My first ever Gruenfeld

I first looked at playing the Gruenfeld about a year ago. Shockingly, since then I hadn’t had anybody playing me as white, play 1. d4 and follow up with 2. c4! Anyway, it was a double-edged sword to play a new opening on the back of two (almost 3) losses. Replay here.

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd55. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Nf3 O-O
(7… c5 is the main line)

8. Qb3
(8. Be2)

8… c5 9. Bb2 Qa510. Nd2 Nc6
(10… cxd4 11. cxd4 Nc6 12. d5 Nd4 13. Qd3 Nf3+ 14. Qxf3 Bxb2)

11. Nc4 Qc7 12. d5 Ne5 13. Ne3 Ng4
(13… b5 14. Be2 (14. Bxb5 Rb8) 14…c4 15. Qc2)

14. Nxg4 Bxg4 15. h3 Bd7 16. Bb5 Bxb5 17. Qxb5 c4 18. O-O a6 19. Qa4 b5
(19… f5)

20. Qc2 Rfe8 21. Rad1
(21. a4)

21… Rad8 22. Qd2 Rd7 23. f4 Red8 24. Ba3 a5
(24… f5 25. d6 exd6 26. exf5 gxf5 27. Qd5+ Kh8)

25. e5 Rxd5
(25… b4 26. cxb4 c3) (25… Bf8)

26. Qxd5 Rxd5 27. Rxd5 b4
(27…Qb7 28. Rfd1 b4 29. Bb2 b3 30. axb3 cxb3 31. R1d4 Bh6 32. Kf2)

28. cxb4 Qb6+ 29. Kh2
(29. Kh1)

29… axb4 30. Rb1 Qe3
(30… Bh6 31. Bxb4 Bxf4+ 32. Kh1 Kg7)

31. Bxb4
(31. Rd8+ Bf8 32. Bxb4 Qxf4+ 33. Kh1 Kg7)

31… Qxf4+ 32.Kg1 Bxe5 33. Bxe7
(33. Re1)

33… h5
(33… Qh2+ 34. Kf2 Bg3+ 35. Kf3 Bc7)

34. Bc5 c3 35. Re1 Qh2+ 36. Kf1 Qh1+
(36… c2)

37. Bg1 Bc7 38. Rb5 c2 39. Rc1
(39. Kf2 h4)

39… Bf4
(39… Bh2 40. Kf2 Qxg1+ 41. Rxg1 Bxg1+ 42.Kxg1 c1=Q+)

40. Rxc2 Bh2
(40… Be3+?? 41. Rf2 Bxf2 42. Kxf2 and the queen is completely trapped!)

41. a4 Qxg1+ 42. Ke2 Qxg2+ 43. Kd1 Qf1+ 44. Kd2 Bf4+45. Kc3 Qxh3+ 46. Kb4 Bd6+ 47. Kc4 Qe6+ 48. Rd5 Qe4+ 0-1

Throwing away a half-point

The following game (with me as white) was an Anti-Marshall with 8. d4 that was fairly equal through most of the game. In fact, both of us contemplated offering draws each move starting with move 29 until a blunder from my end. The only thing preventing me was our match situation where we were already down a game and none of the remaining boards looked very promising for a win.

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. d4 d6 9. c3 Bg4 10. d5 Na5 11. Bc2 Nc4
(11… c6)

12. b3 Nb6 13. Nbd2 Qd7 14. h3 Bh5 15. Nf1 c5 16. Ng3 Bg6 17. a4 Qc7 18. a5 Nbd7 19. Nh2
(19. Nh4)

19… h6 20. f4 exf4 21. Bxf4 Ne5 22. Nf3 Nfd7 23. Nh2 Bf6 24. Ra2 Qd8 25. Bb1 Bg5 26. Qd2 Bxf4 27. Qxf4 Qf6 28. Rf1 Qxf4 29. Rxf4 Nf6 30. Nf5 Bxf5 31. Rxf5 Rab8 32. Nf1 Rfe8 33. Raf2 Ned7 34. Nd2 Re5 35. Bd3 Rxf5 36. Rxf5 g6 37. Rf2 Kg7 38. g3 Ne5 39. Bf1 Re8 40. Rf4??
(40. Bg2) (40. Be2)

40… Nh5
Obviously, I had missed this simple fork! At this point, I tried to take a practical decision. I felt that it would be easy for white to break through if I gave up the pawn on g3 – instead, I thought I might be able to hold out if I managed to keep the position closed, so I sacrificed the exchange here.

41. Kf2
(41. Rf2 Nxg3 42. Kg2 Nxf1 43. Rxf1)

41… Nxf4 42. gxf4 Nd7 43. Bd3 g5 44. fxg5?
Going against my own strategy of keeping the position closed! (44. Kf3 gxf4 45. Kxf4 Ne5)

44… hxg5 45. Nf3 Ne5 46. Nxe5 Rxe5 47. Kf3 Kf6 48. Be2 Re8 49. Bd3
49. Ke3 Rh8 50. Bg4 Ke5 51. Bf5 Rh4 52. Bg4 Rxg4 53. hxg4 b4 54. cxb4 cxb4 55. Kd3 Kf4 56. Kc4 Kxe4 57. Kxb4 Kxd5 58. Kc3 Kc5 59. b4+ Kb5 60. Kb3 d5 61. Kc3 Ka4 62. Kd4 Kxb4 63. Kxd5 Kxa5 is one way of winning the endgame.

49… Rh8 50. Bf1 Rh4 51. Ke3 Ke5 52. Bg2 g4 53. hxg4 Rxg4 54. Kf2 Rxg2+ 0-1