Mike Splane (2221) - Louie Arquie (1847)

Kolty Chess Club February 14, 2008

1. e4 c5 2. c3 d5 3. ed Qd5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. Be2 e6

Correct. 6. … Bg4 gets into trouble after 7. h3 Bh5 8. c4 Qd6 9. g4 Bg6 10. d5

7. 0-0 cd 8. cd Bb4?

8. … Be7 is better. The text just wastes a tempo. Surprisingly, this move has an even score in the games in chesslab.com’s database.

9. a3

I had two choices.

9. Nc3 Bc3 10. bc is good for White. I’ve been in this position once before, against an IM, and blew him off the board.

9. a3 gains a tempo on normal lines with 8. Be7 and it also contains a trap, so I decided to play this one.

9. … Qa5 ?

A theoretical novelty and a blunder. I knew that Alekhine had won a game from a similar position by sacrificing the exchange but over the board I couldn’t remember the Alekhine game. Nc3 and …Bg4 had been played in that game, so the position is not identical.

10. ba! Qa1 11. Na3!

It will cost Black a piece to save his queen, so the game is already resignable.

11. … Nd5

I was worried about 11. … a5! 12. b5 Nb4 13. Qb3 Nfd5 14. Bd2 a4 when he rescues his queen. I planned to meet this idea with 13. Bc4 followed by 14 Qe2, when he will have to give up his queen for my rook.

12. b5 Na5

On other moves 13. Bc4 will trap the queen.

13. Qc2 Qa2 14. Bd2 Qb3

If 14. … b6 15. Ba5 ba 16. Bc4

15. Qb1!

Better than 15. Ba5 Qc2 I’m threatening 16. Bd1 so he still loses a piece.

15. … Nf6

Freeing d5 for the queen.

16. Ba5 0-0 17. Bc7

Louie said he realised he was lost after this move, with all my pieces attacking the kingside. I also considered 17. Bd1 Qd5 18. Qd3 planning 19. Bc2 but he can play 18. … Qe4 and stop my plan.

17. … b6 18. Be5

18. Bd6 was tempting, to try and trap the queen, but I couldn’t find a way to make that work.

18. … Ng4 ? 19. Bc4 ?

Three times in this game, here and on moves 24 and 31, I didn’t analyze all of the possibilities. I got fixated on 19. Qe4, winning back the exchange, and didn’t look at 19. Ng5 winning a piece.

19. … Qb4 20. Ng5 g6 21. Qe4 Ne5 22. de Rb8 23. Qh4 h5 24.Rd1

The rook move ties him up completely and sets a couple of nice traps. I didn’t even look at 24 g4 Kg7 25. gh Rh8 26. Nf7.

24. … Qb2

Avoiding the trap 24. … Bb7 25. Ne6 fe 26. Be6+ Kg7 27. Qb4. I didn’t mind giving up this pawn. It exposes his queen to danger, and the game will not be decided in the ending, so pawns don’t matter.

25. Qg3

Because Louie forced this move, he missed the threat. Not only can I attack his king, but I can also trap his queen with Qe3 and Rb1. My next half dozen moves are designed to fit into both plans.

25. … Rb7

If 25. … Bb7? 26. Ne6 fe? 27. Qg6+ Kh8 28. Qh6+ Kg8 29. Be6+ Rf7 30.Bf7+ Kf7 31. Rd7+ Ke8 Qe6+

26. Ne4

After 26. Qe3 Rd7 27. Rb1 Qd2 he escapes, so I first prevent his rook coming to d7.

26. … Rc7 27. Nf6+

And here 27. Qe3 hangs the e5 pawn.

27. … Kg7 28. Nh5+ 28. … Kh6 29. Qe3+ Kh7

If 29…. Kh5 30. Be2+ wins. If 29. … g5 30. h4 f6 31. Nf6 Rg7 32. Ng4+ Kh5 33. Qh3+ Kg7 34. Qh6+ Kf7 35. Qf6+ with a mating attack.

30. Nf6+ Kg7 31. h4

After 31. Rb1 I thought he could save the queen with 31. … Rc4 32. Rb2 Rc1+ 33. Qe1 Re1#, but I missed 33. Qc1. The move I played doesn’t hurt anything – the queen is still trapped.

31. … Rc4 !

Louie didn’t notice the threat to his queen. He was just desperately trying to generate some counter-play.

32. Nc4 Qb5 33. Nd6 Qa4 34. Rd4 0-1

Not 34. Nde8+? Rd8 35. Ne8+ Qe8.

Black resigned here. After 34. … Qa1+ 35. Kh2 Rh8 (forced) 36. Nde8+ Kf8 37. Rd8! there is no defense to the discovered check.