[Event "Live Chess - Chess960"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2019.07.28"] [White "visualdennis"] [Black "GM sergiochess83"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2237"] [BlackElo "2497"] [TimeControl "600+2"] [Variant "Chess960"] [ECO "?"] [Opening "?"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/visualdennis"] [FEN "qrknrnbb/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/QRKNRNBB w KQkq - 0 1"] [SetUp "1"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/V3hGm7Ko/GX89Plbl"] [Orientation "white"] { OK, i have had some experience with these type of Fischer Random set up before and i have discovered an opening idea for when the queens are on the edge and the bishop pair is on the other edge. The problem here is that, when the bishop pair opens up, lets say g3-f4, then firstly it pins the b pawn, which he could use to get his queen out. Secondly the other bishop takes a7 square from queen to get into the game. Only reasonable square that is left for queen is then a6 unless he wants to spend some time to play c6, get his rook out of way and finally bring queen to b8.. So this give me very concrete plan to make life harder for black and for his queen: } 1. g3 { [%clk 0:10:02] } 1... g6 { [%clk 0:09:41] } 2. a4 { Now i believe a5 is forced because if i get to play a5, not only i possibly threaten a6, but if he replies a6 against my a5, then the queen will have very very hard time getting out thanks to my bishop pair. } { [%clk 0:09:58] } 2... e5 { [%clk 0:09:38] } 3. a5 { Black has let me play a5 and now i already feel like i have huge advantage in the opening after only 3 moves! It is not rare that this plan in 960 is either overlooked or underestimated by my opponents. } { [%clk 0:09:59] } 3... a6 { [%clk 0:09:22] } 4. Nc3 { Nc3 instead of f4 because f4 would let him play e4! which not only shuts my bishop down but also enables black to solve his issues on that diagonal. } { [%clk 0:09:59] } 4... f5 { [%clk 0:09:21] } 5. Qa3 { Im postponing pushing f pawn, as i want him to be first to play e4 now, since i can play f3 right away, when the pawn is not on f4, and solve the issue. I already have control over d5 and with the queen on a3, i m starting to eyeball his "kingside" as well as the dark squares potentially (b6-c5-d6 etc.) If you remember my 6th game, there was similar theme again, my queen was trying to create issues on kingside, which was like a herd of pieces without shepherd. By that i mean that queen or king was too away to meet my queen. } { [%clk 0:09:50] } 5... Nc6 { [%clk 0:09:05] } 6. Ne3 { Going right away after d5 square. I start to sense the possibility of tactics in the future on dark squares, something with Nb6- Qd6 sacrifices maybe? } { [%clk 0:09:23] } 6... Ne7 { [%clk 0:08:40] } 7. Ned5 { [%clk 0:09:14] } 7... Nxd5 { [%clk 0:08:40] } 8. Bxd5 { The more pieces i remove from his kingside, more powerful my queen becomes, since it becomes simply a empty space for her to wander around and harass. But the second reason is that i want my bishop out before he plays e4, even though i can play f3 and after d5 continue to break the pawn chain , it takes bit of time and i dont want to lose time. Third reason is that i feel like i need my knight rather than my light squared bishop for possible tactics as him advancing b pawn would weaken his queenside so i dont feel big need to pin him all the time anymore. } { [%clk 0:09:03] } 8... Ne6 { [%clk 0:08:33] } 9. f3 { And now it is time to let the dark squared bishop in. Here i already start to vision things like having my bishop on b6 and queen on d6, so i need to find a concrete way to make it real. } { [%clk 0:08:45] } 9... Bf7 { [%clk 0:06:29] } 10. Na4 { With Na4 now im working towards that vision i had with Bd6-Qd6. It starts to look super dangerous now and i realised here that material loss for black is actually inevitable, because once i remove the knight on e6, which is the most powerful defender of black (the critical c7 square and c5 square) i have Nb6 cb6 Qd6 and Bb6 coming up and even 0-0-0 doesnt help as i can either first take on Bb6 and mate in two with Qc3 after 0-0-0. } { [%clk 0:08:16] } 10... Bf6 { Hoping to bring bishop to d8 or even e7 maybe. But once i remove knight on e6, Be7 doesnt help because of the idea of Nb6 cb6 Bb6 followed by Qc3. King cannot escape nor you can block on c5.. } { [%clk 0:05:58] } 11. Bxe6 { [%clk 0:07:21] } 11... Rxe6 { So the material loss is almost inevitable regardless of the way black recaptures. Because Bxe6 fails to Nb6 cb6 Bb6 followed with Qc3 as i mentioned earlier and Rxe6 as in the game, creates backrank issues and loses material because the rook is overloaded with protecting bishops. } { [%clk 0:05:37] } (11... dxe6 { At first this looks like the move which puts most resistance because of Nb6 cb6 Bb6 Kd7 and looks like King can escape to kingside after Qd3 or Qa4 check.. but there are many ways to checkmate. } 12. Nb6+ cxb6 13. Bxb6 Kd7 14. Qd3+ Ke7 (14... Kc6 15. Qc3+ Kd7 (15... Kd5 16. Qc5#) (15... Kb5 16. Qc5+ Ka4 17. Ra1# (17. b3#)) 16. Qc7#) 15. Bc5#) 12. Qf8+ { [%clk 0:07:15] } 12... Be8 { [%clk 0:05:37] } 13. Nc5 { [%clk 0:06:55] } 13... Be7 { [%clk 0:05:12] } 14. Qxe8+ { And Qxd7 mate after Bd8. And i believe all of this play have happened because black has let white play a5. } { [%clk 0:06:53] } 1-0