Reply #10: Howell - Meihnardt, Round 8, Dresden

[Jack Rabbit]

David Howell
Photo: ChessBase.com

David Howell vs. Maximilian Meinhardt
European Individual Championships, Round 8
Dresden, April 2007

Best Game of Round 8, Open Competition

Closed French Game: Tarrasch Opening (Guimard Defense)

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Nc6 4. Ngf3 Nf6 5. e5 Nd7 6. Nb3 a5

• More common is 6. -- Be7.
• 6. -- Be7 7. Bb5 0-0 8. 0-0 Ncb8 9. c3 b6 10. Ne1 c6 11. Be2 Ba6 12. Bxa6 Nxa6 13. Qg4 Re8 14. Bh6 Bf8 15. Bg5 Be7 16. Bh6 Bf8 17. Bg5 Be7 18. Bxe7 Qxe7 19. f4 gives a a little more space, but with Bishops off the board that counts for less than usual. (Yanofsky-Portisch, Ol, Munich 1958).

7. a4 b6 8. h4

• The text move is good, but less familiar than other.
• If 8. Bb5 then:
• 8. -- Ncb8 9. Bg5 Be7 10. Bxe7 Qxe7 11. 0-0 0-0 12. Re1 c6 13. Bd3 Ba6 14. Nc1 Rc8 15. Ne2 Bxd3 16. Qxd3 c5 17. c3 Nc6 18. Qe3 Rab8 is balanced (Suetin-Naumkin, IT, Moscow 1992).
• 8. -- Na7 9. Be2 Bb7 10. 0-0 Qc8 11. Ng5 h6 12. Nh3 Ba6 13. f4 g6 14. g4 Bxe2 15. Qxe2 Nc6 is equal (Howell-Contin, Gibralter 2004).
• 8. Bf4 Be7 9. h4 Bb7 10. c3 Qc8 11. Bb5 Nd8 12. Bg5 Bf8 13. h5 h6 14. Bh4 c6 15. Be2 Ba6 16. 0-0 Bxe2 17. Qxe2 is equal (Spassky-Drasko, Sarajevo 1986).
• If 8. c3 Be7 9. Bd3 Ba6 10. Bxa6 Rxa6 11. 0-0 then:
• 11. -- 0-0 12. Bd2 Ncb8 13. Nc1 c5 14. Nd3 Nc6 15. Qe2 Ra7 16. Rfb1 Qa8is level (Koskinen-Thorbergsson, Ol, Munich 1958).
• 11. -- Ra8 12. Re1 Nf8 13. Nbd2 Ng6 14. Nf1 Qd7 15. Qe2 0-0 16. Ng3 Rae8 gives White a minute edge in mobility (Hübner-Larsen, Montreal 1979).

8. -- Ba6 9. Bxa6 Rxa6 10. Bf4!?

• White gets out of the book in a position that doesn't offer much.
• 10. h5 h6 11. Rh3 Ne7 12. Qe2 Ra7 13. Bd2 Qc8 makes it difficult for either side to move forward (Ivanovic-Prie, Op, Meudon 1984).
• Worth consideration is 10. Qd3 Ra8 11. c3 Be7 12. Bg5 0-0 when Black's advantage is neglegable

10. -- h6

• This is to keep White's pieces, especially the Bishop, out of g5.

11. h5 Ra7

• Black may intend to play f7f6 in which case the c-pawn needs more protection from the masked attack from the Bishop at f4.

12. Kf1!?

• A curious-looking move that might be a hope to catch Black off balance.
• Objectively better is 12. c3 Be7 13. Rh3 Rb7 14. Qd2 Ncb8 15. Nc1 c5 16. Rg3 with an even position in which neither side has much maneuverability.

Black: Maximilian Meinhardt
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White: David Howell
Position after 12. Ke1f1

12. -- Qc8

• This isn't by any means the best move.
• Better is to prepare and execute the pawn break on f6: 12. -- Be7! 13. c3 0-0 14. Qd2 f6! 15. exf6 Nxf6 16. Qe3 Qd7 gives Black a fine game.

13. Rh3 Ne7?!

• White want to advance his c-pawn, but this is the wrong place for the Knight.
• Better is 13. -- Nd8 14. c3 c5 15. Be3 Nc6 16. Qe2 c4 17. Nbd2 Rc7 when the Bishop may develop to e7.

14. Nh4 c5 15. c3 Qc6?!

• This move is dubious in that it take a squre away from the Knight, which should vacate e7 for the Bishop.
• Better for Black is 15. -- Nc6 16. Nf3 Rc7 17. Rg3 Ne7 18. Qe2 Nf5 with more harmonious piece placement.

16. Kg1 Kd8 17. Nd2 Rc7

• Black fortifies the c-pawn, perhaps in anticipation of 18. dxc5.
• 17. -- c4 18. Bh2 Rg8 19. Qf3 Ke8 20. Qe3 g5 21. hxg6 fxg6 is even.

Black: Maximilian Meinhardt
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White: David Howell
Position after 17. -- Ra7c7

18. Nb1!?

• White decides not to play 18. dxc5, if he was contemplating it at all, seeing it gets him nothing.
• 18. dxc5 bxc5 19. b3 g5 20. hxg6 fxg6 21. Nhf3 Bg7 is level.

18. -- g5 19. hxg6 fxg6 20. Nf3 Bg7

• The position is level.
• 20. -- c4? 21. Na3 Nb8 22. Nb5 Rd7 23. Bg5 pinning the Knight and making it difficult for Balck to bring pieces to effective posts.

21. Na3!

• The Knight is heaed for b5. Black can do nothing to stop it.

21. -- Nf8 22. Nb5 Rd7 23. Be3

• White defends d4 so as not to open a file for Black's heavy pieces.
• Also practical is 23. Nd6 Nf5 24. Rh1 g5 25. Bh2 Ng6 26. Rc1 g4 27. Ne1 giving White a Knight on a sixth rank outpost and a masked attack on the Queen preventing Black from playing -- cxd4.

23. -- g5 24. Nh2

• The Knight is headed for f1 to give piece protection to the Bishop at e3.
• Slightly better may be 24. Nd2 Nf5 25. Qh5 Re7 26. b3 Nd7 27. Re1 Rf8 28. Rf3 when White threatens both 29. g2g4 and 29. Nd6.

24. -- Nf5 25. Nf1 Ng6?

• This is a waste of time.
• Correct is 25. -- Re7 26. b4 when:
• 26. -- Nd7 27. bxc5! bxc5 28. Nd2 Rf8 29. Qh5 cxd4 30. cxd4 Qc2 is equal: Black kingside is protected and the pawns on the queenside are balanced.
• After 26. -- Ng6? 27. dxc5 Nxe3 28. Nd4 Qa8 29. Rxe3 White shoul be able to create a passed pawn on the queenside and take command of the open file that results.

26. Qh5 Nge7

• The Knight goes right back to where he was.
• If 26. -- Nxe3 27. Qxg6 then:
• After 27. -- Nf5 28. Ne3 Nh4 29. Rxh4 gxh4 30. c4 Qb7 31. Qxe6 White's piece activity more than compensates for the exchange.
• After 27. -- Nxf1 28. Nd6 Rf8 29. Rxh6 Bxh6 30. Qxh6 Rg8 31. Qxe6 Black has the material advantage, butr White is doing a lot more with his material.

27. Bxg5! hxg5

• No better is 27. -- Rg8 28. Bh4 Nxh4 29. Qxh4 when all the mobile pieces on the board are White ones.

Black: Maximilian Meinhardt
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White: David Howell
Position after 27. -- hg5:B

28. Qxh8+!!

• The Queen sacrifice is the most efficient and beuatiful winning method.
• If 28. Qxg5? Rxh3 29. gxh3 Kc8 then:
• After 30. b4 axb4 31. cxb4 Bh6 32. Qf6 Bg7 33. Qf7 cxd4 34. Qe8+ Rd8 Black's extra Bishop will prevail.
• After 30. Re1 c4 31. Rb1 Kb8 32. Ng3 Bh6 33. Qh5 Rd8 Black is a piece up.

28. -- Bxh8 29. Rxh8+ Ng8 30. Rxg8+ Ke7 31. Ne3

• The material is theoretically even, but White has the active Rook.

31. -- Nh6 32. Rg6 Nf7 33. Nf5+ Kf8 34. g4 Nh8 35. Rh6 Kg8

• After 35. -- Nf7 36. Rf6 Kg8 37. Kg2 Rb7 38. Rh1 Rd7 39. Rg6+ Kf8 40. Rh7 Black continues to strangle.

36. Kg2 Nf7 37. Rg6+ Kf8 38. Rh1 Rd8 39. Rf6 1-0

• 39. Rf6 Ke8 40. Rh7 Rd7 41. Nbd6+ is lights out.
• Herr Meinhardt resigns.