In this game I chose the objectively superior 6. d4, but it may be subjectively inferior since the resulting position is one in which Kevin is more comfortable, and I am less comfortable, than if I had played 6. d3. Interestingly, in a sort of role reversaI for us, I play like I am itching for a fight while Kevin plays with restraint. I play actively, but poorly. I let my time get too far behind Kevin's time and in a saveable position I am undone by time pressure inaccuracies, in addition to an error in positional judgment on move 20. Early in the game, Kevin catches me in a positional snare, then lets me out, then catches me again, then lets me out again. Finally, on move 20, I let him have the upper hand once more and he never looks back.
1.c4
g6
2.g3
Bg7
3.Bg2
e5
4.Nc3
Ne7
5.Nf3
0-0
6.d4
exd4
7.Nxd4
Nbc6
8.Be3?
On Be3, I took 2 minutes and much of that time was spent considering play against my c4 pawn based on Na5. I reasoned positionally; 'Black will not turn out better by playing a Knight to the rim', but he doesn't have to... [Until Be3, we followed a decisive game from a World Championship match! 8.Nxc6
Nxc6
9.0-0
d6
10.Bd2
Bg4
11.h3
Be6
12.b3
Qd7
13.Kh2
Rae8
14.Rc1
f5
15.Nd5
Kh8
16.Be3
Bg8
17.Qd2
Nd8
18.Rfd1
Ne6
19.Nf4
Nxf4
20.Bxf4
Qc8
21.h4
Re7
22.Bf3
Bf7
23.Qa5
Be8
24.c5
d5
25.Bd6
Qd7
26.Bxe7
Qxe7
27.Rxd5
f4
28.Qd2
Bc6
29.Rd3
Bb5
30.Rd4
fxg3+
31.fxg3
Bxd4
32.Qxd4+
Qg7
33.Qxg7+
Kxg7
34.Rc2
Re8
35.Kg2
Kf6
36.Kf2
Bc6
37.Bxc6
bxc6
38.Rc4
Ke5
39.Ra4
Ra8
40.Ra6
Kd5
41.b4
Kc4
42.a3
Kb5
43.Ra5+
Kc4
44.Ke3
a6
45.Kf4
Kd5
46.Kg5
Re8
47.Rxa6
Rxe2
48.Ra7
Re5+
49.Kf4
Re7
50.Rb7
Ke6
51.a4
Kd7
52.Rb8
1-0 Petrosian Tigran V-Botvinnik Mikhail M/Match Moscow RUS 1963]
8...Ne5
9.Qb3
After 20 minutes, but what else? [9.b3
c5
10.Ndb5
a6
11.Nd6
Nxc4
12.bxc4
Bxc3+
13.Kf1
Qc7
; 9.c5!?
I need to open my eyes. I didn't even consider this until I began annotating. 9...Nc4
10.Bc1
d5
11.0-0
A fight lays ahead. White has been forced to concede some control of d5, but this is better than how things could have turned out.; 9.c5
Ng4
10.Bf4
The bishop must move (one cannot afford to freely part with the bishop pair in such an open position) and f4 seems like the most annoying spot, although, strategically, the bishop wants to find a home on e3, to support d4. ]
9...Ng4
10.Nd5
With the intention to sac the b-pawn for queenside play, but Kevin was in for a calmer game.
10...Nc6
[10...c5
11.Nb5
Nxd5
12.Bxd5
Nxe3
13.Qxe3
a6
(13...Bxb2
14.Rb1
This is what I envisioned during the game (as you see, my vision is poor - there is no pawn sac here; White gets his pawn back immediately with monster piece activity). Thus a6, which allows the consolidating Nc3, when White's control of d5 is some compensation for his loss of the bishop pair. It seems my position isn't so bad after Ne5, although, it is still definitely lamentable to lose the bishop pair without a fight.) 14.Nc3
; 10...Nxe3
11.Qxe3
Nxd5
12.Bxd5
I intended Bxd5 here, but this is poor due to c6 and Qa5+. Since Bxd5 fails, Nd5 is poor. Frtiz prefers 0-0, allowing the e-pawns to be doubled. I was attracted to this idea (in general) during the game, but when Black played Nxe3, fxe3 was not the best move. 12...c6
13.Bg2
Qa5+
14.Kf1
]
11.Nb5
Na5
I missed this move too...
12.Qb4
Nxe3
I though Kevin should prefer c6, but he said that was a little too hairy for him(!). [12...c6
13.Ne7+
Kh8
14.Nxc8
cxb5
15.Nd6
Nxe3
16.fxe3
Nxc4
]
13.Nxe3
Here I spent 15 precious minutes searching for a better move than Ne3; since Kevin was already ahead on the clock by 20 minutes and this put me back a futher 15, and I have the obviously good Nxe3, it was foolsih to take more than 2 minutes here.
13...Nc6
14.Qd2
d6?!
Kevin chooses between piece activity and a more solid position but with a structural weakness. [14...a6
15.Nc3
d6
White controls d5 and a6 makes c6 less comfortable for Black to consider. However, a6 assists a b5 break, which would further open the position for Black's bishop pair. White has the tricky task of preventing b5, or showing that it's a weakness, without playing a4 when the dark squares in the queenside would probably be too weak. Playing cxb5 followed by b4 with continued control of d5 may be the best idea for White.]
15.Nd5
Alternatively, 0-0, which is probably a better decision considering the preferred playing style of White, and Black. This wins a pawn, and I wanted Black to prove the gambit was worth it, but if I had clearly seen the resulting position, I would have castled. My sense is that Kasparov would play Nd5, while Karpov would castle here.
15...Bd7
16.Nbxc7
Rc8
17.Nb5
Ne5
18.Nxd6
Nxc4
I missed this until it was too late - after playing Nd5.
19.Nxc4
Rxc4
20.Ne3??
Up to this move my game has run on piece activity - and I must continue this way if I am to survive against the two bishops. After Ne3, White's pieces, each of them , become like monsters, as though on steroids (see move the position at move 24).
And really, what is the logic behind removing my knight from an excellent post on d5? I was concerned about Rd4 and Rxd5, leaving Black with an awesome Bishop pair and no weaknesses. e3 is a better way to handle this, even though I remain uncastled. 0-0 is probably good too. [20.0-0
Rd4
21.Qc1
Be6
22.e4
After Qc1, Black has no good way to move the d7 bishop in preparation for Rxd5, so my fears about Rxd5 were unfounded. While staring at the clock and watching my time tick down from 20 minutes to 15, and seeing Kevin's clock at 42 minutes, my nerves gave out and I chose a blunder for a continuation.; 20.e3
Bf5
21.Rc1
Rxc1+
22.Qxc1
Qa5+
23.b4
Qxa2
24.Ne7+
Kh8
25.Nxf5
gxf5
26.0-0
(Fritz 5.32)]
20...Rd4
21.Qc2
Rb4
22.Rb1
Such passive defense signals the poverty of my strategy, and my position. Nd1(-c3) with the idea to give up the b-pawn, but exchange the dark-squared bishop, may be better, but I am still worse.
22...Be6
23.b3
Qa5
24.0-0
Rc8
25.Qd2
Bc3
26.Qc2
Bf6
27.Qd2
Rd8
28.Qc2
Rbd4
29.Rfd1
I missed Rd2. At this point I should prefer Bxb7, which removes a potential Black queen from the board, and cross my fingers.
29...Rd2
30.Rxd2
Rxd2
Fritz evaluates the game as equal for the last 10 moves, but it's hard for us humans to accurately defend against such active pieces, especially while in time pressure. Humans should prefer more pragmatic lines, unfortunately, I didn't find one of those.
31.Nc4
[31.b4
Qxa2
32.Qxa2
Rxa2
33.Bxb7
Rxe2
White's defense is still precarious. The bishop pair is ready to force weaknesses in the my position.] The rest of the position suffers from time pressure inaccuracies and blunders on my part.
31...Rxc2
32.Nxa5
b6
33.Nc6
Rxa2
34.e3
Bf5
35.e4
Bd7
36.Nb4
Rd2
37.Nd5
Bd4
38.Kh1
Bb5
39.f3
a5
40.h4
h5
41.Nc7
Bd3
42.Rc1
Bc2
43.b4
axb4
44.Nb5
b3
45.Nxd4
Rxd4
46.Kh2
Rd2
47.Kh3
b2
48.Re1
Bd1
49.Bf1
b1Q
50.Bc4
0-1