May (2)

K - C
May Match Internet Chess Club (2), 22.05.2006
B19 - Caro-Kann : 4. ...Bf5 main line

1.e4 c6 [After reading through Weeramantry's "Lessons of a Chess Coach" I wanted to play 1...d6 since that's what basically every game was in there, but unfortunately I remembered that Kirk tried to get into the KID with 2.c4 and of course i can't get into the Grünfeld if he already has e4 in] 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Mildly surprising 3...dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 [I kinda wanted to try 4...Nf6 5.Nxf6+ gxf6 but I wanted a longish game and was curious to see what he had in mind] 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.h4 h6 7.Nf3 Nd7 8.Bc4?! Looking for a Tal-esque sacrifice on e6 (which he tried later) 8...e6 9.0-0 [9.Qe2 may be stronger if he wants to work on e6; During the game I thought he may try 9.Bf4 to limit me on the dark squares] 9...Bd6 looking for tactics involving taking out the knight on g3...plus I didn't want to give him a second shot at Bf4 10.c3 Ngf6 11.Qb3 Nb6 [Fritz preferred 11...Qc7 actually threatening something but i was happy enough with this position] 12.Bxe6? I think he needed to play [12.Re1 to try and get this line but even then, it's tough because i'm attacking his bishop;
12.Be2 was another try but I'm happy with this position. Kirk wanted to try and take advantage of my king being stuck in the center] 12...fxe6 13.Qxe6+ Qe7 14.Re1 Qxe6 of course i'm looking for any middlegame with queens off in a position like this 15.Rxe6+ Kd7 16.Re1 Rhe8 17.Be3 [Fritz liked 17.Ne5+ Bxe5 18.dxe5 Nfd5 but I think i'm as good here as he is 19.h5 Bh7 20.f4 looks more aggressive for him...] 17...Ng4 18.Nf1 Nc4 19.b3 Ncxe3 [Fritz wanted to try 19...Na3 20.Rac1 Rad8 but I was happy enough getting the pieces off. Maybe I shouldn't have been though...even with the pieces off he had no mobility...I likely should have *not* traded off the bishop pair and tried to squeeze him anymore, but this way I got the bishop pair against nothing and his pieces were cramped] 20.fxe3 Bd3 21.N3d2 Be4! Whether this was actually the strongest move or not I'm not sure, all I know is that I was happy with this move which made it tough for him to find any active plans. His only active move was e4. 22.Nc4 Bc7 23.Ncd2 Re7 24.c4 [Of course anywhere around here 24.Nxe4 Rxe4 followed by 25.-- Rae8 and I win the e-pawn.] 24...Rae8 25.c5 Bd3 White resigns 0-1