Over the course of the next few weeks I will annotate M. Chandler's games to hopefully enlighten how he was able to take the NZ title. All comments and criticism's are welcome.


Chandler,M - Steadman,M [C14]New Zealand Championship Auckland (1.1), 15.01.2008 (Annotation's by Mathew)

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e5 Nfd7 6.Bxe7 Qxe7 7.f4 a6 8.Nf3 c5 9.Ne2
Normally played here is 9.Qd2 Nc6 10.dxc5 Nxc5 (10...Qxc5 11.Bd3 b5 12.a3 0-0 13.Qf2 h6 14.Qxc5 Nxc5 15.b4 Nd7 16.Kd2 f6 17.exf6 gxf6 18.f5 d4 19.Ne2 e5 20.Ng3 Nb6 21.Nh4 Ne7 22.Rhf1 Nc4+ 23.Bxc4+ bxc4 24.Ne4 c3+ 25.Ke2 Bb7 26.Nc5 Bc6 27.a4 Rfb8 28.Ng6 Nxg6 29.fxg6 Kg7 30.Rf5 Rb6 31.g4 Be8 32.a5 Rc6 0-1 Becerra Rivero,J-Akobian,V/Las Vegas USA 2007/11.0-0-0 b5 12.Bd3 b4 13.Ne2 a5 14.f5 Nxd3+ 15.Qxd3 Ba6 16.Qe3 Bxe2 17.Qxe2 0-0 18.Kb1 a4 19.Nd4 Nxd4 20.Rxd4 exf5 21.Rxd5 a3 22.b3 Rad8 23.Rhd1 Rxd5 24.Rxd5 Rd8 25.Qd3 Rxd5 26.Qxd5 h5 27.Kc1 Qh4 28.Kd1 Qf2 29.e6 fxe6 30.Qxe6+ Kh7 31.Qd5 h4 - Chandler,M-Seirawan,Y/Reykjavik 1991/
9...cxd4
Another alternative is 9...Nc6 10.c3 0-0 11.Ng3 f6 12.Qd2 cxd4 13.cxd4 Qb4 14.Rd1 Qxd2+ 15.Rxd2 b5 16.Bd3 Nb6 17.0-0 Bd7 18.Re1 Rac8 19.b3 Ne7 20.f5 Nxf5 21.Bxf5 exf5 22.e6 Bc6 23.Nxf5 Rc7 24.Rc2 Nc8 25.Rec1 Na7 26.Ne1 Re8 27.Re2 g6 28.Nd6 Ree7 29.Nd3 a5 30.Nc5 Nc8 31.Nxc8 Rxc8 32.Kf2 Bb7 33.Kg3 Rc6 34.Rf1 Bc8 35.Rxf6 Kg7 36.Nd7 Rd6 37.Ref2 Bxd7 38.Rf7+ Rxf7 39.Rxf7+ Kg8 40.Rxd7 Rxe6 41.Rxd5 Re2 42.Rxb5 Rxa2 43.d5 a4 44.bxa4 Rxa4 45.Rb8+ Kf7 46.Rb7+ Kf6 47.Rxh7 Rd4 48.Rd7 Ke5 49.h4 Kf5 50.Rd8 Rd3+ 51.Kf2 Rd2+ 52.Kf3 Rd4 53.d6 Rxh4 54.g4+ Ke6 55.Kf4 Rh1 56.Kg5 Rg1 57.Rg8 Kxd6 58.Rxg6+ Ke7 59.Rf6 Rxg4+ - Suechting,H-Zinkl,A/Leipzig 1894/
10.Qd2 Nc5 11.0-0-0 11.Nexd4 is good also.
11...d3 12.cxd3 Bd7 13.Kb1 Nc6 14.Rc1 Rc8 15.Ned4 Nd8? I am not sure what came over black to undevelop a piece on such a horrible square. Not only does it hinder development it clogs up black's whole Q-side. Coupled with black's next move White is able to take control of the c-file and all the important dark sqaures. Better is simply 15...0-0 and the position is equal
16.Be2 b5?! This move is premature, black's pieces are falling all over each other and are in no way ready for any Q-side expansion. White's next move not only stops black in his tracks but puts another one of black's pieces into the bad list. The white squared bishop.
17.b4! Na4 18.Rxc8 Bxc8 19.Rc1 Bb7 20.Bd1 Nb6 21.Qc3 Nc8 22.a4 Na7 23.axb5 axb5 24.Qc5 Qxc5 25.Rxc5 Bc6 26.Kb2 Kd7 27.Rc1 Kc7 28.Nb3 Nb7 29.Nfd4 Kb6 30.Bh5 g6 31.Be2 Bd7 32.g4 Rc8 33.Ra1 Nc6 34.Nxc6 Bxc6 White has now left black with his two worse pieces and a rook with only defensive prospects
35.h4 Rf8 36.Nd4 Bd7?! [36...f6!? 37.Kc3 (37.Nxe6?! Re8 38.Nd4 fxe5 39.fxe5 Rxe5 White is still better but at least the black rook is doing something of use now.) 37...fxe5 38.fxe5 Nd8 39.Kd2 Black has freed his position but is still in for a tough defense and one might also say black has freed white's position.
37.g5 Stopping the freeing move f6 once and for all.
37...h5 38.Bf3 Rc8 39.Nb3 Be8 40.Be2 Bd7 41.d4 Bc6 42.Kc3 Nd8 43.Nc5 Ra8 44.Nd7+ Kb7 45.Nc5+ Kb6 46.Nd7+ Kb7 47.Rxa8 Kxa8 48.Nf6 Kb8

49.Bxh5!

A stunning and instructive end.

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