The Irish Chess Union

[Event "Kilkenny Masters 2007"] [Site "Kilkenny IRL"] [Date "2007.11.25"] [Round "6"] [White "Baburin, Alexander"] [Black "Wells, Peter"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2545"] [BlackElo "2515"] [ECO "E32"] [Annotator "Baburin, Alexander"] [ICUid "28762"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 O-O 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. Qxc3 b6 7. Nf3 Bb7 8. e3 d5 { I did not know this move and my reaction was wrong: } 9. cxd5 $6 (9. b4) 9... Bxd5 10. Be2 Nbd7 ({ After } 10... Ne4 11. Qc2 Ng5 { White can play } 12. h4 { (as in a similar position from van Wely-Grischuk) and then castle queenside. }) 11. O-O ({ I did not want to play } 11. b4 { because then } 11... Ne4 12. Qc2 Ng5 { makes more sense - queenside castling will be risky! }) 11... c5 { Black has an easy game here. } 12. b4 Ne4 13. Qb2 Qe7 (13... c4 $5) (13... Rc8 $5) 14. Nd2 Nd6 (14... cxd4 15. Qxd4) 15. f3 ( 15. dxc5 bxc5 16. f3 { Fritz 10. }) 15... Nf5 16. Nb1 { This weird-looking was my first thought when I saw 15...Nf5 ! } ({ I though that White would be OK after } 16. Ne4 cxd4 17. exd4 h6 18. b5 { but that did not look ambitious enough to me. }) ({ Fritz 10 gives a very interesting line: } 16. Bd3 Nxe3 17. Re1 Nxg2 18. Kxg2 Qh4) 16... Qf6 17. Bb5 ({ Fritz 10: } 17. g4 $1) 17... Rfd8 18. dxc5 (18. Bxd7 $2 Rxd7 19. e4 Bc4 20. exf5 Bxf1 21. Kxf1 Rxd4 $17) 18... Qxb2 19. Bxb2 Nxe3 20. Rc1 bxc5 21. Kf2 Nf5 22. Bxd7 Rxd7 23. Rxc5 Bb7 { Black has the initiative, but White has some trumps (Q-side pawn majority) too. Here I had 35 minutes against Peter's 19. } 24. Bc1 ( 24. b5 $5) 24... Rad8 25. Ra2 f6 26. Rd2 e5 (26... Nd4 $5) 27. Rxd7 Rxd7 28. Be3 ({ I completely missed } 28. f4 $5 { - the desire to keep the enemy bishop at bay was too strong! }) (28. Nd2 $6 Nd4 29. Rc3 Ne6) 28... g5 29. Rc3 a6 30. Nd2 h5 31. h3 ({ I saw } 31. Ne4 $2 Bxe4 32. fxe4 Nd6 { - then Black is probably winning after } 33. Rc6 Nxe4+ 34. Kf3 (34. Ke2) 34... f5 35. Rxa6 g4+ 36. Ke2 Nc3+) 31... g4 { After making this move Peter had 5.5 minutes left, while I had 15 minutes. } 32. hxg4 hxg4 33. fxg4 Nxe3 34. Kxe3 Bxg2 35. Ne4 Kg7 (35... Bxe4 36. Kxe4 Rd4+ 37. Kf5 Rf4+ 38. Ke6 $1) 36. Nc5 Rd6 37. Rd3 Rxd3+ 38. Nxd3 Kg6 (38... Bc6 39. Nc5 Bb5 40. a4 Bc6 41. a5 Bb5 42. Ne6+ Kg6 43. Nc7 Bf1 44. Kf3 $1) 39. Nc5 Kg5 (39... Bf1 $1 40. a4 Kg5 41. Kf3 f5) 40. Nxa6 Kxg4 41. b5 $2 (41. Kf2 $1) 41... f5 (41... Kg3 $3 42. Nc5 f5 43. b6 f4+ 44. Kd3 $1 $13 (44. Kd2 $2 e4 45. b7 e3+ 46. Ke1 Bxb7 47. Nxb7 f3 $19)) 42. Kf2 $1 Bd5 $6 (42... Ba8) 43. Nb4 (43. b6 f4 44. Nc5 Kf5 45. a4 e4 46. b7 Bxb7 47. Nxb7 Ke5 $11) 43... Bb7 $2 { This gives White a tempo. } (43... Ba8 44. a4 f4 45. a5 Kf5 $3 (45... e4 46. a6 e3+ 47. Ke2 $18) 46. a6 Ke6 47. b6 Kd7 $11) 44. a4 $18 f4 45. a5 e4 46. a6 e3+ 47. Ke2 Bg2 48. b6 Bf3+ 49. Kf1 Be4 50. b7 { I think Peter resigned with 2-3 seconds left on the clock - I still had almost a minute. Time: 1.44 - 1.45 } 1-0