[Event "Irish Corr.Chess Championship "] [White "Weir,David"] [Black "Dilworth,Vernon"] [Site ""] [Round ""] [Annotator "Nagesh Havanur"] [Result "0-1"] [Date "1941.??.??"] [PlyCount "40"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 {The Ruy Lopez or the Spanish is one of the oldest openings in chess.} a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4 {The Open Spanish advocated by Dr. Tarrasch. In modern times Viktor Korchnoi was its greatest exponent. Currently Fabiano Caruana is its leading exponent and he has played it on both sides of the board.} (5... Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 {is the standard line of Closed Spanish.} )6. d4 b5 ({The Riga Variation runs} 6... exd4 7. Re1 d5 8. Nxd4 Bd6 $5 9. Nxc6 Bxh2+ $1 10. Kh1 $1 (10. Kxh2 $2 Qh4+ 11. Kg1 Qxf2+ 12. Kh2 Qh4+ $11 {only results in a draw with perpetual check.} )Qh4 11. Rxe4+ $1 dxe4 12. Qd8+ Qxd8 13. Nxd8+ Kxd8 14. Kxh2 $16 {White has two pieces for Black's rook and two pawns. Results have favoured White and the engine indicates a win for Whte in the long run.} )7. Bb3 d5 ({If} 7... exd4 $2 8. Re1 d5 9. Nc3 $1 Be6 ({Not} 9... dxc3 $4 10. Bxd5 $18 )10. Nxe4 dxe4 11. Rxe4 $16 )8. dxe5 Be6 {Both the White pawn on e5 and the Black knight on e4 look menacing. However, they can be undermined and become a source of weakness rather than strength. For now Black has the freer position as White is yet to develop the pieces on the queenside. White can play Rd1 and exert pressure on Black's d-pawn and also open the queenside with a2-a4.} 9. c3 (9. Qe2 {making room for Rd1 piling pressure on d5 is the Keres line.} )(9. Nbd2 Nc5 10. c3 d4 11. Ng5 $1 {Introduced by Igor Zaitsev and played by Karpov against Korchnoi in the World Championship 1978. The idea is also attributed to Tal.} Qxg5 12. Qf3 O-O-O ({Not} 12... Kd7 $2 13. Bd5 $1 Nxe5 14. Bxe6+ fxe6 15. Qxa8 $18 )13. Bxe6+ fxe6 14. Qxc6 Qxe5 15. b4 Qd5 16. Qxd5 exd5 17. bxc5 dxc3 18. Nb3 d4 19. Ba3 g6 20. Bb4 Bg7 $13 )Bc5 10. Nbd2 O-O 11. Bc2 Nxf2 $5 {The Dilworth Variation makes its debut.} (11... Bf5 12. Nb3 Bg6 {is standard.} )(11... f5 12. Nb3 Bb6 13. Nfd4 Nxd4 14. Nxd4 Bxd4 15. cxd4 {and the ensuing complications have a chequered history with some of the greatest players participating, Botvinnik, Boleslavsky, Reshevsky, Smyslov and Tal to mention a few.} (15. Qxd4 c5 16. Qd1 f4 17. f3 Ng3 18. Rf2 (18. hxg3 fxg3 19. Qd3 Qh4 20. Qxh7+ Qxh7 21. Bxh7+ Kxh7 22. Bg5 $14 )Nh5 $13 {a quieter line.} )f4 16. f3 Ng3 17. hxg3 fxg3 18. Qd3 $1 Bf5 19. Qxf5 Rxf5 20. Bxf5 Qh4 21. Bh3 Qxd4+ 22. Kh1 Qxe5 23. Bd2 Qxb2 24. Bf4 d4 25. Bxg3 c5 26. Rae1 d3 27. Be6+ Kh8 28. Be5 {All known so far according to theory and practice. Now the engine suggestion is} Qa3 $1 {followed by ...c5-c4. The position still remains unclear.} )12. Rxf2 f6 {The pinned rook would not go away. Meanwhile this move opens up the f-file. Its drawback is that Black has only one centre pawn after White's next move. In the other line Black has two centre pawns joining the attack.} (12... Bxf2+ 13. Kxf2 f6 14. Nf1 fxe5 15. Kg1 {is currently in vogue.} )13. exf6 Bxf2+ 14. Kxf2 Qxf6 {Black has given up two pieces for the rook with powerful pressure on the f-file. If White can develop his own pieces on the queenside, he can meet Black on his own terms.} 15. Nb3 $2 {White intends to offer more support for the knight on f3 by bringing the other knight to d4. However, the knight is needed on the kingside.} (15. Nf1 $1 Ne5 16. Be3 Rae8 { is the modern line.} )Ne5 16. Nbd4 $4 (16. Kg1 $1 Rae8 17. Be3 Nxf3+ 18. Qxf3 Qxf3 19. gxf3 Rxf3 20. Bc5 Bh3 $15 {is preferable.} )Bg4 $19 17. b4 {This move prevents...c7-c5 that would have dislodged the knight.} Rae8 (17... Qb6 $1 18. Kg1 Nxf3+ 19. gxf3 Rxf3 $19 {is faster.} )18. Bd3 (18. Bb2 {fails to } Qg5 19. Qc1 )(18. Bd2 Qb6 $1 19. h3 Bxf3 20. gxf3 Nxf3 21. Kg2 Nxd4 22. cxd4 Qxd4 23. Kh1 Re5 $1 $19 )Qh4+ ({Or} 18... Nxf3 19. Nxf3 Qh4+ 20. Kg1 Bxf3 21. gxf3 Re1+ $19 )19. Kg1 Nxd3 (19... Nxf3+ 20. Nxf3 Bxf3 21. gxf3 Re1+ $19 { transposes to the previous line.} )20. Bd2 ({If} 20. Qxd3 $4 Re1+ $1 $19 )({ The attack on the king continues even after the exchange of queens.} 20. Nxh4 Bxd1 21. Bd2 Rf2 22. Rxd1 Rxd2 $1 $19 )Qf2+ (20... Qf2+ 21. Kh1 Rxf3 22. gxf3 Bxf3+ )0-1