Annotated Game #290: Winning is good enough

This second-round tournament game saw me employ the Stonewall as Black against my opponent's Colle-Zukertort setup. I don't believe the matchup of structures is favorable to White, although some tactical ideas did pop up in the middlegame related to the idea of freeing the Bb2 and creating a Q+B battery on the long diagonal. My kingside pressure was too great, however, and once I found the winning idea on move 18, it was essentially over.

It is worth highlighting that there was a better winning idea on move 19, but I struggled to calculate that particular line. Once I realized that the other line also won, however, I did not waste further mental energy in trying to figure out which was the best winning move - it did not matter. This I think is a valuable practical choice in tournament games, often encountered more in the endgame; who cares if it takes an extra several moves to win, if there is a simple way to do so? Winning in the end is good enough.

[Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Class B"] [Black "ChessAdmin"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "D30"] [Annotator "ChessAdmin/Dragon 3.2"] [PlyCount "44"] [GameId "2069779515183161"] 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 c6 {actually the second most popular move in the database, after ...Nf6.} 3. e3 e6 (3... Bf5 {would interrupt the standard Colle System plan, although after c2-c4 we would end up in a Slow Slav.}) 4. Bd3 f5 {the Stonewall formation.} 5. O-O Nf6 6. b3 {leading to a Colle-Zukertort setup.} Bd6 7. Bb2 O-O (7... Qe7 {normally is a better preparatory move, dominating the f8-a3 diagonal. However, White has just played Bb2, so castling seems like a better investment of time.}) 8. Nbd2 Ne4 {since this is the best place for the knight, moving it is not premature, although it is not necessary.} (8... Bd7 {followed by ...Be8-h5 is another standard maneuver.}) 9. c4 Nd7 10. cxd5 exd5 $11 {following the normal Stonewall rule of capturing with the e-pawn following an exchange on d5. The Bc8 is given more scope as a result, while the c6 pawn blocks the semi-open file.} 11. Ne5 Qe7 {joining the fight for e5 and getting off the back rank.} 12. Ndf3 Rf6 {long think here to decide on a plan. In this position, a rook on h6 should be effectively placed.} (12... Ndf6 {I also considered; both options are validated by the engine.}) 13. a3 $6 {this idea is too slow.} Rh6 $15 14. b4 g5 {going for the direct approach, threatening to push away the Nf3.} 15. h3 Bxe5 $6 {the idea was to remove the defender of g4, but it would be much better to, in effect, add two minor piece attackers on the kingside with} (15... Ndf6 $1 {also unleashing the Bc8.}) 16. dxe5 g4 {this still creates threats that are difficult to address, however.} 17. Bxe4 (17. e6 $1 {my opponent found this surprising idea one move later, when it was too late.} Ndf6 18. Bxe4 fxe4 19. Ne5 {is the point, as the square is now available for the knight.} gxh3 20. g4 $1 {now holds things together after} Bxe6 21. Kh1 $11) 17... fxe4 $6 {taking with the wrong pawn.} (17... dxe4 {White cannot do anything with the d-file and there is now an extra advanced pawn on the attack.}) 18. e6 $2 (18. Nh2 {and White survives after} gxh3 19. f4 exf3 20. e6 {again a key idea, opening the long diagonal and allowing a Q+B battery to be formed.} (20. Rxf3 Nxe5 21. Qd4 Qg7 22. Rf2 Rh5 23. Raf1 Be6 $17)) 18... gxf3 $1 $19 {now White's fate is inevitable, as he does not have enough defenders available on the kingside.} 19. exd7 Qg5 {found after a careful think. The immediate mate threat on g2 means White does not have time to execute his own threats.} (19... Bxd7 {I rejected due to an inability to correctly visualize / calculate the sequence after Qd4. However, once I found the win with ...Qg5, this was not critical.} 20. Qd4 Qg5 21. Qh8+ Kf7 22. Qg7+ Qxg7 23. Bxg7 Kxg7 $19) 20. dxc8=Q+ (20. d8=Q+ Qxd8 21. Qd4 Qg5 22. Qh8+ Kf7 23. Qg7+ Qxg7 24. Bxg7 Kxg7 $19) 20... Rxc8 21. g3 Rxh3 22. Qd4 Rxg3+ 0-1