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An unusual defens
defense
I like this game particularly because of the daring defense by black. I searched the openings
repository at some sites but turned up with nothing. It needs courage to play something different,
especially in a tournament game for players rated over 2000, here at Chess.com. Anybody playing
white must be mindful of not making some silly moves, for lack of understanding of what black’s
intentions are, but focus on developing its pieces and taking advantage of black’s lag in development.
Apart from the unusual opening, the game is interesting, particularly for the middle game tactics. I
share in this annotation, the interesting aspects of the game.
1.e4 h6 Chess.com classifies this opening line as Carr Defense and the line ends here 2.d4 g5
theoretically weakening the black’s king side 3.Nc3 d6 opens the bishop line 4.h4 g4 preventing
the natural development of white’s knight 5.Be3 Bg7 6.Bc4 leading to the position in diagram 1.1.
Diagram 1.2
1
Commentary by timepass September 5, 2008
The game continues with 10.Nbc3 dxe4 11.Ng3 0–0 and black seeks to improve king safety, white
tries to prowl with 12.Qd2 intending to take up the h6 pawn and its guard, weakening the king’s
position. Black with 12...Kh7 aptly puts an end to white’s greed 13.0–0–0 a5 (see diagram 1.4).
Can a4 not wait until the exchange? White’s intentions were to sidetrack black with a poisoned
pawn becoming more potent after 15.Nxd5. An immediate capture of the pawn needs some careful
play next. Look at the position in diagram 1.5 and notice how a simple 15...e6 or 15...Be6 or the
careless 15...Nxd5 continuing the exchange takes white to a very dominating position. For your ease
of evaluating the position, the resultant position at the end of each of the above variations is given.
A better defense by black is to play 15...Qd7 16.Nxf6+ Bxf6 17.Qe2 Qc7 18.Bg5, still favorable to
white.
2
Commentary by timepass September 5, 2008
Black unaware of all this analysis at my end, played 14...a4; either mindful of the poisoned pawn or
ignorant and furthering its intentions. So much planning for nothing! Atleast, you know why white
played 14.d5! and what havoc it could have caused in the black camp. The game continued 15.Nxa4
cxd5 capturing the now no more poisoned pawn, white playing 16.Nb6 to recapture the pawn,
16...Ra6 17.Nxd5 Nxd5 18.Bxd5 Qc7 leading to the position in diagram 1.9.
3
Commentary by timepass September 5, 2008
With 23.Bd4!! white was winning the forced exchange. 23...Ra1+? black’s position is worse
23...Rxd5 24.cxd5 Qxd5 25.Bxg7 Qxd2+ 26.Kxd2 (not 26.Rxd2?? for 26...Ra1+ 27.Kc2 Rxh1 28.Rd8
and black has leveled the playing field) 26...Kxg7 was expected.
Continuation was 24.Kc2 Rxd1 25.Rxd1 Rxd5 26.cxd5 Qxd5 27.Bxg7 Qxb5? instead of Qxd2+,
(see diagram 1.11) clearly black missed the mate threat 28.Qxh6+ 1–0. Black resigned here; it
was pointless to play desperate prolonging moves 28...Kg8 29.Rd8+ Qe8 30.Rxe8+ Kf7 31.Rf8#.
I enjoyed this game as it intrigued me in the opening, gave joy in the middle game and finally the
satisfaction of a win. It takes courage to play the opening line played by black and I much respect
black for it, “Courage can do wonders to your talent”. I mean no offence to black in any of my
comments above. The comments are with the intention to make the reading lively and enjoyable.
4
Commentary by timepass September 5, 2008
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