[Event "Rated Classical game"] [Site "https://lichess.org/gHiGED8o"] [Date "2020.09.26"] [White "Aarmag"] [Black "Superwatermelon"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "1405"] [BlackElo "1093"] [TimeControl "1500+10"] [Termination "Normal"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "A03"] [Opening "Bird Opening: Dutch Variation"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/axel_muller"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/IzcCAbDx/vmehHKji"] [Orientation "white"] 1. f4 { The Bird, a rare guest these days. The Stockfish NNUE thinks black is already better. } { [%clk 0:25:00] } 1... d5 { A sensible approach to deal with the Bird. } { [%clk 0:25:00] } (1... e5!? { The Fromm's Gambit, a fun way to counter the Bird. A well prepared white player should be able to get a decent position though. } 2. fxe5 (2. e4 { Of course, there is always the option to transpose to the King's Gambit. }) 2... d6 3. exd6 Bxd6 { Black reminds white that the e1-h4 diagonal is weak. } 4. Nf3 g5 5. g3 g4 6. Nh4 Ne7 7. d4 Ng6 8. Nxg6 hxg6 9. Qd3 { And white has good chances of an opening advantage. }) 2. Nf3 { [%clk 0:25:07] } 2... c5 { [%clk 0:25:02] } (2... g6! { While the Fromm's Gambit goes straight for the jugular this setup is a bit more subtle. With the pawn on f4 white has usually aims to develop the dark squared bishop on the long diagonal. Good luck with that after 2 g6. }) 3. e3 { [%clk 0:25:13] } 3... Nc6 { [%clk 0:25:01] } (3... g6 { It was still not too late for g6. }) 4. Be2?! { Bb5 or b3 are better choices. } { [%clk 0:25:19] } 4... Bg4 { [%clk 0:25:00] } 5. O-O { [%clk 0:25:24] } 5... e6 { Black misses his last chance to get g6 in. } { [%clk 0:24:56] } 6. b3 { And white gets the setup he wants and has chances to equalize. } { [%clk 0:25:22] } 6... Nf6 { [%clk 0:25:00] } 7. d3 { [%clk 0:25:23] } 7... Be7 { [%clk 0:25:00] } 8. h3 { [%clk 0:25:29] } 8... Bf5 { [%clk 0:24:54] } 9. Bb2 { [%clk 0:25:20] } 9... h5 { [%clk 0:24:54] } (9... O-O { was preferable. }) 10. Qe1 { [%clk 0:25:17] } (10. Ne5 { Black will find it difficult to castle kingside now. White can follow up with c4. Some people refer to this pawn structure as "the bathtub". White is better here. }) 10... d4? { Surrendering a lot of important squares. } { [%clk 0:24:06] } 11. e4 { [%clk 0:25:22] } 11... Bg6 { The bishop is quite vulnerable here but because of the pawn on h5 Bh7 is a difficult move to play but it might still be the better option. } { [%clk 0:24:12] } 12. Nbd2 { [%clk 0:25:05] } (12. a4 { securing the c4 square for a knight was a tempting alternative. The move played in the game is good too. }) 12... b5 { [%clk 0:23:49] } 13. a4 { Not as strong as on the previous move. It might have been a good time to shift focus to the kingside. } { [%clk 0:24:09] } (13. Ng5 { Another move that takes advantage of the h6 move. White can reroute the dark squared bishop to the c1-h6 diagonal, now that the long diagonal is closed and prepare a timely f5. }) 13... Nb4 { [%clk 0:22:41] } 14. Bd1 { [%clk 0:24:08] } 14... a6 { [%clk 0:22:21] } 15. Ne5 { [%clk 0:23:15] } 15... Rc8 { [%clk 0:21:36] } 16. Ndf3 { [%clk 0:21:19] } (16. Nxg6 { shatters black's kingside. } 16... fxg6) 16... Bh7 { [%clk 0:14:16] } 17. Bc1 { [%clk 0:19:59] } (17. axb5 { Starting by opening the a-file for the rook can't be bad. } 17... axb5 { Black's pieces don't coordinate well and the king is still in the center. It's time to consider decisive action. } 18. Nxf7 Kxf7 19. Ng5+ Kg8 20. Nxe6 Qd7 21. f5 { White sacrificed a piece. In return he got the mobile e and f pawns. Black will also struggle to get the kingside pieces into the game. The dark squared white bishop will find employment on the c1-h6 diagonal and the rook on a1 is just waiting for an opportunity to invade. The pawn on h5 will fall sooner or later too. }) 17... Bg8 { Taking care of the f7 problem. But this allows white to do what he pleases. } { [%clk 0:14:07] } (17... O-O { doesn't solve black's problems either. But at least it concludes black's development. In situation like this the black player has to stay positive and try to make white's road to victory as treacherous as possible. }) 18. Qg3 { [%clk 0:17:17] } (18. axb5 { inserting this move is a good idea. The open a-file can only be good for white. } 18... axb5) 18... g6 { Black is effectively playing a rook and a bishop down here and while the game takes another 47 moves it's more or less over already. } { [%clk 0:13:38] } 19. Bd2 { [%clk 0:16:03] } 19... h4 { [%clk 0:11:48] } 20. Qe1 { [%clk 0:14:55] } 20... Nh5 { [%clk 0:11:07] } 21. Nh2 { [%clk 0:12:06] } 21... Ng3 { [%clk 0:09:40] } 22. Rf3 { [%clk 0:12:06] } 22... Qb6 { [%clk 0:06:37] } 23. Nf1 { [%clk 0:11:51] } 23... c4 { [%clk 0:03:32] } 24. Bxb4 { [%clk 0:11:31] } 24... Nxf1 { [%clk 0:02:50] } 25. Rxf1 { [%clk 0:11:33] } 25... Bxb4 { [%clk 0:02:50] } 26. Qxb4 { [%clk 0:11:35] } 26... Rc5 { [%clk 0:02:33] } 27. axb5 { [%clk 0:11:08] } 27... Rxb5 { [%clk 0:02:01] } 28. Qxc4 { [%clk 0:11:04] } 28... Rh6 { [%clk 0:01:49] } 29. Qc8+ { [%clk 0:10:24] } 29... Qd8 { [%clk 0:01:53] } 30. Qxd8+ { [%clk 0:10:28] } 30... Kxd8 { [%clk 0:02:02] } 31. Rxa6 { [%clk 0:10:32] } 31... Ke7 { [%clk 0:02:09] } 32. Ra7+ { [%clk 0:10:28] } 32... Kf8 { [%clk 0:02:15] } 33. Bf3 { [%clk 0:09:50] } 33... Kg7 { [%clk 0:02:01] } 34. Rfa1 { [%clk 0:09:45] } 34... Kh8 { [%clk 0:01:53] } 35. R1a5 { [%clk 0:09:41] } 35... Rb6 { [%clk 0:01:56] } 36. Ng4 { [%clk 0:09:20] } 36... Rh7 { [%clk 0:01:49] } 37. Nf6 { [%clk 0:09:27] } 37... Rg7 { [%clk 0:01:53] } 38. Ra8 { [%clk 0:09:09] } 38... Rc6 { [%clk 0:01:37] } 39. Bd1 { [%clk 0:09:14] } 39... e5 { [%clk 0:00:57] } 40. fxe5 { [%clk 0:09:04] } 40... g5 { [%clk 0:01:05] } 41. Rd8 { [%clk 0:08:56] } 41... g4 { [%clk 0:00:54] } 42. hxg4 { [%clk 0:08:40] } 42... Rg5 { [%clk 0:00:59] } 43. Raa8 { [%clk 0:08:14] } 43... Rxf6 { [%clk 0:01:00] } 44. exf6 { [%clk 0:08:20] } 44... Rg6 { [%clk 0:01:06] } 45. Rxg8+ { [%clk 0:08:22] } 45... Rxg8 { [%clk 0:01:14] } 46. Rxg8+ { [%clk 0:08:30] } 46... Kxg8 { [%clk 0:01:24] } 47. b4 { [%clk 0:08:36] } 47... Kf8 { [%clk 0:01:33] } 48. Kh2 { [%clk 0:08:42] } 48... Ke8 { [%clk 0:01:42] } 49. Kh3 { [%clk 0:08:50] } 49... Kd7 { [%clk 0:01:51] } 50. Kxh4 { [%clk 0:08:59] } 50... Kc6 { [%clk 0:02:01] } 51. g5 { [%clk 0:09:06] } 51... Kb5 { [%clk 0:02:10] } 52. g6 { [%clk 0:09:14] } 52... fxg6 { [%clk 0:02:08] } 53. f7 { [%clk 0:09:22] } 53... Kxb4 { [%clk 0:02:18] } 54. f8=Q+ { [%clk 0:09:29] } 54... Kc3 { [%clk 0:02:22] } 55. Qf2 { [%clk 0:09:31] } 55... g5+ { [%clk 0:02:28] } 56. Kxg5 { [%clk 0:09:38] } 56... Kb2 { [%clk 0:02:35] } 57. e5 { [%clk 0:09:46] } 57... Kc1 { [%clk 0:02:44] } 58. Qe2 { [%clk 0:09:53] } 58... Kb2 { [%clk 0:02:52] } 59. c4+ { [%clk 0:09:59] } 59... Kc3 { [%clk 0:02:58] } 60. Qc2+ { [%clk 0:10:06] } 60... Kb4 { [%clk 0:03:08] } 61. c5 { [%clk 0:10:12] } 61... Ka3 { [%clk 0:03:16] } 62. c6 { [%clk 0:10:20] } 62... Kb4 { [%clk 0:03:25] } 63. c7 { [%clk 0:10:28] } 63... Ka5 { [%clk 0:03:34] } 64. Qb2 { [%clk 0:10:35] } 64... Ka6 { [%clk 0:03:42] } 65. c8=Q+ { [%clk 0:10:40] } 65... Ka7 { [%clk 0:03:50] } 66. Qcb7# { 1-0 White wins by checkmate. } { [%clk 0:10:38] } 1-0