Our Week 5 victory over the Boston Blitz has been covered on Chess Cafe, but in addition, we are pleased to present NM Ben Goldberg’s annotations to his board four win, reproduced in full.  Congratulations to Ben, who is off to a strong 2/2 start in his debut season!

1. d4 Nf6
2. c4 g6
3. Nc3 d5
4. Nf3 Bg7
5. Qa4+ Bd7

I had a feeling Ilya would throw some kind of opening surprise at me (not a hard thing to do against the Grunfeld, as there are tons of sidelines). I don’t know much about this line apart from the fact that it differs from the main lines of the Russian System with 5. Qb3 in the fact that with the bishop on d7 there are certain resources available based on a timely b5 counterthrust.

6. Qb3 dxc4

Qxb7 is nothing special, as …Nc6, Bf4 Rb8, Qxc7 Qxc7, Bxc7 Rxb2 leaves black with a lead in development.

7. Qxc4 0-0
8. Bf4

I was already out of book here. Even if he had played the more standard e4 here I would have been playing guessing games as to when b5 was appropriate. I thought about ideas with Na6 and c5, but considering the importance of the game, I didn’t want to take any uncalculated risks. I felt it would be a better practical decision to accept a slightly passive setup in hopes that my chances would come later if Ilya overextended, or faltered and lost the initiative.

… c6
9. e4 b5
10. Qb3 a5

I imagine I must be somehow worse here, but I’m not sure how white can best exploit it. Already I was enticing my opponent into a queen sacrifice, one I was certain he would not be able to resist.

11. e5 Be6

And here it is! Now this was a risk I was willing to take. Black gives up three minor pieces for the queen, but black all is not lost. Black will emerge with an extra pawn, superior pawn structure, and white lack’s solid outposts for his pieces as of now.

12. exf6 Bxb3
13. fxg7 Kxg7
14. axb3 Na6

All part of the plan. I found this position to be unclear and difficult to assess, much more to my liking than the passive setup I had to begin with.

15. Be2 Nb4
16. 0-0 Qd7

Now that the knight has reached its destination, I have my eye on the weak queenside pawns.

17. Rc1 Qe6
18. d5

A committal choice, and a good one. White’s pawns are under fire, and instead of trying to defend passively, Ilya pitches a second pawn to finish his development and open lines for his rooks.

… Nxd5
19. Nxd5 Qxd5
20. Rfd1 Qe4

I was afraid to grab the b3 pawn and open lines for white’s rooks, but it might have been possible. Maybe Qe6 was another option, keeping an eye on b3 and attacking white’s pieces. Regardless of my two extra pawns, I think white must be better now that his pieces are on the verge of being fully coordinated.

21. Be3 Rfd8
22. Nd4

Now I was really getting worried, as black’s position seems to be on the brink of collapse.

… Rac8

Hoping for some kind of back rank combination threats, though it was most likely wishful thinking.

23. Bf3 Qh4
24. Rc5

Now this is getting too fancy. Black would have had no adequate response to Nxc6, though in such a position of material diversity it is natural to be wary of your opponent’s tactical resources.

… h6

Preventing Bg5. The computer had a lot of fun with this position. Here (at first) it even suggested for white the eccentric Rf5 with more threats to trap the queen, though it can be parried with e6.

25. g3 Qf6

Just what I was hoping for, now with the tactical weakness on f3, and the unsteady rook on d1, black has in two moves gone from much worse to at least equal, possibly slightly better.

26. Bf4

Intent upon winning the queen.

… Kh8

27. Be5 Qxf3
28. Nxf3 Rxd1+

After a forced sequence, black emerges from the middlegame in great shape for the ending with a rook and two pawns against white’s two pieces and sickly queenside pawns.

29. Kg2 f6
30. Bc3 b4

Here I had strongly considered Rd5, capitalizing on white’s uncoordinated rook position. Even with the return of the a pawn, black would have plenty of compensation with his powerful pawn center, and passed d pawn.

31. Bd2 e5
32. Be3 Rd5
33. Rc4 c5

Not that I wanted my pawn fixed on a black square, but I didn’t want the bishop coming to b6.

34. Kf1 Kg7

This position is probably equal. I doubt either of us can make progress without taking unwise risks.

35. Nd2 f5
36. Ke2 g5

I was the first to play a weak move here. This invites g4, allowing the knight access to e4.

37. f3 Kg6
38. g4 fxg4
39. fxg4 h5

Trying to open lines for the rooks.

40. Ne4 hxg4
41. Nxg5 Rh8

Once again the tables have turned.

42. Ne4 Rxh2+
43. Nf2 Kf5

Not falling for the cheapo g3, Rg4. Black is completely winning now.

44. Ke1 g3
45. Ne4 g2
46. Kf2 Rd3
47. Ng3+ Ke6
48. Rc1 Rxb3
49. Bxc5 Rxb2+
50. Kg1 Rh8
51. Bf2 a4
52. Ne4 Rh1+

0-1