ARMAGEDDON POP

Hello! Welcome to the 19th episode of the series "Playing Chess, or My Black and White World." In today's episode, I will present some of the most interesting games played over the last two weeks against various opponents, including Mars and his son from Sweden, Rabbit and Damon from America, and Rahim from India. I'll start with the game against the latter, the Indian Rahim, with whom I play most often (and also lose to most frequently).

Game 1: Rahim

1.d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Bd3 c5 8. Nf3 cxd4 9. cxd4 Bg4 10. Be3 Bxf3 11. gxf3 Nc6 (this is an aggressive Grunfeld Defense opening) 12. d5? (a serious mistake, as White gives up a rook for a bishop) Bxa1 13. Qxa1 O-O 14. Bh6 f6 15. Bc4 Ne5 16. Be2 Qa5+ 17. Bd2 Qa3 18. Qc3 Qxa2 19. O-O Rac8 20. Qa5 Qxa5 21. Bxa5 b6 22. Bb4 Kf7 23. f4 Nc4 24. Rd1 a5 25. Bc3 b5 26. e5 b4 27. e6+ Kg7 28. Bd4 a4 29. Bxc4 Rxc4 30. d6 exd6 31. Bb6 Rc6 32. e7 Re8 33. Bd8 Kf7 34. Rd4 b3 35. Rb4 Rxe7 36. Bxe7 Kxe7 37. Kg2 Ra6 38. Kf3 Ke6 39. Ke4 d5+ 40. Kd4 Rc6 41. Rxa4 Rc4+ 42. Rxc4 dxc4 43. Kc3 Kf5 0-1

And since we're talking about games with Rahim, I'll show you my quick victory over him on New Year's Eve.

Game 2: Rahim (New Year's Eve)

1.e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4 6. Re1 Nc5 7. Bxc6 dxc6 8. Nxe5 Ne6 9. Qf3 Be7 10. Qxf7# 1-0

Game 3: Caro-Kann Defense

1.e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. Bd3 Bxd3 5. Qxd3 e6 6. Nf3 Ne7 7. Bg5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. Bg3 Ng6 10. Nbd2 Bg7 11. h4 g4 12. h5 gxf3 13. hxg6 fxg2 14. gxf7+ Kxf7 15. Qf3+ Kg8 16. Qxg2 Na6 17. Bh4 Qe8 18. Bf6 Qf7 19. Rg1 Rh7 20. c3 Kh8 21. Bxg7+ Rxg7 22. Qxg7+ Qxg7 23. Rxg7 Kxg7 24. Nf3 Rf8 25. Ke2 c5 26. Rg1+ Kh7 27. Nh4 Rg8 28. Rxg8 Kxg8 29. a3 cxd4 30. cxd4 Kf7 31. f4 Nc7 32. Kd3 Ne8 33. f5 exf5 34. Nxf5 Ke6 35. Nxh6 Nc7 36. Ng4 b5 37. b4 Na8 38. Nf6 Nb6 39. Kc3 Nc4 40. Kb3 a5 41. bxa5 Nxa5+ 42. Kb4 Nc4 43. Ne8 Kd7 44. Nd6 Kc6 45. Nxb5 Nd2 46. a4 Nf3 47. a5 Ne1 48. Ka4 Nd3 49. a6 Kb6 50. a7 Kb7 51. Ka5 Nf4 52. Kb4 Ne6 53. Ka5 Nf4 54. Nc3 Kxa7 55. Kb5 Kb7 56. Kc5 Kc8 57. Nxd5 Nd3+ 58. Kd6 Kd8 59. e6 Nf2 60. e7+ Ke8 61. Nc7+ Kf7 62. e8=Q+ 1-0

Game 4: Mars

1.e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Bb5 Nd4 6. Nxd4 Bxd4 7. Ne2 Bg7 8. O-O a6 9. Bc4 e6 10. a4 Rb8 11. f5 b5 12. axb5 axb5 13. fxe6 dxe6 14. Ba2 Qh4 15. Rf4 Qh6 16. d4 Qh5 17. Qf1 cxd4 18. Rxf7 Be5 19. Rf8+ Kd7 20. Bf4 Bxf4 21. Nxf4 Qc5 22. Nxe6 Qe5 23. Qf7+ Ne7 24. Rxh8 Qxh8 25. Nf8+ Kd8 26. Be6 Bxe6 27. Nxe6+ Kd7 28. Ra7+ Kc6 29. Qxe7 1-0

Game 5: Mars (Closed Sicilian Defense)

1.e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Bb5 Nd4 6. Nxd4 cxd4 7. Ne2 a6 8. Ba4 b5 9. Bb3 Bb7 10. d3 Nf6 11. O-O Ng4 12. c3 Ne3 13. Bxe3 dxe3 14. d4 Bxe4 15. Qc1 d5 16. Qxe3 f5 17. Ng3 e6 18. Bd1 h5 19. Nxe4 dxe4 20. Qg3 Kf7 21. Bb3 Qe7 22. Rad1 h4 23. Qf2 h3 24. g3 Qb7 25. d5 Kf8 26. dxe6 e3 27. Qxe3 Qg2# 0-1

Game 6: Damon

1.e4 c5 2. Nf3 a6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Nf3 Bb4 7. Bd3 O-O 8. Bg5 h6 9. Bh4 g5 10. Bg3 Bxc3+ 11. bxc3 d6 12. O-O Nc6 13. h4 g4 14. Nd2 Qe7 15. f3 h5 16. fxg4 Bxg4 17. Be2 Kg7 18. Bxg4 Nxg4 19. Qf3 f6 20. Rae1 b5 21. Qf5 Rad8 22. Qxh5 Nh6 23. Qe2 Qe6 24. Bf2 Rg8 25. Be3 Ng4 26. Rf5 Nxe3 27. Qxe3 Ne7 28. Rh5 Rh8 29. Rxh8 Rxh8 30. g3 Kf7 31. Rf1 Qg4 32. Qf3 Qg6 33. Kh2 Rg8 34. Rg1 Ke6 35. c4 Qh6 36. Rg2 b4 37. Nb3 Nc6 38. Qd3 Ne7 39. c5 d5 40. Qxa6+ Kf7 41. exd5 Nf5 42. Qe6+ Kg6 43. Qxg8+ Ng7 44. d6 Kf5 45. g4+ Kg6 46. h5+ Kg5 47. Qd5 Kh4 48. Qd2 Qh7 49. g5 fxg5 50. Qf2+ Kxh5 51. Qf7+ Kh6 52. d7 Qe4 53. d8=Q Qh4+ 54. Kg1 Qe1+ 55. Qf1 Qe3+ 56. Kh1 Qh3+ 57. Rh2 g4 58. Rxh3+ gxh3 59. Qxh3+ Kg6 60. Qg4+ Kf7 61. Qd7+ Kf6 62. Qgxg7# 1-0

Game 7: Mars' Son

1.e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nd4 4. Bc4 e6 5. c3 Nc6 6. O-O Nf6 7. Re1 Be7 8. e5 Nd5 9. d4 cxd4 10. cxd4 Bb4 11. Bd2 Bxd2 12. Nbxd2 Nb6 13. Bb3 a5 14. Ne4 O-O 15. Nd6 a4 16. Bc2 Qc7 17. Rc1 f6 18. a3 f5 19. Nb5 Qd8 20. Nc3 d6 21. exd6 Qxd6 22. Nxa4 Nxa4 23. Bxa4 Bd7 24. Bb3 Rf6 25. d5 exd5 26. Qxd5+ Qxd5 27. Bxd5+ Kf8 28. Ng5 Rh6 29. Nf7 Rf6 30. Ne5 Nxe5 31. Rxe5 Ra5 32. Rc7 Rd6! 33. g3 Raxd5 34. Rxd5 Rxd5 35. Rxb7 Rd1+! and ... Bc6+! 1-0

The next game of the year was played against a strong player from America with the pseudonym Damon. He usually beats me, but from time to time, I find a way to surprise him. This time my opponent lost focus after a few victories and lost in a rather spectacular way. The decisive factor was the attack of the queen, which in the 42nd move checked the king and in the next move captured the rook. The rest is just technique.

The game was already lost around the 20th move, but I continued to defend, which led to the game ending after 61 moves. As you can see, strong players easily gain material advantage, and once they achieve it, they usually don't let it slip away. That was the case here, where the advantage of two pawns decided the victory for White.

Finally, a game with my friend "Rabbit," which shows that paradoxically sometimes the best attack is defense:

1.e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. Re1 Nd6 6. Nxe5 Be7 7. Bxc6 dxc6 8. d4 O-O 9. c4 Re8 10. c5 Nf5 11. Qb3 Be6 12. Qxb7 Nxd4 13. Nxc6 Nxc6 14. Qxc6 Bd5 15. Qb5 c6 16. Qb4 a5 17. Qa3 Bxc5 18. Rxe8+ Qxe8 19. Qc3 Bb4 20. Qe3 Qd7 21. Bd2 Re8 22. Qd3 Qg4 23. f3 Bc5+ 24. Kh1 Qe6 25. Nc3 Bc4 26. Qe4 Qd7 27. Qxc4 Qxd2 28. Qxc5 Re1+ 29. Rxe1 Qxe1+ 30. Qg1 Qd2 31. Qd1 1-0

Thank you for your attention and I wish all readers (not just chess players) many interesting games to watch (and play) in the new chess year. See you in my black-and-white world.