Annotated Game #117: A fight in the Dutch

In this second-round tournament game I had an extended fight against my opponent's Dutch setup, which eventually became a type of Stonewall.  For a long time his queenside pieces were shut out of the action and I had all the chances, but a few careless moves and my neglect of the center allowed Black to seize the initiative in the later part of the game.  As often happens at the Class level though, my opponent overextended his attack and then missed a key defensive tactic which left me with a winning position.

The notes with the game are extensive, but for improvement purposes I want to highlight the defensive resource I found on move 36 as a concrete example of how my training and studies have helped my game.  I correctly anticipated my opponent's threat and calculated the sequence, most importantly not prematurely ruling out the tactic, which immediately returns the sacrificed piece.  Before I would not have considered a broad enough spectrum of options, I believe, having previously been too closed-minded about tactical possibilities and my thinking process.

[Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "ChessAdmin"] [Black "Class C"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A10"] [Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"] [PlyCount "79"] [EventDate "2012.01.??"] [EventType "swiss"] [EventRounds "7"] {A10: English Opening: Unusual Replies for Black} 1. c4 f5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. g3 b6 {first time I've seen a queenside fianchetto this early in a Dutch Defense style game.} 4. Bg2 Bb7 5. O-O e6 {a major decision point in the opening. Examples of the two other main choices:} (5... c5 6. d4 e6 7. d5 Qc8 8. Nc3 Be7 9. e4 O-O 10. e5 Ne8 11. Re1 g6 12. Bh6 Ng7 13. Qd2 Re8 14. Ng5 a6 15. Rad1 Ra7 16. Bf3 Bf8 17. Bg2 Ba8 18. b3 Qb7 19. a4 Qc8 20. h4 {Balinov,I (2454)-Kummer, H (2335) Vienna 2006 1-0 (33)}) (5... g6 6. b4 Bg7 7. Bb2 O-O 8. Qb3 h6 9. Nc3 e6 10. d4 d6 11. Rfd1 Qe7 12. c5 Bxf3 13. Bxf3 d5 14. Nxd5 exd5 15. Bxd5+ Nxd5 16. Qxd5+ Kh7 17. Qxa8 Qxe2 18. Bc3 Nd7 19. Qg2 Nf6 20. d5 {Antoli Royo,J (2410)-Sierra Aguerri,J (2068) Zaragoza ESP 2011 1-0}) 6. b3 {I like the a1-h8 highway into Black's camp, which is currently there for the taking.} Na6 { now out of the database. This doesn't do much for Black's development.} (6... Be7 {is the logical follow-up to e6.}) 7. Bb2 (7. Nc3 {would postpone committing the dark-square bishop.}) 7... Bd6 {apparently played with the idea of contesting e5, this blocks the d-pawn and puts the bishop on a less useful diagonal than it would find after Be7. I'm assuming my opponent was planning to retreat it along the diagonal and then play ...d5, as occurred in the game, but this is a very slow plan and the negatives outweigh the positives for opening development.} 8. Nc3 c6 $6 $14 {although this takes away b5 from White and opens a retreat to b8/c7 for the bishop, the fact that it buries the Bb7 means it's a net plus for White's position.} (8... O-O) 9. a3 {takes away the b4 square from Black's pieces, without any nasty side effects.} Rc8 {by this point, I am wondering why Black is delaying castling, as keeping the king in the center does not gain him anything and can only help White.} 10. b4 { gaining queenside space and taking away the c5 square from the Na6.} (10. d3 { immediately does more for White, taking away the central e4 square from Black and preparing to push the e-pawn, which would open the game to White's advantage. For example} O-O 11. e4 fxe4 (11... Bb8 12. exf5 exf5 13. Nd4 $16) 12. dxe4 Bb8 13. e5 Ng4 14. Qe2 $16 {and after following with Rad1, White dominates the center and the d-file and can shift his forces easily to the center and kingside, while Black's two bishops and the Na6 are not doing much.} ) 10... Bb8 {Black's plan is now obviously to follow up with ...d5.} (10... O-O ) 11. d3 (11. e4 {is the more direct way to take the battle to Black.} fxe4 12. Ng5 O-O 13. Ncxe4 $16) 11... d5 {Black appears to still be deliberately avoiding castling, most likely with the idea of eventually using the rook on the h-file as part of an attack on White's king. Incidentally, Black now has a Stonewall formation, but with his queenside pieces looking uncoordinated and cramped.} 12. e3 {the idea being to prevent an ...f4 push by Black, although this is not a real threat.} (12. cxd5 {begins a forcing sequence which I hadn't considered during the game.} cxd5 (12... exd5 13. Bh3 $16) 13. Qa4+ { the Black bishop cannot interpose on c6 because of the hanging Na6} Qd7 14. Qxd7+ Kxd7 15. Nb5 $16 {with easy play for White.}) 12... Rc7 $6 {Black temporarily takes away the last remaining square for the Na6 and blocks the Bb8, although the rook will transfer itself on the next move.} 13. Qb3 { I choose to keep the tension in the queenside and center, also developing the queen to a useful square. However, with Black's king uncastled, his queenside pieces in each other's way, and a weakness on e6, this would also have been a good time for me to open the center up.} (13. Nd4 $5) (13. cxd5) 13... Rd7 14. Rad1 (14. Rac1 {would target the weaker c-file.}) 14... c5 $2 {the advancing pawn gives up key squares to White without a fight.} (14... O-O $5 $14 { and Black is still in the game, says Houdini via the Fritz interface.}) 15. b5 Nc7 16. Ne2 $16 {opens up the long diagonal for the Bb2 and eyes d4 and f4.} ( 16. Ne5 $1 {takes more direct advantage of Black's weaknesses. One possible continuation is} Re7 17. d4 cxd4 18. Rxd4 O-O 19. Nc6 Bxc6 20. bxc6 dxc4 21. Qxc4 Qc8 22. a4 Rfe8 23. Ba3 Rf7 24. Rfd1 $18) 16... dxc4 17. dxc4 Rxd1 $2 { this gives up the d-file, a dangerous choice.} (17... Bxf3 $5 {exchanging off White's excellent attacking piece would be preferable.} 18. Bxf3 O-O $16) 18. Rxd1 $18 Qe7 19. Nf4 (19. Ne5 $5 {instead would immediately give White a dominant central knight.} Bxg2 20. Kxg2 O-O 21. Nc6 $18 Qe8 22. Bxf6 gxf6 ( 22... Rxf6 $2 23. Rd8) 23. Rd3 Na8 24. Qd1 $18) 19... Na8 {buries the knight in the corner, but at least lets the Bb8 be of some use.} 20. Nd3 {played with the idea of avoiding the bishop for knight exchange on f4 and obtaining a lock on e5.} O-O {it makes sense to castle now, but why not earlier?} 21. Nde5 { similar to how it seems that in the post-game analysis it's revealed that you always move the wrong rook, here it's the wrong knight.} (21. Nfe5 Bxg2 22. Kxg2 Qb7+ 23. Nc6 {gives White a more dominating central position.}) 21... Bd6 (21... Rd8 {now that the rook is available for battle after castling, it should be put in play.}) 22. Nd2 $6 {this passive retreat simply dissipates a large chunk of White's advantage.} (22. Qd3 Bc7 (22... Rd8 $2 23. Ng5 Bxg2 24. Kxg2 {with knight fork threats on f7 and c6.}) 23. Ng5 Bxg2 24. Kxg2 Bxe5 25. Bxe5 $18) 22... Bxg2 23. Kxg2 Bxe5 24. Bxe5 {if this is contrasted with the position in the above variation, it's then easy to see that here White's pieces are not nearly as well placed.} Qb7+ 25. f3 Ng4 {this one-move threat (due to the pin on the f3 pawn) was seen coming. Although it looks threatening, the Ng4 is actually doing very little and will quickly be evicted.} 26. Bb2 Re8 27. h3 Nf6 (27... Nh6 28. e4 $14) 28. Kf2 {White decides to move out of the pin before proceeding further.} (28. Bxf6 gxf6 $16 {was a possibility and is preferred by Houdini, but I didn't see how White could effectively exploit Black's pawn structure weaknesses.}) 28... e5 (28... Qf7 {would have shored up Black's kingside.}) 29. Nb1 $6 {this is too slow and allows Black to equalize.} (29. Qc2 {retains the advantage by bringing the queen back into play along the key b1-h7 diagonal.} Qc8 30. g4 fxg4 31. hxg4 $16) 29... Qe7 30. Nc3 $11 { now although the engine rates the position as equal, it's Black who is gaining the initiative and placing his pieces so that they can cooperate and target the center.} Nc7 31. Ne2 Rf8 32. Rd2 (32. Kg2 {moves out of the line of fire.}) 32... g5 {an ambitious move, if not completely justified.} (32... Nce8 33. Qd1) (32... Qe6 33. Qc3 e4 34. f4) 33. Qd1 {I was set on the idea of doubling on the d-file, which however is well-defended, missing the better idea of setting up a battery on the a1-h8 diagonal.} (33. Qc3 $14) 33... Qf7 $2 {a cheap threat against c4 that is swiftly punished. My opponent evidently believed that his follow-on move would be devastating, but it doesn't work.} (33... g4 $15 {would generate more pressure, although White could hold with} 34. Ng1) 34. Bxe5 $16 Ne4+ $4 {a game-losing miscalculation by my opponent.} (34... Nce8 $16 ) 35. fxe4 $18 fxe4+ 36. Nf4 $1 {evidently this was missed by Black.} gxf4 37. gxf4 {the extra protected passed pawn and ability to penetrate Black's position mean that White will win.} Ne6 38. Rd7 Qf5 39. Qg4+ Qxg4 40. hxg4 { and my opponent flagged in a losing position, not finding any good alternatives.} (40. hxg4 Rf7 41. Rxf7 Kxf7 42. f5 $18) 1-0

Annotated Game #116: Back to School

My chess career has, like most people's, seen its ups and downs.  The latest "up" phase in terms of activity was marked by the start of this blog, although my opportunities to play in serious tournaments have still been limited.  With this annotated game, I return to analyzing my over-the-board (OTB) tournament games, which I will do in a series for each tournament.  As I continue playing in the Slow Chess League online, in between series of OTB tournament analysis, I intend to post more recent games worthy of review.

As you might expect after another long break in tournament play, my first round game felt like I was going "back to school" and was marked by some practical issues that I failed to solve.  One of these strategic issues was the fact that I gave my opponent easy play against me, primarily by entering into sequences that resulted in positional features with obvious plans, such as White's 2-to-1 queenside majority.  However, at minimum I did not blunder until the very end (missing a nice deflection tactic by my opponent) and played a reasonably solid game throughout.  This was my first tournament game since starting the blog, so I had hoped for a better result, but had to content myself with more of a learning experience.

[Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Class C"] [Black "ChessAdmin"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B13"] [Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"] [PlyCount "73"] [EventDate "2012.01.??"] [EventType "swiss"] [EventRounds "7"] {B13: Caro-Kann: Exchange Variation and Panov-Botvinnik Attack} 1. e4 c6 2. Nf3 {a sideline that's rarely seen at the professional level, although it's not a bad move in itself and is likely to transpose to another variation.} d5 3. exd5 {the database games are evenly split between this and Nc3, which transposes into the Two Knights variation.} cxd5 4. d4 (4. Ne5 {is what the top players in the database play, including Morozevich and Navara, who play their second move obviously in order to get away from book lines. Some shock value, certainly. One possible sequence goes} Nc6 5. d4 e6 6. Bb5 Bd7 7. Bxc6 Bxc6 8. O-O Nf6 9. Bg5 Be7 {(from Garcia Jimenez-Topalov, 2008; 0-1 in 36 moves)}) 4... Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 {we are now in Two Knights' variation territory.} 6. Bd3 Bg4 { Black scores well here, close to 60 percent. The symmetrical pawn structure and ability to get the light-square bishop outside the pawn chain before playing ...e6 mean that Black has solved his opening problems.} 7. Be2 { if White had been concerned about the pin, Be2 should have been played the previous move, as this loses a tempo.} e6 8. O-O Be7 {the bishop could also go to d6, it seems more a matter of taste than anything else.} 9. h3 Bxf3 { this exchange on f3 is typical of the Two Knights variation, and I preferred not to lose time retreating the bishop and to eliminate the better of White's two knights. Keeping the bishop on is perfectly fine, however, and may be better if Black is serious about playing for an advantage.} 10. Bxf3 {White now has the bishop pair, of course, but I thought Black's strong central pawn formation limited the light-square bishop's scope.} O-O 11. Re1 Rc8 (11... Bb4 {would take advantage of the pin created on the Re1 and get the bishop into the game, rather than have it doing relatively little on e7.}) 12. Be3 $6 { while this initially looks solid, adding a defender to d4, it's certainly not the best square for the bishop, which can be targeted by a knight on c4.} (12. Ne2 {is Houdini's preference, with the idea of swinging the knight over to more promising ground on the kingside.} Qb6 13. c3 Bd6 {and it's an even game.} ) 12... a6 {the idea was to take away the b5 square from the knight. ...Bb4 is now even more effective and would complicate the knight redeployment.} (12... Bb4 {followed by ...Na5, ...h6 (to limit the Be3's flight squares) and ...Nc4 would be an effective plan.}) 13. Ne2 Re8 {not a bad waiting move, as the rook is bound to be more useful on the e-file.} (13... Qc7 {instead would assist Black in dominating the h2-b8 diagonal, with Bd6 to follow.}) 14. c3 {shores up d4 and takes away b4 from Black's pieces.} b5 {the plan of a minority attack here doesn't necessarily seem best suited for the position, as there are no major targets in front of the pawns. However, it's something to do in order to open up lines on the queenside.} 15. Nf4 b4 16. Qa4 {this is something I had considered my opponent might do, given the undefended a6 pawn.} Qa5 (16... bxc3 17. bxc3 Qa5 18. Qxa5 Nxa5 {is superior to the game continuation, as White's queenside pawn structure is now a weakness rather than a latent threat.}) 17. Qxa5 Nxa5 18. cxb4 Bxb4 {the game is even, but now White has a queenside pawn majority, which gives her easier play.} 19. Rec1 Nc4 20. Nd3 Bd2 $6 {too aggressive and unnecessarily complicated. Essentially any bishop retreat would be fine here.} (20... a5 {is also a possibility.} 21. Nxb4 axb4 22. a4 bxa3 23. bxa3 Nxe3 24. Rxc8 Rxc8 25. fxe3 Ra8 {should lead to a draw.}) (20... Nxe3 $5 {also looks good.}) 21. Bxd2 $14 Nxd2 22. Be2 a5 23. b3 {this takes away the c4 square from Black's knight, but lets up the pressure otherwise.} (23. Ne5 {is the more active option found by Houdini.} Nde4 24. Bb5 Rf8 25. Nc6 Ra8 $14 {and White is clearly better.}) 23... Nde4 $11 24. g4 { a premature pawn thrust. Ne5 was still an option.} Nc3 25. Bf1 Nb5 $6 {I played this, as I couldn't see how White could protect the pawn. Instead, she comes up with a nice counterattacking move.} (25... Nfe4 {is preferred by Houdini and would be the more active response.} 26. Nc5 Nxc5 27. Rxc3 Ne4 28. Rcc1 Rc3 {and Black is equal.}) 26. Rc5 {I had completely missed this possibility, which was a psychological blow. Black objectively is still doing fine, however.} (26. Ne5 $5 Rxc1 27. Rxc1 Nxd4 28. f3 {and now White is threatening to win the Nf6. Houdini rates the position as a slight plus for White.}) 26... Nxd4 27. Rxa5 {at the time I judged that Black should still have sufficient compensation from his piece activity and central control to offset the two connected passed pawns on the queenside for White. Houdini agrees. That said, White has the more obvious and easier play.} Kf8 (27... Rc2 {seems good immediately.}) 28. b4 Rc2 29. Rc5 Rc8 $6 {this gives White too much play.} (29... Rd2 {maintaining the rook on the 7th rank for Black would have kept the balance in his favor.}) 30. Rxc8+ (30. a4 {would get the pawns rolling immediately.}) (30. Rxc2 Rxc2 31. a4 $14 {is also good for White.}) 30... Rxc8 $11 31. a4 Nb3 $6 {this cheap threat gains Black nothing. Instead, it was more important to mobilize the kingside pieces and get them over to stop the pawns.} (31... Ne4 32. a5 Ke7 $11) 32. Ra2 Ne4 33. a5 {White follows the correct plan of advancing the pawns to put pressure on Black.} Ke7 $2 { unfortunately, this is too slow.} (33... Nd4 {I did in fact look at, but then decided in some time pressure that it might not be enough to stop the pawns, also missing White's 37th move while calculating the text move.} 34. Rb2 Nc3 35. Kg2 Ke7 $11) 34. a6 $6 (34. b5 $1 {the pawns together are much stronger.} Nd6 35. b6 {and now Black must sacrifice material to stop the pawns.} Nxa5 36. Rxa5 $16) 34... Kd6 $4 (34... Nd4 $11 {would still save Black.}) 35. b5 $18 Kc7 {still missing White's deflection tactic on move 37.} 36. Rc2+ Kb8 37. a7+ $1 ( 37. a7+ Kxa7 (37... Kb7 38. Rxc8) 38. Rxc8 $18) 1-0

DVD completed: Viktor Kortchnoi - My Life for Chess, Vol. 2

As with most sequels, the second volume of Viktor Korchnoi's DVD game collection - following the introductory DVD - is not as strong as the first, although it is still worth investing time in.  Partly this is because the time period covered, with the video segments containing eight games from 1986 to 2004, is from after Kortchnoi's peak as a professional chessplayer.  He has fewer personal stories and chess history to relate as a result, although some are still amusing and provide context for the games, which include opponents such as Kasparov, Short and Onischuk.  A few errors are also made during the filming, such as an incorrect line of analysis that Kortchnoi catches at the end, which make me wonder why ChessBase simply didn't do another take of the filming.  It is remarkable that the two DVDs are so coherent, valuable and entertaining - a testament to Kortchnoi's mind - when the producers simply rolled the camera and did nothing else.  (This seems to be ChessBase's policy, as a more recent example is Lilov's DVD on the Stonewall.)

Production values aside, once again it was useful to experience a mini-master class given by Kortchnoi on each of the eight games with video annotations, with his commentary largely focusing on the opening variation choices and the middlegame tactics and plans.  His explanations of the ideas involved in each case are like nuggets of gold, insights that can be integrated into your chess understanding and practice.  The Kasparov game included is outstanding in that respect, for example.  Even though few of the games directly related to my opening repertoire, I feel I learned a great deal about different positional and tactical ideas that can easily carry over into my own games.

It was also refreshing to see Kortchnoi's objective and sometimes brutal evaluations of his own play, along with that of his opponents.  It is clear that he has no problem with expressing the truths of the chessboard and has nothing to prove to himself or anyone else.  This kind of attitude is the most helpful for an improving player, as the student can trust the material and not worry about the instructor's ego getting in the way.

Commentary: Tradewise Gilbraltar 2014 - Round 1

The Tradewise Gilbraltar Chess Congress is always entertaining, both for the fans and for the players.  The following game, from round 1, was similarly entertaining and instructive for me.  What appears to be a solid King's Indian Attack formation is taken apart rather rapidly by Black, who employs some unusual-looking but very effective rook maneuvering to blast through on the queenside, while White dithers on the kingside.  The game notably features the formation of "Alekhine's Gun" by Black, with R+R+Q all aiming down the c-file. Although it was initially the opening that caught my eye, it's the example of how master-level players powerfully centralize their rooks that is my biggest take-away from the game.

[Event "Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival 2014 "] [Site "The Caleta Hotel - Gibraltar"] [Date "2014.01.28"] [Round "1.37"] [White "Malmdin, Nils-Ake"] [Black "Salem, A.R. Saleh"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "B10"] [WhiteElo "2175"] [BlackElo "2564"] [Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"] [PlyCount "48"] [EventDate "2014.01.28"] 1. e4 c6 2. d3 {indicating that White will go into the King's Indian Attack.} d5 3. Nd2 e5 4. Ngf3 Bd6 5. g3 Nf6 6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O Re8 8. Re1 Nbd7 9. a3 { more common here is either c3, reinforcing the center, or b3, preparing to develop the bishop.} a5 {a typical reaction, restraining the b4 advance.} 10. b3 d4 {while there are a variety of moves that are playable here, the text move scores 100 percent for Black!} 11. Nh4 (11. Bb2 {seems better, in order to make some progress on development and free up the first rank for White's heavy pieces.}) 11... Bf8 {Black anticipates Nf5, hitting the bishop, and proactively reinforces his kingside, as e5 no longer needs the bishop's attention.} 12. Nf1 {this is consistent with White leaving the bishop on c1, but appears to be too slow. Black will get his play on the queenside and in the center before White can develop any threats on the kingside.} a4 13. b4 c5 {the pawn is used as a lever to open the c-file for Black.} 14. bxc5 Ra5 $5 { an original way of getting the rook into play.} (14... Qc7 {is more normal-looking and less committal.}) 15. Nf5 {White is playing too slowly and not bringing enough of his army to bear.} (15. f4 $5 $15) 15... Rxc5 16. g4 Re6 $17 {Houdini agrees that this other unusual rook lift is the best for Black. Along the third rank, the rook can immediately increase pressure on the c-file and also be available for defense on the kingside, if needed. Black also clears a retreat square for the knight, based on the threat created by White's last move.} 17. h3 {White apparently still feels no sense of urgency.} (17. g5 {would at least be consistent.}) 17... Rec6 18. c4 {White chooses the least worst option, jettisoning the doomed c-pawn and picking up the a-pawn in return. However, Black is still in a dominant position and White has no counterplay.} dxc3 19. Qxa4 c2 $19 {a powerful move, cutting the Qa4 off from the kingside and ensuring White will have to cover the c1 square at all costs.} 20. Be3 Rc3 {Black keeps pounding away with his amazing rooks.} 21. d4 Qc7 { forming "Alekhine's Gun", with the R+R+Q on the same file.} (21... R6c4 22. Qb5 exd4 23. Nxd4 Nc5 {is Houdini's preferred way to make progress.}) 22. g5 $6 { this makes it easier for Black.} (22. Rec1 {blocking the pawn advance would make for stronger resistance, on the next move as well.}) 22... Ne8 23. d5 { this simply forces the rook to a better square.} R6c4 24. Qb5 c1=Q {White will lose a piece with no compensation and a fractured position, so resigns. An impressive c-file for Black!} 0-1

Annotated Game #115: The Opaque Hedgehog

Of course there is no actual "opaque" variation of the Hedgehog - the reference is to the fact that the whole opening complex is rather murky and complicated for us Class players.  In the following game, although I have a general idea of the slow, maneuvering play required from the Hedgehog, as early as move 13 (or perhaps a little earlier) I have no real idea on how to usefully proceed.  While I don't make any obviously bad moves, I don't play very effectively as White and allow my opponent to get a very solid position with some potential threats on the queenside.  This is in fact a standard characteristic of the Hedgehog, in which Black intentionally adopts a solid, non-aggressive formation limited to the first three ranks, then slowly pushes White back while developing counterplay.

After a fair amount of maneuvering on both sides and reaching a drawish position following a queen exchange, my opponent decides to keep pressing, which was not in my view objectively warranted.  Key strategic mistakes on moves 26 and 27 left the center open for my knights, which handed me the initiative and eventually the game after I spotted the deflection tactic on move 41.  Although Black put up strong resistance afterwards, I found the correct endgame ideas and the outcome was never in doubt.

This was a blunder-free game on my part, although some of my ideas were certainly sub-optimal, and there are some positive signs for the evolution of my playing skills in terms of tactics and endgame technique.  Knowing that I would not have been able to play this way several years ago, or at least not find the correct ideas nearly as easily, is a good indicator of how my chess studies are bearing fruit.

[Event "DHLC Slow Chess Quads"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2014.01.31"] [Round "?"] [White "ChessAdmin_01"] [Black "Yamaduta"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A30"] [WhiteElo "1489"] [BlackElo "1436"] [Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"] [PlyCount "107"] [EventDate "2014.??.??"] [TimeControl "45"] {A30: Symmetrical English: Double Fianchetto and Hedgehog} 1. c4 c5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 e6 4. g3 b6 5. Bg2 Bb7 {the English Hedgehog. The specific move-order is not terribly important, although Black's early ...e6 meant that 4...d5 was a possible alternative.} 6. O-O Be7 7. d4 cxd4 8. Qxd4 O-O 9. Rd1 {the most common approach to the Hedgehog by White. Pressure is built up on the d-file while White tries to exploit his temporary space advantage.} a6 {by this point I had no recollection of specific lines to follow, so just stuck with basic developmental ideas.} 10. b3 d6 11. Bb2 (11. Ba3 $5 {should cause Black more difficulty.}) 11... Qc7 12. Rac1 {with the idea that the rook is better placed on the c-file opposite the queen, in the event the c-pawn is exchanged off.} Nbd7 $11 {by this point Black has equalized and I have run out of obviously useful ideas.} 13. Nh4 {not the worst move in the position, but not likely the best either. I'm seeking to reposition the knight to a better square to fight for d5.} (13. Qe3 Rfe8 14. Nd4 Bxg2 15. Kxg2 Bf8 16. h3 Rac8 17. Kg1 Qb8 18. Qf3 Ne5 19. Qg2 Rc7 20. Ne4 Nxe4 21. Qxe4 Rec8 22. a4 Nd7 23. Qf3 Ne5 24. Qe3 Qb7 25. Ra1 Rb8 26. Bc3 Rcc8 27. Rdc1 h6 {Cebalo,M (2492)-Jelen,I (2420) Ribnica 1979 1/2-1/2 (53)}) 13... Rac8 $146 (13... Bxg2 14. Nxg2 Qb7 15. Ba3 Nc5 16. Bxc5 bxc5 17. Qf4 Rfd8 18. Ne3 h6 19. h4 Ne8 20. Rd3 Qc7 21. Ng2 Bf6 22. Na4 Qe7 23. Qd2 Rab8 24. Ne1 Qb7 25. Rd1 Rdc8 26. Nf3 Qb4 27. Qc1 d5 28. Nd2 Nd6 29. Qc2 d4 30. e4 Qb7 {Dudas,J (2410) -Zetocha,C (2360) Aggtelek 1997 1-0 (49)}) 14. Bxb7 {there was no particular need to rush the exchange, but again I had no alternative ideas.} Qxb7 15. Ng2 {I continue with the idea of repositioning the knight, although this is rather slow. Black could take advantage of this and get some initiative going on the queenside, if he chose. However, he largely ignores this and instead ends up focusing on central and kingside play.} (15. Qe3 Nc5 $11) 15... Rfe8 16. Ne3 Ne5 (16... b5 {is Houdini's main choice here and over the next several moves.} 17. Qf4 $15) 17. Qd2 (17. a4 {was something I had in fact considered, in order to block the possible ...b5 advance, but ultimately decided it looked too weird. Houdini has no hangups about the way the pawn formation looks and prefers it.} h5 $11) 17... Red8 18. Qe1 {the start of a rather slow idea, to fianchetto the queen, but at least it seemed productive and not very risky.} (18. a4 Nc6 $11) 18... Nfd7 (18... b5 19. Nb1 $15) 19. Qf1 (19. f4 {I considered this idea as well, but ultimately decided that it left the center looking too weak. Black is not in a position here to take advantage of the weakened squares behind the pawn, however.} Nc6 $11) 19... Nc5 20. Qg2 Qxg2+ 21. Kxg2 {with the queens off the board, I no longer have to worry about pressure from Black. The position looks quite drawish.} f5 {this surprised me, but is in fact Houdini's top choice. I went into a big think here, as Black is threatening to drum up some threats on the f-file, although I overestimated their strength during the game.} 22. f4 { I eventually decided to go for what seemed the simplest option to defend against further advances by the f-pawn, also kicking the knight.} Nf7 23. Nc2 { repositioning the knight to give it more possibilities.} h6 (23... Bf6 24. e3 $11) 24. Nb4 (24. b4 {is something I never considered, because it would (temporarily) leave the c-pawn hanging. However, the engine considers it best, after} Ne4 (24... Nd7 25. Nd4 Nf8 26. Na4 $14) 25. Nxe4 fxe4 26. Ne3 $14) (24. Nd4 $5) 24... g5 25. e3 {I had expected the pawn thrust and after this move did not see any way for Black to make further progress.} Kf8 26. Nd3 { unambitious, but I was more interested in squelching any Black activity at this point rather than trying to go for an advantage.} (26. Ne2 $5) 26... Nd7 $6 {my opponent withdraws his excellent knight, leaving behind a weaker kingside and center.} (26... Bf6 27. Ba3 $11) 27. Re1 (27. e4 fxe4 28. Nxe4 $14 {would be more aggressive.}) 27... e5 $2 {this fatally weakens the d5 square, which gives White a dominating outpost.} (27... Nc5 {is Houdini's choice, showing how the knight really is best situated on c5. In practice it is very difficult to reverse course like this.} 28. Nxc5 dxc5 29. Rc2) 28. Nd5 $16 e4 { Black pushes ahead, not seeing the threat the two knights working together will pose.} (28... Nf6 29. Nxb6 Rb8 $18) 29. N3b4 $18 Nc5 {now the knight returns, but too late.} 30. Red1 {a solid choice to make progress.} (30. Rf1 a5 31. fxg5 Bxg5 $18 (31... axb4 $4 {would be a terrible mistake} 32. g6 Ke8 33. Rxf5 $18)) 30... a5 31. Nxe7 {I chose this as seemingly the most obvious route to a lasting advantage.} (31. Nc2 {this looks weak at first glance, but in fact gives White a decisive advantage based on the threat of going to d4 to target Black's weaknesses.} gxf4 (31... Nd3 32. Rxd3 exd3 33. Nd4 {I had in fact considered this as a possible sequence, since it seemed that White's two knights would dominate the center and pick up more material (threatening e6 and f5), but eventually I shied away from the exchange sacrifice as unclear.}) 32. exf4 {with the threat of Nd4.} h5 33. Nd4 Nh6 34. Nxb6 $18) 31... Kxe7 $14 32. Nd5+ Ke6 33. Nxb6 {this actually dissipates White's advantage to some extent, as either the pawn is recoverable, or Black can get positional compensation.} (33. Rb1 $16) 33... Rc6 {this makes it easy for White, as Black has no compensation for the pawn.} (33... Rb8 34. Nd5 a4 35. Nc7+ Kd7 36. Nb5 { this saves the b-pawn, but Black gets a really strong knight at d3 in compensation; in this line, the exchange sacrifice doesn't work.} axb3 37. axb3 Nd3) 34. Nd5 $16 Nd3 35. Rc2 Nxb2 (35... Rd7 $5 $16) 36. Rxb2 $18 {I had calculated this far after taking the pawn on move 33, judging that White has a comfortable and probably winning advantage.} g4 {I was fine with Black spending time to lock up the kingside, or try (as in the game) to open up the h-file, as my rooks are well positioned to switch from queenside to kingside as necessary.} 37. Rbd2 {perhaps not the most effective move, but it seemed the easiest way to proceed.} h5 $2 {this does nothing to try and disrupt White's strong play on the queenside and down the d-file, which is Black's only chance.} (37... a4 {this is a common idea for breaking up pawn chains, the idea being that White would come out worse if he takes on a4, exchanging that for the c-pawn and ending up with weak doubled a-pawns.}) 38. Nc3 Rd7 39. Rd5 {I was pleased at finding this idea, as in the past I've had trouble identifiying when to deploy rooks centrally.} Ra6 (39... Rc5 {is not much help} 40. Na4 Rxd5 41. Rxd5 $18) 40. Na4 (40. Nb5 $18 {seems even better, notes Houdini, as the knight can then go to d4 and the f5 pawn falls.}) 40... Nd8 $2 {this misses the primary tactical threat behind the last move.} (40... Rb7 $18 {and White will have to reposition his knight again to make progress.}) 41. Nc5+ $1 {a triple fork, using the visually but not actually protected c5 square, given that the d-pawn is pinned against the hanging Rd7.} dxc5 42. Rxd7 Nf7 43. Rc7 a4 44. Rxc5 axb3 45. axb3 Ra2+ 46. Kg1 Re2 {I had calculated this far after the fork and had seen that White could win by advancing his queenside pawns, so was not concerned about the e-pawn.} 47. Rc6+ Ke7 48. b4 Rxe3 49. Rc7+ Ke6 50. b5 Rb3 (50... h4 {is Black's best try, but an insufficient one.} 51. gxh4 g3 52. Rc6+ Ke7 53. Rd5 Re1+ 54. Kg2 Re2+ 55. Kxg3 Re3+ 56. Kg2 Re2+ 57. Kg1 Re1+ 58. Kf2) 51. Rc6+ Ke7 52. b6 {with the Rd1 cutting off the Black king, Black's position is hopeless.} Rb2 53. Rc7+ Ke6 54. c5 (54. c5 e3 55. b7 e2 56. Re1 {and Black has no more possible threats left.} Kd5 57. Rxe2 $1) 1-0