Ilya Smirin's games Vs The French – Delayed Castling, attacking Pawn Chain and so on …

Smirin, Ilia - Bauer, Christian
   2000 , C05
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Be7 4. Ngf3 Nf6 5. e5 Nfd7 6. Bd3 c5 7. c3 Nc6 8. O-O a5 9. Re1 cxd4 10. cxd4 Nb6 11. Nb1 Bd7 12. Nc3 a4

13. h4 Nb4 14. Bb1 h6 15. h5 Bc6 16. a3 Na6 17. Nh2 Qd7 18. Qg4 Bf8

19. f4 Nc4 20. f5

White has to push through on the king side to extend the diagonal for the b1 bishop and free up the a1 rook.

20. ... Nc7 21. Ne2 Na5 22. fxe6 Nxe6 23. Bf5 Nb3 24. Rb1 Bb5 25. Be3 O-O-O 26. Rf1 Kb8 27. Rf2 Qc6 28. Nf3 Be7 29. Rd1 Rhg8 30. Nf4 Ng5

31. e6 f6

Now the structure remains very unbalanced with White dominating the kingside and Black - eventually getting through on the queenside.

( 31. ... fxe6 32. Nxe6 Nxe6 33. Bxe6 Rgf8 34. Ne5 would activate White's pieces. )

32. Ng6 Rge8 33. Bf4+ Ka7 34. Nfh4 Bd6 35. Re1 Bxf4 36. Rxf4 Nd2 37. e7 Rb8 38. Qd1 Nc4 39. Bd3 Nxb2 40. Bxb5 Qxb5 41. Qb1 Qb3 42. Rff1 Ne4 43. Rxe4 dxe4 44. Qxe4 Nc4 45. Nf5 Rbc8 46. Rb1 Nd2 47. Rxb3 axb3 48. Qd3 b2 49. d5 Rc1+ 50. Kf2 b1=Q 51. Qxb1 Rxb1 52. d6 Ne4+ 53. Ke2 Rb2+ 54. Ke3 Nc5 55. Nxg7 Rc8 56. e8=Q Rxe8+ 57. Nxe8 Nd7 58. g4 Rb3+ 59. Ke4 Rxa3 60. Ne7 Kb6 61. Kf5 Rf3+ 62. Ke6 Nc5+ 63. Kf7 Kb5 64. Nxf6 Rd3 65. Nf5 Kc6 66. Nxh6 Kxd6 67. g5 Ne6 68. g6 Rh3 69. Nhg4 Ng5+ 70. Kf8 Ne6+ 71. Kg8 Nf4 72. Kh7 Rxh5+ 73. Nxh5 Nxg6 1/2-1/2

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Smirin, Ilia - Abbasov, Farid
   2011 , C05
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. Bd3 c5 6. c3 Nc6 7. Ngf3 g6 8. h4 h6 9. Bb1 b5 10. a3 a5

11. Nf1

With the rook supporting the h pawn Smirin delays castling and uses the f1 square to rerout the knight.

11. ... b4 12. axb4 cxb4 13. h5 g5 14. Ne3 Ba6

15. Ng1

There goes the second knight.

15. ... Qb6 16. Ne2 Qb5 17. f4 gxf4 18. Nxf4 Rg8 19. Bd3 Qb7

20. O-O

With the Black pieces pushed back, White finally castles. The rook now is useful again on the f file.

20. ... Bxd3 21. Nxd3 Qb5 22. Qf3 Rg7 23. Ng4 O-O-O 24. Nxh6 Be7 25. Qh3 Rf8 26. Bd2 b3 27. Rf3 a4 28. Ng4 Rh7 29. Raf1 Nb6 30. Bh6 Rfh8 31. Rxf7 Rxf7 32. Rxf7 a3 33. bxa3 b2 34. Nxb2 Qxb2 35. Bg7 Rh7 36. h6 Qb1+ 37. Rf1 Qe4 38. Nf6 Bxf6 39. exf6 1-0

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Smirin, Ilia - Iotov, Valentin
   2008 , C05
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. c3 c5 6. Bd3 Nc6 7. Ngf3 g6 8. h4 Qb6 9. h5 g5

10. Nxg5 cxd4 11. cxd4 Qxd4 12. Ndf3 Qb4+ 13. Bd2 Qe7 14. Nxh7 Ncxe5 15. Nxe5 Nxe5 16. Bb5+ Bd7 17. Bxd7+ Kxd7 18. Qa4+ Nc6 19. Qb5 Kc7 20. Rc1 Rc8

( 20. ... Rxh7 21. Ba5+ Kc8 22. Rxc6+ bxc6 23. Qxc6+ Kb824. Rh3 +- It turns out the rook is well developed without ever requiring to castle. )

21. Nxf8 Rhxf8

22. Rh3 Kb8 23. h6 f6 24. Rg3 Nd4 25. Rxc8+ Rxc8 26. Qd3 Nf5 27. Rh3 Qf7 28. g4 Nd6 29. h7 Rh8 30. Qg3 e5 31. g5 Nf5 32. g6 Qg7 33. Qg4 Ne7 34. Bh6 Qxg6 35. Qxg6 Nxg6 36. Bg7 Rg8 1-0

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Smirin, Ilia - Gleizerov, Evgeny
   2008 , C05
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. Bd3 c5 6. c3 Nc6 7. Ngf3 g6 8. h4 h6 9. Nf1 Qa5

10. Ke2

Extravagant but probably possible.

10. ... b5 11. a3 b4 12. cxb4 cxb4 13. Be3 Ba6 14. Bxa6 Qxa6+ 15. Qd3 Qxd3+ 16. Kxd3 bxa3 17. bxa3 Nb6 18. N1d2 1/2-1/2

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Smirin, Ilia - Akobian, Varuzhan
   2005 , C05
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. Ngf3 Nf6 5. e5 Nfd7 6. c3 Nc6 7. Bd3 Be7 8. O-O g5 9. dxc5 g4 10. Nd4 Ndxe5 11. Bb5 Bd7 12. N2b3 Rg8 13. Re1 Nc4 14. Bf4 Nxd4 15. Nxd4 Rc8 16. b3 Na3 17. Bd3 Rxc5 18. Bxh7 Rg7 19. Bd3 Rxc3 20. Be5 Bf6 21. Qd2 Bxe5 22. Rxe5 Qc7 23. Rh5 Rg8 24. Rh7 e5 25. Nf5 e4

White to move

 
 
 
Solution:
26. Qg5

Black king gets punished for staying in the center.

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