Bent the Great 2

I continue to present the most memorable games of my most favourable chess player ever with his own invaluable remarks. Today's game is against another remarkable person, the Dutch GM Donner:
Larsen,Bent - Donner,Jan Hein [A00]
Hoogovens Beverwijk, 1960
[Bent Larsen]
1.g3 e5 2.Bg2 d5 3.Nf3 Bd6 4.0–0 Ne7 5.c4


(?) In this position not very effective. Better was: [5.d3 followed by Nb1–d2 and e2-e4.] 5...c6 6.d3 0–0 7.Nbd2 Nd7 8.e4 dxe4 Deserved attention: [8...d4 with the idea to meet: 9.Nh4 Nc5 10.Qe2 g5! White should better play 9.Qd1–e2 immediately.] 9.Nxe4 Bc7 10.b3 [10.d4 exd4 11.Qxd4 Ne5 is good for Black.] 10...Re8 11.Bb2 Nf5 12.Re1 I have caught a cold, and the thinking machine was working on slow motion. On this not really ingenious move was spent more than half an hour! 12...Nf8 13.Qd2 f6 14.Rad1 As I got afraid not to fail into time trouble, I started playing quickly. However, if I did not want to make the move 14.d4 I should have better opted for 14.b4. 14...Ne6 15.b4 a5 16.b5 Bb6 [16...cxb5!? was a serious alternative.] 17.bxc6 bxc6 18.Qc1 a4 19.c5 Ba5 20.Bc3 Re7 21.Bxa5 Rxa5 22.Nfd2 Ned4 23.Nc4 Raa7 24.f4


Black can defenetely be proud with his knight on d4, but the unnecessary care about it will lead them to a wrong way. In general their position should not be overestimated, white knights are full of life...
Donner had to take on f4 but he decided to keep the pawn on e5 as a solid stronghold for the knight. Later though he received almost nothing from it.
The finish of this game belongs to my most favourable memories.
24...Be6? 25.fxe5 fxe5 26.Kh1 I need to pay the fightful knight at least some respect. Now it cannot give check. 26...Bd5 27.Rf1 Re6 28.Rf2 Rf7 29.Rdf1


White is improving. I am almost taking control over the f file, and the weak pawn on e5 is a problem for Black. They also need to do something against the threat Ne4-g5. 29...Bxc4 30.dxc4 Nh6 31.Rxf7 Nxf7 32.Qd1!


A very strong move. Black needs to protect the a pawn, and White will turn his pieces to the king's flank then. 32...Qa5 33.Qh5 Qc7 34.Bh3 Rh6?? The rook is excluded from the game. Also bad was: [34...Re8 due to- 35.Ng5; However, Black should have tried: 34...Re7 Black is in difficult situation, but not yet lost.] 35.Qg4 Rg6 36.Qd1 Qa7 37.Qb1! Ng5 38.Qb6! Qa8 [38...Qxb6 39.cxb6 will obviously give White a passed pawn that will win the game.] 39.Nxg5 Rxg5 40.Qc7 h6 41.Rb1


Here the game was adjourned. [41.Rb1 Black sealed the move: 41...Kh7 after which (No better is: 41...Qa6 42.Bf1!) 42.Bg2 wins easily. But what I really wanted to do about the game was to ask: "What was the black knight on d4 doing?"] 1–0