Annotated Game

Palmer, T. - Lassila, T. (B01 - Scandinavian Defense)

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6

Not my usual fare, but this was a training game with an expert friend so I wanted to play something with a little more kick to it.

3.c4 e6!?

White doesn't usually aim to keep the pawn as 3...c6 is very strong and instead plays 3.d4 to transpose. I opted for something even more forceful, the Icelandic Gambit. The general consensus is that it's not quite sound but certainly gives enough initiative to keep White busy during the opening phases of this game. White could decline with 4.d4 exd5, which tranposes to the Exchange French.

4.dxe6 Bxe6 5.d4?!

Already slipping a bit. Best is 5.Be2, as in Adams - Thorhallsson, Arnhem 1988:

5.Be2 Nc6 6.Nf3 Bc5 7.O-O Nd4 8.Nxd4 Qxd4 9.d3 O-O-O 10.Nd2 Bd6 11.Nf3 Qb6 12.d4 c5 13.d5 Bg4 14.Ng5 Bxe2 15.Qxe2 Rhe8 16.Qd3 Rd7 17.b3 Ng4 18.Nf3 Qc7 19.h3 Bh2+ 20.Kh1 Ne5 21.Qe2 Nxf3 22.Qxe8+ Rd8 23.Qe4 Be5 1-0

5...Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Bxd2+ 7.Qxd2 Qe7

The key point of Black's plan. The e-file is vulnerable to attack and the white king will spend several moves in the center. Meanwhile Black will continue Nc6 (ignoring the fork), O-O-O and Re8.

8.Qe2

Better is 8.Qe3 when the bishop is not locked in.

8...Nc6

Of course not afraid of 9.d5? as 9...Nd4 10. Qd2 Bf5+ -+.

9.Nf3 O-O-O! 10.d5 Rhe8 11.Nc3

Here 11.dxc6?? runs into 11...Bxc4 12.cxb7+ Kxb7 13.Qxe7 Rxe7+ 14.Be2 Rxe2+ 15.Kf1 Rd1+ 16.Ne1 Rdxe1#, and 11.dxe6 fails to 11...Qb4+ 12.Nbd2 Rxe6 13.O-O-O Rxe2 14. Bxe2 -/+.

Position after 11.Nc3

11...Bxd5

Also quite playable for Black is 11...Qc5 12.O-O-O Bxd5 13.cxd5 -/+.

12.cxd5 Qb4 13.O-O-O

Hopelessly lost is 13.dxc6? Qxb2 14.cxb7+ Kb8 15.Rd1 Qxc3+ 16.Nd2 Ne4 -+.

13...Rxe2 14.Bxe2 Ne7

After the dust has settled, Black has a queen for a rook and bishop and will soon grab the d-pawn. What remains is to prove is that White's king position is not strong enough to withstand an attack. With so much wood still on the table, this proves to be quite a chore. First the black queen must be manouevred to a safe square.

15.Rd4 Qc5 16.Kb1

16.Rhd1 Nf5 17.R4d2 Ne4 18.Bd3 is less comfortable but still holds.

16...Nexd5 17.Na4 Qe7

After 17...Qa5 18.Rhd1, the black queen is somewhat misplaced.

18.Bc4 c6

Making room for the lady.

19.Re1 Qc7 20.a3 b5!?

Maybe it's not wise to loosen the squares around the white king like this, as the fork is a simple illusion. What I had in mind here is to trade down the pieces and try to reduce White's piece control of the center. Once the minor pieces come off, it's easy pickins' for the black queen.

21.Bxd5 Rxd5 22.Rxd5 Nxd5

Now watch as White carefully moves his knights around to create counterplay and headaches for the white king.

23.Nc5

Threatens Re8+ winning.

Position after 23.Nc5

23...Qd6 24.Ne4 Qg6 25.Ne5

With the idea 26.Nxf7! as 26...Qxf7?? 27. Nd6+ +-.

25...Qxg2

Rule #1: When your opponent has knights in the endgame, KEEP THE QUEEN AND KING FAR APART!

26.Nxc6 Kb7

Instead 26...f5 27.Ng3 f4 28.Nf5 g6 29.Nfd4 Qxf2 when Black is left with mostly technical difficulties.

27.Nd8+ Kc7 28.Nxf7 Nf6?!

The simpler method is to keep munching up the pawns: 28.Qxh2. After 29.Nxf6 gxf6 30.Re7+ Kb6 31.Re6+ Kc5 32.Rxf6 Qxh2 it's no longer easy to win.

29.Ned6 Kb8?

Allows dangerous counterplay.

30.Rc1 a6 31.Ne5 Qxh2?

31...Nd5 would allow some winning chances, now White has a perpetual on the board.

32.Rc8+ Ka7 33.Rc7+ Kb6 1/2-1/2

Black can't escape because of 34.Rc6+ Ka5?? 35.Nb7+ Ka4 36.Rxa6+ Kb3 37.Nc5#!!.

Annotated Game

Lassila, T. - N.N (D06 Queen's Gambit)

1.d4 d5

This game features an unusual approach to one of my main openings with White. More interestingly it presents a psychological struggle, where I play precisely for a long time, build up an attack while smothering my opponent's counterplay, and just when the attack is about to strike through, something unexpected happens.

2.c4 h6?!

My opponent has a tendency to make these early rook pawn moves in all of his games. I suppose it's more his way of getting out of book lines rather than genuine concern about anything coming to g5. However, it's not an accurate method of combatting the Queen's Gambit as can be seen from the results of the opening.

3.cxd5 Qxd5
4.Nc3 Qd8

Better than 4...Qa5 5. Bd2 Qb6 6. Nd5!

5.e4 e6
6.Nf3 Bb4
7.a3 Ba5?

I could also have tried to kick the bishop with Qb3. He really should have taken on c3, as after the retreat I gain space on the queenside while his pieces still sit pretty in their home squares.

8.b4 Bb6
9.Be3 Nf6

9. Na4 wins the bishop pair, but I had no reason to go into that. His bishop is somewhat misplaced on b6 and as long as I'm concerned might as well stay there.

10.Ne5 Nbd7

Ne5 was an important grab for the center, before Black gets a chance to play Nbd7. He could also have castled here but correctly presumed I was planning something.

11.f4!? Nxe5

My king is still in the center but stopping Black from developing is more important here. Not liking my knight on e5 he trades, but now I get a very strong pawn center.

12.fxe5 Nd7
13.Qg4! g6

A move that forces Black to undermine his kingside. The white pawns on b4, d4 and e5 and strangling Black's position and hindering the development of his pieces. On top of this he can no longer castle kingside safely. Things are starting to look good for White.

14.Rd1 g5!?

I don't really understand this move. Perhaps Black planned to bring his knight to g6 through f8, but this plan is not very active nor very useful considering the play will be on the queenside now.

15.Bc4 Qe7

Finally the light-squared bishop comes out. Black tries to untangle his pieces to prepare to castle queenside. Of course now I know his plan, I have time to mobilize on attack there.


Position after 15...Qe7

16.Rd3 Nf8

A mistake would have been 16.O-O? Nxe5! 17. dxe5 Bxe3+ and all my hard work goes down the drain. Despite having a much better position it is so easy to play a plausible looking move and fall prey to a tactical trick.

17.O-O Bd7
18.Rb1 O-O-O

Signalling my intention to push the a-pawn. Black figures his king has to go somewhere, even it means castling into it.

19.a4 c6

Certainly no more pleasant for Black is 19...a6 20. a5 Ba7 21. b5 axb5 22. Nxb5 Bxb5 23. Rxb5.

20.a5 Bc7

Or 20. b5 c5 21. a5 Bxa5 22. Ra1 cxd4 23. Bxd4 b6 with difficulties for Black.

21.Na4? f5!

Here I made a mistake, this plan is just too slow. Instead I should have pushed on with 21. b5 and 21...cxb5 22. Nxb5 Bxb5 23. Rxb5 a6 24. Rb1 Bxa5 25. d5 with a powerful attack. Black immediately breaks for initiative.

22.exf6 Qxf6
23.e5 Qg6

Black is getting some counterplay but more importantly has time to play a6, making it very difficult for me to gain ground on the queenside. Meanwhile, his counterplay will consist of pushing his kingside pawns and trying to harass my queen.

24.Rdb3 Qc2??

A stupefying blunder. After quickly seeing the line to trap the queen I decided the game was in the bag and started to relax. A dangerous moment in the game. My opponent later confessed he had nearly resigned after seeing what he had done.

25.Bd3 h5

Obviously.

26.Qe4 Qa2

I could have just taken on g5 here but didn't want to fall into any swindles by opening lines for his rooks.

27.Nc3 Qxb1+
28.Bxb1 c5

A difficult moment in the game. I know I'm winning, and simply have to find the correct way to convert. I got impatient and tried to find some forced line that hangs his king. In the process I manage to make it too complicated and disaster strikes.

29.a6 Bc6

Forced of course.

30.axb7+ Bxb7
31.Qd3 cxd4

31. Qc2 would have removed any tactics related to the rook on d8. The fork is illusionary since White can play Bxg5! attacking the rook. But I miss this simple move and instead play a horrible blunder that lets Black straight back in the game.

32.Bxd4?? Rxd4!

A jackhammer blow. Suddenly my material advantage is all but gone, the black bishops are aiming dangerously at my king. Too late I realize the clever combination that protects the rook.

33.Qxd4?! Bb6

After 33. Qe2, White is still much better, but I don't like the counterplay promised by the bishop pair and give up my queen for rook and bishop and truly equal chances. Now I have to win the game all over again. An interesting mental situation. Until now I have played well and my opponent has been in lots of trouble almost from the start. Then my opponent blunders his queen, I relax and blunder myself and now we're back in the starting point. The game is now up for grabs to whoever can recover from the sudden turmoil. Of course my position is still slightly better.

34.Qxb6 axb6

Position after 34...axb6

35.Nb5 Bd5

The black king is somewhat vulnerable, so the only plan possible is a straightforward king attack.

36.Nd6+ Kd7?

Needlessly dropping a pawn. Now the passed c-pawn is very strong and White is again close to a win. The only option was 36...Kb8.

37.Rc3 Ke7

The black king tries to run to the kingside, but tactics prevent this escape.

38.Nc8+ Kd8

If 38...Kf7 then 39. Rc7+ Kg8 40. Ne7+.

39.Nxb6 Bb7
40.Bd3 Nd7?

Of course 41. Bb5 just wins a piece for nothing, but even without Black is in serious trouble.

41.Nxd7?! Kxd7
42.Bb5+ Kd8
43.Rd3+ Kc7
44.Bc4 Bc8
45.b5 Bd7

Here comes the pawn!

46.Rd6? Re8

Stronger is the immediate b6+. Black could muster up a good defense with 46...Rb8 and it's not at all easy to win with White. After 47. Bxe6 Bxe6 48. Rxe6 Rxb5 the e-pawn will eventually fall and then the position will become a book draw with RPP vs. RP. But such defenses at this point in the game, after all that's taken place, are hard to see and Black is already succumbing to the realization that he is about to lose the game.

47.b6+ Kc8
48.Be2 h4

Again missing a faster win with 48.Ba6+ as the bishop hangs on d7.

49.h3 Re7
50.Bf3 Kb8
51.b7 Bb5?? 1-0

Realizing his mistake my opponent resigns at once.