[Event "Rated Classical game"] [Site "https://lichess.org/tuUfqg6O"] [Date "2020.09.26"] [White "nimzotech"] [Black "JRWright"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "1612"] [BlackElo "1842"] [TimeControl "1500+10"] [Termination "Time forfeit"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/axel_muller"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "C92"] [Opening "Ruy Lopez: Closed, Flohr System"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/EhSTvQbl/gLyyZaOs"] [Orientation "black"] 1. e4 { [%clk 0:25:00] } 1... e5 { [%clk 0:25:00] } 2. Nf3 { [%clk 0:25:06] } 2... Nc6 { [%clk 0:25:07] } 3. Bb5 { [%clk 0:25:13] } 3... a6 { [%clk 0:25:11] } 4. Ba4 { [%clk 0:25:21] } 4... Nf6 { [%clk 0:25:01] } 5. O-O { [%clk 0:25:15] } 5... Be7 { [%clk 0:25:00] } 6. Re1 { [%clk 0:25:04] } (6. d3 { This line illustrates the Steinitz knight manoeuvre in its pure form. } 6... b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 O-O 9. Re1 Na5 10. Bc2 c5 { White built a very stable central position and is now ready to move the queen's knight to the other side of the board. } 11. Nbd2 Nc6 12. Nf1 Re8 13. h3 h6 14. Ng3 { mission accomplished. }) 6... b5 { [%clk 0:25:01] } 7. Bb3 { [%clk 0:25:11] } 7... d6 { [%clk 0:24:43] } (7... O-O { is an important alternative. } 8. c3 { allows black to play the Marshall gambit. } 8... d5 9. exd5 Nxd5 10. Nxe5 Nxe5 11. Rxe5 c6 12. d4 Bd6 13. Re1 Qh4 { Black sacrificed a pawn and got plenty of initiative in return. After the fireworks are gone the positions tend to be dry and absolutely equal, the draw rate here is 73%. }) 8. c3 { [%clk 0:25:15] } 8... O-O { [%clk 0:24:49] } 9. h3 { This is the starting tabyia of the closed Ruy Lopez. Black has a lot of options here and a lot of them have their merits and were used at one time or another by several world champions. John decides to opt for the Zaitsev Variation. } { [%clk 0:25:17] } 9... Bb7 { Some of the other options are: } { [%csl Gb7] [%clk 0:24:45] } (9... Re8 { This leads also to the Zaitsev Variation. In the old days of pre-arranged draws the following line was frequent. } 10. Ng5 Rf8 11. Nf3 Re8 12. Ng5 Rf8 13. Nf3 Re8) (9... Na5 { the Chigorin Variation }) (9... Nb8 { the Breyer Variation }) (9... h6 { The Smyslov }) 10. d4 { [%clk 0:25:13] } 10... Re8 { [%clk 0:24:45] } 11. Nbd2 { [%clk 0:25:01] } (11. Ng5 { is still possible here. }) 11... Bf8 { Compare this position with the d3 line we talked about earlier. Black exerts a lot of direct and indirect pressure on e4. White can't abandon the pawn with Nf1. } { [%cal Ge8e4,Gf6e4,Gb7e4] [%clk 0:24:38] } 12. Nf1? { White had several other options here: } { [%cal Gb1d2,Gd2f1,Gf1g3] [%clk 0:24:09] } (12. d5 { shuts down the bishop and keeps the e-file closed for now. } 12... Nb8 { Black borrows an idea from the Breyer variation. The knight did its job on c6 and heads now to d7 or supports c6. } (12... Na5 { This is possible too })) (12. a4 { This is the main line. After } 12... h6 13. Bc2 exd4 14. cxd4 Nb4 15. Bb1 c5 { We reach a characteristic Zaitsev position. Black was able to execute the typical queenside expansion with c5 and white has hopes in the center and at the kingside. }) 12... exd4 { And a white pawn is gone. Chris realizes that things aren't going according to plan and he readjusts. One of Chris' big strengths is to recover from early opening misfortunes. Now he puts all his creativity and attacking skills to work. } { [%clk 0:22:34] } 13. Bg5!? { objectively speaking this is not as good as } { [%clk 0:24:02] } (13. cxd4 Na5 14. Bc2 Nxe4 { But in this line black is a clear pawn up and white has little to show for. The game continuation has potential to either put more pressure on black or to go down in flames. Either is preferable to the slow and certain death white would suffer in the other line. }) 13... dxc3 { [%clk 0:22:00] } 14. bxc3 { [%clk 0:23:59] } 14... Be7 { This breaks the pin and prepares to exchange the dark squared bishops. } { [%clk 0:20:27] } (14... h6 { this move has a lot of things going for it. Black reminds white that sacrificing a pawn didn't solve the e4 problems. The bishop on f8 adds additional protection to black's king too. So there is no need to be scared of any desperate sacrifices. } 15. Bh4 (15. Bxf6 Qxf6 { Black forced the exchange of one of white's attacking pieces. Black can now calmly play g6 to take away the h5 and f5 squares from the knights and develop the dark squared bishop to g7. Black's pieces will be more active and white's remaining queenside pawns are weak. }) 15... g5 { [%cal Gf3g5] } 16. Bg3 (16. Nxg5 { Black should have more than enough resources to face the storm. For example } 16... hxg5 17. Bxg5 Bg7 18. Ng3 Na5 19. Qf3 Nxb3 20. axb3 Re5) 16... Nxe4 { Winning both of your opponents central pawn without allowing counterplay is generally considered beneficial. } { [%csl Gd5] }) 15. Ng3 { Steinitz manoeuvre accomplished. } { [%clk 0:22:58] } 15... Ne5? { [%cal Ge5g6] [%clk 0:18:40] } (15... Nd7! { exchanging an attacker. It's not quite as strong as h6 in the previous move. Black is much better here, but white can still dream of a come back. } 16. Bxe7 Qxe7 17. Nf5 Qf8 18. Ng5 Nce5 19. f4 Nc4) 16. Nd4 { [%clk 0:21:12] } (16. Nxe5 dxe5 17. Qxd8 Raxd8) 16... c5? { John aims to unbalance the position by seeking counter play on the queenside. He accepts weakening his position, especially d6 to achieve this goal. The last move also forces the knight to move } { [%clk 0:17:23] } 17. Ndf5 { Suddenly all the white pieces are assuming threatening positions. Thanks to c5 even the white queen is now actively placed. } { [%clk 0:21:07] } 17... c4 { [%clk 0:17:24] } 18. Bc2 { [%clk 0:20:56] } 18... Bf8 { [%clk 0:11:10] } 19. Nh5 { Earlier I was talking about bringing one knight to f5 or h5. Getting both knights to these squares looks good. While the knights were hopping over to these positions black spend some time on Bf8-e7-f8. } { [%clk 0:20:01] } 19... Re6 (19... Ng6? { [%clk 0:08:52] } 20. Nh6+! { Asthetically pleasing. } { [%clk 0:18:34] } 20... gxh6 { [%clk 0:08:40] } 21. Nxf6+ { This wins material. } { [%clk 0:18:06] } (21. Bxf6! { White's minor pieces around black's king seem to be more powerful than the rook on e8. Black is left without counterplay a weak king and lots of weaknesses. } 21... Qc7 22. f4) 21... Kh8 { [%clk 0:08:34] } 22. Nxe8 { [%clk 0:17:56] } 22... Qxe8 { [%clk 0:08:37] } 23. Bf6+ { [%clk 0:17:48] } 23... Bg7 { [%clk 0:07:41] } 24. Bxg7+ { [%clk 0:17:09] } 24... Kxg7 { [%clk 0:07:46] } 25. Qd4+ { [%clk 0:16:57] } (25. Qxd6 { Just take the pawn. Not that it makes a difference. }) 25... Qe5 { [%clk 0:07:50] } 26. Rad1 { [%clk 0:16:51] } 26... Rd8 { [%clk 0:07:33] } 27. Qxe5+ { [%clk 0:16:06] } 27... Nxe5 { And white went on to win without any further complications. } { [%clk 0:07:35] } 28. f4 { [%clk 0:16:10] } 28... Ng6 { [%clk 0:07:19] } 29. g3 { [%clk 0:16:01] } 29... Ne7 { [%clk 0:07:11] } 30. a4 { [%clk 0:15:45] } 30... Bc8 { [%clk 0:07:04] } 31. Kh2 { [%clk 0:14:42] } 31... Nc6 { [%clk 0:05:54] } 32. axb5 { [%clk 0:14:05] } 32... axb5 { [%clk 0:06:00] } 33. Rb1 { [%clk 0:13:57] } 33... Ba6 { [%clk 0:05:24] } 34. Red1 { [%clk 0:13:54] } 34... Kf6 { [%clk 0:04:50] } 35. Rd5 { [%clk 0:13:38] } 35... Ne7 { [%clk 0:03:58] } 36. Rd2 { [%clk 0:13:01] } 36... h5 { [%clk 0:03:31] } 37. e5+ { [%clk 0:12:56] } 37... Ke6 { [%clk 0:03:28] } 38. exd6 { [%clk 0:11:59] } 38... Nd5 { [%clk 0:02:45] } 39. Re1+ { [%clk 0:11:08] } 39... Kxd6 { [%clk 0:02:51] } 40. Re5 { [%clk 0:11:03] } 40... Bb7 { [%clk 0:02:38] } 41. Be4 { [%clk 0:10:48] } 41... f6 { [%clk 0:01:25] } 42. Rxh5 { [%clk 0:10:37] } 42... Ke6 { [%clk 0:01:21] } 43. Rxh7 { [%clk 0:09:58] } 43... Bc6 { [%clk 0:01:17] } 44. Bxd5+ { [%clk 0:05:09] } 44... Bxd5 { [%clk 0:00:58] } 45. g4 { [%clk 0:04:44] } 45... Rb8 { [%clk 0:00:49] } 46. Rh5 { [%clk 0:04:22] } 46... Bc6 { [%clk 0:00:27] } 47. Rc5 { [%clk 0:04:22] } 47... Rb6 { [%clk 0:00:31] } 48. f5+ { [%clk 0:04:23] } 48... Ke7 { [%clk 0:00:34] } 49. Kg3 { [%clk 0:04:19] } 49... Ra6 { [%clk 0:00:30] } 50. Kf4 { [%clk 0:04:03] } 50... Be8 { [%clk 0:00:24] } 51. Rc7+ { [%clk 0:04:05] } 51... Kf8 { [%clk 0:00:30] } 52. Rd8 { [%clk 0:04:08] } 52... b4 { [%clk 0:00:22] } 53. cxb4 { [%clk 0:04:08] } 53... c3 { [%clk 0:00:30] } 54. Rcc8 { 1-0 White wins on time. } { [%clk 0:04:10] }) (19... Ned7 { was a better defence. But it's difficult to be too critical here. It's very difficult to hold this position in a practical game. }) 20. Nd4 Re8 21. f4 1-0