February 11, 1999
Game Seven
White: Al Starfy
Black: Ty Davison
Opening: A40 Queen's Pawn
FICS, Game 1, 1998
1. d4
Ty: Oh good. Something I've not studied recently.
Al: As you know I almost always open with the Queen's pawn now as I feel it keeps White in better control of the game.
Ty: I forgot. Not a good sign.
1. ... f6?
Ty: Is this even a legitimate opening move? I have no idea what I was thinking.
Al: Threw me off for a moment; I thought at the time, "Great, never seen this response...I'm probably in trouble on move one."
2. Nf3 d5
Ty: Al continues development while I change strategy.
3. c4
Al: Now I'm comfortable as I've put more study time into the Queen's Gambit than any other opening.
3. ... dxc4
Ty: In hindsight, 3. ... dxc4 was probably a mistake. It's taken me very little time to double my pawns.
Al: You're probably right; most experts I've read say that accepting the Gambit pawn will leave Black with a weakened position.
4. Nc3 e6
5. Bf4 Bb4
6. e3 g5
7. a3 gxf4
8. axb4 fxe3
9. fxe3
Ty: The point of this series of exchanges was to try to keep White from having a traditional pawn wall structure after castling. I still have a one pawn advantage, but it's really almost moot since the c4 pawn is hung out to dry.
9. ... Nc6
10. Qa4 Bd7
11. Bxc4 Nxd4!
Ty: This revealed attack maintains my slim one pawn material edge, trading my isolated doubled pawn on c4 for, ultimately, holes on the d- and g-files.
12. b5 Nxf3+
13. gxf3
Al: And there goes the rest of my King's pawn wall.
13. ... f5
Ty: To take away e4 from White's Knight. Much better here would've been 13. ... a6! forcing the action against White's Queen. There are a number of possible continuations, most of which play at least even for Black. So far as I can tell there's nothing that's definitively winning for Black, but all combinations appear to apply sufficient pressure to the Queen that White's attack is delayed if not derailed.
14. O-O-O Nf6
15. Bxe6!
Ty: This is a brilliant double attack. I can't take the Bishop without losing my Queen.
Al: I have to agree; I was more than pleased to find this move.
15. ... Qe7
16. Nd5 Nxd5
17. Bxd5 Qxe3+
18. Rd2 Qc5+
19. Kb1 Bxb5?
20. Re1+ Kf8
Ty: Ouch. It doesn't matter if I play 20. ... Kf8 or 20. ... Kd8 because White mates soon either way. On the 20. ... Kd8 line it's 21. Bxb7+ that lands me in trouble. I've not gotten the King to safety (notice that I didn't castle this game), and now Al's multiple threats are too much. 19. ... Kd8 might have given me a chance, but even then the odds don't look good.
21. Qh4 1-0
Black resigns.
Ty: Clearly Al's played 1. d4 before. =) Although I rebounded marginally well from a terrible opening, Al's constant pressure and pretty attacks (plus too much of my "Kingly" bravado) did me in.
|
