In an earlier entry I talked about a chess game that I was playing with my co-worker Kevin. He works the night shift and I work the day shift at the bakery, so we play the chess game on a blackboard next to a derelict oven. Every shift or so, we make a new move, writing down the move in algebraic notation and changing the chalk drawing by one square.
The last game started in December and we finally brought it to a close after more than fifty moves in September.
In this entry I would like to give you a blow by blow synopsis of the game.
1. f4 … e6
I’m using Bird’s opening. Kevin may be attempting a novel opening.
2. d4 …
In real life this move looks like this:
2. … d5
3. Nf3 … c5
Kevin attempts to undermine my pawn structure by passing on the outside. He wants me to take his pawn so he can develop his bishop into a sweet position. But I ignore the bait….
4. e3 … a6
The a-pawn is developed to prevent an attack on his king from my bisop.
5. c4 … Nf6
6. Nc3 … Be7
7. Bd3 … 0-0
8. 0-0 … Nc6
Move 8, and there’s been no exchanges but plenty of development. There’s still the weird standoff with the pawn structure, so the board is getting pretty crowded.
9. Pc4xd5 … exd5
10. Ne5 … Nxe5
11. Pf4xN … Ng4
Finally, some bloodshed.
12. h3 … Nh6
I get a free pawn advance and Kevin’s knight backed into a corner.
13. Qc2 … g6
14. e4 … dxe
This is the part where I should have taken the pawn, but instead I went for an odd exchange.
15. BxN … pxd3
16. Qf2 … Qxd4
This is where the last board left off. I’m two pawns down, but I have his Rook dead in my sights.
17. BxR … QxQ+
18. RxQ … BxB
19. Ne4 … Be6
20. b3 … Bh6
At this point our scores are ostensibly even. But Kevin has a pawn in the D column that is passed and two ranks from promotion. Plus he’s got a pair of bishops working for him. Kevin said that about this point he was expecting me to exchange bishops for knights, leaving me with a knight for his bishop during the endgame, which he said was an advantage. Now that I know that, I’ll have to try that next time.
21. Rf3 … c4
22. Nc5 … b5
23. NxB … fxN
24. a4 … Rc8
25. bxc … bxc
Kevin is taking advantage of the earlier trade that left me higher on major pieces, but left him with a superior number of pawns. In essence, he has a pair of linked, passed pawns that are backed up with his two remaining major pieces, the rook and the bishop, which also have a doubled-up control of the pawn’s target square of c1. My two rooks aren’t going to be much good for breaking up his pawn structure.
26. g4 … c3
27. Rxpd3 … c2
28. Rd6 … p=Q+
The pawn promotion forces me to lose a rook. Normally this would be a game-ending loss, but I already have other plans.
29. RxQ … RxR+
30. Kg2 … a5
31. RxP … Kf7
32. Ra6 .. Rc7
33. Rxpa5 … Ke6
Now the shoe is on the other foot. Kevin has to deal with the threat of two passed pawns on my side. Only in this case, my pawns are not close to each other, and he has his king and a bishop more than I do as he hunts down the pawns.
34 Kf3 … Rf7+
35. Ke4 … Rf4+
36 Kd3 … Rf3+
37. Ke4 … Re3+
38. Kd4 … Rxh3
I bring my king forward to bolster the passed pawns, while Kevin chases it around with a combination of rook and bishop doubleteam.
39. Ra6+ … Kd7
40. e6+ … Ke7
41. Kd5 … Rd3+
42. Ke5 … Bg7+
43. Ke4 … Rd4+
44. Ke3 … Rxg4
I push my e-pawn two squares, but at the cost of two pawns and my king forced back to where he can’t support the promotion effort.
45.. Ra7+ .. Kf6
46. d7(e7) … Ke7
And this is where my pawn inexplicably jumps one square to the left. I have no idea how that happened. It probably wouldn’t have affected the game, but it sucks that after months of tension and nail-biting chess play that I would make a mistake in transcription. It probably wouldn’t have changed the outcome, but it’s a tarnish on a long game.
47. d8/r+ .. KxR
48. RxB .. Rxa4
49. Rxh7 .. Rg4
50. Kf3 .. Rg1
51. Kf4 .. Ke8
52. Ke5 … Rf1
53. Rg7 .. Re1 +
54. Kf6 … Rf1+
55. KxP
Draw offered and accepted.
Or in the real world representation:
As much as I would have preferred to beat Kevin in payback for all the losses he’s inflicted on my chess ego, a draw is a reasonably satisfying outcome. It means that there weren’t any dumb mistakes, and not too many smart mistakes either.
We’ve already started on a new game, and he’s already got me in a slightly compromised tactical position. I’ll keep you updated on this fast-paced game as the situation develops!
So expect another entry in 2011.
