[Event "France"]
[Site "France"]
[Date "1992.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Boudre, Jean Pierre"]
[Black "Speelman, Jonathan S"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C10"]
[WhiteElo "2380"]
[BlackElo "2630"]
[Annotator "Martin"]
[PlyCount "72"]
[EventDate "1992.??.??"]
[EventType "team"]
[EventCountry "FRA"]
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 dxe4 5. Nxe4 Nbd7 6. Nxf6+ Nxf6 7. Nf3 h6
8. Bxf6 Qxf6 9. Bd3 g6 10. c3 Bg7 11. Qe2 O-O 12. h4 {We have reached the
diagram position. White has developed sensibly, he has a well placed bishop on
d3 and with his last move, has started an attack against Black's king. Many
players would probably prefer to take the White pieces. So how should Black
react? There is saying that if your opponent attacks on the wing then you
should (prepare an) attack in the centre. Option A was considered positionally
correct by many commentators at the time and it was the move played but Option
C is also possible.} Rd8 {This prepares c5 to directly hit White in the centre.
It also provides an escape square for the Black king.} ({Option B ...} 12... b6
{This is logical to improve the position of Black's light squared bishop but
creates an immediate weakness on c6 and fails tactically after} 13. h5 g5 14.
Ne5 $1 {Now Bb7 cannot be played due to Nd7 so} (14. Qe4 {is tempting as it
threatens mate and the rook on a8 but after} Qf5 15. Qxa8 Qxd3 {Black has
excellent compensation for the exchange. Ba6 is immediately threatened.}) 14...
Rd8 {to play Bb7 next but after} 15. Be4 {exploiting Black's b6 move.} Rb8 16.
Nc6 {White wins the exchange anyway.}) ({Option C ...} 12... c5 {This seems
like a natural reaction and we are sure many Black players would choose it but
it might be best to prepare it first as after} 13. dxc5 Bd7 14. h5 g5 {White
can play} 15. O-O-O Rfc8 $6 ({After} 15... Bc6 16. Be4 Bxe4 17. Qxe4 Rac8 18.
Qe3 Qe7 19. Rd6 Rc7 (19... b6 20. Rhd1 Rxc5 21. Rd7 {may still be slightly
better for White}) 20. Rhd1 Rfc8 21. R1d3 Rxc5 22. Rd7 {White still has an
edge.}) 16. Bh7+ Kxh7 17. Rxd7 {White's rook on the 7th must count for
something.}) ({Option D ...} 12... h5 {This is aimed to prevent h5 but it may
provide White with another attacking plan with g4.} 13. Ne5 {This was the move
recommended by GM Danny King.} ({I have to confess that I and Peter thought}
13. g4 $6 {was exceptionally strong after} hxg4 $2 {which is true but after} (
13... e5 $1 {a move found by Peter's chess engine research when it is Black
who might be better as it unleashes the bishop on c8 and opens the e-file!
After} 14. Nxe5 Qf4 15. Qe4 Bxe5 16. Qxe5 Qxe5+ 17. dxe5 Bxg4 {an interesting
endgame has arisen where Black is no worse.}) 14. Ne5 Qf4 15. Rg1 Bxe5 16. Rxg4
Qh2 17. dxe5 Qh1+ {heading for an endgame but after} 18. Qf1 Qxf1+ 19. Bxf1 {
when a comparison of the two bishops and rooks suggests that White's advantage
is significant. Black has to defend carefully to secure a draw.}) (13. Rd1 {
looks safer when after} c5 14. dxc5 Qe7 15. Qe3 Bd7 16. O-O {White is for
choice.}) 13... c5 14. g4 cxd4 15. cxd4 Qf4 16. Qe3 Qxe3+ 17. fxe3 Bxe5 18.
dxe5 {with an interesting endgame. White has the worse pawns but the better
bishop.}) ({Option E ...} 12... a6 {This is too slow and gives White a head
start. After} 13. O-O-O b5 14. h5 g5 15. Qe4 Qf4+ {This is forced as White was
threatening mate on h7 and Qxa8.} 16. Qxf4 gxf4 17. Rh4 {winning a pawn. Black
would be struggling to hold this endgame.}) 13. Qe3 {This may not be best and
may have been played to deter c5 but it is played anyway!} c5 $1 {This is the
correct timing of this move and ensures active counterplay. It also
discourages Ne5.} 14. dxc5 Bd7 15. O-O-O {Perhaps a bit risky as Black's
queenside attack looks stronger than White's kingside attack.} (15. Be4 {
looks more solid and safer.}) 15... Ba4 16. Bc2 Bxc2 17. Kxc2 Qf5+ 18. Kc1 Rac8
{White's kingside attack has not come to much and the position is about equal
but White now gets greedy.} 19. b4 $2 {A club player may find this move
tempting too to try and hang onto the extra pawn.} (19. Rxd8+ Rxd8 20. Rd1 {
seems more circumspect but after} Rxd1+ 21. Kxd1 Qb1+ 22. Qc1 Qxa2 {the
endgame is very good for Black as there are many White pawn targets and
White's king is also stuck in the centre where it is exposed to checks.}) (19.
a3 {is the chess engines' preferred move but it hardly looks good to the human
eye.}) 19... b6 $1 (19... a5 $1 {also deserves an exclamation mark underming
White's pawn chain in front of his king.}) (19... Ra8 $1 {This is the harder
move to spot but also achieves the same purpose.}) 20. Nd4 $2 {This overlooks
Black's next move.} Qd5 21. Nb3 Qc4 {Black's attack is irresistible and so
easy to play.} 22. Kc2 bxc5 23. bxc5 (23. Nxc5 Qxa2+ {is winning.}) 23... a5
24. Rxd8+ Rxd8 25. h5 g5 {This is always the response to White's h5 push.} 26.
Re1 $2 {The final mistake. Now Black's rook enters the game with devastating
effect. The rest of the game is given for completeness.} (26. Rd1 {had to be
played with the hope to survive the Q+N v Q+B endgame.}) 26... a4 27. Nc1 Rd5
28. Qf3 Qxc5 29. g4 Rd8 30. Re4 Rc8 31. Rxa4 Bxc3 32. Nb3 Qf8 33. Kd3 Qe8 34.
Qe4 Qb5+ 35. Ke3 Qf1 36. Kf3 Be1 0-1