Isle Of Man 1996
English Opening
1.g3 e5 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.Bg2 Ne7 5.Nf3 c5!?
This has been tried by strong players, but is very much disliked by the analysis engines Stockfish10 and Komodo10. Normal is 5...0-0.
6.d3 Nbc6 7.Nfd2!?
The knight is headed for the weak square d5. Black is prepared to concede that square in this system, arguing that Black's control over d4 is good compensation.
7...d6 8.Nf1 0-0 9.Ne3 Rb8 10.Bd2 a6 11.a3 b5 12.Rb1 b4
The engines prefer 12...Nd4, or 12...bxc4 13.dxc4 Nd4, in each case rating the position as level.
13.axb4 Nxb4 14.0-0 Bb7 15.Qa4!?
The engines reckon it is better to keep light-square bishops on the board by plonking a knight into d5.
15...Bxg2 16.Kxg2 Qb6 17.Ned5 Nbxd5?!
Protecting the e7 knight by retreating the queen to a7 or b7 is probably better. The problem with the text is that Black is left with a passive knight on e7 versus an active one on c3.
18.cxd5
Also good is 18.Nxd5 Nxd5 19.cxd5, when Black's a pawn may be weaker than White's b pawn, and White certainly has the better minor piece.
18...Qb7 19.e4 f5 20.f3 Nc8 21.Nd1?!
This may be too slow. Better seems to be 21.b3 or 21.Ra1!? One point about the latter is that 21...Qxb2 can be met by 22.Ra2 Qb7 23.Rb1, after which the a pawn will fall and White's pieces will be better placed than Black's for queenside play.
21...Qb3 22.Qxb3 Rxb3 23.Bc3 Bh6?!
I presume I played this to stop the white knight going via e3 to c4, but the coming action in the game is likely to be on the queenside, which makes 23...Nb6 more relevant. Perhaps I was worried about how I was going to defend the a pawn, but it is not a simple matter for White to build up against it, eg 23...Nb6 24.Ra1 Ra8 25.Ne3 Bh6 26.Nc2 a5!
24.Ra1 Rb6 25.Ra4 Na7 26.Nf2?!
Clearing the back rank so the king's rook can switch to the queenside, but the engines reckon better is 26.exf5!? gaxf5 27.f4 exf4 28.gxf4 Nb5 29.Rg1 (29.Ne3 also seems good), when suddenly it is Black's kingside, rather than queenside, under immediate pressure.
26...Nb5 27.Ba5 Rb7 28.Rfa1 Nd4 29.Bc3 Nc2 30.R1a2 Ne3+ 31.Kh3
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| How should Black proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
31...fxe4?!
Komodo10 gives 31...a5!? 32.Bd2 Bg5 33.exf5 Nd1!? 34.Nxd1 Bxd2, claiming Black has compensation for being a pawn down, although Stockfsih10 reckons White has a slight edge.
Stockfish10 gives 31...c4!? 32.Bd2 f4 33.dxc4 with a slight edge for White, although Komodo10 reckons Black has sufficient compensation for his pawn-minus.
However, neither line is forced, and the position is tricky.
32.Nxe4 Rb6 33.Bd2 Rxf3?
Better is 33...Ra8, although still good for White.
34.Rxa6 Rxa6 35.Rxa6 Nf5 36.Ra8+ Bf8?!
Probably better, but still deeply unpleasant, is 36...Kg7 37.Ra7+ Kf8 (this is best, according to the engines) 38.Kg4 Rxd3 39.Bxh6+ Nxh6 40.Kg5 Ng8 41.Rxh7 Ne7 42.Rh8+ Kg7 43.Re8 Nxd5 44.Re6, when the engines agree White is winning.
37.Ng5 Nd4?
Black loses the bishop.
38.Nxe3 1-0
LESSONS FROM THIS GAME
My opening scheme seems to have been fine. But in the middlegame the grandmaster, thanks to his better positional understanding, generally knew better where to place his pieces, and from then on the game was always either better for White or at worst equal. The final collapse, when it came, came quickly.
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