Dominik Tunks vs Edward Davies
Portsmouth vs Emsworth Rapid League
1.Nf3 d5 [1...Nf6 is less committal and a bit more common.] 2.b3 semi off-beat, though still a commonly played system. Tony Miles was the loyalest Grandmaster to this line, with 5 games in the Fritz database, in the 4 games against 2500+ rated opposition he never lost (+1, =3). Other noteworthy games: David Norwood beat Sofia Polgar with white, Korchnoi gave it a try in 2003, Radjabov beat Beliavsky with it in 2002, and Smyslov used it in 1973. Conquest played this in 1998, though this is no surprise given Conquest's reputation for playing just about every opening under the sun. Sokolov beat Blatny against it in 1997 with black, and Ivanov beat Bezgodov against it in 1997 with black. [2.d4; 2.g3; 2.c4] 2...Nf6 [equally popular: 2...Bg4 ; and: 2...c5 ] 3.Bb2 Bf5 [3...Bg4 4.e3 e6 5.h3 (5.Be2 Nbd7 6.d3 Bd6 7.Nbd2 c6 8.Nh4 Bxe2 9.Qxe2 0–0 10.g3 Re8 11.0–0 Qa5 12.a3 Rad8 13.e4 e5 14.Kh1 Qa6 15.f3 Bf8 16.Rae1 g6 17.Qg2 Bg7 18.g4 Nf8 19.f4 exf4 20.Rxf4 Nxe4 21.Bxg7 Nxd2 22.Rxe8 Rxe8 23.Qxd2 Ne6 24.Bf6 Nxf4 25.Qxf4 c5 26.Nf3 d4 27.Kg1 Qe6 28.Ne5 h6 29.h4 Kh7 30.Kf2 b5 31.Kg3 a5 32.g5 h5 33.Qf3 Kg8 34.Qc6 Qxc6 35.Nxc6 Ra8 36.Kf4 Ra6 37.Nb8 Re6 38.Be5 a4 39.bxa4 bxa4 40.Nd7 Rc6 41.Nf6+ 0–1, Blatny - Sokolov, 1997. I assume either white lost on time here, or Fritz has the wrong result, as white is winning.) 5...Bxf3 6.Qxf3 Be7 7.g3 c5 8.Bg2 Nc6 9.0–0 0–0 10.d3 Nd7 11.Qe2 Bf6 12.c4 Bxb2 13.Qxb2 Nf6 14.cxd5 exd5 15.Nd2 Rc8 16.Nf3 Qb6 17.Rfd1 Rfd8 18.Rac1 Rc7 19.d4 c4 20.Ne5 cxb3 21.Qxb3 Qxb3 22.axb3 Rdc8 23.Nd3 Ne7 24.Rxc7 Rxc7 25.Ra1 b6 26.b4 Ne4 27.Nf4 g5 28.Nxd5 Nxd5 29.Bxe4 Nxb4 30.d5 Rd7 31.Rd1 Rd6 32.Bg2 f5 33.g4 fxg4 34.e4 Nc6 35.Ra1 Ne5 36.Rxa7 gxh3 37.Bxh3 g4 38.Bg2 Rd7 39.Ra8+ Kf7 40.Bf1 Rc7 41.Bb5 Rc5 42.Be8+ Kf6 43.Kg2 Rc4 44.Rb8 Rxe4 45.Rxb6+ Kf5 46.Rh6 draw, Smyslov - Savon, 1973; 3...c5 4.e3 e6 5.d4 Bd6 6.Nbd2 0–0 7.Bd3 Nc6 8.a3 Qe7 9.c4 cxd4 10.exd4 b6 11.0–0 Bb7 12.Re1 Rfd8 13.h3 Rac8 14.Qe2 dxc4 15.bxc4 Qf8 16.Ng5 Re8 17.Nde4 Nxe4 18.Qxe4 g6 19.Qh4 h6 20.Ne4 Be7 21.Nf6+ Bxf6 22.Qxf6 Qg7 23.Qxg7+ Kxg7 24.d5+ Kg8 25.dxc6 Bxc6 amazingly Beliavsky plays on instead of resigning to Radjabov 26.Rac1 Rcd8 27.Bf1 f5 28.Rcd1 Kf7 29.Be2 Be4 30.Rxd8 Rxd8 31.Rd1 Rxd1+ 32.Bxd1 Bc6 33.f3 Ke7 34.Be5 Kf7 35.Kf2 a6 36.Ke3 b5 37.Kd4 bxc4 38.Kxc4 Bb5+ 39.Kb4 Bf1 40.g3 Bxh3 41.Be2 Bg2 42.Ka5 g5 43.Kxa6 h5 44.a4 Kg6 45.a5 f4 46.gxf4 1–0, Radjabov vs Beliavsky, 2002, in this ridiculous case of disrepect to Radjabov; 3...c6 4.e3 Bg4 5.h3 (5.Be2 Nbd7 6.d3 e6 7.h3 Bxf3 8.Bxf3 Bd6 9.Nd2 Qe7 10.0–0 Ba3 11.Qc1 Bxb2 12.Qxb2 0–0 13.c4 Rfd8 14.Be2 h6 15.Rac1 Rac8 16.Rc2 e5 17.cxd5 cxd5 18.Rfc1 Rxc2 19.Rxc2 Nb8 20.b4 a6 21.a3 Nc6 22.Nb3 d4 23.exd4 exd4 24.Bf1 h5 25.Nc5 Ne5 26.Re2 Qc7 27.Qd2 Ned7 28.Nxd7 Qxd7 29.g3 Qa4 30.Qc1 Re8 31.Rxe8+ Qxe8 32.Bg2 Qe2 33.Qc8+ Kh7 34.Qf5+ Kg8 35.Bxb7 h4 36.g4 Qb2 37.g5 Nh5 38.Kg2 g6 39.Qe5 1–0, Miles - Godena, 1999) 5...Bxf3 6.Qxf3 Nbd7 7.d4 e6 8.Nd2 Qa5 9.Bd3 Bb4 10.Qe2 0–0 11.a3 Bc3 12.b4 Bxd2+ 13.Qxd2 Qc7 14.c4 Nb6 15.Rc1 Nxc4 16.Bxc4 dxc4 17.Rxc4 a5 18.0–0 axb4 19.Rxb4 Nd5 20.Rb3 f5 21.Re1 Rf6 22.Bc3 Rg6 23.Qb2 b5 24.Bb4 Qd8 25.Qe2 Nxb4 26.Rxb4 Rxa3 27.Rb2 Qd5 28.f4 Rc3 29.Rc2 Rxc2 30.Qxc2 b4 31.Kh2 b3 32.Qb2 Qe4 33.g3 Qd3 34.Qe2 Qc3 35.Rd1 Rf6 36.Qd3 Qb2+ 37.Rd2 Qc1 38.Rd1 b2 39.g4 Rf8 40.Qb3 b1Q 41.Qxb1 Qxe3 42.Qd3 Qxf4+ 43.Qg3 fxg4 44.hxg4 Qxg3+ 45.Kxg3 Rd8 46.Re1 Kf7 47.Re4 Rd5 48.Rf4+ Ke7 49.Kf3 e5 0–1, Taimanov - Tunik, 1995; 3...e6 4.e3 Be7 (4...c5 5.c4 Nc6 6.cxd5 exd5 7.Bb5 Bd6 8.0–0 0–0 9.Bxc6 bxc6 10.d3 a5 11.Qc2 Ba6 12.Re1 Re8 13.Nbd2 Rb8 14.e4 Bxd3! So starts a tactical sequence leaving a queen for 3 minor pieces imbalance. 15.Qxd3 dxe4 16.Bxf6 Bxh2+ 17.Nxh2 Qxd3 18.Bg5 h6 19.Be3 a4 20.Nhf1 axb3 21.axb3 Ra8 22.Rac1 Re5 23.Bf4 Rf5 24.Rxe4 Ra2 25.Be3 white has to hope his pieces coordinate in the small space available; admittedly it is easy for me to say this knowing the result of the game 25...Rc2 26.Rxc2 Qxc2 27.Rc4 Qd3 28.Bxc5 Re5 29.Be3 Qd7 30.Nf3 Rd5 31.N1d2 f5 32.Ra4 c5 33.Rc4 Qd6 34.Bf4 Qe6 35.Rc1 g5 36.Be3 Qd6 37.Re1 g4 38.Nc4 Qf6 39.Nfd2 f4 40.Ne4 Qf5 41.Bc1 Rd4 42.Ncd2 Qe6 43.Kf1 f3 44.Re3 Qa6+ 45.Kg1 Qe2 46.Kh2 Qd1 47.Rc3 Rxe4 48.Nxe4 Qf1 49.Kg3 fxg2 50.Kf4 g1Q 0–1, Bezgodov - Ivanov, 1997. An awesome game.; 4...Bd6 5.c4 0–0 6.d4 c5 7.cxd5 exd5 8.dxc5 Bxc5 9.Be2 Nc6 10.0–0 Bb6 11.Na3 Ne4 12.Nb5 Re8 13.Nbd4 Qd6 14.Rc1 Bg4 15.Nxc6 bxc6 16.Nd4 Bd7 17.Bg4 c5 18.Bxd7 Qxd7 19.Ne2 Rad8 20.Qd3 Qf5 21.Rcd1 Bc7 22.f3 Qh5 23.Nf4 Bxf4 24.exf4 Nf6 25.Bxf6 gxf6 26.Qb5 Rc8 27.b4 Qf5 28.bxc5 Rb8 29.Qd3 Qxd3 30.Rxd3 Rb2 31.Kh1 Ree2 32.Rg1 Rec2 33.Rxd5 Rxa2 34.h4 Kg7 35.Kh2 Ra5 36.Kh3 Raxc5 37.Rd8 R2c4 38.Ra1 a5 39.Kg3 a4 40.Ra8 Rf5 41.R1xa4 Rfxf4 42.R4a7 Rxh4 43.Re8 Ra4 44.Rb7 draw, Kortschnoi - Sadvakasov, 2003) 5.d4 Ne4 (5...0–0 6.Nbd2 (6.Bd3 b6 7.0–0 Bb7 8.Nbd2 Nbd7 9.Ne5 Ne4 10.Nxd7 Qxd7 11.c4 Nxd2 12.Qxd2 dxc4 13.Bxc4 c5 14.Qe2 Qc6 15.Qg4 Bf6 16.Rfd1 Rfd8 17.Rac1 Qe8 18.Bf1 draw, Miles - Nogueiras, 2001) 6...b6 7.Bd3 Bb7 8.0–0 c5 9.Ne5 Nc6 10.a3 cxd4 11.exd4 Nxe5 12.dxe5 Ne4 13.Qe2 draw, Miles - Luther, 2000) 6.Bd3 f5 7.Ne5 0–0 8.f3 Bb4+ 9.Ke2 Nd7 10.Nxd7 draw, Miles - Slobodjan, 1999] 4.e3 [4.g3 e6 5.d3 Be7 6.Nbd2 0–0 7.Nh4 Bg4 8.h3 Bh5 9.g4 Nfd7 10.Ng2 Bg6 11.e3 e5 12.Qf3 c6 13.h4 h6 14.Qg3 Re8 15.Be2 Bb4 16.a3 Bxd2+ 17.Kxd2 c5 18.f4 exf4 19.Nxf4 Nf8 20.g5 hxg5 21.hxg5 d4 22.exd4 cxd4 23.Qh2 Bh7 24.g6 fxg6 25.Bf3 Re5 26.Bxb7 Nc6 27.Bxc6 Rc8 28.Qg2 g5 29.Bd5+ 1–0, David Norwood - Sofia Polgar, 1995] 4...e6 5.Ne5 Be7 According to Fritz, black is easily equal. 6.f4?! [F1: 6.Bb5+ Nbd7 7.0–0; 6.Bd3 Bxd3 7.Nxd3 c5] 6...Nbd7 7.Be2 [Again, Fritz prefers: 7.Bd3 ] 7...c6 This isn't bad, opening a path for the queen and keeping a good pawn structure, but it is hardly the most ambitious. [F1: 7...Nxe5 8.fxe5 Nd7 9.0–0 0–0] 8.0–0 [8.g4 is interesting 8...Be4 9.0–0 Nxe5 10.Bxe5 h6 11.d3 Bg6 12.Bd4 c5 13.Bb2 Qd7 14.Qd2] 8...h6 Anticipating g4. [8...Nxe5 9.Bxe5 Bd6 10.Bb2 Bg6] 9.d3 [9.Nf3 0–0] 9...Qc7 Preparing 0–0–0. 10.Nd2 [10.g4 Bh7 11.Nxd7 Nxd7 12.Bxg7 Rg8 looks quite good for black] 10...Nxe5 11.Bxe5 [11.fxe5 Nd7 12.Nf3 0–0 13.c4 dxc4 14.bxc4 Rad8] 11...Bd6?! inaccurate according to Fritz [11...Qb6 12.Bd4 Bc5 13.Nf3 Bxd4 14.Nxd4 Fritz seems to like trading pieces and simplifying. 14...0–0] 12.Bxf6? A bad positional blunder according to Fritz. [12.e4 Bg6 13.Bxd6 Qxd6 14.e5 Qc5+ 15.Rf2 Nd7 =; 12.Nf3 Bxe5 13.Nxe5 g5 14.d4 =] 12...gxf6 13.e4? Another positional blunder just as serious as the last according to Fritz. [13.Nf3 0–0–0 14.c4 Rhg8 15.cxd5 exd5 16.Nd4 Bh3 17.Bf3 Bc5 18.Kh1 Bxd4 19.exd4 Bf5 A typical line for Fritz, where black is a pawn up and may have some winning chances with considerable technique.] 13...Bh7 14.g3 [Fritz opts to try and get counterplay 14.c4 dxe4 15.Nxe4 Bxe4 16.dxe4 Bxf4 17.h3 Be3+ 18.Kh1 Qe5 black has great piece dominance in the centre.] 14...Bc5+ [F1: 14...0–0–0 15.Qc1 Bc5+ 16.Kh1 Be3 17.exd5 cxd5 18.c3 Kb8] 15.Kg2 [15.Kh1] 15...0–0–0 16.exd5 exd5?! The incorrect way to recapture. Black is still well over a pawn up in evaluation, but it is clear that forcing through the white kingside is not going to be as easy with this pawn structure as with the pawn structure after cd. I instinctively wanted to keep my c pawn as pawn cover for the king, but this was naive as the clump of pawns that could be utilised to rip open the white kingside easily outweigh this factor of pawn cover for the black king, and black's initiative against the enemy king is much greater than any initiative white has against the black king. Also the black king still looks quite well covered just by the a and b pawns in the resulting position after cd. As is often the case, the key moves in a game are those committal pawn moves quite deep into the middlegame which dictate the resulting strategy of the game. [16...cxd5! Black's king is still a long way from being in danger of enemy counterplay in the immediate future, and black has superb chances to tear open the centre with advantage.] 17.Nf3?! [17.Rb1 Bb4 18.a3 Bc3 19.b4] 17...Be3 I assume this felt positionally strong to me at the time, but it seems a bit planless. [17...Bb4 is a good idea, planning to blockade the queenside counterplay due to white's lack of dark square force. 18.Nd2 Rhe8 19.a3 Bc3 20.b4] 18.Nh4 [18.c3] 18...Rhg8 [18...d4 in hindsight it is not difficult to see how natural it is to play this move, cementing the intefering bishop on e3.] 19.Bg4+ Kb8 20.Qf3 [20.Bf5 Bg6 21.d4 c5 22.dxc5 Qxc5 23.Nxg6 fxg6 24.Be6 Rh8 25.Qd3 d4 things still looks very good for black, but white is having a good go at defending] 20...d4 I don't miss my opportunity to play d4 this time. 21.Bf5 Bg6 22.c4 [22.b4 Rde8 23.Kh1 Bd2 24.Be4 Bxe4 25.dxe4 Bxb4; 22.Nxg6 fxg6 23.Be6 Rge8 24.f5 gxf5 25.Bxf5 Qa5 26.Bg6 Qd2+ 27.Kh1 Re6] 22...Qa5 23.Bxg6?! [23.b4 Qxb4 24.Rab1 Qc5 25.Nxg6 fxg6 26.Be4 Rd6] 23...fxg6 24.Kh1 Rde8 [24...f5 was better, preparing g5 25.Rae1 Qd2 26.Qe2 Qc3 27.Qd1 Rd7 28.Ng2 Re8 29.Re2 Rde7 30.Qc2 Qb4 31.Qb2 h5] 25.Ng2 Re7?! A bit of a do-nothing kind of move, which doesn't really put my opponent under any pressure. Even though I didn't see the benefit of Qd2, something like f5 would still be better, making concrete action on the kingside. [25...f5 26.Rae1 Bd2 27.Re2 Bb4 28.Nh4 Qd8 29.Qf2 Rxe2 30.Qxe2 Re8 31.Qc2 Qd6 32.Nf3 Re3 33.Qd1 Bc3 34.Ne5 g5 35.Qh5 Qe6 36.Qf7 Qxf7 37.Nxf7 gxf4 38.Rxf4 Rxd3 39.Rxf5 Rd1+ 40.Kg2 Ra1 41.c5 b6 42.Rf6 bxc5 43.Rxc6 Rxa2+ black has a much superior endgame] 26.Qd1 [26.f5 g5 27.Qh5] 26...Qd2 Not bad, depending on what plan black has. [26...Qc3 27.a3 Rge8 28.b4 f5] 27.Re1 Qxd1?! Black still almost a pawn advantage according to Fritz, but the technical exercise is not trivial. [27...Qc3 28.Rc1 Qb4 29.Nxe3 dxe3 30.d4 Rd8 31.Qf3 Rxd4 32.Rxe3 black is still a bit better, but winning is another thing; 27...Qb4 this looks to be the best choice for black 28.Nxe3 Rxe3 29.Rxe3 dxe3 30.Qe2 Qc3 31.Rf1 Re8 32.Kg2; 27...Rgg7 28.Nxe3 dxe3 29.Re2 Qc3 black has all but lost his advantage] 28.Raxd1 Rge8 29.Re2 c5! This is definitely not the right move, basically gifting white the lever b4 and making no active play. [29...g5 this is much better, increasing options and tension on the kingside and prophilactically restricting the knight from h4 and g6] 30.Rde1 Kc7? This really is poor. g5 here would keep an advantage for black. Now the position is about equal, although black has to be careful and white may get a slight advantage. [30...g5 31.a3 b6 32.f5 Kc7] 31.Nxe3 Rxe3? I was aware that I would drop a pawn with dxe as well, so this wasn't so obviously to me as being a blunder, but it is. [31...dxe3 32.Kg2 b6 33.g4 (33.Kf3 Rd7 34.Rd1 (34.Rxe3 Rxd3! 35.g4) 34...Rd4 35.Rxe3 Red8) 33...f5 34.gxf5 gxf5 35.Kf3 Rd8; Fritz points out that 31...Kc6 can be played first 32.Kg2 dxe3] 32.Rxe3 dxe3 At around this point my opponent was in severe time trouble, whereas I still had a good few minutes, and having a bad position, inevitably going a pawn down when the white king walks to f3, I made the sporting decision and offered my opponent a draw, which he gladly accepted, (and with a look of surprise, or almost perplexion, as though he was certain he was going to lose on time). I would rather not win a game in such a way, as I am confident enough in my abilities to win by playing good moves. Draw agreed.
