ALEKINES DEFENCE, FOUR PAWNS ATTACK WITH 9.....Qd7 10. Be2 O-O-O
11. O-O Bg4 12. Ng5... and 17. .... Nf5! AN IMPROVEMENT FOR BLACK AND A
CLEVER EXCHANGE SACRIFICE.
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6
5. f5 dxe5 6. fxe5 Nc6 7. Be3 Bf5 8. Nc3 e6 9. Nf3 Qd7 10. Be2 O-O-O 11. O-O Bg4
11…. Kb8 has also been discussed in the forum by Ig, Markovich and Bueker, but I think the text is more aggressive and dynamic.
12. Ng5 (12.c5 is considered the main move and a possible continuation is 12…. Nd5 13. Nxd5 Qxd5 14. b4 Qe4 etc.) Bxe2 13. Qxe2 f6 14. exf6 gxf6 15. Rxf6 (15. Nf3 and 15. Nxe6 can also be considered) Nxd4 16. Qf2 Be7 17. Rf7 Nf5!
This move provides important dynamic opportunities. 18. Bc5 (White could try
18. Bxb6 axb6 19. Nxe6 Bxc5 20. Qxc5 bxc5 21. Rxd7 Rxd7 22. Nd5 b6 Slight Ŧ)
Black had previously followed 17…. Nc6
18. Bc5 Bxc5 19. Qxc5 Qd4+ (Proposed by Bueker and it is better than the more aggressive, but losing 19…. Qd2, which was investigated by Watson) A possible continuation is 20.Qxd4 Nxd4 21.Nb5 e5 22.Rxc7+ Kb8 23. Nxd4 exd4 24.Rc5 Na4 25.Rb5 Rhe8 26. Rd1 d3 27. Rd2 Re2 28. Rxe2 dxe2 29. Kf2 Re8 30. Ke1 a6 31.Rb3 Black is a pawn down and it will be difficult to save the game. There may be some improvements for black.
18. ... h6 19. Bxe7 hxg5 20. Qc5 g4!
The participation of this solo pawn attack has changed whites assessment of the black king side offensive from “okay to ignore” to a highly serious threat. The white queen now has restricted attacking versitility, because the safe guarding of the f2 square and preventing the transition Qd4 + is essential. White's intentions of using the queen to probe black's queen side pawn structure and cause weaknesses, or to launch an ambitious queen side pawn storm are now a distant passing thought.
21. Rd1 Four other alternatives are worthy of considering.
a) 21. b3 (perhaps best) g3 22. h3 Kb8 23. Bxd8 Qxf7 24. Rd1 Nd5 25. cxd5 Rxd8 26. dxe6 Rxd1+ 27. Nxd1 Qxe6 28. Rf8+ Qc8 29. Qxc8 Kxc8 30. Nc3 Kd7 31. Kf1 a5 32. Ke2 Nh4 33. Ne4 Nxg2 34. Kf3 Nf4 35. Kxg3 Nd3 I think that black should be able to draw.)
b) 21. Rf1! g3 22.h3 Kb8! 23.Bxd8 Qxf7 24.Rd1 Nd6! (An extremely difficult move to find! The knight move threatens the capture of the c pawn, blocks the d file and thus threatens the capture of the bishop on the back rank, and also opens the threat of Rh5. What more would you want to expect from a knight?!) 25.Bxc7+ Qxc7 26.Qxd6 Nxc4 27. Qxc7+ Kxc7 28.Re1 Rh6 29.Ne2 Nxb2
30. Rc1+ Kb8 30.Nxg3 Rh4 =
c) 21. Ne4 Kb8 22.Nf6 Qd4+ 23.Qxd4 Rxd4
24.b3 Nd7 25. Nxd7+ Rxd7 26.Bf6 Rxd7
27. Bxh8 Kc8 28.Re1 Kd7 29.Be5 Nd6
30. Re3 Rf5 31. h3 gxh3 32.gxh3 Nf7=
d) 21. g3? Qd2 22. Bh4 Nd7 23.Qxa7 Nb6!
24.c5 Qe3+ 25.Kf1 Rd2 26. Rxc7+ Kxc7
27. cxb6+ Kc6 28. Qa4+ Kxb6 29. Qb3+ Kc6
30.Qc4+ Kd7 31. Ne4 (31. Qa4+ Kc7 32.Nb5+ Kb8 -+) Rf8 32. Bf6 Nd6 -+
The black king had to escape from the
harassing checks, but was able to succeed and win.
21. ... Qxd1! Black forces the exchange sacrifice. 22. Nxd1 Rxd1 23. Kf2 Rd7
24. Rf8+ ( 24. Rxf5 exf5 25. Qxf5 Nxc4 26. b3 Nb6 27. Qxg4 Kb8 28. Bc5 Rxh2 29. Qg8+ Nc8 30. Kf3 a5 31. a3 Rh5 Black is okay.)
24. ... Rxf8 25. Bxf8 g3+!
This intermezzo pawn check is essential, because white is now forced to endure doubled kingside pawns. Black could try to hang on to this pawn, but my analysis shows that this alternative plan is futile. eg. 25. ... Rf7 26. Qa3 Nd6+ 27. Ke2 Ndxc4 28. Qc5 Nxb2 29. Bg7 N2c4 30. Qh5 Nd6 31. Qxg4 Black is in trouble, due to the presence of the connected, passed kingside pawn roller and additional bishop.
26. hxg3 Rf7 27. Ke1 Nd7 28. Qxa7 Rxf8 29. g4 Nh4 30. Qa8+ Nb8 31. Ke2 Nxg2 32. Qa5 c6 33. Qg5 Nd7 Ŧ White is in trouble.
Black’s strategy is 1) Utilize the rook for its long range capabilities and thus a) Supporting of the centralized knights or isolated e pawn, b) keeping watch of whites passed g pawn and c) restricting of the movements of the king. 2) Centralizing of the knights in order to assist in the promotion of the central isolated pawn, 3) Calculated pushing of the pawn and 4) minimizing of possible checks from the white queen.
34. Qg7 e5 35. g5 Nf4+ 36. Ke3 Ne6 37. Qg6 Nd4 38. Qh7 Nf5+ 39. Kd2 e4
40. g6 e3+ 41. Ke2 Re8 42. Qf7 Nd4+
43. Ke1 Rd8 44. g7 Ne5 45. g8(Q) Nef3+
46. Kf1 e2+
47. Kg2 Rxg8+ 48. Qxg8+ Kc7 49. Qg7+ Kb6 50.c5+ Ka5 -+ The promotion of the e pawn cannot be prevented.