(1) Moldovan,John (1806) - Massey,Scott (2213) [A88]
Garden State Chess League Kenilworth, NJ (2.1), 09.04.2009
[Moldovan & Rybka 2.3]

A88 Dutch Defense Leningrad Variation

1.Nf3 [1.e4 /\g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 c6 & a Gurgenidze, which my opponent played 3x at the USATE, was considered, but I like Black's game.]

1...g6! [Goodbye 1...c5 prep & my attempt to improve upon the 2.e3 g6 3.c4 Bg7 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Be2 0-0 6.d4 cxd4 7.exd4 d5 8.0-0 Nc6 9.Bg5 dxc4 10.Bxc4 Bg4= of our 07/27/2000 game (1st Springfield-Kenilworth match).]

2.c4 [For 2.d4 , /\ an Anti-Dutch treatment, see my 2008 KCCC win vs. Carrelli.]

2...Bg7 3.g3 f5! 4.Bg2 Nf6 5.0-0 0-0 6.Nc3 d6 7.d4 Diagram

[This certainly isn't the opening I wanted. Scott has been playing it for some 24 years & I have no clue into what White is supposed to be doing. Maybe I should've opted for 7.d3 e5 8.Qc2 & an English, instead.]

7...Qe8 8.b3 c6 In the post-mortem my foe preferred ...c5 here and at turn 10. [Jon Tisdall claims 8...e5 "is practically refuted by 9.dxe5 dxe5 10.e4 " but several better GMs (Onischuk, Beliavsky, M. Gurevich, Akopian, Bauer) have won with it. At any rate, if Black requires that break, this spot is his only chance because of...]

9.Ba3! Karpov's move; which is directed against the thematic ...e7-e5 advance.

9...Na6 10.Qc2 [>=10.Qd3 Bd7 11.Rfe1 Rd8 12.Rad1 Kh8 13.e4 fxe4 14.Nxe4 Bf5 15.Nxf6 Bxf6 16.Qe3 Qf7 17.h3 Nc7 18.Re2 Bc8 19.Ng5 Qg8 20.Qd2 Ne6 21.Nxe6 Bxe6 22.Rde1 Bd7 23.Rxe7 Bxe7 24.Rxe7 Rf6 25.d5 Qf8 26.Re3 Kg8 27.Bb2 Rf5 28.Qd4 Re5 29.Rxe5 dxe5 30.Qxe5 Kf7 31.d6 Bf5 32.c5 h5 33.g4 hxg4 34.hxg4 Bd3 35.Bd5+ 1-0 Karpov - Malaniuk : Moscow 1988]

10...Nc7 [10...Rb8 (/\ ...b5), with 33 games out of 71 in the cheslive.de database, is most popoular.]

11.Rac1N [Previously seen here were : 11.c5 dxc5 12.Bxc5 Ne6 13.Ba3 f4 14.Rad1 fxg3 15.hxg3 Nc7 16.Ne5 Be6 17.Na4+/= Louis - Lang : Bellheim 1994; 11.Rad1 Rb8 12.c5 d5 13.Bc1 Ne6 14.Ng5 Nxg5 15.Bxg5 e5= Denig - Kummerow : Recklinghausen 2003; & 11.Rfe1 Rb8 12.Rad1 b5 13.cxb5 Nxb5 14.Bb2 Nxc3 15.Qxc3 Be6 16.Ng5 Bd5 17.f3 h6 18.Nh3= Barros - A. Garcia : Aragon 2005 Black won all 3 games.]

11...Bh6 12.Rcd1 [Played /\ 12...g5 13.Bc1 Qg6 14.h4 but, instead of sacking a tempo, >=12.e3 with a very slight edge.]

12...Bd7 13.Rfe1 Qf7 Diagram

[>=13...f4 14.Bc1 fxg3! /\15.Bxh6? gxf2+ 16.Kxf2 Ng4+=/+ ]

14.e4 [>=14.Ne5! /\dxe5 15.dxe5 & White recovers his piece.; or 14.c5 ]

14...fxe4 15.Nxe4 Bf5 [I overlooked this; expecting only 15...Nxe4 16.Qxe4 /\ Qh4 + Ng5]

16.Nh4 Bg4 17.Nxf6+ Qxf6 18.f3 Bd7 19.f4!? [19.d5+/= was a good alternative.]

19...Rf7 20.Bb2 Diagram

White offers a draw. Black tries a trick on f4 & says "Let's play on a little longer."

20...Bxf4 21.d5 [I could've gotten my P pawn back with 21.Nxg6 desperado sac 21...hxg6 22.gxf4 Qxf4 23.Qxg6+= but thought that continuation was weaker.]

21...Be5[] [Not 21...Qg5?? 22.Nf3! Be3+ 23.Kh1 Qh6 24.Qc3+- ]

22.Bxe5 dxe5 23.dxc6 [>=23.Rf1+/= ]

23...Bxc6 24.Bxc6 bxc6 [>=24...Qxc6 25.Rxe5 Raf8= ]

25.Rf1 Qg5? [25...Qe6+/= ]

26.Rxf7 Kxf7 27.Qe4 Rf8+- Diagram

After playing this, Massey offered a draw &, with the match already decided, I saw no reason to continue. Final Score : Kenilworth Karpovs 3, Maplewood 1 1/2-1/2