Welcome to my English Opening game with Arno Nolting page!

On this page I have posted one my chess games in which I played the White side of the English Opening . The game includes analysis and diagrams. This game is one of two games in which I managed to draw a master.

[Event "Orlando Tornado"]

[Site "Orlando, FL"]

[Date "1992.02.29"]

[Round "1"]

[White "Mike Serovey"]

[Black "Arno Nolting"]

[Result "1/2-1/2"]



1. c4 Nf6 2. g3 g6 3. Bg2 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. Nc3 Nxc3 6. bxc3 c5 7. Nf3 Bg7 

8. Rb1 O-O 9. O-O Nc6 10. Rb5 b6 11. d4 Ba6 12. Rb1 Rc8 13. Be3 cxd4 14. 

Nxd4 Na5 15. Re1 Rxc3 16. Nb5 Bxb5 17. Rxb5 Qxd1 18. Rxd1 Rc2 19. Rd7 Rxe2 

20. Rxa7 Nc4 21. Rxe7 Bd4 22. Rb3 Re1+ 23. Bf1 Bxe3 24. fxe3 Nd2 25. Rb2 

Nxf1 26. Kf2 Rxe3 27. Rxe3 Nxe3 28. Kxe3 Rb8 29. a4 Kf8 30. Kd4 Ke7 31. Kd5 

Ra8 32. Rb4 Kd7 33. Rxb6 Ra5+ 34. Rb5 Rxa4 35. Rb7+ Ke8 36. Kd6 Kf8 37. Ke5 

Ra2 38. h4 Rf2 39. Rb8+ Kg7 40. Rb3 h5 41. Ke4 Kh6 42. Ke3 Rf5 43. Rb6 f6 

44. Rc6 g5 45. hxg5+ Kxg5 46. Rc4 Rf1 47. Ke2 Rf5 48. Rd4 Re5+ 49. Kf3 f5 

50. Rd8 Re4 51. Rg8+ Kf6 52. Rh8 Kg6 53. Rg8+ Kh7 54. Rg5 Rg4 55. Rxf5 Kg6 

56. Ra5 Rb4 57. Rc5 Ra4 58. Rb5 {Draw Agreed} 1/2-1/2

Orlando Tornado
Round 1, Board 2
Game Played 29 February 1992
White: Mike Serovey (1678)  Black: Arno Nolting (2221)

1. c4 Nf6 2. g3 g6 3. Bg2 d5

At this point White can transpose into the Réti Opening by playing 4. Nf3.

4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. Nc3 Nxc3 6. bxc3 c5

It seems that Black is trying to prevent White from playing d4 here, but 7. d4 is playable. If Black then captures on d4 White can offer the Queen trade by recapturing on d4 with the Queen instead of the c pawn.

7. Nf3 Bg7 8. Rb1 O-O 9. O-O Nc6 10. Rb5 b6

White's Rook is not well placed on b5 and playing d4 here actually loses a pawn. For some unknown reason, Black decided not to capture the free pawn on d4!

11. d4? Ba6 12. Rb1 Rc8

Black cannot yet win a pawn here by playing 12... cxd4 If 13. cxd4 then Nxd4 14. Nxd4 and the Rook on a8 is hanging. So, Black moved that Rook off the long diagonal but also gave White a chance to protect d4.

13. Be3 cxd4 14. Nxd4 Na5

If Black had played 14... Nxd4 then 15. Bxd4 Bxd4 cxd4 and the White Queen is guarding the pawns at d4 and e2. White decided to guard the pawn at e2 with a Rook and to let the one at c3 go. If 15. Rc1 then Bxd4 15. Bxd4 and White is still OK.

15. Re1? Rxc3 16. Nb5 Bxb5 17. Rxb5 Qxd1 18. Rxd1 Rc2

White is now down a pawn against a much higher rated opponent but played on anyway.

19. Rd7 Rxe2 20. Rxa7 Nc4

Instead of grabbing the pawn on e7 immediately, which lead to a complicated position, White could try playing 21. Bf1 attacking Black's Rook and indirectly attacking Black's Knight on c4. If then 21... Rc2 22. Bxc4 Rxc4 23. Rxb6 and the pawn at e7 is still hanging. Also, White would now have a passes a pawn.

21. Rxe7 Bd4 22. Rb3 Re1+ 23. Bf1 Bxe3 24. fxe3 Nd2!

White seems lost at this point because he is going to lose his Bishop. However, Black allowed White to get his piece back. Instead of taking the hanging b pawn, White decided to attack the Black Knight at d2 hoping to win his piece back.

25. Rb2!

This is where things got a little hairy! If 25... Rxf1+ then 26. Kg2 Rd1 27. Rd7 and White gets his piece back.

Nxf1 26. Kf2! Rxe3 27. Rxe3 Nxe3 28. Kxe3 Rb8

White is down a pawn on the Kingside but can hold on to a draw with careful play. The trick is to trade off pawns and to keep the rooks on the board. At this point in the game White has a somewhat centralized King and thus goes after Black's b pawn. Black decided to centralize his King as well and to defend the b pawn. Another plan would have been to ignore the Queenside and to push the Kingside pawns in order to exchange down to a passed pawn there.

29. a4 Kf8 30. Kd4 Ke7 31. Kd5 Ra8

Here White is faced with the choice of grabbing the b pawn or defending his a pawn. If White grabs the b pawn now he has to worry about defending his kingside pawns from the Black Rook.

32. Rb4 Kd7 33. Rxb6 Ra5+ 34. Rb5 Rxa4 35. Rb7+ Ke8

Here White decided to try to win the f pawn by moving his King over to the Kingside while keeping Black's King trapped on his own back rank. However, White miscalculated and should have played his King to e5 here.

36. Kd6? Kf8 37. Ke5 Ra2 38. h4 Rf2!

Here Black realized that he needed to keep the White King off f6. The White King is now separated from his kingside pawns because he cannot cross the f file.

39. Rb8+ Kg7 40. Rb3 h5 41. Ke4 Kh6 42. Ke3 Rf5

Black is still keeping the White King separated from his pawns!

43. Rb6 f6 44. Rc6 g5 45. hxg5+ Kxg5 46. Rc4 Rf1

Now both sides are using their rooks to cut off the opposing King.

47. Ke2 Rf5 48. Rd4 Re5+ 49. Kf3 f5

Now White can finally defend his remaining pawn with his King!

50. Rd8 Re4 51. Rg8+ Kf6 52. Rh8 Kg6 53. Rg8+ Kh7?

Black's last move allows White to win back the pawn that he is down. Better was Kh6 or Kf6.

54. Rg5 Rg4 55. Rxf5 Kg6

At this point the material is even and both sides just maneuvered their rooks to keep the opposing Kings from advancing. Trading pawns here leads to a dead drawn position and trading rooks should as well.

56. Ra5 Rb4 57. Rc5 Ra4 58. Rb5 1/2-1/2

Back to the English Openings page

Copyright © 2004-2008 by Mike Serovey all rights reserved.

Privacy Policy for www.mikeseroveyonchess.com  Anti-Spam Policy

Google  Alta Vista LookPilot FreshLinks Web Directory