We will continue reviewing open position with the help of Tarrasch.
Our starting position arises after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 d6 5.d4 Bd7 6.Nc3 Be7 7.Re1 exd4 8.Nxd4 0-0 9.Nxc6 Bxc6 (9...bxc6 was investigated in the previous post) 10.Bxc6 bxc6 (diagram). In this position below, White has obtained space advantage and has compromised Black's pawn structure creating potential weaknesses for an eventual endgame.
Yet, how could White uses his advantage is not so evident at first glance. Black's position is relatively solid, and his plan fairly simple (e.g., Re8, Nd7, Bf6, Rb8, Ne5). Think about this position for 5 minutes.
There are surely several valid approaches to this position. One could be developing the bishop: 11.Bf4 or 11.b3/Bb2 (11.Bg5 does not seem very good now that Black has his bishop in e7). Another could be playing 11.Qd3 or 11.Qf3, making room for the rook in d1 in the future, and to improve the position of the queen.
I like very much how Tarrasch played. He takes advantage of the temporary weakness in c6 to improve the position of his knight moving it toward the opponent's castle, 11.Ne2! (the exclamation mark might be exaggerated). Capturing in e4 with 11...Nxe4 is a bad idea because of 12.Nd4, and if 12...Nf6 13.Nxc6 forking queen and bishop. After having detected this risk, Lasker played 11...Qd7. Yet, this move looks fairly imprecise to me, as Black does not have to defend the pawn c6 before this is attacked, and from d7, the queen is interfering with the important manoeuvre Nd7/Ne6. If you have read the previous post you should know that flexibility is vital in the opening, and in fact 11...Re8 would have been much more flexible. The game could have continued with 12.Ng3 Nd7 with approximately equal practical chances. 12.Ng3 Rfe8 13.b3 Rad8 14.Bb2 (diagram), although White does not have many pieces, he is coordinating them against the opponent's king.
In the position below, Black is suffering a little bit because the lack of space.
Nonetheless, it seems like he can finally achieve the desired manoeuvre with 14...Ng4? (diagram, 14...Qe6 was better), which is strategically correct, but tactically is not.
You have 2 minutes to calculate why.
15.Bxg7! (if 15...Kxg7 16.Nf5+ and 17.Qxg4 with a winning position). 15...Nxf2! an attempt to complicate the position 16.Kxf2 (16.Qd4 would have probably be fatal) 16...Kxg7 17.Nf5+ Kh8 18.Qd4+ f6 (diagram). White has obtained a fantastic winning position.
Think 2-3 minutes how would you continue.
If your answer was to bring your remaining pieces into the game, congratulations. White could have simply played 19.Rad1 (or 19.Re3) and prepared an attack with the help of the rooks. Black is basically unable to defend himself (if 19...c5 20.Qc3, and the queen keeps an eye on f6). Surprisingly, Tarrasch overestimated the position and lost momentum by playing 19.Qxa7?! Perhaps ?! is excessive, as White still maintains a winning position. Yet, pawn grabbing is not what White is supposed to do here, and the move is completely out of tone. 19...Bf8 20.Qd4 Re5! (diagram). Now the rook defend the diagonal (and the pawn f6), allowing the bishop to move to f8, which is a better square.
The game is less interesting from now on, but it clearly proves how certain decision can alter the "mood of the game". It is difficult to readjust when a dynamic position becomes strategical or vice versa. Here, White maintains an advantage, but Black nonetheless will slowly manage to outplay him. 21.Rad1 Rde8 22.Qc3 Qf7 23.Ng3 Bh6 24.Qf3 d5 25.exd5 Be3+ 26.Kf1 cxd5 (diagram). This was the last moment White had a change to play for the advantage. He should have immediately challenged Black's powerful bishop (do you remember how miserable he was before White played 19.Qxa7?!) with 27.Nf5.
Instead, he played 27.Rd3 after which Black is winning. The game continued with 27...Qe6 28.Re2 f5 29.Rd1 f4 30.Nh1 d4 31.Nf2 Qa6 32.Nd3 Rg5 33.Ra1 Qh6 34.Re1 Qxh2 35.Kd1 (diagram) difficult to believe that White has such an advantage in the opening!
35...Qg1+ 36. Ne1 Rge5 37.Qc6 R5e6 38.Qxc7 R8e7 39.Qd8+ Kg7 40.a4 f3 41.gxf3 Bg5 (diagram). It is time to resign 0-1
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