Alex Levitan (2011) – Mike Splane (2209) 5/1/2008
1. d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3. e3 e6
I played 3. …cd in previous games in order to give White an IQP, but that capture allows his bishop to develop to g5.
4. Nc3 a6 5.
Nf3 d5 6.
a4
I was prepared for both 6. Be2 dc 7. Bc4 b5 8. Bd3 Bb7 and for 6. cd ed 7. Be2 Nc6 8. 0-0 Bd6 9. dc Bc5. I had looked at 6. a4 only briefly and disregarded it because Chesslab.com showed Black winning 63% of the time, versus 9% for White. After the game I looked at the games on Chesslab.com. I should play 6. … Nc6 7. Be2 dc 8. Bc4 Be7.
6. … Nc6 7. Be2 Be7?
I played this without really thinking. I should play the more active 7. … Bd6 to keep his knight from going to e5.
8. 0-0 0-0 9. Ne5 Qb6
Now I was wishing I had captured earlier on c4. The weakness on d5 prevents me from playing 9. … Ne5 10. de Nd7 because after 11. cd Ne5 12. f4 Ng6 13. de fe White is clearly better.
10. Nc6 bc (?)
I thought I would get some pressure down the b file but that turns out to be unrealistic. I should retake with the queen. Recapturing with the pawn leaves my a-pawn as a permanent weakness.
11. a5 Qc7 12. Nc4
Nd7
After long thought. 12. … Qa5 13. Nc5 is good for him. I didn’t want to exchange on d4 and activate his Bishop on c1
13. Bd2 cd
Forced if I ever want to get untied.
14. ed Rb8
I was hoping for 15. Bc3 Qf4 when my queen becomes very active.
15. c5 e5 16. Nb6!
He played this quite rapidly, as he did the entire opening; by move 20 I was at least half an hour behind on the clocks. I can’t afford to spot Levitan an extra 30 minutes, his ability to generate tactical tricks is too strong.
16. …. ed 17. b4
This move I hadn’t even considered, but it completely consolidates the queenside.
17. … Bf6
Threatening 18. … d3
18. Ra3 Re8 19. Nc8
Not sure why he played this. At some point I was going to play Bb7 to free all of my other pieces for kingside activity.
19. … Qc8 20. f4!
Bd8!
All of his pieces are potentially active on the kingside, where he can throw his pawns forward and completely deprive me of space and counterplay. I can’t sit by passively and allow that to happen. The bishop retreat costs me the d4 pawn but allows me to post both minor pieces on great squares.
21. Rd3 Nf6 22. Rd4 Ne4 23. Be1 f5!
I was tempted to play 23. … Bf6 24. Rd3 Rb7 25. Rh3 Re7, taking advantage of the temporary blocking of his bishop’s attack on my a-pawn to activate my rook. Although this quickly activates all my pieces I didn’t see any good follow up; he is still threatening to advance the kingside pawns and the bishop on f6 is awkwardly placed against this menace.
The pawn move stabilizes my share of kingside space, the bishop can go to f6 safely, and it’s not really clear where my rooks belong so it’s best to remain flexible. It also prepares the line starting with Bf6, so he must retreat the d4 rook immediately.
24. Rd3! Bf6 25.Rh3 Ra8
I need to activate my queen, the threat to the b pawn is meaningless and the game will be decided on the kingside.
26. Bd3 Qe6 27. Qh5 h6
I wanted to put my pawns on g6 and h5 to prevent all counterplay. He stops this idea, hoping to take advantage of the potential weakness on f5.
28. Kh1 !
I was threatening 28. … Bd4+ 29. Kh1 Nf6 30. Qf5 Qe1 winning a piece.
28. … Re7
I didn’t see how he could strengthen his position so I prepare to double rooks. This move also avoids cheapos based on Ba6 when the rook on a8 may be overloaded, defending both e8 and a6.
29. Rhf3 Kh7 30. Qh3 g6 31. Re3!
A great trap. If 31. … Ng3+ 32. Rg3 is forced and I can recover the piece with 32. … Qe1. But then comes 33. Rg6! Kg6 34. Qf5+ Kg7/Kf7 35. Qg6+ Kf8 36. Qf6+ Ke8 37. Qc6+ winning.
31. … h5 32. Be4 ?
He’s completely tied up but it’s not clear how I would win if he plays passively. After this I have a huge positional advantage.
32. … de 33. Bc6 Qc4 ?
This throws away the clear win to be had by simply doubling rooks on the d file. The number one rule in advantageous endings, particularly rook and queen endings, is to stop counterplay against your king. The text move takes the black square defenders away from my king and gives Levitan counterplay. I was hoping for 34. Rc1 or 34 Rd1 when I can take over the d file with tempo.
34. Rb1 Bc3 35. Rc3 Qa2 ?
Still trying to take advantage of the weak
back rank. Instead I should post the queen on d4 and then back it up
with a rook to threaten back row mates. White desperately needs to make room
for his king, so after 35. … Qd4 36. Qe3 would be
forced. I can then swap queens with a dominating position.
36. Rbc1 Rd8 37. Qh4 Red7 38. h3 Qb2
Just trying to tie his c3 rook down so I
can advance the e-pawn.
39. Kh2 !
Now if 39. … e3 40. Re3 Qc1 41. Re7+ and he is better. If 39. … Qb4 40. Rg3 (threatening 41. Rg6 and 42. Qg5 + with a perpetual) 40. … Rg8 41. Qf6 threatens both 42. Rf5 and 42. Qc6.
39. … Re8 !
So I can meet the Rg3 idea with … Re6, and also freeing my d7 rook for action.
40. R1c2 Qb1 41. Qf6 e3!
Permanently stopping the Rg3 idea.
42. Re2 Qf1 ?
If 42. … Qe4 he can capture the e pawn.
43. Qc6!
I missed that the queen can come back to f3 to defend. the e pawn is a big threat, so I may still be winning but in the few seconds I ahd left I couldn’t find anything.
43
… Qf4+ 44. g3 Qd4 45. Rcc2
The e pawn is safe After 45. Rce3 Re3 46. Re3 Qd2+ 44. Kh1 Qd1+ and 45… Rd2+ is crushing.
45. … f4 46. Qf3 gf+ 47. Qg3 h4 48. Qf3
If 48. Qg4 Re4 followed by check on e5
48. … Qe5+ 49. Kg2 Rf8 50. Qg4
I wasn’t sure that he couldn’t capture the e pawn, but the
text is safe. If 50. Qf8?? Qg3+
mates.
50. … Qd5+
Desperately short of time I was going to take the perpetual
check. His king can’t go to the back rank.
51. Kg1 ? Rf1+ !
Mate in eleven! But I don’t have eleven. My flag fell. 1-0
The mating line goes 52. Kf1 Qh1+ 53. Qg1 Rd1+ 54. Re1 Qf3+ ! 55. Qf2 (If 55. Rf2 e3# !) ef 56. Rf2 Qh3+ 57. Rg2 (57 Ke2 Qd3#) Re1+ 58. Ke1 Qg2 and the h pawn advances for mate.
He can hold out longer after either
54…. Re1+ 55. Ke1 Qg1+ 56. Ke2 Qf2+ 57. Kd3 Qf5+ or
54 … Qf3+ 55. Qf2 ef 56. Rd1 Qd1+ 57. Kf2 Qc2+
All these lines are completely winning so I feel like, in a
sense, we both won this game. All I needed was 5 more minutes, but he put
enough obstacles in my way that I didn’t have those minutes. I’m looking
forward to our next game.