This is the fourth and final game of my match with Ian in which he needed a win to draw the series. For the whole week before the game I felt good about it, not like I thought I was going to win for sure, but like I would play well.
And I thought I did play well, until I annotated the game...
The opening was much to my liking and soon Black's pieces had no good squares. I used an interesting, but possibly questionable, maneuver to entomb his dark-squared bishop. There came a point where intuitively I felt I should sacrifice a pawn, but I started trying to justify the pawn sac by calculating it to a clear advantage - and I thought I found a way out for Black. My intuitive sneses were still very clearly guiding me to sac the pawn, but I chose a lame move and the game was dead drawn three moves later.
1.Nf3
Nf6
2.c4
g6
3.Nc3
Bg7
4.g3
d6
5.Bg2
c6
6.0-0
0-0
7.d4
7.d4 represents a change in the type of game we'll play. During the game, and even now, I debate(d) the decision to pursue a central space advantage instead of Queenside play, as with a normal English (7.d3). I am familiar with English middlegames and would feel at home there, but it also seems like it's good to be a spacehog in some types of positions. During the game I thought this was one of them.
7...Qc7
8.Bg5
In my database this move has been played only once (e4 and h3 are the most common moves). I don't understand why though. With the Queen on c7, it seems the Bishop's activity on f4 is greater than it's potential to be harassed. I preferred Bg5 before Bf4 in order to provoke h6 which blocks the Bg7's access to the c1-h6 diagonal. That's important in some lines where the Bf4 is recaptured by the g-pawn.
I am fond of refraining from e4 in these positions because it gives White an extra tempo for development in an opening where he is usualy a little behind in development. Also, at e2 there are no Benko-type threats against the e-pawn.
8...Bg4
[8...h6
9.Bf4
Nh5
(9...Nbd7
10.c5
) 10.Qd2
(10.e4
e5
(10...Nxf4
Black only obliges White's positional aims by taking the Bishop on f4. 11.gxf4
e5
(11...Nd7
12.e5
) 12.fxe5
dxe5
Since Black is behind in development I would expect that White can open up the position to his benefit. 13.Nxe5
(13.d5
) 13...Bxe5
14.dxe5
Qxe5
) 11.Be3
and h6 and e5 with tempo have accelerated Black's Kingside play. ) 10...Kh7
(10...Nxf4
11.gxf4
e5
12.fxe5
dxe5
13.Nxe5
This is the line I saw during the game, but Black has better moves than Nxf4.; 10...e5
) 11.c5
(11.e4
e5
12.Be3
and h6 and e5 with tempo have accelerated Black's Kingside play. ) 11...Nxf4
12.cxd6
exd6
13.Qxf4
I think White's lead in development can be exchanged for a nice initiative here. e4-e5 with Ne4 comes to mind, for example.]
9.Qd2
Now Black's Kingside space is limited, his pawns are less mobile, and I always have the option of exchanging the Bg7. With this move, White can begin to entertain Kingside attacking ideas. White need not fear a similar idea by Black since he is ahead in development and because Qd7 or Qc8 blocks the coordination of Black's pieces.
9...Nbd7
10.Rac1
Why? To prevent d5. Black needs to break in the center somewhere to avoid suffocation. c5, d5, and e5 (and maybe b5) are his pawn breaks. Of those, d5 gains the most space for Black and I was the most concerned about it during the game, but c5 is at least as good and probably better.
10...Rad8
11.h3
This is too slow. Black could have play 12...c5 to equalize. 11.e4 is necessary here.
11...Bxf3
12.Bxf3
e5
[12...c5
White gets the light squares and Black gets the dark squares. White would like to play d5 here but after Ne5 Black has no problems. If the e-pawn were on e4 White could respond to Ne5 with Be2, so we see the effect of the error 11.h3.]
13.d5
c5
14.e4
a6
15.Kg2?
This is getting depressing. The further I dig into later positions (moves 22, 16) the more I see my difficulties stem from earlier decisions.
15.Kg2 shows I don't understand these KID positions. g2 needs to be clear to increase the Bishop's scope; Bg2-h3 is a potential maneuver. [15.Rfe1
As the variations analyzing 16.a3 show, the e-pawn needs overprotection. The idle Rook now put to work frees White's Knight and Bishop for more active possibilities.]
15...Rb8
16.a4?
This move felt strange to me before I played it, and it is superficial. Firstly, b5 is probably a hollow threat - White has greater piece mobility. Secondly, I need the a-pawn on a2 (or a3) to break open the position later with b4.
The above two considerations are the "idea" justifications to allowing b5, but seeing the below lines accurately would be difficult in the midst of a struggle. I was too lazy to calculate those lines and as a result played a superficial move which made it harder for me to win. [16.a3
b5
17.cxb5
axb5
18.Qd3
Qa5
(18...Qb6
19.Be2
c4
(19...b4
20.Nb5
) 20.Qf3
b4
21.Na2
bxa3
22.bxa3
; 18...c4
19.Qe2
b4
20.Na2
; 18...b4
19.Nb5
Qb6
(19...Qa5
20.Nxd6
bxa3
21.Nc4
) 20.a4
) 19.Be2
b4
(19...c4
20.Qd2
with Na2-b4.) 20.Nb5
]
16...Kh8
17.Rh1
Ng8
18.h4
f6
19.Be3
h6
20.h5
g5
21.Bg4
Ne7
22.Bf5?
I intended this when I played 20.h5, but this allows Black to set up a fortress and force a draw.
22...Nxf5
23.exf5
Nb6
[23...a5
24.Nb5
Qb6
Followed by Rfc8, Ra8, Bf8, Qa6, and b6 when White cannot break through.]
24.b3?
Intuitively I liked Ne4. However, I spent some time during the game trying to "prove" the idea to myself and I finally found what I thought was a good variation for Black. Instead I played b3, as I held my nose... [24.Ne4
Nxa4
25.b4
b6
(25...cxb4
26.Qxb4
) 26.b5
axb5
(26...a5
27.Ra1
White wins a piece and will organize all his forces against a5, then give the piece back.) 27.cxb5
c4
(27...Ra8
28.Rc4
Ra5
29.Qc2
Rfa8
30.Ra1
Qa7
31.Nxd6
) 28.Qb4
Nc5
I saw to this point in the game and evaluated my pawns on b5 and d5 as weak. I think I was a bit nervous here and afraid of ghosts. If I had suspected Black would soon blockade the position, I probably would have gone in for this. After Bxc5 White gets a passed pawn and has a good Knight vs.bad Bishop endgame where White's advantage increases as each piece is traded. 29.Bxc5
]
24...Qd7
25.Qc2
Again I missed another chance to avoid a blockade. I should have played a5.
25...Nc8
26.Rb1
a5 again avoids a blockade.
26...Ne7
27.g4
a5
I maneuvered my pieces aimlessly, sacri-farced on g5 and lost in a worse position.
Good game Ian! 0-1