..
[Event "5th Washington International"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2016.08.17"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Preotu, Razvan"]
[Black "Hilby, Craig"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A61"]
[WhiteElo "2469"]
[BlackElo "2369"]
[Annotator "John Upper"]
[PlyCount "61"]
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 4. d5 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 6. Nf3 g6 7. Bf4 a6 8. a4
Bg7 9. h3 O-O 10. e3 Qe7 {A very common position in today's Benonis. So common
that, thanks to the increment, both Black and White had more time now than at
the start of the game. White's plan with Bf4 and e3 is to prevent Black from
getting any play against a white pawn on e4, and to eventually exploit his
central space advantage and Black's queenside holes.} 11. Nd2 {Preventing
piece exchanges with ...Ne4.} Nbd7 12. Be2 Ne8 13. O-O f5 14. Bh2 (14. Re1 Ne5
15. Bh2 Nf6 16. a5 Bd7 17. Qc2 Kh8 18. Bf1 Rae8 19. Rad1 g5 20. f4 Nf7 21. Bd3
gxf4 (21... g4 $5) 22. Bxf4 Ne5 (22... Nh5 $5 $13 23. Bxf5 Nxf4 24. exf4 Bd4+
25. Kh2 $8 (25. Kf1 $4 Bxf5 26. Qxf5 Qh4 $19) 25... Bxf5 26. Qxf5 Ne5 $1 $13)
23. Bxe5 Qxe5 24. Nf3 Qe7 25. Bxf5 Bxf5 26. Qxf5 Nd7 $11 {1/2-1/2 (41) Smirnov,
A (2419)-Andriasian,Z (2591) St Petersburg 2015}) 14... Be5 $146 (14... g5 15.
Nc4 Rb8 16. Re1 Ne5 17. Bxe5 Bxe5 18. Nxe5 Qxe5 19. Qd2 Nf6 $13 {1-0 (71)
Edouard,R (2659)-Shoker,S (2469) Haguenau 2013}) 15. Bxe5 Nxe5 16. Qb3 f4 17.
exf4 Rxf4 18. Nce4 Nc7 {Black spent 22 minutes on this move. Did he over look
something?} (18... Nf6 $1 {was better.} 19. f3 ({Trying to embarrass the R
loses} 19. g3 $4 Rxe4 $19) (19. Nc3) (19. Nxf6+ Qxf6 $11 {and Black's space
problems are gone.}) 19... Bf5 {looks fine for Black, since his trapped Rf4 is
actually a good exchange sac.} 20. g3 Bxe4 21. gxf4 (21. Nxe4 Nxe4 22. gxf4 Nd2
23. Qe3 Nxf1 24. Rxf1 Nc6 $11 (24... Qh4 $11)) 21... Bxd5 {and Black will get
good squares for his Ns on d4 or f5.}) 19. g3 $3 {Excellent! White could grab
the c5-pawn and keep an advantage, but the move played leaves Black's pieces
choked.} (19. Nxc5 {Is the obvious tactical try, but it doesn't make the most
of White's advantage.} dxc5 (19... Bf5 $6 20. Nxb7 Rb8 {looks dangerous, but
White can get out of the b-file pin with a tempo on the Rf4.}) (19... Nf7 $5
20. Nce4 (20. Nd3 $5 Qxe2 21. Rae1 Qxd2 22. Nxf4 Qxf4 23. Re7 $13) 20... Rxe4
21. Nxe4 Qxe4 22. Rfe1 $14 {For the two Ns White has a R and pawn and a lead
in development, and a slightly exposed Black K.}) 20. d6+ Be6 $1 (20... Qe6 $2
21. dxc7 Qxb3 22. Nxb3 $18 {White has an extra pawn on c7.}) 21. dxe7 Bxb3 22.
Nxb3 c4 23. Nd2 Re8 24. Rfc1 b5 25. axb5 axb5 26. b3 $14 {The pawns will come
off, leaving White with 3 vs 2 on the kingside.}) 19... Rf8 {15 minutes on
this retreat.} 20. f4 Nd7 21. Rfe1 $1 $16 (21. Rae1 {playing for a crush
through the center with Rae1 looks like the natural anti-Benoni move, but it's
not as good. First, it allows ...b5, gaining desperately needed space and
central influence. Second, a kingside "attack" with f4-f5 would give Black the
e5 square. Third, White's long-term advantage is on the queenside, where his Q
and B and Ns have weak squares to probe.}) 21... Nf6 22. Nxc5 $1 {White cashes
in.} (22. Ng5 Qd8 23. Bf3 $14) 22... dxc5 $2 (22... Qd8 23. Ne6 Nxe6 24. dxe6
d5 25. Bf3 Re8 26. e7 Rxe7 27. Rxe7 Qxe7 28. Bxd5+ $16 {gives Black some
chances to survive.}) 23. d6+ Qf7 24. Bc4 $18 Ncd5 (24... Ne6 25. Rxe6 $18) 25.
Re7 $1 Nxe7 26. dxe7 Kg7 27. Bxf7 Rxf7 28. Re1 Bxh3 29. Qxb7 Re8 30. Nc4 Ng8
31. Qxa6 1-0
..
