1.d4Nf62.c4e63.Nc3Bb44.e3O-O5.Bd3d56.Nf3c57.O-Ob6!?An interesting attempt to deviate from heavy Nimzo-Indian theory. I was expecting to engage in the main line with7...dxc4where the main theory discussions take place.8.cxd5exd59.Ne5Bb710.Qf3!?N...Maybe a little bit too creative on my behalf, but I was looking forward to playing outside of my opponent’s preparation.10.Bd2has been played before in Gligoric–Spassky, Bugojno, 1978, although several other top-level games have occurred in shorter time formats.10....Bxc311.bxc3Ne4!Emphasizing the fact that the pawn on c3 is attacked and the knight on e5 does not have good retreating squares after ... f7-f6.12.Qh3...An interesting set of variations arise after12.c4f613.cxd5Ng514.Qg3(14.Qg4fxe515.dxe5Bxd516.Rd1)fxe515.e4These variations both lead to complicated games after White sacrifices his knight for some attacking chances and a large center pawn mass.12....Bc813.Qh5f6?Perhaps Black’s last move was the losing mistake.13...g614.Qh6might have been a better try. White can now claim a decisive advantage.14.f3!fxe5The tactics favor White after all center exchanges are resolved.15.fxe4Rxf1+16.Bxf1...If16.Kxf1, Black would be able to swap some pieces off the board withBa6or(16...exd417.exd4Ba6.)16....dxe417.Qxe5Bb7Arguably one of the critical moments of the game. White now must decide how he wants to convert the advantage. Should they try to grab a pawn and convert the material? Should they continue the attack? What’s the ideal piece setup?18.c4...After18.dxc5Nd719.Qe6+Kh820.cxb6(20.c6Nc5!)axb6, I wasn’t completely sure that this pawn-down position is so indefensible for Black; they have easy pawn targets on open files and their pieces do an effective job of stopping the advance of White’s extra pawn. Also interesting were:18.a4!?and18.Bb5!?a619.Be8Qf6.18....Nd719.Qe6+Kh820.Bb2Nf821.Qg4Qe722.d5Rd8White must stop the rook transfer to g6 and contend with any ... b6-b5 pawn breaks.23.h4Bc824.Qg3h625.a4Kh726.Be2Ng627.h5Nh428.Rf1Qg528...Nf529.Qg6+Kh830.Rxf5Bxf531.Qxf5Unfortunately, the exchange of queens does not help the black pieces, as too
many weaknesses have already been created across the board.29.Qxg5hxg530.Rf7Rd731.Rf8Ba631...Rc732.Be5Re733.Rxc8Rxe534.d6+−32.Bg4Rb733.d61-0 White wins.1-0