The art of surprising your opponent!
In the third round of the National Premier 2016, two statemates Kiran Manisha Mohanty and Padmini Rout were up against each other. Kiran made her first move with the white pieces and Padmini, who usually replies immediately, took quite some time for her response. Why did she do that? Well, the answer lies in the title of this article! Kiran had been successful in surprising her opponent! Read on to know how exactly she did that.
In the third round of the National Premier 2016, Padmini Rout had the black pieces against Kiran Manisha Mohanty and thought for quite some time for her first move
What is the reason for Padmini's shocked reaction?
A simple search of Kiran Manisha Mohanty's games on Mega Database 2016 reveals that the girl from Orissa has played 223 games with the white pieces. Out of which in 217 of them she has played 1.e4.
With the white pieces Kiran is a hard core 1.e4 player
However, in the third round of the National Premier Championships 2016 in Delhi, Kiran pushed her d-pawn instead of the e-pawn! This led to her opponent Padmini Rout thinking for a long time for her first move. Since 2009 Kiran and Padmini have played each other four times and every time it has been a Sicilian!
Sicilian has always been on the menu when Kiran and Padmini have played each other, but today it was the Torre Attack!
A usually self-confident Padmini was thrown off balance. Full credit to her defensive skills that she managed to hold the draw.
Through the picture, you can understand that Padmini is visibly shocked and she was almost on the brink of defeat before salvaging the half point through some tenacious defending.
[Event "Natioal Women Premier 2016"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2016.11.05"]
[Round "3.3"]
[White "Kiran, Manisha Mohanty"]
[Black "Padmini, Rout"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "A46"]
[WhiteElo "2117"]
[BlackElo "2374"]
[PlyCount "185"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[TimeControl "5400+30"]
[WhiteClock "0:05:35"]
[BlackClock "0:11:23"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2016.11.05"]
[Round "3.3"]
[White "Kiran, Manisha Mohanty"]
[Black "Padmini, Rout"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "A46"]
[WhiteElo "2117"]
[BlackElo "2374"]
[PlyCount "185"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[TimeControl "5400+30"]
[WhiteClock "0:05:35"]
[BlackClock "0:11:23"]
1. d4 {53} Nf6 {342} 2. Nf3 {20} e6 {31} 3. Bg5 {15} d5 {199} 4. e3 {32} c5 {92
} 5. c3 {35} Nc6 {94} 6. Nbd2 {62} Bd6 {265} 7. Bd3 {17} O-O {27} 8. O-O {22}
h6 {95} 9. Bh4 {134} b6 {62} 10. Re1 {644} Bb7 {533} 11. e4 {561} Be7 {100} 12.
e5 {55} Nd7 {28} 13. Bg3 {38} a5 {509} 14. Rc1 {212} Qb8 {284} 15. Bb1 {246}
Rc8 {119} 16. c4 {837} Nxd4 {170} 17. Nxd4 {34} cxd4 {2} 18. Qg4 {120} Qc7 {890
} 19. Bf4 {281} Kf8 {86} 20. Nf3 {100} dxc4 {95} 21. Nxd4 {125} Bd5 {14} 22.
Re3 {654} Bc5 {722} 23. Rd1 {29} Bxd4 {298} 24. Rxd4 {2} Qc5 {2} 25. Rd1 {472}
g5 {644} 26. Bg3 {86} Ke7 {83} 27. h4 {141} f5 {187} 28. exf6+ {12} Nxf6 {2}
29. Qe2 {32} c3 {190} 30. Rxc3 {254} Qb4 {7} 31. Be5 {279} Rxc3 {41} 32. bxc3 {
66} Qc4 {110} 33. Qb2 {269} Ng4 {27} 34. Rd4 {51} Nxe5 {19} 35. Rxc4 {7} Nxc4 {
4} 36. Qc2 {41} Kd6 {34} 37. h5 {27} Rc8 {32} 38. Qh7 {33} Nd2 {20} 39. Qd3 {89
} Nc4 {30} 40. Bc2 {0} b5 {0} 41. Qh7 {0} Ne5 {0} 42. Qxh6 {0} Rxc3 {0} 43.
Qf8+ {0} Kd7 {0} 44. Qg7+ {0} Kd6 {0} 45. Qf8+ {0} Kd7 {0} 46. Bb3 {0} Bxb3 {0}
47. axb3 {0} Rxb3 {0} 48. f3 {0} a4 {0} 49. h6 {0} a3 {0} 50. h7 {0} a2 {0} 51.
Qg7+ {0} Kd6 {0} 52. Qf8+ {0} Kd7 {0} 53. Qa8 {0} Rb1+ {0} 54. Kh2 {0} a1=Q {0}
55. Qxa1 {0} Rxa1 {0} 56. h8=Q {0} Re1 {0} 57. Qg7+ {0} Kd6 {0} 58. Qxg5 {7}
Re2 {0} 59. Kg1 {181} Rc2 {0} 60. f4 {168} Nc6 {102} 61. Qxb5 {13} Rc5 {6} 62.
Qd3+ {141} Rd5 {6} 63. Qg6 {18} Rf5 {29} 64. g3 {65} Ne7 {188} 65. Qe8 {61} e5
{105} 66. Qb8+ {184} Ke6 {22} 67. Qb6+ {72} Kf7 {29} 68. Qb3+ {30} Kf6 {28} 69.
Qb2 {29} Ke6 {17} 70. Qb6+ {25} Kf7 {11} 71. Qb3+ {52} Kf6 {13} 72. Qb2 {41}
Ke6 {21} 73. fxe5 {9} Rxe5 {9} 74. Kf2 {16} Rf5+ {48} 75. Kg2 {12} Kf7 {43} 76.
g4 {16} Rf6 {37} 77. Kg3 {15} Rc6 {8} 78. Qb4 {52} Rg6 {10} 79. Qc4+ {29} Kf8 {
7} 80. Kh4 {121} Rh6+ {10} 81. Kg5 {22} Rg6+ {6} 82. Kh5 {7} Rc6 {3} 83. Qd4 {
40} Kf7 {6} 84. g5 {29} Ke8 {6} 85. Qe4 {64} Kd7 {95} 86. Qa4 {10} Kd8 {30} 87.
Qb5 {45} Rd6 {46} 88. Qc5 {38} Kd7 {20} 89. Qb5+ {28} Kd8 {6} 90. Qa5+ {14} Kd7
{6} 91. Qb5+ {6} Kd8 {8} 92. Qa5+ {5} Kd7 {7} 93. Qb5+ {3} 1/2-1/2
} 5. c3 {35} Nc6 {94} 6. Nbd2 {62} Bd6 {265} 7. Bd3 {17} O-O {27} 8. O-O {22}
h6 {95} 9. Bh4 {134} b6 {62} 10. Re1 {644} Bb7 {533} 11. e4 {561} Be7 {100} 12.
e5 {55} Nd7 {28} 13. Bg3 {38} a5 {509} 14. Rc1 {212} Qb8 {284} 15. Bb1 {246}
Rc8 {119} 16. c4 {837} Nxd4 {170} 17. Nxd4 {34} cxd4 {2} 18. Qg4 {120} Qc7 {890
} 19. Bf4 {281} Kf8 {86} 20. Nf3 {100} dxc4 {95} 21. Nxd4 {125} Bd5 {14} 22.
Re3 {654} Bc5 {722} 23. Rd1 {29} Bxd4 {298} 24. Rxd4 {2} Qc5 {2} 25. Rd1 {472}
g5 {644} 26. Bg3 {86} Ke7 {83} 27. h4 {141} f5 {187} 28. exf6+ {12} Nxf6 {2}
29. Qe2 {32} c3 {190} 30. Rxc3 {254} Qb4 {7} 31. Be5 {279} Rxc3 {41} 32. bxc3 {
66} Qc4 {110} 33. Qb2 {269} Ng4 {27} 34. Rd4 {51} Nxe5 {19} 35. Rxc4 {7} Nxc4 {
4} 36. Qc2 {41} Kd6 {34} 37. h5 {27} Rc8 {32} 38. Qh7 {33} Nd2 {20} 39. Qd3 {89
} Nc4 {30} 40. Bc2 {0} b5 {0} 41. Qh7 {0} Ne5 {0} 42. Qxh6 {0} Rxc3 {0} 43.
Qf8+ {0} Kd7 {0} 44. Qg7+ {0} Kd6 {0} 45. Qf8+ {0} Kd7 {0} 46. Bb3 {0} Bxb3 {0}
47. axb3 {0} Rxb3 {0} 48. f3 {0} a4 {0} 49. h6 {0} a3 {0} 50. h7 {0} a2 {0} 51.
Qg7+ {0} Kd6 {0} 52. Qf8+ {0} Kd7 {0} 53. Qa8 {0} Rb1+ {0} 54. Kh2 {0} a1=Q {0}
55. Qxa1 {0} Rxa1 {0} 56. h8=Q {0} Re1 {0} 57. Qg7+ {0} Kd6 {0} 58. Qxg5 {7}
Re2 {0} 59. Kg1 {181} Rc2 {0} 60. f4 {168} Nc6 {102} 61. Qxb5 {13} Rc5 {6} 62.
Qd3+ {141} Rd5 {6} 63. Qg6 {18} Rf5 {29} 64. g3 {65} Ne7 {188} 65. Qe8 {61} e5
{105} 66. Qb8+ {184} Ke6 {22} 67. Qb6+ {72} Kf7 {29} 68. Qb3+ {30} Kf6 {28} 69.
Qb2 {29} Ke6 {17} 70. Qb6+ {25} Kf7 {11} 71. Qb3+ {52} Kf6 {13} 72. Qb2 {41}
Ke6 {21} 73. fxe5 {9} Rxe5 {9} 74. Kf2 {16} Rf5+ {48} 75. Kg2 {12} Kf7 {43} 76.
g4 {16} Rf6 {37} 77. Kg3 {15} Rc6 {8} 78. Qb4 {52} Rg6 {10} 79. Qc4+ {29} Kf8 {
7} 80. Kh4 {121} Rh6+ {10} 81. Kg5 {22} Rg6+ {6} 82. Kh5 {7} Rc6 {3} 83. Qd4 {
40} Kf7 {6} 84. g5 {29} Ke8 {6} 85. Qe4 {64} Kd7 {95} 86. Qa4 {10} Kd8 {30} 87.
Qb5 {45} Rd6 {46} 88. Qc5 {38} Kd7 {20} 89. Qb5+ {28} Kd8 {6} 90. Qa5+ {14} Kd7
{6} 91. Qb5+ {6} Kd8 {8} 92. Qa5+ {5} Kd7 {7} 93. Qb5+ {3} 1/2-1/2
Padmini is a Grunfeld player. She likes her bishop on g7. Although recenty she has started playing 2...e6, she hasn't had too many games with it. The arising positions were perhaps not to her liking, or not so well studied by her.
In chess, just like any other sport, the element of surprise is very important. Sometimes you need to come out of your comfort zone and play something that would rattle your opponent. Maybe you are not an expert in that system, but the shock value is worth trying it out!
This is the reason why players like Magnus Carlsen or Vishy Anand have been so successful. Even our Indian players Adhiban or Sethuraman or Ganguly have always made it a point to keep shuffling. You can never guess which pawn they would touch on their first move.
At first, it will be difficult for you to learn so many things, as 1.e4 and 1.d4 are both vast universes in their own right. But soon you will get the hang of it, and your opponents will not be able to prepare for you. For a young player, it is important never to get stuck to just one opening. The younger you are, the easier it is to be flexible.
And the last point on this subject: When you play something new, many a times, you mobilize all your energy. You are fully focussed and you enjoy playing a fresh position. More often than not, this results in original and creative plans. It is very important to understand your frame of mind before the game. For.eg. in the Qatar Masters Open 2015, I was in dismal form. I had lost rounds six, seven and eight. And it was the last round next day. I usually play 1.d4, but I decided to go for 1.e4 just because I didn't want to play the same old boring stuff. At this point my mind set was more towards desperation than creativity and excitement. I lost the game quickly and regretted the decision of opening with the king pawn. Understanding your mood and mental condition before the game is quite important if you would like to play something new.
We would like to thank our friends in Delhi, especially Gopakumar Sudhakaran, for sending us such interesting pictures which help people all over India and the world in following this highly important 43rd National Women Premier tournament.