Garech: Wow, the more I look through this game, the more I like it. Some very interesting ideas going on and the advantage swayed from one side to the other on more than one occasion. Black missed the tricky shot 28.Bg4!
 click for larger viewwhich would have trapped the white queen.
There was careful manoeuvring for a long time throughout the game and then suddenly it exploded into action with 39...Nxe4! There were several things of note in the events that followed. After such careful and well-considered play for forty moves, both players went astray in the tactical complications. 40.Nxh6 was apparently a blunder, with 40.Nxe4 being preferable, although black remains slightly ahead. The 'queen sac' 41.Nxg8 I believe is white's reasoning behind 40.Nxh6, and it's a very creative choice. Black has to fight hard to keep the advantage, even with his queen, and Driessens went wrong with 43...Ne3, despite its being a move that appears totally correct and one that anyone would play. A juicy knight outpost at e3 and an unopposed queen - must surely be winning! But better was 43...Nc3 (equal) or ...Bd8! (slight advantage to black):  click for larger viewAfter 43...Ne3 white played accurately with his edge, and black got careless, perhaps thinking he was winning, and made some critical mistakes: 45...Ng4+, 47...Qd4? (Qa7! minimised white's advantage) and most notably 49...Kf6? allowing a mate in three. 49...Kg6 would just hold out:  click for larger viewwith play still left for both sides! I think this has GOTD potential and will recommend it now. Cheers,
-Garech |