This game illustrates another classical positional idea: The kingside attack when White plays Be3, Black takes it, and White recaptures fxe3. It was played in the 2008 Moscow Open. Grandmaster Josh Friedel, who beat me in a one-sided Najdorf Sicilian at a long-ago New Hampshire Open (!), played Black. It shows how easily Black can find serious trouble against the combination of the light squared bishop and rook attacking f7.
Opening
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.Qe2 b5 6.Bb3 Bc5 7.d3 d6 8.c3 So far this is the same as the previously studied games against Almasi and Senlle Caride. But here Black prevents the pin before castling – a solid choice. 8…h6
9.O-O
9.h3 is a possibility, aiming to push g2-g4 if Black castles, but Black can make a developing move instead. For example Alex Onischuk played the solid 9…Be6.
9…O-O 10.Be3
This is recommended by Tiviakov as a solid approach. 10…Re8
10… Bxe3 immediately is probably best.
Critical Moment
11.Nbd2 Ng4?! A wrong strategic plan according to Tiviakov; Black aims for the exchange of his knight for the bishop on e3. We will see why this proves to be misguided.
12.Bd5 First of all, the bishop is quite strong here. 12…Nxe3? Black may be objectively losing after this exchange! It is difficult to criticize, because it was clearly the idea of …Ng4. Together they add up to a serious mistake. 13.fxe3
Now the attack on the f-file is going to be very strong; the pawn on f7 is a serious weakness.
13…Bb7?
13…Bd7 was a better chance, keeping in contact with the kingside.
Launching the Attack
14.Qf2!
A very strong multipurpose move, aiming at f7 and making Nh4 possible.
14…Rf8 15.d4! Tiviakov observes that this puts the bishop on c5 out of the game.
15…Bb6 16.Nh4 Threatening both Ng6 and Bxf7+. 16…Kh7
17.Qf5+
17.Bxf7? Rxf7! 18. Qxf7 Qxh4 shows Black’s defensive idea.
17… Kh8 18.Qh3!
Also very strong: White protects the knight, threatens to take on f7, and clears f5.
18…exd4 19.cxd4
19…Rb8 There was no good way to protect f7!
19…Qe7 walks into 20.Rxf7 among other winning moves. A royal fork is now on the menu.
Conversion
20.Bxf7 White is totally winning. We will see the conversion. 20…Ne7 21.Qe6
This threatens to take on e7 and then play Ng6+. 21…Kh7 22.Nf5 The engine likes other moves better, but Tiviakov prefers to simplify the game. 22…Nxf5 23.Rxf5 Kh8 24.Rh5
The threat of taking on h6 with check forces Black to trade queens. 24…Qf6 25.Qxf6 gxf6 26.Bd5 c6 27.Be6!
From here the bishop can access the outpost on f5. 27…Kg7 28.Rf1 Rbe8 29.Bf5 Bc8 30.Bxc8 Rxc8 31.Nf3!
Now the knight is directed towards the weak f5 square. 31…Rce8 32.Nh4!
32…Rxe4 33.Nf5+ Kg6 34.Rxh6+ Kg5 35.Rh7
Black resigned – he is in a mating net and losing material. 35…Rg8 stops Rg7+ but then 36.h4+ Kg6 37.Rh6+ Kf7 38.Nxd6+ Kg7 39.Rfxf6 is crushing.
Takeaways:
- The …Ng4xe3 plan ended up being seriously misguided. The combined action of White’s pieces created an overwhelming attack on f7, while White’s center blocked Black’s dark squared bishop out of the game
- Qf2! was an important move, both aiming at f7 and making Nh4 possible
- In the conversion phase, the plan of Nd2-f3-h4-f5, reaching the outpost and ending Black’s resistance