Annotated Game

Too often in correspondence games the opening is a dull affair of data mining and safe main lines. But sometimes one player deviates early and actively seeks complications and things can get hairy pretty quickly. Here's a mini-thriller in an interesting opening variation:

Lassila,T. - N.N (D73 - Neo-Grünfeld)

1.d4 Nf6
2.c4 g6
3.Nf3 Bg7
4.g3 d5

I'm not a big fan of the Grünfeld, but here it cannot be avoided.

5.cxd5 Nxd5
6.Bg2 Bf5!?

This is a novelty for all practical purposes. Black aims to prevent e2-e4 and aims at c2 at the same time.

7.O-O Nb4

Chekurov-Csonka, EU-ch U16 1993 went: 7...0-0 8.Re1 Bxb1?! (now 8...Nb4 might have been attempted) 9.Rxb1 c6 10.e4 Nb6 11.b3 e6 12.Bb2 N8d7 13.Qe2 Nf6 14.Rbd1 Qc7 15.Ne5 and White had an easy game (1-0 in 25 moves). Black's concept is interesting, but after 8.Ng5! Nc2 9.Bxb7 Nxa1 10.e4 he is unable to free the knight from a1 and will eventually go down a piece to lose. Therefore it is necessary to play 8...a5 9.Bxb7 Ra7 10.Be4 Bxe4 11.Nxe4 Qxd4 to maintain equal chances. But even so the black queen side pawns look bad and the knight on b4 is soon kicked back. As these lines would indicate, the position has turned quite sharp after just 7 moves. Instead of playing the strongest continuation I go on a queen sortie that looks interesting but gives Black equality.

8.Qa4+ N8c6

Position after 8...N8c6

8...N4c6? 9.d5! Qxd5 10.Ng5 Qc5 (or 10...Qd4) 11.Qb3 would be decisive. Here I spent time looking at 9.d5!? Qxd5 10.Ng5, but the complications are massive. For example: 10...Qc5 (10...Qd8 11. a3 Nc2 12. Bxc6+ bxc6 13. Qxc6+ Kf8 14. Qc4 e6 15. Ra2 is unclear. Perhaps better is 10...Qd6 11. Nc3 O-O 12. a3.) 11. a3 Nc2 12. b4 Qd6 (12...Qb6 leads to at least a draw for White after 13.Ra2 Nd4 14.e4 Bd7 15.Nc3 Nd8 16.Qd1 O-O 17.Nd5 Qd6 18.e5 Bxe5 19.Ne4 Qe6 20.Nc5 and the queen has no escape squares. Also 12...Qc4 13. Nd2 Qc3 14.Ra2 Nd4 15. Bb2 Qxd2 16. Bxd4 Qxd4 17. Bxc6+ Bd7 18. Bxd7+ Qxd7 19. Qxd7+ Kxd7 20. Nxf7 should favor White.) 13. Ra2 Nd4 and now after 14.e4 Bd7, it is hard to find a convincing continuation for White. Black will eventually play h7-h6 and be up a solid pawn.

9.Na3 O-O

Black has secured his king and still menaces c2. Probably equal position.

10.Bd2 a5
11.e3 Nd3

A mistake. Instead Black should have tried 11...Bd3 12.Rfd1 e6 with some pressure.

12.Nh4 Nxb2??

The pawn is of course a Greek Gift. After 12...Bd7 13.Qb3 Ndb4 he would have lived to fight another day.

13.Qb3 Nxd4

13...Nd3 14.Nxf5 is what ruins Black here. The pawn grab is a good try but doesn't get the bull off the ice, as Fritz would say.

14.exd4 Qxd4
15.Nxf5 Qxd2

Or 15...gxf5 16.Bg5 wins more material.

16.Nxg7 Kxg7
17.Rab1 1-0

17...Nd3 18. Rbd1 and curtains.