A big, big win

It is wonderful being part of a big upset win. Playing against the best team in our division and being heavily out-rated on every board, we pulled off the upset of the season with a 3-2 victory. The first game to finish was on board 5, a loss for us, followed by draws on boards 4 and 2, in that order. The next game to finish, on board 3, was a shock – up a pawn with a strong position, the opposition player hung a rook on his last move of the time control, allowing us to even the match, with my game left to decide the match.

Here’s the game:

1. c4 c5!

Not happy with many of the Slav positions I’ve been ending up with, I decided to work on my black repertoire the previous weekend and put some work into learning the Hedgehog, if I faced 1. c4.

2. Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 e6 4. g3 b6 5. Bg2 Bb7 6. O-O Be7 7. b3 O-O 8. Bb2 d6 9. d4 cxd4 10. Qxd4 a6 11. Rfd1 Nbd7 12. Rac1 Qb8 13. Ng5 Bxg2 14. Kxg2 Rd8 15. f3 Ne8
15… b5 16. cxb5 axb5 was an option but I was worried about the battery of the queen and bishop on the long diagonal. Ne8 achieves multiple objectives  – it covers g2, provides more cover to d6 if the knight drops back to e4 and clears f6 for the bishop to break up the battery.

16. Qd2
(16. Qf4 Ne5)

16…h6 17. Nh3
I had seen 17. Nge4 b5 18. cxb5 d5 19. Nf2 axb5 and black’s position is very comfortable and easy to play.

17… b5 18. cxb5 axb5 19.Nf4 d5 20. Qe1
(20. e4 b4 21. Na4 dxe4 22. fxe4 Qb7)

20… b4
(20… Nd6 21.Rd2 Bf6 22. Nh5 Bg5 23. e3) (20… Bc5 21. Qd2 Qb6)

21. Na4 Nb6 22. Nxb6 Qxb6 23. Bd4 Qb5
(23… Qb8 24. Nd3 Rxa2)

24. Rc2 Nd6 25. Ba1
(25. g4)

25… Nf5 26.e3
(26. e4 dxe4 27. Rxd8+ Rxd8 28. fxe4 Rd1 29. Rc8+ Kh7 30. Qe2 Qb7)

26… Bc5

26… d4! 27. exd4 e5! 28. g4 Nh4+ 29. Kh1 Qb7 30. Ng2 Nxf3 is a fantastic line that Fritz spits out

27. Bd4 Bxd4 28.exd4 Rdc8 29. Rxc8+ Rxc8 30. g4 Rc2+ 31. Kh3 Nd6

31… Qb8! 32. Qe5 Qxe5 33.dxe5 Ne3 was much more direct and leads to an endgame advantage for black.

32. Nd3 Rxa2 33. Qe5

33. Qxb4 Qxb4 34. Nxb4 Rb2 35. Rd3 was probably a better option.

33… Qb6 34. g5

(34. Rc1 Ra3)

34… hxg5 35. Rg1 Nf5 36. Rxg5 Qxd4 37. Rxf5

37. Rxg7+ Kf8 38. Qxd4 Nxd4 was stronger but black’s still better.

37… Qxd3 38. Qb8+ Kh7 39. Rxf7 Qf1+?!

39… Qg6! 40. Qf4 (40. Rf4 Qg2+ 41. Kh4 Qxh2+ 42. Kg5 Rg2+ 43. Rg4 Qh6#) 40… Qh5+ and black wins immediately. But in such situations, it is hard to see a “backward” move, especially when it doesn’t give check.

40. Kh4 Qf2+41. Qg3 Qxh2+ 42. Qxh2 Rxh2+ 43. Kg3 Rb2 44. Re7 Rxb3 45. Rxe6 d4 46. Rd6 d347. Rd4 Kg6 48. Kf4 Kf7 49. Rd5 Rc3 50. Rd4 b3 51. Ke3 d2+ 52. Kxd2 Rxf3 53.Rd7+ Kf6 54. Ke2 Rh3 55. Kf2 b2 56. Rb7 Rh2+?

56… Rh1! wins on the spot

57. Kg3 Rc2 58. Rb5Ke6 59. Kg4 Kd6 60. Kf4 Kc6 61. Rb8 Kd5 62. Ke3 Kc4 63. Rc8+ Kb3 64. Rb8+ Ka265. Ra8+ Kb1 66. Rh8 g5

The position wins even without the g-pawn. 66… Rc7 67. Kd3 Ra7 68. Rb8 Ka1 69. Kc2 Rc7+ 70. Kd2 is the winning line but why not use the extra pawn when you have it? 🙂

67. Rg8 Kc1 0-1