A central break on move 14 unleashes the attacking potential in White’s position creating an attack which combines mating threats and queen traps to leave Black bound hand and foot! It’s a really unusual attack with some instructive themes from a typical Queen’s Indian structure – well worth remembering!
14.e4 dxe4 15.Ne5!
A strong attacking move, not giving Black the chance to relieve its position with an exchange of knights on e4. Exchanging on e5 is a much less pleasant story! The pawn comes to e5 attacking the knight on f6 and White follows up with Nxe4 aiming at the newly-created outpost on d6.
15…Nd5 16.Bxe4 Nxf4
Seer fights fire with fire, unwilling to concede White an iron grip on the centre after either 16…Nf8 or 16…N7f6.
16…Nf8 17.Nxd5 cxd5 18.Bf5 is unpleasant for Black
16…N7f6 looks natural but 17.Nxd5 cxd5 18.Bf5
is again very difficult for Black – Stockfish gives +3! An unexpected problem for Black is the shortage of squares for its queen, a theme that White continually weaves into its attacking moves
18…g6 19.Ng4!! gxf5 (19…Nxg4 20.Bc7
traps the queen!) 20.Nh6+ Kf8 21.Qxf5 Bd6 22.Rxe8+ Kxe8 23.Re1+ Kf8 24.Re6!!
24…fxe6 25.Bxd6+ Qxd6 26.Qxf6+ Ke8 27.Qf7+ Kd8 28.Qxb7 Qb8 29.Nf7+ Ke8 30.Nd6+ Kd8 31.Qxh7 Qxd6 32.Qg8+
17.Bxh7+ Kf8 18.Nxf7!!
A fantastic idea, made all the more impressive by White’s quiet follow-up!
18…Kxf7 19.gxf4
19…Nf6
The threat of Qb3+ and Qg8# must be dealt with
19…Nf8 20.Qb3+
20.Bg6+ Kf8 21.Qb3 Nd5 22.f5
The beautiful point of White’s piece sacrifice with 18.Nxf7! White will exchange off the black knight on d5 and then double on the e-file. White’s bishop on e7 will be unable to move due to the hanging rook on e8, and the rook on e8 cannot move because of the hanging bishop on e7! Meanwhile, after Nxd5, White gains the idea of Qh3!
22…Qd6 23.Re6 Qf4 24.Nxd5 Qg4+ 25.Kh1 c5
This would be worrying and tricky for a human player, but the calculation required is trivial for an engine. All traps will be avoided!
26.dxc5
26.Bxe8 c4! is one to be avoided!
26…Bxc5 27.Bxe8 Rxe8 28.Rxe8+ Kxe8 29.f3 Qxf5 30.Rd1
And the exchange and a pawn up was always going to be enough for DefenceChess!
30…Kf8 31.Qd3 Qh3 32.b4 Bd6 33.f4 Qg4 34.h3 Bxd5+ 35.Qxd5 Qxh3+ 36.Kg1 Qg4+ 37.Kf1 Qxf4+ 38.Ke2 Ke7 39.Rd4 Qh2+ 40.Kd3 Be5 41.Re4 Kf6 42.Re3 Qh7+ 43.Qe4 Qxe4+ 44.Kxe4 Ke6 45.b5 Bf6 46.a4 Kd6 47.Rd3+ Ke6 48.Rh3 Kd7 49.Kd5 Kc8 50.Rh8+ Kb7 51.Rf8 a5 52.bxa6+ Ka7 53.Kc6 Bd4 54.Kb5 Be3 55.Rf7+ Ka8 56.a7 g6 57.Ka6 Bh6 58.Re7 Bf4 59.Re8+ Bb8 60.axb8Q# 1–0