1.d4
Nf6
2.c4
g6
3.Nc3
Bg7
4.e4
d6
5.Nf3
0-0
6.Be2
e5
7.0-0
Nc6
8.d5
Ne7
9.Ne1
Nd7
10.f3
f5
11.g4!?
An interesting opening plan which I had already used in my game against Radjabov in the Elista Grand-Prix.
11...Kh8
12.Nd3
[In that game I played 12.h4
which is the basic idea in this variation to stop the black kingside expansion by rolling forward my own pawns. But maybe it's a bit premature in this position. 12...c6
13.Kg2
Nf6
14.Nd3
b5!
15.b3
Rb8
16.Nf2
b4
17.Na4
Bb7
18.Bg5
Qd7
19.Qd2
cxd5
20.cxd5
Neg8
21.Rac1
Ba8
22.Qc2
Rf7
23.Qd3
Ne7
24.Kg1
h5
25.Bxf6
Rxf6
26.g5
fxe4
27.fxe4
Rf4
28.Rc4
Rxh4
29.Qg3
Rf4
30.Nd3
Bxd5
31.exd5
Rxc4
32.bxc4
Qxa4
33.c5
Qxa2
34.cxd6
Nf5
35.Rxf5
Qxe2
36.Rf2
Qe4
37.d7
Qxd5
38.Kh2
Kh7
39.Rf6
Qxd7
40.Nxe5
Qd2+
0-1 Eljanov,P (2720)-Radjabov Teimour (AZE) (2751)/Elista (Russia)]
12...f4!?
Not a novelty but I found only one game from 1967 between high-class GMs of that time.
13.Rf2
An interesting but a bit risky idea as I'm losing too much time to regroup my pieces. [Mecking played the logical 13.Bd2
but I'm not sure that it's the best square for the dark-squared bishop. I like the way Bouaziz played: 13...g5
14.Rc1
Rf7!
15.b4
Nf6
16.c5
Ng6
17.Rf2
Bf8!
18.Qb3
h5
19.h3
Rh7
20.Rh2
Bd7
21.Qc4
Kg7
22.Rf1
Be7
Black's position is very strong, although it's not so easy to break through. 23.Rff2
Qh8
24.Bd1
hxg4
(24...Rh6
25.c6
bxc6
26.dxc6
Be8
27.Bb3
) 25.hxg4
Rh3
26.Be1
Rg3+
27.Rfg2
Rxg2+
28.Rxg2
Qg8
29.Bb3
Nh4
30.Bxh4
gxh4
31.Rh2
Nh7
32.Nb5
Ng5
33.Ne1
Qc8
34.cxd6
cxd6
35.Nc7
b5
36.Qc1
Rb8
37.Rc2
Qb7
38.Ne6+
Bxe6
39.dxe6
Qb6+
40.Kh1
h3
41.Qd2
h2
42.Qf2
Qxf2
43.Rxf2
Rc8
44.Kxh2
Rc1
45.Ng2
Nh3
46.Rc2
Rxc2
47.Bxc2
Ng5
48.Nh4
Nxe6
49.Nf5+
Kf8
50.Kg2
Ke8
51.Kf2
Kd7
52.a4
bxa4
53.Bxa4+
Kd8
54.Ke2
Ng5
55.Bd1
Kd7
56.Ba4+
Kd8
57.Bd1
Kd7
58.Nxe7
Kxe7
59.Kd3
Ne6
60.Kc4
Nc7
61.b5
Ne6
62.Kb4
Nd4
63.Ka5
d5
64.exd5
Kd6
65.Ka6
Kxd5
66.g5
Ke6
1/2 Mecking,H-Bouaziz,S/Sousse 1967/IZT; The problem is that after 13.h4
Black has a perpetual at least: 13...Bf6
(or 13...Ng8
14.Qe1
(14.g5
h6
) 14...Bf6
15.g5
Bxg5
(15...Be7
16.Rf2
) 16.hxg5
Qxg5+=
) 14.g5
Bxg5
15.hxg5
Nxd5
16.cxd5
(16.Rf2
Nxc3
17.bxc3
Qxg5+
18.Rg2
Qe7
with compensation.) 16...Qxg5+=
; 13.Kh1
g5!?
]
13...Bf6
14.Rg2
Bh4
15.b4
h5
[I was more afraid of 15...Nf6!?
16.c5
h5
17.Bb2
(17.h3
Nh7
18.Bf1
Ng5
19.Rc2
Kg7
with attack.; 17.gxh5
Bh3
) 17...hxg4
18.fxg4
Nh7
19.Nb5
and the position is still far from clear, but I do not wish to play this position next time :) (19.Ne1?
Bxe1
) ]
16.g5!
A strong pawn sacrifice as 3-4 tempi in this kind of position are more important! [16.gxh5
g5
17.Nf2
Nf6
18.c5
Nxh5
(18...Rg8
19.Ng4
Nxh5
20.Bb2
) 19.Bb2
(19.Ng4
Nf6 [With attack]
) 19...Nf6 [with initiative]
]
16...Ng8
17.Kh1
Rf7
18.c5
Nf8
19.Nb5
Bh3
The only move as after [19...a6
20.Nxc7!
Qxc7
21.cxd6
Qxd6
22.Bb2
Nd7
23.Rc1
despite the fact I have just one pawn for the piece, Black is in very deep trouble I believe.]
20.Rg1
a6
21.Na3
Now all sacrifices are equally dubious as Black is just in time to defend everything. [21.Nxd6
cxd6
22.Bb2
Bxg5
23.cxd6
Bf6
24.Bxe5
Bxe5
25.Nxe5
Rg7
26.Qd2
g5
with a small black advantage.; 21.Nxc7
Qxc7
22.cxd6
Qxd6
23.Bb2
Re8
]
21...Bxg5
[21...Nh7
22.Nc4
Rg7
23.Bb2
Bxg5
24.Bf1
with a clear advantage for White.]
22.Nc4
Bf6
23.Bf1
[If 23.Bb2
I don't like that after 23...Qe7
24.Bf1
Black has 24...Bd7
hat.]
23...Bc8
24.Bb2
g5?
A huge mistake. [24...Kh7!?
; After the game Ivan proposed 24...Rg7
and this is a good idea although I do not agree of course with his evaluation that Black is much better. My intention was to play something like 25.Qe1
to transfer my queen to f2 (Rybka suggest another way to put Black's queenside under pressure: 25.Qa4!?
Bd7
(25...g5
26.Qa5
Qe8
27.cxd6
b5
28.Ncxe5
cxd6
29.Nc6
Bxb2
30.Nxb2
Nf6
31.Qa3
g4
32.Qc3
with white initiative.) 26.Qb3
(26.Qa5
Bb5
27.Rc1
g5
28.Nf2
Nh6
with black initiative.) 26...Bb5
27.Na5
(27.a4
Bxc4
28.Qxc4
g5
29.Nf2
Nh6
30.Be2
Qd7
) 27...Rb8
28.a4
Be8
29.b5
with good compensation.) 25...g5
26.Qf2
Ng6
(26...g4?
27.cxd6
cxd6
28.Qb6
with white initiative.) 27.cxd6
cxd6
28.Qb6
(28.Rc1
b5
29.Nb6
Rb8
30.Nxc8
Rxc8
) 28...Qxb6
29.Nxb6
Rb8
30.Rc1
(30.Nc4
Rd7
) 30...Bd7
31.Nc4
(31.Nxd7
Rxd7
32.Bh3
Rg7
33.Be6
Nh4
) 31...Nh4
(31...Be7
32.Ncxe5
dxe5
33.Nxe5
Be8
34.Nxg6+
Bxg6
35.Be5
Rd8
36.Bxg7+
Kxg7
37.Rc7
with a small white advantage.) 32.Nxd6
Nxf3
33.Rg2
g4
34.Rgc2
and the position remains very complicated.]
25.cxd6
cxd6
26.Rxg5!
Bxg5
27.Ncxe5!?
Not bad, but another possibility which I saw also was stronger: [27.Nxd6!
Nh6
28.Nxe5
Kg8
29.Nexf7
Nxf7
30.Nxc8
(30.Nxf7!?
Kxf7
31.Qd4
) 30...Nd7
(30...Rxc8
31.Qd4+-
) 31.Qd4!
Bf6
32.Qg1+!
Kf8
33.Bxf6
Qxf6
(33...Nxf6
34.Nb6
) 34.Bh3
Rxc8
35.Bxd7
Rc7
36.Be6+-
]
27...dxe5
28.Nxe5
Kg7
[28...Qe7
29.Nxf7+
Kh7
30.Nxg5+
Qxg5
31.Qd4
]
29.Nc6+
Qf6
30.Bxf6+
Bxf6
31.e5
bxc6
32.exf6+
Nxf6?
The final mistake. [After 32...Rxf6
I don't see a clear way to victory. Probably the best is 33.dxc6
(33.Bc4
Ne7
34.dxc6
Nxc6
35.Qd5
Ng6
36.Bd3
Ra7
; 33.Qd4
Ne7
) 33...Rxc6
34.b5!?
(34.Qd5
Ne7
35.Qe5+
(35.Qxh5
Nfg6
36.Bd3
Bb7
) 35...Kf7
36.Qxf4+
Rf6
37.Qe4
Ra7
) 34...axb5
35.Bxb5
Rg6
(35...Rf6?
36.Qd5
) 36.Be8
(36.Qd4+
Nf6
37.Qxf4
Ba6
with a small white advantage.) 36...Rf6
37.Qd4
(37.Qd5
Raa6
38.Rg1+
Ng6
; 37.Bxh5
Ra5
) 37...Bb7
38.Bxh5
Kh8
39.Qb2
Bd5
40.a4
with a clear advantage for White.]
33.dxc6
Be6
34.Rc1
Raa7
35.a4
Rae7
36.b5
axb5
37.axb5
N8d7
38.Bc4
Bxc4
39.Rxc4
Ne5
40.Rxf4
Re6
41.Qg1+
Kh8
42.Qc1
Nxc6
43.bxc6
Rc7
44.Rc4
Kg7
45.f4
Kf7
46.f5
Rd6
47.h3
Ng8
48.Rc2
Ne7
49.Qg5
Rcxc6
50.Qxh5+
Kf8
51.Qh8+
Kf7
52.Rg2
Nxf5
53.Qh7+
1-0