Ziska, Helgi Dam (2333) - Delemarre, Jop (2471)
Vlissingen HZ op (Vlissingen), 08/05/2006
1.e4e62.d3d53.Nd2Nf64.Ngf3b65.c3Be76.e5Nfd77.d4c58.Bb5!?In
order to be able to answer ...Ba6 with a4! 8...a6I
am not sure whether this is correct or not. To my mind, shutting in the black c8-bishop and chasing white's
bishop to a better square doesn't look very logical. However, by advancing his queenside pawns, black
does get some active play in return, so I still wouldn't call 8...a6 a mistake. [8...Ba6 9.a4 Qc8 is
the main line] 9.Bd3b510.Nf1intending
Ng3-h5-f4. [After 10.O-O the white's knights will have trouble finding good squares.] 10...Nc611.Ng3b412.Nh5!Provoking
black to weaken his kingside. 12...g6[12...O-O
is quite risky, for example: 13.Nf4!? (to prevent ...f6) 13...Rb8 14.h4! threatening Bxh7, and black
already has to be very careful] 13.Nf4Qb614.Be3bxc315.bxc3cxd416.cxd4Qa5+17.Kf1!A
standard idea in these positions: instead of castling, white just puts his king on f1 and leaves the
rook on h1 to support the h-pawn. [17.Bd2 Qb6 18.Be3 Qa5+ leads nowhere] 17...Nb618.h4White prepares to open up the kingside. 18...Bd719.a3Played in order to restrict black's
pieces. 19...Qa420.Bc2Qb5+21.Nd3Nc422.Bc1Qb6[22...Qa5!?
, intending ...Qc3, looks like a good alternative.] 23.Rb1Qa724.Nb4Nxb425.axb4h5[25...O-O-O
- to me this looks like black's best chance to fight. White probably still has the better chances, but
it's certainly not so easy to break through.] 26.Rh3!Activating
the rook and intending Ng5 followed by Rf3. 26...Rb827.Ng5Rxb4?This
risky pawn-grab actually seems to lose by force. [However, black's position was already quite critical,
for instance: 27...Bxb4 fails beautifully to 28.Nxf7 Kxf7 (28...Bb5 29.Kg1 Qxf7 30.Rf3 Qg7 31.Rxb4)
29.Qf3+ Kg8 30.Rg3 and white wins] 28.Rxb4Bxb429.Rf3Bb530.Kg1O-O!?After 30 moves in the middle
of the board, the black king finally finds time for castling. During the game I was quite surprised by
this move, thinking that his only option was Rf8, but it turns out that white still has a strong attack:
[30...Rf8 31.Nxf7 Rxf7 32.Bxg6] 31.Rg3Threatening
Nxe6. 31...Kh8[31...Be8
32.Nxe6 fxe6 33.Bxg6 wins for white.] [31...Qe7 32.Nh7! and white wins.] 32.Qf3Qe733.Nh7!Rc8[33...Kxh7
34.Qxh5+ Kg8 35.Bxg6 fxg6 36.Rxg6+ Qg7 37.Rxg7+ Kxg7 38.Bh6+ and white wins.] 34.Bg5Nd235.Bf6+
