Changing Tides of War

N.N. - T. Lassila (A15 - English Opening, Reversed Sicilian)

1. c4 Nf6 2. e3!?

Interesting choice of opening, the reversed Sicilian. Note the
immediate weakness of d3 resembling the d6 weakness of the Sicilian.
Likewise, play will be centered on the d-file from almost the very
beginning.

2...e6 3. a3

White wants to avoid the pin on c3. But now the square b3 is weak as
well, which can't be good. Nc3, d4 or even b3 would have been more to
the point here.

3...d5

Staking a further hold on e4, White continues with the reversed
Sicilian theme and opens the c-file.

4. cxd5 exd5

4...Nxd5?! 5. e4 Nf6 6. Nf3! (Black can't capture on e4 due to
6...Nxe4?? 7. Qa4+ losing a piece) and White will soon play d4 to
regain the upper hand.

5. Nc3 Be7 6. d3

6. d4!? would enable Bd3 but leaves e4 weak. Furthermore, White must
consider the eventual break c5 from Black. The text move leaves White
struggling to activate his pieces.

6...Be6 7. Nf3 c5!

Begins pressure on d4, where Black will soon strike. White is still
struggling to untangle the mess his poor handling of the opening got
him into and is in no condition to respond to this central strike.
Instead he performs a diversion on the king side to win the two
bishops.

8. Ng5!?

Better was 8. d4!, where 8...c4 locks Black's central pawns in place
and 8...cxd4 9. Nxd4 leaves White with two lovely central knights.

8...O-O 9. Nxe6 fxe6

The dangerous light-squared bishop is gone, but now Black has a
formidable looking pawn center. White still has nothing ready to
challenge this fact.

10. Bd2 Nc6 11. Be2

White has entered a hedhehog-like position while Black has all but
completed his development. The next move fires off the middlegame
struggle.

11...d4!

The following exchanges are forced, as 12. Ne4 Nxe4 13. dxe4 d3 14.
Bf1 c4 is hopeless for White.

12. exd4 cxd4 13. Ne4

13. Na2 looks ridiculously passive.

13...Nxe4 14. dxe4

The pay for Black's troubles is a passed pawn. To make it supported, he must play e5 but not immediately without preparations (14...e5? 15. Qb3+ Kh8 16. Qxb7).

14...Kh8

Removing the threat of queen check in order to play e5. Probably better was the more in-your-face 14...d3.

15. Bd3 e5 16. O-O Bg5

As the pawns on d4 and e5 are locked for now, the bishop is on it's way of becoming a bad bishop and Black offers to trade.

17. Bxg5 Qxg5 18. Qc1

White offers the queen trade to gain control of the c-file. Black accepts, perhaps too eagerly because complications await for him:

18...Qxc1?! 19. Raxc1

Position after 19. Raxc1

White threatens b4, b5 and Rc7.

19...Rad8?!

Better was 19...Rac8.

20. b4 Nb8?

The calm 20...h6 21. b5 Na5 was called for here. White wins at least pawn because of back rank threats.

21. Rc7 Rd7 22. Rfc1 Rdd8

Incorrect would have been 22...Rfd8? 23. Rxd7 Nxd7 24. Rc7 as now the rook is no longer on the c-file and Black has no compensation for the pawn.

23. Rxb7 Rdc8 24. Rxc8 Rxc8 25. Rxa7

White would have done better with 25. b5! and the win is very close.

25...Rc1+!?

Black has to come up with something to save the game and this is the
last shot effort. Surprisingly it works and White gets totally tangled up,
blundering the full point in a few moves. Such is the psychology of chess - the hardest game to win is a won game.

26. Bf1 h6 27. Re7?

27.Ra8! Rc8 28.b5 +- (Ogush).

27...Nc6 28. Rc7?

28.Rd7 Ra1 29.g3 and if 29...Rxa3 30.b5 Nb4 (30...Na5 31.Ra7 d3
32.Rd7! +-) 31.Rd8+ Kh7 32.b6 +- (Ogush).

28...d3 29. g3??

Loses immediately. White suddenly realizes he has nothing to
stop the d-pawn from queening. The only try was 29. Rxc6 Rxc6 30. Bxd3
Rc3 and White should draw with his king side pawn mass.

29...d2 30. Rd7 Nd4!

Devastating interception of the file and White has nothing left.

31. Kg2 d1=Q 0-1

Trying to save the bishop leads to a forced mate: 32. Ba6 Qf3+ 33.
Kh3 Rg1 and there is no defense against Qh5#.