Annotated Game

N.N - Lassila,T. (D10 - Slav Defense)

1.d4 c6
2.c4 d5
3.Nc3 Nf6

A little transpositional trick leads us to the Slav.

4.e3 g6

I usually play the Semi-Slav in such cases, but didn't want to risk all the complicated lines that lie there. In a few moves we transpose again, this time to the Grünfeld.

5.Bd2 Bg7
6.Nf3 O-O
7.Be2 dxc4

7.Qb3 is more usual here. The pawn capture is thematic and seemingly obvious, but could Black have departed from theory here? For example 7...e6 8.O-O Nbd7 9.Qc2 b6 10.cxd5 exd5 and White had some initiative but could only draw in Liebert-Hort, 1971. Gligoric tried 7...Ne4 8. O-O Nxd2 9. Qxd2 e6 10. cxd5 exd5 against Petrosian. The problem with playing e7-e6 and then exd5 is that White has insufficient positional compensation for the time spent fianchettoing the king's bishop. The bishop pair will be mostly useless here while the white knights proved to be exceptional when handled by Petrosian. Hort had earlier tried a variation on the idea against Reshevsky. Reshevsky-Hort, Los Angeles 1967 went: 7...Ne4 8.O-O Nxd2 9.Qxd2 dxc4 10.Bxc4 Nd7 11.Rfd1 Nb6. I still think it suffers from the same problems as the previous line by Gligoric.

8.Bxc4 Nbd7

Or 8...Bg4 9.h3 Bf5 with similar play as in the text.

9.O-O Nb6

Also tried has been 9...c5. Kortchnoi-Gheorghiu, Romania 1968 went: 10.Qe2 cxd4 11.exd4 Nb6 12.Bb3 Bg4 13.Rad1 e6 14.Bg5 Qd7 15.h3 Bxf3 16.Qxf3 Nbd5 17.Rfe1 Rac8 18.Bxf6 Nxf6 19.d5 exd5 20.Bxd5 Rb8 21.Bb3 Qc7 22.Nb5 Qb6 23.Nd6 Rbd8 24.Nxf7 Rxf7 25.Rxd8+ Qxd8 26.Qxb7 Qd7 27.Re7 1-0

10.Bb3 Bf5
11.Re1 Rc8!?

Black could try to stop e3-e4 with 11...Ne4. If 12. Nxe4 Bxe4 13. Ne5 then simply 13...Bxe5 14. dxe5 c5 15. Rc1 Rc8 16. f3 Bd5 maintains equal chances despite the apparent weakness of the dark squares.

12.e4 Bg4
13.Be3 Kh8

It was probably also possible to play 13.h3 Bxf3 14.Qxf3 Qxd4 15.Rad1 with initiative. The text gives White a comfortable edge, too. The waiting king move accomplishes little besides unpinning the f-pawn, but there is not much Black can do here but struggle on. 13...e5 14.d5 cxd5 15.exd5 e4 16.Bxb6 Qxb6 17.Nxe4 Nxe4 18.Rxe4 Bxf3 19.Qxf3 Bxb2 20.Rae1 is very unpleasant.

14.h3 Bxf3
15.Qxf3 Ne8

Trying everything to break the annoying pin on f7. After 16.e5 e6 Black would have a terrible position but would be able to lock out the menacing bishop on b3.

16.Rad1 f5?

Not good, but the alternatives are not tempting either. 16...Nd6 17.d5 cxd5 18.Nxd5 Nd7 19.Nc3 leaves the black king in hot water.

17.Bg5 h6

Weakening further. It's hard to recommend anything for Black here. The evaluation must be already +-.


Position after 17...h6

18.Be6!? hxg5

Simply 18.Bh4 and next move 19.Be6 would have sufficed to win. The sacrifice is beatiful and gives White tremendous play.

19.exf5 Rc7

Giving back material with 19...Nc7 20.Bxc8 Nxc8 is probably advisable to this. I did want to be a materialist for a while in the hopes of refuting White's attack. Turns out it's not quite so simple.

20.Qg4 Bf6?!

20...Bh6 21.fxg6 Kg7 and White has a big attack but no obvious way to get in. 22.Bf7 Nd6 23.Ne4 Nxf7 24.Nc5 Kxg6 25.Qe4+ Kf6 26.Qf3+ Kg6 27.Qe4+ leads to anti-climactic repetition.

21.h4! Ng7
22.hxg5 Nxe6
23.fxe6 Bg7

23.gxf6 Rxf6 24.fxe6 Kg7 25.Ne4 and Black can resign. This way should work as well.


Position after 23...Bg7

24.Re3 Qe8

Not much better is 24...Qd6 25. Rh3+ Kg8 26. Qh4 Qxe6 27. Qh7+ Kf7 28. Rf3+ Ke8 29. Qxg7 Rxf3 30. gxf3 +/-.

25.Qh4+ Kg8
26.Rh3 Rf5
27.Qh7+ Kf8

27.g4 Rf4 28.Ne2 and the rook runs out of squares.

28.Qh4 Nd5
29.Qh8+ Bxh8

Again 29.g4 or 29.Nxd5 would win outright. The combination wins as well, but is probably the hardest way to accomplish said task. The endgame could be analyzed separately, but I suspect Black is just dead lost here.

30.Rxh8+ Kg7
31.Rxe8 Rxg5
32.Ne4 Rf5
33.Nc5 Rf8
34.Rxf8 Kxf8
35.Rd3 Nf6
36.Rf3 Kg7
37.Kh2 b6

There aren't any good ways to defend the position, but now White wins by a forced series of moves.

38.Nd7 Nxd7
39.Rf7+ Kg8
40.Rxe7 Kf8
41.Rxd7 Rxd7
42.exd7 Ke7
43.Kg3 Kxd7
44.Kg4 1-0