Mike Splane
(2280) Jan DeJong
(1900) February 2, 2007
1. e4
e6 2. d4 d5 3. Bd3 c5
Jan played 3. … de in two previous games against me, but got nothing out of the opening. This move is more difficult to meet.
4. c3
Nc6 5. Nf3 cd
He has an idea, eliminate the white square bishop, but this is not the best move. After 5. … Nf6 6. Nbd2 cd 7. cd Bb4 White is forced to move the e-pawn, transposing into traditional French Defense pawn structures. This is the line I have been lucky enough to face only once, against Richard Koepcke. He clobbered me. During the game I was contemplating playing 5. … Nf6 6. Nbd2 cd 7. Nd4 Nd4 8. cd when 8…. Bb4 loses to 9. Qa4+. I wasn’t sure what I would have played on 7. … e5.
I later discovered that I had been in this position once before, in a speed game. That game went 5. … Nf6 6. Nbd2 cd 7. Nd4 Nd4 8. cd de 9. Ne4 Ne4 10. Be4 Bb4+
11. Bd2 Qa5 12. a3 Bd2+ 13. Qd2 Qd2+ 14. Kd2 0-0? 15. Rac1 Rd8+ 16. Ke3. White’s centralized king, pressure on the b7-e4 diagonal, and control of the c file added up to a winning advantage. (Splane – Murphy 7/27/2001)
6. cd
Now I can maintain the pawn on e4 after 6. … Nf6 7. Nc3 Bb4 8. Bg5
6. … Nb4 7. Bb5+ Bd7 8. Bd7+ Qd7 9. Ne5 Qc7 10. Qa4+?
I was sure the rook sacrifice 10. 0-0 Nc2 11. ed was winning, but I wasn’t sure about 10. 0-0 de, when the e-file is kept closed. Somewhere in the next few moves I throw away my opening advantage. Perhaps this is the start – the threat may be stronger than the execution, and my queen may be better on the e-file. 10. Nc3 is probably best, completing my development with threats.
10. … Nc6 11. de de 12. 0-0 Be7 13. Bf4?
Wastes a critical tempo. The bishop has no future on this diagonal. After 13. Nc3 Nf6 14. Nb5 Qb6 15. Re1 White is in serious trouble, but it’s not clear how to punish 14. ... Qd8, so going after the d-pawn with 13. Nc3 Nf6 14. Bg5 is the right idea.
13. … Qa5
Of course. With the queens off my “attack” goes nowhere. If I’d played 13. Nc3 Nf6 14. Bg5 he couldn’t afford to trade queens, because recapturing with the knight would remove the threats to my d-pawn and allow me to win his.
14. Qa5 Na5 15. Nc3 Nf6
16. Rfe1 0-0
I thought this was bad because of 17. Ng6 but when I reached this position I didn’t like 17. … hg 18. Re7 when my bishop is bad.
17. Bd2 !?
I can’t easily move my knight on e5 without allowing his knight on a5 back into the game with tempo, he’d be attacking the d or b pawn. He should prevent the threat of 18. Nd5 with 17. … Bb4. If he swaps on c3 I’m left with a very bad bishop, so I may be forced to try 18. Nb1
17…. Bd8 18. Nb5 Ne4 19. Bb4 Re8 20. f3
Perhaps I should play Rac1 to keep the knight on a5 out of play. If 20. Rac1 a6 then 21. Nc7 is strong.
20. … Nc6 ?
Loses a pawn. Does he have better?
21. Nc6 bc 22. fe
cb 23. ed Bf6
24. Bc5 Red8
25. d6
g6
The smoke has cleared and I’m a good extra pawn up. The problem is he can win it back with Bf6-g7-f8-d6. If I can prevent that maneuver I’ll have a winning advantage. I need to gain a tempo to double rooks on the e-file. I found a way.
26. a4 b4
He can’t allow me to open the a-file and trade rooks, because then I can safely advance the d-pawn, so this pawn push looks forced.
27. Re4 a5
This forced move allows me the choice of two plans. 28. Rf1 Bg7 29. Re7 f5 30. Rfe1 Bf8 when 31. Re6 is good. I could even double rooks on the seventh if I want to surrender the d-pawn with 31. Rc7 Bd6 32. Bd6 Rd6 33. R1e7. However, what I played is even stronger.
28. Rae1 Kg7
If 28. … Bg7 29. Bb6 Rdb8 30. Bc7 wins, or if 29. Rd6 Re8+ 30. Re8 Re8+ 31. Bf8 Bc5 wins. If he does nothing, say 28. … Rab8 for example, I play 29. d7 Rd7 30. Re8+.
29. Kf1
Heading for c4, when. I can gradually strengthen my position while he is tied up:
· I can push the kingside pawns and open lines there.
· The active king will threaten to capture the a-pawn if the rooks come off.
· Bb6 winning the a-pawn is a constant threat.
· Re7 is also playable, getting connected passed pawns if he takes with the bishop.
29. … h5 30. Ke2 Bh4
Oops!
31. Rh4 1-0
He doesn’t even have any traps. After 31. … Re8+ 32. Kd2 Re1 33. Ke1 Re8+ 34 Kd2 g5 35. Re4 Re4 36. d7 is simplest.