Game of the Week

T.Scott–M.Wittje
River Valley Community Chess Club
Spring Green, WI., April 6th, 2011
Time Control: G/30 +5

1.e4 e6 2.Nf3 d5
French Defense (C00), Wing gambit

3.d3 Bb4+ 4.Bd2 Bc5
It's better to develop another piece rather than move the same piece twice (without good reason) in the opening. Nc6 develops a piece & guards the bishop.

5.d4 Bb6
White could have played e5, grabbing some space.

6.Bb5+ Bd7 7.Nc3? a6?
Black could win a pawn with Bxb5, Nxb5, dxe5 attacking the king's knight.
However, Black misses it.

8.Bd3 c5?
Black loses a pawn with this move.

9.exd5 exd5 10.dxc5 Bxc5 11.Nxd5 Be6 12.Qe2?? Qxd5
White left the knight en prise, Nf4 forcing Black's light bishop was the better move.

13.c4 Qd8 14.Bf5 Qf6 15.Qe4? Qxb2?
White is better off trading bishops here.
Black is better off developing the queen's knight, thus freeing the queen's rook.

16.O-O? Nc6?
White could have turned the game around playing Rb1 attacking the queen, but it could have led to some messy complications.
Black is better off developing his other bishop, attacking White's queen.

17.Rfb1? Qf6
White attacked Black's bishop twice & it was guarded only once, so could have won a pawn.

18.Bg5?? Qxf5
White missed that his light bishop was attacked twice & only defended once.
At this point in the game, Shredder evaluates Black to be +7.

19.Qxf5 Bxf5 20.Rxb7 Nge7 21.Rc7 O-O??
Black drops a piece with this move.

22.Bxe7 Bxe7 23.Rxc6 Be4 24.Rc7 Rfe8 25.Nd2 Bg6 26.Re1 Bf6?
Stronger for Black Bd6 attacking the rook.

27.Rxe8+ Rxe8 28.c5 h6 29.c6?? Re2??
White potentially drops a piece with that move (the knight will have to block check, but can then be attacked a 2nd time by Black's light bishop); instead Nf3 was the move White needed to make. Black didn't see it either though.

30.Nf1 Rxa2 31.Rd7 Rc2 32.c7 Bf5 33.Rd5 g6 34.h3 Rxc7 35.g4 Be6 36.Rd6 a5 37.Ra6 Bc3
38.f4??? Rb7???
White opens all the diagonals up against his king, and Black could have checkmated in a few moves.
But Black doesn't take advantage and appears more concerned with his rook pawn.

39.Ne3?? Rb1+??
White's knight is now vulnerable to a pin & eventual loss.
Black checks instead.

40.Kf2 Ra1?
Black can still pin the knight and trade down (usually a good thing when ahead in material).

41.f5 Bb3?
Black’s retreat at 41…Bb3 cedes Blacks advantage in this game. 41…Bb3 allows White to seize initiative with the pawn capture 42. fxg6, literally forcing a pawn exchange. White is able to turn this into a drawn game. According to the u-Max (Fairy–Max 4.80) chess engine in Winboard, from this point on, theoretically, the only outcome is a draw. 41…gxf5 is a better choice for Black, as it leads to a (theoretical) Black win.

42.fxg6 fxg6 43.Rxg6+ Bg7??
A game turner - Shredder evaluates the game to be close to even now. Black should have played Kh7 attacking the rook and forcing it to move. Blocking with the bishop allows it to be attacked twice and it can only be guarded by his king.

44.Nf5 Ra2+ 45.Ke3? Bf7?
White should keep his king near his pawns in order to protect them.
Black could have won White's rook pawn with Rh2.

46.Rxg7+ Kf8 47.g5? hxg5
White could have won the rook pawn with Rh7.

48.Rxg5 Ra3+ 49.Kf4 Rxh3
The game is pretty even now, and unless a blunder is made, should end in a draw.

50.Nd6 a4 51.Ra5 Rh4+ 52.Ke3 Rh7 53.Nxf7 Kxf7 54.Rxa4 Rh3+ 55.Kf2 Rh6
White wisely did not move his king to the 4th rank - had he done that Black could have skewered the king & rook.

56.Rf4+ Rf6 57.Rxf6+ Kxf6
1/2-1/2

Analysis and annotation performed in part by Shredder, Mike Rohe, and Taylor Scott.