ANOTHER radical black attempt after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.cxd5 involves quickly developing the light-square bishop, even at the cost of a smashed kingside, a plan revived by Nigel Short in the 1990s.
Victor Bologan (2693) - Nigel Short (2658)
Gibraltar 2011
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bg5 c6 6.e3 Bf5!?
This seems to have been first played as recently as 1954.
7.Qf3 Bg6
7...Qd7?! 8.Bxf6 gxf6 gives the same pawn-structure but the black position is a little looser.
8.Bxf6 Qxf6
Blacks have also tried 8...gxf6, but most players believe Black's disrupted kingside is more easily exploitable with queens on.
9.Qxf6 gxf6
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| Position after 9...gxf6 |
10.Nf3 Nd7 11.g3 Be7 12.Nh4 Nb6 13.f3 a5 14.Kf2 a4 15.Rc1 Nc8
A white aim in these sorts of position is to occupy the f5 outpost, so the black knight is headed for d6, from where it eyes the c4, b5 and e4 squares as well as f5.
16.Ne2!?
Bologan says he was trying to follow the game Loek van Wely (2679) - Short (2674), Corus (Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands) 2005, which saw 16.Be2 Nd6 17.Rhd1 0-0 18.Bd3 Rfe8 with a roughly level game (but 1-0, 31 moves). Bologan called Ne2 dubious in his notes in ChessBase, but the move is preferred by Stockfish12 and Komodo11.01.
16...Ra6 17.Nc3 Ra5 18.Be2 Nd6 19.Rhd1 Kd7 20.Ng2 b5!?
Short judges he can defend his new weakness on c6. Meanwhile Black has gained queenside space.
21.Rd2 Bf8 22.a3 h5 23.Na2 Nc4 24.Bxc4
21.Rd2 Bf8 22.a3 h5 23.Na2 Nc4 24.Bxc4
Forced.
24...bxc4
Now the c6 weakness is masked. Black has a new weakness at a4, but b2 is also weak.
25.Nf4 f5!?
This does not do the light-square bishop any favours, but the idea is presumably to prevent, or at least inhibit, the central thrust e4.
26.Nc3 Bd6 27.h4 Rg8 28.Rg1 Raa8 29.Ke1!?
Bologan says he played this with the intent of sacrificing the exchange, as happens in the game.
29...Bc7 30.Kd1 Ba5 31.Na4!?
More solid is 31.Rc2, but Bologan thinks sacing the exchange gives White an edge.
31...Bxd2 32.Nc5+ Kd6 33.Kxd2 Rgb8 34.Kc3 Ra5 35.Rc1 Rab5
Giving back the exchange with 35...Rxc5!? 36.dxc5+ Kxc5 37.b4!? cxb3 38.Kb2+ Kd6 is interesting. After 39.Rc3, Bologan has Black play 39...c5? (my punctuation), but this is a mistake because after 40.Rxb3 the minor-piece ending is lost for Black. Therefore Black has to give up the b file. But 40...Re8 41.Rb6+ and 42.Nxd5 is horrible for Black. However, if 40...Rd8, White pushes the a pawn with excellent winning chances. However Black can play 39...Ra8 40.Rxb3 Ra7 with decent chances of holding.
36.b4!?
Bologan says he rejected 36.Rb1 because of 36...Rb3+!? (my punctuation - the move is not forced) 37.Nxb3 Rxb3+ 38.Kd2 Bh7, which Bologan and the engines reckon is equal.
36...cxb3 37.Kb2 Ra5!?
Setting a trap, but the engines reckon switching play with 37...Rg8 is better.
38.Ncd3
White has difficulties after 38.Nxb3?!, eg 38...Ra7 39.Rc3 Ra4! 40.Nd3 Rc4 41.Ne5 Rxc3 42.Kxc3 Rg8 43.Nc5 (43.Na5?! f6 44.Nd3 Be8) f6 44.Ned3 Be8 etc.
38...Re8 39.Nb4 Rxe3 40.Rxc6+ Kd7 41.Rc1!?
This may have been a winning attempt by Bologan. He had what seems a certain draw with 41.Rc7+!? Kxc7 42.Nbxd5 Kd6 43.Nxe3 Ra4 44.d5 Kc5 45.Kxb3.
41...Rxa3 42.Nc6 Rf2+
Not 42...Rb5?? 43.Ne5+ and 44.Nxf3.
43.Kxb3 Rb5+ 44.Ka4 Rb7 45.Ne5+ Kd8 46.Nc6+?!
As Bologan points out, White seems to hold the balance with 46.Rc5.
46...Ke8 47.Ka5?
A better try is 47.Nxd5 f4! 48.Nxf4 Rc2 49.Re1+ Kd7 50.Nb4 Rc4 51.Nxg6 fxg6 52.Re4, when White has two isolated pawns for the exchange. This line is by no means forced, but in general the engines reckon White has reasonable drawing chances, which is not so after the text.
47...Rb3 48.a4
48.Ka4 Rxg3 49.Nxd5 f4 is no improvement.
48...Rxg3 49.Nxd5 f4
Black's dreadful bishop gets back into the game and quickly helps decide matters.
The game finished:
50.Kb6 Kf8 51.a5 Be4 52.Ndb4 Rb2 53.Kc7 Rgb3 54.d5 Rxb4 55.Nxb4 Rxb4 56.d6 Rb7+ 57.Kc8 Ra7 58.Ra1 f3 59.a6 f2 60.d7 Ra8+ 61.Kc7 Rg2 0-1
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