[Event "Rated Classical game"] [Site "https://lichess.org/r7FW99bi"] [Date "2018.02.24"] [Round "-"] [White "OuterHeaven92"] [Black "ShAlexander"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "1987"] [BlackElo "1929"] [TimeControl "5400+30"] [Termination "Normal"] [Annotator "lichess.org"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "D35"] [Opening "Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange Variation, Positional Variation"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/5wYcdjXQ/PMnmZUPY"] [Orientation "black"] { Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange Variation. Black gets a powerful attack that quickly goes awry. This is one of those games that could have ended spectacularly. } 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bg5 c6 6. e3 Be7 7. Bd3 Bg4 { The bishop doesn't actually have to come out yet; it's well placed on c8 by controlling the diagonal and protecting b7. Though it's hard to criticize a move that's still theory. } (7... Nbd7 8. Qc2 O-O 9. Nf3 Re8 10. O-O Nf8 11. h3 Be6 12. Rab1 a5 13. a3 N6d7 14. Bf4 Ng6 15. Bh2 Nb6 { is the main, main line. }) 8. Qc2 h6 9. Bh4 O-O { It helps to know typical ideas in certain structures. Black, in his own annotations, was hinting towards castling queenside this game! Even if it was a brief thought, black very rarely does that due to the open c-file and white's pawns pointing over there. } 10. f3 Bc8 { "Setting up for the next game." Exactly. } (10... Be6 { Following that main, main line, this may have been a more strategical retreat. Black might play for c5 and attempt to punish white's f3. It obstructs the e-file, but the e-file was already obstructed, and it defends your center pawn an extra time. } { [%cal Rc6c5] }) 11. Nge2 Re8 12. O-O-O { Out of theory. 12 moves isn't so bad! With the odd-looking move O-O-O, the game enters a base-race situation where every tempo is critically important. But it's even more tricky because the center can still open up at any moment. } { [%cal Rb7b5,Ra7a5,Gg2g4,Gh2h4,Ye3e4] } (12. O-O c5 { Krueger, Erich - Maslak, Sulejman, 0-1, Oberliga NRW 0203 II, 2003, https://lichess.org/affXpXEb }) 12... Na6 13. a3 { Pushing pawns on the side you're getting attacked. Not a particularly flawless strategy. } (13. Bxa6 bxa6 { and I don't see how these pawns can attack white. Black has an open file, but it looks hard to attack the b2-pawn, and white can strike in the center at any moment. } { [%csl Ra7,Ra6,Rc6,Rd5][%cal Ra8b8,Rb8b3,Ge3e4] }) 13... b5 { The best and most obvious move. Opposite side castling demands this kind of attacking play. In black's annotations, this move was dubbed dubious because weakens the c6-pawn. Yet a few moves earlier, black wished the c-file was open. In reality, the c-pawn doesn't really matter because we're going for checkmate! } { [%cal Rb5b4] } 14. Na2 { White's gone into complete reactionary mode, but it's really tough to stop b4. } 14... Qb6 { Being a bit too cautious about the c-pawn. } (14... b4 { demands some tactical prowess, but I like this move far more than Qb6. Here are some variations: } 15. axb4 (15. Bxf6 Bxf6 16. axb4 Rxe3 17. Qxc6 Rb8 18. Nec3 Bb7 19. Qa4 Nc7 20. Qxa7 Ne6 21. Rhe1 Rxe1 22. Rxe1 Bxd4 23. Qa4 Nf4) (15. Qxc6 Rb8 16. axb4 Nxb4 17. Nxb4 Bxb4 { transposing into the main line. }) (15. Bxa6 Bxa6 16. Nxb4 Bxb4 17. axb4 Rb8 18. Be1 Rxe3 { [%csl Gd4,Gb4,Gb2] }) 15... Nxb4 16. Nxb4 Bxb4 17. Qxc6 Rb8 { The hardest move to find. Black's threat is, paradoxically, not even on the queenside. } { [%cal Re8e3] } 18. Bf2? (18. Bxf6 gxf6 19. Nf4 Bb7 20. Qa4 Bc6! { and white's queen is getting trapped really quickly. }) 18... Bh3!! { [%cal Rb8c8,Rc8c1] } 19. gxh3 Rc8) 15. b4 Nc7 { It's really tough for me to decide between Nb8 and Nc7. Nb8 because there's hopes of rerouting to c4, but Nc7 is so natural... Stockfish's favorite is Nb8. Also, setting up for the next game. } { [%cal Ra6b8,Rb8d7,Rd7b6,Rb6c4] } 16. Bf2 { Kind of an odd move because the bishop was already well placed on h4. From a practical viewpoint, this is really bad because black's next moves are super straightforward. } { [%cal Ra7a5] } 16... a5 17. Kb2 { [%cal Ra5b4] } 17... axb4 18. Nxb4 { [%cal Rc8b7] } 18... Bb7 { Honestly, I can't believe this is the best move... But this was 90+30, so maybe I should give more credit to the players actually taking their time! But it does make sense. } (18... c5 19. dxc5 Bxc5 20. Nd4 { is another way to play, but I have absolutely no idea what's going on here, though black's probably better on a king-safety basis. }) 19. Ra1 { [%cal Rc7a6] } 19... Na6 20. Qb3 { [%cal Rc6c5] } 20... c5 21. dxc5 { [%cal Ra6c5] } 21... Nxc5 22. Qd1 { [%cal Rc5a4] } 22... Na4+ 23. Kb3 Rac8 { It's almost as if with a king on b3, this moment, more than any other, is the time to do something flashy. The king doesn't have too many squares, if any at all, and it would be "really great" if black could check along the g8-a2 diagonal... } { [%cal Rg8a2] } (23... Ne4!! { , a clearance sacrifice that actually works! White either captures and loses, or saves the bishop and loses. } 24. fxe4 (24. Be1 Qxe3 25. fxe4 dxe4 26. Bd2 Qc5 27. Ka2 exd3 { , and black is optically completely winning. }) 24... dxe4 { [%cal Rg8a2] } 25. Bc4 { [%cal Rg8a2] } (25. Bc2 { [%cal Rg8a2] } 25... Qe6+ { [%cal Rg8a2] } 26. Qd5 { [%cal Rg8a2] } 26... Qxd5+ { [%cal Rg8a2] } 27. Nxd5 { [%cal Rg8a2] } 27... Bxd5# { [%cal Rg8a2] }) (25. Bb1 { [%cal Rg8a2] } 25... Qe6+ { [%cal Rg8a2] } 26. Qd5 { [%cal Rg8a2] } 26... Bxd5+ { [%cal Rg8a2] }) 25... bxc4+ { [%cal Rg8a2] } 26. Kxc4 { [%cal Rg8a2] } 26... Rec8+ { [%cal Rg8a2] } 27. Kb3 { [%cal Rg8a2] } 27... Qe6+ { [%cal Rg8a2] } 28. Qd5 { [%cal Rg8a2] } 28... Qxd5+ { [%cal Rg8a2] } 29. Nxd5 { [%cal Rg8a2] } 29... Bxd5# { [%cal Rg8a2] }) 24. Qd2 Nd7 { Black's pieces are even more optimally placed than before. Surely now is the time to strike! } (24... Ne4!!) (24... d4!! { is an alternative with the very similar idea of } 25. Nxd4 { [%cal Gd4e6] } 25... Bxb4 26. axb4 Bd5+) 25. Rhc1 Ndc5+ { Stockfish begs to differ, but here's my idea based on the same clearance of the g8-a2 diagonal. } (25... Bxb4 26. axb4 d4 27. e4 Qe6+ 28. Ka3 Rxc1 29. Nxc1 Ra8 30. Bxb5 Nc3+ 31. Kb2 Nxb5) 26. Ka2 Bf6 { Initiative is ephemeral! You have to take the material or take the king! Black keeps trying to improve his pieces, but that only allows white to coordinate. } (26... Nxd3 27. Qxd3 Bxb4 28. axb4 Rc4 29. Qd2 Ra8 { isn't a Stockfish-approved line, but this looks pretty nice. Play may continue } 30. Kb3 d4 31. Nxd4 Bd5 32. Rxc4 bxc4+ 33. Kc2 c3) 27. Nd4 Ne6 (27... Nxd3 28. Nxd3 Rc4 { with similar attacking prospects, but you can't get a rook on a8. }) 28. Rab1 Nxd4 29. exd4 Kh8 { The attack is basically over, but black can still try to win via outplaying. Kh8, though, doesn't seem like it accomplishes anything other than going for a greedy pawn grab. } { [%cal Rf6d4,Gf2d4,Rb6d4,Gd3h7,Yd2d4,Gh7g8] } 30. Rxc8 Rxc8 31. Rc1 Bxd4 32. Bf5 Rxc1 { And that's just a blunder. An unfortunate way to finish, but not in vain. There were a lot of aesthetic possibilities, and that makes the game worth being played. It looked like black was constantly trying to improve his position even after his pieces were optimally placed. After a certain point, one needs to bang their fist on the table, find a combination, and win! } 33. Bxd4 Qc7 34. Qxh6+ Kg8 35. Qxg7# { White wins by checkmate. 1-0. Link to black's commentary: https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/804n8t/review_request_1900_lichess/ } 1-0