Chess Scalps (part two)

HERE is my first win against a Fide master.

William Paschall (FM 2330*) - Spanton (2060)

Hastings Challengers 1995-6

QGD Semi-Tarrasch

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c5 5.cxd5 cxd4!?

Considerably more popular are 5...Nxd5 and 5...exd5, but the text has been played by many top players including Lasker, Gligorić, Keres, Tal, Benko, Kramnik and So.

6.Qxd4 exd5 7.Bg5

Theory considers 7.e4!? to be critical, although the bishop development scores four percentage-points more in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database.

7...Be7 8.e3 Nc6 9.Qd3!?

This somewhat unusual move is the choice of the analysis engines Komodo12.1.1 and Stockfish13. Most popular in Mega21 are 9.Bb5 and 9.Qa4.

9...Be6 10.Be2 0-0 11.0-0 h6 12.Bh4 Qa5!?

This was a novelty back in 1996 (the game was played on New Year's Day), and still does not appear in Mega21. The engines reckon 12...Qb6 equalises.

13.Rfd1 Rfd8 14.Rac1 Nb4!?

More logical-looking is 14...Rac8.

15.Qb1 a6 16.Nd4 Rac8?

The engines reckon 16...Nc6 keeps Black's disadvantage to manageable proportions.

17.Nf5?!

Even stronger seems to be 17.Nxe6 fxe6 18.Qg6, eg 18...Nc6 19.Bg4 or 18...d4!? (the engines' choice) 19.exd4 Qf5 20.Qxf5 exf5 21.a3.

17...Bxf5 18.Qxf5 g6 19.Qb1

White has more chance of a slight edge, according to the engines, by keeping the queen active on the kingside with 19.Qf3 or 19.Qh3.

19...Nc6 20.Bf1 d4!? 21.exd4 Nxd4 22.Re1 Nf5 23.Rxe7 Nxh4 24.Rxb7?

Grabbing a pawn, but now White comes under a strong attack. The engines prefer 24.Ne2!? with equality.

Position after 24.Rxb7?

24...Qg5 25.h3

The engines come to prefer 25.g3 Nf3+ 26.Kg2 but reckon Black has a big advantage after 26...Qc5.

25...Rd2 26.Rd1

White seems to be busted. The best the engines come up with is 36.Nd5 when, for example, 36...Rd8 37.Nxf6+ Qxf6 38.f3 loses to 38...Nxf3+! 39.gxf3 40.Qxf3 etc.

26...Rxc3!?

Not the only way to win.

27.bxc3 Nf3+ 28.Kh1 Qf4 29.g3 Qxg3! 0-1

*Paschall, who is American, became an IM in 1998.