[Event "15th TCh-Eur Senior"] [Site "Dresden GER"] [Date "2013.07.21"] [Round "2"] [White "Wuenschmann, Bernd"] [Black "Münninghoff, Alexander"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "A00"] [PlyCount "70"] [EventDate "2013.07.20"] [Source "Mark Crowther"] {[%evp 0,70,19,-63,-56,-66,-60,-45,-41,-126,-95,-89,-78,-84,-70,-66,-47,-63, -57,-62,-39,-31,158,107,107,73,107,62,56,0,78,78,38,25,59,66,123,123,109,114, 391,208,455,455,551,566,563,260,458,157,294,222,102,102,116,17,82,53,53,-55,15, 40,63,-38,-40,-58,-33,-45,-73,-61,397,-29995,-29996]} 1. b4 e5 2. Bb2 Bxb4 { I have played 1.b4 myself quite a few times in the 1960s with good results against strong players, but I gave it up when it became common knowledge that after 1.b4 e5 2.Bb2, the simple and unprejudiced 2...Bxb4 would give Black a good game. 1.b4 was a favorite move of Jan Joost Lindner, a fellow journalist and a member of the same club as Alexander. So, Alexander was probably theoretically well-prepared by hundreds of blitz games against Lindner.} 3. Bxe5 Nf6 4. c4 O-O 5. e3 Re8 6. Bb2 d5 7. a3 Ba5 8. Nf3 Nc6 9. cxd5 Nxd5 10. Be2 Rxe3 {Such a speculative rook sacrifice was exactly what Alexander wanted from chess.} 11. fxe3 Nxe3 12. Qb3 ({A slightly better move was} 12. Qa4 { though Black also has his chances here.}) 12... Nxg2+ 13. Kd1 Be6 14. Qd3 ({ White's intention may have been} 14. Qxb7 {but then} Bd5 {would be quite good for Black.}) 14... Qe7 15. Kc1 Rd8 16. Qe4 Bb6 17. Nc3 Na5 ({My Stockfish says that after} 17... f5 18. Qa4 Nd4 {Black, with three pawns for the rook and a strong initiative, is not worse.}) 18. Bd1 Nc4 19. Bb3 Nxd2 {What is a mere knight when you are a rook down and attacking? But this should have lost quickly.} 20. Nxd2 Qg5 ({A slightly better chance would have been} 20... Rxd2 { as after} 21. Kxd2 ({but} 21. Bxe6 {would refute Black's play}) {Black would have nothing better than to give up his queen with} 21... Qg5+ 22. Kc2 Bf5) 21. Bxe6 Rxd2 22. Bxf7+ Kxf7 23. Kb1 {This should be good enough, but} (23. Qf3+ Ke8 24. Ne4 {would win quickly.}) 23... Ne3 24. Ka2 ({And here} 24. Bc1 { would be the winning move.}) 24... Bd4 25. Rhf1+ {White is rather too generous. } Nxf1 26. Rxf1+ Bf6 27. Qc4+ Kg6 28. Qe4+ Kh6 29. Rc1 Qc5 30. h4 Qf2 31. Qb4 b6 32. Kb1 c5 33. Qb3 Qxh4 34. Qe6 {With four pawns for a piece Black is at least not worse.} Qf2 {But this is a blunder.} 35. Nd1 {A horrible move, obviously caused by lack of time.} ({White could win with} 35. Rh1+ Kg6 36. Qe8+ Kf5 37. Qe4+ Kg5 38. Bc1 Bxc3 39. Rh3 {which not only threatens Rxc3, but also Rf3. This is of course not an easy line to calculate, but everything was better than to be mated on the spot.}) 35... Rxb2+ {White resigned.} 0-1