Corrections to notes welcome! (I don’t know theory in this line…)
chicagochess.blogspot.com/2010/0 … lfier.html
Here’s clean PGN (you can click through to the link, but the rendering of the PGN is kinda funky)
[Event “Illinois Denker Qualifier”]
[Site “?”]
[Date “2010.03.20”]
[Round “3”]
[White “Rosen, Eric”]
[Black “Dubin, Josh”]
[Result “1-0”]
[ECO “C05”]
[WhiteElo “2220”]
[BlackElo “2002”]
[PlyCount “57”]
[EventDate “2010.03.20”]
[SourceDate “2010.03.20”]
{Almost as exciting as Kansas-Northern Iowa! Josh Dubin plays a beautiful
piece sacrifice, and Eric Rosen makes one slip. But Josh misses the killing
shot, and Eric consolidates with tactical defense. Don’t trust these notes!
I’m sure I missed a lot.} 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6.
c3 Nc6 7. Ndf3 Qb6 8. g3 Be7 9. Bh3 O-O 10. Ne2 cxd4 11. cxd4 f6 $5 {Black
hasn’t blundered! He’s deliberately giving two pawns away with check. What’s
the logic? White has more space, but has made some weakening pawn moves (the f2 square is tender, so are the white squares). And Black is castled, while
the White king is in the center. Don’t ask me what’s going on here: ask
someone who plays the French!} ({Way back in 1899, the “Kentucky Lion” Jackson Showalter played} 11… f5 $5) 12. Bxe6+ Kh8 13. Bxd5 $6 {Rybka does not dislike this move, but it does not seem very practical for humans, as there are too many ways for White to get mated!} (13. O-O Ncxe5 14. Bxd5) ({or simply get rid of the dangerous Bc8 with} 13. exf6 Nxf6 14. Bxc8 Raxc8 15. O-O $13) 13… fxe5 14. fxe5 (14. dxe5 Ndxe5 15. fxe5 {transposes} (15. Nxe5 Nxe5 16. Qb3 Qxb3 $1 17. axb3 $1 {the only move} (17. Bxb3 $2 Nd3+ 18. Kd2 Rd8 $19) 17… Nd3+ 18. Kf1 {(White needed to be able to answer …Bh3+ with Bg2)} Bc5 $40 {and Black has a nice attack for the pawn.})) 14… Ndxe5 $1 {A very strong thematic sacrifice!} 15. dxe5 {The best defense: White is under serious pressure.} (15. Nxe5 $6 Nxe5 16. dxe5 $4 {and White has to give up the queen to prevent mate} Bb4+ 17. Bd2 Qf2#) 15… Nxe5 (15… Bg4 {looks very powerful: Black develops with a threat. But there’s nothing wrong with Josh’s move.} 16. Qb3 Bb4+ (16… Qxb3 17. axb3 Bxf3 18. Bxf3 Rxf3 19. Nc3 {and Black has a
pleasant endgame initiative.because White’s king is unsafe.}) 17. Bd2 Bxd2+ 18. Kxd2 Rad8 19. Qxb6 axb6 20. Ke3 $1 Rxd5 21. Rhf1 $11) 16. Bf4 $2 {Eric’s natural move appears to lose by force.} (16. Qd4 $2 Nxf3+ 17. Bxf3 Bc5 $1 {and Black wins}) (16. Nf4 Bg4 17. h3 Bxf3 18. Bxf3 g5 $1 {looks very depressing for White} 19. Kf1 Rad8 20. Qe2 Nxf3 21. Qxf3 gxf4 22. Bxf4 Qxb2 23. Re1 (23. Rd1 Bc5 $1 {kills}) 23… Bg5 {is too ugly for words, but White can still fight.}) 16… Ng4 $6 {Josh makes a natural reply, but Black had a strong, and probably decisive, alternative} (16… Nxf3+ $1 17. Bxf3 Bb4+ $1 18. Kf1 ({or} 18. Nc3 Re8+ 19. Kf1 Bh3+ 20. Bg2 Qa6+ $1 {is death}) 18… Bh3+ 19. Bg2 Qc6 $1 {and the crosspin wins}) 17. Nfd4 $1 {The worst is over, and White does have an extra piece.} Rxf4 $2 {This sacrifice is almost sufficient. Black’s problem is that his developmental lead is dwindling: the bishop on c8 and rook on a8 aren’t in the dance. (Of course, both White rooks are also out of play…)} ({Steady pressure and development is better:} 17… Bb4+ 18. Nc3 (18. Bd2 Ne3 19. Qb3 Nxd5 20. O-O-O $15) 18… Bf5 {(development!)} 19. O-O Bc5 {and now White can give the piece back to sorta, kinda consolidate:} 20. Qb3 Bxd4+ 21. Kg2 Qg6 $15) 18. Nxf4 Qxb2 19. Nc2 {The only move!} (19. Nde2 Bb4+ 20. Kf1 Ne3+ {loses the queen}) ({The natural} 19. Nd3 {falls to} Bb4+ $1 20. Nxb4 Qf2# ) 19… Bf5 20. O-O $1 {White will survive!} Bc5+ $2 ({It’s a shame that Josh loses the thread after such inventive attacking play: Rybka suggests he’s still in the game after} 20… Rc8 $1 {(watch that h2 square!)} 21. Rc1 ({The wild line} 21. Ng2 Rxc2 22. Rxf5 Bc5+ 23. Kh1 Ne3 24. Re5 Qxe5 25. Nxe3 Bxe3 26. Qxc2 Qxa1+ 27. Kg2 Qg1+ 28. Kh3 Qf1+ 29. Bg2 {looks drawish!}) 21… Bc5+ {(only now!)} 22. Kh1 Nf2+ 23. Rxf2 Bxf2 24. Bb3 Be4+ 25. Ng2 Rf8 {and I have no clue what’s happening (in all these lines, there are many alternatives, and this is based on a shallow Rybka evaluation).}) 21. Kh1 {The difference is that there’s no good way to bring the rook on a8 into play.} Rd8 22. Nd3 $1 {Bam! Suddenly White is winning!} Qf6 (22… Rxd5 23. Rxf5 Rxf5 24. Qxg4 Qb5 25. Nd4 $1 ({but certainly not} 25. Qxf5 $4 Qc6+ {and Black mates!}) 25… Bxd4 26. Qxd4) (22… Bxd3 23. Qxd3 Nf2+ 24. Rxf2 Bxf2 25. Qf5 $1 Qb5 26. Rd1 $1 {consolidates}) 23. Nxc5 {White only has to consolidate and mop up.} Qh6 24. Qe2 $1 g6 (24… Rxd5 25. Qe8#) 25. Rad1 Bxc2 26. Qxc2 Qh5 27. Qc3+ Ne5 28. Nd7 $1 Rxd7 29. Qc8+ 1-0