[Event "Crossroads Invitational XXI Arena"]
[Site "lichess.org"]
[Date "2020.08.08"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Paul H."]
[Black "deep_swindle"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C37"]
[WhiteElo "2100"]
[BlackElo "1902"]
[PlyCount "112"]
[EventDate "2020.??.??"]
[TimeControl "180+2"]
{[%evp 0,112,19,38,25,-21,-16,-28,-20,-81,-5,-167,-11,-39,-40,-54,-73,-77,-53,
-46,-46,-117,-114,-133,-128,-112,-114,-213,-218,-206,-207,-221,-234,-228,-225,
-230,-223,-220,-220,-192,-190,-214,-231,-243,-236,-971,-202,-196,-177,-194,
-162,-195,-186,-175,-154,-156,-98,-69,-111,-116,-120,-357,-197,-263,-282,-316,
-327,-460,-222,-29983,-214,-249,-247,-241,-266,-272,-275,-274,-286,-319,-270,
-297,-108,-109,-109,-109,-115,-168,-116,-230,-100,-110,-111,-107,-103,-141,-46,
-151,-245,-237,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]} 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4.
Nc3 Nc6 {This is new. Normally my opponent plays g4 followed by h5. Nc6 is a
better option.} 5. Bc4 $2 {Natural but wrong. Black's expanded kingside pawns
need to be dealt with, preferably by being broken up.} (5. g3 $1 {This is what
makes the KGA so complicated. This looks weakening for White but Black has
already weakened his kingside which justifies this move. Counterplay is the
number one important theme to understand in the KGA. Also, White still has the
option of queenside castling.} g4 6. Nh4 Nd4 7. Nd5 f3 8. c3 Ne6 9. d4 h5 10.
Bd3 c6 11. Ne3 Nf4 12. d5 d6 13. Nef5 Nxd3+ 14. Qxd3 Nh6 15. dxc6 bxc6 16. Bf4
Nxf5 17. exf5 Bg7 18. O-O-O $11) 5... Bg7 6. O-O $6 {While not wrong, playing
d4 is what is needed first.} (6. d4 {At first this looks wrong given} g4 (6...
h6) (6... d6 7. h4 h6 $11 (7... Bg4 8. hxg5 Bxd4 9. Bxf4 Bxc3+ 10. bxc3 Nge7
11. Be3 $11) 8. Qd3 $11) 7. Bxf4 gxf3 8. Qxf3 d6 $44 {but Black has enormous
compensation for the piece.} (8... Nxd4 $6 9. Bxf7+ Kf8 (9... Kxf7 $2 10. Qh5+
Ke6 11. Qd5+ Ke7 12. Bg5+ Bf6 13. Bxf6+ Nxf6 14. Qxd4 $16)) (8... Bxd4 9. Nb5
Qf6 10. Nxc7+ Kd8 11. Nxa8 Bxb2 12. Bc7+ Ke7 13. Rd1 Ne5 14. Qxf6+ Nxf6 15.
Bd6+ $16) 9. Bxf7+ Kxf7 10. Qh5+ Kf8 11. Bg5 Nf6 12. O-O Nxd4 13. e5 dxe5 14.
Bxf6 Bxf6 15. Ne4 Bf5 16. Rxf5 Nxf5 17. Qxf5 Rg8 18. Nxf6 Qd4+ 19. Kh1 Rg6 20.
Rf1 $14) 6... d6 7. d4 Bg4 $15 8. Ne2 Bxf3 $6 (8... h6 9. c3 Nf6 10. Qc2 Qd7
11. Bd3 Ne7 12. h3 Bh5 $15) 9. Rxf3 Qe7 {[#]A critical position. Black has the
right idea in attacking e4 but he should have done so with Nf6. I took a lot
of time to consider the alternatives. A calm assessment of the position is
that c3 is best here. If White capture on e4, Black is likely to have
compensation given his ability to open the f-file and put pressure on f7.} 10.
Bd5 $6 (10. c3 O-O-O (10... Qxe4 $4 11. Nxf4 $1 {As mentioned earlier, the
opening of the f-file and specifically, that targeted f7 square is crushing.}
gxf4 12. Rxf4 $18) 11. Ng3 $5 {This just shows how complex this position is.}
Bf8 12. Nh5 Qxe4 13. Bd3 Qe6 $11) 10... Nf6 {The natural reply. Developing a
piece and continuing to build pressure. Black still has the option of castling
on either wing.} 11. Nc3 (11. c3 $5 {Protecting d4 and parting with the e4
pawn.} O-O-O (11... Nxe4 12. g3 {The thematic opening of the f-file.} Nf6 13.
Bxc6+ bxc6 14. gxf4 gxf4 15. Bxf4 O-O-O 16. Ng3 $11) 12. g3 Nxd5 13. exd5 Qe4
14. Rf2 Qxd5 $15) (11. Nxf4 $1 gxf4 12. Bxf4 $17) 11... O-O 12. Bxc6 {Trading
off material to relieve pressure on the center.} bxc6 {We see the problems
with NOT playing g3. The c1 bishop is bad and has no future prospects.} 13. Rf1
$4 {Trying to re-route the rook to the e-file but this is too slow.} (13. g3 $1
{The only move for counterplay.} Nxe4 14. gxf4 g4 15. Re3 d5 16. Nxe4 dxe4 17.
Qxg4 Kh8 18. Kf1 Bxd4 19. Rg3 $17) 13... Nxe4 14. Nxe4 Qxe4 15. c3 Rfe8 {
Black grabs the file and should have complete control for the rest of the game.
} 16. Bd2 (16. h4 {Trying to undermine the f4 pawn.} h6 17. hxg5 hxg5 $19 {
White's c1 bishop has no scope and his King is under full-scale attack.}) 16...
Rab8 $5 {A nice touch. With control of the e-file, Black activates his other
rook and begins to pressure the b-pawn.} 17. Re1 $2 {b3 is best but all moves
have varying degrees of hopelessness.} Qd3 $1 {Another good move, hemming in
the bishop further and preparing c5 ideas.} 18. b3 c5 19. dxc5 dxc5 20. Rc1
Red8 (20... c4 {A hard move to find, particularly in a blitz game.} 21. Rxe8+
Rxe8 22. Be1 Rd8 $19) 21. Rc2 Rd7 22. Qe2 $4 {A combination of time trouble
and desperation which hangs the c2 rook.} Qxe2 $4 {Black is in time trouble
too and misses the free rook. Still, Black is winning.} 23. Rxe2 Rbd8 24. Be1
Rd1 25. Kf1 g4 26. Re4 Bh6 27. Rce2 {I'm still lost but at least my rooks are
double and active on a file.} f5 $2 {Logical but this allows trades which
favors the defender.} 28. Re8+ Rxe8 29. Rxe8+ Kf7 30. Rh8 $4 {It's important
to note that putting a rook on a dark square is generally bad given Bg7-c3
will win the pinned bishop on e1.} (30. Rc8 Rd7 31. Ke2 a6 $19) 30... Kg6 $2 (
30... Bg7 31. Rc8 Bxc3 32. Rxc7+ Ke6 33. Rc6+ Kd5 34. Rc8 Rxe1+ $19) 31. Rc8 f3
32. gxf3 gxf3 33. Rxc7 $2 Bg5 ({White's dark squares are a mess and Black gets
to infiltrate with} 33... Be3 34. Re7 f4 $19) 34. Rxc5 f2 35. Kxf2 Bh4+ 36. Kf3
Rxe1 37. Rc6+ Kg5 38. Rc7 Rf1+ 39. Ke3 Kg6 40. Rxa7 Bf2+ (40... Bg5+ 41. Ke2
Rh1 42. Ra6+ Kh5 43. Kf3 Rxh2 44. Ra5 Kg6 45. Ra6+ Bf6 46. b4 $19) 41. Ke2 Bxa7
42. Kxf1 {What follows is a time scramble on both sides.} Bb8 43. Kg2 Kf6 44.
Kf3 $4 Ke5 (44... Bxh2 $19) 45. h3 Bd6 46. a4 Ba3 47. h4 h5 48. b4 Bb2 49. c4
Kd6 $4 {Suddenly, the position is dead equal.} (49... Ba3 {Stopping the pawns
and winning.}) 50. Kf4 Bf6 51. Kxf5 Bxh4 52. Kg6 Be1 53. Kxh5 Bxb4 54. Kg4 Kc5
55. Kf3 Kxc4 56. a5 Bxa5 {Drawn due to insufficient material.} 1/2-1/2