An Eventful Gruenfeld

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Bc4 O-O 8. Ne2 c5 9. O-O cxd4 10. cxd4 Nc6 11. Be3 Bg4 12. f3 Na5 13. Bd3 Be6 14. d5 Bxa1 15. Qxa1 f6 16. Bh6 Re8 17. Rd1 Usual is 17. Kh1 Rc8 18. Nf4 Bd7 19. e5 Nc4 20. e6 Ba4 21. Nxg6 hxg6 22. Bxg6, with white sacrificing a rook for pressure on black's now-vulnerable king. I was disappointed not to get a chance to play this line. White's move, 17 Rd1, only has one game in the 365chess database.

17...Bd7 18. Qd4 a6 19. h4 Rc8 20. Qf2 b5 21. h5 Kf7? Here I was worried about defending the g6 square. Stockfish says that 22 e5! would now give white a 3-point advanrage; however, white misses this move, making it a double blunder.

22. Qg3? Rg8 23. e5 fxe5 24. hxg6+ hxg6 25. Qxe5 Qc7 26. Qg5 Nc4 27. Nf4 Ne5 (Qb6+) 28. Be4 (d6) Qd6 29. Qg3 Qf6 30. Bg5 Qb6+ 31. Kf1 Nc4 32. Ne6 Bxe6? Stockfish gives 32...Nd3+ as being equal.

33. dxe6+ Kg7 34. Bxe7? White wins with 34 Bh6+ Kxh6 35.Qh4+ Kg7 36.Qxe7+ Kh8 37.Qh4+ Kg7 38.Rd7+ Kf8 39.Qe7#

34...Ne3+?? (34...Qxe3=) 35. Ke2 Nxd1 36. Qxg6+ Kh8 37 Qh7# 1-0