(1) Ippolito,Dean (2555) - Renna,Joe (1196) [D90]
Simultaneous Exhibition Raritan, NJ, 09.04.2011
[John Moldovan]

1 of 91 games played by IM Ippolito D90 Gruenfeld Defense (by transposition)

1.d4 d5 2.c4 Nf6?! This variation is inferior because, after White takes on d5, Black will have to recapture with a piece and lose time. He should have reinforced his center with a pawn (2...e6/ 2...c6) or captured on c4.

3.cxd5 Nxd5 [3...Qxd5 4.Nc3 Qa5 5.Nf3 is no better.]

4.e4 [4.Nf3 (!), denying the thematic ...e7-e5, is precise.]

4...Nf6 [4...Nb6 5.Nf3 Bg4 is playable.]

5.Nc3 Diagram

[5.Bd3 e5! 6.dxe5 Ng4 7.Bb5+ (‹7.Nf3 Nc6 8.Bg5 Be7 9.Bxe7 Qxe7 10.Nc3 Ncxe5 11.Nxe5 Alekhine - Marshall : Baden-Baden 1925 11...Nxe5= ) 7...c6 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.Be2 Nxe5 Cody - Muschalek : correspondence, ICCF1996 10.Nc3 was an option.]

5...g6 This turns our Queen's Gambit into 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nf6?!, a 3rd-rate line of the Gruenfeld (One normally plays 5...Nxc3 and even 5...Nb6 is preferable). [Better was 5...e5! 6.Nf3 (or 6.dxe5 Qxd1+ 7.Kxd1 Ng4 8.Nd5 Nxf2+ 9.Ke2 Nxh1 10.Nxc7+ Kd8 11.Nxa8 Bg4+ 12.Nf3 Nc6 13.Be3 Kc8 14.Kd2 Bb4+ 15.Kc2 Kb8 Djubek - Krajnak : Bratislava 1992) 6...exd4 7.Qxd4 Qxd4 8.Nxd4 Bc5 9.Ndb5 Na6 10.Bf4 Bb6 11.Be2 0-0 12.0-0 Be6 Maedler - A. Spraggett : correspondence, Women's Olympiad, ICCF 2008, with just a minimal disadvantage.]

6.Bc4 Bg7 7.e5 Nfd7 8.Nf3 Nb6 9.Bb3 Diagram



9...h6N This isn't bad but I'd rather see Joe develop his pieces... [... as in Schneider - Oesterle : Pinneberg 1996, which continued 9...Nc6 10.h3 Bf5 11.0-0 0-0 12.Be3 Na5 13.Bc2 Bxc2 14.Qxc2 Nc6 15.a3 e6 16.b3 Nd5+/= ]

10.0-0 Nc6 11.Re1 e6 12.Ne4 Nd5 Diagram



13.Bxd5?! [13.Bd2 0-0 14.h4+/- , with attack, was best but, when you are playing multiple games, simplifying and avoiding complexities is a sensible approach.]

13...Qxd5 14.Nc3 Qc4?? The Q is too exposed here. [14...Qd8+/= , running away, was more circumspect.]

15.d5?? [15.Re4+- threatening to win the Nc6 via a double attack (16.d5 Q moves 17.dxc6) was right.]

15...exd5 16.Nxd5 Diagram



16...Ne7?? This protects c7 but loses a piece. [16...0-0 17.Nxc7 Rb8 , with compensation for the sacrificed pawn, was required.]

17.Nf6+ Bxf6 Forced. [17...Kf8 allows 18.Qd8# ]

18.exf6 Be6 Black could have resigned here, especially since his opponent had so many other games to deal with.

19.fxe7 Kxe7 20.Be3 Rhd8 21.Qc1 Qxc1 22.Raxc1 c6 23.Bxh6 Rd5 24.Be3 Kd6 25.Bf4+ Ke7 26.Ng5 Kd7 27.Nxe6 fxe6 28.Rcd1 Rf8 29.Be3 a6 30.h4 Rff5 31.g4 Rxd1 32.Rxd1+ Rd5 33.Rxd5+ cxd5 34.Bd4 Ke8 35.Kg2 Kf7 36.Kf3 1-0