|
|
|
14... O-O
|
Black is continuing to improve his position, although white is probably still better with his passed e pawn. |
 
|
| |
|
|
15. Ng5
|
Looking to trade off the blockader of the passed pawn? |
|
| |
|
|
15... Qe7
|
Protecting the bishop. |
|
| |
|
|
16. Nxe6 Qxe6 17. Qe2
|
Connecting the rooks and protecting the e5 pawn. |
|
| |
|
|
17... b5
|
Dropping the pawn is bad. Black's best is something like:
17...Ngxe5
18. Bxe5 Qxe5
19. Qxe5 Nxe5
20. Bc2
when material is even, but white is better due to the superior minor piece and black's isolated d pawn. |
|
| |
|
|
18. Bxb5 Nxd4 19. cxd4 f4
|
Is black trying to induce f3, when he can plant the knight on the e3 outpost? I don't see any other reason for this move. |
|
| |
|
|
20. Qf3
|
Eyeing the d5 pawn, which is a weakness of black's position. |
|
| |
|
|
20... Ne3
|
Blundering the knight to fxe3. |
|
| |
|
|
21. Qe2
|
White refuses to accept the gift and offers his opponent a chance to win the exchange with ...Nxf1! Argh!! |
|
| |
|
|
21... Ng4
|
And black returns the favor by not accepting white's gift of material! Double Argh!! |
|
| |
|
|
22. Qf3
|
Repeating the position. Maybe to see if black will again offer the knight? Maybe white has seen his error? |
|
| |
|
|
22... Rab8
|
At least black will not repeat his mistake and x-rays the b2 pawn. |
|
| |
|
|
23. a4
|
This is a safe and good way to stifle black's attempted counterplay on the queenside. Notice that if black tries ...Rb6 planning ...a6, white can gain the tempo needed to protect the b pawn with Be2, putting a second attacker on the knight. After black either moves or protects the knight, white plays b3 so the queen can protect the pawn. Eventually, white can convert this 2-1 majority into a passed pawn that, together with the passed e pawn will put tremendous pressure on the black defenders. |
|
| |
|
|
23... Rb6
|
Black seems unaware that his planned ...a6 will not work. |
|
| |
|
|
24. Rac1
|
Except that white doesn't play Be2, so all bets are off. Now, I like the idea of putting a rook on an open file, but timing is important, and this move had to be delayed until the b pawn was out of danger. |
|
| |
|
|
24... a6
|
Since white has allowed the bishop to be attacked, black attacks it. |
|
| |
|
|
25. Rc6
|
A blunder that loses a pawn. White was expecting:
25. Rc6 Rxc6
26. Bxc6 Qxc6
27. Qxg4 Qxa4
28. Qe6 Kh8
29. Qxd5
and white is still up 2 pawns.
But black can improve on that line with 26...Nxh2, when black ends up winning the h pawn:
27. Kxh2 Qxc6.
Of course, as we shall see, white doesn't find 27. Kxh2 and ends up losing his queen for a piece. |
|
| |
|
|
25... Rxc6 26. Bxc6 Nxh2
|
And black finds the best move. |
|
| |
|
|
27. Bxd5
|
At first blush, this appears to pin and win the black queen. But appearances can be deceiving, and tactics must be calculated precisely, not just guessed at. The knight removes the defender of the bishop with check, and this gives black the tempo he needs to save his lady. |
|
| |
|
|
27... Nxf3+ 28. Bxf3
|
Better than recapturing on f3 with the pawn, as then the bishop falls to the queen. |
|
| |
|
