[Event "Moscow TCh"]
[Site "Leningrad"]
[Date "1961.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shamkovich, L"]
[Black "Chistiakov"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Shamkovich, L"]

{ French Defense C12 } 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Bb4 $5 5. e5 h6 6. Be3 Ne4 7. Qg4 g6 8. a3 { An improvement over the classical line 8.Bd3 Nxc3 9.Bd2 (or 9.a3 Na2+ 10.Bd2 Bxd2+ 11.Kxd2 c5 12.Rxa2 Nc6 with advantage to Black) 9...Nxa2 10.c3 Nxc3 11.bxc3 Be7 and Black was better in Yanovsky-Marshall, Ostende 1907. } 8... Bxc3+ 9. bxc3 c5 { Accepting the gambit with 9...Nxc3 10.Bd3 Nc6 can be dangerous after 11.h4 Ne7 (11...Qe7 12.h5 g5 13.f4! was good for White in Klovan-Makarichev, USSR 1978.) 12.f3! with advantage Kurajica-Dvorecki, Wijk aan Zee I 1976. } 10. Bd3 Qa5 11. Ne2 cxd4 12. Bxd4 { White's pieces are well developed and ready to attack the weakened Black kingside. } 12... Nc5 $6 { Provoking the following piece sacrifice. More reliable was 12...Bd7 or 12...Nc6. } 13. O-O Nc6 14. Bxg6 $1 Rg8 { Of course, Black cannot take the bishop immediately - 14...fxg6? 15.Qxg6+ Kf8 when either 16.Be3 or 16.f4 gives White a strong attack. } 15. Bxf7+ $1 Kxf7 16. Qh5+ Ke7 17. Qxh6 { White has already three pawns for the piece with a raging attack, but the success of White's intuitive sacrifice depends on whether Black has chances to evacuate his King to the Queenside and consolidate his forces. My opponent almost succeeded. } 17... Kd8 18. Nf4 Ne7 { Intending to protect the kingside. 18...Re8 looks more sensible, but it fails to 19.Qf6+ Kc7 (if 19...Re7 20.Ng6 wins) 20.Nxd5+! } 19. Rfd1 $1 { Threatening to attack the d5-pawn with 20.c4. Such forcing threats are the best tactical resource in positions where the opponent has not finished his development. 19.Bxc5 Qxc5 20.Nxe6+ Bxe6 21.Qxe6 is weaker. } 19... Bd7 20. c4 { Consistent. 20.Bxc5 Qxc5 21.Qxe6 Rf8 22.Qh6 Kc7 looks attractive but is unclear. } 20... Rc8 { Not 20...dxc4? 21.Bxc5 Qxc5 22.Nxe6+ and White wins. } 21. Qh4 $2 { A serious error. Correct was 21.cxd5 exd5 (or 21...Nxd5 22.Nxd5 exd5 23.Qf6+ Kc7 24.Qd6+ Kd8 25.e6 winning) 22.c4! with a decisive attack. } 21... Ne4 22. cxd5 Ng5 $1 { I overlooked this nice resource. The threat of 22...Nf3+ gives Black a chance to organize a counterattack. } 23. Kh1 { Not 23.Nxe6+ Bxe6 24.dxe6 Nf3+ 25.Kh1 Nxh4 26.Bb6+ Ke8 27.Bxa5 Rxg2 and Black wins. } 23... Nf5 24. Qh5 Kc7 { Intending to safeguard the King, and at the same time, to connect the rooks. Other tries are likely to favor White, e.g., 24...exd5 25.Nxd5 Nxd4 (if 25...Rxc2 26.e6! or 25...Rc4 26.Nf6) 26.Rxd4 Qc5 27.Rad1 with the initiative. } 25. Qe2 Kb8 26. c4 Qa6 27. Rac1 { Black has consolidated his forces and is now on top. He has the option of pursuing a number of promising continuations, e.g., 27...exd5 28.Nxd5 Nxd4 29.Rxd4 Ne6; 27...Nxd4; 27...Ba4 28.Rd2 Bb3; 27...Qa4 with sufficient counterplay in all lines. } 27... Qxa3 $6 { My opponent - a glorious chess veteran who always sought active play - had planned to transfer his queen to the kingside for a counterattack, but he underestimated the threats on the other side of the board. This was a super-bold idea although 27...Nxd4 28.Rxd4 Qxa3 seems a better way of capturing the a-pawn. } 28. Bb2 $1 { Avoiding the trap 28.Ra1? Nxd4! 29.Rxa3 Nxe2 and Black wins. } 28... Qe7 29. Ra1 Qh7 30. h3 Qh4 $6 { Attacking the White knight, a key element in White's king fortress. However, Black could play more interestingly - utilizing the long-ranging queen at h7, e.g., 30...Ne4!? (Idea 31...Neg3+) 31.Ra3 Rg3! but 32.Re1! still wins for White, or 30...exd5 31.cxd5 Rc2!? 32.Qxc2! Ng3+ 33.fxg3 Qxc2 34.Bd4 a6 35.e6! and White is still on top. As we shall see, Black's counterattack is by no means naive in concept. } 31. Bc1 Rcf8 32. c5 { With the horrible threat of 33.c6. If now 32...exd5 33.e6! My opponent now tried a desperate counterattack. } 32... Nxh3 $5 33. Nxh3 exd5 34. e6 Bc6 35. Bf4+ $1 { A horrible blunder would be 35.Qe5+ Kc8 36.Rxa7? because of 36...Qxh3+!! 37.gxh3 d4+ 38.Kh2 Rg2+ and Black wins. } 35... Kc8 36. Rxa7 Kd8 { Now 36...Qxh3+ doesn't work because of 37.gxh3 d4+ 38.f3 Ng3+ 39.Kh2 Nxe2 40.Ra8 mate. } 37. Bd6 { Black resigned as mate can only be avoided by great material loss. } 1-0