Q vs TomTom

[Event "Challenge"]
[Site "http://www.redhotpawn.com"]
[Date "2011.12.18"]
[Round "?"]
[White "tomtom232"]
[Black "PhySiQ"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "C00"]
[WhiteElo "1547"]
[BlackElo "1944"]
[Annotator "Q"]
[PlyCount "48"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[TimeControl "300"]
1. e4 e6 2. f4 b6 3. Bd3 Bb7 4. Nf3 Be7 5. O-O Nf6 6. Qe2 Nc6 7. c3 d6 {I greatly debated d5, and O-O... Bc5 looks good but reduces my flexibility too early. While looking passive, every central square is contested.} 8. Bc2 { Slightly clogging the queenside position.} Qd7 {Again remaining flexible.} 9. d4 a5 {White is a bit clogged on the queenside. I feel like there may be a benefit to taking space here later.} 10. Na3 Ba6 11. Nb5 Nb4 {opening up play on the queenside - where I have space.} 12. Ba4 c6 {While obviously important tactically, this is building more queenside space.} 13. cxb4 O-O {This move is important. It can be seen as a gain of time, upon the opening of the a and c files...black will have the ability to place a rook in control of each. Whites knight is of course pinned.} 14. Bd2 Rfc8 15. Rfc1 {15. e5 cxb5 16. Bb3 dxe5 17. dxe5 Nd5 and black has a slight edge. bxa5 only makes things worse.} 15... cxb5 {For flexibility. e4 is a weak square - I can utilize this if I'm allowed d5 or Bb7. I consider Bb3 to be a precursor to Bb7. Bc2 I think calls for d5 eventually placing my Knight in control of queenside squares and activating lines for the bishop.} 16. Bc2 d5 {!} 17. exd5 Nxd5 18. Ne5 Qe8 { White has a realistic threat of Bxh7 Kxh7 Qh5+ Kg8 Qf7...and black is in ugly trouble.} 19. bxa5 f6 20. Qg4 Bd6 {e6 is the obvious weak point.} 21. Nd3 b4 22. Qh3 {...extremely well disciplined tactics.} bxa5 23. f5 Rc4 {This is a roll of the dice. fxe5 is a bit worrisome, but g6 is playable to shore up the threat. I can get the D pawn. I'm hoping to keep the rook on the d file - but Nc5 then Nb3 and the rook is ugly. I assume white will play fxe6 and be looking for Qxh7 basically forcing g6. If so, its still playable...I will need to deal with the last central pawn but then will have a pawn advantage on the kingside.} 24. Nxb4 {??} Nxb4 *

1. e4 e6 2. f4 {I want to leave the books as soon as possible} b6 3. Bf1d3 {I have seen this idea in other anti-french games but usually later on lets see how it works out playing it here. The idea will be to play a later c3 and Bc2} Bc8b7 4. Ng1f3 {development is important... c3 now would be premature... I think it is best to wait until his knight comes to c6 so that I don't show my hand to soon} Bf8e7 5. O-O Ng8f6 6. Qd1e2 {6. Nc3 defends the pawn also but with my d pawn already blocked I need to keep my c pawn free} Nb8c6 7. c3 {now that his knight is on c6 this move is played under the pretense of keeping the knight out of b4 but it also serves to make a square for my bishop and free my d pawn to play a later d4} d6 8. Bd3c2 Qd8d7 9. d4 {I have now built a fine center} a5 { I wasn't expecting this... I figured that this would wait until my knight was committed elsewhere} 10. Nb1a3 {headed for the now weak b5} Bb7a6 {nice move here setting up some tactics I missed in game} 11. Na3b5 {? I think this is deserved here and showing much of my impatience better was c4 with e5 to follow} Nc6b4 {!} 12. Bc2a4 {forced as are my next few moves} c6 13. cxb4 O-O 14. Bc1d2 {must move bishop here for counterplay on the queenside and to open up the c1 square for my rook to challenge on the c file} Rf8c8 15. Rf1c1 {this is difficult for me.. in hindsight maybe Rac1 was better but I saw that play was on the queenside at the moment so brought an extra piece to that side of the board} cxb5 16. Ba4c2 {this is precise of neccesity... a trade of rooks is favorable for black} d5 {? I didn't think this move was very good and shifted the initiative back to me} 17. exd5 Nf6xd5 18. Nf3e5 Qd7e8 {being cautious but I didn't see any concrete advantages after 18...Qd6 19. Bxh7+ Kxh7 20. Qh5+ Kg8 21.Qxf7+ Kh7 when I have no real way to continue... for instance a rook lift with Rf1-f3 is too slow and IMO my best chance 22.g4 is unclear} 19. bxa5 {want to play f5 but I don't want him coming in on b4... however f5 still was the more active try and may be better} f6 20. Qe2g4 {I want to complicate the position and retreating is for cowards anyway} Be7d6 21. Ne5d3 {well, I guess I'm a coward... I chose Nd3 because Nf3 is a bit to committal blocking my queen from coming back to the queenside if need be and It is also tactical because sometimes I can move my knight with tempo discovering an attack on h7}b4 {! very good... revealing some nasty tricks if I'm not careful... I hadn't considered this move} 22. Qg4h3 {defending and attacking... the trick was ...Rxc2 followed by ...Bxd3 but this defends the knight on d3} bxa5 23. f5 {I finally find some time to open the position a little} Rc8c4 {threatening my pawn and when the pawn leaves this rook will be an real thorn in my position} 24. Nd3xb4 {a slip... I wanted to play 24. fxe6 and if ...Rxd4 THEN 25.Nxb4 but he probably was going to play g6 anyway. I just got ahead of myself} Nd5xb4 {no reason to continue... the game is over}