Liu, Daniel (2000) - McCartney, Patrick (1915)
South Carolina Open, 2000
Round 4 [McCartney,P]
March 17, 2008 - This week's game comes from the 4th round of the 2000 South Carolina
Open where I had started with 3 draws, and being near the bottom of the pack, had a good shot at money
with wins in the final 2 rounds. Needless to say, while I may have won this one, featuring a very interesting
line of the Semi-Slav defense, I proceeded to lose my final round game afterwards.
1.d4
e6 2.c4 Nf6
3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3
c6 5.Bg5 This
is the main alternative to the well-known 5.e3, which leads to the Meran and many well-known anti-Meran
lines, including the well-known Shabalov Gambit (5.e3 Nbd7 6.Qc2 Bd6 7.g4).
5...dxc4 This
is the wildest of Black's 3 mains options here, and is a personal favorite of mine from either side of
the board. The first of Black's other main choices is 5...h6, known as the Moscow Variation, which leads
to a quieter game unless White decides to play the now popular anti-Moscow (6.Bh4), which often entails
gambitting a pawn, but getting a much more tactical game in return. The other option is to play 5...Nbd7
6.e3 Qa5, which now is a transposition to the Cambridge Springs variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined.
6.e4
b5 7.e5 h6
8.Bh4 g5 9.Nxg5
hxg5 10.Bxg5 Nbd7
11.exf6 Bb7 12.g3
c5 13.d5 Qb6
14.Bg2
16.Rb1 This
line was heavily favored by GM Wolfgang Uhlmann, and is the primary alternative to the main line, which
is 16.Na4 Qb5 17.a3 exd5 18.axb4 where Black has a choice between 18...cxb4 and 18...d4, both of which
are extremely complicated and often lead to huge material imbalances and pawn storms are extremely common.
The idea behind 16.Rb1 is that Black is in a lot of trouble if he tries to take the piece. Following
16...bxc3 17.bxc3 Qa6 18. Rxb7! followed by 19.dxe6 with a huge attack. Generally speaking, Black wants
to prevent the b-file from being opened at all cost.
16...Qa6 Black's
other option is to play 16...Bh6 17.Bxh6 Rxh6 18.b3! cxb3 19.Na4 Qb5 20.axb3 exd5 21. Rc1 Kb8 22.Qd2
Rdh8 23.h4 c4 with counterplay.
17.dxe6 Bxg2
18.e7 18.Kxg2? Qxe6 is not an option for
White. However, an interesting alternative is 18.Re1, ruling out the Queen from capturing on e6, and
threatening 19.Kxg2. Black has 2 viable options here. A) 18...bxc3 19.exd7+ Rxd7 20.Re8+ Kc7 21. Qe2
c2 (Not 21...Qxa2? 22.Bf4+ Bd6 23.Bxd6+ Rxd6 24.Rxh8 Qxb1+ 25.Kxg2 c2 26. Qe7+ winning.) 22.Qxc2 Bd5
23.Bf4+ Kc6 is risky, but there appears to be nothing concrete here for White. B) 18...fxe6 19.Kxg2 bxc3
20.bxc3 Qc6+ 21. Kg1 Bh6 22.Qg4 Bxg5! 23.Rxe6 Qd5 24.Qxc4 Nb6! and Black holds. Returning to 18. e7.
18...Bxf1
19.Qd5 White's main alternative is 19.Kxf1
Bh6 (Eliminating the annoying move, Bf4, seen in many lines.) 20.exd8=Q+ Kxd8 21. Bxh6 Rxh6 22.Nd5 c3+
23.Kg1 Qe6 24.Nf4 Qxa2 23.bxc3 Rxf6 26.cxb4 Rd6 27.Qc1 c4! giving Black good counterplay.
19...Bxe7 The
other option is 19.Bh6 20.Bxh6 Bd3 21.Ne4 Bxe4 22. Qxe4 Rde8 (22...Rxh6 fails to 23.Qa8+ Nb8 24.Qxb8+!
winning.) 23.Bg7! Rh5 24. Rd1 with unclear play.
20.fxe7
Bd3 21.exd8=R+ The
wrong idea. Better is 21. Ne4 when Black has 3 possibilities, but only 1 works. A) 21...Bxe4? 22.exd8=Q+
Rxd8 23.Qxe4 B) 21...Rdg8? 22.Nd6+ Qxd6 23.Qxd6 Rg6 24.Qd5 Bxb1 25.Bf4 Rd6 26. Qa8+ Nb8 27.Bxb8 winning.
C)21... Bxb1! 22.Nd6+ Kc7 23.Bf4 Kb6 24.Nxc4+ Kb5 25. Nd6+ Kb6 26.exd8=B+ Rxd8 27.Nc4+ Kb5 28.Nd6+ Kb6
29.Nc4+ Kb5 with a draw.
21...Rxd8 22.Ne4
Bxb1 23.Nd6+ Kc7
24.Nxf7 White is in trouble. 24.Bxd8+ also
fails to 24...Kxd8 25.Nb7+ Kc7 26.Qxd7+ Kxd7 27.Nxc5+ Kd6 28.Nxa6 c3.)
24...Re8
25.Bf4+ Kb6 26.Qxd7 A
better try is 26.Qd6+ Ka5 27.Qxd7 Re1+ 28.Kg2 Be4+ 29.f3 Bc6 30.Qd2 Ra1 31. Bc7+ Ka4 32.Qc2+ b3 33.Qc3
Rxa2 34.Ne5 Bd5 and while Black still has a large advantage, he isn't just outright winning like he is
in the main game.
26...Re1+ 27.Kg2
Qb7+ 28.Qxb7+
Kxb7 29.Nd6+ Kc6
30.Nxc4 Bxa2 31.Ne3
Bd5+ 32.Kh3 Or
32.Nxd5 Kxd5 33.h4 Rb1 34.h5 Ke6 35.g4 c4 36.g5 c3 37.bxc3 b3 and Black wins.
32...Re2
0-1