I spent several minutes before the round thinking about my hyper-accelerated dragon lines and about how Stan would respond. I guessed he would choose a classical setup, maybe with his Bishop on e2. But alas...
1.d4
Stan swings from both sides. I was expecting e4, which he played the last time he had white against me.
1...Nf6
2.c4
g6
3.Nc3
d5
Here goes my foray into the Grunfeld!
4.Nf3
Bg7
5.Bg5
Ne4
6.cxd5
Nxg5
7.Nxg5
e6
8.Nf3
According to my Grunfeld move order guide (Play the Grunfeld by Dembo), White has several options here, Nf3 being the calmest. A guy like Ratko might try [8.Qd2
exd5
9.Qe3+
]
8...exd5
9.e3
0-0
10.Be2
I had a long think here (14 mins.). I wan't too happy about my position because it seemed like I can't do much here, while White has a minority attack and the central break e4 (maybe with f3). Since I saw no good active plan for Black, I considered how to stop White's activity. In addition to Re8, I also considered a5, which is what Dembo recommends. One point of Re8 is to free f8 for the Bishop.
10...Re8
11.0-0
Bf8
12.Rc1
c6
13.a3
Bf5
e2 is where White's Bishop first set foot, but in light of the importance of the minority attack to White's game, maybe Bd3 should heve been inserted before Black could safely play Bf5. Now White must trade his Bishop for my "bad," but active, Bishop, if he wants Rook access to b1.
When I played Bf5, I thought White could not yet play b4...
14.b4
a5
The Bf8 sees far more action on the f8-a3 diagonal than it would ever have seen staring at the statue Delroy. The Bishop and Ra8 nicely eye the a3 pawn, and the a-file.
15.Qb3
The only move.
I give the following variations to show how well poised the Black pieces are to deal with b4. [15.Na2
axb4
16.Nxb4
(16.axb4
Rxa2
) 16...Rxa3
; 15.b5
Bxa3
; 15.bxa5
Bxa3
followed by Bb2 and Rxa5.]
15...axb4
16.axb4
b5
Here Stan thought for 14 minutes. I thought he was in some trouble until he uncorked the obvious, but quite strong...
17.Ne5
This position is critical. If 17.Ne5 holds together the White Queenside then my evaluation of 14.b4 is incorrect and I should have preferred 13...a5 to 13...Bf5, but it seems Re7 maintains Black's initiative. Curiously, the Knight is well "developed" on b8. My response to Ne5 (Qd6) was not convincing at the board.
17...Qd6
I believe GM Jonathan Rowson would say my position suffered from me "Blinking" here. For some reason I decided to allow White all of the activity he gets by playing e4. I can't recall exactly why I rejected Re7, except for a calculation error.
I also think I wanted to feel like I was still better since I had been thinking that way for quite a few minutes. So maybe this move was played with some frustration; it's more aggressive and active looking than Re7. [17...Re7
It seems White has no active plan after Re7, while Black has several obvious ways to improve his position: f6, Rea7, Qd6, Nd7 - which puts the question to the Ne5. 18.Nxc6
(18.f3
Rea7
19.e4
dxe4
20.fxe4
Qxd4+
21.Kh1
Qxe5
22.exf5
Ra3
23.Qb2
(23.Qc2
Bxb4
) 23...Bg7
; 18.Bd3
Rxe5
19.dxe5
Bxd3
; 18.Nd3
Bxd3
19.Bxd3
Rea7
followed by Qd6, Nd7-b6-c5 or a5 (eventually).) 18...Nxc6
19.Nxd5
Nxd4
I used Fritz to see this shot. I need to sharpen my combinative vision to be able to see such a move in a game. 20.Nxe7+
Qxe7
21.exd4
Qxe2
]
18.e4
f6
19.exf5
While Stan was pondering exf5, I began to worry that after exd5 my light-squared Queenside complex would crumble. [19.exd5
fxe5
20.dxc6+
Be6
(20...Kh8
21.d5
This was the line I saw and was afraid of. Those d and c pawns looked pretty scary in my mind.) 21.d5
Nxc6
22.dxe6
Nd4
23.Qd1
Rac8
with a complex position that will probably peter out to a draw after the Queenside pawns fall, although I would prefer White here since his King is so much safer.]
19...fxe5
20.dxe5
Rxe5
21.fxg6
hxg6
22.Rb1
Stan thought for 7 minutes on this move. I still haven't figured out what he was thinking about.
22...Na6
23.Qa2
This move is a bit slick.
23...Ree8
24.Qc2
White could have play Qc2 on the last move and saved a tempo, but instead Stan "wasted" a move to push my Rook away from protecting d5. This increases Stan's chances of forcing a perpetual check.
24...Qe6
[24...Nxb4
25.Rxb4
Qxb4
26.Qxg6+
Bg7
27.Qxc6
Qxc3
28.Qxd5+
Kf8
29.Bxb5
Although I prefer Black here, White has good practical chances since the Black King is eternally harassable and Black has no pawns to work with.]
25.Bf3
Bxb4
26.Rfd1
Rad8
27.Ne2
I began to wonder if I was in serious trouble after this move. Nd4 and Nf4 are both worrisome threats. Additionally, my Knight is unprotected and my Bishop is inadequately protected. My whole position is on the verge of being fatally loose. Once I found the maneuver Qf6 (to stop Nf4) and Bc5 (removes the Bishop from the line of fire and takes the sting out of Nd4) I felt like I was still in the game.
27...Qf6
28.Nd4
Bc5
29.Nb3
Bd6
30.Qd2
Kg7
and White lost on time in a very interesting position. 0-1