Odds And Ends
These are games with offbeat openings.
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Mike Splane |
Robert Sferra (2197) |
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Comments: |
Bob’s idea of placing 7 pawns on the third rank gave him a cramped but solid position. I ran short of time trying to figure out how to win Sacrificing a piece to break down the defense is a normal technique used against positions where the pawns are blocked and one side has a big space advantage. Once I saw the correct idea the game ran smoothly. |
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1 |
e4 |
b6 |
2 |
d4 |
Bb7 |
3 |
Nc3 |
d6 |
4 |
Nf3 |
g6 |
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|
5 |
Bb5+ |
c6 |
6 |
Bc4 |
e6 |
7 |
d5 |
cd |
8 |
ed |
e5 |
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|
9 |
Ne4 |
a6 |
10 |
Bg5 |
f6 |
11 |
Bd2 |
Nd7 |
12 |
0-0 |
Qc7 |
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|
13 |
Qe2 |
Be7 |
14 |
Bb3 |
Kf8 |
15 |
Nh4 |
Nc5 |
16 |
Nc5 |
bc |
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|
17 |
f4 |
Kg7 |
18 |
c4 |
Rf8 |
19 |
Bc2 |
Bc8 |
20 |
fe |
de |
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|
21 |
Bc3 |
Nh6 |
22 |
h3 |
Nf7 |
23 |
Rae1 |
Bd7 |
24 |
Qd3 |
Rfg8 |
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|
25 |
Rf2 |
Kf8 |
26 |
Qf1 |
Ke8 |
27 |
Rf6 |
Bf6 |
28 |
Qf6 |
Qd6 |
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|
29 |
Be5 |
Qf6 |
30 |
Bf6+ |
Kf8 |
31 |
Be7+ |
Kg7 |
32 |
Bc5 |
Re8 |
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|
33 |
Bd4+ |
Kg8 |
34 |
Re8+ |
Be8 |
35 |
Bh8 |
Kh8 |
36 |
c5 |
Kg7 |
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|
37 |
b4 |
Bb5 |
38 |
a4 |
Bc4 |
39 |
d5 |
Be6 |
40 |
b5 |
ab |
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|
41 |
ab |
g5 |
42 |
Nf3 |
h6 |
43 |
b6 |
Nd8 |
44 |
Be4 |
Bd7 |
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|
45 |
b7 |
Nb7 |
46 |
Bb7 |
Kf6 |
47 |
c6 |
Bc6 |
48 |
Bc6 |
Ke6 |
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|
49 |
d7 |
Ke7 |
50 |
Ne5 |
Kd8 |
51 |
Nf7+ |
Kc7 |
52 |
d8/Q+ |
1-0 |
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Analysis: a) I rarely face Owens Defense, my only other games being against Kermit Norris. I typically played a gambit line with 1. e4 b6 2. d4 Bb7 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bd3 e6 5. Nf3 Bb4 6. e5 Nd5 7. 0-0. Black wins a pawn on c3 but White has compensation in his extra space and better piece mobility. b) I was planning a sac on g6, so I left my knight on h4. After Black prevents this with 24. … Rfg8 I considered relocating my knight to e4 via f3 and d2. Nd6 seems a good reply to this plan so I didn’t carry it out. I failed to see he can’t ever play Nd6 due to the rook capture on e5. c) 25. Rf2 was a waiting move. I didn’t see the sac on f6 until he moved his king. d) I was short of time, so he didn’t resign. |
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|
Mark Gagnon |
Mike Splane |
1993 |
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Comments: |
This game was probably the most fun of all the games I’ve played…yet I lost! I thought I’d try slugging it out with Mark, a born tactician with a flair for the offbeat. I still show this one to strangers. |
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|
1 |
g4 |
e5 |
2 |
h3 |
Bc5 |
3 |
c4 |
b5 |
4 |
b4 |
Bf2+ |
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|
5 |
Kf2 |
Qh4+ |
6 |
Ke3 |
Qg3+ |
7 |
Nf3 |
Qf4+ |
8 |
Kf2 |
e4 |
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|
9 |
d3 |
Qf6 |
10 |
Bg5 |
Qa1 |
11 |
Qc2 |
fe |
12 |
Nc3 |
Bb7 |
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|
13 |
Bg2 |
Qc3 |
14 |
Qc3 |
fg |
15 |
Qe5+ |
Kf8 |
16 |
Rc1 |
d6 |
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|
17 |
Qb5 |
Bc6 |
18 |
Qa5 |
f6 |
19 |
Bf4 |
g5 |
20 |
Bg3 |
h5 |
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|
21 |
Qc7 |
hg |
22 |
Bd6+ |
Ke8 |
23 |
Qg7 |
Rh3 |
24 |
Qg8+ |
Kd7 |
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|
25 |
Bb8 |
g3+ |
26 |
Ke3 |
Rb8 |
27 |
Qb8 |
Rh1 |
28 |
b5 |
Rc1 |
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|
29 |
|
Ke7 |
30 |
Qc7+ |
Ke8 |
31 |
Qd7+ |
Kf8 |
32 |
Qd6+ |
Kf7 |
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|
33 |
Qg3 |
g1/Q+ |
34 |
Qg1 |
Rg1 |
35 |
c7 |
0-1 |
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Analysis: a) 5. … Qf6+ wins a critical tempo over the game. b) 11. … fe+ is a fatal mistake, losing the queen. The winning move was 11. … a5 ! opening the a file when the queen can escape to a2 or c3, depending on White’s reply. c) After 16 Rc1 White’s queen can not be prevented from getting to c7 and winning. d) after 21. Qc7 The only chance for counterplay is to try and queen the g2 pawn, so Black gives up his knights. e) 26. … Rb8 was the only way to meet the threat of Qf7+, Qc7+. etc. f) 28. Qa7+ and 29. Kd2 also win, but Mark wanted to finish artistically. g) after 29 bc+ White wins if he can get his queen to g2, or to g3 when the Black king is outside the queening square of the c-pawn. Black can’t stop both of these ideas simultaneously. h) I played it out to here so Mark could have the artistic satisfaction of winning while a whole rook down. He played a great game! |
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|
Bob Pearson 1957 |
Mike Splane |
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Comments: |
I have no idea what to call this opening. I frequently adopt this flexible piece setup for Black when faced with a novel opening. I’m a firm believer in giving White enough rope to hang himself. |
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|
1 |
Nf3 |
c5 |
2 |
b3 |
Nc6 |
3 |
Bb2 |
Nf6 |
4 |
e3 |
d6 |
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|
5 |
d4 |
cd |
6 |
Nd4 |
Bd7 |
7 |
Be2 |
g6 |
8 |
0-0 |
Bg7 |
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|
9 |
f4 |
0-0 |
10 |
g4 |
Nd5 |
11 |
Qd2 |
Qb6 |
12 |
c3 |
e5 |
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|
13 |
f5 |
ed |
14 |
ed |
Rae8 |
15 |
Rf3 |
Nf6 |
16 |
g5 |
Ne4 |
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|
17 |
Qc2 |
Ng5 |
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Analysis: a) after move 12, Black has 9 possible captures, an exceptionally large number for any position, while White has only 2. Normally the two sides combined will have in the range of 5-8 possible captures. 12.c3 loses; it’s passive when the position calls for active piece play. |
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|
Gerhard Ringel (1928) |
Mike Splane |
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Comments: |
I think this is my only tournament game versus 1. f4. I was having trouble as Black against this opening in speed games; my plan of breaking with e6-e5 was too slow and White often played d4 followed by his own central pawn break. To speed up my play in the center I tried Bg4 to remove a defender of e5 and to rid myself of a bad bishop. When White allows g7-g5 the game is quickly decided. |
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|
1 |
f4 |
d5 |
2 |
Nf3 |
Nf6 |
3 |
e3 |
Bg4 |
4 |
Be2 |
e6 |
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|
5 |
5 b3 |
Bd6 |
6 |
Bb2 |
c6 |
7 |
Ne5 |
Be2 |
8 |
Qe2 |
Nbd7 |
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|
9 |
0-0 |
Qc7 |
10 |
Ng4 |
0‑0‑0 |
11 |
d4 |
g5 |
12 |
Ne5 |
Rdf8 |
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|
13 |
fg |
Ne4 |
14 |
Qh5 |
Ne5 |
15 |
de |
Be5 |
16 |
Be5 |
Qe5 |
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|
17 |
Na3 |
h6 |
18 |
Qf3 |
hg |
19 |
g3 |
Qb2 |
20 |
Nc4 |
Qc2 |
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|
21 |
Rfc1 |
Qh2+ |
22 |
Kf1 |
g4 |
23 |
Qg2 |
Ng3+ |
24 |
Kf2 |
Ne4+ |
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|
25 |
Kf1 |
Qg2+ |
26 |
Kg2 |
dc |
27 |
Rc4 |
f5 |
28 |
Rd1 |
Rh3 |
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|
29 |
Re1 |
Rfh8 |
30 |
b4 |
Rh2+ |
31 |
Kf1 |
Rh1+ |
32 |
Ke2 |
R8h2+ |
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|
33 |
Kd1 |
Rd2+ |
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Analysis: a) 14. Nf7? Bh3+ 15. Kh1 Ng3+ 17. … Qb2 wins a piece, but I thought it was more effective to open files against his king. We both missed 19. Qf5+ |
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