[Event "Marshall Winter IM Norm Invitational"] [Date "2023.02.23"] [White "Gus Huston"] [Black "Zachary Tanenbaum"] [Result "1-0"] [Annotator "Lang, JJ"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "C55"] [Opening "Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Modern Bishop's Opening"] [StudyName "Norm Hunter: March 2023"] [ChapterName "Gus Huston - Zachary Tanenbaum"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/VJP08V1C/ZY2Ru8b0"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Be7 5. O-O O-O 6. Re1 d6 7. a4 Be6 8. Nbd2 h6 (8... Qd7 { is the old main line, although Tanenbaum's move has been trending. }) 9. c3 a6 10. Bxe6 fxe6 11. b4 Qe8 12. Qb3 $146 (12. Nf1 { was first tried by Kosteniuk seven years ago. } 12... Nh5 13. Ng3 Nf4 14. Be3 (14. d4! exd4?! 15. Bxf4 Rxf4 16. cxd4 Nxb4 17. Qd2! { is why White did not have to fear playing 16. cxd4. Now, Black has some compensation after } 17... Rxf3 18. gxf3 c5 { but White must be for choice. }) 14... Qg6 15. b5 axb5 16. axb5 Na5 17. d4 Nc4 18. Rxa8 Rxa8 19. Qb3 Na5 20. Qa2 Bf6 21. Bxf4 exf4 22. Qxe6+ Kh7 23. Nf5 b6 24. Qd7 Qe8 25. Qxc7 Qxb5 26. e5 dxe5 27. dxe5 Rg8 28. N5d4 Qc5 29. Qf7 Qe7 30. Qa2 Bg5 31. h4 Bxh4 32. Nf5 Qf8 33. N5xh4 g5 34. Qb1+ Kg7 35. Nf5+ Kh8 36. e6 g4 37. Ne5 g3 38. Nf7+ { 1-0 (38) Kosteniuk,A (2555)-Batsiashvili,N (2482) Doha 2016 }) 12... Qf7 13. Bb2? (13. Nf1 d5 14. Bd2 { at least allows White additional flexibility with the c-pawn. }) 13... Nh5 14. b5 axb5 15. axb5 Rxa1 16. Rxa1 Nd8 17. Qd1 g5 18. Qf1 (18. h3 { Giving the opponent a "hook" is not always wise, but at least with no f-pawn, White need not worry about anything being ripped open too soon. } 18... Nf4 { Pointing out that now g2-g3 is a non-starter. } 19. Ne1! { An important defensive point: now the d-knight is free to roam, without fear of the f-knight hanging after ...Nf4-xh3+. }) 18... g4 19. Ne1 Qg6 20. g3 (20. Ra8 { White feared 20...Nf4, but after } 20... Nf4 21. c4 h5 22. Nb3 { Black's attack is still very abstract. } 22... h4 23. Bc1 { and how should Black make progress? }) 20... Nf7! { Now, with holes on the f3- and h3-squares, Black's d8-knight has a new sense of purpose. } 21. Qe2 Ng5 22. Qxg4?! (22. Kh1 Nh3 23. f3 { might be practically safer, but poses Black no complications to navigate. }) 22... Rf4 (22... Nf4 { was even more devastating. } 23. Kf1 Nfh3 24. Ndf3 Nxf2 25. Kxf2 h5! $19) 23. Qe2 Nh3+ 24. Kg2 Rxf2+ 25. Qxf2 N5f4+ { There is no need to get fancy. } (25... Nxf2 26. Kxf2 Nf6 $19 { is fine for Black, too. }) 26. Kf1 Nxf2 27. Kxf2 Qh5?! (27... Nh3+ 28. Ke2 d5! $19 { Bringing the dark-squared bishop into the game. }) 28. Ndf3 Nh3+ 29. Kg2 d5 30. Ra8+ Kf7 { Notice how the extra tempo, allowing White to play Nd-f3, means that after Black pushed ...d6-d5, the e5-pawn now hangs with check if the queen tries anything. } (30... Kg7 { Preferable, given the above comment. }) 31. c4 { A critical moment. } 31... d4? (31... Bd6 { The bishop was doing nothing before, so having a nice defensive purpose is an upgrade, rather than the downgrade that passive defense usually is. Now, it's White's job to find ways to untangle. }) 32. Rc8 (32. Ba3!! Bxa3 33. Rxa3 Kf6 34. Ra8 { The engine says White has a fortress! }) 32... Bb4 { By not stopping Black's third piece from entering the game, White was unable to take advantage of the locked center to paralyze Black's initiative. } 33. Nc2 Ba5? (33... Ng5 34. Nxg5+ hxg5 35. Nxb4 Qe2+ $19) 34. Ra8 Bd2 35. Ba3 Be3 36. Nce1 Kg7 37. Rc8 Bd2 38. Rxc7+ Kg8 39. Rc8+ Kg7 40. Nc2 Ng5 41. Rc7+ Kg8 42. Rc8+ Kg7 43. Rc7+ Kg8 44. Rc8+ { Of course, White should be happy to escape with a draw. But Black can be forgiven his stubborn resistance. } 44... Kf7?! 45. Rf8+ Kg7 46. h4 Nxf3 47. Rxf3 Ba5 48. Bd6 { But now, Black's path is narrow. } 48... Kg8?? (48... Kh7!! 49. c5 Qe8 { works in this variation, without the king on the back rank. } 50. Bxe5 Qxb5 51. Nxd4 Qe8 $14) 49. c5! Kh7 50. c6?? (50. Na3 { Important: now Black loses the ...Qh5-e2+ resource and the tempo on the b5-pawn after ...Qh5-e8. }) 50... bxc6 51. bxc6 Qe8 52. Bxe5 Qxc6 53. Nxd4 Qd7?? (53... Qe8 { Covering the back rank was once again necessary. }) 54. Rf8 h5 (54... Qe7 55. Rh8+ Kg6 56. Rg8+ Kh7 57. Rg7+ $18) 55. Nf3 Bd8 56. g4! Qxd3 57. gxh5 { Mate is unstoppable. } 57... Qe2+ 58. Kg3 Bxh4+ 59. Kxh4 Qf2+ 60. Kg4 Qg2+ 61. Kf4 Qg5+ 62. Nxg5+ { 1-0 White wins. } 1-0