Annotated Game

N.N. - Lassila, T. (D00 - Queen's Pawn Game)

1. d4 d5
2. g3 Nf6
3. Nc3 Bf5
4. Nf3 c6

Withholding e7-e6 for a while longer.

5. Bd2 e6

White has opted for a less ambitious opening and now that the light-squared bishop is outside the pawn chain, it can be traded off.

6. Nh4 Be4!

Forcing the further compromise of the king side.

7. f3 Bg6
8. Nxg6 hxg6

The diagonal b8-h2 now becomes a sore spot.

9. Bg5 Bd6

Position after 9...Bd6

10. e4? Bxg3+!

10. f4 was necessary. Play then might go 10...Qb6 11. Bxf6 gxf6 (11...Qxb2!? 12. Nxd5 cxd5 13. Bxg7 Rh7 14. Be5 Qc3+ 15. Kf2 Bxe5 16. dxe5 Nc6 =) 12. Na4 Qa5+ 13. c3 Qc7 14. e3 Nd7 =/+.

The idea is 11. hxg3 Rxh1 12. e5 Qc7 13. exf6 Qxg3+ 14. Ke2 Na6 (or the amazing 14...Qxg5!? 15. fxg7 when Black wins in style after 15...Rh2+ 16. Bg2 Rxg2+ 17. Kd3 Qf5+ 18. Ke3 Qg5+ 19. Kd3 c5!! 20. g8=Q+ Ke7 21. Nxd5 Qxd5 and the mate threat finishes White off despite having two queens on the board!) 15. Nb5 Qxg5 16. fxg7 O-O-O 17. Nxa7+ Kb8 18. Nxc6+ bxc6 and wins.

11. Kd2 Qc7!?

Better was 11...dxe4 12. Kc1 exf3 13. Qxf3 Bh4 -/+. After 12. e5 Nfd7 Black is only up one pawn.

12. Be2? Bf4+

Another slip.

13. Bxf4 Qxf4+
14. Kd1 dxe4
15. fxe4 Nxe4
16. Nxe4 Qxe4
17. Kd2 Qxd4+

White is shedding pawns left and right.

18. Kc1 Qxd1+
19. Kxd1 Nd7

The end result: three passed connected pawns for Black. An easy win, provided the pawns can be made to roll. This turns out surprisingly difficult.

20. a4 Rh4
21. Ra3 Ke7
22. a5 Rd8
23. Kc1 Nf6

Position after 23...Nf6

So far nothing has been accomplished, except taking over the d-file.

24. Rb3 Ra4!?

Better is to just play 24...Rd7 protecting the pawn structure on the queen side.

25. Rxb7 Rd7
26. Rxd7 Nxd7

Or 26...Kxd7?! 27. Rd1+ Kc7 28. a6 disarms the trap on the back-rank.

27. Kb1 Rxa5
28. Rg1 Ra4
29. Rg3 Nc5
30. b3 Rh4
31. h3 Ne4
32. Rd3 Nf2

Winning the h-pawn but weakening the queen side. 32. Re3 f5 would set the pawns rolling.

33. Rc3 Rxh3
34. Rxc6 a5
35. Ra6 Re3

White is slowly catching up and getting his own connected passers to counter my four passers. The problem is, his seem equally fast. My knight is also temporarily misplaced.

36. Bb5 Re5

Position after 36...Re5

Simply pushing the pawns with 36...f5 would be sufficient, I start worrying too much about the White passers.

37. Rxa5 Kf6?

Blocking my own passed pawns!

38. c4 Ne4
39. Kc2 Nd6

The pin is but a mirage, and easily defeated.

40. b4 Nxb5
41. cxb5 Ke7

The minor pieces have been traded and the white passers doubled, but the rook endgame is extremely difficult. I've spent a lot of time trying to find out a solid winning line for Black, but could not come up with a convincing line against all White defenses. It seems the key is to play 41...Rd5, and then:

42. Kc3 Rd8 43. Kc4 (43. b6 e5 [not 43...Rb8? 44. Ra6 Ke5 45. Kc4 Kd6 46. b5 g5 47. b7+ Kc7 48. Kc5 Kxb7 49.Rb6+ and it's a draw as the black king can't go to d7 due to 49...Kc7/Kc8 50. Ra6 Kd7 51.Ra7+ Ke8 52. b6 g4 53. Kc6 g3 54. Kc7 g2 55. Ra1 Rd8 56. b7 Rd7+ 57. Kb6 Rd8 58.Rg1 f5 59. Rxg2 Kf7 60. Kc7 Re8 61. b8=Q Rxb8 62. Kxb8 and it's White who wins] 44. Rc5 e4 45. b7 e3 46. Rc4 g5 47. Re4 Rb8 48.Rxe3 Rxb7 49. Kc4 Kg6 50. b5 f5 51. Re6+ Kf7 52. Re2 f4 53. Kc5 f3 54. Rf2 g4 55. Kc6 Re7 56. b6 Re6+ 57. Kc7 Re2 58. Rf1 Rc2+ 59. Kd6 Rb2 60. Kc7 -+) 43...Rc8+ (Again not 43...Rb8? 44.Kc5 e5 45.b6 =) 44. Kd4 g5 45. b6 g4 46. b5 g5 47. Ra2 Kg6 48. Re2 g3 49. Rg2 f5 50. Rxg3 f4 51. Rb3 g4 52.Rc3 Rb8 53. Rc6 g3 54. Rxe6+ Kg5 55. Re5+ Kh4 56. Re7 f3 57. Rh7+ Kg4 58. Rg7+ Kh3 -+

As can readily be seen, this is one complicated rook endgame! The text move leads to a quick draw.

42. Ra7+ Kd6
43. Rxf7 Rxb5
44. Rxg7 Rxb4
45. Rxg6 Kd5

There is nothing to do here, the White king is ahead of the pawn and cannot be blocked off.

46. Rg3 e5
47. Kc3 Rc4+
48. Kd2 e4
49. Rb3 Kd4
50. Ra3 Rb4 1/2-1/2