Reply #8: Kotronias - Dervishi, Open, Capelle la Grande [View All]

[Jack Rabbit]

Greek grandmaster Vasilios Kotranias was also one of those tied for first in Cappelle la Grande.



Vasilios Kotronias
Photo: ChessBase.de (Germany)


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Vasilios Kotronias - Erald Dervishi
24th Open, Round 8
Cappelle la Grande, 22 February 2008

Sardinian Epine Dorsal: Rat Defense (Philidor's Defense)

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nd7

• 3...Nf6 4.Nc3 Nbd7 5.Bc4 Be7 6.0-0 0-0 7.Re1 c6 8.a4 then:
• 8...b6 9.d5 cxd5 10.Nxd5 Bb7 11.b3 Rc8 12.Re2 Nxd5 13.Bxd5 Bxd5 14.Qxd5 Nf6 15.Qd1 d5 16.exd5 Qxd5 17.Qxd5 Nxd5 18.Nxe5 Rfe8 19.c4 Bd6 20.Bb2 Nf4 21.Ree1 gives White an extra pawn (Kasparov-Azmaiparashvili, Rapid M, Crete, 2003).
• 8...a5 9.h3 exd4 10.Nxd4 Nc5 11.Bf4 Be6 12.Bf1 Qb6 13.Qf3 d5 14.exd5 Nxd5 15.Be5 Nd7 16.Nf5 Nxe5 17.Nxe7+ Nxe7 18.Rxe5 gives White the lead in space (Dervishi-V. Georgiev, IT, Durres (Albania), 2001).
• 9.b3 exd4 10.Nxd4 Nb6 11.Bf1 d5 12.e5 Ne8 13.Qf3 Nc7 14.Nce2 f6 15.exf6 Bxf6 16.Qc3 is equal (Ramesh-Doostkam, Op, Dubai, 2004).

3...exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Be7 then:

• 6.Be2 0-0 7.0-0 Re8 8.f4 Bf8 9.Bf3 c5 10.Nb3 Nc6 11.Kh1 a5 12.a4 Nb4 13.Be3 Qb6 14.Nd2 d5 15.exd5 Bf5 16.Rc1 Nxc2 17.Rxc2 Bxc2 18.Qxc2 Rxe3 19.Nc4 Rxf3 20.Rxf3 Qb4 21.Qd3 Rd8 is equal (Arakhamia-Fridman, Op, Philadelphia, 2004).
• 6.Bc4 0-0 7.0-0 Nc6 8.h3 Ne5 9.Bb3 c6 10.Qe2 Qc7 11.a4 a6 12.Bg5 h6 13.Be3 c5 14.Nf3 Be6 15.Nxe5 Bxb3 16.Nc4 Bxa4 17.Nxa4 b5 18.Nc3 bxc4 19.Qxc4 Qc6 20.Ra4 Nd7 21.Nd5 gives White a substanial advantage in space (Groberman-Maciel, PanAM-chJ U18, Guaymallen, 2001).

4.Bc4 h6!?

• After 4...c6 5.0-0 Be7 6.dxe5 dxe5 7.Ng5 Bxg5 8.Qh5 Qe7 9.Qxg5 Qxg5 10.Bxg5 Ngf6 11.f3 b5 12.Be2 Nb6 13.Nd2 Be6 14.Rfc1 Nfd7 15.c4 b4 16.a3 bxa3 17.Rxa3 f6 18.Be3 Ke7 19.Rca1 Nc8 White wins the pawn at a7 (Tiviakov-Murshed, Op, Dhaka (Bangladesh), 2003).

5.0-0

• If 5.dxe5 dxe5 6.Bxf7+ Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Kf6 8.Qd4 then:
• 8...c5 9.Nxd7+ Ke7 10.Qxc5+ Kxd7 11.Qb5+ Ke7 12.Nc3 Kf7 13.0-0 Qb6 14.Qc4+ Be6 15.Nd5 Qc6 16.Qd3 Nf6 is equal (Radoicic-Tomovic, Yugoslav Ch, Ljubljana, 1947).
• After 8...Qe8? 9.Nxd7+ Kg6 White is already up by two pawns and wins quickly (Solaroli-González, Op, Gibraltar, 2007).

5...Ngf6!?

• After 5...Be7? 6.dxe5 Nxe5 7.Nxe5 dxe5 8.Qh5 White wins the e-pawn.(Belokopyt-Nopp, World Sr Ch, Lignano, 2005).

6.Nc3

• Also playable is 6.Re1 Be7 7.Qd3 0-0 8.Nc3 c6 9.Be3 Qc7 with equality.

6...c6 7.a4

• White does not want Black expanding on the Queen's wing, so he prevents a move like ...b7b5 before Black even has much time to comtemplate it.

7...Qc7

• If 7...Qa5 8.Re1 b5 9.Bd3 b4 then:
• 10.Ne2 Be7 11.Bd2 0-0 12.c3 bxc3 13.Bxc3 Qb6 gives White a small advantage in space.
• 10.Na2 Rb8 11.Bd2 c5 12.c3 Qc7 gives White a lead in development, but otherwise the game is equal.

8.a5 g6

• If 8...Be7 9.d5 0-0 10.Qe2 then:
• 10...Bd8 11.Rd1 Re8 gives Black a cramped game.
• 10...cxd5 11.Bxd5 Nc5 12.Be3 gives White an advantage in space.

9.h3

• White has more freedom after 9.d5 Bg7 10.b4 0-0 11.Qd3 Nh5 12.Bb3 Nf4.

9...Bg7 10.dxe5

• If 10.Qd3 then:
• After 10...g5 11.Rd1 g4 White opens the center to his advantage with 12.dxe5 Nxe5 13.Nxe5 dxe5.
• 10...exd4 11.Qxd4 Ne5 12.Nxe5 dxe5 13.Qd3
• 10...0-0 11.d5 Nc5 12.Qe3 cxd5 13.Bxd5 Be6 14.b4 Na6 15.Bxe6 fxe6

10...Nxe5 11.Ba2 0-0 12.Nh4

• 12.Be3 Rd8 13.Nd4 g5 14.f4 gxf4 15.Rxf4 gives White the advantage in space.

12...Kh7 13.f4 Ned7 14.Be3 Qd8 15.Qf3 Nxe4 16.Nxe4 d5

• 16...Qxh4 17.Nxd6 Qf6 18.Rad1 Qxb2 19.Bb3 Nb8 20.f5 gives White enough extra space to compensate for the pawn.

17.Bf2

• 17.g3 Bxb2 18.Rab1 dxe4 19.Qxe4 f5 20.Qb4 Bf6 21.Nf3 is unclear: Black has an extra pawn while White has a considerable advantage in space.

17...dxe4 18.Qxe4 f5 19.Qd3 Bxb2 20.Rad1 Qf6

• If 20...Qxa5 21.Bb3 then:
• 21...Bf6 22.Qg3 g5 23.fxg5 hxg5 24.Nf3 g4 25.hxg4 fxg4 26.Nd4 is equal.
• After 21...Qa3? White makes use of his space and wins with 22.Rfe1! a5 23.Rb1 a4 24.Rxb2 Qxb2 25.Re7+, when Black must either submit to immediate mate or lose material.

21.Rfe1 Qg7

• After 21...c5? White uncorks the flashy 22.Qxd7+!! Bxd7 23.Rxd7+ Kh8 24.Ree7 Qxe7 25.Nxg6+, netting two minor pieces for a Rook.

22.Qg3 g5?!

• Black gains some kingside space, depriving White of the use of h4, but at the same time allows White to open the h2/b8 diagonal for his Queen.
• 22...Bf6 23.Re6 Nb8 24.Red6 b6 25.Nf3, when White threatens with his Rooks but the White Queen remains immoble.

23.fxg5 hxg5 24.Nf3 Bf6

• If 24...g4? 25.Qh4+! Qh6 26.Re7+ Kg6 27.Be3 then:
• 27...Qxe3+ 28.Rxe3 wins the Queen.
• 27...Qxh4 28.Rd6+!! Nf6 29.Nxh4+ Kh5 30.Rh7+ Nxh7 31.Rh6#.

BLACK: Erald Dervishi
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WHITE: Vasilios Kotronias
Position after 24...Bb2f6

25.Be6!

• White regains the pawn.

25...Ne5

• It may be cold comfort, but Black finds the best way to return the pawn.
• 25...Nb8? 26.Bd4 Bxd4+ 27.Nxd4 c5 28.Nxf5 Rxf5 not only takes back the pawn, but collects a piece in interest.

26.Bxc8 Nxf3+ 27.Qxf3 Raxc8 28.Qxf5+

• Mission accomplished (for real).

28...Qg6 29.Rd7+!

• White assures himself of winning a second pawn.

29...Bg7 30.Qxg6+

• Even better is 30.Qg4! Kg8 31.Qc4+ when:
• After 31...Kh8 32.Rxb7 Rf4 33.Qe6 Qxe6 34.Rxe6 a6 35.Rg6 Bc3 36.Rxg5 White is two pawns to the good.
• 31...Rf7 32.Ree7 Rcf8 33.Rxb7 Qf6 34.Rxf7 Rxf7 35.Rxf7 Qxf7 36.Qxc6 leaves White up by two pawns.

30...Kxg6 31.Rxb7 Rf7 32.a6 Rcc7

• If 32...c5 33.Re6+ then:
• 33...Rf6 34.Rxf6+ Bxf6 35.Rxa7 Bd4 36.Rb7 Rf8 37.Bxd4 cxd4 38.a7 Ra8 39.Kh2 White is two pawns up with the active Rook and a pawn knocking at the castle gates.
• 33...Bf6 34.Bg3 Kg7 35.Be5 Bxe5 36.Rxe5 Rxb7 37.Rxg5+ Kf7 38.axb7 Rb8 39.Rxc5 Rxb7 leaves White two pawns to the good, but the game is still not won.



• 32...Bf6 33.Rd1 Rcc7 34.Rdb1 c5 35.Rxc7 Rxc7 36.Rb7 Re7 37.Bxc5 also wins anothter pawn for Whitel

33.Reb1 c5!

• Black's chances to hold on for a draw depend on maintaining the pawn at a7.

34.Bg3

• Stronger is 34.Rxc7 Rxc7 35.Rb7 Be5 36.Rxc7 Bxc7 37.Bxc5.

34...Bd4+ 35.Kh2 Rce7 36.Bb8 c4

• 36...Re2 37.Rxf7 Kxf7 38.c4 Ra2 39.Rb7+ Ke6 40.Rxa7 eliminates Black's a-pawn, but White will have difficulties pushes his pawn forward.

37.R1b4 Re1 38.Rxf7 Kxf7 39.Rxc4

• White is two pawns to the good.

39...Bg1+ 40.Kg3 Kg6

• If 40...Kf6 41.h4 Re6 42.hxg5+ Kxg5 43.Rg4+ then:
• 43...Kf5 44.Rf4+ Kg6 45.Rf1 Bc5 46.Ra1 White continues to work on Black's a-pawn with his more active pieces.
• After 43...Kf6 Black can add the element of a cliffhanger with 44.Rh4 Kf5 45.Rh1 Re3+ 46.Kh4 Bf2+ 47.Kh5 Re8 48.g4+ ,. but in the end White remains better.

41.Kg4 Re6 42.Ra4

• If 42.g3 Rxa6 43.h4 gxh4 44.gxh4 then:
• After 44...Be3 45.h5+ Kf7 46.Re4 Bc5 47.Rf4+ Kg8 48.Be5 Bd6 49.Bxd6 Rxd6 50.Ra4 Rc6 51.Rxa7 Rxc2 the game will likely end in a draw.
• After 44...Re6 45.h5+ Kf6 46.Bf4 Be3 47.Bxe3 Rxe3 48.Rc6+ Kg7 49.h6+ Kh7 50.c4 the c-pawn begins its march. If Black did not have the a-pawn, he could resign here. As it is, Black's plan force an indirect exchange of the a=pawn for the c-pawn bringing about a probable draw.

42...Re2 43.g3 Rxc2 44.h4 gxh4 45.gxh4 Be3 46.h5+ Kf7?

• If 46...Kh6! 47.Re4 Rg2+ 48.Kf3 Rb2 49.Rxe3 Rxb8 then:
• Black has some chances to hold the half point after 50.Re7 Kxh5 51.Rxa7 Rb3+ 52.Ke4 Ra3.
• 50.Re5 Rb3+ 51.Kg4 Rb4+ 52.Kf5 Ra4 is even more likely drawn.

One must remember that it is always more difficult for the attacker (White in this case) to win a Rook-and-pawn or King-and-pawn ending when the last remaining pawn is a Rook's pawn.

BLACK: Erald Dervishi
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WHITE: Vasilios Kotronias
Position after 46...Kg6f7

47.Rb4!

• White assures that the last Black pawn will be captured, giving him passed pawns on both sides of the board.

47...Ra2

• No better is 47...Kf6 48.Rb7 Ra2 49.Bxa7 Bxa7 50.Rxa7.

48.Bxa7 Bxa7 49.Rb7+ Kf6 50.Rxa7 Ra4+

• After 50...Ra5 51.h6 Kg6 52.h7 Rh5 53.Rb7 one of the pawns will queen.

51.Kf3 Kg5 52.Ra8 Rf4+

• If 52...Kxh5 53.a7 Ra3+ 54.Ke4 Ra4+ 55.Kd5 Ra5+ then:
• The pawn promotes after 56.Kc4 Ra4+ 57.Kb5 Ra1 58.Rh8+.
• Also good is 56.Kc6 Ra1 57.Rh8+ forcing the promotion of the pawn.

53.Ke3 Rf7 54.Rb8 Ra7 55.Rb5+ 1-0


• White's plan is to march his King to b7, forcing the Black Rook to abandon the queening square while Black's King is tied to defending against the advance of the h-pawn.
• As Black is powerless to stop this plan from bearing fruit, Mr. Dervishi resigns.