Reply #7: Malakhov - Grischuk, Semi-Finals, Round 4, Elista [View All]

[Jack Rabbit]

Alexander Grischuk
Photo: ChessBase.com

Vladimir Malakhov vs.Alexander Grischuk
Candidates' Semi-Final Match, Round 4
Elista, May 2007

Open Queen's Gambit: Mannheim Defense

1.c4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.d4 dxc4 5.Qa4+

• 5.e3 leads to the garden variety Open Gueen's Gambits.

5...c6

• 5...Nbd7 6.e4 a6 7.Bxc4 Rb8 8.Qc2 b5 9.Bd3 Bb7 10.0-0 c5 11.d5 c4 12.Be2 exd5 13.exd5 Bd6 14.a4 0-0 15.axb5 axb5 16.Nxb5 gives White a healthy advantage in space (Lutikov-Gurgenidze, Soviet TCh, Moscow 1963).

6.Qxc4 b5 7.Qd3 Nbd7 8.e4 b4 9.Na4 Qa5

• If 9...Bb7 10.e5 Nd5
  • then:
  • 11.Bd2 N5b6 12.Nxb6 Qxb6 13.Be3 c5
  • 14.Rc1?! Rc8 15.Be2 Be7 16.Nd2 0-0 17.Nc4 Qc6 18.Bf3 Qa6 19.Bxb7 Qxb7 gives Black more freedom (Tregubov-Yakovich, Muni Ch, Paris 2005).
  • 14.Be2 Rd8 15.Qc4 Be7 16.dxc5 Bxc5 17.Bxc5 Nxc5 18.0-0 0-0 is equal
  • 11.Be2 Be7 12.0-0 Rc8 13.Bd2 c5 14.Rfc1 a6 15.Nxc5 Nxc5 16.dxc5 Bxc5 17.Ng5 Qb6 18.Qg3 Ne7 19.Bd3 Rd8 is unclear (Rogers-Ris, Op, Gibralter 2007).

10.b3 c5 11.Be2

• *
• If 11.e5 Nd5 then:
• 12.Bd2 12...Be7 13.Rc1 cxd4 14.Qxd4 0-0 15.Bd3 Ba6 16.0-0 Bxd3 17.Qxd3 N7b6 18.Nd4 Nxa4 19.Nc6 Nb2 20.Qxd5 exd5 21.Nxa5 Nd3 is equal (Tregubov-Huarchard, French TCh, Paris 2001).
• If 12.Be2?! then:
• 12...cxd4 13.Qxd4 Ba6 14.Bd2 Be7 15.a3 Bxe2 16.Kxe2 Qb5+ 17.Qc4 Qb8 18.Qc6 bxa3 19.Rhc1 a5 20.Kf1 Qa7 21.Nd4 0-0 22.Nb5 Qa6 23.Qxa6 Rxa6 Black has a healty spatial advantage and forced resignation in only a few more moves (Nikolic-Kramnik, Amber Rapid. Monte Carlo 2000).
• 12...Bb7 13.Qb5 Qxb5 14.Bxb5 Rc8 15.0-0 Nc3 16.Nxc5 Bxc5 17.Bxd7+ Kxd7 18.dxc5 Bxf3 19.gxf3 is equal.

11...Bb7 12.e5 Ne4 13.Be3 Rd8 14.0-0!?

• 14.Qb5 Qxb5 15.Bxb5 cxd4 16.Bxd4 a6 17.Bxd7+ Rxd7 18.Rc1 Be7 19.Ke2 Nd2 20.Be3 Nxf3 21.gxf3 a5 22.Nc5 Bc6 23.Nxd7 Black resigns (Nikolic-Ivanchuk, Amber Bf, Monte Carlo 1999).

14...a6

• *
• 14...Be7 15.Qb5 Qxb5 16.Bxb5 a6 17.Bxd7+ Rxd7² 18.dxc5 Rc7 19.Rac1 gives White a nice edge in space.

15.Rac1 Be7 16.Qc2 0-0 17.Bd3

• 17.Rfd1 Rc8 18.Bc4 cxd4 19.Rxd4 Ndc5 20.Nxd5 Nxc5 21.Ng5 g6 maintains balance.

Black: Alexander Grischuk
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White: Vladimir Malakhov
Position after 17.Be2d3

17...cxd4!!

• The sham sacrifice of a minor piece begins a sharp combiniation that takes the game through the 22nd move.
• If 17...Rc8 18.Bxe4 cxd4 19.Bxh7+ Kh8 20.Qd3 Bxf3 then:
• 21.Bxd4 Rxc1 22.Rxc1 Nxe5 23.Bxe5 Qxe5 24.Qxf3 Kxh7 25.Qd3+ Kg8 is equal.
• 21.Rxc8 Rxc8 22.Bxd4 Nxe5 23.Bxe5 23.Bxe5 Qxe5 24.Qxf3 Kxh7 is level.

18.Bxe4 Rc8 19.Bxh7+ Kh8 20.Qd3

• This seems the best place to retreat the Queen, but other moves also work,
• If 20.Qd1 Rxc1 21.Bxc1 Bxf3 22.Qxf3 Kxh7 then:
• 23.Qd3+ Kg8 24.f4 Nc5 25.Nxc5 Bxc5 26.Rf2 is equal.
• 23.Qe4+ Kg8 24.Bf4 Rd8 25.Qxd4 Nc5 26.Qc4 Nxa4 27.bxa4 Qxa4 maintains the balance.

20...Rxc1 21.Bxc1 Bxf3 22.Qxf3 Kxh7

• Taking stock at the end of the combination: White has a little more space; Black has an advanced passed pawn; the material is even; White has a hanging pawn under attack, but since it's his move, this is not very important. The position is still unclear.

23.Re1

• White protects his headpawn.
• Better is 23.Qd3+ Kg8 24.f4 Nc5 25.Nxc5 Bxc5 with neither side having a clear advantage.

23...Kg8 24.Qg3 f6?!

• Black misses the best move.
• Better is 24...Rc8! 25.Bb2 Nc5 26.Nxc5 Bxc5 27.Ra1 Ba7 giving Black command of the c-file and an advanced passed pawn.

25.exf6?!

• White, too, misses an opportunity.
• 25.Bh6 Rf7 26.Bf4 fxe5 27.Bxe5 Nxe5 28.Qxe5 Qxe5 29.Rxe5 equalizes.

25...Rxf6 26.Qd3 Qd5 27.Qe4?

• White would be at a disadvantage in a King-and-pawn ending. It is not wise for him to initiate an exchange of Queens.
• After 27.Rd1 e5 28.Bg5 Rxf2 29.Kxf2 Bxg5 20.Qxa6 Be3+ 31.Kg3 Nf6 32.Qc8+ the game is still unclear.

27...Qxe4 28.Rxe4 e5 29.Nb2

Black: Alexander Grischuk
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White: Vladimir Malaknov
Position after 29.Na4b2

29...Rc6!!

• This move at once attacks the Bishop and gives Black complete dominace of the the dark squares, particularly those on the c1/f6 diagonal.
• Black's dominance of the dark squares is such that the attacked Bishop cannot move without losing the game immediately; for example, 30.Bd2 Rc2

30.Nc4 Nb6 31.Rxe5 Bf6 32.Ra5

• After 32.Re1 Nxc4 33.bxc4 Rxc4 34.Bd2 a5 35.Rc1 Rxc1+ 36.Bxc1 d3 37.f4 Bb2!! White can resign.

32...Nxc4 33.bxc4 Rxc4 34.Bf4 d3 35.g3 Rc2 36.Rd5 Rxa2 37.Rxd3 Ra3 38.0-1

• 38.Rxa3 obviously loses.
• 38.Rd1 b3 39.Bc1 Ra1 40.Rf1 a5 wins for Black.
• Malakhov resigns.