Rapid Album: Unusual King's Indian

Unusual approach by white with early queen exposure on kingside....

White - kristijanZD [E60]

Online Rapid (15 min), 2023

1. d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.e3 Bg7 4.Nc3 0–0 5.Qf3

 Unusual plan.

5. ..d6 6.Qg3 Nc6 7.Bd3 e5 8.d5

It is not sure if white can afford him Nge2 with  maintaining the tension in center. After Nh5 and exd4 there are already  certain activities going on, with white king still at e1.

7. ..Ne7 9.e4 a6

Just for the case if white would think about O-O-O, I wanted to be  prepared to immediate b5 pawn break.

10. Qh4

Regardless the time which  white spent on early queen moves, position is still evaluated about equal.

11. ..Ne8 11.Bh6

Although Bg7 may develop extremely strong activity in later  phase of game (once black central pawns are moved), it is not so good  idea to go for exchange dark squared bishops, mainly because it is black  who might gain full control of various black squares over the board easily  and due to 'negative balance' between remaining (light square) bishops on  board in long term.

[11.Nge2]

11...c6

 The reason I hesitated from  standard f5 pawn break is that I was not so clear about opening of king  side at the moment. With certain white forces in front of my king I didn't  need O-O-O with pawn storm on king side. So i decided to prepare counter  play on queen side.

12.Bxg7

[12.Nf3]

12. ..Kxg7 13.Nf3 h6 14.g4 ?!  

 

So far all was OK, and I must admit that I didn't manage to use white's development disregard due to his several queen moves in opening. But now this was serious weakening of king side structure without being clarified  where white king is going to find safety .

[14.0–0 Nf6 =]

13. ..Nf6 15.g5 ?!

 

New mistake. Opening of h file was in black's interest due to  immediate Rf8–h8.

[15.h3]

15...hxg5 16.Nxg5 Rh8

Taking over control  of open h file. Perhaps white counted on Qxh8 with Nxf7 but, I could take  on h8 with my own queen.

17. Qg3

 

We may say opening phase was left  behind us and now it was time to make plan of further activities. Position  was better for black; white king was still in middle of board with unclear  future. White pawn structure on king side was not looking good. Black had  control of h file and due to absence of black square bishops, black had  options to develop further along various dark squares and diagonals. Plan  was to improve position of my knights, maintain control of h file with the  rook, employment of queen and maintain constant option for b7–b5 action in  case white goes queen side castle.

18. ..Nh5 18.Qf3 Nf4 19.Ne2 Nxd3+

There  were better choices like Rh4 or Qa5, but Nxd3 was along with the idea of  future side attack on white central pawns by f5 and b5.

19. Qxd3 b5 21.Qf3 ?

Source of future troubles.

[21.0–0–0 bxc4 22.Qxc4 (22.Qf3 f6 23.Ne6+ Bxe6 24.dxe6 d5 25.h4 Black should be better here, but  white still could create some counter play.) 22...cxd5 23.exd5 Bf5 24.Nc3 Qb6 With Rc8 to follow.; 21.h4 !?]

20. ..f6! 22.Ne6+ Bxe6 23.dxe6 d5

There were many ideas here, but based of fact that I could go  for clear extra pawn, I had no objection even to go for endgame if white  would chose so.

[23...bxc4; 23...Qa5+; 23...Qc8 24.Qg4]

24.exd5 cxd5 25.cxb5 ?!

 

 25.cxd5 Qxd5 26.Qxd5 Nxd5 27.0–0–0 Rad8 Weak  pawn structure on king side and fact that e6 pawn is doomed, could be  assumed as enough for black here to play for the win.

25...Rc8 !

Although I would be two pawns down I assumed that activity in this position  was most important at the moment. This move permanently prevents white king  for finding any shelter on queen side while on king side it would be  exposed to strong attack along open h and g files.

[25...axb5; 25...Qa5+ 26.Qc3 Qxb5]

26.bxa6 Qa5+ 27.Nc3

 [27.Kf1 Qxa6]

 27...d4 ?

Amazingly that this obvious and piece-winning move was actually premature and mistake which could give some ease for white.

28. Qb7! Rc7

Risky  move. Perhaps queen should go back to d8.

[28...Qd8]

29.Qf3??

[29.b4?! Rxb7 30.bxa5 Ra7 31.Nb5 Rxa6 After taking one more pawn and regaining material balance, black will be better due to better pawn  structure in resulting endgame.; 

29.Qb5! This was key move here! With  two pawns down and Nc3 actually not hanging any more there would be nothing  left but Rc5 and in such case white could even repeat the moves. 29...Rc5 30.Qb7!? Rc7 (30...Qd8 31.Nb5 With pinned knight on e7 and queen  nailed to the defense of this knight, it is unclear for black how to go for  advantage here.) 31.Qb5]

29...dxc3

Tensions have been released,  white was left with clear piece down. The rest of game was just technique  for black.

30.bxc3 Qxa6 31.Rc1 Qxe6 32.0–0 Rc4 33.a3 Rg4+ 34.Kh1 Rgh4 35.Qg3 Qd5+ 36.f3 Qd2 37.Rg1 Rxh2+

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