Rcxd1 $16) 20. Qxh5 Nxd3 21. Qf5+ Kb8 22. Qxd3 $16 {what an adventure!}) 18... e4 19. Ne1 $6 (19. Ne5 $1 $11 {with similar tactical ideas to the above variation, although no longer winning material}) 19... Bxe2 $17 20. Qxe2 {White is now quite cramped.} b5 $6 {this gives me a chance to break in the center, but I play slowly.} 21. Nc2 $6 {sequencing matters.} (21. c4 bxc4 22. Nc2 $11 {the knight would love to go to d4, and after b2-b3 White has full compensation for the pawn, with all the open lines near Black's king.}) 21... Kc7 $2 (21... c4 $17) 22. b3 $2 {still too slow.} (22. dxc5 $1 {is the other idea to break in the center, involving a pawn sacrifice.} Nxc5 23. Nd4 $16 {at the time, I didn't like the idea of allowing Black's knight to reach d3, but with the threat against the queen he does not have time for that. For example} Qd7 24. c4 dxc4 25. a4 (25. Ba5+ {might be the easier/more human approach} Kb8 26. Bxd8 $16) 25... Nxa4 26. b3 $18 {the Black king's shield is about to dissolve.} Nb6 27. bxc4 bxc4 28. Ra1) (22. c4 $16 {is also still good.}) 22... c4 $1 {my opponent finally plays the strategically correct move, although I can blunt its impact somewhat now.} 23. Qg4 {I recognized here that I was being stifled and hoped to drum up some more active play with the queen.} (23. f5 $5 $17 {was another idea I briefly considered, opening up the h2-b8 diagonal.}) 23... g6 24. Nb4 {nothing better} Bxb4 25. cxb4 f5 26. Qd1 {routing the queen back to the defense.} Nf6 $6 $15 {the knight would have more action on the queenside.} (26... Nb6 $17) 27. a4 {using my only available pawn lever.} (27. Be1 {and Bh4 would reactivate the bishop on the kingside.}) 27... a6 28. bxc4 $2 {"long think, wrong think" here. The idea was of course to set up a blockade after Black retakes on c4.} (28. Bc3 $15 {it's better to simply set up the blockade immediately with the bishop.}) 28... dxc4 $19 {the problem now is that Black has a gorgeous square open on d5 for his knight.} 29. Qc2 Kd6 (29... Nd5 $19) 30. a5 {another long think here. I decided to go with the full blockade rather than try to open the a-file, which I thought Black could exploit.} (30. axb5 axb5 31. d5 $17 {is the engine's pawn sacrifice to get the bishop to a better square after Bc3.}) 30... Kd5 $19 {my opponent now offered a draw, which I was glad to take, although I legitimately thought I could hold (unlike the engine assessment).} 1/2-1/2

The Adult Chess Improver's Atlas from Grandmaster Secrets

 

The above comes from GM Eugene Perelshteyn's "Grandmaster Secrets" Substack post Where are You on the Adult Improver Map? which is an excellent take on the real improvement process - pursuing legitimate gains in chess strength, not chasing rating. 

Personally, I'm currently located in the Plateau of Pain looking to the northeast (The Endgame Peaks and The Groves of Strategic Planning).

Annotated Game #329: A Caro-Kann gambit revalidated

This next tournament game saw me as Black equalize early, in one of the very few Caro-Kann gambit lines (Advance Variation with 3...c5). My Expert-level opponent was clearly unfamiliar with this line, which sacrifices a pawn but allows Black dynamic compensation or to regain the material. White, despite some reasonable-looking moves, lost the initiative early and then allowed a tactic which gave me a winning (but not won) position. There was plenty of play left, but the main inflection point was on move 20, where calculation exhaustion led to sub-par results for me in both the calculation and evaluation process. The trajectory of the game continued downwards after that, despite some other chances for me to regain a major advantage.

Despite the loss, the parts of the game where I did play well helped re-validate the opening choice and my knowledge of how to press an advantage. As often occurs in hindsight, playing more simply and with more clarity than complexity would have given me a better game.

[Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Expert"] [Black "ChessAdmin"] [Result "1-0"] [Annotator "ChessAdmin/Dragon 3.2"] [ECO "B12"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [BlackFideId "-1"] [PlyCount "63"] [GameId "2254663898369393"] 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. dxc5 {entering the gambit line.} e6 {solid, but does not take advantage of Black's move order with ...Nc6.} (5... Bg4 {however felt a little loose to me at the time.}) 6. Be3 {the natural move, keeping the pawn.} Nge7 {standard development of the knight.} (6... Nh6 $5 {is an alternate way to play. This takes advantage of the fact that White has already moved the bishop once, so in effect it is a gain of tempo if the bishop takes on h6.} 7. Bxh6 gxh6 8. Bb5 Bxc5 {Black regains the pawn, accepting a long-term kingside pawn weakness but a half-open g-file to play with.}) 7. c4 {played after some thought by my opponent, who was evidently not familiar with this line.} Nf5 $11 {this obvious move now immediately equalizes, with the positional threat of capturing on e3.} 8. Qd2 $6 {apparently the purpose was to allow White to recapture on e3 with the queen, but this still allows me to get the two bishops and the initiative.} (8. Bg5 Be7 9. Bxe7 Qxe7 10. cxd5 exd5 $11) 8... Nxe3 {I decided to go for the simplifying piece exchange, rather than play ...d4 and keep the bishop on the board. Black's (slight) advantage was clearer to me this way.} (8... d4 $5 9. Bf4 {is definitely messier, with the engine suggesting ...f6 as a follow-up.}) 9. Qxe3 d4 {played now, after a good deal of thought. Objectively, it does not give me an advantage, but it does provide full compensation for the pawn. This is more of an attacking move, also controlling c3 and e3.} (9... Qa5+ $5 {was my main alternative, looking to recapture on c5 with the double attack. Now White has to be careful, for example} 10. Nc3 $2 (10. Qd2 {is safest.} Qxd2+ (10... dxc4 $5 {would be a way to keep the queens on the board.} 11. Bxc4 Qxc5) 11. Nbxd2 Bxc5 12. cxd5 exd5 {during the game, I didn't like the idea of having an isolated queen pawn position here, although the engine gives Black (who has the two bishops in an open position) a slight edge.}) 10... Bxc5 {with the threat of d5-d4.}) 10. Qe4 Bxc5 {a logical move, restoring material equality, and I could find nothing better here, although the White queen's placement looked awkward to me.} (10... f5 $5 {is the engine recommendation.} 11. exf6 gxf6 {I actually did think about this briefly, but did not like how airy my king now looked. On the upside, Black now has a more dominant central pawn mass.} 12. Qh4 h5 {taking away the h5 square from the White queen} 13. Nbd2 e5 $15 {Black's central pawn chain provides an advantage, while the king is safe enough.}) 11. Nbd2 a5 {I had another significant think here, primarily about preventing a3/b4 ideas for White. This is a thinking process improvement, paying more attention to preventing my opponent's plans.} 12. O-O-O {I was glad to see this appear on the board, since it seemed to validate my queenside-oriented play. However, it is not in fact bad, and things are still equal.} a4 {the correct reaction, restraining White's b-pawn and preparing to advance further if not stopped.} 13. a3 Qe7 {forming a Q+B battery against a3, with potential sacrificial ideas.} 14. Qc2 {bringing the queen back for defense.} Bd7 {another long think here. There is no decisive tactical continuation, so getting the bishop developed seemed logical.} 15. Bd3 $2 {this is a blunder, allowing the tactical strike} (15. Kb1 $11) 15... Bxa3 $1 {this is a deflection tactic, although it takes another move to fully form.} 16. Ne4 {deciding to preserve the b-pawn.} (16. bxa3 Qxa3+ 17. Qb2 Qxd3 $19 {snapping up the hanging bishop.}) 16... Bc5 $19 {I debated for a while which retreat square, and picked the less good option, although I should still be winning. The text move seemed more solid, defending the d4 pawn again, and I would have been fine with a simplifying minor piece exchange.} (16... Bb4 $19 {would be superior for attacking purposes, however, for example} 17. Kb1 a3 18. b3 O-O $19) 17. Kb1 b6 {this move was the result of over-fancy and inaccurate calcuation involving a potential White capture on c5, although again Black should still be winning.} (17... Nb4 {was the most obviously good move.}) (17... a3 $5 18. b3 Nb4 $19) 18. Qd2 a3 {correctly pressing the advantage.} 19. b3 a2+ (19... Bb4 {I seriously considered, but again rejected placing the bishop on this excellent attacking square.}) 20. Ka1 Na5 $6 {this move was the real let-down, not being able to handle the calculations and evaluations after a prolonged stressful sequence. The threat to b3 is easily handled.} (20... Bb4 $1) (20... O-O {would have sufficed to maintain a strong advantage, but I did not like castling and appearing to place the king in the White pieces' sights.}) 21. Bc2 $1 $17 (21. Be2 $2 Nxb3+ $1) 21... Bc6 $6 {now king safety starts becoming more of an issue for me, as well as having the Rh8 out of play.} (21... O-O) 22. Qf4 $6 {my opponent keeps giving me chances to maintain an advantage, but at this point my understanding of the position has failed.} (22. Nd6+ $5 Bxd6 23. exd6 Qxd6 24. Nxd4 O-O $11) 22... Bxe4 $6 (22... Bb4 $1 {again is best, as the mate threat on c3 cannot be ignored.} 23. Rd3 Bxe4 24. Qxe4 O-O $19) 23. Qxe4 Qa7 $2 {wrong major piece on a7.} (23... Ra7 24. Nxd4 g6 {preparing ...O-O and with at least a small dynamic advantage for Black.}) 24. Nxd4 Bxd4+ {exchanging off a good minor piece, but now White dominates the d-file.} (24... Qb7 {essentially forcing the exchange would be the best defense, but I did not consider the possibility.}) 25. Rxd4 g6 $4 {right general idea, but wrong execution.} (25... Rc8 {and now} 26. b4 $2 {does not work due to} Nc6 $19) 26. b4 $1 {now White just rolls over my position.} Nb7 27. Qc6+ Kf8 28. Rd7 Qa3 29. Qf3 Qxf3 30. gxf3 {the queen trade is no relief, due to White's dominant pieces, especially the Rd7.} Ra7 31. Be4 Kg7 32. Rxb7 1-0

Training quote of the day #57: Mikhail Shereshevsky

 

From Associative Thinking: How to Connect Patterns and Creativity in Chess by Mikhail Shereshevsky
(Highlighted in IM John Watson's "Books and Beyond" column in the August 2025 Chess Life)

“How does one achieve a high level of play in all stages of a chess game? It seems that everything is simple: learn your openings, work on typical middlegame positions, practice calculating variations and improve your endgame technique. But as soon as you start working on any stage of a chess game, you will encounter the same problem — a huge load on the memory. … In any case, you will try to learn most of the information mechanically, which, of course, is boring and ineffective. What should you do? Stop rote learning, turn on your curiosity, come up with a vivid image for the technique being studied and remember it as an association. And most likely, at the right moment you will recognize it and understand how you need to act.”

Training quote of the day #56: Amishi P. Jha, PhD

  

From Peak Mind by Amishi P. Jha, PhD:

To Reclaim Your Whiteboard, Press Play  

I used to think mindfulness was about hitting the "pause" button, which to me always felt artificial or idealistic. Life has no pause button - why pretend it does? But when we're talking about stabilizing attention and developing a peak mind, what we're actually looking for is a play button. We need to stop holding down the rewind or fast-forward buttons and stay in play, to experience every note in the song of our lives, to hear and take in what's happening around us.

Annotated Game #328: What to do in the Colle?

This first-round tournament game highlights the dilemma of what to do in the early middlegame in the Colle. The critical point is around moves 9-11, where I decide to pursue a too-aggressive attacking posture on the kingside. My opponent correctly counters using his pressure down the c-file, but then prematurely throws away his advantage. However, I maintain my too-aggressive attitude and give him too much play on the 2nd rank, falling prey to a skewer tactic. I then made him work for the win, but he finishes off the game in a technically sound manner.

The main takeaways for me from the analysis are: 1) a better understanding of the dynamics around the e4 square in the Colle, 2) need for a more objective strategic mindset, and 3) the danger of ignoring CCT (checks, captures, and threats) when considering my opponent's options (see move 22).

[Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "ChessAdmin"] [Black "Class A"] [Result "0-1"] [Annotator "ChessAdmin/Dragon 3.2"] [ECO "D05"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [BlackFideId "-1"] [PlyCount "78"] [GameId "2252245588545674"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. e3 c5 {the second most popular move in the database, after ...d5.} 4. Bd3 d5 {transposing to the main Colle line.} (4... cxd4 5. exd4 {and play continues, with White having the bishop freed on the c1-h6 diagonal.}) 5. b3 Nbd7 6. Bb2 Be7 {one of the particular Black knight/bishop combination setups in the main line Colle that needs to be understood by the White player.} 7. O-O O-O 8. Nbd2 b6 {quickest development for the Bc8.} 9. Ne5 {threatening to play Nc6 if Black delays playing} Bb7 10. f4 {first major think here. White has several worthy ideas to pursue and it's not clear which sequence is best (or simply preferable at the time). The text move is the most aggressive.} (10. Qe2 {is a useful waiting move, connecting the rooks and placing the queen on the e-file.}) (10. Qf3 $5 {is an alternative, directly controlling e4.}) 10... Rc8 {logical rook development.} 11. g4 $6 {either of the previous developing queen moves is better. This is too committal, too early.} Ne4 {taking advantage of the fact Black still controls e4.} 12. Qe2 $6 {this allows a forcing sequence that leaves White worse. The main problem is Black's play down the c-file, which I have not been used to seeing in other openings.} (12. Nxe4 {it is best to exchange off the strong knight.} dxe4 13. Bb5 {forcing a decision for the Nd7.} Nf6 14. g5 $5 {now would be a consistent, aggressive follow-up} Nd5 15. Ng4 $11 {with a sample continuation of} f6 16. gxf6 Nxf6 17. Bc4 $14 {looking positive for White.}) 12... Nxd2 13. Qxd2 Nxe5 14. fxe5 c4 $1 15. Be2 {the only move.} c3 $6 {however, this premature lunge throws away the advantage.} (15... Qc7 $17 {sequencing matters. The queen move allows Black to back up the threat of the c-pawn's advance, and exchanging it still leaves White significantly worse off.} 16. bxc4 dxc4 17. Bc3 f6 $17 {this break now undermines White's center effectively, as White has no pieces left to target Black's resulting weaknesses, unlike in the move 12 variation.}) 16. Bxc3 Qc7 17. Bb4 {although it was not too difficult to find this equalizing move, it was still a relief to be able to do it under pressure.} Bxb4 18. Qxb4 Qxc2 {Black enters on the 2nd rank, but now there is only one piece to protect.} 19. Qe1 $11 {Here I correctly thought things were even, after a bit of a scare.} Qc3 20. Qg3 $6 {after long think I pick the most ambitious, and less sound, choice. I was still being too aggressive, when the position did not warrant it - White does not have enough for an attack on the kingside.} (20. Qc1 $11 {is probably the simplest approach.}) (20. Qxc3 $5 Rxc3 21. Rfc1 {White can rely on superior rook activity here. If} Rxe3 22. Kf2 Re4 (22... Rh3 23. Rc7 Rxh2+ 24. Ke3 Rh3+ 25. Kd2 Rb8 26. Rac1 $14) 23. Rc7 $11) 20... Qb2 $15 {compare the scope of each of the queens and it's evident that Black has an edge, if not yet a winning one.} 21. Bd3 $6 (21. Bb5 $5 {I dismissed due to} a6 {but now this actually works out well for White, since Black no longer can play his bishop to a6, a factor which becomes crucial shortly.} 22. Bd3 Rc3 23. Rad1 $11) (21. Qf3 {would best leverage the queen with additional pressure on the f-file.}) 21... Rc3 22. Rad1 $4 {played after a long think, as I recognized this as a crucial point in the game. Unfortunately there is a tactical flaw, which my opponent finds.} (22. Rab1 {was my second choice and top engine one. I rejected it because it did not lead to anything after} Qa3 $15) 22... Rxd3 {I did not seriously consider this as a possible option for my opponent, so did not calculate it.} 23. Rxd3 Ba6 $1 {the tactical point, a skewer on the a6-f1 diagonal.} 24. Rdd1 {the best of the bad options, but now Black has a won game.} Bxf1 25. Rxf1 Qxa2 $19 26. Rc1 {I decided the only possible chance would be to play actively with my remaining pieces and try to create chances for Black to go wrong, rather than simply let him power a passed pawn through on the queenside.} Qxb3 27. Qe1 Qd3 28. h3 {played prophylactically to protect the g-pawn, but now my opponent correctly initiates the winning plan of marching the unopposd a/b pawns down the board. I do my best to create counter-threats, however.} a5 29. Rc3 Qb5 30. Qc1 h6 {prudently creating luft and avoiding back-rank issues.} 31. Qc2 {essentially a waiting move, while slightly improving the queen.} a4 32. h4 {desperately trying to start something on the kingside.} Qb4 33. Qc1 Ra8 34. Rc7 a3 35. Qf1 Qf8 {the best defense. The problem for White is that Black's a-pawn is too powerful with the rook behind it, so the queen moving away temporarily from the action does not slow things.} 36. Rc3 a2 37. Qa1 Qb4 {now the end is near, with ...Qb1+ threatened.} 38. Rc1 Qd2 39. Rc3 Qxc3 {the simplest way to end things, forcing the new queen through.} 0-1

Pop culture chess: Jaguar TCS Racing and Anna Cramling

Screen Capture from I Taught Chess to Professional Formula E Drivers

Periodically I run across and highlight prominent chess references in popular culture. Thanks to the Chess.com article "Jaguar TCS Racing Teams Up With Anna Cramling For New Campaign" I became aware of the latest major sports-related marketing campaign, apparently the first one since "Magnus Carlsen vs. Muhammad Ali". As one might expect, the production values in the videos are slick and the chess-related message is generally on point and consistent with sporting parallels, if perhaps a little dramatically overwrought:

“In chess, every piece has a purpose. Every move, consequences. Precision over impulse. Silence over spectacle. You don’t win by reacting. You win by knowing what’s coming. Five moves ahead. Ten, until the board bends to your will.”- Anna Cramling

From what I saw the chess itself is legit, although as can be seen in the screen capture, the analog clock - something at this point can be considered an anachronism - is incorrectly set. The chess set is also an art one rather than functional, although it does appear that at least the pieces are set up correctly. Full video is linked above.

Annotated Game #327: A (mostly) clean finish

This final-round game was won primarily due to my opening preparation in the Colle, which gave me a strategically winning position as of move 10. There is a big difference between a "strategically won" game and an actually won game, however, so the finish did not come without significant effort. Among other things, I once again missed a great chance for an impactful e3-e4 break with my opponent's king in the center, so will be more careful to look for that in the future. The final mating sequence included a rook sacrifice as a deflection tactic, which aside from the pleasing aesthetics is also an indicator that I am becoming less wedded to purely materialistic thinking.

[Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "ChessAdmin"] [Black "Class C"] [Result "1-0"] [Annotator "ChessAdmin/Dragon 3.2"] [ECO "D04"] [WhiteElo "?"] [BlackElo "?"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [BlackFideId "-1"] [PlyCount "67"] [GameId "2248621732107423"] {[%evp 0,14,25,13,20,26,19,9,12,21,12,-1,12,-8,-2,12,42]} 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 Bg4 {a relatively common choice against the Colle, as pinning the knight and developing the bishop always appears to be good.} 4. Nbd2 e6 5. h3 {now, however, White gets to chase the bishop around.} Bh5 6. g4 Bg6 7. Ne5 {one of the main points of this approach is to force the acquisition of the bishop pair, by threatening to trap the bishop.} Bd6 8. h4 h6 {preparing to retreat the bishop, but of course White carries out the planned piece exchange first.} (8... h5 $5) 9. Nxg6 fxg6 10. Bd3 $18 {I thought for a while here and found the strongest continuation, which also should be rather obvious - targeting the weakest pawn while developing. White is strategically winning.} Kf7 {protecting the pawn, but keeping the king in the center.} 11. c4 $6 {hopefully after this tournament I will have learned my lesson about playing the e4 break in the Colle. The text move is still decent, but not aggressive enough on the kingside.} (11. e4 $1 dxe4 12. Nxe4 Nxe4 13. Bxe4 $18 {I thought the exchanges would reduce White's attacking chances, but there is still a winning advantage, according to the engine. White has too many threats (Bxb7, g4-g5, Qd3 with a Q+B battery) for Black to parry.}) 11... c6 $6 {a reasonable-looking defensive move, but what Black really needs is counterplay.} (11... c5 $5) 12. c5 {here I deliberated and chose to close the center with a space gain, relying on my structural advantages on the kingside. I also thought this would improve my king safety and further reduce chances of counterplay by Black.} (12. Qc2 {would be a more direct approach.} Nxg4 13. Bxg6+ Ke7 {I did not like this because of the weakness on f2, but the engine is fine with it after} 14. Rg1 h5 15. Ke2 Qf8 16. f3 $18) 12... Bc7 13. Qf3 $6 {it is clear I need to get my queen into the game, but this was less effective than Qc2 with the battery against g6. Again, I was leery of the sequence after ...Nxg4.} (13. Qc2 $1) 13... Qe8 $2 {now I can get back on track with the attack.} (13... g5 $5 $14 {would remove the pawn from the line of fire and help the defense. White is not in a position to exploit the opening of the h-file.}) 14. h5 gxh5 15. gxh5 {Black now has to lose a tempo dealing with the threat of Bg6+ winning the queen.} Ke7 16. Bg6 {still the best move, played after some thought. The bishop goes to a dominant outpost.} Qd8 17. Qg2 {done primarily to clear the f3 square and allow f2-f4.} Qf8 18. f4 $1 {the engine agrees that this is strongest. Black's Bc7 is cut off, there is no possibility of a future break with the e-pawn, and the way is now clear for Nf3-e5.} Kd8 {Black has no good options by this point, although ...Nbd7 seems logical for development.} 19. Rg1 {building up pressure (currently masked by the bishop) on the g-file; however, immediately conducting the knight maneuver may be better.} Rg8 20. Nf3 Ba5+ {I anticipated this and welcomed exchanging down in what should be a winning position. This also should help get the Ra1 into the action.} 21. Bd2 Bxd2+ 22. Kxd2 {the king is quite safe behind the central pawn wedge, especially without Black pieces able to move on the dark squares.} Nbd7 23. Ke2 {an unnecessary pause in the action, but also useful for me to see what my opponent would try next.} Kc7 $6 {here I miss an opportunity to exploit the king's new vulnerability on the h2-b8 diagonal.} 24. Ne5 (24. Qh2 $1) 24... Nxe5 $2 {although this removes the centralized knight, it is worse because it facilitates White's breakthrough. Now the end is essentially inevitable.} (24... Qe7 {is the best defensive try, but White is still winning after} 25. Raf1 $18) 25. fxe5 Nd7 26. Raf1 Qd8 27. Qh3 {getting the queen into the action by targeting the vulnerable square. Black does not have enough defensive resources to cover her weaknesses.} Rf8 28. Qxe6 Rxf1 29. Qd6+ $1 {this in-between move surprised my opponent, and now mate is coming.} Kc8 30. Rxf1 Qh4 {a last attempt at counterplay, but now mate is forced.} 31. Rf8+ {a final surprise.} Nxf8 32. Bf5+ Nd7 33. Qxd7+ Kb8 34. Qc8# 1-0

Bronstein plays the Colle

The Colle is far from a "system" opening, although that is often its reputation. Taken from an opening study example, here is a fabulous game from GM David Bronstein, worthy of The Sorcerer's Apprentice. In addition to the rare king march at the end, what struck me most was the harmony of the White pieces as they dominated Black's rooks.

[Event "URS-ch24 Final"] [Site "Moscow"] [Date "1957.01.22"] [Round "2"] [White "Bronstein, David Ionovich"] [Black "Aronson, Lev Abramovich"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D02"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [PlyCount "79"] [EventDate "1957.01.21"] [EventType "tourn"] [EventRounds "21"] [EventCountry "URS"] [SourceTitle "URS-ch"] [Source "ChessBase"] [SourceDate "1999.07.01"] [SourceVersion "1"] [SourceVersionDate "1999.07.01"] [SourceQuality "1"] 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. e3 Bg4 4. Bb5 e6 5. Nbd2 Bd6 6. c4 dxc4 7. Bxc6+ bxc6 8. Qa4 Ne7 9. Qxc4 O-O 10. O-O Rb8 11. a3 Bh5 12. b4 Rb5 13. e4 Bf4 14. a4 Rb6 15. Ba3 f5 16. Rfe1 Bf7 17. Rad1 e5 18. Qc5 Bxd2 19. Nxd2 Bh5 20. f3 Qxd4+ 21. Qxd4 exd4 22. b5 Re8 23. Nc4 Rbb8 24. Na5 fxe4 25. Bxe7 exf3 26. Nxc6 f2+ 27. Kxf2 Bxd1 28. Rxd1 Ra8 29. Rxd4 a6 30. Rd7 axb5 31. axb5 Ra2+ 32. Kf3 Rb2 33. Nd4 Rd2 34. Bc5 Rd3+ 35. Kf4 g5+ 36. Kf5 Rd2 37. Kf6 Rxg2 38. Nf5 Rxh2 39. Rg7+ Kh8 40. Kf7 1-0

Annotated Game #326: Going against principles, and a lesson at least partially learned

In this tournament game I made a couple of key moves on general "principles" which in fact went against the actual principles inherent in this Advance Caro-Kann setup, most notably not exchanging off White's key knight on f3 when prompted. I also miss several saving/winning resources from my opponent, including the final march of the kingside pawns in the endgame. I will nonetheless give myself at least partial credit for the pawn sac on move 22 after castling (!) - should have done so earlier, naturally, but it was good to see the engine validate my choice to prioritize piece activity over material.

[Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Class B"] [Black "ChessAdmin"] [Result "1-0"] [Annotator "ChessAdmin/Dragon 3.2"] [ECO "B12"] [WhiteElo "?"] [BlackElo "?"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [PlyCount "97"] [GameId "2248621732107422"] 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Bg4 6. Be2 e6 7. h3 $6 {while not completely losing, this has a relatively simple refutation, which I did not bother to calculate, just moving on general principles.} Bh5 $11 {Black is equal here, but no more.} (7... Bxf3 $1 {this is also correct based on the positional structure, in which Black pressures d4.} 8. Bxf3 $15 {and Black has a pleasant choice between ...Qb6 and ...cxd4 for a lasting edge.}) 8. Nbd2 Qb6 (8... cxd4 $5 {is a simpler approach.}) 9. dxc5 Bxc5 10. O-O Qc7 {long think here. It is fine after the text move, but White missed a more pointed option.} (10... a5 {would restrain b2-b4.}) 11. g4 (11. b4 {now the minor pieces are pushed backwards or towards the rim.} Be7 12. b5 Na5 13. Qa4 b6 14. Bb2 $16) 11... Bg6 $11 12. Nb3 {this gets in the way of the b-pawn advance, so is helpful for me.} Bb6 13. Bf4 Nge7 (13... h5 {immediately is more impactful, also deferring the knight placement in the event another square is useful. For example after} 14. Nfd4 (14. g5 Nge7 $17) 14... hxg4 15. hxg4 Nxe5 {the knight may be able to go to f6.}) 14. Bg3 h5 $15 (14... O-O-O $5 $15 {is an interesting idea I also contemplated, giving more freedom to a kingside attack.}) 15. g5 $6 {avoiding the exchange on g4, which would open the h-file, but now my knight gets an excellent outpost.} Nf5 $17 16. Bh2 {unfortunately after the bishop retreat I ran out of good ideas.} h4 $6 {there is no target for the h-pawn, so this simply wastes time and makes it potentially more vulnerable. The general principle of advancing pawns towards your opponent's king as a threat does not apply here.} (16... O-O $19 {gets the king out of the center and activates the h8 rook. The engine evaluates Black as positionally winning, at this point.}) 17. a4 a6 {a prophylactic move, guarding against a potential future a-pawn advance.} (17... Rd8 {increasing piece activity is better, since the a-pawn cannot advance further at the moment.}) (17... a5 $5 {with a similar idea, but preventing further advance of the a-pawn, which becomes important shortly.}) 18. Nbd4 {White lacks any good moves to make progress, but this has a tactical flaw.} Qe7 $6 {choosing to pressure the g5 pawn, instead of exchanging off the knight.} (18... Bxd4 $1 19. Nxd4 (19. cxd4 Qb6 {is similar}) 19... Nfxd4 20. cxd4 Qb6 21. Bf4 Nxd4 22. Be3 Nxe2+ 23. Qxe2 d4 {I did not see this last move in calculating the sequence, which the engine evaluates as much better for Black.} 24. a5 Qc5 $19) 19. Nxc6 bxc6 20. Bf4 Qa7 $6 {this supposedly clever move, threatening ...Ng3 while establishing a Q+B battery, is neutralized by White's next (which I did not see.)} (20... a5 $17 {would secure the Bb6.}) (20... Ng3 {is better than the move played, but immediately also runs into} 21. a5 $1 Ba7 22. Bxa6 Nxf1 23. Bxf1 {with complicated play and partial compensation for the exchange.}) 21. a5 $1 $11 Bc7 {I debated between this and the d8 square, which would have been a little better.} 22. Qa4 O-O {a pawn sac approved by the engine. This was based on getting the rook in the fight, which was the right thing to do, albeit a bit late.} 23. Qxc6 Ng3 {I finally get this in.} 24. Bxg3 $6 {I had looked at this, but thought simply moving the rook away would be better.} (24. Rfe1 $11) 24... hxg3 25. Bxa6 {a somewhat tricky move, although Black has several good responses.} Qxa6 {the best one, although after} 26. Qxc7 Qe2 $6 {I place the queen on the wrong square. I debated between this and the correct one (d3), with the clock counting down contributing to the failure of visualization/calculation. Both moves target the hanging Nf3.} (26... Qd3 $1 27. fxg3 Be4 {with a double attack on the pinned knight, and now if for example} 28. Rad1 (28. Kg2 Qe2+ 29. Rf2 Bxf3+ $1 $19) 28... Qe3+ $1 {and the knight cannot be protected successfully.}) 27. fxg3 Qxb2 $11 {the correct bail-out decision in this line.} (27... Be4 $2 28. Rf2 $18 {and Black's attack is gone.}) 28. Qc5 Bd3 (28... Rfc8 $5 {immediately gets the rook in the game, with tempo.} 29. Qb4 Qe2 $11) 29. Rfe1 Rfc8 $6 (29... Be4 $5) (29... Rfb8 $11) 30. Qb4 {I saw this was the likely response, but I mis-evaluated the resulting endgame.} Qxc3 31. Qxc3 Rxc3 32. Re3 $1 $16 {I missed this idea, otherwise Black has it easy.} Rac8 33. Nd4 $6 (33. g6 {is the engine's idea, forcing a weakening of Black's pawn structure.} Bxg6 $4 {loses because the a-pawn advances after} 34. Rxc3 Rxc3 35. a6 Rc8 36. a7 Ra8 37. Nd4 {followed by Nb5-c7}) 33... Rc1+ {a correct decision made under more serious time pressure.} 34. Re1 Rxe1+ 35. Rxe1 Rc5 $2 {attacking the wrong piece, and the losing move.} (35... Rc4 {I saw this earlier in my calculations but instead focused more blindly on directly attacking the pawn.}) 36. Ra1 $18 Ba6 37. Kf2 $6 (37. g6 fxg6 38. Nxe6 $18) 37... Kf8 $2 {the wrong idea. The king is needed to cover white's pawn majority on the kingside, which is dangerous even if fractured.} (37... Rc4 $1 {again is the answer, forcing a concession from White, either moving away the knight and letting the active rook onto the 2nd rank, or} 38. Rd1 Kh7 $11 {with ...Ra4 to follow.}) 38. Ra3 (38. g6 {this undermining idea is still very effective.}) 38... Ke7 $2 $18 {now the king is too far from the future pawn action on the g/h files.} (38... Rc4 39. Ke3 g6 $14) 39. Ke3 Kd7 40. Kd2 Rc4 {too late with this idea, if my opponent plays correctly.} 41. Nf3 $2 (41. Nc2 $18) (41. Ke3 $18) 41... Kc6 $2 {after a long think, I still ignore potential kingside danger.} (41... g6 $11 {and the king can come back and defend as needed.}) 42. Rc3 $1 {now there is no return, with the rooks forced off.} Kb5 43. Rxc4 Kxc4 44. h4 {only now did I realize the real extent of the problem.} g6 45. g4 d4 46. h5 gxh5 47. gxh5 Bb7 48. h6 {the knight can be left to its fate.} Be4 49. a6 1-0