[Event "Unrated Standard: unrated toguints jacksrking"]
[Site "SchemingMind.com"]
[Date "2006.08.02"]
[Round "-"]
[White "toguints"]
[Black "jacksrking"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C00q"]
[WhiteCountry "PHI"]
[BlackCountry "USA"]
[GameID "62050"]

1. e4
{
toguints: hi, c5 on your end to begin the sicilian.  then c3 on my part.  then we will have mortadulo come over.  cheers
}
{
toguints: let's reserve an unrated opposite color game if there is a need to do so.  thanks
}
1... c5
{
Mortadulo: Yes, I can now kibits after black made his move :)  Good luck guys, and let me know if you have any questions!
}
{
toguints: i am supposed to do c3, right?
}
{
Mortadulo: c3 here begins the Alapin Variation.

I no longer play e4 so I have not played this in a while.  I will run online for moves passed 5 to make sure I am not "behind" on modern theory (there are some rarer variations beginning in a few moves)...
}
2. d3
{
toguints: ok thanks.  what's the move for black now? Nc6?
}
{
Mortadulo: Well...  You were supposed to play c3, not d3, hehe.  Play is supposed to go: e4 ... c5, c3 ... and then black can vary play in a few different moves such as -> ...Nc6, ...d5, ...Nf6 (...e5 for a reverse Marcozy bind??  I will look it up and make sure.  Not sure about that)  Note all moves after my arrow were options on move 2 for black... e5 I will look at...  I have seen VERY few games played like this, maybe NONE at the GM level)  Stayed Tuned for more details!
}
{
toguints: ooops, so sorry about that.  can i st up a new one?
}
{
Mortadulo: You can set up a new one, but you may as well play this one out too...  No such thing as "too" much experiance!
}
{
Space: I had once a good little book about Closed Sicilian with d3. The book is "The Big Clamp - An Anti-Sicilian System" by International Master Lawrence Day, published 1984.
}
{
Space: Two games with 2.d3 Walter Arencibia vs Vladimir Kramnik, Biel 1993 http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1085793 and the game Stuart Conquest vs John Nunn, London 1993 http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1103919 Both these two games is mentioned in the opening book "Encyclopaedia of chess openings" from 2002. White lost both games, but could have played better and achieved equal positions.
In the game Stuart Conquest vs John Nunn, London 1993 white should instead of 12.Bd2 have played 12.fxe5 Qb8! 13.a4 Nxe5 14.Nf4 Bg4 15.Qd2 Nxc4 16.dxc4 with equal position, according to John Nunn.
}
{
Space: It's probably important for black after 2.d3 to soon play d5. If black plays only d6 - then white will have plenty of time to set up a good position with g3, Bg2, f4, Nf3, 0-0, c3! Be3, as in one world championship final game 1978 in Baguio City, Phillipines, between  
Viktor Korchnoi and Anatoly Karpov. The game started with 1.g3, but was soon Closed Sicilian Opening: http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1068077 
}
{
Space: Philippines...not Phillipines...
}
{
Space: Game Explorer 1.e4 c5 2.d3 http://www.schemingmind.com/gameexplorer.aspx?epd=rnbqkbnr/pp1ppppp/8/2p5/4P3/3P4/PPP2PPP/RNBQKBNR%20b%20KQkq%20-
}
{
Space: Chessgames Game Explorer 1.e4 c5 2.d3 http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chess.pl?node=382163
}
{
toguints: thanks TB, i will have to look up those links you gave.  ur turn jack, with a d5 i think, right?
}
2... d5
{
jacksrking: lets see where it goes
}
3. Nd2
{
Space: With 3...e6 the game is back to more known opening variations. The game could continue with 4.Ngf3 Nc6 5.g3
}
3... e6 4. Ngf3
{
toguints: what's the rason for Ngf3?  why not e4xd5?
}
{
Space: There is no hurry yet for white to play exd5 or e5. The reason for 4.Ngf3 is to play short castle after 5.g3 and 6.Bg2. Also 5.Be2 followed by 6.0-0 has been played.
I prefer as white to play 5.g3 and 6.Bg2
}
{
Mortadulo: Playing exd too early can land white in trouble sometimes.  Black sitting with pawns on c5 + d5 with more central space...  Blacks pieces are able to develop smoothly as well where as white's knight on d2 and pawn on d3 are cramping white in.  After about 4-5 moves black can have nice development while white falls behind.  Not much longer black starts attacking and has a decent advantage.
}
{
Space: SchemingMind Game Explorer from this game position after 4.Ngf3:
http://www.schemingmind.com/gameexplorer.aspx?epd=rnbqkbnr/pp3ppp/4p3/2pp4/4P3/3P1N2/PPPN1PPP/R1BQKB1R%20b%20KQkq%20-
}
{
Space: I suggest black to play 4...Nc6
}
4... Nc6 5. g3
{
Space: Next 6.Bg2. Then black has to decide between playing 6...Bd6 followed by Nge7, or playing 6...Nf6 followed by Be7 or 6...g6 followed by Bg7 and Nge7. Black should have a equal game whatever is played of these three moves. 
}
{
Space: Hmmm...of course black has to play a move first !! So instead of 6... it's 5... So the three choice black has is to either play 5...Bd6, 5...Nf6 or 5...g6
}
5... Nf6
{
jacksrking: Now this is the way to learn:)
}
{
jacksrking: Sorry folks I have to take an emergency block of vacation . will be back on 8-15
}
{
toguints: which of the three possible moves of block for move 5 is the most favored?
}
6. Bg2
{
Space: At www.chessgames.com they have 227 games with 5...Nf6, 179 games with 5...Bd6 and 113 games with 5...g6.
}
6... Bd6
{
toguints: it's castling time for me, right?
}
{
Space: Yes, time for castling.
}
{
Space: Instead of 6..Bd6 the most played move is 6...Be7. Here is a game with 6...Bd6 http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1237934
}
7. O-O O-O
{
jacksrking: I assume castling is best for me at this time followed by 8...Be7
}
{
toguints: what's my next move?
}
{
toguints: if I move Rfe8, I can put pressure on the black bishop and Nf6 with next move e5
}
{
Space: Yes, Re1 is a move that white use to play in this opening. Black has to defend the threat e5, winning a piece. Black can answer Re1 with Qc7, Bc7 or Be7. The bishop on d6 might be best placed on e7, so the queen can move to c7. After 8.Re1 black can start with 8...Qc7 and only play Be7 if white also moves Qe2 with still the threat to win a piece by pushing the pawn to e5.
}
8. Re1
{
toguints: apologies for my wrong notation lol
}
8... Qc7
{
jacksrking: I will follow the suggested path but could re1 be answered with black playing e5?
}
{
Space: 8.Re1 e5 is interesting, but the position looks more drawish than after 8...Qc7, because of 8...e5 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nc4 f6 (protecting the e5 pawn) 11.Nxd6 Qxd6 12.Nd2 and black has only one bishop left. It will be difficult to achieve any winning chances in this opening with only one bishop lef. It would have been more ok to give up one bishop if black at the same time had have one or two pawns more than white, enough to beat white in the coming endgame.  
}
{
Space: left - not lef
}
{
Space: Black's chance in this opening, King´s Indian Attack, is to attack on the queen side. White's chance is to attack on the king side. Here are some games: Victor Ciocaltea vs Boris Spassky http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1128554 Ljubomir Ljubojevic vs Viktor Korchnoi http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1082549 Igor Foygel vs Alexander Kaliksteyn http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1240745 Reinhard Lendwai vs Milan Novkovic http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1220123 Jiri Nun vs Wolfgang Uhlmann http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1144575

}
{
Space: The game you two are playing could continue with 9.Qe2 Be7
}
9. Qe2
{
toguints: sorry for being so late in replying...i was busy with work and i wouldn't want to rush on this, so i was only making some moves on a couple of other games lately
}
9... Be7
{
jacksrking: no problem this is supposed to be fun
}
{
Space: White's plan could include moves like e5, Nf1, Bf4, h4. The question is if white should play 10.e5 Nd7 11.Nf1 or 10.c3 followed by Nf1, Bf4, e5, h4.
The question for black is if black should play b6, a5 (or Ba6), Ba6, or if black instead should play b5 followed by moves like a5, b4, Ba6. Study the game example above and decide which of these ideas you want to play as white and as black.
}
{
toguints: e5 for white seems agressive, but it will ultimately lack advantage for white i think.  is a black bishop fianchetto out of the question here?
}
{
Space: The black bishop on c8 is best placed at a6. Some grandmaster plays b6, a5 (or directly Ba6. I prefer a5 before Ba6) and Ba6. Some other grandmasters plays b5, a5, b4, Ba6. Both lines are good enough to equal game. 
}
{
toguints: sorry for the confusion, the "black bishop" i was referring to was my bishop on the black square.  
}
{
Space: White has more use of the c1 bishop at the diagonal c1-h6 than on the a1-h8 diagonal in this opening variation.
}
{
toguints: i am not an "aggressive" player that's why doing an e5 seems so "unnatural" for me.  but i do not get the idea for c3.  am i being defensive doing that, or is it in support of succeeding moves that will eventually have me making the e5 move?
}
{
Space: c3 stops Nd4. After c3 it might be possible to later (after e4-e5 or e4xd5) play d3-d4.
}
10. c3
{
toguints: thanks for the analysis...i am choosing c3 now.  somehow it is more to my style of play
}
{
Space: Black has to decide now for 10...b6 followed by a5 (or Ba6 directly) and Ba6 or 10...b5 followed by a5, b4, Ba6. If black plays 10...Bd7 the black knight on f6 hasn't the good square d7 to move to after 11.e5.
}
10... b6
{
jacksrking: I tend to be aggressively but then I also tend to blunder a lot
}
{
Space: The standard move for white now is 11.Nf1.
}
11. Nf1
{
toguints: what's the idea behind this move?
}
{
toguints: i will be away for about 2 weeks, so please hang on lol
}
11... a5
{
jacksrking: What do you think of e5 here for black. I went with a6 just am curious why not e5/
}
{
Space: The idea behind 11.Nf1 is to play e5 (or directly Bf4), Bf4, h4, Nf1-h2 (interesting is also g4 and Nf1-g3).
}
{
Space: If black in this game instead had played 11...e5, then white has a much better position with 12.exd5, because of 12...Nxd5 13.Nxe5 
}
{
toguints: what's the difference between e5 and Bf4 as my next move?
}
{
Space: With 12.Bf4 the black queen on c7 has to move away from the good square c7, or else white would be much better after 12...Bd6 13.e5 and 12...e5 13.Nxe5 Nxe5 (13...Bd6 14.exd5) 14.exd5. If white instead for 12.Bf4 would play 12.e5 Nd7 13.Bf4 the black queen can still stay on c7.
A chessmaster is looking after good moves that allow him/her to move own pawns and pieces as quick as possible to good squares. And white can immediately in your game move a bishop to the good square f4
}
{
toguints: if i do Bf4, won't black just do e5?  
}
{
Space: See my comments above about 12.Bf4 e5 13.Nxe5
}
{
toguints: oh i get it now.  thanks
}
12. Bf4
{
Space: The question is now where the black queen should move 12...Qd8 looks best. 12...Bd6 isn't good after 13.e5
}
12... Qd8
{
Space: Black is next ready to play 13...Ba6 with the threat 14...dxe4 15.dxe4 Bxe2 winning the white queen on e2. Maybe the best for white is therefore to play 13.e5, avoiding a black dxe4 after first Ba6. So I suggest that white continue the game with 13.e5 and suggest black to then reply with 13...Nd7
}
13. e5 Nd7
{
toguints: what's next for white?  d4?
}
{
Space: White should probably not play d3-d4 as long as black has a strong bishop ready to move to a6. The black bishop on c8 will be more useful after a white d3-d4 than it will be after a soon white c3-c4.
The question is if white should play immediately the pawn to c4 or not. White can wait with to play c3-c4, and move c3-c4 first when black has played Bc8 to a6.
What is the white idea in this opening? It is to stop black from achieve a winning attack on the queen side and to self play a own attack on the king side, with moves like pawn from h2 to h4, Nf1 to h2, pawn h4 to h5, Nh2 to g4.

I would continue the game as white with 14.h4 and reply as black with 14...Ba6 After that white has to decide if the next move should be 15.c4, or wait longer with c3-c4 and instead play 15.Nf1-h2.
}
14. h4 Ba6 15. N1h2
{
Space: Black is ready to push pawns on the queen side. Either play 15...b5 followed by b4 and a4, or play 15...a4 followed by b5 and b4.
}
15... b5
{
toguints: time for c4 for white?
}
{
Space: Black would win a pawn after 16.c4 bxc4 17.dxc4 Bxc4. If white would like to play c3-c4 he has to first play b2-b3, then c3-c4, or wait to play c3-c4 first when black has played b5-b4.  
}
{
Space: I will soon come back with a suggestion how to continue the game.
}
{
toguints: yes, i see it now.  playing c4 immediately places my queen at a disadvantage after the exchange.  it's at this stage in a game that i tend to get lost and confused and usually end up disadvantaged.  
}
{
toguints: i suppose b3 is the only logical move for white here?
}
{
Space: I have been looking at three different moves for white: 16.b3, 16.Ng4 and 16.h5. We take a look first at 16
}
{
Space: ooops...I was to quick to submit... We take a look first at 16.b3 Black can play 16-a4 (with the idea 17.bxa4 b4. Black will win back the pawn at a4.) The other move I have looked at is to play 16.Ng4. Black can respond with either 16..h5 17.Ngh2 b4 or 16...a4 17.h5 b4 18.h6 g6 and now 19.a3 or 19.c4
The third move I have looked at is 16.h5 and black has no 16..h7-h5 as a choice. After 16.h5 black has either 16...a4 17.h6 g6 18.Ng4 b4 19.a3/19.c4 or 16...b4 17.h6 g6 and now 18.Ng4 a4 or 18.c4 Nb6 So now it's up to white to decide for playing a pawn to b3 och go directly for Ng4 or first h5, then Ng4.
}
{
Space: och (oh, a swedish word) thats swedish for and.
}
{
toguints: won't i lose tempo if i play Ng4 for move 16 rather than do b3 first or h5?
}
16. Ng4
{
toguints: this is the most uncomfortable move for me, that's why i am making this move :-)
}
16... h5 17. Ngh2 b4
{
toguints: i can no longer do h5
}
{
toguints: i am looking at doing 18. c4 dxc4 19. dxc4, maintaining equality.  i can't see black's response to put pressure on my c4 after that exchange, which i intend to strengthen by b3 later.  the possible response i can see from black is 19...Ndb6.  to which i can respond 20. b3
}
{
Space: The game can continue with both 18.c4 Nb6 19.Rac1 and 18.Ng5 g6 19.Nhf3 (19.g4 hxg4 20.Nxg4 Kg7) 19...a4 20.Rac1 
}
18. Ng5
{
toguints: again, an unusual move for me that i would like to explore
}
{
Space: Good is now 18...g6 See my comments above about 18.Ng5 g6
}
18... g6
{
Space: I prefer 19.Nhf3 instead of 19.g4 hxg4 20.Nxg4 Kg7
}
19. Nhf3
{
Space: And now 19...a4, continue with pawn push on the queen side.
}
19... a4 20. Rac1 b3
{
jacksrking: Is this the move or would Nb6 have been better
}
{
toguints: i would prefer doing an a23 here over an axb3, what do you think?
expected reply would be 21....Nb6
}
{
toguints: sorry that should have been a3, not a23
}
{
Space: First: Yeah. Black could, instead for 20...b3, also have played 20...Nb6 and continued with c4 or a3. Interesting to look at for black is also 20...a3 21.bxa3 bxc3 22.Rxc3. 
}
{
Space: White can play both 21.axb3 and 21.a3. I don't know how weak or strong black's b3 pawn is after 21.axb3 axb3. After 21.a3 the a4 pawn protect the pawn at b3. And after 21.axb3 axb3 black has no longer this pawn protection from another pawn. If black in the future can play c5-c4, and it's good to play c5-c4, then the pawn at b3 is again protected by another pawn. Maybe 21.axb3 is the best choice.
}
21. axb3 axb3
{
Space: One interesting plan for white is to play 22.Nh3, continue with Bh6 (threat Bxf8)and Nh3 to f4, then play Bh3. After 22.Nh3 black can play 22...Bb7 followed by Ra2 and Qb6.
}
{
Knight_who_says_knee: Talk about a closed game. 
}
{
toguints: sorry for the absence, was offline for several days due to a typhoon.  can pmorphy clarify his statement, pls?
}
22. Nh3 Bb7
{
jacksrking: Sorrry to here about the typhoon.
I invited him to kibbitz and to provide some analysis 
}
{
toguints: no problem :-) just wondering what he meant by "closed" game
}
23. Bh6
{
toguints: btw, are we still in the opening game?
}
{
Space: Black has to play 23...Re8 to avoid White from playing Bxf8.
}
{
Space: I would say that this is now a middlegame. 
}
23... Re8
{
jacksrking: would black have been better to play Qb6  before Bb7?
}
{
Space: 22...Qb6 was probably OK for black to play. But there is no hurry for black to first play Qb6 or Qc7. With instead first playing Bb7 the black queen still keep on eye on the king side, and at the same time black is ready for Ra2, when white has to keep on eye on the queen side so that black can't play Rxb2 winning the b2 pawn. 

}
{
Space: The game can now continue with 24.Nf4 Ra2 25.Bh3 Then black can reply with 25...Qc7 or 25...Kh7, but not 25...Qb6 because of 26.Nxe6 fxe6 27.Bxe6+ Kh7 28.Bxd7 Rd8 29.Bxc6
}
24. Nf4 Ra2 25. Bh3 Qc7
{
toguints: 26. c4?
}
{
toguints: hi guys! need some time off...see you in a little while
}
26. Ra1 Kh7
{
Space: Back again...I have a lot of games to play, so I took a breake.
}
{
Space: Black's chances in this game is on the queen side. White's chances in this game is on the king side - not on the queen side. So opening up the game with 26.c4 would help black more than it helps white after 26...dxc4 27.dxc4 Nb4
}
{
Space: 26.Ra1 shouldn't have been played. Black had the strong answer 26...Ncxe5 (or 26...Ndxe5), because of 27.Nxe5 Nxe5 28.Qxe5 Qxe5 29.Rxe5 Rxa1+ and 28.Rxa2 bxa2 29.Qxe5 Qxe5 30.Rxe5 a1=Q+ Also 27.Rxa2 bxa2 28.Nxe5 Nxe5 29.Qxe5 Qxe5 30.Rxe5 a1=Q+
}
{
Space: Instead of 26.Ra1 white had 26.g4 hxg4 27.Bxg4
}
{
Space: Black is also better after your game move 26...Kh7 (threat Kxh6 winning the bishop). The game you two are playing can continue with 27.Bg5 Ncxe5 28.Nxe5 Nxe5 29.Bxe7 Rxe7 Black has one pawn more and have a better position. And all this because of the white move 26.Ra1
}
{
toguints: i had a feeling that the move wasn't the best one indeed, but i was not able to see the tension in the middle that is now made clear to me :-)  as we are already in the middlegame, i wonder if this is something of interest to everybody? i wouldn't mind stopping the game at this point already.  but if everyone is still amenable, then play on lol
}
27. Bg5 Ndxe5
{
jacksrking: We started this game to learn the opening and I think we did that. I am open to a draw and starting a new game. I do think there is stuff to learn in the middle game but a good opening will get us into the middle game. I am agreeable either way
}
{
Space: Draw is fine! A lot of opening ideas and middlegame ideas have been mentioned in this game. Now you could continue with the Sicilian Alapin 1.e4 c5 2.c3. Remember to play 2.c3 this time :)
}
{
toguints: draw it is! thanks a lot guys. i will surely keep this for reference and review.  any favor i can give you TB?  maybe a hobby of yours i can contribute to?
}
28. Nxe5=
{
Space: Thank you both. I was a big pleasure :) 
}
{
Space: It was... :)
}
1/2-1/2

