Notes by the winner
1.d4
d5
2.c4
e6
3.Nc3
Be7
4.Bf4
This bishop is going to be very powerful, controlling the b8 and c7 squares.
4...Nf6
5.e3
0-0
6.Rc1
c6
7.Nf3
Nbd7
8.h3
Qa5
9.Qb3
Better than Qc2 - avoiding the possibility of the discovered check after dxc4, Bxc4, b5, b4 and b3.
9...Ne4
10.Bd3
Nxc3
11.bxc3
a6
12.0-0
b5
13.c5
Neither pawn capture promises much, and I judged the e5 break by black to be 'difficult'.
13...f5
How do you assess this position? Black is cramped and has a very bad queen's bishop, but has seized space on the Q-side. White is better, but not obviously winning it would seem. However, I cannot find any better moves for Black in what follows. My initial thought was to play on the K-side and aim for e4 - however, on second thoughts...
14.Ra1!
Threatening a4.
14...Bb7
Trying to hold the Q-side. If bxa4 the black a-pawn is undefendable.
15.a4
Qd8
16.axb5
axb5
17.c4!!
The Alekhine moment. In Alekhine-Bogoljubov, Nottingham (where else?) 1936, there was a similar unsupported pawn advance: 1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 Nf6 3. c4 c6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 e6 6. e4 Bb4 7. e5 Ne4 8. Qc2 Qd5 9. Be2 c5 10. O-O Nxc3 11. bxc3 cxd4 12. Nxd4 Bc5 13. Nf3 Nd7 14. Rd1 Qc6 15. Bxc4 O-O 16. Ng5 g6 17. Bb5 Qc7 18. Ne4 Be7 19. f4 Nc5 20. Nf6+ Bxf6 21. exf6 Bd7 22. Be3 Bxb5 23. axb5 Nd7 24. g3 Nxf6 25. Bd4 Nd7 26. Qf2 b6 27. Re1 Qc4 28. Rab1 Rac8 29. Qe3 Rfe8 30. Qf3 f6 31. Rb4 Qc7 32. Rb2 Re7 33. Rbe2 Kf7 34. g4 Rce8 35. g5 fxg5 and now Alekhine played 36. f5!! - one of the most famous moves in chess history. Qf4 37. fxe6+ Rxe6 38. Qd5 Nf6 39. Bxf6 Qg4+ 40. Rg2 Qf5 41. Be5 Kg8 42. Rf2 Qg4+ 43. Kh1 h5 44. Rg1 Qh4 45. Rf6 Kh7 46. Rxe6 Rxe6 47. Qd7+ 1-0
17...g5
18.Bh2
g4
19.hxg4
fxg4
20.Ne5
Bf6
Hoping for 21.Nxg4 Nxc5.
21.Nxd7
Qxd7
22.cxb5
cxb5
23.Bxb5
Bc6
24.Bxc6
Qxc6
25.Qb6
Rac8
26.Ra6
Qxb6
27.cxb6
Rf7
28.Ra7
Rxa7
29.bxa7
Kf7?
29...Ra8 30.Bb8 is pretty, but it may be quicker to play the bishop around to c5.
30.Bb8
1-0