I'm the black pieces.


[Event "Jogo Online"]
[Site "www.flyordie.com"]
[Date "2009.06.02"]
[Round "2"]
[White "soire"]
[Black "Mythrill"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Termination "normal"]
[UTCDate "2009.06.02"]
[TimeControl "1200"]

1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Qf3 Nf6 5. d3 d4 6. Ne4 e5 7. Nxf6+ Qxf6 8.
Qxf6 gxf6 9. Be2 Bg7 10. Bd2 O-O 11. Nf3 Nc6 12. Nh4 Ne7 13. Bb4 Re8 14. Bxe7
Rxe7 15. Nf5 Bxf5 16. h3 Rc8 17. O-O-O a5 18. g4 Be6 19. Rhg1 b5 20. h4 Bxa2 21.
g5 fxg5 22. hxg5 Kh8 23. b3 a4 24. Kb2 axb3 25. Bg4 Ra8 26. Rdc1 bxc2 27. Rxc2
Bd5 28. Rc5 Ra2+ 29. Kb1 Rea7 30. Rxd5 R2a1+ 31. Kb2 Rxg1 32. Bf3 Bf8 33. Rxe5
Ba3+ 34. Kc2 Rc7+ 35. Kb3 Re7 36. Rd5 b4 37. Rxd4 Rxg5 38. Be4 Rc7 39. f4 Ra5
40. Rd8+ Kg7 0-1

Since I am unfamiliar with the C-K, I may have a few questions with other options, but I will give a run-through and add any comments.

5. d3 is a little passive for White this early in the game. Developing his light-squared bishop first would be better. Also, Qf3 is nice, attacking the d-pawn. However, it blocks in White's king knight.

5. ...d4 is nice, as it gains space and attacks White's knight. Your e-pawn is backward, however, and White could load up on it down the e-file later in the game.

I will point that after move 9, your f6 pawn can keep White pieces out of e4 by f5.

9. ...Bb4+ will either trade off your bad bishop or win the Exchange if White tries to block with 10. c3? Or 9. ...Be6 and try to castle queenside, since your g-file is open.

After fianchettoing your dark-square bishop, it will stay a tall pawn for a while.

Quoting Fromper's signature, "Don't be scared of ghosts!" 12. ...Ne7 was unnecessary, as your bishop was already covering that square. Better would be 12. ...f5! with a strong center. Of course, your opponent didn't see your bishop on c8, and thought your knight was the only defender of e4. Reverse psychology in action!

Your rook looks good on the queenside, but 16. ...Bh6 keeps White's king on the kingside. Then you can resume with a5 and Rc8. 16. ...e4 is also good, as it further opens the position for your Bishops.

Don't be so worried about White's action on the kingside. Capture on a2, get the bishop out of there ASAP, and after White plays g5, answer with f5. This will keep your king safe, his rook useless, and an iron grip on the center.

Nice skewer on a1.

Near the end, way to be unconcerned about your pawns and sticking with the plan of using your extra rook.

In all, a good game by you. A blunder (or two, counting the skewer on a1) did in White, and solid play on your part kept the game in your hands.

Some thoughts...

1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 {Nothing too much wrong with 2. Nc3 if you're just going to transpose back to a normal CK with 3. d4 or to a Two Knights with 3. Nf3.}
3. exd5 cxd5 {Exchanging seems fishy in this line but it's okay.}
4. Qf3 Nf6 {This is kind of like the Goldman variation, though less effective, black is already equal.}
5. d3 d4 {White's d3 is too passive, d4 is needed this allows e5 to come in relatively easily. I don't agree with black's d4, 5. ... Nc6! 6. ...e5 was indicated.}
6. Ne4 e5 7. Nxf6+ Qxf6 8. Qxf6 gxf6 9. Be2 Bg7 {That simply can not be the right diagonal for the bishop. Be7 and Bb4 at some point, now it's off that diagonal and basically buried.}
10. Bd2 O-O {Another mistake I think. Black was better off going the other way.}
11. Nf3 Nc6 {Surely, white should try and use his pawns rather than block them up? White can castle safely either way, black is committed and can be hit, f4, g4, g5... Nf3 tosses that away.}12. Nh4 Ne7 {12. Nh4 has the right idea, but it's slower than a straight pawn storm on move 11, black should hit with 12. ... f5 to get in e4, would've been a bit better than Ne7.}
13. Bb4 Re8 {Again, pawn moves would be preferable, g4 in light of securing the f5 square seems logical, white keeps missing the point.}
14. Bxe7 Rxe7 {Even here, g4 looks preferable.}
15. Nf5 Bxf5 {A total blunder, what was white thinking?! Easy pickings from here on.}
16. h3 Rc8 17. O-O-O a5 18. g4 Be6 19. Rhg1 b5 20. h4 Bxa2 21. g5 fxg5 22. hxg5 Kh8 23. b3 a4 24. Kb2 axb3 25. Bg4 Ra8 {25. ... Rxc2+, I'm wondering how black missed that. 26. cxb3 would've reduced some of black's play, though black is winning.} 26. Rdc1 bxc2 27. Rxc2 Bd5 28. Rc5 Ra2+ 29. Kb1 Rea7 30. Rxd5 R2a1+ 31. Kb2 Rxg1 32. Bf3 Bf8 33. Rxe5 Ba3+ 34. Kc2 Rc7+ 35. Kb3 Re7 36. Rd5 b4 37. Rxd4 Rxg5 38. Be4 Rc7 39. f4 Ra5 40. Rd8+ Kg7 0-1

No offense, but white did play a tad awful here.

Granturismo,

9. ...Bc4+ Does equalize the game, but Rybka prefers 9. ...Na6?!

12. ...f5 seems to be a good alternative indeed.

16. ...Bh6 is also an alternative, but slightly inferior to ...Rc8.

16... Bh6 17. g4 {Attacking the white bishop and reducing its range.} Be6 18. c4 dxc3 19. bxc3 a5 20. Bf3 Rc8 21. c4.

It turns out e5 is also good, but it's the worst of the 3 moves.

Perseus,

5... Nc6 is indeed much better.

10. O-O is inferior, but not a huge blunder. It gives up some of the advantage and equalizes the game.

Indeed, if white did play 11. f4 Nc6, the game would be around equal, but with a slight advantage to white.

In move 13, Rybka prefers O-O for white, with a slight advantage to black after 13...B6

In move 14, g4 is inferior. It seems white should have castled kingside.

Yes, I did miss 25. ...Rxc2+. And yes, 26. cxb3 seems the correct move for white, but yes, black is winning.