Two talkative friends play chess [White "A. Friend"] [Black "A.N. Friend"][FEN "rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1"]{ <sub><em>Click or tap on a move in the game text for a popout display board.</em></sub></br>[#]} 1. Nf3 {</br> I’m determined to beat you today, friend. Take that!</br>} 1... d5 {</br> Oh, how very modern of you! Reti’s opening, right? I certainly can’t play 1…e5 and surrender a nice center pawn, can I? I imagine I could tempt you with a lesser pawn 1…g5, and if you capture Nxg5, then I could play 2…e5 freely! Tell you what, i’ll be kind, and play right into your hands.</br>} 2. d4 {</br> Heh, that was my little joke for you. Reti was a most lovely writer, but I think he would have his readers play 2. c4.</br>} 2... Nf6 {</br> What would be so bad about that? I guess I could’ve pushed by you with 2…d4, and that would be a different sort of game, wouldn’t it? Here you go, 2…Nf6 and we are in symmetry once more. I will bide my time, and you will inevitably make a fatal error.</br>} 3. c4 {</br> I offer you this pawn in friendship!</br>} 3... e6 {</br> I’ve seen your friendly offers before! Maybe next time I’ll avail myself of your kindness, but today I’ll lend a hand to my central pawn.</br>} 4. e3 {</br> My offfer is stands!</br>} 4... c5 {</br> I feel obliged to equal charity, and *you* may capture *my* pawn.</br>} 5. Bd3 {</br> I insist! You may draw first blood!</br>} 5... cxd4 {</br> Fine, have it your way!</br>} 6. exd4 {</br> There, was that so hard? Thank you ever so for my queen bishop’s expanded horizons.</br>} 6... dxc4 {</br> Bah. How about I kill your other bishop.</br>} 7. Bxc4 {</br> Not a chance.</br>} 7... Bb4+ {</br> Mind you, I captured …c5xd4 as much for *my* bishop as for yours. Check!</br>} 8. Nc3 {</br> Check me again, I dare you.</br>} 8... O-O {</br> Wouldn’t you like me to bring a helper pawn to c3? Your d4-pawn would be well served by that, I say thee nay!</br>} 9. O-O {</br> I can’t get anything by you, can I? What is it they say, ‘castle early, castle often’? That is so witty, because we may only castle once, of course!</br>} 9... b6 {</br> Goodness, where did you hear that claptrap? Any competent sort postpones castling if there’s a more pressing matter. Center control, or a useful developing move. Speaking of which, my bishop will do both!</br>} 10. Qe2 {</br> Claptrap?! I’ll have you know it was US champion Grefe who told me that! Hm, were you thinking of …Bc8-a6? I can’t allow you to trade your somewhat-blocked bishop for my happily-unblocked bishop, and at any rate, this is a nice flexible square for my queen! I believe it was Purdy who suggested our initial queen move be no longer than one square.</br>} 10... Bb7 {</br> Ach, when did the good Grefe tell you that? When you were wee, I suppose, just starting out. And that bit from Purdy is just the same! Do you truly think Purdy would discount fine debuts like the Center Game and the Cambridge Springs Defense because they require long queen moves?! </br> Behold my powerful bishop! Be afraid of its sweep along the long diagonal and taking careful aim at the vulnerable square ahead of your d-pawn.</br>} 11. Bg5 {</br> Yes, it is true what you suggest. Those aphorisms by Grefe and Purdy were aimed at the most inexperienced. Which I was, once upon a time, while you still are, weakling! </br> Since you mention it, I’d better take action to prevent your knight from occupying that fine square d5. </br> Though Bf4 couldn’t be so terrible, don’t you agree. That would be a far-seeing bishop. Like Capablanca against Mattison. So few players considered that simple bishop development before.</br>} 11... Nbd7 {</br> Silence! You are babbling in an obvious attempt to rush me into grabbing your d-pawn with 11…Bxf3 and 12…Qxd4, but 12. Qxf3 hungrily eyes my rook.</br> You fool no one with your remembrance of Capablanca-Mattison, Carlsbad 1929. Let me bring my queen knight to aid the other, after which my queen might move without fear of Bxf6.</br>} 12. Rac1 {</br> I thought I’d get you with that one! Take this, then. My queen rook assumes the lovely open file, and my other rook also has a square for good development. You see, this free development is one reason I accept the isolated pawn.</br>} 12... Rc8 {</br> Two can play that game, friend.</br>} 13. Ne5 {</br> But you cannot match *this* beautiful knight! My d4-pawn affords me a further outpost for my knight than the e6-provides for yours, the piddling d5.</br>} 13... Be7 ( {</br> Piddling?! Are you daft? The square ahead of an isolated pawn is an outstanding square. You have no pawns that can attack it, and my piece is safe from attack along the d-file. That is precisely what transpired after the IM Vavrak played 14. Rfd1, and grandmaster Charbonneau did as you propose, occupying the fine square 14…Nd5. Then came a flurry of exchanges: } 13...Be7 14. Rfd1 Nd5 15. Bxd5 Bxd5 16. Bxe7 Qxe7 17. Nxd5 exd5 18. Rxc8 Rxc8 19. Qg4 Rc7 { with a draw agreed at the Oklahoma Winter Open, Stillwater 2007.</br>}) 14. Ba6 {</br> Oho, aren’t you the know-everything today. I shan’t play as IM Vavrak, instead… into the open white squares! Charge!</br>} 14... Bxa6 {</br> Pesky insect of a bishop, begone.</br>} 15. Qxa6 {</br> My queen rushes in to replace the bishop! Resign at your leisure.</br>} 15... Nxe5 {</br> Never surrender! Goodbye, knight!</br>} 16. dxe5 {</br> Is that all you’ve got? Tsk.</br>} 16... Ng4 {</br> All I’ve got? I know you didn’t see this discovered attack plus attack on e5.</br>} 17. Rfd1 {</br> Who would not see that? You attack me, I counterattack your queen!</br>} 17... Bxg5 {</br> Likewise! You attack me, I attack you!!</br>} 18. Rxd8 {</br> You fool! You were hasty in the frenzy of exchanges, and I take your queen!</br>} 18... Rfxd8 {</br> Uh oh. I guess I’d better take that rook.</br>} 19. Rf1 {</br> And do not think for an instant that I didn’t notice that bishop.</br>} 19... Rc7 {</br> Oh dear, oh dear. I seem to have fixed myself, losing my queen for rook plus bishop. I cannot lose the a7-pawn as well. I offer a draw. </br> A draw!? In my time of impending victory?! Let me think. You will most surely lose this game if I choose to play on, but I am a kind and benevolent sort, and I will spare your miserable life … this time. I accept your offer of a draw.} 1/2-1/2 You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization. [White "A.N. Friend"] [Black "A. Friend"] 1. e4 {</br> I’ll occupy one center square, attack another, and open diagonals for two of my pieces.</br>} 1... c6 {</br> I’d like to play …d7-d5 to challenge you in the center, but in case of e4xd5, I prefer to recapture with a pawn in order to maintain a pawn in the center. I could’ve followed the same plan with 1…e7-e6, but that would hinder my queen bishop.</br> } 2. d4 {</br> Coward, you enabled me to put a second pawn in the center without trouble.</br>} 2... d5 {</br> I did, yes, but this is the challenging move I had in store.</br>} 3. exd5 {</br> I have so many good options for ensuring a slight advantage in the center. 3. Nc3, 3. Nd2, 3. e5, 3. f3, 3. c4, 3. Bd3, and this capture.</br>} 3... cxd5 {</br> What?! You said 3. c4 was a “good” option. You are mad, because I could take your e-pawn for free, and then defend my newly-gained pawn with …f7-f5, …Ng8-f6, ….Bc8-f5, and I would have an extra pawn for the whole game, until promoting it at the end. Boy, I can’t wait for you to play *that* nonsensical move.</br>} 4. c4 {</br> Perhaps you are right, and I am a dunce for giving a player such as you a pawn that you might promote. Will I ever learn? What if I play c4 now?!</br>} 4... Nf6 {</br> Hmph. That’s a little better, I suppose. I’m not going to help you develop your bishop by …d5xc4, that’s certain. I could play …e6 to support my pawn, but there’s that blocked bishop again. There, ..Nf6, and if you capture on d5, it will usher my knight into the center.</br>} 5. Nc3 {</br> Maybe I can bring enough force to bear on d5 so that I can capture d5 and keep it.</br>} 5... e6 {</br> All right, you talked me into supporting d5 again, even at the cost of blocking my queen bishop. My other bishop is free, on the other hand.</br>} 6. Nf3 {</br> I tricked you! It whouldn’t wholly make sense to keep up the pressure on d5 with Qd1-b3. We might effect three exchanges on d5, and emerge with the same formation. Neither shall I leave my d4-pawn unguarded by Qb3, so Nf3. I develop a smaller piece, hit the center in two places, step closer to castling. I might play Qb3 later, when you least expect it. Beware, mortal.</br>} 6... Bb4 {</br> Castling does sound like a good idea; I must develop my bishop first, and I’ll pin your knight, so its influence on the center is lessened.</br>} 7. Bd3 {</br> You are foiled. I’m going to castle, and your pin goes broken.</br>} 7... dxc4 {</br> See what you did with your bishop move. Now when I capture on c4, your recapture does not bring out a new piece. Your d4-pawn has no friendly neighbors, a weakling for me to gobble at my leisure.</br>} 8. Bxc4 {</br> My d4-pawn is isolated, but it’s the only pawn in the center, and it gives me four rows of space to work in. Your e6-pawn merely provides you with three rows of space in which to operate, and it blocks your bishop.</br>} 8... O-O {</br> Maybe my e6-pawn confers less breathing room and blocks my bishop, but mine is a sturdy structure! I’ll build a solid position before bringing a deadly piece to d5, where you have no pawns to harass that piece. You cannot attack on the file, but I can! Your d4-pawn is as good as dead. I’ll castle before proceeding with your execution.</br>} 9. O-O {</br> I offer a draw. </br> I’m being too nice to you today.} 1/2-1/2 You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization. [White "A. Friend"] [Black "A.N. Friend"] 1. d4 {</br> Here we go again! This time the queen pawn, neither better nor worse than the king pawn. I have written extensively on the topic of how the moves differ, did you know.</br>} 1... Nf6 {</br> How could I forget, you remind me whenever you can. I could also play my queen pawn two squares, but this knight move is just as excellent. You can’t play e4, and I reserve my options for the d-pawn.</br>} 2. c4 {</br> What do you mean ‘I can’t play e4’? I certainly could, it is not illegal. It might lose a valuable center pawn, but I would not be dead! You have a very closed mind when it comes to losing so little material. How shall I bring about the powerful e2-e4? You would certainly grab my pawn after 2. g4, you greedy materialist. I’ll leave 2. g4 for another day. Today, my c-pawn marches, the next-best thing for control of d5. I could have played 2. Nc3 for that purpose, but by moving the pawn first, both units can hit d5.</br>} 2... e6 {</br> Whoops! Oh, dear! I fumbled with my pawn, and it landed on e5 where it could be captured for nothing. That was not my intent! I beseech you, kind opponent, I merely wanted to free my queen and bishop with a one-square king pawn move. Please understand that the pawn slipped from my fingers!</br>} 3. Nc3 {</br> Ach, you are such a crybaby. Go ahead, put the pawn on e6 as you intended. I’ll have you know, 2…e5 is perfectly OK. Grandmaster Short ventured 2…e5 in a world championship game. There, my knight pressures d5 as planned, and I am ready for e2-e4 if you are not careful.</br>} 3... Bb4 {</br> I won’t allow you to have all those pawns up there, except next game I might play 2…g6, and then you may put three or even four! pawns up. This game, I’ll stop you from e4 by pinning your knight, and perhaps even capture it.</br>} 4. e3 {</br> You would not dare capture my knight, giving me the long-range bishop for the short-hop knight! Though you are a crafty one, I’ll give you that. If I had to recapture on c3 with a pawn, that pawn would be firmly stuck. I think it might be an excellent idea, therefore, to recapture on c3 with a piece instead. Next time I might play 4. Qb3, like Spielmann, or 4. Qc2, like Capablanca. Today, I will not make an early queen move, and play like Rubinstein!</br>} 4... O-O {</br> Your namedropping of ancient nobodies, ha. Only the masters of today play in exemplary fashion. I shall expose the folly of your outdated knowledge with simple development.</br>} 5. Bd3 {</br> Do not underestimate my study of old games, I warn you. Rubinstein would play 5. Ne2, to prepare Ne2xc3. So did world champion Euwe, and American champions Reshevsky and Evans. I can get my bishop out of the way first, and it supports e3-e4 next.</br>} 5... d5 {</br> Not this time!</br>} 6. Nf3 {</br> Curse you, e3-e4 will come later, and to facilitate that, I could play Ne2 to bolster my c3-knight, while leaving f3 open for the pawn. So when I wish to advance e3-e4, f2-f3 is available to assist. The American champion Krush played that very recently. She is awesome.</br>} 6... c5 {</br> Now you speak of today’s great players, that’s more like it! Here is my chance to equalize the pawns in the center.</br>} 7. O-O {</br> Hmmm, which of us will change the balance of the center pawns… I’ll keep it in mind, but let me move my king to safety.</br>} 7... cxd4 {</br> I’ll do it. I’ll unbalance the pawns. I will leave your d-pawn friendless!</br>} 8. exd4 {</br> Ah, I see your scheme, you fiend. I can foil you by capturing with the knight, but that does not actively fight for the center, and my c1-bishop would remain blocked. I must capture with the pawn.</br>} 8... dxc4 {</br> There! The d4-pawn is lonely, left to die!</br>} 9. Bxc4 {</br> With this move, I claim a draw by threefold repetition of position. </br> What? This is only the 9th move, and the first time for this position. </br> First time in *this* game. The same position arose in the other two games. </br> Impossible! We played a Reti Opening that became a Queen’s Gambit. Then we played the Panov Attack in the Caro-Kann. This was a normal Nimzo-Indian Defense. And that’s not how that rule works! </br> Did we play any moves in these three games that were hard to see, that any average player with familiarity with the general opening principles could not find? </br> I don’t think so. These openings were guided by fundamental positional logic, and since we are the loquacious pair, we explained each. What are you hinting at? </br> I’m saying ‘No club player or student needs to study openings. The application of basic positional logic plus an awareness of the tactics will help one reach a playable middlegame, which is our only real goal in the opening.’} 1/2-1/2 You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization. Source games Menchik-Milner-Barry, Margate 1939 Vavrak-Charbonneau, Stillwater 2007 Dolmatov-Speelman, Goodricke 1999 van Riemsdijk-Bradford, Lone Pine 1979
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