Today, I had white against Eljanov. Coming off yesterday, I wanted to win, or to at least put pressure on him.
1.d4
Nf6
2.c4
e6
3.g3
Bb4+
4.Nd2
c5
The opening was a bit unusual, and he surprised me. I wasn't expecting c5, but I played normal moves and the next five or six are pretty standard.
5.dxc5
Bxc5
6.Bg2
0-0
7.Ngf3
Nc6
8.0-0
d5
This was the first position of the game where either of us had to think, and I used quite a bit of time here.
9.e3
I spent maybe 25 to 30 minutes on this move, mostly looking at variations with ...b6 and ...Ba6.
9...Qe7
The after only a minute or two of thinking he played 9....Qe7 and I was very surprised by it. It is not a mistake and is completely playable, I just don't think it is best.
10.cxd5
Here I spent another 15 to 20 minutes before taking on d5, because I couldn't find a good plan, and then I saw the plan with a4 followed by Nd4 and Qb3.
10...exd5
11.Nb3
Bb6
12.a4
a6
13.Nbd4
Bg4
Again, these moves are quite normal, and there is little to calculate. You just play the moves that feel the most natural.
14.Qb3
Ba7
15.Bd2
Ne4
16.Bc3
This was the second position where he had a decision to make and I think he made a mistake.
16...Nxc3?
After this he will be worse for the rest of the game.
17.bxc3
Although his move may look fairly normal, it leaves weaknesses on d5 and b7 that I can attack.
17...Rfd8
18.Nd2
This is an imprecision, possibly even a mistake. [Instead I should have played 18.Ne2
immediately and then headed to f4 as I later did in the game.]
18...Na5
19.Qa2
[As a matter of fact, I had miscalculated and saw too late that after 18.Nd2 Na5 19.Qb4
Qxb4
20.cxb4
Bxd4
21.exd4
Nc6
wins a pawn.]
19...Qd7
20.N2f3
Pretty much I realized my whole idea was incorrect so I went back to f3 planning to play Ne2-f4.
20...Qe7
I was surprised by this, and had been expecting [20...Nc4
21.Ne2
Qf5
If this were to happen, it is unclear. I am probably still a bit better since the d5 pawn is still weak.]
21.Ne2
Bf5
22.Nf4
Be4
23.Rfd1
I actually thought his maneuver of Bf5-e4 was correct here.
23...Qc5
This is a big mistake. [Variations I had considered were 23...Nc4
24.Nd2
Bxg2
25.Kxg2
Bxe3
I wasn't sure about this variation. 26.Nxc4
(26.fxe3
Nxe3+
27.Kh1
Nxd1
28.Rxd1
d4
Here too I wasn't sure what was going on in the position. Maybe I'm better, maybe I'm worse.) 26...Bxf4
27.Nb6
Rab8
28.gxf4
Rd6
with the idea of Rg6 and Qe4. It could be winning for me, but I wasn't sure.]
24.Ng5
Bxg2
25.Kxg2
This looks nothing special at first.
25...h6
[25...Nc4
is not possible, since after 26.Qb1
a pawn is hanging.]
26.Rxd5!
I actually saw this move when I played Ng5, but I spent a long time calculating it since it is very unusual.
26...Rxd5
27.Ne4
And this is the whole point.
27...Qc4
I think Pavel played the correct move. [If he had played 27...Qe7
instead, then 28.Qxd5
Rd8
29.Qf5
Nc4
30.Nd5
with a bit of an attack.]
28.Qxc4
Nxc4
29.Nxd5
Re8
The correct move. [29...Rd8
seems close to winning, but it doesn't quite work after 30.Ne7+
Kf8
31.Nf5
g6
32.Nd4
(32.Nxh6
f5
33.Ng5
Rd2
) 32...Re8
(32...f5?
33.Ne6+
) 33.Nf6
Rd8
and White is up a pawn. Should be winning.]
30.Nef6+
Completely forced.
30...gxf6
31.Nxf6+
Kf8
32.Nxe8
Kxe8
33.Rb1
The real question now is whether black should play passively, as Pavel played in the game, or actively.
33...Nd6
[I think the active plan doesn't work after 33...b5
34.axb5
a5
and here I had planned 35.Rd1
with the point of preventing Kd7 (35.Ra1
Bb6
36.Kf3
Kd7
and the position is very unclear. Maybe it is winning, maybe it is losing, but it seemed very dangerous to play.) 35...a4
36.Kf3
a3
37.Ke4
followed by Kd5, winning.]
34.e4
This move doesn't give Black time to bring the king to c6. If he does, the pawns supported by the king and pieces can go very fast.
34...b6??
A blunder, after which Eljanov is losing. [Though things are bad even after 34...f6
35.f4
Nxe4
36.Rxb7
Bc5
37.Rb8+
Kf7
38.Ra8
]
35.e5
Nb7
[I suspect that Pavel forgot that after 35...Ne4
36.Rb4
Nxc3
is not possible because of 37.Rc4
Nd5
38.Rc8+
Kd7
39.Ra8
and the bishop is trapped.]
36.Rb4
The idea is Rh4 obviously.
36...Nc5
[36...Kf8
fails to 37.Rd4
threatening Rd7 so 37...Ke8
38.Rh4
]
37.Rh4
Kf8
[37...Bb8
38.f4
Nxa4
39.Rxh6
Bc7
40.Rh8+
Ke7
41.h4
and I think the h-pawn is too fast here.]
38.Rxh6
Kg7
39.Rc6
Nxa4
[39...Bb8
40.f4
Nxa4
41.Rc8
Ba7
42.Ra8
Trapping the bishop once more.]
40.e6
[40.e6
fxe6
(40...Bb8
41.e7
) 41.Rc7+
] 1-0