1.c4
c5
2.Nc3
Nf6
3.e3
e6
4.d4
d5
5.Nf3
cxd4
6.exd4
Bb4
A fairly circuitous move order has led the players into a fairly common position from openings such as the Nimzo, Panov-Botvinnik or Queen's Gambit. I'd be curious to know if my opponent was happy and comfortable with the position we arrived at. I certainly was, as this was actually one of the positions I was trying to steer him into.
7.cxd5
Nxd5
8.Bd2
[It is also quite reasonable to play 8.Qc2
as played against me by J. Shahade a few weeks earlier in the league's season. White achieved a comfortable position in that game, but I have always favored Bd2 a bit, and thus am also more comfortable with it. After some thought, I decided to stick to it.]
8...0-0
9.Bd3
Nc6
10.0-0
Be7
In this position, I was quite convinced that I correctly remembered a3 here being the main move. However, I figured some of the main black moves that are possible next are Bf6, Nf6, or Qb6, all menacing the d4-pawn. So I had to figure out what I was going to do about that on the next move... and I did not see anything really appealing after a3 Bf6. I looked and looked but could not come up with a good path for white (see note to next move). When you don't see what to do with what you know to be the "best move" in a position, it usually does not make sense to play it. After all, two minutes later, after your opponent has played the most obvious reply, Bf6, do you expect that suddenly, the basis for your last move will come to you? A move is only as good as the position you can see yourself achieving with it. Thus, better to play a second best move where you have an idea to follow. Which is what I did with
11.Qe2
[11.a3
Bf6
12.Ne4
this is the move I focused on in trying to make a3 work out, as it has the right feel to it: white goes towards the black kingside, and has ideas of weakening the dark squares by trading on f6 if black plays g6. but I could not justify the pawn sac in the following line: (12.Be3
just does not have the right feel to me. black could trade on e3 for the bishop pair at some point. also if black just continues developing for now, the Be3 is not amazing. It seems to me the white pieces need to try to assume somewhat more threatening posts if white is to gain any advantage in this variation.; For those who are really interested in theory, I looked into a database after the game, as I often do, to see what stronger players had done in the same position, and I found the following idea: 12.Qc2
h6
(I would not play 12...g6
13.Bh6
does have the right feel for white: after bg7 he leaves black with somewhat weak darksquares and does not have to find a defense for his d4 pawn. after Re8, he can probably play r(either)d1 and indirectly defend the pawn, thus avoiding any sub-active moves.) 13.Be3
this is definitely a slight improvement on Be3 straight away, as now it is harder for black to play g6 and Bg7 tucking away the nice f6 bishop, because he has already made the h6 move weakening the kingside. however, i'm still not overly excited about what white has done.) 12...Bxd4
(12...Nxd4
13.Nxf6+
Nxf6
14.Bb4
Nxf3+
15.Qxf3
Re8
16.Rad1
) 13.Nxd4
Nxd4
14.Ng5
f5
here I don't feel white has enough compensation without showing something a little more concrete, and I did not see it...]
11...Ndb4
If there is a downside to Qe2, it is probably this move. I have to imagine that Wilson was brimming with confidence after winning so many games (it takes several less than that to get me into confident mode), and so I definitely expected him to play the move which looks to refute Qe2. Here, white's important lightsquared bishop is menaced with a trade, and the important d4 pawn is also attacked. If you were white, which would you rather keep? If you lose the bishop, you have lost your best piece, and you lack punch to make threats and demonstrate the kind of activity that will compensate for your isolated pawn. You're asking for suffering, and there is a high probability of losing. If you lose the pawn, black will have spent time putting his knight on b4 and snacking the pawn. You will be ahead in development, have agressive long range bishops in an open position, and be the first to place rooks on the fairly clear c- and d-files. That should sound a lot more promising:
12.Be4
after some thought I concluded that the bishop might in fact be good aimed at the queenside from e4, as the queenside would be fairly open if black took on d4, and white might have nice play in that direction (see 12...Nd4) [The best looking move might be (especially to a king-oriented player) 12.Bb1
keeping open the possibility of Qe4 and mate on h7. Ok, cool, but is the Ra1 feeling ok about this? Actually this move doesn't work out because it prevents Rb1, and the Nb4 is one of black's tactical weaknesses if he takes the pawn: 12...Nxd4
13.Nxd4
Qxd4
14.Nb5
Qxb2
Of course white's rook is not in any danger, but it's in this position that white desperately wants to play Rb1. and the hidden attack of the Qb2 on Qe2 restricts white's bishop from moving. It's hard for white to come up with anything good here as 15.Qe4
(and 15.Qh5
g6
; white might need to bail with 15.Bxh7+
Kxh7
16.Rfb1
Qf6
17.Bxb4
Bxb4
18.Qe4+
Kg8
19.Qxb4
Bd7
however this also just basically leaves him down a pawn with minimal comp) 15...f5
don't work]
12...f5
[12...Nxd4
13.Nxd4
Qxd4
here I had a feeling that one of two moves would be the right one. either 14.Nb5
(or 14.Rfd1
which was harder for me to calculate out anything precise about 14...Qf6
15.Be3
again, white seems okish to me. During the game choosing between these two directions seemed quite hard to me. Now I think I feel a perceptible preference for this position, but yeah, it's hard to say.) 14...Qb6
15.Be3
Qa6
16.Rfd1
white seems to have nice board control. probably black will soon just plop the knight on d5 and sac back the pawn to get his light-squared bishop out, with fair chances. (16.Bxh7+
this combination doesn't work: 16...Kxh7
17.Qh5+
Kg8
18.Nc7
Qd6
) ]
13.Bb1
Now white can move the bishop to the a2-g8 diagonal, and it will be a bit soft, providing some extra comp for the pawn black will now definitely capture (what else is black doing?). White had the option of trading off his lightsquared bishop to preserve his pawn, and it's better than before, but I still hoped for more. Maybe being a little overoptimistic in thinking I had more, and too dogmatic about not parting with my great piece, but see for yourself the trade-off option: [13.Bxc6
Nxc6
14.Rfd1
Nxd4
else white will probably just be a bit better with d5 and bf4 and nd5 and rac1 moves coming 15.Nxd4
Qxd4
16.Bg5
Qc5
here I wanted to continue with 17.Rd5?!
(a blander but more reasonable continuation is 17.Na4
Qb4
18.a3
Qxa4
19.Bxe7
Re8
20.Rac1
with white doing fine and having some chances of achieving an advantage) 17...exd5
18.Bxe7
Qc4
19.Bxf8
Qxe2
20.Nxe2
Kxf8
21.Nf4
but this is definitely no better for white, even if it's 'clever']
13...Nxd4
14.Nxd4
Qxd4
15.a3
Nc6
[I did not expect to see: 15...Nd5
16.Nxd5
Qxd5
17.Ba2
with a clear (though maybe small) plus for white who will recover the saced pawn at his leisure, and hopefully have some use of the open file(s) that he will control at that point.]
16.Ba2
Qe5?!
[I expected 16...Kh8
17.Rad1
and did not have a clear evaluation in mind for the position that was arising. i felt reasonably confident that white has at least enough, and some chance that it would emerge that white could gain the upperhand (or that my opponent would not find the most precise way to solve black's development problems).]
17.Qxe5
this simple exchange grants white an advantage in the ending, at no pawn cost. At minimum I could already see white taking on e6 with his knight and forcing black to part with the bishop pair, leaving white with a small stable advantage for the long-term. And I knew that something even better might come along, as I had several ways to preserve tension a bit longer.
17...Nxe5
18.Nb5+/-
Bd7
[I barely spent any time dismissing the only black attempt to guard the e6 pawn: 18...Kf7
19.Nc7
Rb8
20.Rfe1
this looks great. the black king is a bit in harm's way.]
19.Nc7
Rad8
already, I was having trouble coming up with variations that looked very reasonable for black. for example: [19...Rac8
20.Nxe6
Rf6
21.Bg5
(ouch)]
20.Bc3
a move which obviously improves white's position in advance of taking the e6 pawn. just taking did not offer all that much as black might get the knight to d3. It's nice to chase it somewhere less dangerous while d3 is not sustainable. [20.Nxe6
Bxe6
21.Bxe6+
Kh8
22.Bc3
Nd3
this is obviously not bad for white, but it wasn't very exciting either.]
20...Nc6
21.Bxe6+
see? the original idea was that at least white could always take on e6 and nab the bishop pair. but as white's pieces have improved something concrete has come along: the possibility to trade bishops and outpost a knight on e6 which will gain control of the d-file for white by attacking the d8-square. I think white can win from here, so black would need an improvement on Nc6 to provide better resistance-- no easy task.
21...Kh8
[21...Bxe6
22.Nxe6
wins an exchange]
22.Rad1
Bc8
[22...Bxe6
23.Nxe6
Rxd1
24.Rxd1
Rg8
25.Rd7
is the same picture as the game. white must win; if 22...Be8
one good option is 23.Rxd8
Bxd8
24.Nxe8
Rxe8
25.Bxf5
]
23.Bxc8
Rxc8?!
[I thought (and still think) that better would be 23...Rxd1
24.Rxd1
Rxc8
25.Ne6
Bf6
26.Bxf6
gxf6
the remaining rook being on the open c-file makes it harder for white to go after black's pawns as quickly (back rank mate and Rc2 ideas). Still white looks likely to win to me. 27.Kf1
]
24.Ne6+-
now white gets e6 for the knight, and d7 for the rook; black is also tied down further by the burden of defending g7.
24...Rg8
25.Rd7
b5
no, black is not just saving his pawn. he wants to play a5 and then b4, knocking your bishop off the good diagonal. then he'll continue to untangle with Bf6 (defending g7 solidly) and Rg-anywhere. suddenly the game will be about level. white absolutely needs to prevent this.
26.Rb7
a6
[I was still focusing on calculating the consequences of black playing 26...Bf6
in every line, freeing his game at the cost of huge weaknesses to his kingside pawn structure. Here i saw that after 27.Bxf6
gxf6
28.Rxb5
Rge8
29.Nf4
Nd4
30.Rd5
Rcd8
31.Rd1
would seal it; also no use is 26...Rb8
27.Rc7
Rgc8
28.Rxc8+
Rxc8
29.Nxg7
wins white two pawns.]
27.Rd1
another rook to d7?
27...Rb8
28.Rc7
Rgc8
29.Rdd7
another rook to d7!
29...Bd8
not much else to do.
30.Rxg7
ok, it's forced mate now.
30...Bxc7
31.Rxc7+
1-0