Pitched Battles

Any idea that online chess is less competitive than the over-the-board equivalent was dispelled by the fourth round of the Dyfed Closed Online tournament, played between Monday 25th and Wednesday 27th January. (The online format allows this kind of flexibility.) Aberystwyth's players were involved in some exceptionally exciting games. In a Scandinavian with players castled on opposite sides Adam Watkin-Jones got his kingside attack going faster than that of Gareth Williams on the queenside, and Black was forced to defend. But with only a couple of minutes left on the clock, Adam wasn't able to calculate the winning sacrifice and settled for a draw. I had prepared for 1...e5 against Robert Lovegrove, and played weakly against his unexpected Sicilian, coming out of the opening with a much worse position. However, in his anxiety to finish me off quickly, he let me back in with a sequence that won me the exchange, after which the ending was no problem. Tom Gunn found himself with a knight against a bishop in the ending for the second week in a row, after a Nimzo-Indian. At the crucial moment he missed the chance to push his passed pawn and Joshua Brewer's pawns overwhelmed him. Rudy van Kemenade was in some trouble with his Petroff against the much-lower-rated Ray Greenwood. Losing his queen was not the worst thing that could have happened, because the resultant complications suited his style and greater experience, and he managed to turn the tables. Sam Holman played a razor-sharp line of the Austrian Attack against David Pinch's Pirc Defence. When the initial attacks on both sides had come to a halt, Black had a material advantage but there were still chances for both players. The game continued with all sorts of twists and turns, till Sam was able to stop Black's connected passed pawns with his king and bishop. With one round to go, I am on 3/4, Adam on 2½, Rudy on 2 and Tom and Sam on 1½, while the tournament's strongest player, Howard Williams, has a maximum 4.

[Event "Dyfed Online Closed"] [Site "lichess.org"] [Date "2021.01.27"] [Round "4.2"] [White "Watkin-Jones, Adam"] [Black "Williams, R Gareth"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "B01"] [WhiteElo "1918"] [BlackElo "1643"] [Annotator "lichess.org"] [PlyCount "76"] [EventDate "2021.??.??"] [TimeControl "2700+15"] {[%evp 0,76,80,18,19,-72,7,11,119,100,92,98,124,112,115,115,80,56,62,48,52,57, 92,83,83,53,46,36,56,56,44,18,39,11,28,-17,49,2,50,41,108,153,143,119,212,212, 384,156,469,269,281,82,87,-23,22,11,103,18,46,57,71,60,127,127,136,138,311,207, 357,388,388,497,497,497,497,492,518,424,518]} 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 {B01 Scandinavian Defense: Mieses-Kotroc Variation [ Standard for Gareth, no games in database for Adam-R]} 3. Nc3 (3. Nf3 {1-2 for Gareth-R}) 3... Qd8 {a slightly passive line, resembling a CaroKann-R} (3... Qa5) (3... Qd6 {more frequent-R}) 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 Bg4 6. h3 Bxf3 7. Qxf3 c6 8. Be3 e6 9. O-O-O (9. Bd3 {a bit more frequent-R}) 9... Nbd7 $6 {(0.88 ? 1.51) Inaccuracy. Bb4 was best.} (9... Bb4 10. Ne4 {main,62% for Wh-R}) 10. Bd3 (10. Kb1 {79% for Wh-R}) 10... Be7 (10... Bb4 {main, what Bl thought in retrospect should have been played, but} 11. Ne2 {63 % for Wh-R}) 11. Kb1 O-O $6 {(1.28 ? 2.33) Inaccuracy. Nb6 was best. [ it cuts out the 0-0-0 possibility and the Bl K looks more open to attack on the K side-R]} (11... Nb6 12. Qg3 g6 13. Bh6 Rg8 14. h4 Qd7 15. Qf3 Nbd5 16. Ne4 Nxe4 17. Bxe4 Nf6 18. Rhe1 O-O-O {Huschenbeth-Glek, Bundesliga 2012,1/2-1/2-R}) 12. g4 $18 {Stockfish12-R} Nd5 13. Nxd5 cxd5 14. h4 Rc8 15. g5 Qb6 16. Bc1 a5 $6 {(2.16 ? 3.29) Inaccuracy. Rc6 was best.} (16... Rc6 17. Qh5 f5 18. Qe2 Rfc8 19. Bxf5 exf5 20. Qxe7 Nf8 21. Qe5 $18 { Stockfish12-R}) 17. Qh5 g6 18. Qe2 (18. Qg4 {Stockfish12}) 18... Qd6 $2 { (3.23 ? 5.37) Mistake. Qxd4 was best.} (18... Qxd4 19. Be3 Qb4 20. a3 Qd6 21. h5 $18 {Stockfish12}) 19. f4 {this does allow the Q to get to h2 in some lines-R} (19. h5 $1 $18 {Stockfish12-R}) 19... a4 $6 {(5.12 ? 7.35) Inaccuracy. Rfe8 was best.} (19... Rfe8 20. h5) 20. h5 Kg7 21. Rde1 $6 {(10.37 ? 5.73) Inaccuracy. hxg6 was best.} (21. hxg6 Rh8 (21... hxg6 22. Rh7+ {mating, whether the sac is accepted or not} Kxh7 23. Qh2+ Kg7 24. Qh6+ Kg8 25. Rh1 a3 26. Qh8#) 22. gxh7 b5 23. Qh5 Kf8 24. f5 $18 {Stockfish12-R}) 21... Rce8 $6 { (5.73 ? 12.01) Inaccuracy. Rh8 was best.} (21... Rh8 22. a3) 22. Bb5 $6 { (12.01 ? 6.24) Inaccuracy. hxg6 was best.} (22. hxg6 Rh8 23. gxf7 Rb8 24. f5 exf5 25. Qxe7 Qxe7 26. Rxe7 Rbf8 27. Rxd7 Rxf7 28. Rxd5 f4) 22... a3 $6 { (6.24 ? 9.37) Inaccuracy. Rh8 was best.} (22... Rh8 23. a3) 23. b3 $2 {(9.37 ? 4.72) Mistake. hxg6 was best.} (23. hxg6) 23... Rd8 $2 {(4.72 ? 10.26) Mistake. Rh8 was best.} (23... Rh8 24. Rh3 $18) 24. hxg6 hxg6 $2 {(9.94 ? Mate in 9) Checkmate is now unavoidable. fxg6 was best.} (24... fxg6 25. Rxh7+ (25. Bxa3 Qxa3 26. Bxd7 Rxd7 27. Qe5+ Kf7 28. Qxe6+ Ke8 29. Rxh7 Kd8 30. f5 Rxf5 31. Qb6+ Kc8 32. Qxg6 $18 {Stockfish12-R}) 25... Kxh7 26. Qh2+ Kg8 27. Rh1 Kf7 28. Qh7+ Ke8 29. Qxg6+ Rf7 30. f5 $18 {Stockfish12}) 25. Bd3 $4 {(Mate in 9 ? 1.03) Lost forced checkmate sequence. Rh7+ was best.} (25. Rh7+ Kg8 (25... Kxh7 26. Qh2+) 26. Reh1 Bxg5 27. fxg5 f5 28. Rh8+ Kf7 29. R1h7+ Ke8 30. Bxa3 Ra8 31. Rxf8+ Kxf8 {lichess} 32. Qxe6 Qxa3 33. Qf7# {Stockfish12-R}) 25... Rh8 26. f5 gxf5 27. Rh6 $2 {(1.07 ? 0.00) Mistake. Bxf5 was best.} (27. Bxf5 exf5 28. Rh6 Qb4 29. Qxe7 Qxe7 30. Rxe7 $18 {Stockfish12-R}) 27... Qg3 $11 {Stockfish12-R} ( 27... Rxh6 28. gxh6+ Kh8 $11 {Stockfish12-R}) 28. Reh1 (28. Bxf5 Bxg5 29. Qd1 Bxh6 30. Rg1 Qxg1 31. Qxg1+ Kf6 32. Bd3 Bxc1 33. Qxc1 Ra8 34. Qf1+ $11 { Stockfish12-R}) 28... Rxh6 29. gxh6+ Kh8 30. Bxf5 Bd6 $4 {(0.00 ? 3.54) Blunder. Qc3 was best.} (30... Qc3 31. Qd3 Bb4 32. Rh3 Qe1 33. Re3 Qh4 34. Rh3) 31. Bd3 $18 Rg8 32. Qh5 $2 {(4.04 ? 2.17) Mistake. Rf1 was best.} (32. Rf1 Rf8 33. h7 Qh4 34. Rg1 Qh3 (34... Qxd4 35. Qg2) 35. Qe1 b6 36. Rf1 Qh2 37. Bb5 $18 Rc8 38. Rf2 (38. Bd3) 38... Qxh7 39. Bxd7 $18 {Stockfish12-R}) 32... f5 $4 { (2.17 ? 4.61) Blunder. Rf8 was best.} (32... Rf8 33. Qe2 Nf6 34. Qf1 Ne8 35. Rg1 Qh4 36. c3 f5 37. Qg2 Qf6 38. Bg5 Qg6 39. c4 $18 {Stockfish12-Wh will eventually break through, as all the Bl pieces are passively placed -R}) 33. Qf7 Qg2 $2 {(4.27 ? 10.04) Mistake. Nf8 was best.} (33... Nf8 34. Qxb7 $18 { Stockfish12-R}) 34. Rf1 Nf8 35. Qf6+ Kh7 36. Qf7+ Kh8 37. Qf6+ Kh7 38. Qf7+ $4 {(10.00 ? 0.00) Blunder. Rxf5 was best.} (38. Rxf5 {was considered by Adam, but the shortage of time urged caution-R} exf5 39. Bxf5+ Ng6 40. Qxd6 Kh8 41. Qf6+ Kh7 42. Qe5 b6 43. Qc7+ Kh8 44. Qxb6 $18 (44. Be6 $18 {Under normal circumstances 2 Bs are certainly the equivalent of R &N (maybe a bit better since they cooperate in ways that R &N find difficult). Here, the added insecurity of the Bl K plus a continuing pawn deficit (with Bl's remaining 3 pawns greatly at risk as well), and Bl's survival chance looks like zero-R})) 38... Kh8 {Normal The game is a draw.} 1/2-1/2 [Event "Dyfed Online Closed"] [Site "Lichess"] [Date "2021.01.26"] [Round "4.4"] [White "Francis, Matthew"] [Black "Lovegrove, Robert"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B40"] [WhiteElo "1648"] [BlackElo "1500"] [Annotator "kemen"] [PlyCount "73"] [EventDate "2021.??.??"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. b3 (3. d4) (3. c3) (3. Nc3) (3. d3 {more frequent than the text-for which no data available for either player}) 3... Nc6 4. d4 { 11 games} (4. Bb2 {2,836 games}) (4. Bb5 {566 games}) 4... cxd4 5. Nxd4 e5 { an odd Kalashnikov (Accelerated Sveshnikov), with b3 added in as Bl loses a tempo with the e pawn} (5... Nf6) (5... a6 {are more standard moves}) (5... Bc5 {looks fine as well}) 6. Nxc6 {well , it has been played in a Kalasknikov sequence(ignore b3), but straightening out Bl's pawns usually doesn't give Wh much.39% there. About the only thing is that ...Rb8 will not gain a tempo (though Wh has already weakened the bl squares with b3 & d4 combination.} (6. Nb5 {is the main move in the straight Kalashnikov} a6 7. Nd6+ Bxd6 8. Qxd6 Qf6 9. Ba3 {a plus for having b3 in, normally the Wh Q retreats or goes to c7} Qxd6 10. Bxd6 Nge7 11. Nc3 b5 12. Nd5 (12. a4) 12... Nxd5 13. exd5 Ne7 14. c4 (14. Bxe5 f6 15. Bd6 $18) 14... bxc4 15. Bxc4 f6 16. O-O $18 {Mrla-Krainc, CRO ch tm , 2010,1/2-1/2} (16. f4 $1 $18)) (6. Nf5 {the N is insecure here as Bl gets in d5 easily} Nf6 (6... d5 {scores well in the Kalashnikov}) 7. Ba3 $2 Bxa3 8. Nxa3 O-O (8... Qa5+ {wins a piece}) 9. Nc4 Nxe4 $19 10. Qg4 Qf6 (10... g6 11. Qxe4 d5) 11. Qxe4 d5 $19 {Holman-Allan Williams, Dyfed Major 2017,0-1 (the only 2 games in the database with this line)}) 6... bxc6 $11 7. Bb2 Qc7 (7... Bb4+ $5) 8. Bc4 Nf6 9. Nc3 Bb4 10. f3 $2 {a further weakness, which allows Bl a chance to win a piece} (10. Qd3 d5 11. exd5 cxd5 12. Bb5+ Ke7 13. O-O Be6 $11 {Stockfish12}) 10... O-O (10... d5 $1 $19 {Stockfish12} 11. a3 (11. exd5 cxd5 12. Bb5+ Ke7 {and the N is still lost}) 11... Bxc3+ 12. Bxc3 dxc4 $19) 11. O-O Bb7 (11... d5 $15 {a consequence of Wh's earlier strengthening of Bl's centre with Nxc6}) 12. Ne2 (12. a3) 12... d5 $19 13. exd5 cxd5 14. Bd3 Rfe8 (14... e4 15. Bb5 a6 16. Bxf6 gxf6 17. Ba4 Kh8 $19 {Stockfish12-Wh will face an overwhelming K side attack, with his pieces mostly offside on the Q side.}) ( 14... d4 15. a3 Bc5 16. Re1 Nd5 $19 {Stockfish12- Bl dominates the centre, which will quicklt translate into a K side storm}) 15. Ng3 Rad8 16. a3 Ba5 ( 16... Bf8 $19) (16... Bc5+ 17. Kh1 d4 $19) 17. b4 Bb6+ 18. Kh1 e4 (18... d4 $19 ) 19. Be2 (19. Bxf6 gxf6 20. fxe4 dxe4 21. Qg4+ Kh8 22. Be2 {allows Wh to escape the worst, though Bl retains good chances with} Rg8 $11 23. Qf5 Bd4 24. Rad1 Rg5 25. Qf4 Be5 26. Rxd8+ Qxd8 27. Qe3 Qg8 $11 {Stockfish12} (27... Qb6 $5 $11)) 19... d4 $19 20. fxe4 Nxe4 21. Nxe4 (21. Nf5 g6 22. Nh6+ Kg7 23. Nxf7 ( 23. Rxf7+ Qxf7 24. Nxf7 Nf2+ 25. Kg1 Nxd1 26. Nxd8 Nxb2 27. Nxb7 Rxe2 $19) 23... Rd7 $19 {and the N is lost-Stockfish12}) 21... Bxe4 {the B is effective from any point on the long diagonal- taking back with the R allows it direct access too the K} (21... Rxe4 $1 22. Bg4 (22. Bf3 Rh4 23. h3 Qg3 (23... Rxh3+ { also works}) 24. Rf2 Bc7 25. Qg1 Bc8 {and the K side collapses- Stockfish12}) 22... Qd6 23. Qf3 Bc7 24. Qxf7+ (24. g3 Re2 $19) 24... Kh8 {and the best Stockfish12 finds is to give up the Q}) 22. Bd3 Rd6 23. Bxe4 Rxe4 24. Qf3 Rh6 ( 24... Re3 {is also quite good} 25. Rae1 f6 26. Qg4 Qxc2 $19 {Stockfish12}) 25. g3 Re3 $2 {Bl over extends} (25... Qe7 $19) (25... Rhe6 $19) 26. Qa8+ Qd8 27. Qxd8+ Bxd8 28. Bc1 $18 Bc7 29. Bxe3 dxe3 30. Kg2 Rd6 31. Rfd1 Rf6 32. Re1 Bb6 33. c4 Bd4 34. Rad1 Rd6 35. Rxe3 (35. c5) 35... Bxe3 36. Rxd6 g6 37. c5 1-0 [Event "Dyfed Online Closed"] [Site "Lichess"] [Date "2021.01.26"] [Round "4.5"] [White "Brewer, Joshua"] [Black "Gunn, Tom"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "E20"] [WhiteElo "1481"] [BlackElo "1398"] [Annotator "kemen"] [PlyCount "105"] [EventDate "2021.??.??"] {[%evp 0,105,14,14,14,-6,-6,-6,31,31,31,22,11,11,21,22,25,-4,0,-43,15,8,-1,24, 32,37,53,56,76,62,86,52,48,56,51,59,79,79,108,74,66,66,66,63,72,72,67,55,65,64, 63,59,50,30,42,32,45,39,39,0,39,0,4,12,0,0,0,-49,-59,-53,-21,-33,0,-8,0,0,0,78, 56,51,236,207,247,177,167,119,119,110,105,137,137,137,311,316,314,98,617,742, 833,858,956,992,1000,1012,1012,1022,1032,1032]} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Bd2 {a rather passive line} O-O 5. a3 Bxc3 {main} (5... Be7 6. e4 d6 7. Nf3 Nbd7 8. Bd3 c5 9. d5 e5 {Brewer-Gunn,Dyfed Online League rd1, 2020,1-0}) 6. Bxc3 d5 {36% for Wh} (6... Ne4 {main, not letting Wh keep the 2 Bs; 30% for Wh} ) 7. e3 b6 8. b4 {Wh may have the 2 Bs, but putting all these pawns on the same colour turns the QB into a bad one- 1 Wh win, 3 draws, 4 Bl wins} (8. Nf3 {main, more flexible}) 8... Bb7 (8... Ne4) 9. c5 (9. Nf3 Ne4 10. Bb2 c5 { breaking open the position with the Wh K still in the centre,1-3}) 9... Nbd7 ( 9... c6 10. Bd3 b5 11. Ne2 Nbd7 12. a4 a6 $18 {Gross-Koch, GER ch net qual blitz 2009, 1-0 (don't whose QB is worse)}) (9... Ne4 10. Qc2 Nd7 11. Bb5 a6 12. c6 axb5 13. f3 Bxc6 14. fxe4 Qh4+ 15. g3 Qxe4 {De Sousa-Camara Filho, Potiguar ch, Interior Santa Cruz 2019,0-1}) 10. Nf3 a5 {Stockfish12} (10... Ne4 11. Qc2 {1 Wh win, 1 draw, 2 Bl wins}) (10... a6 {2-0}) 11. Bd3 axb4 12. axb4 ( 12. Bxb4 Re8 13. O-O bxc5 14. dxc5 c6 (14... e5 $15) 15. h3 e5 $15 { McDaniel-Ruchay, LSS email 2010,1-0}) 12... Rxa1 13. Qxa1 Qa8 14. O-O $18 { Stockfish12- Wh has an e4 pawn break, to gain extra space. Bl does not have e5 in return} Re8 15. Qxa8 (15. Qb2 {even stronger- Wh gets the a file control}) 15... Rxa8 16. Ra1 Rxa1+ 17. Bxa1 bxc5 $2 {This should have been avoided- not only does it liberate Wh's QB; it also gives a Q side majotity with an outside passed pawn possibility (Bl eventually loses because of this)} 18. dxc5 $18 Ne4 19. Ne5 (19. Nd4 c6 20. Nb3 {even stronger-Stockfish12}) 19... Nxe5 20. Bxe5 c6 21. f3 Nd2 22. Kf2 Nc4 23. Bc7 Ba6 $11 {but Bl must keep the position closed} 24. e4 Bb5 25. exd5 exd5 26. g4 h6 (26... Na3 {forces off Wh square Bs, then the blockading N is superior to the QB , still restricted bt its Q side pawns and having to take care not to lose the b4 pawn, as that could endanger the c5 one as well}) 27. h4 Kf8 28. Kg3 Ke7 29. Bf5 g6 (29... Ne3 30. Bb1 d4 31. Bf4 Ke6 32. Ba2+ Nc4 33. Bb1 Nb2 34. Be4 Na4 $11 {Stockfish12}) 30. Bd3 (30. Bc2) 30... Na3 31. Bxb5 Nxb5 $15 {in a blocked position Ns are far surior to a single B, which can only operate on one colour} 32. Bf4 (32. Be5 {the B needs to come back in defence}) 32... h5 33. gxh5 gxh5 $19 34. Be3 Kf6 (34... d4 35. Bd2 Na3 36. Kf4 Nc4 37. Be1 d3 38. Kg5 d2 39. Bxd2 Nxd2 40. f4 Nf3+ 41. Kxh5 Kf6 42. Kg4 (42. b5 cxb5 {the K stops the c pawn, the N the h pawn, while the new Bl b pawn triumps}) 42... Nd4 43. h5 Kg7 44. f5 f6 {and Wh loses both K side pawns}) 35. Kf4 Nc7 (35... Ke6 $19) 36. Bd4+ Kg6 (36... Ke6 37. Kg5 Nb5 38. Bf2 d4 39. Kxh5 $11 {Bl still wins the B, but has lost a lot of time} d3 40. Be1 Na3 41. Kg5 Nc4 42. b5 cxb5 43. c6 d2 44. Bxd2 Nxd2 45. c7 Kd7 46. h5 Nxf3+ 47. Kf6 Nh2 48. c8=Q+ Kxc8 49. Kf5 Nf3 50. h6 Nh4+ 51. Kf6 Ng6 52. Kxf7 Nh8+ 53. Kg7 b4 54. Kxh8 b3 55. Kg7 b2 56. h7 b1=Q 57. h8=Q+ $11) 37. Ke5 Nb5 38. Bb2 f6+ 39. Ke6 Na7 $2 {a shortlegged N is no match for a long range B on an open board, Bl had to follow the maxim- passed pawns must be pushed to scrable a draw} (39... d4 40. f4 (40. Kd7 d3 41. Bc1 Nd4 42. Kc7 Nb3 43. Be3 Nd4 44. Bc1 Kf5 45. Kd6 Kg6 $11 {a curious stasis found by the Engine}) 40... d3 41. f5+ Kh7 42. Bc1 Kg7 43. Kd7 Nd4 44. Bd2 Kf7 {similar to above line- deviation at peril for either side}) 40. Bxf6 (40. f4 {Stockfish12-with the plan on excluding the Bl K, also works}) 40... Nb5 41. Bb2 d4 {the right plan, but too late, as Bl has managed to shed the f pawn} 42. f4 d3 43. f5+ Kh7 44. Bc1 Nd4+ 45. Ke5 (45. Kf6) 45... Nb3 46. Bg5 Kg8 47. Kd6 {and yet, even at this late stage, Bl can still achieve a draw!} (47. b5 $1 Nxc5 48. bxc6 { Stockfish12-drives through a distant pawn}) 47... d2 (47... Nd4 $1 { Stockfish12- Ns are wonderful with their twists and turns} 48. f6 Kf7 49. Bd2 ( 49. Ke5 Nf3+ 50. Ke4 Nxg5+ $19) (49. Kd7 Nf3 50. Bc1 Ne5+ 51. Kd6 Kxf6 52. b5 cxb5 53. c6 Nxc6 (53... Nf7+ {is a perpetual-Stockfish12- but few humans would risk the c pawn sneaking through}) 54. Kxc6 b4 55. Kc5 Kf5 $1 (55... b3 $2 { would still lose, due to a check on the long diagonal} 56. Kc4 d2 57. Bxd2 Kf5 58. Kxb3 Kg4 59. Bg5 {and the pawn promotion square is the right colour for the B})) 49... Kxf6 50. b5 cxb5 51. c6 Nxc6 52. Kxc6 Kf5 53. Kxb5 Kg4 54. Be1 d2 55. Bxd2 Kxh4 $11) 48. Bxd2 Nxd2 49. Kxc6 Kf7 50. b5 Nc4 51. b6 Na5+ { with a Bl f pawn and the K one move nearer this could have held} 52. Kc7 Ke7 53. b7 1-0 [Event "Dyfed Online Closed-lichess"] [Site "lichess.org"] [Date "2021.01.25"] [Round "4.7"] [White "Greenwood, Ray"] [Black "Van Kemenade, R."] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C43"] [WhiteElo "1286"] [BlackElo "1999"] [Annotator "lichess.org"] [PlyCount "76"] [EventDate "2021.??.??"] [TimeControl "2700+15"] {[%evp 0,76,30,31,31,-8,11,36,29,4,4,-37,53,75,82,52,51,40,50,7,79,27,132,74, 75,58,40,16,-4,-34,46,25,49,41,70,19,48,22,22,24,55,16,92,135,135,135,135,104, 152,161,159,152,129,16,115,173,214,-147,-134,-197,-204,-224,-257,-439,-518, -551,-625,-612,-1108,-1108,-1179,-1179,-1269,-1279,-1316,-1252,-1328,-1252, -1326]} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 {the first time the players have met & Bl had no games to see how Wh would deal with a Petroff.} 3. d4 {Most likely , since Wh plays the Scotch against 2 ...Nc6.} Nxe4 4. Bd3 {C43 Russian Game: Modern Attack, Center Variation} d5 5. dxe5 (5. Nxe5 {main}) 5... Nc5 6. Nc3 {has a poisonous threat} (6. Be2) (6. O-O) 6... c6 (6... Be7 $2 7. Nxd5 Qxd5 $2 8. Bb5+ {wins a Q}) 7. O-O Be7 8. Be3 {perhaps a bit early- the B could become a target for a d pawn or an f pawn advance} (8. Nd4 {preparing f4}) (8. Re1 { main lines}) 8... O-O (8... Bg4 9. Bxc5 Bxc5 10. h3 Bh5 11. Re1 O-O 12. Bf5 Re8 13. Qd3 Bg6 14. Rad1 Na6 15. a3 Nc7 {Engfer-Menz, Steinfurt Bezirksklasse 2012, 1/2-1/2}) (8... Nbd7 9. Bf4 O-O 10. Qe2 Ne6 11. Bg3 f6 12. exf6 Nxf6 { sabatao-Hearthstones9 (Van Kemenade), playchess.com, 2012,0-1}) 9. h3 (9. Qd2 Nxd3 10. Qxd3 g6 11. Bh6 Bf5 12. Qd2 Re8 13. Nd4 Bc8 14. Rae1 Na6 15. a3 Nc7 16. f4 Bf8 {|Kaiser-Zelkind, Wld ch Seniors, Halle 2004,0-1}) (9. Nd2 $2 d4 { Krstic-Vulinovic, Belgrade Trophy 2015,0-1}) 9... Ne6 10. Ne2 f5 (10... c5 11. c3 b6 12. Ng3 g6 13. Qe2 Bb7 14. Rad1 Nd7 15. Bh6 Re8 16. c4 d4 17. Be4 Qc7 ( 17... Bxe4 $11) 18. Bd5 Ndf8 19. Qe4 $18 {Omercic-Patkovic, BIH ch tm, Lukavac nov 2020,1-0}) (10... Nd7 $14 {Stockfish12}) 11. exf6 (11. c4 $18 {opening up the centre, looks a logical response. Stockfish12 considers it winning ( as also the text played coming close)}) 11... Bxf6 12. c3 (12. c4 {is more vigorous} Bxb2 13. Rb1 Bf6 14. Qc2 g6 15. Nf4 Nxf4 16. Bxf4 Bg7 17. Bg3 Nd7 18. cxd5 cxd5 19. Rfe1 $18 {though Wh is a pawn down, Bl is behind in development and Wh has lots of open lines}) 12... Nd7 13. Ng3 g6 {weakens the K side, but Wh can't be allowed to put a N on f5} 14. Qc2 (14. Bh6 Bg7 15. Bxg7 Nxg7 16. Re1 $16 {Stockfish12- Wh has an easier game & Bl has the worse B}) 14... Ng7 { Bl wanted to keep pieces on & gradually build up to K side attack down the f file} (14... Ne5 $11) 15. Rfe1 Rf7 16. Rad1 {c4 threatens again; Bl had a longish think here} Qf8 {the only saving grace for Bl is that constricted positions have a way of bouncing back when the other side opens up too quickly} (16... b5 {didn't feel right}) (16... Qa5 {puts the Q offside}) (16... Ne5 17. Nxe5 Bxe5 18. c4 Qh4 19. Qd2 Bxg3 20. fxg3 Qxg3 21. Bf2 Qd6 22. cxd5 cxd5 23. Bc2 Be6 24. b4 {Stockfish12-Bl is a pawn up, but the bl squares feel very vulnerable}) (16... Nf8 {original idea of Rf7} 17. c4 Be6 18. cxd5 cxd5 19. Ne2 $18 {Stockfish12-Wh has more space & Bl's d pawn is a nuisance}) 17. Rd2 (17. c4 {surely must be played- Wh's Rs are already placed on near perfect squares} Ne5 18. Nxe5 Bxe5 19. cxd5 cxd5 20. Bf1 Be6 21. Bh6 Rc8 22. Qe2 Bxg3 23. fxg3 Qc5+ 24. Kh2 Re8 25. Qd3 {and Bl's position is full of holes, though hopefully there is no immediate Wh breakthrough}) 17... Nc5 18. Rde2 Nxd3 (18... Bd7 { is more cautious} 19. c4 Nxd3 20. Qxd3 Be6 21. Qd2 dxc4 22. Ne4 Be7 23. Ne5 Rf5 24. Bd4 Bb4 25. Bc3 Rd8 26. Qe3 Bxc3 27. Nxc3 {Stockfish12- considers Wh is winning, but it's not yet all cut and dried.The builders put a high 'contempt' factor into its algorithms, so it always goes for the position that maximises its winning possibilities.}) 19. Qxd3 Nf5 20. Bf4 (20. Bg5) 20... Nxg3 (20... Bd7 {is really what Bl should have tried- but then there was the eagerness to get some play with an active B on f5 at last.}) 21. Re8 {what Wh was playing for earelier in doubling Rs} Ne4 (21... Bf5 22. Rxf8+ Raxf8 23. Qe3 Ne4 { may be a little bettewr than the text for Bl}) 22. Rxf8+ Rxf8 {objectively this must be winning for Wh. However, the Q has no immediate targets and is leading from the front. Bl has a R & B, and can still hope something will give on the K side} 23. Be5 (23. c4 {Bl must not be allowed to keep a static/solid centre} Bf5 24. cxd5 Nc3 25. Qc4 Nxd5 26. Bh6 Rfe8 27. Rxe8+ Rxe8 28. Qc5 { the Q is threatening to get even more active & Bl's attacking force has been diminished,But it is still not easy to find direct wins for Wh either,}) 23... Be7 {Bl does best to keep pieces on, to make life more difficult for the Q to find entry points} (23... Bxh3 {Stockfish12} 24. gxh3 Bxe5 25. Nxe5 Nxf2 26. Qe3 {is premature}) 24. Bd4 Bf5 25. Qe2 Rae8 26. c4 {the move desired throughout the game, now provides Bl with an extra resource, though both sides fail to find the most accurate moves ( and initial annotations here also proved to be inexact). Leaving the Q facing a R down the efile might be all right for an Engine, but perhaps just moving away is a preferable human reflex? } (26. Qd1 $18) (26. Bxa7 {Stockfish12- but the B may land up off side, & play can get complicated} c5 27. Qb5 Rd8 28. Qxb7 Rd7 29. Qb3 Rxa7 30. Qxd5+ Kg7 31. Rxe4 Bxe4 32. Qxe4 Bf6) 26... c5 (26... Bb4 {at once is a better idea, seeking control over the e file & leads to an avalanche of complications} 27. cxd5 (27. Rd1 {does no good} Ng3 {Wh now finds his Q is trapped} 28. Qxe8 Rxe8 29. fxg3 dxc4 (29... c5 30. a3 (30. Bf2 $2 d4 $19) 30... Bc2 31. Ra1 Ba5 32. Bxc5 dxc4 33. Rc1 Bd3 34. Bxa7 Bc7 $15) 30. Bxa7 Ra8 31. Be3 Rxa2 $19 {Bl has a Q side majority & powerful Bs}) (27. Ra1 {other R moves also give up the exchange or impede the Q} Nc3 28. Qxe8 (28. Qf1 Ne2+ 29. Kh1 (29. Kh2)) 28... Rxe8 29. bxc3 Bd6 $11) (27. Be3 Bxe1 28. Qxe1 dxc4 29. Qb4 Rf7 30. Qxc4 $18 {playing safe, Stockfish12 does not rate Wh as gaining as much as from the complications (Bl has regained some material) but it certainly avoids a maelstrom}) 27... Bxe1 ( 27... Nf6 {doesn't work out that well either} 28. Qc4 Bxe1 29. dxc6+ Be6 30. Qa4 Bd5 31. cxb7 Bxb7 (31... Re7 32. Bxf6 Rxb7 33. Nxe1 Rxf6 34. Qd4 Rd6 35. Nd3 Rbd7 36. Ne5 Bxa2 37. Qc5 Be6 (37... Rd8 38. Qxa7 Be6 39. Qe7 $18)) 32. Bxf6 Bxf3 33. Qd7 Rxf6 34. Qxe8+ Rf8 35. Qxe1 $18) (27... Nd6 {prevents Qc4} 28. Ne5 Bxe1 29. Qxe1 Nc4 30. dxc6 bxc6 31. Qc3 Nxe5 32. Bxe5 Be4 33. Bd4 Rf7 34. Qe3 Ree7 35. Bc3 h5 36. Qh6 Rh7 37. Qg5 Bf5 38. a3 {and Bl is clinging on, but very passively placed- in the end a Kside pawn advance will probably be decisive}) 28. Qxe1 Ng5 29. Ne5 Nf7 (29... cxd5 30. Qb4 b6 31. Qd6 Rd8 32. Ng4 Bxg4 (32... Rxd6 33. Nh6#) 33. Qe5 Ne6 34. Qh8+ Kf7 35. Qxh7+ Ke8 36. Qxg6+ Ke7 37. hxg4 Nxd4 38. Qg7+ Kd6 39. Qxd4 {after various complications, the Q and K side pawns will outrun the 2 Rs}) 30. dxc6 Nxe5 31. Bxe5 bxc6 32. Qa5 Rf7 33. Bc3 h6 $18 {but , the power of 2 Rs & the existence of opposite colour Bs (which might help the Q , or not) still leaves a long struggle ahead. All variations courtesy of Stockfish12}) 27. Be3 d4 {this does undermine the support of the N on e4, but Stockfish gives it as Bl's best try} 28. Nxd4 (28. Bh6 {Stockfish12-makes use of Bl's over-stetch on the e file} Rf6 (28... Rf7 29. Ne5 Rf6 30. g4 Bf8 31. Bf4 (31. Bxf8 Rxe5 32. f4 Ree6 33. gxf5 gxf5 34. Bxc5 Nxc5 35. Qd1 $18) 31... Bd7 32. Qxe4 $18) (28... Bf6 29. Bxf8 Kxf8 30. Nd2 Nd6 31. Qf1 Rxe1 32. Qxe1 b6 $18 {and Wh must be winning, but the protected passed pawn & the strength of the 2 Bs will take a great deal of patience}) 29. g4 {looks to be the right course, even though a protected passed d pawn remains a Bl asset}) (28. Bc1 $18 {looks sensible as well}) 28... cxd4 29. Bxd4 {the position has opened up, but for the now indirectly (Wh returned an extra piece) reinforced Bl pieces} Bb4 $19 30. Rd1 (30. c5 $5 Bxe1 31. Qxe1 Nxc5 32. Qa5 Ne6 33. Bc3 Rf7 34. Qxa7 Nf4 $19 {Stockfish12}) 30... Nc3 (30... Ng3 31. Qf3 Ne2+ 32. Kh1 Nxd4 33. Rxd4 Be4 34. Qb3 Bc5 $19 {but not as clear as the text}) 31. Qf3 Nxd1 32. Qd5+ (32. Qxd1 Re1+ $19) 32... Rf7 {Bl still needs care, but the Wh Q is reduced to a single supporter} 33. Qb5 Re1+ 34. Kh2 Bd6+ 35. g3 Be4 36. Qe8+ Bf8 37. f3 Re2+ 38. Kg1 Bxf3 {Normal White resigns.} (38... Rxf3 {also works}) 0-1 [Event "Dyfed Online Closed"] [Site "Lichess"] [Date "2021.01.26"] [Round "4.8"] [White "Holman, Sam"] [Black "Pinch, David"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "B09"] [WhiteElo "1386"] [BlackElo "1798"] [Annotator "kemen"] [PlyCount "135"] [EventDate "2021.??.??"] {[%evp 0,135,24,24,72,72,72,63,80,25,28,25,25,23,66,-18,26,-13,-7,0,62,78,78, 97,188,178,176,176,189,189,253,-76,-156,-156,12,-191,-199,-199,47,14,45,-218, -217,-217,-20,0,24,24,24,12,13,-30,-18,-41,-12,-53,35,12,35,28,135,131,140,140, 152,149,152,153,153,144,152,170,179,25,25,-6,-13,-13,-13,-17,-14,-30,-30,-18,0, 0,73,47,228,118,151,188,198,27,198,5,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0, 0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]} 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. f4 (4. g3 Bg7 5. Bg2 O-O 6. Be3 Nbd7 7. h3 e5 8. Qd2 Re8 9. g4 {Holman-J Greenwood, Aberystwyth ch 2016,1/21/2}) (4. Be3 Bg7 5. Qd2 a6 6. a4 b6 7. f4 Ng4 {Callum Smith-Pinch, WCU online U1800, 2020, 0-1}) 4... Bg7 5. Nf3 O-O { main} (5... c5) 6. e5 {can lead to complications} (6. Bd3 {main}) 6... Nfd7 ( 6... dxe5 {another possibility} 7. fxe5 (7. dxe5 Qxd1+ 8. Kxd1) 7... Nd5) 7. h4 c5 8. h5 cxd4 9. Qxd4 {pioneered by Bronstein; players need a good grasp of some of the complexities before entering these lines, that can be obtained via extensive book knowledge.The main theme is easy-come down the h file, but there are an enormous number of possible sidelines} (9. hxg6 {is another complex line that has overtaken the older version} dxc3 10. gxf7+ Rxf7 11. Bc4 e6 12. Ng5 Nxe5 {etc}) 9... Nc6 {known now after experience not to be the best} (9... dxe5 10. Qf2 {and now} e4 $1 (10... exf4) (10... e6) (10... Nf6 {have all been found wanting}) 11. Nxe4 Nf6 12. Nxf6+ exf6 13. hxg6 Re8+ 14. Be2 (14. Be3 hxg6) 14... hxg6 {and the position still is complicated}) 10. Qf2 (10. Qg1 $5) 10... dxe5 {main} (10... e6 {has had good results, 2 draws, 3 Bl wins, but the Bl players have always been higher graded} 11. Be3 dxe5 12. O-O-O $18 { Stockfish12, though Lai-(1826) Le (2703) Asia Ch tm 2012,0-1}) 11. hxg6 hxg6 ( 11... fxg6 {may turn out better, after complications} 12. Bc4+ e6 13. Bxe6+ Kh8 14. Ng5 Nf6 15. Nf7+ Rxf7 16. Bxf7 Bf5 17. Be3 $2 (17. Bb3 Qe7 18. O-O Rd8 19. Be3 Ng4 20. Bc5 Qe8 21. Qe1 $11 {Yeo-Rudd, London Classic 2009,1/2-1/2}) 17... Ng4 {Staruch-Dukaczewski,Grunwald cup (blind) 2005,0-1}) 12. Qh4 Nf6 (12... Re8 {is worse, 9 Wh wins & a draw} 13. Qh7+ $18 (13. fxe5 $18) (13. f5 $18)) 13. fxe5 Nh5 14. g4 Nd4 (14... Bxg4 {main} 15. Qxg4 Qa5 (15... Nxe5 16. Nxe5 Qc7 { lai-Chan, Hong Kong ch 2015,1/2-1/2} 17. Nd3 $18) 16. Rxh5 gxh5 17. Qxh5 Nxe5 18. Ng5 Rfc8 19. Qh7+ Kf8 20. Bd2 $18 {Stockfish12}) 15. Be2 {after a longish think} (15. Nxd4 Qxd4 16. gxh5 {should win for Wh} Qxe5+ (16... Qxh4+ 17. Rxh4 Bxe5 18. Kf2 {Bl is a piece down}) 17. Be2 Bf5 18. hxg6 Bxg6 19. Bf4 Qf5 (19... Qa5 20. Bd2 Rac8 21. Rg1 Qf5 22. Rxg6 fxg6 23. O-O-O {Susallek-Deissenberger, Regionalliga NW 2016,1-0}) 20. Bd3 Qe6+ 21. Ne2 {Kantans-Guerra Bastida, Pontevedra op 2015,1-0}) 15... Nxc2+ 16. Kf2 (16. Kf1 {Stockfish12-is better} Bxg4 17. Qxg4 Nxa1 18. Rxh5 gxh5 19. Qxh5 Qd7 20. Bb5 Qc8 21. Bd3 Rd8 22. Ng5 Rxd3 23. Qxf7+ Kh8 24. Qh5+ Kg8 25. Qf7+ (25. Qh7+ Kf8 26. Qxd3 Qg4 27. Qg6 Kg8 28. Qh7+ Kf8 29. Qg6 $11) 25... Kh8 26. Qh5+ $11) 16... Qb6+ (16... Bxg4 17. Qxg4 Qb6+ 18. Kg2 Nxa1 19. Bc4 e6 20. Rxh5 gxh5 21. Qxh5 Rfd8 22. Ne4 Qc6 23. Neg5 Qxc4 24. Qxf7+ Kh8 25. Qh5+ Kg8 26. Qh7+ $11 {Stockfish12}) 17. Kf1 (17. Kg2 $18 {Stockfish12} Bxg4 18. Nd5 $1 Qe6 19. Nxe7+ Kh8 20. Bf4 Rfe8 21. Ng5 Qxe7 22. Bxg4 f6 23. exf6 Bxf6 24. Bxh5 gxh5 25. Qxh5+ Kg8 26. Rhe1 $1 $18 { a domain in which Engines delight to be} Nxe1+ 27. Rxe1 Qg7 28. Rxe8+ Rxe8 29. Qxe8+ Qf8 30. Qxf8+ $18 {though Engines keep the Qs on, going for the mate rather than a simple piece up for nothing} Kxf8 31. Nh7+ Kg7 32. Nxf6 Kxf6 33. Kf3 $18 {Stockfish12}) 17... Bxg4 18. Qxg4 (18. Nd5 $1 {Stockfish12-also seems best here} Qe6 19. Nxe7+ Kh8 20. Kg2 $1 (20. Rb1 Bxe5 $19) 20... Nxa1 21. Ng5 Qxe7 22. Bxg4 Qb4 23. Qh3 Rfd8 24. Bxh5 Rd2+ 25. Be2+ Kg8 26. Qf3 Rxe2+ 27. Qxe2 Qc5 28. Qf3 Qc6 29. Qxc6 bxc6 $11 {Stockfish12}) 18... Qe6 (18... Nxa1 $19 ) 19. Qxe6 fxe6 20. Rxh5 (20. Rb1 Ng3+ 21. Kg2 Nxh1 22. Kxh1 Rf5 $11 { Stockfish12}) 20... gxh5 21. Rb1 Bxe5 $15 (21... Rxf3+ {the Engine is now also finding further complexities for Bl to exploit} 22. Bxf3 Rf8 {it is not immediately obvious, but, there really is no way for Wh to protect the B on f3 All3 moves fail to a N move.so Bl goes several pawns up.!}) 22. Kg2 Bf6 (22... Bf4 $15) 23. Ne4 Rac8 (23... Rad8) 24. b3 Nb4 (24... Rfd8) 25. a3 Nd5 26. Bc4 a6 (26... b5 $1 {Stockfish12} 27. Bxb5 Rc2+ 28. Bd2 (28. Kh1 Nc3) 28... Nc3 29. Bd3 Rxd2+ 30. Nexd2 Nxb1 31. Bxb1 Kf7 $15) 27. a4 Kf7 (27... b5 $11) 28. Neg5+ Bxg5 (28... Ke8 29. Nxe6 Rg8+ $11) 29. Nxg5+ Kf6 $2 (29... Ke8 $11) 30. Nh7+ Ke5 31. Bb2+ (31. Nxf8 Rxf8 32. Bb2+) 31... Kd6 (31... Ke4 {using the K as a raiding force to get rid of Wh's Q side pawns!}) 32. Nxf8 Rxf8 33. Ba3+ Kd7 34. Rd1 Rf5 35. Kg3 (35. Bc1 $18) 35... Ke8 (35... Rg5+ 36. Kh2 Re5) 36. Bxd5 (36. Bc1 {keeps the 2 Bs & mating possibilities for the pieces, getting rid of one of them gives Bl greater chances of survival with his pawns}) 36... exd5 { Bl has a pair of good centre pawns now} 37. Re1 e5 38. Bb2 e4 39. Re3 Kd7 40. a5 Kc6 41. Bd4 {Wh is now defending, not attacking} Rf7 (41... Kb5 42. Bc3 b6 43. axb6 Kxb6 44. Be1 Kc6 45. Kg2 Kc5 $11 {Wh is down to the last pawn}) 42. Kh4 Kd6 (42... Kb5 43. Bb6 Rd7 44. Rc3 d4 45. Rc5+ Kb4 46. Rc4+ Kxb3 47. Rxd4 Rxd4 48. Bxd4 {and Bl cannot lose- the Wh a pawn is the wrong colour for B support on the Queening square, So Bl just runs his K to a8 and refuses to budge.} Kc4 49. Bb6 Kd3 50. Kxh5 Kd2 51. Kg4 e3 52. Kf5 e2 53. Bf2 e1=Q 54. Bxe1+ Kxe1 55. Ke6 Kd2 56. Kd7 Kc3 57. Kc7 Kb4 58. Kxb7 Kxa5 {is even winning for Bl!}) 43. Kxh5 Rf3 $2 {this though could well lose as the K can't get to the b pawn. ( It does , see the next note)but maybe Bl can still hide in the corner . Engines are wonderful at long calculations, but not at this kind of longrange visualisation. Let us explore} (43... Rf1 44. Kg4 Rd1 45. Bb6 Ke5 46. Bc7+ Kd4 47. Bb6+ Ke5 48. Rh3 d4 {and, if anybody, Bl has winning chances. Round about this point Bl offered a draw, which Wh turned down}) 44. Kg4 (44. Rxf3 $18 {winning attempt} exf3 45. Kg4 Kc7 (45... Kc6 46. Kxf3 Kb5 47. Bc3 { Wh keeps the extra pawn}) 46. Kxf3 Kb8 47. Kf4 Kc7 48. Ke5 Kc6 49. b4 Kc7 50. Kxd5 Kd7 51. Kc5 Kc8 52. Be5 (52. Kb6 Kb8 53. Be5+ Ka8 54. Kc7 Ka7 55. Bd4+ Ka8 56. Be3 {ok, zugzwang, Bl needs to surrender the b pawn} b5 57. axb6 a5 58. b7# )) 44... Rxe3 (44... Rf7 {keeping Rs on for the moment feels safer}) 45. Bxe3 Ke5 46. Bc1 (46. Bb6 d4 47. Bc7+ Kd5 48. Bb6 Ke5 49. Kg3 Kd5 50. Kf4 e3 51. Kf3 Ke5 52. Bd8 Kd5 53. Bf6 Kc5 54. Ke4 e2 55. Bh4 Kb4 56. Kxd4 Kxb3 57. Kc5 $18 { the Wh K picks up both Q side pawns-Stockfish12 nudged}) 46... d4 {this looks like losing again, similar to previous note} (46... Kd4 $11) 47. Bb2 (47. Bh6 { behind the pawns, so they can't threaten it, nor the Bl K to gain a tempo} Kd5 48. Kf4 e3 49. Kf3 Ke5 50. Bg5 Kd5 51. Bf6 {as above}) 47... e3 48. Kf3 Kd5 49. b4 $2 {lets the K in to save the game forBl} (49. Ba3 Kc6 (49... Ke5 50. Bb4 Kd5 51. Kf4) 50. Bb4 Kd5 51. Kf4 Ke6 52. Ke4 Kd7 53. Kxd4 {wins easily}) 49... Kc4 $11 50. Ke2 Kxb4 51. Bxd4 Kxa5 52. Kxe3 Kb5 {Bl now tries for a win, but there is no way past with accurate play.(cf Nalimov tablebases)} 53. Kd3 Kb4 54. Kc2 a5 55. Kb2 b5 56. Bc3+ Ka4 57. Ka2 (57. Bxa5 Kxa5 58. Ka3 {is a dead drawn K & P ending}) 57... b4 58. Bb2 (58. Bxb4 axb4 (58... Kxb4 {draws}) 59. Kb2 {also}) 58... Kb5 59. Bc1 Kc4 60. Kb2 a4 61. Ka2 Kc3 62. Bb2+ Kc2 63. Bf6 Kd3 64. Bg7 Kc4 65. Bf6 Kb5 66. Bg7 Kc4 67. Bf6 a3 68. Bg7 (68. Be7 Kc3 69. Bxb4+ {is another way}) 1/2-1/2