[video] Vladja's Chess Adventures #7: Strikwerda - Moes, Amstelveen 2016

In this video I discuss a “boring” game.

Click on the moves below to start playing and show a diagram:

[Event "Zukertort externe comp."] [Site "?"] [Date "2016.02.13"] [Round "?"] [White "Strikwerda, Jacob"] [Black "Moes, Waldemar"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "D32"] [Annotator "Waldemar Moes, Better Your Chess"] [PlyCount "112"] {Hi all, this is Waldemar from Better Your Chess! In this video we are going to take a look at a game that I played recently in the national chess league for my club Zukertort Amstelveen. Sofar my adventures have included purely wins and interesting ones, I might add, but more often than not, chess is not like that. Very often it is just a struggle, especially when you are playing Black and your opponent is not showing any ambition (willingly not or not). So, for this video I have decided to analyze a boring game, yes a boring game. But let’s try and make it as interesting as possible by pointing out some principles and sharing my thoughts and feelings. My opponent is a nice gentleman by the name of Jacob Strikwerda and he represented Emmanuel Lasker, a club from Friesland, one of our northern provinces.} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 {After this move my opponent took at least 5 minutes if not more for his reply. The move c7-c5 quite often has this effect on my opponents. Shortly before the match one of my teammates had informed me that the opposition had not shown up with their strongest players. Was my opponent a substitute for a base player? Was he less well versed in playing these types of league games? It’s these types of thoughts that can dominate over the course of a game and can easily lead to loss of objectivity, since you tell yourself that you want to, no HAVE to win this game. Fortunately I was aware of it, and it did not happen.} 4. cxd5 exd5 5. dxc5 {I have found an early dxc5 to be quite troublesome for Black in the sense that in most lines the position simplifies and all Black can play for is a draw. However, I don’t recall anybody playing it on the 5th move.} ({More common is} 5. Nf3 Nc6 {and only now} 6. dxc5 d4 7. Na4 Bxc5 8. Nxc5 Qa5+) 5... d4 6. Ne4 {and the players were already on their own.} ({After} 6. Na4 {Black can try an interesting gambit:} b5 $5 {playing against the knight on a4 an also hoping to get an edge in development.}) 6... Bf5 {This seemed to me the most interesting option.} ({I also considered the most natural move} 6... Nc6 {but don’t remember why I rejected it.}) ({And then there was:} 6... Qd5 7. Nd6+ Bxd6 8. cxd6 Qxd6 {but failed to see why my queen would have to lose a tempo going to d6 in two moves.}) 7. Ng3 ({With my bishop already out, I would have welcomed:} 7. Nd6+ Bxd6 8. cxd6 Qxd6 { especially since} 9. e3 $6 (9. Nf3 $6 Nc6 10. g3 (10. a3) 10... Nb4 $15) (9. g3 Nc6 10. Bg2 Nf6) 9... Nc6 10. Nf3 d3 {all look pretty decent for Black.}) 7... Bg6 $6 {Maybe not the most precise.} (7... Be6) 8. Nf3 (8. f4 $5 {During the game I did not take this option seriuosly, but the engine seems to like it.} f6 9. e4 Bxc5 10. Nf3 $14 {and on second thought he might be right!}) (8. Qa4+ Nc6 9. b4 a5 $1) 8... Bxc5 $11 9. e3 {Yes, the move I did not want to see, it will give White a small pawn weakness, but also leads to exchanges after which there is really not much to play for for either side.} (9. Qa4+ $6 Nc6 {is just better for Black.}) 9... dxe3 {Nonetheless, the consequent move. At least I can ask the question: Who is the better endgame player?} 10. Qxd8+ Kxd8 11. Bxe3 Bxe3 12. fxe3 Nc6 13. Rd1+ Kc7 {A difficult decision. On the one hand I did not want to leave my king side pawns too vulnerable, on the other I did not want to block the e-file which I wanted to use for my rooks to pressure the otherwise rather insignificant weakness on e3.} 14. Bd3 $5 {Wow, White really wants to knock both sides’ teeth out. I had expected something like Bb5. White now wants the exchange the defender of f7, after which Ng5 becomes a possibility to reckon with.} Nf6 {As so often the counter attack is the best defense.} 15. Bxg6 hxg6 16. h3 (16. Ng5 $6 Rae8 ({Not} 16... Ng4 $6 17. O-O $1) 17. Nxf7 Rhf8 18. Ng5 Rxe3+ {and Black has a bit of initiative.}) 16... Rae8 17. Kf2 Ne4+ $6 {Hmm, this shows the amateur in me. Now I exchange pieces myself because I like the idea of my rook being active on the 4th rank. But that is overestimating it and betting on two horses by not focussing on the one weakness on e3.} (17... Re7 18. Rd3 Rhe8 19. Rc1 Kb8 {is a far cry from an advantage, but possibly could have put a bit more pressure on White.}) 18. Nxe4 Rxe4 19. Rd3 $11 {The position is still absolutely equal. White’s king is doing a good job of protecting e3 and there are no other significant differences between the positions. Black even has doubled pawns to offset the weakness on e3 if you will.} Rhe8 20. Rhd1 {Hmm, White even has threat. carefull!} R8e7 21. a3 {ruling out any …Rb4 possibilities.} f6 {This is the only plan I could see. It does not involve attacking enemy weakness, but rather getting rid of your own. An important principle when thinking of what you should be doing in a position. If you don’t see an attacking plan, then why not improve your own position. With the move played, I aim to push my doubled g-pawn to g4 to exchange it for the h3 pawn. It’s nothing, but keeps me from the street I guess. Also the pawn on f6 somewhat restricts Nf3.} 22. Rc1 {Hmm, now Nd4 could be disturbing. White has play of his own!} Kb8 {Ok, ok, I will move away from the center.} 23. Rdc3 {Now, don’t touch your knight on c6! That would be mate on c8! So, again Nd4 is White’s idea?} a6 {Safety first. Now K and N are free again.} 24. Nd2 {Hmm, White let’s go of e5. Maybe I can jump there laer with my knight? But first let’s safe the rook.} R4e6 25. Nb3 { This could threaten Nb3-c5xa6 after which my b7 pawn proves overworked.} Rd6 26. R1c2 (26. Nc5 Rd2+ 27. Kf1 Rxb2 28. Nxb7 Kxb7 29. Rxc6 {would also maintain the balance, but why allow Black’s rook on the 2nd?}) 26... g5 {Hiha, here we go! Stage 2 of my plan.} 27. Nc5 {Threatening Nxa6.} Ne5 {But my knight saves itself and is ready to support g5-g4.} 28. b4 {This made me wonder if I should not have played a7-a5 earlier on, but I also liked it because White is pushing pawns on the side of the board where I have an extra piece… my king!} Ka7 {Little pawns, papa is coming!} ({I also considered} 28... g4 {but did not see how to continue after:} 29. h4 {so decided to keep g5-g4 in reserve.}) 29. Ke2 Rc6 {Time trouble was approaching and I did not really know what to do. That’s the problem with this position, there is nothing useful to do.} 30. a4 {Hmm, Is white going to have a dangerous initiative on the queenside or are these pawns just getting closer?} b6 {A nit of a nervous decision. I decided to release some of the “pressure” by exchanging one pair of rooks, the white pieces had been on my nerves for quite a while now.} (30... Rb6 31. Rb3 g4 32. h4 f5 {was another way of playing.}) 31. Nb3 Rxc3 32. Rxc3 Kb7 {The position is still completely equal, but I still had hopes…} 33. Nd4 Rd7 34. b5 {Contact! White creates an anchor point on c6, but landing there is not necessarily advantageous.} Re7 35. Nf5 (35. Nc6 $6 Nxc6 36. Rxc6 axb5 37. axb5 Re5 38. Rd6 Rxb5 39. Rd7+ Kc6 40. Rxg7 Rb2+ {And Black is the one trying.}) 35... Rd7 36. Nd4 Re7 {Uh oh, are we headed for a draw by repetition?} 37. Kf2 $6 Rf7 $6 {In time trouble I miss a tiny opportunity:} (37... a5 {fixes the pawn on a4 and if my knight were to arrive on c5 that would ask some questions.}) 38. Nf5 Rd7 39. Nd4 axb5 (39... a5 { again!}) 40. Nxb5 $6 {This leaves the black king out of the box, and leads to the kind of position which I had hoped for. Now I can try and play against the a4 pawn after all.} (40. axb5 {was more solid.}) 40... Nd3+ 41. Ke2 Nc5 { Attacking a4!} 42. Ra3 (42. a5 $2 Ka6) 42... Ka6 {Threatens Ka5 with advantage. } 43. Nd4 {But White can defend.} Rc7 {Defends c6.} (43... Ka5 $4 44. Nc6+ Ka6 45. Nb8+ $18) 44. Nb5 Re7 45. Nd4 {Same story.} Re4 {Returning to the old theme of g5-g4.} 46. Kf3 g6 {Possibly preparing f5 and g4 after all.} 47. g4 $6 {Which is ruled out by White with an ugly move. But now h3 is weak.} Re8 { Toying with both Ra8 and Rh8. The latter seemed to have escaped my opponents attention.} 48. Ke2 $6 Rh8 {After this move my opponent was visibly surprised, but he finds the toughest defense:} 49. Nb3 $1 {All rook endgames are drawn? A tough move to meet and I spent most of my time trying to make Nxb3 or Rxh3 work but could not. I there fore played:} Ne4 $1 (49... Nxb3 $6 {is insuficient:} 50. Rxb3 Rxh3 51. Rd3 Rh4 52. Rd6 Rxg4 53. Rxf6 Rxa4 54. Rxg6 { and since White has counterplay with his own passed pawn Black cannot win this position:} g4 55. Kd3 Kb7 56. Rg7+ Kc6 57. Rg6+ Kc7 58. Rg7+ {etc.}) (49... Rxh3 $6 {also does not work:} 50. Nxc5+ bxc5 51. Rc3 Kb6 52. Rb3+ Kc6 53. a5 { etc.}) 50. Kf3 $2 {After this move White should have gotten a harder time then he did, since after exchaging strong moves, we now exchange weak moves.} f5 $2 (50... Nd6 $1 $15 {I completely failed to see this move, which sets up double threat: Rxh3 and Nc4…} 51. Kg3 Nc4 52. Ra1 Re8 $1 53. Re1 Rxe3+ 54. Rxe3 Nxe3 {and Black has winning chances.}) 51. gxf5 gxf5 52. Kg2 Rc8 (52... g4 {was another try:} 53. hxg4 fxg4 54. Nd4 Rc8 (54... g3 55. Kf3) 55. Ra1 Rc3 56. Rf1 Rxe3 57. Rf4 g3 58. Rf3 $11) 53. Nd4 Rc5 54. Kf3 Nd2+ 55. Ke2 Ne4 56. Kf3 Nd2+ {and draw agreed. With that we have come to the end of this video. Did you enjoy it? Then consider liking, commenting or subscribing. If you are watching this video from YouTube and want to playback this game then click on the Playback link below in the more-section. Thanks for watching and… hey be careful out there! <img src="http://www.betteryourchess.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif" alt=";-)" class="wp-smiley" />} 1/2-1/2 You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.

Posted byWaldemar

March 2, 2016

Tags:Jacob Strikwerda, Tarrasch defense

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[video] Vladja’s Chess Adventures #7: Strikwerda – Moes, Amstelveen 2016

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