In this video I’m taking a look at a tournament game fragment that was played by Dolrish Aguillon who is one of my students. I decided to discuss this game because it heavily features one of the most important topics in chess: the counterattack!

The counterattack can be a great defensive weapon as we shall see in this game.
It allows a player to stand his ground rather then give it up and go along with the opponents’ “nudges”. From that point of view there is a lesson in this fragment for everybody!

As always, leave your comments below!
Enjoy the video.

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

[pgn_compat]
[Event “Brasschaat Open”]
[Site “Brasschaat, belgium”]
[Date “2014.08.20”]
[Round “4”]
[White “Aguillon, Dolrish”]
[Black “Sylvain Marmenout”]
[Result “1-0”]
[ECO “C70”]
[WhiteElo “1575”]
[BlackElo “1485”]
[Annotator “Waldemar Moes, Better Your Chess”]
[PlyCount “45”]
[EventDate “2014.??.??”]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 {This is the Spanish Game or
Ruy Lopez.} a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4 {With this move we enter the realms of
the Open Spanish Game. By removing the e4 pawn, Black is opening up the e-file
and also moving the same piece twice. So, naturally there is some risk
involved. Hence it is slightly less popular then the closed Spanish Game with
5…Le7. But also some of the variations are quite tactical and forcing in
nature. So whoever has studied the opening well will have a benefit navigating
the complications.} 6. Re1 {This is not the main line, but it is perfectly
playable. White is immediately making use of the semi-open e-file from where
he is eyeing no less than 3 black pieces.} ({The main line runs:} 6. d4 b5 7.
Bb3 d5 8. dxe5 Be6 $10) 6… d5 $2 {Tactical weaknesses normally need to be
adressed as quickly as possible. With this move Black is protecting his knight
but not removing it from the dangerous e-file. Next to that Black also is
putting his knight on c6 into an absolute pin. White must be able to get some
advantage out of these circumstances. I have the feeling that Black was
surprised by White’s 6th move leading him to play an inferior move a this
PRECISE moment. In the following phase however he still manages to deploy some
of the IDEAS of the Open Spanish Game who are very much counterattacking in
nature. This leads me to believe that Black has probably played or studied
these types of position before.} ({Correct was:} 6… Nc5 $1 {This move gets
the knight out of harms way and counterattacks White’s bishop. The
counterattack is a very important principle in chess. Very very often it is
the best method of defense, but many chess players haven’t learned that or if
they have, they dont look for it in the first place when actually playing a
game of chess.} 7. Bxc6 ({Harmless is:} 7. Nxe5 $6 Nxe5 8. Rxe5+ Be7 9. Bb3 O-O
{and Black is even a bit better.}) 7… dxc6 8. Nxe5 Be7 9. d4 Ne6 10. Be3 {
and White has a very slight pull.}) {In order to get an advantageous position
White now has to play very accurately.} 7. Nxe5 $2 {This continuation may look
strong at first sight, but at second we see that it allows for a counterattack
and also weakens the defense of white’s king side, most notably h2 and h4. In
chess it is always important to understand what has changed in the position
after your opponents move or what will change after the move you are about to
play!} ({Also insufficient for a clear advantage is:} 7. d3 $6 b5 $1 {
Counterattacking and thereby excluding the bishop’s influence on e5.} 8. dxe4
dxe4 $1 {Again a counterattack comes to the rescue with which Black first
resolves the situation in the center but simultaneously keeps attacking two of
White’s pieces.} ({Clearly insufficient is:} 8… bxa4 $4 9. exd5 {Now it is
White who executes the capture in the center.} Ne7 10. Nxe5 {and Black cannot
really regain the pawn:} Qxd5 11. Qxd5 Nxd5 12. Ng6+ {losing material.}) 9.
Qxd8+ Nxd8 10. Rxe4 bxa4 11. Nxe5 Bf5 $10) ({The correct continuation is:} 7.
Bxc6+ $1 {This moves USES the bishop before it can be counterattacked and shut
out of the game. Normally we don’t just trade bishop for knight, but here the
move starts a forcing sequence aimed at getting an advantage. They say:”There
are two kinds of trades: good ones and forced ones.” here the trade is a good
one. The direct result of it is of a weakening of the e5 square by eliminating
the defender on c6.} bxc6 8. d3 $1 {Another fine move, opening up the e-file
for the rook as well as chasing back the knight from the center from where it
was attacking the weakness on f2.} Nf6 9. Nxe5 {With Black’s knight on f6
White also no longer has to worry about a queen coming to h4 and he now (in a
safe way, without allowing counterattacks!) starts to reap the fruits of
Black’s mistake on the 6th move. Now the threat is to give a discovered check
so Black must block the e-file.} Be6 10. Nxc6 $16 {and White is a pawn up with
the more active position.}) 7… Bd6 $1 {Cooly played by Black.
Counterattacking the knight and thereby maintaining the balance!} 8. Nxc6 $6 {
This move allows an immediate draw. If White wants to play for the win he can
try:} (8. Bxc6+ bxc6 9. d4 $10 {bolstering the knight on e5 and thereby
blocking the diagonal b8-h2.}) 8… Bxh2+ $1 {Again this counterattack is the
only move to maintain the balance!} ({After the mistake:} 8… bxc6 $4 9. Bxc6+
Bd7 10. Bxd5 Bxh2+ {no longer works, because Ne4 is unprotected:} 11. Kh1 Qh4
$2 12. Rxe4+ $18) 9. Kf1 $2 {This move is too compliant. Sure, it does get out
of check, but unfortunately it does not do anything else for White’s position.
In fact he is now risking a losing position because Black can bring in his
strongest attacking piece with tempo.} ({Necessary was:} 9. Kxh2 {(at least
this takes a piece and is proofing the pudding by eating it)} Qh4+ 10. Kg1
Qxf2+ {with a draw by repetition.} 11. Kh2 Qh4+ $10 {etc.}) 9… Bd7 $4 {Sofar
Black has played a good game, with some nice counterattacks, but now he makes
an inexplicable howler. He obviously did not perform a blunderchech checking
all the moves that could come towards when visualizing his own move.} ({He
could (and should) have played:} 9… Qh4 $1 {continuing the counterattack and
ignoring the Ba4 and Nc6 battery with a dangerous initiative, f.i:} 10. Qf3 ({
Or:} 10. Rxe4+ dxe4 11. Na7+ b5 12. Nxc8 bxa4 $19 {and White’s knight is in a
predicament.}) 10… O-O {threatening to take on c6} 11. Nd4 Be5 $15) 10. Nxd8
$18 {Ouch! That is one queen, thank you very much! I will not show you the
rest of the game, you can find it in the interactive diagram accompanying this
video. White went on to win the game without too much trouble.  I guess the
morale of this game is:  1. always look for counterattacks, they normally
allow a player to stand his ground rather then to give it up  2. come prepared
and study these sharp opening lines at home before you play them in a serious
game, when it is very difficult to finds all these tactical finesses over the
board  3. before you move, always perform a so-called blundercheck!}
Rxd8 11. Bxd7+ Rxd7 12. d3 Re7 13. dxe4 dxe4 14. g3 h5 15.Nc3 h4 16. Rxe4 Rxe4
17. Nxe4 hxg3 18. fxg3 f5 19. Qf3 fxe4 20. Qxe4+ Kd8 21.Kg2 Kc8 22. Bf4 Rh5 23. Qe8# 1-0
[/pgn_compat]

PGN notation:

[Event “Brasschaat Open”]
[Site “Brasschaat, belgium”]
[Date “2014.08.20”]
[Round “4”]
[White “Aguillon, Dolrish”]
[Black “Sylvain Marmenout”]
[Result “1-0”]
[ECO “C70”]
[WhiteElo “1575”]
[BlackElo “1485”]
[Annotator “Waldemar Moes, Better Your Chess”]
[PlyCount “45”]
[EventDate “2014.??.??”]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4 6. Re1 (6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5
8. dxe5 Be6 $10) 6… d5 $2 (6… Nc5 $1 7. Bxc6 (7. Nxe5 $6 Nxe5 8. Rxe5+ Be7
9. Bb3 O-O) 7… dxc6 8. Nxe5 Be7 9. d4 Ne6 10. Be3) 7. Nxe5 $2 (7. d3 $6 b5 $1
8. dxe4 dxe4 $1 (8… bxa4 $4 9. exd5 Ne7 10. Nxe5 Qxd5 11. Qxd5 Nxd5 12. Ng6+)
9. Qxd8+ Nxd8 10. Rxe4 bxa4 11. Nxe5 Bf5 $10) (7. Bxc6+ $1 bxc6 8. d3 $1 Nf6 9.
Nxe5 Be6 10. Nxc6 $16) 7… Bd6 $1 8. Nxc6 $6 (8. Bxc6+ bxc6 9. d4 $10) 8…
Bxh2+ $1 (8… bxc6 $4 9. Bxc6+ Bd7 10. Bxd5 Bxh2+ 11. Kh1 Qh4 $2 12. Rxe4+ $18
) 9. Kf1 $2 (9. Kxh2 Qh4+ 10. Kg1 Qxf2+ 11. Kh2 Qh4+ $10) 9… Bd7 $4 (9… Qh4
$1 10. Qf3 (10. Rxe4+ dxe4 11. Na7+ b5 12. Nxc8 bxa4 $19) 10… O-O 11. Nd4 Be5
$15) 10. Nxd8 $18 Rxd8 11. Bxd7+ Rxd7 12. d3 Re7 13. dxe4 dxe4 14. g3 h5 15.
Nc3 h4 16. Rxe4 Rxe4 17. Nxe4 hxg3 18. fxg3 f5 19. Qf3 fxe4 20. Qxe4+ Kd8 21.
Kg2 Kc8 22. Bf4 Rh5 23. Qe8# 1-0