games

Sutton - Gold 31.3.2008
[Event "Otago Chess Club"] [Site "?"] [Date "????.??.26"] [Round "?"] [White "Sutton, R."] [Black "Gold, H."] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B04"] [Annotator "Sutton,Richard"] [PlyCount "51"] [SourceDate "2008.03.31"]

{In this game Black, a very experienced player, neglects the essentials of opening play. There are three things one has to look out for in the opening (1) maintaining equality in material; (2) developing one's pieces quckly; (3) gaining or contesting control of the four key central squares (e4, d4, e5, d5). In the present game, Black had conceded White space in the centre, and needed to mobilise his forces swiftly so as to put pressure on White's centre. But Black's faulty 6th, 7th and 8th move lost him the battle in all three respects. } 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 Bf5 $5 ({More usual is} 4... Bg4 { pinning an important defender of the pawn on e5.}) 5. Be2 { A cautious response. White is worried that if he chases the Knight away with} (5. c4 Nb4 6. Na3he misplaces the Queen's Knight, which belongs on the c3 square.} (But with} 6. Qa4+ N8c6 7. Na3 the threat of 8. d5, winning a piece is unaswerable.. So Black would instead have to retreat the Knight to ..b6 anyway, as has happened in a number of games.})) ( {Other moves tried by White here are} 5. Bd3) ({and} 5. Nh4 Bc8 6. f4) 5... h6 (5... Nc6, 5... e6 were both better plans than this. The first move puts immediate pressure on White's pawn on e5, since after exchanges on that square the advanced pawn can become weak in the long term, and in the meantime Black can get the rest of his pieces out quite Comfortably. The second is a little more flexible, but has the same general Intent.}) 6. O-O g5?! 7. c4 {Black's last two moves were part of a faulty plan. White will now have control over at least three of the four central squares. He is now unworried by 8.Nb4 since he can reply 9. Nc3 and if 9...Nc2, then 10. Rb1 and Black has no useful threats. More importantly, Black's Demonstration on the K-side has wasted time, which was better spent trying to undermine White's central control.} ....Nf4?! 8. Bxf4 gxf4 9. Qd2 dxe5 (9... h5 10. Qxf4 e6 11. d5 Bh6 12. Qd4 gives White a hugely dominating central position, while Black's two bishops threaten nothing and he has absolutely no chance of making anything of threats to the White King, along the G-file. Generally, any attack on a flank is, if possible, countered by vigorous play in the centre.}) 10. Nxe5 c5 {At last Black tries to do something about White's centre. But it is much too late. Now that While has an advantage in development too, any opening up of the centre will turn to his advantage.} 11. Qxf4 e6 12. Nc3 {A critical point for the assessment of the two positions. (1) Space: White still has control of three of the four central squares, and vigorously contests the fourth (d5). (2) Time: White's pieces are all developed (or will be, when the rooks get to the d-file and e-file), while Black has only one piece off its original square. (3) Material: Black is already a pawn down. This means that, in theory, White should win. But he cannot "sleepwalk" through the next stage of the game.} cxd4 13. Rad1 Qb6 14. Bh5 {When ahead in development, it is often a good idea to threaten things first, and pay attention to defence later. Here, if Black takes the Knight, a "big gun" confines the squares open to the Black King and Queen.} Rh7 ({ In the game, Black actually played} 14... dxc3 { which was immediately fatal after} 15. Bxf7+ Ke7 16. Qh4#) 15. Rfe1 {Continuing with the strategy of threatening first and defending later. The following line appears to be the best play for both sides, as Black tries desperately to get his pieces out while avoiding various nasties to his King..} dxc3 { Black has little option, since the threat now is 16 Nd5} 16. Nxf7 Be7 (16... Nc6 17. Qxf5 Nd4 18. Rxd4) (16... Rxf7 17. Qxf5) 17. Nd8+ (17. Ng5+ Kf8 18. Nxh7+ Kg7 19. g4 {is another good alternative}) 17... Kf8 18. Nxe6+ Kg8 19. Qxf5 Nc6 {See now how the game has progressed. White's central pawn phalanx has all but dissolved. But the two rooks are coming through the central squares, and the focus now is on the huge knight at e6, the weaknesses around the Black King, and the inability of the Black Queen to come back in defence. White's King, on the other hand, is well protected by his extra two pawns.} 20. Bf7+ Kh8 (20... Rxf7 21. Qg6+ Kh8 22. Qxf7 Rg8 23. Rd7 Qb4 (23... cxb2 24. Rxe7 Nxe7 25. Qf6+ Kh7 26. Qxe7+ Kg6 (26... Kh8 27. Qf6+ Kh7 28. Rb1 Qc6 29. Nf8+ Rxf8 30. Qxf8 Qe4 31. Qf7+ Kh8 32. Qf6+) 27. Nf4+ Kf5 28. Qe5+ Kg4 29. h3+ Kh4 30. Qh5#) 24. a3) 21. Rd7 cxb2 22. Rxe7 Rg8 23. Qf6+ Rhg7 24. Bxg8 Nxe7 25. Qxh6+ Kxg8 26. Qxg7# {How do I know if I have lost the race in development? Simply count the moves as they appear on the board. Go back to the position at the 12th move. White can show three moves with his two Knights; two with his queen; one with his bishop, and castling (9 moves in all). Black on the other hand can show only one move with his bishop. Pawn moves are even at two aside (if one doesn't count Black's useless 5..h6 move). So that gives White a lead of eight developing moves, which is huge. (Just to give you some idea, one can sacrifice a pawn to gain a lead of two or three developing moves - so White has the time and material equivalent of 4 pawns up!)} 1-0

Sutton - Johnson 19.7.2006
[Event: "Otago CC Championship 2006"] [Date: "19.07.2006"] [Round: "3"] [White: "Sutton, R"] [Black: "Johnson, Q"] [Result: 0-1]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Nb3 0-0 8. Be2 d6 9. 0-0 Be6 10. f4 Qc8 11. Qd2 Rd8 12. Bf3 Ng4 13. Bxg4 Bxg4 14. Rae1 e5 15. Nd5 Be6 16. c4 exf4 17. Bxf4 Bxd5 18. exd5 Ne5 19. c5 Re8 20. Rc1 Qd7 21. c6 bxc6 22. Bxe5 dxe5 23. Rxc6 {I prefer 23 dxc6 Qxd2 24 Nxd2 e4 25 b4 += but Richard didn't like this} Rad8 24. Rd1 e4 25. Qe2 Qb7 26. Kf1 {Rc5 - but it's awkward} Rxd5 27. Rxd5 Qxc6 28. Rc5 {Rd2} Qf6+ 29. Kg1 {resigns before Qxb2 - a bit premature perhaps but grovelling is not Richard's style} 0-1