Chess Pundit

The Czech word for "chess" is "šachy" (pronounced more like sha-key). Last night, I played a guy from the former Czechoslovakia, rated 1760. It was our 4th game, and our record before the game was an even 1-1-1. I won with a nice early knight sac and a subsequent pawn sacrifice.

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 b6 5. Nf3 Bb7 6. Bb5+ c6 6...Nd7 leads to disaster after Ne5. 7. Bd3 Be7 8. c3 Nf6 (8...Nd7 is needed first) 9. Neg5 h6




I really didn't want to trade or play the passive 9. Ng3. I also seriously considered just continuing to develop. I figured h6 would be played so I have to make sure that the knight sac if feasible before playing Neg5. Otherwise there is no point of playing back to e4 or to h3.

10. Nxf7 Kxf7 11. Ne5+ Kg8 12. Ng6 Nbd7 Yes, I looked at 12. Bg6 and 12. Qb3. 13. Qe2 Nf8 14. Nxh8 Kxh8 I convert the sac back into material, but now his knight is trapped on f8 and he has a weak pawn on e6. 15. Bf4 Nd5 16. Be5 Bf6 17. O-O Qd7 18. f4 Qf7 19. Rae1 Bh4 I have brought he last piece into play. An odd move and he later said he did it just to prevent a rook lift to h3. 20. g3 Bf6 21. Bd6 Be7 22. Bxe7 Nxe7 23. f5



The sacrifice is tricky but necessary. Right now, I have all of my pieces in play and we are materially even. However, I cannot allow him time to open up his light bishop or bring his rook into play. 23...Nxf5 24. g4 Qg6 It's interesting when there are several pins working against each other 25. Qg2 Nh4 26. Qg3 Qg5 27. Re5 Qe7 28. Rh5 Nhg6 29. g5 and black is lost.



If 29...Kh7 30. gxh7 gxh7 31. Rxf8! Qg7 32. Rxa8 and black is fubar.

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 b6 5. Nf3 Bb7 6. Bb5+ c6 7. Bd3 Be7 8. c3 Nf6 9. Neg5 h6 10. Nxf7 Kxf7 11. Ne5+ Kg8 12. Ng6 Nbd7 13. Qe2 Nf8 14. Nxh8 Kxh8 15. Bf4 Nd5 16. Be5 Bf6 17. O-O Qd7 18. f4 Qf7 19. Rae1 Bh4 20. g3 Bf6 21. Bd6 Be7 22. Bxe7 Nxe7 23. f5 Nxf5 24. g4 Qg6 25. Qg2 Nh4 26. Qg3 Qg5 27. Re5 Qe7 28. Rh5 Nhg6 29. g5