It’s high time I looked at another of my games!
Back in January this year (2008) I played in the Major section (under Elo 1920/ECF 165) of the Dudley Spectrum tournament. There are a couple of games from this tournament I need to analyse, because in each of the two games I believe I achieved winning positions at some point.
The first game I’ll look at began with a Dutch Defence - which I play (almost) exclusively as back against 1.d4. In this article I’ll give the moves, with diagrams at (what I think are) relevant moments, and just some brief comments. Then, as is my usual practice, I’ll come back and look more closely at the critical points of the game.
1.d4 f5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bg5 e6 4.e3 Be7 5.Bd3 Ne4 6.Bxe7 Qxe7 7.c3 0-0 8.Nbd2 d5 9.Qe2 Nd7 (see first diagram)
White has played a rather passive formation against my Dutch Defence. I feel that, although this kind of development scheme is OK in many queen’s pawn openings, I really don’t think it’s enough against the Dutch. The point of the Dutch is that black wants to break the symmetry and get active from very early in the game, so playing passively with white - postponing the action until later - is just not on. Note that in the first diagrammed position, black has staked a claim to the e4 square, and white is a little cramped - not good, as the game has not even reached move 10!
10.h3 c5 11.Nf1 c4 12.Bc2 b5 13.a3 a5 14.g4 (see second diagram)
Again white is (in my opinion) too passive! White has has moved the queen’s knight for a second time and begun a kingside attack, all before castling the king to safety. Note that there are many examples of games (and in opening theory!) where this was/is the right thing to do, but here black’s counter-play is already well under way on the queen’s side. Further, white’s queen’s rook has not yet found a way into the game.
14…f4 (not good at all, but that’s for another article, as there is a lot to discuss here!) 15.Bxe4 dxe4 16.N3d2 Bb7 17.b3 f3 18.Qd1 Nb6 19.Ng3 Rac8 20.b4 axb4 21.axb4 Na4 22.Qc2 Ra8 23.Ndxe4 Bxe4 24.Nxe4 Nc5 25.Rd1 Nd3+ 26.Kf1 Ra3 (see third diagram)
How I managed to loose from this position beggars belief! I can believe white may be able to hold on and draw, but black actually loose?
27.Nc5 Nxc5 28.dxc5 Qa7 29.Qd2 Ra2 30.Qd4 Ra1 31.Kg1 Ra2 32.h4 Re2 33.h5 Qa2 34.Rh2 Qc2 35.c6 Qd3 36.Rh4 Qc2 37.Rh2 Qb2 38.c7 h6 39.Qd8 Qxc3 40.Qxf8+ Kxf8 41.c8Q+ Kf7 42.Rd7+ 1-0
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First diagram: white’s position looks playable (but I too prefer Black).
25. Rd1?? - giving up both castling and the a-file. 0-0 keeps things sane.
26… Ra3? - go for it with 26… e5 if 27. Nc5? e4
31…Ra2 32 h4 Re2 - again, too slow. Getting the Queen into play with 32… Qa4 helps. but I think 31 Rxd1 is the way (32 Qxd1 Qa2).
From 37 on looks like time trouble for both sides?
HTH
Alan,
You seem to have already done more analysis of this game than I have up to now! ;->
I’ve had a brief look at your suggestion of 26…e5 and to be honest I’m not convinced about playing 26…e4 (if 26.Ne5); it looks like it helps to close the position and hinder black in getting at white.
In any case, thanks very much (as always) for your comments. I reckon there will be a few articles about this game.
- Mark.