[Event "Edward Lasker Memorial 109th New York"] [Site "?"] [Date "2025.12.21"] [Round "?"] [White "Huston, G."] [Black "Lapshun, Y."] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C61"] [WhiteElo "2356"] [BlackElo "2262"] [Annotator "MJDonnelly"] [PlyCount "106"] [SourceVersionDate "2008.05.10"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nd4 {Bird's Defence has an appealing logic. White is denied two of the major stategies of the Ruy Lopez. The first is to play Bxc6 and "damage" Black's pawn structure. World Champion Lasker played some striking games with this line. More recently Fischer scored highly with it even against World-class players. Other top players such as Anand and Nakamura have also used the line. The second concept for White is to initially retain pressue on the a4-e8 diaognal but then retreat the king's bishop to b3, with pressure on f7, and/or to c2 with indirect pressure on f5 and h7. Both lines can lead to slow-burn, but very powerful, White attacks. Overall White's play has often been termed the Spanish Torture. Although Black moves the only developed piece for a second time at the start of the game it attacks the Bb5 hence ensures White has to make an early decision.} 4. Nxd4 {The main continuation. If White retreats instead with} (4. Bc4 {then Black already has a comfortable game after} Nxf3+ ({or the more tactical} 4... Bc5 {allowing} 5. Nxe5 {which can be met with} Qg5)) (4. Ba4 {can similarily be met by} Nxf3+ ({or} 4... Bc5)) 4... exd4 5. O-O {The most natural move. Efforts to dissolve Black's sometimes cramping central d4 pawn with} (5. c3 {again allows Black to instigate counter-play with the seemingly beginner's move} Qg5) 5... Bc5 {This rapid development of the king's bishop seems more logical than} (5... g6 {which has generally been shown to favour White. One famous game continued} 6. d3 Bg7 7. Nd2 Ne7 8. f4 c6 9. Bc4 d5 10. Bb3 O-O 11. Nf3 c5 12. e5 b5 13. c3 {and alhough Black is fine the game Capablanca-Blackburne, St.Petersburg 1914 saw another superb win for the Cuban,}) 6. Bc4 {With the Bc5 loose this move allows possibilies to sacrifice on f7. Much more common though is instead} (6. d3 {but Black secured a decent game after} c6 7. Ba4 d6 8. Nd2 Nf6 {Anand-Kovalev, Tata Steel-A Wijk aan Zee 2020.}) 6... d6 (6... c6 {is to be avoided due to} 7. Bxf7+ Kxf7 8. Qh5+ {Hakimifard-Mazariegos, 42-Olympiad Baku 2016.}) 7. d3 Be6 {A slightly unusual approach exchanging off the potentially powerful Bc4 at the cost of a weakening of the Black pawn structure.} ({It is pertinent to indicate that Black has alreaady in the game other acceptable lines such as} 7... c6 {played by Hector}) (7... Ne7 {Tukmakov}) ({or} 7... Qe7 {Howell}) 8. Nd2 (8. Bxe6 {is the main alternative when a recent Lapshun game went} fxe6 9. Qh5+ g6 10. Qe2 Qd7 11. a4 Ne7 12. Nd2 {and Black was OK at this stage in the game-(Fischer (D)-Lapshun, Parnu Keres Memorial 2025.}) 8... Bxc4 (8... Nf6 {also looks playable and after} 9. Bxe6 fxe6 10. Qe2 e5 11. c3 dxc3 12. bxc3 O-O 13. d4 exd4 14. cxd4 Bb6 {Black had pressure on White's centre in Slovineanu-Kula. Titled Tuesday intern op 8th Aug late Chess.com INT Blitz 2023.}) 9. Nxc4 Ne7 10. Re1 O-O {The outcome of the opening is very satisfactory for Black who has castled safely and is not under the usual "Spanish Torture" pressure.} 11. Qh5 {Only apparent activity which Black can easily deal with. Perhaps} (11. Qg4 {threatening Bh6 might have offered more chances but Black can simply.reply} Qc8) (11. Bg5 {also doesn't achieve much as Black can push back the White pieces with} f6 12. Bf4 b5) 11... Qd7 12. a4 {Securing the outpost on c4 but weakening b4.} Bb4 13. Re2 Rae8 {Black's pieces are more co-ordinated than White's who has no obvious plan to move forward.} 14. Bf4 {Now White adds a loose bishop to the problems of the position and Black begins to assume the initiative.} f5 {The threat is to take on e4 and if White protects the bishop with Rxe4 then Black wins material with d5.} 15. Bd2 Bxd2 16. Nxd2 (16. Rxd2 fxe4 17. dxe4 Qe6 18. Qe2 (18. Rxd4 Nc6 {again wins material.}) 18... Nc6 {leaves White under heavy pressure and Black threatening d5.}) 16... Ng6 17. Ree1 {White has to retreat to avoid the fork on f4 since if} (17. g3 f4 {commences a strong attack one possibility being} 18. Qd5+ Kh8 19. Qxb7 f3 20. Ree1 Qh3 {winning.}) 17... Nf4 18. Qf3 fxe4 19. Rxe4 Rxe4 20. dxe4 ({If} 20. Nxe4 {then Black can oust the knight immediately with} d5 {and continue to harrass White via} 21. Nd2 Qc6 22. Qd1 Qg6 {An alternative plan is to advance the queen's-side pawns with b6/c5 retaining the options of c4 or d5.}) 20... Qc6 21. Qb3+ d5 22. Kh1 {A key moment in the game. White tries to exploit the pin on d5 whilst minimising Black's potential attack on g2 and also Nh3+ ideas. Instead} (22. exd5 {takes the game into murky waters if Black plays} Qg6 (22... Qxd5 {is simpler with Black's position being preferable due to more space and more active pieces after} 23. Qxd5+ Nxd5 24. Nb3 c5 25. a5 (25. Nxc5 Rc8 26. Nb3 ({or} 26. Nxb7 Rxc2 27. Nd6 (27. Rb1 {is too passive and loses to} d3) 27... Rxb2) 26... Rxc2 27. Nxd4 Rxb2) 25... b6) 23. d6+ ({most forceful whilst other lines lead to Black's advantage:} 23. Qf3 Qxc2 $19) (23. g3 Nh3+ 24. Kh1 Nxf2+ 25. Kg1 Nh3+ {and h5 can follow with attacking chances.}) (23. Qg3 Ne2+ $19) 23... Kh8 24. Qxb7 cxd6 {and White is unable to retain the extra pawn by defending c2 for example} 25. Qe4 (25. Rc1 Ne2+) 25... Nh3+) 22... Kh8 23. e5 Qg6 {A well calculated line in which Black, utilising a temporary queen sacrifice, enters a slightly more promising end-game.} (23... d3 {is another interesting move with White being on the back foot following} 24. cxd3 Qg6 25. g3 Qxd3 26. gxf4 Qxd2) 24. g3 Nh3 25. Rf1 {White is still Ok after this move but clearer was} (25. f4 {when Black can play} Rxf4 {but} 26. Qxd5 ({certainly not} 26. gxf4 Nf2#) ({as well as} 26. Qxb7 Rf8 27. Qxc7) 26... Rf8 27. e6 {both seem to force Black to draw with} Nf2+ 28. Kg1 {since now} Qxc2 {loses to} 29. e7) ({After} 25. Qxd5 Nxf2+ 26. Kg1 Nh3+ 27. Kh1 Qg5 {leaves Black with the initiative as White cannot take on d4 due to} 28. Qxd4 Rd8) 25... Rxf2 26. Qxd5 Rxf1+ 27. Nxf1 Qe4+ 28. Qxe4 Nf2+ 29. Kg2 Nxe4 30. Kf3 Nc5 {although the ending seems equal Black is able to generate a series of small threats. Note that the d4 pawn in controlling e3 prevents White centralising the king or knight easily.} 31. a5 {A decent choice but the ending is surprisingly complex and can lead to positions difficult to judge at distance in a practical game..} (31. b4 {looks obvious but then White had to consider} Nxa4 (31... Ne6 {is too ambitious. Although Black can eject the White king from the d5 square the d4 pawn ends up lost followiing} 32. Ke4 Kg8 33. Kd5 Kf7 34. Nd2 Ke7 35. Nf3 c6+ 36. Kc4) ({and} 31... d3 32. cxd3 Nxd3 33. Ke4 Nxb4 34. Kf5 {when the active king compensates for the pawn deficiency.}) 32. Ke4 Kg8 33. Kxd4 Kf7 {where Black has the less scattered and potentially vulnerable pawns.}) (31. b3 Kg8 32. Nd2 Kf7 {when White may experience issues defending c2 or e5.}) 31... Kg8 32. b4 Na6 33. b5 (33. Ke4 Nxb4 34. Kxd4 Nxc2+ {simply wins a pawn since the Black king on g8, rather than h8, can control e6 or e7 and prevent the advance of the e5 pawn or entry of the White king into Black's position.}) 33... Nb4 34. Ke4 Nxc2 35. Nd2 {White is still fine here but after} (35. Kd3 Na3 {is favourable for Black after each of} 36. Kxd4 (36. a6 bxa6 37. bxa6 c5) (36. b6 axb6 37. axb6 cxb6 38. Kxd4 Kf7) 36... Nxb5+) 35... Na3 36. a6 bxa6 37. bxa6 Nc2 38. Nb3 (38. Kd3 {once again leads to poblems for White, for instance, via} Nb4+ 39. Kxd4 Nxa6 40. Kd5 Kf7 41. Kc6 Ke6 42. Kb7 (42. Nf3 h6 43. Kb7 Nc5+ 44. Kxc7 Kd5) 42... Nb4 43. Kxc7 Nd3 44. Kb7 a5) 38... d3 39. Kxd3 Nb4+ 40. Kc4 Nxa6 41. e6 {A small error as the pawn comes closer to the control of the Black king.} ({The careful} 41. Nd4 {guarding e6 and yielding the possibilities of Nc6 or Nb5 whilst at the same time Nb3 which may enable White to slow the advance of the c- or a-pawns.}) 41... Kf8 42. Kb5 Nb8 43. Nd4 Ke7 44. g4 {Another small error yielding access to f4 for the Black king. Somewhat better chances were offerd by} (44. Kc5 g6 45. g4 Na6+ 46. Kc6 Nb4+ 47. Kxc7 Nd3 48. Kc6 ({not} 48. Kb7 a5 $19)) ({but} 44. Nc6+ {shortens the game as White is unable to hold back the queen's-side pawns as well as prevent the Black king gaining acess to g2.} Nxc6 45. Kxc6 Kxe6 46. Kc5 Ke5 {wins.}) 44... Kd6 45. Nf5+ Kxe6 46. Nxg7+ Kd5 {with the White knight astray all Black's pieces can now keep the White king from attacking the queen's-side pawns and also help support the advance of the c- or a-pawns.} 47. Ne8 (47. Nh5 {is also good for Black after} c6+ 48. Kb4 Kd4 49. Nf6 c5+ 50. Ka3 h6) 47... c6+ 48. Kb4 Nd7 49. h4 (49. g5 Ke5 50. Ka5 Kf5 51. Ka6 Kxg5 52. Kxa7 c5 53. Nd6 Kg4 54. Nc4 Kh3 55. Kb7 Kxh2 56. Kc6 Nf8 57. Kxc5 h5 58. Ne5 Kg3 {and White is unable to sacrifice the knight for the pawn which will soon queen.}) 49... Ke5 50. g5 {doesn't save the game.} Kf5 51. Ka5 Kg6 52. Kb4 Kh5 53. Nf6+ Nxf6 (53... Nxf6 {wins quickly after the correct king move by Black} 54. gxf6 Kg6 ({but not the disastrous} 54... Kxh4 55. f7 $18) 55. Kc5 Kxf6 56. Kxc6 Kg6 57. Kb7 Kh5 58. Kxa7 Kxh4 {and the last pawn will promote.}) 0-1