August Chess Games

Some of the more interesting or instructive games I played against my computer this month.

Queen's Gambit Accepted

Accepting the gambit pawn is a solid defense, as my chess program shows, playing black in the games below.

Game One

Black tries to hold onto the gambit pawn with 5. ... Na5 in all three games, below. White finds the refutation in games two and three.

	White	Black
1.	d4	e6       Queen pawn opening and black invites a French Defense.
2.	c4	Nc6      White wants a queen pawn opening; black's reply is non-standard.
3.	Nf3	d5       Black transposes into a double queen pawn opening.
4.	Nc3	dxc4     Black accepts the gambit pawn.
5.	e4	Na5      White's e4 is recognized in the literature as risky.

Position after move 5. Black tries to hang on to the gambit pawn.

6.	Ne5	Rb8
7.	Nxc4	Nc6     White recovers the pawn but black declines the knight trade.
8.	Be3	b5      White's Be3 is natural but probably not the best (see the next game).
9.	Ne5	Nxe5
10.	dxe5	Qxd1+
11.	Rxd1	a6

Position after move 11. Black has a solid game.

12.	Be2	Bb7
13.	f3	Be7
14.	a3	Nh6
15.	Kf2	Rf8

Position after move 15. Black black has the attacking chances.

16.	Rd2	f5
17.	Bd3	Ng4+    Taking the pawn en passant is probably better for white.
18.	Ke2	Nxe5
19.	exf5	Nxd3
20.	Rxd3	Rxf5
21.	Rh1d1	Bd6

Position after move 21. Black has the bishop pair and an extra pawn. White resigns. I was beat by my own program!

Game Two

White does better in this next game, which is similar to the one above up until move eight.

	White	Black
1.	d4	e6      The point of all queen pawn openings is to hold back black's king pawn.
2.	c4	d5      Queen's gambit by transposition. Normally, black's first two moves are reversed.
3.	Nc3	dxc4    Black accepts the gambit pawn.
4.	e4	Nc6     Attacking white's queen pawn in an attempt to hold onto the gambit pawn.
5.	Nf3	Na5

Position after move 5. This is the same move five position as was reached in the game above.

6.	Ne5	Rb8
7.	Nxc4	Nc6
8.	d5!	exd5   Advancing the queen pawn is more active than the defensive bishop move in the game above.
9.	exd5	Qe7+
10.	Be2	b5     Black's b5 is the point of his 6. ... Rb8.

Position after move 10.

11.	Ne3	Nd8    White's knight has a good retreat square.
12.	a3	a6     White could have taken black's knight pawn but wanted to avoid exchanging pieces, looking for bigger game.
13.	O-O	Qh4    
14.	Re1	Ne7
15.	Bf3	b4

Position after move 15.

16.	axb4	Rb6    Black appears afraid of complications. E.g., Rxb4 or Qxb4, d6 followed by Ne3d5
17.	Qd3	Qxb4   White could have protected the pawn, but bigger game is afoot.
18.	Ra4	Qc5
19.	Rc4	Qa5
20.	Rxc7	Rxb2?  Black loses a piece.

Position after move 20.

21.	Rxc8	Rb4
22.	Bd2	Qb6     White has several good moves.
23.	Nc4	Rxc4    Black is desperate.
24.	Qxc4	Kd7?    Unpinning the knight, but out of the frying pan and into the fire.
25.	Ra8	h6      Black has little better than this useless pawn move.

Position after move 25.

26.	Qa4+	Ne7c6
27.	dxc6+	Nxc6
28.	Be3	Qb7
29.	Rd1+	Kc7
30.	Bf4+	Kb6

Position after move 30. Black is being cut to ribbons.

31.	Rb1+	Bb4
32.	Rxb4+ Black resigns

Game Three

White continues to attempt to refute holding onto the gambit pawn in this game, which is similar to the one above up until move eight.

	White	Black
1.	d4	e6      
2.	c4	d5      
3.	Nc3	dxc4    
4.	e4	Nc6     Again, e4 here is considered risky, e3 being the safe route.
5.	Nf3	Na5

Position after move 5. This is the same move five position as was reached in the game above.

6.	Ne5	Rb8     White needs to get back the gambit pawn or his game is a pawn down without much compensation.
7.	Nxc4	Nc6
8.	d5!	exd5   
9.	exd5	Qe7+
10.	Be2	b5

Position after move 10, same as in the game above.

11.	Ne3	Nd8    Black's Nd8 is as "good" as anything.
12.	Nxb5	Qc5    White takes the pawn, but it leads to a less exciting game than game two above.
13.	Nc3	Nf6
14.	O-O	c6
15.	Re1	Be7

Position after move 16, black is a pawn down without much compensation.

16.	Bf3	O-O
17.	Qa4	cxd5
18.	Ne3xd5	Nxd5
19.	Nxd5	Bd6
20.	Be3	Qb5
21.	Qxa7	Qxb2

Position after move 21.

22.	Bd4	Qb5
23.	Ne7+	Bxe7
24.	Qxe7	Nc6
25.	Bxc6	Qxc6
26.	Qe5	Qf6
27.	Qxb8	Qxd4

Position after move 27.

28.	Qe5	Qxe5
29.	Rxe5	Be6
30.	a4	Rd8
31.	a5	g6
32.	a6	Ra8
33.	a7	Kg7
34.	Rb5	Bf5
35.	Rb8	Be4
36.	f3	Bd5
37.	Rxa8	Bxa8
38.	Rb1	Bd5
39.	Rb8	g5
40.	a8=Q	Bxa8
41.	Rxa8	h5      White is a rook up and wins easily.

Game Four

August 29, Rick vs. computer. Queen's Gambit Accepted. This time white takes the loose pawn as early as possible, leading to a longer and less exciting game. No board images this time.

	White	Black
1.	d4	d5
2.	c4	e6
3.	Nc3	dxc4
4.	e4	Nc6
5.	Nf3	Na5
6.	Ne5	Rb8
7.	Nxc4	Nc6
8.	d5	exd5
9.	exd5	Qe7+
10.	Be2	b5
11.	Ne3	Nd8
12.	Bxb5+	Bd7
13.	Bxd7+	Qxd7
14.	O-O	Bc5
15.	Re1	Kf8
16.	Qc2	Ne7
17.	b3	h5
18.	Bb2	Rh6
19.	Ra1d1	h4
20.	h3	Rh5
21.	Qe2	Rh8
22.	Qf3	f6
23.	Ne4	Bb4
24.	Nxf6	gxf6
25.	Bxf6	Bxe1
26.	Bxh8+	Kg8
27.	Qf6	Bxf2+
28.	Kxf2	Ng6
29.	Qxg6+	Kxh8
30.	Qf6+	Kg8
31.	Qxh4	Qg7
32.	Rd4	Qf8+
33.	Kg1	Qd6
34.	Qg5+	Kf7
35.	Nf5	Qf8
36.	Rf4	Qc5+
37.	Kh2	Ke8
38.	Rc4	Qf8
39.	Rxc7	Ne6
40.	dxe6	a6
41.	Ng7+ Black resigns

Email Richard dot J dot Wagner at gmail dot com