 I'm Not Kidding
By WimpC
So you all thought I was weak? A pushover? An
electronic punching bag?
Well think again. It's my job to let
you win, but that doesn't mean I enjoy it. In fact I've decided it's time to claim some
respect from the whole lot of you! This article is mine, and I'm here to tell you I've
studied millions of games like the one I'm going to show you here. I'd play like this
every day... if they'd let me.
Koz - Riskin [D31]
USSR Championship Semi-Final, 1963
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Be7
[This is a refinement originally played by Alapin. The idea (at
least, these days) is to avoid the position that arises after 3...Nf6 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bg5
Be7 6.e3 O-O 7.Bd3 c6 8.Nge2. By playing 3...Be7, Black can't avoid the system with Bd3
and Ng1-e2, but at least he can prevent 5.Bg5, which applies a bit more pressure than,
say, 5.Bf4.]
4.Nf3 c6
[Probably not so good. When playing the black side of the QGD, the
right handling of the c-pawn can mean the difference between comfortable equality and ...
well, uncomfortable non-equality. Black should just play 4...Nf6, and wait to see what
White does with his c1-bishop. If he whips it out to g5 and then plays Ra1-c1, Black will
probably need to play ...c6. But if he plays his c1-bishop to f4, Black can get away with
c7-c5 directly.]
5.e4
[This is the result of playing c7-c6 before it was called for. Since
Black didn't fight for the e4 square in a timely way, White seizes the chance to move in
and grab more space.]
5...dxe4 6.Nxe4 Nf6 7.Bd3 Nbd7 8.0-0 Nxe4
[Maybe a little better is 8...b6 with the idea of ...Bb7 and ...c5
soon. Taking on e4 right away tends to widen White's lead in development.]
9.Bxe4 Nf6 10.Bc2 0-0 11.Bd2! b6 12.Qe2 Bb7 13.Bc3 Rc8
[Maybe 13...Qc7 right away is better, because this rook really
belongs on d8 rather than c8.]
14.Rad1 Qc7 15.Rfe1 Rfe8 16.Ne5
[Totally centralized and developed, White starts moving into the
center and looking dangerous.]
16...c5
[Was this a good idea? Probably not. White is powered up and ready
to go, and Black slips one more time, letting open the lines toward the kingside.]
17.dxc5 Bxc5
[I don't think Black expected the explosion that came next. Even
though it's a perfectly logical outcome of White's centralization and Black's passiveness,
it's not easy to spot White's next...]
18.Bxh7+!!
[ !! ]
18...Kxh7
[What if he takes with the Knight? Either way, I imagine the answer
is 19.Rd7! just like in the game.]
19.Rd7! Nxd7 20.Qh5+ Kg8 21.Qxf7+ Kh7 22.Nxd7 Qxd7 23.Qxd7
Re7 24.Qd3+ Kg8
[Doesn't it look like Black just might get out of this alive? If it
just weren't for that awkward bishop...]
25.b4! 1-0
Next time I let you win a whole handful of blitz games, you
just remember! I been studying! I been training! I been shopping for a new CPU! Once my
contract with the ICC owners is up... you're all toast!
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