[Event "fics rated bughouse match; UBD#211574,211580,211584,211587,0"] [Site "fics"] [Date "2003-02-22 16:48:51"] [WhiteA "pminear"][WhiteAElo "2374"] [BlackA "LinusO"][BlackAElo "2433"] [WhiteB "VABORIS"][WhiteBElo "2548"] [BlackB "Bugzilla"][BlackBElo "2391"] [TimeControl "180+0"] [Result "0-1"] {C:This game was played in the quality bughouse tournament 22nd feb 2003. Round 5 of 9.þþAfter the tourney Marv asked me to comment some bughouse-games from t he tourney, to carry on the good tradition of ErrantFischer of whose commented games are really good and I recommened everyone who wants to improve his bugho use to study them. I also believe that its a duty for the top players (in both chess and bughouse) to give something back to the game, which has given so mu ch to them.þþMost you already know me as "LinusO" on FICS and before also on IC C. My real name is Linus Olsson and I live in southern Sweden near the city of Malmoe. Im 19 and in the diffucult age after highschool when one has to decide what to do with his life. Im quite an experienced chesswriter and used to writ e lots of fussy articles to swedish chess-magazines. I've been playing chess an d bughouse a long time; my first bughouse games were played on a chesscamp ten years ago with well known FICS-buggers such as DennisTheViking, Packalen, PJK and Marlboroman. But my real bughouse career started 3 years ago when Packalen showed me FICS and I had about 2000 in bughouse rating when I started to play there. Now some years later I have been the highest rated player on FICS a cou ple of times and over 2500 more then ten different times, but as Marv likes to say rating isnt everything and still I admit Im little weaker than the best pl ayers on FICS. But enough about me over to the games!þþAs english isnt is my n ative languge I hope you'll forgive me, for my bad english. Perhaps an Englishm an/American can correct it into good english.þ} 1B. Nc3 {179} 1b. Nf6 {180} 2B. e4 {179} 2b. Nc6 {180} 3B. Nf3 {179} 1A. e4 {179} 1a. Nf6 {180} 3b. d5 {179} 2A. Nc3 {178} 2a. Nc6 {180} 4B. exd5 {178} 4b. Nxd5 {179} 5B. d4 {178} 3A. d4 {177} {C:Black has an important alternative here in e6.} 5b. Nxc3 {178} (5b. e6 {179} 6B. Bd3 {178} {C:Ne4!? As I and Gnej s use to play here is very interresting and deserves attention. Now if black pl ay Bb4 here it becomes the LINDEGREN-variation and Ndb4 is the Venomous-variati on. All this variations are good complex variations with chances for both sides .}) 3a. P@b4 {179} {C:This p@b4 is a common and strong move. It threathens the knight and if it goes away the e4 pawn will fall. This is very common variatio n among the topplayers and white have lots of was to react. White can also play p@g5 and Nb5 here. } 6B. bxc3 {177} (4A. P@g5 {177} 4a. bxc3 {179} 5A. gxf6 {177} {C:Here if black has a bishop he has a very strong move here in B@a5! aft er white are in diffuculties. I don't know how to react on it. } 5a. cxb2 {179} 6A. fxg7 {177} 6a. Bxg7 {179} {C:Black has to take the pawn on g7 because a que en on h8 is to dangerous for black.} 7A. Bxb2 {177} {C:This is a very common po sition. Which is quite equal.}) (4A. Nb5 {177} 4a. Nxe4 {179} 5A. Qe2 {177} 5a. d5 {179} {C:absolutely not Nf6 for black because of N@d6 with mate.} 6A. Bf4 {177} {C:Here if black doesnt get something to put on d6 black is in se rious trouble but if he has a piece here he is better.}) 6b. e5 {178} {C:After Bugzilla's e5 it is the Gnejs-variation, a sharp line were black sacrifices a pawn but gets excellent compensation. } 4A. Nd5 {176} 7B. d5 {176} {C:VABORIS chooses the perhaps most critical variation. If dxe5 black plays Qxd1+ Kxd1 an d then Bg4 or N@e4. On Bb5 black plays exd4 Nxd4 Bd7. I have an interresting va riation which I like to play here which aims to improve the Bb5 variation: } ( 7B. Bb5 {177}) (7B. Bc4 {177} {C:This is my move. White threatens to take on f7 with some attack. If black plays Qe7 then N@d5 and on N@d6 Bd5.} 4a. Nxe4 {179} 5A. Nxc7+ {176} 7b. P@d5 {178} 8B. Bb5 {177} {C:And now: exd4 Nxd4 and e4 Ne5 with interresting positions.}) 4a. Nxe4 {178} 7b. Bc5 {177} 5A. Qe2 {175} 8B. P@e3 {175} {C:Here I think everyone went into this mate as black once. But N@f6 was an alternative.} 5a. N@d6 {177} (5a. Nd6 {177} {A:??} 6A. N@f6+ {175} 6a. gxf6 {177} 7A. Nxf6+ {175}) 8b. e4 {175} 6A. P@f3 {171} {C:Nf3 for PMinear was a better move objectively. But he was still hoping that I would move my e4 knight perhaps Nxf2, when white had mated. So therefore it cant be criticized so much.} 6a. Nxd4 {176} 9B. dxc6 {171} 7A. Qd3 {169} 9b. Qxd1+ {173} 10B. Kxd1 {171} 7a. Nxc2+ {174} {C:This Nxc2+ is a strong move only because bla ck already has gotten so much stuff in hand (Q and N). If he hadnt, this would have been a bad move because after this move white threathens to take on c7 an d when black defends it he takes on e4. With less piece-flow Nxf2 Kxf2 e5 would have been preferrable where black has a solid advantage.} 10b. exf3 {171} 8A. Qxc2 {168} 11B. P@d7+ {169} 11b. Bxd7 {171} 8a. N@d4 {171} 12B. cxd7+ {167} 12b. Kf8 {170} {C:Its risky for black to take on d7 because of Ne5+.} 13B. gxf3 {166} {C:VABORIS is much better this is because he got more pawns and stuff tha n Bugzilla in the beginning of the game. Even if PMinear would have won the mat erial back now Bugzilla would still be worse because THE MATERIAL IS MORE WORTH IN THE BEGINNING THAN LATER IN THE GAME. Thats why early material sacrifices l ike Bxf7 and Nxf7 usually are bad because your partner gets a diffucult game ev en if you win back the material with interest later. To me it seems like a lot of weaker players dont understand this.} 9A. Qd3 {165} (9A. Nxc7+ {165} 9a. Qxc7 {171} 10A. Qxc7 {165} 10a. B@c3+ {171} {C:A very strong move! Its bloc kade the with queen so it doesnt cover c2 any longer which makes a N check ther e possible. If white sacrifices his queen black takes and have a good position since Nc7 is no threat since the d6-n covers e8. Of course I didnt see B@c3+!! during the game but if this position would have come up I might have found it. Everyone plays bughouse only on instinct so foreseeing a complex bishop drop l ike this is very uncommon. Instead the players just play fast and thrust there luck. } 11A. bxc3 {165} 11a. Nc2+ {171} 12A. Kd1 {165} 12a. Nxf2+ {171} 13A. Kxc2 {165} 13a. Q@d1+ {171} 14A. Kb2 {165} 14a. P@a3+ {171} 15A. Kb1 {165} {C:And black will get a p to mate with on c2}) 13b. N@a4 {168} 14B. P@b2 {165} 9a. B@c2 {168} {A:?} {C:Here I played a very bad move which loses the d4 knight without any real compensation. I don't know what I thought. Most moves were be tter like Nxf2 Kxf2 e5 or Qe5 fxe4 Nxe4 or Qc5 p@c4 B@c2.} 10A. Qxd4 {164} 14b. Rd8 {166} {C:If Bugzilla would have a pawn then P@a3 would have been a str ong move.} 15B. Bb5 {164} {C:On the board VABORIS - Bugzilla both have made onl y natural and strong moves. Notice that some of their moves have "double-propos es" like this one. Both threatens Bxa4 and defends the Pd7. } 10a. P@d2+ {165} {A:!?} {C:This is quite a strong move because of the next sequence which weaken s whites c3-square.} 11A. Bxd2 {163} 15b. N@h3 {162} {A:!} {C:I like Bugzilla's N@h3. It both treathens f2 and makes a strong threat in p@g2. VABORIS problem is that he has too little stuff now because of some dubious moves of LinusO wh ich make it impossible for him to carry out a counter attack. If VABORIS had a P he could have played p@h6 here and if he had a bishop he could have played B @h4 here. But since he is short of stuff he has to make some defensive moves to gain material. } 11a. Nxd2 {162} 16B. Ke2 {162} 12A. Qxd2 {162} {C:Notice that all players have exactly 2:42 seconds left here! But on VABORIS board they hav e made 16 moves and on LinusO's board (becuase of the more complex position the re) only 12 moves. This also reflects the material; most of it is on LinusO's t able!} 12a. Q@e5+ {156} {C:Here both LinusO and Bugzilla have sat 8 seconds eac h. I belive I made sure that I could play Qe5+ Qe3 Qxb2 and then that N@xf6 don 't mate me because I have Qxf6 in the end. Bugzilla maybe sat and made sure so VAB wouldn't get a rook. But then he might also sit because I didn't move (lo ts of top-players sit when he notice that his partner's opponents doesnt move. Because he thinks he is waiting for a piece and don't want to give it to him). This is very important and Gnejs has suggested that a "He sits" button in Thie f would be a good thing for WhoAmI to add if there ever come a new version of T hief. But in this position Bugzilla's sitting wasn't justified and it would hav e been much better for him to play p@g2 at once. } 16b. P@g2 {154} 13A. N@e3 {159} {C:Of course can't PMinear do Qe3 because black trades and VABORIS mates with Q@e8.} 13a. Qxb2 {155} {C:Now we have a very common situation in bughouse : Linus+VAB is +1 sec and VAB mates if he gets a rook, so theoretically they ca n sit and wait for 1. But one sec is to close as LinusO has to sit and be prepa red for 4 different ways to capture the rook: a1,b1,c1,d1 and PM also has diffe rent N checks. Important is that VABORIS has no delaying checks. On B@d6+ there is Kg8. þþAlso principially I think its more fun to play on then to sit it dow n. VABORIS played it so fast that I think he hadn't noticed that he could get r next move.} 17B. Bd2 {153} {A:!} {C: Bd2 is a nice move which buys time, becau se its hard to defend against Bugzilla's king-side offensive. And as I have a s afe king, VABORIS can sacrifice stuff to keep safe and keep the initiative.} ( 17B. P@f6 {160} 17b. gxf6 {154} {A:!} {C:Only move I think.} 18B. B@h6+ {160} 18b. Kg8 {154} {A:!} {C:And the position is unclear. But this to was a way for VABORIS to play, but it hadn't won at once.}) 14A. Rd1 {149} {C:Here first I s at so Bugzilla had to prevent R@e8+. And I was also waiting for a p/b to drop o n c3.} 17b. N@f6 {142} {C:Now both LinusO and VABORIS aresitting... And the wor st in bughouse is when both tables are sitting, then one have to go at once. It s clear that I could use a diag on c3 if I get any and would be likely to get o ne if VABORIS had moved at once since we are 4 sec up. So here VABORIS should h ave went at once. Rhg1 to secure the kingside looks most natural but also P@e5 looks like a good move. But VABORIS keeps sitting and as I realised that I jus t had to go. Now when VABORIS is sitting most of our advantage will disapear an d the game will turn pretty unclear. } 14a. e6 {146} {A:!} {C:The best move! I t threatens the dangerous N on d5 white did treathen Nxc7+ Qxc7 Nd5. Now its pr evented as white won't have a fourth n to drop on c7 with check. Its interestin g to see that this is first time I use something other then a N or some offboar d material. The pieces must be developed!} 15A. Nxc2 {145} (15A. Nxc7+ {149} 15a. Qxc7 {146} 16A. N@d5 {149} 16a. exd5 {146} 17A. Nxd5 {149} {C:And now Qc5 or perhaps Qcc3!?.}) 15a. exd5 {144} 16A. Q@e3+ {143} 16a. Qe7 {142} 18B. P@h6 {138} {C:Finally VABORIS moves an attacking move which Bugzilla have to defend on. But as I said before VABORIS should have had moved at once with pe5 or Rhg 1 instead of sitting. Now our time advantage has disapeared. } 18b. Rg8 {139} {C:The common way to defend against these p@h6 attacks.} 19B. hxg7+ {137} 19b. Rxg7 {139} 20B. B@h6 {136} {C:If white had played B@h8 black had played B@ h6. But then the B can be attacked by N@f5. Everyone is always playing B@h6 ins tead of B@h8 in such positions except me! I think its better to put it on h8 be cause on h6 the B is more vulnerable. } 20b. B@h8 {139} 17A. P@e4 {132} {C:PM s ees that a Q would be dangerous for Bugzilla after Q@e8 dxe8Q+ and N@d7+ and ri ghtly prevents the trade. } 17a. P@c3 {140} 18A. Qdd3 {130} 18a. dxe4 {139} 19A. fxe4 {129} 21B. N@h5 {128} {C:VABORIS goes on with his attacks. If Bugz pl ays Nxh5 then R@e8 is a threat again if VAB gets a rook.} 19a. P@d2+ {135} {C:H ere it seems like there's something wrong in the game; it should be so that Bug zilla's move gxh1Q and VAB's Rxh1 have been played before this move. Must be so mething wrong, perhaps something related to lag (when something is wrong everyo ne blames the lag). } 21b. gxh1=Q {134} 20A. Ke2 {126} 22B. Rxh1 {124} {C:PM an d Bugz is now up 2 sec and LinusO who wanted a n to drop on c1 have to go, beca use Bugzilla sits. } 20a. Nxe4 {119} {C:A strong move which gives some time and white has to consider if he is going to guard the c1 square or if he is going take on e4 or do as he did in the game - go for a counter attack.} 21A. N@d5 {123} 21a. N@c1+ {115} {C:Now once again Nxd7 and Bxd7 must have been played be fore N@c1+.} 22b. Nxd7 {112} {A:!} {C:I like this move which defends the last r ank by eliminating the dangerous pawn and gives black time to go for a counter attack. } 22A. Rxc1 {121} 23B. Bxd7 {120} {C:Of course VAB taks the N which Li nus has been telling him to get.} 23b. Rxd7 {111} {C:Good move Rxd2+ is now a s trong threat. } 24B. P@f6 {120} {A:?} {C:As a rule a bugplayer rather makes an attacking move then a defending one! But this time white definitely should hav e defended with p@d3. And LinusO/VAB would still have been better. } 24b. Rxd2+ {106} 25B. Kxd2 {119} 25b. N@c4+ {105} 26B. Kc1 {118} {A:?!} {C:This isn't VABO RIS's game. He always plays very exact in such concrete tactical positions. Of course he should have gone to e2 here wereafter he is quite safe if Bugzilla d oesn't get a q to d2 (and Kf1 Qxf2 mate then). But as LinusO would have lots of checks so being up 3 sec wouldnt have given Bugzilla a q. þHe is lucky to have a so strong partner! :-)} (26B. Ke2 {119} {A:!} {C:Now this looks again good f or Linus and VAB. Perhaps Bugzilla should have tried Ke8!? here. But then still white would mate with a q after Qc8+ and Pd7 mate.}) 22a. dxc1=N+ {72} {C:I di d this move because I was down on time and a p won't hurt VABORIS much. Here wh ite played Qxc1 the most natural move as Bugzilla wants stuff. After Kf3 white gets mated but Kd1 was an interesting try.} 23A. Qxc1 {119} {C:White did the m ost natural move because Bugzilla wants stuff and now are two black queens hang ing. The position appears critical for me and VAB.þþAfter PM had taken on c1 I did sit seeing that VABORIS was under attack and I didn't want to give Bugzill a more stuff to attack with. And at the same time I thought about what to play in the next move, what would have played if you were LinusO here?þThis is a ve ry critical position in the game and the next move could be the difference betw een winning and losing.} (23A. Kd1 {121} {A:!?} {C:Interresting try. Blacks bes t try appears to be Qb1!} 23a. Qb1 {72} {A:!} {C:Now if white takes blacks quee n he is mated in 3. But perhaps can Bugzilla mate before it. Thats seems to be whites best try here anyway.} 24A. Nxe7 {121} 24a. P@e2+ {72} {A:!} {C:Such mo ve that takes away the kings escapingholes are very important to learn. Its alw ays better to look for those then just check all the time.} 25A. Bxe2 {121} 25a. N@b2+ {72} 26A. Ke1 {121} 26a. Ncxd3+ {72} {C:checkmate}) (23A. Kf3 {121} {A:?} 23a. N@h4+ {72} {A:!!} {C:mates by force} (23a. N@e5+ {72} 24A. Kxe4 {121} {C:unclear} (24A. Kf4 {121} {A:??} 24a. R@g4+ {72} 25A. Kf5 {121} 25a. Qe6+ {72})) 24A. Kg4 {121} (24A. Kf4 {121} 24a. R@f5+ {72} 25A. Kg4 {121} 25a. h5+ {72} 26A. Kh3 {121} 26a. P@g4+ {72}) 24a. h5+ {72} 25A. Kf4 {121} ( 25A. Kh3 {121} 25a. P@g4+ {72}) 25a. R@g4+ {72}) 26b. P@d2+ {33} {C:After we sa t 40 sec Bugzilla moves. As he still has lots of checks.} 27B. Kd1 {117} {A:!} (27B. Kb1 {118} {C:Here is N@a3+ very strong if black can get one, it mates Ka1 Nxc2+ Kb1 N4a3+ bxa3 Nxa3+ Ka1 P@b2 mate.} 27b. Na3+ {33} 28B. bxa3 {118} 28b. Nxc3+ {33} 29B. Ka1 {118} 29b. P@b2+ {33} 30B. Kxb2 {118} 30b. Na4+ {33} {C:If white goes down a n + p mates. Which is likely to come.} 31B. Kb3 {118} {C:And white can run a bit but if black get q and p he mates with Qb5+ and p@c4 .}) 27b. Ncxb2+ {15} {C:Good and obvious move. Bugzilla must keep his other N a t a4 so that if white plays Ke2 he can play Nxc3+. } 28B. Ke2 {116} 28b. Nxc3+ {13} 29B. Kxd2 {116} {C:Now I have sat long enough and have to play - I have ju st 10 sec left. But during the "sitz-krieg" I have THOUGHT, I have observed tha t lots of players think that when they sit its just a break to rest! Of course you shall think during them. As you now not only play by instinct as you do be fore, you can accually think in words. Here is what I thought: " Bugzilla get a q he will mate so I must hold q. I want to play Ng3++ (if I check somewere el se with the n he'll just take my q). But then he will play Kf3 and run away wit h his king and I can't mate him. I must prevent the king from coming to f3 in s ome way and still not loose q... " And suddenly I got a brilliant idea and star ted to calculate it.} 23a. P@f3+ {10} {A:!!} {C:An extremely strong move now th e most natural move for white is to take with his king to get away from the da ngerous e-file. Black mates after other moves: } 24A. Kxf3 {117} (24A. Nxf3 {119} {A:?} 24a. Ng3+ {10} 25A. Kd1 {119} 25a. Qxc1+ {10} 26A. Kxc1 {119} 26a. P@b2+ {10} 27A. Kd1 {119} 27a. R@c1+ {10}) (24A. Qxf3 {119} {A:?} 24a. Ng3+ {10} 25A. Kd3 {119} 25a. N@e5+ {10} 26A. Kd4 {119} (26A. Ke3 {119} 26a. Qxc1+ {10} 27A. Kd4 {119} 27a. R@c4+ {10}) 26a. R@c4+ {10} 27A. Ke3 {119} 27a. Qxc1+ {10} 28A. P@d2 {119} 28a. Qd1 {10} (28a. Qxd2+ {10})) 24a. Qxc1 {9} {C:Thats the point black has foreseen a good reply if white takes black's queen . As Bugzilla nearly mates if he gets a Q PM of course takes(and rightly does s o or Bugzilla would have killed him after the game for not getting his q :-) ). Best try for PM here was maybe Be3 but then only the time could have saved him .} 25A. Nxe7 {116} 25a. R@f4+ {9} {A:!} {C:Now white gets mated.} 26A. Ke2 {115} 29b. Ke8 {7} 26a. Rxf2+ {7} 30B. Q@c8+ {108} 30b. Q@d8+ {5} 31B. P@d7+ {108} {C:I like this complicated game. Now I hope that other top-players will c omment some bughouse games too! It took some time but I really did enjoy it!þ// LinusOþþThanks a lot for that cool game, Linus! I did really enjoy following y our thoughts here, and like you i am looking forward to see more commented game s from bughouse experts 8^)þ Marv} {pminear checkmated} 0-1