[Event "Lake Sevan 2014"]
[Site "Martuni ARM"]
[Date "2014.07.30"]
[Round "4.1"]
[White "Areshchenko, Alexander"]
[Black "Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2701"]
[BlackElo "2602"]
[ECO "C18"]
[EventDate "2014.07.27"]
[Annotator "Gujrathi,Vidit"]
[PlyCount "98"]
{Despite having good chances in the previous games I was still without a
win and had managed only 1.5/3.}
1. e4 e6 $5
{The French Defence. I decided to try something new as I considered
that the unbalanced character of this opening would suit my mood
perfectly.}
2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. Qg4 O-O
{This move looks like a suicide,but it is indeed quite solid.}
( {More popular & crazier is} 7. ... Qc7 8. Qxg7 Rg8 9. Qxh7 cxd4 10.
Ne2 Nbc6 11. f4 dxc3 )
8. Bd3 Nbc6 9. Qh5 Ng6 10. Nf3 Qc7 11. Be3 c4 12. Bxg6 fxg6 13. Qg4 Bd7
{The main line is Qf7 but I think White is doing quite well there.
Generally in this line White tries to attack on the kingside, whereas
Black hopes to organise some counterplay on the queenside and along
the f-file.}
14. h4 Rf5 15. Ng5 $5
{The direct h5 is the main move and has scored very well. With Ng5
White is now preparing h5, but it allows Black some time to regroup.}
15. ... Qa5 16. Kd2 Raf8 17. f3 h6 18. h5
( 18. Nh3 {is certainly better. Maybe Alexander just missed my next
move.} )
18. ... Qd8 $1
{An important defensive resource.}
( {It is interesting to see how the engines are misleading in such
positions: they show 0.00 after} 18. ... gxh5 {but I think it is close
to lost after that.} )
19. Nh3 $6
( {I was expecting to see the ending after} 19. hxg6 {Although the
engines give advantage to black I think white can easily hold.}
19. ... Rxg5 20. Bxg5 Qxg5+ 21. Qxg5 hxg5 22. Rh5 Ne7 23. Rxg5 Be8 24.
Rh1 Nxg6 )
19. ... gxh5 20. Qg3 h4 21. Qh2 Ne7 22. Nf4 Qe8
{Rg5 was another interesting alternative, with the idea to play Rxf4!?
after Qh4. But I rejected it because I didn't see more than a
repetition after Ne2-Rg6}
( 22. ... Rg5 $5 )
23. Ne2
( 23. Qxh4 Rxf4 24. Bxf4 Ng6 )
23. ... Ng6 24. f4
{White's only plan is to organise some kind of play on the g-file.}
24. ... Qf7
{Not the best. It was probably better to play R5f7, but I was quite
tempted by the exchange sacrifice.}
25. Raf1 b5 26. Rf3 Kh7 $5
{Only engines can properly evaluate the crazy mess after Qe7.}
( 26. ... Qe7 27. g4 R5f7 28. Bf2 Qxa3 29. Bxh4 b4 30. g5 $132 )
27. Rg1 Rg8
{Protecting g7 in advance, as the g-file is going to open sooner or
later.}
28. g4 hxg3 29. Nxg3 Ne7
{Somewhere around here Alexander offered me a draw. But this was the
type of position I was aiming for when I play Qf7. I thought that with
black knight on f5 defending h6 and g7 Black has a free hand on
queenside and White cannot do much.}
30. Kc1 Be8 $1
{Bishop would be best placed on the h7-b1 diagonal}
31. Kb2 a5 32. Bd2 Qf8 33. Nxf5 Nxf5 34. Be1 Bg6 35. Qd2 Qf7 36. Rh3 Kh8
{I wanted to improve my position to the maximum before going for the
b4-break. Also I thought it is wise to complete the time control on 40
moves before changing the character of position,}
37. Bh4 Bh7 38. Ka2 Rb8 39. Rb1 Qh5 40. Qh2 Qe8 41. Qd2 b4 $1
{Finally !}
42. cxb4 Qa4
{During the game I considered Bf2 to be more tenacious}
43. b5 $6
( 43. Bf2 $142 axb4 44. Rxb4 Rxb4 45. Qxb4 Qxc2+ 46. Qb2 Qd1 {Of
course Black is still better, but White can set up a tough defence
with Rc3 !} )
43. ... Nxh4 44. Rxh4 Bxc2
( {clearly bad is} 44. ... Qxc2+ $2 45. Qxc2 Bxc2 46. Rb2 Bb3+ 47.
Rxb3 $1 cxb3+ 48. Kxb3 Rxb5+ 49. Ka4 $132 )
45. Rb2 Bb3+ 46. Kb1
{White is threatening the scary f5, followed by Rh6. But fortunately
Black has enough time for some tricks of his own !}
46. ... Qxb5 $1 47. f5 $2
( 47. Rh3 {controlling c3 was better, although even here Black can
play} 47. ... Kh7 {[%cal Gb8b6,Rb5a4,Ra4a3] and Rb6 to avoid all
f5-Rh6 ideas, and then Qa4-Qa3. White is pretty much helpless.} )
47. ... c3 $1 48. Qxc3 Qf1+ 49. Qc1 Bc2+
{Although there were number of inaccuracies by both sides I felt quite
optimistic after this win
}
( 49. ... Bc2+ 50. Kxc2 Rc8+ )
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