[Event "Petersburg"] [Site "?"] [Date "1862.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Shumov, I.S."] [Black "Petrov, A."] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C77"] [Annotator "MJDonnelly"] [PlyCount "55"] [SourceVersionDate "2022.06.06"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. d4 Nxe4 {A relatively rare move in the current position which is answered with a similarly uncommon move. By far the most frequent move here is} (5... exd4 {with a representative continuation being} 6. O-O Be7 7. Re1 b5 {Fressinet-Kramnik,Grand Prix du Senat Rapid 2002.} ) 6. dxe5 ({If} 6. O-O {then} b5 {would transpose to a hugely popular line played at all levels including many of the current World's elite.}) 6... d5 ( 6... Be7 {is also fully acceptable for Black as in Tregubov-Kovalev, Tal Memorial Blitz Riga 2021.}) 7. O-O (7. exd6 {eases Black's development and allows the generation of an active game via} Bxd6 8. O-O O-O 9. Re1 Bg4 { Lebret-Roman, Paris-ch open 1988.} ({as well as} 9... b5 {Rohacek-Valent, SVK-ch open Martin 1996.})) 7... Bc5 (7... b5 8. Bb3 Be6 {again transposes to a very common line.}) 8. Bb3 (8. c3 {surprisingly led to a dynamic equilibrium by sacrifice of the d5 pawn} O-O 9. Bb3 Bg4 10. Qxd5 Bxf3 11. gxf3 Qxd5 12. Bxd5 Nxf2 {Lacina-Maxera, Tabor open 2005.}) 8... Be6 9. c3 O-O {Black has a very decent game here but is now thrown off-course by White's next interesting idea.} 10. Be3 (10. Nbd2 {is steadier but does nothing to disturbe Black's comfortable game.}) 10... Bxe3 11. fxe3 {White has opened the f-file but at the price of weak doubled pawns.} Ne7 {Whilst this is fine for Black there are more emphatic moves to underline Black's advantage such as} (11... Re8 { continuing development as does}) (11... Qe7 {since White cannot play} 12. Bxd5 {as Black wins with} Rad8 13. c4 Nxe5 14. Nxe5 Bxd5 15. cxd5 Qxe5) ({and there is} 11... Nc5 {a typical idea in the Open Ruy Lopez chasing the important Bb3 and, in this case, with a view to targeting the e5 pawn with Nd7.}) 12. Nbd2 Nxd2 13. Qxd2 c6 {This is a little too solid as the d5 pawn is already secure. The idea of then sending the knight to the king's side to attack e5 proves not to be completely effective due to White's fine play.} (13... c5 {immediately looks a more active move.}) 14. Bc2 Ng6 15. Qd4 Rc8 {Again this is not a drastic error at all but playing for c5, a move that could have been played for free earlier, takes time and allows White to build up forces on the king's-side.} (15... Qc7 {is worth considering as an alternative.}) 16. Rf2 c5 17. Qd3 Qe7 (17... Qc7 {is again feasible with a few lines indicating the position is about balanced and Black cannot take advantage of the doubled pawns at present.} 18. Raf1 (18. a4 Rfd8 19. a5 Nf8) 18... b5 ({not of course} 18... Nxe5 19. Qxh7#)) (17... c4 18. Qd4) (17... Qb6 18. Rb1 Rfd8 (18... c4 19. Qd4)) 18. Raf1 Rcd8 {Again not a real error but the rook has now recently moved twice so perhaps} (18... Rfd8 {allowing for Nf8 is more natural when if White continues as in the main game with} 19. h4 {then h6 keeps the knight from g5.}) 19. h4 Bg4 (19... Rfe8 20. Ng5 {with pressure on f7 forces the roook to return to f8 but not} (20. h5 Nf8 21. h6 g6 {and the attack has stalled.})) 20. Ng5 f5 {The beginning of Black going downhill.} (20... c4 { makes it anyones game after} 21. Qd4 Nxe5 22. Bxh7+ Kh8 23. Bc2 f6) 21. exf6 gxf6 $2 {Black collapses after this move. Necessary was} (21... Rxf6 {with reasonble chances for Black as White has no clear continuation to improve the position.}) 22. Nxh7 {Devastating the Black defences.} f5 (22... Qxh7 {fails to } 23. Rxf6 Rxf6 24. Rxf6 Nf8 ({and} 24... Bh5 {to} 25. Qf5 {threatening Qg5.} ( 25. Rxg6+ {is poor as Black is left with the better end-game following} Qxg6 26. Qxg6+ Bxg6 27. Bxg6)) 25. Rxf8+ {winning the Black queen.}) 23. Nxf8 Qxf8 ( 23... Nxf8 {is no improvement due to} 24. Rxf5 Bxf5 25. Rxf5 Qxh4 26. Rf4 { and White is a clear pawn up with the Black king also very exposed.}) 24. Rxf5 {Temporarily returning some material to lay open the Black king and hence win even more.} Bxf5 25. Rxf5 Qe7 26. Rg5 Rd6 27. Rxg6+ Rxg6 28. Qxg6+ 1-0