thanks for the game and the annotations.
I believe that I got the plans very well, until the end game where
things get very confusing to me, but I should revisit this game in a few
days to understand this technic of bishops, knights and kings...
On 11/02/2017 16:44, mordue andrew wrote:a
Mordue, A T – Wandowicz, Katejan
Bristol Autumn Open (5), 28.08.2016
[Mordue, Tyson]
This game features an unusual variation in a well-known opening. Regular moves are there for a reason. Theory and practice approve of them. I leave the reader to decide whether Black's 7th move is worthy of inclusion in a text book on the French Tarrasch.
1.e4 e6
[A notable moment. I'd played my opponent twice in the past twelve months and the openings previously had been a Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defence and a Sicilian Defence. Now we have a French Defence. I can't recall any other opponent who has played three completely different openings in our first three encounters.]
2.d4 d5
3.Nd2 Nf6
4.e5 Nfd7
5.Bd3 c5
6.c3 Nc6
7.Ne2 g6!?
[A very odd move and unique in my praxis. The combination of ...e7-e6 and ...g7-g6 is not completely unusual in the French Defence but to deliberately fianchetto the King's Bishop in this fashion is almost unknown. Almost. My database showed just one game namely Yemelin-Puschkeit, Germany 1997. White continued with 8 f4 and won in 30 moves. It should be mentioned that Yemelin was a Russian GM and Puschkeit was only rated 2205 so the result was not unexpected but Black had little play.[
8.Nf3 Bg7
9.a3!?
[Another Pawn to Rook Three. This one is essentially a waiting move. Deep Rybka suggests 9 h4 and 9 0–0. I wanted to delay the first suggestion until Black had castled and I didn't want to play the second because if necessary I was happy to walk the King to the right by itself.
Of course a2-a3 features in lines of the Advance French (3 e4-e5) and Black has the chance to play ...c5-c4 to keep the position closed. However, I felt that my opponent wasn't in the mood for a closed game.]
9...0–0
10.h4
[Played instantly. It's a clear statement of intent but as Katejan remarked afterwards "I don't think Black has actually made a mistake." Probably true enough, unless you count encouraging a known attacking player to have a go at you!
Black's next move is to some extent forced. He has to create counterplay somewhere and the classic counter to wing play is a break in the centre.]
10...f6!?
11.exf6
[Major alternatives are 11 h5 and 11 Nf4. I felt 11 h5 might be answered simply by 11...f5 not withstanding the dark square weaknesses after 12 hxg6 hxg6 but 13 Nf4 Qe8 14 Ng5 makes a nonsense of that assessment. Obviously after 11 h5 fxe5 is more critical. One line is 12 hxg6 e4 !? 13 gxh7+ Kh8 14 Nh4 – threat 15 Ng6 mate – and after either 14...Ne7 or 14...Qe8 15 Bc2 and Deep Rybka says White has a plus. True enough but the position is very unbalanced and messy.
Another line is 11 h5 fxe5 12 hxg6 hxg6 13 Bxg6 Rxf3!? 14 gxf3 cxd4 with another messy position where any result is possible, White's material advantage not withstanding.
11 Nf4 looks just as complicated but one line I saw also involved an Exchange sacrifice by Black, namely 11...fxe5!? 12 Nxe6 Qe7 13 Nxf8 exd4+ which I wasn't comfortable with. I also spotted 13...e4 at the end of the last line but Deep Rybka suggests 14 Nxh7! with advantage. Black would like to take both the d3 Bishop and the f3 Knight. Clearly he can't and which ever one survives the …e4 takes something discovered check remains as an important attacking unit. Either the Bishop has the b1–h7 diagonal or the Knight has the g5 square.
Note that the extra material White gets in these lines isn't so significant if the position is semi-closed and/or Black is in control of the centre. My decision to take was based on the domination of the dark squares but I wasn't in control of them as much as I thought.]
11...Nxf6
12.Bg5 Qc7
13.Bf4 Qe7
14.Qd2!?
[Immediately after playing this move I realised that Black can play the awkward 14...Na5 because of the weakness of b3. I had intended to play b2-b4 – ruling out …Nc6-a5 and taking Queenside space – before Qd2 and simply forgot to do so.
However, it’s not so simple and play could go 14...Na5 15 Rb1 Nb3 16 Qd1 c4 17 Bc2 and other than the closure of the Queenside it’s not clear exactly what Black has accomplished.
Deep Rybka actually endorses the text but I was on tenterhooks waiting for my opponent’s reply. It was a while coming.]
14...Ng4!?
[An interesting move that pressures the f2 square and adds two more Black pieces to the fight for the e5 square. Of course it also prevents White's well-telegraphed Bg5-h6. The downside is that it allows me the h4-h5 advance without any bother. Deep Rybka instead suggests 14...Nh5 15 Bg5 Qf7 with apparent equality. White may have to castle Kingside here in which case the advance h2-h4 adds to the dark-square bind on that side of the board but any attack may be difficult to conduct. Food for thought.]
15.h5
[I was still concerned about ...Nc6-a5 but I felt that I couldn't delay the text. What's more the alternative 15 b2-b4 to rule out ...Na5 merely encourages Black to play 15...e6-e5 because of the vis-à-vis of the g7 Bishop and the a1 Rook. Deep Rybka now claims White has an advantage in excess of +0.5. It certainly didn't feel like it.]
15...cxd4!?
[Another interesting move. Black is trying to maximise the central line opening before going ...e6-e5. With the c-Pawns gone White's King would be more exposed if I castled Queenside. However, White is given the chance to take on g6 for free. I decided fairly quickly that I wanted to take on d4 instead, mainly for the same reasons as above. Black's central preponderance had to be a useful counter-attacking factor and I felt that the position was getting a bit random.
Deep Rybka prefers taking on g6 and produces 16 hxg6 hxg6 17 Bxg6 e5 18 Bh7+ Kf7 19 Bg5 Bf6 claiming White is nearly +1. I was more concerned about 16 hxg6 dxc3!? 17 gxh7+ Kh8 followed by Black advancing the e-Pawn. However, after 18 Nxc3 pushing e6-e5 merely leaves the d5 Pawn en prise and the alternative 18...Nce5 19 Nxe5 Nxe5 20 Bxe5 Bxe5 21 g3! preparing f2-f4 is again +1 for White according to Deep Rybka.
Calculation around here is complicated with lots of options for both sides. Certainly the advanced extra Pawn on h7 looks nice but it merely blocks White's Rook down the h-file. It's worth more in an endgame. What's more White still has his own King to sort out and Black's centre Pawns supported by the two Bishops could be a constant menace.
I put my faith in continuing with the sensible option and I was encouraged by the fact that my opponent had used considerably more time than I had. Finally even if this is a second best choice Deep Rybka still rates it as +0.65 for White.]
16.cxd4 e5
[Black's thematic break in the French Tarrasch. Normally it would mean he was solving his problems. However, here Black is left with an isolated Pawn on d5 and the position is being simplified with all the piece exchanges, never good for the owner of an isolani. His King position is also exposed. Will the centralised Queen and the potential pressure down the f-file provide enough counterplay to balance the obvious negatives?]
17.dxe5 Ncxe5
18.Nxe5
[White has no time for 18 hxg6?? because 18...Nxd3+ 19 Qxd3 Rxf4 wins a piece due to the pin on the e2 Knight. Of course swapping off the f3 Knight allows increased pressure on f2 because there's one less piece on the way of the Black Rook on f8.]
18...Bxe5
[Not a move that Black really wants to play given the already weak nature of the dark squares. However, if instead 18...Nxe5 Black has released the pressure on f2 and I can simply play 19 Bxe5 and then take on g6.]
19.Bxe5 Qxe5
[This is the move I expected and I'm certain that Katejan never really considered the recapture with the Knight. Deep Rybka gives 19...Nxe5 20 hxg6 hxg6 21 f3! with advantage to White of +0.5 or so. After 21... Nxd3+? 22 Qxd3 Bf5 23 Qd4! (remarkably this is possibly even better than 23 Qxd5+) and now Black has no time for 23...Rae8 because of 24 Rh8+ Kf7 25 Rh7+ winning. Black can improve at move 21 by not exchanging but White is better with a safer King, better Pawn structure and more active pieces.]
20.f4!
[It was only when I got to this position that I realised the strength of this move. Black's f-file pressure is nullified, his Queen is ousted from its proud central post and there's not many good squares for it to go to.
Deep Rybka suggests that Black should reply with either 20...Qf6 or 20...Qg7 to guard g6 but points out that the first permits, after 21 hxg6 hxg6, 22 Rc1 targeting the c7 square. In the second line with 20...Qg7 it analyses the smart regrouping 21 hxg6 hxg6 22 Rc1 Rf7 23 Bb1! Be6 24 Rc3! Rae8 25 Rch3 with a clear advantage to White. Note how Black's Knight on g4 doesn't really co-operate with the other Black pieces.]
20...Qe3?
[Katejan prefers to go forward with his Queen rather than backward but this is a serious error. Black doesn't want an endgame because of his weak Pawns and inactive pieces. It may appear that Black's Knight is active but it soon goes backward in a tearing hurry.]
21.Qxe3
[Removing all the danger to White‘s position. Deep Rybka says that White really can try 21 hxg6 Qf2+ 22 Kd1 hxg6 and now either 23 Bxg6 or 23 Qc3 with advantage. However, as the text seems to lead to a clear advantage with no counterplay to worry about then why choose a complicated alternative?]
21...Nxe3
22.hxg6 Nxg2+?
[Deep Rybka suggests that Black can limit the damage by conceding a Pawn with 22...hxg6 23 Bxg6 Kg7 24 Bd3 Bf5 25 Kd2 Rae8. Possibly true. At least this way all his pieces are in play. Katejan attempts to liquidate all the Kingside Pawns but by pushing the White King to d2 the other White Rook to able to come into play.]
23.Kd2 Nxf4
[This was played rather quickly to my surprise. However, against 23...hxg6 I had planned 24 Rag1 Nxf4 25 Nxf4 Rxf4 26 Rxg6+ Kf8 27 Rh8+ Ke7 28 Rgg8 and Black will never be able to unpin his back rank. I was confident that this was winning despite the Pawn minus because I should be able to get my Bishop to the h3-c8 diagonal winning the Exchange and the wide-open board guarantees maximum activity for my Rooks afterwards.
This is the sort of line strong experienced players avoid as Black on principle. Even if they can't see a White win there's no Black counterplay.]
24.gxh7+
[There is much value in 24 Nxf4 Rxf4 25 Rxh7 intending to double on the h-file, but the text continuation looks so much clearer. Moreover this Pawn has been dreaming of taking on h7 since move 10!]
24...Kh8
[Forced. If 24...Kg7 25 Rag1+ Kh8 26 Nxf4 and Black can’t recapture because of 27 Rg8 mate.]
25.Raf1!
[After this simple move Black has real problems. The following swap on f8 is forced. This leaves all Black's pieces on the bank rank and the Black king is stuck on h8 stopping the White Pawn from promoting.
After White's 27th Deep Rybka judges White to be about 2.5 better despite the material equality. Compare this to the suggested line at move 22 where Black gives up a Pawn but gets his pieces active, and also to the note at Black‘s 23rd. In that line Black is a Pawn up but virtually paralysed.]
25...Ne6
26.Rxf8+ Nxf8
27.Nf4
[I couldn't see a decisive continuation after 27 Rg1 Be6 but the text simply threatens to take on d5 and Black is badly tied down. Obviously 27 Rg1 Nxh7?? loses to 28 Rh1. Katejan was getting short of time as well and he has to make sure that he doesn't play something quickly that loses instantly. This is one trivial example.]
27...Be6
28.Rc1
[It's possible that 28 Rh6 may be even stronger after 28...Re8 29 Rf6 threatening 30 Rxf8+ Rxf8 31 Ng6+ winning. The text is still strong and invites Black to blunder with 28...Rc8 29 Nxe6 Rxc1 30 Nxf8. Katejan doesn’t oblige.]
28...Rd8
29.Rc7
[Note that this penetration down the file is possible because it was Black who opened this line way back on move 15.]
29...Bc8
30.Rf7
[Now White threatens the same tactic as in a previous note and there is no defence.]
30...a5
31.Rxf8+
[White could try to improve his position even further with say 31 Kc3 intending 32 Kd4. Black can reply 31...d4+ and after 32 Kd2 the d4 Pawn is more exposed. This is merely cat and mouse play which some players understandably enjoy. I chose to get on with it immediately.]
31...Rxf8
32.Ng6+ Kxh7
[Obviously if 32...Kg7 33 Nxf8 and Black can’t recapture because the Pawn promotes.]
33.Nxf8+ Kg7
34.Ng6 Kf6
35.Ke3
[Hoping that Black might walk into 35...Ke6 36 Bf5+! Kxf5 37 Ne7+ and 38 Nxc8 making the technical task so much easier. Once again Katejan fails to oblige.]
35...b5
36.Kd4 b4
37.axb4
[I can try to keep two pawns on the board with 37 a4. However, there is a simple line of play whereby White eliminates all the Black Pawns quickly.]
37...axb4
38.Nf4 Bb7
39.Nxd5+ Ke6
40.Nxb4 Kd6
[Katejan plays on because he hopes to give up his Bishop for White's remaining Pawn. The onus is then White to demonstrate his technique in mating with King, Bishop and Knight against bare King. The only other occasion that I got close to this my opponent conveniently lost on time as I was taking his last Pawn.
Obviously Katejan shouldn't lose on time with the 30 second increment per move applying in this game so I decided I was keeping my Pawn. Clearly I need to take care getting it over the light squares on the b-file. I recall analysing this very ending, except it was a g-Pawn rather than the b, as a kid so I was utterly clear about what to do. Some readers may stop here regarding this quite rightly as elementary technique. I’ll continue annotating for the benefit of those who want to learn said technique.]
41.Be4 Bc8
42.Nd5 Be6
43.b4 Bd7
[The hurdle of the b3 square was easy to get over because of the Pawn's double initial move. b5 is the next obstacle so Black tries to maintain control of this square with his Bishop. If instead 43...Kc6 the simplest reply is 44 Kc4 rather than mess around with discovered checks and permit ...Kb5.]
44.Nc3 Be8
45.Bd5 Bd7
46.Ne4+
[Pushing the Black King off the d6 square and ensuring the White monarch gets to c5 to control b6. Note how the White King and Knight control dark squares which complements the Bishop’s light-square influence.]
46...Kc7
47.Kc5 Ba4
48.Nd6 Kd7
[Other King moves allow 49 Bc6 and the rapid advance of the Pawn. If instead 48...Bd7 then 49 Nb5+ forces the Black King back even further. If it goes to b8 then it is in the corner of the board where it is most likely to get mated by the converging White forces.]
49.Nb5 Kc8
[Dropping control of c6. However, 49...Bc2 is met by 50 Nc3 Bd3 51 Bc4 ensuring the advance to b6.]
50.Nc3 Bd7
51.Bc6
[This makes it clear that Black isn't going to be able to force me into demonstrating my mating technique with King, Bishop and Knight against bare King, so Katejan resigned.
If Black decides to be shown then White's plan is to advance the Pawn to b6, switch his King to a5 and then put his Knight on a6. This will either ensure the Pawn gets to b7 and b8 immediately or force Black to swap his Bishop for the Knight after which the win is trivial.]
1–0
