1.e4
e6
The French Defense
2.d4
Take the center when they don't prevent you
2...d5
Here's the main idea in the defense... but the structure often locks in the Bc8
3.Nc3
Defending e4, pressure on d5
3...Nf6
The Classical French
4.Bg5
An invitation to 4...Be7 5.e5 when white can trade his "bad" dark-squared bishop for black's "good" bishop.
4...dxe4
Black has other ideas
5.Nxe4
Be7
The Burn variation
6.Bxf6
Bxf6
7.Nf3
By controling e5, the Bc8 remaions bad.
7...0-0
8.Qd2
Be7
9.0-0-0
White will easily complete development and begin operations on the kingside
9...Nd7
Preventing Ne5
10.Bc4
a6
11.Bb3
The bishop will eventually return to the b1-h7 diagonal at c3
11...c6
Preventing d5
12.Qf4
b5
13.h4
With many ideas, notably Ng5 and Rh3-g3
13...Ra7
14.Neg5
Nf6
Defending h7
15.c3
idea Bc2 and defending the center
15...Qc7
16.Ne5
White has no desire to exchange queens... keep the fuel on the board to support the attack.
16...c5
17.Bc2
cxd4
18.Qxd4
A novelty, with an interesting prepared sacrifice.
18...Bc5
19.Qf4
Bd6
Diagram
20.Rxd6
Bonzai... It take a bit of courage. Two months of preparation doesn't hurt either.
20...Qxd6
21.Rd1
Qc7
22.Qe3
For the exchange, white has enormous pressure on the kingside and many ideas, notably f4 and g4
22...Rb7
23.f4
b4
24.c4
keeping the queenside sealed
24...Qa5
25.Nc6
Qc7
[25...Qxa2??
26.Bb3
Qa1+
27.Kc2+-
traps the queen!]
26.Ne5
Qa5
27.Kb1!
After gaining time on the clock (yes, there's time pressure even in correspondence chess!)
27...Rd8
28.Bd3
Down the exchange, exchanges are to be avoided.
28...Re8
29.g4
And the attack rages on. White has all the chances owing to the closed nature of the queenside. Black would need the dark-squared bishop to pry open white's later queenside pawn structure
29...g6
30.h5
b3
31.a3
Keeping it sealed. There's simply no way to break through to the white King
31...Rc7
32.Ngxf7
And white breaks through
32...Rxf7
33.hxg6
Rg7
[33...hxg6
34.Bxg6
Rb7
35.g5
]
34.g5
Nd7
35.gxh7+
Kh8
36.Ng6+
Rxg6
37.Bxg6
Re7
38.Ka1
My vote for the nicest move of the game... defense comes first!
38...e5
39.Bb1
Qd8
40.f5
Qf8
[40...Rxh7
41.Qxe5++-
]
41.Rg1
Rg7
[41...Rxh7
42.f6
Rh2
43.Qg3+-
]
42.f6
Nxf6
43.Rf1
Re7
44.gxf6
1-0