[Event "Julian Mazur Memorial 2018"] [Site "Wellington Chess Club"] [Date "2018.08.09"] [Round "4.1"] [White "Croad, Nic"] [Black "Dive, Russell"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2431"] [BlackElo "2425"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "C42"] [Opening "Russian Game: Classical Attack, Chigorin Variation, Main Line"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/hellsorganist"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/KddBalWr/MNnLzNo9"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Be7 7. O-O Nc6 8. c4 Nb4 9. Be2 dxc4 { This is a less common but reasonable move here, though I think White gets a small edge after it. } (9... O-O { here. }) 10. Bxc4 O-O 11. Nc3 Nd6 12. Bb3 Bf5 (12... Bg4 { with some pressure against the d4 pawn. } 13. h3 Bxf3 14. Qxf3 Nc6 15. Be3 $14) 13. Ne5 c6 14. a3 Na6 15. Qh5 { Threatening Nxf7 and Qxf5. } 15... g6 (15... Bg6? 16. Nxg6 hxg6 17. Qxg6 $16) 16. Qe2 { Threatening Nxc6 and Qxa6. } 16... Nc7 17. Re1 { Threatening Nxc6 again. } 17... Bf6 (17... Be6? 18. Bxe6 Nxe6 19. Nxf7 Nxd4 20. Nh6+ Kh8 21. Qxe7 $18) 18. Bh6 Re8 19. Qd2 Be6 20. Bxe6 { The game is becoming very sharp. If I don't generate any threats on the kingside in the next few moves then my weak pawn on d4 will collapse for nothing so it was already time to consider all the sharpest variations. } (20. Bc2 { seemed to concede some initiative. }) 20... Nxe6 21. Rad1 Nf5 22. d5! Ned4?! (22... Nc7 { Probably the strongest is } 23. Ng4 (23. Bf4 cxd5 24. Nxd5 Nxd5 25. Qxd5 Qxd5 26. Rxd5 Rad8 { was still difficult for White, but it appears objectively White is still only worse rather than objectively losing. } 27. Red1 Rxd5 28. Rxd5 g5 29. Nd3 Ne7 30. Rd6 Kg7 31. Bg3 Nc8 32. Rd7 Bxb2 33. a4 b6 34. Kf1 $15) 23... Rxe1+ 24. Rxe1 Nxh6 25. Nxh6+ Kg7 26. Ng4 cxd5 27. g3 { and this seems to end up close to equality after White captures on f6 and d5. But to get here White needs to notice that after solving his back rank problems Black can't keep his extra pawn. }) 23. Ng4 Rxe1+ 24. Rxe1 Bg7 { Russell used considerable time here and went well under the 5 minute mark (with a 30 second increment for each move) while I had about 20 minutes left. I think he was looking around for a conclusive defence which he believed ought to be available but in fact was not. } (24... Nxh6 25. Re8+! Qxe8 26. Nxf6+ Kg7 27. Nxe8+ Rxe8 28. Qxd4+ $18) 25. Bg5 f6? { This miss costs a pawn and leaves the kingside very weak. } (25... Qb6 26. Nf6+ Bxf6 27. Bxf6 $14 { When White is better, but Black can still defend. }) 26. Bxf6 Qb6 (26... Bxf6 27. Re8+ Qxe8 (27... Kf7 28. Rxd8 Rxd8 29. Nxf6 Kxf6 30. Qd3 $16) 28. Nxf6+ Kf7 29. Nxe8 Rxe8 30. h3 $16) 27. Bxg7 Kxg7 28. Ne3?! { With hindsight this was not useful. } (28. b4 { maybe going Na4-c5 after which White should find a winning tactic. }) 28... Rd8 29. h3 cxd5 30. b4 Qc6 31. Qb2 Kg8 32. Ng4 Rc8? 33. Nxd5! h5 34. Nh6+ (34. Ne7+! Nxe7 35. Nh6+! Kf8 (35... Kg7 36. Qxd4+ Kxh6 37. Rxe7 $18) 36. Qxd4 Qc3! 37. Qf4+ Nf5 38. Re3 Qd4 39. Re4 $18 { was completely curtains. }) 34... Kh7 (34... Nxh6 35. Ne7+ $18 { wins the queen. }) 35. Nxf5 Nxf5 36. Nf6+ Kh6 37. Qd2+ Kg7 (37... g5?! 38. Ne4 Rg8 $18 { and the kingside is awkward to defend. }) 38. Ne4 Re8 39. Qb2+ Kh6 40. Qd2+ Kg7 41. Ng5 Rxe1+ (41... Nh4 42. f3 $16 { appears to be the only reply. }) 42. Qxe1 Qf6 (42... Nd4?? 43. Qe5+ Qf6 44. Qxd4 $18) 43. Nf3 Nh4 { I had some kind of time pressure advantage over Russell, but still exchanging knights just makes winning relatively simple now. } 44. Nxh4 Qxh4 45. Qe5+ Kh6?? 46. Qh8+ { and Russell resigned due to } 46... Kg5 47. Qd8+ { winning the queen. } 1-0