(7) Mann,Ted (1493) - Cole,Jim (1160) [C16]
20th Kenilworth CC Championship Kenilworth, NJ (2), 21.01.2010
[Moldovan & Deep Rybka 3]

C16 French Defense Winawer Variation

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 b6 5.a3 And now, for something completely different...

5...Bf8 [You've seen a number of my games with 5...Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Qd7 . Maybe we, or at least I, can learn something new from this one.]

6.Qg4!? White will probably be able to transpose into the 5.Qg4 lines but with the B having already retreated to f8, I don't see any benefit to the sortie. [>=6.Nf3 Ne7 7.b4 ]

6...Qd7 7.Nf3 Nc6 [I would've played 7...Ba6 to trade-off the bad Bc8 but copying a World Champion is more than okay!]

8.Bb5 [RR8.Be3 Bb7 9.Bb5 0-0-0 10.0-0 Nge7 11.b4 f6 12.Rfe1 Nf5 13.Qh3 h5 Chistiakov - Petrosian : Moscow 1956; 8.Bd3 Bb7 9.Ne2 0-0-0 10.b4 h6 11.h4 Nge7 12.h5 Kb8+/= Boleslavsky - Yukhtman : Moscow 1956; 8.b4 hasn't been tried, yet, but it should also be +/=.]

8...Bb7 9.0-0 Diagram



9...0-0-0N [>=9...Nge7 10.Rd1 E. Espinosa - Depestre : Santa Clara 2009 10...0-0-0 ]

10.Bg5 h5 [>=10...f6 11.exf6 gxf6 12.Bh4 Bg7 ]

11.Qg3? [11.Qf4 Re8 12.a4 would have kept an edge.]

11...f6 12.exf6 gxf6 13.Bh4 Qg7? [13...Qf7 , protecting f6 & freeing the Ng8 for duty at f5 or g4, would have taken the sting out of a possible Qh3 + Re1 & equalized. For example : 14.Qh3 Nh6! 15.Rfe1 (or 15.Bd3 Ng4= ) 15...Nf5= ; 13...Bd6 , on the other hand, would have chased enemy Q to a better square &, after 14.Qh3 a6 (‹14...Re8 ) 15.Bd3 Kb8 (to enable ...Bc8) 16.b4 been +/=.]

14.Qf4? [14.Qxg7 Bxg7 15.Rfe1 Kd7[] (15...Re8?? 16.Nxd5+- ) 16.Ne2+/- was right.]

14...Bd6 15.Qe3 Re8? Diagram

This allows the tactic in the previous note. [15...e5= was correct.]

16.Nxd5! a6 17.Bxc6?! [>=17.Bd3+/- ]

17...Bxc6 18.Nb4 Bb7 19.d5?! [>=19.Bg3 Bxg3 20.fxg3+/= ]

19...Nh6 20.Qd3? This puts White in trouble. [>=20.Qc3 , with Black having compensation for the lost P.]

20...Rhg8 21.Ne1?? [21.g3=/+ was the best try.]

21...exd5? [21...a5 22.Na2 (‹22.Nc6 exd5 ) 22...Bxd5 would have won.]

22.Qh3+ Kb8 23.Bg3 Qg4? This ruins Black's Ps & lets White get rid of his lousy Q. [23...Bxg3 24.hxg3 Ng4!-/+ /\25.Qxh5?? Rh8-+ 26.Qf5 Rh1+!! 27.Kxh1 Qh6+ 28.Qh5 Qxh5+ 29.Kg1 Qh2# was the proper continuation.]

24.Qxg4 Nxg4?! [>=24...hxg4= ]

25.Bxd6 cxd6 26.Rd1 Diagram



26...Rxe1?? [This gives up an Exchange for nothing & loses. 26...d4 27.Rxd4 Re2+/= would've given Black good counterplay. For example : 28.Rxd6 Nxf2!=/+ Exploiting an overload on the Rf1 29.Rxb6 Nh3+ would have given Black at least a draw.]

27.Rfxe1 I'm going to skip the rest. You can insert additional ?s if you like.

27...Ne5 28.Re3 a5 29.Nxd5 Nc4 30.Rg3 Re8 31.Nxf6 Re2 32.Rc3 b5 33.Kf1 Re6 34.Nxh5 Rh6 35.g4 Be4 & White won. 1-0