Tikkanen - Dr. Engel [E90]
John Cleeve Memorial, 1996
[Tikkanen and Palciauskas]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 0-0 5.Nf3 d6 6.h3 c5 7.d5 a6 8.a4 e6 9.Bd3 exd5 10.exd5 Re8+ 11.Be3 Bh6 [11...Nbd7 12.0-0 Nh5 13.Qd2 Ne5 14.Be2 (14.Nxe5) 14...Bd7 15.Rfe1 Nxf3+ 16.Bxf3 Qh4 17.Bxh5 gxh5 18.Bf4 with a slight advantage to White (Nunn's chess openings)] 12.0-0 Bxe3 13.fxe3 White's attacking chances on the f-file compensate for the weakness on the e-file. 13...Nbd7 [Taking the pawn is much too risky. For example 13...Rxe3 14.Qd2 Re8 15.Qh6 Nbd7 16.Ng5 and the threats 17.Nce4 or 17.Nxf7 are difficult to meet. VVP] 14.Qd2 Kg7 15.Rf2 Ng8 16.Raf1 f6
17.Ne4 Eyeing the pawns on d6 and f6 and making room for the Queen on c3 in preparation for Nfg5. Quite an effective move! VVP 17...Nb6?! [Better was 17...Ne5 18.Nxe5 Rxe5 19.Nxf6 Nxf6 20.Rxf6 Bf5 21.R6xf5 gxf5 22.Bxf5 with a small advantage to White. ] Black must have been hoping for 18.b3 Bf5, because the Knight doesn't have a rosy future on b6. Now that the Knight has left the scene of the action, White "crashes" through on the f-file. It is interesting that Fritz 6 chose 17...Nb6 after 5 minutes of "contemplation". Clearly Fritz didn't think 18.Nfg5! was sound. VVP 18.Nfg5! Re5 [There is no good way to keep the position closed. If 18...fxg5 19.Rf7+ Kh6 (19...Kh8 20.Qc3+ Re5 21.Rf8) 20.Qc3 Re5 21.Rf8 with a strong attack; 18...f5 If 19.g4! again with a strong attack. White will sacrifice the exchange to open the f-file.; 18...Bf5 19.Rxf5! gxf5 20.Rxf5 fxg5 21.Qc3+ Re5 22.Nxg5 and White is winning.] 19.a5 Nxc4 [The Knight has nowhere to go because 19...Nd7 is answered with 20.Ne6+. Trying to block the f-file with 19...Bf5 20.Rxf5! (20.Nxf6!?) 20...gxf5 21.Rxf5 Nxc4 22.Bxc4 transposes into the game.; Taking the Knight allows a fatal penetration 19...fxg5 20.Rf7+ Kh6 (20...Kh8 21.Rf8+-) 21.axb6 Bf5 22.Ng3 Bxd3 23.Qxd3 Qxb6 24.Ne4 The threat 25. Nf2, leaves Black in a critical state. 24...Rae8 25.Nf2 R5e7 26.Ng4+ Kh5 27.Qe2] 20.Bxc4 Bf5 Other possibilities were [20...h6 21.Nxf6 A) 21...Nxf6 22.Rxf6 Rxg5 23.Rf7+ Kg8 24.Qc3 Re5 25.R1f6 Bf5 26.Bd3 Qe8 (26...Bxd3 27.Qxd3 Rg5 28.Qe4+-) 27.Rc7; B) 21...hxg5 22.Nh5+! gxh5 23.Rf7+ followed by 24.Qd3 winning; C) 21...Rxg5 22.Ne4! Re5 (22...Rf5 23.Qc3+ Kh7 24.g4+-) 23.Rf7+ Kh8 24.Rf8+-; D) 21...Qe7 ; 20...Qe7 21.Qd3 fxg5 22.Rf7+ Qxf7 23.Rxf7+ Kxf7 24.Nxd6+; 20...fxg5 21.Rf7+ Kh6 22.Rf8 Qc7 (22...Qe7 23.R1f7 Rxe4 24.Rxe7 Nxe7 25.Bd3 Re5 26.e4) 23.R1f7 Re7 (23...Qxf7 24.Rxf7 Rxe4 25.Bd3 Re7 26.Rxe7 Nxe7 27.e4+-) 24.Nxg5!] 21.Rxf5! the familiar sacrificial theme that opens the lines to the Black King! VVP 21...gxf5 22.Rxf5 fxg5 23.Qc3 Kg6 [23...Qe7 24.Nxd6+-] 24.Rxe5 dxe5 25.d6 Even with the many exchanges, the remaining White pieces are beautifully centralized to escort the pawn forward and harass the Black King. VVP 25...Qe8?! [There was no salvation in 25...Nf6 26.Qxe5 A) 26...Nxe4 27.Qxe4+ Kh6 28.Qe6+ Kg7 29.Qf7+ Kh8 (29...Kh6 30.Bd3 Qh8 31.Qe6+ Kg7 32.Qe7+ Kh6 33.h4! Rg8 34.d7+-) 30.Bd3 Qg8 31.Qxb7+-; B) 26...Nd7 27.Qe6+ Kg7 28.Qf7+ Kh8 (28...Kh6 29.Ng3+-) 29.Qf5 h6 30.Be6+-] 26.Bxg8 Qxg8 27.Qxe5 Black resigned. If 27.....Qd8 or 27.....h6, then d7 leaves Black in a hopeless bind. 1-0
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