C01 French: Exchange Variation (1.e4 Nc6 2.d4 e6 3.Nf3)

This game was played in the round one of the Team Match Champions League Division B. The teams that are playing against each other in this match are Fair tournament players and Team Dalmatia. I am playing on board 29 for Fair tournament players. This match is played on 109 boards, so it is quite a big match. The current score in the match is 113 - 98 in favor of Fair tournament players so we have secured the win already and the fact that I have not been able to help the team by winning a game does not luckily matter that much as other members of the team have performed well in their games. I have one opportunity to even the score a bit as my other game against igor1979 is still in progress. Only time will tell if I am able to redeem myself or do I just fall flat on my face with another loss. I have added one mate in two, two mate in threes, one mate in four and one mate in five.

I renamed this post on September 4th, 2019 to its current version. As I have tried to look from different sources on how to name the openings, Fritz 16 has been offering the most moves usually, so I have used the names I find there mostly, with some modifications. However, I do not really agree with some of the names, like the one on this post, because I don't see why this should be called the Exchange Variation, due to there not being any exchanges being made during those moves. I have always used the move order played in the first game of the post in the title, but maybe I should use the more theoretical move order in the title section. In the case of this post, the move order should be 1.e4 e6 2.d4 Nc6 3.Nf3, for instance.

[Event "TM CL 2015 Division B Round 1 - Board 2"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2014.12.08"] [Round "?"] [White "Vierjoki, Timo"] [Black "igor1979"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C01"] [WhiteElo "1832"] [BlackElo "1856"] [Annotator "Tactical Analysis 2.10 (5s), TV"] [PlyCount "98"] [EventDate "2014.??.??"] 1. e4 Nc6 {B00 Nimzowitsch Defense: General} (1... e6 2. Nf3 (2. d4) 2... Nc6 { 0-1 (24) Mendoza Recio,J-Ismayilzada,Z Candás Novas 2011}) 2. d4 {B00 King's Pawn Game: Nimzowitsch Defense} (2. Nf3) 2... e6 3. Nf3 {C01 French: Exchange Variation} d5 4. Bg5 (4. Bb5 Bd7 5. Qe2 dxe4 6. Ne5 Nxe5 7. dxe5 c6 8. Bc4 Qa5+ 9. Nc3 Qxe5 10. f4 Qc7 11. Nxe4 Nf6 12. Nxf6+ gxf6 13. Be3 c5 14. O-O-O O-O-O 15. Qh5 Bd6 16. Rhf1 Bc6 17. g3 f5 18. Rf2 b5 {Nielsen,J (2105)-Schultz Pedersen,J (2188) Helsingor 2013 1/2-1/2 (46)}) (4. Bd3 dxe4 5. Bxe4 Nf6 6. Bg5 Be7 7. Bxc6+ bxc6 8. O-O h6 9. Bxf6 Bxf6 10. c3 O-O 11. Nbd2 Rb8 12. Nb3 Qd5 13. Qc2 a5 14. Rfe1 Rd8 15. Ne5 a4 16. Nc5 a3 17. b3 Be7 18. Rad1 Bb7 {Kopylov, D (2243)-Abdilkhair,A (1968) Montevideo 2017 1-0}) 4... Be7 $146 (4... f6 5. Bh4 dxe4 6. Nfd2 Qxd4 7. Nc3 e3 8. Nb5 exd2+ 9. Qxd2 Qxd2+ 10. Kxd2 Bd6 11. Bc4 a6 12. Nc3 b5 13. Bb3 Bb7 14. Rhe1 e5 15. Re4 O-O-O 16. Be6+ Kb8 17. Rg4 g5 18. Bg3 h5 19. Re4 {Mendoza Recio,J-Ismayilzada,Z Candás Novas 2011 0-1}) 5. Bxe7 Ngxe7 {0.71/19} (5... Qxe7 $15 {-0.36/23} 6. Nc3 Nf6) 6. Nc3 {-0.14/21} (6. e5 $16 {0.71/19}) 6... O-O {0.65/19} (6... dxe4 $11 {-0.14/21} 7. Nxe4 b6) 7. Be2 {-0.45/20} (7. e5 $14 {0.65/19}) 7... h6 {0.44/19} (7... dxe4 $15 {-0.45/20} 8. Nxe4 b6) 8. O-O {-0.06/22} (8. Qd2 $14 {0.44/19}) 8... Ng6 {0.53/21} (8... dxe4 $11 {-0.06/22} 9. Nxe4 b6) 9. g3 {-0.29/21} (9. Bd3 $14 {0.53/21}) 9... Nce7 { 0.87/20} (9... dxe4 $11 {-0.29/21 remains equal.} 10. Nxe4 b6) 10. Re1 {0.22/22 } (10. h4 $1 $16 {0.87/20}) 10... c6 {1.04/18} (10... dxe4 $11 {0.22/22} 11. Nxe4 b6) 11. Qd3 {0.00/23} (11. h4 $16 {1.04/18}) 11... b6 {0.54/19} (11... Qc7 $11 {0.00/23}) 12. Rad1 {-0.22/23} (12. h4 $14 {0.54/19}) 12... Bb7 {0.55/19} ( 12... f5 $11 {-0.22/23}) 13. Bf1 {0.07/24} (13. e5 $14 {0.55/19}) 13... dxe4 14. Nxe4 Qc7 15. Bg2 {-0.31/21} (15. b4 $14 {0.34/23}) 15... Rad8 {0.50/21} ( 15... Rfd8 $15 {-0.31/21}) 16. c3 {-0.25/21} (16. Qe2 $14 {0.50/21}) 16... e5 { 0.44/23} (16... c5 $11 {-0.25/21}) 17. Qc2 $2 {-1.26/23} (17. Qc4 $1 $14 { 0.44/23 stays ahead.}) 17... exd4 $2 {0.33/21} (17... f5 $1 $17 {-1.26/23} 18. Qb3+ Kh8) 18. Nxd4 a6 {0.59/21} (18... c5 $11 {-0.03/23} 19. Nb5 Qb8) 19. Nd2 { 0.00/24} (19. b4 $14 {0.59/21}) 19... c5 {[#] Strongly threatening ...Bxg2.} 20. Nf5 Bxg2 21. Kxg2 Qc6+ 22. Kg1 $1 Nxf5 23. Qxf5 Rd5 {0.37/24} (23... Rfe8 $11 {-0.21/26} 24. Nf3 Rxe1+ 25. Rxe1 Qa4) 24. Qf3 $1 $14 Qd7 {0.62/22} (24... Rfd8 $11 {0.15/28 feels stronger.} 25. c4 R5d6 26. Qxc6 Rxc6) 25. Nc4 Rxd1 26. Rxd1 Qa7 {1.12/22} (26... Qc7 $11 {0.21/25 keeps the balance.}) 27. Qc6 { 0.55/26} (27. Rd6 $16 {1.12/22}) 27... b5 28. Ne3 Ne7 {1.21/21} (28... Ne5 $14 {0.57/23} 29. Qd6 f6) 29. Qd7 $16 Ra8 {1.44/20} (29... Qxd7 $142 {0.94/24} 30. Rxd7 Nc6) 30. Ng4 {0.57/22} (30. a4 $16 {1.44/20}) 30... c4 {1.01/21} (30... Qxd7 $14 {0.57/22} 31. Rxd7 Kf8) 31. Ne5 {0.53/26} (31. Ne3 $16 {1.01/21}) 31... g6 {1.89/23} (31... Qc5 $14 {0.53/26} 32. Re1 Rf8) 32. Qh3 {0.61/25} (32. Qd2 $18 {1.89/23 And now Qf4 would win.} Qb6 33. Nd7 (33. Qxh6 Nf5 $16)) 32... Kg7 {1.55/23} (32... Qc7 $14 {0.61/25} 33. Ng4 h5 34. Nf6+ Kg7) 33. Rd7 { 0.09/26} (33. Qg4 $16 {1.55/23 aiming for Qf4.} Rf8 34. Rd7) 33... Qc5 $11 34. Nf3 {-0.52/25} (34. Qg2 $11 {0.29/26} Ra7 35. Qf3) 34... Nf5 {0.57/24} ({ Better is} 34... Re8 $15 {-0.52/25}) 35. Qg4 {-0.32/22} (35. g4 $14 {0.57/24} Nd6 36. Nd4) 35... Re8 $15 {White must now prevent ...Re2.} 36. Rd2 {-1.56/20} (36. Qf4 $1 $11 {-0.10/26}) 36... Qc6 $17 37. Kf1 {-2.78/26} (37. Rd1 $17 { -1.49/24 was necessary.}) 37... Re3 $1 {-1.65/25} 38. Kg2 {-2.27/25} (38. Ng1 $142 {-1.65/25}) (38. fxe3 Nxe3+) 38... h5 $40 {White is in trouble.} 39. Qf4 $2 {-3.89/22 [#]} (39. Qxf5 {-1.61/27} gxf5 40. fxe3) 39... Re4 $1 $19 40. Qb8 Re8 $2 {-0.27/28} ({Black should play} 40... g5 $1 $19 {-3.90/25 Threatens to win with ...g4.} 41. Qd8 (41. Nxg5 Re8+) 41... Nh4+ $1 42. gxh4 Rg4+ 43. Kf1 Qxf3) 41. Qf4 $2 {-2.35/21} (41. Rd8 $1 $11 {-0.27/28} Rxd8 42. Qxd8) 41... a5 $2 {0.00/23} ({Black should try} 41... Re4 $1 $19 {-2.35/21} 42. Qb8 Nh4+ $1 43. gxh4 Rg4+ 44. Qg3 Rxg3+ 45. fxg3 a5) 42. Kg1 $2 {-4.10/22} (42. h3 $11 { 0.00/23}) 42... b4 $2 {-0.19/26} (42... Re4 $1 $19 {-4.10/22} 43. Qb8 Nh4 $1 44. gxh4 Rg4+ 45. Kf1 Qxf3 46. Qe5+ Kh7) 43. Rc2 $2 {-2.90/22} (43. Ne5 $11 { -0.19/26 and White has nothing to worry.} Qb5 44. Nf3) 43... b3 44. axb3 cxb3 45. Rd2 $2 {-8.59/21} (45. Rc1 {-2.39/22}) 45... Re4 46. Qb8 Ra4 $2 {0.82/23} ( 46... Nh4 $1 $19 {-8.39/23} 47. gxh4 (47. Nxh4 Re1#) 47... Rg4+ 48. Kf1 Qxf3 49. Qe5+ Kh7) 47. Qxb3 $16 h4 $2 {2.08/22} (47... Ra1+ $14 {0.54/25} 48. Rd1 Ne3 49. Rxa1 Qxf3 50. fxe3 Qxe3+ 51. Kg2 Qe2+ 52. Kh1 Qe4+ 53. Kg1 Qe3+ 54. Kh1 (54. Kg2 Qe2+ 55. Kg1 Qe3+ $11) 54... Qe4+ 55. Kg1 Qe3+) 48. gxh4 $4 {-62.57/26 } (48. Qxf7+ $1 $18 {2.08/22} Kxf7 49. Ne5+ Kf6 50. Nxc6) 48... Rg4+ $19 49. Kf1 Qxf3 {Accuracy: White = 7%, Black = 11%.} 0-1