This week's GOTW features an interesting opening in which both players had both interesting and doubtful ideas. It resulted in a highly tactical middlegame in which Black showed superior attacking skills.
[Event "Gatineau Open"]
[Site "Gatineau"]
[Date "2015.03.07"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Kuryliw Ray"]
[Black "Pacey Kevin (CAN)"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B07"]
[BlackElo "2161"]
[PlyCount "60"]
[EventDate "2015.??.??"]
1. e4 d6 {This flexible move usually marks the Pirc defense, which continues
with 2.d4 Nf6. However, this time White decides to try something else.} 2. b3
$6 {Not a popular move, and there's probably a good reason for that. While
White is by no means worst here, this move is somewhat passive. White plan is
most likely to try to contest the a1-h8 diagonal, as Black usually play g6-Bg7
in these lines, but loses precious tempi while doing so, tempi that could have
been used to seize the center.} Nf6 3. d3 {Again, somewhat passive. Where is
the f1 bishop going after that? Both e2 and g2 are not extremely promising.} e5
4. Nf3 g6 5. Be2 Bg7 6. Nbd2 $6 {This move is not a huge mistake, but one
could wonder what is the knight doing in d2? c3 was a much more logical square.
} O-O 7. h3 {This move might deserve a question mark. Black is not going to
play Bg4, as exchanging in f3 would not help in any way. So, White simply
loses a tempo and helps black taking control of the center.} d5 $5 {This move
was not forced at all. Black could have easily developped a piece here.
However, Black probably realized that White had lost a lot of tempi in the
opening and deserved to be "punished". White's king is still in the center,
and his bishops are extremely inactive.} 8. Bb2 dxe4 {I don't like this move.
It somewhat releases the pressure in the center and helps White activating his
d2 knight. I would still take Black in the resulting position, but some other
moves were more promising :} (8... Nc6 $5 9. Nxe5 Nxe5 10. Bxe5 dxe4 11. Nxe4
Nxe4 12. Bxg7 Nxf2 13. Kxf2 Kxg7 {And Black is clearly slightly better, but
not by much.}) (8... Re8 9. O-O Nc6 {And Black can always take in e4 if this
is what he wishes.}) 9. Nxe4 Nc6 10. g4 $2 {Black's play paid off after all!
While Black may have played a small inaccuracy, White replied with a much
bigger mistake. White was probably thinking that his attack was more promising
than Black, and that his king would be in safety on the Queen's side...
However, as we will see, this is far from being the case.} Nd4 {An interesting
move. Black tries to close the center as much as possible in order to limit
the b2 bishop range. Another very interesting move to consider was :} (10...
Qe7 {A simple, yet powerful move. Black protects e7 and makes some room for
his rooks.}) 11. Nxd4 Nxe4 {Arguably Black's first mistake. There was
absolutely no need to exchange this piece. Having a semi-open d-file might
also help White in some variations.} 12. dxe4 exd4 13. Qd3 Qf6 {At first, this
move may seem very odd. Why moving the queen to f6, while it already protects
d4? Black's plan was probably to attack f2, asking White a serious question.
However, the advantages of this move seem to be all on the short-term. A move
like Qh4 or c5 would have probably been more accurate.} (13... c5 {And Black
has a lasting advantage.}) (13... Qh4 $5 {An extremely interesting move, as it
makes White's attacking plans really difficult.} 14. Bxd4 $4 (14. c3 dxc3 15.
Bxc3 Bxc3+ 16. Qxc3 Re8) 14... Rd8) 14. Qg3 Qb6 {It really seems like Black
does not really have a plan at this point. Yes, his position is superior. But
to take home the point he will have to find a concrete plan, and playing such
queen maneuvers won't help too much. Again, a move such as c5 or Re8 would
have been more logical.} (14... Re8 {And Black is clearly better}) 15. O-O-O
Re8 {You either love or hate these kind of positions. Both players will most
likely go all in and push their pawns towards the opponent's king. Who will
arrive first? It's hard to tell. But Black's pieces are better positionned,
and that can be of huge help.} 16. Bd3 a5 17. f4 $2 {First, h4 would have been
much stronger, as the rook is already behind the pawn. Second, White had an
even stronger move :} (17. a4 $1 {Uses the fact that queen blocks the b6 pawn,
and so Black would have to use a few more tempi to attack.}) 17... a4 18. Rde1
$2 {Comptely ignoring the attack.} axb3 19. axb3 Be6 $5 {A good move, but
perhaps missing a very nice maneuver that appears rather often in this kind of
position.} (19... Ra2 $1 20. e5 Bf8 21. Kb1 Qa7 {And White is lost.}) 20. f5 $2
(20. e5 {Was necessary to restrict the g7 bishop, but White is still in deep
trouble.}) 20... Bxb3 $1 21. fxg6 (21. cxb3 Qxb3 22. Rhg1 Ra2 23. Re2 Be5 24.
Qf3 Rea8 {And the game is over.}) 21... hxg6 22. Re2 Be6 23. e5 {Too late!} Ra2
{There is nothing to do for White at this point, but the end is still worth
watching!} 24. c4 dxc3 25. Bxc3 Qc5 26. Rxa2 Qxc3+ 27. Rc2 Qa1+ 28. Kd2 Qxh1
29. Rxc7 Qd5 30. Qh4 Qa5+ 0-1
