2022.03 2022.03 Uploads: 2022.03.08 [Site "https://lichess.org/nTzacRFe"] [Date "2022.03.25"] [Round "4"] [White "Erickson, Darren,LaughingVulcan"] [Black "JosephOAlford"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C46"] [WhiteElo "1500"] [BlackElo "1824"] [PlyCount "42"] [EventDate "2022.03.04"] [TimeControl "G/20; 5"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Bc5 4. Bc4 d6 {Fritz points one way to eliminate the coming attack: kill the bishop with Na4} 5. O-O {Black’s attack of bishop at g4 and knight at d4 breaks open White’s castle. h3 would prevent this} Bg4 6. Re1 {Seeing the danger, White tries to run back to the center. He could try h3 Bh5; g4, but then White has broken open his own castle.} Nd4 7. Kf1 {Be2} Nxf3 8. gxf3 Bh3+ {And Fritz now points out Qh4} 9. Ke2 c6 {Keeping out the enemy knight. Black could immediately force a pawn sacrifice with Qh4; d4 Bd4; Be3} 10. d3 {A logical continuation. Fritz suggests Rg1 allowing Qh4 to be met with Qe1} Qh4 11. Be3 Bxe3 12. Kxe3 {fxe3 protects more squares} Bg2 13. Rg1 { Losing instantly. Fritz suggests Kd2 or Ne2} Qf4+ 14. Ke2 Bxf3+ 15. Ke1 Bxd1 16. Kxd1 Qxf2 17. Rxg7 Qf1+ 18. Kd2 Qxa1 19. Bxf7+ Kf8 20. Rxg8+ Rxg8 21. Bxg8 Kxg8 {I don’t normally make notes on 20 minute games, but I wanted to comment on this “pin it and win it attack”.} 0-1 You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization. [Site "https://lichess.org/YxZ5zocP"] [Date "2022.03.25"] [Round "4"] [White "JosephOAlford"] [Black "Newman, Steven, bitterroot88"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C53"] [WhiteElo "1500"] [BlackElo "1125"] [PlyCount "63"] [EventDate "2022.03.04"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 d6 {Nf6 is better} 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb6 {After Bb4+ White would normally play Bd2 Bd2+; Nd2 to protect e4, but here e4 is not attacked because Black did not play 4…Nf6 so White could respond to Bb4+ with Nc3 retaining his bishop for a later attack.} 7. Ng5 {That’s almost certainly premature. 0-0 or Nc3. Fritz likes Bb5 or d5} Ba5+ {Black had 2 attacks on d4. Why throw one away on a check that develops another White piece? } 8. Nc3 Nh6 9. Qh5 {There is not quite enough attack here. Be3 or 0-0} O-O 10. Be3 Bg4 {That looks impressive. It relieves some of the pressure on f7 (and, in some lines, on a5) but it leaves the bishop vulnerable. Fritz much prefers Bb6 with an attack on d4} 11. Qh4 Ne7 {Tactics win most chess games. This frees White’s queen. Bb6 was still best for Black} 12. Nxh7 {And at the crucial moment, White slips. Bxf7+ Rxf7; Nxf7 Kxf7; Bxh6 and the bishop on g4 falls} Ng6 {Not bad at all. Fritz likes Kh7; Bh6 Nef5!; Qg4 Nh6} 13. Qxd8 Rfxd8 14. Bxh6 gxh6 {Played too fast. Kh7} 15. Nf6+ Kg7 16. Nxg4 h5 17. Ne3 c6 18. O-O d5 {Two defenders, four attackers} 19. exd5 b5 20. Bb3 Bb6 21. dxc6 Bxd4 22. Nf5+ Kf8 23. Nxd4 Rxd4 24. Nxb5 Rd2 25. Rad1 Rxb2 26. c7 Ne7 27. Rd8+ Rxd8 28. cxd8=Q+ Kg7 29. Qd4+ Kf8 30. Qxb2 a5 31. Rd1 a4 32. Rd8# 1-0 You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization. [Site "https://lichess.org/Ivq61m4F"] [Date "2022.03.25"] [Round "4"] [White "Newman, Steven, bitterroot88"] [Black "JosephOAlford"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "D30"] [WhiteElo "1125"] [BlackElo "1500"] [PlyCount "68"] [EventDate "2022.03.04"] {When ahead, trade.} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Bf4 Bd6 5. Bg3 O-O 6. Nc3 Nc6 7. e3 Re8 8. Be2 Ne7 9. O-O Bxg3 10. fxg3 dxc4 11. Ne5 Ned5 12. Nxc4 b5 { e3 is a pain point. Black’s idea is to sacrifice this pawn and then trade his bishop for the knight that protects e3. Fritz is not impressed. b6 serves the same purpose} 13. Nxd5 {Fritz says take the pawn} Nxd5 14. e4 bxc4 15. exd5 exd5 16. Bg4 Qg5 17. Bxc8 Raxc8 18. Kh1 Qe3 19. Rf4 Re4 20. Rxe4 Qxe4 21. h3 Re8 22. Kh2 Kf8 23. Qa4 Qxd4 24. Qb4+ c5 25. Qa3 Re7 26. Rf1 Qd3 27. Rf3 Qxa3 28. Rxa3 d4 29. Ra4 d3 30. Rxc4 d2 31. Rxc5 d1=Q 32. Rc8+ Re8 33. Rc7 Re1 34. g4 Qd6+ 0-1 You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization. [Event "The Proving Ground"] [Site "The Proving Ground"] [Date "2022.03.08"] [Round "1"] [White "Alford, Joseph"] [Black "Erickson, Darren"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B22"] [Annotator ",JosephOAlford"] [PlyCount "31"] {This game was played at the proving ground, a rock climbing gym on College Avenue. Climbers rest between climbs with a game or two of chess. There are usually 3 games set up and non-climbers are welcome.} 1. e4 c5 2. c3 Nf6 {d6 usually precedes this knight move. Fritz likes Nc6 which also attacks d4.} 3. e5 Nd5 4. d4 d6 {This seriously weakens Black’s game. I expected e6} 5. c4 Nb6 6. dxc5 dxc5 7. Qxd8+ Kxd8 8. Be3 {White wants rapid development to take advantage of Black’s king stuck in the center.} e6 {too passive, says Fritz. He prefers Nc6; Nf3 Bg4} 9. Nc3 g6 {Black could attempt to castle by hand on the queen side with knight at c6, bishop at d7, and king at c7} 10. O-O-O+ N8d7 11. Nf3 Bg7 12. Ng5 {White misses Bc5} Ke7 13. f4 h6 14. Nge4 Re8 15. Nxc5 Nxc5 16. Bxc5# 1-0 You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.
