February statistics

Games: 5

White: 4

Black: 1

Won: 3

Drawn: 1

Lost: 1

Shortest game: 13 moves (won)

Longest game: 66 moves (drawn)

Rating at the start of the month: 1695

Rating at the end of the month: 1712

Minimum/maximum rating: 1695/1714 

Blunders galore - and yet a 50/50 score

Pepealfonso2 (Spain) - Hennie Schaper

Spanish Four Knights Game

1. e4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e5 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. 0-0 0-0 6. d3 d6 7. Nd5 Nxd5 8. exd5 Ne7 9. a3 Ba5 10. c4 h6 11. h3 c6 12. dxc6 bxc6 13. Ba4 Bb6 14. Bc2 Nf5 15. b4 Nd4 16. Nxd4 Bxd4 17. Ra2 a5 18. bxa5 Rxa5 19. a4 Qh4 20. Qf3 c5 21. Be3 Be6 22. Bxd4 Qxd4 23. Qe4

The first 22 moves were pretty straightforward. White rejected the Alekhine, and a symmetric four knights game emerged. Once the symmetry was broken, both sides played normal moves to enter the middle game. White's 23d move is a blunder, but I did not see it to my shame. With Qxe4 dxe4 Bxc4 black has a winning game. Instead....

23. ... Rfa8 24. Qxd4 exd4 25. f4 g6 26. Kf2 Kg7 27. Kf3 d5 28. Bb3 dxc4 29. Bxc4 Bxc4 30. dxc4 Rxa4 31 Rxa4 Rxa4

Oblivious of the blunder made earlier, black has made progress. An extra pawn (passed and protected!) and active rook should be enough to win, even though rook end games are notoriously drawish.

32. Rc1 Kf6 33. Ke4 Ke6 34. Rc2

This time I did see the right move - but only after I had played the wrong one. With Ra3 black puts white in a very messy situation: the sudden mate threat means white has to sacrifice the f-pawn. I was really kicking myself for playing:

34. ... f5+ 35. Kf3 Ra3+ 36. Kf2

In spite of the blunders black still has a comfortable end game. A move like Kd7 would probably eventually result in a win. I thought I could do it easier: exchange rooks, force the white king to the queen side and break through with the king on the kingside to promote one of the pawns. Well, that worked, but not as well as I thought it would. So my next move goes down as yet another blunder:

36. ... Rc3 37. Rxc3 dxc3 38. Ke2 g5 39. Kd3 gxf4 40. Kxc3 Ke5 41. Kd3 f3 42. gxf3 Kf4 43. Ke2 Kg3 44. Ke3 Kxh3 45. Kf4 h5 46. Kxf5 h4 47. f4 Kg3 48. Ke5 h3 49. f5 h2 50. f6 h1=Q 

This is basically what I had envisaged when I played 36. ... Rc3. The problem though is that black cannot easily prevent that the white pawn will also promote, given the great position of the white king. Not easily, but it is possible. After f7 I should have played Qh6! Alas....

51. f7 Qe1+ 52. Kf6 Qc3+ 53. Ke7 Qe5+ 54. Kd7 Qf5+ 55. Ke7 Qe4+ 56. Kd7 Qxc4 57. f8=Q 

Seeing no realistic way to stop the promotion I decided to go into the KQ vs KQp ending. However, I did not find the right strategy from now on. Once the white queen starts checking, the black king should have gone to the king side to allow the black queen to get in-between with check on the white king. Instead I went for the queen side (to protect the pawn in some variations) but that was doomed to end in a draw.

57. ... Qd5+ 58. Kc7 c4 59. Qg7+ Kf3 60. Qc3+ Kf4 61. Qf1+ Ke4 (Kf5 was probably winning) 62. Qh1+ Kd4 63. Qg1+ Kc3 64. Qa1+ Kb4 (Kc2 would give black another chance to go for the right kingside strategy) 65. Qb2+ Ka4 (I had planned Kc5 - which fails to a mate in one....) 66. Qa2+ Kb4 with a draw offer that white accepted. 1/2-1/2

Fine: I'll take nine

Hennie Schaper - AR111222 (India)

Ruy Lopez

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Bc5 4. 0-0 d6 5. c3 Bd7 6. d4 exd4 7. cxd4 Bb6 8. Nc3 Nge7 9. Be3 0-0

So far so good, a pretty normal set of opening moves in one of the many sub-variations of the Ruy Lopez. I was contemplating retreating my bishop to d3 (preferably after a6) and launch a kingside attack. For that plan, I did not like Nb4 after Bd3, so I played 10. a3. The computer in after-game analysis does not particularly like that, clearly preferring 10. h3.

10. a3 Bg4 11. Ne2 Bxf3 12. gxf3 d5 13. Kh1

I like this kind of position. White has opened up a file to the black king, and has the bishops pair - imo ample compensation for the pawn structure. While black was thinking about his next move, he clicked a draw proposal. I was not intending to accept it, and anyway I wanted to see his move first. To my surprise about half a minute later he resigned. One can only assume that he had to abandon the game for personal reasons. Too bad of course - but nine rating points in the bag. 

Black resigns. 1-0.

C'est la vie

Hennie Schaper - Guadamjuzo (Nicaragua)

French Defence

1. e4 e6 2. d3 d4 3. e5 (I used to play the advance variation against the French - probably going to change after this game) c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nc3 Qb6 6. Qb3 Qxb3 7. axb3 cxd4 8. cxd4 Bb4+ 9. Nc3 Nge7 10. Bd2 0-0 11. Bd3 a6 12. 0-0 Bd7 13. Rfd1 b5 14. Be3 Rfc8 15. Ne2 Na5

So far, things have gone pretty much according to plan from both sides in this opening. White has compensation for the double pawn in the open lines and better weak bishop. For some reason, I did not even consider the only good move here (Nc1 with a roughly equal position), but sacrificed a pawn for no good reason.

16. Rdc1 Nxb3 17. Rxc8+ Nxc8 18. Rb1 Nb6 19. Bc2 Na5 20. Bd2 Bxd2 21. Nxd2 Nac4 22. Nxc4

It's black's turn to make a mistake now. After dxc4 I don't think white has any play against the black pawn steamroller.

22. ... Nxc4 23. Nc1 a5 24. Nb3 a4 25. Nc5 Be8 26. f4 g6 27. Bd3 Kg8 28. Kf2 Ke7 29. Ke2 Bc6 30. g4 f5 31. g5 Rh8

The material difference is still only one pawn, but to say I had little confidence in white's chances would have been an understatement. My opponent, rated 50 points higher than me, has played well so far, and on top of that he had 20 minutes left and I had 10. My next move is another mistake (I put all my hopes on a good knight versus bad bishop ending that was never going to happen anyway). Best would have been Kf2 - even then, white should lose.

32. Bxc4 dxc4 33. Kd2 h6 34. h4 hxg5 35. hxg5 Rh2+ 36. Ke3 b4 37. Na6 (better d5) Rh3+ 38. Kd2 Be4 39. Re1 c3+ 40. bxc3 bxc3+ 41. Kc1 a3 42. Rb4 Rh2 0-1

The position is completely lost and had been for some moves already. A pity to lose a game after nine games without a loss, but c'est la vie.

Warts and all.....

Hennie Schaper - SergeiSomov (Russia)

Philidor Defence

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bc4 a6 4. 0-0 Bg4 5. h3 Bh5 6. d4 exd4 7. Qd3 Bxf3 8. Qxf3 Nf6

It is difficult to imagine but black's move is a blunder. I was focusing on exploiting the weakness on b7, but missed the simplest and most effective way to do so. After 9. Qb3 threatening f7 and b7 white has a winning position. After my move things are far from clear.

9. e5 dxe5 10. Qxb7 Nbd7 11. Qb3 Qe7 12. Bd2 (c3 is stronger, but I felt I needed coverage of the e1 square in some variations) Nb6 13. Re1 Nxc4 14. Qxc4 Qd6 15. Na3 (playing it safe; better is Rxe5, but I was not 100% sure) Be7

Black's last move is a mistake (0-0-0 was required). I had to play Rxe5 here (black cannot take because of Qc6). Instead I played the tempting but wrong Bb4.

16. Bb4 Qxb4 (the losing move - after c5 instead black has an excellent game) 17. Qc6+ Kf8 18. Qxa8 Re8 19. Rxe5 f6 20. Re2 Qxb2

I had seen that - it is only a temporary knight sacrifice.

21. Rae1 Qxa3 22. Rxe7 Qxe7 23. Rxe7 Kxe7 24. Qe4+

White has a completely won position. Black will lose more pawns, and cannot get his rook and knight to work together. Black might as well have resigned here, because I had plenty of time left. The game concluded:

24. ... Kf7 25. Qxd4 Kg6 26. Qd3+ Kf7 27. Qxa6 Nd6 28. Qc6 Kg6 29. Qxc7 Nf7 30. a4 Ne5 31. a5 Rf8 32. a6 Rf7 33. Qc5 Nd7 34. Qd4 Ne5 35. a7 Rf8 36. Qe4+ Kg5 37. a8=Q 1-0

In spite of the inaccuracies, a pleasing win against an opponent rated 50 points higher than me. 

Undeserved but won nonetheless

Hennie Schaper - Takamune (Japan)

Philidor Defence

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bc4 h6 4. d4 exd4 5. Nxd4 c6 6. 0-0 g6 7. Re1 Bg7 8. c3 Ne7 9. Bf4 0-0 10. Qd2 Kh7 11. Qe3 Nd7

Tempting is of course to snatch up the pawn at d6, but after Nb6 white has no choice but to enter the exchange series Bxe7 Nxc4 Bxd8 Nxe3 which gives black a comfortable equal game.

12. Nd2 Ne5 13. Bxe5 fxe5 14. N4f3 Qc7 15. Nf1 Bg4 16. Ng3 b6 17. h3 Bxf3 18. Qxf3 f5

Thematic, but white is a little bit better after this error. Black should have continued his passive play with a move like Ng8 - white is comfortable but has no clear longer term benefits.

19. exf5 Nxf5 20. Nxf5 (better would have been Bd3) Rxf5 21. Qe3 Raf8 22. Re2 Rf4 23. Bb3 

Black's attack on f2 is theoretically without chance (in practice though.....). White has the better pawn structure and good play against black's isolated pawn. Black would have done better to abandon the attack on the f-file for the moment and play Rd8. With his queen move, he gives white control over the d5 file.

23. ... Qd6 24. Rad1 Qe7 25. Red2 Qg5 

White has a great position, especially if he can put a rook on the 7th rank. Like now. However, I wanted to cover the pawn at f2 before doing that, setting up all kind of complications I had not foreseen. The main problem is that after a Rxf2 in the near future, white cannot play Qxg5 because of Rxf1+. After my blunder in this position, the white advantage is gone.

26. Rf1 e4 (black returns the favour. After Rxf2 white has to give the queen for the two rooks with an equal game) 27. Bc2 (only after I made this move did I see the Rxf2 line while black was thinking about his reply; Rfd1 would still lead to an advantage) Qe5 (but black also does not see it. Even now Rxf2 leads to a position that is probably won for black). 28. Rd4 (Re1 is probably better) Re8 29. Re1

White is better now, with the pawn on e4 about to drop, and pieces to be exchanged. The main lifeline for black in any endgame is the bishops of opposite colour. Black blunders now with Qc5, allowing white to play Qxf4 and white comes up in a winning position after all responses. I did not see it, but went for the elimination. 

29. ... Qc5 30. Rxe4 Qxe3 31. R1xe3 Rfxe4 32. Rxe4 Rxe4 33. Bxe4

Well, there's the endgame. White is a pawn up, and can bring the king into play quicker, but black has fair drawing chances. However, time control starts to play a role as well. The white position is easier to play, and black already had 3 minutes less left than white. It proved fatal in the end.

33. ... c5 34. Kf1 h5 35. Ke2 Be5 36. g4 h4 37. Ke3 Kg7 38. f4 Bd6 39. f5 g5 40. Bc6 Kf6 41. Ke3 Bf4 42. b3 Bd2 43. c4 Bc3 (down to 2 minutes) 44. Kd5 Ke7 45. Bb5 and black stared the remaining one and a half minutes at the position without making a move: lost on time. 0-1.