French Team Ch: Clichy and Bischwiller victorious

[Event "TCh-FRA Top 12 2014"] [Site "Saint-Quentin FRA"] [Date "2014.06.03"] [Round "11.1"] [White "Volokitin, Andrei"] [Black "Salgado Lopez, Ivan"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C02"] [WhiteElo "2638"] [BlackElo "2627"] [PlyCount "60"] [EventDate "2014.05.24"] [WhiteTeam "Bischwiller"] [BlackTeam "L'Echiquier Chalonnais"] 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Qb6 6. Na3 {This is a very strange move in an otherwise perfectly standard French Advance.} cxd4 {By far the most logical way to answer. The point is that after the exchange of the c-pawns, the knight would be far better placed on c3 than a3, or c2 as will take place.} 7. cxd4 Nh6 8. Nc2 {The move is consistent, but we can now see the problem with Na3. The knight may be useful on c2, but it is also quite passive since its role is essentially a defensive one that does nothing to fight for the initiative.} Nf5 9. Bd3 Bd7 10. O-O a5 11. Kh1 Rc8 (11... Nfxd4 $2 {is not possible and loses material.} 12. Ncxd4 Nxd4 13. Be3 {The point of Kh1 is revealed. Without it, Black could now get off the hook with Nxf3 check, but there is no check here to unpin the knight.} Bc5 14. Rc1 Bc6 (14... Rc8) 15. Rxc5 Qxc5 16. Nxd4 {and White is up a piece.}) 12. a4 Be7 13. Bd2 {White is goading Black into taking on d4.} O-O {Salgado is not interested though and instead underestimates the danger of the alternative.} ({Now} 13... Nfxd4 {is playable, but it leads to a double-edged position Black did not want to venture into.} 14. Be3 Bc5 15. Nfxd4 Nxd4 16. Nxd4 Bxd4 17. Qg4 $1 {and White recovers the pawn while stranding the Black king in the center.} Bxe3 18. Qxg7 Rf8 19. fxe3 Qxe3 20. Bxh7 {with a very unclear position.}) 14. g4 $1 {White now has a strong attack} Nh6 15. Bxh6 $2 {A mistake. White had no reason to hurry to play this, even if he wanted to give up a valuable attacking piece to fracture Black's king position. The knight has nowhere to go at the moment.} ( 15. Rg1 $1 {was stronger. It protects the g4 pawn and prepares all manner of hardship for Black.} Qb3 {Now} 16. Bxh6 {is stronger since the rook is already positioned on the g-file to followup with immediate action.} gxh6 17. g5 {and things are looking bad for Black.}) 15... gxh6 16. Qd2 Kg7 17. g5 h5 18. Qe2 Nb4 19. Nxb4 Qxb4 {Since Black is grasping at straws, lacking any concrete way to generate counterplay, he depends very much on White cooperating with him. Black is threatening to take on a4, but the real game is on the kingside. He has more than one promising way to pursue the attack.} 20. b3 $2 {This was not it though! Granted the pawn cannot be taken due to Qxb3 Rb1, but it allows Black to penetrate on the c-file, a dream come true.} ({Instead, one way to continue the attack might be} 20. Ne1 $1 {with the straightforward idea of taking on h5 and shoving f5 down Black's throat. A sample continuation might continue} Qxd4 21. f4 Rh8 {At some point this will be necessary since Qxh7 hitting on h7 cannot be stopped.} 22. Nc2 Qxb2 23. f5 {and White's attack is very unpleasant.}) ({The alternate plan of attack might involve} 20. Rg1 $1 { Obviously White is not really threatening g6. His plan is the rook lift with Rg3-h3 and pile the pieces on the h-file. The other rook can join and add threats via the g-file as it is.} Rh8 {Not only does this protect against any immediate attacks on h7, but it also opens the way for the king to escape via f8.} 21. Rg3 {and once more the initiative is clearly in White's hands.}) 20... Rc3 $1 {Now the entire dynamic has changed, and it is Black who is better since White still needs too much time for his attack to gather steam.} 21. Rfc1 Rfc8 22. Rxc3 Rxc3 23. Bc2 b5 $1 {preparing the way for the light squared bishop.} 24. axb5 Qxb5 25. Qd1 a4 26. bxa4 $4 {White's position was already coming apart at the seams, but this blunder ends it.} Qc4 27. Nd2 (27. Bb1 Rc1) (27. Rc1 Bxa4 28. Bxa4 (28. Ne1 Qf1#) 28... Rxc1) 27... Qxd4 28. Bxh7 Rh3 29. Bc2 Qxf2 30. Nf1 Bc5 0-1