C41 Philidor Defence (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.Bc4 Bg7 6.O-O Nc6)

It seems that only one of my opponents has favored this line. I can't say that for certain yet, as I have so many games still to go through, but so far it is the case. The game below was played on the first round of the 2014 October Long Haul Split I tournament that is played at Red Hot Pawn. The tournament started with 24 players and they were divided into two groups of 12. Group 1 was won by caissad4, who was clearly the highest rated player of that group. Caissad4 managed to get 59 points out of the possible 66. I won group 2 with the same amount of points as caissad4 and we played on round 2. I thought that the second round would be very evenly fought before it started because the rating difference between these two players was not that great. That being said, caissad4 was higher rated than me at the time and has a peak rating much higher than me at Red Hot Pawn. By considering only the ratings, caissad4 was the favorite on the second round. If the results of our 9 completed games before round was considered, then I was the favorite on the second round because I had won 5, drawn 3 and lost 1 out of those games. The second round ended in a tie between us two, so third round was needed to decide the winner of the tournament. On the third round I got a draw and a loss against caissad4 and therefore caissad4 won the tournament and I had to accept my second place.

This game followed a few games previously shared in this blog up to the move 5...Bg7, but then it followed a different move order, but reached the same position as was seen in the first game in the post C41 Philidor Defence (5...Bg7) after the move 8.Be3. It was the last same position seen and the games went on a completely different path from Black's 8th move on. In the first game the move order after 5...Bg7 was as follows 6.c3 Ne7 7.O-O Nbc6 8.Be3. In this game the move order was 6.O-O Nc6 7.c3 Nge7 8.Be3. The game started to go seriously downhill for veca when my opponent played 15...b5 in the position below.

I replied to the move played in the game with 16.Qe2, which was an okay move, but not as good as 16.axb5 which was the best reply. Veca then played 16...Ne7 and then I let my opponent off the hook with the move 17.axb5. I should have played 17.Nxe7+ instead. The position after my 17th move can be seen below.

It was in this position that the game deciding blunder was seen. Veca played the awful move 17...axb5, which lost a piece because of the continuation 18.Rxa8 Qxa8 19.Nxe7+. The game was easy after I got the decisive material advantage. The game ended in checkmate when I played 60.Qa1#.

[Event "Long Haul Split"] [Site "http://www.redhotpawn.com"] [Date "2014.10.24"] [Round "1"] [White "Vierjoki, Timo"] [Black "veca"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C41"] [WhiteElo "1879"] [BlackElo "1435"] [Annotator "Stockfish 8 64 POPCNT (30s), TV"] [PlyCount "119"] [EventDate "2014.??.??"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 g6 {Philidor Defense: Larsen Variation} ( 4... Nf6 5. Nc3 Be7 6. Be2 O-O 7. O-O c5 8. Nf3 Nc6 9. Bg5 Be6 10. Re1 { Philidor Defense: Berger Variation}) 5. Bc4 Bg7 6. O-O Nc6 {C41 Philidor Defence} 7. c3 Nge7 8. Be3 (8. Re1 O-O 9. Bg5 h6 10. Bh4 Nxd4 11. cxd4 g5 12. Bg3 Nc6 13. e5 Bf5 14. Nc3 Nb4 15. Qf3 Bg6 16. Rad1 Rb8 17. exd6 cxd6 18. Nb5 a6 19. Nxd6 Nc2 20. Re4 Bxe4 21. Qxe4 Nb4 22. Nxf7 Rxf7 {Rantanen,Y (2420) -Littlewood,P (2345) Oslo 1978 1-0}) 8... O-O 9. Nd2 (9. Na3 a6 10. h3 Na5 11. Be2 c5 12. Nb3 Nxb3 13. axb3 f5 14. f3 b6 15. Nc4 d5 16. Bg5 Bf6 17. Bxf6 Rxf6 18. Ne3 fxe4 19. fxe4 Rxf1+ 20. Qxf1 Qd6 21. Nxd5 Nxd5 22. exd5 Kg7 23. Bxa6 Bxa6 {Mroziak,M (2178) -Chudinovskih,A (2263) Karvina 2012 1-0 (31)}) 9... a6 10. a4 $146 (10. f4 Nxd4 11. Bxd4 Bxd4+ 12. cxd4 d5 13. exd5 Nxd5 14. Qb3 Nb6 15. d5 Bf5 16. Nf3 Qd6 17. Nd2 Rfe8 18. Rac1 Rad8 19. Nf3 Qxf4 20. d6 Nxc4 21. Rxc4 Qxd6 22. Qxb7 Qb6+ 23. Qxb6 cxb6 24. a3 Bd3 {Arnold,K-Herman,A Germany 1993 0-1}) 10... Ne5 (10... Nxd4 11. Bxd4 Bxd4 12. cxd4 $11) 11. Ba2 c5 { Black threatens to win material: c5xd4} 12. Ne2 {The idea is Nd4-e2-f4-d5} (12. Nc2 Be6 $14) 12... Be6 13. Nf4 Bxa2 14. Rxa2 N7c6 15. Nd5 {A beautiful square!} b5 (15... Ne7 $5 $11 {might be a viable alternative}) 16. Qe2 Ne7 17. axb5 (17. Nxe7+ $142 Qxe7 18. axb5 axb5 19. Rxa8 Rxa8 20. Qxb5 $16) 17... axb5 $4 { simply marches past the door to victory.} (17... Nxd5 $142 {was possible} 18. exd5 axb5 19. Rxa8 Qxa8 $11) 18. Rxa8 $18 Qxa8 19. Nxe7+ Kh8 20. f4 Nc6 21. Nxc6 (21. Nd5 $142 $5 {and White can already relax} Rb8 22. Qg4 h5 $18) 21... Qxc6 22. f5 f6 (22... Rd8 $18 {desperation}) 23. fxg6 hxg6 24. Rf3 (24. Qg4 { keeps an even firmer grip} g5 25. Qh3+ Kg8 26. Qe6+ Rf7 $18) 24... c4 (24... Rd8 {cannot change destiny} 25. Rg3 Qe8 26. Qd3 $18) 25. Bd4 (25. Rg3 {makes it even easier for White} Qe8 26. Qg4 Kg8 $18) 25... d5 (25... Kg8 {is not the saving move} 26. Qf2 $18) 26. exd5 Qxd5 27. Qe7 Qf7 28. Qxf7 (28. Qc5 $142 $5 { might be the shorter path} Qb7 29. Qd6 Kg8 $18) 28... Rxf7 29. Ne4 f5 30. Bxg7+ Kxg7 31. Nd6 Rd7 32. Nxb5 Rb7 33. Nd6 Rxb2 34. Nxc4 Rc2 (34... Rb5 {does not win a prize} 35. Rd3 $18) 35. Ne5 Kf6 36. Nc6 g5 (36... Rc1+ {a last effort to resist the inevitable} 37. Kf2 Kf7 $18) 37. Nd4 Rc1+ 38. Kf2 f4 (38... Kg6 { a fruitless try to alter the course of the game} 39. Nxf5 Rc2+ 40. Kg3 $18) 39. g3 Ra1 40. gxf4 gxf4 (40... Ra4 {doesn't change the outcome of the game} 41. Kg3 gxf4+ 42. Rxf4+ Kg6 43. h4 Ra1 44. c4 Rc1 45. Kg4 Rg1+ 46. Kf3 Rc1 47. Ne2 Rc2 48. Ke3 Ra2 49. c5 Ra5 50. c6 Ra8 51. Ke4 Kh5 52. Nd4 Re8+ 53. Kd5 Rd8+ 54. Kc5 Rc8 55. Ne6 Rb8 56. c7 Ra8 57. Kc6 Rc8 58. Kd7 Ra8 59. c8=Q Rxc8 60. Kxc8 Kh6 61. Kd8 Kh5 62. Ke7 Kg6 63. h5+ Kh6 64. Rf5 Kh7 65. Rf8 Kh6 66. Rh8#) 41. Rxf4+ $18 Ke5 42. Rf3 Ra2+ 43. Kg3 Ra3 (43... Ra8 {does not improve anything} 44. h4 Rg8+ 45. Kh3 Rh8 46. Rf5+ Ke4 47. h5 Kd3 48. Rf3+ Ke4 49. Kg4 Ke5 50. Re3+ Kd5 51. Kg5 Rg8+ 52. Kf4 Rg1 53. Rh3 Rf1+ 54. Nf3 Ra1 55. h6 Ra8 56. h7 Rf8+ 57. Ke3 Rh8 58. Ng5 Kc4 59. Nf7 Re8+ 60. Kd2 Rb8 61. h8=Q Rxh8 62. Rxh8 Kd5 63. Rh6 Kc5 64. Rg6 Kd5 65. Kd3 Kc5 66. Rd6 Kb5 67. Kd4 Ka4 68. Kc4 Ka3 69. Rd2 Ka4 70. Ra2#) 44. h4 Ra8 (44... Ra6 {doesn't get the bull off the ice} 45. h5 Rh6 46. Kg4 Rh8 47. Re3+ Kd5 48. Rh3 Rg8+ 49. Kf5 Rf8+ 50. Kg6 Rg8+ 51. Kf7 Ra8 52. h6 Ra7+ 53. Kf6 Ra6+ 54. Kg5 Ra8 55. h7 Rh8 56. Kg6 Kc4 57. Kg7 Ra8 58. h8=Q Rxh8 59. Rxh8 Kxc3 60. Ne6 Kb2 61. Rh3 Ka1 62. Nd4 Kb1 63. Rb3+ Ka1 64. Kg6 Ka2 65. Kf6 Ka1 66. Ke5 Ka2 67. Ke4 Ka1 68. Kd3 Ka2 69. Kc2 Ka1 70. Ra3#) 45. h5 Rh8 (45... Rc8 {hardly improves anything} 46. h6 Rh8 47. Rf5+ Ke4 48. Rh5 Ra8 49. Nf3 Kd3 50. h7 Rh8 51. Ne5+ Kc2 52. Nf7 Rb8 53. h8=Q Rxh8 54. Rxh8 Kxc3 55. Kf3 Kd4 56. Rh5 Kd3 57. Nd6 Kd4 58. Ke2 Kc3 59. Ke3 Kb2 60. Kd3 Kb3 61. Rb5+ Ka2 62. Kc3 Ka1 63. Kc2 Ka2 64. Ra5#) 46. Kh4 Ke4 (46... Kd5 {is no salvation} 47. Kg5 Rg8+ 48. Kf6 Rh8 49. Rh3 Rf8+ 50. Kg7 Ra8 51. h6 Ra7+ 52. Kf6 Ra6+ 53. Kf5 Ra8 54. h7 Rh8 55. Kf6 Kc4 56. Kf7 Kc5 57. Kg7 Ra8 58. h8=Q Rxh8 59. Rxh8 Kc4 60. Kf6 Kxc3 61. Ke5 Kc4 62. Rc8+ Kd3 63. Nf5 Ke2 64. Ke4 Kf2 65. Rc2+ Kf1 66. Ke3 Kg1 67. Kf3 Kh1 68. Ng3+ Kg1 69. Rg2#) 47. Kg5 Rg8+ 48. Kh6 (48. Kf6 Ra8 49. Rh3 Rf8+ 50. Kg7 Rf1 51. h6 Rg1+ 52. Kf7 Rf1+ 53. Ke7 Ra1 54. h7 Ra7+ 55. Kd6 Ra6+ 56. Nc6 Ra8 57. h8=Q Rxh8 58. Rxh8 Kd3 59. Rh3+ Kc2 60. Nd4+ Kd2 61. Kd5 Kd1 62. Ke4 Kd2 63. Rf3 Kc1 64. Kd3 Kb1 65. Rf1+ Kb2 66. Rh1 Ka3 67. Rh2 Ka4 68. Ra2#) 48... Rh8+ (48... Rg4 {does not save the day} 49. Kh7 Rg1 50. h6 Ra1 51. Kh8 Ra8+ 52. Kg7 Ra7+ 53. Kg6 Ra1 54. Rh3 Rg1+ 55. Kf7 Rf1+ 56. Ke7 Ra1 57. h7 Ra7+ 58. Kf6 Ra6+ 59. Ne6 Ra8 60. h8=R Rxh8 61. Rxh8 Kd3 62. Ke5 Kxc3 63. Rh3+ Kb2 64. Nd4 Kb1 65. Rb3+ Ka1 66. Kf4 Ka2 67. Ke4 Ka1 68. Kd3 Ka2 69. Kc2 Ka1 70. Ra3#) 49. Kg6 Rd8 (49... Rg8+ {doesn't get the cat off the tree} 50. Kf7 Rh8 51. Rh3 Rh6 52. Kg7 Ra6 53. h6 Ra7+ 54. Kf6 Rh7 55. Kg6 Rh8 56. h7 Ke5 57. Kg7 Ra8 58. h8=Q Rxh8 59. Rxh8 Ke4 60. Kf6 Kd3 61. Rh3+ Ke4 62. Ke6 Kf4 63. Rf3+ Ke4 64. Rg3 Kf4 65. Nf5 Ke4 66. c4 Kf4 67. Kf6 Ke4 68. Kg5 Ke5 69. Re3#) 50. h6 Rxd4 (50... Rg8+ {doesn't change the outcome of the game} 51. Kf7 Rg1 52. Rh3 Rf1+ 53. Ke7 Ra1 54. h7 Ra7+ 55. Ke6 Ra6+ 56. Nc6 Ra8 57. h8=Q Rxh8 58. Rxh8 Kd3 59. Rh3+ Kc2 60. Nd4+ Kb2 61. Kd5 Kb1 62. Kc4 Kc1 63. Rh2 Kb1 64. Kb3 Kc1 65. c4 Kd1 66. Nf3 Kc1 67. Rh1#) 51. cxd4 $1 {Mate attack.} Kxf3 (51... Kxd4 52. h7 {Mate attack}) (51... -- $140 52. Rh3 { Mate threat}) 52. d5 (52. h7 Kf4 53. d5 Ke5 54. h8=Q+ Kxd5 55. Qc3 Kd6 56. Kf6 Kd5 57. Qb4 Kc6 58. Ke6 Kc7 59. Qb5 Kc8 60. Kd6 Kd8 61. Qd7#) 52... Ke3 (52... Ke4 {cannot change destiny} 53. h7 Kxd5 54. h8=Q Kc4 55. Qb2 Kd5 56. Qc3 Kd6 57. Kf5 Kd5 58. Qb4 Kc6 59. Ke6 Kc7 60. Qb5 Kc8 61. Kd6 Kd8 62. Qd7#) 53. d6 Kd3 (53... Kd4 {is not the saving move} 54. d7 Kc3 55. h7 Kb2 56. h8=Q+ Kc1 57. Qc3+ Kb1 58. d8=Q Ka2 59. Qda5+ Kb1 60. Qaa1#) 54. d7 Kc4 (54... Kd2 {doesn't get the cat off the tree} 55. h7 Kc1 56. d8=Q Kc2 57. h8=Q Kb3 58. Qd1+ Kb4 59. Qhd4+ Ka3 60. Q1a4#) 55. d8=Q Kc5 (55... Kb4 {doesn't get the bull off the ice} 56. h7 Kc5 57. h8=Q Kc4 58. Qhd4+ Kb3 59. Q8b6+ Ka2 60. Qbb2#) 56. h7 Kc6 ( 56... Kc4 {cannot undo what has already been done} 57. h8=Q Kb3 58. Qb6+ Kc2 59. Qhb2+ Kd3 60. Q6d4#) 57. h8=Q Kc5 (57... Kb5 {cannot change what is in store for White} 58. Qhd4 Kc6 59. Q8b6#) 58. Qc3+ Kb5 59. Qb8+ (59. Qda5#) 59... Ka6 (59... Ka4 {doesn't change anything anymore} 60. Qa1#) 60. Qa1# 1-0