2016-04-26 - Russell, Chris 1-0 Payne, M
[Event "BRISTOL LEAGUE DIV 1"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2016.04.26"]
[Round "?"]
[White "RUSSELL, C.."]
[Black "PAYNE, M.."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C10"]
[Annotator "Tyson,Mordue"]
[PlyCount "59"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
1. e4 e6 {Matthew Payne is a committed adherent of the French Defence. He has
adopted the same quirky line on every occasion that I have played him.} 2. d4
d5 3. Nc3 Nc6 {Matthew also plays this move against the Tarrasch (3. Nd2).
Against this or 3. Nc3 there are various more popular alternatives such as 3...
dxe4 or 3...Nf6, and after 3. Nc3 there is the evergreen Winawer 3...Bb4 which
features in over 43,000 games on the openings database. Personally I've never
liked the doubled c-Pawns which are a major feature of the Winawer so I played
3. Nd2 to avoid them. No matter whether 3...Nc6 is played after 3. Nd2 or 3.
Nc3 it is considered controversial. This is because when White plays e4-e5 one
of Black's usual Pawn breaks here is ...c7-c5, and here he can't play it
because the Knight is in the way.} 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. e5 Ne4 {The most common move
in this position because it threatens 6...Nxc3 doubling the White Pawns. The
principal defence between this and the Winawer variation is that Black doesn't
give up his dark-squared Bishop. However, if White has played 3. Nd2 then the
sequence 3...Nc6 4. Ngf3 Nf6 5. e5 Ne4 is considered dubious because there is
no threat to take on c3. White can continue with either 6. c3 or 6. Bd3 with a
nice advantage in development. The simple point here is that after 6. Nxe4
dxe4 White must move his Knight giving Black the chance to take on d4 the move
after. For example 7. Ng5 Qxd4 8. Qxd4 Nxd4 and White doesn't get the chance
to take on e4 whilst c2 is en prise.} 6. Ne2 {This odd looking move is the
most popular continuation after 6. Bd3 allowing the swap on c3. The reasoning
is that White switches his Knight to g3 and he doesn't mind a trade there. The
loss of time involved is negligible if the position is closed and if Black is
forced to take on g3.} f6 {The most combative continuation. Black tries to
open up the position to exploit White's temporary log-jam.} 7. Ng3 fxe5 8. Bb5
$5 {The major alternative is the natural 8. dxe5. The text is a gambit
continuation based on the fact that Black's extra Pawn is a doubled e-Pawn.
This line scores well in practice and both players seem to know the theory.}
exd4 9. Nxe4 {So why is Chris taking on e4 now when it wasn't good on move 6?
The answer is that circumstances have changed, and that it is now good. Black
has spent his three moves doing things with what was his f-Pawn - that's now
on d4! Okay, during that time Freddie has demolished the White centre, but he
hasn't got Black any further forward in his development, while White's pieces
have been coming forward and the position has opened up. Hence this is better
time to take. I do find it vaguely odd that White's steed has made this
time-wasting journey, but one of my own key adages is "React to Changed
Circumstances". That goes with the adage "It's not important what happened
previously. It's what is happening in the position now." which is not one of
mine but is quite valid.} dxe4 10. Nxd4 Qd5 {This active move is still theory
and it counterattacks the Bishop on b5.} 11. c4 {The main line here is 11.
Nxc6 a6 (not 11...Qxb5 12. Qxd8+ Kf7 13. Qxc7+ is awful for Black.) 12. Ba4
Bd7 13. c4 Qxd1+ 14. Kxd1 Bxc6 15. Bxc6+ bxc6 16. Ke2 and you consults your
database and you takes your choice. White is a Pawn down but Black's structure
is awful. The text is a recognised sideline that leads to more complex play.}
Bb4+ 12. Bd2 Qd6 {The game Grandelius (2649) vs. Stupak (2535), Gjakova 2016,
continued 12...Qxd4 13. Bxb4 Qxb2 14. Rb1 Qf6? (14...Qe5 seems to maintain
equality.) 15. Bxc6+ bxc6 16. Qh5+! g6 17. Qa5, and despite being two Pawns
down White has a big advantage here. The text leaves the theoretical database,
but I am going to assume that it is a home improvement by Matthew.} 13. O-O {
This is a quieter move that the two major alternatives, but it does produce a
Black error fairly quickly. One alternative goes 13. Nxc6 bxc6 14. Bxc6+ Qxc6
15. Bxb4 Qxc4 16. Ba3 Qd5 17. Qa4+ [instead 17. Rc1 may be better.] 17...Bd7
18. Qb4 0-0-0 19.0-0 e3! 20. fxe3 Bc6 21. Rf2 with rough equality according to
the engine. This variation nicely illustrates that in the middle-game
opposite-coloured Bishops can give attacking chances. The other possible line
is 13. Bxb4 Qxb4+ 14. Qd2 0-0 15. Bxc6! Qxd2+ 16. Kxd2 bxc6 17. Ke3 c5 18. Nb3
Rf5 19. Rad1 when once again White has a clear advantage despite Black's extra
Pawn.} Bxd2 14. Qxd2 Bd7 15. Rad1 O-O-O $2 {This proves to be a demonstrable
error, although it's not easy to see why at this point. Instead Black can get
virtual equality by trading on d4. After 15...Qxd4 16. Qxd4 Nxd4 17. Bxd7+
Kxd7 18. Rxd4+ Ke7 19. Rxe4 Rhd8 20. Rfe1 Rd6 White may have a small advantage
in the endgame but nothing that Black shouldn't be able to hold. Instead 15...
Nxd4 16. Qxd4 Qxd4 17. Rxd4 0-0-0 18. Rxe4 Bxb5 19. cxb5 Rd2 20. Rxe6 Rxb2 21.
Rxe7 Rxb5 22. Rxg7 is an unbalanced ending which the engine calls equal, but
both sides can try winning this.} 16. Bxc6 Bxc6 17. Qa5 {Simply threatening a7
but it's quite strong.} b6 {What Matthew probably missed was that after 17...
Kb8 18. Nb5 Qc5 (not 18...Qxd1 19. Qxa7+ Kc8 20. Qa8+ Kd7 21. Rxd1+ leaves
Black lost - 21...Ke7 22. Rxd8 Rxd8 23. Qa4 or Qa3+ and Black doesn't get a
chance to mate on the back rank.) Chris has 19. Qxc7+ followed by mates on d8.
The Bishop on c6 interferes with the Queen's defence of c7 from c5. There is
also 17...a6, but that fails to 18. Nb5! Qf4 19. g3 Qf7 20. Na7+ Kb8 21. Nxc6+
bxc6, and now not 22. Qxa6 Rxd1+ 23. Rxd1 Rd8 with a small disadvantage to
Black, but the stronger 22, Rde1! threatening 23. Re3 and a transfer of the
Rook to the Queenside via either e3 or e4 and Black's King is in trouble. The
text enables the Bishop to control a8 and stop the mate, but Black has to
return the extra Pawn.]} 18. Qxa7 Bb7 $6 {I examined the positional Queen
sacrifice here with 18...Qxd4 19. Rxd4 Rxd4, but Black isn't solid enough
after 20. Qa3 Rhd8 21. Qa3 forking two Pawns. The text looks more natural.
However, it does give White an opportunity to improve his position, but it's
not an easy one to see. Instead Black might do better to play 18...e3!? and
after 19. fxe3 then go 19...Bb7.} 19. Qa4 $6 {[At first sight this seems okay,
but White has the better 19. c5! And after 19...bxc5 (not 19...Qxc5 20. Nxe6
wins an Exchange.) 20. Nf5 Qf8 21. Ne3 with a clear positional advantage.]} Qe5
$2 {This is not precise enough. Instead Black should again play 19...e3!
opening up the diagonal for his Bishop and creating weaknesses around White's
King. If then 20. c5 Qxc5 21. Nxe6 exf2+ 22. Kh1 Rxd1 and White has no time to
grab the Queen because of 23...Rxf1 mate. Of course White can simply capture
on f2 or d1 on either move 22 or 23 respectively, but Black no longer has a
Rook en prise on d8.} 20. Nc6 {This is okay but the preliminary 20. c5! first
is even better. Nevertheless after the text Black is obliged to take on c6
because he has pieces en prise, and after the recapture the threat of mate on
a8 means he hasn't a chance to play ...e4-e3.} Bxc6 21. Qxc6 Kb8 {Not the
preliminary 21...Rxd1 because 22. Qxa8+ Kd7 23. Rxd1+ costs Black his other
Rook.} 22. Rde1 $1 {This finesse was pointed out in the note to Black's 17th
move. The Pawn structure is now different and Black's Queen is on a better
square, but the text is strong regardless.} Rd4 23. Re3 Qd6 24. Qa4 Rd8 {
Deep Rybka claims that 24...Qc5 is stronger, but I prefer the text. It gets
the Rook into play and rules out any back rank tactics. It also looks
impressive, but Black needs to be wary of his loose King position and his
worse Pawn structure.} 25. Ra3 Kb7 $4 {I suspect Matthew was in his usual time
trouble here. Black has to play 25...Kc8 to avoid the obvious mate threat, and
the engine wrongly regards this as equal. After I asked a few questions of
Deep Rybka it then claimed White was much better! Here is out joint effort: 25.
.. Kc8 26. b4 Rd1 (not 26...Rxc4?? 27.Qa6+ wins the Rook.) 27. Qa8+ Kd7 28.
Qxe4 Rxf1+ 29. Kxf1 Qd1+ 30. Qe1 Qc2 31. Rc3 Qxa2 32. Rc1+/- and at this point
the engine said White was +0.6! That's a chunky plus. It seemed to be based on
the threat of 33. Qe5 so I carried on with 32...Qb2 and we had 33. Rd1+ Ke7 34.
Rxd8 Kxd8 35. Qxe6 Qxb4 36. Qg8+ Kd7 37. Qxg7+ Kc8 38. Qg8+ Kb7 39. Qd5+ and
White is doing very well in this Queen ending. Clearly this line is not forced,
but it is enough to prove that White has an advantage and not the equality
first claimed by the engine. I suspect the text is based on a couple of
tactical oversights, but one shouldn't underestimate the power of a Queen and
Rook against a vulnerable King. Here a White Pawn gets into the action as well,
and that proves fatal for Black. The finish is nicely calculated by Chris.} 26.
Qa6+ Kc6 27. Qb5+ Kb7 28. c5 $1 {I've mentioned this Pawn break in previous
notes. Now it's a winning move. The simple line is 28... Qxc5 29. Qa6+ Kc6 (if
29...Kb8 30. Qa8 mate.) 30. Rc3 wins the Queen. I don't know if Matthew had
seen exactly what the reply to his move in the game was, but it's a nice,
economical finish.} Qd5 {[ 28...Qxc5 29.Qa6+ Kc6 30.Rc3 +- ]} 29. c6+ Kb8 {
If 29...Qxc6 30. Ra7+ wins the Queen a different way, while 29...Kc8 30. Ra8
is mate on the spot.} 30. Ra8+ {It's a simple finish with 30.. .Kxa8 31. Qa6+
Kb8 32. Qb7 mate. This game is convincing proof of how important it is to
maintain the three Pawns in front of your castled King. Strong players will
find a way through the gaps given the opportunity.} 1-0
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