[Event "POL-ch"] [Site "Poznan"] [Date "2016.04.03"] [Round "5"] [White "Bartel, Mateusz"] [Black "Wojtaszek, Radoslaw"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B90"] [WhiteElo "2625"] [BlackElo "2713"] [Annotator "Bartel,M"] [PlyCount "116"] [EventDate "2016.03.30"] [EventType "tourn"] [EventRounds "9"] [EventCountry "POL"] [EventCategory "15"] [SourceTitle "CBM 172"] [Source "ChessBase"] [SourceDate "2016.05.12"] [SourceVersion "1"] [SourceVersionDate "2016.05.12"] [SourceQuality "1"] {Before this game, which was played in round 4, Radek was leading with 3.5 out of 4, while I had drawn all of my games. So, if I wanted to join the battle for the highest places, I must have started winning. Therefore, I was in a fighting mood.} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 {The Najdorf. Not a big surprise when facing Radoslaw.} 6. Nb3 {It was already the 3rd time I had played this move and Radek should have been well prepared for that. He wasn't, however. The trick is that I usually play a lot of different "unimportant" lines and my opponent didn't expect me to repeat this. This time, I decided it was a nice idea to play Nb3 once again, as earlier, playing agaimst 2 specialists in the Najdorf (Gelfand and Artemiev) I had got fantastic posistions out of the opening. This time I got a nice game again! The line itself is not new anyhow - it has been played almost 100 times. At the same time, there were very few games played by a GM, so looking at things from that angle, it's kind of fresh air in this area. The first (if I am not misaken) GM who tried it was Vladimir Onischuk, but while commenting on this game I had already played 5 games, so I am getting quite experienced in his line. What's the point of this strange move, which looks like retreat from a nice place, without visible reason? Well, the simplest explanation is that now, after 6...e5, White may play 7. Bg5. The other pluses aren't that clear, but also the line from the game shows that the early Nb3 made some sense.} e6 { One of the most natural reactions.} ({Both Gelfand, after} 6... Nc6 7. Be3 e6 8. g4 b5 9. Bg2 Bb7 10. g5 Nd7 11. f4 Nb6 12. Qe2 Nc4 13. O-O-O Nxe3 14. Qxe3 $14 {1/2 (77) Bartel,M (2625)-Gelfand,B (2735) Moscow 2016}) ({and Artemiev after} 6... g6 7. Be2 Bg7 8. g4 h6 9. Be3 Nc6 10. f3 b5 11. Qd2 Be6 12. O-O-O Rc8 13. Kb1 Ne5 14. h4 {1-0 (40) Bartel,M (2625)-Artemiev,V (2674) Moscow 2016, didn't get good positions, so people started to play flexibly.}) ( 6... Nbd7 {There were already 3 games after that and in all of them Black got a decent game:} 7. g4 h6 8. Bg2 (8. a4 Qc7 9. Bg2 Ne5 10. h3 g5 11. f4 gxf4 12. Bxf4 {1-0 (38) Bartel,M (2623)-Ragger,M (2695) Germany 2016}) 8... b5 9. h4 b4 10. Nd5 Nxd5 11. exd5 Ne5 12. g5 (12. f3 g6 13. Be3 Bg7 $15 {0-1 (45) Kanarek,M (2532)-Wojtaszek,R (2713) Poznan 2016}) 12... hxg5 13. Bxg5 Bg4 14. f3 Bh5 15. Qe2 {1/2 (60) Bartel,M (2625)-Swiercz,D (2665) Poznan 2016}) 7. g4 {One of the main ideas of 6.Nb3. With the knight on b3 e6-e5 is now unsound.} b5 {This is probably not a correct move, as the game shows that Black gets into trouble.} (7... h6 {is probably the move should be tried here, which would make it quite similiar to the Keres Attack.}) 8. Bg2 Bb7 9. g5 b4 ({A better move is} 9... Nfd7 {, but White would still be satisfied with that position.}) 10. Nd5 {At this point Radek felt into deep thought. It was kind of a personal victory, as this is a man who is usually very well prepared. This time he was not only surprised, but his position is just very unpleasant.} Nxd5 {A human's reaction.} ({The crucial line is of course} 10... exd5 11. gxf6 dxe4 {. Radek rejected it because of} 12. Qd4 ({ Since Qxf6 is not a lot of fun, because of Na5, White can try a lot of moves here. Engines suggest at least 4 interesting options:} 12. Qg4) (12. Qh5) (12. Rg1) (12. Be3 {and all of them need to be checked. The position is very complicated, but it's Black whose task is the more demanding.}) 12... Qxf6 13. Qxb4 Bc6 {, but actually here, Black, being a pawn up, may be just fine.}) 11. exd5 e5 12. a3 {This is where my preparation ended. White is already much better, mainly because of the fact that he can start quick action on the queenside, where the black pieces are very uncoordinated.} Be7 ({During the game I expected rather} 12... bxa3 13. Rxa3 a5 {where White can, at least, go for} 14. Bd2 a4 15. Qa1 axb3 16. Rxa8 Bxa8 17. Qxa8 bxc2 18. Qa4+ Qd7 19. Qxc2) 13. axb4 Bxg5 14. Na5 ({The move in the game isn't wrong, but even stronger was} 14. c4 {with the very trivial idea of c4-c5, trying to go with the pawn as far as possible. Black should be almost out of hope around here.}) 14... Bc8 15. Bxg5 {Having a very wide choice, I started to play very slowly here, giving Black a chance to build up a very solid position.} ({ Again, the simple} 15. c4 {was very strong.}) 15... Qxg5 16. Qf3 (16. O-O { was an interesting option, but I wasn't sure if castling short was good.}) 16... O-O 17. Qg3 Qe7 18. O-O-O {When this position appeared on the board, I was more than satisfied. I thought that Black can do just nothing, while I can slowly prepare progress on the queenside. This feeling was shared by Radek, who also thought he was worse (but at the same time he felt that maybe there was some way to defend). However, looking at this position with engines, gives you a slightly different impresion - Black is only slightly worse, if at all!} f5 {.} 19. f4 {The only logical move, as allowing f5-f5 would be too much.} e4 {The structure here is very untypical. At first sight it looks like only the black side has weaknesess, but when you take a deeper look you realise that the advantage on the kingside gives Black some options too. It shouldn't be forgotten that now, when the bishop from g2 has been limited by the e4-pawn, the knight's option of moving to c6 isn't that real any longer. There is no clear plan for White, but pressing on the g-file, while building up something on the queenside seems quite unpleasant for Black.} 20. h4 ({A bit pointless, as there is no direct plan connected with this move. A more logical way of playing would be something like} 20. Rhg1 Nd7 21. Bf1 ({actually, the strongest is} 21. Nc6 Qf7 22. Bh3 Nf6 23. Nd4 {with real pressure, but this would never cross my mind.}) 21... Nf6 22. Be2 Bd7 23. Kb1) 20... Nd7 21. Bf1 { The bishop was useless on the h1-a8 diagonal, and it must change location. e2 seems to be the most reasonable square.} Nf6 22. Qe3 {Probably a bit too careful, as e4-e3 was never an option. That's why I could have played h4-h5 or Bf1-e2 here.} Bd7 23. Be2 Be8 ({Starting from here, Radek plays too solidly. It was better to look for some active counterplay like} 23... Rfc8 24. h5 h6 25. Rhg1 Bb5 26. c4 {and now there is a strange forced line:} Qa7 27. Qc3 Nxd5 28. Rxg7+ Qxg7 29. Rxd5 {with a very complicated, unbalanced position. It must be said, however, that Radek didn't believe that he could achieve anything on the queenside, as he thought White was very solid there.}) 24. h5 h6 25. Rh3 {I thought that this move might be very flexible - I can try to double rooks on the g-file and at the same time can think about something like Rh3-c3 or Rh3-a3 sometimes.} Kh7 26. Qd4 Bf7 27. c4 {With the bishop on f7 Black is not as dangerous as with the bishop on the queenside. Still, Black's position is very solid, though I believe it is not so in the long run - it's rather difficult to hold it.} Qd7 28. Kb1 {So, up till now, I had done almost everything I wanted to do when I catled long. The last thing is to prepare pressure on the g-file and later I may start to shuffle pieces - for example the knight from a5 can start some random moving and sooner or later some tricks should begin to appear.} Qe8 29. Rdh1 Rg8 ({It's difficult to find something for Black, but probably a better try was} 29... Qb8) 30. Nc6 ({ Being focused on the g-file and on improving the position of my knight, I completely forgot that there was a move like} 30. Qb6 {with the idea of trading the queens. Without ladies on the board, White is close to winning.}) 30... Qd7 31. Rg1 ({It was better to pla Rg3, as the rook on h3, as happened in the game, may be a tactical weakness. Also, from g3 the rook can move somewhere along the 3rd rank.} 31. Rg3) 31... Qb7 32. Qd2 {The threat was Be8.} Be8 33. Nd4 {The knight on a5 was a nice piece, but on d4 it had to be much better!} Rb8 34. Rhg3 ({With the rook on g3 Black would be able to play this plan, as I'd play} 34. Nxf5 {which now is impossible because of both} Qd7 (34... Bd7)) 34... Qxb4 ({Being tired of defending this "boring" position, Radek decides to change the character of the position, hoping that in a concrete endgame a blunder is more possible. It was possible to play the simple} 34... Bd7 {, but after} 35. Nc2 {White is slightly better and should be able to improve the position, step by step.} ({Actually, during the game I also thought that} 35. Bd1 {trying to push the queen into the attack might be a wise idea, but it does not work:} Qxb4 36. Qg2 Qxc4 (36... Kh8 37. Rb3 ( 37. Rxg7 {but not} Qxb2+) 37... Qxc4 38. Rxb8) 37. Rxg7+ Kh8 38. Nc6 Bxc6 39. dxc6 Ng4 40. c7 Rbc8 41. Be2 Qe6 42. Rxg8+ Qxg8 43. Rc1 {with "typical" 0.00 by the engines.})) 35. Qxb4 Rxb4 36. Nxf5 Nxh5 ({At the beginning Radek wanted to play} 36... Bxh5 37. Rxg7+ Rxg7 38. Rxg7+ Kh8 39. Bxh5 Nxh5 {, but he rejected it because of} 40. Rg4 {with a strong idea of Rh4. }) 37. Bxh5 Bxh5 38. Rxg7+ Rxg7 39. Rxg7+ Kh8 40. Rc7 {Simple and strong. White is completely winning now, but I started to be fighting with ghosts...} Be2 {The only practical chance - Black is trying to create mating net.} 41. Nxd6 Bd3+ (41... e3 42. Kc2) 42. Ka2 ({The simple} 42. Kc1 e3 (42... Ra4 43. Kd2) 43. Nf7+ {(this idea I had missed)} Kg8 44. Ne5 {was a trivial win, as there is no mating net now, as the king (after Ra4 later) can always go to d1.}) 42... e3 43. b3 Bc2 (43... e2 44. Re7) 44. Re7 ({Another simple win was} 44. Nf7+ Kg8 45. d6) 44... Bxb3+ (44... Rxb3 45. c5) 45. Ka3 ({ There was the much simpler} 45. Kb2 Bd1+ 46. Kc3 Rb3+ 47. Kd4 e2 48. c5) 45... a5 {Here I understood that things were going in the wrong direction and started to calculate variations more carefully. Luckily, there was still a way to win this game.} 46. Nb7 ({This is winning, but also a rook endgame would give the full point. I failed , however, to calculate it to the end. It's also always risky to go into rook endgames...} 46. Rxe3 Bxc4 47. Nxc4 Rxc4 48. Rd3 Rxf4 (48... Rc8 49. d6 Kg7 50. d7 Rd8 51. Ka4 Kf6 52. Kb5 Ke6 53. Kc6) 49. d6 Rf8 50. d7 Rd8 51. Ka4 Kg7 52. Kb5 (52. Kxa5 Kf6) 52... Kf6 53. Kc6) 46... Bd1 ({The point is that after} 46... Bxc4 47. Nxa5 {Black loses material. }) 47. d6 Ra4+ 48. Kb2 Bg4 49. c5 {The connected pawns are unstoppable now.} e2 50. c6 Rd4 51. f5 {The point. Now Black's coordination is destroyed.} Bxf5 52. Rxe2 Kg7 53. d7 Bxd7 54. Re7+ Kf6 55. Rxd7 Rc4 56. Rd6+ Ke5 57. Rxh6 a4 58. Na5 Kd5 1-0