Welcome to my English Opening (ECO A22) game with John3v16 page!

On this page I have posted one my chess games in which I played the Black side of the English Opening . The game includes analysis and diagrams. This is one of the few times that I have played the Black side of Carls' Bremen system and I lost this time. At the time this game started my opponent had a correspondence rating of 1777. At the end of the game he was rated 1829. His Standard rating at ICC is over 1900. My rating dropped to 1549 as a result of this game. I don't know my opponent's real name or where he is from, but there is enough information at ICC when I finger John3v16 to lead me to believe this guy is a Jesus freak! With this loss I am now 0-3 in this section.

[Event "ICC correspondence 2007Seven.02.11"]
[Site "Internet Chess Club"]
[Date "2007.08.25"]
[Round "-"]
[White "John3v16"]
[Black "OnGoldenPawn"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ICCResult "Black resigns"]
[Opening "English: Carls' Bremen system"]
[ECO "A22"]
[NIC "EO.10"]
[Time "18:02:53"]

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. g3 Be7 4. Bg2 O-O 5. Nf3 d6 6. d4 Nbd7 7. b4 c6 8.
O-O exd4 9. Qxd4 Qb6 10. b5 c5 11. Qd1 Qc7 12. Bb2 Rb8 13. Qc2 b6 14. Rfd1
Bb7 15. Ng5 Bxg2 16. Kxg2 h6 17. Nge4 Rbd8 18. f4 Rfe8 19. h3 Bf8 20. Nd5
Nxd5 21. Rxd5 Re6 22. f5 Ree8 23. g4 f6 24. Bc1 Ne5 25. Bf4 Be7 26. Rad1 Kf7
27. Kg3 Rg8 28. h4 Rh8 29. g5 hxg5 30. hxg5 fxg5 31. Nxg5+ Bxg5 32. Bxg5 Rd7
33. Qe4 Re8 34. Qh4 Kg8 35. Rh1 Nf7 36. Qh7+ Kf8 37. f6 Nxg5 38. Rxg5 d5+
39. Kf3 dxc4 40. fxg7+ Rxg7 41. Qh8+ {Black resigns} 1-0

Online Chess Game
ICC
Game Played 25 August 2007 to 18 October 2007
White: John3v16 (1829) Black: Mike Serovey (1549)

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. g3 Be7

English opening after 3... Be7.

Considering the problems that I had in this game I will never play this against the English again! I ended up with a backward d pawn and was tied down to defending it instead of counter attacking.

4. Bg2 O-O 5. Nf3 d6 6. d4 Nbd7

English opening after 6... Nbd7.

I was trying to follow a Grandmaster game I had in my database. I can't remember where White deviated from that game, but it caused me trouble when he did. I like White's position here better because his Center is stronger and his knights are more actively placed. Also, both of Black's bishops are blocked in by his own pieces. Now White starts his queenside attack.

7. b4 c6 8. O-O exd4 9. Qxd4 Qb6

English opening after 9... Qb6.

After 10. Qxb6 Nxb6 Black's light-squared Bishop is freed up. Seeing that his b pawn is hanging White advances it to b5. After 10. b5 cxb5 11. Nxb5 Black's pawn at d6 becomes vulnerable.

10. b5 c5 11. Qd1 Qc7 12. Bb2 Rb8 13. Qc2 b6 14. Rfd1 Bb7

English opening after 14... Bb7.

Black has finally developed his light-squared Bishop and is now opposing White's fianchettoed Bishop on g2. White is still better because his dark-squared Bishop is better placed, his knights are better placed, and he has a Rook attacking Black's backward d pawn.

15. Ng5 Bxg2 16. Kxg2 h6 17. Nge4 Rbd8

English opening after 17... Rbd8.

Both 17... Ne5 attacking the pawn on c4 and 17... Qb7 pinning the Knight on e4 are worth considering here. White's next move may have been played in order to prevent Ne5.

18. f4 Rfe8 19. h3 Bf8 20. Nd5 Nxd5 21. Rxd5 Re6 22. f5 Ree8 23. g4 f6

English opening after 23... f6.

It looks like Black has adequately defended both his Kingside and his backward d pawn. However, in a few moves White will shift his attack from the Center to the Kingside. This turns out to be more than Black can handle.

24. Bc1 Ne5 25. Bf4 Be7 26. Rad1 Kf7

English opening after 26... Kf7.

I considered doubling my rooks on the d file but didn't like what happened after 27. Bxe5 dxe5 28. Rxd7 and if instead of 27... dxe5 I play 27... fxe5 I still have a backward d pawn and I have to look out for White pushing his pawns to g5 and f6. At this point I was hoping for 27. Bxe5 dxe5 28. Rxd8 Rxd8 29. Rxd8 Qxd8 and Black is OK even though his Bishop is blocked in by all of his pawns on dark squares.

27. Kg3 Rg8 28. h4 Rh8?

English opening after 28... Rh8?

At this point in the game I realized that I can't move anything except my King and King's Rook. It was about here that I offered a draw and my opponent declined. Instead of 28... Rh8 I could have tried 28... g5. If then 29. hxg5 hxg5 30. Bxe5 dxe5 31. Rxd8 Rxd8 32. Rxd8 Qxd8 and Black is OK even though his Bishop is blocked in by his pawns on dark squares.

29. g5 hxg5 30. hxg5 fxg5

English opening after 30... fxg5.

I couldn't find a better move than the pawn capture on g5 here. If White played 31. Bxg5 I planned on playing 31... Rh5 and let White capture on e7. After 31. Nxg5+ I had to capture the Knight with my Bishop. Otherwise it would end up at e6 forking my Queen and Rook.

31. Nxg5+ Bxg5 32. Bxg5 Rd7 33. Qe4 Re8 34. Qh4 Kg8

English opening after 34... Kg8.

Black now has 2 problems to deal with simultaneously. He has to defend his naked King and the backward d pawn. White's Bishop is taking some key squares away from Black's Queen and rooks.

35. Rh1 Nf7 36. Qh7+ Kf8 37. f6!

English opening after 37. f6!

I think that Black is lost no matter what he plays here. By capturing the Bishop with the Knight I took away my defender of h8. If instead of 37... Nxg5 I had played 37... gxf6 then White can reply with 38. Bxf6. Black can then try 38... Rxe2 to which White can reply 39. Qg7+ Ke8 40. Qg8#. Or, Black can try 37... Re5 to which White can play 38. fxg7+ Ke8 39. Qg8#. Capturing the Bishop seemed to be my best try here.

Nxg5 38. Rxg5 d5+ 39. Kf3 dxc4

English opening after 39... dxc4.

Black has now turned his backward d pawn into doubled passed c pawns. However, it is too little too late. They will never get to queen because Black cannot avoid the coming loss of a Rook.

40. fxg7+ Rxg7 41. Qh8+!! 1-0

English opening after 41. Qh8+ !! (Final position).

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