bbarr    --    Mephisto2
Free Thinkers - Veggies   Red Hot Pawn
2003.10.01     1/2-1/2     A80g

I was hoping to play the Leningrader, one of my old favorites. But my opponent had other ideas. Bg5 is a sharp and dangerous move.

I was tempted to play 2. ... h6 but I think my opponent may have been better prepared for that than me. Therefore the more 'quiet' 2. ... g5. Just two lines:

( 2...h6 3.Bf4 Nf6 4.e4 fxe4 5.Nc3 d5 6.f3 Bf5 nothing wrong with that, but a strong player like Bbarr would probably know how to exploit the weak white squares in black's defense )

( 2...h6 3.Bh4 g5 4.e3 Nf6 5.Bg3 Bg7 ( 5...d6 6.h4 ) 6.h4 with sharp play )

so far both sides have played solid, developing moves. Black's backward e-pawn is a concern. Instead of 9. ... c6, I could have played 9. ... Qd6 or perhaps even stronger 9. ... Ne4!?

I am not sure this was the best for white. It allows me to partly free my position. Perhaps he hadn't counted on my next moves

of course not 13.Bxf3 Qh2#

the moment to resolve that backward pawn issue!

perhaps I could have played a5 now, threatening a4. But I wanted to release some of the pressure first

I was happy with my position here. No immediate threats, all important squares covered. Only, no good plan to grab the initiative.

the passed black e-pawn looks more dangerous than the passed white f-pawn. Also, I was looking for a way to use the h-file and have action both in the center and on the kingside.

from now on it becomes very hot all the way to the end. Threatens immediately e2.

I was hesitating between the text move and 26. ... e2. One line:

( 26...e2!? 27.dxc6 exd1=Q 28.Rxd1 Bxf1 29.Rxf1 Nb8 30.Bxb8 Qxc6! (D)


and black is probably a bit better )

It is not clear wether white has enough compensation for the piece or not.

Black had an important choice to make here between Bxe5 giving white a threatening couple of free center pawns but a clear path to resolve the c7 pawn threat, and Nd7, maintaining the tension, but with high risk. A possible line:

( 31...Nd7 32.Bxh8 Kxh8 33.Nxf1 exf1=Q+ 34.Kxf1 Qb4 (D)


My feeling is that black has good chances, in a very risky position. )

Black has gotten rid of the c-pawn. But now he will have to face the two dangerous center pawns.

Here I offered draw. I thought that the two white pawns were ample compensation for white, but that I could control it. White refused, and obviously had a plan to try out.

giving white the chance to still go for draw

that came as a surprise to me. White's rook move brings him on a row from where he can start several initiatives, on h3, d3, c3, b3. I decided to make a useful, but waiting move to find out what his plan was.

Looks awfully dangerous! The b-pawn is undefendable. But I had seen a rescue in the fact that white's rook and king are on the same diagonal.

of course not 45. ... Qxd4?? 46.Qd8+ Re8 47.Qf6+ Kg8 48.Qf7+ and checkmate in a few moves. 45. ... Kg7 was probably as good as h5.

so this was his plan. To come in on the 7th or 8th row. But black's queen is now well positioned to force perpetual check.

not 48. ... QxQb6? 49.Rxb6 and white is better; If the knight moves, trying to save it, then e6+ wins the exchange.

White offers draw, which I accepted here.

( 51.fxe6 Qh4+ 52.Kg1 Qe1+ )

( 51...Qf4+ 52.Kg1 Qc1+ 53.Kf2 Qd2+ 54.Qe2 Qf4+ 55.Qf3 Qd2+ )