1.e4
e6
2.d4
d5
3.Nc3
Bb4
4.e5
c5
5.a3
Bxc3+
6.bxc3
Ne7
7.Nf3
The French Winawar tends to lead to lively messy games. I prefer 7 Qg4 which I enjoy playing as either colour but its a matter of choice.
7...Bd7
Its always difficult to utilise the this Bishop in the French but it has a key purpose here which we shall see.
8.Rb1
Qc7
9.Bd2
White plays cautiously.
9...Ba4
The idea is long term. I am hoping to block up the queenside. The diagonal a3-f8 is great for whites dark squared bishop but these last couple of moves has dented the hopes.
10.Bd3
c4
11.Be2
Ok, its a blocked queenside. Even if White could triple his major pieces on the b file then it would gain little.
11...Nd7
12.0-0
h6
a move aimed at preventing pieces coming to g5 as well as eyeing up a possible g5 in the future.
13.Ne1
blacks previous move scared the knight going to a better square, white prepares to strengthen the centre with the usual f4
13...0-0-0
according to my computer black has over 20 better moves. Does anyone agree because I
don't. The long term plan of securing the queenside has been achieved. Its time to get them rooks firing at the enemies King.
14.f4
f5
I am working on the fact that the g and h files will be suffice to breakthrough.
15.exf6
white takes the pawn which shows his intentions of playing aggressively too.
15...gxf6
opens the g file and holds the important e5 square for the time being. More opportunities in blacks position.
16.f5
I quite like this move, it sacrifices a pawn to wake up lots of pieces. A true gambit as any black advances are thwarted for quite some time. John is renowned for being a top class attacking player.
16...Nxf5
17.Bg4
Ng7
all forced.
18.Rb4
Bc6
another plan is Qc6 or even Qa5 immediately. The point is that progress for black is very long winded as compensation for the sacrificed pawn with white getting all the play.
19.Bf4
Qa5
20.Qc1
we have a position where all of whites pieces look better than blacks. However black is solid and a pawn to the good. It is a matter of improving slowly but surely whilst limiting whites play.
20...h5
saving a pawn and gaining a tempo by asking the bishop to commit to a diagonal
21.Bh3
the bishop keeps on the long dangerous diagonal.
21...Rdg8
trying to untie pieces slowly but surely and aiming them at the opponents king.
22.Bh6
exploiting the weakness on e6 by utilising the bishop pair. I don't really like this move as it helps blacks long term goal. White creates dark square weaknesses at the cost of his lively bishop on h3.
22...f5
leaves the dark square weak but the negative side comes with other advantages.
23.Bg5
possibly stopping Nf6 but, its the knight on g7 that is no longer working to capacity. The knight on d7 should remain there to keep an eye on the e5 square.
23...Ne8
re-routing the knight.
24.Nf3
Nd6
25.Bf4
Ne4
the horse becomes an octopus.
26.Re1
Rg6
27.Nh4
the best continuation but the knight will have to go back sooner or later so no moves lost by...
27...Rgg8
28.Re3
Rh7
29.Nf3
Rhg7
30.Bh6
Rg6
31.Bf4
the bishop has too many miles on the clock.
31...Qd8
Well, it is 15 moves since white sacrificed the pawn and compensation appears to have disappeared. Whites white squared bishop is biting on granite and the potential of the rook on b4 to attack is slim. His queen has been tied down to defending pawns. Black has doubled rooks on the open g -file against the white king. There is a super knight on e4 which looks difficult to dislodge. Blacks poor Bishop is defending the Queenside
sufficiently to allow black to bring the Queen into the game.
32.Qe1
Qe7
eyeing up the queenside with a possible and greedy a5 or attacking on the kingside.
33.Qh4
Qg7
this has a couple of threats one obvious one not so obvious.
34.Ne1
White defends g3.
34...Rh8!
a strange move to find but the idea appeared when white played Qe1 with the idea of fighting for the h4-d8 diagonal.
35.Nf3
Rg4
36.Bxg4
hxg4
37.Qe1
gxf3
38.Rxf3
Rg8
just testing out whites defending whilst getting pieces off the e5-h8 diagonal the dark square bishop is the only thorn in blacks game.
39.Qe2
Qg4
pinning the rook and giving white limited scope, playing it steady and logically.
40.Qf1
Ndf6
the major pieces are no longer on the dangerous diagonal so the extra piece can leave its guard e5 square to join in the attack.
41.Be5
the bishop finally gets to its square but it is all too late.
41...Nd2
the octopus inks it! 0-1