[Event "McGill Open"]
[Site "McGill University"]
[Date "12.05.12"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Raven Sturt"]
[Black "Qi You Wu"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D30"]
[WhiteElo "2272"]
[BlackElo "2050"]
[Annotator "Raven Sturt"]
[PlyCount "92"]
[EventDate "12.05.12"]

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3 Be7 5.Bg2 O-O 6.O-O 
{The Catalan opening, a highly strategic position in which white prepares one of many favorable breaks.} 
Nc6?! {Since Black’s best plan in these positions is to prepare c5 through a variety of ways such as Nbd7 or b6, this knight move will be rather ineffective.} 
7.Nbd2 Bd7 8.b3 Re8 9.Bb2 Bd6 10.Qc2 Rc8 11.a3 Bf8 12.Rfd1 Ne7 
{After a moment of unsound shuffling black is finally ready to break open the position with c5 in hopes of equality, however the delay in its preparation have exacted a number of costs. First off he has done nothing to stop White from favorably breaking open the position with c4, when my better placed pieces and central control would assure me of a nice advantage. Second with my next move I will win his light-squared bishop, a piece that black will dearly miss if he ever is able to open up the position.}
 13. Ne5! Ng6 14.Nxd7
 {(14.Nxg6 also leads to a clear advantage as after hxg6 15.e4 dxe4 16.Nxe4 Nxe4 17.Bxe4 c6, white has a number of appealing strategies. One that I am particularly impressed by is 18.h4!, his position lacks real play and since many of my pieces are aimed towards the kingside, ideas of Kg2, Rh1 and h5 suggest themselves. It is important to note that after the direct confrontation 18…f5, 19.Bg2 Bd6 20. b4(to suppress any legitimate counterplay involving c5) g5 21.h5 Qe7 22.Qd2 f4 23.d5! white is close to winning.)}
Qxd7 15.e4! dxe4 16.Nxe4 Nxe4 17.Bxe4 c6 
{Here I thought that the moment called for more than just the clichéd d4-d5 break and though I have already accumulated a nice set of advantages(the bishop pair, good control of the center, better placed pieces) if I let his bishop come to f6 exerting some pressure on my center, no doubt I would be better but my advantage would require serious effort to convert.  It is time to provoke more weaknesses and exploit the fact that my queen and two bishops are facing his queenside!}
18.h4! f5?!
{(the more passive and less weakening 18…Be7 might be better though after 19.h5 Nf8 20.h6 gxh6(20…g6 21.Qd2 Bf6 22. d5 Bxb2(22…exd5 23.Bxd5 cxd5 24.Bxf6 Black’s incredibly weak dark squares ensure white of an easy victory) 23.Qxb2 f5 24.dxe6 Qe7 25.Bd5!! cxd5 26.exd5 and black will have to give up his knight as he can’t stop d6. 26…Nxe6 27.dxe6 Rc7 28.Rac1 Rxc1 29.Rxc1 Qf8 30.Rc7 Qxh6 31.Qf6 +-) 21.d5 cxd5 22.Qc3 f6 23.Qe3 f5 24.Qxh6 Bd6 25.Rxd5! exd5(fxe4 26.Rxd6!) 26.Bxd5+ Re6(26…Ne6 loses immediately to Re1) 27.Re1 Re8 28. Qg5+ Ng6 29.Qf6 Ne5 30.f4 (I also looked at the mind-blowing 30.Rxe5 Bxe5 31. Bxe5 Re7 32.Qh8+ Kf7 33.Qxh7+ Kf8 34.Qxf5+ Ke8 35.f4! Rh6 36.Qxd7+ Kxd7 37.Kg2! DIAGRAM. Whether white is winning or not I will leave up to the reader, I would simply like to bring attention to a beautiful position in which whites bishops control the entire board.) 30…Qf7(30…  Nf3 31.Kh1!)31.Qxf7 and white regains the rook with a winning ending.)}
19.Bg2 Bd6 20.h5 Nf8 21.h6! {causing more weaknesses in Black’s camp} gxh6 22.d5 cxd5 23.Qc3  Ng6 24.Rxd5!! Rc6 

{Black had a variety of responses:
(24…exd5 25.Bxd5+ Re6 26.Re1 Re8 27.Qf6 Qf7(27…Nf8 28.Qh8+ Kf7 29.Qg7#)28. Rxe6 Qxf6 29.Rxe8+ Kg7 30. Rg8#.)
(24…Re7 (to parry the threat of Rxd6) 25.c5! exd5 26.Bxd5+ Kf8 27.Qf6+ Ke8 28. cxd6 Re2 29.Bc4 Re4 White has more than enough compensation and after 30.Bd3 Re6 31.Qxf5 and white is going to get back the exchange one way or another.)}

25.Rxf5
{(sure after 25.c5! Rec8 26.Rad1 exd5 27.Bxd5+ Kf8 28.Qf6+ Ke8 29.cxd6 Rxd6(29…Qxd6 30.Bf7+)30.Re1+ Ne7 31.Qh8# white wins easily, but come on, have you ever had the opportunity to leave your rook en prix twice in such a position?)}

Rc5 26.Rxc5 Bxc5 27.b4 {Whites initiative develops on its own.} 
Bf8 28.Be4! {fighting for the h8 square. }
 e5 29.Qf3 Bg7 30.Rd1 Qh3 31.Bxb7 Rf8 32.Qe4 Nf4 33.Bd5+ Kh8
 {Here Qxe5 wins for white immediately however I erred with...}
34.Bxe5 Qg4 35.Bxg7 Qxg7 36.Kh2 Nxd5 37.Rxd5 Rxf2+ 38.Kh3 Rf8 39.Qd4 Qxd4 40.Rxd4 a5 41.b5 Rf3 42.c5 Kg7 43.b6 Rb3
{Here I calculated and saw a very beautiful combination:}
44.Rb4!! axb4 45.a4! Rf3 46. b7 Rf8 47.c6 Rb8 48.c7 Rxb7 49.c8=Q Ra7 50. Qg4+ Kf7 51.Qf4+ Kg6 52.Qe4+ 
{All black moves lead to either mate or the loss of a rook. Black resigned.}
1-0