1.e4
Nf6
2.e5
Nd5
3.d4
d6
4.Nf3
g6
5.Bc4
Nb6
6.Bb3
Bg7
7.Ng5
e6
8.Qf3
0-0
9.Qh3
h6
10.Nf3
dxe5
11.dxe5
Nc6
12.Bxh6
Beginning an adventure - albeit one already known to theory.
12...Nxe5
13.Ng5!?
Rare, but not unknown. And more importantly, good! [Just a month or two ago, Reinderman had this position against Anna Muzychuk and drew against her tamer approach: 13.Bxg7
Nxf3+
14.Qxf3
Kxg7
15.Nd2
Qf6
16.0-0-0
a5
17.a3
a4
18.Ba2
Ra5
19.Qxf6+
Kxf6
20.f4
Bd7
21.Ne4+
Ke7
22.h4
Nc8
23.Ng5
Nd6
24.g4
Rh8
25.c3
Bc6
26.Rh3
Ne8
27.Re1
Bd5
28.Bb1
Nd6
29.h5
gxh5
30.Rxh5
Raa8
31.Nxe6
Bxe6
32.f5
Rxh5
33.gxh5
Rh8
34.fxe6
Rxh5
35.exf7+
Kxf7
36.Bc2
1/2-1/2 Muzychuk,A (2523)-Reinderman,D (2573)/Wijk aan Zee 2010]
13...Nd3+N
This principled move is a novelty, though I'm sure it has been known about by Alekhine players for a long time. Unfortunately for Black it may be losing, pending an improvement on move 16. [13...Qf6
was the safe choice in the three (pretty old) earlier games to see 13.Ng5. White is slightly better after 14.Bxg7
Qxg7
15.Nc3+/=
]
14.cxd3
Bxb2
15.Nd2!
[15.Nh7
is the computer's initial choice, leading to lots of perpetual checks. 15...Re8
(15...Bxa1?
16.Bxf8
Bg7
17.Ba3+/-
(17.Bxg7
Kxg7
18.g4+/-
) ) 16.Bg5
f6
17.Qh6
fxg5
18.Qxg6+
Kh8
19.Qh6
(19.Nxg5
Re7
20.0-0
Bxa1
21.Re1
Qg8
22.Qh6+
Rh7
23.Nxh7
Qxh7
24.Qf8+
Qg8
25.Qh6+=
; 19.d4
Bxd4
20.Bc2
Qe7
21.Nxg5
Rf8
22.Qh6+
Kg8
23.Bh7+
Kh8
24.Bg6+
Kg8=
) 19...Kg8
20.Qg6+
Kh8=
]
15...Bxa1
Forced.
16.0-0
Black enjoys a healthy material advantage, but how much good is that when about half of that army is still asleep on the queenside and all of White's pieces are or are about to participate in the attack?
16...Bd4
After this, I think it can be shown that Black is just about losing by force, so this might be the last chance for him to do something else to stay in the game. [16...Bb2
is like 16...Bd4, but with one crucial difference. It's possible that White has other ways of proceeding, but I'll just show what happens if White treats it like 16...Bd4. 17.Nde4
(17.Rb1
looks like a great place to start for White.) 17...Re8
18.Nxf7
Kxf7
19.Qf3+
Kg8
(19...Bf6
transposes to a 16...Bd4 line considered below; it's good for White.) 20.Qg4
Kf7
21.Re1
and here, as opposed to the 16...Bd4 lines, Black can play 21...Nd5
because after 22.Ng5+
Kg8
there's no hanging bishop on d4 awaiting capture. In this position White has full compensation for the rook, but perhaps it's only enough for a draw.]
17.Nde4
Re8
Forced. [17...--
18.Bg7
is the threat, now that the N@e4 seals off the f6 escape square.]
18.Nxf7
Qd7?
White's win is comparatively easy now. [18...Kxf7
was forced, but maybe it's already too late. 19.Qf3+
(19.Bg5?
Re7!
(19...Qd7
20.Qh7+
Bg7
21.Bh6
Qd4
22.Ng5+
Kf8
gives White his choice of draws, nothing more. 23.Qxg6
(23.Qh8+
Ke7
24.Qh7
(24.Qxg7+
Qxg7
25.Bxg7=/+
) 24...Kf8=
) 23...Re7
24.Nh7+
Kg8
25.Ng5
Kf8=
) 20.Qh7+
Kf8
21.Qxg6
Qe8-/+
; 19.Re1?
Nd5
20.Bg5
Re7
21.Bxd5
exd5
22.Qh7+
Bg7
23.Nd6+
looks appealing until you see 23...cxd6
24.Rxe7+
Qxe7
25.Bxe7
Bd7!
, at which point it becomes clear that White is losing.) 19...Bf6
(After 19...Kg8
most variations wind up in perpetual check, but I think that if White does everything right he's probably winning: 20.Qg4
Kf7
21.Re1!
Bf6
(21...Re7
22.Ng5+
Kg8
23.Nxe6
Bxf2+
24.Kxf2
Rf7+
25.Kg1
Qf6
26.Qg3
Bxe6
27.Bxe6
Rd8
28.Bxf7+
Qxf7
29.Rf1
Qe6
30.Qxc7
Qd7
31.Qg3+-
is about as well as Black can do, but it's not very good. The pawn down is one problem, and his chronically weak king is another. Put together, it makes the likeliest result a White win.; 21...Nd5?
22.Ng5+
Kg8
23.Qxd4+-
- compare 16...Bb2.) 22.Re3
Qd4
(22...Nd5
23.Rf3+-
and Black is unable to constructively cope with the threat of 26.Bg5.) 23.g3!
Simple prophylaxis against ...Qa1+; next comes 24.Rf3 and Black loses. 23...c5
24.Rf3
Nd7
25.Ba4!
Rh8
26.Bxd7
Bxd7
(26...Rxh6
27.Rxf6++-
) 27.Rxf6+
Qxf6
28.Nxf6
Kxf6
29.Bg5+
Kg7
30.Qf3
Raf8
31.Qxb7
Rf7
32.Qxa7+-
Material is nearly equal, but Black's pawns and king are weak, and thanks to the mighty and unopposed Bg5 Black's position is hopeless.) 20.Re1
Qd4
(20...Nd5
21.Ng5+
Kg8
22.Qe4
Nf4
23.Qxf4
Bxg5
24.Bxg5
Qxd3
25.Qxc7+/-
White's initiative and powerful bishops outweigh Black's extra exchange.) 21.g4
Rh8
(21...a5
22.g5
a4
23.Bg7!!
Nd7!
(23...Kxg7
24.gxf6+
Kf8
25.Qh3
Kg8
26.Qh6
Re7
27.Qxg6+
Kf8
28.Bxe6
Bxe6
29.fxe7+
Kxe7
30.Nc5+-
) 24.Nxf6
Ne5
25.Rxe5
Qxe5
26.Ng4+
Qf5
27.Nh6+
Kxg7
28.Nxf5+
gxf5
29.Bc4
Ra5
30.d4+-
White's kingside play starting with h4-h5 will be too much.) 22.Bg5
Nd7
23.Bd2!+/-
followed by Bc3 gives White a big advantage, e.g. 23...Ke7
(23...Qb6?
24.Ng5+
Kg7
25.Nxe6++-
) 24.Bc3
Qxc3
25.Nxc3
Bxc3
26.Rxe6+
Kd8
27.Qf7
c6
28.Qe7+
Kc7
29.Rxg6+/-
Black's in trouble here, as usual, but _maybe_ he's not yet losing.]
19.Be3!
Kxf7
All the options are bad now. [19...Bxe3
is the worst choice: 20.Qh8+
Kxf7
21.fxe3+
Ke7
22.Qf6#
; 19...Qxf7
loses prosaically: 20.Bxd4
Kf8
21.Bf6+-
; Trying to cover up with 19...Bg7
doesn't help: 20.Neg5
Qb5
(To take away Bc5+ ideas.) 21.Qh7+
Kf8
and now a very elegant solution is 22.Bd4!
Bxd4
23.Ne5!
And it's mate next move by either 24.Qf7, 24.Qh8, 24.Nxg6 or 24.Rxf2!; Finally, doing nothing with 19...a5
loses in many ways, of which the following is at least as compelling as any: 20.Neg5
Kf8
21.Qh6+
Ke7
22.Qh7
Qb5
(Else Ne5+ would collect the queen.) 23.Ne5+
Kd6
24.Ne4+
Kxe5
25.f4+
Kf5
26.Qh3#
]
20.Qh7+
Bg7
[20...Kf8
21.Bh6+
Bg7
22.Qh8+
Ke7
23.Qxg7+
Kd8
24.Bg5+
Re7
25.Qf8+
Qe8
26.Bxe7++-
etc.]
21.Ng5+
Kf6
22.Ne4+
Repeating moves to gain a few seconds on the clock (the time control there is game in 90 minutes, with a 30 second increment every move).
22...Kf7
23.Ng5+
Kf6
24.Nf3!
Qd6
Covering the e5 square. [24...--
White's idea is 25.Bg5+
Kf7
26.Ne5+
Kf8
27.Nxg6+
(Not necessary, but why not?) 27...Kf7
28.Ne5+
Kf8
29.Bh6
when the threats of Qh8+ and Ng6+ decide.]
25.Bg5+
Kf7
26.Bh6
Qf8
So much for defending e5! [26...Rg8
27.Ng5+
Kf8
28.Qxg6
Ke7
(28...Qe7
29.Nh7#
; 28...Qd7
29.Bxe6+-
) 29.Bxg7+-
]
27.Ne5+
Kf6
28.Qxg6+
[28.Re1!
is even more efficient, but there's nothing wrong with Nisipeanu's choice. The tactical justification is 28...Bxh6
29.Ng4+
Kf5
30.Re5+
Kxg4
(30...Kf4
31.Bd1
Qf5
(Else 32.g3#) 32.g3+
Kg5
33.Qxh6#
) 31.Qxg6+
Kh4
32.Rh5#
]
28...Ke7
[28...Kxe5
29.Bxg7++-
]
29.Bxg7
Qf5
30.Qh6!
Do you see White's threat?
30...Nd5
31.g4
[31.g4
leaves the queen only one square, but it's not so safe either: 31...Qf4
32.Ng6+
] 1-0