(2) Vishnyakov,Aleksey (1929) - Miller,Donnally (1794) [D16]
Garden State Chess League 2010-11 Branchburg, NJ (7), 02.04.2011
[Vishnyakov]

Board 2 D16 Queen's Gambit Slav Defense

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 [5.e4 , Geller's Gambit, was an option.]

5...Bg4 A rare line. White is out of his book already. [5...Bf5 is the usual reply.]

6.Ne5 Bh5 7.Nxc4?! [The main line here is 7.f3! Nfd7 (7...Nbd7 is also possible, e.g. 8.Nxc4 e6 9.e4 Bb4 10.Be2 Nb6 11.Ne5 c5 12.dxc5 Bxc5 13.Qxd8+ Rxd8 14.a5 Nbd7 15.Nd3 Bd6 16.a6 b6 17.Nb5 Bb8 18.Bd2 Rc8 19.Bb4 Nc5 20.Kf2 Nfd7 21.Rhd1 f6 22.Nxc5 Nxc5 23.Ba3 Ke7 24.b4 Nd7 25.Nd4 Bd6 26.Nb5 Bb8 27.Nd4 Bd6 28.Nb5 1/2-1/2, Ivanchuk - Georgiev, Merida MEX 2006 XIX Carlos Torre Mem KO) 8.Nxc4 e5 9.g3 Bb4 10.dxe5 0-0 11.Qd4 Na6 12.Bf4 Ndc5 13.Qxd8 Raxd8 14.Nd2 Rfe8 15.0-0-0 Nc7 16.Bg5 Ra8 17.e4 Rxe5 18.Bf4 Re7 19.g4 Bg6 20.Ndb1 Nd5 21.Rxd5 cxd5 22.Nxd5 Nb3+ 23.Kc2 Nd4+ 24.Kd3 Nxf3 25.Nxe7+ Bxe7 26.Nc3 Rd8+ 27.Ke3 Ng5 28.b4 Ne6 29.Nd5 Bh4 30.Bc4 Rc8 31.Rc1 Nxf4 32.Nxf4 Kf8 33.Kd4 Bg5 34.Nxg6+ 1/2-1/2 G. Kuzmin - Taimanov, Leningrad Interzonal 1973]

7...e6 8.Bg5 Bb4 9.f3 Nbd7 Black spent a couple of minutes here for the first time. I considered a few alternatives: [9...h6 10.Bh4 0-0 11.e4 Na6 12.Be2 c5 13.Bf2 +/=/=; 9...c5 10.dxc5 0-0 11.Qxd8 Rxd8 12.Nd6 b6 13.Ndb5+/= +/=/= White has nothing specific.]

10.e3?!N A "chicken line". White wants to strengthen d4 pawn before playing e3-e4 and avoid potential threats that involve ...Nxe4. [>=10.e4 ]

10...0-0 11.Be2 Diagram

[11.Bd3 was not much better 11...c5! 12.0-0 cxd4 13.exd4 Rc8 it's a reasonable position with isolated d- pawn, but nothing better 14.Qb3 Nb6 /\15.Qxb4 Qxd4+ 16.Kh1 Nxc4 17.Bxc4 Rxc4 18.Qxb7 Rb4 =]

11...Rc8 Not exactly clear what this rook is going to do. Black could not find a suitable plan and White developes some pressure. [11...Nb6 12.0-0 Be7 (Houdini 1.5 suggests 12...Nxc4 13.Bxc4 Qa5 14.Bxf6 gxf6 15.Ne4 (15.Qc2 Bg6 =) 15...Kg7 (?) but this is beyond my comprehension.) 13.a5 Nxc4 14.Bxc4 Nd5 +/=/=]

12.0-0 Bxc3? +/=/+/- This gives White two bishops for free and extra support for his d4 pawn, which facilitates e3-e4 in order to grab some space to restrict the Bh5. [12...Be7 means that black fell short of equalizing. (Houdini's suggestion); 12...c5 13.d5+/= ]

13.bxc3? Nb6 What else? [13...c5 14.a5 ]

14.Nxb6 There were several attractive alternatives. In particular I considered [14.e4!? Nxc4 15.Bxc4 h6 16.Bf4 (16.Bh4 was too complex for me 16...g5 17.Be1 Nxe4 18.Qc2 Nd6 19.Bd3© ) /\16...Nxe4 17.g4 Ng5 18.Bg3 Bg6 19.h4~~ (+/-?); 14.Ne5 /\h6 (14...Nbd5 ) 15.Bh4 Nbd7 16.g4 ]

14...axb6 [>=14...Qxb6 15.Rb1 Qa5 16.Bxf6 gxf6 17.Rxb7+/- /\ e3-e4. The pawn structure doesn't favor the Black bishop.]

15.Qb3 [>=15.e4 ]

15...Qd5 16.Qxd5 Nxd5 17.c4 Nc3! [17...Nc7 18.Rfb1 b5 (18...Na8 19.a5+- ) 19.axb5 cxb5 20.c5 +/-/+-; 17...Nf6 18.Bxf6 gxf6 19.Rfb1 +/-/+-]

18.Bd3 Diagram



18...Bg6?! b5 was the only move I seriously considered here because of the trapped knight. [18...b5 19.Rfc1 bxc4 20.Bxc4 Nxa4 21.Rxa4 b5 22.Ra7 bxc4 23.Rxc4 +/=/+/-; 18...Ra8 19.Ra3 Nxa4 20.Rfa1 Ra5! I missed this move in my calculations (20...Nb2 21.Rxa8 Nxd3 22.Rxf8+ Kxf8 23.Ra8# ) 21.Rxa4 Rxg5 22.h4 Ra5 23.Rxa5 bxa5 24.Rxa5 Bg6 25.Bxg6 hxg6 26.c5 +/=/+/-]

19.Bxg6 [19.e4? c5 20.dxc5 f6 21.Bd2 Rfd8 =; 19.Rfc1 Na2 20.Rxa2 Bxd3 21.Ra3 Bg6 22.Rb3 +/=/+/-]

19...hxg6 20.Ra3 f6 21.Bh4? [Had I seen my opponent's brilliant idea, I would have preferred 21.Rxc3 fxg5 22.Rb1 +/-/+-]

21...Ne2+ 22.Kh1 [>=22.Kf2 g5 23.Kxe2 gxh4 24.Rb1+/- ]

22...Kf7 ?!! Only now did I get what he was up to. [>=22...b5 however.]

23.Re1 Rh8 24.Rxe2 [Not 24.Bf2?? Rxh2+!! 25.Kxh2 Rh8+ 26.Bh4 Rxh4# ]

24...Rxh4 The resulting endgame is very difficult to hold.

25.Rb2 Diagram



25...b5? [25...c5 26.g3 Rh5 27.g4 Rh3 (27...Rh4 28.Rxb6 cxd4 29.Rxb7+ Kf8 30.a5 Rxc4 31.Ra2 d3 32.a6+- ) 28.Rxb6+- White's a-pawn will eventually queen.; >=25...e5! 26.g3 Rhh8 (26...Rh5 27.Rxb6 Rc7 28.Rab3+/- ) 27.dxe5 Ra8 28.exf6 gxf6 29.Rxb6 when White is 2 pawns up but finding a way to win isn't easy, as Black has a few productive ideas. For example 29...Ra7 30.Kg2 Ke6 31.h4 Kd6 32.e4 Kc5+/- ]

26.axb5+- c5 [26...cxb5 27.c5 e5 28.g3 Rh5 29.Rxb5 is also winning for White.]

27.g3 Rh5 28.Ra7 Rc7 [‹28...Rb8 29.g4 Rhh8 30.dxc5 Rhc8 31.c6 ]

29.b6 [>=29.g4 ]

29...Rd7 30.Rb5 cxd4 [>=30...Ke7 31.Rxc5 Rh8 ]

31.Rxh5 gxh5 [‹31...d3 32.Rha5 d2 33.Ra1 d1Q+ 34.Rxd1 Rxd1+ 35.Kg2 Rd7 36.c5 ]

32.exd4 Ke7 33.c5 [Not 33.Kg2?? Kd6= ]

33...Kd8 34.c6 bxc6 35.b7 Black resigned 1-0