The First Move
McHenry Area Chess Monthly Bulletin
Volume 1 Number 6                                 August 2004                                             Page 4 of 13

opening such as there, there's something to be said for obstinacy. Technically, it still would have been somewhat better to allow this threat and continue with the plan described above.

10. Qf4 a5
11. Qg3 a4
12. Bf3 White has been maneuvering his pieces on the kingside and ignoring Black's moves on the queenside. 12. a3 would have stopped Black's advance cold and minimized Black's threats on the long diagonal. As it is, White is now theoretically behind.

12... a3
13. Rb1 axb2
14. Bd2 Clearly not 14. Rxb2? Nh5! wins quickly.

14... Ne5 Better was 14... Ra3 maintaining the threat mentioned above.

15. Bg2 Qb6
16. f4 Ned7
17. Bf3 White has been spending far too much time moving his bishops back and
 

forth. But white cannot move the e pawn without making the d pawn backwards and weak. Nor does the alternate idea of Nf3 h4 h5 work, as that leaves the pawn on g4 weak, as then only the precious queen protects it. Despite White's initial aggressiveness, at this stage of the game White is without a cohesive plan. Courtesy of White's inaction on move twelve, Black has a serious threat on the queenside, with a pawn one square away from queening and control of the open lines. The question now is how can Black exploit this?

17... Nc5
18. h4 Nfd7 Still better is 18... Ra3

19. h5 Nf8
20. hxg6 fxg6
 

21. f5 e5 Black is still ahead, but could have been more forceful. 21... Ra3 remains a superior move, and at this time 21... Qb4 and 21... Qa5 are also good. Even 21... Bxc3 works, as it's followed by 22. Bxc3 Rxa2 and Black is much closer to making use of his very threatening b pawn.

22. fxg6 Nxg6
23. Nh3 Bd7 More forcing was 23... e4, and serves to defend by distracting the White pieces. Also, it helps to open up lines to the White king. Unfortunately, there are no clear lines either way. The game is complicated with both sides searching for a target to focus on to press home an attack, while not having much time to spare from keeping up their defenses. In dynamic positions like this the more aggressive player has a big advantage. It's much easier to make a mistake while being the defender, while the attackers mistakes can be a