Another GM beats e4stat

E4stat played in the Philadelphia Open. I won a prize and gained a few rating points, but it was not because of this game. GM Bryan Smith gives a lesson on how to beat 2100 players; hopefully you can learn something from this.

[Event "Philadelphia Open"] [Site "Philadelphia"] [Date "2019.06.29"] [Round "2"] [White "Wilson, Matthew"] [Black "Smith, GM Bryan"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "B57"] [WhiteElo "2112"] [BlackElo "2512"] [Annotator "Wilson,Matthew"] [PlyCount "92"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bc4 Qb6 7. Nb3 e6 8. O-O Be7 9. a4 { This move is less effective if Black hasn't played ...a6. 9.Be3 is better. I forgot my prep. } O-O 10. Be3 (10. a5 {is more consistent}) 10... Qc7 11. f4 b6 (11... d5 { is playable, according to the engine:} 12. exd5 Nb4 $1) 12. Be2 Bb7 13. Bf3 Rac8 14. g4 (14. Nb5 Qb8 15. c4 {doesn't work} a6 {Stockfish's recommendation} (15... Nb4 { is in my notes, but Stockfish finds} 16. Bd2 { and Black shouldn't go pawn grabbing:} Rxc4 17. Na3) 16. Nc3 Nb4 17. Nd2 Rfd8 { and ...d5 is coming}) 14... Nb4 15. g5 Nd7 ({ Stockfish briefly likes a weird tactic:} 15... Nxe4 16. Bxe4 Bxe4 17. Nxe4 Nxc2 {. However, it soon realizes that this doesn't end well for Black} 18. Rc1 Nxe3 19. Rxc7 Rxc7 20. Qe2 Nxf1 21. Kxf1) 16. Bg2 Rfd8 17. Rf2 {A multi-purpose move. White can double on the f-file, swing the rook over to d2, or play Qh5 without dropping the c2-pawn. But these plans are too slow. Stockfish recommends 17.Nd4.} Nc5 18. Rd2 {Preventing ...d5} ({ After the game, I thought that} 18. Nd4 { was more accurate, but in my notes I realize that} d5 19. e5 Ne4 { is still miserable for White}) (18. Nb5 Qb8 19. Nxc5 bxc5 {is Stockfish's recommendation. It thinks that the position is equal since ...d5 is far less dangerous now}) 18... d5 {Oh...I guess I didn't prevent it after all.} ({ Stockfish points out that} 18... Nxb3 19. cxb3 d5 {is more accurate, since it prevents(!) White from playing c2-c3 in some variations}) 19. e5 $6 ({ I saw his trick:} 19. exd5 $6 Nxb3 20. cxb3 Bc5 $1 { and Black regains the pawn favorably.} 21. Bxc5 Qxc5+ 22. Kh1 Nxd5 23. Nxd5 Bxd5 24. Bxd5 Rxd5 25. Rxd5 exd5 {and Black is much better}) (19. Nb5 { was the only way to maintain the balance.} Qb8 20. c3 { Stockfish's recommendation} ({My notes dismissed 19.Nb5 due to} 20. e5 Ne4 { but Stockfish thinks that it's equal after the awkward 21.Re2. Instead, it thinks that Black should meet 20.e5 with 20...Nxb3 followed by ...Ba6, with a slight advantage.}) 20... Nba6 21. e5 (21. exd5 Nxb3 22. Qxb3 Bc5 $1) 21... Ne4 {and the engine goes to triple zeros land}) 19... Nxb3 20. cxb3 Bc5 21. Bxc5 $2 ({During the game, I saw} 21. Bd4 Bxd4+ 22. Rxd4 Qc5 $1 23. Kh1 Nc2 $1 { and White is busted}) (21. Bf2 Bxf2+ (21... d4 { leads to complications and throws away most of Black's advantage} 22. Nb5 Qe7 ( 22... Qd7 23. Nxd4 Bxg2 {(Stockfish's move)} (23... Nc2 {is in my notes, but I missed that} 24. Bxb7 $1 {wins for White}) 24. Kxg2 Bxd4 25. Bxd4 Rc2 26. Rxc2 Nxc2 27. Qxc2 Qxd4 28. Rf1 {Black retains the initiative, but White is hanging on}) 23. Nxd4 Bxd4 24. Bxd4 (24. Rxd4 $2 Rxd4 25. Bxd4 Rd8 26. Rc1 (26. Bxb7 Qxb7 27. Rc1 ( 27. Qd2 Nc6 28. Qg2 Rxd4 29. Rc1 Nd8 {and Black keeps his extra material}) 27... Qe4 $1 (27... Nc6 $2 28. Qf3 $1) 28. Rc4 Nc6 {and Black wins a piece}) 26... Bxg2 27. Kxg2 Qd7 (27... Qb7+ $2 28. Qf3 $1 { and tactics hold White's position together}) 28. Qg1 Qd5+ { and at the very least, Black can recover his pawn with a big advantage}) 24... Bxg2 (24... Nc2 25. Rxc2 Rxc2 26. Qxc2 Rxd4 {and White is okay}) 25. Kxg2 Qb7+ 26. Qf3 {and White hangs on}) 22. Rxf2 Qc5 (22... d4 $2 23. Nb5 Qe7 24. Bxb7 Qxb7 25. Nd6) 23. Nb5 Ba6 24. Bf1 { is bad for White, but it's better than what happened in the game}) 21... Qxc5+ $1 ({I was expecting} 21... bxc5) 22. Kh1 Qe3 23. Nb5 (23. Rd4 Nc2 (23... Nc6 $1 {is a much simpler refutation}) 24. Rd3 { leads to some very entertaining variations:} Qxd3 25. Qxd3 Nxa1 26. Qd1 { (My notes suggest 26.Ne2 as an improvement, but Stocky prefers 26.Nd1)} d4 $1 27. Ne4 (27. Bxb7 dxc3 28. Qxa1 c2 $1 {and Black wins}) 27... d3 28. Nf6+ (28. Qxa1 Bxe4 29. Bxe4 d2) 28... gxf6 29. Bxb7 d2 30. Bxc8 Nc2 31. gxf6 { and it looks like} Ne3 {wins, but White turns tables with} 32. Qg1+ $1) (23. Ne4 Qxf4 24. Nd6 Rc7 25. Nxb7 Rxb7 26. Rd4 {picks up the b4-knight, but if Black plays 23...Ba6, then it's clear that White is just setting traps}) 23... Ba6 $6 {A natural move that I passed over in my notes} ({Stocky prefers} 23... a5 $1 {The point is that after} 24. Qe1 Qxf4 25. Rd4 {, Black's knight is protected. So White can't save his f4-pawn and his position collapses.}) 24. Nxa7 $4 {I felt like I was almost in zugzwang. At the moment, ...Qxf4 is not a threat due to Rd4, but it seemed like every move worsens my position, e.g.} ( 24. Rd4 Nc2 25. Rd3 Qxf4 26. Rc1 Nb4 (26... Ne3 $1 {is even more powerful according to Stockfish} ) 27. Rxc8 Rxc8 28. Rd4 Rc1) (24. Rc1 Qxf4 {and now Rd4 hangs a rook}) (24. Nc3 Nd3) (24. Qe2 Qxf4 25. Rd4 Qxd4) (24. Rb1 Bxb5 25. axb5 d4 $1) (24. Qe1 $1 { was the only move} Qxb3 ({Stockfish prefers} 24... Qxe1+ 25. Rxe1 Bxb5 26. axb5 Rc2 {. White is clearly suffering, but there is still hope}) 25. Nd4 Qc4 26. Rad1 {Stocky's move. My notes originally suggested 26.Bf1, but then I noticed that 26...Qxf1+ was strong. White has lost a pawn, but he has a firm grip on d4 and he has mostly sealed up the holes in his position.}) 24... Ra8 $1 { I missed this idea. I thought he was going to double on the c-file} 25. Rd4 ( 25. Nb5 $4 {drops a piece}) 25... Nd3 26. Rxd3 Bxd3 27. Nc6 Re8 28. Qf3 { This is Stockfish's top choice, but now White goes down without much of a fight } (28. Qg1 {is recommended in my notes} Qxf4 29. Qxb6 {and White can dream of pushing his passed pawns. Of course it shouldn't work, but you have to create opportunities for your opponent to go wrong}) 28... Qc5 $1 (28... Qxf3 $2 29. Bxf3 {will be much harder to win. White will withdraw the knight to the wonderful d4-square.}) 29. Qxd3 Qxc6 30. Rd1 Rac8 31. Kg1 (31. f5 Qc2 { and White's "attack" is not going anywhere}) 31... Qc2 32. Qxc2 Rxc2 33. Bf1 Rec8 34. Rd4 g6 35. Rb4 R8c6 36. Bb5 (36. Rd4 Rxb2 37. Rd3 {is a slower death, but it doesn't give me any counterplay. With the text, I hope to pick up the b6-pawn and create queenside passers.}) 36... Rc1+ 37. Kf2 R6c2+ 38. Be2 { Losing a piece, but my position was already hopeless} Rxb2 39. Rxb6 { The bishop cannot be saved} (39. Ke3 Re1) (39. Kf3 Rc3+ 40. Kf2 Rcc2) 39... Rcc2 40. Rb8+ Kg7 41. a5 Rxe2+ 42. Kf3 d4 43. b4 Re3+ 44. Kg4 Rg2+ 45. Kh4 Rxh2+ 46. Kg4 Rhh3 0-1