[Event "Stuttgart m blindfold"] [Site "Stuttgart"] [Date "1909.??.??"] [Round "3"] [White "Schlechter, Carl"] [Black "Mieses, Jacques"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "B01"] [Annotator "Donnelly,MJ"] [PlyCount "88"] [EventDate "1909.??.??"] [EventType "match"] [EventRounds "3"] [EventCountry "GER"] [Source "ChessBase"] [SourceVersion "2"] [SourceVersionDate "1999.07.01"] [SourceQuality "1"] {[%evp 0,88,31,34,29,53,73,-23,73,64,64,40,63,47,51,39,65,45,28,19,10,-227,-227,-245,-231,-231,-120,-120,-120,-120,-96,-290,-253,-357,-106,-81,-81,-116,-132,-132,-132,-172,-250,-343,-301,-324,-350,-412,-417,-394,-416,-447,-483,-479,-479,-479,-479,-531,-454,-469,-471,-473,-406,-428,-434,-446,-426,-435,-435,-479,-448,-470,-387,-398,-436,-436,-374,-396,-388,-533,-142,-169,-169,-198,-152,-166,-169,-606,-542,-578,-574]} 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. d4 Nf6 {and} 4. Nc3 Qa5 {The Scandinavian Defence with the queen here is classified as the Modern variaiton by Tartakower in the 1950s.} (4... Qd8 {and here as the Ancient variation but a move that has been played very extensively by, for example, Carlsen, Nakamura and Duda recently.}) (4... Qd6 {with the queen here this move may perhaps by termed the real Modern variation and very regularily played by Carlsen too. Its one of the two recommendations of Marek Soszynski's new book "Double Trouble Scandinavian Style.}) 5. Nf3 Nc6 {if combined with Bg4 this move would put pressure on d4. However,} (5... c6 {is much more common and somewhat better giving a retreat for the Black queen. Also more promising is}) (5... Bg4) 6. Bd2 {Highlighting one of the problems of the queen being on a5.} Bg4 (6... a6 {is also frequently played at least taking some of the sting out of Nb5.}) 7. Nb5 Qb6 {A critical point in the game as the queen is running short on available squares.} 8. a4 (8. c4 {is the major alternative and then} Nxd4 (8... Bxf3 9. Qxf3 (9. Qa4 {intending c5 is unclear as in Skibbe-Bandziene, BL Germany 1992.}) 9... Nxd4 10. Nxd4 Qxd4 11. Qxb7 $16 {Spassky-Prie, FRA Cup France 1992.} (11. Bc3 Qe4+ $15 {Egin-Shtanchaev, RUS Cup5 Ekaterinburg 1997.}))) (8. Bf4 {can be met by} Nd5 {MacKenzie-Griffith, IECG e-mail 1998.}) 8... Bxf3 (8... a5 {leaves the knight undisturbed and White can simply continue with} 9. Be2 {and a good position.} (9. Bf4 {can be met by the chaos generating} e5) ({and} 9. Be3 {by} O-O-O ({but not} 9... Nd5 10. c4 Nxe3 11. fxe3 {and Black is already struggling to survive due to the threat of c5-Rychagov-Olsen, Politiken Cup Copenhagen 1993.}))) 9. Qxf3 a6 (9... Nxd4 {is a serious mistake as after} 10. Nxd4 Qxd4 11. Qxb7 {White has a winning position after all Black replies:} Qe4+ {Diez Fraille-Dias Segura, Binissalem op 2002.} (11... Qe5+ {Benyei-Vegh, Budapest T-ch1 2015.}) ({and} 11... Rd8 12. Bb5+ Nd7 13. Be3 {Gorshkova-Vehreschild, Groningen op1997.})) 10. a5 $6 {Allowing Black to sacrifice his queen. Instead} (10. d5 {is most accurate} Ne5 11. Qg3 Ne4 12. Qf4 Nxd2 13. Qxe5 axb5 {and a curious equlity in Lecuyer-Prie, France 1993.}) 10... axb5 11. axb6 Rxa1+ {The position has become remarkably unbalanced and requires both players to try and keep an even keel.} 12. Bc1 (12. Ke2 {is not much of an improvement after} Nxd4+ 13. Ke3 Nxf3 14. Bxb5+ Kd8 $2 (14... c6 15. Bxc6+ bxc6 16. b7 Ra3+ 17. bxa3 Nd7 $19) 15. Rxa1 Nd5+ 16. Kxf3 Nxb6 $14 {Borge-Kristensen, DEN-Tch 1992.}) 12... Rxc1+ 13. Kd2 Rxc2+ 14. Kd1 Rxb2 15. Qa3 {Attempting to utilise the queen's greater mobility, in conjunction with the b6 pawn's potential to take on c7, to generate attacking chances against the Black king and the fact the Black king-side pieces are undeveloped. Later games have, however, shown} (15. bxc7 {is a better choice although Black remains with the superior position after} Kd7 16. d5 Rb1+ 17. Kd2 Nd4 {Maroczy-Van den Bosch, Match Netherlands 1930.} ({but less so after} 17... Rb2+ {Qadimbayli-Satir, EU-ch U10 Prague 2012.}) ({or} 17... Kxc7 {Jocyte-Bandziene, LTU-ch (women) Vilkaiskis 1994.})) 15... Rb1+ 16. Kc2 Rxf1 17. Qa8+ {Following the plan outlined earlier. Whilst} (17. Rxf1 e6 18. Qa8+ Kd7 19. Qxb7 Nd5 {is similar to the main game and associated notes.}) 17... Kd7 18. Rxf1 (18. Qxb7 Nd5 19. Rxf1 Nxb6 20. Rc1 {Lafora-De Veer, Wiener Schachzeitung corr. 1926 would transpose to the note on move 20.}) 18... Nd5 19. Qxb7 Nxb6 20. Kb1 (20. Rc1 {is also losing} Nb4+ ({but not} 20... e6 {as White snatches victory with} 21. Kd1 Nc4 22. Qxb5 $18) 21. Kb3 N4d5 22. Qc6+ Kd8 23. Qxb5 e6) 20... e6 21. Rc1 Nc4 22. Qa8 {White is unable to stop Black developing the king-side pieces.} (22. Qxb5 {of course loses to} Na3+) 22... g6 23. d5 {An effort to open the game to provide the queen with some checks and play but Black keeps control with careful play.} exd5 24. Rd1 d4 25. Rxd4+ {As good as anything else but realistically White is too much material down to resist much longer unless of course Black makes a blunder.} Nxd4 26. Qd5+ Bd6 27. Qxd4 Re8 28. Qd5 c6 {Black can afford a pawn or two to complete the co-ordination of his pieces then begin the process of pushing the QS pawns together with attacking the now exposed White king.} 29. Qxf7+ Re7 30. Qg8 Re1+ 31. Kc2 Re2+ 32. Kd3 Rxf2 33. Qxh7+ Kc8 34. Kc3 Be5+ 35. Kd3 ({If} 35. Kb4 Bd4 {stops Kc5, with some play, and wins easily after} 36. Qh3+ Kc7 37. Qg3+ Kb7 $19) 35... Rd2+ 36. Ke4 Rd4+ 37. Kf3 b4 38. Ke2 (38. Qxg6 Kb7 39. h4 b3 {and Black easily wins the pawn race.}) 38... Rd2+ 39. Kf1 b3 {remarkably Black can even give back a piece to ensure the b-pawn advances to victory.} (39... Ne3+ {would also win after} 40. Kg1 (40. Ke1 Bc3) 40... Rxg2+ 41. Kh1 Rxh2+) 40. Qg8+ (40. Qh3+ {is no help after} Rd7 41. Qxb3 Nd2+) 40... Kc7 41. Qf7+ Rd7 42. Qxc4 (42. Qxg6 b2 43. h4 Nd2+ $19) 42... b2 43. Qb3 Rd5 44. Qc2 $1 {Has White engineer a last ditch defence?} Rc5 {Certainly not! Black wins with this neat rook sacrifice. A tremendous game to play blindfolded, without serious errors, and featuring such complex chess.} ({Following} 44... Rc5 45. Qxc5 b1=Q+ {wins.}) 0-1