Bruce Matzner (1800) - Mike Splane (2200)
August 28, 2008
1. d4
Nf6 2. Nf3
c5 3. d5 b5
Played after several minutes thought. The alternatives, g6. e6 and d6 all transpose into standard Benoni set ups. This move puts the most pressure on White; his d‑pawn is a weakness for the remainder of the game.
After the game I looked up my track record. I played 3. … d6 in previous game, with mixed results. I also learned that 4. Bg5 is the best reply to 3. … b5. This looks quite strong, so I’ll probably avoid 3. … b5 in the future.
4. e4?
Ne4
Perhaps he didn’t see 5. Bb4? Qa5+ and White loses a piece.
5. Qd3 Nd6 6. Bf4 Qb6
If he captures on d6 and I recapture with the e-pawn, my extra pawn will be not only be doubled and useless, it will block the development of my pieces.
7. Nbd2
If 7 Bd6 Qd6 8. Qb5 Qd5 9. Nc3 Qc6 Black is fine.
If 7 Be2 (intending to castle) 7…. Na6 (threatening … Nb4) 8. c3 Nc7 and again Black is fine.
7. … Bb7 8. Ne4
If 8. Bd6 c4! 9. Q moves Qd6 and the d-pawn falls.
If 8. c4 bc 9. Nc4 Nc4 10. Bc4 Qb2 looks too dangerous. I’m too far behind in development to be opening lines. Bruce was reluctant to give away a second pawn. Perhaps we both were relieved that this possibility was avoided.
8. … Ne4
I spent a long time looking at 8. … c4 9. Qe2 Ne4 10. Qe4 but didn’t want to give his knight access to d4. 9. Nd6+? Qd6 10. Bd6 cd 11. Bb8 Rb8 12. Bb5 Bd5 is good for Black. He can try to keep the queens on with 9. Nd6+ Qd6 10. Qe3 Qd5 11. Bb8 Rb8 12. Qa7 Rb8 but Black is material ahead with a comfortable position.
9. Qe4 d6
After 9. … e6 10. Rd1 I didn’t like my position. He has too many opportunities to open lines.
I played 9. … d6 without much thought, then spent some anxious moments examining 10. Bd6 Qd6 11. Bb5+ Nd7 12. Ne5
If 12. Ne5 Bd5? 13. Bd7+ Qd7 looks good, but actually loses after 14. Qf4 Qd5 15. Qa4+ Kd8 16. Rd1. or 14. Qf4 Qb5 15. Qf7+ Kd8 16. 0-0-0 when Black’s position is in ruins.
Even worse is 12. Ne5 Rd8? 13. Qf5 f6 14. Qh5+ g6 15. Ng6 hg 16. Qg6#
So 12. Ne5 Bc8 is forced, when I didn’t see a winning line for White. After13. Qf5 f6 14. Qh5+ g6 15. Ng6 hg 16. Qh8 Qe5+ Black takes over the initiative.
10. 0-0-0 Nd7
With two ideas, Nf6 and e5. I’m ok now.
11. Bg5 e5!
His only hope was to apply pressure to the backward e pawn. Now my king is safe behind the pawn wall and I can develop comfortably.
12. Qh4 Qa5?
12. … h6 was better.
13. Kb1 h6
I intended to play 13. … Nb6 to win the d-pawn, but then I started to worry about my queen being very short of squares.
I was looking at the continuation 14. … hg
15. Qh8 g4 16. Ng5 Bd5 17. Rd5 Qe1+ but wasn’t sure if I would play this.
14. Be2 Rg8
I very briefly looked at 14. … f5 but 15. Qh5# is a good response.
15. Bc1
I thought he had to play 15. Bd2 Qb6 when I still have work to do. Long term he has no answer if I simply push pawns on the queen side.
15. … Be7 16. Qh3 Nf6 17. c4
After the game I noticed he could have played 17. Ne5 de 18. d6, but it looks like I’m fine after 18. … Bd6 19. Rd6 Ke7 20. Rhd1 Rgd8
17. … bc 18. Bc4 Ne4
With two threats, forks on f2 and on c3.
19. Rhf1 Qb4 20. Bb3 c4 21. Nd2 ?
21. Bc2 Nc3+ 22. Ka1 Nd1 23. Rd1 is
better. He loses the exchange but his pieces are coordinated.
21. … cb
I also looked briefly at Ng5, with the idea of bringing the bishop around to check on f5, but I didn’t see any need to get fancy.
22. a3 Nd2+ 23. Bd2 Qe4+ 24. Ka1
Bd5
The d-pawn finally falls!
25. Rfe1 Qg2 26. Qd3 Be6
I thought for a long time before playing this retreat. I wanted to play 26. … Kd7 27. Qb5+ Ke6 when my king rook gets into the game, but was worried about 28. f4 f6 29. fe fe which I thought gave him too many cheapo possibilities.
The problem with the bishop retreat is 27. Qb5+ I finally convinced
myself that 27. … Kf8 28. Bb4 Rd8 was safe.
27. Qh7 f5!
Trapping the queen. The rest is
easy.
28. Rg1 Qf3
So the g1 rook can’t leave the first rank.
29. Bh6 Qh5
If 30. Qg6+ Qg6 31. Rg6 Kf7 32. Rdg1 hg and White loses another piece, so Bruce resigned.
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