[Event "fics rated bughouse match; UBD#211338,211341,211342,211346,211355,211357,211362,211366,211369,211371,211374,211377,0"]
[Site "fics"]
[Date "2003-02-22 13:47:59"]
[WhiteA "VABORIS"][WhiteAElo "2567"]
[BlackA "tantheman"][BlackAElo "2438"]
[WhiteB "LINDEGREN"][WhiteBElo "2232"]
[BlackB "Firefly"][BlackBElo "2462"]
[TimeControl "180+0"]
[Result "1-0"]

{C:My name is John O (aka Fudpucker) and I will be  your commentator.  This gam
e  was played on February 23, 2003 during the Master's Challenge hosted by Dani
el Denes (aka Marv) on FICS.þþKazim Gulamali (aka Vaboris) and Maarten Arrons (
aka Firefly) are considered  by many to be the top two best active bughouse pla
yers on FICS.  Although they are both aggressive players, the two players appro
ach attacking  method with different styles.  Vaboris puts more emphasis on  ta
tical advantage and percision, while Firefly focuses more on positional advanta
ge and good intuition.þþIn order for a bughouse team to be successful, usually
 one player must be aggressive, while his team mate  play passively and try to
 control his board.  To be a good bugger, it is importatant to learn how to ada
pt to certain situation and change your style in  order to help your partner.þþ
Side comments by Gulamali and Arrons will be in quotation marks and stamped wit
h their initials (KG) and (MA).}
1B. d4 {179} 1b. e6 {180} 2B. Nf3 {179} 2b. a6 {180} 3B. Bf4 {179} 3b. b5 {180}
4B. e3 {179} 4b. Bb7 {180} 5B. Bd3 {179} 1A. e4 {179} 1a. Nc6 {179} 2A. Nc3
{179} 2a. e5 {179} 3A. Nf3 {179} 3a. Bc5 {179} 4A. Bc4 {179} {C: Tantheman and
 Vaboris starts the game off with a classic opening, while Lindegren and Firefl
y plays a fairly modern bughouse opening.þþIn most cases, the outcome of a game
 is usually decided upon the board where aggressive openings are played, such a
s the Italian.  Firefly and Lindegren openings do not show many weaknesses, so
 they just try to support their partners by controlling the piece flow.þþ"Hmm,
 I don't know about modern opening. Kingwalker has been playing it since hmm 97
 or so ?þIt's actually terrible for black but it does give white some chances o
f making mistakes." (MA)þþAnything Kingwalker likes to play should be considere
d pretty "modern".  Just kidding, Kingwalker :)} 4a. Bxf2+ {179} {A:?!} {C:True
 to his style, Tantheman leaves the book opening line and attacks early to avoi
d playing a defensive game. Vaboris is forced to make recovery moves, allowing
 Tantheman to gain some tempo.  Howerever, it's questionable if the sacrfice is
 worth the tempo gained, since  Lindegren can't seem to force any kind of  trad
es.  Extra tempo are usually just temporary advantages, while extra pieces are
 permanent.} 5A. Kxf2 {179} {C:"Tantheman played a questionable sack here but I
 think it was a wise decision because he uses his lag to his advantage, so with
 some material he can be quiet an attacking force."  (KG)} 5a. Nh6 {179}
6A. Rf1 {179} 6a. Ng4+ {179} {C:"I quickly tried to get safe.  Another option w
as qf1 and walking over by ke1 and kd1, but i like the kingside better."  (KG)}
7A. Kg1 {179} 7a. O-O {178} 8A. d3 {179} 8a. d6 {178} 9A. Nd5 {179} {A:!}
5b. B@g6 {177} {A:!} {C:B@g6 is a type of move I like to call "a positional tra
p."  Altough it looks fairly defensive, Firefly is hoping his opponent will pl
ay Bxg6, allowing his rook to have a half open file after hxg6.  Lindedgren is
 reluctant to trade, but is forced to because of  the powerful b7 Bishop placin
g pressure on the e4 square.  Although positional advantages are subtle  compar
ed to tatical advantages, they can last a long  time and can be a strong influe
nce through out the entire game, as you will notice later.þþ"In this opening bl
ack almost has to control the white fields or white will just roll right over h
im.þB@g6 offers extra control of e4." (MA)} 6B. Nbd2 {178} 6b. d6 {176}
7B. Bxg6 {177} 9a. B@c5+ {174} {A:?!} {C:Tantheman is determined to undermine o
pponent's defense.  However, with some blockers, Vaboris' position looks solid.
  Maybe B@h4 was better, defending some of his dark squares while keeping press
ure on Vaboris' dark square weakness.} 7b. hxg6 {175} 10A. B@e3 {177} 8B. O-O
{175} {C:This game will most likely be decided by how accurate Tantheman and Va
boris plays each other from this point on.  It's interesting to note, Firefly's
 positional superiority allows him to control piece flow, while Lindegren has l
ittle or no control.  This is a huge advantage for Vaboris.} 8b. Nf6 {174}
10a. Nd4 {172} 9B. Qe2 {173} 11A. Bxd4 {175} {C:"Vaboris wants a pawn here for
 p@e7 althought p@e2 might create counterplay for Tantheman.þPersonally I would
 probably prefer Nxd4 over Bxd4 but this is fine too." (MA)þþ"I dont think ther
e was much difference between bxd4 and nxd4 either way tan would have played bx
d4 and if i recaptured which is probably best he would play qh4 which is quite
 strong.  Another possibility was to play a blocker at e3 after Bxd4."  (KG)þ}
9b. Nbd7 {173} 10B. e4 {172} 10b. Nxe4 {172} {C:"Remember, I said control of th
e white fields is vital for black. I even sack a piece for it here." (MA)}
11B. Nxe4 {172} 11b. Nf6 {172} 12B. Nxf6+ {170} 12b. gxf6 {171} 11a. Bxd4+
{166} 12A. Nxd4 {174} 12a. Qh4 {166} {A:!} {C:A clever way to divert some of Va
boris' focus on the black king ... by attacking!  Tantheman attempts to gain th
e initiative and threaten mate by sacrificing his bishop.} 13B. P@e4 {168}
13b. Bxe4 {170} {C:"Another piece sacked for control of the white fields.þOf co
urse I was aware that Tantheman had already sacked 2 pieces on the other board.
" (MA)} 14B. Qxe4 {167} 14b. B@d5 {170} 15B. Qe2 {167} 13A. Qxg4 {164} {A:!}
13a. Bxg4 {163} {C:An excellent move by Vaboris.  This takes Tantheman's mate t
hreat, and his powerful Knights allow him to get back the Queen lost later in t
he game.  Qxg4 is no good after N@h6+!.} 14A. P@g3 {163} {A:!} {C:A good follow
 up by Vaboris.  He must get rid of Tantheman's Queen from h4 square in orde to
 attack successfully.þþ"Here I think exd4 would give Tan good chances. For exam
ple 14. .. exd4 15. gxh4 N@e2+ þ16. Kf2 (16. Kh1 N@g3 strong for black) B@e3 17
. Nxe3 dxe3+ 18. Bxe3 and Tan now has chances of þdefending because the 2 knigh
ts putting extra pressure on him are gone from the board.þPerhaps vaboris has s
tronger moves than 15. gxh4, like maybe N@h6+ but it is certainly a riskier gam
e for him."  (MA)} 15b. N@h5 {152} 16B. B@g3 {165} 16b. Nxf4 {140} 17B. Bxf4
{164} 17b. N@h5 {137} 18B. Bg3 {164} 18b. g5 {111} 19B. Ne1 {161} 19b. Nf4
{108} 20B. Bxf4 {160} 20b. gxf4 {107} 14a. B@c5 {104} {A:!} {C:Tantheman knows
 his Queen is lost. His defense is compromised if he tries to save the Queen, s
o instead Tantheman attemps to even the trades and keep the initiative with B@c
5.} 15A. gxh4 {162} 15a. Bxd4+ {104} 21B. N@e4 {158} 16A. Be3 {160} {A:?!} {C:P
erhaps B@e3 was better, allowing Vaboris keep the Knight on a strong square if
 Tantheman plays Bxe3+.} 16a. N@e2+ {104} 17A. Kf2 {158} {C:This is a crucial p
oint in the game.  Tantheman must play fast and accurately in order to gain any
 kind of advantage.   If he allows Vaboris to take the initiative, it's very un
likely Tantheman will be able to survive the bombardments around his king's dar
k squares.} 21b. Q@g6 {99} 22B. Ng3 {154} 17a. N@f4 {85} {A:?} {C:Bxe3+ would h
ave been better.  Vaboris would be forced to either  pull back  with  Nxe3, or
 play aggressive but risky Kxe3.  Either variations would have allowed Tanthema
n to gain some advantage.} 18A. P@f6 {155} {A:!!} {C:As small as this move look
s, it probably seals Tantheman's doom.  Only pieces that would temporarily save
 him are Bishops and Queens, and Lindegren can't get either.} 22b. Qh6 {74}
{A:?!} {C:There's no question of Firefly's positional superiority on his board,
 especially with his powerful bishop and rook.  However, Qh6 looks a bit dubiou
s.  Pxg3 would have been more forced followed by two main  variations.  If Lind
egren plays h2xg3, Firefly can attack with B@h2+ or wait for a horizontal piece
 and mate.  If he plays f2xg3, Firefly can play more potential Qh6! and force a
 Q trade.  Looking more closely into the second variation, if Lindegren dropped
 anything lesser than a Horizontal piece at h3, Firefly can play B@e3+, B@f2, B
xg2, Nxg2, Qxh3.þþ"I was trying to avoid letting Tan have any diagonals." (MA)}
23B. Q@h5 {151} 18a. Bxe3+ {18} {C:Bxe3+ is  too little too late.  Vaboris simp
lies the position to a routine mating attack after Nxe3.  With his partner cont
rolling the piece flow, a mate is inevitable.} 19A. Nxe3 {154} 19a. N@e8 {14}
23b. Qxh5 {15} 24B. Nxh5 {151} 20A. N@h6+ {151} {A:!} {C:N@e7+ would be a mista
ke.þþþ"As someone else said N@e7 would be a mistake because after kh8 i would h
ave to take on g7 and just keep dropping diagonals on f6 and h6 and this would
 probably just end in a draw." (KG) } 20a. gxh6 {13} 24b. Rxh5 {12} {A:!} {C:Fi
refly is paying attention..} 21A. N@e7+ {149} 21a. Kh8 {13} 25B. Qxh5 {149}
25b. B@g6 {12} 22A. B@g7+ {148} 22a. Nxg7 {13} 23A. fxg7+ {148} 23a. Kxg7 {13}
24A. N3f5+ {148} 24a. Bxf5 {13} 25A. Nxf5+ {147} 26B. Qg4 {147} 25a. Kg6 {12}
26A. Q@g7+ {147} 26b. f5 {11} 27B. Qd1 {146} 27b. Bxg2 {9} 28B. B@f3 {146}
28b. B@d5 {8} 29B. Bxg2 {145} {C:A great "model" game by the two top masters. 
 Vaboris played nearly a perfect game with fast, accurate moves.  Although Fire
fly is best known as an attacker, he took the back seat in this game and coordi
nated the piece trades using his positional superiority.þþ"Firefly did quite a
 nice job of controlling the piece flow.  Even as Lindegren got developed his p
osition just wasn't very controlling, while firefly controlled the a8-h1 diagon
al the whole game." (KG)þþ"Kudos to Vaboris for Qxg4. I got 3 light pieces for
 a queen which let me sack to keep board control on my board despite being unde
rdeveloped and cramped." (MA)}

{tantheman resigned} 1-0