[Event "DCC Denver Open"] [Site "Centennial, CO"] [Date "4/27/2019"] [Round "2"] [White "Chris Burkhardt"] [Black "Steven Marquez"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "Unrated"] [BlackElo "1628"] [TimeControl "G/90 d10"] [Termination "Resignation"] [Annotator "Chris"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B00"] [Opening "Nimzowitsch Defense: Colorado Countergambit"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/KAAIKOCV/mpfyarrv"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 { [%eval 0.12] } 1... Nc6 { [%eval 0.46] } 2. Nf3 { [%eval 0.35] } 2... f5!? { [%eval 0.96] } { I was all set to play a Scotch, but my opponent had other ideas. This is apparently called the Colorado Gambit (appropriate for the Denver Open). } 3. e5 { [%eval 0.6] } { Most popular is to take 3.exf5, but I thought that would be just trading my center pawn for his f pawn. } (3. exf5 d5 4. d4 Bxf5 5. Bb5 e6 6. Ne5 $14 { Black's missing f pawn gives white a good knight outpost. }) 3... d6 { [%eval 0.7] } 4. Bb5 { [%eval 0.4] } 4... e6 { [%eval 1.03] } { First non-book move. } 5. d4 { [%eval 0.74] } 5... Bd7 { [%eval 0.65] } 6. O-O { [%eval 0.94] } (6. c4 { To protect the bishop so that ...Nxe5 is no longer possible. } 6... dxe5 7. Bxc6 Bxc6 8. Nxe5 $14) 6... Nxe5!? { [%eval 1.06] } { I didn't even realize this move was possible (notice that if 7.Bxd7+ then he can re-take with the knight 7...Nxd7). I do not understand how to evaluate this position. Black played a gambit opening, but it is white that is going down a pawn (unintentionally in this case), and the computer says white is better after 7.Bxd7 Nxd7 8.Ng5 putting pressure on the e6 pawn. } 7. Nxe5? { [%eval 0.97] } { Computer now says white is down a pawn (I am) because there is no more compensating Ng5 move. } (7. Bxd7+ Nxd7 8. Ng5 { [%csl Be6] } 8... Qf6 (8... e5 9. dxe5 dxe5 10. Ne6 Qc8 11. Re1 Ngf6 12. Qf3 g6) 9. Qe2 e5 10. dxe5 dxe5 11. Qc4 c6 { [%csl Be6][%cal Bg5e6,Bc4e6] }) (7. dxe5 Bxb5 8. Bg5 Be7 9. Bxe7 Nxe7 10. Re1 d5) 7... dxe5? { [%eval 1.17] } { Instead my opponent gives my pawn back (this is the line I had in mind when I played Nxe5) and things are equal. } (7... Bxb5 8. Nd3 $17) 8. Bxd7+ { [%eval 0.88] } 8... Qxd7 9. dxe5 O-O-O 10. Qxd7+ { This gives black the d file, but I thought I had better drawing chances against my higher-rated opponent with the queens off. Plus he has to recapture and I get a chance to develop a piece. } 10... Rxd7 11. Be3 Ne7 12. Nc3 Nc6 { His knight was fast at both defending a7 and attacking e5. } { [%cal Bc6a7,Bc6e5] } 13. f4 Be7 14. a3 { To take away the b4 square from his knight and bishop. Computer says I should have challenged the d file, but I was in no hurry because I liked how my bishop and knight and pawns are controlling so much of that file. } { [%csl Bd1,Bd2,Bd3,Bd4,Bd5,Bd6][%cal Be3d2,Be3d4,Bc2d3,Bc3d5,Be5d6,Bc3d1] } (14. Rfd1 Rhd8 15. Kf2) 14... h6 15. Rad1 Rhd8 16. Rxd7 Rxd7 17. b4 b6 18. h3 Nd4 { [%csl Bc2] } 19. Rf2 a6 20. Na4 { To make way for c3 to kick his knight. Computer says this was a mistake. Apparently I can't defend both of my a and c pawns from here. } (20. Rd2 Nb5 21. Nxb5 axb5 22. Rxd7 Kxd7 23. Kf2) 20... Nc6 { [%cal Bd7d1] } (20... Bh4 21. Rd2 Nb5 22. Rxd7 Kxd7 { [%cal Bb5a3] } 23. Bc1 Nd4 { [%cal Bd4c2,Bd4e2,Be2c1,Be2g1] } 24. Nc3 Nxc2 25. g4 $19) 21. Nb2 g5 22. g4? { I thought this was going to leave his h6 pawn weak, but he always has Bg5 and my e pawn is weak and can easily be attacked by all of black's pieces. } 22... gxf4 (22... fxg4 23. hxg4 gxf4 24. Bxf4) 23. Bxf4 fxg4 24. hxg4 Bg5 (24... Rd4 25. Bxh6 Rxg4+ 26. Kf1 Nxe5) 25. Bxg5 hxg5 26. Nd3 Rd5 { I can't save that pawn. From here I masterfully trade down to a losing endgame. } (26... Kb7 27. Rf6 Rd4 28. Nf2 Rc4 29. Rxe6 Rxc2 30. Rg6) 27. Rf6 (27. Re2) 27... Nxe5 28. Rxe6 (28. Nxe5 Rxe5 29. Rg6 Re1+ 30. Kf2 Rc1 31. Rxg5 Rxc2+ 32. Ke3 Rc3+ { [%csl Ge3] } 33. Kf4 Rxa3 34. Rg8+ Kd7 35. g5) 28... Nxd3 29. cxd3 Rxd3 30. Re5 Rg3+ 31. Kf2 Rxg4 32. Kf3 Rc4 33. Rxg5 Rc3+ 34. Ke4 Rxa3 35. Kd4 Ra4 36. Kc3 Ra1 37. Kc4 Ra3 38. Kd5 Kb7 39. Kc4 b5+ 40. Kc5 Rc3+ 41. Kd5 Rc4 42. Re5 { It's a tablebase loss from here. I played a few more moves hoping for some kind of blunder from my opponent and then resigned. } 42... Rxb4 43. Kc5 Rc4+ 44. Kd5 Kb6 45. Re6+ c6+ 0-1