Reply #6: Portisch - Koneru, Round 7 [View All]

[Jack Rabbit]

Koneru Humpy
Photo by Stefan64 in Wikimedia Commons (Creative Commons License, Attribution/Share Alike)


Lajos Portisch - Koneru Humpy
Czech Coal Team Match, Round 7
Marianske Lazne, 26 November 2010

Queen's Gambit: Nimzo-Ragozin Defense

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5 Nbd7 7.Qa4

• For moves and variations up to here, see Zhao Xue-N. Kosintseva, World ChTW, Ningbo, 2009.

7...Bxc3+

• 7...c5 8.dxc5 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 0-0 10.Qb4 h6 11.Bh4 Re8 12.e3 Re4 13.Qa3 Qe7 14.Bxf6 Nxf6 is equal (Feller-Palac, French ChT, Le Port Marly, 2009).

8.bxc3 0-0 9.Nd2

• If 9.e3 then:
• If 9...h6 10.Bh4 c5 11.Bd3 c4 12.Bc2 g5 13.Bg3 then:
• 13...Nb6 14.Qb4 Ne4 15.Bxe4 dxe4 16.Nd2 Nd5 17.Qxc4 Be6 18.Qb5 gives White a slight advantage in space (Romanov-Fressinet, Euro Ch, Budva, 2009).
• 13...Ne4 14.Bxe4 dxe4 15.Nd2 Nb6 16.Qb4 gives White a small advantage in space (Feller-Gozzoli, Op, Nancy, 2009).
• 9...Qe8 10.Bf4 Qe7 11.Bd3 c5 12.Nd2 Qe6 13.0-0 b6 14.Rae1 Bb7 15.f3 Rfd8 16.Qc2 g6 17.e4 gives White the advantage in space and a pair of active Bishops (Tomashevsky-Bu Xiangzhi, Rpd Team M, Sochi, 2008).

9...h6 (N)

• 9...c5 10.e3 Nb6 11.Qa3 c4 12.Be2 Bf5 13.0-0 Re8 14.Rfe1 h6 15.Bh4 Re6 16.Bf1 g5 is equal (Srebrmic-N. Koskintseva, Ol, Dresden, 2008).

10.Bh4

• The game is equal.

10...c5!?

• White has a slight advantage in space.
• 10...Nb6 11.Qc2 Bd7 12.e3 c5 13.dxc5 Na4 remains equal.

11.e3 Nb6 12.Qa3!?

• The game is again equal.
• 12.Qa5 c4 13.Be2 Bf5 14.0-0 Nbd7 is equal.

BLACK: Koneru Humpy



WHITE: Lajos Portisch
Position after 12.Qa4a3

12...c4!

• In the opinion of your humble hare and his staff, Black is now slightly better (Rybka calls the game even). White will have difficulty developing his King's Bishop after the text move, although 13.Be2 seems necessary to get the Bishop out, it has no good squares to move to from there.

13.Be2 Bf5 14.0-0 Re8 15.Rfe1

• If 15.Bf3 then:
• 15...Bd3 16.Rfe1 Re6 17.h3 a5 continues to make it difficult for White to find good posts for his pieces.
• 15...Nbd7!? 16.Bxd5! g5 17.Bxb7 Rb8 18.Bf3 gxh4 gives Black a Bishop for two pawns.

15...Nbd7 16.Bd1

• White will try to develop his Bishop on the queenside.

16...Bd3

• 16...b5 17.Qb2 Rb8 18.Bg3 (the pawn at b5 prevents White from playing the Bishop to the queenside) 18...Rb7 19.Bf3 Qb6 gives Black potential power on the queenside with her pawns.

17.Be2

• White offers to trade his good Bishop.

17...Bg6

• Why should Black help her opponent solve his problems?

18.Bd1

• This was probably a better idea anyway.

18...Re6 19.Bg4!?

• This is as much use as White can make of it's light-bound Bishop. The Black Rook has active square to which it can go and the Knight at d7 is nicely overprotected.
• If 19.Qc1 Bf5 then:
• 20.h3 Rc8 21.Bc2 Bd3 22.a4 Qa5 23.Bd1 Ne8 24.Bg4 f5 continues to give White problems placing his pieces.
• 20.Bg3 Rc8 21.a4 Rb6 22.Bc2 Bd3 23.h3 Rcc6 gives Black active Rooks.

19...Ra6 20.Qc1 Qa5 21.Bh3!?

• The Bishop will remain in exile here, almost entombed, for some time.
• 21.Bxd7 Nxd7 22.a4 Re8 23.Qb2 gives Black the advantage in space.

21...Qa3 22.f3

BLACK: Koneru Humpy



WHITE: Lajos Portisch
Position after 22.f2f3

22...Bd3!

• This may be more effective now than before. White's Bishops in the h-file are ineffective and now the Black Bishop at d3 all but puts the light squares in White's camp off limits to his pieces.

23.Qxa3 Rxa3

• Even the exchange of Queens cannot relieve the pressure on White's position.

24.Nb1 Ra6 25.Bg3

• Better is 25.Nd2 Rb6 26.Bf2 a5 27.Nf1 Rb2 28.a4 Kf8 when Black pressure against White continues and White still can't use his light-bound Bishop.

25...Nb6 26.a3?!

• The pawn is of more use at a2, keepin the Rook out og b3.
• Black is still stronger after 26.Bc7 Na4 27.Be5 Rb6 28.Bxf6 Rxf6 29.Bd7 Ra6 , although White has finally made use of his light-bound Bishop.

26...Na4 27.Be5 Rb6?!

• Black ignores her strategically important points; both the Knight at a4 and the pawn at d5 are hanging.
• 27...Rd8! (covering the d-pawn and keeping the Knight covered) 28.Bc7 Re8 29.Kf2 Rc6 30.Be5 Re7 leaves White still cramped and Black still defending her imporatant points.

28.Bxf6 gxf6!?

• Black unnecessarily weakens her kingside pawns.
• 28...Rxf6 29.Bd7 Nb2 30.Ra2 Rb6 31.a4 Bg6 keeps Black's pressure deep into White's position strong.

29.Bd7!

• Black's once huge advantage is greatly reduced; White is seriously fighting for a draw.

29...Nb2 30.e4?

• Perhaps overoptimisc, White opens the center to Black's benefit.
• 30.a4! cuts off the Knight's escape route and now 30...Rd8 31.Bh3 Rb3 32.e4 dxe4 33.fxe4 b6 34.Bf5! is equal.

BLACK: Koneru Humpy



WHITE: Lajos Portisch
Position after 30.e3e4

30...Rd8!

• Black is now back in command.

31.Bh3

• If 31.Bg4 Na4 32.f4 Bxe4 then:
• If 33.Bd1 Rb2 34.Bxa4 Rxg2+ 35.Kf1 Rb2 36.Rd1 b5 wins for Black.
• If 33.Nd2 then 33...Nxc3 34.Nxe4 dxe4 35.Rac1 Rb3! Black wins.

31...Na4 32.Kf2 Rb3 33.Ke3

• 33.Rc1 dxe4 34.fxe4 Bxe4 35.Ke3 f5 wins for Black.

33...b5

• 33...Bxb1 34.Raxb1 Rxc3+ 35.Kf4 Rb3 36.Rxb3 cxb3 leaves Black with an extra pawn.

34.Rc1 a5 35.Bf5

• No better is 35.g3 Bxb1 36.Raxb1 Rxb1 37.Rxb1 Nxc3 giving Black an easy win as her queenside pawns roll forward.

35...Bxb1 36.Raxb1 Rxb1 37.Rxb1 Nxc3 0-1

• Black is a pawn to the good and, with the queenside pawns rolling over the ruins of White's position, further resistance is futile.
• If 38.Rc1 b4 39.axb4 axb4 then:
• 40.exd5 Nxd5+ 41.Kd2 bxc3 42.Kd3 b3 White must give up his Rook to stop the Black pawns.
• 40.g4 Na2 41.Rb1 b3 42.exd5 Nxc3 43.Rc1 Nxd5+ the pawns keep coming torward.
• Grandmaster Portisch resigns.