1.e4
Nc6
The Nimzowitsch Defense -- one of Black's more interesting offbeat responses to 1.e4.
2.Nc3
White wants to prevent 2...d5 and does not mind playing a Vienna. But Black is uncooperative.
2...Nf6
3.d4
d6
[3...d5!?
4.e5
is a major line.]
4.h3!?
White often suffers from a ...Bg4 pin in this line, so here he takes a full tempo to prevent it. [4.Nf3
Bg4
leads to odd positions where Black's chances are probably not significantly worse than in the major lines of better-known openings. In my experience, a little preparation in a line like this confers a huge advantage, as one's opponent has almost certainly never seen it before.]
4...e5
Now we have an odd Philidor in which the move h3 does not accomplish much. On the other hand, in the Philidor, Black's Knight is usually at d7 rather than at c6. Whom does this favor?
5.Nf3
Be7
6.Bc4
White decides not to pin the Knight, which would turn the game into a sort of Steinitz Variation of the Ruy Lopez, but rather th play for piece activity.
6...0-0
7.0-0
a6
Black gets away with a lot in this game! Now the threat is to advance the b-pawn twice and then grab some material on e4.
8.a4
Nxe4!
The old "fork trick" in a new setting.
9.Nxe4
d5
Black now has full equality, and White needs to be thinking about how to keep the game in balance. A flurry of exchanges follows.
10.Bxd5
Qxd5
11.Nc3
This retreat is forced, but it is also obvious and not at all bad.
11...Qd6
12.dxe5
Nxe5
All of the exchanges through here are nearly forced.
13.Nxe5
[13.Nd5
would give White nothing after 13...Rd8
14.Nxe7+
Qxe7
15.Qe2
Nxf3+
16.Qxf3
c6
with complete and sterile equality.]
13...Qxe5
14.Re1
In principle, this is a roughly equal position. Black has the Bishop pair, but White's position is compact and without targets, and at the moment White has a very slight initiative.
But precisely because the board is largely cleared off, this is the moment at which Black needs to exercise vigilance. The psychological temptation to relax can be fatal.
14...Qf6??
A momentary lapse of concentration, showing that disasters can happen even to 2400 players. This is by far the worst of the Queen retreats. [14...Qc5
This is best, defending the Bishop without walking into a fork. 15.Nd5
Bd6
gives Black approximate equality.; 14...Qd6
This is second-best, since the Queen is a bit exposed on d6, e.g. 15.Nd5
Bd8
16.Bf4+/=
and Black must continue to duck the blows from White's minor pieces.]
15.Nd5!
Here TWIC gives 0-1, but this is clearly a typo. 1-0