[Event "Verbandsliga Mitte"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2002.03.17"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Holzhauer"]
[Black "Muuss"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A16"]
[WhiteElo "1798"]
[BlackElo "1998"]
[Annotator "Holzi, Aeneas"]
[PlyCount "122"]
[EventDate "2002.??.??"]

{H: I played this game as white in a league match with a time control of 2
hours for the first 40 moves, 1 hour for the next 20 moves and then a
rapidplay finish. My OTB ratings are 1828 DWZ and 159 BCF at the moment. On
FICS I play as Holzi. Aeneas: Hello! I hope that you will appreciate my
comments. I have to say here that yourself you have done great work in working
on your game!} 1. c4 Nf6 2. g3 g6 3. Bg2 Bg7 4. Nc3 d6 5. d3 {H: Seeing as
black hasn't made any choice as to whether he will play c5 or e5, I don't make
any decisions (e3 or e4 / Nf3, Nh3 or Ne2 etc.) yet either.} 5... c6 {
H: Maybe this makes my choice easier (seeing as he probably wouldn't play
c6-c5 overly soon) and I could have played e4 right away.} (5... O-O {
is the move after which I've seen Bg5.} 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bd2 c6 8. e4 Nbd7 9. Nge2
{H: In the end this variation looks somewhat like the game, but I feel that I
would prefer to reach this type of position without Bc1-g5-d2 and h6 played
(hence the idea of playing e4 right away in the game).}) 6. Bg5 $6 {H: I'm not
e I should have played this move here. I now suspect that playing e4 right
away would have been better (considering the comments and alternatives to his
5th and 7th move). Aeneas: 6.e4 seems good indeed, after which you can
complete your developpement with 7. Nge2. Committing the Bishop on g5 with a
fianchetto on g3 means that you Bishop has not the usual retreat on h4. So,
logically, if you play here 6.Bg5, it should be with the (doubtful) intention
of exchanging on f6.} 6... h6 {H: Obviously he doesn't give me the time to
play Qd2, as white might get some useful control over h6.} 7. Bd2 a6 {
H: A bit odd, does he want to play b7-b5? I decided that I can just ignore
that possibility, because of my pressure on the h1-a8 diagonal.} (7... e5 {
H: would make more sense to me.} 8. e4 O-O 9. Nge2 Be6 {H: This sort of
variation is another thing I was worrying about during the game. What should I
actually do about black's planned d5? It seems like my central pawns will end
up being quite akward. If h6 hadn't been played b3 (so that I can answer d5
with exd5 followed by Bg5) would look okay, but now I don't have the g5 square.
Aeneas: d5 is not really a possibilty now for Black. Let's look at the
plausible variation:} 10. O-O d5 $2 11. exd5 cxd5 12. Qb3 {
and White has the advantage due to the pressure on the queenside} 12... dxc4 (
12... Qd7 13. Nxd5 Nxd5 14. cxd5 {wins a pawn}) 13. Qxb7 cxd3 14. Nf4 exf4 15.
Qxa8 fxg3 16. hxg3 {with the gain of exchange for White. So Black must take
time to prepare carefully d5. But you can mean while, go straightforward fot a
kingside expansion with f4. It should be a correct plan.}) 8. e4 Bg4 9. Nge2 {
H: I am a bit doubtful, whether I should allow him to swap his bishop for my
knight, because there might be a potential good knight versus bad bishop
endgame out there for black. On the other had maybe black has spent too much
time with a6 and c6 - could black actually hope for something like that or
would white be able to open the position up in the middlegame? Would playing
f2-f3 right away have been better? I suppose a downside of 9.f3 would be that
he might be able to play b5, because I block the diagonal of my bishop. Or
would Qb3 or Qc1 followed by e.g. h3 be a better idea? Aeneas: The move you
played in the game canNOT be bad. The endgame is too far away now, and if he
exchanges his Bishop for your Ne2, later you could bring your Bg2 to the light
with several possiblities, depending upon the sort of position (f4 followed by
e5, or Bh3, and so on). The bishop pair could be very useful. Now the position
is closed, but if it opens later, your bishops could be very powerful.} 9...
Nbd7 10. f3 $6 {H: I wanted to force black's bishop to a less useful square
(e6), leaving his position a bit cramped, but he gets some interesting
tactical counterplay. Aeneas: Why not continue your developpement? 10.0-0 is
simple and good. His Bg4 is misplaced, put no real pressure on the centre, so
it is not a problem for you.} 10... Ne5 {
H: Now he has some nice tactical ideas and his position looks quite healthy.}
11. Nc1 $6 {H: I didn't dare to go for the complications after fxg4, because I
saw he would have a lot of play with Nxd3 and Qb6, winning the pawn on d3 and
maybe those on g4 and b2 on the way. Admittedely the knight looks quite odd on
c1, but the move seems necessary. Aeneas: If you are obliged to play here Nc1,
somewhere, in your previous moves, there is an error. Indeed, as shown in the
variation which follows, it's risky to take the Bishop. But there is another
solution, a natural kove which seems good: 11. 0-0. You finish your
developpement and the Bg4 must retreat.} (11. fxg4 Nxd3+ 12. Kf1 Qb6 13. Be1
Nxe1 (13... Nxb2 14. Qb3 {with the exchange og the Queens.}) 14. Qxe1 (14. Kxe1
Nxg4 $19) 14... Nxg4 15. Nd1 {(protecting f2,e3 and b2)} 15... O-O (15... Bxb2
$2 16. Rb1) 16. Nf4 (16. h3 Ne5 {
followed by f7-f5 and the position becomes opened on the white King.}) 16... e5
17. h3 {(given by the computers)} 17... exf4 18. hxg4 fxg3 19. Qxg3 f5 20. gxf5
gxf5 21. Rxh6 fxe4+ 22. Ke2 Qd4 23. Rg6 Qxc4+ 24. Ke1 Qb4+ 25. Nc3 (25. Ke2
Qc4+ {is draw by repetitition}) 25... Rf7 26. Rd1 (26. Qxd6 $2 Qxb2) 26... d5 (
26... Qxb2 27. Rdxd6 {and both white Rooks are playinf now}) 27. Bh3 {
(threatening 28.Be6 and activating the Bishop which dead on g2, due do the
black pawn chain)} 27... Kf8 28. Rd2 {and the position is very double-edged...}
) ({Let's look now at} 11. O-O Bd7 12. Be3 {and White has some interesting
possibilities: They can prepare d4 or f4, they can put pressure on h6 with Qd2,
so on.}) 11... Be6 12. f4 {H: I played this assuming he wouldn't play the move
he chose in the game, because of 13.Qb3. I considered other moves than 12.f4
too passive, as it seems that he might otherwise play d5.} 12... Bg4 13. Qb3
Nf3+ {H: I wonder whether this was his best move.} (13... Ned7 14. Qxb7 Nc5 15.
Qb4 {H: Would black have more compensation in this variation? Aeneas: In this
variation, the white Queen has some difficulties to come back in the centre of
the board. There are no many pathes which lead to a secure place. And Ned7 and
Nf3+ are both logical move. The first hopes to attack the white queen, the
second one is more positionnal.}) 14. Bxf3 Bxf3 15. Rf1 $2 {H: Maybe castling
would have been a better idea, as the king might have been useful for
protecting the kingside pawns. However I was afraid my king might be too
exposed on g1 and felt he would be safer in the middle. Quite possibly an
incorrect decision. Aeneas: Yes, I think it's an incorrect decision. Black has
not pieces well placed to attack your castled king for the moment. You're very
strong in the centre, so if Black chooses to push his pawns on the kingside,
you can easily counterattack with a break in the centre with d4,e5, f5, ...
and so open the position at your advantage. In the game, it's clear that your
King is misplaced.} 15... Bg4 16. Qxb7 {
H: Otherwise my previous play wouldn't make much sense.} 16... O-O {H: He sacri
fices a second pawn. Seeing as I didn't have any other good ideas I simply
took it, after all my position seems solid and I didn't really see much
compensation for black. Well, as it turns out my kingside is in fact quite
weak, while the majority of my pieces pile up on the queenside.} 17. Qxc6 Bd7
18. Qb7 Rb8 19. Qxa6 Rxb2 {H: Obviously I didn't like the presence of his rook
on the second rank and offered to swap it off right away.} 20. Rb1 (20. f5 {
H: This move was suggested by my computer program. There obviously is a lot of
sense in shuting out the bishop on d7, even if this move gives black the e5
square. Aeneas: Seems to me that's it's a "computer's move". With the move it
proposed, Black can open more the game. Black king is secure, white not. So
more opened is the position, better it is for Black. Let's look a little
further in cconcrete variations:} 20... gxf5 21. exf5 Ng4 22. Qa3 {
(The Rb2 is too powerful)} (22. h3 $2 Ne3 $1 {
and Black has a winning position. For example:} 23. Bxe3 Bxc3+ 24. Kd1 Qa8 {
exchanging the better developped white piece!} 25. Qxa8 Rxa8 {and White has no
satisfactory defence against 26...Ba4+. For example, just for the fun:} 26. Ne2
Ba4+ 27. Kc1 Rc2+ 28. Kb1 (28. Kd1 Rxa2+ 29. Kc1 Rxa1#) 28... Rb8+ 29. Bb6
Rxb6#) 22... Rb8 23. h3 Ne5 {and I think that Black has enough compensation:
the white King won't find a quiet place and the endgame is far away...
Conclusion: the "human" move you played here (20.Rb1) is the best one. Poor
computer Fritz!}) 20... Qb8 {H: He probably wanted to increase pressure on my
queenside, but this move doesn't actually do much.} (20... Rxb1 {H: I suspect
black should have played this move, because the rooks are going to be swapped
off anyway, but like this he would somewhat displace my knight.}) 21. Nb3 $2 {
H: I did want to keep the black queen out of my position.} (21. Rxb2 Qxb2 22.
f5 {H: Afterwards this seems like quite a good option, but during the game it
seemed too unsafe to let the black queen come to b2. Aeneas: not 22.f5. But 22.
Qa7! and the Queen has again a large scope and can easily and quickly return
in defence if neccesary. After the game's move, Black will have strong
initiative on the kingside.}) 21... Rxb1+ 22. Nxb1 Bh3 {H: Now I finally
noticed the full extent of the problems I was getting into on the kingside.
Now black clearly has some compensation for the pawns, even though I feel his
sacrifices were not really correct.} 23. Rf2 Ng4 24. Re2 Bd4 {H: Now I can't
keep his bishop from coming to g1, where it threatens to eliminate my pawn
chain h2-g3-f4.} 25. Nc3 Bg1 26. Kd1 $2 {H: Here I decided that I would be
willing to give the exchange to avoid losing pawns on the kingside. Aeneas:
Black has great activity on the queenside. Giving the exchange is possibly a
good idea. But you didn't choose the best way to do it. I don't see the point
of 26.Kd1: your king is always stuck in the centre. This move gives absolutely
nothing to White. Much more interesting was 26. Nd5, improving the power of
the Nc3. But this line is very to be played during a game. Nerves must be
solid...} (26. Nd5 $5 e6 27. Ne3 Nxh2 28. Bc3 {
(making room for the Rook and activating the Bishop)} 28... Nf3+ 29. Kd1 {
and White has always his extra-pawn and should resist the attack.}) 26... Bf1 {
H: He immediately goes for the exchange. Maybe he shouldn't have? Aeneas:he's
right.} 27. h4 {H: Now my pawns are safe.} 27... Bxe2+ 28. Kxe2 h5 29. Nd5 {
H: Now I feel that my position is okay, black doesn't have much play, while my
pieces are quite active and I have the idea of advancing my pawns on the
queenside.} 29... Re8 {
H: Challenging my knight with e6 looks more active. Aeneas: Yes!} 30. Qb5 {
H: This move was meant to free my a-pawn with a tempo, since I felt that black
couldn't possibly afford to exchange queens.} 30... Qxb5 $2 {H: This seem s
like a horrible mistake to me. Now I obtain two connected passed pawns. Aeneas:
You are right.} 31. cxb5 e6 32. Nc7 {H: Now I started some maneouvering, with
which I hope to prepare the advance of my pawns.} 32... Rc8 33. Ba5 {
H: Keeping the c-file closed.} 33... Rb8 {H: Black doesn't seem to find any
useful plan. Aeneas: He should improve the King's position.} 34. a4 Nf6 {
H: I guess it is obvious he needs more pieces on the queenside.} 35. Na6 {
H: Now I start to maneouver about in order to force through b5-b6, but my
actions don't seem especially precise. Aeneas: the most important here for you
is to free the a-file, in order to push your passed pawns. 35. Bc3 makes it
with a tempo: it attacks the Nf6. Let's look an example (pretty!)} (35. Bc3 Nd7
(35... Rc8 36. Bxf6 Rxc7 37. a5 Rc2+ 38. Kd1 Ra2 39. b6 Ra3 40. Bd4 $1 Bxd4 41.
Nxd4 Rxd3+ 42. Kc2 Rxd4 43. b7 Rb4 44. a6 {and White will queen.}) 36. d4 Rc8
37. Ba5 e5 {(trying to open the diagonal for the Bg1)} (37... Kf8 {
is bad due to} 38. Bb4 $1 Ke7 (38... Rxc7 $2 39. Bxd6+) 39. e5 $18) 38. Nd5
Rc2+ 39. Kd3 Ra2 40. Nc3 Rb2 41. Kc4 $16) 35... Rb7 36. Bd8 {H: Probably a bit
dubious, why do I give him a target for his rook and force him to play the
good move Nd7? Aeneas: Indeed c3 or b4 are better squares for your Bishop.}
36... Nd7 37. Na5 Ra7 38. Nc4 {H: With the idea of going to e3, where the
knight would shut out the black bishop on g1 (which is one of the obstacles
currently keeping me from playing b5-b6).} (38. Nc6 Rb7 39. d4 {H: I had overlo
oked this possibility, because I didn't see that this pawn advance would shut
out the black bishop. In the game I was trying to achieve the same thing, but
it was tactically questionable.}) 38... d5 39. exd5 {
H: Probably not really a mistake, but why do I open the e-file for his rook?}
39... exd5 40. Ne3 $2 {H: This was meant to shut out the Bg1, however the
black rook gets to e8 with tempo and cause considerable problems for me.
Aeneas} 40... Ra8 $1 {H: Now he gets his rook onto the e-file with tempo.} 41.
Be7 {H: While I did overlook black's next move (even though it is quite
obvious), it seems to me that white is still winning.} (41. Bc7 {H: The play
following this move seems more difficult for white than in the game, but I
suspect Bc7 also wins.} 41... Re8 42. Be5 Nxe5 43. Nc7 Ng4 44. Nxe8 Nxe3 45. b6
({Aeneas: Interesting too was} 45. a5 Kf8 46. b6 Nc2 (46... Nf5 47. Nf6 Nd6 48.
Nxd5 {and what can do Black against 49.a6?}) (46... Nc4 47. dxc4 Kxe8 48. cxd5
Kd7 49. Kd3 Bf2 50. Kc4 {and White wins}) 47. Nf6 Nb4 48. b7 Na6 49. Nd7+ Ke7
50. b8=Q Nxb8 51. Nxb8 Kd6 52. Na6 Bd4 53. Nb4 $16) 45... Nf5 46. Nf6+ Kf8 47.
Nxd5 Nxg3+ 48. Kf3 Nf5 49. a5 Nxh4+ ({Aeneas:} 49... Ne7 {
is better. Black has no time for picking up the h4 pawn.}) 50. Ke4 f5+ 51. Ke5
Bc5 52. Ke6 Ng2 53. a6 Nxf4+ 54. Nxf4 Bxb6 55. Nxg6+ {
H: This position ought to be winning for white.}) 41... Bxe3 $1 {
H: I will lose a piece.} 42. Kxe3 Re8 43. Kd4 Rxe7 {H: Now I am a rook down
for two pawns, but I felt that the two connected passed pawns were quite
strong.} 44. a5 Re1 $2 {Aeneas: a mistake. Your comment about your 45th move
is right: 45.Nc5 wins clearly. But this variation is no good anymore after 44..
.Kf8.} (44... Kf8 45. Nc5 Nxc5 46. Kxc5 Ke8 47. a6 Kd8 {
and Black will win: the white pawns are stooped.}) 45. Kxd5 $2 {H: I must admit
that I didn't realise that it would be in my interest to swap off the knights,
until my computer program pointed it out.} (45. Nc5 $1 {H: As far as I can see
this move would have given white a clear advantage, either the black knight is
displaced and the white pawns move forwards or black swaps off the knights and
won't be able to stop the pawns, because his king is too far away. Aeneas:yes!}
) 45... Ra1 {H: Black can now eliminate my a-pawn, the remaining two passed
pawns are considerably less dangerous than the two connected passed pawns were.
} 46. Kc6 Rxa5 47. Kxd7 $2 {H: This seems like another incorrect move, even
though it is of course hard to resist the temptation of getting a knight for a
pawn.} (47. d4 $142 $1 {H: This seems to win an important tempo. Black really
has to move his knight, as otherwise white would take it and be able to
advance his d-pawn much more effectively than in the game.} 47... Nf6 48. Nc5
Ra8 49. b6 Rc8+ 50. Kb7 Rd8 51. Ka7 Rxd4 52. b7 Rb4 53. b8=Q+ Rxb8 54. Kxb8 {
H: I assume that I could draw this endgame.}) 47... Rxb5 48. Kc6 $1 {H: The onl
y move that keeps me in the game, even if with correct play the endgame
appears to be a win for black. Aeneas: yes it's lost now.} 48... Rb3 49. Nc5
Rc3 50. Kd6 Kg7 51. Kd5 Rc1 52. d4 Rg1 {H: Before he started attacking my
pawns on the kingside, he forced me to make some akward king moves, which slow
down the advance of my d-pawn.} 53. Kc6 Rxg3 54. d5 Rg4 $2 {H: Black doesn't
play correctly, I had realised that he could win by playing Rc3, I suspect he
thought Rg4 would win as easily.} (54... Rc3 $1 {H: looks like a win for black,
even if it is not all that easy to do. Aeneas: 54... is not the only one
winning move. 54...Kf8 is good too. It's just important to keep the Rook
active BEHIND the pawn.} 55. d6 Kf8 56. Kd5 (56. d7 Ke7 57. Kd5 Rf3 58. Ke5 Rh3
59. d8=Q+ Kxd8 60. Kf6 Ke8 61. Kg5 Rg3+ 62. Kf6 Rg4 $19) 56... Ke8 {H: This is
how far I analysed this variation during the game concluding that I wouldn't
get anywhere, because his king is there in time to stop my pawn.} 57. Nb7 Ra3
58. Kc6 Rd3 59. Nc5 Rc3 60. Kd5 Rf3 61. Ke5 Rh3 62. Kf6 Rxh4 63. d7+ Kd8 64.
Kxf7 Rxf4+ 65. Kxg6 Rc4 66. Ne6+ Kxd7 67. Ng5 h4 68. Kh5 Kd6 69. Nh3 Kc5 70.
Nf2 Kb4 71. Nh3 Kc3 72. Ng5 Kd3 73. Nh3 Ke3 74. Ng5 Kf2 $19) 55. d6 Rxf4 56. d7
Rd4 57. Ne4 $4 {H: I saw th at after winning the rook with Kc7 the game would
still be difficult to draw, so I looked for a way of improving my knight's
position, but this idea just doesn't work. After black's next move I
immediately realised I had blundered.} (57. Kc7 $142 $1 {H: I believe this is
the only way of drawing the game, however I am not entirely sure I would have
managed to draw the position OTB.} 57... g5 58. hxg5 h4 59. Ne4 Rxd7+ 60. Kxd7
Kg6 61. Kd6 h3 62. Ke5 h2 63. Nf2 Kxg5 64. Ke4 Kh4 65. Kf3 f5 66. Kg2 $11)
57... Kf8 $1 {H: Ooops, now his king arrives in time. Obviously I'm lost now.}
58. Nd6 Ke7 59. Nc8+ Kd8 60. Nd6 {
H: Well, it didn't really matter anymore, other moves don't help either.} 60...
Rxd6+ $1 {H: The easiest way - winning as black is now trivial.} 61. Kxd6 f5 {
H: Here I resigned. Aeneas: this is a game very interesting andverycomplicated
, involving tactical possibilities, problems in the opening, an endgame with
unbalanced material... This is important to remember, after this game, that
two connected passed pawns can often be more strong than a Rook, if they are
helped by their King. Remember too that no Bg5 if you played g3 before.} 0-1

