Tiefe Wasser

Axel schickte noch in der Nacht vom Sonntag auf Montag von der Fähre nach Trelleborg aus (!) seine kommentierte Partie vom Oberligakampf gegen Weiße Dame. Die ich euch natürlich nicht vorenthalten möchte.

Axel Smith 2445
Hendrik Möller 2254
A00
Berlin, 24.10.2010
Kommentar: Axel Smith

1.Sf3

When I prepared I noticed that Möller wanted to play either Nimzo Indian, Bogo Indian or Hedgehog. Since he is not so experienced I think it’s a good idea to avoid his main systems and instead bring him into somewhat deeper water… With 1.Nf3 I think I managed to do this.

1…Sf6 2.c4 c5

2…e6 3.g3 was my idea. Without the knight on c3 Nimzo Indian isn’t possible, and he can actually neither play the Hedgehog: a) 3…b6 4.d4! transposes to Queen’s Indian, b) 3…c5 4.Bg2 and it’s too late for black to play b6.

3.Sc3

Here black can try to play Hedgehog in many ways, but he is always getting a worse version, for example 3…b6 4.e4! d6 5.d4 cxd4 6.Nxd4 and black has closed in his dark squared bishop too early. 3.g3 b6 would be a Hedgehog.

3…e6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Sxd4

Now black can transpose to a slightly unusual version in the Nimzo Indian with 5…Bb4. The most normal move is 5…Nc6 with a symmetrical English.

5…a6

To try to play Hedgehog with 5…b6? is not working: 6.Sdb5! d6?! 7.Lf4 e5 8.Lg5 White wins material, for example 8…a6 9.Lxf6 gxf6 10.Dd5 and the rook is lost.

6.g3 Dc7 7.Lg2!

7.Qd3 Nc6 threatens Ne5 and forced white to take on c6.

7…Lb4?!

Having said A… Black should take the pawn. After 7…Qxc4 8.0-0 white has a lot of development as compensation for the pawn. White scored a convincing win in Agrest-Carlsson 2008, but since Kramnik has played this with black I guess it’s playable.

8.0-0

White does not have to be afraid of getting the pawns doubled, since black will not be able to set up a good blockade with a knight on c5. 8.Qb3 Bc5 and white can’t threaten the bishop with Nb3.

8…Lxc3

I think that black should have castled instead, but his play already lacks some consistency.

9.bxc3 0-0

9…Qxc4 10.Ba3 would be nice compensation.

10.La3 d6

10…Re8?! 11.c5 will cement the holes on b5 and d6. The bishop on c8 and the rook on a8 will never be able to develop!

rnb2rk1/1pq2ppp/p2ppn2/8/2PN4/B1P3P1/P3PPBP/R2Q1RK1 w – – 0 11

11.Dd3?!

I thought this was sligtly more exact than 11.Nb3, since it doesn’t allow Nc6. Möller told me after the game that he was most afraid of 11.Qa4!, with the threat of Nb5. It seems to be the strongest option.

11…Td8

A critical try is 11…Nbd7 12.Nb3 Nc5 13.Qe3 Nfd7 with a blockade on c5, but after 14.Rfd1 with the plan of Rd2 and Rad1, I couldn’t see how black should defend the pawn on d6.

12.Tfd1 d5?

Better was 12…Nbd7 with the idea to play d5 next move, without problems on the d-file.

13.cxd5 exd5

13…Nxd5 14.c4 Nf6 15.Nxe6! wins immediately. This theme will also appear in the game.

14.c4!

White opens up before black has fulfilled his development. Möller didn’t want to take the c4-pawn in the opening, but now he is forced to.

14…Dxc4!

The best try. 14…Be6 15.cxd5 Bxd5 16.e4 Bc4 17.Ne6! also wins a rook. 14…dxc4 15.Ne6 cxd3 16.Nxc7 Ra7 17.Bc5 wins the rook.

15.Dxc4 dxc4

rnbr2k1/1p3ppp/p4n2/8/2pN4/B5P1/P3PPBP/R2R2K1 w – – 0 16

16.Se6?!

Strongest was 16.Nf5, a move I didn’t even think about. The back rank problems will decide the game.

16…Txd1+ 17.Txd1 Sbd7

The only move. 17…fxe6 18.Rd8+ Kf7 19.Rf8+ Kg6 20.Rxc8 will win at least a piece.

18.Sc7 Tb8 19.Ld6

When I played 14.c4 I was that black couldn’t avoid losing an exchange here in a meaningful way, but I was not completely sure whether he could get some compensation.

19…g5

The critical line in my calculations ran 19…b5 20.Nd5 Nxd5 21.Bxb8 Nc3 22.Rd2 Kf8 but I concluded that black’s queenside pawn wasn’t that dangerous.

20.Sd5!

Since black’s last move doesn’t threaten anything, I was considering to improve the position of my king with 20.Kf1 , but I didn’t want to give him another chance to play b5.

20…Ta8

20…Nxd5 21.Rxd5! Ra8 22.Rxg5+ Kh8 and white has regained his pawn with a hundred times better pieces.

21.Se7+?!

My greedy plan in the game is to kind. It would have been better to keep the bind.

21…Kg7 22.Sxc8 Txc8 23.Lxb7 Te8 24.Lxa6

4r3/3n1pkp/B2B1n2/6p1/2p5/6P1/P3PP1P/3R2K1 b – – 0 24

24…c3

24…Rxe2 25.Bxc4 is winning for sure, with the bishop pair and an outside passed pawn. When I played Nd5 I was mostly afraid of 24…Nb6 , since black threatens both Rxe2 and Ra8xa2. I saw that I could defend against both threats with 25.Rb1 Nfd7! (or 25…Nfd5 26.Bc5 and black loses the c4-pawn) 26.Rb2

25.Lb4

Not 25.Rc1?? Re6 and white loses a piece.

25…Ta8?!

Now white can simplify to a won rook ending, but it was lost anyway.

26.Lxc3 Txa6 27.Txd7 Kg6

27…Rxa2 28.Rd6 loses the knight.

28.Lxf6 Kxf6 29.Td2

8/5p1p/r4k2/6p1/8/6P1/P2RPP1P/6K1 b – – 0 29

The rest is very easy and it didn’t take us many minutes to play the remaining 30 (!) moves. To resign has never won any points, so it can never be a bad idea to play on.

29…h5 30.Kg2 Ke5 31.e3 g4 32.h3

Exchanging white’s only potential weakness.

32…f6 33.hxg4 hxg4 34.Td4 Txa2 35.Txg4 Kf5 36.Tg8 Ta4 37.Kf3 Ke6 38.Tb8 Ta5 39.g4 Tc5 40.Kf4 Tc4+ 41.e4 Ta4 42.Tb5 Ke7 43.g5 fxg5+ 44.Txg5 Kf6 45.Tb5 Ta2 46.Tb6+ Ke7 47.f3 Ta3 48.Kg4 Te3 49.Tb4 Kf6 50.f4 Ta3 51.e5+ Ke6 52.Tb6+ Ke7 53.f5 Te3 54.Tb7+ Ke8 55.e6 Te1 56.Kg5 Th1 57.Kf6 Th6+ 58.Ke5

4k3/1R6/4P2r/4KP2/8/8/8/8 b – – 0 58

58…Th1

Black could have played for a last trick with 58…Rh8 59.Rb8+ Ke7 60.Rxh8?? and stalemate.

59.Tb8+ Ke7 60.f6#

1-0

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