[Event "U1950 09-12/2010"]
[Date "2010.12.21"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Stefan"]
[Black "Mephisto, Europa"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D07"]
[WhiteElo "1899"]
[BlackElo "1709"]
[PlyCount "111"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 Nc6 3. cxd5 (3. Nf3 Bg4 4. Nc3 e6
5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bf4) 3... Qxd5 4. Nf3 (4. e3 e5 5. Nc3 Bb4 6. Bd2 Bxc3 7. Bxc3
exd4 8. Ne2 Nf6 9. Nxd4 $11) 4... Bg4 5. Nc3 Qa5 6. e3 {A passive alternative}
(6. e4 e5 7. dxe5 (7. d5 Nd4 8. Be2 $11) 7... Bb4 8. Bd2 O-O-O $11) (6. d5 $1
O-O-O 7. Bd2 Bxf3 8. gxf3 Ne5 9. e4 $16) 6... e5 7. dxe5 (7. d5 O-O-O 8. Bd2
Nb4 9. a3 Na6 $16) 7... Nxe5 8. Be2 (8. Bb5+ c6 9. Qd5 Qxb5 10. Qxb5 Nxf3+ 11.
gxf3 cxb5 12. fxg4 $11) 8... Bxf3 9. gxf3 {This pawn formation is usually not
bad in the centre, the only drawback is the unsafe King} (9. Bxf3 Rd8 10. Qb3
Nxf3+ 11. gxf3 Bb4) 9... Rd8 10. Qc2 Nf6 11. f4 {An recommendation of my
nearly 6 year old son, I analysed his idea, and he's right it improves my
piece play and limits blacks choices} Nc6 12. Bd2 Bb4 (12... Nb4 13. Qb1 Be7
14. a3 Nbd5 15. Qc2 $14) 13. Bf3 (13. Rg1 O-O 14. O-O-O Bxc3 $4 15. Bxc3 {
Attacks the Queen and Nf6 !}) 13... O-O 14. Rg1 Rfe8 $16 15. Rg5 $2 (15. O-O-O)
15... Nd4 {A real Exploitation of the Kings unsafe position !} 16. Qd1 Nxf3+ {
Not really the best, but quite understandable, not that white is too happy
about it...either} (16... Qa6 17. Bg2 Ne6 18. Re5 Bxc3 19. bxc3 Nd7 20. Rd5 $4
(20. Rf5 g6 21. Rd5 Nxf4 $19) 20... Nxf4 $19) 17. Qxf3 Qb6 $15 18. O-O-O Ne4 $6
{The combination is Ok, but somehow it arranges white affairs} (18... Qa6 19.
Rdg1 g6 $17) 19. Nxe4 Qc6+ 20. Kb1 Qxe4+ 21. Qxe4 Rxe4 22. Kc2 {
The position is flat} f6 (22... Bxd2 23. Rxd2 (23. Rc5 Re7 24. Rxd2 Red7 25.
Rxd7 Rxd7 26. e4 $11) 23... Rxd2+ 24. Kxd2 $11) 23. Rb5 {I was in no doubt
that this was the best move, as it simplifies the game even further to a
single rook ending, a territory 8 bitters are not particulary strong...} Bxd2 (
23... Rc4+ 24. Kb3 Rc6 25. Kxb4 Rc2 26. Kb3 Rdxd2 27. Rxd2 Rxd2 28. Rxb7 $14)
24. Rxd2 Rxd2+ 25. Kxd2 b6 26. Rd5 Kf7 27. f3 Re8 28. b4 {
With the idea to play b5 and hold 3 pawns with just 1 !} Ke6 29. e4 c6 30. Rd3
a6 (30... c5 $6 31. bxc5 bxc5 32. Ra3 $14) 31. f5+ Ke7 32. f4 c5 {I don't like
such moves in general, though My PC chess engine does not dislike it. First of
all, it splits blacks pawn formation, making an extra island.} (32... g6 {
Good enough to keep the game under control, The Europa many times assessed it,
but always skipped it in the end.} 33. fxg6 hxg6 34. Ra3 Ra8 35. h4 $11) 33.
bxc5 bxc5 34. Kc3 {
Going for the all to obvious, but doing so , I missed a better move Rd5 !} (34.
Rd5 $1 Rc8 35. Kc3 g6 36. Kc4 gxf5 37. Rxf5 $14) 34... Kf8 {
A strange move, but even my PC engine plays it.} 35. Re3 Ke7 36. Kc4 $2 (36. e5
Rd8 37. Rd3 Rb8 $14) 36... Kd6 {At this stage the e5 and all exchanges would
lead to both players promoting for Queen, only Black has still the h7 pawn.
This convinced me that a4 is the move to play, to gain a tempo !} 37. a4 g6 {
This move, played or not, does not count in the King+pawn vs King+pawn race,
as g6 is not faster to g4 then g7-g5 (2 steps) to g4} (37... g5 38. fxg5 (38.
e5+ $2 fxe5 39. fxe5+ Rxe5 40. Rxe5 Kxe5 41. Kxc5 g4 42. f6 Kxf6 43. a5 h5 44.
Kb6 h4 45. Kxa6 g3 46. hxg3 hxg3 $19 {And black is first}) 38... fxg5 39. Re2
$14) 38. e5+ $1 $16 fxe5 (38... Kd7 39. Rh3 fxe5 40. Rxh7+ Kc6 41. fxg6 exf4
42. Rf7 $18) 39. fxg6 hxg6 $16 (39... e4 40. gxh7 Rh8 41. Rh3 $18) 40. fxe5+
Kc6 (40... Rxe5 $4 $18 41. Rxe5 Kxe5 42. Kxc5 g5 43. Kb6 Kf4 44. Kxa6 Kf3 45.
a5 Kg2 46. Kb6 Kxh2 47. a6 g4 48. a7 g3 49. a8=Q $18) 41. e6 Re7 42. Re5 {
Doesn't bring Joy} (42. a5 g5 43. h3 Kd6 44. Rd3+ Kxe6 45. Re3+ Kd6 46. Rxe7
Kxe7 47. Kxc5 $18) 42... Kd6 43. Re4 g5 {This move brings the pawn closer to
promotion whenever it comes to an Xchange on e6.} 44. a5 {
This brings the white pawn one square closer to promotion....} (44. Re3 Rxe6
45. Rxe6+ Kxe6 46. Kxc5 Kf5 47. Kb6 Kg4 48. Kxa6 Kh3 49. a5 Kxh2 50. Kb7 g4 51.
a6 g3 52. a7 g2 53. a8=Q g1=Q) 44... Re8 $4 (44... g4 {This pawn gets in the
way of the King to find its shortest path to capturing the h2 pawn...} 45. Re3
Rxe6 $4 46. Rxe6+ Kxe6 47. Kxc5 Kf5 48. Kb6 Kf4 49. Kxa6 Kf3 50. Kb7 Kg2 51. a6
Kxh2 52. a7 g3 53. a8=Q g2 54. Qh8+ Kg3 55. Qe5+ $18) 45. e7 Rxe7 46. Rxe7 Kxe7
47. Kxc5 Ke6 48. Kb6 Kd5 49. Kxa6 Kc6 50. h3 $1 Kc7 51. Kb5 Kb7 52. Kc5 Ka7 (
52... Ka6 53. Kd5 Kxa5 54. Ke5 Kb5 55. Kf5 Kc5 56. Kxg5 Kd6 57. Kf6 $18) 53.
Kd5 Ka6 54. Ke5 Kxa5 55. Kf5 Kb4 56. Kxg5 1-0