Annotated Chess Game 8565034

I play fewer 1. e4 games these days but dabble occasionally.

I know my opponent quite well. In real life his OTB grade is considerably lower than mine. When he is in the groove he will play stronger at correspondence chess because he will analyse a position for long periods with incessant clicking of the analyse board and then allows his reply to "mature" for a day or two before sending it. Lately he has become more slapdash.

This is the start position of the four knights opening. Regarded by theorists as pretty much played out. From my point of view it gives a straightforward route to a playable middle game, without being cramped.

I think this is the best move here, but Bb5 and g3 are common enough.

4...Bb4 is also playable.

5. Nd5 is the Belgrade Gambit, but I don't know much more about it than the name.

Here I believe the book move is 7.Bd3. I saw no reason to follow theory any further. The queen threatens the bishop, has the possibility of going to e5 with check disrupting castling and looking at c7, and could, in combination with Bg5, pressure the f6 knight. Also in the event of 7...Bxc3 then 8. Qxc3 Nxe4 9. Qxg7 looked like a game.

The only move to harass the early developed queen, but I don't believe it achieves much, although black can argue that Bb7 is a threat.

c7 is safe for the moment as e4 is vulnerable.

White prevents his c pawns from being doubled because if Bxc3 Bxc3 Nxe4 then Bxg7. The Bishop on f1 holds g2 after Rg8 in these lines.

At this stage Black is ahead in development - three pieces out to White's two.

Securing the e pawn and reducing the influence of the b7 Bishop.

Black fails to "get torn into this clown" as GP would say and spends a tempo on preventing Nb5 attacking c7.

A good square for the bishop which is developed beyond the f3/e4 pawn chain.

Intending Kf8 with the rooks connected.

I felt this was best giving the rook the half open file and protecting the b2 pawn with the King should Black play Rb8 at any point.

Removing the implied threat to the d7 pawn from the d1 rook which looks more serious after the intended Kf8. White is now equal in development.

White brings his final undeveloped piece to a good square where it supports a push of the e pawn.

As intended. Apart from a notional weakness of the doubled c pawn the position looks utterly innocuous. Black should have chances to develop something on the queen side perhaps utilising the half open b file against the White King. White is ahead in development by one move.

To see if he would surrender the two bishops. At this point it is vital to make a threat and try to seize the initiative before Black thinks of something to do. By keeping Black on the back foot it should be possible to increase the advantages gained so far and ultimately force a win.

I had thought that if ...Ba5 16. Nd5 if then 16....Nxd5 17. Bxa5 or 16....Bb6 17. Nxb6 cxb6 and I thought I could then win a pawn on d6.

White now has a one move lead in development (the rook), two bishops and black has the doubled pawn. Black now has to take into account White playing e5, with sequences like 17. e5 d5 18. exf6 dxc4 19.fxg7+ Kg8 20. Rd7 and Black's tripled pawns look terrible.

Motivated by the fears in the last note Black plays to discourage e5.

But White can play this move anyway because he can win back the pawn by attacking the weak doubled c pawns from d7 which also attacks f7 in conjunction with the Bishop. Black has not been analysing as carefully as he usually does....

If dxe5 then Rxd7

Rxe5 Rxe5 dxe5 when Rd7 forks c7 and f7.

Forking f7 and c7 and more or less forcing Black's next move.

Regaining the pawn and forking King and c5.

The "move after" where f7 and h7 are threatened. Black must lose a pawn and still has the doubled c pawns as potential weak spots to defend. Here the Black Rook on a8 shows how much 1 tempo can be sometimes.

I thought he might try to trap the white rook whilst it was offside on h5 and does not have too many squares available to it but instead he threatens to play to e1 followed by g1 and win back the pawn (g3 Bxf3 attacking the rook so a6 is safe).

Prevents entry by the Black Rook. White's advantage is now clear so Black decided to resign stating that the position was one of those that was "too far gone despite being only a pawn down" and, whilst I could not point to a clear winning sequence from this position, I do agree with his assessment. I quite like the way this game developed from an innocuous opening and what seemed to me to be a reasonable deviation from book theory. By throwing the opponent on his own resources early, capitalising on the slight advantages he conceded and more or less keeping the tactics under control encouraged a resignation in an almost bloodless coup.