Annotated Game #349: Equal is not the same as easy

This second-round tournament game had a different trajectory from the previous two. Instead of having to rally after being significantly worse (and then winning), in this game as White I pass up various opportunities to gain a small advantage, as well as miss spotting a good tactic, keeping things very equal for almost the entire game. I would say there was too much play by rote early on, then perhaps a lack of ambition after that.

The other main issue was taking too much time with largely meaningless calculations on each move, in that the evaluation was not significantly different after many of them, regardless of the choice. This meant that near the end of the game I was down to only a few minutes and was in the position of responding to my opponent's initiative for too many moves. It only takes one miscalcuation or bad idea to give away the game, and that's what happened here. Engine evaluations of "equal" is not the same thing as "easy" to play, which this game is an excellent example of. My opponent did well to try to create practical chances in the latter part of the game, which gave me the opportunity to go wrong.

[Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "ChessAdmin"] [Black "Class C"] [Result "0-1"] [Annotator "ChessAdmin/Dragon 3.2"] [ECO "D05"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [BlackFideId "-1"] [PlyCount "82"] [GameId "2309127055636957"] 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 e6 4. Bd3 Bd6 {extending the move symmetry / imitation.} 5. O-O {White's move order does not seem to matter much here, in terms of results.} (5. Nbd2 {is played a little more in the database, with the idea of guarding against ...Ne4. The trade-off is that the knight is committed to d2 early.}) 5... O-O 6. Nbd2 b6 {Black finally varies, although does not truly break the positional symmetry until the next move.} 7. b3 {continuing on autopilot with the original plan of going into the Colle-Zukertort, developing early with Bb2.} (7. e4 $1 {the engines agree that this is the only way to take advantage of this particular move-order. Black does not yet control e4, so the standard Colle e3-e4 break is a good one.} dxe4 8. Nxe4 Nbd7 9. Nxd6 cxd6 $14 {White now has the two bishops, and will have a pleasant middlegame with good prospects for all his pieces.}) 7... c5 8. Bb2 Ba6 {evidently with the idea of exchanging off White's pride bishop on d3. However, in response it is the right thing for White to exchange immediately, since Black's knight will be a little misplaced as a result.} 9. Qe2 (9. Bxa6 Nxa6 10. Qe2 Nb4 11. c4 {with an even but easy game for White.}) 9... Bxd3 10. Qxd3 $11 Nc6 11. a3 {preventing the awkward ...Nb4, but perhaps leaving Black with a little too much freedom in the center.} Nd7 {looking to push e6-e5, it seems, but I move to challenge first in the center.} (11... cxd4 12. Nxd4 Nxd4 13. Bxd4 Qc7 14. h3 $11 {White is OK, but Black has the better center and the prospect of pressure down the c-file.}) 12. c4 dxc4 $6 {it is easy to not play optimally when there is complex central tension.} (12... Rc8 {Black can develop his rook into the fight.}) (12... cxd4 $5 {capturing toward the center would be better, if Black wanted to release the central tension.}) 13. Nxc4 (13. Qxc4 $5 {I rejected this as being awkward for the queen and a natural place for the knight instead. However, the queen is fine on the square, and the Nd2 can go to e4.}) 13... Be7 14. Rfd1 Bf6 $2 15. Rab1 $6 {another rather rote move, keeping things equal. The engine shows a positional plus after the forcing sequences involving capturing on c5.} (15. dxc5 {dissolving the center, but to the benefit of White's now more active pieces.} Nxc5 (15... Bxb2 16. Nxb2 Nxc5 17. Qc2 $16 {the queen projects power down the c-file and also the b1-h7 diagonal. Black now has to be careful not to lose his hanging Nc6.} Qe8 18. b4 Nb7 19. Ng5 $16 {White now has lasting pressure and the initiative.}) 16. Qc2 Qe7 17. b4 Nd7 18. Bxf6 Qxf6 {the Nd7 is defended tactically.} (18... Nxf6 19. Nd6 $16) 19. Qe4 $16 {with the initiative.} (19. Rxd7 $4 Qxa1+ $19)) 15... Qc7 16. d5 {I focused pretty much only on this idea, not on the dxc5 option, which is still best if not as good as before.} exd5 17. Qxd5 {superficially the queen looks active, but Black has no weaknesses here.} Rad8 18. Qf5 {I thought this was the only move.} (18. Qd6 $5 {offers a trade, with the idea of deploying back to the kingside if refused.}) 18... g6 $2 {this defensive move was unnecessary and left open a tactic, which I failed to spot.} 19. Qc2 $6 {again playing it safe, after not correctly calculating that the tactical option in fact works, although I had seen the basic idea.} (19. Rxd7 $1 {the sequence begins with a straightforward removal of the guard theme, although it becomes fairly complex.} gxf5 (19... Rxd7 {the straightforward continuation.} 20. Qxf6 $18 {and the mate threat on the long diagonal ensures White will win more material.}) (19... Bxb2 {tranposes to the main variation after} 20. Rxc7 gxf5 21. Rxc6 $18) 20. Rxc7 Bxb2 21. Rxc6 Bg7 $18) 19... Nde5 {the position is now very balanced, so I decide to simplify via exchanges.} 20. Nfxe5 Nxe5 21. Nxe5 Bxe5 22. g3 (22. Bxe5 {is more in keeping with the strategic decision to simplify.} Qxe5 {during the game, I didn't want to give my opponent such a nice-looking queen placement, but it is not significant in reality.} 23. g3 $11) 22... b5 23. Rbc1 {again, it was probably easier to further simplify, although the evaluation is not different. In any case, my opponent does it for me.} (23. Bxe5 Qxe5 24. a4 $11) 23... Bxb2 24. Qxb2 Rxd1+ 25. Rxd1 Rd8 26. Rc1 {in fact the best, according to the engine. Pressure is increased on the c-file and I avoid exchanging into a queen endgame, which would be easier for Black to play with the 3-2 queenside majority.} Rd5 27. Qe2 {the move is fine, but I was starting to get tired of calculating and low on time. Just looking to blockade on the c-file may have been simpler.} Qd7 {protecting b5 and doubling on the d-file, which I now have to watch.} 28. Qf3 {pressuring d5 while keeping control of d1.} h5 29. a4 (29. h4 {I never thought of this idea, which would have helped later in blocking Black's pawn advance. This is a routine type of response in master-level games.}) 29... bxa4 30. bxa4 {while I continue to play correctly, from an evaluation standpoint, Black in effect has the initiative.} Rf5 31. Qd1 {of course I would be happy simplifying to a drawn rook endgame.} Qb7 32. Rb1 {another fine move, but still leaving me with a more complex situation to deal with.} (32. Rc4) (32. h4) 32... Qc7 33. Qb3 {I was down to only a few minutes on the clock now, unfortunately.} Kh7 34. Qc3 (34. Qc4 {blocking the c-pawn and controlling the 4th rank before Black could play ...h4 would have sealed the draw.}) 34... h4 {still completely equal, but creating threats that I now fail to parry.} 35. Qc4 (35. Rb4 $5 {would have been a nice resource, based on the pinned c-pawn.}) 35... hxg3 {now time pressure makes itself felt in my calculations.} 36. Qh4+ $2 {I thought this simplified, but it in fact loses.} (36. hxg3 Rh5 37. Kg2 $11) 36... Rh5 $1 $19 37. Qxg3 {Black of course does not have to trade queens, and can make more threats quicker than I can. The initial problem, which I spotted too late, was that with the open g-file my queen can be pinned against the Kg1.} Qe7 {threatening ...Rg5} 38. Kf1 Qe4 $1 {with a double threat against a4 and h1.} 39. Rb8 {a desperate bid for counterplay, which is too slow, due to my open king.} (39. Ra1 {would resist longer, but I felt Black would inevitably win.} Qh1+ 40. Qg1 Qc6 $19 {the passed c-pawn, combined with Black's excellent queen and rook, will decide things.}) 39... Qxa4 40. Qc7 Qd1+ 41. Kg2 Rg5+ 0-1

Annotated Game #348: A familiar trajectory

In this first-round tournament game, my opponent essays the Advance Variation against my Caro-Kann, which these days is considered the most challenging try for White. While I play the opening generally correctly, I over-correct for my normal materialistic bias by postponing capturing the e5 pawn for too long, giving my opponent a strong attack. The trajectory of the game is similar to that of Annotated Game #347, as White dissipates the attacking tension too soon and lets me back in the game, albeit having inflicted some positional damage in the process. I then find a move which flips the game narrative and suddenly my pieces come to life, with a winning advantage. There are some tactics involved and I was glad to be able to calculate correctly the sequence that sealed the victory, which included giving back a piece in exchange for a winning major piece attack.

[Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Class C"] [Black "ChessAdmin"] [Result "0-1"] [Annotator "ChessAdmin/Dragon 3.2"] [ECO "B12"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [BlackFideId "-1"] [PlyCount "92"] [GameId "2307865431380026"] [EventDate "2026.??.??"] 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 {the Advance Variation is now the main try against the Caro-Kann for ambitious White players.} c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Bg4 {pinning the knight and developing the bishop, which is the point of this variation for Black.} 6. dxc5 {this capture was a little delayed, giving White fewer move-order choices.} e6 {simply preparing to recapture. This line is a (temporary?) gambit for Black, as White can try to hang on to the extra pawn, however at some positional cost.} 7. Be3 {developing and defending c5.} Nge7 {standard knight development and the second most popular move in the database.} (7... a6 $5 {can be played if Black wishes to prevent Bb5 ideas.}) 8. Bd4 {the bishop now protects both c5 and e5, but is mostly limited to its role as a "big pawn"} Qc7 $6 {adding to the pressure on e5, but this leaves White with better options.} (8... Bxf3 {this draws the White queen a bit offside and removes a defender of e5. Combined with the following move, this makes Black's position quite solid.} 9. Qxf3 a6 $11) 9. Nbd2 $14 {now the exchange on f3 would just help White develop.} (9. Bb5 {is also good.}) 9... a6 {this is useful, but a bit late. I am lagging slightly in development and still a pawn down.} 10. Be2 Ng6 {further concentrating my forces against e5.} 11. O-O Be7 12. h3 Bxf3 {the rule in the Advance Caro-Kann is to exchange on f3 whenever there is a choice between that and retreating the bishop. This is both technically accurate and in practical terms helps reduce the amount of calculation required for decision-making.} 13. Nxf3 O-O $6 {this delays the pawn recapture unnecessarily. Black lacks defenders on the kingside, so castling is in fact premature.} (13... Ncxe5 14. Nxe5 Nxe5 15. f4 {this is what dissuaded me from capturing on e5, as the g7 pawn is hanging after the knight retreats. However, the engine is not concerned about this after} Nd7 16. Bxg7 Bxc5+ {the key in-between move, regaining the pawn with check.} 17. Bd4 O-O-O {and White at best has a slight edge.}) 14. Re1 $6 {this looks sensible and eventually will help reinforce e5, but would still allow me to capture there now.} (14. Bd3 $1 {immediately gives White an attack after} Ncxe5 15. Nxe5 Nxe5 16. Bxh7+ Kxh7 17. Qh5+ Kg8 18. Bxe5 Qxc5 19. Qg4 $16) 14... Rae8 $2 {I recall during the game being pleased with my lack of materialism. However, now is the time to regain the pawn.} (14... Ncxe5 $11 {this also usefully covers the d3 square.}) 15. Bd3 $1 $18 {I did not properly understand how threatening this would be.} Nf4 16. Bc2 {preserving the bishop on the key attacking diagonal. Now I am simply a pawn down with no counterplay and White has a good attack brewing.} Na5 {heading for c4, but this will not disrupt White's plans.} 17. b4 Nc4 {the knight looks good, but is not in fact hitting any useful targets.} 18. Qc1 Ng6 {retreating to safety, although stil awkwardly placed.} 19. g3 {usefully controlling both h4 and f4.} f5 {by this point I could see trouble brewing on the kingside and decided (correctly) that an attempt at counterplay was necessary.} (19... f6 $5 {was also a consideration. I chose the text move because it blocked the diagonal, which tempted White into capturing en passant.}) 20. exf6 $6 {White is still a clear pawn up after this capture, but the attack dissipates.} Bxf6 $16 21. Bxg6 hxg6 {I correctly decided that even though the doubled pawns are ugly, they are worth the piece exchanges, as White no longer has an attack. However, my opponent does not recognize this and over-presses with} 22. Ng5 $2 e5 $1 $19 {suddenly Black is winning, with central pawn dominance and fully activated pieces.} 23. Be3 e4 {opening up diagonals for both the bishop and queen, while taking away the f3 square from White's knight.} 24. Qd1 {although my weakness on d5 is targeted, this also leaves the Ng5 under-protected, so I decided to go for winning material immediately.} Nxe3 (24... Qd7 {is a better version of the idea, defending d5 first. Although the Ng5 can be reinforced, which I saw, White has too many other weaknesses.} 25. h4 Bxc3 $1 $19) 25. Rxe3 Bxg5 26. Qxd5+ Qf7 $1 {the only move, as the Bg5 is hanging; I saw this sequence as part of the calculations for move 24. If White chooses to take the bishop, as he does in the game, I correctly calculated that Black has a winning attack afterwards due to the f2 weakness. I would also be happy entering an endgame after an exchange of queens on f7.} 27. Qxg5 {probably the correct practical decision, forcing me to prove things tactically.} Qxf2+ 28. Kh1 Qd2 {pinning the Re3 against the Qg5 and preparing to play ...Rf2.} (28... Rd8 {is even better, but the text move is winning.}) 29. Qxg6 {an unexpected way out of White' pin. Now I simply take the rook and follow a conservative strategy of trading down to a winning endgame while not blundering, rather than trying to win as quickly as possible.} Qxe3 30. h4 Qxc3 31. Rg1 Qf3+ 32. Rg2 Qf5 {essentially forcing the queen trade.} 33. Qxf5 Rxf5 34. Re2 e3 35. Kg2 Kf7 36. g4 Rf6 37. Kg3 b6 38. g5 Rc6 39. cxb6 Rxb6 40. a3 Rb5 41. Kf3 Rf5+ 42. Kg3 Kg6 43. a4 Kf7 {obliging White to do something further weakening on his move.} 44. b5 axb5 45. axb5 Rxb5 46. Kf4 Rb4+ {and my opponent sensibly resigns.} 0-1

Training quote of the day #65: Viswanathan Anand

    

From Mind Master: Winning Lessons From A Champion's Life by GM Viswanathan Anand:

Motivation, I believe, ebbs and flows to its own rhythms and might have nothing to do with the effort we put into feeling it or the control we attempt to exercise over it. I’ve found that I’ve played my most inspired games when my enthusiasm for the sport resurfaced, without the bindings of titles or wins or ratings tying me down, and I’ve just wanted to play a good game and have been excited about learning something new or applying something fresh. There’s no quick path to finding motivation, but the moment you surrender to your love for your sport – or your career or choice of activity, for that matter – is where the highest probability lies.

Annotated Game #347: First victory in the Dutch Defense

It took three tries, but this final-round tournament game was my first victory as a "pure" Dutch Defense player (after 1. d4 f5). The previous (second time) was in Annotated Game #343, when I faced the 2. Bg5 sideline. Here I face the other main sideline, with 2. Nc3 followed by 3. Bg5. The main difference is that the move-order allows Black to play 2...Nf6 first, which significantly changes the dynamics. Although I mis-remember the standard line afterwards (3...d5), I get a reasonable game; it is nice to know that even in the Dutch the moves are not necessarily on knife-edge all the time. One significant flaw was 8...Kf7?!, an idea that was repeated (if not quite as horribly) from the previous game, so that is something to remember.

After that, my opponent got some early pressure with an h-pawn advance, but then - as often occurs at the Class level - she prematurely dissipated the tension, so I was able to equalize without difficulty. By around move 18 the position is largely symmetrical and I felt was rather boring, so I tried to spice things up on the h-file, misjudging my strategic chances there and also having board vision problems with the blunder 21...Rh6? My opponent evidently was also bored with the position and tried to be aggressive with 22. c4?! which makes the situation complex and allowed me to go astray. There is a lot of tactical back-and-forth afterwards, which I'll leave to the game annotations, but basically I held on until I spotted a winning tactic and turned the tables on my opponent. Perhaps this was a fitting way to obtain a first win in the Dutch.

[Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Class B"] [Black "ChessAdmin"] [Result "0-1"] [Annotator "ChessAdmin/Dragon 3.2"] [ECO "A80"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [BlackFideId "-1"] [PlyCount "88"] [GameId "2290996243980105"] {[%evp 0,88,10,38,40,25,34,23,48,74,29,16,17,38,37,14,4,2,22,39,53,89,60,37,39,60,14,1,35,39,39,16,-82,-54,-37,-9,-98,20,0,-41,-127,-57,-14,-40,32,-112,-28,-33,-54,-11,21,-51,-141,-140,147,109,172,85,134,-31,1,-149,-321,-404,-342,-397,-417,-404,-231,-426,-303,-327,-1,1,-20,1,-178,-203,-419,-824,-959,-994,-837,-943,-994,-999,-967,-1148,-1147,-1356,-1528]} 1. d4 f5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Bg5 {while the setup for White is the same (by transposition) as the 2.Bg5 variation played in the previous Dutch game, the move-order means that Black has the Nf6 developed instead of ...g6, which changes things.} g6 {preparing to play ...Bg7 and then eliminate White's chance for doubling the f-pawns. White's reaction is expected.} (3... d5 {is actually considered the standard move here.}) 4. Bxf6 exf6 {in exchange for the doubled pawns, Black contests the e5 square and has the two bishops.} 5. e3 d5 {obtaining a lock on the e4 square and preparing for a Stonewall-type setup on the light squares.} 6. Bd3 c6 {here the square may be better occupied by the knight.} (6... Nc6 $5 {with ...Be6 coming next, there is no need to protect d5 with the c-pawn.}) (6... Be6 {immediately also keeps things flexible, as the bishop should go here anyway.}) 7. Nge2 {clearly aiming at the f4 square.} Bd6 {clearly the best square for the bishop, while contesting f4.} 8. h4 $5 {my opponent is evidently in an aggressive mood.} Kf7 $6 {this is not as disastrous a move as in the previous Dutch game, but still not ideal.} (8... Qe7 {for example would develop the queen to its normal square in the Dutch and await developments.}) (8... h5 $5) 9. h5 $14 {the obvious and good choice, creating tension on g6.} b6 $6 {this is too slow an idea, to develop with ...Ba6, that also does not really work.} (9... a5 {gets things going on the queenside, with ...b5 or ...Na6 to follow.}) 10. hxg6+ $6 {I was fine with this reduction in tension, since White is not yet positioned to exploit the h-file.} hxg6 $11 11. Kd2 {this looks funny, but the king is safe enough and it is the quickest way to get out the queen and the Ra1.} Na6 $1 {the engine awards a "!" for developing the correct piece to a6, as other moves give White an advantage; I had concluded that my original idea of putting the bishop there would not be useful. Both sides are now developed to an equivalent degree, while both kings are a little awkwardly placed.} 12. Rxh8 Qxh8 13. Qh1 Bb7 {protecting the Qh8 and maintaining the tension on the h-file.} (13... Qxh1 {the engine prefers to simply exchange immediately,as White has no way to do anything with the h-file afterwards.} 14. Rxh1 Nb4 $11 {White could now check on h7, but then would have to go back with the rook after ...Kg8, with no progress made.} (14... Kg7 $11 {would even prevent that if Black felt cautious.})) 14. a3 Nc7 {the standard maneuver in the Dutch when the Na6 no longer has a potential future on b4.} 15. Nf4 Bxf4 {I judged this an even trade, since my bishop has little scope on the dark squares and White's knight is on a good square.} 16. exf4 {the pawn structure is now symmetrical, and I expected a draw as the likeliest outcome.} Ne6 17. Ne2 c5 18. c3 {around here I started becoming a little bored with the position and wanted to try to make something happen on the h-file. This was a bad idea in general, although causes no harm initially.} Qg7 {clearing the square for the rook.} (18... c4 {would further clamp down the position and leave less room for counterplay.}) 19. a4 Rh8 20. Qg1 a6 {this is OK, but leaves White the possibility of the a4-a5 advance.} (20... a5) (20... Qh6 {would be the logical continuation of the h-file idea and put pressue on the f4 pawn; however, neither goes anywhere after the obvious g2-g3 in response.}) 21. b3 Rh6 $2 {unfortunately now I hallucinate and think I can get something going on the h-file, with the rook leading a Q+R battery. This loses me time and misplaces my heavy pieces. Everything else reasonable is completely equal.} (21... Qh6 $11) (21... Qf8) (21... a5) (21... cxd4) 22. c4 $6 {this very much complicated the game and I thought and calcuated (poorly) for a long time here. It illustrates what would have been the practical value of playing ...c4 earlier, to shut down the possibility, even though the engine says Black is now better.} (22. a5 $1 $16 {this would force a breakthrough on the queenside, taking advantage of Black's rook and queen being too far from the action.} b5 {is what I would have played} 23. dxc5 Nxc5 24. Bc2 $18 {the problem is that f2-f3 is now coming, after which White's queen can penetrate on the g1-a7 diagonal.}) 22... Qh7 $6 {stubbornly continuing with the terrible h-file plan.} (22... cxd4 {taking the pawn on offer is of course the critical path.} 23. f3 Qf8 $1 {repositioning the queen to the center} 24. Nxd4 Nxf4 25. Qe3 Qd6 $17 {the queen successfully defends everything.} 26. g3 $2 {attempting to exploit the pin on the Nf4 fails to} Qb4+ $1 27. Kc2 {and now control of the h-file actually pays off after} Rh2+ $19) (22... Qf8 {would profitably keep the pawn tension while getting the queen back into the real action.} 23. f3 (23. dxc5 $2 Nxc5 24. Qb1 Qd6 $19) 23... Qd6 $17) (22... Qh8 $11 {at least would be much better than the text move, if I insisted on keeping it on the h-file, but somehow I thought the queen was better placed on the (blocked) 7th rank.}) 23. f3 {this allows various good defensive moves, none of which I find.} (23. cxd5 Bxd5 24. Bc4 Bxc4 25. bxc4 cxd4 26. Qb1 $16) 23... cxd4 $2 {only now do I take the pawn, after walling my queen off so it cannot get back to the center to assist. The explanation is that I hallucinated being able to play ...Rh1 at some point, which of course simply loses material.} (23... Qh8 $11 {is probably simplest.}) 24. cxd5 $16 {advantageous but not decisive.} (24. Nxd4 $1 {breaks through in the center.} Nxf4 25. Qe3 $18) 24... Bxd5 25. Bc4 $6 {this gives me an out.} (25. Nxd4 {again is best, although not as devastating after} Nc5 $16) 25... Bxc4 26. bxc4 Nc5 $6 {still refusing to see the value of redeploying the queen.} (26... Qh8 $15) 27. Rb1 $1 {I misjudged the strength of this, although could have mitigated White's threats with proper play.} Kg8 $2 {wrong square, although right idea to open up the 7th rank for the queen. It looked wrong to send my king to e8 and the open center.} (27... Ke8 28. Qxd4 {and now} Qd7 {is possible.} 29. Rxb6 Qxd4+ 30. Nxd4 Rh2 $11) 28. a5 $18 {things are looking bad for Black, although} (28. Qxd4 $1 $18 {is more decisive.}) 28... d3 {I decided counterattacking was my only hope, to try to pressure White into an error.} 29. Nc3 {good enough to maintain a winning advantage, but still not putting me away.} (29. axb6 $1 $18) 29... Rh2 {finally the rook actually does something, projecting power along the 2nd rank, and my opponent misses the potential threat. Time pressure started to be a factor around here.} 30. Rxb6 $4 {this looks good visually, with the rook breaking into my back ranks and king wide open, but I have (only) one good move to play.} (30. Qf2 $18) 30... Qh3 $1 $19 {now the situation is flipped and White is losing, thanks to her vulnerable king and the pin on the now indefensible g-pawn.} 31. Rb8+ Kg7 32. Ke3 Rxg2 {while we both were relatively low on time by this point, my opponent's clock situation was worse, and further deteriorated under pressure.} 33. Qb1 Qh2 {I thought for a while here. There are several possibilities for follow up with the queen, so I went with what I calculated should be a sure win, if not the fastest.} (33... Qg3 $5) 34. Kd4 Ne6+ {I decided to go with what I thought was more forcing checks with the knight, with little time to calculate everything.} (34... Nd7 $1 35. Kd5 Qxf4 $19) 35. Kd5 {my opponent is fighting hard and again there is a crossroads. Unfortunately I see the necessary idea (...Qxf4) but do not play it immediately, thinking the check is safer first.} Nc7+ $6 (35... Qxf4 $19 {sacrificing the knight is the way to go, with White's king too exposed in the center.} 36. Kxe6 Qxc4+ 37. Nd5 Qc6+ 38. Ke7 Re2+ {with mate to follow}) 36. Kc6 $1 $11 Qxf4 {now although my knight is preserved, there is no forced win, as the White king is closer to protection.} 37. Qb4 $2 {a reasonable-looking move, but not forcing enough.} (37. Rb7 {pins the knight, so after} Qxc4+ 38. Kb6 $11 {remarkably Black has nothing better than a draw.}) 37... Kh6 $1 $19 {now my king has time to escape and hide on g5.} 38. Qf8+ Kg5 39. Qd8 Qxc4+ {this is now decisive.} 40. Kb7 Rb2+ 41. Ka7 Rxb8 42. Kxb8 Qxc3 {the best move, ensuring a won K+P endgame if White captures on c7.} 43. Qd6 d2 {passed pawns must be pushed} 44. Qg3+ Kh6 {and now White flagged in a lost position.} 0-1

Annotated Game #346: Passive materialism is bad

This second-round tournament game features an interesting Colle vs. Queen's Indian setup. Black is a little over-aggressive in the opening, but I am not able to keep the small advantage obtained as a result. My opponent then doubles down on the aggression with 16...f4? - I initially respond correctly, but then make a far too materialistic decision to play passively, instead of dynamically with a significant advantage. Black continues to actively press and his attack essentially plays itself, as a result. An object lesson in the superior dynamic value of pieces.

[Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "ChessAdmin"] [Black "Class B"] [Result "0-1"] [Annotator "ChessAdmin/Dragon 3.2"] [ECO "A47"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [BlackFideId "-1"] [PlyCount "86"] [GameId "2290193471588575"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 b6 3. e3 e6 4. Bd3 Bb7 5. Nbd2 {while this is normally considered a flexible move and covers e4, castling first scores much better in the database. White need not fear an early ...Ne4.} (5. O-O Ne4 6. Nbd2 f5 {is what I wanted to avoid.} 7. Ne5 $5 {looks good, however, as Black is a bit behind in development.} Qh4 8. f4 $14) 5... Nc6 $6 {this blocks the Bb7 unnecessarily.} 6. O-O (6. c3 $5 {the standard Colle setup would be a good option as well.}) (6. a3 $5 {would now allow for b2-b4 and Bb2, with more space, as there is no pawn on c5 to block White's queenside expansion.}) 6... d5 7. b3 {not the best suited to the needs of the position, because of Black's ability to play the annoying knight sortie to b4.} (7. c3) (7. a3) (7. c4 $5) 7... Nb4 $11 8. Be2 Ne4 $6 {overly aggressive.} 9. Nxe4 (9. Bb2 {covering the c3 square for some reason did not occur to me.}) 9... dxe4 10. Ne5 $14 {I've perhaps regained a bit of opening advantage, with Black's king still in the center.} f6 11. Nc4 (11. Bh5+ {unfortunately does not work, although I looked at it seriously.} g6 {and White will not have enough for the material.} 12. Nxg6 (12. Bxg6+ hxg6 13. Nxg6 Rh6 14. Nxf8 Qd6 15. h3 Qxf8 $19) 12... hxg6 13. Bxg6+ Kd7 $19 {White has no attack.}) 11... Be7 12. a3 {this is nothing special.} (12. c3 $5 {would reinforce d4 again and create a bit more room for the White pieces.} Nd5 13. Bd2) 12... Nd5 $11 {this surprised me, although it's rather obvious.} 13. Bb2 O-O 14. Nd2 {this is a useful retreat, as the knight is exposed to b6-b5 ideas on c4, but there is no pressure on Black.} (14. f3 $5 {now would be useful, giving White a tempo up for kingside play.} f5 (14... b5 15. fxe4 bxc4 16. exd5 Qxd5 17. Bf3 Qb5 $11) 15. fxe4 fxe4 16. Bg4 Qd7) 14... f5 15. c4 {the correct reaction, gaining queenside space and kicking the knight.} Nf6 16. f3 $6 {the timing is now wrong for this, as the Nf6 helps cover the kingside better, while White's prospects look better on the queenside now.} (16. b4) 16... f4 $2 {this immediately looked wrong - I had not considered the response - and it should lead to a clear advantage for White.} 17. exf4 $1 {after some thought, I correctly concluded taking the pawn on offer was best.} e3 {this was the natural expectation, but unfortunately I miscalculated the response.} 18. Nb1 $2 {this is terribly passive and materialistic, trying to simply hold onto the extra pawn. It removes the knight from the immediate fight, as well as locking the a1 rook away.} (18. Ne4 $1 {is critical.} Nxe4 (18... Bxe4 19. fxe4 Nxe4 20. Qd3 $18) 19. fxe4 Bxe4 {somehow I hallucinated and thought my f-pawn would fall at this point.} 20. Qc1 $16 {now the e3 pawn is doomed.}) 18... Nh5 {in contrast, Black now plays easily and dynamically.} 19. Qd3 {I initially thought this solved my problems.} (19. Bc1 $19 {another bad-looking retreat, but it would force Black to find} c5 $1 {to maintain the advantage.} 20. Bxe3 cxd4 21. Bxd4 (21. Qxd4 Bc5 $19) 21... Nxf4 $19 {with a strong attack once Black can get in ...Qg5, after playing ...Bc5/Bd6}) 19... Nxf4 20. Qxe3 Bd6 $19 (20... Bg5 $19 {is even more effective, lining up on the queen.}) 21. Nc3 $2 Qg5 $1 {I completely missed this, although Black was already winning. Now there are no good choices.} 22. Kf2 Qxg2+ 23. Ke1 Qxh2 24. Kd2 Rf6 25. Ne4 (25. Rh1 {unfortunately does not solve things.} Ng2 (25... Qg3 {is the engine line, which requires some deeper calculation to ensure regaining the material.} 26. Rag1 Nxe2 27. Rxg3 Nxg3 $19 {and now if} 28. Qe1 Nxh1 29. Qxh1 Bxf3 {Black is ahead on material count and has White's king exposed.}) 26. Qd3 Qf4+ 27. Kc2 Rg6 $19 {Black can now reorganize his pieces with ...Rf8, ...Qf7 and ...Nf4 and continue the winning attack.}) 25... Bxe4 {an excellent decision, trading off a key defender.} 26. Qxe4 Qxe2+ {my opponent now makes the good practical decision to go for the simplified winning endgame.} 27. Qxe2 Nxe2 28. Kxe2 Bf4 {now Black's pieces are all at least as well-laced as mine, plus he has the outside passed h-pawn which should decide the game. My only chance for a swindle at this point is to try to create some potential for Black to blunder tactically.} 29. Rad1 Re8 30. Kf2 Rh6 {usefully occupying the h-file and removing the rook from a discovered attack on the long diagonal.} 31. Rg1 Rh2+ {this essentially forces a rook trade and seals the game for Black.} 32. Rg2 Rxg2+ 33. Kxg2 Kf7 34. Re1 (34. Rh1 {looks active but is not a threat. For example} Rd8 35. Rxh7 $2 Bh6 {trapping the rook.}) 34... g5 35. Rh1 Kg6 36. Re1 h5 37. d5 Kf5 38. Kf2 e5 {bringing another piece into the attack and highlighting how I have no counterplay at all.} 39. Rh1 h4 {the h-pawn is now too strong, although there was nothing really to be done about it.} 40. Rd1 e4 41. b4 exf3 42. Kxf3 Re3+ 43. Kf2 Rb3 {with more material loss on the way and a hopeless position, now is a good time to resign.} 0-1

Training quote of the day #64: Viswanathan Anand

   

From Mind Master: Winning Lessons From A Champion's Life by GM Viswanathan Anand:

Principally, winning in chess is centred on your emotions. It’s the moments when you lose control over your emotions that decide the outcome of your games. The tactics players employ, therefore, have as much to do with progressing on the board as with drawing opponents out of their comfort zones, then lying in wait for them to wander into a mistake.

Chess imagery fouls from chess content creators (who should know better)

This blog has occasionally highlighted pop culture chess imagery fouls, which are annoying to encounter, but sometimes are amusing, especially when sourced to creators who probably don't even play chess.

Something relatively new as a phenomenon in chess publishing (mostly online) is the posting of incorrect, sometimes even howlingly bad, chess imagery from chess professionals who are content creators (and should know better). The new-ish normal is that every blog post on the interwebs is expected to have an image at the top, regardless of whether it adds anything to the meaning of the content. I'll put up an image when it makes sense and adds to the post, for example showing a book cover or a chess diagram or a (real) person mentioned in the text.

Generative AI of course is increasingly used to provide images, but it is notoriously bad at chess (and apparently chess imagery as well). Professionals should at the very least do a quick blunder check on the images they are posting. One recent example is pasted below - count the different number of files for White (9) and Black (11) on the impossible chessboard.

Source: https://www.chess.com/blog/attilaturzo/why-life-imitates-chess (as posted June 22, 2026)

More amusing is the following, which was intended as entertainment content in the first place, from https://www.instagram.com/summer_star____/reels/ (screen grab source)

At least this board setup, even if illegal, is physically possible, with the colors and the king/queen positions having been reversed. It's perhaps natural to have a bit of sympathy for an oops by an 1100-rated internet chess influencer that is willing to put herself out there at the National Open, compared with an IM who should really know better.

Training quote of the day #63: Viswanathan Anand

  

From Mind Master: Winning Lessons From A Champion's Life by GM Viswanathan Anand:

The rule of thumb for remembering deeply is to look at a position once, then not look at it for a day, then go over it once again and skip it for three days, and then go back and look at it yet again. By the eighth time you’ve looked at it, your brain has already encoded the memory and every time you come back to it, it only gets reinforced. In recent years, what I often do is take photographs of all the positions I want to revise and keep them on my phone. When I’m on a flight, I flip through them. The idea is to expose my brain to what I want it to recall. This exercise, though, is unlikely to offer results if done over too short a span of time. By the third time the brain may have switched off. If done on an irregular schedule for one or two weeks, by the end of the second week the image of the positions on the board would have lodged itself in the mind. Although, even that may not be permanent. It’s helpful to revise the position or idea a month later, repeat the same after three more months and by the end of the year it should have set up camp in your brain. The only guarantee to remembering is periodic revision. The intervals can be lengthened, but at the end of each break there should be a refresher course waiting.

Annotated Game #345: Rich content, abrupt ending

In this first-round tournament game, a fairly complex Caro-Kann Advance, I burn almost all of my time navigating the middlegame, leaving not enough energy to keep up with my opponent's ideas and threats. The ending is therefore rather abrupt, but I give credit to my opponent for continuing to come up with ideas that at least appeared threatening on the kingside, which distracted me from achieving a meaningful breakthrough with queenside counterplay. This game was rich in typical ideas for the opening and middlegame structure, however, so I feel I learned a lot examining it.

[Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "2026.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Class A"] [Black "ChessAdmin"] [Result "1-0"] [Annotator "ChessAdmin/Dragon 3.2"] [ECO "B12"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [BlackFideId "-1"] [PlyCount "99"] [GameId "2300420729859133"] 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Bg4 {now White has several options, although Be2 is by far the most played, in order to break the pin on the Nf3.} 6. Be3 cxd4 7. cxd4 e6 $11 {my personal "book" ended here. Black has a very reasonable game and has fully equalized.} 8. Bb5 {an obvious option, developing the bishop with a pin and preparing to castle, but relatively little played in the database.} Bb4+ {with the c3 pawn gone, Black has this similar, tempo-gaining response.} 9. Nc3 Nge7 {completing Black's ideal minor piece development structure.} 10. O-O O-O {a safe, if uninspired, choice.} (10... Qa5 $5 {is a way to increase the pressure on White before castling. White will need to withdraw or protect the Bb5 again in some fashion, as a "removal of the guard" is threatened against the Nc3.}) 11. Bd3 {my opponent evidently was looking for a more active diagonal for the bishop. I of course want to neutralize it, and chose the most direct way.} Bf5 (11... Nf5 $15 {is the standard move in these positions, for a reason. Black would be happy to have White exchange bishop for knight on f5, and meanwhile the knight exerts pressure on the e3/d4 central squares.} 12. h3 {I hallucinated was an option for White, which is refuted by} Bxf3 13. Qxf3 Ncxd4 $17 {since White's attack is easily repelled after} 14. Bxd4 Nxd4 15. Qg4 Nc6 16. f4 g6 {and White does not have enough forces left to successfully throw at Black's king.} 17. f5 $2 Qb6+ 18. Kh1 Nxe5 $19) 12. a3 Bxc3 {the dark-square bishop is hemmed in by White's pawns, so is happy to exchange itself for the Nc3.} 13. bxc3 Rc8 {activating the rook on the half-open file.} 14. Rc1 Bxd3 {exchanging bishops, thereby reducing White's potential attacking forces on the kingside.} (14... h6 $5 {would be useful prophylaxis to defend the g5 square from White's minor pieces.}) 15. Qxd3 Ng6 {I wanted to block the h7-b1 diagonal, but it was not necessary to commit the piece, which could have a better future on f5.} (15... h6 {again comes into consideration, taking away the g5 square from White. Ng6 is still an option if needed.}) 16. Bg5 {the most active option.} Qa5 {with counterplay against the a-pawn, to keep the position level.} (16... Nge7 {the engine assesses it is best to simply go back with the knight. It is difficult psychologically for humans to retract a recent move, howeer.}) 17. Ra1 $6 {static defense from my opponent.} (17. h4 $5 {is a more active option that would keep me under some pressure.} h6 18. h5 Nge7 $11) 17... h6 18. Bd2 Qa4 {removing the queen from the bishop's diagonal, while restraining c3-c4.} 19. Rfb1 {activating the rook on the b-file.} Na5 {protecting b7 while eyeing the jump to c4.} (19... b6 {is also good, simply ending the pressure on the b-file.}) 20. Rb4 {this was a bit of a surprise, but not really a problem for me.} Qd7 21. h4 {White again turns his attention to kingside play. This is objectively best according to the engine, but seemed a bit contradictory, given the recent transfer of the rook from f1 to b4.} Nc4 {the knight takes up its position on the outpost square.} 22. Bc1 {choosing to take the time to preserve the bishop.} (22. h5 $5) 22... Rc7 {the idea of course is to double on the c-file. This is good enough for continued equality.} (22... b6 $15 {is preferred by the engine, which locks down the b-file and brings into focus the relatively poor placement of White's rooks.}) 23. a4 b6 24. g4 $2 {a significantly weakening move in objective terms, although broadly speaking White does best with kingside play. However, I did not understand the position sufficiently well to correctly combat the aggressive thrust.} (24. h5 Ne7 $11) 24... Ne7 $15 {a reasonable retreat, although there was a better option.} (24... f5 $1 {I did not consider this idea seriously enough this early in the game. Let's see why the f-pawn break works so well, which is thematic in French Defense-type structures.} 25. exf6 Rxf6 26. g5 {and now} Rf5 $19 {would block the Qd3's attack on the Ng6, which I missed, thinking instead the knight would be hanging. Despite even material, Black will soon be able to exploit open files on the kingside better than White, using the mobile heavy pieces. For example} 27. gxh6 gxh6 28. Bxh6 $2 Qh7 $19) 25. Kg2 {this is too slow.} Kh8 $6 {not a terrible move in itself, but it is overly passive and I am letting White play his preferred game.} (25... f5 $1 {again looks best.}) (25... Nc6 $17 {is another good, active option.}) 26. Bf4 {clearing the first rank for the rook.} Rfc8 $6 {my sense of danger is a bit underdeveloped, evidently. While adding to the queenside counterplay, this is not a forcing move and removes a defender from the f-file.} (26... a5 {at least I considered this option. I thought that it would simply force the rook back to a better square after} 27. Rbb1 {but} Ng6 $15 {this move now comes with tempo and can be effectively followed by ...f5! once the bishop retreats.}) (26... Ng6 $15 {followed by ...a5 or ...f5 is also good, although it is funny to see the knight bounce around so much.}) 27. Rh1 $6 {this effectively abandons the a-pawn for not enough compensation, but I did not pay enough attention to the opportunity to win it by removing the Rb4 defender.} Na5 $6 {this is still equal, but de-activates the knight in exchange for increased pressure down the c-file.} (27... a5 28. Rbb1 Qxa4 $17 {Black is simply a pawn down with no compensation. For example} 29. g5 $2 h5 $1 {and White has no attack.}) 28. Bd2 $11 {the simple solution, shoring up the c3 square.} Nc4 29. Be1 $2 {giving up the wrong diagonal, as the bishop is much more effective while on c1-h6.} (29. Bg5 $5 {is now an option, as White would win if the h-file were opened.}) 29... Rg8 {if the rook had to go back to protect the king, then f8 is a better square.} (29... Ng6 $1 {is most active and is threatening a fork on f4, now that the bishop has departed the c1-h6 diagonal.}) 30. Ng5 {an unwelcome surprise, forcing me to think hard. I immediately saw that the knight was untouchable, due to the mate on the h-file if opened.} Ng6 $1 $17 {best and forced.} 31. Kg3 {an aggressive way of meeting the fork threat on f4.} f5 $5 {better late than never, for this break.} (31... Qe8 {is the more solid choice.}) 32. gxf5 exf5 {you can see how the break is less advantageous without having a rook on the f-file to recapture with.} 33. f4 {this was expected. Now I am fine, even with an advantage according to the engine, but it is still difficult to find ideas to make progress. Time pressure was also starting to make itself felt at this point.} Nf8 $6 {with the obvious idea of blockading on e6.} (33... Ne7 $17 {is the engine's preferred square for the knight, leaving the 8th rank open to reposition the Rg8, while also protecting both f5 and d5.}) 34. Rb1 $6 {choosing to fully abandon the a-pawn, apparently in the hopes of continuing the kingside attack with an additional rook.} (34. Rxc4 {is the engine line, although this is hardly an obvious exchange sacrifice.} dxc4 35. Qf3 $11 {White's compensation lies in the form of the e/d central pawn roller.}) 34... g6 $1 {now that the king has an escape square on g7, the Ng5 is in fact threatened.} 35. Nf3 Ne6 $17 {I felt I could wait and grab the a-pawn later. However, this allows my opponent to re-think his abandonment of it.} (35... Qxa4 $17) 36. Rb4 {this is a more awkward square for the rook.} (36. Ra1) 36... Rg7 $6 {here I was tired from all of the calculating and feeling the time pressure, and still did not have an idea of how to make real progress. The rook looks good opposed to White's king on the g-file, but White's lock on the g5 square means the rook is also effectively locked out of the game.} (36... Rgc8 $17 {this both redeploys the rook to a useful square and gives my king another escape square, if needed.}) 37. Ng1 $2 {White definitely should improve the knight, but this is not the way. However, in response I again make non-threatening moves without generating counterplay, giving my opponent time to mobilize his forces.} (37. Nd2 $11) 37... Kg8 (37... a5 {this idea is again effective, looking to drive away the a-pawn's protector.} 38. Rb5 {and now} Rb7 $17 {with either ...Nc7 or ...Na3 as a follow-up is a solid way to obtain an advantage.}) 38. Nh3 {I am fine up to this opint, but am still neglecting counterplay.} h5 $6 {there were several more active options here.} (38... Qc6) (38... a5) (38... Rb7) 39. Kf3 Rc6 (39... a5 $1 {I keep ignoring this idea.}) 40. Rg1 {targeting the weakness on g6, which however will be difficult to attack further.} Nf8 $6 $11 {this was simply unnecessary.} (40... a5 41. Rb1 Rc7 42. Qd1 Rb7 43. Nf2 b5 $15 {and I have the initiative on the queenside, while White has nothing on the kingside.}) 41. Rg2 Qc8 {continuing to play somewhat aimlessly. This unfortunately removes my queen from the e8-a4 diagonal, meaning it is no longer a threat to the a4 pawn.} 42. Re2 Ne6 43. Kg3 Qe8 44. Qf3 Nc7 {my intent was just to shuffle pieces at this point, but probably this was better done with the queen.} (44... Qd8) (44... Qd7) 45. Nf2 Qd7 46. Nd3 Re6 47. Ra2 Rc6 {I still have an equal but increasingly awkward game, as my pieces are not harmonized and lack squares, especially the rooks.} 48. Rb1 {I miss the point of the move, which liberates the b4 square.} Ne6 $2 {with a few minutes on my clock for the remainder of the game, I miss White's next, which forks the rook and d5.} (48... Kh7 $11) (48... Re6 $11) 49. Nb4 $16 Na5 $2 (49... Nc7 {limits the damage, although still gives White the Exchange.} 50. Nxc6 Qxc6 $16) 50. Nxd5 $1 $18 {my opponent correctly passes up the exchange and goes for a more consequential move. A fork is now threatened on f6 and the e/d central pawn roller is activated, making the position resignable.} 1-0

Training quote of the day #62: Viswanathan Anand

 

From Mind Master: Winning Lessons From A Champion's Life by GM Viswanathan Anand:

...I'd methodically write the notations down in neat letters and often underline - with a belligerent double streak - the notes on the portions of the game where I'd blundered. As I grew older, this practice slowly grew on me. Putting down my observations right after a defeat when the pain was raw and the sting was fresh, I stumbled upon the solutions I had seen but didn't act upon or the ones I had overlooked. Not only did it help me spot my mistakes but it also gave me a macro perspective of whether the misses fit into some sort of a worrying pattern that needed to be eliminated. After a win, I'd usually allow myself some room and stay away from this process a little longer before the cadaver was laid out for close examination. I was still curious to know if I played a line in the best way possible, but the urge was not as strong as it was following defeats or missed opportunities. It was also a brilliant way to funnel my emotions after a game - angst, remorse or delirium - and study the results objectively. Once this practice became routine, after every game I couldn't wait to revisit what I did or didn't do. Suddenly, I began to feel that without that understanding my experience was almost incomplete.

FT article: (Chess fan) George Russell talks tactics and sharing a garage with the teenage F1 leader

 

Along with other recent pop culture references about chess, it's interesting to track the image of chess (and chessplayers) projected in the media. For example, the print version of the Financial Times on June 5 had a leader (see above screenshot) "Chess fan George Russell plots his next move after early setbacks" for the article George Russell talks tactics and sharing a garage with the teenage F1 leader. 

The online version linked above does not mention chess in the leader, and there's relatively little about it in the article itself - only a mention of how driver George Russell likes to be competitive off the Formula 1 circuit as well, playing a lot of online chess. Chess is nonetheless associated with strategic thinking, competitiveness, and glamorous international sport. For we chessplayers (amateur or professional), this type of positive halo effect is always nice to see.

In the spirit of this blog's periodic training quotes of the day, here's one from the article that is worth considering:

“The way I looked at it is that every season before this, when I wasn’t fighting for a championship, my objective was always to get the most out of every single day on track,” he says. “Whether that meant fighting for victory or only fighting for fifth position, the goal was always the same: drive as fast as possible and maximise the things I can control.

“That approach led me to this point in my career, where I’m now fighting for a championship, so why should I change anything?”

Pop culture chess imagery: 007 First Light

 

Source:
https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/1tq3skr/the_position_in_the_new_007_first_light_game/

As an addition to previous commentary on pop culture chess imagery, thanks to @IMPERATOR_63 on Reddit (link above) there is now a new entry from the recently-released 007 First Light video game. The virtual setting is clearly a throwback/callout to the From Russia With Love chess tournament scene, although with a modernized board display. So props to the developers for that.

Of course with pop culture, it seems there is always something wrong with the depiction of chess. Here the row numbering is reversed, with A8 being in the lower-left corner. At least the position itself (if you ignore the coordinates) is a real one.

Training quote of the day #61: Dalton Perrine

From FM Dalton Perrine's Substack post "The Most Common Mistakes Chess Coaches Make (According to Chess Coaches)"

What’s Hard to Teach but Actually Works

...

Fixing how a student thinks during a game. Getting them to think in concrete moves and sequences rather than in vague principles and words. Working on the mental side: how they handle frustration, how they recover from a loss, how they show up to a tournament on day three when they’re tired and behind. Raising the floor of their play before chasing the ceiling, because rating reflects your average performance and your worst games drag the average down harder than your best games lift it.

Annotated Game #344: White wins again

In this final round game, I had only my second White in five games, with the pattern so far in the tournament of White winning in all of them. I certainly hoped that trend would continue.

My opponent was evidently unfamiliar with the Colle, but still did a creditable job in the opening, leaving the database on move 8. While I had a slight plus after that due to more space on the queenside, it was nothing special. Black's key error was a simple piece exchange, which is another object lesson in the mastery concept of the effects of piece exchanges. After that, my attack was sufficient to crash through my opponent's limited kingside defenses. Another victory for an initially unassuming-looking Colle.

[Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "ChessAdmin"] [Black "Class C"] [Result "1-0"] [Annotator "ChessAdmin/Dragon 3.2"] [ECO "D05"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [BlackFideId "-1"] [PlyCount "45"] [GameId "2280365257781313"] 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 e6 3. e3 Nf6 {my opponent took some time on his last two moves, indicating he was not familiar with facing the Colle.} 4. Bd3 Nbd7 5. Nbd2 {I judged this the most flexible move-order, keeping control of e4.} c5 6. b3 cxd4 7. exd4 Bd6 8. Bb2 a5 {now out of the database.} 9. a4 $14 {this seemed the logical response, preventing a5-a4 which would be disruptive, and controlling b5.} b6 10. O-O (10. Qe2 {would prevent the ...Ba6 idea, which appears later.}) 10... O-O 11. Re1 Re8 12. Ne5 Ba6 13. Qe2 (13. c4 $5 {is clearly better, preserving the bishop from exchange and getting the c-pawn into the fight.}) 13... Nb8 $6 {Black should just go ahead and exchange off the Bd3.} 14. c4 {I thought about this for a while, unhappy that my excellently-placed Bd3 would eventually be exchanged off. Then it occurred to me that this need not happen, by playing the text move.} (14. Bb5 $5 $14 {is an interesting alternative. The point is that after} Bxb5 15. axb5 {White controls c6 and a6, While Black cannot get at the b5 pawn easily.}) 14... Bxe5 $4 {this simple-looking exchange loses for Black, as his kingside defenses are stripped away.} 15. dxe5 $1 $18 dxc4 {evidently this was my opponent's idea, which I had foreseen.} 16. bxc4 {for Black, the Ba6 is now out of play and the Nf6 is forced away from the king's defense.} Nfd7 17. Qh5 {I had a long think here, looking for a knockout blow. This is good enough to win, but not the most decisive move.} (17. Bxh7+ $1 {it is important to always look to see if this bishop sac on h7 can be played.} Kxh7 18. Qh5+ Kg8 19. Ra3 $1 {a key rook lift idea, which I had missed.} Nc5 20. Rh3 Kf8 21. Ne4 Nxe4 22. Rxe4 {the Qh5 covers the mate threat on d1.} Ke7 23. Rf4 $18) (17. Qe4 {initially looked attractive, forking the Ra8 and the mating square on h7. According to the engine it would have been another winning option, but ultimately I judged it did not work as well as the text move, instead offering Black at least a semblance of counterplay.} Nf8 18. Qxa8 Qxd3 $18) 17... h6 (17... g6 18. Qh6 {is what I primarily looked at during the game, and correctly concluded that the Nd2 could then decisively enter the attack via e4 or f3.}) 18. Ne4 $1 {bringing the knight into the attack via a central square.} Nc5 19. Nd6 (19. Nf6+ {I also looked at seriously, and is preferred by the engine. Howeer, I could not fully visualize its effects, so opted for the text move to continue the attack.} gxf6 20. Bh7+ Kxh7 21. Qxf7+ Kh8 22. Qg6 f5 23. Qxh6+ Kg8 24. Re3 $18) 19... Nxd3 {taking the material is just a distraction for Black, making it easier for me.} (19... Re7 20. Re3 $18 {was my planned continuation.}) (19... Rf8 20. Bb1 Qg5 21. Qe2 $18 {it is easy for the engine to retreat like this and still keep the pressure up, a good lesson for humans. Ra3-g3 is coming and the bishops and queen are still part of the kingside attack.}) 20. Qxf7+ {I assessed Black was lost after this.} Kh8 21. Nxe8 {threatening mate on g7.} Qg5 22. Bc1 (22. h4 {is more forcing, as the queen cannot move away from defending g7.}) 22... Nxc1 23. Raxc1 {and with more material loss on the way, my opponent resigned.} 1-0

How Carlsen makes us feel better about chess V

From comments made by GM Magnus Carlsen after his round 5 win at the TePe Sigegman Chess 2026 event. (Source: Chess.com)

"It was incredibly shaky! I thought early on that I was doing alright, but I couldn’t figure it out, and then I lost the thread. I think she [GM Zhu Jiner] completely outplayed me for a while there—I didn’t like what was going on at all."

Carlsen admitted his 14.Nh4?! was "really a bit too much," explaining, "I just didn't know what to do and I was down to 26 minutes or something, and having no idea what my plans were."

(See all of the posts on "How Carlsen makes us feel better about chess")

Annotated Game #343: Stranger in a strange (Dutch) land

After my first outing with the 'pure' Dutch Defense in Annotated Game #342, I immediately and surprisingly got a chance to redeem myself as Black, thanks to the tournament director generously giving me two Blacks in a row, which also made it it 3 out of 4 Blacks for the tournament to that point. Naturally I had been mentally prepared to play as White, so it was not an auspicious start.

In contrast to the previous game, my opponent confidently played the 2. Bg5 sideline, although by move 8 I had fully equalized. The Dutch sidelines can generate some strange-looking positions, so I had very little to fall back on for guidelines and standard plans. As the analysis shows, wild-looking attacking play is what the Dutch sometimes demands - see the move 9 variations - although my more solid approach was going well enough until the blunder 10...Kf7? That opened the door for White to easily and quickly ramp up pressure against my king, and my opponent did a good job of mobilizing her pieces effectively and inviting them all to the party, taking advantage of further mistakes on my part.

[Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Class A"] [Black "ChessAdmin"] [Result "1-0"] [Annotator "ChessAdmin/Dragon 3.2"] [ECO "A80"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [BlackFideId "-1"] [PlyCount "59"] [GameId "2280365257781312"] 1. d4 f5 2. Bg5 {one of the main Dutch sidelines, which can be annoying for Black to face.} g6 {most played in the database, and probably the most solid response.} 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e3 h6 {relatively little-played, but scores the best for Black.} 5. Bh4 Nf6 6. Bxf6 {White decides to exchange minor pieces and not worry about her bishop potentially being threatened by Black's advancing pawns.} Bxf6 {not the most natural place for the bishop, but development is about equal.} 7. Bc4 {now we're out of the database.} c6 {logically preparing ...d5} 8. g4 $5 {indicating that my opponent is in an aggressive mood.} d5 $11 {with White's bishop effectively losing a tempo, Black has now fully equalized.} 9. Bd3 e6 {this seemed the solid choice to me, given White's light-square pressure, establishing a Stonewall formation.} (9... e5 $5 {this more dynamic central pawn move I did not seriously consider, but the general Dutch Defense principle works here: if Black can play ...e5 without problems, it should be played. However, it requires some wild-looking play.} 10. dxe5 Bxe5 11. gxf5 Bxf5 $2 {as I had calculated did not work, though. Black has to find a more non-standard approach.} (11... Qf6 {is not obvious. But why sacrifice only one pawn, when you can sac two for the attack?} 12. fxg6 O-O 13. Qd2 Bg4 $11) (11... Qb6 {is similar to the below variation.}) 12. Bxf5 gxf5 13. Qh5+ $16) (9... Qb6 {would take advantage of the White dark-square bishop's absence by counterattacking b2, but again this is not a normal sequence.} 10. gxf5 Qxb2 11. Nge2 gxf5 12. a3 Qb6 13. Nf4 Qa5 $14) 10. Nge2 Kf7 $2 {it looks like the king is helping cover the weak g6 and e6 squares, but unfortunately this just causes more middlegame problems.} (10... Nd7 $11 {normal development is good.} 11. gxf5 exf5 {and now ...Nf8 is available for the defense.}) 11. gxf5 $16 exf5 12. Nf4 {I underestimated the strength of this follow-up. The knight goes to its ideal square and it is easy for White to generate more pressure.} Rg8 $6 {the defense is already difficult, this makes it more so.} (12... Bg5 $16 {would at least threaten to exchange off the attacking knight.}) (12... Nd7 $16 {brings another piece in.}) (12... g5 $2 {unfortunately kicking the knight, which I had wrongly assumed would be easy, fails to} 13. Qh5+ $18) 13. Rg1 (13. Qf3 $18 {is even better, getting the queen into the action and allowing for castling queenside.}) 13... Bg5 $6 {a good idea, played a move late. Now White has a tactical refutation.} (13... Nd7) 14. Qf3 {still very good to keep up the pressure, but missing} (14. Nxg6 $1 Rxg6 15. h4 Bxh4 16. Qh5 $1 $18) 14... Be6 $2 {just a terrible move, adding nothing to the defense and allowing an obvious capture to wreck my position. The intent was actually to play ...Nd7 next, without blocking the bishop's diagonal.} (14... Qf6 {was my other candidate move, which however does not solve Black's problems.}) (14... Bxf4 {for some reason I did not look at this move, partly because I was now fixated on getting my other pieces into the defense.} 15. Qxf4 g5) 15. Nxe6 $1 Kxe6 16. h4 $1 $18 {now the game is essentially over.} Bf6 (16... Bxh4 17. Rxg6+ Rxg6 18. Qxf5+ $18) 17. Rxg6 Nd7 {an attempt to confuse the situation for White.} 18. Qxf5+ Ke7 19. O-O-O {while there are quicker ways to win, this is a strong consolidating move, also bringing the second rook into the mix.} Qf8 20. Rdg1 Rxg6 21. Rxg6 Qh8 (21... Qf7 $5 $18) 22. Ne2 {White brings her last piece into the attack.} Rg8 23. Nf4 Nf8 24. h5 $1 {with this, the jaws of the attack clamp shut and the rest is just futile struggle.} Nxg6 25. Nxg6+ Rxg6 26. hxg6 {things look much better after the exchanges, but White's pieces are still fiercely dominant.} h5 27. Be2 h4 28. Bg4 Qe8 {losing more quickly.} (28... Qg8 29. Qd7+ {is probably the simplest way to proceed.} Kf8 30. Bh5 $18) 29. Qe6+ Kf8 30. Qxf6+ 1-0

Book completed - Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

I recently completed Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel Pink (Riverhead Hardcover, 2009). Given that it has been around for over 15 years at this point, it is not surprising that some of its main ideas are in general circulation and widely accepted. However, since motivation is so central to learning and improvement, I still found it valuable to read and reflect on the original source.

The core concept is that the exercise of complex, creative knowledge-based skills and one's performance on related tasks is best driven by intrinsic (internal) motivation, rather than extrinsic (external) rewards. While the book is largely oriented towards business-related scenarios, a significant part of it applies to the broader process of mastery, as reflected in Training quote of the day #60. The author enumerates three elements of intrinsic motivation; what follows is my own summation/understanding of each, which are also interrelated:

1) Autonomy - you feel you have personal agency, which means that your decisions matter and help shape outcomes.

2) Mastery - here the author, as often occurs, refers to its manifestation in the "flow" state as defined by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience - thereby demonstrating one's full engagement in a task. "Compliance" is contrasted with "mastery" as opposite approaches. The former reflects a lack of autonomy and more mechanistic approach to tasks (following instructions capably), while the latter incorporates a deeper understanding of the situation and a creative approach. One common illustration is the difference between a cook (someone who only follows recipes provided by others) and a chef in the kitchen.

3) Purpose - you feel that the goal of your work/activity is meaningful and worthwhile.

I'll offer some personal views on how this all relates to the pursuit of chess mastery:

Because "chess is hard" an improving player certainly has to feel that their purpose is worth the time and effort invested, since it will take a significant amount of both to achieve something close to mastery, with more needed the higher you go on the scale.

• As with many sports, this is one reason why there is such a dropoff in individual participation after a scholastic career is over and the external parental/school/social incentive structure is removed. Many juniors may have liked the game and achieved a measure of success, but not enough to continue the effortful study required without outside reinforcement. Others may have been very good at it, but did not actually like it for whatever reason - perhaps because it was their parents' choice, not theirs - so decide to pursue other personal interests.
• Adult improvers in contrast typically have less time to devote, but presumably are choosing for themselves (autonomy) what activities to pursue. However, this means that more will quit out of frustration at not seeing short-term gains, if they do not have a longer-term sense of motivation.

It is important to understand that a better quality of motivation does not necessarily translate into better outcomes; certainly not in the short run. The cook vs. chef example above offers an intuitive illustration of that: most people would rather eat a meal prepared by a good cook than a poor chef. For advanced-level results, however, solely following others' formulas by rote will not get you there. 

• One common practice in chess is adopting opening repertoires from a particular authority. While this is a good shortcut for opening preparation, no one source will be 100% correct objectively, and given your unique strengths, weaknesses and interests in the game, certainly no single repertoire "recipe" will be a best solution. I can't think of a single master-level example of someone who simply copies another player's published repertoire.
• At a certain point in the improvement process, concrete analysis and positional understanding has to replace common "chess principles" as the primary considerations in determining what move to play. This doesn't mean that principles, rules of thumb, etc. are not valuable - they do tend to get unfairly trashed a lot these days - but they should be a starting point for your thinking process, not the end of it.

Finally, the mental trap of focusing too much on rating outcomes is not just a common source of anxiety, but can undermine a player's long-term motivation and purpose. A rating goal is not necessarily a problem - it is an objective measure of performance level - but when it becomes the primary purpose then I believe our thinking can become excessively warped. The purpose of improvement is to grow in chess strength and understanding over time, which is eventually reflected in a higher rating due to performance achievements. Your personal strength level is intrinsic, while a numerical rating by definition is an extrinsic statistical snapshot in time and result-dependent. Obsessing over rating is similar to the mental trap of focusing on receiving a high grade on a test, and putting all your effort into "gaming the system" to try to obtain that grade, rather than on mastering the underlying material.

Annotated Game #342: A first 'true' Dutch Defense as Black

This third-round game saw me bravely use the 'true' or 'pure' Dutch Defense (1.d4 f5) for the first time as Black. I've previously played the Dutch Stonewall by transposition, but decided to adopt the move one version so I can use the Leningrad Variation. My opponent was rather hesitant during the first few moves, which indicated to me that he was not familiar with the Dutch at all. That said, he played into the main fianchetto line for White with the rare 4. f4!? thrown in, apparently in an effort to play symmetrically and reduce the chances of any surprises. As a result I equalized rather easily, but then blew the middlegame with some poor choices, including misunderstanding the best way of contesting the a-file. That has happened before in my games, so I hope I've learned my lesson there. The Dutch performed well in the opening phase, however, so the loss was not its fault; I'll need to do better by it in the future.

[Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Class B"] [Black "ChessAdmin"] [Result "1-0"] [Annotator "ChessAdmin/Dragon 3.2"] [ECO "A81"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [BlackFideId "-1"] [PlyCount "61"] [GameId "2280365257781311"] 1. d4 f5 {this is first time I am playing a "pure" Dutch Defense (as Black), with this move-order.} 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 g6 {so far we are heading for the Leningrad Dutch main line, but now White deviates with the rare} 4. f4 $5 Bg7 {there is no reason Black should not continue with his development plan.} 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O d6 {Black has won all three database games I have from this position. With the text move, I continue to follow the main line Leningrad plan, contesting e5.} (6... e6 $5 {controls d5 but leaves Black's further development flexible.}) (6... d5 {is the engine's preference, establishing a symmetrical structure.}) 7. c4 c6 {continuing with the main line Leningrad idea of contesting the d5 square.} 8. Nc3 {by transposition, we have reached a somewhat more common position.} Na6 {is a common development idea for the knight, with ...Rb8, ...Nb4 and ..a5 as ideas for follow-up.} (8... Nbd7 {is more solid and scores better, fighting directly for the center.}) 9. a3 Bd7 (9... Nc7 {played immediately is probably better, as the knight now has no future on a6.}) 10. Qd3 Nc7 {both sides are equally developed and the position is dynamically balanced overall.} 11. Bd2 Rb8 (11... a5 $5 {would directly contest White's obvious plan of advancing his queensidde pawns.}) 12. b4 b5 $11 {Black is now fully equalized. With the rook off of the long diagonal and thus not a target for a discovered attack, this advance is possible.} 13. c5 {now there are multiple good options, but it was not clear to me what the best plan was.} Ncd5 {not bad, but perhaps not best.} (13... Be6 $5 {with the idea of occupying c4 as an outpost for the bishop.}) (13... a6) (13... Rc8) 14. Rae1 {it is a bit premature to commit the rook like this.} Nxc3 {the best move, according to the engine. My knight previously sitting on c7 exchanges itself for its better-placed counterpart, while leaving behind more space for my pieces to maneuver.} 15. Bxc3 Qc7 {connecting the rooks and influencing the center more with the queen's presence.} 16. Nd2 d5 $6 {I had a long think here about changing the nature of the position, in this case to a more closed one; however, the engine prefers not to lock things up.} (16... Be6 $11) 17. Ra1 $14 {correctly moving the rook back to the more dynamic queenside for White.} a6 18. a4 {White is now able to focus his resources on the a-pawn lever, without having to worry about his center being exchanged/dissolved.} Ra8 $6 {wrong idea - how about that a-file (again)? Black does not need to occupy the a-file to shut off White's use of it.} (18... Ne4 $14 {better to gain some minor piece activity.}) 19. Ra2 Ra7 {not realizing the looming difficulty on the a-file.} 20. Rfa1 Rfa8 21. Nf3 $16 {White is now clearly better, with his pieces more active and me having to worry about potential tactics down the a-file.} Ne4 22. Be1 {preserving the bishop, which is helping restrain any potential movement by my queenside forces.} Bf6 {played as a waiting move. Unfortunately I have little that I can do to improve my position.} 23. e3 Kg7 24. Nd2 Nxd2 $6 {I did not properly evaluate the consequences of the piece trade.} (24... a5 $5 {no pawn lever, no plan. With the knight temporarily obscuring the Be1, now was the time to try this.} 25. axb5 cxb5 $14 {now White has much less pressure and I have hopes of getting in a5-a4.}) 25. Bxd2 $16 {I thought I could hold a draw with a closed position and the knights off the board, although defending the a-file remained a nuisance. Unfortunately White still has all the pressure and winning potential.} h6 (25... e6 $5 {the engine rates as equivalent, but it would prevent the tactical trick for White that soon appears.}) 26. Qa3 bxa4 $6 {this opens things up to White's advantage.} 27. Qxa4 Bc8 {this is passive defense, but I have no good options anyway.} 28. Qa5 Qxa5 29. Rxa5 Kf7 $4 {I was starting to feel some time pressure here, but in any case missed White's next.} (29... e6 $16) 30. b5 $1 cxb5 31. Bxd5+ $1 $18 1-0

Annotated Game #341: The lurking Colle

In this second-round tournament game, my opponent initially struggles with her unfamiliarity in the opening (a Colle-Zukertort) but eventually a small error is made leading to much greater vulnerabilities and a relatively quick breakthrough for White on the kingside. Broadly similar to Annotated Game #339 and others, I've seen a recurring pattern in the Colle where White obtains no actual advantage out of the opening, but like a shark lurks in calm waters, waiting for the opponent to offer up some tasty meat. There are no spectacular sacrifices here, although there is a tactical forced end sequence - just an illustration of how White's pieces can quickly activate in a threatening, sometimes decisive manner. At the same time, analysis shows how patience and constant pressure can also be required, as in the note to move 16.

[Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "ChessAdmin"] [Black "Class C"] [Result "1-0"] [Annotator "ChessAdmin/Dragon 3.2"] [ECO "D05"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [BlackFideId "-1"] [PlyCount "55"] [GameId "2277541253412298"] 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 Bf5 {my opponent took a long time thinking about her response, indicating an unfamiliarity with the Colle.} 4. Nh4 Bc8 5. Nf3 {by repeating the position, the ball is now back to my opponent, who again has to think again about what to do, and this time chooses the main line symmetrical option.} e6 6. Bd3 Bd6 7. b3 (7. Nbd2 {is a bit more flexible option, also controlling the e4 square.}) 7... c5 8. Bb2 (8. dxc5 $5 {is the only way to take advantage of Black's move-order with the early ...Bd6, but does not lead to much.} Bxc5 9. Nbd2 $11) 8... O-O 9. Nbd2 Nc6 10. O-O (10. dxc5 $5 {is again the best try for advantage.} Bxc5 11. a3 a5 12. c4 $14 {may give White a little more with the small space advantage on the queenside.}) 10... b6 {we have now transposed to the main line with a Black Nc6/Bd6 setup.} 11. Ne5 Bb7 12. f4 {I decided on the direct approach here.} (12. a3 {would be a useful prepatory move, controlling b4.}) 12... cxd4 (12... Nb4 13. Be2 {isn't the end of the world, but it still gives Black more than necessary, with at least an extra tempo before the knight gets kicked with a2-a3.}) 13. exd4 {keeping pieces on for a potential kingside attack.} (13. Nxc6 {is a more standard Colle approach.} Bxc6 14. Bxd4 $11 {and the dark-square bishop still has the long diagonal to work with.}) 13... Nd7 $6 {the first real error by my opponent. While still not terrible here, it's rarely a good idea to remove the Nf6 from the kingside defense if you are Black. And if you are White, look to take advantage of it.} 14. c3 $14 {the engine validates my choice here. Now b4 is belatedly controlled, meaning my bishop stays good on d3, and my pieces are poised for kingside action.} Ncxe5 $2 {while this eliminates White's centralized knight, the pawn replacing it on e5 is even stronger, while the f-file is opened.} 15. fxe5 Bc7 $2 {this compounds the problem, as the bishop is now walled off from the fight.} (15... Be7 $18 {at least the a3-f8 diagonal is now covered.}) 16. Qh5 $18 {the second best move, according to the engine.} (16. Ba3 $18 {I debated playing this first, which the engine considers stronger. Black essentially has to sacrifice the exchange, for example with} f5 17. Bxf8 Nxf8 $18 {but now White can continue to carefully build up an attack, or simply go for simplifications being material up.}) 16... h6 (16... f5 17. Ba3 Qe8 {might be Black's best practical try. One sample line:} 18. Qh3 {continues trying to press the attack} Rf7 19. g4 g6 20. Nf3 Bd8 21. gxf5 exf5 22. e6 Qxe6 23. Rae1 $18) 17. Ba3 {Black is now losing material.} f6 $2 {this allows White's next sequence, which I calculated carefully.} (17... f5 18. Bxf8 Qxf8 19. Rf2 $18) 18. Qg6 {the queen infiltrates} f5 {forced} 19. Qxe6+ $1 {is of course much better than cashing in immediately with} (19. Bxf8 Nxf8 $18 {with better defensive prospects for Black.}) 19... Kh8 20. Bxf8 Nxf8 21. Qxf5 {being up the exchange and two pawns, it was just a matter of patiently converting the win. Black's open king position and lack of escape squares made it relatively quick.} Qe7 22. Qf7 {exchanges are great for White} Qd8 23. Rf3 Rb8 24. Raf1 Bd6 {my opponent clearly saw the following sequence, but I expect was one of those juniors taught to never resign, regardless of the position on the board.} 25. exd6 Qxd6 26. Qxf8+ Rxf8 27. Rxf8+ Qxf8 28. Rxf8# 1-0

Annotated Game #340: Look for the counterattack

In this first-round tournament game, the saying "no pawn break, no plan" is proven once again, as I repeatedly fail to implement the thematic ...c5 break in a timely fashion in a Caro-Kann Classical. Once I do get it in, however, the momentum shifts and I end up missing some winning counterattacking chances, by blindly focusing on purely defensive moves only. After this experience, I got the Chessable course "Learn to Counterattack: Essential Guide to Active Defense", which is high on my list for when I get more time for studying.

[Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Class A"] [Black "ChessAdmin"] [Result "1-0"] [Annotator "ChessAdmin/Dragon 3.2"] [ECO "B18"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [BlackFideId "-1"] [PlyCount "157"] [GameId "2277549341290178"] 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. h4 h6 7. h5 Bh7 8. c3 {this was new to me, and is rarely played.} Nf6 $11 {after some thought, I saw no reason not to continue with Black's normal development.} 9. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 e6 11. Nf3 Bd6 {it's good to look for chances in the Caro-Kann Classical to play this, rather than having the bishop more passively placed on e7, although here there is no material difference to the engine evaluation.} 12. Ne4 Nxe4 13. Qxe4 Nd7 {so far so good. Both sides are following standard development plans.} 14. Be3 Qc7 $6 {there is not enough of a point to it to place the queen on c7, although the Q+B battery looks nice. The main problem is that White can immediately reply with Qg4, which is annoying.} (14... Nf6 $11 {I was considering this, with the idea of going to g4 as a follow up, for several moves.}) (14... Qa5 $5) 15. O-O-O {my opponent is choosing to play it safe, perhaps, but also may be looking to enable a kingside pawn storm.} O-O-O {this is not optimal, but I was a little too afraid of "castling into it" on the kingside.} (15... Nf6 {followed by ...O-O is equal, according to the engine. Black would have play on the queenside with the ...c5 break and b7-b5 would also be possible. The defensive resource of ...Ng4 is also available, to block play on the g-file.}) 16. Kb1 Kb8 $6 {simply mimicing moves gives White a little too much play.} (16... Nf6 17. Qc2 c5 $11) 17. Nd2 $14 Nf6 {unfortunately played a little late, as now the queen has the nice f3 square for a retreat.} 18. Qf3 Nd5 {looking to exchange on e3 and get a BvN positional imbalance.} 19. Nc4 Nxe3 20. fxe3 {White still has a small edge, thanks to the active knight and my relative lack of scope for the bishop, other than the h2-b8 diagonal.} Rhf8 {I thought for a while here and decided it was better to play solidly. However, this is immediately contradicted on the next move.} (20... Rhe8 {it is better to line the rook up behind the e-pawn, with the idea of f7-f6 and e6-e5 to play in the center. No pawn break, no plan.}) 21. e4 {now I was afraid that White would be able to squeeze me with his central pawns.} f5 $6 {a bid for activity. Not a bad practical choice, perhaps, even if not the best.} (21... e5 {is preferred by the engine and would be a pawn break more consistent with my previous move choices, also being more solid.}) 22. Rhf1 Be7 {another long think here. I chose to preserve the bishop.} (22... c5 $5 {is the other main option.} 23. Nxd6 (23. e5 Be7 $14) 23... Rxd6 $11 {is fine for Black.}) 23. Ne5 $6 {the most obvious-looking move, heading for g6. There is a refutation which I did not find, however.} Bg5 $2 {this again preserves the bishop, but the cost is not worth it.} (23... c5 $1 24. Ng6 fxe4 $1 {an important intermediate move, with a double attack on the queen.} 25. Qxe4 Rxf1 26. Rxf1 cxd4 {the point at the end of the sequence. Now Black has re-achieved the balance.} 27. Nxe7 Qxe7 28. cxd4 a6 $11) 24. Qh3 $6 (24. Nd3 {would be simple and good. Black needs to watch his back rank.} a6 25. a3 fxe4 26. Qxe4 Rfe8 $16) 24... Qc8 $6 {another significant think. I am still too focused on static defense, not enough on counterattacking with the ...c5 break.} (24... c5 $11) 25. Ng6 {I correctly saw that this was not as impactful as it looked.} Rf6 26. exf5 $6 {I'm happy to have the tension released, and objectively am fine after capturing with the rook.} (26. Qh2+ Ka8 27. e5 Rf7 28. Qg1 $14) 26... Rxf5 27. g4 Rfd5 (27... Rxf1 28. Rxf1 {I didn't like because it gave White the f-file, but he cannot exploit it and I can get in ...c5.}) 28. Qg3+ Ka8 $11 29. Rde1 c5 $1 {finally! Although it's still equal, this provides much-needed counterplay and tips the initiative my way.} 30. dxc5 Qxc5 {around here my opponent appeared to realize that the situation had flipped.} 31. Qf3 $2 (31. Nf4 $11 {and} Rd2 $2 {no longer works due to} 32. Nxe6 $16) 31... Rd3 $6 {I thought for a while here and could not find anything decisive with the two rook moves (to d3 or d2) that generate threats, so decided to gain a tempo on the queen and then see what was available as an option.} (31... Rd2 $1 {unfortunately I did not see how strong this was, with no immediate knockout tactic. However, the threat of ...Qb5 is major, coupled with some sacrificial ideas for the rook on b2.} 32. Re4 {threatens to interpose the rook on b4, which I saw, but this can be handled effectively with} a5 $1 $19) 32. Qe4 $1 {unfortunately this now holds everything together for White.} Rd2 33. Qxe6 {my opponent thought for a while before going for the pawn. I gain a lot of pressure in return, but am a tempo short on converting it into a decisive attack.} Qb5 34. Qb3 Qd3+ 35. Ka1 a6 $2 {I missed how strong White's next move was.} (35... Bf6 $11 {gets the bishop to a more useful diagonal and covers the key e5 square.}) 36. Ne5 $1 $16 Qg3 37. Rf7 $4 {here I was expecting Nf7 (which was winning) and was confident I could defend against the threatened mate on b7. Which is true, but I fail to spot the immediate back rank capture of the Re1, instead thinking I was clever to protect b7 with the queen. Later I spot the back rank possibilities, but by then it was too late. I was getting rather low on time, and my opponent's mate threat overrode my board sight.} Qg2 $4 38. Nf3 $18 {from here, White has a won game, although it's still complicated.} R2d7 39. Rxd7 Rxd7 40. Nxg5 hxg5 (40... Qd2 {originally when calculating this variation I had thought this double threat would work, in order to recapture on g5 with the queen, but White has the backward knight move} 41. Nf3 $1 {protecting the rook.}) 41. Qe6 Qd2 {although my pieces are active, so are White's and he has both a material advantage on the queenside, and a positional one on the kingside, so can only lose (or draw) with a blunder.} 42. a3 Rd3 43. Qe2 $6 {this is the long way to win.} (43. Qc8+ Ka7 44. Re7 $18) 43... Qxe2 44. Rxe2 Rg3 {I was still determined to make White work for it in the rook ending.} 45. Re4 Ka7 46. Ka2 Kb6 47. Kb3 Kc6 48. Kb4 Rg2 49. b3 {the best move, but White will need to be a little careful with his king.} Rg3 50. a4 Kd7 51. a5 Kd6 {the idea is to keep the rook from the 7th rank.} 52. Kc4 Kd7 53. Kd4 Kd6 54. b4 {unfortunately, White is still able to make progress.} Rg1 55. Kc4 Rg3 56. Rd4+ Kc6 57. Kb3 Kc7 58. Rc4+ Kd6 59. Ka4 Rg1 60. Kb3 Rb1+ 61. Kc2 Rg1 62. Kd2 Kd5 63. Rc5+ Ke4 64. Rxg5 {after this it is pretty much over, but the finish is still instructive.} Rg2+ 65. Ke1 Kd3 (65... Ke3 {was better for swindling chances}) 66. Rxg7 Rh2 67. Rxb7 Ke3 68. Re7+ Kd3 69. Re6 Kxc3 {this does not really matter, but it made me feel better.} 70. h6 Kxb4 71. g5 Kxa5 72. Re2 Rh1+ 73. Kf2 Rh2+ 74. Kf3 Rh4 75. Rg2 Kb6 76. Rg4 Rh1 77. g6 Rxh6 78. g7 Rf6+ 79. Kg2 {now the g-pawn wins, so I resign.} 1-0