[Event "Brasschaat 2024"] [Site "?"] [Date "2024.08.21"] [Round "5"] [White "Vanparys, Philip"] [Black "Grochal, Joey"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "D10"] [WhiteElo "2100"] [BlackElo "2251"] [Annotator "Grochal,Joey"] [PlyCount "78"] [SourceVersionDate "2024.08.21"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 {A surprise. My opponent usually plays 2. Nf3. I had prepared 3...d5 against 3.e3 and the unusual 3...b5 against 3...g3. I did not feel like a Catalan or Queens Indian so switched to the Slav.} (2. Nf3) 2... c6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 cxd5 5. Bf4 a6 (5... Nc6 6. e3 (6. Nb5 $2 e5 $19) 6... Bf5 7. Qb3 Na5 8. Qa4+ Bd7 9. Qc2 e6 {exists but here too the bishop ends up boxed in by the pawn structure. In normal Slav move order black is usually in time with Bf5 and e6... A disadvantage of this particular move order. Normally after 3. Nc3 black can respond with dxc4 preventing this variation.}) 6. e3 Nc6 7. Bd3 e6 ( 7... Bg4 8. Nge2 e6 9. O-O Be7 10. Rc1 O-O 11. Na4 $14 {is apparently also available as pointed out by opponent from the 3rd round Steen after the game. Now the bishop might be missing on the Queenside though.}) 8. Rc1 Be7 (8... Bd6 $6 9. Bxd6 Qxd6 10. f4 $14 {[%csl Rb6,Rc5,Re5] Bd6 is played more often but seems like a strategical mistake to me completely conceding the dark squares.}) 9. h4 $146 {I was considering h3 mainly which is in the base more than 100 times. h4 is a novelty. Modern chess. And stockfish approves rating this move higher than h3...} Bd7 {and now i briefly consideredd Bd6 as recommended by the engine actually. I knew this idea exists in the London where black plays Be7 and only after h3 goes Bd6 cause Bg3 is no longer available.} 10. h5 (10. g4 {was perhaps more fitting trying to disturb black.} e5 $5 11. dxe5 Nxg4 12. Nf3 (12. Nxd5 $2 Qa5+ 13. Nc3 Ngxe5 $17) 12... Be6 13. Ne2 $14) 10... h6 11. Kf1 {We agreed just Nf3 is better. White can always play this move later. It does get out of some checks and tricks.} (11. Nf3 Rc8 12. Ne5 Na5 (12... Nxe5 13. dxe5 Ne4 $8 (13... Ng8 14. Qg4 Bf8 15. O-O $16) 14. Nxe4 dxe4 15. Bxe4 Rxc1 16. Qxc1 Qa5+ 17. Ke2 O-O $11) 13. Rh3 $5 Nc4 14. Bxc4 dxc4 15. Rg3 Kf8 16. Qf3 $14 {white is much faster than in the game.}) 11... Rc8 12. Nf3 Na5 13. Ne5 Nc4 14. Bxc4 (14. Qe2 b5 ({or Nd6 to exchange the bishops:} 14... Nd6 15. g3 Bb5 16. Kg2 Bxd3 17. Nxd3 Rc6 $11) 15. f3 b4 16. Nd1 Bb5 17. Nxc4 dxc4 18. Bxc4 Rxc4 19. Rxc4 Qa5 $11 {with good play on the queenside.}) 14... dxc4 15. d5 $2 {The first move my opponent played more or less instantly. It's a big mistake. This move just does not work.} (15. Qf3 b5 16. a3 (16. Qb7 $6 b4 17. Nxd7 (17. Ne4 Nxe4 18. Qxe4 Bb5 $15) 17... Qxd7 18. Qxd7+ Kxd7 19. Nb1 Nd5 $17) 16... a5 17. Qb7 Rb8 18. Qa6 Ra8 19. Qb7 Rb8 {and draw according to the engine though black can try short castles with a tiny plus for white.}) 15... exd5 16. Nxd5 Be6 (16... Nxd5 17. Qxd5 Be6 18. Qxb7 $2 (18. Qxd8+ $8 Bxd8 19. Nf3 Bf6 $15) 18... O-O {i was considering this pawn sacrifice and the engine evaluates it as -2. But Be6 is simple and good too.} 19. Kg1 Qd2 20. Rb1 Bf6 21. Nf3 Qc2 22. Rf1 Qxb2 $19) 17. Nxf6+ (17. Nxe7 $142 {was perhaps better but it is understandable white would like to swap the queens.} Qxe7 18. Qa4+ b5 19. Qxa6 Qb4 20. Qa3 $8 (20. Kg1 Qxb2 21. Kh2 O-O $40) 20... Qxa3 21. bxa3 Ra8 $17) 17... Bxf6 {Here i had to realize i just have b5 against Qa4+.} 18. Qxd8+ (18. Qa4+ $2 b5 19. Qxa6 O-O 20. Kg1 Qd5 21. Nf3 Bxb2 $19 {just winning.}) 18... Rxd8 {The engine actually prefers Kd8! Logical when you realize you want a rook on the c-file and the King would be better on e7...} 19. Ke2 b5 $17 20. e4 $2 {Preventing Rd5. Nc6 was the last try to muddy the waters though.} (20. Nc6 Rd5 (20... Bxb2 $5 21. Nxd8 Kxd8 22. Rhd1+ Kc8 23. Rc2 Bf6 $15 {i definitely considered.}) 21. b3 O-O 22. bxc4 bxc4 23. Rxc4 Rxh5 24. Rxh5 Bxc4+ 25. Kd2 Bxa2 26. Ra5 Bc4 27. Be5 Bxe5 28. Rxe5 Ra8 $15) 20... O-O $19 21. f3 (21. Nc6 Bxb2 22. Nxd8 Rxd8 23. Rcd1 Rc8 $19 {white won't stop the pawns.}) 21... Rc8 22. Rhd1 Rfe8 (22... Rc5 23. Nd7 Bxd7 24. Bd6 (24. Rxd7 $142 Bxb2 25. Bd6 Rg5 26. Rg1 Re8 $17 {[%csl Rg5] and here white might have some chances to hold.}) 24... Rg5 $1 {i had missed....}) 23. Ke3 Rc5 24. Kd4 (24. Nd7 Bxd7 25. Rxd7 Bxb2 26. Rc2 Ba3 $19 {is pointless to try.}) 24... Rec8 $1 {the engine actually evaluates the immediate Rxe5 slightly higher but this human move is even better. The king is in an eternal pin. Black's next move will probably be b4 followed by a5 Kf8-e8 and only then win the material. This forces b4 which means my c-pawn is now a passed pawn...} 25. b4 (25. g4 $6 b4 26. Bg3 Ra5 { is also a winning idea actually.}) 25... Rxe5 26. Bxe5 Rd8+ 27. Ke3 Rxd1 28. Rxd1 Bxe5 29. f4 {This move i had missed and startled me for just a bit. Luckily it does not work at all.} (29. Rd8+ Kh7 30. f4 Bf6 31. Ra8 c3 32. Kd3 ( 32. e5 Bh4 33. Kd3 Be1 $19 {is also just winning.}) 32... Bxa2 33. e5 Bh4 34. Kxc3 Bg3 35. Rxa6 Bc4 $19 {with a slower technical win.}) 29... Bc7 30. f5 Bc8 31. Kd4 Kf8 32. Kc5 Ke7 33. Kc6 Bf4 34. Rf1 Bd2 35. Kc7 Bd7 36. e5 c3 37. f6+ gxf6 38. exf6+ Ke6 39. Kb7 c2 0-1