Dark Squares

In Secrets of Practical Chess, John Nunn describes the ideal game as one in which you win without allowing your opponent any counter-chances. From this standpoint, the following game with Michael Nyberg went according to plan, since he is a difficult opponent with an eye for the tactic. I was fortunate to draw the last time we played.

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Nyberg, Michael - Njiman, Brian
11 Mar 2008, Wellington Chess Club Summer Cup, 0:1

1. e2-e4 c7-c6 (when facing 'the Borg', one knows resistance is futile - so best not to meet him head on) 2. d2-d4 d7-d5 3. Nb1-d2 d5xe4 4. Nd2xe4 Ng8-f6 (the Knight variation - more common is the classical line with Bf5, played by luminaries such as FM Nic Croad) 5. Ne4-g3

[5. Ne4xf6 gives White the better pawn structure, but the move played suits Michael's dynamic style]

5... h7-h5 6. h2-h4 Bc8-g4 7. Bf1-e2 Nb8-d7 8. Ng1-f3 Qd8-c7 9. c2-c3?!

[it is best to play 9. Nf3-g5! immediately]

9... e7-e6 10. Nf3-g5! Nd7-b6!? ( I liked this move, since the manoeuvre of the knight to d5 pressures White's kingside dark squares) 11. Be2xg4?!

[11. Ng5-e4 Nf6xe4 (11... Nf6-d5 12. Be2xg4 h5xg4 13. Qd1xg4!? O-O-O (13... f7-f5? 14. Qg4-g6 Qc7-f7 15. Qg6xf7 Ke8xf7 16. Ne4-g5 advantage to Black) 14. Qg4-e2 e6-e5 15. Bc1-d2 e5xd4 16. c3xd4 Bf8-b4 17. Bd2xb4 Nd5xb4 18. a2-a3 Nb4-d5 19. O-O-O Qc7-f4 20. Kc1-b1 Rh8-e8 21. Qe2-c2 with an edge for Black) 12. Ng3xe4 O-O-O 13. Bc1-g5 Rd8-e8 with an edge for Black (13... f7-f6 14. Be2xg4 h5xg4 15. Ne4xf6 g7xf6 16. Bg5xf6 Rh8-g8 17. Bf6xd8 Qc7xd8 somewhat unclear, but Black has the prospects)]

11... h5xg4

[11... Nf6xg4?! 12. Ng3xh5]

12. Qd1-e2 Nb6-d5!? (tempting White to play his next move, with the idea of playing g4-g3)

[12... O-O-O 13. Bc1-d2 Nb6-d5 14. O-O-O=]

13. Ng3-f5?!

[13. Bc1-d2 Nd5-f4 14. Bd2xf4 Qc7xf4 15. Ng3-e4 Nf6xe4 (15... Nf6-d5?! 16. g2-g3 Qf4-f5 (16... Qf4-c7 17. O-O-O and White would be slightly better) 17. O-O! and it is White who is has a small advantage (17. O-O-O?! f7-f6 18. Ng5xe6 Qf5xe6 19. Ne4xf6 Ke8-f7 20. Qe2xe6 Kf7xe6 21. Nf6xg4 Bf8-d6 with an edge for Black) 17... f7-f6? 18. f2-f3) 16. Ng5xe4 (16. Qe2xe4?? Qf4xg5!) 16... O-O-O 17. g2-g3 Qf4-h6 (17... Qf4-f5 18. O-O-O=)]

13... O-O-O 14. Nf5-g3?! (to stop g4-g3, but in this case the cure is worse than the disease...)

[14. Nf5-e3 (actually this move is still the best, since the following lines show that g4-g3 by Black, although awkward for White, is in fact not as scary as it looks) 14... Nd5-f4 (14... e6-e5 15. Ne3xd5 Rd8xd5 16. d4xe5 Rd5xe5 17. Bc1-e3 with a small advantage) 15. Qe2-c2 c6-c5 (15... g4-g3 16. f2xg3 Nf4-g6 17. Rh1-h3 Bf8-d6 Black has an edge) 16. g2-g3 Nf4-h3!? 17. Ng5xh3 (17. Ne3xg4 Nh3xg5 18. Bc1xg5 Nf6xg4 19. Bg5xd8 Qc7xd8 20. O-O-O Qd8-d5 21. d4xc5 Qd5-f3 22. c5-c6 b7xc6 23. Rh1-f1 Bf8-c5 Black has the initiative) 17... Qc7-c6 18. Rh1-h2 g4xh3 19. Rh2xh3 g7-g5 20. Bc1-d2 Nf6-e4 21. h4-h5 f7-f5 22. Rh3-h2 Qc6-a6 with a small advantage for Black]

14... Bf8-d6?!

[according to my silicon friend, better is 14... Rd8-e8 15. Bc1-d2 (15. Ke1-f1 e6-e5 16. d4xe5 Re8xe5 17. Qe2-d1 Bf8-c5 advantage Black; 15. Bc1-e3 Nd5xe3 16. Qe2xe3 Nf6-d5 17. Qe3-d2 (17. Qe3-d3 Nd5-f4 18. Qd3-f1 f7-f6 19. Ng5-e4 f6-f5 20. Ne4-g5 Qc7-a5 21. Ng5-f7 Bf8-a3! 22. Ra1-b1 Rh8-f8 23. Nf7-e5 Ba3-d6 24. Ne5-c4 Qa5-d5 25. Ke1-d2 e6-e5 26. Nc4-e3 Qd5xa2 27. Qf1-c4 Qa2xc4 28. Ne3xc4 Re8-d8 29. d4xe5 Bd6-c5 30. Kd2-e1 b7-b5 31. b2-b4 Nf4-d3 32. Ke1-e2 b5xc4 33. b4xc5 Rd8-d5 Black has a strong initiative) 17... g7-g6 18. Ke1-f1 Bf8-h6 19. c3-c4 Nd5-f4 with advantage) 15... e6-e5 16. O-O-O e5xd4 17. Qe2-c4 d4xc3 18. Bd2xc3 Kc8-b8 advantage to Black]

15. Ng3-e4 Bd6-f4

[15... Nf6xe4 16. Ng5xe4 Bd6-e7 edge to Black]

16. Ne4xf6?

[16. g2-g3 Bf4xc1 17. Ra1xc1 Rh8-e8 edge to Black]

16... g7xf6 with advantage 17. Ng5-e4 f6-f5 18. Ne4-c5 Bf4xc1 19. Ra1xc1 g4-g3

[better is 19... Nd5-f4 20. Qe2-f1 e6-e5 with a large advantage to Black]

20. Nc5-d3

[20. Qe2-e5 Qc7xe5 21. d4xe5 g3xf2 22. Ke1xf2 Nd5-b6 with advantage]

20... Nd5-f4 21. Nd3xf4 Qc7xf4 (the acquisition of the kingside dark squares is complete, and Black will win a pawn)

22. O-O?! White is hoping Black will go wrong in complications

[22. Qe2-e3 g3xf2 23. Ke1-d2 Rh8xh4 with advantage to Black - although objectively the best plan for White, he is material down with no prospects]

22... Rh8xh4 with a winning advantage for Black

[objectively better is 22... Rd8-g8! 23. f2xg3 Qf4xg3 24. Rf1-f3 (24. Qe2-f2 Qg3-h3 25. Rf1-e1 Rh8xh4 26. Kg1-f1 Qh3-d3 27. Kf1-g1 Rg8-h8 winning advantage) 24... Qg3xh4 25. Qe2-f1 Qh4-h1 26. Kg1-f2 Rg8xg2 27. Qf1xg2 Qh1xc1 with a winning advantage]

23. f2xg3 Qf4xg3 24. Rf1-f3 Qg3-h2 25. Kg1-f2 Rh4-e4 26. Qe2-d3 Rd8-g8 27. Qd3-f1

[better is 27. Rc1-g1]

27... Re4-g4 28. Kf2-e3 Qh2-h6?!

[28... Rg4xg2]

29. Ke3-d3 Rg4xg2 30. Rc1-c2 Qh6-g6

31. Rc2-f2 Rg2xf2 32. Qf1xf2 Qg6-g4 33. Qf2-e3 Qg4-g1 34. Qe3-f4?

[34. Qe3xg1]

34... Qg1-b1 35. Kd3-c4

[35. Kd3-e3 Rg8-g2 36. Qf4-e5 Qb1-g1 37. Ke3-d3 b7-b5 38. Qe5-h8 Kc8-b7]

35... Qb1xa2 36. Kc4-c5

[36. b2-b3 Qa2-a6 37. Kc4-b4 b7-b6 38. Qf4-e5 Rg8-d8 39. c3-c4 Qa6-a1 40. c4-c5 b6-b5 with the idea of a7-a5#]

36... Qa2-a5

[37. Kc5-d6 Qa5-d5 38. Kd6-e7 Qd5-d7 39. Ke7-f6 Rg8-g6 40. Kf6-e5 Qd7-c7#]

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