1.e4e62.d3d53.Nd2Nf64.Ngf3Nc65.e5Nd76.d4f67.exf6Qxf68.Nb3Bd69.Bg5Qf710.Qd2O-O11.O-O-Oa512.Kb1a413.Nc1Nb6N13...a3has been played three times previously, and is the strongest choice according
to the engine. That said, Kraai's decision to play flexibly and ask his
opponent more abstract questions is one of the things that makes him such a
revered chess instructor and player.14.Bb5Na5!?But now maybe it was
time to calculate a bit more, as if White can achieve Nc1-d3-e5, it will be
harder for Black to rely on a "slow roll" on the queenside.14...Nc4!15.Bxc4dxc416.a3b5∓15.Rhe1?!...15.Nd3Nac416.Qe1Bd717.Bxc4dxc418.Nde5gives White some nice counterplay thanks to the grip on the
e5-square.15....Bd716.Bxd7Qxd717.Qe2Rae818.Nd3Qb519.Bc1Nbc420.Nde5?...20.Ka1!Shockingly, White is not so horribly off here. Black is
never pushing ... a4-a3, White controls the e5-square, there is still a chance
of expanding on the kingside, and overall there's just a lot of fight left in
this position.20....Bb4!This is the move that White overlooked. Now,
with another attacker ready to undermine White's dark squares, it is too late
to argue that the control of the center will amount to anything tangible.21.Qd3...21.Rh1was out of the question:Bc3-+21....Bxe122.Rxe1Nd623.Qxb5Nxb5Black is happy to win the Exchange and then win the "exchange" of
queens.24.Nd7Rxf325.gxf3...Don't mistake this for an act of kindness:
Kraai may have returned the Exchange, but only to achieve a much clearer
endgame to play thanks to all of White's vulnerable pawns.25....Nxd4Starting
with the d4-pawn.26.Rg1Rd827.Ne5Nac628.Bf4Rf829.Nd3Ne230.Rg4Nxf431.Nxf4Ne5And moving on to the f3-pawn.32.Nxe6Nxg433.Nxf8...And so on.33....Nxh234.Ne6c635.Kc1Nxf336.Nd8h537.Kd1h438.Ke2Nd4+39.Kf1Nxc240.Nxb7Nb441.Nc5Nxa242.Nxa4Nb443.Kg2Kf744.Kh3Nd345.Kxh4Nxf246.b4Nd347.b5cxb548.Nc3b449.Nxd5Ke650.Ne3b351.Nc4b252.Nd2Kd553.Kg5Ne554.Kf5Nc455.Nb1Kd40-1 Black wins.0-1