Masterclass
| Southend Redbus 1999 | ||
| White: | GM Lalic, B | |
| Black: | Pert, N | |
| French Defence Tarrasch C06 | ||
| The Southend Redbus tournament was organised by our own Alan Parsons. Here is a theoretically important French Defence Tarrasch annotated exclusively for the site by GM Bogdan Lalic. | |||||
| 1. | e4 | e6 | |||
| 2. | d4 | d5 | |||
| 3. | Nd2 | Nf6 | |||
| 4. | Bd3 | c5 | |||
| With this move order White avoids the variation 4.e5 Ne4. | |||||
| 5. | e5 | Nfd7 | |||
| 6. | c3 | Nc6 | |||
| 7. | Ne2 | cxd4 | |||
| 8. | cxd4 | f6 | |||
| 9. | exf6 | Nxf6 | |||
| 10. | O-O | Bd6 | |||
| 11. | Nf3 | Qb6 | |||
| 12. | b3 | O-O | |||
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| 13. | Bf4 | ||||
| White's strategy is simple - after the exchange of dark squared bishops White will seize control over vital squares e5 and possibly c5, | |||||
| 13. | ... | Bxf4 | |||
| 14. | Nxf4 | Ne4 | |||
| 15. | Ne2! | ||||
| Much stronger than 15. g3 Nxd4! 16 Bxe4 dxe4 17. Nxd4 e5 or 17. Qxb6 exf3 in both cases black is happy. | |||||
| 15. | ... | Nd6 | |||
| The exchange sacrifice 15 ... Rxf3 16. gxf3 Ng5 is not entirely correct after 17. Kh1! Nxf3 18. Bxh7+ Kxh7 19. Qd3+ followed by Qxf3 but deserved attention. 15 ... Bd7 against which White should continue 16. Bxe4 dxe4 17. Ng5 with better position. | |||||
| 16. | Nc3!? | ||||
| A theoretical novelty instead of older 16. Qd2 which I have rejected because of the exchange sacrifice 16 ... Rxf3!? | |||||
| 16. | ... | Bd7 | |||
| 17. | Na4 | Qd8 | |||
| 18. | Re1 | ||||
| stronger than 18. Nc5 b6 19. Nxd7 Qxd7 etc. | |||||
| 18. | ... | b6 | |||
| 19. | Nc3 | Nb4? | |||
| Black shouldn't have allowed White to size the square e5. Correct was 19 ... Qf6 with only a small advantage for White. | |||||
| 20. | Ne5 | Nxd3 | |||
| 21. | Qxd3 | Be8 | |||
| 22. | Qd2 | a5 | |||
| 23. | f3 | b5 | |||
| 24. | Ne2 | b4 | |||
| 25. | Nf4 | Qg5 | |||
| 26. | g3 | Bb5 | |||
| 27. | Rad1 | Rae8 | |||
| 28. | Ng4 | Bd7 | |||
| 29. | Re5 | Rf5 | |||
| 30. | Kg2 | Rxe5 | |||
| Unfortunately for Black the active attempt 30 ... h5? just loses a pawn after 31. h4! | |||||
| 31. | Nxe5 | Bb5 | |||
| 32. | Rc1 | Qe7 | |||
| 33. | Rc5 | Rf8 | |||
| 34. | Qc1 | ||||
| The game is practically decided because black can't prevent the invasion of White's rook on c7. | |||||
| 34. | ... | Qe8 | |||
| 35. | g4! | ||||
| Takes away the last glimpse of counterplay for black on the Kingside by controlling the square f5. | |||||
| 35. | ... | Nf7 | |||
| 36. | Qe3 | a4 | |||
| 37. | Kg3 | axb3 | |||
| 38. | axb3 | Nxe5 | |||
| 39. | Qxe5 | Bd7 | |||
| 40. | Rc7 | h6 | |||
| 41. | h4 | Qf7 | |||
| 42. | Rb7 | Kh7 | |||
| 43. | h5 | Qe8 | |||
| 44. | Ng6 | Rf7 | |||
| 45. | Qc7 | 1-0 | |||
| There is no satisfactory defence against 46. Rb7-b8 | |||||
