[Event "Import"] [Site "https://lichess.org/b5AaTxo7"] [Date "2024.02.22"] [White "Moradiabadi, Elshan"] [Black "Mkrtchyan, M.."] [Result "1-0"] [TimeControl "-"] [Termination "Unknown"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B52"] [Opening "Sicilian Defense: Moscow Variation, Main Line"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/alanthejudoka"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/AxbW7AMF/gme7OQCa"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bb5+ Bd7 4. c4 e5 { This move surprised me! I was aware of this move, but I did not expect to see it from an opponent of this level. Maybe I had too long of a break from competitive chess! } 5. Bxd7+ Qxd7 6. d3 Nc6 7. Nc3 Be7 { Black is absolutely solid! White's only claim to advantage is his better bishop on c1, compared the Black's dark squared Bishop on e7. The difference is evident due to Black's central pawns on c5,d6, and e5 which restrict the bishop on e7. 8. a3 $5 (8. O-O f5 is apparently the main line. } 8. a3 Bd8 { A sensible manenuver. It clears the e7 square for the knight on g8. Black does not wish to run into in Nf6-Bg5! which lets white to get control over d5 square. } 9. O-O Nge7 10. Rb1 O-O 11. b4 Ng6 { Not a big fan of this move. Black does not realizes that active play is the key to maintain balance for him. (11... f5 12. exf5 Nxf5 13. Nd5 Nfe7 Is more appealing. } 12. Be3 b6 13. Nd2 { A prohylactic measure. White is ready to face f5 with } 13... Nce7 { (13... f5 14. exf5 Qxf5 15. Nde4 Qd7 16. h3 $14 and Qg4) } 14. g3 { (14. h3 Engines prefer this move with the obvious idea of Qg4.) } 14... Qh3 { A poor decision. This is just some 'cheapo' without any foundaiton. Black had to go (14... f5 15. exf5 Qxf5 16. Nde4 Qd7 with Nf4 plan being among the cards.) } 15. Qf3 { Preventing f5. } 15... h6 16. a4 { Squanders White's advantage. (16. g4 $5 I would have played this move in a blitz game without batting my eyes. Qxf3 17. Nxf3 Nc6 18. Nd5 Nge7 19. h4 $16 White has a very easy play here. If I had not won this game, I would have been kicking myself for missing this moment.) } 16... cxb4 17. Rxb4 Nc6 18. Rb5 Rc8 { Another passive move. This time, I took my chances. (18... Nge7 19. g4 Qxf3 20. Nxf3 Ng6 $14) } 19. Qf5 Qxf5 20. exf5 Nge7 21. g4 f6 22. Kg2 { This would have earned double-exclam in 1930s, for the idea I managed to actualize in this game. However, this is only one of engine's choices. The best would have been: (22. Nde4 Bc7 23. h4 h5 24. f3 Kf7 25. Kg2 Rfd8 26. Rc1 and White will keep hammering on the kingside and the center until Black collapses.) } 22... Bc7 23. Kf3 Rfd8 24. Ke4 Rd7 25. Rc1 Rcd8 26. Nd5 Kf7 27. h4 { At this point, I felt like a confident Tigran Petrosian! } 27... Na5 28. Nb1 { Luckily, I still have good winning chances after this, but I should not have missed the following continuation. (28. g5 hxg5 29. hxg5 Rh8 30. g6+ Ke8 31. Nxe7 Kxe7 32. Rbb1 $18 [%cal Gc1h1,Ge4d5,Gd2e4]) } 28... Nxd5 29. Rxd5 { (29. Kxd5 $1 Nb7 30. Nc3 Nc5 31. Rd1 Re7 32. g5 I saw this position and evaluated it as better for me. The engine simply claims a 2.4 advantage for White! } 29... Rh8 { Beginning of a wrong plan. (29... a6 30. Nc3 Nc6 31. Rb1 Rb8 32. f4 Ne7 33. fxe5 fxe5 34. Ne2 b5 $1 Would have saved Black in a dynamic complex ending, but my opponent did not realize that he could trap my rook.) } 30. Rb5 { OK! no more surprises! } 30... Bd8 31. Nc3 { Black wasted too many tempi, Now White is technically winning. } 31... h5 32. g5 g6 33. Nd5 { (33. fxg6+ Kxg6 34. gxf6 Bxf6 [#] 35. Kd5 $3 This move is not in the paycheck of a full-time coach! Bxh4 36. Ne4 Bd8 (36... Be7 37. Ke6 Rb7 38. f4) 37. Rg1+ Kf7 38. Nxd6+ $18) } 33... Nc6 34. f4 { This squanders most of White's advantage. (34. fxg6+ Kxg6 35. gxf6 Bxf6 36. Rg1+ Kf7 37. Nxf6 Kxf6 38. Rg5 $18 [%cal Gf2f4,Gd3d4]) } 34... exf4 { returns the favor. (34... gxf5+ Black could hold by a thread. 35. Kxf5 Re8 36. Rg1 exf4 37. g6+ Kg8 38. Kxf4 Rg7 39. d4 f5 $11) } 35. fxg6+ Kxg6 { Now all comes with a check. } 36. Nxf4+ Kf7 { (36... Kg7 37. d4 White wins similar to the game.) } 37. g6+ Kg7 38. d4 { I am very proud of this preventing move. This takes away all Black's counterplay with Ne5. } 38... a6 39. Rf5 Re7+ 40. Kf3 Ree8 41. Rg1 Kg8 42. Nxh5 a5 43. Bf2 { 1-0 White wins. } { Not my best game, but my positional prowess sufficed! } 1-0