Chess/Sample chess game

This is a sample game of chess, recorded in standard algebraic chess notation, and accompanied by
commentary.

White has the first move, and therefore a significant initiative. White wins 10% more often than Black
simply on the power of that initiative. It is important not to squander the opening advantage with a move
that does nothing.

Moves 1-5

1. e4 a b c d e f g h
8 8
White chooses an excellent move, common among
7 7
beginners and experts alike. The move has several
advantages. 6 6
5 5
1. It stakes out territory in the center. Whichever
player controls the center with pawns will 4 4
probably be able to find good squares for his 3 3
pieces.
2. It opens a diagonal for the king's bishop to move 2 2
out and attack, which also facilitates king side 1 1
castling
a b c d e f g h
3. It opens a diagonal for the queen to move out
and attack.

This move accomplishes the two most important concepts of any opening move: 1. Develop a piece, or
facilitate the development of a piece, and 2. Control the center.

1... e5 a b c d e f g h
8 8
This move for Black is good for the same reasons listed
above. Note that the two e-file pawns are not threatening 7 7
to capture each other, because pawns capture diagonally. 6 6
Instead they merely block each other until something
breaks the logjam. 5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
a b c d e f g h
2. Nf3
a b c d e f g h
White makes another fine move. White is mobilizing 8 8
forces by bringing a knight forward into attack position.
Because the white knight is attacking black's e pawn, 7 7
white is maintaining the initiative by forcing black to 6 6
react. So now black's choice of moves are restricted to
5 5
moves that defend the pawn or he might lose the pawn.
The initiative may appear to offer only a slight edge, but 4 4
at the hands of a master it can be deadly. 3 3
White could have moved out the queen instead, but that 2 2
would be dangerous. The queen is too valuable to trade 1 1
for any other piece (unless you can trade it for the enemy
queen or at least the equivalent, such as two bishops and a b c d e f g h
two pawns, three bishops, or a rook, a bishop, and a
pawn, for instance,) so it can't do much by itself unless
the opponent carelessly leaves pieces unprotected. So your opponent can keep attacking your queen with
different pieces. And while you are simply moving your queen around, your opponent will be able to keep
developing his pieces. It is better to wait until there are other pieces in the fray which can serve as shock
troops for her.

White also could have moved out the king's side bishop.

That would not be a bad idea, but it isn't clear yet whether the bishop wants to be at c4, b5, or possibly
even behind the pawns. The knight, on the other hand, usually goes to f3 anyway, because the other
squares it could move to are inferior. On h3 it would not attack the center, and on e2 it would be
temporarily in the way.

2... f6? a b c d e f g h
8 8
Black makes a worthless move, entering the infamous
Damiano Defense. Black needed to defend his pawn with 7 7
either 2...Nc6 (main line) or 2...d6 (Philidor Defense), or 6 6
counter-attack White's pawn with 2...Nf6 (Petrov's
Defense). If Black felt brave, he could also venture into 5 5
the murky waters of 2...f5 (Latvian Gambit) or 2...d5 4 4
(Elephant Gambit). Either knight move would maintain
the balance of the game by contesting the center. 3 3
2 2
The move 2...f6 appears to defend the threatened e-pawn,
but this is an illusion, as the game shall demonstrate. 1 1
Black has weakened the kingside, allowing attacks on the a b c d e f g h
f7 square, which is protected by nothing other than the
king itself. This is called "opening the door," and this
must be taken advantage of.

Black has failed to follow the principles here without any compensation. He has affected the center, but the
move 2. ...d6 would have done and gained some control in the queen side. Also he has not developed a
piece nor has he facilitated the development of a piece. 2. ...Nc6 develops and gains control in the center, 2.
...d6 gains some control on the c8-h3 diagonal and facilitates the development of the light-squared bishop.
Black has also weakened his kingside. Any pawn moves in front of a castled king can be useful
weaknesses for the opponent. Since pawns cannot go backwards you should be very cautious of any pawn
moves on the side you wish to castle on (usually the kingside).

The moves 2...f5 and 2...d5 seem to not adhere to the principles. Why have these moves been brought up?
The fact is the best moves in a position will sometimes break principles, but they will offer compensation
for whatever gains are lost by not following the principle. So in a sense the principles tell us what questions
to ask ourselves when making a move, such as "Should I develop now?" So it is important to understand
the principles in order to decide if you are getting enough compensation. It is very bad to blindly do
whatever the principles dictate.

3. Nxe5 a b c d e f g h
8 8
White attacks immediately, sacrificing the white knight
for two pawns, although generally White would need 7 7
three pawns for the knight to have material equality. 6 6
Before making this sacrifice, White has to calculate to
make sure he is going to gain something that compensates 5 5
for the lost material. In this case, as the following moves 4 4
show, White knows that he will gain an attack on the
enemy king, forcing Black to either surrender more 3 3
material or allow checkmate. 2 2
1 1
a b c d e f g h

a b c d e f g h
3... fxe5?
8 8
Black makes the only move consistent with 2...f6, but it is 7 7
not best. The best try for an equal game was 3...Qe7,
6 6
skewering White's knight, pawn, and king. That is to say,
the queen would indirectly be attacking everything in the 5 5
e-file. After the knight moved away, the queen could take 4 4
on e4 with check, regaining the pawn. White would,
however, have a large advantage because of his lead in 3 3
development and Black's weakened kingside pawn 2 2
structure, e.g. 4.Nf3 Qxe4+ 5.Be2, likely followed by 0-0
and Nc3 (attacking the queen). 1 1
a b c d e f g h
Retaking the knight now merely invites White's queen to
jump into the fray with check. The fact that Black cannot
afford to take the knight shows that 2...f6 did not really protect the pawn at all.

4. Qh5+

The game's first check! There are three legal ways to respond to check:

1. Capture the piece giving check. Here this is impossible, as Black has nothing which can
move to h5.
 2. Interpose a piece between the king and the
piece giving check. Black could play 4...g6. But a b c d e f g h
that would lose a rook to 5.Qxe5+ and 6.Qxh8. 8 8
3. Move the king out of check. Moving the king to
f7 leaves it in check, and is thus illegal, so e7 is 7 7
the only square for moving out of check. 6 6
5 5
Note that White has forked the king on e8 and the pawn
on e5. There is no time for Black to protect both, so no 4 4
matter what Black does to get out of check, White's queen 3 3
can take on e5.
2 2
1 1
a b c d e f g h

a b c d e f g h
4... Ke7
8 8
This move leaves Black in a dangerous position, because 7 7
the black king is so exposed. Furthermore, the black
6 6
rooks, bishops, and queen still have no way to get out.
The Black position is no more developed than it was at 5 5
the start of the game. 4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
a b c d e f g h

a b c d e f g h
5. Qxe5+
8 8
Another check. Black now has only one legal move. 7 7
Black can't interpose anything between the king and
6 6
queen, and can't take the queen, so the black king must be
moved out of check. There is only one square next to 5 5
Black's king which White's queen is not attacking. 4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
a b c d e f g h

5... Kf7
Black moves the King, it's the only available move to
play. White's queen is a dangerous attacker. However, a b c d e f g h
because it is too valuable to trade for anything, it can only 8 8
take undefended pieces. Everything in Black's camp is
defended by something, so the queen has done all it can 7 7
do by itself. It is time to bring in reinforcements. 6 6
5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
a b c d e f g h

Moves 6-10

6. Bc4+ a b c d e f g h
8 8
This is an excellent move to keep the pressure on Black 7 7
because it develops a piece and gives check while
preventing Black from consolidating. 6 6
5 5
If White played less energetically with 6.Nc3, the
advantage would evaporate instantly. Black could answer 4 4
with 6...Be7, giving the king room to retreat to f8. Once 3 3
Black gets his king to safety, Black might actually be
winning. White has only two pawns for the sacrificed 2 2
knight, which leaves White at a material disadvantage. 1 1
a b c d e f g h

a b c d e f g h
6.... d5!
8 8
Black makes an excellent defensive move. Never forget 7 7
that moving the king isn't the only way to get out of
6 6
check!
5 5
Admittedly, Black's d-pawn is a dead duck. It is attacked
4 4
by White's bishop, queen, and pawn, three times
altogether, while it is defended only once, by Black's 3 3
queen. The sacrifice is worthwhile, though, to open up 2 2
lines for the queen and bishop so they can help with the
defense. Now if White fails to find the best continuation, 1 1
Black has some chance to counter-attack. a b c d e f g h
7. Bxd5+
a b c d e f g h
White gives check yet again, which prevents Black from 8 8
doing anything constructive. Let's review the three ways
to get out of check: 7 7
6 6
1. Capture the piece giving check. Black could
play 7...Qxd5. But White would simply take 5 5
queen with 8.Qxd5+. With such a huge material 4 4
disadvantage and an exposed king, Black could
resign without feeling like a quitter. 3 3
2. Interpose a piece. Black could play 7...Be6. But 2 2
that would be inadvisable, because the bishop 1 1
would be defended only once (by Black's king)
and attacked twice (by White's queen and a b c d e f g h
bishop). In fact, White could end the game at
once with 8.Qxe6#
3. Move the king. Alas, the only square which is not under attack by White is g6, even further
into the open. It beats the alternatives, though.

a b c d e f g h
7... Kg6
8 8
Now White must think of a way to continue the attack. 7 7
White would like to play 8.Qf5+, driving Black's king to
6 6
h6 where it can be cornered and checkmated, but Black's
c8 bishop is guarding the square f5. If Black hadn't 5 5
interposed with 6...d5, Black would now be subject to a 4 4
forced checkmate. As it stands White has to be more
creative to keep the initiative. 3 3
2 2
1 1
a b c d e f g h

a b c d e f g h
8. h4
8 8
Again White finds a strong continuation. White is 7 7
threatening to force the Black king to h6 after all with
6 6
h5+. Also the pawn protects the g5 square which is
important in some mating combinations. Finally, there is 5 5
some chance the rook will be able to join the attack down 4 4
the h-file.
3 3
2 2
1 1
a b c d e f g h
8... h5
a b c d e f g h
Black plays a tenacious defense in a precarious situation. 8 8
White's pawn is blocked from further advances, and the
king has a new escape square on h7. Black's position is 7 7
still precarious, but there is no immediate way for White 6 6
to force checkmate.
5 5
Now let us take a step deeper into chess reasoning. White 4 4
knows Black is on the run for the moment, but if Black
3 3
has a chance to regroup, the game is far from over. Three
pawns for the sacrificed knight is roughly material 2 2
equality. 1 1
If White brings additional forces forward with 9.Nc3 or a b c d e f g h
9.d4, the obvious developing moves, Black will harass
White's queen with 9...Bd6. That would force White to
lose time protecting the queen. Black would gain time to get the black pieces out and get the black king to
safety.

White desperately wants a quick kill, but can't see how to get it. White is annoyed that Black's bishop on c8
prevents White from playing 9.Qf5+ and administering the coup de grace. Therefore White asks the
question, "What if Black's bishop were not on c8? If only that annoyance were removed, I could do great
things."

9. Bxb7 a b c d e f g h
8 8
White finds a forceful continuation that puts Black in dire
straits. Black's best bet now is to ignore White's bishop 7 7
and harass White's queen with 9...Bd6, but then White 6 6
calmly plays 10.Qa5, maintaining the threat on f5 and
forcing Black to lose material. One possible line of play is 5 5
9...Bd6, 10.Qa5 Nc6, 11.Bxc6 Rb8. The checkmate has 4 4
been avoided, but now White has a large material
advantage (four extra pawns) and can win slowly and 3 3
surely with patient developing moves like 12.Nc3. 2 2

(Note that after 9...Bd6, 10.Qa5 Black cannot play Bxb7 1 1

because of 11.Qf5+, with the same play as in the main a b c d e f g h
variation below.)

As it happens, Black does not understand the danger. Black grabs the bishop for a material advantage of
Black's (bishop plus knight versus four pawns) and suffers the consequences.

9... Bxb7?

A weak move, allowing White's attack to break through. (A stronger alternative, although still bad for
Black, is 9...Bd6 attacking the Queen and developing the Bishop, but White can reply 10.Qa5 as discussed
in the note to White's prior move.) This is Black's critical error. From here on, White has a forced mate.
 a b c d e f g h
8 8
7 7
6 6
5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
a b c d e f g h

a b c d e f g h
10. Qf5+
8 8
The crushing move can be unleashed at last. Black has 7 7
only one legal reply.
6 6
5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
a b c d e f g h

a b c d e f g h
10... Kh6
8 8
This is the only move, the King is in check and as the 7 7
White Queen cannot be taken and any other moves for
6 6
the King would still allow it to be taken. So 10... Kh6 is
forced. 5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
a b c d e f g h

Moves 11-14
11. d4+
a b c d e f g h
White continues the attack with a special kind of check, a 8 8
discovered check. White moves a pawn, but it isn't the
pawn which gives check. It is White's bishop, attacking 7 7
from its home square, which delivers the blow. 6 6

Note that Black's king has no legal moves, and White's 5 5

bishop is safe from capture, so interposition is the only 4 4
option. But because it is an option, this is not, yet,
3 3
checkmate.
2 2
1 1
a b c d e f g h

a b c d e f g h
11... g5
8 8
At this point White has an easy win with 12.Bxg5+ Kg7 7 7
13.Bxd8. The material advantage of a queen and five
6 6
pawns for a bishop and a knight is overwhelming.
However, weak players have been known to play on in 5 5
completely hopeless positions rather than resign. In order 4 4
to forestall a long, boring mop-up operation, White looks
for a direct kill. 3 3
2 2
1 1
a b c d e f g h

a b c d e f g h
12. Qf7!
8 8
Truly a masterful move! White doesn't even call check, 7 7
but mate is now inevitable.
6 6
5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
a b c d e f g h

12... Qe7
Nothing can save Black now short of White forgetting the
plan, but there is some logic to Black's move. Where can a b c d e f g h
White's queen go? Any of Black's pieces it could take are 8 8
protected. If White trades queens, then the attack is over,
and Black is winning. Finally, if White's queen simply 7 7
retreats, Black will strike back with check: 13...Qxe4+! 6 6

But White must have foreseen this possibility, or White 5 5

would never have played 12.Qf7 instead of 12.Bxg5+. 4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
a b c d e f g h

a b c d e f g h
13. hxg5+
8 8
White plays a Zwischenzug, checking Black's king and 7 7
destroying Black's pawn majority. Black can't get out of
6 6
this check by interposition or by moving the king away.
All retreat is cut off by White's well-placed queen. The 5 5
only option is to capture the checking piece. 4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
a b c d e f g h

a b c d e f g h
13... Qxg5
8 8
7 7
6 6
5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
a b c d e f g h

14. Rxh5#
Checkmate. Black can't interpose anything, because the
rook is giving check from an adjacent square. Black's a b c d e f g h
king can't move away, because White's queen covers all 8 8
retreat squares. Black's king can't capture the rook,
because then it would be in check from White's queen. 7 7
Finally, Black's queen can't capture White's rook because 6 6
it is pinned. If it moved away, White's bishop on c1
5 5
would be giving check to Black's king.
4 4
Notice that, although material considerations are very
3 3
important in chess thinking, one doesn't win by having
the most pieces. One wins by delivering checkmate. 2 2
White was behind in material almost the entire game, 1 1
including in the final position, but came away with the
victory nonetheless. a b c d e f g h

Move list in Portable Game Notation

Here is the game in Portable Game Notation (PGN) format. Most computer chess programs have an easy
way to import games in this format. In the best case you can just copy the following code, start your chess
program and paste the code to it:

[Event ""]
[Site ""]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round ""]
[White "White"]
[Black "Black"]
[TimeControl "-"]
[Result "1-0"]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f6 3.Nxe5 fxe5 4.Qh5+ Ke7 5.Qxe5+ Kf7 6.Bc4+ d5 7.Bxd5+
Kg6 8.h4 h5 9.Bxb7 Bxb7 10.Qf5+ Kh6 11.d4+ g5 12.Qf7 Qe7 13.hxg5+ Qxg5
14.Rxh5# 1-0

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This page was last edited on 12 June 2020, at 01:57.

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