My recent streak of lost 15min chess games at ICC is continuing. At least, this one was a closer call:



Lately, I have been playing the Sicilian Defense against 1.e4 as Black - I needed something new for entertainment purposes because almost everybody seems to start with 1.e4.

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d3 g6 4.Be3 Bg7!?

This leaves the c-pawn hanging but White cannot capture it because of the threat ...Bxa2.

5.c3 Qb6

Better would have been an immediate ...d5!? ripping the center apart.

6.b3 Nf6 7.Be2 O-O 8.O-O d5 9.e5 Ng4 10.d4 Nxe3

Exchanging the not-that-great N for a good B and doubled pawn.

11.fxe3 Bf5?!

It would have been better to attack the weak e3 pawn with ...Bh6 right away.

12.Nh4 Bd7?!

The ideal square for the B would have been the outpost at e4.

13.Bg4 Bxg4 14.Qxg4 e6
( 14...cxd4 15.exd4 Nxe5 )

15.Nf3 Na5?!

It would have been better to open a file with ...cxd4.

16.Qh4 c4?!

Allowing White to close the queenside preventing Black from counterattacking.

17.b4 Nc6 18.a4 Qc7 19.b5 Na5 20.Nbd2 b6 21.Ne1 Qd7 22.Rf3 Rad8 23.Rh3 h5 24.g4 Rfe8?

Trying to open an escape route. Shredder's suggestion of ...f6 looks better.
( 24...f6 25.gxh5 g5 26.Qg4 Bh6 27.exf6 Rxf6 28.Rf3 Rdf8 )

25.gxh5 Qe7 26.hxg6 Qxh4 27.gxf7+ Kxf7 28.Rxh4 Rh8 29.Rf4+ Ke7 30.Nef3?!

Enabling Black to go after the weak e3 pawn.

30...Bh6 31.Rg4 Bxe3+ 32.Kf1 Rdg8 33.Rxg8 Rxg8 34.Ke2 Bxd2 35.Nxd2 Rg2+ 36.Ke3 Rxh2 =

And things are in balance again, except for the usual time trouble looming for Black.

37.Nf3 Rc2 38.Rh1 Rxc3+ 39.Kf4 Ra3 40.Rh7+ Kf8 41.Ng5 c3 42.Nxe6+ Ke8 43.Nc7+ Kd8??

White has now a mate in 5, but Black has only seconds left on the clock anyway...

44. Nxd5 c2 45.Rh1 Rb3 46.e6 Rb1 47.e7+ Ke8 48.Rh8+ Kf7 49.e8=Q+ Kg7 50.Rg8+ Kh6 51.Qg6#

Well, I had only 2 seconds left anyway

Post edited by: Sciurus, at: 2008/02/11 16:44