Fighting back in difficult or potentially losing positions is a difficult thing to do, but being mentally resilient is something that you have to cultivate in order to be a tough opponent. It’ll win some games that you should have lost and allow you to draw still more. So with that in mind, I play on in positions like the one I got in this game. I almost pulled it off too…
[Event "Rated Classical game"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/gxtt9Ppx"]
[Date "2019.11.11"]
[Round "-"]
[White "Bravo2020"]
[Black "show_me_patzer"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2139"]
[BlackElo "2171"]
[TimeControl "1500+10"]
[Termination "Normal"]
[UTCDate "2019.11.11"]
[UTCTime "03:45:59"]
[Variant "Standard"]
[ECO "B04"]
[Opening "Alekhine Defense: Modern Variation, Larsen Variation"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/show_me_patzer"]
1. e4 { [%clk 0:25:00] } Nf6 { [%clk 0:25:00] } 2. e5 { [%clk 0:25:03] } Nd5 { [%clk 0:25:08] } 3. d4 { [%clk 0:24:59] } d6 { [%clk 0:25:14] } (3... Nb6 { I’ve been favoring this early knight retreat quite a bit lately, but in this game decided to play a main line Alekhine and see what happened. }) 4. Nf3 { [%clk 0:25:00] } dxe5 { [%clk 0:25:19] } 5. Nxe5 { [%clk 0:25:04] } c6 { [%clk 0:25:08] } (5... Nd7 { Would be a good move if White had to either exchange the knight with 6.Nxd7 or retreat it with 6.Nf3, but… } 6. Nxf7 { White is able to sacrifice a piece and drag the Black king out into the open. This is dangerous for Black, if White knows how to play it, and so it has fallen out of use. } 6... Kxf7 7. Qh5+ Ke6 8. c4 N5f6 9. d5+ Kd6) 6. Be2 { [%clk 0:25:00] } Nd7 { [%clk 0:24:20] } (6... Bf5 { This move makes the most sense as Black doesn’t waste time developing the light squared bishop outside the pawn chain. It’s been a while since I’ve played this line (favoring instead the early knight retreat with 3…Nb6) and 7.g4 looked a bit scary to me so I chose the putting the knight on d7 first. This decision cost too much time and White was able to effectively use the initiative to put a lot of pressure on me. } 7. g4 Be6 8. c4 Nb6 9. b3 f6 10. Nd3 Qxd4 11. Bb2 Qd7 $15 { Black is fine. }) 7. Nf3 { [%clk 0:24:06] } N7f6 { [%clk 0:24:01] } (7... g6 { Fianchettoing the bishop and castling may be been a more effective plan of development. For example after } 8. c4 Nc7 9. Nc3 Bg7 10. O-O O-O { Black still has a problem getting the light squared bishop into the game, but at least the king is castled and there are some ideas of breaking in the center with c5 or f6/e5. }) 8. O-O { The computer recommends 8…e6 here which is a sign that things are not going well as that would wall in the light squared bishop. } { [%clk 0:24:00] } 8... h6 { Meh. Seemed like an okay idea at the time. I want to put my bishop on the b1-h7 diagonal and be able to tuck it away on h7 if it gets threatened by the knight. In reality, I’m wasting time. } { [%clk 0:23:08] } (8... Bg4 9. h3 Bh5 10. c4 Nb6 { Leaves White with an advantage due to freer development and more space/control in the center. }) 9. c4 { [%clk 0:22:35] } Nb4 { [%clk 0:23:02] } (9... Nc7 { Seemed too passive even though it is a common idea in this line. } 10. Nc3 Bf5 11. Qb3 Rb8 12. d5 { If White can get this d5 break in, then things are going very badly for Black as the king is still in the center and could come under a lot of pressure. }) 10. a3 { [%clk 0:21:43] } Na6 { [%clk 0:23:02] } 11. Nc3 { [%clk 0:20:43] } Bf5 { [%clk 0:22:55] } 12. Qb3 { [%clk 0:19:39] } (12. d5 { Even stronger that what was played. This break is problematic for Black as it threatens to open up the game at a time when Black’s king is still vulnerable. Also a knight landing on d4 would be a monster. } 12... cxd5 13. cxd5 g5 14. Bb5+ Bd7 15. Bxd7+ Nxd7 16. Be3 $16) 12... Qc8 { [%clk 0:22:31] } 13. Bf4 { [%clk 0:19:11] } e6 { [%clk 0:22:20] } 14. Rfd1 { [%clk 0:14:42] } Be7 { [%clk 0:22:01] } 15. Qa2 { [%clk 0:14:26] } O-O { [%clk 0:22:01] } 16. b4 { [%clk 0:14:34] } Nc7 { [%clk 0:21:41] } 17. Rac1 { [%clk 0:13:49] } a5 { [%clk 0:20:00] } 18. Qb3 { [%clk 0:13:31] } axb4 { [%clk 0:19:21] } 19. axb4 { Despite being cramped, Black isn’t doing terrible here. The position does require some accurate play and I wasn’t up to the task. } { [%clk 0:13:38] } 19... b6 { [%clk 0:19:08] } (19... Qd8 20. Ne5 Ne4 21. Nxe4 Bxe4 22. Rc3 { Threatening to swing the rook over and begin an attack on the kingside. Black needs to be careful. }) 20. d5 { [%clk 0:13:26] } cxd5 { I mistake. I simply didn’t calculate that it mattered which pawn to take with. } { [%clk 0:18:47] } (20... exd5 { Would have been okay for Black. } 21. cxd5 (21. Nd4 Bd7 $10 { Black seems okay from what I can tell. }) 21... Ncxd5 22. Nxd5 Nxd5 23. Bd2 $10 { Black does have an extra pawn, but I think he will have to give it back at some point. } (23. Rxd5 { Black can’t win a piece due to the pin on the c pawn due to } 23... Be6)) 21. cxd5 { It was now that I began to realize what kind of trouble I was in. The queen finds herself in an awkward spot with the rook staring down the c file and combining forces with the dark squared bishop. The question now isn’t “How did I end up in this awful position?”, but “How can I pose as much of a headache for my opponent as possible?” I want to complicate things to the point that it might be possible to swindle my way back into the game. After some thought, I found something I liked. } { [%clk 0:13:36] } 21... exd5 { [%clk 0:17:19] } (21... Nfxd5 22. Nxd5 Nxd5 23. Rxc8 Rfxc8 24. Rxd5 exd5 { Would have been similar to what I was thinking, but the computer isn’t very impressed with Black’s chances. }) 22. Nb5 { [%clk 0:12:44] } (22. Nd4 Bd7 23. Ncb5 $18 { Would maintain White’s advantage. }) 22... Nxb5 { [%clk 0:15:52] } 23. Rxc8 { [%clk 0:12:44] } Rfxc8 { [%clk 0:16:02] } 24. Bxb5 { [%clk 0:12:50] } Bc2 { [%clk 0:16:03] } 25. Qe3 { [%clk 0:12:24] } Bxd1 { [%clk 0:16:04] } 26. Qxe7 { [%clk 0:12:32] } Ra1 { I was starting to feel hopeful that this could work out. Black is posing some problems and White needs to be careful, but objectively White is winning. } { [%clk 0:14:39] } 27. Qe5 { [%clk 0:10:19] } Rb1 { [%clk 0:12:05] } 28. Bd3 { [%clk 0:10:03] } Bc2+ { After an inaccurate move by White, Black is } { [%clk 0:12:03] } 29. Bf1 { [%clk 0:10:02] } Bd3 { [%clk 0:11:23] } 30. Nd2 { [%clk 0:10:06] } Rcc1 { [%clk 0:10:56] } (30... Rd1 { This is the move I needed to play! Unfortunately, I only gave it a moments thought and moved on to doubling the rooks on White’s back rank. } 31. Qe3 (31. h3 { If White tries to make room for the king to bail out then Black is okay. } 31... Re8 32. Qc7 Bxf1 33. Nxf1 Ree1 34. Kh2 Rxf1 35. Qc8+ Kh7 { Here the computer seems to think Black has enough threats that White has nothing better than a perpetual. } 36. Qf5+ Kg8 37. Qc8+) 31... Bxf1 32. Nxf1 Re8 33. Qxb6 Ree1 34. Qa6 Ne4 35. g3 Rxf1+ 36. Qxf1 Rxf1+ 37. Kxf1 { Would reach an ending where Black has definite chances to hold a draw though it isn’t simple and I’d have to play carefully. }) 31. h3 { [%clk 0:10:05] } Ra1 { [%clk 0:09:26] } (31... Rxf1+ 32. Nxf1 Rxf1+ 33. Kh2 Rxf2) 32. Kh2 { [%clk 0:09:55] } Bxf1 { [%clk 0:09:18] } 33. Nb3 { [%clk 0:09:06] } Re1 { [%clk 0:09:25] } 34. Qb8+ { [%clk 0:08:28] } Kh7 { [%clk 0:09:27] } (34... Re8 { I missed this move entirely! It seems that Black is doing okay here. }) 35. Nxa1 { [%clk 0:08:26] } Rxa1 { [%clk 0:09:34] } 36. Qxb6 { [%clk 0:08:25] } Ra6 { [%clk 0:08:21] } 37. Qc5 { [%clk 0:08:01] } Bc4 { [%clk 0:07:39] } 38. Be3 { [%clk 0:07:59] } Ne4 { [%clk 0:06:59] } 39. Qe7 { [%clk 0:07:49] } Rf6 { [%clk 0:06:26] } 40. f3 { [%clk 0:07:49] } Ng5 { [%clk 0:05:25] } (40... Nd6 41. Bc5 Nb5 { Would have been a better continuation, but I thought I saw something bad for me after 40…Nd6. So I decided to see if White would trade off the bishop for knight which would leave me with rook and bishop vs queen. }) 41. Bxg5 { [%clk 0:07:41] } hxg5 { [%clk 0:05:33] } 42. Qc5 { [%clk 0:07:44] } Ra6 { Stopping White from pushing the b pawn. Or so I thought. } { [%clk 0:05:28] } 43. Qe7 { [%clk 0:07:33] } (43. b5 Ra5 44. Qc7 Rxb5 45. Qxf7 Rb6 46. Qh5+ { White wins the g pawn now and drawing this seems a bit harder now. }) 43... f6 { [%clk 0:05:16] } 44. Kg3 { [%clk 0:07:27] } Ra2 { [%clk 0:05:20] } 45. Qe1 { [%clk 0:06:58] } Rb2 { [%clk 0:05:12] } 46. Qc3 { [%clk 0:06:32] } Ra2 { [%clk 0:05:02] } (46... Rb3 47. Qe1 Kg6 48. h4 gxh4+ 49. Kxh4 Kf7 { May have been a better try. }) 47. Qc1 { [%clk 0:06:33] } Bd3 { [%clk 0:04:14] } 48. b5 { [%clk 0:06:13] } Rc2 { Overlooking that the pawn runs if the bishop leaves the diagonal. } { [%clk 0:04:11] } 49. Qxc2 { 1-0 Black resigns. } { After 49…Bxc2 50.b6 and there is no stopping the pawn from queening. } { [%clk 0:06:07] } 1-0
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