[Event "Bundesliga 2012-13"] [Site "?"] [Date "2013.02.03"] [Round "8"] [White "Ernst, S."] [Black "Bartel, M."] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D02"] [WhiteElo "2554"] [BlackElo "2674"] [Annotator "Ernst & Van Delft"] [PlyCount "53"] 1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 e6 3. g3 b5 $5 {Here I'm out of book. Black tries to get control over c4 and e4, which would seriously limit White's influence in the centre. This system has been played by a variety of strong players, with good results.} 4. Bg2 Nf6 5. O-O Nbd7 6. b3 Ba6 $6 {This looks interesting, but in the long run Black won't be able to stop White from playing c4. The move is risky because the B on a6 can end up offside.} (6... Bb7 {is more common and leaves a more solid impression.}) 7. Nbd2 c5 {Only this move is new.} (7... Be7 {has been played in four games, e.g.} 8. Re1 O-O 9. e4 c5 {Ilic-Miron, Belgrade 2011}) 8. c4 Rc8 (8... bxc4 9. bxc4 Rb8 (9... dxc4 10. Qa4 Qc8 11. Nxc4 {with an edge.}) 10. Qa4 Qc8 11. Ba3 {gives White the initiative.}) 9. Bb2 ({I wanted to play} 9. b4 $1 {but I though that it wouldn't be good enough for an advantage. This basically refutes Black's setup though:} cxb4 10. c5 Bb7 11. Qb3 e5 (11... a5 12. a3) {and now} 12. a3 $1 bxa3 13. Nxe5 Nxe5 14. dxe5 Nd7 15. Qxb5 Bc6 16. Qa6 Nxc5 17. Qxa3 {with an advantage.}) 9... cxd4 10. cxd5 e5 (10... Nxd5 11. Nxd4 {is very good for White.}) 11. Nxe5 $5 {Black will have considerable practical problems to solve after this sharp piece sacrifice.} Nxe5 12. Bxd4 Ned7 ({The right defence} 12... Bd6 $1 13. e4 Qe7 $1 {was not easy to find. White has a truely amazing idea available though:} 14. Re1 $1 ({ Black's tactical idea is} 14. f4 Bc5 $1 {taking over the initiative.}) 14... O-O 15. Nf1 Bb4 {and now the incredible} 16. Ne3 $3 Bxe1 17. Qxe1 {and White has now sacrificed a whole R for the two central pawns and the situation is still not clear.}) 13. e4 (13. Bxa7 {is well answered by} Ba3) 13... Bc5 14. Bb2 $1 {Avoiding exchanges is the right method here to keep the tension high.} b4 (14... Bb7 {is suggested on the Chessbase website as a refutation, but this is incorrect:} 15. e5 $1 Nxd5 16. e6 N7f6 (16... fxe6 17. Bxg7 Ke7 (17... Rg8 18. Qh5+ Ke7 19. Qxh7 {with compensation.}) 18. Bxh8 Qxh8 19. Ne4 {and the position is dynamically balanced.}) (16... O-O 17. exd7 Qxd7 18. Ne4 {gives White a nice edge.}) 17. Bxf6 $1 Qxf6 (17... gxf6 18. Qh5 Rc7 (18... O-O $2 19. Be4 {wins on the spot.}) 19. Ne4 O-O 20. Nxc5 Rxc5 21. Be4 f5 22. Qxf5 Nf6 23. Qxc5 Nxe4 24. Qxb5 Qe7 {with chances for both sides.}) 18. Ne4 Qe5 19. Re1 Bb4 20. exf7+ Kf8 21. Re2 Qf5 22. Qd4 $1 {with compensation. All these variations indicate that White has at least equal chances after 14...Bb7.}) 15. e5 $1 { Now things are becoming very concrete.} Bxf1 (15... Nxe5 16. Bxe5 Bxf1 17. Kxf1 O-O 18. Nc4 {with more than enough compensation for the exchange. The pair of bishops nicely support the passed d-pawn.}) 16. exf6 $1 {The right move to worry Black.} (16. Kxf1 $2 Nxd5 $1 17. Bxd5 Nb6 $1 {leaves the white pieces somewhat uncoordinated.}) 16... Bxg2 (16... Nxf6 17. Kxf1 O-O 18. Nc4 {and White has the initiative.}) 17. fxg7 (17. Qe1+ $5 Be7 18. fxe7 Qxe7 19. Kxg2 { is not easy to deal with for Black either.}) 17... Rg8 18. Qh5 $6 {Looks very strong, but probably not the best move.} ({I though that} 18. Kxg2 {wasn't very good because of} Nb6 $2 {but White is winning here:} (18... Qg5 19. Ne4 Qg6 20. Qe2 Kd8 21. Re1 {is better, but still looks very dangerous for Black.}) 19. Qf3 $1 Qxd5 20. Ne4 Nd7 21. Rd1 {winning.}) 18... Qe7 $6 ({Black has two reasonable alternatives:} 18... Bxd5 19. Qxd5 Qe7 20. Kf1 Kd8 21. Re1 Qd6 22. Qxf7 Rxg7 23. Bxg7 Qxd2 {with counterplay.}) (18... Nb6 19. Re1+ Be7 20. Qxh7 Rxg7 21. Bxg7 Bxd5 {with counterplay.}) 19. Kxg2 h6 $2 {The losing move. Now White gets an overwhelming attack.} ({The only move was} 19... Kd8 $1 20. Qxh7 Kc7 21. Ne4 Kb8 22. Rc1 {and this position is hard to judge. Although the g7 pawn will probably be lost, White still has many pawns and a lot of activity for the rook.}) 20. Kf1 $1 {This threatens Re1 and on top of that the king is much better positioned here (no check on e4, covering the e2 square).} (20. Nf3 $2 {runs into the nasty counterattack} Bxf2 $1 {(preventing Re1)} 21. Kxf2 Rc2+ {and suddenly Black is winning.}) 20... Bxf2 $5 {A creative attempt to create counterplay.} (20... Kd8 21. Re1 Qg5 22. Qxf7 Rxg7 23. Bxg7 Qxd2 24. Re8+ Kc7 25. Be5+ Kb6 26. Rxc8 Nxe5 27. Qf6+ {wins.}) 21. Nc4 $1 (21. Kxf2 Rc2 22. Re1 Rxd2+ 23. Kf1 Rxb2 24. Rxe7+ Kxe7 25. Qxh6 {should win as well, but I wasn't completely sure about it.}) 21... Kd8 (21... Rxc4 22. bxc4 Be3 23. Qf5 {wins.}) 22. Kxf2 f6 23. d6 Qxg7 {Here I starting thinking for a long time and to my big surprise there was no direct win.} 24. Re1 ({I had seen} 24. Qa5+ Ke8 25. Re1+ Kf8 26. Re7 Qg4 27. Ne3 Qh3 28. Kg1 {and thus turns out to be winning, but I found it hard to judge.}) 24... Qg5 (24... Rc5 25. Qf3 Qg5 26. Qa8+ Rc8 27. Qb7 {wins.}) 25. Qf7 Rc5 26. Kg1 $2 (26. Re7 {wins easily, but I failed to see that Black quickly runs out of checks:} Qf5+ 27. Ke1 Qb1+ 28. Kd2 {and it's over.}) 26... Rd5 $2 ({Black can still fight on with} 26... Qd5 27. Bxf6+ Nxf6 28. Qxf6+ Kc8 29. Qxh6 {although White should still win this.}) 27. Bxf6+ $1 {A nice tactic to finish the game.} 1-0