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1.c4-c5 2. Nf3-Nf6 3. g3-b6 4. Bg2-Bb7 5. 0-0 - g6 6. d4 - c:d4 7. Q:d4 - Bg7 8. Nc3 - d6 (This was the first time I played this variation with either color. I know the basic ideas but I guess it is necessary to know the precise moves when you play against a 2650 GM.) 9. Bg5-Nbd7 10 Rad1 - h6! 11. Bc1 - 0-0
(Here I had a very long think and I realized that the position was not pleasent for white. The queen needs to move to avoid a tactical blow. I discarded 12. Qh4? - g5! 13. B:g5 - B:f3! and other similar variations) 12. Qf4! (relatively best) ... Rc8 13. b3 - Rc7 (13... Rc5 is often played in such positions) 14. Bb2 - a6 (Here I had another long think. Black wants to play, Qa8, Rfc8, b5 etc. White has no way to improve the position, I think black is already clearly better. I decided to try to simplify and avoid rash decisions) 14. Ne1!? - Qa8 15 B:B - R:B?! (Much stronger is 15... Q:B followed by Rfc8 and b5) 16. Nc2! - b5!? 17. c:b5-a:b5 18. Nb4 - Nc5 19. Rd2! (protecting the second rank, a motif I usually like to employ in the benko gambit) ...Rc8 20. Rfd1 - Ne8?! (Black wants to play e6 and d5, but this is too artifical. Nfd7 was more natural with a complicated game) 21. Ne4! - B:B 22. R:B -N:N 23. Q:N - Nf6 24. Qf3! - Qa7!? 25.Nc6! - Qa3?! ( I was expecting 25... Qc5 after which I was going to play 26. Nd4 with a complicated struggle). 26. Rc2 - Kg7 27. Nd4! (28. N:e7?! is tempting but bad 28... R:c2 29. Q:b7 - R:e2) ... Qa8 28. Rdc1 - R:R 29. R:R - b4 30. Nc6! (White now has a clear advantage)... d5 ( I was hoping for 30...e5? 31. Ne6+! +-) 31. Qf4! - Qc8 (black sacrifices a pawn as otherwise he is strategically lost) 32. N:b4!? (Perhaps simpler is 32. Kg2 but I thought that I could repulse the attack) ...Qh3 33. f3! (the only defense but quite sufficient)...e5 34. Qd2 - d4 35. Nd3-Nd5
36. Nf2 - Qe6 37. Nd1! - Qb6 38. Kg2-h5 39. e4! - Nb4 40. Rc4 - Qa5! (forcing white to weaken the queenside) 41. a4 - Qb6. Here I had a long think as it is not so easy to convert the extra pawn.
Please stay tuned for part II to come soon :))
(Here I had a very long think and I realized that the position was not pleasent for white. The queen needs to move to avoid a tactical blow. I discarded 12. Qh4? - g5! 13. B:g5 - B:f3! and other similar variations) 12. Qf4! (relatively best) ... Rc8 13. b3 - Rc7 (13... Rc5 is often played in such positions) 14. Bb2 - a6 (Here I had another long think. Black wants to play, Qa8, Rfc8, b5 etc. White has no way to improve the position, I think black is already clearly better. I decided to try to simplify and avoid rash decisions) 14. Ne1!? - Qa8 15 B:B - R:B?! (Much stronger is 15... Q:B followed by Rfc8 and b5) 16. Nc2! - b5!? 17. c:b5-a:b5 18. Nb4 - Nc5 19. Rd2! (protecting the second rank, a motif I usually like to employ in the benko gambit) ...Rc8 20. Rfd1 - Ne8?! (Black wants to play e6 and d5, but this is too artifical. Nfd7 was more natural with a complicated game) 21. Ne4! - B:B 22. R:B -N:N 23. Q:N - Nf6 24. Qf3! - Qa7!? 25.Nc6! - Qa3?! ( I was expecting 25... Qc5 after which I was going to play 26. Nd4 with a complicated struggle). 26. Rc2 - Kg7 27. Nd4! (28. N:e7?! is tempting but bad 28... R:c2 29. Q:b7 - R:e2) ... Qa8 28. Rdc1 - R:R 29. R:R - b4 30. Nc6! (White now has a clear advantage)... d5 ( I was hoping for 30...e5? 31. Ne6+! +-) 31. Qf4! - Qc8 (black sacrifices a pawn as otherwise he is strategically lost) 32. N:b4!? (Perhaps simpler is 32. Kg2 but I thought that I could repulse the attack) ...Qh3 33. f3! (the only defense but quite sufficient)...e5 34. Qd2 - d4 35. Nd3-Nd5
36. Nf2 - Qe6 37. Nd1! - Qb6 38. Kg2-h5 39. e4! - Nb4 40. Rc4 - Qa5! (forcing white to weaken the queenside) 41. a4 - Qb6. Here I had a long think as it is not so easy to convert the extra pawn.
Please stay tuned for part II to come soon :))
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