I prepared a very tricky variation in the Tarrasch French. My opponent took a long time to figure it out. He chose a solid line and played well. And then I surprised myself…
2019 Split Open, Round 7, 08/09/2019, S. Tomic (1920) vs S. Leidorf (2126), French Defense, Tarrasch
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7
5. Bd3 c5 6. c3 Nc6 7. Qg4 cxd4 8. cxd4 Nb4
9. Bb1 Qc7 10. Qd1 b6 11. Ne2 Ba6 12. O-O Rc8
13. Re1 Nc2 14. Bxc2 Qxc2 15. Qxc2 Rxc2 16. a3 Bxe2
17. Rxe2 Be7 18. Re1 O-O 19. Nf3 Rfc8 20. Rb1 b5
21. Bd2 Nb6 22. Red1 Na4 23. Bc1 b4 24. axb4 Bxb4
25. Ra1 a5 26. Rxa4 Rxc1 27. Ra1 R1c2 28. Rab1 g6
29. Kf1 a4 30. Ne1 Bxe1 31. Kxe1 Rb8 32. Rd2 Rc4
33. Ra1 Rbb4 34. Rad1 Kf8 35. Ke2 Ke7 36. f4 Kd7
37. g4 Rb3 38. Ra1 Rh3 39. Rh1 Rb4 40. Ke1 Re3+
41. Kd1 Re4 42. Rf1 Rbxd4 43. Rxd4 Rxd4+ 44. Kc2 Rc4+
45. Kd3 Rb4 46. Rf2 Kc6 47. Rc2+ Kb5 48. Rc7 Rxf4
49. Rb7+ Kc6 50. Re7 g5 51. Ra7 h6 52. Re7 f6
53. Rxe6+ Kd7 54. Rd6+ Ke7 55. Rxd5 Rxg4 56. exf6+ Kxf6
57. Rd6+ Kg7 58. Ra6 Rh4 59. Kc3 Kh7 60. Ra8 Kg6
61. Ra5 Rh3+ 62. Kd4 Rxh2 0 – 1
I was preparing something against this opponent for a long time. I wanted to find a tricky variation he won’t know. I knew he will play the French (and he probably knew I was going to play the Tarrasch). I didn’t want to go for the aggressive variations I usually play. Most likely, it was going to be the rook sac line after f4, Nf4.
And then I found Qg4. A very unusual move which seems weird and bad at first. But how should black respond? I really liked it and investigated it further. White seemed to score well with it. It was decided!
What happened next was either my fatigue or my blindness. Horrible.
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