[Event "Frederica Chess IM"] [Site "chess24.com"] [Date "2023.05.18"] [Round "2.4"] [White "Kistrup, Nicolai"] [Black "Nilssen, Ellen Fredericia"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2319"] [WhiteTeam "Denmark"] [BlackElo "2114"] [BlackTeam "Denmark"] [Annotator "Nilssen,Ellen"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "E04"] [Opening "Catalan Opening: Open Defense"] [StudyName "Fredericia's Study"] [ChapterName "Kistrup, Nicolai - Nilssen, Ellen Fredericia"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/e8pUlx8p/DpWVvDD4"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 dxc4 { I'd like to think that I was actually rather well prepared for the tournament, and my opponent also did get surprised. } 5. Bg2 c5 6. Qa4+ Nbd7 7. dxc5 Bxc5 8. Qxc4 a6 9. Qc2 b5 10. Ne5 { As far as I could remember, we were still in my prep, but around here I got confused. } 10... Nd5 { A step in the wrong direction. } (10... Rb8! { What I wanted to play but my mind played tricks with me. } 11. Nc6 { Trying to go for the exchange is not good for White. } 11... Qc7 12. Nxb8 Bxf2+ 13. Kd1 Qxb8 { Black should be close to strategically winning -/+ / -+ }) (10... Ra7 { With the Rook on a7, the line doesn't work which was one of the things that had me confused. } 11. Nc6 Qc7 12. Nxa7 Bxf2+ 13. Kd1 Qxa7 (13... Qxc2+ { Is, of course, better, but White is close to winning. } 14. Kxc2 Bxa7 $16) 14. Qxc8+) 11. Nxd7 (11. Bxd5! { This was the correct move order. } 11... exd5 12. Nxd7 Bb4+ 13. Bd2 Bxd2+ 14. Qxd2 { And now Black can recapture with both the Queen and the Bishop. } 14... Qxd7 $14 { Should be close to equal but only White can be better. } (14... Bxd7 15. Qxd5 O-O $44)) 11... Bb4+ { Now we transpose to the line with 11.Bxd5. } (11... Bxd7 { I failed to spot this resource. } 12. Qxc5 (12. Bxd5 Rc8! { And White actually has to be accurate to not be worse. }) 12... Rc8 13. Qd4 Rxc1+ 14. Kd2 Rxh1 15. Bxh1) 12. Bd2 Bxd2+ (12... Bxd7 { Was slightly more accurate. } 13. Bxd5 Rc8! 14. Qd1 Bxd2+ 15. Nxd2 exd5 16. Nb3 (16. O-O O-O) 16... O-O) 13. Qxd2 (13. Nxd2 { Was an alternative with Bxd5 to come, but my opponent had different ideas. }) 13... Qxd7 (13... Bxd7) 14. Nc3 Bb7 15. Rd1 Rd8?! (15... Qe7! { Is the computer line when we will likely reach an endgame with heavy pieces. } 16. Nxd5 Bxd5 17. Bxd5 exd5 18. Qxd5 O-O $14 { White is better but Black definitely has chances to hold. Whether it's a difficult hold or not I can't tell you but compared to the difficulties I could have had, then it seems like a great alternative. }) 16. Qg5? { This was not the way to play for an advantage. } (16. Nxd5! Bxd5 17. Qc3! { When the threat of e4 forces Black to weaken the pawn structure. } 17... f5 18. Bxd5 exd5 $16 { This endgame should be very uncomfortable for Black. }) 16... f6 (16... O-O { Is the alternative, but I was worried that it was perhaps a bit too passive. } 17. Nxd5 (17. e4 Qe7! 18. Qxe7 Nxe7 { Black has no problems! }) 17... exd5 18. Rd4! { Black has to be accurate now. } 18... Rc8! $14 { White is clearly the one pressing and there should be a long game ahead. }) 17. Qg4 f5 18. Qh3 O-O { If I can just move my Queen from d7 in time, then I shouldn't have any problems. } 19. e4 { Critical. } 19... fxe4 (19... b4 { I calculated this but couldn't quite make it work - though looking at it now, I don't understand why. } 20. Nxd5 (20. Ne2?! fxe4 21. Bxe4 h6 $15 { Black is very active. }) 20... exd5 21. O-O d4 { And Black is even the one who can play for an advantage. }) 20. Nxe4 Qe7 21. O-O Bc8? { Way too passive, and probably the result of some panic. I also wanted to prepare ...Nf6 as shown in the other lines. } (21... h6! { I didn't want to weaken my King even further but it turns out this is the correct way to stop White's pieces from getting too active (with ideas of Ng5 and Be4). }) (21... Nf6 { A move I wanted to play but it fails tactically. This tactic was also a reason why I played ... Bc8. } 22. Nxf6+ Rxf6 (22... Qxf6 23. Bxb7 $18) (22... gxf6 23. Rxd8 Rxd8 24. Bxb7 Qxb7 25. Qxe6+ $18) 23. Rxd8+ Qxd8 24. Bxb7 $18) (21... Ba8 { This is the better way to prepare ...Nf6. }) 22. Qh5 Nf6 23. Qe5 Ng4 (23... Nxe4 24. Bxe4 $16 { This looks like a lot of suffering to me. }) 24. Qc3 Bb7 25. Rxd8 Qxd8 26. h3 Bxe4? { For now until the rest of the game, it is pure suffering. I tried my best but it wasn't without much difficulty that my opponent converted the position into a full point. } (26... Qa8!! { A really nice move when Black can play ...Nf6 on the next move. I think this would have been a great spot had I seen it. Whether or not it will save the game is not yet clear but Black is definitely still fighting. }) 27. Bxe4 Nf6 28. Bg2 Qb6 29. Rc1 Nd5 30. Qc5 Qb7 (30... Qxc5 31. Rxc5 { A better chance but still it shouldn't be enough for Black. }) 31. Re1 Rc8 32. Qd6 Qf7 33. Qxe6 Qxe6 34. Rxe6 Rc1+ 35. Kh2 Nb4 36. a3 Nd3 37. Rxa6 Nxb2 38. Rb6 Rc5 39. Bf1 Nc4 40. Rxb5 Rc7 41. a4 Nd2 42. Bg2 Rc1 43. Rb2 { 1-0 White wins. } 1-0