EPT
Normally against e4 I try to employ the Sicilian Najdorf (1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6) but I was at Barnes and Noble the other day and browsed through and saw a Sicilian Taimanov (1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e6 5. Nc3 Qc7) opening book and one of the notes said that since it is not as heavily played, theory does not change as much, thus a good opening for a chess enthusiast not keen on pouring over new theory constantly. I thumbed through some of the positions and seemed it would be interesting to try them as black.
In the game however, white starts with a strange move order but we end up transposing. Unfortunately, since this was an online game, I can't add any color commentary on the opponent's reactions and such.
Hopefully, if any RED Staff could edit the HTML, I would be grateful.
If not, here is a link to the game.
[Event "Chess.com Blitz Game"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2012.12.24"]
[Round "1"]
[White "?"]
[Black "Jonathan Pak"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B48"]
[WhiteElo "1390"]
[BlackElo "1450"]
1. e4 c5
2. Nc3 Nc6
(He starts off with 2. Nc3 indicating perhaps a Closed Sicilian. However, it is quite possible to transpose into an open system. I was anticipating perhaps a King's Indian Attack system but the next couple moves steer back into Open Sicilian territory.)
3. Nf3 e6
4. d4 cxd4
5. Nxd4
(We're back to my favorite system to play. Open Sicilian.)
5. ... Qc7 ?
(The Sicilian Taimanov, almost. I played 3. ... e6 because it is a good structure to play against the Closed Sicilian where Black can aim for a quick d5 but I've been looking for an opportunity to try the Taimanov for the first time and here we go. The problem is the move order is messed up! 5. ... Qc7 allows 6. Ndb5! and now it's unpleasant for Black. I should have played 5. ... a6 followed by 6. ... Qc7. A quick mistake with this system since it is my first time.)
6. Nf3 ?
(Waste of tempo. In the previous text 6. Ndb5 Qb8 7. Be2 and White's development will be far ahead of Black's. However, it is a blitz game and it's easy to miss simple winning moves.)
6. ... a6
(Back on the right track.)
7. Bd3 Nf6
8. a3 ?!
(Don't really see the purpose of this move. Castling is better or maybe h3 followed by Be3. h3 preventing any Ng4 ideas. Perhaps he didn't want a bishop to be on b4?)
8. ... Bc5 !
(This was a nice move. I rather enjoy this system already. I'm aiming my bishop down on the kingside but I also have future prospects of b5-b4 and perhaps Rb8 thrown in there in case he castles queenside. Quite flexible.)
9. Bg5 ?
(Doesn't pin anything. Castling still seems a much better option. I thought if I can force him to make a decision to either castle kingside or queenside, my plan will be much easier. If he wants to give me the bishop pair go ahead.)
9. ... h6
10. Bxf6 gxf6
(Looks gross, I know, but White no longer has his dark-squared bishop and Black's king can be quite safe on e7. He has a little fortress in the center with his wall of pawns covering the fifth rank very well and white's beginning to lag behind due to his tempo wasting moves. I was practically daring him to castle kingside so that I may use the g-file to my advantage.)
11. Na4 Ba7
(Keeping my bishop on a wonderful diagonal. His moves tend to be, again, quite tempo wasting. Moving the rooks into play seem like such a better play but I think this is what happens when people don't have a plan when they play chess.)
12. Qd2 b5 !
13. Nc3 Bb7
14. O-O ?
(b5 was a wonderful tempo winning move. White still has the option of castling kingside or queenside but both seem rather unpleasant now. He decided to choose kingside which is worse of the two. Castling queenside and pressuring my weak pawn on d7 is a much better idea. He decides to castle straight into the storm. Idiot.)
14. ...Ke7 !
(It's the quiet moves that can bring the most threat to the opponent. When I plugged this into the chess engine, it didn't even bring this up as a candidate move. It allows Black's attack to rapidly progress but it does offer White a bit of counterplay. After 15. Rfd1 Rag8 it looks rather unpleasant for White but he can defuse much of Black's attack with an exchange sacrifice on b5. 16. Bxb5 ! axb5 17. Nxb5 Qc8 18. Qd6+ Ke8 19. Nxa7 Nxa7. I believe the connected passed pawns on the queenside can be excellent compensation for being down the exchange. Black will have to choose whether to pursue an attack or to use his pieces to slow down the passed pawns.)
15. a4 b4 !
(Probably hoping 15. ... bxa4 16. Rxa4 and perhaps swing a rook over to help defend the king. I think as a beginner you quickly feel that taking is the only option. When I got better I realized sometimes not taking and moving something else or even pushing past it is a better move.)
16. Ne2 Rag8
17. c4
(I would have played 17. Kh1 but at this point no square seems safe for the king. I could see why though, perhaps he wanted to try and close the position more or perhaps pursue an attack in the center.)
17. ... h5
18. h4 a5 ?
(Slowing down my own attack in fear of the pawn on b4 becoming a target. An immediate doubling of the rooks on the g-file and going for the throat is much better than a silly flank pawn.)
19. Bc2 Rg4 !
(Much better than the normal looking Rg7. Nothing can kick the rook off of the g4-square and it begins bothering white's pawns on e4 and c4.)
20. Rad1 Rhg8
(White's king is in a hopeless spot. All of Black's pieces are aiming for him. Material is equal but Rybka gives it a -3.01! It's almost as if white is down a whole knight! Foreshadowing???)
21. Ng3 ??
(Oof.)
21. ... Rxg3
22. Kh1 Rxg2
23. Rg1 Rxf2 !
(I had my rook about to take on g1 but saw f2 was a much more unpleasant position for White.)
24. Qe1 ?
(Giving up the queen allows White some fight. 24. Rxg8 Rxd2 25. Nxd2 Ne5 26. Rg2 holds up the attack much better.)
24. ... Rxf3
(It's over. His king is at the mercy of the bishop pair and soon a queen to swoop into finish the job.)
25. Rxg8
(I had 25 seconds left on my clock and took 15 seconds on my next move. Why? Calculating mate in 4.)
25. ... Rh3+
26. Kg2 Qh2+
27. Kf1 Rf3+
28. Qf2 Qxf2#
Hope you guys enjoyed it. My fiancee just bought me an endgame book for Christmas. I was really pleased until I realized how geeky that sounded.
