[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"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "C92"] [Opening "Ruy Lopez: Closed, Flohr System"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/axel_muller"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/EhSTvQbl/oHLzTq6X"] [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] } 1-0