C79 Spanish Game: Steinitz-type lines with 3...a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O d6 (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O d6 6.d4 b5 7.dxe5)

It is time once more to look at a game I played at the FIDE Online Arena. This is from the fourth round of the rapid chess tournament I played there. This fourth round was also the final round of the tournament and I ended up scoring two wins, one draw and one loss in those games. I may not be completely happy with that result because all my opponents were lower rated than me. I should start playing at FOA again so that I would maybe get that better title I was aiming for before but had to settle for what I have now. I may even have time for that on the weekends at least from now on. I may even have time to play there Monday to Friday when more of my correspondence games end. I still have 140, so I have been able to free some of the time used for those in the past few months. At the moment I do not know what will be the post about tomorrow but there will be something posted tomorrow unless something prevents me from doing it. I have added two mate in ones and three mate in threes today. Until tomorrow, my fellow chess enthusiasts!

[Event "Tournament 28376646"] [Site "online arena"] [Date "2015.03.28"] [Round "4"] [White "queroquero"] [Black "Vierjoki, Timo"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "C79"] [WhiteElo "1794"] [BlackElo "1837"] [Annotator "Tactical Analysis 2.10 (5s), TV"] [PlyCount "107"] [EventDate "2015.??.??"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O d6 {C79 Spanish Game: Morphy Defense, Steinitz Deferred} 6. d4 (6. Bxc6+ bxc6 7. d4 Nxe4 8. Re1 f5 9. dxe5 d5 10. Nc3 {Spanish Game: Steinitz Defense Deferred, Boleslavsky Variation}) 6... b5 7. dxe5 {C79 Spanish Game: Steinitz-type lines with 3...a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 d6} Nxe4 $2 {3.05/19} (7... dxe5 $11 {-0.21/25 and Black has nothing to worry.} 8. Qxd8+ Nxd8) (7... Nxe5 8. Nxe5 dxe5 9. Qxd8+ Kxd8 10. Bb3 Ke8 11. Nc3 Bd6 12. Re1 Bb7 13. a4 b4 14. Nd5 Nd7 15. Be3 a5 16. Rad1 f6 17. Rd2 Rc8 18. Red1 Nc5 19. Bxc5 Bxc5 20. Nxc7+ Rxc7 21. Rd8+ Ke7 22. Rxh8 {Simon,L (2210) -Kovacs,I (2280) Gyor 1991 1-0 (35)}) 8. Bb3 $1 $18 (8. Qd5 Nc5 $16 9. exd6 Qxd6 10. Bb3 Nxb3 11. Re1+ Be6 12. Qxd6 Bxd6 13. axb3 O-O 14. Be3 Rfe8 15. Nc3 Bb4 16. Nd4 Nxd4 17. Bxd4 Kf8 18. Be3 h6 19. Rec1 Bd6 20. Ne2 Be5 21. Nd4 Bd5 22. b4 Rec8 23. c3 Kg8 {Panko,A (2100)-Novikov,V (2024) Kaluga 2013 1-0 (35)}) 8... Be6 $146 {4.52/19} (8... Nc5 {2.91/24 was necessary.} 9. Bd5 Bd7) (8... Be7 9. Qd5 {1-0 (9) Maettig,S (2025)-Klueber,W (1760) Roethenbach 1996}) 9. Re1 $2 {0.53/21} ({Only move:} 9. Bd5 $18 {4.52/19} Nxe5 10. Bxe4) 9... Nc5 { 1.01/19} (9... d5 $14 {0.53/21}) 10. exd6 {0.12/22} (10. Bd5 $16 {1.01/19} Qd7 11. Bxc6 Qxc6 12. Nd4) 10... Nxb3 {0.82/21} (10... Qxd6 $11 {0.12/22} 11. Qe2 Nxb3 12. cxb3 O-O-O) 11. axb3 $16 Bxd6 12. Bg5 {0.10/24} (12. Ng5 $1 $16 { 0.97/19}) 12... Qd7 $11 13. Nc3 O-O 14. Ne4 Bb4 15. Qxd7 Bxd7 16. c3 $36 { White has good play.} Ba5 {0.65/24} (16... f5 $1 $11 {0.08/25} 17. cxb4 fxe4 18. Rxe4 Bf5) 17. Nc5 $14 Bf5 $2 {2.37/23} (17... Bc8 $14 {0.35/26}) 18. b4 $2 {0.77/24} (18. Ne5 $1 $18 {2.37/23} Nxe5 19. Rxe5 (19. Rxa5 Rfe8 $14)) 18... Bb6 $16 19. Be3 {0.01/26} (19. Nxa6 $16 {0.99/23} f6 20. Be3) 19... Bxc5 { 0.50/24} (19... a5 $11 {0.01/26}) 20. Bxc5 $14 {[#] Hoping for Ne5.} Rfd8 21. h3 h6 22. Nd4 Nxd4 23. Bxd4 Be6 24. Ra5 Rd6 25. Rea1 Bc4 {0.50/24} (25... Bd5 $11 {0.09/27}) 26. b3 {0.00/25} ({White should play} 26. Re1 $14 {0.50/24}) 26... Bd3 27. Be5 Rc6 28. Bd4 f6 29. Bc5 Kf7 30. Rc1 Re8 31. Rca1 Ree6 32. R5a2 Ke8 $2 {1.69/25} (32... h5 $11 {0.00/25}) 33. Rd1 $18 Bg6 34. Rad2 {0.25/25} ( 34. g4 $18 {1.70/23}) 34... Kf7 $1 $11 35. Rd7+ (35. f4 {keeps more tension.} Re8 36. g4 Kg8 37. f5 Bf7 38. Rb1) 35... Kg8 36. Rd8+ (36. R7d2 {is interesting.} Re8 37. Ra2 Bf7 38. Ra3 h5 39. Rda1) 36... Re8 37. Rxe8+ Bxe8 { Endgame KRB-KRB} 38. Rd8 Kf7 39. f3 Re6 40. Kf2 Rc6 41. f4 {[#] Threatens to win with f5.} g6 42. g3 f5 {0.56/24} (42... a5 $11 {0.14/24}) 43. h4 h5 { 0.72/28} (43... a5 $11 {0.30/28 was preferrable.}) 44. Rd5 {0.00/33} ({Better is} 44. Ke2 $16 {0.72/28}) 44... Kf6 45. Re5 Bf7 $2 {1.93/28} (45... Re6 $11 { 0.00/34}) 46. Bd4 $18 Kg7 $2 {11.41/32} (46... Re6 {1.70/28}) 47. Rxf5+ $2 { 0.79/30} (47. Rc5+ $18 {11.41/32 and White stays clearly on top.} Rf6 48. Rxc7) 47... Kg8 48. Rg5 $1 Bxb3 {1.61/20} (48... Kf8 $16 {1.11/30} 49. f5 gxf5) 49. Rc5 $2 {0.00/43} (49. f5 $1 $18 {1.61/20}) 49... Rxc5 $11 50. Bxc5 Kf7 51. Ke3 Ke6 52. Bd4 Kf5 53. Be5 c6 54. Kf2 {-0.43/35 Accuracy: White = 21%, Black = 34%.} (54. Kd4 $11 {0.00/48 deserves consideration.}) 1/2-1/2