A Zhouse Game

Yes, I know its a bughouse blog, but here I have a zhouse game that I was fortunate enough to win against a master:

My opponent decided to play 1.e4 d5.  I think this a bad idea.  In zhouse,  white starts with a slight edge and a small number of trades amplifies the edge.  It is different than bughouse, and when black trades the pieces go to his partner who is playing white.

The pawn a c3 is an advantage for white.  Black can place either knight or pawn on f4, or better yet, place the pawn on h3.

Here black makes his first aggressive move, but it is too little too.  Also his plan is to win the knight, which may be ill advised.  Sometimes squares are more import than pieces, so p@h3 might be a better move.  White has some threats planned, especially p@h6.

Black defends h6 and completes his idea of trapping the knight.  White will play e5, which threatens the bishop on d6 and provides the e4 square for the knight.  Black will trade.  Note that the trade removes his defending pawn from h6.

Here black misses his chance to seize the initiative.  He will play cxd6.  That does not help his cause, because it increases the weakness of c7, while the real threat is on e7.  He could instead play N@h4, threatening Nxg2+ and N@f3+.

The position heads for a typical mating pattern.

Blacks position, particulary the h6 and f6 squares are almost indefensible.  Black has thrown a useless check with B@a5+.  White has capture the pawn on g5, threatening f6 and h6.

White has place a pawn on f6 which threatens g7 and protects the knight on e7.  Re8 is to no avail.  Actually White may have been able to defend with gxf6, as White does not yet have enough material to mate. 

But white waits one move too long to defend, and is mated as promised!