One thing to keep in mind about the game is that it is a Correspondence event, and so things like playing sidelines that your opponent doesn't know or trying to push your opponent out of time are both non-factors. With that said, let's take a look at the game.
2017 Electronic Knights Semifinals (Correspondence)
W: Cameron Leslie (1953)
B: Patrick McCartney (1958)
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5
This is the starting position of the main line of the Winawer. White has other options at move 4, but we won't be talking about those here in this article. Here, Black has two main moves, and both have their pros and cons. These moves are 4...c5 and 4...Ne7. In some cases, these moves can lead to the exact same thing. For example, the Poisoned Pawn variation can be reached via 4...c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7 7.Qg4 Qc7 or 4...Ne7 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 c5 7.Qg4 Qc7. The same can be said about any other line that can arise from the position after Black's 6th move, such as the 7...O-O line, the aggressive 7.h4, and the positional lines, 7.a4 and 7.Nf3.
However, there are deviations from the main position after Black's 6th move, and which move Black plays on move 4 decides which options each side has.
Let's start with 4...c5. This is the more common move of the two. Here, besides 5.a3, White has three legitimate options. They are 5.Qg4, 5.Nf3, and 5.Bd2. Let's go through each of them. We will look at each, and then look at Black's main deviation after 5.a3.
A) After 5.Qg4, Black's best move is 5...Ne7!
Now 6.Qxg7 is not good because Black still maintains the Dark-Squared Bishop. After 6...Rg8 7.Qh6 (Or 7.Qxh7 cxd4 8.a3 Qa5 9.axb4 Qxa1 10.Nce2 Nbc6 and White lacks compensation) cxd4 8.a3 Ba5 9.b4 Bc7 10.Nb5 a6 is better for Black. Therefore, White needs to play 6.dxc5, and after 6...Nbc6 7.Bd2 (7.Qxg7 is still bad for the same reason except Black advances the d-pawn instead of a capture) Ng6 8.Nf3 Bxc5 9.Bd3 Qc7 10.O-O-O a6 11.h4 Bd7 12.Bxg6 hxg6 13.Qf4 O-O-O and Black has completely equalized because 14.Qxf7 is not good due to 14...Nxe5 15.Nxe5 Qxe5. Note that 12.h5 Ngxe5 13.Nxe5 Nxe5 14.Qxg7 O-O-O 15.Bxh7 Nc4 is also good for Black.
B) After 5.Nf3, Black can play 5...Ne7, which will likely transpose to the main line with 7.Nf3, but he can also play 5...cxd4 when 6.Qxd4 Nc6 7.Qg4 Nge7 8.Qxg7 Ng6 with ...Be7 to follow and Black is fine.
C) The more strategic approach with 5.Bd2 is far more popular:
The idea here is that White wants to play 6.Nb5. This avoids the wrecked pawn structure, it leads to a trade of Dark-Squared Bishops (which is White's bad Bishop) instead of Bishop for Knight and wrecked pawns, and White sees that d6 is weakened by the move 4...c5. Therefore, Black must develop the King's Knight, either with 5...Ne7 or 5...Nh6 so that 6.Nb5 can be answered by 6...Bxd2+ 7.Qxd2 O-O, avoiding a check by the Knight on d6 and forcing the Black King to remain in the center. The downside to this is that White is moving his already developed Knight, and the line as a whole is very slow for White. A positional battle ensues, but the lack of speed in White's development allows Black to equalize.
D) This now leads to 5.a3, and after 5...Bxc3+ 6.bxc3, we have the following position:
Now 6...Ne7 takes us back to the main line. However, Black has one other alternative. He can play 6...Qa5, known as the Portisch-Hook Variation. The idea behind it is that White must guard c3, and after 7.Bd2, Black plans to play 7...Qa4. This eyes the c2-pawn instead of the c3-pawn, and prevents White from advancing a4 himself, which is a common idea in the main line as White can get get the Dark-Squared Bishop active via Ba3, and let's not forget that this Bishop is uncontested because Black gave up his Dark-Squared Bishop for the Knight. After 7...Qa4, White has two main ideas. He can play 8.Qb1, with threats of winning the Queen via Bb5+, against which Black plays 8...c4 and will usually castle Queenside and attempt to break through on the Kingside. The other main option is 8.Qg4, forcing Black into a decision similar to that of the MacCutchen Variation. Do you surrender castling rights with 8...Kf8? Or do you weaken the dark squares on the Kingside with 8...g6? Both are options and have their own theory. We saw the 8...Kf8 option in The French Connection - Volume 18.
So now this leads us to 4...Ne7. We already mentioned how the main line can arise from this move. Let's take a look at what the differences are between this move and 4...c5.
A) First of all, if White tries to play 5.Qg4, Black is not forced to transpose via 5...c5, and can instead play 5...Nf5. After 6.Bd3 h5 7.Qf4 Qh4 8.Bxf5 Qxf4 9.Bxf4 Bxc3+ 10.bxc3 exf5 11.h4 Be6, the position is equal.
B) After 5.Nf3, the game will almost always transpose to the main line with 7.Nf3 as Black doesn't have the extra option that he had after 4...c5 of taking on d4.
C) After 5.Bd2, Black can take advantage of the fact that he has not advanced the c-pawn yet, and this is what we will be seeing in the game.
D) After 5.a3, the main difference is that Black lacks the option of playing the Portisch-Hook Variation, and he also lacks the option of playing another well-known side line and that is 6...Qc7, intending to answer 7.Qg4 with 7...f5, guarding g7 with the Queen rather than having to castle into it or play 7...Kf8 to guard it, or go in the wild mess in the Poisoned Pawn and allowing White to take on g7.
So we can conclude that 4...Ne7 makes 5.Qg4 harmless, and the game will show the major pluses for Black in the 5.Bd2 variation. The only downside to this move for Black is that it removes the side options against 5.Nf3 and 5.a3. If Black fully intends to play the main line (4...c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7), this may actually be the better way to do it as it makes two White sidelines inferior, and the other main sideline will merely transpose.
4...Ne7 5.Bd2 b6!
Here is the main advantage to 4...Ne7 against the 5.Bd2 variation. Black has no weakened d6, and so there is no real threat of Nc3-b5-d6. Black's plan is simple here. He intends to take the Knight on c3, to avoid any Nb5, and then play ...Ba6, forcing a trade of Light-Squared Bishops, the typical problem piece for Black in the French Defense.
It is well known that White must act aggressively on the Kingside in the Winawer and playing something like 6.Nf3 Bxc3 7.Bxc3 Ba6 8.Bxa6 Nxa6 9.Qe2 Qc8 10.O-O c5 11.Rfd1 Nb8 12.a4 Nbc6 13.dxc5 bxc5 14.Qb5 c4 15.Qc5 O-O simply favors Black.
The main line runs 6.Qg4 O-O 7.O-O-O Bxc3 8.Bxc3 Ba6 9.Bxa6 Nxa6 10.h4 c5 and Black has equalized. In the game, White tries to play a novelty, avoiding the trade of Light-Squared Bishops.
6.Nce2
The problem I see with this move is that it plugs up White's development.
6...Bxd2+ 7.Qxd2 Ba6
Black goes here anyway with the idea of trading Bishops the moment White moves the e2-Knight.
8.h4 c5 9.h5 h6
With Black's Dark-Squared Bishop gone, this move is critical, avoiding 10.h6 by White and severely weakening the dark squares around the Black King.
10.f4 Nbc6 11.Nf3 Nf5 12.c3
If White could have his way, he would like to advance g4, driving the Knight back, and then break open the Kingside with an eventual f5 or g5. So the decision for Black is critical. First thing to recognize is that White's advancement of the f- and h-pawns have lead to some weaknesses in the White position, namely the squares e4, g3, and g4. The other question Black must ask is how weak his light squares will be if he allows White's Bishop to be uncontested. Any pin on the Knight on c6 can be answered by the Rook or Queen guarding the Knight, and otherwise, there aren't any real weaknesses for Black in the light squares. Black's issues in the French Winawer usually lie in the dark squares around the Black King. Here, with White's dark-squared Bishop gone, that's not an issue either. Therefore, Black proceeds to eliminate the Knight on e2 that is covering g3, which is Black's main route to e4 for his Knight, and e4 is a much more stable square for the Knight than f5, again because of an upcoming g4 by White if Black does nothing.
12...Bxe2 13.Bxe2 Ng3 14.Bb5
White takes a very risky approach, attempting to keep pieces on the board. Better might have been to admit that he has no advantage and play 14.Rh3 Nxe2 15.Qxe2 cxd4 16.Nxd4 Nxd4 17.cxd4 O-O 18.O-O-O Rc8+ with an equal position.
14...O-O
Black uses tactics to get his King out of the center. The fact that he is hitting the Rook on h1 and that moving the Knight to e4 hits the Queen is important, otherwise Black would lose after move played in the game.
15.Rh3
15.Bxc6 can be answered by 15...Rc8 as there is no way to avoid giving the piece back. Any harassment of the Rook, such as 16.Bb7, Black can simply hit the Bishop with a move like 16...Rc7. If the Bishop flees, the Rook on h1 hangs. Also, if the Knight is attacked by the Rook, then Black plays ...Ne4 and the Queen cannot guard the Bishop.
15...Ne4 16.Qe2 Rc8 17.O-O-O cxd4
Obviously it makes far more sense for Black to open the c-file rather than close it with 17...c4.
18.Bxc6
Possibly better is 18.Nxd4 Nxd4 19.Rxd4, after which Black should reply with 19...f6, opening up the f-file for his other Rook. Black would have the initiative, but with proper defense, White can probably maintain the balance with careful play.
18...Rxc6 19.Nxd4 Rc4 20.Re3 Qc7
21.Rxe4?
Yes, the Black Knight is strong and very annoying for White, but for now, it can be worked around. White must defend via a counter-attack, and should go after the Black King. After 21.g4! Rb8 (After 21...b5, White can play 22.Rxe4 and do as he did in the game as now he gets an extra pawn, which makes a big difference here) 22.g5 hxg5 23.h6! gxf4 and only now should White sacrifice the exchange and after 24.Rxe4! dxe4 25.Nb5 Qc5 26.h7+! Kh8 (White is winning after 26...Kxh7?? 27.Qh5 Kg8 28.Rh1 Kf8 29.Qh8+ Ke7 30.Qxb8 Qe3+ 31.Kb1 Qd3+ 32.Ka1 Qd7 33.Qh8 Qxb5 34.Rd1 Qe8 35.Qh4+ f6 36.exf6+ gxf6 37.Qh7+) 27.Nd6 and now Black is forced to take the draw via 27...Rxc3+ 28.bxc3 Qxc3+ 29.Kb1 (29.Qc2 Qa1+ 30.Kd2 Qd4+ 31.Kc1 is a perpetual) Qb4+ and now 30.Ka1 Qc3+, 30.Kc1 Qa3+, and 30.Kc2 f3 31.Nxf7+ Kxh7 32.Qh2+ Kg6 33.Nd6 Qa4+ all lead to perpetual check while 30.Qb2? Qxb2+ 31.Kxb2 e3 32.Rh1 Rf8 33.Kc2 f6 34.Kd3 fxe5 35.Ke4 b5! is better for Black since 36.Nxb5 is answered by 36...Rf7 and in the long run, the h-pawn is dead.
So we see that White has to play accurately to hold on to half of the point, but it is better than immediately sacrificing the exchange.
21...dxe4 22.Nb5 Qc6 23.Nd6 Rc5 24.Nxe4 Rd5 25.Re1 b5 26.g4
Now the attack is too slow.
26...b4
27.c4
27.g5 doesn't work now. After 27...hxg5 28.h6, Black can simply respond with 28...bxc3 and his attack is faster.
27...Rfd8 28.g5 Rd4 29.b3 Kf8
With the Black Rook no longer on f8, Black can escape the g-file rather than take on g5 and not give White the option of trying to advance the h-pawn to tear open the position.
30.Kb1 a5 31.gxh6 gxh6 32.Nd6 a4 33.Qe3
33...R8xd6!
After 33...Qc5 34.bxa4 Rd1+ 35.Kc2 Qxe3 36.Rxe3 Rf1, Black has no advantage. Also note that taking with the other Rook is wrong because Black wants his battery on the d-file to be lead with the Rook, not the Queen.
34.exd6 Qxd6 35.f5
Trying to pry open the Black King and find a perpetual, but it isn't there. Black can safely take the pawn.
35...exf5 36.Qe8+ Kg7 37.bxa4
After 37.Rg1+, both 37...Rg4 and 37...Kf6 38.Qh8+ Ke7 39.Re1+ Re4 are winning for Black.
37...Rxc4 38.Qe2
Black must now keep two things in mind. The first is not to let his King get mated. The second is that he must keep at least one set of pieces on the board. If all the heavy pieces are traded off, the White a-pawn is out of reach.
38...Qd4
Pretty much blocking all checks either directly, as in the a1-h8 diagonal, or indirectly, as in the g-file since the Black Queen covers g1, and 39.Qg2+ can be answered by 39...Kf6 and White has no checks. Black is willing to trade Queens, but the Rooks must remain on the board.
39.Qb2 Rc3
Black could probably still win by immediately trading Queens, but Black activates his Rook to the maximum before trading.
40.Qe2
Or 40.Rc1 Qd3+ 41.Ka1 Qe3 intending 42...f4 is also winning for Black while 40.Qg2+ Kh7 is nothing for White.
40...Qd3+ 0-1
White Resigned because after 41.Qxd3 Rxd3, his position is hopeless. The King is cut off from the third rank and the Black Rook can get behind the a-pawn by going at any point to the protected a3 square, and the King is going to go to f6 where it is save and pretty much makes it virtually impossible for White to win a pawn on the Kingside.
So we looked at the pros and cons of 4...c5 versus 4...Ne7, and the game showed the major advantages for Black in the latter line against 5.Bd2, and shows that 5.Bd2 is less effective against 4...Ne7 than 4...c5. This does not make 4...Ne7 better than 4...c5, and both are fully playable, but this article illustrates how various move orders as early as moves 4 to 6 can lead to vastly different options for both sides, and if you are going to play the Winawer from either side, you need to know these nuances and figure out for yourself which move order works best for you if you are Black, and if you are White, you have to understand the differences between 4...c5 and 4...Ne7 because either one can be played against you.
This concludes this edition of The French Connection. Til next time, good luck in all of your French games, Black or White.
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