[Event "Live Chess - Chess960"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2019.08.04"] [White "GM AbasovN"] [Black "visualdennis"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2622"] [BlackElo "2274"] [TimeControl "600+2"] [Variant "Chess960"] [ECO "?"] [Opening "?"] [StudyName "FRWC Titled Stage"] [ChapterName "GM AbasovN - visualdennis"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/V3hGm7Ko/4XVOCq8k"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/visualdennis"] [FEN "nbbnrkrq/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/NBBNRKRQ w KQkq - 0 1"] [SetUp "1"] [Orientation "white"] 1. b4 { [%clk 0:09:56] } 1... h5 { [%anno "satchitanandaj", satchitanandaj] Queens are on the edge of the board and bishop pair is almost on the other corner of the board. So with h5, i m simply trying to secure a room for my queen so that she does not have a problem to get into game. Whites b4 simply implies that he wants to go Bb2-Nb3, which means it makes even more sense to put queen on h6 when the bishop moves to b2 and leaves the c1-h6 diagonal. } { [%clk 0:09:55] } 2. Bb2 { [%clk 0:09:55] } 2... Qh6 { [%clk 0:09:56] } 3. Nb3 { [%clk 0:09:49] } 3... b6 { [%anno "satchitanandaj", satchitanandaj] b6 move takes the b6 square from the knight on a8 and one might think that b5 would be therefore more principled move. But im not very concerned with my knight on a8 as i have other plans now, since i have an active queen. For example c5 after b6 could easily solve knight issue later since after bxc5 bxc5 Nxc5 Qxd2. I want to keep my bishop on the b8-h2 diagonal, as i have the typical plan of restricting his queen with Bb7-h4, just as i have done in the game 11. Therefore i decided to leave the b8 bishop where it is now instead of b5-a6-Bb7-Ba7-d6-Nb6 set up. } { [%clk 0:09:52] } 4. c4 { [%clk 0:09:43] } 4... Bb7 { [%anno "satchitanandaj", satchitanandaj] Now i have reached to similar piece arrangement as in the game 11 and i intend to play h4. } { [%clk 0:09:49] } 5. e4 { [%clk 0:09:44] } 5... h4 { [%anno "satchitanandaj", satchitanandaj] e4 gives black time to play h4 and makes life hard for the queen on h1. By now, i could say, a typical underestimation by my opponent in chess 960. Apart from e4, which allows h4, i think that Nb3 was also not the most needed development move due to the nature of this position. I believe this type of piece arrangement with queens and bishops demand different priorities than for example improving the knight in the corner, because every tempo is very important due to the fast nature of the position. } { [%clk 0:09:15] } 6. h3 { [%clk 0:09:37] } 6... Ne6 { [%anno "satchitanandaj", satchitanandaj] Now going after f4 square which became a target after e4. Also my pawn on h4 makes a g3 not preferable. Better would be to have pawn on h2, so that after g3 hxg3 white could capture with hxg3 without ruining pawn structure ( Rxg3) or exposing the king (fxg3) } { [%clk 0:09:11] } 7. d4 { [%clk 0:09:27] } 7... Nf4 { [%clk 0:08:22] } 8. Ne3 { [%clk 0:09:15] } 8... a5 { [%anno "satchitanandaj", satchitanandaj] White claims to control over center now with four of his pawns advanced and supported with minor pieces. But this type of control and structure feels fragile due to the concept of "herd without shepherd" like in the other games. (Queen and King being away from the queenside, which is opened up, while my queen is active and ready for invasion) So starting with a5 im trying to undermine his central structure. } { [%clk 0:08:02] } 9. a3 { [%clk 0:09:07] } 9... a4 { [%anno "satchitanandaj", satchitanandaj] I could also take b4 but considering that the a5 was just a part of a bigger plan, namely c5, it makes more sense to send the knight away to reduce whites control over c5. } { [%clk 0:08:01] } 10. Nd2 { [%clk 0:09:07] } 10... c5 { [%clk 0:07:53] } 11. bxc5 { [%clk 0:09:00] } 11... bxc5 { [%anno "satchitanandaj", satchitanandaj] And c5 was the part of another bigger plan, which is to create space in the queenside. Now the b6 square is already freed that i dont have to worry about my knight on a8, it can choose between c7 or b6. But i have other plans for the b6 square.. } { [%clk 0:07:50] } 12. d5 { [%clk 0:09:01] } 12... Qb6 { [%anno "satchitanandaj", satchitanandaj] Using the open space of the 6th rank, i bring my queen to the side of the board where the action takes place now. Here it will support my minor pieces while harassing his. } { [%clk 0:07:48] } 13. Bc3 { [%clk 0:08:56] } 13... Ba6 { [%clk 0:07:33] } 14. g3 { [%clk 0:08:53] } 14... hxg3 { [%clk 0:07:09] } 15. fxg3 { [%clk 0:08:55] } 15... Ng6 { [%clk 0:07:00] } 16. Bc2 { [%clk 0:08:48] } 16... Be5 { [%anno "satchitanandaj", satchitanandaj] His central pawns are on the light squares, which means if i exchange or eliminate the forces, with which he controls dark squares - in this case dark-squared bishop-, those dark squares will be a weakness for white. My queen or even knights will try to exploit these holes. } { [%clk 0:06:58] } 17. Bxe5 { [%clk 0:08:43] } 17... Nxe5 { [%clk 0:06:59] } 18. Rb1 { [%clk 0:08:44] } 18... Qc7 { [%anno "satchitanandaj", satchitanandaj] Qa5 followed by Qc3 would be probably much better. } { [%clk 0:06:59] } 19. Qg2 { [%clk 0:08:24] } 19... Nb6 { [%clk 0:06:53] } 20. Qe2 { [%clk 0:08:26] } 20... e6 { [%anno "satchitanandaj", satchitanandaj] Not only trying to challenge the center and tickle the pin on a6-f1 diagonal, but also trying to open files for my rooks, which are the only pieces that are not in the game. } { [%clk 0:06:29] } 21. dxe6 { [%clk 0:08:00] } 21... dxe6 { [%clk 0:06:22] } 22. Kg2 { [%clk 0:07:58] } 22... Rd8 { [%clk 0:06:17] } 23. Nf3 { [%anno "satchitanandaj", satchitanandaj] White decided to give up c4, but i believe even if white tries to go into passive defence, that pawn should eventually fall, as i ll put my rook on d4 and exchange the knight on f3 and so on.. } { [%clk 0:07:53] } 23... Nexc4 { [%clk 0:05:55] } 24. Nxc4 { [%clk 0:07:48] } 24... Bxc4 { [%clk 0:05:56] } 25. Qe3 { [%clk 0:07:45] } 25... Ba6 { [%clk 0:04:21] } 26. Qc3 { [%anno "satchitanandaj", satchitanandaj] So im up a pawn and definitely his king is more exposed than mine. But rest of the game i displayed a poor technique for converting my positional and material advantages i ve reached so far and lost the game with a terrible blunder.. } { [%clk 0:07:22] } 26... Nc4 { [%clk 0:03:58] } 27. Bxa4 { [%clk 0:07:15] } 27... O-O { [%clk 0:03:53] } 28. Bb5 { [%clk 0:07:13] } 28... Bxb5 { [%clk 0:03:38] } 29. Rxb5 { [%clk 0:07:14] } 29... Nd6 { [%clk 0:03:39] } 30. Rxc5 { [%clk 0:07:15] } 30... Qb7 { [%clk 0:03:27] } 31. Qb4 { [%clk 0:06:59] } 31... Qa8 { [%anno "satchitanandaj", satchitanandaj] I could also take on e4 and simplify the position, i believe i should be able to hold a pawn with my rook as it is not advanced much. Qe4 Qe4 Ne4 comes with a tempo and if Rc4 then i can even go Nd2 and exchange knights with tempo again and white will not have time to defending the pawn on a3, let advancing alone. White then probably will try to double on the 7th rank as a counter play. } { [%clk 0:03:04] } 32. Re1 { [%clk 0:06:52] } 32... Rb8 { [%clk 0:03:05] } 33. Qd4 { [%clk 0:06:51] } 33... Rfd8 { [%clk 0:03:04] } 34. Rg5 { [%clk 0:06:41] } 34... Ne8 { [%clk 0:02:52] } 35. Qc3 { [%clk 0:06:42] } 35... Rdc8 { [%clk 0:02:44] } 36. Qd3 { [%clk 0:06:41] } 36... Rb2+ { [%clk 0:02:39] } 37. Kh1 { [%clk 0:06:36] } 37... Rcc2 { [%clk 0:02:33] } 38. Rb5 { [%clk 0:06:35] } 38... Rxb5 { [%clk 0:02:12] } 39. Qxb5 { [%clk 0:06:34] } 39... Qxa3 { [%anno "satchitanandaj", satchitanandaj] Very unfortunate and huge blunder which costs black the game.. It is hard to explain the illusion i ve had and missed Qxf7 which protects the knight on f3 as well. I was maybe relying on Ng5 Kg6 after Qxe8 or if he tried to protect knight with Rf1 Qd3 but simply overlooked Qxf7. Even if my illusion was correct, it is still such an unnecessary decision to play such risky move like Qxa3.. So i think the main problem is not the illusion i ve had about his kingside and thought that i can give my knight, but that i took such an unnecessary decision which was totally unpractical. } { [%clk 0:01:59] } 40. Qxe8+ { [%clk 0:06:32] } 40... Kh7 { [%clk 0:02:00] } 41. Qxf7 { [%clk 0:05:55] } 41... Qc5 { [%clk 0:01:33] } 42. Qxe6 { [%clk 0:05:50] } 42... Rf2 { [%clk 0:01:10] } 43. Qg4 { [%clk 0:05:40] } 43... Qc3 { [%clk 0:01:06] } 44. Ng5+ { [%clk 0:04:48] } 44... Kh6 { [%clk 0:01:07] } 45. Rd1 { [%clk 0:04:30] } 45... Rd2 { [%clk 0:00:59] } 46. Rxd2 { [%clk 0:04:18] } 46... Qxd2 { [%clk 0:00:59] } 47. Qh4+ { [%clk 0:04:18] } 47... Kg6 { [%clk 0:01:00] } 48. Qh7+ { [%clk 0:04:19] } 48... Kxg5 { [%clk 0:00:58] } 49. Qxg7+ { [%clk 0:04:20] } 49... Kh5 { [%clk 0:01:00] } 50. Qg4+ { [%clk 0:04:21] } 50... Kh6 { [%clk 0:00:58] } 51. Qf4+ { [%clk 0:04:23] } 1-0