Pautltopia and I are going to be posting an unrated game here that we're annotating as we play.
Game 643185
Others are welcome to join in with comments, but please see the format below first. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions about how to make this easier or better please let us know by posting in the thread: Help & Site Ideas->May we comment on current game in forum?
http://www.redhotpawn.com/board/showthread.php?id=13422
I'm gonna post the first move and comment, and then Paultopia will join in when he gets a chance.
The thread setup guidelines we have so far are copied below:
(1) Create a thread for the game in the Chess forum with the game number in the thread title as Game <ID#>: <user> v. <user>: Public commenting.
Include these guidelines in the first post, and also add a link to the game.
(2) Each player posts comments for their own move just before moving.
The first line of a move post should start with the move number and selected move in standard form in bold using the [ b ] tag.
The second line should contain a game link (see bottom of post page).
Annotations follow in whatever form the poster desires. FENs can be inserted using the [ fen ] tag (not yet implemented?).
(3) Others are allowed to post, but, to avoid confusion, should not make their post look like a move post by one of the players.
(4) Any rude comments should be alerted to the moderator immediately. I think this idea can be really good for this site, and I don't want to see people discouraged from participating, especially due to inexperience.
1. e4
Game 643185
I will spare you all my lengthy analysis here. This is what I know!
1. ... c5
Game 643185
I'd like a nice sharp tactical fight, so I'll go with the sicilian. I pretty much only play 3 defenses as black to e4 -- alekhine's (when I want to be troublesome and positional), the sicilian, and the latvian.
I would have gone for the really sharp fight with the latvian, except, well, it's far too dangerous to try in a public game for people who don't want to be totally humiliated. 🙂
2 Nf3
Game 643185
I only know a few (short) lines of the Sicilian, and am trying to learn it now.
Neither of my books talk much about theory here, but I assume Nf3 is good because it develops a piece, lays claim to some center squares, and gives support to a later d2-e4.
2. ... Nc6
Game 643185
Nothing new here. I'm playing straight up the mainline sicilian. After the expected d4 cxd4 nxd4 the choice of lines will be mine. I'll probably break into the pelikan or possibly the accelerated draggie.
3 d4
Game 643185
I looked through my opening books and found:
Seirawan's "Winning Chess Openings" has no mention of Black's second move here as Nc6! It does say that this opening has lots of transpositions.
de Firmian's "MCO Beginners" has three pages of openings that start this way, but no explanations.
Fine's "The Ideas Behind the Chess Openings" has about nine pages of text, mostly over my head.
I read guidelines such as: White must attack, or risk being cramped.
Finding little help in my books is a common occurance for me. I would appreciate hearing (from anyone) what you think are the main themes and guidelines in this opening.
In a case like this, I examine related positions, look for transpositions, but then just analyze myself. So here goes (I have arranged them in order of my preference, best first):
d4: (good): Defended twice, attacked twice. This is the only move I have in my books. This is in line with the guideline above.
c3: (good): Gives support to a later d4, keeps the Black knight from advancing, but also keeps own knight off of c3 for a while. This seems a little move passive than d4.
Nc3: (okay): Together with the f3-knight covers the center.
Bc4: (okay): Expects a later d3 for support.
I don't see any other good moves.
3. ... cxd4
Game 643185
Those moves zucchini listed are basically white's choices here, although some of us (i.e. me) have a habit of playing strange moves vs the sicilian, that's mainline. Similarly, this recapture by black is pretty solid book sicilian. There aren't really any other decent possibilities. I suppose Nxd4 would be playable, but black's knight is good on c6, and really oughtn't be traded, since if white initiates a trade later, black can capture toward the center and get a pawn on c6 to support d4 -- although that's just my personal theory.
4 Nxd4
Game 643185
Nxd4: I see no other move. Otherwise, e5 locks the center and Black is strong.
4. ... Nf6
Game 643185
I'd like to continue being coy. I considered g6, which leads to the accelerated dragon, but (a) I'd rather not committ to a variation just yet, and I can do all sorts of crazy transpositions with the pawns, and (b) I don't know the accelerated dragon (which is obviously why I want to play it), but I've been given to understand that it has had Trouble lately.
This, of course, threatens the e pawn, forcing Nc3 -- although I suppose if he really wants, he can play Qd3...but I wouldn't.
Okay...I turned in late in the game so I'm going to post my opinions for the whole game so far...
Bringing out the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings...our ECO code is B33: Sicilian: Pelikan and Svenshnikov Variations...and you're still in the opening book.
Okay...game so far is 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6
The book itself calls for 5. Nc3 which I think is definately better than the alternative 5. Nxc6?
White is slightly winning now and it looks like in the continuation of the game...things will go well for White: 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 Nd4 9. Nc4 b5 10. Ne3 h6 11. Bh4...
5 ... e5
Game 643185
Riding straight up the Pelikan mainline. I promise, the book moves will end soon. I actually have what I *THINK* is an improvement that I wanna try out shortly.
Anyway, yada yada, this forces the white knight home, gaining a tempo in the process of having some center space, and is the characteristic move of this variation. The price, of course, is that the d pawn will be forever backward on an open file and the d5 square will be a big hole, in which white invariably plunks a knight. At least, that is, unless my improvement works, as opposed to just wasting a tempo and burying the initiative. (I say "improvement" but lets be realistic, I'm sure it's known to theory, simply to a bit of theory that I don't know.) I plan, through a likely a6, as well as either h6 and/or Bb4, to grab a death-grip on d5, at the probable price of losing the bishop pair and conceding a little bit of the initiative. That's grossly anti-thematic, even karpovesque, because I'm given to understand, by someone who actually knows sicilian theory, that the whole point of the pelikan is to accept those strategic weaknesses in the interest of getting an attack going quick. I'll probably lose. But I'm curious as to what will happen, and hey, it's an unrated game.
Usually, white responds with Nb5. I have to admit, I don't think the white knight is well-placed on b5 though.
Actually, I wanted to end the book moves now. What I really wanna play is 5. ... d5?! Unfortunately, I can't devise a line there that doesn't just simplify into a near-endgame like position where black has a disadvantage.
(note to self... maybe import an idea or two from this page? http://www.chesscorner.com/tutorial/Intermediate/openingrep/sveshnik/sveshnik.htm)