Aaaaaaaand we're off!

Hi all

The Armstrong Team had it's first match of the season on Thursday against Celbridge. We managed to win 4.5-3.5 which is a great start. Here's the scorecard:

Well done everyone, let's keep it up!

Also, Viktor has kindly annotated his game for everyone to see. Here it is below (I've added in a few diagrams, but the rest is Viktor's analysis).

Korennoi,Viktor (2251) - Dempsey,Paul (2198) [D15]
Leinster League Dublin, Ireland (1.1), 07.10.2011
[Ęîðåííîé,Âčęōîð]

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 c6 3.c4 Nf6 4.Nc3 a6 5.Bg5 dxc4 [5...Ne4  is the most popular move here] 6.a4 Nd5 7.e4 Nxc3 8.bxc3 b5 9.Qd2

9.Qd2

now the bishop on g5 hinders black to play e6 and develop it's bishop. If queen goes to c7, I play Bf4, and black queen has no cosy squares to hide 9...Bb7 10.Be2 I want to play Be2-d1-c2 and attack black king in case of short castle [Computer recommends 10.Qb2 Qc7 11.g3 preventing c6-c5] 10...Nd7 11.0-0 h6 12.Bh4 g6 [If black plays 12...Nf6 I can go either calm Qe3 or sharp 13.Ne5 Nxe4 14.Qf4 (14.Qc2 Nf6 15.Bf3ē) 14...Nd6 (14...Nf6 15.Bh5 g6 16.Rae1+- (16.Nxg6?? Nxh5-+) 16...Bg7 17.Bxf6 Bxf6 18.Nxg6 fxg6 19.Qxf6+-; 15.Bh5 g6 16.axb5 cxb5 (16...gxh5 17.bxc6 Bc8 18.Qf3Đ) 17.Bf3ē] 13.e5 The idea is to play e5-e6 and the black pawn on g6 is too weak. I'm not afraid of the knight on d5, because it can't protect the black king from there. 13...g5 14.Bg3?! [I should have immediately played 14.e6!

14.e6!

 fxe6 15.Qc2 Bg7 16.Bxg5ą E.g.  16...hxg5 17.Qg6+ Kf8 18.Nxg5 Qe8 19.Nxe6+ Kg8 20.Qxg7#]

20.Qxg7#

14...e6 15.Qc2 Now the idea is to play Nf3-d2-e4, Bh5 and f2-f4 and use the weakened white squares of black's position. Maybe, it was better to play Qb2, preventing c6-c5. If I tried to restrict black's knight by moving a4-a5, black could play c6-c5, Qc7 and long castle, making it's king safe. Then he plays Nd7-b8-c6, attacking all my pawns (on a5, d4 and e5). And I obviously have no attacking opportunities on Queen's side ever. 15...Nb6 [15...c5!] 16.Nd2 h5?  Black has no attacking opportunities on the king's side. Eventually, this move only weakens black pawns [16...Nxa4?! 17.Rxa4 bxa4 18.Qxa4ē; 

16...c5!=] 17.h3 [17.f4  is rash 17...h4 18.Be1 gxf4 (18...Nd5 19.fxg5 Ne3 20.Qb2 Nxf1 21.Bxf1 Qxg5 22.Nxc4ģ) 19.Ne4 Nd5ģ; 
Computer doesn't find white's advanrage after  17.Ne4 h4 (17...Be7 18.Nd6+ Bxd6 19.exd6ą) 18.Nf6+ Ke7 19.Qc1 b4 20.Qxg5 hxg3 21.fxg3 Bh6 22.Nd5+ Ke8 23.Qxd8+ Rxd8 24.Nxb6 Be3+ 25.Kh1 bxc3 26.Nxc4 Bxd4 27.Nd6+ Rxd6 28.exd6 f5=] 17...c5 18.axb5 axb5 19.Qb2 Bc6 [After  19...Rxa1 20.Rxa1 (20.Qxb5+ Qd7 21.Qxd7+ Kxd7 22.Rxa1 cxd4 23.cxd4 c3ģ) 20...Bc6 21.Bf3 Qd7 22.Ra6  white still makes some pressure] 20.Bf3 Nd5 [20...Bxf3 21.Qxb5+ Qd7 22.Qxb6ą] 21.Ne4  My opponent admitted, he didn't see the idea behind this move. Even if he did, black is already in trouble now.  

21.Ne4

 21...cxd4 [21...Qb6 22.Rxa8+ Bxa8 23.Qa3 Bb7 24.dxc5  And I can play Nd6+ at any moment, creating a strong pawn tandem; 
21...Rxa1 22.Nf6+ Qxf6 (22...Ke7 23.Rxa1ą; 22...Nxf6 23.Bxc6+ Nd7 24.Rxa1+-) 23.exf6 Ra8 24.Bxd5 exd5 25.Qe2+ Kd7 26.Qe5+-] 22.Nf6+! Ke7 [22...Nxf6? 23.Bxc6+ Nd7 24.Rxa8+-] 23.Bxd5 exd5 24.cxd4  With such a weakened king and no coordination among the pieces black can hardly protect this position. I have two basic ideas: 25. Qd2 Bh6 26. Qb4+ and 25. f2-f4 with the idea 26. Qb4+ Ke6 27. f4-f5 #   24...h4 [24...Qb6 25.Rxa8 Bxa8 26.Qa3+  Winning bishop on a8] 25.f4  Now I can move Bg3-e1-b4, changing black-squared bishop - the last King's defender 

25.f4

25...Qb6 [25...hxg3 26.Qb4+ Ke6 27.f5#] 26.Rxa8 b4 [26...Bxa8 27.Qa3+ b4 (27...Ke6 28.f5#) 28.Qxa8 hxg3 (28...Bh6 29.Nxd5+ Ke6 30.f5+ Kd7 31.Nxb6++-; 28...Qxd4+ 29.Bf2 Qxf4 30.Nxd5++-) 29.Nxd5++-] And the final move is nice  27.Re8+!  Black resigned because of 27...Bxe8 28.Nxd5++- 1-0

27.Re8+! BAM!

Hope you enjoyed that, I know I did :D

See you down at the club,

Stephen