This game began at the end of July and finished two weeks ago. I spent a considerable amount of time playing it and am happy with my performance.
Stripes,J. (2242) -- Internet Opponent (2189) [D11]
Chess.com, 28.07.2019
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.c4 c6 4.e3
Why choose the second most popular move? In this case, my intention was to gain experience. I seem to recall also that my opponent's game history showed that he sometimes faltered against this line in the past.
4.Nc3 has been my normal move OTB, but I have played others.
4...Bg4 5.h3 Bxf3 6.Qxf3
I had the Black side of this position in two blitz games nearly twenty years ago, but this game was was my first experience from the White side.
Black to move
6...e6 7.Bd3
PowerBook shows a 62% scoring percentage for White.
7...Nbd7 8.Nc3 Bd6 9.cxd5 exd5 10.g4
Still playing the percentages. 66.7% for White.
10...Nb6
My opponent chooses an obscure move that has produced a handful of draws. The percentages no longer have any significance: too few games.
White to move
11.g5
11.Bd2 was the alternative and I examined four games where this move had been played.
11...Nfd7
Two previous games games have reached this position.
12.e4
12.h4 led to a win for White. 12.e4 led to a draw. However, 12.e4 looked more promising to me because the imbalance in the reference game seemed to offer better prospects for seeking a win.
12.h4 Qe7 13.Bd2 Nc4 14.Bxc4 dxc4 15.Ne4 Bb4 16.a3 Bxd2+ 17.Nxd2 Qe6 and White went on to win a long game. Dvirnyy,D (2543) -- Gomez,J (2492) Baku AZE 2016.
12...dxe4
12...c5 13.dxc5 Bxc5
13.Qxe4+
13.Bxe4 might be better, according to postgame engine analysis. I probably looked at it, but opted to follow my reference game. More often than not in my correspondence experience, my opponent deviates from a single reference game before I do. Sometimes the novelty is an error.;
My notes show that I considered 13.Nxe4 Bb4+ 14.Nc3.
13...Qe7
White to move
14.Qxe7+
I chose to continue following the reference game.
14.Be3 Qxe4 15.Bxe4 0-0-0;
14.0-0 0-0-0 would have led to an interesting battle, but I thought Black was better.;
14.a4 was also a move that I considered.
14...Bxe7 15.Be3 0-0-0N
Now we are on our own.
15...Rd8 16.0-0-0 Nf8 17.h4 Ne6 18.Be2 Nc7 White's isolani may become weak and it is hard to see how the bishop pair will prove advantageous. These moves were played in a game that was drawn after 69 moves, Likavsky,T (2494) -- Antoniewski,R (2510), Austria 2008.
16.0-0-0
16.0-0 strikes me as a candidate move, as does 16.a4 with the same idea: storm the opponent's castled king while withstanding the same from him.
16...g6 17.h4 Nf8
Even though we have departed from theory, this knight maneuver has been played before. It makes sense to bring pressure upon White's queen pawn.
White to move
18.Kb1
I was not sure how to proceed, so I made a waiting move.
18...Ne6 19.Be4
Is d4-d5 a threat? I'm not certain.
19...Nd5?!
I do not think that opening the c-file is in Black's interest. However, after this move my d-pawn becomes slightly less vulnerable, I may be able to use the c-file for my rooks, and Black also gets an isolated pawn.
20.Nxd5 cxd5 21.Bf3 Kb8 22.Bg4
I want to push my f-pawn
22...Bd6 23.Rd3 Nf4?
White to move
24.Bxf4
I happily give up the bishop pair for gain of a pawn.
24...Bxf4 25.Rf3 Bc7
White to move
26.Re1!
Black's f-pawn is going nowhere. I will get a pig.
26.Rxf7 Rdf8 27.Rxf8+ Rxf8 28.f3 looked drawish to me.
26...Bb6
26...Rhe8 27.Rxe8 Rxe8 28.Rxf7 Rh8 29.Be6
27.Rxf7 Bxd4
27...Rdf8 28.Ree7 Rxf7 29.Rxf7 Bxd4 30.Be6
White to move
28.Ree7 1-0
I like my position, but I don't think my opponent should have resigned so soon. I was rather looking forward to the endgame.
