Annotated Chess Game 8200083

I don't know who Pawn Riot is. In one of his forum posts he indicated he was 190 ECF. If true this is not far off master level and I have seen players of this strength win against IMs and GMs at weekend tournaments. From my point of view the 45 ECF point deficit means I could expect to gain 1 draw in 10 games OTB.

A long time ago I played the Caro Kann. Eventually I realized that I scored around 30% with it whereas with 1...e5 my ratio was a good 10-15% better. My character type prefers symmetry evidently!

Psychological as well as somewhat agricultural! When a strong player makes a theoretically dubious move like this you know they are aiming for a miniature! The trap is that you will go for some sort of direct refutation and leave yourself more vulnerable to attack. Both players are quickly on their own resources which also suits the stronger player when the difference is this wide.

Prevents Nd4 breaking up the attack on f7.

I don't have much experience with this opening. I know that professional hackers want to play g4-g5 to dislodge the Nf6.

g4 is clearly important to him!

Aiming to relieve the pressure on f7 and perhaps play Be6 and aim for d5.

Now if Nxc4 dxc4 concentrates pressure on d5 and this knight may go there supported by the pawns. With the centre secure you can expect 0-0-0 and a kingside pawn push.

Otherwise Na5 is pointless. Black gains the two bishops and doubles the c pawns. White is keeping Black's central pawn breaks under wraps.

White has an unorthodox set up against my neat and tidy position. Should I have played an early h5 and castled Q-side, after all I saw this coming?

And so the first day of play ends. I have achieved my pawn break in the centre to counter Riot's king side action. If I allowed him 0-0-0 the d1 rook would attack d5 for a 5th time and prevent the break.

Attacking one of the d5 defenders.

Blocking one of the d5 attackers!

With this knight exchange I felt I was improving my bishop and gaining control of d5. If 16.dxe6 Bxc3+ looked good for me. End of the second day.

Riot took a day off. Was it real life or did he analyse for hours? This move prevents Bxd5 skewering Q and R as well as removing the King from the centre. I guess that in offering the c3 knight for the e6 Bishop some calculation was required.

May as well threaten mate by Qa3-b2. If 17...fxe6 18.Rxd8 pins the Rf8 preventing Rxf3. End of day four. I felt reasonably happy.

When this came in next afternoon I was surprised. I realized that white now had Bc1 which was the move I had not seen. I felt less happy.

On reflection I think this is a mistake. The move achieves little and probably moving the Ra8 to a more active position perhaps more to the point. White has an extra (passed) pawn sitting on c2 as a long term advantage. The idea of the move played was to force the Be3 away from protection of f2. Capturing this pawn is fantasy however because my Q will have to move as well as the R on a8 before the Rf8 could make the capture. End of day 5.

Riot plays the forced move. I travel to Somerset to see relatives and for a couple of days cycling with my wife. End of day 6.

After a days riding in the Quantocks including the 1:4 hill at Crowcombe, I decide to protect a7 so that I can harass the white queen with a rook. f2 is also attacked again. Something for him to think about anyway. End of day 7.

On return from a day's riding up Cheddar Gorge and over The Mendips I find myself threatened with mate in three.

Pretty much the only defence protecting g7 from the Bc3. End of day 8.

Back home after a drive up the M5 and over the Cotswolds I found this move waiting.

Yuk! After Qxc3 Bb2 the square g7 is in trouble.

No choice really. Maybe I can harass the Q with the rooks and drive her from my second rank.

This is curtains. Qxe6 is check and after the King moves then Bxc3 wins the Q. Qe5 or Qf6 to protect g7 and e6 are prevented.

The culmination of my defence which has the flaw that my Q is attacked. White's reply is obvious and final.

White now goes a bishop and two pawns up after Kxf7 Bxc3. There is no way back and I can resign with a clear conscience. Not quite a miniature. Well played Mr Riot! (End of day 9)