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15... Qe8
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Heading for h5. 15...Rf5 was met effectively enough by 16.g4, after which it would take some time to bring the rooks across. Still, I might have considered 15...Rf5 16.g4 Rf7 with the idea of ...h5 (with due preparation) to try and break open some lines. |
 
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16. g4
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Looks weakening - and in many respects it is - but any move that cuts across the enemy plans can't be all bad! The point is that the weakness left are not so easy for Black to come at, and may require some regrouping. |
1 comment
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16... h5
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A reasonable try in the circumstances, but... |
1 comment
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17. g5
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...White was never going to allow further opening of lines if he could help it! |
1 comment
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17... a6
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Black sees that after Nb5 White would be threatening Nc7 and a fork. Rather than be distracted by this later on, Black deals with it at once. But maybe Black could have let White waste time on this by, say, 17...Qg6 18.Nb5 Rf7 and then 19...a6 and 20...Rf8. |
1 comment
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18. Ne4
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Threatening Nxc5. |
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18... Bb6
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Black does right in keeping this bishop and its tenure of the a7-g1 diagonal. |
1 comment
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19. Qd3
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White's game is looking pretty good right now.The game looks about even. |
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19... Rd8 20. Ne2c3
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Heading for d5. The last few moves have the look of the defenders, long under siege, emerging from the city walls for a sortie to break the investment. |
1 comment
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20... Bd4
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Pinning the knight... It has to be remembered, though, that Black is still a piece (for two pawns) behind. He'll have to come up with something to redress the balance. |
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21. Rb1 b5
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[?!] Very murky. It looks as though White could win a pawn here - 22.cxb5 axb5 23.Nb5. |
3 comments
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22. Be3
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[?!] Instead GK recommends 21.Bh3 Bxh3 22.Kxh3 Qe6ch 23.Kh2 Nb4 24.Qe2 d5!? 25.cxd5 Nxd5 26.Nxd5 leaves White favorably placed whether Black plays 26...Rxd5 or ...Bxa1. Together with cxb6 and Nf6ch?! White's defensive resources seem abundant. |
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22... bxc4
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Equality. |
1 comment
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23. bxc4 Bxe3 24. Qxe3 Bxc4
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Picking up the third pawn for the piece. Black doesn't look too bad now. |
1 comment
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25. Rf2
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[?] A mistake overlooking Black's reply, after which Black is in the ascendant. Instead 25.Rfc1 d5 26.Qc5 or 25...Nd4 26.Nd2 Be6 27.Nce4 are OK for White. |
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25... d5
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[!] This will win back the piece Black sacrificed ... on move 11! |
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26. Nd2
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[?] Understandable, but the piece is now definitely gone, after which it will be White who is material to the bad. Instead 26.Qc5! contained the damage, and would have left White with B and N vs R and 2P. |
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26... d4
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Fork. |
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27. Qe1 Bd3
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Quite a nice little finesse, but simply 27...dxc3 was good. |
1 comment
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28. Nce4 Bxb1 29. Qxb1
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Black has R and 3 vs B and N, instead of the 3 extra pawns he could have had after dxc3. |
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(2334)