My Afterschool Game With Darrian

So in afterschool today we played a G/60, in preparation for High School Nationals, Girls Nationals, Elementary Nationals, etc. I had felt like one of the problems at Junior High Nationals was that the kids are just too used to G/30. Note to coaches out there: you can buy a USCF affiliate thing for $30 and it allows you to rate the games played in club. This makes the kids take it super-seriously. So Darrian doesn't usually come to afterschool, but she did today so we celebrated by playing each other.

(194) Robinson,Darrian - Vicary,Elizabeth [B34]
afterschool 14.04.2008
1.e4 c5
2.Nf3 g6

I just started playing this-- not sure if I'm going to stick with it, but I figured why not. Darrian just started playing the Open Sicilian, so I wanted to play something less weird than the Sveshnikov, in order to get a better feel for how well she understood things. The Svesh is just so bizarre that no one can play against it decently without some specific knowledge.

3.d4 cxd4
4.Nxd4 Nc6
5.Nc3 Nf6

Already I couldn't remember anything, but whatever, I was getting paid money to play a game of chess, so what do I care?

6.Be3 d5

Obviously I knew this was an incorrect move, but I couldn't see an immediate refutation, and I was curious what she would play.

7.Bb5 Bd7

This is the best move: anything else and white will take on c6 with the knight first:

7...dxe4 8.Nxc6 bxc6 9.Bxc6+ Bd7 10.Bxa8 Qxa8;
7...Nxe4 8.Nxc6 bxc6 9.Bxc6+ Bd7 10.Qxd5

8.exd5 Nb4
I can trade stuff, but I thought I would just be down a pawn for nothing after something like

8...Nxd4 9.Bxd7+ Qxd7 10.Qxd4 Bg7 11.0–0–0

She thought for a long time and played

9.d6

I had expected 9.Bc4 when I was planning 9....Rc8 10.Bb3 Bg7 (I'm going to take on c3 as soon as she played a3, but not before) 11.a3 Rxc3 12.bxc3 Nbxd5. I missed, however, that she should take the knight with 12.axb4! since my a7 pawn will be hanging after I retreat the rook. Fritz likes white but suggests 12... Bg4 13.Nf3 Rxb3 14.cxb3 a6

9...exd6
10.Qe2 Be7

This move is very bad-- I missed how strong Bh6 would be. I should just play 10...Bg7 11.Bg5+ Qe7.

11.Bh6

11...Rg8
12.0–0 I was happy to see this. 12.0–0–0 puts mroe pressure on me.
12...a6
13.Bc4 Nc6

Fritz wants to play 13...d5, and I considered it, I just thought defending this pawn all game would be more of a drag than defending the light squares.

14.Rad1 Ne5
15.Bb3

Probably unnecessary. My knight on e5 is one of my few active pieces, so while her bishop is good, something like 15.Rfe1 is better. Fritz line: 15... Nxc4 16.Qxc4 Rc8 17.Qb3 g5 18.Rd3 Rg6 19.f4 gxf4 20.Bxf4+/-

15...g5

16.Ne4

So I was expecting 16.Bxg5 Rxg5 17.f4 when I wasn't sure how 17....Bg4 would turn out. Seems like it's good for me after 18.Qe3 Rh5 19.fxe5 Rxe5.

Fritz wants to play 16.h3! with the idea of going into the above line, but preventing ....Bg4: 16...Rg6 17.Bxg5 Rxg5 18.f4 Rg6 19.fxe5 dxe5 20.Nf3 Qb6+ 21.Kh1 Bc6 (21...Be6 22.Nxe5) 22.Bxf7+ Kxf7 23.Nxe5+.

16...Bc6?

I didn't know what to do. A hilarious computer line: 16...Rg6 17.Bxg5 Nxe4 18.Bxe7 Qxe7 19.Qxe4 Bg4 20.Rde1 (20.f3? Nxf3+) 20...Bh3 21.Ba4+

Now here's the big question: which way should the king go? Turns out that 21...Kd8 is better because we can take on g2 with the bishop and nxg6 won't be check later so black will have time to play Nf3+ and pick up another exchange. See:

21...Kf8 22.Nf5 Bxf5 (22...Rxg2+ 23.Qxg2 Bxg2 24.Nxe7 Bxf1 25.Kxf1 Kxe7 26.f4!; 22...Bxg2 23.Nxe7 Bxe4+ 24.Nxg6+ Bxg6) 23.Qxf5 Kg7±)

21... Kd8 22.Nf5 (better is 22. g3) Bxg2 23.Nxe7 Bxe4+ 24.Nxg6 Nf3+!

17.Nxc6? [17.Nxg5 Bxg2 18.Qxe5 (18.Kxg2 Nfg4 19.Bxf7+ Nxf7 20.Qxg4) 18...dxe5 19.Bxf7+ Kd7 20.Nde6+ Kc8 21.Rxd8+ Rxd8 22.Kxg2+-]

17...bxc6

18.Bxg5 Better is 18.f4 gxf4 19.Bxf4

18...Nxe4

19.Bxe7 Qxe7

20.Qxe4 d5

21.Qxh7 0–0–0

I was feeling much better here. Fritz still likes white as much as ever (1.3), but I'm not suffering in the same way and I felt I had some initiative. Also she had 5 minutes to my 25.

22.Qf5+ Kb7

23.Rde1 Dunno why she didn't play the other rook.

23...Rg5

24.Rxe5?!?! After the game she called this a sacrifice-- at the time I thought she hung it but I guess I believe her. 24.Qf4 is obviously better.

24...Qxe5

25.Qxf7+ Kb8

26.Qf3 Rdg8

27.g3 Rh8

28.Ba4 Rg6

29.Qd3 Rgh6?? [29...Qh5 mates immediately. I'm an idiot.]

30.Qxa6

I had a long think here.

30...Rxh2 is bad because of 31.Qb6+ Kc8 32.Qxc6+ and the best I can do is repeat with 32...Kb8= (32...Qc7? 33.Qa8+ Qb8 34.Qxb8+ Kxb8+-; 32...Kd8?? 33.Qd7#) ;

30...Qe4 was my other choice, but it loses to 31.Qb6+ Kc8 32.Bxc6+-

30...Qc7 Nice and safe.

31.Qe2

I dismissed 31.h4 in the game because of 31...Rxh4, but white can not take back and run with the king instead: 32.Bxc6 Rh1+ 33.Kg2 R8h2+ 34.Kf3 Qf7+ 35.Ke2 Qe7+ 36.Kd1 Rxf1+ 37.Qxf1±

31...Rxh2

32.Qf3 Qh7

32...Qd7 is better: 33.Bb3 (33.Qb3+ Kc7; 33.Re1 Qh3 34.Qf4+ Kc8) 33...Qh3 34.Qf4+ Kc8.

33.Qf4+ Kc8

34.Qg4+ Qd7

35.Qxd7+ Kxd7

36.f4 Rd2

37.Rf2 Rd4

38.Bb3 Ke6

39.Kg2 Kf5

Ooops-luckily she had 10 seconds left and so didn't see it, but I'm ashamed of myself.

40.Kf3 [40.c3!]

40...Rg8

41.Re2 Re4

42.Rf2 Re1

43.Re2 Rxg3+ 0–1