[Event "English Thematic"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1997.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Enev, Zlatko"]
[Black "Atienza, Hilario"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Enev, Z."]
[BlackElo "1850"]
[ECO "A29"]
[EventDate "1997.??.??"]
[PlyCount "57"]
[WhiteElo "2420"]

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e5 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 Bc5 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O d6 7. d3 h6 8. Na4 Bb6 9. b3 Re8 { This position has been reached often in games at different
levels and it is not easy for white to find a good plan. After studying a few
examples I decided to stick to the following plan: 1. Secure the king side
against atack. This is achieved by not allowing the exchange of the white
squared bishop (pawn at h3 and King at h2). 2. Fiancheto the black squared
bishop, push the a-pawn once so it is protected and the queens rook is free to
move (the a-line will sooner or later be opened after the exchange of the
b6-bishop). 3. Start active manoevers in the center (by preparing one of the
pawn pushes - d2-d4 or f2-f4). Open at least one line in the center, try to
take control over it and then prepare atack on either queens or kings side -
acording to the circumstances. It is difficult to say in how far this plan
would have been successful against a stronger oponent. In this game black
played without a clear plan and soon got in trouble. } 10. Bb2 Bd7 ( 10... Bf5 11. Nxb6 axb6 12. Nh4 Bh7 13. e4 Nd7 14. a3 Nc5 15. Nf5 Bxf5 16. exf5 Qg5 17. Be4 Nd4 18. b4 Nxe4 19. dxe4 c5 20. Kg2 Rac8 21. b5 Qe7 22. a4 Ra8 23. h4 Ra7 24. Re1 f6 25. Re3 Qf7 26. Rc1 Rea8 27. Ra3 Kf8 28. h5 Ke8 29. g4 { - Speelman,Jonathan-Sadler,Matthew/London LB 1990 } ) 11. e3 Bg4 { ? This only allows white to move the h-pawn with tempo. The purpose of the
move is rather unclear. } 12. h3 Bd7 13. a3 Ne7 14. Nxb6 axb6 15. Kh2 Ra7 { ? This rook remains at a7 - just watching - till the end of the game. I can
only imagine black wanted to double his rooks at the a-line but this is a
rather time consuming and - even if successfully finished - a rather dubious
idea. There are no good prospects for a play on the a-line for black. } 16. b4 { a waiting move which can be useful in certain circumstances (if one pair of
knights are being exchanged and it becomes difficult for him to put a knight
at c5 it might be good to push b5 in order to control the white squares at the
queen side) } ( 16. d4 { would have been prematured here } 16... e4 17. Nd2 d5 18. b4 b5 19. cxd5 Nexd5 { and the center is well blocaded } ) 16... Nf5 17. d4 ( 17. g4 { ? } 17... Ne7 18. b5 Ng6 19. a4 Qe7 20. Nd2 Nh4 21. Bh1 Rea8 { would have given black a much better game. He has good prospects on the queen
side (after c7-c6) and the center is still closed. } ) 17... exd4 { ? Of all answe
rs possible this one seems to me to be the worst. Black should have avoided
the opening of the center with all forces. Instead, he jumps into an open game
where the white pair of bishops soon brings him into serious trouble. } ( 17... Ba4 { is rather unpleasant for white although he still can keep an advantage, e. g.: } 18. Qc1 ( 18. Qe2 { ?! } 18... e4 19. Nd2 Bc2 20. Rfc1 Bd3 21. Qd1 b5 22. cxb5 Bxb5 23. Qc2 ( 23. d5 { ? } 23... Bd3 24. Bxf6 Qxf6 25. Rxc7 Ne7 26. Nxe4 Bxe4 27. Bxe4 Qxf2+ 28. Bg2 Nf5 29. Qf3 Qxf3 30. Bxf3 Rxe3 31. Kg2 { and white is in trouble } ) 23... Bc6 { = } ) 18... e4 19. Nd2 c6 ( 19... d5 { ? } 20. cxd5 Bb5 21. Re1 Bd3 22. Nc4 Qxd5 23. Ne5 Qb3 24. Qc3 Qxc3 25. Bxc3 Nd6 26. Nxd3 exd3 27. Red1 { +/- } ) 20. d5 cxd5 21. cxd5 Bb5 22. Bxf6 gxf6 ( 22... Qxf6 { ? } 23. Nxe4 ) 23. Re1 Bd3 24. Qd1 Ng7 25. Qg4 { +/- } ) ( 17... e4 18. Nd2 b5 19. Qc2 bxc4 20. Nxe4 ( 20. Nxc4 { ?! } 20... Ba4 21. Qd2 ( 21. Qe2 { ? } 21... Bb5 { (threatens 22. ... d5) } 22. d5 Nxd5 { -/+ } ) 21... Nd5 { =/+ } ) 20... Nxe4 ( 20... b5 { ? } 21. Nxf6+ Qxf6 22. a4 bxa4 23. d5 Qg6 24. e4 Ne7 25. Qxc4 Nc8 26. f4 { +/- } ) 21. Bxe4 Qg5 22. b5 { +/= } ) 18. Nxd4 ( 18. exd4 { ? } 18... d5 19. c5 bxc5 20. bxc5 Ne4 21. Qc2 Ba4 22. Qd3 Ra5 { =/+ } ) 18... Qe7 { ? } ( 18... Nxd4 { was much stronger here, e. g.: } 19. Bxd4 Qe7 ( 19... c5 { ? } 20. Bb2 Bc6 21. Qd3 Be4 22. Bxe4 Nxe4 23. f3 Ng5 24. h4 Nh7 25. Rfd1 Re6 26. e4 Qc7 27. Kg2 { +/= } ) 20. Qd3 ( 20. Qf3 { ? } 20... Ne4 { and it seems that white has nothing
better than exchanging the queens and going into an equal endgame: } ( 20... Qe4 { ? } 21. Qxf6 { ! } ) 21. Qxe4 Qxe4 22. Bxe4 Rxe4 23. f3 Re8 { = } ) 20... Bc6 21. f3 Raa8 22. Rac1 { +/= } ) 19. Re1 Ne4 20. Nxf5 ( 20. Qf3 { looked less clear to me: } 20... Ng5 21. Qf4 Nxd4 22. Qxd4 Ne6 23. Qd3 Bc6 24. f3 ( 24. f4 { ? } 24... Bxg2 25. Kxg2 { and white loses most of his advantage } ) 24... Rea8 { would only prove the emptiness of the plan started with 15. ... Ra7 } ( 24... Ng5 25. e4 Raa8 26. f4 { ! } 26... Ne6 ( 26... Nxe4 { ? } 27. b5 { +/- } ) ) 25. e4 { and I do not see any good continuation for black } ) 20... Bxf5 21. f3 Ng5 { ? Another serious mistake which brings the end nearer. White can
now move his central pawns with tempos and soon get a complete control over
the center. Obligatory was 21. ... Nf6, e. g.: } ( 21... Nf6 22. Qd4 Qe6 23. e4 Bg6 24. Rad1 Qe5 25. Qxe5 dxe5 26. Rd2 Ra4 27. Red1 Kf8 28. h4 c5 29. g4 Re7 30. Rd8+ Ne8 31. R1d5 cxb4 32. axb4 f6 33. Rb5 { With a better endgame for white but the end is far from near. } ) 22. e4 Bd7 23. f4 Nh7 ( 23... Ne6 { does not help much: } 24. e5 dxe5 25. f5 Ng5 26. Rxe5 Qd8 27. Rd5 Re7 28. Qd4 f6 29. Rd1 { +/- } ) 24. e5 dxe5 25. Rxe5 Qd8 26. Qd4 { ! This far
from obvious move is much stronger than the "natural" 26.Rd5, as is to be seen
from the following possible continuations: } ( 26. Rd5 Nf8 27. Qd4 f6 28. Rd1 Re2 29. Rd2 ( 29. Bc1 { ? } 29... Rxg2+ 30. Kxg2 Bc6 { =/+ } ) 29... Rxd2 30. Qxd2 Qe7 31. Rd3 Be6 { and white has lost most of the advantage } ) 26... Rxe5 { ? this lose s per force but there are already no good continuations for black,
e. g.: } ( 26... Nf6 27. Rae1 Be6 ( 27... Rxe5 28. fxe5 c5 29. Qd3 Nh7 30. e6 fxe6 31. Rxe6 { +/- } ) 28. f5 Qxd4 29. Bxd4 Bd7 30. Rxe8+ Nxe8 31. Re7 { + - } ) 27. Qxe5 Nf6 ( 27... Qf6 28. Rd1 Qxe5 29. Bxe5 Bc6 30. Bxc7 Bxg2 31. Rd8+ Nf8 32. Kxg2 Rxa3 33. Bd6 { + - } ) 28. Rd1 Qc8 ( 28... Kf8 29. c5 Ne8 30. Qd4 Ke7 31. c6 bxc6 32. Bxc6 Nf6 33. Qe5+ Kf8 34. Bxd7 { + - } ) 29. Qe7 ( 29. Qe7 Qe8 30. Bxf6 Qxe7 31. Bxe7 { + - } ) 1-0