[Event "Bundesliga 2019-20"] [Site "Deizisau GER"] [Date "2019.11.23"] [Round "1.4"] [White "Rapport, R."] [Black "Kraemer, Mart"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A11"] [WhiteElo "2752"] [BlackElo "2581"] [PlyCount "81"] [EventDate "2019.11.23"] [EventType "team"] [EventRounds "15"] [EventCountry "GER"] [SourceTitle "TWIC 1307"] [Source "Mark Crowther"] [SourceDate "2019.11.25"] [SourceVersion "1"] [SourceVersionDate "2019.11.25"] [SourceQuality "2"] [WhiteTeam "OSG Baden-Baden"] [BlackTeam "SF Berlin"] {[%evp 0,81,32,11,11,-10,19,-5,7,-1,5,-5,27,-8,22,9,35,14,0,22,22,24,15,13,0,0, 50,-1,6,-7,-10,-25,-7,-11,0,0,0,6,18,-11,13,11,22,14,26,-10,0,-7,5,0,22,14,15, 11,18,20,57,22,57,0,5,0,8,0,8,34,34,42,47,32,43,51,51,62,89,57,144,183,178,201, 256,247,258,258]} 1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 Bg4 3. Bg2 e6 4. O-O Nf6 5. d3 Be7 6. c4 { The Reti} (6. Nbd2 {Followed by e2-e4 is a King's Indian Attack}) 6... c6 7. h3 (7. Qb3 Qb6 8. Qc2 O-O 9. h3 Bh5 10. Be3 Bc5 11. d4 Be7 12. c5 Qd8 13. Nbd2 Bg6 14. Qb3 b6 15. cxb6 axb6 16. Ne5 c5 17. dxc5 Bxc5 18. Rfc1 Nbd7 19. Ndf3 Be4 20. Nc6 Qc7 21. Qb5 Bxf3 22. exf3 Qd6 23. f4 Bxe3 24. fxe3 Rfc8 25. b4 h6 26. a4 Kh8 {0-1 (70) Movsesian,S (2629)-Eljanov,P (2680) chess.com INT 2019}) 7... Bh5 (7... Bxf3 {is superior.} 8. Bxf3 dxc4) 8. Be3 ({Predecessor:} 8. Qb3 Qb6 9. Be3 Qxb3 10. axb3 a6 11. g4 Bg6 12. Nc3 (12. Ne5 Nbd7 13. Nxg6 hxg6 14. d4 Ne4 15. Nc3 {1/2-1/2 (15) Petrosyan,M (2546)-Lupulescu,C (2631) Minsk BLR 2017}) 12... Nbd7 {1/2-1/2 (38) Ding,L (2774)-Eljanov,P (2707) Palma de Mallorca 2017}) 8... Bxf3 {Black is willing to concede the bishop pair and relies on the central pawns on light squares to restrict the Bg2} (8... dxc4 $15 9. dxc4 Nbd7) 9. Bxf3 (9. exf3 O-O 10. Nd2) 9... d4 {Taking more space in the centre frees up the light bishop} (9... O-O) 10. Bd2 (10. Bc1) 10... a5 {Gaining useful queenside space and restraining the immediate b2-b4} 11. Na3 {One idea is Nc2 to support b2-b4} Na6 {[%CAl Bb8a6,Ba6c5,Bc5b3] [%mdl 32]} 12. Nc2 O-O (12... Nc5) 13. b3 {The plan of advancing on the queenside will require additional preparation} (13. e3) 13... e5 (13... Nc5) 14. Bg2 Nc5 15. Rb1 Qd7 (15... h5 {might be stronger.}) 16. a3 {White is ready to advance b3-b4} a4 17. b4 Nb3 18. Be1 {The bishop pair is a valuable strategic asset that should not be given away for nothing. The Nb3 is deep inside White's position but does not attack anything and cannot easily connect with its colleagues} (18. Re1) 18... Ra7 (18... g6) (18... h5 $5) 19. Na1 {White takes some time to remove the invader} (19. e3 { Undermining the pawn centre is an option}) 19... Nxa1 20. Rxa1 b5 (20... Raa8) (20... Rd8) 21. Qc2 Rc8 22. c5 {Closing the queenside and gaining some useful space. The position is relatively quiet and the battle is of a strategic nature} ({White should play} 22. Bd2) 22... Qe6 23. Bd2 Nd5 {The centralized knight supported by a pawn is for now strong enough to negate the bishop pair} 24. e3 { Black need to find a good plan to stay level but fails} (24. Rae1 {Improves the worst piece}) 24... Bf6 { Reinforcing the pawn centre is a clear mistake} (24... dxe3 {Opening the d<-> is better} 25. Bxe3 (25. fxe3 Rd8) 25... Nxe3 26. fxe3 {Black can target the d-pawn for counterplay} Rd7 (26... g6) 27. h4 g6 28. Rad1 $11) 25. exd4 {This exchange creates a weak pawn target that Black will be tied to defending. This in turn limits Black's options and the strategic battle turns in White's favor} exd4 {The structure does not help the Bf6 while Bg2 has plenty to do} 26. Rae1 {Taking control of the e-file with tempo is a nice positional gain} Qd7 27. Qd1 {Preparing to switch play to the kingside} Raa8 {} (27... g6) (27... Rac7) 28. h4 {Is good but is not the best} (28. Qg4 {[%CAl Rg4d7] The Qd7 has no good move and a queen trade only helps White} Qxg4 (28... Qd8 29. h4) (28... Qc7 29. Bxd5 cxd5) 29. hxg4 h6 (29... Rd8 30. g5) 30. Bxd5 cxd5 31. Kg2 {Black has no compensation for the passed c-pawn and the doubled d-pawns}) 28... Re8 (28... g6 29. Kh2) 29. Kh2 {Intending Bh3} (29. Bf4 Nxf4 30. gxf4) 29... g6 (29... Be5 30. Re2 Re7 31. Bh3 Qc7 32. f4 Bf6 33. Rxe7 Nxe7 34. h5) 30. h5 {Trying to break down the kingside loses some of the advantage} (30. Bh3 Qc7 31. Rxe8+ Rxe8 32. Re1) (30. Rxe8+ Rxe8 31. Re1 Rxe1 32. Qxe1 Kg7) 30... Bh8 {The full retreat does not help Black much} ( 30... Be5 {Blocking the e-file is possibly better} 31. h6 Rac8 (31... Rab8 $16) (31... Rad8)) 31. Bc1 (31. Rxe8+ Rxe8 32. Re1 Re6 33. Rxe6 Qxe6 ) 31... Kf8 (31... Be5) 32. Bh3 ({Better is} 32. Bg5) (32. Bh6+ Kg8 33. Qd2 $16) 32... Qc7 ({Black should try} 32... f5 33. Bg5 Re5 34. Rxe5 Bxe5) 33. hxg6 {Opening the kingside and the position helps the bishops} hxg6 {White has a strong position due to better structure(the d4-pawn is weak which limits the Bh8), and strong bishops. Black has to defend against the lingering threat of Bxd5 and the weak kingside dark squares.} 34. Qg4 {Black cannot oppose White's greater activity. Black has trouble finding a good plan and cannot make useful passing moves or contest the e-file. Black is tied to defending the chronically weak d4-pawn and has trouble contesting the soft kingside dark squares. The knight only looks strongly centralized but does not coordinate with its colleagues or make any direct threats} Re5 {The alternatives are also bad} (34... Rad8 35. Bh6+ Kg8 (35... Bg7 {Black should not cooperate by allowing the exchange of the key defender of the d-pawn} 36. Bxg7+ Kxg7 37. Qxd4+ Nf6 38. Qc3) 36. Bg5 Rc8 (36... Bf6 {Allowing the exchange of dark bishops only weakens the d-pawn} 37. Rxe8+ Rxe8 38. Bxf6 Nxf6 39. Qxd4 ) 37. Bg2 Bg7 38. Bxd5 cxd5 39. Kg2) (34... Rxe1 {Simplifying does not help Black at all} 35. Rxe1 Re8 36. Bh6+ Bg7 37. Bxg7+ Kxg7 38. Rxe8) 35. Rxe5 {Simplifying helps White as there are fewer defensive pieces available to create complications to compensate for the weak d-pawn} ({And not } 35. Qxd4 Rh5) 35... Bxe5 36. Bh6+ Kg8 (36... Bg7 {Drops the d-pawn} 37. Bxg7+ Kxg7 38. Qxd4+ Kg8) 37. Re1 (37. Bg2 {Is also a strong way to keep the winning pressure up} Rd8 38. Re1 Bf6 (38... Ne7 39. Bg5 Re8 40. f4 Bg7 41. Qh4) 39. Bxd5 Rxd5 40. Re8+ Kh7 41. Bf4 Qd7 42. Qxd7 Rxd7 43. Rc8 { Black has too many weak pawns}) 37... Rd8 (37... Re8 {Does not change much} 38. Bd2) 38. Bg2 Bf6 (38... Kh7 39. Qh4) (38... Bh8 39. Bxd5 Rxd5 40. Re8+ {The kingside cannot be held as the dark square cannnot be defended even with a dark squared bishop} Kh7 41. Bg5 Be5 42. Qh4+ Kg7 43. Qh6#) 39. Bxd5 {[%mdl 64] Removes a key defender. The Rd8 is overworked as the 8th rank must also be defended} Rxd5 {Black must concede the 8th rank} (39... cxd5 { Only weakens an already poor structure}) 40. Re8+ Kh7 41. Bf4 {A good example of exploiting a better structure, the bishop pair and weak kingside dark squares and castled king position} 1-0