This week I received a PM with a very interesting tactical variation in it.
Here I will examine the game and some of the wild tactics.
This game demonstrates a few things:
1.The originality of not automatically recapturing a piece
2. Trouble that stems from greedily trying to hold on to material
3. Attacking possibilities in a wide open position
4. Trading material for a lasting iniative (similar to gambit play)
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 c5 4.exd5 {I slightly modified the move order here. The original game/pm had Nf3 Nf6 before exd5.} exd5 {This line with exd5 and c5 is called the Marshall Gambit in the French Defense.} 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.Bb5 Bg4 7.O-O Bxf3 {cxd4 looks ok, because of the pin on f3. White has a few ideas there too (maybe Qe1 and Nxd4 or even accepting the doubled g pawns and playing for the attack with Qxd4}
8.Re1+ {The beginning of a very interesting tactical variation.} Be4 {Black tries to hang on to the piece.} 9.f3 f5 {Again, trying to grab as much material as possible} 10.fxe4 dxe4 {fxe4 11.Qh5+} 11.Nxe4 {A bolt from the blue ... All black has done is dig a hole for himself.} fxe4 {Qxd4+ 12.Qxd4 and Nd6-f7 is one easy win. There may be better.} 12.Qh5+{Black is a bad way - see diagram}
Black is a piece up but busted after 12.Qh5+.
12. ... g6 13.Qe5+ wins at least the rook in the corner.
12. ... Ke7 13.Rxe4+ gives white a winning attack.
12. ... Kd7 13.d5 (at the very least wins the piece back with check)
In the main variation with Kd7, black seems to hold a pawn, but white still gets enough attacking chances.
Here is a line (start at move 12):
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 c5 4.exd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.Bb5 Bg4 7.O-O Bxf3
8.Re1+ Be4 9.f3 f5 10.fxe4 dxe4 11.Nxe4 fxe4 12.Qh5+ Kd7 13.d5 {At the very least, winning back the piece} Kc7
14.dxc6 bxc6 15.Bf4+ {If Bd6 Rad1} Kb6 16.Bf1 {It looks like white is just a pawn down. Actually, there is enough compensation. The computer even gives white a slight pull! I think it is based on black's wrecked pawns, underdevlopment, and the looseness of his king.} Nf6 {Attacking and holding e4} 17.Qe2 {Qa6 ideas come into play.} Qd4+ 18.Kh1 Qa4 {Black has stopped Qa6 and sort of setup a blockade on the queenside. For instance, 19.b3 Qa3 may slow white down a little with his attack.} 19.a3 {I was a little puzzled by this move, until I figured out what (I think) it does. It stops that "blockade" on a3 by taking the square away from the queen before playing b3. The next black move will be a weak one to sort of illustrate white's chances.} h6 {Not Good ... But an illustration of white's chances ... Even after the best move, white still has a slight pull.}
20.b3 Qb5 {Again keeping an eye on a6} 21.Qf2 {discovery on queen} Qa5 22.Bd2 {The black queen is trapped.}
This last pgn just demonstrates white's chances in the positions that follow Kd7.
All in all, Re1 is a very interesting variation, and the Nxe4 move just seems to light a fuse of fireworks that are extremely tactical and entertaining (even it some of it is really complicated).
