1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 d6 3.f4 e6 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.d4 cxd4 6.Nxd4 a6 7.Be2 Qc7 8.0-0 Be7 9.a4 Nc6 10.Be3 0-0 The end of the opening book leaves us with a classical Scheveningen after a transposition
11.Kh1 Diagram
11...Rd8 Not considered the best choice although white has been scoring well in pretty much all Scheveningen lines since Kasparov stopped defending it. More mainstream is [11...Re8 12.Bf3 Bf8
(White has also done recently well after
12...Rb8 13.g4 Bf8 14.g5 Nd7 15.Bg2 b6 16.Qh5 g6 17.Qh4) 13.Nb3 b6 14.a5 bxa5 15.e5 dxe5 16.fxe5 Rd8 17.Nd4 Nxd4 18.Bxd4 Nd5 19.Nxd5 exd5 20.Qd2+/= with a small plus but black is fairly solid]
12.Qe1 Nxd4 13.Bxd4 e5 Diagram
Still following established theory
14.Bg1!? Be3 looks more natural but Houdini has already "visualized" the position after white's 20th move which may be a better setup [14.Be3 exf4 15.Bxf4 Be6 16.Qg3 Nd7 17.Bg4 Ne5 18.Bf5 Ng6 19.Qh3 also keeps some pressure]
14...exf4 [14...Be6 15.f5 Bc4 16.a5 Qc6 17.Bxc4 Qxc4 18.Bb6 Rdc8 19.Rf3+/=]
15.a5 Re8 16.Bb6 Qc6 [16...Qb8 has been played in most human games that reached this position but looks inferior: 17.Bd4! (a novelty)
(17.Rxf4 d5!?) 17...Be6
(17...g5? 18.g3! gives white a strong attack e.g.
18...Bh3 19.Rf3 Bg4 20.Rf2 Bxe2 21.Qxe2 Qd8 22.gxf4+-) 18.Rxf4 Nd7 19.Qg3 Ne5 20.Nd5 (this would not have been possible with the queen on c6) 20...Bxd5 21.exd5+/-]
17.Rxf4 Diagram
17...Be6?! This natural move, played in 2 grandmaster games in my base, is not best [17...Nd7 18.Bd4 Ne5 19.Qg3 Bd8! is more flexible, both for defensive purposes and to hopefully create some counterplay in the queenside with b5
(19...Be6 transposes to the game
) 20.Raf1
(20.Bd3 Re6! is the point of this move order. The rook comes to the aid of the kingside
21.Nd5 Rg6 22.Qf2 Be6 23.Rf1 Nxd3 24.cxd3 f6 and black has parried the threats
) 20...Be6 21.b4 f6!? This "ugly" move extinguishes white's attack 22.Bd3 To prepare Nd5. Otherwise after Rc8 and Kh8 black can hope to exploit white's weakened pawn structure with either Bc4 or b6 22...Nxd3 23.cxd3 Rf8 24.Ne2 Qa4 is about equal]
18.Qg3 Nd7 19.Bd4 Ne5 20.Bd3 h6?! This is finally a novelty but not a particularly fortunate one. Although it forces h4 (to avoid Bg5 or Ng6 and Bh4) it severely limits black's future defensive possibilities as both g6 and f6 will be far more weakening now [20...Bd8 was probably best but white keeps a solid advantage: 21.Nd5 Rc8
(Now there is no saving Re6 and
21...Bd7 22.Raf1 Re6 23.Bxe5 is too slow
) 22.b3 Qd7 (22...h5 23.Raf1 h4 24.Rxh4! Bxh4 25.Qxh4 Qd7 26.Nf6+! gxf6 27.Rxf6 Qe7 28.h3!! serves to demonstrate the perils of advancing pawns in front of one's own king: 28...Qf8
(28...Bd7 29.Qg5+ Kf8 30.Qh6+ Kg8 31.Rf3+-) 29.Rf3 Bg4 30.Bxe5 dxe5 31.Qxg4+ Qg7 32.Qh4 Rc6 33.Bc4 Rf8 34.Qe7+-) 23.c4 Kh8 24.Bc2 f6 25.Rf2+/= Black's position is "dreadful" from a human perspective with absolutely no counterplay but defensible for an engine as there are is no clear way to make progress]
21.h4 Bf8 22.Raf1 [Little is offered by 22.Nd5 Nxd3 23.cxd3 Bxd5 24.exd5 Qxd5 25.Rg4 Re5 26.Bxe5 dxe5 (this line was in Rybka's PV during the game)]
22...Re7 23.R4f2 [23.Nd5 is premature: 23...Bxd5 24.exd5 Qxd5 25.c4 Qxa5 26.Be4
(26.Bb1!?) 26...Nxc4 27.b4 Qa4 28.Bf6 Ne5 29.Bxe7 Bxe7 30.Bxb7 Rb8=]
23...Rc8 24.Be2 Rec7 25.b3 Diagram
The next 10 or so moves look pointless but there may have been a deep battle going on in the background! White's only active plan is to play Nd5 at some point while black will want to have the queen on c6,king on g8 and at least one rook on the e-file when that happens
25...Re7 26.Kh2 Rcc7 27.Bf3 Qe8 28.Bh5 Qc6 29.Kh1 Kh8 30.Bf3 Qe8 31.Bd1 Qc6 32.Be2 Rc8 33.Bf3! Houdini is fighting against black's ideal defensive setup!
33...Qe8 More or less forced: [33...Kg8? 34.Nd5 Bxd5 35.exd5 Qc7 36.Bxe5 dxe5 37.Bh5+-; 33...Ree8 34.Bh5 and black can't protect f7; 33...Rcc7? 34.Bxe5 dxe5 35.Nd5 Bxd5 36.exd5 Qc5 37.Be4 Qd6 38.Qg4 Rcd7 39.Rf6!+-; 33...Nxf3 does not solve the problems: 34.gxf3 f6 otherwise Rg1 will follow 35.Ne2 Qxc2 36.Nf4 Qc7 37.Bxf6 gxf6 38.Nxe6 Qd7
(38...Rxe6? 39.Rc2!! Qxc2 40.Rg1 mates
) 39.Nf4 Rg7 40.Ng6+ Kh7 41.h5]
34.Bh5! Rec7 again the only move [34...Kg8 35.Bxe5 dxe5 36.Nd5 Bxd5 37.exd5 g6 38.Bxg6+-]
35.Bd1 Qc6 36.Qf4 And now there is not enough time to play both Kg8 and Re7/e8! I am almost certain that the previous maneuvering was deliberate in order to reach this position. An impressive example of deep strategic planning by Houdini
36...Kg8 Diagram
[36...Re7!? 37.Nd5 Bxd5 38.exd5 Qxd5 39.c4 Qe6
(39...Qxa5 40.Bc2 g6 41.h5 Bg7 42.hxg6 fxg6 43.Bxg6+/- Nxg6? 44.Qxh6+ the king is badly placed on h8
) 40.Qg3 f6 41.Bc2 with a clear advantage but more survival chances for black compared to the game; or 36...Re8 37.Nd5 with similar lines]
37.Nd5! Finally
37...Bxd5 38.exd5 Qxd5 39.c4 Qxa5 [39...Qe6 40.Bc2 Re8 41.Bb6 Rce7 42.Bf5 Qf6 43.Qg3 Ng6 44.Bd7 Qxf2 45.Qxf2 Rxd7 46.Qd4+/-]
40.Bc2 White is 2 pawns down but the weakness of the b1-h7 diagonal proves decisive
40...g6 [40...Re8 41.Ra1 Qb4 42.h5 g6
(42...Re6 43.Raf1+- and Qe4 will follow
) 43.Rff1! threatens Ra4 to trap the queeen 43...b5 44.hxg6 fxg6 45.Bxe5 dxe5 46.Qg4 Qd6 47.c5 Rxc5 48.Bxg6+-]
41.h5 How much better it would be to have the h-pawn at its home square! (cf note after 20...h6) Of course it is easy to say such things with hindsight...
41...Bg7 Diagram
42.c5! Black's position is collapsing
42...Rd8 [42...Qb5 43.hxg6 fxg6 44.Bxe5 dxe5 45.Qg4 Rxc5 46.Bxg6 with a crushing attack e.g. 46...e4
(46...Kh8 47.Bf5 R8c6 48.Be6 Rxe6 49.Rf8+ Kh7 50.Qxe6; 46...Rc1 47.Kh2! Kh8 48.Bf5 Rxf1 49.Qg6 Kg8 50.Qe6+ Kf8 51.Qxc8+ Kf7 52.Qe6+ Kf8 53.Rc2) 47.Rf8+! Rxf8 48.Qe6+ Kh8
(48...Rf7 49.Rxf7 Rh5+ 50.Kg1 Bd4+ 51.Rf2+ Kh8 52.Qc8+ Kg7 53.Qc7+ Kxg6 54.Qf7+ Kg5 55.Qg8+ Kh4 56.Kh2) 49.Rxf8+ Bxf8 50.Qf6+; 42...Rf8!? was a better try but 43.cxd6 Rcc8 44.hxg6 Nxg6 45.Qe4 Qh5+ 46.Kg1 Rce8 47.Qd3 Qd5 48.Bb6 Qc6 49.Bc7 Re5 50.Rd1+/- retains excellent winning chances]
43.hxg6 Nxg6 44.Bxg6 fxg6 45.Qh4! [45.cxd6?! Rcd7 is less accurate]
45...Rxc5 Black has to give up the exchange [45...Rcd7 46.Qe4! dxc5
(46...Bxd4 47.Qd5+ Kh7 48.Qxd4 Rg7 49.Rf7 Rdg8 50.cxd6+-; 46...Qb4 47.Qe6+ Kh7 48.Rf8!! Bxf8 49.Rxf8 Rg7 50.Bxg7+-) 47.Qe6+ Kh7 48.Rf8!! Bxf8
(48...Rxf8 49.Rxf8 Bxf8 50.Qxd7+ Kg8 51.Qe6+ Kh7 52.Qf7+) 49.Rxf8 Qe1+ 50.Qxe1 Rxf8 51.Bxc5+-]
46.Bxc5 dxc5 47.Rf7 c4 48.bxc4 Rb8 49.Rd7 Kh8 [49...b6 50.Rff7 Qa1+ 51.Kh2 Qe5+ 52.g3 Bf8 53.Qg4 Qh5+ 54.Qxh5 gxh5 55.Rf6 b5 56.Rg6+ Kh8 57.Rxa6 bxc4 58.Rc6 and white's lone pawn will suffice since he can even exchange rooks after capturing c4 and h5 with a won ending]
50.Qg4 Rg8 There is nothing better: [50...Qb6 51.Rxg7 Kxg7 52.Qd7+ Kh8 53.Rf7+-; 50...Qg5 51.Qxg5 hxg5 52.Rff7+-]
51.Rxb7 The rest is simple technique,even for a human
51...Qc5 52.Rbf7 Qd6 53.Rd1 Qb6 54.Qe4 Qb3 55.Rd5 Qc3 56.Ra7 a5 57.Raxa5 Qg3 58.Rd7 Qc3 59.Rad5 Qc1+ 60.Kh2 Qa1 61.c5 Qa8 62.Re7 Qc8 63.g3 Qa8 64.Rdd7 Qxe4 65.Rxe4 Rc8 66.c6 Rxc6 67.Re8+ Kh7 68.Ree7 h5 69.Rxg7+ Kh6 70.Rh7+ Kg5 71.Kh3 Kf5 72.Rd5+ Ke6 73.Rg5 Kf6 74.Rgxh5 Diagram
An excellent game by Houdini, fully exploiting the minor inaccuracies by Rybka with a spectacular sacrifice
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