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Annotated Games"The King Hunt"The Janitor Jim Series: Game 3Annotated by David Surratt [Click here to view the "Annotated_Games" PGN file in Chess Tutor, an interactive chess board.] [Or download the PGN file to use in your own chess program.] This game illustrates the dangers of castling on opposite sides, especially if you're not ready to take the initiative by getting your attack going before your opponent gets his/hers going. We'll also take a look at how to handle the pawn cover in front of your castled king - or rather how NOT to handle the pawn cover. licenser vs. Janitor Jim 1.d4 d5
Position after 3...a6 This is essentially a wasted move. It contributes nothing to the three main objectives in the opening phase of the game:
Black, already a move behind to start the game, can't afford this waste of time. 4.f4 Signaling my intent to play an opening system known as the Stonewall. It's a nice solid system which can turn aggressive if Black doesn't react quickly and appropriately. I don't recommend this system to novices though. You can see some better recommendations here and here. 4. ..... Nc6
Position after 5...Qd6 A terrible place for the queen. She has no squares to go to from d6 except back where she came from, and she blocks the dark-squared bishop which probably belongs on this square. Remember too that the queen really shouldn't be developed this quickly in the opening anyway in most cases, and for precisely the reasons that she shouldn't be here: she blocks her other pieces and she becomes the target of tactical threats, which cause Black to lose time defending against. 6.Nf3 Bd7 Black prepares to castle queenside - an erroneous plan here, in my opinion. He should castle kingside, and towards that end, should be developing his kingside pieces. 7.0-0 0-0-0 This is a real gutsy move (read: suicidal). Castling on opposite sides usually presages a bloodbath - both sides are free to attack the opposing king with everything they've got, starting with a pawn storm. Which side is better poised to take advantage of this situation?
Position after 7...0-0-0 When evaluating a position, we should start with the pawn structure. Pawn structure will tell you what is (or what should be!) going on in the game, strategically. Here the center pawn mass seems to block part of Black's army on the queenside, while all of White's pieces are directed towards the kingside. Now, when the two players castle on opposite sides, the player better prepared to take advantage of the opportunity to attack the enemy king will usually win. With all of White's pieces available to assist in the defense of his king, it is unlikely that Black's attack will succeed. To succeed in an attack, there is one basic rule to remember: the attacking army usually has to muster more pieces to participate in the attack then the defender has available to defend with. Another feature of the position to take note of (still looking at pawn structure), is the fact that Black has moved the a-pawn, AND it is White's move. Those two factors work together to make it quicker and easier for White's queenside pawns to make contact with Black's. White's strategy is pretty blunt and brutal: rip open the position with a queenside pawn storm, then pour all of your artillery in through the gaping holes that will (hopefully) be left in Black's now-vulnerable King's position. White is going to want to tear up the pawn cover in front of Black's king, and pour all of his pieces through the breach. 8.b4! The fastest way to take the initiative and get Black on the defensive. There's an old expression that the best defense is a good offense, and this is a classic example. By keeping Black busy defending himself, he won't have time to prosecute his kingside attack Now Black has to decide the best way to defend against the threat of 9.b5. 8. ..... h6 Instead of defending, Black decides to start his own attack, but this is going to prove to be too slow.
Position after 8...h6 Black has to go on the defensive here, with 8...Nb8 9.a4 Nf6 10.Qe2 Qe7 11.Na3. White wants to control the b5 square for an eventual pawn push, but also wants to prevent Black from trying to close the position by ...a5, pushing right past the White pawn in an attempt to lock up the pawn structure. If Black is successful in locking up the queenside pawns, then his king will be safe there and he can start focusing on White's king's position. So White wants to prevent that by first playing a5 himself. Before he can do so, he needs to control the b5 square. 9.a4 a5 This is not a good idea. Black should not help White open the queenside - at least not if his king wants to live. 9...Nb8 is still the best defense here for Black, although he is already in big trouble methinks. 10.Ba3 Setting a simple trap. White's threat (which actually happens in the game) can not be ignored. It would have been better not to play for this cheapo; instead opening the position with 10.bxa5 Nxa5 11.Ba3 leads to an open and active attacking game against the Black position. 10. ..... Qe7 The best defense to White's threat is 10...axb4 11.cxb4 Nxb4 11.b5
Position after 11.b5 A discovered attack, a form of double attack. The pawn move attacks Black's knight, while simultaneously uncovering an attack by the a3-bishop on Black's queen. Black can't save both pieces, so the knight has to die. 11. ..... Qe8 White develops his knight, and opens the b-file for occupation by the heavy pieces - the rooks and queen.
Position after 13.Nbd2 13. ..... Bxa4 This move looks like it wins a pawn, but at what cost? White wants to clear the queenside files for attack anyway, and this just helps him do so, while forcing the queen to a better attacking square. Other ideas would be 13...Bxa3 14.Rxa3 f6, or 13...Nf6 with the idea of transferring it to the queenside via d7, or 13...f6 to keep White from adding a knight to his queenside attack by posting it on e5. 14.Qb1 b6? A mistake. The bishops on a4 and f8 are both protected by the Black queen - she is an overworked piece! She can't do both jobs at once. 15.Bxf8 Qxf8 Black really doesn't want to trade pieces here, but has no choice. If 15...Bc6 then 16.Bxg7 snares the rook. 16.Rxa4 Qe8
Position after 17.Bb5 This is better, I think, than the immediate 17.Ba6+ Kb8 18.Rxa5 because it induces Black to further weaken his pawn cover with... 17. ..... c6 Probably better was 19...Rb8 defending the b-pawn. Hard to argue with development though, no matter how late it comes, especially with the outcome not really in doubt. Still, if you are not going to resign, you should put up the stiffest resistance possible. 20.Rxa5 Nc8
Position after 20...Nc8 20...bxa5? 21.Qb7+ Kd6 22.c5 mate. Best is probably 20...Rb8, although
Black's material deficit is so great that barring some major blunder White is
going to win. Equally efficacious is 23.Qb4+ 23. ..... Ra8 The only other try 23...e5 fails to 24.f5 and mate next. 24.c5 Mate 1-0
Final position after 24.c5 mate.
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