1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 Qa5?! There are many ways to handle this position, each leading to a game with different characteristics. The quiet 5...Nbd7 would steer the game towards the Queens Gambit Declined, while ; 5...dxc4 6.e4 b5 7.e5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Nxg5 hxg5 10.Bxg5 would lead to the sharp Botvinnik variation.; 5...h6 6.Bxf6 Qxf6 7.e3 is a solid alternative, known as the Moscow Variation. I decided to try something new.]
6. Bxf6 White is forced to exchange, otherwise black gets Ne4 and with it a good game
6... gxf6 7. e3 Nd7 8. cxd5 cxd5 9. Rc1 Bd6 10. Qd2?! A surprise, as the following seemed more natural:
10. Qc2 O-O 11. Bd3 f5 12. O-O
10... O-O 11. Bd3 Kh8 Opens the g-file for the rook, and gets out of any checks which may weaken the d5 point after an e5 push.
12. O-O f5!? A very difficult decision, as it sentences the c8 bishop to a game-long passivity, but white's e4 breakthrough had to be stopped. For example:
12... e5 13. e4 exd4 14. Nxd4 dxe4 15. Bxe4 Qh5 16. Nf3 with white's advantage
13. a3 a6 14. Ne2 An interesting alternative was
14. b4 Qd8 (14... Qxa3?! 15. Ra1 Qxb4 16. Rfb1 Bxh2+ 17. Nxh2 Qe7 18. Nb5 Rg8 19. Nf3 Rb8 20. Na7 Qf6 with exciting complications)
15. Rc2 Rg8 very similar to the game.]
14... Qd8! The queen will nicely join the K-side attack
15. Rc3 Qf6 16. Rfc1 Rg8 Although white rules the c-file, there are no entry points, so it's difficult to exploit this positional advantage. Black's play on the K-side has very tangible targets.
17. Kh1 Qg6 18. Rg1?! A small admission of defeat, as the R has to come back to defend. Likely better was
18. Ng3 h5 19. b4 Be7 20. Bf1 h4 21. Ne2 although black still holds the initiative
18... Nf6 19. Nf4 Qh6 20. Rc2 Sad, but true. The rook is needed in defence of the 2nd rank, in particular the weak f2 point.
20... Bd7 A key move to allow the last two pieces to join the attack
21. Bf1? White hopes to concolidate with g3/Bg2, but this plan is too slow. Black now completes thebreakthrough
21... Ne4 22. Qc1 Rac8! Keeping up the pressure is more effective than winning a pawn outright with
22... Bxf4 23. exf4 Rac8 24. Ne5 Qg7 25. g3 Nxf2+ 26. Kg2 Rxc2 27. Qxc2 Ng4-/+
23. Nd3 Rxc2 24. Qxc2 Rc8 25. Qd1 Bb5 Equally effective, but perhaps more esthetic would have been
25... Bg3!! 26. h3 Bxf2-+
26. Qe1 Rc2 27. Nfe5 Bxe5 28. Nxe5 There were many ways to win at this stage, but I elected to choose the simplest, as time was running out. Black can simplify to a winning endgame by force:
28... Nxf2+ 29. Qxf2 Rxf2 30. Nxf7+ Kg7 31. Nxh6 Rxf1! And white resigned, since the N is trapped.
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