WHITE: SENSULA
BLACK: PLASKOTA

Junior Chanpionship of Poland, Legnica 1979

1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 c5

Another possibility in this rare variation is 2...Ne4, e.g., 3. Bh4 g5 4. f3 with sharp und unclear play. After the text, simple 3. Bxf6 doubling black pawns deserves attention. The following White's moves show that he does not want to fight for initiative.

3. c3?! Ne4 4. Bh4

Safer was 4. Bf4. A lazy White's play allows Black to strike first!

4...Qb6 5. Qc2

A natural move, but possible was also 5. Nd2. In this case, Black develops strong initiative after 5...Nxd2 6. Qxd2 cd 7. cd e5!? 8. 0-0-0?! d5! 9. de Bf5 10. e3 Na6! 11. Bd3 Bxd3 12. Qxd3 Nb4. Better is 8. a3 with the intention of 8...ed (interesting is also 8...d5!? 9. de Nc6 10. Nf3 Na5) 9. Nf3 Nc6 10. Rd1 regaining the pawn. On the other hand, Black does not have to sharpen the play with 7...e5!?; the natural 7...d5 8. a3 (otherwise 8...e5!) 8...Nc6 with Bf5 and Na5 in sight gives him good perspectives. White suffers from the weakness of dark squares on the queenside.

5...Qh6!

Black wants to trade the white dark-squared bishop on g3. With the queen on h6, White has to recapture with the f-pawn weakening his pawn structure. In addition, White cannot take Ne4 because of mate on c1.

6. Bg3

Better looks 6. Nf3, although after 6...d5 7. Nd2 g5! 8. Bg3 (8. Nxe4? de 9. Bxg5 Qg6 -+) 8...Nxg3 9. fg cd 10. cd (or 10. Nxd4 e5!) 10...Nc6 Black maintains the initiative. His possibilities illustrates the following example: 11. e4? g4! 12. ed gf 13. dc Qe3 14. Kd1 Bg4! winning.

6...Nxg3 7. fg cd 8. cd Nc6

Have you noticed that White threatened 9. Qxc8#? Now 9. d5 Nb4 10. Qc4 e6 is in Black's favor.

9. Nf3 d5 10. Kf2?

A critical moment. The only playable move here was 10. Nc3 and then, e.g., 10...e6 11. Qc1 (if 11. Nb5 then 11...Bb4 and 12...0-0) which would slow down fast developing Black's initiative. White hoped to play e2-e3, but there is no time for that.

10...e5!

Opening the roads for black bishops!

11. de Bf5! 12. Qd2

The point is that 12. Qxf5 loses immediately to 12...Bc5 13. Ke1 Qc1#. Also, the white queen cannot control the c-file any more since 12. Qc3 would be followed by 12...Rc8, e.g., 13. Na3 Nb4 14. Qd2 Qxd2 15. Nxd2 Nc2 16. Nxc2 Rxc2 17. Nb3 Rxb2 18. Kf3 Bb1 -+

12...Bc5 13. e3 d4!

A decisive breakthrough in the center! Now White can trade the queens by 14. e4!? In this case, Black would have to choose between 14...Qe3 15. Qxe3 de 16. Ke1 Bxe4 with domination on the board, and 14...d3 15. Ke1 Bb4 16. Nc3 Bxe4 17. Qxh6 gh 18. Kd2 0-0-0 where White has serious difficulties with getting Bf1 and Rh1 into play.

14. ed Nxd4 15. Nxd4

15. Qxh6 is useless, because of 15...Nc2, 16...gh, and White loses Ra1.

15...Qb6!

Last surprise for White. Clearly, 15...Qxd2 16. Nxd2 Bxd4 was also sufficient, but the text ends the game much faster.

16. Kf3 Bxd4 17. Bb5

17. Nc3 Qc6 18. Ke2 Bxe5 does not change much.

17...Qxb5 18. Qxd4 Rd8! 19. Qf4

Or 19. Qxa7 Rd3 20. Kf4 (nice is also 20. Kf2 Qxb2 21. Ke1 Rd1! 22. Kxd1 Bg4 23. Ke1 Qe2#) 20...Qb4! 21. Kxf5 g6 22. Kf6 Qe7 23. Kg7 Qxe5 24. Kh6 0-0! 25. g4 Qf4 26. g5 Qh4#. Only recently I have learned (with the help of my computer) that, theoretically, the fastest way to mate after 19. Qxa7 is 20...f6!! 21. Qb8 Kf7 22. Qc7 Bd7 23. Qxd7 Qxd7 24. e6 Qxe6 25. h4 h5 and 26...Qg4# (In the previous variation White can "sacrifice" the queen 25. Qa5(!) Qxa5 26. g4 f6 27. h4 Qc7 and 28...Qg7#)

19...Rd3 20. Kf2 Qxb2 21. Ke1 Qxa1

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[Warsaw, 1/26/2001]