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Christian Shield – Corey Russell<br />
Grants Pass Open, Round 2<br />
Grants Pass, Oregon, March 14, 2009<br />
1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 d6 3. g3 Nc6 4. Bg2 g6<br />
5. d3 Bg7 6. Be3 Rb8 7. Qd2 b5<br />
White and Black are playing a “secret”<br />
game here – Black doesn't White to trade<br />
off his dark-sqared bishop just yet, so makes<br />
other moves to improve his position in the<br />
mean time.<br />
8. Nge2 Nd4<br />
Normally one doesn't move a piece twice<br />
in the opening, except for king safety or to<br />
procure a large amount of material.<br />
However since the position is not open at<br />
the moment, Black can get away with this.<br />
If Black allows White to play d4 right now,<br />
White would get a good game, so the text<br />
prevents this.<br />
9. h3 e6 10. 0-0 Bd7 11. Nd1 b4<br />
All right. Black is still not castled, so<br />
what gives? Answer is that with position<br />
closed he can get away with this. Black<br />
knows pawn to c3 is coming, so he wants to<br />
force opening of the b-line if that does.<br />
12. c3 bxc3 13. Ndxc3?<br />
While improving one's knight seems like<br />
a natural idea, it was more important to<br />
contest d4 with 13. bxc3. Now Black has<br />
opportunity to make the d4-hole a liability.<br />
13. ...Nxe2+!<br />
White would love to contest d4 with<br />
Nxe2, but problem is would lose a pawn to<br />
14. ... Rxb2. Note that with the queen<br />
diverted, this seems like a good time to finish<br />
kingside development.<br />
14. Qxe2 Ne7 15. Qd2 Nc6<br />
Delaying castling yet again but for a<br />
good reason. If 15. ...0-0 then 16. d4 is okay<br />
for White.<br />
16. Bh6<br />
16. ...0-0<br />
Black is not worried about the bishop<br />
trade now since his other pieces can assert<br />
control over d4. Black could win a pawn<br />
with 16. ...Bxh6 17. Qxh6 Rxb2, but cost is<br />
can't castle. Price was too high for me.<br />
17. Bxg7 Kxg7 18. Ne2 Qf6 19. Rab1<br />
Rb6 20. Qc3 Qxc3<br />
21. bxc3?<br />
Now Black will both control the b-file<br />
and infiltrate the seventh rank by force.<br />
Instead 21. Nxc3 Rfb8 22. b3 Rb4 23. Ne2<br />
Nd4 would leave Black with a small<br />
advantage but that is better than the text<br />
which gives Black a large advantage.<br />
21. ...Rfb8 22. Rxb6 Rxb6 23. Ra1 Rb2<br />
24. Bf1<br />
This weakens f3 square, but the natural<br />
move 24. Nf4 fails to 24. ... g5 25. Nh5+<br />
Kg6 26. g4 Ne5 27. Bf1 f5 wins the g4 pawn,<br />
since it can't move else the white knight falls.<br />
24. ...Ne5 25. d4 Nf3+ 26. Kg2 Nd2<br />
27. a4<br />
This parries 27. ... Nxf1 followed by<br />
...Bb5, but doesn't address the other threat.<br />
27. ...Nxe4 28. dxc5 dxc5 29. f3? Nxc3<br />
Being two pawns down in an endgame<br />
and with the opponent having the more<br />
active pieces to boot, White decides it's safe<br />
to resign here.<br />
0-1<br />
August 2009 <strong>Northwest</strong> <strong>Chess</strong> Page 9
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