A couple of King's Indians!

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iamachessstudent
Posts: 380
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 1:35 pm

A couple of King's Indians!

Post by iamachessstudent » Thu Sep 06, 2012 3:08 pm

Continuing my annotations to some of my games, I have selected a pair of games that feature the Kings Indian Defense, Saemisch Variation for your reading pleasure:)
I hope you enjoy the games, as I think both are very instructive!


[White "josh
[Black "cjs150"]
[Result "1-0"]
In this game, which features the Samisch Variation in the popular King's Indian Defense, Black plays a very active and ambitious opening variation which leaves White struggling for equality well in the middle game. Black begins to become indecisive as to a plan and drifts, which allows White to regroup and begin what turns out to be a winning King's side Attack!

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 {The Samisch variation agasint the popular King's Indian Defense. I believe this is the most aggressive and best way to attack this opening (from the White stand point).

5. ... O-O 6.Be3 c5 7.Nge2 {Declining the Samich Gambit beginning with 7. dxc5, which I believe gives Black too much good play for the pawn he sacrifices, It is also VERY heavlily laden with theroy.

7... Qa5 {The beginning of a very active and ambitious plan by Black; he plans to develop aggressively to aggravate and disrupt White's game, which in many variations of this opeing goes smoothly for him.

8.Nc1 {Choosing a plan to harrass the Black Queen, but it seems it was the very plan Black was counting on me to choose!

8...cxd4 9.Bxd4 Nc6 {Attacking the dark squared Bishop.

10.Nb3 Qh5 {This is novel...as said Black is harrassing the White K-side and causing not too little problems early on!
The alternative was 10...Qg5; when 11. Bf2 is already =+
11.Be3 {Saving the dark squared Bishop..in an opening like the King's Indian the dark squares are worth gold so its not a good to let your own dark-squared Bishop to be traded with out a very good reason or with excellent compensation.
This position is already = but Black definitely has the mental edge, having very well prepared this opening!
11...Be6 {Continuing an aggressive posting of his pieces! The bishop takes a much more active square the a more reserved move as 11...Bd7.

12.Nd5 {Occupying a central square at least!

12...Rac8 {Here 12...Qh4+; 13. g3, Qh5; 14. Be2 is also totally equal! Black wants more than equality I believe...

13.Qd2 Rfe8 14.Nf4 Qe5 15.Nd3 {Continued harrassment of the Black Queen while improving the position of my pieces and giving Black some harrassing of my own!

15... Qh5 16.g4 {Instead, 15. Rc1, Qh4+; 17. g3, Qh5 is dead = again. This move also provokes Black into an interesting sacrifice...but in the process allows White to become active.

16...Bxg4!? 17.fxg4 {Acceptance of the sacrifice.

17... Nxg4 18.Be2 Qh4+ 19.Bf2 Nxf2 20.Nxf2 Ne5 {Now we can see some of the ramifications from Black's 16th move! White has an active position now, and Black has control of the dark squares and has kept White's King in the center ( Of course, Whiteis up material, at least for now).
Depending on the type of game you like will depend on whom you think stands better here!
21.Qd5 {If 21. Qb4, then ...Rc7 is again =.

21... Bh6! {A very good move, pinning the white King firmly in the center of the board and giving Black a slight initiative! =+

22.Rg1 e6 {Attacking the White Queen...

23.Qxd6 {The better move, for if 23. Qxb7?!, Nxc4; 24. Bxc4, Rxc4 and Black is better, tho only slightly. +=

23...Nxc4 {The first "ok" move by Black!
I believe that he had to keep being aggressive and threatening by playing the bold 23...Qxh2!? then if 24. Kf1 (what else?), Be3 is a solid advantage for Black -+.
24.Bxc4! {Good and excelent for establishing equality and putting an onus on Black to keep playing for a win here...

24...Rxc4 {The isolated pawn at E4 is feeling the pressure!

25.Rg4 {Attacking and defending.

25... Qd8 {Another "OK" move by Black, and I think 25...Qh5; 26. Rg2 =+ was better for him and would let him keep that slight pull.
This game and middle game in particular serves a great example of not giving up when you are faced with a worse position, always keep fighting and looking for chances, it pays off!
26.e5 {Now White's positionis strting to become active, while Black now had a backward pawn (on F7)!

26. ... Rc2 {Threatening the B pawn.

27.Rd1 Qc8 {A VERY strong and maybe better alternative was 27...Qd6!? then 28. exd6, Rxb2 and tome, the position looks even! Comments or opinions?! Let me know!!

28.Qd4 {A good consolidating move and securing a slight, very slight plus! +=

28... b6 {Also good , controlling both the A5 and C5 squares!
If 28...Qc6; then 29. Nd2 looks good to keep the edge +=
29.Rd3 {I looked at 29. Ne4, Rf8; 30. Rh4, Bg7+- also, but liked this move...it creates lateral threats!

29... Qa6 {Attacking the A pawn and holding back White's attempts to get a solid advantage...the position is still only +=.

30.Qd7 {Threatening the Rook at E8, but better was the simple 30. a3! stopping any black counterplay against my Queenside!. This move does set a very nasty trap, and I felt it was worth a chance to try and see what Black played here, I was rewarded more than I had hoped...

30... Rec8? {...A very surprising and game losing blunder from Black!!
Perhaps he did not see the threat to his Queen, but in any case, the best move and only one to keep it going was 30...Qc8 and the White advantage is minimal! +=
31.Ra4! {OF course, the trap door slams shut on the Black Queen!

31... Qxa4 {31...Qxd3 is no better!

32.Qxa4 Rxb2 33.Qxa7 Rcc2 {Black is desperately seeking a way out, but careful play will ensure this does not succeed!

34.Rd8+ Kg7 35.Qe7 {The beginning of the end for the Black Monarch!

35... Rb1+ {Prolonging the suffering for a move or 2...

36.Nd1 Be3 {Giving into the inevitable...
Can you see the CHECKMATE ON MY MOVE!?
Take your time, think and concentrate....

37.Qf8+ MATE!! I knew you could see it!


1-0
Game conclusions and lessons to learn

{This game was a real up and down for both sides! Right out of the opening Black was aggressive and creative and set White very serious issues! After White unraveled himself, Black made a few "ok" moves which yeilded a slight pull to White but at a critical, seemingly innocent moment in the game, Black's sense of danger eluded him and this allowed White to win the Black Queen for almost nothing and cap the game off with a mating attack!}





[White "Josh"
[Black "snowshinethedog"]
[Result "1-0"]


The Samisch Variation against the King's Indian Defense usually leads to very straight-forward types of positions where the Queenside is opened and White prepares a K-side attack and Black tries the same. This strategy can be seen in this game, where after a novel approach by Black on the Queenside, the White focus shifts to the Kingside and is reawarded with a killing attack!

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 {The Starting position that distinguishes the Samisch Variation of the King's Indian Defense. This is a hugely popular opening and has been played by nearly every World Champion from Alekhine to Kasparov (Bobby Fischer being an exception, since he was an E-pawn specialist).
I decided on it after wanting to try a secondary variation to use instread of my usual 5. Bd3; Seriwan Variation.
5. ... O-O {The most common, Black castles and then will decide on a plan of action.

6.Be3 e5 7.d5 {Typical of the variation, the board is split in half.

7... c6 {Attacking the pawn center immediately.

8.Qd2 a6 {All still very common and theroy. Black is preparing to expand on the Q-side with a timely ...b5.

9.Bd3 {Developing the Bishop before the King's Knight and waiting to see what Black will do, then White can decide on a proper plan of action.

9...b5 {Black takes immediate action on the Queenside and rules out Queenside castling for White, which is common in some variations but here the Queenside is too open to think of a castle to that side. Also, a common plan here is to block off the Q-side with 9...c5, which leads to another sort of game entirely where White usually does castle Q-side. The text moves goes in for a more open battle!

10.Nge2 {Developing and putting the onus on Black as to what capture he will play...the move also prepares for King-side castling at the fastest opportunity.

10... bxc4 {Consistent, Black is playing for an open Q-side...

11.Bxc4 Bb7 {This move is novel in this particular position. The idea seems to be, after ...cxd5, to pressure that D5 square for compensation. The usual move here is 11...c5 to block the Queenside up and then preepare for K-side counterplay with Nbd7, Nh5 and a timely ...f5.

12.O-O {The simplest.
After 11..c5, then 12.0-0 also is safe and good for White.
12... c5 {Now he decides to block the Q-side off, which in itself is not a bad idea, but look at the Bishop on B7...it is buried and has no play at all! Also, if we look at the board, we see that the Black pieces are not developed yet, which also gives White a healthy plus; as he can only be the first to begin active operations.

13.Rac1 {Removing the Rook from the potentially damgerous h8-a1 diagonal. Another possible plan which is worth a look is 13. b4!?, then 13...Nbd7; `14. bxc5, Nxc5; 15. Bxc5, dxc5 as this looks very good for White also.

13... Nbd7 {I like White's position here, for reasons given earlier and I just believe it is easier to play at this time.

14.Bg5 {Always useful, as it specifically prevents a move like...Nh5 to prepare an eventual ...f5!

14... Qe7 {Connecting Rooks...

15.Bd3 {Pulling the Bishop back and aiming at the H7 square.

15...Rfb8 {Counter-attacking on the Queenside, which has a potential weak pawn at B3, so that must be addressed before White can continue with his K-side plans.
Never over look potential threats, no matter how well your attack is moving along; it saves you time and makes the opponent seek other targets and you can continue your attack plans less hindered.
16.b3 {Handling the potential threat to the B pawn.

16...Qf8 {Getting away from the pin at G5.

17.a3 Bc8 18.Rb1 Ne8 {Now, after some subtle maneuvers, the Black position is rather cramped, but it has no startling points to attack or weaknesses.
Sometimes, these cramped positions are very hard to play, and some people excel and others just cannot handle the stress...and we all have those times where we exhibit both sides ( I know I have)
Here, I made a decision to start a Kingside attack, trusting my advantage in space and the better placement of my pieces. There is a time to maneuver and there is a time to be direct, and now I felt was one of those times!
19.Be3 f5 {Deciding to start K-side counterplay immediately.
The only other choice that caught my attention was 19...a5, when I felt that 20. Bb5+= was safe and solid for me.
20.f4 {Also starting up the tactics, and now the position sharpens a little.

20...exf4 {If 20...Nc7; then 21. Bc2 is good for White +-

21.Nxf4 {Aiming at the E6 square, a wonderful outpost for a Knight!

21...Ne5 {Also taking up a nice outpost for the time being and threatening the Bishop on D3.

22.exf5 {Opening up the Kingside!

22... Nxd3 23.Ne6 {This is a critical point of the game...

23... Bxe6?? {Black thinks that the Knight on E6 is too powerful and decides to remove it, but in doing so creates a powerful passed pawn for White, and really opens up the Kingisde!

24.fxe6 {Now the F file is under White's control, and the E pawn is dangerously advanced; the dark squares are also under Whites control.
The only other chance Black has was to play 23...Qf6 to work on the dark squares and hold the Knight's squares to a minimum; but even then after 24. Qxd3, Bxe6 is still +- for White.
24...Nf6 {24...Nf4; 25. Rxf4, Nf6; 26. Rf3 is winning for White.

25.Qxd3 Qe7 {Not making a difference is 25...Qd8; 26. Bg5, Qb6; 27. Qf3 and again White has a powerful position.

26.Bg5 {A killer pin!

26...Rf8 {The only other shot was 26...c4 and then 27. bxc4, Rxb1; 28. Qxb1 +-

27.Ne4 {Stacking up the pressure on the Knight at F6.

27... h6 {The other variuation runs 27...Qa7; 28. Kh1! (preventing...c4 with CHECK and winning the White Queen!) ALWAYS look for threats after ALL your opponent's moves!

28.Nxf6+ Bxf6 29.Bxh6 {Now, the material gain begins all the while keeping Black on total defense.

29...Bd4+ 30.Kh1 Qh7 {Deciding to give up the exchange in order for some control of the dark squares..I think a little better( but not able to change the outcome of the game ) was 30...Bg7!?; 31.Qxg6!, Rf6; 32. Rxf6, Qxf6; 33. Qxf6, Bxf6 when White is still winning but reduction of material will prolong the game.

31.Rxf8+ Rxf8 32.Bxf8 Kxf8 33.Rf1+ Ke8 34.Qxa6
In this position BLACK RESIGNED.
The material deficit is too strong to overcome and Black could even be facing a mating attack!
for example 34...Bf6; 35. Qc8+, Ke7; 26. Qc7+, Ke8; 37. Qxh7 and it is over.

1-0
Game conclusions and lessons to learn

{A very exciting and attacking game! Black mnade a plan to control the Queenside, but White's threats in the Center and the K-side soon had black on the defensive and after the first 20 moves, White was begining a Kingside attack which was difficult to resist. A terrible error on move 23 by Black helped White take the full point just 9 moves later.}

marandreo
Posts: 38
Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2005 7:12 am
Location: Turin, Italy
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Re: A couple of King's Indians!

Post by marandreo » Wed Sep 12, 2012 2:50 pm

Nice and interesting games for a woodpusher like me who loves the KID. Bravo Josh!
Just a few comments.
Let's start from the 2nd game (the easiest one, eh, Josh?!). The quite old but always playable alternatives at the 8th of Black are 8. ... Ne8 (for a quick f7-f5) and 8. ... cxd5; 9. Nxd5 (maybe) Be6 with double-edged play. Then, in general, I think that when you decide to play ... c6 and ... b5, you MUST exchange the pawns in the white chain, or your play is a little nonsense. What do you think about?
In the 1st game: at the 12th, did you analyse the sacrifice 12. ... Nxe4 (?!- it's mine); 13. fxe4 Qh4+; 14. Bf2 Qxe4+ etc. with (do not know how lasting) initiative for material; 27. ... Qxd6 smells draw after a long struggle, yes!; 28. ... b6 is, as the Germans say, ZU PASSIV!!! Better seems (pls don't laugh) 28. ... Qc7, eyeing on e5 after a Bg7 sooner or later. Anyway, chess is beautiful because any opinion is sustainable - until proof of contrary! :mrgreen:

Keep on, Josh, we all have to learn!. Ciao. Mario.

iamachessstudent
Posts: 380
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 1:35 pm

Re: A couple of King's Indians!

Post by iamachessstudent » Fri Sep 14, 2012 10:36 pm

Hey Mario!

In response to the 1st game and your sacrifice 12...Ne4?! (!?)
I think White can maintain a very, very slight edge with: 13. fxe4 Qh4+; 14. Bf2 Qxe4+; and now only 15. Qe2! can give White a hope of an edge...a very interesting sacrifice!! after 15...Bxd5; then 16. cxd5, Qxd5 its a VERY slight edge for White....



Joshua

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