[Event "MCC Championship "] [Site "https://lichess.org/study/XM6fIJuT"] [Date "2017.12.10"] [Round "4"] [White "Nicholas Checa"] [Black "Robert Perez"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A04"] [Opening "Reti: 1...c5"] 1. Nf3 c5 2. c4 Nc6 3. Nc3 g6 4. g3 Bg7 5. Bg2 e6 { Perez adopts The Fischer System as a defense in this Symmetrical English, one of Black's most flexible options. Black's dark-square bishop will exert pressure along the the long diagonal while he aims to complete development with ...Nge7, ...b6, ...Bb7,...0-0 and ...d5. } 6. O-O Nge7 7. d3 d5 8. Bd2 O-O 9. Qc1!? { An interesting move. Checa aims to defang the powerful g7 bishop with this unusual development of the queen. Having castled early, Black cannot play h6, which would be possible if the rook were still on h8. Mihail Marin mentions this plan in his 3 volume text on the English, though he mostly investigates lines with Bg5 and concludes that White appears to be missing a critical tempo to make the plan work, as on g5 the bishop can be hit with h6 or even f6 in some lines. By leaving the dark square bishop on d2, Checa is able to execute this strategy without a loss of tempo, though it does concede space. } 9... b6 10. Bh6 d4 { This move grabs space and establishes dark-square control, which may prove important as the dark-square bishops are sure to be removed from the board. While Black can be happy with his opening play here, this committal move also gives White a clear plan: to undermine Black's queenside pawn-chain with the standard English maneuver a3, Rb1 and b4 as well as e3 at some point. A more flexible approach would be to maintain the tension in the center and continue developing with Bb7. One possible continuation might be } (10... Bb7 11. Bxg7 Kxg7 12. e3 e5 13. cxd5 Nxd5 14. Rd1) 11. Bxg7 Kxg7 12. Ne4 Bb7 13. e3 Qd7 14. Rd1 Rab8 { Black overprotects the Bishop on b7 and perhaps plays 14...Rb8 in contemplation of White someday opening the b-file. However, this is a misstep at a critical moment. Black needed to shore up his space advantage with either 14...e5 or 14...Rad8, after which he may be able to claim an edge. } (14... e5 15. exd4 (15. b4 cxb4 16. Qb2 f5 17. Ned2 dxe3 18. Nxe5 Nxe5 19. Qxe5+ Kg8 20. Bxb7 exf2+ 21. Kxf2 Qxb7 $15) 15... Nxd4 16. Nxd4 Qxd4 17. Nc3 Bxg2 18. Kxg2 $15) (14... Rad8 15. a3 f5 16. Ned2 dxe3 17. fxe3 e5 18. Nf1 $15) 15. h4 f6 16. a3 a5 17. Rb1 h6 18. exd4 Nxd4 19. Nxd4 Qxd4 20. b4 { White begins the queenside attack, with his heavy pieces perfectly coordinated to support the advance of his majority. } 20... f5 21. Nd2 Bxg2 22. Kxg2 Nc6 23. Nf3 Qd6 24. bxc5 bxc5 25. Qc3+ Kf7? { The king will now interfere with the coordination of his own forces. Better was 25...e5 or perhaps even 25...Kh7. } 26. Rb5 { White establishes control of the only open file, and now has a free hand to attack on the queenside as Black's awkwardly placed king slows his kingside play. } 26... f4 27. Rdb1 Rxb5 28. cxb5 $18 { This passed pawn will prove difficult to deal with, while Black's a and c pawns will remain weak. } 28... Nd4 29. Nxd4 cxd4 30. Qxa5 Kg8 { Activating the Rook on the f-file, but allowing White to consolidate his advantage with 31.Qe1. } 31. Qe1 fxg3 32. fxg3 Qd5+ 33. Kg1 Rf3 { Black's heavy pieces look menacing. But the queen on e1 holds the kingside together while the rook on b1 ushers the b pawn down the board. } 34. b6 Qa2 35. b7 Rxg3+ { Liquidating into a lost queen and pawn ending is the only way to stop the b pawn from queening. } 36. Qxg3 Qxb1+ 37. Kh2 Qxb7 38. Qxg6+ Kh8 39. Qxh6+ Kg8 40. Qxe6+ Kh8 { After scooping up Black's last pawn on d4, the winning procedure involves approaching black's king with white's king in order to create mate threats that, together with the threat of the advancing pawns, will overwork black's queen. } 41. Qe5+ Kh7 42. Qxd4 Qb8+ 43. Kh3 Qc8+ 44. Qg4 Qc2 45. Qe4+ Kh6 46. a4 Qc3 47. Qf4+ Kh7 48. Qf5+ Kh8 49. a5 Qe1 50. Qh5+ Kg8 51. Qf3 Qxa5 52. d4 Qa6 53. d5 Kh8 54. Qf8+ Kh7 55. Qf7+ Kh8 56. Qf8+ Kh7 57. Qf5+ Kh8 58. Kg4 Kg7 59. Qd7+ Kf8 60. Kg5 Qa3 61. Qd8+ Kf7 62. Qf6+ Kg8 63. Kh6 Qa7 64. d6 Qh7+ 65. Kg5 Qd7 66. Qe7 Qh3 67. Kh6 Qc3 68. Qe8# 1-0