On this page I have posted my game where I played The
English Opening
against Denis (The Ancient Brit) at
Stan's NetChess. This game includes
analysis and diagrams. I was actually playing against his chess
software, named Dave, at a 1792 rating level.
Denis is 68 years old and is from Bangor, Wales.
[Event "Game 287786"]
[Site "Stan's NetChess"]
[Date "2004.12.19"]
[Round "?"]
[White "mserovey"]
[Black "The Ancient Brit"]
[Result "1-0"]
1. c4 g6 2. Nc3 Bg7 3. g3 Nc6 4. Bg2 Bxc3 5. bxc3 Ne5 6. Qb3 d6 7. d4 Nd7 8.
e4
a5 9. Ne2 Ngf6 10. O-O c5 11. f4 O-O 12. h3 Ne8 13. g4 cxd4 14. cxd4 Kh8 15.
Rb1
f6 16. Qc3 Nc7 17. e5 fxe5 18. dxe5 dxe5 19. Bb2 Ne6 20. Bd5 Ng7 21. fxe5
Rxf1+
22. Rxf1 e6 23. Be4 Qe8 24. Qf3 a4 25. Ba3 Qg8 26. Bd6 Ra6 27. Bxb7 Bxb7 28.
Qxb7 Ra8 29. Qxd7 h5 30. Qf7 Qxf7 31. Rxf7 Kg8 32. Rf6 Rc8 33. c5 g5 34.
gxh5
Nxh5 35. Rg6+ Ng7 36. Rxg5 Kf7 37. Nd4 Rh8 38. Kg2 Rh4 39. Rg4 Rh8 40. c6
Nf5
41. Nxf5 exf5 42. Rxa4 Ke6 43. c7 Kd7 44. Rb4 Rg8+ 45. Kf3 Rc8 46. Rb8 Rxc7
47.
Bxc7 Kxc7 48. Rf8 1-0
1. c4 g6 2. Nc3 Bg7 3. g3 Nc6 4. Bg2
I usually play the
English Opening in this move order so that I can see what Black does
before I commit some of my pieces and pawns. I get more flexibility this
way.
Bxc3?
The software, Dave, played a move that leaves "his" Kingside position a
little weak. There is now a dark-squared weakness around where the King is
going to castle to.
5. bxc3 Ne5
Black moves the Knight for a second time, before completing his
development, to try to grab a pawn. The Knight gets kicked shortly and has
to move again, wasting more time.
6. Qb3 d6 7. d4 Nd7
This is the third time that this Knight has moved. White now has
slight lead in development and more space. Now, White expands in the
Center.
8.
e4
a5 (Does nothing.) 9. Ne2 Ngf6 10. O-O c5
Here Black tries to undermine White's pawn structure in the Center. Now,
White has an even bigger lead in development.
11. f4
At this point Denis stated that his program, Dave, had a worried look on
his face because of my broad pawn center. I want Black to capture on d4 and
undouble my pawns. Later, he obliges. A general rule of opening development
is to castle by move ten. Black missed this by one move.
O-O 12. h3 Ne8
Undevelops a piece. Although Nimzovitch and Réti were both known to play
moves like these, they always did so to reposition the knights to better
squares. I didn't see that happening here.
13. g4 cxd4 14. cxd4 Kh8
Black's last move does nothing. Now, I have the exact setup that I
wanted. White has a big lead in both space and development. This position is
quite typical of the way I like to play the
English Opening.
15.
Rb1f6 16. Qc3
Now, White controls both long diagonals. I'm planning to break open the
Center with simultaneous attacks on both the pawn on b7 and Black's King.
Nc7 (The third time that this Knight has moved.) 17. e5 fxe5 18. dxe5 dxe5 19. Bb2
The Black pawn on e5 is pinned to the Black King so I don't need to be in
a hurry to recapture it. By putting the Bishop on b2 I'm threatening mate.
Also, I didn't want to recapture with my King after 19. fxe5 Rxf1+. Also, I
didn't want to take my white-squared Bishop off the long diagonal. Now, I
can recapture with my Rook on b1 and keep control of the f file.
Ne6 (Fourth time this Knight has moved.) 20. Bd5 Ng7
(fifth time) 21. fxe5
Now White can recapture the Pawn. White has isolated pawns on a2, c4, and
e5. Black has the isolated pawn on e7. If Black allows me to play e6 I'll
win a piece because of the threat on both knights.
Rxf1+
22. Rxf1 e6 (Stops my threat of mate after e6.) 23. Be4
I placed my Bishop here in order to keep control of both long diagonals
and to keep pressure against Black's Kingside. White no longer has e6 as a
threat, but still can keep pressure on the Black Kingside with other moves.
Qe8 24. Qf3 a4 25. Ba3
Now, White give up the long diagonal from a1 to h8. The Pawn on e5 blocks
the diagonal anyway. I'm tempting Black to play 25... Nxe5 26. Qf8+ Qxf8 27.
Rxf8#. This is possible because Black has yet to develop his
Queenside Rook and Bishop. White has a tremendous lead in both space and
development!
Qg8 26. Bd6
Protecting the Pawn on e5. Now Black can take it because Black doesn't
have to capture my Queen after Qf8 because it is no longer a check.
Ra6? (Finally develops that Rook! However, Ra7
protects the Pawn on b7.) 27. Bxb7 Bxb7 28.Qxb7 Ra8?
The Knight was lost either way. I think that Rb6 was stronger because it
grabs the open b file and after 29. Qxd7 Rb2 30. Nc3 Rc2 Black can get one
of his pawns back. White is still better, though.
29. Qxd7 h5 (Gives the Black King a little room to
run.) 30. Qf7 Qxf7 31. Rxf7
Now, White controls the f file and Black's second rank. White also has a
passed Pawn on the c file and an extra Bishop.
Kg8 (This stops White from playing Rf8+ forcing the
exchange of rooks.) 32. Rf6 Rc8 33. c5 g5 34.
gxh5
Nxh5
Now, White has a choice between playing Rxe6 and Rg6+ winning the g Pawn.
I chose the latter move hoping to win that Knight too.
35. Rg6+ Ng7 36. Rxg5 Kf7
This breaks the pin on the Knight at g7 and protects the Pawn on e6. Now
White has an extra Bishop and passed pawns on both the c file and the h
file. Black is clearly lost here.
37. Nd4 Rh8 38. Kg2 Rh4 39. Rg4
Because I'm up material I want to trade rooks. I'm also thinking about
sacrificing the Rook for the Knight on g7 and counting on my passed pawns to
compensate for the exchange sacrifice. The pawns would be easier to queen
without the Black Rook in my way! However, I decided to push the passed c
Pawn first and save the sacrifice for later. It turns out that it wasn't
necessary to win.
Rh8 40. c6
Nf5
41. Nxf5 exf5 42. Rxa4 Ke6 43. c7 Kd7 44. Rb4 Rg8+ 45. Kf3 Rc8 46. Rb8
This is the position that I wanted ever since about move 42. If Black
plays 46... Rxb8?? then 47. cxb7=Q and Black is quickly mated after that! If
Black plays 46... f4 I simply ignore the Pawn and play 47. Rxc8 Kxc8 48. a4
and Black can't stop both the h Pawn and the a Pawn from queening. Or, I can
simply play 48. h4 and Black has to guard the c Pawn and thus cannot stop
the h Pawn.
Rxc7
47.
Bxc7 Kxc7 48. Rf8 1-0
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