[Event "Bundesliga 2223 "] [White "Van Wely,Loek"] [Black "Hracek,Zbynek"] [Site ""] [Round ""] [Annotator "Van Wely, Loek"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [Date "2022.10.23"] [WhiteElo "2629"] [BlackElo "2542"] [PlyCount "71"] 1. c4 {The first time I played Zbynek in the Bundesliga, I think it was 1997 in a cup match between SG Porz and SV Bremen. So needless to say we go a long way back. Only recently, in July I managed to beat him for the first time in my life with white. In that game I also opened with 1. c4, but unfortunately I forgot why.... Anyway i supposed I had good reasons to do so, so I decided to repeat it.} e5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 Bc5 4. Nc3 c6 {After this move I was basically on my own and I went for a deep think.} 5. e4 $5 (5. Nf3 {is the more critical move, of course. I was told about it after the game. I remembered vaguely...} e4 6. Nh4 d5 7. cxd5 cxd5 8. d3 Ng4 9. O-O g5 10. dxe4 gxh4 11. Bf4 {was like Caruana-van Foreest in Tata 2020 with huge complications. Probably good that I didn't remember!} )d5 $5 {Possibly not the best move, but a very bold one. Zbynek doesn't want to allow me to develop quietly (and rightly so) and gambles a bit.} 6. exd5 cxd5 7. cxd5 Bf5 8. d3 $6 {The most natural move but not the best and definetly not the most challenging.} (8. Nge2 Bd3 {I didn't like the look of this because I didn't see how to untangle myself. However there is a good way:} 9. b4 Be7 10. Bb2 O-O 11. Nc1 Bg6 12. a3 )({also} 8. Nf3 {was possible but after} Bd3 {I didn't consider} 9. Bf1 {at all} Bxf1 10. Kxf1 {and white is better here.} )Qb6 9. Qe2 $2 {After this natural move white is worse, he should have gone for} (9. Qd2 )O-O 10. Nf3 Qa6 {This is annoying since white can't take on e5.} 11. Ne4 {I have to admit, around here I started to miss a few moves, normally not a good sign!} Nbd7 ({To be honest with you, I completely missed that he could have taken the pawn on e4:} 11... Nxe4 12. dxe4 Qxe2+ 13. Kxe2 Bxe4 {but luckily I still have} 14. Nh4 )({ However my main focus was on} 11... Bb4+ 12. Bd2 Nxd5 {Needless to say, the move played in the game wasn't on my radar at all.} )12. Nh4 Bg4 13. f3 { When I played this move, even I realized that things could go wrong today, and that probably a draw isn't such a bad result :)} ({I did consider the more conservative} 13. Bf3 Bxf3 14. Qxf3 Bb4+ (14... Nxe4 {is even stronger:} 15. dxe4 Bb4+ 16. Bd2 Bxd2+ 17. Kxd2 f5 $1 18. exf5 e4 $1 {white's king won't live another day!} )15. Kf1 Nxd5 16. Nf5 {Pretending to have some attack, in which I didn't believe in , and indeed after} g6 {white is being pushed back.} )Bh5 14. Bh3 Rad8 15. Bd2 Bb6 16. Bxd7 Nxd7 17. Nf5 Nc5 18. Nxc5 Bxc5 19. Rc1 ({ I could have bailed out into some miserable endgame with good drawing chances, but both I and Zbynek missed an important detail.} 19. d4 Qxe2+ 20. Kxe2 exd4 21. g4 Bg6 22. b4 Bd6 23. Nxd6 Rxd6 24. Rac1 )Bg6 ({We both thought} 19... Rxd5 {wasn't possible because of} 20. b4 {But we both also missed that} Bd6 {is possible and white is busted!} )20. Rxc5 $6 ({Missing the nice desperado} 20. Nh6+ {destroying black's pawn structure.} )(20. d4 {was also a good way to escape to a better endgame version than the previous one:} Qxe2+ 21. Kxe2 Bxf5 22. Rxc5 )Bxf5 21. Ra5 Qg6 22. Bb4 Rfe8 23. d6 {I spent here a lot of my remaining time left, because I realized that Zbynek has a possibility that I didn't see coming before.} Bxd3 {this is what I expected ( and it's good) but I was more worried about} (23... e4 {opening up the position. Not the best, but feared the most!} 24. Qe3 {This was my brilliant idea, but after} (24. d7 Re6 25. O-O exd3 )(24. O-O {is probably still best, but obviously black is much better after} exd3 25. Qd2 Re2 26. Qf4 Bd7 )exf3 25. Re5 Rxe5 26. Qxe5 Bd7 $1 {black is in control.} )24. Qe3 e4 25. f4 Rxd6 $2 {Unnecessary.} ({With} 25... Qf6 26. Bc3 Qxd6 {he could have picked up the d6 pawn for free. Attack on g7 is not existent and at some point black will land a rook on d3 and the game wil be over.} )26. Rg5 Qh6 27. Bxd6 Qxd6 28. Qc5 $2 {Suddenly I felt optimistic again and wanted to be active. Probably dreaming of getting my king on e3 as well. Better was just to activate the other rook and things wouldn't have been clear, especially in time trouble.} (28. Kf2 Qb4 29. Rd1 Qxb2+ 30. Rd2 Qb1 31. g4 $1 {and my king will be very comfortable on g3} )Qd7 29. Qc3 g6 30. Re5 Rc8 31. Rc5 Re8 (31... Rd8 $1 )32. h3 {It is not that I didn't want a draw, but i was suspicious that black could improve somehow. And this time my intuition didn't let me down.} (32. Kd2 $1 {would have been quite a move, and last but not least, showing understanding! Bring the king to relative safety (c1) and at the same time activating the rook on h1. I guess, after suffering from a heart attack first, my team mates would have been proud of me later, if I was still alive of course : )} )e3 33. Rh2 e2 34. Re5 ({I almost played} 34. Rf2 {but then noticed just on time that} Qxh3 {could be unpleasant.} )Rc8 (34... Rd8 35. h4 )35. Rc5 Re8 (35... Rd8 $1 36. Re5 Ba6 37. Rhxe2 Bxe2 38. Rxe2 Qxh3 { white being a pawn down , and an unsafe king, there is little to hope for.} )36. Re5 {Here I made my best ( and most shameful) move and offered a draw. For that I should apologize to Zbynek. However, I am very happy, he took it! Thus my team Solingen won the match 4.5 -3.5...} 1/2-1/2