[Event "Dorset Rapidplay 2021"] [Site "lichess.org"] [Date "2021.03.14"] [Round "?"] [White "Furjel, Andrej"] [Black "Anderson, Peter"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "A26"] [WhiteElo "173"] [BlackElo "180"] [Annotator "peter"] [PlyCount "80"] [EventDate "2021.??.??"] [EventType "rapid"] [SourceVersionDate "2010.04.18"] [TimeControl "600+5"] 1. Nf3 g6 2. c4 Bg7 3. Nc3 e5 4. g3 d6 5. Bg2 f5 6. d3 Nf6 7. O-O Nc6 {The scene is already set. White will advance his pawns on the queenside aiming to exploit the long diagonal and open the a or b file for his heavy pieces. He may also play Nd5 safe in the knoweldge that if Black takes it then cxd5 leaves the c7 pawn as a permanent target down the c-file. Black has two ways of playing the position: carefully defend on the queenside and centre or launch a full scale king-side attack.} 8. Bg5 (8. Rb1 {is more common but 8. Bg5 is also popular}) 8... h6 9. Bxf6 Qxf6 10. Rb1 O-O 11. Nd5 Qf7 12. Nd2 Nd8 13. b4 {In a practical sense one of Black's challenges is that he has so many choices: on the queenside whether to play a5 and/or c6 both of which have pros and cons, and if attacking whether to push a pawn to g4 or f4 and whether to push his h-pawn too.} c6 {Black accepts that c6 may become weak in the long run and the b-file will be opened but gains time and cuts out any issues with Bd5 winning the queen.} 14. Nc3 h5 15. b5 h4 16. bxc6 bxc6 17. Qc2 Bf6 18. Nb3 {the knight heads off to a5 to attack c6 but never gets there} hxg3 19. hxg3 Qh7 {with the crude idea of doubling on the h-file and a more subtle idea of playing Qh6 and Qe3 in some lines.} 20. Nd2 {the knight heads back for defensive duties} Kg7 21. Nf3 Rh8 22. e3 Ne6 (22... g5 {this straightforward move is stronger}) 23. Rfc1 g5 24. Kf1 (24. Qa4 {is a more active alternative}) 24... f4 $15 {We have a complicated position which would be challenging even with plenty of time. But at this point White only had 50 seconds left and Black 2 min 42 seconds. Not surprisingly both players miss the strongest options during the next few moves.} 25. Ne4 (25. d4) (25. Ne1) 25... Be7 { Too slow} (25... g4 26. Nxf6 (26. Nfd2 f3 {and the bishop is trapped} 27. Nxf3 gxf3 28. Bxf3 Be7 $19) 26... Kxf6 27. Nh4 f3 28. Bh1 Bd7 {with the White minor pieces immobilised Black is in the driving seat}) 26. g4 {natural to prevent g4 by Black} (26. Ke2 {is an ingenious pawn sac revealed by engines} g4 27. gxf4 Qf5 (27... gxf3+ 28. Bxf3 $16 {and Black's king comes under fire e.g.} Kf7 29. Rh1 Qg8 30. f5)) (26. gxf4 exf4 (26... gxf4 $2 27. Ke2 {and suddenly it is Black's king which is in more danger}) 27. Qc3+ Kg8 {is about equal according to engines but is very complicated and in practice a draw is unlikely!}) 26... Nf8 (26... d5 $11) 27. Ke2 (27. exf4 $16 gxf4 28. d4 Bxg4 29. Rb7 (29. dxe5 d5) ) 27... Bxg4 $17 28. Rb7 Ng6 (28... Nd7 $17 {unpins the B on e7 and so defends g5}) 29. Rh1 (29. Kd2 {was a reasonable alternative to unpin the knight}) (29. Nexg5 Qh5 {the most obvious choice but not necessarily the strongest} (29... Qh4 $5) (29... Qg8 $5) 30. Kd2 $11) 29... Qg8 30. Nexg5 Rxh1 31. Bxh1 Qh8 ( 31... fxe3 32. fxe3 Qh8 33. Bg2 Rf8) 32. Bg2 Qh2 $11 {So far while the play has been far from perfect there have been no outright howlers} (32... fxe3 $19 33. fxe3 Rf8 $1 34. Qa4 (34. Kd2 Kh6 {picks up the knight on g5}) 34... Qh2 35. Kf1 Bxf3 36. Nxf3 Nh4 37. Rxe7+ Kg8 38. Qc2 Nxf3) (32... Qh5 $17 33. Kd2 Kf8 34. Qa4 Bxg5 35. Qxc6 Rd8 36. Nxg5 Qxg5 37. Bd5 Ne7 38. Qc7) 33. Qa4 {An unfortunate blunder due to severe time pressure (at this point Andrej only had 14 seconds left) that effectively decides the game.} (33. Kf1 $11 Qh5 {at first sight this looks like it will cleanly win a piece but White can generate enough counterplay e.g} 34. c5 (34. Ke2 Qxg5) 34... d5 35. Qa4 Rc8 (35... Kg8 36. Qxc6 Bxg5 37. Qxd5+ Kh8 38. Nxe5 {and White is better}) 36. exf4 (36. Qxa7 Kf8) 36... exf4 37. Rxe7+ Nxe7 38. Qxf4 $11) 33... Qxg2 34. Qxc6 fxe3 35. Kxe3 Bxf3 36. Nxf3 Rf8 37. Qe4 Rf7 38. Rxa7 {drops more material and any last hopes} Bg5+ 39. Nxg5 Qxg5+ (39... Qxf2# {Was even better!}) 40. Ke2 Rxa7 0-1