[Event "King's Gambit Thematic (D)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1997.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Enev, Zlatko"]
[Black "Goudreau, Alec"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Enev, Z."]
[ECO "C36"]
[EventDate "1997.??.??"]
[PlyCount "49"]

1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 d5 4. exd5 Nf6 5. Bc4 Bd6 6. Qe2+ Kf8 { A strange loo king move which I was not able to find in any of the games in my
database. It is not clear at all what black intends to do with his h8 rook.
Perhaps an atack on the king side? He should better have thought ofdevelopment
first. In any event black already has difficulties as is to be seen from the
follwing variants: } ( 6... Be7 7. d4 Nxd5 8. Bxd5 Qxd5 9. Bxf4 c6 10. O-O Be6 11. Nc3 Qa5 12. Ne4 O-O 13. Neg5 Bxg5 14. Nxg5 Re8 15. Qd3 Bf5 16. Qb3 Re7 17. Bd6 Be6 18. Nxe6 Rxe6 19. Qxe6 { 1-0 Gallagher,Joseph-Chud inovskih,Alexander/Lenk (2) 1991 } ) ( 6... Qe7 7. Qxe7+ ( 7. Nc3 a6 8. Qxe7+ Kxe7 9. O-O Re8 10. d4 b5 11. Bb3 Nbd7 12. a4 b4 13. Ne2 Nh5 14. Bd2 Kf8 15. Rae1 a5 16. c4 bxc3 17. Nxc3 Ba6 18. Rxe8+ Rxe8 19. Nb5 Bxb5 20. axb5 Rb8 21. Ra1 Nhf6 22. Rxa5 h6 23. Bc3 Nb6 24. Ne5 Re8 25. Ra7 Nfxd5 26. Nd7+ Ke7 27. Nxb6 { - Hebden,Mark-Lein,Anatoly/New York 1983 } ) 7... Kxe7 8. d4 Re8 9. O-O h6 10. Nc3 a6 11. Bd2 Bf5 12. Bb3 g5 13. Rae1+ Kf8 14. Rxe8+ Kxe8 15. h4 Nh7 16. hxg5 hxg5 17. g3 Bh3 18. Re1+ Kf8 19. Ne4 g4 20. Nxd6 gxf3 21. Bxf4 Nd7 22. Nxb7 Nhf6 23. Nc5 Nb6 24. d6 Ng4 25. Nd3 cxd6 26. Bxd6+ Kg7 27. Nf2 f5 28. Nxh3 { 1-0 Gallagher,Joseph-Glueck,Michael/Oberwart (1) 1993 } ) 7. O-O Nbd7 8. d4 Nb6 9. Bb3 { ? Of course this sounds stupid but I cannot
say exactly why I have played this move. I was not able to find any serious
refutation of the simple 9.Nc3. I must have been trying to keep the bisho pair
at any rate - but the price is too high and it is only the weak play of the
oponent that allowed me to come out as a winner. I think the black position is
rather acceptable after he gets rid of the d5 pawn. } ( 9. Ne5 { ?! atacking the f4 pawn } 9... g5 10. Bd3 Nfxd5 11. Qh5 Be6 12. Qh6+ Kg8 13. Nf3 Be7 14. Bd2 { and it seems to me that despite the unfortunate h8 rook black has
a very stable position, e. g.: } 14... Ne3 15. Bxe3 { otherwise the knight goes with tempo to f5 } 15... fxe3 16. h3 Qf8 17. Qh5 Qg7 { and black stays splendidly } ) ( 9. Nc3 { is the line I consider best for white - now, after the game } 9... Bb4 ( 9... Nxc4 10. Qxc4 Bf5 11. Ne2 { +/= } ) 10. Bxf4 Bxc3 11. bxc3 Nxc4 { ?! } ( 11... Nfxd5 { is better } 12. Bxd5 Nxd5 13. Bd2 Qe7 { +/= } ) 12. Qxc4 Nxd5 13. Bxc7 { ! } 13... Qxc7 ( 13... Nxc7 { ? } 14. Ne5 { ! +/- } ) 14. Qxc7 Nxc7 ) 9... Nbxd5 10. c4 Ne3 11. Bxe3 fxe3 12. Qxe3 c5 { !? of course this looks very good but
it might have been even better to prepare the move by first playing 12...Ng4,
e. g.: } ( 12... Ng4 13. Qd2 c5 { ! and suddenly white has serious trouble: } ( 13... Bd7 { ? allows white to stay on top: } 14. c5 { ! } 14... Be7 15. Qf4 { +/= } ) 14. Nc3 cxd4 15. Nd5 ( 15. Qxd4 { ?? } 15... Bxh2+ { -/+ } ) 15... Bc5 16. Qd3 ( 16. h3 { ? } 16... d3+ 17. Kh1 h5 { with a promising atack } ) 16... Be6 17. Rfe1 ( 17. Rad1 { ? } 17... Bxd5 18. cxd5 Ne3 { =/+ } ) 17... Qd6 18. Rad1 b5 { with strong pressure on d5 (=/+) } ) 13. Nc3 { I did not like 13.d5 because of the following line: } ( 13. d5 Ng4 14. Qe2 Bf5 15. Nc3 Qc7 16. g3 Re8 17. Qd2 Bxg3 18. hxg3 Qxg3+ { Although it seems
that after 19.Kh1 white is out of danger. In any event I was not sure if I had
seen everything, so I played the other line. } 19. Kh1 Ne3 20. Rf2 Ng4 21. Rff1 Ne3 22. Rf2 { = } ) 13... Ng4 14. Qd2 Bf5 { ? Black loses the thread here.
He could still have fought for advantage in the following line: } ( 14... cxd4 15. Nd5 d3 16. g3 Bc5+ 17. Kg2 Bf5 18. Rae1 { But I cannot see any clear plan
for him after this developmennt. White should have come atop after 19.Nh4 } ) 15. g3 { ! } 15... Nf6 16. Ng5 g6 ( 16... Qd7 17. Ba4 Qc8 18. Nb5 { +/= } ) ( 16... cxd4 17. Qxd4 Bg6 18. Rad1 Be7 19. Nd5 { +/= } ) 17. Rae1 ( 17. d5 h6 18. Nf3 Kg7 19. Bc2 Bg4 { Line Riley,Scott-Enev,Zlatko/Match (1) 1997 } ) 17... Be7 { ? Black continues with purely defensive, passive play which in this position
equals slow death. He should have in any event tried something more activelike: } ( 17... cxd4 18. Qxd4 Bb4 19. Qe3 ( 19. Qe5 { ? } 19... Qb6+ 20. Kg2 Re8 21. Qb5 Bxc3 { =/+ } ) 19... h6 20. Nf3 Ng4 21. Qd4 Qxd4+ 22. Nxd4 { with equality } ) 18. d5 h6 ( 18... Nxd5 { ? } 19. Nxf7 Kxf7 20. Qxd5+ Qxd5 21. Nxd5 { and black loses one of the bishops } ) 19. Nf3 Bh3 ( 19... Kg7 20. Bc2 Bh3 21. Rf2 Bd6 22. Nb5 Bg4 23. Nxd6 Qxd6 24. Ne5 { +/= } ) 20. Rf2 Kg8 { ?? This move
is so incomprehesible to me that I consider it the weakest in the whole game.
Why does he not play the natural Kg7 here? That could have allowed him to keep
the position since the rook finally comes into play, e. g.: } ( 20... Kg7 21. Ne4 ( 21. Ne5 Bd6 22. Rfe2 Qb6 23. Nb5 Bxe5 24. Rxe5 { +/= } ) 21... Nxe4 22. Rxe4 Bf5 23. Rf4 Bd6 { with a very good position for black } ) 21. Rfe2 ( 21. Ne5 Kg7 22. Bc2 Bd6 23. Rfe2 Nd7 24. Nxd7 Qxd7 { +/= I still would prefer the
white position because of the control over the e-line but it is questionable
if thet small advantage can be kept long } ) ( 21. Nb5 { ? is bad: } 21... a6 22. d6 Bf8 23. Nc7 Rb8 24. Ne5 Bxd6 25. Nd5 Bxe5 26. Rxe5 { =/+ } ) 21... Bf8 { ? Holding 
on to that passive style. He might have been afraid of the lines following 21..
.Bd6 22.Nb5 but that row of pieces on the eight rank does not look good at all } 22. Ne5 h5 ( 22... Bg7 23. Qf4 Qf8 24. g4 h5 25. g5 Nd7 26. Qf3 Bf5 27. Nxd7 Bd4+ 28. Kg2 Bxd7 29. Re7 { +/- } ) 23. Qf4 Rh7 ( 23... Bf5 24. Bc2 Bxc2 25. Rxc2 Bh6 26. Qf2 b6 27. Rce2 { +/- } ) ( 23... Bh6 24. Qf2 h4 ( 24... b6 { ?? } 25. Nc6 Qd6 26. Nb5 Ng4 27. Nxd6 Nxf2 28. Rxf2 ) 25. Qxc5 { +/- } ) 24. Bc2 ( 24. Rf2 { ? } 24... Bf5 25. Bc2 Bh6 26. Qf3 Ng4 27. Bxf5 Nxf2 28. Qxf2 gxf5 29. Qxf5 Qg5 30. Qf2 f5 31. Qxc5 h4 32. Qf2 Rg7 33. Kg2 f4 { and black suddenly emerges on top } ) ( 24. Qh4 { is another weak line } 24... Bg4 25. Nxg4 hxg4 26. Qg5 Rh5 27. Qd2 Bd6 28. Bc2 Qb6 29. b3 Rd8 { =/+ } ) 24... Nd7 { ? This loses per force. Black had here the good move 24...Bh6, e. g.: } ( 24... Bh6 25. Qf2 ( 25. Qh4 { ? Risky and finally weak. White should lose, I think. } 25... Bg4 26. Rf2 g5 27. Bxh7+ Kg7 28. Qxg4 hxg4 29. Bf5 ( 29. Nxf7 Kxf7 30. Ne4 Qa5 31. Nd6+ ( 31. Rxf6+ { ? } 31... Kg7 ) 31... Kg7 32. Re7+ Kh8 33. Rxf6 Bf8 34. Nxb7 ( 34. Rxb7 Bxd6 35. Rxd6 Qe1+ 36. Kg2 Qe2+ 37. Kg1 Qd1+ 38. Kg2 Rf8 { - + } ) 34... Qxa2 35. Rd7 Bg7 36. Rff7 Bd4+ { and white gets mated } ) 29... Kg8 30. Nxg4 Nxg4 31. Bxg4 Bg7 32. Kg2 Bd4 33. Rf5 { with a very unclear position } ) 25... Rc8 26. Ne4 Nxe4 27. Rxe4 Bg5 28. Nd3 Bf5 29. Re5 Bf6 30. Re8+ Qxe8 31. Rxe8+ Rxe8 32. Nxc5 Bg5 { with at least equality for black } ) ( 24... Bd6 25. Qg5 Bg4 26. Rf2 Ne8 27. Ne4 Be7 28. Qe3 { +/= } ) 25. Ne4 { Here black resigned. I think this was a prematured
decision given the following lines: } ( 25. Ne4 Bh6 { ! is still rather strong: } ( 25... Be7 { ? } 26. Nxd7 Qxd7 27. d6 Bd8 28. Nf6+ ( 28. Nxc5 { is not so convincing } 28... Bb6 29. b4 Qc6 30. Qd4 Rc8 31. Rd2 Bxc5 32. Qxc5 Qxc5+ 33. bxc5 Bd7 34. Rd5 { +/- } ) 28... Bxf6 29. Qxf6 Rf8 30. Re7 { + - } ) 26. Nxf7 Bxf4 27. Nxd8 Rxd8 28. gxf4 Bg4 29. Re3 { and he could have still struggled } ) 1-0