Black beware

IM Malcolm Pein September 23, 2023

AN instructive and ultimately aesthetically pleasing game from the Spanish First Division that illustrates a couple of points that Black should note in the e4 e5 structure.
Black may have been taken by surprise by White’s 10th move novelty, but it was not particularly good. Giving up the centre with
11...exd4?! also involved losing a tempo with 12...Bd7 and allowing the annoying pin 13.Bg5.
As a general rule, Black can get away with g7-g5, even absent the dark bishop from the kingside, if the e5-pawn is still on the board and the plan of Nf6-h5-f4 or Nh5xg3 is available.
As played, White has complete freedom of action.

M Camacho Collados – U Fataliyev
Giuoco Piano

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.0–0 d6 6.c3 0–0 7.h3 a5 8.Re1 Be6 9.Bb5 Ba7 10.Bxc6!? bxc6 11.d4 exd4?!
(11...h6 12.dxe5 dxe5 13.Qxd8 Rfxd8 14.Nxe5 Nxe4! hitting f2 and exploiting the back rank is a tactic worth remembering and 11...Re8; 11...a4 were playable) 12.Nxd4 Bd7 13.Bg5 h6 14.Bh4 Re8 15.Nd2 g5 16.Bg3 Nh7?
(16...c5 17.N4f3 Nh5! 18.Nf1 c4 wasn’t too bad, while 16...c5 17.Nc2 Bc6 also gives Black some counterplay, even if White is better after 18.e5. Black has the two bishops but only one of them is active)
17.Nc4 (White plans e4–e5 answering d6–d5 with Nc4–e3 conquering f5. When White conquers that square, it usually spells the end for Black)
17...Qe7 18.e5 d5 19.Ne3 Qf8 20.Qh5 Bxd4
(A sad necessity, but the knight could not be allowed into f5 when h6 falls)
21.cxd4 Qg7 22.Rac1 Rab8 23.Re2 f5? (23...Nf8 followed by Qg6 was a much better plan)

24.Rxc6!! (24.e6 unleashing the dark bishop was also very good)
24...Bxc6 25.Nxf5 Nf6 (25...Qf8 26.Qg6+ Kh8 27.e6 wins)
26.Nxh6+? (26.exf6 Qxf6 27.Nxh6+ Kf8 28.Ng4 Qg7 29.Be5 or 29.Re5 was simpler and wins immediately)
26...Kh7 27.exf6 Qxh6
(After 27...Qg6! 28.Qxg6+ Kxg6 29.Rc2 Ba4 30.b3 Kxh6 31.bxa4 White still has some work to do in an endgame, but with a bishop anchored on e5 he would prevail) 28.Qf7+ Kh8 29.Re7 Rg8 30.Be5 Rb6

Anything wins, but there is only one way to mate in four:

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