The Exchange Slav

Here is a game played on chessbase today.

1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 cd This avoids the complex play after other moves, and it keep some advantage for white due to having the move in hand. Certainly a good opening to play if you are content to draw.

3...cd 4 Bf4 Moving either knight out is more popular, but this scores better. 4...Nc6 5 e3 e6 This scores poorly for black, per the database.

6 Nc3 Bd6 7 BxB QxB 8 Nf3 Nge7 The third-most popular move here, after Nf6 and a6. 9 Rc1 Usual is Bd3. My move is not in the database, though there is one game in the database by transposition.

9...0-0 10 Bd3 a6 The database game contintued 10...e5, and white won by ganging up on black's isolani at d5.

11 Bxh7+?! Given that my opponent was rated 200 points higher than me, I figured "what the heck". The engine says this give black a big advantage. 11...KxB 12 Ng5+ Kg6 The engine prefers 12...Kh6, -3.1 to -1.6. Bad for black is 12...Kg8. 13 h4 The engine prefers 13 Qg4, -1.6 to -3.3.

13...f6 The engine prefers e5 or Kh6 by half a point. But black still is up by 2 and 1/2. 14 Qd3+ Nf5 15 f4? Black now has a huge 6-point edge. Best is 15 g4. 15...Rh8? Black blunders back. Best is fg.

16 g4 The engine prefers 16 h5! Rxh5 17 RxR KxR 18 g4+ Kg6 (Not 18...Kh6?? 19 Nf7+, forking king and queen) 19 gf+ ef with only a slight edge for black.

16...fg 17 gf+ ef 18 h5+ The engine prefers fg by a point and a half. 18...Kh6 Too timid. The engine much prefers 18...Rxh5. 19 fg+ Kxg5? A huge blunder. 19...Kh7 retains black's 3-point edge.

20 Kf2? (Rg1+) Kh6 21 Rcg1 Be6 22 Rg6+ (Qf1!) Kh7 23 Rhg1 Rhg8 24 Qf1 Raf8 25 Qg2 Rf7?? 26 Ne2?? (We both overlooked 26 Rh6+!! gh 27 QxR#; however, I now have a 3-point edge.) 26...Ne7? (Qd8) 27 Nf4 Qb4 28 NxB (Kf3) Qxb2+ 29 Kf3 QxQ+ 30 R1xQ Kh8 31 R6g5 b5 32 Nf4 Kh7 33 Ng6 Re8 34 NxN? (Ne5!) R7xN 35 Kf2 Rxe6 36 Rxg7+ (engine says now equal) Kh8 37 R2g6 Re2+ 38 Kf3 Rxa2 39 h6 Rh2 40 Ra7 Rh4 41 Rf6 Rxd4 42 R6f7 Rd3+ 43 Kf4 Re4+ 44 Kg5 Rg3+ 45 Kf6! Rh4? 46 Rh7+ Kg8 47 Rhg7+ RxR White time forfeits 0-1 I had a forced mate at the end with 48 Ra8+ Kh7 49 hg.