2017 Crooked Diagonals Round 5 Anton Taylor, 1910 - Mikhail Chetverukhin, 1868 Scandinavian Defense, Marshall Variation (B01)

2017 Crooked Diagonals Round 5
Anton Taylor, 1910 - Mikhail Chetverukhin, 1868
Scandinavian Defense, Marshall Variation (B01)

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. d4 Nxd5 4. Nf3 Bg4 5. Be2 e6 6. O-O Be7 7. h3 Bh5 8. Nbd2

Up until this move both players have been following the common theory in the marshall variation of the Scandinavian. I have never liked the lines with c4 as white so I play this more conservative line that is justified by the fact that the d5 knight has no future. Sure, black can get the two bishops by Nf4 but this trades a "strong" knight for a mediocre bishop and gives white a lead in development. White has a small advantage. The trick for him is finding a convenient way to develop the c1 bishop and then he has a comfortable game. 8. ... Nf4 9. c3 O-O 10. Bc4 white eyes playing d5 at some point in the near future to break things open and realize his advantage in development. 10. ... c5? This is a huge mistake that starts black's position into the abysmal. Above all I considered this a good sign for me as white. It means that black has not seen this position very much and it is only move ten. It is likely that he saw many victories with the scandinavian in blitz games but this isn't blitz and I used to play the same line with the black pieces for a couple of years in blitz. 11. Ne4 Bg6?? Qc7 was forced and while black is at a disadvantage he would hold together at least. 12. Nxc5 Bxc5 13. Bxf4 Be7 14. Ne5 Nd7 15. Qf3 Qc8 16. Bb3 Everything in this position is winning for white but Nxd7 is more accurate than this move. 16. ... a5 17. Nxg6 hxg6 18. Rad1 a4 19. Bc2 a3 20. b3 Nf6 21. c4 Nd5 Komodo recommends 22.dxc5 but that requires accurate play allowing the queen to penetrate and the passed pawn becomes a monster without care. I choose a much safer alternative that doesn't give black all that counterplay. 

22. Bd2 Nb4 23. Bxb4 Bxb4 24. Be4 Rb8 25. Qe3 Qc7 26. Rd3 Rbe8 27. Qf3 Re7 28. Qg3 Bd6 29. f4?? When I played this move I completely missed the reply. Fortunately my opponent did not realize that he could nab the pawn and not worry about the pawns dropping off. 29. ... f5! 30. Bf3 forced 30. ... Qd7?? Bxf4! and if Qxg6 the queen gets trapped by the rooks and bishop after Rf6. 31. c5? And as you can see the time trouble blunders have begun. I completely missed the obvious Bxc5 tactic until right after I hit the clock. I spent a lot of time looking at what would happen after that capture. 31. ... Bb8? *sigh of relief* 32. Rfd1 Kf7 33. d5 e5 34. d6 Re6 35. fxe5 Ba7 36. b4 Ke8 37. Bd5 f4 38. Bxe6 Qxe6 39. Qf3 Qxe5 40. Qxb7 1-0 The final position is a mate in nine more moves at the most but there is no need to calculate it. However, if you want to see it: 40. ... Rh8 41. d7+ Kd8 42. Qc8+ Ke7 43. d8=Q+ Rxd8 44. Qxd8+ Ke6 45. Qd7+ Kf6 46. Rd6+ Qxd6 47. Rxd6+ Kg5 48. Qg4+ Kh6 49. Qxg6#