Back to Basics / Reader annotations 12. ... 0-0 13. a5 Bxb5 18. bxc3 Acquiescing to the loss of a minor with
18. Qb3 Rab8 19. Qc2 Be5 is unappetizing but the text costs a rook. The game is over.
18. ... Rfb8
5. ... Nbd7 6. Nc3 a6 7. Ba4 b5 8. Bb3 Nb6 9. a3 Bb7 is equal. The theory questions [?!] 7. Ba4 and sug- gests instead 7. Qa4 Rb8! with equality.
6. Bc4 I had intended to win back the pawn
with ... Nbd7-b6 but White’s original open- ing has done its job. My queen’s bishop blocks my queen’s view of d5, and blocks my maneuver with the queen’s knight.
6. ... Bf5 7. Qb3 Nbd7
14. Qxb5
Black would regain the pawn with good position after either 14. Nxb5 Qxd5 or 14. axb6 Bxe2 15. Nxe2 Qxb6.
14. ... Nbxd5 15. Qxb7
19. Ba3 Qe6 20. Rae1 Rxb7 21. Rxe6 fxe6 22. g3 Rab8 23. c4 Nb4 24. Rc1 Kf7 25. Rc3 e5 26. Kg2 e4 27. f3 Nd3 28. fxe4 Rb3, White resigned.
Traps, anyone?
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White keeps the pawn after all—but his development lags and his queen is off- sides.
8. Ne2
8. Qxb7 was good here. After 8. ... Rc8 9. Na3, White is winning. I would rather say, the game is very
sharp.
8. ... Nb6 9. Bb5+ Bd7 The bishop returns to d7 but this time
my queen’s knight is developed and d5 is under pressure.
10. Nbc3 g6 11. 0-0 Bg7
Not for nothing, b2/b7 pawns are often called “poisoned.”
15. ... Qd6 This sets up a trap for White’s queen. 16. Nxd5 Nxd5
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17. Nc3 White must extricate his queen—17. Qb3.
He’ll then almost certainly lose his extra pawn and stand worse—but not lost.
12. a4
Attack at any cost. 12. d4 or even 12. d3 would have kept up.
17. ... Bxc3 White overlooked this capture, expecting
the d5-knight to move—providing an escape route for his queen.
Make sure your game (or part of it)
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