2017 2nd Smokey Mountain Open Round 4 Anton Taylor, 1895 - Kavin Jayavel Kumaresan, 1758 Ruy Lopez, Marshall Gambit (C89)

Anton Taylor, 1895 - Kavin Jayavel Kumaresan, 1758
Ruy Lopez, Marshall Gambit (C89)
http://chessmicrobase.com/microbases/9425/games/919178

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O b5 6. Bb3 Be7 7. c3 O-O 8. Re1 d5 9. exd5 Nxd5 10. Nxe5 Nxe5 11. Rxe5 c6 12. d4 Bd6 13. Re1 Qh4 14. g3 Qh3 15. Qf3 Bg4 16. Qg2 Qh5 17. Bxd5

After I played this game I did a little database work and it looks like 17.Be3 is the best try for white to get equality against the Marshall. 17. ... cxd5 18. Be3 Up until this point the game has followed theory. Technically even this move is part of theory but is inferior (and even losing). 18. ... Bf3 19. Qf1 f5 20. Nd2 In this position I had assessed f4 as being equal and leaving me an extra pawn. My opponent apparently felt the same way but the key to winning here is diving in with the pawn. All the engines agree that White is completely lost here. 20. ... Bg4 21. f4 Rf6 22. Qg2 Qf7 23. Nf3 Bxf3 24. Qxf3 Re8 25. Bf2 Re4 26. Rxe4 dxe4 27. Qe2 Rg6

In spite of having created a passed pawn by force Black is completely lost now and this move doesn't change anything and in fact makes it worse. The rook is headed to environs that limit its power while White's rook is going to become a monster. 28. Kf1 Qd5 29. Be3 Rg4 30. a4 bxa4 31. Rxa4 a5 32. Qc4 Once the qeens come off the board White can cruise to the full point. There is no way for Black to create complications 32. ... Qxc4+ 33. Rxc4 h5 34. Rc6 Be7 35. Ra6 h4 36. Kf2 hxg3+ 37. hxg3 g5 38. fxg5 Kf7 39. Rxa5 Bd6 40. Rxf5+ Ke7 41. Bf4 Bxf4 42. gxf4 Ke6 43. Re5+ Kd6 44. Ke3 Rg2 45. Kxe4 Rxb2 46. g6 Rb7 47. f5 Rg7 48. Kf4 Kd7 49. Kg5 Kd6 50. f6 1-0