Mike
Splane (2199) - Richard Roubel (1884)
9/4/2008
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. ba4 Nf6 5. d4 ed
The correct capture. The alternatives, Ne4, Nd4 and b5 are all bad.
6. 0-0 Bc5?
I hadn’t looked at this move in my preparations. Black needs this open for the knight – the idea is 7. e5 Ne4 Re1 Nc5 – so the normal move here is 6. … Be7.
After the game I looked the position up in ChessLab.com’s database. White won almost every game.
7. e5
Ng8
Now this is a rarity. I only found one game in the database: 8. c3 dxc3 9. Nxc3 Nge7 10. Ne4 Ba7 11. Re1 O-O 12. Bg5 Qe8 13. Nf6+ gxf6 14. exf6 Bc5 15. Bxc6 Nxc6 16. Rxe8 Rxe8 17. Qd5 d6 18. Bf4 Kh8 19. Qxf7 Rg8 20. Bh6
After 7. … Nd5 I found this miniature: 8. Bb3 Nb6 9. Ng5 O-O 10. Qh5 h6 11. Nxf7 Rxf7 12. Bxf7+ Kh8 13. Bxh6 Bf8 14. Bg5#
I was intending to play 8. c3 0-0 9. cd Be7 10. Bb3
After 7. … Ng4 I intended to play 8. Bf4 and 9 h3.
8. Re1?
I was thinking this was a useful move to prevent … d6.
8. … Nge7
Now I have three problems.
I can’t stop him from advancing the d pawn.
If 9. Nbd2 Bb4 – this is why the rook belongs on f1.
If 9. c3 dc 10. Nc3 d6 and I’ve lost a pawn. I decided that I had to free my game with this move. The space advantage should count for something.
I spend a lot of time here trying to figure out a way to make Ng5, Qh6 and Bb3 work. I need an extra tempo.
I also briefly thought about Nh4, coming to f5, but this can’t be good. None of my queenside pieces are in play.
9. c3
d5
I think it was better to capture on c3. Now I have even material to go with the better center and space advantage.
10. cd Ba7 11. h3
If I allow … Bg4 my d-pawn becomes a major weakness - he can attack it with his other three minor pieces.
11. … Be6
After the game Richard thought that this was a bad move. He thought he should have left the e6 square open for the maneuver Ng6, Nf7, Ne6. That plan seems a little slow to me, and I never even considered it. I was happy to see the bishop move, but for a different reason. The bishop move does nothing to put pressure on my position and I’m allowed to complete my development in peace. I was expecting 11. … Bf5 12. Nc3 Qd7
12. Nc3 b5 13. Bc2
Another drawback of Be6 is his d-pawn is now so securely guarded that it is clear my bishop belongs on the b1-h7 diagonal instead of on b3.
13. … Nb4 14 Bb1 c5
If he doesn’t play this now I can kick the knight back to c6.
15. a4
I also considered 15. dc Bc5 16. a3 Nc6 17. b4 Ba7 gaining space, but he doesn’t have any real weaknesses.
15. … cd
Maybe he had a better defense with 15. … Bd7 but guarding the b5 pawn is going to be a constant problem for him.
16. Nd4 0-0 17. ab
ab 18.
Ncb5 Nec6
I have to watch out for cheapos based on Nd4 moves, Bishop captures f2 check, and rook captures a1.
19. Nc6
Touch move. I instantly saw 19. Nc6 Nc6 20. Qc2 g6 21. Qc6 and touched the knight. Then I remembered about the cheapo. Richard was away from the board and I’m not sure he saw me touch the piece, but I felt like I had the only honorable thing to do was to move it, even if it cost me the game.
19. … Nc6
The challenging line is 19. … Bf2+ I intended to play 20. Kf2 Qb6+ 21. Bd3 which seems to win a piece. After the game I found the killing reply 20. Kf1! when his queen has no good squares.
If 20. … Qb6? 21. Bh7+ Kh7 22. Qh5+ Kg8 23. Ne7# or 21. … Kh8 22 Qh5 Qb5+ 23. Bd3+
If 20 … Qe8 21.Ra8 Qc6 22. Bh7+ Kh7 23. Qh5+ Kg8 24. Rf8+ Kf8 25. Qh8+ Ke7 26. Bg5+ f6 27. Qg7+ winning.
20. Na7
I could play 20. Qc2 g6 21. Qc6 Bf2+ 22. Kf2 Ra1 but this is messy. I have a clear and uncomplicated advantage after this exchange – the two bishops, a space advantage, an extra pawn, and a safer king.
20. … Na7 21.
Be3 Qd7 22. Qc2
I could play 22. Qa4 forcing the queen trade, since 22. … Nc6 23. Qa8 Ra8 24. Ra8+ Nd8 25. Bb6 wins.
22. … g6 23. Qc5 Nc6 24. Bh6!
Gaining a tempo to guard the e pawn.
24. … Rfb8 25. Ra8 Ra8 26.
Bd3
Threatening 27. Bb5 to trade off the knight. After that Black won’t be able to stop the triple threats of mate on the back rank, queening the b- pawn, and mate on g7. It would have been safer to play Kh2 first.
26. … Bh3
If 26. … Ne7 27. g4 Bg4 28. e6 Be6 29 Qd4
27. gh Ne5
If. 27. … Qh3 28. Qe3
I spent a lot of time here. trying to decide which winning line to play. If 28. Qe3 Nd3 29. Qd3 (If 28. … Re8 29. Kg2) I’m up a piece with no problems.
If 28. Re5 Qh3 29. Qa3!
(This guards the d3 bishop, and the threat to the Black rook gives me time to save the other bishop. 0n other moves Black can either capture one of my bishops, or mate me with 29. … Ra1+)
29. … Qg4+
(If 29 … Rc8 30 Ba6! when both queen and rook are threatened. If 29… Ra3?? 30. Re8#)
30 Kf1 Qh3+
(if 30. … Qd1+ 31. Re1)
31. Ke2 Qg4+ 32. Kd2 and I’m up two pieces.
My rules of thumb when up material are to avoid counterplay, keep the position simple, and don’t be tempted by the lure of extra material. I trusted my analysis of the second line, but if I am going to lose it is by playing something complex when the simple will do. On the other hand, 29. Qa3 is such a spectacular move that I was dying to play it.
After I was thinking for quite a long time, Richard, seeing his position was hopeless, turned over his king.
1-0