2006 February Toledo Swiss, 2.11.2006
Pirc Defense [B07]
1.e4 d6 2.f4
This move is usually left for move 4. Instead white usually plays d4 here.
2...Nf6 3.Nc3 a6
If black plays g6 here, then he allows white to transpose into the Austrian Attack. 4.Nf3 The move d4 is still preferable.
4...b5 5.b4
Not a very attractive move. a3 wold also have prevented the pawn from attacking the c3 knight without creating as many weaknesses.
5...e6 6.Bb2 Bb7 7.d3
Surprisingly the usually awful Bd3 would not have been a poor choice here. It defends the e4 pawn, develops the light squared bishop and creates room for white to castle kingside. The usual drawback of Bd3 is that it block in the dark squared bishop, but since that bishop is already developed on b2... this isn't the same kind of problem. 7...d5 8.exd5 Nxd5 9.Nxd5 Qxd5 10.a3
To prevent Bxb4+.
10...Nd7 11.Be2 Bd6 12.Qd2
I decided to play Qd2 to lure the black queen to f5. I planned to protect the f-pawn with g3, but I was hoping to have time to castle queenside. Castling queenside was certainly not safe with the queen on d5 though.
12...Qf5 13.g3 e5 14.fxe5 Nxe5
I realized that black would have 3 pieces attacking my knight after the exchange on e5. However, the threat of Rf1 together with Qe3+ allowed me to play this line. 15.Rf1
While Rf1 is playable, much better was O-O allowing the king to escape from the center of the board. However, with the light squares weak on the kingside I was hesistant to place my king in that corner.
15...Qe6 16.Bxe5
Ng5 is even better. Black will play Qe7, then 17. Bxe5 Bxe5 18. Nxf7 and white is ahead.
16...Bxe5 17.Nxe5 Qxe5 18.d4 Qe6 19.Qf4 0-0
The material is equal, but the white position has more weaknesses. These include the backward c-pawn and the king in the center.
20.Kd2 Rad8 21.Bg4 Qb6 22.c3 c5 23.bxc5 Qxc5
Black has gained a half-open file, which he intends to make use of before white takes advantage of his passed pawn.
24.Rfe1 Qc4 25.Be2 Qb3 26.Reb1 Qd5 27.Rf1
White needs to play a4 trading off the isolated a-pawn.
27...Rc8 28.Bf3
White needed to play Bg4 to force the rook off the c-file. Furthermore, Bf3 loses material.
28...Qb3 29.Rac1 Bxf3 30.Rxf3 Qxa3 31.h4 b4 32.c4 Qa2+
Black should have just kept pushing the pawn.
33.Rc2 Qa5 34.Rb3 Rfe8 35.d5 Qc5 36.Rf3 f6 37.h5
White has no way to prevent black from pushing his connected passed pair, so he has to try and gain some counterplay.
37...Re5
A tricky fork, since the c4 pawn is pinned leaving the d5 pawn virtually undefended
38.h6 Rxd5+! 39.Rd3 Rf5
I thought Bidwell might trade off the rooks, but this move is stronger as it is played with a gain of tempo.
40.Qg4 Rf2+ 41.Kc1 Rxc2+ 42.Kxc2 Qxc4+
Black maintained the initiative by exchanging rooks in this manner, which proved better than the simple 39. Rxd3. Note that this takes black into a rook engame with a 3 pawn advantage.
43.Qxc4+ Rxc4+ 44.Kb3 Rc3+
Black realizes that with the rooks off the board there is no way that the white king can capture the outside passed pawn abd return to the kingside to prevent black from queening one of his pawns.
45.Rxc3 bxc3 46.Kxc3 gxh6 47.Kb4 Kg7 48.Ka5 Kg6 49.Kxa6 Kg5 50.Kb5 Kg4 51.Kc5 Kxg3 Finally comes a long overdue resignation. 0-1
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