1.d4
d5
2.e3
White is playing the French defense with the white pieces.
2...Nf6
3.Nf3
Bg4
A natural development, pinning the knight.
4.h3!
Away with the pin!
4...Bxf3
5.gxf3
In general, pawns should capture towards the center. In doubling them, president Havel follows some great chess masters. The world champion William Steintz recommended this move after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Bg4 4.dxe5 Bxf3 5.gxf3!?, with the idea to attack the center after 5...dxe5 6.Qxd8+ Kxd8 with 7.f4. Mikhail Tal came up with a similar idea in the Caro-Kann: 1.e4 c6 2.Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 Bg4 4.h3 Bxf3 5.gxf3 when he won the world championship match against Mikhail Botvinnik in 1960. [We expected 5.Qxf3
]
5...Nc6
6.Nc3
[Developing a piece, but 6.f4
stops the central advance e7-e5.]
6...e6
[6...e5
is more aggressive.]
7.Qe2
Bb4
8.Bd2
The president smiled after this move, pointing out that he is ready to castle long.
8...0-0
9.0-0-0
During the castling, Vaclav Havel began to place his king to the square b1, something the great Italian romantics would do in the 16th century.
9...e5
This sharp advance in the center is a hidden trap, luring white into a wrong combination.
10.dxe5
Nxe5
11.f4!
[White discovers the trap and avoids it. After 11.Nxd5?
Qxd5
12.Bxb4
Qxa2
13.Bxf8
Qa1+
14.Kd2
Qxb2
15.Be7
Nd5
black is a rook down, but his knights secure him a marvelous counterplay. White has to watch out. For example white gets mated after 16.Ke1?
Qc3+
17.Rd2
Qa1+
18.Qd1
(18.Rd1
Qa5+
19.Rd2
Nc3
wins) 18...Nc3!!
19.Qxa1
Nxf3#
]
11...Ned7
12.Rg1
A rook belongs on an open file.
12...c6
13.a3
Ba5
The bishop can't come back to protect the king and white begins the attack.
14.e4
Excited by good attacking prospects, Havel moved his pawn as far as the square e5. Krizan pushed it back to e4.
14...dxe4
[After 14...Bxc3
15.Bxc3
dxe4
Havel was ready to perform a wonderful combination: 16.Rxg7+!!
Kxg7
17.Qg4+
Kh8
18.Rxd7
mating soon.]
15.Nxe4
[White could have opened the diagonal c1-h6 for his bishop with 15.f5
]
15...Nxe4!?
[Black could have equalized comfortably with 15...Bxd2+!?
16.Nxd2
(16.Rxd2
Nxe4
17.Qxe4
Re8
18.Qf3
Re1+
19.Rd1
Rxd1+
20.Qxd1
Nf6
) 16...Qc7=
]
16.Bxa5
Qxa5
17.Qxe4
Nf6
18.Qe7
A double attack: both the knight on f6 and the pawn on b7 are hanging. At this moment both players were completely engulfed in the fight, played quickly and their councelors could only helplessly stare on the board.
18...Rab8?
"I have to protect this pawn," Bessel said and played quickly before I could change his mind. [18...Qf5
was a playable defense.]
19.Bc4?
[White was winning immediately with 19.Qxf6+-
Krizan saw it, but Havel's hand was too fast.]
19...Qf5
20.Rd4
[Threatening 20.Rg5, but 20.Qe5
was objectively better.]
20...c5?!
[Black could have counterattacked with 20...Rbe8!
21.Qxb7
Ne4
]
21.Rg5
"It's hopeless," said Bessel and thinking he must lose the knight offered Havel his resignation. [However, after 21.Rg5
black can minimize his losses with 21...Rbe8!
22.Rxf5
Rxe7
23.Rxc5
white is a pawn up, but black can still fight.
] 1-0