Openings teach you openings. Endgames teach you chess!
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[Event "ICS rated blitz match"]
[Site "freechess.org"]
[Date "2003.02.15"]
[Round "?"]
[White "tepes"]
[Black "dah"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Hayes, David"]
[BlackElo "1703"]
[ECO "B01"]
[TimeControl "0"]
[WhiteElo "1699"]
{ A simple mistake costs white the game in this Center Counter opening. Black
finds little reason to castle when the hunt for white's king begins. } 1. e4 { B01: Scandinavian Defence } 1... d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 Bf5 6. Bc4 e6 7. O-O c6 { Secures d5 and b5. Allows a flight square for the black
queen. A useful move in almost all variations of this variation of the center
counter defense. } 8. Ne5 Nbd7 9. g4 $2 { I label this move with a question
mark, because it does not work although it may look compelling. The move
simply drops material and opens lines against the white king. Instead, 9.
Nxd7 Nxd7 is equal. } 9... Nxe5 10. dxe5 Nxg4 { The least complicated move. However,
10... Bxg4 is playable too. 11. Qd4 Rg8 12. exf6 gxf6 13. Ne4 Be2+ 14. Ng3
Rg4 leaves black with a lasting advantage in complicated play. } 11. Bf4 { White tries to shore up his crumbling center. Now, 11... Nxe5 is enough to
win, but black smells blood... } 11... g5 $1 { Now this is how to play the g-pawn for
advantage. Compare and contrast this move with 9. g4. White knows he will
lose his e-pawn in any circumstance so it is hard to turn down the "free"
compensation offered by black on g5. } 12. Bxg5 { Deflection from e5. White had
to play 12. Bg3 Nxe5 13. Be2 to regroup his forces to defend against black's
pawn storm. } 12... Qxe5 { A pinning theme. } 13. f4 { This move is the only move that
offers any hope. Now black has 13... Qc5+ and Qxc4, but black wants the king
and decides to close in for the kill. } 13... Qe3+ 14. Kg2 { 14. Kh1 is no better
when 14... Nf2 15. Rxf2 Qxf2 wins the exchange. } 14... h6 15. Bh4 Rg8 16. Bg3 Nxh2 $1 { Demolishes the pawn shield. White resigns here. There might have followed
17. Qe1 Nxf1 18. Bxf1 Qxf4 to continue the slaughter. Real men don't castle! } 0-1