Can memory loss ever be a good thing in chess? Well look at the following game and decide for yourself! Please discuss!

Last night I had a fascinating game for Sandhurst against Guildford. I was paired against Blair Connell an old friend who lives in Guildford. We used to meet in a local pub and have played a number of Blitz games over the years.

Blair does not play much chess nowadays as most of his time is dedicated to making money online at the horses, golf or poker. This may sound crazy as hardly anyone makes any money at gambling but Blair really does study the form, he reminds me of Robert De Niro’s character out of Casino. The wise guy who always has the inside information on every betting event. Even in this game Blair had done his homework. He is still a very strong Blitz player who had a surprise lined up against me…

I was White and the opening moves were.

1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 Nc3 e5!?

An interesting opening popularised by Swedish player Hector a couple of years ago, he used it to defeat Timman in a brilliant game. I thought that I would surprise Blair by playing.

4 cxd5 cxd5 5 e4!?

Launching a counter attack against Black’s set up, this contains a very sharp idea which will become apparent over the next couple of moves.

5…dxe4 6 Bc4!? Going for Broke! 6…exd4 7 Qb3

My crazy idea. White gives up two pawns in order to hack Black up. I thought that Blair would well and truly be out of his preparation here. This position is more commonly reached by the move order. 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 c5 4 cxd5 exd5 5 e4!? dxe4 6 Bc4!? cxd4 7 Qb3. I first found this idea when I was 14! I spent a fair bit of time analysing the variations at it has since become one of my pet openings. I will shortly put my analysis up on the shop option, for free, if anyone fancies picking my brain.

7…Nf6!?

A very interesting and good reply. Black has to be very careful in this position. I will quickly demonstrate some variations. For a deeper look I will put this up on my shop page at a later point.

7…dxc3? 8 Bxf7+ Ke7 9 Bxg8 White is threatening Bg5+ and Qf7+ so Black is already busted!

7…Qe7 8 Nd5! Qd7 9 Bf4 Bd6 and now 10 Qg3 is one strong option.

7…Qd7 8 Bf4! I first found this move when I was 14! pure hack attack stuff! 8…dxc3 9 Rd1 Qf5 and now 10 Bxb8!? is interesting with 11 Bb5+ to follow.

As you can see the position is fascinating. What I did not know was that Blair had been waiting to play me in this position for two years!! After the game Blair told me that I had apparently played this against him in a number of Blitz games! I had no recollection of this, I could not remember any of the Blitz games that we played together, one of the reasons for this might be that they were normally played down the William Cobbett pub in Farnham, which has a very wide selection of beers….

I can remember in one of Howard Marks books that he did not rate memory too highly (no surprise there!) as he argued that it was better to experience the same thing for new on another occasion! A strange idea, rather then getting bored by repeating the same thing he always had a unique experience! Well that is what happened here. I totally forgot what I was supposed to play and I thought for 20 minutes and then I spotted an idea that I just could not resist…

8 Bxf7+ Ke7 9 Nf3!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

A completely crazy but amazing idea which I had to play, for better or worse! The idea is to open up some files along the centre for White’s rooks. Even at the cost of a knight or two! It certainly throw my opponent who now thought for 45 minutes. Blair had been expecting 9 Bf4 which I had apparently played against him before, against this he had prepared 9…Na6!? in order to play …Nc5 when he believes that Black is better. Like I mentioned before I had completely forgotten what I was supposed to play, hence 9 Nf3.

Lack of memory = more imagination? Please Discuss!

One thing is for sure if I had remembered about 9 Bf4 I would have never played 9 Nf3!?!?

Black now played.

9…Nc6? Which looks like a mistake. I have not looked at this game on a computer yet and I do not intend to, as it will probably spoil all the fun! But some of the variations I was looking at, at the board included:

a) 9…exf3 this looked very risky for Black after 10 0-0! with an open e-file to attack along but who knows?

b) 9…dxc3 10 Ng5!? and my idea is 11 Bg6 followed by a check on f7! 10…Qb6 11 Qxc3 and with 12 Be3 to follow I thought that I had a big attack, for example, 11…Nc6 12 Be3 Qa5 13 b4 was one of my ideas, with madness on the board!!

Anyway the position is hard to solve in a practical game. Play now continued,

10 Nd5+! This is now a good move. 10…Nxd5 10…Kxf7 is how Black normally answers this move but White can now play 11 Nxf6+, as it really helps that White has a knight on f3, for example, 11…Be6 12 Ng5+ winning. Or 11…Kxf6 12 Bg5+ winning the Black queen on d8. 11 Bxd5 A nasty check on g5 is threatened. Black has to be very careful 11…Qd6?! I am sure Black has a better way of defending. 12 Bg5+ Kd7

How should White continue the attack? Well there are a number of ways but I should be winning after the move I decided upon. 13 Bxc6! Now my queen can come to f7. 13…bxc6 14 Qf7+ Be7

Again there are a number of good moves here, but I really did fancy sacrificing something! And that knight on f3 had its destiny decided on my 9, so…

15 0-0!? 15 Nxd4 was also very strong but I wanted to open up some more lines. 15…exf3?! Again very risky. Black should have played 15…Rf8 when White is slightly better after 16 Qxe7+ Qxe7 17 Bxe7 Kxe7 18 Nxd4. 16 Rfe1 Re8 17 Re4! I am simply planning 18 Rae1 17…Ba6!? Black wants to meet 18 Rae1 with 18…Be2! 18 Qf5+ Kd8

And now I throw most of my good work away by playing. 19 Re6?? I missed a simple win, which was 19 Qa5+ Kd7 20 Bf4! and Black can resign! 19…Qd5 20 Bxe7+ Kc7 White is still better but there is no clear cut win. 21  Re5 Qd7 22 Qf4 Most of the fun is over and the game became a draw after. 22…Kb7 23 Qe4 Bd3 24 Qxf3 Rxe7 25 Rxe7 Qxe7 26 Qxd3 Rd8 27 Rd1 g6 28 g3 Qe6 And the game was shortly agreed a draw. A fascinating game, I was rather upset that it finished a draw but never less very interesting and that is what chess is all about!