[Event "London Paris IDF Chess Congress - Open"] [Site "Paris, France"] [Date "2020.06.13"] [Round "5"] [White "Robert, Yoann"] [Black "Valentine, Tim"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A01"] [WhiteElo "2071"] [BlackElo "1602"] [Annotator "ChesspatzerESP"] [PlyCount "103"] [EventDate "2020.??.??"] 1. b3 e5 2. Bb2 Nc6 3. e3 Nf6 4. c4 ({The main line goes} 4. Bb5 Bd6 5. Na3) 4... d6 5. d4 $6 {It seems premature to open the centre at this point as white is not really prepared to castle yet.} exd4 6. exd4 d5 7. Nf3 Bb4+ 8. Nbd2 O-O 9. Be2 {This allows 9... Ne4, creating some tactical threats. White should have played a3 instead, with a view to unpin the knight} Bf5 (9... Ne4 $1 { Time to take the initative. White has not managed to castle yet and the knight on d2 would have been happier on c3. On the other hand, Black pieces are invading white's camp.} 10. O-O Bc3 $3 {White will lose the d4 pawn at the end of this line.} 11. Rb1 Nxd2 12. Nxd2 Bxb2 13. Rxb2 Nxd4) 10. O-O Re8 11. Ne5 Nxe5 12. dxe5 Ne4 13. Nxe4 Bxe4 $6 {Black ignores white's natural response, taking on e4 wiht the pawn was more natural} 14. f3 $16 Bc5+ 15. Kh1 Bf5 16. cxd5 Qh4 17. Rc1 Qe7 18. Bd3 Bg6 $2 19. Qc2 $6 {White can play this move with a tempo as c5 is under attack, but the pawn thrust f3-f4-f5 is more direct, and the queen can be transfered to the king side with more ease from d1 than c2 } Bb6 20. Qc3 Rad8 21. Bxg6 hxg6 22. Rcd1 Kh7 23. f4 Qh4 $2 24. Rd3 $1 { Nimzowitsch was aware of the indirect explotation of the file as a "jumping-off place". Ok, this is a well-timed rook lift - a middlegame maneuvre that every serious chess player should take to heart.} Qe7 {Admitting the mistake.} 25. Rh3+ (25. f5 $1 {Giving the pawn to open lines is crushing} gxf5 $2 26. Rh3+ Kg8 27. Rh5 g6 28. e6) 25... Kg8 26. d6 cxd6 27. exd6 Qf8 28. Qg3 $2 Qxd6 (28... Re3 $1 $11 {was stronger, forcing the exchange of rooks, eliminating mat threats and winning the d6 pawn.}) 29. Qh4 f6 30. Qh7+ Kf7 31. Rg3 g5 32. fxg5 Qxg3 $2 33. hxg3 (33. Rxf6+ {We cannot really critizise white's play but this beautiful mate in two was worth the price of admission.} Ke7 34. Qxg7#) 33... Rh8 34. g6+ $2 $11 (34. Rxf6+ {This capture is the way for white to get out of the pin with advantage.} Ke7 35. Ba3+ Kd7 36. Rf7+ Kc6 37. Rxg7 $16) 34... Ke6 35. Re1+ Kf5 36. Re7 Rxh7+ 37. gxh7 Kg6 38. Kh2 Rh8 39. g4 Rxh7+ 40. Kg3 Rh1 41. Rxb7 Rb1 42. Ba3 {Threatening Bf8.} Rh1 $2 (42... Rd1 $1 {Instructive way to protect g8.} 43. Bf8 Rd8 $1 {Surprise! Now the g7 pawn is poisoned.} 44. Rxg7+ (44. Bxg7 $2 {is a serious mistake due to} Rg8) 44... Kh6 $1 {... and black can force the draw because the discovery attack gets white nowhere} 45. Rf7+ Kg6 $11) 43. Bf8 {The rest is a technical win.} Rh7 44. a4 Bd4 45. a5 f5 46. Rd7 Be5+ 47. Kf3 fxg4+ 48. Kxg4 Rh8 49. Bc5 Ra8 50. Rxa7 Rxa7 51. Bxa7 Bc3 52. a6 {And black resigned.} 1-0