[Event "German Chess Bundesliga 2023-2024"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2024.02.24"] [Round "10"] [White "McShane, Luke J"] [Black "Baidetskyi, Valentin"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C07"] [WhiteElo "2618"] [BlackElo "2471"] [Annotator "Luke McShane"] [PlyCount "55"] [EventDate "2024.??.??"] [TimeControl "40/6000+30:20/3000+30:0"] 1. e4 e6 {After breakfast, I spent some time preparing for Stefan Kindermann. He had played on board 3 the previous day, and often plays the French defence. Just a couple of hours before the game began, I learned that I would instead face Baidetskyi, and so I abandoned my efforts in the French defence, since I expected a different opening from him. To my surprise, Baidetskyi played the French, so, the time I spent on it did not go to waste!} 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. Ngf3 cxd4 5. exd5 Qxd5 6. Bc4 Qd6 7. O-O {Black's position has been tested in thousands of games, and is theoretically completely sound. In a way, that is a bit surprising, since White has a very large lead in development, at the cost of just one pawn.} Nf6 8. Re1 {A rare line.} (8. Nb3 {is most common}) 8... Nc6 9. Ne4 Qb4 (9... Nxe4 10. Rxe4 Be7 {is a more popular continuation}) 10. b3 Be7 11. Bb2 b5 {A bit loosening, so this came as a surprise to me. I expected the bishop to develop to d7,} (11... e5 12. c3 $1 {The opening of the centre is disastrous for Black.}) 12. Bd3 Bb7 13. a4 (13. c3 Qa5 14. cxd4 {recovers the pawn immediately, but the bishop on b2 is not particularly well placed in this structure.}) 13... bxa4 14. Rxa4 Qb6 15. Nxd4 Rd8 16. Qa1 $1 {A strong way to defend the Nd4, which I discovered while considering 12.Bd3. I felt that it must be good to create two batteries simultaneously, on the a-file and long diagonal. If Black castles, then captures on c6 and then f6 will spell disaster.} Nb4 {[#]} 17. Nf5 $3 {A very powerful shot. I had a strong intuition that the tactics should favour White, due to the lead in development, and all pieces participating in the attack. But I understood that it was not possible to calculate everything, and played it quite quickly.} (17. Bb5+ {was my first thought, but after} Kf8 {there is no follow-up}) 17... Nxe4 {I analyzed four possible captures on e4 or d3, but the response is essentially the same: take on g7 with check, and then recapture.} (17... exf5 18. Nxf6+ gxf6 19. Rxe7+ Kxe7 20. Rxb4 Qxb4 21. Ba3 $18 {is the most important variation.}) 18. Nxg7+ Kf8 19. Bxe4 Rd2 (19... Bxe4 20. Rxe4 Rg8 {was the best option, since the remaining White pieces are a little bit clumsy. Nevertheless, White retains a large edge.} 21. g3 $16) 20. Rxb4 $1 {The knight on b4 posed a serious threat.} (20. Bxb7 Qxf2+ 21. Kh1 {was my original intention, but after} Nxc2 {White is the one who must be more careful}) 20... Bxb4 21. Bxb7 Rg8 (21... Qxf2+ 22. Kh1 Rxc2 23. Rf1 $1 {wins easily, since Nxe6+ is coming.}) (21... Qxb7 22. Ba3 $1 {is a strong move which I had in mind. Then} Bxa3 (22... Kg8 23. Nf5 $18 {is also crushing}) 23. Nxe6+ fxe6 24. Qxh8+ Ke7 25. Qxh7+ {wins. In fact, I was constantly looking for ways to open the queen's diagonal, so when the opportunity came for it at move 24, it took me no time to find the idea.}) 22. Bf3 {An interesting moment. It took me some time to decide between this and Be4. Placing the bishop on f3 is far stronger, though the reason is not obvious.} (22. Be4 Rxf2 $1 23. Bd4 Bc5 {is rather complex, though White keeps an advantage with a beautiful tactical shot:} 24. Qa3 $3) 22... Rxc2 (22... Rxf2 {The most important advantage of putting the bishop on f3 appears in the following variation} 23. Bd4 Bc5 24. Bxc5+ Qxc5 25. Nxe6+ fxe6 26. Qf6+ {and wins. Of course, if the bishop were on e4, this wouldn't be possible!}) 23. Bd4 Qa5 {[#]} 24. Bc5+ $1 {A pretty finish, but not difficult to calculate.} Qxc5 (24... Rxc5 25. Nxe6+ Ke7 26. Nxc5+ Bxe1 27. Qe5+ $1 {and mate follows soon.}) 25. Nxe6+ fxe6 26. Qf6+ Ke8 27. Qxe6+ Kd8 (27... Kf8 28. Qf6# {checkmate, now the e-pawn is gone.}) 28. Qxg8+ 1-0