March statistics

 

Games: 4

White: 2

Black: 2

Won: 3

Drawn: 1

Lost: 0

Shortest game: 9 moves (drawn)

Longest game: 37 moves (won)

Rating at the start of the month: 1712

Rating at the end of the month: 1749

Minimum/maximum rating: 1711/1749 

Speed kills

limankaca (Albania) - Hennie Schaper

Alekhine's Defence

1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4 Nb6 4. d4 d6 5. f4 dxe5 6. fxe5 Bf5 7. Nc3 e6 8. Nf3 Be7 9. Be2 c6

White has chosen one of the most aggressive lines against my favourite Alekhine's Defence: the four pawns attack. Black has a somewhat cramped position, but one that often can be opened effectively in the course of the game. The computer (in post mortem analysis) does not like my c6, preferring Nc6 instead.

10. 0-0 0-0 11. a3 a5 12. Be3 N8d7 13. Qb3 a4 14. Qd1 Bg6 15. h3 f6

The thematic attack on the white pawn centre. So far, both sides have made pretty natural and logical moves. 

16. exf6 Bxf6 17. Nh2 Qe7 18. Ng4 Rfd8

This rook move is a mistake, because after white's natural next moves it returns to f8. Better would have been Bg5, a move I did not consider. Latest here I was starting to get worried. My opponent, rated almost 100 points higher than me, had played well, and had used far less time (I had invested half of my 30 minutes already to get in this slightly worse position).

19. Nxf6+ Nxf6 20. Bg5 (probably better is Qe1) Rf8 (computer prefers e5) 21. c5 Nbd5 22. Nxa4

White has gained a pawn, but black has compensation, and tactical threats creep now into the position.

22. ... h6 23. Bxf6 Rxf6 24. Qb3 Raf8 25. Nb6 Qf7 26. Nxd5 exd5 27. Rxf6 Qxf6 28. Qe3 Re8 29. Qf2

A crucial position. I felt that passive play (including a queens exchange) would in the end lead to defeat, especially because I had far less time left on the clock. I invested 3 of my remaining 10 minutes on the next move, a speculative exchange sacrifice for one or two pawns and a less balanced situation. I was hoping that white would continue to play quickly and give me some tactical chances.

29. ... Rxe2 30. Qxe2 Qxd4+ 31. Kh1 (better would be Qf2) Qxc5 32. Qe6+ Kh7 33. b4 Qf2 34. Qe1 Qf7 35. Ra2 Be4 36. Rf2 Qe6

With two obvious threats, including Qxh3+. White should have played Kg1, which takes care of both threats at once. White is better, although black still has chances to draw. Instead, after only 5 seconds of thought, he blundered: 37. Qe3 Bxg2+ 0-1.

The seventh sacrifice

Hennie Schaper - CasteldelMonte (Germany)

Owen's Defence

1. e4 e6 2. Nf3 b6 3. d4 Bb7 4. Bd3 Nf6 5. Nbd2 c5 6. c3 d5 7. e5 Nfd7 8. 0-0

The French opening has transposed into an Owen's Defence. Black now goes for a thematic move that is actually unplayable in this position:

8. ... f6 9. Re1 (good, but instead the sacrifice Ng5 is killing) f5 10. Nf1 (another stronger knight sacrifice that I did not see is Nc4) h6

Another mistake. Black has the illusion that he has the play on the kingside, whereas in fact it is white who dominates there. For the third time I could have played a winning piece sacrifice (Bxf5!), and for the third time I did not even look at it. Oh boy.

11. b3 g5 12. Ng3 (guess what? I missed a fourth winning sacrifice, with Nh4...) g4 13. Nd2 (hey! the sacrifice Bxf5 wins! That's five...) h5 14. Nfd1 (Bxf5 was still an option... that's six...) h4

It looks pretty threatening, but I finally went for a winning sacrifice - even though in hindsight the inferior one, as Bxf5 is even better....

15. Nxf5 exf5 16. Bxf5 Nc6

Loses immediately, but even after Qe7 black is completely lost.

17. Bg6+ Ke7 18. Bg5+ 1-0

A bizarre game. In an 18 moves miniature I missed SIX winning sacrifices before finally making one. And black was not a beginner: he had been a member at the site for a year and had a rating just a bit lower than mine.

Dedicated to my father

Hennie Schaper - Bozh_ko (Russia)

Modern Defence

1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. c3 d6 4. Nc3 a6 5. Bd3 Nd7 6. 0-0 Ngf6 7. Re1 e5 8. Nbd2 0-0 9. Nf1 c5

So far, things had gone pretty much as expected in this opening. White now has the choice between a more strategic game with d5 (which the computer in p.m. analysis prefers) or a more tactical game with dxc5. I did not have to think long which one I prefer....

10. dxc5 Nxc5 11. Bc2 b5 12. Ng3 Bb7 13. Bg5 Qc7 14. Qe2 h5 15. h4 Ncd7 16. Rad1 Nb6 17. Bb3 Rad8 18. Qe3 (Nh2 was an alternative) Rd7

So far, the computer had been preferring black slightly for the past 10 moves or so - but this natural move changes things completely. With Nc4 black would have an equal game. He did not see the attack coming - I did, even though I missed some opportunities to do better during the coming moves. 

19. Bxf6 Bxf6

The crucial position. White has a devastating king-side attack, and can even get away with some sub-par moves. Like now. Qh6 is winning, because black's Bg7 (which I considered a good defence at the time) allows Qxg6. Instead I sacrificed a knight for two pawns and a very promising attacking position.

20. Nxh5 gxh5 21. Qh6 Bg7 22. Qxh5 Nc4 23. Ng5 Re8 24. Rd3 Kf8

A costly mistake. With d5 black looks reasonable in all variations, even though white still will have ample compensation for the piece and is better. 

25. Nh7+ (Rg3 may be even stronger, but this works) Kg8 26. Rg3 Rde7

The final nail in the coffin. With Re6 black could have continued a fight, albeit with an advantage for white. Now it is mate in three, with a sweet queen sacrifice:

27. Nf6+ Kf8 28. Qh8+ 1-0 (after Bxh8 white has two mating moves: Rg8 or Nh7).

A win I was very happy with, not in the least because my opponent was ranked 100 points higher than me. My father would have loved this game.

The game as an animated gif can be found here.

Nothing to see here

ffp6000 (USA) - Hennie Schaper

Scottish Four Knights game

1. e4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e5 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. d4 exd4 5. Nxd4 Bc5 6. Be3 Bb6 7. Nxc6 dxc6 (a bit better is bxc6) 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 9. Bf4 Be6

Pretty straightforward so far; white has a slight advantage due to the pawn structure. Losing the right to castle is not important in this situation. I was rather surprised that white offered a draw here, but as this is not a position I particularly care for as black, I had no reason to decline. 1/2 - 1/2.