1988-01-30 - Headlong, T 0-1 Handley, M
In a French Tarrasch with 5 f4 White tries to construct a big centre. Mike Handley nibbles at the Kingside, then at the Queenside, and finally bashes straight through the middle. Some interesting disagreement with the original annotator, a French expert, about who stands better early on.
[Event "BRISTOL LEAGUE CONGRESS"] [Site "?"] [Date "1988.01.30"] [Round "3"] [White "Headlong, T"] [Black "Handley, M"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C05"] [Annotator "Mordue,Tyson"] [PlyCount "70"] {Originally annotated by Alex Easton (AE) in BCT Issue 71, May 1988.} 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. c3 c5 6. f4 Nc6 7. Ndf3 Qb6 8. g3 {"A popular and interesting position. White wants to establish a massive space advantage in the centre which can lead to a strong attack on the King or a very good ending. Black usually tries to stop White consolidating by tactical means, or sometimes goes for Queenside counterplay by ...a5. ...Nb6, ....Bd7, . ..Rc8 etc." AE. This all sounds good to me. Alex is an expert in the French Defence. Just like Wolfgang Uhlmann, the East German number 1 for many years, I've never seen Alex play anything else in reply to 1 e4.} Be7 {"More popular recently has been 8...cxd4 9 cxd4 Bb4+ 10 Kf2 g5!? sniping at the centre and trying to expose the White King. But the Bishop is generally more useful on e7 since it supports ...g7-g5 and doesn't block the attack on the White b-Pawn." AE. In fact this is a more popular line today even though White has a comfortable plus on the database in the variation 11 fxg5 Ndxe5 12 Nxe5 Nxe5 13 Kg2.} 9. Bh3 cxd4 10. cxd4 O-O {"Maybe slightly stronger is 10...f6 11 Ne2 fxe5 12 fxe5 0-0 as 13 Bxe6+?! runs into 13...Kh8 and 14...Ndxe5." AE. 13 Bxe6+ has a 0% record on the database, with White having lost all three games in which it was played. I have a vague recollection of 13...Kh8 14 Bxd5 being played somewhere and White getting crushed. The first player needs to be careful as he has expended a lot of time on building this big centre but much less time on constructive development. He can easily be overwhelmed by a counterattack. The point of the line 10...f6 11 Ne2 fxe5 12 fxe5 0-0 is that here White is unable to either castle or play 13 Kf2 because he runs into 13...Ndxe5 and the d4 Pawn is pinned. The only other sensible move is 13 Rf1 which has a 3-1 score for White on the database.} 11. Kf1 {"A slight error. The alternatives are 11 Kf2 (which runs into 11...g5 with a good game) and 11 Ne2 preparing 12 0-0. If 11...f6 (preventing 12 0-0 by 12...fxe5 13 fxe5 Ndxe5 [as in the previous note. TM]) then 12 Bxe6+ Kh8 13 exf6! Nxf6 14 Bxc8 Bb4+ gives Black free play for the Pawn but probably not enough." AE. The text is the second most popular move after 11 Ne2, which also has better statistics. After 11 Kf2 g5 - which is not on the database -12 Ne2 Deep Rybka says White is slightly better, but that's nothing new at move 12 of any opening variation. Black does seem comfortable after 12...gxf4 13 gxf4 f5. In the line 11 Ne2 f6 12 Bxe6+ Kh8 13 exf6 Nxf6 14 Bxc8 Bb4+ or 14...Raxc8 the engine says that it's roughly equal. Alex doesn't explain why 11 Kf1 is 'a slight error', and he also gives Black's next an !, again with no explanation.} Kh8 12. Kg2 f6 13. Rb1 {"Now 13 Ne2 runs into 13...fxe5 14 fxe5 Ndxe5 15 dxe5 Nxe5 and either 16 Ned4 Nxf3 17 Nxf3 e5 or 16 Rf1 Nxf3 17 Rxf3 Rxf3 17 Kxf3 e5 give Black tremendous compensation for the piece. 13 Bxe6 runs into 13...Ndxe5." AE. The above analysis is accurate and I'll just add the obvious point that after 13...fxe5 14 fxe5 Ndxe5 15 dxe5 Nxe5 16 Nxe5?? Qf2 is mate. In every line given Deep Rybka evaluates the position as about equal which must mean Black has a lot for his piece, not just two Pawns. The point of the text is to simply guard the b2 Pawn in preparation for moving the Bishop from c1.} fxe5 { "Black might have considered 13...a5 followed, if allowed, by ...a5-a4, ...Qa7, ...Nb6 etc. But the plan chosen also looks good and exposes the dark side of 13 Rb1." AE. The 'dark side' is not just the upcoming tempo loss or having to defend the a2 Pawn. In fact Black gives it back later. Mike also intends putting the c8 Bishop on it's best available diagonal which is the h7-b1 line, and there just happens to be a White Rook sitting at the end of it! In view of this perhaps White should consider 15 Ra1.} 14. fxe5 Qa6 {Deep Rybka thinks the piece sac on e5 (14...Ndxe5 15 dxe5 Nxe5) is still viable, but with the extra support given to f3 by the g1 Knight the engine says it is slightly in White's favour. It's a practical chance so over the board you either play it, or you don't but wait for a better moment. After all the Pawns aren't going anywhere, but that does equally apply to the Black ones as well as the White ones.} 15. a3 Nb6 16. Ne2 Nc4 17. Nf4 {"If 17 b3 Qb6 is good for Black." AE. If 17 b3 to eject the Knight Black can just go 17...Nxa3 and then support it with ...b7-b5-b4 if White pins it with 18 Ra1. Deep Rybka points out that 17... Qxa3 is a candidate move because 18 bxc4 Qxf3+ mates, while 18 Bxa3 Ne3+ is possible, but the engine also rejects it after 18 Qd3.} Qb6 {Having got the Knight to c4 via b6 the Black Queen returns to this influential square with a tempo gain by threatening 18...Nxa3, but of course Black has lost two tempi by playing Her Majesty between b6 and a6.} 18. Qd3 g5 $1 {"A well-timed thrust by Black." AE.} 19. b3 {"Can White take the e6 Pawn? 19 Nxe6 Bxe6 20 Bxe6 Rxf3 (20...Nc6xe5 21 dxe5 Nxe5 22 Qd4 is less convincing) 21 Qxf3 (21 Kxf3 Ndxe5+ [wins the Queen - TM]) 21...Nxd4 22 Qxd5 Qxe6 23 Qxd4 (23 Qxe6 Nxe6 is better for Black) 23...Qc6+ 24 Kh3 Qxh1 25 Qxc4 h5 and wins." AE. An accurate bit of analysis, except right at the end! After 25...h5 - threatening 26...g4+ winning the Queen and 26 g4 is simply met by 26...Qf3 mate - there is 26 Bxg5 Qxb1 27 Bxe7 Qf5+ 28 Kg2 and if now 28...Qxe5 29 Bb4 with the threat of 30 Bc3 gives counterplay despite being the Exchange down. However, there's a simple improvement. Black doesn't need to take the h1 Rook to create the mating net so he can just play instead 24...Rd8! 25 Qf2 and now 25...h5 26 Bxg5 Qe6+ - to prevent an annoying Qf7 - 27 Kg2 Bxg5 Black is well on top.} N4xe5 {So Black gets this move in and it's not even a sacrifice!} 20. dxe5 gxf4 21. Bxf4 Bd7 22. Rhf1 {"Black has a good game. The 'bad' Bishop is about to become a monster, and the White King is surprisngly more exposed." AE. However, see the next note! Deep Rybka says White is better in this position by +0.35.} Be8 23. Qd2 $6 {There is a case for giving up an Exchange with 23.Bxe6. After 23... Bg6 24.Qd1 Bxb1 25.Qxb1 Deep Rybka says White is better by 0.86, and then suggests that Black returns the material with 25...Rxf4. However, after 26. gxf4 Nxe5 27.Bxd5 Nxf3 28.Rxf3 White remains a Pawn up with a good position. If Black tries the natural 25...Rad8 then 26 Ng5! forces 26...Bxg5 27 Bxg5 and it is Black's King that is the exposed one, while the greedy 25...Bxa3 26 Ng5 Qc7 27 Bxd5 gives White a dominating position.} Bg6 24. Bh6 $2 {"Loses, but Black has a beautiful position in any case. After Black's 24...Rxf3 White's reply is forced. The rest is time-trouble. White tries for a perpetual but hasn'r enough pieces left." AE. Deep Rybka insists on the Exchange sacrifice. After 24 Bxe6 Bxb1 25 Rxb1 Rad8 26 Bg4 it still claims White is better by about 0.5 or so - 26...Bxa4 27 Ng5 is strong but so much stronger with the Queen on b1 and Rook on f1 - see the previous note.} Rxf3 $1 25. Rxf3 {If 25.Kxf3 Be4+ a) 26.Ke2 Nd4+ 27.Kd1 Bxb1 and Black has won a piece. 13 Rb1 really did have a dark side! b) 26.Kg4 Nxe5+ 27.Kf4 (if 27.Kh5 Bg6 mate) 27...Nd3+ 28.Kg4 Rg8+29 Kh5 Bg6+ 30 Kg4 Qd4+ 31 Bf4 Ne5 mate, occupying the key square again! c) 26 Kf4 Nxe5! - threat 27...Ng6 mate - 27 Kxe5 (or 27 Qc3 Bf6 28 Bg5 Ng6+ wins the Queen) 27...Bd6+ 28 Kxe6 Bc5+ 29 Ke5 Qd6 mate. All this means White has to recapture with the f1 Rook dropping the protection of the other Rook and thus losing a piece.} Bxb1 26. Rf7 Be4+ 27. Kf1 Qb5+ $6 { 27...Qa6+ is more accurate. The point is that after 28 Ke1 Bxa3 29 Qg5 Bb4+ 30 Kf2 Qa2+, a square he doesn't have access to from b5.} 28. Ke1 Rg8 29. Bxe6 Bxa3 30. Qe3 Nxe5 {This one I'd have left alone because it kept the diagonal to Black's King blocked, preferring 30...Bc5 or 30...Bb4+. However, it doesn't do any damage as 31 Qd4 or c3 are answered by 31...Qb4(+).} 31. Rxh7+ Kxh7 32. Bxg8+ Kxg8 33. Qg5+ Bg6 34. Qxe5 Qe8 $1 35. Qxe8+ Bxe8 {White resigned at move 44.} 0-1
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