Banter Chess

World Chess Network is a great chess server. Many of its subscriber think that the merging WCN with Chess Live and using Dasher interface is a downgrade service. To some extent, i agree with that. But life must go on, and i dont want to argue on that point. What i want to say is that the server offers a great place for chess improvement. And one of great service is Banter Chess. (Fortunately, the service has been retained at WCL!)

Banter Chess is a match between two chessplayers play against each other while explaining their thoughts on each move to the audience. It is a very instructive tools for improvement.

            


This is an example of Banter Chess:

GM Boris Gulko vs WGM Anna Zatonskih
WCL Banter Chess. 1 Oct 2007.
Time Control : 25′ + 5′.
Thanks to my friend Kwan Pin for providing this transcript!
Click Here to replay the game

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4
AnnaZatonskih(WGM): I play Dutch defence only in my blitz games
BorisGulko(GM): hi everybody

2. … c6 3. Nc3
AnnaZatonskih(WGM): So I am going to play Slav Defence
AnnaZatonskih(WGM): Sooner or late white will play d4

3 … d5 4. e3
BorisGulko(GM): I’ll try to wait with d2-d4

4. … a6
AnnaZatonskih(WGM): Chebanenko variation in Slav Defence is a pretty popular nowadays

5. b3
AnnaZatonskih(WGM): I am thinking about b5 or Bg4

5. … Bg4 6. h3 Bxf3 7. Qxf3
AnnaZatonskih(WGM): I am thinking about e5
BorisGulko(GM): she has e7-e5
AnnaZatonskih(WGM): or quiet e6 followed by Nbd7

7. … e6
BorisGulko(GM): or simple e6

8. Bb2 Nbd7
AnnaZatonskih(WGM): d4

9. g4
AnnaZatonskih(WGM): almost all my pawns are on white squares
AnnaZatonskih(WGM): like in checkeres
BorisGulko(GM): maybe h6?
BorisGulko(GM): g4-g5 can be unpleasand

9. … h6
AnnaZatonskih(WGM): I doubt I will castle my king in short side in this game. Probably I will stay in the middle and I would not exclude long side castling

        

10. Qg2
BorisGulko(GM): i prepare h4 and g5
BorisGulko(GM): or f4
AnnaZatonskih(WGM): I want to move my Queen, Qb6 is one of the options
BorisGulko(GM): or g5 immediately
BorisGulko(GM): after Bb4
AnnaZatonskih(WGM): or Qa5

10. … Qa5
AnnaZatonskih(WGM): so I will keep options
AnnaZatonskih(WGM): Ba3 may be one of the next moves
AnnaZatonskih(WGM): if a3 now, then there is some weaknesses on Queenside and i will try to explore them by playing Qb6
AnnaZatonskih(WGM): I have a lot of holes on darksquares so trading darksquared bishops maybe good idea

11. a3
BorisGulko(GM): avoiding ba3
BorisGulko(GM): now Qb6 b4 a5 c5
AnnaZatonskih(WGM): maybe Nc5, b4 - Qb6?
AnnaZatonskih(WGM): or b5

11. … b5 12. b4 Qc7 13. cxd5 cxd5 14. Rc1
BorisGulko(GM): now Be2 and 0-0

14. … Qb6
AnnaZatonskih(WGM): I was thinking to reserve b6-square for my Knight but knight can get to c4 through e5

        

15. h4
AnnaZatonskih(WGM): Nd7-e5-c4 whuld be great to play
BorisGulko(GM): It’s sharper than Be2

15. … Rc8
AnnaZatonskih(WGM): g5-Ng8
AnnaZatonskih(WGM): g5-Ng8, g6-f5

16. g5 Ng8
AnnaZatonskih(WGM): I may have weaknesses on dark squares because my bishop on f8 is still alive
AnnaZatonskih(WGM): but having weaknesses on light squares may be de disaster

17. Ne2 Rxc1+
BorisGulko(GM): somethere gxh and bg7

18. Nxc1 Qc7
BorisGulko(GM): now N will move to d3-f4
AnnaZatonskih(WGM): I have to do with my pieces on King side
AnnaZatonskih(WGM): but I can’t move my bishop and I want Boris to c larify situation on King side so My knight from g8 probably will go to f6 in future

        

19. Kd1
AnnaZatonskih(WGM): of course I am thinking about Qc2
BorisGulko(GM): covering c2
AnnaZatonskih(WGM): oh, I didn’t see this move
BorisGulko(GM): nd3 Qc2 was not good

19. … Nb6 20. Nb3
BorisGulko(GM): not good gxh Hh6 Bg7 Rg8

20. … Na4 21. Ba1
BorisGulko(GM): now e3-e4 can be good

21. … Ne7
AnnaZatonskih(WGM): My Knight on a4 is not the best piece but at least I stopped Nc5

22. Bd3
BorisGulko(GM): somethere Ke2 and Rc1
BorisGulko(GM): e5 is interesting

22. … hxg5 23. hxg5 Rxh1+ 24. Qxh1 Nc6 25. g6 f6 26. f4
BorisGulko(GM): planning f5f

26. … Qd6 27. Qh8
BorisGulko(GM): go to g8

27 . … Kd7

        

28. Qg8 Kc7
BorisGulko(GM): plan- bd4!

29. Bd4
BorisGulko(GM): go to c5

29. … Nd8 30. Nc5 e5 31. fxe5 fxe5 32. Nxa6+ Kc8 33. Bf5+ Kb7 34. Nc5+ Ka8 35. Bxe5 Qxe5 36. Qxf8 Qc7 37. Nxa4 bxa4 38. Be6 d4 39. exd4 Kb7 40. Bd5+ Kc8 41. Qc5 Kd7 42. Qxc7+ Kxc7 43. Ke2 Kd6 44. Be4 Ne6 45. Ke3 Nc7 46. Bc2 Nb5 47. Bxa4 Nxa3 48. Kd3 Kd5 49. Be8 Kd6 50. Kc3 Ke7 51. Ba4 Nb1+ 52. Kc2 Na3+ 53. Kb2 Nc4+ 54. Kc3 Nb6 55. Bb3 Kd6 56. b5 Nd7 57. Kb4 Nb6 58. Ka5 Kc7 59. Ka6 Nd7 60. Be6 Nb6 61. d3 Na4 62. Ka7 Nb6 63. d5 Na4 64. Bf5 Nb6

        

65. d6+ 1-0 Black resigns