[Event "Rated Rapid game"] [Site "https://lichess.org/VysdhI5D"] [Date "2018.11.30"] [Round "-"] [White "kostasvl"] [Black "RodrigoDiazdeVivar"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "1621"] [BlackElo "1639"] [TimeControl "900+10"] [Termination "Normal"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B02"] [Opening "Alekhine Defense: Scandinavian Variation"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/ErinYu"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/5wYcdjXQ/mTxqDBBi"] [Orientation "white"] { Scandinavian Defense. A rapid battle player's best game ever! At least until next week. Let's see what it looks like and what we can learn from it. } 1. e4 { [%clk 0:15:00] } 1... Nf6 { This isn't a proper Scandinavian Defense, but rather it transposes into one. } { [%clk 0:15:00] } 2. Nc3 { [%clk 0:15:01] } 2... d5 { [%clk 0:15:08] } 3. exd5 { [%clk 0:15:08] } 3... Nxd5 { [%clk 0:15:18] } 4. Nxd5!? { Attempting to lure the queen out early. Not a very restrained move, but it's better than playing too cautiously. } { [%clk 0:15:16] } (4. Bc4 { is the much more implied, theoretical continuation, followed by } 4... Nb6 5. Bb3 Nc6 6. Nf3 Bf5 7. d4 e6 8. O-O Be7 9. Re1 O-O 10. Bf4 Bf6 { and, well, it's a game. } { Mann, Gerald - Hauchard, Arnaud, 1/2-1/2, Kecskemet III-B, 1991, https://lichess.org/iZs7Kz7p }) 4... Qxd5 { [%clk 0:15:28] } 5. Nf3 { [%clk 0:15:21] } 5... e6 { [%clk 0:15:37] } (5... Bg4 { is my preference, getting the piece out of the pawn chain immediately. Still, the move in game is fine. }) 6. d4 { [%clk 0:15:24] } 6... Nc6 { [%clk 0:15:45] } 7. c4 $146 { End of theory. White is certainly pushing a pawn with this move. It slightly weakens d4, but is aggressive and sometimes threatens d5. } { [%csl Gd4][%cal Gd4d5] [%clk 0:15:15] } (7. Be2 Be7 8. O-O Bf6 9. c3 Bd7 10. b4 O-O 11. Nd2 Nd8 12. Bf3 Qb5 13. Ne4 Be7 14. a4 Qc4 { and so on. } { Fodre, Sandor - Keschitz, Gyorgy, 0-1, HUN-chT2, 1996, https://lichess.org/ktXvWNha }) 7... Qd8 { [%clk 0:15:48] } 8. Be2 { [%clk 0:15:18] } 8... Be7 { [%cal Re7f6] [%clk 0:15:56] } 9. Bf4 { [%clk 0:15:18] } 9... Bf6! { Pressuring the weakest point in white's position just as in the master examples above. This pays off. } { [%csl Rd4][%cal Rf6d4] [%clk 0:15:59] } 10. Ne5 { [%clk 0:15:01] } (10. Be3 { protects the pawn. It's difficult to move your piece twice and admit that you messed up, but it's even more difficult to play a worse position! }) 10... Nxd4 { [%clk 0:14:30] } (10... Qxd4 11. Qxd4 Nxd4 12. Rd1 Nxe2 13. Kxe2 { is another way to play this. White gets some ephemeral activity in exchange for the two bishops and a pawn. This might be preferable just because the position is blunter without queens. }) 11. Bh5!? { Violent! I like it. A bit too brash in my view but anything goes in chess. } { [%clk 0:13:29] } (11. O-O { is a more natural trying to claim compensation for the lost pawn. For example, } 11... Nxe2+ 12. Qxe2 O-O 13. Rad1 { and black already suffers some mobility issues. Stockfish claims rough equality. However, admittedly black does have two bishops and this line isn't forced. }) 11... g6 { [%clk 0:13:57] } 12. Bg4 { [%clk 0:13:17] } 12... O-O { [%clk 0:13:39] } (12... h5 { is appealing because if white goes wild, shouldn't black participate in the fun? }) 13. Nf3 { [%clk 0:12:02] } 13... Nxf3+ { [%clk 0:13:39] } (13... e5! { is the most economic move, protecting the knight, attacking a bishop, and freeing black's own bishop. }) 14. Qxf3 { [%clk 0:11:02] } 14... Bxb2 { [%clk 0:13:17] } 15. Rd1! { Developing move that comes with tempo. Excellent. } { [%clk 0:10:59] } 15... Qe7 { [%clk 0:13:01] } 16. O-O { [%clk 0:10:28] } 16... c6 { The next few moves are very logical and follow a clear plan. Black remains undeveloped, and white has four pieces next to the opponent's king. Further, black's dark squares can be come weak. The play might not be engine-perfect, but the ideas are notable. } { [%clk 0:11:31] } 17. Rd2 { First, kick the DSB away from the king's defense. Otherwise, double up on the file. } { [%clk 0:10:09] } (17. Bd6 { is possibly preferable, but there's nothing wrong with planting seeds of destruction. }) 17... Ba3 { [%clk 0:11:20] } (17... Bg7 { makes it harder for white to checkmate. However, } 18. Bd6 { is still on as a threat. But if we let Stockfish play from here, } 18... Qg5 { neutralizes the threat entirely. } { [%csl Rd2][%cal Rg5d2] }) 18. Bh6 { Second, take over the dark squares. } { [%clk 0:09:26] } 18... Rd8 { [%clk 0:10:19] } (18... Re8 $7 { is an only move, but the position is still slightly tough to play due to development and king safety issues. }) 19. Rxd8+ { There's a little tactical flourish here, but such is expected from a 15+10 game. } { [%clk 0:09:10] } (19. Qxa3! { is an improvement but the game move is fine as well. }) 19... Qxd8 { [%clk 0:10:20] } 20. Qxa3 { Removing the key defense Bf8. Also, free piece. } { [%clk 0:09:07] } 20... b6 { [%clk 0:09:40] } 21. Rd1 { Bringing the last piece into the game, onto an open file, going for checkmate. } { [%clk 0:08:43] } (21. Qc3 { fails to } 21... f6 { and white has to opt for an inferior version of the game plan. }) 21... Qe8 { [%clk 0:09:31] } 22. Qc3 { [%clk 0:08:40] } 22... e5 { Cute puzzle moment inbound. White to play and win. } { [%clk 0:08:19] } 23. Qxe5!! { [%clk 0:07:47] } 23... Qxe5 { 1-0 Black resigns as Rd1+ is coming with checkmate. I especially enjoyed white's attacking tenacity in going for active counterplay after losing the pawn. As it often turns out, piece activity is far more valuable than material, and even though black played an excellent opening, the attack ended up becoming white's career highlight. } { [%csl Gd8][%cal Gd1d8,Gd8e8,Ge8g8] [%clk 0:06:48] } 1-0