Michael Wilder v. Vasily Smyslov (New York Open, 1987)

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Bb4+ 4. Bd2 a5 {Now 5.Bxb4 axb4 would give Black a half-open file for pressuring White's a-pawn.} 5. g3 d6 6. Bg2 Nbd7 7. O-O e5 8. Bg5 {Having removed this piece from where Black's bishop could exchange it, White now threatens to trap it by 9.a3.} exd4 {Creating an escape square at c5 for the bishop, while opening the e-file.} 9. Nxd4 {This pawn structure resembles that reached in the Budapest after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ng4 4.Nf3 Bc5 5.e3 Nc6 and the upcoming capture of White's e-pawn.} h6 10. Bf4 O-O 11. Qc2 Ne5 12. Rd1 Ng6 13. Bc1 {It's not clear that the three tempi taken by this bishop have helped White, but this might not be exploitable by Black in this fairly closed position.} Re8 14. Nc3 c6 {To control d5. This move is seldom available in the Budapest line given earlier, because a Black knight usually occupies c6 for some time. The now "backward" d-pawn is easily held.} 15. b3 Bg4 16. Bb2 Qc8 17. Ne4 Nxe4 18. Bxe4 {Threatening to win a pawn by 19.Bxg6 fxg6 20.Qxg6 or to harass the d-pawn by 19.Nf5.} Ne7 {Economically meeting both threats.} 19. a3 Bc5 20. Qc3 {Threatening a knight discovery to threaten mate.} f6 {Shutting off the long diagonal at the cost of creating holes at f6 and h6. However, it's not clear how White could exploit them.} 21. Bf3 Ng6 22. Rd2 Bxf3 23. Qxf3 Ne5 {Having defused White's threats, Black has regrouped effectively. White must address the possibility of 24...Qh3 followed by 25...Ng4.} 24. Qh5 {Not only preventing 24...Qh3 but enabling 25.Nf5, with pressure against Black's king.} Qg4 {Squelching both players' kingside attacking ambitions.} 25. Qxg4 Nxg4 {The position would seem rather balanced.} 26. h3 Ne5 {Black now threatens to isolate White's queenside pawns by 27...a4, as 28.b4 Nxc4 29.Rc2 (Hoping for 29...Nxb2 30.bxc5, trapping Black's knight.) would be met by 29...Bxd4 30.Bxd4 d5.} 27. Rc1 Nf7 {Preventing White's potentially trading bishop for knight, for the latter piece will soon emerge as the more useful of the two, while overprotecting the d-pawn.} 28. Kg2 Ra6 {This rook lift might seem unusual, but its point soon becomes apparent.} 29. e3 Rb6 30. Rd3 Bxd4 {If now 31.Rxd4, then 31...Rxb3. Or if 31.exd4, then 31...Re2 to threaten the bishop or the f-pawn by ...Ng5 and ...Ne4.} 31. Bxd4 c5 32. Ba1 {Dismal but necessary to permit the b-pawn to be defended along the rank and along the file.} a4 {Thanks to Black's previous two moves, 33.b4 would just lose a pawn. If now 33.bxa4, then 33...Ra8 followed by ...Rxa4, pressuring both of White's queenside pawns.} 33. Rb1 Re4 {Threatening 34...Rxc4 35.bxc4 Rxb1. If now 34.Rc3, then 34...Ne5 would renew the threat (35.f3 Rxc4!), which seems to leave White without a satisfactory defense.} 34. b4 Rxc4 35. b5 Rc2 {White resigns. Black not is only a pawn ahead but threatens 36...Nf7-g5-e4, hitting f2. If 36.h4, then 36...h5 followed by ...Nh6 and either ...Ng4 or ...Nf5, depending on White's replies.}

[fen "r3r1k1/1p4p1/2pp1p1p/p1b1n3/2PN4/PP4PP/1B1RPP2/R5K1 w - - - -"] 27.a4 Nf7 28.Nf3 Ra6 29.Ba3 Bxa3 30.Rxa3 {A poor spot for the rook, but White reckons that this is temporary.} Rb6 {Before redeploying his a3-rook, White would need to defend the b-pawn some other way. 31.Rd3 would do this but would hang the e-pawn. Hence White's next.} 31.Kf1 {It would appear that White's consolidation by Rd3... followed by redeploying the a3-rook cannot be prevented.}

[fen "r3r1k1/1p4p1/2pp1p1p/p1b1n3/2PN4/PP4PP/1B1RPP2/R5K1 w - - - -"] 27.a4 Ra6 {Intending 28.Ba3 Rb6, with the strong threat 29...Bxd4 30.Rxd4 Rxb3, after which White's capturing the d-pawn (either way) would be met by ...Nxc4.} 28.Bc3 {Being that 28.Ba3 isn't playable, White instead pressures the a-pawn.} Rb6 {Because continuing to hold his a-pawn would give White no problems, we'll see what happens if Black sticks with his plan to pressure b3.} 29.Bxa5 Bxd4 {Black's b6-rook is immune because White's a1-rook is also attacked.} 30.Rxd4 Rxb3 31.Rxd6 Nxc4 {A nasty-looking fork, but...} 32.Rd8 {This attack on Black's rook prevents loss of material. If Black now exchanges rooks, then White would be threatening to liquidate further by advancing the a-pawn.} Kf7 33.Rxe8 Kxe8 34.Bc7 {Clearing the way for White's a-pawn.} Kd7 {Forcing the bishop to abandon control of a5, so that Black can blockade the a-pawn.} 35.Bb8 Na5 36.Rd1+ {If now 36...Kc8 (to remain in control of c7), then 37.Bd6 (intending to harass Black's kingside pawns).} Ke8 37.Bc7 Nc4 38.a5 Rb5 39. Rd8+ Ke7 40.Rg8 Kf7 41.Ra8 {Intending to simplify by 42.a6, which would make it easier for White to draw.} Rb1+ 42.Kg2 Ra1 {Stopping a6...} 43.Ra7 {Now Black can't both protect his b-pawn and prevent a6...}