Louis had travelled over from Jersey
1.e4
d5
2.exd5
Qxd5
3.Nc3
Qa5
4.d4
e5
I'd seen Louis played this at the Torino Olympiad, I knew nothing about this move. I only had 5 minutes sat in my car to prepare between rounds.
5.Nf3
Bg4
6.Bb5+
This zwischen zug is important to slow Black's development stopping Nc6 if c6 is played.
6...c6
[6...Nc6
7.dxe5
(7.d5
0-0-0~~
) 7...Bb4
8.Bxc6+
bxc6
9.0-0+/-
]
7.Be2
Bb4
8.Nxe5!
Bxc3+
9.Kf1!!
I had looked at a computer line to here. Before entering the line I decided to treat it like a puzzle, I knew there was compensation because of the computer evaluation and I would try and work it out at the board. It soon became apparant Black has to lose his castling rights as well.
9...Bxb2?
I guess the shock factor of Kf1 flustered him [9...Bxe2+
10.Qxe2
Bxd4
11.Nxc6++-
; 9...Be6
10.bxc3
Nd7
(10...Qxc3
11.Rb1+/-
b6
12.Bb2
Qa5
13.Nc4
Qa4
; 10...Nf6
11.Rb1+/-
) 11.Rb1
0-0-0
12.Nc4+/-
; 9...Bxd4
10.Nxg4
Bb6
11.Bd2
Qf5
12.Bd3
Qe6
13.Qf3+-
]
10.Bxb2
Be6
11.Nc4
Bxc4
[11...Qc7
12.Ba3
Nf6
13.Nd6+
Kd8+-
14.Rb1
]
12.Bxc4
Ne7
[12...Qb4
13.Qe2+
(13.Bb3+/-
) 13...Ne7
14.Re1+-
]
13.Qe2
Kf8
14.Re1
Qb4
15.h4
b5
16.Bb3
[16.Bxf7
I looked long and hard at this line and wasn't 100% sure it was better than Bb3 so I went for the safe option as I knew that was easily winning anyway. 16...Kxf7
17.Qe6+
Ke8
18.Qc8+
Kf7
19.Qxh8+-
Qxb2
20.Rh3
]
16...Nd7
17.Rh3
Nd5??
[17...Nf6
18.Bxf7
I was going to play this (18.Qe5
computer line 18...Re8
19.c3
Qa5
20.Rhe3
h5
21.Qd6+-
) 18...Kxf7
19.Qe6+
Ke8
20.Qxc6+
Kf7
21.Qe6+
Ke8
22.Rc3+-
]
18.Bxd5
cxd5
19.Ba3
I went on to win the tournament 1-0