Welcome to my Modern Defense (ECO B06) game with Jamie Calvin page!

On this page I have posted one my chess games in which I played the Black side of the Modern Defense. The game includes analysis and diagrams. I am posting this game under the Pirc category because I ended up transposing into the Pirc-Robatsch: 4 Be3 Nf6 line. Ratings listed are for each player at the start of this game.

At the end of March 2011 a tornado came through my neighborhood and damaged several homes. Mine was so damaged that the insurance company declared it a total loss and I moved out of it. As a result of the temporary disruption of my email service Jamie agreed to a draw. However, I think I was better at that point and may have won if we played it out.

This game is the first correspondence chess game that I have played against a master on a chess server, but I have many in progress now and will be posting them to this site eventually.

[Event "11EN1"]
[Site "Electronic Knights"]
[Date "2011.05.06"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Calvin, Jamie"]
[Black "Serovey, Michael"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]

1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. Be3 Nf6 5. Qd2 O-O 6. O-O-O c6 7. Bh6 b5 8. Bxg7
Kxg7 9. Bd3 b4 10. Nce2 a5 11. Nf3 Ba6 12. h4 Bxd3 13. Qxd3 h5 14. Ng3 Nbd7 15.
e5 Ng4 16. Nxh5+ gxh5 17. Ng5 Rh8 18. e6 Ndf6 19. Qg3 Qb8 20. f3 Nh6 21. Nxf7+
Kh7 22. Nxh8 Qxh8 23. Qe1 Rg8 24. Rg1 Qg7 25. Qe2 Qg3 26. Qa6 Qf4+ 27. Kb1 Nf5
28. Qxc6 Ne3 29. Rd2 Nfd5 30. Rc1 Qf5 {Draw agreed} 1/2-1/2

USCF Email Correspondence Game
Dates played: March to May 2011
White: Jamie Calvin (2202) Black: Mike Serovey (1893)

It seems that 5... Ng4 is the typical move here, but I didn't consider it for some reason. Also possible is 5... c6 6. Bh6 Bxh6 7. Qxh6 Qa5 8. Bd3 c5 9. Nge2 Nc6!? 10 d5 Ne5 11. Bb5+ and Wells gives 11... Kd8!

O-O 6. O-O-O c6 7. Bh6 b5

The players have castled on opposite wings, so the plan of attack for each player is rather obvious. Because Black can do nothing about the exchange on g7 he continues with his queenside attack.

8. Bxg7 Kxg7 9. Bd3 b4

Although Black has a dark-squared weakness around his King his attack is moving faster than White's. The game Latorre Abad, F - Gracia Campo, C (2009) continued with 9... Nbd7 10. h4 h5 11. Nf3 Nb2 and eventually ended in a draw.

10. Nce2 a5 11. Nf3 Ba6

Black needs to get the rest of his pieces off the starting line! White has more space in the Center while Black has more space on the Queenside. Considering that neither King is in the Center now the extra space there does not seem to matter now. Capturing on a6 helps Black's development so White starts her kingside attack now.

12. h4 Bxd3 13. Qxd3 h5 14. Ng3 Nbd7

Black has all of his pieces developed now but his King is looking a little weak!

15. e5 Ng4 16. Nxh5+ gxh5 17. Ng5 Rh8

The Black King is looking a little exposed now but Black has a few threats of his own.

18. e6 Ndf6 19. Qg3 Qb8

Moving the Black Queen to b8 serves two purposes, to support Black's attack on the Queenside and to possibly trade off queens, relieving the pressure on the Black King.

20. f3 Nh6 21. Nxf7+ Kh7

White wins the exchange here by capturing on h8 but has a better move. I think that Black is better after this capture. Instead, White could have played 22. Ng5+ Kg7 23. Ne4+ Kh7 24. Nxf6+ exf6 25. d5 Rc8 26. Qf4 Qc7 27. dxc6 Qxc6 28. Rd2 Qc4 29. Qxf6 Qxa2 30. Qe7+ and White can get a draw by perpetual check.

22. Nxh8 Qxh8 23. Qe1 Rg8 24. Rg1 Qg7 25. Qe2 Qg3

Although all of the action is now taking place on the Kingside I believe that both kings are safe now. White now decided to go after Black's unguarded pawns on the Queenside. A good player can suddenly shift attacks whenever things don't work out in one area of the board!

26. Qa6 Qf4+ 27. Kb1 Nf5

I expected White to grab the pawns on the a and b files. Jamie has some health problems that may have affected her play in this game.

28. Qxc6 Ne3 29. Rd2 Nfd5 30. Rc1 Qf5 1/2-1/2

Black is guarding most of his pawns while keeping pressure on g2, e6 and c2. Play could have continued with 31. Qa6 Nxg2 32.Qe2 Nge3 33. Qd3 Rg3 34. a3 Rxf3 35. Qxf5+ Nxf5 36. axb4 axb4 37. Rg1 Nf4 38. c3 bxc3 39. bxc3 Nxe6 40. Re2 Nf4 41. Re4... which still looks like a draw to me.

If instead of 31. Qa6 White played 31. Rf2 play could continue with 31... Nxg2 32. Qa6 Ngf4 33. Rd2 Rg6 34. Re1 Qxe6 35. Rdd1 Qf5 36. Re4 Rg2 37. Rde1 Kh6 38. Rc1 Ne6 39. Qa7 Rd2, which is unclear to me.

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