Purple Panda and Robert are playing a game, with Robert annotating (talking about positions) as they go.
Purple Panda (White) vs. Robert (Black)
###pgn###
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nf6
3. Nc3 Nc6
4. Bc4 Nxe4
5. Nxe4 d5
6. d3 d5xc4
7. d3xc4 d8xd1+
8. Kxd1 Bf5
9. Ng3 0-0-0+
10. Bd2 Bg4
11. Re1 Nd4
12. Re3 Bc5
13. Ne4 Nxf3
14. Nxc5 Nxd2+
15. Kc1 Nb3+
16. c2xb3 Rd1+
17. Kc2 Rxa1
18. f3 Bf5+
19. Ne4 Rd8
%%%pgn%%%
Previously, Robert and Purple Panda analyzed Pan’s recent game with The Man for Aeiou (below). TMFA played White; Pan, Black. (The diagram shows a variation starting at White’s 16th move.)
###pgn###
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. d4 e5xd4
4. Bb5 Qf6
5. O-O Bd6
6. Na3 a6
7. Bd3 Ne5
8. Re1 Nh6
9. Nxd4 Bc5
10. Na3b5 a6xb5
11. Nxb5 O-O
12. Re3 Bxe3
13. f2xe3 c6
14. Nd6 Qxd6
15. Bd2 Ne5g4
16. g3 Qf6
%%%pgn%%%
(For reference, the squares are coded like this:)
BLACK
a8 b8 c8 d8 e8 f8 g8 h8
a7 b7 c7 d7 e7 f7 g7 h7
a6 b6 c6 c6 e6 f6 g6 h6
a5 b5 c5 d5 e5 f5 g5 h5
a4 b4 c4 d4 e4 f4 g4 h4
a3 b3 c3 d3 e3 f3 g3 h3
a2 b2 c2 d2 e2 f2 g2 h2
a1 b1 c1 d1 e1 f1 g1 h1
WHITE
What’s this thread about? I’m good at analyzing games, but I stick at playing them. I can help.
We’re going to go over the game on the diagram, look for better or different moves, and just generally see what we can learn from it. You’re welcome to join in.
The first thing I notice is that the two opening moves for both sides (four moves, total) show that both White and Black have some experience. Very new players seem to gravitate toward the side of the board, but both TMFA and Purple Panda have learned (correctly) that the action is usually in the center. They move their center pawns out efficiently (thus opening diagonals for their Bishops) and quickly deploy their Knights.
On move 3, a tournament player would usually continue with either 3. Bc4 or 3. Bb5. Instead, TMFA plays 3. d4, a good move but unfashionable nowadays.
1 – I meant *suck. Not stick.
Should Pan have moved her queen out that early in the game?
It’s generally better to hold off moving the Queen for a while. If you move her out too early, she can become a target. And moving her to f6 deprives the Knight of that square, which is usually a good place for it. So I wouldn’t have played Qf6 then.
Yes, it’s called the Queen’s Gambit. Very effective, but with an extreme chess master it would be destroyed in about ten seconds.
Robert (2): Should I have put his King in check? (Bb4)
I’ve taken a look at the board and that is the best move I can see, though I think I should go to sleep now and look again in the morning.
(5) No, the Queen’s Gambit is a specific opening: 1. d4 d5 2. c4 d5xc4.
TMFA’s third move (3. d4) is called the Scotch Game. Pan’s Queen move doesn’t have a name — it’s just a move.
(6) Pan — I’m sorry, I misremembered your third move. I thought you had played … Bd6 then rather than later. Taking the Pawn, as you did, is your best move there. Checking the King would have been a waste of time, because White could just play the Pawn to c3 and chase your Bishop away.
Next, White plays 4. Bb5. I don’t see what he is trying to accomplish with that. He has just lost a Pawn and should capture Black’s d4 Pawn to keep the balance even.
And then 4. … Qf6, which, as I’ve said, looks premature to me.
Robert (7): Yeah, I was wondering why the pawn capture wasn’t good — it seemed perfectly fine to me!
I used to love checking the King if it was exposed that way, but that was when I was young and foolish and just liked checking for checking’s sake.
I moved my Queen because I was trying to protect my Pawn and Knight at the same time. If my Knight was taken, I would obviously take the Bishop that did it (with a Pawn), but the next move his Knight would take my Pawn, which wouldn’t be protected anymore because the Knight would be gone.
It’s good to look for moves that do double-duty, protecting two pieces at once — sort of like hitting a “double word score” in Scrabble. In this case, though, it doesn’t work. White can still take the Knight and then the Pawn.
Basically, you’re a Pawn ahead here, and it probably isn’t worth taking too much trouble to hold on to it. Rather than playing …Qf6, I’d recommend either …Bc5 (getting a new piece out and paving the way for castling) or …Nf6 (again, preparing for castling and attacking the e4 Pawn).
As it is, the Queen is vulnerable to Bg5, which would make you lose time by moving her around instead of bringing other pieces out (“developing” the pieces, as chessplayers say).
Okay, onward — unless someone has more questions?
Robert (9): Yeah, I realized my whole protection-plan wouldn’t really work, and if I had looked more closely before I moved I would have played another developing move.
It’s always annoying when you have to move a piece back, and I’m glad White didn’t move Bg5.
I do. What is it called when the castle and the king are conjoined, able to move any way they want to? Are you still allowed to do that?
Agrrrfishi, are you talking about castling? That’s a very specific move, not “any way they want to.” See White’s fifth move (symbolized “0-0” on the transcript).
Continuing the analysis:
5. 0-0 (castles) Bd6
Castling is a good move for White right now. Black’s Bishop move has both good and bad points. On the one hand, it points the Bishop at White’s Pawn on h2, potentially setting the stage for an attack on the white King — especially now that the black Queen is in the neighborhood. But it also blocks the Pawn at d7, making it harder to develop the other Bishop, and it gives White some possibly annoying counterplay (e.g., Bg5).
Aggressive moves like this can give you a quick kill against weaker opponents, but if they don’t work they can leave you tied up in knots. I think it’s more important to build a solid position first, and only then launch your attack.
7- True, however, I was using the Queen’s Gambit as a successful example for moving the queen out first for the sake of Kokonilly.
9- Also, forking is a good strategy, Which is the same as what you’re talking about, but it’s a double or triple edged attack.
12- I think Castling actually killed the king, in the end. it trapped him.
(12) Castling wasn’t the problem. The problem was that all the White pieces deserted the King while the Black ones were attacking. The King had no defenders.
15- AH!
Moving right along…
6. Na3 a6
White’s move is misguided; the Knight won’t do much good at the edge of the board, and pieces are needed on the King side. Better would have been 6. Bg5 followed by Nd2. Then the Knight protects the e Pawn and can move either to f1 (to help defend the King) or to c4 (to try to dislodge Black’s Bishop).
7. Bd3 Ne5 8. Re1 Nh6
Clearly, White doesn’t notice the black pieces massing for an assault on his King. Moving the Rook protects a Pawn that doesn’t need it, while weakening the g2 square. Black’s 8th move does a fine job of bring force to bear on White’s King side.
9. Nxd4 Bc5 10. Nb5 a6xb5 11. Nxb5
With 9. …Bc5, Black brings extra force to bear on the f2 Pawn (and thus on the King behind it). White probably should play 10. Be3 to break the black Bishop’s diagonal. 10. Nb5 is simply a blunder, and 11. Nxb5 completes the desertion of the King side. White’s King now has no major pieces on hand to defend him against four attackers.
11. … O-O
Castling is usually a good idea, but here it loses time. 11. … Qxf2+ would win a Pawn, force the King to retreat, and breach White’s fortress. White can then either castle or go for a mate (see bottom diagram).
Move 11.
In Castling, I was trying to avoid the King-Rook fork shown in move 13 on the bottom diagram. I didn’t see the alternate checkmate and thought I would make a defensive move so I didn’t need to worry about that while I was executing my other idea.
I was going to talk about White’s next move (the Rook), but there seems to be something wrong with the upper board. White’s Knight doesn’t capture the pawn in move 11, so it looks like Black’s Bishop goes through the Knight. I’m not sure what happened, but clearly something did.
18- I don’t see what happened.
(18) I think I found the problem with the diagram generator. Does it work for you now?
Yeah, it’s working now. Thanks!
So, I don’t understand White’s 12th move, Re3. Same with 14. Nd6. Why would you sacrifice those pieces like that?
21- because white doesn’t see the whole?
I think TMFA got so absorbed in his own plans that he forgot to look for danger. TMFA, before moving, you really need to see whether your opponent has a strong response. Moving pieces onto squares where they will instantly be taken is a good habit to break. There’s an old saying in chess: “When you see what looks like a good move, sit on your hands.”
Now, on to move 16. White moved h3 to keep the Pawn from being captured. But what if he had moved the other Pawn, g3, breaking the Queen’s diagonal? Could Black have kept the attack going in that case? (See new bottom diagram, above.)
23- Well, I guess that the queen would have taken the bishop.
Why?
25- didn’t see the awn there! I’m awful at this!
Ah, but now you do. See what I mean? “Sit on your hands.”
Pan — If you’ve got so much reading to do for school, maybe this isn’t a good time to start a new chess game.
Oh, hello, I’m back.
Robert (23): Well, that certainly would have made things very difficult. And with all of the Pawns lurking around, it’s hard to move any of the other pieces near the king. When I first saw that I thought I might do something with the Knights, but upon further investigation of the situation, I saw there weren’t really any safe places to move them. Everything in there has become so cramped, it makes it much more complicated.
Robert (28): No, I’ll be able to manage reading and a chess game — I already do a ton of reading as well as chess, just when it’s for school it isn’t as enjoyable.
Sit on your hands. Good advice.
How about 16. …Qf6?
Righto. I’ve changed the upper board to a new game, with you as White. But remember, this is a lesson, so it’s going to be an unusual game. I’m going to talk about it as we play, and even answer your questions. We may even want to backtrack at some point to explore other variations.
For now, though, your move!
1. e4.
16. …Qf6 would work, then would Qf2 be a good move after that? It does put the King in check, but there isn’t anything to do after that. The Queen won’t be protected in any checkmate attempt.
Board 2
If Black can play 17. …Qf2, then 18. …Qxh2 is checkmate. If White blocks the checkmate (with, say, 17. Qf1), then Black can play Qxb2, winning another Pawn. At this point Black’s advantage in material will win even if the immediate mating net fails.
Or Black can try moving the Knight at g4 to e5 and the other Knight to g4, and advancing the d Pawn to bring the Bishop into play. But White may be able to conjure up another defense while all that is going on.
Board 1
1. … e5
Notes for bystanders: Moving the center Pawns is a good way to start a game, because it helps to dominate the center of the board (important early in the game) and lets you get your Bishops out quickly. Bringing out your pieces efficiently gives you an advantage over slower opponents.
Oh, right! h2! I saw that earlier, but I completely forgot about it in my last post. Black is certainly in the better position, but I think a lot depends on what White does to counter the attacks and defend itself.
2. Nf3
2. …Nf6
Most people play 2. …Nc6 — a perfectly good, straightforward move. But I find that this mirror-image move (called the Petrov or Petroff Defense) gives Black a chance to mix things up a little.
3. Nc3
Robert- you said earlier in the thread that beginners tend to gravitate toward the side of the board. I never did that, and don’t understand why it would be appealing, even for a beginner — do you know why people do that?
3. …Nc6.
So far, so symmetrical.
I have no idea why so many beginners like to cling to the edges. The Kings are in the middle, after all, and you are going after your opponent’s King. Still, that’s what they do. You can see it on the other chess threads. Maybe they think it’s a good way to get their Rooks out.
36, 37- it makes there king out in the open. they perfer to keep them behind the pawns.
Good point! Moving the center Pawns may make them feel exposed.
Maybe it’s a way of edging into a situation in which one feels uncertain — the chess equivalent of hugging the rails of the ice rink. Or possibly people think “strategy” means circling in from the outside instead of marching straight into the fray.
One way or another, it strikes me as some form of “Oh, maybe I won’t be noticed over here….” My two cents.
Though TMFA’s comment makes good practical sense (I didn’t see it until after I posted).
4. Bc4
Yes, all of those ideas make a lot of sense.
4. … Nxe4
I could have played 4. … Bc5, but this move should liven things up a bit. (It is the 42nd comment, after all.)
5. Nxe4
5. … d5
(This fork is why I wasn’t afraid to capture the protected e Pawn.)
It’s almost eight hours since White’s last move. I suppose she’s either busy with other things or thinking very hard about what to do. Assuming it’s the latter (or for the benefit of any spectators), I’ll make four observations about the position:
1. White has not fallen into some sneaky opening trap that dooms her to defeat.
2. Neither has Black.
3. White will not lose a Pawn.
4. On the other hand, White can’t hold on to the extra piece, either, and there’s no point in worrying about it.
6. d3
Yes, I was thinking very hard about what to do. I was anticipating the Pawn fork, and I thought I had an idea of what to do after, but after playing tennis for three hours and volunteering for five, sometimes plans slip away. I know I tend to over-think some moves, but I’m not sure why.
6. … d5xc4
Given the choice, I’ll take the Bishop.
I hope I didn’t rush you. I’m in no hurry. Basketball and volunteering are important, too.
Robert- how did you get Basketball from Tennis?
7. d3xc4
And now we shall see how much Robert likes his Queen.
As I’ve mentioned, I prefer games without Queens:
7. … d8xd1
I had thought White might try something daring over on the King side (checks, sacrifices, Queen moves), but instead she opts for peace and simplicity.
It beats me how my brain transformed tennis into basketball. Just spacing out, I suppose. Basketball would be important if you played it, which isn’t inconceivable, merely untrue.
Yes, I was almost certain you were going to do that, because you kept talking about how we should all trade Queens in our games.
8. Kxd1
But…what was I going to do over on the King side? I’m a bit confused by the “checks, sacrifices, Queen moves.”
Never mind!
WIth the Queens off the board, a new act in the game begins. This is a good time for a little stock-taking. Material is even. White has two Knights and a Bishop, while Black has two Bishops and a Knight. Keeping two Bishops is usually considered desirable and may be handy later. Each side has seven Pawns. Two of White’s Pawns (on the c file) are doubled, however. In a Pawn-only endgame, Black’s four Queenside Pawns would block White’s five Queenside Pawns from advancing. Black’s extra Pawn on the King side, however, would be able to break through.
White has an extra piece out, but it’s Black’s turn to move, so development is even. Because White’s King has moved, White can no longer castle. That’s not so important with the Queens gone, but it could play a role in the action later on.
Black has the only remaining Pawn in the center (e5). But White has the half-open e file along which to attack it. Maybe something will happen there.
That’s how I see the position at the moment. White’s Knight is annoyingly powerful perched in the center of the board, so…
8. … Bf5
No, not the Pawns again! *sigh of agony*
And I never know what to do with a King if he’s not perched up in a castle. This will be a great opportunity for practice!
I think I’m getting used to the computer-format of the chess board, as I haven’t even set up the board on a real chess set yet. I probably should, though, because I’m bound to make a stupid mistake soon if I don’t.
9. Ng3
9. … 0-0-0+
I’m not sure it’s the best move, but who could resist playing a move as cool-looking as “castles Queenside, check”?
Indeed, that move is definitely cool-looking.
And I didn’t even see it!!!!!! *smashes head against brick wall*
I believe it’s time to actually get out the chess board. I’ll grab it the next time I go downstairs.
10. Bd2
10. … Bg4
11. Re1
White’s bishop and knight are pinned (that is, they can’t move, because the king would be in check). White would like to unpin them and move the white king away from the center of a board, to a safer place where Black’s pieces can’t harass him.
At the same time, Black was threatening to win a pawn with 11. … Bxf3+ and 12. g2xe3 Nd4, after which White’s pawn on e3 couldn’t have been defended.
Instead of playing a defensive move, White moves her rook to e1, attacking Black’s pawn on e5. The rook can now glide up the e file to defend pawns and pieces against Black’s attack and to try to drive away the black knight and bishop. Black can’t afford to lose momentum at this point, so he decides to pile some more pressure onto White’s pinned knight:
11. … Nd4
Well, there were certainly many opportunities for a blood bath in this game. Can you imagine the situations following a move like Bg5 or Re5? Especially Bg5 — that would have really cleaned out the board.
12. Re3
12 … Bc5
12. Bg5 wouldn’t have been good for White, because Black could have won an extra piece by 12. … Nxg3+, 13. Bxd8 Nxe1+.
In a position this tightly wound, a bloodbath of some sort is likely to happen soon anyway.
[Added a bit later.] By the way, all the pins and pieces might look as if Black is attacking White’s king. That’s not actually what is going on. Black knows he can’t manage a checkmate at this point. The real goal of his attack is to mess up White’s f, g, and h pawns, and maybe win one of them, when the pieces start flying off the board. Even in the heat of battle, it pays to look ahead to the endgame.
Yeah, I meant “are” many bloodbath opportunities. No idea why I made that past tense.
I went through almost every possible move and couldn’t figure out any good way to execute a bloodbath without coming out behind a piece. Hence, I didn’t move Bc5/etc.
13. Ne4
I still think you’re going to come out ahead a Pawn…I can’t work out a way where you don’t.
I’d probably have played either 13 Rxe5 or 13 Rd3. As it is, I think White winds up swapping a rook for a bishop, an unfavorable trade.
It’s a complicated position with all those pieces knotted up in the center, and I haven’t considered every possibility. But I think Black does best with
13. … Nxf3
Well, I really didn’t like the outcome of Rxe5. If I’m remembering correctly, I think I ended up down three or more points. And I never had any intention of swapping a rook for a bishop — though now when I’m looking at the next series of moves, I still think I’m going to be down three points anyway.
Ah, well…. *sigh*
14. Nxc5.
I think that’s a miscalculation, and I may have to disallow it as uninstructive (this is a lesson, after all):
14. … Nxd2+
14. Kc1
Er, make that 15. Kc1. Sorry!
15. … Nb3+
This move may look ridiculous — White can take the knight
threefour different ways, after all — but if you can overcome your reluctance to throw away pieces and look at what happens after each of those captures, it turns out to be pretty strong. Experienced chessplayers develop a feel for which silly-looking moves really are silly, and which are worth thinking about.When I first saw that move, I thought, “Hey, look! I have so many choices to take him! How exciting!”
But then, I actually looked at the possibilities and my excitement ran away. Oh, choices. They make everything so much more difficult.
I’ve been walking through the possible moves on my board downstairs, and can’t decide on the best one. Sorry it has taken so long — I’ve been adjusting to the homework load. Also, I think when I have so many options I think about them too hard and scare myself away.
Tomorrow, or Thursday, I’ll see if my dad can come over and play Black against me, so I can see how disastrous my situation really is. Then, I’ll reluctantly move.
16. c2xb3
Sorry, I forgot I had decided this move ages ago. It’s the only way to avoid a checkmate, really. The next move is the one I was having difficulty with.
Though, I think I only have one choice there, too. And the upcoming moves are going not going to be fun. At all.
Ah, well. Great move, Robert! Dad and I saw the knight move, but thought you’d never move there because there were way too many ways we could take him. *sigh*
The moral: keep your eye on the king.
16. … Rd1+
17. Kc2 (forced) Rxa1
Black is now a rook ahead. Is this game still instructive? It is a lesson, after all. Would you rather keep playing, review the moves so far, or drop it and do your homework?
I would like to keep playing, simply because it is from a thread that I INVENTED!!!!! Sorry, being a relatively insignificant bloger, this now seems like a huge accomplishment.
18. f3.
There were so many possibilities (as usual, of course), but none of them looked good (which is usually the case when you’re doomed, of course). None of the offensive moves made sense, and there were several other pawn move possibilities, as well as some really ridiculous knight moves. *sigh*
I’d definitely like to at least analyze the game. Homework can keep me away for days, but it can’t keep me away forever! If I didn’t have chess on MuseBlog, I’d never have time to play it, because games with Dad can take hours. And I love chess, so I’m glad I have this opportunity.
muselover- there is no such thing as an insignificant blogger. Remember: “we’re all musers, here!”
(72) Let’s keep it going then, and then analyze it later; for now, 18. … Bf5+
Thanks, Purple Panda! That makes me feel great!
Hi
I know that this is far back, I wanted 2 mention that if you play Nb1-c3 you can prevent the “queen move” from stopping your castling. I’ve noticed that the queen trick is popular with players who are scared of being checkmated and are stalling for time.
P.S. I sure I asked to play on the other chess thread, but i can’t find my post. Or maybe i’ve just got the wrong thread…
bookgirl_me: I’ve set up a chess board for you on the new chess thread,
https://musefanpage.com/blog/?p=1517 .
I’ll be your opponent, if you don’t mind. That seems to be the only way to keep the games going.
18…Bf5+
Black needs to “keep the thumbscrews on”. White still has enough figures to defend, but en isn’t able to use them well so far. Still, I’m not 100% sure about the move, since black can play Knight e4, as both the rook and pawn guard the field. The Bishop could of course retreat to e6, but there it has practically no influence.
If the Bishop “takes”, it would be bad for both sides, because a) the attacker should avoid trading off pieces and b) the defendant is robbed of the one figure that would be very useful, as the knight can …ahrg, what do you call it in english when the Knight attacks two figures to win one? The german term would be “Springergabel”… , even though I can’t see an opportunity now. It’s a good move against two castles. And the knight is partially “covering” several fields on the d-line, which black will need to use for ens castles.
As far as I can see, Castle d8 will be crucial, since it introduces a powerful piece and will, unless one player loses ens head, be necessary. Of course, white will probably try to avoid putting it’s King on the d-line, since then white has to bring over the castle without check, and ergo with less pressure.
Withe can also play Sd3, which temporarily stoppers up the d-line. If there is a big tradeoff, it would postpone the checkmate and start a pawn war, which isn’t great for white since it has much less material.
…my sister is bugging me.
19. Ke4
I haven’t played chess since…let’s see…September 28th. I really hate school.
19. … Rd8
At this point, Black can either exchange off as many pieces as possible and let the remaining rook snap up pawns, or try to make trouble behind White’s lines.
Oh…wait…Knight to e4 is Ne4, isn’t it. I forgot about that. -headdesk-
20. Rd3