Grand Prix Attack
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 g6 3.f4 Bg7 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.Be2!?
Not a popular continuation, especially when compared with 5.Bb5 and 5.Bc4, but it has been played by Oleg Romanishin and Michael Basman. I guess the idea is to avoid a sharp theoretical duel.
5...d6 6.0-0 Bg4!?
Aiming for simplifications. The main move is 6...e6, although Vishy Anand chose 6...Nf6 in a win against Nigel Short at the 2010 London Classic.
7.Qe1 Nd4 8.Nxd4 Bxd4+ 9.Kh1 Bxe2 10.Nxe2 Bg7 11.d3 e6 12.Bd2 Ne7 13.Bc3 Bxc3 14.Qxc3 0-0 15.Rf2 Rc8 16.Qb3 Qb6 17.g4 c4 18.Qxb6 axb6 19.d4
19.dxc4 Rxc4 20.Nc3 is fine for Black after 20...Rac8 or 20...f5, according to Stockfish10 and Komodo10.
19...d5 20.e5 Ra8 21.a3 Ra5 22.Rg1?
It was better to solidify the queenside with 22.c3 before continuing kingside operations.
22...Kh8?
22...Rb5 forces 23.Rb1, giving Black time to comfortably organise kingside defences.
23.Ng3?
Again c3 was correct. After the text, Black takes over the initiative.
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| Black to play and distract White from the kingside |
*****
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23...c3 24.Rb1 cxb2 25.Rxb2 b5?
Defending a weak pawn like this is inferior to attacking with 25...Nc6, or immediately capturing with 25...Rxa3. A good rule-of-thumb, especially with rooks, is to actively capture rather than passively defend.
26.f5 gxf5 27.gxf5 Nxf5
Arguably better was 27...Kg8 as the text leaves Black with a weak f pawn, and leaves White with a potentially protected passed pawn.
28.Nxf5 exf5 29.Rxf5 Rxa3 30.Rxb5 Ra1+?
I rejected the engines' 30...Rg8, threatening mate, because of 31.Rf1, missing the strength of 31...Rc3, eg 32.Rc1 Rg4 33.Rxd5 b5 34.Rd7 b4 35.Rxf7 b3 36.Rf2 Rxc2 37.Rcxc2 bxc2 38.Rxc2 Rxd4, when Black is a pawn down but should draw with little trouble.
31.Kg2 Rg8+ 32.Kh3
The engines prefer 32.Kf2, but in either case like White.
32...Ra6 33.Kh4 Rh6+ 34.Rh5 Rc6 35.Rg5 Rxc2 36.h3 Rb8?
A good move if White allows 37.Rxd5? b5, but why would he? Black seems to have good drawing chances after 36...Rf2, 36...Rc6 and 36...Rxg5.
37.Rg4?
Better was 37.Rf5. If 37...Kg7?!, White has 38.Rxd5 Rc7 (38...b5? 39.Rd7 Rf8 40.e6) 39.Rb5 with a large advantage despite the material balance. So Black has to try 37...Rc7, but then 38.Rf6 leaves White with all the active play.
37...Rc3?
Black draws with 37...f6 (37...Rf2 is also good), eg 38.exf6 Rf2 39.Rb6 Rf8.
38.Rb6?
Better is 38.Rf4 with play similar to the note at White's move 37.
38...Rc6 39.Rb5 Rh6+
Simple and good is 39...f6.
40.Kg3 Rg6
Not 40...f6? 41.Rb6.
41.Kf4
The engines give White a slight edge after 41.h4.
41...Kg7 42.Kf5 b6 43.Rg5 Rb7 44.h4 Rb8?
The last sure-fire draw was 44...Kf8, eg 45.Rxg6 hxg6+ 46.Kf6 Rb8 47.e6 fxe6 48.Kxe6 Kg7 49.Kd5 Rd8+ 50.Kc4 Rc8+ 51.Kb4 Rd8 etc, or 45.h5 Rxg5+ 46.Kxg5 Ke7 47.Kh6 f6 48.Kxh7 fxe5 49.dxe5 Ke6+.
45.h5 Rxg5+ 46.Kxg5 h6+ 47.Kf5 Kf8?
Much more resistance is put up by 47...Rb7 48.e6 Rb8 49.Ke5 fxe6 50.Kxe6 Re8+ 51.Kxd5 Kf6 52.Kc6 Rd8 53.Rd5 Rc8+ 54.Kxb6 Ke6, when Black seems to have very good drawing chances despite being a pawn down.
48.Kf6 Rb7?
Feeble, although 48...Ke8 49.Kg7 looks pretty hopeless.
49.Rxd5
Black only has stalemate tricks left.
The game finished:
49...Rb8 50.Rb5 Rb7 51.d5 Rb8 52.d6 Rb7 53.d7 Rxd7 54.Rxb6 Kg8 55.Rb8+ Kh7 56.Rf8 Rd6+ 57.Kxf7 Rd8 58.e6 Rd1 59.e7 Rf1+ 60.Ke8 Re1 61.Rf6 Kg7 62.Rg6+ Kh7 63.Kf7 Re2 64.Rf6 Ra2 65.e8=Q Ra8 66.Qe4+ 1-0
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