tipau vs. Rekursiv

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[Event "ICS Rated atomic match"]
[Site "freechess.org"]
[Date "2008.01.26"]
[Round "-"]
[White "tipau"]
[Black "Rekursiv"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2391"]
[BlackElo "2257"]
[Variant "atomic"]
[TimeControl "300+12"]

1. Nf3
{
Tipau might play almost any opening.  He is largely responsible for 
much of modern atomic opening
theory.
}
1... f6 2. Nc3
{
This two-knights opening has receieved a lot of attention lately at 
FICS, probably due to gmonubense 
bringing in the line seen in this game from another site.
}
2... Nh6
{
This is highly preferred over 2. ... c6, which probably gives White 
too much of an edge after 3. e3.
}
3. Ne5 fxe5 4. e4
{
That was gmonubense's popular sequence of moves (although I'm sure 
he wasn't the first to play them).
This is a hyperaggressive opening by White and Black has to be very 
careful.
}
4... Ng4 5. f4 e6
{
I turned to this move early in trying to defend this opening as I 
was getting crushed with 5. ... c6.  
The verdict is still out as to which defense is better.
}
6. Nb5 Qf6
{
The logical follow-up to e6.  Now white can't immediately capture 
anything with his knight due to Qd4.
Black hopes to launch a quick attack.
}
7. h3
{
Tipau has been testing this early h3 move (a popular alternative 
is 7. d5), and this isn't the first time 
tipau has had this position against me.  He has beat me with it 
every previous time, but I finally
have a little luck as we will see.
}
7... Nh2 8. Be2 Bb4
{
This move is not only to develop the piece and prepare for castling, 
but Black is also preparing a later
Bxc3 (after White has a pawn on c3) which can come in very handy 
if White captures the c7 pawn with 
his knight, since then Black will have an open file for his rooks.
}
9. c3 Nf1 10. d4 Ne3 11. Qa4
{
Maybe White should have tried the simpler 11. Bxe3 a6 12. Nxc7 
}
11... O-O 12. Bh5 Nc2
{
Black inserts this intermezzo so that his useful knight doesn't get 
captured.
}
13. Ke2 a6 14. Nxc7 Kh8 15. Bf7 Qd8
{
This is the only square for the attacked Black queen.  
}
16. Qxd7
{
White has just given Black too many half-open files for his rooks.  
However, he had no choice
at this point since Black was about to trap his queen with b5.

Now, Black's bishop and knight are poised to take the c3 or d4 
pawns and Black's rooks will occupy
the c and/or d files.  The only useful defensive piece White has 
at the moment is his light-squared 
bishop which will prove insufficient.  I suppose White's mistake 
was Qa4.  By the way it's nearly 
impossible to foresee that certain moves are mistakes in blitz 
games like this.  There is always some
randomness to an atomic game.
}
16... Rad8
{
Black is now threatening Nxd4.
}
17. Be8
{
White plans to counter Nxd4 with Bd7.
}
17... g5
{
But can White handle the threat of opening two different files?
}
18. cxb4
{
White tries to get some open space around his king in anticipation 
of a rook invasion.  He has
surely given up the win, but still struggles to draw.
}
18... Nxd4
{
Black sees that he can secure a draw with this move, but he 
should have been more ambitious
and looked for a win with Rc8.  Hard to think with only a couple 
of seconds.
}
19. Bd7 Rc8
{
Nice move.  Black sacs a rook since he will only need one to draw 
the game.  Black probably had no
winning chances at this point.
}
20. Bxc8 Rd8 21. g4
{
White secures himself enough space for the draw.
}
21... Rd2 22. Ke1 Re2
{
A draw was agreed.
}
1/2-1/2